All Americans
The fast and the furious
De Anza, home to both military veterans and elite runners| PAGES 7 & 12
La Voz Weekly THE VOICE OF DE ANZA Vol. 41, Issue 26
May 27, 2008
The Week Ahead
Kiss an iPod Contest Two member teams are invited to hold an iPod between their lips, kissing it as long as possible. Wednesday, May 28, Noon, outside the Bookstore
Drum for fun! Join the Jews, Israelis and Friends Club for an interactive drumming session with internationally renowned percussionist Jim Greiner. Wednesday, May 28, 12 to 1 p.m. in the Main Quad
ʻDeportation Across Immigration Communitiesʼ screening This film will be followed by a panel discussion focusing on deportation amongst Asian communities. Wednesday, May 28, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., in the California History Center
Careers in psychology The Pacific Graduate School of Psychology invites De Anza students to a talk on careers in industrial/organizational psychology by professor Mark Healy. Thursday, May 29, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., in Room E 24.
Hip hop artist Rennie Harris Choreographer and UCLA, Columbia lecturer Rennie Harris will speak and give a hip-hop demonstration. Thursday, May 29, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., in Choral Hall Room A11
Find a complete list of campus events on PAGE 2
INDEX
Campus Snapshot...............p3 Weekly Notes.....................p3 Economics for Everyone.......p5 Arts and Entertainment.......p8 Editorial.......................p10 Sports.........................p12 La Voz Weekly is a first amendment newspaper, produced by students for the campus community of De Anza College. La Voz Weekly is printed on recycled paper.
Duel at De Anza Autocross enters its 39th year and draws in hundreds| PAGE 6
Wargames
Just which gaming console is the best: Wii, PS3, or Xbox? We report, you decide.| PAGE 8
GOOD GRIEF!
Allegations of offensive gestures, blackmail and excess spending fly back and forth at DASB Senate elections grievances meeting; announcement of election results postponed Aiselle De Vera and Audrey Barker LA VOZ NEWS
Here we go again … In a move reminiscent of the controversy surrounding the DASB senate elections of 2007, the elections committee has decided to postpone the announcement of results from the 2008 elections due to a series of grievances filed by multiple parties alleging campaign malfeasance. At the grievances meeting last Tuesday, the elections committee decided to strip the United Students Coalition of 10 percent of its votes for exceeding the DASB’s campaign spending limits. USC spent $700 on the campaigns of the 13 members in its coalition, eclipsing the $650 limit by about $4 per person. Adwin Ho, a member of the elections committee, proposed the vote penalty as a substitute for disqualifying USC altogether. Such a punishment would be too harsh, he said. David Hinault, USC’s presidential candidate, took issue with the ruling. “What happened was a financial error, it wasn’t a campaigning error, so we shouldn’t be penalized by votes. We should be penalized financially,” he said. According to Hinault, the coalition included unused materials in its expense report. Members reported an excess of 1,000 flyers, bottles of paint and stacks of undistributed business cards that were not used. “We didn’t have any unfair advantage. The only thing we did is that we screwed up on the report,” said Andre Fomenko, a USC candidate in the election.
All senate candidates can be reimbursed for up to $50 worth of campaign materials per person, whether used or unused. The honor system is used when it comes to candidates filling out expense reports. The vote penalization could significantly impact the results of the senate elections because the margins between first and second place are often close.
“We didnʼt have any unfair advantage. The only thing we did is we screwed up on the report.” Andre Fomenko, United Students Coalition candidate
The average difference between vote counts for running mates falls within a margin of five percent, Hinault said at Thursday’s follow-up elections grievance meeting, where he filed an appeal. “In trying to be lenient with us you did the same thing as disqualify us,” he told interim committee chair Monica Penn. “There’s at least one position – perhaps a few positions – where 10 percent would make the difference between winning and losing, and so would result in disqualification for certain candidates,” said Robin Claassen, former president of the senate and USC candidate for VP of administration. Claassen said that he was unaware of any excess spending. “We had the choice to not count anything we didn’t actually use in the campaign,” he said. SEE “DASB” PAGE 4
Advise and consent: DASB Senate candidates Robin Claassen (above) and Terell Sterling (below) ponder their options with advisers during Tuesdayʼs grievances meeting.
JOSE MARTE 2/LA VOZ
Environmental club pushes sustainability fee Matthew Larvey LA VOZ NEWS
WISE 37, a De Anza College environmental group, is working to give full-time De Anza students the option to vote for a mandatory sustainability fee to be paid every quarter with registration fees. WISE 37’s goal is to have the initiative on the ballot by next spring. The “green fee” would be added onto quarterly registration fees to help fund sustainability efforts around the campus. There is lack of funds for sustainability needs at De Anza College, said Seema Rupani, president of WISE 37. A group of De Anza faculty members, the College Environmental Advisory Group, is outlining plans for sustainability management around the campus. Improved recycling, efficient landscaping, increased usage of renewable energy sources and use of natural sunlight in classrooms are some of the many projects that would help De Anza decrease the impact on its own environment and the environment around it. WISE 37 has not yet decided on an
DE ANZA VOICES:
Would you support a sustainability fee? COMPILED BY MATTHEW LARVEY/LA VOZ
exact figure for the proposed fee, but has been conducting surveys around campus to gauge the student vote based on various amounts. Students would be willing to pay between $1 and $3 per quarter, a WISE 37 representative said. Considering that roughly 8,000 full-time students attend De Anza every quarter, a $3 fee would raise as much as $24,000 in one academic year for sustainability efforts. Several colleges across the nation have already integrated sustainability fees into registration with their students’ approval, including UC Berkeley and UCLA. UCLA approved the fee on May 8 with 76 percent of the student vote – by far the highest margin of victory for any initiative at the school this past year. The fee at UCLA is $4, to be paid each quarter by fulltime students, and will bring in an estimated $300,000 per year. Lately, De Anza has been taking significant steps towards achieving environmental sustainability. It is the first community college in the U.S. to maintain three Green Building Council-approved buildings: the Kirsch Center, the Student and
Community Services Building, and the Visual and Performing Arts Center. GBC approval is a nationally accepted recognition of the design, construction and operation of high performance and environmentally friendly buildings. “Our overall goal is to minimize the footprint we leave on the land,” said Jeanine Hawk, vice president of Finance and College Services and CEAG member. “More than funding though, we need many people to get interested and involved, students and faculty.” WISE 37 contributed to getting locally grown organic food and biodegradable dining utensils in the De Anza cafeteria, and is also planning to institute a full-time or part-time sustainability coordinator to organize campus projects with students. For additional information or to contact WISE 37 go to their website at http://www.wise37.com or look into the sustainability project at http://deanza.edu/sustainability. Matthew Larvey is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact him at mattlarvey@ lavozdeanza.com.
BY THE NUMBERS Results of the WISE 37 survey of De Anza students regarding an added sustainability fee:
15%
Would support fee > $3
35%
Would support $3 fee
29%
Would support $1 fee
12%
Would support $.25 fee
6%
Would not support fee 1 PERCENT DID NOT RESPOND. SOURCE: WISE 37
“With tuition costs rising the way they are, it seems like a small expense.”
“Itʼs long overdue.”
“Anything to get renewable energy on campus is great.”
Orin Cook, chemistry major
Mary Pham, English major
Rob Morrison animation major
@
La Voz Online
WWW.LAVOZDEANZA.COM
CAMPUS Events
PAGE 2
TUESDAY
LITERARY MAGAZINE DEADLINE EXTENDED DEADLINE: TUESDAY, MAY 27, 4 P.M.
Get your poetry, plays, stories, comics, artwork and photographs published in De Anzaʼs literary magazine, Red Wheelbarrow. Over $300 in prizes will be awarded for best student poems, stories and art. Submission guidelines are at: http://faculty.deanza.edu/splitterrandolph/ stories/storyReader$150.
WEDNESDAY DRUM FOR FUN! WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 12-1 P.M., MAIN QUAD
Join the Jews, Israelis and Friends Club for an interactive and entertaining drumming session with internationally renowned, award-winning percussionist and community drumming leader Jim Greiner.
KISS AN IPOD CONTEST WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, NOON, OUTSIDE THE BOOKSTORE
Watch De Anza students battle it out for an iPod nano. Two-member teams are invited to hold an iPod between their lips, kissing it as long as possible. The Bookstore will give the winning team a pair of iPod nanos. Go to http://books.deanza. edu for details and to sign up.
FILM SCREENING: ʻDEPORTATION ACROSS IMMIGRATION COMMUNITIESʼ WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1:30-3:30 P.M. CALIFORNIA HISTORY CTR
This film will be followed by a panel discussion focusing on deportation amongst Southeast Asian, South Asian and Filipino communities. For information contact communityengagement@deanza.edu.
THURSDAY LATINO HERITAGE MONTH RESOURCE FAIR THURSDAY, MAY 29, 11:30-2:30 P.M., MAIN QUAD
Local community organizations provide information on everything from surviving ICE raids to getting low cost mental health care. This event features live performances and music by a local DJ. For information contact julianaB9@yahoo.com.
CAREERS IN PSYCHOLOGY THURSDAY, MAY 29, 12:30-1:30 P.M., E 24
The Pacific Graduate School of Psychologyʼs Bachelor of Science program at De Anza invites students to a talk on careers in Industrial/Organizational Psychology by PGSP professor Mark Healy. Learn about the application of psychology to businesses and how psychology is used to assist people in the work place. All students are welcome.
HIP HOP ARTIST RENNIE HARRIS TO APPEAR THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1:30-2:30 P.M., CHORAL HALL ROOM A11
Artistic Director and Choreographer Rennie Harris gives a lecture and hip-hop demonstration. Harris has taught workshops and classes at UCLA, Bates College and Columbia College and was voted one of the most influential people in the last 100 years of Philadelphia history. For information contact lucaswarren@deanza.edu.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THURSDAY, MAY 29, 6-9 P.M., CAMPUS CENTER ROOMS A&B
This educational and informative event is about the needs of immigrant communities as related to domestic violence issues. For information contact communityengagement@deanza.edu.
JUNE 2-8 MANUEL MUNOZ READING, DISCUSSION THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 10:30-NOON, CALIFORNIA HISTORY CENTER
This contemporary author of “Zigzagger” will read and discuss his work with students, faculty and staff. For information contact Eugene Rodriguez at 408-864-8521
AUTO TECH GOLF TOURNAMENT FRIDAY, JUNE 6, ALL DAY, SUNOL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
The annual Caracci Memorial Scholarship fundraiser golf tournament and dinner, sponsored by the Auto Tech Department, will include raffle prizes. Proceeds go to student scholarships. For information and pricing contact Dave Capitolo at 408-864-8312 or e-mail capitolodave@fhda.edu.
