The Advocate - March 30, 2011

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B campus beat ◆ page 5

Mourned

CMYK

Hot rods exhibited

Former board member dies

Automotive department hosts showcase

CMYK

campus beat ◆ page 6

scene ◆ page 8

‘Battle’ confuses Messy sci-fi flick fails to entertain

VOL. 96, NO. 18

SINCE 1950 8 PAGES, ONE COPY FREE

Thieves target foreign pupils

THE WEEKLY STUDENT VOICE OF CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE, SAN PABLO, CALIF.

Tuition will see $10 hike

CUTTING QUALITY

SB70, increase signed

by Gov. Jerry Brown

By Alexandra Waite NEWS EDITOR

awaite.advocate@gmail.com

A recent increase in assaults and robberies against students at the Bus Transfer Center this semester has shown international students to be targeted, Police Services Chief Charles Gibson said.

Since the beginning of the semester, three student robberies have occurred at the Bus Transfer Center, in addition to another robbery that occurred within a block of the criminally active hot spot involving two international students who were held at gunpoint on March 15.

On their way home during a break between classes at approximately 3:30 p.m., 29year-old Foday Kamara and 21-year-old Jean Muelan were approached by two suspects, one carrying a hand gun, who demanded they surrender their belongings on the corner of San Pablo Avenue and College Lane.

The suspects attempted to steal Muelan’s gold watch but did not succeed. Instead, they stole Kamara’s backpack and cell phone before running off in the direction of the Del Camino Valencia housing area.

“That’s what happens in the majority of these (near) campus robberies,” Police Services Sgt. Jose Oliveira said. “There have been more off-campus robberies (than on campus.)”

After the robbery, the two students returned to the campus and notified English as a second language professor Karen Platt of the incident, who went with the students to report the crime to Police Services at 4:30 p.m.

“I feel especially bad for students who come from a country with bad problems, then have to face this,” Platt said.

The recent robberies at the Bus Transfer Center have created concern within the ESL department over the safety of its international students, she said.

Gibson said international students are prone to being targeted because they are often not aware of the consequences that may result from openly displaying electronics and being unaware of their surroundings at the Bus Transfer Center.

■ SEE ROBBERY: Page 4

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 ACCENTADVOCATE.COM

By Adam Oliver NEWS EDITOR

aoliver.advocate@gmail.com

While the magnitude of California’s budgetary cuts remains overwhelmingly unpredictable, the state’s 2.9 million community college students can expect one thing for sure: fees will increase from $26 to $36 per unit in the fall.

SB70, the education trailer bill signed into effect Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown, includes a 38 percent fee increase as well as a $129 million deferral from the end of the 2011-12 fiscal year to be re-paid in October 2012. Cumulative reductions to the California Community College system now stand at $510 million.

Attempting to fill the gaps in Brown’s budget, the motion comes down hard on the backs of students, President McKinley Williams said.

“It seems like they are very eager to tax students,” he said. “These types of moves are really damaging to our investment in the future.”

And even though the increase was expected, some students can’t help but feel enraged.

“It’s going to affect people. We live in Richmond. We’re already strapped for cash,” student Roberto Cortez Jr. said.

■ SEE CUTS: Page 4 GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Skilled precision — Dental assisting department Chairwoman Sandra Everhart (top) assists dental student Cindy Quach (bottom) in AA-206 on Monday.

PROGRAM SCRAPPED

By Sam Attal

Services damaged

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

sattal.advocate@gmail.com

Graduates from Contra Costa College’s dental assisting program are practically guaranteed jobs in the growing field. For many years, local dentists have counted on CCC’s dental assisting program for its well-trained workers and interns.

But after fall 2011, CCC students interested in dental assisting will have to transfer to community colleges outside of the district or consider attending proprietary schools that cost almost seven times as much.

The program is being suspended indefinitely beginning spring 2012 because of a lack of demand and a high cost of operation at a time when the college faces a $4 million cut in the 2011-12 fiscal year, college President McKinley Williams said.

“We just don’t have the student demand to fund that program,” Williams said.

The department, which has been in existence since the college was birthed in 1950, is an accredited program that excels in providing students with the skills they need to work in dental offices, department Chairwoman

By Rodney Woodson STAFF WRITER

rwoodson.advocate@gmail.com

Great desire, few slots “Students come out very well prepared,” Everhart said. “Our students are getting jobs and that’s important.”

Everhart said although the program costs the college about $150,000 to run yearly, it has never faced a problem with filling classes.

“I don’t believe that there isn’t a desire (for students to enroll in dental classes). There is definitely interest,” she said. “There’s always a discussion about enrollment (among administration).”

The low enrollment can be attributed to the standards set by the American Dental Association and the Dental Board of California to accredit dental assisting programs. Everhart

Student services, building revenue and college employees all took a hit due to the darkness on campus last week.

On March 17, Contra Costa College suffered a power outage that lasted until March 22 and though classes resumed that day, the Student Activities Building remained closed and powerless and didn’t re-open until Monday.

College Bookstore Manager Janis Walsh said, “(We lost) between $4,000 and $5,000 per day in gross sales every day that the store (was) closed.”

Bookstore supply buyer Nick Dunn said 2.25 percent of the store’s gross sales goes to the school.

“We basically lost six full days of sales and we lost quite a few book sales for late-start classes.”

In addition to losing money in gross sales, the Bookstore also took a product loss. Walsh said the store lost close to $600 in perishable food items.

■ SEE DENTAL: Page 4

■ SEE SA BUILDING: Page 4

Sandra Everhart said.

Qigong class offers peace, relaxation ART DIRECTOR

gmorin.advocate@gmail.com

Students begin their Qigong class Friday mornings by standing in a circle and relaxing together by feeling the healing power of their own “Qi,” or vital force.

Qigong is an ancient perspective and practical practice for self help. Self help is the main focus of the Qigong medical practice.

Through individual effort, practitioners strive to build up their health and prevent illness by combining discipline of mind, body and the body’s Qi, professor Alex GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE Feng said.

Holistic healing — Student Katherine Smith practices Qigong positions during “I was destined for a spiritual life,” Dr. her physical education Qi-gong class in GA-20 on Friday.

Feng said. “Since my youth, I have been

gifted with healing powers for both myself and for others.”

Qigong is defined by the National Qigong Association as a philosophy and practice of aligning breath, physical activity and awareness for mental, spiritual and corporeal health, as well as the development of human potential.

It includes certain forms of martial art and the spiritual awakening of one’s true nature.

Feng said he was destined to teach such a subject.

“Realization of this spiritual and healing path is my karma, my purpose,” he said.

Feng said it is self help based on the basis of ancient Chinese traditions along ■ SEE QIGONG: Page 4

CMYK

By George Morin

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B

CMYK

2 THE ADVOCATE Quotable “Liberty without learning is always in peril, and learning without liberty is always in vain.”

John F. Kennedy 35th U.S. president 1963 Sam Attal editor-in-chief George Morin art director Dariush Azmoudeh online editor Lamar James associate editor Cassidy Gooding opinion editor Malcolm Lastra sports editor Hilberth Ibarra Adam Oliver Alexandra Waite news editors Jermaine Harrison circulation manager Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Christopher Clausen April Halog Iris Jett Horace Jordan Angelina Rucobo Janit Saechao Jesslyn Sherrod Parris Washington Rodney Woodson Staff photographers Hanan Ayyad Qing Huang Jesse Sutherland Christian Urrutia Roman Young Staff illustrators Jared Amdahl Faythe Del Rosario Jon Running Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Member Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.235.7800 ext. 4315 Fax: 510.235.NEWS E-mail: advocate@ contracosta.edu or letters.advocate@ gmail.com Editorial policy Columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of individual writers and artists and not that of The Advocate. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.

OPINION

l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 VOL. 96, NO. 18 ●

Editorial Brushed away

I

Dental assisting gets drilled by budget

n light of California’s proposed budget scheme and the horrible looming cuts higher education is facing, Contra Costa College has decided to suspend the locally recognized dental assisting program.

