The Cabrillo Voice November Issue no2

The Grapes of Wrath 8 Cabrillo Soccer An adaptation of Steinbeck’s classic opens the Crocker Theater

The Seahawks men’s soccer club looks to rebound in second half

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No. 5

Vol. 44

November 16, 2009

The Cold Water Classic

Surfers from all over the globe descend on Santa Cruz Page 10

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Obituary

November 16, 2009

Cabrillo takes time to reflect Mathew McDowell NEWS EDITOR

Ken Haass Accounting and finance professor

With the current troubles facing Cabrillo College during what has become one of the school’s most turbulent years, it has been easy to lose sight of what really matters.

Cabrillo College has lost seven of its family members over the last year— Some retired long ago, while others taught classes up until their deaths. The loss of a faculty member is devastating not only for the friends and family of the individual but also for the students they inspired and the community they are leaving behind with which they were so entwined.

Cabrillo lost speech communications instructor Debbie Analauren this year. Analauren was a division chair for the FLAC (foreign language and communication) and a member of the faculty senate for many years. She enjoyed a passion for readers’ theatre and acting, while all around her knew of her love for horses.

Jeff Towle, who published two books of his poetry, taught English and Shakespeare at Cabrillo for over 30 years. He spent the last 15 years as an ordained Anglican minister. He also had a passion and great talent for music, according to his friend Gary Niblock “We both played guitar and sang, only he was the real musician with a talent for composing, arranging and writing that could have been professional had he chosen that path.”

Cabrillo’s first football coach, Larry Siemering, died over the summer. Siemering was the head coach for Cabrillo College’s football team from 1959 to 1976. He had a brief stint in the NFL when he played as a center for the Boston Redskins and as an offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins. Siemering was the oldest surviving professional football player until his death at age 98.

Sharon Peters was a retired professor of English as a second language and authored a book titled “On A Roll: A Conversation And Listening Text.” Peters had been a resident of Santa Cruz since 1964. She was well known for her exceptional baking and deeply altruistic convictions. Sharon spent many years volunteering for Head Start, various women’s shelters, and most recently Meals on Wheels.

Ken Haass was an adjunct professor of the accounting and finance department who had been with Cabrillo since 2003. He was also a certified public accountant. “Ken was an upbeat person with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye,” said Haass’ friend and colleague, Cathy Van Loon.

Former Cabrillo counselor Marilyn Hein spent many years inspiring Cabrillo students. As a counselor, she had one of the

most direct influences on guiding the paths of the students with whom she interacted.

Morton Marcus was an artistic heavyweight of the Santa Cruz area and globally renowned for his poetry. Marcus’ life exemplifies what a person from humble beginnings can achieve with dedication and the drive to try, and he attempted to instill this axiom in every student he taught. He was a cultural icon of the area since he moved to Santa Cruz and joined the faculty in 1968.

Marcus spent the next 30 years teaching poetry, English, and film classes at Cabrillo.

Morton was named Santa Cruz County Artist of The Year in 1999 and received the Gail Rich Award in 2007 for his cultural contributions to the county. He has published 10 volumes of poetry and one novel, and two posthumous publications are set to be released in 2010. Morton’s famiy will be donating his poetry collection to The Morton Marcus Poetry Archive, which will be located at UC Santa Cruz.

Cabrillo is a community college, and the word “community” must be emphasized when talking about this school. Cabrillo has had a special and irreplaceable impact on the area since its opening in 1959. Members of the faculty and staff have helped countless individuals realize their dreams.

Being a community college allows Cabrillo to create a special connection among all who attend. A shared responsibility to better themselves—and at the same time better their surroundings—is what Cabrillo indelibly instills in students and staff alike.

People gather here for a shared purpose, and some may have already known each other for many years. Not only are they colleagues, students, or teachers; they are also friends, coworkers, and sometimes even neighbors.

While the focus now is on diminishing funds, budget cuts, layoffs, a state and national economic collapse, and simply uncertainty for the path that lies ahead, it is healthy to reflect occasionally on what is truly important.

As the troubles of the current situation seem to rise incessantly, one must take a moment to breathe and reflect on what is truly meaningful in life. Or simply how truly meaningful life is. A last lesson I am sure all these teachers might have wanted to convey is not to take your time on this earth for granted. Make the best of who you are.

Your circumstances may not always be the most favorable, but to worry and complain while not progressing is the worst decision one can make.

Morton Marcus English professor and poet

Larry Siemering Cabrillo’s first football coach

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”

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-James Dean

News

November 16, 2009

Graffiti: Artistic expression or public nuisance Ermias Drar VOICE STAFF WRITER

Some refer to it as art, yet Cabrillo College spends as much as $100,000 cleaning up student graffiti, according to the director of Maintenance and Operations (M&O).

Varying greatly in styles, meanings, and sizes, “tagging” can range on a large spectrum. Beginning with funny phrases such as a phone number in a bathroom stall saying, “call me”, up to the use of gangs for the claiming of territory.

Most students have probably seen graffiti on Cabrillo College’s campuses. From the inside of bathroom stalls to the sides of their buildings, Cabrillo students have become so familiar to the graffiti on campus that it simply blends into the background.

However, graffiti on campus is illegal and is prosecuted as vandalism of public property. Serious actions can be taken against individuals who vandalize the campus.

Many people strongly feel the graffiti has gotten out of hand. Art instructor Angela Gleason, who teaches in the new VAPA buildings, has seen a tagging where the paint was still fresh on the wall. She also saw pictures of racial slurs that were tagged in the restroom near her classroom.

“I’m outraged,” Gleason said. “I can’t believe that racial slurs are being tagged on

Graffiti has become an expensive “art form” for Cabrillo College. campus. I don’t want my students feeling intimidated or unsafe because of the tagging.

I think the more people that know about the seriousness of this matter the better.”

Cabrillo’s Maintenance and Operations custodial crew deals with vandalism regularly. The restrooms are the most common places targeted. “The men’s restroom tends

to be worse off compared to the women’s,” said Joe Nugent, director of M&O. “Cabrillo spends roughly about $50,000 - $100,000 on cleaning up vandalized campus property done by graffiti artists.” The money spent covering tagging is removing funds from the school budget that could otherwise be spent on education.

Some students on campus say tagging is not a problem. One student said he didn’t think tagging was anything more than a petty crime. Although Sgt. Paul Ramos, of the Campus Sheriff’s Office, said, “According to state law, if damage is over $400, it’s considered a felony.”

A maximum of up to one year in a state prison or county jail and a fine of up to $10,000 can be sentenced. The damage is measured by the cost of labor, supplies, and time required to clean up the damaged area. “That can add up very quickly,” Ramos said.

Graffiti is viewed by some as an art form.

A way to express oneself artistically. Ramos understands that there is an artistic side to graffiti but said using the Cabrillo campuses as an outlet won’t be tolerated.

He said there is a graffiti taskforce that handles specific cases regarding illegal tagging done on public property. The sheriff’s department located on campus is always looking for any tips that can assist in the curbing of this serious matter.

Bulletins

• Outdoor activity club has postponed the Cabrillo Olympics until at least next semester.

• Student senate president Kaycee Beames is stepping down from her position and will be replaced by vice president Geoff Stanfield.

• Cabrillo receives Digital Bridge Academy Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation amounting to $2,734,737.

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news

November 16, 2009

Cabrillo’s MESA Center takes center stage in Senate Brian Gassmann VOICE STAFF WRITER

PHOTOGRAPH by Brian Gassmann

In a well-lit conference room in the Stucent Activities Center-East building, Cabrillo College’s Student Senate began their meeting over pizza and breadsticks. However, the senate’s appetite is not among the topics of discussion.

At last Thursday’s meeting the focus was on the expected resignation of Senate President, Kaycee Beams.

The senate deals with a variety of campus-related issues, policies, and allocations.

Members of the group make decisions using parliamentary style.

They represent Cabrillo’s student population and act accordingly in their decisionmaking and policy adjusting. Each member of the senate raises their hand and waits quietly until called on to present him- or herself and address the matter at hand.

During the senate’s weekly meetings, Cabrillo students and faculty members present ideas and raise concerns. Many show up pleading their cases for much needed funding from a shrinking budget.

“I thought last year was hard, but the budget cuts we’ve been put through this year has made things a lot tougher,” said treasurer Christian Rivera, adding, “This year’s senate is really exciting to work with though, there’s a lot of diversity.”

Cabrillo, along with all other colleges in California, has faced massive cuts from

The Cabrillo College Student Senate gets together after their meeting. funding this semester, pressuring student senates statewide to make the tough calls on where to use remaining funds.

