ABOVE THE FOLD Behind the scene of City College’s weekly student produced news broadcast PAGE 4
CT CityTimes
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
BOOK FAIR
East County voices
Vol. 67, No. 4
October 9, 2012
ARTS Check out ou review of Dub FX on page 5
STATE NEWS
Suspects indicted in fraud case
By Amanda Rhoades City Times The Seventh Annual San Diego City College International Book Fair hosted a panel discussion featuring local writers who have contributed to an upcoming book on their lives and experiences in East San Diego County on Oct. 3. “The great irony in me moving away to New York City at 18 to be a writer is that for the next three years at NYU, all I wrote about was East County, whether I knew it or not,” said Justin Hudnall, executive director of “So Say We All,” a San Diego-based non-profit arts and literature collective. Though it was not his intention, Hudnall says that all of the factors in his stories and plays in college were based on his interpretation of the world, which up until those years had mostly come from growing up in San Diego’s East County. After graduating, Hudnall returned to San Diego in 2008 and created “So Say We All,” which happened to draw a great deal of artists from the region. Mindy Solis, a Grossmont See Authors, page 2
Weekly at sdcitytimes.com
Over $770,000 stolen from community colleges
By Benny A. McFadden City Times
Benjamin Stanford(right), known by his stage name as Dub FX, loops beat after beat over each other to create his unqiue sound during a packed performance at 4th and B. Troy Orem, City Times
On Sept. 18, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a press release detailing an alleged financial aid fraud scam that targeted numerous colleges in California including San Diego City College. U.S. v. Stacey Kinyada Lee et al, being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Kirk Sherriff, is the alleged fraud case that involves City. There are six other cases the OIG is prosecuting that occurred on other college campuses that were supposedly operating similarly to the one at City. Lynn Neault, vice chancellor of student services for the San Diego Community College District, told City Times that the district has reported numerous suspect financial aid claims to OIG over the years but this is the first one she knows of that
led to federal indictments. According to Neault, the district does routine monthly checks of financial aid applications and whenever there appears to be suspicious activity, the district notifies OIG. Suspicious activity could include anything from more than one person using the same email or home address on their applications to different people’s applications having the same social security number listed on them. According to Neault, in the recent case OIG is now prosecuting, ringleaders of the alleged scam used stolen identities of severely disabled people who were not students to enroll in online courses and collect financial aid payments. By using stolen identities of disabled people, the alleged ringleaders of this scam hoped to avoid having to physically come in to City’s financial aid office to present identification. Neault also told City Times that alleged ringleaders of this kind of scam will access online classes for a See Fraud, page 2
CAMPUS CLUBS
City club earns charter City’s Veterans for Peace first college chapter in the nation By Adam Burkhart City Times The San Diego City College student veterans club was given a charter by the Veterans for Peace organization on Sept. 27, making it the
first chapter of Veterans for Peace on a college campus. The official charter came in a mailed envelope at the last minute during the grand opening of the Veterans Services Center on campus. Barry Ladendorf, president of San Diego Veterans for Peace Chapter 91, said that the process to charter the club was hastened to coincide with the opening of the center. “It went through pretty
fast in the end,” Ladendorf said. “We went to work and got the national board members all to send in a mail vote.” Gene Marx, secretary of the VFP national board of directors, said he became aware of the campus organization over a year ago when the efforts of its co-founder and past-president Maurice Martin were noticed by a VFP staffer, via a link in an email. (Left to right) David Barrows, Jack Doxey, Barr y Ladendorf, members of San Diego Veterans for peace along with Captain Olan of the Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol See Veterans, page 2 admire the new veterans facilities. Troy Orem, City Times
MAYOR’S RACE Who is the right fit for San Diego? PAGE 6
HOLIDAY HELP Food pantry provides for the hungry PAGE 3
INDEX
Calendar................. 2 Arts........................ 5 Opinion................... 6 Sports..................... 8
CT TAKE NOTE 2
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 9, 2012
CORRECTIONS CRACK CITY
By Michele Suthers
The following are corretions of errors from our Sept. 25 issue. From the front page ‘City College wins top honors on Rate My Professor’, the website name is ratemyprofessors.com not ratemyprofessor.com; President Burgess’ name is spelled incorrectly, the correct spelling is Terrence Burgess From Page 5, ‘Madden has evolved yet again’, Leave your mark is not a song, it is a quote from the game. From the ‘Online @ www.sdcitytimes.com ‘ box, the word uncensored was
Fraud Continued from Page 1 in the course in order to collect the maximum aid amount. Financial Aid Manager Greg Sanchez said that City financial aid along with the district are always diligent in attempting to detect and report fraud. Neither he nor Neault would give details
spelled incorrectly. From Page 5, ‘Film Festival brings back ‘reel’ movies’, readers were not directed to page 7 where the story was continued. From Page 6, the date and issue number were incorrect in the staff box. It was issue 3, published on September 25, 2012 From Page 8, from ‘Men’s soccer team suffers loss in first season game’, the men’s soccer team won their game against the Pasadena Lancers, and it was not their first game of the season.
about how they go about finding fraudulent claims for fear criminals could more easily circumvent the system. According to the OIG press release on Sept. 18, which announced the recent fraud indictments, the number of financial aid fraud cases that OIG is pursing has grown from 16 in 2005 to 119 in 2012.
CALENDAR
Compiled by Mariel Mostacero Get your event in the paper. Email us at calendar@sdcitytimes.com or call 619-388-3880 nOct. 9, Tuesday Jazz LIve: Storm: Hispanic Heritage Month with support from World Cultures at 8 p.m. nOct. 10, Wednesday Ryan Levinson: “A Life of Extreme Sports, Elite Athletics, and Progressive Disability” at 9:30 a.m.
Columbia University: Presentation to transfer in General Studies program at 3 p.m. nOct. 16, Tuesday Beyond the Border with filmmaker Erin McGinnis at 12:30 p.m. nOct. 17, Wednesday UC TAG Workshop at 11:30 a.m.
