Issue 6 2012

Budget Task Force Releases Recommendations

Track And Field Page 15

Page 6

TheRampageOnline.com

Rampage

Fresno City College Volume CXXII, Edition 6

April 18, 2012

ASG Elections Heat Up

Nathan Alonzo

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

ROLE IN ASG: The president is head of ASG and chairman of the Senate.

FCC’s top student government post is a battle between Nathan Alonzo, currently serving as ASG’s Legislative Vice President, and Daniel “DC” Clark.

Alonzo was promoted to his current post during the mass exodus of ASG officers during winter break, replacing Karlton Brown, who was impeached during the fall semester.

The entire shake-up inside the ASG hadn’t settled until the district began deliberations over eliminating a portion of summer school, allowing ASG to mobilize students to fight off the threat of slim summer school prospects.

These two candidates, one to become student president, face a daunting task – a campus that has reached its peak enrollment and growing budget woes that threaten programs and operations.

These candidates can reasonably

expect another prolonged battle over summer school for 2013, as SCCCD might be unwilling to spend reserve funds if money is tight by January 2013, along with another go-round of budget cut worries across campus.

Alonzo pointed to the cuts and limited access to classes as the biggest hurdle facing the administration.

“For too long, the student body has sat idly by while the cuts have been handed down,” he said. “The

Poll Conducted of 552 Fresno City College Students By The Rampage

Daniel Clark

photo by

With students heading into the final weeks of the semester, another time-honored tradition will befall Fresno City College this month – Associated Student Government elections.

Seventeen students were certified to run for the various offices inside of ASG, from President down to Senator.

With the election to be held from April 24 to 26, only a few days remain for candidates to campaign in classroom.

The field of candidates is filled with faces familiar to the Senate Chambers, as eight candidates served, at one point or another, as an ASG officer during the 2011-2012 school year.

Last year saw current President, Cindy Quiralte’s ticket, at odds with former 2010 ASG incumbents. This year promises more of the same as currrent ASG member Nathan Alonzo, battles Daniel Clark, who is not a current ASG member, for the top spot in Fresno City College’s student government.

While campaigning for these offices is ongoing, candidates have a few opportunities to address a large audience of voters and discuss college, district and even statewide issues that are at the center of ASG’s day-to-day operations.

The Student Activities Office is holding a two-day candidate forum – one focusing on the candidates vying for positions on the Executive Board (President, Executive Vice President, President Pro Tempore, Legislative Vice President and Student Trustee) and another on members of the Senate.

The Student Activities Senate Forum will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Student Lounge.

The Rampage is also hosting a debate and forum for all ASG candidates on April 25 in the Old Administration Building Auditorium.

For more information about the debate, visit facebook.com/ FCCRampage.

Paul Schlesinger

By Alex Tavlian Rampage Reporter

FCC student body deserves a quality education and have services available to make sure they get the best education for the money they are paying.”

“Everyone’s concerned about the budget cuts,” Clark said. “I think more people need to be aware that the budget cuts are going on and iI believe we need to emphasize awareness to get students more involved.”

See Meet Your Candidates page 2

April 18, 2012

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News

Meet Your Candidates Paul Schlesinger

TRUSTEE

It’s an interesting battle for Trustee, with incumbent Senator Mike Wilson running against former Senator, and interim Legislative Vice President, Ben Andersen. During his time in ASG, Andersen served as chair of Region 7 of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

Andersen resigned from ASG at the end of the Fall semester while serving as interim Legislative Vice President before Alonzo was promoted.

photos by

ROLE IN ASG: The Student Trustee is a non-voting member of the State Center Community College District Board of Trustees and is the liaison between the Board of Trustees and ASG. Two student trustees currently sit on the Board – one for Fresno City College and one for Reedley College.

Ben Anderson For Trustee

PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ROLE IN ASG: The President Pro Tempore is the chair of the Inter-Club Council and acts as liaison between ASG and the Council.

Mike Wilson For Trustee

Incumbent Senator Grisanti Valencia has a slam dunk campaign for President Pro Tempore for one simple reason, she’s the only person running for the office.

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ROLE IN ASG: The Executive Vice President handles all financial matters for ASG. He or she reviews all requests for funds before bringing it to the Executive Board, signs off on all requests for payments and chairs the Budget Committee.

The campaign for Executive Vice President is one of two races inside of ASG with Senators Michael Olague and Caitlin Mack facing off to take over as head of ASG’s purse strings.

One of the two candidates will wind up overseeing ASG’s budget, which ranges from $60,000 to 80,000 annually. As of March 31, ASG spent roughly $15,000 with about $64,000 cash on hand.

Mack is one member of the three-person ticket headed by Alonzo hoping to create a coalition of familiar student leaders.

Grisanti Valencia For PPT

LEGISLATIVE VICE PRESIDENT ROLE IN ASG: The Legislative Vice President coordinates the student seats on the various committees on campus and assumes the roles of President during his absence.

Caitlin Mack For EVP

The race for Legislative Vice President will be fought between Senator Rachel McKinley, the final member of the ticket with Alonzo and Mack, and Roman Porras.

The position was filled with plenty of controversy during the shortened tenure of Karlton Brown, who was impeached for failing to perform his constitutionallyrequired duties.

Over the course of the Spring semester, the role of Legislative Vice President was relatively important, with incumbent Alonzo filling in for ASG President Cindy Quiralte at some of the regularly scheduled and special financial meetings.

SENATORS ROLE IN ASG: Senators are direct student representatives. Their most significant duty is to sit on various committees across the student government and college.

Rachel McKinley For LVP

In blunt terms, this year’s race for the ASG Senate is rather insignificant.

While the positions are extremely important to the inner-workings of ASG and representing student interests, there is no competition between the candidates.

The current makeup of the Senate allows for 16 Senators each year. Because only eight candidates filed to run for Senate, each will earn a seat as long as they receive one vote.

The candidates running for Senate are: Rosalinda Barba, Jose Chavez, Mia Chennault, James Demaree, Hugo Garcia, Nathan Squire, Rene Villa, and Josh Zamora Only one incumbent ASG Senator is running for re-election – Rene Villa.

This slate of candidates also has another oddity: Squire is an ASG Senator at Willow International and is running for office in both ASG organizations.

Michael Olague For EVP

The reporter can be reached at atavlian@therampageonline.com

Associated Student Government Debate News

f o t r a p a Be nt e d u t S s ’ FCC ’ s r e d a e L n debate o at h t s e u s s i . u o y t c e f af

Sponsored by The Rampage

April 18, 2012

WHEN: April 25 1pm -4pm WHERE: OAB m u i r o t i Aud

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April 18, 2012

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Upcoming Events

Graduating?

Degree Candidates who are transferring to four-year universities and would like to be recognized in the FCC Commencement Program please contact the Transfer Center by Wednesday April 25.

Ram Doggie Roundup

Date:4/18/2012 Time:10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Come to the Free Speech Area Wednesday, April 18 and get a free meal with your Spring 2012 ASB ID card! Meal includes: 2 hotdogs, chips and a drink. Without an ASB card, lunch is $5. Take advantage of one of many perks of your ASB Card!

Virtual Speaker Series: CEO of Threadless Inc

Date:4/18/2012 Time:12 p.m.

Location: Business Education Building Jake Nichells is a young entrepreneurial leader, come here him speak ofhis endeavors and ask questions. This is a great opportunity for students interested in te perks of being a entrepreneur, and essentially, your own boss.

Climate Change: Science of Politics?

Date:4/18/2012 Time:7 p.m.

Location: OAB 251 Come watch FCC instructor, Paul Gilmore

moderate the discussion on the science of climate control and their views on problems we face.

The discussion pael will include Peter Van De Water, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Fresno State, Craig Poole, Geology, FCC, and David Balogh, FCC.

Public Services Day

Date:4/18/2012 Time:10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Location: Campus Mall Need help with expenses? Information and help with services. Representatives will be on site to help you for these programs.

ASG Elections

Board Candidate Forum 4/24-26/2012 ASG Elections(online) 4/27/2012 Announcement of election results. Support FCC in the ASG election, you can see profiles of candidates online and votes through your student email.

Safe at City: Safety and Campus Climate for FCC’s LGBTQ Population

Date:4/25/2012 Time:11 a.m.

Location: Student Lounge Speakers at the Forum present a discussion on the roles and supports of faculty and students to the LGBTQ community.

By Maddie Hagobian Rampage Reporter

Asian Fest

Date:4/28/2012 Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location: Campuswide FCC concludes Asian American Month with a bang. Come to the celebration of the month, Asian Fest, on Saturday, April 28. There will be a cultural village, A Taste of Asian food, activities for children, martial arts,and vendor fair and much more. Asian Fest is campus wide and free to attend. The final festivities begin at 9 am.

