Issue 2

Mountaineer Mounties place first in several events at the Mt. SAC Relays Pg. 8

A First Amendment Newspaper of the Mt. San Antonio College Journalism Program

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

www.mountiewire.com

Volume 74 Issue 2

Budget cuts hit campus hard Talks of elimination of programs and services, pay cuts, furloughs, students turned away Pg. 4

Animation students hired by major companies Pg. 6

Student drops class due to rated R films Pg. 3

2

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

Fire alarm activation becomes more frequent Continued of glitches may lead to possible fines

!"#"$%&'()*"+ !"#$$%&'(")' On Mon. April 4, a fire alarm went off in Bldg. 26B, and according to Assistant Director of Public Safety Mike Montoya, this has been the most recent in a string of fire alarm activations within the past couple of weeks.

Montoya said that this most recent alarm activation was actually a false alarm due to unknown person(s) pulling a fire alarm station on the third floor.

According to Montoya, the recent fire alarms have not all been a result of tampering by unknown sources.

Another recent activation occurred due to low pressure in the fire sprinkler system in a campus building as a result of work being done on the Metropolitan water supply line.

“I’ve experienced two fire alarms recently and had no idea what was going on,” said music major Juan Garcia, 19.

“At first, I didn’t know what to do when they happened, so I just followed suit and did what everyone else was doing, which was to stand around not really knowing what to do.”

Garcia added that once he entered the lower level, however, it seemed like everything seemed fine, which made him feel like Public

Safety did a good job in regards to keeping everyone calm and notified.

In regards to fire alarm procedure, Montoya said that in all cases of a fire alarm activation, all buildings on campus have designated staff that are classified as fire marshals and floor captains to ensure that buildings are evacuated during emergencies and drills.

Some students like art history major Michelle Kim, 22, have trouble in differentiating betwen false alarms and emergencies.

“I can never distinguish if it is just a drill or the real thing,” she said.

However regardless of how serious the situation is or is not, Kim will still follow the rules.

“I’m evacuting the building and am going to do as I’m told either way,” she added.

Kim said that when a fire alarm does go off she likes that she sees public safety personnel handling the situation with organization and promptness, which makes her feel more at ease.

In addition to public safety officers and additional staff, there is also an alarm system in place to alert outside professional help in the event of an urgent situation.

“Alarm Monitoring Company notifies

public safety as well as the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which responds to all fire alarm activations, unless the activation is determined a false alarm,” said Montoya.

He added that if there is no fire or emergency, public safety will notify the fire department or sheriffs and give an “all clear” to approach the building.

In cases of an actual fire or any other crisis, the fire department or sheriff deputies will be on scene to determine when the building can be reoccupied.

Even though Mt. SAC pays nothing each time a fire alarm goes off, but it is feared that that may change if the glitches continue.

“The college is not charged for a fire alarm activation,” said Montoya. “However, if there is continual activations due to malfunctions or errors that are not corrected, there is the possibility of fines.”

Math major Fernando Suarez, 19, said, “I think it is important that we, as students, should feel safe especially at when at school because when the fire alarm goes off I want to know that when I evacuate I am going to be okay.”

He added that he thinks that Mt. SAC Public Safety does an adequate job in making sure that happens.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

3

Rated R film conflicts with religious values STAFF Claudia Gonzalez Editor-in-Chief Beatrice Alcala Design, Graphics & Visuals Editor Josue Velasquez News Editor Albert Serna Opinion Editor Sabina Gallier Features Editor Gabriela Bracamontes A&E Editor Peter Pham College Life Editor Brigette Lugo Multiculture Editor Justin Enriquez Sports Editor Emily Manning Photo Editor Sofia Jamil Copy Editor Isai Rocha Mountiewire.com Editor-in-Chief Senior Staff Writers Shadi Jurdi, Daniel Mansoor, Sofia Jamil, Mitchell McDonough, Jessica Weber, Mimi Lupercio, Sonia Puente, Vinzon Lim, Ricardo Monarrez Junior Staff Writers John Alvarado, Jennifer Cao, Christy Caputo, Georgina Castro, Shalini Chatarpaul, Laura Clayderman, Lizette Contreras, Matthew Foresta, Gilbert Garcia, Christina Gonzalez, Susy Hernandez, Soohyung Jeong, Bernadette Martinez, Matthew Medina, Rida Mehdi, Nuvia Montes, Nicolette Morris, Cynthia Perez, Marlene Pinedo, Meagan Razo, Jose Rosa, Viviana Sarrade. Joshua Shore, Jericho Trim, Sarah Venezio, Rich Yap, Ericka Bonilla, Anthony Zhou, Conny Chege, Monica Hernandez, Eric Segata, Alex Kchouri Designers Beatrice Alcala, Claudia Gonzalez, Josue Velasquez, Anthony Argueta Photographers Isai Rocha, Claudia Gonzalez, Libby Freeman, Scott Spencer, Jackson Li, Mo Torres, Josue Velasquez, Peter Pham, Isaiah Ma, Mallorie DeArmond, Jose Rosa, Malena Rodriguez, Loren Serrato, Austin Calderon, Ulysses Juarez, Lucas Jover, Daniel Mansoor, Justin Enriquez Cartoonists Adam Valenzuela, Peter Pham, Sabina Gallier Bloggers Darline Nazario, Bernadette Martinez, Emily Stevens, Jose Rosa, Timothy Nishimura, Art Navarro Jr., Malena Rodriguez, Carlos Antimo, Meagan Razo, Alex Abrew, Martin Beltran, Alfred Chao, Mathew Foresta, Jorge Amar, Nuvia Montes, Alejandra Cabrera, Wendy Torres, Genesis Hernandez, Nicolas Ward, Matthew Medina, Kayla Sargent, Casey Perea, Richard Rodriguez, Taylor George, Kevin Nieves, Emily Stevens Public Relations Team Aida Holley, Jericho Trim, Viviana Sarrade, Georgina Castro Advertising Veronica Grant Advertising Director Adviser Toni Albertson

The Mountaineer is a college newspaper published by the students in journalism classes at Mt. San Antonio College. The views expressed in this newspaper do not reflect the views of the adviser, administration or the Board of Trustees of the Mt. SAC district. The Mountaineer is a First Amendment publication.

