The Puyallup Post | Volume 10 | Issue 4 | January 2005

VOLUME 10

ISSUE 4

SErvING thE StUDENtS Of PIErCE COllEGE PUYAllUP SINCE 1994

College celebrates at Center’s opening Katrina Hansen Editor

Pierce College Puyallup celebrated the grand opening of the campus' College Center building Jan. 6. The opening of this building marks a large step in the school's growth, as it strives to better serve the needs of the community.

"There's an enormous amount of possibilities that students can experience in this building, inside of class and out," Steven Mitchell said.

The event was attended by numerous school officials, students, community members, and local officials.

The large turnout for the event may be attributed to the

Student ProgramS

excitement that has built up over the last year as the building began to take shape.

"We've been waiting awhile," Darce Estep said of the anticipation for the building's opening.

A band from the Fort Steilacoom campus provided an upbeat atmosphere as people crowded into the spacious building to honor its opening, playing big band tunes such as Route 66.

Commemorative posters and mugs were made available to attendees at the welcome table.

iS Seeking theme ideaS for the

Searching for Snow page 3

See OPENING continued on page 7

2005

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The Puyallup P O S t

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co m m e n ta r y

editor’s opinion

love is in the air… tsunami affects many people

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s chilly weather surrounds us, it is hard to remember that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Everywhere you look, from grocery store aisles to department store windows, reminders of the lingering commercial season lie in wait to tantalize shoppers into spending more money.

From flowers, to chocolates, to that little slip of paper with a cartoonish rendition of cupid, retailers are working hard to get your money.

But money aside, where did this "holiday" come from?

While it is easy to think that it is just another marketing scheme to influence consumers into thinking, no feeling that they have to buy this little trinket or that to show their love for someone special, with a little research its true origins can be found.

To uncover the true inspiration for the holiday that is now celebrated across much of the world, we must look back to ancient Roman times.

Of the major legends thought to have inspired this holiday, one of the more popular ones contends that the patron saint, Valentine, was put to death for his attempts to rescue Christians from Roman prisons, where they were commonly beaten and tortured (www.historychannel.com). According to this legend, Valentine fell in love with a young lady that visited him while he was in prison. Just prior to his death, it is believed that he wrote a letter to her and signed it "From your Valentine." These last words have remained the popular phrase used on February 14, each year as an endearing term to loved ones.

Romantic, right?

Torture, imprisonment, and death are the main ingredients of the holiday that is (commercially) thought to be the most romantic day of the year.

Shall we try another legend? A different version of the story goes like this.

Valentine is believed to have been a Roman priest during the third century. It is said that the emperor, Claudius II believed that men without wives and children were better suited to fulfill the roles of soldiers. Due to this theory, he made a law prohibiting young men from marriage.

Valentine, the priest, performed marriage ceremonies for these young men in secret. When his defiance was discovered, Claudius II ordered that he be put to death.

So now we have an over-powering ruler, defiance, and death…still not the romantic story we were looking for!

While the potential backgrounds for this holiday may seem a little bleak, a consistent theme can be seen. Valentine had a soft spot for love!

Additionally, St. Valentine's death, which is estimated to have occurred in 270 A.D. (www.historychannel.com), was celebrated as a feast day in Roman times in the middle of February.

The decision to memorialize Valentine's death and to do so at this particular time of the year is thought to have been an effort to add a Christian element to the pagan festivities that were taking place at that.

Back then, February was considered to be the beginning of spring, and as such, a time of fertility. In fact, the festivities culminated in a fertility celebration on February 15, one day later than the holiday widely celebrated today.

Other legends go on to speak of things such as wedding lotteries and the bird's mating season. To find out more about the legends that have inspired St. Valentine's Day, visit www.historychannel.com and click on the "The History of Valentine's Day." —Katrina Hansen

Lisa Hubert Reporter

Do such great hardships as our recent tsunami help nations to rise above their societal classifications and draw together as a single unified people without bringing along a certain negative inference?

