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Skyline View The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, California

September 27, 2012

Volume XXXI - Issue 3

www.theskylineview.com

CITD team honored with annual Skyline Shines award Quality of services and programs lead to award for CITD

by Daniel Chee TSV Photo editor

Chemistry professor, AJ Bates discusses his initial reaction to the break-in.

tioned that as a result of the crime additional latches were added to all four offices that were broken into.

“Thoroughly surprised because in 38 years this had never happened before,” wrote Professor Patricia Deamer in reaction to the break in via email.

“It feels like my personal space has been violated” said Professor Bates, when he was asked for his reaction to the break-in. He also pointed out the latches that has been added to his office door and pointed

The Center for International Trade Development (CITD) was recently presented with the annual Skyline Shines award for their service and enhancement of Skyline College.

According to the school’s website, this award is designed to recognize individuals or groups who help Skyline to shine in terms of its quality of programs and services and its reputation for quality. Two awards are made annually, one to a member or group of the Skyline employees and one to a member or group from the community. CITD was given the internal award.

“What we do is we promote export activities from local small to medium sized companies to international markets, globally,” said Richard Soyombo, the director of CITD. Such markets include Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Apart from working directly with small businesses, they have different programs that Skyline instructors can attend, which in turn upgrades curriculum and student knowledge.

The CITD also conducts a program called the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (YEP). This program targets youth from the ages of 14-27.

YEP offers one-on-one counseling, seminars, and opportunities to win startup money for people that wish

Stolen continued from page 2

CITD continued on Page 2

Daniel Chee/The Skyline View

String of break-ins plague campus Surveillance footage aids in apprehending suspected book thief

by Will Nacouzi TSV online editor

A suspect broke into four offices in building seven and eight on Sept.

15, taking text books from them.

The offices in question belonged to the Science/Math/Technology (SMT) and Language Arts divisions.

A janitor reported the break-in to campus security on the morning of the 15th and he noted that these various offices showed signs that someone had attempted to break in to them. The Public Safety Office has filed a report to San Bruno Police.

The offices that were broken into belonged to Professor A.J. Bates (8236), Professor Patricia Deamer (7322), MESA director Stephen Fredrick’s (7326A), and Professor Carmen Velez (7326B).

“We think we’ve identified someone who may be a person of interest and we’ve communicated that to the San Bruno police,” said Chief of Public Safety Robert Dean, referring to the fact that they believed the suspect to be a student based on the clothing he was wearing.

A meeting of the Health Safety Committee on the 18, three days after

the break in, showed that the suspect was captured on security camera and seen leaving building seven with a backpack and a bag of books.

Of the four staff members whose offices were broken into, two were shown the security video but they did not recognize the suspect, according to the same meeting the suspect seemed aware of the placement of the security cameras.

According to Chief Dean, the building was empty with few students at campus around at the time the crime took place. He also men-

Potential trigger cuts give voters a loaded gun

Proposition 30 increases income tax for those who make $250,000 or more for school

by Vince Biancalana TSV Chief copy Editor

California will vote on Prop. 30 this November, a measure that could change the California Constitution and raise taxes in order to set up an “Education Protection Account” which school districts can use for general funding.

Prop. 30 introduces several new tax measures including a increase in state sales tax from 7.25% to 7.5%.

In addition, this law will increase income tax for earners over $250,000 a year. Tax payers with a taxable income of over $1,000,000 may see a tax rate as high as 13.3%, rather than the current rate of 10.3%

The Legislative Analysts’ Office estimate revenues for these tax plans to be around $6.8 million annually until 2019, when these short-term fixes can be scaled back. The state cannot deny this funding to the schools, even in the event that a budget plan for the state cannot be agreed upon.

The revenue set aside by this policy is intended to be used for K-12 and community colleges.

The majority of funding would go to K-12 schools at a district level which in turn would use the money at their discretion, provided they make spending decisions in an open public meeting. Administrators are unable to use the funding for salaries or any

other administrative costs.

Making this tax plan a California constitutional amendment that decays in 7 years, lawmakers hope to prevent money being gleaned off by any fraud. Amending the constitution to remove this plan would require a second ballot measure and a second gathering of signatures; this protects the funding from being cancelled suddenly by the California Congressional Assembly.

With a financial crisis so dire, this plan has already been accounted for in this year’s budget plan. If the measure does not pass, California must either reduce its spending by $6 billion dollars or come up with another way such as Prop. 38 to fund our schools.

Will Nacouzi/The Skyline View

Prop 30 continued on Page 2

Skyline View

The

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The Staff Editor In Chief Lauren Concon News Editor renee abu-zaghibra Features Editor justine abellana Opinions Editor Reynaldo Garcia Entertainment Editor AAron washington Sports Editor Megan Benveniste Chief Copy Editor Vince biancalana Online Editor Will nacouzi Multimedia Editor haider mashal Photo Editor daniel chee Social Media Editor diane thao circulation manager eric wong graphic editor sarah yiu special projects editor vivian abellana Editors at large marc arguello jay johnson stephen benoit jj valdez Staff Writers Christopher Korp richard estrada Anacani serrato Cartoonist JJ Valdez Alyssa Koszis Faculty Adviser Nancy Kaplan-Biege

Want more news? www.theskylineview.com Or maybe you have news for us?

(650) 738-4377 Want to yell at us? theskylineview@gmail.com Or use snail mail: The Skyline View c/o Language Arts Room 8-8110 Skyline College 3300 College Drive

San Bruno CA 94066

September 27, 2012

News

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Colleges left behind without Prop. 30 Stolen books continued from page 1

continued from page 1

Community colleges and public schools stand to lose $5.4 billion dollars according to a report compiled by the Attorney General. Massive budget cuts like these imply higher per-unit costs, bigger classes, cut programs and reduced financial aid.

