Spring 2014 Issue 8

Volume 99, Issue 8 February 12, 2014

Get a look at FC’s spring sports on page 10

The Hornet The Voice of Fullerton College

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Springing Forward

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New VPs meet faculty

An event held outside the Presidents office allowed new additions to the staff to become better familiarized with FC. NUR SATTAR News Editor

Temporary additions to Fullerton College’s administration Savannah Jones, Interim Vice President of Instruction and Richard Storti, Interim Vice President of Administrative Services, met with the FC community at a gathering held outside the President’s office. They had a chance to mingle with instructors and tend to any questions or concerns they had.

These new appointments resulted after the loss of two VPs, Claudette Dain, previous VP of Administrative Service who is now at Citrus College and Terry Giugni previous VP of Instruction who is now at Napa Valley College.

The area in front of President Rajen Vurdien’s office Storti was buzzing with chatter as different instructors and other staff members crowded around the new interim VP’s and new Director of Maintenance Operations and Jones Facilities, Larry Lara, last Tuesday.

Vurdien mentioned that selecting the two interim VP’s was dependent on finding individuals with the proper capabilities for the job so they can jump right in.

“You can’t bring in a new person who doesn’t know the job because by the time the interim period is over, you would have just spent the whole period training the person,” Vurdien said.

Jones held similar responsibilities at the Community College of Philadelphia and Storti was previously a part of the Wilshire Center School of Continuing Education. {see Positions page 3 }

Photo by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Faculty, students and instructors crowd around the Quad for a fresh start to the new semester. Jump to page three for additional photos from the first weeks of school.

News

INDEX

2-3

Opinion

4

Entertainment

6

Local

7

Sports

9

2

C A News Briefs U News

N TTIO O I U N A C February 12, 2014

WEEKLY LOG OF CRIME STATISTICS

ON CAMPUS

Deadline to apply for commencement is Friday The last day to submit an application for spring graduation is Friday, Feb. 21. No fee is required to apply. Applications can both be picked up and turned into Admissions & Records.

FC nominates students of great achievement Men & Women of Distinction nominations are due Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Student Affairs office. Each FC faculty and staff member is asked to make at least one nomination for both a male and female student who has been particularly outstanding in their field. The students selected will be publicly recognized at the Men and Women of Distinction Program on Friday, May 9. Nomination forms are available in Student Affairs in Room 223.

Jan. 1 - Feb. 9

1.January 28, 2014 Medical Aid 700 building 2.Jan.28, 2014 Medical Aid Pool Deck

3.Jan. 30, 2014 Vandalism 594 P.C. 300 building 4.Feb. 6, 2014 Petty Theft 488 P.C. 200 building

Fullerton gathers books for local schools

The FC Reading Department is celebrating 100 years of higher education in Fullerton by giving back books to the community. The department will be collecting new and gently used fiction and nonfiction books for K-12. These books will be donated to local schools, the Boys and Girls Club and Fullerton Community Centers. Look for donation bins at the public library, Amtrak, Fullerton Art Walk and on campus.

Campus Safety encourages students to report any wrong doing they may happen to witness. It also must be noted that anonymity is always an option.

Emergency Contacts

Campus Safety Phone Number: (714) 992-7080 Emergency Phone Number: (714) 992-7777 Fullerton Police Department: (714) 738-6700 Fullerton Fire Department: (714) 738-6122

Where preparing to return to the workforce balances with

OFF CAMPUS

An evening of Downtown musical exchange

The Continental Room is hosting a record swap on Sunday, Feb. 16 from noon-5 p.m. for those who are 21 and over. There will be vendors from Los Angeles and Orange County with a variety of records, a bar and live DJs. Entrance is free. The Continental Room is located at 115 W. Santa Ana Ave in Downtown Fullerton.

“I have two young kids.”

UC Berkeley welcomes FC honor students

Honors students are encouraged to present their original research at the Annual Honors Research Symposium by the Bay Honors Consortium and UC Berkeley. This event will provide presentations from a wide range of disciplines along with campus tours and entertainment and will take place on Saturday, May 3. Proposals to speak at the Symposium are now being accepted. These 100-150 word abstracts are due by Sunday, Feb. 16. For more information, visit www. losmedanos.edu.

Cultural Center puts on a night of romance Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the South Coast Storytellers provide an intimiate show with face-to-face storytelling. These performers are known throughout Orange County for their captivating love stories from different cultures. This two hour event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center located at 1201 W. Malvern Ave.

THIS WEEK IN

HORNET HISTORY Compiled By Christie Garcia, The Hornet

Feb. 11, 1954 Enrollment was reported at 1080 students, a 10 percent increase from previous year.

© 2014 National University 13818

Photo by Alene Masse, The Hornet

• • • •

Students can transfer at any time Transfer scholarships are available One-course-per-month format 28 campuses plus online programs

Learn more at nu.edu/transfer

Costa Mesa Campus 3390 Harbor Boulevard NU14_13818-02_CC_PrintAd_CostaMesa_Fullerton_5p88x8_K.indd 1

Feb. 15, 1963 Proposal to combine Anaheim, Brea and Placentia into the FC district was being considered.

Feb. 7, 1975 Ray Bradbury spoke at the Plummer Auditorium.

Where quality meets flexibility™

(855) 355-6288 1/28/14 5:40 PM

Feb. 10, 1984 Tuition prices were raised to $50.

News

The Hornet

3

Welcome back to the spring semester With the spring semester already in full swing, Fullerton College students are already dealing with crowded parking lots, tests that are approaching too soon and life without sleep.

Photo by Ernesto Carranza, The Hornet

Lunchtime: Students grab lunch at Stinger’s cafe and discuss the beginning of the Spring semester.

Photo by Ernesto Carranza, The Hornet

Photo by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Chilling out: Students with some free time play games in the Student Center.

Hitting the books: Even this early in the semseter, students are already occupying the library to get in some studying and homework before classes.

Campus loses connection

Bugs in technology creates problems for students on the first week of classes.

RIM DAKELBAB Hornet Reporter

Photo by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Future Talk: Participant Max More talked to students about cyronics.

FC looks forward Event brings together leaders and visionaries to discuss the future of Fullerton.

NUR SATTAR News Editor

The Centennial Futures Conference gives participants a glance into their ability to shape the next hundred years.

The Conference opened with “Wheels of a Dream,” a piece from the musical “Ragtime.” The event was separated into three divisions, a morning session, an afternoon session and a reception.

The first two sessions featured speeches by various innovators from different fields. Rick Stein, the curator of the event was in charge of selecting the speakers, videos and performances for the conference. The conference took place inside the Campus Theatre on Jan. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Stein's mission was to paint a picture of what the future might look like from an environmental, business, technological and artistic standpoint. When asked how the speakers for the events were selected, Stein said it was a combination of personal contacts and searching online to gather a diverse list of individuals to present at the conference.

“Travis Sims from Red Digital Cinema is probably one of my favorite speakers of the night, as well as Jonathan Haber, who spoke about MOOCing,” said Stein.

Sims is a graduate from California State University, Long Beach and the Education and Technical Manager for Red

Digital Cinema. He spoke about Red’s growing impact on various industries such as film, television and photography.

Haber discussed MOOCs, which stands for massive open online courses and their growing presence in the educational world. He used only MOOCs to complete a degree in philosophy in one year, a project he named Degree of Freedom. He tracks his progress through this journey on degreeoffreedom.org.

“People taking MOOCs are from the ages of 11-80, but MOOCs are not a direct replacement of a college course,” said Haber.