DE ANZA FLEA MARKET SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 8 A.M. - 4 P.M., PARKING LOTS A&B
SHAVUOT TABLING TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 11:30-1:30 P.M., MAIN QUAD
Learn about the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and enjoy free snacks and giveaways.
FREE SPORTS MASSAGE TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 12:40-2:50 P.M., TRACK
Students in the Massage Therapy Program offer free post-event sports massages at the track near the menʼs locker room exit. Please sign up on the Physical Education Office door, behind the diving board.
STUDENT ART SHOW RECEPTION TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 5:30-7:30 P.M., EUPHRAT MUSEUM OF ART
This reception is in honor of student artists who are featured in the current art show. Awards will be presented during the reception.
VISITING ARTISTS: LISA MALETTE, KIT WILDER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 10:45 A.M.-12:15 P.M. CALIFORNIA HISTORY CENTER
Kit Wilder and Lisa Malette, directors from City Lights Theater in San Jose, speak to students. This season, Wilder is directing “A Few Good Men” and Mallette is directing “Hair.” For information contact Todd Gutmann at gutmanns@ hotmail.com.
BOOK LAUNCH FOR ʻVOCES DEL VALLEʼ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1:30-3:40 P.M., CHC
Celebrate the student-written and edited volume of oral histories, “Voces del Valle,” which highlights issues of immigration and education in Silicon Valley. It will be available for purchase as part of a scholarship fundraiser.
DADDIOS IN CONCERT THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 7:30 P.M., CUPERTINO COMMUNITY HALL
De Anzaʼs “Six OʼClock” and “Eight OʼClock” Daddios Jazz Ensembles, directed by instructor Steve Tyler, present a program of contemporary big band jazz. Featured guest artists are Paul Tynan, trumpet, and Aaron Lington, saxophone. Cost is $10 for general admission; $8 for students/seniors. The Cupertino Community Hall is at 10350 Torre Ave. For information go to http:// faculty.deanza.edu/tylersteve/calendar.
¡LEAD! MURALS TOUR OF SAN FRANCISCO FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 10 OR 12 (TWO TOURS), SAN FRANCISCO
Join an informational and fun walking tour of the murals of the Mission District, presented by Precita Eyes. Cost is $12. Participants need to sign up and pay in advance to reserve a spot. Contact a ¡LEAD! member or Marc Coronado at 408-864-8409 for information. Space is limited.
STUDENT FILM SHOW 2008 FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 7-11 P.M., CHORAL HALL A 11
The annual student film show presents films made by De Anza students from the Film and Television Department. Admission is $5. For information contact Zaki Lisha at lishazaki@deanza.edu or Tom Schott at schotttom@deanza.edu.
AUTO TECH CLUBʼS CHEVY CAR SHOW SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 9 A.M.-3 P.M., S, L & MAIN QUADS
Students in the De Anza Chamber Orchestra perform. Admission is $8 for general admission and $5 for students. For information contact deanzamusic1@yahoo.com.
STUDENT PIANO RECITAL SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2-4 P.M., CHORAL HALL ROOM A 11
This De Anza student piano recital is free. For information contact Anna Poklewski at poklewskianna@deanza.edu.
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: MUSIC FOR FAMILIES, RHYTHM AND GROOVE! SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2 P.M., FLINT CENTER
Hear and see how the musicians of the San Francisco Symphony keep the beat, settle into the groove and play as one as they perform elegant waltzes to hot jazz. Tickets available from Ticketmaster for $25-$54 for adults and $12.50-$27 for children.
JUNE 16-22 FALL IN LONDON INFORMATIONAL MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 16, 12:30-1:30 P.M., CAMPUS CENTER, DON BAUTISTA ROOM
The flea market is held on the first Saturday of every month. The June flea market is sold out for vendors. Entrance for shoppers is free; parking is $5. For information call 408-864-8414.
PIANO RECITAL SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 4-7:30 P.M., CHORAL HALL ROOM A 11
IMMIGRANT STUDENT RIGHTS WORKSHOP MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1:30-3:40 P.M., CALIFORNIA HISTORY CENTER
JUNE 9-15 FREE CHAIR MASSAGE MONDAY, JUNE 9, 3:30 P.M., MAIN QUAD
Massage Therapy Program students will offer free 15 minute chair massages for students, staff. For information contact Deb Tuck at 408-864-8205.
INFO
Send event notices to Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com by Wednesday noon preceding the week of publication. Please type “Happenings” in the subject line. La Voz does not guarantee publication. All events take place on the De Anza College campus and are free, unless stated otherwise.
Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com
WORLD FAMOUS DANCE DEMO WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 7-9:30 P.M., CAMPUS CTR ROOMS A&B
De Anza professor Warren Lucas presents the World Famous Dance Demo featuring De Anza students. For information contact lucaswarren@fhda.edu.
Learn about the rights of undocumented and AB540 students. This event will also serve as a fundraiser for the ADELA scholarship for students who would otherwise not be eligible for financial aid.
¡LEAD! END OF THE YEAR POTLATCH, POTLUCK WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 3:50-5:30 P.M., CALIFORNIA HISTORY CENTER PATIO
Join the graduates of the 2008 ¡LEAD! leadership class and club members for an end of the year giveaway and celebration. For information contact Marc Coronado at 408-864-8409.
Dvorakʼs Cello Concerto. Tickets available from Ticketmaster for $38-$65.
GRADUATION CEREMONY SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 9-11 A.M., OUTDOOR EVENTS ARENA
Michelle Hawkins presents the Vocal Jazz Ensemble comprised of De Anza students. Admission is $10 for the public and $5 for students/seniors. For information contact hawkinsmichelle@deanza.edu.
De Anzaʼs 41st annual commencement exercise features keynote speaker professor Francisco Jimenez from the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at Santa Clara University. He is the author of “The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child,” “Breaking Through” and “La Mariposa.”
AUTO TECH CLUBʼS FORD MUSTANG CAR SHOW SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 9 A.M.-3 P.M., PARKING LOT A
ONGOING
VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLE IN CONCERT FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 7:30-10 P.M., CHORAL HALL A 11
DE ANZA WIND ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 6:30-10:30 P.M., CHORAL HALL A 11
The De Anza Wind Ensemble, comprised of De Anza students, will perform. Cost is $8/public and $5/students and seniors. For information contact John Russell at 408-864-8999, ext. 3525.
JUNE 23-29 JAZZ COMBOS CONCERT MONDAY, JUNE 23, 7:30 P.M., INSTRUMENTAL HALL A 31
Jazz combos from the Music 48 Jazz Improvisation class perform in concert. Cost is $5. For information go to http://faculty.deanza.edu/ tylersteve/courses/music48.
UNVEILING, DEDICATION OF MURAL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 11:30 A.M., ARTS QUAD
Join students from Eugene Rodriguezʼs mural arts class who designed and painted a new campus mural. Pan dulce and hot chocolate will be served.
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY: CELLO CONCERTO THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 8 P.M., FLINT CENTER
Join San Francisco Symphony conductor David Robertson and guest artist Alisa Wellerstein for
STUDENT ART SHOW MAY 19-JUNE 12, EUPHRAT MUSEUM OF ART
This exhibition features paintings, drawings, mixed-media works, photography, graphic design, sculpture and ceramics created by De Anza College students. The artworks reflect expertise in diverse media, varied interests and points of view. Museum hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For information contact Jan Rindfleisch at 408-864-8836.
DISCOUNTS ON AMC MOVIE TICKETS
The Student Accounts Office offers discounted AMC movie tickets to students with DASB cards. Tickets cost $6-$7.50.
STUDENT DISCOUNTS WITH DASB CARD
Students with DASB cards can get discounts at Chipotle, Cittiʼs Florist, Coffee Society, Cynthiaʼs Professional Hair Stylist, Erikʼs Deli Cafe, Fontanaʼs, Hobeeʼs, Homestead Lanes, Itʼs a Grind Coffee House, KFC, Lollicup, Marie Callenderʼs, RamenRama, Subway, Togoʼs, Una Mas Mexican Grill and Yiassoo. Most are 10 percent discounts. For information on store locations and discount amounts, go to http://www. deanza.edu/dasb/discounts.html.
IMPORTANT DATES Now-June 6: Inter Club Council Food Drive May 28-June 29: New and former student registration for summer quarter June 6: Last day to add CAOS and Skills self-paced classes June 27: Last day to file for a 2008 Associate Degree June 28: Graduation @ 9 a.m., Outdoor Events Arena June 30: First day of summer session July 4: Last day to add summer classes
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY TRANSFER EVENTS Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising: Thursday, May 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Main Quad Notre Dame de Namur U: Tuesday, June 3, 11 a.m-1 p.m., Campus Center Lobby UC Santa Cruz: Wednesday, June 4, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Transfer Center UC Davis: Every Monday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Transfer Center SFSU: Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Transfer Center
DE ANZA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 7:30-10 P.M., CHORAL HALL ROOM A 11
This meeting explains Campus Abroad to London, where students will participate in a 12-unit British life and culture program focusing on historical, political, economic and cultural aspects of contemporary Britain. The approximate cost is $4,620 plus airfare. For information call Art Turmelle at 650-949-7614.
This De Anza student piano recital is free. For information contact Anna Poklewski at poklewskianna@deanza.edu.
MAY 27, 2008
Classifieds
DO YOU HAVE ASTHMA?
If you have asthma and allergies, are between the ages of 18 and 65 and currently using inhaled steroids regularly, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial for an experimental medication. If you are interested in hearing more about this clinical trial, please contact: ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CONSULTANTS, BRIAN LIPSON MD or Lipsonallergy@sbcglobal.net (650) 216-6111
SUMMER JOBS
for the Environment $10-15/ Hour - Stop Global Warming! - Work with Great People! Career Opportunities w/ Benefits www.jobsfortheenvironment.org Call Terry 650-965-2801
PATENT SECRETARY
IP Law Firm in Cupertino has an opening for a full time Patent Secretary. The ideal candidate should be interested in learning about patent prosecution, have some adminitsrative experience, and strong organizational skills. Additional training is provided in-house. - Must have general computer skills and knowledge of Windows XP, MS Word, and Excel. - Must have excellent written and verbal skills, be detail oriented, and very organized. - Must have the ability to work independantly, meet deadlines with little supervision, and follow through. - Must be able to work in a small group and self managed environment. INTERESTED IN PLACING A CLASSIFIED AD? For more information, please contact Reza Kazempour at ads@lavozdeanza.com
De Anza At a Glance
MAY 27, 2008
Alternative fuel spaces designated Stacy Lane LA VOZ NEWS
color coding. Just as staff parking stalls are distinguished by orange lines on the ground, alternative fuel cars will be distinguished with green lines and registered carpooling will be distinguished by blue lines. The blue color is different than the blue lines which designate disabled parking spaces. Signs will also be made to indicate that these parking spaces are designated for alternative fuel cars and registered carpooling only. The Foothill-De Anza District Police is responsible for monitoring the parking and issuing tickets for cars parked in these spaces that are not hybrid vehicles or that are not registered for carpooling. The ticket is $35. All the cars parking in these spaces must be properly marked. For hybrid cars, every car displays an indication made by manufacturer.
