ABOVE THE FOLD Governor Jerry Brown attends a Aug. 20 Rally at City College to support Prop. 30. PAGE 3
CT CityTimes
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Vol. 67, No. 2
September 11, 2012
Weekly at sdcitytimes.com
URBAN FARM Seeds @ City maintains a self sufficient lifestyle
Jim Sinegal, co-founder, and former CEO of Costco speaks on the second night at the 2012 Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on Sept. 5 in Charlotte, N.C. Harry E.Walker, MCT Campus
POLITICS
City alumnus backs Obama By Adam Baird City Times
City’s Seeds earning green Seeds program supports itself through tough times. By Amanda Rhoades City Times While many academic programs are making cuts in adjustment to California’s looming financial crisis, Seeds@ City Urban Farm at San Diego City College has found room for growth thanks to faculty, student and community support. “The college does pay for two of our classes each semester but it is not enough to keep the farm going,” said Erin Rempala, who manages Seeds in addition to teaching full time at City. Erin In Dec. 2011, Seeds Rempala launched a campaign on Kickstarter.com to raise money with the purpose of building a greenhouse on campus. The fundraiser ended 30 days later with donors giving about $1,500 more than the project set out to raise. The greenhouse is necessary for the programs organic greenhouse management course which could be added to the schedule as early as next semester. Negotiations are currently in prog-
San Diego City College alumnus and Costco cofounder Jim Sinegal gave a speech endorsing President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5; Sinegal spoke on his business success and providing a rebuttal to the claim that the current administration is anti-business. “Business needs a president who has covered businesses backs. A president who understands what the
private sector needs to succeed,” said Sinegal in front of a gathering of about 20,000 people at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. “We recognize that job creation requires time and investment and commitment to the long term. It requires companies that plant and grow, not executives who reap and run.” “But here’s the thing about the Costco story, we did not build our company in a vacuum. We built our See Alumnus, page 9
ADMINISTRATION
Admin. Services gets new leadership (top) A student shows off one of the urban farms, bi-colored pear gourds, one of a large variety of plants grown and sold to support the Seeds @ City program. (above) Seeds @ City student Jake Anzarouth poses in front of the Urban Farm. Photos by Jesse Gomez-Villeda, City Times ress regarding the location of the building. Rempala said that they’ve narrowed it down to two potential sites and are currently waiting on district approval before beginning construction. The farm was developed in 2008 and used for internships. In 2010, City began a sustainable agriculture program offering certificates in urban farming, urban gardening, organic gardening for the culinary arts, introduction to ecological landscaping and advanced ecological landscaping. Students can also obtain an associates degree in sustainable
urban agriculture through the program. “The other piece of this puzzle about keeping the farm growing in this continuing horrendous fiscal climate is we’re trying to make ourselves as financially self-sufficient as possible. Unlike a lot of other programs, we can grow things and sell them for profit,” said Rempala. The farm uses about a quarter of the water that was used to maintain the lot it replaced, according to Rempala.
GRAB YOUR SPORKS Restaurant Week Returns PAGE 6
See Seeds, page 9
By Amanda Rhoades City Times
lege from the University of California, Davis where she served as the chief administrative officer. Although Jacquelin Bell her background is in has been appointed finance, she said it was as vice president her time volunteering at of administrative Solano Community Colservices, filling the lege that brought about position left by the her interest in educapassing of Jerry Davis, San Diego Jacquelin tion. Bell “I became enamored City College President Terrence Burgess by the impact that commuannounced in an email in nity colleges can have in changing lives,” Bell said. August. She served as business “I’m following in the footsteps of a very admired pre- and administrative services decessor,” Bell said. Bell comes to City ColSee Bell, page 9
SUSPECT ARRAIGNED Armando Perez attends bail hearing PAGE 3
INDEX
Calendar................. 2 Arts........................ 5 Opinion................. 10 Sports................... 12