11/12/12

SAN JACINTO TIMES Vol. 23, No. 5

e student publication of the San Jacinto College District

President Obama takes charge of divided nation

During the campaign, the administration directed attention towards college students saying the White House intends to stand up and defend financial aid.

“Higher education cannot be a luxury,” President Obama said in a video news release in April, “It is an economic imperative that every American should be able to afford.”

During his first term, President Obama increased Pell Grants to reach an additional three million students and lowered interest

rates on student loans by 3.4 percent. According to the IRS, the president plans to make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent.

Without intervention, it will expire at the end of 2012 eliminating a number of tax credits available to students and their parents.

President Obama addressed higher education in his victory speech in Chicago on election night.

“You’ll hear the determination in

Energy drink under fire for Maryland teen’s death

Anally De Leon Staff Writer

Anais Fournier of Maryland drank two cans of Monster energy drink for two consecutive days. It was the last decision the 14-yearold girl ever made.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) caps the amount of caffeine in a soda to .02 percent, but there are no comparable limits for energy drinks. One 24 ounce Monster contains the caffeine equal to seven cans of 12 ounce cola.

Anais had a genetic disorder that causes blood vessels to weaken.

This condition, known as EhlersDanlos syndrome, impeded the heart to pump blood, leaving Anais in a coma.

Anais’ parents filed a lawsuit on October 20th against the manufacturers of Monster. The lawsuit

states Fournier died from cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity resulting from the consumption of two 24 once Monster drinks. The lawsuit also calls for packaging to carry warning labels outlining the risks associated with drinking the product.

The FDA is investigating reports of five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack allegedly resulting from the consumption of Monster energy drinks. Some of the incidents date back to as early as 2004.

“Monster does not believe that its products are in any way responsible for the death of Ms. Fournier or any other fatality, and intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit,” said Roger Pondel, attorney for Monster Corp.

Dr. Kenneth Jutzy, chairman of the Department of Cardiology at Loma Linda University Medical

Former San Jac player gets baseball’s biggest prize

Former San Jacinto College baseball player, Brandon Belt, became a champion with the San Francisco Giants when they won the 2012 World Series in October.

Belt, who is from Nacadoches, was on the Gator’s roster in 2007.

That same year, he helped guide San Jac to the Junior College World Series. Belt was awarded the Rawlings Big Stick for being the most impressive hitter at the tournament. That included the best JUCO teams from all over the country. The phenom from Nac continued to demonstrate a proficiency guiding a team to a championship game during his stint at the University of Texas. The Longhorns were champs at the College World Series in 2009.

The Giants’ first baseman told www.sanjacsports.com before the start of the 2012 World Series, “This is an amazing feeling (getting to the World Series). I’ve always dreamed of being in this moment, and it’s hard to wrap my mind around it.” Belt could have taken a big payoff right out of high school in 2007, as he was drafted in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves organization, but he chose instead to lend his talents to San

Jacinto College. “Some of the best times of my life were at San Jac,” Belt said, “I’ve been fortunate to have been a part of some close teams throughout my career, starting at San Jac, and including this Giants team.”

The road to the championship wasn’t easy.

The Giants came from behind in both the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds and the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. “We performed well from behind,” said Belt. “We had confidence in each other, and it was a full team effort.”

When asked if his past success has helped lead to his current success, Belt confidently said, “No doubt. It helps to have played on a bunch of different teams that have been successful. I never played in front of a big crowd until I played in the JUCO World Series with San Jac, and I’ll never forget that.”

Belt is affectionately nicknamed Baby Giraffe as a result of the ‘funky’ play he made as an outfielder during a road game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

See Belt on Page 6

MCT Campus

Election winners celebrate victory together in Chicago on Tuesday night.

Barack Obama was elected to a second presidential term Tuesday Nov. 6, receiving 303 electoral votes and 50 percent of the popular vote to narrowly defeat Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Obama’s re-election was fueled by majority votes from Latinos, women and age groups 18-35.

According to CNN’s website, the incumbent president nearly swept the polls in the battleground states of Colorado, Ohio and Virginia.

November 12, 2012

the voice of a young field organizer,” President Obama said, “who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has the same opportunity… I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggest… We are and forever will be the United States of America.”

-- San Jacinto Times staff contributed to this story.

High caffeine levels can lead to health complications.

Center, said “energy drinks, like anything else, in small amounts are not that big a deal, but two,

See Monster on Page 6

Ex-Gator Brandon Belt, shown here in 2007, won the World

Series title with the San Fransisco Giants.

College campus threats hit close to home

Jose Alejandro

Commentary Editor

MCT Campus

Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College Marketing

In the last month it seems that schools in Texas have had to deal with plenty of bomb threats, making San Jacinto College students wonder how its campuses would handle a similar situation.

On Oct. 18, Texas State University had to call an emergency evacuation to deal with a bomb threat they received. The following day on Oct. 19, Texas A&M evacuated their school and closed it off for the remainder of the day to deal with a similar bomb threat.

Then on Oct. 24 Lone Star College evacuated its Tomball campus due to a bomb threat.

Texas State University was evacuated on Oct. 18 after

three separate emails were received which said the admissions building was going to be “blown up.” The email was received at 8:20 a.m. and read, “I will blow up Texas State up to small little pieces starting with the admissions office today at three, central time.” Captain Daniel Benitez with the Texas State’s police department told The Eagle that he couldn’t release whether the email was encrypted or with whom the email correspondence was between.

Police in San Marcos arrested 19-year-old former Texas State student, Brittany Henderson, Tuesday Oct. 23 after she was linked to the emails. Henderson was charged with three counts of making terroristic threats, one for each email.

