el Don - April 11, 2011

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el Don

/SANTA ANA COLLEGE / eldonnews.org

THE POLL: Should ASG have priority class registration? eldonnews.org

APRIL 11, 2011 / Vol. 88 / No.8

ACADEMIC

ANGST NEWS / 4

David DeRidder Don Coker / MCT / el Don

BUDGET MESS THREATENS TO SPILL OVER SAC AS TUITION INCREASE LOOMS

NEWS/ EARLY ENROLLMENT / 3 • SPORTS/ 1,000 WINS / 6 • STYLE/BOOT BASICS / 10

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org The Editor’s Desk

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

As I drive down Glassell Street, my eyes dart around, looking for a new adventure. Every time I get into my car I know I will be exploring a new section of Orange, which is where I live. It never gets old. Go local! You’ll be surprised by what your neighborhood has to offer. In this issue, we send a reporter to dig out Old Towne’s unique spots.

It’s all there — all you have to do is look.

Traveling doesn’t have to be about getting on an airplane. You can step out your door, walk around the corner and find something new. / Jessica Ruelas / Style Editor

2

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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

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 11

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INSIDE

THE CIRCLE / The Orange Plaza brims with diverse establishments, from Cuban to Italian, to classic ‘50s Americana. You don’t have to go far to get what you want. / Martha Cowley/ el Don

POWER OUTAGE SPORTS 7 / Concerned with player safety and high scoring games, NCAA officials imposed new rules and standards on baseball bats.

Livelier old metal bats allowed hitters to smack more home runs, while the new ones are like wood, with smaller sweet spots.

A DIRTY SHAME VIEWS 9 / Former UCLA student Alexandra Wallace filmed a racist tirade in an infamous YouTube video, “Asian Hordes in the Library.” She made a mistake, but her unwanted notoriety has attracted vitriolic backlash that threatens her safety.

RECONNECTING WITH HIS ROOTS STYLE 12 / The staff writer recalls his first trip to his father’s homeland in Vietnam, where his frail grandfather ambushed him with wet, gummy kisses he hated as a child. It turns out his grandfather’s affection was an expression far stronger than he ever imagined.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

AROUND CAMPUS

VOTERS DENY $1 FEE INCREASE

Marha Cowley / el Don

AROUND CAMPUS

FUNDS RAISED FOR TSUNAMI VICTIMS

Marha Cowley / el Don

The International Student Club collected more than $2,000 for the victims of the 9.0 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that wiped out entire towns in Japan. Junko Ishikawa, a staff member from the International Student’s office, organized the event. / Daniel Hernandez

BLOCKED / Those who can register for class early include Extended Opportunity Program students and veterans. /Daniel Hubert / el Don

STUDENT LEADER ADVOCATES FOR EARLY ASG ENROLLMENT

ADVANCED PLACEMENT

BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ/ el Don

O

utgoing ASG Vice President Steven Mendoza has proposed priority class registration for student government leaders.

“I would like to think of this as an incentive for those who are elected to ASG,” Mendoza said.

One advantage of priority registration would be to help ASG officers and representatives schedule classes around their mandatory weekly ASG meetings, Mendoza said.

“Given what they handle … maybe they should be granted priority registration,” sophomore Donald Cluff said.

Outgoing President Nadia Lopez refused to comment on the proposal.

“It’s a better idea for you to talk to Steven directly, since this is his idea,” Lopez told a reporter.

If Mendoza’s plan were to go through, ASG officers and representatives would be able to choose their classes even before a student who is in

their last semester and needs to complete requirements for graduation.

Currently, EOPS students and U.S. veterans are the first groups to sign up for classes.

Even student athletes do not have priority class enrollment, although those entering from high school in the Santa Ana School District may enroll in certain SAC classes if they first qualify through an English and math assesement.

Typically, the number of units a

student has completed determines the order of registration. Mendoza stated at a meeting that his proposal for ASG early enrollment could bypass voter approval, but his idea is facing roadblocks.

