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el Don
/SANTA ANA COLLEGE / eldononews.org
THE POLL: Are you bothered by vandalism on campus? eldonnews.org
March 14, 2011 / Vol. 88 / No. 7
David DeRidder / el Don
TAGGED Santa Ana struggles to stay ahead of vandals as resources are strained NEWS / 3
NEWS/OPTIONAL FEE/ 3 • NEWS/ENROLLMENT DROPS/ 4 • SPORTS/SWIMMERS SINK/ 6
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org The Editor’s Desk
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
As the web editor, my main function is to provide el Don’s editors, writers, and photographers another platform to showcase their journalistic passion and skills. My other function is to technically maintain the integrity of el Don websites, which is a never-ending process as cyber technology is constantly evolving. We have set up a brand new website for viewers to explore the many talents of the students who are involved in the production of el Don news. So pause at the ContactUs page to submit a comment or add your email to our notification list at eldonnews.org. / Josephine Gan / Web Editor
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Style Editor Jessica Ruelas style_eldon@sac.edu
Editor in Chief Blanca Valdivia eldoneditor@sac.edu
Design Editor Daniel Espinosa eldoneditor@sac.edu
Adviser Prof. C.W. Little Jr. little_charles@sac.edu Business Manager Allene Symons symons_allene@sac.edu
Sports Editor Tim Randall eldonsports@sac.edu
Photo Editor Daniel Hubert dan@danhubert.com Web Editor Josephine Gan ocwebgal@yahoo.com
How to contact us
el Don encourages the expression of all views. Letters should be no longer than 150 words, signed, and include a contact phone number, major and e-mailed to eldonviews@sac.edu or mailed to SAC el Don, 17th at Bristol St., Santa Ana, CA 92706. el Don reserves the right to refuse advertising and does not necessarily subscribe to the views of the advertisers. For advertising rates and information, contact Allene Symons: (714) 5645617, fax: (714) 564-0821, or e-mail eldonbusiness@sac.edu
STYLE 12
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HIDDEN FALLS / Black Star Canyon is nestled in a serene and untouched corner of suburban Orange County, just 20 minutes away from central Orange County. / Nick Aaron / el Don
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS SPORTS 7 / The Hooper twins are transforming the softball team. Kristen has caught the majority of games, and is instrumental in the revival of the Dons’ pitching. Kaitlyn, recruited as a pitcher, bides her time in the outfield.
‘DON’T SMOKE CRACK’ VIEWS 9 / Charlie Sheen’s winning public rants, from making Tiger Blood part of everyday parlance to owning the world record for reaching one million Twitter followers, is worth more money than the $43 million he lost after being fired by CBS.
THAT LOOKS FAMILIAR STYLE 11 / The Main Art Gallery shows works by the late Robert Dowd, a California-born pioneer of Pop Art, a movement that exploits common objects, turns them into surprising images and puts a twist on the familiar.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
NEWS
AROUND CAMPUS
OPTIONAL FEE PLACED ON BALLOT
In an effort to narrow a funding gap brought on by a budget shortfall, the ASG Student Senate proposed adding an optional $1 fee. The proposal will be on the ballot for the election on March 29 and 30. The money would be used for expenses of students who travel to speak on behalf of Santa Ana College at conferences statewide. If the agenda at the conference affects tuition, including AB 540 students, then the $1 student representation fee could be used, ASG Vice President Steven Mendoza said. “If it’s going to help out the school, I might as well,” said second year student Erika Lozano. Last year, ASG sent three representatives to the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, which is the governing body for all community colleges in California. Ideally, the student senate would like to send up to eight representatives, Mendoza said. “SSCCC means a voice in voting for rules and regulations that would affect SAC students and also the ability to propose changes in rules or regulations,” Mendoza said. With students paying the optional $1 extra fee at registration, ASG could collect $28,000 a semester. / Daniel Hernandez
SCRATCHED / While the maintenance crew can clean painted walls, vandalized mirrors have to be replaced. / David DeRidder / el Don
HOURS OF LABOR LOST TO CLEANUPS
VANDALS HIT CAMPUS
H
BY JASON TRUONG / el Don
e had five minutes between classes and needed a quick detour for instant relief in the Fine Arts men’s bathroom. Student Jeff Ruben looked up from washing his hands. He wasn’t counting on an instant art show. Taggers had carved their unmistakable marks on the mirror. “Graffitti is expected since we’re in Santa Ana. It can even look nice sometimes,” Ruben said. Vandalism has taken a toll on college resources, from money to manpower, as maintenance personnel rush to paint over tags – the illegible but recognizable symbols that mark an individual’s or gang’s unique identity. In 2009, the District reported 51 incidents of vandalism on its two campuses. Santa Ana College accounted for 36 of those cases. Custodians are constantly pulled away from their designated duties to scrub pen marks and spray paint from bathroom, locker room and
perimeter walls, classroom tables and vending machines. The graveyard cleaning crew, on duty from about 10 p.m. through the early morning, actively search out the illegal artwork, Plant Manager Ron Jones said. “The next day we determine whether or not the evidence must be recorded, and then our staff quickly removes it,” Jones said. Removing tags and graffiti as quickly as possible is crucial, said James Wooley, supervisor of campus safety and security.
