2014_1_LEGEND_v1i1

San Diego City College, Winter-Spring 2014

Much More Than Gangnam Style

Colbert’s Memory Lives On

Photos From City’s Past

Editors’ Note

Dear Readers, We write this to you from our cramped, messy newsroom at San Diego City College, where countless issues of City Times have been created and more recently, the first issue of Legend Magazine in over forty years.

Legend Magazine was last published in 1965, and with the remodel of our campus, updates to the journalism program, and the 100th anniversary of San Diego City College, it seems fitting to announce the return of Legend, a student-run news magazine written for everyone in our college and community.

It’s also an interesting conundrum, in that we are publishing a hard copy magazine during a time where so many big publications are transitioning to digital. It has been a valuable (and at times, exhausting) experience learning the “ancient ways,” but the most important thing in any publication, be it digital or print, is the content within.

We aim to provide quality stories reflecting the diverse happenings within and around our campus.

We each have own identities within the San Diego community and it is those identities that influence and inspire our time at City. These are the stories that make up who we are, and why we’ve chosen a path through this college. These are stories worth telling.

Photo by JUAN-CARLOS SIEZAR

Co-Editors-in-Chief Adam Baird and Amanda Rhoades discuss magazine production in front of the new Science Building on Nov. 20.

Legend - Volume 1, Number 1 Legend news magazine is published once per semester.

Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire magazine 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 San Diego City College’s Digital Journalism 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.

2

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

Phoenix Webb Copy Editor

Adam Baird Amanda Rhoades Editors-in-Chief Juan Carlos Siezar Visuals Editor

Allison Browne Andrew Hahn Contributing Editors

Donna Maranto Photography Editor

Roman S. Koenig Journalism Adviser

Staff Ahmad Blue Aubrey Brewer Veronica Gaeta Sandra Galindo Jennifer Manalili Christine Marcucci Megan McFadden Miguel Rodriguez Tom Swell

Contents

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

3

New Central Library Finally Opens

Exterior of new library located at 330 Park Blvd. in downtown San Diego.

Photo by JUAN-CARLOS SIEZAR

After three-and-a-half decades of planning, the new nine-floor Central Library is now open, located within a mile of City College at 330 Park Blvd. in Downtown San Diego, along the new Park-to-Bay promenade

By Christine Marcucci

T

he new state-of-the-art San Diego Central Library publicly opened Sept. 28, aiming to be a place of inspiration, learning and a commitment to literacy, with much more to offer than the previous Central Library ever did.

The list of features are extensive: a career center, art, music and recreation collections, a rare-book collection and a sculpture garden.

It offers numerous computer labs, free WiFi, a training center, a children’s library and 4

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

a teen center.

Additional features include an art gallery, reading rooms, a baseball research center, an auditorium, meeting and study rooms, a homework center that caters to K-12 grades, special event spaces, a garden courtyard, a conference center and an outdoor café.

Much like opening day at Petco Park, and in San Diego style, the grand opening celebration and dedication offered fun, festivities, food and entertainment. The San Diego Children’s Choir performed, along with the Navy Band which provided ceremonial music. There was also the Fancy

Nancy parade, a family-friendly street festival with musical performances

by Hullabaloo, The Heroes, The Paul Cannon Band, and Clint Perry and the Boo Hoo Crew. Hundreds of adults and children lined up for a sneak-peek of the ground flor, the auditorium and the courtyard.

When entering the new library, visitors will find a gigantic concrete archway that leads to the entrance, providing a symbolic ‘gateway’ to learning. Enormous in stature, the archway is a reminder of the landmark arches of Cabrillo Bridge, according to the San Diego Public Library.

The massive building has double the square footage (290,000 square feet) compared with the old facility (145,000 square feet).

“Big,” City College student Marci Luna said in describing what she thought of the new Central Library, “I spent three hours and only got to the second floor. It has more books and easier access to media.”

However, some students have yet to pay a visit to the new library. A student attending San Diego Continuing Education’s Centre City Campus who asked to be anonymous said, “Seems very exciting and big,” adding that he, “would go on YouTube,” if he were to go in it.

The iconic latticework dome that adorns the top stands out in San Diego’s redeveloped East Village, measuring 143 feet in diameter according to the San Diego Public Library. The dome — built from a network of eight steel ribs and eight steelmesh sails held together by pipe grids and cable — is

larger than the dome of the U.S. Capitol, which has a diameter of 135 feet. The view of San Diego’s skyline with the new library looks like the castle from “The Wizard of Oz,” with an architectural design far-reaching into the future. At night, the dome is set aglow and the shades on it sing in the wind.

Additionally, a new charter high school, known as e³ Civic High, occupies the sixth and seventh floors at this time.

“Next year, we will have 11th and 12th grade students here,” said Hennrique Rodarte, a 10th grade student at e³ Civic High. The students have their own access to the library but the library does not have access to the school. “It’s pretty fun, easy access to books, just down the stairs,” Hennrique said, adding that the school he attended formerly was in Mexico and “it didn’t have as many books.”

The Central Library is home to more than 500,000 books and delivery is freeof-charge to any branch when requested with a valid library card. According to Marion Moss Hubbard, Senior Public Information Officer for the San Diego Public Library, “About two-thirds of our collection was in the basement before and we have many, many resources here.”

The Central Library offers much more than books. “Specifically, the Central Library is a regional repository for government documents.

We have all kinds

of information from federal government, state government, local governments here that are on file that are not available anywhere else in the region,” Hubbard said.

The ninth floor of the library hosts a spectacular view of San Diego, the harbor, East Village, and Petco Park and is home to a new art gallery. The art gallery displays rotating art and was still in search of a curator at the time it opened. Amazing views from the Sky View Terrace come with renting the Special Events Center, for events such as a college graduation reception. Catering is welcome on the ninth floor, and is equipped with a kitchen and a separate freight elevator.

Finally, the California Room will be helpful to anyone tracing their genealogical lines in San Diego or the State of California. The use of Ancestry. com is free when using the California Room. “We combined our resources with the San Diego Genealogical Society,” adding that if someone is doing research, “we have genealogical resources here that are not available anywhere else,” said Hubbard.

With 30-plus years in the making, this long overdue library has secured a permanent mark in the heart of East Village and in local history for generations to come.

The dome atop the Central Library is impressive, larger than the dome atop the U.S. Capitol building.

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

5

The Man of the Knight

By MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ

San Diego City College is honoring late coach, educator, and mentor, Jim Colbert as a Knight whose legacy will shine bright in the hearts, minds and spirits of the campus community

J

im Colbert, an educator and motivator for 23 years, used his fearless approach to “inspire and encourage people to pursue fitness,” said Kathy McGinnis, City College dean of health, exercise science and athletics, a career-long colleague and friend.

McGinnis witnessed the impact Colbert made with those with whom he crossed paths with and felt his presence that beamed with a positive energy and a genuine protectiveness for those he came in contact with. Colbert was the recipient of the annual distinguished Golden Apple Faculty Award, which is an awarded to an outstanding faculty member and voted for by City College students.

Coach Colbert, who passed away Sept. 18, 2013 from an aggressive form of brain cancer, had a strong work ethic that drove him to improve the facilities at City, offer more class sections and bolster the Athletics Department. McGinnis said that “... his courageous and bright insights enabled him to think quickly on his feet and allowed him to see people for who they were as opposed to what they were.”

“The bonding and love for students are just a fraction of what describes the man,” said current adjunct coach Alan Rivera, a longtime protégé of Coach Colbert for the past 10 years.

“The chemistry built within the combat community is the ultimate link that drew the two of us together,” Rivera said.

The combat community consists of the connections and relationships built outside of the collegiate field, such as membership with the Martial Arts America program. This program has been a very meaningful arena of Colbert’s life and has bolstered his academic credibility, knowledge and qualifications as an overall martial artist.

Colbert is a well-respected and supported figure within the combat and martial arts community as a third-degree black belt in Okinawan Goju-ryu karate. Some of the classes Colbert offered included weight training, individual conditioning, fitness activities, water aerobics, kickboxing and self-defense. Rivera felt that he was mentored by Colbert, which went beyond any attendance in his classes. This was for him “... the beginning stages of cultivating an organic successor” to Colbert’s teachings, according to Rivera.

Colbert’s mantra of putting students first, along with his conviction and leadership, motivated Rivera to excel in his college years when Colbert took him under his wing. In maintaining charge of his traditions for teaching, Colbert was able to uphold and deliver “... a genuine and sound philosophy that individuals can embrace and find meaning in,” Rivera said.

According to fundamental teachings of health, Colbert 6

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

practiced and followed the “seven dimensions of wellness,” which by doing so allowed him to maintain a balance in his own life.

The “seven dimensions” are mental, physical, social, occupational, spiritual, emotional and environmental wellness. By following these, one could begin to see a “...visible and tangible sense of guidance,” Rivera said.

Whether it was his football expertise on the field, his assistance in the weight room, or his wealth of knowledge in the martial arts and self-defense classroom, Colbert never shied away from a learning experience. Colbert’s top-notch teachings translated in any space without limitations, no matter where the lessons were being taught. Every room was a “Room of Encouragement,” painted on the wall of his martial arts classroom located in the P-building next to the Harry West Gymnasium.

“Each aspect seemed as though it was a chronicle component of Colbert, the athlete and the caretaker who devoted each moment and transmitted them into an educational one for others,” Rivera said.

For coach Andi Milburn, Colbert was someone that she and others could relate to as a paternal figure and friend, gained through the tight-knit atmosphere created within the athletics department. Through “... tough love or reciprocal teaching,” Milburn expressed how immensely appreciative she is of the helpful methods and wisdom Colbert gave her.

“The positive teachings [that] Coach Colbert shined onto his students is when he would be reaching out to a diverse class or group of individuals, and while always motivating them, it allowed them to realize their strengths and challenge their limitations as opposed to deterring them, which is what inspired me,” Milburn said.

Coach Colbert’s philosophies are preached and praised by students and faculty, who demonstrate the positive outlook in life lessons that will be admired and instilled in future generations.

