Dec. 9, 2005

EL VAQUERO Glendale College

www.elvaq.com

Volume 88 Number 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS Associated Students names new president.

Campus Plunged Into Darkness

By ALISON GELLER EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Page 3

G

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

Armineh Dereghishian

PHOTO FEATURE

Peña celebration raises money for Guatemalan Hurricane victims.

Pages 8-9 NEWS

Maintenance crews do more with less.

lendale College was one of more than 14,000 Glendale Department of Water and Power customers left in the dark at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 because of a faulty, 34 thousand volt, underground cable; the power went out for more than an hour, according to Ritch Wells, Public Information Officer for the Department of Water and Power.

Because there are limited emergency lights, in some buildings only illuminating hallways, Steve White, Vice President of Instruction Services, decided to cancel all of the evening classes and to close down the campus, after discussing it with Sharon Combs, Interim Vice President of College Services, and Steve Wagg, Chief of Campus Police.

“The campus wasn’t safe,” said White. “At the time we called — it was approximately 5 or 10 after 6 p.m. — Glendale Water and Power could not locate the problem and could not

tell us when the power would be back on. So we decided for the safety of the students and staff that we had to close the campus and evacuate.” He closed the campus at 6:10 p.m.

“It was early in the evening there was no moonlight and it was very dark,” said White. “We have emergency lighting in the hallways and in our classrooms.

As long as you could find the door to the classroom and get to the hallways you’re able to exit the building safely. But once outside…we don’t have any emergency lighting outside. So as soon as you got more than 10 feet away from the building it was extremely dark and the chances of injuries…were significant.”

Some of the emergency lighting failed. In the San Rafael Building staff and students had to make their way out in the dark.

According to Nidal Kobaissi, the campus’s Police Specialist, no injuries, accidents or crimes occurred during the blackout, though, several students were trapped in elevators but none

sustained injuries.

Two or three students were trapped in an elevator in the Library building and one was trapped in the elevator in the San Rafael building.

Senior Cadet Ryan Wells of the college’s police department was working that evening and headed to the San Rafael building when he was found out that a woman was stuck in the elevator between the second and third floor.

When he got there he made contact with the woman, found out that she wasn’t injured and assured her that they were standing by. She was trapped in the elevator for about 30 to 45 minutes, according to Cadet Wells.

When the power came back on Cadet Wells assumes that she exited the elevator by the third floor because he was stationed on the second level and another cadet was stationed on the first.

When the elevator doors opened on both levels she was already gone.

According to Combs, the IT department said that 111 classes

were canceled, which affected about 2,580 students, all of whom needed to be notified that their classes were canceled that evening.

Representing the campus police that evening were three cadets, three officers, Police Chief Wagg and Police Specialist Kobaissi.

“Most of the work [in notifying students that the campus was closed] was done by campus police and cadets who were located at all the strategic locations,” said White. “We put up signs on as many buildings as we could, we were doing a little bit of stuff with bull horns, and we had administrators and volunteers walking around spreading the message [that the campus was closed].”

When the power came back on campus officials changed the marquee at the corner of Verdugo Road and Mountain Avenue so that it read “Campus Closed.”

“It stayed on even during the second blackout,” said White.

See BLACKOUT, Page 14

Page 4

Student Killed in Traffic Accident

By JANE POJAWA EL VAQUERO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

Trash cans overflow .

ENTERTAINMENT

Bif Naked is on tour with a new album.

Page 10

NEWS........................1-4 F EATURE ...................5-6 SPORTS .........................11 ENTERTAINMENT............10 CALENDAR....................15

O

scar Torres, an 18-year-old freshman at the college, died Thanksgiving Day after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on Nov. 19 near the corner of Columbus Avenue and Riverdale Drive in Glendale.

One passenger, a 17-year-old friend, remains in critical condition. A vigil site marks the scene of the accident.

Sandi Gibbons, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said that Andranik Manukovich Atshemyan, 23, has been charged with murder and with leaving the scene of an accident.

Torres’ car was parked when it was hit by the suspect, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Peter Pressnal. Witnesses claimed that Atshemyan, who was not badly injured, fled the scene on foot. He was later arrested

while attempting to cross the Canadian border.

Oscar Torres hung on to life for five more days.

At a wake held at Forest Lawn Glendale Sunday, many relatives and friends came to pay respects for Torres, who was remembered for his acts of kindness.

In his MySpace (an online diary) account, Torres said: “I am a freshman in college. I like to hang out with my friends, like to meet people. I am a friendly guy who can get along with almost anyone. I also have a beautiful girlfriend who I love very much.”

His mother, Martha Torres, said “Oscar was the sweetest, most loving child. His heart was filled with love. He was the kind of boy who would do anything for you.”

Torres is survived by his mother and father, Juan, and three brothers.

Photo by Jane Pojawa

Oscar Torres died Nov. 24, following a car accident on Nov. 19.

Friday, December 9, 2005

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NEWS

‘His Life Was Teaching, Family Was His Job’ A

devoted husband, father, grandfather and mathematics professor, Dr. Rafael Enfiadjian passed away on Nov. 25.

An adjunct instructor at GCC and Santa Monica College (SMC), he was very highly regarded by colleagues and students.

“He was a great guy,” said Chair of the Math Division, Peter Stathis. “If I needed an adjunct to teach a class, he always stepped forward.”

Enfiadjian was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1941. He was accepted to Yerevan State University in 1960 where he majored in physics and mathematics. He later received his doctorate in physics from the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute.

Memorial services for Enfiadjian were held at Kreider Hall on Sunday. Family, friends and students paid their last respects to a man whom Adjunct Faculty Coordinator Isabelle Saber regarded as “one-of-akind.”

“His students are his legacy,” said Saber. “One of the things that was said at the memorial service was that ‘his life was teaching and his family was his job.’ He was truly, very dedicated to the art of teaching his students.”

A memorial scholarship has been set up under Enfiadjian’s name. Various guests at the service donated money to the scholarship, including a professor at SMC who took over Enfiadjian’s classes after his resignation. She has contributed

the salary she received from taking over Enfiadjian’s classes the scholarship.

Enfiadjian taught right up to the last Monday before Thanksgiving.

He is survived by his wife Louisa, sons Edward and Levon, and their respective wive’s Mary and Raquel, and his grandchildren Hagop, Levon and Ellen.

The family expressed their deepest thanks to the Executive Vice-President of Administrative Services, Lawrence Serot, and the facilities department for their contribution toward the memorial service.

— Compiled by Olga Ramaz

Dr. Rafael Enfiadjian

EL VAQUERO Glendale College Newspaper

Editor in Chief JANE POJAWA Staff Members VIOLETA ARRAZOLA PAULINE GUIUAN ELIZABETH LINARES ALISON GELLER OLIVER TAN OLGA RAMAZ KASIA FAUGHN Online Editor MCHAEL J. ARVIZU Design Adviser CHARLES EASTMAN Photography Adviser LIANE ENKELIS Faculty Adviser

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Friday, December 9, 2005

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NEWS

Armineh Dereghishian Named President of Associated Students in Mid-Year Shake-Up

By PAULINE GUIUAN EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

I

n a surprise announcement on Nov. 21, the GCC Board of Trustees introduced Armineh Dereghishian, vice president of campus relations of the Associated Students of GCC (ASGCC), as the new president of the Associated Students of Glendale College.

Dereghishian replaced Haik Chilingaryan, who was originally elected ASGCC President for this academic year.

Chilingaryan, who was elected to the position during the spring semester, resigned from the presidency in midNovember following a failed

vote for impeachment introduced by five vice presidents of ASGCC. “Haik felt that he had too much on his plate,” said Dereghishian when asked why the outgoing president had resigned. “He wanted to focus more on his studies. He resigned for academic reasons.”

Chilingaryan, who recently switched majors from Political Science to Biology, said that ASGCC activities “consumed a lot of time” for him and that he was “falling behind” in his classes. “You have to let big things go in order to receive other big things,” he said.

Dereghishian added that even before the vice presidents agreed on the vote for

impeachment, they had noticed that Chilingaryan “couldn’t focus as much time on his responsibilities as he wanted to,” and this affected his leadership.