If we look at the results of the tsunami, we can see that this is something we can only hope will happen in the future. This tsunami was tragic. It was a hardship so great inflicted upon already restless nation.

When America experienced 9/11, we drew together and became more loving and caring towards each other. However, recent news article from reporters in India are telling us that India's lowest caste, the Untouchables, are being forced from the relief camps and kept from receiving the help and aid they so desperately need. It is a common belief in India that people are re-incarnated, a word which means “to be flesh again.” They believe that people

College programs move to new offices Pierce College at South Hill Park will celebrate the opening of its new location from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.

The public is invited to the opening of new 10,000-square-foot space at 716 South Hill Park Drive on the north side of Highway 512.

The facility houses the Pierce College Continuing Education, Pierce College Workforce Development and Washington Manufacturing Services. Services offered range from computer skills development and personal enrichment to customized training for businesses.

The building features two full-size classrooms, a mini-classroom, three computer labs, a conference area, offices, a staff break room, two sets of restrooms and a technology room.

“This facility also gives us the opportunity to have companies come here for training. We couldn’t do that before – we had to do training on site at their places of business,” said Lisa Reeves, Continuing Education director.

Continuing Education offers courses in the areas of home and garden, hobby and leisure, computer training, customized business training, health and fitness, and travel and tourism.

Workforce Development provides medical front office training, and houses the Workfirst and PierceWorks! programs. Professional development and certification programs are available in medical coding, customer service, business, leadership, travel specialist, flagging, human resources generalist, professional herbalist, real estate and horticulture.

are reborn into whatever position in life that their deeds in past lives have merited for them.

So basically, if a person is born into hardship, he or she deserves it because it must mean they were not good people in their past lives. The Untouchables are the living embodiment of this class of people.

Higher classes regard them as unclean, not deserving of well being or security, and basically as lost causes. This offends our American sensibilities.

We in America believe in the inherent value of each human life, regardless of social stature. When we hear of these injustices, we are shocked. However, in India this is the way of life.

A great natural disaster occurs and what happens?

The same former negative ideas carry on into the relief efforts. America has indeed taken an active role in the tsunami relief efforts. We can only hope that we can continue to try to give aid to those who most need it.

speakout

Would you accept a piece of gum from a stranger?

By Amber Walters

“No, because I don't chew gum.”

—cassie creely

“If it was wrapped, yeah. If it was chewed, then I wouldn't.”

—melissa carhuff

“Yeah, if it was in a package.”

—amber carol

“Yeah, if I really needed gum.”

—kene ezoke

“No. I don't know where the gum has been.”

—Shelby borden

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JAnuAry 2005

high hopes for snow leads to higher elevations Katrina Hansen Editor

With all of the talk of snow during the past few weeks, I thought it was about time we actually saw some around here! Day after day, there is talk of snow, without so much as a white frosting to grace the top of my car.

Well, I finally got tired of waiting for snow to come to me, so I gathered a few friends and headed out to the mountains! And in an effort to share that snow with all of the readers, I took some photos and decided to write about it too!

So read on to find out where to go for some frosty fun, and what safety tips you should know to avoid snow play snares.

The great thing about Puyallup is that it is centrally located to many great locations for outdoor fun. This time of year, the mountains offer incredible scenery and create a landscape perfect for a number of winter pastimes.

This is especially convenient considering the amount of time meteorologists spend talking about chances of snow and getting everyone's hopes up.

“Ninety-nine percent of the time they (meteorologists) are wrong,” Sandy Hyslop said.

“Unless they are predicting rain,” she added.

Some of the more popular mountain activities are skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and snowshoeing.

Snowshoeing is a great way to get out and about in a snowy landscape without being pulled down into it!

Being the avid "indoors person" that I am, my winter pastime is simply to go out in the snow, take in its crisp beauty, and roll around in it a little. My idea of adventure was to purchase a small plastic saucer with the idea that I would slide down a hill upon it.

