Rampage Spring I3 2012

Rampage

Fresno City College Volume CXXII, Edition 3

February 29, 2012

SCCCD Addresses Poor Communication

Jothany Blackwood Dean of FPCA

By Jordan Russell Rampage Reporter Fresno City College is already taking steps to address the concerns raised in the ACCJC’s report regarding the institution’s communication standard.

“We have a task force that’s developing a communication plan that will be implemented in the fall,” said FCC Interim President Tony Cantu.

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior colleges found that Fresno City College is lacking in its level of campus-wide communication.

Tony Cantu Interim FCC President

“Communication, in the form of information sharing, about planning and college priorities, has not been ongoing, systematic, and transparent,” according to the ACCJC’s evaluation report. “Perceptions from college constituencies indicate that communication may be available, but internal constituencies may choose not to engage fully in college discussion.”

In response to these findings, the ACCJC recommended that “the college complete its audit of communication instruments, and develop and implement clear and unambiguous means for commu-

Rick Santos SPC Committee Member

nicating with internal and external constituents” in order to improve the college’s Institutional effectiveness.

Prior to the ACCJC evaluation team’s visit, FCC had addressed the issue of communication in its self-study. In regards to the school’s mission and effectiveness, the self-study noted, “Campus communication is a weakness that is evidenced throughout the standards.”

This report also noted that although the college has made progress in several areas, “many individuals on campus are unaware of it” because current

Deborah Blue SCCCD Chancellor

communication methods are “inconsistent and information is often difficult to locate.”

The ACCJC also found that the communication is lacking at the district level. In both the 2005 and 2011 evaluation visits, the overarching district recommendation is that, “the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) must engage in continuous, timely, and deliberative dialogue with all District stakeholders to coordinate long term planning and examine the impact of the planned increase in the number of colleges and the future roles of the centers on the existing

institutions.”

Rick Santos, member of Academic Senate’s Participatory Governance Committee and former Academic Senate President, explained the meaning of this recommendation. “What this means to me,” he said, “is that we do not have a fully developed communication system between the college and District that allows for full participation in the governance process that aids strategic planning.”

According to Santos, this governance process is the result of California Assembly Bill 1725,

See Communication on page 2

Strategic planning committee Looks to remedy accreditation warning

By Alex Tavlian Rampage Reporter

The District Strategic Planning Committee (known as the DSPC) of the State Center Community College District, charged recommending the district’s strategic plan to the Board of Trustees, met for the first time on Friday and set out its calendar for the rest of the 2011-2012 school year.

Currently, the DSPC, which replaces the strategic planning workgroup, is in its second of six phases, which focuses on conducting a charrette -- a collaborative session in which a group of designers drafts a solution to a design problem -- with the district’s

NEWS

Study Abroad

See Page 3

various stakeholders on March 1.

The charrette will review the expiring strategic plan which was submitted and approved in 2008 as well as evaluate the various goals and objectives of the soon-to-be developed strategic plan.

On March 2, committee members will meet with the College Brain Trust, a private educational consulting firm, to review the input of the district’s various constituencies from the charrette process.

Throughout their meeting on Friday, members of the strategic planning committee focused on maintaining open communications with their constituents, a concern raised by the ACCJC evaluation team.

“Representatives are the main communication vehicles between your constituencies,” Jothany Blackwood, de facto committee chair and Dean of Fine, Perform-

Tom Mester recommended that the committee members report all correspondence with their constituents as “evidence for accreditation.”

“Representatives are the main communication vehicles between your constituencies.”

Jothany Blackwood

ing and Communication Arts, said.

Committee member and interim Dean of Instruction and Technology at Willow International,

The DSPC meeting is a step by Fresno City College and SCCCD to start the process to address the concerns addressed by the evalu-

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

VIEWS

Rogue Festival

Derogatory Names

See Page 5

See Page 7

ation team in its recently-released report. Fresno City College received a second accreditation warning from the Accrediting Commission for Junior and Community Colleges in early February. Both Fresno City College and Reedley College received warnings related to failures in the district’s integrated planning.

During an editorial board meeting with The Rampage on Feb. 10, Chancellor Deborah Blue said that the district’s first step in addressing the commission’s warning is to complete its update of the district strategic plan.

The move to open up communications with constituents is

See Strategic Planning on page 4

SPORTS Softball

See Page 12

2

News

February 29, 2012

District Takes Another Online Stories Budget Blow

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter California’s 112 community colleges took yet another blow on Feb. 16 in the form of an additional $149 million cut to their allocations in the current fiscal year.

The cuts amount to an additional reduction of $135 per student and could lead to more reduction in classes, services and staff.

For the State Center Community College District, this means an additional slash of approximately $3.5 million from its funding. The district had faced cuts of approximately $ 2.5 million in January “trigger” cuts and $7.7 million in Enacted Budget Cut, for a total of $13.8 million in one academic year.

“As a state, we need to recognize the lasting damage that the disinvestment in higher education is having and commit to properly funding our colleges and universities,” Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, stated in a news release on Feb. 21. “This will result in colleges further reducing course sections, additional borrowing and staff reductions.”

The most recent cut is another in a number of cuts sustained by the California community Colleges system. When the state enacted

its 2011-12 Budget, the community colleges’ funds were reduced by $313 million. In Jan. 2012, an additional $102 million was cut as part of the “budget triggers.” Altogether, the cuts for the 2011-12 fiscal year add up to $564 million, which translates to a reduction in enrollment by nearly 284,000.

“This $149 million reduction is unexpected and even larger than the mid-year trigger cut that the community college system has already endured,” Chancellor Scott explained. “The new 2.75 percent budget decrease is effectively doubled because colleges only have a half year to try to find savings.”

Scott also said that unless voters approve the governor’s tax plan to increase tax rates on higher income earners, an automatic cut of $5.4 billion will follow, and, of these, $4.8 billion would be to Proposition 98 funding for schools and community colleges. SCCCD is expected to lose $6,374,309 if the tax plan fails.

In a Jan. 27 budget presentation at the Department Chair meeting, Janell Mendoza, acting vice president for Administrative Services at Fresno City College, said more cuts were expected.

“We may not be done with cuts.

There is no guarantee savings will come back to the community colleges in the future,” Mendoza said.

“The state is also making deferred allocations, that the state will reimburse the college a percentage of their money at a later date. Increase or money made from budget may cover the deferral, but may not be a dollar for dollar match.”

According to various news reports as well as information on the website of the State Chancellor for California Community Colleges, this most recent cut in funding is directly attributed to the sluggish economy.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of students receiving the California Community Colleges Board of Governors’ Fee Waiver. This alone accounts for $107 million of the added shortfall,” Scott said in his news release. Property tax revenues were also lower than expected while revenue from state-determined student enrollment fees was $106 million below projections.

Chancellor Scot said that the next step is to convince the legislature and governor to restore funding for the current fiscal year.

He commended President

Communication Continued from page 1

which mandates by law that “all college constituent groups have the right to be part of the college decision making process.” Santos explained that participatory governance “provides the process for communication between the college’s constituent groups, administration, faculty, staff, students, and the board of trustees.”

Adherence to the principles of participatory governance is necessary for the colleges and District to fully meet the intent of the previous [2006] recommendation.

Fresno City College

“It is up to the college to develop a system that works best for them,” said Santos. This is what happened after our 2007 accreditation report put us on warning. We developed governance processes that were unique to FCC.” The responsibility for resolving the ACCJC’s recommendation does not rest solely on FCC, though. “FCC, Reedley College and the District must develop a governance/communication system that fits the needs of all in the District.” He added. “Although there are processes in place or

being developed, it will take time to complete them. When fully developed, they will reflect what works for us.”

