Fall Issue 4

Soccer scores big in final match Pg. 20

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

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

www.mountiewire.com

Volume 76 Issue 4

Suicide on the rise

More than half of American college students have considered suicide Pg. 3

Police brutality causes outrage

Pg. 5-6

Three time champs Pg. 20

2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

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RateMyProfessors.com reviews, fact or fiction? !"#"$%&'(')*+,%-*)'..'%/+(.#'#"0 !"#$%&"'()*+$,&-(.%/$+0%/$%&"()*+$,& The technological age has given society many things, but for students, one of those things is the option to scope out potential instructors online before they agree to sign away precious time and money. Academic rating websites, especially RateMyProfessors. com, may have an influence on students in the process of picking whose classes they will take.

According to the website, RateMyProfessors.com is the largest online destination for professor ratings. With 7,500+ schools and over 13,000,000 entirely student-generated comments and ratings, RateMyProfessors.com is the highest trafficked free site for quickly researching and rating 1,500,000+ professors from colleges and universities across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. John Swapceinski founded the site in 1999 as a free resource for students. This open forum, according to the Web site, allows students to not only anonymously rate their professors but also to voice opinions and make a difference in their education.

The site uses four basic criteria: clarity, easiness, helpfulness and the user’s interest level in reviewing this professor. The user is asked to rate each of these categories on a scale of 1-5 when writing their evaluations.

These ratings are calculated and assigned the emoticon of a smiley face, a sad face, or an in-between face. If the professor is physically attractive, students may include the muchcoveted “hot” symbol, or a small chili pepper icon next to their rating. The reviewers always remain anonymous, although the IP addresses are logged to block anyone from reviewing the same teacher more than once from the same computer.

Some college students consult the site religiously when it comes to the stressful task of choosing their classes, but what happens when they are led astray by reviews written by the professors themselves?

The Chronicle of Higher Education is a

website aimed at providing academic-related news and networking opportunities for professors and students alike. This very topic came up on their message boards in 2007, to which most scoffed at the idea of taking RateMyProfessors seriously in the first place.

“RMP has no integrity, so add as many ratings as you want,” said one poster under the alias of “neutralname.” Another commented, “Indeed, I think academics should do what they can to undermine RMP in subversive actions.” Others disagreed and thought that the site did had an effect on their reputations with the students and would influence their class size, and admitted that they wrote their own reviews to combat the naysayers.

“I’ve written my own ratings,” wrote another poster who used the screen name “athena1.” Another commented, “It tends to be the unhappy students who write them, anyway.

Might as well skew the thing in your favor. I don’t worry about it in the least. I’ve written numerous positive ratings about friends as well.”

While the site was created only for student use, some professors at Mt. SAC have taken their ratings into their own hands, oftentimes giving themselves stellar reviews that contradict whatever the other users have to say. According to English professor and former English Department Chair, Gary Enke, said he witnessed firsthand a professor writing their own review.

“I saw it once in the workroom,” Enke said.

Enke said the professor is still working on campus but said he does not remember their name.

“I can’t guarantee my memory at that time,” he said.

Enke said it is not his concern whether professors write their own reviews.

“It is Rate My Professors’ problem, not mine. They are not going to pay me to monitor,” Enke said.

Cosme Hernandez, 23, kinesiology major, said that one professor, Craig Petesen, said he has written his own reviews.

“Petersen said he did some of the reviews, it was on the first day of school and he

admitted he had written some reviews just to get people to see that whatever you read on the internet is not true,” Hernandez said.

Petersen, a biology professor, said he was joking.

“On the first day of class I always ask ‘what did you read about me?’ I joke with them and say, ‘Oh yeah, I wrote those reviews’ just to make them laugh,” Petersen said.

He added, “I’m sure there are professors that do that. “ Petersen said he is not concerned if students believe he writes his own reviews.

“I’m sure there are students out there that believe I write my own reviews,” he said. “But I do not have time to sit down and write an evaluation, good or bad about myself.”

Petersen has a 4.4 out of 5.0 review on RateMyProfessors and a chili pepper.

Regarding the chili pepper, he said, “I don’t know, maybe they were blind, but that was nice.”

Craig Hernandez, 20, sociology major, said professors are free to do what they want.

“I don’t see it as a big deal, RateMyProfessors is an independent website, it is not controlled by the college,” Hernandez said. “It is not surprising that they do it, or if they would do it.”

While some professors may take the stance that professor rating websites are just a joke to either make or break egos, many others, students and professors alike, disagreed.

“I have used RateMyProfessors and it was pretty accurate,” said Jose Rosa, 22, nursing major.

He added, though, that he has wondered of the site’s accuracy.

“Actually, I can believe that [they write their own reviews]. For example, there was an English 1A professor I had and she was a good professor, but some comments on the site were so obvious it was her. I can tell if it was a professor based on the other comments.

Professors tend to write things such as ‘lazy student’ and ‘it’s a really interesting class!’’

Irene Cardenas, a 22-year-old law enforcement major, consults the website every semester when choosing her classes. She said

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

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STAFF Albert Serna - Editor-in-Chief Beatrice Alcala - Graphics and Visuals Editor Libby Freeman - Photo Editor Sonia Ross - Copy Editor Matthew Medina - News Editor Mathew Foresta - Opinion Editor Sarah Venezio - Features Editor James Choy, Gil Alcaraz - Sports Editors Alex Kchouri, Joanne Angulo - A&E Editors Susy Hernandez, Lizette Contreras Multiculture Editors Cynthia Perez - College Life Editor Adam Valenzuela - Cartoonist Senior Staff Writers Rich Yap, Sonia Ross, Josue Velasquez, James Choy, Ariel Carmona Junior Staff Writers Eugene Paul Arellanes, Laura Avila, Kathryn Banks, Mercedes Barba, Teresa Contreras, Julian Cruz, Maria Davila, Jose De Castro, Lee Ellis Ii, Christina Espin, Alex Fenn, Gilbert Garcia, Aida Ghorbani, Yvanna Hernandez, Jonathan Herrera, Daniel Hiemstra, Rafael Manansala, Paloma Martinez, Alex Medrano, Nicolette Morris, Janet Nguyen, Bianca Ornelas, Antoinette Rodriguez, Ariel Rodriguez, Scott Schetselaar, Sonia Waraich, Mikaela Zhao, Dillon Carroll, Ugo Ofo, Tianna Winters, Linda Rada, Marina Ramos Designers Beatrice Alcala, Matthew Gastelum, Girtha Phillips, Manny Romero, Valerie De La Puente, Harmon Huynh Photographers Beatrice Alcala, Eugene Paul Arellanes, Christian Rainwater, Sos Adame, Gia Cognata, James Fonseca, Mario Gomez, Crystal Lo, Francis John Serrano, Amanda Vanoudheusden, Samuel Vasquez, John Pineda, Mariajose Corona, Harmon Huynh, Ann Teng, Melinda Arredondo, Abigail Molina, William Hall, Jose De Castro, Rich Yap, Josue Velazquez, Kelvin Zapata, Garrett Garcia, James De la Rosa Public Relations Team Laura Avila, Perla Ponce, Desiree Davis, Valerie De La Puente, Christopher Elias, Kallie Rodgers-Bell, Anika Click, Ebony Hardiman Sanders Advertising Manager Ariel Carmona Adviser Toni Albertson

Cover Photo Illustration by Beatrice Alcala. Model: Zack Bauer, 20, business major.

Right Teaser: James Choy/Mountaineer Left Teaser: Photo courtesy of sfexaminer.com Photo Cutout: James Choy/Mountaineer 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

345"*67)("4%"/*)28$%"5%9/(1('2:"*;

Suicidal students question Mt. SAC’s response procedures !"#$%&'"(()&*"%##+&,#-./")&!.(0&1+2#%#3+4 !"#$%&'()"*+%,-&%&'()"*+%./0)(1/0)/*2%&'()"* Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Nearly 1,100 suicides will occur on college campuses this year.

The number one cause of suicide for college students and for all suicides is untreated depression. In a 2009 survey of 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students at 70 U.S. institutions conducted by David Drum, a professor of education psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, students were asked about suicidal thoughts.

The survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students responded that they fit that category, and recent reports show that suicide among college students is on the rise. Darryl Stephens, a former Mt. SAC student and former Mountie football player, committed suicide in May 2009. Stephens died from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to reports.

According to the American Psychological Association of Boston, more than half of American college students have considered suicide at some point in their lives.

Suicidal thoughts and tendencies stem from many social and psychological stressors. College students face issues of racism, bullying, gender, inadequacy, sexuality, societal stigmas, rape, divorce, domestic violence, postpartum depression, and economic difficulties.

According to the American College Health Association’s 2006 National College Health Assessment, 94 percent of college and university students surveyed reported that they felt overwhelmed by everything that they had to do.

Forty-four percent responded that they had felt so depressed that it was difficult to function.

Eighteen percent of students surveyed had a depressive disorder.

Josue Velasquez, 23, anthropology major, was diagnosed with depression in 2010. He admits to “cutting” in high school, but stopped. Velasquez said that cutting offered momentary relief and became something that was soothing to him, but his depression did not subside and eventually he turned to thoughts of suicide.

“I think that last year was the worst for me with regards to my depression. It will be two years this January that I tried to overdose on a whole bottle of anti-depressants. I left, I just left, I was gone, I just left my mind,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez spoke openly about difficulties at home contributing to his battle with depression.

“My mother and I just couldn’t come to terms with our differences, my [gay] lifestyle and her religion,” Velasquez said. “It was probably one of the darkest times of my life, I was really starting to hate myself and my life.”

In January 2010, Velasquez reached out to a professor during his attempted suicide and the professor alerted authorities. Velasquez was taken to a nearby hospital where his stomach was pumped. After the incident, he returned home.

In November 2010 he resumed cutting.

Velasquez sought help from Mt. SAC Student Health Services prior to his suicide attempt.

“I went one time but I didn’t really like it.

They consulted with me only one time and then they said that they would send me somewhere else.”

Velasquez also reached out to one of his professors when he resumed cutting.

“I reached out to her because I was losing control, I just couldn’t deal with it and I trusted her. She told me to go back to student health services so I went and they kept me there and called a crisis team from L.A. County. I waited for two to three hours. I just sat in silence and waited.”

Velasquez was told that he needed to be transported off campus for observation and was given an ultimatum that exacerbated his fears.

“When they came I was afraid, but mostly concerned. They told me that I had one of two options, that they would arrest me for trying to hurt myself or that I could be transported to a county hospital.”

After being transferred to a mental institution in Los Angeles, Velasquez said he felt isolated, fearful, more uncertain, and that he was given the opposite of the help that he needed.

