2009_0421_CT_v63i14

Q Fashion THAT WORKS

What are you going to wear to your interview?

NEWS / PAGE 4

CityTimes www.sdcitytimes.com

Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945

Volume 63, Number 14

April 21, 2009

All’s fair in love, war and politics?

Alleged pranks spur infighting between student officers Evonne Ermey City Times “Hey daddy, wanna play?” This text message, sent to Associated Student Government (ASG)

presidential candidate Vikrum Deol on April 11 was meant to imply any number of things, but the question it ultimately poses is, “How do you intend to play?”

The suggestive text message was a response to a fake personal ad that was posted to Craigslist on April 11, in which a Deol impersonator solicited gay companionship using Deol's photo and personal phone number.

Deol received between 50 and

70 responses to the ad the weekend it posted.

“They were asking me if I was looking for a good time and I would n Read more just respond, about the election.

‘Sorry, my girlNews, page 3 friend wouldn’t like that,’” said Deol with a shrug and a smile.

What some would call making the best of a bad situation, Deol began campaigning to the inter-

ested parties, asking them for their vote in the ongoing election.

The persons behind the false representation are unknown, but another prank, involving the arrival of 65 pizzas, 25 Quizno's subs and 30 Subway sandwiches at Deol's doorstep, was implemented the same weekend as the Craigslist ad, and is believed to involve current ASG vice president and presidential candidate, Josef Shannon.

The speculation that Shannon was involved in the prank has caused a flurry of e-mail infighting between vice presidential candidate/ASG senator Chris Conyers and InterClub Council president Sydney Martinez.

Flying from one inbox to another are accusations that Martinez, as well as Shannon, had involvement in the pranks against

See POLITICS, page 10

City Career Expo helps students looking for jobs Nate Hipple City Times Something unusual crept across campus on the morning of April 15. A black van, owned by radio station Z90.3, drove into the Gorton Quad and parked.

From the van exploded a purple tent — outfitted with turntables and a DJ — and spokeswoman Vanessa Flores, who interns with the popular radio station.

Some students misinterpreted Z90.3’s presence as a promise of fun-filled careers in radio.

Flores was asked, “How can we get jobs with Z90.3?!”

“Sorry, no jobs here,” she smiled. “We just provide the music.”

The Career Expo was punctuated with the thump of danceable beats, courtesy of the head-nodding, track-changing DJ, who selected songs by the likes of Lil’ Wayne, Jamie Foxx and Missy Elliot. This was the finale of a three day string of career-related events offered at City College.

Flores encouraged City stuPhotos by Carlos Maia City Times dents to spin a wheel and win City College students of all majors gather under the shade of Gorton Quad for the career expo on the morning of April 15 . prizes such as free keychains Students looked and listened to what their future may have to offer them when they get out into the work force. The expo had emblazoned with “San Diego’s #1 station for hip hop and R&B.” various vendors and universities such as Sea World, Fox News, the University of Phoenix and San Diego Police Department that Perhaps the most ominous informed students know what may have to offer for their future. symbol of the event was the cli-

Index

Take Note.................................2 News...................................... 3 Arts........................................ 6 Opinion................................... 8 Sports................................... 12

Inside

Q TO spit or not to Spit The controversial act of haocking loogies

VOICE / PAGE 9

mate, both meteorologically and financially: the Expo came on a windy Tax Day in the midst of a recession.

And how many of those booths actually offered real prospects of a salary or benefits?

Why did the image of business cards and pamphlets blowing haphazardly through the quad seem eerily appropriate?

“Blame it on the E-E-E-E-EEconomy.”

Here’s a simple formula: The number of jobs is declining, plus more people are competing for jobs equals Mario Vera staying in school for as long as he can.

“I’m thinking about a career in medicine,” Vera said.

Vera used his time at the Expo to meet representatives from the University of Phoenix. He glanced over literature, schmoozed and then discussed what he’d learned with friends outside the cafeteria.

The University of Phoenix specializes in adult education, originally geared toward adults who split their time between jobs and school.

The school has since expanded to become the largest private university in the United

See EXPO, page 10

Online

Q election results

View the ASG election results at our site

WWW.SDCITYTIMES.COM

2

City Times

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

n April 17 - May 3 Swing! Performance in the Saville theater Performance Dates: Friday: April 17, 24, May 1 at 8 p.m.

Saturday: April 18, 25, May 2 at 8 p.m.

Sunday Matinee: April 19, 26, May 3 at 2 p.m. Students, Seniors, Military $10 General Admission - $15

Take Note

April 21, 2009

n April 22 Language and World Cultures Day. Language department performances and informational tables from different cultures. Gorton Quad 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

World Cultures (619)-388-3552 n April 23 Earth Day celebrations. Green organizations, chalk art and photo competitions.

Gorton Quad 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. n April 25 “Peace-ing Communities Together” with Hosteling International. A day of speakers

and workshops. All day event beginning at 9 a.m. Contact World Cultures (619) 388-3552 n April 25 & 26 Mission Federal ArtWalk, celebrating its 25th year. Music, art, dance and food.

Come support SDCCD students, employees, and alumni. n April 26 Conference for Peace Education and Activism. www.peacebuildingsandiego.org.

n April 29 “Talk it Up Write it Down: Preserving Your Family and Community History” Lecture.

Professor Susan Hasegawa and Historian Linda Canada discuss their work. Saville Theater 11:10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. n May 8 & 9 The dance department presents “City Moves”, a dance performance featuring the artistry of the City College dance faculty and students. Saville Theater May 8 at 8 p.m. and May 9 at 2 p.m.

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April 21, 2009

CityNews

City Times

3

Candidates talk nicotine, new students and tutors Vanessa Gomez City Times The City College Associated Student Government (ASG) presidential debate was held April 13 at 5 p.m. in the campus cafeteria. The debate began with introductions from the three presidential candidates: David Campbell, Josef Shannon, and Vikrum S. Deol. The introductions were followed by questions from the audience.

A City College student with a hearing disability came forward with her story about being insulted by her tutor. Through an interpreter, she mentioned how she knew she was “older and slow, but that the tutor should

have patience with (her). What are you going to do about that?

(She) was so embarrassed.”

Campbell immediately fired back saying no college student “should ever be insulted by campus representatives.” Campbell said he would definitely look into qualifications of tutors on campus.

Shannon addressed the disabled student’s needs by noting that “DSPS (Disabled Student Programs and Services) funds are being cut as well,” and that “we as a campus should look for private and public grants” to support such programs. Shannon also suggested the student file a complaint with ASG. Deol asked “why are they a

tutor in the first place?” Deol suggested that he would search for alternate “disability services outside of campus,” and try to “solve (such) problems without the finance.”

The candidates were also asked about their positions on smoking on campus and whether they supported a campus-wide ban.

Campbell felt that it was “unfair to ban smoking altogether. Some people need their nicotine.” He noted that designated smoking areas were the “responsible and safe manner” to appease to both sides.

Shannon was quick to bring up the three soon-to-be designated smoking areas going into

effect next semester. Shannon reminded the audience that a past survey of students projected “51 percent in support of a smoking ban and 49 percent against.” Shannon said “those statistics are just too close and we need more student feedback.”

