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campus Events SCULPTOR JAMIE ABBOTT TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23, 11:30am-12:30pm, Room A-6
Jamie Abbott, a Cabrillo College sculpture instructor, collects discarded industrial fragments to use in fabricated steel sculptures.
CLUB DAY THURSDAY, JAN. 24, 11am-1pm, Main Quad (front of library)
Club Day showcases the diversity and interests of over 60 De Anza College clubs and gives students a chance to meet people. If event is rained out, it will be held Thursday, Jan 31.
PAID INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE THURSDAY, JAN 24, 12:30pm & 3:30pm, Campus Center Rm. 251
Students may attend either session of these informational meetings about paid internships through the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. For more information, go to: http://internships.fhda.edu.
CHOREOGRAPHER ROBERT MOSES TO APPEAR MONDAY, JAN. 28 and WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 9:30am, PE-11U
NEA recipient and Stanford University dance instructor Robert Moses will give a master class.
AUTHOR TO SPEAK ON SOCIAL CHANGE WRITING MONDAY, JAN. 28, 12:30-10, 1:30-2:20
Activist writing instructor Louise Dunlap will talk about her book “Undoing Silence: Tools for Social Change Writing” from 12:30-1:20pm and give a mini-workshop for students to try techniques from the book from 1:30-2:20pm. Attend one or both sessions. For more information, go to: http://undoingsilence.org.
VISUAL ARTIST/COMICS EXPERT TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 3:30-4:30pm, ADM 119
Author, illustrator and publisher Oliver Chin will give an illustrated lecture. A reception will follow in the Euphrat Museum, Room A-92 from 4:30-5pm.
VIDEO LINK WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30, 5-6pm, Campus Center, Conf Rm A
Join environmental justice activist Van Jones and students from hundreds of campuses for a voting process on future steps via an interactive video link.
“FOCUS THE NATION” EDUCATIONAL FORUM THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 9am-3pm, Campus Center, Conf Rm A
A forum on understanding and taking action on climate change includes speakers, conversations with regional policy makers, workshops on taking action and an interactive arcade. •9: Welcome •9:30: Science, Politics of Climate Change •11:30: Video and Spoken Word Performances •12:30: Conversation with regional policy makers •1:30-2:30: Making the world a cooler place Instructors who plan to bring their classes or who want a one-page sheet on integrating climate change into the curriculum should write to: comeng@fhda.edu.
LANGUAGE EXCHANGE APPLICATION DEADLINE FRIDAY, FEB. 1 deadline
Apply to the Language Exchange Program (which takes place Feb. 19-29). This program matches students who are trying to learn new languages with native speakers of that language. Applications are available in ATC 304 and at: http://faculty.deanza. edu/ifftmaryanne/ (click on “Language Exchange”).
DASB FLEA MARKET SATURDAY, FEB. 2, 8am-4 pm, Parking Lots A&B
The Flea Market, sponsored by the DASB, is held on the first Saturday of every month. For more information go to http://www.deanza.edu/fleamarket.
INTER CLUB COUNCIL APPLICATIONS DUE TUESDAY, FEB. 5, 4 pm, Student Activities Office, Campus Center
Applications for ICC Chair, Chair of Finance and Chair of Programs are due by 4 pm. Chairs will serve from
Important Dates •Friday, Jan. 25: Last day to drop with no record of grade •Friday, Feb. 1: Last day to request P/NP grade •Friday, Feb. 15: Presidents’ Weekend - no classes •Saturday, Feb. 16: Presidents’ Weekend - no classes •Sunday, Feb. 17: Presidents’ Weekend - no classes •Monday, Feb. 18: Presidents’ Weekend - no classes •Friday, Feb. 29: Last day to drop with a “W” •Friday, March 14: Last day to add CAOS self-paced classes •Friday, March 28: Last day of winter quarter
JANUARY 22, 2008 INFO
Send event notices to Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com by Wednesday noon preceding the week of publication. Please type “Happenings” in the subject line. La Voz does not guarantee publication. All events take place on the De Anza College campus and are free, unless stated otherwise.
Happenings@LaVozDeAnza.com
March, 2008 through March, 2009. For more information, contact ICC officers at 408-864-8693.
out the day at the third annual De Anza conference on student centered learning.
YOSEMITE CAMPING TRIP MEETING FRIDAY, JAN. 25, 6pm, PE12U
FILM PRODUCER TO TEACH MASTER CLASS FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2-6pm, ATC 113
Sign up for the annual Outdoor Club winter camping trip to Yosemite at this pre-trip meeting. The camping trip, designed for first-timers and experienced campers, will be on the first weekend in February. The cost is $10 for Outdoor Club members, $20 for non-members who carpool in big carpools. Rental equipment is available. For more information, go to: http://faculty. deanza.edu/donahuemary/stories/storyReader$918.
CROSS-CULTURAL PARTNER SIGN-UPS NOW THROUGH MONDAY, JAN. 28
To find out more or to participate in the Cross-Cultural Partners Program, sign up online at http://www.deanza.edu/ccpartners.
POET KIM ADDONIZIO TO READ THURSDAY, FEB. 7, 12:30pm, Writing & Reading Center - ATC 309
Award-winning, world-class poet and novelist Kim Addonizio will read from her works. Information about Addonizio is at: http://www.kimaddonizio.com
SCHOLARSHIPS MOST APPLICATIONS DUE FEB. 14
More than 100 scholarships are available. Requirements and forms are at: http://www.deanza .edu/financialaid/scholarship.html.
LUNAR NEW YEAR SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON THURSDAY, FEB. 21, 11:30am-1pm, Rooms A&B, Campus Center
The Lunar New Year Scholarship Luncheon is sponsored by Asian Pacific American Staff Association.
STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING CONFERENCE FRIDAY, FEB. 22, Time, Room TBA
De Anza faculty and staff will give workshops through-
Check it out SKILLS WORKSHOPS
In Academic Skills Workshops, leaders give small, interactive presentations and provide handouts to help students improve study skills. Workshops include time management, textbook reading, concentration and memory, English writing skills, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and math study strategies. Sign up in the Workshop Signup Binder in L-47. For a schedule, go to: http://faculty.deanza.fhda.edu/alvesdelimadiana/stories/storyReader$9. Workshops will be held Mondays through Fridays from Jan. 28 through Feb. 29.
Gary Goldstein, the president of a film and TV production company will give a master class for film students. Goldstein produced the “Mothman Prophecies.”
FILM SCREENING AND PRODUCER Q/A FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 7-10:30pm, ATC 120
A public screening of the movie “Pretty Woman” along with a question and answer session with the producer, Gary Goldstein, is open to the community.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROB KELLY TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 3:30-4:30pm, ADM 119
Theatreworks founder Rob Kelly, who has directed more than 150 Theatreworks productions, will speak. He received the Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Paine Knickerbocker Award for lifetime achievement.
INTER CLUB COUNCIL EYEGLASS, CELL PHONE DRIVES NOW THROUGH FRIDAY, FEB. 1: Eyeglass Drive
Donate unwanted eyeglasses for people in need in other countries.
MONDAY, FEB. 11 - FRIDAY, FEB. 29: Cell Phone Drive
Donate unwanted cell phones to be given to victims of domestic violence. Drop off donations at the following locations: • Student Activities, lower level of Campus Center • Administration Building Lobby • Learning Center Lobby • Advanced Technology Center Lobby • Wellness Center
‘BURDEN & BONUS’ ART EXHIBIT TUESDAYS-THURSDAYS, 8:30-noon & 1-4:30pm, through April The California History Center (Le Petit Trianon)
This exhibit on preservation and demolition on the De Anza Campus responds to the questions, “What are the burdens of maintaining and utilizing 19th century buildings and landscapes for a modern California college? What bonuses are won by preservation efforts?” For information, call 408-864-8986.
PLANETARIUM, LASER SHOWS EVERY SATURDAY THROUGH MARCH 29, 6-11:30pm
Family astronomy and laser light shows are featured once a week. Ticket sales start at 5pm at the door. Astronomy show admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students w/ID and children 12 and under. Laser show admission is $9 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under. For information go to http://www.deanza.edu/ planetarium or call 408-864-5791.
JANUARY 22, 2008
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NO LATE W | LATE WITHDRAWAL STORY CONTINUED FROM FRONT “Please This would give the students three issue drops fourths of the class time to decide whether or not to remain in the course and withfor a letter grade. “That’s the law. drawals That’s how the state has directed us on the first how to do it.” Fifield said. In fact, this has been state law for a class list, few years, but has not been enforced census at De Anza College until now. A new and final Dean of Admissions, Kathleen Mowithdrawal berg, has pursued the issue. forms given In the past, De Anza has been more lenient regarding the California law. to you As long as an instructor signed off throughout on it, students could still drop a class for a “W” up until the final week of the quarthe quarter. Even after that, in the fiter.” nal grade submission, a teacher could From a memorandum slip sent to all faculty members
submit a “W” as a student’s grade, indicating to anybody who reads his transcript that the class was dropped at some point during the quarter. “[Moberg] is really adhering to these
rules,” said Fifeld. At the start of this quarter, Moberg had a yellow memorandum slip sent out to all faculty members regarding the newly enforced policy, which reads that final drops and withdrawals will not be accepted on the grade scanner at the end of the quarter. “Please issue drops and withdrawals on the first class list, census, and final withdrawal forms given to you throughout the quarter,” it says. This enforcement is to serve for instructors as well, so that they will drop students when the students drop the class, rather than waiting until the end of the quarter to file their withdrawals. One part of this renewed concern on behalf of Admissions and Records in having a proper drop policy is for emergency procedures. “For security purposes if we have a major emergency, like when we had a
bomb threat here a few years ago, if we’re going to go look into classrooms or send dogs or security personnel to look for a person who’s not even there, we’re putting innocent people’s lives at risk. We need to know who is enrolled what class,” Fifield said. As of now, students can drop a class online, by telephone, or in the student services building. To find out more, go online to http://www.deanza.edu, or go to the Student and Community Services Building on campus. Ehssan Barkeshli is the News Editor for La Voz. Contact him at ehssanbarkeshli@lavozdeanza.com.
Plans for national ID card finalized “[REAL ID] is not only a threat to Americans’ privacy, but it is utterly unworkable.” From a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union
Sabrina Vera U-WIRE
The Department of Homeland Security will require all U.S. residents to purchase new forms of identification for the sake of national security. The finalized provisions to an act passed in 2005 were announced Friday. The REAL ID Act is part of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief and will enhance the integrity and reliability of driver’s licenses and identification cards. The act was supposed to go into effect in 2007, but extensions have delayed the act’s enforcement. States that have been granted an extension will be required to issue compliant licenses and identification cards no later than Jan. 1, 2010. All licenses and identification cards held by individuals from a state must be compliant by May 10, 2013, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The American Civil Liberties Union has led protests against the act, saying that a national ID card will not make the country safer. The union also fears
Police Log Jan. 7 - Jan. 15, 2008 TRAFFIC HIT AND RUN Hit and run property/damage only Location: Lot A Monday, Jan 7. at 9:13 a.m. LOST PROPERTY REPORT Location: Bookstore Monday, Jan 7. at 11:02 a.m. TRAFFIC COLLISION Traffic accident - no injuries Location: Lot B Monday, Jan 7. at 12:54 p.m. BURGLARY Burglary auto - forcible Location: Lot A Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 8:32 p.m. TRAFFIC HIT AND RUN Hit and run property/damage only Location: Flint Parking Garage Tuesday, Jan 8. at 1:13 p.m. TRAFFIC HIT AND RUN Hit and run property/damage only Location: Flint Parking Garage Tuesday, Jan 8. at 3:38 p.m. BURGLARY Burglary auto - forcible Location: Flint garage, level 2. Thursday, Jan. 10 at 1:41 p.m. INVESTIGATION Intrusion alarm Location: Advanced technology center Saturday, Jan. 12 at 8:40 a.m. PETTY THEFT Under $400 Location: De Anza College Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 1:24 p.m.
