2009_0317_CT_v63i12

Q KNIGHTS’ DREAM

CityTimes www.sdcitytimes.com

Team’s winning streak comes to an end

SPORTS / PAGE 16

Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945

Volume 63, Number 12

March 17, 2009

‘Hey Governator, what do you say?’

Students and staff protest recent budget cuts Evonne Ermey City Times “Hey Governator, what do you say?

How many programs you cut today?” was the rally cry City College protesters used to grab the attention of downtown pedestrians as they marched the 25 odd blocks from City College to the San Diego County Administration Building on Feb. 26.

The protesters, ranging in number from 20 to 30, were made up mostly of Associated Student Government and Promethean Workers Association members unhappy with the recent budget cuts passed by the California Legislature in February.

As reported earlier this semester by City Times, City College alone faces $1.8 million in budget cuts for the 2009-10 school year.

State programs slated for the cutting block include CalWORKS, Medical, MTS funding and education. The cuts, along with tax increases, are the legislatures response to the $42 billion gap in the California budget.

San Diego Police Officer Cory Mapston said there have been four budget-cut protests downtown in the past two months.

Needless to say, students concerned about state funded education benefits and or reliant on public transportation or state funded childcare are nervous about what is to come.

“The programs they are cutting right now are all the programs that are helping the needy. Why are you going to cut programs for the neediest of needy people in an economic downpour?

They can cut some tax benefits from the multibillionaires in Hollywood,” said Josef Shannon, co-coordinator of the rally and Associated Student Government vice president.

Shannon, who relies on both medical and public transportation to get to school, is one of many who will be directly affected

See CUTS, page 5

Carlos maia City Times

An assemblage of City College students and Associated Student Government members rallied Feb. 26 along Broadway as they were escorted by the San Diego Police Department. The student demonstrators were headed toward the San Diego County Administration Building in order to protest state budget cuts.

Book sale on campus success with the students Shannon Kuhfuss City Times Students flocked to City College’s 12th annual Library Book Fair held on March 11. The fair was located in Gorton Quad and went from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Book Fair operated based on the donations of books from the City College community. The books ranged from ages children to adult and covered every genre

Index

Take Note.................................2 Arts........................................ 6 Focus...................................... 8 Opinion..................................10 Sports...................................16

under the sun.

Some students, such as Ben Riley, found more than they expected when coming to class Wednesday morning.

“I had no idea this was even going on, but I wandered over to see what the crowd in the Quad was all about. There were a ton of books I wouldn’t have thought to buy. I bought a book on French. I don’t even speak it, but now I just might learn to.”

The tables in the Gorton Quad remained fully stocked with not only books, but also students and faculty throughout the day.

Volunteers from the City College community worked from morning until night seeing that the books were organized, customers were helped, and the sales were taken care of.

The Book Fair called for donations of any books available, but no magazines. The donations were so plentiful that boxes full

Inside

Q NON-WEDDING

Group’s event takes Prop. 8 to task

News / PAGE 3

of books were piled next to the tables for the customers to rifle through.

The proceeds from the fair went to the City College Library, with each book only costing customers $1.

“It’s nice to be able to get some great books at lower prices. I donated as well as bought books. I know the money being made from it is going to a good place, so I’m very happy to take part in the fair,” said student Emily Chiaz.

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City Times

TakeNote

Take Note

March 17, 2009

Dance in the deep end By Emily Mather

Compiled by Jessica Brandom Get your event in the paper. E-mail us at citytimes@gmail.com or call (619) 388-3880

March

April

n March 17 Student services fair providing information about student services. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Schwartz Square.

n April 3 Last day to withdraw from class and receive a “W”

n March 17 Blood drive and HIV testing available from UCSD antiviral van. 9 a.m. -3 p.m. in Gorton Quad.

n April 6-11 Spring break classes not in session.

n March 24 Arabs in history lecture presented by Prof.

Haddad from 11:10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in D-121 A/B.

n April 13-May 27 “Beauty in Captivity” historical exhibit displaying arts and crafts created from found material in and around World War II concentration camps. Objects curated by the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego and displayed in the LRC.

n March 27 Last day to petition for graduation for an associate degree or a certificate of achievement.

n Take note The business resource center, room T-311 A/B is open to server your business needs, Mon. - Thurs. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Correction

In the Feb. 24, 2009, edition of City Times, a story on page 3 about SIFE speaker John Warren incorrectly identified a student as Berta Briseno. There was a mistake and the person named was supposed to be Maria Guadalupe. City Times regrets the error. It is the policy of City Times to clarify content or correct errors. Send them to the paper at citytimes@gmail.com or call (619) 388-3880.

Fashion-naughta By Michele Suthers

City Times places best in show with ACP Journalism Convention on March 1 was held in San Diego at the Marriott Mission Valley.

This was the newspaper’s first The Associated Collegiate Press awarded City Times with year attending an ACP event in at fourth place in Best in Show in least 20 years, according to journalism adviser Roman S. Koenig. the two-year college category.

City Times’ Feb. 24 issue was The 25th Annual Associated USArmy.SDCC.4.9x7.7.BW.ai 11/18/2008 3:31:35 PM Collegiate Press National College entered into the competition, with Vanessa gomez City Times

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stories consisting of San Diego City College’s student-run farm.

The issue also featured numerous stories on sports, opinions and general happenings around the campus.

Koenig mentioned the award

See ACP, page 12

March 17, 2009

CityNews

City Times

3

‘Shame on City College,’ union protesters say Donna p. Crilly City Times Protesters are blaming San Diego City College for a “desecration of the American way of life.”

Carpenter’s Local 1506 labor union calls EF Brady/San Diego a “rat” contractor and is holding a banner in front of campus as a protest against Brady Co. and City College for hiring them.

A “rat” is a non-union contractor that doesn’t provide benefits, pensions and prevailing wages to all employees on all jobs, according to Randy Thornhill, business representative for Carpenter’s Local 1506.

He claims that they have an “unfair competitive advantage.”

“The union blames City Col-

Donna p. Crilly City Times

Labor protesters stand in front of City College holding a sign, “Shame on City College.” lege for hiring Brady Co. based on state law mandating the “lowest responsible bidder” on public works jobs while ignoring the pay of workers on private jobs.

Full-family benefits, pensions and certified training programs are available to workers no

matter whether it is a private or a public job, claims Brady.

The “Shame on San Diego City College” sign holding started in February when Brady began work on the Career Tech Center, but the dispute began more than nine years ago, according to Scott Brady, president/owner of EF

Brady Co. “We lose several jobs every year because of them,” said Brady. “Luckily, I have high-performance, high-quality contractors who do about 200 jobs a year.

The union makes me lose about five.”

The protest won’t affect the

construction of the building, according to David Umstot, vice-chancellor of facilities management for the San Diego Community College District.

Umstot assures that a “very good” labor compliance program checks to make sure every worker is paid the right wage on labor respected by state law.

An anonymous former steelstud framer for Brady, who now works for Carpenter’s Local 1506 claims that in the five years he worked for Brady, he should have earned roughly about $10,000 pension but only received about $5,000. He also didn’t receive vacation pay and overtime and worked more than 2,000 hours per year.

See SHAME, page 13

FAGS marks Prop. 8 with non-wedding nate hipple City Times Members of the Fellowship of Associated Gay Students and Straight Allies (FAGS) staged a non-wedding March 5 in the Gorton Quad.

The ceremony coincided with the California Supreme Court’s hearings on whether or not Proposition 8, which banned gay marriages last November, was unconstitutional.

The non-wedding was decorated with all the pomp one might expect from a same-sex marriage: The rainbow flag whipping in the breeze, a ROYGBIV of balloons and streamers, two sections of folding chairs with an aisle down the middle.

But those chairs were empty.

And there was no minister to perform the rite.

What happened to the duos of brides and the pairs of grooms?

Where were all the wedding

guests?

FAGS members posted bulletins at the demonstration to explain: “Sorry for the inconvenience, but due to marriage not being equal in California, this wedding has been cancelled.”

According to Jason Fry, the president of FAGS, the non-wedding was “meant to make us feel the absence,” he said. “It’s about how our right to marry was taken away.”

Despite the absence, a recording of Pachelbel’s Canon in D major (a traditional wedding song) was being played at this anything-but-traditional wedding ceremony.

Frye sliced a column of triplechocolate cake as the third violin of the Canon began to resonate through the quad.

“I hope they’re gonna overturn Prop. 8,” he said over the somber music. “But for those satisfied with inequality,” he grinned, “let

Carlos maia City Times

Business major Lex Lee uses the free speech wall to express her sentiments about gay marriage and Proposition 8 during FAGS’ nonwedding reception. Prop. 8 passed in November 2008. them eat cake.”