“We [vice presidents] addressed the problem, and brought it to his attention,” said Dereghishian. “He felt that it was best to step down, even when the vote for impeachment failed.”

At the Nov. 15 ASGCC meeting, the motion was raised to remove Chilingaryan on the grounds of “neglect of duty and improper conduct.”

Dereghishian said that the motion to impeach Chilingaryan was voted on by the whole legislature, which is composed of 20 members.

According to Alen Andriassian, the ASGCC adviser, “improper conduct” referred to “doing something unbecoming of an officer, something outside of what a leader should do,” and “neglect of duties” meant that the charged officer was “not doing his job” as a leader.

Andriassian refused to comment when asked what specific mistakes or offenses were lodged against Chilingaryan.

However, the vote for impeachment did not pass.

“The [members] wanted to give Haik another chance,” Dereghishian said.

Chilingaryan said that the charges against him were not justified. “I was not ‘neglecting my duty’,” he said. “I

called every meeting to order, and I was always on time and ready to go. The charge was ridiculous.” He said that despite being very busy with his classes, he “worked very hard” to maintain his position.

Concerning the allegation of “improper conduct,” Chilingaryan said that it was based mainly on “personal issues.” “‘Improper conduct’ was based on other people’s interpretation of my actions,” Chilingaryan explained.

“That’s their opinion. Of course, I’ve done things See NEW PRESIDENT, page 14 Pauline Guiuan can be reached at Pauline_Guiuan@elvaq.com

More Than 1,000 Votes Cast for Student Officers

By PAULINE GUIUAN EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

M

ore than a thousand GCC students flocked to Plaza Vaquero last week to exercise their right to vote for student leaders for the spring semester.

According to ASGCC adviser Alen Andriassian, a surprisingly high total of 1,170 ballots was counted.

“This was a pretty big turnout for a non-presidential election,” Andriassian said. “If the blackout hadn’t happened, we would’ve had a record for the number of voters.”

“It doesn’t matter who you vote for, as long as you make your voice heard,” said Elsa Urquilla, one of the former senators of campus relations.

Urquilla introduced this year’s Associated Students of GCC (ASGCC) candidates for election at Plaza Vaquero on Nov. 29, formally opening the elections to the students.

Polling booths were set up along the east entrance to the administration building. The polls were open from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 and re-opened on the morning of Nov. 30, finally closing on that evening.

All of the nine candidates for vice president gave their speeches, culminating a week of heavy campaigning throughout the campus. Placards and fliers promoting the candidates had been scattered all over campus beginning Nov. 21.

Most of the nine candidates for vice president and the 20 candidates for senator said that if they should win, they would focus on “representing the students’ interests,” “getting students more involved” and “promoting more fun activities.”

One vice president and three senators were to be elected for each of the ASGCC’s five committees: administration, finance, campus organizations, campus relations and campus activities.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares The new ASGCC spring officers are: David Arakelyan, vice president of Finance; Arpine Hovasapyan, vice president of Campus Relations Committee; newly appointed ASGCC president Armineh Dereghishian, center; Thomas Dryden, vice president of Administration Committee; Sabine Freij, vice president of Activities Committee; and Erick Santos, vice president of Organizations Committee.

Some incumbent officers, such as Vice President for Administration Thomas Dryden and Vice President of Campus Organizations Erick Santos, who were running for re-election reminded students of their achievements this semester and encouraged them to “vote for experience.”

Unfortunately, the elections

were interrupted at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday by the blackout that shut down power from the entire campus. Most of the candidates were on campus at that time, waiting to campaign to students with evening classes.

“Because of the blackout, there was no voting or campaigning that night,” said Erick Santos, re-elected vice president

of campus organizations. “The whole campus was closed.”

According to Santos, the ASGCC decided not to give additional hours for voting to make up for the three hours lost due to the power outage.

The election results were announced at noon on Dec. 1 See CAMPUS, page 7

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Friday, December 9, 2005

NEWS

Shrunken Facilities Staff Makes Do To Keep Campus Safe and Attractive

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLA EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

W

ith cutbacks made to the Facilities Management Department two years ago, the department has had to deal with a smaller staff to carry out the vast amount of maintenance responsibilities needed to keep the campus clean inside the buildings as well as on the grounds.

There were no layoffs, but the department has been unable to replace employees who quit, were terminated or retired.

According to Lew Lewis, Director of Facilities, the department had a total of 57 workers and has lost about a dozen of

them. Ten of these employees were custodians.

On the 560,000-square-foot GCC campus, each custodian is now responsible for about 30,000 square feet, which is nearly double what it was five years ago, said Dan Padilla, Manager of Maintenance and Operations.

“Since they are responsible for twice as much area, they have had to reduce their schedule – like how often they mop floors, clean windows, wash walls and other extra things that make this campus looking cleaner that it is now,” Padilla said.

The smaller staff and bigger workload has caused facilities department workers to reduce

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

A not uncommon sight on campus is haphazard disposal of trash.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

A scaled-backed maintenance crew often faces the task of disposing of carelessly abandoned trash.

the maintenance campus, with sometimes noticeable effects.

In and around the campus, litter can often be seen accumulating, and the department gets frequent complaints from the faculty about dirty floors, carpets, and desktops in classrooms.

Lewis, who has been director of facilities for nine years, said the department puts priority on “must-clean items.” Places such as the cafeteria, the culinary arts building, the childcare building and restrooms must be cleaned on a daily basis for health and safety reasons.

The maintenance and operation workers, who include gardeners, plumbers, electricians, utility workers and custodians, are responsible for a variety of tasks on campus. Cleaning the restrooms and supplying them with paper, mopping up spills, picking up trash, and emptying the trash are some of the duties custodians take care of.

Utility workers, have similar tasks, but are also are responsible for setting up, supplying, and then bringing down canopies, chairs, and tables used for functions held on campus by students and faculty.

Even though the department is responsible for all of these duties, Lewis believes part of the responsibility for keeping the campus looking clean not only relies on the custodians, but on

the students as well. He attributes part of the problems to a population of students who don’t take pride in the appearance of the campus.

According to Lewis, at the turn of each new semester “the young freshmen tend to come in to mark their territory, for example with graffiti, and not pick up after themselves and use this [the campus] more as a hang out place.”

Padilla said that in restrooms custodians often have to deal with unpleasant, appalling, and inexcusable sights, such as tagging and toilets that have been intentionally clogged. They have even had to pick up after students who have defecated on the floor.

“If we all take an effort in picking up after ourselves, it would take a tremendous workload off our staff and more things can get accomplished,” said Lewis.

The department is also in the process of changing the shift of the night crew in order to get more work done. Since some classes run until 10 p.m., the night crew often has difficulty getting work done in classes that are still in session. Currently the night shift works from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., but the department wants to change the hours so that workers come in at 10 p.m. and leave at 6:30 a.m.

The Board of Trustees also

recently approved two new positions for the department, which is actually a replacement of two of the 12 positions that were lost and not replaced during the cutbacks. “I do see an upward trend to replenish the staff we lost to at least bring us up to a standard to where we can provide adequate services throughout the campus,” said Lewis.

With the construction of a new Allied Health Building and parking structure on campus, which are set to open in the spring of 2007, and plans to build a new student services building and a press box on Sartoris Field, Lewis said “staffing has to increase” in order to maintain good services to all the new buildings.

Nonetheless, Lewis has nothing but praise for his staff, which has also had to deal with working with minimal equipment and supplies. “I have nothing but high regard for the staff that is here because not only have they acquired more responsibilities, they are working twice as hard,” said Lewis. “They are to be commended for the way they are maintaining the campus with the situation they are in.”

Violeta Arrazola can be reached at Violeta_Arrazola@elvaq.com

Friday, December 9, 2005

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NEWS

Science Lecture Offers Virtual Journey to Saturn via Cassini Spacecraft Images

By KASIA FAUGHN EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

he college was taken on a two-billion-mile journey to Saturn by Trina L. Ray, the Senior System Engineer for the Cassini Science Planning at JPL on Nov. 22.

