The Oak Leaf Newspaper, Issue 6: Dec. 10, 2012

Scandal Stuns

SRJC Community

28-year veteran police officer faces embezzlement and grand theft charges

How could it happen and what would drive an employee to steal?

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

Profiles

srjc sociology teacher intimidates and inspires

TABLE of CONTENTs Art & Entertainment Flying Goat Cafe review PAGE 12

susan rahman brings challenging curriculum to students Liliana Valdez Contributing Writer On the first day of a sociology class with Susan Rahman, it’s likely she’ll try to frighten you.

She’ll tell you that if you’re not ready to work with others, or if you’re not ready to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, then you’re not ready for her class. Don’t expect to sit in the back quietly and just do your work. When you attend Susan Rahman’s class, you’re going to experience a whole new way of understanding society.

“I don’t think I was scared but I was kind of concerned because it always seems like a lot of work, but she really makes you understand why you’re doing all of it and makes you understand why you’re doing it in the first place,” said SRJC student Erik Ramirez. She’s really passionate about what she teaches.”

Student Amy Marcussen knew she was going to like Rahman right way. “She makes class fun, she shows us real life examples,” she said. “She has us share our own experiences so we get stories from our classmates. We each learn from others.”

Rahman is an SRJC and College of Marin sociology instructor. Born in Seattle, she grew up and lived in San Francisco until she attended Humboldt State University.

She is of Palestinian heritage and embraces her culture. She is working on her Ph. D. and writing a dissertation about Palestine. “I’m looking into examples of effective peace models in Palestine and Israel with hopes that I can be part of the process of change,” Rahman said. “I want to make a documentary about it.”

It is this notion of feeling different yet longing to find equality for everybody that drives her passion in life and her profession. “I want to contribute in a society that has less discrimination, less hate, less poverty, and more equal rights for all people; as a teacher I like to talk about the issues to my students and try to introduce them to things that go on in society so that they can make informed decisions,” Rahman said.

The desire to make the world a better place for everyone is what brought her into sociology. She was originally a

biology major, but took a couple of classes and didn’t like them.

Then she took an introduction to sociology class and fell in love with the subject.

“Susan shares her passion for sociology as a discipline Susan Rahman’s students help find under-reported stories for Project Censored. that seeks not and Gender, Race and Ethnicity,” with one only to understand the human condition of her students. but to improve it,” said Andy Roth, Teaching was not Rahman’s first associated director of Project Censored career. She spent 10 years working with and lecturer in sociology at Sonoma at risk youth in San Francisco, helping kids State University. “Whenever I visit one who needed a place to stay, who lived in of her classes as a guest lecturer, her violent communities or were in gangs. “I students impress me for how engaged was like a mommy to them,” Rahman said. and prepared they are. That’s a testament “They could call me in the middle of the to her efforts as a teacher.” night, or whatever they needed I would Rahman incorporated Project be there for them.”

Censored in her classes about three That career ended when she had a years ago. As daughter of her own. “The birth of an assignment, my kid changed my life,” Rahman s t u d e n t s said. She realized she could not must hunt for still be there for the at-risk kids. As “She changed my censored news, much as she wanted to help them, mind in what I’m stories that she had a bigger priority in her life going to do with my mainstream now. She began teaching at San life,” media has Francisco City College because, by - Amy Marcussen missed or becoming a teacher, she would be ignored. These able to help others and take care stories get of her daughter. passed to the “I got really lucky that I got heads of Project offered a job. I started teaching Censored and some are published on and I really liked it,” Rahman said. She has the project’s website. In addition, these since influenced some former students to stories are all runner-ups for Project become sociologists.

Censored’s annual book highlighting the “She changed my mind in what I’m 25 most under-reported stories. going to do with my life,” Marcussen said.

“Susan provides her students with “I was going to major in psychology but I unusual opportunities to develop their changed my mind and I’m going to major critical thinking skills and media literacy in sociology.” by making Project Censored a central Rahman also had great influences component of her course’s curriculum,” of her own. “Famous sociologists have Roth said. “Students in Susan’s classes definitely stuck in my mind and I had brought forward four of the top 25 news teachers as an undergraduate that stories featured in Censored 2013. She affected me,” Rahman said. “Also, people and her students are crucial contributors to Project Censored.” For the book, Rahman also wrote a chapter, “Women Continued on PAGE 14 Editors-in-Chief: Isabel Baskerville Houston Smothermon Managing Editor: Keshia Knight Section Editors: A&E Editor: Cassidy Mila Copy Editor: Isabel Baskerville Features Editor: Andrew McQuiddy News Editor: Drew Sheets Opinion Editor: Peter Njoroge Photo Editor: Erik Ramirez Sports Editor: Thomas De Alba Staff: Brooks Blair, Jenna Burkman, Domanique Crawford, Brandon De Alba, John Fox, Jose “Luis” Gutierrez, Spencer Harris,

Jimmy Merrill, Dimitri Nazarian, Nathan Quast, William Rohrs and Deborah San Angelo

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Features Retired JC instructor volunteers in Guatemala PAGE 18

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thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

news

Internet vs Bookstore

Short reprieve

The season of textbooks is almost upon us

srjc receives temporary relief from proposition 30, but not a miracle Domanique Crawford Staff Writer SRJC officially sighed with relief at the momentary reprieve Proposition 30 offers. Although the college still has to face a $6.3 million structural deficit, SRJC is better equipped to meet the needs of the college community in coming years.

Proposition 30 allows SRJC to maintain the courses offered for Spring 2013 and preserve jobs for instructors that could have been cut if the proposition failed. In Fall 2013, SRJC intends to rebuild the class schedule by increasing the courses offered approximately 7 percent and plans to restore additional for the 2013-14 year.

“The greatest immediate benefit from the passage of Proposition 30 was the avoidance of having to take an additional cut to our revenues in 201213 of $6.3 million,” said Doug Roberts, vice president of business services.

While the benefits of Proposition 30 prevent additional budget cuts, the district still has to deal with the structural deficit. “The biggest obstacle in overcoming the structural deficit is the fact that the state has taken away over $11 million from us in the past four years. Additionally, 86 percent of our expenditures are in the area of salaries and benefits. Of the remainder much is ‘fixed’ and or reduced to a bare minimum from previous years’

Brooks Blair/ Oak Leaf

SRJC students can choose to buy new or used, rent or download textbooks this spring.

Nashelly Chavez Contributing Writer SRJC Students may line up in stores to splurge on gifts for friends and family now, but after December, they will be forced to purchase something that may evoke less cheer: college textbooks.

The price of textbooks has concerned college students for years. In 2005, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that full-time community college students spent an average of $886 on textbooks and supplies during the 2003-04 school year.

College students are finding ways to cut down on textbook spending as new options become available.

While some may appreciate a new book, others find that buying a used book, renting a book, or downloading an e-book is more affordable and convenient. Students must also decide where to purchase their books: online at sites like Amazon.com, the campus bookstore or both.

Many students turn to purchasing their books online, where they can compare prices from their home. “I usually get my stuff on eBay,” said SRJC

sophomore Michael Lousks. “Some things you can’t find online though.”

Students who shop online for used textbooks may run into trouble when they cannot find a necessary book; this is where many students said they turn to the SRJC Bookstore. SRJC sophomore Mary Roll agrees with Lousks they’d rather not have to wait in line or deal with bookstore crowds. “It’s so much easier to sit at home with your laptop in pajamas,” Roll said.

Students who purchase books online can encounter different problems, like books arriving late or in bad condition, or ordering the wrong edition of a book. Aritza Casas, 18, described having to share a book with another student because the book she ordered online didn’t arrive until a month and a half into the semester.

Most students who purchased used books online believed the additional time it took to find their books was time well spent. “It’s worth it because I can save about $70 on a book,” said SRJC student Stephen Cave.

Even with multiple websites available, some SRJC students prefer shopping at the SRJC Bookstore. “It’s more convenient for me because I’m already here,” said student Farrah Parks.

The SRJC Bookstore allows

students to buy new, used or rented books and e-books. Students can go to the bookstore website and find the textbooks they need for the semester if they know their instructors’ names and classes. From there they can put the books on hold and pick them up, or have them shipped to their home.

Students can also go into the bookstore and have an employee help find the necessary books.

“There is always going to be the sticker shock aspect,” said Rachel Minor, Petaluma Campus Bookstore manager. Publishers have the right to set book prices, while college bookstores must adjust prices to pay

reductions,” Roberts said.

According to a budget report Roberts developed, state-inflicted revenue reductions and external cost increases are the main contributors of the structural deficit. A $500,000 employer rate increase by the California Public Employee Retirement System, a four year $1.9 million increase cost in health benefits and an unemployment insurance cost increase of $500,000 have all added to district costs.

To combat the structural deficit, SRJC balanced the total courses offered to the allotment of full time equivalent students (FTES) the state is able to fund, and worked with organizations to reduce costs. The district annually works with the All Faculty Association, Service Employees International Union and the Management Team to collaborate on one-year concession agreements to help ends meet. The district also worked with employment groups to reduce the district cost of employee health benefits. By reassigning more than 50 regular employees to different or expanded position the district reduced the need for position replacement and eliminated more than 125 student employee positions.

Even though Proposition 30 was a win for the district, balancing a budget is always an ongoing battle. “The best way for our district to get out of our fiscal mess is for the state to adequately fund public education,” Roberts said.

for the general running of the store and employees.

Data from the National Association for College Stores shows how every dollar that students pay to purchase textbooks is distributed. On a national average, 77.4 cents of that dollar go to the whole sale cost (cost of publishing, publishing income, marketing and author income among other things) 1 cent goes to freight expenses (transporting) and the leftover 21.6 cents goes to the stores. Out of those 21.6 cents roughly 10.7 cents go towards paying employees, 7.2 cents cover store operations and 3.7 cents would result in profit before tax.

Continued on PAGE 14

srjc students discover causes, cures for seasonal depression Nadav Soroker Layout Manager Students packed the Center for Student Leadership Wednesday afternoon to learn about holiday stress.

They were informed about stress management and treated to a relaxing hour of basic calming exercises.

Smadar De Lange and Meagan Willan, two members from student psychological services, directed the seminar. They started with a group brainstorm about holiday stress and ways to cope. With the help of the students, De Lange explored how the holidays can be stressful, both financially and emotionally. People spend time with friends and family members who they don’t often see—

anything they had learned.

Later, lights were dimmed and Willan guided the entire group through a relaxation and internalization exercise. This was followed by one last exchange. Each person anonymously wrote something they were thankful for on a notecard, put it in a basket and drew someone else’s card. The notes were discussed between partners.

Many students received something they weren’t expecting from the seminar. Rather than a lecture students got

sometimes the closeness can rub the wrong way. The drastic change in schedule, habits and food, coupled with the darkness from the change in weather can also raise stress.

“Sometimes the holidays are stressful because it is supposed to be a time of relaxation, but it’s not. The contradiction causes stress of its own,” said Willan.

Leaders and participants recommended focusing on one thing at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Exercise and a healthy diet help maintain well-being.

After the brainstorm, attendees paired up and shared examples of holiday stress in turns, learning to both listen and share. Once the pairs were done, individuals were invited to share

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to relax, talk to each other and discover new perspectives.

“I didn’t think it was going to be so interactive,” said SRJC student, Rebecca Norris.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

Suspicions: Fellow officer’s observations led to Holzworth’s arrest Keshia Knight &William Rohrs Managing Editor and Staff Writer

As SRJC District Police Sergeant Jeffrey Holzworth’s Dec. 17 arraignment approaches, information released in a search warrant details the initial suspicions that led to the 28year veteran’s arrest on suspicion of grand theft and embezzlement.

Holzworth, 51, was arrested after SRPD used search warrants to install a GPS in Holzworth’s personal vehicle and to retrieve items from his home, workspace and personal and work cars.

Several thousand dollars were found in the search, although it is unknown at this time how much Holzworth is suspected of taking.

The embezzlement investigation came after SRJC District Police Sgt. Steven Potter alerted District Police Chief Matthew McCaffrey about possible ongoing embezzlement from another officer. McCaffrey turned over the case Nov. 1 to SRPD to avoid a conflict of interest.

In a late October incident, Holzworth offered Sgt. Potter a ride to Tauzer Gymnasium for a defense tactics training session. Holzworth, however, forgot his cell phone and left Potter alone in his pickup truck to go retrieve it. Potter noticed a cup holder filled with only quarters, and out of curiosity, opened the truck’s center compartment.

The affidavit stated that Potter

found six stacks of $1 bills and at least one stack of $5 bills. “Potter stated each stack was approximately one inch high and contained approximately 100 bills,” the affidavit states.

When Holzworth returned to his pickup, Potter told detectives, “Holzworth had a look of ‘panic’ on his face as he went back to his vehicle.

Ofc. Holzworth got into the drivers seat of the vehicle. Holzworth removed his wallet from his pants and placed it into the center console of his vehicle. Sgt. Potter noticed that Holzworth opened the center console only enough to slide his wallet into it, and then he quickly shut it,” the affidavit states.

Shortly after Holzworth and Potter arrived at Tauzer, Potter noticed that Holzworth kept his keys in his sweat pants the entire time. The keys would frequently fall out of Holzworth’s pocket and disrupt training. Potter noted that this behavior was odd, as other officers placed their keys in a general area for safekeeping, the affidavit states.

The warrant detailed a separate occasion in 2006, in which Potter and another police employee observed Holzworth’s black bag in the locker room. The bag held Holzworth’s parking machine maintenance equipment.