Brandman University at 10 a.m. Azusa University at 10 a.m. nOct. 18, Thursday Blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Women Peacemakers 11:00 a.m.
Veterans Continued from Page 1 “It turns out it was a campus club,” Marx said. “(And) we were looking to go there. We wanted to get some campus involvement (and) reach out to young vets.” Maria Mustacchio is president of the new chapter. “We’re just ecstatic,” she said of the charter. “I’m actually overwhelmed.” The center opened after spring break in April. Dean of Student Develop-
Authors Continued from Page 1 Community College student, had the idea to put together a zine of East Countythemed works. The project escalated into a much larger collection than they had anticipated. After receiving a grant from the San Diego Fovundation, they were able to put together “The Far East Movement: Everything Just As It Is,” an anthology of non-fiction and poetry from East County. The first book, launching this month, attempts to provide readers who have never experienced East County with a myriad of perspectives from many different walks of life. Panelist Corrine Goria, an East County native who
at
nOct. 19, Friday Promotores Conference: Life, Health and Happiness at 8 a.m. nOct. 22, Monday Joanna Brooks, author of The Book of Mormon Girl: Stories from an American Faith at 11 a.m.
ment Helen Elias said the center was the product of a flex session in the spring in which student veterans presented their need to faculty for a safe haven for veterans. The center provides services for veterans such as simple mentoring from other veterans on how to navigate the campus and tutoring. The center offers computer workstations as well as a lounge area. “The veterans’ center is a safe place for the veterans to come in and study. It’s quiet zone,” Mustacchio said. “(Also) mental health services here on campus
just (received) a grant to offer a few hours a week of mental health services.” The center also offers group sessions for veterans and their spouses, Mustacchio said. City College President Terrence Burgess cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony. “This is the realization of a dream I’ve had for the last 12 years,” Burgess said.
has worked on the McSweeney’s books oral history series, “Voice of Witness,” helped edit “The Far East Movement.” She explained the process of breaking down stereotypes by asking interviewees textured questions to help the reader empathize with the subject rather than adhering to a journalistic style. Local poet and “The Far East Movement” contributor Ron Salisbury said that when writing about stereotypes, he writes from the inside of it, as the embarrassed narrator. “There is no way to divorce the control and the vision of the editor. We may not change pieces of work but we reject what work that doesn’t fit where we’re going, and that is the voice of the editor. . .One way I get
around that in my work is to have people in my poems speak. Its amazing how that frees up the author to say things,” said Salisbury. These storytellers also serve another role, and that is to dig up information that otherwise would have been left out. One example of this Goria gave was her time spent in China interviewing Foxconn workers about its recent surge in suicides. She said often in a first interview people would say things weren’t that bad, but in later interviews deeper stories would come out.
Costs for the center were covered by donations from the National Resource Directory, student veterans and faculty.
Grossmont College will host a reading of “The Far East Movement: Everything Just As It Is” at its 3rd Annual Lester Bangs Memorial on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in room 220.
October 9, 2012 | www.sdcitytimes.com
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Little Italy Festa
18th annual festival takes place in downtown next Sunday SDCITYTIMES.COM
WORLD CULTURES
NEWS CT 3
ADMINISTRATION
Film reminds students that sexism still exists
Schools face losing millions after elections
By Jennifer Manalili City Times
By Amanda Rhoades City Times
An audience of sixty filed into the Saville Theatre to watch a presentation of the documentary “The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men” with director Dr. Thomas Keith. The film which screened on Oct. 1 begs to ask the question “Has anything really changed today?” With all of the advancements made throughout history does our culture still “sexist, dangerously sexist?” “In 2012, women are still thought to be looked upon as hostile and detrimental while men are encouraged to be sexist and misogynistic,” Keith said, “The kind of masculinity that continues to churn out. What can we do about that?” The film highlights the sexism that prevails and remains relevant, and the outlets from which they are broadcast. “Men are not born devaluing women, or objectifying them, or loathing them to
the point that the worst possible insult is to be called feminine,” says btchflks.com. “No, men (and women) learn these attitudes from a culture that constantly reinforces the supremacy of the male and closely polices masculinity.” The film depicts this conditioning process in four steps: Train Men to Womanize, Immerse Men in Porn, Make Rape Jokes and Obey the Masculinity Cops. To illustrate these steps it makes pop culture references to celebrities like Ke$ha and Kim Kardashian and includes clips from “Rock of Love,” “Flavor of Love,” “Grand Theft Auto,” “Superbad” and many others. “Womanizing at its core, is about power and The official poster for “The Bro Code illustrates pop entitlement and stripping culture examples of sexism in our society. down masculinity is all From the official Facebook page about controlling women... How are young men following “Jersey Shore” as one answer. sex as they can with however womanizing acts of the past?” “The show highlights tra- many partners they can. And the film asks and points at ditional, old-fashioned sexist women are meant to compete MTV ratings juggernaut ways. Men are to get as much See Bro, page 7
OUTREACH
Holiday food drive begins By Tristen Fernane City Times City College’s “Scare Away Hunger” will kick off Monday Oct. 1 and run until the very last day of October. The Emergency Food Pantry will have four donation locations; Student Affairs (D-106), CalWorks (L 121), City College Library and Bookstore where students and faculty can donate non-perishable food items. Sandra Hostette, a Federal Work Study recipient, told City Times possible food items acceptable for donation are peanut butter-small size screw top, tuna, Spam, ravioli, canned soups, canned or plastic pull top fruits, canned or plastic bottled beverages, pudding, Jell-o and other nonperishables. Hostette displayed a packed lunch produced by the donations received that is given to students on campus. Held inside a ziplocked bag were fruit, apple sauce, granola bar, ravioli and a juice box. Twice a month students are allowed to come into the CalWorks
office and pick up one of these lunches. “Many students come to school with nothing in their stomachs. I don’t want to see anyone go to class hungry,” she said. The food pantry strives to make sure students get food. In many cases, it is the only meal the student may get that day. Hostette said the food pantry, “it’s students helping students.” “Thirty-three bundles were made each holding twelve lunches and $900 was collected in donations all going to the proceeds of the food pantry,” Hostette said in reference to last year’s food drive. Even though the drive went well the food pantry only has six bundles left which is less than was expected to have by this time in the semester. For “Scare Away Hunger,” Hostette is hoping to raise enough food so she will not have to turn away students and be able to give away lunches as needed. “Many students are homeless. So I want to collect
Sandra Hostette prepares lunches for students who use the ser vices provided by the food pantr y. David Wells, City Times enough so it isn’t just two lunches a month,” Hostette said. She also helps students find outside resources away from City College such as the Presbyterian Church, and others. However, the upcoming food drive is a great way to give back. “No donation is too small,” she said. As with last year’s food drive, along with collecting donations, raffle tickets will be on sale for a dollar. The money donated to the
food pantry will help go to the individual who wins the raffle and they will get a ten or twelve piece Tha nksgiving dinner. For many students, the food pantry is the only place a decent meal can be acquired and with donations from City students and faculty a hungry student can go to class with a full stomach ready to learn. For more information on the upcoming food drive, contact Sandra Hostetter located in the CalWorks office room L121.