He explained that almost 75 percent of people participating in MOOCs already have a degree and many educational institutions use the contents in MOOC as a hybrid learning environment.

Another speaker at the event Béatrice Coron, was born in France and specializes in papercut design art. Coron's artwork is shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty and the Walker Art Center.

Before becoming an artist, Coron took part in various odd jobs like working as a truck driver, a factory driver, a cleaning lady and even a tour guide.

“The future is in our imaginations and art is a nonverbal language which allows us to look upward,” said Coron.

“I like when art is open to the public. That is when there is more sharing.”

All attendees gathered after the conference for a reception which included a live band and refreshments.

Loss of Wi-Fi connection has been an issue affecting students since the beginning of the semester. Only until Friday morning students were able to start accessing Wi-Fi around the campus.

20-year-old Rosemary Vilanis, business administration major, realized there was a problem with the Wi-Fi when she saw a sign in the library saying that the service was not available.

She also noticed that the wireless connection was not working in the 400 building.

“Students need this service in order to do their homework, to check their notes and for their research papers. Students depend on it,” said Vilanis.

19-year old student, Hadel Kafi is one of the students who lost points for submitting her homework late because the Wi-Fi connection went down unexpectedly on campus. She couldn’t log in to the wireless network through the laptop she borrowed from the Library, nor was she able to access wired computers because of the long waiting lines. By the time she got home, an hour and a half

away from campus to do her homework, she submitted it late.

“My teacher said she received an email stating that there was a problem but that was not an excuse for late submission, next time they should let us know there is a problem so that we can do our homework at home,” said Kafi.

“The wireless service is not a mission-critical service for the campus.”

–Co Ho Manager of System Technology Services

The library communicated with Academic Computing Technologies, ACT and notified the students that there appeared to be a campus wide problem.

During the days that Wi-Fi was down, many students were asking the reference desk, help desk and circulation desk how they could connect to the Wi-Fi. The Library tried to accommodate the students with desktop wired computers when the Ethernet cables did not work either.

“One student told me, ‘You guys had the whole break to

get things ready.’ For the most part, students were frustrated, but showed a lot of patience and understanding,” said Jane Ishibashi, Circulation Librarian.

Co Ho, Manager of System Technology Services said Wi-Fi is provided for personal use not for instructional use. FC is providing Wi-Fi service free of charge for the convenience of its users, compared to other colleges that charge students for using this service.

“The wireless service is not a mission-critical service for the campus, It’s not like mygateway or other banking systems,” Ho said.

The problem started in Jan. 28 and based on the number of notifications, the Wi-Fi connection problem reached its peak on Jan. 29. Ho immediately informed the staff, faculty and public relations on campus to inform everyone. As of Feb. 10, the situation has improved somewhat with over 600 users currently connected, compared to the 1500 concurrent users Fullerton College wireless system usually provides.

Fullerton College Academic Computing and other vendor teams such as Cisco and Microsoft escalated the issue to the highest levels and have been collaborating to narrow down workable solutions.

Ho said, “that we will be able to solve this issue very soon.”

Positions: new interim hires for FC

[continued from page 1] Vurdien said that the interim period for the two vice presidents will last through the end of June. Lara is the only permanent addition to the staff as of now.

Attendees of the meet and greet held different views towards how they felt about these new temporary positions could accomplish.

Director of Equity and Diversity Ken Robinson felt that these interim positions are very short term and do not provide someone with enough time to accomplish as much as a permanent position holder.

“It does help with continuity, that students can still get help with services and is a great

recruitment source but does not guarantee the job,” Robinson said.

Lara disclosed that there are plans to add another parking structure in the future, but that all depends on whether the district will pass another construction bond. Whether this structure is approved or not, his long term position allows him to work towards accomplishing something of this nature.

Others expressed that they are hoping the new positions will bring in new perspectives to different areas.

Karen Rose, Director of the Office of Special Programs mentioned that she could see Jones bringing in knowledge to

help with budgets.

“I certainly hope to maintain what we have and improve what we can improve on,” Lara said.

The interim period will come to an end at the end of the semester and the President along with a hiring committee is working to find a permanent replacement for the two VP positions.

The hiring process for the VPs involves the committee selecting three to four finalists to go through interviews with the President and Toni DuBois, the Vice President of Student Service and then a meeting with the Chancellor to make the final selections.

Serving Fullerton College since 1922 Editor-in-Chief Greg Diaz Managing Editor Julianna Rodriguez News Editor Nur Sattar Assistant News Editor Christie Garcia Local Editor Martin Becerra Sports Editor Jeremiah Girard Assistant Sports Editor Benjamin Siepak Layout Editor Abby Dergazarian Photo Editor Mathew Flores Online and Sr. Editor Rebeka Nop Copy Editor Brittany Gonzales Staff Reporters Karen Baltazar Jason Burch Rim Dakelbab Hugo Flores Melissa Garcia Alexandra Juarez Starla Macasil Marisa Reyes Jennifer Riech Cassie Robles Shirlene Vasquez Rosie Waddell Adviser Jay Seidel

The Hornet is a proud member of the following associations: Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, and Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

The Hornet is published as a learning experience, under the guidance of Fullerton College’s journalism program.

The editorial and advertising published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff.

Under appropriate and federal court decisions and California law, college newspapers are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Accordingly, information published in this newspaper, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted to represent the position of the North Orange County Community College District, Fullerton College, or any officer or employee thereof.

THE HORNET 321 E. Chapman Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832 714-992-7134

February 12, 2014

Justice is in the eye of the jury Justice may be blind at times, but the case agaisnt Kim Pham’s attackers and the Kelly Thomas case shows us that, that is not always the case.

In one of the last articles she would write as a young journalist working for Elite Daily, Kim Pham wrote about the beating death of Kelly Thomas and the police officers that were found not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.

This is a tragic coincidence in that not long after submitting the article, Pham would also be beaten to death outside a nightclub in Santa Ana on the morning of Jan. 18.

Though several of the circumstances surrounding the two deaths are similar, we might be seeing two different versions of justice play out in the courts.

In both deaths, the attackers were caught on video beating the victims. In Thomas’ case, the police officers were captured on a surveillance camera near the Fullerton Transportation Center.

In Pham’s case, onlookers at the scene captured the video on their cell phones.

It seems like any argument of selfdefense would not hold water in the act of beating someone to death. Past the point of fear or safety for others, the act of killing someone that way would involve a large amount of rage in that moment.

This would seem to be the case in Thomas’ death. Thomas was hit several times with a stun gun and then hit in the face repeatedly with the butt end of it.

As a society, we have generally decided that acting with this type of violent rage towards another person is typically grounds for criminal prosecution and conviction.

Yet last month, the two officers put on trial for Thomas’ death, Jay Cicinelli and Manuel Ramos, were acquitted of charges, though dismissed from the Fullerton Police Department. The jury deliberated for less than two days before deciding that their use of force was justified.

In the case of Pham’s death, two of her attackers have already been charged with murder after a video of them kicking her repeatedly on the ground was uncovered.

Police are searching for at least one other suspect in the crime. It seems likely that someone will be spending time in prison for her death.

Here is where the question lies with these two cases. Both cases have a similar nature when it comes to the beatings and similar video evidence of the attackers actions, so why does it seem likely to have two different outcomes of justice for these victims?

Could it be that Pham was a young woman with a blossoming career as a journalist while Thomas was just a homeless man living on the streets of Fullerton? Was that a huge factor into the cost of the crime? This situation has been seen before when the beating of Rodney King sparked the Los Angeles riot in 1992.

