April 30, 2008

El Vaquero April 30, 2008

Glendale College

Armenian Genocide

Annual Protests Draw Thousands Story page 9

Photos 10-11

Photo by Ismael Reyes

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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NEWS

El Vaquero Associated Students Glendale Community College

editor in chief

Richard Kontas SPORTS EDITOR

By Allan Beglarian

EL VAQUERO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTO EDITOR

Ross Coleman

Ismael Reyes

STAFF WRITERS Claudia Anaya Jessica Bourse Mariam Grigoryan

Sharese Mirzakhanyan Chabeli Sanchez Corinna Scott

Eric Konarki Arpee Markarian

Katherine Sosa Brent Wallace

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Graig Agop Allan Beglarian

Jake Madrigal Fabienne Niederberger

Production Manager Jane Pojawa design adviser Charles Eastman advertising Jeff Smith

faculty adviser Michael Moreau

jsmith@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000, ext. 1427

mmoreau@glendale.edu (818) 551-5214

El Vaquero accepts story ideas in news, features, profiles, sports and entertainment from the public. To submit an idea or an article, e-mail the editor at editor@elvaq.com or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5349.

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Amend Constitution T

he Associated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC) fine-tuned its constitution by adding four new amendments and putting them to a vote in order to better serve the student body.

The voting was held on April 9 and 10 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in front of the college library.

“The constitutional elections change the constitution so we can function better as a student government body,” said Robert Akverdyan, 20, vice president of relations.

The ASGCC is a student legislature that has regular meetings on Tuesday of every week during the fall and spring semesters. This legislative body is composed of 20 voting student representatives elected by the student body every semester.

When the legislature is not convened during the winter and summer inter-sessions, all the decision making authority is temporarily transferred to the executive committee, composed of the student body president, vice president of administration, finance campus activities, campus relations and campus organizations.

“For example, said Averdyan, “Proposition B says that if an

officer, let us say a vice president, leaves office or a vacancy is created, the president will fill the vacancy until the position is filled according to our bylaws, That way we have someone who will be able to make decisions during our legislative meetings so the business of the student government can be conducted.”

Proposition B “seems to be too much work for one person,” he said. “I am thinking maybe the position should be filled by someone below the president. In our [federal] government when the president is not there, the vice president and then the speaker of the house take over. Maybe someone below the president should take over who has less to do,” said Aaron Hyden, 20, a history major.

Proposition A states that when the legislature is not in session, the executive committee will have the power and authority to conduct all official ASGCC business. Proposition A passed by 22 to 8 vote.

Proposition B passed by a 20 to 11 vote.

Proposition C, append two letters, D and H, to Article V, Section 2. Letter D states that the vice president of administration will prepare, distribute, and post meeting minutes, adopted minutes and agendas in accordance with the Brown Act (which ensures the

public is aware of meeting dates, and able to speak to their elected representatives) and Letter H requires the vice president of administration to notify, in writing, any member of the legislature who has received two or more absences to any meeting in accordance with Article VI, Section 4. Proposition C passed by a 20 to 10 vote.

Proposition D disallows the vice president of any committee to appoint a representative without going through the executive committee process as labeled throughout the bylaws and constitution. This proposition passed by a 20 to 8 vote.

“They are our voice in what happens in the College,” said Ani Ginosyan, 20, a biology major.

“What ASGCC does is for the students, and if they can’t cover that which they need to do, nothing would be done. I support their efforts and the new amendments, they are improvements.”

The final vote count was 196.

There were two choices, which allowed the students to either pass all propositions or fail them all together, or the students could vote yes or no for each proposition individually. The “Yes to all Changes” category received 70 votes and its counterpart, the “No to all changes,” seven votes.

Allan Beglarian can be reached at Allan_Beglarian@elvaq.com

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Ani Ginosyan, 20, biology major, participates in the ASGCC elections modifying the student body constitution.

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3

NEWS

Student Government Protests Education Budget Cuts

By Allan Beglarian

EL VAQUERO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

I

n a historic coalition representing more than 3.2 million California college students, shouting slogans such as “Don’t Slam the Door,” and “The Whole State is Watching,” Glendale students joined the April 21 protest rally at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles under the banner of Students for California’s Future.

The event comprised a united front of three student associations, California Community Colleges (CCC), California State Student Association (CSSA) and University of California Student Association (UCSA).

The coalition was organized to turn public opinion against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $1 billion cuts in higher education.

“I remember 1992, that was the beginning of our California recession, we couldn’t get into classes,” said Fabiola Torres, an instructor of ethnic studies on campus. “I was in community college during this time and it took me four years to finish while

my parents paid most of the costs of my school, transportation and living expenses. Parttime instructors lost their jobs, programs were completely cut and financial aid was destroyed,” she said.

When asked what she hoped to accomplish by participating in the protest, Torres said, “I’m here to empower the students, to enable them to see that they have a voice, to help our government understand that they can’t be relying on students to pay for a deficit, which they [students] are probably not responsible for.”

Community colleges provide affordable higher education for all Californians, and the coalition has determined that it requires the combined strength and participation of students, parents, politicians and business to create a well-educated public for the future of California.

This is why the three associations have united in a common cause to be marked with calls to legislatures and followed by more marches and rallies.

“No student should be silent in the face of $5.3 billion in

Photo by Allan Beglarian

Glendale students gather in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles on April 21 to protest budget cuts.

cuts to education,” said Dina Cervantes, the CSSA board chair,

“the proposed budget should increase investment in education from preschool to PhD, not the opposite.”

The coalition, Students for California’s Future, asks every Californian, whether a student, parent or those directly involved in Californian’s future to join in reclaiming the promise of California’s future.

“Our generation has yet to see another issue with the power to

single-handedly affect multitudes of Californians the way these budget cuts could,” said Louise Hendrickson, UCSA board president. “Now is the time to put aside differences, come together and ensure a better, brighter future for all.”

Allan Beglarian can be reached at Allan_Beglarian@elvaq.com

Board of Trustees Video On Internet Soon

By Corinna Scott

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

A

udio recordings of the board of trustees meetings are just a few mouse clicks away on the college website, allowing anyone who missed a meeting to play back the audio just like a tape recording.

Because of a vote in November, Internet video will soon be available for public viewing. During their meeting on April 2, the board of trustees reviewed five options as to how their meetings would be recorded, presented by school superintendent Audre

Levy and theater arts instructor Guido Girardi.

Girardi talked about startup costs as he showed the prepared footage, including what kind of equipment is necessary, what it would take to operate it, and if any operator would be required with that particular method. The samples were shown in order of cost from lowest to highest.

Disks were given to all members of the board so they might have a chance to view them at home.

“We will pick one of these at a future meeting,” said Victor King, [See Trustees, Page 4]

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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NEWS

Transfer Fair Piques Student Curiosities

By Brent Wallace

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

H

undreds of Glendale students attended a transfer fair April 8 at Plaza Vaquero, during which universities like UCLA could hand out information about transferring.

The fair allowed students to obtain information on transferring to the universities they were interested in.

Attendees of the transfer fair included colleges such as UCLA, most of the Cal State campuses branches, smaller universities such as Woodbury, and many others. A total of 31 colleges and universities participated.

“I wouldn’t see this many schools elsewhere,” said Christopher Khrlobian, the ASGCC Vice President of activities.

“We’re here every fair,”

said Amin Maghsoodi, one of Woodbury’s representatives.

“We have a lot of good students come from Glendale.”

During the event, entertainment was provided

by Polynesian dancers Hiwa Bourne and Ashley Wakayama.

There was also a performance near the end of the event by Kapono Naruo, a fire dancer.

There was also a small group of people registering students to vote during the event.

“There’s a lot of good preparation from the transfer center to the scholars program,” said Ginger Castle, the UCLA representative.

The fair ran from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, contact the ASGCC Campus Activities office at (818) 2401000, ext. 5733. Or e-mail them at asvpac@glendale.edu.

Brent Wallace can be reached at brent_wallace@elvaq.com

Photo by Jake Madrigal

The GCC job fair offered a wide range of information on future employment, from emergency response to child development services and more in Plaza Vaquero on April 15.

Board of Trustees Video Coming Soon To Internet Board, from Page 3] who was elected board president at Monday’s meeting.

The first method was a basic audio/photo presentation. Girardi said there would be some start-up cost for the camera, the wiring and the set up, but that would be it. No one would operate the camera; it would be set up to record at the beginning of the meeting.

Option number two would have to be a highlights show with music and graphics with board

The Roundup

Photo by Ismael Reyes

USC Recruitment Coordinator Peter Dean, right, discusses courses offered with James Baylor, at the Transfer Fair in Plaza Vaquero on April 8.

Upcoming Dance Events

By Katherine Sosa

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

• H igh School Dance day will be held in the Sierra Nevada Gym Dance Theatre and Auditorium Main stage. May 10, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• D ance Performance 2008 May 27 and 28 in Dance Theatre, Sierra Nevada Gym. 8 p.m.

Free admission.

Seating is limited. Early arrival is advised. No children under 5 admitted.

• Alex Da Silva Friday Night Salsa workshops in SN104 time: 6 p.m. to 7:30pm $5 at the door May 2, May 9 and May 16.

Katherine Sosa can be reached at katherine_sosa@elvaq.com

Charlton Heston’s famous words....

members reporting the highlights.

Girardi said to the board that the highlights show would cover events that could be important to the community. The sample was taped using the campus studio.

The third option would be more of a highlights show, featuring a board member read key points from past meetings. The cost of this option would be about $7,200 for the first year.

Also in this price range, about $7,300 for the first year is the fourth option of having a camera

that records the whole meeting and zooms in on each of the trustees who are speaking.

The fifth option, at a cost of about $14,700, uses three cameras focused on a podium. Each, member would speak at the podium as his or her turn came.

