Spring 2012 Issue 2

Mountaineer A First Amendment Newspaper of the Mt. San Antonio College Journalism Program

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

www.mountiewire.com

Volume 77 Issue 2

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

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CSU freeze is another setback for students !"##$%&'!%()*" !"#$%&'(&)'*+,&%")-&$-./&'01** 2'(3*+,&%") On March 20, the California State University system announced that they would freeze enrollment at all 23 campuses for the spring 2013 semester; eight schools plan to accept a small number of community college transfer students. In addition, for the fall 2013 admissions process, most schools will place almost all applicants on a wait list and cancel early admissions.

The schools plan to accept applicants for the fall if the proposed tax increase by Governor Jerry Brown on the November ballot passes. If the measure fails, it will have a significant effect on the state education budget, and enrollment numbers for the fall and beyond may be significantly reduced and downsized.

For Mt. SAC students, this announcement is one of many reflecting the increasing difficulty involved in reaching educational goals and successfully transferring to a four-year institution or earning an associate degree in a timely manner.

Han Li “Aaron” Chow, 21, biology major, has been attending Mt. SAC on and off for the past few years. “It has been tough at times with work and family issues to attend and perform consistently,” he said.

Although Chow said that he is not planning to transfer to a CSU school by the spring or fall of 2013, he said he is wary about the possibility of major state budget cuts, and therefore his future educational prospects, if the tax measures fail.

Chow has had some issues with getting the classes he wants, even after accounting for priority registration, adding classes and dealing with wait lists.

“I took Math 71 in the fall of 2009 and I wasn’t able to complete the class,” he said. “I was new to college, took too many units, and didn’t manage my time properly.”

Chow tried registering for it later, but he said he received an error stating that he was no longer qualified for the class. He has not yet attempted to retake Math 71 or another math class.

“I realize that I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain, but these changes can be frustrating,” he said.

Chow also had difficulty shortly after he joined Mt. SAC, when he missed the deadline for spring semester registration in 2009.

“It was partially my fault due to ignorance,” he said. “But I also believe that the college didn’t make it clear when the new classes would start, because they didn’t mail the class registration pamphlets that semester. If they did, I didn’t receive them.”

The CSU system has offered some incentive for voters to pass Brown’s tax initiative in November. A March 25 USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found that 64 percent of those surveyed support the measure.

Brown’s measure would raise the sales tax by a quarter-cent, down from a half-cent, and increase income taxes on individuals earning over $300,000 by two percent and $500,000 by three percent.

According to a March 14 article by the Los Angeles Times, he changed his proposition to add to the load on high-income earners in order to compromise with a group who gathered signatures for a competing “millionaires’ tax” on the ballot. The Millionaires’ Tax Coalition proposed closing the budget gap solely through heavier income taxes on those making over $1 million. They agreed to remove their proposal to lessen the amount of tax propositions on the

November ballot.

However, there is yet another tax increase plan that will compete with Brown’s. Attorney Molly Munger has proposed a tax plan that primarily focuses on reversing spending cuts to public education.

According to an April 2 op-ed article by Jim Newton of the L.A. Times, Munger’s proposal is more balanced than Brown’s.

“Munger’s proposal, by contrast, avoids sales taxes altogether and boosts state income taxes by 1 percent across the board,” Newton wrote.

“Taxpayers at all levels would have to chip in.

That’s more stable and more widely distributed than Brown’s plan.”

Chow said that he would prefer Munger’s plan if he were to choose one. He added that he would prefer that the state use taxes on the rich as one of the most significant sources of additional revenue to reduce the state’s budget deficit.

“I may be speaking out of turn, but I’m quite sure the richer classes won’t mind an extra 1 percent income tax increase,” he said.

The priority registration system is one cause of concern for Mt. SAC students, and one that is difficult to fix given the constantly tightening budget coupled with the number of students who are applying for classes.

“I believe they should change the priority system but more based on attendance rather than grades,” Chow said. “Some people just aren’t that smart, and in all fairness, they should still have a chance at priority registration in classes.”

He added that students who have stopped attending Mt. SAC should lose their priority more quickly.

See CSU P. 13

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

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STAFF Albert Serna - Editor-in-Chief Sarah Venezio - Managing Editor Matthew Medina - Mountiewire Editor-in-Chief, News Editor Harmon Huynh - Layout & Design Editor Eugene Arellanes - Photo Editor Vanessa Solis - Copy Editor Mathew Foresta - Opinion Editor Kathryn Banks - Features Editor Jose De Castro - Sports Editor Mercedes Barba, Alex Fenn - A&E Editors Christina Espin - Multiculture Editor Cynthia Perez - College Life Editor Adam Valenzuela, Christina Espin - Cartoonist Aida Ghorbani, Mikaela Zhao, Suzy Hernandez, Lizette Contreras - Mountiewire.com College Beat Editors Senior Staff Writers Eugene Arellanes, Philip Cao, Kristina Gonzalez, Lee Ellis, Corey Esquivel, Libby Freeman, Alexander Kchouri, Scott Schetselaar, Vanessa Solis, Josue Velasquez, Tianna Winters, Rich Yap Junior Staff Writers Vivian Aceves, Joseph Andrade, Nicholas Arenas, Biany Barrera, Criselle Cortes, Irene Cruz, Analisse Deleon, Valerie De La Puente, Catalina Diaz, Matthew Duran, Garland Dyer, Lecia Fox, Keri Fukui, Marie Guerrero, Miranda Hernandez, Martha Landeros, Echo Layton, Edilberto Lopez, Octavia Lopez, Marielle Loreto, Squire Lujan, Edrina Martinez, Deanna Meza, Sonam Mirpuri, Kevin Muro, Rebekah Penner, Edgar Peralta, Girtha Phillips, Hira Rizvi, Adolfo Tigerino, Brian Trinidad, Randy Vazquez, Sarah Veltman, Andy Wong, Daniel Woo Designers Harmon Huynh, Valerie De La Puente, Daniella Munoz, Vanessa Paramo Photographers Eugene Arellanes, Ariel Carmona, Jose De Castro, Corey Esquivel, Libby Freeman, Mario Gomez, Eduado Perez, Peter Roig, Esau Villsenor Advertising Rep Valerie De La Puente Design Consultant James Choy Assistant to the Adviser Veronica Grant Adviser Toni Albertson

Front cover: Photo illustration of Cal State Fullerton by Beatrice Alcala Teasers Left to right; Jose Comi, 21, molds clay during ceramics; photo by Josue Velasquez; Cigarettes on the clock tower at building 26; photo by Jose De Castro The Mountaineer is a college newspaper published by the students in journalism classes at Mt. San Antonio College. The views expressed in this newspaper do not reflect the views of the adviser, administration or the Board of Trustees of the Mt. SAC district. The Mountaineer is a First Amendment publication.

Phone: 909-594-5611 ext. 6123 FAX: 909-468-4106 Building 26-D, Room 3220

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Theft from parked cars decreases

!)?"%,"'@$". >$@&$'*A'7%*+,&%") “Warning! Vehicles parked in high capacity parking lots are vulnerable to thefts,” read a flyer issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.

During the spring semester, public safety has been putting warning notifications on students’ vehicles to raise their awareness of theft from vehicles.

“It’s more of a tip and reminder for students, faculty, and staff to ensure that they try to put their visible items to be locked up in the trunk or under their seats, so it’s not convenient for thieves to go out there and see those type of items in vehicles,” said Mark DiMaggio, director of public safety at Mt. SAC. According to the Mt. SAC crime stats, theft from vehicles has decreased from 24 cases last year to five this year. Furthermore, the motor vehicle theft rate has also gone down from last year’s total of five cases to this year’s total of one case.

One of public safety’s prevention methods is to be proactive in high visibility of the officers as they patrol the surrounding area throughout the campus community. “You have the officers go out either on foot walking through the parking lots, you will see them on a Segway, bicycles; there is all different types of methods in means of having that productive enforcement throughout the entire campus community,” said DiMaggio.

Although some students said that they do not know anyone personally who has been a victim of theft from a vehicle, they have heard of the possible scenarios and they are well aware of it.

“A lot of times people forget to lock their doors when they are in a hurry, and they consciously think that they pushed the lock button when they actually didn’t,” said Esther Yue, 19, art history major. “So not necessarily breaking the window, or picking the locks but they [car thieves] would just open the door like it’s their car and take stuff, mostly electronic items such as GPS, and iPods.”

DiMaggio said that there are several reasons why this type of theft happens on campus.

“Thieves know that students, faculty, and staff are going to park their cars on campus and be

gone for a period of time; somebody who does that for living will see you pull in and now they have some time to go out and try to steal the vehicle or valuable items in the car.”

Allyson Camitta, a 20-year-old biology major, also said she does not know anyone personally who has been a victim of theft from vehicles.

