March against budget cuts Teachers, students and union members rally for education funding
STEVE HILL / TIMES STAFF
Community College of San Francisco English teacher and president of AFT 2121 Alisa Messer gives a shout out to members of the Federation of Teachers at the One Mile March for Fairness in downtown San Jose on April 13. The march was organized by the California Teachers Union to bring attention to budget cuts that affect education as well as proposed cuts to pensions and salaries of city of San Jose employees. California, we are slowly mov- that when people’s voices are fully funded by tax dollars.” lars and with many college stuBY JERICA LOWMAN ing students into obscurity.” heard, the people up there (city Different unions came to dents having to now pay more TIMES STAFF The mile-long march to city hall) hear them.” support the teachers and stu- for units, this goes right along After the mile march, there dents in their movement. The with the budget cut crisis. Teachers, students, and union hall was enthusiastic and shouts “They’re asking you to live on workers from around Califor- of encouragement could be was a rally in the plaza with dif- unions included The United nia gathered at Plaza de Ce- heard throughout downtown, ferent speakers from unions and Food and Commercial Work- eight dollars an hour and pay 46 sar Chavez Park in the middle including, “When teachers schools districts. Teachers and ers, which, according to their dollars per unit for classes,” said of downtown San Jose and and students are under attack, students from not only colleges, website, is union consisting of Khalid White, African Amerimarched to city hall to speak out what do we do? Stand up, fight but elementary schools, junior 1.3 million members standing can History instructor. “That’s highs and high schools gathered together to improve the lives and six hours of working for a miniagainst budget cuts on Friday, back!” “The goal of this march was to listen. livelihoods of workers, families, mum wage job for only one unit, April 13. “The key message that we and communities. not even a full class! It doesn’t “We hope to bring more at- to tell Chuck Reed that worker’s One topic during the speeches make sense.” tention in the idea that we have pensions should not be attacked were trying to get across was the Students were inspired by to invest into education, we and not be compromised,” education is not a privilege, but was about the petition going have to bring education into the said Barbara Hanfling, Ex- a right,” said Neil Silverman, a around colleges to raise the min- the march, stood by teachreach of the masses,” said David ecutive Director of the Faculty teacher at Independence High imum wage in San Jose to 10 ers and union workers the Yancey, history instructor. “In Association. “I always believe School. “Education should be dollars an hour from eight dolSee March page 3
Playing with Jaguars
KinderCaminata brings kids to campus
BY LINH NGUYEN TIMES STAFF
STEPHANIE SMITH / TIMES STAFF
Robert Redmond, kindergarten student from Painter Elementary, pulls the school mascot’s tail during their tour of San Jose City College on April 19.
More than 750 students from Alum Rock School District took a tour around San Jose City College for its seventh annual KinderCaminata visit on April 19. SJCC students and teachers set up booths outside the Student Center and inside the gym to introduce their programs to the little guests. Jennifer Neil, director of student life, said this year, besides other academic departments, there are more presentations by Valley Transit Authority, San Jose Water Company, the county federal bank and San Jose library joining the kindergarten day.
The kids were introduced to the Emergency Medical Services group and police officers and talked about their dreams of being a policeman or paramedic. SJCC’s sports teams also spent time playing games with those little athletics on the fields. “I see this as an opportunity for those kids to look at different careers and what they want to do in their life at a very young age. You can create a fantasy seed that will grow into a big beautiful tree,” said Rich Saito, San Jose police officer. The day provided fun for the parents as well. Anamilet Pelarosa, mother of one of the students said, “My son is so excited. I’ve never seen him be this happy.”
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Objectivity lost When journalists lie, our greatest weapon against injustice dies Journalists are taught to be objective and unbiased, but no matter what they are taught they all look through a lens of their personality and experiences that may affect their outlook. The problem happening to journalism today is that some so-called journalists are turning news into something more entertaining than informative because entertainment is more profitable. This is hurting journalists’ integrity and objectivity because others look to these pundits for informative news and receive nothing but opinion. Without integrity and objectivity, journalists are not any different than the average blogger with a website and a cellphone camera. The coverage of the death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman is the best example in recent news of how the objective truth can be warped for better readership and viewership. The initial reports were of an African-American teen being killed by a white neighborhood watch volunteer in cold blood, while the later reports show Zimmerman to be a Hispanic man who was attacked and defended himself against an aggressor.
