solano tempest

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By Natalie Icaza Staff writer Theresa Cobbs-Torres, 2009 graduate of Solano Community College, says she benefited from So- lano Community College Cal Works Program with mentorship from Profes- sor Joycelyn Mouton, and Extended Opportunity Programs & Services. While Cobbs-Torres was attending Solano Com- munity College, she was influenced by the patience and teachings of her pro- fessors-- Alena Hairston and Michelle Arce in the ethnic studies department, and Emily Blair from the humanities department. Without their guidance and motivation, Cobbs- Torres says she wouldn’t have moved on to become an honor student and a 2011 graduate from UC Davis, where she majored in ethnic studies with a minor in sociology at the age of 51. Last April, Cobbs-Torres organized the Menlo Park East Palo Alto Beautiful Women’s Chapter, she is the president. MPEPA Beautiful Women began through By Natalie Icaza Staff Writer Jeff Lamb has a big job. He’s the interim dean of the school of Liberal Arts at Solano Community College, which was recently formed by the merging of the humanities division and the fine and ap- plied arts/behavioral sciences division. The two divisions were combined in the college’s recent reorganization, a cost-saving measure to offset state budget cuts. Lamb’s school includes 19 departments, including all of the arts, international rela- tions, English and foreign languages, history, The validity of L-O-V-E 3Crucible shines at SCC 3Football wins last game 42-7 OPINION ON 2 A&E ON 4 SPORTS ON 8 FAIRFIELD, CALIF. www.solanotempest.net VOL. 28, NO. 6 NOV. 16- DEC. 6, 2011 MORE ONLINE AT WWW.SOLANOTEMPEST.NET - See more stories online “Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn’t exist and never shall. There is only now.” - Chrisopher Paolini QUOTE OF THE WEEK Meet SCC’s welding instructor THE TEMPEST THE VOICE OF SOLANO COLLEGE 8SEE WOMEN, PAGE 6 8SEE LAMB PAGE 6 Theresa Cobbs-Torres Benjamin Gogna/ Tempest Bryan Jackson, a student at Solano, works on joint-welding two cylinders on Wednesday, Nov. 9. in a welding class. By Sam Zaghloul Staff writer He’s only been teach- ing welding here for one semester, his small of- fice still looks like he just moved in. His name was taped on the nameplate outside the door, but any lack of seniority is more than made up by his expe- rience and ability. He is Jeffrey Kissinger, the new welding instruc- tor at Solano Community College. Kissinger has worked as the training coordinator at AARCorp, and a substi- tute teacher, working with the mentally disabled. Kissinger learned to weld in 1979. “There were two doors open for me-I could either work for the military, or I could work for the Government,” Kissinger said. “To that end, I went to a school in Norfolk, Virginia to learn welding.” Kissinger has been welding for over 30 years, his experience making his words a bit foreboding when talking about the SCC welding program: “It’s a disaster, but it’s not unworkable. It’s a vic- tim of its own neglect… until last year, most of Solano’s support has been preparing students for a four year university,” Kissinger said. Kissinger plans to change that. “Right now the focus is revising the curriculum, updating it for the twenty- first century, and making it so it can compete with any welding program in the country.” The administration agrees. “The facilities need a lot of work,” said Superintendent/ Tempest wins state, regional awards The Solano Community College student newspa- per, The Tempest, brought home four awards from the NorCal convention of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) held this weekend at Sacramento State Uni- versity on Nov.12. The Tempest website won an Online General Ex- cellence award. Cartoonist Phillip Temple won second place in the on-the-spot cartoon competition, A&E editor Nick Sestanovich won Honorable Mention in the copy editing con- test, and Photo Editor Ben Gogna, also took home an Honorable Mention in the news photo competition. “Our online editor, Deb- orah Graham, deserves special recognition,” said Samanda Dorger, facility advisor. “She has worked so hard on the redesign, the SEO, the social media, and has provided many sto- ries for the Tempest.” Former SCC student starts non-profit women’s group profile From Spanish instructor to Liberal Arts dean: Jeff Lamb profile 8SEE WELDING, PAGE 6 “Now we need to take a criti- cal look at bet- ter space for welding.” -- Jowel Laguerre, SCC president Jeff Lamb

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The Tempest is the student run newspaper of Solano Community College

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Page 1: Solano Tempest

By Natalie Icaza Staff writer

Theresa Cobbs-Torres, 2009 graduate of Solano Community College, says she benefited from So-lano Community College Cal Works Program with mentorship from Profes-sor Joycelyn Mouton, and Extended Opportunity Programs & Services.

While Cobbs-Torres was

attending Solano Com-munity College, she was influenced by the patience and teachings of her pro-fessors-- Alena Hairston and Michelle Arce in the ethnic studies department, and Emily Blair from the humanities department. Without their guidance and motivation, Cobbs-Torres says she wouldn’t have moved on to become an honor student and a

2011 graduate from UC Davis, where she majored in ethnic studies with a minor in sociology at the age of 51.

Last April, Cobbs-Torres organized the Menlo Park East Palo Alto Beautiful Women’s Chapter, she is the president.

MPEPA Beautiful Women began through

By Natalie Icaza Staff Writer

Jeff Lamb has a big job. He’s the interim dean of the school of

Liberal Arts at Solano Community College, which was recently formed by the merging of the humanities division and the fine and ap-plied arts/behavioral sciences division. The two divisions were combined in the college’s recent reorganization, a cost-saving measure to offset state budget cuts.