“I was really uncomfortable, the white robes, the really long hallways, the really dark rooms, the flickering lights, and people roaming the halls that were mentally disabled. I just wanted someone to talk to about my sexuality and my home life, it didn’t work out the way I thought it would.”

Velasquez remained institutionalized for over two weeks.

Velasquez’ professor, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her student, said she is uncomfortable sending students in a mental health crisis to health services on campus.

See Suicide P. 16

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

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Parking structure on hold, alternative lot planned !"#$%$&'(")&*+$))(%$, !"#$$%&'(")' Waking up early in the morning may seem extreme to some, but for 19-year-old Sergio Lopez, getting to school early to find parking is the everyday norm.

“Parking here is pretty flooded, I need to get here 45 minutes to an hour early,” Lopez said.

While new buildings are being constructed and the population on campus continues to grow, parking remains an issue with students.

According to Gary Nellesen, director of facilities, planning and management, plans for a parking structure are in the works in the near future.

Plans to build a parking structure were approved in 2008 through Measure RR which would have given bond money to to build more parking. However, due to the state’s economy,

plans to build the new parking structure are put on hold, said Nellesen.

According to Nellesen, students can expect the parking structure to be built by fall of 2017, but if the economy recovers more quickly, the structure could be built as early as spring of 2014.

With the new child development building relocating into parking lot H, Nellesen said, “With building structures going up, we had to build buildings in student lots and had to move parking from close to far away.”

Nellesen added that plans and designs for the new parking structure will run from student lot A all the way to the corner of Edinger and Walnut.

Since plans for building a parking structure have been put on hold, plans to open another parking lot on campus are in the works. According to Mike Montoya, director of public safety, students can expect parking

Pinups, addictions, and metalheads, oh my!

Check out Substance Magazine, on stands Thursday, Dec. 15

lot M to open in the fall of 2012. Parking lot M will be located behind the soccer fields.

With improvements being added to Mt. SAC, parking lot M may bring ease to students looking for parking on campus.

Students will also have to adjust to improvements being made on campus. One of those of the parking structure being built in parking lot A. With the rise of tuition and parking permits, some students wonder if the new structure will raise cost in permits.

“They should build a parking garage, but are they going to charge more for permits?” asked Ugo Ofo, 18, English major.

Sheree Culross, manager of the Bursar’s office, said that parking permits have remained at $35 for the past six years.

“Parking permits just went up from $35 to $40 beginning of fall 2010,” Culross said.

“Prices just went up, so prices for student permits won’t rise anytime in the future.”

Crime Blotter 11/1/2011-11/29/2011

Grand Theft..........................................

Petty Theft............................................

Theft from a vehicle...........................

Personal Injury.....................................

Vandalism..............................................

Hit and Run..........................................

Student Misconduct...........................

Pandering...............................................

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Have the police gone too far?

Peaceful protestors pepper sprayed, people of color targeted. What happened to our freedom?

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)"(*+&,+-%./*+. !)1(,'%!"#$$%&'(")' Your right to assemble peacefully has been revoked. Your right to express your opinion has been revoked. Your right to dress and look a certain way has also been revoked.

It is unfortunate to think that over 200 years after the United States implemented the First Amendment, giving people the freedom of speech and the right to assemble, the reality of those civil liberties is being abridged for Americans.

It appears as if those leading our local governments and institutions are unable to respect people’s liberties. This lack of respect takes the form of publicly revoking citizens of their First Amendment rights through police interference, and even going to the extent of profiling them based on their appearance.

Who are we going to trust in, if those who have been assigned to protect and secure our communities are the ones hurting us?

Earlier this year, I visited the doctor with my older cousin, her newborn girl, and her 4-year-old son. Standing in the waiting room werethe four of us, scattered patients throughout the lobby, and a police officer.

In a matter of minutes, the four 4-year-old boy began to hide between my cousin’s legs, whining about the scary man in the uniform.

My cousin assured her son that nothing would happen and that everything was okay.

Overhearing her conversation, the police officer told the boy not to be afraid, that he was a good person. As I observed this incident,

I chuckled and thought about the fear the boy expressed. The fear that he felt at that instant is the same fear that I feel today as an adult.

A fear of knowing that today or tomorrow, a police man can arrest me for being a person of color, or even strike me down at his own discretion.

The police, even in my own city, have created this strong feeling of us versus them.

A few blocks from where I live in the City of Pomona, 26-year-old Andres Avila, a former Mt. SAC student, was killed by Pomona police.

According to an article on laweekly.com, “He was gunned down on a Sunday morning in an alley outside the Super Inn on West Holt Avenue.” In the investigation, now handled by the L.A. County Sherriff ’s Department, “They claim Avila got out of the car and became violent. So they shot him dead.” The attorney representing the family said that Avila was unarmed and that there was no reason for his shooting. Speculation has been that he may have been shot in retaliation on behalf of the Pomona Police after they were sued for beating him on July 4.

Incidents like this one leave most Latinos and people of color in an awkward position.

This tension between police and citizen leaves both sides feeling unsafe and unprotected.

But without anonymity, we have become the target.

One of the most evident injustices carried out by Pomona officers is the continuation of racial profiling based on appearance. The police have continued to target Latinos, specifically immigrants, by conducting

massive drunk driving checkpoints whose objectives are to revoke cars. Even if they are not conducting these checkpoints, I have witnessed the seizure of run down trucks with agriculture and gardening equipment, owned by older Latino men, men of color. Standing under the 71 freeway overpass on Holt Avenue, these men showed worry and fear. One can only imagine their inability to continue with their work and lives, unable to pay rent, and feed their families. The police department is aware of the high immigrant population in the city, and has set out to conduct these tactics of terror and fear. The police are aware that they can charge daily fees by impounding vehicles, and if unclaimed, they can sell them and auction them off for profit.

Police brutality is beginning to spark beyond my home city.

About two weeks ago, on the campus of UC Davis, police proceeded to pepper spray students involved in the Occupy movement.

These were not violent individuals, but only peaceful protestors. Yes, the campus had ordered them to evacuate, but remember these are students who are paying rising tuition costs and who in all aspects have a right to the First Amendment. The act of pepper spraying these students was uncalled for.

While we continue to feel unprotected and unsafe, we must begin to question those in power. As taxpayers, who pay the salaries of police officers and student who are paying the rising tuition costs, we should refuse, demand and insist on a limitation to the duties of police officers.

Bah-Humbug! This is hardly the season to be jolly !"#$%&'"(( !"#$$%&'(")'*+,-.%/0(",' The end of the year is always such a crazy time. Family life, college life, life in general is such a stressful, hectic, hot mess mashup of wants, whines, give me more, I need you to go here, I need you to fly there, I need you to be in five places at once, I need that term paper, you need to cover a shift today, you need to get here NOW, you need to turn it in NOW, you need to produce this by magic NOW, you need to give me more, you are such a disappointment if you don’t do this, why didn’t you get that done, I want, I want, I want, I want, now, now, now, now.

Ahhhhhhh!

Every day is a dizzying dervish dance of emails, texts, phone calls, door knocks, door bells, car honks, road rage, walk rage, obscenities, small talk, mean talk, serious talk, and all the sights and sounds and

pictures of this haphazard life become blotchy and blurry before becoming permanent blind spots.

Eventually, no one’s voice is decipherable, all food tastes the same, there is little pleasure in things that used to give you great joy, and sleep becomes a vacation.

Enter the Target lady... oh God, fa la la la, happy Honda days, oh no, fa la la la, its coming, fa la la la ,the Lexus year-end sales to remember, it’s here, fa la la la, every kiss begins with Kay, fa la la la.…IT’S MADDENING. The turkey carcass gets hoisted into the bin, the credit cards get maxed out on black Friday, and the streets become jammed with too many mini-vans scavenging for an iPad or else.

Walmart, Target, Kmart, and every other mart-barn-superstore-warehouse. com send out their mailers and coupons with the tenacity of a crack addict, treesshmees, economic durntown-shmurntown.

The only thing retailers want occupied is stores, never mind that no one has the money to show their loved ones just how much they love them with shiny packages and Tiffany’s bows, because that is real love.

It’s Nov. 25, where are your Christmas lights? We have to put enough lights on the house to be seen from space if we are ever going to have a great holiday and beat the neighbors.

Ah yes the holiday’s, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, well at least according to the continuous loop of holiday advertisements on TV, on the radio, on the internet, on billboards, on your cell phone.

3,000 times a day its buy, buy, buy, buy, get her this, give him that, if you really love them then you’ll purchase this.

It was the night before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was losing their jobs, their homes, and their minds.

The best thing about the holidays is when they are over!

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

UC Davis incident must not be repeated elsewhere .'%%/-0(1*"-$%'(2*"(%/-(.*3&%'#&--" ,-%#%*#&'(%)*+ Recently the staff of The Mountaineer watched the now infamous video of UC Davis police officer Lt. John Pike and another officer pepper spraying a group of peaceful demonstrators. When Lt. Pike and his fellow officer did this they were dishonoring the very rights they, as officers of the peace, are supposed to be protecting. Lt. Pike’s actions were clearly unjustifiable.

According to a Nov. 20 Los Angeles Times blog post, the UC Davis Police attempted to justify there actions in the following way, “UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza told reporters Saturday that the decision to use the pepper spray was made at the scene. ‘The students had encircled the officers,’ she said.

‘They needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out.”

This explanation is completely disingenuous.

Videos across the Internet show that the crowd surrounding the officers was completely nonviolent. Many of the people gave the appearance of being observers to the commotion rather than active participants in the demonstration.

Are we to believe over a dozen police officers in riot gear could not simply walk out of the situation without the use of violence?

Perhaps the presence of the officers that day escalated the situation.

According to a Nov. 21 CNN article, “25 tents were in place Friday afternoon despite fliers explaining the campus prohibits overnight camping. It does so for security and health reasons. After written and verbal warnings, officers reminded the protesters they would be subject to arrest if they did not move their tents from the quad, Morain said. Many protesters did decide to remove their tents and equipment,

officials said.”

It was completely unnecessary for the police to come to the demonstration in riot gear. It sent the message that the police expected to be met with a violent crowd, and despite this not being the case, they treated the demonstrators as such anyway.

It is clear that Lt. Pike had no regard for the students’ rights or well being. As Lt. Pike sprayed the terrible orange substance into the faces of the sitting protestors, he did so with the aura of a man spraying his yard for pests.

He was deaf to their screams to stop as he sauntered up and down the line going about his horrible business. His total lack of empathy and professionalism is in direct conflict with the time honored police tradition of service.