Phone: 909-594-5611 ext. 6123 FAX: 909-468-4106 Building 26-D, Room 3220 Cover photo : Emily Manning, The Mountaineer From left to right: Gustavo Sanchez, 22, political science major, Joaquin Gonzalez, 23, astronomy major, and Jacob Hefley, 17, computer science major were protesting the budget cuts to education on April 15 on Temple Ave.

Student drops class after professor denies alternate coursework

!"#$%"&'"(($)* !"#$%&"'()*+$,&( On April 1, Emily Stevens, 19, fashion merchandising major, dropped her English 67 class after her professor would not offer her alternate coursework to accommodate her religious beliefs.

Stevens belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and with a strict set of religious rules, she found herself in a dilemma regarding the class curriculum after the class was told that the syllabus included films.

“We have a set of standards or guidelines that we are advised to follow meaning we don’t have to follow them if we don’t want to. I had made the choice long ago to follow them the best way I could which involved not watching inappropriate films or rated R films.”

However her class requirements included the viewing of five movies. The fifth one had yet to be announced but Stevens researched the four films on the syllabus and discovered that two of them were R rated and one was PG-13.

The viewing of Quentin Tarantino’s action film, “Inglourious Basterds” and “North Country” did not suit Stevens’ beliefs so she set about asking her professor, Marianne Brownstein, English professor, for an alternate assignment.

“I e-mailed the teacher asking for an alternative assignment telling her that some of these films don’t match the standards that I hold for myself. She replied and told me that she doesn’t look at a film by rating, she looks at it by literary view and depth and she said she would not give me another assignment,” Stevens said.

Brownstein said that in all her years of teaching she had never come face to face with an issue such as religious conflict in regards to teaching. She added that an alternate assignment could not be provided because the subject matter of the movies was to be used with the written works in class.

“I wanted to make her understand that when I select the films we watch, I choose them to enhance the work we do, not to waste the time of the students in class,” said Brownstein.

As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Brownstein said that she chooses films based on the quality of content.

“I’m not judging by the fact of a rating but by the quality of the films. We discuss things that are true to life, in this class,” she said.

“I will not, on principle, provide alternate work. This is a public school not a private school. I teach all different faiths here,” she added.

Stevens found herself shocked by the professor.

“I was very upset to find out that she wouldn’t give me an alternate assignment. How do you expect me to get an education with always having to drop these classes because I have high standards that I set for myself,” she said.

According to Brownstein, it is her “job to teach and enlighten,” and since Stevens would not adhere to the syllabus, she advised the student to drop the class.

Unhappy with Brownstein’s answer, Stevens went to professor and co-chair of the English, literature, and journalism department, Kristina Allende.

“We do have academic freedom and the choices that we make about materials that we’re using in our class have to do with or pedagogy, they have to do with perhaps the theme of the course,” she said.

Allende added that it is also up to the individual professor to choose to accommodate a student or not, however as an administrator, she would not interfere with their choice.

“If the student has concerns he/she can approach the professor with those concerns and then the professor can either make

accommodations if he/she feels that it would fit within his/her pedagogy, or not. Although I’m the department chair, I don’t go to other professors and tell them how they have to run their classes.”

After contacting Allende, Stevens was sent to James Jenkins, associate dean of humanities and social sciences. He said that in similar situations, the first course of action should be to communicate with the professor.

“Usually what we do is we will urge the student to go to the professor first, of course, to see if there’s any way that they can work something out either alternative assignments or some way to get the same amount of work done or the same type of work done without that particular assignment,” Jenkins said.

Students may also be urged to contact a different teacher in order to enroll in a similar course.

However, Jenkins, said that Mt. SAC, as a public school strives to challenge students with new experiences and has a much broader mission than one found at a private institution.

“There are a lot of times we have students who maybe don’t necessarily agree with what it is that they’re doing, but part of what we do, at least we believe in a post secondary system, is that we try to expose students to different opinions and to teach them ways to critically analyze and understand what different opinions and perspectives look like and then be able to create an understanding of either why they don’t agree or why they agree,” he said Although he said their communication was “short,” Jenkins and Brownstein discussed her position regarding the showing of the films and the purpose they were to serve.

“In that particular case, that is not an unreasonable position for an instructor to take,” he said.

He added that only with certain conditions would a stand be taken when it comes to a professor’s syllabus.

It is a little less frequent that instructors will actually change their material because unless we have something that’s blatantly pornographic or obscene, from a division standpoint, we don’t feel that it’s our place to physically tell that instructor what it is that we can or can not teach.”

Stevens had been attending the class throughout the while the situation was being discussed but finally dropped so as not to have a failing grade under her belt.

“I still went to class. I didn’t want there to be any reason for the teacher to be upset with me or anything she could hold against me. I turned in every assignment and tried to be the ‘perfect’ student.”

Stevens said that Jenkins was helpful regarding her situation.

“He was so kind to try to reason with my teacher but she wasn’t budging. I needed to know how this teacher expected me to gain an education and move further to English 68 or 1A without this English 67 class,” said Stevens.