Each charge is a third-degree felony, and carries a penalty of up to a decade in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Then on the Friday of the same week that Texas State was evacuated, Texas A&M was evacuated for a similar bomb threat. A&M students received alert messages on Oct. 19 that told them to evacuate the campus.

Erika Arredondo, a four- year student at the university, explained that the school has what they call a “Code Maroon Emergency Notification System where we can opt to receive texts and emails (via CodeMaroon.tamu.edu) alerting us of anything that we as students should be aware of.”

See Threats on Page 6

San Jacinto Times

November 12, 2012

Opinion/Commentary

Page 2

Minx Thinks: Don't kid yourself, drone attacks are terrorism That appeal becomes somewhat eclipsed, however, when your son has been blown to bits for standing half a mile from a target.

According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, between 474 and 885 civilians have been inadvertently killed in Pakistan alone. These were not firefights where some benefit of the doubt can be given for the chaos that develops in the heat of battle. Drone attacks are planned assassinations, complete with intelligence gathering and several levels of authorization.

In many cases, these casualties were not accidents. They were calculated sacrifices.

I don't think anyone put it more poignantly than Time columnist Joe Klein during a segment on Good Morning America after the last presidential debate: "The bottom line in the end is, whose four-year-old gets killed? What we're doing is, is limiting the possibility that 4-year-olds here are gonna get killed, by indiscriminate acts of terror."

Yes Joe, you laid out the bottom line, which is that you're a dude who justifies killing 4-year-olds. Is this what being a progressive means to some people? Abhor injustice and human

Asher Minx Staff Writer

Drone strikes are a nonpartisan issue for establishment politicians. Bush was the first to capitalize on unmanned aerial vehicles in combat, but the Obama administration increased their use multiple times over. Romney made it a point in the last presidential debate to express how much he agrees with that decision. Why? From a strategic perspective, their appeal is easy enough to understand.

Drones are fast, effective, and don't put soldiers in harm's way. As a risk-free method of targeted killing, the technology has been integral in the decimation of al Qaeda and the Taliban by taking out thousands of suspected terrorists and several high-ranking leaders.

Careless social media presence keeps youth from jobs, college entry

Jaclyn M. Bates Community Editor

Have you ever had a sloppy drunk weekend or an ultra embarrassing Halloween costume? Do you have friends who can’t seem to resist posting incriminating pictures or videos of these incidents on Facebook? If these scenarios sound familiar to you and you are unemployed, this could be the reason.

Employers now have access to your personal life and social life via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. College admissions specialists can also search social media. Possibly, this is why you receive more rejection letters than acceptance letters.

We live in a digital-centered era. It is so easy to hop on a search engine, such as Google, and search for someone. A search conducted by first and last name will yield your Facebook profile, Twitter account, and other websites you are a part of. A single Facebook profile contains over 40 pieces of recognizable information. They often include full name, birthday, education and employment history, contact information, sexual preference and relationship status, political and religious views, and pictures.

Screening applicants through their social media accounts is becoming a common trend among prospective employers. Facebook statuses and Twitter posts can reveal more intimate personal information, such as a sick family member or a devastating break up.

Social media can keep you from receiving unemployment benefits in addition to keeping you from being hired in the first place. Stephen Burns lost his job after his employer found out about several negative Twitter posts. Burns said his work environment was “toxic,” his co-workers were “morons,” and his administrative assistant was “dysfunctional,” “psychotic,” and “schizophrenic.” Burns’ employer had several policies set that stressed respect in the workplace and prohibited harassment and disparagement of co-workers. His employer confronted him about the in-

rights violations until you're guy is doing it and it becomes politically viable not to?

Okay sure, terrible, but Joe is a columnist. His argument may be stomach turning, but at least it's coming from someone a hair removed from the political process. The same cannot be said of Robert Gibbs. When pressed about a drone strike that killed a16year-old American citizen who had come to Yemen looking for his dad— an al Qaeda propagandist who had met the same fate two weeks earlier—the senior advisor of the Obama campaign stated, "I would suggest that you, uh, should have a far more responsible father."

Clearly that kid should have known better than to be somebody's son.

If this is the kind of explanation we accept, though, one has to wonder, why stop there? Under this new warbut-not-war logic, would it not also make sense to kill any bystanders who run in to help drone victims? They're trying to rescue terrorists, right? Also on the table, why not find funerals being held for dead terrorists and wipe out all the mourners? An entire family of terrorists, slain in a single strike.

Just kidding, we already do both of

can produce 50,000 pounds of milk per year.

Sports Editor Because we’re talking about cattle, Today, most humans do not drink and not human women, does that milk past infancy. That behavior pre- make the process any more ethical? dominantly takes place in western It depends on how you feel about anculture. Milk has been marketed to imal rights. Is it natural? Not a Americans as healthy, safe, and - chance. Most people don’t see anysome would say - patriotic. While it thing wrong with drinking cow milk may be hard to imagine a life with- because we’ve been doing it for so out dairy products, it is actually the long. way nature intended.

Imagine if it wasn’t cow milk, but Let’s start by talking about where something else. Could you consider we’re getting our milk. Milk from a it normal to drink dog milk, cat milk, cow would appear to be the best or milk from any other mammal? source because the animal is strong, “Hey bro, I just milked my Golden docile, and produces a lot.

Retriever! She had pups and now we Why don’t we use human milk for have free milk! You come over?” daily consumption? As odd as it may “No that’s disgusting. You’re sound, let’s pretend it isn’t weird to weird.” drink breast-milk past infancy.