Potter said this was odd because the bag is usually kept in Holzworth’s locker or private office. The bag was partially unzipped. Potter and the other employee opened the bag to find approximately $100-200 in $1 bills.

They took the bag into evidence.

In the affidavit, Potter remembered another incident on a Sunday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. two or three years ago. “Sgt. Potter observed Ofc. Holzworth’s vehicle on Burbank Circle near a coin operated parking meter. He then noticed that Holzworth was emptying coins from the parking meter. Holzworth was wearing sweat pants and a sweatshirt. Potter stopped and spoke to Holzworth. Holzworth told Potter that he was leaving for Las Vegas later that afternoon and he needed to empty all the machines prior to leaving. (This was a Sunday and the Santa Rosa Junior College accounting office was not open.)”

Several of his fellow officers had suspected Holzworth had been taking advantages of his duties years prior to his arrest. “Yes there were suspicions, but this investigation is focusing on one singular incident,” McCaffrey said.

This observation led McCaffrey to request an SRPD investigation, where a GPS device was planted in Holzworth’s personal vehicle to track his movements for 30 days.

According to the SRJC Insider Newsletter, Holzworth was the May 2005 employee of the month and a committed member of the college community and Sonoma county law enforcement. He identified in the newsletter that his greatest accomplishment at SRJC was keeping all the permit machines and parking meters working at all times.

Ventek parki have been u for nearly ten district polic thew McCaffr zworth’s re involving cas started whe chines arrive

“I collect the money and maintain them to keep them up and running so we don’t lose revenue,” Holzworth said in the newsletter.

Holzworth was released after posting a $150,000 bail and has since been placed on administrative leave by the college.

After two postponed arraignments, Holzworth is set to appear in court at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 17.

SRPD Lt. Lance Badger said the investigation could take time. “It’s not like a homicide or robbery where we have all the facts and it’s a matter of rounding up suspects. This is totally different because it can trickle down to several financial institutions and it’s a lengthy process.”

Joe Passalacqua of the Healdsburg law firm Passalacqua and Passalacqua is representing Holzworth in court.

Passalacqua is a specialized criminal defense lawyer. After several inquiries, Passalacqua declined to provide a statement to the Oak Leaf.

While Holzworth has declined to comment on the case, when told about the college community’s devastation over the case outside the courtroom Dec. 3, Holzworth looked at the ground and said, “I know.”

The SRJC District Police Budget is comprised of three elements The general fund supplied $625,000 Parking tickets: $251,581 Parking fees, including semester permits and machine sales: $1,487,074 Source: SRJC 2012-2013 budget

Impact: SRJC Community Reacts With Shock, support, disappointment and plans for change Keshia Knight & Thomas De Alba Managing Editor & Sports Editor

After news broke of Jeff Holzworth’s arrest Nov. 28, the SRJC community was shocked that a trusted member of the district police and a friend of many officials could be accused of embezzlement and grand theft. But once the initial shock subsided, people are now wondering what kind of impact the case will have on the college.

Holzworth had been a part of the SRJC community for 28 years; he was the most veteran officer on the force, a friend to many and the golfing buddy of former SRJC president Dr. Robert F. Agrella. Because of Holzworth’s deep ties to the community, people all over campus were in disbelief.

SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong said many people are shocked and disappointed. “Everybody who knew officer Holzworth was shocked because they’ve known him for many years,” he said. “He was very well liked, always accessible and available.”

Vice President of Business Services Doug Roberts oversees the accounting department and knows Holzworth to be an outgoing, friendly guy. Roberts said a lot of people enjoyed being with him. When asked about the case, Roberts said that it was still too early to determine anything, but if Holzworth had committed the crime then he would be very disappointed in him.

“What I am most disturbed at is the idea of what this is doing to his (Holzworth) family because I don’t

will not go unnoticed. Dowling said the student government plans to follow this case closely and will publically voice concerns. Her biggest concern at the moment is the enormous structural deficit the college is facing. Dowling said the case couldn’t have come at a worse time as the college cannot risk losing the trust of the community and public support.

“I think we need to strongly question how something like this could have happened, follow through with who is accountable and how we can prevent it from happening in the future by suggesting and implementing improvements to the process and the system,” Dowling said.

The college is already implementing new procedures to prevent future theft. Chong said an internal audit will look at the college’s procedures and safeguards. He said that Roberts is working with SRJC District Police Chief Matthew McCaffrey and a parking committee. And while again Chong stressed that it is still too early to know all the details, he said Roberts will bring in experts in forensics and security if necessary.

“We want to ensure an incident like this doesn’t occur again,” Chong said.

According to Roberts, officials are making quick manual fixes that change the entire collection process. Before the parking money was collected only by Holzworth; now two people will collect the money together to prevent any chance of a missed step in procedure. The college will also take a look at the parking meters and any

think they were in on it,” Roberts said.

While two of Holzworth’s close friends, Agrella and SRJC Athletic Director Jim Forkum, declined to comment, assistant head football coach Leonard Wagner chose to focus his attention on how his friend is doing and what type of guy he knew Holzworth to be.

“Jeff Holzworth is my friend. Any time I have needed him he has been there for me, which is what friends do for each other. Because I am his friend, I will continue to support him during him during his time of need,” Wagner said. “In regards to Jeff as a person, he has always been a first class individual.

Eager to help and someone you can count on.”

School administrators were not the only people disappointed by the news.

Several SRJC students were surprised to hear how such a trusted member of the school could commit such a crime.

A few had very strong reactions.

“In my point of view, it seems really desperate. To take that kind of risk, it seems like it was planned out for a long time,” Chris Johnson said. “It’s disappointing he would sink so low.”

SRJC student David Barclay was concerned that Holzworth must have abused some sort of loophole. “No one is going to pay special attention to a cop of 28 years; he must have been really trusted,” he said.

SRJC Student Trustee Michele Dowling was also saddened by the news of Holzworth’s arrest.

She acknowledges that the investigation is still on-going but says this incident

4

type of flaw in the system or machine itself.

“We are looking at the age of some of our machines and trying to find out, and of course this is some of the work that SRPD is looking into, is how the machines could be manipulated,” Roberts said.

Roberts also said that because Holzworth was the “expert” when it came to the pay machines, the school has had to find someone new. SRJC is partnering with the manufacturer and local brand representative to understand how the machines work and can be manipulated.

While it is still unknown exactly how long Holzworth is suspected of embezzling and how much money he is accused of taking, Roberts says it is in the best interest of the college to find out the specifics. SRJC does have a crime insurance policy through a joint powers statewide association of community colleges.

Roberts said the district does can make a claim once the extent of losses is determined.

The investigation Last year, Hol is still fairly new and Roberts understands ary totaled that people want including $1 answers.

Roberts is hesitant to point overtime and fingers, but said the in health ben college is taking all the necessary steps towards preventing this from happening again.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

ing machines used at SRJC n years. SRJC ce chief matrey said Holesponsibilites sh collection en the maed on campus.

Loopholes: how parking theft could happen here Drew Sheets News Editor

In the wake of embezzlement and grand theft allegations against a longtime friend and colleague, SRJC community members and SRPD detectives are still piecing together how Sgt. Jeffrey Holzworth could have looted the district’s parking pay system.

According to Vice President of Business Services, Doug Roberts, there are more than 40 daily permit pay stations and at least 60 parking meters in the district, all of which Holzworth maintained, serviced and regulated for at least 10 years. “When it came to those machines, Jeff was our expert,” Roberts said.

When Holzworth collected the bags of money, the machine would “spit out” a receipt that showed the date and time the money was collected. “Some of the machines only spit out a receipt on the day it’s collected and it only date stamps on the day it’s collected,” Roberts said.

According to a search warrant affidavit that Santa Rosa Police detectives filed with Sonoma Superior Court, SRJC District Police Chief Matt McCaffrey admitted there was no way to tell if Holzworth turned in all the money he collected from the machines. “If Ofc. Holzworth collected money from five machines in one day, he might only turn in money from three

or four of those machines. No one would know that Ofc. Holzworth collected money from additional machines because the machines do not reconcile with a central database. Ofc. Holzworth is equipped with a computer that clears out the accounting memory from each of the parking machines.”

The affidavit states that other department employees often saw Holzworth using this computer to clear out the machines after he collected money from them.

“Chief McCaffrey said that Ofc. Holzworth has the training and the only computer equipment to clear the internal memory from each of those machines.

Ofc. Holzworth keeps the computer with him, or locked in his office. None of the other district personnel have access to this computer,” the affidavit states.

Each machine can contain several thousand dollars. One recent parking pay station retrieval netted $1700 on the Petaluma campus, Sgt. Steven Potter told investigators, the affidavit states.

Annual parking revenue totals $1.5 million, including paid permits, daily permits and meters. This figure represents nearly half of the district police’s annual budget.

Holzworth typically brought in a mail bin full of bags of money and corresponding receipts to the accounting department, an anonymous source told The Oak Leaf.

“The bag and receipt are taken to accounting. They then do a spot reconciliation as to what’s in the bag and what’s on the receipt,” Roberts

said there were not many instances when it didn’t match up.

“When it didn’t match up, money from the machine was higher than the receipt.”

The affidavit discusses how Holzworth might have evaded accounting scrutiny.

“Hypothetically, if Ofc. Holzworth collects Photo by Drew Sheets $1000 from machines 1 through 5 in one Jeffrey Holzworth talks with and unidentified woman outside of day, he might only Sonoma County Superior Court Dec. 3. His arraignment was postturn in the money from poned until 8:30 a.m. Dec. 17, pending an ongoing investigation. machines 1, 2, 3, and and deposits. I don’t know if it’s going to 4. There is no way for the accounting department to know that show up much.” The farthest they can go funds from machine 5 should have been back is seven years.

McCaffrey changed the pay station turned in. Ofc. Holzworth can then clear collection process immediately following the memory out of each machine using a Holzworth’s arrest. computer.”

“We’re changing the collection SRJC’s Accounting Department declined to comment on the process as process,” Roberts said, “making sure all did Ventek International, the pay station collections are made by two individuals together. That’s the manual fix.” manufacturer.

SRJC Professor Michael Aparicio said, “We’re talking to the manufacturer and we’re talking to the local rep to “Chief McCaffrey’s handling of the case get a better understanding of how the was exceptional. It reassures me that we machines could work and how they could will get through this.”

District Police Sgt. Steven Potter said, be manipulated,” Roberts said.

The SRPD is also investigating the “Chief McCaffrey is the best thing that has accounting process. “We are cooperating happened to this department.”

SRJC President Dr. Frank Chong was with SRPD, doing whatever they are asking us to do,” Roberts said. “They want briefed on the Holzworth situation from to go back and compile our receipts. And the beginning and has launched an that’s going to be matching up receipts internal audit of the accounting process.

SRJC Vice President of Business services Doug Roberts estimated anywhere between $265,000300,000 went through Holzworth’s hands last year alone.

Workplace Theft: To Take From the Hand That Feeds You Davis Mannino Contributing Writer

By all accounts he was liked, respected and even loved. In the rearview mirror of life, a career of 28 years as a SRJC police officer may now lie in possible ruins. Jeff Holzworth, 51, a past “SRJC Employee of the Month,” was charged with embezzlement of parking revenue. Holzworth was in charge of meter maintenance and revenue collections for years at SRJC. There was very little oversight of his work.

What makes a likeable person with a distinguished career from all appearances take from the hand that feeds him? Forensic, organizational and industrial psychologists have long examined employee workplace theft.

lzworth’s sal$93,740.12, 10,342.86 in d $16,647.26 nefits

Studies and reports show that EWT comprises $1550 billion a year in the U.S. alone. Some data suggest these figures are higher than that from shoplifting loss, often called “shrinkage.” The low end of this figure involves physical theft while the higher end involves “stealing time,” that is, lying about hours worked.

The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates the typical organization loses six percent of its annual revenue to employee theft.

them into a workplace thief?

People who cheat and steal in the workplace sometimes believe they themselves have been gravely cheated in life. When they steal they are evening the score. It is interesting to note that layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing, excesses in executive compensation, as well as salary and benefits cuts, worsen and harden these beliefs by some. Terrence Shulman, in his book “Biting The Hand That Feeds: The Employee Theft Epidemic” (2005), notes the U. S Chamber of Commerce estimates that 75 percent of employees steal in the workplace and that a more recent study saw an increase by 50 percent since the start of the recession.

The psychological angle of employee theft is most interesting.

“Why do they do it?”

First, there are many types of employee theft. The major categories are: stealing money, stealing time, petty theft, stealing costly items (called grand theft), co-worker theft, customer and client theft, fraudulent favors to friends and family and vending machine theft. These categories round out some of the major theft schemes.

Psychological dynamics may vary greatly by theft type.

While there are various psychological profiles for many workplace employee thieves, two stand out. The first (Type 1) is the workplace thief who in many areas of their life is a kind, liked, respected and a good person. They seem to have a character flaw in how they justify their theft.

The Type 1 workplace thief slips into the act slowly, over time, and because they believe they won’t get caught. Poor oversight makes it easier.

It is interesting to note that Holzworth apparently had considerable control over parking revenues with no checks and balances. Banks use two-person teams to handle money, rotate the teams and alternate team membership.

Also, the Type 1 workplace thief is generally not in dire financial straits.