Ray, who holds a master’s degree in astronomy and has been working for JPL since 1989, provided an overview of the mission and the Cassini spacecraft in an hour-long lecture combined with a projection of pictures of Saturn and its moons. The presentation was a part of the Science Lecture Series.

Equipped with 12 scientific instruments and cameras, this 20-foot-tall spacecraft was launched on Oct. 15, 1997 and

“took seven years to get to Saturn,” said Ray. Under watchful eyes of over 250 scientists from 17 different countries, Cassini, along with its Huygens Titan probe, traveled approximately two billion miles between Earth and Saturn.

According to the speaker, one of the major problems the spacecraft faced was the sun’s immense gravitational pull.

“When you’re trying to get to Saturn, you fight the sun all the way there,” said Ray. Having made a couple of loops around the Sun and using Titan’s gravitational assist, Cassini “went into [Saturn’s] orbit in July 2004,” Ray said.

After being ejected from Cassini in December 2004, the Huygens probe began its 20-day descent through Titan’s cloudy atmosphere. During the nearly

2½ hour-long descent, the probe gathered information about the moon’s atmosphere. The probe survived the journey through the clouds and landed near the moon’s frozen equator, where it continued to operate for a few minutes before losing communication with the Cassini spacecraft and the scientists on Earth.

It is expected to remain in Saturn’s orbit and stream back images of the planet and its surroundings for the next four years.

The main objectives of the Cassini-Huygens mission are Titan, Saturn, the planet’s rings, its icy satellites and its magnetosphere.

According to Ray approximately 30,000 images have been taken and transmitted to date by the Cassini-Huygens cameras.

She described the images gathered by the two spacecrafts as

“absolutely amazing.” They have revealed geologically active surface of Titan; the moon’s atmospheric composition; and an equatorial bulge, referred to as “Belly Band,” on another one of Saturn’s moons, Iapetus.

For more information about the mission, and to view some of the images of Saturn, its rings, and its moons, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm The GCC Science Lecture Series is going to offer another lecture on the Cassini mission during the spring semester. Other topics covered in the spring lecture series will cover high-speed computing, polio vaccine development, and healthy living.

Kasia Faughn can be reached at Kasia_Faughn@elvaq.com

Art Gallery Shows Video — Art, Not TV “A Single Channel Video Show” is currently on display at the Glendale College Art Gallery.

With works by Enid Baxter Blader, Brooke Megdal, Martin Durazo and Kudzma and Weingarten among others, this latest exhibition was conceived as a negotiation between painting and singlechannel video art.

The end result is a fusion of diverse media elements, intertwined to create an exhibit unlike any other that the gallery has showcased.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 28 when there will be a closing reception for the artists from 4 to 7 p.m.

For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.

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Friday, December 9, 2005

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F E AT U R E

Volunteers Give Back to the Community on Thanksgiving

By OLGA RAMAZ EL VAQUERO

F

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

or the most part, the holidays are a time for family, friendship, eating and reflecting on the blessings one has reaped during the year. Those who are fortunate can gather around a table surrounded by their loved ones and share anecdotes, generating laughter and joy. But what about those who are less fortunate?

What about those who are alone, with an empty stomach and isolated from the holiday festivities. How can one lend a hand and help bring holiday cheer to those who need it? This holiday season, volunteering is definitely the way to go.

The Salvation Army hosted Thanksgiving Dinner at the Glendale Community Corps on 320 W. Windsor Road between noon and 2 p.m. The event occurred with several volunteers who helped serve turkey dinners complete with all the trimmings and handed out blankets and gifts, including bags of toiletries.

All of the food for this very special dinner was donated by

the community, and the 25 turkeys served were cooked by the kitchen crew at the Glendale Hilton.

Depending on the need of each individual, volunteers at the event handed out blankets, hygiene kits, and sweaters, scarfs, and hats knitted by the local National Charity League.

Lending a hand in this noble cause was Kristine Vardanyan, a 20-year-old business major at GCC. Vardanyan has been involved with the Salvation Army since middle school. For Vardanyan, it all started when she would go to the Community Corps facilities and play basketball with her cousin after school. As the years passed, Vardanyan found herself volunteering in various activities, most recently at an event benefiting hurricane victims.

Vardanyan walked up and down the aisles, serving hot plates and collecting them once emptied. Earlier that day Vardanyan helped make coffee and serve juice and cookies as the attendants waited to set up the dinner tables.

“I feel good about myself,” said Vardanyan. “I feel like I’ve dedicated time to a good cause.”

Helping the volunteers cater to the attendees’ diverse needs was volunteer coordinator Melynda Hooper. This was Hooper’s third Thanksgiving event and it did not bother her much that she was sacrificing family time for an event that according to her makes “you feel really well that you’ve served the community.”

The room was filled with families, people who did not want to spend the holiday alone and theose who were homeless.

“Many folks, unless they come to this program or to another program like it, don’t eat and don’t have a meal during the day,” said Captain James Sloan.

“It’s a hard thing.”

GCC student Jeff Eastman was among those who attended the dinner and was pleased with the food as much as he was pleased with the volunteers at the event.

“The food is delicious and now I am well fed thanks to these people,” said Eastman.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

The Salvation Army served dinner to more than 300 people on Thanksgiving.

Eastman believes that “volunteering is the way it should be,” and appreciated the help of the volunteers who took the time to lend a hand.

Adding a dose of entertainment were The Sunflowers, a musical duo comprised of Michael Fontaine and his wife Terri.

The Sunflowers began their relationship with the Salvation Army after performing at their annual Harvest Festival, an engagement which sparked an immediate bond between the organization and the happy duo.

“I think it’s wonderful that the Salvation Army has been

able to supply a sort or normal environment,” said Fontaine.

“It’s just a positive day and that’s a neat thing to be a part of.”

According to Captain Sloan, events like these are only possible through the help of volunteers who donate their time to a worthy cause.

“All of the volunteers are giving up their family time to do this,” said Captain Sloan. “It’s important for them to give something back to the community.”

Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

H o l i d a y O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r Wi l l i n g H e l p e r s The Salvation Army is not the only organization offering opportunities for volunteer work this holiday season.

Here is a brief list of things one can do to lend a hand.

• The Associated Students of Glendale Community College are working in conjunction with the Padrinos organization in an effort to collect nonperishable food items for underprivileged residents in Glendale. Monetary donations are also welcomed. Donations will be accepted until Saturday at the Student Center. For more information, contact the ASGCC Vice President of Organizations, Erick Santos, at (818) 240-1000, ext. 3126.

• The Salvation Army welcomes volunteers to help pack food boxes. Packing will take place Saturday and the distribution of boxes and toys will take place on December 17 at the Glendale Community Corps at 320 W. Windsor Road.

For more information, contact Melynda Hooper at (818) 246-5586, ext. 121.

• The Glendale Adventist Medical Center is in need of volunteers to work at their Thrift Store. Tasks include merchandising, tidying up items and working the cash register.

Volunteers are especially needed during the busy holiday rush. For more information, contact store manager Donna Will at (818) 409-8056.

• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is looking for sorters to work this busy holiday season. Volunteers are needed on Wednesday to help label, pack and sort food items in the Food Bank’s warehouse. For more information, contact Ana Martinez at (323) 234-3030.

• The Glendale YMCA is looking for volunteers to help at the Christmas tree lot, located on the corner of Brand and Colorado. For more information, contact Craig Yaussi at (818) 240-4130, ext. 15.

• Padres Contra El Cancer is in need of volunteers to help create and distribute food baskets at an Annual Holiday Food Basket Distribution. This event is taking place at 4650 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. Volunteers are also needed for their Annual Holiday Posada at 501 S. Pacific Ave. on Dec. 17. Volunteers are needed to help set up the event, decorate and help out throughout the event. For more information on both of these volunteer opportunities, contact Gerry De La Rosa at (323) 850-7901, ext. 228.

• Splash of Hope is holding a gift drive to benefit the

Koinonia Foster Family Home and other Foster Homes in the greater Los Angeles area. All the gifts will be donated to children in need. Unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at 415 N. Camden Drive in Beverly Hills until Dec. 19. For more information, call Kris at (818) 395-3963 or contact Rosa at (310) 247-0616 for pick up.