“I’ve heard of it through school warnings and notifications on the car,” said Camitta. “I think these warnings are effective, because I am more aware of what’s going on or else I would have never known it actually happens here at Mt. SAC.” Yue has also received the warnings on her car and said she thinks that it is students’ responsibility and that car thefts can be prevented, but at the same time students are still vulnerable to car thefts.

“Even if you are extremely careful, the possibilities of theft can always happen,” said Yue. “People can always break your window or break your lock if they see something they want, but it is nice that the public safety is warning everyone so people are more cautious about their surroundings and how they shouldn’t leave things out in the open.”

Yue added, “A lot of my friends after receiving the notice, they would start putting things in their trunk, or under the seats just for precautionary purposes.”

Carolyn Kuykendall, director of the honors program, said she has heard of students getting items stolen from their cars, but has not heard if anything happened to faculty or staff members.

“It was two years ago, two students had their purses stolen from their cars, and one other student had her book stolen,” said Kuykendall.

“One of the girls who lost her purse forgot to lock her car.”

Kuykendall added, “I think putting up signs at parking lots reminding people to lock their cars would be effective in terms of preventing car thefts, and also having officers drive around parking lots would help.”

Students like Yue have a misconception of what types of cars are most commonly targeted for theft. “Thieves would think that people with valuable cars have valuable items, and they know there is a higher possibility to find something

See Theft P. 13

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Public safety cracking down on smoking violations

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!%:5%(%1'A":8" =C+*+,&%") The campus will be enforcing new smoking regulations for all students within the coming semesters. According to campus public safety officials, their safety officers will gradually begin enforcing these regulations. Joe Carl, public safety officer and investigator said that once the smoking regulation is here, it is probably going to stay.

Even though the school has

taken measures making sure that these smoking regulations are known, it still seems like students don’t want to follow them.

“There are already signs posted around campus that students can’t smoke within 20 feet of a doorway entrance,” Carl said. “And most students don’t follow that.”

Mt. SAC is not the first place to crack down on smokers in public areas. Last summer, the city of Los Angeles put similar rules into effect.

The Los Angeles County’s smoking ordinance makes it illegal to light

up a cigarette within 10 feet of outdoor dining areas, including food trucks and within 40 feet of food kiosks and trucks. “Bars, nightclubs and buildings are exempt from this policy,” said NBC LA. And in the same spirit, Mt. SAC is making similar policies.

“Students aren’t allowed to smoke within 20 feet of any door or operable window,” Carl said.

In order to make this easier on students, campus officials are making designated smoking areas. “We are working on having regulated areas here where people can smoke,” Carl said.

Campus safety is taking preventative measures such as these in order to make the full transition as easy as possible for students once it gets passed. “Once it is passed, we will be sure students are notified via the portals and written flyers will be posted up on campus,” Carl said.

“Because the campus has not had rules on smoking for such a long time we want to notify them before any kind of fines come into effect, just to be fair,” Carl said.

As far as students following the smoking regulation, Carl says he sees a lot of students not abiding by the signs that are already posted.

“We see some students follow the signs and we don’t [cite them.]

Once the regulation goes into effect, we will be sure to cite the offenses,” Carl said.

Some students don’t abide by the already posted signs on campus but many offenders do understand the reasoning behind the rules.

Ricardo Lopez, 19-year-old criminal justice major says, he knows about the rules but he really doesn’t follow them. “It’s stupid but at the same time I understand,” he said.

“You shouldn’t be smoking where someone doesn’t like it.”

Some students do want the regulation to go into effect. “Of course they need to enforce it. The signs are up but I don’t see anyone following them,” Gilbert Torres, 18, undecided, said.

Public safety is planning to enforce these smoking regulations with fines.

The severity of the fines will vary on the number of offenses.

That means the first offense will be less severe than the third and security can ticket offenders who are not abiding by the rules. “They may give them a warning on the first one, but after that we will start ticketing offenders,” Carl said.

Although public safety will fine offenders who violate these new smoking rules, Carl said that the smoking regulation is here to help students, not to hurt them.

“We’re not here just to make the students life miserable,” he said.

“We’re here to keep them safe, keep their property safe for the campus community.”

Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign draws mixed reactions 6-#?&@#;; =C+*+,&%") More than 84 million people have viewed the Kony 2012 video, which has been met with both great support and criticism since it was posted on YouTube on March 5.

Jason Russell, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Invisible Children, created the video to start their Kony 2012 campaign.

It opens with the words, “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

The 30-minute film works to inform the viewer about Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army, better known as the LRA. The LRA states that its goal is to fight to install a government in Uganda based around the Biblical Ten Commandments, and Kony sees himself as a spirit medium. Kony began abducting children in 1988 to become LRA soldiers or sex slaves. Some children are released after a few days while others never return home.

The LRA focuses its attacks on civilians.

According to the Kony 2012 website, www. kony2012.com, the goals of the campaign are to make Joseph Kony known to the world as the worst war criminal and that “U.S. and international efforts to stop Kony are bolstered with a more comprehensive strategy for disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR).”

The campaign calls for people to share the video, hit the streets by posting flyers in high traffic areas with businesses’ permission, and engaging policymakers. The Kony 2012 website provides links to some top “culturemakers” such as Lady Gaga and George Clooney, in addition to policymakers such as Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney.

The efforts to make Kony famous appear to be working. In a survey of 32 Mt. SAC students,

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21 had heard of Kony, but only six knew who he was before the video’s release.

Kisha Godoy, 21, liberal arts major, had not heard of Kony before the video’s release. Godoy likes the campaign and supports how Invisible Children is trying to accomplish things. “I think he (Russell) was trying to make awareness and that was cool.” Godoy said, “You don’t really have to do anything, just get his (Kony) face out there.”

Since the video was released, it has faced criticism. There has been backlash from regions in Uganda that were most heavily affected by the LRA. According to the online article, “Criticism of ‘KONY 2012’ viral video swells in Uganda” at foxnews.com, dated March 15, public screenings of the video in Uganda were suspended in mid-

March after overwhelmingly negative feedback.

Victor Ochen of the African Youth Initiative Network said in the article, “There was a strong sense from the audience that the video was insensitive to African and Ugandan audiences, and that it did not accurately portray the conflict or the victims.” Ochen said, “In particular, viewers were outraged by the KONY 2012 campaign’s strategy to make Kony famous and their marketing of items with his image.”

Melisa Salmo, 19, political science major, did not know about the LRA before viewing the video. “I thought it was an interesting movement for a good cause, but I also felt, why

See Kony P. 13

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

The Death of Higher Education !"#$%&'()*%+#" !"#$#%$&'(#)%* Last month the California State University system announced that they would freeze spring 2013 admissions.

We at The Mountaineer believe this is only a symptom of the disease that is killing education in our state. We strongly condemn these cuts to education, as well as the continuous and crippling fee hikes students have had to suffer over the preceding years.

According to a March 20 Los Angeles Times article, “Facing uncertain budget prospects, California State University officials announced plans to freeze enrollment next spring at most campuses and to waitlist all applicants the following fall pending the outcome of a proposed tax initiative on the November ballot.”

This decision is a slap in the face to students who have only seen their tuition continuously rise over the past few years.

In addition, this will also further impede the progress of community college transfer students, and place further strain on the community college system.

It is self-defeating in that the more students who are prevented from transferring, the more the education system will cost the state.

Sadly, this news also indicates that our state does not place a high priority on education.

It is enlightening, however, to see where our states financial priorities are.

A Sept. 9, 2011 The Bay Citizen article stated, “The budget for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation increased from about 3 percent of the state’s general fund in 1980 to 11.2 percent for this fiscal year, according to figures prepared at the request of The Bay Citizen by the state Department of Finance.

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“Meanwhile, funding for UC and CSU dropped from 10 percent of the state’s general fund 30 years ago to about 6.6 percent this fiscal year.”

Spending all of our money on prisons is not going to solve California’s problems. The high prison population in California is a symptom of our disinvestment in programs, such as higher education, that will uplift people from a life spent committing crimes and joining gangs.

It is quite probable that our state’s leaders already know this.

However, the prison system is a

powerful lobby, whereas students are not.

The prison guard’s powerful union can sway elections, and students vote in pathetically small numbers. In this light it is easy to see how this system of special interests prioritizes incarceration over education.

Perhaps one of the biggest contributors to this problem is the bad attitude toward social responsibility that has developed recently in our state.

A March. 16, 2011 post on the Community College League of California’s Web site stated, “I

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wish we could ignore John and Ken’s drivel, but as they work to drive their ratings, they are also driving the budget conversation in Sacramento.

“Yesterday, they went on a warpath against our students and the community colleges generally.

They started by blasting our students who rallied from Fullerton College on Monday.

“In talking about the students, they said: ‘The community colleges are the least useful in society . . .