The second (Type 2) is or sometimes called the “Bernie Madoff” thief. In this type, there is nothing good about them --- they are a scamming con artist, cheat and thief to their very core. They are severely pathological.

Still others take the position, “They owe me” for real and/or perceived sacrifices for an organization that have gone unrewarded --- they act like a victim. That is why organizations bend over backwards to praise and reward their employees robustly.

Once a “sense of entitlement” settles

Since most workplace thieves tend to fall into the Type 1 category, let us focus on this group. What is the psychological transition that takes an otherwise good person and molds

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in, turning back from workplace theft becomes more difficult.

Nearly all employees engage in, and justify, some type of workplace theft, whether it is a long distance phone call or a taking home office supplies. For the most part it is human to do so. When the line is crossed from occasional workplace theft to major workplace theft it becomes a more complicated topic.

Forensic, Organizational and Industrial Psychologists are still trying to understand the dynamics of employee workplace theft. That is, why one bites the hand that feeds them. Until then, workplace theft will continue, perhaps grow, and be as unpredictable as a thief in the night.

Dr. J. Davis Mannino is a professor of Psychology at SRJC

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

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thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

sports

SRJC falls short of state championship

Bear Cub Athletics

Team Finishes third in state

v Season Recap With the semester coming to a close, the fall sports teams have wrapped up their seasons. Here is a short breakdown of how the teams did in 2012.

SRJC’S volleyball players huddle up and intensify their focus and gameplay in the playoff hour against Yuba City college in Haehl Pavillion.

Jimmy Merrill Staff Writer After coming so close in 2011, the Bear Cubs volleyball team looked to go all the way in the 2012 and capture its first state championship.

The Bear Cubs headed to Fullerton over the weekend for this year’s state championship after defeating rival Feather River College. The Bear Cubs entered the tournament with momentum and confidence. SRJC faced stiff competition early, squaring off

against the defending state champion L.A. Pierce College. The Bear Cubs were able to keep all the matches close, but were ultimately defeated in three sets, with the final scores of 23-25, 21-25 and 22-25.

After a crushing the defeat, the Bear Cubs faced Golden West College from Huntington Beach. Once again the Bear Cubs were neck and neck with Golden West in each match, but for a second time dropped all three sets.

The ultimate goal of state champions was now out of reach, but the Bear Cubs

still had a chance to take home some hardware. SRJC challenged Fresno City College for a third-place finish in the state championship tournament. The Bear Cubs had much better success this go around, defeating Fresno City in three sets, with the final scores being 25-16, 25-12 and 25-21.

The win over Fresno City College earned a third place finish for the Bear Cubs, meaning they are ranked third in the state of California. The Bear Cubs finished the season strong and end with a overall record of 27-4.

plans on a Women’s soccer Loses team comeback next season Dimitri Nazarian

points (second in the Big 8). Kaerli Rodriguez had nine (second in the Big 8) goals, 11 assists and 29 points. She was the Bear Cubs and Big 8 point’s leader. The woman between the sticks, Ashley Luis, compiled 72 saves, which led the Big 8 conference and also led the conference in save percentage and goals against average at .947 and .50 respectively.

They have the offseason to train hard and will come back next year with high

Staff Writer

Dimitri Nazarian / Oak Leaf

SRJC women’s soccer team competes in a playoff match Nov. 20 on Cypher field at SRJC.

The SRJC women’s soccer season ended in heart-wrenching style with a 9-8 penalty shootout loss against American River College. The pitch was covered in rain from beginning to end Nov. 20 and despite taking six shots on goal, the Bear Cubs could not come up with a win in regulation.

After two 15-minute overtime halves they headed to penalty shootouts in almost complete darkness. American River got the win 9-8 in the penalties despite the Bear Cubs beating this same team 1-0 during the regular season the last time the teams faced each other.

The Bear Cubs led the conference in goals (46), assists (39) and shooting percentage (.575). They also led the state with shots on goal and shot on goal percentage. The team’s overall record is 15-4-2 with a win percentage of .714 and a conference record of 111-2 good for a win percentage of .785.

The women’s team dominated during the regular season and the stats are all there to rove it. twelve different players scored goals, showing how well this group was able to work together.

Holle Depina led the team with goals posting: 12 goals (which led the Big 8 conference), three assists and 27

Men’s Soccer The Men’s Soccer team was crowned the Big 8 Conference Champions but lost in the first round of playoffs. The team ended its season with 14-3-3 record.

Water Polo Men’s The Men’s Water Polo team ended its season with a 7-21 record.

Women’s The SRJC Womens Water Polo team ended with a 8-17 record for the 2012 season.

Football The 2012 season for the SRJC Bear Cub football team did not end as well as it started out. The team finished the season with a 3-7 record.

SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE

ICE HOCKEY 2012-2013 Home Schedule Sept. 14 Sept. 15 Sept. 22 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Nov. 2 Nov. 3 Nov. 8 Nov. 9 Nov. 10 Dec. 14 Jan. 11 Jan. 18 Jan. 19 Jan. 26

UC Berkeley San Jose State Sacramento State UC Davis Santa Clara U. Fresno State Fresno State Metro State Denver Sacramento State Northern Arizona U. San Jose State UC Santa Barbara UC San Diego Santa Clara U. Stanford

8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 6:30pm 5:30pm 5:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm 8:30pm

ADMISSION IS FREE! All home games are played at: Snoopy’s Home Ice 1667 West Steele Lane Santa Rosa

www.santarosahockey.com 7

Alexi Kulikouskiy

Thomas DeAlba / Oak Leaf

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

sports Following a series of road matches, the team is still scrambling to capture that magic

polar bears continue to stumble away games Keshia Knight

concurrent Cal penalties produced a began with two Davis goals before five-minute Polar Bear power play the Nikkel scored another two of his own. team could not capitalize on, despite a But by that time Davis’ lead was too big two-man advantage. for the Polar Bears to get back in the Cal took a commanding 9-5 lead into game. SRJC lost the match 12-4. the third period and kept the Polar Bears With the first half of the season from gaining any momentum. As the coming to a close, it’s safe to say the Polar game wore on, the tension level rose on Bears are not playing to the standard the ice. With seven minutes left on the the team set at the beginning of the clock, Polar Bear forward Don Coyle and year. With one home game left before Cal forward Peter Kler were both ejected the winter break, SRJC is determined from the game. A few minutes later Polar to close out 2012 like it started: with a Bear defenseman Alex De Vaughn went strong win before a home crowd. down near the Polar Bears net and had The Polar Bears return home to to be helped off the ice. In the end, it Snoopy’s Home Ice Dec. 14 to play the was UC Berkeley over SRJC, 10-5.

University of Nevada. Puck drops at 8:30 Without Coyle and De Vaughn, the p.m. and admission is free. The team will Polar Bears struggled in their next play the next day at Sacramento State match against UC Davis Dec. 7. Davis before breaking for the winter. SRJC scored four goals in the first 10 minutes hockey will be back with its first game of of the game before Polar Bears forward 2013 on Jan. 11 to face Ventura County Josiah Nikkel scored to put SRJC on the College at Snoopy’s. board. The Polar Bears gained a bit of momentum near the end of the period as Alexi Kulikouskiy scored on a power play to put the game within two.

But Davis took advantage of the Polar Bears goalie change in the second period as Pat Vrba replaced Jacob Pavsek two minutes in. A series of four SRJC penalties gave Davis a 7-goal lead.

SRJC hockey player Josiah Nikkel races down the ice ready to score.

The third period

Managing Editor

Polar Bear Forward Cam Davis

Photos by Isabel Baskerville/ Oak Leaf

Coach Tom Billeter thought his team would return to full strength after a string of nagging injuries to the SRJC Polar Bear hockey players. But after set of road losses it seems players are still scrambling to find that magic Polar Bear fans know and love.

With the return of freshman forward Don Coyle, who has not played since late September due to a lower body injury, the Polar Bears defeated Stanford University 11-3 before taking on UC Berkeley Dec. 2. The Polar Bears got an early 2-0 lead, but SRJC goalie Jacob pavsek gave uo three goals in a span of two minutes and Cal scored two more on a power play to knock Pavsek out of the game. By the end of the first period, it was Cal 6, SRJC 3.

Things got worse as a series of missed opportunities kept the team from getting back in the game. Three

SRJC Wrestling strong in Coast Conference and North Regional Tournaments:

Bear cub finishes first in state at 125-weight class Thomas De Alba Sports Editor After a long, hard-fought season, the SRJC wrestling team has reached the state championship tournament.

The state championship comes after two successful meets, where SRJC wrestlers finished first at the Coast Conference tournament Nov. 17 and fourth at the North Regional Tournament Dec. 1.

“We did outstanding at the Coast Conference Tournament. We finished first, so it was a great job by the team,” said head coach Jake Fitzpatrick. “We performed very well at the North Regionals as well.

We ended up with eight state qualifiers out of 10 weight classes, so that’s great for us.”

Sophomore wrestler Andres Torres has looked strong since moving down in weight class. When Torres was wrestling at 141-pounds, he was 10-8. Since moving down to 125 pounds, he has posted an astounding 12-2 record, beating some of the toughest wrestlers in the state.

“I think moving down to 125 was a good strategic move on my part and I feel a lot better at 125,” Torres said. “I’ve beaten the guy who was ranked third in the state. So first place is the goal for me at state.”

With Torres’ recent success in his

Photo Courtesy of John Sachs

SRJC Sophomore wrestler Andres Torres takes down his opponent Dec. 1 in Stockton, Calif.

weight class, coach Fitzpatrick is feeling good about Torres’ chances in the state championships.

“Torres is ranked first in the coast since Nov. 1,” Fitzpatrick said. “I believe he is one of our best shots at being an AllAmerican.”

Bud Guinn, another sophomore on the team, is one of the most consistent wrestlers for the Bear Cubs. Guinn has a 22-8 overall record on the season and shows no signs of slowing down.

Within the past two tournaments, Guinn avenged two losses he suffered

earlier in the season against Travis Smith from Modesto City College and Paul Buchannan from Sacramento City College.

The heavyweight wrestler will wrestle in the 285-weight class for the state championship and is looking to put an exclamation point on his great season with a first-place finish.

“I definitely feel like I’m just as good, if not better than the other wrestlers.”

Guinn said. “I’m definitely going to avenge some more losses there. I want to finish the season strong.”

Wrestlers Blake Borges and Greg

8

Robinson have been standouts for the team this season as well. Borges is ranked sixth in the state at 149 pounds, boasting a 25-9 record. Borges is fresh off of a first-place finish at the Coast Conference Tournament and a third-place finish at the North Regional Tournament.

Robinson, another state qualifier on the team, has been on a record-breaking campaign since his first pin of the season.

Robinson leads the teams with 19 pins, and only needs four more to break the record of 22.

With his 21-13 record this year, only two of Robinson’s victories were matches that went the distance. His chances of breaking the record look good if he keeps winning his matches by pin.

The tournament took place Dec. 7-8 was a huge success for the Bear Cubs.

Torres lived up to the expectations set by coach Fitzpatrick and himself, coming away with a firstplace finish in the 125 weight class.

Borges performed well at the tournament, placing eighth in the 149 weight class.

Guinn wrapped up his last season for the Bear Cubs at the state championship tournament. He has plans to transfer to a school in Oklahoma and wants to continue wrestling.

The team finished 13th overall, concluding another great season.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

sports

Bear Cub Basketball SRJC athletics is gearing up for another exciting season of Bear Cub basketball. Even though conference play does not start until January 2013, it is never too early to get excited. Here are previews about both basketball teams.

Previews by Staff Writer’s Jenna Burkman and Brittany Jones.

Photos by Staff Writer Brooks Blair and Contributing Photographers Mischa Lopiano and Ailah Fassett

This is what makes them great 2011-2012 Overall Record T h e SRJC men’s basketball team is looking to build upon its successful 26-6 record from last season.

Sophomore forward Brandon Chavers wants to improve the team and has high expectations for the season.

“We want to win. When it comes down to it in the end we want to be labeled winners,” said Chavers. “We expect everyone to compete every time they step out on the court whether it’s a practice or a game.”

With the Bear Cubs’ performance so far in preseason tournaments, Chavers has already picked up on some of his team’s strengths. “We have a lot of great shooters, smart basketball players and chemistry. We also know our roles on the court,” Chavers said.

With conference play starting in less than a month, the Bear Cubs will need to turn their weaknesses into strengths.

“We need more scoring inside. Also, our aggressiveness lacks at times. It needs to come naturally rather than Coach having to challenge us,” Chavers said.

Although head coach Craig McMillan and his staff are tough on the team, the Bear Cubs know they only have their best interests in mind. “They know what they’re talking about and they know how to use their players,” Chavers said.

“At times we feel they’re hard on us but they teach us a lot of stuff and help us plenty.”

Along with persistent coaches, returning this year are players Bobby Sharp and Max Fujii who are taking over the role of captains. Both share a unique approach when it comes to leadership: they lead by example. “Bobby and Max are not vocal but they lead with their actions. They come ready every practice and every game,” Chavers said.

The Bear Cubs will host the annual Kris Kringle Tournament Dec. 20-22.

The team will travel to Sacramento to face the Sacramento City Panthers for its first conference game at 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 8.

Men: 26-6

Women: 22-6

Both won the Big 8 Conference * Men were ranked third in state and second in Northern California *Women were ranked 11th in CCCAA and fifth in Northern California

Award winning coaches

Head coach Craig McMillian was the big 8 Coach of the Year.

