Volume 45 Issue 8

CUESTONIAN

Bratwurst and sauerkraut await Anna Wetner...p.3 Volume 45, Issue 8

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For those about to rock, we salute you...p.6

The Student Voice of Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, California

May 6, 2009

Special Olympians meet challenges

By Rebecca Wolfe

Spencer Wright/Cuestonian

Staff Writer

Cuesta student Bart Gant having too much fun on his bike while training for the upcoming adventure events.

Get high on endorphins

By Dylan Baumann Managing Editor

Adrenaline junkies looking to shed blood, sweat and tears can battle for cash prizes in mountain biking, road racing, climbing and trail running adventures put on by All Out Events.

The events are held in California and are open to anyone. There are discounts and categories for college students.

The next event is the Centra l Coast Adventure Challenge at Santa Margarita Lake, which includes running, biking, paddling, and group challenges. It takes place May 16 and 17 and there will be a weekend-long festival with music, food and activities.

The Operations Director of All Out Events is 25-yearold O wen R icha rdson, a sixth semester Cuesta student whose major is Industrial Technology.

“We have professionals at the events but they are open to everyone,” said Richardson.

“For the 12 hour adventure race I wouldn’t recommend it to someone coming off the couch per se.”

Former Cuesta student and Cal Poly graduate Yishai Horowitz founded All Out Events in 2008. He started by holding rock climbing competitions at SLO Op, a climbing gym he founded.

He a lso fou nded The Centra l Coast Adventure

Challenge, which is now a part of All Out Events and is California’s most attended adventure race.

The annual Pine Mountain Pull Down takes place Sept.

11-13. It's California’s only outdoor bouldering competition and festival.

The final event this year is the Joshua Tree Climbers’ Carnival. It's a New Year’s event taking place Dec. 31 through Jan. 3. Climbing clinics are included.

“I love what I do, it’s really dynamic,” said Horowitz.

“There are all kinds of elements involved with event planning.”

Visit all-outevents.com for details on sponsoring or entering the events.

Over 450 athletes from throughout the county will take Cuesta’s campus by storm on May 8 to participate in the Special Olympics Area Games.

The Olympians, aged 6 to 81, will compete in bocce, basketball, track and field, and aquatics. A motor activities training program (MATP) will be offered for those participants with a lower level of athleticism, with events including a wheelchair race and a 15 meter assisted walk.

Jani Johnson, Cuesta’s head track and field coach, began helping with the Special Olympics four years ago when the event first came to Cuesta, and says she was entirely blown away by the athletes.

“Sometimes as a coach you see the dark side of kids with them being lazy or not being committed to being the best they can be. Then you get a taste of the Special Olympians — every one of them is fired up and so grateful to be alive,” Johnson said.

Athletes spend all year look i ng for wa rd to t he SLO Area Games, said Judy Rittmiller, DSPS Support Services Assistant at Cuesta.

Photo Courtesy of Michael Lara

Budget squeeze impacts transfer admissions

By Barbara Rosenblatt Staff Writer

The UC system will be enrolling approximately 500 more community college transfer students this fall. Meanwhile, the CSU system plans to drop overall enrollment by approximately 10,000, impacting admissions for all students.

“Campuses were encouraged to admit and enroll fewer freshmen and to admit more transfers,” Christine N. Van Gieson, director of admission for UCSB, said.

While transfer admissions are still not complete, Gieson said UCSB expects to admit approximately 6,700 students, up from 6,090 in 2008.

Cuesta students have been admitted to UCSB at a higher rate than last year. In fall 2008, 72 Cuesta students applied and 39, a rate of 54.2 percent, were admitted. For 2009, 114 Cuesta students applied and 71, a rate

CSU Campuses Still Accepting Transfer Applications for Fall 2009 Cal Maritime, Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Sacramento, Stanislaus.

Go to csumentor.edu for information of 62.3 percent, have been admitted to date.

Meanwhile, at Cal Poly the rate of admissions decreased.

According to assistant vice president of Academic Affairs James Maraviglia, Cal Poly accepted 28.1 percent of the 4,455 transfer applicants in 2008, while they only accepted 20.2 percent of 5,219 transfer applicants for 2009.

Maraviglia said there were 496 applicants from Cuesta in 2008 and 259, or 52.2 percent, were accepted. For 2009, Cal Poly received 622 applicants from Cuesta and has accepted 213, or 34.3 percent, to date.

Cal Poly also put 600 fresh-

man and transfer applicants on a waitlist. The campus is closed to applicants for both the summer of 2009 and the winter of 2010.

At Cal State University Channel Islands there were more applicants and acceptances for 2009 than in previous years.

To date, the campus has accepted over 1,000 transfer applicants from a pool of over 2,000.

According to Ginger Q. Reye, director of admission and recruitment, there were 36 applicants from Cuesta to CSUCI in 2008 and 18 were accepted. For 2009, there were 45 applicants from Cuesta and 21 have been accepted so far.

