eldon - Spring 2011 - Issue 4 - April 25 2011

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el Don

/SANTA ANA COLLEGE / eldononnews.org

THE POLL: Do you think that you need to lose some weight? eldonnews.org

APRIL 25, 2011 / Vol. 88 / No.9

FAT CHANCE More than 72 million Americans are considered obese, but it doesn’t have to be that way

David Deridder / el Don

NEWS / 3

NEWS / GAS PROBLEMS / 4 • SPORTS / GARY APELIAN / 7 • STYLE / TIPPING PAYS / 11

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org The Editor’s Desk

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

With the college experience comes the necessity for convenient meals.

From class to class when our body craves the indulgence of a fat, greasy In-N-Out cheeseburger, take heed of what SAC student Eric Carltock, whom we profile in this issue, accomplished.

Like Carltock, who lost 100 pounds, we should all be conscious about what we put into our bodies. Try eating an apple instead of apple pie or order a side salad instead of fries. A long life combined with a healthy lifestyle makes for happier people roaming the planet. / daniel Hernandez / News Editor

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Style Editor Jessica Ruelas style_eldon@sac.edu

Editor in Chief Blanca Valdivia eldoneditor@sac.edu

News Editor Daniel Hernandez eldonnews@sac.edu

SANTA ANA COLLEGE

Adviser Prof. C.W. Little Jr. little_charles@sac.edu Business Manager Allene Symons symons_allene@sac.edu

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INSIDE

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

SPORTS 6 sTreaK/ Shortstop Hannah Dowling batted a team leading .487, with 36 runs and one home run, as the Dons softball team went on an eight-game winning streak. / daniel Hubert/ el Don

GET MOVING VIEWS 9 / We are an obese country with unhealthy habits, but it’s possible to avoid the perfect storm of on-screen diversions and a high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium diet. Go out, get moving and like that retro pop song says, get physical.

MAKING HISTORY STYLE 12 / Speech Communications instructor Lance Lockwood juggles a two-campus career, manages to squeeze in writing a textbook, hits the gym, and recently played the role of orator Edward Everett opposite Abraham Lincoln in a historical re-enactment.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

COMMUNITY PROFILE

CALIFORNIA

holding hands for more money

Community college students and supporters held hands across California on Sunday, April 17, including at the corner of Bristol and17th, in an effort to bring awareness of budget cuts and raise funds for community college students.

Hands Across California was a statewide effort to advocate for continued access to California Community Colleges at a time when the mission of our institutions is threatened by budget cuts,” said Sara Lundquist, vice president of student services at Santa Ana College.

Many celebrities are supporting this statewide effort, including Ryan Seacrest, George Lopez and MC Hammer.

Donations may be made at handsacrosscalifornia.org or by texting “hands” to 27722 through June to donate $10. / Tiffany Johnstone

AROUND CAMPUS

double bogeys for scholarships

BLANCA VALDIVIA / el Don The SAC Foundation and the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame are hosting the annual Ed Arnold Golf Classic at Dove Canyon Country Club Monday, May 9.

Following the tournament, the 2011 class of SAC Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be introduced.

The proceeds of the tournament and other festivities will go toward scholarships for six student athletes. / Tim Randall

confidence / An exercise science class at SAC helped once obese Eric Carltock gain control over his weight. /Martha Cowley / el Don

ART STUDENT LOST 1oo lbs AND IS ENJOYING HIS NEW ‘SKINNY’ LIFE

BEATING BACK OBESITY

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By elaiza armas/ el Don

or years, Eric Carltock woke up and went to work, where he would sit in front of a computer all day. On his way home, he would stop by Del Taco and pick up dinner. Once home, he would sit on the couch, eat, and vegetate in front of the TV.

Last June, Carltock, now 30, decided to get off the couch. Now he wakes up every morning to work out for about two hours. He avoids fast food and stays active all day. It sounds easy, but after standing up for years with 300 pounds pulling him down, this was a life-changing decision.

“A lot of people try to start working out but get discouraged when they don’t see results,” said Carltock, an art

major at SAC. “It’s not easy, but if you really want it, it will definitely pay off.”

