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Issue14 Winter 2008

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campus Events Sheb schwae and the Tribe TUESDAY, FEB 5, 12:30–1:30pm, Campus Center Rm. A

Sheb Schwae and the Tribe – Reggae Music and lecture on Black soldiers in the Civil War.*

INTER CLUB COUNCIL APPLICATIONS DUE TUESDAY, FEB. 5, 4 pm, Student Activities Office, Campus Center

Applications for ICC Chair, Chair of Finance and Chair of Programs are due by 4pm. Chairs will serve from March, 2008 through March, 2009. For information, contact ICC officers at 408-864-8693.

BLACK PANTHER RICHARD BROWN TO APPEAR THURSDAY, FEB 7, 11:45am–4pm, Campus Center Rms. A&B

“Legacy of Torture, Legacy of Resistance” -- Richard Brown of the Black Panther Party and the San Francisco 8 will participate in a panel discussion and film showing. Sponsored by De Anza College BSU and Co-sponsored by ICCE and AAA.*

POET KIM ADDONIZIO TO READ THURSDAY, FEB. 7, 12:30pm, Writing & Reading Center - ATC 309

Award-winning, world-class poet and novelist Kim Addonizio will read from her works. Information about Addonizio is at: http://www.kimaddonizio.com

ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FRIDAY FEB. 8, 9am-3pm

The Institute of Community and Civic Engagement will host “Youth Voices United for Change,” the third youth leadership conference at De Anza to connect college and high school students with community-based organizations. The event will include workshops and spoken word performances.

‘HAIRSPRAY’ FRIDAY, FEB. 8, 9pm, SATURDAY, FEB. 9, 2 & 8pm, Flint Center

Tickets for Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musicalcomedy, “Hairspray” are $40-60 at Ticketmaster.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY DISCUSSION TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 11:30am-3:30pm, Campus Center Rms. A&B

Richard Konda of the Asian Law Alliance and attorneys Gayle Noble and Aram James will discuss the South Bay movement for police accountability.*

BLACK STUDENT CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13, 8:30am-2pm, Campus Center Rms. A&B

The Black Student Conference is sponsored by De Anza College Outreach.*

KISS AN IPOD CONTEST WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13, 10:30am, In front of the Bookstore

Two-member teams are invited to hold an iPod between their lips, kissing it as long as possible. The Bookstore will give the winning team a pair of iPod nanos.

SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE DROP-IN NOW until WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13 MONDAYS 1-4pm, WEDNESDAYS 9am-Noon Financial Aid Office, Campus Center

Want to apply for scholarships? Not sure which ones you are eligible for? Want someone to proofread your essays? Financial Aid will help drop-in students.

CONVERSATIONS ACROSS THE DIASPORA THURSDAY, FEB. 14, 12:30-2pm, Campus Center - El Clemente & Don Bautista Rooms The topic for the “Conversations Across The Diaspora” event is “Do We Love Ourselves?”*

SCHOLARSHIPS THURSDAY, FEB. 14 deadline

Most scholarship applications are due Feb. 14. More than 100 scholarships are available. Requirements and forms are at: http://www.deanza .edu/financialaid/scholarship.html.

DE ANZA CLOSED FRIDAY, FEB. 15-MONDAY, FEB 18

De Anza will be closed for Presidents’ Day Weekend.

FEBRUARY 4, 2008 INFO

Send event notices to Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com by Wednesday noon preceding the week of publication. Please type “Happenings” in the subject line. La Voz does not guarantee publication. All events take place on the De Anza College campus and are free, unless stated otherwise.

Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com

BONE MARROW DRIVE FEB. 20-21

The Vietnamese Student Association will be holding a bone marrow drive. Students who register to become donors will fill out a consent form and supply a cheek cell sample on a swab -- no blood is involved.

LUNAR NEW YEAR SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON THURSDAY, FEB. 21, 11:30am-1pm, Rooms A&B, Campus Center

Workshops are open to all De Anza students, but those enrolled in Skills classes are seated first.

Students can sign up in advance in the Workshop Binder at the Skills desk in L47. Space is limited and times are subject to change; check in L47 for updates. The full winter quarter study skills schedule can be downloaded from: http:// faculty.deanza.edu/alvesdelimadiana/ stories/storyReader$9.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROB KELLY TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 3:30-4:30pm, ADM 119

Theatreworks founder Rob Kelly will speak. He has received the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Paine Knickerbocker Award for lifetime achievement.