“Sometimes these things are like a conversation between rival taggers, and they’re likely to answer back if they see the message,” Wooley said. Carved mirrors are trickier, Jones said. They must be replaced, but the current state budget crisis that has led to deep cuts in district funding prevents the campus from doing so. The etched-in symbols remain, giving rival taggers opportunity to respond, making bathroom mirrors like the burger joint parking lots where rivals flash their credentials. That ethos has actually led to identifying specific individuals. Last year, a student from the Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School tagged his so-called moniker around campus, Wooley said. The middle school student, whose identity cannot be released because he is a minor, was identified by law enforcement through his previous work around Santa Ana.
Please see TAGGING , Page 5
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
Wes Killingbeck / MCT
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
ENROLLMENT FALLS
NEWS
SAC ENROLLMENT DROP
A funding shortfall triggered by the slow economic recovery has prompted the college to offer fewer classes this semester
BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ / el Don
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
Breakdown SAC offered 100 less class sections this semester due to state budget cuts
SAC
Spring 2010
25,329 Spring 2011
2011
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SAC
2010
Student enrollment at Santa Ana College dropped 28 percent this spring in part because of California’s economic crisis, district officials said. This semester 19,719 students enrolled in credited classes compared to 25,329 last spring. A big chunk of the enrollment decline has to do with fewer classes offered in the Sheriff ’s Academy and Fire Technology programs, Vice President of Academic Affairs Norman Fujimoto said. Two possible explanations for the drop off in the fire technology department are the early start in the semester that gave students less time to register and the city also curtailed tuition reimbursement, said Ken Soltis, associate dean for fire technology and public safety. “Until the economy changes, the tide
is not going to change,” Fujimoto said. SAC offered 100 fewer class sections this year because of budget cuts imposed by the state. With the new budget proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown in January, SAC may need to cut even more classes next year, Fujimoto said. Raising tuition prices would not solve all the problems, Fujimoto said. The college does not get the extra money, which instead is funneled to the state. Economically however, Fujimoto considers SAC to be a stable district. The district numbers are based on full time equivalencies or FTE. FTE is the total amount of units taken by students divided by 12. For example, one student with five units and another student with seven units count as one FTE. “Since we had a very large summer enrollment, that helps us meet our target for the year,” Fujimoto said.
Spring 2011 student enrollment dropped 28 percent compared to last year
19,719 Source • RSCCD Martha Cowley / el Don
To curb the downward trend this semester, 10 to 15 eight-week classes have been added. These are high demand general education classes that are not undergoing a drop in enrollment, such as English and Math courses. Part-time art concept teacher Mark
Leysen said he has not noticed the drop in enrollment. The two classes he teaches have about 70 students. “We won’t know if we meet the target until the end of the semester,” Fujimoto said. “As of right now we are only 34 FTE’s below our projected target.”