The board will vote on the options during their May 19 meeting.

Corinna Scott can be reached at Corinna_Scott@elvaq.com

by Corinna Scott

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 5

NEWS

Women Called to Resist Culture of Violence Mason quoted Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman, EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER who won the Nobel Peace Prize isha Mason, speaker, author, for founding The Green Belt and educator shed some Movement, a program dedicated light March 27 on “Women’s to planting trees in Kenya to Role as Activists in Today’s preserve the environment: Culture of Violence: a Culture of “Women in general need to know Wife-Beating, that it’s okay Wo r k p l a c e for them to be Shootings, the way they Water Boarding, are — to see the and War.” way they are as As part of a strength, and the 10th annual to be liberated women’s history from fear and month, the from silence.” discussion was “It is one held in Kreider thing to be Hall (SR 138) silent because from noon to you’re afraid 1 p.m. Mason and another shared three thing to be silent lessons she said because you’re she learned in in your power,” order to make said Mason. change.

The lecture “ Vi o l e n c e was directed to is not new, both sexes as whether it Mason said it is domestic was about being —Eisha Mason violence, a powerful child abuse, human being war, violence and that it is against workers, or against the okay to evolve and not be stuck environment,” said Mason, who in a box. stressed that women have a Mason also learned to particular role in creating change define herself. She spoke about in a world that may be regressing Sojourner Truth, a slave whose instead of progressing loved one was beaten to death Power, as Mason sees it, is in front of her and lost some of the capacity for people to make her children but once she escaped a difference in the community or became an activist against slavery on a global scale by following the and for women’s rights, peace, vision people want for the world. and pacifism.

“Negotiators learned that Mason spoke about Oprah when working for peace it cannot Winfrey and Mother Jones, two be gender neutral,” said Mason. women who took the struggles She mentioned the fallout of that life had to offer to say that a peacemaking process in the people have the power to define nation of Angola “where women themselves. She said, “don’t let were not at the table” to bring up life define you, don’t let what concerns on social services issues happens to you that doesn’t feel so that were needed at the time. good be the definition of who you Mason, who said that she wants are, take the wounds of your life, to be a world citizen, shared what the circumstances of your birth she has learned along the way as or of life and transform them and a “teacher, student, and an activist turn them into the gift that you in the school of life.” have to offer your community Mason first learned not to let and the people that you love.” a boyfriend, father, other women, In order to be powerful you peers, society, or a school don’t have to oppose men and institution define her. imitate the patriarchal model of “We get programmed early power, was another lesson Mason about what our roles are in a spoke about as she gave examples family, relationship, and society. of women from Oaxaca, Mexico Women are taught to go along and Nigeria who contributed what to get along, what appropriate they could to negotiations. behavior is, to let other people be “To be truly powerful is to smarter, and to fit in a particular know your story, history, culture box,” said Mason. …and be anchored in it so firmly

By Claudia Anaya

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“Women are taught to go along to get along, what appropriate behavior is, to let other people be smarter, and to fit in a particular box”

that you have space to listen and appreciate the history, the life, and the culture of other people, the other gender, other races, religions; because you know who you are and work effectively with your counterparts,” said Mason Mason stressed that when it comes to power people don’t have to make themselves less than or better than anybody else.

“It is not enough just to know what you are against, if you want to make a difference, it’s important to know what you are for,” said Mason.

Mason said that anger can separate people but when you have a vision you can share, “it can be naturally contagious.”

“What I treasure most is being able to dream. During the most

difficult and complex moments and situations, I have been able to dream a more beautiful world and that has sustained me,” said Mason, quoting Rigoberta Menchu.

Mason took her lessons of not letting anyone or anything define her, to define herself, and that power doesn’t mean having to oppose males to say that change can be made after “forgiving yourself for having accepted all the false ideas that the world has tried to dump on you.”

Mason spoke of the greatest power at the closing of her speech: “Love, despite what people will tell you is powerful, when you think of the people that have inspired you in your life most of all, most often I hear they were

people who loved you, knew the truth about you, called you to be yourself, people who love their community, love their country.

Love is power, it is something that brings people together.”

Ermine Adzhemyan, 21, liberal studies major, heard the speech and thought it was “amazing, beautiful, and powerful.” She spoke out about being a woman of her culture, and noticing that she is different from her cousins and peers.

“I realized that it’s okay,” said Adzhemyan.

“Live and speak your vision everyday,” said Mason.

Claudia Anaya can be reached at claudia_anaya@elvaq.com

Memorial Scholarship Fund Established for Educator Ray Reyes

By Katherine Sosa

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

R

ay Reyes, former associate dean of the EOPS program passed away late last year, and just this year a scholarship was formed in his honor.

The purpose of the scholarship is “to carry on his wonderful work... for disadvantaged students,”said Sarkis Ghazarian, a GCC counselor and creator of the scholarship.

Ray Reyes was an educator who fought for disadvantaged and low-income students, always trying to lend a hand.

Reyes passed away Dec. 26, 2007 from a heart attack at 66.

“He was very knowledgeable, and if anybody had problems he had an answer for anything,” said Nelly Lopez, who worked with Reyes for many years in the Extended Opportunity Program and Services office (EOPS).

Many students went to him for answers others couldn’t answer.

Reyes worked as an educator for more than 30 years at colleges and universities, including Ventura Community College, GCC, Saddleback College, ELAC, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal State Northridge.

In 1959 Reyes graduated from Cathedral High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in

Latin American studies in 1963, from Cal State Los Angeles, earned his master’s degree in education from California Lutheran College in 1973 and a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Cal State L.A..

Reyes helped to establish the first Chicano studies course at Los Angeles Trade Tech College, and taught over the years at schools such as Cathedral High School, Ventura College and GCC. He worked with teachers Imaco Tsuyuki and Carlos Ugalde to organize the first ethnic studies classes at GCC. He taught courses on Mexican cultures, Chicana Chicano history, and immigration rights.

The trips he went on with students, friends, and family for classes and annual trips to Mexico were great learning experiences states Lopez.

“More importantly, he brought smiles and laughter to numerous people during his routine interaction with them,” said Reyes’ grandchildren during the program. Nelly Lopez said “he was very casual and had an infectious laugh.”

In remembrance of Reyes, Ghazarian had the idea to start a scholarship fund “to honor Ray for all the work he did while he

was alive to help open the doors to the world of education for all low income and educationally disadvantaged students.”

“He was a man who practiced in his work and life what he believed in and what he thought was the right thing to do for people. He is a great role model for all of us,” Ghazarian said.

Friends, family, colleagues and students of Reyes remembered him during a memorial ceremony held in Diamond Bar on Jan. 5.

The scholarship started in February. The Reyes family will determine the scholarship criteria that students must meet.

Anyone interested in helping to carry on Reyes’ work can make a contribution to the scholarship fund by sending a check to the Glendale College Foundation. In the memo section of the check note the Ray Reyes Memorial Scholarship.

For more information call 818240-1000 ext. 5199 Mail donations to: Glendale College Foundation 1500 N. Verdugo Road Glendale, CA. 91208 In Loving Memory of Ray Reyes (1941-2007) Katherine Sosa can be reached at katherine_sosa@elvaq.com

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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‘Maintaining Good Jobs’ Subject of Lecture

By Claudia Anaya

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

G

ood jobs and unions were the topic on April 10 in Kreider Hall when Maria Elena Durazo spoke of Hollywood to the Docks, a three-day 28-mile march that supported the fight for good jobs.

Durazo, executive secretarytreasurer for the L.A. County Federation of Labor, spoke from noon to 1 p.m. about the April 15 through 17 march that supported more than 350,000 union workers that will be negotiating their contracts with their companies in the fight to keep decent wages and benefits in the upcoming year.

“We want good jobs…everyone has the right to good jobs,” said Durazo.

Durazo, daughter of Mexican immigrants, remembered working in the farm fields since she was in high school when workers didn’t have health benefits and worked 12 to 14 hour days.

“It was very humiliating,” said

Durazo as she spoke about what it was like to work in the fields without toilets.

Durazo now represents 350,000 workers from 30 unions, people who will be fighting to keep the jobs, benefits, and wages they have now.

“Unions and labor movement make sure that there is a high standard of living,” said Durazo.

“It’s important that when students graduate that there are good jobs, that if they want to they can buy a home, have kids if they choose, go on vacations, and have a good retirement,” said Durazo.

“Bad jobs lead to poverty and poverty leads to gangs and violence.”

“There is always a threat, no matter what the occupation, to the standard unless there is a collective fight from workers to make sure that there is a high standard. If there isn’t a push back, I guarantee you, the standards would go down fast,” said Durazo.

Community college faculty,

janitors, hotel workers, teachers, actors, radio personnel, camera personnel, dishwashers, truck drivers, cashiers, longshore workers, and others are represented by unions that make sure that there are good jobs.

Durazo said that United Way did a study that showed 40 percent of workers in L.A. County don’t make enough to meet minimal basic living needs.

“Young people are having to stay at home and live with their parents longer because of the amount of money that it takes to survive these days,” said Durazo.

There are thousands of workers who are looking to unite in order to have better working conditions and benefits.

“Right now there are 15,000 truck drivers in the port of L.A. and Long Beach who have been classified as independent contractors in order to stop them from collectively organizing and demanding more for the work that they do,” said Durazo.

The drivers don’t have health insurance and worker’s compensation, “nothing applies,” said Durazo as they work 12 to 14 hours a day, picking up loads and moving 40 percent of products in this country that come from elsewhere in the world and are moved through the L.A. and Long Beach ports to distribution centers or are taken directly to the stores for an average of $25,000 a year.

As Durazo speaks about the march, she also remembers the contribution that Cesar Chavez made by devoting his life to forming the United Farm Workers (UFW).