So we loaded the car and headed out. Our destination was Paradise. Our mission, to have fun!

A popular location for winter fun is Mount Rainier's Paradise Point. This location offers not only a scenic drive and beautiful locale, but is an excellent spot for snow play.

Mount Rainier's entrance fee is $10, and is valid for seven days. A yearly pass is also available.

After over an hour in the car, we finally reached the park's gate. At $10 a car to enter, we consider it a bargain for the fun that we are surely about to have.

Our happy bubble is only momentarily burst when the park ranger informs us that the snow play area at Paradise is closed. No sledding is allowed in the park today and they don't have much hope for the rest of the week.

No problem, we can still have fun without our sleds. Onward to the snow!

The drive to Paradise in icy conditions takes about a half hour. Along the way there are a number of scenic overlooks for visitors to pull into.

Highlights of the drive include a waterfall and a glacier view on clear days.

A visitor's center is located at Paradise, offering an information center, gift shop, restaurant, museum, and observation tower. Powerful binoculars allow visitors

Photo by Katrina Hansen Matt Fraser, Mike Larson and Paul Ri zzo head home afte r a night on the mounta in. to take in the view up close when the sky is clear.

Park rangers are available to answer questions and give advice.

“We have lots of advice to give,” park ranger, Patrick Gamman, said.”

We made a pit stop at the Longmire lodge for a bathroom break and a snowball fight. I used my camera for defense as another round of small, icy projectiles were formed. Inside the lodge we picked up some information on the park. You gotta love the handy little pamphlets!

We kicked the snow off of our shoes before getting back into the car. The next time we stopped we would need to bundle up in our snow gear. For now, fleece pants and sweaters were barely sufficient.

The cold, mountain air should be taken into consideration when planning a winter trip.

“Come up here with appropriate clothes and shoes,” Gamman advises.

Warm, insulating layers are a must in addition to waterproof outer clothes.

On sunny days, sunscreen and sunglasses should be worn. Sunscreen should be applied thoroughly to avoid sunburns in odd places such as the insides of nostrils, caused by the sun's rays reflecting up from the snow.

Don't forget to properly prepare your vehicle for the weather conditions. It is required to carry chains on many mountain roads.

“This is a dangerous mountain,” Gamman warns.

Vehicles should be stocked with water, food, and blankets for "just in case" events.

Maps, flashlights, and a shovel may also be handy for unexpected problems.

It is also advised that persons planning

See SNOW continued on page 7

ABOVE: Heidi Church tries snow cave on for size.

RIGHT:Chris, Shawna and Drew Mcminn pose with the snowman they plan on taking home to Tacoma.

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rEvIEWS M ovies Meet the fockers rating: PG-13 cast: Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro

Now that Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is close to his future inlaws, all is well, but that's before his fiancee’s parents meet Greg's parents.

Katrina Hansen Editor

Haven't had time to go to the theatre recently? One film that you should definitely make time for is Meet the Fockers.

See this film if you are ready for a good, although not entirely wholesome, laugh!

This movie is the long awaited sequel to the hilarious comedy, Meet the Parents.

The first movie follows Greg, played by Ben Stiller, through a comedy of errors as he becomes engaged and goes through the mishap-ridden process of meeting "the parents."

That film left viewers hanging on the thought of what more could go wrong when the parents of Pam, Greg's fiancee, met his parents.

Well, after much anticipation, Meet the Fockers is here to answer all of those questions created by the first film.

Throughout the film, Greg's soon-tobe father-in-law, Jack, obsesses over the care and controversial child-rearing

methods for his grandson "little Jack."

Jack uses everything from early communication development to a fake breast to ensure that L.J. will get the most out of life.

As the happy couple prepare for their parent's first meeting, it becomes evident that chaos will soon unfold. It is expected that the parents will have trouble finding common ground. Pam's parents are an ultra-conservative couple, while Greg's parents promise to be the eccentric alternative.

