Spring 2012 Issue 1

Mountaineer

Pg. 16

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

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

www.mountiewire.com

Volume 77 Issue 1

A CAMPUS DEFACED GRAFFITI AND VANDALISM RUN RAMPANT Pg. 2

Faculty, students perform for scholarships

Pg. 9

Professor’s art gallery: “Reflections” Pg. 10

2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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Graffiti, vandalism catch students’ eyes 8+""3#9(8#4&$+ 0$1#%23/)"* When most people think of graffiti, their minds turn to gangs and tagging.

However, this is is only a fraction of what has been popping up along the halls on campus.

During the fall 2011 semester, someone adorned one wall on the third floor of a stairwell in building 26D with a color image of a penguin accompanied by the words, “The irony is it was a sunny day.”

A stencil image of a cubist bull can be found on the same building’s outdoor staircase; adjacent to it, there is a depiction of a sun-drenched landscape.

On the ground floor of 26D, an abstractly designed stencil of a ram is displayed near the bottom of a pillar.

A third instance of this type of graffiti depicts black-and-white likenesses of walking men is present in several spots around campus.

Throughout the building, artists have also imprinted images of birds, human faces, and people holding hands.

Other instances of vandalism on Mt. SAC include stickers and other stationery found on campus property.

One person attached a paper drawing of a rapper accompanied by a dollar sign to a stone column near the library.

People also use stickers and other materials on school property to display promotions for an event, website or business.

Sergeant Anthony Kelly of the Mt. SAC public safety department has had experience with graffiti.

He helps monitor incidents on campus and works with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department to determine if any gang-affiliated graffiti can be linked to related off-campus

occurrences.

“There has been a history with graffiti on campus,” he said. “We did have an incident [last year] where gang graffiti was on campus and continued off campus, ultimately leading to an arrest.”

Kelly added that Mt. SAC students have the option to report their findings to an organization called WeTip; the school joined the program last year.

WeTip allows citizens to anonymously report crime and relays that information to law enforcement.

“Unfortunately, if you don’t catch someone in the act, it’s a reactive process,” he said. “If you catch them in the act, it’s a whole lot easier to close that case.”

In addition to encouraging people on campus to report graffiti and other crimes, public safety also makes it a priority to work with the facilities department and custodial staff to clean up and to carry out extra support patrols, Kelly said.

The department keeps a database of graffiti and shares its content with the Sheriff ’s Department to see if incidents off campus match with those on Mt. SAC. “If you keep a database of graffiti, taking pictures, and maintaining a database,” Kelly said, “you can be ready when the person behind it returns.”

Kelly said that graffiti with artistic intentions is not as likely to cause more crime as opposed to gang-related vandalism, such as those that display gang names or members’ nicknames.

“The link is less likely if the graffiti is artistic, but if it is a gang moniker, it sends a clear message that the gang is here,” he said.

However, he said that the public safety department and other law enforcement should and do treat all graffiti as the same crime.

“Unfortunately, the key word is graffiti,” he said.

“The definition of graffiti is that it is unwanted and that it is defacement of property.”

Depending on the cost of the cleanup and whether or not the defacement of property is found to be permanent and irreversible, graffiti may ultimately lead to a misdemeanor charge punishable by fines or up to one year in prison; repeated or extreme incidents may lead to felony charges.

Students have mixed opinions of the recent graffiti, but would like to see alternative solutions to give artists a legal outlet for this type of expression.

Ryan Mayekawa, 18, undecided, said that graffiti that is artistically inclined or does not have a clear link to gang affiliations should still be illegal and police should approach it with the same policy.

“I think graffiti’s not good in general, but I think there should be designated places where people are able to express themselves in public,” he said.

For the person or group behind the recent instances of vandalism on campus, Mayekawa suggested they focus on legal art.

“I wouldn’t advise him to keep tagging in public places,” he said.

Instead, they should work on their own private spaces or lobby to bring about publicly available and accessible canvases for legal artistic expression.

Brandon Jones, 23, business major, said artistic graffiti is not necessarily bad, but should still be treated as illegal, especially in the event that it defaces privately owned property. “On private property, definitely not,” he said. “You’re infringing on somebody’s establishment.”

Jones was positive about the idea of creating public walls where people would be able to legally apply graffiti and other forms of art. “That’d be cool,” he said.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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Moodlerooms soon replacing Blackboard STAFF Albert Serna - Editor-in-Chief Sarah Venezio- Managing Editor Harmon Huynh - Layout & Design Editor Eugene Arellanes - Photo Editor Vanessa Solis - Copy Editor Matthew Medina - News Editor Mathew Foresta - Opinion Editor Kathryn Banks - Features Editor Jose De Castro - Sports Editor Mercedes Barba, Alex Fenn - A&E Editors Christina Espin - Multiculture Editor Cynthia Perez - College Life Editor Adam Valenzuela, Christina Espin - Cartoonist Aida Ghorbani, Mikaela Zhao - Mountiewire.com Editors-in-Chief Suzy Hernandez, Lizette Contreras - Mountiewire. com College Beat Editors Senior Staff Writers Ariel Carmona, Philip Cao, Kristina Gonzalez, Lee Ellis, Corey Esquivel, Libby Freeman, Alexander Kchouri, Nicolette Morris, Sonia Ross, Scott Schetselaar, Vanessa Solis, Josue Velasquez, Tianna Winters, Rich Yap Junior Staff Writers Vivian Aceves, Joseph Andrade, Nicholas Arenas, Biany Barrera, Criselle Cortes, Irene Cruz, Analisse Deleon, Valerie De La Puente, Catalina Diaz, Matthew Duran, Garland Dyer, Jose Escobar, Lecia Fox, Keri Fukui, Marie Guerrero, Miranda Hernandez, Erica Khamvongsa, Martha Landeros, Echo Layton, Edilberto Lopez, Octavia Lopez, Marielle Loreto, Squire Lujan, Edrina Martinez, Amberly Melendez, Deanna Meza, Sonam Mirpuri, Kevin Muro, Rebekah Penner, Edgar Peralta, Girtha Phillips, Cassandra Rivera, Hira Rizvi, Adolfo Tigerino, Brian Trinidad, Randy Vazquez, Sarah Veltman, Andy Wong, Daniel Woo Designers Harmon Huynh, Valerie De La Puente, Ariel Carmona, Daniella Munoz, Vanessa Paramo Photographers Eugene Arrelanes, Ariel Carmona, Jose Oliver De Castro, Corey Esquivel, Libby Freeman, Mario Gomez, Eduado Perez, Peter Roig, Esau Villsenor Advertising Rep Valerie De La Puente Design Consultant James Choy Assistant to the Adviser Veronica Grant 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

:&4+(;3.*0+$& 4.5/.$%23/)"* As the new semester rolls in, students and faculty alike are making the switch from Blackboard to Moodlerooms, a program that allows professors to put course materials and lessons online.

Moodlerooms is still a mystery to many students and teachers, who are now asking how they will make the transition.

“I want to advise students that Moodlerooms is nothing to be afraid of,” said Mary Johnson, online learning faculty coordinator and professor of computer information systems.

Johnson taught a course with Moodlerooms over the winter 2012 session.

“At the end of the course session, I did a survey and found that most students preferred Moodlerooms to Blackboard. Students see it as more user-friendly and easier to navigate.”

Harmon Huynh, 22, cognitive science major, agreed.

“I’ve already experienced Moodlerooms through classes, and I think it’s better, faster, and far less complicated,” said Huynh. “The interfacing is easier to use and more intuitive. Why didn’t we make the switch sooner?”

Over the winter 2012 session, approximately 200 faculty members were trained with Moodlerooms and how to integrate it into their courses.

“The faculty is now developing and getting comfortable with the transition. It even appears that around 125 sections are being taught in Moodlerooms,” said Johnson.

While Moodlerooms has made its move into the Mt. SAC campus, some classes retain Blackboard.

“This spring, faculty have been given the choice whether to use Moodlerooms or Blackboard, but Blackboard will no longer be an option by summer,” said Johnson.

Huynh said that it is too soon to tell whether the transition to Moodlerooms will be easily accepted by students and faculty.

