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APR. 1, 2014 College of Marin Student’s first Super Bowl a disappointment Page 9 Warming up for COM’s last spring break Page 10 Page 6 Super Bowl champ Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll tackled his goals at COM Photo courtesy of Ted S. Warren / Associated Press

Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

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Page 1: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

APR. 1, 2014College of Marin

Student’s first Super Bowl a disappointmentPage 9

Warming up for COM’s last spring breakPage 10

Page 6

Super Bowl champSeattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll tackled his goals at COM

Photo courtesy of Ted S. Warren / Associated Press

Page 2: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

Feature

Echo Times

College of MarinKentfield, California

Phone: (415) 485-9690Learning Resource Center

Room LC 32

Editor-in-Chief:Shirley Beaman

Managing Editor:R.J. Heckelman

Assistant Managing Editor:Chandra Smith

Copy Editor:Chelsea Dederick

Design Director:Chelsea Dederick

Reporters:

Max Wolf-JohnsonR.J. HeckelmanChandra SmithShirley BeamanKyle KellyDino MorenoJohnny McEvoy

Advertising Manager:Irina Zhelokhovtseva

Office Manager:Rachel Mouton

Media Editor:Chelsea Dederick

Faculty Adviser: Tom Graham

Email [email protected]

Marin Sun Printing prints the Echo Times using 40 percent recycled paper

and 100 percent soy ink

2 College of marin APR. 1, 2014

Dear Editor: The recent Echo Times Newspaper published an article - “What if City College of SF Closed?” regarding accreditation and CCSF and also included information on the status of College of Marin’s accreditation. While the information on CCSF was essentially correct, the sections referencing COM’s accreditation could lead one to misinterpretation and doubts.

The Article states: “The report expresses optimism on recent advancements, but an ACCJC evaluation team will get to decide if enough has truly been done.”

The Commission has stated that College of Marin has met all recommendations. There was NO evaluation team visit last fall. What we have submitted (including Follow-up Reports and the Midterm Report) has been accepted by the Commission. Therefore, “enough has been done” to satisfy their concerns at this time.

The College’s job now is to sustain

and nurture the changes made and to continue to ensure the College is complying with all accreditation-related standards. As is standard procedure for all colleges, the next step is for the College to submit its comprehensive Self Evaluation of Educational Quality and Institutional Effectiveness Report, which is due for COM in fall 2016. All Self Evaluation Reports are then followed by an ACCJC comprehensive external evaluation visit, which serves to verify progress reported on all previous recommendations in addition to other accreditation-related criteria. Work on this Self Evaluation Report (previously called a “Self-Study”) begins Friday, March 21st when a number of people from COM will attend an ACCJC Workshop.

In the meantime, the College continues to work through its current Strategic Plan with champions providing regular progress updates to the Education Planning Committee (which the committee summarizes for the Board of Trustees in July each year). Faculty and staff continue to assess Student Learning Outcomes. The

Type the word “binge” into the Google search bar, and “binge watching” is the first term offered.

Enter the phrase “binge watching” into the field, and the first few options are: “binge watching TV,” “binge watching Netflix,” “binge watching House of Cards,” or “binge watching Breaking Bad.”

Netflix has effectively inducted a new remote social event into our already media-saturated society. Like broadcast sports, holidays, and huge media events, we can participate in the activity solo, or in a group.

Previously a lonely activity tinged with guilt, binge watching is now socially acceptable, and in some cases expected (looking at you “Breaking Bad”). “According to a recent survey by Edelman, 88 percent of the people asked in a global study said they want to watch more than one episode of their favorite shows at a time,” says Dorothy Pomerantz for Forbes.

Student Jenni Dale recently watched two episodes of the hit show, which is unusual for her. “I usually watch three or four, but if it’s a half hour TV show, I’ll watch six. I’m pretty big on TV, so I could do like seven hours,” she says.

It’s a thing now, and no one is above a marathon television watching session. My family, classmates, teachers, coworkers, and my boss, all do it.

A couple weeks ago, fellow server Luke Thompson came into the restaurant

where we work, clocked in, turned to me and said, “I didn’t sleep last night.” This is not unusual, and I expected him to continue on about the poker game he played, the handmade vodka he drank, or the underground lounge he went to.

“I watched every single episode of ‘True Detective’ at a friend’s house,” he said. I needed to ask him questions. I’m always interested to know about people’s binge experiences with television, since I’m pretty sure I invented the activity. Also, I know he doesn’t have HBO.

“Well, it was supposed to be a booty call,” he said. What it turned into though, was Thompson, taking in all existing episodes (seven, at the time) of one of the most talked about shows of the season.

When sex loses out to a television show, it’s my duty to vet the program myself. I started the series that night. Unfortunately, it is very good.

Laundry. “House of Cards.” Write an

essay. This is your to-do list for tonight. “TV binge watching is a pandemic

that has afflicted many of the nation’s college students,” writes Jim Pagels for Slate. “They disappear into their dorm rooms for days at a time.”

College of Marin student Johnny McEvoy did not sleep the first night he discovered “Community.” Tom Graham, a journalism and media studies professor at COM and CCSF, has enjoyed up to seven hours of the deserving “Breaking Bad.”

“Even though I know better, I get caught up in the desire to know what happens next,” Graham says. As a professor, he may not see it as a positive influence on academic life.

Everyone is doing it. Even my mother, who started with “Lost,” and recently watched all of “Orange is the New Black” in just a couple days.

ECHO TIMES

By Chandra Smith

Glued to the set, caught in the netSleepless students binge on Netflix series

Cover photo: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll celebrates after winning Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos.