One branch that has significantly felt the flatline of state funding is Cabrillo’s Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievemen (MESA) center, in room 714.

Last year, funds for the MESA center were cut by over 60%. MESA helps students by tutoring and aiding in the development of positive study skills.

The program’s emphasis is on assisting minority students achieve future careers

in math and science, The program has been so successful it has been copied throughout Calisornia and other states.

MESA also provides academic, career and financial advising. As well as organized group study sessions, summer enrichment programs, and field trips. Those the organization serves include the first family member to enter college, and students eligible for the community college Board of Governors’ Waiver.

Cabrillo’s current Student Senate President, Kaycee Beams knows the organiza-

Part-timers con bus passes Brittnii London VOICE STAFF WRITER

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tion weel. Beams accredits them to why she has a high GPA in her difficult field of studying engineering. She is resigning and will officially be replaced by the first week of the 2010 spring semester because of her close ties to the organization and inability to remain impartial.

“The reason for my resignation is that, as an engineering major, I am seeing a potentially fatal, yet quiet blow happening at our science department in our [MESA] study center that I cannot remain unbiased towards,” Beams stated in her resignation letter.

“I have been volunteering my time in the Student Senate without pay, so I will volunteer that same time to directly help out,, said Vice President, Geoffrey Stanfield will take over once her resignation is finalized,” It is a labor of love.”

Senator-at-Large Theo Offei said that he wanted to see more Cabrillo students interact with the senate. “The Student Senate is here to work for the students of Cabrillo College, if we make a decision that someone doesn’t like, they should voice that and let us know.”

As a student of this school, you have the right to let the senate know how you feel about the choices they make. The interaction with the rest of the student body is vital to their efficiency. After all, do you know where the $8 you paid at the beginning of the semester went?

At a time when colleges are strapped on cash from state budget cuts, even the cost of the bus passses is being looked at as way Cabrillo students who register for one- to save or raise new fundss. unit classes can still receive discounted The $55 may not seem like much money monthly bus passes—and if they drop the for a student-discounted bus pass. However, unit, they can keep the the card is valid bus pass, which is valid from Aug. 17 to through the end of the Dec. 18, which semester. amounts to $220 The trend comes at in savings. the expense of fullThis discount time students, who use is partially paid public transportation

by Cabrillo, and during peak hours and students usfind that it’s crowded. ing passes after “I was a full time dropping their Students who drop from Cabrillo can student and having the classses. There is buses be that crowded still use their pass for the rest of the no way for a bus all the time made it a semester. driver to know lot easier for me to get if someone has sick and miss class,” said a former Cabrillo dropped their classses, so the pass is till student, who asked not to be named but useable the rest of the semester. said he paid full-time tuition and rode the Jill Gallo, program coordinator for the bus. “I don’t mind having to ride the bus, ex- College Planning Council, did not respond cept when it is super crowded.” to the Voice’s media inquiry.

It seems unlikely that the one-unit students are using their discounted bus passes exclusively to shuttle themselves to and photo by Claire Le Gall from campus.

local NEWS

November 16, 2009

Daniel Wootan VOICE STAFF WRITER

A morning of food, music, and general trashiness await students and volunteers at Santa Maria’s Beach in Live Oak for the 23rd biannual Coastal Cleaning Social Event, a Cabrillo College oceanography department production.

Arrive at the KSCO radio station on Portola Drive at 9 a.m. for coffee and bagels before descending on Santa Maria’s to scour the sand for anything that doesn’t grow at the beach.

Stubb’s Trio, a bluegrass band from Cabrillo and UCSC, is expected to play, as well as folk band Brook and River, of Santa Cruz are expected to play live in KSCO’s parking lot.

Show up early, and you can catch the first set from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m., before preventing our trash from drifting out to sea.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a jumble of plastic, fishing gear, and every other kind of trash floating north of Hawaii.

“It is twice the size of Texas,” said Mary Crowley, director of the Ocean Voyages Institute’s Kaisei Project on KSCO’s Cabrillo Incitor, which airs Saturdays at 5 p.m.

Three months ago, two ships–The Kaisei, of the Bay Area, and the New Horizon, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego studied the GPGP—the largest dump in the world for the first time ever.

There are still no proposals to get rid of the GPGP, which adventurer Charles Moore discovered in 1997 during a yacht race.

The GPGP is fed by trash from Asia and the Pacific Coast.

“We collect between 800 and 1,000 pounds of trash,” said Dave Schwartz, event organizer and professor of geology and oceanography at Cabrillo, as well as program chair of earth and space sciences.

They set a Cabrillo beach-cleanup record in spring 2008 by collecting 2,000 pounds of trash.

Beach cleanup events like this one are important to keep the GPGP from growing— and an easy way to improve the beauty of the Monterey Bay. However, Crowley said the best way to keep trash out of the oceans is to just not litter in the first place.

The trash and recycling collected Saturday will be dumped, free of charge, at the Buena Vista Landfill in Watsonville.

Santa Cruz County Parks and Recreation will give free permits to organize the beach cleanup.

The need for permits has “something to do with feeding [the] people [who are] cleaning up,” Schwartz said. “I was illegal for the first 10 or 12 times.”

Mary Chavez, a former Cabrillo student of Schwartz’s, and now an employee with

photo courtesy of : juiceonline.com-

Cabrillo volunteers hope to help reduce garbage patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating plastic oasis, lies north of Hawaii and is twice the size of Texas. the county, informed the professor that he needed a permit to clean the beaches.

You too, can “stick it to the man” by making the beaches nicer— it won’t cost you any money.

Back at KSCO around noon, folks can enjoy more live music, this time accompanied by free pizza from Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz.

Trader Joe’s in Capitola and the Safeway on Mission Street in Santa Cruz issued giftcards to the organizers to purchase drinks and snacks for the event. Coffee will be courtesy of Starbucks on Pacific Avenue.

Organizer and oceanography student, Victor Ivanov, an exchnge student from Bulgaria, hopes to get more than the average 100 volunteers.

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features

November 16, 2009

H1N1 vaccine: Spreading sickness or student salvation?

Cher Knight VOICE STAFF WRITER

photo by claire le gall

A Cabrillo nurse vaccinates one of many in line for the shot.

All sorts of crazies populate Cabrillo campus Samuel Witmer VOICE STAFF WRITER

I walked into a campus bathroom recently and discovered a man brewing tea with a plug-in electronic device while urinating.

He was panting, groaning, and shaking his legs wildly, like a crazed animal trying to scratch an unreachable itch.

Most outsiders would have called the man’s behavior unusual, to say the least— but at Cabrillo College, characters like him are common.

I could smell one of my fellow students in class a few days ago, and he reeked of feces.

But his hair was wet; clearly was freshly showered.

Did he just not wipe? Did he have a horrific accident on his way to class and decide there was no time to fix it? Maybe, I thought, he has a genetic mutation that causes his B.O. to smell like excrement.

I didn’t have adequate time to think about the troubling matter before the next one caught my eye: a guy with headband atop his enormous Afro, wearing a sweatshirt cut off at the shoulders and a leather arm

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guard. He must have forgotten that dreaming doesn’t end when you wake up—and that no, in fact, he is not a real-life ninja.

Some students on this campus seem to be oblivious to the fact that other people can see them.

A man in my first-ever Cabrillo class rolled a joint on his desk during a lecture.

At least he was thoughtful enough to go outside and smoke it.

These stories are not meant to harm, demean or degrade Cabrillo students, staff or faculty—instead, they’re examples of the kind of diversity only found at Cabrillo College, diversity that I have come to appreciate greatly. Every day is a new adventure at Carillo, with so many students you are sure to see something new and exciting each time you walk to and from class.

So go out there, folks, and stare. Laugh and point, too. Cabrillo has a whole lot of crazy.

Ed. note: Comments, questions, or complaints? Please e-mail this author at samuelwitmer@yahoo.com.

The recent spread of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, has evoked strong emotions, from skepticism to fear.

But community members may have felt relief Nov. 7, when the Santa Cruz Health Center made the H1N1 vaccine available to the public.

Christina Elvin, seven months pregnant and 21 years old, waited in line more than two hours before receiving her vaccine.

“I have been getting sick a lot during my pregnancy,” Elvin said. “I keep dreading that it’s going to be the flu, so I didn’t hesitate to go down to the free clinic to get my shot.”

Elvin said that aside from waiting in line, getting her vaccine—a process that involved simply filling out paperwork and getting vital signs checked—was not as exhausting as she expected.

Cabrillo college student Lisa Hernandez,19, was also at the clinic and shared her thoughts about the swine flu commotion.

“I am not too worried about the swine flu becoming some huge epidemic,” Hernandez said. “If people that are high-risk are just responsible and get their vaccine, then I think there won’t be anything to worry about.”