SCCCD Chancellor Dr. Deborah Blue affirmed that the district is also taking steps toward meeting this recommendation. She did not, however, provide specific information concerning what actions the district is taking toward improving its communication with its constituency groups.

Regardless, both Blue and Cantu are confident that all issues will be resolved by the ACCJC’s follow-

Rampage

Obama’s proposed 2012-13 national budget which recommends focusing $8 billion on training and employing two million workers in technical and skilled manufacturing jobs through a three-year expanded partnerships between community colleges and the business community.

“An $8 billion investment represents the president’s strong confidence in the ability of our nation’s community colleges to train a workforce that can compete in both the local and global marketplace,” Scot stated. “President Obama continues to see the value of community colleges as the cornerstone in creating a strong and educated workforce to fuel our nation’s economic recovery and train and place millions of workers in middle-skills jobs.”

Mendoza said during her presentation that she is confident the SCCCD leaders have dealt with this budget crisis effectively.

“Our direction is to have no layoffs, provide student access, and not to cut programs,” she said. “The Board of Trustees is working on assumptions for next year.”

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

up visit on Oct. 25.

Until then, Santos says the college community can expect to see “a flurry of work” being done to develop the processes that will lead to a resolution of the ACCJC’s recommendation. Santos said though that the implementation of those processes will take considerably more time because “changing the way we interact is not something everyone embraces quickly.”

The reporter can be reached at jrussell@therampageonline.com

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.

Reporters

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 Business Manager: Sydney Excinia Copy Editor: Jordan Russell Faculty Adviser: Dympna Ugwu-Oju

Allen, Chantrell B. Bouchard, Jack M. Buchanan, Treasure S. De Dios, Annette D. Elliott, Matthew L. Excinia, Sydney M. Franz, Jesse D. Hagobian, Maddie J. Jamieson-Brown, Heather E. Jones, Moriah M. Kassahun, Tomas Kirkland, Whsyeena J. Lopez, Frank J. Martinez, Daisy Y.

Ornelas, Karina Pope, Troy C. Randazzo, Nicole R. Regan, Kaitlin C. Reyna, Katrina N. Romar Morgan, Phillip M. Russell, Jordan C. Schlesinger, Paul M. Tavlian, Alexander E. Teran, Jasmine U. Turpin, Carl A. Verburg, William A. Verkhotina, Olga D.

Contacts Rampage Office rampage-business@fresnocitycollege.edu Adviser dympna.ugwu-oju@fresnocitycollege.edu

Fresno City College 1101 E. University Ave. Fresno, CA 93741 Office: (559) 442-8262 Fax: (559) 265-5783

Visit our web site for updates www.therampageonline.com

A Tax On Success By: Alex Tavlian California’s progressives bill it as a win for education, but the millionaires tax initiative is proving to be redundant and overbearing on the state’s top earners. Check out this article for more details.

Undeclared or Just Confused?

By: Troy Pope Check out this article for the latest information about how to successfully accomplish your academic requirements here at FCC.

Mike Roberts:

New Head of Honors Program By: Tomas Kassahun As a product of the community college system, Michael Roberts relates to students. Through the Honors Program, he strives to help student complete their education at FCC. Roberts is a published author and a fierce runner.

Find These Stories And More Only At therampageonline.com

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News

February 29, 2012

3

Studying Abroad Enriches Academic Life

By Kaitlin Regan Rampage Reporter Studying abroad can be a deeply enriching experience for students in any department. It not only creates opportunities for students to receive college credits but a chance of a lifetime of studying in another country and applying what is learned in the classroom to global life.

Patti Van Vleet, coordinator of International Education for State Center Community College District, who is also an instructor of Linguistics/ESL, is the person making studying abroad possible for students.

Van Vleet said the system is fairly simple but requires at least 18 months of planning. While Van Vleet oversees the programs and is responsible for piecing it all together, she does not choose the destinations or course material relating to the trip. That is left to the instructors.

“I do coordinate everything but it is up to the instructors to choose the destination. They know best which destination applies to their course,” Van Vleet said.

An instructor’s proposal for a study abroad trip undergoes an extensive process. First, the

Business students on the 2009 China trip led by Marianne Dunklin and Reg Stittle. instructors must propose their destinations and course information to Van Vleet and she presents it to a district committee for approval.

Once the proposals meet the

approval of the committee, Van Vleet gives the go ahead to the instructors. Within the 18-month preparation period, details such as where students will stay and

Student Proposes Smoking Ban

By Alex Tavlian Rampage Reporter

A Fresno City College student is proposing to ban smoking on campus with an initiative on the Associated Student Government ballot.

Leon Velasco, a counseling student and ex-smoker at Fresno City College, proposed the ban at ASG’s Feb. 14 meeting. He proposed the smoke-free campus proposal after having to deal with an overwhelming amount of smoking on FCC’s campus.

“I’m having to hold my breath or hold my sweater over my face when walking by the central fountain,” Velasco said. “Something’s got to give.”

Velasco was finally motivated to go forward and pitch his idea after he was threatened by classmates after he approached them to stop smoking near classrooms on the second floor of the social sciences building.

“We [non-smokers] are threatened a lot,” Velasco said. “And that’s why a lot of this [anti-smoking sentiment] isn’t out there.”

According to Velasco, the proposal was welcomed by the Associated Student Government when he pitched the idea. However, the Senate decided against taking any action, following a precedent of placing smoking-related issues on

the ASG ballot.

ASG President Cindy Quiralte said that she personally supports a ban on smoking, adding that it would be considerably easier to ride around campus on her bicycle with cleaner air.

However, Student Activities director Sean Henderson said two smoking initiatives placed on the ballot yielded the same result: students supported designated smoking areas, not an outright ban on smoking, Henderson said in an email obtained by The Rampage.

Following the passage of the designated smoking areas, ASG representatives have begun the process of moving the studentsupported measure through the college’s process for adoption.

Henderson said that ASG formed a subcommittee of FCC’s Strategic Planning Council to develop a plan for implementation of the smoking areas.

Quiralte said that the proposal would move from the committees to the three other constituency groups of the college: the Academic Senate, the Classified Senate, and the President’s Cabinet.

Once those groups sign-off on the proposal, the final decision is made by FCC’s interim President Tony Cantu.

While ASG works on the already approved smoking plan,

Henderson said that Velasco could not propose another smoking proposal on the ballot because the student government passed a moratorium on new initiatives in spring of 2011, which bars anyone from proposing another plan until 2015.

Student Government Legislative Vice President Nathan Alonzo echoed Henderson, saying that Velasco had no legal standing to propose the new initiative because of the moratorium.

Henderson said that he did not believe that the current student government could reverse the moratorium passed by the previous ASG. During the student government meeting, however, Velasco said he was told that, given he would meet a certain quota of legitimate signatures on a petition, he would be able to place his proposal on the ballot.

Velasco shrugged off the moratorium and is hoping to obtain petitions to place his smoke-free campus proposal on the ballot this semester. In anticipation, he created a petition online at Change. org to garner support.

FCC’s smoking problem, he said, is an “issue long over due for action.”

The reporter can be reached at atavlian@therampageonline.com

the official itinerary are decided.

As these details are discussed, Van Vleet and the instructors hold informational meetings for students wishing to study abroad.

Van Vleet advises students to go to information meetings if they are interested in attending a study abroad course. She said that the sessions provide opportunities for students to ask the questions that can address or clarify concerns they may have.

Though the destinations of the study abroad trips are specific to courses, anyone may sign up to go. This option is even open to the public, but anyone who signs up for a study abroad course, becomes a Fresno City College student. When enrollment is taken care of, the concern shifts to financing.

Each trip is priced differently depending on the destination.

