Spring 2013 Issue 6

APRIL 24, 2013

Volume CXXIV Issue 6

WHERE ARE THE INTERPRETERS?

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Deaf students say lack of interpreters hinders progress

An invisible borderland

BY KEVYNN GOMEZ

kgomez@therampageonline.com

Students who are not U.S. citizens are an invisible minority at many California colleges.

They live in an invisible borderland, both students at academic institutions and unseen and unheard individuals simultaneously.

Not born in this country, and therefore not considered California residents, these students without American documentation face financial and personal challenges along with underrepresentation.

Extended Opportunity Programs & Services counselor Sonia Lupian says she is aware of the multilayered challenges students without U.S. legal documents deal with silently.

In 2001, Governor Gray Davis signed Assembly Bill 540, or AB 540, to allow non-resident students to pay in-state tuition fees if they meet eligibility requirements.

There are several steps to meet the AB 540 eligibility, yet even these simple steps can be difficult.

Students must have attended a California high school for at least three academic years. They must also graduate high school, attain a G.E.D, or receive a passing mark on the California High School Proficiency Exam.

Registering at an accredited California public college and filing an affidavit at said academic institution is also required, as is not having a non-immigrant visa.

“If we had a program like the way we have EOPS but for AB 540 and undocumented students that specifically helps their needs, that would definitely make the process for them a lot easier,” Lupian said.

The California Dream Act, comprised of AB 130 and AB 131, ensures that students who meet the same requirements for AB 540 can also apply and receive scholarships created from non-state funds and apply for financial aid at public universities and colleges.

Students who are unable to meet these requirements cannot attain instate tuition and fees. This is crucial for students who cannot meet these requirements- usually because they have not studied at California schools long enough- out-of-state student fees are usually more than twice the amount of in-state California fees.

Tuition alone for an out-of-state l SEE INVISIBLE ON PAGE 2

Oleksandr Volyk communicates with Kou Vang via sign language on April 18. Photo/David Thammavongsa.

BY COLBY TIBBET

ctibbet@therampageonline.com

Deaf students at Fresno City College are facing a lack of available sign language interpreters on campus. Without this key resource, the advancement of deaf students’ educational careers can be limited.

The deaf students say that the lack of interpreters to accompany them to classes and assist in note taking is most pressing issue they have.

Without a doubt, the availability of interpreters for deaf students correlates with their academic advancement and

helps them achieve a better grasp of their course content.

At the present time, the State Center Community College District has 19 interpreters, with only one (the district coordinator) being full-time.

The rest are permanent part-time or provisional positions. Christine Gough, the district’s interpreter coordinator says the interpreter service puts in an average of 325 hours of service per week for deaf students district-wide, but with only 18 part time positions, this translates to 18 hours per week per interpreter.

The interpreter program on campus is experiencing a problem

that many departments are currently dealing with: the constraints of a tight budget. The Disabled Students Program & Services at Fresno City College which funds the interpreter program has been hit much harder than most programs and saw a reduction of almost 50 percent to its funding.

“We truly had a 47 percent cut, and we will never come back from that in my lifetime,” said Dr. Janice Emerzian, the district director of DSP&S. Emerzian said that while she understands that the cuts are related to the major funding reduction to California community colleges in 2009 l SEE INTERPRETERS ON PAGE 4

The sorry predicament of the adjunct instructor

BY TOMAS KASSAHUN

tkassahun@therampageonline.com

Michael Essinger spends his weekends grading at least three sets of papers from three different classes at different colleges. At the same time, he is in the middle of the research for his dissertation for a doctorate degree.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Essinger teaches a history class from 7a.m. to 7:50a.m. at Fresno City College. Then he rushes to catch the train to U.C. Merced where he is a graduate student. He also spends one night a week teaching in Hanford or Visalia.

Essinger has been an adjunct instructor at FCC for the past five years.

In these five years, he has had great difficulty making ends meet on the income he makes as an adjunct in-

Meet the Chief Page 3

structor.

An adjunct professor is a parttime professor who is hired on a contractual basis rather than in a tenure track or a permanent position, according to a definition on wisegeek. org. Colleges hire large numbers of adjunct faculty members because they are flexible and cheaper to maintain than traditional full-time faculty.

But just like regular faculty members, adjunct professors must fulfill basic educational requirements before they can teach, but they are do not enjoy the same compensations or other benefits such as health insurance coverage.

According to Essinger, the difference between what the adjuncts are paid to teach five classes -- which is a full load for a tenure track instructor

-- and what full time instructors are paid is about $25,000 a year.

“We can’t make a living as adjuncts. We are limited to the equivalent of 3.5 classes at a community college in [the State Center Community College district]. I can only teach the equivalent of 3.5 classes combined between [FCC], Reedley, Willow, Oakhurst and Madera,” Essinger said.

To get an adequate load for his livelihood, Essinger must also teach at other colleges, some of them more than 50 miles away. Adjuncts at FCC also teach at College of the Sequoias campuses in Visalia and Hanford; the West Hills District in Lemoore and Coalinga and the Merced district with campuses in Los Banos and Merced.

“Adjunct faculty is a bargain for l SEE ADJUNCTS ON PAGE 2

ITheDeceiver

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Adjuncts

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Editor-in-Chief Troy Pope

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Invisible

Graphic/Adan De la Cerda the administration. They get highly qualified, highly trained faculty. We all have at least master’s degrees,” said Essinger. “Many of us have Ph.Ds or are close to getting our Ph.Ds. We work for half of what it would cost if we were full-time teachers.”

According to the SCCCD institutional research, there are currently 954 adjunct instructors in the district.

Forty percent of classes in the district are taught by adjunct instructors and the average salary for adjuncts is $47.49 per hour. In other words, an adjunct teaching a three-unit class grosses $142.47 a week or $569.88 a month.

“They [full-time faculty] have other duties, but the cost to the district is so much less for adjuncts, they go that way,” said Essinger. “For each class I teach here, I make about $380 a month. If this was my only job, there is no way I would make a living.”

Another concern that adjuncts feel is a lack of job security. According to the contract between SCCCD and the State Center Federation of Teachers Bargaining Unit, “part-time faculty are ‘temporary employees.’ Nothing contained in this section nor any article of this agreement places a legal obligation on the district to provide continuing employment for part-time faculty.”

Essinger says he lives with uncertainty from semester to semester and is never sure whether or not he will return. He feels this is a disadvantage for the students.

“Students may or may not have the opportunity to take me for other classes. I may not be back next semester. If a student wants me to write a letter of recommendation, good luck in finding me. I don’t have an office.

I don’t have a phone number,” said Essinger. “If I’m not teaching, I don’t even have a mailbox. So there is this lack of continuity by using part-time faculty; lack of support for students.”

Lacy Barnes, president of the State Center Federation of Teachers, Local 1533, has been working to bring about some change for adjunct instructors, “to increase the wages of our part-time faculty so that it is more of what is known as a pro-rata, a rate that is equivalent to or at least

comparable to what a full-timer might get for doing the same work.”

“If there is no interest in the district desiring pay equity, we’re just talking to ourselves,” said Barnes. “We don’t have anything close to a pro-rata.

Every time we go to negotiate, we try. ” She adds that part-time instructors are paid hourly rates because the hourly wage is cheaper than paying a full-time salary.

Another goal of the SCFT is to make sure adjuncts get health benefits.

“We have argued to offer at least a buy-in, but the district has not had any interest in offering those benefits,” said Barnes.

Unlike full-time faculty, adjuncts are not required to have officers or serve on committees. But that can cause part-time instructors to feel isolated and disconnected from the college community. Their pay does not take into consideration the hours they spend helping their students and prepping for their classes. The faculty union has also argued for adjunct instructors to be paid for at least one office hour per week.

“They are paid for only the hour they spend in class. They are not paid for prep time,” said Barnes.

Without an office hour, Essinger does not feel he is as effective as can be.

“One of the ways I can be effective is to sit down with a student and talk about what problems they may have,” said Essinger. “If I just drop in class and answer what I can in front of the group, I’m a performing monkey.

There is a lounge where I can meet with students, but it’s not like having an office hour. It’s not like students can knock on my door and say ‘professor can I talk to you?’”

Barnes says the union will continue the effort to get some parity in pay for adjunct instructors.

“As a federation, we believe in equal pay for equal work. We value our part-time instructors equal to our fulltimers because they add even more so to the teaching profession,” Barnes said. “Any praise you can give a parttimer is much appreciated. They do a lot for our students.” l TWITTER.COM/THERAMPAGEGUY

student with 12 units in spring 2013 at FCC is more than $3,000. Each unit costs $281. Full-time California resident students are not subject to pay for tuition, only for the enrollment fee of $46 per unit, or $552 a semester, which out-of-state students must also pay.

While the Board of Governors’ fee waiver will cover the majority of in-state student fees, students without U.S. documents who cannot meet the AB 540 requirements will have no means to attain financial assistance and must find a way to pay for more than $3,000 in tuition and fees on their own.

Even for students without United States documents who can meet the AB 540 requirements, academic inclusion is never a given.

“There definitely needs to be a program established for AB 540 students,” said FCC student Grisanti Valencia, a psychology and political science double major who heads the FCC club Students without Borders.