Photographs of the two originally showed a 12-yearold Martin as a happy kid next to Zimmerman in the orange jumpsuit in prison. Later photos were leaked that showed Martin dressed like a gang member and Zimmerman smiling in a suit. But the damage was already done to the public consciousness who immediately jumped behind Martin, some demanding that Zimmerman be given capital punishment for his crimes. The latest problem in this case comes from a 911 tape. The tape originally has Zimmerman describing Martin as “looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining, and he’s just walking around, looking about.” Only after the dispatcher asks Martin’s ethnicity does Zimmerman respond, “He looks black.” This is edited down by NBC to, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good.... He looks black.” Instead of editing down this 911 tape NBC should have run it in entirety, and while they commented that this was not done to contextualize the message the damage was done. The editors of the show
In response to the March 6 newspaper “Longtime English teacher” article: I am Kathleen Colligan’s brother and would like to commend Mr. Hill on his excellent article. It was a fitting tribute to my beloved sister and I believe that she too would have be touched by it. Bob Colligan In response to the March 20 newsletter “Summer Cuts” article: Students need these classes. Perhaps we can solve this budget shortage by getting a lot of these students off of financial aid who also happen to be on a 5 year plan. There are too many people here wandering the campus aimlessly while trying to figure out what to do with their life, spliff in hand. Save the money for the students who are working the hardest and showing improvement, and a desire for learning. Samina Patel
should have thought about the objectivity for their show rather than the extra two seconds cut off of the phone call. Zimmerman has not been convicted of second-degree murder, but he is being charged for the crime. The journalism done about this event shows him as one already guilty and has affected public opinion in such a way that causes a grave misconception in public opinion. Student journalists have been in an uproar over the rules and tenets being broken that are taught in their classes. “We put our trust into the hands of the media to give us fair and accurate news. Who can we trust if the media reports unfairly and inaccurately?” Carly Yamrus said in an article for The Beacon, newspaper for Wilkes University in Wilkes, Penn.. The power of journalism to take information and edit it for public consumption has been misused to force opinions on people and that has turned the people against journalism. The reputation for the next generation of journalists must be protected from this sensationalized entertainment that is hurting the profession and the public at large.
How do you feel about military recruiters on campus?
SPEAK O
UT
BY LINH NGUYEN / TIMES STAFF
Huy Nguyen Age: 19 Major: Biochemistry They ask for volunteering, so I think it is good for people here to learn a way to help the country. I think that’s the right thing to do and they should come here.
Bella Virelas Age: 21 Major: Criminal Law They should go to other places and recruit other people rather than students. They say a lot of things that end up confusing students, and make them think being in the militay is easy.
Roger Smith Age:20 Major: Undecided I think it’s a good idea to influence people to go to the military. I would love to go to the military. If they come and ask me, I will volunteer.
Christina Gumbin Age: 19 Major: Education I think it is a really good idea so that people can get an idea if they want to pursue that career or not.
Jeff Hartung Age: 32 Major: Environmental Studies I think the recruiters should go everywhere. There are some people who are unable to find a good job; the military may sound good to them.
Jennifer Trinh Age: 22 Major: Business I think it’s better if people come to them rather than they come and persuade people to go to the military. The military is good for those people who can’t afford to go to school.