Multiple parking spaces have recently been designated as reserved for “alternative fuel” vehicles in several parking lots at De Anza College. Five of the parking spaces have been reserved for alternative fuel cars and five of the spaces are for reserved for carpooling cars. They are located within the first three lanes, right behind the staff parking spaces. The parking stalls for hybrid cars will take effect before the end of June 2008, and registered carpooling will take effect starting summer quarter. The central organization behind this project is called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The group aims to establish a sustainable environment by renovating the buildings in various locations around the campus and its facilities. Parking stalls will be marked with CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
»WEEKLY NOTES«
DASB SENATE The De Anza College Associated Student Body senate is the governing body of De Anza College. It meets every week on Wednesday afternoons in the Student Council Chambers in the basement of the Hinson Campus Center.
May 14 What happened: The date for the swearing in of the new senate was moved from June 4 to June 18. Since the candidate running for student trustee has no opponents and will therefore win by default, the senate considered swearing in officers at an earlier date. Why this matters: Since there is approximately a month left for tasks to be completed, the DASB pushed back the date to avoid having to train new senators and to allow the current senators to complete all of their final projects for this year.
Nitzan Beck
jose marte/LA VOZ
One of the new alternative fuel vehicle parking spaces occupied by a white Honda Civic.
STATSHOT OF THE WEEK
POLICE LOG These notes are collected from Foothill - De Anza Police’s media log.
OTHER 14%
May 16 - May 21
SAN FRANCISCO 4%
ALCOHOL VIOLATION Drunk in public Location: S5 Building biology labs Summary: White male adult 65 years old. Reported male either sleeping or intoxicated lying on the grass. Friday, May 16 at 7:59 p.m.
ALAMEDA 3%
SAN MATEO 3%
SERVICE Medical aid Location: Soccer field Sunday, May 18 at 1:41 p.m.
SANTA CLARA 75%
Hey De Anza students,
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
PAGE 3
SANTA CRUZ 1%
TRAFFIC COLLISION Traffic accident – no injuries Location: Outside Student and Community Services Building Monday, May 19 at 12:32 p.m. Results were compiled from the De Anza Speaks survey of 250 students during the Fall 2007 and Winter 2008 quarters. graphic by Tom guffey/la voz
CAMPUS SNAPSHOT
THEFT Petty theft – under $400 Location: Computer lab Summary: Math textbook taken Monday, May 19 at 5:32 p.m. TRAFFIC COLLISION Traffic accident – no injuries Location: Stelling Parking Garage Tuesday, May 20 at 1:40 p.m. VANDALISM Vandalism dispatch code Location: Flint Parking Garage Tuesday, May 20 at 2:45 p.m. THEFT Petty theft – under $400 Location: Women’s locker room Summary: Wallet was stolen out of closed backpack Tuesday, May 20 at 5:04 p.m. INVESTIGATION Suspicious vehicle Location: Flint Parking Garage Summary: Car was occupied Wednesday, May 21 at 1:51 p.m.
dahlia seroussi/LA VOZ
A creepy rustic cherub and and a bionicle robot mourn the death of sensical campus snapshots in La Voz Weekly.
PAGE 4
MAY 27, 2008
CAMPUS NEWS
CHRISTIAN PREACHER SPREADS THE WORD
Mark Trout offends Jews, Muslims, peace activist club at Israel anniversary celebration Soheil Rezaee LA VOZ NEWS
The warm afternoon of Wednesday, May 14 started as a joyous occasion for the De Anza College club Jews, Israelis and Friends, as members and officers celebrated the 60th anniversary of Israel’s establishment with chocolate and drinks. For De Anza social activist club, Students For Justice, it was a time for managing a table with information against Israeli occupation of Palestine. For local street preacher Mark Trout, however, it was a ripe opportunity to spread the message of Jesus Christ to both groups. Trout first tried to spread his message to the Jews, Isralis and Friends Club “Israel@60” event booth. He read verses from the Bible about Jews to students and interpreted them in a manner that many who were present considered anti-Semitic. Trout then engaged in an argument with Yevgeniy Spektor, the DJ for the event, before being taken aside by two Foothill-De Anza Community College District Police officers and given a warning to stop. Moving on to SFJ peace advocates and the Muslim Students Association, Trout projected his views about Islam, referring to the Muslim prophet Muhammad as a rapist and a pedophile.
A Muslim student, who wishes to remain unnamed, was walking to his class when he overheard the remarks. He felt so outraged that he shoved him in anger. “I was defending my religion,” said the offended student. Until police rushed in to quell the situation, SFJ members and other students held back both the offended student and Trout to prevent the violence from escalating. “I resent Mark Trout’s demeaning comments toward women, homosexuals and communists,” said Stefan Hird, president of SFJ. Trout’s sermonizing offended many students in the area, who found him too aggressive. “You don’t go to college to change your religion,” said DJ Spektor. “You go to learn.” Police escorted Trout to the Administration Building, where Robert Griffin, vice president of Student Services and Institutional Research, questioned him. Another officer escorted the student to a patrol car near the Sunken Garden for questioning. Trout was not charged with any crime but has the option to file an assault charge against the student who pushed him. Police told Trout it would be in his best interest to stay off the campus to avoid future problems. Because Trout remained in the Free
Mike Anderson/LA VOZ
Preacher Mark Trout talks to Jews, Israelis and Friends club members Ruth Geffner and Maya Kostyanovsky.
Speech Zone, which exists inside of the Hinson Campus Center patio on campus, he is entitled to say what he wants, police said. Yet many who were present said he was far outside of the zone, in which case administrators and campus police have the power to place a restraining order on him, banning him from campus grounds for disturbing the peace. The Free Speech Zone was developed for students and guest organizations to practice free speech with-
out disturbing the college’s learning environment. It was established after a lawsuit by an anti–abortion group a few years ago. Acording to Police Chief Ron Levine, Trout is no stranger to De Anza or other institutions of higher learning in the Bay Area, as he has been known to give sermons on other campuses. In 2005, San Jose State University Police detained Trout for 15 minutes after a confrontation with one student.
Trout said he works for Steamers, a carpet-cleaning service, and is often seen preaching in his bluecollar cleaning uniform on weekday afternoons in and around the Hinson Campus Center. If anyone wants to reach him, he said, “Just call Steamer’s and ask for me.” Soheil Rezaee is the features editor for La Voz. Contact him at soheilrezaee@lavozdeanza.com.
De Anza cafeteria wins top national award
Stacy Lane LA VOZ NEWS
For the first time in De Anza College history, its food services program received collegiate recognition in the nationwide 2008 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards Ceremony. Every year, the National Association of College and University Food Services holds a nationwide college and university dining competition, dishing out gold awards as a salute to the most successful services. According to the NACUFS, this award is the highest recognition obtainable by college and university culinary arts. De Anza won the gold award in
the category of retail sales in the medium-sized campus classification. Stanford University took the gold for large-sized campuses. The schools will go head-tohead for the national grand prize,
According to the NACUFS, this award is the highest recognition obtainable by college and university culinary arts. which will be awarded July 12. Patrick Gannon, the director of dining services at De Anza, submitted the college’s entry last April and was notified of the award a few weeks later.
This also marks the first time De Anza has qualified in the competition at all. Qualification is an achievement in itself, as judging criteria is extremely intricate and demanding, Gannon said. The criteria used to determine the winners of the award are menu selection, food merchandising and presentation, marketing, and a blanket assessment of the entire operation, which includes food cost objectives, food selections, menu development and retail trends. “For De Anza to place first in this category they would have to rank very high in all categories,” said Greg Minner, NACUFS chair for the 2008 awards. “It is
very competitive.” Gannon attributes De Anza’s award to the remodeling and reinvention of its dining services, which was completed last September. The new cafeteria layout was custom designed by Gannon and his team and includes genre specific serving stations offering a variety of food. The college’s improved menu is another factor that makes De Anza stand out, said Gannon. “[In the past year,] the quality of food has been improved.” Patrick Gannon has worked as an excecutive chef for Stanford University’s food services department and as the associate director of dining services at Caltech. He also served as the director of din-
ing services at Harvard Business School before he was hired as the director of dining services at De Anza. Gannon and his team conducted research to upgrade the menu at De Anza. They visited local restaurants to see what types of food were being offered elsewhere and brought what they saw as the better attributes back to De Anza’s menu. Much hard work was sweated out to bring De Anza up to par with other qualifying schools for the Horton Award, said Gannon. “The effort was worth it,” he said. Stacy Lane is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at stacylane@ lavozdeanza.com.
Fuel efficient DASB grievances cause upset A ‘blackmail’ recording parking spaces CONTINUED FROM FRONT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 In carpool spaces, every car is required to have a sticker provided by Student Activities upon registration. Students apply for a carpooling sticker at the Student Activities office. The office then matches students who provide carpooling and need carpooling by area and schedule. Such a sticker is not required for alternative fuel parking stalls. The carpooling program was very popular until late 2006, when students stopped participating in the program. “We had a system. We just have to reinstall the system,” said Donna Jones-Dulin, director of College Services. According to Rodriguez, in 2006, there were 20 designated parking spaces concentrated in Parking Lot A, and he received several complaints that parking spaces were far away from the campus. Director of Campus Safety and Security Ben Rodriguez said that if more carpool designated parking spaces are
made and they become more popular around the campus, more students might use the carpooling program. “$6 to $10 gas price might change students’ minds,” Rodriguez said. The number of alternative fuel and carpool designated parking stalls might be increased in the near future based on demand. If more students carpool and few use alternative fuel vehicles, the new alternative fuel designated stalls might be redesignated for carpooling students. Conversely, if more students begin using hybrid cars, De Anza will increase the number of alternative fuel designated parking stalls. In effect, there is a possibility that De Anza officials will change the carpooling parking stalls to alternative fuel cars stalls. Yujin Yoshimura is a freelance reporter for La Voz.
Thursday night’s second grievance meeting ended with the elections committee rescinding the motion against USC and approving a milder alternative. USC presidential and vice presidential candidates, positions for which candidates are prone to close vote counts, will lose 10 percent of their votes divided by the number of candidates running for the position. Other USC candidates in the election still face a whole 10 percent loss of votes for the expenditure breach. “We’re not happy with it, but we consider it progress,” Hinault said. The coalition has the option of appealing the vote by this Wednesday’s senate meeting. Candidate for vice president of administration Yujin Yoshimura’s filed grievance against running mate Robin Claassen, accusing him of campaigning prior to the campaign week by telling a student of his plans to run in the election as a member of USC, failed at the meeting. “It is important to have a fair election. If any candidate attempted to have unfair advantage over another candidate by violating the rules and the election committee tolerates that, it is not good,” said Yoshimura.