The spirit and legacy that Colbert provided the campus community will be honored through those he inspired with the newly created Jim Colbert Scholarship. This annually funded scholarship will be awarded with the intention to inspire strength and success as Colbert did throughout his life. For more information about the Jim Colbert Scholarship, contact Dean Kathy McGinnis or follow updates made on the Jim Colbert Scholarship Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ ColbertScholarship.

Former colleagues continue to honor Colbert by teaching students how to be aware of their surroundings, do the right thing and to always be honest with themselves, which are just a few friendly and priceless little notes of encouragement Colbert used to leave on other coaches’ doors before and after games.

Part of Coach Jim Colbert’s legacy lies in his “seven-dimensions of wellness,” which helped bring balance to his life.

Photo courtesy of City College Athletics Department

7

Financial Aid Secrets

...that you might not know about.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)? Pell Grant? Board of Governor’s Waiver (BOGW)? Scholarships? Will any of these funds have to be paid back?

By Tom Swell

M

any students need extra cash while in school. The usual method of student loans is well promoted at City College.

What about other methods? What about all those exotic scholarships, grants and study-inParis arrangements?

There are many advertisements by companies that will gladly ask for payment to show students opportunities that they might find on their own.

Jane Bryant Quinn, a well-known financial journalist, wrote an exposé on these sharks with a news story titled, “Beware Services Pledging To Find ‘Secret Scholarships.” She warned against ads promising “the shocking truth” and “amazing facts … never before revealed.”

And then Quinn asked the key question: Why would providers want to keep scholarships secret? The answer, of course, is that they don’t.

They spend lots of money trying to get the word out so that their scholarships will go to only the best qualified applicants.

But there are scholarships that aren’t publicized.

Jeff Wade got a scholarship because he is onethird Armenian. Here were his requirements: be of Armenian descent and a full-time student.

No grade point average (GPA) requirement, no transcripts. Easy money. Did anyone at City College hear about this? Additionally, there are also three other scholarships for Armenians.

The Financial Aid Department at City College doesn’t necessarily help with scholarships. The Office of Student Affairs (room D-106) may help, however, with the approved scholarship list

8

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

on the City College website: http://www.sdcity. edu/Scholarships.

There are about 48 scholarships (as of Nov. 2013), some of which are administered by City College Office of Student Affairs. By clicking the links on the website, they will lead to an application. Detailed background information about these scholarships is minimal and the amounts awarded tend to be small, but chances of receiving one are good. Take a moment to consider the donors, many of whom are on the City College staff, who make these available.

In addition, the college’s new dean of student affairs, Michael-Paul Wong, is looking into making scholarships easier to find and is considering ways to expedite payments to students.

There are a few interesting and unusual scholarships, mostly from the larger world outside City College.

Are you a writer? Would $50,000 help finance your education? “In order to qualify for this financial aid writing scholarship, a person must be born in the United States. In addition, he or she must be willing to spend a year away from the continent to improve their literary skills, unless a situation of pressing need develops. The winner does not have to be a published poet, or be enrolled in any educational or university program,” according to www.poetryscholarships. us/poetry-scholarships. That’s the Amy Lowell poetry scholarship. This and more from www. poetryscholarships.us.

See secrets, page 10

Some basic online research will help to find these, but there is something for everyone. Alphabetically, some examples are:

Asian Women in Business Scholarship: Must be Asian, a US citizen, have a high GPA, show leadership and entrepreneurial success, full-time undergrad student. They offer up to $5,000.

Harry West Scholarship: est You’ve seen the Harry W Gym at the City College and campus, right? One man ,000 one woman can receive $1 nt de Stu of ce if qualified. Offi Affairs (D-106).

Islamic Scholarship Fund: Up to $10,000 awarded to Muslim students who’ve been accepted at top-ranked schools.

rship: Sea schola the Semester at hips are awarded by rs la . o n h o sc ti e ca Thes d Edu r Shipboar e at Institute fo ndergraduat u an e b r st u m need and/o Students mit an ISE ds b ar su w d A an y.

UCSD to qualif n o ti ca li p voyages t ap merit gran for summer ring le b la ai av e sp of $1,000 ar ards are available for aw 0 0 ,5 2 $ d an yages. and fall vo

The American Foundation for the Blind: Removes barriers, creates solutions, and expands possibilities so people with vision loss can achieve their full potential. They can connect you to several scholarships.

Go to http://www.afb.org/section. aspx?DocumentID=1845 for more information.

City College Foundation Faculty Scholarship: Up to $300 funded by faculty and staff. This and other in-house scholarships are available at the Office of Student Affairs (room D-106).

Zolp scholarship: This one’s tough to qualify for, but worth the effort: “The Zolp Scholarship is restricted to students at Loyola University in Chicago who are Catholic and whose last name is Zolp. The student’s last name must appear on their birth certificate and confirmation certificate. The scholarship provides full tuition for four years.“

Hispanic College Fund Scholarships: Among the requirements: U.S. citizen; Hispanic; 3.0 GPA. Up to $50,000.

disABLEDperson Inc. College Scholarship Award: Be a full-time student, write an essay and you might get $750.

For the deaf: The best list of scholarships may be the one at http://www. betterhearing.org/, or just search online for “deaf scholarships.”

Minority S cholarship a nd Training Pro gram: Journalism or broadcast major; 3.0 GPA; n on-white U .S . citizen. Poss ibly $10,00 0.

Maria Elena Salinas Scholarship Program: $5,000 for high school seniors, undergraduates or first-year graduate students who plan to pursue careers in journalism in Spanish-language television or radio. Write an essay in Spanish outlining your career goals and provide Spanishlanguage samples of your work.

holarships: ter upstairs Veteran’s sc eterans Cen V e th at vets and First, stop meet other uilding and you get started. The B A e th in elp who can h ngements volunteers cial aid arra an n fi of er b ries of m u go n te st ca va at specific ed m them here, ai g e that ar clude listin re p s n DCity” ra te holarship S militar y ve “veteran sc city. of d /s ch :/ ar p tt se h but a . Try this: d te ar st u will get yo yVeterans. edu/Militar

PFLAG San Diego Scholarships for LGBTQ Students: For 15 years, this organization been awarding up to $2,000 to local gay students. See http://www.pflag.com/ scholarships/ for details, or visit http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/ scholarship-database, where you’ ll find more scholarships.

hip: ed Scholars Left-hand aid.org/ ://www.fin l: “The only From http usual.phtm n u s/ ip h rs ed students schola r left-hand fo y ip h rs la scho ry F. Beckle ck and Ma ri e d re is F Th e . is th ,000 of up to $1 ed Scholarship warded to left-hand a is ing Juniata scholarship l be attend il w o h w students College.”

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

9

Secrets Continued from page 8 And there are still more ...

For various ethnicities, some search terms to start with: Apple scholarships Bill Gates Scholarship Target scholarship LULAC Scholarship African American Scholarships Walmart Scholarships Oprah Winfrey Scholarship Mexican scholarships Google Scholarships Sallie Mae Minority Scholarships Single parents receiving cash aid assistance: The L Building houses EOPS and CARE programs, both of which offer many valuable services. The CalWORKs/BELIEVE program is in the same building, run by Bernice Lorenzo.

They can arrange childcare, transportation and more.

Undocumented students: There are students from far and near who often face difficult financial barriers to higher education. Without a social security card or permanent residence, they don’t qualify for much of the available financial aid.

Also in the L Building: Price Scholarship.

Offering up to $10,000 over two or three years,

10

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

these will be available for up to 24 students.

These are for local high school graduates willing to do community service. There are a few other requirements.

Some of the best scholarships require planning ahead. Some you might never qualify for. Some you will want to share with siblings, significant others, neighbors or colleagues who you think will qualify.

First, a Google search for “undocumented scholarships” will bring a wealth of information.

Next, near the top of the Google results, there is an organization called Dream Activist. Despite the spyware at that site, they seem to be a helpful resource for undocumented people. Third, be cautious when dealing with companies, even nonprofits. Ask to see their financial statements and other proof that they actually perform as advertised. Fourth, know that City College and the entire United States benefit when undocumented students become a contributing part of the economy.

One final bit of advice from the 2011 Consumer Action Handbook: “‘Secret scholarships.’ If a company claims to have inside knowledge of scholarship money, it’s lying. Information on scholarships is freely available to the public. Ask your librarian or school counselor.”

Looking Beyond the Present Instructors reminisce on their time as City College students

By VERONICA GAETA The term “Millennial” describes a generation of people born plugged into technology. It defines a society brought up to believe that they could accomplish and succeed in anything that they set their minds on. This demographic has different characteristics from previous generations.

Millenials are drawn to culturally diverse environments and are tightly scheduled multi-taskers. In this generation’s lifetime, they are predicted to have up to eight different careers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics http://bls.gov/nls.

It’s no wonder. Millenials were raised in a country cultivated from a society that strongly believes in education as a requirement. They also have the benefit of having more highly educated parents than previous generations. In light of these facts, it makes sense that the carefully chosen path is not always the path taken.

It is easy to see how a student can decide to change their career path or to drop out of college completely when faced with the pressures of satisfying society. The rising cost of a college education and the natural daily trials and tribulations of life can be oppressive.

According to a study from Harvard University, nearly half of the students who enter U.S. colleges and universities drop out before receiving their desired degree. “Education at a Glance”, a report done by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, lists graduation rates within the United States as last among 18 other countries.

In comparison, Japan has an 89 percent graduation rate, and Poland a 61 percent graduation rate, which may be an eye-opening statistic for some.

With rumors of educational funding in jeopardy, one thing remains clear: support for education is crucial for the future of the United States as a powerful nation.

Attend any class at San Diego City College, and inspiring people are not hard to find. Former students of San Diego City College have their own stories about overcoming adversity. They understand what it is like to walk in the shoes of a full-time student and employee, and know firsthand what it is to be a wife, a mother, a husband or father, all while attending school.