The difference between the attackers in Thomas and King’s case in comparison to Pham’s case is that the attackers wore police badges. Apparently, that makes all the difference.

The most surprising thing about the verdict in the Thomas case was the complete lack of surprise. We give the police an exception from rules that apply to the rest of society.

It is an understandable notion since their line of work involves things that are completely foreign to almost every other occupation. Yet, the idea that they somehow were justified in their actions and the people who beat Pham to death are not, rings hollow.

It’s been seen over and over that justice may not be as blind as we like to believe.

She has an eye out for that badge.

Awareness is key in repaying loans How many years it will take you to pay off student debt depends on how much information you are armed with.

College students look forward to graduation without a second thought of what follows, student loan repayment. It’s a harsh reality that hits at the transitional period of being a student to a real world worker.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the amount of federal student loans crosses the $1 trillion mark. Over 40 million students across the country are in debt adding up to this number.

The biggest concern is how students will afford the payments and what kind of options are available out there so that loan default does not happen. The U.S. Department of Education and TurboTax are teaming up to create awareness of the income-based repayment plan for federal loans to manage student debt.

Graduates can apply to have their loan payment adjusted based on financial hardship. The Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education states

By the Numbers

The Hornet

Opinion

College Debt

4

52

percent of 2012 students in California graduated in debt, with an average of over owed.

$20,000

SHIRLENE VASQUEZ Hornet Reporter

that payments may be lowered to the maximum of 15 percent of their discretionary income for up to 25 years depending on their income level, family size and other factors based on state of residency.

The income-based plan must be applied for annually and payments will vary as income changes year to year. The repayment plan helps to manage debt at the time of need. Typically, the total amount paid over time is significantly more compared to the standard 10 year repayment plans due to accrued interest.

The average in-state Fullerton College student spends over $22,000 in 2 years of attendance, as estimated by the school’s net price calculator. It factors in the total of tuition, fees, books, room and board and other expenses after grants and scholarships have been applied.

If this type of payment plan is chosen to pay off federal loans under the incomebased repayment plan, the former student could potentially pay nearly double the

More than

600,000 federal

student loan borrowers who entered repayment in 2010 defaulted on their loans by 2012.

interest by year 16. This is in comparison to the amount of interest paid on a standard 10-year plan.

That’s the difference of paying $16,305 versus $8,246 in interest alone.

The estimation is based on an income level of $27,000 per year with a single member sized family using the federal student aid repayment calculator at www. studentaid.gov/repayment-estimator.

Repayment plans should be chosen carefully to meet each individual’s needs and what will be beneficial to their financial future.

The income-based repayment plan is not a “one size fits all.” It helps relieve the financial strain when the loan payment is too high and action needs to be taken to prevent default. In most cases, it should not be used as a long-term solution.

Whether or not the student graduates, the loans must be repaid.

The Financial Aid office suggests that students only accept funds that they need and not the entire federal loan offer.

After all, students pay for a higher education to increase their salaries, not to be in debt for the years following graduation.

Nationally about 20 percent of a graduates student debt comes from non-federal loans by banks and lenders

The Cal Grant program provides

$1.5 billion in need-based grants each year.

Information provided courtesy of Matthew Reed and Debbie Cochrane.

For more information on student debt check out projectstudentdebt.org

Do you have an opinion to share with our readers? Want to respond to a story? Do you have a gripe about Fullerton College that may affect other students? Email the opinion desk at fchornet.letters@gmail.com

Opinion

The Hornet

5

No smoking, no vaping, got a problem?

Fullerton College has recently banned vapes and e-cigarettes on campus to go along with the ban on smoking. We asked several members of the FC community to find out how that ban has affected them.

“I don’t participate in either and it doesn’t really bother me either way. It doesn’t hurt my rights anyways.”

Ed Vasquez

Film major

“I don’t get what the big deal is. They should just have designated vaping areas because the smell of cigarettes is annoying and vaping smells good.”

“I don’t smoke at all, nor do I approve of it. Vaping, it’s the same thing, it doesn’t affect me because I don’t inhale it.”

Gerald Vitelli

Mariela Mcventtes

Photo Journalism major

Nursing major

“It hasn’t actually affected me in any way because I just come out here and smoke on the street.”

Hector Marquez Business major

Buzz worthy is a weekly dose of student opinion that is collected by the Hornet staff and writers around campus.

Is California’s higher education staying competitive within the needs of graduates?

If more colleges were built in California, the graduation rate would go up and the classrooms wouldn’t be congested.

While higher education is something that California wants every high school student to push towards, the system is not coordinated properly. California is one of two states that does not have a body of coordinators for its colleges and that could be counter productive for people who want to go to college and graduate as soon as they can.

This system would be helpful because it would help determine where to place the next colleges in the state. It wouldn’t matter if the state needed a new college

POINT

BRITTANY GONZALES Copy Editor

or not. This would help the college to focus on the needs of the students depending on the careers in that area.

Considering that campuses are crowded and that it is hard to get classes in a University of California, it would really improve this program. The rate of degrees would go up because more students would be able to go to the classes they need in order to graduate faster.

This program would also help students who are not sure what they want to do. It would enable them to try out new things and it would be easier to find the right fit

for them.

Transferring would be easier because if more universities were placed in the area, this would help the congestion of students.

“California has one of the finest systems of higher education in the world and we must do everything in our power to maintain and improve our state’s colleges and universities,” said John A. Pérez, Assembly Speaker. “This report shines an important light on the need to have a central body whose sole focus is guiding the Legislature, Governor and our three higher education segments as we plan and build for the future.”

This program seems to best help the degree rate go up in California. In a public 2 year college, the rate of graduating students is 25.3 percent in a 150 percent

COUNTERPOINT F Should you research your professors before picking out your classes?

One great thing about being an adult is the freedom that comes with being in college.

As a college student, you are able to choose your own classes, the days and times your class meets and most importantly, your professors. Websites like ratemyprofessor.com couldn’t have made it easier to help you to choose which professor best fits your learning style.

Ratemyprofessor.com allows students to do exactly that, rate their professors.

This is very useful in helping students get a good idea of what they will be getting themselves into. It is helpful to know what you can and can’t get away like, if attending class is really mandatory, how much homework is expected for the class and how the grading will work.

There are a lot of helpful comments that you can read through that can give you a bit of insight on your future educators like, “He was very passionate and highly informative on his material. He’s willing to go that extra mile if you’re willing to pay attention and seem interested” or “I took this class hoping to learn something and got nothing out of it. If you want an easy A, take this class. If you want to actually learn something, take someone else.”

This website can help cater to your

REBEKA NOP Online Editor

learning style and can help you figure out how to get the most bang for your buck. The ratings offered at ratemyprofessor.com are: easiness, helpfulness, clarity, rater interest and hotness.

If you’re going to spend two hours or more in a class, might as well make sure it will be a fun class and the possibility of having some eye candy to look at is even better.

All kidding aside, if you’re looking to be challenged, this website will give you a look at what students before you have learned and what you can do to prepare yourself.

If you’re looking for a bit of a break from the normality of boringness, this website is also helpful because raters will specify the easiness of the course and what is expected from the professor.

The Internet provides us with an advantage within our finger tips so why not take advantage of that? College is for learning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn and have fun at the same time.

If you’d like to check out the website for yourself, it is at www.ratemyprofessors. com/SelectTeacher.jsp?sid=1318

time in 2010 according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. At Fullerton College alone, the graduating rate is 24.7 percent.

This offer would help the students get a chance at the education they want and deserve. It would create more classes for students and the graduation rate would go up drastically.

