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el Don / SANTA ANA COLLEGE / eldonnews.org
Gun Control In the wake of a streak of gun-related violence, Santa Ana leaders exchange gift cards for guns. / NEWS 6
NATE LITTLE / madartisanlabs.com
MARCH 11, 2013 / Vol. 90 / No.7
INSIDE: SPORTS / HEAD GAMES / 9 • VIEWS / DINE SAFE / 12 • STYLE / GALLERY / 13
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
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CAMPUS, LOCAL & STATE
NEWS YOU CAN USE
el Don STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF Marissa Adams marissa-adams@eldonnews.org NEWS EDITOR C. Harold Pierce harold-pierce@eldonnews.org COMMUNITY EDITOR Teree Saldivar teree-saldivar@eldonnews.org SPORTS EDITOR Eric Lomeli eric-lomeli@eldonnews.org STYLE EDITOR Shane Collins shane-collins@eldonnews.org
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
STYLE EDITOR Alessandra Gonzalez ale-gonzalez@eldonnews.org
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VIEWS EDITOR Joseph O’ Brien joey-obrien@eldonnews.org PHOTO EDITOR Erick Soria erick-soria@eldonnews.org WEB EDITOR Josephine Gan web@eldonnews.org FACULTY ADVISER Professor C.W. Little Jr. little_charles@sac.edu
How to contact us
el Don encourages the expression of all views. Letters should be about 150 words, signed, and include your major and e-mailed to eldoneditor@ 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.
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WILD THINGS
DOWNTOWN FILM
BURGERAMA GIG
The Bowers Museum currently features a touring exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are. Maurice Sendak: 50 Years, 50 Works, 50 Reasons covers his diverse career, and includes commentary from 50 celebrities like Tom Hanks and Stephen Colbert. College students receive $3 off admission and kids under 12 years old enter free, as well as Santa Ana residents on the first Tuesday and Sunday of the month.
Independent filmmaker and SAC student Gabriel Ramirez is in the process of producing Henry, a story about an alcoholic teenager. Ramirez is still auditioning actors, no experience needed, for roles in the film. So far, 13 actors have been cast in Henry. The film is being shot locally in Downtown Santa Ana, Centennial Park and Fourth Street. Those interested can contact Ramirez by calling (714) 856-2320.
Watch local bands at the upcoming Burger Records weekend music festival. Burgerama takes place at The Observatory in Santa Ana on March 22 and 23. The first day of the event includes performances by bands like The Black Lips, Audacity, and Tijuana Panthers. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti headlines the second day. Tickets start at $20 per day with sets scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
-Michael Sanchez
-Aaron Vasquez
STUDY BUDDY
FUN EXCAVATION
Set an appointment at the Tutorial Learning Center to avoid getting buried in homework this semester. Free one-hour sessions are available with tutors for subjects ranging from accounting and political science to math and physics. Students may qualify for a parttime tutoring job if they have passed a class with at least a B. For more information go to room L-222 in the Johnson Building.
Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology is at the Discovery Science Center until April 21. Explore four different collections featuring 120 props from the Lucasfilm Archives and unique artifacts from National Geographic. “It merges the science of archaeology and excitement of the films,” said President of the Discovery Science Center Joe Adams. Admission is free for Santa Ana residents on the first Tuesday of every month. -Teree Saldivar
-Carolina Tovar
-Ivan Ramirez
SKATERS NIGHT OUT
FREE MOVIE
Attend the Skate with a Friend event on March 18, sponsored by Orange County Roller Girls. Learn the basics of roller derby from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Skate gear will be provided free. RSVP at ocrollergirls.com
The Spot will host a discussion and viewing of SAC Book of the Year-turned-movie, The Help, an emotionally driven drama about race relations. The screening will be Friday from noon to 3 p.m. with free pizza and drinks.