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NEWS
TAGGING: NO END IN SIGHT
/Lt. James Wooley District Safety and Security Supervisor
Orange County including Santa Ana, providing media coverage taggers want. Kim Henry, a Fullerton resident, was arrested last month when she was caught on tape. While authorities have not been able to link threats against Gov. Brown to Henry, they were able to link her to the racial and religious threats that were sprayed across church walls and community centers. Henry spelled the word Catholics as “cathliks,� inadvertently creating an identifiable moniker. For Ruben, a global studies major, graffiti as art has devolved into mindless vandalism and urban blight. He offers one solution: “The people caught spraying should be forced to clean all of it up, so they can see what they’re really doing.�
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“Sometimes these things are like a conversation between rival taggers, and they’re likely to answer back if they see the message. �
Campus safety took a photograph, and this helped police match the tag through a database that records tags. The student was identified, and his parents were required to pay for cleanup, Wooley said. In his seven years as head of campus safety, Wooley says he hasn’t encountered a case where a student or faculty member has been physically threatened by taggers. Taggers typically avoid confrontation. Their purpose is to advertise their identity and that of their gangs, although not all taggers are affiliated with gangs. Wooley cites the recent press coverage of tagging that threatened Asians, Latinos, Catholics and Gov. Jerry Brown in cities across central
Azusa Pacific University
Continued from page 3
Complete Your Bachelor’s Degree at
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
SPORTS
BASKETBALL
INJURIES PLAGUED DONS SEASON
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
Dan Hubert / el Don
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Following his eighth season coaching the Dons, Head Coach David Breig is confronted with rebuilding the team after suffering through their worst season since the Eisenhower administration. The Don’s finished 3-21, it’s worst overall record since the 1956-1957 season when they finished 2-24 under Coach C.W. Murrell. Injuries played a huge part in the season’s outcome. With three starters out because of injuries, the Dons were left short-handed. “Record wise it went terrible,” said Breig. “We had a lack of depth.” Last season the Dons were 13-15. Despite a losing record the team advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Only two members of that team, sophomore guards Yama Kader and Marquis Bias, returned to play for the Dons. Before coming to Santa Ana College, Breig was the head coach at Mayfair High School in Lakewood. Breig has struggled with building a winning team since his transition from high school to the college level. During Breig’s seven years at Mayfair High School, he won 162 games and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II-A championship three times, winning the division in 1999. During his time here, Breig has had only one winning season, a 25-9 campaign in 2006-2007. “This was my worst season in my career in 19 years of coaching,” Breig said. While the season is over, Breig’s job never stops. It is time for him to begin recruiting new talent for next season. “Every year is a different year. You bring in new kids and keep working,” Breig said / Evelyn Kielich
HIGH AND DRY / A late start forced Dean of Athletics Avie Bridges to scrap the Dons swim team this spring. / Martha Cowley / el Don
NEW COACHES HIRED AFTER TOP SWIMMERS COMMITTED TO OTHER PROGRAMS
SWIMMING TAKES A DIVE
BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ / el Don
O
n a cold and windy afternoon, two women on the Dons swim team dive into the pool knowing that their work will not pay off this season. The team opted not to compete this year in order to save their eligibility for next season. “We attempted to have a team, but because of injuries and lack of numbers this year, we were not able to put a team in the pool,” Dean of Athletics Avie Bridges said. Because of the swift exit of last year’s swim coach, Al Reyes was hired in July to coach both the water polo and the swim team. The timing was devastating, as most top high school swimmers had already committed to other programs. The difficulty is that nobody makes up their mind in July and it takes time to plan, Reyes said. During the fall season, Reyes recommended that Michelle Vos be hired to coach the swim team
because he felt that his coaching strengths were in water polo, not swimming, Bridges said. Reyes knows Vos from Long Beach Millikan High School where she was his assistant coach. In the fall Vos worked here as Reyes’ assistant water polo coach.
Reyes’ change of heart left Vos and Bridges in a predicament. The women began the season with four swimmers, two of whom left the Dons to focus on their full-time jobs. That left two swimmers able and eligible to compete. It takes at least four swimmers to compete in a relay. So the women stood no chance of winning this time around. For the sake of the athletes, college officials pulled the plug on the season and saved their eligibility. Vos says that recruiting efforts have landed several promising recruits for next year. Vos said she wants Santa Ana to be known for aquatics. “It’ll take a while, but I’m confident that with what we’re doing right now it is setting the building blocks for years to come.”
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
Double Trouble / The Hooper twins grew up in an athletic environment. They also played volleyball and ran marathons in high school. / David DeRidder / el Don
RIVERSIDE SISTERS FIT RIGHT IN AT SANTA ANA COLLEGE
DOUBLE PLAY BY ERIC LOMELI / el Don
The best possible catching mate for a pitcher would be their identical twin. For freshmen Kaitlyn and Kristen Hooper it is a reality. “We read each others’ minds,” Kristen said. Kristen is the catcher. “It was something I always wanted to do but I was small, so I never put much thought into it.” At age 14 she strapped on the shin guards, slung the chest protector over her shoulders, and pulled the mask over her face for the first time; “I tried it, liked it, so I kept doing it,” she said. Her twin, Kaitlyn, is the pitcher. She started pitching even younger, around age 8.
