October 10, 2011 by Editor inChief

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Santa Rosa in solidarity with OWS p. 4

Professor explores Islamic origins of algebra p. 3 Faculty discusses costs of war and quest for peace p. 6 Lady Bear Cubs spike volleyball competition p. 8 October 10, 2011 Volume CXXVII, Issue III

NEWS

October 10, 2011

Occupation comes to S.R. Quinn Conklin Web Editor Occupy Wall Street is coming to Santa Rosa Oct. 15. For nearly a month a growing community of protesters have camped in Zuccatti Park at the heart of Wall Street, demanding a separation of government and influence from the corporate greed that towers above their encampment. The target of this movement is the 1 percent of the population that controls the majority of the wealth and has used this position to influence elected officials. The men and women of Occupy Wall Street (OWS) rally behind the slogan, “We are the 99 percent.” 99 percent see themselves as nonviolent revolutionaries for democracy and have vowed to maintain their occupation until there is change. The General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street stated its goals and motivation on its blog: “We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments.” The occupation at first looked like it would be a bust. The first day saw far fewer protesters than expected, but as the first week progressed more and more people gathered in Zuccatti Park. Since the New York protest began on Sept. 17, the movement has spread across the nation with protests in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. More than 500 events are mapped across the U.S. by www.occupytogether.org, a site that calls itself “an unof-

ficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.” These events include occupations, rallies and marches as well as a virtual occupation put on by MoveOn.org, a progressive political action committee. According to Occupy Together, a total of 1,016 cities have, are or will be holding their own occupation. On Oct. 15 Santa Rosa will become one of these cities with a protest and occupation at City Hall in support of the protesters of OWS. However, the goal of the Occupy Santa Rosa protesters is not just to show support for those in New York. Their goals also address local issues. In a statement on www.occupysantarosa.org, the organizer said, “We are working on our own set of demands and grievances that pertain to local issues, such as Public Transportation and Emergency Services cuts on top of the current demands of #OCCUPYWALLSTREET.” OccupySR, the official twitter stream for the protest, said in a twitter interview, “We’re still working out the specifics, but some proposed local grievances include public transportation, expanding BART to Santa Rosa, budget cuts in emergency services and cuts in public education.” During the interview, OccupySR apologized for slow responses explaining they were taking time to consult with other members of the movement to present a consensus answer. “Yeah, another idea that we all value and share is democracy- but it takes time. Democracy takes weeks- tyranny takes minutes,” OccupySR tweeted.

Like the people they are supporting in New York, the protesters in Santa Rosa plan on camping at city hall indefinitely. Occupy Santa Rosa began holding General Assemblies and the in weeks leading up to the protest these meetings have mainly been concerned with planning. “After the 15th, we will be getting in to the same stuff in NYC where *everybody* has a voice and anybody can veto something,” OccupySR tweeted. The General Assembly of Occupy Santa Rosa echoes the nonviolent sentiment of their OWS counterparts, warning people participating in the occupation to watch out for instigators trying to turn the protest violent. However, until now the only detractors they have had are a “few Facebook trolls,” according to OccupySR The national movement has gained support from many organizations in the past few weeks, including the union representing the New York City transit workers, the Air Line Pilots Association, MoveOn.org and the Teamsters Union. The movement’s most important value is democracy. The governance of the camp in Zuccatti Park is accomplished through the General Assembly, a nightly meeting where everyone has a voice and has the power to veto items brought before the assembly. The city of New York is not allowing the protesters, who are present without permits, to use any amplified sound. To combat this the General Assembly is conducted using a human microphone. The crowd shouts out the items so everyone can hear. Richard

Stock Image

Protesters in Santa Rosa will join the movement that started on Wall St.

Kim, executive editor of the nation explained the slow process of these meetings on his blog. “The greatest hidden virtue of the human mic has been the quality that almost every observer has reflexively lamented: it is slow. I mean incredibly, agonizingly, astonishingly slow.” Kim wrote. “It can take over an hour for the General Assembly just to get through a nightly refresher course on group protocols before starting in

on announcements, which precede debate about anything new.” While the movement moves slowly on the ground it has grown quickly on the Internet. Occupy Together, which was started by two designers who could not attend the protests in New York, has grown rapidly. According to its website the group went from listing five locations a day to hundreds of emails overnight.