Deol suggested that another student vote be held and that the campus needed “a higher voter turnout” to give everyone “an equal opportunity” to voice their opinion. Deol suggested “involving more students” because “it should be students who set the standard.”

One of the last questions of the session came from a brand new City College student who

felt alone on campus. “I felt lost on my first day,” he noted, “and I wonder what you guys could do to make new students feel more welcome.”

Campbell mentioned that students should volunteer to be “on campus to help with questions.”

Shannon added that “there are student ambassadors on campus available,” and that there had been “a night club rush this past semester” where students new to campus could ask questions, regardless of what time their class was.

Deol brought up the idea of placing maps on campus that used “you are here” markers to help new students familiarize themselves with the campus.

A brief overview of the ASG contenders Vanessa Gomez City Times Right before the ASG afternoon debate April 13, the candidates for ASG sat down and shared their thoughts and ideas for the future of City College.

Vikrum S. Deol and Josef Shannon sat side-by-side in the ASG office while they discussed their platforms on being ASG president.

Deol felt that one of the biggest problems was the “disconnect between ASG and the students” and that it was a huge goal of his to “bridge the gap” between them.

“I don’t feel like there is any limit to my goals, even if they just sound too big. I want to illuminate City College as a campus and put them on the map. I want to go global, I want President Obama to visit, and I want to make City College the hub of San Diego.”

Deol, a member of Team Klue, also felt that lack of funds shouldn’t hold back ASG. “We have to solve the problem without the finance. We can’t let the budget problems hold us back from making our campus better.”

Shannon, current ASG vice president, chimed in next to speak on his qualifications to be ASG president. He mentioned recently lobbying in Washington D.C. on important issues, such as a possible revision of the pell grant and an age limit on tax

information.

“I support having all of our clubs under one roof as a member of the AS Student Center Committee. I am the coorganizer in the protest against the state budget cuts to the social programs. We need to take action on these issues that will directly affect us.”

David Campbell, endorsed by www.citycollegeaction.com as “a tie for president” with Shannon, spoke quickly about his frustrations in his introduction before the debate that many students have and how he would alleviate them if he was the next ASG president.

“I really feel like the school is declining. When I first came here, every Thursday there was a cultural event out here in the quad. What happened to that?” questioned Campbell.

Campbell also addressed events that were going unnoticed by students. “There are so many activities on campus. There are art programs, music programs, theatre events, tons of things to attend or be a part of. Why don’t we know what we have available here? For example, the theatre department puts on great shows.

Why doesn’t anyone ever go to them? We just don’t know what we have here.”

During the candidates’ introductions prior to the debate, Christopher Conyers, current ASG senator and candidate running for vice president, endorsed

many of the ideas and goals of the citycollegeaction.com website. Conyers summed up his platform by spelling out the three clear topics on his agenda.

“First, we have to rebuild the foundation of ASG to make sure we have the proper representation. Once we have the proper representation, a census could be held where the students could tell us directly what (they) want us to do.”

Conyers continued with the topic of uniting ASG with the campus by sharing ideas on websites or through surveys and votes. The last topic Conyers touched on was the shrinking budget and what could be done to remedy money troubles.

Conyers’ opposition for vice president was Team Klue webmaster Abdulkadir Ahmed.

Ahmed felt that being a part of Team Klue really meant working together for a “team solution,” but that he was “a hard worker and would love to be the next vice president.”

He went on to share some solutions to major student problems, such as the lack of parking on campus and the sky-rocketing prices of textbooks.

“We plan on fixing the parking problem and offer shuttles that run every 15 minutes instead of every 45 minutes,” Ahmed explained.

As far as the overpriced text-

See ASG, page 10

Donna p. crilly City Times

Presidential Candidates (from left to right) Vikrum Deol, Josef Shannon and David Campbell gather in the cafeteria April 13 to answer student questions and debate campus issues. Elections were held April 15, 16 and 17. City Times has posted the results online at www.sdcitytimes.com.

Tough economic times hit food, drink and entertainment Tom andrew City Times In San Diego, the list of laid off employees and closing businesses grows at a rapid rate, leaving many people and companies scrambling to find work.

Starbucks just announced they would be laying off at least 30 assistant managers in the San Diego area. That means those people will either lose their jobs or be demoted to a shift supervisor position, or to a barista.

“I guess I really wasn’t paying attention to the signs in the store, or maybe they just weren’t visible, whatever the case, I absent-mindedly walked to my store the other day and the doors were locked,” said Michael Mulligan regular Starbucks customer, “then I noticed the sign on the door that said it had closed. Needless to say, I had to do without my coffee that morning.”

This seems to be a growing trend at most Starbucks, that and the many cutbacks at the stores

keep a healthy line going right out the door.

Stephen Knoll said, “I had to wait 10 minutes in line just to order a cup of coffee this morning and by the time I reached the counter they were out of coffee. I had to wait for them to make more.”

As reported last semester, many other area coffeehouses have closed their doors due to poor attendance and a withering economy.

The space once occupied by Maui Wowi has been taken over

by another cafe. The owners were not available for comment.

The old Starbucks at the trolley station still sits empty, and it is said that the company still owns the lease on it, hoping to either get the lease taken over or wait out the bad economy and reopen at some later date.

The Bee Hive Cafe is still open but the coffee has not improved.

Alex Ojeda, interviewed last semester in regards to this very subject said, “I really have no other choice. Most of the Starbucks are

too far away, and the cafeteria coffee is pretty bad. I guess this is the lesser of two evils.”

The economy has not only hit places like Starbucks and local coffeehouses, but it has also hit live theaters as well as area grocery stores.

Grocery stores, like Von’s, now boast on yellow and pink flyers, “LOWEST PRICES IN YEARS!” and “APPLES 59 Cents a lb.”

Local regional theaters are

See ECONOMICS, page 4

4

City Times

NEWS

April 21, 2009

‘What Not to Wear’ students get schooled on business attire Donna p. Crilly City Times City College Students got dress tips from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising at the “What Not to Wear to an Interview� fashion show on April 14 in the school cafeteria.

The show included members of the staff and students strutting the catwalk and exemplifying professional standards of what to wear and what not to wear to an interview.

This event was a part of the annual Career Week at City College, which led up to the Career Expo on April 15 in Gorton Quad.

All the events of career week are designed to “prepare students for the next step,� said Joe D’Ambro, who works in the Transfer Career Center.

Emceeing the fashion show, John Browner, student from the television and communications department, critiqued each student and staff model on their outfits.

From wearing clothing that inappropriately accentuated the body to waltzing around in a baggy T-shirt and jeans, these were prime examples of what not to wear.

On the other hand, some members of the staff showed off their suit and tie along with their shiny close-toed brown or black shoes to be the professional role-models for students interested in professional careers.

Lisa Solis, a speaker from FIDM, gave a presentation and introduction to the fash-

Economics

Continued from page 3

seeing lowest numbers in years, forcing most to close shows early, or cancel them altogether.

ion show that went into the psychological aspects of how people dress. “Ninety percent of first impressions are built on visual impact,� said Solis.

