2005_0208_CT_v59i6

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www.sdcity.edu/citytimes

Students power through classes Intersession offers chance to jump ahead over break

By Jermaine Davis This past January, the San Diego Community College District offered its students an unprecedented choice; to relax and enjoy January, the “off” month between the fall and spring semesters, or get a jump on their educational pursuits and enroll in newly instituted Intersession classes.

Many stu■ Student dents jumped at reactions to the chance to get Intersession. ahead in their Page 4. studies, while others balked at the idea of having to learn a semester’s worth of information within the course of four weeks.

Running from the 3rd through the 29th of January, Intersession courses cost the same and offered the same amount of credits as their full-term counterparts, with student incentives such as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver available to eligible students.

City College offered 70 day and evening courses including online classes. Options were varied, with courses offered covering subjects from Accounting to Music. Parking was free for enrolled students throughout the Intersession.

See POWER, Page 3

Volume 59, Issue 6

Back in the day Photos detail changing City Focus, page 6

Serving the San Diego City College community since 1945

Feb. 8-21, 2005

BUILT TO WIN Knights men’s basketball first in conference

By Max Rivera The City College Men’s basketball program has been rebuilt. Ready or not.

2005 will not be a transitional year or rebuilding year or foundation year or whatever cliché you can tack on to excuse a program for its expected missteps during its first few seasons. When no one was looking, the City College basketball team got a makeover.

A new season. A new coach. An entirely new team.

The new gym isn’t even ready yet, but the Knights are gearing themselves toward earning some hardware to christen the structure when it’s time to cut the ribbon.

The 8-1 Knights, who are currently in first place in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) and haven’t lost a game in more than a month, squared off against Imperial Valley on Feb. 2 at home.

See WIN, Page 8 City College guard Anthony Palmer drives to the hoop during the first half of the Knights game versus Imperial Valley College on Feb. 2 at San Diego High School.

Photo by Mike Sullivan

2

NEWS

City Times

CityCalendar Compiled by Sandi Garcia Send items to City Times, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101, e-mail citytimes@journalist.com, or call (619) 388-3880 ■ FEBRUARY 8 Mardi Gras, presented by the World Cultures Program. Gorton Quad. 11:30a.m.-1:30p.m.

Women’s Softball v. El Camino.

Field. 3:00p.m.

Satellite Seminar “Courting Disaster? Changing Values about Love, Sex, and Marriage” with Dr. Stephanie Coontz, presented by Phi Theta Kappa. L-112. 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Bobby Hutcherson, presented by KSDS Radio’s “Jazz Live” series.

Saville Theater. 8:00p.m. Jazz88 Members are free, $10 for nonmembers.

■ FEBRUARY 10 Men’s Tennis v. Victor Valley.

Courts. 2:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 14 Last day to drop without a ‘W.’ Freedom to Marry Festival, presented by the L.G.B.T.S.U. Gorton Quad. 12:00p.m.-1:30p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 15 Men’s Baseball v. Arizona Western.

Home game. 2:00p.m.

Men’s Tennis v. Southwestern.

Courts. 2:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 16 Ladder to Success Symposium,

Feb. 8-21, 2005

presented by the World Cultures Program. Saville Theater. 9:35 a.m.-11:00a.m.

■ FEBRUARY 23 Women’s Softball v. College of the Dessert. Field. 3:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 17 Women’s Tennis v. Southwestern.

Courts. 2:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 24 F-stop Poetry & Photography, presented by the World Cultures Program. Saville Theater. 11:10 a.m.-12:20p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 18 Lincoln’s Day: City College Closed ■ FEBRUARY 19 Men’s Basketball v. Southwestern.

Home game. 7:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 21 Washington’s Day: City College Closed ■ FEBRUARY 22 Women’s Tennis v. Mesa. Courts.

2:00pm Satellite Seminar “Sports in Popular Culture: Are We Winning or Losing?” with Dr. Richard Lapchick, presented by Phi Theta Kappa. L-112. 3:30p.m.-5:30p.m.