“It's the only event many of them participate in each year, and it really allows them to feel like they’re a part of something,” said Rittmiller, who is a member of the Special Olympics Games Committee.

The Area Games qualifies athletes to go on to the Summer Games in Long Beach.

Of the total participants, 45 will be selected to attend the statewide competition this June, according to Michael Lara, Regional Sports Manager of Special Olympics.

Lara says the Area Games is a coordinated effort of about 600 volunteers who help run all the sporting events and organize the opening ceremonies, among other duties.

For Rober t Ma r iuc ci, C u e s t a’s Di r e c t or of Athletics, the opening ceremonies are his favorite part of the event to watch.

Rittmiller agrees. “I’ve been to 25 years of ceremonies and I ca n't t hink of a single one w here I d i d n’t end up in tears,” she said.

In spite of accepting more students, CSUCI was impacted by budget cutbacks. “Because of enrollment constraints due to the budget, we have had to adhere to strict deadlines,” Reyes said. “Those students who did not meet our transcript deadline of Feb. 6 would not be evaluated for the fall 2009 term.” Also, CSUCI closed applications earlier this year.

At CSU Monterey Bay, transfer applications were also up for 2009, but admissions were down. There were 2,196 transfer applicants, a 39 percent increase over last year. Yet, 10 percent less were accepted for admission.

“Admissions had more applicants to deal with, processed more paperwork and relied more on system technology to help with additional workload,” said Dr. Ronnie Higgs, interim vice president for student affairs at CSUMB.

Dana Miller

INSIDE THIS EDITION Opinion & Editorial p.2

Features p.4

Features p.7v

Sports p.8

You can also visit us online at cuestonian.cuesta.edu

2

OPINION

May 6, 2009

Cuestonian

Cougar Comments What’s your best pick-up line?

“One time this guy just said, ‘You are bomb. What’s up?’”

Stephanie Dunn Age 19, Undecided 2nd Semester

“I don’t use them, I just pick up the drunk ones.”

“I lost my teddy bear, will you “Would you like a piece of sleep with me?” gum?”

Shannon Bentley

James Sainsbury

Age 21, Undecided 2nd Semester

Age 19, Geology 4th Semester

By Jeremiah Lee

Yes, Cougars, these symptoms are serious—but they are avoidable.

First, the Cuestonian urges all students and faculty to wear surgical masks in addition to full body biohazard suits (think the government workers in “E.T.”). Sure, it may not be fashionable, but when it comes to your life can you really worry about what is in vogue?

Next avoid contact with all things swine or swine-like.

This may seem easy for those of you that don’t live on or near farms, but consider all the swine-like things that you come into contact with every day: Rush Limbaugh on the radio, “The View” on television, Frat Row off of Foothill—the list is endless. We have reason to believe that even acknowledging the existence of these things can infect you.

For those of you that think we’re joking around with this whole flu thing, think again.

Three of our past reporters grew feathers and flew away during the bird-flu epidemic and we’ll be damned if it happens to us this time.

Oink, oink— Your compassionate Editor

Online Editor

Since our editorial on the cafeteria came out, several new developments have come to light. SLO County Health Services performed a new inspection on the facility and a much better report followed.

According to the very latest report, only one minor discrepancy was cited and the café received a 98 percent score.

Manager of the Cuesta Café, Ralph Ciaramella, said since last year’s inspection, all violations have been corrected. “[The maintenance department] came in and fixed the broken tiles in the walk-in [refrigerator] and they took the racks out that had rust on

Cuesta College

Writing Staff Sarah Clifford, Scott Duka, Libby Engles, Clare Geraghty, Jenna Gularte, Gina Lagunas, Nick Lakey, Matt Maltbie, Tyler Moskovitz, Nick Powell, Barbara Rosenblatt, Lauren Stewart, Rebecca Wolfe Photographer Natasha Weldon

Opinions expressed in the Cuestonian are those of the newspaper staff and students and are not necessarily shared by the college staff or faculty.

The Cuestonian welcomes correspondence and opinions from its readers.

Letters should be neatly written or typed, and addressed “To the Editor.” Letters must also be signed. The Cuestonian reserves the right to edit submissions to fit available space.

Comments? Please e-mail us at cuestonian@cuesta.edu. The first copy of this paper is free, and costs $1 per copy thereafter.

Letters may be left at the campus mail room, or mailed to: The Cuestonian Cuesta College, P.O. Box 8106 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106

Mary Dodder McCorkle, Adviser BeJae Blake, Publications’ Mgr. Jayne Poulos, Production Asst.

Member Associated Collegiate Press, All-American Honors Journalism Association of Community Colleges, General Excellence California Newspaper Publishers Association

Spencer Wright/Cuestonian

CUESTONIAN Editorial Staff Travis Bland, Editor Dylan Baumann, Managing Editor Emily Devine, Copy Editor Spencer Wright, Photo Editor Jeremiah Lee, Online Editor Sam Nunn, Sports Editor

Xandra Corpuz Age 20, Marketing 4th Semester

Cafeteria gets clean bill of health

EDITORIAL Watch out Cougars, swine flu is coming for you.