-Teree Saldivar
-Bardia Soroudi
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
NEWS
ELECTION
$1 VOLUNTARY FEE WILL BE ON BALLOT
Martha Cowley / el Don
CAMPUS
STOP AND THINK BEFORE U DRINK
Eric Lomeli / el Don
Students come face-to-face with their inebriated moments at the sight of posters reading, “You think U won’t fist pump. And you wouldn’t. Three drinks ago.” Behind the humor of posters around campus is the focus of the “Less than U Think” campaign, addressing the national problem of binge drinking on college campuses. “[Binge drinking] is four or five drinks in a two-hour period,” said Miriam Godinez of the Puente club, which participated in the campaign. The campaign runs through the end of March. —Marissa Adams
RESOLUTION / An isolated Student Services Coordinator Daniel Marquez, far left, listens to student leaders outline complaints about the overreaching influence of his role in student politics. / ERIC LOMELI / el Don
STUDENT GOVERNMENT REINTRODUCES RESOLUTION
ASG EXERCISES POLITICAL MUSCLE
BY C. HAROLD PIERCE / el Don
For the second time in four years a group of disgruntled student leaders have voiced complaints against their adviser by using a political maneuver that attempts to define and limit his role. Student Life Coordinator Daniel Marquez has acted as de facto Associated Student Government adviser since 2009, after his predecessor resigned. ASG leaders have accused Marquez of exercising too much authority, including preplanning events without input from elected student leaders, appointing committee chairpersons without the president’s knowledge, and writing monthly student presidential reports to district trustees. The resolution defining the adviser’s role was drafted and passed in 2009, but never added to the constitution. At the time, ASG was dealing with a statewide fiscal crisis that threatened to cut classes, said Alex Flores, ASG president from 2008 to 2010, “We were busy focusing on budget issues.” On the first day of her term, current ASG President Edna Tobias asked Marquez for copies of the agenda and minutes from the 2009 meeting when
Office and should be easily accessible, said Lilia Tanakeyowma, dean of student affairs. But Tanakeyowma says it shouldn’t matter whether it’s in the constitution. “Resolutions are just as legally binding as any other amendment to the constitution,” Tanakeyowma said. But while two separately elected student governments have grumbled about Marquez, the college has yet to receive a formal complaint since he was hired, Tanakeyowma said. Marquez has turned down multiple requests to comment about his role as adviser on the record. the resolution was passed. He will return to his original posiIn an email to Tobias, Marquez tion at the Student Outreach Office wrote, “within the ASG constitution by the end of March, a move that has there is no specific section which nothing to do with student dissatisclearly outlines the role of the Adviser.” faction, college officials said. Tobias says Marquez cited logistical Despite the frustration of delays, backlogs, and ignored her requests for Tobias is glad the role of future ASG a document that should be available advisers will be more clearly defined. to the public. Marquez made her feel like he was She received a copy of the resolution eight and a half months later, not doing her job she said. “That’s my job,” Tobias added. from Marquez but from Flores. The college will hire an interim Agendas and minutes from past adviser for the spring semester. years are kept in the Student Life
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
Campus clubs could receive some fresh funds. If approved, the voluntary $1 Representation Fee paid during registration will go towards clubs. “It’s going to allow students to become educated through speakers, seminars and legislative bodies,” said Justine Cathey, Associate Student Government vice president. A similar fee was passed at Santiago Canyon College in spring 2011 and raises about $45,000 annually. ASG expects to receive about half that. —Carolina Tovar
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
NEWS
BICYCLE SAFETY If bus fares are too high, consider bicycling as an alternative, then follow these tips to avoid theft.
RACK YOUR RIDE
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
Avoid securing your bicycle to benches, which are not covered by security cameras.
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HIGHER RIDE / To meet growing costs, OCTA raised its bus fares by $7 a month. / David DeRidder / el Don
CHAIN THE FRAME Don’t lock your bike by the tires. Thieves can remove them, leaving you with just a spare.