From student to coach Take a stroll around the campus and over to the athletics department. There, students can meet Aaron Detty, the head baseball coach for the San Diego City College Knights.

“It has always been a lifelong desire of mine to become a teacher and help people,” Detty said.

Detty began attending San Diego City College in 2000 and graduated in 2002 with an associate degree in Selected Studies.

To further his education, he continued at UC San Diego, where he received a bachelor’s degree, then transferred to Azusa Pacific University, where he received his Master of Science in Physical Education. In 2009, he was hired as an adjunct professor at San Diego City College.

Detty currently teaches Applied Kinesiology, Individual Conditioning, Aerobic and Core Conditioning and Weight

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

Coach Aaron Detty motivates his students during a talk on Nov. 20.

Training. Detty is also a certified personal trainer.

“I have always been determined and have had a passion for teaching and loved school,” Detty said. He reminds students at City College to “look beyond the present” circumstances and realize that an “education opens doors and creates opportunity.”

While the nation’s recession is causing layoffs and devastating downsizing, America’s middle-aged and older generations are re-entering or just beginning college. The United States Department of Education revealed that in 2010, 25 percent of students nationwide are over the age of 30. It is reasonable to believe that there could be fears associated with returning to college at an older age. All fears aside, City College students are surrounded by those who have broken those barriers.

See Beyond, page 12 Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

11

Beyond

Continued from page 11 Professor Patricia Jones guiding student Laura Overman in the cosmetology department at City College on Nov. 20.

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

Teacher and entrepreneur If you make your way over to the Career Technology Center, it’s easy to run into professional photographers, published authors and business owners, to name a few.

Stop by the Cosmetology Department any Monday through Thursday and it’s not hard to find Patricia Grooms-Jones. “Mrs. Jones,” as she is referred to by students, paints a different picture of her struggles as a student in college.

“In my family as a first generation college student, there were lots of expectations and no guidance,” Grooms-Jones said, “I started my education at the University of Maryland. I always imagined myself becoming a nurse. They were just so mean.”

As a tear rolls down her cheek, she’s reminded of the bullying she endured as a black female student attending a dominantly white nursing school, “I never realized how much it really affected me,” she says as she tries to hold back emotion, “Needless to say I dropped out.”

Grooms-Jones went on to be married and with her husband in the military and relocated to Hawaii. In 1992, her husband was deployed back to San Diego. By that time, Grooms-Jones had already started a family and was a mother of two boys. She was ready to start a new chapter in her life and decided to enroll in the cosmetology program at San Diego City College. Her grandfather was in the business since she was a little girl.

She describes the challenges she faced coming back to school and how she found it difficult to learn alongside students who were much younger than her. Despite the odds, she completed the program with honors in 1993 and obtained her cosmetology license shortly after. With her husband on active duty, they were deployed once again. In 2000, she returned to San Diego and enrolled in the Instructor Training Program that was being offered at City College. She was inspired to teach through a connection she had made with Dr. Ella Sloan, an accomplished African-American professor in her cosmetology class. GroomsJones was hired as an adjunct professor for City College not long 12

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

after completing the program.

While working at City College, as well as being a mother and wife, Grooms-Jones managed to find time to attend San Diego State University and received her bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education. She was promoted to Department Chair of Cosmetology.

With all the experience she had obtained as an educator, it only seemed natural for her to begin a new chapter once again.

In 2006, she became the proud owner of The Beauty Haven, a private salon and spa nestled in the heart of La Jolla Shores.

With clientele such as local baseball and football players’ wives, it only made sense to be exclusive.

“A small, private clientele allows me to be more social and artistic with customers,” said Grooms-Jones, “My biggest struggles have been time management, and while I was opening my business, just learning the dynamics of understanding how a business is run was very challenging.”

When Grooms-Jones isn’t at her salon or she’s not busy at school, she volunteers for a nonprofit organization called Jack and Jill of America that developed a program called Grandparents As Parents (GAP). The organization provides ways to lessen the financial burden on parents raising their grandchildren.

If she’s not there (for reasons such as attending international beauty shows), she is a project educator for several companies, (such as Avalon Hair Products) and a platform artist for Quest Tech Media, where she stands alone in front of up to as many as 50,000 attendees, demonstrating the latest hair trends in styling and coloring techniques.

Grooms-Jones would like City College students to know that learning is a lifelong experience, “I experienced a great start to my education and career here at San Diego City College and I encourage others to do the same,” she said. She currently teaches about 47 students and is attending college classes to further her education and career options.

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

Professor Kimberly Shafer is preparing for a lecture and hands-on instruction in the cosmetology department on Nov. 20.

Determination through challenges Professor Kim Shafer can be found instructing a cosmetology class, Salon Business Practices in room V-206. The class offers lectures about and demonstrates to students Salon Business Practices, with makeup applications and a large emphasis on skincare techniques. The classroom is named Basic Skincare Lab, which is a spa like environment that gives students a sense of what their chosen profession will be like in the “real world”.

Shafer is the owner of Private Eyes and Faces, a permanent makeup and skincare company based in San Diego.

Shafer entered City as a licensed cosmetologist and business owner in 2003. With a passion for teaching, she also decided to embark on the Instructor Training Program offered at City.

She continued her education, received an associate degree, then began working for City College the day after she graduated.

She explains having feelings of guilt while attending college

and learning to manage her time as a mother and student, remembering a time in which her children were sick and when she had to struggle to find daycare while she attended classes.

“There was even a time where my house burned down, (she pauses) that was very challenging,” she said.

Shafer currently instructs about 25 students in the Cosmetology Department, and is also set to begin instructing esthetician classes at City College early next year. Shafer encourages students to reach their goals and to know that obtaining a desired career is possible with determination.

Through it all, these former City College students are examples of what can be accomplished through perseverance and determination. Their stories also show that success can be attained by beginning an education at San Diego City College.

Dreams do come true and persistence can pay off.

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

13

Fair Trade Coffee vs. Free Trade Coffee What’s in that cup, anyway?

Many students perform the daily ritual of drinking a cup of coffee at our cafeteria; what we don’t know is what is behind that much needed, energizing drink

By Sandra Galindo

C

ity College CAFE (Creating Alternatives and Fair Trade) has worked to create awareness about fair trade for four years.

They are asking students to support the San Diego Community College Fair Trade Campaign. Their goal is to present a resolution to the District Board of Trustees in favor of fair trade coffee at the San Diego Community College District.

In the following interview, experts on this topic and members of the club CAFÉ and Fair Trade proponents David Schmidt, Professor Enrique Davalos and Irma Cordova and Café Virtuoso representative Rigoberto Hernandez, talk about the importance of this campaign and why students should consume fair trade coffee.This is an interview with David Schmidt, Prof. Enrique Davalos and Irma Cordova, members of CAFÉ.

Sandra Galindo: “Why are you worrying so much for the consumption of coffee?”

David Schmidt: “Coffee is one of the world’s products that are grown almost exclusively in the Third World, and most of it consumed by people in the First World. (Bananas and cocoa – chocolate are on that list, too.) And it’s often grown in horrible conditions. Up here in the mountains of Chiapas, most coffee farmers cultivate their own small plots

of land that [they] have run in their families for generations. If they aren’t part of any organization or co-op, they’re at the mercy of the intermediary buyers who buy from these small producers and sell to the big corporations—Nestle, Starbucks and the like.

“The goal of these intermediaries is to screw the coffee farmer out of as much money as they can, and keep him in a precarious position of dependence. They collaborate with each other to fix prices, and the prices fluctuate wildly.

“And these small landholders are the lucky coffee farmers. Much of the world’s cheaper coffee beans are grown on large plantations and haciendas, where near-slavery conditions exist for the people who work there (the same goes for bananas and cacao.)

“So in order to build more security for themselves and their families, a lot of these coffee farmers here in Chiapas have formed the worker-owned co-op of Maya Vinic. They pool their resources and sell their coffee through the co-op to the Fair Trade market, here in Mexico and abroad. As a registered Fair Trade co-op, Maya Vinic receives a stable, fair price for the coffee and also receives a “Fair Trade bonus,” which is reinvested by the co-op into the communities of the coffee farmers and into the development of the co-op itself.

“The co-op functions democratically; major decisions

Illustration by JUAN-CARLOS SIEZAR 14

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

are made by an assembly of co-op members and other decisions made by representatives from each community.

The co-op is run by a board of directors elected by the members, the board of director’s changes every two years, keeping a steady rotation of participation from the members.

It really is amazing to sit in on these meetings. These guys are super organized and motivated; figuring out ways to keep expanding their market, develop the organization, etc. It’s awesome seeing people come together and find concrete, real ways to build a better future for their families and communities. It is really exciting to be a part of it.”

Galindo: “What does CAFÉ stand for?”

Schmidt: “Café at San Diego City College means: Creating Alternatives for Fair Enterprises. CAFÉ is a nonprofit organization who fights injustice around the world.”

Galindo: “What are these injustices?”

Workers prepare coffee beans at the Maya Vinic in Acteal, Chiapas, Mexico in Aug. 2011.

Schmidt: “Countries that produce coffee, from Central America to Northern Africa, are encouraged to keep prices low.

“The label on coffee doesn’t tell you about the hidden cost of an affordable cup of coffee, or everything that went into it. In order for coffee to receive the Fair Trade certification label, the coffee must be purchased from a workerowned and worker-run democratic co-op. The issue of coffee farmers’ access to FT co-ops is not due to their poverty (most of the co-ops were initially formed by the poorest of the poor, and add more poor to their ranks by the year). Rather, it’s the fact that reaching out to other coffee farmers and including them in these coops is a slow process.”

Galindo: “Who are the big names in coffee?”

Schmidt: “Most of the world’s coffee is controlled by three corporations: Phillip Morris, Nestle and Sarah Lee.” Galindo: “How do I know what is really Fair Trade Coffee?”

Schmidt: “One more point is that it’s important to remember that the key phrase is “Fair Trade certified”.