We know, we know, it sounds like some kind of elaborate prank: “What kind of life threatening disease could be named after a PIG?!” But trust us, this is no laughing matter.

This pork pandemic has impacted the lives of many people in Mexico and has begun to spread into the United States.

Many are confused as to what swine flu actually is and are worried and wondering what they can do to avoid catching it.

Luckily, the Cuestonian is here for you.

First of all, the swine flu is an influenza case that is endemic to pigs. Thus, “swine” flu.

Symptoms include: fever, cough, sore throat, weight gain, scaly growths on the hands that resemble hooves, extension of the vertebrae (causing the protrusion of what appears to be a pink, curly tail) and a tightening of the vocal chords which gives the affected a squeal-like intonation to their voice.

In addition, the affected inherits an overall lackadaisical attitude towards hygiene and cleanliness.

Kyle Lopez Age 18, Computer Science 1st Semester

“A guy fell on me while I was sitting in a theater then said, ‘I fell for you!’”

them and power washed them,” he said.

He added that he requested the health department return to file a new report but was unable to obtain one because of some confusion.

“We encourage the health department to come in and give us guidelines. That’s the only way you can keep things organized,” he said.

Last month, a health permit was not visible at the facility.

A permit can now be found posted on the office door and an inspection report is available upon request.

Ciaramella also said that Cuesta Café is a great place for vegetarians to come and enjoy many different options.

He said that all of the deli sandwiches can be made vegetarian and the salad bar offers lots of choices.

Recently the café has implemented a “no backpack” policy because of theft. Ciaramella said that he doesn’t believe the rule to be much of a hardship to students.

“If I had a backpack that had something valuable in it, and I was coming into an establishment that didn’t allow it, I would make arrangements to drop that off somewhere safe,” he said.

But he did say that if students are really concerned about their belongings, they can leave them in his office while they get their food.

FEATURES

Cuestonian

May 6, 2009

3

diligence to Germany Two wheeling From Cuesta student studies in Germany for one year

Riding a bike can help save cash and the planet

By Emily Devine Copy Editor

Cars are a convenient way to get from point A to B but they are polluting the air and guzzling gasoline. San Luis Obispo Regional Rideshare is dedicated to reducing the number of cars on the road and this month, they are encouraging citizens to ride their bikes instead.

The month of May is bike month and this year’s theme is “Chain Reaction.” SLO Regional Rideshare is encouraging organizations to participate in the “Commuter Bike Challenge,” a way to log bike trips and win prizes.

There are many benefits to using a bicycle for transportation instead of a car or walking.

Rideshare states that biking instead of driving alone saves people about $7500 a year.

Biking also protects air quality and prevents pollution. It is also easier to carry a heavy load

Spencer Wright/Cuestonian

Ryan Moreno ditches his car.

in a bike basket than walking with it.

Parking can be expensive and difficult to find in a car, but parking a bike is quick, easy and cheap.

Riding a bicycle also has many health benefits. It gets the heart pumping, helps manage weight, strengthens muscles and can even improve a bad mood by releasing endorphins.

Bike month also includes activities for every age. There is a bike-in breakfast, bike film night, bike fashion show, art show and more.

Drivers are not always aware of cyclists around them so it is important to still obey the rules of the road and know how to stay safe. Bike riders must obey the same rules as drivers according to the California Vehicle Code. This includes coming to a complete stop at red lights and stop signs, signaling and obeying the speed limit.

It is also important that bike riders stay alert. Drivers don’t necessarily watch for cyclists so it is the rider’s responsibility to watch for cars pulling out or turning and to make themselves visible.

Rideshare encourages everyone to “Kick off a Chain Reaction this May and leave your car at home: arrive by bike!”

For more information about bike month, visit the website at rideshare.org.

By Nick Lakey

Staff Writer superfluous work I Anna Weltner gave myself turned i s “t r y i n g t o out to be crucial in channel excitepreparing me for ment into further a work-study propreparations” as gram in Europe.” one of 75 stuWeltner creddents selected nait s her “ del iritionally to study ou s l y he a r t f e lt a nd i nter n i n recommendaGermany. As part tion letters” from Anna Weltner of the CongressSchwellenbach and Bundestag Young Exchange Clayton to drawing attention program, Weltner will stay one to her application. “Having year in Germany studying the people who specialize in lanlanguage, going to a university guage write your recommendaand interning with a business tion letter is always nice.” in the journalism field.

Weltner has been brushing “The f irst part of the up on her German, reading CBYX program consists of two the German newsweekly Der months of study at a language school,” said Weltner. “After that I’ll move into my permanent housing. I don’t know yet where. You need to have a sense of adventure about the whole thing.”