“Had it not been for Cesar Chavez, I don’t know if I would have been motivated to do what I do today. He said yes we can do it, and it opened my eyes to a new world,” said Durazo who admitted looking up to Chavez.

“A few years ago, grocery stores went on strike to hold on to health care,” said Durazo.

Supermarket parent companies

were willing to loose over $500 million in order to change workers standards of living.

“The grocery workers are now starting at $9 to $10 an hour which is $5 to $6 an hour less than before the strike and “there is enough profits for supermarkets.

That should have never have happened,” said Durazo.

“Behind all jobs that you all seek to have… there are men and women that who are fighting hard every single day to have a good standard of living,” said Durazo.

Some of those men and women marched from Hollywood to the docks.

“No human being who works hard every single day should be deprived of what it takes to have a good standard of living,” said Durazo.

[See Related Story ‘Hollywood to the Docks’ this page ] Claudia Anaya can be reached at claudia_anaya@elvaq.com

‘Hollywood to the Docks’ March Draws Union Support

By Claudia Anaya

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

raffic began to stop at La Brea and Wilshire as actors, teachers, postal workers, long shore workers, janitors, and other community members began to march along Wilshire Boulevard.

More than 100 people joined together on April 15 at the La Brea Tar Pits with signs that read: “L.A. Workers: The Fight for Good Jobs.”

Hollywood to the Docks, a three-day march was held in support of more than 350,000 employees in more than 30 unions that will be negotiating their contracts this year.

Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary treasurer of L.A. County Federation of Labor, who had spoken of the event on April 3 at GCC, introduced various speakers and marchers at the rally before the march.

Angie Thompson, a Los Angeles county probation officer for 25 years, believes that kids are in jails because parents have “three lousy jobs and are being denied one good one…we need to stand together to form better communities and maintain the middle class.”

Jose Torres, one of the car washers from Vermont Car Wash spoke to the audience and said [he] “wants to change the conditions in the industry and ask for better wages.”

“Si se Puede, Yes We Can,” continued to be chanted by participants in the rally.

We “stand united in the fight for good and decent jobs,” said Esai Morales, actor and member of the Screen Actor’s Guild board.

More than 87 people had signed up for the march and more than 60 joined them to march along Wilshire Boulevard.

The International Longshore Workers drill team from San Francisco led the march in white hats, a tradition since 1934, when San Francisco longshore workers went on strike.

Marchers with megaphones spoke about the purpose of the march to people in cars on the opposite side of the street that were stopped at traffic.

“It’s to keep the wages we have now”, said Julieta Alvarado, member of the Institute Education of Southern California (IDEPSCA- Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California)

Other groups of the marchers echo chanted “People want to know, who we are, so we tell them, we are the unions, the mighty, mighty unions.”

“Contracts are expiring this year, and we’re showing that unions are sticking together and supporting each other,” said a member from the Screen Actors Guild.

The march continued with various stops where rallies

were held.

A janitors rally, construction workers rally, housing coalition rally, and a budget rally continued at different stops on April 15 with over 20 new participants at each stop.

On April 16 the march continued with more than 100 marchers and a community rally to bring good jobs to south Los Angeles and rest stops at Helen Keller Park and Rosecrans

Playground before the rally at Wal-Mart on 19503 S. Normandie Ave. in Torrance where marchers shouted “Don’t shop at WalMart!”

On the third day, a rally focusing on healthcare ended at the port of Los Angeles in San Pedro where additional longshore workers gathered in support..

Claudia Anaya can be reached at claudia_anaya@elvaq.com

Photo by Ismael Reyes

More than 100 workers joined in a Hollywood to the Docks March on Wilshire Boulevard April 15.

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

7

FEATURES

Club Debate: Conservatives versus Environmentalists

By Jessica Bourse

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

S

tudents enthusiastically tapped their pens on tables, agreeing with the statements spoken before them.

The speakers, having taken opposing positions, were now turning up the heat on environmental issues.

The debate between the Conservative Club and Project: Earth Tomorrow was held April 10 from noon to 1 p.m. The two topics discussed were global warming and free market solutions versus government programs.

The first issue debated concerned government intervention and free market solutions to protect the environment.

Taking the proponent argument, supporting government intervention, was John Shier, 19, undecided major.

On the opposing side, Anderson Au, 20, accounting major, took the negative argument, in support of free market solutions.

Shier stated that on various Web sites, such as USAspending. gov and the Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov), only $428 million out of $518 billion was spent on protecting the environment.

He also mentioned the Clean Air Act and the improvement in Los Angeles’ air quality since the 1970s, when the act was first ratified. The evidence was in the total number of days per year since then that were estimated as “smog-free.”

Au stated that the free market was a better regulator than the government because “the government acts like a bureaucracy, while the free market and the people solve their own problems… once the government makes an error, it takes years to correct. The free market corrects its errors sooner,” said Au. Au gave an example using whale oil and kerosene, suggesting that the free market was what saved the whales, not the government. Au said that it was the people who decided that whale oil wasn’t efficient enough, so they turned to kerosene as an alternative.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was created in December of 1946 and still exists to this day. Its main cause is to oversee the administration of whaling throughout the world, which includes: protecting endangered species of whales,

creating whale sanctuaries, prohibiting the slaughter of calves and/or females accompanied by calves, and limiting the number and sizes of whales killed. Nothing in their purpose statement mentions anything about kerosene.

Shier rebutted and repeated his main point, “We should invest in the environment as a people through the government… businesses (free market) think money, not morality.”

Au rebutted with, “The government doesn’t enforce morality. The Constitution does not enforce morality. If the concern for the environment was so great, then the people should think of something to fix it. The free market solves problems.”

The second half of the debate revolved around the issue of global warming, and whether or not humans are to blame. Taking the proponent argument, that man is causing global warming, was Tina Davtyan, 20, political science/environmental studies major. Au took the negative argument, maintaining that humans were not the cause of global warming.

Davtyan explained that human activities, such as driving, using electricity to power our homes, and the burning of fossil fuels are the biggest factors in what’s causing the rapid increase in global warming.

“The atmosphere is like a blanket that traps heat for earth,” said Davtyan, “with the increase in human activity, the thickness of the blanket increases and less heat can escape… scientists conclude that the slightest change in Earth’s temperature can mean catastrophe for the planet.”

Au argued that mankind’s impact on Earth’s climate change was insignificant. He referenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore and his documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which featured a large graph, mapping the patterns of temperature change and levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Au stated that in the graph, temperature rose before carbon dioxide, instead of the way it was presented in the film.

The chart, found in Gore’s book, also entitled “An Inconvenient Truth,” which hit number one on The New York Times Paperback Non-Fiction bestseller list, is credited to Science Magazine.

C a t h e r i n e Powers, professor of oceanography, explained what global warming is and how it is caused.

“Global warming is happening and it is a natural part of the Earth’s history,” said Powers, “Earth’s climate has oscillated between glacial and inter-glacial periods for the past 600 million years and has had at least three major glaciations lasting several Photo by Allan Beglarian million years. Yes, the Earth has been John Shier, 19 right, with the Environmental Club, makes a case aginst his opponent, Angradually warming derson Au, 20, a member of the Conservative Club, during a debate on global warming and for the past 15,000 free market solutions. years but the rate at which it is warming has increased “and the polar ice caps, which are amounts of carbon dioxide, in the past 150 years, a time that composed of dry ice, or frozen approximately “four gigatons,” coincides with an increase in our carbon dioxide, come and go with oceans create just as much carbon consumption of fossil fuels.” the seasons.” dioxide, at approximately “three “The sun is responsible for 80 Davtyan defended the gigatons.” percent of Earth’s climate,” said correlation between rising Davtyan closed her argument Au, “NASA reported that our temperatures and levels of carbon and ended the debate, “Earth sun has become 30 to 50 percent dioxide, maintaining that the is fragile.

Small increases brighter. The ice caps on Mars modernization of technology (in temperature) created big are melting… must be those has increased the carbon dioxide changes.”

SUV-driving aliens…” level.

Jessica Bourse can be reached at “The presence of ice caps on Au rebutted and stated that jessica_bourse@elvaq.com Mars is seasonal,” said Powers, while humans do produce large

8

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

www.elvaq.com

FEATURE

Harold Mack: Student with Cerebral Palsy Tells of Challenge

By Jessica Bourse

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

O

n a beautiful sunny day, in November 2007, Ralpha Harold Mack decided to go to the bookstore on his own.

“I went to Barnes & Noble to see if they had a book called ‘The Client,’” said the 37-yearold computer science major, “I couldn’t find it, so I went to the front desk and asked a lady for help.”

The employee stood there, staring at Mack for a good 60 seconds before telling him to wait as she went to look for the manager.

“The manager came back and told me I had to leave,” said Mack, “‘You have to leave because I can’t understand you,’ and she opened the door and pointed me out. She said, ‘Now, go!’”

Mack was born with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy, most commonly referred to as CP, is a chronic condition that affects the body’s movements and muscle coordination. The main cause of CP occurs when the specific areas of the brain pertaining to motor skills, such as the cerebellum, are damaged.

“I was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck,” said Mack. “It was cutting my circulation and caused brain damage.”

Due to his CP, Mack has great difficulty speaking, controlling his voluntary muscle movements, fine motor skills and maintaining his balance. Simple tasks, such as walking, writing and opening doors become difficult and almost impossible.

“People who have two working legs are lucky,” said Mack, “I have

to wait for someone to help me… it’s hard. I see people who are able to take stairs or escalators, but instead, they use the elevator, forcing me to wait. Sometimes I’m in a rush to get somewhere, like everyone else.”

When Mack recalled the incident at the Barnes & Noble bookstore, he expressed a feeling of frustration.

“They hurt my feelings,” said Mack. “They didn’t try to listen to me. I have a physical disability, not a mental one.”

