Feb 24, 2011 (42.7)

Debt and college PG. 3

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Etiquette Luncheon PG. 7

SFCC Outdoor Outreach

spokanefalls.edu/communicator

PG. 9

Volume 42 | Issue 7

Science building to open for classes Spring 2011

New building to include planetarium, cadaver lab Stephen Artman

The Communicator The new science building, which had an original construction budget of $23,900,000, is almost finished.

“The building will be open for spring,” Jim Brady, Dean of Computing, Mathematics and Science, said.

Brady said for students to note that science courses for spring are now in Building 28.

“This building will be dedicated just to life science and physical sciences; there’s no math,” John Nuess, Capital Projects Coordinator at SFCC, said. “Building 18 will be just math.”

There are many new additions that were previously unavailable in the old science building, including a cadaver lab, student study areas and a planetarium.

“I think everybody is excited about

it,” Gary Buechner, a chemistry instructor at SFCC, said. “Particularly with the getting out of the 1970s building into something better, [with] updated technology.”

The cadaver lab will allow students to interact with and learn from actual human remains. One of the technologies available in several classrooms including the cadaver lab is a built-in camera, where video can be recorded and played back later for student viewing.

The planetarium is actually a dualpurpose room. The room was originally going to be another science classroom, however, the decision was made to obtain the money necessary to create a room that was both a classroom and planetarium. The SFCC Associated Student Government donated $200,000 towards the project, and the Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation provided the rest of the roughly half a million dolSCIENCE | Page 2

Britney Locati | The Communicator

John Nuess, Capital Projects Coordinator at SFCC, shows the storage unit for the cadavers in the new cadaver lab.

Salsa Dancing

Resignations force security changes

Pg. 8

Celebration of Writing highlights social issues

Students exhibit presentations offering solutions, highlighting issues of concern to students Halaina Clymer

The Communicator Posters covered with images of human trafficking, extinction of whales and topics of corrupted society stood tall, covering SUB Lounges A and B during the Celebration of Writing event.

On Feb. 16, SFCC’s English 102 students presented their work during the event.

The students expressed their personal concerns about the world by presenting poster boards that they

INDEX

made to exhibit their writings.

“It took two weeks of prep and four straight hours of putting my poster board together,” SFCC student Jamison Edwards said. “I am here to show the dangers of over-consumption and its effects on dolphins, whales and sharks.”

Every student had a different board that represented their personal concerns for the world.

“Today, I am presenting a poster to inform people about the issues of Christianity after high school,” SFCC student Mike Anger said. “I’m talking about and asking the questions of why Christians leave the church and God after high school graduation.”

This event is important because it gives students the chance to open up and share their topics with the public, Anger said.

This Celebration of Writing event is important for several reasons, according to English Instructor Kellie Fischer.

“The English 102 students have a real audience of their peers, faculty, staff, and even some grandparents to share their information with,” Fischer said. “Their work is in progress, so it helps them to focus their continuing research as the audience asks questions, completes surveys, makes comments, and shares stories of their own that are related.”

BYTES

WRITING | Page 2

PG. 6 Come aboard the Lady Washington

PG. 10 Technology in new buildings enhances instruction

SIDELINES..........................8

The Communicator

Two members of SFCC’s three-person security team have resigned, including Security Supervisor Dennis Hauenstein on Feb 13.

“Our security supervisor [Hauenstein] has resigned and didn’t say why,” Gregory Roberts, Associate Dean of Student Life, said. “I’ve been here for three years and since I’ve been here there has always been three officers.”

Officer Annette Mather has also resigned to join her husband in Kentucky.

“There are supposed to be three positions, the security supervisors and two security officers,” Joshua WaitE, the only remaining officer, said.

According to Roberts, security has been understaffed and the resignation of two members of staff has been a blow.

“When you’re dealing with issues from student conduct to parking safety and when you need daytime coverage as well as nighttime, evening and weekend coverage, then you like to have more people on hand to keep your campus safe,” Roberts said.

According to WaitE, over the past few years, security has gained more staff support though they are kept constantly busy.

“I’ve been here awhile,” WaitE said. “It was back in 2005—we had one security officer who took care of

FOCUS

NEWS................................2 PERSPECTIVES...................3

Lauren Miller

The Communicator

509.533.3602

SECURITY | Page 2

SIDELINES

PG. 9 Scholar-athletes struggle to balance studies, sports

www.twitter.com/_communicator

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

News

All scholarships apps now filled out online Lauren Miller

The Communicator

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

Students of any race and color were invited to join the Black Student Union on Feb. 10 in SUB lounges A/B for a free lunch and question session. SFCC Art instructor Carl Richardson was a part of a threeperson panel that held a question session. Students were encouraged to speak out about their future plans and their personal definition of “bringing [their] A game” in response to a documentary that was planned to be featured at the event. Panelists encouraged students to work towards their future and to never be discouraged by society’s views of their race or gender.

-Nicole Denman

Security:

Temporary security guards called in for support until positions are filled From page 1

mostly parking and a few incidents that happened on campus.

“Then we transitioned to a director and a couple of security officers after that, and now we’re back down to one.”

According to WaitE, applicants for the job must complete police training to obtain special police commissions. Until the vacant positions can be filled, the remaining members of the security team, including student interns, have had to step in to keep campus safe.

Temporary officers have been recruited to help WaitE during daylight hours.

“In order to provide SFCC and the

adjoining IEL sites with the needed security support, two officers have been brought in from our contracted security,” Pam Praeger, SFCC VP of Instruction, said in a message to SFCC falculty.

According to Praeger, since the resignations there have been several security incidents.

“Last Thursday, we had a flourish of incidents that were handled by our security team, including our contracted security and faculty, staff, and administration,” Praeger said. “I know that all of us are engaged more in watching out for each other and our students plus reporting suspicious packages and activities.”