“It’s so new that other professors aren’t yet accepting of it. They’re wary of it because [they are used to] Blackboard,” said Huynh.

The Learning Assistance Center, which is located on the first floor of building 6, will have workshops to introduce students to Moodlerooms.

These are scheduled to take place during the seventh week of school. “They will be noncredit workshops that are around one hour long and all students are welcome,” said Johnson.

Students also can enroll in STUDY 85C, an eight-week course.

“This is a one-unit credit course that teaches students how to be successful in a distance learning course,” Johnson said.

With the sudden appearance of the program over the winter intersession, students wonder why the switch was made.

“The most important reason is cost,” said Johnson. “At this time, we found that Moodlerooms had all the functionality of Blackboard but [cost less than half the money].”

Johnson advised students to ask instructors if they are experiencing any troubles.

“Students’ first line of resource should be the instructor,” said Johnson. “With more technical issues, Moodlerooms offers clear and detailed instructions on how to log in and offers a whole link detailing solutions.”

Johnson is confident that students will easily accept the switch to Moodlerooms.

“The program offers a lot of student resources,” said Johnson. “There is a calendar that displays due dates for a course, which can be downloaded to iPhones and personalized for students’ own use.”

“Students will also find that Moodlerooms is closer visually to what they’re used to,” Johnson added. “In this way, it’ll be better integrated.”

California court overturns Proposition 8 <&+$$+(=&$"#*1 6)(77%8*/)$* “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

These are the words of Judge Stephen Reinhardt, one of the three judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that had heard both sides of the Proposition 8 appeal.

In a ruling of 2-1, the California court system voted Prop 8 unconstitutional on February 7, 2012 saying that it violates the rights of gay Californians. Some of these rights include recognition for same sex marriage and domestic relationships, license marriages for same sex couples, same parentage presumptions for adults in same sex marriages and bans discrimination against prospective parents. Although the proposition has been found unconstitutional, some say there is still a long way to go.

Yvonne Ramos, a 20-year-old communications major and president of LAMBDA, a campus club for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, approved of the decision. “This is definitely a milestone but one that has been a long time coming,” she said. “Who says the issue won’t go to the federal judicial system?”

Supporters of Proposition 8 are now looking to appeal to a higher court and have said if they lose, they will take it to the Supreme Court. But there has been a recent increase in favor of voting no on Proposition 8. In a recent Field Poll released February 22, 59 percent of registered Californians were in favor of giving full marital rights to gay and lesbian couples. In 2009, this same poll found only 49 percent of voters to be in favor. Some say this huge increase could be because people are simply just changing their minds.

“The issue that Californians in favor of equality in marriage face now is breaking social barriers and having to prove to the world that their relationship is as acceptable as any other,” said Ramos.

In California, a domestic partnership gives certain but not all legal rights to same sex couples.

This is comparable to what is called a ‘civil union’ in other states. Relationship recognition for same sex couples in marriage and domestic relationships is one of the issues outlined in the proposition.

“I think that there is only marriage. The term ‘gay marriage’ segregates the community and implies that their marriage is different from any other marriage,” said Ramos.

Ramos also said that another reason for the increase could be because other states are allowing equality in marriage.

“California, despite its cultural diversity, has been lagging in this area. Perhaps the recent states such as New York who found in favor of equal marriage helped the increase here,” said Ramos. Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Washington also allow same sex marriage.

In a poll recently conducted at Mt. SAC asking students’ opinions on same sex marriages, 28 out of the 30 students supported it. Christian Orozco, communications major, 24 was one of the students polled and voted yes on Proposition 8 in 2008 but has since changed his mind.

“I was honestly confused of what the whole proposition meant when I voted for it last time; I didn’t really know anything about it,” he said.

“But now with all the attention it’s getting, I now understand that marriage is between two people who love each other, and if they can pass that love on to their child, and that child can pass it on to their children, should it really matter if they are the same sex or not? I don’t think who is allowed to marry should be an issue.”

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

Emergency alert system sees little use H*&1"&$+(;.$I+'#1 6)(77%8*/)$* Public safety on campus provides an emergency notification system for students and staff members at Mt. SAC. This program is designed to help protect the safety of students and staff members in case of any emergencies that would occur on campus.

Some students say they have never received any alerts from this program, while others say they have never been aware of the program.

Joseph Razo, 22, criminal justice major said, “I have never heard about this system, the only type of alert I have seen is when I purchased my parking pass. I do not even know where I need to go to register for it.”

Stacy Muett, 18, photography major has been informed about the system but like Razo does not know where she needs to go to apply to get the alerts.

Josh Medeo, 25, international security and conflict resolution major said, “I am registered in the program. I have got a test alert for an earthquake drill that was going to occur the next day, but as far as of today that is the only alert I have ever received.”

Mark DiMaggio, chief of public safety and distributor of the alerts, said there are three ways a student or staff member can receive an alert either through text, phone or e-mail.

DiMaggio also said that to receive any alerts, the student must be enrolled and must provide the system with their accurate emergency contact information.

He added, “The reason a student may not be receiving an alert from the system is because their information was not correct or it can be an IT problem occurring.”

If this was the case the student must report it so that the IT support technicians can verify the problem and see if it was a student’s mistake on

their contact emergency information or a technical issue.

Karen Saldana, director of safety, health benefits, and risk management said, “The only alerts that are notified to the staff members and students is something on campus that would potentially affect the campus community as a whole.”

She also said that the alerts students and staff members receive are created according to the guidelines booklet written especially for the emergency notification system.

Some of the types of emergencies the guidelines list are imminent threats of natural or man made disasters that immediately alert the community. Other alerts would consist of bomb threats, fire alarms, natural gas leaks and hazardous spills affecting the entire campus, building evacuations and lockdowns affecting the entire campus.

Saldana mentioned other reasons why students who are enrolled in the program have not received the alerts. One of the reasons is that, according to the emergency protocol and guidelines, there has not been an incident or emergency on campus that sending out an alert to the students and staff members. Second, there are very few students enrolled in the program, therefore students who are not enrolled do not have any possible way of getting an alert.

According to the Mt. SAC annual reports, in the year of 2010-2011 there were about 37,000 credited students enrolled. Only about 8,774 students today have enrolled to the emergency notification system.

“This is really a sad number considering how many students are actually enrolled and it would seem to me that this would be important from a student’s perspective,” Saldana said. “We are very anxious to get more students enrolled in the program, but that is a decision the student would have to make.” Students can sign up to receive emergency alerts through their portal at myportal.mtsac.edu.

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State bills intend to reduce textbook costs

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4.5/.$%23/)"* In early February, Senator Darrell Steinberg introduced Senate Bill 1052 and Senate Bill 1053 to make textbooks more affordable in California’s higher education system. These two bills aim to reduce textbook prices, to make textbooks available in digital copies, and to have more copies of textbooks reserved in libraries.

Many students are already struggling with paying for their textbooks due to the spring semester’s arrival, but they find their own ways to keep the spending down.

“I usually purchase my textbooks online, and I spend about $300 on textbooks every semester,” said Stephanie Stopani, 20, business major.

Stopani purchases her textbooks online because they are about 50 percent cheaper than buying them at the Mt. SAC bookstore.

“It is still a hassle because it takes seven to 10 business days for my books to arrive and that leaves me behind on schoolwork, but I would rather wait than pay double the money,” Stopani said.

Christine Arias, 23, merchandise and marketing for fashion major, agreed with Stopani and also purchases all her textbooks online. Arias spends less than $200 on buying her textbooks for minimum three classes.

“I get my textbooks from chegg.com or rent them because it is too expensive at the bookstore,” Arias said. “The fact that I could just rent a book and return it so I won’t have books piling up at my home, and I don’t

have to worry about having to sell it back or to other students just makes it easier.”

Students like Stopani are pleased that the government is making an effort to make things easier for college students, but also have their reservations about the planned changes.

“I think these proposals suggest great ideas and that Mt. SAC as well as other schools should obtain this proposal because it would facilitate learning,” Stopani said. “But the ultimate solution to this problem is to just have easier access to textbooks overall, such as making them cheaper and having access to them online.”

Arias had a different take on the proposal.