Cow milk is for cows. Human milk Human females only produce milk is for humans and only for a short during their children’s infancy time during infancy. stages, or as long as they’re being In other parts of the world, espe“milked.” Then, the body shuts off cially in Asia, Africa, and South production as nature intended.

America, adults drinking milk is This is the same with cows. Milk taboo. It’s like watching a 30-yearproducers would not be able to ethi- old man sucking on a pacifier. cally inject hormones and enzymes The truth is daily consumption of into human women and constantly dairy products has been linked to milk them to increase production many diseases Americans are faced like they do with cows. with today. BGH has been directly Fifty years ago, a dairy cow could linked to various types of cancer. naturally produce around 2,000 Here’s a shocker: contrary to pounds of milk per year. Cows are what’s been advertised, new discovmuch bigger than humans, so this eries in science are showing milk acisn’t a big surprise. Cow milk is for- tually may contribute to the mulated to help calves grow. Today, development of osteoporosis. after many years of selective breedIn an article written by The Physiing and developmental research, a cian’s Committee for Responsible “dairy cow” that has been enhanced Medicine, they say, “Milk’s main with BGH, bovine growth hormone, selling point is calcium, and milkdrinking is touted for building strong bones in children and preventing osteoporosis in older persons. However, clinical research shows that dairy products have little or no benefit for bones...”

The article goes on to say, “Prostate and breast cancers have been linked to consumption of dairy products, presumably Art Courtesy of Asher Minx related to increases in a Brandon Hurley

San Jacinto Times

Caty Christy

STAFF WRITERS

Angelica Rodriguez, Vanessa Piña

Amy Chandler

Student Publications

Jose Alejandro

San Jacinto College

ADVERTISING Sara Quintana

ADVISER

Hellen Papadacos

CIRCULATION MANAGER Christian O’Connor

PAGE DESIGNER Christopher Shelton

NEWS EDITORS

COMMENTARY EDITOR LIFESTYLE EDITORS

Courtney Mouton, Edith Manzanares

SPORTS EDITOR Brandon Hurley

STUDENT LIFE EDITOR Janeth Cervantes

COMMUNITY EDITOR Jaclyn M. Bates

terrorism. Sometimes confirmed, more often suspected. That's not saying much, especially considering that the administration now officially assumes "all military-age males in a strike zone" to be combatants.

Couldn’t any of these people have been, you know, captured? Like we used to do? Before we started embracing indiscriminate murder? It's uncomfortable to think about, but is there not a slight possibility our preemptive strikes may be playing a contributing role in new terrorist recruitment? Can you imagine if the sides were switched, if unseen Pakistani militants were killing American civilians with remote-controlled aircraft? How much traction would an extremist anti-Pakistan group gain?

You can dress it in reaffirming nationalist sound bites and give it a spinning bowtie, but this is unacceptable. House Republicans, House Democrats, when either of your parties take a stand to denounce and reject drone attacks outside of combat zones, you can sweet talk the country about your commitment to fighting terror abroad.

Until that time, shame on you. Shame on both of you.

Please don't kill me.

New studies show Americans should steer clear of milk

criminating posts and Burns admitted to authoring them.

Burns further admitted at his compensation hearing that not only was he the author of the posts, but he also was aware of the respect policies at the time of the tweets.

At first, a referee granted unemployment benefits to Burns. The grant was appealed and the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Board of Review reversed the original decision and denied him benefits.

Burns openly admitted to posting the tweets and violating a reasonable work rule. He was denied benefits for those specific reasons.

Most employers have now put social media policies into place and usually discuss them during orientation.

The only thing to do now is clean up your social media sites.

ABCNews.com pointed out that cleaning up your social media sites is helpful during the college process.

Begin by eliminating inappropriate posts and pictures.

You should know what your friends are posting also. Even if you are not “tagged” in pictures or videos, employers may stumble upon them.

Next, tighten your privacy settings.

You have the option to set your profile’s privacy so that only your friends and you can view any posts. You should do this.

Perform your own searches. Google your full name and see what pops up.

Conducting your own research will let you know what is on the Internet about yourself.

Search engines have the ability to work around whatever privacy settings you put in place, so searching yourself can offer better insight into what is out there. Go back through your old postings.

College admissions people and employers will go all the way through your social media sites. Check your pages at least once a week to stay alert to any new postings.

A good rule of thumb to follow: If you don’t want your parents to see it, take it off.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

those things. It's called "double tapping", but if this is your first time hearing the term, you'll know it by its more colloquial name—"terrorism". I hope you're a fan, because we aren't stopping anytime soon.

In fact, according to a report the Washington Post put together based on interviews with dozens of national security officials, we are on the precipice of a new perpetual system for counterterrorism. The Disposition Matrix, as it's called, will be a next-generation list of potential militant threats that will become a part of our defense infrastructure and continue to aggregate new names indefinitely. When speaking of the drone war's timeline, the Post article chillingly states, "Targeting lists that were regarded as finite emergency measures after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are now fixtures of the national security apparatus. The rosters expand and contract with the pace of drone strikes but never go to zero."

This just might be a defense contractor's dream come true. Going beyond that though, and beyond all the legal and ethical liberties we continue taking, consider our prize at the end of the day: a dead guy with possible links to

Araceli R. Bautista Monica Davila

Anally De Leon

Liliana I. Delarosa Leif Hayman

Brooks Kubena Asher C. Minx

Adrian X. Salas

Christopher T. Villegas

The San Jacinto Times is published biweekly by the journalism students at San Jacinto College Central, 8060 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, TX 77505.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the staff, its adviser, the administration or the Board of Regents.

The Times encourages letters to the editor.