Actions like Lt. Pike’s are becoming more common on college campuses. Police at UC Berkeley also used unlawful force in breaking up an occupy demonstration.

According to a Nov. 11 The Bay Citizen article, “The video, posted on YouTube, shows a police officer yanking the hair of Celeste Langan, an English professor at Berkeley, and shoving her toward a clutch of waiting officers who then force her to the ground. Langan and six other protesters were arrested Wednesday for resisting and delaying officers.

They were among hundreds of activists who were trying to prevent police from removing a fledgling Occupy encampment from Sproul Plaza.” Again the police arrived in riot gear, and again they were looking for a fight. This is what happens when police come not looking to keep the peace, but punish those they perceive as hippies.

We can blame our media and politicians for this misconception. Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich mocked occupy protestors at a recent debate by saying, “That is

a pretty good symptom of how much the left has collapsed as a moral system in this country, and why you need to reassert something by saying to them, ‘Go get a job right after you take a bath.’”

Amazingly the pepper spray incident itself was fodder for the right wing media. According to a Nov. 22 New York Magazine article, Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly compared pepper spray to a food product, “’It’s like a derivative of actual pepper; it’s a food product, essentially.’”

This kind of foolish rhetoric is helping to raise the tension between the police and the protestors. It needs to end before pepper spray gives way to another Kent State massacre. As journalists, the staff of the Mountaineer deeply values our First Amendment rights. However, this appreciation extends beyond the right to freedom of the press, and includes the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

We our outraged at the obvious abuses of police power across the state, and we stand in solidarity with all those who are practicing their rights despite police reprisals.

We believe that anyone who is engaged in peaceful civil disobedience is entitled to the respect, dignity, and compassion one would expect in a democratic society.

These protests are not going to stop. Fees are being raised, classes are being cut, jobs are still hard to come by, and education is still under attack. As long as these things are true students will assemble, they will protest, they will agitate, and they will not go away.

The police have two options: keep abusing demonstrators and lose the public’s respect, or accept it and do their jobs in a professional manner.

The police must let the UC Davis incident be a learning experience, and never let anything like it happen again.

Potty training a lost art in campus restrooms !"#$%#&'()*&+',-+ !"#"$%#$&'(%)*+ Since when has the restroom become a place of holding your pee and finding the cleanest one around campus to use? Going to the bathroom should be a place of relaxation to pee or release toxic waste, and not a disgusting, unwanted place to use.

Last week while visiting the restroom I was greeted with a disgusting scene. In the first stall the toilet was not flushed, As I approached the next stall the toilet was even worse than the first one! Unsanitary blood was smeared on the toilet. So instead of just trying the next stall I decided to hold my urine until I was able to go home and release my full bladder.

People, where did the potty training techniques we were taught as toddlers go? It seems certain to me that many students have forgotten the proper ways of using a bathroom.I think that people are to blame for the mess we see in the bathrooms on a daily basis. I have witnessed girls using the toilet and instead of washing their hands they go straight to the mirror to check themselves out.

According to Medicinenet.com, without proper care in a public restroom a person is in danger of catching many illnesses. Some of the illnesses the website mentions are diseases that are caused by not washing your hands, and not using toilet cover seats.

Let’s start with streptococcus. As scary as it sounds, it is a form of strep throat and meningitis that is life threatening because it is the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. E. coli, a disease that includes symptoms related to food poisoning, The most known is the common cold, which a huge percentage of people catch every year.

Let’s face that it is not possible for the

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bathrooms to dirty themselves. People should keep these questions in their head every time they use the restroom: Have I flushed the toilet, have I washed my hands, did I accidently pee or stain the toilet, did I accidently miss the toilet. And please do something about it such as wiping the toilet if you did accidently pee on it, and for God’s sakes, wash your filthy dirty hands! And I don’t mean just with water, wash them with soap and for at least 20 seconds to get rid of all the bacteria you just encountered.

Keep in mind, not everyone is excited about

touching a hand that has recently gone to the restroom, and perhaps you might be able to trace the problem to out dirty, smelly disgusting restrooms. It is very easy to point fingers at others, but instead of blaming everybody else let’s change it up and try to apply these techniques to help keep our bathrooms clean.

Despite all the scary diseases and bacteria a person could catch in a bathroom, there is no need to be alarmed. It is very simple to avoid any of these diseases if the proper steps are applied.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

7

History professor travels her way to students’ hearts -$."'/01,2"#$ !"#$$%&'(")' She grew up in Singapore, spent her childhood traveling through Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, but spent vacations with family in Georgia and Texas. Allie Frickert, with an extreme case of third-culture identity, is not your average history professor.

“Part of my identity is being a global citizen,” said Frickert.

Frickert cites her international background as a big part of her identity.

“Growing up overseas made me the person that I am in a lot of ways. I’m global-minded,” said Frickert. “Being raised in another country makes you appreciate America more but it also teaches you that there’s more than one way to do things.”

Travel has been a priority in her life.

“I sort of have a thing, like a virus.

I find myself itching if I haven’t left the country in three or four years. You cannot help but be affected and changed by travel if you’re open to the experience,” Frickert said.

Frickert labels herself a traveler for her ability to adapt.

“There are tourists and there are travelers. Tourists go somewhere and are still in their bubble. They see things, but aren’t very affected by it at all. They’re still in their own world and don’t immerse themselves. A traveler tries to see it in another perspective. They immerse themselves in the culture.”

Her adaptability shows not only through her travel book, but also through her playlist.

“I have really eclectic music taste.

I tend to like indie rock, indie folk, and

electronic music. I like weird music, like experimental rock. My favorite bands are Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, and Deerhunter,.”

With a playlist as unique as her personal history, students see the side of her that is just like themselves.

“She is very easy to relate to. She was very approachable. Whether it was before or after class or during office hours, she was always open to answering questions, helping students out, or clarifying things in her lecture. She is a very funny person, too,” said Rafael Manansala, 20, communications major.

Sann Nishino, a 22-year-old theatre arts and communications major, said that she goes out of her way to help.

“She’s a very open-minded professor.

I’ve asked her questions that she couldn’t answer and she’d go home, research and get back to me about it the next class,” said Nishino.

Frickert has been able to take her own personal story to teach her students to have multiple perspectives on things.

“There’s a saying that you should see things from someone else’s shoes. But she hit the nail on the head! She’s gotten me to think more critically about modern issues and government, environmental issues, and just overall with history. I gained a lot more respect for it,” Manansala said.

Frickert said she sees things in multiple and unique perspectives because of her third-culture identity.

“There’s actually a category of kids raised overseas. They’re called thirdculture kids. They don’t embody the culture of their parents and don’t entirely embody the culture of where they’re born.

That third-culture identity is a part of who I am.”

*(+#%,-.'/#0(1234567*56889 3,14%**1,'-&&$%'5,$67%,+'$#'+0%'6&"**,11)8'

From detective to liberal arts, student has seen it all !"#$%&'(%$)*+," !"#$$%&'(")'

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Having a sparring match with a black belt, being shot at while driving down the street, and earning a Marksman Medal at the shooting range all sounds like the makings of a good Chuck Norris film, but for Stella McNamara, a 61-year-old liberal arts major, it was just another day on the job.

“I have always been a facilitator,” said McNamara of her 25-year career as a detective for the Los Angeles Police Department.

McNamara joined the academy in 1983, driven by the desire to bridge the gap between the public and police.

“I saw a lot of police brutality,” McNamara said. “My brother was a victim.”

While walking down the street one afternoon, McNamara and her brother were stopped by two officers. One of the officers stepped forward and struck McNamara’s brother as a warning for a run in he had with the officers a few days before. From that point on, McNamara became a seeker of justice. She recalled being somewhat of a pioneer in her career field because she was part of the first generation of female police officers patrolling for the LAPD. “There were other women before me, but it was mostly men,” McNamara said.

She remembered her first day at the academy when she introduced herself to her commander under her maiden name of Jimenez.

“I walked in and identified my badge and said ‘I’m here to introduce myself because I’ve been applying myself to you’, and he said, ‘Jimenez? You’re Jimenez?’ He was stunned and started, yelling for my potential partner to come

over and says ‘Hey Frankie, your boot is a girl!

Come look at her.’”

McNamara has had some exciting moments as a detective like having her patrol car shot at, getting her knee dislocated during a sparring match with a fellow officer, and being lifted off her feet by a handcuffed criminal who was high on PCP. Now retired, McNamara attends classes at Mt. SAC for personal enrichment.

“She’s just guileless,” said Barbara Gonzales, 63, professor of reading and one of McNamara’s instructors. “She recognizes that she has something to share and can pull that out of others. She makes me glad I’m a teacher.”

McNamara said she always wanted to get an education but became a single mother at a young age and had other priorities.

McNamara is in her second semester at Mt. SAC and said her age is something to embrace.

“My mental attitude is different, I’m more focused, and I don’t have any outside responsibilities being retired so it’s a bonus” McNamara said.

McNamara’s classmate Christina Carrillo, 26, psychology major, said McNamara is a positive person.

“She just gives you good vibes. I like her attitude and she is always happy and positive and always willing to help her peers” Carrillo said. “She is very loving and motherly, you can come to her any time.”

McNamara’s ultimate goal is to attain an associate degree in liberal arts and enjoy the rest of her retirement traveling with her husband. For now, she spends her free time volunteering at Shirpser Elementary School where her daughter teaches first grade.

“Without school, I’d probably be bored to tears,” McNamara said.

8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Castillejos encourages fine arts, helps students !"##$!%&'(" !"#$%&'()*+ He worked as a singer for the San Diego Opera, but was forced to set that aside when an infection in his throat robbed him of his singing voice. Then he taught theater arts, but cutbacks in arts programs took that job away as well.

Despite, or perhaps because of, these setbacks, Spanish teacher Manuel Castillejos encourages schools to invest in the fine arts, and for students to follow their aspirations as long as they have a backup plan.

Although he did not return to artistic involvement in schools, Castillejos did find his own school, the Pomona Escuela de Bellas Artes or School of Fine Arts. He and his wife started the school in 1994 with the goal of offering affordable fine art classes. “Our prices were very low,” he said; the school offered weekly fine arts classes for about $20-40 a month.

“The whole purpose was to get the community to learn and be exposed to the arts.”

Castillejos and his wife were inspired to found the school by their daughter, who suffered from dyslexia. When she was 10 years old, she was in a special education class, and she taught her peers how to dance. “We wanted to invest in a property and start a school of the arts,” he said. “That was the best inheritance we could leave her.”

Although he attempted to sing for a living as a teenager, his parents found out and persuaded him to attend college. Castillejos graduated from San Diego State with a major in theater arts and a minor in Spanish.

