Vol 43, No. 13 (2/2/2011)

Fe We br dn ua es ry da 2, y 20 11

New Shanghai Circus:

Chinese acrobats and contortionists dazzle crowd.

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Micah Brown: Former

Saddleback student releases debut album on iTunes.

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Vol. 43 No. 13

Men’s Tennis: Falcons.

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Gauchos v.s.

28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, California

President Burnett has 10 goals in 2011 Projects include fundraisers for scholarships and academic programs

I

DANIEL FALK

n a time of financial crisis, students will still be able to benefit from scholarships thanks to up to a $25 million endowment and a $25 million match from the Bernard Osher Foundation.

According to osharfounda-

Photo

tion.org, the $1,000 scholarships are “intended to cover any enrollment fees, lab fees, books, uniforms, tools and other equip-

by

Oliver Yu

ment required by a student’s academic program.”

In volume II, third edition of the President’s Guacho Gazette,

President Todd Burnett provided an update to his top ten projects. One of these projects is to raise money towards the Oshar scholarships.

“Thus far,” Burnett said, “we have raised almost our full match of $671,175, which will give us close to a $1.4 million endowment.”

According to foundationccc. org, Saddleback has donated $552,737, or 82 percent of the money pledged, towards the Osher scholarship match.

As part of his top ten projects, Burnett is committed to reaching the full match quota, and plans to continue fundraising.

“The Osher fundraising we do

through all kinds of events and other types of efforts through direct scholarship campaigns,” Burnett said.

“We have an APEEL campaign that we do for on campus to get faculty staff and administrator to donate the scholarship campaign.”

The Apple “A PEEL” campaign is an “employee matching gift scholarship program,” according to saddleback.edu.

Employees are encouraged to donate money towards the Osher scholarship program.

“The gifts [will be] matched 200 percent (100 percent by the Bernard Osher Foundation, and 100 percent by President Todd

Burnett’s foundation fund.”

According to Burnett, the endowments are meant to be a perpetual source of scholarship money.

The scholarship money given to students is based of the interest earned from the endowment.

“The principle will be $1.4 million,” Burnett said.

“Each year we will get the interest dividends from that. We’ll give out scholarships based off that. Endowment means we take the interest of the principle and each year we get the interest dividends from that put that towards the scholarships.” dfalk1@ivc.edu

SOCCCD creates mobile application to keep students, alumni, and teachers informed about campus news App will provide students access to schedules, current events, and a GPS system to locate classes

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EVELYN CAICEDO

ext Monday is the official launch of a mobile application, or app, for students using smart phones.

This app was to accomdodate both the Irvine Valley Collge campus as well as Saddleback College.

Because of the success of Saddleback College’s Facebook page, a move toward keeping up with other trends in communication technology is in the works.

Although the app has already been out since the beginning of the month, it is currently available from the iTunes Stores only for iPhones and iPod touch, and requires Apple iOS 3.1.3.

The app has already received plenty of praise.

“It makes everything more efficient,” said Paris Dalirifar, 18, business. “It puts everything at your fingertips.”

The staff at both Saddleback

and Irvine Valley College are always trying to provide information to the students in whichever format they prefer, so getting an app was just the next step for the future, said Amy Wheeler, the public information officer for Saddleback.

Jim Gaston, the associate IT director at South Orange County Community College District, started working with the Blackboard Connect application and from there began the Saddleback app.

He then submitted the idea to the Apple store. After he released his concept, many others helped to make the application a reality. “[Gaston] has been the driving force,” Wheeler said.

“Both IVC and Saddleback’s web design creators have been helping out. The public relations and marketing staff have been providing graphics as well as a lot of others from different departments contributed.”

The app will have a GPS feature to locate any class or specific area on campus as well as locating off-campus local restaurants.

In addition, students would be able to access Blackboard, contact teachers through a campus directory, and click on links that are often requested.

Erin Gray, 18, undecided, got a peek at the new app’s features.

“I like how I can access Blackboard without a computer,” Gray said. “All the features make my life pretty con-

venient.”

With further updates to the app, the students will soon be able to access the library catalog, view class schedules, add or drop classes, and get news updates of current events on campus through the online version of the Lariat.

“I would definitely use [the new mobile application],” said Andrea Anderson-Tilden, 43, nursing. “This is amazing.”

Staff, faculty and management will be given the opportu-

“It makes everything more efficient and puts everything at your fingertips.”

-Paris Dalirifar, 18, business

nity to become familiar with the apps this week during one-hour workshops.

“These apps are going to provide our students some exciting new services and they will place our college at the very front of an important shift in online technology,” President Tod Burnett wrote in an e-mail.

“This is an exciting milestone.”

In order to provide the best possible updates for the app, the

staff is asking for student feedback for including other possible features.

Wheeler said they are reviewing comments on the Facebook page and will have a support email address when the application officially released.

The next step is to create an app that functions on other smart phones such as Droids and Blackberries.

“It is pretty simple. And we hope it is helpful,” Wheeler said.

“We hope to get it out on all platforms as soon as possible so that is our next step after launch.”

Other future plans include updat-

ing the current Saddleback website to be mobile friendly.

This addition will give any student with internet access on their phone easy access to the website.

For information on what is happening on campus, visit www.facebook.com/SaddlebackCollege. ecaicedo0@saddleback.edu

Photo Illustration by Oliver Yu

TECHNOLOGY: Explore the new application designed to keep students updated on campus news.

Guest lectures attract awardwinning scientists and speakers

S

ADAM JONES

Photo by Irene Curie, DaCapo Press 1937

addleback College biology and chemistry departments announced their second annual Science Lecture Series beginning Jan. 28 and continuing bi-monthly until April 15.

The lecture series consists of eight individual lectures by award-winning scientists covering a wide variety of topics from neurodegenerative and infectious diseases to paleontology and geobiology.

All lectures are open to the

public and free of charge, and are filled with relevant information on topics that are at the leading edge of the science world.

The Feb. 25 lecture will feature the performance of “Manya: A Living History of Marie Curie,” a look into the life of the the Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Marie Curie.

This performance is two hours long and has a 10-minute intermission.

The featured lectures will be held Fridays, Feb. 11 and 25, March 4 and 25, and April 1, 8, and 15 in Room 313 in the

Math, Science and Engineering building.

Each lecture starts at 10:30 a.m. and will be 90 minutes long, followed by open forum discussion between the audience and the lecturer.

Further information on the series as well as the individual lectures is on the division’s website at www.saddleback. edu/mse.

Index News.....................2 Life.......................3 Opinion.................4 Arts......................5 Sports...................6

www.LARIATNEWS.com

Find us on ajones54@saddleback.edu

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Five Minute Project With over 400 people having clicked the “Like” button for the Facebook Group known as “The Five Minute Project” people are coming together, hoping to make the world a better place.