TheRampageOnline.com

Date:4/19/2012 -

Survey Aims To Improve College Technology

By Elizabeth Amaral Rampage Reporter

As the students of Fresno City College become more digital, the Distance Education Committee (DEC) at FCC is looking to change the way it assists students.

First, however, the committee wants to get students’ input.

Beginning this week, the Distance Education Committee is going to be launching a campuswide student survey which will be sent to the students’ school email, explained Lynn Bad-

Fresno City College

ertscher, DEC member.

The survey will also gather information on success rates of students taking online classes and what students like or dislike about the present online and hybrid classes and other online tools available to help students.

“We want to ask students what needs to be improved and how we can help,” said Badertscher.

The survey is only two to three minutes long, and is completely anonymous. It will address areas such as what kind of social media students use and what classes

they would like to see taught online.

“The purposes of the survey are to see the computer usage levels of students at FCC, and how DEC can offer more technology based courses,” said Karla Kirk, Chair of the DEC. “We are hoping that with this survey we can expand the courses that are being offered to students.”

By taking the survey, students will provide feedback as well as their opinions on what services they would like to be offered online. “We will like to see

changes,” stated Badertscher.

“Introduction courses would be great classes to be offered online,” said Kirk.

The survey will not only help the students, but staff as well in the way they updates their communication with students.

“After this survey has been conducted, with the results, we will form another survey that will be given to faculty, and see how the student and faculty perceptions clash,” said Don Lopez, Director of Technology. With the results of both surveys, DEC can

Rampage About Us

The Rampage is an award-winning newspaper published biweekly by the Fresno City College Journalism 4 & 5 programs and is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges. Views expressed in The Rampage are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Fresno City College, its students, administration or the State Center Community College District.

Editors

Managing Editor: Sydney Excinia News Editor: Jesse Franz Views Editor: Kaitlin Regan Entertainment Editor: Karina Ornelas Sports Editor: Tomas Kassahun Production: Ramiro Gudino Photo Editor: Paul Schlesinger Online/Art Director: Austin Verburg Social Media/Asst Online: Alexander Tavlian Business Manager: Sydney Excinia/Annette De Dios Copy Editor: Jordan Russell Faculty Adviser: Dympna Ugwu-Oju

Reporters Allen, Chantrell B. Amaral, Elizabeth Bouchard, Jack M. Elliott, Matthew L. Hagobian, Maddie J. Jamieson-Brown, Heather E. Kassahun, Tomas Kirkland, Jere Lopez, Frank J. Martinez, Daisy Y. Pope, Troy C. Randazzo, Nicole R. Romar Morgan, Phillip M. Turpin, Carl A. Verkhotina, Olga D.

Contacts

Rampage Office rampage-business@fresnocitycollege.edu Adviser dympna.ugwu-oju@fresnocitycollege.edu Rampage Fresno City College 1101 E. University Ave. Fresno, CA 93741 Office: (559) 442-8262 Fax: (559) 265-5783

Follow us on Twitter @FCCRampage Facebook.com/FCCRampage

Visit our web site for updates www.therampageonline.com

recommend new online classes.

“We want to offer more classes general education classes that students are wanting to take,” Lopez said.

This survey is not only limited to starting new classes. It will also help the committee to know what the needs of online students are. The survey will offer students the opportunity to explain how often their instructors are using Blackboard, or if they even use Blackboard as an essential communication base with students.

“It is important to know what devices students are using to access their emails, Blackboard and Web advisor which will help instructors know how much information to put online and how easy it is to read,” Badertscher said.

The survey results will also help determine other needs that students may have, including online tutoring services and other resources they would like. Students can plan on seeing changes as early as next fall or in the spring of 2013.

“The importance of it [survey] is so students’ voices can be heard,” said Badertscher.

The Distance Education committee consists of faculty, student representatives, staff, and administrators and helps students enrolled in online or hybrid classes. Badertscher said a part of the committee’s concern is keeping up with technological developments to make sure students’ needs are met.

The reporter can be reached at eamaral@therampageonline.com

News

April 18, 2012

A Journey Of Culture

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Abel Cortez

Retiring African American Studies instructor to be honored in L.A.

Isaac Okin, African American Studies Professor at FCC

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter In Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, a young Isaac Okin spent his days hunting rabbits, squirrels and even snakes. Okin and his friends would start a fire, cut up the animals, sprinkle some salt and pepper on them, and enjoy a delicious feast.

At home, Okin would hear the never ending lectures his father gave about education. His father, who was married to six wives, would stress the importance of education to all his 15 children.

Okin’s mother, his father’s fifth wife, would give birth to three boys of her own.

Okin, who is often asked how his father can manage all the wives, says, “It’s easy. Every woman in the household has her own division of labor. Life back home isn’t sexually oriented as you have it in America.”

As the leading Christian local theologian, Okin’s father was one of the most respected men in the

country. He established one of the biggest churches in Kwara State before dying at the age of 105.

“My dad made sure to give all his children education. I’m very proud when I talk about my family. There is no profession you ask for in this phase of life you can’t find in my family,” says Okin whose siblings hold specialties in fields such as pharmacology, engineering, architecture, accountancy, and law, among other fields.

Like his father, Okin also emphasized the importance of education to all his children. He has raised nine children who have all gone on to prestigious universities and graduated.

“There is no member of my family that is lacking in education,” said Okin. Sometimes when I talk about it, people think I’m very cocky, but of course I have to be cocky. I’m very proud of it.”

Growing up in Nigeria, Okin said he learned more about America than his own country.

“We were more exposed to the outside world,” said Okin, whose curiosity about America grew with every new knowledge.

Additionally, a war broke out in Nigeria, and the ensuing chaos was unsettling. Okin decided to leave his homeland then, both to find safety as well as satisfy his curiosity about the U.S., the country he had studied for several years.

He first joined his brother in England before moving to Canada. Okin, however, was too accustomed to the tropical temperatures in Nigeria and found Canada’s frigid climate unbearable and transferred to the City University of New York. In New York, it would be another short stint as the fast pace life of New York proved to be too much for him.

Fortunately for Okin, he had already applied to 35 universities.

Tw e l v e w e r e C a l i f o r n i a universities. He narrowed his choice to the likes of San Francisco, Stanislaus, Cal State, and Fresno.

In the end, Okin found in Fresno the tropical climate that he had grown up with.

“People say ‘why Fresno?’ I love the tropical climate. I love the heat. It’s also the agricultural capital of the world,” said Okin.

“Life was very easy in Fresno.

Tuition for foreign students was very low. I fell in love with Fresno.”

And so in 1967, Okin started at Fresno State and quickly became a major part of the community.

He was involved in student government, tutored incoming students, represented foreign students and was part of a radio show called Africa Speaks.

In 1970, Okin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. Though he wanted to attend graduate school immediately after, he couldn’t find the money he needed.

Still he found his breakthrough -- thanks to the Housing and Urban Development agency which was awarding fellowships to select schools across the nation to train minority students for inner city development. Fresno State was

one of the schools selected to receive the scholarship, however, only a few minority students were applying for the scholarship, HUD had written Fresno State, threatening to take it away if there were not enough eligible minorities.

After learning about the scholarship, Okin went to the chair of city planning at Fresno State and asked for the scholarship. But Okin was not a yet a citizen so he did not qualify for the scholarship. Instead Okin was given a challenge.

He was told by the chairman that if he can bring in enough students to retain the program, he could apply for a fee waiver.

The next week, Okin marched into the chairman’s office with 30 students.

“The chairman was scared,” said Okin. “With student unrests going on at the time, he thought he was going to be attacked.”

Okin became one of 10 students selected for the scholarship and he went on to graduate school, becoming the first minority to get a master’s degree in City Planning at the university.

Also during this time, the Black Students program was established at Fresno State. It began as a result of African American students protesting learning about African culture solely from white professors.

Okin’s fraternity brother suggested that he teach black studies. Without hesitation, Okin joined the first black studies coordinators at Fresno State which ultimately established the African Studies component at Fresno State.

“I’m very proud to say I’m one of those African instructors who introduced African studies at Fresno State,” said Okin who also helped establish the African American graduation ceremony at Fresno State.

Meanwhile at Fresno City College, Kehinde Solwazi was also striving to build the African Studies program. Solwazi turned to Okin and lured him to teach classes at FCC. Before long, the two became brothers and the program took off.

“We had a lot in common. They

called him a radical. They called me a radical. We just clicked,” said Okin.

As he did at Fresno State, Okin made a major mark at FCC. He set up contemporary African Studies, the rites of passage for African American students and the naming ceremony. Okin also gave the IDILE program its name.

In the Yoruba language of Nigeria, «Idile» means «family.»