Head coach Lacey Campbell was the Big 8 Coach of the Year.

Current Team Rosters Men’s

Women’s

Victor Aguero Brandon Chavers Luke Cochran Kai Drewery Max Fujii Conner Gillet Darren Grayer Jajuan Hammond Tyler Imhoff Brian Johnson Alex Kobre Xavier McCall Bobby Sharp

Tara Baldini Holly Cramer Whitney Edens Taylor Graham Arianna Hanson Jade Hudson Anandi Jimenez McKenzie Magino Skyler Olsen Erin Skinner Madison Sowards Stephanie Stack Emma Vierra

9

The SRJC Women’s basketball team has begun preparations for what appears to be another promising season.

The 2011-12 team was unstoppable last year, winning 17 of 18 games at one point in the season despite losing several key players. The team rode a 9 game winning streak at the end of the season, which included playoff wins against Chabot College and Ohlone College. The Bear Cubs eventually fell to Foothill college in the fourth round of the state championships.

The team opened up strong this year, starting the season with two tournament wins at Merced College on Nov. 15-17 and the SRJC Tournament in Hahel Pavillion Dec. 6-8. The team currently stands with an 8-1 record and looks to make a case for the state championship again.

The team consists of a closely-knit group of women who all share the same qualities. Hardworking, dedicated and passionate, they are ready for business.

Tara Baldini, holds down the middle of the court at the center position.

Baldini is confident her teams abilities going forward.

“We can go really far and we want to make it to state,” Baldini said.

The women enter the season with support from four red shirts that are determined to contribute. The Bear Cubs are stepping on the court with experience and they know what to expect.

The team’s three captains, Ariana Hansen, Mackenzie Magino and Whitney Edans are leaders for the group. As the season approaches, the women hope they will all be leaders. But for now, the captains are working hard to keep the team together.

Coach Lacey Campbell is teaching the team all about how to keep the game classy and earn respect. “She makes sure we are all on top of having good sportsmanship, reminding us never to talk smack on the court and show respect to our opponents,” Baldini said.

The team also has assistant coaches as an outlet to help them capitalize on their individual strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

The team heads to City College of San Francisco for the CCSF tournament on Dec. 14.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

Sometimes you meet a group of people.

You work together, you get stuff done. Jokes are cracked and friendships are made. Even if it only lasts a day or lasts two years you leave with good friends. The theater is just such a place.

I got a call while sitting around on summer break. “Hey Nadav! Come help me at Sixth Street!” I was bored and even though I knew absolutely nothing about costuming, I went to help when a friend asked me to donate an afternoon. I did the most basic job of gluing glitter onto everything in sight, or in fancy words “Spangling.”

pulling fruity cement off the top of the cake. I then dusted it with powdered sugar to hide the scars and drove an hour to the theater.

They snuck me backstage into the costume department and we each had a bit of amazing chocolate cake. It was a memento of the time we spent working together and a celebration of what was about to happen.

I was helping to put together “The Producers”.

I learned many things, like I don’t look good in a dress and that the different kinds of stitching sound like video game moves.

I became good friends with the costume designer and her young son, with the makeup designer and with the other costume shop volunteers.

When the time came for me to leave I had invested more hours than I thought I would.

I had been working there for weeks, hours each day with just a few other people.

When the show opened I knew they would be behind the scenes helping actors change costumes and look pretty, a job that isn’t easy when costume changes have to be made in a minute or so.

I wanted to make them something special to celebrate all their hard work. I found a good cake recipe and made my first bundt cake. Sadly the raspberry drizzle didn’t really work and I spent half-an-hour

Ingredients -1 (18 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix.

-4 ounces chocolate instant pudding -2 cups sour cream -4 eggs -3/4 cup vegetable oil -1/2 cup Kahlua -6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips -Powdered sugar Directions: Combine all ingredients (except chips) with mixer, beat for 2 minutes on high.

Add chocolate chips.

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan 10”. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees to 1 hour until done. Dust with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

As the winter months start to settle in, friends and family all await for my

-1-cup rice

mother’s homemade horchata. It becomes

-1 small stick cinnamon

the drink of choice for everyone young

-1 can sweet condensed milk

and old. And we all know we’re getting

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

close to Christmas when we hear my mom

-Dab of lemon juice

is making a big batch. It’s the drink that as

Directions:

I grow older, I just can’t stand the idea of

To make a one-gallon batch, soak one

going through the holidays without having

cup of rice in warm tap water with one stick

in my cup.

of cinnamon for one hour. Fill a pitcher with

Horchata has been a staple of Mexican

cold water, then add one can of sweetened

culture for hundreds of years. With the

condensed milk. Strain the rice into the

many varieties and spins on the classic

pitcher and blend the rice with remaining

drink, this is the one my family makes

water until it has a smooth consistency.

every year for the holidays.

Add a dash of ground cinnamon as well as a dab of lemon juice then serve chilled with ice.

My fondest Christmas tradition involves driving two days northward to Mount Vernon, Washington and spending Christmas with my grandparents. My sister would lean on my shoulder the entire ride over, staking three quarters of the back portion of the car for her own (clearly crossing the demilitarized zone, but my

parents would hear none of that while the car was in motion). I remember my eyes flashing with glee as we climb the steep incline that leads to the top of the mountain hideaway that holds my grandma and grandpa. Every time I step into their house, the aromas that make grandma and grandpa’s house home bombard my

Most families create traditions around Christmas Day meals, but I’ve rarely heard friends wax nostalgic over a Christmas Eve dinner that can rival our family’s choice of waffles.

My mother was nine years old when her mother, who we called Gammy, asked the perennial question, “What would you like for dinner?”

“Gammy couldn’t think of anything for us to have,” said Jony Corwin McQuiddy.

“We had one of those old round waffle irons and she didn’t make them very often.”

So Mom jumped at the opportunity to choose something special.

“Then I wanted them again the next year and the next and the next,” she said.

Sausage soon followed as another regular feature, “to make it more of a dinner type meal,” McQuiddy said.

By the time she met and married my father in college, Bisquick became the

standard waffle mix with cottage cheese and peaches added.

“When I was at Miami of Ohio, one of the side orders at the snack shop was peaches and cottage cheese,” McQuiddy said. “I had never had that combination before. The peaches were ordinary canned cling peaches in heavy syrup. Now, the more common type that get canned are free-stone. Back then, it was very hard to separate out the peach pits, commercially.

When you cut the peach in half, the flesh ‘clinged’ to the pit.

“Once I tasted that combination, I loved it.”

While we often stick to the above menu, variants include the type of sausage (chicken-apple, etc) and when we canned our own peaches from Kauffman’s orchard, which stretched for acres beyond our house in York, Pa. Throughout my growing years, we always used the same rectangular waffle

senses: lasagna cooling on the windowsill, grandpa’s famous trail mix fresh from the oven and the unmistakable powdered sugar bourbon balls nestled like bowling pins on the counter, begging to be eaten.

Grandma never let me help her make anything around the house, especially the bourbon balls. Because the desserts don’t get baked, the bourbon still retains its alcoholic content. Perhaps grandma was concerned I’d be too generous with the liquor or sneak some off for myself. Clever grandma.

Regardless, after the bourbon balls get off the parchment and to the table, it’s a free-for-all. A common Christmas tradition in this house involves midnights, quiet steps and the theft of several bourbon balls in one fell swoop. Usually, I could scare grandma frequently by slurring words and running into things. I was a precocious lad.

iron (a wedding present). One Christmas, Mom and Dad gave all the married, settled children waffle irons of their own, made by the Black Angus company.

Maybe the grandkids will inherit those Black Angus machines and our waffles on Christmas Eve tradition will carry on, as integral as the hanging of stockings and the reading of Clement Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” before a roaring fire.

BISQUICK BASIC WAFFLES -2 cups Original Bisquick mix -1 1/3 cups milk -2 tablespoons vegetable oil -1 egg Stir ingredients until blended. Pour onto center of hot greased waffle iron; close lid. Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops. Carefully remove waffle.

Makes 12 (4-inch) waffles.

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Bourbon Balls -Sift together into medium bowl: -1 cup powdered sugar -2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa -Wisk together until well blended: -¼ cup bourbon -2 Tbs. light corn syrup -Stir into the cocoa mixture -Crush in a food processor or electric mixer: -2 ½ cups vanilla wafers (alternatively, put the wafers in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin).

Mix with: 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans. Stir in pecans mixture into the cocoa mixture.

Roll into 1-inch balls between your palms.

Roll in ½ cup powdered sugar. Store at room temperature between layers of wax or parchment paper in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

When I moved to Portland I was welcomed by over 70 microbreweries, a mere 600 different food carts and a few hundred artisan coffee shops. Clearly, I chose the right place to move. But within this fabulous food mecca I was thrown into a subculture I’m sure many of you are familiar with: the ever-hated hipster.

I’m proud to present the best chocolate

Many college students may find themselves unable or unwilling to head home for the holidays this year. Budgets are tight, tempers are tense and the weather is crap. But fear not! A smaller budget and cramped apartment should be no deterrent for SRJC students looking to enjoy a meal without putting much effort into it.

I am proud to be a chronic lazy person when it comes to cooking. I can fry an egg, make mac’n’cheese and microwave like a boss, but that’s about it and to hell with anyone who doesn’t like it. This holiday season, I gave a “Lazy Girl’s Feast” for some Oak Leaf staff members. Six people had appetizers, main course and dessert with cider for $60 and nothing required any more cooking than could be done with

I found this French Silk Chocolate pie recipe in a New York Times Cookbook, at the bottom of a cabinet full of cookbooks.

Its cover in tatters, the binding stiff and the pages yellow the old thick tome yielded this secret that I have kept with me to this day.

The first few times I tried to make it, the silky filling was a little less silky and a little grainier, but I soldiered on. My first truly successful pie was made unconventionally, though it is easy enough to follow the directions and get the proper pie.

That first time was a Christmas holiday many years ago, in a family cabin nestled on the shores of Windermere Lake, a small getaway west of Banff in the Canadian Rockies. The wind was blowing, a light snow was coming down and it felt cold enough to freeze fire.

In the kitchen most of the family was working hard on Christmas dinner, blissfully forgetting that the dessert I was responsible for doesn’t bake but chills, a process that takes hours. As they popped the turkey in the oven and more space opened up they let me get to work, but as everything started wrapping up I was still beating those eggs into the chocolate. As

I finished up we had to figure out how to finish the pie or we would be eating it for breakfast.

We came to the only obvious conclusion in such a situation.

Stick it out in the Canadian winter and let the subzero temperature chill it double-time.

When we finished up dinner and retrieved the pies, they were nice, silky and extra cold.

Ingredients -1 cup butter -1 1/2 cup sugar -4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled -2 teaspoons vanilla -4 eggs -1 baked nine-inch pie shell, cooled whipped cream

chip cookie recipe you’ve probably never even heard of before. So good it may cause you to like hipsters a bit more.

Before you preheat your oven, dig through your vinyl record collection and throw on The Smiths. This will help set the baking mood.

Super Expensive and Hard to Find Ingredients (Don’t be fooled, hipsters are not poor even though they sometimes look like they’re homeless) -2 1/2 cups almond flour (because let’s face it, all purpose is too mainstream) -1 teaspoon baking soda -1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt -1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (artisan hand churned) -3/4 cup granulated sugar -3/4 cup packed brown sugar -1 teaspoon vanilla extract -2 large organic free range eggs from your chicken coop you built in your backyard (eggs from your neighbors hand built chicken coop will be okay too, but only if the coop is hand built) -2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels -3 strips bacon (by adding bacon to this recipe there is a chance you will offend some of your vegan/ vegetarian friends, but it is a delicious risk I think you should be willing to take) -½ cup brown sugar -Pinch of cinnamon -1/3 cup Pabst Blue Ribbon (the hipster

drink of choice) PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Bacon Crispin’ Dip bacon slices in the brown sugar/ cinnamon mixture to coat, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake 9 minutes in the preheated oven, turning once, until dark golden brown.

Take out of the oven and let cool. Then chop into tiny bits to sprinkle on cookies later.

Cookie Time Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in your vintage kitchen aid mixer you found at that nifty thrift store around the block, until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Slowly add PBR while mixing on low.

Stir in your chips. Don’t over mix here, nobody likes foamy beer.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

These cookies can make a great nondenominational holiday gift for a friend, co-worker or that barista from the coffee shop that made you the best latte you’ve ever had with a swirled heart in

a microwave. So with a contribution of $10 bucks a person, you can gather any number of college-going friends together for an affordable, tasty meal.

I freely admit to being a Trader Joe’s addict. It does have higher prices than if you’re buying discount brands at Safeway, yes, but if you shop for normal brands, TJ’s sells the luxury, imported foods for the same price. And its wine is tasty and cheap.

Pita chips, hummus, crackers and a couple fancy cheeses make for tasty appetizers while the rest is in the microwave. TJ’s has some amazing cheeses for low prices, though if you have a large group or just really, really like cheese you could also try Costco for lower price per pound. Hummus is a sure crowd pleaser,

at least in the Oak Leaf offices, so we tend to buy the Garlic Hummus and the Spicy Hummus for a nice variety. Brie covered in chives, soft Welsh cheddar and garlic goat cheese are paired with a sourdough baguette and Social Snackers, a tasty, buttery cracker available at Trader Joe’s.