This is a program that has been with CCC since the college’s beginning, provides dedicated students with a certificate in just three semesters and offers graduates a place on a career path that has huge growth potential.

Dental assisting department Chairwoman Sandra Everhart argued that dentistry is a field that will always be relevant and necessary.

This makes sense, since people will always have teeth and therefore the need for someone to clean and fix them.

So how is it that the entire program is done away with so easily?

College President McKinley Williams attributes the low enrollment in the program that costs the college $150,000 a year to its demise.

So after spring semester is over, the 17 current dental assisting students will be given two semesters — summer session 2011 and fall 2011 — to get their certificates before the program is cut in spring 2012.

The college can no longer fund this program that, according to Williams “just (doesn’t) have the student demand,” and will be suspended unless Everhart can garner enough donations and grants to keep it open as a self-sufficient program.

Fortunately, since the suspension won’t happen until fall 2012, students, faculty and administration have some time to find the money necessary.

The only problem is that Everhart and her students can’t be left alone to fight for this high-quality, vocational program that finds students not just jobs, but careers, in an economy that doesn’t have jobs in ready supply.

College administrators need to step up and lend the stricken program a helping hand. It is unfair for them to simply pass down the suspension decision and then walk away.

Local dentists already recognize CCC’s program for the high caliber assistants it has produced for decades.

Many of them offer internships or even promise graduates jobs in their offices.

The offices of these dentists seem to be obvious places to start asking for donations.

There are also state and federallyfunded grants for equipment and educational supplies. Hopefully Everhart can get some support and apply for this assistance.

Everhart said the dental assistant program is looking for a miracle to stay alive past fall 2011. And nobody ever accomplished a miracle by washing their hands of the situation, giving up and walking away.

JON RUNNING / THE ADVOCATE

■ Activism

Students must protest, let voices be heard

I

n recent years, schools in California, primarily colleges, have been dealing with a lot.

From increased tuition fees to programs, and classes and staff being reduced, college administrators and their students have been forced to bear the stress of the cuts.

While these horrendous things are transpiring in our colleges, I have yet to see any type of strong rebellion or fight from students or teachers to let people in the state know that we care about our education.

A sense of apathy, and sometimes fear, seems to be displayed among students and teachers when we hear about what is taking place in our colleges.

Earlier this month, students and staff from colleges up and down the state banded together for a March in March rally in which about 2,000 people protested in Sacramento in front of several California lawmakers, trying to save education.

While I do support the cause and applaud those who attended, we as students, along with teachers, should be doing a lot more to let these lawmakers know that we are serious about saving our education.

I’ve heard stories from my parents and others who were once students in the 1960s and 70s about how when programs were threatened to be cut from their schools, they would literally burn buildings down to make a statement.

Listening to these vivid tales of my elders proves

fight the budget cuts.

It was done in the 1960s, so we should stop being complacent and stand up for our educational rights.

Even if it does come down to us having to take over a building, refusing to attend class or frequently going to to me that our generation Sacramento to protest for our has definitely lost its voice rights, we should do it. and anger. They have been Although we may face the replaced by fear and silence. risk of being sent to jail, at Why is it that we choose not to rebel and let our voic- least it’s for a good cause.

Students and teachers, our es be ignored? education and future careers Is it because we are too are at stake. busy worrying about when We all need to wake up the world will end as the and make something happen earthquake and tsunami in Japan has reminded us. Or is to help save our livelihoods. it because we are so focused If we continue to be apathetic toward these cuts to our on ourselves and how we schools, matters will only be will survive the economic recession facing the U.S. and worse for us.

Soon many of us will be the world? out of work and our opporWhatever the case, while tunities will be even slimmer these issues are also important they are out of our hands than they are today.

The state won’t care about and can’t be controlled. But us if we continue to show the matter of our education that we don’t care enough being taken away or priced beyond affordability is some- about ourselves and our futures to take action. thing we can change.

If it comes to it, we posInstead of lying down and sibly have go to drastic meaaccepting these changes the sures to show state legislators state is wrongfully making, that we do care. as students and teachers we The fact that these state should come together and budget cuts are slicing find ways to let lawmakers know what they are doing is severely into our colleges is something that we shouldn’t wrong. be taking lightly. I hope I see California has the largest community college system in the day when we wake up and attempt to make a differthe country with more than ence and help solve the prob100 colleges and approxilems at hand. mately 2 million students.

That means we have Malcolm Lastra is enough bodies to make an the sports editor of The impact with sit-ins, taking over administrative buildings Advocate. Contact him at mlastra.advocate@gmail. and having organized demcom. onstrations at the Capitol to

malcolmlastra

CampusComment

How will the $10 tuition increase to $36 a unit affect you?

“Well it’s not affecting me that much. I have a fee waiver. For students who don’t have a fee waiver, it sucks.”

“Being a single mother who is working full time and is going to school full time, it’s financially frustrating to see the unit fee go up.”

“I probably won’t take a lot of classes next semester. Now it’s going to take longer for me to finish getting my units.”

Alan Laroya nursing

“Basically, I don’t receive any financial aid. It will be a lot to my mom because she pays for me to go to school.”

“I’m broke, so it is already hard enough.

With gas prices and everything else going up in price, it will be hard to cope.”

Christian Contreras Heather Millan nursing

FAYTHE DELROSARIO AND JESSE SUTHERLAND/ THE ADVOCATE

Danielle Ramirez nursing

business administration

Antonio Rojas allied help

“I guess I will take fewer classes and my process here will be slower.”

Pedro Perez art history

FORUM ■ Freedom

jaredamdahl

Libyan rebels hold power over Gadhafi

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ast week, President Barack Obama ordered U.S. air strikes to bomb Libyan airfields. Obama and the United Nations alike declared Libya as a no-fly zone. Such intervention would ensure that there would be no attempts whatsoever from Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi to utilize any air support for his army.

Ultimately, Obama and the U.N. decided to act in order to save innocent people from dying. By destroying the airfields and the war machines in Libya, Obama was getting rid of any chance for Gadhafi to stop rebel forces from advancing on his garrison in the capital of Tripoli.

Though the decision was backed by the U.N., I feel as if this is just more policing done by the U.S. government.

Who are we to decide the fate of others?

While intentions seem to be clear, one cannot help but wonder if there are ulterior motives as to why Obama would help Libyan rebel forces. Sure, the United States of America has always helped the little guy when they have been oppressed, but in recent years, which have shown America’s need to meddle in the Middle East, I can’t help but feel oil plays a big part in making these decisions.

By helping rebel forces throw down the current powers that be in Libya, America is being set up to be best friends with those who will resume power when, or if, Gadhafi is overthrown from his seat in office.

Obama said in a message Sunday that he wishes for an immediate “cease fire.” Certain terms are to be met by Gadhafi, such as all attacks on civilians must end immediately and he must allow assistance into Libya immediately to help those that are wounded and dying.

While I jump at the opportunity to say America is just using its extremely influential power to do whatever it feels wherever, aid to Libyan rebels is needed during this time.

Gadhafi’s forces are much larger in number and better equipped. The only thing that rebel forces have on their side is the passion and cause that they are ready to die for, which is a great advantage.

All the Libyan forces have are orders from Gadhafi, which may not be enough to keep them fighting once rebel forces have pushed their way close enough to get a shot off at them and Gadhafi himself.

The rebels, therefore, are being controlled by a much higher power — a desire to live free of oppression. When compelled by such a high power, the rebels will continue to fight until there are none of them left to do so.

As for Obama’s actions in all of this, I feel his head and heart are in the right place.

But I cannot say the same for the people who help make these decisions. For them, it seems as though they are using this battle to further tighten the U.S.’s grasp on the Middle East and its oil.

Finally, as for the rebels, I hope that they one day lift the heavy oppression of Gadhafi’s rule from their already hindered spirits and live as free men and women.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 l THE ADVOCATE

3

■ Rights

Gay marriages demand fairness

B

ack in August, I felt a huge amount of joy and excitement over U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker’s decision to strike down Proposition 8, the legislation which banned same sex unions, for its unconstitutionality.

However, since that ruling more than eight months ago, same sex couples are still being denied the right to marry in California.