Because of an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, coupled with the availability of cheap and fatty fast food, Americans are some of the fattest people on the planet.

About 72 million residents of the U.S. are obese, a number reaching epidemic proportions. Obesity raises the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease,

arthritis, and other health conditions.

Carltock, who was skinny as a youth, started suffering from back problems caused by the increased body weight he was carrying. A painful sciatic nerve that had been aligned twice, and a gut feeling that his cholesterol levels were dangerously high, motivated him to get off the couch and back into the gym.

“I just realized I was way too big,” said Carltock. “I felt like I needed to change, so I made up my mind.”

Munching on chips and sweet treats, and drinking soda while sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day, led to his weight gain, which, like many Americans, crept up on him.

One day he woke up feeling heavy;

Please see WEIGHT, page 5

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

Daniel Hernandez / el Don

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

TRIPPING OUT AT HOME High prices dent pocket books, squelch travel plans, but there are plenty of nearby options.

TANYA MORA / el Don

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

untington Beach resident Alison Whitcomb used to hop into her car and hit the road nearly every weekend.

“If gas prices continue to rise as they have been for the past couple of months, I’m going to have to find a new hobby,” Whitcomb said.

On average, Californians are paying $4.21 per gallon for regular unleaded gas, 40 cents above the national average of $3.81, according to the daily Fuel Gauge Report from the Automobile Club of Southern California. At this time last year gas was $3.09 per gallon.

Whitcomb is fine with hanging out close to her house this summer.

“I live five minutes from the ocean.

It’s beautiful here,” she said.

Considering the hefty cost of filling

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a tank, there are many options other than road trips.

One getaway is spending the day fishing at Irvine Lake, a great day trip for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Located near the city of Orange, Irvine Lake is about 17 miles from Santa Ana College and offers both bank fishing and boat fishing.

Trout and catfish are among the varieties of fish stocked weekly. The seventh annual V-Drive Regatta and K-Boat Challenge takes place June 17June 19 and the annual Blues Festival June 25. “You can do more than just fish at Irvine Lake,” tackle shop employee Mel Flegal said.

Or you may want to think about visiting the Bowers Museum. Located less than five miles from SAC, the Bowers Museum is home to thousands of artifacts and paintings, with ongoing exhibits ranging from its Pre-Columbian collection to the Ancient Arts of China.

The museum will feature Masterpieces of the Price Collection

Good Stuff / The farmers market has seasonal fruits, vegetables and fresh bread. It’s open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. / Orange County Great Park

June 18 through July 17. The collection will display some of the best scroll and screen painters from the Edo period in Japan. The Bowers Museum offers discounted tickets with a current student ID. Orange County Great Park is another local choice. Built on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, the Great Park is nearly

twice the size of New York’s Central Park and has a lot to offer visitors, with most attractions open Thursday through Sunday. Take a ride on the Great Park Balloon with its views of the surrounding landscape.

Ascending to a height of 400 feet, the balloon accommodates 25 to 30

Please see LOCAL, page 5

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Santa Ana College Pub Date: 4/11, 4/25, 5/9

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

WEIGHT: CLASS HELPS COMMUNITY KEEP FIT

Continued from page 5

By the numbers

72

Millions of Americans who are obese

100

Total pounds Carltock lost

$26

An entire semester’s worth of fitness classes at SAC

his back felt like a bowling ball had been dropped on it as he slept.

He was a physical wreck. He was fat. Often the excuse for fast food consumption is that it is everywhere, quick, portable and cheap.

But that’s nonsense, Carltock said. There’s no excuses for those who want to lead a healthier lifestyle, he said.

Now the trim 6-foot-4-inch Carltock loads up on fresh fruits and vegetables at the local farmers market. “I traded off the old junk I used to eat for healthier foods.

I also supplement my diet with protein shakes.”

Losing weight, however, takes motivation.

Lots of it, Carltock said.

Like the good student he is, he did his homework — finding the

right diet, and a great place to work out, for cheap, so he enrolled in Santa Ana College’s exercise and fitness classes.

“24 Hour Fitness has nothing on the classes offered here at SAC. They’re only $26 for an entire semester, plus the professors are really great,” said Carltock.

