Online at www.sdcitytimes.com
CITY TIMES FOLLOW US
OCCUPY SAN DIEGO
@SDCityTimes
You are the 99 percent PAGE 4 Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Calendar/News.................. Arts.................................. Focus................................ Voice................................. Sports...............................
Volume 66, Number 4
2 3 4 6 8
October 11, 2011
More than 1,400 people expressing a diversity of views march downtown Oct. 7, part of a movement that began in New York weeks ago. Photos by Troy Orem, City Times
‘This is what democracy looks like’ By Fernando Yates and Amanda Santoni City Times A 74-year-old woman with a walker, a 37-year-old student living out of his car and a 65-year-old Argentinean immigrant are some of the faces that made up the estimated 1,400 people that participated in Occupy San Diego. The demonstration that began Oct. 7 at about 4 p.m. in downtown stemmed from a grassroots movement to “take action against the greed and corruption of the 1 percent” that started at Wall Street several weeks ago. Since then the movement has spread to 1,106 cities, as of Oct. 9. In San Diego and in cities across the country, a core group of demonstrators said they would continue the occupation indefinitely. “I’m concerned for my children, grandchildren and great grandchil-
dren,” said Marie Johnson, age 74, as she stood on the rim of the crowd with a walker. Johnson participated in Occupy San Diego for her family. She said she feels that the Republican Party is blocking legislation that would create jobs. While that may not affect her, she said, it affects her children. One of Johnson’s sons works as a police officer but she worries about his safety working double shifts and forced overtime because of budget cuts. She has another son who has a degree in electrical engineering who cannot find work. And she’s got a daughter also out of work who “can’t even get a job flipping burgers.” “Never what I expected for my children,” Johnson said. The occupation has been very well organized across the country through the Internet. Every protest is planned by different committees organized in a non-hierarchal way. In San Diego, these committees met
nightly for a week and a half before the march, coordinating the event. Anyone was allowed to participate in the meetings. There were committees for security, food, sanitation, first aid, education, public relations and publicity, orientation for newcomers, a legal group to inform protesters of their
Help for times of crisis By Lashekita Sutton City Times As students at City College, everyday life can become a little stressful. That is why City College offers Mental Health Counseling Services, located right above Student Health Services in room A-221. Services are offered free of charge to any currently
enrolled City student attending classes, and services are completely confidential. Mental Health Services provides students with free individual, couples and group counseling provided by licensed clinicians and interns. Support and information on a variety of ailments are also provided. If students want to take advantage of the Mental
Health Center, one needs to go in and fill out a quick questionnaire and wait for one of the clinicians to call and set up an appointment. The clinicians do not leave messages to maintain confidentiality. “Appointments here at MHCC are normally offered within 24 hours based on student schedule,” said Leslie Easton, coordinator at Mental Health Services.
rights and an arts and entertainment group, among others. “I’m not a big protester, but if there is a big event I’ll go,” said Ben McFadden, a 37-year-old City College student living out of his car. McFadden is unemployed and depends on his Pell Grant to survive. The cuts to education have
made it difficult for McFadden to take the radio and television courses he needs. While McFadden has friends and family in town, he does not live with them because he does not want to be a burden to them, especially with the state of the economy. McFadden said that the disproportionate wealth in the country has eliminated the middle class. “I just want it fixed,” he said. On the first day, protesters marched out of Civic Center Plaza at about 5:20 p.m. in full fanfare. They chanted, drummed, and blew whistles as they plowed through downtown. People continuously ran by the large group taking video and photos with whatever camera was handy. Spectators could be seen all along the route to Children’s Park. Motorists honked in support as they See Occupy, page 8
Mental Health Services Room: A-221 Phone: (619) 388-3539 Open Monday - Thursday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and by appointment Mental Health Services offers support and information regarding: -Anxiety or Stress -Eating Disorders -Studying or Test Taking Problems -Difficulty Sleeping -Relationship and Family Issues -Divorce and Separation -Anger Management -Difficulty Coping with Life Issues “That far exceeds the community standard where it often takes several weeks to be seen. If a student has limited availability and limited con-
tact information it may take longer but we work very hard to get them in at the earliest available coordinated time.” Easton added. If your need is more than
what Mental Health Services can accommodate, they will refer you to an outside source in the community, normally at low cost to the students.