Van Vleet said scholarships and grants are available to students if they qualify. They must first apply for financial aid and complete FAFSA forms.

“Any financial aid that a student already has in place will transfer over to the study abroad course,” said Van Vleet.

Students have also been known to fundraise for their costs. Van Vleet said students are more than willing to get creative in finding ways to pay for studying abroad. That is part of the reason the 18-month preparation period. It gives students time to acquire needed funds.

Debbie Ockey, another instructor of ESL and Linguistics, led a study abroad trip to China.

She said that the experiences are enriching and provide students with a new sense of understanding and possibly change their outlook.

“Students will also learn to be more independent and develop

new skills as they navigate new cities, problem solve and adapt to new environments and expectations,” said Ockey.

Ockey also describes the study abroad experience to be a chance to meet people, experience new food and cultures, practice a language and to just immerse themselves in the cultures. It is also a way for them to understand and apply concepts that they’ve learned in their classes but it adds a deeper meaning to the way in which they learn.

Leah Edwards, a secretary in the district offices of the North Centers for Student Services, has experienced studying abroad through Fresno City College first hand.

She defines being able to study in London and earn college credit as a “double bonus”.

“As part of our program the Criminology students visited the local jail, the local courthouse, Old Bailey, and the Jack the Ripper tour. We were also given the amazing opportunity to visit the Scotland Yard and shown how fingerprints are calculated. We were also taken to see “Wicked” and “Phantom of the Opera.” It was incredible,” said Edwards.

As part of her study abroad experience, Edwards went to visit the Stone Henge and to see “Les Miserable”. She explains that this is possible for students who aim to stick to a budget and plan their free time wisely. Students are allotted free time on their trips and it is up to them to make the most of it.

“It is one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. However, you need to be mature about it. Don’t go on a Study Abroad trip if all you want to do is party. You can have fun but you also want to remember the experience. Personally, I would far rather tour the jail than end up in it,” Edwards said.

Edwards was also able to talk about how the trip changed and broadened her perspective of the world. She also explained that there were things that made her realize just what is taken for granted here in America. When asked if she would participate in a study abroad program again, she gave an enthusiastic answer.

“Absolutely. It taught me so much about our history and the differences between England and America. I learned to appreciate the culture of England and to recognize things that we take granted in America. I truly felt it was an amazing adventure and would love to return to London. I would also like to visit Italy one day,” said Edwards.

To learn more about the study abroad programs, students may contact Patti Van Vleet or attend the next informational meeting.

Emails are sent out periodically to give students a date, time and location for the meetings.

The reporter can be reached at kregan@therampageonline.com

February 29, 2012

4

News

President, Trustee Say District Must Improve Communication

By Maddie Hagobian Rampage Reporter

Q A

: What do you think about the Accreditation warning?

: Cindy Quiralte: I think it’s an opportunity for the campus and the district to align the vision that we have for the campus.

Clearly, the warning does state that there hasn’t been enough communication between the district and the campuses. In the past 11 months, we did do well; prior to that, we haven’t. I think it’s a good opportunity for us to align our visions and see where the district is going for the next five years. It [the accreditation warning] basically solidified a lot of the views that we, as students, understand -- that there is a lack of communication between students and the district.

Q

: Do you think students are even aware of the accreditation warning?

A

: Cindy Quiralte: That we’re on a warning, no. As student government, we were very involved in that visit [accreditation]. We had some representatives on the accreditation steering committee. Now we have new students who are going to be co-chairing that committee. So from a student government stand point, yes, we are very involved in the accreditation and the warning. If you look at the recommendations from the team, we got really good remarks in student government. We take care of our responsibilities with the students. I think it’s [students not knowing] an example of the : Do you think we have the district needing to step up their time to make the necessary own leadership. From the student’s changes by October? standpoint, we’re doing well.

Q A

: Cindy Quiralte: Yes, definitely. We just had a strategic conversation on Feb. 7 with the representatives from each campus, students, faculty and administration here on campus. That was a stepping stone in the right direction. I do believe we will be able to accommodate some of the changes that are necessary in the time frame before October.

Q

: In the press interview conducted on Friday, Chancellor Blue made a comment about students assigned to the task force for budgeting by ASG not showing up for meeting.

A

: Chris Coronado: This semester, I took over district committees because constitutionally as the trustee, I’m

Cindy Quiralte, ASG President supposed to be focusing on district stuff, and last semester I was heavily involved in the campus.

There have only been two district resource allocation meetings this semester and the last one I did not attend because I was in a meeting with Dr. [Chris] Villa, which was right around the summer school crisis.

As far as last semester, we did have a senator assigned. I think she attended most of them. The thing about that is: the senators that are assigned to committees also students. People forget that we’re not being paid to do this, we’re

Chris Coronado, Student trustee volunteering. We have different schedules and some of us work; we have families, and we have commitments here on campus. As for last semester, I can definitely see that that was a problem; at the same time though, they need to understand we do the best that we can. I understand their argument, but don’t forget that we’re students. We aren’t being paid.

That’s another thing; we’re supposed to go to these meetings, but we have other things come up, like summer school, so I have meetings to go to for that.

A

: Cindy Quiralte: We have conflicting schedules; there aren’t enough of us to go around.

We are also students first. I think there is a two-way street, to keep communication flowing. I think it’s important for them to know; if we’re actively trying to communicate with them, they have the responsibility to communicate back with us as well. It’s too easy to say ‘Oh, they don’t go.’ There is a lot more to the story.

Strategic Planning Continued from page 1 not limited to the district. Fresno City College’s Associated Student Government is working toward keeping open communications with students and other organizations across campus.

“ASG has taken the proper steps necessary to strengthen the communication between all constituent groups and the district by being committed to having senators and senators-at-large serving on campus committees,” ASG President, Cindy Quiralte, said.

The first draft of the 2012-2016 strategic plan is being written by the consultant group, the College Brain Trust, will be released by the end of March. The strategic plan committee is slated to review the first draft of the strategic plan

by March 30, as part of its third phase.

The current timeline provided to members of the DSPC shows that the College Brain Trust consultants will have three revisions: one that will be released in midApril, another in early May and the final draft by June.

Chancellor Blue said that after the district adopts its new 4-year strategic plan, the campuses will begin the process of drafting their individual strategic plans by the end of the 2012-2013 school year.

The reporter can be reached at atavlian@therampageonline.com

Entertainment

February 29, 2012

5

Abigail Nolte Plays Rogue With New Ensemble Local musicians embody baby boomer-era music style

photo by

The 11th annual Rogue Festival kicks off tomorrow in the Tower District and continues through March 10.

More than 60 independent performers and groups will host over 200 hour long events at over a dozen venues throughout the Tower district.

With the growing popularity of the festival, many performers consider Rogue to be a potential springboard for their latest creations. Artists recognize the importance of reaching large audiences with high expectations. This is both incentive and inspiration for performers.

In recent years, many artists have made significant advancements in the quality of their performances to better accommodate the increasing expectations of audience members.

Performer, Abigail Nolte and her all new ensembles, Gayle and Bowties, spent months perfecting their upcoming work. “I wanted to do a project with more instrumentation,” Nolte said.

The Rogue Festival is modeled after fringe performance festivals throughout the world. The festival encourages performers of all kinds

Paul Schlesinger

By Matthew Elliot Rampage Reporter

Vince Corsoaro, Jared Jurcak, Abigail Nolte, Benjamin Betita to affordably present their stylized talents to the Fresno community.

At any given moment during the festival, attendees of all tastes can choose from a wide variety of performances, including musical ensembles, magic shows, plays, storytelling events, belly dancing, comedy routines, and drunken Irish music and more.