Proposition 30 won’t just rescue our primary schools; many public social services such as California State University and University of

California are also hoping the ballots favor Prop. 30. Failure of Prop. 30 would force contingent budget cuts equal to $250 million dollars to each of these learning institutions .

Proposition 38, the opposed bill put to ballot for educational revenue, increases income tax across the board, with a sliding scale starting at a .4% increase for individuals making more than $7,500. Individuals who make more than $2.5 million

would see a tax increase of 2.2%.

This plan spreads the tax across the board and estimates revenue at $10 billion. However, while most of this revenue goes to K-12 and early childhood education, trigger cuts will still go into effect if Prop. 30 does not pass.

out that he hopes that security will be increased.

San Bruno police are currently investigating the crime, and anyone who has information, please contact them at their business line at (650) 616-711.

CITD nets award for mission of expanding horizons continued from page 1

to become entrepreneurs.

“The program helps high school and college students interested in starting up their own business,” said YEP co-coordinator Pcyeta Jackson.

Additionally, YEP has helped create four entrepreneurial certificates in Automotive Technology, Cosmetology, Renewable Energy, and Early Childhood Education.

The CITD offers an internship on campus.

“In this office the duties vary greatly,” said Allison Mello, Program Services Coordinator. “One moment, we’re anticipating the arrival of a foreign dignitary; in another we’ll be organizing an event for the school.”

She punctuated the need for a flexible self-starter who can handle multiple projects in the office.

One of the CITD’s major goals is to try and globalize the Skyline campus, and beyond.

“Right now, when you graduate with an engineering degree, you never know the kind of job you’ll have,” said Soyombo. “You may work for Microsoft, but they might ship you to China or South Africa.

“How are you going to adapt if you don’t expose yourself to some kind of entrepreneurship or some kind of global program?” he added.

Increasing the international student population is another goal that the CITD has set for itself, with a certain degree of success. They have doubled international student count from 28 to 56 and are aiming for more.

“They have really helped this college think through how we in-

Daniel Chee/The Skyline View

From left to right: Intern Omo Omobogie, YEP Coordinator Peyeta Jackson, Executive Director Richard A. F. Soyombo, and Program Services Coordinator Allison Mello. ternationalize this campus,” said Dr. Regina Stroud, president of Skyline College.

Soyombo had a final bit of advice for Skyline students.

“Expand your horizon. Think

more about entrepreneurship and about the global community.”

New service open for transfer students Eligible students can now achieve their academic goals faster.

by Reynaldo Garcia TSV Features editor

The Skyline View is a First Amendment Publication. The Skyline View is published bi-weekly during the spring and fall semesters by the journalism students at Skyline College. The Skyline View is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

Opinions expressed in the paper are those of the writers and should not be interpreted as the views of Skyline College, SMCCCD, the faculty, administrators or the newspaper adviser. Additionally, the paper does not endorse any of the products or services advertised.

The Skyline View welcomes Letters to the Editors; letters must include full name, address, and phone number for verification. The Skyline View reserves the right to edit letters for length, libel, clarity, and taste.

A brand-new service debuted this semester at Skyline for students who have gone to a college elsewhere to have a uniform academic history.

The new San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) Transcript Evaluation Service (TES) started operations this fall semester at Skyline and across the SMCCCD. The TES is being implemented to give the district a uniform procedure to check a student’s completed coursework done elsewhere and have a singular academic history.

“The development of this program was requested by the Board of Trustees,” said Alicia Frangos,

the Program Service Coordinator and one of the transcript evaluators.

“They wanted a uniform procedure for transfer students.”

“This service has been talked about for as long as 15 years ago.

And it just launched this semester,” said Frangos. “Before, a student’s history only showed their units. Now it shows the classes that they took and it helps because, for example we see how those courses apply to be able to transfer.”

The Transcript Evaluation Service gives eligible students the ability to check where their completed coursework stands in the SMCCCD academic requirements. Students can request for an evaluation online.

“Correct. They can find out if

these courses apply here. For example, towards earning an Associate’s Degree,” said Frangos when asked if this procedure can help expedite towards a student’s academic goal.

“Would I use this service? Yes, absolutely” said Tim Kelly, a student at Skyline.

The trend of students who have finished work at another school and then transfer to any of the SMCCCD schools has gone upwards.

“It has trended upwards,” said Michael Vargas, the Programs Service Coordinator and the other transcript evaluator. “Some of the reasons are because of the economy.

Going to a community college is affordable to them and a lot of older people who have come back

to school and have completed work earlier.”

The service is still in its infancy, but it already has a number of requests.

“We have over 40 in the last 3 weeks,” said Vargas, “and the evaluation is done between me and Alicia. After the procedure is done, the student will get an email with their results.”

“Both the students and their counselors will see the results,” said Frangos, “they can then formulate their academic program. Counselors are encouraged to recommend this to students and to take advantage of it.”

More information can be found on www.smccd.edu/transeval.

EDITORIAL

on Tolerance

Make peace not war

The attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya that resulted in the death of four

Americans, including ambassador Chris Stevens, was the result of 13:51 minutes of a low-budget “movie” trailer that was uploaded to YouTube and has since gained infamy.