Lamb’s school includes 19 departments, including all of the arts, international rela-tions, English and foreign languages, history,

The validity of L-O-V-E

3Crucible shines at SCC

3Football wins last game 42-7

OPINION ON 2 A&E ON 4 SPORTS ON 8

FAIRFIELD, CALIF.www.solanotempest.net

VOL. 28, NO. 6NOV. 16- DEC. 6, 2011

MORE ONLINE AT WWW.SOLANOTEMPEST.NET - See more stories online “Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the

future, for it doesn’t exist and never shall. There is only now.” - Chrisopher Paolini

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Meet SCC’s welding instructor

xxxxxxxxx

THE TEMPESTT H E V O I C E O F S O L A N O C O L L E G E

8SEE WOMEN, PAGE 6 8SEE LAMB PAGE 6

Theresa Cobbs-Torres

Benjamin Gogna/ Tempest

Bryan Jackson, a student at Solano, works on joint-welding two cylinders on Wednesday, Nov. 9. in a welding class.

By Sam Zaghloul Staff writer

He’s only been teach-ing welding here for one semester, his small of-fice still looks like he just moved in. His name was taped on the nameplate outside the door, but any lack of seniority is more than made up by his expe-rience and ability.

He is Jeffrey Kissinger, the new welding instruc-tor at Solano Community College.

Kissinger has worked as the training coordinator at AARCorp, and a substi-tute teacher, working with the mentally disabled.

Kissinger learned to weld in 1979. “There were two doors open for me-I could either work for the military, or I could work for the Government,” Kissinger said. “To that end, I went to a school in Norfolk, Virginia to learn welding.”

Kissinger has been welding for over 30 years, his experience making his words a bit foreboding when talking about the

SCC welding program: “It’s a disaster, but it’s

not unworkable. It’s a vic-tim of its own neglect… until last year, most of Solano’s support has been preparing students for a four year university,” Kissinger said. Kissinger plans to change that. “Right now the focus is

revising the curriculum, updating it for the twenty-first century, and making it so it can compete with any welding program in the country.”

The administration agrees. “The facilities need a lot of work,” said Superintendent/

Tempest wins state, regional awards

The Solano Community College student newspa-per, The Tempest, brought home four awards from the NorCal convention of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) held this weekend at Sacramento State Uni-versity on Nov.12.

The Tempest website won an Online General Ex-cellence award. Cartoonist Phillip Temple won second place in the on-the-spot cartoon competition, A&E editor Nick Sestanovich won Honorable Mention in the copy editing con-test, and Photo Editor Ben Gogna, also took home an Honorable Mention in the news photo competition.

“Our online editor, Deb-orah Graham, deserves special recognition,” said Samanda Dorger, facility advisor. “She has worked so hard on the redesign, the SEO, the social media, and has provided many sto-ries for the Tempest.”

Former SCC student starts non-profit women’s group profile

From Spanish instructor to Liberal Arts dean: Jeff Lamb

profile

8SEE WELDING, PAGE 6

“Now we need to take a criti-cal look at bet-ter space for

welding.”

-- Jowel Laguerre, SCC president

Jeff Lamb

Page 2: Solano Tempest

Dear America:How do you spell social valida-

tion? L-O-V-E.In today’s society, it almost

seems that love is a measure by which we judge others.

Between the desperate cry for social validation—“oh, someone loves me, which means that I am worth being loved by other people, too”—and the awkward displays of public affection—“So I was talking to this one guy and; oh, you’re in the middle of something, Char-lene? I’ll wait until you’re done snogging your boyfriend to finish my story”—there are levels of lame-ness that one must endure because love is such an intrusive aspect in today’s society.

There is no reason for love to be a public event; the reason it’s so down-played and underappreciat-ed is because it’s plastered all over magazines, all throughout books, and rampant throughout public schools. That’s not to say that love shouldn’t be something celebrat-ed on days like weddings, anniver-saries, and birthdays—but continu-

ing to thrust into people’s minds that “love is the only way you can feel good about your-self,” just sets you and some poor naïve sucker up for sadness.

Take for instance the Twilight saga. (And no, in case you’re a fan, this isn’t going to degenerate into me mocking and pulling apart the very aspects of Stephanie Mayer’s blasphemous works that you hold so dear.) As a child, these books romanticize languishing over a re-lationship that is, ultimately, hor-rible for you. It makes it seem like the only way you can be happy is if you’re plastered to the man you love, giving him babies and mak-ing him sandwiches, as is your role as the silly, lovelorn and subservi-ent female you were born to be. No

wonder the search for romance is on the forefront of everyone’s minds; especially as a fe-male, being raised on the idea that a man will sweep you off your feet, make you happy, and validate your existence with his genitals makes it very difficult to try and go against

the grain and – God help you—be happy WITHOUT a lover.