Security Office

Contact 509.533.3446 Hours Monday-Saturday 6:30

a.m.-11:00 p.m.

Web page spokanefalls.edu/ College/Security/Home.aspx

Paper scholarship applications just became a thing of the past.

The CCS Foundation now requires students to apply for all scholarships on its website. The applications will be transferred to a database that will save each applicants’ information.

According to Foundation Grants Coordinator Patci Ryan, this system will save Foundation staff members

Jacob Mellick, 19, displays his poster to English instructor Stormy Kurts at the Celebration of Writing event.

Writing:

Students write about and present their passions From page 1

The SUB lounges were full of people scanning the students’ work.

2

“The best part of the event is watching students come to life as they share their projects,” Fischer said. “The excitement shines in their eyes when they begin to talk about their topics.

“Even those who think they aren't excited show a measure of sparkle while they are talking.”

time with data entry.

“Our human resources department does it [for the application process], so we wanted to get students used to the new concept of using technology,” Ryan said.

The CCS website urges students not to wait for the last minute to apply and to scan and email all additional information, including their FAFSA, to the Foundation.

“We realize there are outlying areas where scanners are not available,” Ryan said. “We can accept a ‘hard copy’ of the information only if there is an extreme hardship for the student to access a scanner, as all information will need to be entered into the system manually.”

Students can fill out the application at ccs. spokane.edu/ foundation.The deadline for all application information is Tuesday, March 15.

New building offers more than academic benefits From page 1

-lar price tag.

The planetarium’s dome screen is 30 feet wide, 15 feet tall, and, according to Nuess, is the highest resolution screen in the tri-state area. The addition of this screen will create several new opportunities for classes and the community.

Aside from the benefits the planetarium will provide for SFCC students, on Tuesdays and Thursdays SFCC will be letting previously-arranged groups of kindergarten through twelfth grade students come to the planetarium and see a show at no cost. On Friday evenings, there will be shows open to the community. These will consist of one of three films, either “Black Holes,” “Oasis in Space” or “Two Small Pieces of Glass.” Each show will last about an hour, and will consist of both a film and a presentation on the night sky.

“Our current plan is to put tickets on sale three weeks prior to the show date, so the first tickets will likely go on sale around the week of finals,” Brady said. “[Tickets are] $6 for adults, $3 for students and kids.”

According to Nuess, on March 28 a ceremony will be held to recognize those who donated to help fund the project, and the building will be officially dedicated on April 11.

It’s called a Quick Response (QR) code. Wildly popular in Japan, they will likely be cropping up more and more often in the U.S. and Europe. The popularity of QR codes greatly increased as third-generation (3G) mobile technology became more widely available, wrote Chris Talley for web-based publisher EzineArticles. com.

A QR code is like a barcode, only way more high-tech. Instead of giving the price for that bag of generic Cheerios, a QR code can direct a smartphone to open a video, go to a website, bring up a text message, display product information, compose an email, or add electronic business cards to a phone’s contacts list.

How it works Scan the symbol, wherever

Britney Locati | The Communicator

Interior hallway of the new SFCC science building.

found, with a QR reader app on a smartphone. Many readers are offered free-of-charge, though some are not. QuickMark, a reader app recommended by both Google and tech news site CNET, is available for 99 cents.

By encoding data in two dimensions, even the smallest QR code could contain ten times the information found in the average barcode. Larger QR codes can contain upwards of 7,000 alphanumeric characters, more than five times the amount in this article.

The QR code was developed in 1994 by Denso-Wave, a subsidiary of international auto parts manufacturer DENSO. Originally designed for tracking car parts, QR codes can now be found in newspapers, magazines, books, on billboards, business cards, in-store displays, buses and buildings.

Throughout the paper you can find various QR codes so that you can easily access multimedia pieces or web-only content.

-Kirk Bayman

Did You Know?: You can make your own QR code by going to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/.

What to do for the new scholarship application process:

Science:

What is this?

Britney Locati | The Communicator

The Communicator

Source: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Correction Issue 42.6: The Communicator does not like to make mistakes, but when we do, we correct them promptly.

In the issue 42.6 the article “Student senators take oath of office” should have read, “22-year old Viatnamese student Thong Nguyen is in his second quarter of study.”

If you see any mistakes you can contact us at comeic@ spokanefalls. edu.

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

C

Perspectives

ollege is expensive.

Public twoyear schools cost full-time students on average $2,713 a year. If you get out in two years, you have spent enough to buy a decent used car.

But that is only the beginning. According to Colegeboard, public four-year colleges charge, on average, $7,605 per year in tuition and fees for in-state students.

For out-of-state students, the cost is even higher, about $11,990 on average. Private four-year colleges cost $27,293 on average.

Of course, students can often secure scholarships and financial aid to cover at least part of these costs, but that fact remains that most students still end up racking up a pile of debt to make up the difference. In Washington, the average student has $19,780 in debt after four years of college.

Federal student loans are without a doubt the smartest way to finance an education. Generally, they have a low interest rate and flexible payment options.

At The Communicator, we urge our fellow students to explore loan options, scholarships and federal student aid before they pull out their credit cards.

S

Debt

Joseph Engle | Editor

and college

Editor-in-Chief Lindsey Treffry Managing Editor Kaitlin Allen Web Editor Wendy Gaskill News Editor Lauren Miller Geoff Lang | The Communicator

Serving the community to pay for college

tudent debt can be avoided with a little bit of volunteer service and time.

According to a study by the Project on Student Ashley Debt, in 2009, the Hiruko average student in Wash. graduated with a B.A. degree and an average debt of $19,780.