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Algebra has deep roots in Islam Parris Mazer Staff Writer Any history of Western mathematics must include Islam and the Islamic culture. The Arts and Lectures Committee sponsored a lecture educating students on this influence Oct. 3 titled “The Mystery of Mohammad Ibn Musa: The first Algebra Textbook.” The lecture focused on eighth century Islamic mathematician Mohammad Ibn Musa. He has been called a national hero in modern Uzbekistan for his contributions to mathematics, primarily in the field of Algebra. SRJC Mathematics Instructor Dean Gooch investigated the subject of Ibn Musa while on sabbatical. He found Ibn Musa to an enigmatic figure due to the conflicting reports saying he had at least three last names. Al Khwarazini alludes to either a town in what is now Southern Uzbebekistan or possibly the entire region of northern Persia while Al Majusi is related to the word magic. He has also been called Al Qutrubuli. In 820 A.D. Ibn Musa was summoned to be the head of the House of Wisdom in Merv, Southern Turkemenistan. This intellectual society was the center of learning and knowledge of the Arab world. There he spent much of his time studying Hindu star charts and developing

Protect your bike from theft David Anderson News Editor

his mathematical theories. Mohammad Ibn Musa’s first book was entitled “The Compendious Book on Calculation and Completion by Balancing.” In the book Ibn Musa commented on what he referred to as Hindu and Sanskirit mathematical forms, later known as Algebra, and how they applied to Arabic law. It featured word problems about Michelle Thach/Contributing Photographer dividing estates A page from the famous first algebra text. among heirs, 1831 by Frederick Rosen. The book debts, the return of a dowry and cleverly featured two versions in the other civil issues. Ibn Musa used same edition, so while you could open Algebraic principles, such as the and turn the English book left to right, quadratic formula, to solve these you could also flip it around and read social problems. The book accord- the Arabic right to left. ed its laws with both Islamic and In his book “On Calculation local traditions. With Hindu Numerals,” Ibn Musa This book was the famous first Al- introduced to the Arab world the gebra book, although it could be more number system that we use today. accurately called the first Algebra Prior to these Hindu or Arabic nubook known to the West. It was first merals, calculations were much translated in Europe in 1145 by Rob- more difficult. In the West, calculaert of Chester. However, a much more tions were done using Roman nueffective translation was completed in merals and the Abacus. The Near

With bicycle theft on the rise and a significant lack of parking at the Santa Rosa campus, SRJC’s District Police cannot stress enough the importance of knowing how to protect your property. Three students reported bicycle thefts in the month of September alone, one being a case of grand theft in which a student secured a $1,200 bike with a $10 lock. However, there are some easy and effective ways of keeping bikes safer on campus. The first tip campus police offer is knowing the make, model and serial number of your bike. The location of the serial number can vary depending on the bicycle, but can generally be found underneath the center part of the frame. The best way to store this information is on a phone or computer. “When somebody’s property is stolen, the only way we can enter that into a computerized East used a similarly difficult system. “Ibn Musa is credited with bringing the Hindu number system to Islam and from there it was disseminated throughout the world including Europe,” Gooch said. Both Arabic numbers and algebra itself are believed to come from India though the original texts are still unknown. Our knowledge of them comes from secondhand

stolen property system is by serial number because that’s the only thing that makes that particular item unique,” said SRJC District Police Lieutenant David Willat. The second method police recommend is to buy a good lock, and secure the bike properly so at the very least the perpetrator can’t get away with the entire bike. “There are locks that someone can’t just break. With the cable locks you can put a small pair of bolt cutters in your jacket and just rip it off. It’s very simple,” said Officer Daniel James of SRJC’s District Police. Officers also recommend utilizing the various locked cages around campus. They have a green roof and there are roughly a dozen spread around. It’s a system where students can pay a monthly fee and receive an individualized card to open and lock their bikes. The website to receive a card is www.BikeLink.org, with pre-paid cards also available. These methods, coupled with awareness and common sense, should help students to better protect their property at SRJC.

translations performed by scholars such as Mohammad Ibn Musa. A perceptive physics student who observed the lecture said, “It’s interesting they didn’t come to a real conclusion. Ultimately you don’t know when or where he lived....(It) always hints back to Hindu and India. Hindu [culture] originated algebra, numbers, and most mathematics.”