“If you don’t have a lot of money and you want to work out, SAC is the place to go.”

Xiomara Duenas, a student at SAC who took Instructor Darcy Tyler’s class with Carltock, said she has lost 40 pounds.

“It’s easier when you have someone to socialize with because you can share your experiences with them,” said Duenas.

With a newfound health and confidence, Carltock has the energy to dance the salsa every Friday night. He is also dating again.

BONUS / The Shell gasoline station on Bristol Street and Memory Lane is offering a 10 cent rebate for Ralph’s shoppers. / nick aaron / el Don

LOCAL: TRAVEL ON THE CHEAP

on selected evenings and a farmers market every Sunday. For more information, and weekly programs, visit the website.

“Finish with a picnic lunch on the Great Lawn. I can’t think of a better way to spend the day, ” David Chase, visitor center employee, said.

With a little planning you can enjoy your vacation.

Continued from page 4

passengers. Rides are free to park visitors, but sign up when you first arrive.

While you’re there, check out the vintage aircraft at the Museum of Heritage and Aviation, and take a spin on the Great Park Carousel.

During May the park offers a Star Gazing program

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

SPORTS

BASEBALL

sophomore helps clinch oec title

David DeRidder / el Don Pitcher Seth Smith came up big for the Dons in his first start this year.

The sophomore gave up two runs in five innings of work and the Dons defeated Cypress, 9-7, to clinch their fifth straight OEC title on April 15.

“I asked Skip [Head Coach Don Sneddon] for the ball, but didn’t know I would get it this soon,” Smith said.

Gary Apelian hit his team-leading sixth home run in the eighth.

The Dons face conference opponents Saddleback College at home Tuesday. / Eric Lomeli winning / Shortstop Hannah Dowling leads the Dons in hits, walks and batting average. / Daniel Hubert / el Don

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

FOOTBALL

6

dons blitz for children’s health

Softball team swings for a playoff spot

Tait leads streaking dons

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By Eric Lomeli / el Don

Photo courtesy of SAC Athletics The football team volunteered April 9-10 in two charity events promoting children’s health.

The Children’s Hospital of Orange County teamed up with the SAC Health Center to put on the Air Power Games, a track and field event for children between the ages of five and 14 with asthma.

Five student athletes participated in the event.

The team helped set up the Honda Center April 10 for the Orange County Ronald McDonald House Walk for Kids and participated in the walk later that day. / Tim Randall

itcher Shelly Tait led the Dons out of a fivegame losing slump with a scorching hot bat and a blazing fastball, winning seven of the eight games in SAC Softball’s longest winning streak since 2006.

Tait hit .538 during the Dons recent eight-game run. She drove in 10 runs, scored nine runs, hit four home runs, and capped off her performance by pitching 46 and one-third of the 56 innings during that span.

“I’ve had some shoulder and back problems, so throwing all those innings took a lot out of me but it was fun and well worth it,” Tait said.

She struck out 56 batters while allowing only eight earned runs on 30 hits.

“The pitch calling improved.

Changing speeds is key for my success,” Tait said.

“A lot of the credit has to go to Kristen (Hooper). She is the best catcher

I’ve ever thrown to.” Her teammates helped her with their bats. The Dons posted a team batting average of .331, scoring 49 runs and holding opponents to 17.

“Our mindset changed, and we went into attack mode. We started swinging earlier in counts instead of waiting for the pitcher’s pitch,” Co-Head Coach Jessica Rapoza said.

An April 1 win over Orange Coast

College started the streak.

The following four wins took place over the next two days. The Dons swept the Ventura College Spring Tournament, going 4-0.

“The Ventura Tournament was a real confidence-booster. It helped define everyone’s role,” Rapoza said.

Tait started all four games in the tournament, tossing back-to-back complete games April 2.

“I prefer throwing back-to-back games,” Tait said. “I can get into a rhythm.”

Three of the eight wins were against Orange Empire Conference teams.