As he attended that school, he became involved with the San Diego Opera. He became a singer who progressed from bit roles into larger ones, but he had an infection in his throat while he was contracted to do three more performances. “You know the saying, the show must go on,” he said. Castillejos was able to “sing through the pain,” but his voice grew much weaker as a result. His career as a singer was over.

“Thank goodness that I finished college and had a degree in theater arts,” he said. “I lost my instrument.”

Castillejos taught at Cal State Fullerton, USC, and the University of La Verne among others. He ended up at Mt. SAC, teaching part time for nine years, and full-time for 22 years.

“You have to do what you have to do, and that’s what’s happening nowadays with the economy,” he said. “A lot of students that are coming to Mt. SAC, that’s what they’re looking for. They need to change their profession or their specialization because the job prospects aren’t as good.”

Despite his difficulties with jobs in fine arts, Castillejos said that they are extremely important to students and to schools. “The fine arts are essential for the growth of your soul,” he said.

“It should not be a question as to one or the other,” he added. Numerous students neglect their artistic pursuits in favor of traditional work due to financial concerns, and students should never have to make that decision, Castillejos said.

For aspiring artists, Castillejos advises that there should be a backup plan in place.

“You have to be realistic; this is a competitive market,” he said. While in school, artists should take a more traditional major or at least a minor in addition to their artistic classes, and after graduating, they should have a day job. “I always put myself as an example – look what happened to me,” he said.

“You need to be well-prepared and well trained,” he said. For example, those who aspire to act in dramatic roles should also be ready to sing, dance, and be humorous when opportunities arise.

Castillejos recently had to close his school.

“It was all going really well until about four years ago when the economy slowed down,” he said.

Most people stopped coming to the larger group classes and only private instruction was popular. As a result, the school was repurposed to be an events hall to be rented for others to

2(+)03%40(55(6$789:!;<-!&&= !"(.%*$/"0#'**%120$#%"34'(5$-6"('047

use. In addition, a restaurant has leased the bottom floor.

Castillejos has participated in events such as Puttin’ on the Hits; in the early 2000s, he sang as one of the Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, alongside other Mt. SAC staff.

He has not involved himself in the theater program; however, he does want to see more representation of Latino culture in the plays.

“I see [Latino] actors, professors, performers,” he said. “I don’t see anything representing the Latino culture in the program.”

The economy has not yet recovered, but Castillejos is hopeful that when it does, the students will quickly come back. For now, he is content to teach Spanish and have the school ready when there is more student demand. “I love teaching Spanish,” he said.

Forensics team paves way for competition )*+%,#$-%,(" &'()*+,-.,/0("1% Students shouting at each other, arms flailing every which way, practically getting out of their seats with emotion. These students aren’t fighting, or even irate: they are members of the forensics team rehearsing for the Fall Champs.

And it paid off. The team just won First Overall Two Year Sweepstakes and third place novice overall at the Fall Champs.

Daniel Kentrell, 31, communication professor and debate coach, is a new addition to the Mt. SAC forensics team, and said the program has a lot to offer.

“I think it brings a lot of prestige. Mt. SAC is known really for excellence in forensics and public speaking,” said Kentrell. “One of the things I used to always do is I would tell my students when I was coaching at other schools to go watch the Mt. SAC students in finals because I wanted them to emulate Mt. SAC and so I think Mt. SAC has a really strong reputation for students who work hard and students who are excellent speakers.”

Prestige is not the only thing that Forensics has to offer.

“It brings confidence, that’s the main thing, when you can stand up in front of an audience,” said Kentrell. “Some of these students at finals rounds are speaking in front of 60, 70, 80, people to give their speech and to be able to do

that in front of such a large audience it gives them a lot of self confidence.”

Part of the reason the students are so successful could be because they are a very diverse group of students, some of whom are not even communication majors, like Mike Drake. Drake, 24, political science major, said he initially joined because his speech 1A professor was offering extra credit.

“I honestly got extra credit for my speech 1A class two years ago, so spring semester I tried out and got like 10 extra credit points, and I made the team, and I just stuck with it.”

Drake stayed for different reasons, however.

“It’s fun and engaging; I learn different stuff,” said Drake. “It was the first year doing debate, and it will help me get into college.”

Yvonne Ramos, 20, communication major, said that she joined after taking speech class.

“This is my second year, I did really well in my speech 1A class, and [my speech professor] is the one who brought me in and I started with readers’ theater,” she said.

“There’s a lot of really cool perks that come with it and when you join you get 40 new friends, and if you work hard and compete a lot you might get chosen for nationals,” she added.

Kentrell said part of the success is due to the cohesiveness of the team.

“One of the things that’s really fun about forensics is it’s not necessarily zero-sum, so everyone can be successful. What’s really exciting about the Ray Dollen Tournament, we got a lot of first and second places, which

means we had the top two students in the events and it’s really nice that everyone supports each other and they want everybody to be in that final round,” said Kentrell. “And I always think if we get the first and second place then they share that award.”

Professor M. “Shae” Hsieh, communication professor and co-advisor for Veterans Club, said that the skills learned are most important.

“The skills that students are being taught and gained from the program is confidence, the ability to speak well, and the ability to command an audience’s attention. I think one of the most important skills is confidence,” said Shae.

Kentrell says a lot goes into preparation for competition, not just writing speeches, but also brushing up on current events.

“A lot of it is just following the news. We try to make sure they listen to NPR the on the radio,” said Kentrell. “They don’t listen to music anymore; they have to listen to NPR so that on their way to and from school they get to hear about what’s going on in the world.”

Their continuous effort and dedication to the program has paid off, with the Forensics team winning national championships last spring, and winning over 20 awards at their past two competitions.

“It was really exciting. It was the first time that Mt. SAC has gotten a top speaker award in the past twelve years,” said Kentrell. “When we get to nationals and we have that kind of success then the students will do really well.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

9

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Karn values independence, education, students !"#$%&$'()$* !"#$$%&'(")' Blonde straight hair, a black leather jacket, a pair of tight jeans with a vintage belt, and a pair of UGG boots. This description might fit an average Mt. SAC student but in this case, it’s English professor Tamara Karn.

Karn, who some call “Tammy,” looks far younger than her age of 41. She loves reading literature, walking her dogs on the beach, traveling the world, doing yoga, going to the gym, and puddle boarding.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she moved to San Juan Capistrano, California in 1972.

Karn describes herself as independent when she was young.

“I was about 2-and-half-years old, and I was crawling off on my own into a lake,” Karn said. “Fortunately, my clothes were caught by the barbed wire so I didn’t fall into the lake.”

Karn has always loved animals and grew up riding horses.

“I started riding horses even before I could walk.”

She became the national champion of horse riding in 1996.

Those who know Karn know that she is a dog lover. Kristina Allende, department chair of English, said her relationship with dogs is a special one.

“She loves her dogs more than anyone else in the world,” Allende said. “We all love our dogs, but with Tammy and her dogs, it’s a different relationship.”

Karn has two English Labradors.

Theloneous Monk, named after the famous American jazz musician, is 10, and according to Karn, has a mellow personality. Her eyes sparkle when she talks about Monk.

“Monk is calculating, goofy, and he is the best swimmer.”

Her second dog, Dartha, is the total opposite of Monk.

“When I first got him I had to stop my car three times,” Karn said. “He has a curly tail, high pitched voice, loves chasing his tennis ball, and is the worst swimmer on the planet.”

Karn was raised in an educationorientated family. Both of her parents went to Cornell University. Her father, Michael Berns, is a famous microbiologist and head of the Beckman Laser Institute at University of California Irvine. Her mother, Roberta Berns, is working on her ninth edition of a textbook

on child development which will be out any day. Her brother graduated from Princeton University. With all these family legacies, growing up, Karn was under a lot of pressure to do well in school, but in a positive way.

“My parents definitely gave me a loving, nurturing, and supporting environment,” Karn said. “But at the same time there is the atmosphere of anxiety and stress because my parents are so accomplished.”

Karn chose to attend UCLA because she wanted to stay in California.

“I was sprung to the beach and wanted to experience the city life,” Karn said.

Karn’s interest in teaching English did not occur overnight.

“I was first an anthropology major, then psychology major, but all took me to English.”

It was during Karn’s third year at UCLA that she realized she liked hearing stories and learning about how the human mind works through narratives and human relationships.

“The meaning of existence, you can learn about that through chants and literatures.”

After graduating UCLA, Karn attended the University of California at Irvine for her master’s degree. During that time, she became a teacher’s assistant for an English literature class but struggled with her own writing, which led her to discover that her passion is to help others with writing. “Writing papers was extremely painful for me, so I figured out how to help others write through my struggle in writing.”

She added, “I think about the way I learn and try to tie it to help my students to develop their own writing, especially essay structure and critical analysis.”

Karn also enjoys talking about literature in a group dynamic or on an interpersonal level.

“Sometimes writing on your own can be very alienating, but when I got to have the experience of being in a classroom and sharing a piece of literature and talking about the writing process, and when it became more collaborative and social, that I tended to discover what I have a passion for.”

After getting her master’s degree, Karn taught at Chapman University and Orange Coast College. In 2000, she began teaching at Mt. SAC. “I love the students here, and my colleagues are warm, amazing, and supportive.

This is like my second family.”

Allende described her colleague as, “fun,

loving, and someone who adds excitement to any situation.”

Kathrin Palma, 20, nursing major, had Karn in spring 2010 for a linked-course of English 68 and 1A provided by the Bridge Program on campus. “Ms. Karn is very strict with the essay structure, and she tells you exactly what she wants for the essays,” Palma said. “Even though I struggled a lot in her class, it helped me become a better writer.

Right now I am taking a philosophy class, and it’s so easy for me to write essays. I don’t stress about writing anymore.”

Karn not only helps students for their academic, but also mentors them.

“Ms. Karn encouraged me to speak up my mind and to go to her office hour,” Karn said.

Jesse Lopez, a 23-year-old counseling major, agreed.

“Ms. Karn is a critical thinker, analyst, understanding, helpful, and nurturing in a sense of mentoring,” Lopez said.

Lopez is a former student and teacher’s assistant of Karn for English freshman composition honors course in 2007. He is now completing a master’s degree at Cal State Long Beach. He said Karn has a unique and interesting teaching style.

“She applies her teaching method at students regarding their different levels, and she is good at engaging them initially.”

Lopez added, “She is hip, and she opens up the door of critical thinking through movies, song lyrics, and pop culture which made the class very fun.”

Karn was more than just a professor for Lopez.