With budget cuts constantly looming and classes disappearing, Stevens said that her time spent trying to get through school might take longer than she expected.

“Some may say ‘oh try again next semester,’ but I don’t want to spend six years trying to get through community college. I want to move on to bigger and better things,” she said After looking through her work, Stevens said that Jenkins has seen improvement in her writing since her last placement test and this gives her hope for the future.

“Jim Jenkins looked over my writings since my placement test and has said that I have improved enough to move on to English 68 next semester. This shows me that if I stick to what I believe in things will work out for the better.”

4

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

Budget cuts create setbacks for education !"#$%&'%()#*$%+ !"#$%&'()*+% As a result of Governor Jerry Brown’s budget proposal and failed attempt to pass a tax extension ballot measure, Mt. SAC will find itself in an “ugly” state.

“If the Tax Extension Ballot measure is approved by the Legislature, we will know after the special June election, [if] we are in the good state. If there is no special election, we are in the bad or ugly state,” reported Mike Gregoryk, vice president of administrative services in a PowerPoint presentation.

In the 2011-2012 year, Mt. SAC will be reducing course sections, look at possible cuts to programs and services, and seek negotiations with employees regarding a four-day, ten-hour work schedule, retirement incentives and other compensation issues. In the March edition of Mt. SAC Campus Connection, it was reported “President John Nixon joined state Chancellor Jack Scott in voicing disappointment over the failure of the state’s elected leaders to place a tax extension proposal on a June ballot.”

The failed tax extension has resulted in a proposed “all-cuts” or “worst-case scenario” solution, which is now at $800 million, and will cause devastation in the operation of California colleges and universities and deny access to students, according to the Mt. SAC report.

With the raising concern and relief that tax extensions can have on the budget, some students

and teachers said there is a lack of democracy coming from the state leaders and government.

“Fundamentally by talking about the budget... the first thing that needs to be discussed is the lack of democracy because there’s been no talk whatsoever or nearly no talk about the [tax] extensions that will expire June 1. Many representatives [denied] the ability to institute tax extensions that would budget and particularly would [not make the cuts] so extreme,” April Tellez, professor of history said.

Tellez added that the tax extensions would be across the board, and would help the people who need the resources most such as health care and education. but may hurt society. “The budget cuts will create an ignorant and uneducated society, particularly because of the budget cuts to education. In reality that’s the underlying principle of any democracy, if we deny people opportunities, it should be time for us to vocalize,” said Tellez.

According to Tellez, the current budget proposed by Mt. SAC and the state may see many “students forced out of college, it will mean 100 thousand professors laid-off, and fees can even increase to 250 percent.”

Within her department, the budget cuts have affected the course offerings already. “We’ve already felt it in the history department, we’ve had to cut back many courses, particularly [courses] during the winter and summer sessions

See Budget Cuts P. 14

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

5

WHAT GRINDS MY GEARS

Food for thought:

Prices too high on campus !"#$%&'($%)* !"#$#%$&'(#)%* The cost of food sold at the various express shops at Mt. SAC is too high. The shops are taking advantage of students’ need to feed, and in an economical situation like the present, is sometimes a choice between a halfempty stomach or an empty one.

Most college students are not rich; we do not possess a lot of disposable income. We pay for our schooling, books, and in some cases rent. There is no reason for organizations to charge the amount they do for food.

The cafeteria charged $1.75 for a small cup of orange juice, but when I proceeded to check out I was informed that my drink was actually a medium, and the price was $2.25.

I like to believe I am a reasonable man and I understand that times are tough, but I simply cannot waste that amount of money on 12 ounces of orange juice.

Yes, universities and community colleges are known for having inflated prices, but this is just ridiculous.

I do not understand the need to charge this much, it is not as if these are the last oranges on earth, or that they were picked from the tree of knowledge.

These foods can be made at low costs and should be available at low costs for students.

Yes, I could have easily gotten another drink, but that is not the point; all the food

on campus is too expensive.

For a sandwich at any of the snack shops it is nearly $5.

The sandwiches are pretty good which is a plus for school food, but they are not worth that much money.

A couple of slices of bread, a leaf of lettuce, and some dry turkey should not cost me an hour of work.

A simple answer is to bring my own food, I know, but it is not always that easy when I am in a rush, especially if I am on my way out.

I should be able to look forward to getting something delicious after a long class period, but when a small soda and tiny burger come out to nearly $7 I am left to wonder if I should just go hungry.

Carl’s Jr. is another over priced eatery.

Again, it is to be expected for a franchised chain on a college campus, but I expect a little more for my buck.

The bacon ranch burger is a little over a dollar, but the size is pathetic.

Again, it is just a buck, but it is done in a bite or two that is not even a light snack.

A lot of their food is just blatantly overpriced, and the reason is that they can get away with it. Students will always be hungry and willing to pay for something despite its worth.

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Most students will be hungry enough to shrug it off with out complaint and the proprietors rely on that kind of attitude; complacency.

I understand that this is not the college’s fault, that prices today are rising at astonishing rates, however there is a point at which they should try and make it more feasible for students on limited budgets to purchase food on campus.

The only place that I get a fair portion for my money is the Mountie Grill, located above printing services.

They have daily specials on various foods like fried burritos, fries, and drinks. For a student on a very limited budget like myself, this little deal makes the difference between eating and not.

The prices on campus are high enough, coupled with budget cuts it’s easy to see why someone would lose their appetite over the matter.

Losing a language: The disapperance of an identity +%,-$&&$'./-0 +,-)#.,-),*/&'(#)%* The Latino community should not discriminate against each other by forgetting their native tongue.