Presidential candidate Terell Sterling shot down a grievance alleging that he had blackmailed running mate Kurt Pham and other members of Pham’s candidate coalition. Pham said that over the course of the elections week, Sterling threatened to file grievances and in doing so disqualify all of the members of Pham’s Senate in Action Coalition if any of Pham’s members filed a grievance against Sterling’s coalition, Change ‘08. Pham filed a grievance against threat itself, and Sterling did not reciprocate. According to the unapproved grievance document, Sterling violated the code because he “interfered with the campaigning of any other candidate” with his threat. “Terell forced this agreement upon me, and I didn’t want to do it, but I was really scared because I am the team leader of my coalition. I am really liable if my group gets disqualified and so I had to go with the agreement,” he said. Among the list of facts used to substantiate the claim was an audio recording that Pham said incriminates Sterling and displays a clear use of blackmail by the candidate. Yet before Pham spoke at the elections committee meeting about his filed grievance and played the tape, Sterling supplied a legally binding court document explaining that his Fourth and 14th Amendment rights would be violated if
the tape was played against his will. The document explains that if a meeting occurs in confidence, a recording of it would have required a search warrant and should be inadmissible as evidence. Sterling said he is not ashamed of what is on the tape. “Just because I speak well and am confident doesn’t mean that I attempted to intimidate Pham,” he said. Sterling says he does not want the contents of the tape to be released because he doesn’t believe in “dirty politics.” After two meetings and hours of discussion, the committee agreed that there was not enough evidence to disqualify Sterling from the presidential campaign. No third party witness who wasn’t in some way connected to Pham came forward to testify against Sterling. Pham said he felt the committee was too emotionally invested in the campaign, and should have stuck more closely to the election code. Earlier at Tuesday’s meeting, Sterling alleged that Jeff Noon, a senate candidate, was threatening other candidates’ lives. Noon admitted to doing it as a joke, and Sterling soon after withdrew the grievance. Sterling said he only meant to bring the issue up so that the topic is addressed in the code at future meetings. Audrey Barker and Aiselle De Vera are staff reporters for La Voz.
MAY 27, 2008
Student Loans: Bringin’ a world of pain STEPHEN ZILL
Economics for Everyone According to the renowned 19th century historian and curmudgeon Thomas Carlyle, “Teach a parrot the terms ‘supply and demand’ and you’ve got an economist.” Needless to say, there is much more to the “dismal science” of economics than just supply and demand, but it’s true that economists often come off sounding like parrots by citing those two factors to the point of trivialization. This brings us to the subject of this week’s column: Just what the heck is going on with price of gasoline these days? As far as demand goes, while there are signs that U.S. consumers are finally cutting back on gas consumption, we still suck up an enormous amount of the world’s supply of oil (over 2 billion tons per year). In the past, this wasn’t such a big deal, but now we are competing with booming economies like China and India. And on the supply side, there is only so much gasoline that can be refined in the short term, so yes, “supply constraints” play a role here, too. Another tricky issue is that gasoline is what economists describe as being “highly price inelastic,” meaning that consumers are usually unresponsive to increases in price. But, of course, it isn’t as if we just started hogging the world’s petrol, and its not like China and India just started growing economically, so why have gas prices suddenly spiked now? There are at least three other factors at play. First, some are placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of speculators who – as a hedge against inflation, the falling dollar and further price increases – have continued to buy up oil futures, thus catalyzing a “positive feedback loop” where higher oil prices push up the overall price level, which in turn weakens the dollar, which in turn pushes up oil prices, and so on. Second, the fact that much of the world’s oil comes from politically volatile areas doesn’t help. Part of the price we are paying is a political risk premium. Third, a weak dollar, while in and of itself not a bad thing, does make imports more expensive, and since we import over 60 percent of our oil, well, you get the picture. As for the near future, the news is not good. Many are predicting the price per barrel of oil to hit $200 and the average price of gas nationwide to exceed $4 a gallon by summer. But who would I be if I didn’t leave you with a positive spin on things? Consider how much we pay for other liquids we consume. That White Chocolate Mocha grande you order at Starbucks for $3.85 actually translates to $30.80 per gallon. And here’s a sampling of gas prices in other countries: Germany – $5.88, Turkey – $7.17, South Korea – $6.25. It is difficult however, to be flippant about the price of gas given that it has indeed had a detrimental effect on many people’s lives, but one thing you (yes, you) can do to make a positive impact is actually pretty simple: If you don’t like paying so much for gas, stop buying so much of it. Stephen Zill is an economics instructor at De Anza College. He also has a pet parrot.
PEOPLE On Campus CLASSIFIED PROFESSIONAL OF THE WEEK
Making art with a conscience Karina Sendayen LA VOZ NEWS
Diana Argabrite has been with De Anza College since 1989, developing and directing the arts and schools program at the Euphrat Museum of Art. The program reaches out to local elementary and middle schools by providing art classes. “I think art is important for every age because it teaches problem solving, which later could be applied to any field,” she says.
“I think art is important for every age because it teaches problem solving, which later could be applied to any field.” Diana Argabrite, director of the arts and schools program at the Euphrat Museum of Art
Her commitment to integrating art into people’s lives has earned her awards and grants, including the CREST award from the city of Cupertino, which recognizes significant volunteer contributions. In addition to overseeing various outreach programs, Argabrite also assists in coordinating major exhibitions from professional artists as well as student artists from De Anza. Argabrite is also a visual and studio artist herself. Earning a bachelor’s degree in painting and drawing from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in art and art education from San Jose State University, she applies all her passion to her artwork. “My work is really detailed and takes a couple hundred hours to complete a piece,” said Argabrite. Her last work named “Response and Responsibility” was shown at the Manilatown Heritage gallery in San Francisco. It featured a purse that sparkled extravagantly from afar. However, from a closer view, it displayed symbols
KARINA SENDAYEN/LA VOZ
Diana Argabrite enjoys a moment at the Euphrat Museum of Art. Argabrite enjoys art and serves as the museumʼs director of the Arts and School Program. of distorted values. Her piece was meant to show the consequences of unchecked greed and have people question why materialism is present when there are so many people suffering in the world. Through her involvement in the community and the content of her work, it can be said that Argabrite is an artist of not only creativity, but of morals and ethics. “Art is the expression of the soul,” said Argabrite. “It’s a tool for addressing issues, values and solutions.” Karina Sendayen is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at karinasendayen@lavozdeanza.com.
CLUB OF THE WEEK Democracy Matters arrives at De Anza Karina Sendayen LA VOZ NEWS
Following in the footsteps of schools such as UC Davis and UC Berkeley, De Anza College has organized a chapter from the nonprofit and nonpartisan organization Democracy Matters. With elections just around the corner, the club’s timing is perfect because it addresses issues related to campaigning. For example, the chapter works on addressing issues such as the influence of private companies’ financial grants on politicians. During the 2004 elections, congressional and presidential candidates spent four billion dollars in total, raising significant concern. Politicians who receive money from executives of big companies may pass legislation in their favor and ignore the concerns of others constituents.
“Weʼre here to educate people about the election process and campaign finance reform, as well as trying to have people more involved in the community.” Alena Starostina, Democracy Matters club official
The club focuses on encouraging student activism for democratic reform and educating people about alternative funding like that of the “clean election” system. With this system, the impact of lobbyists and interest groups may be reduced since it allows for full public funding for a candidate’s primary and general election, making them accountable only to voters. “We’re here to educate people about the election process and campaign finance reform, as well as trying to have people more involved in the community,” said club official Alena Starostina. In addition to distributing voter registration forms, the club lectures on political issues and invites speakers to De Anza. “As of now, we’re working on bringing a speaker from New York to help discuss the clean elections,” said Starostina.
ANTOINETTE LUZANO/LA VOZ
Alena Starostina is an officer of the club Democracy Matters. The club is new to De Anza after establishing branches at UC Davis and Berkeley.
It is still election time, so there is no better time than now to check Democracy Matters out and learn more about local and national election processes. The club was deemed official on May 9. Meetings are held near the front of the library every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Karina Sendayen is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at karinasendayen@lavozdeanza.com.
Do you know an outstanding athlete, artist, student, instructor, administrator or student leader who deserves to be featured in La Voz Weekly? Contact LaVoz@fhda.edu and tell us!
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Working out prevents strokes, it’s proven MARY JO LOMAX Your Health If you still are not convinced that physical activity is good for you, consider the results of two recent studies: one indicates that moderate exercise reduces the risk of stroke for both men and woman, and the other shows that physical activity in adolescence and young adulthood reduces the risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the No. 1 cause of adult disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is blocked. There are two main categories of stroke: an ischemic stroke in which a clot inside the blood vessel blocks blood flow, and a hemorrhagic stroke where the blood vessel itself ruptures and blood leaks into the brain. Within each category of stroke there are several specific types, depending on the location of the clot or the how the blood vessel bursts. Ischemic strokes are more common, accounting for 83 percent of all strokes. The main risk factors for stroke are age, race, family history, gender and history of prior stroke. Stroke occurs more often in people over 55 and the risk increases as one ages. The risk of death from stroke is higher among African Americans. Men are more likely to have a stroke, but women are more likely to die from a stroke. Family history of stroke increases one’s risk, and if you have already had a stroke, you are more likely to have another one. Researchers from the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina followed 60,000 people for an average of 18 years and found that moderate exercise reduced the risk of stroke significantly. Moderate exercise is defined as brisk walking or equivalent aerobic activity for 30 minutes or more 5 days a week. The second study indicates that exercise may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women younger than 40. While it is true that most breast cancer occurs in post-menopausal women, many young women do get breast cancer. According to the Web site, Young Survival Coalition (www.youngsurvival.org), an organization that focuses on breast cancer in younger women, “there are more than 250,000 women 40 and under in the U.S. living with breast cancer, and over 11,100 young women will be diagnosed in the next year.” Pre-menopausal breast cancer is usually more aggressive and the underlying causes are not well understood. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis and Harvard University in Boston followed nearly 65,000 women over 6 years and found that “those who were most physically active – the equivalent of running 3.25 hours a week or walking 13 hours a week – had a 23% lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause than those who were not.” Even moderate, regular exercise reduced the risk, but the more active a woman beginning as early as age 12, the greater the protection. Mary Jo Lomax is a health instructor at De Anza College. She also enjoys living healthy.
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MAY 27, 2008
See the video online: WWW.LAVOZDEANZA.COM L A VO Z WEEKLY
(Top) Paula McNair drives one of several dune buggies that competed in the Autocross. (Below) Jim Prettyleas competes in a Triumph TR6 during the two-lap time trial. (Below right) Drivers received a one-second penalty for every cone hit.