Women’s Tennis v. Grossmont.

Courts. 2:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Transfer Fair, presented by the Transfer/Career Center. Gorton Quad. 9:30am-12:30p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 26 Men’s Baseball v. Imperial Valley.

Home game. 12:00p.m.

■ FEBRUARY 28 Women’s Softball v. Imperial Valley. Field. 1:00p.m.

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Feb. 8-21, 2005

CityNews

City Times

3

MLK parade entry wins award

Photo by Donna Maranto City students Jason Frye, Antonio Marquez, and Janet Clarke carry a banner in front of City’s entry in the Martin Luther King Memorial Parade on Jan. 15. The entry won second place.

Power Continued from Page 1 This being the first time in the history of the District that this type of program was offered, both faculty and students wondered if the curriculum would be too fast paced for teachers to accurately present all of the information required to understand the subject fully. Many students worried that with the compact nature of the courses, they would not be able to keep pace with the studying required to get a satisfactory grade in shortened classes.

Some students opted to use the Intersession to retake classes that they received poor grades in, and to keep the knowledge of subjects they struggle with fresh in their minds. Chris Ackerly, a third year student planning to transfer to UCSD, believes that for serious students the Intersession schedule can be a chance to utilize otherwise wasted time efficiently.

Even though he admitted to receiving no less than three hours of homework every night, Ackerly believes that retaking his required Math 116 course put him in a better position to succeed in the following math level. He feels the subject matter has stayed fresh in his mind going into the spring semester due to the Intersession courses.

“I don’t think the program works for every class, but if you are just retaking a subject

or you decide to take a class that you are familiar with, then the fast paced schedule seems to work,” said Ackerly.

Pamela McDermott, a second year student majoring in behavioral science, says that her Health 101 course was basically a survey of the subject. The teacher moved from chapter to chapter in a workbook covering general topics pertaining to health without going too deeply into the material.

She asserts that she came out of Intersession feeling comfortable with her experience and that Intersession courses were worth the sacrifice of her free time. “ I think the Intersession classes were a great idea for people that are interested in getting classes that would otherwise be long and frustrating out of the way,” said McDermott.

Employees of San Diego’s community colleges, such as librarians, peace officers, cafeteria workers, and the staff of the new City College Learning Resource Center (LRC) remained on campus to provide for students choosing to advance their educational aspirations.

According to Cecilia Cheung, a 16-year City employee and staff member at City’s Learning Resource Center, half the employees that worked during this Intersession would have worked during the month of January in year’s prior.

She says that as a result of the Intersession, the staff must plan their vacation time carefully due to the fact that

By Donna Maranto San Diego City College placed second in the educational category for its entry in the 25th annual Martin Luther King Memorial Parade held on Jan. 15. Dr Constance Carroll, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, served as co-Grand Marshall at this year’s event.

San Diego State University’s Zeta Sigma Lambda chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which King was a member of, presented the award.

without the January break the only other extended classless period is the gap between the summer and fall semester, which lasts only 5 days. “I think the general intentions (of Intersession Classes) are very good. But the District should examine all of the pros and cons on the table and address them.”

One of the cons that Cheung speaks of in regard to the Intersession, and a major reason that many students were hesitant in enrolling, are the prices of books required for the courses offered. Many students could not justify paying high prices for books that would be used for only a month.

During a traditional semester, teachers address the issue of high book prices by stocking copies of the required texts in the LRC. During the Intersession, students patronizing the LRC discovered that few required texts were available.

Cheung explains the problem as being time oriented.

“Instructors during the regular session will bring books in to put on reserve for students, but due to the rushed nature of Intersession the teachers simply did not have the time to get them to us.”

Many of the teachers participating in Intersession classes received notice to work as late as December and worked quickly to adjust their lesson plans to the new schedule. Virginia Starkenburg, a math professor working at City for five years, admits that the accelerated schedule did

Thousands gathered at the San Diego County Administration Building to start the parade that honors the slain civil rights leader who is known for advocacy of nonviolence and civil disobedience.