The major victory for gay couples became increasingly sour this past week after a federal appeals court refused to allow gay marriages to take place in the state while it considers the constitutionality of the proposition.

The stay placed on Walker’s ruling is expected to hold up until the end of the year, leaving gay couples waiting even longer for the rights that were unfairly stripped from them.

Following Proposition 8 from its conception until now has put me through a roller coaster of emotions over the past few years.

I became a huge advocate for voting against the proposition, wrote letters to legislators and marched in a major rally with fellow protesters through the streets of San Francisco to fight the legislation. It seemed likely the proponents to deny gay It was my senior year in people equal rights and ban high school when the propo- them from marrying would sition was put on the ballot lose the fight with the heavy for the 2008 November elec- presence of gay rights activists in the Bay Area. tion. As controversy grew around it, I began to dig a Then the proposition little deeper and research was passed by 52.3 percent, both sides of the issue. After which devastated me not doing so, I realized how only because it was comillogical and prejudiced the pletely unfair, but because I arguments behind the propo- was too young to vote. sition were.

After feeling like all hope One of the main arguwas lost, two couples, a ments in favor of the gay couple from Southern California and a lesbian proposition placed a heavy couple from Berkeley, put emphasis on family values forth the effort to challenge and claimed having parthe proposition in a federal ents of the same sex would court by filing a lawsuit to be enormously harmful overturn Proposition 8 in to the psyche of children.

January 2010.

Somehow that argument This time the fight managed to get through to many voters, despite its lack- seemed promising with the outpouring of outrage that ing any hard evidence to followed the passage of the back it up.

alexandrawaite

proposition, both locally and in the media.

Though Walker’s ruling may have ensured the future legalization of gay marriage, the fact that gay couples are forced to put their married futures on hold until the ruling is further reviewed through the higher courts is extremely distressing.

The stay put on the decision shows a lack of respect for Walker and tens of thousands of gay couples anxiously waiting to finally refer to their partners as husband or wife, and to obtain the same benefits too often frivolously granted to opposite sex couples.

Walker’s decision should be honored and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals needs to end the discrimination gay couples are currently enduring with the state not viewing them as equal to straight couples.

Alexandra Waite is a news editor of The Advocate.

Contact her at awaite. advocate@gmail.com.

Crazy forecasts Bay Area storms denote changing climate, weather

enced in recent winters.

That evening when the weather began to take a turn for the worse, I looked out the window to observe the thunder, lightning and tremendous amount of rain. It seemed that the rain was hitting a bit too hard to be rain until I noticed the bits of white ice that covered the pavement.

By Rodney Woodson STAFF WRITER It was heaps of hail pouring in rwoodson.advocate@gmail.com Richmond. I’ve been a Richmond resident for more than 20 years and I can recall plenty of violent storms, and n recent years nature has been some have brought hail, but no storm becoming more aggressive than brought even close to the amount prowe’ve previously seen in the modern era. Hurricane Katrina nearly duced on March 18.

I was so astounded I took a picture wiped out New Orleans in 2006 and of my car with my windshield and the string of earthquakes and tsunamis hood both covered with bits of ice. that have been battering the Far East People stared as they walked in front are raising eyebrows and questions.

Some think that the end is near, saying of my vehicle while I was stopped at a that climate changes and catastrophic stop sign.

With severe storms also come events are leading up to an even larger power outages, including a PG&E disaster said to occur on Dec. 21, substation outage that left about 2012.

14,800 Oakland residents without Those theories may be a bit farpower on March 17. The following fetched, but there is no mistaking day even more people were powerthe fact that things are changing and less; 500 in San Francisco, 1,200 in the occurrence of strange events and the Peninsula, 2,400 in the North Bay, severe rainstorms could be signs that 1,300 in the East Bay and 1,700 in the the climates of the world are shifting.

South Bay. The weather over the past few The extreme conditions continued weeks has been somewhat surprising. in the following week, prompting Not because of the rain, because the spring has always brought showers to this area. It’s the severity of the rain that is shocking. The storm that hit the Bay Area on March 18 was more severe than any storm we’ve experi-

I

the National Weather Service to issue warnings in various areas, including a flood warning on the Navarro River in Mendocino County, a wind warning in San Francisco and a tornado warning for San Mateo County.

Yes, the past couple of weeks for us in West Contra Costa County have been a lot wetter than normal, but it hasn’t just been the past 14 days.

The Contra Costa County Flood Control District released statistics for rainfall that ended on Monday that show that averages are up over the past year, dating from July 1, 2010, using rain gauges at various stations.

Station 15, located at the Rodeo Fire Department receives an average of 18.30 inches of rain per “rain year,” from July 1 to June 30, and so far, as of Monday, the station is already at 24.29 inches.

In this country with all of the technological advantages and stressful, continuously moving lifestyles, it’s easy to forget that we are a part of an eco-system, until that eco-system lets us know that it’s still around.

Are we in the midst of a climate change? Who knows? All we can do is what the inhabitants of Earth have always done: live our lives and try to stay dry when it gets a little wet out there.

Jared Amdahl is a staff illustrator for The Advocate.

Contact him at jamdahl. advocate@gmail.com.

JARED AMDAHL / THE ADVOCATE

4 THE ADVOCATE

l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

accent advocate ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Twitter

New transformer installed, costly

By Sam Attal

Receive breaking news and updates by following The Advocate’s Twitter account, AccentAdvocate.

Newsline ■ EOPS

Karaoke Night hosts talent The EOPS Club will host a Karaoke Night in the Student Dining Room from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday. The club will charge $1 per song from all participants and proceeds will benefit the 2011 EOPS scholarship fund. All are invited to sing and donate money to the fund.

For more information, contact Miranda Claggette at 510-8600543.

■ BENEFIT

Dinner sends relief to Japan

CAMPUS BEAT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

sattal.advocate@gmail.com

A group of contractors installed new electrical components to restore power to the Student Activities Building late Friday night after it went more than a week without electricity.

A new switchgear was put in by Hi-Voltage Splicing, the college’s electrical contract partner, to power the building after it, along with the whole campus, lost electricity on March 17.

Although power was restored to every other building on campus on March 22 and classes resumed, the SA Building remained closed due to neglected electrical equipment, said Greg Poole, president of Industrial Tests, an engineering group hired to assess the situation. The building, which houses Subway, the college Bookstore and the ASU, reopened Monday.

“I’m glad we came out of it,” Buildings and Ground Manager Bruce King said, “It was an unfortunate situation.”

Poole told The Advocate on March 21 that the campus could have gone up in flames had old fuses in the previous transformer housing failed to kick in, causing a large explosion that could have sparked a nearby gas line or set a tree branch, which was falling on the old transformer, on fire. He said the units were not maintained for nearly 30 years and rats were found inside them.

Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said the district knew of the problems but expected Buildings

Robbery | Foreigners targeted ■ FROM: Page 1

The first robbery of the semester involving an international student at the Bus Transfer Center occurred at night on Feb. 2 when 25-year-old Emmanuel Sangwa was pistol whipped and robbed of more than $1,000 worth of belongings.

In the second robbery affecting international students, 22-year-old Anudari Odgiiv and her two friends, all from Mongolia, were followed after class to the bus center on the night of Feb. 7. Upon their arrival, one of two male suspects approached the group and threatened Odgiiv with a gun, as the other suspect pushed her down and stole her backpack.

Platt said some ESL teachers are upset after hearing about the robberies involving their students. “(ESL teachers) would be (worried) for anybody, but these are nice kids,” she said. “(The bus stop) is one of the focal points of crime on campus,” Gibson said. “People are going in all directions. The bad guys are ready (when they) come off the bus. They are more aware and ready to take advantage of people.”

The culinary arts department will put on a dinner benefiting Japan’s Earthquake Tsunami Relief Fund on Friday in the Three Seasons Restaurant from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The department will be asking for a donation to assist with the recovery in Japan and the menu will include various Japanese dishes and sake.