Community colleges are the first thing you would cut. You are not going to get much of a job out of it.’”

This attitude is only helping to further push our state’s leaders down the wrong path.

At the heart of it lies a toxic classism that is all too prevalent in society at large. It is the same attitude that demands massive austerity while simultaneously demanding not a dime more in tax revenue be raised from the rich.

It is an attitude that will only help throw California’s higher education system into further disrepair.

We at the Mountaineer condemn these cuts, hikes, attitudes and lack of priorities.

We want to see a strong, wellfunded education system that will function without having to increase the burden on students.

We want to see our state’s students demand a bigger piece of the pie. It is imperative they raise their profile, so they can compete with the special interests. They must organize, protest and above all vote.

Most importantly our state’s leaders have to realize that education is California’s future, and if we keep chipping away at it, we will lag behind economically, socially, technologically and politically.

All of these things must come to pass, or else the future will look very bleak for California and her long-suffering students.

Firing Guillén is not the answer !"##$%&'!%,-."

+,-.&'(#)%*/&0%1$)#,-#*,&'(#)%*2#$234#,5 The outcry over Ozzie Guillén’s controversial statements concerning former Cuban President Fidel Castro has led to debates over free speech.

For Guillén to say that he ‘loves’ and ‘respects’ Castro because of how long he survived as a dictator in Cuba is wrong, but it is not a misstep that is worthy of his firing.

Any leader who incarcerates political opponents, tortures them, and imposes strict censorship upon every conceivable form of media, especially the internet, is deplorable. Castro is no exception.

As disagreeable as Castro is, there is no denying that dictators are still human beings.

In an April 9 Time magazine article, Guillén pointed out some of Castro’s traits that he finds astounding. That does not necessarily mean that he condones or overlooks everything else that he finds appalling.

Still, Guillén’s choice of words was very poor. He did not qualify his statements by acknowledging the atrocities that have occurred under Castro.

Cuban immigrants are right to voice their discontent, and the ownership and general manager were correct in punishing him.

Guillén did say that he was thinking in Spanish, his first language, and spoke to Time reporters in English.

As anyone who has attempted to learn another language can attest, it is not always easy to properly translate. He should have been more

thorough, but it is plausible that true human error was to blame.

A number of people making comments on news sites have also made arguments saying that freedom of speech is eroding in the United States, and Guillén is the latest victim.

Freedom of speech does not apply when a private business provides your paycheck. If consumers think that firm responded poorly, they should punish them by avoiding their products.

A five game suspension is the right choice for a baseball organization that wants to appease its fans and retain the services of a former World Series champion manager.

Guillén made a major error, but he should be allowed to step up to the plate once more and make amends.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Phony 2012 !"#"$%&'(')*+ -#)#./).%0"/123 After watching the Kony 2012 video I took to the web and did as much digging as I could on the topic; on Christian zealot and warlord Joseph Kony, the Ugandan government and army, and the “non-profit charity,” Invisible Children (IC), that produced the video that would spark a movement.

What I found wiped away every sentimental feeling I had been experiencing while watching the video, and replaced it with betrayal and a general loathing. The cute little boy had played me for a fool. His father was not a man of action, he was a man that cared about making money off of a cause by recycling exaggerated, outdated information while pulling at the audience’s heartstrings with candid video footage of his son set against the backdrop of dying Ugandan children.

This, in itself, is manipulation at its finest, people.

Joseph Kony, who IC claimed has abducted more than 30,000 children and forced them into combat and sexual slavery, has not even been active in Uganda since he fled the country in 2006 at the end of the bloody civil war. A detail that was explained in about three seconds halfway through the film, and was then brushed aside to continue to paint a portrait of despair and destruction in the country.

Some Ugandans believe him to already be dead, and that the U.S. is using an old issue to bring attention back to the fact that Uganda has an abundance of oil lying beneath their feet. Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army does not have 30,000 soldiers like IC would lead viewers to believe; it has dwindled down to a measly 200 scattered around the Congo. The footage they were using for the majority of the scenes shot in Uganda is around six years old.

Rosebelle Kagumire, a Ugandan blogger still living in the country, spoke very publicly about her thoughts on the way the Kony 2012 video portrayed her and the state of her country. “The situation in the Kony video was five or six years ago,” she explained. “The situation has tremendously improved. In northern Uganda, people sleep at home, children are going to school, and it is in post-conflict recovery.”

Kagumire continued to express another viewpoint, one held by many native Ugandans in regards to Western attitudes towards Africa.

“This is a video with an outsider trying to be a hero by rescuing African children ... and it does not end the problem,” she said. “If you are showing me as voiceless, as hopeless, then you have no space telling my story.

“You should not be telling my story if you do not think that I have the power to change what is going on, and this video seems to say that the power lies in America.”

Then there is the issue of Invisible Children’s credibility, and I am not talking about the fact that Jason Russell, the maker of the film, was recently arrested for running around San Diego completely naked and possibly masturbating. IC claims to be a nonprofit organization, yet each of the three founders admitted to walking away with a salary of approximately $80,000 a year, without including the bonuses.

Does that not mean by definition that they are not really a “nonprofit organization” if they are making a large amount of profit from it?

The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, an organization dedicated to reviewing the financial spending and motivations behind American charities, has tried 18 times to contact IC since 2006, and has never received a response.

H. Art Taylor, CEO and President of the BBB, wrote on their organization’s blog, “the whole point of their effort is to shine the light of truth on a terrible atrocity, and yet they seem to be reluctant to turn that light on themselves.

It is really unfortunate, because their cam-

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paign has the potential to inspire and galvanize millions of young activists and future philanthropists.” A diagram of IC’s alleged spending is on display on their website, and while they claim that they are independently audited every year by the IRS, when I tried to click on the provided link to see the IRS 990 form and financial statements from the last five years what happened?

Nothing.

Then there is the issue of Invisible Children’s credibility, and I am not talking about the fact that Jason Russell, the maker of the film, was recently arrested for running around San Diego completely naked and possibly masturbating.

The link did not work. They claim that between 31-32 percent of their spending goes directly to aid those in Uganda, while the rest makes up their travel expenses, salaries and film production costs.

But who exactly is this 31-32 percent going to? Turns out, it is the Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UPDF), which was formerly called the National Resistance Army (NRA). The money is supposedly being used to catch Kony, who is not even in their country.

It astounds me that IC can condemn Kony and the LRA for the use of abducting children to be soldiers and sex slaves while current Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has been accused by his people of claiming power in the 1980s by using that exact tactic.

According to numerous accounts by Ugandan citizens, Museveni sent around two million people, mostly of the Acholi tribe, who he has in the past called “chimpanzees” and “swine,” to camps that were allegedly built “to protect” them from the horrors of Kony and his LRA. They were called “Internally Displaced Persons” camps, the first of which was constructed in 1986. What Invisible Children did not mention

in their little film is that according to Ugandan press and bloggers, such as the Acholi Times and Ugandanet, Museveni and his military force, then called the NRA, would purportedly burn people alive in their huts while taking others for sex slaves.

A 2006 book, “The Secret Genocide,” by Dr. Olara Otunnu, president of the Uganda People’s Congress, described how Museveni also allegedly sent soldiers that were known HIV carriers to rape men, women, and children in these camps to spread the disease as a biological weapon to wipe out the Acholi, who were his enemies while fighting for control of the country in the early to mid 1980s.

The Ugandan government estimated that around 1000 people died each week in these camps due to disease, starvation, dehydration, infection, and violence.

The death tolls, while exact numbers are impossible to know thanks to poor record keeping, are staggering. An estimated 100,000 children alone died in these camps. Museveni has killed more than three times the amount of children that Kony has stolen from their homes.

Where is Museveni 2012? Oh, that is right, they will never launch that campaign because a portion of the money donated to Invisible Children goes straight into his pockets and those of the UPDF, who are still rumored to use the tactics of rape, murder, mutilations and HIV transmission to inflict terror on those they are sworn to defend.

The money is going to the man who, in a 1998 interview, said, “as Hitler did to bring Germany together, we should also do it here. Hitler was a smart guy.”

This has been a lesson on the importance of research. It is incredibly dangerous and naïve to donate to an organization that has a controversially shady reputation at best.

Who in turn is funding the proprietor of the genocide, and spreader of HIV amongst his own people.

And … well, I guess I am saying that the next time you choose to jump on a bandwagon, slacktivists, make sure it is one that is actually worth it.

Read and educate yourselves before you donate to a cause, or you could just be hurting the ones you think you are helping. Or, at the very least, wasting your money.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

7

Impending Supreme Court decision threatens healthcare bill 6-7#'%&P#';/ +,&%")-&$-./&'0 The Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act, which was signed into effect on March 23, 2010, is the subject of controversy as the Supreme Court of the United States decides whether or not the individual mandate for Americans to purchase healthcare or pay a penalty is constitutional.

The ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, has come under fire since its implementation in 2010 by the GOP, and even more heavily by the Tea Party, which propagates the bill as being part of the president’s socialist agenda.

Aside from the mandate, which is set to take effect in June of 2014, other subsidies and mandates have already been implemented, such as extending parents’ plans to college students under the age of 26, and the Rural Americans and Affordable Care Act, which gives Americans greater access to primary healthcare providers regardless of location.

“Obamacare is being argued at the Supreme Court because 26 states headed by Republican governors brought lawsuits questioning the constitutionality of the ACA,” said political science professor James Stone.

“Specifically, they are concerned about the constitutionality of the individual mandate, which would force everyone not already covered by health insurance to purchase coverage, either from a private insurer or from the government.”

In an interview with the New York Times, Jonathan Oberlander, professor of social medicine and health policy and management at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explained why the bill as a whole is so monumental for the nation.

“It builds on an incoherent medical system with all kinds of public and private insurance and tries to patch the holes. And it affects different groups of Americans in different ways at different times,” said Oberlander.

“But it is transformative. If it is implemented, it would be the most important health care law since the enactment of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965. It brings us closer to the ideal that all Americans should have access to care regardless of income or health status.”

Still, opponents of Obamacare argue that the mandate would forever change the way health insurance is provided, and also adds an unnecessary step between doctors and consumers. According to CBN.com: Georgetown Law Professor Randy Barnett, who represented one of the parties suing over the law, said the legislation’s individual mandate is incredibly dangerous.

“The whole point of putting government between us and our doctors really changes the American people,” he explained.

“And as Justice Kennedy

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said, it would basically change the fundamental relationship of the people to the American government,” he said.

According to Stone, the ACA is an important improvement to the nation’s medical system because “the U.S. health care system as it is presently constituted is unsustainable. We spend more of our GDP on health care than any other country in the world, yet we are ranked 37th by the World Health Organization in terms of the overall quality of our health care system.”

In 2010 the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the number of people with health insurance had gone from 255.1 million in 2008 to 253.6 million in 2009. According to the report, 2009 was the first year that the number of people with health insurance had decreased since 1987, the first year that comparable health insurance data was collected.

The report also showed that in 2009, “7.5 million children under 18 were uninsured, the uninsured rates decreased as household income increased from 26.6 percent for those in households with annual incomes less than $25,000 to 9.1 percent in households with incomes of $75,000 or more.”

Sarah Macias, 21, undecided major with insurance coverage said the bill would benefit those who are unable to pay for their own insurance coverage. “I think it would be good, I mean some people can’t afford insurance to go to the doctor.”

The problem of people being uninsured is not just a humanitarian issue; it is also a financial burden on those who are covered by private and government plans.

“If the uninsured do not buy health insurance then they are

essentially ‘free riding’ on other citizens,” said Stone. “The law does not currently allow hospitals to refuse treatment to sick people who are uninsured. As a result, hospitals incur costs for treating the uninsured that get passed on to the broader society.”

Stone said additionally, those who are not covered tend to wait until they become ill before purchasing some form of coverage, which is why insurance companies have denied people with pre-existing conditions coverage.

“They have also abused the denial of coverage at times on grounds of preexisting conditions in order to increase their profits,” added Stone.

The bill has also set mandates and provision that would prevent, to an extent, insurance providers from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions, known as the Pre-Existing Insurance Plan.

According to healthcare.gov, “The PCIP program covers a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescrtition drugs.”

The program does not charge higher premiums based on medical conditions, and eligibility is not based on income. Additionally, premium prices will vary depending on the state and plan chosen.

The argument on constitutionality of the bill comes down to whether or not we as a society want to provide insurance to people the same we do for the elderly through Medicare, said Stone.

Stone added that if the Supreme Court were to deem the individual mandate unconstitutional, then it is likely that the other measures of the ACA would no longer be financially viable, and would therefore be

canceled.

“If we decide to scrap the individual mandate then the requirement that insurance companies stop denying people for preexisting conditions will also fall,” said Stone. “As in all probability will the requirement that they allow children to remain on their parents’ insurance until they are 26.”

As the nation awaits the court’s decision, Republican presidential hopefuls use Obamacare as a platform to attack both the president and each other, using taxes as a key point.

Former Pennsylvania senator and presidential hopeful Rick Santorum used the arguments to attack Mitt Romney, saying, “the reason I talk about Obamacare and its impact on the economy and fundamental freedoms and Mitt Romney doesn’t … he supported government run healthcare as the governor of Massachusetts.”

Albert Valenzuela, 20, psychology major, who is covered through his parents, said he was indifferent to the bill. “If someone wants to be unhealthy then they can not pay for it, and [face the tax penalty]. I think taxation works, I think that we need more taxes.”

Regardless of the court’s decision in June, Stone said this is the best option to get Americans covered.

“There is little doubt that this approach is constitutional. Vermont has already passed such a bill. Yet, there is clearly not a majority in Congress as presently constituted to pass such a bill and who knows how long it would take to pass it,” said Stone. “The ACA for all its flaws would provide coverage to almost everyone and, therefore, is better than what existed before it was enacted into law.”

8

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Comi sculpts his future in art !"#3$%;$70#<3$= 6%78"9&6:);;&<98:%9 A genuine ceramic artist defined by his distinguishable smile and colorful personality, Jose Comi, 21, bioengineering major, is influenced by the male anatomy, his heritage and his identity as a gay man.

But years before taking on this artistic course of self-expression, Comi lived a childhood in Hacienda Heights marked by domestic violence and alcoholism.

“My childhood wasn’t very good. My dad was an alcoholic and there was domestic abuse that occurred for many years until I sent him to jail,” Comi said.

At the age of 12, Comi knew that his father had taken the abuse far too long and he had to put an end to it.

“One day (my dad) got out of hand. My dad was drunk and he was beating up my mom. I got angry and I told him I was going to call the police,” Comi said.

Locking himself in the bathroom that night, Comi was able to grab the house phone and make the call.

“My dad ripped out all the phones from the walls throughout the house, but I had already made the call and had given the police our address. But my dad punched through the wall, undid the lock on the door, grabbed me by the hair and dragged me across the f loor,” Comi said.

By the time the sheriffs showed up at his house, Comi’s father had driven away.

Police caught him and incarcerated him for a year and a half.

“Today our relationship is tarnished because I sent him to jail. It placed mom in a weird spot because my mom did not want me to send him to jail. But she knows that I had to do it because she was not willing to take that step,” Comi said.

After this incident, Comi’s family was affected economically.

“It was a big economic impact because my mom was alone and we had to rely on family for a long time to get us by,” Comi said.

Comi and his mother relocated for six months with his great aunt, and another six months with his great uncle.

His mother continued to work to earn a decent living. “I am grateful to my great aunt and uncle because they welcomed us into their home until we got back on our feet,” Comi said.

As an early high school graduate, Comi began taking courses at Mt. SAC in the spring of 2009.

But it was not until the winter of 2010 that Comi became involved in ceramics.

“There’s a funny story about me getting into ceramics. It happened in the winter of 2010, more than two years ago,” Comi said.

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That winter, Comi was enrolled in biology four and he wanted to take another class in order to take a full load of seven units.

“I looked through the catalog and said art class may be fun. I was able to talk everyone else into leaving by convincing them that someone else had the best registration date and that we wouldn’t get into the class. I told everyone that and they left,” Comi said.

With laughter, Comi recognized that he cheated his way into the class and was the only person admitted into that ceramics class.

“I have been involved with ceramics for more than two years now. I think the hardest part has been the fact that you never know what is going to come at you, because you always have different issues with what you are making.

You have to learn to become a good problem solver,” Comi said.

Comi has taken seven full semesters of ceramics and is currently on his eighth semester.

“I have enjoyed the community of ceramic artists here at Mt. SAC. You have the chance to meet people who come from different walks of life and the bond that is created,” Comi said.

As a ceramic artist, Comi has found influence in his Mexican heritage and applies it to his work.

“I have been inspired by traditional pottery made from the region in Mexico where my parents are from. Both my parents are from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. There are many pottery towns or pueblos there that have the best ceramic artists for many years,” Comi said.

He has visited these towns many times and has learned that the traditional ceramic art from his region has been handed down by families for many generations, and draws pride from that.

In addition to being influenced by his heritage, Comi said that his art has been influenced by the art and work of all his professors, including Susie Rubenstein, Kathryn Dennis Stovall, and Rose Misanchuk.

“In my case, Rose Misanchuk has influenced a very big movement in my artistic time frame. I have started to make many gestured pieces, and have gotten rid of the concept that everything has to be perfect. That in it self has reassured me that I had the ability to move to another level of skill and has reinforced my mastery of the material,” Comi said.

Comi said that he has continued to experiment with form, and always tries to convey a message with his work.