Spectators lined the 1.3-mile route along Harbor Drive and were seated three rows deep in some places. Organizations such as the Border Patrol and the California Highway Patrol

lead to a few crossed signals, but the overall experience was worthwhile for her, as well as the students of the Math 35 class she taught.

Starkenburg states that even though the workload she gave her students seemed to be overwhelming them at times, out of the 18 students in her class, 15 left with “C’s” or better and there were no failed students.

“The Intersession was very enjoyable and I think it works well for lower level courses, but higher level courses could get a bit intense,” said Starkenburg.

Some teachers chose not to participate in Intersession courses, arguing that a fourweek period is simply not enough time to allow students to absorb the more difficult scholastic disciplines.

English Professor Elizabeth Meehan, a teacher at City since 1986, decided to enjoy her vacation time instead of participating. She feels that students that enroll in shortened courses specifically to meet state requirements are in danger of sacrificing their chances at receiving a full education.

The Intersession, according to Meehan, “does not provide teachers the chance to help students fully explore and retain information, which may hurt them in the future. And for that reason I chose not to participate.”

Dr. Marianne Tortorici, Vice President of Instruction for City College, explains that the decision to institute Inter-

See ENTRY, Page 5 session courses was a result of the Chancellor’s Cabinet of the District deciding to take a state provided option to remove four weeks from the regular semesters. The result was two 18-week semesters condensed into 16 weeks. The four weeks became the Intersession, or “Winter-session classes.” as other districts refer to them.

According to Tortorici, the Intersession was a success, and response from student and faculty has been positive. “We had a survey taken of both student and faculty that is still pending, but early results show that the program has been well received by everyone involved and that students can look forward to an even better Intersession experience in the future.”

Plans for future Intersession classes include earlier registration in the fall semester so students can better map out their educational goals.

The District also plans to provide more advertising for Intersession courses throughout San Diego County, offering more courses for the day, evening, and online classes.

The schools plan for 2006 includes changing the format from a 4-week to a 5-week course in an effort to give students a more comfortable classroom experience. Tortorici explains, “We have a long term vision for this program and are working hard to make this program student centered and a positive experience for everyone.”

4 City Times

CityTimes Volume 59, Issue 6 Feb. 8-21, 2005 Published as: The Jay Sees / 1945-1949 Fortknightly / 1949-1978 City Times / 1978Incorporating the newspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks Sandi Garcia Manny Lopez April Garcia-Peete Senior Editors Kimmy Humes Opinion Editor Max Rivera Features Editor Lauren Ciallella Arts Editor Michael Sullivan Photography Editor City Times Staff Jordan Banks, Tim Benson, Keriann Bryan, Christopher Burt, Paul Cox, Shane Crumrine, Jermaine Davis, Ae Dimatteo-Riggs, Tom Doran, Elizabeth Eross, Angel Hernandez, Donna Maranton, Terris Patterson, Jonathan Pivar, Erin Resnick, Robyn Reynolds, Jeffrey Seinfeld, Cynthia Stewart, Les Swazzo, Alexander Tolhurst, Maribel Veaz, Jerry Weber, Nathan Williams, Cindy Wimer, Racquel Yarborough, Jessie Zechnowitz Roman S. Koenig Journalism Adviser

City Times is published monthly during the semester. Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, City College administration, faculty and staff or the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.

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

San Diego, CA 92101 Newsroom: L-125 Phone: (619) 388-3880 E-mail: citytimes@journalist.com Member: Journalism Association of Community Colleges, Associated Collegiate Press and California Newspaper Publishers Association

CityVoice

Feb. 8-21, 2005

Unify behind mayor; Frye’s time will come Can’t we all just get along? I remember my father running for Mayor of Bradley Beach and all he wanted to do was unite a town. Well, he lost the election, but brought about changes, which made this New Jersey Seashore town reunite.