For the main course, we got two of the Turkey Tenders and mashed potatoes combo refrigerated meals, a side of scalloped potatoes and a microwave ready, pre-seasoned dish of asparagus. All was tender and tasty after a few minutes in the microwave.

Dessert was a set of red velvet cupcakes and a set of chocolate peppermint cupcakes. Everyone loves cupcakes, so you really can’t go wrong there. It also negates the need for slicing cake and using an extra plate. Fewer dishes win!

If there is something deeply wrong with a member of your party and he doesn’t like cupcakes, you have two choices. First and most sensible, lock him up in a padded room ASAP before he infects the general populace. Second, you could buy any number of tasty treats at TJ’s or Costco.

There’s always a good selection to be had, as dessert is clearly the most important part of any balanced diet.

Spiced cider, found in the Trader Joe’s beverage aisle, was the beverage of choice at the feast. Pre-spiced and with a long shelf-life, this cider is pretty much the best thing about the holiday season at TJ’s. You can microwave one mug, or pour the lot in

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1. Beat the butter with the sugar until very well blended. Mixture should be smooth, fluffy and pale yellow.

2. Blend in the chocolate and vanilla.

3. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, taking five minutes to incorporate each.

4. Turn the mixture into the pie shell and chill several hours. Decorate with whipped cream before serving.

the foam. So what are you waiting for?

Instagram your final masterpiece, pack these puppies in your bag, jump on your fixed gear and go deliver ‘em!

a sauce pan to warm up and ladle out to the whole group. If you’re not eating on campus like we were, then you can also partake in any number of sensibly priced but classy alcoholic beverages at hand.

Altogether, you can serve up a tasty, festive meal to any number of friends and family with little to no effort and only one stop on your shopping trip. If you’re feeling fancy and want to use an oven, I recommend the cinnamon buns for breakfast and the crescent rolls with dinner. Both are superior to their alternative brand competitors available at most grocery stores.

Oak Leaf Holiday Shopping List: -Pita chips $1.99 -Sourdough baguette $2.49 -Tortilla chips with quinoa and black beans $2.69 -Spicy hummus $1.99 -Garlic hummus $1.99 -Silver Goat garlic goat cheese $3.99 -Brie covered in chives $3.08 -Social Snackers $2.69 -Tintern creamy cheddar Welsh cheese $3.69 -Turkey tenders and mashed potatoes $5.99 -Microwave tray asparagus $3.99 -Scalloped potatoes $3.99 -Spiced cider $2.99 -Red velvet cupcakes $3.99 -Chocolate peppermint cupcakes $3.99

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

arts & Entertainment

In the

know Dec. 10 Petaluma Film Alliance: Harold and Maude Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, Petaluma, CA Tickets: $4 7 p.m.

Dec.11 SRJC Speech Night Newman Auditorium, Santa Rosa, CA Tickets: $5 7 p.m.

Dec. 13 Sonoma Songbirds The Last Day Saloon, Santa Rosa, CA Tickets: $7 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 15 Snoop Dogg The Phoenix Theatre, Petaluma, CA Tickets start at $70 9 p.m.

Dec. 16

The Flying goat Cafe

TASTY FOOD IN HOME ENVIRONMENT graces railroad Square In a community bursting with vibrant and colorful coffee shops, The Flying Goat Café stands apart with its simple straight forward approach to what you fill you cup with. I dropped by their Santa Rosa shop located Downtown on Fourth Street, right across from the train station. Walking in you are instantly greeted by a warm inviting staff and the aroma of coffee and sweets. Their venue is an open, inviting space with plenty of seating to bring friends to study or talk.

I walked up to the counter and ordered an Aztec Mocha and a Chai tea. The Aztec Mocha was a slightly spiced warm drink that had a smooth taste with a full bodied flavor. To top it off the barista on staff did some amazing foam art on top and sprinkled some spice on top. To me it seemed like a perfect blend between a drink my grandmother makes which is a spiced hot chocolate and then blended craft fully with flying goat’s gourmet coffees.

The Chai tea was served in a

The Flying Goat’s Aztec mocha and soy latte showcases the cafe’s foam art designs.

traditional manner and was very flavorful. I had mine just as they serve it and opted out of adding any cream or sweeteners. The chai was a bit more bold and strong then most that I’ve had prior, but was by no means over powering or over steeped.

I didn’t taste any bitterness and it perfectly a cco m p a n i e d my blueberry scone.

Along with a wide variety of craft drinks, The Flying Goat offers up a delicious mix of baked goods and snacks that compliment If patrons bring their own cup the cafe will discount the purchase. The mug any of their

drinks. The blueberry scone I ordered was delightfully flakey and sweet. In total for two craft drinks and a fresh scone I paid 14 dollars and some change. Not bad considering the work and quality you get over a big box coffee shop which all share similar price tags.

Amid the sea of coffee shops and the plethora of places to get your fix, they definitely do a great job of keeping things straight forward and simple and allow their flavors as well as quality to do all of the speaking for them. I will be returning to the Flying Goat very soon, however this time when I pay a visit, ill be sure to pay for the parking rather then pay for the ticket SRPD leaves as a surprise when you get back to your car.

- Story by Erik Ramirez, Photo Editor Photos by Brooks Blair

seen above was made by Oak Leaf Co-Editor-in-Chief, Houston Smothermon.

Holidaze!

Sixth Street Playhouse Improv Tickets: $14 8 p.m.

Dec. 23 Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker Wells Fargo Center for The Arts

A very Pop-Punk Christmas

It’s that time of the year when KZST radio is playing non-stop Christmas music and holiday caroler’s are freezing in the middle of town squares. Here are a few of my favorite non-traditional jingles from a my favorite bands.

- Keshia Knight, Managing Editor

Tickets start at $27 3 p.m. and 7p.m.

Dec. 29 Funny 95.5 Presents HEY! That’s Funny…Featuring Ian Edwards Spreckles Performing Arts Center, Rohnert Park, CA Tickets: $20 9 p.m.

Artist: The Maine Song: Ho Ho Hopefully

Artist: Fall Out Boy Song: Yule Shoot Your Eye Out

12

Artist: MXPX Song: Christmas Day CPMV

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

arts & Entertainment

WWii on display at doyle

December 11

Courtesy of Tyler Hemmingsen

Old Oak Leaf Newspapers from 1944-46 are on display on the thrid floor of Doyle Library. Also on display are letters between SRJC’s first president Frank P. Bailey and SRJC students serving in WWII.

Kingsborough music a throw back to classic rock legends

Artist: Big Boi Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Artist: Bruno Mars Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Cassidy Mila A&E Editor In an industry candy-coated with drum machines and auto-tuned voices, Kingsborough is a band that brings back the heart and soul of rock and roll. It is a band that relies on musicianship and talent instead of the over-production and auto-tune of today’s music. The band feels that plain and honest rock and roll has lost its following, lacking like-minded bands as much as it does the fan base it once held.

Following the musical footsteps of modern bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White and bands as old as Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers and The Rolling Stones, Kingsborough represents the vibrant past of blues-rock. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Billy Kingsborough, writes many of the bands songs and when the band composes a song together, they turn to Billy to write the lyrics. “I will often go into song writing with an idea in mind when I go about it myself,” Kingsborough said. “But when we write together I will listen to the music and usually something comes out of the song that begs to be sung about.”

Backing Kingsborough is singers/lead guitarists Ross Barbieri and SRJC student Alex Leach. Providing the low end on bass is Chris Mangione, while drummer John Whitney keeps the band pulsing with the beat. The guitars rip out brilliant solos and unselfishly pick the melody lines when backing vocals. The bass is the solid backbone to the music, as Mangione’s full tone gives depth to the sound and takes center stage on the EP’s funky second track, “Happy to Find.”

The drums tie everything together.

Highly syncopated and in your face, Whitney’s musicianship can be appreciated by his cleverly simplistic rhythms and builds tension in the song until the point where everything comes together.

On the EP’s third song, “Daydream,” the band’s musicianship and chemistry blends perfectly. Starting with just an acoustic guitar and lead vocals, the song begins with a very calm and lonesome feeling. A song about dreams of sailing away with someone special until reality

Artist: The Game Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Photo Courtesy of Kingsborough

SRJC student Alex Leach is part of Kingsborough

sets in, the clean chime-like sound of the guitars and the simple yet powerful rhythms of Mangione and Whitney make you feel the calm wonder that the rocking of a small boat sailing to parts unknown might bring. The song is great because no single instrument overpowers the others.

Yet, they all come in strong during the song’s climax and finish off up-beat and up-tempo.

On the fourth song, the band’s southern rock influences can be heard.

With its powerful beginning and beltedout vocals, the passion of the golden oldies of southern rock have been revived.

The guitar solos toward the song’s ending are fast, tight and exactly what the song calls for. The intermingling of the two lead guitarists soloing brings back the sounds of The Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy, two bands that made a name for themselves with two complementing solo guitarists.

The EP’s final track, “Mr. Wind,” is a live recording that gives a taste of what Kingsborough’s performances are like.

To put it simply, the band is outstanding live. “We all grew up idolizing the Allman Brothers,” Leach said. “We knew that our band had to follow in their shadow, to strive to make our live performances sound like the studio recording, or better.”

Kingsborough might very well be the best band affiliated with SRJC and certainly one of the gems of the area’s local music scene. We might see Leach quit school when the band hits it big, because these guys are professionals with the drive and talent to make a difference.

Artist: Boys Like Girls Genre: Alternative/ Pop

Rock

December 18

Artist: Angels and Airwaves Genre: Alternative/ Rock

Artist: Blink 182 Genre: Alternative/ Rock

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thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

arts & Entertainment

SRJC hosts pianist anton nel

world famous musician impresses audience with perfect Performance Cassidy Mila A&E Editor The Santa Rosa Junior College’s Chamber Series brought the worldrenowned Johannesburg pianist Anton Nel for a spectacular performance at Newman Auditorium Dec. 7. The musician gave a two-hour performance, dripping with emotion and radiating a virtuosity that could only be described as otherworldly.

With more than 100 people in attendance, many sat right next to the stage to see his hands at work. But with lightning fast movements, economically performed with perfect technique, facing Nel with his emotional expressions and musically inspired body movements was more interesting than the blur of his hands.

Starting with “Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828” by Sebastian Bach, Nel came out of the gate quick and unwavering.

After the overture of nonsensical, inharmonious phrases he changed to a pretty, high energy, conversational style with simultaneous melodies. His playing was crisp and flawless, engulfed by his artistry. At the end of the aria he stopped playing, letting the piano ring out.

Suddenly, he knifed his fist into the air and in a split second was back at the keyboard playing blindingly fast phrases of Bach‘s Sarabande.

“The Menuet” following was slow and beautiful, as the melodies skipped along in a careless dance. While the bass created tension, where our modern music would jump rhythmically and predictably, the bass constantly moved like a walking bass pattern. Taking us higher or lower in a seesaw of emotions, longing for resolution that never came from the bass’s ceaseless thumping.

As Bach’s masterpiece came to a close during the Gigue, Nel looked to have taken up the extra task of conducting himself.

With a melody built of broken phrasing, his hands moved from side to side and up towards his head. The unmistakable arm waving of a conductor, it was unimaginable how his fingers managed to move fast enough to play the slurry of melodic virtuosity in the mere moments when his hands were on the keys.

As “Partita No. 4” closed to a roar of applause, Nel got up to bow and made his first address during the night. Commenting on how this was his Santa Rosa premiere, he discussed the significance of the next three pieces. Nel was cordial, well-spoken and too even-keeled to be the impassioned performer that just moments before had been making twitchy, surprised expressions as he played.

The first piece after addressing the audience was “Pagodes”. Written by Claude Debussy after his attending a Chinese fair, the piece’s abundance of fourths and fifths created the vibe of floating along the Yellow River in a Chinese junk. Starting in

Textbooks

Continued from PAGE 3 Peter Demetrak, an SRJC student for several years, doesn’t mind going to the bookstore because he rather spend his money locally. “You want to do what you can for your school,” he said.

The campus store tries to do what it can for SRJC students as well. “We actually look at Amazon and get them as close as possible,” Minor said about book prices.

A new feature the bookstore introduced this semester is a comparison

Cassidy Mila/ Oak Leaf

After his performance Anton Nel greets his audience at a reception in the Robert F. Agrella Gallery.

straight notes, the song grew into climactic, gong-like crescendos. From there, it fell into a slow, bass rhythm section with twinkling, repeating melodies. The piece was quite short, but he let the ending notes ring out for what seemed like forever.

“La Soiree dans Grenade” was a song inspired by Spanish influences. In fact it led to Debussy being called the finest composer in all of Spain by Enrique Granados, though Debussy wasn’t from Spain. The song was truly an enigma of sounds and emotions.

From a spiraling, twinkling sound to a crisp poppy, lullaby, and finally to a creepy low register bass thumping along in a stalking manner. “La Soiree” was all over the place.

The last few measures were a schizophrenic mash-up of feelings and parts previously played in the piece.

The third piece in Nel’s Debussy set was “Jardins sous la pluie,” a fast-paced song intended to have a French sound. It was played in a back and forth manner, climbing and falling in two separate, bickering parts. The middle of the piece featured a “Twilight Zone” style melody with a rhythm section pounding along like rock and roll power chords, building up tension for the song’s climax, which gave Nel the chance to show his proficiency beyond any other song. The song ended with blazingly fast rolls up and down the keyboard, showing a new technique or melody within each phrase. The tension built until the pieces final few riffs came, unmistakably climactic, and finished with a reverberating roar of cheers.