It doesn’t help that love is made a mockery in the media. Kim Kardashian, after a record-winning 72-day streak, filed for a divorce; this almost rates up there with Britney Spears and her 55-hour wedding scandal, reported by MSNBC. These events are insane, destroying the sanctity of marriage way worse than those dastardly gays-- who, by the by, are definitely worse than these upstanding mem-bers of society who hold marriage

as such a sacred event (read: pas-sive-aggressive jab at the homopho-bic society of America, preventing the LGBT community from enjoy-ing all the liberties of a free na-tion). Now, there is every chance in the world that Kim Kardashian had a legitimate reason to file for divorce, and I say that without sarcasm, but after such a public event, even if her claims for “ir-reconcilable differences” are true, it’s disappointing to see a marriage fall so far, so fast. Between these two conflicting ideas—that love is the best thing ever (here’s looking at you, Disney), and that love is a complete and utter joke (here’s looking at you, divorce rate in America) — it’s hard to believe that love can validate your existence when all is seems to do is bring an-noyingly mushy show-tunes or bad publicity.

Yours sincerely, An angry feminist

OPINION2 THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16 - DEC. 6, 2011

Campus calendar

Nov.16“The Crucible” Last showing all the way through Nov. 20Location: SCC Campus TheaterThurs.-Sat. shows start at 7:30 p.m.Sun. shows start at 2 p.m.

ICC meetingRoom 14211p.m – 2p.m. Direct Loan Application DeadlineStudent services bldg. 400Stop tobacco: final classICC workroom 142712:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Nov.18 Financial Aid petition deadlineSCC Financial Aid Office Room 425, Student Services bldg 400 Fairfield Main cam-pus

Nov.21-23Faculty/Staff In service, Mon.-Wed. No classes

Nov.24-25Thanksgiving break No classes Nov. 24Turkey Trot, 8 a.m., main campusInfo: www.SolanoTurkeyTrot.orgDec. 8Registered nursing information workshop, room 812, 5:30 p.m.Dec. 8-10Horticulture Club plant sale, 1000 building, Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information: 707-486-0179

The validity of l-o-v-e

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By Kayla DoriaNews editor

VOICE YOUR OPINION

If you have something to say, a reaction to a story or an opinion on a topic, email us your view at:

[email protected]

If you do send letters please make sure to include full name, and contact information (for verification purposes) and be advised that letters may be edited and/or shortened for length.

ON THE WEB

Visit Solanotempest.net for news and updates.

Editor,

After reviewing the cartoon by Phillip Temple, printed in Vol. 28 No.2 of the Tempest, the Associ-ated Students of Solano College (ASSC) feel that any prejudice and stereotyping of minority groups or any other race or ethnic group should not be allowed on the Solano Community College campus. ASSC condemns this action of the Solano Community College Tempest. This behavior is not fitting for a place of higher education and should not be allowed at Solano College.

Solano College is made up of a diverse community

of students, faculty, staff, and administrators of different backgrounds and races. ASSC condemns the use of discrimination whether it is in satire or in seriousness by any student group. Furthermore, any other types of discrimination to individuals or

groups will not be tolerated by the ASSC.

- Phil McCaffery Jr. ASSC president

-Kelsey Moran-Richardson ASSC vice-president

Letter to the editor

EditorialTempest wins awards

The Tempest would like to acknowledge those journalism students who took home four awards Nov. 12 at the Journalism Association of Community College’s annual Nor Cal conference at Sacramento State Uni-versity. Solano journalism students competed against 18 other colleges, with a total of 219 delegates at the conference.

Therefore we would like to congratulate the Tempest’s very own with the Online General Excellence award recognizes overall quality of the website, solanotempest.net and in particular online editor, Deborah Gra-ham.

Phillip Temple, who won second place in the on-the-spot competition for his cartoon on state workers.

Arts and Entertainment editor Nick Sestanovich who won an Honorable Mention in the copy editing con-test.

Photo editor Ben Gogna, who won an Honorable Mention in the news photo competiton

Page 3: Solano Tempest

OPINION 3THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16 - DEC. 6, 2011

THE TEMPESTThe Voice of Solano College nVol. 28, No. 6

The Tempest is published by Solano College

students. Opinions expressed in the paper

are those of the individual writers and artists,

and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of

the college’s governing board, the administra-

tion, the faculty and staff, or the Associated

Students of Solano College.

Readers may take up to five copies of The Tem-

pest free. Additional copies may be purchased

for 25 cents.

Memberships: Journalism Association of Community Colleges • California Newspaper

Publishers Association

Sharman Brunieditor-in-chief

Kayla DoriaAnthony Gutierrez

news editors

Nick Sestanovich a&e editor

Sara Berzmanopinion editor

Rebecca Naranjosports editor

Deborah Grahamonline editor

Ben Gogna photo editor

Sam ZaghloulNatalie IcazaJeffrey StockMattia AustinMark BeierlyMitchel BoboRoy Taisaguestaff writers

Anthony Peterscopy editor

Phillip Templecartoonist

Samanda Dorgeradviser

contact us:

It is Tempest policy to correct any errors in the paper. Please contact us if you spot one. To get in touch with us:phone:(707) 864-7000, ext. 4361e-mail: [email protected] address:SCC, Room 18614000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield, California 94534

FCC Net Neutrality rules effective Nov. 20

By Deborah GrahamOnline editor

CAMPUS CONVERSATION

“At this point in the semester, how do you keep yourself motivated?”

“I don’t.”

-Cody R. Eisen, 19, Undecided

“That’s a good question… I have no idea. I would say, actually, study groups. Keeps it interest-ing, at least.”