There are many reasons why this program would be beneficial for California. The effects can be seen in other colleges that have already adapted this program. The colleges that have this program have a higher rate of graduates and the classrooms are a lot less congested.

This program could help California colleges grow and expand the intake of students and have a higher rate of graduates.

With more access to information from ratemyprofesssors.com and LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to learn more about your professors than ever before.

Does that abundance of information actually help students make more informed choices or does it prevent them from entering with an open mind?

It can be a frustration of college courses when you realize that you are in a class with a professor that does not mesh with your style of learning.

It can be that they lecture when you respond to more group activity. It can be that the professor likes to hold discussions more than review the materials from the books you were forced to purchase. There are numerous reasons why you can come away from the experience of a class that is less than favorable.

But part of the learning in the college experience is to realize that you are not always going to have bosses and colleagues that work in the manner that you are used to. There is something to be gained by pushing through that class and succeeding with or without the professor’s aid.

Especially in a community college climate where classes are harder and harder to get, you usually have to go with the professor that comes with the course you need. This is doubly true if you work or have other commitments outside of college and you have to plan your courses around your availability.

Websites like ratemyprofessors.com and others sound like a good idea in preparing for what to expect when selecting courses. But as with most comments on the internet they tend to represent the extremes.

GREG DIAZ Editor-in-Chief

In checking out one professors comments you see both “this is a great teacher with and interesting class that teaches you a lot,” right next to “I took this class hoping to learn something and got nothing out of it.”

This is especially difficult when there is little to no context with the comments as there are all left anonymously. There are plenty of people we all know that whose opinion on certain subjects you would not value, so ascribing value to nameless people seems foolish.

It is always best to enter a new experience with an open mind as you may find out that the teacher that people warned against is really someone that works best with what you want to do.

That definitely will not always be the case as we have all had professors that we would rather not see at the front of the classroom again. But in those cases you have to remember that a semester is not that long.

Try and remember that the point of colleges is to finish and good teacher or not, it does not have to impact what you accomplish. A wise man once said, “Keep your head down and power through.”

Entertainment February 12, 2014 New artwork takes over fine arts building 6

whole night as guests visited each piece while the artists reunited with their former peers and professors.

Jose Lozano, who had a couple of paintings in the exhibit, remembered the days in his art classes fondly.

Lozano is an alumni whom like Drake, attended Fullerton College in the early 70s.

“This was a really good school when I was going back then, especially because of the teachers. It doesn’t seem to change very much,” Lozano said. “I have fine memories of this place. Time goes by so fast though.”

Alumni along with faculty reunited to showcase their artwork at the Art Legends exhibit and reunion at the Fullerton College Art Gallery CHRISTIE GARCIA Assistant News Editor

The Alumni Art Exhibit was put on as part of the Centennial celebration and hoped to bring together Fullerton College artists from the past up to today.

“I wanted to display the work that I made while also getting to see old professors and other people that I went to school with,” said Scott Drake, artist and alum.

The art gallery was filled on Saturday with different types of artwork including paintings, etchings, sculptures and even videos.

Drake, who had a raku temple jar on display, said his love for ceramics grew

even more while he was a student here in the early 70s.

“I started out as a forestry major, but part of what made me change my major to art was the ceramics classes I took here,” Drake said. “I started doing more art classes from that point and ended up graduating from here with an AA in art.”

Victoria Hernandez, an art history major who played a big part in

Hey there Delilah: Delilah by Don Treadway, 2008 shows peacefulness in a woman.

The Art Legends exhibit will stay open until the end of February.

Photos by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

FC Art Gallery:

Capri Motel by Steve Metzger, 2013 shows us how life could be.

organizing this event said that a good amount of thought went into what was placed along each wall and corner of the room.

Planning for this exhibit started about a year ago.

“We wanted it to be a display of a variety of work with each section having a different form of art by a different alumni or faculty member,” said Hernandez.

“We also wanted to make sure to show how diverse our faculty and alumni have been for 100 years.”

The gallery was buzzing the

Old man and the car: Research by

Dave Maestrejuan, 2012 focuses on the passion this old man had when it came to learning and working on cars.

‘Monuments Men’ all wasted potential

This mildly entertaining film falls short of expectations.

ALENE MASSE Photo courtesy of Austin Griswold, Secret Service Publicity

MARTIN BECERRA Local Editor

After nearly a decade, Kristopher Roe, John Collura, Mike Davenport and Chris Knapp of The Ataris will reunite from Feb. 28 to March 30 for one epic tour.

Hornet: How do you feel getting together after ten years?

Davenport: We’re pretty excited. It’s been a very long time. Rehearsals are going super great. We couldn’t be more thrilled to share what we’re feeling with the audience. We are truly excited about this tour.

Hornet: When did talk of a reunion tour come up?

Davenport: It has been a year since I first heard about it. I was at Soundwave Festival in Australia with my band Versus The World when I got a call from my guitar player John and he told me everyone wants to do a reunion tour and asked if I was in. I told him to count me in. When we all finally got the time, it then became an 11-year anniversary so we changed the concept instead of a 10 year anniversary we are now playing Astoria beginning to end. It’s more fun for us anyways and it is definitely a challenge. As a musician you want your band to have a challenge.

Hornet: What can you share about the shows?

Davenport: Since Kris lives in Phoenix

now, we will be heading over there and practicing five days leading up to the tour. The first show of the tour kicks off there in his hometown. The next 4 dates [shows] will be more of a warm up to get ready for the first official show of the tour at the House of Blues in Hollywood on March 5. The Anaheim show on March 6 is going to be a great show. It’s on its way to being sold out. People are buying tickets like crazy so I know it’s going to be a great show. Personally, I like the HOB Anaheim in Disneyland. It’s one of my favorites. Versus played a show there with Zebrahead and it was great.

Hornet: How is your new band Versus the World going?

Davenport: Really great! I started it right after The Ataris. It began after I did the whole touring cycle for “So Long Astoria.” We [The Ataris] took a break for about a year while Kris was working on writing a new record.

Hornet: What’s coming out with Versus the World?

Davenport: We have a new album coming out next year as well. It’s called “Homesick, Roadsick” because we have been on tour for like the past two years and it’s all songs about being on tour. So 2015 should be a great year.

Scan the QR code to read the rest of the interview with The Atari’s Mike Davenport, or visit hornet.fullcoll.edu

Hornet Reporter

This weekend was the premiere of “The Monuments Men” that included a wellknown ensemble: George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murphy and Cate Blanchett.

The film is based on a true story, but according to Hollywood’s standards, one can only guess what was dramatized to make the film seem better.

Lt. Frank Stokes (Clooney) asks then President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Who will make sure that the statue of David is still standing and the Mona Lisa is still smiling?”

The film did move along smoothly at a slow pace with occasional quick wit jokes here and there.

Stokes obviously convinces Roosevelt of establishing the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program because if he had not, then what was the point of moving

on with the film?

At the closing stages of World War II, Stokes, along with Lt. James Granger (Damon), is tasked to recruit a group of men to track down the priceless artworks and return them to their rightful owners.

The recruits consist of museum directors, curators and art historians who become known as the Monuments Men. Along with the help of Claire Simone (Blanchett), the Monuments Men have successes and failures in recovering the artworks they are searching for.

Clooney did double duty as he directed and starred in the film, not to forget to mention that he also co-wrote the script. His work behind the camera was more tolerable than his acting. Clooney has been known for giving better performances on-screen.

Every actor’s performance in the film was fine and none overshadowed the other for screen time. This is noteworthy as the audience gets to understand each character’s story better.