Although she agreed with reducing textbook prices overall, she said she is concerned about how students and professors will adapt to using electronic devices rather than having the actual textbooks in hand.

“I think these proposals are great ideas, but it is challenging to have people switch over from having textbooks in hands to just flipping through pages on screens,” said Arias. “Also I don’t know how will professors react to having students using their iPods or iPads in class because some professors have strict policies toward having electronics in class.”

Janet Nguyen, a 19-year-old English major, agreed.

“As for the online edition textbooks, though that sounds great, I’m unsure of how effective that will actually be since even the digital versions are still expensive,” she said.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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Financial aid introduces debit card system :'#F(J#$$ :;2%23/)"* The Mt. SAC card, through Higher One, is the new way that students will be receiving their financial aid and refund checks from now on.

According to their website, www.higherone.com, Higher One is a financial service company offering refund management and payment services to higher education institutions. Three college students founded the company in 2000.

Associate Vice President of Fiscal Services Linda Baldwin said that the card was implemented in hopes of making things easier for students. “It gives students more options and gets money into students’ hands quicker,” she said.

Not all students are satisfied with the new system. Sonia Anaya, 19, early child education major, chose not to use the Higher One card and said that receiving her money has become harder since the new card’s implementation. She said she did not want to use the card due to her buying habits.

“I think if I had the card I wouldn’t have control over my spending,” Anaya said. “I spend more with cards.”

There is no way to cancel the new card, but there are options for students who prefer not to use it, such as still receiving a check or having their money direct deposited into an existing bank account. The card supplies the account number, which is then used for the students to set up their personal preference.

“Students do not need to get a Higher One account, even though the website may seem to push that way,” Baldwin said.

Anaya said that choosing her preference was simple and the website explained things step by step.

In November 2011, information concerning the new way that funds would be released was sent out to the students through their portals. However, that may not have been enough.

“They didn’t really talk about it; [they] just sent it out,” Anaya said.

For students like Anaya, Baldwin said that students should examine the website. The website functions as a financial educational tool with lots of information about the Higher One account and general finances.

“Students need to be consumer aware and compare other accounts to the Higher One account,” Baldwin said.

According to Baldwin, the new cards help prevent fraud and stalled funds. In the past there have been lots of issues with students not receiving their checks or having them stolen. With the new cards, administration can verify whether or not students have received their funds in the event of an issue.

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“[Before] students never knew when their financial aid would be available, now they get an email or can sign up for a text message to notify them,” Baldwin said.

There are six ATMs that have been placed around campus that charge no transaction fees when used with the Mt. SAC card. Also, students can retain their Higher One accounts after they have moved on from the school.

The cards officially launched during winter intersession to make sure things were working properly, and this semester over $6.5 million has been distributed to approximately 7,200 students.

Budget cuts may reduce science and math classes 8+"3#9(J.*#1"+ 4</./".%23/)"* On Feb. 21, California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott announced a $149 million dollar budget cut via press release, and according to Mt. SAC officials, this will have wide repercussions across campus.

According to the press release, “’this $149 million reduction is unexpected and even larger than the mid-year trigger cut that the community college system has already endured,’ Chancellor Scott said. ‘This will result in colleges further reducing course sections, additional borrowing and staff reductions.’”

These new cuts come after previous cuts have already forced a price per unit fee hike from $26 to $36, and now to $46.

The San Matean reported on Feb. 7 that, “in response to the budget cuts, the CCC system has increased tuition by 77 percent in less than a year to $46 per unit. The fee increase will go into effect summer 2012.”

One Mt. SAC administrator believes cuts could lead to less classes being offered.

“I have 500 sections per semester,” said Larry Redinger, dean of Mt. SAC’s Natural Sciences Division. “I would expect if there are cuts across the board I’d be asked to cut maybe 3 percent of those. Maybe as many as eight sections, 10

sections.”

Redinger warned that this wave of budget cuts could affect STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) majors.

“The STEM majors are going to be seriously hit because we are not going to be cutting as many of the lower classes because they are protected,” Redinger said. “So we will not be getting rid of basic skills classes, we will be getting rid of major classes.”

Some Mt. SAC students were already having trouble finding classes before the budget cuts.

“I get classes because I’m an athlete and I get priority registration,” said Codi Arends, 20, kinesiology major. “My friends, they haven’t gotten any classes because of the fact that it is too packed, and they don’t add anyone on the wait list.”

Other students also said classes are getting scarce.

“My sister, is trying to get three classes, but right now she only has two,” said Richard Madrid, a 28-year-old social work major. “It has just been hard for her to get through her general education.”

Despite the hardships, transfer specialist Krystle Bybee stated that Mt. SAC is handling the cuts well.

“It does seem, as compared to other schools, that Mt. SAC is doing relatively well. We still have a summer and winter session,” Bybee said.

“Some schools have cut their winter sessions, summer sessions, or both.”

Community colleges are not the only institutions suffering due to cuts.

According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Web site, community colleges took $502 million in cuts in 2011, but the UCs and CSUs each took $750 million.

“The biggest effects of the budget cuts recently have been that many of the Cal States are considered impacted,” said Bybee. “Some majors have become impacted, which just means we have to raise the bar in one way or another, and that has definitely influenced students’ ability to transfer to Cal States in a way.”

The Community College League of California is already pressing the state legislature to address this latest budget cut.

According to a Feb. 22 article on the Community College League of California’s Web site, “‘We call on the Legislature to quickly pass legislation to address this unexpected cut,’ said Theresa Tena, the League’s Director of Fiscal Policy. ‘By fulfilling this funding commitment

by June, we can ensure that students will have access to summer school classes in many parts of the state where access is threatened and avoid further layoffs.’” Estimates by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office state that during the 2011-2012 school year, 670,000 students will be turned away.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

This parking insanity must be improved ,-.%*#'/%*0" '(#)%*+#$+,-#./ Parking on campus is beyond ridiculous.

There are no spots available for those with a permit, and people who do not have a permit park anywhere they choose because there is no one enforcing the parking rules during the first two weeks of school.

We all know the feeling of waking up two hours early to find a parking spot on campus. I am not just talking about a good spot, or a mediocre spot, but any spot.

The fact that a permit was purchased does not even matter; the lot is still full of people who cram and weasel their way into a spot that rightfully belongs to those of us who spent good money on a permit.

They line the streets parking in red zones, using staff spaces, and just loitering behind parked cars until a spot is available.

The whole purpose of the permit is to have a space reserved, and that space should be any student space that allows for you to get to class with relative ease.

This is not the case however, as people not even enrolled in a single course pack the parking lots in vain attempts to retrieve a seat left open by a student waiting for parking.

Aside from the spots they steal, these inconsiderate people line the streets and park along the red when they realize they are in the same boat as the rest of us. This not only causes potential hazards, but is also a nuisance.

In case you did not know it is not easy to get into a turn lane when a line of cars is parked along the side of the road, and it is a lot more difficult when someone opens their door causing you to swerve into another lane.

Trust me, I speak from experience.

Most troubling of all, however, are those that simply refuse to search out a spot like the rest of us, and selfishly park in the middle of a row so not a single person can pass or even vacate a spot. They sit there for various periods of time loitering while the rest of us are rushing to get to class because we have been stuck behind some jerk who is not even enrolled.

These issues have many solutions. The first ones that come to mind are great, but sadly not legal.

The main way to stop all this insanity is for these people to pay the three dollars for the day. If you are too cheap to buy a semester permit or cannot afford the three dollars for paid parking you should not be driving at all. A car costs money and if you have not got any, tough. Do not take my spot because you elect to drive when you should not. If that is too much of an issue, take the bus; at least you will not have to worry about parking, and it is only $1.50. Yes, buses can be a pain, but you will not be cheating the system or pissing off your fellow students who have keys and half a brain to use them.

Another solution could be for the administration to finally put in the parking structure we have been hearing about since the dawn of time, but I suppose that is like asking someone without a permit to vacate a spot: simply not going to happen.

Elite colleges erect barriers to transfer !"#$%&'()*%+#" !"#$#%$&'(#)%* Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford. For many Mt. SAC students these names invoke a dream.