I have witnessed this firsthand with my mother, who has walked into a store, spoken Spanish to a cashier who has an accent just as thick as hers, and has replied to my mother in chopped up English.

There must be something wrong when my friends have voiced similar accounts of this happening to their family members. Is this assimilation on the cashier’s part?

Even if it were, it is a narrowminded path to take.

My mother knows enough English not to need a translator.

She is able to understand her fellow Latinos who choose to

forget their own language when my mother will not give up hers.

It has made me feel uncomfortable over the years because it has happened multiple times.

I am sure that we are not in 1968, when East Los Angeles students were not allowed to speak Spanish on school property.

This, along with ethnic segregation, were what lead students to walkout in protest.

Is this historical stand for Latino rights forgotten amongst these people who choose to not relate to Latino culture anymore?

I would think that they would be prideful in hearing someone else who is from along the same borders as they are, and establish that connection through speaking Spanish. Instead, they respond in their second language (while struggling through it).

Being bilingual is one of the most priceless gifts my parents

have given to me.

Once I learned the importance of it and the advantages that come along with being able to read, write, and speak the language, I am glad I listened.

I am proud that Latinos were smart enough to learn English, which surely has allowed them more opportunities to survive in a land that is not their own.

This may also be the reason that while struggling with the language, they are back to a dated mentality.

Now we are stuck with some of our generation not knowing a language that could have come so easily to them, because their parents preferred to assimilate to an extreme extent.

When Latinos participate in the back and forth of Spanish denial, it is not a matter of the person speaking English so long that, they are used to it and

choose to use it all of the time.

There is no excuse, it makes the other person feel alienated and embarrassed.

Maybe these people who choose to speak only English want to forget that feeling, because it was exactly how they felt when they arrived in the United States.

According to merriamwebster. com, language is “the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community.”

Discrimination within our own community is exactly what we do not need. With our ethnic group growing, especially in California, the last thing we need is people pretending to forget where they come from just to feel more accepted.

Do not worry, you have made it, now do not cut off the connection to your community by silencing yourself.

6

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

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Animation students move on to big companies

Nickelodean and Pixar grant internships to Mt.SAC’s finest

!"#$%&'($%)* !"#$#%$&'(#)%* While watching a popular animated movie like Toy Story, people may not put thought into the time spent by artists and designers piecing together a single arm movement, or the individually designed threads on a characters shirt.

Not many people know what goes on behind the scenes at major animation companies; however several Mt. SAC students, are part of the group that do.

Students in the Mt. SAC animation program are periodically given the opportunity to participate in internships with various industry professionals companies such as Nickelodeon and Pixar.

Debbie Bautista, animation program coordinator and job developer, acts as the liaison between students and the animation industry to help students find career opportunities.

According to Bautista, “Five–10 percent of the students will land their dream job” while the others in the program may go into other aspects of animation such as business and accounting.

When it comes to internships there are usually one or two students who land positions with major studios, however, this year is different. There are currently five students involved in major studios said Bautista, the highest amount in five years.

“We haven’t had this magnitude of

talent in some time,” said Bautista.

One of the students involved in the animation program that has received and industry internship is Carlos Penate, 24, animation major.

Penate is currently interning at Deep Blue World as a flash animator, and holds an interest in video games. “I have always enjoyed watching video game cinematic sequences,” said Penate. “At some point in my career I hope to work on some really epic ones.”

Animation conventions, such as ComicCon and Anime Expo, are events Bautista said she recommends to students in order to make connections and network with those already involved in the industry.

While Penate was interning at a studio, the Electronic Entertainment Expo “came and went” at which point Penate expressed his desire to go.

“One of the other employees told me that the company could have sent me for free because it’s a studio and I work for them,” said Penate. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard that.”

“Networking is the key,” said Bautista.

According to Baustista, there is an issue with the growing popularity of these types of conventions, it has become harder and harder for the students to get on a one-onone basis with animators and designers.

“Talent and inside connections aren’t the only thing needed to work in an everchanging industry,” said Bautista. “You have to love cartoons and you have to

continuously learn.”

Jeremiah Cortez, 26, traditional animation major, is another student involved in an industry internship, and understands the importance of cartoons.

“I’ve always been drawing since before I could remember, growing up it was all animation and cartoons,” said Cortez.

Cortez’s interest for cartoons and animation began with his father. “[It is] mainly because of my dad’s passion for watching [cartoons],” said Cortez. “He was one of the people in my life that taught me the basics to drawing.”

The passion has led Cortez to a new realm, where he is able to express his talent in a manor that best suits his passions.

“It’s just something that I always dreamed of doing. I’ve taken as many art classes I could in high school and now in college,” said Coretz.

The students of the animation are succeeding, and according to them, it’s more than just the internships that makes them a success.

“A lot about it makes me happy, the experience, the collaborative aspects of it, the idea of working on such a big project, and also the fact that I am constantly learning new things,” said Penate.

He added,“Since beginning my internship I have learned so many new things about collaborating with other artists and about the process in general that I am humbled every day by it.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

BigonMan campus Through pain and sorrow, Kaimyn Pruitt hasn’t let anything keep him from the basketball court.

When you love something, you’re going to do it. Even though I couldn’t play basketball, I still tried to.

- Kaimyn Pruitt

!"#$%&'()# !"#$"%&'($)*+& When you are 6-foot 7-inches, 215 pounds, you are automatically the center of attention wherever you go, but for Kaimyn Pruitt it took a lot more than size to earn respect and fight through life’s challenges.