What made this film different from any other WWII film is that it did not precisely focus on the war. The film focused more on finding these artworks and getting them out safely.

The movie was mildly entertaining and does not seem like a great fit for the younger crowds. With high ticket pricing, it is not worth going to see in theater.

The Monuments Men Director: George Clooney Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray Running Time: 110 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 2 Monuments out of 5

Local

The Hornet

7

Fullerton resident celebrates 99 birthday The 99 Cents Only Store celebrates resident’s birthday with free shopping spree.

MARTIN BECERRA Local Editor

The clouds were painted in a thick grey billow that consumed the sun in its entirety. A cold breeze was present while the raindrops took their final rest on the cars and parking lot. It was what most Southern Californians would consider a case of bad weather.

In the midst of the gloominess, a light appeared in a woman by the name of Ivy Powell, as she illuminated the empty and well stocked aisles of the 99 Cents Only Store in Fullerton, bringing warmth to all who witnessed her beauty.

Her soft voice paved the way to smiles all around and stood out louder than the small crowd that cheered and occasionally shouted, “It’s all about you Ivy!” The 99 Cents Only Store celebrated Powell’s birthday on Friday at 7 a.m. by allowing her to participate in their 99-Second

Photo by, Martin Becerra The Hornet

A reason to celebrate: Ivy Powell has the wit to continue to make people smile and surpassed what most people thought impossible.

Shopping Spree after she turned 99 years old on Jan. 16.

With the store all to themselves, Powell’s son, Larry Lawrence and granddaughter, Rhonda McLaughlin were amongst the crowd along with Hugh and Anne Stone owners of the Acacia Villas, an independent and assisted living home in which Powell resides.

“I am very pleased that the 99 Cents Store and Acacia Villas

It is not a burrito without some papas Papas & Burritos, a new restaurant replaces Chicago Harv’s.

JENNIFER RIECH Hornet Reporter

Papas & Burritos is a MexicanAmerican restaurant that opened the first week of the spring semester.

The restaurant replaced Chicago Harv’s which served hot dogs, burgers, fries as well as chicken and beef bowls.

Papas & Burritos serves tacos, burritos, bowls and burgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The hours of operation are planned to be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.

The interior of the restaurant is appealing to customers and is kept nice and clean.

Papas & Burritos roughly holds nine tables and 20 seats which may get very crowded on a busy day. There is no public restroom available inside the small facility.

Papas & Burritos does not cater to consumers who have simple tastes in food. When

ordering, it might be wise to get your meal with everything that it comes with because a plain chicken burrito with just rice can be a little underwhelming.

The most plain of food eaters may want a little extra kick, which the ketchup and Tabasco offered at the place may not suffice.

It would help if they added chipotle tabasco, Sriracha, ranch or even barbeque to their list of condiments. These sauces can really pull a meal together and satisfy all types of customers.

Michael A. Riech, a customer who ordered fish tacos and Papas Locas was completely enthralled by his meal during his first visit.

“The tacos are filling and as someone who enjoys a good size portion of food, that says a lot,” Riech said.

The fish tacos consist of cilantro-lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, cabbage, cheese and sonora sauce. The Papas Locas is an order of french-fries with guacamole, black beans, pico de gallo, nacho cheese and sour cream.

would do this for my mother,” Lawrence said. “She’s been talking about this for the past 6 months and it’s been a very pleasant experience.”

The shopping spree was originally set for 99 seconds until Maider Izeta, Communication Specialist for the 99 Cents Only Store and coordinator of the celebration, decided to allow Powell to fill up a shopping cart all the way.

This change allowed ample time for Powell to tell Papa Joe Aviance, the 99 Cent Only Store Brand Ambassador, what to grab and put into her cart while McLaughlin pushed her down the aisles in the comfort of her own wheel chair.

“It’s a wish come true for her,” Anne Stone said. “It’s very generous of 99 to do this for Ivy. It’s positive for the community that they reach out to the neighborhood and it’s exactly what they stand for.”

A semi-full shopping cart rolled up to the only lit-up register filled with items such as paper towels, canned fruit, a measuring spoon and a butterfly calendar and much more.

As the cashier scanned each item, Powell slowly reached over to her coin purse that McLaughlin was holding and grabbed out her money to pay.

Aviance had to remind her that the event was entirely for her and the shopping spree was free.

At $105 and 84 cents, the crowd cheered while Powell held up the long receipt.

They made their way to the

birthday cake where they sang happy birthday and Powell was presented with a Certificate of Congratulations from Fullerton Mayor Doug Chaffee’s wife, Paulette along with a Certificate of Recognition from Izeta and the 99 Cents Only Store.

“This is all so wonderful, I didn’t think this would happen to me,” Powell said. “I’m excited and a little embarrassed to accept everything like this because I never had anything like this in my life.”

Powell is a 20 year Fullerton resident with 2 children and a total of 23 grand, great and greatgreat-grandchildren.

The shopping spree is celebrated for multiple causes according to Izeta and it is the fifth celebration the 99 Cents Only Store has held. It is the first time it has occurred in Orange County while the prior four took place in Los Angeles County.

“She is a loyal customer and it is a pleasure to put this together for her,” Izeta said. “It’s something different and a fun morning for all of us. I mean it’s not every day you get to turn 99.”

Foundations of Fullerton Papas & Burritos is reasonably priced at about the same amount as what one might pay at the campus cafeteria. Don’t expect dollar menu prices, but everything on the menu is under $10, which is reasonably priced for a college student’s budget.

The most expensive menu item consists of either steak or shrimp in a burrito or a bowl at $7. Any dish can be made into a combo for an additional $2.50.

For those of you looking for the occasional splurge and don’t want to walk or drive far from campus, the quality and portions may convince you to eat at Papas & Burritos.

The restaurant accepts all major credit cards as a form of payment but for orders under $8, expect a 50 cents transaction fee. Free WiFi is available and must be inquired within for more details and access.

Overall, the staff is friendly, eager to please and is willing to make your food to your specific preferences.

Papas & Burritos is located at C-410 E. Chapman Ave.

Photo by Ernesto Carranza, The Hornet

Bringing a new taste: Papas & Burritos the Mexican-American restaurant opened up the first week of the spring semester. The new restaurant replaced Chicago Harv’s and is catching student attention.

Frequent stops

Photo by Ernesto Carranza, The Hornet

STEPHANIE ORNELAS Hornet Reporter

The demand for public transportation is continuing to grow and although gas prices seem to be going down, public transportation is going up. Last year, Americans took 10.5 billion trips and 154 million more trips than the previous year, according to a report released at the end of 2013, by the American Public Transportation Association.

This was the seventh year in a row that more than 10 billion trips were taken on public transportation systems nationwide.

Public transportation showed a growth in ridership, public transit ridership grew in all areas of the country and in communities of all sizes, with at least 16 public transit systems reporting record ridership.

Lucky for FC, Fullerton is home to a public transportation hub, The Fullerton Transportation Center.

As students dive into a new semester, a few things come to mind. How long is it going to take me to park today? How bad will traffic be? Perhaps it’s worth giving OCTA bus routes a try.

By simply downloading the Transit application onto your smart phone, you can figure out an alternative way to beat the stressful traffic as well as travel all over the county at a low cost.

You can find out exactly how to

get from outside your classroom to the shores of Newport Beach and back with just five bucks.

Purchasing a day pass is easy and cheap, in fact it’s only $5.