The health center depleted the day’s supply by the time it had issued a thousand flu shots.

Jeff Houston, 33, elected not to get vac-

cinated.

“If there is a way for the government to secretly control us it would be by making us fearful of something [like a disease or a virus], and then injecting us with some mindcontrolling poison,” said Houston, an alarm system technician and Cabrillo College alumni. “I would rather die from the flu and maybe admit that I was wrong than risk the government having its way with me.”

Vicki Doolittle, a registered nurse and clinical supervisor at Monterey Bay Oncology, urges even the skeptics—especially those with preexisting illnesses—to “be responsible and go out to get a H1N1 vaccine whenever it’s available.”

“It’s amazing that even today in this technological world, how ignorant the attitude about influenza is,” Doolittle said. “We forget how many people have already died, even just within my lifetime.”

Doolittle explained that some people are already immune to this round of swine flu: the forty percent of Americans who were alive in 1976 and exposed to the virus when it first hit the U.S. The Cabrillo College Student Health Center will continue to carry the vaccine for students. But supplies are limited, so official urge students in the high-risk category—24 years old and younger—to visit the clinic for the shot.

The Santa Cruz Health Center and the Watsonville Youth Center have not announced another vaccine clinic after Nov. 14.

Features

November 16, 2009

Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan?

Bristol Indy Media

Josh Duckart VOICE STAFF WRITER

40,000 more troops might move into Afghanistan.

Hay is for Ravers Robert Palmer VOICE STAFF WRITER

Rubber Bullets, handcuffs, a family feud, and an overabundance of authority were behind the changes to this year’s Nexus Hay Maze in Half Moon Bay from 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to a forum post on www.sacpartiesforum.com by “Katy” the day before the event.

This year would have been the fourth annual Hay Maze, a labyrinth that spans two acres of eight-foot hale bales, but the event turned into a wild goose chase to a mystery location somewhere in the Santa Cruz Mountains, only to end up as an all-night rave in San Francisco, spontaneously and beautifully thrown together. Its name was changed to Lost and Found.

“All seven of my chakras have been awakened,” said Eric Johnston, 50, who was at the event. He said the night was special because of “the music, the vibe, and the people makes tonight different for me.

Organizers refunded ticketholders half of the ticket fee and reduced the entry fee at the door to $20 for those who were willing to drive to the new location. Several San Francisco police cars lurked outside Kelly’s Mission Rock as a consistent flow of over-21s stood in line, waiting for security

The great betrayers of history: Marcus Junius Brutus, Judas Iscariot ... and president Barack Obama?

Some Cabrillo students feel betrayed and scared about the possibility of President Barack Obama, recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, sending 40,000 additional troops into Afghanistan.

“My first thought is that it’s scary,” said Alyssa Hagood, a 19-year-old Cabrillo student who commutes from Prunedale. “It is scary that more troops could be sent in, and it is scary that this decision could cause Obama to lose some of the American people’s support.”

The president does appear to have lost some support, perhaps in part because of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s controversial decision to award him the prize when he’d been in office less than a year.

The constant media feeding frenzy known as the Bush administration appears to have spoiled many

checks. In-and-out privileges were not allowed at the event. Kelly’s Mission Rock is near the Giants Stadium and looks out over the entire bay.

Santa Cruz’s Little John from Raindance Productions took stage downstairs in one of the three music rooms, where over 20 modern electronic acts performed for dancing fans of dubstep and house music.

The Gomorran Social Aid and Pleasure Club is a six-piece lounge act playing “junkyard cabaret” mixed with New Orleans jazz, according to Last.fm. The Gomorrans earned the title of “best marching band” in SF Weekly’s 2007 “Best of San Francisco” issue.

“We are the one band with this whole rave crew,” said trombonist Scott Knippelmeir.

Some of the Gomorrans’ members come from New Orleans, and the band plays a wide range of instruments: drums, pots, pants, banjo, guitar, double bass, piano, accordion, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, and “trash.”

“We normally play trailer parks or clubs in the Mission District,” said Knippelmeir.

The band and guests alike was wearing outfits that matched the happy, carefree, blissful looks of people who truly have been Lost and Found.

The band found out at noon the same day of the event that they would be playing at a

people, who seem unaware of the current administration’s activities.

“More information needs to be provided

“History shows that the Afghan people will not tolerate a foreign invader on their soil for very long,”

to Americans before [expecting us] to form an opinion on the subject,” said Liz Miller, 21, a new student at Cabrillo. “While I don’t agree with sending in more troops as a part of our current invasion in Afghanistan, I do support the United States helping countries in need.”

President Barack Obama recently reminded the public that he would change the tactic in Afghanistan. Calling the conflict a “war of necessity,” Obama seems likely to increase the troops. However, Vice President Joe Biden suggested a war of fewer troops and more special operation teams, making missile attacks more efficient and possibly saving lives.

“Personally, I’m nervous, because I have two nephews in the military—one who is going to Iraq—but I am also aware of the different venue than they had the past four years.

“I am friends with all the people that run this, old friends from 2001 to 2005, around the time when I used to be the manager of the Vets Hall,” Knippelmeir said. “I love Santa Cruz. It makes me feel young but stupid.”

When asked whether he had any thoughts on the apocalypse, Knippelmeir said he thinks it “needs more lipstick.”

Newly recruited Gomorrans fan and Santa Cruz resident Jessica Ricci, 22, found the trip worth the time and cost.

“Just discovering the Gomorrans was worth the price of admission and trip out here,” Ricci said.

escalating tension,” said Kanda Whaley, professor of Intercultural Communications.

“There has been so much oppression there for generations, and I believe [the Afghani people] need to be a part of the process of creating what they want for their future.”

However, the bloodshed in Afghanistan may be preventing the Afghani people from starting anew.

“History shows that the Afghan people will not tolerate a foreign invader on their soil for very long,” said Mahvish Rukhsana, a lawyer who represented Afghanistan prisoners at Guantánamo Bay. She recounts attempts by the Russians, the British, and the Greeks to occupy Afghanistan, all of which failed—and she thinks that the locals are tired of the military presence; they’re tired of “weddings and funerals getting bombed.”

“If Obama wants the support of locals, I believe the best tactic is to start spending money on rebuilding the country,” Rukhsana said. “Build roads, educate children, dig wells, provide warm clothes, support widows.”

President Barack Obama has been exploring his options—thoroughly, it seems, as he’s thus far prolonged his final decision, refusing to decide until at least after receiving the Pentagon’s final recommendations.

Many believe he will not announce his decision until after he returns Nov. 20 from a trip to Asia.

Molly Jean Kinkade, a Lousiana native, described herself as “the Gomorran Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s number-one groupie, and you can quote me on that.”

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arts & entertainment

reviews

November 16, 2009

Photo by Monica Andrade

King Tutankhamun Exhibit: Egyptian Immortality

Monica Andrade VOICE STAFF WRITER

“That’s right. That chair belonged to Tutankhamun.”

some 16 million eyes the opportunity to gaze three millennia back, into the personal past of one of history’s most enigmatic rulers.

In its 21st-century revival, the traveling museum blockbuster has added 80 gilded, gold, alabaster and semiprecious stone artifacts from other Egyptian pharaohs, their wives and offspring. The exhibit also showcases the original 50 pieces from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Paden and students enjoyed the exhibit.

Photo by Monica Andrade

To speak the name of the dead is to make them live again.

If this ancient Egyptian belief is true, then the boy king named Tutankhamun, who may have been murdered at 19, is alive— and living large on the lips of millions of people in San Francisco.

The de Young museum is hosting National Geographic’s “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” exhibition through March 2010. The last time King Tut’s treasures visited America was in the mid-1970s, when the museum first allowed

King Tutankhaun’s Sarcophagus at the exhibition.

“What moved me the most was that Tutankhamun was so young,” said Ryan Colla, a student at Cabrillo College who recommends driving to see the exhibit in San Francisco. “He was considered a god, divine—yet he was surrounded by so much turmoil, then he died mysteriously. It’s a cool story, and definitely worth the trip.”

With sold-out tours at every museum it visited, there has never before been a cultural exhibit

that has attracted national curiosity more than the treasures of king Tut. “It’s usually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see something like this,” said Cassandra Paden, an English professor at Cabrillo College. “I wanted my students to get out of the box, to really experience history firsthand and meditate on its significance to them.”

More than 20 of her English students made the trip from Cabrillo College, and most seemed reluctant to leave the exhibit when it was over.

is buried by the side of the road in the next scene. Adapted by John Galeti from the John Steinbeck novel of the same name, “The Grapes of Wrath” opened at Cabrillo on Nov. 6. The play follows the Joad Family, led by recently paroled Tom, as they pack into a red Ford pickup and set off across America in search of work during the Dust Bowl.