“For every dollar California invests in public higher education they receive a netreturn of $4.50,” according to California Community Colleges Acting Chancellor Erik Skinner. (Brice Harris was announced as the new chancellor on Sept. 27). In a teleconference Sept. 26 the California Community College Chancellors Office said that the budget for the 2012-13 year is dependent on the passage of Proposition 30. The system has faced $809 million in reductions since the 2008-09 school year and California community colleges have had a 17 percent reduction in enrollment, amounting to about 485,000 students, according to Skinner. If Prop. 30 fails in November, an additional $330 million in education cuts will be made, affecting not only California community colleges, but also K-12, CSU and UC schools. California has experienced record-breaking high school graduation class sizes in recent years in addition to staggering unemployment rates and the return of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Skinner said all of these factors drive up the demand for community college education. “We really believe that this mismatch between resources and demand is the most pressing public policy and social issue that California is facing today,” said Skinner, “Are we going to provide access to the next generation to access higher education?” Dan Troy, vice chancellor of fiscal policy, explained that $5.9 billion dollars statewide are contingent on the passage of Prop. 30. “That’s $250 million each for UC and CSU. That’s about $5.4 billion for K-14 education,” said Troy. California community colleges would receive about $210 million in new money, providing room for an estimated 20,000 additional students in the 201213 year. If Prop. 30 fails, Troy said “We will be hit with a mid-year trigger-cut of about $338 million in addition to losing the $210 million in new money we would get if it passed. If you put those two figures together the entire swing of the ballot ini-
tiative is almost $550 million for the community colleges alone.” According to Troy, about 180,000 students will be lost in community colleges alone if the proposition fails. Proposition 38, also known as “the Munger Initiative,” also jeopardizes the passage of Prop. 30. While it would also raise taxes for education, funds would only benefit K-12 and as it stands, both propositions cannot take effect if passed. “If both Prop 38. and Prop 30. pull over 50 percent, the initiative that receives more votes will prevail,” said Troy. Rich Copenhagen, president of student senate for California community colleges, pointed out that the reduction in course section offerings results in larger class sizes to compensate, lowering the class quality. Budget cuts result in loss of part-time faculty as well as student services. Copenhagen spoke of a student who was left homeless after an under-staffed financial aid office was unable to process his application in time. “It took them a year to get their financial aid check, which is now reduced because of the new the budget,” “Its not the students who are coming back with a bachelors degree and know the system, its not the students who are coming from a family who has two Ph.D.s and come from a long line of college graduates, they’re not the ones who are being hurt as much as the students who need the support,” said Copenhagen. Childcare is another service lost or cut at many campuses because of budget cuts, and without it many students are not able to attend classes. With the loss of special services, students who need help the most are being pushed out of higher education. “Right now it’s not a matter of politics and whether or not you agree with taxing a little bit more on this person or that person. This tax proposal is a very clear step in the right direction in order to preserve the institutions that make California function.” said Copenhagen. A distinction Skinner made is that Prop. 30 will not restore cuts that have already been made. “It stops the bleeding, but doesn’t heal the patient,” he said.
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 9, 2012
CT LIFE 4
Local authors featured at book fair panel By Mariel Mostacero City Times The 7th annual International Book Fair began on Oct. 1 through Oct. 6 at City College. The fair was directed by Virginia Escalante and coincided with “Banned Books Week.” To honor the week the event featured books recently banned in Arizona due to a state legislature. These books were read aloud by their corresponding authors, including Matt de la Peña, Rudy Acuña, and Herbert Siguenza. The event began with a reading from Reyna Grande and her recently released memoir. The author of books such as Dancing with Butterflies and more notably, Across a Hundred Mountains spoke at last year’s book fair. She has received an American Book Award, International Latino Book Award, and other accolades because of her literary work. Her pieces revolve around the Mexican immigration movement and other related topics. “I always felt that when people talk about immigration we always talk about the politics or the money, but we rarely talk about the people that stay behind and what it’s like for them to be left back home. That is what I was trying to capture in the book,” Grande said. At this year’s book fair, she read an excerpt from her latest book and memoir, The Distance Between Us. The book, which chronicles her life as she she personally deals with the Mexican immigration movement and her own struggles as she enters the U.S. as an illegal immigrant, is already receiv-
ing praise from critics including The Los Angeles Times. At the reading, she was able to not only explain what her memoir consisted of, but also went in-depth about the emotional toils she faced being left behind in Mexico as a child while her parents came to the U.S., as well as the tension between them following her immigration with them later on. Grande also spoke about her adolescent years spent adjusting to American life and the tension with her estranged father whom she hadn’t known for eight years before moving to the U.S. “For me, the hardest part of being an immigrant was reconnecting with my father. Not so much learning English and adapting to the culture, but how do you reconnect with the man you haven’t seen since you were two years old?” Grande said. The memoir, as she also stated during her presentation, has an underlying lesson about identity as much as well as the impact immigration has on on families. “When I went back to Mexico when I was 17, no one treated me the same, like I was an outsider. That’s when I realized that there was something I lost, and that was my home country,” said Grande. “I’m no longer Mexican enough for the Mexicans, and now I’m too Mexican for the Americans. That’s because one of the reasons I like to write is because it helps me come to terms with my identity.” The memoir explores not only cultural identity and immigration, but also the general sense of growing up and the experiences of childhood and adolescence, namely through the eyes of Reyna Grande.
