Apr 30, 2009 (40.9)

C

The

ommunicator Spokane Falls Community College

Celebrating 40 years of campus coverage

April 30 - May 13, 2009

Student sues CCS Shea

Staff Report

The Communicator

Sidelines Skate park profile Page 16.

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Hilary Vandenbark/The Communicator

Sheeran v. Shea could go to the Federal District Court. to SFCC Associated Student President Oscar Ocaña for review. On Jan. 14, McKenzie and Ocaña told SFCF and Sheeran that they could not hold the event because “the event was too one-sided” and that in order to use the dis-

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7% 10% 14% Madison McCord/The Communicator

SFCC prepares for budget crisis Editor’s note: This report was sent to press on April 27 and is current as of that date.

Madison McCord Online Only The Communicator Editor SFCC students will face cuts in facroundtable ulty, a rise in tuition and larger class podcast on sizes starting fall quarter.

The Washington State Legislature our Web site. has cut the Community and Technical College’s Operating and Capital budget for the 2009-11 biennium by

The Communicator

10.7 percent.

The bill, HB 1244, which was passed by a 29-20 vote in the State Senate on April 26, does not include the estimated 7 percent tuition increase. This would bring the cut from 10.7 percent to 7.6 percent. The reductions also include the 4.3 percent cuts made to this year’s budget.

The bill has been sent to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s desk. The governor now has 20 days to approve or veto the bill.

In order to balance the state’s cuts,

(509) 533-3602

See Lawsuit on page 2.

Street detour affects student commutes

The Communicator

SFCC

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play case they would need to place pro-choice information alongside their information, the complaint reads.

In an interview with The Communicator, Roberts said nei-

Joseph Engle

3830.40

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WSU 3595.20

Focus Chemical Dependancy program Page 12.

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The Attorney General’s office is also investigating the constitutionality of the CCS Board of Trustees’ student conduct codes.

Sheeran, in conjunction with the Spokane Falls Christian Fellowship (SFCF), planned to reserve space in the display case in the SUB lounge for Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. They planned to post facts about abortion and provide students with a pro-life viewpoint. They also planned to pass out fliers to “willing recipients in the outdoor areas of the campus,” according to Sheeran’s complaint.

The complaint states that on Jan. 11, Sheeran submitted a request to the SFCC StudentFunded Programs office to reserve the center display case and submitted the fliers

Projected quarterly tuition costs for full-time in-state undergraduates UW

998.29

3-D artist exhibit Page 9.

971.79

Culture

In-state tuition cost per quarter (in $)

Flavors Spokane’s first dueling piano bar Page 6.

An SFCC student has filed a lawsuit against CCS, claiming that her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights have been violated.

Beth Sheeran, a 28-yearold pre-nursing major, claims that “Orwellian speech codes” and “personal bias” kept her from exercising her right to construct a pro-life display in the Student Union Building.

Sheeran’s attorney, Jeffrey Smith filed suit on March 9 against the five Board of Trustees mem-

bers, CCS Chancellor Gary Livingston, SFCC President SFCC Mark Palek, SFCC Associate Dean of Student Life Gregory Roberts and Director of Student-Funded Programs Heather McKenzie.

The verified complaint alleges the administrators “acted under color of state law” to violate Sheeran’s rights.

“The District, acting through its trustees and chancellor,” the document reads “has implemented a District-wide Orwellian speech code that is vague, over broad, viewpoint discriminatory and a prior restraint on student speech.”

The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal foundation based in Scottsdale, Ariz. is working in conjunction with Smith. The Washington State Office of the Attorney General is representing CCS.

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Sheeran v.

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Perspectives Cultural imperialism Page 5.

Volume 40 Issue 9

SFCC has released its proposed 5, 7 and 10 percent reduction strategies.

The college is responding to the legislature cuts by eliminating the Business and Workforce Education Dean and a Media Tech position.

The elimination of these positions would save the school $166,652 for the 2009-10 school year. Both positions are currently vacant.

Other staffing cuts include the elimination of two 5-credit classes taught

See Crisis on page 2.

Construction on Alberta Street will put SFCC students in a detour until the end of the summer.

The $3.8 million project is part of the $117 million 2004 Spokane City Street Bond. The construction has closed down Alberta Street from Francis Avenue to Northwest Boulevard. Most of the southbound traffic has been diverted down Ash Street, further exacerbating the already significant morning gridlock.

Upon completion, Alberta Street will be completely repaved, with handicap accessible sidewalk ramps at the corners.

Asphalt paving projects like this one are part of the city’s effort to stay on

See Detour on page 3.

Madison McCord/The Communicator

Alberta Street construction causes major inconvenience to students.

www.spokanefalls.edu/communicator

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April 30 - May 13, 2009

news

The Communicator

Crisis: strategies make drastic cuts unavoidable

process concludes with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) allotting the budgets to all community and technical colleges in the state.

The SBCTC also makes the final decision on tuition increases for students.

The major topic of discussion in the creation of this bill according to Erin Brown, Legislative Liaison for the SBCTC was Continued from page 1. whether or not the 7 percent tuition inby adjunct faculty, and the movements crease cap would be removed for Comof two annualized faculty positions back munity and Technical Colleges or State to adjunct positions. Annualized faculty, Universities.

On April 25, The State Senate passed whose contracts are renewed year by year, differ from adjunct faculty whose bill HB 2344-S.E, removing the current contracts are renewed quarter by quar- 7 percent tuition increase cap for stateter. These two cuts would only take ef- funded higher education institutions over the next two biennia. The fect if the cuts reach bill reads, “For academic the 10 percent level. y guess years 2009-10 and 2010-11 Gary Livingston, Chanthe omnibus appropriations cellor of CCS, handles all is this act may provide tuition inlegislative matters with trend will creases greater than seven regards to CCS. He said continue as percent.” he feels that the poor According to Brown, the state of the U.S. economy the economy bill will not affect Commuis playing a major factor takes its time nity Colleges who will keep in the state’s decisions. (to recover)” tuition increases capped at 7 “My guess is this trend percent. will continue as the econ- - gary livingston, “The bill was really deomy takes its time (to re- CCS Chancellor signed so that Universities cover),” said Livingston can raise their tuition to 14 at the April 21 Board of percent,” said Brown. “We were wary Trustees meeting.

Other reduction strategies include a of doing anything over 7 percent. This $98,500 cut in Goods and Services, the whole situation has turned out very well portion of department budgets used for for (Community and Technical Colleges) “The intent (of SBCTC) is to keep things any supplies or promotional materials necessary to operate such as copy paper as affordable as possible.”

With State-funded Universities planand staples, and a $260,700 in Travel and ning for 14 percent tuition hike; SFCC Training reductions.

“Everything points to crisis budget plan- administrators are expecting a growth in ning that will negatively impact students, enrollment and class sizes in the next few programs and employees across higher years.

“The one thing we don’t ever want to do education,” said Livingston in his April is jeopardize the quality of the learning budget update district-wide e-mail.

Once the Senate approves the state experience to jam students into rooms,” budget, Gov. Gregoire will have 20 days said Pam Praeger, SFCC Vice President of to either approve or veto the budget. The Learning.

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Lawsuit:

The SFCF is funded through student activity fees.

McKenzie, who refused to comment on the impending lawsuit, reportedly told Sheeran that a student club event must represent both sides of an issue and that the college and district do not allow clubs to engage in “advocacy from one point of view.” In her verified complaint, Continued from page 1.

Sheeran cited several occasions in which ther his office nor the college had any in- she claimed events did not represent an tention of supressing any students’ right opposing viewpoint. These events included: a Guantanamo Bay protest, that to free speech.

“We are not here to tell students what to was dubbed as an “educational awaresay or do,” said Roberts. “We have never ness” event. During The Alliance Club’s “Coming Out As an Ally: made that our goal, and it Why Communities of Faith will never be our goal.” e are Must Step Up,” on Oct. 8, According to the complaint, not the plaintiffs claim, a clerMcKenzie cited an undefined here to tell gyman advocated a procollege policy that “prohibits homosexual viewpoint one-sided events and expres- students without representing an sive displays from occurring what to say opposing point of view. on campus.” or do” On Feb 9, they claim, The policy McKenzie althe French Club’s Locallegedly referred to is the Dis- - gregory Roberts, ism Teach-in, advocated trict-wide Governance Mod- SFCC Associate Dean sustainable farming as a el for Services and Activities of student life solution to global climate Fees: Article IV Section I: change without representwhich states, “S & A expenditures for programs devoted to political, ing an opposing point of view. economic, or religious philosophies shall “This is really a learning experience for result in the presentation of a spectrum not only those directly involved in the suit, but for the district, college and stuof ideas.”

The report states that McKenzie told dents,” said Palek. “This is the first time SFCF president Clifford Able that “(The a situation like this has arisen, our hope state of Washington) is pro-choice and is to get the situation resolved and apply that state funds could not be used for a it to any future instances to avoid them ‘non-pro-choice’ event.” McKenzie also from getting to the point this has.” allegedly said that a student club could neither hand out pro-life fliers on a state college campus nor post pro-life materi- Jon Brown, Judy Johnson, Madison McCord, als in the display case because the clubs Hilary Vandenbark and Zac Whitman compiled this report. are sponsored by the state.”

plaintiff alleges denial of rights

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Madison McCord/The Communicator

This Alliance Club’s advertisement for the showing of the film “Milk” was found in a trashcan in Building 5.