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 11, 2011
2
Take Note Calendar Compiled by Nicholas A. Preston Get your event in the paper. E-mail us at citytimes@gmail.com or call 619-388-3880
n Oct. 11, Tuesday
n Oct. 14, Friday
Jazz Live: Oscar Hernandez and the LA-NY Connection featuring Justo Almario 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Saville Theatre
Lunafest: Short films by, for and about women 5:30 p.m. -9 p.m. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Art of Elan presents Mexicali San Diego Museum of Art 7 p.m., http://www.sdmart.org 619-232-7931
n Oct. 12, Wednesday A Taste of Coronado Third and Orange Ave 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. www.atasteofcoronado.com
PAY OFF
YOUR EDUCATION
n Oct. 15, Saturday 2nd Annual Del Mar Mud Run www.delmarmudrun.com
n Oct. 16, Sunday San Diego’s Craft Revolution, runs until April 15 Mingei International
Museum, Balboa Park www.mingei.org
n Oct. 19, Wednesday Fall Farm Festival 11:00 – 2:00 p.m. City College Urban Farm Terry Wilson, twilson@sdccd. edu n Oct. 20, Thursday 12th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Mission Valley UltraStar at Hazzard Center http://sdaff.org
Crack City By Michele Suthers
Tuition costs shouldn’t stop you from reaching your goals in life. By joining the Army National Guard, you’ll receive the money you need to help pay for college as well as the skills and training you need to get the career you want. If you’re looking to get through college, with the Army National Guard, you can!
Staff Sergeant Alexander Eisman 909-522-8617 NATIONALGUARD.com • 1-800-GO-GUARD 9/1/11 11:03 AM
City Crunch By Nicholas A. Preston
N A T I O N A L
U N I V E R S I T Y®
Transferring?
Finish School YOUR Way! © 2011 National University 10186
AMS-02_4.94x7_Eisman.indd 1
At
National University,
we know
you can’t sit in class all day or lock yourself in a library — you’ve got work, family, and friends. You’re transferring because you want to finish
your degree and move on into a new career. National University makes that possible with:
MORE THAN 15 CONVENIENT SAN DIEGO LOCATIONS
8 0 0 . N AT. U N I V
|
Streamlined admissions >> No enrollment fee >> lexible scheduling >> F A unique one-course-per>> month format Scholarship programs >>
The University of Values
getinfo. nu .edu/transfer
October 11, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com
3
Arts ‘Drive’ takes turns to a new level Director Nicholas Winding Refn is no stranger to creating an edgy feel in his films and “Drive” is no exception. Refn has created a film that seems odd and sweet to begin with, but don’t be fooled; midway through things change and the quirky mood turns to a dark and twisted one. Ryan Gosling plays The Driver, an unnamed mechanic who drives for a living, both in get-away cars and as a Hollywood stunt man. He’s quiet, reserved, and very unassuming. Bryan Cranston plays The Driver’s boss Shannon. He talks too much and tries too hard, but has looked out for The Driver for years, and is ready to get the both of them out of any trouble that may come their way. The trouble comes in the form of a pretty young mother named Irene (Carey Mulligan), her soon-to-be-released jail bird husband Standard
MOVIE REVIEW Tom Andrew
(Oscar Isaac) and their precocious son Benicio (Kaden Leos). Standard, upon his release, finds that he has an old mob debt to repay and gets help from The Driver in settling it. It’s here that we get to see there’s a little more to the mechanic’s quiet demeanor than what we thought. It’s here that we see his desire to fight for Irene and Benicio even if he has to settle Standard’s debt to show his devotion. Things go horribly wrong at this point. Blood flows freely from that point on. What should have been a quick fix becomes a mess and The Driver now finds it’s his head on the chopping block. Gosling turns in yet
Actor Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed stunt driver and which opened on Sept. 16 . Official Image another great performance here; always pushing the envelope just before it becomes outlandish. He’s fascinating to watch. We see there’s something behind the
quiet exterior. We know there’s something brewing there, but we don’t know what is hiding below the surface. The same goes for Mulli-
The more she finds out about The Driver the more she wants to run away from him, but she can’t because she is so drawn to him. Cranston is a jumble of fantastic nerves and great supporting work as The Driver’s boss. He almost steals the film. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman play the two west coast “mobsters” after The Driver. Brooks is always great, but here, his comedic bad guy seems out of place and Perlman’s snarling is overdone. “Drive” is a great film despite minor casting issues. The direction is clean, and disturbing and the cinemagetaway driver in “Drive,” tography and editing keeps us intrigued. Like a bad car accident, one simply can’t look gan who also creates a char- away. acter that makes us forget anything else she has ever done. The fear and longing behind her eyes is torturous and yet understandable.