Justin Huft, founder of TFMP, created the group with the idea that “it only takes five minutes to change a life.

What are you waiting for?”

Simple tasks and projects are published on the group, such as “Write a positive ‘You are (adjective)’ message here on a piece of paper, and hide it somewhere a stranger will find it.”

Anyone of any age or background is welcome to join the movement and is encouraged to do so.

ASG blood drive Once per semester, the American Red Cross arrives on campus, taking one pint of blood from each volunteer donor. The Saddleback College Associated Student Government will host a two-day blood drive on Tuesday, Feb. 8 and Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Student Services Center, Room 212.

Just one pint of blood can save three lives. Donors, subject to prescreening, may sign up for the drive before the event, but drop-ins are welcome.

New library hours The library’s hours have changed, and spring semester library workshops are now available. The new library hours are Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The library is still closed on Sunday. For anyone unfamiliar with the new library location, it can be found in Villiage 3 and 4.

These workshops are a resource for students to learn how to do scholarly research and to assist in writing papers at a college level. The workshops are offered several times a week at different hours, so that every student can find one to fit their schedule. Workshops are offered until the end of April. All library workshops are held in Village Buildings, Room 32-01.

The schedule of workshops can be found on the library website.

WIRED: A member of the New Shanghai Circus performs a delicate balancing act on soft steel wire during campus performance.

Photos by Oliver Yu/Photography Editor

PLATE SPINNING: Members of the New Shanghai Circus demonstrate the elegant dance and balancing act of plate spinning during recent performance before a packed audience at Saddleback College.

Performance of the New Shanghai Circus at McKinney Theatre contorts sense of reality Awe-inspiring performance at Saddleback never to be forgotten DAVID GUTMAN MCKENZIE SIXT

The New Shanghai Circus performed its grand show to a packed audience of all ages.

When people usually think about the circus they think of candy, exotic elephants, and dubious carnival rides. The circus that performed last Saturday in the McKinney The-

ater, was definitely not that.

With bright, extravagant outfits, and training amounting to years of dedication to the art, the New Shanghai Circus dazzles.

The audience sat quietly in their seats. When the house lights dimmed, all eyes were drawn to the bright colors that swarmed the stage. The first act was a Chinese dragon puppet suspended on wooden poles carried by the puppeteers.

The audience was in shock and awe at the action on stage, as contortionists bent their bodies into unbelievable positions.

The flexibility and strength of the performers was so immense that it seemed almost super human, so much that when the contortionists climbed up one another to do a hand-

Facebook campaign “This is My Heart on Your Wrist,” is a campaign group on Facebook, founded by Marissa Greer. With 1,168 people currently involved in MHOYW, the group aims to remind people that someone cares for them.

Passing around worn, brand new, or self-crafted bracelets from person to person is a gift of kindness that symbolizes a genuine “thank you for being in my life, I care about you,” according to the Facebook page.

The only rule is to give the bracelet to someone else, in order to keep passing your heart around the world.

Professor of the Year Professor of the Year 2012 applications are available for submission until Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.

Any part-time or fulltime instructor may be nominated up to two times.

There must be a five-year gap between the nominations.

Allowable nominators include former students of the instructor nominated, other teachers, counselors and administrators who are able to evaluate the classroom effectiveness of the teacher, according to a statement given by the Associated Student Government.

To download the official nomination application, go to http://www.saddleback.edu/ asg/ProfessoroftheYear.html and deliver the hard copy to the SSC building, Room 210, or e-mail it to scstudentdevelopment@saddleback.edu.

Written by Adam Jones, Kylie Corbett, Sarah Black

Photo by Oliver Yu/Photography Editor

FEMINISM WORKSHOP: Poetry Club President Loki Freeman, 27, philosophy, talked about religion in the free-speech quad with Saddleback students on break who took the time to listen.

Poetry Club causes debate on campus CARMEN ULLOA The Poetry Club presented a discussion about feminism Jan. 24 at Saddleback College and drew a colorful crowd to the Student Services Center quad.

The workshop opened with a welcome speech by Kim Bridges, 20, literature.

“I was born in Mission Viejo Hospital on April 24, 1990,” Bridges said. “Ever since, I’ve been living life as a person labeled F [as] opposed to M.” Bridges, who works at a local golf course, insisted that carrying golf bags gives her an opportunity to probe strength and gender equality, and she wishes to be allowed such space.

Bridges spoke about some of the difficulties of performing daily duties at work due to her gender.

“Everyday there will be at least one man who’ll refuse to let me carry his bag because I am a woman,” she said.

Thomas Monroe, 27, world religion, president of the Poetry Club, has been presiding over the group since last fall.

Monroe promotes feminism to evoke an emotional response from young women. “[Young women] who appear to be starving in order to conform to a media-promoted body image,” Monroe said.

Monroe believes sex appeal is

used in advertising relentlessly and is used to sell anything from mouthwash to running shoes.

He also encourages women to pursue leadership roles in every area of society and to demand equal pay and recognition.

Promoting polyamory, an open form of romantic relationship in which couples agree to have multiple partners who are not sexually exclusive, was also suggested as an alternative to the old idea of a wife as property of her husband.

Monroe also considers social norms and traditions to have reinforced inequality and wants to challenge them.

“I hope we can propose ideas of positive body image independent of media influence, polyamory, political and religious freedom,” he said.

Some of his ideas were immediately challenged and argued by some members of the Compass Bible Church. They were promoting religious teachings and, with the “Bible” in hand, heatedly demanded facts, evidence and answers to questions regarding his statements.

The Poetry Club stakes out its booth every weekday in the quad, and puts on these events on most Wednesdays.

The next workshop will be held Feb. 2 where they will host “Celebrate Black Poetry.” culloa0@saddleback.edu

stand on each other’s shoulders without losing balance.

In one handstand act, the male performer balanced on two poles while managing to maneuver into seemingly weightless postures. He especially knew how to control an audience as he would slowly transition into new positions, then pause and pose, waiting for the audience’s reaction. His strength and control of each movement could be seen as his exposed upper body and back muscles moved and tensed under his skin.

Another notable act was two women performing barrel contortions. The audience sat in disbelief as the two women wriggled their halffolded bodies through barrels the size of small trashcans.

JAR BALANCING: The New Shanghai Circus visited Saddleback College McKinney Theatre Saturday evening, performing historical Chinese acrobatics like the Chinese rolling cups. It is considered to be the most difficult of all Chinese acrobatic acts and requires years of intense practice and incorporated skills of balance, strength, contortion and dance. The performance went off without a hitch.

During the performance one could feel the tension throughout the audience. The performers had the audience in the palm of their hands from one stupendous routine to the next. The only recognizable errors translated to one dropped

ball or a slight slip of the foot.