“In ceramics I have always used who I am as a person and strive to portray a message. The way I have done it is I have made many ceramic dildos. I think that as a gay man it is very important to do something interesting,” Comi said.

In addition to this, he has produced imagery that represents the naked male body and genitalia.

Professor of ceramics, Rose Misanchuk said that Comi has produced art that is strong and well thought out, and continues to produce work in order to keep growing.

“He impresses me with his work ethic, his commitment to working hard and reaching his goals. He is always congenial and pleasant to be around,” Misanchuk said.

Comi sees ceramics as a lifetime skill, and something that will influence his future.

As a bioengineering major, Comi would like to transfer to University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Diego, or Harvey Mudd College and plans to work with prosthetics in the future.

“I think that if he keeps persevering, he will succeed. I just hope he never gives up on his dreams,” said Lauren Montgomery, 21, child development major.

10

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Professor Andrade says her final adios 1,'"(2"(3#'$&,4!"#$%&'$(() 23"'-+$(3%045++0%(65'75(,'.%".5(859#:%5+(.:%-';(0'5(04($5%(98"++5+<

!"#$%&'()"'*+ !"#$%&"'()*+$,& After 28 years at Mt. SAC, beloved Spanish professor Dr. Renée Andrade says adios as she plans to retire at the end of the spring semester. Andrade said she is blessed to have worked at Mt. SAC and for living a beautiful life. Attending school for her doctorate while pregnant and having a part-time job was not easy.

“I did it the hard way,” Andrade said.

She attended school during the day and worked until 2 a.m. Andrade said she was lucky enough to have been able to receive her doctorate degree and immediately get a job in her profession at the University of California, Irvine, all while raising two young children.

Before beginning her career at Mt. SAC, Andrade taught at UCI and USC. Andrade said she believes that she is a “product of the community college,” and compared Mt. SAC and university students.

“I had all kinds of students at UCI, but you don’t see that kind of diversity [at the universities]. We have students that come from all paths of life and background, so we have such diversity that it really enriches your life,” Andrade said. “I have had students that were 78 and students that were 14 years old, and students so bright that one even finished Mt. SAC in one year, and I have had students with all kinds of disabilities, so I appreciate [diversity] a lot.”

Her office is filled with pictures of her family, colleagues, and former students. A few of her former students remembered her as being a helpful and positive person.

“I have so many students at Mt. SAC that were my students and now they are my colleagues; it’s beautiful,” she said.

Andrade’s colleague and former student, Spanish Professor Lorena Molina, was in her Spanish for Spanish Speakers class in 1995.

“She was so energetic, her energy is contagious. Since then until now she hasn’t changed.

All of her students love her and like her, and she has a lot of recognitions…awards here in the college, the department is very lucky to have her."

Molina is both happy and sad for Andrade.

“I feel happy for her because she is still young and can enjoy her life and her family, but at the same time sad because a very good teacher is going to leave. She is the best of the best.”

Andrade remembered a time in her life when she lost her mother. She had a difficult time visiting her mother’s grave.

A former student had worked at the graveyard. Soon after, Andrade noticed that every time she visited her mother’s grave there would be fresh flowers. She learned that her former student would always make sure there were fresh flowers on her grave.

“It was a bond for life, I had made an impression on him,” Andrade said.

Andrade said that teaching is not about the money but more about the rewards.

“I always look forward to being in the classroom. It is very energizing to be in the classroom,” Andrade said.

While Andrade said it is hard to leave the classroom, she is looking forward to spending more quality time with her children, three grandchildren, and her husband.

She also wants to give back to the community.

Her goal is to teach English to Hispanic parents “so that they can communicate with their children’s teachers.”

Andrade also said she is very close to her church.

“I’ve been helping the homebound, the elderly,” Andrade said.

She added that it is time to retire because she has seen two generations of students and does not want to stay to see the third. Andrade leaves her students with some words of wisdom.

“Even though times are hard, life is a cycle, even though the news are gloomy and dark, there is the cycle of life and things can only improve and as long as you improve your education. It is something that nobody can take away from you and you’re going to not give up because of the cancelling of classes. There are things in life like money and fame, and any material thing that comes and goes, but nobody can take education away from you, and it will always open doors for you, and also make you a better person. Be positive and doors will open.”

Italian Club brings culture to the campus ,-."(/$0%1"'-./+."(0"#$()*+$,&( ( (((((((((A roomful of “ciao’s,” a cluster of distinct

personalities, and a unique energy are the first things one notices upon entrance to a meeting of the Italian Club.

“At each meeting of the Italian Club, we introduce a piece of the Italian culture and language to let students know that other cultures exist,” said Americo Marano, professor of Spanish and Italian, and club adviser.

The Italian Club makes its distinct presence known on campus and provides for students a

resource to learn more about Italy.

“Our club highlights a unique culture as well as cool activities for members to get involved in,” said club president Adriana Macias, 21, hospitality major.

The activities introduced to the members serve to fill the purpose of the club. “The purpose of the Italian club is to introduce students to the Italian culture, to let them explore the culture.

It’s not just what we see in the U.S.,” said club treasurer Carmen Rodriguez, 22, sociology major.

In the multiethnic United States people formulate ideas, which may not always be correct about a culture based on different factors.

According to club vice president and history

major Cosme Hernandez, 23, the club aspires to bring more culture to the campus. “We really want to knock down the stereotypes that are out there about the Italian culture,” Hernandez said.

The club’s goal is achieved through the events they have planned for the semester, such as trips to the Italian opera and authentic Italian restaurants.

“We do a lot of cultural activities. We’re planning on going to the Getty Villa in Malibu which has a lot of Italian culture to it. And, this

See Italian P. 11

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

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11

*+,)%-)%.#,"'+/!"#$%&'$(()

Mt. SAC professors set the bar higher with graphic design

!"#$$%!"&'$(')**+ !"#$$%&'(")' In the last few years, Mt. SAC professors Steve Burgoon and Don Sciore have managed to remodel the curriculum for graphic design into a program that attracts more students each semester.

“We make a strong attempt for it to be real world design,” said Burgoon.

Burgoon has been teaching at Mt. SAC since 2002 and has been working toward steering the program to better prepare students for work in the field. One of the ways the graphic design program’s professors have gathered information is by going out and asking employers what they want to see in an entry level graphic designer.

According to Burgoon, surveying the industry has been a valuable tool in finding out what students would need to enter the industry.

Real world experience is what gives Mt. SAC’s program a major advantage.

Mt. SAC student Jessica Herrera, 24, photography and graphic design major, said that

Cont. from Italian P. 10 semester, we have planned to attend a Sicilian festival in San Diego,” said Macias.

Macias said that organizing such events is her favorite part about leading the club.

“I’ve always had an interest in Italian culture and decided to step up to leadership within the club. And, when I did, I found that I loved organizing events. It was exciting to plan things that would teach others about the culture,” Macias said.

Such events integrate members into the Italian culture.

“Just having one cultural view growing up can make someone narrow-minded. You need to immerse yourself into a culture and not just criticize it from the outside. You can’t really judge someone unless you’ve been in their shoes,” said Hernandez.

Living in this country means being around more cultures, more traditions, and more lifestyles than just one’s own.

“The United States is a very culturally

Mt. SAC offers good resources and that she is getting just as good of an education as she would be at a more expensive art school.

“The teachers here take time to teach you, which is all you can really ask for,” said Herrera.

Mt. SAC‘s faculty not only offers an associate degree in both graphic design and computer graphic design and photography, but also offers certificates in graphic design, web design, and computer graphic design and photography.

The graphic design program, which is housed under the commercial arts and entertainment department’s umbrella, offer students a wide variety of resources. A distinct advantage it has over other programs in its highly experienced staff. Several professors associated with the program have extensive experience working in the field they teach. Professor Tina Howland teaches web design and also runs Wett Designs, a successful web design company. Howland has also worked with Target, McDonalds, Disney, Guthy-Renker, Dancing with The Stars, CocaCola, and FOX among others. Professor Mario Rivas teaches Adobe Illustrator and graphic design and also works as a package designer diverse nation and knowing about other cultures is very important. It keeps people tolerant and educated about those around them,” said Rodriguez.

In fact, many of the members and officers of the club are people not of Italian heritage but of diverse backgrounds who are interested in learning about the culture and history of the country.

“The Italian club is not only for Italians. It is for all those that appreciate cultures,” said Marano. “In this global society, we need to be aware of different cultures to do better in the future.”

The club looks towards the future with its eclectic mix of members and its hopes to bring in even more of a crowd.

“It is a very big club. It brings a lot of different people in. Our members aren’t all Italian. The mix is interesting,” said Hernandez.

To guide members are a group of officers who have a passion for the culture and the club, but who themselves are not Italian.