“Ms. Karn was definitely my role model and a supporting mentor. She gave me the opportunity to be her teacher assistant, and she also wrote me the recommendation letter for grad school. She was always there for me.”

Both Palma and Lopez agreed that although Karn’s classes are tough, it is rewarding at the end.

Karn currently has an article in progress with the New Yorker and Harpers magazines about NASCAR, the “new redneck,” and M(Nas)asculinity. A future goal for Karn is to go back to school to get a degree in classics and art history. She also wants to write a children’s book through the perspective of her dogs.

“My dogs will be the metaphors for children, and a dog’s perspective of what’s true and beautiful of the human world.”

10

TUESDAY , DECEMBER 6, 2011

Professor teaches about the environment while giving thanks to Mother Earth +$","-.&/("0122"(&3%(.#&3%4$5%678221,,9

!"#$%&'%(%$)* !"#$$%&'(")' “Despite her fairly short stature, this woman is nothing short of spectacular,” said Tiffany Lam, 19, earth and environmental science major. “Her passion in what she does for the environment in addition to the enthusiasm and positive spirit she radiates onto her students are but a few reasons why I look forward to her class.

To say the very least, Karyn is the epitome of what a teacher should be.”

Karyn Kakiba-Russell has been teaching Humans and the Environment, biology and botany at Mt. SAC for 21 years and has contributed in helping change and maintain the campus’ environmental programs, while also influencing the lives of many students and faculty.

“Karyn’s lecture opened my eyes about environmental issues that I never knew about,” said Tiffany Wong, 20, business major. “It made me realize the reality issues that we are facing in today’s world and how it is going to affect the future generation.

Wong said that she found out in one of Kakiba-Russell’s labs how much hard work her instructor had put in to defend Mother Earth.

“I never met anyone as dedicated and

passionate as her for the environment and her class,” Wong said.

Kakiba-Russell said she has worked countless hours to preserve the Mt. SAC Wildlife Sanctuary. She co-advises the E.A.G.L.E. Club, where she facilitates Earth Week each year.

As the department representative for the Faculty Association, Kakiba-Russell revised the curriculum for the Bio 6 and botany courses to be more current and environmentally sensitive.

Her achievements reach beyond the Mt. SAC campus. In March 2009, Kakiba-Russell won the National Women’s History Month Award, which is given to women taking the lead to save the planet.

Co-worker and best friend of Russell for 21 years, Craig Petersen, professor of biology, said that Russell is the most giving person he has ever known.

“Due to her positive nature, she feels that if humans are given the chance and proper education that they can make the right decisions to ensure human happiness and survival,” Peterson said.

Kakiba-Russell not only advocates being ecologicially conscious, but also lives a green lifestyle herself.

“My husband and I live together on-site at the University of Riverside’s Granite Mountain Desert Research Center where we live ‘off the grid’, which means all of our electricity comes from photovoltaic sources and our water supply is from a well,” Kakiba-Russell said.

Kakiba-Russell does not stop there.

“I practice all methods of water conservation techniques, like having a front lawn made of plants and materials that do not require any

watering. I was also the first member of the biology department to drive a hybrid and I eat low on the food chain, which means I have adopted a nearly vegetarian lifestyle.”

Peterson said Kakiba-Russell practices what she preaches.

“People who know her well will say that she recycles everything, with an emphasis on the word everything,” Peterson said.

Steve Nakai, 22, political science major, picked his major because he was inspired by Russell to be more politically active for the environment.

“It is really inspiring to see someone who has dedicated her entire life to advancing their cause,” Nakai said. “With a lot of professors you just learn about the subject, but with her, she relates it to real life and lends credibility to the environmental movement.”

Jorge Martinez, 32, environmental science major, was a student of Russell’s Biology 6 class seven years ago, and today maintains a relationship with her because she is a huge influence in his life. He said he has learned a lot from her and sees her as more than just another professor at Mt. SAC. “Karyn is a true educator who really cares about her students. I see her as a mentor who is willing to give anything needed to see her students succeed, flourish, and keep moving forward despite all odds,” Martinez said.

He added, “I also see her as a person whose love and care for life as a whole can never be replaced. Karyn has and keeps on inspiring me every day. It is because of her that I strive to become an educator, a mentor, and perhaps one day be as inspirational as she is.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

11

Former student wins NBC’s sing off !"#$%&'()"* !"#$$%%&'(")'

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Mt. SAC alumnus, Avi Kaplan, along with his group, Pentatonix, recently sung their way past 15 other singing groups to claim the grand prize on NBC’s primetime show, “The Sing Off.” “The Sing Off ” is a television show that places 16 of the nations’ best a cappella group’s head to head in a competition for a grand prize of $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. After impressing the judges with their renditions of hits such as “E.T.” by Katy Perry, “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye, and “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine, Kaplan’s group made it to the finale, where the winner was decided based on a nationwide vote.

Dartmouth College’s oldest a cappella group, the Dartmouth Aires, took runner-up in the competition while third place went to Denver’s Urban Method.

Despite powering his way to the top of the show, Kaplan has no problem acknowledging his roots.

“If I wouldn’t have come to Mt. SAC, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Kaplan.

Judges on the show marveled over Pentatonix, complimenting their blend, arranging, and musicianship. Judge Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, described them as the “future of a cappella.”

Still, Kaplan attributes this success to a community college in Walnut, Ca. “Mt. SAC has played a huge part in

where I am today. All the training that I received there has made me the musician and vocalist I am today,” said Kaplan.

Kaplan spent four musically involved years at Mt. SAC, singing with the Chamber Singers, the a cappella group Fermata Nowhere, and the vocal jazz ensemble Singcopation, as well as attending music theory courses.

In 2009, Kaplan performed on the Lincoln Center stage in New York with Fermata Nowhere when they won first place in the International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella where he received the award for the “Best Rhythm Section.”

“Singing in Fermata Nowhere helped me hone my vocal bass skills,” said Kaplan.

Following Fermata Nowhere’s victory, Kaplan was contacted and asked to join an a cappella group called The Backbeats who joined last year’s season of the SingOff. He declined their offer and the group placed third overall. Soon after, Kaplan was contacted again and asked to join a trio from Texas, forming Pentatonix.

“The rest is history,” said Kaplan.

Brad Hornecker, 20, a fellow Mt. SAC singer, had a sense that Kaplan was destined for great things.

“Avi has always stunned everyone with his talent, and everyone in the Mt. SAC music department knew that one day he was destined for something like this,” said Hornecker. “We were blessed to have him singing with us here for the time that he was, and happy to see his success.”

Dreams become reality for student dancer +%,-).&'/%&01 !"#$$%&'(")'

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A focused, inspirational and talented dancer who takes her art seriously describes 22-year-old dance major, Hayley Dorling.

Ever since she was a young girl dancing around her house, Dorling knew that she wanted to be a dancer.

“Since I started dancing I always wanted to be a professional dancer. I always knew I needed passion and determination to get to where I wanted to be,” said Dorling.

Dorling has tried out for the show “So You Think You Can Dance” but didn’t make it past the call back portion. She is planning to audition for season 9 of the show. She also said that if the opportunity arises, she will try out for other shows. Her next audition is for Complexions Contemporary Ballet, an institution located in New York.

Dorling is now a part of a dance company called Entity.

Her dance career began 15 years ago and for the first 10 years, she just practiced classical ballet. Training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, Dorling would dance 20 to 30 hours, six days a week.

Growing up, she never wanted to stay and hang out with her friends after school, she loved going to ballet.

“I had that drive, if I wanted to be the best I can be, you have to want it. Sacrifice and want. If you want it, you’re capable of getting it. It’s determination.”

Dorling’s mother, Lynette Dorling, was a student dancer at Mt. SAC. When Dorling was young, she was inspired by Mt. SAC student dancers and would watch her mother dance. Dorling was blown away

and when her college career began and she was welcomed into the dance program. It was not until her senior year of high school when Dorling joined the dance team and began to learn other dances such as jazz, contemporary, and lyrical.

Dorling said that there have been times when she was tired but never a time when she wanted to quit dancing.

“With any career path that you choose, you’re going to have that moment where you want to throw in the towel.”

She said there is that voice in the back of her head that tells her, “You can do this, don’t give up.” “[Dance is] definitely part of my life; it’s who I am. I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t a dancer,” she said.

Lee Martino, dance professor, said, “Her best qualities are her passion mixed with her discipline. [She is a] winning combination as a dancer, she dances from the heart.”

Martino has known Dorling since her mother attended Martino’s classes. Martino is the co-director for the Repertory Dance Company. “[She has] seen her struggle, every dancer struggles,” Martino said.

Dance is difficult… [I’ve] seen her be injured and tired, you push through it…and come out on the other side.”

Dorling has big plans for the future.

“Within the next couple of years, I want to have my degree in dance so I can take it and use it to teach in a college or high school, or something of that nature.”

She said that with the degree, a few more doors will open. She still wants to dance in the years ahead of her, hopefully in a dance company.

12

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

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13

Say ‘ciao’ to Americo Marano

Every morning he enters his classroom with a loud, “Buongiorno classe!” Americo Marano is a professor at Mt. SAC with a long and illustrious history of inspiring and teaching students the language and culture of Italy.

For 33 years, Professore Marano, as the Italian students call him, has been a member of the Mt. SAC language department. Marano was born in Naples, and has spent a great amount of his life in Italy. He speaks with noticeable Italian dialect and charm, but some might be surprised to learn that not only is he bilingual, but also trilingual.

Before his time teaching at Mt. SAC, Marano spent several years substitute teaching in the Rowland Heights district and then became a permanent teacher at Western Christian High School teaching Spanish.

“The differences between Spanish and Italian are great, but there are a lot of similarities,” he says. So there was no struggle when he double majored at UCLA and Cal State Fullerton in both Spanish and Italian.

Marano earned a job as a teacher for Mt. SAC in 1978 and has been a vital part of the language department.

“For nine years, I was in charge of the study abroad for summer school at Mt. SAC. In those years, I took about 250 students for school in Italy.”

Taking students abroad to view the country was a great experience for him and those involved. Of the many things the foreign language department experienced in Italy, he said that the best part was teaching the history and interacting with the environment.

“The environment is a real big deal. If you go to work, you will probably pass a church that was built in the 1800s. There is no communication here between the person and their surroundings.

Over there you walk the streets and you are

involved with the environment and buildings that go back centuries.”

Carmen Rodriguez, 22, sociology major and president of the Mt. SAC Italian club, was one of those 250 students that visited Italy.

“It was an awesome experience. It was actually Marano that encouraged me to do the program. He not only wanted to teach us the language, but to understand the culture over there.”