4.5 stars out 5
Event shows reel growth By Jennifer Manalili City Times
Hodad’s recently opened a second location at 945 Broadway. Bliss Mellen-Ross, City Times
Ocean Beach burger joint hits Broadway Located on 10th Avenue and Broadway is a small restaurant with big flavor. With only two locations, one downtown and another in Ocean Beach, it is a nationally recognized restaurant, being listed as one of the top five burger joints in America by CNN. Walking in I knew this place was going to be better than most places, with the vanity plates stapled to the wall and the surf boards hanging from the ceiling I was excited about the environment and the food I was going to eat at Hodad’s. With no wait at all we were able to get a table the second we walked in. The waiters were fast on their feet to get water to the table and gave ample time for my companion and I to select what we wanted. I had the Blue Jay burger, basket (with fries). This bacon burger with blue cheese was slightly messy, so I might not recommend it to anyone on a date, but I give full recommendations on taste. The roasted onions added just the slightest bite to the burger, with
FRUGAL FOODIE
Robert Whaley the bacon, hamburger and blue cheese all melting well to create a unique full flavor. My companion had a minicheeseburger, which seemed filling despite the name. Both burgers were ordered with fries, and at Hodad’s they serve potato wedge fries, full of flavor and a lot more filling than shoelace fries. Hodad’s serves Pepsi brand soft drinks, lemonade, coffee and even milk. They also serve shakes, with the classic flavors of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. They do serve beer, as well as red, white and pink wines. For more information visit http://hodadies.com/home/.
San Diego’s annual film festival celebrated its tenth birthday and returned to its home at the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15 theater in downtown Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. The festival’s opening night kicked off with a sold out screening of the Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen film “50/50.” Screenwriter Will Reiser, who inspired the movie, and actor Philip Baker Hall were on hand and participated in a question and answer session with the audience after the screening. The festival received over 1,200 submissions this year with only 80 making the final cut. The selection largely consisted of independent films. “Independent filmmakers need to show potential distributors that they have an audience,” said Robin Laatz, the festival’s co-founder. “Audiences help by spreading the word and getting the festival films they love out to the masses.” The 80 films were whittled down to
include a selection of 12 feature length films, 12 documentaries, five different short film programs and two showcases. One short film showcase included “Local Love” which spotlighted shorts that were created by San Diego filmmakers and shot locally. “Green Screen-Environmental Series,” which screened documentaries aimed at raising awareness for various causes, was also one of the showcases. Other notable features included: the mid-life crisis drama/comedy “East Fifth Bliss” starring Michael C. Hall and Lucy Liu, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler, a romance in “Like Crazy,” a one-night stand comedy in “The Pill,” and “Girls Girls Girls,” a feature that included six short films all written, directed, produced, shot and edited entirely by women. The festival concluded with the documentary “The Bully Project.” The film follows the lives of five bullied teens over the course of one year and examines how the treatment they endure affects their lives and families.
The festival, also largely known for its parties, included events scattered throughout downtown including: the GQ opening night party at Se Hotel, San Diego Film Festival’s tenth birthday party and award show at Culy Warehouse, and parties at Quality Social and The Lincoln Room. Laatz and her husband, Karl Kozak, founded the festival together. After moving to San Diego Laatz quickly discovered that “San Diego was the only major city without its own exclusive film festival,” and an idea was born. The first film festival opened in 1991 with audience numbers growing steadily since then. This year, the number is estimated to have been around 10,000. The festival hopes to continue expanding in the future by offering movies year round through showcases. Ultimately, Laatz said the goal is to keep the festival growing. “We will just keep growing and premiering better films each year. We hope people see films they love and that they go tell their friends about them,” said Laatz.