During games in high school Kristen called the pitches, with input from Kaitlyn. At times they could be two or three pitches ahead of the batter. A game plan could be set and executed without improvisation. The Hooper twins are from Patriot High School in Riverside, where both lettered three years in softball. Kaitlyn received all-league honors for the Sunkist League twice, second team as a sophomore and first team as a senior. In her final year in high school she pitched 55 2/3 innings only allowing 52 hits, and throwing seven complete games in eight starts. She says she loves the pressure of pitching. “Everything is on you. You have to do your part for everyone else to
do theirs,” Kaitlyn said. Coach Jessica Rapoza approached the twins about playing for the Dons. “When I first met the Hoopers, they ran marathons. That was the main reason for recruiting them. They had all the obvious talents, and great attitudes, but it takes something special to run marathons in high school,” she said. “They are hard working, energetic, and a joy to coach … The best work ethic I have ever seen.” Kristen has done the majority of catching for the Dons this season, starting 13 games and playing in all 18 games so far. Although Kaitlyn has yet to pitch for the Dons this year
Please see HOOPERS, page 8
TWIN ENGINES Three things you should know about the Hoopers
• Kristen has a plate and seven
screws in her left elbow. During her junior year in high school she was hit by a pitch.
• Neither Kaitlyn nor Kristen wear batting gloves.
• Kaitlyn listens to country music including Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
SPORTS
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
SPORTS
HOOPERS: TWINS QUIET LEADERS
Earn your degree in education in 12–18 months at APU.
Continued from page 7
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
her gifts have never been questioned. She has started eight games in the outfield and played in 14 games overall. When looking for colleges they agreed that if one received an offer to play elsewhere, they should take it. Finishing each others’ sentences, they added that when the coach at SAC recruited them, “It happened to be both of us — we can both go there, so lets go.” Softball runs in the family. Their parents, Clint and Karen Hooper, coached Kaitlyn, Kristen, and their sister Kelly on their youth league teams. They wanted the full college experience, deciding to move from their parents’ house and take on their own responsibilities. The twins moved in with Kelly, who lives in Orange County. Kaitlyn and Kristen are the third set of twins playing sports for the Dons for the 2010-2011 school year. The soccer team fielded forwards Isabel and Zulema Chavez from Segerstrom High School. The volleyball team played right side hitter Jazmin Barrera and middle blocker Melina Barrera from Saddleback High School.
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BATTER UP / Kristen has started 13 games as a freshman for the Dons. / Dan Hubert / el Don
The duo would love to play together as long as possible. But for the future their main focus is academics. Kristen is a nursing major with aspirations of becoming a cardiovascular nurse. Kaitlyn is a kinesiology major aiming for a doctorate in the subject. The two are undecided on where to transfer after college, but both want to stay in southern California. At 5 foot 4 inches tall the twins may not be prototypical athletes, but they have something else on their side. Maybe identical twins complement each other. “In one word,” Coach Rapoza said, “they are ideal.”
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
VIEWS
ADONIS DNA, TIGER BLOOD
SHEEN WINNING AFTER BEING FIRED
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
Nicolas Khayat / MCT
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David DeRidder / el Don
STREET TAGGERS BE GONE STAFF EDITORIAL
While vandals rough up campus facilities in the name of fun and bragging rights, taxpayers pay the price.
A security guard patrols the college grounds, keeping a watchful eye over the vacant campus. Suddenly he sees out of the corner of his eye a dark figure shuffling around in the shadows. He moves cautiously in that direction, not knowing whether the intruder is dangerous. Around the corner he sees the stranger with a can of spray paint tagging lampposts and park benches. “Stop!” calls the security guard as he chases after the vandal who quickly disappears into the night. Tagging or graffiti has become an increasing problem at Santa Ana College. While it is a victimless crime, it leaves the school with the bill for cleanup and repairs. The majority of maintenance done on campus involves cleaning up the results of such vandalism, costing the college thousands of dollars in labor. In a time characterized by budget cuts and layoffs, many of these re-
pairs are deferred. It is unfortunate the money that we spend on taxes and tuition has to go towards cleaning up the product of someone’s bad day. The culprit, in most cases, is never caught. However, security can often tie certain tags back to specific gangs and individuals. Last year a student from Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School was caught after tagging on campus when law enforcement matched his moniker to others found around Santa Ana. He was apprehended and his parents paid the damage. Perhaps that student was misbehaving like a child; perhaps they just wanted to leave their mark. Either way, what they did was vandalism. It is times like these — when funds are in short supply — that we should work together to make our campus a better place instead of ruining it.