BOOK FAIR Author signing
Zohreh Ghahremani signs her book “Sky of Red Poppies” on Oct. 4. David Wells, City Times
City’s ‘scene’ for news
Inside the studio of City’s own news show By Ally Browne City Times
When students walk into the Radio and Television computer lab in C-128 at 9 a.m. on a Friday morning two things are apparent right away. First, it is boiling hot inside the computer lab and second, though the atmosphere is light, everyone in the room is clearly working on something important. Students are finalizing scripts, editing videos, setting up the studio and Laura Castaneda, Executive Producer and staff adviser is, in her own words, “hollering at students who arrive late.” They are working hard to put on this week’s broadcast of City College’s Newscene. For those who don’t know, Newscene is a 30 minute newscast produced entirely by students that airs at 6 p.m. every Friday on ITV, local San Diego channel 16. Newscene covers both local and international news, as well as breaking news which must be updated throughout the day. Stories are assigned between Monday and Wednesday each week, with scripts due on Thursday. Packages, which are pre-
Mario Moran, a Newscene teammember, prepares the camera teleprompter for an upcoming broadcast in City’s television studio, Sept. 28. Troy Orem, City Times recorded news segments, should be finished before the day of filming, though some students are still doing final edits to their pieces Friday morning. Newer students shadow the more experienced students until they get comfortable with each of the positions and then after that, students rotate through all of the different positions, that including talent, writers and producers. They do things the oldfashioned way. All the technology they use is outdated, such as the teleprompter, which still uses floppy disks. “I don’t know what we’ll
do if they stop making floppy disks,” Castaneda jokes. Luckily, in 2014 the entire building will be gutted and a new studio will be built. In the meantime, using older technology forces students to learn traditional formats and prepares them for working on real life news shows. At the same time that students are writing and editing, they are lighting the studio. Everyone who enters the studio is immediately put to work doing everything from sitting at the anchor desk so the lighting crew can properly gauge the amount of light needed, to adjusting the lights, to making sure the
lights that are needed are plugged in. After that, the crew tests all the audio. Chris Acedo, the Production Manager and City adjunct faculty, has come into the studio and taken over, making sure everything is ready to go. It’s obvious some of the students are inexperienced and don’t have their skills perfected yet, but it’s a handson learning experience. The students get noticeably more comfortable with their skills from the time they begin setting up until the time they finish. See Newscene, page 7
A tasty treat for the fall season Who doesn’t love brownies? These beauties are a little denser than cake and making them in a muffin pan means they can fit in your palm just like a good cookie. To top it all off, they are both incredibly delicious and easy to make.
richer as time progresses. Making the brownies in a muffin pan turns them into an easy, grab-and-go dessert or snack but you can just as easily make them in a regular baking pan. Get your hands on some chocolate and make these soon. Supernatural Brownies Adapted from “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstop- The rich crisp brownies that you will soon be enjoying. Jennifer Manalil, City Times pers” by Nick Malgieri.
KNIGHT BITES Jennifer ManalilI
These are not your usual crumbly, cake style brownies. Using chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder completely transforms the texture of the brownies and the result is perfection. Crisp, chewy edges, tops that crackle when you bite into them and a melty chocolate texture that will simply have you reaching for another and another. The brownies only get better overnight, as time gives them more room to develop, making the chocolate taste
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate 4 eggs, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup dark or light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup flour 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour or spray a 12 cup muffin pan or 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. On top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together. Alternately, you use a heat-proof bowl and melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave in 30 sec. intervals. Cool the mixture slightly. (This is important. The eggs could scramble when you mix them in if it’s too warm.) 3. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk the eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla. 4. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined- don’t over mix! If using chopped wal-
nuts, stir them in. 5. Pour the mixture into a baking pan or use an icecream scoop to divide the batter into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 mins. if you’re using a muffin pan, or for 35 to 40 mins. if you’re using a baking pan. Insert a toothpick to check if finished. If it comes out clean then you’re all done!