San Diego’s Gaslamp 15 Reading Cinemas played host to the tenth annual San Diego Film Festival. The festival welcomed an estimated 10,000 people who viewed 80 films. Jennifer Manalili, City Times
4
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 11, 2011
Focus
‘We are peaceful, we will be heard’
Top: Protesters march out of Civic Center Plaza toward Children’s Park. Left: Tents are set up by demonstrators to spend the night in Children’s Park. Right: Demonstrators chant “We are all Troy Davis” in Children’s Park. Bottom: A candlelight vigil is held to honor those who have been affected by the state of the economy during Occupy San Diego on Oct.7. Photos by Troy Orem, City Times
October 11, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com
‘This is what the 99% looks like’
Focus
5
Democracy 2.0
Michael John Emor y : “SDPD can teach NYPD lessons in treatment of peaceful protesters right to exercise freedom of speech!” via Facebook
GoodOmenSD : “Protesters to cops, “We’re fighting for your pensions. You belong with us!” #occupysd #occupywallstreet” via Twitter
Patricia Hume : “Well organized, massive, diverse, gentle and powerful. I saw police smiling. Contagious...” via Facebook
TobyBenjamin : “Stay calm, stay focused, stay peaceful, stay united. Together there is nothing we cannot overcome. #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyLA #OccupySD” via Twitter
A Marine in full-dress uniform joins protesters at Children’s Park during the Occupy San Diego demonstration on Oct. 7. Troy Orem, City Times
Anatomy of a protest By Daniela Solano City Times The organizers of Occupy San Diego are a wide collection of individuals and groups. Inspired by the movement on Wall Street they came together Tuesday, Oct. 4, to plan the “occupation” that would occur three days later. At 6 p.m., around 160 people met at the corner of 1st and Island in downtown San Diego in the small park in front of the conversion center. They were divided into planning committees. Each dealt with a specific topic, such as the security, food, and sanitation. Each committee met among themselves first and decided what they were going to do. At 7 p.m., all the committees came together to share their decisions and plan their overall strategy. “The size of this group represents a great turnout,” said Steve Fahrney, 29, who was part of the public relations and publicity committee. The group came together in a circle so that everyone could see and hear each other. They agreed to communicate using hand gestures, such as holding up a hand to an ear if they couldn’t hear, or waving a hand in the person supported someone else’s idea. A man in his early fifties who identified himself as Frank said he was an attorney and addressed the group. He talked about the possibility of being detained and what people could do. Everyone was interested in this topic and the discussion lasted 15 minutes.
Then it was on to the security committee, whose members had decided earlier that they would have three people who would have direct contact with the San Diego Police Department. But then someone proposed five or six people be contacts, too. Everyone agreed to the new number by waving his or her hands. But then the committee’s leader explained why that was not a good idea and thus it went back to three. A member of the lodging committee said the downtown youth hostels were in full support of Occupy San Diego and were offering their facilities to all the people who participated. The member said participants could use the restrooms, showers and sinks while camping out during the occupation. Another person said there was talk about having a food table for participants but only for a short amount of time each day. Someone noted that Oct. 7 was also Yom Kippur and that a celebration was bringing 5,000 Jewish people to the Civic Center, where the occupation was to take place. After some debate, the organizers decided that they would continue with the occupation as planned and try not to bother the Jewish community on their holy day. (Three days later the organizers reversed course and decided not to occupy the Civic Center on Friday night to support the Jewish community.) Around 9 p.m., the planning meeting ended. Many said they would be back the next two evenings to fine tune their plans for the great San Diego occupation.