Alliance posters defaced Madison McCord The Communicator

Report it.

That is the form that an anonymous SFCC student or staff member filed with the SFCC Stop the Hate committee on April when they saw an SFCC Alliance club poster vandalized.

This is not the first time that material promoting the Alliance has been defaced. The Communicator reported on a similar incident in the May 22, 2008 issue, entitled “Club posters vandalized” “I just don’t understand why people would do something like this... again,” said Gregory Roberts, SFCC Associate Dean of Student Life and chair of the Stop the Hate committee.

According to Roberts, once the Report It form was submitted, he called the committee’s Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) to start investigating the incident.

Members of the SFCC/IEL BIRT include Roberts, Director of Student Funded Programs Heather McKenzie, Associated Student President Oscar Ocaña and other staff and students from SFCC and IEL.

Once the claim was investigated, Roberts and his team took the next course of action, drafting a letter informing the students of the incident, which was to be posted in every building.

“This is the first time that a (Report it) form has been filed on this campus,” said Mark Palek, President of SFCC. “Our goal is to find a solution and learn from it so that we can avoid something like this from happening again.”

The Alliance’s next event, A Day of Silence and the showing of the movie “MILK” also brought upon issues of defacing club material when a poster promoting the event was found in a trash can in Building 5. The poster, which was taped to an entry window next to five other posters, was the only one in the trashcan. According to school code, promotional material may not be placed on any window or glass, but on the specified bulletin boards in each building.

“We support every club on this campus,” said Roberts. “I just don’t know why these things are only happening to them (The Alliance), we don’t get forms saying any other clubs materials are getting defaced, only theirs.”

Senate positions filled New senators bring experience, passion to job

Kirk Bayman

The Communicator All SFCC buildings are represented once again by the SFCC Student Senate.

The vote to approve Senators Brad Bishop and Rahel Wondimu was unanimous.

“Both of them have a lot of experience,” said Oscar Ocaña, SFCC Associated Student President. “Rahel just jumped (and) Brad...and said ‘You know, I can get the word out.’”

Wondimu said she is excited for this position.

“We have a lot of resources in this school, and most of the students don’t know anything about it,” said Wondimu. “I’ll do my best to get everybody informed.”

Bishop said he has helped organize and set-up many student events like concerts, club days, and sporting events. He is currently a second-year student pursuing his AA. He said he did work study as an assistant in the Student Government office

before joining the senate. “(Members of the Senate) wanted me,” Bishop said after taking office. “(They) thought I could do the job—thought I’d be good at it.

“I’d like to be more involved in the school.”

Having completed her AAS degree, Wondimu is now in her third year at SFCC to complete her AA. She is an active member of the African American Association and the Astronomy Club. Wondimu’s recent projects include the Martin Luther King Luncheon held in January as well as the SFCC International Film Festival.

“I like to help everybody,” Wondimu said. “That’s my passion—to help others.

“I want everybody to have the opportunity that I do.”

Wondimu came to the U.S. from Ethiopia when she was 13.

“I had the chance to be successful, and I want to help somebody else who does not (have that chance).”

Wondimu currently serves on the Tech Fee committee and is also a work study student at the SFCC Multicultural Center.

“We’re going to learn and we’re going to teach,” said Ocaña. “I’m hoping to learn something from both of them, and I’m hoping they can get something from me and from all of us (in the Senate).”

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April 30 - May 13, 2009

news

Candidates speak to crowd In Forum gives students’ voices Samantha Blehm The Communicator

Madison McCord/The Communicator

Bottlenecks force some students to adjust their morning routes.

Detour: construction clots major arterials

store’s general manager.

Banick had to alter his own route to get to work, and worries about his customers’ inconvenience.

“They make comments like the ‘city’s trying to put Continued from page 1. us out of business,’” he said. top of constantly aging city Banick said he is optimistic that business should pick up roads.

According to Gary Nelson, once Garland Avenue is open Principle Engineer in De- again to through traffic. sign for the city of Spokane, “It’s part of business, roads a typical asphalt surface usu- have to be updated,” Banick ally only lasts about 20 years. said.

Jonathan Jor “The bond only dan, sophomore, is covers one-third of what needs to t’s part of among the ranks of fellow North Spobe done” Nelson business, said. roads have to kane residents who have had to alter According to their daily comNelson, at the be updated” mute. rate city streets Jordan would norare being re- - Scott banick general manager mally take Alberta paved, it would of River ridge hardStreet, but now take 30 years to ware uses Ash Street. His repave them all. first class is at 8:30 “We are a.m., so he is well just trying to catch up,” Nelson said. acquainted with the congestion At the heart of street construc- problems that the Alberta Street tion in the SFCC area is River closure has created.

Ridge Hardware on the corner of “Ash goes right by the school, Milton Street and Driscoll Bou- so bottlenecks happen,” Jordan levard. Last year, both Garland said.

Avenue and Driscoll Boulevard He estimates that the conunderwent construction, virtu- struction has probably added ally cutting off the store from five to 10 minutes to his comcustomers. Now, Driscoll Boule- mute. Besides the longer comvard is open, but Alberta Street, mute, the construction adds another inconvenience to Jordanís just a block away is closed.

“If you take the combined commute. time those roads were closed, it “I don’t like driving down Ash, has cut into sales pretty signifi- it gets all windy down that hill,” cantly,” said Scott Banick, the Jordan said.

“I

Wash. Secretary of State Sam Reed visited with about 30 students at SFCC on April 17.

The visit was part of a 22college tour Reed was doing as part of Washington’s College Civics Week.

Reed emphasized that civics encompassed much more than political participation.

He said helping the elderly, reducing one’s effect on the environment and getting involved in campus clubs were all ways even the busiest students could contribute.

Reed said the state of the economy was just one more reason to give.

“This is a time where it’s really critical to give of yourself,” Reed said.

Reed said volunteering can surprise students and that many students who begin volunteering during high school often learn they enjoy

The SFCC Student Government candidates were introduced to the student body during the election forum held on April 29.

The nominees told the students why they are running for their prospective positions.

They reassured the students that their voices will be heard, and asked all the students to cast a vote on Tuesday, May 5.

“I want everyone’s voice on campus to be heard,” said Chris Reno, Academic Vice President canidate. “I want to be your voice.”

Ballots will be cast online. Students may go to the SFCC website and cast their vote and then recieve a free food voucher for the Cinco De Mayo celebration, which is also on May 5, in the SUB Lounge A and B from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The candidates are: Associated Student (AS) President, Sheena Thompson, Academic Vice President (VP), Chris Reno, Associat-

Brianne Davis/The Communicator

Gabe Herdener, AMS President candidate, said he wants to increase participation in the club.

Brief Nation

doing it.

Reed said that contributing does not always mean donating money, which is an especially important concept for college students with tight budgets.

“What you can do is give up your time and your energy and your talent,” he said.

ed Women Students (AWS) President, Wendy Gaskill and Melissa Soland, and Associated Mens Student (AMS) President, Gabe Herdener.

Olivia Handwerk, who was the Activities Vice President (VP) candidate, dropped out of the running due to personal reasons, according to Thompson.

The Activities VP will be an appointed position if no write-in candidate is submitted, according to Thompson.

Each candidate briefly introduced themselves and gave the students their mission statement.

“I will look you in the eye and get know you,” said Thompson.

“We are in it together.”

Such ambitions as lobbying for students to get vision and dental insurance, to focus on women’s health, giving students the right to committees they desire to be on and increasing participation in clubs and club activities, where just a few of the ideas the candidates had for SFCCs future.

“We are the collective voice of all the students,” said Soland, AWS President candidate.

The SFCC Student Government manage the student budgets, and are the closest thing the students have to a union.

Brief Campus

* Club representatives in the Activities Board voted on Tuesday, April 28 to deactivate the SFCC Dance Club.

The club has not attended any Activities Board meetings nor held a club-sponsored event. Their remaining budget will be put back into the S&A club contingency account. * CCS has exceeded their spring quarter expectations for Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students by 6 percent.

FTE’s are students who are enrolled in a minimum of 15 credits. Individually, SFCC has surpassed its goal by 4 percent while SCC is 7 percent over their projection. * Five SFCC students in the Graphic Design program medaled at the Northwest ADDY Competition. One student gold and five student silver’s were awarded to five different students with Kevin Armstrong winning two individual awards. These students will now proceed to Washington D.C. for the National ADDY Competition. * Two new deans have been appointed at SFCC. Glen Cosby is now the Dean of Instruction for Humanities and International Academic Initiatives. Jim Waller has been appointed as the Dean of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies. These appointments take effect on July 1.

