WHAT A RACQUETGarcia’s game gets hot PAGE 16

OPEN SEASON ON JOBSTips for your employment hunt PAGE 6

Online weekly at www.sdcitytimes.com

Take Note ......................... 2Life .................................. 6Arts ................................. 9Voice .............................. 11Sports ............................ 16

CITY TIMESCITY TIMES

April 5, 2011Volume 65, Number 12Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945

UCSD tightens transfer rules

By Gabriel SpatuzziCity Times

The Transfer Acceptance Guarantee program, better known as TAG, has long been the only way for a community college student to be guar-anteed admission into the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

But in the face of shrink-ing budgets and a growing pool of applicants, UCSD has raised its requirements for TAG candidates.

Starting fall 2012, UCSD is raising the minimum GPA required to qualify for TAG from 3.0 to 3.5.

At a meeting of the City College Academic Senate, Peter White, vice president of student services, insisted that UCSD’s decision was “completely driven by enroll-ment management needs” and not designed to boost the school’s rankings in any way.

Some students think that the new GPA requirement is unrealistic.

“If the TAG agreement had been 3.5 when I signed up, it would’ve been discour-aging,” said Freddy Lopez, who was recently accepted to UCSD through the TAG pro-gram with a GPA around 3.2.

Lopez said his grades suf-fered in his first year at com-munity college as he was still figuring out what he wanted to do. No matter how well he performed from then on, his earlier grades had set him back too far to attain a 3.5 GPA.

“When I moved to San Diego and started to really focus on school, I had to almost get straight A’s just to bring my GPA up to 3.2,” Lopez explained.

Questions were also raised about the fate of stu-dents who fall just below the 3.5 mark and those who may have signed up for TAG before finding out about the new GPA requirement.

“It’s not a solid line,” Academic Senate Treasurer Cathi Lopez said. “UCSD has made it very clear that they will be willing to work with us, though I can’t say what that

By Ernesto LopezCity Times

In the battle for edu-cation, students continue to face huge setbacks statewide as legistators delivered another blow to school budgets.

San Diego Community College District Chan-cellor Constance Car-roll shared the statistics at a budget meeting on campus March 29.

“The California Com-munity College system faces a loss of $400 mil-lion in funding with a chance of doubling,” Car-roll explained. “If the leg-islature does not agree to place a tax extension pro-posal on the June ballot, the district may lose close to $17 million.”

At that same meeting, Carroll also announced

that the cost per unit is set to increase to $36 from $26 starting the fall semester. She alluded that the extra charge would partially help in the grand scheme of things.

On March 30, the day after the budget meeting, state legislators chose not to approve the tax exten-sion proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown to reduce cuts to education in California.

In reaction to the leg-islators’ decision, Carroll held a conference call with

reporters. She announced that the district — which also includes Mesa Col-lege and Miramar Col-lege — is planning to drop 2,000 classes out of about 14,000 offered this year, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

She added that the district will be forced to turn away at least 27,000 students, up from 20,000 during the current aca-demic year.

District leaderdelivers bad news

Thousands to be denied

City College students march across campus on March 31 in protest of cuts to higher education. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Students step out in protest of cutsBy Ernesto LopezCity Times

“We’re not going to take this sh** anymore. If you care about your future, we gotta unite. Together we’ll take over this mother-f***ing system.”

These words, shouted into a microphone by Karim Assaf, a member of Educa-tion for All, carried through-out the crowd gathered at Gorton Quad on March 31.

Minutes before, at 11:30 a.m., hundreds of students walked out of their classes to join Assaf, fac-ulty, staff and other support-ers. United, they showed their disapproval and anger at the recent announcement that thousands of classes will be cut next school year and that summer school could be cut completely.

City College Public Information Officer Heidi Bunkowske, who was at the

protest, said cuts to education are a “frustrating experience because of state legislators’ misplaced priorities.”

She added that students need to understand that cut-ting classes is not the dis-trict’s decision; every action is in reaction to the budget allocated by the state.

“The college is with the students,” Bunkowske said. “We don’t want to cut classes. Administration is trying to do everything possible to hold on to as much as possible.”

Sociology professor

Chancellor Constance Carroll discusses budget issues on March 29. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

TAG program to raise GPA minimum to 3.5

See District, page 14 See Protest, page 14

“The college is with the students. We don’t want to cut classes.”-Heidi Bunkowske,

City College PR officer

See UCSD, page 14

n More Walk out photosPage 5

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 20112

Take noTe

Compiled by Shane FinneranGet your event in the paper. E-mail us at

citytimes@gmail.com or call 619-388-3880

n April. 8, FridayDeadline for submissions to the League For Innovation Student Literary Competi-tion. Submit poems, short-stories, one-act plays, and personal essays to Karen Lim at klim@sdccd.edu.

n April. 13, Wednesday City College annual Career Fair takes place in Gorton Quad and the cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

n April. 14, Thursday Peace Studies, Interna-tional Relations Group, BEAT Club and Student Veterans for Peace present Ray McGovern and others speaking on the informa-tion war being waged

against whistleblowers. Room D-121, 1 p.m.

n April. 15, FridayDeadline for submissions to the seventh annual Stu-dent Project & Research Symposium. Contact the organizing committee with any questions at 619-388-3156.

n April. 17, Sunday Hands Across California at 2 p.m. to raise awareness and funds for the state’s community colleges. Con-tact Marya Edgar with questions at medgar@sdccd.edu.

n April. 18 to 23 Spring Break.

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By Ricky SolteroCity Times

Former business prod-igy and ex-convict Barry Minkow has plead guilty to conspiracy to commit securi-ties fraud.

According to a Miami Department of Justice press release, Minkow admitted that he abused his relation-ship with federal law enforce-ment agencies to report false allegations of criminal con-duct purportedly committed by homebuilder giant Lennar Corp. and its management.

Minkow, who already had served time in prison for commiting an estimated $1 billion in fraud and for money laundering, now faces up to five years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines for attempt-ing to manipulate Lennar’s stock price.

Minkow spoke to City College students on Feb. 4

during a presentation promot-ing the League of Innovation’s writing competition “Educa-tion, Not Incarceration.” He told students about his Fraud Discovery Institute, a for-profit fraud investigation firm based in California, which he had founded after his prison stint.

Allegedly, Minkow used the Institute to release false statements about Lennar.

Authorities believe Minkow used the Internet, press releases, e-mail com-munications and the U.S. mail to broadcast false and misleading statements about Lennar with the intent of arti-ficially depressing Lennar’s stock price.

Minkow and his employer had “shorted” the stock, meaning they were in a posi-tion to make money when the stock’s price went down.

Minkow’s sentencing hearing is slated for June 16.

Ex-con Minkow in trouble again

San Diego Community College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) won the Western Regional SIFE com-petition against 27 other col-leges in Orange, Calif. on March 30.

City College’s Students in Free Enterprise chapter is currently fundraising in order to compete at the SIFE USA National Exposition in Min-neapolis this May.

The City College Students in Free Enterprise team needs to raise over $20,000 to

afford travel costs and other expenses of the exposition.

Students in Free Enter-prise will have the opportu-nity to represent the United States in the SIFE World Cup competition in Kuala Lumpur if they win the National Expo-sition.

The Students in Free Enterprise Business Resource Center is located at T-311 and can be reached by phone at 619-388-3892.

—Megan Rose Bartell

Barry Minkow, a former business prodigy who once again faces legal issues, signing a book at the Saville Theatre on Feb. 4. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Fraudster spoke to students at City College Feb. 4 about honesty in business

City College student Paola Martinez, left, and Chicano Studies professor Enrique Dávalos, center, present a letter to Consul Fernando Vargas Briones at the Mexican embassy in downtown San Diego on March 22. “We have seen time and time again that government officials fail to protect women in our society, and what we want is accountability,” Martinez said. The letter, from the City College chapter of Amnesty International, demands justice for more than two dozen women allegedly raped by police officers in the municipality of San Salvador Atenco in 2006. Sandra Galindo, City Times

AT EMBASSY, CAMPUS GROUP DEMANDS JUSTICE

SIFE victorious

newsApril 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com

3

Historic women acknowledged

Campus Police moving to new HQTransfer has been delayed due to “radio dead zone” in V building

By Ryan JohnsonCity Times

While students and faculty are resting and relaxing over the upcom-ing spring break later this month, San Diego City College Campus Police will be on the move — lit-erally.

After several months of delay, Campus Police will finally move to their new home in the recently

opened Career Technology Center, or V building, at the corner of 16th Street and C Street.

The move is scheduled over break to avoid disruption to service deliveries at City College.

The two-floor office, located on the south side of the V building, had remained vacant since the start of the fall semester because of a “radio dead zone” on the lower, or basement, level of the building.

Though the dead zone only affected “a small area in the basement,” according to campus project manager Thomas Fine, “police tested the radio transmission and deter-mined that it needed a boost.”

Last fall, Fine stated that

he expected the work at the station to be completed in time for police to move at the end of the fall 2010 semester. However, as Lt. Jack Doherty of Campus Police explained, the “radio construction con-tract had to go through a public bid process, which is time-consuming.”

Doherty explained that this academic year, City Col-lege’s resources, like Campus Police, have been stretched considerably due to the increasing challenges of oper-ating a public community col-lege in a highly urban area.

Doherty added that campus police are doing more than ever to keep the learning environment safe for everyone.

For instance, starting this

semester, police added two new members to the Col-lege Police Bike Team. The new members, along with a seasoned bike team officer, are now working Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., when classes are in session.

Since the new police sub-station is located at a fur-ther point from the center of campus than the current location in the T building, Lt. Doherty said his department compensated by creating “overlapping shifts so one or more officers would always be in the field.”

According to Doherty, Campus Police will also be adding laptops to cars so officers can write reports without returning to the sta-

tion. They are also working with “campus administration to create a small police pres-ence in the cafeteria to make it easier for students to talk with an officer,” Doherty said.

Students can keep 619-388-6405, the Campus Police number, programmed in their cell phones and are asked to be proactive when seeing sus-picious activity.

“City College occupies … 20 city blocks,” said Lt. Doherty. “To be most effec-tive … police need extra eyes and ears.”

After the move is com-pleted during spring break, the campus community will be able to meet Doherty and the rest of the Campus Police during an open house where tours will be given.

By Sonjiala HotchkissCity Times

The Students for Inter-national Awareness pre-sented mini-lectures under the umbrella title “Influential Women in the World” in honor of Women’s History Month. The recently-formed campus club held its first event in a corner classroom in the C building March 29.