The problem is these schools do not seem to care for community college students.

In an astonishing show of arrogance, elitism, and hypocrisy these storied institutions are accepting few, if any, transfer students.

Especially transfer students from community colleges.

Perhaps the best place to see this trend is the emperor of American universities, Harvard.

According to an Aug. 31, 2011 Harvard Crimson article, “A miniscule 1 percent—that was the admissions rate for transfer students last year after Harvard decided to accept just 15 students of the 1,486 who applied to transfer to the college.”

This is a stunningly small number, especially considering the size of the freshman class that was admitted.

According to a March 30, 2011 Harvard Gazette article, “Nearly 35,000 students applied to Harvard College this year for admission to the Class of 2015 entering in August.

Letters of admission (and email notifications) were sent on March 30 to 2,158 students, 6.2 percent of the record pool of 34,950.”

It must be noted that many of these Harvard transfer students are not coming from community colleges.

The Aug. 31, 2011 Harvard Crimson noted, “In what Mascolo describes as a ‘total coincidence,’ three of the admitted students previously attended Vanderbilt.

Two lived in the same residential hall.”

Stanford was a bit more generous, but not much.

According to the Stanford University website, the elite university admitted 58 transfer students out of a total of 1,413 applicants.

Yale also admitted transfer students, but again it was a very small number according to their transfer admission website.

These universities use many lame excuses to justify their transfer admissions policy.

According to a Jan. 15, 2010 Harvard Crimson Article, “’Residential space is essential to our ability to support a successful transfer program.

Harvard does not admit transfer students to nonresidential status because, in important respects, undergraduate education at Harvard College is residential in character.

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Students learn a great deal from the House experience, which complements activities in our classrooms and laboratories.’”

So we are to understand that the ability to dorm is essential to a student’s education.

I suggest that this is merely another form of Ivy League elitism, a silly tradition that has no practical merit.

However, when one examines admission statistics for many of these elite colleges, a funny form of prejudice becomes apparent.

Age discrimination seems to be in style in America’s premiere universities.

According to Harvard’s admissions website, “Students who have completed more than two years of college study with transferable credit, and those who have earned a bachelor’s degree, are not eligible to transfer to Harvard College.

Students may not choose to relinquish academic credits, or a degree, in order to apply for transfer admission.”

Yale has a similar policy.

Apparently these two legendary institutions believe that undergraduates are supposed to look a certain way.

After all, they would not want a bunch of older kids ruining the ambiance.

This policy is completely out of touch with the realities of society at large and today’s community colleges.

With classes becoming harder and harder to come by, many students are simply not ready to apply for transfer at the beginning of their second year.

Thus, this policy is both discriminatory and snobbish.

Perhaps the worst display of this arrogance is Princeton.

Unlike Harvard and Yale, where a tiny

fraction of community college students might have a chance, Princeton accepts absolutely no transfer students.

Just to add insult to injury, Harvard seems to have no problem hooking up the legacies.

According to a May 2011 Harvard Crimson article, Harvard’s legacy admission rate stands at 30 percent.

Just so we are clear that means that if mommy or daddy went to Harvard, your chances just skyrocketed.

This is a disgusting form of hypocrisy.

Contrary to all the rhetoric, Harvard has no interest in diversity.

Sure, racially and religiously things are better, but classism is the name of the game now.

I doubt the sons and daughters of Harvard alums are very bad off.

Is this the message Harvard wants to send: education for the wealthy by the wealthy?

The sad thing is it does not have to be like this.

Columbia University’s School of General Studies allows a real path to the Ivy League for non-traditional students, including those from community colleges.

With the exception of housing, students here attend the same classes and get the same experience as their more traditional colleagues.

There is no reason why colleges like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford cannot have similar programs.

The elitism shown by these colleges is a symptom of the sickness that festers in our society.

Republican candidates denigrate the poor and vulnerable.

Occupy Wall Street is losing steam, few if any of the bankers and executives responsible for the financial crisis are in jail, and our elite universities have no interest in admitting students from community colleges.

This problem will not be solved until we examine our societal values.

We need to stop wasting time and invest in education.

We need to levy higher taxes against the wealthy to pay for social program that will uplift those in need.

Most of all we must demand that any university receiving federal funds of any kind make room for more than a token number of community college transfer students.

This is what is right, this is what is fair, and if we are lucky by breaking down the walls of elitism in academia, the rest of society just might follow.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

7

War veteran lets his music be his Forte '*/(*>*1&B3/=3 56-%-7/$#( It is easy to see Elliott McKenzie’s passions at a glance.

With a treble clef necklace hanging across his neck and tattoos across his arms, McKenzie, also known as his alter ego and stage name Forté, is an R&B artist who wears his heart on his sleeve.

“Music is life. The reason I have this tattooed on my arm is because it’s true,” McKenzie said. “My other arm represents my life as a Marine. It’s an eagle, globe and anchor—a symbol of the Marines. You earn this symbol. It’s a rite of passage.”

McKenzie, 27, is an Iraq war veteran, a full time student at Mt. SAC, and has already dabbled as a vocalist, drummer and producer.

The youngest of three, McKenzie developed an admiration for R&B music because of his older siblings.

“My brother always influenced my music growing up,” he said. “He was a huge Boyz II Men fan.”

The R&B influence extended beyond the musical realm.

“R&B engraved itself in me at a young age,” McKenzie said. “The morals of R&B, the chivalry, the romance. All of those values are in me and a lot of those values come from R&B.” In high school, McKenzie joined the gospel choir and discovered his passion for singing.

Kristal Domingo, 28, a high school friend of McKenzie, was also a member of the choir.

“I first knew him when he discovered he could sing,” she said. “I think he’s very talented as a musician. He has extreme amounts of talent.”

After graduating from high school, McKenzie thought he wanted to pursue music, but first he entered the Marine Corps.

McKenzie moved up quickly, landing a security position at the White House right out of boot camp. He worked closely with the Secret Service to protect the president for nearly two years. After two years of government security positions, including a stint in an anti-terrorist unit, McKenzie found himself heading to Iraq.

“I left to Iraq in 2005,” he said. “I was stationed in Ar Ramadi from March 2005 to September 2005.”

After serving for the United States, McKenzie returned from the war in September.

Shortly after in 2006, he was sent to Japan. While stationed in Japan, his passion for singing began to stir. “R&B started for me in Japan,” he said.

“A lot of my good friends there knew I was musically talented.”

Over that period, McKenzie met a music producer and was able to record as a vocalist on a full-length album for a rap group in Japan.

“That’s when I knew that I wanted to do music and that I loved it,” he said. “I was sure that this was something I wanted to do the rest of my life.”

McKenzie quickly started working towards his goal. After going through numerous managers, McKenzie took the reigns himself. He started looking up recording teams and studios to record a demo.

“I knew there was something I had to do and I had to get something done,” he said. “I knew I had to get something recorded so I started looking around.”

After recording a demo, McKenzie found another passion. He found himself drawn toward music production. He invested in his own studio, learned the ropes of mixing and editing, and now has his own engineering company called Neo Wave Productions. “Through this company I write songs for artists,” he said. “I engineer and rent out studio time for people

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looking to record their own demos.”

McKenzie has been pursuing his singing career and has put out a demo of his music online for free. He also has a full-length album coming out soon appropriately entitled “Gentleman’s Bible.”

“All my songs are available online and are written, sung, engineered, and produced by me,” he said.

He has even created a songwriting team, which has written for singers like Brandy and Ray-J, B2K’s former front man Omarion, and even a few songs for Chris Brown.

“Working with professionals in the industry is inspiring,” he said. “Seeing my music out there is amazing. The best way to get something done is to do it yourself.”

Next month, McKenzie will be trying out for NBC’s famous show “The Voice” and is hoping that all his hard work will pay off.

“I think he’s very ready,” Domingo said. “I’m his cheerleader.”

Waiting to transfer out of Mt. SAC in the fall of 2013, McKenzie intends to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona to major in music industry studies.

“I live two separate lives and most of my friends know that,” McKenzie said. “The Marines will always be my one half and music will always be my other half.”