No tech in the new Crocker Theater went unused. The fly system comes into play from the beginning, as operators raise and lower large pieces of “slate” with projections on them to set early scenes, along with chimneys and house fronts. In Cabrillo’s old space, the job would’ve necessitated as many as ten crew members.

The principle actors in “The Grapes of Wrath” seem to be aptly cast. The main cast of this student-produced play is comprised mostly of middle-aged actors. Michael Gomes does a phenomenal job as Tom Joad, furrowing his brow and squinting his eyes in a brooding and conflicted representation of one of the quintessential figures in American literature. Tom Joad’s search for redemption moves the story forward and creates conflict for the entire family, and Gomes portrays this journey perfectly.

The play’s moral compass is Ma Joad, played by Lea Creatira. Her frequent advice to Tom, her son, doubles as lessons of the Depression that are applicable still today.

“We’re the people, we go on,” she reminds him when he’s reluctant to leave the family and save himself from a parole violation.

The play’s most effective tools in setting the Depression scene is its near-constant musical accompaniment and the 1934 Ford Model A pickup truck, which is both a set piece and the main prop. The three man band of harmonica, harmonica and dulcimer, and fiddle are both the orchestra and characters in the play, as they come onstage to be a band for the play’s line dancing scene.

The play ends as tragically and visually stunning as it begins. Katia Burke, who is consistently one of the best performers on stage as “Rose of Sharon,” plays the character in the screaming throes of labor. Burke carries the tumultuous scene, and leaves the audience on the verge of tears.

There is no better way to celebrate the opening of Cabrillo’s new stage during times of economic hardship than staging “The Grapes of Wrath,” an archetypal piece of Depression-era American literature.

Some gathered in groups beneath the de Young’s award-winning atrium architecture, engaged in conversation. Others sat alone in quiet reflection of what they had just witnessed.

“It doesn’t really hit you until later,” said Justine Ladiano. “I’d taken studied ancient Egypt prior to coming here, but it really came to life for me. It tied everything together.”

Standing outside the elaborate entranceway to the exhibit, I stopped to digest the significance of what I, too, had just experienced. A boy pointed at small golden throne. His grandmother nodded and said, “That’s right. That chair belonged to Tutankhamun.” I closed my eyes and listened for the name of the dead.

At first I tried to keep count, then abandoned the thought. King Tutankhamun was alive. He had indeed realized the Egyptian dream of immortality.

For more information on Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs Exhibition go to: http://www.kingtut.org/

Blake Wilson MANAGING EDITOR

Theater-goers at Cabrillo are likely to get caught in a rainstorm—or splashed by someone jumping in the Colorado River— once they suspend disbelief and sit down to watch “The Grapes of Wrath” in the new Crocker Theater.

Real water falls from the roof into a pool

“We’re the people, we go on.”

hidden under a trapdoor; watching people in the first row realize they’re seated in a splash zone is quite entertaining. But the spectacle is certainly not the most visually stunning part of the play, nor is it the play’s only draw—by far.

“The Grapes of Wrath” will make you laugh, perhaps when Grandpa makes a crotchety last stand to stay in Oklahoma. Then it’s inclined to break your heart, when Grandpa subsequently passes away and

8

Photo courtesy of the Cabrillo Theater Department

The Grapes of Wrath makes a splash at Cabrillo

The Joad family gathers around their red Ford pickup along the way to California.

Reviews

November 16, 2009

Arts & Entertainment

Men who TV reaches new apex of misogyny stare at goats Zach Stoloff EDITOR IN CHIEF

Buddy Emmons VOICE STAFF WRITER

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” is an account of the author Jon Ronson’s investigation of the U.S. Military’s studies on psychic abilities.

Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), a local newspaper reporter, has his life torn apart when a coworker suddenly dies of a heart attack at the office. Wilton’s wife concludes that life is too short, and she seizes the chance to leave Bob and run off with editor, for whom she was a secretary.

At the hotel bar in Iraq, where he decided to go to cover the war, Wilton has a chance meeting with Lynn Cassidy (George Clooney). Wilton had heard of him years ago from an interviewee, who claimed that both he and Cassidy were part of a secret government project that trained “super soldiers” with psychic abilities.

Wilton approaches Cassidy, and the two men begin on a secret mission to scour the desert in search of a nondescript location that only Cassidy knows. During their journey, Wilton describes how he became the “Jedi” that he is and how he has now come to the “dark side.”

“The Men Who Stare at Goats” was a mildly funny movie. The jokes were obvious and the length of the film was longer than it needed to be. The running “in joke”— the humor of which may not have been intentional—was that McGregor’s most prominent role as a Jedi was the very thing his character in the film wishes to learn so much about.

Ironically, a lot of the “skills” Cassidy trains himself for—seeing through objects, invisibility, and locating people remotely— were never part of the Jedi repertoire to begin with.

I would not recommend seeing this distastefully boring movie.

“Excuse me, my t--s are up here,” says Jessica, the title character of Comedy Central’s new show “Secret Girlfriend,” whom you’ve just met at a liquor store.

That’s right—she’s talking directly to “you.”

The show, which airs Wednesdays on Comedy Central, attempts to make at-home viewers the stars of the show. The characters address the camera as though it’s a person interacting with them—specifically, it’s a 20-something chauvinist working as a videographer for a viral website.

The camerawork resembles gonzo pornography, and it carries about the same artistic value.

I discovered the show because it follows “South Park,” of which I am a devoted fan.

Almost immediately, it became apparent that “Secret Girlfriend” was the type of program that had absolutely no chance of winning over critics.

Then again, neither did “The Man Show,” Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla’s comedy show, which was nearly as sexist but still enjoyed a successful—albeit short—run on Comedy Central.

But after watching just a single episode of “Secret Girlfriend,” it’s hard to find even one redeeming piece of artistic merit in it.

There isn’t much of a plot, save for chasing women; the acting is awful; and the jokes just aren’t witty and too often rely on ill-

conceived toilet humor.

There’s an incredible disconnect between my objective feelings on how awful this program is versus the actual attention I pay it.

I absolutely despise “Secret Girlfriend” and think it may be one of the worst TV shows ever, yet I have watched every episode thus far, and it would be a lie to blame the show’s post-“South Park” timing.

The episodes usually follow a vague plotline set at a random party, bar, or series of strip clubs, yet somehow this format appealed enough to my base senses that it still catches my attention, week after week.

But for a show that puts the viewer as a first-person character, the fatal flaw of “Secret Girlfriend” is that nothing that happens in any episode’s plot is ever remotely believable.

Pandora: Prepare for death

Your ex-girlfriend, Mandy, is a caricatured stereotype of a delusionally jealous woman, and your two best friends, Sam and Phil, are dim-witted at best.

In this parallel universe, if you are caught inappropriately staring at a woman’s buttocks, she’ll unequivocally be attracted to you.

Sex sells, and I am a mature enough person to admit I have emotional and physical desires which don’t line up with how I intellectually believe the world is or should be. While I don’t expect a woman to direct me toward her breasts after she catches me checking out her behind in a liquor store, there’s still a sick part of me that wishes I could be a part of this alternate reality.

What “Secret Girlfriend” has created is social porn. Most nights when I go out to Pacific Avenue bars, I don’t end up bringing half a dozen attractive women I just met back to my apartment to party. But “Secret Girlfriend” creates that virtual world for me, where women will strip half-naked just because you suggest it.

I know that television like this is a societal evil. Women should not be treated like the sex objects they’re viewed as in “Secret Girlfriend.” However, I would also be lying if I said that the part of me that identifies with wanting to have a threesome with two strippers doesn’t exist. And so would nearly all other men.

If “Secret Girlfriend” is evil, it’s an evil genius.

Kyle Matthews Gamer Guy VOICE STAFF WRITER

The best way to describe “Borderlands” is to call it a lighter, peppier “Fallout 3.”

“Borderlands” is a first-person role-playing shooter (FPRPS) that takes place in an alien world with a “Mad Max” feel to it. The game, developed by Gearbox Software, is about four mercenaries who travel to the chaotic planet of Pandora in search of a legendary treasure known as the Vault.

The first thing you’ll notice if you play this game is the cool 3-D comic book-like graphics, which may remind you of the game “XIII.” The game also features some funny characters—crazy, dancing robots and a wisecracking Russian merchant who says things like, “You don’t need a bigger gun. You just need to shoot more bullets.” The four playable characters have their own strengths and unique abilities, which add to the replay value. You can also play with three of your friends against stronger enemies that drop better loot.

