el Don SANTA ANA COLLEGE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 • VOLUME 87, ISSUE 2
OPINION: Despite athletic achieve-
ments in fields ranging from track to auto racing, women in sports still lose ground when emphasis is on eye-candy. 9 LIFE: Life can be full of sticky situations, but leading a happy, healthy, and stress-free life is only three steps away. 6
SPORTS: Dons quarterback Jordan Thomas ties a college record with his performance in a 47-45 lose to 11 L.A. Harbor.
Transfer dreams deferred
FINISHED Four athletic teams lose funding, suspended indefinitely Story and Photo Illustration by Michelle Wiebach
JASON DECROW MCT
Non-credit classes keep students at community colleges By Michelle Wiebach el Don News Editor Cole Christensen thought going to a community college for two years was sensible. He’d take his general education classes in less crowded classrooms, ensuring a quality education by receiving more face time with instructors. He could live at home, and spend less than a third of what it would cost at a state university. “I see many Three years later, and still students no closer, Christensen is that have learning out how wrong his an excess assumptions were. amount “Transferring to the college of units.” I want is incredibly difficult. Not only do I need to have my general education classes com- Martha Vargas Santa Ana pleted but I also need to have College Transfer started into some of my major Center Director classes as well,” Christensen, an art history major, said. Students like Christensen are finding it nearly impossible when it comes to getting the classes they need to transfer. Many are stuck taking non-transferable prerequisite classes, like basic algebra and elementary English, before they can begin
Please see CREDITS, Page 3
Principal censors high school paper Issue stems over food supplier’s religious beliefs
On a hot afternoon, the men’s water polo team suits up and prepares for practice. Teammates hang by the bleachers and joke around. They stretch then jump into the cool turquoise water, making a splash that ripples toward the pool’s edge. On the deck stands sophomore Cody Kemp, water polo player and former member of Santa Ana College’s now defunct swim team. Kemp is one of a handful of athletes angered by the suspension of men’s IN DEPTH swimming. PART 2 “I think it’s unfair because we won’t have anything to do in the offseason,” Kemp said. “We pay [tuition] for our sports and it’s cutting the players short.” SAC athletes from four sports have been left without teams because of the statewide financial crisis that has dried up funding for higher education. Along with campus-wide class reductions, men’s track and field, men’s cross-country, men’s swimming, and wom-
It’s almost impossible to stop the presses once set in motion, but that’s exactly what Sue Vaughn did. Evolution, the newspaper produced by students from the Orange County High School of the Arts, had already been sent to the printer when Principal Sue Vaughn called to halt printing because of an article she thought would be controversial. The article concerned the school’s new food service. “The issue that Sue Vaughn raised was that we had mentioned that Allegre Foods was a
Please see ATHLETES , Page 4
Please see PRESS, Page 4
By Kathie Espinoza el Don Editor in Chief
NEWS
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SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
COMMUNITY PROFILE
BOTERO BUSTS OUT AT BOWERS
Acclaimed Latin American painter’s works are on display until December Despite his dark observations depicting the violent, repressive, and gloomy realities of Latin In Colombian artist Fernando America, Botero, who was born in Botero’s world, everyone’s sultry, Medellin, Colombia, revels in the sexy and chunky. absurdity of the human condition. The Baroque World of Fernando Botero’s style is steeped Botero presents about 100 works, in European art, playing on ranging from paintings and drawRenaissance and Baroque themes ings, to bronze sculptures featuring that recall masters such as Botero’s signature style celebrating Velasquez and Giotto. and satirizing the human form. Although his subjects are on “The First Lady” is a hefty poke the rotund side, they are neither at the Latin American archetype grotesque nor disfigured. Botero of the greedy queen-like spouse maintains proportion and exacting of tyrannical strongmen. Botero detail of the human form that has paints a fat woman dressed in a become the trademark of the Italian flowing gown, sitting on top of a Renaissance. horse, looking like a ruler amid the Botero may paint like a European backdrop of banana trees. This first — he spent most of his life outside lady reveals a sharp contrast to the Colombia — but his subject matsocial realities in Latin America, ter is decidedly Latin American. particularly Colombia, which once And through it all, he retains a rare served as a banana plantation for sense of humor that sets him apart the United States. This woman has from his contemporaries. grown rich off the people’s hard The exhibit, housed in the Janice work, and has indulged in the plea- Frey Smith and Robert Gumbier sures of life as her husband’s comGalleries at the Bowers Museum plicity and corruption impoverishes opened Sept. 12, and is on display the rest of the country. until Dec. 6, 2009.