OCTA RAISES FEES
RIDERS STRUGGLE WITH FARE HIKE
BY YESENIA VARELA / el Don
T LOCK IT UP RIGHT Campus security has teamed with the bookstore to offer heavy-duty U-locks for $7.99. —Shane Collins and C. Harold Pierce
hree times a week, freshman Jackie Pedraza wakes up at 4:30 a.m., scarfs down a quick breakfast and hustles to catch the route 55 bus on Katella Avenue. Until recently, she spent about $33 a month to purchase the Youth 30 Day pass. But Pedraza has been paying an extra $7 since the Orange County Transit Authority raised all bus fares last month. Pedraza and other members of her family find the increase in the bus fares difficult to adjust to. The fare increase is necessary to
address rising costs, OCTA spokeswoman Laura Scheper said. California law requires that OCTA collect 20 percent of its income from its passengers. If the transit authority fails to do this, then it loses state funds, Scheper added. Santa Ana College sophomore Jocelyne Poblador wouldn’t mind the increase so much if there were more buses in circulation. But to soften the blow, OCTA added the 5 Ride Pass. It allows riders to choose the days to complete five rides, instead of having to pay for a single ride or day pass. “Since they are asking for more money from the clients, they should improve [the bus system] since we
are paying for it,” Pedraza said. In response to passenger complaints about bus arrival times, OCTA plans on updating the Text 4 Next system. Scheper says the updates to the system will send the accurate bus times, including if the bus is on time or late. If OCTA does not raise prices now, it could lose state funding, making fares even more expensive. Still, the fare increase puts pressure on its passengers. “Both school and transportation is expensive for students and we need to pay for other things as well,” Pedraza said. -Crystal Concha contributed to this story
TREE TROUBLES
NEWS Liz Monroy / el Don
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
BY AARON VASQUEZ / el Don Instead of properly maintaining trees on campus, college officials decided to give the aging landmarks the ax. About 18 eucalyptus trees were removed from the campus mall during winter break. Tree removal price varies, but at $2,000 per tree it could add up to $36,000, said Vice Chancellor of Business Operations and Fiscal Services Peter Hardash. The decision came after a branch fell in 2011, crushing a metal trash can north of Dunlap Hall. “The campus is showing its age,” President Erlinda Martinez said. “Pipes are bursting, trees are falling.” Arborist Robert Hunter from Treesmith Enterprises recommended the removal because of the safety hazards an improperly maintained tree carries. He also suggested thinning the remaining trees to help reduce weight, which would lessen the probability of a branch falling off. An improperly pruned limb can cause
smaller branches to grow, which can weigh the tree down. Cutting off an entire branch also exposes a tree to pathogens and leads to decay, according to the report. Improper pruning makes trees more expensive to maintain throughout their lifetime, and any branch that causes damage may lead to a finding of negligence, according to the report. An outside contractor prunes the trees each January for $11,000, as campus maintenance workers do not have the necessary equipment to take care of the large trees. “I think trees represent the history of SAC, whether we know it or not,” Martinez said, adding that students study better in a park-like atmosphere. Other trees on campus have been cut because they blocked security cameras. “They did it backwards, they put in the cameras then cut the trees,” Safety Officer Tom Urbina said. “Some angles were so bad you saw nothing but leaves.” “For each tree that is removed, two will be planted in its place,” Martinez said.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
CAMPUS: Falling limbs caused by improper pruning have forced campus officials to put safety before beauty and cut down more than 18 trees.
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
NEWS
COMMUNITY PROFILE
SANTA ANA HOSTS FIRST GUN BUYBACK
RESIDENTS RESPOND TO LOCAL SHOOTING
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
BY C. HAROLD PIERCE / el Don
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HAND OFF / Det. J. Rodriguez passes a pump shotgun to Sgt. Eric Paulson after clearing the chamber of any rounds. / Eric Lomeli / el Don
TRADE OFF / Residents swapped guns for gift cards during Santa Ana’s first buyback event held in the wake of a shooting rampage last month. / Eric Lomeli / el Don
A tattooed woman toting an oversized purse crossed police lines at the northeast corner of Civic Center Drive. While approaching a group of officers she fumbled through her bag. Detective C. Achziger went for his gun and cut her off before she rounded the corner. Grabbing the bag, Achziger rifled through it and whiped out a stainless steel snub-nose revolver. Glancing back at the woman, he tossed the gun in a crate. Instead of getting the cuffs, she was handed a gift card. Santa Ana is just one of dozens of cities working to regulate firearms in the wake of a streak of gun-related violence. “This isn’t the end-all, or silver bullet to remedy gun violence, but we know that the guns returned here won’t be used in a crime ever again,” Santa Ana Police Department Chief Carlos Rojas said. Santa Ana’s first gun buyback in February attracted hundreds of residents looking to exchange their guns for gift cards. After 20-year-old Saddleback College student Ali Syed went on a rampage last month, killing four including himself, Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer urged the community to come together to end the “17 days of bloodshed” in the county. “I’ve talked to too many friends and neighbors who are living in fear. It has to stop,” Spitzer said. Nationally, there were about 14,600 murders in 2011, or one every 36 minutes, according to the FBI. About 1,800 of those murders were committed in California, more than 1,200 with a gun. Syed’s rampage stretching from Irvine to Villa Park opens anoth-
er chapter in high-profile mass shootings in Orange County. Last month, former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was suspected of murdering an Irvine couple inside their garage before leading police on a week-long manhunt that left two police officers dead and three injured. In 2011, Scott Dekraai opened fire in a Seal Beach hair salon where his former wife worked, killing eight and injuring one. Addressing the recent streak of violence, President Obama proposed a plan calling for a universal background check system, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, sides with the President, and suggests tightening background checks by eliminating the gun show loophole. “Americans are tired of all the talk following these senseless tragedies. We owe it to the people we represent to do everything possible to eliminate the unnecessary violence that’s plaguing our communities,” Sanchez said. Some believe that an assault weapons ban needs to be both reinstated and more effective. Because homicide rates did not decrease in 1994 when the ban was in effect, the bill would have to be much stronger this time around, said Alicia Samuels, a representative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center for Gun Policy and Research. Though the focus has been placed on assault weapons, handguns were used in more than 6,000 murders nationwide last year, while rifles accounted for 323, according to the FBI. Still, 69 percent of Americans
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
NEWS
GUNS: ABOUT 230 RECOVERED
310 15
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for 27 percent of murders in 2011, according to the FBI. Easy access to firearms compounds the national gun-violence problem. Getting guns off the streets is the goal of the buyback event, says Rojas, noting that stolen guns are frequently used in violent crimes. Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, said the event in Santa Ana is a model for other cities to follow. “I have children, and I understand that we have to be careful. This has nothing to do with gun control. It’s about responsible gun ownership,” Correa said. At the end of the day, 237 guns were anonymously surrendered. “There’s a possibility that some of these guns have been used in crimes, but they’ll be destroyed—end of story,” Sgt. Eric Paulson said.