! M O O O O VROO Fancy
tocross th annual De Anza Au 39 e th at es kl uc kn N/L A VOZ ite RSO wh DE PHOTOS BY MIKE AN cars, squealing tires and
Do you feel the need for speed? The De Anza College Auto Tech Club does. Every year, the club turns Parking Lots B and C into a car racing Valhalla that draws in hundreds of drivers and spectators. Close to 300 cars of all shapes and sizes competed May 18 in the 39th Duel at De Anza, raising funds for the Automotive Technology Program at De Anza.
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FEATURES
PAGE 7
Memorial day salute to DA vets
Patriotic Statistics
Active duty Marine and student John Potter adjusts to college life
Audrey Barker LA VOZ NEWS
John Potter, administration of justice major, active duty Marine and Iraq War veteran has been in the armed services for nine years. “The difference between me and the typical De Anza student is I can’t help feeling old,” Potter said jokingly while sitting at a table with some younger classmates. Believing that he couldn’t rely solely on his military experience, Potter began pursuing his education at De Anza College. For him, being around non military people again has been interesting. The military is a separate society in which a “big brother” is constantly watching over you, he said. Once you’re outside the military, nobody tells you when to eat or how to dress. Veterans have to go through a transitional period and realize that they are now solely responsible for their actions. Potter said, “Veterans are definitely
very focused on our studies. We aren’t here to meet girls or to engage in a second high school experience; we are focused on a specific goal.” He has met a lot of great people at De Anza, and has described his time at the college as a period of overall enrichment.
“The difference between me and the typical De Anza student is I can’t help feeling old.” John Potter, De Anza student, Marine Interim Vice President of Instruction and Vietnam War veteran John Swensson said, “De Anza has long been a safe place for veterans, and partners closely with local veterans’ hospitals.” He further noted that some of these students are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can
cause retention problems. The Disabled Student Service and Educational Diagnostic Center are both programs that seek to help veterans adjust to the academic atmosphere. The services supplied for these veterans through these programs include learning disability assistance, transition assistance, registration assistance, note taking and tutor referral, among others. Swensson said, “These veterans have served their country with great honor and have learned skills within that service that supply them with a special type of leadership.” Audrey barker/la voz The De Anza College Library John Potter says getting back to houses the DeCillis Vietnam Conflict Collection, which is the second largest real life was a challenge. in the country. extend its collection by incorporating The collection was donated by Paul books and memorabilia from the Iraqi Decillis, who, according to the De and Afghani wars. Anza College Web site, began to collect out of “a deep personal conviction that Audrey Barker is a staff reporter for eventually people would desire to read La Voz. Contact her at audreybarker@ more about the war.” lavozdeanza.com. More recently, the library began to
Projected number of living WW II Veterans (as of 9/30/2007): 2,911,900 Number of WW II Veterans who pass away per day: 900 Percentage of the veteran population 65 or older: 39.1% Vet population by race: White 80.0% Black 10.9% Asian/Pacific Islander 1.4% Hispanic 5.6% American Indian/Alaska Natives 0.8% Other 1.3% Statistics courtesy of http://www.va.gov Compiled by Julia Eckhardt
DE ANZA VOICES: IS THERE A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY IN THE MILITARY? HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU? “I’m in the ROTC program at San Jose State, in the Air Force division. Just knowing there are people before me who served, it puts more responsibility to get out there to ensure that not as many people have to die.”
“My father and all his brothers were veterans of the Korean War. I think about all those who have given their lives and take time to reflect on what they’ve done to secure our liberties.”
Chris Jamison, political science major
Tracy Newsy, mechanical enigineering major
“My dad did. It makes me feel proud, and since he passed away I’m even more impacted.” Jessica Tena, liberal arts major Compiled by Audrey Barker/La Voz
The nation of Israel is 60 years old, and the JIF club is down to party about it Soheil Rezaee LA VOZ NEWS
On May 14, 1948, David BenGurion, the first prime minister of Israel, and the provisional government declared the State of Israel at Independence Hall in Tel Aviv. After a long historical journey with a few bumps, Israel has risen to become a city upon a hill in a troubled region. At De Anza College, the Jews, Israelis and Friends club held a threeday celebration in the main quad to mark the sixtieth anniversary of Israel’s independence. The festival was marked with food, music, games and excitement for all students to enjoy. May 13: The first day of Israel@60 kicked off with students taking the opportunity to climb the “Masada” wall or enjoy a tasty falafel as music played in the background. The Masada wall climb symbolized the siege
of Masada during the first JewishRoman War. The falafels served were vegetarian with the option of adding additional vegetables and sauce. JIF also offered refreshments for students as a way to fight the scorching heat while still trying to have a good time. Students lined up to climb the wall, either for fun or to compete with a friend to see who could reach the top first. Many took the challenge barefoot as they climbed the wall on a hot day. May 14: The day of independence was celebrated with a chocolate tasting event, Israel trivia and music with DJ-SPEK, real name Yevgeniy Spektor, at De Anza for the first time. Students had the opportunity to taste and compare different varieties of Elite chocolate from Israel with their favorite Hershey’s chocolate. Other chocolates available were Kif Kef and Mekupelet from Israel.
Unrelated to the event, a small booth was set up next to the celebration where students could receive traditional Indian body art. Students and JIF members lined up for the chance to get a work of art drawn on their body. May 15: The last day of Israel@60 was celebrated with an Israeli culture themed arts and craft workshop. Despite being the hottest day of the year, students lined up for bottles of sand or to have their name written in Hebrew. The highlight of the day was the unveiling of a cake with candles marking 60. Students around the cake began to sing “Happy Birthday” as pieces were passed out to the crowd. Mike anderson/la voz
Soheil Rezaee is the features editor for La Voz. Contact him at soheilrezaee@ lavozdeanza.com.
thomas phan/la voz
(Above) JIF Co–President Maya Kostyanovsky dances at Israel@60. (Below right) DJ Spek, aka Yevgeniy Spektor, from Campbell provided the music on May 14, the second day of the event.
(Top left) Students, military and civilian, were welcome to attend the chocolate tasting table. (Below left) Co–presidents of the Jews, Israelis and Friends club Tamara Maltiel and Maya Kostanovsky take a moment to smile for Israel’s 60th birthday. thomas phan/la voz
Mike anderson/la voz
(Above) Milena Kremonic, a 22-year-old De Anza advertising major, climbs the Masada Wall, which represented the struggle during the siege of Masada during the first Jewish–Roman war.
soheil rezaee/la voz
Go to La Voz Weekly online at www.lavozdeanza.com for video footage and more
ARTS and Entertainment
PAGE 8
Cinema Cafe
MAY 27, 2008
CONSOLE WARS Our esteemed geek experts break down the pros and cons of the game systems Jay Donde and Soheil Rezaee LA VOZ NEWS
1935 classic ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ Paul De Amicis LA VOZ NEWS
The ancient Greeks held that their literary heroes should have a soul large enough to suffer for humanity. On that barometer, there is no hero in all of western literature greater than Sydney Carton in Charles Dickens’ classic novel “A Tale of Two Cities.” In 1935, Hollywood faithfully adapted Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” into a movie masterpiece with brilliant writing, acting and direction. The plot of “A Tale of Two Cities” centers around the interwoven problems of characters in London and Paris at the time of the French Revolution. At the heart of the film is the novel’s hero, a London public defender named Sydney Carton, portrayed superbly by Ronald Colman in the film.
Only one thing could create such a dichotomy in a man: love. Sydney Carton is possibly the most complex and compelling character in all of western literature. He is a genius, but he is also an alcoholic. He vigorously defends the innocent and unjustly accused, but he is also a womanizer. He sees the best in everyone, but he sees the worst in himself. He has high hopes for the human race but considers himself a profligate beyond redemption. Only one thing could create such a dichotomy in a man: love. Sydney’s one and only problem is that there is no love in his life. He is a womanizer, but that is not love and Sydney would be the first to say so. Sydney is hopelessly in love with a woman, but she is happily married, and so Sydney sees no hope of ever loving or being loved in return. It is the absence of love and the hopelessness of ever finding love that is Sydney’s demon and downfall. One thing a great movie gives us is a healthy and much needed catharsis. In what can only be described as one of the greatest endings in all of cinema, Sydney brilliantly analyzes the interwoven problems of the story, and in a revelation, discerns a brilliant way to solve every problem in the story and redeem his profligate life with one magnificently heroic act. The solution requires the valor, courage and bravery of a super hero, but Sydney rises to the challenge and performs the act superbly. And in doing so, the Greek dictum is neatly fulfilled, for by the end of “A Tale of Two Cities,” there is no doubt that Sydney Carton has a soul large enough to suffer for humanity. The 1935 version of “A Tale of Two Cities” starring Ronald Colman is my classic film recommendation this week. Don’t miss it. Paul De Amicis is a columnist for La Voz. Contact him at pauldeamicis@lavozdeanza.com.
Sony Playstation 3
Pros: Would you kill for a Playstation 3? Some people would. In fact, some people did – that’s how hotly anticipated this Sony game system was shortly before its arrival. Now, while the Nintendo Wii may be a console that’s fun for all ages, when it comes to hardcore gaming, the debate is really between the PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. So what’s the PS3 got going for it? Primarily, it has a whole lot of information capacity. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 are souped up in terms of processing power, but the truth is the average gamer really won’t be able to distinguish between the two. What the average gamer might notice, however, is that since the PS3 comes with a builtin Blu-Ray reader, PS3 games can store up to 50 gigabytes of audiovisual characters, maps, settings and scenarios. The Xbox 360 can only accommodate games storing up to 7 gigabytes. You can buy an Xbox adapter that will push this up to 30 gigs, but it’ll cost you a cool Benjamin. Cons: PC World put the PS3 at No. 8 on their list “The Top 21 Tech Screw-ups of 2006.” That should be a pretty clear warning. Most critics fault the PS3 for its hefty price tag and its lack of top-notch, exclusive games. As for the price, believe it or not, Sony was actually losing money by selling the console initially at $599. The cost of production for the 60 GB model was $840 per unit. There is still a dearth of must-have games for the PS3, but that should change later this year with the premiere of “Metal Gear Solid 4” and a couple of “Final Fantasy” sequels. Alternative Uses: For those scientific altruists out there, Stanford University is allowing PS3 owners to contribute some of their systems’ processing power to the Folding@home project, which performs simulations and records data on protein folding dynamics.