Difficulty rating:
2/5
Beginners
October 9, 2012 | www.sdcitytimes.com
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ARTSCT 5
Alchemy provides a spacious seating area with unique atmosphere and food. Troy Orem, City Times
Director Martin McDonagh answers questions from the audience of the Sept. 29 showing of his new film “7 Psychopaths,” in the Gaslamp 15 Reading Cinemas as part of the San Diego Film Festival. Troy Orem, City Times
‘See the Shih Tzu hit the fan’ By Jennifer Manalili City Times More than 100 different early awardsfavorites and independent films vied for audiences in downtown and La Jolla. Launching under new management for the first time, Reading Cinemas and the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art became the home for the San Diego Film Festival which ran from Sept. 26-Sept. 30. Arguably, the biggest highlight was “Seven Psychopaths,” which blends outrageous comedy and action together, and screened to two sold-out rooms. A second screening was added to accommodate audience demand. “It’s a good problem to have,” joked “Access Hollywood” critic Scott Mantz who moderated a question and answer session with “Psychopaths” writer and director Martin McDonagh. The film stars Colin Farrell, Christo-
pher Walken, Gabourey Sidibe, Abbie Cornish, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Tom Waits. “Wait till you see the shih tzu hit the fan,” said Mantz before the screening. Farrell stars as Marty, an alcoholic writer struggling to get past the first page of his script entitled “Seven Psychopaths.” In a hilarious movie within a movie twist, Marty becomes entangled in his oddball friend Billy’s (Rockwell) troubles after he kidnaps the shih tzu belonging to an eccentric and crazy gangster played by Harrelson. “He’s a lovely, funny guy to be around. I love him in both movies,” said McDonagh about reuniting with Farrell after directing him in “In Bruges,” 2008. “We both want to explore dark characters with humor.” McDonagh obviously has the same sense of humor in his real life as he does in his movies, “...The scope is bigger, the canvas is larger...the jigsaw aspect
of a film is the hardest thing to get my head around,” he said before laughing. “There’s no line of dialogue, or song that I don’t want up there. It’s all my fault.” “Psychopaths” will be released nationwide on Oct. 12. The festival showcased several more independent shorts and feature films that embodied different genres. Most importantly, it was able to highlight films that are still trying to gain mileage. “The Story of Luke,” which details a young autistic man’s mission to begin living on his own after the death of his caretaker grandmother, was honored with the Best Feature Award. U-T Best San Diego Film Award winner, “Red Line,” is equal parts mystery and suspense. It tells the story of a terrorist attack that takes place on the Los Angeles underground red line subway. A group of surviving riders come to the conclusion that See Film fest, page 7
A decent dinner in a unique setting By Andrew Hahn City Times Alchemy in South Park is a great restaurant to wine and dine yourself, impress a date and not go broke in the process. For $30 I ate three small courses of oysters, tacos, stuffed peppers and I enjoyed a glass of a rich French red wine. Before mentioning the food, Alchemy has a lot of nice things going for it. The atmosphere is nice, modern, but also hip which is cool because it makes for a romantic setting where you can relax and enjoy yourself, but you won’t stand out if you’re wearing a t-shirt and sandals either. Another interesting note about the restaurant is that they regularly buy produce from our own campus urban
farm, Seeds@City. They prepare and serve vegetables fresh from our garden in specialty dishes to their guests. They are also building a garden on their roof where they plan to grow fruits and vegetables to be included in their menu and available regularly throughout the seasons. Two of the staff assisting with the construction of the garden are students of San Diego City College and members of Seeds@City. And now to mention the food. I started with the oysters, which are a personal favorite of mine. These oysters however, were not my favorite. I don’t want to throw the restaurant under a bus here because there could be lots See Alchemy, page 7
Dub ‘affects’ the crowd of 4th and B Fans of Youtube phenomenon DubFX lined up to see the Australian performer take the stage in downtown at the 4th and B concert hall on Sept. 30.
MUSIC REVIEW Troy Orem
Armed with nothing but his voice, a Boss RC-50 Loop Station and GT-10 effects pedal, DubFX enchanted the audience at the show, his only tour
date in Southern California. To people who are unaware of the uniqueness of his music, a simple description of the show doesn’t do it justice. He uses his own vocals to produce beats and music and then adds his original lyrics over the music that he has created. There are no instruments, just his vocal chords and creativity. One simply has to see to see the man live, and watch
and listen as simple beats, and sounds are relayed through the microphone into the loop station to become an intricate song. Although the performance was slightly delayed, opening act Stereophobe kept the crowd entertained with an extended set. Before he took the stage at
11:30 p.m.,
See DubFX, page 7
Artists Dub Fx and Flower Fair y perform for a packed house in their Sept. 30 performance at the 4th and B Concert hall. Troy Orem, City Times
CT VOICE 6
Filner is the Mayor San Diego needs Carl DeMaio has been pounding his quick fixes for the economy down voters’ throats since first announcing his bid for mayor earlier this year. Bob Filner’s refusal to compromise his own basic values is a relief for many of us tired of political scandals, unethical business deals and closed-door compromises.
EDITORIAL
City Times Editorial Board DeMaio recently gained endorsement from outgoing mayor Jerry Sanders and Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs. An endorsement from Sanders was no surprise. Sanders normally endorses other Republicans when they run against Democrats. The endorsement from Jacobs, however, obviously had to do with Filner speaking out against Jacobs’ proposed redevelopment project in Balboa Park. This endorsement is something the DeMaio camp will now harp on about until the eve of the election. This kind of pro-business endorsement is normal in most political races, except for one thing; Filner could have easily had Jacobs in his pocket if he had not grandstanded against supposed legalities of the park project. Obviously, Filner is not willing to stay quiet about something he disagrees with just
to appease a local political power player like Jacobs. It is refreshing to have a candidate for San Diego mayor where it is almost unheard of for politicians to stick up to developers and other wealthy entities that invest in the city or county. Filner hopes to revalitize the small business community and as a result, invest in what makes up the majority of San Diego and help the local economy. San Diego does not need a mayor that scares away business interests. But since Jacobs’ park project has already been taken to court over legalities concerning the rights of the public to access the park for free, that project is another big drag through the courts, not a helpful investment for the citizens of San Diego. DeMaio’s interest in helping San Diego rebuild it’s infrastructure is as suspect as most other wealthy business people who get involved with public service. They act like their involvement is for the greater good, not their own. While DeMaio puts his money on the big-time developers, his opponent plans to hand more power to the residents of San Diego if elected. We hope San Diego voters choose Filner, a candidate that always operates with integrity while in office, in this upcoming election.