Dear Editor, I would like to extend a huge thank you from the whole student body for providing us with such a great newspaper. I would also like to thank all of you for the effort you and your staff put into the newspaper every day; I know it must not be easy to abide by various deadlines to get everything done on time. The newspaper is a great source of information filled with great info about activities happening on campus as well as off; it is what I turn to when I need to know per say when a basketball game is taken place and where. Once again thank you for providing the San Jose City College students, staff, and faculty with a quality newspaper. Martha Cazares, 19, student tutor
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No transfers to SJSU for spring 2013 Budget cuts force local preference enrollment changes BY STEVE HILL TIMES STAFF
San Jose State University plans to freeze enrollment for the spring 2013 semester because of a drastic reduction in state funding. “State support for California State Universities has plummeted. We are talking about a $750 million cut in one year with the potential for $250 more in trigger cuts later this year,” said SJSU media relations director Pat Lopes Harris. Harris said new admission guidelines for spring 2013 will affect local high school students and community college transfer students who once relied on local enrollment priority. All students are now required to state a first- and second-major choices. Students not accepted into their preferred majors may be accepted as undeclared majors instead. “Where SJSU was able to admit all CSU applicants in the past, now we are only going to admit some in the future,” Harris said. Harris said the school is moving from a local area guarantee to a local area preference; but the threshold for admission is higher for locals than in the past, and the criteria
March from page 1
whole time and voiced their opinions on the unfairness of the budget cuts. “I want the rich to be taxed and have at least part of that money put into education so it can be better in California,” said Evergreen student, Yasmin Garcia, 20, criminal justice and sociology major.
for acceptance will be harder. “In the short term, most local students who are attempting to transfer to SJSU will be admitted as it was in the past,” Harris said. “Over the long term, it will be more difficult. Grades and test scores will matter more than ever. For transfers, grade-point average matters more.” Tuan Ngo, Director/General Counselor of the Career/Transfer Center, said students must be prepared for impaction at state colleges and take a proactive approach to transferring. “I always recommend students consider several school options and apply to at least three schools to cover all bases,” Ngo said. Ngo said it is also necessary to meet with a counselor to understand what individual major requirements are at prospective schools in order to increase the chances of being accepted. “See us (counselors) when you have 15 to 30 units, no later than the second semester you are here, to develop an educational/transfer plan” Ngo said. Academic Advising Specialist Carol Vasquez said that students have to be strategic and seek out
other options. “Students must find out what other programs there are,” Vasquez said. “We have to look at what other opportunities await them besides SJSU.” One way the Transfer Center is being proactive on students’ behalf is by introducing them to other campuses. “We’re doing bus tours to let students see other schools, like Davis, San Francisco State, University of California at Santa Cruz and Berkeley,” Vasquez said. “We are trying to help our students look beyond our backdoor.” According to the SJSU website, SJSU President Mohammad Qayoumi blamed state officials for the dire climate for freshman college students and transfers. “This situation is caused by the failure of our elected officials in Sacramento to adequately fund the CSU in general and SJSU in particular,” Qayoumi said. “We Californians have failed to make the hard but important decisions to invest in the future of our youth.” The next Transfer Center bus tour is Friday, April 27. Contact the Transfer Center in room SC216 for more information.
“I want to have my voice heard, and I want to make a change.” “I’m really passionate and I’m really proud of myself and happy that I’m a part of this,” said Evergreen student, Maria Pina-Carrasco, 29, Business administration. “It’s making me learn more about what I can do for my community versus when I use to limit myself.” In the end, no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation or so-
cial status, everyone came together to fight for their rights. “One rally won’t change the conditions in San Jose and are certainly not going to be bring more funding to higher education or K-12 education,” said Joshua Pechthalt, President of the California Federation of Teachers. “It’s part of building the kind of movement that we need to build in order to make spending for our community a priority.”
STEPHANIE SMITH / TIMES STAFF
M.E.Ch.A. Carshow lowrides again Visit http://SJCCTimes.com for a photo slideshow and article on the third car show and scholarship fundraiser by Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán and Streetlow Magazine on April 22.
JONATHAN MARINARO / TIMES STAFF
Taco trucks take over Heritage Park The San Jose Taco Festival of Innovation brought the best of the best taco trucks. Read the reviews at http://SJCCTimes.com.