This is built on the concept of “perceptual inference,� which deems people who

Suggesting that people who tend to dress sharply usually get more respect and get paid more, Solis geared her presentation generally toward corporate level careers.

Dressing professionally is supposedly

are very well-dressed with many positive attributes including being well-educated, self-assured, worldly and more confident, according to Solis.

geared toward delivering a message that one is detail-oriented, prepared, reliable and efficient. “Don’t wear white, wear blue,� said Cap-

resha Rose, criminal justice major at City College.

Rose was an onlooker at the fashion show and remembered that bit of dress advice more strongly than the other tips.

Research finds that wearing a blue suit suggests trust, which is often why one would see blue often worn in court. Black signifies power, according to the presentation.

The presentation was aimed to steer people away from showing elements of personality in a professional environment such as those in a financial or legal institution. Showing one’s personality in that sort of setting might send a message that could turn them off, according to Solis. “Order looks a certain way.�

Solis makes it clear that this doesn’t apply to every job in the market, which is why it is important to know the job one is interviewing for and is comfortable with it so he/she can dress that part. She suggests that different appearances work for different jobs. “If the job requires a lot of creativity, then that would be a circumstance where one might dress to show their creativity such as graphic designer showing off a sleeve of tattoos,� Solis said.

Observation and “doing a test drive of the environment� before walking into an interview where one may be dressed inappropriately, whether it is a professional environment or not, is the best way to figure out what to wear and what not to wear.

“Everyone felt the bite this year, but when theaters like The La Jolla Playhouse are giving away free tickets to Broadway hit ‘XANADU,’ you know things are bad,� said theatergoer Ryan Wagner.

Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park, which normally does four shows each summer, is now faced with either doing nothing this

summer or cutting back.

By the end of the summer last year the theater had lost a lot of money and patrons, and it was rumored that they had many outstanding bills, which left them in a very precarious position. In order to survive the upcoming season they are forced to be creative in their casting choices. One plan they

have is to do something similar to American Idol and have the winners of the competition get lead roles in an upcoming show.

Whether you are looking for a good cup of coffee, a decent price for an apple or just some light summer entertainment, the pickings might be slim in this tough economic time.

photos by Donna P. Crilly City Times

Robert Sly and Lisa Ericson took to the catwalk April 14 to show students what is and isn’t appropriate to wear to a job interview. The show, which took place in the cafeteria was part of City College’s annual Career Week.

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April 21, 2009

CityLife

City Times

5

City Times participtes in 2009 JACC Convention RODA MARIE CATAPANG City Times Images of smiling happy young faces embedded themselves into the minds of hundreds of journalism students and advisers as their eyes were fixed on the slideshow presentation before them, some wiping away tears, all hushed into somber silence.

And so began the 2009 Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) State Convention, which ran March 26-28 at the Doubletree Inn in Sacramento.

The slideshow accompanied keynote speaker Marjie Lundstrom’s welcoming address to aspiring journalist as she shared her experiences as an investigative reporter and discussed the importance of the media in society.

Lundstrom, who currently writes for the Sacramento Bee, was honored with a Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for her series of stories that uncovered numerous unreported child abuse-related deaths, which led to allegations of mishandlings and corruption within the Sacramento Child Protective Services and who are currently under grand jury investigation.

Eight City Times staff members were among the many who participated at the JACC convention, which consisted of numerous journalism workshops and contests. “There was a wide selection of workshops that covered various aspects of the industry,� states Andrew Murphy, who

found the workshops informative, useful, interactive and fun, “at the same time professional.�

Workshops ran continuously throughout the day, offering courses such as “Press Conference Etiquette� and “Internships in Journalism,� and students were able to select workshops to attend that interested them in the varying fields of newspaper writing, broadcasting and magazine writing, as well as in the fields of design and photography.

Rigorous on-the-spot competitions provided a realistic view into reporting in the professional world of journalism and mass media communication, giving the students the opportunity to attend various local events and having only a short turnaround time to complete tasks in categories including news writing, critical review, opinion writing, sports writing, copy editing, news photography and many more.

Also held during the convention was the election for the new JACC student representatives.

Michelle Olson of Chabot College won the position of Student President, while Southern California Regional Student Vice President went to Brandon Hensley of Glendale College and Northern California Regional Student Vice President went to Anttwan Stanberry of Skyline College.

The new student representatives promised future JACC attendees delivery on multiple issues, including better representation at JACC meetings regarding

CARLOS MAIA City Times

City Times staff Nathan Hipple, Donna P. Crilly and Andrew Murphy toast to each other during the JACC award ceremeny dinner, on March 29. upcoming events, improved workshops and a more structured and informative website.

A conference meeting attended by advisers and at least one student from each representing college immediately following the election became heated when topics turned to the bleak JACC budget and the proposed increase of membership dues from $200 to $500 per college. “After one and half hours, someone in the audience stood up and motioned to end the day’s session,� abruptly ending the meeting, noted City Times photography editor, Carlos Maia. “I was like, wow,

that’s it? That was the fastest ending to a meeting this big I’ve ever been to before,�

Maia adds in describing the agitation of the attendees at the meeting that ran well after its one-hour mark.

The convention closed with its award ceremony dinner that was held in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel. The usually casual-attired student journalist arrived looking classy and ready to dine, accept awards and celebrate. “I didn’t care that I was wearing white shoes before Memorial Day,� joked City Times staff writer Nathan Hipple. “I

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6

City Times

CityArts

April 21, 2009

“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that Swing!”

Karla Mendoza Contributor

Members of the cast of “SWING!” shake all they’ve got on April 16 during thier dress rehearsal performance, which was open to invited to guests and family in preparation of thier performances.

‘SWING!’ jumps, jives and wails on Saville stage Diana Alvisurez Correspondent Bright lights, colorful costumes, pin-up hairdos and flirty dance moves are all present in the spectacular show, “SWING!” The musical, which features songs from Duke Ellington, The Andrew Sisters and other memorable compositions, hit Saville Theater on April 17.

The Visual and Performing Arts department has put in a great deal of effort to bring to stage an epic musical era that revolutionized the nation from 1930 through 1946.

In a time were racial tension was ever present, “SWING!” portrays the atmosphere of the Savoy Ballroom, also known as “the home of happy feet.”

When asked why the show was chosen, June Richards, “SWING!” stage director, proudly replied,

“The Savoy ballroom opened in Harlem in the 1920s. It was the only venue in New York where everyone, regardless of culture or race, could come together to dance.”

Richards continued, “The question for me as an artist is how much was music influenced by the dancers, and how much were the dancers influenced by the music? The question is unanswerable. When we chose this show, we thought it would provide our students with a chance to showcase their singing talent and we had a wonderful group of dance students.”

In order to reproduce the 1999 original Broadway show, the cast and crew worked long hours to prepare for opening night. While many students were enjoying Spring Break, the cast and crew used the break to put in extra hours in order to perfect their

performances.

Richards admitted that many long nights were spent in her office working on the production.

Richards not only directs the show, but her years of experience have allowed her to collaborate with other aspects of theater production.

“What I like about theater is the fact that I can utilize my creativity in multiple ways,” she says.

The process of recreating this musical phenomenon requires a great deal of collaboration and everyone plays an important role, even if they are not in the limelight.