Nintendo Wii
Pros: The Nintendo Wii is a gaming console for those of us who don’t necessarily enjoy spending hours pretending to be futuristic commandos in virtual post-apocalyptic worlds. Yes, it’s somewhat less powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, and yes, its graphics are presented in lower resolution, but a fact’s a fact – the Wii has sold more units than either of its competitors. Why’s that? Well, the answer is simple: It’s fun. The Wii is the most interactive game system ever. With numerous accessories, such as the Wii Wheel and the Wii Remote, players can really get into the game. Want to play a round of “Mario Tennis”? Forget about hitting little buttons. Work on your forehand, because the Wii remote’s motion detectors enable you to actually, literally, physically play tennis against your opponents. Better yet, invite a few friends over, pop in “Super Smash Brothers Brawl” or “Wii Sports” and interact with not only your television, but with some real live people (gasp). Cons: As stated, if you’re looking to do some serious gaming, the Wii is not for you. The gaming network is also pretty weak, so you’re out of luck if you’re interested in trash-talking a 9-yearold South Korean over a chat line during a game of “Madden 08.” There were also a few technical problems associated with the Wii at the time of its launch, but most of these have been resolved. The main problem with the Wii is gaming options. While Nintendo consistently produces high quality, entertaining games, there are few other software companies that support the system, so this may be a problem in the future. Alternative Uses: The Wii is basically shaped like an ugly white rectangle, so if you live in a house that’s made of ugly white bricks and you’re missing one, you can replace it with a Wii.
Xbox 360
Pros: The Xbox 360 has a variety of best selling games exclusive only to the console, like “Dead Rising” or “Halo 3,” while the Playstation 3’s only claims to fame are “Resistance: Fall of Man” and the soon to come “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot.” If the game is not exclusive to Xbox 360, then it’s just the better version. Games on Xbox 360 have special game-play, or features that make them superior to the Playstation 3 or Wii versions. Games like “F.E.A.R.” and “Turok” for Xbox 360 were praised with positive reviews, while the Playstation 3 versions were dubbed mediocre. Finally, the icing on the cake. The Xbox 360 allows players to enjoy classic Xbox games like “Halo” and “Ghost Recon” all over again. You don’t need to pay extra for a special component or purchase the entire game again like with the Wii, just pop in the classics and take a trip down a virtual memory lane. Cons: The fact that you need to pay to play on Xbox Live might be a problem for some gamers, especially when you could play games like “Call of Duty 4” online with the Playstation 3 for free. Alternative Uses: A gamer who owns an Xbox 360 is officially a noble among the gaming community. The Xbox 360 gives you control over those who own the weak and laughable Playstation 3 or childish Wii. With this great power, anyone can control a horde of minions to do their bidding. Jay Donde and Soheil Rezaee are editors for La Voz. Contact them at jaydonde@lavozdeanza.com, and soheilrezaee@lavozdeanza.com, respectively.
Who says cops don’t have a sense of humor? Michelle Rydberg LA VOZ NEWS
The Cops Care Cancer Foundation came to the San Jose Improv Comedy Club May 14 for a charity comedy event with comedians Sandy Stec, Jim Panetta and Justin McClure, with Russ Meneve as the headliner. “The Cops Care Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that that raises money for families that have children stricken with cancer,” said Brain Simuro, president and founder of the Foundation. “They apply to us for monthly assistance for rent, activities for their kids and medicine … 100 percent of the proceeds go to the foundation.” Panetta, from Clownshoe Entertainment, pulled this first-time event together because he wanted to raise cancer awareness. “My dad actually died of cancer about a year and a half ago,” Panetta said. “I wanted to be involved in the foundation, and I thought it would be a great idea to bring Russ Meneve out here also.” With only three and a half weeks’ notice, Panetta and Simuro were able to gather over 150 guests to the San Jose Improv and raise an estimated $3,000-$4,000 for the foundation and cancer awareness. Everyone involved with the event, including comedians, directors and police officers, is working strictly on a volunteer basis with all of the proceeds going to the cancer foundation.
It was an evening of fun with a benevolent crowd and many patrons donating to the cause. The show started off with Sandy Stec warming up the crowd with jokes about the Bay Area. “During the day, it is geek, and at night, it’s ghetto. Laptop during the day and lap dancing at night,” she said. Panetta got the crowd laughing with cop jokes, and apologized for anything he might say to offend an officer, which got the audience laughing as the police took these jokes in stride. McClure had no shame talking about his personal relationships, how he dates and the female anatomy. Meneve, a New Yorker, ended the show on high note, capturing everyone’s attention with his witty sense of humor and joking with the audience about his personal life. “One of the things that helped me get through my battle was [the ability] to laugh,” said Simuro, a cancer survivor. “I believe humor is a [good way] to forget about your problems, forget about some of the things in your life.” To learn more about Cops Care Cancer Foundation and to make a donation, visit them on the Web at http:// www.copscarecancerfoundation.org. Michelle Rydberg is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at michellerydberg@lavozdeanza.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KEN KU
Comedians Jim Panetta (left) and Russ Meneve (center) with Brian Simuro (right), founder of the Cops Care Cancer Foundation, in front of the San Jose Improv.
MAY 27, 2008
FEATURES
Love Voz
Hip-hop love is in the air Tamara Hahn
ʻOh you, the stricken one/ Love comes to you, it is not learnedʼ Dear Love Voz, My boyfriend and I broke up three months ago and I haven’t been able to get over him. I’ve tried everything. We were dating for two years and we were in love, but we mutually decided to end our relationship because we both felt like we had grown apart. At the time I was sure I didn’t want to be with him because he was acting weird and immature, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad. He has moved on though and is dating somebody else he likes, or pretends to like. What should I do? – Teresa M.
Female expert
Male expert
Dear Teresa, I’d like to start off by saying that no guy is ever worth crying over for more than two days, so get your act together. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and this guy was only one of them. Everything changes depending how you look at it. You can’t fully control your thoughts but you can choose what you want to focus on, and what you focus on will expand. If you change your mentality, you will change your life. It’s simple: Think about the good stuff you had, compare it to the bad stuff – then see if the good stuff is good enough to put up with the bad stuff. Get it? Then make a choice and stick with it. Life is full of surprises. Something beautiful may happen when you least expect it, you just need to be open to it. The past is behind you, and the future is out of your reach. Live in the present and live your life to the fullest. You can make new memories instead of reminiscing about what has been. Remember that there are no guarantees in life, that’s what makes it so beautiful. Trust me, you will love again, now stop crying and move on.
Dear Miss M., If you are head over heels in love with a guy you don’t have, even your ex, the best thing to do is to be deceitful. Simply pretend to get over him. That way, if he’s pretending to get over you, he’ll drop his pretense and pursue you like a lion hunting its prey. Men won’t stand idly by while their trophies float away in the wine-dark sea of love. Men want it all and are not humble enough to let go of a woman they still like. If your ex really has moved on, you must focus on getting over him. Do not attempt to change his heart. It can’t be managed. He will grow gills and swim away. A woman once told me a surefire way for a girl to get over an ex-boyfriend, but it may only be useful if you’re over 21 and are a witch. It may come in handy: Walk into a bar, enter the restroom. Walk out of the restroom, exit the bar. In your head, count how many men pretend to accidentally look in your direction along the way. Write that number down. When you get home, have your way with that many voodoo dolls, then have a hot bath.
Shabnam Mahmoudkhan is a freelance reporter for La Voz.
Ehssan Barkeshli is the executive news editor for La Voz. Contact him at ehssanbarkeshli@lavozdeanza. com.
Shabnam Mahmoudkhan
PAGE 9
Ehssan Barkeshli
Got a love dilemma? Send it in to lovevoz@lavozdeanza.com
LA VOZ NEWS
Quiet laughter, whispers from the peanut gallery and a Q & A session with film director Joe Doughrity were the order of the day when close to 60 students packed into Forum 1 to watch the romantic comedy short “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop.” De Anza College student Nathalie Hyland, the driving force behind the screening, discovered this independent film about the romance between a Japanese record store owner and a black culinary student while doing research online. “[The] movie goes beyond the love story,” said Hyland, who thought the film would be a great opportunity for students to discuss interracial communication. Terell Sterling, a De Anza student in the audience, said he was happy to see that in today’s society, dating patterns have become more diverse. The students in attendance, some of whom had been offered extra credit by teachers from the social sciences and art departments, chuckled at the comedic bits peppered throughout the film, such as a scene where Akira, the record store owner, bursts out about how his friend Natto “smells like ass.” Also, the love-making scene, which Hyland said was too steamy for her, earned some animated whispers from the back seats. Alex Lin, vice president of student rights and campus relations, said he had rarely seen movies about interracial dating between blacks and Asians. Doughrity believes that this is due to the idea that investors have little knowledge about the market for such films. “They’re not sure who the
audience is,” he said. Lin liked the fact that there was a film that touched on the topic because “it raises discussion.” Discussion, Doughrity said, is what he is looking for. “I’m not looking for a [politically correct] reaction,” he said. “I want to know why these stereotypes exist.” On the film’s YouTube trailer, reactions “run the gambit” from applause to open racism, he said. However, Doughrity thinks that younger audiences are more aware and less surprised by interracial dating. “It’s not even controversial to them,” he said. “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop” would not have made it to De Anza without Hyland, who worked with Vice President John Swensson and film professor Barak Goldman to secure a screening room and sponsor the event. Goldman hosted an additional open screening and Q & A session the same day. Hyland, an anthropology and nutrition major, said she found it difficult at times to navigate through the funding process and ran out of time to complete the application that would allow the school to sponsor the event. “When it comes to paperwork, the school needs things way in advance,” she said. To make up for lacking funds, Hyland secretly paid for Doughrity’s plane tickets herself. “Joe is the type who wouldn’t let me do that,” she said. Hyland has no regrets about the lengths she went through to have the film screened. “I’m happy that I did it,” she said. “This topic was close to my heart.” Tamara Hahn is a freelance reporter for La Voz.
OPINION & Editorial
PAGE 10
MAY 27, 2008 INFO
Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or the opinions of the La Voz staff. Opinions expressed by staff and contributors are the opinions of the individuals and not necessarily the opinion of La Voz Weekly.