Photo by postgradproblems.com

Binge Watching Continued on next page

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor: I am concerned about the lack of privacy in our restrooms. Door jams keep the doors open. It is not good to invade peoples’ private space when they are in the johns. We also need hot water in the sinks for sanitation and comfort in cold weather. How can we safeguard our health without hot water in flu season? If we care about our students, faculty and staff, then human welfare and well-being should be our first priority.

– A female who wants doors of bathrooms closed and hot water in the sinks

COM restrooms in hot water?

Accreditation Clarification

The Echo Times welcomes letters to the editor.

Contact us at [email protected]

Tech Plan, the Facilities Plan, and other plans continue to be implemented.

– Sara McKinnonAcademic Senate President and the

Accreditation Liaison Officer for COM

Page 3: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

Feature3ECHO TIMESAPR. 1, 2014

While some would malign the activity of binge watching, for others it is a helpful influence.

Server and student Samantha Banducci has found a healthy companion in shows such as “Mad Men” and “Orange is the New Black.”

“Otherwise I’m out getting into trouble, doing stuff I shouldn’t be doing,” she points out. Now, she just needs to worry about catching up with “Mad Men” before the final season begins April 13.

David Carr, a media and culture columnist for the New York Times, describes our new predicament perfectly. “Television’s golden age is also a gilded cage, an always-on ecosystem of immense riches that leaves me feeling less like the master of my own universe, and more as if I am surrounded,” he said.

We are no longer binge watching simply because it feels good. We’re actually trying to get caught up on all of the good television currently available, and that’s adding pressure to our lives.

One can feel like the character Henry Bemis, of the “Time Enough at Last” episode of “The Twilight Zone.” All he wants is time enough to read his books, and he finally gets it after surviving a nuclear holocaust, along with a library.

“Books! Books! All the books I’ll need... Shelley. Shakespeare. Shaw... the very best thing of all, is there’s time now.”

If William Shakespeare were alive he would be a television writer, and if streaming Netflix had existed in 1959, Rod Serling might have written a very different episode.

The TV show “Portlandia” even has an episode called “One Moore Episode.” It is at once outlandish and a bit “too real.” In it, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen watch themselves out of house and home, for having mistakenly cracked open their box-set series of the seriously addictive “Battlestar Galactica.”

The episode reminds me of a school friend who spent precious writing time catching up with the show, unable to stop watching “one more episode.” When the

same friend bought the entire “Sopranos” series on DVD, he had to watch every single one before saying, “Damn, now I can have my life back.”

The current quality of television, coupled with the ways in which we can watch it, has at once done away with the guilt of marathon sessions, and brought about the pressure keeping up.

It’s not your fault. Something changed when streaming video became an option. No longer furtively pushing disc after disc into a DVD player, losing sleep and daylight hours, we’ve each now been joined by legions of friends and fellow TV lovers in all professions and geographic locations. Now, it’s a thing.

Television has gotten smart and we’re not turning back. More is being written between the lines, and we’re not dumb to it. Instead of “checking out” and letting the show drive, we find ourselves wanting to compare and contrast the characters of Peggy Olson and Blair Waldorf.

There are books, and entire classes taught on the philosophy of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Duke University taught a class called “California Here We Come: The O.C. and the Self-Aware Culture of 21st Century America.” Mental Floss magazine reported on 25 college courses built around television, including: Middlebury College and “The Wire,” Northwestern and “Mad Men,” and Berkeley and “The Simpsons.”

It would be a mistake to blame the existence of our new pastime on a penchant for addiction or desire to avoid responsibility. It’s the gifted storytellers who are to blame. Matthew Weiner, Vince Gilligan, and Rob Thomas: this is all your fault.

Several years ago Hulu ran ads with Alec Baldwin pointing out that the company will turn all our brains to mush. At the time I thought I was immune, having been so “selective” about what shows I spent all my waking and should-be-sleeping hours watching. Unfortunately, the number of shows I would like to be

selective with has increased.My sister who matches, and on some

days surpasses my love for the binge, when asked how she remembers reacting to that Baldwin/Hulu commercial is more self-aware. “I was like yea,” she said, “my brain’s going to be mush.” Streaming Netlfix wasn’t even a glint in her eye at the time. “Oh Netflix, I remember when I didn’t even have Netflix... weird.”

No one is immune. Not my mother, not my professor, not even boss Patrick Bergseid. His first binge show was “Lost,” and he didn’t stop until he was through the first three seasons, and all caught up. “If it’s a good show you can’t watch just one,” he says.

Since then, he’s watched all of “Breaking Bad” like any good person, and multiple times. Like me, he’s gotten into what I call background binging—playing seasons of television in the background while carrying on with life like a productive person.

For Bergseid, the activity of binging started with “Lost” as a way to avoid the pain of returning his dog to his ex. It’s ended up though, as a real appreciation for a superbly written show, as with “Breaking Bad.”

My experience with binge watching started with the flu and season 3 of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on VCR tapes. It grew through a summer on the couch with my little sister, “Friends,” and something like restless leg syndrome. I discovered the medicinal properties of it through “Scrubs” and a family crisis, and it fully blossomed with an undergraduate buddy, spring break, and the entire series of “Buffy.”

Like many TV lovers, Bergseid was a binge reader as a kid. “Big time. I still am. If I’m reading a book I like, it’s my first priority when I get home, and I don’t stop reading until I go to bed.”

Carr was a big reader as well. “I was never one of those snobby people who would claim to not own a television when the subject came up, but I was generally

more a reader than a watcher. That was before the explosion in quality television tipped me over into a viewing frenzy,” he says.