In 1978, Okin felt obligated to go back home and serve his country, Nigeria. He began educating the legislators in a time where the Nigerian government was trying to change from parliamentary to American democracy. “I was running symposiums to the legislature about American d e m o c r a c y. T h e y w e r e s o delighted,” said Okin.

In Nigeria, Okin would apply for a job with the legislators but was denied, prompting him to return to the U.S., to resume his teaching career.

Today, Okin is a proud holder of two master’s degrees, a doctorate in Government Analysis and a post doctorate degree in landscape.

Though he has come so far, Okin is still in many ways that little boy from Ilorin. “As old as I am, when I go back home, I still join my friends to do some hunting and all the things we did when we were young,” said Okin. “Even the young ladies that are married now come around with their husbands, and we talk and reminisce about the good old days when we were growing up. I’m very old now.

Everything is going down, but I still enjoy the camaraderie.”

On April, 21, Okin will be honored at the African Goodwill awards in Los Angeles. This semester will also mark the end of Okin’s teaching career. But his work is far from over. Okin, along with Solwazi, is striving to establish the first Black university on the west coast.

“I’m very proud of what I have accomplished,” says Okin. ”No white man can take that away from me. No black man can take that away from me.”

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

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April 18, 2012

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Cantu Appointed President Experience and Understanding of FCC key in selection Now, Cantu says he is ready to work with the district and build on FCC’s accreditation report as well as the strategic planning process. He is also working to make sure the college is well represented by individuals who work in different constituency groups.

And even amidst a budget crisis and the uncertainties it brings, Cantu remains optimistic. “I think we’ve stayed the course when dealing with doubts regarding the budget. We continue to provide as many services as possible to students. I’m very proud of that,” said Cantu.

As the chief executive of FCC, Cantu is focused on building a strong relationship with students.

He hopes to share more information with students and to get them involved in the governance process.

Cantu draws most of his strength and confidence from his upbringing in the small town of Mendota, Calif. He credits the small-town his strong sense of value.

“You get a sense of how everyone is looking out for each other.

Everybody knows you, and that was beneficial for me growing up in that environment,” he said. “I went to Tranquility High School

Ramiro Gudino

the vice president of instruction from 1999 to April 2011, as dean of humanities from 1994 to 1999.

He has also held administrative positions at Reedley College and served as the interim president of Reedley College from 20032004.

Cantu said he believes that serving as interim president in the previous year has prepared him to be the next president of FCC. “I have learned a lot in terms of making sure communication is timely and consistent. I have learned there is a huge number of people here who are willing to work and do what we need to do to move the college forward,” said Cantu. “I am very proud of this college and the faculty and students committed to the college.

Having seen it from a campus wide perspective, instead of just instruction, solidified what I had always thought.”

Academic Senate president Claudia Habib said she is confident of Cantu’s ability.

“I think it’s a good decision because Tony has been part of the college for many years. He knows the culture. He knows the process,” said Habib. “Right now, we’re making changes for the better. We’re making the transi-

photo by

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter In these uncertain times of a daunting budget crisis, the State Center Community College Board of Trustees chose a man with vast knowledge and much needed experience to lead the affairs of Fresno City College.

On April 3, Tony Cantu ascended to the presidency of FCC, a position he had occupied on an interim basis since April 1, 2011.

Cantu is the tenth president of the college and the third Hispanic to hold the position.

“The process that was utilized by the chancellor and board of trustees was inclusive and thorough,” said Randy Rowe, associate vice chancellor of Human Resources. “There was a tremendous amount of input from the campus community that the board and chancellor considered.

The result of that process is a quality individual, Tony Cantu, being named president of Fresno City College.”

Having been in the position for a year, Cantu thought it was important to continue in his role and move forward to meet the challenges. And with over 23 years of experience in the State Center Community College District, he

Newly appointed Fresno City College President, Tony Cantu.

“It feels good to be part of this history. It’s not where I expected to be at this point in my career but it’s very exciting.”

Tony Cantu Fresno City College President is confident in his knowledge of the college and the district.

During his tenure at SCCCD, Cantu has held several leadership positions, including serving as

tion so we’ll be able to keep the momentum because he has been working with different committees on the strategic planning and on program review. Being able to continue all that will help us.”

and that was a very good experience. I benefited from having very good teachers. I have been fortunate to have very good mentors. I’ve had individuals who have taken an interest in me and

have encouraged me.”

After graduating from Tranquility High, Cantu went on to pursue several degrees. At CSU Fresno, he received advanced degrees in Linguistics and ESL. He later received his degree in French from CSU Long Beach and completed graduate courses in French and Spanish Literature at UC Irvine.

Looking forward to his tenure as president, Cantu gives credit to FCC’s past presidents. As

vice president of instruction, he worked closely with previous presidents and gained valuable experience.

“It feels good to be part of this history. It’s not where I expected to be at this point in my career, but it’s very exciting,” he said. “I hope people will say that I cared and worked for the best interest of the college, the faculty and students.”

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

Budget Task force Presents Recommendations

By Alex Tavlian Rampage Reporter

The budget recommendations presented to the Chancellor’s Cabinet on Monday by the Budget Advisory task force detail various ways that the State Center Community College District can reduce its costs and bolster non-tax revenues during the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

The advisory task force’s multi-pronged approach lists 21 different recommendations to attack the district’s ongoing budget woes.

At the top of the list of recommendations is that the district maintains a 1.5 to 2 percent above the full-time equivalent student (FTES) cap.

The FTES calculation is the metric by which the State of California apportions funds to various school districts, from K-12 to the University of California system.

Fresno City College had its

share of problems with FTES during 2011-2012 academic year, involving using an outdated equation to account for full-time equivalents, yielding a shortfall of state funding from what had been budgeted last July. In response, the college added a slate of 12-week classes to make up the difference.

The task force also recommended a few changes not likely to go over well with students, such as charging them for course schedules, ensuring that they pay for district wide course catalogs and increasing parking fees and fines over time.

Another recommendation is to evaluate the consultants hired by SCCCD and see if the district can use some of its own staffers to do the work that is generally farmed out to pricey consultants.

A number of recommendations focused on the operations and maintenance of the district’s various campuses and centers.

Aside from wanting to move

more lottery funding into the operations budget, the task force recommended that facilities fees should cover all costs and the maintenance of those facilities.

A large recommendation was reserved for the district’s planned Southeast Center in southeast Fresno. The task force recommended that the district review the current needs of the area and possible alternatives that would use the center’s large funding for the district’s existing centers and campuses.

The construction of the new center is being funded by a bond issue which has raised $30 million for district. SCCCD is also receiving matching funds from the state of California up to $45 million. The concern is focused on whether another bond issue will be available in the future to fund the construction of the Southeast Center.

Other recommendations of the task force include: -Move paper forms online and

implement online processes.

-Look at selling some of the district’s properties.

-Continue to hold Fresno City College’s graduation at Selland Arena, but increase advertising as a method of increasing revenue.

-In reviewing the job vacancies, human resources departments need to consider campus and district needs along with the needs of Willow International and whether it is still efficient.

-Justify the need and budget availability for each student hourly position.

-In evaluating athletics, does the district need to reduce the number of teams, the size of teams, or number of coaches?

-Hold summer school from 7 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday between May 21 and July 27 to conserve energy.

Christopher Coronado, Fresno City College’s student trustee and a member of the task force, said that the recommendations

are not the position of the district and that, while all constituency groups were represented on the task force, the recommendations were not unanimous, but all received a majority of support.

“I wanted to address administrative pay,” Coronado said.

“Hopefully they would endure cuts, so that way it [the cuts] would be equitable among all constituency.”

Coronado said that he was surprised that a recommendation for administrative pay cuts didn’t make the list, but a cut on student hourly positions was recommended.

With these preliminary recommendations submitted to the Chancellor’s Cabinet, Coronado said the final budget recommendations will be presented to the Board of Trustees during its retreat in Fresno next week.

The reporter can be reached at atavlian@therampageonline.com

News

April 18, 2012

Danes Study At FCC Apples to Apples so students learn the new words easily and outside the classroom. It’s not a stressful class, there are no assignments. It’s just an opportunity to socialize and share cultures through games and discussions.”

Anybody from FCC can be a part of the program and everybody can benefit from it. In addition to letting students improve vocabulary, meet new friends, teach American culture, learn about Denmark and enjoy free snacks, the Language Partner provides

students with nice bonuses.

“Every participant receives a 25 percent off coupon to the bookstore by the end of the program,” said Benas. “Students can also get volunteer hours papers signed upon approval and some of the instructors offer extra credit for participation. We also invite language partners to come on some of the road trips with us if they would like.”