The final song before intermission, “Allegro de Concierto” by Enrique Granados, was interesting. Written in seven sharps, the song fit pop music tropes, like a Beatles song for piano sprinkled with a few hundred extra notes for virtuosic bragging rights.

During the intermission there was a drawing for some of Nel’s CDs. Daniel Toledo and his three friends found out about the concert on the SRJC’s website and the group made up about half of the younger audience members. Though Toledo and his friends spoke only fragmented English it was plain that they connected with the music. Just proof that music, the universal human language, can unite us all.

“Anton Nel’s abilities were at the top of the list of performer I’ve seen in the series,” said Judy Hutchinson, a local painter and sculptor who is a regular at the Chamber series. “His playing is marvelous and beautiful, I can’t believe the amount of talent the JC’s Camber Series can bring in.”

Chopin’s piece was exactly what I think of when I think of classical music. Its high degree of difficulty hold emotionally rich tones and inflections, with the 3/4 waltz timing bringing to mind a dance of loving torment, of desperate unwanted conflict.

The Beethoven piece was a wonderful way to end the night’s performance.

Gloriously up-tempo, brilliantly highstrung, no other piece moved with such speed and energy, pulsing on a pedal note with overlaid melodies, it was extremely moving.

The concert ended and as the crowd stood in ovation for Nel’s perfect performance, he bowed and beamed with the gratifying feeling of a job well done.

He stepped into the door off stage for a moment and as the applause grew louder, he came back on stage. After repeating the process three times, Nel left for good. After the performance Nel greeted and chatted with his audience during a reception at SRJC Robert F. Agrella art gallery. He spent at least 30 minutes mingling with the crowd, who were excited to meet and praise him.

tool on its website so students can see how SRJC prices match up to competitors.

“It’s our way of showing transparency,” Minor said. She added that this tool wins people over and convinces them to purchase books through the SRJC Bookstore.

The campus bookstore and online websites like Chegg.com allow students to rent textbooks for less money than buying new. Rented books essentially charge students to ‘borrow’ the book.

If a rented book is damaged, students are responsible for paying for the book as well. Students who rent a book

online must ship it back on time or face additional fees.

More recently, downloadable e-books have become options with the growing popularity of Kindles and iPads. E-books significantly reduce the weight students have to carry around and are often less expensive than traditional textbooks.

“I don’t like it,” said Bridget Falletto, a student who rented an e-book for her anthropology class. Since she doesn’t own a laptop, she is confined to the chair in front of her computer and finds it hard to take notes. One advantage for Falletto is being able to search keywords within

14

SRJC Theatre Arts Department Fall 2012 Season ends with a bang Beauty and the Beast ended its three-week run Dec. 8: • During that time more than 5,750 people saw the show.

• More than 1,000 were local children.

• More than 1,000 were SRJC students, including nearly 300 Associated Student members • Of 13 shows, five sold out.

• During intermission Dec. 16 the concession stand broke the theater’s record by selling 297 cookies in the 15-minute break.

This is almost half the 600 person house.

• Brittany Law (Belle) and Rosie Frater (Mrs. Potts) have been nominated to compete at the American College Theater Festival for their exemplary performances.

• Five people will receive certificates of merit at ACTF for their work on the show in sound, choreography, make-up and costume design and stage management.

The show received a lot of support from the local community and the college. Now the department is preparing for the spring shows “A Few Good Men” and” Legally Blonde.” Auditions are open to the public and will be held at 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 18-19.

Rahman

Continued from PAGE 2 who stand up for something. I love Cesar Chavez, Alice Walker. People with names that aren’t recognizable, people that do things in a daily basis, people that practice nonviolence in a way that is so powerful. In times of crisis and war they choose to be nonviolent.”

Rahman recognizes the power teachers have on students’ decisions about their studies. She also directly influences her daughter, reminding her not to be a hypocrite.

It is this motherly side of her that perhaps helps her connect with her students, as she did with the at-risk youth she worked with when she first started.

“She’s the first teacher I ever had that really offered guidance with my life goals outside of my immediate goals for the class,” Marcussen said. “I want to keep her as a permanent source for my education and career. She helps me analyze my ultimate goals and the best way to achieve them. She really genuinely cares and wants to see people succeed no matter what their goals are.”

the text.

Lidia Lopez-Flores also has reservations about buying an e-book.

“I personally learn from the physical handling of the book,” she said, adding that she likes to write in the actual book and highlight sections. Another dealbreaker for students is that although they can rent e-books for a cheaper price, they cannot sell e-books back.

The future of textbooks includes the possibility of open-sourced books that allow students to view selected textbooks online for free or printed cheaply.

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thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

Opinion

Listen then speak

has lost Editorial: SRJC more than money

Peter Njoroge Opinion Editor

Communication, a crucial aspect in human relationships, is the root of most conflict in people’s lives. Whether you’re involved in a committed relationship or talking to a stranger on the street about a random topic, a failure in effective, compassionate and unambiguous transfer of feelings and ideas is bound to happen.

Specifically, being in a relationship with someone usually starts out smoothly and after the initial high of the acquaintance, you start to have problems. The way both partners express themselves determines how issues in the relationship are confronted.

This undoubtedly gets more complex when mediums such as texting, calling and Facebook are involved because you can’t see critical facial expressions.

Such expressions help us to understand people’s emotions. The tendency to assume and misunderstand whatever your partner is trying to say initiates an unpleasant cycle of confusion and negative emotions.

To assume what a person is trying to express is different from knowing what they actually mean. For example, taking a joke too seriously and connecting it to things that have nothing to do with the joke, and reacting to the person who said it, is making an assumption. The joke might be rude, but it has nothing to do with what happened to you in high school or your emotions in general.

The connection to personal memories and other subjective schemes adds fuel to the cycle of confusion and further devastates a conversation.

Additionally, there is a significant difference in telling your partner “I didn’t appreciate what you did last night because it was stupid” as opposed to saying “Your actions while playing pong last night at Jake’s made me feel anxious and inadequate because you ignored and spoke to me in a rude way and it bothered me. I understand you were drunk, but is there anything going on that you want to talk about?” Communicating openly and respectfully, in context to the fictional example above, is the key difference.

Generally blaming the other sex is also part of a response to bad communication. Comments such as “Guys are so stupid!” or “Girls are crazy and confusing!” are labels used due to a failure in expressing yourself to someone else in an effective, compassionate and clear way. This failure in communication produces anger, avoidance and frustration until either partner is able to take full responsibility for their words and actions in a loving and constructive way.

We sometimes misinterpret what others say due to our own subjective filter, but understanding what someone says to you correctly and completely takes effort such as politely asking constructive questions that get the essence of whatever message or emotion that’s being expressed. Paradoxically, you first have to listen before you can begin communicating successfully.

It’s all about trust.

Over recent years, the SRJC community has weathered many storms.

A revolving door of police chiefs, prolonged search for our new president, years of budget cuts and disappointing football seasons have all created obstacles to be overcome.

The most recent troubles come in the form of one Jeffrey Holzworth, a 28-year SRJC veteran police officer whom colleagues described as a good friend, someone you could count on.

Holzworth was arrested

by Santa Rosa police on suspicion of grand theft and embezzlement. He is suspected of using his position on the SRJC District Police force to steal money from parking revenue that he was tasked with collecting.

At a time when the college is counting pennies to make ends meet, a trusted employee may have been walking off with thousands.

Needless to say, we are not happy with Holzworth’s alleged unscrupulous activities.

The Oak Leaf staff is glad to hear that the school has launched an extensive internal investigation to uncover exactly how Holzworth may have gotten away with this. We know that the parking machines used on campus can create an external record of all transactions, but they were left in the hands of only one person. We know that money in and out of programs is

supposed to be extensively tracked by accounting and every penny should be checked against receipts, but there were loopholes when it came to Officer Holzworth.

After all, everyone trusted him.

Former President Robert Agrella golfed with him. He was friendly and outgoing, and counted many friends among campus colleagues.

We applaud Police Chief McCaffrey and his force for bringing their suspicions to the Santa Rosa Police Department to investigate the case.

But we want to know how SRJC will avoid similar problems in the future.

Hopefully new procedures will not

Police corruption

Srjc scandal is small potatoes compared to oakland’s problem

receivership. If that were to happen, a federal official would assume virtually unlimited powers within the department. The reason Oakland’s finest find themselves in this pickle is they have failed to meet a list of courtordered reforms that were part of a civil settlement following a high-profile scandal in 2000. The case involved four officers who assaulted suspects and made several false arrests.

I don’t doubt that the Oakland police have a very difficult job; the city they serve is the third most dangerous in the country, according to a study by Forbes magazine. But police brutality and intimidation are inexcusable and similar abuses continue to plague the department’s record. OPD has been publicly shamed by federal monitors and an independent study for its mistreatment of Occupy protestors.

Far from being an isolated event, the violence with which peaceful protests were met in Oakland is a recurring problem.

The Occupy movement was given a sinister cast by media coverage, which was then helped along by its very small but active minority, the “black bloc” of anarchists who tried to start the revolution by smashing some windows at the Whole Foods. It’s an interesting

Bertrand Johnson Contributing Writer

In November, Jeff Holzworth of the Santa Rosa Junior College Police Department was arrested on suspicion of grand theft and embezzlement. His responsibilities included maintaining campus parking meters and delivering parking fees to the accounting department, a duty which he is accused of abusing by stealing some of the money he was meant to collect.

While Holzworth’s arrest is bound to give self-appointed “social critics” an example of injustice to complain about while they sip coffee imported from impoverished nations in the southern hemisphere, it is, at worst, a case of one small-minded crook taking advantage of a relatively insignificant amount of power.

Meanwhile, Oakland Police Department agreed to the appointment of a federal compliance director last week. In this case, the compliance director will have the authority to overrule the police chief, even fire him, and also require the department to make expenditures of up to $250,000.

The city made this unprecedented deal to avoid having OPD put into federal

16

punish hardworking and honest employees with more bureaucracy and paperwork.

When all is said and done, the courts will have issued a verdict and SRJC will have implemented new rules to make it more difficult for employees to steal from the college in the future.

And if SRJC can figure out how much was stolen, the college can even recoup its monetary losses through its crime insurance policy. But what will be more difficult – and perhaps even impossible – to restore is that which matters most: trust.

case study in priorities, by the way, to observe that Giants fans who may have caused more property damage in a single night than all of Occupy Oakland were never systematically blacklisted, while a valid social movement was handily dismissed due to the angry posturing of a fringe group. But even if the protests had been violent, civil rights violations like the near-killing of Scott Olsen should never happen.

The bottom line is, police departments are given an enormous amount of power. That may be necessary for them to carry out their mission as institutions, but when you get to the level of the individual police officers, authority can inspire some truly perverse shenanigans.

At least with Sgt. Holzworth, if he is found guilty, the abuse of power did not involve physical violence.

In fact, the accusations against him seem almost trivial when compared to the rest of the state in recent years.

Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see some oversight in law enforcement, even if it is retroactive. Hopefully, investigations like the one at SRJC and the reform program within Oakland Police Department will help to change the culture of law enforcement in California in the years to come.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

Opinion

the gift of The Present Conundrum: Giving graceful receiving “Well, I figure if someone gives me a present, they want to,” he said. “Not because they expect something in return.

That’s what I do, anyway – I only give gifts out of a desire to make someone happy.

And I know that simply accepting a gift usually makes the giver happy, too.”

I took those words to heart. I recalled actually creating presents by hand as a kid (I had no money then, either). So, that’s what I did. I spent the next two days making presents instead of buying them.

That’s my approach to this day. Over the years, I’ve created drawings and cartoons for presents. I’ve created bouquets from wild, flowering plants (many of which are “weeds”; they still look great). I’ve made Rube Goldberg-style toys for the kids.

The sky’s the limit and I’m my own private Santa Claus sailing through it, dropping presents and good cheer along the way.

Still, I have received far more gifts than I’ve given over my lifetime. And I always keep in mind that just accepting a present can be a gift to the giver.

In the words of artist Real Musgrave (with a nod to Sir Walter Scott), “Oh, what tangled web we weave when first we give instead of receive!”

Andrew McQuiddy Features Editor

Gifts, by definition, should be given freely with no strings attached…except maybe some ribbon.

Unfortunately, in this season of giving, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the strictures of etiquette. Untie yourself from such binds and you will not only reduce holiday stress, but save money, too.

T he tradition of presenting presents to others harkens back at least to the Roman Empire with their multiple festivals at harvest’s and year’s end: Saturnalia, Juvenalia and Mithras. Early Christians invented the Feast of the Nativity to claim their own event in the face of the Roman party onslaught. Gifting thus dovetailed with brotherly love.

Through the centuries, the act of returning the favor upon getting a present has grown into custom and tradition until today, where guilt drives people to reciprocate no matter what. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard the lament, “Damn, I hate so-and-so, but she gave me that bottle of wine and now I have to get her something!”

Battle for the Bathroom

Giving presents is a tradition in many cultures.

No “brotherly love” there…

My own brother Steve once shared some wisdom on this very subject.

I was piss-poor come Christmas and only attended a rare family reunion due to my siblings covering the air fare. I had no money for even a single gift. Practically in tears, I told him how rotten I felt that I couldn’t afford to buy any presents, especially as I knew I would be receiving some, myself.

Steve thought for a moment, then said something I’ve adopted as my own giftgiving credo.