-Daniel Schmitgal, 19, Political Science

“Just my goals… I know what I want to do, so I can stay on track, and focus on my goals.”

-Erin Benne, 21, Liberal Studies

“I don’t even know… coming to school to see people, and weasel-ing classes in between that. And finals.”

-Giela Thornton, 19, Computer Science

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Many of us who log onto the in-ternet daily make the assumption that we have the ability (with inter-net access) to log into whatever site we want, whenever we want, watch online videos, send emails, get in-stant messages and much more. What makes this possible is Net Neutrality.

Net Neutrality assures us that internet service providers are not able to discriminate between con-tent and applications online. It as-sures us that there is equality for all websites and internet technologies. This is the reason that the internet has free speech online. I guess you can call it the “First Amendment” policy of the internet. It protects the consumer’s rights.

This makes it possible for us to use any type of equipment, appli-cation, content or service without our nosey network providers inter-fering.

According to an editorial writ-ten by the Los Angeles Times, “FCC’s goal: An open and vibrant Internet,” on Nov. 20 Net Neutral-ity rules will go into effect. So what does this mean for us? It means that the FCC has stepped in to keep the internet providers on a level playing field.

The opponents of the bill, com-panies like Verizon, AT&T and other local phone and cable TV companies say they have no plans to block content or degrade net-

work performance. This is not true because in 2007 Comcast blocked BitTorrent transfers by initially slowing down bandwidth. CNET’s Declan McCullagh, reported Aug. 2008 the ruling from that case,

where the FCC fined Comcast and admonished them for what they deemed illegal practices.

I agree with the proponents of the newly proposed rules. Com-panies like Verizon, AT&T, need legal procedures in place to protect consumer rights. I don’t want to see a system where the person or corporation who pays a higher pre-mium gets more bandwidth rights than I do. I am tired of these com-panies putting commercial interest before the average consumer.

In my local area there are not many choices for network provid-ers. Due to these limitations, we are left to the mercy of one or two companies. Information should be

free. The internet was initially set up for free transmission of data. A consumer should not have to set their alarm to get up at night just to use their internet service. Network providers should not offer favor-able treatment to sites that might be willing to pay high premiums to get their data transferred faster. I see this making it very difficult for either non-profit organizations or newly started sites to stay competi-tive in moving their traffic.

The only job, in my opinion, of the network is to move my data from point A to point B. They should not be choosing which data to give priority to.

Page 4: Solano Tempest

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT4 THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16 - DEC.6, 2011

“Crucible” update is thought-provoking and well-performed

PLAY REVIEW

Deception knows no bounds. People have the capability to appeal to decency and the morality of human values. Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” shows what happens when people appeal to power, ignorance, and deception. Directed by George Maguire, Solano College Theatre’s production of “The Crucible” is a modern dramatization of the Salem witch trials, and exposes the nature of deception by appealing to people’s willingness to believe in their judgments in blind faith or religion. The play starts, when a group of young girls are caught dancing and expressing themselves in a case of wild hedonism and a Burning Man type of celebration in the woods. Fearful of persecution and backlash, young girl Abigail Williams (played by a manipulatively impressive Nancy Baranski) spins a web of deceit by claiming their actions are the result of witches and their linking possessive powers to the devil. One of the girls is Betty Parris (Victoria Bristow) who fakes her

unconscious state and then later backs up Abigail’s claims of being possessed by witchcraft and listing names. The townsfolk begin to talk about the legitimacy of witches among the people, which lead to accusations of people being truthful to each other and most importantly their belief in religion. Among the town’s skeptics is John Proctor (Justin Hernandez). He seemingly knows all too well of Abigail’s web of lies, and thus Proctor has his life put through hell, when his wife becomes blacklisted as one of the women who may be a witch. The remainder of the play becomes an allegory fight where deception, religion, and the justice system all play the role of innocence among hearsay as well as the fate of Proctor and his wife. Maguire’s interpretation of “The Crucible” features many outstanding performances. The whole cast is top notch and handles the material of Miller’s play well. The standout is Justin Hernandez as John Proctor. Hernandez is stellar as we learn Proctor crusades against witchery hearsay masks a man who clearly made a mistake in his marriage. Randall Chun, who plays occult expert Rev. John Hale, has a nice subplot involving his stance in witchcraft, as the witchcraft trial proceedings cause Hale to go

from a believer to a skeptic as he begins to see the legitimacy of witchcraft is merely hearsay and a trick of a young girl’s deception. Another standout performer is David Schuster whose portrayal of stubborn governor Danforth shows playwright Arthur Miller’s intentions of what McCarthyism really is: ignoring the facts for the sake of people’s persuasion and reputation. The performances of this play attribute George Maguire’s modernist vision of Arthur Miller’s work. Lighting design director Chris Guptil and sound design technician Will McCandleless deserve some credit in reflecting the play’s deliberate character beat for beat mood. In the end, Maguire’s interpretation of “The Crucible” is a morality tale that often asks the nature of truth completely gone when we give into public perception and crowd mentality. When people have power, are we so ignorant to see abuse it inflicts on others, especially the truly good ones? Sadly the answer in this play is yes. “The Crucible” wraps up this weekend on Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m, so see it while you still can. Information on other performances of the show can be found at SolanoCollegeTheatre.org.