The Dons are now fifth in the conference with a record of 8-11, 23-14 overall. The streak ended April 13 when the Dons lost 4-3 at Riverside Community College. As of Thursday, the Dons are 9-3 in April, with three losses coming in its last four games.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

SPORTS

PLAYER PROFILE

batter/ Sophomore Gary Apelian drives the Dons to a fifth consecutive Orange Empire Conference Championship while leading the team in eight offensive categories. / David DeRidder / el Don

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By Eric Lomeli / el Don

n 2010, Gary Apelian carried 190 pounds on his lanky 6-foot 4-inch frame. By any stretch, he was one skinny dude. Since then, he has transformed his physique, and has become a serious home run threat every at bat and a nightmare to opposing pitchers.

Apelian knew he had to add muscle to generate more power, so in July he began an intense weightlifting regimen and improved his college student diet.

“I lifted weights last year, but I didn’t take it as serious as I do now,” Apelian said. He cut out junk food and sugar, began a high protein and carbohydrate intake, and now eats at least two meals a day at home.

“My dad has dinner ready when I get home and it’s usually chicken or steak and rice,” Apelian said. “Armenian rice pilaf with garbanzo beans, usually.”

Both of Gary’s parents immigrated here about 35 years ago. Zeron, Gary’s father, is from Syria and Datevig, his mother, is from Lebanon.

Zeron cooks dinner because Gary’s mother works late hours at Win Hyundai in El Monte. The dealership, learning of Gary’s success, sponsored the baseball team with a $500 donation this season. Although he never played

baseball, his father has been influential in Gary’s career.

“He learned baseball through watching a lot of Dodger games. He’s a great support, and has helped me a great deal,” Apelian said.

In the batter’s box Gary now stands in the middle-back with a slightly open stance, compared to last season when he used similar box placement but stood with a more closed stance.

“I’m near the back of the box so I can have a little more time to judge the pitch,” Apelian said.

Gary converted to a 34-inch, 31-ounce TPX Omaha bat. Last season he swung a 33-inch, 30-ounce TPX Exogrid. NCAA rules, which went into effect this year, banned the Exogrid.

The transition was effortless, he said.

His hitting ability is well known. He

hits for average and power.

“Gary is our best hitter. He’s a weapon when it comes to hitting. Everyone is confident in him at the plate,” said Andy Peterson, freshman second baseman, said.

Hitting is not the only thing Gary does well. He possesses a broad depth of baseball knowledge.

“Gary helped me work on becoming better, running better routes to the ball in the outfield, helping me tweak my swing. He’s always trying to make everyone better,” said Seth Smith, sophomore pitcher and outfielder.

Gary could not be the player he is today without a strong work ethic. “He is what coaches want in players,” Head Coach Don Sneddon said. “He works hard in the weight room, and in the

Please see SLUGGER, page 8

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

SWING IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

SPORTS

slugger: making a run for the big leagues By the numbers

17

Extra base hits in the Dons 2011 season

33

Leads the team in RBIs

.351

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

Batting average.

Fourth best for the Dons

8

Continued from page 7

batting cages. He has a lot of self-discipline. I don’t have to be there watching him. He wouldn’t be the player he is today with his self-discipline. It also helps that he doesn’t accept failure very well.”

Gary’s competitiveness is never in question. Teammates Taylor Richardson, Jordan Byrd, Peterson, and Smith all agreed Gary always strives to win and give his best on the field.

These characteristics are not only visible to players but coaches too.

“I like to watch what guys do with their downtime and Gary is always doing something productive,” Pitching Coach Tim Matz said.

At first glance, in 2010 Richardson and Byrd thought Gary looked like a goofball.

“He didn’t have the look of an athlete,” Richardson said.

Byrd added, “My first impression was, who is this kid? And then I saw him swing the bat.”

On the field, Gary just looks like a ball player. His pants are knee high, showing bright red socks. He puts a slight bend in his hat with upside down Oakley sun-

glasses resting on the bill, reminiscent of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

His three-year-old glove is a worn, black, 12-and-three-quarter-inch Rawlings Heart of the Hide with a six-finger pattern. He bats with red Rawlings Workhorse batting gloves, and sports size 12 Nike Air Show Elite 2 cleats. At his current size, 6-foot 4-inches and 205 pounds, he is an athletic specimen.

Multiple players and coaches believe Gary holds the keys to his future.