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WHY SO SERIOUS? By Adam Baird
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Volume 67 Number 4 October 9, 2012
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 9, 2012
Is skateboarding really a crime? Almost everyone I have ever met who lived in San Diego during the 1980’s remembers the skateboard
local’s perspective Benny A. McFadden
and BMX freestyle exhibitions on Ventura Court in Mission Beach outside of Hamel’s Surf and Skate Shop. And, if you were at all aware of the political climate at the time, you would remember how difficult it was for the pro-skate community to earn respect from more conservative members of the public, in particular, the police. Currently, according to Article 4, section 84.12 of San Diego Municipal Code, regarding miscellaneous driving rules, Mission Beach is
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The way in which the city’s municipal code is written in regards to skateboarders yielding right of way to pedestrians gives police broad leeway in deciding when and when not to issue a citation to a skateboarder. However, as I observed near the corner of B Street and 5th Ave. not more than two months ago, when a police traffic officer tells three to four skaters that skateboarding is illegal on sidewalks in the city of San Diego, his interpretation of the law is diluted, inaccurate, and seems to beg the skater receiving the citation to talk back or give attitude in such a way that said officer is forced to offer more citations or put the skater under arrest. I couldn’t help but remember the teenage Mission Beach local skate-kid that had his skateboard confiscated by a steel-toe-boot-wearing
the only community in San Diego to have an active ban on skateboarding in parks and public walkways. That ban is between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. between the geographical location of, “San Diego Place on the south and Law Street on the north.” That area encompasses the Mission Beach and Bay boardwalks and other public walking areas from the South Mission Beach jetty to the dividing line between Pacific Beach and La Jolla. According to the same section of the same city municipal code, the only other reasons that police can legally issue tickets to people skateboarding is when minors are not wearing safety helmets and when people skateboarding will not yield right of way to pedestrians. ‘Reckless pedestrianism,’ I suppose, is what a more exact definition of that law could be called. Even as a child poser
skater who preferred watching others skate who were much better at it than I, I know how dangerous riding skateboards can be and how insulting and degrading it feels to be treated by people in authority as a low-life criminal. A problem many democratic societies face is the temptation people in authority can have to twist basic laws in their favor, even though they may be flat-out wrong. Very recently, I witnessed three different confrontations between police and skateboarders, two of them resulting in citations given by police to people riding skateboards in downtown San Diego. When any figure of authority lies to the public for financial or political gain, or simply because they need their superiors to believe they are busy and being diligent in their jobs, private citizens need to question the reasoning behind it.
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City Times Staff Adam Baird, Ally Browne, Adam Burkhart, Anthony Calhoun, Celia Canez,Lizz Carson, Tristen Fernane, Sandra Galindo, Jesse Gomez-Villeda, Andrew Hahn, Sierra Kelley, Michael Liggins, Issa Lozano, Michelle Moran, Mariel Mostacero, Fahima Paghmani, Amanda Rhoades, David Wells
See Skate, page 7
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Alchemy Continued from Page 5 of reasons the oysters didn’t satisfy me. For one, it is not exactly oyster season season and secondly they were only $2 a pop which is cheap, and with seafood, you get what you pay for. The oysters failed to capture the unmistakable flavor that is common in raw oysters, scallops and sea urchin. It sounds strange to someone who is not familiar with them, but it is a distinct
Dub FX Continued from Page 5 at 11:30 p.m., DubFX helped with the set-up of all of his gear, a rarity in today’s world of professional musicians. He was not only active with set up, but seemed to be genuinely excited by his fans that were in attendance. DubFX was not alone during his performance
Film Fest Continued from Page 5 The fact that film was made at all is a harrowing feat in itself. Made with a mostly local cast and filmed on a small sound stage at John Paul the Great University in Scripps Ranch, it cost just under $200,000 to make. “Everyone on the cast has more credits than me!”
Newscene Continued from Page 4 the students take time to eat lunch. There is a sense of urgency in the air as some students still work on finalizing the rundown of the show and get the remaining video tapes together. Breaking news is still being updated. About half an hour later, everyone returns from their lunch break and there is a lull in activities. James Smith, a returning veteran of Newscene, calls it, “the calm before the storm.” The talent, or students who will be on camera, all go to the green room, Saville Theatre’s dressing room, to get changed. Everyone else
Skate Continued from Page 6 police officer on Ventura Court outside of Hamel’s, sometime in the early eighties. I remember three important facts about that event perfectly, even though at the time, I was no more than eight or nine years old. First was that the parents of the skater who had his board confiscated got the board back without paying a fine. Second is that my parents and all the parents of my friends that also skated in that area, warned us to stay
flavor, highly desired by sea food aficionados, and with these disappointing oysters, it was completely absent. My favorite dish was the taro tacos, that cost me $6 for two and they were very good. Granted these were not traditional Mexican tacos but they were not intended to be. Inside of a fried and flaky tortilla shell was sauteed taro root with pork belly and sweet pickled cucumber slices. A small but delectable dish. Lastly, I had stuffed red
peppers. Roasted peppers, fresh and flavorful and stuffed with pulled pork. It would be hard to make a dish like this taste bad, in fact, it would be impossible. I felt rosy cheeked, relaxed, full and ultimately content with my dinner and life in general. The waitress brought me the bill and for once I was pleasantly relieved when I saw it. I’m not used to eating three courses and drinking fine French vino for $30. Next time I will be sure to order dessert.
though, accompanying him were two other artists, Flower Fairy and J.D. Wolfrobe, who also entertained the crowd with their equally unique blend of musical talents. Part of what made this concert really special was the high energy of the crowd. With audience participation encouraged by all performers, fans were able to actively engage with the
artists. Fans cheered as he performed “Love Someone,” one of his best known and most loved compositions. His set-list included about ten songs. For more information on DubFX and tour dates visit www.convoyunltd.com For more photos and video of the show in San Diego visit www.sdcitytimes.com.
Joked director Robert Kirbyson as he sat with producer Dominic Loco and actress Nicole Gale Anderson. “When I watch it I honestly don’t know how we were able to do it all,” Kirbyson said. “We’re hoping there’s a distributor in the audience,” Kirbyson joked before detailing that he hoped the film would be in the hands of the American Film Market by next year to secure greater
distribution opportunity. “Silver Linings Playbook,” which enjoyed a world premiere at the Toronto International Festival where it won the coveted TIFF Audience Award before arriving in San Diego, also enjoyed a sold-out screening. The adaptation of the 2008 Matthew Quick novel of the same name, pairs director David O. Russell (“The Fighter”) with Bradley
gets in position in the studio and in the control room. There are two shows filmed every Friday. The first will air the same night at 6 p.m. The second is a practice show produced by the less experienced students. The only segment that gets a practice run before filming the weather segment. Once they begin filming the rest of the show, even if there are mistakes, it must be shown on television. There’s no chance for a do-over. The actual filming moves surprisingly quickly. Even though one of the anchors has problems with his headset the show goes on. It is incredibly chaotic both on the set and in the control room.