The New Shanghai Circus was a sight to behold. So the next time the circus is in town, be sure not to miss it. dgutman1@saddleback.edu msixt0@saddleback.edu

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Tibetan Buddhist clears the air at Interfaith Panel SARAH BLACK When the image of a Tibetan Buddhist comes to mind, a normal college student dressed in a red cardigan tapping his foot gently in anticipation for his turn to speak, doesn’t usually make the cut.

But that’s exactly what one gets. Alexander Warner, 19, music, is a native Southern California boy from Capistrano Beach, who was born under the Tibetan Buddhist religion, despite the fact most of his family is Catholic.

Last Thursday Warner participated in an Interfaith Panel hosted by the Baha’i Club at Saddleback College. He was a panelist who was determined to set the record straight about the misconceptions of his religion and to tell people what Tibetan Buddhists were really about.

He sits in the middle of the five panelists, between a representative from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a representative of the Christian religion, calmly answering all of the questions given by the moderators of the panel.

“There isn’t just one way

Photo By Sarah Black/ Lariat Editor-In-Chief

RELIGION: (Left) Alexander Warner, 19, music, spoke to the audience at the Interfaith Panel sponsored by the Baha’i Club about some of the misconceptions of Tibetan Buddhism alongside members of other religious clubs at Saddleback College. to worship,” Warner said. “In this panel, we are not here just to represent our religion, but to show how we practice our religion.”

Since Warner was born, he was raised under the tutelage of a Tibetan Buddhist monk, Lama Norbu Dorje, whom his mother

had met during that time. She felt Catholicism, her own religion, was too strict, Warner said, and so she wanted Warner to have another religious perspective.

Dorje, or Master as Warner calls him, died in March 2009, and since then Warner has not

taken on a new master.

Talking to Dorje, “was like talking to an angel,” Warner said. “The last lesson he taught me, one week before his death, was that selfish duties call on you to sacrifice your spiritual needs to do whatever it takes, to do what is right according to

your heart.”

Warner did wear the traditional red and yellow robes of the Tibetan Buddhists until he was in the seventh grade.

“I was bald,” Warner said.

“I [was asked] very awkward questions.”

He was often asked if he had cancer, he said, but shockingly he was never teased. “[People] just assumed this was how I expressed myself,” Warner said.

But in the midst of his middle school career, Warner decided the restrictions were no longer leading him down the path he wanted.

“I feel like [traditional] Buddhism doesn’t help me gain more information about the world,” he said.

But it has helped him follow the footsteps of finding the motivation to learn more about people, he said.

Warner has now decided to strive for a doctoral in music conducting and to study at the New England Conservatory in Massachusetts to become a high school music teacher.

Right now he is coaching a high school marching band, in hopes of teaching the kids to become smarter by learning music.

“Marching band high school kids are no better than kindergartners,” Warner said, laughing. Teaching music is what he feels will help make people smarter, he said, mentioning the correlation between band students and higher tests scores on the SATs. But Buddhism is still a strong influence in his life, and coming to the Interfaith Panel was a means to his goal of encouraging others to understand the fundamentals of his religion.

“We worship the skinny Buddha,” he said, clarifying, as the audience laughed. “Not the fat one. That’s Zen Buddhism.”

The Interfaith Panel was about an hour and a half, and 25 people showed to the event.

Mehrsa Imani, coordinator of the Interfaith Panel, felt the event was a success.

The event’s continuance is something undecided, Imani said. But as for Warner, while he may not be planning to follow into the traditional monk way of Tibetan Buddhist life, he will continue in the Buddhist religious faith.

“Live life, that’s what the Buddha said. Just live life.” sblack15@saddleback.edu

Special Services Program guides disabled students KIMIYA ENSHAIAN At the Special Services center, students with disabilities such as impaired hearing, blindness, immobility, autism, attention deficit disorder, or even students with less severe issues like exam anxiety receive personal and confidential counseling while also getting academic advice if needed, according to the center’s coordinator and counselor, Ardith Lynch.

With 30 years of experience working with disabled people, particularly the hearing impaired, Ardith Lynch has ac-

complished plenty in her time.

She came to Saddleback College two years ago.

“It’s a job I absolutely love,” Lynch said. “I love this campus.” After a few careers involved in working to help the disabled, she knew that her heart especially went out to the disabled students at colleges. So now she is back in the scene of a college environment where she says she feels happiest.

This program facilitates for a wide range of disabilities.

However, in order to qualify for counseling, students must go through testing to see what their problems are and how to address them, Lynch explained.

“The staff is just as dedicated to the students as I am,” Lynch said. “Great bonds are built between students and the staff throughout the semester because of students’ frequent visits for counselling.”

Just because students seek help here, they are not subject to any handouts because of a disability. Lynch described everything is fair.

For example, if a student seeks help to reduce anxiety before taking an exam, a problem that is quite common for students, according to Lynch, counselors will not give them permission to be excused from tests. Simply, they will be al-

Students campaign to establish ROTC program at Saddleback manifest in high school. While participating in sports such as track and field and cross country, Choye was influenced by Saddleback College students his coaches who were a part of are campaigning to establish an the Junior-ROTC. After graduArmy Reserve Officers Trainating high school and attending Corps program as well as an ing Saddleback, Choye said that affiliate campus club. there are ROTC programs on The brainchild behind this university campuses and not as crusade is Ryan Choye, 19, readily available at community criminal justice, who has been colleges. working on achieving this “It’s not just for me, I goal since first attending believe that others should Saddleback in fall 2009. have the benefit of hav“I wanted to join being an ROTC program cause I believe that people without having to go to should have an idea that great lengths to get to when you are in ROTC, one,” Choye said. “Othyou are a part of something erwise their only option is much larger than life,” said to transfer to a college that Choye, said the former sesupports an ROTC unit afnior cadet commander. ter graduating from SadROTC is a program fodleback.” cused on leadership develAfter graduating, opment, strategic planning, Choye plans on becoming ethics, and general proban advocate for communilem solving. The Army, ty college ROTC units.

Navy, and the Air Force all In their favor, Presihave their own respective dent Obama’s State of the ROTC programs. While Union address to Congress different, they all have a last Tuesday, the President similar objective to help Photo By Julie Tran/ Lariat is also supportive of their prepare all those who join, according to Goarmy.com. RESERVE: Kim Kratchoff, 21, ultra- cause. “…I call on all our colThe common miscon- sound technology, and Ryan Choye, 19, ception of the ROTC is criminal justice discuss having an ROTC lege campuses to open their doors to our military that people believe that the program on campus. recruiters and ROTC,” program is designed with Obama said. “It is time to recruitment as its sole puring their goals. pose, Choye said.

When Choye first started to leave behind the divisive battles A student can be in the pro- progress towards his goal, he of the past. It is time to move gram for a period of up to two met with fellow students, Kim forward as one nation.”