More cons than pros to ‘alternative fuel’ parking
La Voz Weekly Vol. 41, Issue 26 The Voice of De Anza College Phone: 408-864-5626 Fax: 408-864-5533 lavoz@fhda.edu www.lavozdeanza.com Room L-41 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014 Jay Donde Editor in Chief lavoz@fhda.edu
Julia Eckhardt Managing Editor managing@lavozdeanza.com
E. Barkeshli Executive News Editor Nitzan Beck Enterprise News Editor Shawn McGann Opinions Editor Soheil Rezaee Features Editor Joe Chunnic Sports Editor Josh Bays Multimedia Editor Antoinette Luzano Copy Editor Daniel Gamberg Asst. Copy Editor Tom Guffey Editor Emeritus
Contributing Staff Mike Anderson Audrey Barker Paul De Amicis Aiselle De Vera Paul Edison Stacy Lane Matthew Larvey Jose Marte Thomas Phan Michelle Rydberg Karina Sendayen Dahlia Seroussi Kelly Truong
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It was a well intentioned, but not too well thought-out idea to reserve parking spaces solely for “alternative fuel” vehicles in the parking lots of De Anza College. It is good, in that it is one of many examples of the school and the district trying to improve students’ lives and the environment. But the idea is so full of loopholes and given to abuse that it has left us wondering: What were they thinking? The parking spaces, which are labeled “alternative fuel vehicles only,” are located at the very front of several campus parking lots, including Lots B and C, as well as the Kirsch Center. They are meant to serve as an incentive for De Anza students to purchase fuel-efficient hybrid or electric motor vehicles, or as a reward for those who already own them, and to encourage an overall reduction in fossil fuel use. This idea is totally impractical. No parking spot, no matter how close to campus, will convince anybody to run out and buy a new car, or change their minds about whatever vehicle they had planned on buying. This especially applies to students. Anyone planning on attending De Anza probably doesn’t plan on being here very long – certainly not more than two or three years at most
THE OPINION OF THE LA VOZ WEEKLY EDITORIAL BOARD – and even though this is the Bay Area, and one can regularly find an abundance of super-expensive cars parked at De Anza, not even the exuberantly wealthy would make that kind of a long-term investment knowing they might only be here for six months or less. Since the perk of parking close isn’t motivating anyone to buy the cars, it is really only benefiting those who already own them. “Alternative fuel” vehicles are high technology, guaranteed to be expensive; even used hybrid vehicles sell for very high prices. The reserved spaces are really only benefiting the rich, as most college students, even in the Bay Area, can’t afford to buy such expensive vehicles. The regulation is also virtually unenforceable. What is an alternative fuel vehicle anyway? Would a car running on methane qualify to park in the reserved spaces? Trucks running on diesel fuel have been parking in the spaces, and diesel is technically an alternative to gasoline. Gas guzzling Mercedes and Volkswagens can usually be found parked in the reserved spaces, and officers often will
CNN’s got nothin’ on Stewart, Colbert KELLY TRUONG another voice
Jon Stewart has got competition. As popular as “The Daily Show” is, it needs to work on its tagline if it’s to have any hope of competing with such bastions of journalistic integrity that are the current popular choices for political coverage. Just click through the channels: you’ll see MSNBC has “the best political team on cable”; CNN, “the best political team on television”; Fox News is the winner, however, with “the best political team ever.” How can you top that? “Bestest ever,” maybe? With hyperbole like this, it must be hard to choose the best source of TV news. But the very existence of news channels’ advertising slogans – setting aside their hilariously over-thetop nature, and the fact that they all appear to have been coined by the same high school yearbook staffer – clearly demonstrates the very first rule of cable news: it’s not really news. But it’s pretending to be, and that’s what saves Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert from falling into the trap of sloppy sensationalism that defines practically every other television news programs; these two have absolutely no allusions about what it is they’re offering. Colbert asks his interview subjects questions like, “George Bush: great president, or greatest president?” Because after all, he’s appearing on a channel called Comedy Central. It’s comedy, folks. While CNN, on the other hand, runs exit polls questioning whether acidic comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright were a deciding factor in voters’ choosing their candidate – essentially making it an issue whether voters considered it one or not. Though it may seem comedic, it wasn’t meant to be funny. It’s mostly just depressing. There’s a reason behind the the-
atrical nature of cable news coverage. It’s green and it folds neatly into a wallet. In 2006, The New York Times published an article titled “With Brash Hosts, Headline News Finds More Viewers in Prime Time,” discussing CNN’s recent hiring of conservative talk show host Glenn Beck. In the article, former CNN employee Mark Feinstein lays out the reason behind CNN’s solicitation of Beck: “They had these [ratings] charts, it was like a EKG of a heart attack – I remember an executive who said, in essence, we need to find a way to have heart attacks all the time.” Feinstein went on to say: “There is more pandering to fear and base emotions because that’s what’s going to lead to the most immediate spike in the ratings.” Sensationalism brings in those ratings. Hyperbole brings in those ratings. Controversy, above all else, brings in ratings; and when none exists, it is not beneath them to manufacture their own. See the now-deceased Crossfire, also a CNN show, which in the words of Stewart, was a show about political debate as much as “pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition.”
Controversy equals ratings. When none exists, it is not beneath them to manufacture their own. There is no real solution exactly – no way to separate the “corporate” from corporate media. How else should one react when headlines featured on the National Enquirer such as “DOES BILL WANT HILLARY TO LOSE?” echo recent MSNBC roundtable discussions? It may be a little startling to see cable news programming resembling supermarket tabloids, but it’s certainly not that surprising. Fortunately, while Stewart and Colbert aren’t in the business of broadcasting news, they are very clearly in the business of making fun of those who do. There isn’t much else to do but laugh.
not ticket them. After all, they cannot be expected to carry around a list of all “alternative fuel” car models in existence. De Anza administrators surely do not want to tow away any cars found violating the regulation, as such practice might be seen as extreme and could discourage students from enrolling.
No parking spot, no matter how close to campus, will convince anybody to run out and buy a new car. On top of all this, many De Anza staffers have complained that their staff-reserved spaces were taken from them without their approval to make room for the alternative fuel spaces. The staff have a legitimate and dire need for parking that is readily available, easily accessible and as close to campus as possible. Otherwise classes may begin late, which would negate whatever benefit a student may have gotten from parking close. So why have they limited the spaces to hybrid and electric vehicles any-
way? Some older non-hybrid cars get excellent gas mileage whether on freeways or city streets, and they can be bought much cheaper than any hybrid. A better system would be to designate parking spaces by fuel efficiency, the spaces closer to campus being reserved for the cars that get the most miles per gallon. Such a system would be just as infeasible as the current, however, as officers cannot be expected to know which cars belong where; the only advantage of doing it this way is that it would be far more effective in terms of encouraging environmentally sound behavior. All in all, the “alternative fuel” parking was an attempt by De Anza College to do the right thing, but there are so many negative aspects to the system that it would just be better if the spaces were given back to the staff. As the policy now stands, De Anza students who happen to be well off are supplied with premium parking privileges, while the students who are broke are left to fend for themselves. Earth-conscious students should be rewarded for their efforts to improve the environment, but not for whatever cars they may drive – if people really want to make a difference with what they drive, they can buy a bicycle.
Happy days are here again JAY DONDE another voice So the U.S. economy is in the tank, Iran is building nuclear weapons, global warming is killing polar bears and China is beating up Buddhists. How do I feel about all of this? Well, in the immortal words of Big Gay Al from South Park: “I’m super, thanks for asking!” Is this just another case of Ignorant Bliss Syndrome? Are you about to find yourself in the middle of another one of those torturous “Hey, things are a lot better now than they were in the Dark Ages” columns? Rest easy, the answer to both of these questions is “no.” Things are looking up because there is an emerging paradigm shift among the views of both domestic and international political leaders regarding how we should go about solving the world’s problems. For nearly eight years, George W. Bush has practiced the doctrine of “cowboy diplomacy,” which essentially consists of him drawing a circle in the sand around himself and declaring that everyone inside the circle is good, while everyone outside it is bad. Unfortunately, the circle is so small that it only has room for Bush and those who are willing to embrace him in a way that would get you kicked out of a 1950s high school prom. But no matter who enters the Oval Office come January, be it John McCain or Barack Obama (sorry, Senator Clinton), we’re going to see significant change. McCain, not Bush, is the true scion of the conservative movement that has thrived in American politics for the past 40 years – one that has done so by building coalitions rather than dividing interests. And while Obama has less coalitionbuilding experience than McCain, his rhetoric suggests that he is also a man interested in finding common ground with those who disagree with him.
This new “coalitional mindset” will have an impact not just on domestic issues, but international ones as well. Consider for instance, that both of the leading presidential candidates have come out in favor of strong environmental reforms. Moreover, globalization is tying together the economic interests of Middle Eastern countries and forcing them towards the path of reconciliation. Aware of the fact that their oil reserves won’t last forever, countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai are scrambling to invest in the future; whereas before, oil revenues would go to buy F-16s and royal palaces, money is now flowing toward capital infrastructure and tourism.
We can rely upon the fundamental truth that there are more things that unite us than divide us. Just last week, Israel and Syria announced that they were gearing up for high-level peace talks. For Israel, peace with another one of its neighbors would be a boon; but for Syria, peace is a necessity. Continued belligerence and sponsorship of terrorism by Damascus might bring Syria the support of Iran, but a peace treaty with Israel would bring it into the far more powerful militarypolitico-economic bloc of the U.S. and Western Europe. When the oil is gone, such ties will be invaluable. In the end, we can rely upon the fundamental truth that there are more things that unite us citizens of the world than divide us. If countries and leaders are able to find common ground on simple issues, truly extremist regimes and organizations will find themselves increasingly isolated. Who will stand against environmental reform when both Democrats and Republicans support it? Who will stand with Hamas and Tehran when not only Israel and America oppose them, but also Egypt, Jordan and Syria? Neither question is easily answered, and that, we all must admit, is pretty reassuring.
OPINION & Forum
MAY 27, 2008
PAGE 11 INFO
Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or the opinions of the La Voz staff. Opinions expressed by staff and contributors are the opinions of the individuals and not necessarily the opinion of La Voz Weekly.
A comfortable Online textbooks not in students’ best interest protest DAHLIA SEROUSSI
Nat Hillard U-WIRE
She ran into me in Balboa Park in San Jose. She was carrying a sign that said “free hugs”; I was carrying a rice cake. “Would you like a free hug?” she asked. And while naturally I questioned her motives, I nevertheless entered into the warm embrace, enveloped in gentle arms. When the hug was over, I had to ask, “What is this? Why are you doing this?” Most things these days have strings attached, after all. She proceeded to tell me the story of her Movement, the Free Hugs Campaign. When it was all over, with my heartstrings pulled and my day now brighter, I walked on my merry way, wanting to join the Movement myself, to spread the love she had just shared with me. I had truly experienced a random act of kindness. Sometimes, I mused, it’s the simple things in life that make it all better. Or, rather, this is how the interaction would have gone if I were someone else. Instead of an unquestioning acceptance of a message that is perceived as universal and agreeable, I approached the situation with a healthy amount of skepticism. For those of you who haven’t been hug-mobbed in the park or seen the YouTube video about the Free Hugs Campaign, it is a movement started by Australian Juan Mann whose mission is to hug random people in public places. To quote the Web site, the goal of the hug movement is “making someone’s day a little brighter, meeting people and showing the world that strangers aren’t so bad after all.” Furthermore, “It’s also about bringing people together and sharing a happy moment before heading back out into the world feeling a little lighter.” This is an albeit paraphrased, but still complete, description of the movement. Its simplicity is its driving force: all people need is someone to approach them and show them that someone cares, and the world will become a brighter place. We as a society have somehow gotten it into our heads that if something is simple, we shouldn’t question it. But if you think about it, this statement is misguided at best and dangerous at worst. The simplicity of the Free Hugs campaign is, in actuality, its downfall. The moment one begins to question the Free Hugs campaign — which, by the way, you will be labeled heartless for doing, as if you had said “I hate baby kittens!” — one begins to see the campaign for what it is: a comfortable protest.