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
favor an assault weapons ban, according to a Johns IN AMERICA Hopkins survey. The mental health connection to gun violence is an issue that has been neglected too long, Sanchez said. “When a young person Million guns in is exposed to violence, it the U.S. has an effect on them,” said Anne Marks, executive director of Youth Alive, an Oakland-based violence prevention group that works Number of rounds with at-risk communities. an AR-15 can fire “If you’ve experienced in one minute. trauma in your life, you’re vulnerable to be a victim again, or a perpetrator. Because your brain is developing, it makes you change Minutes before your behavior,” Marks said. someone will be Young adults account murdered in the U.S. for the majority of violent crimes committed with a gun, according to a study by Johns Hopkins. 17-to 24year olds were responsible
7 10BW-04_4.7x5.4_Bautista.indd 1
1/16/13 11:49 AM
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SPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
DONS FINISH WITH WINNING RECORD
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
Eric Lomeli / el Don
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The Santa Ana College men’s basketball team finished the season with a winning record for the first time in six years. Despite losing its best player Chad Young to a torn ACL in the first week of practice, the Dons finished with a 15-12 record and a playoff berth. Young will return next season as a redshirt sophomore and will be team captain Head Coach David Brieg said. —Gus Padilla
SHOOTER / Sophomore guard Kevin Ramirez scored five points and assisted on two baskets in the Dons’ first-round road playoff loss to the Irvine Valley College Lasers, Feb. 27. It was the Dons first playoff appearance in two years. / Eric Lomeli / el Don
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SEASON RECAP
SOPHOMORES LOSE FINAL HOME GAME
Eric Lomeli / el Don
Guards Berlin Ohanesian, Liliana Gonzalez, Andrea Thompson and forward Emily Hale played in their final Dons basketball game Feb. 22 for a 74-64 loss against visiting the Saddleback College Gauchos. The Dons went 1-11 in Orange Empire Conference play, winning its only game at the expense of Fullerton College. The Dons finished under .500 for the fifth consecutive season. Despite the Dons losing record, Ohanesian made First Team All-Orange Empire Conference after averaging 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Ashley Whisler received second team honors. —Eric Lomeli
FAST PACED DONS TAKE EARLY EXIT
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BY GUS PADILLA / el Don
he Don’s first playoff berth in two years lasted one game. Irvine Valley College eliminated the Santa Ana College men’s basketball team 69-55 in February during the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association playoffs. Following the lopsided loss, the players’ disappointment and frustration was clear in the locker room. “We definitely failed as a team,” freshman guard Cammie Lewis said. “They came out hot hitting three’s, and we just couldn’t stop them.” Lewis started the game at IVC after coming off the bench
in the two regular season games against the Lasers. He hit four of 12 field goal attempts while making all four of his free throws, finishing with 12 points. After winning eight games in the 2011-2012 season, the Dons mixed a group of freshmen with four returning sophomores. The team had to withstand the loss of two impact players. Guard Chad Young tore his ACL in the first
week of practice and forward Kashif Williams was academically ineligible. Young will be next year’s captain, Head Coach David Breig said. Without multiple post players the team lacked size, finishing with at least two rebounds less than their opponents per game, the second worst differential in the conference. “When a 5-foot-10-inch guy is boxing out a 6-foot-3-inch guy, he can reach right over,” Breig said.