In

Brianne Davis/The Communicator

The Communicator

* Wash. House of Representatives passed a bill which would add a $1.50 fee onto every barrel of oil that comes into the state. Money raised from the fee is supposed to go toward cleaning up pollution, according to a report by The Spokesman-Review. * Swine Flu death toll numbers reaches 152.

With this death toll rising the nation is considering tightening their borders and immigration controls if the number of confirmed cases

of swine flu continue to rise, according to nytimes.com. * Since 2001 Shriners Hospitals have been suffering a budget deficit. The 22 Shriners Hospitals throughout the country rely soley on the generosit of the public to pay their bills, but donations have dropped one million dollars a day. Six Shriner hospitals are in fear of closing, according to wwlp.com. * Pa. Senator Arlen Specter defected from the Republican party on Tuesday. Specter left his party to become a Democrat. If Minn. Senatorial candidate Al Franken wins his court case, Specter’s defection could potentially grant the Democrats a 60 seat super majority in the Senate.

* Eight SFCC faculty members were tenured on March 17 during the Board of Trustees meeting. Other SCC faculty were also tenured. Jennifer Barson, Jackie Franklin, David Monk, Corrine Morrow, Scott Rollins, Britni Weaver, Josh Westermann, and Amy Wolfsen were tenured. * The letter (Blue Under 30 credits letter) has been mailed out to 1550 students advising them that they must see a counselor/faculty advisor to be cleared for the summer/fall quarters. If you have any questions, contact the New Student Entry Center at 533-3401. * SFCC will be hosting their annual Career Fair on May 12 , 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. in Building 17 – SUB Lounges A,B and C. The fair currently has 22 employers participating. * SFCC Student Government will be holding their quarterly drive-in movie (“Twilight”) on Thursday, April 30, at dusk.

Perspectives

Page 4 • April 30 - May 13, 2009

Our

View

We live in a multicultural society which makes our campus unique. Having different cultures unite into one is how we learn to work together and try to understand how it will be out in the world after being sheltered in the campus life.

In our society, everyone is dependent on themselves and not the whole. This can be detrimental because it causes us to disband and not work together to pull through tough times and enjoy the good moments. Our society seems to be getting better about accepting other cultures but we are still suffering from the negativity of stereotypes and discrimination because each of us deems our own beliefs and values to be the best out there.

All students need to learn about cultures other than their own in order to understand that it is okay to have different beliefs and backgrounds. No matter what our backgrounds are, we all have the common desire to get through school to get a job in society and live a better life in which we will be happy. This is one of the many goals that our society carries despite having different upbringings. This is how we can change people’s minds about the common misconception you have to be a part of their culture to make it in society.

In order to keep the balance and uniqueness of the cultures of our campus there has to be respect. Even though there are a lot of traditions and beliefs that we all do no share, we need to remind ourselves that we do not have to share these beliefs, we need to respect them.

Having other culture in our lives is a tool that we all can use to learn more about ourselves. In using this tool, we can be taught how to develop relationships with others and create an equality based campus.

Letters to the

Editor

This letter concerns the article “Student sues CCS” online.

I am not a lawyer, but having worked in higher education and dealt with several free speech issue, this seems like a slam dunk win for a free speech anti abortion display. Even a casual review of cases involving public

schools and their handling of anti abortion displays would indicate you are fighting a losing battle.

I know the emotional feelings these this displays provoke, but you will be better off to let the students do their thing and move on rather than wasting resources and time on fighting a legal battle you will likely not win.

Good Luck Jim Hardin Senior Program Advisor Auburn University

This letter concerns the column “Life is the Question; evolution is the answer” by Jon Brown in issue 40.8 Bananas and People Although it may be convenient for some to assume the evidence for evolution is overwhelmingly conclusive, nearly every scientifically literate person will admit that there are significant and legitimate challenges to its validity.

Unfortunately, unless you are majoring in a field of science where these issues are discussed, you will probably never be given enough information on the subject to make accurate judgments on the topic. It has been stated that the fact humans share a large amount of genetic information with bananas is solid evidence that we share a common ancestor. Humans have approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA, this means that the two percent difference between people and chimps translates into 60 million base

pair differences, or 20 -five hundred pages books of unique and correctly coded genetic information. If indeed we share 60 percent of our genetic information with bananas, then this translates to around nearly two billion unique and correctly ordered base pairs. Chance?

Probably not.

It is important to note that the evolution of one species into another, much like the God we Christians believe in, is not something that can be witnessed with human eyes.

Fluctuations within species come from pre-existing information. To put this simply, if a population of bacteria does not prepossess a drug resistant variation, it will not evolve one. Coming to this argument with answer in hand ‘evolution did it’ is just as unscientific as someone who comes answer in hand ‘God did it’.

Beth Sheeran, 28, SFCC student majoring in Nursing

Edited By: Judy Johnson

Homosexual couples use stereotypical gender roles

The Cult of Domesticity still remains

winner, the woman does the household “bitch” work.

Homosexual couples show their roles through the type of jobs they obtain. My job is cooking and since that is dominantly thought of as a male profession, I am thought of as the man in my relationships. There is a stereotype in DzF 8BZ * 4FF *U Judy Johnson our society that if a female has a male-dominated job, she must be a lesbian and the same for men that have female-dominated careers.

Another aspect of the Cult Men and women have difof Domesticity that has been ferent roles in partnership, the acquired in the homosexual work field and even among community is the influence of their friends. This also seems to friends on their relationships. If be the concept in homosexual the friends do not approve of relationships.

This socializing factor has been the relationship they let each passed down from previous gen- other know and that person listens to them more often than erations from a concept called not. In both the time this type the Cult of Domesticity. The of culture was basics of made and our this concept here is alculture today, is that the ways that we all value men are the what others beasts and friend that will have to say women are ask ‘who is the about our own the keepers of man’ ‘who wears lives. In the virtue, which the pants,’ or homosexual was based on ‘who cooks dincommunity, the middle we listen to to upper ner.’ I do not see our friends classes. The the relevance of because most beasts were defining these of the outside the ones that roles.” world looks were respondown on our sible for earn- Judy Johnson lifestyle and ing money, criticize us politics and because we do law, owning not follow the “normal” roles property, ran the businesses and of society. An example of this were in charge of the wars. The would be taking the last name keepers of the virtue were of the one a person marries, responsible for childcare, the with is “normal” and expected household, shopping, cooking, by the society. Homosexuals trends, religion, hiring and firare not permitted to be legally ing of the household help, and married in this state, which social networking.

The names of the categories do means that we do not have the opportunity to attempt to fit in not seem to have stuck around, with society, even if we desired but the concept has. The hoto. mosexual community has taken We all play roles in the on these roles as well. There is society that we have built, but always that friend that will ask the stench of declaring what is “who is the man” “who wears masculine or feminine linthe pants,” or “who cooks dingers throughout, making the ner.” I do not see the relevance freedoms that we live by not of defining these roles. In all of necessarily true. Homosexuals my relationships there has been have their own battles to fight a partnership. We both work, for equality, but they still demboth clean the house and both onstrate discrimination among make important decisions that effect our futures. Other couples themselves for having the need to define the roles that they and do have segregated roles and their partners have. keep on the fine line that the heterosexuals base their relationships on, the man is the bread

“t

The Communicator creates opportunities for students to take away life lessons, encouraging each individual to work with a team to produce every issue, multimedia project and web page. The students are responsible for every aspect of putting the newspaper together, including advertising, writing, photography and page design.

Editor-in-Chief Madison McCord communicator.madison.mccord@gmail.com

Managing Editor Hilary Vandenbark communicator.hilary.vandenbark@gmail.com

News Editor -Samantha Blehm communicator.sam.blehm@gmail.com

Perspectives Editor - Judy Johnson communicator.judy.johnson@gmail.com

Focus Editor -Sarah Radmer communicator.sarah.radmer@gmail.com

Culture Editor -Jon Brown communicator.jon.brown@gmail.com

Flavors Editor -Jolene Denny communicator.jolene.denny@gmail.com

Sidelines Editor - Brianne Davis communicator.brianne.davis@gmail.com

Images Editor - Andrew Watson communicator.andrew.watson@gmail.com

Copy Desk Chiefs- Joseph Engle, Wendy Gaskill communicator.joseph.engle@gmail.com

communicator.wendy.gaskill@gmail.com

Advertising Director -Madison McCord advertising@spokanefalls.edu

Senior Reporters - Kirk Bayman, Kathleen Gold, Allen Stover Staff Reporters - Jeff Ferguson, Samie Foster, Melissa Kent, Jeff Teegarden, Kate Renouard Photographers - Kathleen Gold Editorial Board - Madison McCord, Hilary Vandenbark, Judy Johnson, Samantha Blehm, Jon Brown Adviser - Jason Nix jasonn@spokanefalls.edu

To contact The Communicator with story ideas: comeic@spokanefalls.edu

To contact staff members:

communicator.firstname.lastname@gmail.com

*Please Note*

The Communicator is an open forum for student coverage and opinion that is entirely student edited and produced, with absolutely no prior review from the faculty or administrators of Spokane Falls Community College. The content in this publication is the responsibility of the student staff of the Communicator, and as such do not necessarily reflect the view of Spokane Falls Community College administrators, faculty, or the student body.