Pruitt, 21, kinesiology major and one of the leaders on the south coast conference north division champion Mt. SAC men’s basketball team, has fought through injury, the struggles of growing up in Los Angeles and the tragic loss of the biggest influence in his life.

Growing up in Los Angeles, life was hard for Pruitt as he spent most of his life with his mother, older brother and younger sister.

“We’d be grinding, grinding, grinding,” Pruitt said. “There’d be some days we’d just have Top Ramen for the whole day. There’s been times when the lights went out, couldn’t afford rent, couldn’t afford shoes. Times were hard, but it got me to where I’m at now.”

Financial struggles plagued the Pruitt family, but basketball was always a constant in Kaimyn’s life and he attributed his love of the game to his older brother Jerelle Green.

“He put the ball in my hands,” Pruitt said. “He taught me everything I know.”

Green attended Mt. SAC during Pruitt’s high school years and Pruitt said he has fond memories of playing basketball with his brother at Mt. SAC. “That’s what makes Mt. SAC so special to me. My brother played here and now I’m playing here and had two good seasons,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt said Green was the biggest influence in his life, but everything changed in 2009 when Green tragically died at the age of 27.

“He got caught up with the wrong people,” Pruitt said. “That changed my life the most. That lets you know that any day you can be gone. That’s why I’m trying to get up out of here. Los Angeles; it’s not good.

That’s why I gotta keep hustling, grinding to get my family out of here.”

Pruitt described his brother as his best friend and said, “He was everything.

Everything.”

Green taught Pruitt life lessons about toughness and separating himself from others in all aspects of life.

“My brother taught me about being tough and that you don’t get nothing in this world unless you work hard,” Pruitt said. “He told me, ‘what’s gonna make you stand out?’ Like if you’re in a court with all 6’7” dudes, what’s gonna make you different?”

Kaimyn’s mom, Sandra Pruitt, said that Kaimyn took his brother’s loss hard, but he did not let it depress him or keep him down.

Sandra Pruitt said that, “having faith in God and knowing we’re overcomers,” helped them get through their loss.

“He [Green] was his big brother, dad, advisor, friend and coach,” Sandra Pruitt said.

“It was a very sad time for us. I’m very proud of him [Kaimyn] for continuing to focus.”

Pruitt had taken all these life lessons and applied them on the basketball court.

Pruitt has played two season at Mt. SAC and this past season led the team in rebounding, averaging 8.5 per game, while adding 8.5 points per game and showing a defensive presence with 1.6 blocks per game.

“It’s not by accident,” Mt. SAC assistant coach Keith Hollimon said. “You talk about talent, but he puts in the hours and the work to realize that talent.” Head coach Allen Caveness said that Kaimyn was an integral part of the success of the basketball program.

“He’s the type of kid who if you give constructive criticism, he does his best to respond to it,” Caveness said. “He’s done a better job of maturing and growing as a young man, and I think his best basketball is ahead of him.”

Pruitt had fought through serious injuries and said nothing can keep him from playing basketball. His sophomore season in high school was taken away from him as he sat out

because of a blood infection that momentarily paralyzed him.

After high school, Pruitt faced another serious injury as he tore his ACL. Since he could not afford formal rehabilitation, he fought through a three month recovery process and has not had trouble with it since.

“I kept pushing my body ‘til I couldn’t take it anymore, until I got 100 percent,” Pruitt said. “When you love something, you’re gonna do it. Even though I couldn’t play basketball, I still tried to. I wouldn’t do anything crazy like dunk or anything, but I still played.”

As much as Pruitt’s life revolves around basketball, he understands the importance of education. He said all basketball players have NBA aspirations, but the people around him have kept him levelheaded.

“Right now I live with my mom and my little sister… so whatever pays the bills for right now,” Pruitt said. “I’m trying to get my degree and if I can get an NBA look, then yeah. If I can get an overseas look, then yeah.”

Pruitt said that his mom has always stressed the importance of school.

“I told him to use his athletic ability to further his education,” Ms. Pruitt said.

With the cast of players Pruitt has competed with in different Los Angeles tournaments, there is reason for him to have NBA aspirations. Pruitt, along with Mt. SAC teammate Antonio Biglow, played alongside Arizona Wildcat standout Derrick Williams and against the likes of NBA players such as Danny Granger, Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, Nick Young and Demar DeRozan.

“I’m never star-struck,” Pruitt said. “I treat them like normal people ‘cause that’s what they are. Granger was like, ‘You’re good. You have potential.’ That gave me confidence.”

Wherever life takes Kaimyn, he has shown that he is a fighter. Whether injury, personal struggles or anything else, he has experience in overcoming adversity.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

The 53rd Annual Mt. SAC Relays: “where the world’s best athletes compete”

!"#$%&'(&)%*"+, !"#$%&'()*%#$

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1

he 53rd Annual Mt. SAC Relays were held on April 9, 14, 15, and 16 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. Participating in the event were many athletes competing in high school, community college, university, and elite levels.

On April 9, those from the community college level had their opportunity to compete. The Mounties placed in the top five 42 times in the 38 events held that day. There were first place finishes in the field events by T’Keyah Gray in the women’s long jump (5.49m), Adam Bianchessi in the men’s javelin throw (62.46m), Michael Simms in the men’s pole vault (5.09m), and Ryan Sanders in the men’s triple jump (15.08m). In the track events there were first place finishes

by Davelle Sanders in the men’s 400-meter dash (47.73), and Uchechi Anunkor in both the women’s 100-meter dash (11.79) and 200-meter dash (24.32). Lastly, in the men’s 4x400 meter relay the team of Andres Becerra, Jonathan Kilson, Robert Sanchez, and Davelle Sanders finished first (3:14.72).