“Many of the officers have taken Italian classes and some of us have studied abroad in

for Disney. Professors John Megowan and Mark Nelson are also professors involved in the industry.

June Guo, sophomore, graphic design major, said that she came to Mt. SAC for its proximity.

She was attracted to the graphic design program for the combination of artwork, computers, and good teachers.

She plans to transfer to Cal Poly Pomona after earning her certificate. Melody Kriesel, sophomore, gallery design and operation major, said she is enjoying learning Photoshop and that the program is preparing her to transfer. She is working on an associate degree and plans on transferring to Pitzer College.

The graphic design program will continue to expand into the future with plans for a new building to go up in the Fall 2012 semester. The building will house all of Mt. SAC’s commercial and entertainment arts programs and will allow both students and teachers a unique opportunity to collaborate on their work.

For more info about graphic design contact the art division offices in building 16 or by phone at (909) 274-5200.

Italy with Marano. This helps us to know the culture better and be a bigger help to members,” said Rodriguez.

The club’s cultural activities and opportunities for cultural gain are its selling points in bringing in members.

“People should join the club to get more knowledge about a culture besides their own.

And Italian culture has a lot of similarities with other cultures. So it’s important to see how other people live and to see the similarities and differences between Italian culture and other cultures around the world,” said Macias.

Besides the knowledge one can gain about Italian culture, becoming a part of this group might mean gaining a whole new group of friends.

“Joining a club is like being in a family. It helps your stay in Mt. SAC for the time you’re here. It makes it fun, so you’re not just here for school. You’re here to have fun, as well, and possibly with a family,” said Hernandez.

Marano said the best way to get a feel for this club is to simply experience it. “Come join us and experience what the Italian culture will give you,” he said.

12

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Play it &

!"#$%&'()*+, 4%'55(6"#%7" Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to apologize, not to Justin Bieber fans, but to the rest of the Mountaineer newspaper reading population: a whopping ten readers!

After reading my first ever video game column, I realized that it’s a piece of crap. There were tons of mistakes on behalf on which the editors as well as I can take equal blame.

Duke Nukem Forever is really not that bad of a game, mediocre at best, and seriously, I know games that are much worse. I would also like to add that I personally believe that Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin were not in a sexual relationship.

It was just a crappy attempt at a crappy joke, which was done, well, crappy; therefore, I apologize for that one as well.

I would add that Michael Jackson became “white” due to fright. The name Sorrowfully Horrible Interactive Tragedies (S.H.I.T) was supposed to be an acronym but nobody got it (I do understand, the human population does have an average IQ of 100, me included, being the Mt. SAC range).

In other words, don’t hate on Sarah Palin, because an average Joe like you would probably do the same thing if you walked in her heels; on the other hand, you did the smart thing by knowing you can’t get into politics. Back to topic; the original

name wound up being just about as long as Ron Jeremy’s penis and it really didn’t have that much of an impact (see ladies? Size doesn’t matter … much). So I decided to make the name short and sweet: Play it and Hate it is officially the new title. It took me a month of goofing around to finally figure that one out, so cherish it you fucking assholes!!!

The next game I’m going to talk about is one of the titles my gram gram gave to me (she makes a killer pot roast; you should try it sometime, all 10 of you).

The game is titled Dark Angel Vampire Apocalypse for PlayStation 2. When first looking at it, the box art looked pretty cool, showing off a bony-ass bitch with a sword killing vampires. She was almost as creepily skinny as an Ethiopian child; that’s the part of Africa you should focus on, Ethiopia. KONY 2012 seems like a joke; I mean, come on, Jason Russell was arrested promoting his new Invisible Children fashion line, Invisible Clothing.

Okay, back on topic, when opening up the case, the back of the CD gave me a sense of awe when staring into the blue reflection, reminiscent of older PS2 titles. Yes, this was 2001, the era that marked the beginning of the end of the classic golden age of gaming, marked by the death of the Sega Dreamcast.

Dark Angel was amongst the older titles around the same time as the PS2’s launch lineup, featuring solid games like Tekken Tag Tournament and SSX and crappy titles like Eternal Ring, a hilariously bad first person hack and slash RPG (Eternal Ring’s slogan: “who said Fantasies had to be Final?” My comment: “this one certainly was because it sucks ass.)”

I forgot to mention Unreal Tournament, which is pretty amazing on PC (with the fun mods and online support) but on PS2, it’s just eh.

Dark Angel, however, is living proof that the early PS2 wouldn’t be anything without DVD functionality.

The game is an old fashioned “hack and slash” RPG; it focuses on Anna, a vampire hunter. Your mission is to kill an army of vampires over a course of 3 months

Hate it (or some shit like that, I don’t care). However, when you start the game, you’re randomly thrown into a battle where you hack and slash monsters and other “scary” things, but there’s one problem, THIS GAME GIVES NO FLIPPING PROLOGUE! I tried to talk to other townspeople about what’s going on (I mean, it is an RPG after all, right?) but townspeople give remarks that aren’t very helpful and instead happily provide players with halfassed responses (the same ones I give hipsters).

That doesn’t mean a lack of direct storytelling is bad. The Legend Of Zelda (1985, NES) was cryptic as hell. Even though all the bushes look exactly the same, the candle would only burn certain ones.

The game had virtually around five or so townspeople, (if you could even call them “towns”) but they were still able to give esoteric hints towards your next destination.

Overworld and dungeon map designs were very primitive but still had creative patterns. Level 3, for instance, was in the shape of a swastika. I did Nazi that coming; what a country! Despite being difficult to pick up on, it was very enjoyable and made you wanting more to the point of getting a Nintendo Power subscription (hey mom, better fork out the cash or the guilt train comes a wreckin’).

This title was not technologically advanced but it had pretty much all the needed elements of a satisfyingly nice hack and slash (and sadly, this was 1980 fucking six!) I wanted to talk about the Legend of Zelda as a way to avoiding Dark Angel; however, it is time to get dirty.

This was the PS2, the system that used the same CGI engine that was utilized during the production of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and this is what I get?

Playing Dark Angel made me feel sick to my stomach when going through the first dungeon, the maps were very long and complex which is cool; but it felt like you were going nowhere and in reality, you certainly were.

While fighting off monsters, the game used sounds that always ended in a cheesy echo, churning the slop in my stomach and giving me

nausea.

All of the spells do the same thing, so having strategy is pointless.

And worst of all, the controls felt as sticky as crusted-on maple syrup sticking in your armpits, pulling your hair.

I played this piece of shit for 5 hours straight back when I was a high school senior, hoping that something would pick up. For the sake of this article, I resorted towards using YouTube videos to watch gameplay footage because I really didn’t want to play this piece of shit ever again.

I gave this game to my best friend Joshua, resigned to a fate of being swallowed by a monster of miscellaneous toys and forgotten VHS tapes, such as Ghost Dad (I should “pudding pop” it in the VHS one of these days; maybe I’ll write about it… not).

Now here’s a good PS2 hack and slash series that I would recommend: Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance. This game does offer a decent story that goes many places through towns, bogs, sewers, canyons and a gate that takes you into different worlds.

You can play as various classes like a fighting dwarf, an elven arcane archer, and a sorceress.

The graphics are simple yet well polished. The RPG mechanics are pretty simple and solid, yet flexible.

A nice thing about this title is that it offers reasonable replay value by offering a “new game plus,” allowing you to start the game again with the same powerful character.

You fight crazy creatures like a giant eye, lizard men, an ice dragon, and giant knights that beautifully shatter to pieces in defeat. The second one is similar as the first one but with more classes, elemental realms to traverse, and even more weapons.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the game actually has a prologue as well as competent characterization and storytelling.

Come to think of it, I’ll play it again.

I got this game from a German drunk, a good friend of my mom’s (das good); see, terrible stories like this do have a happy ending after all. Now stop playing with yourself and pick up a controller.

Think FUTURE.

Think summer session 2012 @ Cal Poly Pomona

Move one step closer to graduation.

Experience Our High Quality Polytechnic University Three Convenient Sessions – Admission Not Required Earn Academic Credit That Is Transferrable Choose From a Wide Variety of Classes Check Us Out At: http://bit.ly/ceus212 or www.ceu.csupomona.edu/summer/212

!"#$%#&'()$*#&+,-./012/))3

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Cont. from CSU P.2

Cont. from Kony P. 4

“The people that have been inactive for a long period of time should not get the higher priority registration dates,” he said.

Chow added that he knows that priority registration does not always adjust to account for inactive students, whether they have transferred or if they have simply stopped attending. “I know this because friends who have already transferred to UCs have told me that their registration dates for Mt. SAC are sometimes even earlier than mine,” he said.

For current and future students, the path remains unclear. But most of what they can do centers on remaining studious in class and staying prepared in terms of transfer preparation, scholarships, and other opportunities.