“The scholarships are out there, but a lot of them [students without documents] don’t even know about the scholarships. A lot of them don’t even know that they can fill out the California Dream Act and get a BOG waiver to cover their classes.”

Fresno City College does not have any programs established to help undocumented or AB 540 students specifically.

Counselor Sonia Lupian may not work solely with undocumented students, but her ability to speak Spanish leads to her continuing work with Spanish speaking students, and naturally, students without U.S. legal documents seeking help.

Grisanti Valencia said she also understands the difficulties of attending college as a student without U.S. legal documents. The club Valencia is intended to form a safe, inclusive community for students without U.S. legal documentation and allies supportive of their rights.

Valencia also works off campus with organizations like Autonomos, which promotes respect and strength in the Central Valley Oaxacan community.

Her goal is to provide an inclusive community for students with no U.S. legal documents seeking support both financially and socially.

The undocumented experience is manifold in its challenges. Yet personal, political, or financial, there are organizations focused on providing support in unexpected way.

“I feel like there’s a lot of financial help but I feel there’s not a lot of emotional help where they can just tell their story,” Valencia admits.

“I feel like we’re lacking in that in all of the groups that exist right now ... they focus a lot in organizing rallies, organizing events, but not necessarily focusing on how you feel,” she said.

“And that would be my main goal, to help them heal themselves, to being OK with saying ‘I am undocumented.’”

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BRUCE HARTMAN EMBRACES COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING brother and myself used to buck hay out of the fields on flatbed trucks.”

As an adult, Hartman purchased On a brisk Wednesday morning, the land from his parents and continBruce Hartman, new police chief of ues to farm in addition to his police the State Center Community District, duties. steps out of his Honda Pilot. He is smilHartman recalls that he always ing. He is wearing a light blue shirt, wanted to go into law enforcement as black pants and dark sunglasses. He a career.

He had written about purappears unassuming in the way he suing law enforcement in his high carries himself. school yearbook at Central Union.

Hartman looks just like any of His connection to his new job the innumerable staff members on also runs deeper than simply being campus until he turns, and the pistol born in the Valley.

Hartman was a in his holster is clear for all to see. member of the first police force on He assumed the police chief duthe Fresno City College campus in ties from interim Chief Daniel CerSCCCD cadet class of 1972-1973. Photo courtesy/Bruce Hartman.

1972 and 1973.

He says his time at FCC vantes halfway through the spring was crucial in developing the way he 2013 semester. Hartman is new to the moted and they get into a position and apply it to his present work. position of police chief, but his con- deals with people to this day.

He looks to bring a new openness “It first started teaching me how it’s like, ‘I’m in charge now but what nection to the Central Valley is strong. do I do?’”

Hartman said.

“I wanted to and transparency - something that Hartman, born in 1955 in the to talk to people and how to get along make sure I had a good base before was absent to the SCCCD’s police west side of the Central Valley, is a with people,” said Hartman. “And that I started leading people.

It gave me department. third generation farmer. It was in is what being a cop is. So many people a good understanding of the proper “Something we have already the small community of Kerman that have so many bad contacts with ofway to do things.” initiated is communication, getting a Hartman learned the importance of ficers and that is one of the things I Even early in his career, Hartworking team together that is not pohard work and getting things done. will not allow.” man showed absolute care in all the lice, that is everybody.”

Hartman said.

In 1976, Hartman joined the FresHe remembers working in the fields decisions he made.

In 1971 during the “The joint working ability between no Police Department and worked his from the age of 12.

Vietnam War, Hartman was acceptthe paper, the staff, the students, we “In the summer during harvest, way up through the ranks of the force. ed to the Air Force need to get it together to where we He accepted responsibilities that included the City of Academy. His opFresno’s Housing and tions were to go Neighborhood Revitaliza- into the Air Force tion manager. He served as or join the police a sergeant at various dis- academy. He chose tricts throughout Fresno. to enter the police Hartman supervised the academy.

“In hindSouthwest district from sight, I wish I 1999 to 2010 when he rewould have gone, tired from the force. but then on the Hartman rememother side, if I bers his most frightening would have gone experience as a Fresno police officer was trying there, I wouldn’t to protect members of the be here,” Hartman Ku Klux Klan at the free said. “So what do speech area at Fresno you do? The good State while people around lord looks out in the group were on the dif ferent ways, and the way I feel SCCCD Police Chief Bruce Hartman. Photo/Taze verge of rioting.

“I felt I was going to it, He had a hand Raney. die,” Hartman said of the on me retiring and tense situation. “It was the being where I was and doing what I can be, as a unit, the best providers of information that we can be with only time where I haven’t did.”

The wide variety of jobs he did communications.” felt in control.” with FPD set Hartman up for his new Of perceptions about the poHartman’s tasks at job as SCCCD police chief.

He seems lice force on campus, Hartman said, FPD ranged from SWAT like a good fit because of the wide “That’s not the way a police station is police work to commuscope that the district covers and the supposed to work.” He hopes to have nity work in the various diversity of the student body. more people involved in changing the districts he patrolled. No “Every part of Fresno is differculture to create a dialogue with police matter the task, he poured ent.

You’ve got different lifestyles in on the FCC campus. his heart into every task “You don’t build walls; you blow no matter the work it re- them all,” said Hartman.

Bruce Hartman as a cadet. 1973-1974. Photo Hartman said that throughout out bridges,” Hartman said. “You wish quired. courtesy/Bruce Hartman. his long career, he saw, time and time there was a wall because then you “I have a unique phiagain, how important people skills could at least put a door in it and walk I was right in the middle of it all,” said losophy when it comes to getting into were in accomplishing things.

He through.”

Hartman. “For extra money, my neigh- things. I watched people who just got looks to bring what he has learned in bor, whom I still farm with, and his promoted. You always hear of the ones l TWITTER.COM/PABELLOPEZ who promoted and promoted and pro- his long law enforcement career and

BY PABEL LOPEZ

plopez@therampageonline.com

BY DARRYL JONES

djones@therampageonline.com

BY ESTEBAN HERRERA

eherrera@therampageonline.com

An accident on E. McKinley avenue leaves a car damaged but both parties involved unharmed.

Photo/Karen West

The Fresno City College men’s golf team performs well on and off the green thanks to head coach Janine Paniccia.

R’eyes / Foter.com / CC BY

Photo/Kevynn Gomez

Rhonda Williams explains how her team exceeded her expectations this season to achieve its 14-1 record.

BY KEVYNN GOMEZ

kgomez@therampageonline.com

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Interpreters

l CONTINUED FROM PAGE1 Gough says that the district must do all it can to attract more interpreters. “We need attractive positions that will give the interpreters benefits and hours,” said Gough.

She believes the interpreters on campus are more than qualified but that the current positions need to be competitive with other interpreter jobs in the Valley.

“The positions need to support the interpreters themselves,” Gough said.

Gough is set to submit an action plan to the district this summer proposing full-time interpreter positions as well as a revision of the current part-time positions.

She believes this will help the deaf and partially deaf For deaf and partially deaf students, their hands are their means of communication. students achieve their eduPhoto/David Thammavongsa. cational goals. and 2010, but that the decrease of “We cannot develop in our language “Our deaf students funding for DSP&S impacted essential without an aid.” are motivated, brilliant, and artistic,” services to the students.

At age 53, Kifer has been deaf Gough said. “My main concern is their “Cut us the same as everyone her whole life. She is now focusing access to future opportunities.” else,” she said. “If you’re going to cut on her education, including learning Students Kou Vang and Diego general 20 percent, cut us 20 percent. foreign sign language and web design. Guzman, both deaf, praise the interDon’t cut us 47 percent and then oth- Kifer said she also aims to bring atten- preters the program provides for ers, 15 percent, or 5 percent or 10 tion the issues that not only she has them. They said that having the interpercent.” faced, but what all deaf students may preter and note takers in class creates However, the lack of interpreters encounter, including things such as a more cohesive understanding of the is not just a minor effect of budget an absentee interpreter or unavailable topics covered. Deaf students do not loss; the interpreters are the conduit note takers. have to look back between the teacher for a deaf student’s success.

“I see more than 20,000 students and interpreter, so they can focus on “It can cause delaying and hurts on campus [that can] hear; we have either in a given time. our chance in education, said Robyn approximately 40 deaf students,” Kifer “I wish they would hire more inKifer, a deaf FCC student, who has at- said. “What [does it have] to do with terpreters here; that would make me tended classes without interpreters. the budget?” happy,” said Vang. “It would be com-

fortable; things would be a lot more flexible.”

Both Vang and Guzman said that while the interpreters they currently have are excellent at the job, the campus needs more.

“It’s very tough to find an interpreter. They are not hiring enough interpreters,” Guzman said. “Some schools have so many, and it’s just not enough here.”

Both the students and DSP&S staff commend Fresno City College officials, especially President Tony Cantu for supporting the program even in very difficult times. They also said that any meaningful change must stem from higher than the campus.

“We need to be heard, but we have not been heard,” said Kifer. “Most damaging is the lack of [awareness] in the board of trustees and upper levels.

I feel we are being overlooked.”

Gough said that a more open communication between deaf students, faculty and other students will help the interpreter situation.

“I encourage staff and students to have healthy dialogue about this situation,” said Gough.

She advocates solidarity among students, faculty and campus regardless of age, ethnicity or disability is critical to progress. If one group does not have tools to succeed, it is felt by the entire student body, and a student body collectively can make progress.