Prop. 8 eliminates same-sex couple's rights to marry. The law, 14 words in length, states: “Only marriage between a man and a

woman is valid or recognized in California.”

Supporters of Prop. 8 praise the California law for upholding a time-honored view of traditional

marriage: an institution reserved for a man and a woman only.

Such a view is promoted on

See PROP. 8, page 5

Obama brings economic relief to students President’s stimulus plan includes tax cut for higher education Emily Mather City Times A college education is essential in today's job market, but in times of financial insecurity many students and families struggle to make tuition payments. That is why President Barack Obama has set a goal to make college more accessible and affordable under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In an effort to invest in the

future of the United States by jumpstarting our economy, creating and saving jobs, and addressing long-neglected issues the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 takes on the challenge of modernizing the nation's infrastructure by providing tax relief, producing jobs, preserving and improving affordable health care, enhancing America's energy independence, and expanding educational opportunities.

To expand educational opportunities and make college more affordable a new higher education tax cut will be provided to nearly four million students.

There are three different tax breaks students can claim, the Hope Scholarship, the Lifetime

Learning credit, and the tuition and fees deduction.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit replaces the Hope Scholarship through the stimulus act effective only for tax years 2009 and 2010 and can be claimed in years one through four of college, has a maximum credit of $2,500 per year, and up to $1,000 can be claimed even if federal income tax does not need to be paid.

The Hope Scholarship has a maximum credit of $1,800 and can be claimed by students in their first two years of college.

The Hope credit can only be claimed for fees and tuition and is not refundable so it cannot be claimed if not enough is earned to pay income taxes.

The Lifetime Learning Credit and tuition and fees deduction can be used any year of college and includes grad school.

College will become more affordability for seven million students by funding Pell Grants that increase the maximum award level by $500 to $5,350 for 20092010 and to $5,550 for 2010-2011 increasing the maximum Pell Grant award by $1,500 or 37 percent since the 2006-2007 school year.

Unlike a loan a grant does not have to be paid back. To be eligible for Pell Grants and tax breaks related to college tuition students must first apply for Federal Student Aid, which will then calculate eligibility based on income.

Most students however won't

be awarded the maximum grant because they will be on the edge of eligibility.

Like Medicare and social security, grants under the stimulus act become an entitlement program automatically putting money into the program every year instead of being dependent partially on annual appropriations from Congress. The problem with entitlement though is it does not accommodate for regional cost of living so even if a student lives in a high-cost area they may not qualify.

To expand work-study programs and service opportunities, $200 million will be provided for an additional 133,000 students to get paid for work related to their major or community service.

4

City Times

NEWS

March 17, 2009

Ready, set, ride: Critical Mass takes to the streets Ariana sanchez-fierro City Times Bicyclists from all over San Diego shouted, circled the fountain and set off sirens to pump themselves up for the 20 mile bike ride that took place Feb. 27.

Critical Mass, originating in San Francisco, has now become an international event for bicyclists to have their voice be heard: bikes are a fun, safe, and reliable mode of transportation.

“It starts with everyone going in a circle around the fountain, and than we take off across the bridge and from there the ride is open to whoever leads it,” said David Mullin, who was riding in Critical Mass for his second time.

Although there is no set route, the goal is to ride 20 miles, but participants are allowed to stop or rest freely. It has been rumored to have around 1,000 bicyclists participate in this new age cultural event.

“Reactions are mixed, some people are very interested, others are mad they have to sit and wait in traffic for ten minutes,” said Alex Ludington, a seven-time Critical Mass participant.

There has been no record of fatalities while partaking in Critical Mass, but there have been

aurora Mckeehan City Times Cyclers mill around a staging area before their 20-mile ride around San Diego. Critical Mass, originated in San Francisco, draws hundreds of bycicle afficionados from all over San Diego County. some injuries and instances where locals do not appreciate bicyclists over-powering the streets.

“Sometimes bikers stop cars, but usually cops stop traffic or set up barriers, which has helped out

a lot for a smoother ride,” adds Ludington.

“It’s interesting how people find out about critical mass. I was sitting in traffic waiting for them to pass by last month, and decided to try it out,” says Anthony Vattu-

one, a first-timer at Critical Mass.

Observers of the sea of bikes that overrun the streets and interrupt the flow of traffic have contributed to the recruitment of fellow San Diegans to partake in the excitement of a night, group

bike ride.

“We want to support fellow bicyclists and ultimately enforce bicycle awareness,” said Kathy Keehan, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. “We are here to support the effort, and act as a voice for bicyclists to elected officials throughout San Diego,” adds Keehan.

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit organization that devotes time to improving bicycling throughout San Diego. They have approximately 1,100 members, 99 percent of which are San Diego County residents. To join the coalition or for further information check out: www.sdcbc.org.

“It’s a pretty mellow ride, and we are all here to have a good time,” said Kyle Verger, a veteran of Critical Mass.

Anyone and everyone are invited to join in on the fun ride.

What started off as a bike ride to show the versatility of bikes and to raise bike awareness, Critical Mass progressively advanced into a global event. Critical Mass occurs every last Friday of the month, and the meeting spot is at the fountain in Balboa Park. For other locations throughout the country, check out www.meetup. com for a Critical Mass near you.

P building pushes City forward Donovan terblanche City Times Improving San Diego City College athletics — a tough task that was four years in the planning and over a year to complete the building. The proposal to improve the P building into a state-of-the-art modern feature has its roots in Propositions S and N. City College is close on a century old and once the renovations are complete and the hard work is over, the P building will reopen in October.

The faculty who had the vision and foresight to realize that it was imperative that the campus upgrade the athletic facilities at City College have fought long and hard to make this dream a reality. It is now under the guidance of the Athletics Director Kathy McGinnis, the workhorse behind the athletics department.

“It’s going to be a state-of-theart facility,” McGinnis said.

The P building will consist of Exercise Science classes, and be fitted out with facilities that will bring it into the 21st century. It will consist of teaching stations and rooms that will incorporate

numerous activities along with offices, locker rooms, a state of the art weight room along with cardio and kickboxing.

Community colleges do not offer scholarships like four-year schools, and the young men and women who attend here do so for the love of the game and as an acknowledgement to the great coaching staff we have at City College.

The new P building will host a variety of modern features such as an up to date medical center with a doctor’s office. It will have spinning, yoga and martial arts classes keeping up with the trend of modern worldwide sports.

These new activities offered will make City College a first-class destination for future students and assist in their decision of what school to attend. The new facility will include boxing bags, speed bags and weight training.

With the new era of the P building City College will be able to host opposition teams more comfortably and are looking forward to starting an athletic team, with a limited focus on track events.

City College is a full service sports facility and the new P build-

ing will have a laundry facility and equipment maintenance room.

The new P building is an extension of the campus, although across the street it is an integral part of City College and the classes on offer will be far more enjoyable and appreciated in the new complex. Students are encouraged to go over and support our teams the City Knights, as the young men and women who participate in the variety of sports on offer are brilliant athletes who would appreciate your support.

Along with the renovation of the P building, it is hoped to relay the tennis courts as the tennis team grows in strength.

The P building will make locker rooms more accessible to the tennis and softball team as they currently have to use old dilapidated rooms.

Another feature will be the media room, in which teams will be able to go over tape of the opposition as all professional teams do, the current viewing room is small and a larger viewing room will be greatly appreciated as the time spent in there runs into countless hours.

carlos maia City Times

Kathy McGinnis, dean of Health, Exercise Science and Athletics, gives City Times a tour of the P building in progress.

Notetaking 101: Tricks and tips for students Michele suthers City Times Effective notetaking is essential for successful test taking, writing papers and raising and maintaining students’ GPAs. Listening is a key element in notetaking however.

Statistical research indicates that students can recall only 50% of what they hear and in fact, 20-30 percent of this is inaccurate.

Fortunately, there are ways to improve listening habits and, in addition, there are sophisticated

and varied notetaking techniques available for free online.

Two helpful sites to search are dartmouth.edu and calpoly.edu.

Students should be prepared for listening and notetaking by getting a good night’s sleep, bringing paper, pens, even highlighters to class and don’t forget the coffee.

Students are responsible for listening and resisting the temptation to drift or tune out of information that might not be understood.

Try to listen to speakers patterns and ways of organizing lecture and listen for the main ideas

and facts that the instructor is trying to define.

There are several methods of notetaking, most found online.

It is optimal to have at least one notetaking buddy for back-up and to pool specific notes and facts.

Studies show that one's recall is highest right after a lecture and rapidly declines within a half hour of leaving the class.

Specifically, The Cornell Method of Notetaking suggests that students incorporate the five Rs, which are: Record, Reduce, Recite, Reflect and Review.