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ARTS &ENTERTAINMENT

October 10, 2011

In the When a bad play happens to good actors

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October 14

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While Charle’s L. Mee’s version of “Big Love” has been described as an “explosive comedy-drama,” SRJC’s interpretation is laughable, and not always in a good way. “Big Love” is Mee’s comical adaptation of the play “The Danaids” by Aeschylus that tells the story of 50 sisters forcibly betrothed to their 50 cousins. Directed by Leslie McCauley, “Big Love” hides the genuine talent of SRJC actors on stage with moments posed in all of the terribly awkward scenes of Mee’s creation. Moments of honest, heartfelt monologues about love and lust are bounced between abrasive feminist rants and violently choreographed dance-comedy. The self-bruising of the characters was distracting and painful to watch as they repeatedly threw themselves on the floor. The play began with a vacant stage decorated with the gaudy, romanticized look of an Italian estate, complete with a bathtub and ivyclad pillars. If the background hues of sunset reds and oranges were not already too much to handle, the wedding dress hanging from the rafters behind two gold frames was an over kill of the play’s concept. Overall, it is hard to tell if the actors needed to tone down the theatrics or if the play could have used a more cohesive direction rather

than choppy gimmicks to make the audience laugh. While the production did accomplish the latter, the humorous lines were few and far between. One of the first characters the audience is introduced to is Lydia, the sweet-tempered sister played by Megan Bartlett. Within the first few minutes of the play the slight nudity warning on the playbill is obvious as Bartlett climbs into a tub, takes off her wedding dress and proceeds to sit sans clothing. In comes the perfectly cast Giuliano, a member of the Italian family the sisters seek refuge with. Randy Hin’s portrayal of the mildly flamboyant Giuliano caught the audience’s full attention every time he took the stage. If Hin’s mesmerizing, out-of-tune serenade wasn’t enough then his delicate prance through the backdrop’s whimsical tapestry in a pink feather boa reeled the audience in. While the play is about 50 couples, only three are actually introduced: sisters Olympia, Lydia and Thyona, and their cousin-husbands Nikos, Oed and Constantine. Princess-like sister Olympia, played by Halie Islava, is a ditzy, easily persuaded character. Islava plays so well it’s difficult to distinguish where the actress stops and the character begins; not a negative observation in the least.

One character within the play who was almost entirely too hard to stomach was the unforgiving, “men are scum” sister Thyona, portrayed by Regielyn Padua. It was a simple matter of over-acting that made her scenes hard to bear. With a character so full of hatred and so overly aggressive Padua needed to remember to “reign it in’” and keep from overdoing it. If there was one shining moment in the play besides the scenes with Randy Hin’s character, it was the soft, humbling conversation between Lydia and Nikos. As they discussed their potential relationship and budding interest in each other, both Bartlettt and Skylar Evans showed themselves to be actors who know a thing or two about subtlety. As the play wore on, it was hard to tell which was worse: having to sit squirming in the chair or having to watch the jumbled mess on stage. At one point in the play, the sisters marry their cousins and a fight ensues between multiple extras as Lydia and Nikos simulate the most unsettling, uncomfortable act of sexual intercourse in a bathtub. Special effects at times were poor. The release of blood caps before a knife was even close to the body was simply laughable. The

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audience saw one husband’s bleeding neck before the wife’s knife was set to slice. But then again, isn’t that just like a man to finish before a woman is even done with the job? Big Love is worth seeing if you’re into unconventional theater and support the art and exploration of young actors. You can wait to see My Fair Lady in November. SRJC has a history of well produced plays, but this time the Theater Department missed the bar. Big Love is recommended for audiences ages 18 and above because it contains nudity and strong language. The play is at 8 p.m. on Oct. 13, 14, and 15; and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 15 and 16 in Burbank Audi-Keshia Knight

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ARTS &ENTERTAINMENT

In the

The Kings League: Good but too short

The worst thing about The King’s League is that the game ends well before the fun does. The game, distributed by Armor Games and designed by KurechII, allows you to play through a competition, started by an aging king searching for his successor. To win you must raise an army and train it to fight, while managing the food and gold necessary to keep your troops fed and provisioned. Game play varies, switching quickly between troop training, territory conquest, questing and the competition of the Kings League. At its heart this game is about resource management, and your main resource is time, having only a month to raise your army. Each type of training takes a certain number

of days; the same goes for quests, conquest and recruiting new troups. At the end of the month you have to be ready to fight for the crown. While you can train right up to the start of the battle, you may not quest or invade the week before the tournament. What keeps the game fun is frantically trying to click everything before the clock runs out and that you have to fight. During the fights you have no control; all you can do is hope your army is good enough, that you have selected the right type of units and then see what happens. While I am usually not a fan of games in which I do not control the actual action, this time the bat-