“The Rum Diary” fails to do Thompson justice

MOVIE REVIEW

Mike Padua/Courtesy Photo

Elizabeth Proctor (Erin Hoffman Moro) looms over the body of her husband John (Justin Hernandez).

Creative Commons

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp fail to provide sparks for “The Rum Diary.”

“The Rum Diary” is based on the first novel of Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Johnny Depp has been an avid fan and supporter of Thompson and his work since portraying the writer in 1998s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” Depp’s enthusiasm for Thompson and his work has been noble (Depp helped to bankroll the movie after discovering it in a heap of the artist’s unpublished work, as well as paying for Thompson’s funeral in 2005.) This enthusiasm does not translate into a good movie though. Thompson’s work has been characterized as fast-paced, comedic, and obtuse. Though the book and movie give rare insight into Thompson and the persona we’ve come to know him for, the movie falls flat in nearly every facet. Generic characters, plot, and cinematography are crammed down the viewer’s throat. It’s like buying a drink you know you hate, and expecting the passing of time to have reshaped your pallet. When you drink it, though, you remember why you hated it. The plot barely gives off a pulse. Depp plays Paul Kemp the film’s catalyst. Kemp is a reporter taking up a job at a newspaper in 1960s Puerto Rico. The newspaper is filled with characters none of which are memorable. The same goes for the rest of the film’s characters. Amber Heard (“Pineapple Express”) is visually stunning in her portrayal of Chenault, the object of Kep’s affection, but that’s about it. Her character is bland, taking up screen time in very small spurts and supplying no substance other than her sexual swagger. Aaron Eckhart plays Sanderson, another villainous rich guy who uses

Chenault to entice Kemp into some shady business dealings. Oh no! Another rich guy with a taste for malevolent real estate ventures! Haven’t seen that before! The stiff plot line hamstrings his character. Yes, he’s bad, but the movie does not provide a reason to care. Kemp gets into high jinks with fellow newspaper staff writers Bob Sala (Michael Rispoli) and Moberg (Giovanni Ribisi) cavorting around the island quarreling amongst each other and locals. These comedic endeavors fail to provide even smirk. The fights and the laughs are nothing new. You’ve heard it all before. The film makes attempts to provide dialogue of a Hithcockian order: quick, smart, and potent, yet the results fall flat. No zingers here. The film’s most poignant moment comes near the end with Kemp (as an extension of Thompson) begins to realize his journalistic stride: consuming drugs and taking on fat cats and oppressors of the upper class. I bought a ticket to “The Rum Diary” with a plethora of enthusiasm for Thompson and his work. I have yet to read the novel and seeing this movie may have deterred any intention to do so. Though fellow movie goers have appeased me by stating that the movie is not very faithful to the novel, taking liberties with a novel’s story line and characters hardly ever goes well, and this instance seems no different. Twenty minutes into this movie, I was patting my pocket missing the 10 dollars I had spent for admission. The rest of the movie, I was waiting for a redeemable moment. Something worth 10 dollars or that would validate sitting in a movie theater for two hours, and I found none. I found myself trying to stay awake and almost nodding off a couple times. I was not the only one.

By Mitchel BoboStaff writer

By Mark BeierlyStaff writer

“Scrooge: The Musical” ushers in the holiday season Tired of all the adapta-tions of “A Christmas Carol”? Bay Area Stage’s production should satisfy you humbuggers. This production of Charles Dickens’ novel features cold-

souled Ebenezer Scrooge, who has a change of heart after spirit visitations on Christmas Eve. The musical is a 1992 stage mu-sical with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. Its score and book are closely adapted from the

music and screenplay of the 1970 musical film “Scrooge” starring Albert Finney. Bricusse was nomi-nated for the Academy Award for the song score he wrote for the film, and most of those songs were carried over to the musical.

Like the film, the musical closely follows the plot of Charles Dick-ens’ A Christmas Carol, in which the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge un-dergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night, after being

visited by the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. The play opens on Dec. 2 at Bay Terrace Theatre in Vallejo. Happy Holidays!

Page 5: Solano Tempest

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 5THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16 - DEC. 6, 2011

“Tower Heist” is simple-minded but entertaining

MOVIE REVIEW

Ever wanted to see “Ocean’s Eleven” set in the post-Bernie Maddoff era? “Tower Heist” is the movie for you. Actually, that’s pretty much how production on the movie began. According to producer Brian Grazer, it was initially conceived in 2005 as an all-black version of “Ocean’s” where a heist group robs the Trump Plaza and has gone through several story and cast changes since. Now it’s in theaters, and not a second too late because with the Occupy Wall Street protests occurring, it’s hard to imagine the film’s depiction of the U.S. recession being any more timely than it is right now. Whether or not it will hold up in a few years remains to be seen, but for now, “Tower Heist” is a decent caper comedy. The story centers around Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller), the manager of an apartment complex simply called The Tower. One day, he sees one of his tenants, billionaire Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), being loaded onto the back of a truck. He assumes it’s a kidnapping, but Shaw is actually being arrested for a Ponzi scheme. Realizing he’s been ripped off, Kovacs takes out his frustrations on Shaw’s apartment and is fired as a result. Kovacs learns from FBI agent Claire Denham (Tea Leoni) that Shaw had $20 million hidden inside the complex and figures he can enact his revenge by stealing it. He enlists in the aid of laid off bellhop Enrique (Michael Pena), Kovacs’ brother-in-law and former concierge Charlie (Casey Affleck), and a depressed bankrupt Wall Street investor who’s been squatting in The Tower named Mr.

Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick.) However, none of them are expert thieves, so they recruit a cat burglar named Slide (Eddie Murphy) and plan to break into the apartment during the Macy’s Day Parade. As with most heist movies, the film moves at a slow pace until the action starts, and then it doesn’t let up. The first 40 minutes are mostly amusing character interactions and exposition, but it doesn’t find a consistent rhythm until Murphy shows up, and that’s where “Tower Heist” truly shines. Murphy is at the top of his game here, delivering some of his funniest rapid-fire dialogue since “The Nutty Professor.” After so many commercial bombs (“The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” “Meet Dave,”) it’s refreshing to see the smart-alecky, foul-mouthed Murphy of “48 Hrs” fame doing what he does best. When he’s on screen, the movie is a blast. When he’s not, it’s a little sluggish. That’s not to say Murphy’s the only actor doing a good job. Broderick’s misery provides for a lot of funny moments, and Gabourey Sidibe is fun as a Jamaican maid who knows how to unlock a safe. Stiller is good in his usual “nice guy caught in bad situation” role, but it’s Murphy who ultimately steals the show. Although some scenes lack crucial energy and some of the plot elements don’t exactly work (It’s convenient how the FBI agent reveals the secret information when she’s drunk), “Tower Heist” is still an entertaining movie. The cast has great chemistry, the script is witty, and there are even a few tense action scenes. (Don’t watch this movie if you have vertigo. The climax alone should make you feel uneasy.) It’s not a movie that needs to be seen, but those who end up watching “Tower Heist” will find it a pleasurable (if not entirely memorable) comedy.

Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre has something for everybody

Deborah Graham/Tempest

A jolly jester statue greets visitors entering the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre.

UPCOMING VPAT EVENTS

- Ballet: “Clara’s Gift.” Fri, Dec. 9 @ 7:00. Sat, Dec. 10 @ 2:00 and 7:00, and

Sun @ 2:00.

- Solano Community Symphony’s Holiday

Celebration. Sun Dec. 18 @ 3:00

By Nick SestanovichA&E editor

Universal Pictures

The cast does fine, but Murphy steals the movie.

By Deborah GrahamOnline editor

Found nestled in the heart of the Vacaville business district center, with its contemporary architecture, and spacious courtyard entrance, the Vacaville Performing Arts Theater is an island of civilization. VPAT, which opened in 1993, has showcased many popular headline entertainers and productions. The theater has been used for symphonies, chamber music, popular dance productions, (ballet, modern, jazz, children’s productions), comedy shows, live theater, business meetings and community events. The theatre has hosted such renowned stars as Tony Orlando, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, The Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, St. Nikolai Massenko, Petersburg Ballet, Boyz II Men, Rich Little, Duke Ellington

Orchestra and Kathy Matte. The theater has hosted local stars as well, including the Vacaville Ballet Theatre Company, Solano Community Symphony, Vacaville Concert Society, Alive Music Orchestra, and North Bay Opera. VPAT has wonderful acoustics. A performer from the North Bay Opera, noted that it was one of the few venues they have performed where the accompanist doesn’t have to make much adjustment for the sound. VPAT is equipped with professional sound and lighting systems, a full orchestra pit for 32 musicians, two large dressing rooms, and a professional height fly system to accommodate full-sized scenery. The theatre also offers a nine-foot Kawai concert grand piano, a Baldwin upright grand piano, 100 musician chairs, music stands, a conductor’s podium and lecterns to support business, educational, or performance. The Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre is located in the

Vacaville Cultural Center at 1010 Ulatis Drive. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and one hour before all ticketed shows Tickets are available by phone at 707-469-4013, in person or at Vpat.net

Page 6: Solano Tempest

THE TEMPEST6 THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16- DEC. 6, 2011

Benjamin Gogna/Tempest

Welding students pose for a photo Wednesday Nov. 9. There are about 50 students in the welding program.

is the president. MPEPA Beautiful Women began through the efforts of women who saw a critical need to provide education support for women, Cobbs-Torres said. Their mission is to raise college-completion goals to help women entering and re-entering greater Bay Area universities and colleges by provid-ing mentorship and offering supplemental

education services such as tutoring and advisement to improve degree attainment. Their purpose is to promote women of all ages to achieve their highest potential through networking, mentoring, and educa-tion goals, Cobbs-Torres said.

San Francisco Giants public announcer Renel Brooks-Moon and MPEPA mem-

ber spoke about a recent event.“It was a wonderful event,” Brooks-Moon said in an email. “A day full of sisterhood, community and memories. I applaud Theresa for pull-ing this all together as it was no small task. Looking forward to next year,” she wrote. Ricki Stevenson, founder and CEO of Black Paris Tours in Paris is also a MPEPA member and 2011 MPEPA Business

Woman Honoree.

“It was amazing to have worked with

Teresa Cobbs...,” Stevenson said. “A day of

giving respect and the spirit of the women

who work hard to have shaped our lives.”