“Gary has next-level potential,” Matz said.

To relax Gary goes hunting with his father and two brothers. They hunt for different types of fowl, including California Quail and Chuckar Partridge, taking about 15 hunting trips a year.

Gary, who graduated from Esperanza High School in 2009, played primarily third base and pitcher. In 2008, he moved to right field, his current position.

As a junior at Esperanza, Gary made Second-Team All-League, and as a senior, he made First-Team All-League.

Both years Gary was named to the all tournament team during the National Classic Tournament.

EFFORT / Work ethic and attitude take Apelian toward the next level. / David DeRidder / el Don

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

VIEWS

Get OFF THE COUCH

HOLD THE BUTTER, HIDE THE REMOTE

Tim Randall / el Don

It’s a pain in the gas STAFF EDITORIAL

Oil prices are at an all-time high but it should not control our lives

When placed in tough situations, Americans tend to roll up their sleeves, go to work, and find a way to overcome adversity. This is why some good will come out of the current trend of rising prices at the gas pump.

Somewhere in America there is a genius in a basement working to solve the problem of our dependence on foreign sources of energy, particularly fossil-based fuel extracted out of volatile regions.

Earlier this month, the average cost of a gallon of gas was up to $4.20. The increase in the cost of gas coincides with the upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa. While we do not import oil from Libya, European countries that do are scrambling to buy oil from the same sources we do, driving up the prices.

Trends show that prices in California tend to rise before the beginning of summer. By the end of the month, $5 for a gallon, maybe even higher, is a possibility.

As gas prices rise, the prices of consumer goods, including necessities like food, increase. Notice how Subway’s 12-inch sandwiches are up $1 to $6. A pack of frozen fish sticks, among the cheapest of meals, has gone up an average of $2.

Unfortunately, because of our economy’s dependence of foreign oil, the otherwise heartwarming, Jeffersonian

struggle of the Middle Eastern people vs. authoritarian tyrants is impeding our recovery.

Maybe the answer to battle the price at the pump is as simple as companies allowing more employees to work from home to save gas and reduce traffic.

Perhaps the long-term solution is creating a more efficient public transportation system. However, the best option is to eliminate our need for oil-driven vehicles.

In the meantime, we as students can implement common-sense solutions while waiting for Superman to come up with a way to transport us, and the necessities and luxuries that drive us, without burning millionyear-old dinosaurs from under a vast desert a world away.

If you live on a direct bus route to school, take it. If you live within a not unreasonable distance of two to three miles from where you need to be, hoof it. If you know someone who lives near you, and you’re both going to the same place, share a ride.

There are some sacrifices that must be made — foregoing a meal, a movie, a pair of jeans, in order to get some place we need or want to be. Gas prices are beyond our control — it’s beyond the government’s control.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

America the brave or America the fat? Our country, built on the notion of hard work and independent drive, has eaten itself into an epidemic.

Whether you’re a person who blames the fast food industry, the way we raise our cattle, or the chemicals sprayed on our produce, one thing is for sure — a big chunk of what our nation consumes is clogging our arteries and ruining lives.

Over the years we’ve tried the Atkins diet and counting calories.

We’ve tried meal replacement bars and the little microwavable meals.

With 72 million fat people reclining on couches waiting for another round of salty snacks while watching reruns of the Simpsons, it might take an emergency room visit to force us into changing our sedentary lifestyle.

A lifestyle filled with calories and cholesterol is reminiscent of what the writers of Pixar’s Wall-E predicted.

Our collective wealth has paid for our conveniences while taking a toll on our health.

While a gardener (not you) mows the lawn on a bright and beautiful Saturday morning, you’re scouring the fridge looking for the cheese, eggs, sausage and bacon to make the world’s greatest omelet.

A walk to the park to play a family softball game has turned into a drive to the movies to indulge in salty popcorn and sweet treats.

If the scale tilts too far to the right, then consider a change in lifestyle.