To make reservations, or for more details regarding the fundraiser, call 510-235-7800, ext. ■ FROM: Page 1 The closure also meant that 4409 or e-mail hkane@contracosta. employees were unable to return to edu. work and, with the exception of the few employees who were able to use vacation time, workers had to ■ PERFORMANCE go without a week of pay.

Bookstore student employee Chelsea Brown said, “I won’t be able to pay a lot of bills that I had planned to pay. Spring break is coming up so I’ll lose another Speech and drama students will week’s worth of pay, so I have to perform improvisation and stand- plan for that immediately.”

To try and accommodate stuup comedy during the Drama Improv Stand-Up Comedy Night on Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Knox Center.

The public is invited to come and support the speech and drama students.

Police Services Sgt. Ryan Huddleston said the sheriff’s department patrols the Bus Transfer Center in contract with AC Transit from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and from 2 to 3:30 p.m., when Middle College High School students are arriving for, and leaving from, classes. “(District Police Services do not) have anyone specifically assigned to the bus stop. We have never had the staffing to have more people there. We have had budget restraints,” Huddleston said.

“At one point we had 15 police aides (at CCC), but now we are down to eight because of budget cuts,” he said. “Going from 15 to eight, that’s a lot of aides who could be assisting the officers.”

In addition, Huddleston said, two officer positions in the district have not been filled as yet.

Gibson said one way the department is planning to combat these crimes is by putting on an orientation for international students to inform them of ways to be more aware of their environment.

Huddleston said the police department is currently working to get an e-mail alert sent out to the entire student population whenever a crime occurs on campus.

SA Building | Revenue slashed

Improvisation, stand-up in Knox

dents who needed books for latestart classes, Walsh said certain books were brought to the Library and Learning Resource Center to be sold. Dunn said the books sold in the LLRC were cash-only sales, which was problematic because most students do not carry cash.

The college Bookstore was not the only entity affected by the building’s closure. The additional six days of darkness meant that students would be minus the services of Subway, the use of the Recreation Room, the Student

Dining Room and the Associated Students Union office.

Subway employee Satinder Pahwa said the eatery missed out on many sales. She said Subway usually makes 200-300 sales a day.

Laini M.H. Coffee, assistant to Student Life Director Kelly Ramos, said, “(The closure) was definitely an inconvenience to our students.

Clubs couldn’t operate for a week.

Events that were supposed to be held in the SA Building were postponed.”

and Grounds to perform maintenance.

“That’s a campus responsibility,” he said.

King said the college spent nearly $65,000 in repairs necessary to power the campus.

“How do you live without electricity?” King asked. “You realize how much we depend on it after it goes out.”

King’s crew worked to reduce the fire hazard. Crews cleaned up the area, removed the rats and trimmed the tree branch.

Qigong ■ FROM: Page 1

with traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Qigong has also had medical benefits for students.

Student Katherine Smith said Qigong has helped her deal with back pain from a previous spine injury.

“I had spine surgery about a year ago, and I was a mess,” Smith said. “My back was in constant pain and it hurt so much to move around. My friend told me about this class when it was being given at Diablo Valley College, and I just jumped on it.

“Now they have the class here and it’s great. It has helped me move around a lot more since I’ve been practicing Qigong daily along with acupuncture by Dr. Alex Feng as well,” Smith said.

Qigong is one of the four pillars of traditional Chinese medicine.

The other three are acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage.

Feng said Qigong is an easy practice because one can do it anywhere and at any time.

The class offered at Contra Costa College focuses on a person’s ability to find balance within one’s life.

A person achieves this by being able to balance one’s spirit, emotions, psychology all within themselves, by themselves, he said.

“Overall, this class has a great environment; it’s relaxed, like coming to center yourself. Its just plain fun,” student Harriette Wayer said.

Cuts | Tuition rises to help balance budget

■ FROM: Page 1

■ ORATION

Speeches showcased The speech and drama departments will present a “Student Speaker Showcase” on April 7 in the Knox Center from 7 to 9 p.m.

Students will perform a variety of speeches, including impromptu, persuasive, informative, programmed oral interpretation, speeches to entertain, media arts and parliamentary debate.

The event is open to the public and tickets are $10; however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For more information, contact Dr. Connie Anderson at 510-2357800, ext. 4533.

■ CONCERT

Gospel Choir to sing, electrify The CCC Gospel Choir will perform a Gospel Choir Concert on April 9 in the Knox Center at 7 p.m. The concert is open to the public and the choir will sing traditional gospel and non-traditional contemporary gospel under the direction of Denise Hunter.

For more information, contact the music department at 510-2357800, ext. 4276.

CrimeWatch Tuesday, March 22: A victim reported unknown suspects broke into his locker and took his jacket and headphones in the Men’s Locker Room.

Wednesday, March 23: A suspect was stopped and arrested for riding his bicycle under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

— Alexandra Waite

Despite this rise, fees for community colleges in California remain the cheapest nationwide.

“Twenty-six dollars (per unit) is very low. The average in the country is $100 and we’re far below that. Even at $36 we are by far the lowest,” district Chancellor Helen

Benjamin said.

Over the past few years, tuition has risen by nearly 50 percent.

Williams said previous fee hikes have been detrimental to students, and that increased revenue is not always the result.

“I don’t have a job, I’m dependent upon loan money. It’s going to

(mess) me up,” Cortez Jr. said.

Williams agreed. “It’s going to make (students) think twice about taking their income and spending it on school,” he said.

Yet, many students feel a tuition hike shouldn’t alter their goals.

“I never want a fee increase, but I’m still going to go to school,”

student Gregory Ng said.

The education trailer bill SB70 will stack another $110 million onto the previous projection of $400 million cut from the state’s community colleges, in anticipation that the tax extension, or the special election, will not come to pass, Williams said.

Dental | Program to see suspension in 2012 ■ FROM: Page 1

said because of the standards set by the organizations to accredit the program, she cannot have more than 24 students enrolled each semester.

“We can only accommodate a small number of students. We’re about quality and we have to be rigorous,” Everhart said. “I don’t want to have a large class full of incompetence (because) it’s our reputation. It’s the reputation of the college.”

The tools used in the lab also pose a safety threat if only one faculty member is looking over a group of students using them. There needs to be more faculty members watching over larger groups of students if enrollment goes up, Everhart said. However, the college cannot afford to hire more faculty members now.

Stripped opportunities The situation has put both students and community members in shock.

Students who are enrolled in the program will be forced to complete all their dental assisting classes before spring 2012 in order to receive a certificate or associate degree.

Dental assisting student Stephani Palmer said she was amazed when she found out the program was on the chopping block.

“I was angry because that puts me in a stressful situation to finish up,” Palmer said.

Palmer said she feels like college officials “don’t really care about anybody’s situation.”

Everhart agreed and said that students cannot always complete the program in 10 months as it’s designed. Because personal problems can arise and affect the lives of her students, Everhart said they could possibly take two to three years to obtain a certificate or degree.

“The program has a high attrition rate as well,” Everhart said.

Students start off the program in the summer and continue into the fall and spring semesters to complete the dental assisting curriculum.

They must also take co-requisites to obtain a degree or certificate.

Palmer said she has recommended the program to many of her friends. Some of them were completing the non-dental assisting portion of the curriculum and planned to enroll in

program’s classes during the summer.

However, new students will not be accepted, Everhart said. The 2011 summer and fall semester dental assisting courses will only be offered to students finishing up.

“I encouraged others in the community to get into the (dental assisting) workforce,” dental assisting student Tiffany Patterson said. “I feel disappointed for them.”

Patterson said the program has worked well so far around her personal life.

“Being a single mother, it was hard for me to get into school,” she said. “(Dental assisting) has been a very rewarding program for me. It’s very accessible for people who work part-time.”

Dentists agree. “(CCC’s) training is a little bit better than the private programs where the program is much larger and they don’t get enough training,” San Pablo dentist Daniel Tanita said.

Dr. Tanita said he often has interns from CCC who have a better knowledge base than other interns.

“I like the students from the program because they are well-trained,” he said. ”For 15 years or more we have an intern from the college. We’ve enjoyed training the students and seeing them evolve into quality assistants.”