Such is the case with Amanda Gardner, who shyly admits that she would rather work behind the scenes, helping with the audiovisual equipment. She is part of the crew that helps put the show together.

During the show, Gardner

makes sure that microphones are properly working in order to avoid technical difficulties.

Costume Director Carol Whaley also collaborates with Richards to effectively use costumes that will compliment the show.

These are only some of the members of the team that make it all happen.

Because the show contains no dialogue, yet it is filled with talented singing and bold moves, the performers use lighting, costumes and facial expressions to paint the mood and translate it to the audience.

One of the talented performers mentioned that it is not known how the audience would react to the lack of dialogue so they had to make sure to express themselves by using gestures and facial expressions to “punctuate.”

Choreographer Alicia Rincon

has worked with consultant Jim Cruzen to reflect the “vocabulary of dance,” and if you speak the language then you will enjoy the show.

After seven weeks of rehearsing and long hours of work, the cast and crew are proud to offer a show that “allows everyone to leave the theater dancing and singing along with the cast.”

The show begins its run on April 17th, running through April 19th, and continue for the following two weekends.

The show starts at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

You can reserve tickets at (619) 388-3617. General admission is $15 and $10 for a student, senior and military.

For more information, visit www.sdcity.edu/savilletheater/ events or call (619) 388-3617.

April 21, 2009

City Times

ARTS

7

Entertaining DVDs for your bed-bound days Though many new films have opened in the last few weeks I found myself bed-bound with a virus that seems to have made the rounds in San Diego over the last few months, and with a few DVDs. Neither one has anything to do with the other, but they did happen to jump out at me and since I hadn’t seen either in some time, I felt they were perfect for my days in bed while recuperating.

I am speaking of “Tootsie” starring Dustin Hoffman, and the Walt Disney’s classic, though now out of print, “Song Of The South.”

I hadn’t seen “Tootsie” in many years and this new 25th Anniversary DVD boasted deleted scenes and interviews with the cast. All of which are worth the price of the DVD. Dustin Hoffman, Teri Garr, the late Sydney Pollack, Jessica Lange and scores of others speak on how the film came to be and how dedicated all were in seeing that happen.

“Tootsie” is the story of an out of work actor/acting teacher Michael Dorsey, played with passion and determination by Dustin Hoffman.

His best friend played, by Teri Garr, has an audition for a soap opera and needs his help preparing for it. Through a series of circumstances she doesn’t get the job, but he does.

To tell you what happens here would only spoil the surprise if

you have never seen the movie.

For those of you who have seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it again.

DVD Review Tom Andrew

The cast across the board is amazing and hilarious.

Bill Murray, uncredited and mostly improvised, plays Michael’s roommate Jeff.

Jessica Lange plays Julie, the lost actress who grows through her friendship with Michael.

Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Geena Davis and lastly but certainly not least, Sydney Pollack, who plays Michael’s agent and confidant, round out the cast.

This film was nominated for a few well-deserved Oscars, and 25 years later will still make you laugh out loud.

I highly recommend it.

Now, as for Disney’s “Song Of The South,” of course we have all heard of the famous song “Zippity Doo Dah,” which is from this movie.

The film has many wonderful songs and the story itself is taken from the collected stories of Uncle Remus.

These stories are about the fictional characters Brier Rabbit, Brier Fox, Brier Bear, and their travails.

The film is set during the Civil War in the south. A time when slavery did exist, though in the film the particular plantation where the story takes place seems to have much respect and genuine concern for their slaves.

The film tells the story of a young child who, along with his mother, is sent to his grandmother’s house while his father goes back home to work. Deeply saddened when his father leaves, the child is befriended by Uncle Remus, an older black gentleman who tells tales of Brier Rabbit, Fox and Bear, and their antics.

His mother becomes concerned when she realizes that some of the stories Uncle Remus is telling might be teaching her son to deal with life in a way she feels may be too soon for him and forbids Uncle Remus to tell him any more.

As with most Disney films all definitely ends well.

“Song Of The South” is a wonderful story of friendship, tolerance, love and understanding.

Though out of print, you can obtain it online. Apparently, the subject matter is something Disney feels is not appropriate and has pulled the film from any further re-releasing, which is a shame because it is one of the first films to use both cartoon and live action and is quite good; highly recommended and appropriate for all ages.

Sony Pictures Courtesy image

From the ink of pages to the action of the screen Ashley Adkins The Parthenon San Diego (U-Wire) — Books and movies are two forms of popular entertainment available to people all over the world and when the two mediums come together it can either be satisfaction or disappointment.

According to the Internet Movie Database Web site, more than 28,000 books have been gathered by filmmakers, screenwriters and directors in Hollywood and taken apart page by page in the hopes of creating an award-winning film.

“Writing a screenplay is not the same as writing a novel or a book and you can tell the difference. Novels are richer than that (a screenplay),” said Kellie Bean, professor of the Film and Fiction class at Marshall.

Bean said the process of making a novel or book into a film involves three different genres and requires the novel to be transformed into a screenplay that is then transformed into a film.

The article “Lost in Translation: The Challenge of Adapting Books to Film,” by Chuck Leddy states the reason many great books become awful movies is because books use different methods to tell a story compared to a movie. Leddy also said one thing books have that movies do not is a narrative point of view and the seamless move from action to interior monologue and back.

“Novels allow for long, descriptive passages and a kind of conversation with the reader that’s different than in a film,” Bean said. “You get background on characters, you get descriptions

on their feelings, you get their interior thoughts and you just can’t put all that on a film.”

Brianna Loyd, senior counseling major from Stockbridge, Mich., said books have more detail than what movies can give the audience. She also said movies based on books can be

movies you have to fit it in under budget and you have time constraints.”

Bean said another problem movie makers have with transforming books into movies is the interpretation made by the reader.

“We all read books differently,” Bean said. “Somebody might

DC COMICS Courtesy image great for both the reader and the non-reader when the movie stays true to the book.

“I think for the most part the books are usually better than the movies,” Loyd said. “With the books there’s more detail. (The reader) can get into it and with

think that the most recent ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ did a terrible job with the novel but that’s because it didn’t jive with their reading of the novel. But it might have looked exactly like I pictured the novel to look.”

Bean said “The Great Gatsby,”

by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of her favorite novels she has been reading for years. She said if there were to be a re-make of the movie she would be critical of the actor cast to play the character Gatsby because she has a particular image of what he looks when she reads the novel.

Another problem, according to Leddy’s article, is the average screenplay runs 120 pages long, which is one page per screen minute that only relies on visuals, dialogue and action.

Bean said one page of a novel takes up more than one minute because the events in the novel can flash forward and backward continuously.

“You couldn’t actually film an entire novel, even a short novel,” Bean said. “People aren’t going to sit still for four of five hours. They have to pick and choose and make it a screenplay so it’s no longer a novel anymore.”

An example Bean gave to support her statement was the recent movie, “Watchmen,” which is based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons. “Watchmen,” the movie, directed by Zack Snyder, was released in theaters on March 6 and the 12 separate comic books were released in October 1986.

The “Watchmen” movie had a theatrical run time of two hours and 33 minutes but will have two DVD releases of the movie with longer run times, which will still not include every part of the graphic novel.