• Food on Foot is seeking for volunteers to work on Christmas Day and help distribute food and sleeping bags to more than 250 homeless people in the Hollywood area. Food on Foot is a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding and clothing the homeless and poor on the streets of Los Angeles. For more information, contact Jay Goldinger at (310) 442-0088.

• AIDS Project Los Angeles needs volunteers to assist in the bagging of groceries for distribution to clients. AIDS Project Los Angeles is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by HIV disease, reducing the incidence of HIV infection and advocating for fair and effective HIVrelated public policy. For more information on volunteering, contact Jim Williams at (213) 201-1496.

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NEWS

El Vaquero Editor Injured No Power Was No El Vaquero Staff Story

T

he editor in chief of El Vaquero, Jane Pojawa, broke her wrist in a fall at Forest Lawn Glendale Sunday while covering a story for the paper.

Pojawa was at the wake for Glendale College Freshman Oscar Torres, who died on Dec. 1

as the result of a Thanksgiving Day hit-and-run accident, when she tripped and fell down a stairway.

On Sunday evening her wrist was encased in a plaster cast, but after reviewing X-rays her doctor decided to operate. On Tuesday, a steel plate and pins were implanted.

Although she has said she is

recovering successfully, Pojawa was unable to work on the final edition of the paper for the semester.

Pojawa, 38, and her husband Jeryd, also a student at Glendale College, live in La Cañada.

A former nurse, Pojawa is a returning student enrolled in photography, journalism and computer classes on campus.

Campus Election Results continued from page 3 and were posted outside the ASGCC offices at the student center.

Thomas Dryden was re-elected as vice president of administration in a close lead of 30 votes over opponent Tina Berberyan.

“My main goal for the next semester is to get everyone in this organization on the same page,” said Dryden immediately after finding out he had won. “I want to get everyone working together, and I want to promote camaraderie.”

The new vice president of campus activities, Sabine Freij, said her focus was on “putting [ASGCC] committees back on track and finding new leaders for the upcoming year.”

Arpine Hovasapyan, elected vice president of campus relations with the most votes out of the four vice presidential candi-

dates, said that she wanted to focus on publicity. “We’re going to focus on getting more students involved,” she said. “We’re going to publicize events and scholarships and make these more interactive.”

“I’ll focus on helping clubs do more,” said re-elected Vice President of Campus Organizations Erick Santos.

“We’ll do more fund raisers, have more club activities and bring back the IOC [InterOrganizational Council] Olympics.”

Following is a complete list of newly elected ASGCC officers:

Arpine Hovasapyan Vice President of Campus Organizations: Erick Santos Senator of Administration: Edwin Baboomian Sevanna Hartoonians Bianca Khachatourian Senator of Finance: Artur Karasyov Meline Khachatourian Frunzik Oglakchian Senator of Campus Activities: Alina Aghazarian Aylin Movesesyan Syuzanna Petrosyan

Vice President of Administration: Thomas Dryden

Senator of Campus Relations: Soseh Khodaverdian Karla Mercado Hermine Sarkisyan

Vice President of Campus Activities: Sabine Freij Vice President of Campus Relations:

Senator of Campus Organizations: Araz Essagholian Luis Mares Johannes Sanchez

Problem for Some in Night Classes

By ALISON GELLER EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

W

hile students from most classes were making their way out of the buildings, some didn’t let a little darkness stop them from learning during the blackout on Nov. 29.

One teacher Andrew Young, a math professor, continued with his Math 119 lesson.

Jessica Hollins, 28, and one of Young’s Math 119 students said that there were about 10 to 15 students there that evening.

“We continued with lecture with the emergency lights on,” said Hollins. “We moved our desks up close [to the front of the room] and continued with class until we were told by [Peter Stathis] the head of the Math Department that we needed to evacuate the building.”

The Arroyo Seco building is one of the few buildings that have emergency lights in the classrooms.

Hollins and fellow classmate Maria Castillo, 26, said that if they weren’t told that they had to evacuate, Young would have most likely gone on with the rest of the class.

They said that Young had told them earlier in the semester that during the Northridge earthquake he continued to teach his

class, Stathis told them the story as well when he was checking in on them, before telling them that they had to evacuate the building.

The students were let out around 6 p.m. Young said that they were trying to make sure that the students were prepared for the next math class. They were a bit behind schedule and with finals coming up soon, they couldn’t afford the loss of time.

“There never is a good time for a power outage,” said Young.

“But that was a particularly bad time.”

Steve Dehner, 28 an English major, was in the middle of leading a Supplemental Instruction for Anthropology 101 in the Cimmarusti Science Center when the blackout occurred.

The Cimmarusti building has emergency lights in the hallway, so they opened up the doors to get some of the light.

“We continued the SI by cell phone illumination,” said Dehner.

“Everybody opened up their cell phones. We tried to continue it as long as we could until somebody came around and told us that all classes were canceled and we should all clear out.”

Alison Geller can be reached at Alison_Geller@elvaq.com

C AMP US C O MMENTS

What was your experience during the blackout?

Pamela Abolian 19

Brandon LeBlanc 24

Zohara Kaye 30

Emerson Reyes 27

Isabelle Saber 39

ART HISTORY

POLITICAL SCIENCE

LIBRARY TECHNICIAN

PHOTOGRAPHY

MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR

“I just suddenly saw darkness, then I heard people screaming. Two minutes later I realized the lights went out when I went into the cafeteria.

Then I was happy because class was canceled.”

“I was lucky enough to have a classroom full of people with cell phones, so it seemed as though the room was more highly lit when all the cell phones turned on.”

“It was actually kind of chaotic because there was no communication with campus police. So we did not know what to do for the first 20 minutes or so.”

“The lights went out...all we have is this emergency light...no one can see anything but the teacher goes ‘you guys can see right?’ and everyone’s like ‘no’ but he wanted to get it done.”

“When the lights went out everything was very dark and we couldn’t see anything. So we fumbled our way through the office and got to the corridor where there were some emergency lights.”

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Friday, December 9, 2005

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P H O T O F E AT U R E

The Association of Latin American Students Present

Peña Council General of Guatemala Milton Alvarez, top left, thanked ALAS and GUIA for their dedication and hard work on such noble cause. Peña guests, center left, were treated to an assortment of Latin American cuisine. Dance ensemble Nicaraguita, bottom left, performed a series of dance numbers. Ecos de Bolivia, above, performed a number titled, “Caporal.”

PHOTOS BY OLIVER TAN EL VAQUERO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Oliver Tan can be reached at Oliver_Tan@elvaq.com

G

uatemalan folklore filled the J.W. Smith Center conference room on Sunday for an afternoon of entertainment, food and culture at the bi-annual Peña.

With the help of the Guatemala United Information Agency (GUIA), the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) produced this semester’s Peña in an effort to raise funds that will provide medical assistance for people of Guatemala who were affected

by Hurricane Stan.

With roughly over 200 guests in attendance, Peña managed to generate approximately $2,000.

“We raised money, people had a good time and the food was great,” said professor of Ethnic Studies Fabiola Torres, who is currently sitting in for the club’s adviser, Carlos Ugalde. “He [Ugalde] would be very proud because it [Peña] showed solidarity.”

The event included performances by Nicaraguita, Ecos de Bolivia and Grupo Cultural Guatemalteco whose unique presentation incorporated traditional dance along with theater and spoken word. The sounds of the traditional marimba (xylophone) were also present,

GUIA’s own, Grupo Cultural Guatemalteco, top right, premiered their latest number that blends both theater, dance and spoken word. The story-line of the performace depicted a family on the verge of marrying off one of their daughters to a humble farmer.

The performace culminated with the traditional bride and groom dance.

adding a great dose of color and joie de vivre.

Marlene Jenson, a resident of North Hollywood, heard about Peña through radio station KPFK. Jenson knew right away that she wanted to participate.

“I came out because I’m concerned about the situation down there and I’ve been wanting to do something to help,” said Jenson.

Milton Alvarez, the Council General of Guatemala, was also in attendance and expressed his gratitude toward ALAS and their accomplishments.