Doyle Library shows real art at virtual exhibition Ken Kutska Staff Writer Let your eyes do the walking instead of your feet with the Doyle Library’s new virtual art tour. Every piece of artwork in the library has a story behind it and the tour allows viewers to see art in a unique and creative way. For many years the library has

tried to create exhibits displaying the work of former and current art instructors. Together with Doyle Library technicians and librarians, these artists have devised a virtual art exhibit to create a whole new experience for the SRJC community. Scott Lipanovich, a Doyle library technician since 1986, developed the concept of putting the art pieces on the library web site. Lipanovich, with librarian Alicia Virtue and oth-

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tles provide a nice break from the frantic button clicking. And let me make a quick aside here; while the button clicking might be frantic it is not button mashing. You are always looking for a specific button, a specific click. So the battles provide a bit of a break from the precise, quick clicks that play through the rest of the game. At the end, I felt I had just built

a force that could take on the world. And then the game ended. Sure I could go back and play again but then I would be building my army from the ground up. I would be restarting all over again, not getting to play my own badass army. This game is good for about half an hour to 45 minutes of diversion from an otherwise busy day. -Quinn Conklin

ers, have photographed the artwork. Virtue then formatted them for viewing on the library’s main website. Virtue was also able to take each work of art and create a sidebar of information about it. “It took about a week to get the pictures set and documented,” Virtue said. “It was exciting to see the wide range of artists that have worked for the JC.” Current and former instructors donated the art used in the virtual exhibit. The tour allows those who have taught at SRJC in the past to be recognized for their crafts. Students can now see another side of their instructors.

According to Lipanovich, the library is perfect for displaying art. The wall space allows for many pieces to be displayed simultaneously. Each piece of art has a photograph and brief description about the artist. “For me being new to the JC it was an educational experience to get a well rounded education in the work of our professors,” Virtue said. More then 30 works of art are cataloged in the display itself ranging from massive paintings to extensive wood sculptures. To view the show go to http:// www.santarosa.edu/library/about/ doylelibraryart.html

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FEATURES

War and Peace: Dan Nuebel

Contributing Writer SRJC faculty engaged students and the public in a dialog about the issues of War and Peace in Iraq and Afghanistan at a forum held on Sept. 27 at the Doyle Library’s media center. Seven faculty members from seven academic disciplines presented their current analyses of America’s ongoing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each presenter concentrated his or her remarks on one of the political, moral, economic or psychological impacts of these conflicts. Many of the 70 attendees of the three-hour forum came at the request of their instructors. Ten of the attendees were also veterans. “There are 800 veterans studying under the GI Bill at SRJC,” a spokesperson from the campus’ Office of Veterans Affairs said. Marty Bennett, an SRJC professor and historian, organized the first War and Peace Forum four semesters ago. “All of the faculty that have come together, believe [that it is] critical to have dialog at the college about these wars, why they occurred and their consequences,” Bennett said. “We have arranged this forum specifically so that dialog can occur.” The SRJC Arts and Lectures Committee sponsored the forum. The questions posed in the two, threehour long workshops spurred dialog and personal stories from veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Presenters focused their remarks on a few questions each.

Is war inevitable? What are the roots of aggression? Why do people join the military?

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October 10, 2011

A panel of SRJC instructors discuss causes and implications of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