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Polynesian body art Tattoo artwork expresses students’ culture and history BY DUTCHES RICHARDS TIMES STAFF
On the campus of San Jose City College, students carry their own identity. Some of the students show artwork on their bodies that reflect their culture and family history. Body art is also known as tattoo designing on the human body. Having a tattoo can be just for the looks, meaning having your favorite animal, symbol or quote that will look good to you on your body. To some there are strong symbolic meanings that connect to their family and culture of where they come from. According to SJCC football coach Kevin Nishihara, 30 of his students have traveled to California from the islands of Hawai’i, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga and are on the athletic program here at SJCC. Nishihara said the majority of his athletic students carry those symbolic tattoos, which are known to the Pacific Islanders as Polynesian tribals. The Polynesian tribals are made up of different shapes, lines, curves and shading. Each of these elements in the tribals have different and specific meanings. In the Polynesian culture, both culture and family are the main priority. Eighteen-year-old Josh (Sua)
Times earns state awards
Photography dominates competitions
BY JERICA LOWMAN TIMES STAFF
Steve Hill, web editor, and Stephanie Smith, photo editor, staff members of the San Jose City College Times, brought home photography awards from the Journalism Association of Community Colleges conference in Burbank, Calif., on March 24. Hill won second place for a bring-in photo contest and third place for both the feature photo and on-the-spot sports photo competition. Smith won second place for an on-the-spot news photo competition. “Being recognized by the JACC is not only a great honor for me, but a great honor for San Jose City College,” Hill said. “In a practical sense, these awards are an important part of my portfolio and give me an edge in applying for internships or jobs.” This conference was Smith’s third time attending and her second time winning an on-thespot award. “It’s great to meet and compete against people in the same
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO DARIA BROWN
PHOTO BY DUTCHES RICHARDS
Cy Pana, 18, undecided major, shows a tattoo that depicts his family history.
Lepisi said the full tribal sleeve on his left arm helps him by motivating him to do well in everything he does. Lepisi is Samoan, and the style of his tribal is a Samoan-style done by a tattoo artist in Washington, where Lepisi once lived. “It’s a family thing,” Lepisi said. “Like I said, it’s my motivation to help push myself forward to do good in everything that I do
Kenny Brown, business major, 21, touches up a tattoo in Milpitas on April 14. in my life.” Tattoo artist Kenny Brown, 21, is part Samoan, Hawaiian and African-American, and the tribals on his body come from his two Polynesian backgrounds. Brown’s chest piece connects to his arm into a sleeve that is designed in a Marquesas style, which was done by Brown’s uncle. “Everything on my chest represents all the bad things that I’ve done and been through in my life,” Brown said. Connecting from his chest to his shoulder,
the story behind his tribal is the promises that he has made to both God and himself that he will not repeat the bad things he has done in his past. In the Hawaiian culture, Hawaiians have the “’aumakua” or the family god. Brown’s piece on his right leg is of his family’s “’aumakua,” which is a shark and triangles that represent protection. It is now Brown’s second year of tattooing, and he has done tattoos on hundreds of people in the Bay Area.
“Tattooing was never part of the plan,” said Brown. “But after tattooing my first client, it was a great feeling.” Brown said he enjoys what he does and feels that he has found his life career. Being able to draw new designs and be creative is not the only thing he enjoys about his business. Passing on his knowledge of his culture is what fulfills him inside. “The fact that I get to pass on my culture and knowledge to others makes me happy.”
Instructor inspired by women’s history
Manian’s SJCC classes are growing BY JERICA LOWMAN TIMES STAFF
PHOTO BY FARIDEH DADA / TIMES INSTRUCTOR
Times staff members (from left) Jerica Lowman, Olivia Payne, Jon Caires, Stephanie Smith, Jonathan Marinaro, Steve Hill and Cordell Kintner attend the JACC conference dinner in Burbank, Calif., on March 24. educational field from different locations around California,” Smith said. “I would attend another conference in a heartbeat.” According to their website, JACC is a non-profit educational corporation located in California and dedicated to community college journalism. An elected board of directors who represent both students and faculty runs it. There were 45 schools present at the conference and approximately 550 participants from as far north as Santa Rosa, as far south as Chula Vista on the U.S./ Mexican border and as far east as Rhode Island. This year’s conference had a venue that was new for JACC and it was to help students increase their knowledge in the usage and familiarity of Twitter as a source of media. The organization’s competitions not only recognize the outstanding work done by journalism students throughout the school year on their own publications, but they put students to the test under deadline pressure, which is very important in the industry.
