el Donon
sPoRTs: Pitcher R.J. Hively and
the Dons defense allowed five unearned runs and three errors in an 11-9 loss to Santa Barbara City College. SAC is 7-3 on the season. 11 sTYle: Bigger isn’t
always better when it comes to baked goods. Snag a recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes sure to please a sweet palate. 7
SANTA ANA COLLEGE
liFe: A trip to Vietnam is only down the street for those night owls craving a savory fusion of innovative Asian cuisine. 8
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010 • VOLUME 87, ISSUE 7
citation rules anger drivers
STAYING
SOBER
Long waits, fewer stalls and increased fees lead to frustration missed classes, tardies By Michelle Wiebach el Don News Editor A buzzing gold Toyota Corolla zooms down the aisle of Lot 6 in search of the perfect parking spot. A spot. Any spot. Eyes darting from left to right, architect major Evelyn Garcia spots the red glow of a truck’s tail lights. She gravitates to the red glow like a bug drifts to light. Zap! No spot. She slams the brakes, hits the steering wheel and exhales in frustration. She’s been circling for more than an hour by now, hunting for that spot. To her right she catches another red glow. This time it’s promising. The space frees up. She’s got it. She pulls the keys out of the
IN DEPTH PART 1: Recovery is a daily struggle for those trying to kick alcohol addiction. By Kathie Espinoza el Don Editor in Chief
Pat doesn’t know what normal is, so he drinks to try to feel that way. He struggles with sobriety every day. This is his third try and he hopes it will work this time. His relationship with alcohol began when the drinking age was still 18 — the same age at which he had his first blackout. Driving home from a party in Wisconsin, he woke up at O’Hare Airport with no recollection of how he ended up there. Even after multiple blackouts, Pat still denied he had a problem. It took five days of being in a motel room, boozing and snorting cocaine, to realize he had a problem. Pat is one of millions of recovering alcoholics in the United States. For them, the story rarely changes — they have thrown away college educations, big time jobs, houses with white picket fences and loving families who try, in vain, to help them into recovery. “I had the home and the family, but I tore it all down. All the times I got sober my life changed completely, but I never changed and that was the problem,” Pat said. There are 14 million alcoholics in the nation. Experts estimate that 32 percent are of college age. Some students see drinking as a reward for a long week of studying or a job well done. “I work really hard all week, I go to school and I have two jobs and I deserve to have fun on the weekends,” said Lindsey Areaga, a SAC student who averages seven or eight drinks on a good Friday night. “I’m not going out every night and getting drunk.” For many college students who drink to relieve stress this leads to a lifelong burden for them and their families and, for some, years of addiction. Young adults often overestimate the drinking habits of their peers and assume their fellow students drink more than they actually do. Some of this can be attributed to aggressive advertising campaigns that often lure the
Please see dRinK, Page 5 Read staff editorial, Page 9
THE START Every day in the U.S. more than 13,000 children and teens take their first drink.
Please see TicKeT, Page 3
THE RISK
THE STAKES Every year 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 to 24 die from alcoholrelated injuries, including car accidents.
American youth who drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than young people who do not drink before the age of 21.
THE STATS
The 25.9% of underage drinkers who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all underage drinkers.
PaRKinG RUles • Permits are required at all times unless parked in visitor parking only for 30 minutes. • The green zone indicates 20 minute parking only. • Motorcycles do not need a permit if parked in designated areas marked in lots.
State enrollment numbers falling SAC losing more students than Community Colleges statewide By Felipa Penaloza el Don Staff Writer For the first time in five years, student enrollment at the California Community Colleges has declined by 1 percent. The 110-college system will lose an estimated 21,000 students for the 2009-10 school year, said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott. Santa Ana College enrollment dropped from 28,489 in spring 2009 to 23,530 by fall, almost a 20 percent drop in the number of students attending.
The decrease comes as a result of the state budget deficit that has led to cutting a number of available classes in recent years. The 2009-10 school year has seen a 5 percent reduction in course availability statewide with SAC cutting 10 percent of classes every semester, cramming more students in remaining classes and increasing class sizes. “Our classes are now fuller. Some classes that had 20 or 25 students now have 40,” said Vice President
Please see dRoP, Page 4