At dock four, in front of the Slidebar Kitchen, you’ll notice a machine where you can purchase a day pass, monthly pass or a set of five rides with no time frame. One bus ride from the Fullerton Transportation Center will take you all the way to Newport Beach, something that will cost nearly $15 in gas.

For $15, not only can you get to the beach and back with a bus pass, you can also get some lunch and a drink from a local happy hour.

Two big reasons for the increased national transit ridership are high, unpredictable gas prices and in certain areas, a recovering economy with more people returning to work. Public transportation saves people money, and people save even more so when gas prices spike.

On any given work or school day, an average of 3,000 commuters travel through the Fullerton Transportation Center. This makes it the busiest stop along Metrolink’s Orange County route.

Don’t be afraid to embrace public transportation. It’s healthy for the environment and for you, if you allow it to be. It’s always important to keep in mind that not all those who wander are lost.

Foundations of Fullerton is a biweekly column dedicated to overall infrastructure, transportation and buildings within Fullerton.

8 Orange Empire Chorus prepares for Valentine season with annual Singing Valentine quartet.

MARTIN BECERRA Local Editor

With contagious joyful smiles that light up the whole room and in full confidence in knowing what to do, the 4 gentlemen get ready for their performance.

Each of them wear a bright red vest, black slacks and bow tie, along with a white collar shirt and a straw skimmer hat to top it off; they then enter the room.

Their 1930s look stands out from the crowd as every head slowly turns their way and every eye settles on them. They performed countless times before to where it should be a routine but each one is special and deserves a one of a kind experience for their audience.

It may not be a stage but it’s something better.

In a room filled with about a 100 people, they have their eyes set on singing only to one important person.

They walk up to her table as one of them pulls out a pitch pipe and blows it to the key of C.

Local It is time to sing and put on a show that she will always remember.

They are no strangers to receiving a surprised reaction from their audience and as one of them hands her a rose, while they sing in perfect harmony, she gladly accepts with a smile.

Singing Valentine’s and bringing joy to people is what they love to do.

They are a Barbershop Quartet of the Orange Empire Chorus in Fullerton.

“I’ve always enjoyed barbershop harmony,” said Ron Curlis, who ordered a Singing Valentine from OEC for Pauline Dini. “I have always thought it to be very romantic.”

Dini describes how surprised she was and thanked Curlis for such a romantic gesture in front of a large crowd.

“It was a wonderful surprise. You can see how passionate they are about what they do,” Dini said. “It was very nice and generous of them especially since barbershop goes way back.”

OEC is the Fullerton chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and has been performing Singing Valentine’s within Orange County for over 25 years.

The chapter meets every Tuesday at

February 12, 2014

Fullerton Union High School’s music room at 7 p.m.

The chapter welcomes any man to join but the current age range is about 30 years old up to 80.

The rehearsals are more than just learning songs and making harmonies; it’s brotherhood.

Whoever walks in the room is important to the chapter and they make sure it is known by welcoming any first time visitors with a song.

Each man is someone special and all come from different professions and walks of life.

It is a lively group of men having fun and enjoying each other’s company while singing together according to Mac McDougal, Vice President of Chapter Development.

Dick Cote comments on what he loves about the chapter and being able to meet every Tuesday.

“It’s more fun than a guy should be allowed to have,” Cote said. “You could be having the worst day but the moment you walk through those doors and are with those guys your attitude changes.”

Barbershop quartets consist of four singers; tenor, lead, baritone and bass.

They sing in harmony in which McDougal refers to as the “Magic”.

“Music is a part of us and its a wonderful outlet for men who sing and want to harmonize,” McDougal said.

“Harmonizing is the magic behind singing, when you hit it perfectly you know your doing it right.”

Buddy Yarnell a member of OEC could be considered a master of harmony with 8 championships under his belt in Barbershop Harmony, 3 of which include international championships.

Yarnell started singing quartet when he was 14 and has 62 years of experience. The same joy that Yarnell had when he started is the same one that continues to propel him perform Singing Valentines with OEC each year.

“I love singing. Whenever there is an opportunity to sing, I take it,” Yarnell said. “It’s so much fun singing to a girl or sometimes guy, but its great when we sing to kids. They love it.”

OEC averages about 200 Singing Valentines in a span of about 7 days each year. The group wills send about 5 quartets out each day to cover around 6-10 deliveries each day.

Dennis “Woody” Woodson has been a member for 52 years and enjoys the Singing Valentines and the positive reactions they get.

He encourages all men to do something special for their significant other.

“If we can get a lady to cry tears of joy it’s icing on the cake, and makes that guy look good” Woodson said. “Not to mention if we sing at a restaurant it makes all the other men look like cheap S.O.B’s”.

The Orange Empire Chorus can be contacted at 714-871-7675 for preorders.

A singing valentine costs $45 and the barbershop quartet is available to sing Feb. 9-16 and includes sweetheart songs in barbershop harmony, a valentine card and a solitary rose bouquet.

Scan the QR code to see a clip of the Orange Empire Chorus in action.

A small glimpse of Korean art Photo by Martin Becerra, The Hornet

L is for the way you look at me: An OEC Barbershop Quartet prepares for a busy Valentine’s season and sings “L-O-V-E” to a customer at the Elks Lodge in Fullerton.

New gallery opens up at the Muckenthaler.

ALEXANDRA JUAREZ Hornet Reporter

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center takes the Fullerton community on a journey through Korea, bringing one of its most ancient contemporary art forms: Hanji.

To celebrate the art form, The Muck opened their Hanji: Contemporary Korean Paper Art gallery on Thursday.

Hanji is handmade paper made from the inner bark of a mulberry tree.

The gallery hosted artwork from 6 artists; Young Hoon Kim, Dong Hyun Chung, Soon Ok Ahn, Jong Kook Lee, Theresa Hwang, and Yoonsook B. Ryang, all of whom brought a unique style that diversified the

exhibit.

Zoot Velasco, Executive Director of The Muck, hopes to bring inspiration to the community through the artist’s artwork.

Velasco wants to always attract newcomers by hosting events that appeal to the diverse populations in the area.

“The Muck is one of the last institutes in southern California that still teaches the fine arts and crafts that are under-appreciated,” Velasco said.

Velasco added that the Fullerton community has a very diverse population that enjoys different forms of art, from different cultures and of all ages.

All of the artists mention that their inspiration stems from their homeland in Korea.

Hanji can be a difficult process that takes time and patience as some of

Photo by Martin Becerra, The Hornet

Finding courage: Dong Hyun Chung tells how her artwork has allowed her to find strength in being herself.

the artists mentioned. An artwork can take anywhere from two weeks to a year to finish.

Kay Pullen, an attendee of the event describes an art piece from Kim as a beautiful work to observe.

“The art is beautiful and very lyrical,” Pullen said. “As an artist myself I appreciate the combinations of nature and typography in this art work.”

The Muck’s purpose in bringing the modern and ancient art form is to give the community the opportunity to learn new things from an ancient culture.

Chung has been painting all her life and began using Hanji as an art form a couple of years ago.

Chung mentioned that Hanji has given her strength as an individual and the freedom to express herself.

“I always use to hide my true emotions just to express a good image to everybody,” Chung said.

“Hanji has given me the courage to express my true emotions.”

Chung added that she enjoys being able to incorporate her culture into the modern world.

The gallery will be hosted at the Muckenthaler Feb. 6 – Apr. 13.

Sports 9 International baseball players come to FC The Hornet

FC baseball team adds four Puerto Rican players pursuing pro careers.

JEREMIAH GIRARD Sports Editor

The Fullerton College baseball team welcomes four players from Puerto Rico with the hopes that they will become big contributors for this season and beyond.