“To be honest, it’s kind of a years without obligation of mil- Kratchoff, 21, ultrasound techitary service. A student wishing nology, and Adam Matthews, creepy coincidence to think that to go further can be eligible for 23, undecided. The three are we have been working so hard a military scholarship for class- now good friends and also want for this to happen,” Kratchoff es at the university of the stu- to bring ROTC to Saddleback said. “And not a week ago, the president is all of the sudden on dent’s choice or go to a specif- College. ic military college such as West Soon the group plans on in- our side.”

Choye and the others look Point Academy. creasing awareness of the adIn return for the scholar- vantages offered by ROTC by to the future with new resolve ship, the student is obligated to passing out fliers and encourag- to become a part of a ROTC at a four-year term of military ser- ing students to sign a petition on Saddleback. vice. After graduating, the stu- campus. dent is ranked an officer. dgutman1@saddleback.edu For Choye, ROTC began to DAVID GUTMAN

lowed more time on their exams.

Or in the case of autism, Lynch mentioned that counselors will aid students socially, since autistic people are not aware of how to interact with others.

Every student’s assistance is different and highly personalized for their own limitations.

More assistance for students with severe disabilities will be provided. Note takers, braille for the blind, and accommodated testing specially designed to make exams accessible for these students is provided.

Specialized classes have been set up with attention to the

details for these students. Classes such as adaptive kinesiology and adaptive computer labs are set up for students with mental disabilities, physical immobility, as well as other dysfunctions.

A list of classes are available for the disabled, and students can see these posted on the entrance to their office.

Lynch has plans for further improvement to assist students with special needs.

“One of the last needs I would like to address is an enhanced resource development that would include educational resources as well as workforce education,” Lynch said.

The student is his or her biggest advocate to reach any goal, Lynch said. She stated that the best moments in her career are “when I see students reach their educational goals…because you know they’ve worked really hard to get there.”

The Special Service Center located in the Student Service Center in Room 113 is here to serve as a guide. Ardith Lynch and the staff at the Special Services will be there, ready to assist. Visit their website for more details at: http://saddleback. edu/dsps/. kenshaian0@saddleback.edu

“Astounding Inventions”

For recruits who do not finish college, the cap for ranks within the military stops at sergeant, but for those that went through ROTC or any other college, they can progress up the chain of command.

Choye has already successfully recruited about 150 interested students, and he said the group feels confident at reach-

Photo By Oliver Yu/ Lariat Photo Editor

EXPERIMENTS: Students learn the magic of science when guest scientist show how to use iodine to check if water is drinkable Saturday afternoon at Irvine Valley College.

Photo By Oliver Yu/ Lariat Photo Editor

SCIENCE: Madeline, 10, left, and her mother Hanne Zhang, of Irvine, get an opportunity to look at the sun with specialized equipment brought to the Astounding Inventions fair Saturday afternoon at Irvine Valley College.

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Out of Egypt: a reminder of what we have

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KYLIE CORBETT

ot every person in the U.S. will ever be satisfied with our government.

In fact, most people feel our government doesn’t represent us. Although I am young, and I am not entirely sure where I stand when it comes to politics, the news on TV lately has caught my eye.

As chaos erupts on Egypt’s streets and protesters demand that current President Hosni Mubarak to step down, it’s only now I realize how good we have it in the U.S. The people in Egypt are fighting for a democracy they are supposed to have, yet Mubarak has had authoritarian rule for 30 years.

People in the U.S. have the right to voice their opinions about the government. Those who do should realize the importance and significance of the rights and choices we do have as people in a free country.

According to Ursula Lindsey, a Cairo-based reporter and writer, the government in Egypt has “shut down the Internet,

cell phone service, and most international telephone lines.”

Despite limited use of technology, a Twitter page was created for people in Egypt to “[tweet] their words in real time,” according to user @Jan25voices. One of the tweets reads “the fatalities are four times the announced figures.”

and in no way represents a step toward a genuine democracy.”

On Sept. 7, 2005, Mubarak faced his first ever multi-candidate ballot. He had nine opposing candidates. Kelly wrote “a number of the candidates [were] widely believed to be nothing more than Mubarak’s stooges, standing solely in or-

An estimated 150 people died and 4,000 were arrested, while protesters dealt with threats of violence and death, for anyone who spoke out against the government.

If anyone has done his or her research on Egypt, one might notice several sources saying that even preliminary elections have been faked since Mubarak has been in power.

According to an article written by Rick Kelly for the website known as the World Socialist Web Site at www.wsws.org, “the official campaign [back in 2005] has demonstrated, however, that the election is entirely fraudulent,

der to boost the participation rate and manufacture the image of a competitive election.”

If preliminary elections have in fact been faked throughout Mubarak’s rule, then what is the point for people in Egypt to vote?

In comparison, when people in Iran revolted over a year ago on the streets against their government, nothing changed. An estimated 150 people died and 4,000 were arrested, while protesters

dealt with threats of violence and death, for anyone who spoke out against the government.

According to Wikipedia, “more than two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30.” Fed up with the government oppression, the people chose to stand up for their rights.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), “an estimated 22.8 percent of all eligible young people in the U.S., ages 18-29 voted in the 2010 midterms.”

Particularly in my generation, I have heard that many teenagers believe their votes do not count. In the end, it’s still a vote, right? At least our elections aren’t being faked to the degree that we would have someone in office for 30 years.

If someone is going to complain about the government here in the U.S., and then follow their complaint with something along the lines of how they choose not to vote, then too bad. Fortunately for Americans, our vote does count.

Who did you vote for in the last election?

G

roundhog Day. Aside from being a fantastic film, it’s also an amusing holiday. Once a year Puxatawney Phil comes out from the Gobbler’s Knob, to tell us whether or not we have six more weeks of winter. But some interesting facts are usually unknown.

For instance, Puxatawney Phil’s name is actually Puxatawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators and Weather Prophet Extraordinary? Also, the Gobbler’s Knob is not a real tree stump, we’ve been fooled for years, it’s actually a heated burrow under a simulated tree stump.

But nevertheless Puxatawney Phil is a legend, and every year there are “a thousand people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat,”as mentioned by Bill Murray in the film “Groundhog Day.” What is really a pointless exercise of false philosophy,

and quite frankly, bogus logic from German tradition, is a celebrated day in our society.

This begs the question, what the heck are we really celebrating?

The United States has multiple holidays for every day of

killed Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, and Richie Vallens in 1959.

Next week we have “Toothache Day.” Why can’t we have more holidays like the Fourth of July?