The self-flagellation can be stopped, because we’re all doing it together, and we’re doing it for good reason. Put down the whips. It’s cultural, it’s literary, and it’s good for folding laundry.

Water cooler chatter: Thompson, my coworker who watched the seven episodes in a row of “True Detective,” came in the other day and checked in to see if I’d finally broken down and watched it yet. With some relief I told him I had, that I was starting to get caught up. In turn, I asked if he’d been able to see the final episode yet. He hadn’t.

“I don’t know if I’m going to,” he said, and in regards to the possibility of watching it at his friend’s house, “I don’t think I’m going to be invited back.” Hopefully, someone will take pity on the poor sot, and let him watch the season finale, no obligations.

While binge watching itself no longer necessarily contributes to our levels of shame and guilt, our lack of progress with certain shows might. I feel semi-terrible that I haven’t seen past episode 2 of “Walking Dead,” or kept current with “The Good Wife.”

How could I have made it through “Friday Night Lights” two and a half times, and not yet started “American Horror Story,” “The Newsroom,” or “West Wing”?

The outside world misses me. I haven’t yet read a single Jane Austen novel. Like our friend Scarlett O’Hara though, I can’t think about that now. I’ll think about that tomorrow. When I’ve finally gotten current with “Mad Men.”

The latest form of addiction: TV binge watching

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) appeared in an ad promoting their often binged series “Breaking Bad,” which ended last September.

Photo courtest of Slate.com

Binge Watching From previous page

Breaking Bad Mad Men Sons of Anarchy True Detective West Wing Newsroom The Good Wife Homeland The Walking Dead American Horror Story Luther Orange is the New Black Ally McBeal My So-Called Life Veronica Mars Freaks and Geeks The X-Files Justified Friday Night The Wire

Deadwood Buffy the Vampire Slayer Firefly Battlestar Galactica Weeds Girls Nurse Jackie Parks and Recreation How I Met Your Mother The New Girl The Mindy Project Louie Arrested Development 30 Rock Community Modern Family The Office House of Cards

New to this? Here’s a list of shows to get you started:

Portals to our gilded cagesList of marathon-worthy sites:NetflixHuluAmazon Instant VideoGoogle TVAndroid andiPhone appsCucircaCouch TunerSideReelXfinity On DemandDirectv On DemandU-verse On Demand

Apple TVChromecastRokuPlayStationWii XboxHBO GoShowtime AnytimeWatch TMCWarner Archive InstantVCRDVDDVRTiVo

Page 4: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

The Gallery: Right on time. The art show known as “spring” is happening, and students can get a

new perspective and free their minds at no cost, right here on campus.

A group of four artists, all previous students at College of Marin, and at different points in their respective careers, are exhibiting their work at the new art gallery in the Fine Arts Building.

Gallery director Chris West points out how each of these mediums, and the pieces they are in, intersect with each other. Himself a drawing instructor at COM, he uses the gallery as a classroom. In it, he works at orienting his students toward the hybridity of each piece of art. There is a synesthesia to it all.

“The commonality of the four artists is that their work challenges what it means for a painting to be a painting, a drawing to be a drawing, and a sculpture to be a sculpture,” West says. Walking around the gallery, it is easy to join that conversation.

Mary Hunstman: Huntsman’s sculptural work, against the white backdrop of the gallery wall, takes on the look of three-dimensional drawings. Her piece “Duet,” rendered from rebar, is a study in lines, relationships, and loneliness.

Her metal sculptures in the light and white of the gallery are elegant and deep. They are studies in color and texture, like living, breathing charcoal drawings. An award-winning artist, Huntsman holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from UC Berkeley, and it shows in her work.

“I try to choose a combination of material and method that will express my ideas which in recent years have concentrated on sanctuary, strength, fragility, and journeys,” Huntsman says.

Barbara Obata: Obata let’s you participate in a contemplative, interactive drawing exercise. Students and gallery attendants can become a part of the show, blurring the lines between artist and consumer.

Obata’s contribution to the show is arguably the most conceptual. About Obata’s work, West explains, “We wanted again to challenge what it means for something to be art. The work itself becomes an accumulation of participation, and really starts to push the boundaries of ‘where does she end and the participator begin?’”

From COM, Obata went on to earn degrees from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM, and Mills College in Oakland, where she was granted an MFA. Her work is a hybrid of drawing and experimentation in the present moment, and her integrated

approach often includes the “viewer.” Obata says, “I find drawing is a

gratifying way to roll around on the rind of the world – like the ecstasy of a dog rolling in something good and smelly,” and she wants you to join her.

She took something that is essentially performance, and as the artist, she herself curated it into a drawing exhibition of your work, so you better get down there.

Evan Hobart: Hobart is hugely concerned with the unsustainability of modern life, and brings that concern into his sculptures. Through biomorphic art pieces, he combines his love of nature and his experience of living in large metropolitan areas into a careful sculptural observation of our society’s follies.

Hobart grew up in West Marin

and received his Bachelor of Arts from Humboldt State.

“I draw inspiration for my artwork from the surrounding environment and from a desire to create narrative,

thought-provoking works . . . Consumerism, capitalism,

corporate greed, global climate change .

. . are some of the topics that

populate my artwork,” says Hobart.

His pieces are heavy,

figuratively and literally,

and bring up the question

of how we relate to our day to day

behavior as humans, and how it affects our

planet. Malena Lopez-Maggi: Lopez-

Maggi is currently working towards her advanced degree in art at Mills College, where she was granted her bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts.

West points out the meditative qualities that Lopez-Maggi’s works have, and looking at them, one can hear the reflective praises they sing to that pesky human condition.