A condensed and similar version for busy students would include, review, recite and reflect.

Notetaking allows the reader to recognize main ideas and to understand the organization of notes.

Some students use their own version of shorthand, different colors of pens, small drawings and doodles and columns, drawing a line down the middle of the page and writing notes taken in class on one side and adding notes from the textbook on the other side.

Studies show that 97 percent of students who write notes instead of printing them out from a laptop, are more likely to remember them.

Rewriting notes to flashcards, further commits facts to memory.

Even more, reciting notes and facts out loud helps commit information to memory. Committing facts and figures to memory saves time for students when writing papers and studying for tests.

When reviewing notes, students should take small breaks, relax and imagine that 4.0 GPA.

March 17, 2009

City Times

NEWS

Prop. 8

5

the Web site www.nogaymarriage.com, which also stated: “We need the Marriage Protection Amendment ... to keep activist judges from forcing their view of marriage on every American.�

Jason Fry, on the other hand, described Prop. 8 as “the greatest form of tyranny in our secular nation,� and compared the law’s effect to religious discrimination.

Spontaneously, two students at the FAGS demonstration decided to perform the ritual of the “first dance� in lieu of newlyweds. Pachelbel’s Canon

bounced sonorously off the walls of the cafeteria and could be heard as far as the B Street bridge.

Proposition 8 received heavy media attention in 2008 when the gay marriage debate was picked up by well-recognized public figures.

Senator John McCain, for example, was one of Prop.

8’s most famous supporters.

McCain released a video to endorse the proposition, which was passed with 52 percent of the California vote in the general election in November.

The backlash drew, among others, Whoopi Goldberg, who was spotted in a rally in New York City.

Goldberg, who washed dishes in San Diego’s Big Kitchen before becoming a Hollywood star, was photographed holding a sign that read: “FOR MY FRIENDS EQUAL RIGHTS.�

McCain’s video and Golberg’s poster help to illustrate the high-profile nature of the Prop 8 debate. This was a deeply contested issue from both sides.

Last Thursday, this debate spread over the glass walls of the City College cafeteria, where FAGS members had taped blank poster boards. “This is our Free Speech Wall,� said Frye, pointing to the blank posters, which served as the second-half of the demonstration.

Blas Castro, a member of the

FAGS organization, gripped a handful of permanent markers and invited anyone who passed by to scrawl a message on the wall. Dozens of students eagerly took pens and wrote messages, which could be seen by anyone in the Gorton Quad.

As Pachelbel’s wedding song simplified, nearing its end, Castro remarked, “I believe equality is for everyone. That is truly American.�

While California awaited the state Supreme Court’s decision, City College scholars gathered afterward to read the comments of their classmates, which were tagged to the cafeteria wall like a life-sized Myspace page.

An anonymous student wrote

Cuts

‘I don’t like it, but you have to live with it.’

most politicians. “Most economists agree that the only way to come out of this is to raise taxes anyway because there is no way else. When the economy is bad you have to at least provide some kind of public assistance to people who are unemployed or on welfare and those that go to college need some kind of assistance also,� said Obiya. “The problem we have now is that the whole world is suffering.

It’s a global issue now. This state is dependent on exports and trade from China and Mexico and all the other countries.

Obiya predicts it will take a long time “at least five years� for California to attain financial stability.

In the meantime Joseph Shannon plans to continue protesting.

He will be attending a budget protest in Sacramento March 16 and is planning another City College protest for sometime in April.

Student protesters march along Broadway downtown to draw attention to the newest California budget and the programs that will be affected.

Continued from page 3

Josef Shannon, ASG vice president

Continued from page 1 by the cuts. “If it comes down to it I’ll live with it. I don’t like it, but you have to live with it.� Shannon said. In the meantime he is taking to the streets to raise awareness.

The message ferried downtown by the demonstrators was received mildly by passers by.

Some honked and hooted to show support others rolled their eyes and others simply stared.

Gina Reza, a visitor to San Diego, pulled over in her car to watch the protestors and listen as they began to read a list of programs to be cut. Completely unaware of the budget cuts, she was sympathetic to the demonstrator’s message, but “absolutely

opposed to raising taxes� “I am absolutely opposed to raising taxes. That would affect us.� She said gesturing to her husband sitting next to her.

Tax increases in the budget include a 1 percent sales tax and a 0.25 percent personal income tax increase. A gas tax increase of 12 cents a gallon was proposed in the budget, but ultimately did not pass.

City College economics professor Alex Obiya has been teaching at City for 19 years. He sees raising taxes as imperative to fixing California’s economic crisis, though he acknowledges it is not a popular alternative for

“One Love,� the title of the Bob Marley reggae classic.

Another student wrote “One Man One Woman,� a slogan displayed prominently on yellow bumper stickers back in 2008. A Google search of “one man one woman� redirects to nogaymarriage.com on the first hit.

Another student wrote “I KISSED A GIRL AND I LIKED IT,� the title of the chart-topping song by Katy Perry, which raised controversy due to the bisexual nature of the song’s theme.

Another student wrote: “Regardless of whether you think gay marriage is right or wrong, do you want to give the government the authority over your personal lives?�

carlos maia City Times

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6

City Times

CityArts

March 17, 2009

Who watches the Watchmen?

Moviegoers last summer were in for an added surprise when they came out in hoards to see the late Heath Ledger’s performance in “The Dark Knight.”

After a lame audio-only preview of the next Harry Potter flick, an old Smashing Pumpkins song set the stage for a very dark preview featuring Nite Owl’s Archimedes and Dr. Manhattan’s lab accident.

And (gasp) there it was! The movie trailer for the long awaited movie adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel “The Watchmen.”

Could it be true? Someone finally took on the most celebrated graphic novel of all time; the novel that many claimed couldn’t be made into a movie?

Zack Snyder, innovative director of “300,” spearheaded the huge undertaking of “The Watchmen,” a Cold War era film where everyday citizens take on street crime and become superheroes, only to become pawns of the government and victims of the society they promised to protect. In a world faced with an unavoidable apocalypse and growing suspicions that they are being murdered one by one, how do the remaining everyday superheroes save the world one last time? Most importantly, would Zack Snyder do the DC Comic legend justice?

The movie begins with a fantastic montage summary of the history of the “Watchmen.”

Each scene of the introduction is brilliant in color, displaying a

large array of highs and lows of each first generation Watchmen member.

The summary was accompanied by one of the best choices of music for the movie, Bob Dylan’s classic, “Times They Are-A-Changin.” The majority of the remaining music choices had negative results for many of

Movie Review Vanessa Gomez

the crucial scenes in the movie, either because the music overshadowed the emotion of the actors and the intensity of the action scenes, or the soundtrack choices were too mainstream for the film’s darkness. The opening murder scene of the Comedian seems out of place with Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” playing in the background, while Jeffrey Dean Morgan is smashed from wall to wall by his attacker.

The only “true” superhero, Dr. Manhattan, doesn’t appear menacing to a fleeing Vietnamese military with “Ride of the Valkyries” booming over the theater speakers; it’s actually laughable. The sex scene between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II becomes that much more uncomfortable with the sleazy lounge version of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.

Even though most of the music in the movie doesn’t even

See WATCHMEN, page 13

Grande dame of jazz

Carlos maia City Times

Four-time Grammy nominated jazz singer Ernestine Anderson moved her 80-year-old vocal folds to a sold-out audience who were marinating in her legendary presence and resounding voice at the Saville Theatre on March 11. Anderson has recorded 30 albums in her five-decade career as a jazz artist, and continues to move the hearts of fans from their seats as they laugh out loud at her jokes about the air conditioning and “that memory thing” of hers, as she put it.

Music Matters for local kids Donna P. Crilly City Times

WARNER BROTHERS Courtesy Photo

The fifth annual Music Matters program, sponsored by Jazz 88.3 and Cole’s Fine Flooring, celebrated a record breaking year on March 11, collecting about 107 instruments.

Every February, the Music Matters program collects musical instuments from donors and gives them to the Community Council for Music in schools to refurbish and distribute among students at the San Diego elementary schools. This gives students, who can’t afford to buy their own, a chance to play an instrument.

Mark DeBoskey, Jazz 88.3 station manager, teamed up with George Cole, owner of Cole’s fine flooring, in hopes to give a substantial contribution to young people’s success.

“Music is so important to the development of young,” said DeBoskey. He believes that students are twice as likely to go to college as a result of playing music while stressing the importance of self expression.

“I’m still a kid, only 63, and I know that music matters. It’s a great community bonus,” said Cole, referring to his involvement with the program.