How much cocaine can Charlie Sheen do? Enough to kill two and a half men. Following the “Two and a Half Men” star’s manic rambling and insults directed towards CBS executives and producers, the CBS legal dream-team released an 11-page letter terminating Sheen’s contract. But his estimated $43 million a year lossis not getting in the way of his rise to the top. Many have speculated that Sheen has become too great a risk to ever work in show business again. But speculators fail to recognize that Sheen has Adonis DNA. They can’t process Sheen’s genius, man. Following the rants against “Two and a Half Men” creator, Chuck Lorre and CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves, Sheen dominated the media. In just 25 hours Sheen managed to gain over 1 million Twitter followers, leading Guinness World Records to establish a new category and crown him the champion. He started his own online talk show titled “Sheen’s Korner,” with well over 1 million views in just one day. Sheen and his camp are working on marketing his memorable utterances like “Tiger Blood,” “Adonis DNA,” and “Winning” on T-shirts, hats and mugs. He has even been in talks for a show with HDNet and a live on-stage show with Live Nation Entertainment. It seems like Sheen’s explosive behavior will land him in a better position than “Two and a Half Men” ever could. This is show-biz history in the making. When Sheen says he has “tiger blood dripping from his fangs,” he means business. Comedian Norm McDonald said it best on his Twitter feed Monday, “I pray that someone can help Charlie Sheen before he becomes even more successful, richer and happier.” Winning, anyone? / Amy Ellison
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
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SKYMASTER
THE COLOR OF MONEY BY TIFFANY JOHNSTONE / el Don
R
obert Dowd was one of the earliest pop artists, a movement of the late 1950s to early ‘60s using mundane objects as a central theme. Pop Art Money, now in the Main Art Gallery of the fine arts building, includes 58 colorful and ironic pieces on loan from the private collection of Jack and Joan Quinn. Curator Phil Marquez calls it “one of the most valuable shows we’ve had in the SAC gallery.” Dowd made surprising alterations in these large-scale versions of everyday objects, primarily dollar bills and postage stamps. The artist questioned the value of money as a
flimsy piece of paper decorated with weighty symbols. In “$5 Lincoln Torn Watercolor” the dollar is ripped in half. Several of the bills show the U.S. president’s face replaced by other artists, such as Monet and Van Gogh. Since a recurrent theme is the worth of a dollar, in “$1.00 Gold Note” Dowd uses gold leaf suggesting an almost divine value of currency. Some pieces are enhanced with silver leaf. In a way, the postage stamps show the history of American transportation from biplanes to blimps. “It’s kind of poignant,” Marquez said. In the piece “Geophysical Year”
some letters are missing, the globe is aflame and fingers touch as if in the act of creation. In some of his pieces Dowd makes a play on words, as in “Yellow Tone” showing Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful. Another piece in the show is “$50.00 Bank,” a three-dimensional construction filled with play money. In another series he shows the U.S. Treasury building on fire or split by a tornado. The Pop Art Money exhibit will run through April 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesday evening 6:30 to 8:30.
TIME LINE
Robert Dowd was born May 1, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan. After Robert Dowd was discharged from the U.S. Marines in 1957, he used his G.I. Bill for tuition to study at the Society of Arts and Crafts/ Center for Creative Studies, one of the world’s top colleges. Dowd’s Pop Art broke through in 1962 with the exhibition New Painting of Common Objects in the Pasadena Art Museum. He died in Los Angeles in 1996 at age 60 from complications of end renal failure.
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY,MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
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STYLE
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2011/eldonnews.org
THE PATH TO NATURE / The beauty of nature is captured in a simple shot of grass and stones.
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SECRET BEAUTY
REVIEW: Nature is all around us and some how we seem to miss it. Black Star Canyon will take you through the thrill of what nature is all about. STORY AND PHOTOS BY NICK AARON / el Don
BLACK STAR CANYON FALLS / Natures beauty hidden in Orange County.
INSIDE / Hiking in Black Star Canyon will have you connecting to your inner self.
Hidden within Cleveland National Forest, Black Star Canyon Road provides an adventurous and refreshing escape from society’s fast-paced environment. You can start at the Black Star Canyon Main Gate, which is located around 20 minutes from central Orange County. Prepare for about a six-mile hike. When you see a group of huge concrete tubes veer right and follow the partly hidden trail leading to the stream. Hiking up the stream, you will discover a breathtaking landscape and the diversity of the natural preserve surrounding you. Around 45 minutes into the hike you should be getting tired, but the ambient sound of the stream and wind through the trees amplifies the feeling of serenity. This is a natural energy booster. After following the stream for about an hour and a half you will reach Black Star Canyon Falls, your final destination. It’s as tall as a three-story building, standing about 50 feet high, making you feel like an insect while looking up at it. The beauty of the canyon, the forest around you, and the natural running water makes you feel that your journey has taken you far away from civilization.