There’s also an amazing number of guns you can find in the game. Chances are

you’ll never find any two that are exactly the same, because each has its own unique stats. Those who have seen the game’s “debug” interface know that there are over 17.5 million weapons up for grabs, which is especially great for those of you who enjoy looting (like me). Buying and selling items is also simpler with the ability to instantly compare them side-by-side.

While this game is definitely fun to play, there are some drawbacks. If you’ve read some of my other reviews, you may have noticed that I tend to complain about games that are too realistic—or not realistic enough. This argument comes into play with the fighting and the vehicles in “Borderlands.”

Since the game features RPG elements, no matter where you shoot someone, the damage they take depends only on your enemy’s stats and the weapon used, which means you can shoot five rockets into a guy’s head, and he’s still OK. But when you gently tap him with your vehicle, he explodes like he swallowed a live grenade.

The lack of story depth and the monotony in enemies also disappointed me. Finding an enemy that you’ve never seen before takes time. The good news is that despite the weak storytelling, the main quest isn’t too short, and there are plenty of side missions to keep you distracted.

If you liked “Fallout 3” or are just looking for a new shooter or RPG to kill time, check out “Borderlands,” rated M for Mature and available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

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A CWC competitor does a cutback

Huge waves hit SC for Cold Water Nick Nollenberger VOICE STAFF WRITER

bination of style, flow wave size and difficulty in maneuvers propelled him to victory, and his hard work and stellar surfing earned him $20,000.

Chest-to-head surf hit Santa Cruz for the series, held this year from Nov. 2 through Nov. 8. A huge north swell swept through Steamer Lane for the competition’s final two days, producing 10-to-12-foot waves and a perfect ending to a great event.

Nat Young, who won the 2008 Coldwater Classic winner, looked to defend his title on Day Two of the competition—but it was not meant to be, as he was knocked out of competition in his first-round heat.

But Young still found his way to the winner’s podium. Running between Cold Water heats was another surf competition known as the Oakley Pro Jr. The event displayed a crop of surfers under the age of 20, whose surfing talents rival the big boys in the Cold Water Classic. Young Defeated Hawaii’s Tonino Benson and Dylan Goodale, along with Florida’s Cody Thomson in the final of the Pro Jr. to win his third Oakley Pro. Jr. title in as many years.

More than a thousand spectators watched as surfers displayed flawless style amid difficult conditions.

Jet skis lent their services to the surfers Saturday, picking them up and bringing them to the break. The size of the waves added difficulty to an already physically demanding sport—and conditions made it nearly impossible for the athletes to paddle back to the break without the jet skies.

Surfers had to rely on their own energy to get back out to the waves during the last day of the competition—the jet skis were a no-show.

Local Kieran Horn had the best showing for all Santa Cruz surfers. Horn made it to the final day of competition but was knocked out, finishing fifth overall.

After the competition there was a tangible stoke in the air from fans and spectators who realized they’d just enjoyed one of the best Coldwater Classics in the competition’s 15-year history.

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A surfer hits the lip of the wave during the Cold Water Classic

A Cabrillo soccer player beats the goalie and head for the net

Seahawks turn season around in second half Zach Stoloff EDITOR IN CHIEF

The 2009 season has been a frustrating one for the Cabrillo Seahawks men’s soccer team.

Coming off a 2008 campaign that saw the Hawks ranked number six nationally among junior colleges, this year’s squad has been marred by inexperience and subsequently has compiled a record of 6-10-3.

Hopes for the playoffs have all but been extinguished.

But in the second half of its season so far, the team has made significant improvement, going 4-1-1 over the past six games— including a 3-1 victory against Las Positas at home Friday and a 2-1 triumph at Evergreen on Tuesday.

Cabrillo has gone 5-6-1 within its conference, and if not for a couple key losses, may well have been in a good position to gain a playoff berth. The team’s 1-2 loss to Ohlone on Oct. 28 was particularly crushing, as the Hawks actually outplayed and outshot their opponents 18-3 during the game.

“We really missed an opportunity to go to the playoffs,” said Cabrillo head coach Paolo Carbone. “But we still have a tiny chance if we win the last two.”

At the time of press, Cabrillo had two remaining games in its season—Friday, Nov. 13, against Gavilan, and a makeup game at Los Altos Hills the day after.

“Our goal was to finish the last eight games of the season 8-0,” Carbone said, and while the Hawks have already fallen short of that, the coach said the team “still has good spirit,” apparent in the jovial nature at practice.

So while the overall theme for the 2009

season may be disappointment, there were highlights in the season. Despite a squad comprised largely of freshmen, the team showed a lot of spunk in forcing ties with Santa Rosa and Fresno, two of the top junior college teams in California.

Leading the offense, Diego Gonzalez set the pace for the team with 5 goals and 4 assists. Daniel Adamson added 4 goals, while goalkeeper Carlos Flores compiled an impressive 1.28 goals against average.

Despite the frustrating nature of 2009, the season’s latter half and the ability of the team’s young nucleus to come together and grow as a club bodes well for next season and its hopes for a championship. Though playoffs may not be in the picture as the season winds to a close, the remaining games are still important practice for the Seahawks’ next season.

Alex Baranda / PHOTOGRAPHER

dana Baldzikowski / PHOTOGRAPHER

The best surfers in the world flock to Steamer Lane each fall to participate in one of California’s most historical surf competitions, and this year’s O’Neill Coldwater Classic did not disappoint.

Nate Yeomans—a Professional Surfer from San Clemente—took home the title of 2009 Coldwater Classic champion. Yeomans won the six-star surfing competition by posting a collective two-wave score of 15.33 out 20 possible points in the final, defeating Australia’s Heath Joske, who could only muster a meager 8.60. Yeamons com-

November 16, 2009

Alex Baranda/ PHOTOGRAPHER

dana Baldzikowski / PHOTOGRAPHER

sports

A Cabrillo soccer player tries to steal the ball from the opponent

sports

November 16, 2009

2009 Cold Water Classic Results Nick Nollenberger VOICE STAFF WRITER

O’Neill Cold Water Classic Final results 2009 1 - Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.33 2 – Heath Joske (AUS) 8.60 O’Neill Cold Water Classic California Semifinals Results: Heat 1: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 12.50 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 8.00 Heat 2: Heath Joske (AUS) 11.43 def. Luke Munro (AUS) 8.86 O’Neill Cold Water Classic California Quarterfinals Results: Heat 1: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.50 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 8.00 Heat 2: Nathan Yeomans (USA) 15.00 def. Cory Lopez (USA) 12.53 Heat 3: Heath Joske (AUS) 13.17 def. Damien Fahrenfort (ZAF) 9.10 Heat 4: Luke Munro (AUS) 9.67 def. Kieran Horn (USA) 8.46

Local Nate Doss Shakes off his nerves at 19th Annual Faultline Classic Daniel Wootan VOICE STAFF WRITER

photo by daniel wootan

Valerie Jenkins winds up for a throw. Leading he women’s division0 she appears to be floating.

Nate Doss of Santa Cruz dominated the 19th annual Faultline Classic Disc Golf Tournament at Delaveaga over Halloween weekend. The 24-year-old shot minus 36 in 87 holes, earning himself $630 for first prize.

After the first round Saturday morning, Doss held a two-stroke lead with a monstrous score of 15 under par, when most baskets were placed short.

He cruised through the next two rounds and won by six strokes, finishing at minus 36.

Grass Valley’s Greg Barsby, the 22-yearold winner of the Steady Ed Memorial Master’s Cup in May, shot 13 under par during Saturday’s opening round, putting him in a tie for second place.

The crowd anticipated a rematch of last spring’s Steady Ed Memorial Master’s Cup, when Barsby won first place and Doss came in second. The two were tied in the final six holes, until Barsby pulled away to win, also by six shots.

But disc golf, like ball golf, can do strange things to the human brain.

The usually calm, collected Barsby collapsed, scoring a disappointing -1 on Saturday afternoon and two over par in the final round on Sunday. He finished in 11th place, earning $105.

Barsby, who has high standards for his

photo by daniel wootan

Nate Doss nailes a putt from 30 feet on Sunday afternoon on his way to victory at the Faultline.

photo by Dana Baldzikowski

A Surfer Catches a Middle Peak Steamer Lane wave at the Coldwater Classic. play, was driving to get a beer even before the winners were announced.

Santa Cruz’s Ruben Alaniz shot a hole-inone on Basket 25 on Saturday afternoon, drawing cheers from everyone within earshot of the clinking chains.

Alaniz threw a backhand shot with his Innova Firebird—a hard curving disc— soared majestically over the road to the right. In the last 50 feet it arced left, around the large live oak tree in front of the basket, and exploded the center of the chains.