the soon-to-be-implemented system poses threats to a right to privacy. “REAL ID needs to be repealed,” the union said in a statement. “It is not only a threat to Americans’ privacy, but it is utterly unworkable. After three and one-half years of efforts to implement this law, the tortured remains of the statute that appear to survive in these regulations stand as stark evidence of that fact.” The new REAL IDs will resemble current state identification cards, with a few changes. “The physical changes vary,” said Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. “We’ve created a menu for states with a number of different components to choose from; they can choose from holograms to microfilaments.” The act’s text does not call for specific changes to design or layout for the IDs. Each state will instead have a menu of options to choose from when customizing the state’s ID. For all states, IDs will contain a person’s full legal name, address of principal residence, digital photograph, gender, date of birth, signature,
document number and machine-readable technology. Some states have expressed concern about the extra costs of redistributing new IDs to the public. However, national funding will offset these costs. “We issued $360 million in grant research guidance to assist states,” Kudwa said. “We’ve updated and extended the deadlines, cutting initial costs by 73 percent.” The cost to the public, however, might still be an issue. For instance, any license renewed before the REAL IDs become available will have to be re-renewed to comply with the act, Kudwa said. For some states, like Virginia, the cost to renew a license is not a factor as license renewal is free. A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Transportation in Austin said the department is reviewing the newly released rules and had no further comment on the cost of the REAL IDs. Sabrina Vera wrote this story for the Daily Texan (U. Texas).
Construction continues after rainy weather stops Ehssan Barkeshli LA VOZ NEWS
Despite falling five days behind schedule due to recent rainstorms, construction on the Visual and Performing Arts Center has moved sprightly into the beginning of a new quarter. Construction on the center is scheduled to be finished in October of this year, ready for regular use in the winter ‘09 quarter. “There have been no major mishaps and no accidents. So far, so good,” said Jeanine Hawk, De Anza College vice president of financial services. Currently, the steel frame is in the process of going up, the lobby floor is being worked on, and the stage deck is in. Construction on the new center began last spring, funded by leftover money from a bond measure known as Measure E. Unlike the Flint Center, which is operated by the district rather than the campus, the smaller, more intimate performing arts center was designed to remain under the reign of De Anza College. “The Flint Center is a big venue with several thousand seats, the management of which is contracted out to an external agency” said Hawk.
“The Visual and Performing Arts Center on the other hand, will have 400 seats, and its primary purpose will be as an instructional center, a place for students to take classes and possibly perform as part of their classwork” When completed, the center will be adorned with 16mm and 35mm film projection systems and screens to accommodate them in the performance hall. As separate spaces there will be an art history classroom with a state-of-the-art fourslide projection system and next to these in the same build-
“There have been no major mishaps and no accidents. So far, so good.” Jeanine Hawk, Vice President of Financial Services
ing will be the Euphrat Art Museum, which can also be used as a smart classroom. These facilities are ideal for the variety of classes that will be offered in them, such as film history classes, dance classes, music classes, art history class-
es and museum classes. Currently, many of these class sections are in session in the Advanced Technology Center, but there are talks that once some of them settle in the new center, De Anza College might move forward with a renovation of the that building, which has not upgraded its technology in a while. “ATC actually is a renovation project for Measure C. It’s not scheduled until 2010-2011, but we’ve actually applied for matching funds from the state. [The Foothill-De Anza Community College District] has about $6 million in the budget for the ATC for a major renovation and we’re trying to get matching funds for that.” “[The ATC] is really functional now. But it could be even more functional and a really pleasant space if renovated,” Hawk said. Ehssan Barkeshli is the News Editor for La Voz. Contact him at ehssanbarkeshli@ lavozdeanza.com.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees is the governing body in charge of both Foothill and De Anza Colleges, and meets every two weeks.
January 7, 2008 What happened: The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees met on Jan. 7 to discuss the ratification of $290,525 of additional allocations for projects funded by Measures C and E. The allocations included funding for additional construction and design services incurred by De Anza College’s new Visual and Performing Arts Center, the proposed Valley Transit Authority center on De Anza’s campus and Foothill College’s Campus Center. Also: The Board heard a presentation by Robert Griffin, VP of Student Services and Institutional Research at De Anza, and Robert Johnstone, VP of Instruction and Institutional Research at Foothill, on the Academic Performance of Student Athletes. Jay Donde
INTER CLUB COUNCIL The Inter Club Council is the governing body which allocates funds to De Anza College’s more than 50 clubs. The ICC meets Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Council Chambers in the basement of the Hinson Campus Center.
January 16, 2008 What happened: ICC representatives passed, by majority vote, a proposal to donate $1,000 to help remedy the effects of the massive oil spill in San Francisco last November, when a container ship that collided with the Bay Bridge emptied 58,000 gallons of bouncer fuel into the San Francisco Bay. The money is to come from the ICC Emergency relief fund and will be used to help rehabilitate wildlife affected by the spill, said ICC chair of finance Jonathan Yeung. The ICC Emergency Relief Account now stands $2,243. Also: The Muslim Student Association’s request for $250 from the ICC/Club Allocations Account for its co-sponsored Eid Banquet on January 23, 2008 passed without objection. Ehssan Barkeshli
ACADEMIC SENATE The De Anza College Academic Senate is the representative body for all full and part time faculty of De Anza College and deals with college and district policies. The Academic Senate meets Mondays at 2:30 p.m. in Admin 109 in the administration building.