“Malina’s work is trying to challenge the notion of a photograph. When does it become a reflection?” Explains West. She uses a worshipful palette of colors, and means it to be a metaphor for the essence of life. It’s her language, and it’s clearly heard when you view her art.

“My work and life are guided by curiosity and a love of learning. To me, art is a vehicle for exploring a multiplicity of interests. I am most intrigued by the intersection of art with other disciplines, especially science,” Lopez-Maggi has said.

Be a part of it: When you go, take the time to appreciate each piece. “How do we begin to see drawing in a sculpture, where do we find notions of authorship in a drawing, or sculpture in a photograph?” West would have students ask themselves.

While writing is art, writing about art is like dancing about architecture, so please. Go to the gallery. Experience these works for yourself, and experienced you will be.

The exhibit runs through April 11. The exhibit is open weekdays 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

Arts & Entertainment4 College of marin APR. 1, 2014

ECHO TIMES

By Chandra Smith

Life is art for these four college alumni

“Beyond the Gate” ceramic, wire, and resin, by Evan Hobart.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Photos by Patrick Brown

Former students offer an exciting look at contemporary art

Above: “Somewhere Else,” archival inkjet print, by Malena Lopez-Maggi.

Page 5: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

5ECHO TIMESAPR. 1, 2014

Arts & Entertainment

“Everything We Do Marks Our Place in Time,” stoneware and porcelain clay, by Evan Hobart.

“Story Cube #4,” ceramic and resin, by Evan Hobart.“Story Cube #5,” ceramic and glass, by Evan Hobart.

“All That We Create is All That We Destroy,” ceramic, by Evan Hobart. “Duet,” rebar, by Mary Huntsman.

“36 Instances of Seeing the Light,” 10 archival inkjet prints, by Malena Lopez-Maggi.

Page 6: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

Pete Carroll: Super bowl champion, former 49er’s defensive coordinator, and College of Marin

graduate. It has been over four decades since the boyishly cheerful head coach of the Seattle Seahawks attended school here at College of Marin.

Born in 1951 in San Francisco and raised in Greenbrae, Carroll found an early love for sports. Later, as a student athlete at Redwood High School in Larkspur, he played basketball, baseball, and football.

In his freshman year, he only weighed 110 pounds, requiring a doctor’s clearance before he could try out for football. Despite his size, Carroll lettered, made the all-state team, and eventually was inducted into Redwood High School’s sports hall of fame.

As a teenager, Carroll was known for his carefree attitude and boisterous competitiveness, making him popular with his teammates and coaches. His friend Ken Roby described to the San Francisco Chronicle how Carroll drove around Marin while steering from the passenger seat of his red Valliant, giving startled pedestrians the impression that the car was driverless.

Carroll brought that same attitude with him to the NFL. In his post-Super Bowl speech to his team he said, “You can stay out all night long tonight, I will meet you at the pool at sun up with our robes on.”

Carroll was as energetic on the field as off. And while he never sought the center of attention, his Redwood High teammate and friend Pito Diaz described him as a natural leader.

In addition to baseball and basketball, he played quarterback and defensive end on the football team. Carroll’s passion for football and life was clear.

“He was a lot of fun to coach,” his former Redwood High football coach Al Endriss said. “He was just like what you see right now.”

Carroll has remained in touch with many of his friends from Redwood High and College Of Marin. In fact Endriss

mentions that, “He was close to a lot of the players. Once a year we’re invited up there to watch a game… I had a ticket to the Super bowl but I didn’t go. I was afraid it would be too cold down there, but five of his other friends from the area went.”

One of those friends was Pito Diaz, who cheered Carroll on from the stands as his high school teammate coached the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in front of over one hundred million Americans.

When asked about the experience, Diaz didn’t mention the view from his seat, or how it felt to watch the Seahawks clobber the Broncos. Instead he shared,

“Even though we didn’t get to see [Carroll] during Super Bowl week he texted us and called us everyday to see how we were doing. Even after the game I sent him a text saying ‘Hey congratulations.’ He must have had five thousand texts, and he writes back to me, ‘Yeah it was really cool, it was just like when we beat Terra Linda [High School]’ It was the last game of the season and it was a big deal for us to win that game…and he brought it right back to a moment like that, that’s his ability to relate to people… it was just special.”

After Redwood High Carroll decided to attend College of Marin. He spent two years (1969-1970) as a key player on the COM football team under his well respected coach, Pete Limm.

As it is for many students, Carroll’s time at COM was a transitioning phase in his life. While he eventually went on to the University of the Pacific, his playing career at COM earned him a letter, and as recently as 2010, an induction in the school’s hall of fame.

While Carroll has come a long way since playing football in Kentfield, it is clear that he has not forgotten his community. “During football season he’d invite us to come out…when he got into the NFL we’d go visit him a couple of times a year… and that’s just continued…With a lot of his friends from Marin county that’s just been constant,” stated Diaz.

At the University Of the Pacific, Carroll became one of four other alumni to win a Super Bowl. He was an all-conference safety, but when he found himself unable to take the next step to the pros, Carroll decided to find work as a roofer.

Feature 6 College of marin APR. 1, 2014

Photo courtesy of salon.com

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll holds the Super Bowl trophy after his team’s 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in February.

The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the Super Bowl was held, was filled to capacity with around 80,000 sports fans.

Super Bowl coach set his goals at COM

ECHO TIMES

By Kyle Kelly and Max Wolf-Johnson

Pete Carroll: From Mariner to SeahawkPhoto courtesy of digitaltrends.com

Page 7: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

This did not fit his personal interests, so he returned to UOP as an assistant football coach.

Carroll’s time at UOP served as a launching point to greater opportunities and he eventually filled college coaching positions for such teams as Arkansas, Iowa State, and North Carolina State.