POLITICAL CARTOONIST KEITH KNIGHT TO SPEAK THURSDAY, FEB 21, 2:30–4 pm, Room S–32*

AUTHOR OF BEST SELLER TO VISIT THURSDAY, FEB. 28, 10:30-11:30am, Campus Center Rooms A&B

Political cartoonist Keith Knight will discuss his work. He creates the K Chronicles and (th)ink and is a contributor to Mad Magazine and ESPN the magazine.

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY THURSDAY, FEB. 21, 8pm, Flint Center

Mozart’s works will be conducted by Herbert Blomstedt and played by Jonathan Biss. Tickets are $38-60 at Ticketmaster.

STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING CONFERENCE FRIDAY, FEB. 22

De Anza faculty and staff will give workshops throughout the day at the third annual De Anza conference on student centered learning.

FILM PRODUCER TO TEACH MASTER CLASS FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2-6pm, ATC 113

Gary Goldstein, the president of a film and TV production company will give a master class for film students. Goldstein produced the “Mothman Prophecies.”

‘PRETTY WOMAN’ SCREENING WITH PRODUCER Q/A FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 7-10:30pm, ATC 120

A public screening of the movie “Pretty Woman” along with a question and answer session with the producer, Gary Goldstein, is open to the community.

This Week’s Workshops

Monday, Feb. 4

9:30 a.m. - Test with Less Stress 10:30 a.m. - Critical Thinking Tips 11:30 a.m. - Memory Strategies 2:30 p.m. - Math, Science Study Skills

Tuesday, Feb. 5

Yabaa Sooree is a day of celebrating African American Achievement in the Bay Area and will feature artist Dr. Marcus Lorenz–Penn’s photographs*

The Lunar New Year Scholarship Luncheon is sponsored by Asian Pacific American Staff Association.

Check it out : Study Skills Workshops Skills workshops are small, interactive presentations and discussions on a variety of topics to help De Anza College students improve their study skills. Handouts will be provided to students who attend.

YABAA SOOREE WEDNESDAY, FEB 27, 10:30am–3:30pm, Campus Center Rms. A&B

9:30 a.m. - Spelling Strategies 10:30 a.m. - Braingame: Concentration 11:30 a.m. - Editing Skills

Wednesday, Feb 6

10:30 a.m. - Goal Setting, Motivation 11:30 a.m. - Time Management 2:30 p.m. - Writing Thesis Statements

Thursday, Feb. 7

10:30 a.m. - Prewriting 11:30 a.m. - Sentence Skills 1:30 p.m. - Anti-Procrastination 2:30 p.m. - Bullet-Proof Essay

Friday, Feb. 8

11:30 a.m. - Note Taking Strategies

February is Silicon Valley Reads month, and Bo Caldwell, the author of “The Distant Land of My Father” will hold a discussion with students and faculty as part of the Silicon Valley Reads event. For information call 408-864-8672 or go to http://www.siliconvalleyreads.org.

AFRICAN ANCESTRY FACULTY STAFF & STUDENT ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIP THURSDAY, FEB 28, 12:30–2pm, Campus Center Rms. A&B

Proceeds from the African Ancestry Faculty Staff and Student Association Scholarship Luncheon will go to scholarships.*

‘BURDEN & BONUS’ ART EXHIBIT TUESDAYS-THURSDAYS, 8:30-noon & 1-4:30pm, through April The California History Center (Le Petit Trianon)

This exhibit on preservation and demolition on the De Anza Campus responds to the questions, “What are the burdens of maintaining and utilizing 19th century buildings and landscapes for a modern California college? What bonuses are won by preservation efforts?” For information, call 408-864-8986.

OUTREACH OFFICE MOVE

The Office of Outreach & Relations with Schools has moved to MQ2, next to the tennis courts.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE

Students with a DASB card may sign up for a 15 minute appointment with lawyer Ron Goularte to discuss a legal issue. Goularte’s office is in the Student Activities Office in the lower level of the Hinson Campus Center. Students should make an appointment at the Student Activities Office or by calling 408-864-8756. * Events with an asterisk (*) are part of De Anza College’s Black History Month and are sponsored by the DASB and the African Ancestry Faculty, Staff and Student Association unless otherwise noted. For information, contact Dr. Marion Y. Winters at 408-864-8739 or e-mail wintersmarion@deanza.edu.


FEBRUARY 4, 2008

POLICE LOG These notes are collected from De Anza College Campus Security’s media log.