Writer’s workshop features poets, authors, screenwriters E($%%&E(.*%1*"33/ 8$9,,%:(/$)( For anyone interested in creative writing, Mt. SAC English professor John Brantingham promises the Fourth Annual Writer’s Weekend to be “The best weekend you’ll ever have.”

The conference is designed to put students into contact with people in the industry. “What makes this conference so special is that it’s a chance to have someone in the industry actually pay attention to what you’re doing,” said Brantingham.

Professor Lloyd Aquino of the Mt. SAC English department is looking forward to reaching even more people than last year with this year’s conference. According to Aquino, coordinators hoping to double last year’s turnout for a showing of around 300 this year.

This year’s activities include writer’s workshops for development of creative writing skills, discussion of college creative writing programs, manuscript preparation for those interested in publishing their work, panel discussions, open mic readings, and also a presentation of awards for submissions in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and critical essays.

“Workshop leaders are chosen primarily for their willingness to work directly with students,” said Brantingham.

The conference will run four sessions each day from April 27-29 and will feature some of the same names that bring students back each year.

T. Anders Carson, who was called a rock star by Brantingham, will be

returning this year. Carson is a Canadian poet and the former editor of Freefall magazine.

Other guest speakers include author Jo Scott-Coe, poet Paul Tayyar, novelist Mark Haskell Smith, and author LeeAnne McIlroy Langton, as well as others in the industry and the faculty of Mt. SAC’s Left Coast Center for Creative Writing.

This year’s coordinators are also featuring workshop leaders from writing disciplines not previously featured such as graphic novels. Steven T. Seagle, whose work includes writing for Superman and Uncanny X-Men will be speaking at this year’s conference. Seagle also helped to create the Cartoon Network’s animated series Ben 10. Script writing will also be represented as one of this year’s new genres with Emmy award-winning writer Erin Levy from the television drama Mad Men. Students who are enrolled in English 99 can receive two units of transferrable credit for attending the conference. Interested students should register online before contacting Brantingham or Aquino.

A registration fee of $50 covers the cost of the guest speakers, a continental breakfast, and lunch for attendees. This fee can be waived with proof of financial aid. Those interested should contact either Brantingham at jbrantingham@mtsac.edu or by phone (909) 594-5611 ext.

4860, or Aquino laquino@mtsac.edu, (909) 594-5611 ext. 3105. Copies of the application and fliers with more information can also be found in the English department offices on the first floor of building 26D. Coordinators urge students to register as soon as possible.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

9

Students and Faculty Put on the ‘Hits’ !"#$%&'()"'*+ !"#$%&"'()*+$,& Faculty and students impersonated celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Adele this past weekend. The annual “Puttin’ on the Hits” debuted its 14th year in the Sophia B. Clarke Theatre March 9-10. The show is non-profit and was created

by Dr. Ron Norton Reel, who is now a communications professor and State Union president for community colleges. Reel produced “Puttin’ on the Hits” for the purpose of student scholarships.

Mathematics professor Joan Sholars said the faculty association used to raise money by jumping in the school’s swimming pool. “…

That’s how we used to raise money for scholarships, we jumped in the pool…” Sholars joined Reel when he came up with “Puttin’ on the Hits,” and from there on the show has raised more money for student scholarships.

Jennifer Galbraith, president of the faculty association and assistant director of “Puttin’ on the Hits,” said last year they were able to give away $18,000 in scholarships. This year their goal is to reach $20,000. As of now, the

faculty association does not know of the exact amount the show had raised. Sholars added, “I don’t think we made it to the $20,000 range.”

Students and faculty alike danced and lip sang in costume performing songs such as “Mercy”

by Duffy, “Miss Otis Regrets”

by Bette Midler, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins, “Who Rules the World” by Beyonce, “Love is a Battlefield”

by Pat Benatar, and many more.

Galbraith said, “Next year is our 15th year and should be our big year.”

Jackie Hu, 21, and Katherine

Cheng, 21, both economics majors, were dancers in the program.

Hu won a scholarship last year through the program and said she “wanted to give back this year.”

Cheng added, ““The girls were so helpful…and most of us don’t really know how to dance whatsoever and they taught us from the beginning,” Anyone interested in performing for next year’s show Joan Sholars.

Sholars is the director, writer, and producer of “Puttin’ on the Hits.” In a few months there will be scholarship applications in various campus offices such as the student life office.

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10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

Mezquita unveils interactive photo work of 60s ,'#-'.'/%0"#1" ,-'&'(%)*+

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

The photographs of Jesse Angel Mezquita, professor of photography, will be featured in a high-tech on-campus exhibition this month.

Influenced by the smooth sounds of Marvin Gaye and Jimi Hendrix, the photos of Ansel Adams, and the culture of East Los Angeles, Mezquita’s photographs depict many of the lost anti-war murals of Vietnam War-era Los Angeles.

The exhibit, entitled “Reflections,” will use innovative quick response, QR, technology, meaning students will be able to use their smart phones to guide them throughout the exhibit.

Mezquita has been teaching since 1976, when there were only five photography classes on campus. Now, 36 years later, his exhibit will use technology to show his students the real meaning of being a photojournalist.

“This gallery will be very interactive and I am very excited for students to see that,” Mezquita said.

The month-long exhibit will showcase East L.A during the anti-war movement through a series of photographs. Much of Tierra, an East L.A. barrio, will also be showcased with landscape photography.

Born and raised in East L.A, Mezquita was a student at East Los Angeles College during the time of the Vietnam War. “There was always something about the culture and the music of East Los Angeles during that era that I always loved,” he said.

Mezquita was always drawn to the life of the Latino culture.

His photography work follows 40 years of photojournalism as he captured some of the most innovative and progressive images that emerged during a time of turmoil.

“I photographed the murals in East L.A, a lot of which aren’t there anymore,” Mezquita said.

Mezquita also said that music was a factor in his work during that time.

“Music was huge in the sixties,” he said. “Marvin Gaye, Los Lobos—all of that was big during that time and a big inspiration to me.”

Mezquita also said he is influenced by the photography of Ansel Adams, who he met briefly as a student.

“When I was at ELAC, the school bought his portfolio,” Mezquita said.

“I talked to him for five minutes and he inspired me. I tried to emulate his approach.”

This exhibit is full of countless images that Mezquita shot throughout this era which is largely forgotten.

“A lot of students don’t know what they missed in the sixties,” he said.

“There was a lot of love during that time. And this exhibit will help you be able to see that.”

The exhibit opens on March 15 at the Mt. SAC Art Gallery and will kick off with an artist reception and lecture starting at 4 p.m.

Admission is free and the gallery runs from March 15-April 12.

Nothin’ but a Spring Thing

Musicians, faculty, and students are all gearing up for the arrival of the Spring Thing on March 23, which has been dubbed one of the most anticipated spring events this year.

Individual members of the choral program will be performing everything from pop and jazz to Broadway and contemporary a cappella.

“It’s a showcase for our choral students to do non-choral music,” explained the concert and choral director William McIntosh.

“They spend so much of their time working on music from the Renaissance and these different periods, and this gives them the opportunity to do music that’s outside of what we do here [in] this department,” said McIntosh.

He went on to say, “We call it the ‘Spring Thing’ because it’s got just about everything.

There’s no one theme to it. It’s a huge variety show and it really showcases the students’ talents. We’re going to have small ensembles; barbershop quartets, Top 40 music, pretty much anything you can imagine.”

But, when it comes to the Spring Thing, no group garners more praise and excites the crowd more than the headlining act: Mt. SAC’s all-male, award-winning contemporary a cappella group, Fermata Nowhere.

The show both begins and ends with a performance from the group, who recently took first place at the quarter-finals of the

!

We call it the ‘Spring Thing’ because it’s got just about everything. There’s no one theme to it. It’s a huge variety show and it really showcases the students’ talents. We’re going to have small ensembles; barbershop quartets, Top 40 music, pretty much anything you can imagine.

”

International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella.

“I love their creativity and diversity,” said Music Department Chair Jason Chevalier.

“They perform a lot of different genres of music. But not only that, they’re just so entertaining to watch,” he said.

“Not to mention the fact that they’re responsible for putting a lot of it together. They write most of their own choreography. They’ve got some pretty cool moves.”