“I think the conference is a good opportunity for journalism students to meet and network with their peers, faculty from four-year programs and media professionals,” said Mary Mazzocco, Diablo Valley College instructor and JACC president. By attending the competition, and competing against the different community colleges from around California, City College Times had the opportunity to learn from students just like them. “Through the connections and competition at JACC, we have formed a strong collective with community colleges throughout the state and nation,” City College Times Editor in Chief Jon athan Marinaro said. “This helps the program and the students within it become better professionals and journalists.” Recently, Hill was also announced as a winner for the California Newspaper Publishers Association for Campus Excellence in Journalism contest.
Padma Manian, Women’s History instructor, said ever since she can remember, she had always been interested in reading story books, especially those about kings, queens and fairytales. Since she was 13, she dreamed of coming to America because of her sister who came to the U.S. for an open heart surgery, which, at that time, could not be performed in India, where she is from. “Since then, our entire family felt grateful to this generous and great nation,” Manian said. Her family did not have much money, but her parents gave her all that they could, including a good-quality education. She said she looks back at that her experience as a young woman and is grateful because it held build her self-confidence. She moved to California from Wisconsin, where she was teaching history at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. Manian teaches two courses related to women: Women in American History and Introduction to Women’s Studies. The first one, a history course, is chronological and discusses women from pre-colonial to present times in America. “I took this class because I wanted to learn more about women in history and specifically their role,” said James Whitaker, 40, human behavioral science major. “You always hear about men in American history and you don’t hear much about women.”
The other course mostly discusses current women’s issues and provides a broad overview of the issues and methods of Women’s Studies. “She’s very thorough and gives a lot of information,” said Josie Philips, 29, History major. “I didn’t think it (women’s history) was important before I took this class.” Manian said she became interested in history in school and eventually got her B.A., M.A and Ph.D in history. “Women’s issues were in the fore when I did my Ph.D., which is why I specialized in women’s history,” Manian said. Manian said she introduced the course in 2001 and then, there were only three students took the class, all of whom were men. “My dean, Pat Gerster, allowed me to continue the course in spite of this low enrollment. Since then, the course has taken off and now I have about 40 students per semester.” Often, male students ask her if the climate in the class will be anti-men, but she assures them that the class is intended to provide students with a different view on history, not to criticize the actions of men. “Her women’s history class is a critical addition to our history curriculum,” said Pat Gerster, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Have every man you know register for the class. It would help them greatly.” Manian said women’s history, like all history, is important for us to learn about ourselves. “We can then use this knowledge to decide how to proceed in the future.”
Seafood Watch app makes being ocean-friendly a snap New feature locates other sustainable seafood outlets BY STEVE HILL TIMES STAFF
STEVE HILL/TIMES STAFF
Customers make a choice at Stagnaro Brothers Outdoor Fish Market on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on April 18.
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program reaches out to environmentally-conscious consumers with a mobile app that lists recommendations on buying ocean-friendly seafood. The program was launched in 1999 as a way to raise consumer awareness about the plight of the ocean’s fisheries and fills an information gap for consumers since fish are generally not labeled as ocean friendly. The app is based on Seafood Watch’s pocket guides that use a color-coded ranking system to advise the public on whether a species of fish is caught or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Most choices are evaluated on several criteria, such as fishery, habitat, species
and management practices. The mobile app was first introduced in 2010 and allows seafood consumers to check the sustainability of seafood they buy. “We’ve labeled the choices best, acceptable alternative and avoid, but the reasons why each of those is in that category is very varied, so I can’t say that everything in “avoid” is overfished because it’s not that simple,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium’s communications liaison Alison Barratt. Seafood markets and restaurants use the Seafood Watch guidelines from the app and website to make sure they are buying from sustainable fisheries. Stagnaro Bros. Seafood on the Santa Cruz municipal wharf in Santa Cruz, Calif., follows the recommendations to ensure that fish stocks remain plentiful. “Consumers do not want us to sell seafood that is not sustainable,” said Stagnaro’s manager Hector De La Cruz. “We buy most of our fish from Alaska based on Seafood Watch information. The only local fish we sell now is petrale sole.” The app was just recently updated to include a new feature. “In the beginning we didn’t have Project Fishmap, so that’s the
feature that lets you tag where you find ocean-friendly seafood and other people can see where you found those items,” Barratt said. To use the app, enter the species name and the program delivers recommendations right to your mobile device. For example, there are multiple choices for salmon ranging from best choice to salmon to try to avoid. The reasons for the listings are displayed below each entry, and additional information is also available to consumers on the MBA website (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org). “The pocket guides and app are designed to raise consumer awareness more than anything,” Barratt said, “to say we wish the oceans were doing better and here is how you can be a part of it. You can be a part of the solution. Know that your choices make a difference.” Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to decide whether to follow the recommendations or not. “The whole idea of the pocket guides (and app) is that people will trust that we have done the homework and that we are saying this is the best bin (category) to put this (seafood) into right now. It’s up to you to choose,” Barratt said.
