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FEATURES | P 7
OPINION | P 11
VIDEO VOZ
LA VOZ WEEKLY The Voice of De Anza College | May 4, 2009 | Vol. 42, Issue 23
Gaza trip to aid crisis in Palestine Lucie Ashley and Ernest Chavez LA VOZ NEWS
Two San Jose Jewish women, along with activists from around the world, boarded boats in Cyprus to sail to the small port of Gaza last November. Their goal: to do what they could to bring an end to the crisis in Palestine, including documenting Palestinian fishermen and farmers’ lives. CONTINUED PAGE 6, GAZA
PHOTOS BY LUCIE ASHLEY (4) / LA VOZ
An automobile collision on Stevens Creek Boulevard caused a downed power line and delayed traffic to De Anza College last Wednesday morning. One person was injured.
Dealing with swine flu alert Soheil Rezaee LA VOZ NEWS
the power lines down. The Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene, along with an ambulance, fire truck and PG&E. All of Stevens Creek Boulevard between Stelling Road and Mary Avenue was closed for more than an hour, causing automobile traffic and backing up VTA buses. LV
De Anza College has taken precautions to advise students on the swine flu epidemic. The administration has advised faculty to encourage students to stay home if they show any flu-like symptoms. Students who are sick on campus should go directly to Health Services, located in the lower level of the Hinson Campus Center. The World Health Organization issued an alert on April 24 of a possible pandemic. Branham High School in San Jose closed on April 29 with a report that a student had been infected. It was the first case in Santa Clara County. As of Friday, county health officials have shut down four more schools. “It’s a shock to think that such a malevolent virus could hit here, so close to home,” said James McDonald, a De Anza student whose brother attends Branham High School. LV
Lucie Ashley is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact her at: lucieashley@ lavozdeanza.com.
Soheil Rezaee is the associate editor for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: associate@ lavozdeanza.com.
Accident on Stevens Creek Blvd delays traffic to De Anza Lucie Ashley LA VOZ NEWS
A two-car collision on Stevens Creek Boulevard in front of De Anza College left one person injured last Wednesday morning. The accident knocked over an electricity pole, causing a power outage in the surrounding neighborhood. According to police investigators, at 9:53 a.m., a blue Honda Civic CX hit a silver Nissan
Maxima at the intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Stelling Road. “The car rear-ended the Nissan Maxima, so it spun out to where it faced eastbound on Stevens Creek,” said Officer Jeffery Stefanini of the De Anza-Foothill Police. The Nissan lost control and spun out onto the median, where it damaged a street sign and much of the wooden fence before colliding with a cement electricity pole. The collision left the passenger of the Nissan injured and a section of
Transfer rate to UCs, CSUs 14 percent in 2008 Glendale Calmerin and Stephanie Shin LA VOZ NEWS
Source: FHDA Institutional Research & Planning Fact Book
Note: There may be overlap between transfers and degrees/certificates received. For example, a student who received an AA degree may have also transferred to a CSU.
Last year, De Anza College’s transfer rate for UCs and CSUs was 14 percent of students who planned to transfer, according to the Foothill-De Anza Distict Office of Institutional Research and Planning. It has remained less than 20 percent for the past five years. Approximately half of the 25,000 students currently enrolled at De Anza indicate a goal of transferring, according to De Anza College Researcher Andrew Lamanque. Lamanque said that roughly 2,500 students transfer to a UC, CSU or private school each year. “De Anza actually has a high percent of transfer rates out of all the California community colleges,” said De Anza counselor Veronica Avila. “However, there is always room for improvement.”
“My job as a counselor is to do the best I can to encourage students to transfer and helping them do that,” she said. Nearly 13,000 De Anza students planned to transfer in 2008, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. About 14 percent (1,837 students out of 12,999) successfully transferred to a CSU or UC that year. Of those, 1,251 students transferred to a CSU and 586 transferred to a UC. Transfer Center coordinator Shirley Kawazoe said that it is difficult to calculate an exact transfer rate, because the definitions given for transfer rates are arbitrary and depend on what is taken into account. Kawazoe said that over the years, De Anza College has maintained a reputation for a high level of transfer students due to word of mouth. CONTINUED PAGE 3, TRANSFERS