People need someone to approach them and show them someone cares, and the world will become a brighter place. This is a “movement” for our generation: minimal effort, maximal self-gratification and a nearly zero real effect. The informational video describing the Free Hug campaign on YouTube has received 27 million views. People feel they are part of a Movement with a capital M, that they don’t have to question membership in this Movement because 27 million other people thought it was a good idea. But who are these Free Huggers hugging? Ironically, not the people who need it most. As I read the 120-page “Illustrated Guide to Free Hugs” available on the Movement’s site, complete with 40 illustrations highlighting 30 separate styles of hug, I realized that the free huggers are not supposed to approach anyone for a hug, but rather get the hugs from people who approach them. While this may eliminate problems in which hugger preference is the deciding factor, it still doesn’t account for the problem of perverts. All it takes is for one person who longs for human contact and hasn’t had any for awhile to touch a butt during a hug, and the free hugger might begin to question the movement. A hug is, in many ways, an inherently sexual gesture, a fact that the Free Hugs movement doesn’t acknowledge. The hugger might think twice before frequenting that area again. Add to that the pivotal question of “why?” It is a mighty convenient thing that the central message of this campaign is so inarguable. Could it be possible that huggers themselves could hide behind this simple message their nefarious intent? I read online about a birthday party of 10-year-olds that was invaded by older men holding “Free Hugs” signs. The free huggers were seemingly unaware that their gesture could mean anything else. The bottom line: the Free Hugs movement is a sham. Self-absorbed, ineffectual and, when you get down to it, dangerous from the point of view of public health, it is a movement that is not meant to be questioned but that should be. This column originally appeared in the Stanford Daily.
another voice Textbooks are the blood that runs through the veins of education. They move from student to student as seamlessly as mono at a frat party. But the rising cost of textbooks has spurred on a move toward making them available online. Though this plan may at first sound appealing to your everyday college student, it is not a good move for society as a whole. There is no stopping the merging of technology and education. Online degrees are now available, as well as supplemental course material. But making online textbooks available takes it to a new level, forcing us to become dependent on technology. Sure, it’s great for professors to have Web sites, but they still hand out paper greensheets. Why? This may come as a shocker to the Silicon Valley Podman, but not everyone owns a computer. Online textbooks would require constant access to the Internet and would put a strain on our printers, ink cartridges and paper. Students who do not own computers will be at a great disad-
vantage if textbooks are only made available online. In a 2006 University of California Santa Cruz press release, Jennifer McNulty said that 56 percent of immigrant households in the United States owned computers in 2003, compared to 70 percent of nativeborn households. For that unlucky 56 percent, online textbooks would keep students holed up in campus computer labs away from their family and friends. Possession of advanced technology is a privilege few can afford; not owning a computer already puts a student at a serious disadvantage. Students should have every opportunity to reach their full potential. They shouldn’t be burdened with having to stay connected to the computer world at all times. Furthermore, technology is a fast evolving field, meaning that things go obsolete fast. An education system that is dependent on technology forces students and administrations to keep up with constant change. This is an economic and intellectual burden, diverting educators away from their primary purpose of teaching and toward upgrading their software. Also, computers and the Internet are just not as dependable as real books. Real books don’t freeze up. Real books don’t crash. And real books can serve other useful pur-
poses, such as booster seats. A switch to online textbooks would affect not only the students and faculty who use them, but also the work necessary to keep the system going. Making, delivering and selling textbooks are all rather low skill jobs. If textbooks are made available online, they will surely drive the vulnerable textbook industry out of business. These low skill jobs will be replaced by high skill jobs that require technological prowess, leaving those low skill employees unable to find work. This might even lead to less jobs available for De Anza college students, at the student bookstore, for example.
An education system that is dependent on technology forces students and administrators to keep up with constant change. Efforts should be focused on lowering textbook prices and closing what is called the “digital divide.” When everyone owns a computer, maybe we can consider a prominent online textbooks system. But until then, a switch to online textbooks will only put the disadvantaged at even more of a disadvantage.
We can clone it for you wholesale SOHEIL REZAEE another voice With the introduction of animal cloning into society, it won’t be long before scientists are successful in cloning a human being. There have been growing concerns surrounding the morality and ethics of such a practice, and this is holding back the advancement of the technology. First off, to say that cloning animals is the equivalent to playing God is completely illogical. Human life is created as a result of two people engaging in sexual intercourse with the intent of producing a child … that, or the condom broke. As a result, a child born naturally can either be seen as a blessing or Exhibit A in the lawsuit against the condom manufacturer. One must first look at the benefits that cloning may offer to civilization before making any objection. To deny humanity such a technological advancement would be like opposing research into a cure for cancer. It is always important to explore what new technologies might be able to offer us.
Human cloning might present a cure for cancer or any other disease that modern medicine cannot solve. But why stop with cures when cloning could be used to improve the human body? No longer would lazy people have to shoot up steroids, so long as parents had their children’s DNA modified. Society could use cloning to create an army of specially made servants to do dirty work for us. Imagine having a clone servant that has been genetically programmed to fix cars, cook gourmet food, perform spotless cleaning services and even plumb your pipes. With human cloning and further advancements in genetics technology, any household could have the best protection available without owning a weapon. Why buy a gun when you could have your own cloned killing machine? With that as your protection, it’s guaranteed that any threat will be taken care of silently and without the mess that comes with using a gun. It should also be considered how this technology might be used to benefit the military. No longer would young people have to fight and die in war when the military could simply utilize its army of cloned super soldiers. It might also be possible to alter their thought processes so as all they know how to
DE ANZA VOICES: Where is your favorite place to relax at De Anza? “Downstairs from the Hinson Center cafeteria.” Aaron Clayson business management major
“The sunken garden especially.” Sachin Jain society and environment major
“By the L Quad fountain.” Rachel Tangney sociology major
“On the second floor of the library; the silent section.” Jared Frazer media major
COMPILED BY DANIEL GAMBERG/LA VOZ
do is kill without question. Best of all, one could only imagine how much the entertainment industry could benefit from human cloning. Why risk stuntmen in movies when you could just blow up or kill off a clone of the actor? Imagine how much more violent Peter Weller’s death scene in “RoboCop” would have been with a clone rather than computer graphics and special effects. The benefits of cloning for entertainment could expand beyond the realm of cinema and into the sports industry. After waiting for centuries, we could finally enjoy death fights between gladiators like the Romans once did. Just think: teams of clones in a live battle to the death inside a huge stadium and in front of a live audience! Or perhaps on a smaller scale, people could start hosting cockfights in their basements using hybrid human-rooster clones. These suggestions are only a small sample of what human cloning might offer society. The true dream will never fully be realized until scientists are able to actually clone a human being. It is wrong to allow superstition and doubt to stand in the way of our civilization progressing. Disclaimer: This opinion is meant to be satirical. So don’t get all upset about it.
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Corrections RE: “Russian born student ... ” 4/21, page 6 Several people were incorrectly identified. Not all of the artists mentioned in the article are impressionists or surrealists.
SPORTS and fitness
PAGE 12
Women’s Track and Field Runner of the Year
Runner finishes third in state Joe Chunnic LA VOZ NEWS
Name: Cynthia Chaidez Hometown: San Jose Major: Communications School Next Fall: Undecided Favorite Athlete: Suzy Hamilton Most Memorable Sports Moment: This year Cynthia Chaidez achieved All-American status in the 1500m run at the state shampionships. She also ran in the 800m and 5000m, hoping to gain All-American honors in those events. “The last two didn’t go as planned,” Chaidez said. “I was a little bummed.” Chaidez’s journey to the elite ranks started in middle school when she started to do track. “I’m not coordinated,” said Chaidez. This hasn’t stopped her incredible drive to be the best at her events. Her
best event is the 800m run and her best time is a 2:16. Out of high school, Chaidez was offered a scholarship to San Francisco State University and accepted it, but after one year, transferred to De Anza College. While here at De Anza, Chaidez won several meets. She was the Coast Conference champion in the 800, 1500 and 5000m runs, and was NorCal champion in the 800 and 1500 and runner-up in the 5000. She is also ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the 800 and 1500m runs. Chaidez’s success doesn’t just come on the track. She was recently named Female Scholar Athlete of the Year for cross country and track & field at a ceremony last Wednesday. She also attributes her success to her teammates and coaches, who were always there cheering her on at every meet in which she competed. With her all around abilities on and
off the track, any school would be foolish not to have this All-American runner representing their university in the fall. Joe Chunnic is the sports editor for La Voz. Contact him at joechunnic@ lavozdeanza.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CYNTHIA CHAIDEZ
Cynthia Chaidez finished her De Anza career as an All-American.
MAY 27, 2008
Karate kicks in tournament Jose Marte
LA VOZ NEWS
The De Anza College Invitational Karate Tournament took place May 18 in the main gym. At least six members of the De Anza Karate Club competed alongside students from West Valley College, Foothill College and Santa Clara University. Unlike the Karate Kid or other sensationalized martial arts epics, there wasn’t any blood spilled and defeated opponents weren’t carried away on stretchers. The competition was far more civilized but just as intense. The tournament was broken down into two main events: Kata and Kumite. “Kata” is a Japanese word that translates to “form.” It is an individual event where the participants follow a choreographed pattern of movements and attempt to perfectly execute a series of punches, kicks and stances. The other event, Kumite, is sparring against an opponent. Although Kumite appears to be fierce combat, it is of paramount importance not to inflict injury. Only beginners injure each other, says massage therapy major Dann Jumasoas, because they aren’t able to control their power and speed. In this event, contact must only be equivalent to a touch. Karate is more than just athleticism. “The discipline required in karate extends to all aspects of life,” said purple belt Natalie Javid, studying in the medical technology field. “It has changed my life,” said William Feng.
By practicing karate, Feng feels both a physical and mental change. He believes that karate provides calmness during crises and allows one to be in control of his emotions and actions. Jose Marte is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact him at josemarte@ lavozdeanza.com.
JOSE MARTE/LA VOZ
Kunite is the sparring of two competitors with little to no contact between opponents.
one’s help. I won’t need aonnym y own. I can do it gonna give me mor
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With that degree, iIt’csan make more money.
opportunity so g with human resourcesI’m already workin how to deal with people, codes of conduct, loyalty, ethics, ork.... r i h the ing process, paperw A job is just a job. A career is something that you worked for . I feel better as a person now. I feel more accomplished.
Michelle Oquendo, DeVry University ’08 Technical Management
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