Many junior college sports teams are compiled of players that went to high school in the general area of the school and are looking for a second chance to earn a scholarship to play at a university.

However, this year’s Fullerton College baseball team carries four players that are from nowhere near Fullerton. They aren’t even from the U.S. Sophomores Christiannel Cosme and Ismael Sanchez and freshmen Axel Cruz and Oscar Heredia came from Puerto Rico to the FC baseball team with hopes of potentially being drafted to play in the major leagues.

“We do not have college baseball in Puerto Rico and we all came here for one goal,” Heredia said. “We want to get drafted to play baseball.”

Making the journey all the way here comes with a risk. None of them will be guaranteed playing time and everything will have to

BENJAMIN SIEPAK Asst. Sports Editor

There is one weekend out of the year when Lakers and Spurs fans agree, Heat and Celtics fans side with each other and fans of every NBA team tune in to watch the same game. NBA all-star weekend is approaching. The best players of the Eastern Conference matchup against the best of the Western Conference, in a highscoring game.

All players participating in the All-Star Game were selected solely by worldwide fan balloting.

The two premier players in the league led in voting, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. After finishing second in last year’s voting to Kobe Bryant, Lebron received the most this year with over 1.4 million votes, about 20,000 more than Durant received.

The top five voting recipients from each team will start. The Eastern Conference team will be coached by head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Frank Vogel.

Vogel’s starting five appears to be listed as, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Dwayne Wade.

The Western Conference team will be coached by the head coach of Oklahoma City Thunder, Scot Brooks. Brooks’ starting five consists of Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry.

Bryant asked his fan base not to vote him in to the all-star game this year but they ignored that, and voted him into the

Photo by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Looking to reach the next level: Oscar Heredia, Christiannel Cosme, Axel Cruz and Ismael Sanchez (left to right) look to shine for the Hornets on the baseball diamond and get noticed by professional scouts.

be earned. As of now, Heredia is the starting third baseman, Sanchez is the starting first baseman and Cosme and Cruz both play roles out of the bullpen, but nothing is guaranteed.

“The one thing I told these guys is that I would guarantee them opportunity,” said Nick Fuscardo, FC baseball coach. “If they put in the work in practice and leave me with no reason to leave them off the field, then they will be the guys who get the playing time. It’s as simple as that.”

Maybe the biggest challenge that these four will face is how to financially support themselves this far away from home. The grueling schedule of being a student athlete in college does not leave much time for work. In one case, the family is making a huge sacrifice hoping that it will pay off in a big way.

“My dad has a 401k,” Cruz said.

“We have been kind of having to use that and it is helping me a lot.”

They hope that one day Cruz will play professionally.

Now that these four have come to Fullerton College, there is the potential for more players coming from Puerto Rico, or possibly even other countries.

“That is often how it works,” Fuscardo said. “Not even just on the international level. If you look at our roster, you see that players can tend to travel in packs. We have a few guys from Yorba Linda High and if they keep having good experiences here, I figure they will keep feeding talent in.”

Once again, Fuscardo

emphasized that there will always be opportunity on his team.

“All that matters to me is that I am putting the most competitive team as possible out there day in and day out,” said Fuscardo. “It does not matter to me where they came from.”

The ultimate goal is to make it to the MLB draft and these four have been put in a good position to do so. The Hornets were the state runner up last year and are off to a 3-1 start this season. They are also playing for a manager that has been at the helm of Fullerton College baseball for 27 years.

“I know skip has been here for like 25-30 years,” said Sanchez.

“He knows what he is doing.

He is good at talking to us and telling us what we need to do.”

As of now, it appears that all four will be seeing a good amount of playing time this year.

Fuscardo even said that he thinks Cosme has potential to be the team’s closer down the stretch if he can iron some things out.

“I am just trying to put in the work and get better everyday,” said Cosme. “I do well here so that one day I can be drafted and go on to play in the pros.”

There is no telling what the future holds, but it appears that these four guys from Puerto Rico are well on their way.

NBA 10 Q’s with an FC Athlete All-Star Linebacker Simon Poti Game JEREMIAH GIRARD

starting lineup as he received over 980,000 votes. Bryant will not play and has been replaced by Anthony Davis.

Davis will be one of four first timers voted into the NBA All-Star Game for the Western Conference. Stephen Curry is the only first-time all star that was voted to a starting lineup this year.

Three players from the Eastern Conference, DeMar DeRozan, Paul Millsap, and John Wall, will be making their first appearances as all stars.

This weekend will be filled with NBA All-Star events, starting on Friday and ending on Sunday with the main event.

Some of Saturday’s events consist of the Shooting Stars Challenge, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Challenge, and the highly anticipated Slam Dunk Contest.

The Slam Dunk Contest is often the most exciting of the events before Sunday’s game. This years Slam Dunk Competition contestants will be Paul George, John Wall, Damian Lillard (who is also in the All Star Game, and Skills Challenge,) Terrence Ross, Harrison Barnes, and Ben McLemore. This will take place on Saturday night, and will be televised on TNT. The 2014 NBA All-Star Game will be the 63rd of all time, and will be hosted this Sunday at New Orleans Arena, and will be televised on TNT at 8pm Eastern Time.

Sports Editor

Simon Poti had been the starting linebacker for the Fullerton College football team for the past two seasons. In 12 games this season, he had 68 tackles, 5 sacks, an interception and 2 fumbles recovered. He was one of the leaders of a defense that carried the Hornets all the way to the State Championship game. On Wednesday, Poti signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Hawaii.

Hornet: Why did you choose the University of Hawaii, and what other offers did you have to choose from?

Poti: I chose Hawaii because of their football program. They went 1-11 last year but coach Norm Chow can turn this thing around and he really wanted me to be part of that change. I had offers from University of New Mexico, Fresno State, New Mexico State and Utah State.

Hornet: What are you passionate about outside of football?

Poti: I am what you would call a “church boy.” I’m a strong believer of Christ. My faith is what keeps me going. All my success on and off the field goes to God because he’s the one that gave me everything.

Hornet: What is your favorite Fullerton College memory?

Poti: My favorite FC memory has to be the Family that I’ve been apart of on the football team.

Photo courtesy of Sports Information

Moving on up: Simon Poti (right) poses with defensive coordinator Brian Crooks and defensive tackle Antoine Turner on National Signing Day. Poti signed with the University of Hawaii on Wednesday.

Hornet: Who is your hero?

Poti: My hero is my dad. He’s shown me how to play football.

He said, “I won’t force you to play football, but if you do, you better play and prepare to the best of your abilities.” He’s taught me to be a better man, and how to keep God first in my life.

Hornet: What is your favorite football memory?

Poti: My best football memory has to be playing for the State Championship this past season.

Though we didn’t win, this 2013 team was basically my family and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Check out the rest of Poti’s answers at hornet.fullcoll.edu

10 Questions with an FC Athlete is a biweekly column ainming to give readers insight into the lives of Hornet athletes on and off the field.

HORNET FOOTBALL PLAYER COMMITMENTS Simon Poti (LB) — University of Hawaii Corey Ferguson (DB) — Fresno State University Antoine Turner (DL) — Boise State University Tyler Floyd (CB) — Utah State Andrew Main (TE) — Indiana State Ian Boozer (K) — Portland State University Keondrick Daniels (WR) — West Georgia University Casey Branton (RB/FB) — Howard University Lavorrie Johnson (RB) — Lindenwood University Kishon Sanders (TE) — Charleston University Elijah Balavitch (TE) — South Dakota University Joe Hillin (OL) — North Alabama University

Sports

February 12, 2014

Fullerton College’s spring The Fullerton College baseball team heads into the 2014 season with high hopes after making it all the way to the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship Game last season. They lost the game to Cypress, but seem to have a team that can compete for the championship again, and they are off to a 4-1 start.