At 3:20, the first show is finished and it is time to shoot the second. The atmosphere is much laid back now. As student Aliya Bora says, “The stress level is way down now that we’ve finished one show.” Castaneda begins to leave with the tape of the first show to hand deliver it to ITV’s production studio. She takes a moment to summarize the days events. “It is fulfilling to see them not have such a great show because each week they will get better and more comfortable. You see the growth. Today was not the best show, but it will get better. I see it happen every semester,” Castaneda said.
away from police and tell an adult about any interaction we had with police, whether we ourselves thought it good or bad. The third I remember has nothing to do with skateboarding but at some point in San Diego’s history, police stopped wearing combat style steel-toe boots when not wearing riot gear. My favorite expression of freedom as defined by the U.S. Declaration of Independence: the freedom to pursue happiness. Skateboarding is, for many, solely a recreational form of enjoying freedom. I always wonder when I see police or security guards
harassing young skaters if the police would behave the same way if a professional skateboarder like Tony Hawk, who certainly can afford a good lawyer, was the person they stopped on a city sidewalk to issue a citation to. Like many cities in the nation, money talks and bullsh*t walks. While some may say that is just a fact of life in a capitalist society, people in authority like our SDPD, who are paid less than our County Sheriffs and local firefighters should remember their guns and badges all citizens in this city, not just the pens that sign their paychecks.
Bro Continued from Page 3 prize of being the sexiest, the naughtiest,” Keith said. “It did not create this idea but it reinforced it.” “Kids will imitate Britney or the latest Britney clone,” said one commentator. “TV producers will imitate what kids are doing. And then no one is really creating anything.” The film argues that media has trained men to be womanizers, citing fictional characters like James Bond and “Iron Man’s” Tony Stark as examples. And the idea remains prominent in music, where hip-hop culture expects women to be submissive and sexual. “The idea is everywhere...If you aren’t the womanizing archetype then you aren’t a ‘real’ man.’ Men who don’t fit the “bro” archetype, including gay men or anyone considered a little feminine, are belittled.” “Bro Code” speaks of pop Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. Cooper is Pat, a man plagued with bipolar disorder who has just been released from a mental hospital. The stint, which cost Pat eight months, comes after the revelation of his estranged wife’s affair. Cooper, who embodies Pat so completely that viewers will forget the crass comedies that first gained him
culture’s growing reliance on rape jokes, citing “Family Guy” as one source, and also addresses gonzo porn, a genre experiencing growing widespread popularity within the past decade. Gonzo refers to what Keith calls a “Very toxic, very angry. More hostile,” genre of pornography where viewers are attracted to seeing women degraded. He says the emergence could be a reaction to a growing gender dynamic, as women gain more titles in society. “Women outnumber men on college campuses. As women gain more power there seems to be a backlash coming from men in the form of this gonzo porn. I’ve heard men say and I quote ‘It’s putting women in their place. Getting more even.’” Keith says that a new generation of men and women who oppose the bigotry and these stereotypes is the only hope for a future with gender equality. “When kids start hearing
notoriety, is wonderful. In a hilarious and sad turn true to the dramedy’s theme, the Stevie Wonder hit “My Cherie Amore” becomes a trigger for Pat. His chemistry with Lawrence, who plays an equally troubled, but sarcastic young widow who offers to help him reconnect with his wife, is evident. They quarrel, seemingly trying to prove one’s crazier than the other.
these things, where are they taking it in their lives? ...Environment can have a big impact. Socialization plays a big role. Lets see what we can do,” he said. The message of the film has gained mileage, screening at colleges and conferences across the country, even stretching to South Africa and New Zealand. Keith received a bachelor of arts in philosophy and a Masters and Ph.D in philosophy. He currently teaches at CSU Long Beach anvd California Polytechnic University and dedicates his work to anti-sexist and gender equality efforts. His previous film, “Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture,” was released in 2008. The event was held in partnership with the World Cultures Program. For more information on Keith and the “Bro Code” film visit www.tomkeith.net. For a list of World Cultures events visit www.sdcity. edu/worldcultures. Both have garnered early awards talk for their portrayals as well as De Niro’s turn as Pat’s desperate, obsessivecompulsive father. The film will enjoy a nationwide release on Nov. 21. The San Diego Film Festival is an annual event produced by the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation. For more information on the movies screened visit www.sdfilmfest.com.
CT SPORTS 8
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 9, 2012
Lady Knights soccer team beats Miracosta The women win 3-1 in first game of season By Michael Liggins City Times The San Diego City College Women’s soccer team earned their first win in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference with a solid 3-1 victory over Mira Costa College on Sept. 28th. The Knights began to attack the Mira Costa Spartans head-on from the first minute of the game. San Diego freshman Monzerrat Tavera got on the ball early and lead a charge down the right wing. Keeping her head down and fending two Mira Costa defenders away from her, she crossed the ball into the box where
midfielder Patrice Lawrence knocked the ball in to the goal to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. Mira Costa midfielder Sage Morretti proved to be a calm and effective winger who was instrumental in getting the ball up to the Spartan forwards. Morretti’s passing abilities allowed the taller and more physical Mira Costa attackers to charge the San Diego goal with gusto. Tavera caught the Mira Costa goalie in a one-on-one situation in the 25th minute only to have her shot stopped by a choice sliding save. However, the offensive push set San Diego up for a crucial corner kick in the 26th minute. Knight’s forward Brenda Renteria was in the right spot to blast the ball past the Spartan goalie and score the second goal of the game.