Traditionally, food is a major part of anyone’s culture and to Marano, good Italian food is one of the many things a person should experience in their lifetime.

“In all of the years I’ve been in California, the Italian food from here lacks something. They still have to cater to the Americans. One thing I would like to find is the authentic aroma of the kitchen, the ingredients in the air..”

Marano described instances in which he would walk through the streets of Rome and Napoli and could tell a great restaurant just from passing by and smelling the food, the wine, and hearing the people in the place having a good time.

It is that type of knowledge and passion that drives Marano into teaching students. One of the problems he finds with his class is the number of transfer students trying to just fill a requirement. He wishes they wouldn’t just fill the requirement, but take something more out of his class. He wants to teach everyone, even nonItalian majors, the experience of learning the language, the cultural aspect.

“I want to clear the misconception of the country and the language.”

He also understands the importance of learning a second language in America.

“One language doesn’t get you too far. One of the faults of the Americans is the lack of having a second language. And it’s a shame; it’s a beautiful thing to learn.”

Marano said he would like to pass down to his students is a quote that he lives by.

“Viva per oggi e dimenticare domani.”

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This means live for today and forget tomorrow, a sentiment of enjoying each day as it comes.

Sociology professor lives the dream life !"#$$#%&'($#$)'* !"#$$%&'(")'%

/#'(7%879):./0123,42556 !"#$"%"&'()*"+,--"*(./0$1(2,1$/(*,3,#4-("5(6$-(',/*-(4,/#6$5&7

Overcoming constant challenges such as racism and poverty is something David Medina, professor of sociology and philosophy, battled throughout his life.

Now as a successful professor at Mt. SAC with four children, one son and three girls, Medina said, “I’m living the dream life, I love teaching; I love interacting with students.”

Yet, it was not always like this for him.

“Very early on I was aware of racial issues,” said Medina.

As a young Latino, Medina was continually encountering racial problems, even from home. Victims of racial prejudices themselves, Medina’s parents did not want their children to be subject to the same fate. Medina said that in order to not have accents, his parents attempted to teach his siblings and him to speak English only.

Medina was also confronted with bigotry during high school. As a young adult attending school in Alhambra, he said he felt like a fish out of water.

“I was apparently fair skinned enough to pass- I have light colored eyes, many of my non-Latino friends would talk to me about ‘those Mexicans’ and I was one of them.”

Medina did not let these issues defeat him in any way. After being accepted to Vanguard, a small liberal arts college in Orange County, he quickly worked his way up. In his first year of college Medina was voted by his peers as outstanding student of the year.

While double majoring in sociology and

philosophy at California State University, Fullerton, Medina was chosen to be a graduate assistant. It was there that Medina decided he could make a difference.

“Some of my mentors were bad examples and I thought I could do a better job,” he said.

Medina was hired at the age of 24, while most of his colleagues were seniors, and has now been teaching for 35 years. Since then, his teaching methods have made his classes highly sought after.

Cierra Trevino, nursing major said, “It was my first class I ever took with him. I heard from a lot of people that he was the best teacher to take for the subject.”

Medina said he tries to challenge students to think outside of the box.

“I really enjoyed Medina’s class, it opened my eyes to new ways of thinking that I would have never discovered otherwise,” Trevino said.

Medina has also been in the spotlight and praised for his work with students on a wider known level. He was on the hit Spanish television show “Cristina.” Medina was featured on an episode due to his work with Club Mex, a club at Mt. SAC. Medina would allow students to join him to help build homes and plant trees in Tijuana, Mexico.

Medina managed to influence his students to better themselves, the community, and their environment. Through his outgoing attitude and unconventional lectures, it’s no wonder why students love his methods. Just ask 19-year-old business law major Alexa Cervantes.

“His outlook on life and people is one I try to mimic,” she said.

14

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Deaf students overcome difficulties !"#$%&$%'(#)*" !"#$$%&'(")' For most students, passing an algebra class is a challenge, but for deaf student Stacey Marlene Valle, 22, psychology major, the challenge was a bit more difficult. Valle lost her hearing at the age of 2 due to a serious ear infection. Some deaf individuals, like Valle, can speak sometimes through practicing.

“Despite the communication barrier, I still would write down what I want to say or type it down on my cell phone’s text box and show it to them,” Valle said. Since the start of the eighth grade she took standard classes.

Valle would have an interpreter to communicate with her classmates and teachers. “The interpreting program and the interpreters are great.” Valle said, “They are like my family. They are amazing, and they always try their best to keep their students doing their best in class,” Valle said.

Mt. SAC’s Disabled Student Programs and Services provides students that are deaf and hardof-hearing accommodations such as sign language or oral

interpreters; note takers for class lectures and priority registration.

Brian Day Carr, a 27-year-old fulltime interpreter for the program and a major with a focus on sign language interpreting, said that being an interpreter is not easy.

“The one thing I learned my first year of interpreting is the language aspect of it is half the battle, the other half is dynamics with the environment,” Carr said.

“It could be the teacher’s speed, speak style, the loudness of the room.”

Researched by William Stokoe, American Sign Language became an official language during the 1960s and a decade later became available to colleges and universities.

Mt. SAC has been providing Sign Language classes since the late 1970s. However, the Sign Language/Interpreting Program began in the early 1980s.

“There are two hearing professors that teach sign language, myself and a part-time professor, Dave Sladek, who has deaf parents,” according to Bob Stuard, 54, department chair of the sign language/interpreting

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department. The program was created to provide interpreters and to communicate with deaf people, according to George Dorough, 61, professor of finger spelling and deaf prospective. For the past 20 years, Dorough has been teaching sign language to deaf and hearing students. “ASL is a beautiful language and I like to teach hearing people about deaf signs and their expressions,” said Dorough.

Dorough added that being identified as being deaf is

acceptable and that “hearing impaired” is actually a term that many do not like in the deaf community.

For Danae Carrano, 21, sign language interpreting major, taking sign language was just another class to take. However, as the semester went on Carrano became enamored.

“I took it because language was a requirement and then I just fell in love with it! I actually changed my major from child psychology to sign language interpreting major,” said Carrano.

Club provides international unity +,-.(%/(.( !"#$$%&'(")'

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675755444558%94!"

There are approximately 456 international students attending Mt. SAC. That is less than one percent of the student population.

According to the Assistant Director of Admissions for International Students Patricia Montoya, the attendance has increased, with the majority of students coming from Asian countries, some trickling in from Spanish countries, and even Germany.

International students must maintain a full-time class schedule and the cost of tuition for international students at Mt. SAC is almost four times the cost of a California resident student’s tuition. If high costs and a full time schedule aren’t enough, international students must also work extra hard to keep up the pace.

Martin Oliva, 20, from Queretaro, Mexico, fills his weekend with homework and study while other students are out at their favorite hangout.

“You cannot take the chance to just fail a class, or fail a test; you need to do really good,” said Oliva.

Oliva is the International Student Club president and plans to transfer to UCLA to obtain a degree in Aerospace Engineering.

“The hardest thing about coming to another country for school is getting used to the language and getting used to the way people are, the cultural differences,” Oliva said.

He added, “American culture is friendly, sometimes I’m sitting somewhere and I don’t know people, and they just approach me, and start talking. In Mexico usually that doesn’t happen.”

Oliva said he hopes to help other international students embrace the American culture instead of falling into a comfort zone. He said he wants his international colleagues to share their culture as well as learn the culture that surrounds them.

Hiromo Haga, a 26-year-old student from Japan is a member of the International Student Club. Haga said she is attending Mt. SAC because there are few Japanese students.

“The Japanese population at Mt. SAC is small. I had a strong desire to learn English, so I decided to come to Mt. SAC,” said Haga.

The club is open to all students regardless of residency status.

Joshua H. Wu, a California resident and current Mt. SAC student, is a member of the club. During a recent club meeting, Wu said that he joined for the purpose of bringing different students together. He is also involved in Link Krew, another club on campus created to integrate the Mt. SAC student community.

According to the Mt. SAC website, an international student counselor is available to help students with everything from selecting the appropriate classes to help with personal concerns. Technical assistance is also available for help with immigration issues and understanding F-1 visa regulations.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

15

Economy forces students to live at home !"#$%&#''% !"#$$%&'(")'% In today’s poor economy jobs are scarce and money is tight causing many college students to live at home longer, shifting responsibility roles and affecting their future.

In a survey of 46 students on campus, 37 responded that they still live at home or with a family member. According to the online article, “Census: Recession Turning Young Adults Into Lost Generation” at www. huffingtonpost.com, dated Sept. 22, in 2010, nationally, 5.9 million Americans ages 25-34 lived at home, a 25 percent increase from before the recession.

The poor economy will not only affect students now, but well into the future.

According to the article, Andrew Sum, an economist and Director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University said, “Their really high levels of underemployment and unemployment will haunt young people for at least another decade.”

Craig Hernandez, 19, sociology major, said, “I think I’ll still be living at home well after I graduate. I’m not even sure there will be a job for me.”

In the article, Mark Mather, an associate vice president at the private Population Reference Bureau said, “Many young adults are essentially postponing adulthood and all of the family responsibilities and extra costs that go with it.”

Hernandez said he supports this idea and that he is not ready to take on a full time job yet and risk messing up his grades at school. He said he believes with the state of the economy, school needs to be his number one priority.

When a student lives at home longer that can mean an opportunity to put off some responsibilities until later in life, things such as shopping and paying bills.

Hernandez said, “I don’t make enough money to pay for all those things once a month and still save.”

The survey also showed that 20 out of 46 students contribute to the bills at home. In the same survey, only 15 students responded that they cook and buy groceries on a regular basis.

Another complaint for students living at home can be the lack of freedom. Thirty out of the 46 students responded that they feel like they have less freedom living at home than they would if they lived on their own.

A 19-year-old architecture major responded that he still has a curfew. Twenty-two of the students surveyed responded that their parents feel they have the right to a say in their child’s life.

Marjorie Nichols, a retired high school English teacher, moved 700 miles away from home to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah when she was 17. She described moving away as a great experience. “I loved the independence and the fun,” Nichols said.

Some students today may be missing out on having to learn to take care of themselves. Nichols said that living on her own forced her to reach out to new people and make new friends. She said she had to learn to budget her money and her time.

Nichols added that everything she did can still be done today, but acknowledges that things are much more expensive today. She said that students just need to keep their goals in sight. “We [she and her husband] had a goal and as long as we could see that goal it was okay,” Nichols said.

Some students enjoy living at home.

Lindsey Scothorn, 20, a child development major, said, “I love living at home. You don’t have to pay rent or bills. Just go to school and have good grades.”