Letters must be in good taste, accurate, free from libel, malice or personal controversy.

Letters must be limited to 200 words in length. Letters submitted without the author’s signature will not be accepted.

compound called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).

IGF-I occurs more frequently in cows treated with BGH. Cows treated with BGH are also more likely to develop mastitis, or an infection of the udder. In response, they are supplemented with antibiotics that may turn up in the final product. Even more disgusting, mastitis can lead to the udder leaking a discharge, or pus, which can end up in milk that sits on grocery store shelves.

In theory, it would be safer to drink organic milk, but it’s still unnatural.

It’s like trying to build a house with the wrong raw materials, there are going to be structure problems down the road.

“Cow’s milk is a foreign substance that has pervaded every corner of our diets... Today, there is little doubt that early and frequent feeding of dairy products leads to greatly increased incidence of childhood diabetes. It has been confirmed that high cow’s milk consumption is a major cause of osteoporosis.” Said Linda Folden Palmer, DC, in her book Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby.

Switching to soymilk or almond milk is the best alternative. Most brands are fortified with the vitamins that you obtain when drinking cow milk so you don’t miss a beat.

Finally, we’ll give PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the last word on this. They’re pretty good at this sort of thing.

According to the home page of PETA’s anti-milk website, www.milksucks.com: “Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow’s blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.”

So, let me ask you one more question: “Got milk?” I sure hope not.

The staff reserves the right to edit the letters for accuracy without altering the general meaning.

Letters can be e-mailed to Hellen.Papadacos@sjcd.edu. Letters must include name and phone number for verification.

The online edition of the Times is available at http://issuu.com/sanjacintotimes Advertising space is available for $5.00 per column inch. Special rates are available. For news tips and information on advertising, contact the Times at 281-478-2752.

San Jacinto Times

November 12, 2012

8 DAYS A WEEK North

Monday, November 12 • No Scheduled Activities

Tuesday, November 13 • No Scheduled Activities

Wednesday, November 14 • Houston Fire Department Recruiter, 10 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Ladies of Integrity Meeting, 11:30 a.m., N10.128

Thursday, November 15 • UH Downtown Transfer Recruiter, 9 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Culinary Club Meeting, 3 p.m., N12.215

Friday, November 16 • No Scheduled Activities

Saturday, November 17

Central

• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, November 12 • Agriculture, Wildlife, & Fisheries Club Bake Sale, 10 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Free HIV/STD Testing, 11 a.m., C14 Lounge A • Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.11 • College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Tuesday, November 13 • Tell Us Your Story Casting Call Sponsored by Marketing, 9 a.m., Student Center • Creative Writers Meeting, 11:30 a.m., C3.257 • Live Music by Jake Ousley, 11:30 a.m., Student Center Raven Café • NSCS Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.233 • Psychology Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C2.204 • Sociology/Anthropology Club Read a Book, 1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, November 14 • Houston Police Recruiting Information Table, 9 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Anime Society Meeting, 1 p.m., C15.115 • VYNE Meeting, 1 p.m., TBA

Page 3

Spotlight on Faculty Algebra professor flying high

Vanessa Piña News Editor

College Algebra professor Joseph Fischer didn’t always intend on teaching math.

Professor Fischer graduated college with a Bachelors of Science in math and a minor in business and eventually completed a masters’ degree in mathematics. At the time of graduation the country went into a recession leaving professor Fischer unable to find a job.

He began teaching in the 1970’s.

“I wound up teaching, because that’s the only job I could find,” Mr. Fischer said. Although his field was not education, he realized he enjoyed teaching. However, he also realized that the pay wasn’t enough and he would have to leave it and pursue his original career path.

One day while still teaching, another teacher taking an appraisal course came to the math department looking for help. Professor Fischer knew the other teacher was in real estate. After helping him, professor Fischer asked a few questions about real estate.

The two struck up a friendship and the teacher he’d helped, reciprocated by sponsoring him to get his license and helping him get into real estate. He did it part time for a couple of years until he opened his own business. Though his real estate career took off and his business was doing well, Mr. Fischer continued teaching. “I kept teaching over the years, a class or two at night,” Mr. Fischer said.

Besides being a teacher and a successful business owner, Mr. Fischer never let go of his dreams and the things he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime.

Around Campus

8 DAYS A WEEK North

Monday, November 19

• University of Houston Clear Lake Recruiter, 9 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Recreation Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Math & Engineering Club Meeting, 10 a.m., N8.251 • Science Club Meeting, 12 p.m., N8.201

Tuesday, November 20 • Recreation Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., Student Center Lobby • Men of Honor Meeting, 12 p.m., N12.112

Wednesday, November 21 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 22 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday, November 25 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 26 Vanessa Piña San Jacinto Times

Algebra professor Joseph Fischer (top) poses in front of his airplane before taking it out for a flight.

“There was a time where I got into my mid to late thirties that I started to realizing that I was starting to get a little older and there were things that I needed to do before I got too old to do them,” Mr. Fischer said.

Some of the things he wanted to do were scuba diving and flying, and he set a goal to do one each year. He began with flying. This special goal took him more than a year to reach, but it paid off in the end. He now owns an airplane.

Professor Fischer has also taught a few aviation classes and continues to fly his airplane for fun. He has the advantage of visiting relatives, and takes all luggage he pleases. “We can take all the shampoo we want,” he said.

He continues to teach part time and this is his third year at San Jacinto College. Though his career didn’t take off right away, he discovered and learned new things that helped him along the way.