After high school, most students, like myself, might sometimes feel pressed to go straight into school but with what means? Students below the poverty line have federal student aid to help cover the majority of their expenses and some students have parents that can afford to cover college expenses.

What about those students caught in the middle that have no means of paying for college but are too young to claim themselves as dependents

on the FAFSA? This was one question that plagued my mind after graduation, and the answer for me was AmeriCorps.

Accorindg to AmeriCorps.gov, AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy envisioned a national service corps and less than two years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson realized Kennedy's dream, according to AmeriCorps.gov AmeriCorps is much like the PeaceCorps in that they help to combat poverty, but are domesticated here in the US. “Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve

through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups,” states AmeriCorps.gov.

When I was thrown into this experience, I had no idea what a profound affect it would have on me. I served all three of my years in public schools and was part of a group of roughly 60 members based out of Wenatchee. Members in my group served at sites such as the American Red Cross, and the Community Action Council.

Throughout the course of our terms we would get together and take part in hands on projects, like picking up garbage, painting murals, or putting on family events.

In return for donating your time to do something good for the community you receive an education award.

The education award that you receive can be used to help cover college expenses or make payments on a preexisting student loans. You also have seven years to use your

education award starting the date of your term completion.

The education award is currently $5,550.00 for one term served or 1700 hours served.

According to College Board, the average cost for tuition and fees is $2,713 at a community college.

Along with an education award, you also receive a living stipend that helps to cover living expenses like rent while you’re volunteering.

Other benefits include health insurance, emergency dental, and free childcare while volunteering for the AmeriCorps program.

Out of my AmeriCorps term, I gained so much more than an education award; I also gained work experience that will help me when it comes to competing for a job.

So before you draw the paper work up for a student loan, why not take some time, give back to the community and get a whole lot back.

Pay for college with student loans, not credit cards

E

ighty-four percent of undergraduate students have at least one credit card and of those students, the average number of credit cards is 4.6, Kaitlin according to Sallie Allen Mae’s National Study of Usage Rates and Trends from 2009.

That number is up from 76 percent in 2004. More and more of those students are acquiring credit cards to pay for the expenses accrued at college; 92 percent to be exact, according to Sallie Mae. Students need to take into serious consideration the downfalls of credit cards and opt for student loans to pay expenses instead.

There are a couple of reasons for this, according to the Sallie Mae study. Credit cards are easy to get; 58 percent of students responded to direct sales solicitation from credit

card companies to get their credit card.

Credit cards are easy to use; convenience was the second most common reason given for why students use their credit card to pay for educational expenses.

Credit cards are easy, almost too much so. Sixty percent of students were surprised at how high their balances had reached. Credit cards have high interest rates. They cause anxiety; 45 percent of students say they experience high levels of anxiety about paying their credit card bills.

Students need to stop using their credit cards) and start using the funding available to them through federal student loans. 58 percent of students at both two-year and four-year institutions had federal loans, according to finaid.org. But compared to the 84 percent of students that have credit cards, that number doesn’t seem like much.

Student loans are not as convenient as credit cards. Generally schools only disburse your loan to

you at the beginning of each term.

This means that students need to learn to budget their money and only spend what they need when they need it. Don’t go out and blow the whole thing in a month. It has to last an entire term.

Federal student loans have much lower interest rates than credit cards.

The interest rate on the Stafford Loan is relatively low: 6 percent for subsidised loans and 6.8 percent for unsubsidised, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), compared to 14.7 percent of an average credit card. Subsidised loans are loans that don’t accrue any interest while the student is in school, while unsubsidised loans do accrue interest.

Students don’t have to worry about making payments on their loans while they are in school. All federal student loans have their payment deferred until you graduate, leave school, or change your enrollment status to less than half-time.

After payments have begun on

student loans, if a person has a short-term financial difficulty, such as recent unemployment or medical leave, “the economic hardship deferment and forbearances may provide some help. The economic hardship deferment has a three-year limit and forbearances have a five-year limit, and you must reapply each year,” according to finaid.org.

A deferment is a postponement of payment on a loan, during which interest does not accrue if the loan is subsidized.

A forbearance allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your loan, temporarily make smaller payments, or extend the time for making payments.

With credit cards, there is no forbearance or deferment.

In short, credit cards should be used extremely sparingly, if at all.

Students should be applying for more federal loans to help offset the cost of going to school instead of getting themselves into massive amounts of high-interest, unforgiving debt.

By the Numbers: $23,186 is the average amount of debt for students graduating with a bachelor’s degree.

Source: finaid.org

The Communicator, a student-run publication, provides students an opportunity to connect with their campus and enrich their time at SFCC. We hope to maintain a forum in which students are able to voice diverse opinions on campusrelated issues.

The Communicator also aims to inform students about topics relevant to their education.

Focus Editor Ashley Hiruko Flavors Editor Clarissa Stoddard Bytes Editor Clarissa Stoddard Culture Editor Tucker Clarry Sidelines Editor Jen Greene Perspectives Editor Joseph Engle Art Director Deby Dixon Graphics Geoff Lang Copydesk Chief Kirk Bayman Marketing Sarah Radmer Advertising Sarah Radmer Adviser Jason Nix Staff members can be reached via email with the following format: sfcc.firstname. lastname@gmail.com

Please Note The Communicator is an open forum for student coverage and opinion that is entirely student edited and produced, with absolutely no prior review from the faculty or administrators of Spokane Falls Community College.

The content in this publication is the responsibility of the student staff of The Communicator, and as such do not necessarily reflect the view of Spokane Falls Community College administrators, faculty, or the student body.

Individual student contributions to the opinion page or any other section of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or the student staff of The Communicator.

The first copy of an issue is free, additional copies are 50 cents each.