Although Mack must use his wheelchair to get around, it is that wheelchair that gives him the independence he craves.

“I am most happy when I go out by myself,” said Mack, “it feels like I don’t have any disability problems.”

Mack loves to have fun and laugh. He enjoys being out on his own, going to movie theaters, watching comedies and action flicks. He is a skilled chess player, but also loves playing blackjack, gin rummy, and dominoes.

Those who know Mack could only express admiration when speaking of him.

“With Harold [Mack], it is amazing to see that he can still laugh at both himself and others,” said Aaron Hayden, 20, history major, “Given his situation, many people, including myself, would find it hard to even give a smile, much less a good laugh.”

“I think Harold is an amazing person,” said Professor Laura Matsumoto. “Harold is a genuinely kind and thoughtful man, who is quick to offer his great smile and a friendly ‘hello.’ …Harold works diligently to complete his lab work for CABOT 94 and other classes — spending up to three times or more the amount

Photo by Ismael Reyes

Student Ralpha Harold Mack who suffers from cebral palsy is constantly a victim of ignorance and fear.

time most other students would…

I know that Harold will excel in whatever career he chooses to pursue. It is a pleasure to work with Harold and to interact with him on a day-to-day basis.”

All that Mack asks of others is compassion.

“People judge from the outside, not the inside,” said Mack, “Sometimes, people look at me strange, but I say to myself,

‘if only you knew I was the same’.

I have a mind like everyone else, but I just can’t use my muscles…

Please, don’t just look at me — come talk to me.”

It is a fact that all humans have low points in their lives — those times where one can’t see the silver lining in gray storm clouds.

Although, at times, Mack has expressed the desire to “give up,” he doesn’t. He finds the strength

within himself, a powerful drive, to live his life to the fullest and most importantly, to love his life.

“I love my life because I’m here trying to get an education,” said Mack. “Sometimes I see people who don’t realize what they have: two working legs.

And sometimes they don’t do anything.”

Jessica Bourse can be reached at jessica_bourse@elvaq.com

Speech and Debate Team Demonstrates Competition Events

By Chabeli Sanchez EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

he “Intercollegiate Speech and Debate: Understanding the Events” was presented as part of the Humanities/ Social Science Lecture Series in Kreider Hall Thursday.

Speakers included members of the award winning speech and debate team which is also known as forensics. Glendale’s team is in its third year of competition and has received various awards in regional and

national competitions. This is a nationwide academic activity with a focus on creating quality public speakers using both traditional presentation techniques and performance-based methods.

Head coach Josh Fleming said, “speech and debate is an outlet for performance and it makes you more informed person.”

Students involved in the program learn of various different current events, works of literature, and public speaking skills. All are areas which better prepare students later in life.

Forensics vice president Tiffany Brain performed “Ren True Things” by Miranda July, one of her oral interpretations of a prose (a performance of works of literature composed into one piece). Brain and her duo partner and president of forensics Robert Cannon won top community college for Glendale at AFA (American Forensics Association) this year with duo performance.

James Heller and Grant Toumasian performed an exhibition debate on why Batman is better than Superman.

Toumasian shot down many of Heller’s arguments on Batman, humorously stating, “Batman as lots of mental problems.”

The debaters had the audience members laughing with low blow after low blow with arguments of homosexuality and slavery being thrown around. Heller and Toumasian displayed the many areas of debate that can be learned in being part of the forensics team, as well as all the fun that is to be had.

“Debate is a way to communicate through analysis,”

Fleming said.

For any information about Speech and Debate contact either: Jean Perry, Director of Forensics at Jperry@glendale.edu or call 818-240-1000 ext.5504 or Josh Fleming, Head Coach at Jfleming@glendale.edu or call 818-240-1000 ext. 3179

Chabeli Sanchez can be reached at chabeli_sanchez@elvaq.com

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

9

NEWS / FEATURES

Rwandan, Armenian Genocides Compared in Lecture

By Claudia Anaya

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

Photo by Fabienne Niederberger

Father Vazken Movsesian talks about the Armenian genocide and compares it to the Rwanda genocide during a lecture in Kreider Hall on April 22.

he battle to keep the Armenian genocide in people’s eyes was brought to campus April 22 by Father Vazken Movsesian during a lecture in which he compared it to the Rwanda genocide.

Movsesian, a grandchild of Armenian genocide survivors and priest in the Armenian Orthodox Church, spoke in Kreider Hall of his 2006 trip to Rwanda, where genocide had taken place in 1994.

“Bizarre inhumanity is not unusual because it happened to so many people and continued to happen in 2006,” said Movsesian, comparing the Armenian genocide of 1915 to the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and ongoing such human rights abuses.

Movsesian went to Rwanda to meet survivors of the 1994 genocide since he could not speak to the survivors of the Armenian genocide.

“I wanted to talk to the survivors of the Armenian genocide,” said Movsesian, who then realized that “there were none.”

Movsesian talked about a story he had read about an Armenian

genocide survivor who died a few years ago.

In the book, the survivor remembers that as a 9-year-old boy his father was shot and killed at point blank range and he saw his mother being raped and killed by a group of men as he hid behind furniture.

After the men had left, said Movsesian, the young boy took a spoon to dig a small grave to bury his parents. He later saw dogs dig up his parents’ bodies and eat them.

The story is the same story that many survivors, told. “Your grandparents went through this,” said Movsesian looking around the room.

During his trip, Movsesian visited the Rwanda genocide museum where he stepped on walkways where 260,000 people were buried and saw pictures of young kids who survived with their written stories of what they had gone through.

“The stories were the same as the Armenian Genocide,” said Movsesian, raising his voicein anger.

Movsesian remembers telling himself: “What happened in Armenia is happening today.”

On his third day in Rwanda,

Movsesian noticed that there were no “gray-haired people.”

Most of the “gray-haired people” had died in the genocide.

The ones who were left, were the people that who were once kids, the ones that who had seen their parents die.

Movsesian met a few grayhaired people, most of them suffering from AIDS that had been passed on by the men who raped them.

There, he also met a woman who as a child had to raise her five brothers and sisters after their parents had been killed.

“I saw my grandmother in this woman…. The only difference was the color of our skin,” said Movsesian.

After saying that the Armenian genocide has not been recognized by the United States government like it should be, Movsesian mentioned that the people in Rwanda had two rooms devoted to the Armenian genocide.

“I don’t need the president to tell me that the genocide happened,” said Movsesian, referring to the president of the United States, “people in Rwanda have two rooms devoted to it.”

Claudia Anaya can be reached at claudia_anaya@elvaq.com

Emergency Response System Short Story Contest for Glendale Students Tested During Power Outage

By Ross Coleman

EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

A

ttention aspiring writers: your time has come.

Glendale Focus magazine, circulation 10,000 and about 25,000 readership, is holding a short story writing contest for students of Glendale College.

“Glendale Focus is delighted to be sponsoring this contest,” said Gary Kemper, Focus publisher.

“We’re looking forward to finding some of the undiscovered young talent out there, perhaps people who have never been published before, people who have great ability.”

The first, second and third place stories will all be published in the magazine as well as receive gift certificates for their entries. $500 will be awarded to first, $250 for

second, $100 for third and three stories will be awarded $50 honorable mentions. The gift certificates are being provided by the Downtown Glendale Merchant Association.

All entrants have until May 15 to submit their stories.

The story should be a work of fiction and must be suitable for all audiences. The judging will be conducted by award –winning writers of short fiction and the Glendale Focus editor.

All manuscripts must be double-spaced and have margins of one inch or more. The story must be no longer than 3000 words. On a separate title sheet the writer must give name, contact information, GCC student ID number, and a word count.

All other pages must bear the name of the story and a page number in the header.

Stories can be either emailed as

a Microsoft Word document, as a Rich Text Format file, or as Simpletext. Emails can be sent to publisher@glendalefocus. info with a subject line of “GCC Contest Entry.”

Entries can also be mailed directly to Glendale Focus as long as they are postmarked by May 15. The can be sent to: Glendale Focus GCC Contest Entry 249 North Brand Blvd. #380 Glendale, CA 91203.

No Deliveries accepted by hand.

will

be

Ross Coleman can be reached at Ross_Coleman@elvaq.com

By Sharese Mirzakhanyan EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

A

power outage struck the college on Monday, with an emergency announcement alerting staff to shut down their computers as all of the college’s power was to be shut off.

The outage only affected a portion of the city near campus.

For nearly three hours classes were interrupted due to difficulties with the city of Glendale’s power generator.

Classrooms with windows were able to continue, but some had to be cancelled. Classes with electrical machines such as computers, pianos, and ceramics were cancelled.

Elevators have been down since Monday and technicians came in Tuesday for an inspection to ensure the safety of the many students who use the elevators.

Sharese Mirzakhanyan can be reached at smirzakhanyan@elvaq.com

10

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

www.elvaq.com 11

NEWS

Armenians Condemn Turkish Denial of 1915 Genocide Annual Protest Draws Thousands at Events in Glendale and Hollywood

Photo by Richard Kontas

Woodbury University Day At Glendale Community College: Tuesday May 20, 2008 10:00 am-2:00 pm San Rafael Plaza Photo by Allan Beglarian

An estimated crowd of more than 5,000 gathered in Hollywood on Thursday to protest the Turkish Genocide against the Armenian people and the world’s indifference towards the first genocide of the 20th century. Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, above right, addresses a candlelight vigil held on the steps of Burbank City Hall, on April 22.

Photo by Allan Beglarian

Artur Asaduryan and Gohar Najarian, members of the Unified Young Armenians which staged the Hollywood protest. Lusine Bagumyan, 21, nursing student and member of Armenian Student Association, lays Carnation stems at the foot of New York Times articles reporting the news of Turkish atrocities against Armenians during the 1915 Genocide.