“In the ‘Watchmen’ they focused more on a particular part of one of the stories but there was so many subplots,” Bean said. “I have never read the novel and

I liked (the movie) a lot, but my kids read the novel and saw a completely different movie than I did.”

Bean said novels can easily have as many subplots as the novel needs and it will still make sense to the reader but a movie can only have so many before the audience gets confused.

The movie grossed $55 million on opening weekend and had a gross total of $105 million as of April 5.

According to the USA Today’s Best Selling Books Database, the “Watchmen” graphic novel entered the top 150 best selling books in July 2008 with a peak at the number two spot and is currently at No. 29.

The rise in sales of the graphic novel shows just one good way movies and books help one another.

“I think it encouraged interest in reading the book,” Bean said.

“It’s not a genre everyone is familiar with so the movie made many aware of graphic novels for the first time.”

Loyd said making movies based on books is good because the reader and the audience get to see the book come alive.

“I’m really big into the ‘Harry Potter’ books and the movies really do stay with the book,” Loyd said. “I like those because it just adds to the visuals but they don’t do anything to take away from the story or try to change it.”

The “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” movie will try something new to make fans happy and honor the book.

Instead of having one movie based upon the book, it will be split in two parts.

8

CityVoice

City Times

Paycheck to paycheck One gratifying thing about living paycheck to paycheck these days is that an economic crisis is more of a dark cloud than a thunderstorm.

Sure, it’s worrisome; these are fretful circumstances. But for the lower middle class, down the line, there’s not much change.

As many lose their investments, savings and homes, many more, without much savings, without an impressive job title and, for sure, without investments are living exactly the same.

I know the whole world is hurting in some way from the economic downturn of the last few years.

Perhaps American opulence was just a myth churned up over decades as the world watched us spend what we don’t have.

One way to measure the gross domestic product (GDP) is to measure a nation’s spending.

Spending may generate economic movement, but when there’s nothing left to spend …

I learned an interesting fact about this society the other day.

Only 30 percent of the people in the U.S. have an undergraduate degree.

I’ve heard my whole life that

The New Yorker Heather Richards

college is a ticket out, a ticket out of a small town, a ticket out of never having to use food stamps, a ticket somewhere else.

A “ticket” guarantees movement in a society that hates the idea of stagnation, but the economic crises makes me wonder who is really better off at the end of the day; the guy whose installs flooring, or the guy who has a degree in political science but works at Starbucks while he pays off his school loans?

The science and technical schools are exceptions. A liberal arts degree is a bit of a mirage when it comes to career stability.

Americans, always going on about the simple life, love the idea

of early retirement. We want to get rich so we can start living like a 70-year-old on a fat pension by the time we’re 30-year-olds. Fish all day? Don’t mind if I do. But, do you know who else fish all day?

Fishermen.

How much security does a four-year degree offer? Do I have to add that the vast majority of the people who’ve made a difference in my life did not have any real education?

The kind of person I want to be has nothing to do with a paycheck? The kind of life I want to lead has much to do with a paycheck.

Nonetheless, I’m not worried about investments right now. I haven’t lost twenty grand on the stock market, my 401(k) nor my house. In fact, I never had 20 grand, I do need to think about a 401(k) and I’m about to move to Logan cause I can’t afford my rent. Financial crises? What’s new about that?

Vox Populi Questions and Photos by Michele Suthers

April 21, 2009

What grosses you out?

“People smelling bad.”

Stephen Jones, 24 Chemistry

“Grassfields next to condoos people let their dogs poo without cleaning it up.”

Ryan Freeze, 19 Graphic Design

Heather Richards is a City Times staff writer

Life’s shortcuts for the lazy When I was in high school, the number one thing my mother told me was that I am so lazy. Lazy to do the dishes. Lazy to clean my room. Lazy to walk the dogs, mow the lawn, etc.

I never really thought about my laziness too deeply until recently, when I moved back in with her, after two and a half years of bouncing around San Diego and working at a job that hardly paid me enough to survive. It’s so funny that she still calls me lazy. I really am but I use it to my advantage.

My mama is actually the person I learned it from the best.

She has this way of being utterly lazy but twisting it toward everybody around her so she can slouch on the couch watching American Idol while we all frantically vacuum and do the dishes to make up for it. I think it’s genius, really. Maybe the kind of power only a mother can have.

It reminds me of the time when I was still in grade-school and she would scream “DONNA!” from another room and I would walk over to her bedroom and ask “yes?”

“Go get me a glass of water,” she would say.

All that effort in getting my

CityTimes Volume 63, Number 14 April 21, 2009 www.sdcitytimes.com

attention and waiting for me to mosey on out of my room toward hers to get her a glass of water possibly took double the time for her to simply get it herself. She was just sitting so comfortably in

Donna’s Dig Donna P. Crilly

her King-size bed to want to move.

I, of course, never said “no.”

Here are some ways being lazy has helped me: When I lose the remote control and don’t feel like looking for it, I read a book.

When I’m lying in my bed, wearing my pajamas, staring at the ceiling and friends call me up to come out and about, I say “I can’t; got work tomorrow ... early.” What I really mean is, “I don’t want to get dressed and put Published as: The Jay Sees / 1945-1949 Fortknightly / 1949-1978 City Times / 1978Incorporating the newspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks

Shevaun Brandom Editor-in-Chief

Roda Marie Catapang Features Editor

Sonjiala Hotchkiss Online Editor

Carlos Maia Photography Editor

Evonne Ermey News Editor

Donovan Terblanche Sports Editor

Shannon Kuhfuss Opinion Editor

Michele Suthers Chief Illustrator

make-up on and blah blah blah.”

This helps me get some sleep in case I actually do have to work early, and possibly saves me money for the night.

When someone asks me a question, and I’m too lazy to think up an extensive response, I simply answer with a few words.

This helps me seem witty.

When my friends and I make plans to do something, we usually decide to take one car where I’m definitely too lazy to be the driver.

I rely on my car being an absolute mess to turn people off from getting in my vehicle. This helps me because I’m too lazy to clean it out.

Yes, laziness can sure have it’s advantages. It’s not all bad. It helped me develop patience, for instance. Not doing or getting something right away made me wait for it, forcing me to acquire patience.

Having to use the bathroom but being too lazy to get out of bed helped me wake up easier in the morning because by then, I wouldn’t be able to hold it anymore.

“I’m not grossed out to be honest.”

Brandon Stockwell, 21 Film Major

“Not washing your hands after using the bathroom.”

Neenah Bivona, 22 Digital Music Tech

“Our economy.”

Blake Sorenson, 26 Undecided

Donna P. Crilly is a City Times staff writer

How to reach us: City Times San Diego City College 1313 Park Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92101 Newsroom: T-316

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

Roda Marie Catapang City Times Staff Tom Andrew, Luis Bahena, Sophia Cancino, Donna P. Crilly, Vanessa Gomez Romel Echon, Nathan Hipple, Leo E. Laurence, Joe Leonard, Copy Editors Emily Mather, Aurora McKeehan, Heather Richards, Ernie Aceves Ariana Sanchez-Fierro Karla Mendoza Contributors Correspondents Diana Alvisurez, Beza Beneberu, Regina Burton, Elizabeth Garcia, Roman S. Koenig Dawnyelle Harrison, Michelle Kam, Antonio Marquez, Journalism Adviser Andrew Murphy, Amber Nadeau, Samir Roy, Lindsay Tasior

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.