Individual student contributions to the opinion page or any other section of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or the student staff of the Communicator. *The first copy of an issue is free, additional copies are 50 cents*

2009 ACP Online Pacemaker Finalist

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April 30 - May 13, 2009

sarah

Perspectives

The Communicator

spokane closes at 9 p.m.

radmer

vs.

Spokane: too slow paced for the young population

Its always shocking in Seattle when there are people outside and going places after 9 p.m.

Spokane is driving people in their teens and twenties away in droves. By the time people are old enough to leave they head for cities running. People may return when they are looking for a nice place to Spokane wants to be a dynamic cultural settle down and spend their golden years.

But while young, most center with interesting people leave in search venues for younger peohe only of somewhere they can ple while still running things to have a life. on the time schedule of do on a weekLarger cities, staa senior citizen. end that are tistically, are more To those who have open past nine stressed. This explains lived in small towns why Spokane is a good their entire lives, like at night is bowlplace for those who myself, it is not unusual ing, the movies have progressed in life that restaurants close at or parties at and aren’t in search of 9 p.m. or stores close at someone’s house anything crazy. But I 6 p.m. Spokane likes to while their parwill take a little extra think it is one of the mastress to have restaujor cities in Wash. but it ents are out of rants open after nine at still has that small town town.” night and stores open mentality.Spokane offers on the weekends. next-to-nothing for col- Sarah Radmer Larger cities offer lege students like myself a larger expanse of who are still underage. culture. Larger cities tend to have more The only things to do on a weekend that diverse ethnic groups. Not only does this are open past nine at night are bowling, mean more mom and pop restaurants the movies, or parties at someone’s house with authentic ethnic cuisine but there while their parents are out of town. are more opportunities for cultural expeEven though each may have their riences, whether its art or music venues. benefits and drawbacks, those choices When I’ve decided I’ve had my fun are really limited in comparison to larger and am content with a simple life, I may cities. gladly call Spokane home. However, The fact that our city closes so early, for the time being, I would be happy to while annoying, is never very impactful exchange our slow town feel for some until I travel to other cities. Even cities in interesting venues for youth and a fastWash. like Seattle are drastically different paced lifestyle. in their night life dynamic.

“t

hilary

vandenbark

Enjoy the small town, slow pace of Spokane

friendly pace and an exhausted tolerance of metropolitan lifestyles as their reasons for returning.

According to Forbes.com, the moststressed city in the nation is Chicago.

Ranking second through fifth were New York, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Each of these cities are highly metropolitan. New York is known as “The Spokane’s slow, steady pace is unCity that Never Sleeps.” While each of doubtedly inconvenient to the average these cities would be charmcollege stuing to visit, they do not dent. Howt least Sposound particularly appealing ever, students kane does not as residential cities, no matshould be ter what’s open past 9 p.m. taking advan- have the constant Spokane definitely does not tage of the parade of bumper have much in the way of a small town to bumper, five mph nightlife but it really doesn’t feel of Spotraffic like seattle lose much of its value bekane. Comand other metrocause of it. ing from a politan areas.”

Spokane isn’t a youthful busy Seattle town so it should stop presuburb, I’ve - Hilary Vandenbark tending to be. Most people, come to eneven in the the same state, joy Spokane’s cannot pronounce the city’s peaceful name. Value in a city is not to be found nature. solely in a youthful spirit though. SpoI know it is ridiculous that nearly kane does offer a great sense of culture everything closes at 9 p.m., but at least and plenty of things to do, if one looks for Spokane does not have the constant it. However, the things Spokane offers are parade of bumper-to-bumper, Five mph not those that Americans in their teens traffic like Seattle and other metropolitan and twenties would enjoy because of the areas. I, personally, would rather find a hypnotism of consumerism and the sense way to make fun for myself in a small of must-have perpetual entertainment. town because there is no way going out Spokane doesn’t, as of yet, offer a lot after 9 p.m. is worth dealing with that on for young people but that’s okay. This city a daily basis. will eventually develop more youthMany people leave Spokane as fast as oriented venues and that will be a good they can run but many of those same thing. Hopefully it doesn’t lose its pace people find themselves coming back, and its small town feel. even if they are slightly older than when they left. These people cite Spokane’s

“a

Cultural Imperialism: Americanization of Native Americans 6ODPNNPO 4FOTF

Jon Brown

The human penchant for building empires stretches as far back as our ability to record history, and likely beyond that.

Whenever a distinct group of people decides that its territory must be expanded, that its religion must be spread, or that its economic fortunes would be improved by another group’s labor and resources, imperialism rears its ugly head.

The results are rarely mutually beneficial; one group or another is almost certain to get a raw deal. Displacement, subjugation, slavery, and death are frequent outcomes of empire-building, but so is the loss of culture. The Roman Empire attempted to Christianize the known world, and in the process wiped out entire cultural traditions that are now lost to history.

But one needn’t cross the Atlantic, or go back that far in time, to observe the damages of cultural imperialism.

We here in the Northwest occupy lands once populated by Native Americans, a people and a culture that were nearly driven to extinction by European settlers.

Apart from the anglicized names of geographical locations – Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma, etc. – there is little trace of the people that came before us. Native American populations, overwhelmed by

the technology and numbers of European immigrants, were subject to the process of “Americanization.” George Washington originally proposed Americanization as a way to acculturate native people to European customs, language, and religion.

The oversight of this Americanization program was given over to religious groups and the military. Indian children were often forcefully removed from their homes and families and placed in boarding schools to be properly “assimilated.” Native languages were forbidden.

The children were required to convert to Christianity and abandon their native spiritual traditions. Visits from loved ones were strictly limited in both frequency and duration. The philosophy driving the Americanization program was, quite simply, to erase the Native American culture from existence.

In 1896 government funding was cut from the mission school programs run by religious groups. The cruel abuses carried out at the mission schools - including sexual and mental abuse - had become an embarrassment. Many of the boarding schools continued to operate despite being underfunded, understaffed, and otherwise poorly run.

By the early 1920’s most Indian children were attending public schools. But it wasn’t until much later that a sentiment grew within American society that perhaps we had been remiss in our subjugation of a culture with ancient and complex traditions. This is a common symptom of cultural imperialism; the

guilt and regret felt by the imperialists once they have finally gotten their way.

Now, after two centuries of neglect and abuse, Native American culture seems poised for a comeback - though perhaps in a different form. More Native American students are attending colleges and universities than ever before, and tribal casinos have evolved into successful, highly profitable enterprises.

Problems still exist, however, with drug

and alcohol addiction still comparatively high among native populations, and with many Indian reservations still battling high unemployment and poverty.

The increasing trend of educational and economic success points to a time in the not-too-distant future when Native American culture could have a powerful influence on the American culture that once attempted to destroy it.

Page 6 • April 30 - May 13, 2009

Flavors

Edited By: Jolene Denny

Jolene Denny/The Communicator

Spokane’s night life, both young and old have started to show an interest in the concept of dueling piano bars in the Northwest.

Dueling piano bar offers entertainment Wendy Gaskill The Communicator

Dueling Piano bars have been quite successful in large cities from New York to Seattle.

The concept is simple: Two seasoned piano players take requests from the audience. The more a person tips, the more likely it is that the pianists will play their songs.

Gibliano Brothers, a dueling piano bar, is the first in the Inland Northwest.

Audience members will occasionally join the pianists on stage

for a karaoke-type experience.

Pianist Jimmy Finn says that getting the crowd involved and having a good time is paramount.

“It’s not about us,” Finn said.

Jessi Oka, one of the coowners, said that two guys from Vegas came up with the concept two years ago.

“It was a labor of blood, sweat and tears,” said Oka. “Our first night open, it was so busy the computers crashed.”

Gibliano’s is a fairly classy establishment, The martini menu has drinks starting at $8, and

up to $19 for the Brother’s Elite Smokey Martini, made with Stoli Elite vodka and served in a martini glass that has been dipped in Chivas, an 18 year old scotch.

On a student budget, one would be satisfied with a less expensive drink, like the Honeysuckle, made with Absolute Mandarin, Parfait Amore finished with a splash of cranberry and lime juices ($8).

On it’s second weekend in business Gibliano’s was fairly crowded. The clientele was largely middle-aged, between the hours of 8 and midnight,

when the crowd quickly started to get younger.

Elizabeth Wallace, 33, a lawyer, has been to many dueling piano bars in other cities.

Wallace said she really enjoyed Gibliano’s, but she also said it lacks many key aspects of good dueling piano bar.

“It needs to be louder, dirtier, and cheaper,” said Wallace.

“You need to be able to get drunk easier.”

Gibliano Brothers is good for special occasions, but not much of a “hang-out” bar - unless you’re cougar hunting.

Vegetarian meals easy, tasty, affordable choice for students Kate Renouard The Communicator

Finding the cash to eat well can be difficult on a student’s budget, but it becomes even more challenging if the food is filling a vegetarian stomach.

Students who choose a vegetarian lifestyle can reference eating guides for vegetarian cuisine online and at local books stores.