“Women deserve this, they are powerful

women,” Cobbs-Torres said.

Lamb wears many hats

Reaching for women’s success: SCC grad gives back

speech, television, political science, philosophy, and others, and he is in charge of the college library.

“Jeff is very personable, atten-tive, and willing to try things a new way,” said Ruth Fuller, a faculty librarian who works for Lamb. “[He] lets us be good at our job, recognizes us as librarians and supports our programs and our classified staff as well,” Fuller said.

Fuller said that Lamb helped secure the library’s budgets. “He listens to our problems, has ideas about how to get what we need and has a creative way to solve our problems,” Fuller said.

“Lamb has new responsibilities to know about the library, but he has a great sense of humor, he’s in a good mood no matter how much work he deals with. He’s a great boss,” Fuller said.

Lamb has worked at Solano Community College for seven years, starting out as a Spanish in-structor. He served as the at-large senator of the Academic Senate, then became the vice president and later the Academic Senate president.

Before Lamb came to SCC he worked at Grand Valley State Uni-versity in Michigan, Santa Monica

College, L.A. City College and UCLA, and taught English in Spain and Mexico.

Lamb agrees that recent budget cuts have affected his department. “Yes, many of the things that they do have been affected,” Lamb said.

”The ability to fund existing programs has seen reductions in every area. Fortunately we have good teachers to compensate our budgets,” Lamb said.

Lamb says what he likes about his position as dean is the interac-tion with the students. He also likes to problem-solve, and enjoys working with the faculty.

“Jeff is a very nice man, he’s open, engaging, and a tremen-dous resource for information, knows a lot about the ways that work here,” said Chris Guptill, managing director of theatre op-erations. “He’s reliable, and very approachable.”

Guptill said Lamb works well with his department. “He doesn’t make changes, I bring changes to him.”

“Lamb works with us in terms of the academic cuts and changes. He works closely with me and the departments. He makes choices that are smart.” Guptill said.

president Jowel Laguerre. “Now

we need to take a critical look at

better space for welding and also

better outreach, better commu-

nication with areas in the county

that need welders.”

The welding program, accord-

ing to the college website, teaches

types of welding such as shielded

arc, acetylene gas welding, metal

inert gas, tungsten inert gas, auto-

matic and semi-automatic welding

machines. Kissinger says there are

about 50 students in the program.

LAMB: FROM PAGE 1

WELDING: FROM PAGE 1

Welding forges new bonds

WOMEN: FROM PAGE 1

Page 7: Solano Tempest

SPORTS 7THE TEMPEST n NOV 16. - DEC. 6, 2011

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The University of Values3 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN SACRAMENTO

Nov. 16 – Dec. 6

Detailed information regarding games can be found at solanotempest.net/sports.

Thur - Sat, Nov. 17-19TBA - Womens Basketball @ Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Tournament

Fri, Nov. 186 p.m. - Mens Basketball vs. Sac City

Fri - Sat, Nov. 18-19All Day - Waterpolo @ So Cal TBD - State Championships

Sat, Nov. 19TBA - Soccer - Regional Playoffs Round 1

Tue, Nov. 22TBA - Soccer - Regional Playoffs Round 2

6 p.m.- Womens Basketball vs. Skyline

Fri - Sun, Nov. 25-27TBA - Mens Basketball @ Pleasant Hill - DVC Tournament

Sat, Nov. 26TBA - Soccer - Regional Playoffs Round 36 p.m. - Womens Basketball vs. San Jose City

Wed, Nov. 306 p.m. - Mens Basketball vs. Reedley

Thur - Sun, Dec. 1-4TBA - Womens Basketball @ Visalia - Tom Gilcrest Invitatonal

Fri, Dec. 25 p.m. - Mens Basketball vs. Skyline

SPORTS CALENDAR

By Anthony PetersCopy editor

Sometimes it's just not your night.

Such was the case as the Solano Community College volleyball team was defeated by Napa 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 25-20 in Bay Valley Conference action Friday night at Solano Gym.

The Falcons (16-10, 8-3 BVC) had a hard time finding their serve, which has been a strength of theirs this year.

"One of our weaknesses tonight has been our strength this year," Solano coach Darla Williams said. "We had more missed serves than we are used to. That's uncharacter-istic."

The Falcons fell behind early in the first set when Napa quickly jumped out to a five-point lead. They were able to regain control

of the set and pull even on the strength of Cami Walker's serving. The Storm answered right back and took control of the set, con-trolling serve and eventually clos-ing the game out on four straight points.

In the second set, Solano con-trolled the tempo early with pre-cise passing and finishing at the net by Natalie Perry. Perry led Solano with five kills and 17 digs, and was also 12 of 13 from the ser-vice line.

Napa, however, regained mo-mentum and the lead after Jessica Bruton held serve for five straight points, giving Napa a 7-6 advan-tage. The two teams traded leads until Solano lost its serving touch and had a hard time keeping its serve.

The third set saw both teams struggle to hold serve until the Falcons were able to string along

some points to put the set out of reach.

With Solano having regained the momentum of the match, Napa quickly took it back, earning three quick points and not allow-ing Solano to hold serve again. The Storm ultimately put the game away as the Falcons again struggled to maintain service.

With the loss to Napa in its past, Solano is now looking for-ward to its final regular season game against Yuba, a showdown for second place.