Despite a bleak off-season that began with key losses, the Dons started strong going 10-4 in the first two months. The story changed once conference play began. The team finished 5-7 in the Orange Empire Conference, but its strong start helped SAC to a 15-12 record overall. It is the Dons’ first winning season in six years. For now the bitterness of the early playoff exit overshadowed the goal of making the post season. “We accomplished our main goal,” said Large. “But to go out like this … it hurts.” Large played at SAC three years ago before serving two years in the Navy. He averaged 12 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, both team highs. Captain Kevin Ramirez, Raymond Barros, Chase Miller and Large are all transferring. But 10 players return next year, including guards Lewis, Emanuel and Martin Kim. They played at least 17.8 minutes per game, contributing a combined 29.1 points per game.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
SPORTS
MASKS ON THE DIAMOND HEAD GAMES PART 3 OF 3
High-profile head injuries have spurred a slow but growing movement to make the game safer
I
n the Dons first softball game of the season, pitchers Devon Rodriguez and L.A. Harbor’s Veronica Webb walked to the mound wearing something normally foreign to the diamond: a facemask. It was such a peculiar sight that Santa Ana College Sports Information Coordinator Jason Kehler asked, “Is this a new rule we are not aware of?” Dean of Exercise Science and Athletics Avie Bridges replied that it isn’t. The pitchers wore them of their own choice, for protection. Football and soccer are commonly associated with concussions, but baseball and softball also deal with the problem. High-profile pitcher beanings in Major League Baseball, as well as everyday mishaps, have been quietly pushing the sports towards changing the pitcher’s headgear for the first time since the two sports were created. The sight of a pitcher wearing a helmet is sacrilegious to purists. But a player is vulnerable and results can be fatal if they choose to not wear protection. “Sometimes the ball comes off the bat so quickly that the
pitcher can’t react. It is something they may start considering,” Athletic Trainer Nora Schug said. The pitcher’s proximity to the batter is also part of the issue. The mound is 43 feet away from the plate. Depending on the length of her stride, a pitcher can be anywhere from 35 to 38 feet away from the box after releasing the ball. “It doesn’t give them much reaction time to get their glove in protection mode,” Co-Head Coach Jessica Rapoza said. “Sometimes you don’t have time to flinch and the ball is past you.” Aside from the mound’s proximity, technological advances in bats and balls have Rapoza thinking facemasks may be required for pitchers and fielders. “Scientifically the game has progressed, but pitchers have stayed the same,” Rapoza said. “Eventually it is going to reach the point where every pitcher is wearing a mask. And I would say third basemen too.” Not all the Dons’ athletes share the sentiment. “I don’t prefer to wear a mask. I can move quickly and protect
IN DEVON’S WORDS
myself,” freshman pitcher Chantal Oelrich said. Pennsylvania-based Unequal Technologies began to develop a Kevlar-based protective devices pitchers can wear on the mound after a high profile head injury almost took the life of then-Oakland A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy. But manufacturers face resistance from athletes. “Players are not going to wear something if it looks outrageous, is distracting, or offsets their normal equilibrium,” said Greg Miller a media representative for Unequal Technologies. The frequency of high-profile beanings concerns some professional ball players. “While we can’t disclose any names, we can tell you the players are genuinely interested in adding extra protection and are receptive to the prototypes we’re making available,” Miller said. For Rodriguez, who probably won’t earn a lucrative multi-million dollar contract playing professional softball, the choice is clear. “At first I thought it was stupid and hideous,” Rodriguez said. “Then I decided I would rather keep my face looking nice.”
“I started wearing the mask as a freshman at Santiago Canyon College, the same season I watched a line drive hit a teammate in the face. Raquel Carbajal needed surgery to repair broken facial bones. She is so scared she can’t stand in the dugout.”
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERIC LOMELI
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HITTING
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After 16 games the Dons softball team has already matched a team-record 18 home runs. Four players combined for 15 of the 18 home runs. Sophomore Devon Rodriguez leading the team with six while slugging 1.000. Freshman Sabrina Perez has hit four and knocked in 14 RBIs while walking a team-high 13 times. Freshman Heather Robertson has three home runs and is slugging .821. Becky Poirier has two, while scoring 10 runs. “If we keep having quality at bats I expect we will hit the ball hard,” Rapoza said. “If it ends up over the fence, then it does.” Besides hitting the second most home runs in the Orange Empire Conference, the Dons lead the OEC with 61 walks. The Dons power surge becomes more effective with speedy base runner Alexandra Perkins, whose 16 stolen bases are more than Golden West College and Orange Coast College combined. / ERIC LOMELI / el Don
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE / EXPANDED GAME COVERAGE
scouting report:
SPORTS
TEAM PLAYER / Third baseman Alexandra Perkins laid down a sacrifice bunt in the Dons final at bat Feb. 27, setting up the game-winning run against Cypress College.