January 14, 2008 What happened: The Academic Senate held its first meeting of the new calendar year last Monday. Faculty and administration representatives deliberated over appointments to the committee overseeing the design and planned construction of a new Mediated Learning Center at De Anza. The proposed site for the building is directly south of the Flint Center parking structure in the vicinity of the California History Center. Why this matters: The project, at an estimated $13 million cost, will involve a significant re-routing of De Anza’s perimeter road on the northwestern area of campus and may also require the demolition of nearby buildings and the elimination of up to 80 staff parking spaces. Jay Donde
JANUARY 22, 2008
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Stanford working to verify Einstein theory Shelby Martin U-WIRE
In a 25-foot pit in the basement of Varian Physics Building, Stanford University researchers are running an experiment that could unravel Einstein’s most famous theory. Physics Prof. Mark Kasevich and his lab are testing the equivalence principle, a central tenet of general relativity. “The equivalence principle says that if I take two objects of different mass and I drop them, they will accelerate at the same rate, assuming you get rid of air resistance and messy forces like that,” explained Jason Hogan, a physics doctoral student in the Kasevich lab. The Apollo astronauts demonstrated the principle in dramatic fashion by dropping a hammer and a feather on the moon. With no air to interfere with their falls, the two objects hit the lunar
dust at the same time. The equivalence principle is an established part of physics. “It has been verified to the 13th decimal place,” said Hogan. “Our goal is to push the limits to 15 decimals.” If the equivalence principle breaks down at that level of precision, there may be serious consequences for the accepted laws of physics. “The whole theory of general relativity depends on the equivalence principle being exactly true, not mostly true,” Hogan explained. “If the equivalence principle is broken, it means that Einstein’s theory would have to be replaced by something else.” Einstein’s theory of general relativity explains gravity by saying that matter causes space to curve. Physics textbooks often give the analogy of a bowling ball on a trampoline. The heavy bowling ball makes the trampoline sag. If someone rolls an orange
towards the bowling ball, the orange will fall down into the depression created by the heavier bowling ball. Hogan explained why the equivalence principle is related to general relativity. General relativity states that objects move in paths determined by the curvature of the space around them regardless of their mass. To test the equivalence principle at the finest level, Hogan and fellow grad student David Johnson will measure the acceleration of falling rubidium atoms. The deep pit in Varian was deemed a perfect place to set up the experiment. “The longer you watch something fall, the better you can measure its acceleration,” Hogan explained. The Kasevich team started modifying the pit for their experiment four and a half years ago. But the pit has been a part of Varian for longer than that, and is the subject of much phys-
ics department lore. “I’ve heard rumors from people around campus,” Hogan said, explaining that the first use of the pit was magnetically shielding human subjects while sensitive magnetometers measured their blood flow. The pit was also used by researchers working on Gravity Probe B, a satellite-based mission designed to measure the space-time curvature near Earth. When the Kasevich lab moved into the room, Hogan said the pit was covered up with a false floor. “We saw the blueprints and could see the pit was there,” he said. “We said, ‘That’s awesome, we have to use it.’” Shelby Martin wrote this story for the Stanford Daily (Stanford).
University provosts blast Harvard president’s words Rachel L. Pollack U-WIRE
Top administrators from 11 public research universities released a joint statement last week rebuking Harvard University President Drew G. Faust for her recent comments in BusinessWeek, where she was quoted as saying that public universities short on federal funds should leave expensive scientific research to their wealthier peers. “We emphatically reject that notion,” wrote the administrators, who are provosts from schools such as the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “Collectively, our institutions educate more than 380,000 students, produce 1 in every 8 American PhDs, and conduct more than $4.5 billion worth of research every year.” In response, Faust has sent a letter to each provost stating that the BusinessWeek article “seriously misrepresented” her views.
According to the Dec. 10 BusinessWeek article, “The dangerous wealth of the Ivy League,” Faust said that universities lacking the funding that Harvard and its peers enjoy should “really emphasize social science or humanities and have science endeavors that are not as ambitious.” The provosts’ letter, which appeared in BusinessWeek earlier this month, used the article’s claims to highlight the financial difficulties facing many public universities. “Strained state budgets have brought significant funding decreases at the same time that we are trying to serve more students and hold the line on tuition increases,” the 11 administrators wrote. In her letter to the provosts, Faust said that the BusinessWeek article mischaracterized her views and quoted her out of context. “I did not say, and I do not by any stretch of the imagination believe, that our leading public universities-
which have been so critical for so long to the nation’s scientific enterprise-should somehow cede the field to well-endowed private institutions,” she wrote. One of the letter’s authors, University of Illinois at Chicago Provost R. Michael Tanner, said yesterday that he had “every reason to believe” that Faust meant what she said in her response. But, he added, “it has been hard for us to remain competitive in terms of salaries” and other faculty benefits. The level of total federal funding for scientific research -- separate from state budgets -- nearly doubled from $16 billion in 1999 to $30 billion in 2006, according to the National Science Foundation. In some areas, however, notably medical research, federal funding has stagnated. The University of Wisconsin at Madison, whose provost signed the letter, ranked second in total research and development expenditures in
2006, while Harvard did not break the top 25. Faust’s remarks in BusinessWeek, one of the first significant gaffes of her presidency, have not elicited major criticism from Harvard faculty members, many of whom voiced strong objections to controversial comments made by her predecessor, Lawrence H. Summers. The 11 provosts who wrote the letter responding to Faust’s remarks hailed from Pennsylvania State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Indiana University at Bloomington, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, University of Iowa, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Ohio State University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Rachel L. Pollack wrote this story for the Harvard Crimson (Harvard).
More students enrolled, more students retained at De Anza Winter Quarter Ehssan Barkeshli LA VOZ NEWS
As of Jan. 12, De Anza College on-campus enrollment has grown by 4.4 percent in the total hours per week a student attends a particular class, and 2.8 percent in headcount compared to last winter. De Anza’s fall-to-winter retention rate increased by 3 percent, meaning that more students have stayed with De Anza college and have been enrolling in more units. In a letter sent out to De Anza Faculty and staff last week, De Anza College President Brian Murphy wrote, “That these students are continuing their education reflects the excellent efforts of faculty in every division, and staff and administrators campus-wide.” Murphy stressed that rates happen to be climbing at the a time when De Anza College has been investing, through retention grants, in new projects that will continue to feed back into a mechanism of increasing retention rates. “We requested retention grant proposals on Opening Day. In December, we funded almost all that were submitted, mostly at the requested amounts, from Business/Computer Science, International/Intercultural Studies and Language Arts, Murphy’s letter explained. “The response to strategic planning and the call for retention grants speak to the broad ethic of commitment and creativity that marks this college.” Ehssan Barkeshli is the News Editor for La Voz. Contact him at ehssanbarkeshli@lavozdeanza. com.