The Language Partner takes place every Thursday until May 3 in room SO-110 at

1-2:30 p.m. and welcomes anybody who is interested.

Meanwhile, State Center Community College District is working on expanding the partnership program with Mercantec.

“We are in the planning stages of sending groups to Denmark too,” said Rebecca Benas. “An SCCCD representative will go there this late summer or early fall to plan the program that we will be holding in Denmark.”

The reporter can be reached at overkotina@therampageonline.com

Olga Verkhotina

The Fresno City College campus will become even more diverse for the next couple of weeks.

Fourteen exchange students from Denmark came to Fresno on Friday, April 9 to attend FCC until May 5.

This is the fourth year of FCC’s partnership program with Mercantec School of Business and Technology in Viborg, Denmark.

Automotive, construction, electronics, food services and business students come every spring to take classes related to their majors, improve English skills, sightsee and learn about American culture.

“Mercantec picks top first or second year students in their fields and asks them if they would like to be a part of the exchange program,” said Denmark program coordinator and English instructor Rebecca Benas. “After the students agree, they have to choose more advanced and faster paced curriculum. They usually take higher level English class and more challenging major courses.

In order to keep the spot in the program, students have to keep up good grades and behavior.”

While in Fresno, students live with host families, go to classes weekdays and travel around Cali-

fornia on weekends. According to the program, students will visit Universal Studios and Yosemite, go to the batting cages, go white water rafting and shop at the outlet malls. They will also team up in the volleyball and soccer tournaments against Students Activities and Tutorial Center.

“Our experience here has been really fun so far,” said Mercantec student Bjorn Danielsan. “The people in our classes are very nice and I love the weather in California. Also, in Denmark we start learning the theoretical material in classes first but here they start with practice right away so it has been a nice change of pace.”

Students do not receive any academic credit for taking classes at FCC but the information they learn and the skills they develop here help them to do better at school when they go back home. Besides writing formal essays for English class, one of the biggest goals of the program was to connect Dane students to the FCC students so they would help them learn the language more casually through the program called Language Partner.

“This is the first year we are doing Language Partner,” said Rebecca Benas. “It’s just a fun and easy way to learn English. We play board vocabulary games like

photo by

By Olga Verkotina Rampage Reporter

7

Students from Viborg, Denmark meet FCC faculty and SCCCD officials at the Welcoming Reception on Tuesday, April 7.

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April 18, 2012

Entertainment

Asian American Month Celebrated At FCC

Spring is in the air, and on the Fresno City College’s campus that ranslates into an annual celebration - Asian American Heritage Month.

This “month,” extending from March 30 to April 28, is marked by cultural dances, exotic foods, academic discussions and showcasing of Asian art and fashion.

The celebration reaches beyond the 3,890 students enrolled at FCC in spring 2012 identifying themselves as Asians or Pacific Islanders. The events hold wide appeal and draw large crowds.

With an estimated 17.6 million Asian Americans in the

United States, April and May are highly anticipated and celebrated months in the Asian community.

Congress passed a joint resolution to commemorate Asian American Heritage month in 1978.

While the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month technically begins during the first week of May, celebrations start as early as the end of March because of two important anniversaries which occur during this time -- the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in America on May 7, 1843 and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad (by many Chinese laborers) on May 10, 1869.

Fresno City College began the festivities a bit early in an attempt to fit in all the Asian-inspired ac-

tivities and started the month off with the annual opening day show hosted by Emcee Janice Wong.

“There was an impressive turnout,” said sophomore Min Lee. “Fresno City [College] does a great job of showing the importance of Asian culture.”

Speakers at the ceremony included Beth Wengerd, instructor of anthropology and campus president Tony Cantu. Following a captivating performance of Lao dancing and a Kung Fu demonstration by Homer Greene, Ilexis Jacoby played violin, and Nileen Clark performed an Indian dance.

The celebrations continued after spring break, with John Cho’s Lion Dance Team performing on APril 9 with the Cambodian Collegiate Association, Shin Fresno Kendo Dojo, Hmong American Student Association, the Chinese Firecracker Wars (skits), Lao Youth of Fresno and John Cho’s Kung Fu. On April 16, students met with English as Second Language instructor, Sylvie Huncault-Shultze, who shared her travels through Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. Huncault-Shultze shared the details of her 10-month journey through Asia, including the exotic foods she ate, traditions she learned and the memorable people she met.

The activities and performances continue for the rest of April.

These include a discussion of

(Clockwise from Left) Thai Isan Dancers perform “Isan Lum Plern,” a reflection of farmers enjoying the beauty of the sunset; Nileen Clark performing the “Tari Golek,” an indonesian dance where a dancer mimics a puppet; John Cho’s Lion Dance Team, a tradition of the Celebration Night Show, which took place on April 9, and has been a part of the month-long festival at FCC.

Explore Your

Japanese American internment, moderated by history instructor Paul Gilmore. Sab and Marion Masada, who endured time in internment camp during World War II, will share their story on April 18 at 9 a.m. in FH-103.

On April 20, Janice Wong will host the Asian Language Game Show at 12 p.m. in the Student Lounge. The event will include a fun interactive look at the languages of the Lao, Hmong and Chinese. FCC artist Sansanee Boonyad will showcase 15 of her inventive drawings.

John Cho will moderate a discussion and introspection on April 24 at 2 p.m. in the Student Lounge.

FCC concludes Asian American Month with Asian Fest, a free celebration of the month, featuring food, martial arts and a vendor fair, starting at 9 a.m. on April 28.

The reporter can be reached at mhagobian@therampageonline.com

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Entertainment

April 18, 2012

Spring Rain Brings Bloom To Fresno

By Paul Schlesinger Rampage Reporter

After a dry period, the wet season has arrived in Fresno.

Evidence of this can be seen in the colorful gardens and wildflowers blooming all across the Fresno area in empty urban lots and wide-open grassland. Farm crops have also taken advantage of the recent rains and sun and are showing new growth.

photos by

Paul Schlesinger

The reporter can be reached at pschlesinger@therampageonline.com

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April 18, 2012

10

Entertainment

The Critics Say...

Amid a recession, there’s always a few success stories to be told.

P*DE*Q, a new Tower eatery and food producer, is one of them.

The name of the company says exactly what it produces: pao de queijo, a Brazilian cheese-filled bread bun.

Started just before the inaugural Fresno Food Expo in March 2011, P*DE*Q was just an opportunity for owner and founder, Flavia Takahashi-Flores, to bring her favorite food from Brazil and produce them for sale.

The inspiration to wholesale the bread buns came purely from the fact that no other company was selling a good pao de queijo mix

for consumers.

Using the Food Expo as a launching pad, Takahashi-Flores was able to raise enough money to open a half-retail, half-manufacturing plant at the corner of Echo and Weldon avenues, across from Fresno High School, called P*DE*Q Corner.

Oddly, P*DE*Q Corner’s location has a storied past. While the current business is doing well, its previous two tenants, Javawava and Echo Street Coffee, haven’t been so lucky, the latter going out of business in the Spring of 2011.

Prior to the 2012 Fresno Food Expo, Takahashi-Flores and P*DE*Q were only producing their classic cheese bread. Then they unveiled their latest creations – jalapeño, carrot, raisin and chocolate renditions of their

classic tapioca bun.

After trying the new flavors, it’s a tough to decide whether the new flavors are better than the original.

Of the three new flavors, chocolate is the most impressive, as the flavor explodes once you reach the melted and gooey chocolate embedded in the bread.

And even the carrot raisin P*DE*Q is enticing enough that even skeptics ought to give it a try.

The tapioca-based bread is great for those sensitive to gluten, as P*DE*Qs contain no gluten or wheat.

P*DE*Qs run $1.50 a piece and frozen jars of original and jalapeno P*DE*Qs run between $10 and $11.

P*DE*Q Corner is located at 1940 Echo Ave. and is open Monday through Wednesday from 7

photo by

By Alex Tavlian Rampage Reporter

Paul Schlesinger

P*De*Q Brings Brazilian Taste To Fresno

Flavia Takahashi-Flores sells Pão De Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread.

a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information about

P*DE*Q visit their website at pdeq.net

rap songs, but the rest of the album showcases Minaj’s transition into a pop star.

The bubble gum pop of the radio single “Starships” is the epitome of Minaj’s transition into a pop star that has inspiring synth sounds with fantastical lyrical themes. The song was popular, but sounded like another pop anthem that Katy Perry or Rihanna would sing.

“Beautiful Sinner” has the sustained synth sound of a rave song and Minaj’s voice sounds exactly like Rihanna. This song may soon get radio play and will blend perfectly into the pop anthems already out there.