Gough hopes her proposed action plan and an open conversation about the problems deaf community on campus faces will change the course on these students’ near future.

“Deaf students are not [ just] DSP&S students,” Dr. Emerzian said.

“They are Fresno City College students.” l TWITTER.COM/ROBOTMILK

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5

CALHOUN: A COMPLEX MIX OF SERVICE AND CONTROVERSY

BY TOMAS KASSAHUN

Los Angeles Times, Calhoun told Fresno police he had Since March 22, almost every not been drinking when they conversation about Brian Calhoun, 69, stopped him. However, he education instructor at Fresno City failed several field sobriety College, has centered on his physical tests and was taken to Unialtercation with a 19-year-old student versity Medical Center for in the hallway of the second floor of an alcohol blood test where the Old Administration Building. a blood test showed he had Calhoun, on paid administrative a blood-alcohol level of 0.21 leave and facing charges of assault and percent. battery, awaits the college’s decision Through his lawyer, on his penalty, including whether he Calhoun pleaded guilty to can return to his job, when and how. drunken driving and for Calhoun now faces trial for the carrying an open container damages he allegedly caused against of alcohol in his car and was Kevynn Gomez in the assault and batsentenced to nine days of tery he is charged with. He is schedcommunity service, three uled to appear in court in June. years probation and a $1,500 Records and news reports demfine. He had to attend three onstrate that Calhoun’s extensive remonths of classes for DUI ofcord is a blend of good and not-sofenders. good, of selflessness and callousness, At times Calhoun has of compassion and of recklessness, a also let his anger get the best very complex man. of him.

Calhoun, 25 years old in 1968, “When you’re working served as a U.S. Army Military Intelwith six other people and a ligence Officer during the Vietnam mayor and a city manager, War. After two years in the army, he you have to watch your received a discharge and then moved tongue and sometimes my on to Racine, Wis, where he served on tongue got ahead of my several boards including the Racine brain,” Calhoun admitted Education Roundtable; the Racine during his final appearance County Opportunity Center and the as city council member in Dr. Brian Calhoun walking to his office on April Greater Racine United Way. 2008.

From 1984-1988, he continued Through all his ups and 1. Photo/Karen West his work in Illinois, serving at Triton downs, Calhoun has received College as the Dean of Continuing Edua mixed appraisal from his colleagues of the students. cation and then the Dean of Business.

“He went out of his way to help and students.

Calhoun arrived in Fresno, CaLarry Miller, former member of me a few times,” said Barney. lif in 1988. He developed the Fresno Calhoun rarely talked about his the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee, City College Training Institute and said he had served with Calhoun on rail personal life with the students, but he served as its executive director for committees. Miller described Calhoun sometimes brought up his days in the eight years. For four years afterwards, as an “uppity, rude city councilman.” city council.

“He seemed to like it, but wanted In contrast, Jacqui Barney who took more time with his wife,” said Barney. an education class “He was always and will be one of my with Calhoun in 2004, favorite teachers.”

Calhoun was born in Tucson, remembers him as a great teacher who in- Ariz. in 1943 where he lived until the age of 2 while his father worked in a spired his student.

“I really liked military airport tower.

In 1945, Calhoun moved to Calihim. He was a fun §§ A§nonprofit§university teacher and made fornia and attended public schools in teaching and learn- Sacramento, Castro Valley, Palo Alto, §§ Online§or§on-campus§programs ing so much fun and and Tahoe City. He received his bach§§ State-of-the-art§swing§lab enjoyable. I looked elor’s degree in history and political §§ Financial§aid§and§scholarships§available forward to going to science from the University of Calihis class,” said Barney. fornia, Davis.

Calhoun moved to New York in She remembers PROGRAMS AVAILABLE days that Calhoun 1966 and received a master’s degree §§ Associate§of§Science§in§Professional§§ would come to class from Syracuse University in student Golf§Management dressed in a kilt in personnel administration. Also while honor of his Irish heri- in New York, Calhoun married. §§ Bachelor§of§Arts§in§Sport§Psychology His children Bryce and Whitney tage. §§ Bachelor§or§Master§of§Business§ “I had to give a were born in Wisconsin while he was Administration speech in front of the doing his doctorate degree in educaclass one day and he tional policy studies from the Univer§§ Master§of§Arts§in§Performance§Psychology was wearing a kilt. It sity of Wisconsin.

He believed that he made a difwas Irish day or something related,” said ference as a member of the Fresno Barney. “Every time City Council. “We have significantly I looked out over the improved public safety,” he said. “The class, I saw him sit- citizens of this city are much safer ting in the back, and today, crime, fire. That’s been a huge, I thought my teacher, huge improvement.”

He loved the public life in the city wearing a kilt, is grading my speech perfor- council, and when he was termed out, mance. I ended up get- he ran unsuccessfully for the Fresno ting an A for it, but it County Board of Supervisors. Of his was definitely memo- days in the council, he was quoted in WWW.NUGOLFACADEMY.ORG • 877.NUGOLF.1 a KMPH story as saying, “It’s been an rable for me.”

She adds that exciting ride. It’s been eight years.

705 PALOMAR AIRPORT ROAD, SUITE 150 Calhoun was always Most of it’s been wonderful. The city’s CARLSBAD, CA 92011 kind and never lost moved forward.” his temper with any tkassahun@therampageonline.com

he was the principal instructor for the teacher and Teacher Aide/paraeducator program.

His service extended beyond the college. He has been a member of Citizens for Integrity in Government; chair of the International Trade Committee for the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, steering committee for Valley Children’s Hospital Kids Day and a member of the San Joaquin River Parkway.

Most notably, from 2000-2008, Calhoun served as a member of the Fresno City Council.

Calhoun had received endorsements from the Fresno Police Officer’s Association who described Calhoun as a person “who has placed the public safety as his highest priority while maintaining balance with other city needs.”

For all his accomplishments, however, Calhoun has not been able to avoid controversy.

During his years on the council, Calhoun was applauded for positions he took on budget issues but condemned for a lack of tolerance towards the disadvantaged.

According to a story on KSEE24. com, Councilman Calhoun once proposed a ban on panhandling in the center median by “individuals that often times are homeless, . . . that have mental illness addicted to drugs or alcohol” because of the danger those individuals posed to themselves and motorists. His position was widely rejected and the proposal was dropped.

Also, on the night of his reelection to the Fresno City Council in 2004, Calhoun was arrested for drunken driving. According to a story from The

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GANG OF 8 TACKLES IMMIGRATION & DREAM ACT

BY PATRICK FORREST

pforrest@therampageonline.com

Immigration reform has long been a hard to conquer issue, and now there is a new group on the task. The “Gang of eight.” The group consisting of Dick Durbin D-IL, Charles Schumer D-NY, Robert Menendez D-NJ, Michael Bennet D-CO, John McCain R-AZ, Jeff Flake R-AZ, Lindsey Graham R-SC and Marco Rubio R-FL. All of these senators have their own individual reasons for wanting to participate in the “gang of eight.”

Dick Durbin, authored the original DREAM Act giving undocumented young students residency and a path to citizenship.

Chuck Schumer is the chairman of the Refugees and Border Security subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee. He took over for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who tried and failed to pass a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration framework in 2007. Schumer and Graham attempted bipartisan talks in 2010.

Robert Menendez is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and has long been passionate on this issue. He introduced his own comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2010, when he was the only Hispanic member of the Senate. He was an early proponent of the DREAM Act, and along with Durbin has ties to proreform groups that will want to see a real pathway to citizenship.

Michael Bennet has only been in the Senate since 2010, but he’s already

been staking out ground as a bipartisan reformer on the issue.

John McCain is a long-time advocate of immigration reform who tried and failed to push a comprehensive overhaul back in 2006.

Jeff Flake’s libertarian-oriented brand of conservatism has always included a pro-immigration stance. It was the main issue rival Wil Cardon used against him in a Senate primary last year. In 2007, he worked with Rep. Luis Guitierrez (D-Ill.) on a guest worker program and path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Lindsey Graham, like Flake and McCain, has pushed for immigration reform before and has consistently argued that the GOP can’t survive without it.

And lastly Marco Rubio, is positioning himself to run for president in 2016 as a candidate with broad demographic appeal, and he has been pushing for his own immigration reform plan in recent months.

According to Brent C. Woodward, a local immigration law attorney the bill’s biggest affect on students would probably be the effect it would have on all undocumented immigrants generally.

The bill would create a new status for undocumented immigrants called Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status, the main requirements being that the immigrant was present in the United States prior to December 31, 2012, and that the immigrant pays a $500 penalty fee. The

bill would provide certain added benefits to immigrants who also meet the requirements of the previouslyproposed DREAM Act, who are likely to be students, including a waiver of the penalty fee and a quicker path to citizenship. RPIs will be eligible to work in any job and will be permitted to travel outside the country and then re-enter.

“This bill would not mark the beginning of legalization for the millions of undocumented immigrants, only the beginning of an undefined period of waiting for the border security condition to be met.”