‘Chics’ deliver soulful rock album
Band wows with gritty, energetic tracks TIMES STAFF
“Keep Em Flying,” Branden Daniel and the Chics’ breakout album, comes on hard and fast, immersing the listener in a wave of bluesy guitar, raw vocals and strong rhythm. The Seattle-based band’s album benefits from the addition of Aaron Schroeder on baritone guitar and Matt Winter on drums, both of whom joined the lineup after meeting Daniel during a tour. The album opens with the hardhitting, riff-driven “All Things Chic,” a song reminiscent of The Black Keys. A bouncy overdriven guitar is heard throughout the song, accompanying the vocals, which bemoan the bombardment of the public by the media. The message is translated into music
well with a sporadic, dissonant guitar riff and staccato lyrics. The song sets the tone for the upbeat songs on the album, including the bluesy “Missionary,” the call-and-return “Mor Yay” and the punchy “Burns.” The band is not afraid to leave the rabble-rousing behind, however, venturing into new territory with “Hey, Howie,” a song about lost friendship that laments with melancholic vocals and a synthdriven chorus. Another slow song, “Not Like Anything,” was written on the fly at 2 a.m. and is the album’s most aptly named song, employing somber vocals and siren-like strings. The band shines with “Feel Real,” the biggest song of the album. The song begins with a foreboding a cappella harmony
but quickly gains momentum as other instruments join in, seeming to symbolize the erratic nature of the song’s theme, emotion. Another highlight of the album is the soaring “Keep Em Flying,” a song about Daniel’s grandfather, a bombardier who was a POW during World War II. Daniel uses the upper half of his vocal range to sing the heartfelt lyrics, propelling the song forward with an optimistic melody and falsetto harmonies. The album has its low points, however, and the band loses momentum in “So Alone,” because of a repetitive melody and overly simplistic rhythm section. Despite mild shortcomings, the ‘Chics’ deliver a solid album, with powerful rock songs and soulful slow songs, earning the album 9 out of 10 stars.
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Up, up and away SJCC student Cruz breaks state community college record in the women’s pole vault at Stanford
STEPHANIE SMITH / TIMES STAFF
Diamara Planell Cruz practices pole vaulting techniques at San Jose City College on April 12.
BY ANALICIA NAJERA TIMES STAFF
Diamara Planell Cruz joined the San Jose City College track team this season and has already reached the new California State Community College record in the women’s pole vault with 12 feet 7 1/2 inches in the Collegiate Section at Stanford University on April 6. “Setting it this early is impressive,” track and field head coach David Flynn said. “Her work is unbelievable, and she is an amazing athlete.” Her assistant coach, Brandon Vance said she needed to compete with Div. 1 athletes and that was why Stanford was a good meet. Before pole vaulting, Cruz was in gymnastics for seven years. She said her school in Bayamón, Puerto Rico did not have pole vaulting available for women. “You had to seek a coach,” Cruz said.
MEET JAGUAR ATHLETES
COMPILED BY ANALICIA NAJERA AND DUTCHES RICHARDS TIMES STAFF
Frank Valdez Event: Sprinter Age: 22 Major: Communications Frank Valdez is in his first season as a sprinter with SJCC track. Valdez said he has been improving on his speed and is getting stronger throughout practices. He described his coach Adolph Joesph Bush Jr. as a positive and funny man that tries to help him succeed. After graduating from Los Banos High School, Valdez made the SJCC football team last season as a running back. He became interested in joining track this year because he has speed and wanted to try it out. His goal for the season is to do well at meets and achieve good timing. After SJCC, Valdez said he plans on attending Stanford for either track or football. His biggest influence on his life is God because he got him to where he is today. Also his aunt who passed away last year, because she was a supportive, mother figure when she took care of him at 10 years old.