Darkayla Bathor y : “Revolution will not be televised! Revolution is something serious, not a funny party!” via Facebook
Jeff Smith : “LOSERS bunch of loser tards who have no jobs, collect welfare and SMELL nasty, like Michael Moore. They are the 1 percent the 1 percent bums.” via Facebook
Michael E Cosgrove Jr. : “Taxing others to fund you is incorrect no matter who receives the funds. Maybe these socialists should stop voting for people based on what the politician will give you. We might be able to clean up Washington! Gov’t isn’t there to provide! Provide for yourself stop looking to others.” via Facebook
Photo illustration Troy Orem, City Times
More online
www.sdcitytimes.com
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 11, 2010
6
VOICE Gays in military are now free to tell ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ gave protection As of Sept. 20 gays have lost their privacy in the military. The repeal of the long standing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for homosexuals in our military might look positive for the gay rights movement, however this policy was a shield to protect the gays in the military. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a policy adapted in 1993. The policy prohibited the harassment and discrimination of closet homosexual and bisexual service members, while barring openly homosexual and bisexual people from military service. Those admitting or caught in homosexual acts while in the military received a dishonorable discharge, and were able to avoid gunshot wounds, lost limbs, and post traumatic stress. Throughout the policy’s life, almost 14,000 service members claimed to have been discharged due to homosexuality, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Network. That’s 14,000 Americans who did not get shot at in foreign nations. In a poll conducted by the Department of Defense in 2010, 60 percent of the Marine Corps said that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be negative. Many further stated that it created a “lack of unity” in the corps. In 2006 Zogby International poll found that only 26 percent of serving military members were in favor of gays serving in the military. When the policy was adapted, by President Bill
URBANALITIES By Michele Suthers
CON
Robert Whaley Clinton, it was to allow homosexuals to serve in the military without distress. It was made under the idea that one’s sexual orientation does not define who they are, or how they can serve our nation. Beyond the dangers of combat are the dangers of discrimination. During the policy era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” gays were protected from harassment, discrimination, and punishment for their sexuality. The policy removed sexuality from the military, a place were it should have no bearing or meaning. In the military, most soldiers become part of the branch, they have pride in what they do, they are “brothers” with their fellow service men. Sexuality, religion, race, political beliefs shouldn’t matter in the military, they have to trust one another, they don’t need a million things bringing them apart when they are to be one as an unit. While homosexuals are now able to be open about their sexual orientation in the military, this has removed an ability for them to avoid danger. This “big step” will cause many homosexual partners and family members heart ache when they come home mentally distressed, physically disabled, or in the worst case, a body bag.
Good riddance to a bad policy Sept. 20 marked the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy that for 18 years kept gay and lesbian military personnel from disclosing their sexual orientation. Many argue that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy should be reinstated and some Republican presidential candidates promise reinstatement of the policy as part of their campaign. The argument used by those opposed to the repeal is that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” actually protects gays and lesbians since it bars superiors and coworkers from asking a person about their sexual orientation in the first place. The real fact though is that gays can still not be asked about their sexual orientation, even after repeal. Think of it as just the “don’t ask” part still implemented, the “don’t tell” part done away with. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” never provided protection for closeted service
PRO
Joseph Stremlau members. Mike Almy, a former Major in the Air Force, was discharged in 2005 when superiors went into Almy’s personal e-mail and found evidence that ended up being the sole basis for his discharge. More than 14,500 homosexual military members have been kicked out under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy according to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, a group that provides legal advice to people that were discharged under “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell.” According to a report by the Government Accountability Office keeping “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in place cost nearly $200 million in just a five
year period, 2004 - 2009. In a time of an alarming downshifting economy, we could sure use that money towards other military programs. In 2010 the Department of Defense initiated a survey to see how most GIs feel about gay service members. The survey found most people in the military, 70 percent, either supported a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” or did not care. Support from people who once supported the policy has shifted since the law went into effect 18 years ago. “In the almost 17 years since the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed,” said Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State. Whether someone is for or against gay rights, all Americans should be focused toward the happiness of our military. This includes the gay and lesbian servicemembers.
Question by Joseph Stremlau Photos by Bliss Mellen-Ross
Florentina Franco, 32 Chicano Studies
John Ortiz, 24 Biology
Yolanda Roy, 36 Business Management
Josh Sommo, 24 Kinesiology
How do you feel about the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?”
“I’m very happy about it, I’m a rainbow myself. Finally, it had to be done and it should’ve never been in place I believe”
“I feel that everyone has the right to their own sexuality. It doesn’t harm our armed forces in any sense. I think that it’s old and archaic...”
“I really don’t agree with ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ You should be able to ask and tell. I’m very expressive, so I feel, if I feel something I should be able to express it.”