In San Diego there is a discrepancy between the city charter and the municipal code. The first does not allow for write-in candidates in general elections and the second does. This is something that can divide a community and that is the last thing we need. My problem is, I voted for Donna Frye. Let’s forget that I am a republican. I wrote her name in and no one told me about this problem.

Why would this city let me vote for someone and then tell me my vote is no good? No one is really looking at how this happened and doesn’t seem to care.

If Donna Frye won the election, someone would fight the validation of it. If she lost, someone else would fight its validation, separating this city into pieces.

Who is this lady? Why did she enter this race? I see Donna Frye as a person who stands by her convictions. Donna Frye will be Mayor one day. I see this by what she has done in six weeks as a write-in candidate. This lady has brought an interest into a mayoral campaign that hasn’t been seen in this whole election and look; she was ahead of the pack. Now please, let us not divide a city.

She has opened the local government up to the public and is a board member of Californians Aware (An organization dedicated to providing public access to government information).

I am member of the public, and am I

VoxPopuli

Grace Carrillo, second semester No. “I was happy to have the break. I got to spend time with my family”

Perspective Les Swazzo now aware of the discrepancy between the city charter and the municipal code.

We can thank Donna Frye for this.

Donna Frye was elected as councilmember representing the 6th District by special election to complete an unexpired term in June 2001; she was re-elected to a full, four-year term in March 2002 with a booming 65 percent of the vote.

Grass-roots politics and her style of governing are all about openness. She spends as many hours meeting with constituents as she does at city council meetings and as an environmental activist. Her commitment to clean water issues is unquestioned. She has worked to strengthen San Diego City policies related to pollution runoff. Donna Frye also played a central role in obtaining millions of dollars for the clean up of Mission Bay. “As an activist you have to force people to listen to you,” she says. “I never want to do that to the people of the 6th District. My door is always open.”

Did Donna Frye know about the discrepancy between the city charter and the municipal codes? We all have public access to most government information and if we cannot get this information, Donna Frye will help. I will say she most likely did not find out until she was already in the race. The County Registrar of Voters and San Diego City Clerk’s offices were contacted in late August and she was told that the law allows write-in

candidates.

San Diego has always allowed writein candidates, perhaps not thinking one would win. San Diego’s current practice dates back two decades. According to the San Diego Union tribune, in 1985, the California Supreme Court, in Canaan v.

Abdelnour, found that the city’s prohibition of write-ins violated free-speech protections. San Diego was forced to change its law on write-ins, which for the previous 24 years had banned such candidacies.

What needs to be done now is to bring this city together. We have got to stop this bickering. Donna Frye has made an impact on this city and I feel it is time to unite. She has a belief that government should be open and accessible to its constituents. She opened a can of worms here. This has only helped her career so far, so I would suggest she run again later, in less arguable legal circumstances, next time she will win if she does not divide this city. If people would just follow directions she would be Mayor.

The city charter and the municipal code discrepancy is now being looked at.

“Charters are law. Codes are required to conform with charters.” As explained to the LA times by Chip Nelson, a Marin County lawyer and former attorney for Ex-Governor Pete Wilson. Donna Frye will be around for a long time and she will have my vote even if I have to write her name in. I can follow directions.

Maybe I should tell my dad there is a job in San Diego.

Les Swazzo is a City Times staff writer.

Did you participate in Intersession, and if so, how was your experience?

Kaitlin Fogarty, fourth semester No. “I needed the break or I couldn’t concentrate on classes now.”

Asked by Lauren Ciallella and Jermaine Davis / Photos by Manny Lopez

Cliff Barnes, second semester Yes. “It was good, easy.

I took music and would do it again. I got lots of units in a short time.”

Mario Guerrero, third semester Yes. “I took math and was glad to get it over with. I didn’t feel as if it was rushed.”

Jaleh Stundahl, first semester Yes. “I enjoyed the class I took, but if it was a little longer, I would have understood the material a little better.”