In The Oak Leaf Office

If you were stuck on a desert island with one member of the Oak Leaf who would it be and why?

Thomas De Alba

Nadav Soroker

Jenna Burkman

Erik Ramirez

Sports Editor

Layout/ Assistant Everything

Staff Writer

Photo Sensei

“I’d pick Brittany because “Drew** cause I bet he she’s hot.” could beat the island into submission and make it take us back to shore.”

“Nobody. I wouldn’t want to “I’d pick Houston** because be stuck on an island with he would just call Megan (his any of these losers. I’d rather mom) to pick us up.” be by myself.”

Cassidy Mila

A&E Editor/Brooks’ Stunt Double

“I’d bring Brooks** because I’ve always wanted to spend eternity having conversations with myself, just getting to know myself better.”

Danielle Foged

Isabel Baskerville

William Rohrs

“I would pick Houston “I’d pick Erik because I would Smothermon** in case there forget to pick him up on the were indigenous peoples and way and be alone.” they would most likely not be white and he is and I am not, so you do the math.”

“Definitely Peter**, 1.

Because he’s the based god, and 2. Because he talks to trees so maybe we would get the hook up on some ripe pineapples or coconuts.”

“I’d pick Keshia** because she isn’t a morning person so I wouldn’t wind up killing her for waking me up. Also, she is short so if we are ambushed by cannibals I can run away faster.”

“I’d take Brooks Blair** cause he’d probably never show up and I can have the whole island to myself.”

**Co-Editor-in-Chief Houston Smotherman is trying to enhance his agression by studying to be a ninja. Study materials includes Naruto.

**Based God Peter Njoroge is already on an island, meditating and contemplating the existance of trees...

**Managing Editor Keshia Knight is currently busy flirting with boys with flowing locks of hair and trying to date the entire hockey team and Oak Leaf Staff.

**Staff Writer Brooks Blair was unavailable for comment because he never comes to class. He was last seen bragging about his new camera to anyone who would listen.

Dimitri Nazarian Staff Writer, Left

Jimmy Merrill Staff Writer

**News Editor Drew Sheets is rehabbing a shoulder injury that has had him acting even more insane than usual.

Staff Writer

Co-Editor-in-Chief

17

Equine Gentleman

Deborah San Angelo Staff Writer

Every year, when days get shorter and nights bleaker, some of us string up colored lights and bring evergreens into our houses. We get together with family and friends to create a warm, cozy atmosphere, as if to reassure ourselves.

Those homes filled with warmth and good cheer will likely have clean bathrooms.

No matter what your religious beliefs, you use the bathroom many times during the holiday season. For some of us, it will be the only alone time we’ll get. Whether standing, sitting, reading or hanging your head over it, the toilet will play a major part in your holidays. It recognizes no distinctions of race, creed or social standing. And while it may not be the most tasteful symbol of world unity, for all practical purposes, it is.

In a community of cave dwellers, cleaning the bathroom probably wasn’t an issue. But now, one of the ugly truths about co-habitation is who gets to clean the bathroom. I mean really clean it, not merely disguise the evidence. In my house that honor always goes to me, the sole female. It’s not that the issue hasn’t been addressed. The two men I live with are fair minded, easy going and evolved in their thinking. But no matter what they say they’ll do, they never do their fair share of cleaning the bathroom.

I don’t believe they intend to be unfair.

They just happen to be extremely lazy and mold-tolerant guys. But when I’m in the thick of it, scrubbing down exotic bacteria and inhaling toxic fumes, I can feel the inequality of the entire human race press down on my shoulders.

Over the centuries, allegedly “natural” roles have needed rigorous enforcement.

If they were truly natural, wouldn’t they just come naturally? There would be no need to attempt to make men and women fit into appropriate roles.

Although gender equality has progressed through the years, it has been a slow and painful process. While we may want to go beyond the narrow limits of traditional gender roles, they still exist in our minds.

The external changes compete with the internal concepts many of us have, and confusion can arise about who should get to clean the bathroom.

Equality is a complex issue. Without summoning the passion of the feminist movement, I’d like a standard of fairness in place. I’d like a bathroom that’s gender neutral; I’d like a Christmas miracle.

Each time the bathroom gets bad, I wait and hope for the miracle. I leave hints around, such as spreading out cleaning supplies all over the floor. They just step around them. I’ve lined up spray bottles in formations that lead up to the bathroom.

Who can overlook a parade? I’ve pointed spray nozzles toward target areas.

They pay no heed to my thoughtfully planted clues. In the meantime, the mold continues to crawl up the shower wall to the bottoms of the shampoo bottles.

The holidays are approaching and there’s a less than ideal situation in our bathroom. I’m sure guests will feel extra special when we don’t let them use it.

Since my housemates are both pretty handy, maybe they could build an outhouse. It’s probably easier than getting them to clean the bathroom.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

features

VOLUNTEERS RUSH INTO THE UNLIKELIEST PLACES the “breathing lung” for Central America model for them. because of its dense rainforests. Not any Although every more. A good part of the Peten has been day is different cleared for land parcels sold to the poor here, some things for farming. Las Cruces is denuded of are constant, such trees - hot as hades this time of year - with as sounds. Dogs intense traffic and pollution. An asphalted bark into the night. road is an artery to the north and the Sometimes at 2 a.m., capital of Peten, Flores, and on to Tikal, the there are “cohetes” famous Mayan ruins. or fireworks for To the south, this road connects with someone’s birthday; roads to other departments or states: Ixcan, I haven’t yet been El Quiche; AltaVerapaz and Guatemala able to figure why City. Since the road’s appearance, life it usually happens has changed dramatically with more at this early hour; commerce, more debris and garbage, and sometimes loud every rainy season, flooding of certain music wakes up the Catherine Sagan zones of the town. Our Casa de Estudio celebrant as well. and clinic are in Zone 1 that has flooded Around 3 a.m., Photo Credit of Catherine Sagan every year since 2008.

When I first arrived, roosters start The health clinic in Las Cruces, Guatemala floods every year.

Contributing Writer I was advised to be ready to evacuate at crowing, and soon, of an archaeologist, like Alfred Maudslay, I am standing in line with 23 people a moment’s notice, which we did - three the sound of the “molinos,” grinding could distinguish the irregular shapes in the ahead of me at the local Banrural at 8:30 times - as the yard, clinic and houses filled stations that grind soaked corn into a growth and know that something awesome a.m. waiting for the bank to open and it is with dirty water, contaminated by the smooth, wet dough for making tortillas, lets was underneath all that brush. already hot. I am making a deposit for one flooded latrines, garbage in the streets, me know women are getting ready for their In my daily cleaning ritual, I follow the of our workers who sends money each and feces of the stray dogs, wandering day. This dough is divided into little balls, example of Antoine de Saint Exupery’s week to his children’s school expenses. He pigs and chickens. This rainy season, we patted into cakes which are then cooked Little Prince, who would clean out his three is presently cleaning out our latrine and I are practicing prevention; most of our on a “comal” or special metal plate heated little volcanoes on his planet 612 every agreed to do this favor for him. I think I made warehouse of medicines, medical reference over a wood fire. A super hot, just-off-the- day, and root up any foreign looking plant the better choice though I know my sense of books and some furniture are presently in a grill, tortilla is absolutely heavenly! And this in case it was a Baobab. If allowed to grow, justice will get tested this morning as some rented house in another zone. In addition, a is what the majority of men going to work the baobab would absolutely destroy his people will push or cut in front of those new clinic is being built on higher ground, in their field or parcels of land take for their little planet. breakfast –leaving before the sun comes patiently waiting in line. Today Agustino is thanks to California donors.

Here, not only plants can be a problem; My main job here is as bookkeeper. I am up to take advantage of the morning’s sending extra money he earned to cover the insects, in particular, can get out of cost of tamales. The tamales are eaten for responsible for intake of money through freshness. Every female in a family needs hand: termites, ants, cockroaches, flies, to learn how to make a special occasions, like birthdays, baptisms, our clinic and the sale of mosquitoes, beetles as well as worms, good tortilla; even children Young girls, 12-14 years funerals and weddings. In Agustino’s case, medicines, and payment to lizards, spiders, frogs and snakes. Although become adept at this art at his family is finishing up a prayer novena the health promoters when old, many just starting their not a Buddhist, I had tried to practice of eight days for their oldest daughter they work in our clinic or menstruation, come into the clinic an early age. nonviolence in my life in California, At 5:30 a.m. the round who will make her final religious vows in a do programs, such as the especially regarding people and animals, pregnant, sometimes raped by their of announcements starts; convent in Coban, AltaVerapaz. The whole application of fluoride on capturing moths and spiders in the house father, older brother or uncle. a couple of people go family will go to attend the ceremony even the teeth of more than to release them outdoors. Here, I take great through the neighborhoods though the cost will be substantial. Where 2000 school children in delight in stomping on a large cockroach the town and surrounding communities. with a microphone on their cars, letting is all this happening? In Guatemala. or sweeping up the webs of countless I am a former SRJC instructor who There are also health promoters who work everyone know of upcoming events. This spiders who try to cohabitate with me in my retired in 2011, after 23 years teaching in with the midwives, giving courses that help wake- up call is accompanied by music, bedroom. the English as a Second Language program. the women in their important work here. usually Mexican rancheros or Musak. One Vendors come to the door constantly While my degrees are in English Literature Although there are hospitals in the Peten man also uses an air raid siren similar to with fresh homemade cheese, bread, and Creative Writing, I started teaching region, most women go to a “comadrona” what the Graton Fire Department uses to brooms, tamales, unpasteurized milk, ice ESL in honor of my immigrant parents who or midwife for the birth of their babies. announce fires. Deaths are also announced cream, “granizadas” (flavored shaved ice), came to the United States from the Ukraine According to a 2011 report by National with dirge like music. Bodies must be buried coconuts, black and red beans or whatever and struggled with the language and the Geographic, Guatemalan women have more within 24 hours here, and it is amazing how fruit is in season. It is very tempting to buy culture. I fell in love with the dedication of babies per person than any other country in quickly funeral arrangements are made in something from each vendor to help prosper both ESL instructors and students so eager our hemisphere, including Haiti, Dominican such a relatively short period of time. him/her, but I’d be constantly broke. What Republic and even the U. S. Here in Las Cruces, there are a lot of to learn that I stayed in the ESL program. is admirable about the Guatemalans is their The sexual act is a past time here that deaths, just as there are a lot of births. People Now I am a volunteer in my second year desire to make a Quetzal (around 8 cents of service for Concern America, a California- has little to do with marriage. Most families die of old age, disease, accidents, suicide, American). Almost everyone has a little based non-profit dedicated to empowering all sleep in one room, so children learn early revenge, drugs, robbery, malnutrition and business: shining shoes, selling bottled poor Guatemalans in the field of health. about copulation. However, no one talks for being poor and/or indigenous. Although water and sodas, a plate of three tortillas The program trains locals interested in about it. Young girls, 12-14 years old, many there is a police force and a regular presence and a piece of chicken, fried plantain helping their communities to be health just starting their menstruation, come into of the military with the new president, chips, cut-up fruit in season, toothpaste, practitioners. They serve the people in their the clinic pregnant, sometimes raped by people frequently take matters into their sunglasses and books on making smoothies. “aldeas” or villages and work in our town their father, older brother or uncle. Some own hand. “Fiestas” parties, sometimes end Sellers board the public minivans and clinic. The Guatemalan government has of these girls are thrown out of the house in drunken fights, with someone’s honor pursue passengers in the hopes of selling a health center in the town of Las Cruces to be taken in by a grandmother or aunt. In being questioned. Living here is like being their wares. These are the people who are where I live and work, but it is only open most cases, no one seems to mind that an in a Clint Eastwood Wild West movie, or not yet desperate enough to risk the long, a Mexican flick; it doesn’t feel at all like four days a week. Frequently, it does not unmarried girl gets pregnant. dangerous trip north to the states to get Babies are born like flowers - beautiful. Guatemala, or the one I used to know living have medicine and only takes a limited work and provide for their families here. number of patients. As a result, our clinic is Even those born with a cleft palate from a in other parts of this country.

Furthermore, there are very few Guatemalan lack of folic acid in the diet of the young People dress in American-style clothes, very busy. beggars looking for a handout, both here Many of my friends have asked me mom are lovely. We help get some of these There are stores and booths to buy a shirt and what I had seen in Sonoma County; to describe what it is like to live for an infants with this problem to surgeons or pants that might have been on a Ross or people want to earn their way – something extended period of time in Central America. who volunteer their services in one of the Marshall’s rack. A new type of “store” is the I greatly admire.