3

Focus

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Ashley Hiruko | Editor

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

Lussa Thaden is the head coach and former runner for team TNT Spokane. One of her motivations is her mother’s battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Ashley Hiruko

$3,500 in fundraising money that will go towards helping to find a cure for cancer, as well as helping to cover some of the medical fees charged to patients.

SFCC student Naomi Stalcup trains for her first marathon “Anything will help and help raise awareness for the while raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society,” Stalcup said.

Society (LLS).

Stalcup’s first marathon is the Rock and Roll marathon The LLS has invested more than $750 million in that takes place on June 25 in Seattle. research and has prepared 440,000

“Completing a marathon is a “I thought it would be nice difficult task,” Josh Hayes, third year people to achieve their goal of completing a half marathon, marathon, TNT coach said. “It’s more of a test of to run for someone else. triathlon, 100-mile (century) bike will than a test of speed.

Running for people who ride, or hike adventure, according to

Hayes said he became inLLS.org. volved after his father began cancer need it.”

-Naomi Stalcup treatment four years ago.

“Originally, I just wanted to run SFCC student for myself,” Stalcup said. “I lost half

In the U.S., 957,902 people my body weight and wanted to do something I’ve never are in remission from or living with luekemia, Hodgkin’s done.” lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or myeloma, ac According to Stalcup, she received an advertisement cording to LLS.org in the mail regarding Team in Training (TNT), the LLS’s “There was nothing I could do about it,” Hayes said. leading endurance sports charity training program. “[Running a marathon] was something tangible that I “I thought it would be nice to run for someone else,” could do about the situation.”

Stalcup said, “running for people who need it.”

According to Hayes, TNT is for anyone who is inter According to Stalcup, TNT consists of a group of ested in completing a marathon. coaches and mentors that train you in exchange for “The first practice lasts for 30 minutes,” Hayes said.

The Communicator

“By the end of the season, the participant will be ready to run a marathon.”

Lyssa Thaden is the head coach of the TNT Spokane division and started off as a participant of TNT prior to coaching.

“My mother is a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer survivor,” Thaden said. “Four years ago, my mother relapsed.

“My Christmas present to her was that I would raise money for the LLS and run a marathon with TNT.” According to Thaden, the research funded by TNT is being used to help treat a number of different cancers and other debilitating disease.

“This is a program that changes your life,” Thaden said, “when you do something you never thought possible and raise money for families who are looking for any kind of hope.”

To get involved: Visit LLS.org Contact 1.800.482.TEAM To donate to Stalcup’s fund Visit bit.ly/ifWLJO, select an amount, and click donate now.

Change Point! program offers assistance to improve career, computer skills Mercedes Calkins The Communicator

Students who are separated, divorced, single parents, widowed or living off of disabled spouses are able to become financially independent with SFCC’s Life Transitions Program.

The Life Transitions Program is free and has been around for 32 years and was originally located in the Lodge.

James Mohr is the program director of Change Point!. This program is also known as the Life Transitions Program.

The name for the program, while it was located in the Lodge, was the Displaced Homemakers Program.

In the brochure for the program, it states that the Life Transitions program assists over 20,000 homemakers statewide each year.

This program offers classes, information over the phone, and vocational counseling. Some of the classes offered are for computer skills and career development.

“The classes teach you more than the basic skills,” Alice Richmond, a former student of the program, said.

4

“They help you find a career you would be interested in.”

Richmond is currently in her fourth quarter here at SFCC and plans on going to Eastern in the fall.

“The program helped me realize that I am my own person,” Zailya Snyder, a current SFCC student, said.

According to the brochure, the classes are designed to allow students the opportunity to explore life and career changes, make goals and work towards those goals.

“Change Point! classes were six weeks long, and now they are only four weeks long due to budget cuts,” Richmond said.

These classes are also generally smaller to allow more one-on-one time with an instructor.

“This program is around for those people out there who want to be financially independent and do not know how to do so or where to start,” Program Coordinator Denise McKinnon said.

The program is not only available for people here in Spokane; there are nine locations in Washington state alone.

“I went through the program at the age of 51,” Snyder said.

The program does not have an age range in order to qualify.

“The program was originally a two-year study to see if people actually needed help, and it is still around 32 years later,” McKinnon said.

Students who go through the program go to college right after they finish.

“It gave me an opportunity to get help with structuring my life,” Richmond said.

McKinnon explained that another reason behind the program is for people to meet others in the same situation.

“We have a reunion every year, and students have said that this program saved their life,” McKinnon said.

By the Numbers: A marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards long.

Source: marathon-world.com

Change Point! Office Location Bldg. 27, Rm. 220A Contact 509.279.6065 Hours Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Information Change Point! programs provides help for displaced homemakers

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Focus

The Communicator

Local theatre talent performs

Richard III Brandon Montang The Communicator

This hunchback isn’t going to be ringing any bells, just wringing necks.

Richard III will be performed at SFCC’s Spartan Theater on March 3-6 and 10-13, and will showcase one of the region’s professionals, Damon Mentzer, who was groomed at the same theater.

This William Shakespeare play is about Richard, the hunchback Duke of Gloucester who becomes King but only through a series of horrible acts.

The decision to run Richard III can be traced back to a conversation between Bill Marlowe, director of Richard III and advisor for SFCC’s Reveler’s Club, and Damon Mentzer, the professional actor who will portray Richard himself.

Marlowe said he brought it up to Mentzer at a cast party for another show Mentzer was in.

“I have got to play a couple of villains before, but nothing on the sheer joy of Richard,” Menzter said.

“He really enjoys what he’s doing, and he’s good at it.”

This won’t be Marlowe’s first experience with Richard III; it was the first play he encountered as a Freshman at the University of Arizona in Tuscon in the 1970s.