Eric Henson opened the event with a spoken word per-formance of a poem he wrote in tribute to fellow student Diana Gonzalez, who was murdered on campus last year. The pre-sentations that followed focused on how women have dealt with conflict and adversity.

Students Brooke Heller and Liam Ferrer gave a presentation on Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, inter-spersing their commentary with brief video clips about the leader and her country.

Johnson-Sirleaf became the first female elected head of state in Africa when the people of

Liberia chose her as their presi-dent in 2006.

“(Johnson-Sirleaf) broad-ened the definition of rape and increased the penalties,” Ferrer said.

The student presenters high-lighted the fact that the women featured were young, some-times not yet in their 20s, when they took up active participation in the struggle for democracy and free expression.

Ariana Maraes showed a pic-ture of an achingly young Dilma Rousseff as she spoke of Rous-seff’s decision to take up arms in the late 1960s in opposition to the military-controlled regime in Brazil.

Dilma Rousseff became the first female president of Brazil in 2010.

Maraes said the membership of Students for International Awareness was very diverse and that she had joined the club because she enjoyed learning about other cultures.

David Curtis presents at the Students for International Awareness seminar March 29. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

See Women, page 14

Jose Rodriguez speaks out for workers’ rights at the Cesar Chavez march held on campus March 31. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

By Cecilia AretaCity Times

In a reincarnation of Cesar Chavez’s words, “Si se puede (yes we can),” Associated Student member Jose Rodriguez took it a step further and declared, “Si se pudo (yes we did).”

Rodriguez spoke these words March 31 to a crowd of protesters organized in front of City College on the fourth annual Cesar Chavez Day march.

“It’s our first year starting the march at City College,” said Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary Treasurer and CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council.

“It just seemed like the perfect spot because we want to highlight how budget cuts are being made in places that need funding the most,” Gonzalez continued. “Our public edu-

cation is being gravely affected by the budget cuts, which the people didn’t have the chance to vote against.”

Hundreds of union workers, students and supporters marched to preserve Cesar Chavez’s legacy of coming together as one to keep the brotherhood and sisterhood between workers alive.

Chanting “What do we want? Jus-tice! When do we want it? Now!” the marchers progressed all over down-town. They stopped at 10 major spots where they said anti-union compa-nies were located.

Protesters left Post-it notes on the buildings of Bank of America and Wells Fargo to remind them of the billions of dollars they owe for the Wall-Street-fueled foreclosure crisis.

At the Civic Center, an enormous sheet of blank paper was set to sign a petition for the San Diego City Coun-cil to pass a resolution for the right of

workers to organize. In front of the County Administra-

tion Center, signatures on a banner were posted by protesters in support of union members who are employed with San Diego County and are nego-tiating a new contract.

Protesters paraded through the Harbor House restaurant to show their anger toward businesses who support companies who took away workers’ rights to collectively bargain.

The march concluded with per-haps the most dramatic demonstra-tion, a “funeral” procession for the middle class, symbolizing its death. Protesters maintain that future attacks on union workers will elimi-nate the middle class.

“History is on our side and social change is here and will not be reversed,” Rodriguez said. “We march for a more just California budget system.”

March honoring Chavez launches from campus

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 20114

News

By Sonjiala HotchkissCity Times

“GULF,” a film about Hur-ricane Katrina, showed the roadside trash heaps that form when the lives of a com-munity are forcibly intermin-gled by natural disaster.

The short documentary, filmed in Pascagoula, Miss., aired in split-screen with images of a serene beach jux-taposed with slowly panning video of gutted houses and battered buildings.

“I was shell-shocked by it,” biology major Roriscilla Wright said. The image in the film that stood out to her was that of a house with all the sec-ond-story windows intact and a completely ravaged lower story down below, she said.

World Cultures sponsored the screening of “GULF” on March 24, a mere two weeks after an earthquake and resulting tsunami dev-astated Japan. Following the screening, nascent filmmak-ers Anna O’Cain and Richard Keely spoke with students and faculty about the film and about dealing with natu-ral disasters.

“We were living in tents, and we were tearing out walls

and pulling out carpets and hauling mud away,” Keely said. “We didn’t anticipate making this film. We’re just artists and we travel with cameras.”

O’Cain and Keely had traveled to Pascagoula just five days after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast town in 2005. O’Cain, a Pascagoula native, had “acci-dentally raised $6,000” to help the people in her home-town due to the outpouring of support from her Calif. community.

“Everyone got one of the three: gutted, flooded or slabbed,” Keely said. He explained that “slabbed” meant that the house had been blown away so that nothing but the foundation was left. If you were slabbed, there was a better chance of insurance paying for it, he said. Insurance did not pay for flood damage.

Accounting major Evie Cajayon said she sympa-thized with people who were left with nothing after putting their heart and money into building a home and a life.

O’Cain said Gulf Coast residents relied on their car batteries to charge their cell phones during the wide-spread power outages follow-ing Hurricane Katrina. They used their limited phone power to relay short mes-sages that others outside the

disaster area could pass on to friends and family.

Cajayon added that she hadn’t thought about the necessity of carrying around a cell phone car charger before attending the event.

English professor Eliza-beth Meehan waited outside to talk with students from her class as they exited the screening. Meehan had encouraged her students to think critically about the images in the film. She said that she wanted her students to take note of the arguments the artists were making about Hurricane Katrina and its impact.

Hector Sarabia, one of Meehan’s students, opined, “I liked how the images of the beach were right next to the aftermath. I thought the government could have done something.”

O’Cain’s sister lost her home and business during the storm, and she spent some time in the temporary housing provided by FEMA. O’Cain arrived ready to assist her in any manner required.

Many lines had formed around the camps set up by government groups and aid organizations that were pro-viding emergency assistance.

“So I just stood in line with her for the first three days. I stood in line and I listened to these people’s stories,” O’Cain said.

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Directors Anna O’Cain and Richard Keely answer audience questions after the screening of “GULF” March 24 on campus. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Filmmakers show reality ofdevastation

‘GULF’ highlights Katrina disaster

April 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com5

News

Making their voices heard“Stop the cuts! We want an education!” chanted students who walked out of classes on March 31 to protest decreases in education funding.

“Contact our legislators,” said Heidi Bun-kowske, City College Public Information Officer. “Tell them your stories. It’s the momentum that counts.”

Top left: Criminal Justice student Daysi Baeza marches in the March 31 walk-out. Top right: Poetic LIP Movement member Freddy Lopez raps at walk-out event. Bottom left: Socialist Club member Marco Perez leads walk-out participants in chants as they make their way through the school. Bottom right: Students participate in the walk-out, making their way through the campus on March 31. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

By Cecilia AretaCity Times

Most applicants do not realize the importance of cover letters. Having one at hand can make you a more competitive job seeker.

Writing one is not as dif-ficult as it seems. It is an opportunity for potential candidates to speak directly to the hiring manager. The hardest part is cutting out unnecessary details while still having your personality shine through.

Counselor Perla Vizcarra conducted a Cover Letter Workshop on March 21 at City College. One of the most important points she said to keep in mind is the tone of the cover letter.

“It is important to do your research on the culture of the place you’re applying to … it should reflect the style of your targeted organiza-tion.”

For example, if you are applying to a place that is a little more modern and casual, then you should not write your cover letter in a formal tone.

The length of a cover letter should never exceed a page. If it does, then it is get-ting a bit lengthy. The point is to “give a little taste of who you are and to entice the reader to keep looking,” said Vizcarra.

There will be a handful of applicants applying for the same position, so with the short amount of time spent scanning through each candidate’s paper, one must offer an attention grabber to hook the hirer.

There are many formats to cover letters. The most commonly used are the blocked and the indented format. Vizcarra prefers the “format where the text is all flushed to the left.”

With new templates found on Microsoft Word and other programs, there are numerous cover letter page designs available.

The important element to

remember is to not make the page too busy. If the inter-viewer is looking at your cover letter, you do not want them to have to use an index to find your information. It is essential to keep your letter clean-cut but still attractive.

When all is complete and your cover letter is sent, follow up with a courtesy phone call to show your potential employers that you are sincerely interested in the position.

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 20116

LifeCareer Awareness Month

Preparing for success

By Shane FinneranCity Times

Facebook is a wonderful thing. But careless use of Facebook could make your life dif-ficult, particularly in the career-hunting department.

Joe D’Ambro and Adriana Rivas-Sandoval, two student services assistants in City Col-lege’s Transfer/Career Center, recently discussed the perils of posting on Facebook.

Specifically, D’Ambro and Rivas-Sandoval reviewed a half-dozen real-world Facebook entries provided by a reporter. The career services staffers assumed the perspective of a potential employer perusing postings on a job applicant’s Facebook “wall.”

Joe: “I don’t think that’s necessarily too bad …”Adriana: “As an employer, I want the person coming to the workplace to be excited about

coming to work on Monday.”Joe: “I’m indifferent. It depends on how (the person) came in for an interview.”

Adriana: “It’s probably early in the morning and (the person) is looking to get the day started.”

Joe: “If (the person) was up early in the morning, that’s a good indication, too.”

Joe: “1:50 in the p.m. … depends on what day of the week it was.”Adriana: “I concur. Maybe (the person) is playing hooky? That wouldn’t be the best thing.”

Joe: “This was a Sunday? I probably wouldn't have a problem with that. It’s somebody's birthday …”

Adriana: “I definitely wouldn’t want my prospective employer knowing I’m hung over.”Joe: “At some point, age comes into play. You look at it differently … I don’t think it would

look good, either way.”

Joe: “Honestly, I’d probably look at other posts … is it always miserable? Is (the person) just a miserable person?”

Adriana: “You’re putting yourself out there. At first glance, reading it without context, I would give it a thumbs-down.”

Adriana: “So when I hire you, are you going to have 10?”Joe: “Don’t you have something else to talk about? … Tats and jobs are kind of like oil

and water.”

D’Ambro and Rivas-Sandoval also reviewed a Facebook posting, not shown here, consist-ing of three photos of a person in a City College t-shirt using an apple as a pipe to smoke marijuana.

Joe: “You want to be treated a certain way, you act a certain way.”Adriana: “People forget: this stuff is illegal. As (a potential) employee, the whole concept

of what’s right and wrong - totally out the window.”Joe: “If you’re not going to do it in front of your parents, why post it on Facebook? As hard

as it is to get a job, things like this make it that much harder.”Adriana: “People don’t understand: this is creating an image for themselves.”Joe: “They will be prejudged, and in a negative light.”