“I may not speak for everyone, but I’m pretty flexible,” Chow said. “I know life is just weird and things usually never go your way, so I have already started looking at private and out-of-state alternatives.”

Cont. from Theft P. 3 valuable in nicer cars,” said Yue. “Statistics have shown that Honda and Chevy are easier cars to get broken into, and it just depends on what those thieves are looking for,” said DiMaggio. “The unfortunate part is that stealing is their business, and that’s what they do for a living.”

Public safety suggests that students should try keeping their cars locked and secured. A steering wheel lock and car alarm may also help, and these are the best things to do to prevent thefts.

“But somebody who knows what they’re doing can obviously supersede all those measures ultimately to steal vehicles and items from the cars,” said DiMaggio.

If an incident occurs, victims can always call public safety. “We will take a report and sometimes we get the sheriff department involved,” said DiMaggio.

now?” Salmo said.

Salmo researched the movement, the foundation, and Russell. She said she began to feel that Russell created the movement to serve his own interests.

After viewing a video where Uganda citizens negatively responded to Kony 2012, Salmo said she decided that the movement did not make sense.

From the survey, two out of the 32 students agreed with Salmo that the video is misleading.

Invisible Children, headquartered in San Diego, works with volunteers to spread awareness and advocacy internationally.

They began their work in Uganda in 2005 along with local visionaries in Uganda to identify areas of greatest need in northern Uganda.

Despite the mixed reactions to the video, on March 24, Invisible Children posted a video declaring that the Kony 2012 campaign is working. The video updated viewers on the progress of the movement.

Over three million people have pledged their support online. The video, on vimeo.com, states that, “Together, the House resolution by Congressmen Royce and McGovern and the Senate resolution authored by Senators Coons and Inhofe, have already gained over 67 bipartisan co-sponsors.”

The senate resolution condemns Kony and the LRA’s crimes against humanity, and both resolutions express the United States support to bring Kony

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and his top commanders to justice and to permanently end the group’s atrocities.

The resolutions state that as of February 2007 it was estimated that approximately 66,000 children have been forcibly recruited into the LRA. The resolutions state that as of September 2008, 2,400 civilians, targeted in churches and schools, were deliberately killed, an unknown number of men, women, and children have been raped and mutilated, at least 1,500 children have been forced to become child soldiers and sex slaves, and 465,000 civilians have been displaced without access to humanitarian resources.

Adding to the mixed responses to the video, Russell was detained by police on March 15, after he was seen running through the streets of San Diego naked and possibly masturbating. The erratic behavior is said to have been caused by malnutrition and dehydration.

In the online article “Anti-Kony campaign in turmoil after filmmaker’s breakdown” dated March 23, on reuters. com, Russell’s wife said that he will remain in the hospital for several more weeks and possibly not return to work for months.

The article reported that the arrest might have no effect on the efforts of Invisible Children and the campaign.

“Analysts said the fate of the group may be largely irrelevant because it had already served the purpose of persuading millions to care, and policy decisions were taking shape,” it said.

14

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

ASPIRE pushes students to achieve success

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&*:,-,'!/,>>0-,( !3'#'%14(#'$ Community, support, and accountability are words that program coordinator Tamieka Hunter used to describe the ASPIRE program at Mt. SAC. Located in building 9D, next to the bookstore, the ASPIRE program was established in 2008 to help African Americans and other students perform well in academics.

Throughout the California Community College system there are four major categories in which African American college students perform low: overall GPA, transfer rates, degrees earned, and term to term enrollment. The aim for ASPIRE is to help students perform well in all four of these categories and be successful when transferring to a four-year institution.

As program coordinator, Hunter

oversees the program and her goal is to make sure students are compliance with their academics, including educational plans. Students are required to meet with an adviser each semester, maintain a 2.0 G.P.A., be enrolled in at least six or more units each semester, and submit a progress report. In addition to these requirements, students must also use campus resources for their academics and attend one ASPIRE event each semester.

A benefit of the program is the mentoring students receive.

“All of our mentors are full-time employees at Mt. SAC in various capacities,” Hunter said. “Anyone from the marketing department to the history department and everywhere in between.”

Mentors are there for students to support, encourage and answer any questions they may have.

“Students may not have the

additional support coming from home, neighborhood, friends,” Hunter said. “It’s largely about a community where students feel a sense of belonging, where they’re a person who’s cared for and supported through their experience.”

Monthly workshops give students the skills to succeed in college, and help students on strategy and academic success. Hunter said each workshop differs each month depending on the topic or what’s happening within the month.

Students are required to attend an ASPIRE event, such as field trips or any activities that occur on campus. Hunter added that events, trips and other activities give students opportunities to dig deeper within their college experience, and experience more than just coming to class.

Learning communities are an essential part of the ASPIRE program which are designed to assist students to get to college level classes. Three learning communities are offered each semester with a minimum number of seats available for students, Hunter added. Students in the program who are interested in the learning communities come on a first come, first serve basis. The goal of the learning communities are to help students stay on track with good college habits and to meet their educational goals.

Sean Williamson, a 24-year-old graphic design major, became an ASPIRE student in the fall of 2009.

“At first I didn’t want to join. I was the type of person that was here and then back home,” Williamson said. “My eyes were enlightened by

another individual that was in the program and invited me to one of the workshops.”

He said he liked the workshop environment and felt he needed to be more involved on campus. ASPIRE has played a big role in his life. It has helped him be more alert and has kept him on top of his academics.

“I was always in trouble academically and I was on academic probation before I got into the program,” Williamson said. “ASPIRE has helped me raise my GPA from a 2.5 to a 3.2. It has also helped with my study habits.” From meeting with counselors three times a month to meeting with his mentor, Williamson has achieved success with the ASPIRE program.

“Sean was a student who wasn’t involved at all and now is president of the ASPIRE club,” Hunter said.

She added that Williamson, someone who was not involved at all, possesses leadership development and is now running a student organization to increase student involvement.

“It’s [ASPIRE] also helped me realize that I can exceed higher limits,” Williamson said. “Tamieka has always told me that you’re capable of more than what you know.”

This is the first semester for Williamson as president of a student organization, and last semester he was vice president of the ASPIRE club. He plans to transfer to Cal State Fullerton.

Hunter added that the club’s philosophy is to push students past their limits and that by doing so, “We give them the support so that they can succeed.”

ACES helps students transfer to universities <3(,';,'=0()/3 25'$#-%14(#'$ For Sandra Rodriguez, a 34-year-old criminology major, the ACES program is helping her fulfil her educational goal to transfer to a four-year institution.

The ACES, Achieving in College, Ensuring Success program was created to assist students who are low-income and/or the first in their family to attend college and/or disabled to obtain an Associate’s degree and transfer from institutions like Mt. SAC to a four-year institution.

It is one of the three TRiO programs that began as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty through the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

“They [ACES Program] told me that it was a small group and that they have counselors that could be tailored for me rather than the counseling program in place for all students,” said Rodriguez. “I really like the fact that I could get a counselor that was able to get to know me and realize my personal needs.”

Rodriguez added that the program is intended to help people navigate their way through college and assist them in getting to their

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goals in the most direct way.

“This program was created for first generation students,” said Rodriguez.

The difference between first generation students is inherent in the ideals that they come to college with, Rodriguez said.

“We don’t have the idea that we can come to school, graduate and move on and really become successful. We don’t have that coming here; with my counselor, I was able to really grasp that idea.”

Through a grant that was funded last year, Vice President

of Student Services Dr. Audrey Yamagata-Noji established the ACES program in the school.

“When we received the Student Support Services grant at Mt. SAC, we wanted to call it something that was really easily identifiable for us here at the campus,” Juan Carlos Astorga, TRiO programs director, said. “Our vice-president said, ‘Hey, what about calling it ACES, Achieving in College, Ensuring Success?’”

The ACES Program has one counselor for its 240 students.

Former Mt. SAC student and

counselor/coordinator, Diana Felix, works with the students on a personal level.

“Because we work with them one-on-one, we get to know them very well and on a personal level, so it becomes a very family-like environment,” said Felix. The program offers computer labs and tutors, and the students are a closeknit group.

“The students feel like there is a sense of community and belonging because we are a commuter campus,” said Felix. “We’re trying to find unique ways to get them engaged.”

Elizabeth Estevez, 27, project expert for ACES, who has worked with the program for about a year, said she wants the students in the program to graduate, and helps with their continued effort by keeping them positive.

Estevez said, “My primary goal is to make sure that they graduate, but in order for them to graduate, they have to feel confident in their ability to complete classes, complete their assignments, and are given the tools necessary to stay positive throughout so that they continue to enroll.”

For more information on the ACES Program, contact Diana Felix, counselor/coordinator at (909) 274-5321.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Women’s tennis win conference title

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!"#$%$&'($))*%$+ !"#$#%&'($#) On Thursday, March 29, the women’s tennis team claimed the conference championship once again, defending their title from last year.