“I have a long love affair with this play,” Marlowe said. “I really love this play; it’s a good solid script.”

Mentzer said Marlowe has gotten him many jobs working on stages across the region and helped him to become a professional actor in this area.

Deby Dixon | The Communicator

Damon Mentzer, playing Richard III, covers the remains of the dead king,z played by Steven Moe. Mentzer said that at the professional level, they often rehearse for up to 10 hours a day and only for a few weeks before the show. At the community college level, they only rehearse a few hours a day and have been visiting the Shakespearean script since November.

Mentzer says the differences don’t make the place foreign.

“Even though so much has changed, there’s definitely a feeling of home,” Menzter said.

SFCC student and Reveler’s Club member Daniel Varavin said that Marlowe creates a place where someone can always come and work and help out.

“It is like my home,” Varavin said.

For more Focus content visit spokanefalls.edu/communicator/sections/focus/focus.html

Richard III Where Spartan Theatre, Building 5 When Thursday March 3, 7:30 p.m

Friday March 4, 7:30 p.m

Thursday March 10, 7:30 p.m

Cost

Suggested donation: $8 SFCC Students with ID: Free

Friday March 11, 7:30 p.m

5

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Focus

Before the Mast

Aboard the Lady Washington

The Communicator

The Lady Washington is the official state ship. After completing a two-week training program, people can travel back anytime and volunteer to crew the sailing ship.

Deby Dixon

The Communicator Climb aboard the tall, wooden sailing ship the Lady Washington for an adventure on the high seas of the Pacific Coast and chances are that you will walk away with a better understanding of who you are.

The Lady Washington was built in her home port of Aberdeen and is a full-scale replica of the original 1750s ship of the same name, which was the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America. The new Lady was launched on March 7, 1989. In addition to her mission of educating people on the maritime history of the Pacific Northwest, she was the HMS Interceptor in the Pirates of the Caribbean and has hosted such dignitaries as the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Through a bill that was passed in the state legislature in 2007, the Lady was recognized as a goodwill ambassador to the nation and the world and as a floating classroom for young people, and designated as “The Official Ship of the State of Washington,” according to Joe Follansbee, media director for the Lady Washington.

“The focus of the ship has always been education,” Follansbee said.

The Lady is a teaching vessel for all ages and offers many programs, such as tours, battle sails and Expedition Voyages, but the main focus is children K-12 on the Voyages of Discovery and teaching what it was like to be a sailor in the 18th century.

For those who wish to become a volunteer crew member of the ship there is the training program, “Two Weeks Before the Mast,” which takes people who have never been on board a sailing ship and trains them to sail.

“This is an excellent place to learn about self and to come to grips with who you are,” said Les Bolton, Executive Director of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority.

“Becoming a volunteer on board the ship is not to teach one how to sail, but to teach them how to be.”

Many who complete the Two Weeks Before the Mast program stay on or return as volunteers.

“We have volunteers who work all year long so they can spend two or three weeks on board,” Bolton said. “They do it so they can work with the kids and help them to discover who they are.”

Crew volunteer Nicole Canning, 18, of Farmington, Conn., said that she decided to take a year off before going to college and experience some new things.

“I’ve always wanted to sail,” Canning said, “and I heard about the Lady Washington and began looking into the Two Weeks Before the Mast program.

“I talked with former volunteers and they raved about it and said, ‘do it, do it’...and I knew that after the two weeks I could stay on.”

Canning said that the two week training program costs $500 and consists of a checklist of what she is required to learn.

“But you can’t just learn the whole checklist in one day,” she said. “You’re really learning by doing.”

Canning decided to stay on board as a volunteer for an additional five weeks.

“It is an amazing experience, being with people who at first sight are so different than me, but they have become my friends,” Canning said.

“Being completely new to sailing, learning something new is really humbling.

“It is hard, having to grow and mess up and learn to get over it and to challenge yourself.”

The 14 to 16 crew members, of which only six are paid, live on board the ship and are taught the importance of interdependence and of being real.

“How much better than to be involved with a tall ship?” Bolton said. “The connection is strong and it is an excellent place to learn about self and to come to grips with who you are...it is a whole different society.

“It is an incredibly powerful thing.”

Follansbee said that the volunteer program has become a training ground for those who decide to make a career out of sailing.

“This is a place where people can learn the ropes to sail tall ships and has become a gateway to a maritime career,” Follansbee said.

Canning said that her favorite part of being on the ship has been working with the kids and that she hopes to return in the future.

“I love working with the kids,” Canning said. “They had me teaching on the second day and it was good because that was something that I was familiar with, while everything else was new.

“My favorite experience was when we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge,” Canning said. “The whole crew was able to stand aloft while going under the bridge and it felt like we were seeing half of the world.

“It was an unbelievable feeling of ‘I’m really doing this and really here and it is something that I’ll probably never experience again.’”

Fun Fact 2003 – The Lady Washington sailed to Caribbean for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

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Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Focus

Valentine’s Day:

Spokane’s economy boosted by love Deby Dixon | The Communicator

“I’m very much in love,” said Steve Macaloso, volunteer at ValenWine Weekend at Barrister Winery on Feb. 13.

Deby Dixon

The Communicator In Spokane, a weekend of Valentine’s day celebrations have come and gone and, as predicted by economists, local merchants report that sales were as good or better than the past few years.

Prior to Valentine’s Day, financial website IBISWorld predicted that spending on love would top $18.6 billion, which was a projected 5.8 percent increase, or a total of $125 for each person who bought a gift for their special someone.

On Saturday and Sunday before Valentine’s Day, the

Spokane Winery Association hosted ValenWine Weekend at the city’s 18 local wineries where people could taste wines and sweet treats for a fee. Dana Trabun, part owner of Barili Cellars on Second Avenue, said that the winery had been very busy on Saturday and that they were expecting much the same for that warm, sunny Sunday afternoon.