“I believe that the recently discharged vetmore we know about erans responded with the psychology of war, stories from their perthe closer we are to sonal experience. peace, and to world Stephen Lewis, peace,” Dr. Marilyn an Iraq veteran, said, Milligan, a psycholo“I am affected by the gist and SRJC instrucPTSD. It has affected tor, said. “I believe that my relationship with experience and culture my mother, my sisters, are much more impormy girlfriend, everytant influences on our thing. I can’t work beaggressive behavior cause I can’t control my than what is built in.” own emotions. When Dr. Milligan said someone crosses me, I people join the milijump. It’s not good.” tary to get away from a Nasseem added, lifestyle, for the college “Shocking to me is money, a job to supthat (in 2009 and port their family and 2010) more people for other reasons. She have died as a result of asked past students why suicide than have died they joined. One reas a result of combat. sponded, “I wanted to More soldiers, active be out on my own with and inactive, even Stock no chains holding me army recruiters, are down and no one telling Students listen to professors talk about the costs, impacts and possible solutions to war. killing themselves.” me what to do.” American domination and access to economy.” Nasseem said What is the role of religion? the natural resources there and, parWhat are the wars’ costs and im- families and friends of active duty After examining some features ticularly, to have military bases in Af- pacts on the economy? What are the military suffer a trickle down effect. of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic ghanistan to project our power.” long-term consequences of the war? D’Aigle is an army combat medic disscriptures, religion professor Eric Why are Middle Eastern counMargaret Pennington, SRJC eco- charged in 2008 who lost her fiancé, Thompson said, “The religious com- tries like Egypt, Libya and Syria nomics instructor, presented the most an infantryman, to suicide. “When ponent is real, is independent of the experiencing social revolutions? current operational costs of the Iraq someone enlists, they enlist everyone others [political, economic, etc.] and Scott Fuller, SRJC sociology and Afghanistan Wars and the oppor- they know and care about,” D’Aigle it is extremely complicated. One of professor, explained nonviolence tunity costs, the best alternatives that said. the things that we need to do is face it techniques and specifically “prin- are forgone. “The reason I actually got out with some honesty.” cipled nonviolence,” a mutual Three sources examined were a was that, even though I loved the He cited examples from the scrip- learning process that Gandhi, Mar- 2008 book “The Three Trillion Dollar Marine Corps, anybody who is in the tures of the main three monotheisms tin Luther King and Mandela em- War: The True Cost of the Iraq Con- service, loves the service, but my son that clearly promote violence. He said braced. Using video footage, he flict,” by economists Bilmes and Sti- is 7 years old now,” Adrian Lopez, a that the best thing about religion is showed how activists in Egypt, Tu- glitz, “The Cost of War Report, 2011” Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq and that most believers choose to follow nisia, and elsewhere attribute their by the Eisenhower Study Group at Afghanistan wars said. “Although I the good parts, rather than the bad. successes to these techniques. Brown University and the National kind of wanted to stay, I really didn’t Why the wars in Iraq and “One of the hardest things about Priorities Project, http://costofwar. want to not be around any more. So I Afghanistan? principled nonviolence for us Ameri- com/en. She said, “Current estimates got out. I love the Marine Corps, but I Marty Bennett told the audience cans to understand is the very idea are consistent across multiple sources love my son more.” Lewis described some issues that the U.S. has a defense budget that of sustaining the blows, because our that the combined costs of both wars about discussing depression. “The is 30 percent higher than at any time tendency is to fight back,” Fuller said. range between $3 and 5 trillion.” since WWII and has doubled in the Iraq veteran Marybeth D’Aigle professional help I think they do have What are the history and past decade. He contends that even politics of these wars? said, “An American enlisted soldier is good, but the problem is that there is a lot of buddy peer pressure with though public opinion is now against Geri Gorski, an SRJC political sci- making $1400 per month and workour involvement in Afghanistan, we ence instructor who described him- ing seven days a week--which is very terms like ‘Suck it up,’ ‘Drink water’ don’t have the active engagement of self as not a pacifist, said, “I tend to possible in the military--makes less and ‘Bend over and take it’,” Lewis said. “I think in the military the stigeveryday citizens protesting the war. look at global and strategic terms. I than half of minimum wage now.” “A huge difference, between try to take a value-neutral perspecWhat are the psychological and ma is probably 10 times worse than it is in the civilian world. If you have these wars and the Vietnam War, is tive.” In response to the question of human costs of war? thoughts of suicide while you are in that now there is no draft,” Milligan whether this mission is accomplishNarmeen Nasseem, SRJC psycholsaid. “Back then the anti-war move- able on the ground in Afghanistan, ogy professor, provided data from ex- the military, you are under watch, so ment was centered on campuses, his short answer was “No, for nuts perts to prompt dialog about war trau- you can become a ‘prisoner’ just for your depression. It is frowned upon; students knew of other students and bolts reasons.” mas; subjects included suicide, drugs, why would you want to put yourself who did not come back.” “It is unlikely to be an important retention, survivor’s guilt, depression, In dialog with a student, Bennett factor in the 2012 election,” Gorski stigmas, peer pressure and psychotro- in that situation?” A DVD recording of the forum is said, “I don’t think there is any intent said. “Unless we can see an extraor- pic meds that have an altering effect on to establish a real democracy in Af- dinary event like the recovery of the perception, emotion or behavior. The available at media services in Doyle Library. ghanistan. I think it is to maintain an