Jan. 22 – Jan. 31 TRAFFIC HIT AND RUN Hit and Run/Property Damage Location: Flint Parking Garage Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 10:05 p.m. THEFT Grand Theft over $400 Police Department Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 2:27 p.m. TRAFFIC HIT AND RUN Hit and Run Property/ Damage only Location: Lot E Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 8:58 p.m. INVESTIGATION Suspicious Vehicle Location: Flint Parking Garage Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 8: 27 p.m. SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE Suspicious Circumstances Location: Bookstore of De Anza College Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 11:15 a.m. THEFT Grand Theft over $400 Location: De Anza College Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 11:15 a.m. INVESTIGATION Fire Alarm Location: De Anza College Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 9:53 a.m. INVESTIGATION Pedestrian Stop Location: De Anza College Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 12:44 a.m. TRAFFIC Reckless Driving Location: De Anza College Thursday, Jan. 31 at 11:15 a.m.

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NO CONFIDENCE | president ousted CONTINUED FROM FRONT

A vote of no-confidence requires two-thirds majority consent to pass. After 90 minutes of discussion, twelve of the 18 senators present voted in favor of Claassen’s removal. Although a president is allowed to vote for himself in a no-confidence bid against him, Claassen abstained from voting. Just before the vote, Claassen addressed the Senate. “I’m aware that there are ways I haven’t been effective at representing the will of the body,” he said. “I wasn’t as connected as I need to be to be an effective president. I’m sorry for that.”

“Never before has the president of the DASB Senate been forced to step down. It’s the first time in De Anza History.” Jordan Eldridge, Student Trustee Stephy He, who was one of the senators who signed the letter requesting the proceedings, said that she and the rest of the senators don’t trust Claassen because “he lies.” Claassen’s lack of strong leadership skills makes it harder for the Senate to do business, she said. Though forced to resign his position as president of the Senate, Claassen will continue to serve out his term as a senator with voting rights. The office of presidency will pass to Sami, the former executive vice president, who was also the target of a no-confidence vote on Wednesday. The vote against her failed to pass with only three “yes” votes. With the exception of one senator, the vote against Sami was authored and introduced by the same people as the vote against Claassen. Both Claassen and Sami share similar views, speaking out in past weeks against a no-unit, nograde student leadership class which was passed by the DASB Senate at their Jan. 16 meeting. The class will specialize in instructing DASB senators on issues such as parliamentary procedure and senate powers, and will be taught by Cognetta next spring. Claassen has called the class “threatening to the cause of student empowerment,” because it is slated to be taught by Cognetta, who, he says, “has managed to fool the senate members into thinking that he actually supports their being an effective body.” Sami and Claassen have argued that Cognetta is not suitable to instruct the class because of his

political bias and his push toward manipulation of the senate members, which they say is likely to be manifested in his teaching style. “The influence that [Cognetta] has in the senate is to make it more about responsibilities and less about getting work done,” Claassen said. “John tries to scare us into thinking ‘oh, maybe we can’t do this.’ He is holding the senate back from its true potential for action.” Claassen’s disapproval of the leadership class was made clear during the Jan. 16 senate meeting, when he called the proposed class “threatening to the cause of student empowerment.” He also chose the moment to attack Cognetta, who was present, saying, “from what I’ve seen of John, I feel very strongly that he is somebody who is against the cause of student empowerment. Claassen has said that the class will present a worldview which strongly emphasizes leadership skills, responsibilities, procedures and general principles, none of which, he says, are very useful for getting work done or empowering students. It is Claassen’s desire to see the class fail at drawing enough attendance to continue being offered. “It is my hope to see the class disappear entirely,” he said. Claassen’s opposition to Cognetta cost him his position, he said after the meeting. “If it weren’t for that issue, I wouldn’t have been removed.” Cognetta declined to comment. Ehssan Barkeshli contributed to this report. Shawn McGann is a Staff Reporter for La Voz.

AT A GLANCE: Robin Claassen PREVIOUS DASB POSITIONS: Senator 2002-2003 and 2003-2004

GOALS AS DASB PRESIDENT: “I’m most interested in the DASB itself being an effective organization. Most importantly we need to have a greater sense of continuity. We need to not only know what the DASB as an organization has been doing in the past but we need to be much more effective at transferring the lessons learned from past years to the next year.” INITIATIVES HE SUPPORTS: 1. Eco-Pass 2. Farmer’s market 3. Improving student suggestion boxes 4. Creating a student lounge that is recreation based rather than studying based Compiled By Aiselle De Vera/La Voz

CAMPUS SNAPSHOT

MEETING NOTES

ACADEMIC SENATE The De Anza College Academic Senate is the representative body for all full and part time faculty of De Anza College and deals with college and district policies. The Academic Senate meets Mondays at 2:30 p.m. in Admin 109 in the administration building.