Weltner has balanced work and studies throughout college, but that never stopped her from pushing herself. “I took both German and French at Cuesta, just because I wanted to learn both.” When Weltner’s appetite for German was not satisfied, Germany and French Instructor Petra Clayton continued working with Weltner on the last few chapters of the book.

Weltner worked for nearly a year in the first ever art internship at New Times. “Looking back, I can see how all that

Spiegel as well as “A Mighty Fortress,” a book on German history.

She looks forward to experiencing the culture. “I’ve heard wonderful things about the art scene there,” Weltner said.

“Everyone I speak to about Germany seems to feel the need to personally endorse the city of Berlin for one reason or another.”

It won’t be all work for Weltner. She plans to explore the nightlife as well. “I’ve heard about the clubs not closing until 6 a.m. I don’t know if that’s truth or hyperbole, but you can expect a full investigative report from me upon my return.”

4

FEATURES

May 6, 2009

Cuestonian

Appreciate all mothers

Cuesta plans 2009 Commencement

By Natasha Weldon Staff Writer

By Barbara Rosenblatt Staff Writer

Natasha Weldon/Cuestonian

Student, Jennifer Seher with smiling daughters, Skye (left) and Kloe (right).

Cuesta student Jennifer Seher says, “what my two girls make for me at school brings a smile to my face and that’s what really makes me feel loved.”

Take advantage of the opportunities San Luis Obispo will be offering for you to spend time with your mom for Mother’s Day. The Historic Jack House and Gardens in San Luis Obispo will be hosting a Mother’s Day concert from 1 to 4 p.m. At the event, families can enjoy music while relaxing in the garden.

In addition, the event will be offering tours for $2 per person with free tours for children under 12. They will also be free for those who come with three gen-

erations of family members. All mothers attending will receive a complimentary flower.

Mother’s Day was proclaimed in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe as a demand for disarmament and peace.

The holiday is celebrated across the world. Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia and Turkey join the United States to observe Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of every May. Don’t forget our mothers brought us into this world and without them no one would be here. Try your best to appreciate them whether they be your own mother or someone else’s.

Cuesta will hold its commencement ceremony honoring all 2008-09 graduates on Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m. in the Gymnasium on the San Luis Obispo campus.

Fall 2008, Spring 2009 and Summer 2009 graduates are eligible and invited to participate in the 44th annual ceremony.

President David Pelham and ASCC President Joseph Vahnerweg will address the candidates.

A reception sponsored by the Cuesta College Foundation and Cuesta College Alumni Association will follow in the Gymnasium Courtyard at 7 p.m.

Graduation activities will begin Thursday, May 21 with a free graduation BBQ hosted by the Alumni Association.

Commencement is open to families and friends of gradu-

ates, with open seating beginning at 4 p.m. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on Charter Cable channel 19.

Prior to the general ceremony, there will be a Nursing Pinning Ceremony on Friday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Typically, 200 to 225 candidates participate in commencement, out of a graduating class of 650 to 750.

Commencement regalia, required for participants, are available from the bookstore.

Personalized announcements and class rings are also available.

Lifetouch is the official graduation photographer and will take photos of each graduate on stage, as well as formal portraits by appointment.

For more information about graduation, visit myCuesta or call the Commencement Hotline at 805-546-3141, option 1.

New girlfriend empowerment Adult women’s grant program may be coming to Cuesta

By Jayne Poulos Production Assist.

More women are able to accomplish their dreams in education and pursue their careers with the help of a foundation established in 2005, The Girlfriend Factor.

The grants are intended for determined women 25 years or older who have a specific undergraduate or career path they desire, according to GFF’s official website.

The Girlfriend Factor was cofounded by an alumni of Cuesta, Joan Busick, and her long time friend, Michele Moore.

Busick earned her BS degree in Business Administration from Ca l Poly, but said her “loyalty will always be with Cuesta.”

“It was at Cuesta that I regained my confidence and realized I could change my life and succeed in school, as well as in the rest of the world around me,” said Busick.

She then rea lized that many other women around her were also going back to school to go in a different direction in their lives.

“This ultimately encouraged me to specia lize in working with women in my CPA practice, write my book

Photo Courtesy of The Girlfriend Factor

Often times people do not realize how hard their mothers work. The long days, the dirty dishes, the never ending laundry piles and everything else mothers take care of each day of their lives.

T he y dea l w it h la rge amounts of stress and some work for eight hours, to come home and work for their children. They don’t do this for the paycheck or the benefits, they do it because they love their families.

Mot hers u su a l ly don’t whine when you ask them to get a jelly stain out of your favorite shir t, t hey don’t moan in annoyance when you ask to sleep with them after a nightmare and they don’t stomp their feet when you ask them to drive you to another baseball practice.

This Mother’s Day, May 10, take time to tell her how much you love her. If she lives across the country, give her a call telling her how much you miss her and appreciate her no matter the status of your relationship.