Central

• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, November 19 • Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117 • College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Tuesday, November 20 • Creative Writers Meeting, 11:30 a.m., C3.257 • National Society of Collegiate Scholars Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.233 • Psychology Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C2.204 • Sociology/Anthropology Club Read a Book, 1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, November 21 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 15 Thursday, November 22

• Engineering Day, 11 a.m., Science Building • Phi Beta Lambda Enterprise Day, 12 p.m., Student Center Ballroom • PTK Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.230 • GSA Meeting, 3 p.m., Raven Café • Creative Writers Poetry Jam, 6 p.m., Raven Café

• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24

Friday, November 16

• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

• TACHE Meeting, 12:30 p.m., C2.210 • Robotics Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C20.320 • SGA Meeting, 1:30 p.m., C1.155

Sunday, November 25

Saturday, November 17

Monday, November 26

• Gaming Society Meeting, 10 a.m., Student Center 1st Floor

• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117 • College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Monday, November 12

Monday, November 19

• MMA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120 • Live Music by Jake Ousley, 11:30 a.m., Student Center Atrium • Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts • Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

• Mixed Martial Arts Club Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120 • Coyote Science Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S12.109 • Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m., Volunteering Off Campus • Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts • Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

South

South

Tuesday, November 13 • Career Carnival, 10 a.m., Student Center Lawn • Service Learning Cosmetology, 11:30 a.m., Student Center Atrium • SBF Meeting, 12 p.m., S11.111 • SGA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S11.228 • Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062 • 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m., Tennis Courts

Wednesday, November 14 • Career Carnival, 10 a.m., Student Center Lawn • HSF Meeting, 1 p.m., S9.208 • PBL Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S8.2018 • Philosophy Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S7.102 • WEBB Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S7.156 • Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m., S7.100

Tuesday, November 20

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Wednesday, November 21 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 22 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24

Thursday, November 15 • GSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S9.250 • SVA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S8.2066 • Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062 • 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m., Tennis Courts

• SBF Meeting, 12 p.m., S11.111 • Student Government Association Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S11.228 • Game Enterprise Guild Meeting, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062 • 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m., Tennis Courts

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• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday, November 25 • College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 26 Friday, November 16 • MMA Meeting, 9 a.m., S21.120 • PTK Meeting, 1 p.m., S6.152

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Saturday, November 17 • No Scheduled Activities

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• Mixed Martial Arts Club Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120 • Coyote Science Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S12.10 • Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m., Volunteering Off Campus • Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts • Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

November 12, 2012

From the Cover

San Jacinto Times

Ink more accepted, still problematic

Araceli Bautista San Jacinto Times

David Young, 29, proudly displays his tattoos.

Araceli Bautista Staff Writer

A job seeker is typically expected to look as professional as possible when going on a job interview. This means, they should be dressed modestly, be well groomed, and have a confident demeanor.

With more companies instituting strict policies regarding tattoos, are tattoos also a factor in determining professionalism?

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 36 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 25, and 40 percent of those between 26 and 40, have at least one tattoo.

Student Danny Arrazola, age 47, does not have any tattoos of his own but said he has seen a significant change in opinions over the years.

“When I was younger, tattoos were thought to be sort of gangrelated and overall had a bad rap.

Nowadays, you see people with tattoos everywhere. Times have changed. I think the idea that tattoos are unprofessional will go

away with time,” Arrazola said.

Although public opinion has shifted, there is still some stigma surrounding body ink.

According to The Patient’s Guide, a website dedicated to skin care, within the last year laser tattoo removal has increased by 32 percent.

Many cited employment as the reason for undergoing the procedure.

Tattoo removal businesses often see new college graduates concerned their tattoos will hinder their chances of getting a good job.

“I’m currently self-employed so there’s no need to hide my tattoos,” San Jac student Diana Higgins said. “I always had to cover them up with my past jobs and it was so frustrating. Once I got hired for a retail job and the day after my orientation I got a call from the store saying that visible tattoos were restricted.”

“Tattoos are a beautiful way to express yourself and in my opinion it’s demeaning when companies turn someone down simply because they don’t think tattoos

are appropriate for the workplace.”

Student Robert Davila agrees with Higgins.

“Who’s to say that a person with no ink is a better employee than someone with a sleeve of tattoos?

A person’s skill and work ethic should be the deciding factor rather than their physical appearance,” Davila said.

While many feel they are discriminated against because of their tattoos, companies have the right enforce policies regarding them.

“I have countless friends who’ve had to cover or remove their tattoos because of a job. Of course, I understand their reasoning behind it, but I think it’s a shame that a lot of people still see tattoos in a bad way,” San Jac student Angel DeAnda said. “I couldn’t work for a company that didn’t accept my tattoos.”

Although some agree with DeAnda, not everyone can be as picky. Texas’ unemployment rate may have decreased, but the desperation for jobs is still present.

Personal career coach Elena Grymes suggests students who decide to get tattoos should choose a career path that will not leave them regretting their tattoos later.

“I encourage my clients and job seekers in general to be themselves and if that means expressing themselves through tattoos then absolutely go for it,” Grymes said.

“A lot of employers provide a bit of leeway when it comes to tattoos. If you’re able to cover them up with pants and long sleeves, it isn’t a problem.”

While Grymes disagrees with anti-tattoo policies, she urges job seekers to do their research and find out about a company’s dress code before pursuing a job there.

Belt

Continued from Page 1

Brewers. The former SJC Gator was the Giants’ highest ranked prospect at the start of the 2011 season. Belt made the Opening Day roster that year, but jumped back and forth from Major league to AAA six dif-

Monster

Continued from Page 1

three, or four in a day is raising the caffeine and sugars, we really don’t know how safe it is long term.”