January 28 What happened: VP of Finance and College Services Jeanine Hawk gave a presentation to the Senate regarding the structural design and orientation of the proposed Mediated Learning Building, the construction of which is scheduled to commence next year south of the Flint Center parking structure. Senators also discussed site alternatives considered by the architects. Why this matters: The MLB project will involve a significant landscape redesign of the area west of the library. Current proposals envision the development of a grass quad in that area. “The Learning Center West has kind of sat in the library’s shadow … we wanted to create an integrated space as part of a quad environment,” said Hawk. Jay Donde

INTER CLUB COUNCIL The Inter Club Council is the governing body which allocates funds to De Anza College’s more than 50 clubs. The ICC meets Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Council Chambers in the basement of the Hinson Campus Center.

January 30 What happened: Engineering Technology requested $550 for a robot kit and electronic parts for participants in a robotics competition they will host on March 31, 2008. T-Tennis requested $284 for a table tennis table and four rackets. Student Nurses Organization requested $1500 for a nursing/pinning graduation ceremony for De Anza College nursing students, which it will be held on June 27 in the Sunken Garden. The money will be spent on renting 650 chairs and a platform to hold the 65-person graduating class and 500 guests who are expected to attend. All budget requests were approved by consensus, placing the ICC account balance at $9,001. Ehssan Barkeshli

DASB SENATE The De Anza College Associated Student Body senate is the governing body of De Anza College. It meets every week on Wednesday afternoons in the Student Council Chambers in the basement of the Campus Hinson Center.

January 30 What happened: The DASB Senate voted to increase funding for the De Anza Athletics Department by $10,000. The additional funds were requested by the Athletics Department to help offset the cost of transportation to distant games, as well as meals and lodging, during the playoffs. Why this matters: According to the Athletics Department, De Anza College currently has approximately 350 student athletes and 19 Intercollegiate Athletic Programs, and many have already been traveling away to playoff games this year. Absence of funding by the DASB Senate could mean that some teams may not be able to participate in those games. joseph Chen/LA VOZ

Construction sites are a common reality for De Anza College students. While construction ultimately improves the campus and uses allocated funds, it can cause congestion in parking lots and noise in classrooms.

Shawn McGann


CALIFORNIA'S GREAT AMERICA is seeking energetic, versatile and experienced show hosts, singers, dancers, hip-hop dancers, costume characters, technicians, costumers, theater attendants and management for our upcoming 2008 Entertainment Season. Check the dates listed below and plan now to attend. Saturday & Sunday, February 9 & 10 Showtime Theater 9am – Show Hosts & Singers 10am – Technicians, Costumers & Theater Attendants 11am – Dancers & Costume Characters 12pm – Hip-Hop Dancers

Please Note • • • •

Arrive 30 minutes prior to audition time to allow for paperwork You only need to attend one date Equal opportunity employer Please use the Park’s Main Entrance off Great America Pkwy

• • • •

You will be auditioned in order of arrival within your talent category The audition procedure may take a long time – please be prepared to wait Times listed are start times Auditions may be limited to 2 minutes

For additional information please contact our Audition Hotline at (408) 986-5941 or visit www.CAgreatamerica.com TM, ® & © 2008 Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.


FEBRUARY 4, 2008

T Y R A P H A M

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Tyra Pham, Or Tyra from saigon, is an accomplished turntablist and an example for female musicians across the world. She’s also a De Anza Graphic Design Student Aiselle De Vera LA VOZ NEWS