“I feel really honored to be here and overwhelmed with pride to see the work they [ALAS] have done,” said Alvarez. “They have combined support of the culture with help toward our fellow man and I hope that they continue with their hard work and enthusiasm.”

Outside of the conference room, attendees were treated to a taste of Latin American cuisine that included traditional dishes from Guatemala as well as Mexico, like; enchiladas, tamales and hand made tortillas, among other foods.

Also on hand was Miriam Quezada, a vendor who has participat-

ed in Peña events for seven years. An acquaintance of Ugalde’s, Quezada is an artist who creates manualidades (hand made works).

Every Peña she donates an item to be raffled off or sold, benefiting the cause.

“I like participating in these type of events, first of all because I am promoting the culture and second, because I am participating,” said Quezada.

One of ALAS’s major goals for the future is to come up with different methods of fund raising, although club member Freddy Moncada believes that Peña is still a very significant fund raiser on campus.

“The best part of the Peña experience is the unity of students, families, friends and faculty in accomplishing something good,” said Moncada. “Knowing that you are sending some help to people who are usually ignored by their own country and the world, makes all the hard work worth while.”

— Story by Olga Ramaz Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

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Friday, December 9, 2005

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E N T E RTA I N M E N T

Music

p r o f i l e

Rock ’N’ Roll Diary Bif Naked Style

By OLGA RAMAZ EL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“E

very song is a love song” according to Bif Naked, an artist who has steadily claimed fame with her energetic, pump-up-the-volume type music and her don’t need you attitude.

At first glance this Betty Paige-esque femme fatale comes off as a stand-offish performer covered in tattoos and filled with a good dose of rage.

But once she takes the stage and grabs the microphone, her true persona shines: a performer covered in tattoos, filled with a good dose of rage and incredible ball-busting chops.

She was born in New Delhi, India to a pair of boarding school teenagers. Her move to Minneapolis came after she was adopted by American missionaries who moved around from city to city until finally settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the place where she would eventually tap into her musical talent.

Short stints in various bands would soon follow. After parting ways with her last band, Dying To Be Violent, Bif launched herself as a solo artist in 1994 with an EP titled “Four Songs and a Poem,” which was quickly followed with her selftitled debut album. A string of records would follow, ultimately giving way to unprecedented success and a solid fan base in various corners of the world.

“I don’t know how you guys live here,” she said jokingly to a crowd of eager fans at a November gig at the legendary Viper Room in Hollywood, which according to Bif is the “scary part of town.”

Armed with nothing but a microphone and an entourage to man the drums, bass and guitar respectively, she took the stage like a bolt of lighting, crashing down and spitting out “Yeah, You,” the fourth track off

of her latest release, “Superbeautifulmonster.”

The crowd responded to her every move, bouncing back the energy radiating off of her gyrating body as she claimed the stage as her own personal playground.

The energy skyrocketed with “Let Down,” a lyrical manifestation and rant to her peers about her faulty nature. With lyrics like “Can’t get my mother off my back/she don’t have far to go to drive me crazy/someday that bitch is gonna make me crack/might be the last time she calls me lazy” can just about strike a nerve with anybody and lends itself to becoming a sort of an anthem for the so-called black sheep.

The intimacy of the show called for some interaction with the crowd. In between songs, Bif initiated random conversations with the audience, telling stories and sharing mishaps from life on the road. The cozy atmosphere of the Viper Room and the warmth of breathing bodies almost initiated an impromptu meet and greet. “I’ll start. My name is Bif, I live in Vancouver.” She then encouraged the audience to “get in touch with their chakras” as they stood there taking in the excitement of the show.

The set list predominantly consisted of tracks off the new album, playlist that reads very much like a diary.

The creation of this latest record spanned about three years. During this time, Bif managed to muster up well over 50 songs, 35 of which were actually recorded. In the end, 13 tracks managed to make it on to the final recording. Songs influenced by her struggles, Bif opens up and exposes her vulnerability with an array of sounds borrowed from such genres as metal, alternative and pop.

The range of her voice has no limits, abilities which shine

through on this latest effort.

When she is not spitting out lyrics straight from the pit of her stomach, she is merely whispering vocals as if lulling the listener into the realm of Samadhi, the practice of complete meditation, which Bif herself seems to practice and encourages.

Musically, the album is very well balanced, giving the listener a taste of both the hard-hitting tunes, the power ballad type songs and the pop infused tracks.

Falling into the category of the power ballad type songs are; “Abandonment,” “Henry” and the beautifully written, “Everyday.”

In “Everyday,” Bif’s voice of experience speaks, giving words to the wise with lyrics like “Soak every emotion that you never thought you’d live/And never take for granted every breath you’re breathing in.” Accompanied by an acoustic and a string ensemble, this song stands out not only for its lyrics, but for the way the magnetism of each instrument carries out the sweet and hopeful aura of the song.

“The World is Over” and “That’s Life” are the two lone pop songs on the album guaranteed to stick on the listener like a wad of gum.

The oh-so-catchy lyrics of “That’s Life” make it very easy and rather enjoyable to sing along to. The chorus itself draws some attention with its lyrics; “That’s life with me/I know around and around you will go/But, if I French-Kiss you in the broad daylight, you’ll fall in love, oh, oh, oh.”

For some reason this song in particular begs to be linked with a “Gilmore Girls” type sitcom and Avril Lavigne. Minus the “Gilmore Girls” parallel, it’s possible that this association just stems from the whole Canadian rocker chick vibe.

Certainly the hard-hitting

tunes outweigh the rest.

“Funeral of a Good Grrl,” “Lady Bug Waltz” and “The Question Song,” among others, are the songs meant to be played out loud.

“The Question Song” holds true to its title because it does just that, questions what seems like an unsuspecting ex. “Tell me, how do you sleep?/In your bed of true deceit/Are you hungry, hungry for me?/Or is it just conditioning?”

But without a doubt the biggest treat on this album is Bif’s unexpected cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.”

No one messes with Metallica – just ask Shawn Fanning. For Bif to take a very well-known Metallica song and make it all her own is definitely worthy of some major props. A very appropriate song, fitting in this diary-like album, beautifully showcases the various ranges of her voice which fluctuate with every note.

Lets take a minute and dare to dream what the “Black Album” would sound like if instead of James Hetfield man-

ning the post on vocals, Bif took the reigns and added a zest of chick. Male Metallica fans and perhaps even a disgruntled Lars Ulrich would be all up in arms, but what a feat that would be.

This album has all the elements it needs to be massively accepted, be that by loyal fans and media from all corners of the world. An epic recording from start to finish, the consistency among the tracks make every tune melt into one another, carrying on the concept of an auditory diary ever so well.

Now, if only radio would tap into “Superbeautifulmonster.” It would certainly be a much needed change from what is currently infesting the airwaves.

She is the total package; looks, attitude, talent and fistfull of guts, and her album is no exception to these either.

Dive into this album head first, and as Bif said, “may you be absorbed in Samadhi.”

Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

Friday, December 9, 2005

www.elvaq.com

11

S P O RT S

Vaqueros Face Challenges on the Court

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLA EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

“N

othing is impossible” has been the theme of the Vaquero women’s basketball team, which started a challenging season. Both the women’s and men’s teams went onto the courts with only three returning players.

New head coach Monica Hang, who previously was the assistant coach to the women’s basketball team at Cal State L.A., is leading the Vaqueros. She also served as assistant coach to the women’s basketball team at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra.

So far this season, the Vaqueros are only 2-6, but Hang is looking forward to a successful season. “We’re rebuilding the program…it’s a young team, but they are adjusting to the system,” said Hang. “They are working hard and want to learn.”

The three returning players for the Vaqueros are guard Jasmine Stanley, forward Alyssa Rosca and guard Julie An, who is leading the team with points scored.

The Hoover High graduate has averaged 14 points per game.

Coach Hang, who feels fortunate to have a team that is “easy to get along with and play with a great attitude,” believes defense and “giving it your all,” wins games.

Rock High.