Chae Hoban 24, an anthropology major has been a vegetarian for three years now.

“Being a vegetarian can be expensive, the cost of vegetables right now is ridiculous, so trying to stay on a budget can be a nightmare,” Hoban said.

Students on a tight budget and low expectations can also feast such foods on Top Ramen, Rice a Roni, All Natural Farmhouse rice or one of Knorr’s Pasta Sides, all ranging from 10 cents to $2 per package.

A few lunch ideas for the

thrifty vegetarian on the go might be Tofurkey sandwiches, or cooking up beans and rice the night before. These meals create a complete protein in the body.

The cookbook “Vegan Lunchbox” written by Jennifer McCann, lays out quick lunch ideas that are in the student price range.

For dinner or for a more comprehensive cookbook, the “Veganomicon” by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero offers a variety of solutions from easy one step meals to dinners for six.

Hoban said this (“Veganomicon”) is one of her favorites, but her vegetarian bible will always be “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.”

The Post Punk Kitchen, Moskowitz and Romero’s website (theppk.com), offers recipes, links and helpful hints for everyday living.

Another popular vegetarian site is tryveg.com, a website for

Jolene Denny/The Communicator

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a delicious addition to any meal. those considering going vegetarian.

Hoban suggests for meals involving meat to find a recipe and create a signature dish that can be whipped out at any event. She enjoys making a sweet and sour meatless meatball dish using a product called Quorn which uses a mycoprotein (fungus) as its main ingredient.

“It sounds unappealing, but is has the look and taste of beef,” Hoban said.

For those who wish to use recipes that they may already own or that they have received from family, simply replace the meat ingredient included in the original recipe for a meatless product.

Cooking Vegetarian on a budget is possible and does not have to be boring or tasteless as the market for vegetarian or vegan foods is growing.

On a student’s budget or not, eating vegetarian can be cheap, easy and delicious.

Here today, more work tomorrow Flames emerge from the slitted grooves of the broiler, tempers flare as people prove who was right or wrong, but nothing compares to the hardship the kitchen experiences with the death of a co-worker.

A few weeks ago my kitchen lost a prep cook that was the glue of our crew. She was the one that would drop whatever she was doing to prep something for you, put some baked potatoes in the oven, or try to figure out why you are having a bad day.

Since her absence, the flow of the kitchen has not been the same. I have been working, along with another cook and the sous chef, ridiculous hours to make up for the missing body. We fumble through the prep hoping we can get enough done to make it through the next dinner rush. It is like taking a math class without a teacher and being expected to know how to do Calculus off the top of your head.

Some employees did not realize what role the prep cook played for our restaurant to be successful. It almost seems that some of the servers thought the food magically came to the kitchen all ready to go.

Besides being astonished of learning this myth, I find that being a prep cook is one of the most difficult jobs in a kitchen. These people work hard to make the lives of the cooks and sous chefs easier and more convenient.

Cooking is second nature to me. I have been doing it for the last eight years, but the past few weeks have been rough. I always lose my concentration because I peek through the little slit that shows the prep area, and there is no one there filling it.

Being reminded of this every time I slip on my checkered pants, which I wore to the funeral along with some of the other coworkers, I feel almost lost. Any time there is a prep item I need to do, I have to look it up instead of asking her for guidance.

As the days go by, we are slowly piecing the kitchen back together but it will never form the old puzzle. With trying to deal with this empty piece, the kitchen moves on and shows the dedication of one person can be the backbone to the flow of the kitchen. Without that backbone, we are flimsy and dazed, trying to find the light at the end of our shifts while remembering the one that we lost.

page 7

April 30 - May 13, 2009

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In a larg e bo fitti wl, ng l com i d , com coat bine . Se bine the r ve t spin h e imm v ach ineg edia , str a Hilary Vandenbark/The Communicator r , ho tely. awb ney e r Second Harvest donates fresh foods to SFCC’s Food Bank for students and faculty. r i and es a nd a suga lmo r; sh nds ake . In wel a jat l. D rizz with le o Kate Renouard hand,� Petrina said.   a tig ver ht- The Communicator sala Nick Hayes said he finds his work very d an d to rewarding. ss to

Farmers Market helps student budgets A half hour after opening, the SFCC Farmers Market was nearly out of food. Second Harvest helps the SFCC Food Bank put the Farmers Market together for the students and faculty by donating their surplus of excess produce.

Robbin Hansen, the overseer of this event, said the students put this event together to help students on a small budget. “The excess produce is still good, fresh food, but because it’s nearing its expiration date Second Harvest has to make sure it gets used quickly, “ Hansen said.

Amanda Petrina, an AmeriCorps VISTA employee and manager of the SFCC Food Bank, coordinated the event. “Even without the poor economy, students have always been broke, and now more than ever may need a helping

“The students truly appreciate the healthy fresh foods,� Hayes said. Mikah LeClair said he thought the Farmers Market was “awesome.� “(It’s) a helpful way to get things like milk and onions that are expensive at the store,� said LeClair. “Most students have to budget their money and find it difficult to spend what little funds they do have on food when they have looming Avista bills and student loans.� “Events like this are for everyone and anyone who enjoys free food,� said Connor Guerrero, AA transfer student Events like the Farmers Market may not seem like muchl to most but to those students who can’t afford to go to the grocery store to purchase milk, events like these are a life saver.

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April 30 - May 13, 2009

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Page 9 • April 30 - May 13, 2009

Culture

Edited By: Jon Brown

The incredible artwork of...

In

3-d Melissa Kent Jeff Teegarden The Communicator

L.A. artist Ray Zone’s 3-D comics on display in SFCC’s fine arts gallery

Photos by Madison McCord/The Communicator

Students and faculty donned dium for him, and his works eager grins in a darkened SUB show the results of a life-long lounge - an assembly reminislabor of love. cent of 1950’s movie houses.

He mostly works with comRenowned 3-D artist Ray ics and movies, but is currently Zone presented examples of working on a set of oil and his work at SFCC as the finale acrylic paintings. According to of the visiting artist lecture Zone there will be two paintseries. Zone is a comic book ings in each set; one for each artist, filmmaker and author eye. of several books. He has even “They’ll hang side by side been called “The King of 3-D on the wall and there will be comics.” different ways to look at them,” An exZone said. hibition of Zone’s visit 3-D ste“25 years later, included a reographs workshop I began thinking entitled “The titled, “MakArt of 3-D ing Digital about the things Stereographs” Comics” is located in Building 6. that most inspired The workshop in the fine arts gallery included a tume as a child.” in Buildtorial on how ing 6. The to convert a -Ray Zone flat image into technicolor images of 3-D using a Superman, Batman and other computer. comics displayed on the stark, Zone said the future for 3-D white walls transform into 3-D is coming soon. He said he masterpieces when visitors put thinks 3-D art could be dison the flimsy, red-and-blueplayed on cell phones in the lensed, cardboard glasses. near future.

Zone said he has been inZone shows no signs of spired by 3-D comics since he letting up; he continues to was six years old. explore new territory in 3-D “I saw a comic called art and film. He has published ‘Three-Dimension Comics’ that over 130 comic books, includinspired me more than I knew,” ing “Robotech 3-D” and “Bathe said. “25 years later, I began man 3-D,” according to the thinking about the things that website ray3dzone.com. His most inspired me as a child.” company, “The 3-D Zone,” has Zone’s inspiration to venture worked with various clients into 3-D cinema came from such as D.C. Comics, Walt watching the 1953 film “The Disney Publishing and NickelCreature from the Black Laodeon Magazine. goon” in 3-D. These childhood The Ray Zone exhibit will inspirations led Zone to decide continue to run through May that 3-D was the artistic me14.

Design by: Jon Brown, Madison McCord and marshall moore

page 10

April 30 - May 13, 2009

Culture

The Communicator

Acclaimed films hit theater Garland Theater hosts International Film Festival

Melissa Kent

The Communicator

Jeff Teegarden/The Communicator

Master of Ceremonies Daniel Harrington officiated the first college poetry slam at the Empyrean Coffee House in downtown Spokane.

Get Lit! slams into Spokane Literature event gives local writers

voice

Jeff Teegarden The Communicator

The Get Lit! literature festival originated as a one day event, but now, 11 years later, Get Lit! has exploded into a 10-day celebration of the written word with attendance in the tens of thousands.

Get Lit! boasts a variety of events; writing workshops for screenplays, writing for children, writing for theatre, community-wide readings and open-mic poetry slams. The events are open to the entire Spokane community as an outlet to share literary passion and prowess.

This year was no different in the variety of events that attempt to shape and culture Spokane’s literary community in diverse and meaningful ways.

To kick off the festival, coordinated milk-crate readings dotted the town, including the SFCC campus, in which organizers read a variety of pieces and handed out the festival’s schedule of events.

Another of the major events was a panel discussion titled, “The Changing Media Landscape in the Inland Empire.” The main topic included the validity of print media in the digital age, and whether it can adapt to the public’s changing attitude towards the news. Local journalists from The Inlander, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane Metro Magazine and a Journalism professor from Whitworth University discussed issues of rising costs, declining ad revenues and loss of readership.