Viet Duong Events: Hammer, discus, javelin, shotput Age: 20 Major: Undecided Viet Duong is beginning his first season with SJCC track by competing in allthrowing events. Duong said he has been improving overall in his motion, speed and power. Duong became interested in track because he thought it would take up time and keep him healthy, but now he said he loves the competition. He started in the seventh grade with the 100-yard dash and continued at Milpitas High School. His goal for the season is to make it to state along with his teammates. After SJCC, Duong said he plans on attending San Jose State University, but if he gets offered something, then he will go to wherever it takes him. The athletic accomplishment he is most proud of is when he received a football MVP award for defense in high school. Another is when he received “athlete of the year” after playing football in high school for four years.
“It’s like you want to break a barrier,” Cruz said. “It wasn’t available for women, but one girl went against the federation and it opened a door.” After moving from Puerto Rico, Cruz attended Los Altos High School for her junior year, where she began pole vaulting for their track and field team. Her personal record for high school pole vaulting was 11 feet and 6 inches. Now at SJCC, Cruz said she has been having a successful season improving her personal record by over a foot and is working on her technique with the help of her coach. “He’s really on you about your performance,” Cruz said about Vance. “But he’s looking out for your best interest.” Cruz said Vance and Flynn are supportive and involved in working together on what the pole vaulters need, such as constructive criticism on their performance and equipment for her and fellow pole vaulters, Aaron Medinck and Emily Soley. “This is a group of good athletes that are trying to grow and get better,” Vance said. “I’m always
pleased with their performance because it puts a smile on their face.” Cruz’s three goals for the season are to reach her personal record of 13 feet and 1 1/2 inches and break the junior division (a category defined by age) pole vault record in Puerto Rico, which is 13’3-1/2 inches. She also wants to make the junior world champions meet in Barcelona and the junior Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation in El Salvador over the summer. After SJCC, Cruz, who majors in human physiology with a minor in psychology, plans on attending the University of Washington in Seattle. “My parents and Brandon (Vance) have been there the entire time making sacrifices,” Cruz said. “I would not be here without their help and the team’s effort. Like when we held the pancake fundraiser.” She said her athletic accomplishment she is most proud of is overcoming obstacles and finding ways to do what she likes. “Everything is getting better in practices,” Vance said. “She is starting to scratch on her abilities on what she can do.”
Is there a San Jose City College athlete you would like The Times to profile? Please send us your suggestions to citycollegetimes@jaguars.sjcc.edu
Cut out the heavy spending Money-saving coupons are easy to find BY OLIVIA PAYNE TIMES STAFF
Many of us have been affected by the recession because of layoffs, pay cuts and rising prices. According to the California Energy Almanac website, gas prices have increased 52 cents since Feb. 13. To save money in this economy, people look for special deals that will give them more for their dollar. The newest money-saving trend is couponing. You can still use name brand products without paying outrageous prices. It is easy to get started; check your email. You could have an inbox full of savings without even knowing it. If you are a frequent shopper or a registered user, department stores, restaurants and websites send emails with sale announcements and coupons. Coupons are everywhere; they appear in the Sunday newspaper, in magazines, on store shelves, on products and on the back of your receipts. Online Shopping: Surf the web; there are many websites that offer free coupons or promotional codes. Promotional Codes (http://promotionalcodes. com) offers online deals including free shipping or discounts on your order. Another useful site that can give instant savings to your online purchase is Retail Me Not
Items selected are from the daily police logs from the Santa Clara County Police contributed from http://CrimeReports.com and San Jose Evergreen Community College District campus police.