We should feel inspired by what SAC student Eric Carltock has achieved. He had the audacity to view himself objectively and make a critical decision with regard to his health. He morphed from a 300pound obese person into someone strong, active, and confident. / DANIEL HERNANDEZ

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY,APRIL 25, 2011/eldononnewse.org

Michelle Wiebach/ el Don

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

CHILL, IT’S ONLY SHOPPING

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MARGRET SPENGLER / MCT

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By EVELYN KIELICH / el Don

t’s almost midnight, the lines are long, and sale signs cover the doors and windows of every store. Black Friday kicks off the winter shopping season. A few months later the retail calendar jumps ahead to huge swimsuits sales. Customers wait to enter the stores, while employees wait to assist them as soon as the rush begins.

This means customers want to get in and out of the first store and move on to the next. The employee’s job in this process is to provide helpful customer service — but does customer service drop when the crowds pile into the store during peak seasons?

During these sales spikes, it is about getting those lines down, quickly assisting customers and not spending too much time with them. When the crowds are not piling into the stores, employees have more time to be per-

sonable and make sure shoppers find something they want.

Forever 21 is a good example of mass crowds during the busy seasons. Registers are open and the lines stretch almost out the door. Some employees work fast to get customers satisfied and moving on, then help others find sizes and specific items on their lists.

“The holidays are crazy. The lines are long but the hours seem longer,” said Andrew Collins, the store

manager at Forever 21 in Santa Ana’s Westfield Main Place Mall. “We employees are working as hard as we can to provide great customer service but also trying to make sure that we do it in record time. When we are not in holiday season it is easier for us to give customer service around the store.” As a manager, he encourages every employee to take their time with the customer and find out exactly what they are looking for.

Helping the management team are sales associates who work directly with the customers. “Obviously we have guidelines to follow on customer service. Always greet the customers when they walk into the store. Ask them what they are shopping for, or if they need help, and check up on them later,” said Samantha Cuin, a sales associate at Foreign Exchange in the same mall.

Basic guidelines apply to most retail

stores, though every company has certain standards they want an employee to meet. Customers also have criteria they look for when they shop. Customers say they want to feel as if they have an employee’s undivided attention when they are shopping.

“I always want to feel welcome in a store when I shop, so it is nice to be greeted right away,” said Armando Besne, a shopper at Forever 21. “When an employee checks up on me when I’m shopping and specifically asks what I’m here for, it makes me feel like they are actually trying to help me and not just making a sale.”

For an employee, this means be aware, and even if it is peak season give the customer the attention they need before moving on to the next shopper — but when the season is slow, sales associates have more time to talk one-on-one with customers, making service more personal.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

DON’T FORGET TO TIP YOUR WAITER

By ROBERT WOJTKIEWICZ / el Don

It’s an unusually busy Wednesday night at your favorite restaurant. Here you are, eyeing your waiter as he drops off the check.

It’s your turn to pick up the tab, so you panic and start to think: four cocktails, four meals, the appetizer.

How much did we eat?

“Can I get you guys anything else before you take off?” barely registers in your brain as he walks away to retrieve a few to-go boxes.

You look at the total: $74.43. Four $20s come out of your wallet and you flag down your waiter as he juggles drinks in one hand and a large, teetering tower of plates in the other.

He was great all night, taking care of everything you needed in spite of

his six other tables. If you waited for anything, it was the kitchen, not him.

You then carelessly set the check tray on his stack of saucers and tell him to keep the change.

“I see it all the time,” says Cody Neher, an employee at Red Robin in Orange. “Servers get three bucks on $70 and it sucks.”

Local restaurants have noticed a disheartening trend over the past few months — busier shifts that come with a decline in tip percentage.

These restaurants are busier than they have been in months, leading some employees to wonder what can be done to solve this problem.

Lately several local eateries have implemented an automatic

gratuity of 18 percent for tables with a group of diners, in an attempt to put more money in the pockets of servers.

Red Robin will be implementing its new policy in May, and Chili’s has been in place for a few months, manager Sylvia Ramos said. These new policies add on 18 percent for parties of eight or more.

But automatic gratuity is a sticky business to get into.

Employees may begin to expect the tip and slack off. The real issue comes to light when a waiter or bartender gives quality service and is given a less than adequate tip.

Some customers argue that in a weaker economy, it’s acceptable to tip less than 15 percent, or even closer to 10 percent.