The celebration of a new country is certainly worth taking

“When we have days like ‘International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day,’ it all becomes a joke.” the year. Last week’s issue for instance, on Jan. 26, was “National Chocolate Cake Day” and it was also “Intimate Apparel Week.” Sure, so Victoria’s Secret can get some extra business, but there’s no real benefit for the rest of us ladies aside from an empty wallet. Come on guys, I think you can wait another two weeks until Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow is the “Day the Music Died” in commemoration of the plane crash that

a day off work. There’s nothing better then celebrating the birth of a new nation with fireworks, booze, and hot dogs.

Holidays are meant to be fun, special occasions that are meant to bring family and friends together, and sometimes strangers even come together for a single ideal and/or event.

When we have days like “International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day,” it all becomes a

joke. I like dogs as much as the next person, but some people are just taking these loves and turning them into obsessions, and it’s just not healthy guys.

When you have so many holidays consecutively, it takes away from the meaning of a holiday. It desensitizes us to what is really important. Truthfully speaking, even Christmas has turned into a consumer holiday The reason we have Christmas trees is because people “back in the day” didn’t take baths, and the pine tree was a nice distraction from the stench that normally permeated the room.

As most people know, February is Black History Month, but doesn’t anyone else find it a bit demeaning that February is National Grapefruit Month as well?

So next week I invite you all to grab our third issue, which will have a Black History Month theme. Forget about “Umbrella Day,” and think about holidays that actually have meaning and deserve our respect and participation.

sblack15@saddleback.edu

Reading Habits: the lost tool of development CARMEN ULLOA

R

eading as a habit is an acquired taste.

As with other important habits, it is either taught at home or at school. It should also be encouraged - if not taught- at one of these primary institutions.

Books contain answers for those who have questions. It is books that can predict much more accurately than a fortune teller, what will occur in the future. Because they contain records of thousands of years of experiences, facts, cultures, religions, wars, people, and history that wll repeat itself, whether we read it or not.

If our future generations are only listening to the radio, watching reality shows on television, or chatting on the phone, how can we expect to breed brains that think outside

the box, or politicians that lead the country into golden eras?

The difference between yesterday and tomorrow is the education of today. Being literate or

Considering that 30 percent are going to college, can we assume that these students are getting intellectually prepared for the challenges they will be fac-

“The difference between yesterday and tomorrow is the education of today.” holding a high school diploma, is not enough for a highly competitive and complex world that demands critical thinking, specialized knowledge and inventions that change the way we live.

According to the 2009 U.S. Census Bureau, 79.5 percent of the Orange County population graduated from high school. Only 30 percent made it through college.

ing in the next ten, twenty, or thirty years? Will we be ready to provide answers or make decisions on issues like immigration, economics, taxes, or education? Or will we be the cause of more challenges because of our lack of knowledge and intellectual capacity?

After all, a person who does not read is a person who does not know how to think.

How can we know where we stand on those issues if we know so little about them? It is our responsibility as students, as citizens, who wish for a better country and dream of a better society to empower ourselves with books and reading habits so we can be engines of progress and development, abundance and growth and provide solutions to our community.

There are 35 public libraries in Orange County, not to mention college and private ones. They offer thousands of authors, titles and subjects for a free membership. Up to 50 books can be checked out at once. Bestsellers and new releases are offered at a very small fee. The resources are available to all. It is up to us to take advantage of them and to become agents of change.

Reporters: Paul Ingvaldsen, Adam Jones, David Gutman, McKenzie Sixt, Kimiya Enshaian, Carmen Ulloa, Daniel Falk

MaryAnne Shults Managing Editor Julie Tran News Editor

Austin Messick Leif Kemp Sports Editor Evelyn Caicedo Life Editor Oliver Yu Photography Editor

Kylie Corbett Arts Editor

Photographers: Oliver Yu, Dylan Lujano

Lee Eisler Web Editor

Ad Manager: Shawn Heavlin-Martinez

Dylan Lujano Opinion Editor

Faculty Adviser: Paul McLeod Instructional Assistant: Ali Dorri

What TV or movie character embodies your life?

Spencer Doan, 20 undecided

Hannah St. Julian, 18 art

“I would say a Peter Parker from Spiderman. I am smart-I am brilliant but lazy. Hes a cool guy, has good morals and fights for the right cause.”

“Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffanny’s. I have a love for music and fashion. We carry ourselves in similar ways, and I love going out.”

Robbie Bell, 19 undecided

Brittany Burnett, 19 fashion merchindising

“Adam from No Strings Attached. I am a polite, and all around good person. Also, funny, enteraining and outspoken.”

“Cherie Currie, from the Runaways. I have platnium blonde hair, and I crush pills with plaform heels.

Breaking hearts one guy at a time, and sigining my name with lipstick.”

Brianna Delu, 18 criminology

Alessandro Demuro, 18 nursing

“Brooke from One Tree Hill.

She is a hard-ass, but cares about other people, and determined. I feel like a I am a good friend like she is.”

“Cook from Skins the UK version. I am outgoing, don’t really care about anything and I like girls.”

PIECE OF MIND “The winds of democracy and freedom that shook the entire world 20 years ago and were unable to penetrate the Arab states now seem to be blowing across the Arab world.”–Fahed Fanek “So yes, the world has changed. The competition for jobs is real.

But this shouldn’t discourage us. It should challenge us. Remember – for all the hits we’ve taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline, America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world..”–Obama “Millions of men have lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies; but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality and creation profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit. .”–Ansel Adams “People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people - and that social norm is just something that has evolved over time.”-Mark Zuckerberg

culloa0@saddleback.edu

“Saddleback’s student-run newspaper since 1968”

Sarah Black Editor In Chief

By: Dylan Lujano

kcorbett5@saddleback.edu

Pointless holidays: a desensitizing process SARAH BLACK

CAMPUS COMMENT

Phone: (949) 582-4688 Fax: (949) 347-9483 E-Mail: LariatEditor@gmail.com Web: www.Lariatnews.com Address: 28000 Marguerite Parkway Mission Viejo CA, 92692

About the Lariat The Lariat is the student newspaper of Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College. The Lariat is an independent student-run public forum.

One copy of the Lariat is free.

Additional copies may be purchased at the Lariat newsroom, located in the Village at Saddleback College.

Letters to the editor are welcome.

Please limit letters to 200 words and

include a name, valid email address and signiture. All letters are subject to editing.

Unsigned editorials represent the views of the Lariat’s ediorial board and do not represent the views of Irvine Valley or Saddleback Colleges or the South Orange County Community College District.

Lariatnews.com was launched in fall 2007.

la r i at

ARTS & Entertainment

W e d n e s d ay, february 2, 2011

5

‘The Alchemist’ brings an adventure full of wisdom austin messick

photo illustration by paul ingbaldsen

/ Lariat

‘No Strings Attached’ sheds light on the reality of dating kimiya enshaian

Since the “No Strings Attached” movie was release on Jan. 21, it has recieved both praise and critique from every age spectrum Romantic comedy “No Strings Attached” puts an interesting spin on the humor and heartbreak that has now come to define today’s dating scene.