Pinole dentist Douglas Gordon said he is fond of graduates from CCC’s program.

“I try to hire from Contra Costa College Low price, high quality because of (students’) level of training and Everhart said hearing that her program was knowledge,” Dr. Gordon said. “Contra Costa being cut was heartbreaking because it was a College dental assisting students are wellgateway to many jobs in the field. She said the schooled, nervous about perfecting their skills field has always thrived and is always looking and eager to learn.”

Gordon’s registered dental assisting staff is for more workers.

“There have been a lot of opportunities for made up of four employees. All four came out growth in the career of dentistry. It’s a career I of CCC’s program, he said. believe in,” Everhart said. “I worked as a registered dental assistant.”

Little hope She said the quality of education from CCC’s Although the program is being suspended dental assisting program eclipses that of propri- indefinitely, Everhart said there are ways it can etary schools such as Carrington College and continue operating and serving students. She Heald College. said she is currently accepting donations and “They don’t offer the same quality of educa- looking for equipment funds and grants to help tion,” Everhart said. “Students who were previ- with the cost to run the program another year. ously enrolled at proprietary schools and come However, she said she probably will not be to CCC say they favor the quality of education able to get enough money together. here.”

“Unless a miracle occurs and we get some Yet the proprietary schools charge more. funding, there will be no dental assisting proAccording to a report done by the college’s gram in spring (2012),” she said.

Employment Development Department, CCC Gordon said the loss of the program will hurt students would usually pay about $2,700 for the local dental community severely. fees and books to obtain a dental assisting cer“By cutting the program, we’re shooting the tificate. They would pay about $19,000 for the community in the foot. Not providing education same certificate from Carrington College. to our students means a loss of jobs to the comEverhart and others agree that the high price munity,” Gordon said. “There’s going to be a big tag of other programs is just a gimmick. hole in the number of qualified registered dental “The (proprietary schools) tell students that assistants available. they offer services that they don’t,” she said.

Everhart said she is disappointed to see the Everhart advises students not to attend pro- program simply get moved to the side. prietary schools if they want to continue in the “You never want to see something go down field of dental assisting. under your watch,” she said. “It’s devastating.”

CAMPUS BEAT

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 l THE ADVOCATE

Event recognizes, celebrates women

By Janit Saechao STAFF WRITER

jsaechao.advocate@gmail.com

The month of March has long been recognized as Women’s History Month, during which the accomplishments of women throughout history, as well as community heroes, are honored.

Contra Costa College hosted its 11th annual National Women’s History Month Program in the Knox Center on Thursday.

Community members and city officials from throughout West Contra Costa County came together in celebration of women from CCC’s surrounding communities.

“We have a lot of unseen heroes in our community,” President McKinley Williams said. “Many of these women are tireless in their work. This (event) is just a small token of our appreciation for the hard work they do for us.”

Ten women were selected and awarded for their work and contribution.

Contra Costa County District One Supervisor John Gioia, who chose three of the 10 honorees, said, “These are women who showed commitment to their community and made positive change. I wanted to choose someone who I can say is a good role model for my 6-year-old daughter.”

Tomi Van De Brooke, Governing Board Member of the Contra Costa Community College District, said, “Tonight is our night to celebrate our women who are working to improve health, literacy and education and making a difference in our communities.”

Each woman was introduced by a representative from the city they were chosen by, then given the opportunity to speak. Women were awarded for being advocates, historians and developers of their communities.

Dalu Lingemann, an honoree from Rodeo, was awarded with the title of Artistic Historian. She said she had been doing community service from a young age. Now Lingemann works with other community

5

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Warm appreciation — El Cerrito Mayor Ann Cheng speaks during the National Women’s HIstory Month Program event in the Knox Center on Thursday. members, directing and organizing community art projects such as chalk-drawing and pumpkin carving for children. “I knew if I could contribute a little bit to the community, my life would be complete,” she said.

Each year, the National Women’s History Month Program is sponsored by CCC and The American Association of University Women.

Melody Hanson, senior executive assistant to the president and coordinator of the program, said the event started when Chancellor Helen Benjamin wanted to do something to honor women in the community.

“Chancellor Benjamin felt it was important to acknowledge these women while keeping good relations with our service cities,” Hanson said.

Former district board member dies MacDiarmid, 68, passes away due to lung disease

By Adam Oliver NEWS EDITOR

aoliver.advocate@gmail.com

David MacDiarmid, an eminent figure in West Contra Costa County politics for more than 20 years, died Feb. 15 in Elk Grove.

He was 68.

A carpenter by trade, MacDiarmid was a driving force in the development of Richmond’s shoreline and surrounding infrastructure as a Richmond City Council member known for his relentless mettle and progressive vision.

Governing Board President John T. Nejedly said MacDiarmid’s

reputation as a brazen and intelligent leader continued when he was elected to the Contra Costa Community College Governing Board in 1994, where he served until 2006.

“He was a man of strong conviction, that’s why I liked him.

Stand for something or fall for anything, they say. And though we had our dis- MacDiarmid agreements, and agreed to disagree at times, we worked together for the district,” he said.

John Marquez, a longtime friend who served alongside MacDiarmid on the Richmond City Council, recounted a telling moment encapsulating MacDiarmid’s political style.

When a young boy came to

him stricken with fear from a loose dog at Point Isabel, he said, MacDiarmid put forth a proposal to require all dogs at the popular coastal park be leashed. And when nearly 300 dog owners stormed the city chambers in condemnation, MacDiarmid, firm in his resolution, only smiled.

“In spite of all that, he pushed his resolution forward. People were booing him, but he didn’t care,” Marquez said. “He didn’t buckle under pressure.”

Though the proposal lost by a landslide, MacDiarmid pursued the concerns of his constituents no matter how unpopular, he said.

“I admired him for that. I always trusted his judgment. If I hadn’t, I probably would have said, ‘that guy’s nuts’,” Marquez said with a laugh.

Deeply rooted in West County, MacDiarmid served three terms as an ear-to-ground trustee for Ward 1

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and advocated the needs of Contra Costa College’s constituents and proved instrumental in the success of the district’s 2002 and 2006 bond measures.

“He participated in debates on why we should support our bond measures,” President McKinley Williams said. “He supported all of our colleges in a very strong way.”

A CCC alumnus himself, MacDiarmid knew the need for improved facilities on campus.

“He knew how critical it was to get facilities modernized; he went around West County with me soliciting support for the bonds,” district Chancellor Helen Benjamin said.

MacDiarmid also retained an inextricable bond with the campus and the community it serves.

MacDiarmid, who had long battled heart disease, died of complications of a lung disease at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Elk Grove.

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MacDiarmid was born in Balta, North Dakota in 1942, eventually attending the University of Montana in Missoula, where he met his wife of 48 years, Carol.

After moving to California with his family and Carol, MacDiarmid worked as a builder before returning to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics at UC Berkeley.

He later found a position at the East Bay Municipal Utilities District where he worked as a computer programmer for 10 years before leaving to build homes in Richmond. MacDiarmid returned to EBMUD in 1998 for another 10 years before retiring in 2008.

He then moved to Elk Grove to be nearer to his daughter.

MacDiarmid is survived by his wife, Carol of Elk Grove; his daughter, Karolyn of Sacramento; his son, David Jr. of Platina; his sister, Marilyn Loskot of Platina;

By Christian Urrutia STAFF WRITER

currutia.advocate@gmail.com

Amidst state and district eliminations of programs, positions and payroll due to budgetary cutbacks, Contra Costa Community College District Student Trustee Brandon Amargo is proposing a Student Activities Fee of $5 at Contra Costa College to garner funding for the Associated Students Union for future semesters.

The ASU, along with workers from the Student Services Center, Amargo and ASU President Joseph Camacho sent a report containing the proposal to the Governing Board recently, in hopes of raising much needed money for activities on campus.

Camacho said that clubs, the ASU, campus events and other student outlets are not well funded by the college and would substantially benefit from additional revenue generated if the proposal were to pass.

Unlike the Faculty Senate and Classified Staff Senate constituencies, which are financed by the district, the ASU receives no source of funding aside from profits the Bookstore shares with it.