“I think its great, I’m actually a vet, I just got out recently. It just shows that there’s change coming. People aren’t ignorant anymore.”
October 11, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com
Voice
7
Poor military policy finally repealed after thousands unfairly discharged What is the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions military service members? Is it courage? Bravery? Patriotism? In many instances all of these would be the popular answers. But, it definitely would not be, “homosexuals are serving in the armed forces.” Soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen all have one thing in common; they are putting their lives on the line to protect what this country stands for: freedom, liberty and justice for all. In 1993 President Clinton and
Perspective
Anulak Singphiphat Editor-in-Chief Sam Nunn, former senator and chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, came to an agreement that they called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue.” The agreement was signed into law that November. The implementation of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy started as a layer of protection for gay and lesbian service members. Under this new policy, service members could not be asked about
their sexual orientation or discharged simply for being gay. The law did state, however, that sexual conduct between members of the same sex constituted grounds for a discharge. People do not voluntarily enlist in the armed forces to find a life partner. The military is essentially a career path or a detour that will, in certain cases, enrich the lives of those who serve. It is a job. It is a lifestyle. Somewhere along the way the policy mutated into anti-homosexual propaganda that even President Clinton recognized to have become
Safety issues seem to be overlooked on campus Oct. 12, 2010 is one of the saddest days in our school’s history, on that day 19-yearold Diana Gonzalez was murdered. The attack, that took place in one of the men’s restrooms that evening, surprised students, faculty, workers and administrators. Gonzalez’s estranged husband, Armando Gabriel Perez is believed to be linked to her murder; he remains a fugitive. For students, Diana’s death reminds us constantly of the importance of being safe in our campus. After the murder, many students that had to walk by that bathroom at night were frightened. Considering City College is an open campus and anyone can walk onto campus the fear is understandable. Although City College is just two minutes from the San Diego Police Department, that doesn’t make us feel safer. Without the budget to have surveillance cameras to record everyone who enters and leaves the buildings, we are on our own. An article from SignOnSanDiego states that: “San Diego logged just 29 homicides in 2010, a level not seen since the 24 of 1968. That’s 29 homicides in a city of 1.4 million people, double the population of 42 years ago.” Unfortunately, Diana’s murder didn’t lead to any major improvements in our
CITY TIMES Volume 66, Number 4 October 11, 2011
www.sdcitytimes.com
SOCIAL MEDIUM Sandra Galindo
school’s security. A year later, not many things have changed, and the incident has brought up a lot of concerns regarding our safety.
“The school is responsible for ensuring our safety and we have not felt a genuine desire from our school to make radical changes.” Poor lighting at our school is still an issue. Students that attend night classes know, there are many areas that can be dangerous to walk. Walking from the trolley, under the bridges, to the parking structure, even walking to the restroom becomes an odyssey due the unknown potential for danger. The official website of the school portrays the path
Published as: The Jay Sees | 1945-1949 Fortknightly | 1949-1978 City Times | 1978Incorporating the newspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks
Anulak Singphiphat Editor-in-Chief
Troy Orem Photo Editor
Fernando Yates Managing Editor
Aida Bustos-Garcia Journalism Adviser
Cecilia Areta Features Editor Jennifer Manalili Arts Editor
a failure. Nine military linguists — six of which where fluent in Arabic — were discharged following the attack of Sept. 11 after their homosexuality became known. The military had already established laws and regulations to maintain order and balance within its ranks. Laws against insubordination, aiding the enemy and fraternization, just to name a few, helped establish an environment of professionalism and camaraderie. All service members take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all
Repeal should end images like this
between Park Boulevard and President’s Way to City College as “a short walk from campus,” but they don’t mention whether it is a safe walk. We don’t have shuttle services or the necessary police force, and students must walk to and from their cars. This creates uncertainty among many students about how safe we are at school after dusk. Some consider carrying pepper spray, but it is considered a weapon, even though some might find it necessary or comforting for their personal security on the campus. Despite police escorts and domestic violence awareness efforts, the results have been minor, considering there has been a killing on campus. Even when Diana’s murder was handled as a domestic violence case, the safety measures in place should have provided some protection. The campus has a responsibility to provide a safe environment for its employees and students. Perhaps because of the anniversary of Diana’s death we’ve seen more police around our campus. But the reality is that, the school is responsible for ensuring our safety and we have not felt a genuine desire from our school to make radical changes. We cannot continue with our work and studies if we don’t feel safe.