How employers view your Facebook posts

April is Career Awareness Month. Rick Ngoc Ho, MCT Campus

The core of your letter should consist of three parts: an introductory paragraph, a body and a conclusion.

Introductory paragraph:• Mention only what is relevant• Mention the reason why you are writing• Write how you learned about the position and what

got you interested in applying• Refer to your current employment and your duties• Answer the question: Why do you want to work for

this company?

Body:• Include items in your background which meet

employers’ needs• Refer to qualifications you have that make you an out-

standing candidate

Conclusion:• A summary of the most important information: The

reasons for writing, what you will provide to the com-pany, your contact info, and a thank-you for their time

• Be assertive without being too pushy

Cover letter tips

Importance of submitting a cover letter

More onlinewww.sdcitytimes.com

By Alec FernandesCity Times

Spring break’s coming up, and going to Mexico isn’t the safest idea right now. You could go somewhere else, but why leave America’s Finest City when it has so much to offer?

Even the most experi-enced locals haven’t done everything there is to do in this great town. Here’s a list of five things to check out over spring break that will make your stay-cation worth-while.

Fresh Air Films at UCSD The east lawn of UC

San Diego’s Price Center is showing “Moon” on the night of April 20. This sci-fi thriller, directed by David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones, is part of UCSD’s “Fresh Air Films” series and explores a man’s isolation on the moon while he mines its most valu-able resource, Helium-3. The show starts at 8 p.m. and is free of charge.

Ocean Beach Farmers Market on Wednesdays

This beachside com-munity event sells organic produce, arts and crafts and

April 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com7

Life

This low-fat, vegan break-fast bar is great for a person on the go. These breakfast bars are perfect for a quick, well-balanced meal that can be pre-pared in less than 40 minutes and then be eaten every morn-ing, or all day as they are at my house.

These wonderful bars are a great substitute for cereal or pastries and are great option for any health-conscious person to have for breakfast or just as a good, tasty snack.

Serves: 8Calories per serving: 1532 cups of quick-cooking rolled

oats (not instant)3 large bananas½ cup of raisins½ cup of dried cherries½ cup of chopped walnuts

(optional)Begin by pre-heating the

oven to 350 degrees, then mash up all three bananas,

combine with the other ingre-dients and mix well.

Put mixture in a non-greased 9-inch-by-9-inch oven-safe pan. Cook for 30 minutes. Allow the bars to cool. Store in refrigerator and enjoy.

Feel free to experiment with this meal. As long as it’s natural and healthy, put it in. Just be careful not to use too much liquid.

Recipe created by Christina McLean.

There’s nothing like the great outdoors to escape the hectic school and work load. Hiking is a great way to get some cardio in while getting in touch with nature, reloading your inner energy, discovering something new and enjoying the diverse San Diego terrain.

Here are three of my favorite hiking trails in San Diego County.

Cowles Mountain is a great place to get your glu-teus maximus in shape. Every step up the two-and-a-half-mile hike feels like climb-ing up two steps at once.

“All the other hikes I’ve been on in Southern Califor-nia have been more upward walks,” Sarah Simmons, a local hiker, said. “I like the climbing aspect of this trail.”

It is a moderate to advanced hike up to the highest point in the City of San Diego, where you’ll find a 360-degree panoramic view of San Diego County. The trail can be crowded on weekends, but it’s more of a “community feel,” said Jakie Fisher, a Southern Califor-

nian hiker. Cowles Mountain is off

Navajo Road in the neighbor-hood of San Carlos. You’ll be sure to find parking on the northwest corner of Navajo and Golfcrest road.

The trail is dog-friendly and the hike has great reviews in the canine community. It can become hot on the trail, so make sure you wear light clothing, bring plenty of water and wear sunscreen,

especially if you decide to hike during the spring and summer months.

For more information about other hikes around the area, visit the Mission Trails Regional Park web-

site at www.mtrp.org.The Bayside Trail is

located on the Point Loma peninsula at the Cabrillo National Park and is an easy

By Fernando YatesCity Times

Not many students would choose to have class on Fridays. Less still would choose to have class on Sat-urdays. The students that make up San Diego City Robotics choose to have class on Saturdays, and in class they build a robot.

San Diego City Robot-ics is linked to Engineering 50 in the catalog and has the goal of designing and building a functioning auto-mated submarine

to compete in the Navy’s international Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Compe-tition. Since 2007, the class has done just that.

Engineering 50 is broken up in to three sections: A, B, and C. Each section cor-responds to a semester and a part of the design process. A is held in the fall and is design. B is in the spring and consist of assembly and testing. Finally, C is held in the summer and makes up the final assembly and com-petition. However, to call Engineering 50 a class is not the most accurate descrip-tion. It is more of a lab than a traditional classroom envi-ronment.

“It allows stu-dents to be part of a real engi-neering team,” said Robert

Pruitt, advisor to the robot-ics team, regarding the course.

That mentality could be seen at robotics team meet-ing on a recent Saturday morning. Some members were busy testing circuits for the sonar system, others were testing the motor con-troller, and a few were dis-cussing fund-raising options.

For the robotics team, finding sponsors and rais-ing funds is an important objective. While City Col-lege does provide money for the entrance fee to the com-petition, not much is left for building a submarine. Qual-comm and Lockheed Martin

currently donate some compo-

nents, but some members still

purchase compo-

nents out of pocket.“I can get reimbursed

but I view it as a donation to the club,” said James Haak, the current project manager.

Sometimes a little cre-ativity is used to get parts, such as using pumps instead of traditional motors for pro-pulsion.

Even with a small budget the team does well, taking first place in the presenta-tion portion of the competi-tion last year. Several team members have also been offered jobs and scholar-ships to universities at the competition.

When asked how pos-sible cuts to summer school would affect the competi-tion, Pruitt said to his stu-dents, “I will meet with you guys. Whether they close summer school, we are going to pull this off.”

For more informa-tion about San Diego City Robotics visit www. sdcityrobotics.org.

Robotics Team enters Autonomous Underwater Vehicle CompetitionSan Diego City Robotics builds an automated submarine

See Trails, page 13

James Haak tests a motor control circuit for the Robotics Team’s submarine.

Fernando Yates, City Times

Banana-to-go bars

TASTE TESTScott McLean

City Times reporter Olivia Holt hikes Cowles Mountain on March 13. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Taking a breath of fresh airWhat to do in SD for break

Vegan Banana Energy Bar. Scott McLean, City Times

See Spring, page 14

TRAIL REVIEW

Olivia Holt

On any given corner of the San Diego metropolitan area, one can find an assault of restaurants that offer coma-inducing portions of surf and turf, or tormentingly sweet indulgences that leave some repenting upon the scale.

However, tucked away near the Hillcrest area at Fifth Avenue and Quince Street, one block west of Balboa Park, is Evolution, a guiltless, vegan drive-thru joint which serves up delicacies that San Diegans practicing even the most meat-centric diet can appreciate.

The phrase “Feel Good Fast Food” gets top billing on Evolution’s website, www.evolutionfastfood.com. The website says the cuisine is “100% plant-based and choles-terol-free” and describes the staff’s penchant for “fresh, local ingredients, making it their goal to provide their customers with a convenient, healthy and delicious vegan alternative to typical fast food.”

In an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, Evolu-tion also notes that most of its to-go containers are biode-gradable and the deep fryer oil is repurposed for their local bike delivery service.

It gets better: all extra food at the end of the day goes to Rachel’s Women’s Center, a homeless shelter Downtown. This is fast food with a heightened respect for all walks of life in San Diego.

Vegan eating can be daunt-ing and — let’s face facts —unappealing for those who are used to scarfing bacon with every meal including dessert.

Inside a walkway that leads to an outdoor eating area, Evolution provides its customers with a billboard listing an extensive glossary that defines everything from exotic-sounding, fake-out

“meats” like Textured Veg-etable Protein — ever wonder why Bac-o’s are considered vegan? — to different types of organic grains and flours.

I live in a divided house-hold. I am the vegetarian/on-again-off-again vegan, and my husband is the omnivore — albeit an adventurous one.

We stepped up to the open-air counter inside Evo-lution and gave our order to a dreadlocked gentleman. He was polite and patient as I stood drooling over a menu that for me held no restric-tions. We ordered a bacon cheeseburger, raw burger, buffalo chicken tenders, and a piece of their vanilla bean cheesecake.

The bacon cheeseburger was adorned with melted cashew cheese, lettuce, thick slices of tomato, red onion, pickles, Veganaise, mus-tard, and tempeh “bacon,” all sandwiched between a sprouted whole-grain wheat bun — a harmonious varia-tion on a classic theme. The burger patty itself was flavor-ful, but I was little more than impressed with the quality.

I had high hopes of a toothsome, hand-formed patty, but was instead greeted

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 20118

Life

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

Rachel Keown-Burke

See Evolution, page 14

This “six-dollar” bacon cheeseburger comes without a side of guilt. Rachel Keown-Burke, City Times

Evolution, a vegan eatery, at 2965 Fifth Ave., one block west of Balboa Park. Rachel Keown-Burke, City Times

Tofutti Cream Cheese makes this vanilla bean-flecked vegan cheesecake ultra-creamy. Rachel Keown-Burke, City Times

ArtsApril 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com

9

ELIZABETH TAYLOR, 1935-2011Laugh out loud, literally

Get your nooner on

Pee-wee is back, yes he is

Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) helped adults invoke their inner child on March 19. HBO Studios

“And now, on behalf of myself and our strict no-refund policy, we are pleased to present for your viewing pleasure ... The Pee-wee Herman show.”

And with Herman’s infamous words, we are magically transported to Puppetland via a scrim with dancing, silhouetted mari-onettes and a cutout of the Glen plaid-clad man-child himself.

A jumbled, albeit jaunty, children’s choir colors hopeful lyrics around the room, boasting, “Where do I go when I wanna go, when I wanna do what I want? Pee-wee’s playhouse, that’s the place for me.”

The red curtains draw to reveal the iconic playhouse set, recognizable to anyone who spent their Saturday mornings between 1986 and 1990 with their nose

to the television, laughing between spoonfuls of Mr. T cereal.

“The Pee-wee Herman Show” debuted at the Ste-phen Sondheim Theatre last year to a Broadway audience of pie-eyed adults looking to invoke their inner child.