“The students would have to be involved in a decision like that,” said newly elected ASG Vice President Frank Perkins.

However, it appears that such a decision would have to be made in Sacramento. Vice President of Academic Affairs Norman Fujimoto said it would take an act of the state legislature to include student government on the list of groups that receive priority class registration.

“If you have a job … you need to figure out how to work around the schedule,” said Irene Arellano, chief justice of the ASG court.

SEE STAFF EDITORIAL / Page 9

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

Evelyn Sanchez won a landslide victory in the Associated Student Government presidential election while the $1 optional student representation fee fell short of the twothirds vote required.

Sanchez defeated Karla Perez 295 to 140 votes.

Frank Perkins was elected vice president, defeating Melvis Hanson, a write-in candidate, 235 to 173.

The newly elected senators all ran unopposed. Jazmine Ordaz is the senator for business, Jorge Jimenez for library and Duy Le for Science and Math. This was the student government’s second attempt at passing the $1 fee. Last year the vote fell short by 50 votes.

“We tried really hard to promote it, but we couldn’t get enough students to vote on it” Nadia Lopez, outgoing ASG president said. “We are going to keep trying.”/ Daniel Hernandez

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

$10 FEE HIKE ON THE HORIZON

Best-case scenario budget plan still slashes $500,000 from the district’s funds.

BY ELAIZA ARMAS AND DANIEL HERNANDEZ / el Don

Despite signs of economic recovery, California community colleges face another round of budget cuts and a tuition increase of at least $10 per unit beginning in July.

In a public forum held Tuesday at SAC, Chancellor Raul Rodriguez and Vice Chancellor of Fiscal Services Peter Hardash said that there will be across-the-board cuts to course offerings, and that the district is moving forward with one of three cost-cutting plans based on how the legislature funds higher education.

Of three plans, the first and bestcase scenario would involve $500,000 in further cuts from the Rancho Santiago Community College

4

TOWN HALL Rodriguez

percent cuts, and the state never cut the budget. The cuts rolled over to the budget this year,� said Hardash. “It saved the college from twice the amount of layoffs there would have been this year.�

But that won’t stop a fee increase of $10 per unit, from $26 to $36.

SAC would cut at least five percent of its classes next semester, causing enrollment to decrease by a minimum of five percent.

Norman Fujimoto, vice president of academic affairs, said the tuition increase will decrease the amount the district has to cut next year. “I was pretty shocked when I heard about the increase. We already don’t have a lot of money and our economy is falling to pieces,� said SAC student

Naraith Soun.

On average, the cost would be $432 a semester for a full-time student taking 12 units, a $120 increase. “Students are already really pressed for funds, so to add on another $10 per unit is definitely an increased burden for students to take on,� said John Zarske, president of the Academic Senate.

In 2003-04, tuition went from $11 to $18 and contributed to an enrollment of 300, 000 fewer students. Then in 2004-05, the fee increased to $26 per unit, which caused an enrollment decline of about 140, 000 students. “Students must understand that it’s not the board raising the tuition, but it’s the state legislatures,� said Associated Student Government President Nadia Lopez.

Chancellor Raul Rodriguez and Vice Chancellor of Fiscal Services Peter Hardash met with faculty and classified employees Tuesday to address their concerns regarding the state of college education. The current fiscal crisis and the gaping $26 billion budget deficit threatens to eat into public education spending.

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

N A T I O N A L

District budget.

If plan A fails, plan B would reduce the current budget by $4.4 million for the two-college district.

The worst-case scenario, the socalled “all cuts� budget, would slash $13 million. “With an ‘all-cuts’ budget, in all of our communities, we’re going to see young people turned away from our colleges and universities everywhere,� said California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott. “We know the devastation that could occur for our students and our future here in California and we’re very concerned.�

Hardash said Santa Ana College is prepared for the best-case scenario. “Last year the college made 3

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

NEWS

NEWS ANALYSIS / GOVERNOR DROPS NEGOTIATIONS WITH GOP

BUDGET STANDOFF LOOMS California’s sticky budget mess lies in the hands of legislators who appear unwilling to compromise.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget plan, intended to help ease the state out of a deficit, hit a stalemate when not a single Republican in either house voted to let his plan reach the state’s voters in June.