Some couples who attended ValenWine Weekend said that their love celebration would be going on for the entire weekend and into the actual holiday, which was on Monday.

While tasting wines at Barelli Winery on Sunday, Bryan and Carol Taylor of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho said that they were having their pre-Valentine’s celebration.

The Communicator “This is going to be our pre-Valentine’s,” Carol said.

“We’ve come down to do the wineries and taste some wine and chocolates, and then we’re gonna go to the Spokane Club and have a Valentine dinner with wine.”

Rani Jee, owner of the Spokane Club Restaurant, said that they served a special Valentine’s menu for $24.95 and that people came to celebrate Friday through Monday nights, with Saturday being the busiest.

“We had twice as many people as normal on Monday,” Jee said. “It was a good turnout and all of the people that came to eat were very happy with the food and live music.”

Jee also said that their Stay and Play packages were popular over the weekend because people could have a good time and then stay at the hotel for only $30 and would not have to worry about getting home.

An employee of the Chocolate Apothecary in the Flour Mill and student at SFCC, Karalee Gallaway, said that chocolate sales were good.

“Every year is a mad house in here,” Gallaway said.

“Sales were just as good as they were in the past couple of years.”

Gallaway said that money worries were of no concern when deciding what to get her husband as a gift, only that she got him something special.

Susan Matteson, co-owner of Peter and Sons Florists on Pacific Avenue downtown, said that they started out with 100 dozen roses on Valentine’s Day, which they sold for $65 a dozen, and were all out by that afternoon.

“This is the first year in three that we had an increase in sales,” Matteson said. “Last year was a decrease... it depends on what day the holiday falls on.

“If it is a weekend, sales are usually less.”

Matteson said that during the few days of the Valentine’s holiday, their sales are equal to that of the entire month of December, and that the six months from Thanksgiving to Memorial Day supports the shop for the rest of the year.

SFCC Chemical Dependency student Heather Garcia said that she did not have anyone to buy a Valentine’s for and so she spent $12 on cookies for the entire class.

“I was told a lot that I should be sad because I’m single,” Garcia said. “People focus too much on having a relationship...Valentine’s Day is a day to tell people that you care about them.

For the complete multimedia piece, scan the above QR code or visit our website at: spokanefalls.edu/communicator

Etiquette luncheon prepares SFCC students for life skills Brandon Montang The Communicator

A luncheon about eating etiquette was held in the SUB lounges for the Customer Service program.

The program offers a one-quarter intensive curriculum designed by businesses to teach students how to be immediately hired and be productive in today’s job market.

According to Taryn Hutchins, instructor and team leader for the Customer Service program, the curriculum was designed around a focus group done with businesses from the area.

“The businesses basically wrote our curriculum,” said Frank Powers, Dean of Business, Professional Sudties and Workforce Education.

Powers said that they brought in 14 different local businesses to ask them what customer service is to them and how they should prepare the students.

“We gleaned more information in those two hours and that was

handled so well,” said Powers.

Powers said that he believes the successes of the program are due to the abilities of the faculty.

“This team has worked and functioned together so well it literally brings tears to my eyes,” Powers said.

Victoria Patano, a student in the program, said the instructors have affected her as well.

“The teachers are awesome,” Patano said. “This is the best class I’ve ever had in school. “You grow so much in every aspect of yourself.”

Powers said the program is designed wholly around the students.

Hutchins agreed, adding that the program is there to prepare students for a plethora of jobs.

“We don’t envision everyone sitting in a cubicle answering phones,” Hutchins said. “These skills pour over into other opportunities.”

Eric Banville, manager at Absolut Grill at the Spokane Arena and student of the program, said he didn’t know what to expect when he signed up for the class.

“I got what I had hoped for,” Banville said. “When I came here, I figured out what I needed to improve.”

Patano said that she entered the program looking to expand her business and that the program gives her the base to take her career into tourism.

Powers said that upon completion of the program, not only should the students be prepared to be hired immediately, but they receive accreditation in the form of a customer service certificate and a tourism certificate.

Customer Service Program Contact Taryn Hutchins Number (509) 533-3704 Email edu

CathyR@spokanefalls.

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

For more Focus content visit spokanefalls.edu/communicator/sections/focus/focus.html

7

Sidelines

Salsa Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Jen Greene | Editor

and stay fit

Simply Dance Studio offers a Saturday Night Salsa lesson and open dance for $5 Jen Greene

The Communicator With spring around the corner, more people are searching for ways to get into shape and stay healthy.

You can pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for a gym membership, and classes like Zumba can average about $40 for 6 weeks. Or you could join a group of about 60 that show up for Saturday Night Salsa— just $5 to learn how to salsa and dance the night away.

Marianna Seney, the owner of Simply Dance Studio, offers many social dances through out the year, including Saturday night’s salsa from at 9:15 to 1 a.m. every week.

She instructs a salsa lesson beginning at 8:15 p.m. to help cover basics.There is no need to know ballroom or Latin dance before the night starts. The instructor teaches basics, and progressively builds to an intermediate level.

“A co-worker brought me, and I fell in love,” said Rob Drass.

Twice a week for four to five months, Drass has been dancing the salsa and bachata, a similar Latin dance with a little more sex appeal.

“Saturday is more challenging the first time,” said Drass, “but it’s still easy to learn.

“There’s always a good mix of people and it’s a good workout.”

“Formal attire is a little stuffy for me just to come have fun,” said Nicholas Kasbar. The instructor wore jeans and a salsa T-shirt for Saturday night’s lesson.

“We’re not competing here,” Kasbar said. “Casual attire is good; be comfortable.”