The Crazy World of Adam Valenzuela !"#$%!$#&&' ()%*+',-%.+//

Dear Drabby, Why doesn’t Santa Claus have kids?

Signed, Concerned for Claus Dear Concerned for Claus, Santa only comes once a year…..that’s what she said.

Is this thing on?

Dear Drabby, I don’t know how to approach men for a date and I cant talk about relationships in the newsroom.

Signed, Too Queer for Fear Dear Al, Who needs people when you have the Internet, where you can have limitless friends? Make yourself an avatar and start living anyway you want, the Internet does not have to be fact checked, do you drive a ’89 Honda Hatchback? Not on the Internet, on the Internet you drive a sporty Japanese import, besides, More_2_luv 300 is online now, hit the keyboard and have some virtual fun- its not reality so its better, and anonymous, no one has to know your cyber secrets….shhh, no one wants to hear a grown man cry either.

Dear Drabby, I have a serious crush on my teacher. Should I get him a gift for the holidays?

Signed, Hot for Teacher Dear Homewrecker, I saw him first.

If you would like to write to Drabby send your whine mail to: askdrabby@ymail.com

16

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Cont. from Suicide P. 3 “Seeing what happened to Josue has made me think twice. He was locked up and drugged, and then set free with no follow up help and no financial support to continue his medication.

How is this help?” she said.

As for Velasquez, he said he is doing better now.

“I don’t think I’ll ever attempt to hurt myself again. I have taught myself to come to terms with my family. I do have my sister’s support and I think it’s finally my time to be happy.

It took a long time to finally accept myself so I wouldn’t hurt myself again.”

As a member of LAMBDA the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Alliance on campus, Velasquez has found a community of support and a voice to speak openly about serious issues affecting students. Velasquez hopes to transfer to UC Berkeley. He has applied twice and has successfully been accepted twice but cannot afford the cost of attendance. He also was accepted to USC along with several other colleges.

According to The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a new task force to address suicide prevention efforts within the highrisk population of the Lesbian Bisexual Gay Transgender community was formally added in 2010.

Mercury Castle, a 20-year-old aerospace engineering major, struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Castle is a transgender woman, a person who was born a biological male but identifies as a female. In an effort to find help for depressive thoughts associated with the stigma of not being accepted by social norms, Castle went to student health services on campus for help.

“After meeting with a therapist I explained my situation about needing help in finding information or resources for transgender individuals, and basically the counselor explained to me that I would be offered short term therapy and that we would only be meeting one more time because it would take way too long for someone in my situation to go through counseling at Mt. SAC and they didn’t have the resources for it.”

Castle does not have the support of her family who believe she can be changed through

conversion therapy.

“Both of my parents are aware that I identify with being transgender but they refuse to accept this.”

For Castle the lure of suicide is very real.

“The reason I went to therapy in the first place was to try and work out my depression for transgender issues. The only way that I can put it is that when I hit rock bottom, I picked out a nice building to jump off of, it’s 20 stories tall, it’s the Wells Fargo building off of Grand and the 10 freeway.”

Though Castle’s journey for help and education on transgender life and coping is a lonely one, she offers a message of hope.

“I hope that with the next generation of transgenders, people will be more aware and take things more seriously. If someone says something is wrong and they want to talk maybe someone will listen. If I choose to take my life, that’s my decision but if I hope someone else doesn’t have to. I hope other individuals don’t have to go through the things I’ve gone through.”

Sandra Samples, director of student health services, explained the protocol from start to finish for students who approach the health services department regarding a suicidal student.

“The person is assessed to determine urgency. If the situation is urgent, immediate attention is provided by a therapist, psychologist or RN, depending on availability. If the situation cannot be diffused, community crisis teams are contacted for further evaluation of the need for hospitalization. If the situation is non-urgent or it is diffused, arrangements are made for followup care either in the Health Center, community agencies, or the person’s provider.”

According to Livier Martinez, licensed clinical social Worker at Mt. SAC, suicide education is available to all faculty and staff to recognize symptoms and early warning signs in students.

She explained: “QPR, Question, Persuade, Refer, is a gatekeeper training aimed to increase awareness and educate public. Here on campus we use it for staff and faculty to increase awareness, knowledge, and a preventative approach to pick

up any red flags about suicide intent, it is not a training for them to become the therapist or for them to intervene in terms of stopping.”

According to the student health services department, Mt. SAC does offer suicide prevention events and seminars specifically for students. Velasquez’s professor said she is unaware of any training.

“Since being hired at Mt. SAC, I have never received any kind of training on how to deal with students in crisis.”

Joan Sholars, professor of math, had the same experience.

“I have been teaching here for 23 years and I have never had suicide prevention or awareness training, nor have I been offered one.”

Maryann Tolano-Leveque, director of student life, shared her concern for students contemplating suicide.

“If we hear of an attempted suicide that’s reported to our office we send the student a letter saying that we want to talk to you and make sure you’re okay,” she said. “And then I would meet the student and ask if everything is okay, if he or she is getting help, what’s going on, if they’re getting help. We try to intervene making sure they have resources and help to make them get through whatever they are going through.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded $6.2 million in grants to 21 colleges and universities this year to assist in their efforts to prevent suicide and enhance mental health services for students in crisis. Mt. SAC is a grant recipient this year. According to the SAMHSA website, the college has been awarded $100,868 for the 2011 school year.

Samples explained how the grant funds are distributed: “The grant funds support staff to provide outreach activities, primarily suicide prevention training, to key faculty, staff, and students.

The ultimate goal is to increase mental health awareness and outreach efforts on campus.”

Students can find out about health services on campus at: www.mtsac.edu/students/healthcenter/faq.html.

Cont. from RateMyProfessors P. 2 it is for students only.

“The site was created by students for students; it is supposed to be a place where they can speak freely and get honest opinions. To have professors using it for their own gain in this fashion goes against what it was intended for,” Cardenas said.

Dr. Gene Ano, professor of psychology, said it is wrong to mislead students. Ano has a 4.8 out of 5.0 and a chili pepper rating.

“I think it’s horrible,” he said. “I think it’s unethical and I think it’s sad. It’s one thing to go on there and maybe write your own review and say that it’s you. ‘I am me and this is what I think, this is what I try.’ But to masquerade and write your own review about yourself? I think it’s dishonest,” Ano said.

English Professor Pamela Arterburn was shocked to hear that professors write their own reviews. Arterburn’s reviews are positive with a 4.2 rating out of 5 with a chili pepper.

“Do they actually do that?” Arterburn said. “If they did, I think a critical reader might be able to figure it out, which would backfire on the professor.

She added, “You can’t change the way people see you or what they think of you.”

As for her positive reviews, she was surprised.

“You are not serious, how in the world did I get a chili pepper? That’s like an academy award in the world of RateMyProfessors!”

Carlo Di Marco, senior vice president of mtvU University Relations, said that the site has employees who screen the posts.

“Comments on RateMyProfessors are continually moderated by real people on a 24/7 basis and any that are not consistent with our comment guidelines are removed,” Di Marco said. “As a safeguard, there are also multiple one-click ways for students or professors to report errors in listings, including “Submit a Correction” and “Report this Rating.”

Additionally, comments on RMP are scanned for profanity and

for duplication so that no student can add multiple comments to one professor listing.”

He added, “If there are any comments that are inconsistent with site guidelines, we work to quickly address them and correct the situation.”

Di Marco also said that there is no way to stop professors from writing their own reviews, but that RateMyProfessors is built for college students, by college students.

“While it’s possible for a professor to post their own review, the overwhelming majority of the posts are by students who use the site to determine which classes and professors they’ll take. We also have procedures in place for suspicious comments to be flagged and removed from the site,” Di Marco said.

Mt. San Antonio was recently taken off of the RateMyProfessors website and remained off for several months. Jake Urbansky, senior publicist at MTV, said his company is looking into the Mt. SAC situation. MtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college channel, purchased RateMyProfessors in April 2011.

“We’re still in the middle of an internal investigation to find out what happened to the Mt. San Antonio College pages on RateMyProfessors,” Urbansky said.

Di Marco said, “We looked into the situation and found that we had a technical glitch that accidentally caused the removal of past professor reviews from the Mt. San Antonio College page. The reviews were not removed intentionally.

Once we were made aware of the issue, we worked diligently to restore the missing reviews to RateMyProfessors and they should be back on the site now. Di Marco said that the site gets few complaints.

“We receive a lot of positive feedback and suggestions from students and professors, in addition to some negative feedback.

Overall, the responses are overwhelmingly positive. Students love to use the site and find it helpful. We’ve even received emails from professors telling us how the site has helped their teaching and their careers.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

17

.$/,-(0$&1#0/#/234567186**9 -$.(/0!(1#23&4%(5+67*446+(836"9(0:;&#6<(!+*'$&=*(>+&$&#2(?3;@('9=&46+<(&#$*+'?$4(A&$%(4$;9*#$(B*77+*"(C+'*443*"<(DE<(1#23&4%(F'G6+.

English professor is passionate for prose

!"#$%&'()*+*, !"##$%$&'()$&*+(,"-& Altruistic, creative, pragmatic, and sharp are just a few words used by students to describe Lloyd Aquino, professor of English composition and literature, creative writing club advisor, and writer.

“Professor Aquino is one of the best professors I have had, he is dedicated to his students, he focuses all his time and energy into making class lectures and discussions fun and interesting, as well as helping students relate it back to similar situations in present day,” said Crystal Ibarra, 27, honor student, engineering major and psychology club treasurer.

“He is one of those professors you are actually saddened when you arrive to your class and there’s a sign in sheet taped to the door,” she added.

Aquino, 32, has been teaching at Mt.SAC for seven years and it is his fifth year as a full timer. Aquino started teaching at California Polytechnic State University while he was in a graduate school program working on his masters. The Teaching Associate Program, according to him, allows aspiring teachers to teach a class every quarter while still taking classes; he did this for two years. He previously taught part time at California State University Fullerton. Aquino has always taught English composition and literature, but mostly composition.

Aquino is more than just an English professor; he has been the adviser for the creative writing club for the past two years.

“I love the students here, their writing is very impressive, I have taught at four year universities and I have had more students blow me away here than at Cal Poly, I love working in this department,” he said.

English professor John Brantignham has known Aquino for six years and said that he has come to admire him as both a writer and teacher. “I have grown tremendously through his example and in our conversations, I am also knocked out by his poetry, which is rhythmic and visual,” he said.

The creative writing club has been around for nearly six years. Advisers take the club members through activities based on writing fiction, poetry, and other creative writing activities. They perform open mic readings, and last year they created their on first literary magazine “Creepy Gnome,” and are currently

working on their second one. The magazine is available on lulu.com.