Sing her a song, bake her cookies, make her earrings and pick flowers out of a garden, not the convenient fridge in the grocery store.

If you can manage to make something yourself, those are the most meaningful gifts.

Express your love in a creative and genuine way!

Michele Moore and Joan Busick cofounded GFF.

on how to handle life on your own and start The Girlfriend Factor,” said Busick.

The mission of The Girlfriend Factor is to get women together to experience the inf luences that women can have on each other’s lives through friendships and helping with financial support for higher education. The Girlfriend Factor is meant to provide empowerment for motivated women.

The Girlfriend Factor supports women by providing educational grants from donations from businesses and local business men deemed the “Fabulously Original Cabana Boys” by GFF. However, most of the donations have come from individual women from the com-

munity known as the “Blind Faith Gang Donors.”

Once women give a onetime donation of $100 they are considered Girlfriends for life.

GFF wants women to feel they are a part of something that is larger than themselves.

The Girlfriend Factor has already written more than 70 grants for about 35 women which comes to a total of about $42,000.

“Education is becoming an extremely important component of women’s financial success in this trying economy and the request for our grants is rapidly increasing,” said Busick.

Now that The Girlfriend Factor is able to help support more women with their educational goals they are planning to expand to other parts of California this summer. Busick hopes to expand to San Luis Obispo County first so they can begin assisting women at Cuesta.

“Cuesta came into my life just at the time that I needed it, and I shall be forever grateful,” said Busick.

For more information on GFF grants visit www.thegirlfriendfactor.org/.

Visit http://academic.cuesta.edu/finaid/ for financial aid information at Cuesta.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Cuestonian

May 6, 2009

5

Featured Local Music

By Clare Geraghty • Staff Writer Wednesday, May 6, 8 p.m. $15 in adv., $17 at door Abstract Rude (Hip Hop/Soul) SLO Downtown Brewery

Photo Courtesy of Jay Thompson

Friday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

Cuesta Choirs St. Timothy’s Church, Morro Bay

Leah Cheney, left, Steve Hunt and Rob Cowell star in the final production to grace the stage of the theater.

New play, ‘Rhinoceros’ debuts — students run the show Staff Writer

Cuesta students in the Play Production class are working harder than most. Not only are they practicing their lines, but also dyeing their leotards and building their set. The proof? ‘Rhinoceros’ opened in The Interact Theatre on April 30 at 7 p.m. and is a testament to the hard work of the drama students who act as stage crew and actors. “‘Rhinoceros’ is an absurd comedy that takes place in a small town. A rhino shows up and everyone in the town begins to turn into a rhino,” said Aubrey Riley, who plays the Logician.

During the play, the audience witnesses about 14 people turn into wild rhinos, complete with stampeding, crashes and things breaking.

Although, as seasoned director Richard Jackson pointed out, that is only on the surface.

“Underneath it’s about one’s

Cast members hand-made the masks.

head vs. heart, the exploration of what it means to be an animal and what it means to follow your instincts,” said Jackson.

With only 18 weeks to put on a full production, there is no time to waste. Memorizing lines is only the tip of the iceberg for the actors. “The way [the production] works is that the cast is also the crew. We are in charge of costumes, props, promotion and set design,” said Alycia Bohnhoff, playing Mrs. Boeuf. “You give up a lot to be

Monday, May 11, 7:30 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

Cuesta College Night Band SLO Campus, Student Conference Center

Wednesday, May 13, 7:30 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

Wind Ensemble Concert SLO Campus, Student Conference Center

in the show, but it’s all worth it in the end.”

The play is mostly a student-driven project and that is exactly how the director wants it. “My goal is to produce a ‘turn-key operation,’ where at the end, I unlock the door and the students run the show,” said Jackson.

This will be the last chance to see a play in the Interact Theatre before it closes and the new theatre opens.

Student set designer and stage manager Jeremy Ketz has an idea about the future for the Play Production class. “The Cuesta theater department is about to move to the next level.

Cuesta has the potential to become a major theater program.

So come have fun and support the work of your fellow students,” said Ketz.

The play runs through May 10 and tickets are $7 for students to support their fellow students. For tickets, call 546-3195.

Friday, May 15, 7:30 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

The Cuesta Night Band with Teka SLO Campus, Student Conference Center Saturday, May 16, 8 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

Master Chorale Cal Poly Performing Arts Center Sunday, May 17, 3 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

North County Chorus Paso Robles Inn Ballroom Sunday, May 17, 7 p.m. $13 in adv., $15 at door SOJA (Reggae/Rock) SLO Downtown Brewery

www.cuestonian.cuesta.edu

Art from the heart

Natasha Weldon/Cuestonian

The work of Cuesta’s talented art students is on display for the annual student art show, Banana Peel Jive.

The exhibition will hang in the Art Gallery until May 13 and features paintings, drawings, photographs and other mediums.

Select pieces were honored. Some of the works are for sale.