The Association Doctors of Nova Scotia from Canada is asking their providence to ban the sale of caffeinated drinks to

Threats

Continued from Page 1

Arredondo also said that the first text message she received was at 11:34 a.m. which read “Code Maroon. Bomb threat received for campus in general.

Evacuate campus by foot immediately. Do not use vehicle.”

Texas A&M canceled classes for the remainder of the day until authorities cleared the buildings of any threats. The campus remained closed until 4:02 p.m. when students received an eight message which read, “Code Maroon Campus is reopened. Uncleared bldgs still closed. We're confident event

Page 6

ferent times throughout the season. His role has since increased and the numbers don’t lie.

Belt played 145 games and had a .275 batting average with seven home runs, 56 RBIs, and 47 runs scored. He also stole 12 bases.

In the final game of the World Series, Belt hit an RBI triple in the second inning to give the Giants an early lead which they

-- Brandon Hurley contributed to this story.

those under the age of 19. This is the same association that successfully lobbied the government to pass a law making it illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to tan.

At Cape Breton University in Canada, an exchange student had an outburst after consuming an energy drink. His psychiatric report indicated that he was heavily intoxicated with caffeine. He was charged with mischief, creating disturbance,

and criminal harassment and was sent back to Korea.

Monster Corp. sales lead the energy drink market garnering a 39 percent share. Following closely behind, Redbull and Rockstar sales have also benefited from the surge in popularity of energy beverages. The energy drink industry is expanding internationally to Ecuador, Hong Kong and Slovenia with more to follow next year.

venues are safe.”

Closer to home, Lone Star College evacuated its Tomball campus after a threat was received at 1:31 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 24. The school posted an emergency alert on their website at 2:12 p.m. and later that afternoon the all-clear was issued at 4:40 p.m. after authorities found no evidence of a bomb on campus. Houston Business Journal reported that all classes were canceled at the Tomball campus as a precautionary measure until bomb squads from Montgomery and Harris counties were able to sweep the entire campus.

This latest evacuation follows a clear number of bomb threats at colleges in Texas and across the country and has students

asking, how would San Jacinto College handle a situation like this?

When asked about this topic, Officer Ludwig said that information on this issue is limited to students and to the San Jacinto Times because they don’t want to publicize the manner in which they would handle it.

They don’t want bomb threats being called in after students know the full details, but he added that police would assess the situation and respond accordingly. The one thing that was clear is that, just like any other major situation at San Jacinto College, students should expect a San Jac Alert message, the same way that A&M students received their Code Maroon.

lost in the sixth and would have to regain in the 10th to secure their place in history books as world champs.

Belt offered some advice to players who have big league dreams of their own: “Keep working, never give up, and be determined. Find out what you do well and do it 100 percent.”

San Jacinto Times

November 12, 2012

Baptist Student Ministries offer warm meals, recreation Anally De Leon Staff Writer

The Baptist Student Ministry located on Central Campus grounds is promoting spiritual and moral growth of individual students. At BSM, students can get involved in Bible studies, missions, and conferences.

BSM is sponsored and joined with other facilities throughout the State of Texas.

Scott Flenniken has directed the Central campus location for over 20 years. His duty as a guide, as well as that of other volunteers, is to clear up thoughts of those students who are part of the organization and ultimately understand and follow Christ.

Short Bible studies are available every Wednesday beginning at 12:15 p.m. and are based on leadership principals. Their purpose is to lead students to honorable and acceptable conduct by recognizing right and wrong in society.

According to Flenniken, BSM installations are meant to offer a more intimate feeling compared to the intensity of students at the student center. It is a place to meet and make long friendships with students who are there just to relax. Ping-Pong and pool tables are also available for student use.

The facility opens every day at 9 a.m. and is operated by the volunteers.

BSM is partnered with 120 local Baptist Churches from around the local area. Representatives of the churches donate their time to bring students a warm meal. The organizations understand that the average college students are always busy as in a full time job. By bringing in the meals, the members help the college students be well nourish and alimented which are factors for prosperous students. The free lunch is served every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. More than 160 students take the advantage every Wednesday and drop by for the

delicious lunch. All students are encouraged join for lunch and give thanks.

Anyone who attends SJC or any other college is welcomed to come. It is completely free and opened to all religious preferences. “We want students to come in and see what we are all about,” said Flenniken.

Students can sign up for missionary pastimes. Missions are available all across the world from Hawaii to East Asia. Students take the opportunities to help the ones in need.

The requirements to join a mission are to have a valid traveling VISA and raise partial trip expenses.

The nationwide BSM Club donates the remaining funds to covers a portion of the dues.

Christmas break and spring missions are now open for student’s enrollment.

For more information contact Scott Flenniken or visit Gonowmissions.com.

cess in college is the most important factor within FYE’s existence.

One of the tools FYE uses is New Student Orientation (NSO) for incoming students. “We take them on a tour of the whole campus, show them around, and we also guide them through registration.” Jennifer Garza, San Jac student and second year FYE Mentor, said.

NSO is the first impression first year students will have of college, many of which are new to the community and surrounding areas. When asked if NSO pro-

vides an opportunity for students to get to know other students, she replied, “Yes. Of course, and as well because we (FYE Mentors) are students as well.”

Another tool FYE has in place is its Calling Campaign, which facilitates the contacting of first year students by designated FYE Mentors. The Calling Campaign’s goal is to make sure students are doing well during vital points of the semester, and ensuring they continue to register for classes.