In a November 2010 New York Times publication, the-atrical columnist Charles Isherwood commended the show on its authenticity, with the layout and whimsy of title-actor Paul Reubens’ original concept left “essen-tially unaltered.

TELEVISION REVIEW

Rachel Keown-Burke

By Ryan JohnsonCity Times

City College English profes-sor Farrell J. Foreman knows a little something about how laughter can shorten the meta-phorical divide that separates us as people.

Not only does Foreman use humor to instantly connect on a very “real” level in class, but he believes that humor can work to heal invisible divides between people caused by everyday events.

Foreman exclaims “Con-struction Madness!” when describing one of his motiva-tions for organizing the Spring Laugh Convention, a free-to-the-public comedy event to

be held April 7 in the Saville Theatre.

“With all that is going on on this campus, I think everybody needs a good laugh,” Foreman adds.

The Laugh Convention, a World Cultures event, is also sponsored by Foreman’s own Bear Arts Foundation, which he runs with his wife, Sandra.

Foreman and his wife both have Masters of Fine Arts degrees from UCSD and both serve on the board of the Bear Arts Organization.

The mission of this national cross-cultural arts service is to encourage, nurture, and strengthen the creation of new productions in the theatre by artists of color.

The event will feature stu-dents from his 101 classes performing 10-minute comedic plays as well as improv from a SDSU improv troupe and skits from UCSD students.

Foreman’s students will be tackling short-form comedic

plays with varied subject mat-ters. These range from the trials and tribulations of two homeless women to a person being caught up in an everlast-ing customer service phone queue.

Also featured is local play-wright Thelma Decastro’s “Center of Gravity,” which features students who flunk a yoga class.

Foreman, who has written nearly a dozen one and two-act plays himself, says that he “loves short-form plays” and is enthusiastic about showcas-ing the writing and comedic talents of his past and present students.

“We even have a student who is a professional boxer doing a pantomime piece called ‘Baggage,’” said Foreman, who described this particular per-formance as “all expression and movement, no words.”

The 2011 Spring Laugh Con-vention will be held April 7 at the Saville Theatre at 9:35 a.m.

Professor who loves laughter to host April 7 comedy event

Elizabeth Taylor, an Oscar-winning performer from Hollywood’s Golden Age, died of heart complications in Los Angeles on March 23. In addition to her acting, beauty, and glamour, Taylor was known for social activism, including support of AIDS awareness. Illustration by Michele Suthers, City Times

See Pee-wee, page 13

Sal Filipelli performs in Gorton Quad on March 30. Filipelli organized the Nooner Concert Series, which was sponsored by the Associated Student Government. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

By Rachel Keown-BurkeCity Times

On Wednesdays from 12 to 1 p.m. this semester, City College has been replete with rock ‘n’ roll, blues, and indie beats.

Musicians from all over California have taken the mic at Gorton Quad for the Con-cert Series, sponsored by the Associated Student Govern-ment (AS).

March 30, the students were treated with the warm vocals of Nooner series orga-nizer Sal Filipelli, a member of AS, who says his style is a mix of all three.

Filipelli stood solo behind his custom black-and-pearl

Fender Straocaster, having just finished a smoky cover of The Beatles ballad “Some-thing.”

After ten years of travel-ing around the world playing music, funding his tours with the money he made as a piano tuner, Filipelli found a home at City College.

Originally UCLA-bound, he became discouraged with the strict GPA and extracur-ricular demands inherent to the university’s admissions process. “I was looking for things that I could do; com-munity service things, school service things.”

Filipelli expressed inter-est toward putting together a collaboration of arts for an ongoing series of exhibitions, using this opportunity to navigate toward a successful admission into UCLA’s music program.

“Somebody approached me and asked if I was inter-

ested in putting a festival together.” He laughed as he recalled his gut reaction of “hell no! I definitely didn’t want to put a festival together.

“But then the more I thought about it, the more I thought about the resources that I had at my disposal from touring ... so I put together a budget plan for the ASG.”

As City College’s funds for extracurricular activities dwindled, the ASG was forced to deny Filipelli’s budget.

“They still wanted a festi-val,” he explained. “After care-ful negotiations they granted me a little money ... but the Concert Series was actually what I was able to do with what they gave me.”

The Series has become a weekly staple, an oasis of culture, music, and art, pro-viding students with a break from the daily minutia of class work.

“We’re offering the stu-

dents entertainment,” Filipelli said. As a veteran musician, he understands the value and inspiration one derives from music, and asserted that it “has a way to get in your soul and make you move.”

Filipelli looks forward to a new career after transferring to UCLA in West Hollywood, knowing that the music indus-try, difficult as it is, is all about networking.

“I want to get into compo-sition for film and TV. That’s where the industry is and where the contacts are made.”

He considered his future for a moment and said, laugh-ing, “I’m going to make a billion dollars by cutting a record with Paul McCartney.”

Sal Filipelli’s music can be found at www. notbritishproductions.com.

The Nooner Concert Series will continue April 13 with blues pop performer Deverb.

Concert series organizer Sal Filipelli plays his own event

“I’m putting your patience to the test,” sings Julian Casablancas in the first line to the first track “Machu Picchu” from The Strokes’ highly anticipated fourth album, “Angles.”

Fans were truly put to that test when The Strokes vanished for five years after the release of their third record, “First Impressions of Earth.”

For the music industry, five years seems like an eternity. Trends change, music evolves, and, more importantly, your audience grows up.

Expectations were high for the new album but no band can live on hype alone. Yes, The Strokes have released two ridiculously amazing records with their debut album, “Is this it,” and their sophomore outing, “Room on Fire,” but nobody knew what to expect with “Angles.”

“Under Cover of dark-ness,” the lead single from “Angles,” silenced many of the doubting Thomases, but what about the rest of the record?

Well, it’s actually a great record!

“Angles” finds the band looking to expand their

sound to different direc-tions. The first track on the record, “Machu Picchu,” has the band in playful form with what almost sounds like an ode to Orange Juice or even The Police. What ever influ-enced this track is beside the point. It is quite the surprise after what “Under Cover of Darkness” had announced prior to this release.

Right off the bat, the one-two punch of “Machu Picchu” and “Under Cover of Darkness” gives the record a great start but the true highlight comes with the

These days it’s a common assumption that when you see recognizable names attached to a proj-ect, it means you’re in for a good film, but not always. In the case of “The Lincoln Lawyer,” Matthew McCo-naughey, Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, John Leguizamo and Josh Lucas are part of the all-star cast that would give you the impression you were in for an Oscar-nominated film, at least, but you’d be wrong in that assumption.

Mick Haller (McCo-naughey) is a caddish, dirty Los Angeles lawyer who depends on his connections, and friends, to win cases. This even includes his ex-wife Maggie (Tomei), an L.A. prosecutor, but when it comes to their daughter, he sets his caddish ways aside.

Val (Leguizamo), a bails bondsman, brings him a case that he is told will set him up for some time: a potential, rich boy rapist played by Phillippe. Haller takes the case and enlists his longtime assistant, Frank (Macy), to help him do some investigating.

That pretty much sums up the story, without telling you whether the accused is guilty or not. Sure, there are some twists and turns along the way, as with many psy-

chological thrillers, but none we haven’t seen before in better films.

McConaughey seems to be resting on his good looks and his swagger as he has in most of his recent films, but here, it’s just annoying. Resting on one’s looks and laurels does not an actor make, and that has never been more clear than here within the first few frames of McConaughey’s work. He is SO caddish and SO sure of himself that there is no way we could understand why so many people would want to help him. There are few scenes here and there where McConaughey shows he is the caring father, but those scenes alone are not enough for us to sympathize with his character.

Oscar-winning actress Tomei is a classic example

As an avid drama series fan, watching a show like “Grey’s Anatomy” is some-what of an embarrassment. More soap opera than drama, “Grey’s” has had its pathetic moments, moments that made me laugh at the absurdity of the writing. Yet “Grey’s” also has its outstand-ing moments, moments that kept me at the edge of my seat.

In TV circles, “jumping the shark” is the moment in which a show has undoubt-edly reached its peak and will never be as good as it once was. Some shows end soon after their shark-moment, while others never experi-ence one, and a few rare shows manage to reverse their shark-moments with excellent storylines.

“Grey’s Anatomy” is one

of these shows — shows with extremely good storylines and extremely terrible plot twists. Some awful storylines include George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) and Izzie Ste-vens (Katherine Heighl) having sex and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) getting stabbed by an icicle.

Another “jumping the shark” plot was Izzie sleep-

ing with the ghost of Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Many viewers have undoubtedly fantasized about getting intimate with Morgan, yet Izzie took the fantasy to a whole new level. It wasn’t just a fantasy any-more, it was actual sex with a ghost. And yes, it was just as bad as it sounds.

To redeem itself from “jumping the shark,” at least one episode of a show must be phenomenal. All aspects — the writing, directing and acting — must be just right to pull viewers back in.

Shonda Rhimes and her team managed to create such an episode a number of times, which is astounding given the fact “Grey’s Anatomy” also jumped the shark multiple times.

Two of these episodes

more recently were the season six finale double-episodes, “Sanctuary” and “Death and All His Friends.”

After Dr. Shepherd (Pat-rick Dempsey) declared a patient brain-dead and took her off life support, her hus-band snapped. He returned to Seattle Grace Hospital to retaliate for his wife’s death by killing all the doctors involved. The episodes were gripping and loaded with realistic emotions, and they touched on a real fear Ameri-cans face in any public place.

“Song Within A Song,” the musical episode which aired March 31, was a huge risk for the hit show. Fortunately, “Grey’s Anatomy” rose to the challenge and managed to incorporate the doctors sing-ing in a meaningful and beau-tiful way.

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 201110

Arts

CRITICAL CAVALIER

Tom Andrew

AS SCENEON SCREEN

Christine Klee

Tommy Graf, left, and Sean Davenport, right, of San Diego’s Gun Runner play at Maggie May’s on March 19 as part of the Requiemme Management Official SXSW Showcase. Ryan Johnson, City Times

Austin is invaded by indie talent showcasing music at annual South by South West festival

The trip to South by South West (SXSW) — an annual film, interactive and music festival and conference where over 2,000 of independent music’s brightest new talents perform in over 90 venues in downtown Austin — isn’t exactly a piece of cake.

It’s the whole cake, and you have to finish it all before it gets taken away from you.