Feb. 8-21, 2005

C

uriosity led me to the theater. The new film, “Sideways,” had received multiple Golden Globe nominations (and won), and I was drawn by the appeal of a good time tale where old friends reek havoc in wine country.

Unfortunately, I found the hype surrounding this alcohol soaked movie misleading and disappointing, as well as somewhat misogynistic.

The plot surrounds Miles (Paul Giamatti), a sullen twoyear divorcee, unable to get over his failed marriage and struggling writing career, who joins his old college roommate, Jack (Thomas Hayden Church) for a week in wine country. The trip signifies Jack’s “last week of freedom” before marriage and the “has been” television star makes it apparent from the beginning that he plans to get both himself and Miles laid.

There are a lot of “snatch and johnson” jokes spattered throughout the movie. They seem to exist in order to convey a sense of Jack’s mentality, but they quickly become tiresome and seem to serve only as a cheap laugh. From the minute he is appears on-screen Jack is crass, rude and makes it obvious that extra curricular sex is his main objective to this

Track Continued from Page 8 they have done a good job.”

Paul Baumhoefner, he track and field coach, was man with the mic who offered tips, training, and positive support.

Throughout the practice, he emphasized the necessity of continually taking your pulse,

Entry Continued from Page 3 marched by, throwing candy and souvenirs to the crowd.

In all there were 89 organizations and 26 law enforcement agencies, which took part in the parade.

The SDCC entry was sponsored by Student Affairs, and according to Gail Rodriguez, it was a great experience and a beautiful day. “Every year

City Times

ARTS / NEWS / SPORTS

MovieReview

Lauren Ciallella

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

The whine of ‘Sideways’ ...

week. This differentiates him from Miles, who wants only to taste wine, play golf and try to forget about the book he is hoping to get published.

Wine is the essence of Miles’ character. He is the consummate wine snob and takes the utmost pleasure in this one practice, tasting (and drinking), preferring it to his otherwise solemn life.

His regularity in wine country becomes apparent, as the locals call him by name and know his preference is pinot.

One of these locals is Maya (Virginia Madsen), a waitress that seems to share a genuine affection with Miles, yet neither pursued a relationship.

This changes upon Jack’s brash questioning of the sassy winery employee, Stephanie (Sandra Oh), whom he invites, along with Maya, to dinner.

Jack receives his desired bounty in Stephanie, and Miles takes interest in Maya, as he listens to her soliloquy on the love of wine. The speech was forced and was unmoving.

All of the female characters were underdeveloped. I was surprised and irritated to find that Madsen had won “Best Supporting Actress.”

Even Stephanie, who had her own feisty, sexual energy and rode a Moped, seemed robbed of her character depth in the fact that her single motherhood

going at your own pace, and constantly encouraged the runners to encourage one another.

Elicia Henry, who has run with the club for a full session already, is focusing forward . “I’m in it to train for the (Suzuki Rock an Roll) Marathon this year. It is wonderful to have the support of this group around…the thing is, that you don’t have to neces-

sarily be in it for the marathon. You can use the club to get into shape, to stay fit, or just to get a little exercise.”

it is fun. Dr. Brown and the Dean (Dean Chacon) were very pleased, and said everybody did a great job.”

Ann Jacobs, the Associated Student Body vice president was on hand, riding in the back of the float with many other students. “It was really fun.

I’ve only been in a parade on horseback before and this was more fun, especially because the crowd was really into it. We were there to honor a great man who paved the way for many of the liberties we

‘It was great to march knowing that we have the freedom of diversity.’

— Janet Clark, student senator

There are even smokers who run with the club. “Naturally the smokers stick together for support. It’s not an excuse to not be out on the track trying to run,” said an ex-smoker and member of the club named Sarah.

have today.”

Janet Clarke, president of the Student Senate, led the entry carrying a banner displaying the city college logo.

was barely touched upon, but thrown in nonetheless.

I did like the realistic elements to the movie. Adults living in shabby apartments and struggling with unglamorous careers: this image rings true in life and does not always make it to the screen.