The video caused widespread resentment of the U.S. among Muslims in the Middle East because of its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. First and foremost, to Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad can’t be depicted in any way possible, and to add salt to the wound, the movie depicts him in a bad light. In this day and age when information can be sent with a click of a button, it is important to be respectful of others.

The video, allegedly made by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is anti-Muslim. A pastor from Florida, Terry Jones, was involved in the video’s promotion. Back in 2010, there was a Qur’an book burning in Gainesville, Florida. Spearheading this sacrilegious effort was Pastor Terry Jones. This video is clearly anti-Muslim, but people need to respect what other people hold dear. Intolerance isn’t only afflicting Muslims, but a range of other subjects including homosexuality. We’re not in the Dark Ages anymore. Before, almost universally, anyone who came out was shunned from society, like a leper. In the present, tolerance mostly prevails in progressive states. That is not more obvious than in the San Francisco Bay Area.

However, there are some areas in the U.S. where it’s still taboo. Bullying towards gays has been a presence in this world for a very long time, but ever since the inception of the Internet, bullying has increased exponentially.

Cyber bullying has taken the lives of many teens in the

past few decades, and sadly it won’t stop until people stop harassing them and show tolerance.

Our freedom of speech is something that we value and defend strongly. It will never be taken away from us. We have the right to say what we want and what displeases us. Remember “impeach Bush”? However there are some limitations. We can’t threaten anyone, slander or say something that will cause chaos. You can’t yell bomb at an airport without suffering the consequences. Just last week, a Harvard drop-out was arrested after making some comments on an ESPN article in which he threatened to shoot small school children.

Tolerance is something that must be advocated as strongly as our First Amendment. Americans often confuse freedom of speech with saying hurtful and damaging things. With the internet being so universal nowadays, information can easily be manipulated and misconstrued, which is why it’s important to show tolerance. Teach this Nakoula character as a lesson; He now has a $100,000 bounty on his head, which is being offered by a high-ranking Pakistani official. His attack on the Muslims’ prophet moved a whole subnation into a violent anarchy. Remember, respect other people’s beliefs. Controversy, and possibly danger, could happen in 140 words or less.

Skyline View

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Opinions

September 27, 2012

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Hurt & Heal

by JJ Valdez

New cafeteria remodeling Heal Comfortable atmosphere

“I feel better in this new environment. It’s new and feels a bit more ‘natural.’”

- Min Zhang

Heal

School atmosphere

Tax the rich, not the schools

by Will Nacouzi

TSV online editor

Proposition 30 is aimed at taxing the wealthiest Californians to pay more and imposing more taxes on them in order to pay for our education.

In a way that does sound unfair, but really the rich are already rich so what are they going to do with that money?

If Prop. 30 doesn’t pass, than it will force the state to reduce funding. The ones who are likely to feel the pain are schools and colleges throughout California, this just can’t be allowed to happen in November on Election Day. This is a simple fact.

Yes, there are other projects and departments that will suffer if Prop.

30 doesn’t pass, but schools and col-

leges stand to lose the most if it doesn’t pass. This turn of events will force many colleges and schools through the state to cut spending which will mean further cuts to the current limited resources still available to colleges and schools today.

If you plan to transfer, then you’ve probably heard of the Board of Trustees of California State University plan to raise tuition by 5% pending the failure of Prop. 30. This translates to an additional $150 per semester which according to the board will raise $60 million; compare this to the fact that should Prop. 30 pass, it will raise $125 million for them.

This case is only one example of the possible effects that the failure of prop 30 will have on colleges and

schools throughout California. We can’t afford to risk this, education is our future.

However, that future needs a source of funding in order to be fulfilled.

Both the current and future generation should get the education they need in order to gain the knowledge and skills needed to earn a job in the increasingly high-tech environment of today’s market.

If Prop 30. doesn’t pass, then we will all suffer as the Californian state government will be forced to cut $6 billion.

This can’t be allowed to happen as it will only mean that the current and future generations will suffer the consequents as $6 billion in funding is cut from the state budget.

The View from Here

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently spoke about his campaign struggles with reporters; he believes his opponent President Obama is advertising “inaccurate portrayals of [his] positions.”

When examining presidential campaigns over the years, I believe this issue is something all candidates have faced.

First, this has been the nature of presidential races for years. Many have triumphed through it all despite negative campaigning from the opposition. Secondly, a presidential candidate claiming such things most certainly will not improve their status in the polls.

The public can interpret Romney’s statement in a few ways. Some might agree and lean more to the right, others may disagree and lean to the left, and of course you have those who feel as though this does not change anything for them.

Thinking about it all, I question his qualities of leadership.

Pointing fingers is most certainly not a quality to be found in a leader. Although it might be human nature to find blame in others to justify failures, it accomplishes nothing. During rough economic times like we’ve experienced, I wouldn’t care so much about who is to blame, but how we are going to fix it. A resolution is more important than finding a way to justify the issue.

A leader must have a solid support system. Romney has said that he is opposed to abortion except when the mother’s life is at risk, as well as in cases such as rape and incest. But his running mate, Paul Ryan, and a number of people from his party do not agree with these exceptions. It may seem that his beliefs aren’t supported by his party or policies.

I always like to keep an open mind and I make it a point to hear both sides of a story.

I am not one to just follow blindly. Listening to both Romney and Obama’s views, some seem more solidly backed than others.

The President will represent us as a country and work to take care of all Americans, political gain aside. We are people, not percentages or votes. But besides all the political whoo-ha, certain qualities and characteristics stand out in each candidate which carry importance. Personally, I find myself swinging left.