Cole has known DeBoskey for many years through the broadcast community and he is happy

Donna p. Crilly City Times

Mission Bay High School Dixie band plays at the fifth annual Music Matters event. to take part in promoting the music program. Cole plans on continuing partnership with Jazz 88.3 and CCMS next year.

Susan Jarrold, a violin donor, admits to rarely listening to Jazz 88.3 but saw a clipping in the Union Tribune and decided to donate her daughter’s old violin, which her daughter outgrew.

“I defnitely wanted to give it to a kid that can’t afford it,” Jarrold said.

Anne Marie Haney, Co-Chair of CCMS, is referred to by many as the “Mother Theresa” of music.

According to Haney, there are more than 800 instruments currently on loan to students in the San Diego school district.

The donor appreciation party featured a performance from legendary saxaphone player Doug McPhearson and the Mission Bay High School Dixie Jazz Band.

March 17, 2009

CityLife

City Times

7

Dublin Square: Irish hospitality for strangers and madmen alike “All members of the tribe are required to offer hospitality to strangers; the only exceptions are minor children, madmen, and old people.”

These words are the first you see when you enter the Dublin Square Irish Pub and Grill, an authentic Irish escape in the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp District, located on Fourth Avenue between Island and Market.

Famous for its lively bar scene, we venture further into the restaurant to sample some true Irish eats in the spirit of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Holiday.

The Horse Shoe Bar is a replica of Kilkenny’s 19th Century Tynan Bridge House Bar, made from solid Irish oak, and every detail has been reproduced, down to the moldings, panels, and hand carvings. The sign over the bar claims that “only Guinness sold here,” when truly the bar Vanessa Gomez boasts over 14 imported and domestic beers on tap, including Harp, Smithwick’s, Bass and Strongbow, a hard cider. European football broadcasts on multiple LCDs surrounding the dining area and bar. Hostesses in jumpers and suspenders take you through the dark, roomy restaurant to one of the many tables adorned by Guinness pelican decor. Typical British rock/pop and Irish bands such as U2 and Flogging Molly filled our ears as we sat down for our trip to Ireland.

The first plate was the very traditional, moderately-sized Shepherd’s Pie ($13) which brought the feeling of warm, home cooked treats to our palate. The crust was not a crust at all, but a floating pool of garlic mashed potatoes just sitting on top of the mixture of meat and potatoes. The potatoes really took over the dish, piping hot and a great consistency of chunky and smooth potato. The crumbled ground beef and rough cut potatoes blended together in a warm stew that lacked a bit of salt, but stayed true to traditional Irish cooking, that replies more on herbs than pouring on the sodium. We couldn’t get enough of the accompanying Irish soda bread, made fresh daily. This crispy, melt-in-your mouth dipping bread really fizzled like soda down our throats. We only wish we had a whole loaf of that soda goodness alone.

Boxty’s, grilled potato pancakes prepared from the original Galway recipe in Western Ireland, were next to grace our table. Our first impression of the Tynan’s Beef Boxty ($15) was reminiscent of the jumbo burritos San Diego Mexican eateries are famous for. With further investigation, we were pleased to find out that our “tortilla” was really a potato pancake, a thicker consistency than the French crepe and two steps down from egg bread. The super tender sirloin tips, soaked in Guinness and cooked just to the right temperature, were swimming in dark brown gravy that was surprisingly light to the taste; yet another surprising illusion of the dish. The drizzle of cashel blue cheese sauce made the “burrito” complete, as the creamy, alfredo-like cheese sauce was an excellent contrast to the Guinness-soaked steak tips.

What dinner is complete without dessert, and our Irish adventure would not be without ordering the Irish Bread Pudding ($6.95) the house specialty and the perfect end to our pre St. Patty’s Day smorgasbord. The overwhelming serving, enough for a party of four, truly satisfied the sweet tooth with a warm blend of cinnamon and sweet Irish whiskey sauce. The sweet strawberry slices were a nice accompaniment to the spongy, sauce soaked egg bread. This gooey concoction of plump raisins and sweet eggy deliciousness blended together in true harmony. We were left spinning not from the Irish whiskey sauce, but the satisfaction of a great restaurant experience, for strangers and madmen alike.

Food Review

Read more about St. Patrick’s Day on pages 10, 11, 12 and 14 Michele Suthers City Times

8

City Times

CityFocus

March 17, 2009

Carlos Maia City Times

This page, starting from top: Teammates from the men’s tennis team gather for a team high-five before they play against their next opponent. Freshman Diana Guitierrez returns the volley during her match against opponent from Imperial Valley. Men’s baseball pitcher Hilario Garcia hurls a fast ball toward the opposing teams batter during for the men’s baseball against Palomar College.

Carlos Maia City Times

Facing page from top left clockwise : Freshman softball catcher Jamiee Hoff is all suited up to receive the pitches from her teammates. Members of the men’s volleyball team leap up above the net attempting to block the ball from their Mesa opponents. Guard Marquintice Davis drives the ball toward the hoop during the Knights regional finals against San Jacinto.

Joe Leonard City Times

City Times

March 17, 2009

Joe Leonard City Times

Get your

9

Carlos Maia City Times

fill

Carlos Maia City Times

10

CityVoice

City Times

March 17, 2009

City Times editors respond to Zenger’s It has come to the attention of the City Times editorial board that an article has been published in Zenger’s Newsmagazine titled “Forty Years Later, Gay Lib Pioneer Still Struggles; Zenger’s Associate Editor Challenges Homophobia at City College.”

The article, written by Leo Laurence, claims that “San Diego City College is launching an investigation into alleged homophobia at the campus newspaper, City Times.”

The online version of the article is accompanied by a photo snapped by Laurence during an open class staff meeting. The photo is captioned, “A rare look inside a staff meeting of the City Times newspaper at City College, currently under investigation for alleged homophobia.”

The editorial board for City Times wants to set the record straight and confirm that at

the time Laurence’s article was published in Zenger’s, no such investigation had been launched against City Times publication.

According to the Board of Trustees administration office and City College officials, however, Laurence informed the board in his address before them on March 12 that he has since filed a formal complaint with the district.

The serious implications made

by Laurence have shocked and shaken the editorial staff of City Times. The inaccuracies portrayed in the publication have raised concern and confusion among the editorial staff.

The claims Laurence made against City Times, whether as whole or aimed at certain individuals, were all one-sided and not supported by any quotes or factual evidence for his claims.

Laurence neither contacted

Editorial

City Times Editorial Board

nor questioned any City Times staff members for his article, which was also published in an online news Web log, and distributed throughout San Diego in areas such as Hillcrest and Kensington, and even on City College campus.

In his article, Laurence claims that the City Times news editor “was taking me off the FAGS beat and would cover the organization herself, but no article about them has appeared in the City Times since then.”

In the editorial board’s assessment, Laurence’s claims are inaccurate.

Since last fall, City Times has been following a controversy on

campus regarding the Fellowship of Associated Gay Students and Straight Allies’ FAGS acronym.

Laurence was never assigned the “FAGS beat.” The issue was, in fact, covered by the City Times news editor in the fall, and continues to be covered this semester by the same editor.

City Times has published multiple articles and staff opinions on the campus issues involving the group since the beginning of the fall 2008 semester.

Laurence, in fact, was aware of the coverage on the campus issues involving the FAGS organization. He personally wrote an e-mail to City Times in praise of the coverage in September 2008, stating “professional compliments on your coverage of the ‘FAGS’ story: a front-page story, an editorial and a Man-on-the-Street type feature. Well done, and balanced with quotes.”

As a free-press publication on campus, it is City Times’ duty to remain objective in reporting campus news.

That being said, it is the right of any campus student to challenge any published content in City Times, whether it be by contacting the City Times office or writing a letter to the editor.

City Times allows letters to the editor, where one can raise any question or concerns to any of the editors or staff writers of the publication.

Also, unlike what the photo caption suggests, there is nothing rare about City Times’ staff meetings as they are held during class time and students enrolled in Journalism 210 are present.

Editorials represent the opinions of the City Times Editorial Board and not necessarily the opinions of the entire staff

Wear green and go green not just on St. Patrick’s Day Does St. Patrick’s Day still strike a fear in me to remember to wear green? Not necessarily. It was more of an issue back when I was in middle school and kids

Live and Learn Luis Bahena

used to go around giving nipple twisters for those unfortunate lads who forgot to wear their green (in case you don’t know what that is, trust me when I say that you don’t want to know; not knowing is a good thing).

But now, wearing green, sometimes almost literally (think 100% cotton as opposed to the actual color), is a lot different then it was before. People aren’t just wearing green, they’re going green. The term “go green” is in relation to doing your part to saving the environment.