“So if the Bookstore, for example, drops in its overall profits, even less or no money goes to the students,” Camacho said. “If the EOPS book grants were to be cut again, as they were last year, money from this (fee) would ensure that grants would still remain available.”

Camacho also said that smaller events the college has held in the past were forcibly cut and future events would face hardship getting established when the events would be organized and eventually hosted.

Without added help or fundraising, booking sponsors for possible future events increases in difficulty.

“Hosting an event such as ‘Have Better Sex,’ which is directed toward spreading sexual awareness, something we did in the previous semester, becomes distressing if the sponsor, Planned Parenthood, charges $150 in order to allow us to have the necessary materials and an educator (to the campus) to do the event if we don’t have any money to do so,” Camacho said.

“Opportunities for socially relevant functions and constructive seminars possess an enormous chance of happening if the fee is put into place here at the college.”

A program on personal budget planning, along with another providing information regarding ways to identify the achievement gap in students, are just some of the things spoken among the ASU members as accessible events if more money is allocated into their yearly budget by the fee.

As a result of the potential passing of this fee, other resources, such as having a reserve finance account where there is no starting student government budget for the semester, or having enough money for basic office materials aside from providing the required funds for clubs to start and stay in exis- Amargo tence, could be enacted as well.

Amargo said, “Each college has its own way of funding its student activities, and having an opt-out fee like the one we’re proposing creates revenue for many student services that are currently lacking in funding.”

After assessing a survey done by the American Student Government Association, the Student Trustee Advisory Council approved the proposal that has been brought up in past district meetings during previous semesters but now has significant leverage resulting from the governor’s own current proposal of the state budget.

Amargo said the report was presented in Sacramento in addition to next month’s planned district meeting, where the fee will be proposed.

“This (money) isn’t going to be lost in the hands of the district. It is going to be used directly for the students, and can provide the essentials for scholarships, clubs, speech and debate, Jazzanova, and even supply health services,” Amargo said.

In comparison to the sister colleges in the district, the proposal would stay at $5, whereas Diablo Valley College charges $8 for a similar fee and Los Medanos College charges $6.

Whether the fee will be mandatory for students to pay each semester is still being discussed, although most who are proposing it would like to see it mandated. A definite refund process would be included, as long as it was asked for within the same semester; students would be given a chance to get their money back.

“Five dollars wouldn’t come out to a lot and (would) certainly be useful for students who could get something out of it,” criminal justice major Gabriela Garcia said.

6 THE ADVOCATE

l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

CAMPUS BEAT

Automotive services hosts Car Show Department showcases event, green technology

By Jesslyn Sherrod STAFF WRITER

Automotive enthusiasts and spectators of all sorts will have the opportunity to come and marvel at the myriad of cars, trucks and motorcycles that will be on display in the Amphitheater, for the fourth annual Car Show on April 14.

The event, held every spring, will be hosted by the automotive services department and held in conjunction with Earth Day. Visitors will have the opportunity to admire the variety of vehicles and also learn about clean air technology and how cars play a role in this evolution.

The department was recently awarded the Green Certificate, an award presented by the Contra Costa County chapter of the Bay Area Green Business Program, which strives to sustain the quality of the environment within this county.

Contra Costa College is the only community college to have obtained such an award.

“This show is a chance for us to better present the department and show what we are capable of to the school and community,” automotive services staff member Jim Gardner said.

“We are located in an area that is not easily seen unless you are near the bus stop. (Events like) these help inform people that we are here.”

Gardner, in fact, said he first found out about CCC by attending an auto show on campus.

“My girlfriend was an art student here and one day there was a show and she called me up and told me to come,” he said. “That was eight years ago and how I found out about the automotive department.”

Current or former students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to enter and showcase their vehicles.

There are about 25 vehicles entered so far with a few being by staff, but the vast majority of entries have come from the students.

Trophies will be awarded to

entrants whose vehicles place in first, second or third place.

There will be many different types of cars on display. Past shows have featured vehicles such as hot rods, low-riders, hybrids and even art cars.

An art car is a car that has a body adorned with objects to have a certain theme or abstract look.

“I’ve seen cars that have had actual trophies bonded over the entire

car,” Gardner said.

Automotive services department Chairman Peter Lock has even featured his Indianapolis 500 pace car, which to any car enthusiast is considered legendary, he said.

But it isn’t necessary for entrants to have extensive work done to their cars.

“All I ask is that students have

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE

jsherrod.advocate@gmail.com

some sort of tweak or work in progress,” Gardner said.

“I’m anxious to see what will be shown,” student Eric Chew said.

“I’m an art major and I love seeing some of the paint jobs and art work you see at car shows.”

Those interested may still sign up to have their car or vehicle

shown, but the sooner the entrant responds, the better chance they will have to have their vehicle shown.

The event is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged by those in the automotive department to join the festivities.

Agreement to benefit part-timers Faculty, district pass negotiations

By Cassidy Gooding OPINION EDITOR

cgooding.advocate@gmail.com

After several negotiating sessions between the Contra Costa Community College District and the United Faculty transpired over the past few months, an agreement for the 2010-11 college year was finally been ratified.

On Feb. 23, the negotiating parties voted to pass the then-tentative agreement by a large margin, ringing in an updated contract for faculty that didn’t actually change much, United Faculty President Jeffrey Michels said. “(This year), we weren’t negotiating for any raises; we weren’t negotiating for any major changes because there isn’t any new money to fix things.”

Instead, one of the main focuses of the agreement was to make sure

in brief w Students can print via email, Web, virtual printer driver and mobile devices.

w After access-

ing the remote printing website, students need only send their document to the printer.

w Upon arriv-

ing at the LLRC, students can access their documents at the printing kiosk for 12 cents a page.

benefits already instated for full-time faculty would begin to be extended to part-time faculty, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Gene Huff told The Advocate in February.

Among these benefits are a sick leave donation program and catastrophic family leave plan.

Parity payments, or money set aside by the district to supplement part-time faculty members’ salaries, were also set in the agreement to be paid late this month. “(The United Faculty) was worried part-time faculty would take a pay cut,” Dr. Michels said, by not receiving parity this year for the fall 2010 semester.

“This year, they didn’t. They’ll receive their parity, which is a big win for the union.”

The final agreement also included managing the bank load program, which tallies how many “overload” classes a professor can teach to get credit later, as well as many complicated tweaks to retiree benefits. The changes had very

little to do with students, Michels said.

The district’s bargaining process, however, is one that is a great boon to students.

“We (the UF and the district) have continued to have a very healthy bargaining relationship,” he said. “The interest-based approach to bargaining we’ve used is serving us well. We’re collaborating to come up with solutions instead of fighting each other on every issue.” In this way, he said, time is saved and the atmosphere is more cooperative, which gets better results.

Michels said that the UF and the college district negotiate every year by coming together and reviewing the 26 articles in the general faculty’s contract.

For next year’s agreement, which is already in the works, Michels mentioned that faculty evaluations and the dates on professors’ “flexible calendars,” which mark days faculty put in flex hours, will receive better reporting procedures.

Conserving money will be another big issue.

“This is the most difficult financial crisis the colleges have ever faced,” Michels said.

Since the state of Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax measure to help alleviate the stress of higher education’s budget is still unknown, it has been a challenge to the district to plan accordingly.

“At this time, we don’t know the size of the cuts,” Michels said. “We are anticipating that they will be either bad or horrible. So (for next year), we are likely looking at overall benefits for faculty and trying to save some money.”

One way to do this, he said, is to create a wellness program that will keep faculty healthy, hopefully eliminating much of the money spent on hospital stays and surgeries. “(The United Faculty) mostly wants to maintain the high-quality benefits in place and still try to save money,” Michels said.

Michels United Faculty President Jeffrey Michels took a lead role in the negotiations between the UF and the administration of the Contra Costa Community College District to figure out the agreement for 2010-11.

Remote service offers easy prints Library provides new utility to CCC

By Angelina Rucobo STAFF WRITER

arucobo.advocate@gmail.com

The remote printing service is a new service now available to students with which they can send their documents from home to print at the Contra Costa College Library and Learning Resource Center.