“Reality vs. what we want” is a constant throughout the film and encompasses all of the characters.

The cinematography was exceptional.

Many times when Miles is drunk, the screen is somewhat blurred, almost giving you a headache, but really gets the intoxicated effect across visually. The landscape of the wine country provides warmth that transcends the screen and is aesthetically stimulating. This is deeply contrasted by the mens’ dank, dark-paneled hotel room, with nightstands covered in empty wine bottles. I could almost feel the fur on my teeth as they would awake in this stale room after a night of “tasting.”

The one point that I think could be explored further was the moment in which Miles described why he preferred pinot to other wines.

He

‘You can use the club to get into shape, to stay fit, or just to get a little exercise.’

— Elicia Henry, Track Club member

5

explained that it was because of the precise climate and special care that was necessary for the grapes to grow.

Pinot grapes were fragile, he explained, but produced the richest flavor. For example, Cabernet grapes, he elucidated, could grow anywhere in any climate and were always in abundance. The attempt was to create a connection between wine and the characters- Jack being the cabernet, the type of man that is common and easy to come across, and Miles, the more fragile pinot, who, like the wine, takes longer to grow and necessitates more care, but who is also worth the wait.

The audience was left hanging with this analogy. It was never fully explored, which was a major drawback of the film.

If I hadn’t heard such glowing reviews, I might not have expected so much from the movie. Perhaps then I could have enjoyed it more- I wonder?

I think that male chauvinistic writing was obvious in many areas (gratuitous sex scenes for no reason and the lack of women’s’ identities). It wasn’t a movie that I thought about, at least not highly, after I left the theater and therefore, I probably wouldn’t recommend it. That in turn, completes my whine of “Sideways.” metered running, starting with 100 meters and building up successively, alternating in pace and then going down, pyramid-style.

Each week, runners have a varied regimen of exercise.

Last Tuesday it consisted of

For information concerning the group and membership, and for cool calorie and heart rate zone calculators you can visit www.sdtc.com. Additional contact information is listed on the Web site.

Her comments: “It was great to march knowing that we have the freedom of diversity.

After seeing a documentary on Dr. King’s life, I appreciate greatly all of his contributions.”

City College clubs were also represented, including members from the EOPS Club, Phi Theta Kappa, and the L.G.B.T.S.U. At the front of the parade, Mayor Dick Murphy, Terrance Burgess, president of City College, Marty Block,

who was recently re-elected to the Board of Trustees, and the newly elected City Councilman Tony Young of District 4, rode in cars and waved to the crowds.

Of the most notable entries were two floats broadcasting King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech from loud speakers.

The parade ended at Seaport Village, where the Seventh Annual San Diego Multicultural Festival was being held.

CityFocus

6 City Times

Past ...

San Diego City College underwent a building boom in the early 1970s with the addition of the C and T buildings, among other facilities. Left, two students stand across the street from what is now known as the Saville Theatre , which faces C Street.

City Times ďŹ le photos

Above, the Coronado Bridge can bee seen in the background of this photo in the C building. Roght photo, The A building stands behind the just-ďŹ nished T building in the early 1970s. A stairway later replaced the concrete wall between the two buildings.

Feb. 8-21, 2005

Feb. 8-21, 2005

City Times

7

Present ...

City Times staff members Kimmy Humes and Steve Vanica re-create the scene depicted on page 6 in a photo from the early 1970s. Today, City College serves a student population of more than 13,500 students. The campus is soon to undergo another facelift, the largest since the 1970s, with the addition of new buildings and the renovation of others, thanks to the passage of Proposition S, a bond measure.

Photo by Mike Sullivan

Photos by Robert Levacy Left photo, students use the L-building stairway toward the close of the fall 2004 semester. The stairway is just one of many alterations to campus facilities south of the A building since they were built in the early 1970s.

Above, a view south toward the theater in the C building shows 30 years of growth since landscaping was installed.