As a band playing SXSW, the first hope is that every-one in your band survives. At best, you want to leave with a lot more of the “people who matter” (whoever you think they may be) knowing your band exists.

Bands can expect, without uncertainty, to burn the candle from both ends for 4 days and nights with thousands of other bands from around the world while drinking copious amounts of free beer.

Lots and lots and lots of

free beer.Driving to Austin seems

like an easy task but whether you drive with a few friends in a car, or with six guys in a van, the full-day drive East is scenic — for about 2 hours — and then it becomes uncom-fortable and depressingly uneventful except for the occasional dramatic scene at a Border Patrol checkpoint.

Upon arrival in Austin, the next four days take place over what feels like 24 hours. There are people every-where. In the parks, in the streets, in the venues, on the freeways, everywhere.

And again, lots and lots and lots of free beer.

Unable to discern fan from band, local from tour-ist, or even left from right, you just sort of get swept up in a storm of madness until you magically end up

back in your car or van —dirty, sweaty, achy, drunk and broke — heading back toward America’s Finest City.

SD bands shine at SXSW

‘Angles’ starts off strong but could be better

See Angles, page 13

“Angles” was released in the U.S. on March 22.

EVENTREVIEW

Ryan Johnson

Fans walk towards downtown after a free outdoor performance by The Strokes. Ryan Johnson, City Times

See SXSW, page 13

ALBUMREVIEW

Ricky Soltero

All-star cast fails to deliver

See Lincoln, page 13

Drama offers best and worst‘Grey’s Anatomy’ redeems itself from ‘jumping the shark’ by pulling viewers back in with music

Hundreds of City Col-lege students walked out of their classes on March 31, again. The students marched around campus and part of downtown protesting budget cuts to education, again.

Another semester, another walk-out — but have the students really gotten what they have wanted out of it? Has walking out, essen-tially ditching class, shown how badly these students want their higher education?

It seems like the stu-dents continue to go down the same path ending in the same place — back in class, right where they started. These walkouts happen more than enough; classes are ditched more than enough. So, are these students taking the right approach?

Why walk out of a class you would hate to see gone next school year? Maybe instead of leaving, students should do the opposite and stay in class. Refuse to leave what you may not be able to even attend tomorrow.

Stop interrupting every-one else’s education today and take advantage of what students still have, before even more is taken away from us tomorrow.

Students could show their passion towards their education by staying and learning instead of missing another day of class. Chain yourselves to the desks or prevent other students from walking out.

Also, students could organize a massive study

session sit-in at the Learn-ing Resource Center. Let’s say numerous students refuse to leave the LRC and continue their stud-ies — instead of walking out and disrupting class for everyone else. If students prove that their education is important by continuing to learn in an uninterrupted manner, it could be a stron-ger approach.

Students should also sup-port all education events on campus. It came to our atten-tion that the recent cover letter workshop sponsored by the Career Center had no student attendance. The school provides these events, but if no one takes advantage of them, why should we still deserve them?

Show state legislators, the people with power to allocate the funds to educa-tion, that your education comes first.

The majority of students get Cal Grants and other forms of government aid, right? These funds are paying for you to attend and stay in class, not skip. Do the right thing.

We understand that these budget cuts will highly affect us.

We suggest fighting for our right to an affordable and attainable education in a way that won’t risk being seen as careless.

EDITORIALCity Times

Editorial Board

voiceApril 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com

11

City Times is published twice monthly during the semester. Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, City College administration, faculty and staff or the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.

District policy statement | This publication is produced as a learning experience under a San Diego Community College District instructional program. All materials, including opinions expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the students and should not be interpreted to be those of the college district, its officers or employees.

Letters to the editor | Letters to the Editor are welcome, 350 words or less. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation and length.

MembershipsJournalism Association of Community Colleges California College Media Association Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association

How to reach us:City TimesSan Diego City College1313 Park Blvd.San Diego, CA 92101Newsroom: T-316

Published as:The Jay Sees | 1945-1949Fortknightly | 1949-1978City Times | 1978-Incorporating the newspapersTecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks

ciTYTiMeS

Volume 65, Number 12April 5, 2011

www.sdcitytimes.com

Phone: (619) 388-3880Fax: (619) 388-3814E-mail: citytimes@gmail.com

Program homepage:www.sdcity.edu/citytimes

Ernesto LopezEditor-in-Chief

Shane FinneranManaging Editor

Fernando YatesOnline Editor

Megan Rose BartellNews Editor

Anulak SingphiphatDesign Editor

Katrina CameronArts Editor

Stephen Boyd-MoralesFeatures Editor

Layne DeylingOpinion Editor

Joshua VincentSports Editor

Troy Bryant OremPhoto Editor

Christine KleeCopy Editor

Michele SuthersChief Illustrator

Roman S. KoenigJournalism Adviser

City Times StaffTom Andrew, Cecilia Areta, Sidney Bryant, John-Magus Cambridge, Jose De Los Santos,Alec Fernandes, Sandra Galindo, Olivia Holt, Sonjiala Hotchkiss, Ryan Johnson, Rachel Keown-Burke, Scott McLean, Brandon Porras, Mark Rivera, Ricky Soltero, Gabriel Spatuzzi

Correspondents and ContributorsCarlos Maia

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a new con-vert to Presbyterianism at the time, supported, under heavy influence from promi-nent Christian figures like Billy Graham and George MacPherson Docherty, the addition of the words “under God” into the Pledge of Alle-

giance. In 1956, Eisenhower

signed into law legislation making “In God We Trust” the official motto of the United States. With the Cold War looming large in the public consciousness, it was decided that something must be done to distance America

from the godless Soviet Union. By publicly affirming the U.S.’s position as a nation “under God” we were sym-bolically divorcing ourselves from the state-atheism of the enemy.

Here’s the breaking news: The Cold War is over. In fact, believe it or not, the Soviet

Union no longer exists.Still, Republicans and a

few Democrats in the House of Representatives have found it necessary to intro-duce legislation “Reaffirm-ing ‘In God We Trust’ as the official motto of the United States ... and encouraging the public display of the national

motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.”

This is a noticeably des-perate attempt by evangelical lawmakers to get God into our schools where they have otherwise failed to do so.

Mexico signed a treaty for tolerance and respect of sexual orientation but doesn’t fulfill it. For exam-ple, professor Agustin H. Estrada now suffers from the social silence surround-ing him, which hurts more than the injuries that almost killed him.

In Oct. 2010, Estrada told his story to Punto de Par-tida, a news show in Mexico.

“On May 17, 2007,” Estrada said, “I was invited by the Human Rights Commission of the State of Mexico to participate in the Fair Fight Against Homophobia, promoting respect for sexual diversity.”

Estrada, who was the director of a school for chil-

dren with special needs, said he wore a red dress and high heels to the event. Afterward, he was asked to resign from his position, and the education authorities of the state of Mexico forced him to take a leave from his job because he was “a bad example for children.”

On May 7, 2009, Estrada was denied entrance to the government palace in

Toluca, even when invited by the education authori-ties. Instead, he was beaten, arrested and sent to jail.

“The guards tied me with my own clothes and displayed me at the jail to inmates who screamed ‘Give it to me! Here comes the puto!’” Estrada told me.

“I was raped by 500 inmates at the patio in Almoloya jail,” he said.

In Mexico, torture is allowed, along with extraju-dicial execution and disap-pearance. With complete impunity for the perpetra-tors, acts like this happen every day.

Mexico has Latin Amer-ica’s second highest rate of crimes against gay people,

surpassed only by Brazil. In a country where more than 80 percent of the population is Catholic, it is not uncom-mon to hear messages from leaders such as Archbishop Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, who has said it is “immoral, unacceptable and reprehensible” to accept gay unions.

According to Mexican newspapers Milenio and El Universal, in August 2010, the Archbishop’s statements against gay marriage and adoption were filled with the word “aberration” against the family. This constant message promotes hatred and discrimination against

SOCIAL MEDIUMSandra Galindo

BEYOND BELIEFGabriel Spatuzzi

URBANALITIES Michele SuthersWhy not try a sit-in?

In God we trust? Maybe we need a new motto

Homophobia huge in Mexico

See Mexico, page 14

See God, page 14

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 201112

Voice

VOX POPULI

Should the government get more involved in people’s diets?

Question by Shane FinneranPhotos by Troy Bryant Orem

Jessica GonzalesCampus visitor

“I don’t know if legislating a law will help, but ... people who can’t afford healthy food should be able to have it.”

Markos BogieNursing

“The junk food, the fast food like McDonalds and others really affects people, especially children ... so yes, it might help.”

Cris OrozcoUndeclared

“No, I don’t think so ... just like the whole gay and lesbian thing, it’s their own life, so why get involved?”

Karen Karaviotis, Alcohol and Other Drug Studies

“No, I think Big Brother is way too involved in my life and other people’s lives.”

Rep. Oliver Olsen of Ver-mont recently proposed that the government should dic-tate what is allowed in a food stamp-approved purchase. His main goal is to prohibit the exchange of food stamps for candy or other junk food.

Olsen’s argument is that too many Americans eat poorly and that cutting the junk out of food stamps will lower the cost of medical care.

Whether it is morally cor-rect of him to decide what people eat instead of push-ing a campaign to improve people’s decisions overall and not just the ones on food stamps is where the real

question lies. The price of a candy bar

or soda is often much lower than a more nutritious food or beverage. And especially in this economy, people are trying to save and get more out of every dollar.

Can Americans on food stamps be forced to get less out of their benefits?

We the people have the right to be healthy. Whether we do something about it is another issue at hand.

Next they will tell us we have to run a mile a day or we have to workout every day of the week, which some of us do — others just don’t care

much for that. Leave it in the military or to those interested.

That we make poor choices might be true, but we learn, and — well, some need guidance. We have the choice to eat what we want in this country.

The choice to stay fit basi-cally falls to the person, not the government, unless we are becoming a communist country, telling the people what to do.

Olsen’s main focus should be pushing the price of veg-

etables, fruits, and milk low enough for any American to be able to live off of.

As it is, the government pays farmers to not over-produce to maintain a certain value across the country, even though they basically dictate what the farmers farm. So can they lower the value and help the people as well as the farmers?

Can this proposal be mor-ally and ethically justified? From my point of view, Olsen needs to direct his attention to improving our economy and not make it hard for those on food stamps, because they already have it hard as it is.

CONBrandon Porras

Food stamps for junk food: no more?