Valerie Jenkins of Oregon continued her dominance in the Master’s Cup, ruling the women’s division. Jenkins shot +6 for three rounds, winning $350. She beat runner-up Liz Carr by 5 strokes.

The Faultline Classic is about more than winning money. Organizers required each player to donate five cans of food, which were given to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

listen to the

Voice: The CABRILLO INCITOR on KSCO 1080AM

SATURDAYS

5-6PM, photo by daniel wootan

Sunday afternoon, Ruben Alaniz drives on basket 25 , the one he aced on Saturday.

“We raised between $250 and $300 [25 percent of the raffle money]and two 50-gallon drums of canned food,” said Russ Jacobson, president of the Delaveaga Disc Golf Club.

Two discs hit Nate’s mom and Cabrillo nursing teacher Barbara Doss in an ironic display of the sacrifices parents make to help their children realize dreams.

She was not injured “Honey, you should go stand by the basket,” joked her husband, Mark Carlskin, who sells discs at Delaveaga.

Nate Doss has won two PDGA world championships in recent years, but has struggled at home in Santa Cruz.

“It’s hard to focus with all my friends and family here,” Doss said at the Master’s Cup last spring.

Apparently, it’s not a problem for him anymore.

Call us out 479-1080

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Opinions

November 16, 2009

Alison “Ducky” Maupin FEATURES & OPINION EDITOR

Wellingtongrey.net

Remember learning how to write in cursive? In many schools today this form of communication is deemphasized, or simply not taught at all. Whether because of budgetary constraints, a shift in skill-set requirements, or a tech takeover, the ability to write in cursive might go extinct.

Education World takes a look at the trend in its June 2008 article, “Have Computers Forced Handwriting Out of the Picture?”

According to the article, characteristics of excellent cursive handwriting include “consistent slant, correct letter formation, consistent spacing of letters and words, and general neatness,” all of which the article claims are becoming “passé.” Handwriting is fading into the background, replaced with keyboarding skills taught “earlier and earlier” in schools.

Teachers expected students to turn in cursive scripted assignments when I was in elementary school in 1994 or so. They accepted no printed work.

By the time I entered middle school in 2001, the new standard was typed work only—no hand written work accepted.

During the inevitable shift from handwritten to typed, it is important not to cling

to archaic techniques. We must take a look fast, before time runs out, at the ruins of the cursive art form and salvage what is important.

Perhaps we should expand cursive studies and incorporate the field into the art department. We could teach an entire segment on artistic writing, and it could cover cursive, italic, block lettering and more— skills that are invaluable in community, business and art.

The transition to tech, in what is being called the “com-

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munication age,” is jeopardizing aspects of language such as precision, presentation, grammar and spelling.

“A generation ago, a teen who couldn’t read well could still participate pretty fully in the social conversation among peers,” says Timothy Shanahan, president of the International Reading Association. “But with so much written chatter, being able to read and write have become definite social advantages. There is simply much more

“There is still not enough money to have one computer for every child, but there is enough money for pen and paper for every child.”

pressure to know how to read than in the past when it comes to conversation, shopping, or work.”

Perhaps the degradation of language has expanded accessibility.

“Hey, how u doing?” is a lot easier to text than, “Hello, how are you doing?”— even if the latter is not linguistically correct. With more people accessing language, and documenting it, there are strange mutant forms of our language developing all around us. This so-called “degradation” aligns with a general movement away from structure and formality. The modern call is for acceptance, not standards.

While this is certainly a linguistics issue, it is a deeply rooted social issue as well.

Sally Klapper, a teacher at the John Thomas Dye School in Los Angeles, poses the question,“What would happen if the Internet someday crashed?

How would people communicate then?”

And I point out that in the meantime, for many in the world the Internet never got hooked up. There are many people without easy access to a personal computer.

Library hours are getting cut in the recession while Internet cafés switch to wireless connections for their customers, who can afford laptops.

For computer-less people struggling to stay employed in a suffering economy, taking time off work to get onto a library computer is not an easily available option. This

limited, economics-based access to the Internet further impedes these have-nots by limiting not only their exposure to the benefits of the Internet but the time they have to familiarize themselves with the ever-changing technological world. The lack of exposure to technology makes it increasingly difficult to develop the vital skills required to excel in this society.

Klapper says that “for many, the answer is cursive handwriting.” Still, it’s not always possible these days.

Following the paperless trend, Cabrillo College has converted the financial aid office to exist only online. This means that the people most likely to have limited access to computers—those students receiving financial aid—must adapt.

There are many ways to thwart going computer-less. Developers release at breakneck speed new editions of software and cutting-edge pieces of hardware, devaluing older editions—but check Craigslist. Grey Bears recycling center probably has five monitors and a processor or two on hand, which they’ll give out for free. Still, I must point out that those the most in need of technology and its lucrative benefits—the homeless— have nowhere to put their processor.

Klapper calls penmanship a “lifelong skill” and one that’s absolutely essential.

“Today in schools, we are seeing a resurgence in handwriting because of standardized tests,” Georganna Harvey, a handwriting product manager at textbook publisher Zaner-Bloser, told Education World. “Children are required to write, and part of the assessment of that test is legibility.”

Harvey believes that the peaks and valleys of literacy and handwriting in recent years are because of school budgeting rather than computers—and that while education budgets allow for each child to have paper and a writing utensil, there is “still not enough money to have one computer for every child.”

“I think we often don’t give kids enough credit with their control over language,” said Eric Paulson, associate professor of literary education at the University of Cincinnati. “They can text ‘IMHO’ on their cell

Photo by Claire Le Gall

Texting, typing and leetspeak: The evolution of linguistics

Students aren’t likely to stop reading any time soon, but they might stop teaching handwriting in schools. phones, write ‘my own opinion is’ in a school essay, and read ‘it is my belief that your scar hurts when Lord Voldemort is near you’ without getting discombobulated.”

Commonly practiced linguistic laws are more relaxed because of the intensification of communication. Let’s not instate some sort of grammar police, but instead support the growth of good habits early on in school.

The evolution of language and reshaping of communication and technology is happening at an accelerated pace.

Proposed addition to the Endangered Species List: Handwriting

Opinion Kelly Keiley VOICE STAFF WRITER

A college student without a Facebook page is like a celebrity without a Twitter account—they just aren’t A-list.

Facebook is a social networking site that originated in February of 2004 and was aimed principally at college students. Created as Mark Zuckerberg’s hobby in his Harvard days, the site gives people a platform for self-expression, access to other’s personal information, and—of course— instant communication.

“Facebook page is the first thing an opposing attorney will look up to compile evidence against your case.”

Facebook is no longer used only for networking among college students; people of all ages and professions have discovered it.

Part of Facebook’s allure is not only global communication made possible with the simplest of ease, but also visual and interactive aspects. People are unequivocally drawn to the benefits Facebook has when it comes to keeping in touch with the people in our lives, but where do we draw the line?

When signing up for a Facebook account, people are faced with the opportunity to divulge as much personal information about themselves as they desire. They may describe their interests, hobbies and past school and work experience or submit personal photos or videos.

To most users, it’s opportunity for personal space—a place where they can express what drives them and what exasperates them. What they may realize is how accessible that personal information is to virtually anyone with an Internet connection.

Facebook’s creators may have had good intentions when creating the site, but it has grown to the point that it may be causing as much harm as it is good.

Once you have created a page that represents your personal life, you may be more comfortable to disclose provocative pictures, post incriminating status updates or discuss personal plans with friends.

If your account’s privacy settings are set so that only your friends may view your page, you may think you are safe from lurkers. But what happens when you log on one day to find a friend request from your mom?

Heaven forbid that she accesses those pictures of you dressed up as a dominatrix on Halloween, or that wall post your best friend just posted about how hungover you both were last weekend.

You have two choices: either censor your Facebook page (i.e., your space for personal expression), or deny the woman who gave

you life the opportunity to be your “friend” on a social networking website.

Ignoring the efforts of relatives or even coworkers can be a difficult decision to make, but when did Facebook become so appealing to such a professional demographic?

Adults have every right to engage in Facebook-related activities, but their presence can be a burden if your page is filled with unbecoming information. Students are often too quick to post that information; instead, they should be conscious of the possible downsides of sharing personal content online.

Say your mom is computer illiterate, so you’re not worried about ever seeing her on Facebook. You go about posting photos of yourself partying, or have a wall-to-wall discussion with your friend regarding your foolish weekend. Next thing you know your mom herself confronts you with information you know she could only have obtained from Facebook.