Nicki Minaj is still a fresh face in the world of pop music and she still has a chance to take her music in any direction she wants. She’s still providing great hooks with a number of hip-hop artists and proves she can provide fresh hip-hop songs, but it seems that she’s taken the route of another stereotypical female pop star.

Hopefully Minaj will keep it fresh with her upcoming music, but “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” is just another mediocre pop album.

wrote. Kinect games are meant to be party games. It only made sense to include an activity such as that, even though it supposedly ruined the childhood of fans.

CoD’s success is undeniable, marketers will tell the developers they’d be foolish not to try to bring in some of those numbers for their own franchise.

Developers are going to take the feedback of their fans into consideration, but no one fan’s commentary is valid enough to stand over shoulders and make decisions. Fans don’t own the content, but they can control its direction if they give fair and respectful feedback.

The reporter can be reached at atavlian@therampageonline.com

New Nicki Minaj Album Reloads Pop

By Frank Lopez Rampage Reporter

Unless you’ve been living under a rock it’s difficult not to notice the popularity of rapper Nicki Minaj.

Her debut studio album, “Pink Friday,” released in 2011, with commercial success mounting her as one of the most popular female rappers.

Minaj exploded onto the mainstream and had teen girls (and a few housewives) singing along to her hit “Super Bass,” a catchy pop song featuring an edgy rap from Minaj.

Her second mainstream album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” is an attempt, says Minaj, to show she’s more than just a pop star.

Minaj is said to be the Lady Gaga of hip-hop and refers to herself as the “female Weezy,” but she’s an extravagant and talented entertainer in her own right. She’s proven herself to be a genius when it comes to making a hook and can rap with the arsenal of voices she uses. With her smooth but arrogant rap flows, her exaggerated bawling voice of her alter ego “Roman,” and her high Barbie voice, she provides lewd and extravagant lyrics.

Unfortunately, the album seems to be a transition into a musical work tended to be more radio friendly.

Minaj opens the album as one of her many alter egos in “Roman Holiday” in a high voice saying, “Take your medication Roman, take a short vacation Roman.” The song is layered with synthesizers, an electronic drumbeat and a variety of beam and beep sounds that give it a spacey vibe. The hook is catchy and

she provides a solid rap, ending with her singing over a Christmas hymn.

The second track is better than the first, with the heavy hip-hop bass sound of “Come on a Cone” and medium tempo beat as Minaj raps arrogant and sexual lyrics over techno-club instrumentation in the chorus. She has no modesty when she

says, “I’m not masturbatin’, but I’m feelin’ myself.”

Minaj collaborates with a number of hip-hop’s hottest artists, such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Chris Brown, and Nas. The heavy bass song, “I Am Your Leader” features heavy rap from Rick Ross and Cam’ron, while Minaj gives an eerie marching sound of a chorus.

“Beez in the Trap,” featuring rapper Chainz, is simple with a heavy electronic bass and has Minaj using her Barbie girl voice. This song exemplifies that Minaj posesses real rapping skills.

“Roman Reloaded,” featuring Minaj’s mentor, Lil’ Wayne, is a fast and heavy hip-hop song with the rhythm and energy for any dance club. Minaj confronts the notion of selling, saying, “guess I went commercial ‘cause I made a commercial.”

The album has catchy and interesting rap songs from Minaj and her collaborators, placing them in a very strong light. Minaj provides her sexual prowess, superfluous attitude and her larger than life stance, giving her an intriguing air.

“Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” has 19 tracks and the first half is what really stands out. The first part of the album has intense and heavy

received overall, getting perfect scores from critique sources, such as G4TV and Game Informer magazine. The majority of other sources also gave it close to perfect scores.

But the game’s enjoyable and well-built gameplay was not the only thing its fans were chatting about on the forums. Fans who completed the game fell into two categories; those who thought the game was all-around amazing, and those who thought the ending was a rip-off.

To the latter group, the ending did not live up to expectations. It was so disappointing that they felt what was advertised in commercials and interviews did not sync with the product they were sold.

This was the justification one

group used to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, according to an article in Game Informer. Complaints were so intense that developers, Bioware, are releasing a free downloaded expansion to the ending of the game this summer.

“Kinect Star Wars,” released April 3, excited “Star Wars” fans, new and old, with the promise of having lightsaber duels and podraces in the comfort of your living room.

However, one inclusion to the game horrified fans; Star Warsthemed dance competitions where the players dance along with various characters to pop songs with lyrics rewritten for the Star Wars universe.

The “Call of Duty” franchise’s

ability to draw in fans of the multiplayer has not gone unnoticed.

Games like “Halo,” “Hitman” and “Assassin’s Creed” have all either changed their multiplayer or completely added one.

This was done in hope of bringing the CoD crowd in. The problem with this is that while it does attract the CoD crowd, it’s unable to make them stay.

CoD fans are going to stick to CoD, meaning the game didn’t keep the fan base they hoped to attract, and disappointed the fans they already had by changing what those fans already liked about it.

So are moves like these justified? Developers feel their content is their art.

Bioware’s ending was what they imagined for the story they

photo by

Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Republic.

The reporter can be reached at flopez@therampageonline.com

The D-Pad: Do Fans Own The Content?

By Austin Verburg Rampage Reporter

Any industry is fueled by two groups of people, those who create the product and those who consume it.

When it comes to movies and video games, it seems that there are fans who feel that the content creators should abandon their personal ideas and only do exactly what the fans expect, as the fans are the ones paying for the content.

This implies that what is created in the industry is not the property of the creator, but of the consumer.

But is this true?

The release of “Mass Effect 3” well over a month ago sparked much conversation due to its immense popularity. It was well-

The reporter can be reached at averburg@therampageonline.com

Entertainment

April 18, 2012

Students To Showcase Musical Talents

By Matthew Elliott Rampage Reporter

The Fresno City College music department will host one of four recitals this Friday, April 20, at 12 p.m. in the FCC Recital Hall (MS-132) as part of their free student recital series.

With each event, students and faculty can witness the soloist skills of gifted studentws from several fields of musical study.

Four woodwind students will be performing at the upcoming event.

Performers include one flutist, one oboist, one clarinetist and one saxophonist.

The program will also feature: a pianist selected by piano instructor, Olga Quercia; a guitarist selected by guitar instructor, Dr. Kevin

Cooper; a trumpeter selected by brass instructor Dale Engstrom, and a vocalist selected by vocal instructor, Rebecca Sarkisian.

These recitals are coordinated

by Julie Dana, FCC’s choral instructor. According to Dana, the recitals, “allow our students to perform for an audience as a part of their solo studies here at FCC.” She continued, “We have four of these each semester and then the top performances for the year are selected by the faculty to return and perform at the Honors Recital.”

Each recital presents a different group of student soloists who are looking to earn the votes of musical faculty to earn top honors.

Because of the distinguished level of these performers, these events are certain to offer an excellent opportunity for attendees

Seating for these recitals are granted on a first come, first served basis. People should consider arriving a few minutes in advance of the event to secure a good seat.

For more information concern“(These recitals) allow our students to perform for an ing these audience as a part of their solo studies here at FCC.” events, contact the Fresno City Julie Dana C o l l e g e activities Recital Programs Coordinator o f f i c e a t (559)-265the Honors Recital is an op- to witness some of the most tal- 5711 or by clicking through the portunity for the music depart- ented soloists currently attending FCC calendar of events online at fresnocitycollege.edu under ment’s faculty members to award the college.

Following the April 20 recital, “Campus Events.” scholarships that certain students have auditioned for earlier in the student performances will take place on April 27 and May 4 at The reporter can be reached at semester, explained Dana. melliott@therampageonline.com The Honors Recital will be noon in MS-132. to appreciate the considerable talents of potential professionals currently attending FCC. Beyond featuring the top performers from the four recitals,

held on Friday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

In addition to this coming Friday’s recital, students and faculty will have two more opportunities

Nine Tips To Stay Beautiful At Any Age

By Daisy Martinez Rampage Reporter

We start aging from the time of birth. As we age, our face and body features start to change. As much as we want to stay looking like 20 we can’t. Here are some tips into looking as fabulous as you age.

The face should be cleaned daily using a face cleanser, following with a toner and moisturizing cream. Using a facial mask once a week helps the skin fresh.

Drinking plenty of water replenishes the skin and flushes out

the toxins. With a healthier skin it makes you look younger.

The first signs of aging show on the skin. As we age, our skin loses elasticity, which causes the skin to get wrinkles.

That’s why it’s very important to take good care of our skin.

Protecting our skin from sun exposure can minimize wrinkles.

Summer is just around the corner and it’s important to protect your skin with plenty of sunblock.

As much as we want that perfect tan, we must protect it from ultraviolet rays.

Being under the sun can cause

11

harmful effects to the skin. It dries the skin faster, which causes wrinkles and it can also cause skin cancer.