Greg struggles to conceal many of his parent’s quirks, hiding various things in drawers and behind dressers.

Meanwhile, Jack is up to his usual "retired" CIA antics, in a last-ditch attempt to uncover the dirt on Greg in hopes of preventing the joining of the two families.

“Jinxy Cat” returns in this film to the delight of cat lovers to add some furry fun to the film.

Currently, there is talk that another film may be in the works. Isn't it about time for some little Fockers?

the Phantom of the Opera rating: PG-13 cast: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson

This is the story of an ugly musical genius who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera. When he falls in love with Christine, the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera.

Lisa Hubert Reporter

The Phantom of the Opera, a new movie based on the popular play, has recently come out in theatres.

People who have seen the play beforehand may have doubts about going to see this new masterpiece of cinematic artwork; however, these people may rest assured.

“The soundtrack of the movie really does justice to the music in the play,” one Pierce College student said.

The movie, while it does not include every last note of the original play, the creators have worked each piece together

with a seamless unity that is sure to impress any viewer.

The role of Christine is played by a Emmy Rossum while the infamous Phantom is played by Antonio Banderas. The most significant difference, another Pierce College student said, between the play and the movie was the age at which Christine is portrayed.

In the original music, the voice of Christine sounds a bit more mature, while in the movie she is portrayed by a sprightly young thing with a youthfully tremulous voice.

The movie has much to offer. The cast could not have been more perfectly chosen, as each character filled his own position with a subtle ambiguity, and no one

See OPErA continued on page 5

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Students Kinble Young and Lee Porter start a new pool game in the student lounge in the new College Center.

A students’ guide to the new building Lisa Hubert Reporter

How many students know what is going on with the new building'?

Seriously, raise your hand if your first thought upon entering this architectural masterpiece was 'oooh … shiny!' Okay, now put your hand down, you look silly. What possible benefits are there for us in this strange new place where the heater vents blow cold air in January? Most of us have one, maybe two classes here. We have almost all seen the new computer lab.

But honestly … is that all? Is that the reason why we've paid all of these educational fees over the years? Well, let me clear up for everyone a few of the common misconceptions about this shiny new place…

Misconception No. 1 … The only things the new building has to offer is computer labs and classrooms.

Answer: WRONG We have a games room! I doubt many of us have ventured down the stairs and down the hallways, but there is a games room just for students that includes a pool table, ping pong, arcade games, and big screen TVs. It's worth taking a few minutes to look for, especially for you poor students with long breaks between your classes. Never

Opera from page 4

character overstepped his bounds into another character's domain. Each scene was carefully and intricately balanced in such a way as to encourage multiple viewings. There are several seemingly cli-

fear, you will never have to sit bored on some bench for an hour again!

Misconception No. 2 … I can only get food at the Daffo Deli.

Answer: WRONG The new building has a huge cafeteria that will be housing several vendors!

We will have a grill, fresh subs, burgers, fries, drinks, cold foods…basically everything you could wish for! Soon enough, all students will have access to this yummy new area that will fill your tummies with brain food.

Misconception No. 3 … We paid fees to build this and we are never going to use it.

Answer: WRONG and WRONG AGAIN You are using it right now! The money used to build the actual structure of the building did not come out of your pocket. Your fees went to buy the students supplies that they would use between the three buildings. That chair you are sitting in right now? You paid for it. The paper you print off so casually in the computer lab? You paid for it. The money that was charged in these educational fees went right back into your hands in the form of things that would help make the new building useful for every student.

mactic points in the movie, including a magnificently filmed graveyard scene and a final operatic showdown.

The movie is overall a credit to the play, and could stand on its own accord regardless.

It’s sure to be one of the classic musthaves for any home collection.

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speakout

how do you like the new building?

Is there anything you would change?

By Amber Walters

“I'd put actual CDs in the jukebox. If there were actually books in the bookstore that would be better, too.”