There are multiple choices provided for how to use this new service, such as by email, by Web, by downloading a virtual printer driver and even using an application that allows for printing from a mobile device.

The CCC website has step-by-step instructions that can further help those interested in learning.

CCC student Katrina Luna said she is interested in the program.

“So many people at CCC don’t have printers and now that they have this service it’s going to make things a lot easier for students to print out their papers,” she said. “I definitely see myself using this program.”

One of the few restrictions of the service is that users must retrieve their sent documents within four hours of sending it to the printer of choice.

Another restriction is that it only allows black and white print that cost 12 cents per page. The last is the program cannot print documents written in Apple Pages format or with Microsoft Works.

Mark Williams, Computer Center coordinator, said that the program doesn’t support Microsoft Works because it is an older program that is no longer widely used.

Regarding the remote printing service, he said, “This is just another way to print documents. It just makes it easier for students to print directly.”

A requirement of the service is an Internet connection to access the remote printing services website where users would then enter their information, according to Williams.

Each user’s information identifies the print job and the user’s name to retrieve the documents from the LLRC printing kiosk.

To print out the item sent, the user must log on to one of the computers in the Library, find the document and print it out at the nearby printing kiosk using a vend card that users can purchase form one of the on-site vending machines, Williams said.

English major Sarah Niccolls said she is very likely to use the service because her own printer has not been

working.

She said she is glad there is such a resource available.

The remote printing service is also a great choice for students who do not have their own printer at home.

They can now look forward to writing papers at home, on their laptop or even their phone, and have the option to send their work straight from their device to the library and print it out within minutes.

The remote printing service is an alternative way to print when students have those nights where their printer decides to run out of ink right before a paper is due.

With this service they do not need to worry about how they can get their work printed out, since there is now a back-up plan ready for use whenever they need it.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011 l THE ADVOCATE

Scout helps local athletes reach goals Graham assists, guides Comets’ young players

By Malcolm Lastra SPORTS EDITOR

mlastra.advocate@gmail.com

Although many people at Contra Costa College may only recognize Glen Graham as the assistant coach for the Comet men’s basketball team, most don’t know who he really is.

Despite this unrecognized status by some on campus, Graham, however, is well known by current and former NBA stars such as Allen Iverson, K e v i n “When I G a r n e t t , was com- M i c h a e l Jordan, ing up, Chauncey (Graham) Billups and others, as he was like a trains with during big brother them the summer to me; he while serving a scout for trained me as the Charlotte and helped Bobcats.

NBA me improve is The nothmy game.” ing new for Graham.

P r ev i o u s ly Phil Handy, he was a former guard for the Golden State Warriors scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves for 10 years and the Golden State Warriors for two years.

“I work with a few NBA guys in the summer, like Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett and Ronny Turiaf,” Graham said. “I also work out a lot of high school guys in the area and I enjoy helping out here at CCC, since I went here.”

Graham was first introduced to training NBA players when he mentored former local player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers Brian Shaw before he reached the NBA. From then on, Graham has trained with several up-and-coming NBA stars from the Bay Area such as Jason Kidd, Antonio Davis, Drew Gooden, Gary Payton, Leon Powe and others.

“When I was coming up, (Graham) was like a big brother to me; he trained me and helped me improve my game,” former guard for the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers Phil Handy

said. “He used to run practices with me, Joe Smith, Payton, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Shaw.”

Graham was first introduced to basketball through his uncle.

“I got into sports because of my uncle,” Graham said. “My uncle would take me and my brother to the Albany Recreation Park and teach us how to shoot.”

After graduating from Oakland High School in 1980, Graham attended CCC from 1981 to 1984, playing under coach Ed Greene.

He then went on to play for Cal State-East Bay in 1985 before playing overseas a year later in Australia.

The East Oakland native has transformed from a player into a coach, taking the lessons he once learned as an athlete and passing them down to younger aspiring basketball players through assistant coaching and his after school programs.

“I currently run my own nonprofit after school program and basketball camps at Kennedy High School and my Jumpers R Us organization at Madison Middle School in Oakland,” Graham said.

“My mom always told me that if you can save one or two (people), you did your job. You can’t help people who don’t want to be saved.”

During his basketball camps and Jumpers R Us organization events, Graham has current and former players such as Jordan, Iverson, Bobby Jackson and Terrell Brandon make guest appearances to speak at them.

Graham was asked to fill in the assistant coaching slot by coach Miguel Johnson during Johnson’s second year as a coach at CCC. “When I first got here, some of my assistant coaches were left from former coach Virgil Watson,” Johnson said. “I needed a coach with more experience and local contacts and thought he would be a good fit.”

Giving back to his community and never forgetting where he came from are some of the characteristics Graham’s mother taught him while he was growing up.

An experience Graham will never forget is when he and his brother dug up a hole in the backyard of their Sobrante Park house to make a swimming pool. “(Things like that) made me appreciate where I came from and made me the down-to-earth person I am,” he said. “I don’t believe I should be better than the next person.”

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Caring giver — Charlotte Bobcat scout and Comet men’s basketball assistant coach Glen Graham gives back to the community through his after school programs.

Through his humbleness, Graham has been able to keep positive vibes among players as several of them look to him as a brother figure. “(Graham) instilled the confidence in me that I didn’t have when I first came to (CCC),” guard Johnathan Caldwell said. “He’s a coach you would want to be around, since he never talks down

to us but rather encourages us to do better.”

“He’s able to relate well with younger guys and he acts as a buffer between myself and the players,” Johnson said. “I can be demanding of my players at times and I may seem intimidating, but Glen keeps his doors open with them.”

Off the court, players and coach-

■ Predictions

Popular team proves worthy, favorite to grasp NBA title T

he National Basketball Association’s playoffs will soon be starting and with the regular season coming to a close, it is becoming more clear which teams actually have a realistic chance of winning it all.

It is obvious that the Miami Heat will win it all. The Heat roster holds three of the top players in the NBA at their respective positions and two of them may be among the best in the league overall.

Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have not been together for a full year, and at the beginning of the season they had chemistry issues and injuries. Now, however, all of those problems seem to be a distant memory with the Heat healthy and with more solid chemistry. The team seems to be ready for a run in the playoffs.

The road for the Heat will be very difficult, but with the talent that they have and their overall experience, it will be done. Each of the three Heat stars have led their previous teams to the playoffs.

Wade and James have been to the NBA Championship Series, Wade winning it all in 2006, but they were on separate teams.

Miami has playoff experience and it will be enough to knock off experienced teams with better chemistry due to the fact that the

7

horacejordan playoffs are not brand new to the three.

Furthermore, the problem that has haunted the Heat all through the regular season is gone as they are playing better together now.

Despite this, the road to the championship will be filled with strong teams in the Eastern Conference, such as the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics.

The young Bulls have only one clutch player, one defensive stopper and one rebounder. Also, none of their starters have played in an NBA championship game, which will doom the young Bulls against the Heat.

The only other team in the East that may take the Heat to a sevengame playoff series will be the Boston Celtics.

Like Miami, the Celtics also have a big three, but this big three already has a championship together so they already know what it takes as a team to win it all.

The Celtics have what you

might call specialists. They have a three-point specialist in Ray Allen, a defensive specialist in Kevin Garnett and a clutch specialist in Paul Pierce.

With the nucleus the Celtics have they can easily win it all.

However, the talent level that the Heat’s all stars possess is much higher than the aging Celtics can handle.

In a seven-game series the Celtics will find it hard to run with the Heat who are among the fastest teams in the NBA. The Heat will most likely meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Lakers have won the last two championships and thirst for a third.

Los Angeles is better equipped to handle the Heat’s offense with a better defense than any other team in the league. However, the individual talent of the Heat’s big three will be too much of a problem for the Lakers.

LA is aging too and will not be able to match Miami’s talent or physical durability for a sevengame series. The Heat will win the series and dethrone the Lakers in seven games.