With both teams having lost to Napa and Yuba defeating Solano in five sets, Solano needs to defeat Yuba in less than five sets to earn second place in the BVC and the last guaranteed playoff spot.

Before that, however, Solano will host Los Medanos on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

By Jeff StockStaff writer

The Solano Community Col-lege women’s soccer team is still undefeated against conference ri-vals as the playoffs draw near.

The Falcons hosted the Los Me-danos Mustangs Friday Nov. 4 and handed the visiting team a sound drubbing, winning the match 8-1. Freshman Megan O’Dwyer put two goals on the board for a sec-ond time this season against the

Mustangs. Yvette Correa, Sandy Garcia, Yedith Martinez, Alexis Myers, Alyssa Orme, and Victoria Paulson each scored one.

Solano went on the road to take on the Napa Valley College Storm. The second place Storms managed to keep the Falcon’s scorers at bay, but were unable to find a way to beat Solano goalkeeper Ashley Yoell, ending the match tied 0-0. Although ties are akin to kissing your sister, they are better than a loss.

Solano falls to Napa

Tempest Archives

Solano’s Pilar Washington and Lauren Favela team up to block as two Laney players pre-pare to spike the ball during a heated game.

By Jeff StockStaff writer

The Solano Community Col-lege women’s soccer team finished the regular season strong with a 7-0 win over the visiting College of Marin Mariners Thursday, Nov. 10.

Sophomore Alyssa Orme and freshman Corina Petty scored two goals each, with Gracie Correa, Sandy Garcia, and Alexsa Gonza-les putting in one a piece.

With the regular season done and the playoffs around the cor-ner, head coach Jeff Cardinal says

the Falcons will stay the course and keep doing what they have been.

Although Solano handled con-ference rivals with ease this season ending with a conference record of 9-0-3, of eight non-conference matches Solano only won one, tied one, and lost the other six. This may present a challenge advancing in the playoffs as the Falcons are sure to face non-conference teams after the first round.

Be this as it may coach Cardinal and the Falcons look forward to the possibility of playing Fresno again after the hard fought 2-0 loss in October.

Soccer sucessful in Conference

Falcons future uncertain despite Bay Valley Tournament victory

Tempest Archives

Yedith Martinez goes head to head against an opponent during the season.

Page 8: Solano Tempest

SPORTS8 THE TEMPEST n NOV. 16 - DEC. 6, 2011

By Anthony PetersStaff writer

Nobody said two straight Bay Valley Conference champion-ships would be easy, then again the Solano Community College football team wouldn’t have it any other way.

After a rough first quarter, the Falcons (6-4, 4-0 BVC) were having a difficult time moving the ball. Then, after starting quarterback Justin Gomez went down with an elbow injury, third-string quarterback Ron Beverley came in and ignited the Falcons to a 42-7 victory over Shasta College Saturday in their final regular season game.

“Its awesome,” Solano coach Floyd Burnsed said. “To go two years in a row undefeated in conference, it’s what it’s it all about. I can’t say enough about the players. They put their heart on the field.”

Solano’s defense also played a huge part in the victory, forc-ing five turnovers, including two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, the first a 55-yard pick six by Erick Marthel and the second a 47-yard return by Brandon Justin.

“They played just like they did all season.” Burnsed said of his de-

fense. “When we get a seven-point lead, I feel good.”

The game didn’t start out so easy for the Falcons as they were held to just one first down in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Solano found its rhythm when Beverley entered the game. The grey-shirt freshman came in after Gomez was injured on a 10-yard run. Beverley wasted no time in mak-

ing his presence felt, hooking up with DeAngelo Thurmond for a 40-yard bomb to give Solano a 7-0 lead pending Keith Leenders extra point.

After the Falcons defense forced

its first turnover of the game on a fumble recovered by Deone Bondurant, Beverley again threw for a touchdown, this time con-necting with Travis Steen for a 19-yard score.

“I was excited,” Beverley said. “I have been waiting for this mo-ment. Even though I am not the guy I was one play away. I was prepared for it. It was fun.”

After Solano was forced to punt, Marthel intercepted the pass on the first play of the Shas-ta drive and returned it 55 yards giving Solano a three-score lead.

The Knights answered right back, scoring their only points of the game on a 34-yard pass from Matt Edwards to Anthony Cavalli making it a 21-7 game at half.

The third quarter saw the Fal-cons complete its scoring on the night with three more touch-downs. The first on a 12-yard pass from Beverley to Roman Hauser, followed by Justin’s 47-yard pick six and Tony Edmond-son’s 43-yard gallop.

The Falcons next game will be in the Living Breath Foundation

bowl in Monterey next week.“We are feeling good,” Burnsed

said. “We have everybody mostly healthy and playing right.”

Falcons win Bay Valley ConferenceSolano walks away from season undefeated in conference

A fellow Falcon blocks a Knight to clear a space for Kevin Higgens to get through during Satur-day, Nov. 12 final in conference game against Shasta College in Redding.

Despite Shasta’s best efforts to block out Solano, Solano still dominated this matchup.

Falcons celebrate after they defeat the Knights 42-7, securing their spot as undefeated Bay Valley Champions.

Head coach Floyd Burnsed observes the field as the Falcons warmed up before the match.

All Photos By Anthony Peters/Tempest