A college poetry slam was included for the first time at the festival. Daniel Harrington, a spoken-word artist and graduate student at EWU, was one of

the main organizers for the college poetry slam. It was his third year as Master of Ceremonies for the event’s poetry slam exhibitions.

“In past years, there has only been a youth slam, and a teen slam,” Harrington said. “So this year we want to up the ante and bring it (college slam) so we have a youth, teen, and a college slam.”

The event was widely attended, with the back room of the Empyrean Coffee House packed to capacity. The winner earned the privilege to read with acclaimed British poet Simon Armitage.

Armitage is just one of several authors who have been involved in the Get Lit! festival. Participating authors range from locally celebrated writers such as Chris Crutcher and Sherman Alexie to National Public Radio’s provocative humorist David Sedaris, and the late, humanist icon Kurt Vonnegut.

Participating authors in this year’s festival included environmentalist authors Paul Roberts and Dave Suzuki.

Roberts read from his book “The End of Food,” a book based on the concepts of sustainability and localism.

Suzuki, a geneticist, author and host of a Canadian primetime science program, read excerpts from his book “The Big Picture,” imparting his thoughts on our ravaged his ecosystem.

“Human beings are but one part of a massive community of life on this planet,” said Suzuki. “A community about which we know surprisingly little.”

Suzuki drew attention to the Northwest-specific issues of salmon migration and dam removal. Salmon bring nitrogen - a vital nutrient for plant life - into the Northwest’s rivers as they pass through to spawn.

“Each creature has a role to play in his ecosystem,” said Suzuki. “And each ecosystem plays a part in a functioning of the Earth’s biosphere.”

If squinting at tiny subtitles on your 20-inch screen at home does not sound appealing, now is the time to see the big-screen versions of some of the world's most acclaimed films.

This year's SFCC International Film Festival, happening at Spokane's venerable Garland Theater, will feature some of the best current movies from Germany, Brazil, Spain, France and the United States.

The third annual film festival has already commenced with a screening of the award-winning Brazilian film "City of God." That film was the first in a series of five films to be shown during the course of the festival; all recognized by various independent film awards and nominations - including the coveted Oscar.

The SFCC film festival began as the French Film Festival, originally organized by French instructor Elodie Phan along with film instructor Mary Hyatt. Phan and Hyatt applied for a grant from the French government to promote French Culture, according to Phan. The French government granted funds to hold the first festival at the Bing Crosby Theater. Last year the festival expanded to include films from other countries and was moved to the Garland Theater.

The film festival will continue to run through May 19, with a new film premiering each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Garland Theater. Film attendance is free for students with ID. Faculty and senior citizens are asked to pay a $3 admission fee, and general admission is $6.

SFCC International Film Festival screening schedule: Tuesday, April 21st: “City of God” (Brazil) Tuesday, April 28th: “The Lives of Others” and “A Note” (Germany) Tuesday, May 5th: “Days of Glory” (France) Tuesday, May 12th: “The Devil’s Backbone” (Spain) Tuesday, May 19th: “Vincent Who?” (USA)

The Garland Theater 924 W Garland Ave Spokane, WA 99205 (509) 327-1050 www.garlandtheater. com

eastern online Anytime, anywhere.

Check it out. www.ewu.edu/online

page 11

April 30 - May 13, 2009

Culture

The Communicator

Contributed by Joslyn Cain

Hageshi Hiroshi of Acid Mother’s Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. elicits otherworldy sounds from his synthesizer.

Japanese experimental band makes noise in Spokane Jon Brown

The Communicator The Sprague Avenue sidewalk is crowded with cigarette-smoking hipsters, huddled around a non-descript doorway.

Noisy guitar feedback wafts down a narrow stairway, through the door and onto the street.

Upstairs, in a second-floor loft called Object Space, 50 or so mismatched people wait in rapt attention as four

middle-aged Japanese men burst into a sonic supernova. When the first furious missive winds to a close, one of the men steps up to a microphone and speaks in heavily accented English.

“Hello Spokane. We are Acid Mother’s Temple from the far east,” he says before the band launches into another blazing, psychedelic refrain.

Acid Mother’s Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (an absurdly long, tongue-

twister of a name) made their first ever stop in Spokane to play a swiftly-organized, surprise show at Object Space, a multi-use performance space owned by local artist Bruce Hormann.

Acid Mother’s Temple is the brainchild of Osaka, Japan-based musician Kawabata Makoto, who is the one constant member in a seemingly endless series of incarnations sporting different versions of the Acid Mother’s Temple moniker;

The Cosmic Inferno, The Melting Cosmic Blues Band, SWR, Gong, Guru Guru, and a number of others.

Kawabata is a guitar player who manages to combine the sounds and techniques of eastern-style minor-key drones and sympathetic notes with the psychedelic bombast of Jimi Hendrix and the rhythmic insistence of krautrockers like Can, Neu!, and Kraftwerk. His playing is both fluid and chaotic, and - in The Melting Paraiso U.F.O - is complemented by the impossibly complex bass-playing of Tsuyama Atsushi, the space-rock synthesizer washes of Higashi Hiroshi, and the jazzy drumming of Shimura Koji.

The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.’s most recent album, “Cometary Orbital Drive,” released last December, is a four-song suite of groovy, psychedelic drone-rock, with the shortest tune clocking in at around 13 minutes. Acid Mother’s temple are not a band in a hurry to make a musical point; “Cometary Orbital Drive” captures the same free-wheeling, improvisational spirit the band relies on in their live shows. The band builds tension in long stretches of repetitive, ritualistic riffing and then releases it in crescendos of face-melting guitar heroism, barely-controlled feedback, and crushing heaviness.

The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., everprolific, have three new records set to be released this spring. “Interstellar Guru and Zero” will hit stores on April 28, followed by “Lord of the Underground: Vishnu and the Magic Elixir” on May 12. Finally, “Glorify Astrological Martyrdom” will see release on May 26. Fans of classic rock, space rock, experimental music, noise, and drone should all find something to like about Acid Mother’s Temple’s vast discography. Check out new and old tunes on the band’s official MySpace page: www.myspace.com/acidmotherstemple.

SFCC Activities Announcement Board From April 30 to May 14

Sponsored by The SFCC Bookstore for use by SFCC student services & SFCC clubs.

Focus Fighting ADdiction

Page 12 • April 30 - May 13, 2009

Edited By: sarah Radmer

Kathleen Gold

The Communicator

A sweltering hot, dusty shed full of old, rusty tools was Ricky Rorie’s home in 1996. Crack cocaine caused Ricky to hit rock bottom.

Rorie, 47, is a student in SFCC’s Chemical Dependency Program (CDP). He vividly remembers his life in active addiction.

“My own family didn’t want to have anything to do with me,” Rorie said. “You can’t trust an addict in active addiction, family or not.”

Rorie said he moved to Washington from North Carolina in 1996 to get a fresh start on life. He lived with his sister after losing a job with IBM and a girlfriend.

“I would smoke crack with co-workers on lunch break,” Rorie said.

Rorie said his boss would send him on crack runs while he took care of Rorie’s time clock.

Rorie’s addiction had taken over his life once again, and his sister finally had to kick him out.

“She told me: ‘I can’t even keep a TV, VCR, clothes or food. I love you but I’ve got to put you out of my house,’” Rorie said.

“That is when I started living in the shed in my sister’s backyard. I took off all my clothes because of the heat during the day.

“I put my clothes back on at night to search for crack.”

There came a time when he was not even welcomed in the streets by fellow addicts, according to Rorie.

“I began to examine my life,” Rorie said. “I wanted to change.”

He made appointment after appointment for treatment centers to get help with his drug abuse and missed each one.

After a year and a half, Rorie said he finally hit bottom, and committed himself to treatment.

“I had two years clean the first of March, thank God,” Rorie said.

Rorie has a vested interest in helping others recover from the life he once led as a drug addict.

“I chose this field of study because I am a recovering addict,“ he said.

“So I am, staying clean and sober.

Rorie said his experience at SFCC has definitely been memorable and challenging.

“I am 47 years old and have not been exposed to an academic setting for over 25 years,” Rorie Photo Illustration by Madison McCord said. “I have classmates

my son’s age.”

Rorie’s experience at SFCC has challenged him to become the man he said he was created to be in life.

Rorie currently works at a treatment center for the rehabilitation of people with drug addictions.

“I have been blessed with the privilege of working exclusively with persons addicted to drugs and alcohol,” Rorie said.

According to Rorie, the job can be frustrating at times.

“The job can be difficult if you are not patient or lack people skills,” Rorie said.

Kay Dee Steel, 40, Administrator for the CDP program at SFCC, said the program was started at SFCC over 30 years ago.

Carla Dvoracek, 58, Faculty in the CDP program at SFCC, said students who want a career in the chemical dependency field need to be willing to do a self-examination.

“The best tool will be yourself in helping someone in addiction,” said Dvoracek. “To be the best provider you can be.”

Theories and sciences in addiction and recovery are required classes for the student.