His second attempt to enter the NFL, this time as a coach, was more successful. Carroll spent time with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, 49ers (defensive coordinator 1995–96) and Patriots before eventually returning to the collegiate level as head coach of the USC Trojans.

He spent nine years in Southern California, and achieved a 96-19 (83.5 percent) winning record. Carroll’s success at USC was tarnished by a minor scandal while he was coach, involving a star player who received NCAA-banned financial benefits. Still, his coaching ability caught the attention of the Seattle Seahawks, who offered him the position of head coach in 2009.

In his first two seasons Carroll was only able to achieve a pair of seven and nine records. In 2012 his team improved to 11, but nonetheless lost in the playoffs to the Atlanta Falcons.

They would return in 2013 to win 13 games and secure the number one seed in the NFC for the playoffs. After beating the New Orleans Saints, the Seahawks advanced to a highly anticipated conference championship game against their rivals, the 49ers. Seattle secured a trip to the Super Bowl in the last 22 seconds of the game when star corner back Richard Sherman tipped a would-be game-winning

touchdown pass into the hands of fellow teammate Malcom Smith.

Super Bowl XLVIII was held at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game was advertised as a match up between the NFL’s best offense, the Denver Broncos, against its most dominant defense, the Seattle Seahawks. It failed to live up to expectations as

Carroll’s Seahawks managed to clobber Peyton Manning and the Broncos, outscoring them 43-8.

Pete Carroll became the first ever Seattle Seahawks head coach to hoist the Lombardi trophy, 44 years after he played football at College of Marin. His success in the NFL is a testament to what is possible, even for students who begin at a Junior

College like COM.In a post-game interview, Carroll

told a reporter, “I feel like a kid, I always do.” While Carroll doesn’t seem to have changed much in the last 44 years, it is clear that College of Marin can be proud to have him as an alumnus even if you are a 49ers fan.

Feature 7ECHO TIMESAPR. 1, 2014

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Pete Carroll’s early playing days for UOP after COM.

Seattle’s Pete Carroll celebrates after his Seahawks won the Super Bowl with a dominating win over Denver.Photo by Matt Slocum, Associated Press

Photo courtesy Seahawks.com Blog Photo by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports

Page 8: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

Arts & Entertainment8 College of marin APR. 1, 2014

expressed through both the large-scale sets, and through the choreographic process.

David Jones is sharing “Night Club,” which brings into the conversation the significance of hip hop and recreational dance. “Spirit” expresses the best of that which lies within us.

Deborah Graham brings us “Gypsies in the Night,” which starts with two gypsies warming themselves by a bonfire, and evolving of course, into a passionate dance.

Kristi Kuhn’s “What Goes Up” is a performed commentary on our human condition—on the necessary vicissitudes we all experience for being alive. After all, what goes up...

Kuhn was kind enough to speak

with us about her piece. She is both a choreographer of the show and one of the coordinators of the department. Her piece sounds dangerous, involving nine women, and starts on a seesaw.

Kuhn has been teaching dance at COM since 1987, and is especially looking forward to the performance of her dancers this year. “It’s a very difficult piece. The dancers are balancing on each other and playing on a seesaw. How scary is that?” Definitely worth a trip to campus one night.

This year the guest artist for the spring is Casey Lee Thorne of Inside Out Contemporary Ballet. Thorne took her experience of adversity and turned it into a dance company. Started in 2006, it meant a

lot for Thorne to provide opportunities for dancers to practice their art.

“As a teenager who studied ballet since she was three, her dream of becoming a ballerina was crushed when her teacher told her she was too tall,” reports the Marin IJ.

How do choreographers come up with the dance moves for their pieces? “Oh my God—you know it’s funny, because my class tonight is on composition, and that’s exactly what we cover,” said Kuhn.

If you want to illicit both irritation and an interesting answer with one question, simply ask an artist of any kind how they come up with their ideas. “Sometimes it’s the music and sometimes it’s life,” says Kuhn with pith.

Each spring and each fall the College of Marin Dance Department produces and performs a dance

concert that is not to be missed. This year’s “Earthly Flight”, the name of 2014’s spring show, is no different.

This year’s show is described by the department as “An eclectic array of beautiful dances embracing memory, time, passion and reflection. It’s about personal experiences, humanity, inspiration and what’s most important to us.”

Truly a community production, the dancers are all students, alumni, or members of the community. Each dancer must audition, be selected, and then sign up through the college in order to perform.

This year’s spring concert will showcase seven different choreographed pieces. Most of the performers have studied dance through the department here at COM, in classes such as Afro-Haitian, modern, jazz, and ballet.

Hannah Piette is one such student. “I love dancing with COM,” she says. Piette is a COM alumni and skilled community dancer. This being her fifth dance concert at COM, it’s easy to believe her.

Hours of work and rehearsal go into the performances, it’s an extremely positive experience for all involved. This year’s choreographers include six department instructors and leaders, and one community guest who has been invited to participate.

Sandra Tanner’s piece is called “What Remains.” It speaks to the changing landscape of the heart, as it pertains to its relationship with memory and the passage of time.

Alan Scofield is presenting “Sonnet for Seven,” born of the passionate humanity we find in the Sonnets of Shakespeare, and alludes to both the timelessness and brevity of life.