Aside from wearing sun block we must also wear sun glasses all the time. If sun glasses aren’t worn we tend to squint. That causes the wrinkles around the eye area.

Weight control can also help you look younger. If you gain or lose weight the skin stretches and the skin expands and sags.

Maintaining a proper weight is overall important for your health and the look of your skin.

Staying on a healthy diet and regular physical activity helps you look younger. Thirty to 60 minutes of exercise can help maintain your body weight.

Taking care of your skin and body is the first key into looking beautiful. But makeup and clothing also helps your looks.

Wearing appropriate makeup for your age and occasion defines who you are. If you choose to wear makeup you must use the appropriate combinations.

If your eyes have dark shades your lips must have light shades or vice versa. Daytime makeup

should be light and neutral colors.

During the night, shades should get a little darker.

When it comes to clothing you should keep up with the latest styles and colors to look fabulous through the years. You should always try to wear styles that fit your age group.

Lastly, getting haircuts regularly and maintaining our hair healthy is key. Nails should be nicely polished and trimmed to the desired length.

The reporter can be reached at dmartinez@therampageonline.com

Views Transparency Is Key For New ASG Officers April 18, 2012

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Editorial Rampage Staff Fresno City College’s Associated Student Government elections are right around the corner. If you haven’t noticed, posters are up and candidates are making their rounds and jockeying for speaking opportunities. Candidates for ASG president, Daniel Clark and Nathan Alonzo, are ready to make their cases before student voters.

Each candidate vows to outdo the other – to listen more intently, to interact more, to share more information and to represent FCC students more effectively. The election is ultimately reduced to who can speak more eloquently or who has more toys for show-andtell. That will not suffice this year, not with the budget shortfalls and massive cuts and other challenges facing the college at this moment.

The future ASG president needs to, first of all, understand the magnitude of the situation he is walking into and be ready to meet the challenges head-on.

As they scramble for votes, the candidates need to consider the duties that await them. They need to think deeply about what they can realistically achieve and how they will they will advocate on behalf of the students.

The economy is not any better than it was last year. If anything, our college is facing its largest reduction in funding. Your regular run-of-the-mill representation will not do. The new ASG president must be innovative in advocating for programs and services on

behalf of students. The new ASG needs to pay more attention to students’ wants and needs, even in the face of opposition or obstacles.

They need to be truly efficient and remain practical and always keep the best interest of the students in mind.

Our new leaders must be transparent – let those you represent know what is going on. Do not assume you know what your constituents want or need all the time. Solicit their input; encourage their participation; find out their concerns and then seek ways to resolve them. Above all, keep FCC students informed on what you are doing so they know you’re working on their behalf.

A recent survey of FCC students reveals a lack of knowledge about what ASG is or what it does. A whopping 69 percent of students did not know what ASG was. Alarming? Yes, but not surprising.

The new officials need to make themselves known and their policies available for public input and scrutiny. While ASG records are public, the majority of our students do not know that fact or how to obtain that information. It is the responsibility of the elected officials to make themselves and their

agenda available and prominent on the campus.

Informing the students is also a duty of ASG and that is a huge

part of this transparency issue. If student government officials are as concerned about the students as they say they are, they could go out and actually talk to students in forums, Town Halls, debates and even meet-and-greets. Sit with them and listen to what the students have to say about how to improve life at FCC. Create opportunities for students to discuss whatever concerns they may

have.

Treat students as trusted advisors. They know more than the eye can discern, and when asked,

Illustration by Austin Verburg

will provide reliable information.

ASG does not necessarily need to have all of the answers. It is ok to ask questions. Questions prove that one is not arrogant in assuming you know everything. Also, it makes you more human in the eyes of other students.

Fresno City College students deserve a student government that follows through on its promises.

An issue such as the designated smoking areas vote needs to be addressed and handled with haste.

When students take the time to vote on an issue that ASG presents, ASG must put that vote into action. We will no longer tolerate extended periods between policy and action.

Another area to improve on would be on ASG’s spending.

While the idea of Valentine grams was nice, it hardly merits the $700 that was spent on it, especially in these austere times.

There needs to be a practical discussion when it comes to the funds and how they are spent. If ASG truly wants to advocate for students and improve things on campus, they could think about taking the money from Ramburger and Ramdoggie and putting it towards more scholarships or textbook grants for students.

That money could also be used to offer students more access to tutors when they need them. During finals week, ASG generously provides snacks and coffee for students, but it might be a better idea to offer more access to tutors even if only on a temporary basis.

As students stress out, a tutor may be the thing they need that assures them of their mastery of material.

Students at FCC deserve great representation, and we are counting on the next set of elected officials to remember that they are elected by students and must at all times speak for their constituency.

The reporter can be reached at rampage-business@fresnocitycollege.edu

Campus Voices: What Was Your First Impression Of America?

Dane students from Vieorg, Denmark are studying at FCC for a month through the Language Partners program.

Photos by Olga Verkhotina Rampage Reporter

By Jere Kirkland Rampage Reporter

Biorn Danielsen Auto Mechanics

Christian Ekholm Construction

Gustar Jensen Electronics

“Gas is half the price it is at home.”

“America has a lot of fast food restaurants.”

“Americans are more open and the cars are huge.”

Jeppe Loch Construction

Kenneth Moller Business

Mike Aksglaede Electronics

“Nobody knows the Danish rapper Kidd.”

“The streets and cities are beautiful with lots of trees and flowers.”

“The weather is better here and the girls are too.”

Mikkel Jorgensen Business

Pernille Pedersen Business

Sebastian Holm Construction

“Strangers on the street have conversation, they ask how you are doing and tell you to have a good day.”

“Good, I want to come back. The weather is warm.”

“Everything is cheaper.”

The reporter can be reached at jkirkland@therampageonline.com

Views

April 18, 2012

Marijuana: It’s not going to kill you

By Troy Pope Rampage Reporter On April 20, smokers may be criticized for celebrating the counterculture holiday known as 4:20, but in reality, if marijuana was legal and being taxed to begin with, it would bring in even more money to the economy than on other days.

It could be another commercialized holiday, like Valentine’s Day. In 2010 California voted against Proposition 19 that would legalize the sale and taxing of marijuana statewide, despite that it would be beneficial to the economy. And by California, I mean 53 percent of the 9,977,110 people that voted on the proposition.

California’s population in 2010 was over 37 million people, and yet it took only 5 million people to vote no and maintain marijuana’s

illegal status. The federal government needs to get over its problem with marijuana and put it on the shelves for purchase.

Right now it is on the government’s list of illegal psychedelic substances. It’s on the same list as meth, peyote, mescaline and LSD. That’s a bit ridiculous.Labeling marijuana in a way that it’s declared to be as harmful as the drugs on the same list says that the government is trying to use a scare tactic to keep it illegal.

In reality, the biggest cause for concern is the temporary impairment of short term memory. And it is only impaired while the person is under the influence.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, “Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Despite these risks, approximately 46.6 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes.” Yet smoking cigarettes is legal.

to distracted drivers that are texting or talking on the phone i n t h e c a r.

Marijuana does not directly act as the primary cause of death in any cases. However, it can act as a secondary cause of death such as causing a car accident, but those numbers are measured in the hundreds, Illustration by Austin Verburg not thousands.

Alcohol related deaths, at over I hear a lot of marijuana smokers 100,000 each year, are listed in say that since smoking cigarettes is reports by the CDC, making the list far more deadly, they should be able of the top causes of death nation- to smoke marijuana just as legally wide. Marijuana does not make the as cigarettes. Despite statistics, this list; alcohol is legal and marijuana is faulty. is not.

Marijuana needs to be legal, have Caffeine related deaths range an additional tax, and be regulated u p t o 1 0 , 0 0 0 a n n u a l l y w i t h the same way as alcohol – not cigavarious causes such as irregu- rettes. Smoking marijuana is safer lar heartbeats, ulcers and stress. than smoking cigarettes, drinking There are 6,000 deaths per year, alcohol, caffeine and using a cell and a half-million injuries related phone while driving.

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Also, if it is a concern, smoking in public will not be an issue if it is regulated like alcohol.

If people had the right to openly smoke it as freely as cigarettes, allowing people to smoke behind the wheel would cause its secondary cause of death statistics to rise sharply.

In the real world California’s budget deficit is $21 billion. Billions of dollars have been cut over the years from higher education to reduce the strain on the state.

Classes have been cancelled; summer school has been reduced to six-week programs; most of the CSU system has closed its doors starting in the spring 2013 semester and some colleges like Santa Monica Community College have introduced the idea for $180 per unit for “high demand” classes.

Many economists have said that the taxation on marijuana would raise $1.4 billion per year in California alone. It won’t fix the economy, but it will save some jobs and college availability. It is good for the economy.