Horace Jordan is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at hjordan.advocate@gmail.com.

es describe Graham as a laid-back person who enjoys bringing comedic relief during Comet basketball practices.

“Although I haven’t been here at the college long, Glen has helped me improve my (skills),” student and Comet basketball player Robert Ellis said. “He is a cool guy who knows when to joke and when to get serious.”

SportShort Comets seal 6-5 win early in ninth inning After a week of postponed games due to rain, the Comets traveled to Ukiah and ended up scoring a late run in the ninth inning to seal a 6-5 victory over Mendocino College on Monday.

The Comets (8-12 overall, 6-3 Bay Valley Conference) scored the game-winning run on an error by the Eagles (2-19-1 overall, 1-9 BVC).

Comet outfielder Donnie Hogan hit the ball that caused the error and brought pinch runner Dorian Glover in from third base.

Glover entered the game after outfielder Cory Oda injured his arm while stealing second base earlier in the inning.

“It felt good getting back on the field (after the rains). It was a good day in Ukiah,” Comet coach Marvin Webb said.

“I could tell we were a bit rusty, as both teams haven’t played in a while. But I was glad to come out victorious.”

Before Monday, the Comets played their last game on March 22 against Laney College.

Since then, Contra Costa College was scheduled to play games against Yuba College and College of Marin, but did not due to the weather.

The Comets’ will go on the road to face Solano Community College (16-4 overall, 8-0 BVC) on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Against Mendocino, CCC’s 12 total hits proved to be a key factor in the win despite Webb believing the team still needs to improve at the plate.

“We just need to improve on hitting and clutch hitting. We played good defense today, but we could still improve,” Webb said.

CCC started off the game strong by scoring three runs with two outs in the top of the first inning.

With the bases loaded, Comet infielder Aaron Oaks knocked in three runs on a double that put the team ahead until Mendocino tied 3-3 in the fifth inning. “(We) had some clutch hits. We scored those three runs with two outs,” Webb said. “We are improving on our hitting.”

— Dariush Azmoudeh

8 THE ADVOCATE Unleashed

Movies

l WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

SCENE

Artist’s obscure mesh entices Rhodes Gallery hosts intriguing, peculiar art display

This week: “Insidious” (PG-13) “The Four Times” (UR) “Source Code” (PG13) “Hop” (G) “Circo” (UR) “Trust” (R)

DVDs

This week: “Black Swan” (R) “Tangled” (PG) “Fair Game” (PG-13) “Made In Dagenham” (R) “TRON: Legacy” (PG) “Some Where” (R)

CDs

This week: Britney Spears: “Femme Fatale” Radiohead: “The King Of Limbs” Snoop Dogg: “Doggumentary” Los Lonely Boys: “Rockpango” The Mountain Goats: “All Eternals Deck”

Games

This week: WWE All Stars (XBOX 360, PS3, PSP) Free Redline (PS3) Moon Diver (PS3) Secret Files 2: Puritas Cordis (PSP) The 3rd Birthday (PSP) Editor’s note: This column lists popular new (and upcoming) releases for the week.

By George Morin ART DIRECTOR

gmorin.advocate@gmail.com

Art, science and pop culture together make up the facets for what inspires art professor Eric Sanchez.

Sanchez had his art pieces presented in the Eddie Rhodes Gallery from Feb. 21 to March 24.

The turnout for his art show varied throughout the time it was displayed. On the night of the closing reception, the turnout was small, mostly consisting of Sanchez’s close friends and other active local artists.

Sanchez is a working and active artist within the East Bay. He has had many art shows presented throughout the East Bay. One of these was a popular event called Art Murmur in Oakland, where he worked within the community to produce art.

He is also currently working as artreview an adjunct faculty and staff member of Contra Costa College’s art department. To be “Animalia” able to hold mul★★★★★ Venue: Eddie tiple jobs and still Rhodes Gallery be able to produce Artists: Eric and exhibit art is Sanchez talent in itself.

Open Until: Closed Art surrounds Sanchez’s life; he spends many hours of his time either helping students learn about screen-printing, stenciling mixed media and digital media art.

He has gotten mixed reviews for his artwork.

“I’ve heard people say that my (art) pieces are really disturbing,” Sanchez said. “And when that happens, I just say ‘mission

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Artistic expression — Art professor Eric Sanchez stands in front of one of his “Animalia” pieces of work in the Eddie Rhodes Gallery at his closing reception on March 24.

accomplished’.”

His art pieces presented in the gallery ranged from serious issues to more lighthearted tongue-incheek pieces.

“Animalia” was one of the first sets of pieces that stood out. With its imagery of young children who have had photo-shopped faces of furry domesticated animals over their human faces, he uses this lighthearted feel to bring out the question of how we look at our pets; are they solely pets, or are they more?

“I don’t know how everyone feels, but I know that my dog is more than a mere pet to me. It’s more of my child than anything,” Sanchez said.

His more hard-hitting serious

‘Battle’ a loss, lacks storyline

pieces deal with the issues of bioengineering by humans and the overall influence of Western ideology passed through American aid in Third World countries.

In his art series titled “Creatura,” he addresses the discourse surrounding non-Western children aided by Western support groups. He uses imagery again by changing the children into animals to show the Western perspective of the children that inhabit these policed and invaded countries, as well as our disconnect with who these people really are.

“We see these children as savages, so why not show them as something we don’t understand — an animal,” Sanchez said. “These children have been transformed to

a removed state in which they no longer relate to human or mammal. Distant and alienated, they soon fall into the role of the savage.”

Sanchez’s art may seem at first a little strange or even make one perplexed as to what its motives are. But with a little more focus and examination, one finds that these awkward images of morphed animals hold more value than one would think.

They push the viewer to question what is being said, instead of having messages that are simply stated.

With a deeper look, the pieces are able to show a differing perspective of life and the common occurrences during our lives.

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By Janit Saechao

diers to their deaths in Iraq.

The film focuses more on jsaechao.advocate@gmail.com the Marines than it does on the aliens. Nantz is the main “Battle: Los Angeles,” released on March 11, proved character and leader of the group of Marines. He ultito be no more interesting or mately saves the world and complex than the film’s title.

With no clear plot, it is seem- inspires the whole team of soldiers, or what is left of it, ingly nothing more than a to continue fighting throughpoorly made science fiction out the movie. film.

“Battle: Los Angeles” also While some audiences may moviereview features actress Michelle Rodriguez and singer Ne-Yo enter theaters as two of the soldiers who expecting to be don’t actually die sometime both visually during the movie. With the and intellectu“Battle: Los exception of the remaining ally stimulated, Angeles” team during the last half of “Battle: Los ★★★★★ the film, most characters are Angeles” pro- Starring: Aaron killed too early to be rememvides neither.

Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ne-Yo bered.

The film Directed by: The directors obviously is cliché and Jonathan did not try to elaborate on the easily predict- Liebesman aliens, making the film look able. It begins Genre: Sci-Fi even more lazily put together. with a scene The beings from space showing a resemble mechanical octopusteam of Marines before they like creatures carrying fireare dropped off to battle. The plot then jumps back to before blasting machine guns. They are unable to speak and don’t the invasion to show how the do much besides shoot at the extraterrestrial beings got to soldiers. The only insight the Earth in the first place. audience and soldiers receive But with the exception of as to why they are on Earth a few news broadcasts, the is theorized by a random colsoldiers never really know lege professor and announced or care about why the aliens through a short news broadare on Earth. The team of Marines’ main goal is to sim- cast.

Apparently the army of ply stay alive while trying to aliens invaded Earth because rescue a group of civilians. they need water as their With no real beginning to source of energy. While this is the film, soldiers hop right into battle, fighting for a pur- true, it is never obvious as to why they chose Earth, where pose they are vaguely aware they are from or what they of. It continues like this until are, exactly. about midway through the Overall, “Battle: Los movie when the death of a Angeles” is not worth watchcivilian brings Staff Sergeant ing. The storyline of the Nantz, played by Aaron movie lacks any true signifiEckhart, to tears. cance. Nothing stands out and In a cheesy sob scene, the characters are easily forNantz tells his team that he misled a previous team of sol- gettable.

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