In fact, more and more civil-

CityTimes Volume 63, Number 12 March 17, 2009 www.sdcitytimes.com

ians are doing their part in going green. And truth be told, going green should be something that everyone does on a daily basis and not just a few times a year whenever St. Patrick’s Day or Earth Day rolls around.

We’ve all heard about Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth”, so we should all be pretty aware of the threats of global warming. Of course, there’s still much debate on global warming, but one must check out these past few weeks to realize that the weather seems a bit off lately.

Cold and rainy one day, then hot and sunny the next doesn’t seem right! Shouldn’t we still be in the last few days of winter? It’s been awfully warm lately for it to still be winter, unless spring is speedily approaching.

Yes, going green sounds like a good idea if we want to start preserving our way of life here on our beautiful home we call Earth.

And no, you don’t have to join a club to go green, but it never hurts to be informed. For instance, the Go Green Initiative is a program that is working towards environmental awareness and responsibility on school campuses across the nation.

I was so disappointed a few weeks back when a student

Published as: The Jay Sees / 1945-1949 Fortknightly / 1949-1978 City Times / 1978Incorporating the newspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks

Urbanalities By Michele Suthers

tossed their recyclable empty water bottle in the trash bin when just less than five feet away was the big blue recycling bin.

Haven’t students noticed how green City College has been the past few semesters? Recycling bins have been placed almost next to every trash bin on campus.

It’s easy to take that extra step

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Phone: (619) 388-3880 Fax: (619) 388-3814 E-mail: citytimes@gmail.com Program homepage: www.sdcity.edu/citytimes

City Times Staff

Carlos Maia Photography Editor

Roda Marie Catapang Vanessa Gomez Luis Bahena Copy Editors

Evonne Ermey News Editor

Donovan Terblanche Sports Editor

Jessica Brandom Contributor

Correspondents

Shannon Kuhfuss Opinion Editor

Michele Suthers Chief Illustrator

Roman S. Koenig

Shevaun Brandom Editor-in-Chief

Aurora McKeehan Features Editor

Sonjiala Hotchkiss Online Editor

Journalism Adviser

in recycling your empty water bottles or soda cans. Toss in your unwanted paper materials in any of the blue bins too, and that right there is taking an extra step in being environmentally aware and responsible.

Look at City College’s Urban Farm. Students and volunteers have gotten together and created

Tom Andrew, Heather Richards, Sophia Cancino, Donna P. Crilly, Romel Echon, Nathan Hipple, Leo E. Laurence, Joe Leonard, Emily Mather, Ariana Sanchez-Fierro Beza Beneberu, Regina Burton, Elizabeth Garcia, Dawnyelle Harrison, Michelle Kam, Antonio Marquez, Andrew Murphy, Amber Nadeau, Angie Otterbein, Samir Roy, Lindsay Tasior

an amazing piece of growing agriculture right here on campus.

Not only that, but the goods grown in the garden are being sold on campus. A farmers market right here on campus where, not only are you buying fresh greens but, you can actu-

See GREEN, page 14

City Times is published twice monthly during the semester. Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, City College administration, faculty and staff or the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.

District policy statement This publication is produced as a learning experience under a San Diego Community College District instructional program. All materials, including opinions expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the students and should not be interpreted to be those of the college district, its officers or employees.

Letters to the editor Letters to the editor are welcome, 350 words or less. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, spelling, punctuation and length.

Memberships Journalism Association of Community Colleges Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association

March 17, 2009

City Times

Voice

11

Putting away the parka for St. Patrick’s When I think about St. Patty’s Day I see massive amounts of people in the streets, whiskey, green beer and about eight layers of clothing.

The first three things I named may sound familiar, but the eight layers of clothing?

I’m from Chicago, where the spirit of St. Patrick's Day flows as deep as it's vibrantly green river and the celebration is always at a maximum even though the temperature is at a minimum.

That’s why it’s been so difficult for me to get into the mood for one of my favorite holidays.

It’s just something about being able to sport a green bikini instead of a parka that throws me off.

Before I moved to San Diego I

could blame the numbness of my limbs on the freezing conditions, but now I have nothing to blame but my own festive intoxication.

I guess it’s better to wake up the following morning with a tan and a headache than a case of the common cold and a headache.

Though the change in scenery may seem drastic, the celebration is not. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the San Diegans’ ability to step it up and celebrate in the name of St. Patty.

Being Irish myself, I’ve noticed here that it doesn’t matter what your heritage is. Everyone is Irish on St.Patty’s Day! Most of my friends and family from home are Irish, so it never

Joke’s on Me Shannon Kuhfuss

seemed like too much of a stretch for them to get their game faces on, as well as their “Kiss me I'm Irish” shirts.

None of my friends here in San Diego are Irish in the least, but the way they celebrate, you’d think they were born and raised there.

I put my San Diego St. Patty’s Day to the ultimate test last year.

One of my best friends from Chicago decided she wanted to get out of the cold for a while and head out to sunny California for a little vacation.

When she told me the dates of her trip, I was stunned.

It turned out that she would be spending St. Patty’s Day with me in San Diego.

To some, this may not seem like a big deal, but they don’t know my friend’s background.

She’s 100 percent Irish, a professional Irish dancer who had been dancing since she could stand up, and has skin that is borderline see-through that would be destroyed by the sun.

I was shocked and amazed, and a little flattered that she was

willing to give up such an important Chicago tradition for me.

Well, she came and we conquered. It was one of the best St. Patty’s Days either of us had ever had. Instead of applying layers of clothes, I applied layers of SPF 8 million to her freakishly fair Irish skin and, other than that, we didn’t seem to skip a beat.

There will always be things that I will miss about Chicago that I just can’t get from San Diego, like the changing of seasons, good hot dogs, and Mike Ditka.

It’s just good to know that St. Patty’s Day isn’t one of those things I'll have to miss as much because San Diego can do some celebrating of its own.

Shannon Kuhfuss is City Times’ opinion editor

Don’t flatter yourself; stop being a Kim-plainer 4:30 a.m.: I stumbled out of my cigarette smoke-filled car, purse and apron in hand, not-so ready to wake up, let alone start work.

My co-worker, let’s call her Kim, crept up from the unlit parking lot toward the door of the coffee shop.

“I’m so effing pissed! I woke up to spilt bong water all over the living room carpet and my dumb roommate passed out on the couch.”

“That sucks,” I said.

I could barely formulate sentences at that horrid hour and my eyes were watery from yawning

so much.

We didn’t say much to each other for about 10 more minutes.

The routine of walking in and setting up for the business day was all-to mechanical.

I stopped to get a cup of water when I hear a loud “UGH” from behind.

“What’s wrong,” I asked reflexively, without turning my head.

“This sucks. I hate waking up this early and then I have to go home to my stinky apartment with my nasty carpet and my idiot roommate,” Kim said. “I just really don’t wanna be here right

Vox Populi

Brian Koga, 24 Undeclared “I usually just eat fruit or one of those aguala protein bars.”

Donna’s Dig Donna P. Crilly

now.”

I yawn, “Maybe you should change your availability.”

“I can’t. Mids go by really slow and closing sucks,” she said. “I’m so over this job and school. I have two mid-terms today and a paper due.”

This was the basis of many a mornings for dear Kim and me.

In fact, this was the basis of many a mornings for several of my coworkers and me.

I know there are established lists of what not to say in a professional work environment but one doesn’t necessarily need a resume to obtain the type of job I do: Serve coffee.

So where do we draw the line?

What do you eat on campus?

Diana Lopez, 18 Psychology “Actually I don’t eat here on campus.”

Earl Pavs, 19 Film “I usually don’t eat here, but when I do I just get the regualr things.”

Telling Kim to shut her pie-hole would make the working situation slightly awkward and I know it would perpetuate a string of gossip topics within the store. So how I do I approach it?

Do I passively nod my head and answer with generic “ohs” and “oohs”?

I’m sure many people ponder politics of work relations or either get sucked into the gossip pool and speak things that should be kept in their minds.

There are several instances

See DON’T, page 14

Questions and Photos by Michele Suthers

Rodney Mosley, 22 Business “I eat on campus ... a banana or bagel or a turkey corndog on Tuesdays.”

Shanika Whaley, 24 Journalism “Sometimes I do bring a little snack, juice or water. For lunch, a burger.”

Hold the food coloring if it’s going to cost extra After years of celebrating previous St. Patrick’s Days by chugging down green-dyed alcoholic beverages, raising pint glasses to the continuous cheers of “slainte,” and donning all that is green in my wardrobe, I considered forgoing the aftermath of an all-night carousal that results in the progressive slurring of speech and irregular ambulation.

It’s not that I’ve suddenly developed an opposition to celebrating this convivial holiday. It’s just that this year I have neither time nor funds to drink myself into a sickly green stupor.