DRAMATIC ENDINGS The Dons went 1-2 through three home games, including a walk-off win against an Orange Empire giant.
RCC TIGERS [5] VS. SAC DONS (3) FEB. 20 / HOME
STORY AND PHOTO BY ERIC LOMELI / el Don
Starting pitcher Devon Rodriguez was close to shutting down undefeated Riverside City College, pitching five and two-thirds innings of three-hit ball. But Tigers shortstop Natalie Barrios hit a game-tying two-out solo home run, sending Rodriguez to the bench.
SAC DONS [4) VS. CYPRESS CHARGERS (3) FEB. 27 / HOME Santa Ana waited 19 games through seven years to topple an invading giant. Freshman first baseman Sabrina Perez laced a walk-off single that scored sophomore left fielder Becky Poirier from second base as the Dons handed Cypress its first conference loss, 4-3. “I am glad to be part of the team to end the streak,” Poirier said.
SCC HAWKS (8) VS. SAC DONS (4) MARCH 1 / HOME BECKY POIRIER / OF
Before throwing a single pitch March 1, visiting Santiago Canyon College knew what to expect from sophomore righty Devon Rodriguez. “We had a game plan for Devon. She was our teammate last season and that played in our favor,” said Hannah Romanski, Hawks third baseman.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
VIEWS
STAFF EDITORIAL
CAMPUS
WHEN HOMEWORK TURNS TO GOSSIP
Joseph O’Brien / el Don
TAKING THEIR POWER BACK ASG leaders mobilize to define their adviser’s role after a resolution limiting his power was buried for more than four years.
T
he recent political maneuver by the Associated Student Government in redefining the adviser’s role is just one step towards restructuring the hierarchy within student government. A resolution outlining the adviser’s role in 2009 was buried until last February. After months of being stonewalled, ASG President Edna Tobias received the resolution not from the adviser but from a former ASG president. Agendas and minutes recording public meetings in a college should be accessible to everyone. They are public documents and provide information to the community about campus policies.
The student leaders’ inability to access these documents shows the need for better procedures to retain and retrieve such materials. It also shows a need for greater respect of student rights. Our rights should not be taken for granted. Moreover, this incident should empower student leaders to make decisions that benefit the entire student body. Placing the resolution on the ballot this March will allow students to decide whether the power should be placed in the hands of elected officers, or in their adviser’s. A student government must be run by duly elected student leaders, not by a paid staff member.
HEALTH
CUTTING DOWN ON ELECTRONIC CIGS
Shane Collins / el Don
The popularity of electronic cigarettes centers around restrictions against smoking real cigarettes in public spaces. It is not illegal to smoke e-cigarettes, but it should be. They reinforce the bad habit people are trying to shake. All versions of e-cigarettes have proven to be an annoying and ineffective alternative to smoking, so chew the gum or get the patch but stop blowing smoke in my face. —Aaron Vasquez
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
Eric Lomeli / el Don
A pile of homework weighs on your mind, so you settle into a quiet cubby of Nealley Library only to hear conversations of fellow students. No librarians swoop in to shush non-whisperers. The library should be a peaceful environment, not a hangout for gossiping and checking Facebook. If you really want to chat, go to The Spot for a gabfest. You won’t be disturbing anyone there. —Marissa Adams
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonews.org
VIEWS
Orange County’s substandard system of food inspection should give customers an appetite for change
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
FAILING GRADES / 2012 food inspections of many downtown Santa Ana restaurants have resulted in minor and major health code violations, including (from left to right) Memphis at the Santora, Chapter One: The Modern Local and The Gypsy Den. / Joseph O’Brien
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OPINION
CRITICAL CONDUCT I BY JOSEPH O’BRIEN / el Don
t has been five years since an Orange County Grand Jury report recommended that the county adopt Los Angeles County’s ABC restaurant grading system, yet nothing has changed. O.C.’s current health inspection system gives a pass/no pass grade and relies on a 24-hour closure as punishment rather than a more important factor: transparency. Los Angeles restaurants receive a C for acceptable, B for good and an A for superior. Any restaurant scoring below 70 must immediately close and post the score number that they received from the health department. This system has been responsible for a decrease in the number of reported food borne illness cases since its implementa-
BEFORE YOU DINE OUT
Prior to dining, patrons could take steps to ensure a night of fun does not result in stomach illness the next day.