“It’s pleasant to be here; it’s a much warmer environment and I know I feel more comfortable studying here and eating. I was pleasantly surprised to see these changes it looks nicer with more space.”

- Ekaterina Sabieva

Heal

Community-feel

“It gives the students a place to connect with other students...This is the kind of place where people can get coffee and meet with friends. It creates a sense of community which is good for a community college.”

- Deanna Badong

Heal

School is evolving

“It gives the school a new look and makes it look nicer like it’s changing and staying up to date.”

- Ryan Mounsombath

Skyline View

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September 27, 2012

profile

Features

Hip Hop Meets Jones’ Curriculum

by Anacani Serrato TSV staff writer

As I walked into Mr. Jones’ new office I was immediately comforted by the ambiance and energy in the room. Framed pictures of Malcolm X, and a poster of Nas and Damien Marley’s album cover on the walls.

The art work depicts not only his personality, but also his profound way of teaching students here at Skyline.

Paying homage to thehip-hop culture all while teaching students how to read and write is such an impactful way to learn, retain information, and value your education.

Because hip hop is seen more negatively in our society, it is important to start shedding light on its culture, educationally. Having taken Jones’ Lit 225 class, last year, I was exposed to a new teaching style that has left a significant impression on me. Hip-hop is in our daily lives and attending that class made me respect it in a whole new way that I had only imagine existed.

Our class picked up books like The Anthology of Rap and From Totem Poles to Hip-Hop, which helped us analyze rap lyrics and also learn about the history of hip-hop and its artistic form of expression. We studied a large amount of rappers, from local artists like, Too $hort to the east coast’s Wu Tang Clan. We listened to music and focused on its social commentary to help us relate to it and be able to

Daniel Chee/The Skyline View

Professor Nathan Jones reciprocate it.

Jones’ explains, “What I try to do is mesh these two worlds together.

For example, Eric Micheal Dison’s Holler If You Hear Me is just as valid as Shakespeare’s literature because it’s reflecting; journey, triumph, travels, and experiences and it’s all about the human experience. I think teachers forget to bring that into class.

There are universal issues found in hip hop and its lyrics, but we don’t explore that because sometimes people don’t look at it as an art form.”

It is important to validate hip hop because it’s very influential in our lives. It’s in every aspect of the media and all generations of people should be able to connect with it, positively.

Hip hop is an artistic expression of

individuality, political messages, economic issues, and community awareness.

“The curriculum is current because being a person of color we are often marginalized in the western canon of literature or education, and it is important that our lifestyle is recognized and seen not as something different, but that it’s a part of the American fabric

as well,” said Mr. Jones.

Former student of Mr. Jones’ Eng class, J.p. Diaz explains, “ I consider it to be a progressive, positive approach to expanding the mind of young students, while at the same time helping them form their own opinions and beliefs based on their discoveries they’ve made under this refreshing approach to gathering and comprehending information provided in the classroom.”

When asked, “What if hop hop music was used as a literature source in your English class?” CCSF student Willie Turner replied, “That would be fucking sick dude because it’s something I can relate to and its deeper than guns and drugs. It would make it way more meaningful.”

Intertwining the classroom with hip hop is important because it gives students the chance to expand and use their daily knowledge in a classroom atmosphere. Lit 225 enabled me to connect with the curriculum, but also with my fellow students, building friendships and being able to connect with them through our hardships without being judged, in an understanding environment. Mr, Jones’ teaching method will always be much appreciated and now I will always be able to connect hip hop and my education.

Mr. Jones’ ends the interview with saying, “To be able to integrate hip hop in my curriculum is like a dream come true…we are actually in the classroom legitimizing hip hop culture and putting it in a canon where it has to be respected.”

Food

Editor’s Eats: La Petite Camille

by Megan Benveniste TSV Sports Editor

Two years ago, my brother introduced me to Vietnamese sandwiches. Traditionally, Vietnamese sandwiches are on a soft French roll with cilantro, carrots (in skinny strips), and your choice of chicken, tofu, or pork mixed in a sauce.

The main reason I love eating these sandwiches is that after you eat it you never feel overly full. You can eat the full sandwich without it making you feel super bloated or gross.

While I was living in Roseville, there was this Vietnamese restaurant that my family used to go to frequently. The food was delicious, decently priced for the amount of food you receive and it was one of the few restaurants that wasn’t a chain up there and the food was

fresh You never felt that you were eating something that was left under a lamp to keep it warm.

Now that I live in Millbrae, I wanted to find a restaurant just like theone we used to go. I’ve tried a few Vietnamese sandwich spots in San Mateo, Burlingame and San Francisco, but nothing could compare to La Petite Camille in Millbrae.

On Saturday Sept. 1, my family went out to eat at La Petite Camille.

We shared an appetizer of imperial rolls, which were the most delicious rolls I have ever tasted. They are similar to egg rolls, but not completely. Normally I am not a huge roll person because I think they lack flavor and are usually really crispy or soggy.

This was not the case, they were cooked perfectly! The right amount of crispness and the right amount of flavor. They gave us lettuce, cilantro, carrots, cucumber and a fish sauce to wrap the roll in. These flavors all

went well together and really complimented and balanced the other favors out.

We then shared a bowl of fried rice, and this is like no other fried rice you have ever had before—I promise. This one had the right amount of flavor and not a lot of salt.

I personally don’t like a lot of salt on my fried rice.

There was so much flavor that one helping was not enough...I had to eat about four servings of that rice.

Then came time for us to order our individual meals, I ordered the sautéed beef over rice noodles which is beef sautéed with lemon grass over rice noodles, lettuce, ground peanuts, mint leaves and bean sprouts, served with fish sauce. his meal was so delicious. Again the flavors balanced each other out and the meat was cooked perfectly.