“We’ve been doing this for many, many years.” said Liz Garcia, FYE Coordinator for San Jac-

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Student Life & Community

Final Exam Schedule

Classes That Meet

Exam Day

Exam Time

10 a.m./10:30 a.m. MWF or 10 a.m. MW

Monday, Dec 10

10:15 - 12:15

Monday, Dec 10

2:45 - 4:45

8 a.m./8:30 a.m. MWF or 8:30 a.m. MW 12:30 p.m. MWF or 1 p.m. MW

2:30 p.m. MWF or 2:30 p.m. MW 5:30 p.m. MW

7 p.m. M or 7 p.m. MW

Monday, Dec 10 Monday, Dec 10 Monday, Dec 10 Monday, Dec 10

8 a.m./8:30 a.m./9 a.m. TTH

Tuesday, Dec 11

1 p.m. TTH

Tuesday, Dec 11

9:30 a.m./10 a.m. TTH 2:30 p.m. TTH 5:30 p.m. TTH

7 p.m. T or 7 p.m. TTH

Tuesday, Dec 11

7:30 - 9:30 8:00 - 10:00

Wednesday, Dec 12

2:45 - 4:45

Wednesday, Dec 12 Wednesday, Dec 12

open

Thursday, Dec 13

7 p.m. TH

5:15 - 7:15

10:15 - 12:15

Thursday, Dec 13

4 p.m. TTH

12:30 - 2:30

Wednesday, Dec 12

7 a.m./7:30 a.m. TTH

11 a.m./11:30 a.m. TTH

8:00 - 10:00

2:45 - 4:45

Tuesday, Dec 11

Wednesday, Dec 12

7 p.m. W

7:30 - 9:30

Tuesday, Dec 11

11:30 a.m. MWF or 11:30 a.m. MW 4 p.m. MW

5:15 - 7:15

10:15 - 12:15

Wednesday, Dec 12

1:30 p.m. MWF

12:30 - 2:30

Tuesday, Dec 11

7 a.m./7:30 a.m. MWF or 8 a.m. MW 9:30 a.m. MWF

8:00 - 10:00

12:30 - 2:30 5:00 - 7:00 7:15 - 9:15 8:00 - 10:00

Thursday, Dec 13

10:15 - 12:15

Thursday, Dec 13

2:45 - 4:45

Thursday, Dec 13

12:30 - 2:30 7:00 - 9:00

First Year Experience transitions San Jacinto College students into higher ed life

Adrian Salas Staff Writer

Having a successful collegiate career is a challenge. How does one start off college on a good note? San Jacinto College believes it begins with a department called First Year Experience (FYE).

FYE was established in March 2011 to address the issues of student success and student retention for first year college students.

The goal of providing a first year experience to incoming students that will allow them to have suc-

into College’s central campus.”

“The first round is within four to five weeks of school to say: ‘Hey, how did it go? Did you buy your books?’”

Throughout each semester FYE sponsors events. According to their department brochure, FYE’s events are meant to “encourage student participation in campus activities, support the academic mission of the college, and connect first-year students to their campus communities.”

FYE changes some of the events from year-to-year to adapt to the changing environment at

San Jacinto College.

This year, all three campuses held a new event called Kick-Off Priority Registration. This event gives enrolled students an opportunity to register for classes before new students. The event also encourages students to look ahead for registration.

According to Garcia, “We recognized that this date was here (priority registration). We learned last year that not a lot of students took advantage of early registration. So, we really wanted to prevent that (this year).”

As a result FYE held the KickOff Priority Registration.

This demonstrates FYE is constantly developing and willing to change their routine to accommodate the experience of first year students.

According to Garcia, there are roughly 2,500 first time students this semester. FYE’s target audience is first time students.

The Mentors and Coordinators will accommodate and guide any student looking for help.

They also partner with other departments within San Jacinto College to broaden their outreach.

San Jacinto Times

November 12, 2012

Sports & Fitness

Another day at the office

Heartbreaker ends Coyotes’ season Brooks Kubena Staff Writer

The Coyote’s season came to an abrupt end in a gut-wrenching loss to Paris Junior College on an overtime penalty kick in the opening round of the Region XIV Tournament. This marks the team’s second straight overtime playoff loss, after losing in the second round to Tyler last season.

Ranked eighteenth in the country, the Coyotes headed into the tournament hot off an 11-1 tear at the end of the regular season, defeating Paris twice during that streak. But the playoffs ended sooner than expected, leaving the team to wonder what could have been.

“I think the guys did very well, especially being a young team with so many freshman and myself being a first time head coach.”

Head coach Ian Spooner said. “I think we were all disappointed in

Page 8

the way it ended. We felt we were the better team against Paris. We just didn’t finish our chances and ended up losing in a penalty kick shootout. It can go anybody’s way in soccer. But all in all, I think the boys did very well. I was very proud of them. To go 12-4-1 is very good.”

Falling short of the Regional Title for the second straight year, head coach Ian Spooner will take a young team through the off-season.

With 16 returning players, Spooner will have plenty of talent in next year’s roster. Those players have seen what it takes to rebound in a season, turning a 2-3 start into a nine game winning streak.

“I think we learned a lot through this season.” Spooner said. “I think we realized that we all have to work together, play together, and it’s more than just an individual player that’s going to win a game for us. I think that showed

Ravens push streak to 25

throughout the season. I think the guys just learned that it takes hard work every game and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, whether it be a ranked team or a non-ranked team that we have to come out and play hard in the game for the whole time.”

With a year of experience under their belt, both Spooner and his returning players know what the next step is.

“The next step is winning that playoff game to move on to the District Championship. I think we are right there on the edge waiting to break through. It’s a big group of players that should be coming back. We’re almost there and they know what it takes, so we should be able to get over that hump next year.”