It may seem like a stretch, but the people on your friends list are not always inclined to swear that what happens on Facebook stays on Facebook. They may be genuinely concerned for your wellbeing or they may be set on making your life difficult—either way, you’re unlikely to enjoy the conversation that follows.

We live in the age of YouTube, MySpace, and countless other websites that make exposing yourself all too easily—still, it’s best to limit your self-expression on the Internet. Once unflattering pieces of your past have been leaked to the Web, they are there to stay and may even haunt you in the future.

Beyond the usual partying, sexual or drug-related photos or videos, simply speaking negatively of a former employer or educational establishment may seal your fate.

One in every 10 college admissions officers look at college applicants’ Facebook pages regularly, according to a 2008 Kaplan study, and 38 percent of admissions officers found posts or photos that spoke poorly of prospective students.

President Barack Obama spoke to a group of 14- and 15-year-old students in September, warning them of the repercussions that may come along with being so forthcoming on Facebook. According to Telegraph.co.uk, Obama said he has been hearing “a lot about young people who [are] posting stuff on Facebook, and then suddenly they go apply for a job and somebody has done a search.”

In this economy, it is difficult enough to find steady employment without the threat of potential employers lurking on your Facebook page. Careerbuilder.com conducted a survey in June and found that 45 percent of employers used social networking sites in order to research job candidates, and Facebook was the preferred site. Thirtyfive percent of the employers in the survey reported to have found content that persuaded them to decline otherwise qualified

photo by claire Le Gall

Facebook: Social Networking site or social obstruction?

candidates.

Should you ever find yourself in trouble Cabrillo student and Voice staffer with the law, your Facebook page is the first Brian Gassmann looking at his facething an opposing attorney will look up to book account during class. compile evidence against your case. Even if you are acting as plaintiff or witness, you are subject to virtual search. weeks after the accident, while his victim According to about.com, a 20-year-old still lay in the hospital. Because of the phoRhode Island man who caused a drunk- tos, the man was sentenced to two years in driving accident could have served a rela- state prison. tively short prison term, if it weren’t for Facebook was surely a lot simpler before incriminating Facebook photos. The defen- parents, school and employers invaded its dant posted photos of himself dressed up ecosystem. Keep your page clear of any inas a prisoner at a Halloween party just two criminating information.

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thanksgiving

November 16, 2009

Second Harvest Food Bank gives hope to the community Georgina Renteria VOICE STAFF WRITER

Photo by Claire Le gall

One of the food barrel located in the cafeteria.

Crude facts hide behind the red-andwhite Christmas decorations that sparkle with nostalgia in Santa Cruz County department stores, hiding behind shoppers’ smiles as they walk back to their cars wearing warm knit gloves, holding extralarge umbrellas and wearing comfy hooded sweatshirts that represent a school, employer, or designer preference. Under the surface is the crude reality of hunger.

Poverty rates in Santa Cruz County have risen 7.3 percent since 2006, according to the Census Bureau. Children account for 27 percent of county residents who live below the poverty rate. The county’s 14.2 percent unemployment rate only hurts the hunger issue.

Local nonprofit organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank, which distributes 6.8 million pounds of food per year and serves 180 agencies and programs, give hope to the hungry in Santa Cruz County.

The organization was founded in 1972, according to its Web site, and had its humble beginnings in a Santa Cruz parking lot, distributing breakfast to children, who make up fifty percent of Second Harvest’s clientele. The

Angela Barros VOICE STAFF WRITER

The turkey may be the most exciting part of Thanksgiving for some, but others choose to celebrate Thanksgiving in ways that inspire them to be thankful.

Deep-fried turkey is a new Thanksgiving tradition. The appeal of the deep-frying is that it locks in all the moisture in the meat, so the turkey can be injected with flavors like honey barbeque. Use caution when deep-frying, though, or your Thanksgiving may go up in flames. (Tip for health-conscious cooks: Use peanut oil to fry the meat.)

While deep-fried turkey may be the trend, Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without homemade donuts. Cabrillo student Kristen Jones’ family shake their hot-off-the-fryer donuts in a paper bag filled with cinnamon and sugar.

“They taste way better than anything you can buy at Ferrell’s Donuts, and you can get creative with the toppings,” said Jones, 18.

Local vegetarian and Cabrillo student Amy Bevelaqua, 23, prefers Tofurky™. Made with organic soybeans, the popular meat substitute comes pre-stuffed with a rice- and bread-based mixture. The Tofurky meal package includes cranberry potato dumplings, mushroom-flavored gravy, and turkey jerky. Parents who want to keep the vegetarian spirit alive can give their children Trader Joe’s vegetarian corndogs, which the chain retailer sells in boxes of four.

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Photo from Inquisitr.com

Multiple ways to give thanks

Who’s up for deep-fried turkey?

Turned off by the idea of surfeiting yourself with turkey and potatoes? Enjoy dinner at a Thanksgiving hotspot: Chinese and Indian buffets. Sitar Indian Cuisine on Pacific Avenue offers a vegetarian buffet— for a few dollars more, the restaurant will add a meat plate. John Ritterson said his Thanksgiving tradition was always the nowdefunct L8 Chinese Buffet on Front Street.

“L8 buffet used to be my go-to place on Thanksgiving for cheap, Americanized ethnic food,” said Ritterson, 26. “Now that it’s closed down, I’ve switched to Taco Bell.”

Cabrillo students less adept in the kitchen can preorder a turkey, ham or roast beef dinner from Safeway for a Thanksgiving Day feast. The sides are prepackaged, making preparation as easy as pointing to items in a catalog and returning to pick them up.

Whether you can’t cook or you’re just lazy,

organization was the first food bank in California and is the second-oldest in the nation.

One in three households served by the organization reported a monthly income under $500, and the number of families who skip meals has tripled since 2001. The organization says that the demand for food has increased frighteningly to 60,000 people each month.

“Under the surface is the crude reality of hunger.”

Despite the alarming facts, contributions seem to be coming slowly for the organization this year. The current economic recession may be one culprit.

Two campaigns, The Holiday Food Drive and Grind Out Hunger, have the ambitious goal of gathering 2 million pounds of food, or the cash equivalent, by Nov. 30. The latter campaign was organized to motivate students in Santa Cruz County to donate food at their schools. Competition motivates the students, as they’re are competing against

Safeway makes tradition possible with a takeand-bake that you can pass off as your own.

“Thanksgiving brings to mind kettle corn, jellybeans, toast with Nutella, mini mustard-flavored pretzels, and fruit punch,” said Alisa Haston, 52.

Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food.

Some families keep a tradition of watching favorite old movies or playing poker on the kitchen table. Thanksgiving can be a heartwarming family reunion—or

one another to donate the most food and win skateboarding equipment, provided by Santa Cruz Skate Shop. Last year winner’s were, Corralitos Salesian Sisters Elementary and Junior High School; Santa Cruz Garden School; and Santa Cruz Empire Academy.

The organization’s mission is not only to end hunger but also to educate the community—and more importantly, involve them in the education process. As said in their website by 2015, the expected need will be 10 million pounds of food per year.

Cabrillo College won the Gold Can award last spring for raising more than 10,000 pounds of food, and organizers hope this holiday season is no different. There are food barrels all over campus, five of which are located in the student cafeteria.

one long day of house arrest with the parents and an annoying younger sibling.

Whether you’re starting a weird and wild new tradition or going for the classic turkey and trimmings, be sure to do whatever makes you thankful.

November 16, 2009

Tips to keep you out of a financial funk

The skinny

Credit crunchies: Not the breakfast of champions Before I was even out of high school, I was already getting offers in the mail from credit bureaus that were advertising “Low Interest Credit Cards” that guaranteed I would save thousands of dollars in college.

I thought about it for a bit and asked numerous people what they had thought about their credit cards and where their cards had gotten them. Nine out of ten people said that they would have been better off without a credit card and with greater knowledge about how to manage their money.

If credit card debt was a major in college, 84 percent of graduate students would have their major in it.

All of these credit cards advertise low interest rates and high benefits. In a college student review by CBS news, for the average undergraduate student, a debt of

about $2,000 is attributed to credit cards.

But the damage gets even worse. An average of almost $6,000 follows graduate students around thanks to those “money saving credit cards”. If credit card debt was a major in college, 84 percent of graduate students would have their masters in it.

Another big reason that we as both students and as economic contributors need to be scruple with our plastic buddies is identity theft. With online shopping becoming more and more available and with one of the only ways to “e-shop” being with a card, it makes it extremely easy for someone’s identity to be stolen. At that point, the debt heads into a snowball effect. After talking with several students here at Cabrillo who have been victims of identity theft, all of them said the reason was due to using credit cards online and because of it, they were extremely careful of their spending habits and card usage.