It has to bear one of two labels: the little black and white person with the arrows, or the blue black and green yin-yang looking symbol. If it doesn’t, it ain’t Fair Trade.”

Galindo:” Why is this important?”

Schmidt: “It is very important to refresh these ideas when administrators want to dress Starbucks as fair trade. “ Starbucks uses all sorts of tricky phrases that sound like fair trade: ‘responsibly grown’, ‘ethically traded’, etc. It would be like if I were to start walking around town telling people my name was Enrique Davalos, and tried to go cash prof ’s checks at the bank under this false identity. That’s what Starbucks is trying to do to the Fair Trade movement...the magic word is ‘Fair Trade certified.’”

Galindo: “Would you like to add

See Fair trade, page 16

Courtesy photos by DAVID SCHMIDT

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

15

Fair trade

Continued from page 15

anything?”

Enrique Davalos: “I would add that we need to be very alert (as David is) that even with the labels, fair trade coffee is far from being really fair trade. Meaning, there are many coffee producers who don’t have access to these fair trade networks (the poorest of the poorest). In addition, in the fair trade networks, the third world producers don’t have a real control of the process (and the profits.)

We still need a fair trade movement where producers’ co-operatives have the power. Some groups call this perspective Alternative Economy (instead of fair trade.)”

Schmidt: “The major concern with Fair Trade labeled coffee at this time is when it is funneled through a major corporation like Starbucks, because there are rumors that Starbucks has been corrupting or falsifying the co-ops it buys from. Still, this is just based on the comment of one coffee farmer who

16

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

visited us three years ago. Still, Fair Trade continues to be very objectively based and well-maintained to make sure that it remains a democratic, workerrun movement. I just spent two weeks with one of these co-ops, and can testify to that fact.”

Irma Cordova: “What I do know about how Starbucks trains their employees is that they give them the overall impression that they use the most ethical and humane standards when choosing who they buy the coffee from. They go to workshops and train to become coffee masters — learn to identify coffee blends and the regions they are from, and in these workshops they mention how much the company has invested in the towns the workers live. They rebuild infrastructure, schools, and help boost local business because people are staying in their towns. They show amazing pictures of smiling happy people as proof of how Starbucks has saved their lives. They are then given the opportunity to visit one of these amazing towns if they decide to become coffee specialists or go into management

so they can see it for themselves.

Galindo: “How can we help?”

Schmidt: “Shop at local shops that distribute fair trade products. Buy only locally grown, organic vegetables. Visit a maquiladora sweatshop south of the Border. Pick a local Starbuck’s and ask for a brewed cup of Fair Trade Certified coffee. (most Starbucks do not brew Fair Trade coffee on site.) If they don’t have it available, walk out. (But be nice). Do this every day at the same store for two weeks. Get five friends to do the same.

They’re bound to notice.”

Davalos: “In the meantime, however, “que viva fair trade” and we will keep fighting until the last drop of coffee (and chocolate and bananas), are fair trade.”

Cordova: “The mission of CAFÉ is to have San Diego Community College District to compromise of only consuming Fair Trade Coffee.”

My question for you, the student and consumer, is to know how much are you willing to spend for your cup of coffee now that you know what’s behind it?

Getting to Class in One Piece Students face safety concerns amid ongoing campus construction

By Christine Marcucci

S

an Diego City College is an urban community college with a unique layout, separating it from other traditional, self-contained colleges and spans several blocks, covering over 60 acres. Three buildings funded by Proposition N are under construction: the Humanities, Business Technology and Science buildings. Construction seems endless with the anticipation of new learning facilities and safety issues are a real concern for students, staff, and anyone traveling past these sites.

Surrounding the construction sites are enclosed fencing, wooden covered walkways and closed pedestrian crosswalks. Students and professors have mixed feelings about the ongoing construction, getting around the campus during it and the aftermath of its completion.

“Not safe at all; there are crazy drivers and the drivers aren’t happy about us taking up the lane,” student Kaitlin Williams said about how she felt walking through the covered walkways on 16th Street, between B and C streets.

Efforts are being taken to calm traffic heading east on 16th Street. According to Thomas J. Fine, campus project manager at City College, “All of the sidewalks are being widened from five feet to 14 feet.” The widening of the streets at the intersection of 16th and C will include “bulbouts,” Fine said.

The lack of crosswalks at the construction site

See Getting to class, page 18 Photo by AHMAD BLUE

17

Getting to Class Continued from page 17

intersections are also problematic. City College English Professor Jan Lombardi said, “C Street needs marked designated crosswalks at intersections to ensure safety for students and staff.” Even with her concerns, Lombardi also said that she is “really excited about the new buildings under construction.”

“All of our City traffic and pedestrian improvements are based on what the city (of San Diego) has for their downtown pedestrian and traffic,” Fine said regarding the regulations affecting the flow of traffic during construction. “We don’t do anything that the city doesn’t let us do,” he added.

Construction of the new Arts and Humanities building, located at 16th Street and C Street Photo by JESSICA RAMIREZ, City Times

18

Past and Present A glimpse into the earlier days of campus life

By Ahmad Blue

S

an Diego City College was established in 1914 with only five members and 35 students. It would be the first community college in San Diego County. The campus was originally a group of houses that the campus had bought to secure the land.

Even though they had it secured, the campus moved away from its current neighbor, San Diego High School, in 1921 to share facilities with the State Normal School (which would eventually become San Diego State University).

City College eventually moved back to the place it is today.

Between 1953 to 1954, the campus had to finally tear down the houses and replace them

with proper learning spaces. The first buildings constructed would be the A and T buildings. This expansion was done in order to accommodate more students and faculty.

16 years later, the other buildings were added to the campus, allowing for even more students to apply and more professors to teach. All of the buildings were constructed to last for current and future use.

Today, City College has an estimated 15,919 students enrolled into the school. The campus is still expanding as there are new buildings being added to the campus. City College is also one of three community colleges currently in San Diego Community College District.

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

19

Past and Present

Current photos by AHMAD BLUE

Historic photos courtesy of the City Times Archive

The driveway leading to the T Building roof is pictured in South east of the T building around 1:00 pm. The walkway itself has the early 1960s. To the left is where the L Building new seen little change but the previous building was torn down for the stands. current one we see today.

A student crosses B Street toward the C Building on Sept. C building of Curran Plaza at 12:30 p.m. This area has vastly changed, 23, 1971, where Curran Plaza is now. B Street now runs moving away from the street and increased in size. underneath the plaza.

20

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

Two students stand across the street from San Diego City College’s new campus theater in the early 1970s. The complex, which is on C Street, is now known as the Saville Theatre.

C Street near the Saville Theater of the C building at 3:00 p.m.

Chris Hadloser (Left) and Leann Rose (Right) engaging in a conversation to capture the past photo’s mood.

The B Street underpass, looking west with Curran Plaza above, is B Street outside of Curran Plaza at 9:30 a.m. This area has pictured under construction in the early 1970s. changed very little with the street itself being redone and an imprinted banner of college’s Curran Plaza.

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

21

The Thrill of the Fight

Evelyn Segura goes through her daily regimine at City Boxing in San Diego on Oct. 17.

Photo by MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ

Student takes to boxing to knock-out the stresses of everyday life

By Miguel Rodriguez As she walks through the entryway that reads “House of Champions,� Evelyn Segura leaves her worries at the door and enters a world where the pressures of the reality outside seem meaningless. She can escape and enter a therapy session that she attends four to five times a week that involves warming up with punch combinations, sit ups, and a little jump rope. She will normally follow that up with six to eight three-minute rounds with a double-end bag before traveling to the speed bag, finishing up with more abdominal workouts to cool down and unwind at the end of her day.

Photo by ALLISON BROWNE 22

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

With a stiff right jab and a left hook that will make you think twice, Evelyn has the combination that can take her as far as she wants to go.

Tracing back to her family roots, Evelyn’s grandfather enjoyed boxing and taught her father how to box before the interest sparked in her.

Inherently, this charismatic young woman adopted the interest in the sport at a young age and has taught her lessons that go beyond the gym.

Evelyn has spent the past six months training in advanced

classes at City Boxing “House of Champions,” located on 14th Street in downtown San Diego, directly across from the Saville Theatre at San Diego City College. What once started out as a healthy outlet to keep her fitness in check and to stay out of trouble transformed into a serious passion. She began to commit herself more and more as she progressed in her training.

With a drive to constantly improve her craft, Evelyn has noticed the strides she has made since first walking

Boxers spar in the ring at City Boxing on Oct. 17.

through the doors at City Boxing.

Initially, she struggled to keep up with the workout regimen that her trainer and former World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation Champion Manny Melchor had in store for 17-year-old Evelyn.

“Evelyn’s potential is very good and her quick feet, agility and ability to stick and move are keys to developing other attributes to her repertoire,”

See Fight, page 24

Photo by ANDREW HAHN Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

23

Fight

Continued from page 23

Melchor said.

He compared Evelyn’s skill set during training sessions to a matador’s swift and agile movements, which is a fitting description considering that her idol in the professional ranks of boxing is Mexico native Juan Manuel Marquez.

Sparring partner Keegan Shea said, “She could probably beat up a lot of people. Her punches are energetic and non-stop and those that face her in the ring should not be fooled by her smile alone.”

A good boxer’s regimen demands a high level of discipline, and requires Evelyn to elevate her level of focus and maintain a balance in her stance inside and outside of the boxing gym. In the gym, she focuses on the lesson being

taught to her at that moment, which she said helps her to block out any outside distractions that may be interfering with her life. Evelyn takes advantage of the insight and other advice that anyone has to share with her along the way and emulates the strong local talent who work out with her on a regular basis at City Boxing.

Evelyn talked about how her mother kept her and her sister involved in extracurricular activities and after school sports, such as soccer. However, after joining City Boxing, she found constructive ways to manage priorities, personal fitness, and most importantly to stay out of trouble and away from bad influences. A fight between Evelyn another girl at school is what caused her mother to find another way for her to cope with the pressures and stresses that could lead to her ultimately harming herself or someone else. As petty as the encounter was, there was potential that it could have led to another conflict,

Boxers spar in the ring at City Boxing on Oct. 17.

