Issue 24 Spring2012

Page 1

Opinion | Page 7

La Voz

THE WEEKLY VOICE OF DE ANZA COLLEGE SINCE 1967

News | Page 3

May 14, 2012 | Volume 45, No. 24 | lavozdeanza.com

SPORTS

Funding on hold: Foothill student senate pulls budget Bryce Druzin Freelancer

PAGE 5 Ed Chuck Staff Writer De Anza College’s track and -&")1& *"/<.& "='"))"1& /*& *7"& >(/.*& Conference Championships April 28 meet. The men’s team took home the -&!.*& >(/.*& >($,"!"$'"& >7/<;+4 onship win in school history and the women came in second. With 162.5 points and scoring in 19 of 20 events, the Dons beat (%*&."'($1&;)/'"&-&$+.7"!&/$1&7(.*9& Hartnell college, by 7.5 points.

BRYCE DRUZIN | La Voz Weekly

Big scoring events for the men’s team, the meet’s underdog, were the triple jump and high jump. “It was kind of unexpected,” said coach Nick Mattis, “we weren’t picked to win this. We weren’t even close to being picked to win this. They just had a very good week and put every­ *7+$2& *(2"*7"!& -&$/))3& ,(!& /& ,%))& season of work and it came to­ gether at the right time.”

see TRACK pg 5

The Associated Students of Foothill College budget was pulled from the Foothill­De Anza District’s May 7 board of trustees agenda due to concerns raised by students over the budget­making process, including staff voting on the budget committee and allegations of an intimidating atmosphere at an April 19 college council meeting. “The seriousness of the allegations led me to withdraw the item for board consideration and reschedule it for June 4,” a letter from Foothill College president Judy Miner stated. ASFC president Shane Courtney said he requested vice president of student development Denise Swett to take over advisement of the budget and bylaw review committees, previously advised by director of student activities Daphne Small. At a May 10 ASFC college council meeting, Swett said bylaws would be revised to eliminate staff voting on the student senate budget. Previously, Small, student accounts manager Sirisha Pingali and dean of student affairs Pat Hyland have voted on the budget committee. A

that tables for voting members that normally are arranged in a square had to be squeezed to the middle. Most of the crowd was made up of athletes who showed up in support of Mitchell. “I felt intimidated,” said student senate budget commissioner Joseph Otayde. He added that his decision to bring a motion to create a line item for the intramural coordinator position 5/.& +$6&%"$'"1& 03& *7"& )/!2"& crowd. Student senate vice president of administration Tommy Wong said his vote to approve the salary “The seriousness 5/.$8*& +$6&%"$'"1& 03& *7"& '!(519& but that other members had of the allegations expressed concerns. led me to withdraw “There’s multiple people the item for board coming to me that say ‘I don’t feel right about this,’” Wong said. consideration” But some ASFC members Foothll President, Judy Miner disagreed with the characterization of the atmosphere as intimidating. Senator Zion Fung said the accommodate more people than unusually large crowd felt the regular meeting site, the “weird” but expressed admiration Toyon room. for the number of people who An April 19 college council showed up. meeting voted to approve $72,800 for the position of intramural coordinator, held by Stephen Mitchell, for the 2012­13 budget. contact Bryce Druzin at ASFC members said there were lavoz@fhda.edu so many people at the meeting -&$/)&0%12"*&+.&1"'+1"1&03&/$&/))4 student college council. Swett also said staff, faculty and administrators would be barred from directly applying for student money, though this would not prohibit students from applying for a program that would include paid staff. The ASFC approved a motion to hold an informational budget meeting May 17 and a vote May 24. Both meetings are to take place in venues that can

Brian Murphy on Apple tax evasion effects at De Anza Campaign season begins Ami Bruce Staff Writer

The ethics of Apple Corporation’s lack of tax input into California were brought into question in an April 28 New York Times article featuring comments from De Anza College’s president Brian Murphy. In an interview with the New York Times, Murphy used Apple as an example of the large corporations in Silicon Valley who are using legal strategies to avoid paying taxes in California to increase their bottom line. By running some of their !"#"$%"& '())"'*+($& (,-&'".& (%*& (,& other states and countries with low to no tax­rate, Apple is able to save money on its operations world­wide. Murphy believes these savings come at the expense of California schools. “I’ll bet every person at Apple has a connection to De Anza,” Murphy said in an interview with The Times. “Their kids swim in our pool. Their cousins take

classes here. They drive past it every day, for Pete’s sake. But they do everything they can to pay as few taxes as possible.” The disparity between opinions on this issue lies in what is deemed ethical versus what is legal. There is nothing illegal about what Apple and other corporations do to keep their tax rates down, but the question remains open as to whether or not it is ethical. On his nationally­syndicated radio talk­show on April 30, Rush Limbaugh disagreed with the Times article and with Murphy’s comments. “The Times is just beside itself, and the people who write the story make it clear that Apple is not being patriotic,” Limbaugh said. “There’s a guy who runs a community college near Cupertino, and this guy’s quotes are amazing.” Limbaugh isn’t the only person who disagrees with Murphy.

see MURPHY pg 3

for DASB student senate Mariah Bravo Staff Writer

:7"& -&$/)& /;;)+'/*+($.& 5"!"& submitted May 4 at 4 p.m. by De Anza College students hoping to win one of 30 seats in the De Anza Student Body Senate for the 2012­13 school year. Students may have noticed the lawn posters around the De Anza College campus urging them to “run.” For those who decide to take the challenge, May 4 was the deadline for all applications. The lawn signs, a new promotional technique, were a contributing factor for the higher number of applicants this year: 58 students applied, a higher number than last year, according to DASB President Arvind Ravichandran. “Usually we go to political science classes or the main quad,” Ravichandran said. “So we tried to put these signs all across

campus. Some people actually said they saw these signs and that’s why they decided to run.” Those hoping to run in coalitions, groups of candidates running together on a common platform, had until May 11 to make the decision. There have been past arguments both for and against coalitions, yet election rules still remain to support those who wish to run in coalitions. “Usually the record is that the largest coalition wins, or take all the senate seats,” said Ravichandran, “[but] for example last year, just to give it a history, there was an independent runner who got the most votes, .(& +*& +.& 1"-&$+*")3& ;(..+0)"& ,(!& independent candidates to win.” Coalitions can reap advantages that independent candidates cannot, like dividing tasks amongst running mates, and spreading messages and platforms

more broadly to students across campus. However, Ravichandran ./+1& *7"!"& /!"& .*+))& .(<"& 0"$"-&*.& independent runners have over coalitions, like using the money solely on themselves while members of the coalition 7/#"& *(& .;)+*& -&$/$'+/)& .%;;(!*&

58 students applied, a higher number than last year evenly. Also, popularity of an independent candidate can still have a chance against a coalition. Those hoping to become the new De Anza student senators this year will be tested on skills

Journalism Association of Community Colleges | facebook.com/lavozweekly | lavozdeanza.com

see DASB pg 3


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