-Brent Woodward Immigration Law Attorney The bill would also change the visa process for legal immigrants seeking employment-based visas. This would affect current and future legal foreign students by making it easier to obtain an employment-based visa after completing school. The bill would increase the number of visas available for persons with master’s degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

The bill would also create a new visa category for persons seeking to perform services or labor for a reg-

istered U.S. employer who has jobs available that the employer can’t fill without access to foreign workers. Under the current law, it can be very difficult for students to transition from a student visa to an employment-based visa; the new bill would improve this.

Although the bill does have a long way to go, the bill must survive a filibuster in the full senate where a vote of at least 60 senators will be required to move the bill to a final vote. The bill must then be passed by both the full Senate and the House of Representatives before moving to the president for his signature and becoming law.

There are also many questions that are yet to be answered, the biggest questions being how and to what extend the current bill gets amended, whether the bill survives the Senate filibuster process, and whether the House of Representatives will introduce its own bill.

“One important criticism is that the bill calls for increased militarization of the US-Mexico land border, and that increased border security would be a condition to be met before implementation of the proposed RPI program,” said Woodward. “Thus, passage of this bill would not mark the beginning of legalization for the millions of undocumented immigrants, only the beginning of an undefined period of waiting for the border security condition to be met.” l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8

Villa vies for Reedley presidency

Photo courtesy of Chris Villa.

BY RAMPAGE STAFF

editorial@therampageonline.com

Fresno City College’s vice president for student services has been placed in the top three for Reedley College’s presidential appointment.

The three candidates include Dr. Chris Villa, Dr. Sandra Caldwell and Dr. Kimberly Beatty.

All three candidates will be speaking in the presidential forum held in Reedley’s Forum Hall on May 8. Dr. Villa will speak at 2 p.m., Dr. Caldwell at 3 p.m. and Dr.Beatty at 4 p.m. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

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Honoring an instructor through dance Students pay their respects in celebration of an extraordinary life

BY KEVYNN GOMEZ

kgomez@therampageonline.com

“One Man’s Long March” means many things for Jimmy Hao, Fresno City College’s dance instructor and choreographer of the spring City Dance concert premiering on April 25.

The concert serves as an homage to Hao’s extraordinary past growing up under the Communist regime in China. The performance title is an allusion to a year-long march of Communist troops, and also underscores the political and social atmosphere he experienced in his youth. It also references his personal accomplishments as well as the journey and growth he has had with students in preparation for the spring concert.

City Dance is a biannual event, with a workshop taking place each fall semester, and a concert occurring each spring semester. This year’s concert will celebrate the life and work of Hao himself, with the dance instructor using his own directorial skills and choreography to create a unique experience.

“One Man’s Long March” will be comprised of 11 pieces ranging from classical Chinese dance and classical ballet to jazz and contemporary dance.

Chinese ribbon dancing and fan dancing will also be included.

“This concert is kind of like East meets West on the same stage,” Hao said.

As much as he enjoys the distinctive dance styles created in his home country, he enjoys much of the work that has come out of America and Europe as well. This year’s City Dance will blend Chinese styles, such as folk dance, with classical ballet and American contemporary and modern.

“I’m a classical man. I like classical. But I also like to explore the new styles,” Hao said.

Adjunct FCC dance instructor Cristal Tiscareno is working alongside Hao to prepare dance pieces for the April 25 premiere.

She said she is happy to collaborate on the spring concert in her “resetting” of some of his pieces. Tiscareno taught a previously created dance, “Song to the Moon,” to students for this performance.

“I felt this would be a fun and interesting expe-

Jimmy Hao, dance instructor, director and choreographer for the City Dance Concert, observes Jorge Torrecillas as he practices during his ballet class on April 22. Photo/Kevynn Gomez. rience for the students and faculty,” Tiscareno added.

In regards to her involvement with Hao’s personal concert, Tiscareno is only positive.

“The Fresno audience is fortunate to have Jimmy’s artistic talent as part of the dance community network,” she said.

FCC student and City Dance performer Rebecca Sano enjoys working with Hao in their journey towards a performance that is a semester in the making.

“He wants to bring out the best in all of us. He gives us pep talks all the time,” she said.

“One Man’s Long March,” directed and choreographed by Jimmy Hao, will premiere at the FCC Theatre on April 25 at 7:30 and will run until April 28. For tickets, contact the FCC Theatre box office. Tickets cost $12 for students, $14 for general admission and $8 for a group rate. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

European DJ, Elite Force, comes to Fresno

Simon Shackleton of Elite Force. Photo Credit/Facebook.

BY KAYLA VALENZUELA

kvalenzuela@therampageonline.com

Elite Force, a well-known DJ in Europe, will tour the United States and Canada this year on his Gamechanger Tour. The second stop on the tour was Fresno’s nightclub Arena on April 13.

Simon Shackleton, also known

as “sHack,” created Elite Force in 1996.

His new material was released April 15 of this year. His music represents genres like techno, house and breaks while some of his influences include Sonic Youth and Chemical Brothers.

For the past four years, Elite Force has performed at the Burning

Man music festival annually at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The festival is represented by the community through music, art and selfexpression.

Elite Force’s longest tour yet, the Gamechanger Tour, included 15 different cities and 16 shows spanning a total of 16 days. Shackleton, a DJ and producer, was awarded Best Producer and Best Label from Breakspoll in 2011 and a Best Breaks Track honor from the Beatport Music Awards in 2010.

With an increased fan base here in the United States, his own versions of songs have earned more than 20,000 hits on Soundcloud. With normal shows lasting up to 4 hours, Shackleton’s longest set lasted nearly 6 hours in San Francisco last November.

Elite Force has also been featured in movies, TV shows and computer games. Some movies include “The Crow,” “Spiderman 2,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Matrix” and others. Television shows include “L.A. Doctors,” “CSI” and “Top Gear.” Additionally, a collaboration was recently finished with Grammy award-winning artist

Moby and will be out this June.

April 4 marked the launch of Shackleton’s live one-series show where he performed in front of a crowd from around the world. A monthly United and Anarchic mixtape show was also launched with his label U and A Recordings and March 25.

Some upcoming venues include Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Boise, Seattle and Indianapolis. Elite Force’s new material includes both an A-side and a B-side. The A-side is the original mix and the B-side is the zodiac cartel mix which happens to be Elite Force’s alter ego.

This summer, Elite Force will travel between the United States and the United Kingdom going to venues in England, Australia and Germany.

Elite Force can be found on Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites. His website, eliteforcemusic.com includes free downloads, posters, an online store and his blog as a DJ traveling around the world. l TWITTER.COM/KORRUPTEDKITTY

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THE MANY TASTES OF TOWER

Photos/Felisha Sanchez.

BY DAISY MARTINEZ

dmartinez@therampageonline.com

Mr. Sushi Japanese Restaurant is the place to go if you’re a sushi lover.

They offer a large selection of sushi made daily at low prices. They have a large selection on Japanese food as well. The California roll is something you must try when you visit Mr. Sushi.

Bobby Salazar’s offers a variety of Mexican food and homemade tortillas. The bar is open daily until 2 a.m, and happy hour lasts from 12 p.m. to 7

p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays are karaoke and dance nights, and Wednesday through Saturday feature a DJ. Cuca’s Mexican Restaurant has a large selection of typical Mexican food.

It opens daily at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays it closes at 10 p.m. Cuca’s is the perfect place to grab a breakfast burrito before your 8 a.m. class. They also offer lunch specials Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

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ITheDeceiver strives for unique sound

From the top left (clockwise), Jeffrey Keenan, Charlie Robbins, Chris Darling, JJ Simpson and Josh Riojas. Photo Credit/Andrew Hunter.

BY VICTOR APARICIO

vaparicio@therampageonline.com

Many local bands in Fresno are fans of metal, but that leads to an oversaturation of the genre.

While Fresno-born band ITheDeceiver doesn’t necessarily believe it to be true, they still strive to be different.

From the beginning, the band was different.

Usually artists are inf luenced by other bands or great music to want to play.

Guitarist Charlie Robbins wanted to pick up an instrument from the video game “Guitar Hero.”

Vocalist JJ Simpson was inspired by the movie “Fan-

tasia,” playing a sequence from “the dinosaur scene” on a toy piano until his mother bought him a real keyboard when he was 5.

ITheDeceiver formed after band members Robbins and Simpson kicked several bandmates out of their former band, “Boy Meets World” and then brought on good friends Josh Riojas on guitar, drummer Chris Darling and bassist Jeffrey Keenan to the dynamically changing metal band we know today.

When the time came to find a new band name, Robbins texted Simpson with names like Erebus and other unsuitable-for-newspaper names.

The band looked to their song “Idols” and the lyrics, “I, the deceiver,” stuck.

The band jokes that they hate the name now since it can cause confusion. Robbins even ordered business cards with the correct divergent spelling.

“We should’ve picked The Cleansing when we had the chance,” said Simpson. Since then their chemistry has been fun and brutal.

“We all act like we hate each other,” said Keenan, describing that they barely argue, if ever.

Band life melds well into the member’s lives.

They tell stories of Robbins sending out “homework” of new material and wanting drumsets in their dream living rooms.

Very proud of their choice of the metal genre, the members established a need to stand out from the typical breakdowns. Consequently, it is difficult for them to define their sound to others.

The band’s music holds an eclectic appeal ranging from nuances of eerie piano keys in their song “Eden” to grinding chords mixed with latin jazz in their recently released “Empires.”