24

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

or might have derailed her educational goals. This was something Evelyn and her family were not willing to risk.

Evelyn is currently working toward finishing her education in the City Middle College program at San Diego City College and is looking forward to attending City to further her education.

Evelyn’s post-secondary experience at City Middle College has challenged her as a student, and has raised her awareness about maintaining educational goals and responsibilities for future successes.

“If I try to tell you my favorite thing about boxing, I wouldn’t know where to start because I love everything about boxing,” Evelyn said.

The relationship Evelyn has with boxing seems to point to a bright future and with the support of her family there is no telling how far she can take her new passion. “Boxing is like a relationship and the commitment you put into it, like anything else, is a major part of what you can expect in return,” she said.

Photo by ANDREW HAHN

So Much More Than Gangnam Style Four artists that are sure to keep the popularity of K-pop rising long after PSY’s hit single

By JENNIFER MANALILI

Illustration by ADAM BAIRD

Four artists that are sure to keep the popularity of K-pop rising long after PSY’s hit single No one could have predicted the success of “Gangnam Style.”

Many may have written PSY off as a one-hit wonder, but with his chubby exterior and colorful humor, he is himself a departure from the regular K-pop machine. A machine, that continues to chug along a year after the craze.

What’s most fascinating perhaps, is watching this machine from the outside. The handful of labels and management companies in South Korea that churn these “idols” out are like conglomerates, pouring time and effort into artists the same way Pepsi would obsess over a Super Bowl campaign here.

Their strict management style predates today’s Hollywood, one perhaps only reminiscent of the actor-studio contracts of the ‘40s and ‘50s when stars

See GANGNAM, page 26

25

Gangnam

Continued from page 25

belonged to the studios that signed them.

This business is rigorous, signing pre-teens to training contracts that prepare them for close to five years before debuting as solo artists or groups. (We’ve got child labor laws for that, here.) Then there are the strict decade long contracts that bind artists to their management and ban contact with friends, family and free time --- even the ability to own a cellphone or date, the name changes, plastic surgery, the surveillance of exercise and diets ... all for the chance and not the guarantee of becoming a star.

Despite these hardships, the K-pop formula works. The looks and talent behind the machine continue to attract droves of fans outside of South Korea. PSY may have put K-pop on the map, but its growth overseas continues without him.

“I listen to it because I think that K-pop is a refreshing take on pop music,” says City College student Angelica Wallingford. “I think that it’s more of a brand than a musical genre. It’s like everything you would want in a musical group or artist: good music, choreography, fashion, wrapped up in a complete package sent with love from Korea.”

City College student Jennifer Valle shared the same sentiments. Valle found her love of K-pop through Japan, where most K-pop artists release their musical catalog after being trained in Japanese by their management companies.

“In my opinion, it’s different because of the foreign and interesting beats and rhythm, as well as the language of the music,” said Valle. “Some of my friends say it’s just the ‘Asian version of American pop,’ but I think that K-pop holds and brings a whole new meaning to pop culture entirely.”

With the Internet undoubtedly playing a big role in the rise of the music’s popularity and the help of Youtube, these artists are at the forefront of the K-pop game and proving that while we may speak different languages, music truly is universal. Give them a listen, god knows, they’ve worked hard for it.

Big Bang

Big Bang remains Korea’s most established boyband. Even a two-year hiatus couldn’t stop the group from taking Best 26

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

Worldwide Act at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards, a fan voted event that had them winning against Britney Spears and other famous acts from different regions. All five members have established solo careers, as a group their career transformation has seen them experimenting with everything from hip-hop to electro-pop and slower R&B jams and working with artists such as Diplo and Missy Elliott. It will undoubtedly be fun to see where they go next.

Watch this: Their high energy, funky video for “Fantastic Baby” is a can’t miss, as is “Haru Haru” (translation: “Day By Day”), a slow jam the group released back in 2008 that remains the definitive of their repertoire. Leader G-Dragon penned the track and his solo effort, the “Trainspotting” inspired video for “Crooked” is also worth a viewing.

Girls’ Generation

The victims of recent racist Internet backlash after winning the “Best Video Award” at the YouTube Music Awards, CNN dubbed them Korea’s answer to the Spice Girls. While most companies continue

to focus predominantly on the guys, the nine-member group - together since 2007, remains the girl group in Korea, boasting unrivaled popularity and triple threats in their roles as MCs, actresses and even UN Ambassadors.

Watch this: They undoubtedly began their careers marketing a cute, flirty image in both “Gee” and “Genie (Tell Me Your Wish)” but it’s the fierceness they’ve grown into on display in “The Boys” that really makes them exciting to watch. With 81 million views to date, even Britney in her hay day couldn’t compete with this dance video.

EXO

Composed of 12 members, the group is split into two, releasing material in both Mandarin and Korean (their subgroups Exo-K and Exo-M, respectively), undoubtedly a clever way to conquer both markets simultaneously. They even garnered a MTV European Music Award nomination earlier this month, pitting them against such namesakes as Justin Bieber and One Direction for Best Worldwide Act. Watch this: EXO’s videography has been epic to say the least, with the prophetic “MAMA” as their debut, but it’s their dance video for “Growl” that really stands apart.

Equal parts funk and R&B inspired, the group sports matching school uniforms and showcase the kind of fluidity that Chris Brown and Usher would’ve envied when they were teenagers.

Troublemaker

Americans will remember Hyuna for her turn as the flirty girl who took part in a dance off in Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Troublemaker sees her teaming with labelmate Hyunseung of BEAST. Their partnership has garnered attention for being sexy and flirty, breaking many idol rules.

Watch this: Their unedited Rated 19+ video for “Now” is a dizzying and welcome departure from usual K-pop videos, a portrayal of drugs, doomed love and hustling set to a backdrop of an urban single reminiscent of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” It’s a refreshingly darker take on what K-pop can be capable of.

Look East: Want more? Rap group Epik High, alternative-rock band F.T. Island, electronic masters Clazziquai, pop queen BoA and singer-songwriters K. Will and I.U. are also worth a listen.

Illustration by ADAM BAIRD

Beauty on a Budget How to look good without spending a fortune

By PHOENIX WEBB College students are held to a stereotype: poor and unkempt. In San Diego, college students kill that stereotype. College students here are no less economically challenged than other students, but they have amazing skin and hair. It begs the question: How is this possible?

It’s possible because there are many ways to save money on beauty products, services and tools. So, herein is a comprehensive breakdown of the best places at the best prices in San Diego to find it all.

First, makeup. Everyone knows about M.A.C. (Makeup Artist Company), Urban Decay, Esteé Lauder, Lancôme and Clinique.

All of them have products that are well known and even loved by users, but drugstore brands have come a long way in quality that rival high-end brands. Drugstore brands can be challenging to navigate between what should be bought and what shouldn’t. Comparing costs, however, is not a challenge.

Urban Decay’s Naked eyeshadow palettes versions one and two each offer 12 eyeshadow colors and cost $50 each. Alternatively, NYX Cosmetics Nude on Nude palette offers 20 pigmented neutral shades and a slide out tray of 10 different lip shades for $25. If $25 is too steep, NYX Cosmetics offers single eyeshadows for $4.50 each.

Palettes of varying numbers of shadows cost $6, $7, $8 and $10. Their eyeshadows are comparable to M.A.C.’s shadows at a fraction of those prices. For more information about NYX Cosmetics, visit http://www. nyxcosmetics.com Another makeup company that offers good products for even less money is Eyes Lips Face (e.l.f.). A pair of lashes packaged with a small tube of adhesive costs $1.

Spending $3 on a flat top powder brush that blends foundation on the face just as well as the Sigma F80 brush that costs $81 is smart.

So is spending $6 for e.l.f.’s eight grams of HD powder, which does the same thing that Makeup Forever’s HD powder does, but

Stock.xchng

they ask $16 for 0.17 grams or $34 for 0.3 ounces. Most items e.l.f. sells cost $1, $2, $3 or $6. Their holiday sets are affordable with the most expensive set costing $36, which includes eye shadows, glosses, highlight powders, and blushes. For more information about e.l.f., visit http://www.eyeslipsface.com.

Other items for comparison include: Esteé Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation, which costs $37 for one fluid ounce and claims to have 15 hours of staying power.

A good replacement that doesn’t stress the wallet is Revlon’s ColorStay foundation for $10 (Wal-Mart). This line offers colors for all skin tones as well as two formulas: oily/ normal and dry/normal. Lancôme has several nice foundations, but they run between $29.50 to $60. Really. Lancôme is owned by L’Oréal, so whatever Lancôme foundations are sold, L’Oréal sells the same kind, with maybe a few differences in the formulation for $11 to $16. NYX, Rimmel and Hard

See BEAUTY, page 28 Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

27

Beauty Continued from page 27 Candy each have good foundations that cost even less.

A couple of items that most makeup wearers need in their arsenal are highlighters and contours. Highlighting and contouring the face has existed almost as long as the film business has. High-end contours like NARS Laguna can cost $36 and Hoola by Benefit Cosmetics costs $28, but inexpensive alternatives like Wet n Wild, e.l.f. and NYX have contour, highlighting and bronzing powders for as little as $3.

Finally, there are three items that should be in every makeup wearers collection. Maybelline’s Define-A-Brow Pencil for $8, offered in four different colors for all brow shades, mimics real hair and is a great substitution for Anastasia Beverly Hill Brow Wiz Skinny Brow Pencil ($21). Another great Maybelline product is their Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner. It’s blacker than M.A.C.’s Blacktrack Fluid Line ($16) and cheaper at $8. Milani’s Baked Blush in Luminous has been widely regarded as NARS’ Orgasm twin with a teensy bit more coral and without the $29 price tag.

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

Student Amanda Engbergson works with the state-of-the-art equipment in the cosmetology department at San Diego City College on Aug. 11.

A quick word about Milani Cosmetics: they are affordable with a price range of $4-$9.