Paris Junior College moved on to the NJCAA District Tournament, beating Pearl River Community 1-0, then were eliminated

by Tyler Junior College 5-0.

Brooks Kubena Staff Writer

Courtesy of San Jac Marketing

Pole dancing extends beyond adult entertainment

Lady Ravens return a serve during a match with Baytown.

that time the concept of pole dancing had expanded and changed across the world.

Chinese pole use was mainly from circus professionals. They would have a pole about three to nine meters in height laced in a rubber material and wear full body costumes.

Chinese acrobatics would display their skill on the pole through climbing, sliding down, stretching and holding positions. The burn marks the performers would get from the training became a way for them to identify and have respect for one another. The acrobats influenced circus acts that followed them, including Cirque De Soleil.

Indian pole use was mainly from wrestlers. Mallakhamb was used to develop speed, reflexes, concentration and coordination. This training helped increase stamina, strength and endurance. It was beneficial for other sports such as Judo, horseback riding, and gymnastics.

Pole dancing disappeared for centuries and reappeared around the start of the 20th century. During the depression, traveling circuses would set up tents and women would dance around the tent poles. These were known as the hoochie coochie dances according to IPDFA and Pole Diva Dance.

The pole craze was believed to have kicked off in Canada in the 1980’s. A woman named Fawnia Mondey-Dietrich was one of the world’s first pole dancing champions and a decade later she started

Monica Davila Staff Writer

Monica Davila San Jacinto Times

Instructor Lisa “Elle” Anders demonstrates the body strength necessary to dance on a pole at Yoga Rasa in Houston.

Spending time on the pole is not just for strip clubs. It is a sensual workout that helps boost confidence and helps improve control of the muscles in the body.

Dancing in skimpy outfits and showing off ‘the goods’ for entertainment is not everything that pole dancing is about and it did not start that way.

According to the International Pole Dance Fitness Association (IPDFA) and Ezine Articles, the first recorded strip tease comes from an ancient Sumerian myth when Inanna, the goddess of love, descended into the underworld to find her love Damouz. At each of the 7 gates of hell she removed an article of clothing or a piece of jewelry. Some believe that this myth evolved in the Dance of Seven Veils of Salome from the Bible. Different countries have different names for their type of pole such as Chinese Pole and Indian Pole.

IPDFA and Pole Diva Dance both state that pole dancing dates back to the 12th century with Maypoles — African tribal dances where women would dance around a wooden pole in front of men. Some believe that they danced in front of men they were engaged with to show how she wanted him to make love to her.

Others believe the intention of the dance was to boost fertility.

The wooden pole was destroyed in 1547 as a ritual because it was considered a pagan idol, but by

teaching and released the first instructional pole dancing videos.

Now, pole dancing is still considered both sensual and erotic by many and is still found in strip clubs, but it has also evolved as a form of aerobic dance. Many fitness clubs offer pole dancing for both men and women who are not only signing up for a form of exercise, but also to gain confidence.

It is becoming so popular that groups of women are holding “hen parties” to learn pole dancing.

“It is difficult to calculate how many calories are burned during pole dancing because there is more than one action occurring.

Every muscle in the body is worked, hanging upside down while spinning while holding out your legs is not an easy task.” said pole dancing instructor Elle Saizl.

“The less clothing worn the better because bare skin can get a better grip on the pole.”

There are many pole competitions to this day. The competitions have become so organized that the IPDFA began pushing for the sport to be included in the Olympics.

The effort to include pole dancing in the Olympics was initiated

by K.T. Coats. IPDFA seeks to gain the International Olympic Committee’s recondition of pole dance as a sport by speaking with the Olympic committee members about the facts.

The fusion of Chinese circus performers, energetic acrobatic skills of Indian wrestlers, and alluring sensuous dance skills of the Western world are what make up pole dancing today.

Winning a closer game than expected against Wharton Community (18-18) 3-2 in the regular season finale, the Lady Ravens extended their win streak to 25 games and clinched the top seed in the Region XIV Tournament.

Head coach Sharon Nelson and her team are looking to win their eighth straight Region XIV title, facing off against Trinity Valley (18-10) in the opening round. The wake-up call against Wharton may have been a valuable lesson heading into a game versus the lowest seed in the tournament.

“Any given day, anybody can beat anybody.” Nelson said.

“We’ve really worked on being level-headed and taking each game one ball at a time, one point at a time. There’s always possibility of anything happening in volleyball.

It’s very momentous-oriented. Anything can happen at any time in any game. So I definitely don’t feel like we’re looking past [Trinity Valley]. I think we’re really focused on taking care of the ball.

Some of the games we’ve had lately pointed that out to us.”

The number one ranked team in NJCAA Volleyball will head into the tournament without leading in any team statistic categories. The highest individual statistic performer is sophomore middle blocker Oni Lattin, who is fourth in blocks per set (1.35). But that’s not the type of team they are. They lead in the one category that matters: wins.

“I really think this team defines team chemistry for me.” Nelson said. “They are very much a team.

They really sell out for each other.

If someone is really having an off day, they will step up for each other. They don’t make excuses.

We’re probably the biggest we’ve been in the middle since I’ve been here. I think everyone steps up and does their job really well. Just working together and buying into [the system], this is probably one of the better groups I’ve had for that.”

With six players six feet tall or taller and a team average of 5’10”, San Jac has been able to control the net against their opponents.

A win against Trinity Valley would send them to the Regional Final to face the winner between third seed Laredo Community and fourth seed Panola.

Finish to Go Further with WGU Texas

Graduates of Texas Community Colleges Receive: Ê Ê Ê

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Learn more at texas.wgu.edu/sjcc or call 1.877.214.7011.