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April 21, 2009

City Times

VOICE

9

The controversial act of haocking loogies My friend hates spitting.

“It’s utterly disgusting,” he tells me, “and perfectly rude.”

Whenever he sees somebody spit in public, he can’t eat lunch.

His appetite vanishes at the sight of freshly haocked loogies and long, glistening goober strands.

Spittle oozes down the walls of my friend’s nightmares.

You for Real?

Nate Hipple

“Barbarians spit,” he says, “and llamas if they’re provoked.”

He is absolutely furious with spitters, yet remains unbothered by sneezers.

Sneezes sneak into the back of your throat like a silent assassin.

Never fight a sneeze. A firmly muzzled sneeze has enough force to blow the lid off the human skull.

Conspiracy theorists note the possibility that John Wilkes Booth may have simply covered Lincoln’s mouth and sprinkled

a few shakes of pepper into his nose, but back to the subject of spitting.

My friend is also a sports fan, so he attends a number of City College athletic events. Surely it would be acceptable to spit during, say, a baseball game?

My friend thinks not.

He tells me the tragic story of Marcus, the little leaguer who wandered down to the ballpark one afternoon for a baseball game.

Marcus saw something he shouldn’t have that day. At the mound, his favorite first-baseman spat a wad of tobacco juice that floated hypnotically to earth in slow-motion jumbo-vision, shimmering in the sunlight like a brown miracle.

Suddenly, the batter clocked a beautiful homer into the upper deck and the crowd went nuts.

In the boy’s young mind, chewing tobacco was exactly like Popeye’s spinach. Marcus salivated like a Pavlovian dog at the idea.

The first-baseman, unaware he’d accidentally endorsed nicotine to a 9-year-old, discharged several victory squirts as he rounded the bases.

After the game, Marcus bought his first pack of Big League Chew bubble gum. By the sixth grade, little Marcus packed his lips daily with the real stuff; extra-strength chewing tobacco.

Urbanalities By Michele Suthers

Within a few years, cancerous tumors popped out of Marcus’ gums as freakish as the sight of Jurassic Park dinosaurs who spray blinding arcs of venom into the eyes of their victims.

Consequently, Marcus never played high school baseball. All of his extra-curricular time was consumed with chemotherapy

and speech therapy.

“You think nobody’s watching,” my friend warns me, “but you have no idea.”

Later, I asked him if the story about Marcus was true or if he’d made the whole thing up.

He put his hand on my shoulder and swallowed. “There’s a little truth in every story,” he

told me.

So the next time you get the urge to spit, even if you’re playing ball, or chewing flavorless gum, or riding in a convertible when a bug hits you in the teeth, please just swallow it, for Marcus.

Nate Hipple is a City Times staff writer

Textbook system waste of knowledge, material Before my roommate got pissed off at the two editions of her Prego Italian textbook, I had known this moment would come.

The seventh edition she is currently using cost $96.85. Meanwhile, the sixth edition was sitting innocently on a clearance shelf with a $2 price tag. So what’s the fundamental difference between two editions of the same book?

First of all, illustrations. The author, Mr. Rossi, aged from an oily-haired dude into a wobbling grandpa within three years. From a geeky perspective, ways of saying days, months and years were introduced on a full page in the sixth edition, whereas the same information was separated into two half pages in the seventh.

Under Stress and Intonation, the sequence of Examples Two and Three was alternated. And that’s

it! One of my friends ventured out to ask her professor why she should buy the seventh edition when she already had the sixth.

Here was his answer: “They have different page numbers!”

Daunted by the sheer waste,

Perspective Qi Gu

she could not part with the perfectly acceptable, only slightly outdated sixth edition. Among the clearance piles, I spotted the 11th edition of Organic Chemistry: A Short Course. Still immaculate in its shrink wrap, the 2003 book had its promising life nipped in the bud. If its $3 price tag fails to attract any keen eyes, such a reputable textbook will be pressed

into a lump of nonsense again in some suffocating printing plant.

Hundreds of people have worked on this single educational project, and now they have to see their efforts end up restarting from scratch.

Walking down the clearance aisle, I couldn’t help wondering about the value of knowledge: Is a $100 textbook much better than its $2 predecessor? Some people might bring up the “more updated” argument as their defense for new books. Granted, quite a few academic branches often do advance. A large number of courses, however, do not require such a frequent update, especially at the entry level. For Math 221, you are not expected to learn about the latest awardwinning breakthroughs. What you actually spend time on are the

theorems of calculus established at least 100 years ago. In the case of language courses, it’s safe to say Spanish remains pretty much the same over a decade aside from some vocabulary changes. A publishing cycle of six or seven years is already sufficiently updated for most students. The current practice of three to four years per edition does not add much marginal value to a textbook.

Remember how you waded through all of those courses? You cram all the notes into your little brain, pass the exams, shove your textbooks back to a bookstore clerk and wave goodbye to the class forever. Rapid changing of editions makes your immediate sale of course materials a wise fiscal choice. Unfortunately, coupled with that pitiful stack of cash is the loss of a lifelong learn-

ing habit. Your own bookshelf is yawning endlessly for more nutrients but hardly gets fed. Only when you’re turned down by “sorry, we no longer use this edition,” will you curse on your way home, grudgingly holding a book you can’t get rid of, and occasionally flipping through a few pages until your “aha” moment comes: Damn, I should never sell such an awesome book! Even this occurrence becomes increasingly rare.

I bought the sixth edition of Prego Italian along with an “outdated” German textbook as a minimal tribute to knowledge. For these fruits of human intelligence and labor, staying in my hand is better than aging into dust.

Qi Gu is a staff writer for The Daily Cardinal, distributed by U-WIRE

Obama’s commitment to immigration reform encouraging The following editorial ran in the Harvard Crimson on April 16, distributed by U-WIRE During the president’s first 100 days in office we have witnessed a steady stream of campaign promises undergoing a transition to political reality. In January, Obama fulfilled a promise to reexamine the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp — and has since ordered the facility to be closed within the year. The latest example, though, came this week, when the president announced that he would be fully tackling the issue of immigration reform as early as next month. Critics were quick to point out that the president might be biting off more than he can chew by adding immigration to the long list of problems he has now promised

to address — with the economy and health care reform the obvious two heavyweights. Nevertheless, we believe that immigration reform is a very important issue

Perspective Harvard Crimson

that deserves attention now, and thus Obama’s announcement comes at the exact right time.

Immigration law is in dire need of a total policy overhaul. With conservative estimates of 12 million people living illegally within our borders, American society faces several problems. These illegal laborers tend to accept lower wages and zero benefits and are often reluctant to report

abuse or maltreatment — each contributing to the propagation of social ills. In addition, the federal government is losing billions in potential tax revenue from these workers.

The solution, according to the president, would be to offer a path of legal residency to illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. And, while such a bold proposal is sure to cause a stir on Capitol Hill, the logic behind this solution is fundamentally sound and reasonable.