Even though a whole year has passed, there hospitals in Antigua. It is a challenge to Hyper-Paca, which sells clothes donated to I urge readers to think about are many aspects of life which remain respect the culture of a host country and yet flood relief in Guatemala, now sold by some volunteering if you are not doing so already. fresh as the first day when I had arrived. raise consciousness about the cold reality budding entrepreneur for a fraction of the It’s very satisfying and it does not have to This is my first experience in the Peten of having children as a result of a romp in cost of something new. The only indigenous be in a foreign country, There is plenty to region of Guatemala. I used to know it as bed, or the burden of raising a large family people who still wear their traditional do in Sonoma County. I highly recommend without interfering dress are the Kechi women – beautiful in volunteer work with children, helping them with mores or religious their graceful, lace huipil or over blouse, read and learn math. values. that covers a soft camisole. The skirt In the Peten, children may be in school I reach out to the contains yards of colorful woven cotton but don’t do very well. Here, there are many very young children cloth, gathered at the waist like a dirndl. factors that contribute to this hole in a 3 to 8 years old. We The people speak one of 22 indigenous child’s education. The unfortunate outcome work on respect for languages found here – Kechi – a melodious will be a society of young people who will each other, especially sounding communication that makes not be able to read and understand the fine boys for girls, sharing, English pronunciation fairly easy for them. print on a bank loan, or know if a vendor is kindness instead of A morning routine after breakfast is giving them an honest deal or the correct hitting, no killing of to sweep, dust and empty trash baskets. change. With Guatemala’s mean age being birds or stripping trees If not, nature takes over. It is hard to 25 years and under, it gives me pause and of their precious leaves imagine how anyone could overlook a set remorse as an educator to see where this and flowers. Many of of temples such as in Tikal, nestled north country may be heading. So, volunteer in the children are from in a still remaining part of the Guatemalan whatever capacity you can. Don’t wait until Evangelist families who rainforest. But over the years, the jungle you retire from your profession or job; do it believe in the teachings had taken over this magnificent complex now while you have the energy to volunteer. of Jesus Christ, so it is of abandoned pyramids, burial grounds, You never know where you will end up or Photo credit of Catherine Sagan easy to use Jesus as a ball courts and altars so that only the eye who you will help!

A new health clinic on drier ground is under construction.

18

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

features

Teacher, world traveler, mother and historian; Alice roberti’s first novel thrills srjc students Anna Hecht Contributing Writer With just one glance you will see a history instructor; do a double-take and you may catch a mother of three; sit down and talk with her and you will invest one of the most interesting hours of your life in a woman smiling ear-to-ear with glee over the release of her first novel.

This is the undercover life of SRJC instructor Alice Roberti, a strong, dedicated woman with a passion for writing and a knack for carrying a contagious mixture of pure delight and enthusiasm about life.

The contagion has surged through three generations of Roberti women, leaving her with the curiosity and thrillseeking attitude she exudes. Writing and now releasing work of her own mind and experiences is still surreal to Roberti, but she keeps grounded by teaching history classes and indulging her love of travel.

Roberti has been teaching at SRJC for seven years and her background is well rounded in history.

Her master’s degree is in U.S. history with a specialty in the 19th Century.

She has taught history at the University of Maryland and in Egypt, Portugal and England. At SRJC she teaches U.S. history, women’s history and world history.

Roberti says the happiest day she has had as a professor at the SRJC was the day she was hired. “It just seemed to come full circle, having been a student here and then being hired as a professor,” she said.

Roberti hopes her students take a love of history from her classes “but some people just really don’t have that.

Hopefully, they take away an interest in furthering their knowledge of history and I hope that I teach with enough enthusiasm that it sort of jump-starts their interest,” she said.

Maile Lilinoe, a third-year SRJC student, has taken three of Roberti’s classes in her first three semesters while interning for two of Roberti’s classes. She didn’t plan on the extra classes but loved

the first class she took with Roberti.

Lilinoe praised Roberti’s engaging methods of teaching. “Honestly, I just enjoyed listening to Alice speak. She made history interesting and relatable to everyone and always has interesting jokes.”

There is no doubt in Lilinoe’s mind Roberti made an impact in her classes and would advise students to remember Roberti’s name for future history courses.

“I would recommend Alice as an instructor because she genuinely cares about all of her students and wants them to succeed. I can honestly say she’s the most informed instructor that I’ve had for any subject. She teaches in a way that is always entertaining and where important information doesn’t go in one ear and out the other. I have not had a bad experience in a single one of her classes,” Lilinoe said.

When she is not busy teaching, Roberti returns to traveling. She’s spent time in Thailand and Europe and lived in Egypt for two years. By encountering world cultures, Roberti has learned valuable life lessons from her experience and is a proud mother of children following in her footsteps.

“I think the most important thing that I’ve learned from everywhere is to spend time with, and listen to, and hear the stories of the people of that country. That, to me, is the most important. It certainly made us world citizens; we view ourselves in our family because we raised our kids in most of their lives outside of the United States, and all three of our children view themselves as world citizens,” Roberti said.

Though being a world traveler would seem reason enough to celebrate, the release of her first novel, “Nevermore,” available on Amazon’s Kindle, is the bigger reason behind Roberti’s smile.

She started writing the novel in 2009 as a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allen Poe and completed it in 2010. She started to figure out how to get published. “It was a very slow and tedious process. Then

the Arab Spring happened and the revolution broke out so I stopped sending my novel out,” she said. “I tore out about 125 pages, the last part of my novel, and added in all the stuff that happened with the revolution because I was so affected by the revolution happening. After all these years living with this and for it to actually be done and out there is a bit disconcerting, but very exciting. It’s been a real roller-coaster the last couple of days.”

Roberti’s students are some of her most enthusiastic “Nevermore” supporters. “The people in Photo courtesy of Alice Roberti the novel are between 23 SRJC’s instructor Alice Roberti carries a masters in history.

-30, so it actually is the age of a lot of my students. I’ve all over the world and have adventures,” given it to several students as early readers and they loved it. They’ve Roberti said.

“Nevermore” takes place in Cairo, been really enthusiastic, but I actually during the recent revolution and follows kind of wrote it for women my own age a woman who is an English teacher. [laughing],” she said. “That was my target She teaches at a high school in Cairo audience and I have tested it with several that’s based upon school Roberti’s reading groups and book clubs. I have children attended when they lived in tested it from the oldest person who has read it is my mother-in-law and she’s 86, Cairo. Ravenhill is involved in a series of and the youngest person is my daughter, murders, each one mimicking a different but I do see a gender issue with it; that Edgar Allen Poe story and her specialty may be because it’s a strong female area is Poe, Roberti said.

In writing this novel, Roberti also character and everything centered around hopes to break down the walls of the character, but it seems as if the males who are the most keen on it are the ones stereotypical female characters that are usually portrayed in stories. who really love mysteries,” she said.

“I’m trying to prove that a woman Roberti becomes a storyteller of her can write a strong female character in own life experiences, basing many of a mystery novel who is not severely the scenes and characters on people she damaged.

There’s a lot of mystery novels knows and places she has traveled to.

“I created this series with a very strong out there where the main female character female character as the main person in has been abused and can’t connect with the series, so this is book one that I just other people and I really started with the had out on Amazon now. I’m writing book idea that I was going to have a person who two and I have ideas for about nine books had relationships and a whole life and a in this series where this female character, family and who wasn’t severely damaged Meg Ravenhill, will go to different places and away from the mainstream people,” she said.

student Bus riders avoid rising prices pros and cons for daily commuters using public transportation Julia Somers Contributing Writer SRJC student Marco Camacho commutes one hour each way four days a week from his home in Roseland.

Camacho has relied on the bus to get him to SRJC since he first started taking classes three years ago. “It’s better than walking and cheaper than buying a car. But it’s frustrating that my life has to revolve around the bus schedule. I have to really plan things out or else it doesn’t happen,” Camacho said.

Night classes are out of the question because buses don’t run late enough.

Basic 9 a.m. classes require getting to campus either at 7:30 a.m. – an hour and half early – or 9:10 a.m., making students late and teachers perturbed.

In 2011, nearly 6 percent of SRJC students like Comacho took the bus.

Riding public transit has its ups and downs. Students relying on the bus to get to and from school can learn important lessons about time management,

personal responsibility and, maybe the most difficult for some students, how to regularly wake up early in the morning.

Additionally, using public transportation has financial benefits for cash-strapped students. Avoiding the costs of parking, gas, insurance, monthly payments and vehicle maintenance can free student’s budgets up to pursue hobbies, attend music festivals or simply enjoy a night on the town with friends .

Not to mention releiving stress by giving the responsibility of transportation to an expert, a bus driver. When was the last time you heard of a bus getting in an accident?

But with these positives come the negatives of having to rely on a public transportation system that’s faced increasing cut backs and whose frequency and route breadth has decreased substantially over the last few years.

One of the primary grievances students have about taking the bus is its melting pot of riders. Anna Bjorkquist, 19, was taking the bus until her dad gave her his old car.

Her one-hour bus commute decreased to 20 minutes in the car. “The bus smells bad,

the people smell bad. It’s crowded,” she said. “One day, a man sat next to me who hadn’t showered in at least two months.

He had this really strong, caked-on body odor; it was disgusting.”

Bjorkquist’s experiences haven’t been all bad. “Sometimes I’d get into some really neat conversations with other students on the bus,” she said. “I’m a music major and would sometimes be carting around three instruments at a time. We’d talk about music, composers we like. It was like having a little community where you would least expect it.”

George is taking 14 units this semester, works 20 hours a week and has a 30-minute commute four days a week from Sebastopol. “It’s been nice to not worry about all the things associated with having a car. The bus can be an inconvenience, when it’s running late and you’re late for class, but it hasn’t been a big enough one for me to stress out about getting money for a car together,” he said.

Students see a bright side to their often long commutes. “I don’t have to pay attention and instead can just

19

listen to music, look out the window and daydream,” said Katherine, 21, a full time student with two jobs. “To be honest though, the worst part about riding the bus is the people on it.”

Part-time SRJC student Bronwynn Millisor said, “I generally hate public transportation, it’s nice to have but it can be sketchy at times. It’s nothing the drivers or company can do about it. I just feel uncomfortable sometimes. But it’s convenient and if you’re blind or under 16, it’s great. Without it, a lot of people wouldn’t get where they need to go.”

Students said they felt good about the pollution they prevented by taking public transportation instead of driving. Last October, SRJC suspended the discounted monthly pass for students. Reasoning it was a steep expense that helped too few students, current riders are left to pay the $47 for a monthly pass.

Bikes are allowed on all buses, which would help get those students where they need to go if the bus didn’t frequent their needed area.

thE oak leaf • december 10, 2012

features

Cliff norton has a long history as a mechanic in almost every aspect of automotive service

Instructor brings hands on experience Clayton Ball Contributing Writers

When SRJC instructor Cliff Norton started working as a mechanic at Gary’s Standard Service in Minneapolis, he was still in high school. When enlisting in the army in 1968, recruiters asked Norton what area he would like to work in. He answered “electronics,” so they made him a mechanic. After being discharged in 1971, Norton returned to Gary’s Standard Service looking for work while he figured out what he wanted to do for a living.

Eventually, Norton’s path took him through almost every aspect of automotive service and from the cold winters of his hometown to the mild temperatures of Sonoma County and garages of SRJC. “I enjoy passing on to a new generation what I spent my career learning,” Norton said.

Working days at Gary’s Standard Service and later Wyzanta Chevrolet, Norton attended night classes at the Dunwoody Industrial Institute. Graduating with honors in 1973, Norton received his degree in automotive electrical. The following year he began substitute teaching at the new Hennepin Technical Institute (HTI), and in 1975 was hired full time to teach automotive electrical classes.

While Norton enjoyed teaching, he left in 1978 and purchased a local repair shop called Galaxy Auto Center (GAC) with his wife Lisa. While building GAC into a two-shop business, Norton continued

honing his teaching skills, helping young technicians who came to work for him.

Norton also worked for the Minnesota Department of Education, evaluating automotive programs around the state.

Many members of Lisa’s family lived in the San Francisco Area. Combined with the harsh Minnesota winters, Norton and his wife decided to sell the two businesses and move to Sonoma County, where he began working for Santa Rosa Saab and Subaru which eventually became part of the Hansel family of dealerships.

In 1991, Norton became Adjunct Faculty at SRJC, teaching automotive electronics, diagnostics and the state’s Clean Air Car Course. Norton continued to work at the Hansel Prestige dealership and teach part time until 2009, when SRJC promoted him to full time.

In his online autobiography Norton says his time teaching the young new technicians coming into his shop was as much mentoring as instruction, something he found personally satisfying. This shows through in Norton’s teaching style, as he animates cheerfully while showing a student how to work a hand-held oscilloscope.

Norton’s strongest traits are caring for his students and working hard to ensure they get a solid grasp of the material.

Student Brandon Keeton said, Norton goes beyond teaching you how to preform a test or make a repairs; he gets into why.

Adjunct Facility member Paul

Photo Courtesy of Luis Gutierrez

SRJC’s Cliff Norton talks to a student about current topics and innovations in the industry.

Adleman said Norton’s knowledge and experience from having worked in, and continuing to stay in tune with, the industry makes him an asset to the school.

To emphasize his point, Adleman cites Norton’s membership in the International Automotive Technicians Network (IATN) and the Service Technicians Society (STS).

For 38 years, Norton’s hands-on work experience gave him a boost over other applicants whose primary experience lay in the academic field. Among Norton’s credentials are Master Technician certifications from Chevrolet, BMW and Saab in addition to a Senior Master Technician from Subaru.

“We had another guy who was very knowledgeable, but he lacked the practical experience Cliff has,” said Dave Yost, the shop’s tool room manager.

When asked about the future, Norton believes the automotive industry will move away from oil. Calling the hybrid an ineffective stop gap, Norton thinks there will be one last big push for oil before designs using a lightweight body and frame, with a small alternative fuel engine running an electric drive system, show up.

Norton has worked in almost every aspect of automotive repair industry, with his main interest being the electronic fuel control systems that have grown in the last 20 years. Mastery of these complex systems is difficult but Norton makes it his passion to hand off that skill.

What does Norton like least about teaching? “Paperwork. If I liked paperwork I would have become a service manager,” he laughed.

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