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LA VOZ WEEKLY The Voice of De Anza College | May 11, 2009 | Vol. 42, Issue 24
Smokers stray out of bounds
Education community split over budget propositions
Joy Mann LA VOZ NEWS
The De Anza College police have received reports of people smoking cigarettes in smokefree areas on campus, but cannot cite policy violators by law. De Anza student Christina Leiwes said that she often sees smokers in the smoke-free area by the Child Development Center. “I’m pregnant and my four-year-old son has asthma,” said Leiwes. “The smoke is going over the fence and into the children’s playground. It’s not fair to the kids.” Health Educator Mary-Jo Lomax said that the college is aware of students violating the non-smoking policy. CONTINUED PAGE 5, SMOKING
Students save on textbooks Dakarai Mills LA VOZ NEWS
Since its launch in fall 2008, De Anza College Bookstore’s textbook rental program has succeeded in renting out 11 of of the 12 textbooks currently available. The program was conceived as a means of offsetting rising textbook prices. By renting textbooks from the bookstore, instead of buying them, students can save as much as $300 per quarter. “The students love it. They are definitely taking advantage of the program,” said textbook coordinator Steve Mallet. CONTINUED PAGE 3, TEXTBOOKS
SOURCE: http://smartvoter.org
Glendale Calmerin and Joyce Sim LA VOZ NEWS
The California education community is divided over two measures in the upcoming statewide election, one of which would allocate $93 billion to K-12 schools and community colleges. Proposition 1A, one of the six propositions on the May 19 ballot, proposes a change in California’s budget process by increasing the
state’s “rainy day” reserve fund (Budget Stabilization Fund) and limiting state spending. It will allow the governor and the legislature authority to increase taxes with no checks and balances. The proposition aims to close the $41 billion gap between California’s revenues and spending. If passed, the reserve fund could increase from 5 to 12 percent of the state’s general fund. Proposition 1A is linked to Proposition 1B, which would pay K-12 schools and community colleges the money previously cut from educa-
tion. However, this will only take effect if both Proposition 1A and 1B are passed. Proposition 1B would fund $9.3 billion to K-12 schools and community colleges, beginning 2011-2012, using money from Proposition 1A’s proposed reserve fund increase. Approximately 1.5 percent of state revenue ($1.5 billion) will be paid to schools each year until the figure reaches $9.3 billion. CONTINUED PAGE 5, ELECTION
Paper towels eliminated to save money, environment Ed Pereira LA VOZ NEWS
Paper towels have been removed from campus bathrooms due to budget constraints. De Anza spends $1,000 a week on paper towels, and $12,000 a month on paper products for the campus, according to College Services Director Donna JonesDulin. The college is also short of four custodial positions. Shortly after their removal, paper towels made a resurgence in campus bathrooms last week, to the confusion of students. “Folks were concerned about the swine flu and did not want to touch the dryer button, so we are temporarily restocking all paper towel dispensers again,” said Jones-Dulin.
Custodial Services Manager Manny Da Silva said it was determined that “the blowers were not that efficient, so we are restocking again.” According to Jones-Dulin, paper towels will be removed from bathrooms again once the swine flu scare has passed. “The plan will be to completely switch to hand dryers in the future,” she said. Jones-Dulin said that paper towels were taken away partly in order to encourage students to use the hand dryers. “They are already there and students need to use them,” she said. “They are much more environmentally friendly than paper towels.” Not all De Anza bathrooms have hand dryers. Those without dryers will continue to be stocked with paper towels.
There are no immediate plans to add hand dryers to unequipped bathrooms. However, the college’s goal is to eventually have motion-enabled dryers in bathrooms for hygienic purposes, said JonesDulin. Da Silva said that restrooms were noticeabily cleaner during the period that paper towels were not available. “Maybe people saw it being cleaner when they walked in so they were hesitant to throw anything on the ground,” he said. Da Silva said that students go through copious amounts of paper. “The ATC bathrooms alone use five cases a week, each case containing six rolls.” LV Ed Pereira is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: edpereira@ lavozdeanza.com.
BELLA YASHAYEV / LA VOZ
An anonymous donor brought paper towels into the women’s bathroom by Parking Lot B.