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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

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Steve Jobs deserves no mourning Benjamin “Brutus” Gruey Layout Editor

You might consider it heartless to attack a dead man so soon after his passing, but I consider it heartless to ignore the thousands of workers who built your iPhones in sub-humane working conditions and in some cases committed suicide, as Reuter’s reported. Think about it. Really think about it: some poor Chinese man decided to end his life rather than continue at his terrible job making you an iPhone. And you want to mourn Steve Jobs? You want to celebrate his life? He needs nothing from you, from me, from anyone; less now than ever. No, we don’t need to remember Jobs but we should all remember the hundreds of thousands of faceless victims who suffered for his legacy. To create an iPhone, Apple needs minerals to turn into wires and circuitry. Jobs himself admitted Apple couldn’t guarantee those minerals didn’t come from conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo where women have their vaginal tracts shredded beyond any chance of reproduction and warlords fund their armies by selling valuable minerals like gold and tin to first-world countries. The New York Times reported in

2009 more than $1 billion in illegal gold comes out of Congo with much of the money going straight to these rebels. We could try to explain this away by stating it’s just the sad truth of the world. There isn’t any way to guarantee cell phones, mp3 players and other electronic devices aren’t made from minerals that did not perpetuate these horrific acts of violence, and that is true. But all we say by thinking that way is our cell phones are more important than the human rights of the Chinese, the Congolese and all the other exploited peoples halfway across the globe. Jobs revolutionized gadgetry with sleek looks, perfectionism and a marketing campaign that made Apple the name for technological individualism, but he put hardly any effort into being responsible for the manufacturing process. He went on making money and inventing flashier iPhones. Every day of his life, Jobs condemned workers and innocent bystanders to pain and suffering by creating the products the American market gobbled up like pigs at feeding time. Was Jobs a success story? Absolutely. Is Job’s life deserving of celebration? Absolutely not. Look at the business world, and most of American life, after Jobs infected it with his useful gadgets. As soon as I don’t have my

cell phone handy for a callback, I don’t get the job. When I don’t get the job, I don’t eat and I die. Or I beg for food. We can thank Jobs for our dependency on mobile connection to the entirety of the world. Of course, we can’t blame him for all of it; and yes, if he didn’t do it someone else would have and no single person could possibly be responsible for the technological age. But does that mean we should celebrate one of the guys who did make it? One of the guys who helped put that electronic shackle on our legs? No. Should we thank Jobs for helping our lives require all these minerals that are drenched in vaginal blood and fund genocide? Should we thank Jobs for advancing our dependence on little buzzers and blinking lights whose manufacturers commit suicide because their working conditions –which make the products affordable– are deplorable and isolate workers from social interactions with other people? No, absolutely not. Jobs made billions of dollars by giving the ravenous American Market the shiny electronic toys our society is now dependent on; the products of horrific violence and inhumane working conditions. The man deserves no mourning.

Student on the street

What is your opinion on Occupy Wallstreet? Visit theoakleafnews.com for SRJC student video interviews!

Brayan Romero

Sean Lennon

Malcolm Durand

“People have the right to speak up for what they want, you know. And people protesting, they’re protesting for a reason.”

“They’ve been hiding money for years in the bank...People losing their life savings, you name it.”

“Sounds cool, sounds great. Dissention.”

Editorial

Occupy Wall Street will need conviction to succeed

The continued occupation of Wall Street has finally broken into mainstream media and now America is eager to see what will happen next. Will sweeping reform change how big business influences our politics? Will the rich be taxed and America’s funds be diverted from weapons to schools? That rests on the shoulders of the American populace. Will they place themselves in harm’s way, and let their protests get ugly enough to affect change? In 2003 the largest recorded anti-war protest swept across the world. Several million people from more than 50 countries participated. Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu voiced his opposition to the Iraq war outside the United Nations in New York, alongside numerous celebrities offering up their support to end the bloodshed and mayhem in the Middle East. The protest was part of a series that began in 2002, and then petered out as the war continued. Now, one presEDITORS Editors-in-Chief: Spencer Harris and Michael Shufro oakleaf-editor@santarosa.edu A&E Editor: Isabel Johnson Features Editor: Michael Shufro Multi-Media Editor: Noah Diamond News Editor: David Anderson Opinion Editor: Isabel Johnson Sports Editor: Spencer Harris Social Media Editor: Keshia Knight Copy Editor: Isabel Johnson Photo Editor: Mischa Lopiano Layout Editor: Brutus Gruey Web Editor: Quinn Conklin Advertising Manager: Brutus Gruey oakleaf-ads@santaro1sa.edu