Dancing is among one of the best ways to stay healthy and fit according, to Zoe Bremer of the Bristish Journal of General Practice, who claims dancing increases your heart rate, burns calories and tones your muscles all at once.

Simply Dance Studio offers yoga, salsa, bachata, swing, hip-hop, hiphop aerobics, Argentine tango, and samba among other ballroom tech-

nique classes. Some styles may be taken privately upon request.

“The first time, I came with my daughter,” said patron Judy Hamilton. “It was easy to learn at a very comfortable pace.”

Dance instructor Bercle George said that learning new ways to move your body also improves brain function and bodily awareness.

“The steps were easy to pick up for both of us,” said Hamilton. “It was a great bonding time.”

Exercise is important to keep you energized and improve your stress levels according, to salsa instructor Laura Castro.

She said that salsa dancing also helps balance hormones. Because it is a partnered dance, the social interaction stimulates the brain while conditioning the body and promoting self-confidence.

“Salsa dancing is super sexy, but innocent,” said Kasbar. “[Dancing is] a good way to socialize at any age.”

Salsa can provide an equally intensive workout and promote mental health, said Castro.

A study in the United Kingdom has shown that individuals suffering from depression who took Salsa dance lessons for 10 weeks showed a measurable improvement in their mood and overall health.

Saturday Night Salsa Address 820 W. Sprague Ave.

Simply Dance is on

the second floor above

Moxie’s Restaurant and

Berg’s Shoes.

Dance Workout Costs

Contact Marianna Seney

509.892.1480 Hours Salsa Lesson starts at

8:15 p.m.

Salsa Dancing begins at 9:15 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Photos by Britney Locati | The Communicator

8

Did You Know?: Salsa can also be performed with three or four people altogether (trios and quattros).

Source: EzineArticles.com

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Sidelines

The Communicator

Outdoor Outreach plans activities for SFCC students Shelby Miltner

The Communicator

Robin Sheng Ho | Contributor

Student government members Candice Mckinley, Bu Park, Robin Sheng Ho, Jocelyn Pyper, and Heather McKenzie attended college night at Riverfront Park Ice Palace, which was an activity put on by SFCC Outdoor Outreach.

The Outdoor Outreach club at SFCC is a student government-run club designed to give students the opportunity to do outdoor activities while also volunteering in the community.

On Wednesday Feb. 9, it was college night at the Riverfront Park Ice Palace.

“A lot of people came to the event,” said Joel Diaz, SFCC Associated Student Government Activities Vice President. “The good thing about Outdoor Outreach is it lets students go off campus and de-stress from all the their school work while being in the outdoors and spending time with their friends.”

SFCC student and ASG Outdoor Outreach Programmer Candice Mckinley plans all of the Outdoor Outreach events.

“We do a lot of community-related events,” Mckinely said.

Students don’t have to pay the full price for each event; the student government will pay for part or all of the cost, depending on the event.

“The Outdoor Outreach Programmer gets a budget for the year and that budget pays for whatever the students don’t,” A.S. Treasurer Joycelyn Pyper said.

Before going on an outdoor activity, participants need to sign a wavier, depending on the event.

To participate in an event put on

by Outdoor Outreach, pay the fee or amount of the event at the SFCC cashier’s office in the SUB, then take the receipt to the Student Government Office located in Building 17.

“If an event is off-campus, there will be a lot of papers to sign,” said Mckinely. “It depends on the risk level of the activity.

“For example, the rock climbing event we have coming up on Feb. 25, there will be papers and forms to sign because the event is offcampus.”

Mckinley said that Spring Quarter will be full of activities, and that students can find all the upcoming events in the activities calender.

The next Outdoor Outreach event will be rock climbing at Wild Walls on Friday, Feb. 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Student athletes balance academics and teamwork Carol Zinke

The Communicator College athletes not only have a busy academic schedule, but have a long sport agenda as well.

CCS men’s and women’s basketball teams have been winning the majority of their games this season. With the men’s team bringing in 17-7 for this season and an overall 9-3 in there division. The womens team is 20-4 this season with an overall 10-2 in there division.

“College level basketball is very competitive,” said second-year women’s basketball team member Korrie Bourn. “Everyone wants to be there, so you have to work harder and it’s faster-paced.

“There’s a lot more weight training and it’s much more demanding.”

The average student takes 12-15 credits per quarter, according to Steve Bays, Dean of Student Services and the registrar at SFCC. For every hour a student spends in class, it is expected that they spend two hours studying at home. For our student athletes, that isn’t always so easy to accomplish.

“When I have time off from basketball, I like to set aside time where I’m going to work on homework and not let anything distract me,” second-year student and member of the men’s basketball team Mathew Barnes 20, said. “It’s very hard to manage a full academic schedule while having long practices as well.”

Each player has their own study tactics and approach for their time management.

“When you’re in high school it’s all about sports, but when you get to college it’s about the academics too,” Bourn said. “It’s really hard to manage school while juggling around your academics, and sometimes you just want to quit, but you just have to dig deeper, be mentally

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

Korrie Bourn plays for the SCC women’s basketball team as a forward guard. Bourn said that college-level basketball is very competative. tough and keep going.”

Being on a college sport team has its ups and downs, but for both the men and women they have their own.

“My favorite thing in basketball is developing the relationships with the team mates and getting new friends,” said first-year student and member of the men’s basketball team DeAngelo Jones. “A lot of people who don’t play sports miss out on a lot because they don’t get to do that.

“They don’t get to have that closeness with so many people. It’s nice to have those friendships and support.”

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Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Bytes

Clarissa Stoddard | Editor

New music technology strengthens students’ musical abilities Kate Blevins

The Communicator SFCC offers music programs and also programs for technology. Apart from music majors, this type of program accommodates those who are preparing for jobs in audio production, analog and digital recording, live sound engineering, sound design and more within the audio industry.