Photo by Allan Beglarian

By Eric Konarki

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

orture, rape, and massacre were among the actions of the Ottoman Empire ruled by Muslim Turks against Armenian Christians.

More than 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were brutally slaughtered during and after World War I. From 1894 to 1896 and 1909 the first series of massacres took place. Also, in 1920 another series of massacres began.

The conventional date of the genocide is on April 24, 1915, when 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were arrested by Ottoman authorities.

The Ottoman Empire led Armenians into forced marches, deprived them of food and water. Also, rape, kidnapping and murder took place in the deserts that are now Syria.

The marches were held over hundreds of miles, resulting in the deaths of the Armenians. The Ottoman military also raided homes and burned down villages.

The Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey, does not recognize these events as genocide. The first genocide of the 20th century still holds pain which can only begin healing with recognition.

During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, Armenians were not equal citizens. They endured hardship, excessive taxes and second-class citizenship.

After World War 1, Turkey agreed to let the United

States draw the border between the Turkish government and the new Republic of Armenia. This is known as Wilsonian Armenia. Wilsonian Armenia included most of the six western Ottoman provinces and a large coastline on the Black Sea. On the 50th anniversary, the survivors and their children all over the world began commemorating the Genocide on April 24.

Across the world, many monuments as well as small plaques have been built in commemoration and remembrance for the unfortunate and unsuccessful elimination of the Armenians.

In the past few decades, the Turkish government has denied the genocide and spent millions of dollars to keep the truth hidden.

In Congress, legislators like Rep. Adam Schiff, Dem.-Glendale, have introduced legislation urging the U.S. to condemn the massacre. The last such bill, introduced by Schiff in 2007, failed to pass.

Los Angeles County holds the highest population of Armenians in the United States. Glendale has been a sanctuary for generations of Armenians; also Glendale is a point of entry for immigrants from Armenia, as well as Armenians emigrating from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, the former Soviet Union and Turkey.

In Glendale and surrounding cities, many commemorative events take place on April 24. At the Alex Theatre, the city of Glendale honored the Armenian Genocide with a 90-minute presentation featuring the 25-piece Mikael Avetisyan Chamber

Orchestra and the 70-voice choir with a special performance by opera singer Gegam Grigorian, Jivan Gasparian Jr. and the Glendale High School Choir.

The keynote speaker was Carla Garapedian, director and producer of the documentary Screamers, a documentary that followed the Rock band “System of a Down” as the tour the United States and Europe acknowledging modern genocide.

In little Armenia in Hollywood a march reenacted the marches forced by the Turks.

A protest took place at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles, staged not only to remember the victims but to bring justice and acknowledge the genocide.

At the Glendale Civic Auditorium, an event hosted by the Armenian Genocide United Commemorative Committee, featured guest speakers California State Sen. Jack Scott and California Assemblymember Paul Krekorian.

During a candlelight vigil in Burbank on April 22, Krekorian said, “Imagine the death toll of 9/11 occurring every day for two years and that gives you an idea of the magnitude of the Armenian Genocide.”

Eric Konarki can be reached at eric_konarki@elvaq.com

Join us for: Academic Program Overviews Transcript Reviews Financial Aid Seminar Scholarship Information Digital Presentation of Student Work Fun and Prizes For more information call: 1-800-784-9663

12

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

www.elvaq.com

FEATURE

Teacher Awarded for Child Development Skills

By Arpee Markarian EL VAQUERO COPY EDITOR

F

or the past 18 years, Debbie Frohmuth has walked into her classroom at the Child Development Center on campus and into the lives of young children.

But on April 15, this mother and senior master teacher walked on stage, in front of a crowd of about 300 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, and accepted the Preschool Teacher of the Year Award.

“I am very proud and very excited,” Frohmuth said in a soft-spoken voice. “It’s great. Winning this award acknowledges our field and supports high-quality childcare.

I think that recognizing the field is going to make a difference for the future of the children.”

This first-ever ceremony honoring early childhood educators took place during The Week of the Young Child, an annual celebration that focuses on early childhood programs and raises awareness of the needs of children and their families.

Frohmuth and five other L.A. County preschool teachers were recognized by The Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP),

the event sponsor.

“The teachers we recognized today have one thing in common,” said Gary Magniofico, LAUP Chief Executive Officer. “They share a deep-seated commitment to going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that young children are receiving a quality preschool education that will help them succeed in school and in life. They are a shining example of what the teaching profession is all about.”

This nonprofit organization was established in 2004 to create and fund the classrooms of 4year-olds in preschools across L.A. County. With $600 million funding through 2009 from First 5 LA, the commission instituted

by Prop. 10, they contribute to programs in a variety of settings including public, private, and charter centers.

A panel that included the L.A. County Board of Supervisors evaluated nominees on such areas as creative instructional strategies, fostering a classroom climate characterized by enthusiasm for teaching and learning, and engaging others in supporting pupils’ learning and development, such as parents and teaching assistants.

Frohmuth was among 100 L.A. County early education

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Photo by Fabienne Niederberger

Debbie Frohmuth, front row, fourth from left, with staff and students of the Child Development Center.

teachers nominated for the award by someone at their preschool.

They were all picked for their strong commitment to a quality preschool education, and their dedication to making a positive contribution to the children they serve.

Jeannette Tashiro, Director of GCC’s Child Development Center, and a parent, selected Frohmuth out of 10 teachers working at the center.

“We are quite honored to have not only the child development center,” Tashiro said, “but also the acknowledgment of Debbie’s hard work and dedication for so many years to the college and to the field…I think she stands out in her own way with her commitments to the college.”

Frohmuth’s colleagues thought she deserved to be elected, said Tashiro.

Among family and friends sharing Frohmuth’s special day was her student Mira Delfino, a 5-year-old blond girl who held a sign that read “I love Debbie,” with a heart drawn in the middle.

She “loves being around Debbie” and attended the event with her parents, who wanted to give her the opportunity to be there with Frohmuth, said Tashiro.

Frohmuth has been working with children for 31 years.

After she graduated from Cal State Northridge in 1977 with her bachelor’s in child development, she worked at VOA Maud Booth Family

Center in North Hollywood and Montrose Christian Montessori before moving to the Child Development Center on campus in September 1990, when it first opened.

Along with co-teacher Jacque Huggins, she now instructs 16 students in the LAUP PreKindergarden class, which she has taught for four years.

But Frohmuth involves her students in more than just playing games, reading and drawing pictures.

She has developed her own curriculum unit on photography, a passion she has incorporated into her classroom that she says helps students build their vocabulary and promotes literacy through first-hand experiences.

She has taught children how to take pictures of one another for assignments through basic demonstrations on the parts of cameras, how to hold them, frame a picture, click the shutter, and the function of light.

They explored film, negatives, slides, and black and white photographs on their field trips to a photography studio and to the darkroom lab on campus.

Even the playroom transforms into a portrait studio and darkroom, complete with tripod, backdrop, dress-up clothes, trays, tongs, and supplies.

At the end of the lesson, the poster boards that the children design, with pictures are displayed for parents, children,

college students, and staff to enjoy.

This class drew the attention of the Glendale News Press, which wrote an article about it in 2003.

Frohmuth also mentors college students at the center, which serves as a laboratory for those completing their required hours for the Child Development major. Volunteers from Crescenta Valley High School, Pacific Oaks College, UCLA, and other campuses also spend time in her class.

It is for all of these achievements, and more, that Frohmuth received her award.

After she and the other five award winners graced the stage, short video clips were shown of each of them in their preschools, talking about the value of working with children every day.

“I dedicated my career to preschool because of the impact it has on children’s lives and their families,” Frohmuth said in her video clip.

“I want to make sure that I meet the needs of every individual child. There is a big range in the classroom in ages as well as developmental stages, and I think that knowing my children and what they need and respecting them is the most important thing that I can do.”

Arpee Markarian can be reached at arpee_markarian@elvaq.com

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

13

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Prom Night’ Is a Forgettable Nightmare

By Eric Konarki

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

P

rom night is supposed to be an event you never forget; This “Prom Night” is a nightmare, that you won’t want to remember.

After a night at the movies with her friends, Donna returns to a broken-in home and a murdered younger brother and father. While hearing the screams, Donna witnesses the brutal murder of her mother by her sadistic and obsessed teacher.

Senior year is ending and Donna is still dealing with the heartache of her family’s death as she prepares for her senior prom.

A night she will never forget turns out to be a night to die for.

Nelson McCormick, the director of such popular TV shows such as “Prison Break” (2007-2008), “Nip/Tuck” (20032006) and “ER” (2002-2006) incorporates the intensity of these thrilling shows in this high school-orientated movie.

The old-fashion story of horror and suspense is directed with a modern twist.

Donna Keppel, the blonde high school senior, who witnesses the murder of her mother is played

by Brittney Snow (“Hairspray” 2007). Snow’s acting is very amateurish, her screams as the terrified student are the high point of her performance.

Donna’s boyfriend, Bobby, played by Scott Porter (“Friday Night Lights,” 2006-2008) is a polite individual who seems unnatural due to the young and naïve age he attempts to portray.

Donna’s best friend and prom queen, Lisa Hines, is played by Dana Davis (“Heroes,” 20072008). Davis is the most realistic character in the entire cast. She portrayed the basic emotions of teenagers very well.

Prom king and boyfriend of Lisa Hines, Ronnie Heflin portrayed by Collins Pennie (“Fired Up,” 2009), who expresses emotions realistically when he is worried about the fate of his girlfriend, He keeps you on his side throughout the entire movie because you can relate to him.

Detective Nash portrayed by James Ransone (“Inside Man,” 2006) delivers an above average performance, achieving his goal of the “good cop.”

The evil obsessed killer, Richard Fenton played by Johnathon Schaech (“Quarantine,” 2008) is an actor with great ability. His demeanor fits perfectly into the role of the murderer.