The talent of this group isn’t only acknowledged by onlookers. They are perfectly aware of what makes them above the rest.

“I think it’s because of our diverse style.

We do a lot of different things on stage,” said

- William McIntosh Concert & Choral Director

Fermata Nowhere singer, Taylor Hurst, 20, communication disorders major.

While the group performs as a whole, some will be taking the stage alone.

“I’m pretty excited for my solo,” said Hurst.

“I’ll be singing ‘Gavin’s Song.’ It’s smooth and really emotional. I am looking forward to it.”

Anyone interested in a night of music and entertainment can see Fermata Nowhere and the rest of the choral members perform at the Spring Thing on March 23 at 8 p.m. in the Sophia Clarke Theatre.

Admission is $6 with a current Mt. SAC student I.D, $10 for seniors over 55, children under 13, and anyone with a non-Mt. SAC student ID, and $14 for adults.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

11

Join-A-Club week kicks off spring

!"#$%&$%'(#)*"+,"-.)(/.$$* !"#$"%&'()'*+"',-.#"'/01$'2%"&&'3&'4)1%%."&5'.-'3**"#6*&'*('7.-'*+"'89::'6%.;"<

DG-*+.3'H"%"; '"<<$8$%=>1$%?@/)"* The spring semester has begun and students are scampering to find classes, textbooks and parking.

But college does not have to be all about academics: There are a variety of clubs on campus to add some extra-curricular fun to your schedule.

Join-a-Club Days, from March 13-15 at the 9C patio, will showcase the many clubs and welcome new students and potential future members.

Mt. SAC has many clubs on campus to choose from. Daniel AlGattas, student center specialist, said that more than 50 tables will be set up this semester.

During this week, club members

information provided. will meet new people, showcase Then Al-Gattas tallies up the what their club is all about, and points and the top three winners be recognized and considered receive a prize. by students who were otherwise The first place winners receive unaware of them. $100, second $75 and third $50. The Camron Stokes, 21, linguistics money that is won is placed in the major and former French and club’s account and can Tambayan club be used for anything member, said he loves that the club needs. the campus clubs and A $500 prize is all the rewards that also available for the come with them. club of the year, where “Joining a club their performance on is a great way to get Join-a-Club days are students active and evaluated, among other excited about school,” criteria. he said.

For club of the year, At the event, each club is judged on established clubs can their positive impact. recruit new people, They must also put while would-be club together a scrapbook. hopefuls are given a The $500 grand chance to see if they prize can be used at the really have what it =3#1"0'!$.&.>"?'@A?'6(0.*./30' takes become official. &/."-/"'#3B(%'*30>&'*('3'&*12"-*' winning club’s discretion.

It does not matter This year clubs also 3$(1*'*+"'C-.*"2')(%'*+"'D31&"'/01$< what shape, size, color, have a chance to bolster gender a student is; every what they offer in year at Mt. SAC a club seems to addition to their list of members. emerge for every person or interest.

Al-Gattas said he gathers a few There are religion clubs, cultural random students and professors who are in no way affiliated with the clubs, board game clubs, clubs to help and benefit the local community clubs to judge them. and school and many more.

They evaluate each club on “I like to see what surprises are originality, creativity, helpfulness, going to come up,” Al-Gattas said. friendliness and the amount of

A World of Sorrowfully Horrendous Interactive Tragedies ,0"E'F/+(1%.

0)(11%2*/)$* Hello, my name is Alexander Kchouri and like 90 percent of you on this planet, I am a gamer.

I’ve been into gaming since the age of the early Super Nintendo.

As a kid, I was diagnosed with ADD and prescribed Cylert; you know, for riding my Power Wheels into the wall and being a high ball of energy (unlike most kids).

My old doctor told me that video games were an even better medicinal alternative, and thanks to this diagnosis, I no longer have the risk of liver tumors and more importantly, I got to play video games for homework! Life is great!

Flash forward 16 years. I’m now 22; the very age that Justin Bieber gets his first pubic hair.

I still do the same thing, playing video games but now I’m broke as shit.

For reasons as blurry as my senior year of high school, I’m a journalist at the Mountaineer.

I have no job, and now they want me to do a video game column.

So let me figure this one out: if all I could afford is a McDonald’s meal ticket for a week (hence a license to vomit), then I could also afford a video game of the same caliber.

And thanks to swap meets, a loving grandmother, and an angry mob of college virgins at Frank and Sons, I now have a collection of video games you should avoid like a stabbing street bum who needs your plump and juicy kidney.

Okay, let’s cut to the chase.

Duke Nukem Forever (Xbox 360, also available for PS3 and PC) The story begins with a curious kid and a bond he shared with a special friend; if you happen to guess Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin, you are about as sick as I me and I salute you, but you’re wrong anyways so ha.

Actually, it was me and my tatted out cholo of an uncle who happened to play tons of PC games.

He was 27 at the time, lived with his mom, and was also my idol. He played Doom on his laptop!

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I wanted to be just like him and still do; come to think of it, I’m almost there.

Duke Nukem 3D was the game that had it all, guns, chicks, boobs, pig alien carnage, explosions, and a dirty mouth full of insults that beat the living shit out of your spirit.

The mouth belonged to Duke Nukem, an action hero that had the mass of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the presence of Steven Seagal, and the insults of Bruce Campbell and Bruce Willis.

After hours of tipping strippers, blasting away alien scum, and taking back the babes, playing Duke Nukem 3D was quite an experience and a hell of an intro to first person shooters.

And yes, a sequel was planned shortly after Duke 3D’s success.

Who needs a father if you could always look up to Duke.

Fast forward 15 years, the game was being developed but it kept on being postponed and thrown into the depths of development hell.

After the rights were given to Gearbox, a developer best known for 2009’s Borderlands, Duke Nukem Forever, the long awaited sequel finally blasted out of the grave.

It was June of 2011 and boy was it the biggest piece of dog shit I’ve ever gazed my eyes on.

Aside from having the original Duke Nukem voice actor Jon St. John, the game did not deliver.

Even though the game was far from being broken, it had tons of interactive moments like smearing poop on bathroom walls and carrying around sex toys (which would actually be less awkward in real life).

For being in 15 years in development, I would have expected something much more original and graphically proficient.

The loading screens were horrendously long (lasting one minute) which became an incentive not to die.

It’s actually been a first I’ve actually fallen asleep playing an actual game and on top of that, doing driving sequences.

The level design switched different design philosophies from the 90s, throughout the current generation; but it still felt constricted and too linear.

I would have to steer clear from this piece of garbage. And you’d think there would be hope in online multiplayer but no, you only have a group of players with Duke Nukem afros dancing around in lag o rama which is now population zero.

And worst of all, this is the best we were able to do for one of the most badass gaming icons of all time? What a way to bring a sleepy giant to rest.

If you want to find a better old school experience, then I suggest you look to the Serious Sam series.

If you have $15 or less, you could get into a world full of whimsical weapons, frantic multiplayer, and hordes of headless men with bombs for hands mindlessly charging at you.

12

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

ESL program ranks high despite budget problems !"#$%&$'()*%+$' '"4,-5)/6-5)-*$%01/)"* Assimilation. Job marketability.

Citizenship. These are some of the reasons students seek out classes within Mt. SAC’s English as a Second Language department.

While there have been some concerns about how the budget cuts could affect the department, a recent nomination for a Promising Practice award has made the department positive about the future.

Currently, Mt. SAC’s ESL department is ranked above both state and national averages, which may be why the program attracts many students.

During the first week of the spring semester students were lined up outside the door of building 66.

“We are just short of 1,500 students registered for 77 sections of classes,” said Dr. Deejay Santiago, 34, matriculations coordinator for ESL. “We currently have 50 to 55 instructors on staff.”

As with many educational programs, the ESL department has seen its share of budget cuts to account for the statewide monetary restrictions.

“We have done some creative scheduling and one of the benefits

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of being a non-credit program is the hours of instruction are flexible,” Dr. Liza Becker, director of ESL, said.

“We practice managed enroll-

ment, we maximize the scheduling so that we can get most of the students to attend at peak times, which allows us to get the most return on our investment.”