Moreover, it would be unfeasible, expensive, and unproductive to pursue a common alternative solution of launching a campaign to hunt down illegal immigrants and deport them. The plan wisely includes stricter penalties for future illegal immigrants and a bolstering of all immigra-

tion enforcements. The borders would also become more tightly monitored to ebb the flow of new immigrants to the United States.

The announcement has already seen positive results. Two major American labor groups, the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation, have united in their support for the plan — agreement that rarely happens. Back in 2007, when George W. Bush proposed a similar plan, these groups had different opinions, which contributed to the failure of the proposal.

Hopes are high for more national agreement on the subject. Such legislation could also decrease jingoistic sentiments by making people realize that all immigrants can become meaningfully integrated in the American society.

As we wait for more details, we hope that pertinent legislation

will continue to be passed. Specifically, we hope to see the Dream Act passed soon. The Dream Act would allow the children of illegal immigrants to take advantage of federal funds to pursue higher education — an obvious step in the right direction for the integration of illegal immigrants into American society.

Finally, while the focus of this legislation deals primarily with low-wage immigrants, we should seize upon this opportunity to also raise the cap on H-1B visas in order to attract highly skilled laborers who would help bolster the American economy. America has always been a country of hope, equality, and, of course, dreams. Obama’s immigration plan seeks to preserve this image and at the same time strengthen our country.

10

City Times

NEWS / LIFE

Expo Continued from page 1 States, with a wide palate of course offerings.

Vera doesn’t anticipate any downsizing on the number of people who get sick annually or will need quality healthcare.

“I do know one thing,” said Vera. “I want to stay in town.”

Lucky for him, Phoenix owns a campus right here in San Diego.

At the Bellus Academy table, students converted their booth into a make-shift salon.

Bellus student Lauren Shultz was working hair into sculptures of art. Bellus’ booth was probably the most trafficked at the entire Expo, probably because they were doing free hair demos.

“I’ve been working on both guys and girls,” said Shultz. “Spikes for the guys.

Politics Continued from page 1 Deol, that ASG vice president Shannon is “corrupt” and that ASG senator Conyers is “likely an agent provocateur working with the CIA’s counter-intelligence program,” as stated in an open letter e-mailed from the Promethean Workers Association, of which Martinez is the head.

Both Conyers and Shannon were interviewed regarding the accusations directed at them, but after Conyers’ request to hold publication of this story was denied, both retracted their statements.

“Everything is fine. Everything is resolved,” is all that Conyers wished to impart.

No evidence has been found to support the allegations that Conyers is a CIA agent or that Martinez was involved in the prank.

Updo’s for the girls. The more funky the better.”

Bellus Academy’s motto is: We provide you with the training you need to achieve a glamorous career in less than a year.

“It’s all about the poof,” said Shulz, referring to a popular trend in updo’s.

The Bellus Academy has three locations at Poway, National City, and El Cajon.

The San Diego Police Department was one of the only booths to offer a highlycoveted twosome deal: Salary and benefits.

A recruiter from America’s finest police force distributed information about how City College Students could get themselves into the front seat of a squad car.

Applicants must be at least 20 years of age on the day of the written test, have no prior felonies and pass a physical abilities test.

Overall, the Expo left some students with more questions than answers, asking, “You sure Z90.3 isn’t hiring?”

Accusations regarding the corruption of ASG vice president Shannon were vague and have not been backed by any factual evidence. Deol acknowledges that Shannon did admit to him his involvement in the pizza delivery prank, but apologized for his actions.

No formal complaints have been filed by or against any of the parties involved.

“We’re trying to focus on solutions not whine and complain,” said Deol.

Currently, the City College Student Body Campaign Guidelines and Contract for Student Elections, while outlining the technical boundaries of campaigning, does not include any set code of moral standards by which ASG candidates are expected to adhere.

Denise Whisenhunt, dean of student affairs, acknowledges the lack of a moral code in the contract, but points out that all students are subject to a “student’s code of conduct.”

THANKS FOR RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER

April 21, 2009

ASG Continued from page 3 books on campus, he supported the idea of “a book rental program” and “maybe an online book exchange that would solve the problem of expensive textbooks.”

“Say for instance you have a psychology book and someone else has a math book.

You could trade books for either a small fee or no fee at all, because you made a trade

JACC Continued from page 5 wanted to represent my team in style.”

The highlight of the dinner was the announcement of competition winners.

City Times took home several spring state awards, including second place to Shevaun Brandom and David McAtee for their fall 2008 issue’s front-page layout, honorable mention to Heather Richards for profile feature story and general excellence newspaper for City Times.

Friendly rival Mesa Press also received recognition for general excellence newspaper, as well as multiple mail-in contest awards, including first place to Megan Looney for opinion story and honorable mention to Christina Moran for the same category, and honorable mentions to Johnny Ngo for critical review and to Kenny Kinder for sports game story.

City Times staff correspondent Andrew Murphy received on-the-spot honorable mention for his participation in the broadcast competition.

that helped both of you.”

While there is fierce competition between each candidate, there is one goal all candidates can agree on: working together to unify the campus.

Although April 20 will bring the results of the election, all ASG members plan on working together for the common good until the end of the spring semester.

“Until June 1, we’re hitting it full force,” noted Shannon. “We may be running against each other in the election, but we still have to work together.”

Of significant note, City Times staff writer and copy editor Vanessa Gomez received third place in the on-the-spot news writing contest.

“I didn’t think I would win something like that in my first writing competition,” Gomez states, adding, “It really took Roman [Koenig] saying ‘You’ll never know unless you try’ to make me do it,” when describing her hesitance in participating in the news writing competition.

With regard to Gomez’s win, adviser Koenig exclaimed, “It’s fantastic! In fact this is the first time we’ve won anything on-the-spot since we’ve been coming to these [conventions].”

The JACC Southern California regional convention held Nov. 14-15, 2008 at CSU Fullerton boasted numerous awards for City Times, as well, including newspaper general excellence and online general excellence; first place to Michele Suthers for editorial cartoon; first place to Shevaun Brandom for tabloid front page layout; fourth place to Whitney Lawrence for tabloid inside page layout; second place for City Times Editorial Board for editorial writing; and honorable mention to Heidi Stenquist for news feature story.

April 21, 2008

City Times

SPORTS

11

Malcolm Thomas the next Michael Jordan?

Ernie Aceves Contributor Malcolm Thomas, a 20-yearold sophomore at San Diego City College weighing 228 and standing 6 feet 9 inches tall could be well on his way to becoming the next Michael Jordan.

Basketball is not the only thing Thomas has to deal with. He is a full-time student and another priority he has is keeping his grades up, which he says is not an easy task.

“I get a lot of homework and with basketball practice everyday it can be stressful at times,” Thomas said.

Nothing came easy to Thomas; he would ride the school bus every morning, which meant getting up extra early to get to his high school across town in City Heights.

“I think the way I’ve lived and struggled has also shaped me into who I am now, a strongminded individual,” he said.

Thomas grew up in El Cajon, where he attended Crawford High School. As a sophomore in high school Thomas discovered his great talent and passion for basketball.