Most, but not all, students in the CDP program have a background in addiction. Some have served time in the legal system due to their addiction, according to Dvoracek. These students are in recovery, and want to help those currently in addiction through their experience and education.

Cherly Hichty-Moore, 40, is a teacher assistant and work study student at SFCC. She is a student in the CDP program. Hichty-Moore says that her experience in selfexamination, has helped her understand how to help others with their problems in addiction.

For students who are interested in the CDP program who have had no college education, Dvoracek said there is a two year AAS program.

The program also offers a one year certificate program for those with college education of similar studies relevant to the CDP programs qualifications.

Requirements to graduate from the CDR program are: * Practicum hours completed * Register as a conselor with the Department of Health * Four-hour HIV training Graduates of the program can start out at $9 to $15 an hour as a trainee.

According to Projections data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Employment Matrix, the median annual wage and salary for substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors in May 2006, were $34,040. The middle 50 percent were between $27,330 and $42,650.

And the lowest 10 percent were less than $22,600 dollars.The highest 10 percent were more than $52,340.

Dvoracek wants people to know there are jobs out there for CDP’s.

According to the Projections data from the National Employment Matrix, job demand is up 34 percent for substance abuse and behaverial disorder conselors. This is the highest in the nation over all other jobs.

“It’s a good news-bad news thing,” she said. “Good there are jobs, bad for the reason that more people are becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol.”

To Rorie, the greatest reward is to see a client come into the facility, broken and no hope for their life. Then leave after treatment with a regained sense of hope and a renewed zeal for life.

“It’s almost like watching a caterpillar, that once crawled on its belly, morph into a new being that is now capable of soaring into the heavens,“ said Rorie.

page 13

April 30 - May 13, 2009

Old School

Focus

The Communicator

Contributed by Engineering Club

Pedaling to peak performance Samie Foster

The Communicator

Brianne Davis/The Communicator

Ron Birch, 72, stands out in his Political Science, Global Issues class, one of the two classes he is taking Spring quarter.

Sarah Radmer

The Communicator

D

on Fisher, 76, sits alone in the SUB studying over a mug of coffee.

With thin white hair, circular reading glasses, and wrinkles around the eyes caused by a soft, almost sad smile, he is not the typical college student.

Fisher returned after his wife passed away, claiming he needed something to “keep off the streets and out of the icebox.”

Fisher, and Ron Birch, 72, are two students who have come back to SFCC later in life with a more mature view of higher education in search of personal enrichment.

Similar situations don’t always mean similar backgrounds. Both men had their own reasons for coming back to school.

Fisher, who graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Forestry, worked only two years in the field before changing career paths, spending the next 50 years in sales.

Birch spent 20 years in the Air Force as an electronic technician. He then got a degree in Psychology from the University of Nebraska.

Both students audit their classes, meaning that every quarter they can take up to two five-credit classes free of charge, but do not receive grades or credit for their transcripts.

Birch has taken two classes per quarter since 2000.

“Its kind of a hobby, I’m retired, and got tired of sitting around the house,” Birch said.

“I enjoy being out here with the young people, keeps me kind of young.”

Although they do not pay or get credit for their schooling, these audit students are required to do the same amount of work as all other students.

“I do all the work,” Birch said. “I write the papers, I take the exams.”

Fisher feels many students wonder about his presence in their classrooms, but never ask.

“They just speculate,” he said. “They don’t know how old I am. They don’t know anything about my background.”

Birch said he believes instructors treat him the same as other students, but they respect his life experiences.

“I think you get a certain amount of respect because of your age,” he said.

Political Science instructor, Michael Buckley, said he prefers these older students because they create a dialogue in class and are not afraid to challenge what he is teaching. “(Older students are) generally more thoughtful, not because they’re are somehow better students, but they’ve experienced things, so they have a broader background.” said Buckley, he is Birch’s Global Issues instructor this quarter.

“He’s here because he wants to be here.” Buckley said of Birch.

Fisher feels that now it is a necessity to return to school.

“Because we live in a technological age, it’s a given, no matter what your major is, that you’re going to have to return to school to keep current,” he said.

Both Fisher and Birch both feel a sense of pride about their return to school.

“I don’t think you’re ever too old to learn,” Birch said.

Used tech equipment gets second chance Andrew Watson The Communicator

Eager patrons line up at 2 a.m. outside the Central Receiving warehouse. The air is charged with anticipation. They are here to find anything from 25 dollar laptops, to bizarre, formerly-for-classroomuse oddities on the cheap.

The reason: The Central Services Department of the Community Colleges of Spokane is holding its quarterly surplus sale.

The sale starts on May 6 at 9 a.m. and will continue until 1 p.m., and is at 3939 N. Freya St. According to Rick Englert, who orchestrates the sale, a wide range of items are available. “Everything from fire extinguishers to bowling pins.”

Because the items are formerly used

by CCS, they have been cut down to a budget-friendly price.

“Most sale items are pre-priced, but all

vehicles and some unique items are sold via closed bid,” according to the Central Recieving website.

The items sold are leftovers from previous quarters at SFCC and SCC. “The biggest sellers used to be laptops, but then it kind of turned into the flat panel (monitors),” Englert said. “The laptops are still popular, though.”

“Computer equipment is the most intersting to the public,” Rod Raymer, Purchasing Manager of CCS said.

Customers will find sheets of paper attached to each item available for purchase. The top three are essential information to complete the sale of the item.

The last one, a yellow sheet, informs others that the item has been sold, and is not up for grabs anymore.

The customer then takes the papers up to the desk at the front, and the employees there find the item, match the numbers on the papers, and bring the item to the purchaser. The employees check the

papers again when the customer leaves-for security purposes.

Most, if not all, of the items being sold are old units CCS is replacing with new ones.

“You’re buying a shell with a processor in it, basically,” Englert said. “You’re going to have to put some work into it to get it working.”

In the past, Englert recalls perhaps 50 to 75 buyers.

“In the last sale, there were about 140 different buyers,” Englert said.

Englert suggests that customers arrive early, items go quickly.

Bob Mathison, the Senior Graphics Designer for CCS, has attended the sale in the past.

“People get there many hours before the sale opens, and they target specific items, then rush to them when the doors open,” Mathison said. “It’s real hectic.”

The sale is a one-day occurrence, and only cash is accepted.

The SFCC Team Sasquatch won first place in the performance catagory at the Human Powered Paper Vehicle Competition (HPPV) competition at Eastern Washington University.

The team consists of Engineering Club students; Ryan Faulkner, Courtney Powers, Wes Whiteside, Aaron Sourminen and Zachery Marvin.

At the competition, colleges from Idaho, Wash. and Ore. presented their projects. The goal of the competition was to create a vehicle large enough for a person to drive and steer. The vehicle’s construction had to be 90 percent paper products, with the remaining 10 percent of materials left to the team’s discretion.

According to Mike Gorski, enginerring team advisor, contestants had to follow a track, weave through street cones and go up and down ramps.

To create their bike, the team used flat cardboard pieces and layered them to create the wheels. Then for the structure, they used large cardboard tubes.

To reinforce it, they layered flat pieces of cardboard inside.

“It is nice to see the design function,” Faulkner said.

page 14

April 30 - May 13, 2009

Focus

The Communicator

How We Roll: “God’s Green Machine” 1978 Toyota Corolla

driving it, Larson said she has knows what needs to be fixed. grown attached to the car.

“It needs a little TLC right “I am known for this car,” now,” Larson said.

Larson said. “(The car) is me She has put a fair amount of and I don’t understand why he work into the car already. She won’t let me have it.” replaced her stock gas cap with Reaching one that locks, one am known of the precautions down under the dash, Larson she takes for her for this fiddles with a church outreach car” little plastic box work, just in case. with a chunk This winter, like any - Sherrin larson of metal sticktrue Spokanite, she ing out, held on dug it out of a tallerwith duct tape, and windshield than-the-car mound of snow. wiper fluid instantly covers the It is a little dirty, a little glass. rusty, needs a little work, but The driver’s side rear door the chrome still sparkles in opens only from the inside. the sunlight and it means a lot Someone once tried to break in to Larson. Even if it isn’t hers, to the driver’s side window, and “God’s Green Machine” is a now it needs a little patience to part of her life. roll down.

The five-digit odometer reads 16,684.

God’s Green Machine “It’s probably turned over two or three times,” Larsen said.

She commutes to school Make: Toyota from the Mead area but her car, despite years of use, is hardly Model: Corolla Andrew Watson/The Communicator showing its age.

Although her Toyota Corolla gets her from A to B, Sherrin Larson admits her car needs a little TLC. “It will run forever,” Larson said. “I just take care of it.”

Year: 1978 Joseph Engle Larson is used to her car slight crackle of the AM radio. nicknames, like “the geek moThe Communicator getting a lot of attention. “I’ve bile” and the “green weenie.” “(The music) kind of helps Horsepower: 165 had skaters come by and like Larson calls it “God’sALLOY Green with the nostalgia of this car,” MEDIA & MARKETING NY010464B (say) ‘rad dude’,” According to Machine” because it takes her to Larson, 48 said.