Since I ate so many helpings of rice, I ate about half of my actual dinner and brought the rest home to have as lunch the next day.

Daniel Chee/The Skyline View

Fresh sashimi and sushi makes Hiro’s a standup Japanese restaurant

Hiro’s: Fit for Heroes

by Daniel Chee

TSV photo eidotr

Sushi restaurants are a dime a dozen, especially here in the Bay Area. Ranging from affordable Chinese owned establishments to more authentic Japanese establishments, sushi definitely has a stronghold on the Peninsula.

Hiro Sushi falls somewhere in between affordable and authentic.

This Korean-owned restaurant in downtown San Bruno features traditional selections of sashimi and nigiri as well as colossal Western rolls.

I dragged the girlfriend to Hiro’s on a quiet Sunday evening; while it was empty at first, the restaurant filled up rapidly as time passed.

As we entered, a trio of servers and the itamae, or sushi chef welcomed us with a loud greeting.

The décor was traditional with lots of wood overlay, rice paper-like

sliding doors for private parties, sushi bar, and Zen-inspired furnishings. I cracked up when I heard Korean pop music softly playing in the background.

Between the two of us, we split a Hiro Dinner Special which included a variety of sashimi, nigiri, maki, and temaki. Since I factor the quality of the uni, or sea urchin when I evaluate sushi restaurants, I made sure to place an order for that as well.

Our food arrived fairly quickly.

The fish was extremely fresh and tasted delicious. Uni was top notch as well. There was no skimping on food quality.

Service was excellent with attentive servers, perhaps a bit too attentive. I felt as if they were eyeing us while we dined.

Expect to spend about $35 or more for a solid dinner for two, but it’s worth every penny.

Overall, our visit to Hiro Sushi was a pleasant and tasty experience.

Features

The

features.tsv@gmail.com

Skyline View

September 27, 2012

Asian Food Festival Hits Skyline

5

A festival to support students’ study abroad program in China

by Haider Mashal

TSV multimedia editor

The smell of pot stickers and pork buns filled the air as delicious Asian cuisine was being sold during the Asian food festival on Sep 19, 2012 The Asian Organization Culture Center held their fifth annual Asian Culture Week at Skyline College.

The center was given the Presidents Innovation fund to sponsor their event. The Week was filled with films, Chinese dance, and most importantly, food! There was a vast array of delicious Asian cuisine from pot stickers to lumpia.

Luckily for the students of Skyline College, a food festival was selected to help fund the study abroad program.

I was able to push and shove my way through the crowds to grab some of the food they sold in the quad. I had the opportunity to taste the pot stickers, barbeque pork puffs, as well as the eggrolls being sold.

They all cost one dollar each and make for a delicious snack between classes. The pot stickers were a nice bite to eat, though the casing was a bit tougher than I am used to.

The barbeque pork puffs were

The Asian Food Festival attracted students around campus amazing, it was my first time ever trying one. I bit into it not expecting it to taste sweet, the sweetness of the dough complimented the texture that it was

fried in. As if that was not enough to sell me into buying a couple more pork puffs, the contents of it were filling and enjoyable.

Haider Mashal/The Skyline View

“It’s minimal in pricing but is gonna benefit our study abroad in china program I’m going to take a group of students to china for two

week intensive Chinese language and cultural training classes.” Said Dr. Hui Pate, the coordinator of the event.

The money raised from the festival is going towards a good cause.

A group of kids will have the opportunity to take a trip to China in the winter to explore Chinese culture to an extent that they would never even dream of. The opportunity of studying abroad is a life changing experience because you get the chance to take in a culture that is much different from what you might be used to. Even if you are Chinese it will still be something to go to look forward to.

“Our study abroad in china program includes a whole two weeks of academic learning in Chinese language, Chinese culture, and the business practice. So the students are going to be in Beijing Language and Culture University for one week, and another week in Shanghai Normal University.”

The study abroad program to China provides the students with a chance to take in what China has to offer from a University setting.

Along with visiting the universities, the students will also be able to go out on Chinese excursions, like visiting the infamous Great Wall, which is a breathtaking site to see!

Skyline College’s Green Alternative Visit the SparkPoint Center We Serve Students and Our Community

Carpool service offers a cheaper and more eco-friendly way to get to school

by Renee Abu-Zaghibra TSV news editor

• Seeking a new job?

• Renting an apartment?

• Applying for a credit card?

Call Today!

650-738-7035 Or visit us in Room 1222

• Rebuilding your credit?

Get Your FREE Credit Report!

650-738-7035 – Bldg. 1, Room 1222 SkylineSparkPoint@smccd.edu

If you’re into being eco-friendly and/or are looking for an easier way to find parking at Skyline College, then you should look into this new program Skyline is offering. Skyline College is taking on a new project to help keep the environment healthy and clean.

The college is starting a car/ vanpool program in which students, staff, and faculty can participate by filling out an application.

This application can be found at the Skyline College Public Safety Office or downloaded online from the skyline website.

To qualify for the program, you must either be a student or an employee for the San Mateo Community College District. At least one student must have paid for a semester student parking permit, and each student involved must be taking at least one class at Skyline College. Lastly, you need a minimum of three students or district employees on the application.

Vehicles must have the permit displayed on their car in order to park in the special car/vanpooling

parking space. The permits are only valid for the semester it is issued. The benefits of this program include saving money on gas when commuting, reducing the need for parking, and it also reduces carbon emission.