Their only loss this season came from El Camino College back in March 27.

The Mountie end the regular season with a 14-1 record overall this season, with an 8-1 record in

conference.

The women look forward to the South Coast Conference tournament, which will be held on April 19-20.

Rebekah Penner, 20, communications major, was excited that their team won conference again.

“We just finished conference last week [March 29] and won conference, we were 8-1.”

Penner said.

With the SCC tournament on the horizon,

the women look to do really well in singles and in doubles.

“I think our team will do well, we have a really strong team this year and we are excited for it.” Penner Said.

The tournament brings out players from conference once again to compete against one another.

Players that perform well and advance in the tournament, go on to the regionals, which take place May 3-5.

One of the biggest tournaments for tennis this season is the Ojai tournament April 26-29.

Players from all over come to compete in this event.

The women look to competing at this tourament both in singles and doubles, and hope to achieve good results.

The women’s tennis team this year have had a remarkable season, yet again winning conference.

For the past three years, the team has dominated their conference matches, coming out on top.

The last match of the season before SCC tournament is a reschedule match against Orange Coast Community College, OCC, a pre-season game.

The match which was scheduled in the beginning of the season, but was postponed due to rain, will be played this Thursday, April 12.

For more information on the remaining schedule with women’s tennis, log on to http://athletics.mtsac.edu.

15

Getting the point straight with Sessions ,-($.&!+/"01$) *$+,,%-)($.)

School is in Session, and the new teacher in town is Ramon.

Of course Kobe is still the principal but the Lakers have finally added that quick first step guard that has been eluding their roster this season.

Ramon Sessions was acquired hours before the trade deadline on March 15.

On the same day, the Lakers traded Derek Fisher for Jordan Hill, which has no doubt swirled up mixed emotions into the heart of Lakers fans, but dealing the 37-year-old guard was a deal that had to go down.

Fisher won five NBA championships with the purple and gold before hanging up his L.A. jersey for an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform.

Fisher shouldn’t be too down in the dumps though, after all he is leaving the Lakers for the best team in the Western Conference and has a chance to win a sixth ring.

Both sides are getting what they want.

“The last time the Lakers had a point guard this quick was Norm Nixon,” said James Worthy.

That is a big statement considering Nixon hasn’t played for the lake show since 1983.

Ramon is making an obvious impact on the offense in his first several games as a Laker.

Sessions is penetrating defenses and getting to the free throw line early and often since being traded.

His youthful legs are just what the Lakers need for the upcoming post season.

He has transformed the Lakers’ identity almost single handedly.

The Lakers no longer look like a slow, over the hill team limping into the post season.

The offense is starting to click and offensive production is on the rise since Sessions joined the team.

Most NBA fans will remember the Lakers’ embarrassing exit from the first round of the playoffs last year at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks exposed the lack of speed in the Lakers’ backcourt.

With the Lakers currently sitting in the third playoff spot in the west, they would face the sixth seeded Mavericks in the first round this year and have a chance for redemption.

Hopefully the Lakers learned their lesson and school will be in session.

Mounties end a tough season on high note !"#$%$&'($))*%$+ !"#$#%&'($#) On April 3, the men’s tennis team produced their third win of the season by beating Victor Valley College 8-1.

The men were also victorious March 20, beating San Diego City College 7-2.

Both wins were pre-season matches, which improved their overall season record to 3-11, 0-6 in conference.

Although their victories were pre-season matches and not conference matches, the men look forward to the South Coast Conference tournament on April 19-20.

Daniel Acevedo, 25, psychology major, looks forward to SCC individually and as a team.

“We hope to do our best, put our best effort

out there.” Acevedo said.

This season has not been kind to the men’s tennis team especially with steep competition from other community colleges.

“It’s been rough, but I think we’re all trying to improve our best, especially the ones coming back next year.” Acevedo said.

He added that by being positive and gaining experience with all the matches that have been played this year, they believe that they could catch up next year.

This team this year is comprised of freshmen, with a few returning players from last year.

Acevedo said that players from other community colleges are players that played junior tournament or started playing when they were young, unlike our players, who started in high school or only played high

school tennis.

With different levels of experience this year, the men’s team looks to make progress and gain experience from their losses in conference this year.

The goal is to be prepared next season for players returning.

The last home match for the men this season is against Paradise Valley College on April 6, and after that is SCC tournament.

The men’s tennis team this year is also going to Ojai, one of the best tournaments for tennis in college athletics.

The men’s tennis team looks forward to this tournament and hopes to do well in singles and in doubles. The Ojai tournament takes place in two weeks, April 26-29.

For more information on men’s tennis, log on to http://athletics.mtsac.edu.

16

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

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*+,-)" +$$%,--.# !%+,,'-$*%.$ The Mt. SAC men’s swimming team dominated at the South Coast Conference dual meet March 23, winning against Los Angeles Trade Tech 218-31, and El Camino College 191-70. The Mounties also went on to win against Chaffey College 151-127 on March 30.

Mt. SAC is currently 6-1 this season, with its only loss to Long Beach. Mounties head coach Mark Ruh, in his 18th year of coaching, said of the win at Chaffey, “The team really stepped up and swam well. I had it figured that we could win the meet by about 6 points, so we had some good swims to put us up by 24 or so.” He added, “The South Coast conference championship will be determined

at the conference championship meet at Pasadena April 19-21.

Long Beach and Chaffey will be the teams to beat.”

Ruh is depending on up and coming freshmen Quinn Brewton, Ruben Carillo, and Jason Nichols, to lead the team behind the leadership of returning sophomore swimmer Taylor Kneisley.

“Kneisly is the top 100-meter breast stroker, who lost to last year’s state champion, broke the school record by three seconds, and looks to win the state championship this season.”

Ruh said this year will be a challenge for his swimmers.

“We are not quite as strong as we were in the past, we don’t have quite as much depth; we have some very talented swimmers that are working very hard, but when compared to last year we don’t

have quite as much depth,” said Ruh. As the season comes to a close, the outcome against Chaffey will be the deciding factor.

“The season is going well, but the big match up will be against Chaffey,” said Ruh. “Which will be the deciding factor of how well the swimming team will do in the conference, and in the state championships.”

The Mounties also host two of the largest high school competitions in the country, the Mt. SAC Swimming Invitational and the Winter Fest Championship. Each event brings at least 1,500 athletes that come from all over the state.

“We’re always looking around, we’re always scouting athletes; there is never a downtime,” said Ruh.

Conditioning five days a week, with weight, water, and cardiovascular training, the athletes take extreme measures to get the edge over other competing schools. The coaches want their players to peak at the right time in the season to be most effective.

With a record of 115-36 in 18 years of coaching, Ruh knows what it takes to get the job done.

With 135 individuals earning up to 400 swimming and diving All-American honors, the coach focuses on academics with athletics.

“The men’s swimming team is one of the highest performing teams academically, on campus they usually have a very strong GPA,” said Ruh. “We have a lot of smart students that if they don’t transfer to a university in athletics they will academically.”

Mounties and Chaffey fight for first place !"#$%&$%'(#)*" !"#$%&'()*%#$ After defeating conference opponent East Los Angeles College, 186-83 and losing to rivals Chaffey College, 174-104 last Friday, at home, the Mt. SAC women’s swimming team will be looking to start a new winning streak.

The Mounties came into the meet against ELAC and Chaffey with an undefeated 5-0 record.

“That was our last meet and we knew it would come down to this,” said Head Coach Chris Jackson.

“They [Chaffey] were going into it undefeated as well and we knew that it was going to be a tough one.”

The Mounties made decent finishes to stay in the competition throughout the meet, but it was not enough to beat their conference rivals.

“We swam some good times, I don’t know if we could have [won] even looking at it on paper; we just had some holes in our lineup that we couldn’t overcome,” said Jackson.

“We swam well, we couldn’t come up top on that one.”

Taking over the women’s program seven years ago, Jackson believes that they are a hard working team.

“I am very proud of the way they work in the weight room and in the pool, and it is always a plea-

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sure working with these types of athletes,” said Jackson.

Outsiders may not realize it, but the swimming regimen involves large amounts of weight lifting and other training on dry land.

The women’s swimming team takes an offseason class that involves lifting for two mornings a week.

“Our workouts are a little dif-

ferent from the guys because guys typically [have] more muscle mass; they can maintain speeds better than girls,” Jackson said. “[The women’s team] does a little more yardage and we taper them at the end differently; we taper off the distance they’re swimming and the weight they’re lifting.”

During this time in the season,

the Mounties must avoid bumps in the road in order to win the South Coast Conference title.

“We have two girls with injuries [which] hurts a little,” said Jackson.

“At this level you need everyone coming back.”

The next meet for the Mounties will be the Pasadena Invitational this Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7 at Pasadena City College.