Emma (Natalie Portman) is a young doctor leading a mature and very hectic work life, while still holding on to immature love and relationship habits.

Adam (Ashton Kutcher) is her old camp buddy who she

has kept in brief contact with over the years.

He’s an under-appreciated playwright seeking to build his career from scratch, without the help of his famous father.

While these two seem to have nothing in common in the beginning, viewers get to trek back into yesteryear and see the comical memories they’ve shared with one another.

Like many connections, theirs simply never got a chance to develop into a relationship, though the chemistry between these two has always existed.

Each, with their own life struggles, are left alone to deal with the stress that life throws at them, until they discover the cure in one another.

The release that Emma truly thinks she wants is one that can be found in a solution that seems to be most men’s ideal.

The solution is to engage in casual sex in an attempt to unwind without the fuss of a relationship.

This secret deal between the two, which at first intrigued Adam with its heavy mattress mambo and hush-hush allure,

“The solution is to engage in casual sex in an attempt to unwind without the fuss of a relationship.” seems not to work as the viewer always gets a sense from Kutcher’s character that he feels a bit more than lust toward Emma.

When Adam begins to show deeper feelings, their “no strings attached” deal leaves his heart in knots as he tries to cope with his feelings of uncertainty and jealousy. While there are comical witty scenes all throughout,

this film pokes fun while also raising awareness of the epidemic of people enraptured in their personal needs, never attempting to dig deeper.

As the film progresses, inner feelings rise to the surface and casual sex seems to lose its simplicity. These friends with benefits now have to slowly attempt to conquer their inner and outer battles when it comes to accepting love.

Portman’s character relates to many young woman of today’s society who want to give in to love when its calling, while refusing to put themselves and their careers on hold.

Overall, this is a funny and thought provoking girls-nightout flick and a must-see for a date night, whether your strings are attached or not. kenshaian0@saddleback.edu

John Perry performs at IVC to benefit music department evelyn caicedo The music department at Irvine Valley College added a new keyboard director, Susan Boettger, to their staff and for her second piano recital this semester she chose her piano teacher John Perry to perform. “[Perry] is a world-renowned piano teacher,” said Kaveh Varjoy, 21, linguistics. “He teaches at USC and Colburn, so he is a kind of a big deal.”

Though Perry has not performed in a while he decided to come out to IVC and play at the Performing Arts Center on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. to help support the music department in a benefit concert. “[Perry] was my piano teacher since I was 12,” Boettger said. “I am a new teacher here, so I asked him if he could play.

It really was a treat for students to be able to see him perform.”

For the first time this year in a piano recital, Perry sold out the 400-seat arena in what Daniel Luzke, theory and composition in the music department, called “a total success.”

Before the performance the viewers lined up for tickets at

the box office and settled in their spots.

Some audience members were left to sit on stairs due to lack of seats, but at last Perry appeared on stage and the audience clapped in excitement.

He modestly walked toward the Steinway & Sons master piano in his all black attire to be seated on the bench, and he calmly adjusted his seat to com-

“For the first time this year in a piano recital, Perry sold out the 400seat theater in what Daniel Luzke, theory and composition in the music department, called a total success” fort and gently placed his hand upon the keys.

The modern architecture of the PAC matched with the classical sounds that Perry produced made for a great performance.

“I have never been to the [PAC],” Chase Evans, 20, business, said. “The architecture is

photo by kevin rodriguez

benefit concert: Perry performed at IVC last Friday and Saturday. He was invited by the Director of keyboard, Susan Boettger. stunning and the acoustics in here are amazing.”

For Perry’s first song he played “Arabesque in C major,” which was originally done

by Robert Schumann in the 19th century.

Each song lasting up about 30 minutes, Perry played four intricate songs with an intermission after the first two pieces.

“It is a great experience [listening to Perry],” Thomas Vu, 19, accounting, said.

“I have been to past piano recitals before but never to a school event one, and not even that but John Perry is playing... he is an amazing pianist.”

The second song, “Fantasie in C,” required swifter movements of his fingers running all along the keyboard making the

sounds run high to low and fast and slow.

Perry made each piece an emotional and dramatic music scene for the audience members in which he engaged them all through the melodies that he played.

After a 15-minute intermission Perry bowed and got straight into his next two pieces, both my Chopin.

The first piece was titled “Mazurkas” and the second and last piece was “Sonata No. 3 in B minor.”

“Perry is a very important figure in the piano world, so we are delighted to have him perform in this series,” Luzke said. The concert’s benefits go toward the music department expenses.

Upcoming events Sophomore Music Major Recital of Mathieu Girardet & Jeff Ramos Feb. 4 @ 8 p.m., IVC room A311 Jazz Day with Conrad Herwig Sat. Feb 5 @ 7 p.m., McKinney Theatre / Lariat

smooth jazz: The faculty jazz recital ensemble features

Jerry Pinter on sax, Ron Stout on trumpet, Gerard Hagen on piano, Jamie Rosenn on guitar, Luther Hughes on bass, Paul Johnson on drums and Director of Jazz Studies Joey Sellers on trombone.

amessick1@saddleback.edu

Former student releases debut album

ecaicedo0@saddleback.edu

photo by dylan lujano

Through an inspiring tale of adventure, a reader sees that following your dreams is not just the stuff of childhood fantasy.

Allow your heart to be your compass and you can accomplish anything. No dream is too big, no desert too expansive to cross, and no love is out of reach if you follow your heart.

These are only a few examples of the multitude of wisdom that is contained in Paul Coelho’s exciting novel “The Alchemist.” Within it lies an adventure that will arouse the soul and bring hope to those who think their dreams are beyond their limits.

Santiago is a young shepherd boy who travels through the countryside in Andalusia, Spain, enjoying the many sights for him to behold.

One night while sleeping in an abandoned church, he dreams of a child who transports him to the Egyptian pyramids to tell him, “If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.”

Just before the child is about to show him where the treasure is buried, Santiago awakens and is left with feelings of both confusion and excitement.

He consults a gypsy woman to interpret his dream in Tarifa, who urges him to begin an adventure to Egypt because this was a “dream in the language of the world.”

The “language of the world” is a dialect shared by all living beings and elements which requires no words. Later in the town plaza he meets a man claiming to be the King of Salem.

The king explains to Santiago that his dream revealed to him his “personal legend,” which is “what you have always wanted to accomplish.”

He also learns of the “soul of the world,” which is the entity that connects all things on this planet.

In pursuit of his dream, he travels to Tangiers, Africa, and immediately has his resolve tested.

He is robbed of all his money and is left alone in the streets of a strange land.

Hoping to replenish his funds and earn a bit of food, he walks into a crystal merchant’s shop and begins cleaning.

This earns him a job, which he excels at for almost a year, earning him enough money to travel back to Andalusia.

