Rampage
Fresno City College Volume CXXI, Edition 1
February 2, 2011
Gary Soto Museum Set to Open in OAB By Tomas Kassahun Rampage Reporter
In 1972, Gary Soto had a total of $1.00 in his wallet. His diet consisted of Ramen and Frijoles. Today, Soto is a world renowned author and poet. He is the author of 11 poetry collections for adults and winner of several awards including the Human and Civil Right Award, the Literature Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and the PEN Center West Book Award for his young-adult short story collection “Petty Crimes”. And now, an entire museum bears Gary Soto’s name at Fresno City College, where his love for writing was born. “My first publications were two poems in a 1972 spring issue of the Rampage,” said Soto. “We all must begin somewhere.”
Photos by Paul Schlesinger
See GARY SOTO MUSEUM page 7
Some of the author’s personal belongings on display in the Literary Museum.
Gary Soto and his wife, Carolyn Soto, Address students during the dedication of the Old Administration Building on Jan. 28.
California’s Community Colleges Take Direct Hit Proposed Budget Could Raise FCC Tuition Rates
By Sammy “Pro” Loproto On Jan.3, 2011, Jerry Brown was sworn in as the California’s 39th governor amid hope of new beginnings and the return of better times. The honeymoon ended on Jan. 11 when the new governor unveiled his budget proposal, a $12.5 billion reduction in spending, commencing with the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Most importantly, California’s Community Colleges could suffer a $440 million budget cut, and many peripheral programs connected to the system could also be slashed, an irony because Brown was on the Board of Trustees for the Los Angeles Community College District, from 1969-1971. Around the state, community colleges are adjusting to the new reality of reduced funding. The Los Angeles Community College District has cancelled summer classes completely at its nine
Associated Press
Rampage Reporter
Jerry Brown announces new budget at state address, Jan. 31. campuses, and the San Diego Community College district has slashed 800 classes out of 10,000, last year alone.
LGBT Colloquium page 15
“We expect to see a decline of nearly 250,000 students enrolled this year, down from 2.7 million last year,” said Scott Lay, president
Ballad of Chet Rehearsal page 15
of the California Community College League. “This equates to roughly 10 percent less of course offerings.”
Accidents, Miracles, and Friendship page 15
Fresno City College could sustain a $4.5 million dollar cut for the fiscal year of 2011-2012. FCC Students may wonder how the huge reduction in community college funding affects them. Should students be worried about their future and what is the bottom line? “Cutting that kind of money from an institution like ours will be very hard. If there is any good news here, it is the fact that we still have the lowest tuition rates in the nation,” she said. The first and most visible change here at FCC, will be the increase in tuition by unit pricing; this will result in a $10 increase per unit. Simply put, it will raise the price per unit to $36. At first glance, this does not seem to be overwhelming. But if you can digest a nearly 40 percent increase in tuition, then it becomes clear that this alone could derail many students from
See BUDGET Page 5 Football Allstars page 15