It is very obvious that the rest of the cast is new to the whole acting gig. Realism was missing throughout the entire movie.

J.S. Cardone, the writer of

Brittany Snow’s horrifing nightmare has returned in this terrible remake of “Prom Night.”

“Prom Night” had brilliant ideas, although the movie is missing a certain “va-va-voom” aspect.

Donna Marcione Pollack is the costume designer for “Prom Night.” Pollack did a very good job. Their choice of colors and dress styles for the females are very appropriate and modern.

The males are dressed in suits, fitting the title of the film.

Proms are an extravagant event in honor of graduating high school. Many schools rent lavish

venues, while other schools use the school gym. This movie exaggerates the expensive and nicely decorated venue. It looks like a Hollywood nightclub and is even referred to as one in the movie. No amount of fundraising would amount to such over-thetop decorations for a high school event.

The three main aspects of a good movie are great directing, interesting writing, and good acting. This movie lacked good

These ‘Smart People’ are Self-Centered Snobs

By Sharese Mirzakhanyan EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

he movie “Smart People” implies that people who are smart do not know how to be happy, are completely selfish, and essentially think that they are better than everyone else.

Everyone assumes that smart people are happy and successful, but this movie contradicts that idea. Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn. The movie is about a dysfunctional family that struggles to find some kind of happiness in life.

Directed by Noam Murro and written by Mark Poirier

(“Hateship, Friendship, Courtship,” to be released in June), the film depicts the loneliness of a college professor and his family.

This is Murro’s first high-profile feature.

It’s not a roll-in-the-aisleslaughing film, but it offers a few laughs throughout. Although it may not be the great comedy that the trailers make it out to be, “Smart People” is well structured and is made watchable by decent acting and some high moments.

Dennis Quaid (“Vantage Point,” 2008) plays Lawrence Wetherhold, a college professor and widower who has not been out with a woman since his wife died. He is disliked by all

his students and colleagues and shows disdain for everything life throws at him – good or bad. He cannot remember the names of his students, does not like to be bothered by them during office hours, and is harsh and blunt with everyone he meets. He does not even take the time of day to get to know his stepbrother Chuck, played by Thomas Haden Church (“Spiderman 3,” 2008).

Wetherhold lives with his over- achieving daughter Vanessa, played by Ellen Paige (“Juno,” 2007) and son James (Ashton Holmes- “What We Do Is Secret,” 2007). Vanessa is eager to get her father’s approval and acceptance and seems to follow

acting. Two out of three isn’t bad, but in this case the results are horrible. This movie will end up in the discount rack at your local video store. If you didn’t have a good prom night, this movie will make yours look great.

Time: 88 minutes.

Rating: 1 out of 4 stars.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language.

Eric Konarki can be reached at eric_konarki@elvaq.com

in his footsteps – full of distress and loneliness. Vanessa excels in everything she does and does not take one moment to enjoy life like other teenagers, but to her luck, her Uncle Chuck comes to her rescue.

Just as Chuck comes to Vanessa’s emotional rescue, Dr. Janet Hartigan played by Sarah Jessica Parker (“Spinning into Butter,’ 2007) does the same for Lawrence. She points out that he is self-absorbed and does not want to try to understand others. He suffers a concussion after falling off a fence and is reconnected with Janet, one of

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14

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Wii Release ‘Okami’ is Like Playing Within a Masterpiece

By Brent Wallace

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

O

kami is a beautiful action game that was originally released on the Playstation 2 about two years ago. Now Okami has been planted on the Wii, courtesy of Ready At Dawn Studios (Well known for its two PSP titles, Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus). It is amazing how well the game has held up over time. Okami’s transfer onto the Wii isn’t without its stumbles, but if you missed out on the PS2 version of this game there is no need to worry, because you’ve been given another chance to check it out.

The main story of Okami is a basic good versus evil affair based on Japanese mythology. You play as the sun god Amaterasu who has returned to the world in the form of a white wolf which had helped to defeat evil 100 years earlier.

The story itself is enough to get the game rolling, but it is the world and its characters that will really draw you into the story.

The world itself is gorgeous to look at while exploring. The characters all have their unique and funny personalities, from your pint-sized wise-cracking sidekick Issun, to the bumbling

and cowardly warrior Susano.

The basic game play of Okami takes a lot of notes from other action-adventure games, most notably the Zelda series.

You explore the vast landscape purifying the land of an evil curse by rejuvenating the land’s flora, feeding animals, helping the townsfolk, defeating bands of demons, and more.

The world of Okami is very large, but you’re a fleet-footed wolf here; so traversing the land quickly is not a problem at all. One of the great things about Okami is that unlike certain actionadventure games, you never feel like there’s a lack of things to do, even if you decide to veer off the main quest slightly.

It helps that Okami is a very long game, especially for an action-adventure game. Even if you just rush through the main storyline, the game will easily take you around 30 hours to complete. This amount is more than doubled if you try to find everything Okami has to offer.

One of Okami’s most satisfying gameplay elements is the celestial brush system, which essentially allows you to paint various ink patterns on the land to create miracles. For example, you can fill in the space between

two broken halves of a bridge to rebuild it, or you can slice enemies clear in half with a simple straight line through them.

The Wii version of Okami makes the celestial brush system more interesting thanks to motion controls. The system as a whole feels more natural than it would with an analog stick. However, the celestial brush’s motion controls can be quite unwieldy for new players early on. This can make simple techniques, such as the power slash, more difficult to pull off than they should be.

This wouldn’t be that much of a problem if the game didn’t start throwing these tricky scripted sequences at you from early on in the game, which require you to do certain celestial brush techniques up to five times in quick succession. These sequences are pretty frustrating early on, but they become more enjoyable and easier along with the celestial brush system as a whole over time.

Motion controls are also used during combat. Simple swings of the remote allow you to do basic attacks and combos with your equipped weaponry. You may have trouble with Okami’s combat if you are used to the mindless swinging that justified the combat from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Okami’s combat is much more precise and requires you to time your swings to be effective in combat.

Even though it is a precise system, the combat in Okami is quite easy. This is more due to the

game’s enemy design however, and not because of anything like lackluster enemy Artificial Intelligence (AI). The enemy AI in Okami actually puts up an entertaining fight.

What would an actionadventure game like Okami be without some huge boss battles?

Okami has many boss battles throughout its duration, though they also tend to be a bit easy to beat.

If there is a major problem with the motion controls in Okami, it is the controls for dodging. When you have learned the appropriate ability in the game, you can swing the nunchuck in any direction to dodge in that direction. At least, in theory.

The game is aptly responsive to the swings of the nunchuck, but 90 percent of the time the game has you dodge in a different direction than intended.

Fortunately, dodging is not essential to winning the game. But there is still absolutely no excuse for Ready At Dawn to have sent the game out with something that needed as much work as the dodge mechanism.

Graphically, Okami is still a gorgeous game to look at. The whole game looks like a painting in motion. Even after two years, there are few games that can even come close to matching Okami in artistic prowess. Okami has also held up surprisingly well from a technical standpoint, as the particle effects, character models, animation, and textures all look great.

Okami fares well in the sound department as well. The music ranges from peaceful to ominous, and generally fits the theme of each area perfectly. The mumbling sounds made by the characters you chat with in the game are also entertaining. It goes to be noted that this mumbling is the only voice that the characters get in Okami; as there is absolutely no voice acting to be found in the game.

Ultimately, Okami’s transfer to the Wii is far from flawless.

The motion controls are a bit unwieldy at first and the broken dodge move is inexcusable, but it all gets better with practice.

If you have the PS2 version of Okami, there is not much reason to recommend the Wii version, since it offers no new content other than a new control scheme.

However, if you missed out on the PS2 version, own a Wii, and are looking for a high-quality action-adventure game, you’ll really appreciate the gorgeous masterpiece that is Okami.

Released: April 15 ESRB rating: T for teen: Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco.

Retail Price: $39.99 Availability: Retail stores and online vendors.

My Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

Brent Wallace can be reached at brent_wallace@elvaq.com

No Surprises From ‘Smart People’ [“Smart People,” from Page 13]

Defeat evil forces as Amaterasu, the white wolf.

his former students. He opens his heart and takes small steps to become a better person with the help of Janet.

“Smart People” is a predictable movie. The audience knows what to expect from scene to scene. The lonely man will find a woman and will overcome all the obstacles.

The woman will show that no matter how smart he may be, he still has a great deal to learn about life and even love.

Church makes the movie worthwhile. His character is different than the others. Although at first glance, his character is portrayed as a lazy bum who mooches off his stepbrother, but throughout the movie we realize

he is so much more significant.

Although he may not have an extremely high IQ, he is very knowledgeable about life and its important aspects.

C h u r c h and Paige give the best performances.

Poirier ’s first screenplay, this could have used a little more work; the conversations between the characters do

not seem very meaningful. All in all, “Smart People” was not a bad movie, but it could have been much better.

Runtime: 95 minutes Rating: PG 13 2 stars out of 4

Sarah Jessica Parker plays Janet Hartigan in “Smart People.”

Sharese Mirzakhanyan can be reached at smirzakhanyan@elvaq.com

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

15

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘This is Not A Tree’ Stand-Out Theater Event

By Jessica Bourse

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

B

efore entering the studio theater, all that can be heard is an ensemble of birds whispering a woodland symphony. As you finally enter, leaves fall on your head and you find yourself in forest of television sets and wires.

The theater arts department presented an original and experimental multi-media piece entitled “This is Not a Tree,” co-created by professors Anita Bloom and Melissa R. Randel, as well as the theatre arts (TA) 163/164 workshops.

“This is Not a Tree” tells the story of a network of people, interconnected through family and friends, as they cope with the changing world around them. It sheds light on the text-messagingMP3-playing world we live in and illustrates how technology creates barriers between us and at the same time, brings us together.