They have a tightly edited menu of products and they believe in strong pigmentation. Their lipsticks are not to be ignored, as the colors will get the wearer noticed from a block away and the formula is not tacky or drying. For more information about Milani, visit http://www. milanicosmetics.com.

Photo by DONNA MARANTO

Students learn about skin care in the cosmetology department, San Diego City College, on Aug. 11.

28

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

About Hard Candy -- their products are fun! Great colors, highly pigmented, great shine and color offerings, glitter (even in the mascaras), primers, body shimmer creams, wonderful lip products and eyeshadow palettes. Hard Candy was first noticed for their nail polishes, which were sold in Nordstrom and came with heart shaped plastic rings on the polish tops.

A few years later, Hard Candy showed up with a whole makeup line, including the nail polishes, sans rings. For more information about Hard Candy, visit http:// www.hardcandy.com.

Some of the best places for inexpensive products are Ulta Beauty (NYX Cosmetics); Target (e.l.f. makeup and brushes); Wal-Mart (the only place to buy Hard Candy brand and Milani); Sephora (sale items are greatly affordable); Bed, Bath and Beyond (also great drugstore prices); TJ Maxx and Marshalls (both have affordable hair products and bath, shower, skincare items); the Beauty

Supply Warehouse (hair, nails, makeup and skin care); the 99¢ Only Stores (lashes) and Big Lots (makeup, hair products and skin care). Not all of these stores carry the same items, but they all can help save money on beauty products.

Affordable hair care is not difficult, but can be tricky.

Always look at the ingredients.

Many companies use sodium laureth sulphate, which is the same sulphate used in dishwashing detergents. The choice to use something with sulphates is strictly up to the shopper.

Google and Wikipedia are ready references to learn about what is in shampoos and conditioners.

A hair care regimen should be simple, consisting of as few products as possible, such as a shampoo, a separate conditioner and a styling product for one’s own hair type. For those who like to change it up with different hairstyles, a ceramic and/ or ionic blow-dryer, a curling instrument that is heat adjustable and a thermal spray can be

added. Marshall’s and TJ Maxx have affordable professional lines such as Aveda, Tigi and Rusk. Two drugstore lines that give good results are Not Your Mother’s which can be found at Ulta and Schwartzkopf which can be found at Bed Bath and Beyond. Prices can be anywhere from $10 to $25.

Skin care and bath products are inexpensive. Skin care is important because it’s the first thing people tend to see and it is the first indicator of anything in the body that may be unhealthy.

San Diego is a desert climate and the weather gets bone dry twice a year during spring and fall. A skin regimen for everyone should include a facial moisturizer, facial cleanser (for one’s skin type), a bottle of witch hazel (to tone the face and neck after cleansing) and a body moisturizer.

Two separate moisturizers are necessary because skin on the face and neck is different from skin on the rest of the body.

Fortunately, skin products also fit nicely into a student’s budget because these items can be found (even the natural, organic and vegan products) in Wal-Mart and Target. For specialized

organic and vegan products, Sprouts carries them at a slightly higher price point.

Products for men are recommended because the student population isn’t only female. Men should use a shampoo and separate conditioner if they have hair on their heads. When used consistently, conditioner keeps hair soft and manageable.

Cowlicks need not apply when conditioner is in residence.

Fellas should have a facial moisturizer, as well as a body moisturizer, a face scrub (men’s faces have tougher skin and while the importance of a scrub may be questioned, just know that it helps prevent ingrown hairs and helps make for a smoother shave), a good razor, and a good pair of scissors to maintain facial hair. Wal-Mart, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond can fulfill all these needs.

If hair and skin needs are beyond a student’s capabilities or a little something extra is sought (glycolic peel? waxing? manicure and pedicure?), but find that prices for these products are out of reach, there are smartphone applications and websites that

offer discounts for beauty services such as Amazon Local, Google Offers, and San Diego Reader Deals and Discounts. If these still don’t fit the budget, there is a place right on San Diego City College’s campus that can help with beauty woes: the Cosmetology Department of San Diego City College. For more information and their menu of services with prices, visit http://www.sdcity.edu/ CosmetologyServices.

The cosmetology department is located on the first two floors of the CTC/V building on 16th Street at the corner of C Street.

The head of the department is Professor Sudabeh Phillips, who has been with the department since 1990 and has been a licensed cosmetologist since 1981. Prior to City College, she was a chemist with Joico in color development, an educator and a platform artist. She has earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, a Bachelor of Arts in education as well as a Master of Science in chemistry.

Professor Phillips is part of the five person panel that oversees and supports the department and was a member of

“C” Street Salon 619.235.6887

15% OFF WOMEN CUTS & COLOR

10% OFF All Other Services With This AD

127 C Street San Diego, CA 92101 cstsalon@gmail.com

the planning committee for the CTC/V building in 1995. “Our panel is heavy on education,” said Phillips.

The Cosmetology Department is clean (to say the very least). Professor Phillips stresses cleanliness and professionalism: “Sanitation is key,” the like of which cannot be found in many other salons in San Diego, no matter the price paid for services. Under Professor Phillips’ guidance, senior cosmetology students practice their chosen trade on paying clients, using the most modern processes. These students also have the opportunity to work with photography students for the knowledge of angles, shadows as well as the commercial side of their chosen industry.

Student cosmetologists color, cut, shampoo, blow-dry, style and promote healthy hair. They are taught how to conduct a complete consultation prior to services being performed.

The Joico hair product line is almost exclusively used on clients. Nail services are also offered, but rarely are acrylic nails applied. If they are, OPI Odorless products are used and all state board procedures are strictly enforced and observed.

Pedicures are performed but if there is fungus on client toes, they are professionally declined to prevent the transfer of it to students.

Skin services in the cosmetology department have been temporarily suspended due to budget cuts, but they will resume and be expanded at the start of the spring 2014 semester.

San Diego City College students look good because the city of San Diego has the most affordable products and services available. With a fully operational cosmetology department, who can afford look bad?

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

29

The Architect of the Dream How a former City student pursued his artistic aspirations and helped change his community

By Juan Carlos Siezar

E

veryone can think about or plan something for the future. As a matter of fact, most people do it constantly, but it takes more than that to become a true visionary and see beyond what the rest can see. It takes someone who is creative and capable of taking their vision and with courage, self-discipline, gentleness and patience make it a reality. Salvador Torres is a perfect example of a true visionary.

Torres is a Chicano artist, born in El Barrio del Diablo in El Paso, Texas, on July 3, 1936. He is one of those few people who have a charismatic and contagious smile that can easily get you inspired when you hear him speak.

As a young child in 1942, he moved to San Diego with his family and settled in Logan Heights, with the main industry of the area being the canneries, where his parents worked.

In 1957, Torres quit his job and decided to enroll in San Diego City College. “I used to lay on my bedroom and look up to the sealing, and wonder: What am I going to do as an artist? How will I ever grow as an artist? I know! I’ll go to City College. So I used to walk from my house to City College every day ... and I got straight As in my classes,” he said.

Torres wanted to pursue his passion as an artist, and had a plan to put it to use with discipline and perseverance. A few years later, Torres earned a scholarship to the California College of the Arts in Oakland, where he continued his education. There, he met other Chicano artists and soon they began thinking about returning to their homes, both to develop their art and serve their communities.

Once Torres returned to San Diego, around the time that the Coronado Bridge was being built, Torres found out that his house had been destroyed.

“When the freeway and the bridge were instituted by planners of the San Diego city department of planning and California state planners, they decided to send this freeway right through the heart of our community ... and we had friends across the street, restaurants, drugstores. It 30

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

was a great community ... everything was smashed, we saw our homes and the feeling was bad, that you couldn’t visit your friend, and even my house was torn down and a big pillar was put right there. So this feeling of destruction in your own neighborhood is something that I really feel very deeply about,” Torres said.

For a long time, the community of Logan Heights demanded a park, but the City Council didn’t seem to listen, until 1969, when the community was promised a park as a compensation for the loss of many homes and businesses that were torn down to give place to the construction of the freeway and the bridge. Two months before the opening of Coronado Bridge, an area was designated and a park officially approved, but nothing seemed to be getting done. On April 22, 1970, the community noticed bulldozers around the area that had been designated to be their park, but no park was intended to be built

Salvador Torres works on his drawings at a local San Diego cafe in October. at that time.

Instead, the area was going to be transformed into a Highway Patrol parking lot. Soon, members of the community and the San Diego City College student body went to the area, took it over, and fought the bulldozers to start what today is Chicano Park.

The construction of the parking lot was called off, and for days community members and city officials held meetings to negotiate the creation of the park. In one of those meetings an artist shared his vision of adorning the freeway pylons with art and make the park a beautiful place. The architect of the dream, Salvador Roberto Torres, advocated his vision.

The very same day of the take over, people started Chicano Park, little by little. “Chicano Park was established by the students ... they

Photo by ANDREW HAHN

walked out of San Diego High School, they walked out of City College, they walked out of Memorial, they walked out of Grammar School, to create the park. It was the students, it was the nameless students that felt that they need it a park ... so, when we decided to build a park, [we were told] no, we don’t have no funds for you to build a park ... we said, okay, we’ll build our own recreation, we’ll have tires, and we’ll have wooden things there, and they saw that we were serious ... and so right away they started raising money for the this and that for the park, a bathroom, (which is still not right), and then children play areas,” Torres said. Finally, a few months after the takeover, a budget was allocated for the development of the land.

Torres did not let the freeway nor bridge intimidate him. Instead, he saw an opportunity to do something remarkable.

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

31

“You have to discipline yourself, and that’s what is all about, this is what we were doing in the Chicano movement, we had self-determination, we moved towards making a park ... we did things because we were self-determined, we were determined to do something even though we had all of this prejudice, the police were on top of us, I got arrested six times during our movement ... this is what is all about,” Torres said.