One of the sticking points is that Gov. Brown does not want to give a $1 billion tax break to big corporations that would come at the expense of public safety and schools.

Community College Chancellor Jack Scott said SB70, known as the “trailer bill,” is an easier way to solve the $26 billion deficit than trying to solve it with the “all

“Unfortunately, even though we came very close, there are issues that I think are impossible to resolve at this time.” / Gov. Jerry Brown

cuts” budget proposal that leave community colleges with a steeper cliff to climb.

SAC Vice Chancellor of Fiscal Services Peter Hardash noted that Gov. Brown needs a two-thirds vote in the state legislature to extend the tax increase, and that he pledged in his campaign not to raise taxes without voter approval.

The bill Republicans blocked from reaching voters would extend tax increases on vehicles, income, and sales that were originally passed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009.

“Unfortunately, even though we came very close, there are issues that I think are impossible to resolve at this time,” Brown said in a statement released on YouTube.

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ/ el Don

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

SPORTS

TRACK AND FIELD

sprinting for the finish line

Blanca Valdivia / el Don

The Santa Ana College women’s track and field team is heading down the home stretch of the season.

Third-year coach Miriam Mitzel has worked with a roster of only 16 athletes competing this season but has had some positive results.

“It’s going well … in fact, we think that we might place, in some events, in the top three,” Mitzel said.

In a dual meet against Saddleback College, freshman Susana Marquez won the 1,500-meter and placed second in the 3,000. Felix led the way in the field events, placing third in the hammer throw, fourth in the javelin and sixth in the shot put.

— Evelyn Kielich

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

SOFTBALL

6

Dons slide into the postseason

David DeRidder / el Don

The Dons are riding a six-game winning streak into the playoffs following a five game losing streak.

While the team has had a good season overall with a record of 20-11, they have struggled in conference play, winning only six of 15 games.

The Dons are currently ranked fifth in the Orange Empire Conference.

Freshman infielder Hannah Dowling and sophomore pitcher Shelly Tait led the Dons in runs scored. Dowling scored 33 runs with 49 hits, and Tait scored 21 runs, six of which were home runs.

— Tim Randall

Refreshing/ Coach Don Sneddon gets victory shower from first baseman Austin O’Neal and pitching coach Tim Matz. / SAC Athletics

Head baseball coach makes history during 30th season

Sneddon wins 1,000th GAME

By Tim Randall / el Don

R

uben Orosco stood on the mound with history at his fingertips.

The scoreboard read OCC 3, visitors 4. It was the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and the only thing standing between him and record-breaking victory was one strike.

Orosco dug deep and threw a fastball that induced a flyout to right field.

The Dons defeated Orange Empire Conference rivals Orange Coast College 4-3 March 12, giving Sneddon his 1,000th career win at Santa Ana College.

Sneddon is the first coach in California Community College baseball history to reach 1,000 wins. While this is an unparalleled milestone in his career and in baseball history, Sneddon shrugged it off.

“The 1,000th win is a nice thing, but it’s more than just that,” said Sneddon.

“Beating Orange Coast on their field

in a league game is tough to do, and we were able to do that. Putting the 1,000th win on top of that makes it a nice day.”

The achievement he is most proud of is the consistency of his program over the years.

“We have to rebuild every single year,” said Sneddon. “At a commu-

nity college we don’t have four-year veterans here.”

Orosco pitched a complete game, holding OCC to 11 hits and three runs while striking out five.

“It was great,” said Orosco. “It’s been a life changing experience getting to be a part of history like that.”

Orosco touched on a personal milestone, becoming the first pitcher to go all nine innings for the Dons this season.

“I was just trying to throw good pitches, get outs and keep my team in the game,” Orosco said.

The Dons have won 15 of their last 17 games, averaging over eight runs per game. It’s ranked No. 1 in the Orange Empire Conference with a record of 12-2.