Despite it having minor negative points in comparison to other legal substances, marijuana is still illegal.

The government really needs to suck it up, break away from past attitudes, and take steps to legalize it.

The reporter can be reached at tpope@therampageonline.com

The Zen Guide To Insensitivity: The Electoral College Is Pointless Why is it that in a country where we have the freedom of a democratic system, we One of the most difficult make it so complicated that concepts to grasp in politics we turn off the very people and the election process, and as we are trying to get to vote?

Why do we have the Eleca result the most off-putting to people that don’t know much toral College? It’s so that people about it, is the Electoral College. wouldn’t elect the president

By Troy Pope Rampage Reporter

directly. The framers of the Constitution thought that the public was generally too stupid to vote for their own leader, so voters were put a step away from the process.

It’s a way for the educated population to have one more advantage over those who were

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not so fortunate in life. If they make the system so complicated that people don’t get involved in it, then they’re really exercising their control of those who aren’t as educated. As a result, this small portion of the population runs the country because they won’t speak up with our vote.

In the Electoral College system, a candidate can win the vote of the people, and still lose the election because they lost the electoral vote.

The system is based on congressional representatives rather than actual voters. For instance, if 18 million people vote in California and 18 million people vote in Texas, California still gets to cast its 55 electoral votes, while Texas only gets to cast 38. This is because California’s population is higher than in Texas.

It’s a pretty ridiculous gap in logic. Even if 10 percent of California votes, at about 3.7 million people, and 100 percent of Texas votes, at about 25.6 million people, California still gets to use its 55 electoral votes and Texas is still stuck with their 38.

Does that mean they’re saying that some votes mean more than others?

In the 2000 presidential election, California voters cast approximately 10,800,000 popular votes, and cast 54 electoral votes in the Electoral College. Wyoming voters cast about 213,000 popular votes and three electoral votes. So California cast one electoral vote for every 200,000 popular voters, while Wyoming cast one electoral vote for every 71,000 popular votes, giving each Wyoming voter almost three times more influence in the Electoral College than each California voter.

There is something truly wrong with a system that can, in any way, declare that one person’s vote is more important than another person’s simply because of where they live.

In that election, Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote with 50,999,897 votes, while Gov. George W. Bush had 50,456,002 votes. Despite that Gore won the popular vote by over a half-million votes, Bush received 271 electoral votes and Gore only received 266. The Electoral College is another layer of red tape designed to confuse people out of getting involved in the “smart people only” political system. Many people that are into politics will tell you not to vote unless you understand the issues and the system. That is their method of making you inferior to them. If they can confuse you so much that you stay home on Election Day, that means they are the ones making the laws and you are the ones abiding them.

It’s a flawed system that desperately needs to be abolished. It’s so complicated for someone to and understand that they don’t even realize how flawed the system is.

The idea of the Electoral College was based on the standards of a different time. It was before widespread literacy, during a time when a significant percentage of white adults were illiterate. Now we have 24 hour news channels, and newspapers and internet access are easily accessible.

I think it’s time we step out of the shadow of our forefathers and think for ourselves.

The reporter can be reached at tpope@therampageonline.com

April 18, 2012

14

Views

Is Social Media A Good Form Of Social Consciousness?

Pro

By Nicole Randazzo-Turpin Rampage Reporter

W

hen it comes to social media and its impact on social consciousness, I am in awe of critics who say that this form of social consciousness has a negative effect on our society. Social media allows people all over the world, from different economic backgrounds and cultures to receive the same information—at almost the same time.

Apathy has plagued our generation for some time. With young people focusing on school, as well as juggling work and social lives, it is almost impossible to grab their attention and force them to spend time focusing on the world’s latest pressing issues.

In recent years, our nation has become more socially aware and more active in world affairs. According to Politico.com, 130 million Americans voted in the 2008 presidential election compared to 122.3 million who voted during the 2004 presidential election—that is almost an 8 million voter difference.

I doubt it is only a coincidence that within the four years separating those elections social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace were becoming more and more popular in our nation.

Other countries must also give credit to social networking sites. According to Socialnetworking.procon.org, social media was an “important tool for social change” during the 2009 Iranian election. Iranian protesters used Twitter to communicate with the public when the government was limiting the use of telephones and the media throughout the country. “The ability to remain anonymous helped protect people who were spreading information in real time,” the website says.

Social media has proved itself to be a powerful for social change. The recent murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin became world news when Martin’s parents created an online petition calling for the arrest of his alleged killer, Neighborhood Watch Captain George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was not initially charged with the boy’s murder, as he claimed it was self defense. Under a controversial Florida State law any person (including Zimmerman) fearing danger is allowed to shoot and kill the individual threatening them regardless of whether or not that person is carrying a weapon.

In addition to this petition hitting the Internet, radio host Michael Bisden sent out a message to his 65,000 Twitter followers and 585,000 Facebook fans informing them of this injustice. After this, millions of Facebook and Twitter users were sharing the petition with their friends and families.

The internet was buzzing with people calling for action to be taken in this young Florida boy’s case. After receiving worldwide attention Florida called in their Special Prosecutor, Angela B. Corey, to reexamine the case. After the special investigation,

Corey has decided to charge Zimmerman with second degree murder where he stands to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison.

If it wasn’t for the national attention that social media helped provide for this case I doubt that further investigation would have been done. Zimmerman would likely still be a free man.

As I stated earlier, people all over the world are inundated with the stress and responsibility that comes with living under the conditions we all presently live in.

Not many people find the time in their day-to-day lives to independently investigate the current events. However, many people do find the time to sign into sites such as Facebook and Twitter to check in on their loved ones and friends. And when they see different friends and loved ones posting comments and engaging in discussions via the web, only then does it draw intrigue.

This attitude can easily be found right here on campus. Kimberly Wabasher, a 23 year-old English majorsaid, “You know, I don’t really care about news when Barbara

C

ommunications theorist Marshall McLuhan once state d t h a t , “ We s h a p e o u r t o o l s ; and afterwards our tools shape us.”

Prior to using social media as a tool for obtaining information, journalistic integrity demanded that professionals be patient and detailed. Fact checking was a fact of life.

Nowadays, in the rush to break new information, news and social media websites rapidly share information from unverified sources. Social media has eroded the relevance of a trusted source.

Websites such as Google News and Yahoo News pull from thousands of sources to display the most clicked on stories of the news day. The result is that oftentimes, the most sensationalized version of a headline is displayed to millions of visitors.

The most serious affect of social media appears to be the damage it does to innocent human beings.

We as individuals have an inert desire to cope with the guilt we feel after being presented with an act of injustice.

Illustration by Austin Verburg

Walters is telling me to care about it from my television. I care more about news when I see how it affects my friends.” Wabasher says that she appreciates learning about pressing issues via sites like Twitter and Facebook because she feels the information is easy to access and she can do things at once. “I get to see how my friends, who moved away from college, are doing and sign important petitions. I can do all of this

“I care more about news when I see how it affects my friends.”

When we believe in wrongdoing, as is the case of the Trayvon Martin incident, we as a culture fixate on an event in order to address particular values that we are supposed to carry as a people.

The viral spreading of information on social websites such as Facebook and Twitter, combined with our desire to do moral justice towards the situations that we’re informed of, occasionally causes

“We shape our tools, and

afterwards our tools shape us.”

Kimberly Wabasher

Marshall McLuhan

English Major

Communications Theorist

at the same time and all from my phone,” she said.

Admittedly, there are negative aspects to social media becoming our main form of social consciousness. But in a fast pace world, where many people suffer from daily stress and mild apathy, I would much rather have social media as a form of social consciousness than for society to have social consciousness at all.

The reporter can be reached at nrandazzo@therampageonline.com

us to inadvertently harass the innocent.

Late last month, Spike Lee posted what he believed to be accused shooter, George Zimmermann’s address to 250,000 of his Twitter followers. The address led to a completely unrelated house.

The older couple and their son faced a surge of news reporters at their front door as well as a series of death threats against their son, whose middle name was George and whose last name was Zimmermann.

In this day in age, social media is giv-

Con

By Matthew Elliott Rampage Reporter

ing a voice to most anyone. The quality of a source and the integrity of journalism are fading. Ten years ago, the unchecked spreading of false information would have likely been stopped in its tracks by a closer look.

Unless media outlets spend as much time retracting misinformation as they do in presenting misinformation, falsely accused individuals are likely to suffer resentments for years to come.

Students and faculty may recall the Duke Lacrosse team facing the scorn of a nation following accusations that members of the team committed rape. These accusations were later retracted and the district attorney was removed from his position. Still, the scars of the social media blitz remain as misinformed citizens continue to judge.