“I have people asking if we will compete for the championship again this year,” said manager Nick Fuscardo. “There is no way to tell, but what I can tell you is that Fullerton College baseball will always compete day in and day out.”

The team has a mix of key players from last years team, such as Dakota Wix and Nick Gotta, and some new talent, such as James Smith and Kyle Lazcano.

Baseball

Softball

The Fullerton College softball team is off to a hot 7-1 start to the season after a disappointing year last year.

The team looks to continue the hot start behind their revamped roster. There is only five sophomores on the roster and the rest are freshmen.

One of those sophomores, Alexandria Avila, is off to a blazing start. Through seven games, she has driven in 17 runs and hit three homeruns.

“We only have a few girls who are real power threats,” said head coach Marian Mendoza. “When we are getting girls on base, we are a pretty dangerous team.”

The Hornets have stolen 29 bases early in the season and have not been caught once. Sisters Breana and Monique Pineda lead the way with six stolen bases each.

The team has seen excellent pitching from sophomore Alyssa Felipe who is 4-0 with 3.64 ERA and four complete games. Freshman Nicole Pratt is 3-0 with an 0.93 ERA in three complete games.

Photos by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Hornets without an ace: Kyle Lazcano throws a pitch against Grossmont.

Lazcano is making his case to be the ace of the Hornet staff going forward in the 2014 season.

NEXT GAME Wednesday Feb. 12 v.s. Cypress (3-0)

No relief: Lady Hornet pitchers have thrown seven complete games early on in the season.

3 p.m.

NEXT GAME

Thursday Feb. 13 @ Palomar (2-6) 2 p.m.

Swinging for the fences: Oscar Heredia takes a big swing against Grossmont.

The Fullerton College swim and dive team will be looking to improve on a season that did not see them finish where they would have liked to in the standings.

Both teams took fifth.

So far this season, they are off to an impressive start.

They split their most recent meet against Saddleback and Orange Coast College. The Hornets picked up a win v.s.

Saddleback by a score of 127-124.

They were then blown out of the water by OCC, 21060. Individually the Lady Hornets only had one girl win her race.

Abigail Kuan picked up the win in the 100 m breaststroke event.

The strength of the teams appeared to be relay events.

They Lady Hornets took home first place in the 200m

Swim and Dive Medley Relay and the 200 Freestyle Relay.

The medley team consisted of Canon Jaquette, Abigail Kuan, Nichole Williams and Alicia Tully. The freestyle relay team was nearly the same except Prisella Xian took the place of Kuan.

The Hornets men’s swim and dive team also took home fifth place in the conference last year.

They are a very inexperienced team with only one sophomore on the entire roster.

“I feel that our team this year is very strong even though we are so young,” said Freshman Austen Meek.

“It’ll be a fun and successful year.”

The men’s team did not get off to a good start in their first meet. They picked up losses to both Saddleback and Orange Coast.

Fundamentals: Marcella Encinas practices bunting. The Lady Hornets will rely on playing small ball to score runs.

OCC beat the Hornets by a score of 166-36, and Saddleback picked up a 136-68 victory.

Meek was able to pick up a first place finish in the 500 Freestyle. The lone Sophomore, Jeff Carlson, picked up two victories of his own in the 200 Butterfly and the 1000 Freestyle.

It will be no easy road for the Hornets to try to capture the OEC championship. Perrenial powerhouse Golden West is atop the division and appear to be as strong as ever. They swept their way through to the state championship last season.

“Golden West has some great swimmers,” Meek said.

“But, I feel our chances are pretty good to come up with some wins and try to put a little bit of pressure on them at the top of the conference.”

Sports

The Hornet

sports gear up for long seasons Women’s Tennis The Lady Hornets tennis team is looking to try to repeat as state champions, and appear to be well on their way to doing so.

After dropping their first match of the year to Rio Hondo, 6-3, FC women’s tennis has rattled off three dominant victories in a row. Of these three victories, two of them have come by a score of 9-0, including Friday against Antelope Valley.

The Lady Hornets have a mix of incoming freshman and returning sophomores that will all look to play big roles.

Highlighting the returners is Sarah Anderson. Along with winning the state championship as a team, Anderson was part of the duo that won the doubles titles. She also made it all the way to the finals in the individuals.

“We have a really good team this year,” said head coach Scott Giles. “If these girls stay healthy, I like our chances of doing it again.”

NEXT MATCH Thursday Feb. 13 @Cuyamaca College (0-1)

2 p.m.

Target on their backs: The women’s tennis team will not surprise anyone this season as they look to repeat as state champions.

11

Men’s Tennis

In a limited sample size, the Fullerton College men’s tennis team has looked very impressive.

They have only had one match this season, which was last Tuesday, and won it with a clear 9-0 sweep.

The team will look to expand on that by playing fundamental tennis and avoiding the mistakes that cost them at crucial points of the 2013 season.

The team finished last season in fifth place in the Orange Empire Conference after going 2-8 in conference play and only 5-9 overall.

They will look to rebound from a disappointing season this year and put a few more positive marks on the record.

There are only four sophomores on the roster, so the majority of players on the team are getting their first taste of college tennis action.

Guys like Tyler Appel, Daniel Cha and Jake Altshuler all played big roles and last years time and should be able to provide valuable experience. They will look to show that they have made improvements from last season.

Photos by Mathew Flores, The Hornet

Serving it up: The Hornets used strong serving to set the tone in their match against Victor Valley.

NEXT MATCH Thursday Feb. 13 v.s Mt. SAC (0-2)

2 p.m.

Track and Field

NEXT MATCH Friday Feb. 21 @Fullerton College

12 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Sports Information

Off to a good start: Jeff Pulcher gets set for a javelin throw. He took third in FC’s first meet.

Fullerton College track and field teams are coming of seasons that saw them show that they can be serious competitors in the OEC and in the state of California.

The Hornets Men’s Track and field team is only one meet into the season and are already starting to gain some of the confidence that they will need to match some of their results from last year.

The team only has two sophomores and will need to replace De’shon Norris. He took third in California in the 400 m and was named to the All-American team.

Freshman Brandon Velasco had a strong first meet, finishing seventh in the 1500 m and fourth in the 300 m after leading for the majority of the race. Another freshman, Jeff Pulcher, took home third in the javelin with a throw of 137 feet, 9 inches.

“Even though we did not pick up any wins, I am happy with the team effort,” said head coach Wade Watkins. “Our guys put in work and if they continue to do so, it will pay off before long.”

The women’s track and field team is also coming off of a solid 2013 season. As a team, they placed 16th in the state of California.

The team will be without Cheyenne Thompson, who graduated after winning the state championship in the triple jump and placing fifth in the 100 m hurdles. Her efforts were good for an All-American honor.

The Lady Hornets went 1-2 in their first meet. They picked up a 57-47 win over Santa Ana College, and fell to Riverside (16-120) and Golden West (63-70).

The team had one winner. Rebecca De Iorio won the javelin with a 29.85 meter throw.

Vanessa Franco picked up second in the 400 m hurdles. Daisy Esparza picked up second place in the 1500 m and 3000 m.

Long Distance: Brandon Velasco during the 300 m race in which he finished fourth. He also got seventh in the 1500 m.