ident later, those protests seem to be nothing more than a faint memory. Why did the protests fail? They certainly didn’t lack numbers of people; numerous polls indicated that more Americans opposed the war after the protest. People just got tired, the sun went down and many realized they had work or school the next day. Because people gave up on their fight, the world forgot. Everyone remembers something about the ‘60s, when civil rights and peace marches filled streets with banners and thousands of people. But was that what really stopped the war in Vietnam? Demonstrations helped, but there were many other factors. We were not winning for one, and our privates in the military started shooting their commanding officers instead of following orders. It got ugly, really ugly. Martin Luther King Jr. and a quarter of a million people peacefully marched on Wash-

CONTACT THE OAKLEAF Address: 645B Analy Village Santa Rosa Junior College 1501 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Newsroom: (707) 527-4401 Editor Line: (707) 527-4401 Adviser, Anne Belden: (707) 527-4867 abelden@santarosa.edu STAFF WRITERS Alex Campbell, Domanique Crawford, Sean Dougherty, Ken Kutska, Grace Williamson, Chardé Wydermyer, Parris Mazer

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ington, but remember the nonviolent protestors of the 1968 Democratic Convention who were beaten with billy clubs and blasted with tear gas. Horrifying images of this brutality was televised and presented to people across America by the media. Regardless, the people kept up their fight and slowly through the ugly, harsh and exposed truth, things began to change. If Occupy Wall Street is to manifest into a revolution, or a become giant leap in a new direction for how America handles corporations, politics and wealth, the true challenge for Americans today falls on the commitment of the protesters. Through the struggle it can almost be guaranteed that violence, chaos and the ugly side of humanity will play a role. But shrugging shoulders and giving up will only turn a valiant effort for human rights into another memory left in the dust.

The SRJC

Oak

leaf

Newspaper

7 Isabel Johson Opinion Editor

SRJC hockey converts sports-hater to fan As I screamed insults at Sac State’s goalie and drank some more apple juice, I realized that for the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed watching a sport. I’ve tried baseball, football, soccer, tennis and even accidentally watched golf once. I just couldn’t understand how fans get so fired up over a game; how they crowd together and share that strange camaraderie that comes from placing their hope and even faith in a team. Sitting with a couple friends at a freezing ice rink, surrounded by boisterous hockey fans, I had an epiphany: those people with the painted faces and giant foam fingers may not be as crazy as I thought. Watching the SRJC Polar Bears on the ice was a revelation. At last I feel like I can understand the manic obsession with their teams that many people share. I watched JC guys slam hulking Sac State players up against the wall, 10 feet in front of me. It was amazing. Granted, there are plenty of rules I still don’t understand; my grasp of hockey is they skate around, hit each other and put the puck in the net. But it’s really easy to grasp those main points, and vastly more entertaining to watch than anything else I’ve seen. I’m pretty sure most students at SRJC are aware that we have a good athletics program. Our teams place well in conferences, our coaches are well respected and our home games are packed with fans. Their fields and training are paid for, their equipment is professionally cleaned after every game and their uniforms are replaced on a regular basis. Coaches are paid for their time and their games are well publicized on campus. The Polar Bears on the other hand are a club. This means they get no funding from SRJC. They have to pay for their own ice time at Snoopy’s Home Ice and their coaches volunteer their time. They raise their funds through ads and sponsorships. We have heard all about every other JC team to do well; we’ve barely heard anything on campus about the Polar Bears’ success. Last Friday the Polar Bears beat UC Davis, 15-3. Our team looked charmingly ghetto in their older-than-some-players jerseys, especially compared to Davis’ pristine logos. While I’m happy that our other teams are so good, I find their sports boring, so I think the JC needs to give some support to the hockey team. They’ve earned it by humiliating plenty of opposing teams on the ice and providing us prime opportunities for heckling. I’m a hugely nerdy computer lover. I hate going to crowded places and prefer staying home with my video games to almost any evening entertainment. I’ve now been to three Polar Bear games in a row, and intend to see as many more as possible this season.