Recording Studio “The control room is bigger [than the old building] and we will have new 5.1 speakers,” Program lead director of audio engineering, Steve Gamberoni said.

The 5.1 speakers allow for surround sound. In addition to the speakers there will be a new patch bay that will be able to plug cables that will have an audio effect with tape machines.

The speakers will now be soffit which means the speakers will be fastened underneath and then connected to a stand rather then having the speakers chained up back in the old building. In the new building there is one master recording room. The other rooms in the building are capable of recording and can be heard and edited in the master recording room which is located in the basement of the building.

“5.1 speakers is just an additional set to the speakers we’d usually have,” second-year Audio Tech student Cory Crawford said.

Piano Lab In addition to this for the piano-

inclined students, there is a computer piano lab. This lab room has a camera that can take a live video of the instructor’s hand on the piano keys. This helps the students by learning finger placement and notes.

“I can hear the individual pianist play, or I can put them in pairs so that through the head set they can hear themselves with another person or I can even join them all together,” SFCC piano instructor Rosi Guerrero said. “The headphones are soundproof, so what you’re listening to is yourself playing with no background noise.”

Floating floor, new lights, and sound-proofing “There is a floating room that is used by the piano and string students,” John Nuess said. “This construction technique provides separation from the room below the ‘floating’ room.”

The Auditorium is receiving upgraded stage lights, in addition to a new control board. There is correction glass (which is also known as resistant shattering glass) on the the stair railings and in the main lobby area.

“There are isolation rooms used for voice and acoustic,” Nuess said.

The Isolation rooms are equipped with sound proof walls and doors so that the musician can focus on just their own sound. The are also two practice rooms that are an extension of the Isolation room.

Although some of the construction is not yet finished it will be up and running by Spring quarter.

Nicole Denman | The Communicator

Audio engineering student Lamar Webster said he enjoys the soundproof practice rooms.

New technology in science building to include interactive labs Stephen Artman

The Communicator The new science building, opening in spring, is home to an array of new technologies.

Cadaver Lab The science building houses a cadaver lab, where in several classrooms is a built-in camera. Instructors will be able to perform curriculum-related procedures and display them on an LCD screen for the entire class to see. These can be recorded and played back.

LCD screens There are several student study areas available in the science building on both the first and second floor.

Some of these study areas will have LCD screens on the wall next to these areas. Students will be able to hook these screens directly to their own computers, and use them as secondary monitors. According to Nuess, students will also be able to use media such as DVDs through these screens.

Britney Locati | The Communicator

The new science building, Building 24, is to open Spring quarter and host all science-related classes.

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Dome screen The planetarium’s dome screen is 30 feet wide, 15 feet tall, and according to Nuess, is the highest resolution screen in the Tri-state area. While viewing the galaxy, a staff member can take the pointing tool, point it at a star on the dome, and the screen will zoom in on that star. On top of the galaxy viewing ability, other classes can obtain and show videos.

Did You Know?: The best way to soundproof a room is to dampen it, creating a panel that is less prone to vibrations.

Source: tmsoundproofing.com

Feb. 24 - March 9, 2011

Bytes

The Communicator

College-issued laptops tracked to counter theft

Library Laptops

Lindsey Treffry The Communicator

In Fall 2010 alone, there were three Dell laptops and three MacBook Pros stolen or lost by students from the library.

All SFCC laptops rented through the library can be tracked through a chip placed internally that allows a company called Computrace to track the where-abouts of the laptop.

“Once a laptop has been stolen, we do a police report, or the student who checked out the laptop [files a police report],” Library Supervisor Babs Hachey said. “I file a claim with Computrace and they work in conjunction with the police department.”

Once Hachey files a report with the police department, she then files a theft report number on the Computrace website.

According to IT Manager Rod Larse, Computrace is comparable to an On-Star system in a car. Laptops can be tracked through a GPS-related system.

According to the Computrace website, their theft program mines computers using techniques like file and registry scans, geolocaters, and key capturing, which enables Computrace to track every key struck on a keyboard.

If this GPS system cannot track the laptop in a certain time frame,

Loan Period 2 hours or 24 hours Laptop Overdue Charges $10 per hour Maximum fine: $50 Laptop Case Overdue Charges $10 per hour Maximum fine: $25

Kaitlin Allen | The Communicator

According to IT Manager Rod Larse, this laptop had been vandalized with stickers and the inventory tags had been removed. Law enforcement had returned the computer to SFCC in December. the Absolute Software company— who owns Computrace—is required to replace it, according to IT Specialist 2 Sharon Gunn.

“We got a laptop back from law enforcement in December,” Larse said. “[The student] had peeled the inventory tags off.”

According to Larse, the laptop had been vandalized by green stickers and tape. “[When an inventory tag is re-

moved] students don’t realize that doesn’t solve the problem,” Gunn said. “Computrace is embedded in the notebook.”

According to Hachey, if a laptop is stolen or lost, a student is charged the basic cost of a laptop: $1350 for a Dell and $2200 for a MacBook Pro. The fee for a damaged laptop amounts to the total cost of damages. For a stolen or lost power cord and computer case,

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It’s on – UW Bothell students routinely take regional and national titles at academic competitions. Learning never looked this good!

students are required to pay $75, according to Hachey.

According to Washington state law, if rented or leased property is stolen, it may result in a class C felony, which has a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $10,000 fine.

“Students need to think twice before taking [laptops] because then you have a criminal record,” Gunn said.

Additional Information SCC and IEL students may not check out the laptops.

Laptops may be checked out for 2 hours with a possibile single renewal, or 24 hours with NO RENEWAL Source: library. spokanefalls. edu/CircPolicies. aspx?page=PV1

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