He is about to give up on his dream when his heart convinces him to continue his adventure.

At his heart’s request, he joins a caravan that leads him through the treacherous African desert.

While with the caravan, he learns of the mysterious practice of alchemy from an aspiring English alchemist.

The Englishman is traveling through Africa hoping he can meet a true alchemist who resides at an Oasis somewhere on the caravan’s route.

At the Oasis he experiences love at first sight, with a woman of unexplainable beauty, and his heart is filled with it, bringing new energy to his being.

Realizing that love is the most important part of the “language of the world” he knows better how to speak to his heart and the hearts of those around him.

After meeting the true alchemist he is taught that alchemy is about learning to “penetrate to the soul of the world.”

He must find his way into the “soul of the world” if his dream of treasure is to be realized.

From this point on the reader is engaged in an exciting conclusion to an already compelling novel.

Love becomes the fuel that replenishes his strength when all hope seems to be lost.

Be ready for an emotional roller-coaster ride, filled with corkscrews and back flips that will keep your adrenaline high and your eyes fixed on the pages.

This story shows readers that if you remain strong through adversity and listen to your heart, your dreams are never out of reach, no matter how grandiose they may be.

3rd Annual Jenny Richards Memorial Benefit Feb. 5 @ 7:30 p.m., IVC PAC Micah C. Brown Performance Feb. 8, O.C Music Awards, Santa Ana

mckenzie sixt From playing local coffee shop gigs to a debut album now available on iTunes, former Saddleback College student and musician, Micah C. Brown, is a successful exception in the world of struggling musicians.

“Ever since I started my first band in high school, I have wanted to become a recording artist,” Brown said. Brown accomplished that desire in the form of his album, Down Like Hail, released Jan. 11. On iTunes his album can be found in the “blues” genre due to his refreshing rhythms and strong guitar presence.

Brown’s musical career begins quite like many other musicians: receiving a drum set as a child, playing guitar for friends and family, and performing his songs at small gigs.

However, his journey took a turn that most musicians’ do not when he met manager, Anik Dang, at a show in Laguna Beach. Dang recruited him to start recording with Lewis Richards, owner and operator of 17th Street Recording Studio in Costa Mesa.

“Once I began really focusing on writing songs and developing as a solo artist, my goal was to release as much of my original music to the public as possible,” Brown said.

The public welcomed this goal with a loyal fan network, spreading word of Brown’s talents. A fan and new owner of his album, sampsonite755, expressed their review on iTunes, “Amazing album…Its been on repeat since I got it.” Down

photo courtesy of

Jonathan Gibby

Like Hail brings an upbeat flair to blues that traditionally has “melancholy notes expressing suffering or deprivation,” The New Georgia Encyclopedia states.

Brown’s songs including “Frustrating Woman,” “Coming of Age,” and “I’m Goin Fishin,” reflect the experiences of everyday life.

“My songs are always written based somewhat or wholly on personal experience,” Brown said.

With truth and reality in his lyrics, Brown keeps to the feel of traditional blues that originated from life experiences, whether they be welcomed lessons or undesired hardships.

“The most important thing about music is how it allows people to relate with each other,” Brown said.

“When I write about life, my true emotions and aspirations will always be in my songs and that helps people relate to me and my music.”

See lariatnews.com for full story, photos, and sound bytes. msixt0@saddleback.edu

6

LA R I AT

W E D N E S D AY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011

Softball conquers in opener

Baseball looking to intangibles for success

AUSTIN MESSICK

are tired of practicing and are ready to start the season.”

In the upcoming season, the team will be relying on hard work and integrity to help them accomplish their goal of making the playoffs.

“This is a close nit group,” Hodges said. “The strength of our team is in our energy and enthusiasm. If we play the game one pitch at a time, we will play a better game.”

Saddleback gets their first chance at competition against San Diego City College who is one of the best in Southern California, Hodges said.

They face off this Thursday at 2 p.m. at Saddleback.

In a dominant 14-0 campaign Friday night, the Saddleback women’s softball team beat the visiting Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs in their season opener. The mercy rule was enforced in fifth inning after both head coaches agreed to end the game.

After an uneventful first inning, the Gauchos scored their first run in the bottom of the second inning. Saddleback outfielder Amy Balridge hit a ground ball leading to an error by LA Valley shortstop Jenna Serranzana. Saddleback pitcher Chelsea Bertoglio capitalized on this error by scoring.

Following three RBIs and one run assisted by a LA Valley error, Saddleback raised the score to 5-0 at the end of second inning. After quickly removing LA Valley from the plate in the top of the third inning, the Gauchos began an offensive assault.

With the bases loaded and no outs, infielder Rachel Watson bunted leading to an LA Valley error resulting in two scores by Bertogolio and Ashley Putkamer.

Next, infielder Nicki Jacobucci hit a ground ball down the leftfield line to bring in Watson.

Strong batting and two more errors by LA Valley brought in two Gaucho runs.

With the bases loaded and one out, LA Valley pitcher Silvette Rodriguez walked Putkamer to bring in Shannon Wilkisonelevatingthescoreto11-0.

The fourth inning consisted of a two-run RBI by shortstop Christina Bolin, and ground ball hit down the left-field line by pitcher Mandy Gutierrez who subsequently brought in Bolin.

These runs sealed the victory by way of the mercy rule at 14-0.

Saddleback plays Chaffey College on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Saddleback softball fields.

amessick1@saddleback.edu

amessick1@saddleback.edu

AUSTIN MESSICK

With a young roster containing ten returning players, the Saddleback College men’s baseball team is looking to rely on their intangibles this season to help them succeed.

“What we lack in maturity, age, and experience we make up for with camaraderie, energy, enthusiasm, and work ethic,” said Head Coach Jack Hodges. “It is our intangibles this year that will be our strength.”

At the end of the 2010 season the team finished with a 9-12 record in Orange Empire Conference play and an overall record of 17-19. After losing many key players, the Gauchos are hoping to utilize their returners in the 2011 season to help propel them into the playoffs.

Outfielder/pitcher Dylan Christensen is the team’s leading offensive returner with a batting average of .372, five stolen bases, and 29 RBIs. Other key returners are catcher Tanner Gore who hit a .319 average with 14 RBIs, and third baseman Elliot Martin who batted in 15 runs.

The Gauchos will also rely on first baseman Cole Shidaki, back from a one-year absence, and transfer shortstop Matt Paradise, as well as third baseman Macaulay Anderson and outfielder/pitcher Spencer Kuehn.

Pitchers Jordan Helmcamp and David Wiley are both back for another season at Saddleback, and will be pivotal in constructing a strong defense for the Gauchos.

Helmcamp pitched 35.2 innings last year and struck out 19 batters. Wiley followed close behind pitching 23 innings and striking out 17 batters.