Another such instance of drummed up misinformation was that of Dharun Ravi.

Ravi was presented in the media as an individual who outed Tyler, his gay roommate, on YouTube by releasing a secret recording of his roommate’s homosexual activity.

After Tyler eventually moved out of the dorm, he jumped from a bridge to his death.

Ravi was charged with invasion of privacy for setting up a camera in a dorm room and for using it to view and transmit a live sex scene.

Even though this is the social consensus, Ravi never saw Tyler, who was openly gay, having sexual intercourse through his webcam.

The media purposefully trumpeted a false narrative that implied that Ravi drove Tyler to commit suicide.

Rather than address a mental health issue, this was presented as a hate crime. In the rush to do moral justice, none of the news sources reporting the incident did any real investigating or fact checking.

With one hand, our from-a-chair activism quickly spreads important issues, thus bringing relevant issues to light.

With the other hand, we falsely accuse the innocent and endanger lives.

Things appear to be getting worse.

Intuitional integrity and loyalty continue to erode as socialized media, unreliable tabloids and sensationalist news outlets all gather steam.

Distinguished institutions were formed over time to solve these problems. Yet the gatekeepers of emerging facts are less relevant than ever; and the safeguards they provide are quickly eroding.

The revolution of social media has led to a rush to publish; which leads to a rush judgment; which leads to a rush to persecution.

The reporter can be reached at melliott@therampageonline.com

Sports

With the season’s end in sight, the Fresno City College track and field team is determined more than ever to taste success. Despite brutal weather conditions and several injuries, the Rams have managed to stay poised.

On April 13, the Rams traveled to College of San Mateo for the CSM Lucky 13 meet and came away with several top finishes.

Sophomore Raquel Rochon contributed to the Rams’ success as she has done all season long. She earned a first place finish in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.65 seconds.

She also joined teammates Shantele Mitchelle, Aireanna Johnson, and Maria Manza and led the Rams to victory in the 4x100 meter relay.

“My times are getting lower, but it’s not where I want to be. I still have work to do,” said Rochon. “We’re improving as the season goes on. We’re getting prepared for the workouts. We know it’s going to be hard everyday so we prepare ourselves mentally and physically.”

Aireanna Johnson, another athlete who has progressed during the season, displayed her throwing ability in San Mateo as she placed second in the Javelin throw and third in the shot put with a mark of 9.98 meters.

“I’m doing a lot better than I was at the beginning of the season. It’s getting tiring and long but that’s what it takes.

I’m feeling more confident in my ability,” said Johnson. “We just have to keep the goal in mind. For me, it’s about doing the best I can do to get to state.”

In the 800-meter run, it was a dominating victory for the Rams. Jenny Saklar led the way with a time of 2:30.09 seconds while Maria Manza followed with a second place finish and a time of 2:35.09.

Saklar also placed third in the 1500-meter run. She trailed FCC’s Desiree Bustamonte, who finished second in a time of 5:17.87.

The Rams earned yet another victory thanks to Shantele Mitchell, who placed first in the 100-meter dash.

The men also found success in San Mateo as they flourished on the track and on the field. Sophomore Justin Neyman jumped 4.45 meters in the pole vault and took home a first place finish. Thomas Dombrowski joined Neyman in Pole Vault and finished third.

Ian Dildine represented the Rams in the triple jump. His jump of 13-meters was good enough for a first place finish.

Freshman Josh Hanson took

part in the Javelin throw and earned a third place finish.

For Damean Williamson, it was business as usual.

Williamson took first in the 100-meter run.

Matt Klundt continued to build on his strong season with a first place finish in the 1500-meter run. Klundt is currently ranked No.5 in NorCal and No.11 in the state in Steeple Chase.

Sophomore Joshua Garza also earned a first place finish with a time of 2:03.29 in the 800-meter run. “We had a lot of injuries so far so what we have accomplished is good,” said Garza who has been battling injuries of his own. “This is my first year running the 800. It’s very competitive. I set goals at the beginning of the season and this is where I want to be.”

Freshmen Vernell Green finished in a time of 59.31 and took fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.

“I’m very confident in my team. We can go all the way,” said Green.

Donnell Love also added another first place finish at the CMS Lucky 13 meet with a time of 49.41 in the 400-meter dash. FCC’s Robert Towne trailed Love and finished in fifth.

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

RAms Battle for Conference Title

Abel Cortez

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter

15

photo by

Track triumphs

April 18, 2012

Drew Merlo pitching against Porterville College outfielder Cody Campo on April 10.

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter With a 19-10 record, the Fresno City College baseball team is currently in a tight race for the Central Valley Conference title. The Rams have received major contributions from pitcher Drew Merlo who leads

the CVC with an earn run average of 1.78. Merlo’s 58 strikeouts are also the most in the conference. Pitcher James Barger has also contributed to the Rams success with seven saves recorded so far. Meanwhile, the Rams’ hitting has received a major boost thanks to Jack Karraker and

Bryce Barger. Karraker has recorded 23 runs batted in while Barger has 22 runs batted in. Most recently the Rams completed a sweep of Porterville. The first round of the NorCal playoffs will begin on May 4.

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

Sports

April 18, 2012

16

Jamaican star makes a mark

Damean Williamson ran the 100 M sprint in 10.71 seconds on April 6.

By Carl Turpin Rampage Reporter Sprinter Damean Williamson, 20, is no stranger to hard work. The Jamaican born athlete arrived in The United

photo by

Paul Schlesinger

Williamson empowered by hard work and faith

States late last year and has already set a record as the fastest freshmen sprinter out of all the junior colleges in Northern California.

Williamson managed an im-

pressive time of 10.71 seconds in the 100-meter sprint at the Delta Mustang Invite on April 6.

He currently sits one place behind Sophomore Diondre Batson from American River College in this season’s performance list.

Williamson has been participating in competitive track since he was 9 years old. He attended Camperdown High School, also known as “The Sprint Factory”, located in Kingston, Jamaica.

While at Camperdown, Williamson was part of the 4x100-meter relay team that won the Penn Relay. He was also coined Eastern Jamaican Champion in the 100-meters for two consecutive years.

After graduating high school, Williamson decided to move to the U.S. Despite having no family members on the west coast, he decided to run track at FCC. Williamson credits his decision, in part, to California’s climate.

Williamson was also impressed with FCC sprint coach, Robert Foster. “When I found out the coach is also Jamaican and a past Olympian that motivated me to come here,” he said.

Williamson speaks fondly of Foster. “He’s a champion. He’s a good person. He takes the time out to work with us,” Williamson said.

“That helps motivate me; when you have someone that is experienced telling you the right thing to do.”

He says some of his fellow teammates helped him adjust to a new country. “Donnell Love is one of the teammates that helped me fit in,” Williamson said. “He is a very good guy.

He respects the Jamaican culture.”

Williamson gets along with all of his teammates and enjoys their humor. “It’s funny. I’ll say something in Jamaican and they don’t understand it and they’ll just laugh.

It’s a very fun time being around them,” said Williamson. “They are very supportive. They motivate you in training when you can’t do the workouts. They encourage you—we encourage each other.”

Currently, Williamson is training roughly six days a week, at least two and a half hours per day. He believes that some people are unaware of how much practice comes with being on a track team. “Some people don’t realize the input we put in,” he said.

“They just see you on competition day and say ‘oh, you’re good’, but they don’t really know what you do.”

Williams looks at the challenges that he faces with a positive attitude.

He says he looks forward to the days where he doesn’t have the energy to practice. He believes persevering through that feeling and continuing to practice is a true achievement.

“Those are the days you cannot go with your emotion and say ‘oh, I don’t feel like working out’. You have to get up and go,” Williamson said.

Williamson says that talent plays

only a small part in success in athletics and that hard work is more important. “As a kid I knew that I was fast,” he said. “I used to beat everybody in the race. I also know that those people that weren’t as fast as me, some of them are faster now. They are better than me. It’s not really about talent. I think it’s just hard work at the end of the day.”

While he loves track, Williamson is equally dedicated to his education. “I do believe in life after track and field, so I am trying to get into a good university and finish my degree,” he said. Williamson is majoring in business administration and has taken his dedication from the track and is using it to excel in his studies.

“You have to go out and do it (work hard)—both on and off the track,” he said. “If you don’t train hard you’re not gonna win. You’re not gonna get good grades if you don’t study hard. That helped me; to know that if you work hard at something you will achieve.”

Williamson is proud of the hard work he has put in, but he ultimately credits God for the success he has had this year. “I give all my success to God,” he said. “I know coaches play a part in it, but I just give God thanks for whatever he has done for me and whatever he has in store for me.”

The reporter can be reached at cturpin@therampageonline.com

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