(http://retailmenot.com). It offers a search engine to locate all promotional discount codes available for online shopping. Retail: The website that has launched thousands of couponers is Krazy Coupon Lady (http://thekrazycouponlady.com). The extreme couponing website does all the research for you. It offers printable coupons and shows you which coupons you should look for in the Sunday paper. It does a price comparison of a sale item so you can locate which retail store has it at the lowest price. Grocery: Another great website with printable coupons and a savings guide is Coupon Mom (http://couponmom.com). The website is focused on grocery savings and promises to cut your grocery bill in half. Social: Discover the best in your city. Living Social (http://livingsocial.com) offers discounts on local spas, restaurants, shops and travel. It gives you an opportunity to plan fun family outings and vacations. Applications: With more than five million downloads, the most popular money saving mobile application is Groupon. Groupon works with popular businesses to negotiate discounts of 50 to 90 percent. The daily deals are sent to all of its subscribers through emails and social networking. It is time to eliminate those last minute trips to the store where you purchase everything at whole price. Be smart, think ahead and coupon.
A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 18 at 9:54 p.m. A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 18 at 11:49 a.m. A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 15 at 1:51 p.m. An assault and battery occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 15 at 12:10 a.m. An assault with a deadly weapon occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 14 at 12:18 p.m. A vehicle was stolen on Fruitdale Avenue and Southwest Expressway on April 12 at 9:11 a.m. A vehicle was stolen on the 1500 block of Southwest Expressway on April 17 at 7:59 a.m. A vehicle was stolen on the 700 block of Menker Avenue on April 11 at 11:25 p.m. A vehicle was stolen on the 900 block of Leigh Avenue on April 11 at 2:43 a.m. A vehicle was stolen on the 2000 block of Beatrice Court on April 10 at 8:14 a.m. A grand theft occurred on the 1600 block of Parkmoor Avenue on April 10 at 12:28 p.m.
COMPILED BY OLIVIA PAYNE / TIMES STAFF
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
COMPILED BY LINH NGUYEN / TIMES STAFF
What kind of music do you dislike?
Tuesday, April 24 ■ SJECCD Board of Trustees Meeting at San Jose City College 6 p.m. ■ Softball—SJCC vs. Hartnell, SJCC, 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 25 ■ Track and field—Conference Championships, Hayward, all day Thursday, April 26 ■ Last day to drop and receive a “W” on your record ■ Campus store will be closed due to inventory ■ Dealing with Disruptive Students/Assisting the Emotionally Distressed Students (Part 2). The presenters will be Mary Crocker-Cook, Jennifer Neil and Karen Pullen in GE 118, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. ■ District Budget Committee Meeting in T-112 (WI), 3 p.m.
Name: Sandra Franco Age: 22 Major: Biological Science
It probably would be rap. Because it has too many bad words, and it just talks about really dumb things. I just don’t understand how people can really like it. It doesn’t make any sense to me. It just talks about party girls and a bunch of bad words. The melody is all right but not the lyrics.
Name: Robert Holmes Age: 37 Major: English
Name: Loan Trac Age: 18 Major: Nursing
Friday, April 27 ■ Campus store will be closed due to inventory
The one that I really dislike would be death metal or something that is really loud but actually has no rhythm, no melody and just noise. The lyrics, if they’re talking, that’s fine, but they’re screaming at me, then no.
I don’t like rock. I just can’t understand what they are singing. The lyrics, the melody and the screaming are not really my type. And I don’t like rap, but I can listen to it.
■ UC Santa Cruz bus tour 9 a.m.-3 p.m. sign up in the Career/Transfer Center SC-216A ■ Track and field—Conference Championships, Hayward, all day Saturday, April 28 ■ Track and field—Conference Championships, Hayward, all day Monday, April 30 ■ Golf—Rancho Canada Golf Course (W), Carmel, 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 ■ Academic Senate Meeting in SC-204, 2:10 p.m. Friday, May 4 ■ Track and field—Norcal Trials, College of San Mateo, all day
Name: Luong Thach Age: 60 Major: English
Name: Emerald Francis Age: 23 Major: Business Administration
Name: Jose Lara Age: 53 Major: Day custodian
I don’t like rap music because it’s weird to me and gives me a headache.
I don’t really listen to music, but I guess the kind of music I dislike would be heavy metal. It gives me a headache. I prefer more relaxing and smooth.
I don’t like rap. It makes no sense to me. But I listen to rock.
■ Online FAFSA workshop in the Transfer Center SC-216P 11 a.m. Monday, May 7 ■ Golf—Norcal: Diablo Granada Golf and Country Club, Patterson, 7:30 a.m.