Exhibitor Peggy Jannson views sculpture.

Saturday, May 9, 8 p.m. (21+) $8 in adv., $10 at door Damon Castillo Band (Rock/Soul) SLO Downtown Brewery

Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 p.m. (All ages) $8 in adv., $10 at door Tyrone Wells (Rock/Pop/Soul) SLO Downtown Brewery

Rhinos close Interact

By Lauren Stewart

Saturday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. $7 students, $10 gen.

Jazz Ensembles SLO Campus, Student Conference Center

6

FEATURES

May 6, 2009

Cuestonian

Local guitar star rocks

Science project showcase is May 23

Trevor Johnson and his jazz small ensemble band called Liam and the Seven Deadly Samurais playing a Cuesta Earth Day concert

By Dylan Baumann Managing Editor

By Nick Powell Staff Writer

Trevor Johnson jamming solo with his Fender Strat.

just couldn’t put it down and I’ve just wanted to keep progressing,” The jazz small ensemble band that he is in consists of his fellow classmates Liam Limon on the saxophone, James Gallardo on the bass, Matt Brendlen on the drums, and John Stauff who does rhythm and plays guitar.

“I feel that Cuesta’s music department is on top of things in that everyone contributes to do their best to make the department even stronger than it already is,” said Johnson. “The

music instructors at Cuesta aren’t just there because they have to be.”

In addition to practicing in class, playing noon concerts at Cuesta regularly, having shows at Linnea’s, and playing an Earth Day show at Cuesta, the jazz band members practice every Sunday on their time off.

“School brought us together but we still plan on being a band in the future,” said Johnson. “It’s not just all for school.”

After Joe Pony broke up he said he started being more independent and really began playing what he felt from inside.

“Personally I was getting bored of covering other songs and I wanted to write more of my own stuff,” said Johnson.

Science is the future and the future is now and now is the time. You know what that means: it’s science time.

Cuest a is set to host t he Science, Technolog y, Engineering and Mathmatics (STEM) Showcase on May 23 in the Student Center from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Derrick Lavoie, director of the Discovery Institute, is organizing the event.

“The STEM showcase gives students a platform to share their science projects with their peers and generate excitement about science and engineering,” said Lavoie.

The showcase is slowly coming together with an entry deadline of May 15, but for an event that might feature a robot competition and will definitely have free Big Daddy pizza, there’s surprisingly few entrants at present.

Greyhound Revolutionary Robotics, which consists of 14 students from Atascadero High, four from Cal Poly and two from Cuesta, will exhibit their robot, the Raptor. It’s a remote controlled conveyor belt that wheels around sucking imitation moon rocks into a hopper and spits them into a basket.

“We won a regional competition in LA and went on to the semi-finals at the National level,” said Cuesta student Rose Fortone. “It was cool to see the different designs everyone came up with to perform the same task.”

John Lindsey, PG&E’s meteorologist for Diablo Canyon, will give a lecture concerning how power is harnessed, the effects on the planet and the future of energy.

“These kids will be the ones solving our energy problems and combating climate change,” said Lindsey.

Jared Price, left, and Rose Fortone show off the practice version of the robot.

Nick Powell/Cuestonian

Dylan Baumann/Cuestonian

He wails on his pearly white Fender Stratocaster and electric sounds fly around his presence for hours every day.

Sometimes he jams with the Cuesta jazz small ensemble band called Liam and the Seven Deadly Samurais, and other times he practices solo or with his musician friends.

His name is Trevor Johnson and he’s an 18-year-old first year music major who has competed and played in four local bands.

Johnson won first place recognition in eighth grade at the Mid State Fair Battle of the Bands all ages’ competition with a band called Joe Pony.

For that victory the band was given free recording time at White Room Recording. Joe Pony then put out a demo CD that was sold downtown at Boo Boo records on Monterey St. They also won third place in the 42nd annual Hayward Battle of the Bands.

A t T he G r a du at e h e placed second in the guitar competition held by Grand Performance Music.

Guitar is his favorite instrument, but Johnson can also play bass, sitar and percussion.

“A true musician doesn’t play just one instrument, it’s better to widen your horizon and play as many instruments as possible,” said Johnson. “I’ve always loved music but once I started playing the guitar I

Robots invade SLO campus

FEATURES

May 6, 2009

Natasha Weldon/Cuestonian

Cuestonian

Undocumented agony

By Gina Lagunas Staff Writer

“If America is truly a land of opportunity, why do so many people have to live in the shadows?”

This question was asked by an AB 540 undocumented student who waits while Congress works on a new migration law.

“Why do American laws make me feel like a criminal?

What is the crime in wanting to work, study or pursue a better life?”

Any person who enters this countr y illegally has committed a crime according to American law, and he or she are guilty of engaging in criminal behavior.

Undocumented workers must deal with the danger of getting into America or the danger of risking their lives every day.