How to reach us: City Times San Diego City College 1313 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101 Newsroom: T-316
enemies, foreign and domestic, when they enlisted. The worst kind of enemy is one that allows a policy to degrade our core values as Americans. Over 14,000 service members were discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” That is 14,000 people who could no longer fight for our freedoms. As a veteran and homosexual I am happy and proud to say that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” finally went into effect on Sept. 22. The military can be a great place for professional and personal growth. It is a place where pride, not prejudice, should be upheld.
Mike Miner, MCT Campus
Phone: (619) 388-3880 Fax: (619) 388-3814 E-mail: citytimes@gmail.com
City Times Staff Paulina Aguilar, Tom Andrew, Sandra Galindo, Bliss Mellen-Ross, Nicholas Preston, Francesca Rodrigues, Pablo Rojo, Joreal Ross, Daniela Solano, Amanda Santomi, Joseph Stremlau, Kevin Stover, Michele Suthers, Lashekita Sutton, Kyle Ward, Robert Whaley, Michael Wheeler, Tiana Wilkins,
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 for grammar, spelling, punctuation and length. Memberships | Journalism Association of Community Colleges, California College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Program | www.sdcity.edu/journalism Roman S. Koenig, associate professor, journalism and mass communication
8
News/Sports
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 11, 2011
Workers can learn rights at center By Nicholas Preston City Times The Workers Rights Center is new at City College and is designed to help students that work and attend school. The program is sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers. According to “On Campus” Magazine, an American Federation of Teachers publication, 60 percent of students that attend community colleges work more than 20
hours per week. “A lot of our students are not unionized workers, which means that they don’t have a lot of support in the workplace and they won’t know what to do if something happens to them,” said Larissa Dorman, City College professor. According to Workers Rights Center intern Nate Madsen, far too many students have to put up with unfair labor practices, such as not getting paid overtime or not getting their last paycheck in a timely manner.
According to Madsen, ”Anyone who has been working for a long length of time has seen unfair labor practices. Either someone got fired for the wrong reasons, or no reason at all. If you are that person, we are here to let you know, that you have rights.” The student interns are very passionate about helping their peers get ahead and succeed. “To be able to educate others about the laws that are there to protect us feels really nice and empowering,” said
Workers Rights Center intern Cassandra Carrillo. The center trains student interns to be able to help their peers with any employment rights issue that may arise. Although the students are not qualified to handle any legal issues, they are well trained according to Dorman. For students that need actual legal counsel, there will be one day a week set aside for those individuals to meet with legally qualified people about their issues starting in spring semester.
The internship is mainly for labor studies majors. The program will be opened up to students of various majors in the coming months. Anyone who attends school in the San Diego City College District can benefit from the services that this program offers. According to Dorman, in the future the services could possibly reach beyond the community college District. At the moment, anyone who does not attend school
in the district will be referred to the Employment Rights Center located at 4265 Fairmount Ave., Suite 210, San Diego. The Workers Rights Center on campus will be located in A-113E. The center will be open for business on Monday, Oct. 17. For more information about the Workers Rights Center or the internship, go to the AFT Workers Rights Center Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ AFTWRC.