Vermont is attempt-ing to shed some pounds by proposing Resolution JRH13 — a piece of legis-lation that would not allow users of food stamps to pur-chase junk food.

For those who think Resolution JRH13 infringes on the liberties of the less fortunate, consider this: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one out of five people in the state of Vermont were listed as obese in a 2009 survey.

Another series of sur-veys conducted by the Public Library of Science rated obesity as the second cause of preventable death in America after tobacco use. This investigation also noted that obesity was an even more prevalent cause of death than alcohol abuse.

This is partially because of food stamp restrictions on purchasing alcohol. So why can’t the same phi-losophy be applied to other unhealthy substances?

The brutal reality of the situation is that beggars can’t be choosers. In 1962 the government generously established food stamps to nourish the less fortunate, and I’m pretty sure items like donuts and potato chips were not driving factors in setting up the program. The government has every right to specify how their hand-outs are used.

Healthy staples are often cheaper than junk

food, yet people who don’t want to spend time turn-ing fruits and vegetables into tasty nutritious meals tend to steer clear of these items. The convenience of quickly unwrapping a Little Debbie may save someone time in the kitchen, but it definitely takes a toll on that person’s health.

It also weighs heavily on Vermont’s taxpayers who fund the long-term health-care costs of the obese. By implementing JRH13, the money saved in weight-related healthcare costs could be used to fund other things like education.

Ideally, everyone should be responsible enough to make smart decisions at the grocery store, but the reality is we live in a cul-ture that promotes heavy consumption of unhealthy foods. The lives of many American citizens are in jeopardy because of this.

When the government wants to healthily influence the public starting with the lower classes, suddenly the freedom to eat oneself into the grave is more impor-tant than an individual’s well-being.

JRH13 is not an attack on liberty; it is a helpful step in a nutritious direc-tion and will hopefully raise national awareness about America’s heavy burden.

PROAlec Fernandes

Gov’t help should not go to junk food

Vermont politician says public assistance benefits should not be used to purchase unhealthy food, drinks

What are your thoughts?Take our online poll regarding the proper role of

government in people’s nutrition

Americans deserve food choices

Shane Finneran, City Times

Kurt Strazdins, MCT Campus

of a talented actress doing the best she can with an OK script. She has the thankless role of the ex-wife but takes every moment she can to muster some of the film’s most real moments.

Lucas (“A Beauti-ful Mind,” “Glory Road,” “Sweet Home Alabama”) is wasted here. He would have been a much better choice for the role of Haller, but instead he is the prosecutor who gets to sit and grimace

when he thinks his case is going south. Lucas makes the most of a poorly-written character, but would have made the film much more credible in McConaughey’s role.

The rest of the cast does their level best with a script that we’ve all seen before. Macy, Leguizamo, and even Phillippe play roles we’ve all seen played before, and while it’s good to see their work, it would be better to see them in a better film.

Director Brad Furman has a made a few films prior to this but none worth

mentioning. John Romano, whose screenwriting credits include the Richard Gere/Diane Lane weeper “Nights in Rodanthe,” pens the script, based on the novel by John Connelly, but most of his work can be found on the small screen.

All in all, this is a film better watched on the small screen. Save yourself the ticket price and wait for its release on DVD.

2.5 out of 5 stars

April 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com13

News | Life | Arts

Pee-weeContinued from Page 9

“The playhouse itself has been supersized to fill a Broadway stage, but the familiar elements are all in place, from the chattering chair and window to the word of the day to the signa-ture jig.”

March 19, nearly three months after the show’s planned two-month stint, an HBO production in Los Angeles once again brought Puppetland to our living rooms as it had done in 1981, for a special-aired stand-up routine in which Reubens’ first exposed himself to the world — as Pee-wee Herman, that is.

However, after Pee-wee reacquainted viewers with his endearing cavalcade of puppets, a few overstimu-lated live actors, and repeti-tious catchphrases — ”Why don't you marry it?” eventu-ally becoming a jibe tossed between Chairry and Pee-wee ad nauseum — the desire grew for a magic wish from Jambi the Genie for the show’s original television time frame of half-an-hour instead of HBO’s slated 90 minutes.

An impressive clone though it was, the staged show fell just short of recap-turing the “fun” (the enig-matic word of the day which set the filmed audience into hyperactive fits), and helped to further suppress any notions of childhood rever-sion, thus drudging forth the idea that anyone within the Adult Swim-ness of the mid 20-something generation’s sense of humor, might be less amused with Herman’s regurgitated not-quite-for-kids-uh-oh-that-was-a-dou-ble-entendre stall of jokes.

Although the show itself attempted a re-imagining of Reubens’ idea of “fun,” it was ultimately an exer-

cise in attempting nostalgia (scream real loud!).

Nearly all the original players resurfaced, includ-ing a flying Pterri the Ptero-dactyl, Penny, Mr. Window, Globey, Randy, and a befud-dled Magic Screen, who initiated a plot — which somehow later became for-gotten — to ostracize Pee-wee from Puppetland when she received news that a new computer was set to replace the archaic anthropomor-phic electronics.

Because of the series’ cult following and fear of that same cult’s disappoint-ment, it would make sense that directors Alex Timbers’ (New York stage production) and Marty Callner’s (Los Angeles/HBO production) visions sought to mirror “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

However, several pieces of equipment were sorely missed, most notably Law-rence Fishburne as the indel-ible Cowboy Curtis and the late Phil Hartman as Captain Karl.

Eventually, the audi-ence was welcomed with such familiar faces as John Paragon and Lynne Marie Stewart reprising the roles of Jambi and Miss Yvonne, who is still known as “the most beautiful,” if not aged, “woman in all of Puppetland.”

In fact, in a recent Los Angeles Times review, televi-sion critic Mary McNamara notes that Reubens’ himself “has undeniably aged which adds to the occasional creep-iness factor of the show.”

It would appear that aging and modernization are two of the most prominent underly-ing themes throughout “The Pee-wee Herman Show’s” confused and sporadic sto-ryline.

Upon the arrival of the slightly-more-updated-than-Conky computer, Pee-wee finds himself inundated with friend requests, Viagra offers, and more information

than his pea-brain can com-prehend.

And so the Age of Tech-nology once again takes a cliched blow, as Pee-wee realizes that he has every-thing he needs right there, in the Playhouse. But the show just would not be true to its roots had it ended with-out someone flying off the screen against a flourish of Mark Mothersbaugh-ian fan-fare, right?

The barely mentioned plot of Pee-wee’s wish to fly finally resurfaced in order to close the show, as he becomes airborne and sings a charming version of “The Luckiest Boy in the World.” Shallow lessons are learned, and all is mended in Pup-petland.

Pee-wee Herman fan or not, a certain amount of respect should be paid to any 59-year-old actor who can make thousands of people forget that, well, he is a 59- year-old actor instead of a man-child who forever lives on the cusp of snarky adoles-cence and coming-of-age as Pee-wee Herman.

After twenty years of enduring backlash over a public indecency scandal and cashing in on cameos and bit parts on films like “Mystery Men” and “Blow,” it appears that Reubens has once again embraced Pee-wee’s helium-like voice for what appears to be a long-lived comeback.

In an interview with New York Times columnist Dave Itzkoff, Reubens explained of his two decade-long struggle that “there’s nothing more horrible left to say to me. You know? There really isn’t. And there’s enormous power in that.”

So if the live production wasn’t quite your cup of tea (or bowl of melted ice cream “soup”) consider the follow-ing formula: Judd Apatow + new Pee-wee Herman fea-ture film = an infinitely more appealing endeavor.

But despite the drive and the drinks, San Diego did pretty well in showing itself off in “The Live Music Capi-tal of The World,” as 10 local artists or bands made the long trek.

Some local bands played “official” SXSW showcases for the first time (Gary Wilson, In Fear and Faith) while some bands went to Austin to play up to a half-dozen shows each at hun-dreds of the “unofficial”

parties put on by local resi-dents and businesses (Little Hurricane, Silent Comedy, Writer).

Bands like The Black Heart Procession, Gun Runner, the Hot Moon, and Maren Parusel played mul-tiple showcases, including a Saturday night Official SXSW Showcase at Maggie Mae’s and several day-par-ties organized by San Diego’s Requiemme Management.

Last but not least, San Diego troubadour, story-teller, songwriter and SXSW veteran and favorite Steve Poltz (known nationally as

“the guy who dated Jewel and co-wrote some of her hit songs”) played five different times this year, including an official showcase at Conti-nental Club.

Fortunately for our fair city, all of the bands made it through the storm alive and are no doubt eager for what future opportunities playing SXSW might bring.

Like I said before, SXSW is no piece of cake, it’s a whole cake, and San Diego can be proud that the bands that represented the city certainly have one hell of a sweet tooth.

SXSWContinued from Page 10

third track, “Two Kinds of Happiness.” With a sound that recalls that of their third album, “Two Kinds” delivers what many tracks on “First Impressions” failed to do. With a nice soaring chorus that sounds, may I dare to say, like a U2 record.

Another highlight comes with “Taken for a Fool,” which comes and goes, with ups and downs, and then somehow manages to deliver a chorus a la The Buggles. It’s a catchy track

in which Casablancas deliv-ers his most honest lyric to date. “I hope this goes over well, on the toxic radio. Yeah.”

There is one oddity on the record, the almost bossanova track “Call me back.” It’s a nice track, quite different from all of the bands’ output and it surprisingly works. Tracks like these, even if they sound odd, actually give the band room to stretch in the future, making it more than a one-dimensional rock ‘n’ roll outfit.

Yet, even with a great front side, “Angles,” falls a little flat towards the end,

with songs like “Gratisfac-tion” and “Metabolism” sounding a little forced and even a bit over the top. The record comes to a pleasing end with “Life is simple in the moonlight” though, which pulls together nicely.

As a whole, “Angles” is a solid record with great songs to please, but it falls in between The Strokes’ two great records and their shaky third. “Angles” is good, quite good, but could be better.

3.5 out of 5 stars

AnglesContinued from Page 10

LincolnContinued from Page 10

With the release of their latest album, “Angles,” The Strokes have numerous performance dates scheduled for the remaining of this year. The Strokes band

2.5-mile hike down the east side of the mountain. You can watch sailboats in San Diego Bay, helicopters and jets taking off at the Naval Air Station on North Island and there is an impressive view of downtown, the Coro-nado Bridge and the Silver Strand.

Halfway down the trail, you’ll find the first above-ground light scope used by the U.S. Military during World War I and II.