On April 14-16 the high school, collegiate, and elite divisions competed. Stadium records were broken by Jesse Williams in the men’s elite invitational high jump (2.34m) and Russell Brown in the men’s elite 1500 meter run invitational (3:35.70).

Both Williams and Brown represented the Oregon Track Club and Nike.

Scott Davis, a legendary announcer and a former Mt. SAC Relays Director, was inducted to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame. Other inductees to the hall of fame were former coaches Art Ven egas, Don Strametz, and Dr. Ernie Gregoire.

Relay members from the Santa Monica Track Club were also inducted.

Full results for all the events can be found on mtsacrelays. com.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

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Mt. SAC jazz band rings in spring !"#$%&'"()$"*"+,-.&/ !"#"$"$%&'() Mt. SAC’s jazz band will be performing at the Sophia B. Clarke theater on Fri. April 29 at 8 p.m. The jazz band consists of 21 students under the direction of Jeff Ellwood.

The annual spring concert will include the contemporary sounds of today with a mixture of historical pieces offering a unique sound for all in attendance.

Kyle Martinez, 20, music education major, has been playing the trumpet for 11 years and has been in the Mt. SAC jazz band for one year.

“He [Ellwood] is one of the hippest guys in jazz right now, he is a Yamaha sponsored artist, [and] he just basically picks the hip ass tunes,” said Martinez. *+,)&-.+"/)+0+1(2'-345(62'+&2--) Martinez along with the rest of the jazz 0$,+#,-&(/&*.%,-(1$"*.%*&/(2,$(31*,+%-4(51$%-4(6"77(8,-*&$.(,-(91$%'(:;(".(.<&(5,1<%"()=(8'"$>&(0<&".&$= band and the vocal jazz group competed at do our best job at trying to let people feel what The Mt. SAC Jazz band has won many the Reno Jazz festival at the University of we feel when we play the music,” Corona said. awards throughout the past years at festivals Nevada, Reno, on April 7-9.

Corona has played the trumpet for the jazz including the Western States Jazz Festival and Both groups competed in the two-year band for the last two semesters. the prestigious Reno Jazz Festival. college division with the jazz band taking Admission to the spring jazz concert is $12, Much of their musical influences include second place and the vocal jazz group taking Seniors, Students & Children under the age of the tunes of Count Basie, Louie Armstrong, third place in their competitions.

12 is $9. Mt. SAC Students with ID are $6.

Maynard Ferguson, Duke Ellington, Miles Marcie Jarquin, 19, sociology major has A Jazz Fesitval will take place the next day Davis, Jim McNeely, and many more. played the tenor saxophone for 10 years, “It April 30. The farmers market will extend their Jose Corona, 18, music performance didn’t feel bad winning second place because hours with special jazz prices and the jazz band major, described this jazz band in three words; we played our best and were happy with our performing again. openness, commitment, and willingness. “We performance as a group.”

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

Comic books: college students enjoy light reading !"#"$%!&'( !"##$%$&'()$ This is the generation of superheroes.

The renaissance of comic book movies began in 2000 when director Bryan Singer gave the world a modern look at the X-Men. Singer took a surreal group of characters and added a modern update to them. The yellow spandex and blue tights were taken away and replaced with black leather. The characters were given a darker edge.

In 2008, the Batman movie, The Dark Knight grossed over one billion dollars and was not only the highest grossing superhero movie ever, but seventh highest grossing movie of all time. The Spider-Man Trilogy combined has grossed a total of 2.5 billion dollars in less than a decade.

Students can be seen on campus reading comics instead of textbooks. The graphic novels section of the bookstore is the packed with customers.

“I think [comic books] are awesome. I think they are the greatest combination of literature and visual arts. Nothing tells a story better than a comic book,” said Marc Lee, 23, music education major.

Lee, who has been reading comic books at an early age, still frequents the comic book stores. Because of the movies, a younger generation has become more aware of lesserknown superheroes.

“The movies have definitely increased the awareness of comics among college students,” said Lee. With cinematic technology becoming greater as time passes, directors were given more options and possibilities to make fantastic comic book movies. No longer were men suspended from wires but rather digitilized to show more freedom.

Marvel Entertainment has produced a

series of adjoining movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger) that will all lead up to the much anticipated 2012 movie: The Avengers. Never has something been done on such a blockbuster scale.

Students buy comics in order to better familiarize themselves with the subject materiel. Some students, however, are not excited about their favorite books being turned into movies. Erik Claire, 20, psychology major, and avid comic book reader.

“I’m personally against studios making movies from comic books. They change the core essence of the stories that people like and make it into something commercial,” he said.

According to Claire, he mostly reads DC, Marvel, or anything he can get his hands on.

Claire said, “I feel like I’m getting ready to go on new adventure with some old and new friends every time I open a new comic book.”

The week before a movie comes out, students are sitting on a school bench under a tree, or against a brick wall reading the graphic novel the movie is based on before their classes.

American comics are not the only comics that students on campus read. Manga, which is the Japanese equivalent of comic books, also has an audience in the student population.

“I used to read the Shonen Jumps. Shonen Jumps are a comic book an inch or two thick and each book would have one to four stories in each of them,” said Matthew Dixon, 18, physics major. “I used to get them once a month. They are printed in black and white.”

There was once a time where a superhero t-shirt was a unique thing to wear to school.

Today, one cannot go through a day of classes without seeing someone wear something with the Superman logo on it.

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Most embarrassing situation

CARTOON CORNER

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“I had accidentally thrown away my ID in the trash when I went to get lunch. When I realized what had happened, I had to get the janitor to take me to the trash bins outside of school and I had to jump in and fish it out.”