From the moment the audience walks in the studio auditorium, they are immediately pulled into the production and roles change from audience member to participant. Throughout the play, the actors moved around the

room, walking through rows of seats, passing out flyers, throwing leaves around and making eye contact — with audience members. This technique drew the audience in, making the experience much more personal and interactive.

This avant-garde production brilliantly fuses distinct concepts together, such as: nature and machinery; order and chaos; life and death; the new and the familiar.

The cast proved to be exceptional actors. One thing is to play a role of a character we’ve seen time and time again, and another is taking on the challenging role of presenting original characters that have never been introduced to the world of theater before.

The characters portrayed had a sense of familiarity, having seen them in real life: Rob (Jim Niedzialkowski), the computer nerd; Jasmine (Michelle Ferrand), the frustrated girlfriend and actress; Daniel (Taka Yamamoto), the aspiring filmmaker; Ian (John Oliver), the birdwatcher and environmentalist; Josie (Kim Turnbull), the single mother; Mei Mei (Yinghsuan Tsai), the fierce yet adorable video gamer; Delia (Lucia Margarian), the caring

Photo by Graig Agop

John Oliver, from left, Kim Turnbull, Michelle Ferrand, and Yinghsuan Tsai in are controlled by technology in “This is not a Tree.”

sister and daughter; Joe (David McGee) and Margaret (Yvonne Younger), the older and loving couple and the Witness (Jesselynn Desmond), the observant freespirit.

The set was superbly designed

by Professor Guido Girardi and skillfully constructed by

the classes of TA 129/131. The costumes, designed by Desmond, were vivid, colorful and innovative and helped complete the characters.

“This is Not a Tree” was a marvelous and ground-breaking production. It took the world we thought we knew, and opened

our eyes to see ourselves and the lives we live in a whole new perspective.

My Rating: Four stars out of four.

Jessica Bourse can be reached at jessica_bourse@elvaq.com

‘Spontaneous Fantasia’ Brings Art to Planetarium

Photo by Fabienne Niederberger Photo by Graig Agop

Has technology taken control of you? Michelle Ferrand, from left, Takahiro Yamamoto, and Jesselynn Desmond, struggle to resist temptation in this break-through production co-created by Melissa Randel and Anita Bloom.

J.Walt Adamczyk performs the live animation “Spontaneous Fantasia” for the audience at the Planetarium on April 11. His art pieces incorporate elements of animation, theater, dance, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, and interactive art.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘All My Sons’ Dazzles on the Mainstage Theater Stage

Scenes from “All My Sons” (from left) Narineh Tahmasebian, Movses Karapetyan; Diana Wehbe and Karapetyan; Tahmasebian and Jason Gonzales; and Santino Pietrantonio in the Glendales’ production of Artur Miller’s intense family drama,“All My Sons.” The play runs through Sunday in the Mainstage Theater.

Linwood’s Debut CD Leaves a First-Degree ‘Burn Effect’

By Eric Konarki

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

L

inwood’s debut CD leaves one with a first-degree “Burn Effect.”

The four-piece band from Cleveland, Miss. consists of lead singer Bo Lindsey, Scott Coopwood plays guitar, Barry Bays on bass and Rick Shelton bangs the drums.

Linwood’s music does not have the typical message all rock bands rock on about. “We write what’s in [our] hearts and what we really

feel,” said Lindsey on the band’s Myspace page. Apparently, the messages from these rockers are lost in translation because there are slight hints of what the messages are but in the end confusion still lingers.

Linwood’s music lacks a real valuable aspect that divides the amateur from professional. The formula for a great song isn’t just putting words to music, as this band has done but making sure the lyrics, melodies and rhythms all blend in harmony.

The band’s debut album, “Burn

Effect,” has 11 songs that torture you. All the lyrics in the songs have a negative influence. Lyrics like “Lie to me and lie to you,” “the dead are everywhere,” and “you’re better then me” only instill discouraging thoughts among listeners.

Although the band members claim that they are influenced by such huge rock idols as like Foo Fighters, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beatles, U2, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, the band is far behind the great works of these number one hit providers.

Linwood needs to leave their ’90s music back in the ’90s and transition to the new millennium.

The sound of the band is very ‘90s because in the millennium new technology has risen and it seems

like this album was recorded in a garage or a basement.

It might have taken two years to write all the songs and release this album, but [the band] should have taken more time and put in more effort to produce an acceptable album.

According to their press kit Linwood chose 11 songs out of 22 to put on the album. After listening to all 11 songs it seems like they are either playing a cruel joke on the listeners or the wrong 11[songs] were purposely put on this album to sabotage the bands career.

Despite all the negative aspects of Linwood and “Burn Effect” the vocals are a little bit above average and with more training and lyrical assistance Linwood’s next album

might actually be enjoyable. After giving this band another try without skipping through the tracks it ended up being thrown out my car window.

This summer Linwood will be making a short tour of the larger cities in the South. Don’t waste your time or money as their only fans will be their families.

My Rating: 1 out of 4 stars For more information visit.: w w w. m y s p a c e . c o m / b u r n e f fectcd www.linwoodmusic.net Eric Konarki can be reached at eric_konarki@elvaq.com

Free Pregnancy Tests Are Available • V isit or call the Asian Pacific Health Care Venture – a community health center.

• Family Planning Services (STD Testing, Birth Control Methods, etc.), • Emergency Contraception Pill (ECP), and • Free Pregnancy Tests (walk-ins available) APHCV 1530 Hillhurst Ave., Suite 200,Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 644-3888 • www.aphcv.org

Photo by Allan Beglarian

Dressed in black attire, armed with commitment and a love for singing, the Glendale choir performed at Santa Clarita’s College of the Canyons’ state of the art Performing Arts Center on April 23.

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

17

SPORTS

‘Schizophrenic’ Vaqs Receive a Bakersfield Beat Down

By Ross Coleman

EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

T

here is only one word that came to mind after the Vaqueros baseball team lost to Bakersfield College 19-8 on April 12: schizophrenic.

“Our team is schizophrenic,” said head coach Chris Cicuto after the loss.

“We can go to Bakersfield and beat them 10-4 on Tuesday and have opportunity to take three out of four from these guys and just stink it up.”

And stink it up they did. No Vaquero pitcher lasted longer than three innings and all four who appeared gave up at least one run. In fact, Bakersfield scored in all but two innings, including five innings of three or more runs.

The Vaqs looked like they might keep the game close early on, scoring three runs in the first inning. However, until the ninth inning they only managed a single run.

In the ninth inning the Vaqs looked like a completely different team. With most of the starting line up on the bench, the team scored four runs including two solo home runs by sophomore infielder Matthew Magallon and freshman outfielder Matthew Johnson.

Vaqs sophomore Taylor Smale was saddled with the loss after being charged with eight runs including three in the first.

The Vaqs also committed eight errors in the field. “That’s a lack

Photo by Graig Agop

Vaquero catcher, Jose Mendieta, takes action into his own hands and outs base runner Travis Morgan, 20, during the April 12 game against Bakersfield.

of focus and taking care of your personal responsibility,” said Cicuto.

While there was a lot from the game that the Vaqs would like to forget, there were a few things the team will build on for the rest of the season. Johnson came off the

bench to get not only his first hit of the season, but also he recorded his first home run as a member of the Vaqs.

“You can’t be happier for a young man like that who works hard every single day, a guy who deserves to see his hits fall,” said

Cicuto. “He does it right every single day. Hopefully our guys can feed off something like that.”

Sophomore Luis Rivas contributed with two hits including a double and led the team with three RBI’s.

“We were bad, we were real

bad; it is what it is,” Cicuto said.

The Vaqs look to bounce back from the disappointing loss to finish the last two weeks of the season strong.

Ross Coleman can be reached at Ross_Coleman@elvaq.com

Track and Field, Softball Stars Collect WSC Titles

By Ross Coleman

EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

S

Photo by Jake Madrigal

Lady Vaquero tennis player Miyuki Yokozuka gives it her all in the April 10 match against Ventura college.

Photo by Allan Beglarian

Ryan Stanbury, 19, jumps to return a serve.

uccess continues to follow the sports teams on campus this spring, with awards and honors being handed down to Glendale’s finest athletes.

The women’s track and field team finished second in team competition at the Western State Conference meet. Zitalic Ley won WSC titles in two different events, coming in first in both the 10,000 meters and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Vivien Wadeck won WSC titles in the 1,500 meters and the 5,000 meters. Along with Ley and Wadeck, numerous others qualified for the Southern California prelims on Saturday at Bakersfield College.

On the men’s side the only WSC title winner was Mike Flowers who won the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Flowers as well as other members of the team will also be competing in the Southern California prelims.

The softball team completed their regular season behind a strong season from Kelly Korras who was named WSC pitcher of the year with a record of 17-15 and an ERA of 1.26.

Diana Garcia, the leading hitter for the Lady Vaqs, was named first team All-WSC with a .376 average. Debbie Martin and Melissa Legaspi were both Honorable Mention.

Other awards for Vaquero athletics will be announced in the next few weeks.

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SPORTS

Lady Vaqueros Go Out With a Big Bang!

By Chabeli Sanchez EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

W

hat better way to end a season and to say farewell to a few teammates then with a victory in Western State Conference play.

April 17 at the Glendale Sports Complex was an exciting day for the Lady Vaqs softball team, with a final score of 7-6 against Bakersfield, setting a school record with 120 season steals.

With a total of 13 one-run losses this season, it was ironic that the Lady Vaqs won their last game by one run.

For sophomores Kelly Korras, Diana Garcia, Desiree Cunanan and Sarah Sardo this was their last game as Lady Vaqs and what an amazing last game it was.

By the second inning the Lady Vaqs were down by three, with Bakersfield leading with a score of five.