JANUARY 22, 2008
School honors King
MLK’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED IN CAMPUS CENTER John Capuchino LA VOZ NEWS
Last week in the Hinson Campus Center, a commemoration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King was held. Between 250 and 300 people gathered to pay honor to the life of Dr. King. Throughout the ceremony, the several speakers and participants maintained a feeling of solemn remembrance and unity. Dr. Marion Winters, a professor at De Anza College and Head of the Office of Diversity was the first to speak at the podium, followed by De Anza College President Brian Murphy who welcomed students, focusing his speech on the setting of Dr. King’s life. He spoke deeply of the profound loss of a life who was committed to bringing people together. Murphy spoke of his own memories as a younger person losing Dr. King when he was beginning to draw the connections between the war in Vietnam and the war on African Americans and making the connections between imperialism and racism. Said Murphy, “It was not lost on us, that we lost him then just as we lost Malcolm X then, when he was himself making those connections.” For that generation, Murphy said, it was the signal of deep and abiding danger. Carolyn Jones of Boston Scientific sang and conducted a gospel song with crowd participation; the crowd sang and clapped along matching Jones in volume. Keynote speaker, Minister Keith Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque Number 26 in
Oakland, opened his speech with a prayer, then explained that despite the titles in organized religion, his speech was in the spirit of unity. He said, it might seem strange for De Anza to invite a Muslim Minister to speak at a ceremony commemorating the birth of Dr. King, who was a Baptist Minister, but under God, we are one. Muhammad went on to speak of a poem titled “A Dream Deferred”, written by Langston Hughes. In it, Hughes asks the reader, what happens to a dream deferred? He drew the correlation between a dream deferred, and the African American dream. As he said, the dream was freedom, justice and equality, and that justice above all must come about. He said the dream of justice had been deferred and in his closing remarks said, “Justice deferred is justice denied”. Followed by Minister Mohammed’s speech, a panel discussion of De Anza students and faculty discussed current black culture, lamenting over the perceived complacency by so many minorities who, as one panelist said, should never be satisfied with what little progress America has made concerning equality. The ceremony ended in a spirit of unity, ultimately achieving the great goal of honoring a man and a legend. John Capuchino/la voz
John Capuchino is senior staff reporter for La Voz. Contact him at johncapuchino@ lavozdeanza.com.
Minister Keith Muhammad was the keynote speaker at last week’s commemoration of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Documentary screened on De Anza campus Shawn McGann LA VOZ NEWS
Over 150 students, faculty members and citizens from the surrounding community gathered last Tuesday evening inside the De Anza College Hinson Campus Center to view a screening of “Meeting Resistance,” a documentary film on the insurgency and conflict in Iraq. The event was sponsored by South Bay Mobilization, a progressive anti-war and political activist group based in San Jose, and the De Anza Students for Justice, a campus club that champions diverse political and social causes. According to a representative of South Bay Mobilization, the group was promoting the film because “it’s one of the better movies you can watch about the occupation and what it does to people. We want to show people what is the true nature of occupation and what it means to be occupied.” In addition to members of SBM and SFJ, a number of De Anza students attended the screening in order to fulfill requirements for civics courses they were enrolled in. Also present were members of the San Jose Peace Center, an organization described on its website as “devoted to promoting peace, justice and non-violence.” SJPC Board President Charlotte Casey spent the evening greeting event attendees and informing them of her organization’s goals and actions. The film was received with enthusiastic applause at its conclusion, and many audience members complimented directors Steve Connors and Molly Bingham during the question-and-answer session that followed the screening. Connors and Bingham, two career war photographers, got the idea for the film after deciding that simply relying on the standard outlets for information in Iraq wasn’t enough. “We crossed a hot front line … to get the other side of the story. You’ve got to go to the primary sources, you’ve got to go to the best source,” said
PHOTO COURTESY OF www.meetingresistance.org
Molly Bingham and Steve Connors directed the film “Meeting Resistance,” which was screened on campus in an event sponsored by South Bay Mobilization. Connors. “If you have a US military spokesman standing there telling you who’s attacking them and why, where’s he getting his information from? Is that information accurate? It’s just normal journalism.” Connors got his start as a photojournalist while serving with the British Army in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, and has since worked for prominent publications such as Time and Newsweek. Bingham began her career as a photojournalist by covering the Rwandan genocide in 1994. When asked whether he had shown the film to any Iraq War veterans, and what their reactions were,
Connors confirmed that he had, adding, “We have sort of different points of view.” After the question-and-answer session, during which the two filmmakers fielded questions ranging from whether they’d stayed in contact with any of the insurgents they’d interviewed for the film (they hadn’t, for security reasons) to how they perceived the conflict in Iraq, the evening came to a close. However, many attendees stayed on to discuss politics amongst themselves and exchange information about the various groups in attendance. Shawn McGann is staff reporter for La Voz.
DE ANZA VOICES: What is the weirdest or craziest food you have ever eaten? “A live cricket…I was a kid, and I saw it jumping. It looked tasty.” Steven Harlow
“Ostrich Egg. I used a knife and fork.”
