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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: los angeles valley college’s
ALLEY
ST R
the independent student newspaper
lavalleystar.com
April 6, 2011
As budget cuts limit classes, students should take education seriously.
Reality television is running wild, offering an unrealistic look at controversial issues.
The Monarch baseball team faced off against the Bakersfield Renegades Tuesday.
SEE OPINION PAGE 3
SEE VALLEY LIFE PAGE 4
SEE SPORTS PAGE 6
Volume 74 Issue 7
california’s balancing act Legislators’ proposed cuts have California balancing its budget on the backs of students.
The Valley College community, already reeling from ongoing budget cuts, will face even deeper cuts as Gov. Jerry Brown recently abandoned his efforts to reach a bipartisan budget agreement. Negotiations stalled last week after Brown failed to secure four republican votes needed to bring his proposed temporary tax increase extension to California voters with a special June election. The extension would have continued the temporary increase in income, sales and vehicle taxes, originally passed in 2009, for an additional five years. California community colleges, originally dreading a $400 million (5 percent) decrease now face cuts as deep as 10-15 percent. “Without a June special election on Gov. Brown’s tax extension proposal, the chance of an all-cuts budget is highly likely,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott. “An $800 million reduction would be unprecedented and an absolute tragedy for our students, faculty and staff, as well as a deep blow for our economy.” Funding cuts mean fewer classes, higher tuition fees and according to Scott, an unprecedented 400,000 students could be denied access to a California community college education. “A 15 percent cut is so scary … we don’t even want to go there,” said Valley President Sue Carleo. “Fifteen percent would be absolutely huge. I don’t know how we would do it.” Since January, Valley has officially canceled approximately 200 classes. Upcoming summer courses, once offered over two consecutive sessions, have been reduced to a handful of special year-round and self-sustainable programs. The fate of winter session is unknown. “Don’t count on getting
something in summer or winter,” Carleo said. “We’ll do the best we can because we monitor [the budget situation] closely, yet there are certain points where we have to make decisions.” To help survive the budget crisis, Valley has implemented a hiring freeze and will reduce student workers and tutoring programs. Bond-funded construction is producing energy-eff icient buildings to reduce future energy costs, while a cap on photocopies and the campus-wide use of e-mail has reduced postage and paper costs. Fall and Spring 2012 are estimated to be at least 10 percent smaller than this year’s already reduced schedule. “We are looking at ways to do more with less,” said Carleo. “We’re going through everything with a fine-tooth comb. Hopefully we won’t get to a layoff of employees.” Many Valley students looking to other community college campuses find similar challenges. “Pierce’s summer schedule came out and it’s the leanest I have ever seen it,” said Valley student Nicole Plank. “They always have fewer cuts than Valley. Doesn’t make me very hopeful.” On Thursday, nearly 100 Valley students held a “die-in” on campus to protest budget cuts and fee increases. Students lay lifeless amid handmade tombstones declaring the death of education and opportunity. “They’re cutting classes, they’re cutting everything, and raising the prices. It’s impossible,” Valley student Christina Brickhouse told KNBC’s Conan Nolan. Carleo said the current economic challenges facing education are the worst she has seen throughout her career. “It’s very sad,” she said. “We’re here to provide education for our students … it’s the reason we’re here. We’re being downsized. In the private sector, when companies are downsized, sometimes they go out of business. I don’t think we’re going to go out of business – I can’t believe that would ever happen, but our ability to provide what we’ve provided in the past is being whittled away.”
important information: The next issue of Valley Star will be available May 4.
DISASTER PREP ON CAMPUS
Lot A will remain closed through summer. Students are reminded to observe lot regulations to avoid costly citations. online exclusive:
Students disagree on the amount of information shared with the campus community.
stephanie colman news editor
Valley Star reviews Quentin Dupieux’s “Rubber,” a killer tire with psychic powers. Also available online @ www.lavalleystar.com
lavalleystar.com
rachel ferreira staff writer
In the wake of the natural disasters that struck Japan, many California residents are reevaluating their level of emergency preparedness. At Valley College, where many students spend a large portion of their week and are thereby completely reliant on the planning of the school, the need for an efficient crisis communication system becomes all the more important. In the event of an emergency at Valley, students need to look to the designated marshal of the building |See DISASTER, Page 2
scott mitchell | special to Valley Star
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS - Valley pole vaulter Kyle Ballew set a new personal best and broke Valley’s record with a vault of 5.15 meters at Friday’s meet.
|See SPORTS, Page 6|
chalk art festival brings splash of color to the valley campus Students showcase their creative talents during Valley’s first ever Chalk Art Festival. courtney bassler staff writer
To many students on campus the pavement can seem dull, but on Tuesday, the pavement became a canvas for students who participated in Valley College’s first Chalk Art Festival. The event was planned by Tamara Harutyunyan, ASU’s commissioner of Fine Arts, as an outlet to unite artists on campus and encourage students to take VARUGHAN CHAPANIAN | Valley Star an art class. ARTISTIC EXPRESSION - More than 25 students used chalk and soft pastels to beautify a section of campus with art. “I grew up in Armenia and This was the first Chalk Art of nature and has an obvious tie-in every year in the capital city, they goes and participates,” Harutyunyan said. “It’s one of the best memories of Festival at Valley, but chalk art to the theme. do this huge Chalk Art Festival festivals are not uncommon to the “This is a chance to draw on where the entire community my childhood.” Los Angeles area. The City of the sidewalk,” said Payes “you just Pasadena holds a chalk art festival normally can’t go over and draw on every year. the sidewalks without getting funny The festival inspired students to looks.” get involved on campus. Undecided On top of the festival being an major, John Alvarez saw people event to celebrate artists on campus, using the chalk as he walked by and there was also a contest. The judges wanted to find out what the contest were members of the Art Department was about. He asked Harutunyan faculty and picked the top three if he could participate. Alvarez artists that will be determined started drawing and came up with a this week. Students can email person and incorporated the theme Harutyunyan at missharutyunyan@ of nature to it. gmail.com to find out the results or “I got motivated when I saw wait until they are posted. the art,” said Alvarez. “I never saw Harutyunyan, the ASU, and the my final project coming. I tried to Art Department have also planned a bring as much elements as I could. Recycled Art Contest for Monday, The ribbon on the body to represent April 11. fire, the torso and shoulders for “We are a campus that really vegetation, the hat for rocks and the takes the issue of recycling seriously swords for lighting.” and since Earth Day was near, we The theme for the festival decided to give students another was nature, with students’ artwork opportunity to show us their depicting their own interpretation of creativity and imagination, but the theme. ASU provided chalk and this time with recycled or reused soft pastels for students to use. materials,” said Harutyunyan. “This Art major Maria Payes was is a great thing that brings awareness jennifer morgan | Valley Star excited to depict her dog Zoey, and pushes the students to think WOMAN’S BEST FRIEND - Art major Maria Payes works on a chalk art which to her, is a beautiful product outside of the box.” drawing of her dog during Valley’s first ever Chalk Art Festival Tuesday.
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