—Lee Porter

“I think it's kinda neat. I think it's really big and expensive, so I hope we get good use out of it. I would make it less big and expensive so that the taxpayers don't have to pay so much.”

—mark Jacobson “It's great. I think it needs more color.”

—Jamesha Lockett

Student leaders from past and present celebrate at the opening of the College Center.

“I like it. I haven't really had much of a chance to explore it yet, but I like it because it has a nice atmosphere to it.”

—christy Sulfaro

Josh Mead

“It's very nice. I can't see anything that I would change.”

—tina blevins

PtK to sponsor silent auction fundraiser Hilary Sandberg Volunteer

It’s just in time for Valentine’s Day. The college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter is having a silent auction fundraiser at the Puyallup campus.

Students can bid on items between Feb.7 to Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m.

The location of the items displayed and where bids shall be accepted will be posted on the PTK bulletin in the Administration building on the wall between the atrium and room A120.

The winners will be announced at the PTK general meeting at noon on Feb. 14 in room A163.

For additional information, contact local PTK chapter President Melissa Lewallen at 253-223-5256 or the Vice President Heather Stewart at 253-640-2173.

Students, instructors discover building’s quirks Assistant Editor

Pierce College Puyallup welcomed its newest addition—the College Center Building—during winter quarter.

The new building will offer more classroom space, new tech labs and staff and faculty offices.

College officials say many people put in a lot of hard work in order to get the College Center open by winter quarter.

A view of the College Center from the parking lot.

Originally, it was planned Speech instructor Warren Brown says he also to have the building open by fall but after many delays that came with the construction, the date had had problems with the lights.

“With the auto sensors on, the lights sometimes to be pushed back to winter. In reaching this date, there may have been a few small things that were flicker or just turn off,” he said.

When the lights go out in the middle of a lecture, overlooked that gives this building its “quirks.”

One of the most noticeable quirks in the College the teacher and students may find it a little harder to concentrate. Some offices had so many problems Center Building is the heat.

“It's so (darn) hot in here,” said Justin Ander- with the light sensors that they simply had to have the sensor removed to get the lights to work. son, a second-year student.

Also, the control of the lights is a little difficult to The heat is among the many issues that are still being worked on behind the scenes in the College adapt to after getting used to the other buildings.

“The light switches have it so green is off and red Center Building.

Another thing that not all students like is the sur- is on, very confusing,” said Anderson.

The lights for the white boards also provide some veillance that goes on without any clearly visible difficulties, the only way to turn them on or off is notifications.

“I hate the cameras, and the things that listen in using the media tower, and that will not only turn on or off the back lights, but all the lights in the on you,” said student Miranda Corey.

Many students walk by the little black bubbles in class. This makes it harder if an instructor wants to the ceiling not knowing that they're being watched, use an overhead while also having the other lights on so the students can still see their papers. others who are aware can be annoyed by it.

The lights are another problem that is noticeable to many students and faculty alike.

See CENtEr continued on page 7

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Opening from front page

Steve Wall, Puyallup campus president and district chancellor, opened the ceremony, recognizing the numerous people who were involved in the successful development of the building.

"Jim Taylor has really gotten a baptism by fire," Wall said, referring to development difficulties that were handled by Taylor, the facilities director.

The successful handling of these problems has resulted in the building that is now bringing many new resources to students.

"This building has a number of different features for students," Wall said, describing the computer lab, high-tech classrooms, and large dining area.

The new building boasts space for 3000 students in conversation-friendly seating areas, student lounge, cafeteria, classrooms, and labs.

Wall went on to speak of the college's goal of serving the community's needs.

"We are, after all, a community college," Wall said.

Center from page 6

The lights in the bathrooms also can make for some interesting moments. If no one has been in the bathroom for a while, the lights will shut off and will not turn back on until someone stands in the middle of the room. That is, they have to walk in the dark and hope that the light will actually turn on.

This is one of the biggest places that the red light green light is an issue. Students often ask, “Is it on?