With Gayle and the Bowties, Abigail, Jared, Benjamin and Vince seek to embody the ambi-

ence and nostalgia of old club scenes. “The tunes that we’re doing are between 1954 and 1965,” said Nolte. “When you come to our show you’ll enter that time period.”

If all goes well, Gayle and the Bowties plan to expand. “We would like to add a horn section eventually. We could open for a lot of traveling acts that come to Fresno from old time genres,” said Nolte.

Dean Martin and Bing Crosby and told him to “practice, practice, practice.”

As he took art appreciation classes in high school, Greathouse discovered famous artists and art styles. One of his art teachers during high school, Mr. Bingham, strongly encouraged Greathouse to pursue his artwork.

Growing up, there were many sources of inspiration for Greathouse to draw from. America was exploring the depths of the universe with the space program and a ground-breaking science fiction television program named Star Trek had just premiered. His mother had a love for science fiction which she passed on to Greathouse.

“Everybody else in class at the time was drawing gangsta cars; it was the pimp daddy thing,” said Greathouse. “I was drawing spaceships, space stations, and robots, and that really appealed to him [Bingham]. He said, ‘Your work is so clean. As soon as the pen is to the paper, you know where you’re going.’”

As a high school student in the late 1970s, Greathouse enjoyed the nostalgia of the high school football games, the trusting teachers, and the volunteerism that people of his generation partook in. Now, Greathouse recognizes how different things have become.

“The world needs to slow down and just take a look at itself,” says Greathouse. “People keep talking about the problems and they act like the problems aren’t created

by us. We create the problems, so we can solve them.”

Greathouse graduated from Edison High School in 1978 and joined the army just days after his graduation ceremony. He was a cook in the army for eight years and was stationed in Germany for seven years.

“The army was a blast, but you can say stuff like that after the fact,” said Greathouse. His career with the army enabled him to meet many interesting people and visit different countries.

After finishing his stint in the army, Greathouse went to Los Angeles and was offered a job with an animation company. DiC Entertainment, the animation studio that made such cartoons as “Inspector Gadget,” “Captain Planet and the Planeteers,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” offered him a job as a background artist.

His wife of the time did not feel that the job of a background artist would prove to be stable. And so, Greathouse came back to Fresno to work as a chef.

Even as Greathouse was working as a chef, he still had great ambitions to one day be a famous artist.

Greathouse had gone to culinary school and had numerous jobs as a chef. He worked at a number of different restaurants and was working for the California prison system for a time. In the year 2000, while working at a Perko’s, Greathouse began to feel burnt out from cooking and desperately wanted to pursue his artistic ambitions.

This attitude towards excellence and originality fulfills the spirit of the Rogue Festival.

“We get to reach all sorts of audiences as opposed to playing in a club somewhere,” Nolte said. “[Rogue] gives performers an outlet to try something new.”

The Rogue Festival operates as a non-profit. Venues including the Starline, Spectrum Gallery, Tower Theatre, Veni Vidi Vici’s, the Broken Leg Stage donate their space

on behalf of the festival. Hundred percent of ticket proceeds go directly to the artist.

Gayle and the Bowties’ will perform at the Broken Leg Stage on March 3 at 6:15 p.m., March 4 at 3:45 p.m., March 9 at 6:15 p.m. and March 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets to their performance cost $4 per person.

This year, festival producers have made several changes to how tickets are purchased. Attendees must first purchase “Rogue bucks” from the Tower Theater, the Starline Grill, the Broken Leg Stage, or from a floating street vender.

The Tower Theater location will accept credit cards.

When purchasing larger quantities, customers will receive free Rogue credits. Twenty dollars yields 22 in Rogue bucks, $50 earns 60 Rogue bucks and $100 nets customers 125 Rogue bucks.

These credits can be distributed among friends to purchase merchandise and attend performances.

The Rogue Festival provides an outlet for unique and upcoming performers and artists to share their talents with the community for a minimal cost.

Ticket prices range between $4 and $8 for most performances.

The reporter can be reached at melliot@therampageonline.com

photo by

By Frank Lopez Rampage Reporter In the world of art, there are always new techniques and styles that come in and out of popularity.

There are artists pushing the limits and creating new ideas that progress this medium of expression.

Progression, development, and change; these universal themes are what inspire the life and work of Fresno City College custodian and local artist, Alvin T. Greathouse.

In 1959, Edward Greathouse was living in Fresno and was part of a local youth club that would host gatherings for the young people of the community. It was there that he met a young woman from Madera. Her name was Juanita and Edward fell in love with her. A year later they bore a son named Alvin.

Alvin Terrell Greathouse was born in Fresno on Aug. 30 1960.

His father worked as a truck driver and his mother was an educator for the head start program. He had two younger brothers, Stephen and Rod, and a younger sister named Kim. He describes growing up with his family in Fresno during the 1960s as very calm and safe.

“My memories of growing up here were pretty cool. It had an Andy Griffin type of thing and everyone was laid back,” says Greathouse.

Greathouse started drawing at the age of seven. His uncle, Vernon, was an artist. He gave Greathouse a book of caricatures of Hollywood celebrities such as

Paul Schlesinger

The Progression Of Greathouse Art

Alvin Greathouse, FCC janitor, creates sci He got a job with the district and became the food manager of the cafeteria at FCC in 2001. He worked at FCC for a year before being laid off. He was told that he would have to re-apply if he wanted his job back. After working as a janitor at Reedley College for a year, he returned to FCC where he has since been working as a janitor.

Throughout his journey, he has never given up on his art. Greathouse does all of his works by hand and uses nothing but pens, pencils, markers, and highlighters.

“Art needs to be experienced,” says Greathouse. “When a person looks at one of my pictures I want them to feel some type of motion.

A person walks away from one of my pictures, and I want them to feel good.”

fi-themed

Art.

As of now, Greathouse is trying to get his work out there the old fashioned way. He wants to get his work inside of galleries and different art venues, and wants his popularity to spread through word of mouth.

As there is progression, there is going to be change, and Greathouse likes to slow down and observe his place in the universe.

“The world is going so fast and they are always talking about staying ahead. Staying ahead of what? This is your life, what are you going to get ahead of?” says Greathouse. “Like my friend Bugs Bunny said, ‘Don’t take life so serious, you’ll never get out of it alive.’”

The reporter can be reached at flopez@therampageonline.com

6

February 29, 2012

Entertainment

FCC Students Open “Adult” Dance studio The shows performed by Caris and Company are created, choreographed and performed by its members at The Broken Leg Stage located next door to the studio. They arrange a themed free performance on the first Thursday of each month in conjunction with Art Hop Fresno so the community can watch and learn more about Fresno’s dance culture.

“We want to open the door for people to experience dance and to learn about it more,” says La Caris.

“We want dancers to come and be united and explore their art, their thoughts and feelings within them through dance.”

Courtney Lopez credits Caris Dance Studio for giving him his big break. He was an amateur

photos by

Paul Schlesinger

By Heather Jamieson-Brown Rampage Reporter From the tender age of eight, Jasmin La Caris knew she wanted to be a dancer and one day open her own dance studio where she would be a dance instructor. After studying flamenco, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop for 15 years, she decided it was time to teach.

She found a small space on Van Ness Ave. in downtown Fresno and called it The Caris School of Contemporary Dance. She put together a company of dancers and instructors—all current or former Fresno City College students— that include Danny Moua, 25, Joe Orta, 32, Daphney Yalung, 26, Megan Condley, 20, and Courtney Lopez, 18.

Jasmin La Caris founded The Caris School of Contemporary Dance.

dancer fresh out of Color Guard when he auditioned for La Caris.

Five dancers had shown up for the open audition and he felt sure he would not be chosen. However, La Caris, Orta and Moua saw raw talent in Lopez, someone who had a burning passion to dance.