The Dons play at OCC April 12.

The Pirates are currently second in the Orange Coast Conference with a record of 10-4.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

SPORTS

BAT REGULATIONS STIFLE OFFENSE The NCAA implemented new rules monitoring materials used in baseball bats.

Dons outfielder Gary Apelian was taking batting practice during winter when balls he knew in the past would leave the field were dying on the warning track.

It wasn’t as if Apelian, who stands 6 feet four and weighs 205 pounds, slept as a slugger and woke up as a light-hitting midldle infielder.

He’s got the same power he used to hit .324 with a team leading 45 runs batted in during his freshman year. His bat, however, doesn’t have the same pop it used to. Literally.

NCAA baseball officials, concerned by skyrocketing offensive numbers and the injury risk from exceedingly high exit speeds of batted balls, made its biggest changes to bat standards in more than a decade.

The new bats conform to standards similar to the wood bats used in professional baseball, which are built with a smaller sweet spot. The older composite bats that make the pinging sound commonly associated with collegiate ball increased the velocity of hit balls, making it travel farther.

The old NCAA standard measured bats through the ball exit speed ratio, resulting in livelier aluminum and composite bats that have increased the number of home runs in the past decade.

Coaches and players anticipate a radical change to the game, with fewer slugfests that pass the fourhour mark, an across-the-board drop in home runs and scoring and, as baseball purists love to hear, an added emphasis on pitching and defense.

“I think it’s probably closer to what baseball should be,” Georgia coach David Perno said.

But some coaches are fretting about the new regulations.

Dons Head Coach Don Sneddon anticipates that the team home run

heavy hitter/ Sophomore outfielder Gary Apelian leads the Dons in home runs and RBIs. / David DeRidder / el Don

totals will decrease from an average of about 50 to 10 a season.

“They’re setting back the game 15 years,” Sneddon said.

The Dons began bracing for the bat change during the fall workouts, quickly finding out the ball simply didn’t fly off the new bats like it used to.

Apelian increased his weightlifting regimen to compensate for the lost pop that the old metal bats helped provide.

He’s not too worried, though.

“If you’re a power hitter, whether

you use composite or metal should not make that much of a difference,” Apelian said.

His stats prove it. With several games left, Apelian has driven in 40 runs in 105 at bats, with a .629 slugging percentage. His home run total, four, is one less than the five he hit in 142 at bats last year.

The days when 150-pound utility infielders could smash opposite field home runs appear to be over.

“You can definitely tell a difference,” Auburn first baseman Kevin

Please see STIFFED, page 8

NEW RULES Pitchers benefit from new bat standards that limit home runs.

1 2 3

Last year’s pitchers allowed 24 home runs. That total is down to eight this year.

Dons pitchers allowed 164 runs last year, compared to just 102 this year.

The Dons have so far hit nine home runs this year, compared to 50 last year.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

By Shawn Ashe / el Don

7

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

STIFFED: POWER NUMBERS DOWN ACROSS THE BOARD BATTER UP

By the numbers

69

Extra base hits allowed by the Dons ln 2010

44

Extra base hits allowed by the Dons this year

149

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

Fewer runs scored by the Dons offense this year, compared to the 2010 season

8

SPORTS

EVOLUTION OF COLLEGE BATS

In January, the NCAA enforced new rules banning materials that give bats the so-called “trampoline effect,” which propels balls harder and faster.

continued from page 7 Patterson said. “With the old bats, the ball really jumps. We had the most home runs in the country last year ... (but) we are a new team this year. We are going to be a hit-andrun type team and create things.”

The pitchers could not be happier.

Last year, the Dons’ 10-man staff allowed 24 home runs. This year, that number is down to eight. Santa Ana’s 2010 ace Christian Meza had a 3.30 ERA in 92 innings pitched.

The starting rotation had an average ERA of about 3.50.