Becker said that this translates to the ESL department being able to place the most emphasis on where it is needed and classes that do not fill or are not in high demand can be changed and integrated into classes that students are in most need of.

The system that the department has created supports the students and their needs in the most effective way possible.

A main goal of the program is to get students prepared to move on to credit side courses that will allow them the obtain a certificate or degree, and make the process of doing so as convenient as possible.

“We have two specialized courses for students who eventually hope to take the TOEFL exam which is equivalent to the SATs for international students,” Santiago said. “These classes are offered on certain days of the week, sometimes on weekends, we really try to accommodate our student population.”

Counselors are available for students, specifically in ESL, to assist them in mapping out their educational paths and instructors are present for consultation depending on students’ needs.

Jiao Li, 30, current ESL student said, “Teachers are very helpful and kind, I really love it.”

LAMBDA fights for unisex restrooms for transgenders C-(*/-$D-=.+$$ '"4,-5/)/6-5)-*(5%01/)"*% The LAMBDA student association, a club for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, is fighting to have unisex restrooms for transgender students.

Yvonne Ramos, president of LAMBDA said, “We are fighting for unisex restrooms and are fighting to make it happen.”

LAMBDA wants transgender students to feel comfortable when going to the restroom because according to Ramos, “There have been incidences where people have been looked at weird, bullied, and even kicked out the restrooms.”

Mt. SAC currently only has a few unisex restrooms which are locked and only for faculty members.

“The unisex restroom is not really [a] unisex restroom because there is a hallway where the restroom splits into two different rooms; still identifying a certain restroom for men and women,” Ramos said.

The type of unisex restroom LAMBDA is trying to bring to campus would not be divided due to gender; urinals and stalls would all be in one room.

Juan Carlos, a LAMBDA member, attended a facility meeting and spoke about the need for unisex restrooms in the new buildings being built.

Director of Facility Planning and Management Gary Nellesen said, “Unisex restrooms have been a new issue in the last year for school contractors.”

Nellesen has been working at Mt.SAC for nine years, and a total of 30 years as a contractor.

He explained that there is nothing in the Division of State Architect to prohibit unisex restrooms but the code requires men and women restrooms for schools.

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By code, there has to be a certain amount of toilets and sinks in each restrooms,” Nellesen said.

A main problem the college would have to deal with is the cost of the restrooms and the amount of space.

“One restroom costs a minimum of $30,000, and plus the addition of more toilets and sinks to meet the code,” said Nellesen Nellesen added that they have to make as many rooms as they can to accommodate classrooms, offices for the faculty, and restrooms.

By code schools are supposed to have restrooms for men and women, to incorporate an

extra restroom would not be easy.

“The idea of building unisex restroom into pre-existing buildings would cost more because the contractor would have to make more space to put those restrooms, costing more than it would to put them in a new building,” Nellesen said.

Despite these issues, Nellesen encouraged the LAMBDA club and students to fight for unisex restrooms.

“Nellesen supports our endeavors and thought the unisex restrooms idea was profound and important. He encourages us to keep fighting for them and speaking about it,” Ramos said.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

13

All hail the state champions !"#$%&$%'(#)*" !"#$%&'()*%#$ After losing to Santa Rosa Junior College by one point during last season’s California Community College Athletic Association State Championship semifinals, the Mt. SAC women’s basketball team is back on top winning the CCCAA State Championship against North No. 1 seed, Foothill College, 68-58.

Winning their fifth title since 2008, the Mounties had help from freshman guard Morgan Mason who was named the All-State Tournament MVP. Sophomore guard Ashawnte Hawkins and freshman forward Shaw Segovia were both named to the All-State tournament team.

Mason, Segovia, and freshman center Ashley Burchfield finished in double figures.

The last time the Mounties and Foothill met in the CCCAA State Championship was during the 2008 season, when the Mounties won it all by a 65-57 victory.

With both teams converting 22 field goals, the Mounties won the battle making 24 of 33 free throw attempts while Foothill shot 11 of 16.

With Mason and Burchfield dominating the boards with eight rebounds apiece, the Mounties outscored Foothill in the paint, 42-24.

Almost mirroring last season’s record, the Mounties finished what they didn’t accomplish

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last year by winning the state championship.

It was a close knit game which came down to the wire for the Mounties in the second half.

With the help of Burchfield after a seven point run, the Mounties took a 42-38 lead near

the end of the game solidifying the win.

The start of the run was the beginning of the lead that the Mounties would not relinquish through the rest of the game as that would be the closest that Foothill would get to them.

Mounties fighting to stay on the winning side !"#$%&$%'(#)*" !"#$%&'()*%#$ After opening up the season with a 7-0 start, expectations are already high for the Mt. SAC baseball team.

With Mounties Head Coach Stacey Parker coaching for the eleventh straight year, the number one goal for this season will be the South Coast Conference (SCC) Championship.

“These guys came in with a good work ethic and are working hard to try and achieve that,” said Parker, “We got off to a good start to the season so far and the kids are playing hard and are playing with excitement. “ Parker added that the players are playing with a purpose.

“A sign of a good team is a team that continues to improve as the year goes on,” Parker said. “[I] think we have a great group of guys and we are excited about the group we have and the direction we are going.”

Coming out of the gate with a winning record has brought the confidence up in the dugout.

“Starting out 7-0 really brought the team closer, it’s a lot more loose in the dugout,” said sophomore outfielder Jacob Shirley. “I think we’re doing well, we just need to keep building off every game and take that conference championship.”

Last season, the Mounties finished with a 16-20 (10-11 SCC) record. Compared to last season, co-captain sophomore pitcher, Ken Kissell believes that the team is more committed.

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“We have more guys that want to be out here and want to win,” Kissell said.

Sophomore outfielder Jake Bailey added that they are more of a team this year than last year.

“There is not one guy, we are all a unit, we are all one team and we have everyone’s back,” said Bailey.

Carrying on the load for the team will be the upcoming freshman pitchers Eric Morell and Derek Penilla.

“We have got a lot of freshman pitchers this year that are stepping up and taking that role,” said Bailey. “They are producing for us, which helps us a lot.”

With the season going into its conference games, the Mountie coaches are preparing the players for a championship run.

“We have been doing the same thing for a long time, we lay out

our expectations, work on the fundamentals and really harp on the fundamentals of the game,” said Parker. “We push with those things and kind of continually stay on top of these guys.”

For the players, preparing for these games mean giving up the little things.

“You have to do a lot of repetitions, a lot of work, focusing and a lot of sacrificing,” said Jacob Shirley, sophomore outfielder.

Despite the seven game winning streak, the Mounties ended their winning streak with four straight losses to Rio Hondo, San Diego City, Riverside, and Santa Ana. With the loses, Coach Parker still has a positive outlook for the rest of the season.

“The season has been good so far, we have opened up 7-0 and played really well. Since the begin-

ning, our pitching has been outstanding for all 11-12 games we have had,” said Parker. “We had a streak of 4 games in a row where we have lost some close ball games against some good teams and we came out of the wrong end of them.”

The main focus for the team will be the SCC games that are coming up.

“The goal is not to win the 1st game, the goal is to win 21 conference games that give you the chance to go to the playoffs,” said Parker.

To keep the mentality that the team has, the coaching staff would like to keep the team on the right page.

“A sign of a good team is a team that continues to improve as the year goes on and think we have a great group of guys and were excited about the group we have and the direction we’re going,” said Parker.

As for the players, their spirits are still high after their seven game winning streak was snapped.

“You hate to lose more than you love to win,” Shirley said.

One thing that has not changed throughout this season for the Mounties is their mentality to win.

“We had little bump in the road with our four games that we lost,” said Bailey. “But two nights ago, we beat Riverside which brought us closer and now we’re back to our own win streak.”

Earlier this month, the team responded by going on a two-game road trip to Riverside and Ventura each beating them by a score of 9-4 and 9-6 respectively.

14 Women’s tennis undefeated, men’s team developing WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

!"#$%$&'($))*%$+ !"#$#%&'($#) The women’s tennis team came as defending South Coast Conference champs looking to achieve new heights.

Mens tennis placed third in conference and hope to top that this year with a young group of athletes.