“I didn’t think I would make it but they believed in me and took me under their wing,” says Lopez.

It is the ability to take a raw talent and shape him or her into a refined, professional dancer that Orta says they are most proud of.

“At Caris Dance Studio,” he says, “we’re opening the door for adult dancers. We’re all adult dancers and we want to express our dance and our art as adult dancers.

We want raw meat, raw talent, everything raw. That’s one thing we’re really proud of.”

The dancers call the tiny studio home, but it has limitations. When the dancers practice their lifts, most times someone’s head goes to the ceiling. Raising the ceiling will be expensive, La Caris says, and, at the same time, the old lighting will need to be renovated.

In addition to this, costumes and props can be expensive. The dance company is scrambling to raise funds to purchase costumes,

Courtney Lopez and Jasmin La Caris props, rent space and make im- ever they can to help save dance.” provements.

Condley and her fellow dancers “We’re working our butts off also lament the fact that FCC’s trying to keep dance alive,” says funding for the dance program is La Caris, “to keep the studio being cut. alive.”

La Caris agrees that FCC’s Currently their funding comes dance program was once the best from teaching students, renting out and the biggest in the valley and their studio to FCC dance students funding and support for the proand their own pockets. gram needs to be made a priority.

“As dancers, it’s essential in the “Dance is fading away,” says community to have dance studios Condley, “and it’s sad because and get dance funded,” says Me- they’re trying to cut the Fresno gan Condley, a dancer with Caris City dance program and that’s one and Company and an FCC student. of the best programs in the valley.”

“We need people to help support and fund-raise and donate what- The reporter can be reached at

hjamieson-brown@therampageonline.com

Upcoming Student Performances

Views 7 February 29, 2012 Students Embrace Derogatory Nicknames

By Kaitlin Regan Rampage Reporter

People have various nicknames for their friends and family. Some are funny and belong to inside jokes and others are family related. At what point though, does a nickname cross the line from being an endearing tease to a derogatory insult?

A stroll through Fresno City College campus would enlighten anyone to the use of derogatory nicknames and the mindset of young adults now. The amount of slang and the number of expletives that fly from the mouths of students is beyond appalling. When logic fails, another question appears. Why on Earth would you refer to your friend in that way?

Even worse, students are referring to themselves in demeaning, derogatory ways. This is absolutely terrifying. There comes a point and time when self-respect needs to be established or the doors of cruelty open fast and wide.

The young adults of this generation cry out for respect from the previous generations but have

Illustration by Austin Verburg

little understanding of what the term respect means. It does not mean street credit or reputation. It does not come from the horror or awe at the mention of your name.

Respect first comes from you and how you allow yourself to be viewed. Standing up for yourself when you are referred to in a demeaning way and saying, “That is not my name, I am better than

that” is the first step.

Allowing yourself to be defined by a four letter word speaks to not only your character, but your level of self-esteem. To be respected, you must first appreciate yourself for who you are and not make excuses for it. Take off the mask and own up to being you.

Educate yourself and take a longer look at the names being

given to you by your “friends”.

That nickname that makes you laugh dates back to the beginning of racial slurs during the early days of the Americas. That name meant to get your attention refers to a female dog.

This goes beyond the use of racial slurs and animal references.

It transcends that boundary into even homosexual slurs. If some-

one does something undesirable their friend would resort to calling them a name that should never be used under any circumstances.

This generation has become reliant on racial slurs and that is a grotesque prediction of the future.

If this is out of control now, what can we look forward to?

While these names have been used through various generations, never have they been used in the way that they are now. As a generation, we are better than our vernacular and we need to start acting like it. Life is not a continuous joke and a punch of the arm between friends. There is more to it and it is time to start taking things seriously.

Take into account the names that you are using for your friends and the ones that they use for you.

Really take a moment to understand them and what they mean regardless of the inflection used with them. Speak up and recognize your own worth to yourself, your family and your friends. You need to not only set the bar but set it high. Lead by example for the children that tour the school from their local elementary schools.

They look at you and think that talking that way is the cool thing to do now. You are allowing the illusion of a reputation to replace the goal of self-respect.

The future is always in progress and it is never too late to change it. You have to start now and you have the responsibility to lead the way.

The reporter can be reached at kreganegan@therampageonline.com

Campus Voices: What Role Do Counselors Play In Your Education?

By Elizabeth Amaral Rampage Reporter

Michael Lopez Communications

By Olga Verkhotina Rampage Reporter

Candice Jones

Spanish/Communications

Bobbie Muniz Mathematics

“They get in the way of stuff. They don’t work to help; they are just trying to get their paycheck.”

“I’ve only seen them once. They let me know what classes to take.”

“I know some aren’t as helpful. I did most of my academic planning. When transferring you need to find the right counselor.”

Jas Gil Fire Science

Kong Lor Psychology

Desiree Belveal Business

“They are the reason why I do stuff. My counselor is doing the job for me.”

“I only go to them for class approval.”

“They’re helpful. I’m in EOPs and she [my counselor] goes to my class to talk to me.”

Yessenia Ruiz Animal Science

Tara Sweeny Business

Balginder Singh Construction

“They help me with classes and they help me get them easier.”

“I am a new student, but I’m related to one of the counselors.

I haven’t needed to see one yet.”

“They are hard to get a hold of. They are somewhat helpful.”

The reporter can be reached at eamaral@therampageonline.com

8

February 29, 2012

Views

Now Is The Time To Spend The “Reserve”

Editorial Rampage Staff Once again, the state has slashed its allocations for the community college system. This is shocking and outrageous, but we have seen this song and dance before. It is the same tango followed by another ominous soundtrack of another cut.

This cut, $149 million as of Feb. 16, is a deep laceration in the educational community of California, especially because it comes on top of the $313 million reduction in the enacted budget of 2011-2012 and the $102 million cut in January pertaining to budget triggers. In total, these cuts have cost community colleges $564 million.

For the State Center Community College District, this means an additional $3.56 million, on top of the January “Triggered” Budget Cut of $2.52 million and the Enacted Budget Cut of $7,700,000 million – a whopping loss of $13.8 million reduction in state funding in one academic year. Without a doubt, the cut is gargantuan and has the potential to cripple financially compromised colleges and districts.

Take a look at those numbers.

They are more than inked shapes on a page. They affect us all in ways that are beyond the imagination. Community colleges have to cut courses, programs and staff.

Students will have to scramble to get classes and possibly hold two or three jobs while working towards their degrees.

With these cuts, the government contradicts its own stated commitment towards a better educated population in California. Cutting classes, programs and neces-

sary staff is the quickest way to discourage would-be community college students. What would be the incentive for students to enroll if the programs they need could be gutted or cut?

We know California is in a terrible economic state and that students are expected to adapt to the situation, but adapt to an untenable situation? The cut to education is also an insult to the vast community of educational employees and students. We seem to be the first port of call in the state’s journey to reducing its budget shortfalls.

Cuts to education, especially community colleges, should be the last idea embraced by the government when considering ways to cut its budget. California Community Colleges Chancellor, Jack Scott, explained that $107 million of California’s deficit is attributed to the increase of applicants for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver.

The increase in applicants for the fee waiver is blamed on the poor economy. The poor economy can only be alleviated if, and only if, people have the opportunity to a sound higher education and better

job training and increased employment opportunities. This is how it has to be.

The state should take a break from making cuts to education and instead focus more energy on creating more job opportunities and more educational programs. The system may not be able to absorb this latest cut.

Turning to our district and how it might make up the deficit, fortunately, our reserves of approximately $45 million are supple enough to provide the cushion we need at this time. With its vast

reserves, the district is poised to weather this storm without much impact on students, faculty and staff, assuming that our leaders consider students’ interests first in whatever decisions they make.