Lyle Roberti
“A corn tortilla…put apples on it, put some cheese, covered it in lemon juice.” William Sander compiled by aiselle de vera
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Get a donor dot! MARY-JO LOMAX
your health
I read an obituary of a 26-yearold man who died in a rock-climbing accident. He’d been a paramedic and I’m sure he must have saved many lives in his line of work. Amazingly, he saved many lives even after he died because he was an organ donor. The newspaper article said that both his lungs, both his kidneys, his liver, pancreas and heart were all donated to people who were waiting for an organ transplant. I’ve had a little pink “donor” dot on my driver’s license for years but I don’t really know how my organs would get donated when I die. I mean, unless I died in an auto accident, who would be even looking at my driver’s license? I decided to investigate the situation. What I learned is that the donor dot on my driver’s license is not a directive; it simply indicates my intention to donate. The decision to donate my organs would be up to my next of kin. And not only that, if I die without my driver’s license handy, no one would even be aware of my intention to donate my organs because my name is not on any kind of list! I also learned that there is an organ and tissue donor registry called “Donate Life California.” The registry, which was established in 2003, is maintained by California’s four federal, nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs). So now, whenever anybody dies in California, one of the OPOs is notified and they are able to immediately check to see if the name of the deceased is on the registry. If you have a donor dot on your license, I suggest you make your decision known by registering at www.donatelifecalifornia.org. If you haven’t considered being an organ donor, why not check out the Donate Life California website and learn more about it. Here are a few FAQ’s and answers to concerns from the website. If I am in an accident, and the hospital knows that I want to be a donor, they will withhold treatment and not attempt to save my life. Medical professionals will do everything they can to save your life. The doctors who work to save your life are not the same doctors involved with organ donation. It is only after every attempt has been made to save your life that donation will be considered. In fact, from a medical standpoint, patients must receive the most aggressive life-saving care in order to be potential organ donors. I worry they’ll take out my organs before I’m dead. Organ and tissue donation is only accepted following the declaration of death by a doctor not involved in transplantation. In California, two licensed physicians must make the diagnosis of brain death before the potential donor’s family is consulted regarding donation. My religion does not support organ donation. Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths support donation as an act of human benevolence in keeping with religious doctrine. They believe that this is essentially a gift of life to another person. Meanwhile, the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam believe that organ donation is a matter of individual conscience. If you have questions in this regard, we encourage you to consult with your religious leader. No major religion opposes organ donation. Mary-Jo Lomax is a health educator for De Anza College.
JANUARY 22, 2008
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DE ANZA VOICES:
Upcoming basketball games: january and february Sunday
Monday
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Women’s basketball vs. Ohlone @ DA 7 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Gavilan @ DA 7:30 p.m.
Who will you vote for in the Feb. 5 primary elections? “It would either be Romney or McCain.”
Women’s basketball vs. Foothill @ Los Altos 7 p.m.
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Lynn Hansen, English major
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Men’s basketball vs. San Jose City @ DA 7:30 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Hartnell @ DA 7:30 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Monterey Peninsula @ DA 5:30 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Cabrillo @ DA 5:30 p.m.
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Men’s basketball vs. Cabrillo @ DA 7:30 p.m.
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“Hillary … because I’ve heard her speak on CNN, and I just really like what she has to say. She was basically President Bill Clinton’s president.”
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Men’s basketball vs. Monterey @ Monterey 7 p.m.
Montique Holmann, liberal arts
Women’s basketball vs. San Jose City @ San Jose 7 p.m.
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Men’s basketball vs. West Valley @DA 7:30 p.m.
Men’s basketball vs. Gavilan@ Gilroy 7 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Hartnell @ DA 5:30 p.m.
Women’s basketball vs. Ohlone @ Fremont 7 p.m.
“Obama … because I don’t want it to be Hillary … I’m not following some of her ideals.””
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Will Wilson, photography major
compiled by Aiselle De Vera and shawn Mcgann
Obama gains Wisconsin’s support Kevin Mueller U-WIRE
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) seems to be popular with Wisconsin politicians. Gov. Jim Doyle endorsed Obama two days after the Illinois senator won the Iowa caucus, the first stop on the road to a presidential nomination. In October 2006, during Doyle’s re-election campaign, Obama spoke to supporters at a rally at Milwaukee’s Historic Turner Restaurant. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett endorsed the senator in April when Obama spoke to an audience of 4,000 at the Milwaukee Theatre. Barrett became one of the first elected officials to endorse a presidential candidate. “Barack Obama is the best candidate to bring about the change America wants,” Barrett said in an e-mail. “His powerful message of hope over cynicism, and unity over division, is exactly what our country needs.” Janet Boles, political science professor at Marquette University, said Obama’s chances of winning the Wisconsin primary Feb. 19 improved with endorsements from Doyle and Barrett. Twelve state governors have endorsed presidential candidates and seven of them endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Boles said. Carla Vigue, a spokeswoman for Doyle, said early primaries and caucuses could bring forward a Democratic frontrunner, especially after Super Tuesday (Feb. 5) when 24 states hold primaries or caucuses. However, if a candidate doesn’t emerge before Feb. 19, Wisconsin will play a major role in shaping who the Democratic candidate will be, she said. Even if a Democratic candidate emerges before Feb. 19, Wisconsin will still be a major stop on the presi-
dential campaign trail because it’s a swing state, Vigue said. In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) won Wisconsin by just more than 10,000 votes. The endorsements from Doyle and Barrett, the highest elected officials in the state and city, respectively, will increase the chances of Obama winning the Wisconsin primary, Vigue said. “Gov. Doyle believes the country is ready for a new direction and Sen. Obama is ready to lead that direction,” she said. Vigue said Doyle respects every Democratic candidate in the race for presidential nomination, but believes Obama represents what the U.S. is in dire need of: change. The governor sees Obama as a candidate who’s looking towards the future of the country and finding ways to better it, Vigue said. Doyle’s two sons also endorsed Obama and that impacted the governor’s decision. She believes Doyle’s sons see Obama as their generation’s John F. Kennedy, she said. Obama has invigorated an important voting bloc-students and young people-just like Kennedy did, Vigue said. Other Wisconsin politicians who have endorsed Obama include U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) and Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines. Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton has endorsed Clinton and former Gov. Tony Earl and U.S. Rep. Dave Obey (DWausau) have endorsed former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (D). Wisconsin Senators Russ Feingold (D) and Herb Kohl (D) have yet to endorse any presidential candidate. Kevin Mueller wrote this story for The Marquette Tribune (Marquette U.).