My friends, however, are of a different opinion. “C’mon, it’s St. Patrick’s Day,” they all horn in.

Enough Said Roda Catapang

“Who doesn’t drink on St. Patrick's Day?” Well, at $9 a pint, you tell me.

Today’s economic climate makes it difficult to down a couple Guinness pints without dipping

into your 401(k), and that’s only after you've signed over your stimulus check to pay for cover charges.

Still, I am tempted to slip on something green and showcase my version of the Irish jig, and I would hate to miss out on the welcoming warmth and friendliness of the Irish.

Their extension of kindness to those they come across is shown in their declaration that on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish.

From Boston’s “Southie” gatherings, to Chicago’s emerald rivers and canals, and to our city's

own St. Patrick’s Day celebration taking place at Balboa Park, green revelers of all shapes, sizes, race and religion will be getting Irish-jiggy with it as they celebrate a holiday that has long since lost it’s religious beginnings and has become more a day of celebrating all that is Irish, including their ability to persevere through difficult times.

And if everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, then maybe going out tonight and celebrating with friends is just what needs to happen.

After all, even during their own

struggles with famine in Ireland, and coming to America to find themselves in still an impecunious situation, the Irish people persevered and found spirit enough to still celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This year my pockets may be empty, my bills the height of skyscrapers, and my ability to recover from an inebriated state diminished.

But if Irish eyes are still smiling, even after the struggles they’ve seen, maybe I can find a way to find the Irish in me and join in the festivities this St. Patrick’s Day. Slainte!

Roda Catapang is a City Times copy editor

12

City Times

LIFE / NEWS

March 17, 2009

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day across the nation Tom Andrew City Times Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the country, with common staples such as green beer, and corned beef and cabbage. Most cities celebrate with a parade shutting down their downtown streets with marching bands, and street sellers hawking green balloons, and anything shamrock.

Chicago, Illinois is probably best known for the parade they present, but also for the fact that the Chicago River magically turns an Irish green overnight every year. A tradition carried out since 1961. “I was told a man named Stephen Bailey got the idea when he realized that the dye they used to detect leaks got into the river turning it the perfect shade of green,� said longtime Chicago resident Kathy Gateriewitcz. “I look forward to going downtown every year to see the river, it’s become a tradition for me.�

The dye is actually orange in color and

is poured into the river by Mike Butler. As the dye reaches the surface, it has an orange tint, but after a few seconds it turns green. Other cities have tried to accomplish the same thing but have been unsuccessful over the years.

Another tradition for Saint Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage washed down with green beer. “Though cabbage is a common staple in Ireland, corned beef actually isn’t,� said set designer Michael Mulligan. “Corned beef was actually something that Irish immigrants used instead of Irish bacon because it had a similar taste and texture to it, but was cheaper to purchase.�

Whatever the reason, corned beef and cabbage is served traditionally every year on most restaurant menus and most area pubs, including here in San Diego, along with an ice cold green beer.

Suggestions on what to do and where to go this St. Patrick’s Day:

SDSU institute aims to promote Chinese culture Lilian Truong SDSU Daily Aztec SAN DIEGO (U-WIRE) — The newly established Confucius Institute at San Diego State University aims to strengthen educational cooperation between China and the United States, and to promote the development of Chinese language and cultural education. “Chinese cultural studies are an endless source of fascination� Kelly Hansen, SDSU lecturer in Asian Pacific Studies, said. “But they are also valuable for those planning careers in business or other fields which may involve contact with China.�

The institute at SDSU was founded in December. The unveiling ceremony will take place on March 26 at 3 p.m. Numerous Chinese officials will attend the ceremony and reception, including Chinese Ambassador in the U.S. Zhou Wenzhong, local politicians, community leaders and business executives who have been invited by

President Stephen L. Weber. All students and faculty are invited to attend Ambassador Wenzhong’s lecture on the relationship between China and the U.S. at 1:45 p.m. in Smith Recital Hall. “The Confucius Institute will provide students with a wider range of opportunities for becoming involved in Chinese studies, both inside and outside the classroom,�

Hansen said. “This will be a great resource for Chinese majors as well as students with a general interest in Chinese studies.�

With headquarters in Beijing, the Confucius Institute manages more than 300 institutes worldwide. Currently, there are 36 in the U.S., with four on the West Coast.

The institute will serve southern California and Baja California. The College of Arts and Letters has partnered with the College of Extended Studies to provide a comprehensive academic and cultural summer study abroad program at East China Normal University in Shanghai, China, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world.

29th Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival: www.stpatsparade.org Gaslamp Quarter’s ShamROCK: www.gaslamp.org/articles/articles/shamrock.html Hooleyfest: www.hooleyfest. com Saint Patrick’s Day 10K Run: www.kathyloperevents.com/stpatrick Saint Patrick’s Day Open Reading of Irish Poetry and Prose: www.dgwillsbooks. com Just in case you don’t get the chance to partake in the tradition around the city, you may just want to do so in the comfort in your own home.

Below is the recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage and Green Beer.

2 onions chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp. yellow mustard Âź cup brown sugar 8 wedges of cabbage salt and pepper to taste Corned beef seasoning packet In a 4-6 quart crockpot, combine carrots and onions. Rinse corned beef under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with contents of seasoning mix. Pour beer over brisket and spread mustard on brisket. In small bowl mix brown sugar with water and pour over brisket. Cover crockpot and cook on low setting for 11-12 hours.

Add cabbage wedges during last 30-40 minutes, cover crockpot and cook on high until cabbage is tender. Offer additional mustard on the side. Eight servings.

CROCK POT CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE 3-4 lb. corned beef brisket 1 cup water 12 oz. beer

ACP

GREEN BEER Green food coloring added to a decent light amber beer.

Enjoy!

The convention consisted of workshops that shared stories and tips on how to enhance writing skills, launch newspaper Web sites and develop networking skills to direct young journalists to future careers.

Koenig was among the presenters.

The convention also featured four keynote speakers, including Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize winning food critic for the LA Weekly, and Leslie Berestein, award winning immigration reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In the fall, ACP named City Times a finalist for the prestigious national Pacemaker Award, the first time City Times has been in consideration for the award in at least two decades.

Continued from page 2

was “fantastic� and was pleased that it was “in a national setting.� City Times was one of two California two-year college newspapers to place in the top five Best of Show.

The Sun of Southwestern College in Chula Vista placed first in the category.

The ACP National College Journalism Convention brought together more than 800 students from around the country, as well as from two Canadian provinces. The convention was held Feb. 26-March 1.

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March 17, 2009

City Times

Arts / NEWS

13

Get on your boots, Dublin’s superband is back!

This summer, diehard fans of the Irish superband U2 will be happy to know that Bono and the boys will hit the road in support of their newest studio album, “No Line on the Horizon,” bringing back the production team of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. Kicking off the 360 degree tour in Europe and coming to the states in September and October, the rock stars from Dublin will no doubt swoop in to share their latest super album with the world. “No Line on the Horizon” is the highly-anticipated follow-up to “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” U2’s self-declared “first rock album,” released in 2004 and marking the longest gap between albums in the band’s history.

Rolling Stone notes that “U2 open(s) up their sound and make(s) their best album since ‘Achtung Baby.’” “No Line on the Horizon” is the best album since “Achtung Baby” because basic elements from their

Shame

Continued from page 3

“I know a lot of guys that used to work for Brady,” the anonymous framer said.

“A lot of these guys won’t say nothing. We all gotta feed our families,” indicating that other former employees of Brady, with

Watchmen Continued from page 6 come close to the more modern Muse and Smashing Pumpkins hits in the trailers, Snyder does shine in staying true to the storyline of Alan Moore’s masterpiece. Most of the crucial movie scenes are the graphic novel verbatim. Snyder does a great job of

seventh studio album are rehashed to make up U2’s twelfth studio album. The title track stands out as one of the highlights of the album, but this is something we’ve heard before from U2. The echo of “Ultraviolet, (Light My Way)” from “Achtung Baby”, can be heard behind Bono’s silky-smooth delivery. The song continues to conjure “Achtung” with the almost-identical guitar riff from “The Fly,” while Bono coos “I know a girl/ with a hole in her heart…” The first single to be released off the album, “Get on Your Boots,” tries hard to be next “Vertigo,” but probably would have done better as a second or even third string release. The song lacks the likeability and power that

true U2 hits like “Beautiful Day” and “Pride (in the Name of Love)” practically overflow with. The lyrics in “Boots” may not really resonate with U2’s usual audience, where Bono is trying to empower women to strap up and make a difference. The lyrics are possibly directed towards women in Africa and further pushing his political agenda of equality. The return to women rising up in the face of destruction was also visited in “Miss Sarajevo,” a breathtaking collaboration with Luciano Pavarotti roughly based on a beauty pageant documentary during war-torn Sarajevo.