On a bluff north of the Bayside trail sits the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and next to it, the modern radar instruments that the Coast Guard uses to navigate ships coming into and out of the San Diego Harbor.

“It’s interesting to see how life was before advanced navigation technology.

The lighthouse is a sig-

nificant historical building, it’s been here for 157 years and was the first naviga-tion system in San Diego Harbor,” said Rudy Gabriel, a Cabrillo National Park employee.

The entrance fee to the Cabrillo National Monu-ment is five dollars and the pass is good for five days.

Just off the Pacific Coast Highway, heading toward Del Mar, is the Torrey Pines Reserve.

The Coastal Terrain is home to the Pinus torrey-ana, a rare pine tree that has only been known to grow at the reserve and on Santa

Rosa Island, off the coast near Santa Barbara.

Located on cliffs, the trails overlook the Pacific Ocean and the view never gets old. Most of the trails in the park are easy to moder-ate level hikes.

“Sometimes I go in a bathing suit and flip-flops and bring a book to read and lay out,” said Amy Myrold, a native San Diegan.

If you want more of a workout, wear some hiking shoes and hike one of the seven trails in the Reserve, then head down to the beach and jump into the ocean if you worked up a sweat.

Torrey Pines Reserve has a $10 parking fee, so if you want to save some money, park off Pacific Coast High-way and walk from there. The park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset.

For more information visit www.torrypine.org or the visitor center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TrailsContinued from Page 7

“Sometimes I go in a bathing suit and flip-flops and bring a book to read,”-Amy Myrold, local hiker

There have, however, been some pleasant offensive sur-

prises. “(Second baseman) Rich

Aguirre is swinging the bat extremely well this year,” said Brown.

The coach added that

catcher Kevin Garcia has also been productive at the plate.

“He’s doing a fantastic job and has solidified the number four spot in the line-up,” Brown said.

check us online: sdcitytimes.com

BaseballContinued from Page 15

Until 1956, the de facto national motto was “E. Pluri-bus Unum” (out of many, one). I couldn’t think of a more appropriate slogan for the United States of America.

It represents perfectly the distinctive place that the U.S. has held and still holds in the world, as well as the spirit of rugged individualism that defines our nation. “E. Pluri-bus Unum” is also unques-tionably anticommunist.

Instead, out of fear of a foreign enemy that no longer

exists, we have opted for a motto that does not repre-sent the nation as a whole. In the U.S., the fastest growing religious group (for lack of a better term) is that of the nonreligious.

Their number has gone from about 7 percent to about 15 percent in the last

two decades. That makes about 46 million Americans who are not represented by their nation’s official motto.

If we allowed the threat of an atheist enemy to scare us into instituting a decid-edly religious national motto, what happens now that we are engaged in wars against

religious fundamentalists abroad?

Given the rise of Islamo-phobia in America, especially on the right — as evidenced by Republican-introduced legislation against Sharia law in Tennessee, Oklahoma and elsewhere — I am sur-prised the GOP would wish

to reaffirm a motto so similar to the one that was report-edly chanted by the 9/11 hijackers as they plummeted toward their final destina-tions: “Allahu Akbar,” mean-ing “God is Great.”

Perhaps it’s time for a second fear-inspired motto change.

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 201114

delicious gelato, too. Live musical acts perform at this market that fills up the whole 4900 block of New-port Avenue.

Spring break’s date for this event is April 20, and the festivities run from 4 to 8 p.m. Burger enthusiasts also need to visit Hodad’s on Newport Avenue for the best hamburgers in Ocean Beach.

Downtown JulianAll the snow has melted

in the mountains, but Julian’s delicious apple pies and beautiful forest scen-ery stay year round.

Julian’s Main Street is lined with restaurants that make the town’s leg-endary pies, my favorite establishment being the family-owned Julian Pie Company.

Nature lovers who have stuffed themselves into a food coma can hike it off in the surrounding Cleveland National Forest, but simply driving around this area is enough to witness the natu-ral beauty of San Diego County’s mountains.

Mission Bay, Fiesta Island

Have fun pedaling around the serene waters of Mission Bay, and stop by Fiesta Island to soak up some rays. The Water Bee 200’s dual seats provide a fun way to pass the time with a friend or romantic interest, and can be rented for $17 an hour or $50 for a full day.

The Water Bee 400 holds a bigger crowd with its four seats, and costs $20 an hour or $65 for the entire day. For more infor-mation, call Mission Bay Sports Center at 858-488-1004.

Crystal PierEver wanted to sleep

over the ocean? The Crys-tal Pier Hotel in Pacific Beach offers premium beach access for spring break. Major holidays here, including Easter, require a 4-day minimum stay, but those lucky enough to snag one of these quaint cottages lining the pier get the experience of hanging loose above the waves even without a surfboard.

The Crystal Pier Hotel is located at 4500 Ocean Boulevard, San Diego. Call 858-483-6983 for more information.

SpringContinued from Page 7

with a Boca Burger whose journey from the box to the grill was not quite worth the effort. For those of you with similar expectations, I recommend the bacon cheeseburger, minus the burger.

The stars of the meal were without a doubt the raw burger and buffalo chicken tenders.

The buffalo sauce was tangy, and once the heat subsided, a beautiful note of butter settled about the tongue.

The chicken was sea-soned, breaded and fried seitan (also known as wheat meat), and had an identical texture to white-meat chicken.

Evolution paired them with its version of ranch dressing and barbecue sauce, which were bril-liantly light and flavorful.

Then there was the raw

burger — an odd-looking ball of perfectly seasoned grains and seeds, raw red onion, and creamy cashew cheese, entombed in two nappa cabbage leaves.

After devouring this burger in mere minutes, my steak-loving husband was left craving it every other day.

With each bite the fla-vors and textures mingle together in a salty, savory, creamy, crunchy, am-I-dreaming-don't-wake-me kind of deliciousness that will haunt you until your next trip there.

The cheesecake ended our meal, soothing the lin-gering burn from the ten-ders.

Although a bit heavy, the small hints of citrus in the cream helped to clean and sate the palette.

So forget the tread-mill and visit Evolution to indulge in fast food from an organization bent on making a difference.

EvolutionContinued from Page 8

Political science major Maram Mahajna said she chose to speak about Tansu Ciller, the first female prime minister of Turkey from 1993 to 1996, because she was fascinated by a woman who could win office in a predomi-nantly Muslim country while

running on a secular platform. “I wanted to come (to this

event) because I thought it would be really diverse and it was,” student Hannia Hudec said. “I wasn’t expect-ing to hear about a woman in Turkey.”

Philosophy major David Curtis said learning about Iranian graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi helped to humanize the people of a

country about whom Ameri-cans didn’t know that much.

“She’s not a president or anything like that,” Curtis said of Satrapi. “She’s just a simple artist and activist.”

Markese Jordan closed out the presentations with a quote from Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi: “Regime change can be temporary, but value

change is a long-term busi-ness. We want the values in our country to be changed.”

The Students for Interna-tional Awareness meet every Friday at 12:30 p.m. in room R-116.

For additional informa-tion about the organiza-tion’s upcoming events, visit its website at www. studentsforinternational awareness.blogspot.com.

WomenContinued from Page 3

News | Life | Arts

MexicoContinued from Page 11

people who are gay. “The day we celebrate

‘the Cry for the Indepen-dence,’ I entered my home and felt a plastic bag over my

head, trying to choke me and kill me,” Estrada said. “Then they raped me with a tube.

“I heard them saying, ‘We told you to stay quiet, and you did not understand, you f***ing f**.” One of the men added “this is for Pena Nieto.”

A report from the Mexi-

can Red Cross verifies that on Sept. 15, 2010, Estrada was found gagged and blind-folded with a plastic bag over his head and appeared to have been raped.

“My family and the group that was helping me decided that I had to leave Mexico,”

Estrada said. “The next morning, I took a plane to Tijuana. I could barely walk. I got to the border walking slowly, thinking with fear that immigration may stop me.

“I crossed the border, took any bus, and I got off at the station that read ‘City Col-

lege.’” Since then, Estrada has been homeless in San Diego, sleeping in parks and trying to support himself by gathering recyclables.

Mexico’s constitution says all are equal before the law and have the same rights. But because of ignorance

and prejudice, people who are gay suffer a lack of pro-tection by the state, which does not shield them from discrimination or enforce their human rights.

In Mexico, igualdad — equality — is still just a word, not a priority.

GodContinued from Page 11

“We are not going to teach classes for free,” Carroll said. “We cannot afford classes we are not being paid for.”

State-wide, more than 400,000 community col-lege students will be denied access to classes according

to California Community Col-leges Chancellor Jack Scott.

“Without a June special election on Gov. Brown’s tax extension proposal, the chance of an all-cuts budget is highly likely,” said Chancel-lor Scott at a media briefing. “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.”The current amount of

classes cannot be maintained because the district is, at this time, teaching more than 3,000 full-time-equivalent students (FTES) with no pay from the state. With the tax extension not approved to be on the ballot, cuts seem inevi-table.

An FTES could be one student taking 15 units or five

students taking 3 units. The state compensates schools about $5,000 per FTES.

City College President Terrence Burgess said at the budget meeting that he will be announcing the fate of summer classes at the end of the week of April 3.

He also mentioned that year-round programs like nursing and cosmetology may not be considered for cuts.

DistrictContinued from Page 1

means in concrete terms.” White also stressed that

there are other ways to get into UCSD, although they may not be guaranteed.

Programs like Univer-sity Link, he said, can assist students in transferring to UCSD with a minimum GPA

of 3.0. And since the average GPA of regular UCSD trans-fers is about 3.3, anyone who follows the IGETC and main-tains a GPA even slightly below 3.5 has a good chance of getting in, with or without the TAG program.

According to White, transfers to private, for-profit colleges like National Uni-versity and the University of Phoenix have gone up 74 percent in recent years, and

he expects that number will grow as a result of the new TAG requirement.

As for these private, for-profit schools, Lopez said she personally wouldn’t rec-ommend them.

Academic Senate Presi-dent David Fierro agreed.

“It’s not the way to go,” Fierro said.

“At a school with no regional accreditation, stu-dents who want to go on to

grad school find out that they can’t,” he explained.

The truth is, said White, “TAG may be gone in a few years anyway.”

University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, Los Angeles, already do not participate in the TAG program.

White suspects that “in short order, UCSD will join them in that pool, or TAG will go away altogether.”