This year, Wilson Garrett leads the team with a 2.08 ERA, a full run lower than last year’s leader. Three pitchers have sub 3.00 earned run averages, while no one from last year’s rotation had an ERA higher than 3.06.

While the changes seem radical, it’s not the first time college baseball has tinkered with the bats. Aluminum bats were introduced to the college game in 1974 but weren’t adjusted until a lower limit on the weight was instituted in 1986.

COMPOSITE BAT

This bat came into use around the beginning of this century, a replacement for the aluminum bat. This bat is made of several layers of materials: braided carbon and fiberglass, epoxy resin and carbon fiber infused with special resin.

ALUMINUM BAT

WOOD BAT

These were the first types of bats when baseball was born, they are made of solid wood and are costly to produce.

This bat was introduced to baseball in the ‘70s as an alternative to the wood bat. It is usually made from aircraftgrade aluminum and has a hollow core.

infOgRAPhiC By shAwn Ashe /el Don

The changes worked initially. Batting averages, home runs and scoring dropped across the board, returning to early-’90s standards by the mid-2000s.

But offensive numbers began to rise again near the end of the decade, coinciding with

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the popularity of lightweight composite bats, which have the same aluminum exterior but also a woven graphite wall on the inside that has a slight give, acting as a springboard for the ball.

- mCT CAmPUs / Contributed to this story

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11 2011/eldononline.org

VIEWS

YOUTUBE CONTROVERSY

THE GIRL WHO kicked the hornet’s nest

ART BY MICHELLE WIEBACH/ el Don

Rick Nease / MCT

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY,APRIL 11, 2011/eldononline.org

who gets priority?

9

STAFF EDITORIAL

Good intentions can sometimes have the wrong results. College is the right place to correct them.

Outgoing ASG Vice President Steven Mendoza undoubtedly had good intentions by trying to get priority registration for student government leaders.

Good intentions, however, do not compensate for the negative political impression that it makes, especially in light of the recent budget cuts that have impacted class size.

He wanted to bypass a student vote on a perk that no one but ASG officers and representatives would benefit from. But it turns out that it will take an act of the California Legislature to add student government officers to a limited list that includes EOPS students and military veterans.

Mendoza says that adding a perk like registering early would be an incentive to attract more students to take on a leadership role by joining student government.

Many students, Mendoza says, do not take on leadership positions because meetings conflict with their class schedule.

One could only hope those who intend to lead the student body would have more altruistic reasons than mere convenience.

We’re happy Mendoza will not get what he wants.

First, our outgoing batch of student leaders will not want to leave a legacy of trying to pull such a selfish gambit.

With class sizes growing, the competition for seats has increased.

Graduating students who badly need to get into a class could be forced out, fomenting bitterness against those who have the privilege of reserving seats in advance. The two groups who have been granted priority enrollment either deserve it or need it.

But other student groups, including members of this newspaper and athletic teams, do not get such benefits.

Nor should it matter to them. Like these groups, our leaders are performing an act of service to the college community.

These are the lessons we should all learn, regardless of where the future take us, if we wish to avoid the poisonous political environment that has divided the country between partisan ideologies where self-serving politics rule the day.

College is where we can make mistakes — as long as we learn from them.

If you don’t know the name Alexandra Wallace, I suggest that you head to YouTube and search for her. If you do, then you know why her name has been making headlines all across the country.

After she published her racist video rant against Asian-American students at UCLA, her words spread like a brushfire through the campus and eventually nationwide.

Wallace is obviously ignorant and it’s unfortunate that her actions have sparked such controversy, but how we handled the situation as a society--from the institutional level to social media--is more telling than what was actually said. Wallace’s rant made her the target of angry students and a victim of the sensationalist nature of our media.

Her words ignited outrage from dorm rooms to newsrooms, and she was labeled racist and other descriptions not fit to print. While I don’t condone her words, thoughts or her decision to publish them in a globally accessible medium, I regret the way the situation was handled by her fellow students, and how the media portrayed the issue.