Not all of “Horizon” falls into the copycat trap. The hard-hitting piano pulsates into a dizzy twirl of lyrics in “Breathe,” a song about not falling for anyone else’s rendition of grace and salvation but your own and finally being able to breathe in catharsis. The witty line “wasn’t going to

buy anyone’s cockatoo” is a clever callingyour-bluff response to a sales pitch from a preaching stranger at the door. “I’ll Go Crazy if I don’t Go Crazy Tonight” is a refreshing poke at not being satisfied with just staying still. This simple message of chaos breeding chaos might have better served as the first single for “Horizon.”

Bono whispers the haunting “Cedars of Lebanon” lyrics, narrating from the view of a journalist or maybe even a soldier longing for home. The quiet, eerie guitar contrasts the bold closing statement of the song: “choose your enemies carefully / because they will define you…”

While a few tracks off their latest effort offer us some textbook U2 staples we’ve heard before, the album overall is sure to win over fans thirsty for more soul-searching, deeper melodies and uplifting ballads in times of uncertainty.

whom he now works side by side in the union, won’t comment to ensure that they have jobs with Brady if they get desperate for work.

“Brady’s cutting wages to get work,” he said. “Shame on people who are willing to let employees suffer to save a little money.”

Mike Jones, superintendent of Arnett Construction, said he believes that labor unions were once a good thing but now are

trying to control the market, driving wages up so that everybody makes the same wage based on yearly increases even though they may not be as qualified as others.

Carpenter’s Local wants Brady’s business to become a union because of the size of his company, which has 200-600 workers currently in the field, claims Brady.

The third generation owner calls it an “organizing campaign.”

“They wanna force me to be a union contractor,” Brady said.

Patrick Fuller, superintendent of HAR Construction, which is working on the L building, said he thinks that union and non-union contractors need each other.

“If it wasn’t for unions, wages wouldn’t be set where they are. We need each other,” Fuller said. “We keep each other balanced like Republicans and Democrats.”

bringing the mixed, sometimes confusing novel together in flashback montages. It might have added to Dr. Manhattan’s storyline in the film if they would have noted that the watch he goes back for in the intrinsic field chamber was actually Janey’s, his first love in the movie. The actors, especially Malin Ackerman’s portray of Silk Spectre II, are mostly dry and forgettable, with the exception of Jackie Earle Harley, who delivers a heartbreaking, truly tortured rendition of Rorschach. Many moviegoers

might also feel alienated by the characters’ lack of superhuman powers, something the Spiderman and Superman comic book crowds are more used to.

The constant nudity may also nauseate the typical DC comic movie fan, even though Dave Gibbons, the novel’s illustrator, pulls no punches with Watchmen anatomy, giving the reader constant flashes of flesh. Snyder does the illustration some justice with the exact replicas of Ozymandias’ fortress in Antarctica and copying

Rorschach’s very painful childhood with his hooker mother. Stunning special effects and gorgeous use of computer graphics actually save the film from being a complete flop.

Overall, the movie is a hit-or-miss experience. The viewer is left wondering if Snyder’s attempt at spectacular special effects and dead-on screenplay adaptation is enough to save the rest of the film filled with poor acting and even worse soundtrack decisions.

Music Review Vanessa Gomez

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City Times

VOICE / NEWS

March 17, 2009

Saving St. Patty’s, one Guinness at a time I am not a rockstar. At least, not in real life.

Yet, on rare occasions, I’ve been known to make bold statements--you know--the kind that should only be made moments before stage diving into a screaming riot of fans.

Well, rockstar or not, I stand at the precipice of a holiday so important to me that I’m compelled to make such a statement now: “Everybody, get on the %@#$ing dance floor!”

Seriously. The holiday, of course, is St. Patrick’s Day and its celebration is dangerously close to being swallowed in the gravitational rip of the recession’s black hole.

You for Real?

Nate Hipple

Money is tight, people, I know.

But when the only thing you’re pinching is pennies, think for a moment about who

SAN DIEGO (U-WIRE) — A woman reported that an unknown Hispanic male attacked her at 7:30 p.m. March 6 in front of Campanile Apartments at 5600 Montezuma Rd. Police are looking for an adult male with a stocky build who is approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall. He has short, thin dark-colored hair and was wearing a dirty, long-sleeve, white-hooded sweatshirt and dark-colored pants, according to the police bulletin. The suspect fled the scene heading south on Campanile Drive, according to the police crime bulletin.

Police are searching for an older model, dirty-white vehicle in connection with the sexual battery. The vehicle could possibly have been a station wagon or a similar vehicle, according to the police crime bulletin.

Broussard said police have no leads on the case yet, but the SDSU police officers are actively investigating the crime.

Carlos maia City Times

where I am flabbergasted to hear Kim and others complain about customers moments after they step out the door while others even whisper something about a co-worker while he or she is on the other side of the room occupied by a customer.

Once we graduate from high school, we supposedly leave behind a lot of the childish bull-mess that we see re-enacted in cheesy teen movies.

Complaining about parents, life, boyfriends and girlfriends, school, this and that; all part of the common hot high school topics.

Gossip and cliques highlighted for some, our most awkward years.

Many diploma recipients now consider

Green

Continued from page 10

ally take part in growing those greens yourself.

The truth is, we can all do a little more in taking that step for environmental awareness. Going green isn’t that hard.

Walk when you can: you’d be surprised how different things look when your on foot than when your on your car, not to mention the health benefits you get from taking a stroll.

Recycle at home: I have a box at home where I toss in all paper materials such as junk mail and irrelevant or out dated pieces of mail. A counter in my kitchen is used specifically to hold on to cans, bottles and glass to recycle later.

Nate Hipple is a City Times staff writer

WENDY FRY SDSU Daily Aztec

Students rummaged through books in search of bargain buys at City College’s 12th annual Library Book Fair held at the campus’ Gorton Quad on March 11.

Continued from page 11

I mean, consider the Boston Tea Party. Sure, it doesn’t exactly relate to this argument here, but wasn’t it awesome?

I propose that we emulate the patriotism of our drunken forefathers. Let us pretend that every dollar we sink into pints of Guinness is like a charitable investment towards the future of fun.

It may not be tax-deductible, but it will make you dance funny. So, on Tuesday night, raise your glasses and follow this two-step jig: Step 1. Put on a green hat. Step 2. Get to the nearest dance floor.

Woman reports assault near San Diego State

Ones for the books

Don’t

gets short-changed.

Dozens of wonderful Irish pubs depend on your Paddy’s Day purchases to make it through the sales-slump they’re likely to incur during the Cinco de Mayo off-season.

Yes, the Irish need our help. If we do nothing, the only thing that’s gonna b e moving across this year’s dance floor is a lonesome tumbleweed.

We’ll be left standing awkwardly at a party about as thrilling as potato famine.

As college students, we are endowed with the inalienable right to party (some think of this more as a duty).

this petty and call themselves more mature.

A lot of these mature diploma recipients perpetuate gossip circles and bring it to a larger, more “mature” scale.

I now realize that the only difference between high school for these diploma recipients and the “real world” are the security guards at the entrance of the school.

The conversations are the same, disguised in the language and subject matter of proximity and relevance.

That's not to say that I don’t enjoy having a casual conversation that may or may not border on the professional standard of “taboo” talk.

It often makes the 9-to-5 more interesting but telling me a funny story about your personal adventures is different from telling me that the last customer was a “douche” and then promptly explaining the details of how and why he or she is one.

Donna Crilly is a City Times staff writer Sure, it may look a little cluttered, but its a little cash in your pocket in the end and considering our economy right now, a little extra cash is always a good thing.

Visit www.earth911.com to find recycling centers near you, but also to learn more information about recyclable materials.

Sure, St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday where drinking is usually involved, but hey, once the celebrations are over, what to do with all the empty cans and bottles?

How about gathering them up and recycling them.

Remember, don’t just wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, be environmentally conscious, do your part to help out the environment and go green while wearing green. Cheers!

Luis Bahena is a City Times columnist

Thanks for recycling this newspaper.

March 17, 2009

City Times

SPORTS

Coach Continued from page 16 the votes. And there is no higher honor than that of your peers.

The work ethic he has instilled in his players is very demanding and every practice is treated as though it were a game.

The unity in the team is a direct result of the coaches training methods, and we have a strong cohesive crew.

The amount of time he spends going over tape, and on the court in practice is demanding as he commands only the best from his players.

Charlens played ball at University City High school, moving onto Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

Charlens played at San Francisco State University; once his university career was over he took up coaching and found his calling in life.