Currently, the average American who drives 15,000 miles per year emits over 17,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), the major contributor to climate change.

Carpooling and/or driving a fuel efficient vehicle can more than double fuel efficiency of the average car and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide.

“I’m all for it, less cars better parking, would benefit everyone.

My only concern is finding people to pick you up,” said Mark Torres, a student of Skyline College.

“I can see that it may cause conflict with schedules and stuff, different students having different schedules, some schools have to go home early and some have to go late, it would depend on who I am carpooling with.”

Entertainment Skyline View

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page 6

September 27, 2012

entertainment.tsv@gmail.com

Cruel Summer showcases hip-hop’s latest super label

by Aaron Washington TSV Entertainment Editor

The compilation album has become a constant in the hip hop culture. One of the most anticipated albums of the year has been the debut compilation album Cruel Summer from Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label.

After the album leaked just days prior to its release, Kanye went back to the studio and was able to deliver an even better version. The album takes the focus away from Kanye West and puts more of the focus on his artists.

The multitude of talent on the G.O.O.D Music roster is showcased at large. Their lyrical ability along with the masterful production proves that Cruel Summer is a proper introduction to a portion of the G.O.O.D Music label led by Kanye West’s expansive talents. Cruel Summer is a great album sonically and stands as one of the best albums of the year so far.

There are certainly traces of Kanye on each song, but he is able to step back and let his various artists stand out throughout the album.

This is a refreshing aspect of the album considering the attention leading up to the release of the album was on him and how much he would appear throughout. G.O.O.D Music artists Big Sean, Pusha T, Kid

Album Artwork courtesy of Kanyewest.com

Cudi, Common, John Legend, Teyana Taylor, Cyhi the Prince, and 2 Chainz find their own way through the multiple features throughout the album. Each artist has one memorable verse on each song.

The many highlights of the

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album are “Clique”, “Morning”, “Sin City”, and the appropriately titled “Bliss”. Each song is good for very different reasons. “Clique” seems more like a 1980’s freestyle cypher with high-quality verses from Kanye West, Big Sean, and the legendary Jay-Z. The verse

from Kanye West is filled with mentions ranging from his current girlfriend Kim Kardashian to former CIA director George Tennant. “Morning” and “Sin City” follow the same formula, quality beat, a multitude of artists and various abstract sounds to

complete the songs.

The production is what shines throughout the album. Songs such as “The Morning”, “Higher”, and “Sin City” are more bass heavy with plenty of layers and different sounds used throughout. With most of the production being done

by Kanye and his protégé, Hit-Boy, this is to be expected.

These two have become masters of making beats by combining various sounds and creating their own. Beats like “Mercy”, “New God Flow”, and “Clique” are simplistic in nature, but still sound very complex. It’s amazing to hear the combination of both types of beats because they create a great flow to the album.

The production, the mixing and mastering triumph complement each other. Throughout the album, there are various moments where the beat drops and you are able to hear the lighter instrumentation.

To some listeners this will go unnoticed and overlooked, but they add a fascinating depth to each song and showcase Kanye’s creativity.

Cruel Summer is a quality collaborative effort from hip hop’s newest collective. The album is elegant in its execution. Filled with powerful beats and upper echelon lyrics, Cruel Summer is a must own for not just fans of hip hop, but fans of music in general.

Mad Men loses out at 64th Emmys AMC show shut out at annual awards show

Notes Plus helps with the tedious task of taking notes

by Megan Benveniste TSV Sports Editor

new folder to make sure that all my notes for that class stay together.

This makes the organization of taking notes easy and convenient. Also you can make specific “notebooks” for each subject a different color or style, depending on how you want to organize it and which class you are writing your notes for.

The nice little add on to the app is the fact that you don’t have to type out all of your notes. You can use a stylist or even your finger and write out all of your notes. Also if you end up buying the add on feature that when you write your notes it will automatically change them into text.

Paper, pens, pencils, highlighters and notebooks are tools that we need when we get ready to come back to school. Already four weeks into our school year and let’s be honest ,we have all been there when we somehow forget our notebook, pens or pencils.Then we have to ask others to borrow something. It can get a little annoying; losing what you needed and then having your papers end up in different places.

When I bought my Ipad a few weeks ago, I immediately downloaded an App called Notes. It costs $7.99 for the app and an additional $1.99 if you want to be able to convert your written notes into text notes.

I always seem to forget something for school when carrying a book, paper, and pens. Now having an iPad to take notes makes things a whole lot Screenshot Megan Benveniste/ Skyline View easier.

For every subject I can make a

Photo Frank Ockenfels /AMC

by Daniel Chee TSV Photo Editor

“Mad Men” failed to win any of its 17 nominations on Sunday’s 2012 Emmy Awards.

As an avid fan of the show, I was disappointed, yet not too surprised.

While Jon Hamm plays suave ad man Don Draper well, the past season overall was boring. Other than the suicide death of an ad executive and the loss of a major account, the stirrings at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP) were minor.

The main story arc for season 5 focused too much on Don Draper and his new wife Megan Calvet’s relationship. Megan, played by Jessica Pare, debuted as Draper’s secretary in season 4 ended up getting

hitched with her boss in the season finale. Season 5 demonstrated their continuing relationship as husband and wife.

Don struggles (as he always does) with staying faithful to his wife. Megan struggles with what she is passionate about as a career; although she dabbles in and shows talent as a copywriter, she chooses the path of an unsuccessful actress. Both clash frequently throughout the season.