CitySports

8 City Times

Feb. 8-21, 2005

Track Club members live to run

By Kimmy Humes It’s Tuesday night. Giant spotlights illuminate Balboa track. Beneath their glare hundreds of people can be seen. They’re stretching, laughing and talking, already running. More streaming down the hill by the dozens. One thing stands out: the people themselves. They range from ordinary and even overweight to Herculean in build. This is the weekly meeting of the San Diego Track Club. The Balboa track belongs to San Diego High School, which is located directly next to City College. The club meets on Tuesdays at this track, and again on Saturday mornings in a designated scenic spot for group runs.

Everyone is broken into groups, based on their times running the mile. The fastest group is called the “Wise Guys,” followed by “The Who.” The slowest group is the “Grateful Dead,” which has the majority of the members.

“I want you to turn to your right and then to your left and tell the people around you that you care about them, you love them. Encourage them and let them know

Tennis tops in home opener Right photo: San Diego City College women’s tennis player Yoko Anderson, left, returns a volley as her doubles partner Heidi Dayhuff rushes the net during the team’s home opener Feb. 1 vs. Mt. San Jacinto College.

The duo went on to win the match 8-5 contributing to an overall victory for City College. Above: No. 2 seeded player Heidi Dayhuff serves to Mt. San Jacinto College’s Christine Drucker during her singles match at the teams home opener. Dayhuff went on to win 7-5, 6-1.

Photos by Mike Sullivan

See TRACK, Page 5

Win Continued from Page 1 Going into the game, the Knights had a singular objective.

“Win,” said Radee Tutler, the 6’9” sophomore from New Jersey, responsible for 28 points in the Knights victory over the Imperial Valley Arabs. Although the Knight’s bench had three times the depth, Tutler acknowledged the fact that running the opposition was the initial game plan, but that took a back seat due to turnovers.

It was these turnovers that allowed the Arabs, who only suited seven players, to remain strong contenders throughout

the game.

“It was not their best performance,” said Erie Corum.

Corum, who is an avid Knights fan, said she is confident they will step their game up enough to finish the season strong and carry themselves into the playoffs.

The game, which had seven lead changes in the first half alone, was consistently in favor of the Knights. The final score, 85-82, doesn’t reflect how the game really played out. For every momentum changing play the Arabs could create, City was there to answer.

For the Knights, it was just that kind of night.

Allen Baugh, a player from last season, said of this year’s team: “They’re more together and a lot stronger mentally.”

To many skeptics this statement may come as a shock, due largely to this year’s roster, which has only two sophomores on it.

While the sophomores anchor down the front court, team leading scorer Tutler, who averages 17 points and 12 rebounds a game, plays alongside Adrian Johnson, a small forward, it is the back court that seems to receive the most notoriety.

And then there is Tito.

Whether new head coach Mitch Charlens, Adrian Johnson or former player, Allen Baugh, says it, everyone recognizes Littleton as a leader who takes initiative on defense and who carries his intensity over to the offensive end.

Littleton plays alongside

teammate Anthony Palmer.

Both true freshmen are under six feet and look like the boys next door – literally – Palmer and Littleton, are both graduates of San Diego High School.

The duo, which played basketball together in high school, garnered a myriad of accolades from the local CIF basketball circuit.

As new head coach, Charlens’ main goal is to be competitive. Charlens, who has coached on all levels except the NBA, has seen twelve of his players go on to other levels of collegiate basketball and his expectations include seeing all his players move on in the future.

The playoffs, however, are not a guarantee in the near future.

“We are going to have to win league,” said Charlens, regarding a potential playoff birth.

“Because the competition is so good in Southern California.”

The playoffs still seem like a possibility despite the fact that Charlens and former head coach Zach Jones never spoke and had only a little over a month to recruit his team and assemble a roster.

In order to win the PCC title the knights will have to be productive in these last few weeks of the season. This includes a two-week road trip with a scheduled game against rival Mesa on Feb. 12. The PCC title has playoff implications, which won’t fully be known until the Knight wrap up their season against Southwestern at home on Feb. 19.