Tyra Pham, or ”‘Tyra from Saigon” as you know her from the stage, is a 24year-old Toronto native, and one of the few female DJ scratchers in the world. She’s also a De Anza College student majoring in graphic design. Her devotion to music became clear when she taught herself to scratch a few years ago, and in a very brief amount of time she has become one of the best in the world. In 2005, Pham formed the organization “Females wit Funk,” a network that reaches all over the world to find women like her who DJ or scratch. It began as an online showcase, but now the web site, http:// www.femaleswitfunk.com, includes other well-known female scratchers. Over 40 companies sponsor Females wit Funk. Last year, Thud Rumble, a prominent media management company specializing in turntablists, ranked Pham as the top female turntablist in the world at Q-quest, a San Francisco event in December 2006. At the event, Tyra played with the very person who inspired her, Killa Jewel. In 2007, she was chosen to produce music for the Puma women’s ad campaign, and now has a song on iTunes with fellow DJ, DJ Happe, titled “Pep Rally.” After all that, Pham still isn’t slowing down. Last November, she was featured in Qbert’s DVD titled “DJ Qbert Scratchlo-

pedia Breaktannica: 100 secret scratches.” She says partcipating in the project was huge for her because they were the creators of the DVD from whom had learned everything she knows. In this interview, Pham tells of the hard work that she put in over the years and how she’s been reaping the benefits in the U.S. and overseas. Aiselle De Vera: What type of music do you listen to? Tyra Pham: I listen to everything from Italian opera to gothic music. There’s a little bit of good in every genre. I don’t actually listen to scratch music because in my eyes it’s more of an art form. My favorite era is the 80s and the 90s. I listen to Old School Music. AD: Who are your favorite artists? TP: Death Cab for Cutie, The Cranberries, Stone Temple Pilots, Carmen Elle, The Carpenters, The Postal Service AD: How did you start playing music? TP: I’ve been playing music all my life starting with the piano at 4 years old. My mother was a singer and plays the piano and taught the guitar. I guess this is where I get my musical genes. My dad played too, but he was more of a recreational player. My parents put me in piano lessons with my sister when I around 7 or 8, but I didn’t like what they were teaching me ‘cause it was classi-

cal music. I was bored and I was young and I wanted to play pop music. I regret that I quit when I was 14. So I saw a guitar laying around my house because my whole family played the guitar and my mom taught it and I was thinking I wanted to learn how to play and so she taught me. It was hard because my fingers were small, so I tuned it my own way to get certain sounds out of it, but it wasn’t necessarily the correct way to play. When I was 14, I met this amazing guy guitarist and we started dating and I realized that I couldn’t improve playing how I was, so I tuned it back and retaught myself and got really competitive and strived to be better than him. I would play for hours and eventually I got better than him. I played the guitar up until I was 19, then my love for it started fading out because I started to plateau and didn’t know what to do anymore. AD: What inspired you to start DJ’ing? TP: I was 8; I had a boom box that my dad had bought me. I carried it everywhere and played music. I made mix tapes in elementary school and gave them to everyone. I got the music off the radio that I liked. Sometimes, I would wait all day just so I could get the perfect song for my compilation. I went to a lot of clubs in high school because I had a fake ID since I was 14 and this is

where I met DJs. They had no musical background but they were really good and got paid really well. And I thought to myself, why wasn’t I doing this? I was friends with a wellknown DJ in Toronto and while we were staying at his place, we all gathered round to watch a new doc-

“I fell in love. It consumed me.” Tyra Pham, turntablist umentary about scratching that inspired me. That night I couldn’t sleep. With the money I had saved away from my part-time job in high school, I bought a pair of used Technics 1200s and a mixer from eBay, but the mixer didn’t have the capability for scratching. In 2003, I went to California where I bought turntables, then sold them in Canada. I made enough to get by. One day, a guy sold me turntables, and he was selling his mixer as well. I saw that it was a top of the line mixer and the price was right, a little too right, so I bought it right away. I brought it home with the intention of selling it but then I researched it and found out that it was a scratch mixer, so I kept it and promised myself I’d learn to scratch. AD: Who inspired you to scratch? TP: In February 2004, I read online tutorials and taught myself to scratch. I bought the wrong DVD

and I accidentally saw this girl scratching at the end. Her name was Killa Jewel. She was from Montreal, Canada and she could scratch. She was sick too. I had never seen a girl scratch in my life. She did a sick routine. I fell in love. It consumed me. I literally caged myself until I was able to nail all the techniques I had learned from the Tutorial DVD “Do It Yourself” by Qbert. In 2004, I moved back home to Toronto where I practiced good and steady for two years. Over the years, other female scratch DJs I have met along the way also inspired me. In 2005, I started getting a lot of response. I started doing a lot of showcases and started DJ’ing with DJ Annalyze from upstate New York. By the end of 2005, I was contacted by Qbert’s tour manger at that time and booked me a show in San Francisco. This was around the time I started college at De Anza. AD: Where do you play locally? TP: I don’t play locally, but I get booked across the country. I have upcoming shows overseas because there isn’t much of a scratch scene in the states. It’s more commercial here. People appreciate it more in Asia and Europe. AD: What sets you apart from other DJs? TP: I think that I’m never good enough, and that makes me push the envelope. I’m a perfectionist. I feel like there’s somebody out there better than me. AD: What are your plans for the future? TP: I’m taking a break from scratching and producing an album that will be released under my label hopefully sometime next year. AD: Any last words of wisdom you’d like to impart? TP: Do what you love. Follow your dreams. You can do anything you want if you really want it. Aiselle De Vera is a staff reporter for La Voz.