Given the current state of our culture, sensationalism fueled sensationalism, giving “response videos” the limelight and pushing rational and tolerant responses aside. Wallace shouldn’t have been ostracized, but rather educated. Given the obvious lack of maturity with which she approached the video, the whole episode seems like a cry for attention, a poorly executed plan for her 15 minutes of fame.

If that was the case, she may be smarter than we think; maybe we did exactly what she wanted us to do. Whether Wallace wanted this attention or not, she got it.

UCLA officials opted not to punish Wallace, though they harshly condemned her actions. But they didn’t have to. We took care of that ourselves.

/ Robert Wojtkiewicz

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

BOOTS MADE FOR FASHION

STEP INTO A STYLE WITH ROOTS IN WORK WEAR AND A PLACE IN ALMOST EVERY CLOSET

By sHaVoD CuLBErson / el Don

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

In her trendy black boots, American Eagle assistant manager Jessica Tenaglia maneuvers around, checking on customers. Normally in a pair of flip flops, Tenagalia wanted to dress up, which is why she wore her Steve Maddens along with stockings, frilly skirt, cute cami and cropped bomber jacket.

Boots are a major statement in the fashion industry. They did not begin

10

as a trend, however, but as work wear for men. Dating back to the 18th century in England and even earlier in other countries, boots have maintained their functionality while increasing in popularity and bridging gender lines.

Over time, boots crossed over into the fashion industry where they underwent transformations but kept some characteristics of their earlier history. While some types of boots

are still mass-produced for workrelated environments, other handcrafted boots play a big role in today’s Retail fashions. Now produced in various styles, lengths, colors and textures, they are a key component in most women’s wardrobes, especially when boots come into season in the winter.

Southern California’s stable weather makes them a year-round style.

It’s not just leather boots for work anymore. The fashion industry trans-

formed them by adding a few flashy objects: rhinestones, zippers, patches, and, of course, heels.

Fashion is about the wearer’s sense of style influenced by runway trends.

Boots have been around for ages and fashion added another element. Still, boots remain a functional choice of footwear for both men and women.

“They just make your outfit cuter,” Jessica said, before she returned to her customers.

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Two 6-Week Sessions

One 12-Week Session

May 31-July 8 (S1S) July 11-August 19 (S3S)

May 31-August 19 (SSD)

Register Now!

Santa Ana Locations: 107564BR & 106881BR Orange Location: 108143BR

Aliso Viejo Location: 107790BR Westminster Location: 107855BR

For consideration you will need: six months of Retail Sales and/or related experience interacting face-to-face with customers in a high-volume and fast-paced environment, High School Diploma or Equivalent and be available to work a retail schedule that includes evenings, weekends and holidays.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online at www.sprint.com/retailjobs and reference the appropriate req #. Bilingual Candidates (English/Spanish) STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. We offer amazing benefits.

Call: (800) 963-2250 ext. 60001 for more information. www.ccpe.csulb.edu/summer email: summer@ccpe.csulb.edu

Sprint is proud to be an EEO/AA employer.

We value diversity and offer a quality workplace.

California State University, Long Beach College of Continuing and Professional Education SS_SAC_Ad_S11.indd 1

Sprint Now Hiring Retail Consultants for our stores in the Orange County area.

3/17/11 11:12 AM

Lorinda Owens 4.7 in. x 5.4 in.

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

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

A NIGHT STROLL AROUND TOWNE

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ake a trip down memory lane or let your taste buds travel the world, and all within a two-mile radius.

People come here from all over Orange County to dine, shop for antiques, admire the architecture and have a good time. A fountain in the center of Orange Plaza adds to the Old Towne ambience.

WorDs By tIFFany JoHnstonE / PHotos By MartHa CoWLEy / el Don

CUBAN CUISINE

ADDICTING TASTE

A drug store diner with an outdoor café — who would expect to find that? Watson Drugs and Soda Fountain has been around since 1899. Watson’s menu consists mainly of comfort food of the ‘50s, and you cannot go wrong with shakes and burgers.

Their fluffy omelette is one of Orange County’s best.