Ac c ord i n g to My r ia m Ouspe, economist advisory from the Federal Reser ve Branch Bank in Atlanta, 7.2 million undocumented people have been working in this

Workers strive to share American dream country for years, with forged documents.

“Salary is lower in the companies that hire illegal workers,” said an anonymous employee of Cuesta. “Many undocumented workers suffer different types of exploitation primarily because they are scared to speak-up, or most important, they ignore the U.S. laws that protect everyone.”

A tragic example of this is when a 16 year old field worker died because she was pregnant and did not get the medical care she needed.

“There a re compa nies where it is not permitted for the undocumented workers to take their 10 minutes of break, or it is not permitted to speak a language other than English.

They are hired as part-time even though they work fulltime, and as a result, they do not have any benefits,” said a Cuesta student and son of undocumented workers. “Even

worse, in case of an accident, the company does not create any incident report for their injuries because they know an [undocumented] worker is not going to say anything.”

Mecha leader, Javier Soto, said there is racism against illegal workers in many job areas.

He said inappropriate words such as “illegal aliens” or “wet back” are often used to offend them. Occasionally managers may use an inappropriate tone of voice while giving instructions as well.

“I feel upset when someone uses those words to describe my situation,” said one student. “But they do not know I pay my bills and taxes, and I try to do the right stuff because I hope to be a legal resident someday.”

Most of those interviewed had to be anonymous, but they said they dream about being part of American life and they feel they deserve to be treated with respect.

7

Make a difference, join Relay for Life individuals who are currently fighting the disease and those who have died.

San Luis Obispo will conPreparation for the event tinue its long-standing effort begins well before it occurs. to fight against cancer with Throughout the year, teams its annual Relay for Life event work to raise money for the scheduled for July 18 and 19 at cause.

Laguna Middle School.

“This year, our goal is to This will be the city’s register 50 teams and raise tenth year taking part in the $100,000,” said Deb Jeffers, American Cancer Society’s manager of San Luis Obispo’s most prominent activity.

Relay for Life.

“We most defi“The American Cancer nitely will reach it.”

Society Relay for Life repCuesta resents hope also hosted a that those lost “It’s g reat that our walk-a-thon to cancer will c o m e s to benefit the never be for- c o m m u n i t y gotten, that together to support such ACS on May 1. All of the t hose who a g r e a t c a u s e . ” event’s proface ca ncer —Kaitlin Henning c e e d s were will be supdonated to the por ted a nd organization. that one day The A merica n Ca ncer cancer will be eliminated,” Society has been a huge force in reports the organization. funding research to eliminate The 24-hour event starts as the disease. It has contributed survivors join their caregivers more money than any other prito walk the first lap of the relay. vate, nongovernment organiza“It is a celebration of life tion to help the cause. Their efand courage, and commitment forts have led to major advances to reach the finish line; a life in the fight against cancer. free of cancer,” reports the “It’s great that our commuAmerican Cancer Society. nity comes together to support The event continues as team such a great cause,” said student members take turns walking or Kaitlin Henning. “Every perrunning around the track. son that participates is making During the evening, lumia positive difference to help put naries are placed beside the an end to the disease.” track providing light for team For more information or to members. join a team, visit relayforlife.

The luminaria ceremony org/sanluisobispoca. serves as a time to remember

By Clare Geraghty Staff Writer

8

SPORTS

May 6, 2009

Cuestonian

Tennis team smashes competition

Travis Bland/Cuestonian

By Tyler Moskovitz Staff Writer

Cougars clinch title

By Matt Maltbie Staff Writer

The machine that is Cuesta baseball looked as if it was hitting on all cylinders at exactly the right time.

Just before Easter, the 2009 cougar squad helped Coach Bob Miller top the 200 win plateau and it looked as if Cuesta baseball was poised to make a run at a league title and a deep playoff push.

However, entering the final games of conference play the cougars stumbled recently and dropped league contests to local rival Alan Hancock, Santa Barbara, and Moorpark.

Hancock, Santa Barbara, and Moorpark are ranked 2nd, 4th, and 5th respectively in the league.

This opened the door for Hancock and gave them a glimmer of hope in the league title hunt.

Cuesta baseball roars into the postseason Cuesta baseball however recovered and clinched the league title last week with a 10-7 win over Hancock.

The recent losing skid did raise a few eyebrows, but the players weren’t too concerned.

“We just couldn’t finish teams off, our pitching was there it was just the lack of situational hitting. I think we will be fine,” said freshman firstbaseman Bret Hartman, of the recent losses.

Cuesta remains ranked 5th in the Top-20 Southern California Community College B a s eba l l Pol l. S out her n California Community College Playoffs are set to begin May 8th and 9th and with a strong

finish Cuesta will get be playing at home, “If Cuesta remains a top 8 seed in the rankings they will get a home playoff game,” said Sports Information Director Pete Schuler.

“If we host this will be the 12th time in the last 13 years that Cuesta has hosted a baseball playoff game,” said Schuler.