It took brave artists, students and community members with strong ideals to help create Chicano Park, and Torres is one of the bravest of them. The Chicano artists didn’t start painting murals until 1973, and may not ever have were it not for Torres visiting the Poliforo Cultural Center in Mexico City in 1962. There, he drenched himself with art and was amazed to see what the Mexican muralists were experimenting with.

“Painting murals is a true responsibility to the public, you want to lift the public up, you want to educate the masses ... that is what real mural painting is all about,” Torres said.

While Torres was there, he started seeing similarities in the structures that the muralists down in Mexico were working with and saw things that could be done in Chicano Park. He came back to San Diego with new ideas to share.

The Chicano artists started finding ways to raise money so that they could buy materials to prepare the columns and start painting, inviting more artists from other organizations to work with them.

Soon, the area slowly became a real park.

“We worked hard, we dedicated ourselves, nobody paid us a dime to create this monumental piece. Now this piece is historical, now the murals are a historical monument of the United States of

Good journalism never goes out of style.

San Diego City College’s new Digital Journalism program has roots in excellence going back nearly 70 years. Join our classes to learn the craft.

DJRN 210: Newspaper production DJRN 220: Magazine production

www.sdcitytimes.com

CT CityTimes

City Times file photo of student Jon French on April 24, 1975.

32

America ... we did it because we love, we did it because we wanted to see something beautiful, and now we have it,” Torres said.

If you have been to Chicano Park, most likely you have already seen murals painted by Torres. They are imposing murals filled with color and symbolism, pieces of art that require passion, hard work and creativity that utilized what was accessible.

“I had no materials, I had no scaffolding, so I used mirrors, and I learned how to draw with a mirror ... you can take a mirror and get it so the light will shine on it and move it around. I learned how to draw with it, I learned how to spell with it, I learned how to write with it, I learned how to make movements with it,” Torres said.

Torres has the ability to step back and use mirrors to reflect sunlight, cast the light on a column and move it around to preview the movements of the brush. It’s a clever thing to do...but sometimes he would get in trouble for doing it. Some people don’t always understand an artist, and those same people would call the police on him, who would then confiscate his mirrors.

The life of an artist can be full with difficulties and rewards. “I’m currently restoring a mural that’s 25-feet high and it’s 380-feet long, and I fell off the scaffold the other day, and I cut my face ... and I have five stitches across my face; and then you have to work, and then you have to get away to look at it because is so big. So I was looking at it and a car came and ran me down, so these are the hazards of the job, so you have to really be alert,” Torres said.

Torres is a strong man, and a true visionary with a humble and sincere personality. After he told the story, he was asked to say how old he is, and he said, “ 77... Yes! I’m 77, and I feel so good.”

The Hardest Fight Undocumented students contend with numerous struggles as they pursue their dreams

By Sandra Galindo

I

Photo illustration by JUAN-CARLOS SIEZAR Model GERSON PEREZ

n Latino communities, when we hear about AB 540 students, we immediately think about tenacity, struggle, perseverance, capacity, constant challenges; but also impotence. These students are also known as DREAMers, Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors.

Dreamers are part of the 1.5 million students without legal documents that live in this country, with the majority coming from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

AB 540 is a bill that allows students who have attended and graduated from California high schools to pay tuition at residential rates.

Most of these students are young and have a contagious tenacity, eager to participate in class, and are focused on learning and paying attention to their instructors.

After seeing them interact in classes, we may think about how many of us take the privilege of receiving financial aid for granted, and sometimes we don’t appreciate the assistance.

Being an immigrant and undocumented is a difficult situation that makes it hard to live in the United States, and therefore, can make attending college something that is nearly impossible.

One of these students told me her parents had two jobs to help her get educated. They didn’t want her to have the same future they had, and wanted a better life for her.

Still, many of them will not pursue college for the financial burden this means for them and their families.

In August of 2012, an opportunity to legalize their status changed many of the lives of these students. President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a reprieve for deportation and a chance to get a work permit.

“I think President Obama is a very intelligent man, why try to deport them if it’s an opportunity to get money and pay taxes?” asked Juan Carlos Jimenez Cruz, a volunteer student career advocate at San Diego City College.

“They, (DREAMers) are the hardest workers I know. They’ve earned their right to be here in the United States. They are like ghosts, you don’t really

See HARDEST, page 34

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

33

Hardest

Continued from page 33

see them, but they contribute to society, they contribute to our school. They are the kind of people I would like to have as my neighbors,” he said.

According to a petition to support equal academic and professional opportunities for undocumented graduate students at the University of California on July 9, out of about 11 million undocumented immigrants who live in the United States, only 1.76 million will benefit from the DACA initiative and 25 percent of DACA applicants are still in review. This gives evidence that DACA disenfranchises the vast majority of undocumented immigrants.

When I heard about DACA, I thought about my friend Alberto Rios’ words: “If I had legal documents; nothing could stop me to achieve anything. Nothing could be impossible.”

There are many hardships that immigrants endure, and 23-year-old Rios knows that.

Without documents, people can be abused at work.

“I sell telephones, I’m the manager, the person that cleans, the cashier and I’m the only employee. I work nine and a half hours hours per day, five days a week and I earn $6.60 dollars an hour; I make $313.50 per week. Now I can look for better options,” said Rios.

When I asked him about how DACA changed his life, he said he’s not afraid anymore thinking that “the Migra” (slang for Border Patrol) is coming. Rios shares that “Now, I even have a driver license.”

For Rios, the DACA process took him about five months. He applied in September of 2012, one month after the act was announced, and by February he had his permits. “I felt fearless, now I go to Los Angeles without worrying. I can’t get out of the country, but I can use my social security number,” he said. “Now I need to prove that I deserve to be here. Dreamers are fighting to see if we can renew the permit every two years or an immigration reform arrives.”

Rios worries that he will fail people who believe in him, such as his parents or his mentor, Professor Enrique Davalos, Chair of the Chicano Studies Department. Rios said, “They have high expectations about me,” adding, “I think is not up completely to me.

34

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

Courtesy Photo

Luis Lopez speaking at City College on behalf of El Coyote Newsletter in front of a board of trustees on Aug. 25.

In me, there is hope to do something.”

Rios wants to be a history teacher with a minor in chicano studies, saying, “I want to be the teacher that inspires his students, I want to be an example to them and tell them that when I arrived to this beautiful country I used to live in garages. My own people used to tell me to return to Mexico, that I did not belong there. In Mexico I suffered discrimination, but never racism like here.”

Rios shared that he arrived to the United States three days before turning 14 years old.

One of the biggest challenges was adapting to an environment as different as San Diego.

“People felt hate for the color of my skin, they will stereotype about me ‘maybe you steal,’ ‘you will have a lot of children,’ all because of my image, without even taking the opportunity to know who I am,” said Rios.

When I ask him if this is the opportunity DREAMers deserve since DACA is not a law and it’s only a two-year deal, with the opportunity to renew, he answers: “I think we have to take any opportunity: small or big. If I have the opportunity to see a little bit of the rainbow ... just for that opportunity, I know it has seven colors.”

Rios says that thanks to this opportunity he feels distressed, “I’m not constantly thinking like before, here comes the Migra-what if they stop me? Now I feel, ok, stop me.”

He affirms that Mexicans are not the kind of people that come here with an idea of conformism. He recommends that if they do, they better return to their country.

“I feel like is a tank of oxygen what they sent us. We don’t know if they will send the boat, but at least we are breathing.”

An even younger student like 17-yearold Cristian Gonzalez, a senior student at Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, perceives DACA as an opportunity to attend school without fear.

“Knowing I qualified for DACA was to put weight off my shoulders. It was another step up and obviously more doors open,” Cristian said. “I felt relief and safe thinking, ‘You can’t do anything to me no more.’”

He will be enrolled at Southwestern College next fall where he will try to pursue a career as a firefighter.

Many don’t mention that the Obama administration is using its authority to say that these deportations are not a priority, but the next president can end it.

For some this is not what they needed.

For others, it’s an alternative they didn’t have before.

Gonzalez shared, “My parents told me from an early age not to tell anyone I wasn’t born here. So in my head I always thought I did something wrong.”

The Gonzalez Family moved to Spring Valley when Cristian was 5 years old, they

crossed the border through Tecate, Mexico; “I didn’t know what I was getting into ... I only followed my mom. When we arrived here, all we had was a mattress for 4 of us.”

Gonzalez attended Spring Valley Elementary School, recalling that, “I had a great teacher in first grade, Ms. Wilson. I only knew how to say ‘water.’ She got tired and said, ‘You have to say, ‘may I have some water?’ She asked to be a teacher in second grade to keep teaching me.”

Contrary to them, 20-year-old Luis Lopez Resendiz disagrees with other DREAMers when asked about DACA. “To me, DACA is something they gave us to keep us even more oppressed ... is like telling us, ‘give them this to keep them calmed down.’”

Lopez thinks the U.S. government is afraid of DREAMers because they know that giving them this “opportunity” is telling them “go and be free.” However, Lopez said, “We are the ones supporting this country strong.”

Lopez used to live in a poor neighborhood, in Tijuana, Colonia Obrera. When dead bodies started to appear, his father told him he didn’t want that for him. He told him he had to go to the United States, attend school and work hard.

Luis works in construction like his father.

When he sees his pay check, it saddens him to know that he makes more in a day than his mother makes in a week. His mother and 19-year-old sister work in a maquiladora (factory) 12 hours a day.

“I admire my 19-year-old sister. We came to the United States together, but she doesn’t

look the American dream like me. She told me, ‘the American dream without my mother is not a dream, I don’t know about you but I’m going back to Tijuana. So many times you said that you wanted to return and you don’t return.’”

But Lopez argues that there’s a reason.

If he returns, he thinks it wasn’t worth his father’s sacrifice working from dawn to dusk to give him an education. Lopez sends money to his mother and sister every week.

Lopez is a full-time student at City College where he started integrating himself into classes and learned more about his roots.

He said it was so different than what he learned in school before.

“Graffiti and criminal ancestors or at the best only field workers: that’s the history of minorities according to High School teachers,” Lopez said, “it’s not their instructors fault, but how the system works here in K-12, it’s an Anglo perspective.”