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Look on ocfoodinfo.com for all inspection reports of restaurants in your area. Check menus online to avoid any physical allergies or personal conflicts. Check the front door for when the last health inspection took place.
tion in 1998, according to the report. A restaurant receiving a B or C grade can bring about hesitancy in a consumer and gives eateries an incentive to uphold first-rate health and safety standards. Orange County’s system lumps inspection levels together, leaving customers largely unaware of standards for which restaurants are held accountable. In the past year nearly every small cafe and hipster diner in Downtown Santa Ana has received major or minor health violations, resulting in temporary closures from reasons ranging from “Lack of/Improper Handwashing/Handwashing Supplies” to “Evidence of Vermin Activity/Presence of Animals/Insects.” The current pass/no pass standards do not sufficiently hold restaurants accountable for their bad practices. Until health inspections change, restaurants will never make the grade.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
STYLE
FIELD OF GLOBAL VISIONS
HOTLINE RETRO RUNES
DARING DUO
CHEESY CLASSIC
RUNNING AMOK
Jagex Game Studio Runescape
Usher Go Missin’
Downtown Santa Ana The Grilled Cheese Spot
Atoms For Peace Amok
Jagex Game Studio has released a remake of the 2007 Runscape servers. With a $2 online membership fee, you can relive the nostalgic feelings of being back in elementary school. With the classic Runescape theme song playing in the background, you’re thrown into the world of Gielinor you once knew as you go from fishing to cutting wood. This remake is sure to keep you entertained for hours.
Usher presented his Valentine’s Day gift to all his fans with the single Go Missin’. Usher partnered with DJ and Producer Diplo to create a sound different from his usual R&B style. A calming melody mixed with an upbeat and transient background rhythm, Usher sets this single apart from classics like Burn and Yeah. It is easy to imagine that you are dancing at a club to this electrifying new single.
The Grilled Cheese Spot in Downtown Santa Ana is a hip new food joint with a focus on the craft of grilled cheese sandwiches. The menu boasts more than 15 different cheeses and offers six in-house sandwich choices or a $6 build-your-own option. The Starving Artist is a perfect grilled cheese stuffed with balsamic portobello mushrooms and gruyere cheese. The Grilled Cheese Spot is located at 318 W. 5th St.
— MICHAEL SANCHEZ
— YESENIA VARELA
— JESUS PACHECO
The surreal album Amok by Atoms For Peace takes cues from ambient, glitch and electronic music. Vocalist Thom Yorke wears his influences on his sleeve with mystical lyrics that echo Neil Young over beats that harken back to his collaboration with Modeselektor. Amok is a very emotional album; tracks are dark, beats are loud, and Yorke’s voice is mysterious as he sings in one of the best albums of the year. — AARON VASQUEZ
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
ART / The Main Gallery features Visual Integration: Interpreting the Cultural and Visual Landscape, from six Vietnamese photographers, until April 4.
popularized from 1850 to For the first time in a 1870. Most of his work uses decade, the Main Campus specialized techniques. The Art Gallery will feature an process takes anywhere all-photography exhibfrom a few weeks to several it. Visual Integration: months to complete a single Interpreting the Cultural piece of work. and Visual Landscape, with “His style of photogportraits and nature photography is very traditional” raphy by six Vietnamese said Gallery Director Phil visual artists. Marquez. “He was the one “We wanted to show the portfolio for the Vietnamese that brought all these artists together for the gallery.” community,” said photogThe show also features rapher Tri Tran. “We like to canvas prints from renown represent the community to offer them our best artwork.” photographer Nick Ut, who The pieces vary from received widespread acclaim for his Pulitzer Prize winlandscapes to portraits. The ning photograph, Fleeing carbon prints from Tran stand out as the focal point Napalm Bomb Attack. Ut’s documentary style prints are of the gallery. Combining a snapshot of life in Vietnam contemporary and early photographic styles, his sim- from past through present. The collection will be in ple compositions make for on display until April 4. stunning images. Tran uses a style called carbon transfer, a format — AARON VASQUEZ
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
STYLE
GAMING ON A BUDGET HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS
Bethesda
Fallout: New Vegas
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
Bethesda’s game, Fallout: New Vegas is the sixth installment in the Fallout franchise. Released in 2010, New Vegas presents players with a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas waiting to be tamed. With quests, ghouls, mutants and crazy militias fighting for power, New Vegas offers adventurers hours of game play for only $26 new on Amazon.com.