The men’s team also has a young team this season. They have a total of 15 players, but there are only three returning players. But from these returning

Photo Courtesy of Conrad Amba

Jovan Jester is one of the leading players on this season’s basketball team.

Other players to watch this season are forwards Vanessa Escobar and Christina Chase, who both hail from Eagle

sophomores, only one player had playing time last season: Jovan Jester.

Jester will be one of the lead-

You Can See Yo u r N a m e above the Stories in El Vaquero Join our newspaper staff and be the first to know about what happens on campus and become a voice for the college community

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ing players this season and so far he leads the team with 48 assists in eight games and is averaging 13.88 points per game. He finished last season with an average of 11.5 points per game and had 91 assists in 27 games. He was also a first-team all Western State Conference player.

The Vaqueros (2-6) are being led by Brian Beauchemin, who is in his 26th year as head coach and boasts an impressive 463345 overall record. Beauchemin says his team has been “struggling a little bit” to score this season, but has seen improvements over the past two weeks.

“We’ve done an average job up until this point, so hopefully we’re starting to find turn the corner and start to get more cohesive in our collective efforts,” said Beauchemin.

The other players for the Vaqueros who have been top performers for the team so far this season are forwards Jamar Eubanks and Owen Duckworth, and point guard Derrick Blair.

Eubanks, who is 6 feet, six inches, is leading the team with an average of 16.88 points per game; Duckworth, out of Muir

High School in Pasadena, is leading the team with an average of 9.25 rebounds per game and is second in scoring with an average of 15.75 points per game; Blair has 24 assists, which is second on team.

Coach Beauchemin is hoping that the team will continue to improve with more than 20 games remaining in the season.

“We’re working hard and we’re trying and that’s all you could ask for,” said Beauchemin.

“Once you work hard and try to the best of your ability…hopefully the rest will take care of itself.”

Violeta Arrazola can be reached at Violeta _Arrazola@elvaq.com

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OPINION

Student Volunteer Praises Service to Others

By NANCY AGBENU EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

hey come in different sizes, styles and types. They have different faces, voices, personalities and passions. Sometimes they rebuild torn-down houses and mow lawns. At other times they bag canned groceries, peel vegetables and bake bread.

Often they sing. Often they wrap Christmas toys and decorate Easter eggs. Mostly, they faithfully work behind the scenes, but are easily spotted during the holidays.

Sometimes, one can find especially tough versions of them as they work their way through natural disasters and major events like the past hurricanes. Simply put, they see a need and quickly run to throw

themselves into it and fix it. No, they are not Snow White’s little dwarfs. They are the volunteers.

More than ever, volunteers are of tremendous importance.

According to findings of the 1999 national survey Giving and Volunteering in the United States, an estimated 109.4 million adults are engaged in volunteer work. According to the Economic Report of the P r e s i d e n t , volunteers gave an estimated total of 19.9 billion hours of volunteering in 1998 and these numbers have been rising ever since the 1990s.

This shows a positive trend for American Society, because volunteers are actually the ones who are making the most lasting

impact on people and cause definite social changes that benefit the entire country.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines volunteer as “a person who voluntarily [which means proceeding from one’s own choice] undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service.”

It is exactly this “free” or

every month.

During the first three years after the Dream Center moved in, the homicide and violent crime rate in the Rampart District declined by double digits, according to the police.

According to recent reports by police officers, stated at this year’s back-to-school backpack give-away, the crime rate is so low now that police officers are sent to other districts. Daily, gang members and ex-convicts are surprised and often changed by the mere fact that someone cares enough to give his or her time and shows small acts of kindness. A miracle? Probably.

But a miracle that shows the simple power of volunteers.

One thing that marks volunteers is that though they don’t get recompensed for their work, often they do greatly more than is expected of them just for the joy of reaping a surprised or grateful smile. Volunteers often discover how fulfilling it is to give to others without expecting anything in return.

Often the unpaid workers also enjoy the mere fact that they can see that they made a difference in another’s person life by giving a struggling family a few bags of groceries or helping the selfesteem of children at skid row through after school programs.

For some people, volunteering is also a way of coping with life tragedies, losses and grief. Building new relationships with lonely senior citizens in a nursery home, for example, can help in getting over a broken relationship or lost friends.

Some volunteers also enjoy getting to know and work with other people who have the same heart to help. I’ve met artists like movie makers, musicians and actors who simply volunteer to get their eyes opened and inspired for their next project.

Others volunteer out of the belief that it is God’s calling on their lives to help others. People who have experienced help in their lives often simply look for a way to give back to the community.

Families who volunteer together often set an example and help instate unselfish values in their

“Volunteers are the ones who show people value and respect in the greatest dimension.” “volunteer” aspect of social engagement that changes poverty-stricken communities, gang-infested neighborhoods and whole cultures. Volunteers are the ones who show people value and respect in the greatest dimension. “You are worth my time and resources,” says the volunteer to the person in need, and often they do so without words. Volunteers exemplify in the most genuine dimension that, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, the greatest power for change lies in love and not force.

Having been a volunteer in different continents and at the Los Angeles Dream Center for nearly three years, I have witnessed the power of volunteer work in inner cities. Over and over, I have seen lives and families changed and restored, just through the simple acts of people showing people that they care.

When 20-year-old Matthew Barnett came to L.A.’s notorious Rampart District in 1995, all he had was a passion to help. He began to knock on his neighbors’ doors and asked how he could make life easier for them.

Inspired by this selfless deed, hundreds of people from all walks of life would come and join him in his efforts to help bring hope and restore broken dreams.

Today, the Los Angeles Dream Center under Pastor Matthew Barnett provides multiple rehabilitation programs and over 200 volunteer outreach programs and stands for the meeting point of thousands of volunteers who give their time and resources to help others

children and help raise them to become responsible young adults. Once a volunteer, always a volunteer, one could say.

Surprisingly, volunteers are not carefree superheroes with never-vanishing smiles. They are regular humans with struggles, problems and feelings just like you and me. Honestly, after the first few months of committed volunteer work, much of the “volunteer romanticism” that a volunteer might have initially dies the very moment they meet their first “ungrateful person.”

The volunteer realizes “Oops, not everybody does actually appreciate my help!” But even the experience of rejection from needy people (and still not giving up on them) will shape the volunteer into a stronger personality able to help others even more effectively.

Though volunteers have their own issues, it is often the very process of reaching out to others that lessens their absorption in their own problems. Their problems diminish in scope as they extend a hand to a dying patient or someone who has lost his or her family.

So, who qualifies for volunteer work? The reader does. Just as volunteers have different faces, there are different ways to volunteer, depending on one’s own abilities, personality and passions. According to the national survey, volunteer activities performed were varied and ranged from fund raising to service for a religious organization. However you approach it, it is easy find your area of passion or expertise and invest it into others.

After all, the saddest life lived is the life lived only for oneself.

Volunteering starts with helping the old neighbor with her groceries or by taking a single mom’s children to the park for an afternoon. Matthew Barnett put it simply: “Find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it.”

Nancy Agbenu can be reached at Nancy_Agbenu@elvaq.com

Friday, December 9, 2005

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13

LETTERS

School Should Do More to Discourage Smoking Dear Editor: As I am sure many of your readers will notice, Glendale Community College has a smoking problem.

I was surprised after reading “Health Center Gives More Than Free Condoms” (Nov. 18) that there was no mention of the information or help available for this problem. It is great to know the wide array of services the health center offers: from over the counter medications, to flu shots, to vision, hearing, TB and HIV testing to contraception and

STD information.

It would have been great to let your readers know that the center also has information on the health risks of smoking (and second-hand smoke), I believe, from the American Cancer Society, given the gravity of the situation.

I guess it is only a reflection of the general attitude towards smoking in our school. At least that’s the impression I have gotten so far, returning to school after many years of absence.

I am really amazed by the amount of smoking that takes

place here at GCC. What is even more appalling is the laid-back attitude with which it is looked at.

I have yet to see one flyer pinned up on a billboard or anywhere on campus about smoking or help in quitting. What minimal information the health center has should be put out there, regardless of what knowledge about the risks of smoking there already is. Apparently it is not enough.