UCSDContinued from Page 1

Sarah Pitcher, also at the protest, said she was told by campus administration that the behavioral sciences pro-gram will be losing about 30 summer classes.

“We are not meeting the needs of our students, and to say that we are going to cut more classes means that this is going to further affect the most disenfranchised.”

“Education is a social good,” Pitcher added. “For

every dollar we put into edu-cation, three dollars comes back to the state, so decimat-ing this, at this point, will further decimate our state revenue later on.”

French professor Philippe Patto said the foreign lan-guage department will be losing about 10 summer courses.

After the gathering at Gorton Quad, the students proceeded to march around campus shouting “stop the cuts” and “we want an educa-tion.”

“It’s the system that requires us to show proof

of our education in order to get ahead, but we can’t get our degrees if we don’t have the classes available,” said Denise Gomez, a student in the walk-out.

“I am super upset about summer school,” Gomez explained. “The two or three classes I take during that time help me get ahead. This will put me back another year or so.”

Carroll said that cutting classes during summer ses-sion is cost effective to the district and the individual col-leges because most classes offered are supplemental

to what’s offered in fall and spring.

“Cutting is not a good thing, but the best place to do it is summer,” she said.

Bunkowske said that if the district is forced to severely cut classes, it will attempt to save core classes that help students meet transfer requirements.

In order to create change, she advises students to keep voicing their disappointment.

“Contact our legislators,” Bunkowske said. “Write them, fax them. Tell them your stories. It’s the momen-tum that counts.”

ProtestContinued from Page 1

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

By Joshua VincentCity Times

“I’d like it to be less of a hobby, more of a profession,” said Dillon Lesniak of the City College volleyball team. He was referring to beach volleyball rather than the indoor variety that he plays for the Knights.

“I’d never work a day in my life if that were my job,” Lesn-iak added.

Lesniak, along with Pierce Stewart, Alexander Epps and

Sean Williams, will be trans-ferring to a four-year college next year to play volleyball on partial scholarships.

Lesniak, Stewart and Epps will be attending Lourdes College in Ohio, while Wil-liams is unsure where he will end up but said Fresno State University is his likely desti-nation.

All four players have a background in either basket-ball or football but have gravi-tated towards volleyball.

“It’s more of a team sport,”

said Epps on why he likes volleyball better than basket-ball. “You can’t rely on one person.”

Lesniak agreed when comparing volleyball to foot-ball, where one “can rely on physical abilities to make plays.”

“Players in volleyball are

equally athletic, and it’s more mental,” Lesniak said.

The “mental game” of any sport may sound like a cliche, but all four young men share passion and intelligence for the game that is evident when speaking to them.

Epps and Stewart are academic All-Americans and

were selected by their fellow players to captain their teams.

From 2007 on, Williams spent two years doing mis-sionary work in Brazil, where he became fluent in Portu-guese in six months.

Lesniak, speaking of the more methodical game of beach volleyball, compared it

to a chess match. Though the team will have

to get some help to make it to postseason play, Stewart is quick to point out that it isn’t because a lack of talent.

“We’ve been ahead in every single match and kind of given it away,” Stewart said.

April 5, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com15

Sports

Marlon Thompkins plays singles tennis in the match-up between City College and the Grossmont Griffins on March 24. “It was competitive, but we ended up losing,” said Knights coach Brandon Lupian, who also noted that the Knights will play in the PCAC tournament April 14 to 16 at Morley Field’s Balboa Tennis Club. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

By Joshua VincentCity Times

The City College base-ball team traveled to Santa Ana College on March 19 to take on the preseason No. 1 ranked team in the state. The outcome, however, is still up in the air.

“It’s under protest,” Knights coach Chris Brown said. “The umpire ruled incorrectly on a second visit to the mound.”

The rule is that a coach cannot make two visits to the same pitcher while the same batter is up. In this

case, Brown said the umpire told him it was legal before Brown went out to change pitchers on the second visit.

As a result, the Knights will resume the game, start-ing from the sixth inning with a 5-2 lead on April 23.

Brown said that Santa Ana is on the schedule both to challenge his squad, as well as to improve their RPI, a system that ranks diffi-culty of schedule and factors into postseason qualifica-tion.

The Knights have used their team depth and quality pitching to stay competitive

in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference this season.

“We’ve only had two games this year where our pitching hasn’t kept us in it,” said Brown.

The Knights are still within striking distance of second place Mesa and first place Palomar.

“We’re in a good posi-tion,” said Brown.

According to Brown, the team has to eliminate the small mistakes and do a better job of driving in runners in scoring position.

After protest, baseball game to resume April 23

Set, spike, score

TENNIS LOSES BEFORE TOURNEY

Four volleyballers soon transferring to four-year colleges on partial scholarships

Alexander Epps gets up to spike the volleyball in practice on March 31. Epps and three other City College mens’ volleyball players will soon transfer to four-year colleges. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

By John-Magus Cambridge City Times

The City College bad-minton team was victorious against crosstown rival Mesa College on March 25 at the Harry West Gymnasium.

Their 15-6 victory extends their winning streak to three games and puts their overall record at 4-1.

Their streak and recent history of state champion-ships have led the Knights to set high goals for their season.

During his five-year-run

as head coach, Son Nguyen has led the Knights to three state championships and hopes to return once again this year.

“Our team is really strong compared to other teams. We’re a lot better than (the teams locally),” said Nguyen. “(Our goal) is to make it past conference and to state.”

Nguyen said that this victory against Mesa Col-lege showed off the Knights depth. “Our number one and our number six (in the lineup) play at the same level,” said Nguyen. “(Other teams) might be strong at the top, but our bottom play-ers are really strong so we can get the points back from them.”

Rosalinda Nguyen is one

of the players Coach Nguyen refers to when he speaks about depth.

The sophomore player is number four in the Knights’ lineup. She returns for her second run on the Knights badminton team and echoes her coach’s sentiments.

“I don’t think we have any weaknesses,” said Rosalinda. “Other teams have really strong players; (however), our team is really steady from one through six.”

Mesa College Sophomore Tommy Tran has played bad-minton for the Olympians the last two years and ranks the Knights team among the best he’s seen in their conference.

“They have a deep lineup,” said Tran. “Their roster is really impressive.”

Badminton shows off depthRecent wins have encouraged team to challenge itself

Sophomores Shirley Barrios and Rosalinda Nguyen ready themselves for the birdie. John-Magus Cambridge, City Times

See Baseball, page 13

www.sdcitytimes.com | April 5, 201116

SPORTS

Former Knight in national spotlight

Garcia dominating the courts

By Jose De Los SantosCity Times

City College alum and current San Diego State University senior Malcolm Thomas made one of the big-gest plays of his life when it mattered most.

With 45 seconds left in the second overtime, Thomas blocked the shot of Temples’ Lavoy Allen, seal-ing a 71-64 victory for the Aztecs in the second round of the NCAA playoffs on March 19.

Thomas’ block came moments after he had turned the ball over in what looked to be a potentially disastrous play for SDSU.

“I made a lot of plays

that could have cost us the game,” Thomas said in an interview with espn.go.com.

“But you know, being an Aztec, we know we can make it up defensively, or try to make it up defensively. That was the mindset after the turnover.”

Thomas’ senior season with the Aztecs was argu-ably the best of his college career. He averaged over 11 points and eight rebounds per game, while shooting over 50 percent from the floor.

While playing for City Col-lege in the 2008-09 season, Thomas averaged 21 points, 4 blocks and 12 rebounds per game and shot 62 percent from the field — all good

enough for first or second in the conference. Thomas was named PCAC Player of the Year and named to the first team, all state.

City College coach Mitch Charlens said Thomas “has a fantastic mind for the game.”

“He is an extremely unselfish player,” Charlens added. “He is 6-foot-9-inches and can dribble, pass and guard anyone. Malcolm is

unstoppable on the court and now that he makes his free throws, there is no stop-ping him.”

Charlens said Thomas was often double-teamed and triple-teamed while play-ing for City College and was still able to put together a season worthy of co-MVP honors for all community colleges in California.

“It was because of him and other great players we had that year that I was selected as coach of the year in California,” said Charlens.

Thomas was an integral part of both the Knights’ and Aztecs’ deepest postsea-son runs in their respective school histories.

Top: Malcolm Thomas flashes his jersey to the crowd at the McKale Center in Tucson Ariz. Above: Thomas during the 2008-09 season, his last with City College.Carlos Maia, Correspondent

“He is 6’9” and can dribble, pass and guard anyone.”—Mitch Charlens, basketball coach

By Mark RiveraCity Times

“They were just battling it out, with every point being 10- to 20-shot rallies,” wom-en’s tennis coach Gretchen Magers said of tennis player Priscilla Garcia’s tennis match against undefeated Palomar.

“They were both tired and Priscilla had a really sore wrist,” Magers added. “It was just a really high level of play.”

Magers said she felt Gar-cia’s match was the best she had seen in three years of coaching women’s tennis at City College.

Garcia, born in El Paso,

Texas, was recently named the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference’s Athlete of the Week and is ranked number one in women’s tennis.

Garcia started playing when she was 10.

“My uncle gave me my first tennis racket,” she said. “I started played competi-tively for about five or six years, from about the age of 11 to 16ish.”

Garcia came to San Diego when she was 15. After play-ing tennis during her junior year in high school, she gave it for five years, facing pres-sure both at home and aca-demically.

Now 22, Garcia is in her

first year of college and her first season back on the courts.

“Now, I’m doing it for me,” Garcia said. “I felt empty not playing. It was weird.

“Now that I have my con-fidence back, I can come out (to the tennis courts) every-day. I play with a lot of pas-sion, ask anybody.”

According to her coach and teammates, this passion has keyed Garcia’s winning.

“She pushes me to be better,” teammate Jessica Eung said. “When she plays, she’s really intense. So it’s good to have someone around that is as competitive as I am.”

The team hopes to win the PCAC championship this season, and Garcia hopes to capture individual confer-ence honors. Garcia also hopes to be looked at by other colleges and earn a scholarship to play tennis.

“I just have to remember to play with no fear and to have fun,” Garcia said.

According to Magers, Garcia should be able to play at a Division 1 or 2 school.

“I think the sky’s the limit with Priscilla,” Magers said. “She’s fast. She’s hungry, meaning she’s really compet-itive and wants every point.

“She has all of the poten-tial she needs.”

Freshman Priscilla Garcia watches her opponent at a match on March 31. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Travis Heying, MCT Campus