Another problem with owning and handling a credit card is all the fees attributed with them. Some companies charge an annual fee ranging anywhere from 20 to 100 dollars a year. If you don’t keep up with the fees and interest rates, it may not be obvious for a while, but eventually it will come back to haunt you. If you can’t seem to let go of your credit cards, there may be some

techniques you’ll want to adapt that will keep you out of the “credit cuffs”. For me, I always like to keep a few hundred dollars in a separate account in the bank in case of emergencies. This way, if you ever do fall into, even a slight debt, then you will have that money in the case of an emergency.

Don’t get me wrong, credit cards aren’t a tool of Satan and they can be used beneficially without having to sign over your soul or sell your firstborn, but there are some ways you can use “the plastic” and remain safe from financial destruction. First of all, you must get serious about staying on top of your balance. If you aren’t determined to stay out of debt, you will fall into it. Second of all, keeping track of your balance is a tremendous reason some people fall into the seemingly endless hole of debt. Looking for a credit card plan that has a low interest and high reward policy is also a good thing to look for when shopping for the right card. Along with being serious about your balance is being careful on what you buy.

It’s a bit like a trigger finger: if you’re not careful with it, you may just end up shooting yourself in the foot. Only buy what you need and not just what you want. Estimating your yearly income and comparing it to the rate at which you seem to be spending is only one of the many ways, and possibly

First, we can cut down our costs by swapping out our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Using a fluorescent bulb would save consumers up to $30 over the lifespan of that one bulb. Plus, as an added bonus, according to Union of Concerned Scientists using fluorescent bulbs can prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and that is what one little light bulb will do for your budget.

Fall is here, and as winter approaches the cold weather is right around the corner.

This means Christmas gifts, holiday cooking, and tremendous heating bills. One fact that most people may not know about is that more than 20 percent of their household heat escapes from your closed windows, causing you to crank up the heat, which in turn cranks up your bill. What can you do about it? On days where the sun is out, opening the blinds in the rooms where the sun shines in can help heat those sections of the house. However, at night and on those days when the sun hides itself away, closing the blinds and putting up heavy drapes can help insulate the windows, preventing the precious warm air from leaking out.

Doorframes are another drain for your heat and your money. Much of the heat in your house seeps through the doorframes leading to the garage and outside. This solution is simple: a rolled up towel acts as a plug to this money drain. While we are on the topic of heating bills, challenge yourself

to put on an extra hoodie and slip on some fluffy slippers instead of reaching for your wallet when you’re cold.

You can also save money with the water you use in your house. As we all know, water is one of the most important things for your body, and we need to drink a lot of it through the course of a day.

One suggestion is buying a water filter for your home.

I know on average I spend about $20 a month on bottled water. But with a $10 water filter, I can eliminate that cost from my monthly expenses.

Another way you can change for some extra change is by purchasing something what is called a high-performance showerhead. This little device will save an extra gallon per minute every time you shower. Also, if you happen to own a laundry machine, washing your clothes in cold water can not only save you money, it could also save some of that hot water you want for your photograph by Claire Le Gall The simple act of turning down your heat next shower.

www. pictures.directnews.co.uk

Allan Bettger VOICE STAFF WRITER

A credit card is like a loaded gun: it’s not dangerous if you know how to aim it. If you don’t, it can be a financial firing squad. the simplest way to maintain “the plastic fever”. Having the contol is one of the only ways to use the credit.

Common habbits can lead to an empty wallet Allan Bettger VOICE STAFF WRITER

We don’t often realize it, but our houses and where we live can often be a tremendous financial drain. However, there are many ways that we can crack down on the hungry houses in our lives and begin to bring down the amount of money that we put into them.

photograph by Claire Le Gall

can take the height off your bill and add some bulk to your wallet.

15

Calendar

Masthead

Ongoing Zach Stoloff Faculty Senate meets @ 3 p.m., Sesnon House (every other Tuesday) Editor-in-Chief Student Senate meets @ 3 p.m. (every Tuesday) Blake Wilson Inter-club Council meets @ 3 p.m., SAC East, Room 225 (every Wednesday) Managing Editor Bhakti Yoga Club meets on the lawn between the library and SAC buildings every Monday from 3-5 p.m.

Laura Copeland Bhakti Yoga Club hosts free cooking classes. RSVP @ http://www.doodle.com/mu9rebt3mvc788ci?adminKey= Copy Editor Nov. 6 – 21 Stephen Richter Cabrillo Theatre Arts presents John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” in the Crocker Theatre (VAPA 4150) Online Editor Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 p.m. Sundays @ 3 p.m. (11/21 will be @ 3 p.m., no evening show.) Tickets available @ Daniel Wootan 831-479-6331 or ticketguys.com. $18 general, $15 seniors & students, $12 w/ SAC card or ages 10 & under.

KSCO Radio Editor Nov. 16 – Dec. 11 Claire Le Gall Student Art Exhibition 4 in the Cabrillo Gallery (room 1002). Reception Nov. 15 from 4-6 p.m. Free Admission.

Photo Editor (Closed Nov. 26 & 27.)

Brian C. Gassman Nov. 20 Layout Editor Cabrillo Latin Music Ensemble in Cabrillo’s Music Recital Hall (VAPA 5100) @ 8 p.m. Tickets @ the door are $7 general, $6 seniors & students.

Mathew McDowell News Editor Nov. 21 Cabrillo’s Distinguished Artists Series presAlison “Ducky” Maupin Features Editor ents “Pan America: Creole Traditions in Music of the Americas” w/ pianist Frank French Georgina Renteria Opinion Editor in the Erica Schilling Forum (room 450) @ 8 p.m. Tickets available @ (831) 479-6331 or Kelly Keiley Fresh, Fast & Flavorful A & E Co-Editor ticketguys.com. $20 general, $14 seniors, $12 Middle Eastern/ students.

Angela Barros Nov. 23 A & E Co-Editor Mediterranean Cuisine Ray Brown’s Great Big Band in the Crocker Nick Nollenberger Theater (VAPA 4150) @ 7:30 p.m. Tickets Sports Editor Kabobs 10% discount for available @ (831) 479-6331. $20 general, $15 Allan Bettger Fresh & Healthy Salads Cabrillo Students seniors & students.

“The Skinny” Editor Nov. 23 – Nov. 25 Falafel Tuesday through Friday Kyle Matthews Annual Cabrillo College Thanksgiving Dinner.

Gyros 11a.m. - 5 p.m Calendar Editor Monday on the Watsonville campus from Wraps Joshua Duckart (Valid student i.d. required) 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday on the Aptos campus Buddy Emmons Catering Available (Discount limited to one meal per i.d.) from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Scotts Nicole Miceli Robert Palmer Valley campus. Times TBA. Brittany Sabatier Tues-Sun 11a.m.-8p.m.

Nov. 28 Samuel Witmer Staff Writers Women’s Basketball vs. College of the 7528 Soquel Dr, Aptos Redwoods @ 4 p.m.

(831) 688-4465 Alex Baranda Daniel Dasan Men’s Basketball vs.

Consumnes River @ 7 www.zameencuisine.com Ermias Drar p.m.

Rawb McCrea Dec. 2 Staff Photographers Theatre Arts Department presents “Improv Follies” in the Actors’ Theatre (1001 Center St., Santa Cruz) @ 7 Monica Andrade p.m. $3 @ the door.

Web Design & Layout Dec. 4 – Dec. 6 Dana Baldzikowski Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus presents “Music for the Feast of Christmas” @ Holy Cross Church. Friday & SaturWeb Videographer day @ 8 p.m., Sunday @ 4 p.m. Tickets available @ (831) 479-6331 or www.cabrillochorus.org. $20 general, $18 Marie Schmidt students & seniors.

Advertising Coordinater Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 Andrew Chapman Cabrillo Jazz Series in the Crocker Theater (VAPA 4150) @ 7:30 p.m. Jazz Combos on Friday, Jazz Singers on Heidi Nyburg Saturday. Tickets @ the door are $7 general, $6 seniors & students.

Ad Sales Dec. 6 Brad Kava Men’s Basketball Tournament. Times TBA. Andre Neu Advisers Cabrillo Women’s Chorus presents “Songs of Winter” in Cabrillo’s Music Recital Hall (VAPA 5100) @ 3 p.m.

Tickets @ the door are $7 general, $6 seniors & students.

Riley Dog Cabrillo Youth Strings/Chamber Ensemble Concert in Cabrillo’s Black Box Theatre (VAPA 4141) @ 3 p.m.

Tickets @ the door are $7 general, $6 seniors & students. Free admission ages 15 & under. thecabrilllovoice@gmail.com