AUSTIN MESSICK/S p o r t s

e d i to r

DIALED IN: Former Capistrano Valley High School, current Saddleback College first basemen/pitcher Lee Casas practices his batting skills at a pre-season practice.

“We might have to pitch by committee,” Hodges said, “This means we may have to use five to six different pitchers a game and use different combinations of pitchers until we find a combination that works.”

Saddleback’s dugout has received a facelift this year as they welcome a large freshman class to the team.

“This is a different club, much younger than last season,” Hodges said. “We have a strong freshman class, but they still have to prove themselves.”

There are 23 freshman on this year’s roster led by top prospects first baseman/pitcher Lee Casas and outfielder/pitcher Eddie Dupont who “both have major league arms,” Hodges said.

The Gauchos face a tough preseason schedule taking on six teams ranked in the SoCal preseason top 20 according to the California Community College Athletic Association website.

Three of these matchups include Palomar ranked fourth, Cuesta ranked eighth, and Santa Barbara ranked tenth, respectively. Saddleback is ranked thirteenth in the same poll.

Conference play for the Gauchos will be especially tough as they face off against top ranked Santa Ana, Cypress ranked third, and Orange Coast ranked sixth, respectively.

The OEC is arguably one of the toughest conferences in the state with six school occupying spots in the SoCal top 20.

New BBCOR-certified bats have been introduced by the NCAA this season to both University and Junior college levels and pose another difficulty for the Gauchos.

“The new bats have thicker walls,” Hodges said. “so the ball is deader off the bat.”

Because the team has lost many of their big hitters, the Gauchos will need to manufacture runs by way of stolen bases, RBIs, and overall consistent batting. This means many of the freshman will be called upon to mature quickly and play to the high level of competition they will face.

“We’ve had good practices and good inter-squad games,” Hodges said, “We

Men’s tennis valiant in losing effort LEIF KEMP The Saddleback College men’s tennis team suffered a hard-fought defeat at the hands of the Cerritos College Falcons 7-2 in the Gauchos’ home opener last Thursday.

Head Coach Bud Davis, in his second year manning the helm, described the team as young and inexperienced at the college level. But, despite the youthful make-up of the team, he is looking ahead to good things.

“This year, we have 11 or 12 guys that can really play.

I’m looking forward to seeing their grittiness, their competitive nature, and to see how they compete.” Davis said.

That competitive nature was on display in the first set of each of the singles matches, as all six were very close throughout.

Unfortunately, that inexperience reared its ugly head as only Travis McClellan came out victorious, defeating Nick Johnson of Cerritos 7-6, 6-1 in the No. 4 slot for Saddleback.

One of the Gauchos who does have experience is their No. 1, Eemaun Latifi, who tangled with the Falcon’s equivelent, Derek Siddiqui.

They are ranked No. 22 and No. 1 respectively in the Southern section.

The match was neck and neck throughout the first set as Latifi used a mostly baseline attack, featuring many flawlessly executed shots high and to Siddiqui’s backhand. However, the lanky and athletic Saddiqui adjusted nicely in the second set by getting around on Latifi’s strategic shots, turning many of them into forehand winners of his own. Saddiqui, who

lost in the state semifinals last year took the match 6-4, 6-0.

“He’s tough, because he doesn’t make many unforced errors. But that’s to be expected from a returning player who was fourth in the state last year.”, Latifi said.

Perhaps no two players showed their gritty nature more than two Saddleback newcomers, Sina Sharifi-Hosseini, and Austen Ward who play in the No. 5 and No. 6 slots for Saddleback.

For his part, Sharifi-Hosseini battled through the only match to go 3 sets, losing to Kyle Porter 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

“Many times, these matches come down to how the 5 and 6 slots fair,” Davis said.

“Those two really showed what this team is all about. Ward’s match was particularly brutal.” said the Saddleback coach.

Ward at one point in the second set, required medical attention due to a strained muscle in his right leg. Although the Gauchos’ freshman lost in a match lasting more than three hours, he showed that he will continue to compete even under difficult circumstances. He fought on, but finally lost 6-4, 6-4.

The Gauchos’ only other point in the contest came in the No. 3 doubles match when the tandem of Travis McClellen and Jake Barnard came out victorious 9-7. lkemp4@saddleback.edu

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAD HOISETH

LOCKED AND LOADED: Saddleback College sophomore Eemaun Latifi readies his return of serve against southern section No. 1 Derek Saddiqui.

LEE EISLER/L a r i at S ta f f

OUTLAWS: Two skaters shred at high speeds in San Clemente downhill event.

Adrenaline fix in San Clemente LEE EISLER

Skaters and shredders, photographers, videographers and spectators met on a service road in San Clemente to witness and participate in two days of Southern California’s finest downhill skateboarding on Jan. 22 and 23.

This was an outlaw event, and was promoted well through Facebook and various forums.

Riders from all over California and other surrounding states met to be part of this event held on a service road unavailable to motor vehicles.

The first day of the event was the slide jam portion, with the second day holding the race portion.

The road used is steep and technical. Riders must be able to slide in both directions, going left or right. The road features two lefts and two rights. The whole outside of the track is dirt so riders can push their speeds hard while not having to worry as much about crashing and potential serious injuries.

Before the contest began, a police officer spoke to the

competitors. Although there would be no motor vehicles on the course, the officer told everyone to watch for bikers and pedestrians using the hill.

A slide is when the skateboard loses traction with the ground. It is completed when the wheels grab traction again.

Slides can be done in any direction with different variations of slides. Different types of slides are harder than others.

A slide jam, an event where skateboarders gather to perform tricks and slide their boards, is usually held on a small section of a road. Riders are given a set amount of time to throw down the hardest, fastest slides, or to get air off the kicker ramps.

Whoever is doing the fastest, biggest, most technical slides wins. In this case it was a small straightaway into a left turn that they used for the slide jam.

This particular slide jam featured two differently sized kicker ramps and a rad zone.

The rad zone was marked by a chalk line and it started just past the second kicker ramp and went into the turn.

“If you usually grab rail then get rad and don’t grab it, throw a switch stand up slide, just get rad,” said Danny Connor, the event’s judge.

Anything done in the rad zone, which was drawn out with chalk at the end of the straight going into the left turn, was worth more points.

Skateboarding legends Danny Connor, Marcus Bandy and Max Capps were the judges for the semifinals. The competitors were divided into two groups, each having 20 minutes to impress the judges.

It was then narrowed down to the best. The final heat was another 20-minute jam session and the victors were crowned.

On the podium, Hunter Schwirtz, Laguna Beach, grabbed the highest honor, with Kody Knoble, Los Angeles, in second place and Matt Kienzle, Los Angeles, in third, completing the slide jam portion of the event.

Story continued at lariatnews. com

leisler0@saddleback.edu