Ultimately, it just got too repetitive. Every other episode featured some floozy trying to seduce Draper and his internal conflict to stay faithful. Megan fell short of landing parts as an actress again and again. The

couple fought just about every single episode with Megan’s numerous tantrums sprinkled here and there.

One of my favorite quotes came from Megan’s mother, Marie Calvet (Julia Ormond) on her daughter’s tantrum.

“This is what happens when you have the artistic temperament, but you are not an artist.”

While I understand the show used season 5 to update character development in-depth, the formula didn’t work. Seeing the same thing happen again and again is not my idea of a good show. I hope season 6 brings out the in-charge Don Draper that we are used to.

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Entertainment

Skyline View

September 27, 2012

7

Borderlands 2 ups its already powerful arsenal Shooting aliens with talking guns in Pandora has never been so fun

by Vince Biancalana TSV Chief Copy Editor

Borderlands 2 bombards players with more guns, more ridiculous and silly humor and fixes to almost every depreciating aspect of the original game.

A little robot leads formerly unconscious players through a driving blizzard. He refers to the players as his “minions” and asks for help getting off of the iceberg he’s trapped on. The health monitor he gives you informs you of your critical condition, as he leads you down a cave. He tells you to retrieve a small pistol from his cabinet, but as you reach for your weapon, a 10 ft. tall ice gorilla with four huge, muscular arms bares down and attacks the robot.

Released on Sept. 18, Borderlands 2 takes us through the endeavors of several intrepid mercenaries hunting for “The Vault”, an alien treasure located on the planet Pandora. The vault hunters must reach their prize before the antagonist Handsome Jack, president of the Hyperion Weapons corporation, abuses the Vault’s contents for his own evil schemes.

The essence of the game is growing your arsenal of stange and fantastic guns, like pistols that ignite enemies and assault rifles that work like cannons. Finding rare and powerful guns will help you to take out everything Jack

Photo courtesy of Borderlands2.com

throws at you In addition, the game includes an improved vehicle system, including multiple automobile models and weapons. Even the cars are customizable in color and power!

There are four vault hunters released as playable characters with the game, each having their own special abilities and powers, including an assassin who blinks into invisibility and then stabs enemies in the back for massive damage and a “Gunzerker” who can wield any two guns at once.

Each of these characters has a tremendous amount of gameplay customization, with new perks and powers that strengthen or

speed up your firepower or special abilities.

The original game had many fascinating and varied enemies, but never blended them all together. Exploring one cave, you might only find bandits while in other areas had “spiderants” mixed along with other enemies. Borderlands 2 blends different enemy types for added entertainment. Watching two enemies duke it out with each other and then jumping into the fight to clean up adds an immense amount of gameplay depth, contrary to the “go here, kill that” command of the original game.

In terms of plot, this games annihilates its predecessor. The opening scenes outline a quest

for vengeance, greatness and of course, loot! Each of the playable characters has notes in their inventory, outlining their motive for hunting the Vault. The original game had players choose a character, who stepped off the bus and was immediately told what to do by a voice in their head, sent via satellite. The sequel promises subtlety and depth rather than merely a bazillion guns.

The humor is very tongue-in cheek and at times dips into potty humor--It is a M-rated game after all. The funny little robot calls the holes the gorillas live in “wall sphincters.”

All this being said, the game suffers from what amounts to tedium. The game advertises “bazillions of guns”, but they aren’t kidding. Sorting through the piles of guns with slightly different statistics can be a bit of a headache when I feel more like shooting things. Be prepared to spend time menu-noodling, especially if you have a full schedule of work and class like myself.

Borderlands 2 follows its predecessor in letting players adventure together, giving them a seemingly endless supply of options to develop their character. While the time it takes to maintain your ar-

Photo courtesy of Borderlands2.com

Guild Wars 2 raises the bar for online gaming

by Haider Mashal TSV Multimedia Editor

Walk onto the field, take charge.

Whether you wield a sword, a staff, a dagger, or a rifle regardless of race, you band together, because in Guild Wars 2, our time is now.

ArenaNet have really outdone themselves this time. Guild Wars 2 was released August 28.

Guild Wars 2 is made by ArenaNet, a subsidiary of NCSoft, a Korea-based company. The game has been in the making since 2007, so it has been a long time coming.

Guild Wars 2 is a Massive Multiplayer Online (or MMO for short) game that focuses on the mythical world, Tyria. In the game you are given five playable races, Norn, Asura, Human, Sylvari, and Charr.

Each race has their own lore as well as a variety of aspects to them that influence your playing experience.

Along with races are eight playable classes, Elementalist, Mesmer, Necromancer, Warrior, Engineer, Thief, Ranger, and Guardian. Now this is where you make a decision and ask yourself a crucial question: How do I want to play? The answer to that question is not as easily answered in Guild Wars 2, as each profession has their own unique play style. Take Mesmer for example, are the masters of deception who evoke illusions to battle their foes. The Mesmer are infamous for their manipulation of the mind and have quotes unique to them: “When

Photo Courtesy of GuildWars2.com

I'm done with you, you won't trust your own mind.”

Character creation is also beautifully designed with a vast array of customization, from your height to the complex of your skin.

You are even able to customize your story through a series of background story questions.

The gameplay is simply amazing. Even at the start of your Guild Wars 2 experience, you will be playing with other players through dynamic events. These dynamic events are completely at random and are an enjoyable experience. At one point in time you will be asked defend a caravan

from ruthless bandits and another you will be fighting a dragon the size of an entire town.

As well as dynamic events, you have your own personal story.

There are more than a thousand different possible story lines to choose from, it all depends on the choices you make throughout your adventure.