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JANUARY 22, 2008
doin’ 2008– Nostradamus Style
Curious to know what’s going to happen in 2008? la voz isn’t, because we already predicted it SHABNAM MAHMOUDKHAN
in my opinion
Remember when the millennium switch was supposed to cause the end the world? Well ha ha–here we are in 2008! I hear there is a little psychic in everyone, so I’m doing my best predicting the events of the upcoming year. Who knows? Some of these might come true. Disasters: •Besides all the natural disasters that await us due to climate change, there will be severe destruction somewhere unexpected very soon. Mwahahaha. Middle East: •Things in Iraq will calm down while things in Afghanistan and Pakistan will get worse. The dispute between the U.S. and Iran will calm down as both Bush and Ahmadinejad won’t be around for much longer. Sports: •The Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots will make it to the Super Bowl. New England kicks Green Bay’s ass, as Pats quarterback Tom Brady shows the world how he stole supermodel Gisele’s heart. •David Beckham realizes that soccer in the U.S. won’t ever be as fabulous or “posh” as soccer in Europe. Becks says bye bye to the LA Galaxy and goes back to England. Or, he breaks his promise and goes on to star in “Golden Balls–the Movie.” •Also, the Champions League finals will be held between Arsenal vs. Inter. As the game gets more intense, Arsenal’s young players have the chance to prove themselves and score on overtime. Go Go Gunners! Presidential Election: •The media keep bashing on Hillary Clinton to the point where people get really pissed off. Everyone gets excited over the possibility of having a female or African American president, then John Edwards gets elected. Politics: •A deeper investigation of the assassination of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto will show that the mastermind behind the killing was her husband – not al-Qaeda. Environment: •The public is hit by severe panic attacks as we find out that the end of the world is coming real soon, anyway. People just say “screw it” and start chewing Prozac like candy. Britney Spears: •Her life will go from hilarious and tragic to just tragic. She will give birth to a third child, who will also be taken away from her. And, as it turns out that her current boyfriend Adnan Gharib is only with her for the money and the fame, she will commit suicide.
De Anza: •The coffee place in the L quad will be rewarded for its absolutely delicious coffee. Also, all squirrels on campus will contract the Ebola virus and die.
Shabnam Mahmoudkhan is a senior staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at shabnammahmoudkhan@lavozdeanza. com. graphic credit Lan Nguyen/LA VOZ
DE ANZA VOICES: What is your dream job or career?
“A soccer player for Manchester Man United.” Winhell Arce undeclared major
“Cultural Literature and Writer.” Paulina Vespasiano journalism major compiled by luis cardenas/la voz
stephen zill
everyday economics According to a recent study, less than 50 percent of Americans can name the three branches of the U.S. government, yet a majority could name the Three Stooges (even though there were six – but more on this later). Is this sad? Yes, I suppose. Does it matter? I would suggest no. Similar studies report that an even smaller percentage of Americans understand the basic concepts of economics. Is this sad? Again, yes. Does this matter? Definitely. As you probably know, in order to graduate from college in California a student must satisfy basic “core requirements.” In the social sciences, the only required courses are basic surveys of American history and government. But are these courses even useful? Probably not. They possess only a minor application to the problems one deals with in real life and, apparently, making them required courses isn’t yielding a big impact, anyway (see survey above). Instead, why not choose two courses that actually do apply to “real life”? Though some may disagree, I would suggest those courses cover the basic principles of economics. In brief, economics not only has many applications, but the general public’s lack of understanding regarding its fundamental principles can be harmful to society and have destabilizing effects on the economy. Let’s look at two examples. First, one can observe the tendency of many economic phenomena to behave as self-fulfilling prophecies. In the short-run, the performance of the U.S. economy is determined mainly by the public’s willingness to spend. If households and businesses keep on spending, the economy will typically keep on growing. But, if households and businesses begin to sharply curtail their spending – in order to buffer themselves against a possible future recession, for instance – the economy will typically slowdown. In other words, if enough people start to think we’re going to have a recession, then we probably will have one. But if people understood this, and knew where to find accurate information regarding the economy and how to interpret it – instead of just relying on the typically negative slant they get from media outlets (especially at the moment) – the going would be much smoother. Second, we have the issue of free trade. If there is one thing that economists – whether liberal, conservative or middle-of-the-road – generally agree upon, it is the overall benefits of free trade and the overall harm caused by protectionist policies such as tariffs and quotas. On the other hand, non-economists generally have significant reservations about free trade. Why? As liberal economist Paul Krugman points out, if the public simply understood the concept of comparative advantage, most of the objections to free trade would vanish. People would realize the fact that the benefits of trade barriers are far less than their costs, and notice that much of the global prosperity boom that has occurred over the past 30 years has also, not coincidentally, been accompanied by an opening up of more areas in the world to international trade. Still not convinced? Take a class in economics next quarter and see if you like the movie better than the preview. At least then, you can tell everyone that economics is useless using fancy terms. Oh and by the way, the Stooges were Larry, Curly and Moe, and Shemp, Joe, and Curly-Joe. Stephen Zill is an instuctor of economics at De Anza College. This column is the opinion of the columnist and does not necessarily represent the opinion of La Voz.