“I tell [people] it’s technical metal, but here’s the curve ball: we have latin jazz parts or swing parts from the ‘30s,” said Robbins.

Seeing that fun and talented diversity live brings out the energy in venues. Especially when their fan base includes friends at heart. On ITheDeceiver’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, it’s hard to distinguish between people who love their music and those who actually know them well.

Playing for friends, mastering their talent and making music is just what the five-piece defines as success, regardless of how much albums sell and how many fans they have.

ITheDeceiver’s next show hits April 26 in San Jose. If you can’t make the drive, the band is in Fresno at CYC on May 18.

Their next album, “Sentient,” is scheduled to be released in September of this year. l TWITTER.COM/VICTORKID

Dan Forcey shares comic book insights Producer and stunt coordinator appeared in many blockbusters

BY LAUREN BAKER

lbaker@therampageonline.com

Fresno City College had the distinct honor of welcoming Dan Forcey to campus to speak at “From Concept to Comic and Beyond” on April 9.

Forcey is an accomplished film producer and stunt man, and has been all over the globe working as a fight choreographer. His stunt work and fight choreography can be seen in films including “Cowboys and Aliens,” Venom in ”Spider-Man 3,” “Pirates of the Carribean” and “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.”

Forcey’s stunt work led him to a thriving career in the comic book industry where he serves as an independent producer for Arcana, which he states began in a very random fashion.

A man in a comic book store convinced him to run his website for a TV show called “Jeremiah,” which used to air on Showtime.

According to Forcey, “Comics led to producing and filmmaking because there was a real boom in about 2002 or 2003, when everyone was grabbing up comics left and right and center.”

At the time, Forcey was working for Platinum Studios, where he said they “managed a huge library of

comic book content,” with titles such as “Witchblade,” “Darkness” and “Cowboys and Aliens.”

Producers from various studios would consult them about their comic book content. Forcey says they would “go into these meetings with at least five comic books to choose from, and leave with at least three chosen to go into film production.”

The most recent title was “Cowboys and Aliens,” which was a nine year production process.

Forcey brings his film producing savvy to his work at Arcana, where he “takes comic book content and tries to find the right partners, the right financiers or studios, or writers and directors, and kind of put together pieces that will eventually make a TV series.”

Forcey’s visit to FCC proved to be an excellent learning experience for comic book fans, as he gave students an in depth look into what it takes to be in the industry and how anyone can achieve their goals.

For the full interview and to learn about Dan Forcey’s insights into the “4 C’s of Comics,” visit elBthehero. blogspot.com. l TWITTER.COM/ELBTHEHERO

Dan Forcey, professional comic book author, discusses the necessities in writing a comic book with Fresno City College students during the “Gathering with Friends” event on April 9. Photo/Michael Monroy.

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Fresno Film Festival returns to Tower Theatre

BY BRIAN ROBINSON

brobinson@therampageonline.com

Since 2001, Fresno Filmworks has blessed the Fresno area with films that would normally be unheard of in mainstream cinema. They are a nonprofit organization that is built on bringing a

Sarah Nixon volunteers at the 9th annual Fresno Film Festival at the Tower Theatre on April 20.

Photo/Kevynn Gomez.

line of films to the Fresno area, in order to show the city the films they love, as well a spreading that love to others.

This passion moved forward in full steam in 2005 when the organization created the Fresno Film Festival. Held annually in the Tower Theatre, the festival is built on adding to the love and appreciation of film. Currently in 2013, in it’s ninth year running, it’s easy to say that the lovefest for movies is a cinematic success.

The process for bringing a film to the festival is somewhat easier than it seems, albeit still fairly difficult. Each board member is allowed to pick one film for nomination of entry. Then, each film selected is carefully taken into consideration, regarding the films’ genres, languages and length.

Finally, all the votes are tallied, and five feature films--and 16 short films--are selected for the main event. The short films of the event are also in competition every year, and Fresno Filmworks expects around 150 short film submissions each year.

This year, Filmworks selected a diverse group of films from all over the world. “Paris-Manhattan,” a love story about a woman that solves all of life’s problems through Woody Allen movies, and “On The Road,” which is based on the travels of writer

Jack Kerouac and his friends across America.

Many people in the organization wanted to keep the feeling of diversity in the air, including Fresno Filmworks board member Jefferson Beavers.

“We take our responsibility very seriously to bring international [and multicultural] films to Fresno,” said Beavers. “I love seeing people come over. It’s a great diversity of people. People who are here to see good cinema and also to have a conversation about these films. I feel like that’s part of our mission to bring people together through film.”

As a board member, Beavers’ love for film has grown exponentially, as he is able to take part in the process and become a part of the cinema movement.

“I really love Fresno Filmworks for that,” said Beavers. “I loved it as a fan and now I love it as a board member.”

While this year’s festival is now at a close, Fresnans can expect many films to be showcased throughout the year by the organization, and the festival is almost certain to make a bigger impact when it returns for its 10th year in 2014.

If you would like to know more about Fresno Filmworks and their collaborators, visit fresnofilmworks.org.­ l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

Regal halts ‘Iron Man 3’ ticket sales Disney demands unprecedented returns for Marvel films

BY PATRICK FORREST

pforrest@therampageonline.com

Due to a revenue sharing dispute, Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment, which are the two largest theater chains in the U.S, have stopped selling advance tickets to Disney’s “Iron Man 3”.

The biggest chains’ united front makes it tougher for Disney, owner of Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm, to obtain better terms for “Iron Man 3,” and future films. Regal and AMC account for about 30 percent of US screens, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners.

This is a huge worry because nearly every major theater in the greater Fresno area is under the Regal Entertainment umbrella. Unless you want to travel to Modesto or Sacramento for IMAX, then

there is a chance that you may miss 2013’s first blockbuster film.

“Iron Man 3” stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes and Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin.

Claims have been made by boxoffice.com that the film has that potential to earn $151 million in its opening weekend. If there is not a deal in place by May 3, the date the film is set to release, then those numbers will more than likely be wrong.

In a statement released by the Regal Cinemas Facebook page they described the worst case scenario.

“Hopefully everything will be settled soon and it’s not, ticket purchases will be refunded.” l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8

Graphic/Adan De la Cerda.

Woodwind Choir thrives under Larry Honda’s leadership

BY HEATHER JAMIESON-BROWN

hjamieson-brown@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College Woodwind Choir performed Friday, April 19 in the Old Administration Building auditorium to a small audience of family, friends and music lovers.

FCC woodwind music director and instructor Larry Honda directed the 16-member choir through pieces composed by Mendelssohn, Mozart, Bach, Brandenburg and several others.

“Unique” is how Honda describes the choir.

“We call it a ‘woodwind choir’ because it’s not so much a band, it’s more like a singing choir, because we have these instruments of similar families,” said Honda. “With a choir we think of soprano, alto, tenor, bass voices and we have that within the woodwind family. That’s what makes it unique.”

The woodwinds of the symphony orchestra consists of the f lutes, the double-reed, such as the oboe and bassoon, and the soprano, alto and bass clarinets. These are performed without the accompaniment of strings, drums or brass.

Making this ensemble even more unique is the fact that there is no music that one can buy already arranged for the woodwinds. Music is composed for bands and orchestras, but music for woodwinds must be specially arranged from pre-existing pieces.

“There are original compositions for it,” said Honda. “But in particular, we feature the music of my former music teacher at Fresno State, Russell S. Howland. He is known in the woodwind circles, especially at the college level, as the father of the Woodwind Choir.”

Howland was given the honor of this distinction because he took pieces composed for the symphony orchestra and rearranged the notes specifically for the woodwind instruments.

“So you have, basically, the flutes and clarinets playing the violin string parts,” said Honda. “You have bass clarinets playing tuba parts... alto clarinet playing the trumpet parts. But he arranged them in a really artistic manner that still retains the quality and spirit of the music and really challenges the students in a lot of ways.”

Technically this is a challenge as the students must learn music that was not originally written for their instrument. According to Honda, there are certain technical difficulties the musician must get around in order to execute the music. There is also the challenge of interpretation because the music comes in a variety of different styles and the students must learn each one.

“So, Mr. Howland created these arrangements, really, for educational purposes,” said Honda. “Not so much for this group to go out and perform like a symphony orchestra. But, nevertheless, this is great art music.”

The music played Friday night featured solos by FCC students Manuel Gonzalez on clarinet, Monique Reyna on bass clarinet and Andrew Castillo on the f lute. Each performance was followed by enthusiastic applause.

The audience was also treated to a woodwind quartet comprised of artists Arron Gomez, Colleen Carlson, Glenn Sabal and Joseph Archuleta.

20-year-old Aminata, a commercial music major who performed with

the Woodwind Choir Friday evening, felt the concert went well.

“It was really good to hear all the different sections come out more because of the auditorium,” said Aminata, who has been part of the group for five semesters.

She stated that for as long as she has been a student at FCC, she has been playing with the Woodwind Choir.

Aminata will be transferring to California State University, Northridge next semester and plans to compose a piece of music for the FCC Woodwind Choir while she is there.

“I’ll definitely come back and hear it and have the premier done here,” she said.

This class is one that anyone may take. It is listed in the schedule of courses as a woodwind class. Anyone with woodwind instrument experience may enroll, according to Honda.