Yes, I have seen the no smoking 20 feet away from building entrance signs, and I have also

seen the ashtrays and sitting areas 9 to 10 feet away from said building entrances. It is a shame to have such a beautiful campus (it really is), with such hazardous air.

I only have to step out of my car and walk a few feet before I get my first lung full of smoke.

Whether I choose to or not, I have become a smoker.

My intention is not to control or ban smoking in school, because everyone has the right to make their own choices, but it is my intention to send an SOS to our school community.

Student Argues for Keeping Library Open Sunday Dear Editor: During the fall and spring semesters, the Glendale Community College library is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

However, it is, unfortunately, closed on Sunday. Moreover, during the winter and summer sessions, the library is closed on Saturday as well as Sunday. The library schedule of many community colleges is similar to GCC. In contrast, many fouryear universities have their libraries open on Sunday, even for 24 hours. Practically, it is not easy for community colleges to have libraries with these open schedules. However, as a community college student, I desire to have a library open as often as possible, and I believe it is at least possible for the GCC library to be open on Sunday.

Regarding this matter, this question naturally arises: how

many students want the library open on Sunday as I wish, and is it needed by enough students who would come to the college on Sunday? First, if there are many demands for an open library on Sunday, it must not be out of the question that the library should be open on Sunday. In my memory, I used to observe many students coming on Sunday to the libraries of colleges which I have attended in the past. Although those colleges are remote from downtown or even a residential street and there are no any classes on Sunday, many students still come to the college to study. GCC is located just a few minutes from downtown and in a residential area.

Also, the zone near GCC has a relatively well-developed and convenient public transportation system, as well as a freeway right next to the school.

Therefore, I believe, once the library is open on Sunday, there will be many students and members of the public who will want

to use the library.

Currently, the GCC library is being operated with one hour extension to their open hours, due to final exams. For the same reason, I think that the library should be open on Sunday, and I hope these extended hours continue during ordinary times. If there are expected obstacles, such as expenses or personnel, we can solve this difficulty by recruiting volunteer students or faculty members, or offering chances for part-time work on Sunday. Most of all, when we deal with this kind of matter, the most important issue we should consider is what and who the college libraries exist for. The GCC library main Web page reports

that, “We are here to help you locate the materials you need, assist you in research strategy, and come to your aid when you are searching the computer system, whether you are in the library or accessing our web site and materials from some other location. We hope you will find the library and its staff helpful in the successful completion of your coursework at Glendale College” (“General Information /Policies”). I assert this idea is the answer for the question about library use on Sunday and is the reason why the library should be open on Sunday.

Daewoon Um

We need more information, awareness and enforcement on smoking in our campus, so that the choices our students make are well informed.

Since you, El Vaquero, have our community at your reach, use your voice to get the word out — smoking is a problem that needs our attention now.

Thank you for your attention, – Oneida Romo

Thanks for Memorial Dear Editor: I just wanted to give kudos to the El Vaquero for last issues’ six-page honoring of American soldiers who have died in the Middle East.

Everyday we hear about the war and seemingly accept it; this article made the war a very frightening reality, one that we can not simply turn off the T.V. to avoid.

The fact that it took six pages to contain all the American deaths gives perspective to how many human lives, military or civilian, the war has taken. This was great piece and should be in every newspaper across the country.

– Steve Hotchkiss

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NEWS

Blackout Caused Campus Closure continued from page 1 When the lights went out there were about 100 students and six staff members in the library, said Linda S. Winters, the acting Associate Dean of Library and Learning Resources.

When the emergency lights went on some students made their way out of the library, while others “huddled under the emergency lighting,” Winters said.

A half hour after the blackout began campus police came in and evacuated the library.

“Everyone was extremely calm [during the evacuation],” said Winters.

“The students were terrific. A student stuck in an elevator for nearly an hour laughed with Mary’s [Mirch, associate dean

of the health center]staff and said he wanted a discount on his enrollment next semester,” wrote Combs in an E-mail to the GCC’s staff. “The students used their cell phones for light to walk around the campus, and many students sat in dark, dark classrooms waiting to be helped out of the classroom rather than risk injury.”

“The biggest problem we had was with the students and the teachers not believing us that classes were canceled for the night,” said Cadet Wells.

Maria Castillo, 26, a student on campus that evening, said that traffic was a problem evacuating the campus. “It took over 10 minutes to get from the parking structure to the street,” she said.

Kobaissi, with Cadet Wells assisting, closed down Parking Lot B, located atop “cardiac hill,” so that drivers wouldn’t enter.

“After securing the lot and advising people that the college was closed the power went out for a second time,” said Cadet Wells. “So I stayed up in Lot B making sure that everyone was okay up there, because up in Lot B when the lights go out it is very dark.”

Students who wanted to be escorted to their cars were, in groups, using the lights from the police vehicles to light their way according to Kobaissi.

“I think that, myself, and my co-workers did a very good job that night, making sure everyone

New President Appointed continued from page 3 wrong, but we all make mistakes.

These mistakes were made in my personal life and not as president. Yet other people chose to bring those up.” Chilingaryan said he considered this a “breach of trust.”

He said that the other officers “waited too long” to present their concerns to him. “How am I going to correct my mistakes if people don’t tell me about them?” said Chilingaryan.

“That’s why [the motion for impeachment] was very offensive and heartbreaking for me.”

However, Chilingaryan does not regret his decision to resign.

“I walked away with dignity,” he said. “It was the best decision for myself and for the organization.”

He said he hopes students are aware that he did his job with the best of his abilities. “I represented each and every one of them,” he said. “I fought for them on important issues.”

The ASGCC constitution mandates that Dereghishian, vice president of campus relations, was actually fourth in line for the position of presidency, following the vice presidents of administration, finance and campus activities.

However, the ASGCC Executive Committee and the organization’s advisers Joseph Puglia, Andriassian and dean Paul Schlossman decided to appoint Dereghishian as president of the organization because

of her experience as an officer.

“This is my fourth semester as an officer,” Dereghishian said.

She is the first female ASGCC president in seven years.

Dereghishian decided to share the responsibilities of the presidency with Thomas Dryden, vice president of administration, who will serve as a student trustee on the school’s Board of Trustees with an advisory vote.

Dryden was sworn in at a board meeting on Nov. 21.

“Thomas has more experience with the Board of Trustees,” said Dereghishian.

The new president said that one of her current priorities is “keeping up the spirits” of the other ASGCC officers. “Losing your president is tough to take,” she said.

Andriassian believes that the ASGCC is “a strong organization,” and “the fact that we went through this process and began rebuilding proves that,” he said.

This is not the first time for such an incident. According to Andriassian, Mike J. Smith, the ASGCC president in fall 1993, was to be impeached and instead chose to resign.

Chilingaryan said that he is “happy to see the organization moving along.” “My heart will always be with this organization,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot, and developed character.”

Dereghishian assures the students that this change will not

affect the ASGCC’s ability to fulfill their responsibilities, and she commended the officers for being the organization’s “strong foundation.”

“We’re keeping business as usual,” she said. “Work will go on, and everything is normal.”

was safe,” said Cadet Wells.

“I’d give us about a B+,” said White when asked how well prepared he thought the campus was. “The campus police and the student cadets were great.

They were prepared, their radio equipment worked, they were able to deal with the two elevator emergencies we had. They were able to communicate and keep Steve Wagg and Nidal Kobaissi, head of the police force, in contact with me and Sharon Combs.”

There are some things they need to work on though: they didn’t have enough flashlights, didn’t recruit enough staff and faculty to help, some failed emergency lighting, most notably in the San Rafael building and insufficient lighting to the parking lots, according to White.

“There’s a lot of things we’re going to try and fix,” said White.

“We’re going to develop an emergency plan for this kind of event. We’re also going to do training sessions for blackouts.”

“There are some things that we need to put in place that were not in place for emergencies,” said Combs. “Personally all of

us [staff] need to have walking shoes, flashlights, jackets, water.

We need to be prepared for emergencies personally.”

Over all White said that “everyone was very cooperative.