The question is whether our leaders will make the right decisions and show necessary courage in deciding how to move forward.

Will the reserve be used for what it is really intended – as rainy day funds – or will students’ welfare be last on the priorities of our district?

The State Chancellor’s office requires districts to keep a reserve of 5 percent of its income in savings. Our district’s savings exceed 27 percent. Will the funds be used now that the community colleges are suffering an economic hurricane? We need to use the surplus for its intended purpose -- to help the district coast through the storm and to preserve the integrity of our programs.

We cannot allow these state cuts to change the path of higher education in our district. Now is the time to commit to investing in the students. We expect our leaders to think of students and the programs and classes they need to graduate as well as the community of faculty and staff. The only purpose of money is to help people, not to sit in an account accruing interest while students’ dreams are deferred indefinitely.

Let us all commit to the promise of a better society in the upcoming years and to rebuilding our economy.

These things can only happen if students get the education they need and deserve.

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

Don’t Take Your Vote For Granted; Be Educated

By Troy Pope Rampage Reporter

Voter turnout in the United States is less than amazing. On average, voter turnout nationwide is 37 percent; during a year with a presidential election it will get be between 50-60 percent.

In the United States we have the right to vote, and the right not to vote. Some countries employ “compulsory voting,” meaning citizens are legally required to vote. In countries like Australia that have compulsory voting, voter turnout gets up to 99 percent.

Are you for the legalization of marijuana? On the 2010 California ballot, Prop 19, which aimed at the legalization of marijuana, lost by a mere 7 percent. Considering how few people take advantage of the voting process (only 27 percent of California bothered to vote), that means

the proposition lost by only 689,608 votes. California’s population is over 37 million.

Rick Santorum defeated Mitt Romney in the Iowa Republican Caucus by 34 votes. Thirty four votes meant the difference between victory and defeat.

“Every vote counts towards the making of this nation, and the participation of everyone who is able to do so helps better the living conditions for those who join in,” Fresno City College student Reynaldo Vazquez said showing his desire for the right to vote. Vazquez is a “permanent resident” in the United States and ineligible to vote.

Those who do not have our freedom, like Vazquez, would take the opportunity to vote in a second. “It would mean a lot to me to be able to be a part of the voting process, because the United States needs to be united

through its people,” Vazquez said.

I’m not advocating voting just for the sake of voting; just take the time to participate in the system.

Take 10 minutes and read about some propositions on the ballot, decide what your opinion is, and vote on the issues you know about. Do not vote based on tele-

vision ads or hearsay alone. TV ads aren’t legally bound by the truth. You don’t have to vote on every issue on the ballot, you shouldn’t vote on things you know nothing about anyway.

Sample ballots are mailed out every election so you can read what is being voted on. If you become an absentee voter they

will mail your ballot directly to you. Becoming an absentee voter is easy and you can vote by mail without ever having to physically go to the polls.

We live in a democratic society, but we do not exercise our democracy. The problems of our nation cannot be solved if no one will utilize the system we’ve built. If the government gave citizens the requirement that they had to either vote or sit on a jury, it would probably raise the enthusiasm level for both.

Luckily for the American citizen who cannot be bothered with serving the country in which they live, we have the right to shrug off our freedoms. Things like voting and jury duty are not meant to punish us, they are meant to give the freedom that our forefathers did not enjoy.

“I don›t know anything really about politics, so I don›t want to vote since it would be wasted,” said Sergio Macías, a student at FCC. It might be hard to see sometimes, but your vote can really make a difference in the outcome of an election, the enaction of a new law, or the overturn of a law you feel is unjust. Your vote counts as much as a billionaire’s vote does. The only way to waste your vote is to not cast it.

The reporter can be reached at tpope@therampageonline.com

Views February 29, 2012 Prop 8 Undermines Christian Sovereignty

By Matthew Elliott Rampage Reporter Marriage is not an institution.

Arguments concerning Proposition 8’s legal grounds are irrelevant. The issue at hand is whether or not the state has any right to license marriages. The right to certify or refuse a marriage should be left to citizens and religious institutions.

Although marital laws presently

outlined by the state may correlate with the beliefs of certain religious groups, those in support of Proposition 8 have inadvertently reaffirmed the rule of the state over their own religious values.

The First Amendment of the Constitution clarifies that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ....” The ceremony of marriage is the free exercise of religion and expression.

The United States has a rich history of restricting the moral activities of its people. The controversies brought about by Proposition 8 are merely the modern forms of this tired practice. As recently as half a century ago, governments throughout the nation restricted marriages between African Americans and European Americans. The intermarriages

of rival faiths such as Catholics and Protestants were occasionally prohibited as well.

Secular and non-secular institutions should have every right to provide for or discriminate against an individual’s intention to marry, under any prejudices and for any reason. Whether a church exclusively marries women with women or whether a congregational leader simply doesn’t like your attitude, religious institutions should carry an equal right in denying marriages under a unique prejudice as they do in turning away players for their annual softball tournament.

Furthermore, individuals have a responsibility to discover an alternative when faced with discriminatory practices. In most cities, several faiths are available to seekers. Numerous religious groups would gladly marry people looking to ordain their love for

one another. Instead of suffering the discrimination of hard-lined institutions, citizens could elect to either follow the strict terms of a conservative sect or search for an alternative.

Marital discrimination crosses over to multiple factors in American life. In Utah, if a child living with a gay parent loses their father or mother to pancreatic cancer, the state will not recognize a domestic partner as a legal parent or guardian of that child. Under this scenario, if the second biological parent is unable to care for the child, the state of Utah opts to remove the child from a gay household in order to place them into either a foster care program or into the custody of relatives. To make matters worse, Utah outlaws adoptions to any unmarried individual and couple.

In this scenario, the non-biolog-

9

ical, gay parent of a child would be left without recourse. This outcome would cause untold damage to a child’s development. It should be noted that Utah’s adoption system is so poorly run and disorganized that as a result of the damage the state has caused to children’s livelihoods, Utah now falls under federal supervision. Presently, 21 states have granted legal parental status to gay couples.

Governmental guidelines to marriage interrupt the liberty and wellbeing of religious institutions, consenting adults, children and families. The sanctity of marriage is a matter for the beholder. The historical lineage of claims by the state to justifiably rule over sovereign religious practices must come to an end.

The reporter can be reached at melliott@therampageonline.com

The Beauty and Benefits of Marriage

Today the world is seeing a new era where marriage is no longer considered necessary or even significant for a relationship.

However, marriage is an institution that allows two people to establish a very strong and enduring relationship that is fully backed by the law as a whole.

What comes with marriage is more than a set future with one person for the rest of your life; it is one of the greatest gains in life.

Marriage has become less important in the eyes of society.

According to Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, 50 percent of first marriages in America end in divorce, 67 percent of second marriages end in divorce and 74 percent of third marriages end in divorce. What has happened to the importance of marriage?

Leon Allen, 72 and Lois Allen 65 have been married for fifty years. Together they agreed it’s not trying to gain the longest time to be married but it is the gain of the one person that is awarding.

“She was fifteen, but back then age didn’t matter.” Leon said.

“We got married with no intentions of divorce; always going to be each other’s one and only.”

Marriage defines itself as a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. At the institution of marriage, there was no provision for divorce.

For 22 year-old Fresno City College Student, Adriel Wires, “Marriage is like a circle that is

“The more you invest in a

marriage, the more valuable it becomes.”

-Chantrell Allen right of visiting your spouse in a hospital intensive care unit or during restricted visiting hours in other parts of a medical facility.

The family benefits allow filing for stepparent or joint adoption

and applying for joint foster care rights.