He has had students in his class who hadn’t played in anywhere from four to 10 years but wanted to once again aquaint themselves with their instrument. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

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11

Campus ASG MUST BECOME MORE VISIBLE Voices

BY RAMPAGE EDITORIAL BOARD editorial@therampageonline.com

“What will you do to get students more involved on campus?”

Victoria Mosby Running for PPT “Establishing strong communication on campus, especially with our clubs.”

David Manyvanh Running for EVP “If I get elected ... I can’t really say until I get on to the next new semester and find out what we’ll be doing. So once the semester starts, then we’ll find out what will be done.”

Rosalinda Barba Running for student trustee “I think I will try to hand out more things, talk to more people, communicate more days, weeks before the event.”

Joshua Zamora Running for senator “Actually going out and talking to them on campus.”

WRITTEN BY OLGA VERKHOTINA & AKEEM SPEARMAN PHOTOS/MICHAEL MONROY

It’s time for our Associated Student Government elections, or rather, another reminder of how apathetic and uninformed Fresno City College students are in regards to college affairs. But then again, it can’t just be that simple of an answer.

We have seen in national and state elections that if students know how items or candidates will actually affect them, they actually do care. That doesn’t seem to be the case at FCC, which means that there is something more going on.

Students do not know that elections for student government are going on right now, and every candidate on the ballot is running unopposed.

Additionally, only 11 people are running for 21 positions. There are more than 20,000 students at FCC, and on average, about 600 people vote in these yearly elections.

In 2011, there were three people on the ASG presidential ballot; in 2012, there were two, Daniel Clark and Nathan Alonzo. Now in 2013, we are left with one name on the ballot, Edward James Sidebotham. Where are ourchoices?

It seems that fewer students participate in the ASG elections. This shows a lack of awareness on campus, but makes one question whether or not the student government is doing its job because they make such an effort to remain in the shadows.

What a shame. It is sad that students at FCC do not seem to care about how they are represented or who speaks for them or about their entitlements as community college students.

We wonder who bears the blame for this gross apathy. Do students know they can run for office in the first place or are they simply apathetic about how their college is run? Are they ignorant of these elections because no one tells them they can choose to get involved?

There have been no posts or announcements about the election process because of a misunderstanding of the campaigning rules, which state that no campaigning can take place until the April 9 mandatory candidate orientation meeting.

But if enough students had shown enough interest in their representation, they would have found out that they could sign up to run for office. Who should bear the blame that students were not told they could run

for office? Whose fault is it that most FCC students do not know there is even a student government? Is it the role of the Rampage to be the mouthpiece of the Associated Student Government, its public relations tool?

The answer is NO. The Rampage reports on ASG activities, but only on issues or topics that the ASG discusses. If the ASG had tried to raise awareness or shown concern about a lack of participation in the election process, it would have been deemed newsworthy, and the Rampage would have covered it.

It is necessary to question whether some of the apathy on this campus can be attributed to the ASG and their

Graphic/Adan De la Cerda. perceived ineffectiveness on campus.

We believe that students who choose to be in student government must be willing to tell every single person who they are, what they plan to do and aspire to achieve, and what the student government is all about. Every person in every class on campus should know who their representatives are.

That is not the case. In ASG meetings, members of the senate sometimes claim to have made these types of awareness speeches in their various classes. The claims are always very vague, and lead you to wonder whether or not these speeches actu-

ally took place.

There are even a few senators who claim they have attended their required school committees meetings. that they signed up for, but have no information to show for it. That is the entire purpose of their job. They are supposed sit on campus-wide committees and be the voice of the students.

This provides cause to question their ability to serve the students in completely.

This lack of transparency is what leads to ASG’s invisibility. And if nobody knows ASG even exists, why does it exist? If ASG is “advocating” for students, why does their constituency not know that they’re even being represented?

ASG should also stop throwing away student money on going to “leadership” conferences that get our student body absolutely nothing, except a bunch of student leaders that find themselves unwilling to let their voices be heard by those around them.

This is not to completely bash ASG, because not everything that they do is bad. When they actually advocate on behalf of the students, they do a great job. There are many times when ASG’s hard work on behalf of the students goes unnoticed and thankless, and that is a shame.

The only thing that is worse than the student body not knowing the process to becoming a member of the student government is not recognizing the faces that are currently the student government.

So for those few that are joining the ASG as senators after this election, make sure that you avail yourself to the students. Always remember that even though you did not have to work hard to get votes due to a lack of competition, that you are still there to do a job and must let the students you represent know of the job you are doing on their behalf.

And for those members returning to the ASG, please be sure to remember how you got there, and why you took the positions that you did.

Your job is to make a difference, and if the students do not know who you are, then you are not doing your job. How will you get feedback from students on the extent of your success or the extent of your failures? That is what student government and true representation are all about. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

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OPINION

PRO

BY MATTHEW ELLIOTT

melliott@therampageonline.com

In 1775, Benjamin Franklin proclaimed, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Within the context of today’s atmosphere encrypted communications, homemade bombs created with industrialized goods, sustainable isolation and fermentable anti-American sentiment Franklin’s statement is not only irrelevant, the argument commonly stands as a regurgitated, thoughtless platitude for disgruntled citizens.

On April 13, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, allegedly planted pressure cooker bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

According to the Boston Public Health Commission, the explosions resulted in the hospitalization of 282 people, more than dozen of amputations, three deaths, including Martin William Richard, an 8-year-old boy and produced an ominous sense of insecurity.

Tamerlan, the elder of the two alleged bombers was killed after his younger brother reportedly ran him over in his attempt to plow through officers in the process of arresting his sibling.

The underlying theme here is that these suspects showed no remorse and did everything in their power to undermine peace, liberty and the social order.

In a show of supreme authority, state and federal units in close pursuit of the remaining suspect combed Watertown, Mass. neighborhoods while blackhawk helicopters circled overhead.

Without the need for a warrant, officials searched every home and garage within the cordoned off zone.

If residents failed to respond after police knocked on their door, they would demand entry using a bullhorn. If there was still no response, authorities breached entryways and proceeded to search residences.

Amid this emergency, there were no exceptions.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated...”

With the passage of the Bush

04.24.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

Should we sacrifice personal liberty for safety?

era Patriot Act, authorities were granted unprecedented new powers to appropriately handle national security emergencies with the tools designed to ensure our collective safety. Among these emergency tools was the power to reinterpret certain components of the Constitution, including the Fourth Amendment.

In the aftermath of the heinous bombings, officials in pursuit of the suspects were unaware of whether or not they were armed and prepared to exact further acts of carnage.

For this reason, the government exercised emergency powers that were established shortly after the 9/11 attacks. With this specialized authority, in the interest of national security and public safety, unwarranted searches of personal property are deemed as “reasonable” in extreme cases.

For Americans who, through the comfort of their living rooms, observed this incredible show of force, this action was unsightly and deplorable. Many decried our government’s efforts to preserve our collective safety, citing the narrow foresight of Benjamin Franklin.

Compare these complaints of

CON

BY PATRICK FORREST

pforrest@therampageonline.com

“Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have.” said Harry Emerson Fosdick in 1937 and yet we still consider taking it away anytime we are the slightest bit afraid, as if we never needed it.

And it has become sad, because we live in a counter-terrorism world, where the pursuit of public security has led to the erosion of civil liberties, seemingly acceptable to an unsuspecting public. It seems that

Illustration/Lauren Baker. the free to those of the terrorized community of Watertown. In a moment of unity following the capture of the second suspect, scores of residents poured out into the streets in a universal show of support for the unrelenting efforts of the police to preserve their safety.

American citizens are entitled to the pursuit of life, liberty, happiness and property. Those seeking to instill widespread fear by exacting carnage unto the public are guilty of suppressing this individual right. One of the primary roles of our government is to preserve this right.

The federal preservation of the pursuit of life and liberty during national security emergencies is not an infringement of the individual’s right to exercise constitutional freedoms.

These temporary and seldom used measures of circumventing extremists who work to undermine these fundamental rights through unorthodox tactics is an affirmation of the vision and spirit of our republic. l TWITTER.COM/PATH_OF_LOTUS

there is no distinction being made any more between real and imagined fears, and terrorism is still being invoked to justify egregious abuses of justice.

It is deeply disturbing to think back over successive World Wars which were fought so tragically and with such great loss of life in the name of freedom, the same freedom that is being treated in so cavalier a fashion now. So much blood was lost in the name of freedom, yet here we are several generations later, fearful of Islamic terrorism and blindly accepting the serious erosion of our civil liberties with barely a murmur of dissent.

“They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other,” said George W. Bush, the man who started all of this fear, in an address to a joint session of congress on Sept. 20, 2001.

Slightly more than a month later, on Oct. 26, 2001, he signed

the Patriot Act into law. This newly created law became one of the most controversial laws in American history. One of the major reasons for this controversy is the fact that the Patriot Act gives the government absolute power at any time that we are afraid.

In a land that preaches to us that we are free, that we are able to speak out and fight back against our government, politicians have given themselves the power to take that away when we are afraid.

They have given themselves the power to look in on every aspect of our lives and hold us for any amount of time for any reason whatsoever, as long as it is worthwhile to those in power.