By Michelle Wiebach el Don News Editor
Photos Courtesy of BOWERS MUSEUM
CAMPUS, LOCAL & STATE
News You Can Use
PETITION
ART FORUM
VOLUNTEER
Friday, Oct. 23 is the last day to petition for December graduation. Graduation specialist Gina Wilson offers some advice, “We ask that the student meet with a counselor, then fill out the petition,” said Wilson. “Meeting with a counselor really helps guide the student through the process.” Make a counseling appointment now and be sure to have the minimum of 60 transferable units and 2.0 GPA. For more information, call the graduation office at (714) 564-6052.
The Artist of Art Forum is a 30-year-old, ongoing lecture series. Artists of varying specialties lecture and share valuable experiences. This year an exhibit will include works from SAC’s own faculty members. The opening reception takes place Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 7:30-9 p.m. at the SAC Main Gallery. The Art Forum is held weekly at 12:30 p.m. on Mondays in C-104 in the Fine Arts Building from Oct. 1 to Nov. 11. Attendance is open to the public and free of charge.
Volunteers are needed for the Santa Ana Youth Expo, Sunday, Oct. 11 at Centennial Park. Volunteers help with set-up, tear-down and everything in between to help behind the scenes with live music performances, art shows, and exhibition booths. There are also paid positions available for sign language interpreters. Sign up and ask questions in the Service Learning Center in room U-204B.
- Hugo Pacheco
-Dawn McDougall
GET INSPIRED
COLLEGE HELP
Santa Ana College Theatre Department presents The House on Mango Street. Sandra Cisneros’ autobiographical tale about a young Latina coming-of-age in the Chicago Chicano barrio of the 1960s. The House on Mango Street runs Oct. 15-17 and 22-24 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 18 and 25 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the SAC box office for $10 for students, faculty and seniors and $12 for general admission.
Need help applying to campuses of Cal State University or University of California? Stop by the Transfer Center at S-110 for workshops that will assist you in applying. The initial filing period for CSU and UC admission applications start Oct. 1 but students can’t submit their UC applications until Nov. 1. To apply to a CSU, visit csumentor.edu and to apply to a UC visit universityofcalifornia.edu/apply.
-Veronica Aurea
-Lupita Mena
- Selina Quintana
FURRY FRIENDS For National Pet Wellness Month, appreciate your four-legged friends at the Second Annual Pet Days, hosted Oct. 3-4 at the OC Marketplace in Costa Mesa. Find adoptions, training tips, non-profits, and information on animal welfare. Entrance is $2 but free with a can of cat or dog food and free for children under age 12. Included is the weekend market offering deals on fresh produce, arts and crafts, household items and more. Visit ocmarketplace. com to learn more. -Felipa Penaloza
FIND THE LIGHT
BECOME A FAN
Let Jesus take the wheel so you can stop fumbling for your keys at night. Stop by the Don Bookstore to buy a Jesus flashlight key-chain for $2.99. Feeling meditative? You can also find a Buddha flashlight for the same price.
Santa Ana College is now on Facebook. Become a fan so you can get information about upcoming games and other events.
-Allison Lujan
-Felipa Penaloza
NEWS
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SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
Credits: class cuts further delay move to universities Continued from page 1 taking courses that count towards transferring. Those who attend community college expect to stay about two years. But enrolling in non-transferable courses are costing them precious time and money, especially in the current financial climate, where California has pulled back spending on higher education. There are about 2.9 million community college students in California. While some enroll specifically for an associate degree or take vocational and occupational classes, the majority want to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. But outdated transfer policies make it difficult to move on to California State University or University of California campuses, according to a report issued by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy at CSU Sacramento. The report also reveals that there are too few universal classes that both CSUs and UCs will accept— making it difficult for students to know what courses to take. California’s ailing financial health has induced college officials statewide to make drastic cuts in course offerings, adding to the hardships of enrolling in required courses. This semester, higher enrollments at all state colleges and universities have resulted in more impacted majors leading to long waiting lists and disappointed students. Many required classes like math, English,
and science have enormous waitlists this fall often more than double the class size. Another problem is college students find that transfer requirements change from year to year, which can be confusing to first-generation students, according to the report. Students constantly resort to taking classes to fill in transfer requirements, leading to extra units that might not be accepted by other schools. “I see many students that have an excess amount of units. A few reasons why students have that problem is because they don’t regularly see a counselor,” said Santa Ana College Counselor Coordinator and Transfer Center Director Martha Vargas. By 2025, there will be a million fewer college graduates, who are crucial to upgrading California’s workforce. Researchers say that one way to fix this problem is to increase transfer rates from community colleges to four-year universities. As for now, “students can be prepared and take advantage of the resources provided on their campus,” Vargas said. There are resources like the Transfer Center as well as the financial aid and scholarships available at Santa Ana College. “Transferring is already stressful enough, especially now with the whole budget crisis,” Christensen said. Sophomore Vanessa Mendez suggests that students frequently look online and make sure they register on time so they can get the classes they need, especially during these hectic times.