Christian Camacho, 20, animal science major

TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

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Students celebrate cultural diversity

!"#$%&$'() !"#$%&'()"* Students danced, talked, and celebrated the diversity of cultures at the annual cultural fair hosted by Associated Student on April 13. The event also involved clubs representing countries and competing to win a first place prize of $150.

Cross-cultural senators Lupita De La Cruz, 21, linguistics major, and Kenneth Baca, 20, communications major, planned the event that was budgeted for $3,000 this year.

According to De La Cruz, the budget was reduced by 40 percent compared to last year.

“It wasn’t an easy job,” said De La Cruz.

Clubs provided basic information, food, art, music and even performers to enrich and educate students. Members used different methods regarding the choice of the culture they represented.

The French club and Italian club represented themselves while the Pacific Island club and Native American Inter-Tribal Student Alliance represented multiple cultures.

The Finance & Accounting club and Meals for Mankind used the culture of the country their Inter Club Council representatives were from.

The Culture Shock club members voted on countries and chose Brazil. “I really just left it up to my members,” said Tyerra Ten, 20, zoology major and president of Culture Shock.

LAMBDA Student Association, a social and political organization for gay and lesbian students on campus, represented the Netherlands.

Carlos Mendez, 21, interior design major and president of LAMBDA said, “Netherlands

was the first country to legalize same-sex marriages and that’s why we chose it.”

Performers were hired to broaden the diversity of cultures represented. Anahys Moawad, 34, a professional belly dancer, represented Middle Eastern culture.

Moawad is Egyptian. She wore a royal blue cabaret two-piece covered in jewels and used a veil as part of her performance.

Aztec dancers performed a sacred prayer ritual. According to Alex Medrano, 21, undeclared major, it is called The Dance of the Deer. The dancers performed in a circle while burning sage. “ This is for energy, cleansing, or an offering, maybe protection. It could be to rid of bad spirits,” said Medrano.

The dancer’s artistic clothing represented their energy and ranged from the Virgin Mary and skulls to animals and elements like water.

The dancers performed a “permiso,” a dance at the beginning and end of the ritual to ask permission and show appreciation.

Medrano said he felt it represented the culture perfectly.

“We wanted all of the clubs to get involved, to be represented,” said Baca. “It was open for everyone,” he added.

De La Cruz agreed. “We wanted to get the students to interact. This is an event for them,” she said.

Other performances included a Latin band and African drummers who were used in previous years.

Nyssa Geanakos, 19, French and Spanish major, participated with the hired performers in Capoeira, a Brazilian art form. It was Geanakos’ first time at the culture fair and she said she loved it.

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Spanish Club members, Adriana Mares, 20, Spanish major, and Griselda Garcia, 22, Spanish major, represented Mexico and performed Folklorico ballet.

Both Anime and Japanese pop-culture clubs represented Japan, which was the only country represented by two clubs.

Anime club provided rice bowls and a history of sake while Japanese pop-culture club provided origami.

The Japanese pop-culture club also sold chocolate cake pops as a donation incentive for the Japanese earthquake relief.

Students were able to receive free food from the clubs if they paid their student activities fee. Food tickets were provided for clubs to mark. In turn this would provide students the opportunity to try different types of cultural food.

Although food and entertainment were at the center of the event, the purpose was also for students to learn. Baca said, “It is also an educational event. We wanted the students to get the ticket but still at the same time to learn from different booths and different cultures.”

The clubs that were competing for prizes had four judges deciding which club represented their assigned country best.

According to Associated Students secretary and one of the judges, Leslie Hennings, 40, four categories were used to make her decision. She looked for enthusiasm, information available, staffing, and originality.

The event ended with the announcement of the winners from third to first.

First place went to the Spanish club, second to Japanese pop-culture club, and third to the Italian club.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011 Cont. from Budget Cuts P. 4 Legislative Analyst’s Office [has recommended] even higher fees-up to $66 per unit-if an all-cuts budget is approved.”

According to the March Mt. SAC Campus Connection report, President Nixon said that this shortfall in revenue and funding will force the campus to rethink how the students are served. ”So we’re going to rely on the ideas of everyone on our campus as to how we can maintain educational quality, preserve jobs and stay committed to our mission,” Nixon said.

With the increase of cost per unit, some students are upset. “I cannot believe what the state is doing to us,” Eva Castillo, 23, psychiatric major said. “As a full time student and a parttime worker, it is hard to pay for school when you also have to pay rent, pay for books, and be affected by the rising cost of everything else.”

Castillo said that it is upsetting that the state and our leaders have continuously ignored education in their agendas.

“Time after time, the government and the people we elect invest their energies in things that have caused the collapse of our economy, such as the war. I am hoping that for once we can realize how much our country needs to invest in our education system,” Castillo said.

While at Mt. SAC, President Nixon has implemented the President’s Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Planning to find solutions to better service the students. “Mt. SAC started a task force [dedicated] to look at what each department can survive without temporarily and maybe bring it back in the future. So they are trying to cut by keeping it safe for all of us,” Elmer Rodriguez, high school outreach specialist said.

Gregoryk outlines what Mt. SAC will do for the 2011-2012 school year in regards to the

have been cut. I believe we’ve cut 10 percent across the board of our courses, so that means fewer opportunities for students to take courses.

Teachers have to work harder [and] less teachers to do the work, people are [being] put on hold,” Tellez said.

On April 15, Tellez hosted the “Protect Your Education!” demonstration that invited students, teachers, workers, and community members.

Held across campus on the corner of Grand Ave. and Temple, protestors gathered across Senator Bob Huff ’s office.