Senator Al Franken came out against the bill in a statement made public on Dec. 17, 2011, saying it was reminiscent of a dark period in American history when the government interned more than 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. For the first time in 60 years, Congress will now be able to authorize the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens without charge or trial, a decision which Franken says “denigrates the very foundations of this country.” He went on to say, “Our Founders were fearful of the military and they purposely created a system of checks and balances to ensure we did not become a country under military rule.”

The future for frightened democracies is no longer assured if freedom is going to be bartered for security.

I only hope that the fact of habeas corpus will not be just a footnote in the history books for my children and their children, and that the U.S. will pull back from its authoritarian stance and see terrorism for what it is; crime, and not an act of war and should be prosecuted as such.

I believe in protecting the greater good, but we should not have to give up our rights to be able to do that.

What happened in Boston was a disgrace, and a horrific crime. The images that were witnessed will not soon be erased from memory. But no matter how horrific an act may be is it worth one of the few things that make us as americans special. So no matter how much people in power may lie, we never have to give up any of our rights to feel safe. It must always be remembered that the only people that suffer when our rights are executed are the people that will attempt to take them away.

We must not let fear control us. We are better than that. And if we allow the acts of terror that are perpetrated against us to change us, and we allow our government to take away our rights because we are afraid, then we will no longer deserve our place as a beacon of hope to the rest of the world. America is the land of the free and home of the brave, so let’s keep it that way. l TWITTER.COM/ FORRESTP8

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 04.24.2013

OPINION

13

SEXPLORATION WITH TROY AND MATTHEW “What do you think about sexual relationships in the workplace?”

THE GAY PERSPECTIVE

BY TROY POPE

tpope@therampageonline.com

Office romances can be complicated. The important thing to understand is whether you are in a relationship or just boning.

As long as you possess a high level of maturity, you shouldn’t have a problem being in an office relationship.

There are upsides to office romances. The most important is, depending on your career, you may share similar interests with the person you’re involved with.

If you’re having buttsex with someone you work with, that is your business. Do what you have to do, but be aware that you might cause awkward situations if you stop having buttsex.

You still have to see each other after things end between you.

If you were just having sex, you need to make sure you still be as professional as possible.

You shouldn’t be in a real relationship if you’re not adult enough to handle what that entails.

If you think you’re grown-up enough to be in a relationship in the first place, you should be grown-up enough to not bring your drama into the workplace if things aren’t going well.

That makes things awkward for everyone around you.

Professional reminder: Although it is your business who you are involved with, you should inform certain people about the relationship to help

avoid conflicts of interest.

Example: You are working with someone and you deal with money or material items in some way. You should inform your superior so they can put one of you into a different area so you won’t ever be put in a position to cover up a shady situation. Even if you are upstanding people, appearances are everything.

You should really never put yourself in a position to influence the other

person’s success in more than a personal way.

Always remember one thing: never get into a relationship with someone in the workplace out of convenience.

Once you add convenience as the reason for being with someone, y’all just be bonin’. l TWITTER.COM/DARKTROY

THE STRAIGHT PERSPECTIVE

BY MATTHEW ELLIOTT

melliott@therampageonline.com

Like dating among friends, relationships in the workplace separates men and women from the boys and girls. To ensure that the experience is comfortable, the process takes a certain degree of prior knowledge and maturity. Otherwise, the prospect can lead to an unstable work environment.

If, for example, an inexperienced and coupled pair of teenagers working together at a fast food restaurant experience turbulence or suffer an absolute collapse of their relationship, the resulting drama can lead to avoidance, a shakeup of social groups and measurably diminished productivity at the workplace. Fast food isn’t going to microwave itself.

If one of the two teenagers in question lacks the social development to make or experience smooth transitions in their life, the resulting jealousy, possessiveness and distrust can lead to an unhealthy environment for everyone involved.

Conversely, if an experienced, educated and all-around mature workplace couple enjoys their time together, but for one reason or another are approaching the sunset of their relationship -- perhaps looking to pursue the next chapter of their lives -- the transition can be mutually tolerant and relatively stable. Healthy transitions ensure that hamburger assembly quotas are met.

To hell with the social dynamics of a workplace setting. Strong relationships begin when individuals pair with stable, like-minded people from any walk of life.

Even if you lack the wherewithal to maturely bond with a funky-fresh and intriguing french fry operator, as long as you have the decency to honor your responsibilities to both McDonald’s and your fellow employees, your fractured tendencies can be kept at bay on behalf of the group.

That right there is life in a nutshell. Whether you come to the table as damaged goods or you’re wise beyond your years, respect the group.

Get out there while the gettin’s good. Grow up, seize the cashier into your soft, warm embrace and assemble those hamburger patties like there’s no tomorrow. l TWITTER.COM/PATH_OF_LOTUS

Making gaming and relationships work can pause any game and allow yourself to pay attention to other people and whatever is outside your window.

But seriously, it’s important to

BY VICTOR APARICIO

vaparicio@therampageonline.com

As a nerd, there are two different things I appreciate: the new video games I get my grubby hands on and the lovely fiancee that allows me to enjoy them.

Video games are the sweet enjoyment that I inhale during any free time I have. But I understand the attention and the hard work that go into a relationship. It is not something I take lightly.

Any upstanding person knows their priorities. But in case you or someone you know doesn’t, this is how dealing with a gamer should be.

First and foremost is the famous start button. This magical button has existed since before the Nintendo Entertainment System’s time. With it, you

understand that your game is not going anywhere. Though most people play multiplayer games that are unpausable, let’s face it; leaving one of your thousands of matches or asking

your online friends to wait a moment is not the end of the world.

While I cannot speak for all the ladies (and dudes!), I know that the video games themselves are not the problem. It’s understanding why they get so much of the attention that lovers have to fight for sometimes.

If you have a comfortable relationship on your hands, you have to let your partner know what’s up.

Let them know your passion for all things digital so they don’t feel left out.

Even if they still don’t understand completely, give them credit; they’re trying just for you.

And it doesn’t hurt to ask them to play with you. It’s so much fun playing with someone you love.

B u t please don’t tell them they suck!

That’s a surefire way to make them actually hate both games and you in less than five seconds. Be patient

while they learn the game.

Now to play devil’s advocate.

You people who are in with the oh so intolerable “hardcore” gamer, just know that for some of us geeks, games are more than the fun to be had.

There are games with a great story and presentation. The same focus given to good movies is needed for these types of games to follow and become invested.

If you and your beau establish when it’s game time versus cuddle time, I know we’ll all get along just fine.

Of course I’m still talking about the all-around good person who loves playing a variety of games. If the person you have in mind is the 40 hour a week call of bro shooter who hardly glances at you. It’s time for a real nerd.

They’re the sweet ones. Trust me. l TWITTER.COM/ VICTORKID

14

OPINION

04.24.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

IN POLITICS, IT’S ABOUT MONEY, NOT MORALITY

As social issues such as gay rights become more and more polarizing, and continue to be on the forefront of publications and news networks, it’s hard to not ask yourself: “Why is this still an issue?”

That statement is not made to dismiss or neglect the activism of millions of Americans who unfortunately still can’t get married due to antiquated legislation (what year is it, again?)

But could it be that these issues are unresolved not because of religious ideals mixing with social progression, but because both parties gain from them remaining in limbo?

Both the Democratic and Republican parties use this social issues, such as gay rights, as platforms, a sail to cast for their own motives, garner attention and most importantly, get money.

Just last month Ohio Senator Rob Portman announced that he is in support of gay marriage. Although I am thankful for his progressive change of heart, it’s hard to take it as a moral decision after he co-sponsored a nationwide ban on gay marriage in 1996,

riage, he acquired $1 million in just 90 minutes after the announcement.

What a simple way to spark interest in his campaign leading up to his second

Graphic/Adan De la Cerda.

BY COLBY TIBBET

ctibbet@therampageonline.com

and then later voted for a measure to prohibit gay couples in Washington D.C from adopting children. For Portman, this radical swap of ideals could pull from a new pool of voters, the young demographic who emphasize social issues, and special interest groups previously untouched.

It’s hard to believe that systematic politicians, (ones that stay in office, and the revolving door of both the public and the private sector) really care where the social barometer resides on contemporary issues. As long as money is acquired and their office terms are still intact, most will go either way.They only care where it sits if it still lets them sit in office.

Last year, four Republican New York senators backed a vote allowing same-sex marriages in the state.

According to The New York Times report, those Republican senators each received almost half a million dollars in fundraising in the six month period after supporting the vote, and for Senator Roy Mcdonald, one of the Republican backers, that was 27 times more than what he raised in 2009.

A few years ago, staying on the anti gay marriage stance could generally get people to rally behind you, but it is dwindling. In 2008, California had Proposition 8, which accumulated a combined total of $73 million in support of or for against same-sex marriage, which was the highest campaign funding in the nation that year besides the presidential race.

And It’s not only Republicans who are using rights for agendas, but Democrats as well.

Last May when President Barack Obama publicly endorsed gay mar-

term, where many young people and particularly the gay demographic felt abandoned during his first term, and at the same time also gain a huge sum of financial support.

It’s similar to the news Americans received in 2003 regarding Iraq having “weapons of mass destruction.”

Politicians can quote the Bible and say it’s “immoral” or “against nature” but ultimately they are using it as fallacy to further promote your agenda to

gain support monetarily.

Eventually, everyone will have particular rights given to them, but its unfortunate that it has taken this long for it to occur. That money, political standings and ratings have taken precedent over fellow Americans garnering the same rights as everyone else.