Sherrin Larson’s 1978 forest BHEDGES 4.75 x 7.75 Larson, the attention has been The car has quite a lot of sig- church and to school everyday green Toyota Corolla idles quiColor: Forest green drmhad any1 positive. “I haven’t without fail. etly while sitting in the morning nificance to Larson; 1978 was one say they didn’t like it yet.”

The car actually belongs to the year she graduated from shade, surrounded by a park Larson admits it does need a her brother who is currently high school, and the year her ing lot full much newer cars.

Stereo: AM Radio little work. She used to rebuild serving a jail sentence for a first daughter was born.

Simon and Garfunkel croon the cars with her husband, and DUI. In the time she has been Her car has earned several “Sounds of Silence” over the

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Page 15 • April 30 - May 13, 2009

Sidelines

Softball stars catch big break Allen Stover

The Communicator Catcher Ashley Fargher stares aggressively into the softball field while the batter steps up to the plate. She watches her teammates ready themselves, but Fargher knows that after this year, she will be leaving them to begin the next chapter of her career.

Fargher, a 19-year-old sophomore and CCS softball player, is one of many student athletes moving on to play at four year universities next year.

According to a press release from the Northwest Athletics Associations of Communities Colleges, Fargher accepted an offer to play for the Weber State University Wildcats in Ogden, Utah.

Fargher came into contact with Weber State’s head softball coach Tina Johnson.

Johnson ofPortrait of Heather Jackson by Jeff Ferguson/ The Communicator

fered full ride scholarships to both Fargher and CCS teammate Heather Jackson.

Weber State’s athletics website states their athletic department is resuming their softball program after a 27-year hiatus. The Wildcats will be playing in Division I this upcoming season.

“We’ve always wanted to play Division I softball,” Jackson said.

Jason Azzarito, 21, said the move to a four year university requires more dedication in athletics. Azzarito, who golfed for CCS during the 2007-2008 season, is now playing for Gonzaga University.

“In the community colleges we had the weekends off, but now we’re pretty much going seven days a week,” Azzarito said.

Fargher said playing for CCS will ease her transition into the university level.

“It was a good idea to start out at SFCC because it helped establish us as players and leaders,” she said. “Starting out at a smaller school will help us settle in.”

Portrait of Ashley Fargher by Jeff Ferguson/ The Communicator

First-year men bring experience to golf team Brianne Davis

The Communicator The CCS men’s golf team is getting back into the swing of things after a long winter off-season.

Last year’s team placed fourth in the NWAACC tournament and were crowned the Eastern Region champions with a team made up of one sophomore and five freshmen. This year’s team is no different, with Robert Lane stepping into the role of the returning second-year. However, according to Scott Kramer, CCS men’s golf head coach, the entire team is on par with each other.

“All six of the freshmen are experienced golfers,” he said. “They don’t need a whole lot of example, but Robert is a good leader.”

Kramer has also said that he is impressed with the new team members.

“The younger guys are pretty dedicated,” he said “They know what it takes.”

This year’s team has also proven they are a force with which to be reckoned, placing first and second in five out of the seven tournaments and invitationals they’ve gone to so far.

19-year-old Sam Krause has taken individual first place honors at the Spring Spokane Cup. Krause came to CCS from Whitefish High School in Whitefish, Mont. and has been playing golf for 12 years.

Kyler Gable is also among the first-year players. He has been playing golf for six years. After playing for Coeur d’Alene High School, he came to CCS along with fellow high school teammates and firstyears, Tyler Johnson and Taylor Porter.

Edited By: Brianne Davis

Jeff Ferguson/The Communicator

The CCS men’s golf team’s recent accomplishments include a first place finish at the Yakima Apple Tree Tournament.

Gable’s favorite thing about playing for CCS is traveling to play in other parts of Wash. and Ore. This past winter’s weather has also played a significant role in the team’s off-season training.

“It’s been tough because of the weather, so we didn’t get to do a whole lot of practicing in terms of work on our golf game,” said Kramer.

He also said they had been working out with a strength and conditioning coach during the winter. This included working on stretch-

ing and flexibility.

While this year’s NWAACC championships take place next month, May 17-18 in Walla Walla, Kramer isn’t deterred, even though Walla Walla has won five of the last six NWAACC Championships.

“We’re not worried that we don’t have home course advantage,” he said. “The fact that they get to play on their home course is a little bit of a concern of ours.”

Until that time, the players have their own goals in mind, ranging from improving their game to improving their GPAs.

You got served

Improving a lackluster serve Allen Stover

The Communicator A tennis player’s first few days of practicing his serve may result in anything from several tennis balls flying outside the court, to a tennis racket flying into his partner’s face.

Beginning tennis players who are struggling with their serves have a variety of tips and techniques to choose from, that can help them improve their serving game.

CCS head tennis coach Wally Heidenson said the motion and serving is similar to how a baseball player throws a ball.

“You toss the ball up and bring the racket back, then hit the ball, sending it across the court,” Heidenson said.

Heidenson said this basic serve is known as the flat serve. He said it goes straight down the court and has the potential to be a player’s fastest serve, depending how much power they put into the swing.

Another basic serve is the slice serve. According to Scott Baker, who runs the instructional tennis website tennis4you.com, to perform a slice serve, one must brush the ball on the right side, driving the ball towards the court.

One of the more advanced serves is the kick serve. Heidenson describes a kick serve as when a player brushes the ball from the 8 to 2 o’clock position on the racket, sending it over the net. Unlike the flat serve, a kick serve causes the ball to hit the court and fly into the air.

“Depending on how hard you hit it, it can go into many different directions, “ Heidenson said.

One other advanced serve is a topspin, which is where a player brushes the ball from 6 to 12 o’clock. Baker writes that the harder a player brushes a ball, the more spin they will get.

Aside from the different kinds of serving techniques, Heindenson says one way for beginning players to improve their serves is to develop a consistent rhythm with movement and timing when they are practicing.

“Timing it and making the same motions when hitting the ball should help a lot,” Heidenson said.

The website sportfitnessadvisor. com has a list of many tennisspecific exercise programs that tennis players can read and use in their training.

Heidenson also said that to improve at serving, a player doesn’t have to go out and buy an expensive racket.

“As long as you get a quality racket that can make good contact,” Heidenson said.

page 16

April 30 - May 13, 2009

sidelines

The Communicator

Under the Freeway Brianne Davis

The Communicator Over the past 10 years, graffiti-covered walls and echoes of wheels rolling along concrete and steel have become synonymous with Spokane’s oldest skate park.

Located between Third and Fourth Avenues on South Bernard in Downtown Spokane, Under The Freeway (UTF) skate park began simply as a vacant lot where people brought their own skating gear. It officially became a city park in 1999.

“It was modeled after many

of the skateboard parks in places such as Portland and Seattle,” said Barry Russell, director of the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation.

Russell added that the park opened with the idea that the work that was done was phase one of two, but the second

Judy Johnson/ The Communicator

Cameron Tegtmeyer takes advantage of the nice weather to skate with friends at Under the Freeway.

PepHe’s

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waxes, extensions by so.cap, evening and basic styles. walk-ins welcome, nights and weekends by appointment as they do fill fast. contact Casey at 768-5227 or 325-0235

Judy Johnson/ The Communicator

phase funding never materialized.

Todd Bearden, owner of Paradigm Skate Supply at 226 S. Washington, said the existence of UTF keeps many of the businesses around it open.

“It’s a benefit for local businesses,” he said. “The fact that it’s downtown, it’s an inner-city park, it’s a 24-hour park, it’s free.”

Ben Carden, 22, one of Paradigm’s shop-sponsored skaters, says his favorite part of UTF is the environment.

“It’s a central meeting place,” he said. “You always find your friends there.”

Bearden, Carden, and Russell agree that being on the outskirts of downtown Spokane also adds to some of the negative aspects.

“There’s always gonna be the element of crime and drugs and that type of thing, but you’re going to find that almost anywhere,” said Bearden. “Having the lights off doesn’t keep people away, either.”

“A lot of the homeless people go down there and buy drugs or whatever,” adds Carden. “A lot of them are crazy people, they run around and get in your way.”

“There’s a lighting issue (and) there’s a supervision issue,”

adds Russell. “Parents aren’t letting their kids go down there.”

As far as UTF is concerned, Carden has some ideas for changes and additions.

“Have the lights turned back on, and (put) more stuff in there,” he says. “Every time we put something in there, they take it out the next day.”

Bearden, also an experienced skater, adds, “putting quarter pipes up the walls would make it feel more like a real skate park.”

According to Russell, skaters in the Spokane area will have more choices with the construction of a new 14,000 square foot skate park over by Joe Albi Stadium.

“We found out that the larger concrete bowls were very successful,” he said. “When we go to construct, we will be bringing on only companies that have had at least five years of experience building skate parks.”

Russell said the new park should be open in fall of 2010.

Additional links: Paradigm Skate Supply www.myspace.com/ paradigmskatesupply Spokane Parks and Rec www.spokaneparks.org