Correction The Oak Leaf incorrectly reported in the Sept. 27 issue that the Arts and Lecture committee voted to approve a speaking engagement with Ward Connerly on Feb. 6. The committee actually voted to move a proposal to have Connerly debate a Mills College professor forward for final consideration at its Oct. 13 meeting.

SPORTS

October 10, 2011

The Lady Bear Cubs dominate Mustangs Alex Campbell Staff Writer The SRJC women’s soccer team won its second straight Big 8 Conference match, shutting down the San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs 2-nil on Oct. 4. The Lady Bear Cubs began the season by winning five consecutive games, but lost in their first conference game against Modesto 2-nil on Sept. 23. The first half against the Mustangs highlighted the Lady Bear Cubs’ strong defense, which held the Mustangs to limited chances. With 15 minutes left in the first half, the Lady Bear Cubs scored their first goal when a wide-open Cara Curtin received a crossing pass and scored easily. “I was getting away from the defender,” Curtin said. “Then I just got

wide open and then she saw me and passed and I scored.” The Mustangs’ goalie weathered several of the Lady Bear Cubs’ shots on goal throughout the first half, although at the half the score remained 1-nil. Nine minutes into a rainy second half the Lady Bear Cubs scored the final goal of the game sealing the victory 2-nil. The team remains undefeated at home with a conference record of 2-1-1 and an overall record of 7-1-1. “We always take one game at a time and in our pre-game we really focus, and I think we’re ready, especially at home,” said injured midfielder Arianna Gurrola. “We don’t let anybody push us around at home.” The next home game will be at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 against the Sacramento City College Panthers.

Mischa Lopiano/Oak Leaf

Bear Cubs wrestling looks to freshmen for confidence to provide momentum throughout the season.

SRJC hosts state champs Parris Mazer

Upcoming SRJC home games Oct. 14 Oct. 14

6:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 15

10 a.m.

Oct. 19

3:30 p.m.

Oct. 19

5 p.m.

Volleyball Sac City Cross Country Pat Ryan Invitational (Spring Lake) Wrestling NorCal Duels Tournament (Haehl Pavilion) Men’s Water Polo American River Women’s Water Polo Amercian River

Staff Writer The SRJC wrestling team is looking to make new strides this season, as SRJC will host the state championship at the end of the year. The team hopes to better its 8-2 record, which earned the Bear Cubs second in conference and 15th in state last season. The entire lineup is new, aside from team captain and All-American Coin Hart. Unfortunately,

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Hart has been out of action with a sprained knee and unable to compete this season, but the squad remains hopeful that Hart will be back for the NorCal Duels held at SRJC. With many new freshmen and no stand out stars on the team, head coach Jake Fitzpatrick described the squad as a “blue collar team.” Each with a credible high school background. However, the team made history without Hart at the recent Sacramento City College tournament. The Bear Cubs finished third in the

tournament and freshman Merk Robbins from Hoopa set a new state record. Robbins achieved five pins, winning five matches in 10 minutes 55 seconds, breaking the previous record of four pins that dated back to 1973. The next major tournament is the NorCal Duels Championships on Oct. 15. The winner will face the winner of the SoCal Duels Championships on Nov. 7. The Bear Cubs will host the Individual State Championships on Dec. 9-10 this year and expect to be contenders.

Volleyball team on huge winning streak Chardé Wydermyer Staff Writer The SRJC volleyball team has won nine consecutive matches with its latest victory against the Diablo Valley College Vikings Oct. 5, improving the overall record to 14-1. The Lady Bear Cubs began the season with a five-game winning streak, but suffered their only loss against Cabrillo College. In 2008, SRJC made school history by finishing strong and claiming second place in the Big 8 Conference with an overall record of 35-2, along with finishing undefeated in conference at 14-0. This year the Lady Bear Cubs have a similar start in the Big 8 Conference with a record of 3-0. Sophomore Taylor Nelson is a returning outside hitter who as a freshman had a total of 351 kills and 891 attempts, which led the team. Sam Siebert is a returning sophomore setter who achieved 51 aces last year. Key freshmen include Olivia Urban, an outside hitter, Kristyn Casalino a middle blocker and Colleen

Noonan a libero. These freshmen must learn strategies from returning players as well as add their own tactics. Head coach Kelly Woods is dedicated to making winners out of each and every one of her players. Woods has a good mixture with a young team ready to learn and a staff of experienced assistant coaches who each play a significant role in keeping the players in shape.

Michelle Thach/Contributing Photographer

Outside hitter Laura Young attempts a spike.