Living in neighborhoods zoned for families’ only and automatically renewing leases signed by your spouse is known as the

housing benefits.

Consumer benefits allow receiving family rates for health, homeowners’, auto, and other types of insurance, receiving tuition discounts and permission to use school facilities.

When you make a sacrifice in marriage, you’re sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship.

Marriage is supposed to tie two individuals together and strengthen their relationship. The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.

The reporter can be reached at callen@therampageonline.com

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By Chantrell Allen Rampage Reporter

between you and your significant other; there is no dividing line between each other.” He said, “You become one.”

Two people become one when in matrimony. Genesis 2:18, 21-24 in the New International Version of the Bible explains that God made a companion suitable for man so that he will not be alone.

God did this by making woman from the rib of man and when she was brought to the man he said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

Besides love and companionship, there are many benefits to marriage. Whether or not you favor marriage as a social institution, there’s no denying that it confers many rights, protections, and benefits-both legal and practical.

According to Marriage Rights and Benefits, the list typically includes Tax Benefits, Estate Planning, Government Benefits, Employment Benefits, Medical Benefits, Family Benefits, Housing Benefits, and Consumer Benefits.

To further clarify each on the list, tax benefits come when filling joint income tax returns with the IRS and state taxing authority.

Estate planning benefits is the inheriting of a share of your spouse’s estate, receiving an exemption from both estate taxes and gift taxes for all property you give or leave to your spouse.

Receiving social security, Medicare and disability for spouses, receiving veterans and military benefits for spouses, such as those for education, medical care or special loans falls under government benefits.

With employment benefits one obtains insurance benefits through a spouse’s employer and also taking family leave to care for your spouse during an illness.

Medical benefits give you the

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Views Should Churches Provide Contraceptives To Their Employees?

10

February 29, 2012

Pro

By Jesse Franz Rampage Reporter The Christian Churches have long sermonized a story. It goes, one day as Jesus was traveling around preforming his works he came upon a town in which a woman had suffered from menstrual bleeding for twelve years.

In the time of this woman, this was not just seen as a problem by her society, but a scourge, keeping her from love, marriage, or a family. Leviticus 20:18 tells, “If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period… Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.”

However, the exiled woman told herself that if she could only touch Jesus’ garments she would be healed. So she made her way through the crowds who had socially exiled her for over a decade, trying to touch Jesus. When she did, she was instantly cured by his supernatural power.

Now, two millenniums after Christians believe the healer, Jesus, has left us, science has enabled us to help others as he was said to. In modern days, the bleeding woman may have used the pill to alleviate her symptoms. However, there are some in the church that believe her act is immoral, and are hell-bent on diminishing its use. They would rather see women suffer than ask themselves, what would Jesus do?

The newest challenge to a woman’s personal right to birth control comes in the form of the churches resistance to provide contraceptives to it’s employees through its insurance plan, just as every other business in the United States is mandated to do. They claim that such a mandate would pose a threat to the religious rights of their institutions.

Ignoring the irony, in the fact that contra-

to come to terms with subjecting women to these ailments if it means a greater production of future followers. This policy makes it so that the women of the church are treated more as reproductive assets, than equals.

Although, it should be noted that the pill also offers protection against pelvic inflammatory disease, which often leads to infertility.

Not only is this illogical, and more of a religious shunning of modern medicine than a true concern about the rights of faith based institutions, but it sets a dangerous precedent for all government regulations which apply to religious institutions.

Are we to eliminate minimum wage, child labor laws, and anti-work place discrimination laws for religious institutions as long as they could somehow justify it through some skewed interpretation of a Bronze Age religious text?

The church seems to have this idea that the only use for contraceptives is nonmarital promiscuity, and that the availability of them will automatically lead to their employees sexual mania. However, at the

end of the day, it is the employee’s choice.

Government agencies aren’t force-feeding

“They would rather see women suffer than ask themselves, what would Jesus do? ”

-Jesse Franz

ceptives are the greatest from of prevention against the churches greatest political foe, abortion, the pill cures a myriad of different ailments outside of pregnancy.

Those include, but are not limited to reduced menstrual cramps and bleeding, prevention of bone thinning, endometrial and ovarian cancers, serious infection in the ovaries, iron deficiency anemia, cysts in the breasts and ovaries, and premenstrual symptoms including headaches and depression.

However, it seems that the church is able

church employees the pill, but are only trying to insure that they are all entitled to this basic healthcare asset.

It is for the right of every employee to decide how he or she wants to live their life, whether they work in a church or a brothel, and instead of playing moral totalitarian the church should remember that the Bible gave man, and women free will to exercise however they choose.

The reporter can be reached at jfranz@therampageonline.com

Food. Shelter. Education. Jobs. These are the basic needs many Americans are striving to find in a struggling economy. Yet, one of the hottest debates recently has been whether or not churches and other religious institutions should provide contraceptives for their employees. In a time where even health care is hard to find, the last thing employees are worried about is whether or not they will be able to get contraceptives.

The issue is not one that should come to the forefront when we have so much more to deal with, but what it says is that we have become a society obsessed with sex. The purpose of the church is to help us restrain ourselves, but this concept could diminish for good thanks to churches providing contraceptives to their employees.

Churches can no longer preach abstinence and give out contraceptives at the same time. If they do, all we have is more of the hypocrisy that already plagues many churches.

It’s as though it’s not the church shaping society anymore. Rather, it’s the society

Con

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter

Such an incentive could lead to even more chaos and add to a society already full of lust. Some contraceptives will be used for the purpose of affairs. Others will be used for a wild night out. Prostitution businesses will also receive an added boost thanks to more citizens with more contraceptives.

We are not in a time where we need to provide contraceptives. We are in a time where we need to highlight the dangers of having sex before marriage and more importantly, at an early age. We should be sending a message to younger people about the consequences rushing into sex.

We should be distinguishing the difference between pleasure and love. Sadly however, we are only getting more confused.

Women in particular are being more exposed as they are taken advantage of by men who appear to love them. More importantly, rape is still a huge concern in our society. And the reality is that an employee who seems perfectly normally can be a rapist. Should we reward such a person?

What›s next? Churches will be required to provide designated drivers?

What people also forget is that contraceptives don’t guarantee prevention of birth and they certainly don’t guarantee the prevention of STDs. Churches have many roles in the community. Advocating for safe sex is not one of them. The focus of the church should be on providing more books for adolescents. It should be about providing more scholarships and promoting education. It should be about organizing more community events, and shaping the church. The fact that unwanted building a community where sex, drugs and pregnancies have become more frequent violence are less prevalent.

“It’s as though it’s not the church shaping society anymore. Rather, it’s the society shaping the church.”

-Tomas Kassahun should not mean that the church should provide contraceptives. It should not mean the church should not teach the meaning of sex as it is described in the Bible.

As it is the media does a wonderful job of distorting the meaning of sex. Now the churches could provide a helping hand and distort the value of sex instead of teaching about sex in the right context. Ultimately, what we have is a free for all for contraceptives. As churches spread contraceptives at will, a mad rush to get a piece is likely to break out.

And in a time where churches are filled with hypocrites molesting children, why send any kind of message that says sex is ok? Moreover, why contradict the message that is sent in the work place? How can we stop sexual harassment in the work place while at the same time providing condoms?

There are many organizations that can already provide contraceptives. Churches cannot get involved in this matter, if we can even call it a matter at this time.

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

Sports

February 29, 2012

11

Rams Dominant in First Round Match A swarming defense and relentless attack leads FCC to victory

The reporter can be reached at jkirkland@therampageonline.com

Paul schlesinger

The Fresno City College Men’s basketball team came out focused and took a 102-61 victory against the Modesto Pirates in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

The win was a complete team effort for the Rams who were led by 30 points from Marcus Hall as well as Tomas Sanchez and Shailo Leafa who controlled the game by managing the pace of the game.