The women’s tennis team is currently undefeated with a 12-0 (4-0) record on top of the standings, while the men’s tennis team struggles with a 1-7 (0-3) record.

Women’s team captain Julianne Carluen, 20, said the team looks to repeat as conference champs.

“We hope to go far in state as a team, as well as individuals,” she said.

With most of the players returning, Carluen emphasized the importance of not just repeating as conference champs, but also winning state champs.

Head Coach Sophie Salvador said she is looking forward to having a great season this year. “Every year is better than last year,” Salvador said. “Hopefully we will win the conference this year.”

Salvador added that while the women’s team is pretty strong, the

men’s team is young with a few returning players.

Team captain Marcelo Bautista, 20, hopes this season will produce experience for the young squad.

“The transition from high school tennis to college tennis is a difficult one,” Bautista said. “We hope to get experience this year and come back stronger next year.”

Competition is very tough this year, but with hopes of hard work and practice, the team will produce better results, Bautista said.

Winning as many matches as possible is the goal, Assistant Coach Josef Ayrala said.

The team hopes to improve this year at conference and is looking forward to state, Ayrala said.

Last week, the women maintained their perfect record by beating Cerritos, placing them currently in first. The next match at home is scheduled for Thursday, March 22 at 2 p.m. once again against Cerritos.

The men’s team suffered a loss to Cerritos but will look to turn it around Thursday, March 15 as they meet Riverside, the match begins at 2 p.m.

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Women’s softball geared up for another big season

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4#5"#6#),%F#'(%0),-'1%;*)),-$/?%(1%8.$$(-+%EGAD%H($"%I%"#6,%)*-1%.-'%BJ%7KL<1%=#)%$",% 3#*-$(,1E ,$$&!))-+ 4$.==%>)($,) The women’s softball team are the defending South Coast Conference, regional, and Super Regional Champions and are already taking big strides into the 2012 season.

With a record of 14-3 (6-1 in conference) the Mounties look at the long road ahead to the state championships .

Head coach Kelly Ford, who

has been with the Mounties for the past 10 years, brings to the plate her knowladge and expierence of having gone all the way.

Going to the state championship seven out of the last 10 years, Ford has the best recipe for winning with this years incoming freshmen, Ford said.

“We have three to four starters from last year and their experience is guiding the way.”

Their experience is sharing what it takes with the freshmen

and saying, ‘jump on our back, we’ll take you there,’ Ford said.

“I expect halfway through the season for them not to need me anymore.”

The softball team ended third in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships last year, which left many sophomores disappointed.

With already six homeruns, 23 RBIs, .471 hitting average, and a .947 slugging average, shortstop Codi Arends is sure to make games exciting, “Codi, in a good way is cut throat,” Ford said.

“She’ll say it like it is, and we need that. Her leadership is well received. She is one of the top hitters in the conference and is our lead-off hitter. She sets the table and gets things rolling offensively.”

Arends is not the only productive player. Other returners contributing as well are Diane Gutierrez, Lauren Moreno, and Kristen Sharp.

“They are one of the best gifted outfields Mt. SAC has ever had,” Ford said.

“And that experience in the outfield is trickling into the infield.” Ford said.

“In the infield Kimberly Pena and Codi are first team all-conference. Those two up the middle are pretty unstoppable,” said Ford. “I would put them two against anybody in the state, Division I-Division III they’re pretty unstoppable.”

“Every season comes with challenges, and every team does not get

along in the beginning. Getting a team to work together and to win championships takes chemistry.”

To build that chemistry, the team engages in an assortment of activites, all in the name of togetherness.

“We do some pretty unique things. We do yoga, that is a big part of our conditioning program and we also do a pretty unique overnight team-building trip. We do a lot of things to get the girls to know each other outside of the baseball field to get that chemistry,” Ford said.

Aside from the difficulties associtated with intergrating new players, there is the issue of the number of games played. According to Ford, the strain can ware on the team.

“The toughest thing is we play 40 games, that’s more games than any other sport on campus. They have to mix that in with their academic schedule, their work schedule, their responsibilities with their family,” said Ford.

“Our games are often during the week, it’s a consistent struggle.

I hand it to them because these athletes aren’t on scholarshipsthey’re on their own dime.”

According to Ford, the hectic schedule and busy life comes along with the territory.

“It is never easy to juggle all those responsibilities but it’s just something all players must deal with,” said Ford.

The Mounties will face Cerritos, who beat them during their last meeting, March 13, at 3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

Lake Show or Lob City?

9'0.7%C,D5"E./ 3$.,,%4(1$)( The Clippers are the new kings of Los Angeles. Give me a break.

Murmurs have been building into chants that “lob city” has claimed the purple and gold throne of the City of Angels.

I know in this day and age most people are prisoners of the moment. But isn’t it a bit brash to hype a team who has only had six winning seasons in its franchise history, and only three since relocating to L.A.?

Not to mention the Clippers have never won a division title, let alone progressed further than the second round of the playoffs.

At press time, midway through the shortened NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers had a decent record and sat in fourth place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers were a game behind, fifth in the west, only because the Clippers currently own the tiebreaker.

The Clippers are a far cry from the pathetic team that they have been in recent years, but in no way are they close to a 16-time NBA championship team that has dominated the league for generations.

The Clippers have often been referred to as the red headed stepchild of Los Angeles. Half a season can’t erase 28 years of embarrassing basketball.

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Neither can a couple of top 10 dunks on Sportscenter.

Still, this is shaping up to be a heated rivalry that looks to be headed for the post season.

If the season ended today the Lakers would face the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Clippers would have home court advantage, although the teams share an arena so that wouldn’t have much bearing either way.

Laker fans are still bitter about the blocked trade that should have sent a much needed point guard

in Chris Paul to the Lakers and Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets, enabling the Clippers to trade for Paul instead.

The last two times the teams met, play got a bit chippy, after Gasol patted Paul on the head.

Paul said afterward that he felt disrespected by Gasol’s actions.

There’s been chatter that the trade rumors have affected Gasol’s work ethic and confidence, leading to a declined efficiency in the new pickand-roll offense implemented by first year Lakers head coach Mike Brown.

15

Kobe held a players only meeting to try to get the team refocused to make another famous Lakers late push in the post season.

Bryant was even quoted sticking up for his teammate.

“Basketball is such an emotional game, you got to be able to have all of yourself in the game and invested in the game, Bryant said. “We didn’t have that...” this after Gasol had 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns.

“It’s hard on Pau because of all this trade talk and all this other stuff, completely into games when he’s hearing trade talk every other day. I wish management would come out and either trade him or not trade him,” Bryant said.

Clearly Kobe has his teammates‘ back and is taking a stand to instill some much needed confidence in his two-time NBA champion teammate’s psyche.

Once the postseason arrives and play rate subsides dramatically, the focus is aimed more toward the defensive end of the court.

The Lakers have an 11-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team known as the Black Mamba, who is also the best closer in the game.

So the next time you hear an ill[ informed fan of the NBA deem the Clippers the new kings of LA, ask them if that king has any rings or hardware to go with that title, then hand them this article.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2012

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HOOPS STORIES: THE YEAR OF 2012

B0:-,4&'-,62 012$#(3243&"2), The women’s basketball team came away as state champions this season with the men’s teamed won the conference championship but unfortunately eliminated during the second round of the playoffs.

The season overall for the women’s rounded out nicely with a 68-58 victory over the North No. 1 Foothill College on March 11.

This is the Mounties’ fifth California Community College Athletic Association State Championship, and first state championship under second year head coach Brian Crichlow, his

fifth state title with Mt. SAC. After a first round bye, the Mounties coasted through San Diego Mesa, Chaffey, ELAC, and Fresno City to claim the title before meeting Foothill.

On the men’s side, head coach Criss Freeman, led his team to their third conference title, but fel; short in the second round of the playoffs, with a hartbreaking game 57-56 loss to No. 15 El Camino college, 57-56.

The Mounties ended their season at 22-7 (13-0). Freeman was awarded conference coach of the year for 2012 leading the men to the post-season.

For all the latest sports news on campus, log on to athletics.mtsac.edu.

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