Is it off ?”

The new classrooms in the new building all have new projecting technology which in some rooms includes screens that will automatically deploy and retract, and allows for everything to be put through on the same machine instead of needing a separate projector for some things.

This can cause a few problems.

“The projectors don't seem to be as bright as the old fashioned overhead,” said Brown. “And the new rooms weren't designed to use the old technology.”

Projectors are known to block the view of many students in these rooms since they were designed to work with only the computer's projector and not the old fashioned ones.

"You all are the owners of this college, it belongs to the community."

Other speakers at the event included board members, Jim Sang and Dan Graham.

"It is not easy to design these buildings and have them turn out the way we want them," Sang said, referring to his own knowledge as an architect.

"It's not only beautiful, but it's instructive," Graham said of the building's design.

Throughout all of the work that has gone into the development of the school's third building, its future has been an influencing factor of every decision.

"We will carefully consider how we can make the biggest and most positive impact to our future students," Sang said of future developments to the school.

While it will take a long time to work out the building’s numerous kinks and quirks, there is much to be appreciated.

"Walking around here, I haven't found a single leak!" Graham said, adding a little humor to the event.

One good feature to the new projectors is the ELMO, which allows the projection of just about anything onto the overhead. The ELMOs have been seen in the library building before, and now are available in all of the new classrooms. This will allow teachers to show pages from a textbook without having to make a run to the copier first.

The fact that all of the classrooms in the new building are outfitted with media towers will provide a huge benefit to the students and teachers, providing new ways of presenting materials, and allowing for furthering student's knowledge of today's technology.

The College Center Building also provides new labs for the electronic engineering technology course, and the computer network engineering course in the basement. These labs allow for new technologies that will help keep the course up to date with today's standards.

The new building is getting better all the time.

The little quirks it has are being worked out one by one. Next quarter, the new café, cafeteria, and bookstore are expected to be open.

“It's a wonderful building,” says Brown. “We're very lucky to have it.”

Snow from page 3

to visit the mountain check with rangers for current avalanche conditions.

Thirty minutes later, we arrived at Paradise! It was beautiful! The snow banks were over my head and there was more snow than I ever could have imagined.

Unfortunately, a heavy, foggy mist hung in the air, limiting visibility. Undaunted, we struggled into our snow gear.

But what were we going to do? Sledding and sliding was banned until the snow pack gets deeper. Hmm… Finally, with shovels in hand, we headed towards the snow. We were going to build a snow cave!

Building a snow cave is hard work that usually takes at least three hours and may take several attempts.

A snow cave is constructed by hollowing out a space in the side of a snow bank.

This is an excellent survival skill to learn for winter hiking and camping.

The advantage to building a snow cave, opposed

to building an igloo, is that you are less exposed to the elements during its construction and it is easier and less time consuming.

We set out to build our snow cave with lots of enthusiasm and lofty goals. After an hour of digging, we began to think that time was against us and that we may have to alter our plan. Our "cave" was deep enough to be considered an impressive trench and the snow was calling us to enjoy some less focused fun.

We began to make our way down the hill, getting stuck numerous times along the way. Now this is fun!

With the snow cave now completely abandoned, we enjoyed the rest of our afternoon taking in the sites and quizzing passerby about their snowshoes.

“Next year we're getting some of those,” we all agreed.

A day in the snow is a lot of fun. However, most people will agree that it's better at the mountain than in their own backyard.

“I love snow, just not here,” Hyslop said.

speakout

What do you think of the new student lounge?

By Amber Walters

“Where is that?”

—brandon baker

“It's very cool. I love the jerseys on the wall. Very sports-esque.”

—tony ehnat

“I dunno ... it's fun ... pool's fun, ping-pong's fun...”

—will kilcup

“I haven't really hung out in it. It's not big enough, I think.”

—Spencer colvin

“Awesome. The only problem is that you have to pay for the games.”

—daniel deJager

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The Puyallup P O S t