Casey Thorne is our guest for the spring, and the founder of Inside Out Contemporary Ballet. For Earthly Flight, she is sharing with us “If I Were You.” A truly community-inspired piece, it incorporates written contributions by members of voluntary workshops, expressing how dance brings about connection. The writings have been

ECHO TIMES

By Chandra Smith

Spirit and passion take the stage in “Earthly Flight”

Photos courtesy of COM Performing Arts Department, Kim Foulger

When: April 4, and continue on April 5, April 11, and April 12 at 8:00 p.m.Where: College of Marin James Dunn Theatre, Kentfield Campus, Corner of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel AvenueAdmission: $15 General; $10 Students/SeniorsBox Office 415-485-9385

Performance Schedule

Page 9: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

The confetti was the wrong color. This wasn’t what I pictured at all. I’m at Super Bowl XLVIII, with

a ticket my nephew generously provided for me as a gift, and we lost. How did we lose? And not just lose, LOSE. This. Can’t. Be. Right. We lost so badly, it was boring to watch. It was so boring, in fact, that I left after the third quarter to charge my cell phone.

Who would have dreamed that the most entertaining aspect of Super Bowl 48 would go down in sports history as the halftime show. Thank you, Bruno Mars, Flea, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers for rescuing my first official Super Bowl experience.

After the Seahawks’ Percy Harvin ran a kickoff return for 87 yards, a touchdown and a 29-0 lead in the third quarter for the Seahawks, I couldn’t take it anymore. The game was too painful to even watch. I knew I was upset because I had lost my appetite. I’m Polynesian. We never lose our appetites.

I should give a little background information to my sports-sob story. I was in New York doing some freelance work for ESPN during the week leading up to the Super Bowl this year. It was a great week to be in Manhattan. Aside from the large crowds, there was an excitement in the air leading up to the big game.

People were excited to see a Super Bowl that was kind of a throwback to the old-school games, played outside, in the elements. A portion of Times Square was blocked off and allocated Super Bowl Boulevard in honor of the big game. It drew huge crowds and a highlight was a toboggan run located in the center of Times Square and down Broadway.

It was a colder-than-usual winter in New York during the week prior to the game. There were concerns that there might be a snowstorm in New Jersey on the weekend of the game.

In the ESPN Super Bowl office, there was a lot of interesting insight as to how the game might play out. But one thing was for sure: the number-one offense and the number-one defense in the country were about to go head-to-head in a matter of days, and it was sure to be a great game.

As fate would have it, one of my nephews, Sione Fua, was a member of the Denver Broncos. At 6’1”, 290 pounds, Fua was a State CIF heavyweight wrestling champion out of high school. He chose Stanford over offers from Cal, Oregon, and BYU. As a lineman at Stanford, and one of three co-captains, he played alongside Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts) and Richard Sherman (Seahawks), and refined his game under the tutelage of 49ers head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Fua

graduated from Stanford with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society, and was picked up in the third round of the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers released him in November of last year, and when the Broncos added him to their team, I was ecstatic. And as the stars in the sports universe aligned, the Broncos made it all the way to the big game, and I just happened to be working there that very same week.

Things started to go south when an ESPN editor informed me that my nephew may have sustained an injury during pre-Super Bowl practices. Upon speaking with George Fua, Sione’s father, I learned that Sione had indeed hurt his calf muscle and that he wouldn’t be playing in the game at all. I couldn’t believe it, I was crushed. I’m not sure who was more upset, him or me. Here he was, poised to play in possibly the most important game of his career, and he was injured.

I couldn’t help but be sad for him, because I knew he would want to contribute. There’s nothing worse than watching from the sidelines, wanting to help, but not being able to. I know this because I’m a fan, and what fans do is live vicariously through their favorite players. His calf injury would prove to be a harbinger of things to come.

Game day was finally upon us, and I was grateful to be able to ride with the families of the players from Manhattan to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the actual game was being played. The atmosphere was exciting. Parents, spouses, friends, and children of the athletes donned the jerseys of their favorite players.

There was face paint galore. People on the streets of New York City were wearing beanies, baseball caps, bright orange feather boas, and even mittens in the colors of their favorite teams. Some fans had their hair colored to match whichever team they were rooting for. It was a competitively fun atmosphere.

Game day was amazing, at first.

Some fans, after paying an average single-ticket price of $2,616, also had the headache of paying the $50 fee to get to MetLife Stadium from Manhattan. I was spared this expense because the Broncos provided a fleet of chartered busses for family members. Being related to a player has its perks.

We were bussed from the hotel, to the players’ hotel in Jersey, where a fabulous, all-you-can-eat brunch awaited us. This aspect of the experience made me very happy.

In the hallway leading up to the brunch, there were swag stations, where we scored free bags, game towels, necklaces, stickers, pins, pom-poms, and all manner of Broncos cheering paraphernalia. There were sign making stations, where we indulged ourselves. GO BRONCOS! GO SIONE FUA, #98!! WE LOVE YOU!

After a delicious brunch buffet, we were again shuttled for free, but this time to MetLife Stadium, the venue for the game. After noticing the stadium and lack of cars therein – tailgating was strictly prohibited – I immediately noticed one of the longest lines I had ever seen. It was the line for security screening.

Thank goodness for the friends-and-family line! We got in quickly after passing through metal detectors and a bag search. Once inside, I was more than pleasantly surprised to discover that we not only had good seats, we had great seats. “We” were a small band of family members who were there to cheer Sione on in the biggest game of his football career. His parents, George and Helen Fua, his brother Alani and his wife Malaysia, and Sione’s wife, Ivy, and myself made up the official Sione Fua cheering section at the Super Bowl.

We were in the fourth row. “Warm Welcome” seat cushions awaited us. Inside each seat cushion was a “neck gator,” ear muffs, lip balm, a muffler, handwarmers, texting gloves (in case we wanted to text on our iPhones without the inconvenience of removing our gloves), packs of tissues, and a drink sleeve. Also

included was an FM radio that allowed fans to listen to the live FOX television broadcast, and ESPN Deportes Radio, as well as in-game PA announcements.