But some [students] didn’t really want to leave until they saw their teacher. Some were incredulous that we were actually going to close the campus and cancel classes. So they were waiting for their teacher to say it’s okay to go. So we had a little hard time convincing them.”

Students need not be worried about their school information, grades, etc. being lost due to the power outage. According to Combs no data was lost.

Wells, from the Glendale Department of Water and Power, said that the power outage covered a vast majority of Glendale from Pacific Avenue west to the eastern city boundary and California Street south to the northern city boundary. He said.

Alison Geller can be reached at Alison_Geller@elvaq.com

Friday, December 9, 2005

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CALENDAR O N C AMPUS PERFORMANCES

Chamber Music Recital — Ensembles from the GCC Chamber Music class will perform their final recital in Room Auditorium 211 on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The recital is coordinated

by Beth Pflueger. Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5621, or visit www.glendale.edu/music.

The Faculty/Alumni Dance Production — The Glendale Community College Dance Department presents its Faculty/Alumni Dance Production today through Sunday at the Glendale College Auditorium. Performances are at 8 p.m. today, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, on a firts-come, first-served basis.

Seating is limited.

“The Snow Queen” — The California Theatrical Youth Ballet presents “The Snow Queen” at GCC, a ballet based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 18. Adult tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door, student tickets are $13 in

advance and $15 at the door.

Group pricing is available.

For more information, call (818) 790-7924 or visit www. snowqueen.org.

EXHIBITIONS “A Single Channel Video Show” — The GCC Art Gallery features a video art exhibit from now through Jan. 28. Works of Enid Baxter Blader, Michael Dee, Martin Durazo, Julie Orser, Chris Peters, Brooke Megdal, Gustavo Godoy, Micol Hebron, Kudzma and Weingarten, Robert Levine, Chris Sollars and Ed Pelissierare are featured in the exhibition. Admission is free.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.

For information go to www.glendale.edu/artgallery, or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.

“Obsession and Devotion” — The Glendale Community College Photographically Inclined Creative Students present “Obsession and Devotion,” a collective show combining images that explore the deepest human obsessions and devotions. Featured artists include Kimerlee Curyl, Ben Grenard, Matt Gunto, Patricia Lee, Levon Mardikyan, Isaiah Marmol,

Khetani Mgido, Jane Pojawa, Nicole Raglin-Cook, Wendy Rivas and Oliver Tan. The exhibition opens on Dec. 22 and runs through Jan. 12 at 2121 N. San Fernando Road, suite 3, in Los Angeles. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. An artists reception will be held on Dec. 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about the exhibition, call (323) 223-6867 or visit www.drkrm.com.

SPORTS Women’s Basketball — • The GCC team faces Irvine Valley at Irvine Valley on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

• The GCC team faces College of the Desert at College of the Desert on Dec. 21 at 5 p.m.

• The GCC team faces Imperial Valley at Imperial Valley on Dec. 22 at 5 p.m.

• The Women’s Basketball team will play in El Camino Tournament on Dec. 29 and 30.

Men’s Basketball — • The team hosts Vaquero Classic Wednesday through Dec. 17.

• The GCC team faces East L.A. at East L.A. on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.

• The GCC men’s team plays in San Diego Mesa Tournament on Dec. 28 through Dec. 30.

HEALTH CENTER Health Center — • Visit the Health Center for first aid, RN evaluation, over-thecounter medication health literature, hearing tests and vision screenings. TB testing is also available on selected dates.

• Flu Shots are no longer available. To locate local flu clinics visit the Web site of the American Lung Association at www.flucliniclocator.org • Mental Health counseling is available during the hours of operation..

The Health Center is located on the first floor of the San Rafael building and hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5909.

ACADEMIC NEWS • Open telephone registration for the winter session continues through Dec. 22.

• Priority telephone registration for the spring semester from Jan. 3 through Jan. 20.

• Book buy-back is taking place at the GCC bookstore today, Saturday, and Monday through Wednesday. Store hours are

Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

OTHER ACTIVITIES The GCC Swap Meet — On Dec. 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the upper campus parking lot.

Admission is free. For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5805.

GCC Police Toy and Food Drive — The GCC Police Department is sponsoring the 11th Annual Toy and Food Drive to help needy students and families.

Donations of new unwrapped toys, canned food, non-perishables, and money will be accepted at the GCC Police Station through Dec. 22. For more information, call (818) 240 -1000, ext. 5205.

GCC Board of Trustees Meeting — The Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Dec. 19 at Kreider Hall at 5 p.m.

Gay Men Talking — A gay support group meets every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Room AU 115.

To submit a calendar listing, send an email to calendar@elvaq.com

A ROUND T OWN EXHIBITIONS Artists’ Market — The Artists’ Market is from noon to dusk on the third Friday of every month at 101 N. Brand Blvd. Local artists display their photography, jewelry, paintings and more. For more information, call (818) 548-2780.

2005 Holiday Arts Festival — The Eighth Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Festival features handmade original fine arts and crafts, free entertainment and activities for children tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1601 W. Mountain St. in Glendale. The festival is sponsored by the Associates of the Brand Library and Art Center.

Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 548 2051.

PERFORMANCES “The Nutcracker” — The Alex Theatre presents a fulllength production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, “The Nutcracker.” Performances are today at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The tickets are $38 and $30 for orchestra seats, $38 for the terrace seats, and $18 for balcony seats.

“Merry Tuba Christmas 2005” — The Alex Theater presents a holiday tuba and euphonium concert on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Admission is free and seating is on first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on this event, call (818) 243 - ALEX from noon to 6 p.m. or visit www.alextheatre.org.

“Holiday Beats on Brand”— A music performance by local musicians will be held in the following downtown Glendale locations on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.: 525 N. Brand Chess Park; 227 N. Brand, Damon’s Restaurant; 317 N. Brand, Glendale Marketplace; 144 S. Brand. The event is free.

“A Christmas Carol” — The Glendale Centre Theatre presents the 41st annual performance of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” at 324 N. Orange in Glendale.

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday, and daily after Thursday. Tickets are $12.50 on Dec. 17 at 11 a.m., $18 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m., and $21 on Friday and Saturday evenings. Prices go up $2 after Thursday. Groups rates are available. For more information , call Glendale Centre Theatre at (818) 244-8481 or visit www.glendalecentretheatre.com.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” — The Pasadena Playhouse presents a recreation of the 1947 holiday favorite from the Lux Radio Theatre, “It's A Wonderful Life.”

Directed by Stuart Ross, “It’s a Wonderful Life” features a different celebrity cast each week. The

performances run through Jan. 1 and tickets range from $37 to $58.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (626) 356-7529 or go to www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

2005 Light Festival — The 10th Annual Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Light Festival takes place daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Dec. 30 , along a one-mile section of Crystal Springs Drive at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. The event is free.

Shuttle services are available. For directions and information on the festival, call (323) 913-4688, ext. 9 or visit www.dwplightfestival.com.

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Friday, December 9, 2005

16

EL VAQUERO PHOTO GALLERY

To Give Is to Receive M

ore than 50 people gave their time to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Glendale Salvation Army. Twenty-five turkeys were donated and cooked by employees of the Glendale Hilton Hotel.

“This is our first time [at the Salvation Army],” said Patricia Aguirre of Glendale.

“Everyone is very attentive and everything is excellent.” Aguirre and her family, like most attending, commented that their main reason for being at the Salvation Army is financial.

People wishing to volunteer during the Christmas Season can go to the Salvation Army, 321 W. Windsor Road, Glendale, on Saturday and Dec. 17 to pack and distribute boxes of food. For more information, contact Melynda Hooper at (818) 246-5586, ext. 121.

Miguel Gomez, 8, and his extended family from Pasadena, enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at the Salvation Army in Glendale

Volunteers serve traditional dinner of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie to more than 300 people.

Rafael Berrum, 3, at left, and his extended family, shown at the top left, come together annually at this event.

Photos by Elizabeth Linares EL VAQUERO PHOTO EDITOR Elizabeth Linares can be reached at Elizabeth_Linares@elvaq.com

“Starvation brought me here,” says a Glendale resident who goes by the name of Garfield. “This is my fourth year participating in this event.

The food is excellent, especially the pumpkin pie.”