Lopez is part of the Puente Program, whose mission is to increase the number of educationally underserved students, and where he learned to have a different American dream than the one he had before: work hard and send money to Mexico.

He believes Puente made him bring out the spirit that is inside him. Through the program he was invited to be the spoke person at the Latino Board Education Members conference.

Lopez’s speech was about the importance of changing school programs provided now, like Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, the importance of reading and having more

ethnic studies classes to learn the story behind their countries.

Lopez has two more years at City College before transferring to Columbia School of Law in New York. He wants to be an immigration lawyer and create laws that support his people. “My people are leaving their dreams at the mountains, in the frontier.” He said.

Lopez said he would love to return to Mexico and practice a political career there.

“I’m going to cross the border and help my family and educate my people about the truth: in the United States you are not going to sweep the dollars: vas a chingarte, a partirte la madre trabajando,” he said.

Lopez is hurt to see what is happening in Mexico. He wants to return to the country where he was born and knows it will be very difficult because things are very ugly there.

But he wants to do it for the country he loves.

“If no one does anything, then the ‘pueblo’ is fighting by itself,” Lopez said.

He is part of the Indigenous Front of Binational Organizations, where he is helping people fight for the right to not migrate and stay in their countries of origin.

Lopez finalizes saying “The U.S. government knows we are 11 million of dreams that are only looking for 11 million positions in politics. They know we are the base, we are the future, we have lived in the shadows and our dream is to ‘salir adelante’ and have a better life. We are 11 million of dreamers that are looking to change the face of our people, the working class in the United States.”

Luis Lopez reads a poem at Friendship Park near Imperial Beach, San Diego on Aug. 25.

Photo by Nasheili Gonzalez, courtesy of Poesia Fronteriza

35

Cosmic Collisions - A comet streaks past the sun towards earth.

City Looks to the Stars

Photo courtesy of Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

A cutting edge science center and planetarium will provide students with the tools and resources for success

By Tom Swell

S

tudents this spring will have opportunities never dreamed of 100 years ago when City College was founded. Take the new Science Building, located just east of the L building at the corner of 16th and B streets.

It has a silvery skin, smallish windows and it looks ... techie. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about it, outside or in. It’s about serious science careers that bring real meaning to curious minds, and possibly a substantial income as well.

The structure is ready, and furniture and equipment are arriving daily. Technician Ed Sebring is seeing that everything is installed properly so that students can start off with a splendid experience in the science of their choosing.

36

The planetarium The Science Building will have classes in biology, geology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, math and anthropology. One of the more exciting elements for many, will be the planetarium. This new computerized planetarium will allow vast arrays of views of the universe, the planets, our own solar system and the Earth.

What is a planetarium? According to Oxford Dictionaries, a planetarium is, “a building in which images of stars, planets, and constellations are projected on the inner surface of a dome for public entertainment or education.”

San Diego doesn’t usually offer good opportunities to view the heavens. The splendor of the Milky Way can never be properly observed here. But with the planetarium, you can view it all without having to drive to the mountains or the desert.

Many planetaria around the globe have fixed views provided by numerous lenses that are permanently welded into a fixed position on the projector. The unit installed in City College’s planetarium is the SciDome HD, a two-projector system that can accurately display 1,920-by-1,920 pixels across the dome.

It includes a powerful Spitz sound system and computerized controls fit for the Starship Enterprise.

Yes, you can zoom around the Earth using a service such as Google Maps, but here you can do it better and in more satisfying detail. And, until Google maps the universe, this is a great way to see what’s up there without a painful cramp in your neck.

Several of City College’s science staff will bring this all to life for students, including Lisa Will, PhD. — who is also head astronomer for the world renowned Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park; Lisa Chaddock, an enthusiastic lover of earth sciences and more; and Ed Sebring, wizard with chemistry and other science and engineering disciplines.

The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park — just up the road from City College — was one of the first to offer an OmniMax theater, and an excellent planetarium. Their recently installed projector makes the experience there something to remember.

The Fleet Science Center has geeky thrills for young and old, from video and planetarium presentations to hands-on science displays. You can walk there from City College, but allow some time. It’s next door to the Natural

History Museum, and nearby are art museums, botanical displays and the Japanese gardens which currently being expanded. Balboa Park will celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2015, just after City College.

There’s more City College’s 98,000-square-foot Science Center is loaded with technology. Have you seen the television show, “CSI”? In many ways, City’s facilities are a step ahead.

The facility offers refrigerated tables for budding scientists to explore the bodies.

When the work is done, push a button and the body is lowered into the table and refrigerated right there.

Many of the biological and chemical labs are equipped with ventilation systems to draw away any contaminated air for a wholesome breathing experience. Plumbing, electric and data connections allow for enhanced learning and limited distractions.

Staff members have specified equipment to fit their particular teaching requirements and there is much attention to detail. Many lab chairs, for instance, will resist chemical damage while still allowing comfort.

Even with the building’s completion, some students have no idea of what the complex is or that it will be available. Those with an interest in science welcomed the revelation, though. Israel Morando, currently taking physics and planning an engineering degree said, “Cool, I really like the idea.”

Another student said that although she will not be in sciences, she thinks it’s great for those who are.

Mysteries So much lies in the details. Outside the building, for instance, is a sculpture with a big rusty triangle sticking out of the ground.

Surrounding it, in a semi-circle is a series of blocks with markings. Go there today and see this for yourself. What is the meaning of this, you may ask? Visit it and solve the puzzle for yourself. While you’re there, also note the water-wise landscaping, the dry rocky riverbed and the large table-like structure with plumbing attachments.

The table will be filled with rocks and sand, and water will flow from one end to the other. Over time, the water will meander. It twists and turns, and refuses to follow a straight path from one end to the other.

How and why the water meanders will be a puzzle for students to understand. Look at a map showing rivers and you can see for yourself that they meander. The mighty Mississippi, for example, not only meanders, but it changes from time to time, causing disruption to human activities. Would you be interested in learning why this happens? These displays are designed to raise curiosity and engage learning.

In the past, City College was largely oriented toward training students for blue-collar work or preparation for mainstream universi-

ties. The Science Building and many of the new facilities seem to indicate a basic change in direction. Students now will have state-ofthe-art science equipment to prepare them for tech and science careers in many fields.

No other community college and few major colleges have this level of modern equipment to prepare their students for the future.

What does this mean to you?

“I’m a business major,” some will say, or, “I’m a psychology major,” etc. But ask yourself if you are human. If you are interested in, for example, the environment or energy issues or politics or world peace. This is what separates us from other primates. We are curious, we want to know our origins and we want to know all about the universe around us. If we are human, then we must learn some science.

Even if you are a car mechanic or a fast-food worker, you should try to know that there is more to your existence than that. Science is an important part of who you are, where you came from and where you are going.

How can you find an interesting course in the Science Building to enhance your other studies? First of all, visit a counselor; visit the dean of science; visit the Math, Engineering, Scientific Achievement (MESA) center in the L Building; visit one of the science, chemistry or math professors; or talk to a scientist in your family or nearby. Warning — if they get a hint that you might be interested, they’ll talk your ear off.

New science building containing City College’s new planetarium, which will open in 2014.

Photo by JUAN-CARLOS SIEZAR

37

A Tribute to Breakfast Pay some respect to the most important meal of the day

By JENNIFER MANALILI How does that old saying go? Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, but with busy schedules at work and at school, it may feel too difficult to have a good meal.

Here are a few recipes that will help fill that void, whether it’s a smoothie that can be made ahead of time and enjoyed on the run, a quiche that can be eaten throughout the week or a plate of pancakes that can be made on the weekend, there’s something for everyone. Breakfast no longer has to be the forgotten meal!

Smoothies Smoothies make great grab and go meals and can be a vehicle for packing in fruits and veggies. Ground flaxseed or nuts can also be added to either of these smoothies for a more filling meal.

Ginger and Peach Green Smoothie From Martha Stewart’s “Everyday Food” 2 handfuls baby spinach 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger 2 cups frozen sliced peaches 2 teaspoons honey 1 ¼ cups water 1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Easy Fruit Smoothie Adapted from BudgetBytes.com 1 frozen banana Five or six strawberries, frozen or fresh ½ cup frozen blueberries ½ cup frozen sliced peaches ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup of vanilla soy milk (or milk of choice, plus a few drops of vanilla extract) Drizzle of honey 1. Place frozen banana, strawberries, blueberries and peaches in a blender.

Drizzle honey over the fruit. Add the milk and cinnamon.

2. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid if needed.

Photo illustrations by JENNIFER MANILILI 38

Legend | Winter - Spring 2014

Photo illustration by JENNIFER MANALILI Pancakes Pancakes are the ultimate weekend treat, the perfect dish to make when there are a few more minutes to spare.

Fluffy and moist, and utilizing ingredients that are probably already on hand, these are much better than anything that comes out of a box. They are great paired with sliced bananas and strawberries and a favorite syrup. Making them can also be a great way to get kids involved in cooking. Leftovers make a great treat for later in the day.

Breakfast for dinner anyone?

Fluffy Pancakes Adapted from AllRecipes.com ¾ cup milk 2 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon of baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, melted Cooking spray

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 mins. to “sour”. (Basically making buttermilk.)

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk egg, butter and vanilla into “soured” milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Pour ¼ cupfuls of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other site. Continue to cook in batches until all of the batter is gone.

4. Top with fruit, syrup, whipped cream, whatever you like. Enjoy!

Winter - Spring 2014 | Legend

39

M E M B E R-S U PPORTE D, COM M E RCIAL-FR E E, COM M U N ITY RADIO

Giving young musicians a start is music to our ears.

Jazz 88.3’s Music Matters program provides instruments to San Diego school kids who might not otherwise be able to play music. This is just one of many ways Jazz 88.3 strives to be a contributing member of our community.

Your membership helps support this and other community programs.

Become a member now. Jazz88.org

MOR E THAN A RADIO STATION