The amount of time he spends going over tape, and on the court in practice is demanding as he commands only the best from his players.

Charlens said he is pleased to

Dream Continued from page 16 but to no avail. Thomas would add 15 blocks to his score of 24.

Jamel McGuire who ran riot in the first half with his scoring would end on figures of 20 points.

City’s victory led the team to Fresno to play in the California Community College Athletics Association state conference. The first game was against San Joaquin Delta on March 12 at 3 p.m.

But the Knights’ incredible basketball season came to and early end.

The opening half would see the Knights struggle, as this was the first time many of our players had played so far from home.

After a brilliant comeback that would see us trailing by 19 points at the half the Knights played with

be back home as he was originally from San Diego.

Having played ball here, his playing career would see him moving up north.

The coach would start coaching at varsity men’s in San Francisco and graduate to an assistant coach at SFSU. Charlens would take on a position as an assistant coach at Chico State prior to coaching at The College of the Sequoias for two years, in which time they would attain their best record.

The next leg in his journey would see the coach ending up at City College and guiding us to two PCC championships in his short five years with San Diego City.

Charlens has been able to lead his team to victory with the help of several assistants.

Bob Andreason, who is assistant coach primarily responsible for recruiting, found his footing as an assistant at Chico State for a number of years.

Jerome Sherman is the other assistant along with Joe D’ambro.

This collective unit has allowed the men’s Knights to advance to victory.

The Knghts now take a break and resume next winter.

Volleyball goes down to Mesa

Carlos Maia City Times

Cris Cross of the San Diego Knights men’s volleyball team catches air in the team’s game against Mesa. City would still go down in straight sets against the opposition.

heart and struggled their way through.

The second half was hard played and we did well to advance as we did. The comeback was initiated by who else, but Thomas, the Knights gallantly fought their way back and came within two points. Marquintice Davis was on fire as he matched the opposition basket for basket. City dominated this period of play and San Joaquin Delta struggled to contain the brilliance of the Knights.

Jamel would contribute to the score with his 13 points and 3 rebounds. The score leaders were Marquintice with 20 points and 4 rebounds, and the scintillating Malcolm Thomas would lead with numbers of 23 points 17 rebounds and 4 blocks.

The men’s basketball team comes home after a grueling season and will take a welldeserved break.

SportsLineup

15

Knights baseball team crushed

Joe Leonard City Times

San Diego Knights pitcher Hilarion Garcia and catcher Alex Cann discuss tactics with coach Chris Brown during their recent game against Palomar.

Compiled by Donovan Terblanche / Submit events to e-mail citytimes@gmail.com, or call (619) 388-3880

Womens tennis vs.

South Western 2 p.m. home Mens Tennis 2 p.m. at Mesa College

Softball vs.

Palomar 3 p.m. home

Mens Baseball vs.

Grossmont College 12 p.m. home

Mens Tennis 2 p.m. at Imperial Valley

Badminton vs.

Grossmont College 3 p.m. home

Mens Tennis 1 p.m. at Paradise Valley

Mens Baseball vs.

Imperial Valley 2 p.m. home

Softball vs.

Grossmont 3 p.m. home

Mens Baseball 12 p.m. at Imperial Valley

Softball 3 p.m. at Grossmont College

Womens Tennis 2 p.m. at San Diego Mesa

Mens Volleyball 6 p.m. at Orange Coast

Mens Baseball 2 p.m. at Southwestern

Badminton vs.

San Diego Mesa 3:30 p.m. home

Mens Baseball vs.

South Western 2 p.m. home

Womens Tennis 2 p.m. at Grossmont Mens Tennis vs.

South Western 2 p.m. home Mens Baseball 2 p.m. at Grossmont

Softball vs.

South Western 3 p.m. home

Mens Volleyball vs.

Grossmont 6 p.m. home

16

City Times

CitySports

March 17, 2009

Mitch Charlens awarded for his success Basketball coach takes PCC and CCCAA Coach of the Year awards for the City Knights Donovan Terblanche City Times City Knights basketball team head coach Mitch Charlens sweeps the awards for the 200809 season.

For Charlens’ first of two awards, he was named coach of the year in the Pacific Coast Conference.

This is an award bestowed upon the coach for his efforts in the Pacific Coast Conference.

The PCC and all competing schools in the San Diego Community College District who have a basketball team are responsible for compiling the votes. There are almost 100 community colleges in Southern California that have basketball teams who host games. It is the first time this award had been given to Charlens, and it was due to his hard work this season.

‘I think it was an incredible season, we were amazing all year.’

Mitch Charlens, Men’s basketball coach The City Knights would finish the regular season 15-1 in the PCC and 26-4 overall.

This is the second time Coach Charlens has won the PCC Championships.

“I think it was an incredible season, we were amazing all year,” Charlens said.

On March 12, the California Community College Athletics Association awarded the Coach of

the Year in Southern California to Coach Charlens.

The coach now is in his fifth year at City and has created a winning team in his short tenure here, the work ethic he has instilled in his players is very demanding and every practice is treated as though it were a game.

Charlens took over a losing basketball team and immediately set about reversing City’s fortunes. Coach Charlens would lead the Knights to victory, claiming the PCC championship in the 2004-05 season, followed by another championship this year.

This is an award bestowed upon the coach for his efforts in the PCC games.

Coaches from all the participating schools in the San Diego community college areas cast

See COACH, page 15

Carlos Maia City Times

City’s Mitch Charlens was named Coach of the Year in both PCC and CCCAA divisions.

City’s dream run to championship Donovan Terblanche City Times

Carlos Maia City Times

Malcolm Thomas named MVP of the year for the PCC. Thomas would finish the season with an average of 21 points a game.

The City Knights men’s basketball team has accomplished its goals and seen its dreams come true. The tail end of the season has been filled with highlights and drama.

The start to this epic run started with their victory over San Diego Mesa and clinching the Pacific Coast Conference Championship.

Myles Luttman’s efforts would be awarded by being named Athlete of the Week for his contribution to the team.

City was unable to rest on their laurels, as the men had to compete against Antelope Valley in a narrow finish to overcome the hurdle, which would take them one game away from the state championships.

The Knights would go into the changing rooms, down at half-time, a rarity for City College.

Davis would end on figures of 20 points and 3 rebounds, with

Malcolm Thomas leading the scoring with 30 points and 13 rebounds to along with his three.

Nehemiah Simpkins would hold fast in defense with his 8

‘I love my team, it feels so amazing to go to the state championships.’

Malcolm Thomas rebounds and 1 block. His glory moment came when he put away a 3 pointer with 3 seconds on the clock to tie the game and send it into overtime.

In a finish that required nail biters seeking medical attention for the remaining stubs at the end of their hands, City would only take the lead with two minutes to spare and Marquintice Davis put-

ting away the winning shot with 0.8 seconds on the clock.

The regional semi final was held in a front of a large group of spectators all wanting to witness a piece of history. A large percentage of those in attendance had all come out to see the Knights smite the opposition. Mt. Jacinto came with the same mindset, and the gauntlet was thrown down.

The game was not as easy by any means and City had to work hard to match Mt. Jacinto’s surge.

Malcolm Thomas is the kind of athlete that requires his own scorekeeper as he was putting them away like a kid who had not eaten in three days.

“I love my team, it feels so amazing to go to the state championships,” Thomas said.

The sheer dominance on display by Thomas was astounding as he slashed and tore apart the defense from every side of the court. Mt. Jacinto tried everything they could to control him

See DREAM, page 15

Men’s tennis sweeps Grossmont Donovan Terblanche City Times The Knights men’s tennis team played Grossmont as part of their Pacific Coast Conference competition on March 12.

The first match was Deo Brown, who would go down in two sets 3-6, 4-6.

The next would be Jeff Walker who would lose the first set and take his second 6-2, taking the game into a tiebreaker. Grossmont would win with 8-10 in the final game.

Daniel Fields would play next and win both his sets 6-0, 6-0.

Kevin Surrey would go down in his first set and take the second 6-0, and winning the tie breaker 10-6.

David Corona would take his game 6-4, 6-1, with Guilherme Fernandes winning, as well, by 6-2, 6-0.

The doubles games were up and down with Brown and J. Benitez losing their game.

M. Wohl and G. Fernandes would win without dropping a point by 6-0, 6-0.

J. Walker and C. Sua would lose their first game and take the second 6-4, but lose the third set 7-10.

Coach Brandon Lupian said he was impressed with his team’s performance and is looking to motivate his highly talented players.

The victory gives City its first sweep over Grossmont in five years.

Carlos Maia City Times

Jeff “Chuck Norris” Walker of the San Diego men’s tennis team returns a serve in his doubles match with partner Chris Sua. The tennis team beat Grossmont on March 12.