Fullerton resident

Gina Stephenson said that much of the time she “just can’t see what the need is to leave more than a few bucks, especially in this economy.”

This reasoning is eating into employee’s pocketbooks; because of California tax laws, servers are required to claim their tips as income and a portion of their paycheck is deducted each pay period.

This leaves them with an hourly rate that’s less than minimum wage.

Employees rely on their tips as a primary source of income, and a below-average tip is like asking the employee to do the same amount of work and give the same attentive service but for less pay.

The only instance when a belowaverage tip is warranted is for rude or subpar service.

TIPPING POINTS

•Pay for food, tip for service.

•Learn how to calculate the customary 15-20 percent. Often, it’s a server’s main income.

•Smart phones have apps that calculate the correct amount of tips based on your tab.

•If you can’t afford to tip based on your tab, eat somewhere where you can.

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

Servers rely on gratuity for most of their income, and a bad economy has them taking home less.

11

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2011/eldonnews.org

ORALIST / sac Communications Professor Lance Lockwood brings performance into his classroom and vice versa. He has finished writing his first textbook. /Martha Cowley/ el Don

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Performing the lesson

SAC professor Lance Lockwood’s unique approach to teaching is showcased in A Night With Abraham Lincoln

By Robert Wojtkiewicz / el Don

Lance Lockwood is a busy man, commuting between two campuses, carrying a full teaching load, and writing a textbook. Add his recent performance of A Night With Abraham Lincoln and you might say you have a day in the life of this Santa Ana College professor.

The theatrical dialogue earlier this month was a collaborative effort with Chapman University communications professor Richard Doetkott. It aimed to clear up common misconceptions about the Gettysburg Address, including the fact that Lincoln himself only spoke for a few minutes and that the “bulk of the address was spoken by Edward Everett; Lincoln only gave what were later called ‘a few appropriate words,’ ” Lockwood said.

The performance, which coincided with the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War, reflects Lockwood’s teaching style and his views on communication.

He teaches Argumentation and Debate, Public Speaking, and Interpersonal Communication here at SAC, and one upper-division course on Gender Communication at Chapman University.

With close to 200 students during any given semester, Lockwood focuses on the differences between oral and written communication.

“Not to devalue written communication,” Lockwood says, “but sometimes people would rather listen than read.”

That’s what makes something like A Night With Abraham Lincoln so powerful. Lockwood and Doetkott drew on influences from as long ago as Socrates and as modern as today’s media to show the power of oration.

As a teacher, Lockwood strives to break through the fears many students have about public speaking. The “mascot” for each of his classes, a Mickey Mouse figurine, sits on a shelf in his office. Mickey was chosen because “he’s short, his voice is high-pitched, but he still gets up there and speaks anyway,” Lockwood said.

Lockwood knew he wanted to teach from a young age. Growing up in Hesperia, Calif., Lockwood recalls that his eighth grade English teacher was so awful Lockwood began to analyze all of his teachers and soon realized that he could do better.

He later went on to study Speech and Communications at Chapman University for both his undergraduate and graduate studies, then took a position at Santa Ana College, where he works full time. This semester is Lockwood’s last at Chapman.

He said his time at Chapman was valuable to him. Since he taught an upper-division course, he could show his students here at SAC that they can make it at the next level.

Speaking of the next level, Lockwood has recently put his oralist methods into writing. His first textbook, Introduction to Public Conversing, is a written compilation of his approach to teaching and speaking.

Written together with Doetkott, Lockwood said he is looking forward to using it in his classes this fall. “You usually get two years to write a textbook,” explained Lockwood. “We were asked to complete it in nine months.”

If 200 students isn’t enough to handle, the stress of condensing two years of work into nine months might seem immense. “Not really.

Like any of us, my workday doesn’t end when I go home,” he says. He still manages to find time to take a “moment,” as he calls it.

“I’m a gym rat,” he says, “and I do quite a bit of travel.”

So what’s next for Lockwood? A performance about George Washington’s infamous teeth? Or possibly space travel? “I would have loved to have been the first college professor in space,” Lockwood said, “but that’s already been done.”

You can be sure that he will stay busy discovering and innovating.