Q LA JOLLA SEALS
One view on the battle to protect wildlife VOICE / PAGE 6
CityTimes www.sdcitytimes.com
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Volume 64, Number 11
April 6, 2010
Attempted RTVC thefts remain a mystery By TOM ANDREW City Times
The Radio and Television Communications Department has faced attempted thefts over the last few semesters, most recently during the week of March 22, raising a number of questions that no one seems to be able to answer.
According to Professor John Hildebrand, the tape editing room was locked when he left the night before March 22. The next morning Professor Laura Castaneda unlocked the room to let students in and didn’t notice anything suspicious at that time. It wasn’t until a few hours later that two computers
and a mixing board were noticed unplugged and left by the doorway. Campus police were notified and the attempt was reported. “The police said that since no crime had been committed, and nothing was taken, nothing could be done,” Hildebrand said. Campus police officer Jeff
Rabine arrived at the scene and assessed the situation. He said it is possible that a crime was attempted, but since it wasn’t followed through it couldn’t be reported as such. “Things were moved around, but that doesn’t mean it was being stolen,” Rabine said. “Those items could have been unplugged
San Diego citizens voice concern over parking structure lights burning energy around the clock
By DAN BERGER City Times
By MARK RIVERA City Times
With the new parking lot structure, on 16th and Broadway, set to be up and running this fall, there should be little to complain about for the many parking-weary students at San Diego City College. However, with the structure’s lights being turned-on throughout the night, even while it's not open for use and with no construction being done while the lights are on, Construction Manager for City College, Tom Fine, has been met with complaints that the structure has been using unnecessary energy. “The lights are still needed in order to provide security lighting through the end of construction,” Fine said. “The site has experienced a few break ins and the lights are needed to provide security lighting in the garage.” The issue was first raised in an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune Feb. 3. Members of the community found that every light in the structure was being put to use even as it sat empty beside the 5 freeway at night. “I had driven past it a few times at night and wondered why all those lights were on when it didn’t look like it was being used at all,” said Lisa Phelps, a student at City College. “I figured (the construction crew) new what they were doing, but they should still be mindful of the times we’re living in and wasting too much energy.” Fine said the lights in the parking structure were being used because a lighting control panel had not yet been installed, and the only options were to have all the lights turned on or off. Since the complaints and the article in the Union Tribune, Fine has taken action, leaving only the emergency lights on at
NICK MOONE Correspondent Lights can be seen illuminating each floor of the new parking structure located on 16th and Broadway at night March 22. night, which is only one-third of all the lights in the structure. “It is anticipated (that) the parking structure will be fully open for students and faculty starting in the 2010 fall semester,”
Fine said. The 10-story, 700-space garage is part of a career technology center, and will be equipped with photovoltaic solar panels that will help the building conserve energy.
City College ranks high on Yelp site City Times
San Diego City College recently ranked among the top three colleges and universities in the San Diego area on the user review website Yelp. Yelp ranked City College third overall, and first among the community colleges with the University of San Diego taking top honors. Fellow community colleges Grossmont College and Southwestern College ranked eighth and ninth respectively. Although Yelp has been involved in its share of controversy in the past regarding the fairness of its rating system, both negative and positive reviews are left uncensored for viewers to see.
Index
Take Note.................................2 Arts........................................ 4 Life......................................... 5 Opinion................................... 6 Sports.................................... 8
See RTVC, page 3
District considers pay cuts
Lights out?
By RICKY SOLTERO
and removed because they were going to be fixed, we just don’t know.” Rabine commented that there is no alarm system for the tape editing room, which has some of the most expensive equipment in the department.
The reviews for City College vary with some students praising the college for its diversity in both ethnicity and age difference, and others protesting the difficulty to find parking, among other things. “This is probably the best community college in SD” said one user while another responded “Parking, ugh, no thanks!” With over 4 million reviews and 15 million visitors, according to the New York Times, it must be recognized that Yelp is a great promotional tool that might entice future students thanks, in part, to the support of its current students. “I am very pleased that our students hold our faculty in such
See YELP, page 2
The San Diego Community College District is currently involved in negotiations to close the remaining $4 million budget deficit. The district has proposed a “fair share” reduction in which contracted employee groups, such as professors, secretaries, lab technicians and others, would equally contribute to a temporary compensation reduction for the 2010-11 school year. According to City College President Terrence Burgess, the compensation reduction would be less than 3 percent of the annual salary. “The employee groups are free to determine how they will generate their fair share,” Burgess said. “This may include a combination of salary reduction, furlough days, suspension of sabbaticals, and/or increased employee copays on health insurance.” Non-contracted employees, such as adjunct professors, who are hired on a semester-bysemester basis and consist of 45 percent of all professors, will not be affected by the reductions. Due to diminishing state funding for higher education, 1,900 classes were cut district wide the past two school years, totaling a savings of $32 million. At City College, 600 classes were cut, which resulted in a savings of $8 million. The district also incorporated a hiring freeze following the class reductions, which will remain in effect unless the American Federation of Teachers agrees to the “fair share” reduction. The AFT has a contract with the district until June 30, 2011,
See PAY, page 2
Demolition crew makes way for new construction By ERNESTO LOPEZ
City Times
The apartment complex on 15th and C Street under demolition during the week of March 22 will be the new home for a 5-story General Purpose Classroom building for San Diego City College. Expected to be completed by 2012, the building will house military education, behavioral sciences, mathematics, Chicano and Black Studies, history and both political science and anthropology labs. A 400-space, 5-story parking structure will also be built adjacent to the new building. According to Construction Manager for City College, Tom Fine, the construction plans are yet to be approved by Department of State ArchitecCARLOS MAIA City Times ture; construction is scheduled to start Fall 2010. A construction worker lifts materials from the demolished The $81 million budget for the project comes from Proposition S. building on March 23 that will be donated to Tijuana.
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City student shares experiences from the streets LIFE / PAGE 5
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