Thomas said his sister has been a great inspiration for him.

He grew up watching her play basketball and with this he was exposed to the world of the sport.

Thomas’ father was also an inspiration. Like him, Thomas also plays the forward position, this way he was able to acquire most of his skills from his dad.

“I consider my sister and dad an inspiration, because they gave me the push to start playing, and they have supported me ever since then,” Thomas explained.

As Thomas got to college his skills in basketball improved to a more professional level.

While at City, Thomas was selected to attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he continued playing basketball but with a higher level team.

After one semester at Pepperdine he returned to City where he once again joined the City College Knights.

“Malcolm always shows determination and perseverance,” Coach Mitch Charlens said.

On Feb. 18, Thomas received the Most Valuable Player Award, and he was also named one of the All-PCC First Team, along with Jamel McGuire and Marquintice Davis.

Thomas has showed great talent out in the court and his coach says that he should be in the NBA in about three years.

Coach Charlens said he is confident that with the way Thomas is playing, he will have great success and many opportunities to play professionally in the NBA. Teammate Jamel McGuire mentioned, “Malcolm Thomas was off the hook tonight!”

McGuire said he was impressed with Thomas’ sportsmanship during the playoff game.

Thomas is always interested in getting the team ahead, whether it’s him the one that scores or its one of his teammates.

Thomas is planning on obtaining his associate’s degree in 201011 from City, while maintaining his basketball career. He plans on continuing his studies and sport at Pepperdine University.

“I feel great, we worked really hard. It feels good to be mentioned for winning.”

Malcolm Thomas

SportsLineup

Carlos Maia City Times

Malcolm Thomas received an honorable mention for his efforts in the CCCAA Conference, along with his success in the PCC.

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

Baseball vs. South Western away 2:00 p.m.

Baseball vs. Grossmont away 2:00 p.m.

Softball vs. Imperial Valley 1:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis away TBA Ojai Tournament

Imperial Valley vs. Imperial Valley 2:00 p.m.

Badminton So Cal Playoff TBA Away 10:00 a.m.

Womens Tennis vs.

Grossmont away Women’s Tennis away TBA Ojai Tournament

Baseball vs. Grossmont home 12:00 p.m.

Women’s Tennis away TBA Ojai Tournament

Men’s Tennis SoCal Regional Away TBA

Badminton OEC Individual Finals Away 9:00 a.m

Men’s Tennis SoCal Regional Away TBA

Women’s Tennis SoCal Regionals away TBA

Men’s Tennis SoCal Regional Away TBA

Women’s Tennis SoCal Regionals away TBA

Women’s Tennis SoCal Regionals away TBA

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City Times

CitySports

April 21, 2009

Women’s softball falls victim to Mesa 4-2 Roda Marie Catapang City Times The 1-1 start signified what would be an exciting match-up for the City Knights women’s softball teams, as they went up against Mesa College.

But despite Erika Beasley’s violently powerful pitches, Mesa managed to take the game to 3-1 at the top of the third after a drive to left and out of the park by Denisse Martinez.

Knights Leona Reyna and Aurora Tellez attempted to turn the game around but were quickly taken out by Mesa pitcher Brittany Gomez.

Olivia La Mar sends a hearty drive over second to get a single base hit, then teammate Caitlin Aimalefoa hits down the third baseline, putting Knights on second and first.

Unfortunately Ashley Whitmore strikes out with two runners left on base and closing the third, leaving Mesa in the lead at 3-1.

A moment of confusion or miscommunication occurs at the top of the fourth when second base, short stop and center allow a fly ball by Mesa’s Victoria Trujillo to hit the ground, giving Trujillo the chance to take first.

In the bottom of the fourth, City’s Jacklyn Hamme ducks to avoid a brushback pitch to the head by Mesa’s pitcher Gomez, and after a few more inconsistent pitches, Hamme earns a walks to first. However, she is quickly taken out in a double play following a hit by Beasley.

The inning continues without any runs for City, and with only three more innings to go, the pressure begins to mount.

The top of the fifth finds the score at 3-2. Mesa’s Martinez sends the ball down the third baseline giving herself a single base hit. Beasley sends a pitch to Mesa’s Chelsea Herrera, who takes a ball to the body, allowing her to advance to first and Martinez to second.

With two runners on base, Alexis Franco attempts to surprise City with a bunt, but the Knights are right on top of it and Beasley quickly recovers the ball to throw to first base where Aimalefoa drops the ball. Mesa seizes the opportunity to advance and Martinez takes it home, taking Mesa up 4-2.

Carlos Maia City Times

Mesa’s Alyssa Factuar attempts to surprise City with a bunt, but pitcher Erika Beasley recovers the ball to quickly fire it to first sending Factuar back to the dug out.

Mesa’s Natalie Herrera attempts to bring another runner home with bases loaded, but pops the ball to third, where City’s Whitmore makes the easy catch sending Herrera out. Mesa’s Trujillo earns a single base hit. But despite bases loaded, City closes the top of the fifth with no additional runs for Mesa.

The bottom of the fifth is ended after a double play by Mesa, taking La Mar and Aimalefoa out.

The last two innings were quickly played, garnishing both teams no runs, ending the score at 4-2.

The Knights last played Mesa Feb. 25, which ended City women’s softball team’s six-in-a-row winning streak at that time.

At this current match-up, despite fabulous plays and excellent pitching by Beasley, who was chosen as the Pacific Coast Conference Women’s Athlete of the Week during the week ending March 29, City could not turn the match-up around in their favor.

Carlos Maia City Times Jenna Kirksey is unable to tag out Mesa’s Denisse Martinez off a dropped ball at first by Caitlin Aimalefoa, the run scored would take Mesa up 4-2 and would be the final result in the game.

Do athletes know what is in their sports drink?

Vitaminwater contained illegal substances, according to NCAA guidelines

MARCUS GARTNER Daily Brown Herald San Diego (U-Wire) — On Tuesday, Feb. 3, student-athletes and coaches received an e-mail from the Department of Athletics alerting them that some flavors of the popular energy drink Vitaminwater contained illegal substances, according to NCAA

guidelines.

This was a surprise to athletes and coaches who previously considered Vitaminwater a standard sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade. It was also shocking because the Coca-Cola Company, which owns Vitaminwater, is a major sponsor of the NCAA, and Vitaminwater can be seen on the sidelines of many NCAA sporting

events. A week after this e-mail was sent, the NCAA released a statement reassuring studentathletes that normal consumption of the energy drinks was safe and would not affect a drug test. It noted, however, that three flavors of Vitaminwater still contained impermissible substances, including taurine, L-theanine and ECGC, meaning that schools or coaches

cannot provide athletes with the drinks. The NCAA called the initial reaction a misunderstanding due to inaccurate media coverage.

After test results revealed that several flavors of Vitaminwater contained illegal substances, the NCAA was quick to alert athletic departments across the nation.

The NCAA had to claim that very small amounts of the illegal

substances were in the drinks and that only after consuming an excessive amount of drinks would an athlete test positive for these substances. This announcement saved it from any possible issues with its sponsor, and allowed Vitaminwater to be a common sideline refreshment. But what kind of message is the NCAA sending to college athletes?