By the 30th minute it was obvious that the Knights were continually building confidence while the Spartans resorted to cheap fouling. In the last quarter of the first half, the Spartans committed several back-to-back fouls against the Knights. After a cheeky back-heel pass, Renteria showed off her dribbling skills inside Mira Costa’s penalty box. Her touch on the ball was so accurate that at many times it appeared as if she were running on a cushion of air. The Knights continued their onslaught with Tevera’s ability to get in behind the Spartans defensive line and attack Mira Costa’s goalie. In the 44th minute of the first half, Renteria scored on a corner kick to extend the Knight’s lead to 3-0. In the 28th minute of the second half, Morretti ran on
a through ball played to her from a fellow Spartan teammate and slotted the ball in to the Knight’s goal. The 3-1 score lifted the Spartan’s hopes of winning the game, only to have the Knights increase their intensity. Both sides grinded out the last quarter of the second half trying to exploit the weakness of the other team. However, the Knights were able to hold the Spartans from scoring again to secure San Diego’s 3-1 win. San Diego’s head coach Andi Milburn said after the game, “ We brought good intensity today...We’ve been in a bit of a slump, but it’s good to turn things around headed into our next games.” The Knights will next face the Imperial Valley Arabs at home on Oct. 9 and the Grossmont Griffins at home on Oct. 12.
Running ‘the dream team’ Men’s cross country goes the distance By Benny A. McFadden City Times Men’s cross country coach Paul Greer has high hopes for his team this year. He and assistant coach Peter Gregory have spent the last five years building what they hope will be the best team they have ever had. Led by top runner and team captain Andrew Beckner, the current team is good enough, in Greer and Gregory’s opinion to name them “the dream team.” That is high praise coming only two years after City runner Nick Bernal finished 31st in 2010’s Southern California Championships, qualifying him for State Championships. Before Bernal, the last time City had a runner qualify for State Championships was in 1998. “When people think of cross country, they think of it as an individual sport and it’s not. There’s very much a team aspect to it,” Greer told City Times in an interview. Team cross country races are scored on the team’s top five runners. A lower score is better, just like in golf or bowling. A perfect score is 15, supposing one team has individual runners that finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the same race.
Cross countr y team poses before preparing for upcoming invitational . Troy Orem, City Times City’s team currently has 10 runners that compete but Greer said the team is split in half between runners that are competing at a winning level to score points and runners that are not. “The scary thing is we just have five guys,” Greer said in reference to runners on the team consistently score in competition. “Right now if one of the guys doesn’t come through, we don’t live up to potential.” For example, Greer talked about the Foothill Invitational in Ontario, CA, on Sept. 29. City came in 6th out of eleven teams because one of it’s runners suffered a cramp and was forced to stop for 2 minutes to recover. “We would have finished
4th that day as opposed to 6th if that one runner had been able to hold it together,” Greer said. “And that’s why you’re only as good as your fifth runner.” Winning and competitive spirit are only part of the equation of coaching a team, according to Greer. “Sure, we want to run well. Sure, we want to win championships. But my goal here is they transfer on to a four year university and continue their education and get a degree,” Greer said passionately about his job as coach. “That is first and foremost my obligation to them. Second is winning the championships.” Greer also said it is sometimes difficult to get good
runners to enroll at City because City does not have track and field. This is part of the reason, according to Greer, that Mesa College has been City’s biggest adversary for the past 6 or 7 years. “Cross country is not an Olympic sport but track is,” Greer said. “That’s why we look for kids that are just hard working and live to their full potential.” Men’s cross country ran in the San Diego Invitational at Mission Bay Park on Friday, Oct. 5 and will compete next at the Santa Barbara Invitational on Friday, Oct. 12. The last chance for a current member of this year’s men’s team to qualify for a State Championship will be Friday, Oct. 12.
After a sucessful steal the Jaguars went on to score against the Knights. Mariel Mostacero, City Times
Mens soccer team loses first league game By Mariel Mostacero City Times City College men’s soccer team lost their first Pacific Coast Athletic Conference 0-2 by the Southwestern College Jaguars on Sept. 25 at Southwestern College. “It was a tough game,” said head coach Milton Hidalgo. The first half of the game was mostly a tug-ofwar as the ball moved across the field. Players from both teams narrowly missed the goal several times and by the time the whistle blew signaling the end of the first half, only the Jaguars were able to score a goal. During the second half many players were shoving one another for control of the ball, and several times the referee had to call fouls due to tension on the field. “There was a lot of hitting. It was a very physical game today,” said Hidalgo.
Several times the Knights almost made a goal, but missed the net by only inches. After several goal attempts from both sides, the Jaguars were able to run the ball clear across the field in the middle of the second half and score, giving the Jaguars the final 0-2 lead over the Knights. The Knights, however, plan to come back later in the season even stronger and ready for the championship. “Southwestern is always fighting for the championship, so for us, we always know it’s going to be a good game,” said Hidalgo. “When everything is said and done, we’ll be right there, ready for the playoffs and the championship. I think we’re talented enough.” The Knights will play an away game against Imperial Valley at 3p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9. Following that, they will be playing at home on Friday, Oct. 12.
SPORTS LINEUP Compiled by Michael Liggins Submit events to calendar@sdcitytimes.com or call 619-388-3880 n Mens’ Soccer Vs. Cuyamaca 1pm Oct. 12 Vs. Southwestren 3pm Oct. 19 Vs. Mesa 1pm October 23 n Womens’ Soccer Vs. Grossmont 3pm October.12 Vs. Miramar 3pm October.16 @. Southwestren 3pm October.19 n Womens’ Volleyball Vs. Palomar 5pm October 12 Vs. Southwestren 5pm October 17
@. Imperial Valley 5pm October 19 n Womens’ Cross Country PCC Championships @ Balboa Park, Oct. 12 at 3:15pm n Mens’ Cross Countr y PCAC Championships @ Balboa Park, Oct. 12 at 10am Ursula Rains Boogie. Location and time TBA.