Movie stars and famous athletes were milling around the sidelines at what seemed to be just an arms length from us. It was selfie city. Everyone in the crowd was taking pictures, and even Queen Latifah was taking pictures of herself with the crowd as a backdrop. It was nothing short of entertaining.

When we arrived inside the stadium, it was a lot warmer than what we expected. There was no snow storm that day, in fact it was a balmy 50 degrees. It felt like Bay Area weather. I even took my jacket off for a spell.

Joe Namath didn’t disappoint when he appeared in a mink coat for the official pre-game coin toss. I don’t even remember who won the toss, “Broadway’s” coat had my full attention. World-renowned lyric soprano opera singer and four-time Grammy Award Winner, Renee Fleming, then sang the National Anthem, followed immediately by a fleet of Apache Attack helicopters, Blackhawks, and Chinooks from the 101 Airborne Division flying overhead.

Fireworks were in abundance that warm, 40-degree night. You could feel the excitement and electricity in the air. This bucket list experience was shaping up to be more than I expected!

Still, I couldn’t help but feel sad for my nephew who wasn’t able to play due to his calf injury that he sustained just days prior.

We settled in, it was finally game time. And then...and then...nothing. Play after play, snap after snap, there didn’t seem to be anything to cheer for – unless you were cheering for the Seahawks. It was like a deflating balloon, that took a really long time to deflate.

Although actors and athletes alike, including Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Garner, and Michael Strahan seemed to be meandering around the sidelines yards away from us, we were oddly unaffected. Because we had nothing to cheer about. The game was dismally sad. Honestly, losing is OK if you put up a good fight. That’s what fans are there to see, the good fight. But losing like that was horrible. It felt like, why did I bother showing up if Peyton Manning didn’t?

The prospect of seeing the number one offense (Denver) and the number one defense (Seattle) battle it out on the field was exciting. Add to that the fact that both the Broncos and the Seahawks were seeded number one in their respective divisions, it seemed like an inevitably super Super Bowl. Theoretically, it should have been a fantastic game.

As it turns out, we were on the wrong side of sports history on Sunday, February 2, 2014. And to top it all off, it was my birthday. What a birthday. Happy birthday to me. The only thing sadder than the

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.comSione Fua’s untimely injury prevented his Super Bowl debut.

Photo courtesy of Shirley BeamanStudent Shirley Beaman attended Super Bowl XLVIII, courtesy of nephew Sione Fua.

Super Bowl XLVIII was totally for the birdsSports Feature

9College of marinAPR. 1, 2014

Relatively speaking, Super Bowl XLVIII was not so super

Super Bowl Continued on next page

ECHO TIMES

By Shirley Beaman

Page 10: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

game was the chartered bus ride back to the hotel with the rest of the Broncos’ friends and family. You could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. I mean library quiet. Funeral quiet. What do you say? Apparently, nothing at all. You take a nap and thank God it’s all over.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not ungrateful. I have a lot to be thankful for. I had a great week in New York, punctuated by a couple of Broadway plays and the ESPN The Magazine party. Let me just add both Kendrick Lamar and Robin Thicke are great live performers, as are Bruno Mars, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

But, if you’re any kind of sports fan, like I am, then you can’t help but be disappointed by the game itself – or the lack thereof. There’s no reason to feel bad for the team that loses because, hey – at the end of the day, they lost at the Super Bowl. The fact that they made it that far is not only commendable, it’s truly something to be proud of and celebrate.

That’s why I was so excited about attending Super Bowl XLVIII. Not only was I going to be there, but my nephew’s team was playing. I couldn’t have been a prouder Aunt.

I’ve been cheering at my nephew’s football games since his Stanford days. Our family also cheered proudly at the Panthers/49ers game last year as we watched our Bay Area son playing at

Candlestick Park. In November of last year, when I

received the news that Sione was no longer with the Panthers, but was now playing for the Broncos, I remembered thinking that he might, if the team continues to play well, have a shot at playing in a Super Bowl. Well, he did. Sometimes in life, we’ve got to be happy with having a shot. And as long as you always give it your best shot, there are no regrets. This is the dynamic of sports, and why true fans stay with their favorite players and/or favorite teams through the wins and the losses.

So I wasn’t bowled over with delight at the outcome, my team lost. And the game wasn’t super for me because, well, my team lost. But I’ll always have the experience – cross another major sporting event off my bucket list, not to mention the fact that I got a $1,500 ticket for free from my nephew who got to say his team made it to the Super Bowl. Thank you, Sione, for taking me along for the ride!

talked about was a picnic in the park.When asked why he thought our

students did not seem to have the big spring break plans we all dream about, Greg Donals, communications major, said, “There is just no party culture here at College of Marin like there is at other schools.”

Wendy Barbero, COM student and former San Diego State University student, is currently experiencing exactly what

Donals is talking about. Barbero took a week-long trip to Maui with her boyfriend during her spring break at SDSU. This year however, her plans are a little different.

“My parents are leaving me to go to Tahoe so I can stay home and have no social life,” said Barbero.

Many students spoke about the lack of a social life here at COM. When asked about it, Greg Turnquist, student of the COM EMT program said, “Most people

just come here to attend their classes then go home. They aren’t here for the social life.”

Bigger schools such as state universities and UC’s seem to be what Donals is referring to, but even other junior colleges in California seem to have the “party culture” that he refers to. Community colleges such as Santa Barbara Community College, Cuesta College, and even Santa Rosa Junior College all have what COM students seem to be craving.