ON CANDY LANE

If you have a craving for sweets, the Orange Candy Co. is the place to be.

Walking inside is like re-entering a classic soda shop, with its décor of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley posters, along with a selection of candies popular in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

A TASTE OF ORANGE

Café Lucca offers a relaxing environment with its amber-toned walls.

Choices include pastries, coffee, gelato ice cream and beer, to name a few items on the menu. End your evening with a Duvel beer, which has a tangy aftertaste with a slightly sour kick.

BARS AROUND TOWN

When thirsty, stop by O’Hara’s Pub and order a margarita on the rocks or ask the friendly bartender for a Tootsie Roll shot. Pitchers of domestic beer are cheap, and you can play a quick game of pool.

el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

Felix Continental Café offers hearty plates with generous servings. The menu ranges from a traditional eggs-and-bacon breakfast, to seafood and chicken dishes, and even filet mignon. Try the Crepes Del Mar, delicate crepes filled with savory crabmeat, topped with a light Cajun-Cuban sauce and garnished with mozzarella.

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

STYLE

MEMORIES OF MY ONG NOI

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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011/eldonnews.org

By Jason troung / el Don

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’ve only met my grandfather once, when I went on a two-week trip to Vietnam. I arrived at the airport in Saigon the summer when I was eight.

It was the first time I traveled outside the country.

I expected straw huts and endless rice fields. Saigon, it turns out, reminded me of Garden Grove.

My grandfather had heard that I was coming for a visit, and he was looking forward to it. The first time he saw me, he pulled me toward him for a closer look with his weak, rough hands. We struggled — he pulled me in, I was pulled away — as he rained my cheeks with kisses from his gummy, cold lips.

The experience was so agonizing that it may never leave my mind.

The entire time I was there, I dreaded meeting my grandfather, not because I didn’t like him, but because he wouldn’t stop giving me kisses. I would cringe and complain every time he zoomed in for the pucker punch, but he and the rest of the family would laugh and ignore my complaining — his kisses just kept coming.

I had fun meeting my family from

across the sea, and I had a blast riding on a scooter through the busy, thriving town of Binh Duong where my dad grew up before the Communists forced him and thousands of Vietnamese out. I loved the food, the shopping and playing with chickens and dogs. I also spent a lot of time at my aunt’s house, which she had successfully converted into a backyard foam factory. What I didn’t miss were the unsolicited kisses that my grandpa showered me with. I was

so proud to win the final skirmish, dodging his last attempt at a goodbye kiss. For once, I didn’t have to wipe my wet cheeks.

Two weeks after I came back to the States, as I tried to adjust to normal life, he passed away. When we got the news, I was happy because I was never going to endure a gummy kiss again. My dad scolded me, but I was only a kid. I didn’t think about how sad it was. A few days later, my dad went back to Vietnam to attend his father’s funeral.

When I went back to Vietnam years later, my cousin told me something that made me feel guilty for not accepting those kisses and for not trying to talk to my grandpa more than I did.

She said that the last time I came to Vietnam when I was only eight, he already knew he was dying. He knew months before I arrived, and everyone began to accept the fact that he was going to leave us soon.

When he heard that I was coming to Vietnam though, he pulled himself together. He was barely strong enough to walk short distances

when I was there, but I heard that before I came, he had stayed in bed for months.

During my stay, we visited my uncle’s house, a large and quiet farm alongside rice paddies stretching across a reddish-brown river. My grandpa played Vietnamese Opera on his faded violin. I’ve never heard a violin played that way before. To me, it was so alien yet so beautiful. I could hear distorted creaking noises coming from the old instrument, but the imperfections only made his music sweeter.

My grandpa spent the night at my uncle’s house. That night, I was told that he whispered to himself. He thought everyone else was asleep, but he didn’t know that his niece overheard his last words. Instead of complaining about his aches and pains, he muttered all the names of his loved ones. And finally, he said that he loved me very much.

His kisses weren’t just because it was the first time he met me, it would be the last time.

It was to make up for not being able to see me again.