According to Hartman, the team is ready to make a deep playoff run. “Every year we try to make it to the final four, and this team is no different. Last year they almost made it, and now we are back again.”

The Cougars are a force to be reckoned with in the Southern California Junior College Playoffs but to make it to the final four they will have to overcome some tough competition in the upcoming playoffs.

ougar Sports Briefs By Sam Nunn, Sports Editor Athletes of the Month

Chloe Redman

Matt Kretchmer

Western State Conference Player of the Year, tennis AllAmerican Chloe Redman, has been named Athlete of the Month for April.

In her second season as a member of the tennis team Redman went 10-2 in singles play and was the No. 4 ranked singles player in the Southern California region.

Redman helped her team to a perfect 12-0 regular season record and also posted an 8-1 doubles record with partner Whitney Whiting.

Sophomore pitcher Matt Kretchmer has been named Male Athlete of the Month for April.

Kretchmer moved into the starting rotation this year and has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the Western State Conference said Pete Schuler, sports information director.

O ver t he l a st mont h Kretchmer has come into his own, he posted a 4-0 record with a 1.72 ERA in his last five starts. On the season he leads the Cougars with five wins and has a 4.01 ERA.

Softball stand-out belts more than 100 hit mark All-WSC First Team 2008 selection Lauren Vancil had three hits last week to become only the second player at Cuesta to hit the century mark in career hits.

Vancil, who has 103 hits, trails former teammate and two-time All State selection Danielle Crawford, who holds the record with 112 safeties.

Vancil currently ranks No. 2 in batting average and has hit at a .377 clip at Cuesta. She also joined Crawford as one of three Cuesta players with 60 career RBI. Vancil has led the Cougars in RBI the past two seasons and her mark of 60 trails Crawford by one, although they both rank below all time leader Amanda Mueller, who drove in 66 runners over two seasons.

Hammer throwers push to break all records Thrower Christine Weinreich continues to chase

Chloe Redman, below, returns ball with a forehand during a singles match.

Photo Courtesy of the Athletic Department

Freshman catcher Jake Reed fouls off a pitch in the cougars recent game against Oxnard.

Cuest a at h let ic s onc e again has something to be proud of from women’s tennis. The women’s tennis team has won the WSC title with an undefeated 12-0 record.

Only twice during the twelve match season did the Cougars only win by one game. Their coach, Mike Napoli, was named International Tennis Association National Coach of the Year earlier in their season.

“The women’s tennis had another outstanding year,” said Bob Mariucci, athletic director for Cuesta, “I am very proud of them and how they have been a success not only on the court but in the classroom as well.”

Lead by All-American Chloe Redman, Cuesta’s No. 1 singles player and part of Cuesta’s No.1 doubles team, the Cougars have won their 14th conference title overall and sixth title since 2000. Redman, winner of the

2008 WSC Player of the Year, is ranked No. 4 in the Southern California Region with a 10-2 record and is 8-1 this season with her doubles partner Whitney Whiting.

After being undefeated in league, The Lady Cougars entered the 2009 Southern California regional playoffs as the second seed, and started off versus No. 7 ranked Cerritos.

Cerritos was the South Coast Conference Champions, who finished their season 8-1, losing to Mt. San Antonio College 6-3.

Cuesta won the match 5-1, having all but their No. 4 singles player winning. The team will go on to play No. 3 Saddleback to see who will keep their season alive and running.

Saddleback went 11-1 in the Orange County Conference.

“Coach Napoli has done an excellent job with the program for so many years,” said Mariucci.

school records and picked up her first last week. The Cuesta hammer record was broken for the fourth time this year, once already by Weinreich.

The record was broken earlier by teammate Cassie Freeman, with 143-10.75.

Weinreich beat that mark with a throw of 147-2 and is in competition with Freeman for the WSC title.

Weinreich had tra iled Freeman all season long in the hammer, but had been chasing the school records while dominating the discus and shot put.

If Weinreich was going to set a school record this year the thinking was that she would break the longest standing mark on the book, Debra Hiner’s 1976 discus record (140-0).

We i n r e i c h , w h o h a s launched the discus 138-0 and shot put 42-8, still remains in range of both of those records.

Weinreich and Freeman battle for a conference title this week and prepare to move into statewide competition.

Swimming & Diving The Cuesta Swimming and Diving team took the WSC meet by storm with a 3rd place finish last week.

T he Cuest a Men a nd Women’s Sw imming a nd Diving team competes in t he 20 09 CCC A A St ate Championships at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

The Cougars are sending three individual competitors, one man and two women, to the meet and both the men and women will also field five relay teams.

The women’s team is led

by All-American and two-time WSC Champion, Heather Shaug. Who will compete in the 100 and 200 individual medleys and the 100 butterfly.

The women will also have freshman Michelle Miller joining Shaug in the 100 butterfly and also competing in the 50 fly.

Freshman Jake Akins will compete in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events.