The Player vs. Player concept is taken to a new direction in Guild Wars 2. There are two modes of PvP: structured, and world vs. world. In structured, every player is on an even footing in terms of levels, items, and skills, all that matters is just how skilled you

are as well as the teamwork you and your team have. Structured PvP can have up to 16 players, eight per team, in a single game.

There are five different maps in structured PvP, each having the same objective, which is to reach 500 points by capturing nodes and defending them, but with different concepts in each map.

World vs. World is the PvP mode is warfare on a grand scale.

The mode consists of players from three different worlds pit against each other. The objective in this mode is to control as much of the map as possible, and you have

objectives ranging from escorting or intercepting supply caravans, to defending or sieging castles.

The difference between large scale battles from other games and World vs. World is that by having three teams, with a max of 2000 players total, it is possible for two teams to gang up on one, and for multiple large scale battles to be taken place.

As you progress through the game, the graphics are breathtaking. Every single detail is taken under consideration in Guild Wars 2, from the snowflake falling down to the snow, to the water splashing onto your screen after jumping into a body of water.

The immersive sound quality compliments the awe inspiring graphics. As you are in a large scale battle, you hear every single arrow being fired, every spell being cast, every sword being clashed, even a jet of flame being spewed by a dragon. The audio is something I usually do not care for in a game, I am usually the one to just mute the game and listen to my music in the background, but in Guild Wars 2 it really does its job in keeping you immersed in your adventure.

Saying that Guild Wars 2 is fun is an understatement. Where has not been a moment playing this game where I have gotten off because I was annoyed or bored of it. Guild Wars 2 is a game that is really well developed and truly an enjoyable experience.

Guild Wars is available on guildwars2.com for $59.99 and $79.99 for the digital deluxe edition.

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Oct. 2 @ Chabot 4 p.m.

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Oct. 2 @ Foothill College (DH) 1:30 p.m.

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Oct. 3 v Alumni 6:30 p.m.

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Oct. 13 Modest JC Tournament 9 a.m.

Robin Lausen brings baseball skills from Sweden

by Megan Benveniste TSV Sports Editor

Robin Lausen, a sophomore catcher, just finished up playing for Sweden’s national baseball team over the summer. “…I got onto (the Sweden team) because I went to a mini camp in Sweden my freshman year and they liked what they saw,” said Lausen.

Lausen, who was born and raised in Sweden, moved here and then went to go and play in Stockton where he was redshirted as a freshman; his first year he did not play at all. Then last year he came over to Skyline and played for Coach Dino Nomicos.

In his first and only year playing in the U.S. and for a college team, Lausen hit a .267 batting average, appearing in 25 games last year.

“It's great, he has a phenomenal work -ethic and it rubs off on people around him which sparks competition on the team,” said Skyline teammate Par Emil Axelsson.

“Robin has been actively scouted by the national team for a number

Ulf Steinvall/Sweden General Manager

Robin Lausen gets a ground ball while playing right field on the Swedish National baseball team. of years and on the verge of playing as well but didn't play as much as he Lausen got a call in the middle of for some time,” he continued. “He did this championship.”

April about coming out to play for was on the roster last championship Having been on the team before, the Swedish team. In the middle

of June, after summer baseball, he went and got his ticket and left for the national team. This year it was Lausen’s job to be more of a role player for the team, whereas in past seasons he was more of a back-up guy since he was so young when playing for the national team.

“We played eight games,” said Lausen. We played against a lot of good teams like Holland, Italy and Spain. Those are all teams that are in the World Baseball Classic right now.”

The competition is different over in the European league. There are teams that have guys from the minor leagues playing for the different national teams. “They compare it to playing low minor league baseball,” said Lausen. The toughest team he played against was Holland because they had a lot of players who were semi-professional and beat Cuba a year ago in the World Championship.

“It’s a special feeling,” said Lausen of his time playing for Sweden.

“It’s different when you put on that uniform and play for your country.”

NFL Fantasy Football Highlights and top players from week 3

by Megan Benveniste TSV Sports Editor

Week three of fantasy football is over. There were a lot of disappointments and a lot of achievements.

One of the greater stories of the weekend was of Baltimore’s wide receiver, Torrey Smith, who played the day after his younger brother was killed in a car accident in Virginia.

For him to play after that kind of loss took a lot of courage. Teammates and players from the opposing team were all encouraging and supporting him through this tough time. How inspiring for him to play through and to show that no matter what happens in life you have to keep going and that people who really care are going to be there and support you. That night Smith had six receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

One week after Reggie Bush had 26 attempts for 172 yards with two touchdowns against the Raiders, he looked to be getting back to his form he had from USC after having a rough year last year with the Saints. Then this week he ended up having 10 attempts for 61 yards and no touchdowns.

So now for the top players from their respective positions, according to ESPN. Top 3 Quarterbacks: •Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) •Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) •Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) Top 3 Running Backs: •Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) •Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) •Andre Brown (New York Giants) Top 3 Wide Receivers: •A.J. Green (Cincinatti Bengals) •Torrey Smith (Baltimore Ravens) •Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) Top 3 Tide Ends: •Heath Miller ( Pittsburgh Steelers) •Tony Gonzalez (Atlanta Falcons) •Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) Top 3 Kickers: • Ryan Succop (Kansas City Chiefs) •Lawrence Tynes (New York Giants) •Jason Hanson (Detroit Lions) Top 3 Defenses: • Houston Texans • Baltimore Ravens • Seattle Seahawks

Screenshot Megan Benveniste/ Skyline View