JOANNE HOYOUNG LEE MCT
Jackeline Chavez waits in line to register for classes at Mission College.
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NEWS
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SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
Athletes: suspensions temporary “I don’t think anyone on campus enjoys being in the position that we’re in where we have to make those kinds of decisions. It’s the worst part of our job.”
-Avie Bridges Dean of Exercise Science
Continued from page 1 en’s tennis, have been suspended by college officials indefinitely. “I don’t think anyone on campus enjoys being in the position that we’re in where we have to make those kinds of decisions,” said Avie Bridges, dean of exercise science. “It’s the worst part of our job.” Because Bridges is in charge of athletic programs, she determined which teams would be suspended, leading to the lay-offs of part-time coaches. The lack of participants in two sports and maintaining Title IX contributed to suspending sports. SAC is saving about $110,000 with the four sports suspensions and other cuts. Although men’s track and field has experienced success, including record breaking seasons from two hammer throwers, Ryan Gleason and Luis Guzman last spring, coaches were let go as part of shedding employees last summer, Vice President of Academic Affairs Norman Fujimoto said. Poor recruitment, participation and performance prompted officials to suspend women’s tennis, both Bridges and Fujimoto said. “There was a consistent problem with getting athletes to sign up for women’s tennis,” Bridges said. But at least one tennis player is unhappy with the college’s decision. “I think there’s so many other things they could have cut but they don’t. But then again I’m just a student they don’t really hear what I have to say,” Melissa Trinh said. Track and field athletes will have to
either transfer to another college, or enroll at Santiago Canyon College’s track program. “We are lucky with having Santiago Canyon College with our cross country and our track and field program because we don’t have to turn students away. We can just send them up ‘the hill’,” Jason Kehler, sports information director, said. Part of the reason men’s swimming was suspended was because of Title IX, which requires colleges to have equal numbers of men and women athletes as part of sports teams, Fujimoto said. Despite men’s swimming being relatively more successful than women’s swimming, it was forced out to meet equality regulations Fujimoto said. About 20 members of the men’s swim team are also members of the water polo team. Officials were unclear as to when the four suspended teams will be resurrected. “As soon as the budget crisis is over we have every intention to bring back the sports that had to be suspended,” Bridges said. Many athletes are scrambling trying to figure out how they will keep conditioned for their particular sport. Some have stopped training altogether. For Kemp, training with the women’s swim team or finding another team to swim with looks to be some of the options planned for the offseason. Trinh has not played competitively since the tennis team was suspended although she plays occasionally. “I’m not playing anywhere else. To tell you the truth, this is B.S.,” Trinh said.
Press: restraint vs. review
Continued from page 1
Christian-based company. We argued that it was factual, as it was stated on their Web site,” Evolution Editor in Chief Taylor Erickson said. “The administration has required that we produce a copy for them, we’ve never given it to them before it goes to the printer, so they can’t necessarily make any changes. I dropped a copy to Mrs. Vaughn’s desk. The following day I was pulled out of class for about 40 minutes to discuss issues with a certain article,” Erickson said. Vaughn told the OCHSA newspaper staff that she was unaware of California Education Code section 48907, barring a school official from censoring student work unless it is deemed libelous, obscene or slanderous. “This whole ordeal blew out of proportion,” said Erickson. “She claimed that she didn’t know the legality of prior review versus prior restraint.” However, Vaughn told the newspaper staff that there were also various spelling and grammar errors in the issue and said that was why printing had been stopped, according to Erickson. Some corrections turned out to be inaccurate. “It was clearly evident, that after the
fact, they went and found two or three spelling errors. They gave it back to us with a good portion of incorrect corrections,” Vivi Hanson, Evolution staff writer, said. Since the incident, the high school of about 1,500 students has received national attention, with bloggers and reporters addressing the issue of First Amendment rights, many writing in support of Erickson, her staff and adviser Konnie Krislock. This was not OCHSA administration’s first attempt at prior restraint. Last spring, cartoonist Vivi Hanson drew a strip that pokes fun at OCHSA’s designation as a California Distinguished School. “Konnie fought for my ability to still do the comic. Despite pressure, the comic was kept. It was brought up last year, but it never got to this proportion,” Hanson said. Since the incident, Evolution’s first issue has been printed and distributed on campus with a few minor revisions to the story about Allegre Foods. “We are attempting to have a conciliatory approach,” said Erickson.
What does HOPE look like?
Hope looks like Eli and his mother, Mary Elizabeth.
–Alex Cooper contributed to the reporting of this story
Eli has Type 1 Diabetes and wants to be a doctor. He and his mother work to help raise awareness of the seriousness of the disease, the outstanding progress in scientific research and the need to accelerate the pace of this research, which will ultimately lead to a cure. To learn more about the latest Diabetes research, visit trials.jdrf.org
Mary Tyler Moore International Chairman