Few show for music festival
By Robert Whaley City Times
Members of the band Xdao play at the Water for Children event on Sept. 4. Bliss Mellen-Ross, City Times
Occupy Continued from Page 1 waited for the streets to clear. After the initial march through downtown, the demonstrators set up camp in a Children’s Park across from the San Diego Convention Center. People set up tents, and socialized. The dull roar of the crowd was broken constantly by groups chanting and individuals preaching into megaphones. “We are the 99 percent!” “People before profits!” “We are all Troy Davis!” These were some of the many slogans being chanted by children, twenty-somethings, baby boomers, seniors, anarchists, socialists and service members. Around 7 p.m. there was a candlelight vigil to honor those who lost their homes, jobs, and essentially their lives because of the recession. About an hour later a group of youths with instruments started jamming and what seemed like the entire park was enclosed around them in a circle, dancing, holding hands, singing, and laughing. Abel Valls is a 65-year-old Argentinean immigrant who now lives in San Marcos. Valls use to work for IBM in Argentina, when the company asked if he would like to transfer to New York for a year, which turned into him living in this country for 35 years. When asked why he was participating in the Occupy San Diego demonstration, Valls broke into tears. “I’m full of joy,” he said. “These people
Follow the Occupy movement at occupytogether.org One of many protesters with money over their mouths in the initial demonstration on Oct. 7. Troy Orem, City Times
The San Diego Children’s Coalition hosted Water for Children Music Fest on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to sunset at City College. From cover artists to original up-and-comers the music festival had some musical talent present. But as Jeff Perwin, executive director of The San Diego Children’s Coalition, put it, “The bands are great, but attendance was low despite
have touched my soul.” Valls explained that he was he was happy to see so many people participated in the process, especially since have been “pushed away by the government.” Valls said that he has started to see a parallel between the United States and Argentina. Particularly in the decisions the U.S. is making and the ones Argentina made in the past the have resulted in it being in the current economic state it is in now. Around midnight, the arts and entertainment committee has planned for several musicians and poets to perform. First, a man recited poetry, then a drum circle formed. Following that a woman played a harp enchanting the occupants of the park. A couple more acoustic bands played and once again, everyone was dancing. Things started winding down around 3 a.m. early Saturday. That day they marched again to the Civic Center, where organizers say they camp indefinitely. Occupy San Diego demonstrators have been using Facebook to communicate with one another. Events, planning, requests for donations and news of the occupation are constantly being posted. It is unclear how long this movement will last, but it does appear to be spreading. A similar event is being planned for Oct. 15 in Tijuana. The commitment of the demonstrators can perhaps best be captured by a woman who closed the candlelight vigil on the occupation’s first night, “We’re not leaving until everyone is happy.”
large scale promotion.” At 5:15 p.m. there was only about 50 viewers present. Perwin said, “I think its hard for people to hear about new events and come out… unless something is established year after year people just won’t bother to come out.” Jackie Austin, the lead singer for 3 Degrees Off Center, said, “We enjoyed playing the event, but it was pretty cramped.” The event had two stages, both in Gorton Quad, and
because of how close they where, as the audience listened to one band, the other stages band could be heard, giving a clash of sounds that was displeasing to the ear. This was most prevalent when Odd Couple, a rap/hiphop group, had to compete with The Host Club — a band that came from Colorado to play at the event — on another stage. The two very different music types did not go well playing over each other. Officer Astton, who was at the event in case of an inci-
dent, said, “For the first year attendance was good, I know it might not seem that way but people don’t really pay attention to smaller events. This is a safe event that should happen next year.” Despite having over twenty bands, various contests planned throughout the day, the events cramped stages and poor attendance gave it a bleak look for future events. Information about the San Diego Children’s Coalition: www.sandiegochildren.org
Lady Knights face a tough opponent
The Lady Knights attempt to block a ball during the San Diego City College tournament held Sept. 24. The team has a record of 3-6 as of Oct. 9. Troy Orem, City Times
Sports Lineup Compiled by Nicholas A. Preston Submit events to citytimes@gmail.com or call (619) 388-3880 n Oct. 18, Tuesday n Oct. 11, Tuesday W. Soccer at Palomar - 1 p.m. M. Soccer at Mesa - 3:15 p.m. M. Soccer at Palomar - 3 p.m. W. Soccer vs. Mira Costa - 3:15 p.m. n Oct. 12, Wednesday W. Volleyball at Palomar - 5 p.m.
n Oct. 19, Wednesday W. Volleyball vs. Imperial Valley - 5p.m.
n Oct. 14, Tuesday Cross Country Knights Invitational at Balboa Park - 3 p.m. M. Soccer vs. Cuyamacca - 3:15 p.m. W. Volleyball at Southwestern - 5 p.m.
n Oct. 21, Friday W. Soccer vs. Mesa - 3 p.m. n Oct. 25, Tuesday W. Soccer vs. Cuyamaca - 3 p.m.