“The purpose of the protest is to raise consciousness, it’s first and foremost against the budget cuts but particularly against the fact that there was no talk about…tax extensions, because there are many people who are probably okay with tax extensions, so that [we] don’t have to see the severe cuts in education.”

Resources, faculty and courses are not the only things being affected. With the proposed budget cuts, Gov. Brown has approved an increase of cost per unit. The cost per unit has been raised by $10, from $26 to $36 for the upcoming school year, 2011-2012.

“The proposed $10 per unit fee increase would generate $110 million for the colleges to support an additional 50,000 students.

[However], with the fee increase, as many as 350,000 students could lose access to a community college education,” reports a March 3 Mt. SAC PowerPoint presentation.

President Nixon explained that if the tax extension does not go through and proposition 98, known as the community college funding formula is suspended, Mt. SAC will see an 8.7 million shortfall-offset, after applying the $10 fee increase.

Mt. SAC also reported that according to “the

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budget.

In scenario one, the school would reduce 1,200 full-time equivalent student course sections [FTES]. Full-time equivalent student means, 525 hours of attendance. This would in turn save the campus $1.6 million dollars. And as noted in Gregoryk’s presentation, this has already been accomplished. In scenario two and three, 2,6004,400 FTES, course sections would be reduced. In addition, the President’s Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Planning would seek employee negotiation in reducing work hours to a 4[day]/10[hour] summer work schedule, retirement incentives and other compensation issues.

“During my years here at Mt. SAC, I have been with my experience,” said Keyri Navas, 22, Spanish major.” “The school has always done the best job possible to help all of its students and I know it will do it’s best to protect the campus from the budget cuts.”

Not only Mt. SAC, but also the entire112 California community college system may see an estimated reduction of $800 million in funding.

“Facing a state funding cut of up to ten percent, California’s community colleges will enroll 400,000 fewer students next fall and slash thousands of classes to contend with budget shortfalls that threaten to reshape their mission,” reported the L.A. Times on March 31.

The funding crisis that the community colleges now face is double the amount of what Gov. Brown had initially proposed for the upcoming school year.

In a March 30 Huffingtonpost.com article, Community College Chancellor Jack Scott said that the budget cuts are, “a tremendous tragedy, and a very deep blow to the economy of California.”

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ !"#$%&'$()*+ I believe that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) exploits its student-athletes. According to NCAA.org their manifesto is to “govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.” Now, that is all well and good, but they are making a fortune off of just being this governing body, while these athletes make absolutely nothing.

Sure a free college education in the form of studentathletic scholarships is definitely a worthwhile trade off, if you do not take into consideration what kind of money the NCAA and its institutions are making. The NCAA Men’s basketball championship just wrapped up, and just from that tournament alone, an obscene amount of money was earned. According to spectator.org, “For the privilege of broadcasting the tournament, one of the greatest sporting events in the world, CBS has agreed to pay the National Collegiate Athletic Association $6 billion from 2002 through 2013.” On top of that, each of the schools that make it to the final game of the tournament make a million dollars, none of which the athletes on the team ever see.

If you talk college sports, you must discuss the extremely popular NCAA college football. There are five bowl games that make up the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) which make up the top 10 teams in college football. The BCS National Championship game is the culmination of these events and it determines the number one football team in the country. Each of these games is licensed by the NCAA to have a corporate sponsor, for instance this year’s BCS Championship was named

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the “2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game.” Big corporations spend millions to put their names on these bowl games and student-athletes receive no money from putting their bodies on the line in front of a national audience. Also, some universities actually lose money on expenses paid for the game itself on travel accomidations for the team, staff, band, etc.

Another arena the NCAA and the college institutions themselves make even more money is through licensing contracts with various product suppliers. You can buy almost anything with licensing from the NCAA: shirts, jerseys, photos, DVDs, coffee mugs, sports cards, video games, pens, etc. The NCAA makes so much money exploiting these student-athletes, even using their jersey numbers and likenesses [for instance, characters in a video game that resemble an actual player]. A former UCLA basketball standout, Ed O’Bannon, has actually filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for using his likeness.

A lot of work and time goes into the life of a student-athlete as they are expected to perform to the best of their ability on the field, and also invest plenty of time into training for these sports. On top of that, they are also expected to perform adequately in the classroom. Their lives operate on hard work, dedication, and discipline. We have many student-athletes on campus at Mt. SAC, many of which are going to move on to Division I universities with major athletic programs. We should wish luck to our athletic Mounties and hope they have long and fruitful athletic careers. It is my personal hope that they will not be eaten up and spat back out by the NCAA money making machine.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2011

Softball dominates in doubleheader: Defeats Fullerton College (8-0) and PCC (9-1)

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!"#$%&'(&)%*"+, !"#$%&'()*%#$ On April 12, the Mt. SAC softball team gained two more wins on their road to try and achieve state championship glory. The wins were the Mountiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fourth and fifth in a row.

In the first game, the Mounties shut out Fullerton College 8-0. The teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offense was led by Ashlynn Booker who went 2-for-2 scoring one run and two RBI. The team went on to score eight runs total off of 13 hits and eight RBI. Pitcher Michelle Escamilla received the win allowing no runs off of just four hits. Escamilla also threw four strikeouts.

The Mounties went on to play conference rivals Pasadena City College in the second game of the afternoon. They drew first blood by scoring three runs in the first inning off of four hits and never looked back. Pitcher Alexa Limon threw seven strikeouts and did not allow a single run off of three hits. The team went on to win the game 9-1.

The two wins gave the Mt. SAC softball team a record of 29-3 and 16-1 in conference.

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