Sanchez and Leafa ran the floor causing Modesto to loose focus and also slowed the game when necessary.

The All Central Valley Conference Freshmen of the year Alex Perez also contributed on the defensive end. “He hands down deserved it,” said teammate DeAndre Madlock. “ He put in the hard work to achieve that award. Perez is by far the most skilled freshman in the CVC.” Modesto’s offense was no match for FCC’s swarming defense. “The first playoff game was intense. We had to be prepared for anything since teams usually play better in the playoffs,” said Madlock. “Although we beat Modesto by a substantial number, the game was a game of execution which meant we had to get better at every aspect of our team.”

As the Rams applied the full court press, the pirates had difficulty getting across the half court line.

The first half was full of questionable fouls which led to the crowd quickly becoming less than pleased with the referees.

Pirates head coach Paul Brogan earned a technical foul which put Tomas Sanchez on the line for two. After the technical foul, FCC lengthened the lead with free throw shots from multiple foul calls against the pirates.

FCC’s Co-Central Valley Conference players of the year Marcus Hall and Tomas Sanchez were on fire in the second half.

Hall finished the game with seven three pointers while Sanchez continued to control the game on the defensive and offensive end of the court.

Hall was also named defensive CVC player of the year.

Rams head Coach Ed Madec was honored by the Central Valley Conference, being named Co-Coach of the year.

The second round of the NorCal Regional Conference could be a challenge for the Rams who are ranked No. 5 in the NorCal regional conference. They are scheduled to play No. 4 ranked Diablo Valley College.

“Our main focus is offensive execution and playing Fresno City defense,” said Madlock “We have a war on our hands and it’s going to be ugly.”

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By jere kirkland Rampage Reporter

Ryan Richardson, shooting guard, drives for two against Modesto on Friday.

FCC Advances with Huge Victory

By Jere Kirkland Rampage Reporter

The Fresno City College women’s basketball team dominated in the first round of the Northern California regional conference. The women played Mission College last Friday and came away with a 109-64 victory.

The game was controlled by Nicole Chapple, Sarina Sayama and Taryn Sayama. Chapple scored 29 points, while Sarina contributed 23 points.

Chapple played hard collecting rebounds on both sides of the court. She turned offensive rebounds into two points and often found three point play opportunities.

Sarina Sayama scored multiple lay ups and three point shots while Taryn Sayama contributed with wide open layups and a couple of threes of her own.

FCC wore Mission College down with their unrelenting full court defence followed by their fast pace offense. The penetrate and pass offense FCC used led the Rams to wide open layups or open shots.

FCC started the game with a wide open lay up and within the first few minutes of the

game, Mission College found themselves drowning on the scoreboard. Mission quickly became exhausted running up and down the court to the and it showed as multiple players were slow to get back to the defensive end of the court.

Meanwhile FCC managed to get to the other end of the floor to stop wide open shots.

This year’s Central Valley Conference Co-Coach of the year, Brian Tessler, did not allow his team to slow down for a moment.

Tessler continued to expect his team to play as if they were losing the game even with the game out of hand. He did not hesitate to give his team an earful when something did not go as planned.

The Rams worked hard though out the entire game, fighting for every loose ball and playing as a team. The team cheered each other when a teammate went out of their way to keep the ball in their possession or to keep the ball in play.

In the last few minutes of the game, Tessler pulled his sophomores out of the game to allow his freshman to play together.

The sophomores showed their pride for the FCC tradition by

letting the freshmen know how they felt when multiple mistakes were made on the court. The freshman responded by playing better. They buckled down and

FCC is currently ranked No. 3 in started creating turn overs on the NorCal regionals of the State defense and making the extra tournament. Their next step is to pass on offence. defeat No. 6 Sierra College.

With the victory, the Rams The reporter can be reached at advanced to the second round. jkirkland@therampageonline.com

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2/21/12 9:25 AM

February 29, 2012

Sports

Rams Still believe FCC’s softball team stays focused despite a slow start

With a 4-6 record, the Fresno City College women’s softball team is currently sitting in fourth place in the Central Valley Conference. Though the team is not off to the start they would like, they are not discouraged.

“We’re coming together pretty well.

We’re doing the best we can to work with what we have. We’re on the brink of playing where we’re capable of playing,” said outfielder Alexis Ramirez.

“We’re working on our chemistry and being able to finish games. Unexpected injuries could come, people need to step up. It has happened already so we’re learning how to do that early in the season. ” Despite the slow start, the Rams are keeping their expectations high. “I think we can go all the way. Our goal is to be league champs and make it to state. We just have to play as a team all seven innings day in and day out,” said Ramirez.

Left fielder Miranda Gonzalez is returning to the field after she was a red shirt the previous season. Gonzalez is looking to prove she belongs on the field and also striving to show the Rams can take first place.

“The last few years we got beat out by College of the Sequoias and Reedley.

We want to prove we can be first. We just need to keep talking throughout the game. Once we go silent, it goes

downhill from there,” said Gonzalez.

The competition within the team has also given Gonzalez reason to be optimistic. “Even though we’re trying to beat out each other for positions, we still rely on each other. We want to be first place,” said Gonzalez. “We lead at different points, but all of us are leaders and followers. We learn from each other. If someone doesn’t step up, another person will have to step up.”

Early in the season, the Rams have been plagued by errors. Gonzalez believes the team needs to be mentally stronger and put in more time at practice to minimize errors.

Right fielder Kayla Walker is happy with how the team has stayed together despite the struggles. “Once we all got to know each other, it felt really good.

We see each other every day so it feels like we’re family. I still think we can make it all the way,” said Walker. ” We have a good sisterhood bond going on. When it’s game time, we know how to come together and be there for each other.”

Sophomore Vanessa Salinas is convinced the Rams can still can go undefeated in league play. “We have a lot of players that can play various positions, we have big hitters, and we have speed,” said Salinas. “It’s a matter of continuing to work hard and pushing each other.”

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com

Abel Cortez

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter

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Rams defeat Modesto 7-0 on Feb. 23

photos by

Olga verkhotina

Athletes of The Week

Regina Leyba, sophomore.

By Carl Turpin Rampage Reporter Regina Leyba is in her second year at Fresno City College. She is hoping to transfer to a UC school. She feels FCC is her best chance of reaching that goal.

Leyba credits her mom with her introduction to tennis at age six.

“My mom started playing tennis, she took me to lessons when I was younger,” she said.

During her time at San Joaquin Memorial high school Leyba started taking the

Drew Merlo, pitcher. game seriously.

Leyba feels this season is going “really well” so far. The women’s tennis team had a lot of pre season games and she is now focused on the conference.

In this season’s first conference game, Leyba and her doubles partner Kate Abston had a remarkable comeback “We were down 2-7 and then we caught up and won 9-7 so that was pretty good,” said Leyba.

The reporter can be reached at cturpin@therampageonline.com

By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter Fresno City College pitcher Drew Merlo has found success on and off the field.

Merlo has just been named the 2012 California junior college All-Academic team with a 3.88 GPA. He got off to a quick start this season as he struck out eight batters in six innings and helped the Rams defeat Sacramento 2-0 in a non-conference match.

As a senior at Buchanan High School, Merlo was named to the 2010 All Bee Team and was also the co-pitcher of the year in the Tri-Rivers Athletic Conference.

With a 12-1 record, 89 strikeouts, and a 1.74 ERA, the lefty led the Bears to the Central Section Divison I championship.

In his second year at FCC, Merlo is expected to be one of the core players on the team.

The reporter can be reached at tkassahun@therampageonline.com