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— SHANE COLLINS
FLOP / Aliens: Colonial Marines scored a low Metascore, 42 out of 100 points on Metacritic.com. / Photo Courtesy of IGN BY J.P. CHABOT / el Don
I
f you’re serious about video games, you’re going to be spending serious cash. That’s great for big business but not so good for consumers. The bigger a game gets, the more expensive it is. College students are going to bleed money if they don’t take precautions to save every step of the way. Rental services like Gamefly cost $22 a month for two games at a time. You might not enjoy a game as much as you thought you would, so committing $64 to a single purchase is not a good idea. First-person shooters like Call of Duty move so quickly that they’re over in a few hours, while role-playing games like Fallout: New Vegas can last some 40 or more hours in game play. If you decide to buy a game, spend your money on a used title. Game companies try to entice buyers by giving them in-game bonuses if they purchase a new title at full price before
it comes out. Sometimes games just aren’t as good as their pre-release hype, as seen in the Aliens: Colonial Marines release. New games, at times, are nothing at all what people expect them to be. Go retro by purchasing older games. Sites like GOG.com specialize in providing “good old games” for a fraction of the price. Some of these classics, like Alpha Centauri or the original Fallout, are beloved because they provide hundreds of hours of enjoyment. Some game networks, like Xbox Live or Playstation Network, provide old-school games for $10 to $20. “Indie games” are on a par with retro counterparts due to lower graphics thresholds, and are available for a small amount of money. Several have proven to be instant modern classics, such as the horror game Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Lone Survivor or Minecraft. Explore free-to-play games with titles like Treasures of Montezuma and Team Fortress 2 on sites like SteamPowered.com.
College students are going to Valve bleed money if SteamPowered.com they don’t take SteamPowered.com precautions to is a computer gaming save every step service created by Valve. “Steam” offers low cost of the way. titles from classics like Pac-Man to new games like The Walking Dead. Their prices vary from free-to-play games to full-priced titles.
— SHANE COLLINS
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
STYLE
FOOD REVIEW
A PRECOLUMBIAN CULINARY ADVENTURE BY TEREE SALDIVAR / el Don
E
veryone knows their mom’s cooking is the best, but when madre is not in the casa then Head Chef Rogelio Martinez comes close. When you walk into Casa Oaxaca’s stain crafted walls you feel as though you’ve walked into your neighbor’s house for dinner in Mexico. With tropical curtains, small mythical statues and walls adorned by murals, the ambiance is warm and inviting. Waitresses wearing white dresses are full of smiles and prompt attention confirms it: like any hospitable host, they make it known that they want you to stay. Oaxaca is known as Mexico’s culinary capital for its pre-Hispanic food’s. The style involves using medium to hot spicy chilies in the traditional seven types of moles that developed from their state in southern Mexico.
Infused with chocolate and 32 spices, flares of pasilla and guajillo chilies give a sweet smokiness to the dark brown mole sauce. “It’s so popular, we have to cook gallons of the sauce daily,” said Martinez, who also owns the restaurant with his wife Angelica. Before the Spanish Conquistadores arrived and brought domesticated livestock to the Americas, the indigenous people of the Valley of Oaxaca subsisted on a diet of tubers, squash, corn, nuts and chilies. Martinez incorporates this rustic cuisine with hints of vibrant to mild spices, blending their flavors. While there, indulge in their horchata, which is unlike your favorite tacqueria’s version. For one, it’s pink and infused with melon and speckled with walnuts. The chilacayote looks gross and swampy but the strings of squash add a pleasant surprise. It also packs the sugar rush of 13 pan dulces. Martinez plays with other exotic ingredients too.
Try his version of nopales, a somewhat sour cactus salad, mixed with onions and tomatoes. If you’re really adventurous, get your mouth on the tlayuda. This large tortilla is first layered with black beans, fresh string cheese like quesillo and cabbage, then topped with thinly sliced pieces of juicy beef, tasajo, spicy Oaxacan sausage and tomato and avocado slices. The bold Oaxacan sausage enhances its mild flavors. Vegetarians need not be left out. Rajas de chile pasillas con crema, a side of chopped roasted peppers and corn in cream will make you wipe your plate clean with your tortilla. Martinez intends to keep the essence of his Zapotec culture by traveling to Mexico to source ingredients and find inspirations for his restaurant. Searching for authentic fare inspires his modernist take on an ancient culinary tradition. Casa Oaxaca, 3317 W. 1st St., Santa Ana.
“Giving the world a taste and history of Oaxacan gastronomy is something you’ll experience only here,” Head Chef Rogelio Martinez said.
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
VIBRANT / A colorful array of indigenous cuisine that’s not your typical TexMex fare. / Erick Soria
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2013/eldonnews.org
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