What looked like a time to start worrying about the fate of the game for our Lady Vaqs turned to knowing how sad it was going to be for Bakersfield on that long ride home sulking in their loss.

It was game time for the Lady Vaqs, the defense was finally alive. For pitcher Kelly Korras it was strike out after strike out.

Coach Dave Wilder said, “it was another great game for Kelly.”

Freshman outfielder Melissa Legaspi scored on second baseman Diana Garcia’s sacrifice fly in the third inning.

Freshman first baseman Krista Smith brought the score to 5-4 after she was brought in on a bunt hit by sophomore infielder Desiree Cunanan in the fourth inning. Bakersfield fought back scoring one more run, not knowing it would be their last in the game.

The fifth inning brought pure excitement, when Smith smacked a fly ball double into left field, knocking in two runs and tying up the game at 6-6.

What came in the sixth inning was unreal. Freshman catcher Kristina Nazarian led with a bunt putting her on first, but not for long as an errant throw allowed her to advance to second. Freshman shortstop Jocelyn Pedraza followed with the second bunt landing her on first and moving Nazarian to third. Legaspi came up to bat with the third consecutive bunt, Bakersfield’s third baseman came in for the catch and threw to first but as she did Nazarian came into home winning the game for the Lady Vaqs.

The Lady Vaqueros end the season with 22-17, 15-10 in conference standing.

Chabeli Sanchez can be reached at chabeli_sanchez@elvaq.com

Photo by Richard Kontas

Lady Vaquero catcher Kristina Nazarian, 8, scores the winning run, against Bakersfield on April 17.

Vaquero Sports Summaries Scores Men’s and Women’s Track and Field: April 19 competed in WSC Preliminaries April 26 competed in WSC Finals Men — finished ninth in team results Women — finished second in team results Baseball: April 10 defeated Bakersfield 10-4 April 12 lost to Bakersfield 19-8 April 15 defeated L.A. Mission 14-2 April 17 lost to L.A. Mission 12-6 April 19 defeated Citrus 10-7 April 22 lost to Citrus 14-2 April 24 lost to L.A. Valley 8-2 April 26 defeated L.A. Valley 7-6

Men’s Golf: April 14 competed in WSC at Bakersfield Softball: April 10 defeated College of the Canyons 8-6 April 17 defeated Bakersfield 7-6 April 22 defeated Santa Monica via forfeit Men’s Tennis: April 10 lost to Ventura 9-0 April 18-19 competed in WSC Tournament Women’s Tennis: April 10 lost to Ventura 2-7 April 18-19 competed in WSC Tournament

Upcoming Events Men’s and Women’s Track and Field: Saturday So. Cal. Preliminaries at Bakersfield May 10 So. Cal. Finals at Bakersfield Baseball: Thursday vs. College of the Canyons at GCC 2:30 p.m..

Men’s Golf: Monday WSC 36-Hole Tournament at Soboba Springs Country Club May 12 So. Cal. Regionals at Murietta Photo by Richard Kontas

Lady Vaquero pitcher Kelly Korras displays her style against Bakersfield.

Men’s Tennis: Thursday through Sunday So. Cal. Regionals at Riverside May 8-10 State Tournament at Long Beach Women’s Tennis: Thursday through Sunday So. Cal. Regionals at Santa Barbara May 8-10 State Tournament at Long Beach For more information visit: www.glendale.edu/athletics/

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19

Calendar On Campus events Teacher of the Year — Vote for teacher of the year today and Thursday in Plaza Vaquero.

A.L.A.S. — The Association of Latin American Students hosts the 2008 Peña Festival. The Festival will feature live music, performers, latin cuisine, and vendors. The proceeds from this event will be donated to The Children of Chiapas Foundation, a non-profit organization that aids poor children in Mexico. Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Plaza de Las Americas (Plaza Vaquero) near the cafeteria.

Admission is $12 for faculty, $6 for students, $7 for parents, and free for children 12 and under. For more information, call (818) 2401000, ext. 5470.

High School Dance Day — Features workshops, master classes and performances. Master class-

es and judging will be given by Shane Sparks and Alex DaSilva, choreographers of the FOX-TV show “So You Think You Can Dance!” May 10 from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Free for high school students and their teachers. Admission to the general public is $5. Sierra Nevada Gym Dance Theatre and Auditorium Mainstage. For more information, visit www.glendale.edu/dance or contact Phyllis Eckler at (818) 240-1000, ext. 1122.

Invitational Choirfest — GCC vocal groups and local high school choirs will perform May 7 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium.Free.

For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5660 Transfer Center — University representatives from CSUN, CSUN International and Cal State Los Angeles will be on campus today to answer questions.

The Transfer Center is in the San

Rafael building on the second floor. For more information, visit www.glendale.edu/transfercenter or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5442

clubs Swing Dance Club — Instructor Philippe Leibzig. Free for students. Fridays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in SN104. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/ pleibzig or call (818) 761-6042.

A.S.E.A — The American Society of Engineers and Architects meets the first and third Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 6 p.m. in AT220. New members welcome GCC College Choir — Join the GCC Choir in performances from around the world. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday noon to 1 p.m. AU211. For more information, contact Jayne Campbell at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5660.

Honors Biology Club — Club meets every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. in CR 137. Meetings will include guest speakers. Open to all students. For more information, email honorsbiologyclub@ yahoo.com.

exhibitions “The Silence of Infinite Space” — The Art Gallery presents a group art exhibition curated by Aram Moshayedi. Now through Friday. Admission is free. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit www. glendale.edu/artgallery or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.

“2008 Outdoor Art Show”— The Creative Minds Club hosts an exhibition featuring all types of student art. May 7 and 8 in Plaza Vaquero. To register or for more information, call Vangie (818) 395-3525 or Benny (818) 321-9413.

theater “All My Sons” — The GCC Theater Arts Department presents Arthur Miller’s intense family drama “All My Sons.” directed

by Larry Biederman. Thursday through Sunday. Auditorium Mainstage Theatre. General admission is $10 and $6 for students. Showtimes vary. For more information, visit www.glendale. edu/theatre or call (818) 2401000, ext. 5618.

planetarium “Spontaneous Fantasia” — A real-time animation by J. Walt Adamczyk created for the full dome in the Planetarium. Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $10 and $6 for children under 12. For more information, visit www.glendale. edu/planetarium or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5275.

Around Town events The Fiesta of the Spanish Horse — Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive, Burbank. This special event features many horses, music, Flamenco and Folkloric dancing, a variety of vendors, food and a raffle. Saturday starting at 3 p.m. General admisison is $20. For more information, visit www. fiestaspanishhorse.com or call (818) 8427444.

Writing Contest — Writers of short fiction, who are active students at Glendale Community College, are invited to enter an inaugural Short Story Contest. First, Second and Third place winners will be published in “Glendale Focus” this June. To participate manuscripts must be emailed to publisher@glendalefocus.info, hand deliveries are not accepted.

Entry deadline is May 15. For complete information, call (818) 445-2523.

Cinco De Mayo — Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Celebrate the Hispanic heritage with live music and performers. Saturday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. and Sunday

from 1 to 2 p.m. Admission to the festivities is free with garden admission. For more information, visit www.descansogardens.org or call (818) 949-4200.

Panel Discussion: Making Art for the Movies — Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St., Pasadena. This discussion with renowned Hollywood artists who will discuss the artist’s role in the film industry and how art influences movie making.

May 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. Free with museum admission. For more information, visit www.pmcaonline. org or call (626) 568-3665.

exhibitions One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now — Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., Los Angeles, presents a traveling exhibition organized by the Asia Society that brings together seventeen artists from across the United States who challenge the category of Asian American art. Now through Sunday. Hours vary. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for students with ID. For more information, visit www.janm.org or call (213) 625-0414.

Cowboys and Presidents — The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, presents the national traveling show that explores the fascinating and ongoing intersection of cowboy culture and presidential politics from Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush. Now through Sept. 7. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $9 for adults and $5 for students with ID. For more information, visit www.autrynationalcenter.org or call (323) 667-2000.

The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present — California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Los Angeles. This exhibition provides visitors with a unique opportunity to revisit the African Legacy in Mexico and the Americas. Now through June 1. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.caamuseum.org or call (213) 744-7432.

And Then Again Printed Series: 1500-2007 — The Armand Ham-

mer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. This exhibition examines the development of serial imagery in prints from the early European Renaissance to the present day. Now through July 13. Museum hours vary. Admission is $5 for adults and free for students with ID. For more information, visit www.hammer. ucla.edu or call (310) 443-7000.

music “Peter and the Wolf” — Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd. the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra presents Lucinda Carver as she conducts Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”, a story of animals told through instruments. Sunday at 2 p.m. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.alextheatre.org or call (818) 243-7700.

dance Forever Flamenco — Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles. The continuing series showcases a rotating roster of flamenco dancers, singers and musicians. Sunday at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.fountaintheatre. com or call (323) 663-1525.

theater “Of Mice and Men” — Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, presents director Paul Lazarus’ remake of John Steinbeck’s classic. This version is the story of two Mexicans who cross the border in search of the American dream. Saturday through June 8. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org or call (626) 356-7529.

wellness Free Health Clinic — Open Tuesdays 6 to 8:30 p.m. On a first come, first served basis. Located at 134 N. Kenwood St. Third floor, room 330. No job related physical exams offered. For more information visit www.glendaleclinic.org or call (818) 243-2105, ext. 202.

Free Yoga in the Park— Runyon Canyon Park, 2000 Fuller Drive, Los Angeles. Free yoga lessons every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (323) 666-5046.

Compiled by Tina Hagopian

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VAQUERO VIEWS

Fire broke out in the Angeles National Forest above nearby Sierra Madre on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of 1,000 people and closing area schools. — Photo by Jane Pojawa