The point of the arg ument is simply that these values which are supposed to be embedded within a person beliefs can be switched when the dollar sign or when the re-election calendar appears. Where is the value of that original belief?

What was the whole point in their original stance? It’s the same reason they switched sides; chasing the fundraising dollar. It’s smart, yet downright deceptive to the American public.

This is not only subject to gay rights, but whatever social issue our nation is facing. I believe our political leaders use people’s beliefs, ideals and fears, and mold them to fit their agenda, and their checkbooks. l TWITTER.COM/ROBOTMILK

Access to birth control is every woman’s right United States District Judge Edward R. Korman has recently ruled that the “morning-after” emergency contraceptive pill, or Plan B One-Step, must be made available to all women and girls of reproductive age without

a prescription.

Judge Korman’s decision is levelheaded and necessary. All sexuallly active individuals able to reproduce should have access to contraceptives despite political opposition or social taboo.

Even when such a decision increases the potential usage of contraceptives among young girls previously denied access (those under 17 years of age could only receive it with a prescription before Korman’s ruling), the need of emergency contraceptives by both young and old sexually active women is much more crucial than the unattractive image of young girls taking contraceptives.

What is even more unappealing than young girls taking contraceptives?

Young girls getting pregnant and having children.

Although this demographic among sexually active females is slim and the cases in which young girls have sex are relatively uncommon, such sad and disturbing circumstances do exist. As such, it is incredibly cruel to force girls into a more challenging position by not allowing them access to overthe-counter emergency contraceptives.

Yet as Judge Korman stated in his order, “This case is not about the potential misuse of Plan B by 11-yearolds, [it] is an excuse to deprive the

overwhelming majority of women of their right to obtain contraceptives without unjustified and burdensome restrictions.”

Such unfair treatment is also wrongly enforced, as Plan B One-Step is a safe and effective treatment with no scientific proof of health risks aside from temporary side effects such as changes to one’s menstrual cycle, nausea, dizziness and fatigue.

Even U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who ruled that Plan B should not be made available to minors without a prescription before her decision was overturned by Judge Korman, stated that the contraceptive was entirely safe, saying that “science has confirmed the drug to be safe and effective with appropriate use.”

It is easy for one to focus on the extremes of Korman’s ruling -- that all females of reproductive age must be allowed non-prescription access to Plan B. While girls usually reach menstruation, around 12 years of age, a smaller but existent percentage begins menstruation earlier. This small group of females is targeted by Sebelius’ and critic’s objections, yet what about the larger group of reproductive-age females in need of emergency contraceptives?

Young girls have nothing to lose

BY KEVYNN GOMEZ

kgomez@therampageonline.com

in acquiring easier access to the emergency contraceptive and they, along with all other sexually active women, have everything to gain.

Plan B One-Step is safe and effective. It will largely be used by older teenagers and women. Regardless of age, this important pill will be available to all who are in need of it without political agendas or conservative and intrusive opinions shaping their decisions.

And that is what is really important -- that women nationwide can oversee the health of their own bodies using safe, reliable options. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 04.24.2013

SPORTS

15

Navarro Runs To Shape Future

Sandra Navarro running at the conference meet on Monday.

Navarro ran in the Cental Valley Conference 10,000-meter at Ratcliff Stadium. Photo/Michael Monroy.

BY PATRICK FORREST

pforrest@therampageonline.com

Sophomore track athlete Sandra Navarro has been attempting to make herself a better runner while making more opportunities for her future since her days at Buchanan High School.

She says track has been something that she has done since her sophomore year of high school.

Although it took some time to find her niche, she is truly passionate about running.

“My P.E. teacher back

in high school was also the head track coach. So, when we used to run the mile, I would be able to beat everyone else’s time,” said Navarro. “So I started with sprinting, and once he saw that I was a terrible sprinter, he decided that it may be better for me to run long distance.”

And that choice has certainly paid off as Navarro has begun to dominate the state.

“She is currently, in northern California, ranked third in the 5,000 meters, and ranked second in the 10,000 meters,” said Coach Gary Bluthe, who is the head cross country and long distance track coach. “She is a very high quality athlete.”

And Navarro has long been attempting to prove that by trying out different activities and seeing what she could do best.

“I used to do swimming and badminton for a while,” said Navarro. “ And those were really fun, but this gives me more options, because I’m better at it.”

Navarro is also very aware of the opportunity that track and cross country have been very beneficial for her future.

“I would love to run track here at Fresno City [College] next year,” said Navarro “But I do want to be able to move on and get myself to a point where I can get a scholarship through my running.”

Not only is she mindful of the future that her talents can bring her, she is also grateful to those who helped to bring it out of her.

“I would just want to say thank you to Coach [Brian] Weaver (Buchanan High School cross country and track coach) for seeing the potential in me. I am glad that he got me on that team,” said Navarro.

She would like to run for FCC next year but her status is a little confusing.

“As far as academics, she is a sophomore,” said Bluth.

“But as far as eligibility, she is a freshman, she sat out her first year. At least with us on a track standpoint, she has already used up her two years of eligibility in cross country.”

This only happened because she decided not to run track in her first year at FCC, but she did run cross country that year.

“She was tired of running. She ran a lot of races back in high school and she wanted to take some time off,” said Bluth.

Even though being a track runner, along with cross country, would keep her in phenomenal shape, she would run out of energy faster.

“After a race everyone is tired, not just me,” said Navarro. “But mostly once it’s finished, there is just this joy that it is actually all over.”

Although there is still some confusion as to what she will do in the future, there is one thing that is known for sure. Navarro will make an attempt to come back to run for FCC. “I’ve already done my two years of eligibility in cross country,” said Navarro. “But I still have one more left in track.” l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8

FCC Scoreboard Baseball

April 21 Fresno - 4 West Hills Coalinga - 1 Jackson Glines • 2 hits, 3 RBI Jack Karraker • 1 run, 1 hit Ryan Luna • 6.1 IP, allowed 1 run April 23 FCC - 12 Porterville - 4

Track and Field April 19-20 Woody Wilson Classic Men’s 10,000-meter Martin Rowell, 2nd place.

Women’s 10,000-meter Sandra Navarro, 7th place.

Softball April 16 FCC 7, Taft 6.

Rainie Thiessen: • 1 hit, 1 run Kyla Cisneros: • 1 run, 3 hits Kassandra Workentine: • 7 IP, 2 errors April 23 DOUBLEHEADER FCC 7, Reedley 1 FCC 5, Reedley 8

Men’s Tennis April 20 Dual Team NorCal Regional Championships FCC - 5 American River - 0

Game Schedule Sport Opponent/ Location/ Event Date Baseball

Merced

Fresno 7 p.m.

Track and Central Valley Merced Conference April 27 Field Championships Softball

NorCal Regionals

Men’s Tennis

State Ventura Championship April 24 Ventura College

Men’s Golf

Regionals

May 11-12

Patterson May 5-6

FCC’s Justin Flores hits a single on April 20 against Taft College. FCC won the game 16-7 and clinched the Central Valley Conference. The Rams pulled off another victory on April 21 as they defeated West Hills Coalinga 4-1. Jackson Glines drove in three runs in the win while Ryan Luna and Avilez combined to allow only one unearned run. Another conference title gives head coach Ron Scott a total of 18 in his 25 years as head coach at FCC. Photo/Karen West.

16

SPORTS

04.24.2013 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

RAMS RETURN TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY KEAUNDREY CLARK

kclark@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College men’s tennis team is looking to capture a second straight California Community College State Championship this week as they face Ventura College in Ventura, Calif.

Currently ranked No. 1 in the state, the Rams dominated throughout the Northern California playoffs, beating No. 7 Sierra College 9-0 in the first round, No. 3 Foothill College 5-1 in the second round, and No. 2 American River 5-0 in the NorCal finals.

Ventura College swept through the Southern California playoffs with a 5-0 win over No. 8 Palomar College in the first round, a 5-1 victory against No. 4 Riverside in the second round, and a 5-3 win over No. 3 San Diego Mesa in the SoCal finals.

The No. 1 ranked Junior College tennis player in California, Sam Bertram, defeated American River’s Andrew Amor in the NorCal playoffs in straight sets 6-2. FCC’s Alec Bessinger and Joey River contributed in the win against American River as they defeated Charlie LaSalle and Kevin Valentine 8-3 in a doubles match.

Gray defeated American River’s Adam Duong 6-1, while De Romas joined Bertram to bring a victory in doubles against the duo of American River’s Amor and Duong.

FCC Head Coach Steve Loop says the team’s chemistry has been the key to the team’s success.

“They have each other’s back,” said Loop.

Joyson Therampilly John, Adam De Romas, Shane Leeder and Sam Bertram all finished their NorCal and Central Valley Conference careers with a undefeated record with two league titles.

“There is always a target on our back every time we go out on the court. Teams bring their best effort. As coaches we don’t put pressure on our players. We just let them go out there and play,” said Loop.

The California Community College Athletic Association Championships begin today at Pierpont Racquet Club in Ojai, Calif. l TWITTER.COM/SLOCUM13

Sam Bertram, Fresno City College tennis player serves the ball at practice on April 19. Bertram is currently No. 1 in the state. Photo/Karen West.