JANUARY 22, 2008
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‘You Go, We Go’ Auto TEch club has the passion and potential to rev up deanza Luis Cardenas LA VOZ NEWS
The Auto Tech Club, with advisers Mike Brandt and Phil Green, does much more than uphold the status quo. Walking into the E-1 building for the first time, one instantly feels a sense of pride and teamwork. It’s not easy getting into the Auto Tech Club. The club’s aura sustains an intensity that closely resembles that of other prestigious organizations such as the Marine Corps. They expect each member to develop to his or her full potential. “You go, we go,” is one of the club’s mottos, according to President Carl Canning. The club’s members take this to mean that their group is only as strong as its weakest link. To gain admittance to the club, students must either complete a series of prerequisite courses or test high enough to earn an exemption. Once the first step is out of the way, prospects fill out an application for admittance, which is based on a point system. Factors such as previous courses, work experience and knowledge of
luis cardenas/la voz
This classic American muscle car has been ‘suped’ up by various members of the De Anza Auto Tech Club. “It’s one of our fastest cars,” says President Carl Canning. Joint efforts like this bring the club together and reinforce the Marine Corps-like aura the club sustains.
the field are considered. From there, classes are formed for successful applicants, ranging from 21 - 24 students. Canning describes the Auto Tech Club as being, “… very close knit, like a family … the instructors have such passion, and [they] hold students to fulfill their maximum potential.” If you ask any of the club members, they’ll tell you the juice is well worth the squeeze, especially if you have a passion for cars and mastering their inner workings. Despite demanding discipline, commitment and hard work, the Auto Tech Club still knows how to have a good time. Each club year starts with the BBQ Kickoff, the first of many food-oriented celebrations the club stages. Spending so much time with one another results in an environment where, “everybody knows each other’s name,” says adviser Mike Brandt, and he describes the overall atmosphere as, “a neat sense of being.” Perhaps the single event that generates the most buzz for the Auto Tech Club is the “Duel at De Anza Auto-
(Left to Right) Treasurer Skyler Schults, President Carl Canning and Vice President Jeff Carlsbad. One of the clubs main mottos is “You Go, We Go,” meaning club members all strive to assist each other. luis cardenas/la voz
cross,” an annual extravaganza that transforms the campus parking lot into a race track. Anybody who is willing to put their car on the line is eligible, as long the vehicle qualifies to meet the standards within one of the various classes. Besides partying, having fun and racing cars, the club contributes immensely toward supporting the less fortunate. They donated over 8,000 cans in the most recent De Anza Annual Canned Food Drive, dwarfing the next highest figure set by any other club, which was about 1,000. Each member displays the same great sense of pride to be a part of
the program, starting with President Carl Canning, trickling down through the club officers: Jeff Carlsbad (Vice President), Skyler Schults (Treasurer), Nick Clay (Secretary), Tad Koch (ICC Representative) and the students working under the car hoods in the garage. Daytime classes meet Monday Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the program offers certification or an A.S. degree in three different specialized fields relating to Auto Tech: engine/machining, chassis and engine performance/tuning. This well-funded program offers superior job placement assistance
Brad Kava: Journalist, Teacher, Music Lover, Darn Good Swimmer Jay Donde LA VOZ NEWS
Brad Kava, journalism instructor at De Anza College, still remembers the exact day he almost drowned on the job. “It was Feb. 22, 1986. The water was freezing.” He was reporting on flood rescue operations in Linda, California when the rising waters capsized his boat. “Instead of reporting on the rescue, we had to be rescued ourselves.” In 26 years of covering everything from crime in Florida to some of the biggest music acts in the world, Kava has seen his industry go through many ups and downs, but journalism has always remained a noble pursuit for him. “My professor at Berkeley, Lacey Fosburgh, taught me that journalism was, as she put it ‘a glorious calling - a way to bring light to the world.’ She changed my life,” Kava said. After graduating as an English major from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, Kava was unsure what career he wanted to pursue.
“I worked as a forest ranger for a while, did some factory jobs, worked at a book publishing firm. Being a forest ranger was too outdoors for me, and the publishing job was too indoors. Then I sort of stumbled upon journalism, and it was the best of both worlds.” Soon after, as a graduate student at the Berkeley School of Journalism, Kava received the prestigious New York Times Internship, awarded to just one journalism student from the school per year. As an intern for the Times, Kava covered stories as diverse as the first meeting of a Young Republicans chapter at Berkeley and a man who loaned out his goats to clear the brush from the Berkeley hills. “They loved the stories that made California look weird and goofy.” After school, Kava was a crime reporter in Bradenton, Florida (“A real wild west town”) and then in Kansas City, Missouri. He was also on the San Jose Mercury News team that won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the 1989
Loma Prieta earthquake. Locally, however, Kava is best known as one of the top music journalists in the business. “It could be stressful. I’d get 25 CDs in the mail everyday that I’d have to listen to, and cover something like 200 concerts a year. But the cool thing was getting to meet people firsthand. I’ve met almost anyone in rock and hip-hop you can think of, and before they were famous. I hung out with Snoop Dogg before anyone even knew who he was.” Kava has been able to channel this enthusiasm for journalism into his classes at De Anza. He encourages his students to view journalism as a way to “experience life and help shape the world. The press has the power and responsibility to help people, to look out for the little guy.” The following sections taught by Kava at De Anza College are still open to adds: JOUR2 Mass Communication 6 - 9:40 PM, W, in L42 JOUR21B Feature Writing/Reporting 1:30-2:45 PM, MW, in L42
compared to most clubs. “I usually have more job offers than students to fill them,” says Green. Green attributes the surplus of opportunity to the networking that is established within the club. De Anza Auto Tech carries a prestigious reputation. Most car dealers and independent garages are eager to hire graduates, which results in the high standards that each student is expected to uphold. Each of these contributing factors goes into creating a cycle, which assembles what some might call a magnificent example of a well-oiled machine.
julia eckhardt
I <3 ... ...not being sick. As a student in this school, it’s like being in one big playpen with the other kids, sharing all their germs from borrowing pencils, changing desks and just walking around. I might as well being using the same pacifier as the kid in the next crib over, the one with the crusty nose and drippy eyes. Overall, people are pretty polite about being sick. Some of them stay home, but most come anyways, albeit with cute little tissue packs and cough drops. The point is this–students have to share this campus, and if you’re rocking the shakes and a nasty flu, stick it out at home.
courtesy of radio-soup.com
Brad Kava on the day that flood waters capsized his boat. This photo, taken by Craig Lee, was chosen for the cover of “The Year’s Best Photos 1986.”
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