Tyra Pham, a turntablist and De Anza College graphic design student, was titled the top female turntablist in the world in 2006 by Thud Rumble, a multi media management company.

photo COURTESY OF Radji Millette


FEBRUARY 4, 2008

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‘Santouri’ makes subversive statement

EHSSAN BARKESHLI review

“Santouri” is a commercial venture. Dariush Mehrjui, the director, studied film at UCLA forty years ago, and has since conveyed his themes through the trenchant hues of genre filmmaking, a style that is heavily influenced by American cinema. With “Santouri,” he tackles the hip theme of artistic repression in the Iranian boondocks, and sculpts his piece as more romantic, and more histrionic, than any film made in the past year. It is all about Ali (Bahram Radan), a young married man who plays the traditional stringed santour, an instrument that is played with mallets and sounds like a harpsichord, and his tragic journey as a bankrupt dope-fiend after he becomes jobless and has to rely on his beautiful wife, Hanieh (Gol-

shifteh Farahani), for financial support. He loses his santour, his wife and eventually his mind. Mehrjui makes it clear that Ali is not responsible for his cloud. As the film opens, the government is getting stricter with enforcing its laws against social amusement. They take away Ali’s concerts, making it impossible to make a living as a musician, and Ali begins playing at seedy venues where the hosts can’t pay him much, but “take good care of him,” he says in a voice-over. One doesn’t have money, so he pays Ali in opium; another pays him in booze. This continues until Ali finds himself trapped within the limits of the heroin circle. “Poor Ali Santouri,” his wife says, when reflecting on her husband’s diving bell. Ali is a vitalist. He shoots up for the same reason he plays his music: to feel alive, in a coun-

try where it is hard for him to do what he loves without conservative forces driving him towards ruin. A harrowing scene occurs when he is about to lose his apartment and he goes to his childhood home see his mother, who is hosting a prayer group. In a high voice, close to hysteria, he demands an early inheritance from her so that he can buy more dope. When she hands him a parcel of cash and sends him on his way, his mother says to her other son, now middle-aged, “Haven’t I given you boys everything? Take a look at the basement, where you will see all of the toys I gave to you as kids.” Like the current Iran, which gives its citizens an enormous wealth of cultural and tradition to play with, but confines people within the limits of conservatism, Ali’s mother failed to give him the freedom he needed. Long ago, his parents disowned him for choosing to

be a musician. Ali’s older brother, who still lives with his parents, praises Ali for standing up to the grown-up strictures of their domineering mother. To him, and to the viewer, Ali is not a bad egg. His troubles strike the film with the carriage of an Iranian climate, post-revolution, where the law is crashing down on the youth so hard their spirits are often crushed. Wrapped up in Ali is a quality that we rarely see in film and literature, of the human essence to endure, even when the narrative geometry of a story is against you. Watch “Santouri” to enjoy a genre film that takes place in a country that has been in the news a lot lately, and is capable of making a subversive statement without boring you.

IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.irfilms.COM Ehssan Barkeshli is the News Dariush Mehrjui, a director credited with reviving Iranian Editor for La Voz. cinema has released the film “Santouri” to the American public after seeing it banned in Iran for over a year.

CLUB DAY PREVIEW Club Day, one of the largest regular events on the De Anza College campus, happened last Thursday. The following pictures are a sneak peak at our full feature of Club Day, which you can find in the Feb. 11 issue of La Voz (that’s Monday). PHOTOGRAPHY by SOHEIL REZAEE/LA VOZ (3)

Can this guy break the board with his fist? Or will he use his head? Oh no, Brad Pitt had an emergency on Club Day and was rushed to the emergency room? Wait a second, is that really Brad Pitt?

Who is this shirtless man? And why is he shirtless? Anwsers to these questions will be in the next issue of La Voz, hitting stands on Feb. 11.


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