Dylan Gosland, 22, English Major and president of the Creative Writing Club, and editor in chief of Mt. SAC’s Creepy Gnome Magazine said, “I consider Lloyd a friend and valued colleague. Guy’s got a killer sense of humor, and is extremely dedicated to his students and craft.”

Aquino has been writing for about 11 years and has written a couple of plays and short stories, but primarily, he considers himself a poet. Videos of his poetry readings can be found on YouTube and he has had about 25 poems published in various places. He hopes to publish a collection of his poems.

“My primary interest at this point is going to poetry readings and performing, I just love reading my poetry in front of people. It took me a while to work up the courage to get up there, but once I did it became addicting, and now I can’t stop,” he said.

During his free time, he and a few others have their own organization where they arrange their own readings. Their goal is to bring poetry and arts to the local community. Every third Saturday of the month, the owner of the independent bookstore The Village Book Shop in Glendora, hosts a reading, and Aquino often participates.

“I feel like I’m in control when I’m up there, in way that I don’t when I’m at party or get together,” he said.

Aquino primarily writes about relationships, not just romantic ones, but all kind of relationships. He added that he has been writing a lot more about family and how one relates to each other in both good and bad ways.

“I love to write about those little seemingly insignificant moments in life and try to make them bigger. What interest me as a poet are the details, not so much the big picture, which are the little things that make life interesting,” he said.

Aside from teaching and writing, he likes to listen to music and go to plays. He said he is more of a stay-at-home person and that might be a good thing as a professor, because there is always a paper to grade.

“I want to keep writing, I want to keep teaching, and as long as I can do that then I think I’m going to be happy,” he said.

In the near future he plans to travel to London to see some plays and has plans to visit New York during his vacation. His students see

him as a positive role model.

“Lloyd has been a very positive influence on me as a student, serving as an unwitting role model and motivator. He has demonstrated that it is possible to do what you love and not have to compromise your happiness, that one can make baby steps towards a rewarding career in creative writing, and showed me how through example,” Gosland said.

With the good comes the bad, Aquino said there are things that make teaching tough, like when a student is not participating and not fully dedicated to the work that they are supposed to be doing.

“I can deal with the students and I love working with students who are trying their hardest but just need to keep working at it, and I can deal and work with that frustration, but it’s the students who make no effort to hide the fact that they don’t want to be there that can really drain me.”

Ibarra said he has really helped her improve.

“Before having Professor Aquino as a professor I lacked the writing skills needed to succeed, and after taking his classes my writing improved. He is very dedicated to his students and wishes nothing more than for them to succeed,” Ibarra said.

Aquino said that there are two different types of tired in days worth of teaching, the good tired feeling exhausted from a long day but knowing he accomplished something, and the bad tired when he feels like he has been banging his head against the wall during each class because he is not getting through to students for some reason.

“There a couple of things I love about teaching that make it the ideal profession for me. It’s a professions that still allows me to use my creativity in the classroom, even in a very general way like creating assignments for students that fills me up when I’m not feeling very full creatively,” he said.

Brantingham said his colleague is very dedicated.

“What I admire most about Lloyd is probably his endless dedication to his students.

He is always willing to work with them and for them,” Brantingham said.

Aquino said that he is finding himself in teaching.

“I love to help students find themselves and who they want to be, and it interests me because I’m in that process myself.”

18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

Coach encourages selflessness in play, life !"#$%#&'(') !"#$%&'()*%#$ “There’s no ‘I’ in team.”

In only his second year at the helm of the Mt. SAC women’s basketball program, head coach Brian Crichlow has already made his mark as their humble, compassionate leader.

Although he has already made an impression on the Mt. SAC basketball courts, his first passion in sports was played out on a field instead of on the hardwood.

“I was a football guy,” Crichlow confessed. “I liked basketball because it kept me in shape, but football was my favorite sport throughout high school.”

Luckily for the Mounties, his drive for football and lack of elite talent as a basketball player helped lead him to where he is today.

“They always say, the guys who don’t get as much playing time become the best coaches because they get to watch and experience a broader perspective of the game,” Crichlow said.

His basketball coaching career started at Pomona High School, his alma mater. After coaching three years of boys freshman and junior varsity and two years of girls varsity, Crichlow finally got the break he was waiting for.

“I had contact with head coach Laura Beeman during the recruiting process,” Crichlow said. “She needed an assistant and asked me to help her coach; 11 years of being an assistant later and here I am.”

After taking over for Beeman, Crichlow already had a firm grasp on what he wanted to do with the program. With his 11 years of experience at the school and plenty of close relationships with players and staff, he got to work continuing the storied tradition of Mt. SAC women’s basketball.

“He is amazing; he’s the

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right man for the job,” assistant coach Monica Armstrong said enthusiastically. “He helped build this program; it’s going in the same direction he envisioned 13 years ago.

We’re very fortunate to have him.”

From a South Coast Conference Championship and an appearance in the Final Four to a Coach of the Year award, Crichlow was busy during his first year taking the helm for the Mountie’s ladies basketball team. Despite all of the hardware and praise, Crichlow isn’t letting anything get to his head.

“To me, [the awards were] me giving thanks to my players for their

hard work,” Crichlow said.

His main message to his players is simple: “You are playing for someone other than yourself when you wear a Mt. SAC uniform. Play for the people that are next to you and play for the people who came before you.”

Regardless of the simplicity of his message, it’s certainly getting through to his players. Since he took over prior to the 2010-2011 season, he and his players have paved their way to an impressive 34-5 record and are currently on pace for another playoff run in 2012.

His positive message and

influence reach far beyond the hardwood, though.

Apart from teaching his students how to be terrific basketball players, he also gives them the tools to succeed in the classroom.

“We demand a lot in the classroom...” Crichlow said. “We use all of the academic resources that Mt. SAC offers. I’d hate to see a kid fail because we failed to use the resources given to us by the school.”

More than anything, though, Crichlow wants his players to succeed in life. He uses basketball as a life lesson that helps his players grow as both athletes and human beings.

“I think success and winning gives the young ladies a broader perspective on life, and that drives me,” Crichlow explained. “I teach my players to use basketball as a tool for life.”

Unsatisfied with simply helping the ladies at Mt. SAC, Crichlow extends his coaching prowess to even more young basketball hopefuls.

The director and co-founder of the West Coast Premier Basketball Academy, Crichlow spends a large chunk of his time contributing to one of the nation’s top travel ball teams. Along with a few other coaches, Crichlow helped found the program after spending time with another travel ball team convinced him to continue down that path.

“It’s all about giving young, talented ladies the opportunity to succeed,” Crichlow said.

When all is said and done, Crichlow is so much more than a basketball coach: he’s a shaper of young minds and a firm believer that success in athletics can help lead students down a path towards a better life.

Keep an eye out for Crichlow as he strides up and down the sidelines, willing on his Lady Mounties as they play their way towards another tremendous season.

Gil’s Sports Musings: The NBA Lockout is Over!

Pigs are flying. Hell has frozen over. Add any other cliché that you can think of to symbolize the occurrence of something that seemed nearly impossible.

Yes, it has finally happened. The NBA lockout has finally met its demise and I couldn’t be happier.

The 2011-2012 season is set to begin on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. In my mind, it’ll be as very merry of a Christmas as I could ever imagine.

The intoxicating smell of the pine wafting off of the !"#$%#&'(') Christmas tree. The beauty of wrapped presents sitting in a neat little stack. The Yule log burning on the television screen. The stocking overflowing the crap that I’ll never use. The shriek of sneakers as they skid along the Staples Center hardwood.

The only thing that could make Christmas any better is a soft blanket of snow lying upon the ground, but that’s as unlikely in Southern California as LeBron James winning a ring.

I apologize to people who are waiting for mentions of religious things on Christmas Day, but that’s not how I roll.

As a life-long Lakers fan, I’m just glad to know that I will enjoy the pleasure of watching

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the purple and gold play before next fall. Mike Brown will get his opportunity to follow in Phil Jackson’s footsteps and Kobe Bryant will get another shot at earning the Lakers one more championship banner.

That’s all good and dandy, but there are some folks out there who aren’t taking so kindly to the NBA’s return.

See NBA P. 19

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011 Cont. from NBA P. 18

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That’s all good and dandy, but there are some folks out there who aren’t taking so kindly to the NBA’s return.

The one thing that has really irritated me throughout the 149 days that the NBA Lockout consumed was the haters out there who have apparently flushed any faithfulness they had for the league down the pooper.

I understand the concept that trying to act like you don’t care is a way of rebelling against the league’s greed, but don’t kid yourself. You know that as soon as games are back on and players like Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant are flooding the headlines of your favorite sports website, you’ll fall off the hard-liner bandwagon in no time.

The NBA isn’t going to lower ticket prices because a few crazies decided to boycott the games. Players aren’t going to give up their luxurious way of life because fans displayed their frustration via Twitter.

The owners will never, ever change their mindsets because a few lower class Joe Schmoes lost their jobs due to a lockout. If both sides were willing to give up millions of dollars in revenue and salaries throughout the first month of the season while arguing over one percent of the basketball related income, there’s no telling what their limit is.

If it wasn’t that big of a deal, no one would have cared throughout the first five months. So please, just get over it and get back to enjoying the sport that many of us have grown to love.

Go Lakers! Celtics and Heat suck! Kobe’s the G.O.A.T.! I’m done.

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19

20

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011

CONTINUED DOMINANCE FOR FOOTBALL AND SOCCER

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!"#$%&'()*& !"#$%&'!()**'+&$("& The Mounties football team claimed the title as Southern California champions for the fifth straight year, while the men’s soccer team delivered their third consecutive state championship.

After winning back-to-back state and national titles in 2009 and 2010, the football team, led by head coach Robert Jastrab, has catapulted once more to the state championship in hopes of a third consecutive title.

The Mounties will go on the road against a familiar foe on Saturday: San Francisco City College, a team who they faced last season at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

The men’s soccer team went into the state championships riding a 37-game winning streak over the weekend and emerged with a 1-0 triumph over Hartnell.

Despite the three ties during the season, the Mounties managed to avoid a loss. The defense-minded Mounties did not surrender a goal during the post-season en route to the title game on Sunday.

With a 22-0-3 overall record and a 12-0-2 conference record, two of the Mounties’ biggest wins were earned playing against conference rivals, Cerritos College, a team that has provided fierce competition.

“You know what? It’s awesome,” Juan Sanchez told ESPN Los Angeles. “It’s kind of like a dream.”

For more detailed coverage of both teams’ title runs log on to http:// www.mountiewire.com.

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