COM business major, Chris Ahmadia, said that for spring break during his year at Cuesta, he and some buddies took a road trip down to San Diego. This year, however, Ahmadia says he cannot go away for spring break because he cannot get enough time off work.

So do not feel bad if you have no big plans this April, you are not alone. That is no excuse to sit around and do nothing. If you have the means and the free time, get out there and experience the spring break you have always wanted.

10 ECHO TIMES APR. 1, 2014

Features

ECHO TIMES

By Johnny McEvoy

Spring Break

Super Bowl XLVIII: Not so super for Bronco fans

“Who would have dreamed that the most entertaining aspect of Super Bowl 48 would go down in sports history as the halftime show?”

CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE

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OPENHOUSE

Learn more about our degree programs:• Bachelor of Health Services• MSN for Registered Nurses

• Online MS in Health Informatics

OPEN HOUSEUSF SANTA ROSA CAMPUS

Tuesday, April 1, 5 pm

Learn more or to RSVP call 707.527.9612visit www.usfca.edu/santarosa

or email [email protected]

Photo by Patrick Brown

Spring break is near, so don’t let work hold you back from having a good time.

“My parents are leaving me to go to Tahoe so I can stay home and have no social life.”

– COM Student Wendy Barbero

COM students are not part of “party culture”

Super Bowl From previous page

Have big plans for spring break? Well then you might be part of the minority here at College of Marin.

We all think of spring break as how it is portrayed in movies and TV shows, with big parties, trips to the beach, or exciting adventures. Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case for most COM students.

Many of our COM students cannot go away for a variety of reasons. Some have jobs that they cannot get enough time off from, some have families they are raising, while others cannot afford a trip. Whatever the reason, our students seem to be less likely to have spring break plans than other colleges.

When asked about his spring break plans, Simon Gibbs, an art student here at COM, simply said, “I have absolutely no plans for spring break.”

This seemed to be the general consensus around the school, as the biggest spring break plan a student had

Page 11: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

water, but more importantly save money in the future.

Although reasonable, this decrease in usage has less effect in reality than it does on one’s conscience, because roughly eight percent of the state’s water is for personal consumer usage, i.e. showers, washing

hands, watering plants, etc. The majority of the state’s fresh water resources are used in agriculture, around 75 percent of the state’s water usage. The thirstiest of our water users are cattle and livestock.

Residents of Marin have little to worry about in regards to the drought, but across

the state, the effects are much worse. Snow pack in the entire state is only at 25 percent of normal for this time of year, compared to 60 percent last year. As the majority of the central valley relies upon snow melt run-off for water, the potential problems are clear.

In regards to having minimal water resources over the next year COM Biology teacher Joe Mueller said, “It’s kind of complicated, but to simplify it, as far as water issues in California, whoever has the most power [money] gets the water.” He further explained that the big agriculture unions, lobbyist, and companies they represent are going to fight hardest, and most likely get first priority for water. “They will use the excuse of needing the water to maintain jobs,” said Mueller.

Historically this is correct. Whenever there is a shortage of water, the big agriculture companies in California take first priority, then industrial users, then the public citizens of the state, and finally the animals. With more money, comes more influence and power over the use of our resources, and this principle holds true even with our most valuable resource, fresh water.

It is not uncommon for students to have a job while attending college. College of Marin students are no exception. I personally have been one of those

students. One of the most popular choices among college students has been working in the restaurant industry.

Whether it be bartending, waiting tables, bussing, or food running, it has helped pay for school and rent while students make their way through college. Sure there are other jobs that can be chosen, but what job is more flexible and consistent than working in the restaurant business?

“It’s the most lucrative and flexible job. There is no way I can work a nine to five job and attend school full time,” says Katrina Wallace, a pre-nursing student at COM and also a server. “It’s really convenient to have cash in hand instead of paychecks. I am able to pick up shifts if I need to, or give them up if I have too much going on. If I am really busy with homework, I can give my shift to another co-worker and have time off to work on school.”

While most students take classes during the day, there are some students that take classes at night. “I am able to get days off during the week and I can choose

whether or not I work the lunch or dinner shift,” said James a 23-year-old busser who attends Berkeley City College and has classes that go until eight o’clock at night. “I also like the fact that I get cash tips at the end of my shift. I don’t like waiting every pay period to have cash.”

While having the advantage of choosing your schedule and having cash at the end of your shift may sound great, there are disadvantages to working in the restaurant business as well.

“Sometimes I don’t get off until really late at night and I don’t get a lot of sleep before I have class the next day,” said Elisa Miranda a 26-year-old server who attends Foothill College. “Sometimes I get scheduled and can’t get rid of my shift which limits my study time.”

There are other disadvantages that come with working in the restaurant industry. Wallace also noted, “Sometimes I don’t make consistent money. The business can be seasonal. January thru March is pretty slow and I am not guaranteed to make money or have shifts to work. I also get stuck working on holiday weekends or school breaks when it is busiest in the restaurant.”

As an employee who recieves gratuities/tips, generally you are paid minimum wage and need to rely on tips. Unlike many nine to five jobs where you may be paid a higher wage, as a tipped

employee you work to make your money. James also said “Depending on the week or the season some days are slower or months also. I usually get about four to five shifts if it is busy, but sometimes three if it’s slow. I also don’t like smelling like food when I am done,” he joked.

While working in the restaurant industry has it’s perks for students, it also

has it’s downfalls. Juggling a job in the restaurant industry and attending school can be stressful. It’s a lot of work and long hours, but the money can be quick and easy to make. Next time you are dining at a restaurant and the bill comes to the table, know that the server helping you could be working to pay their tuition, and literally waiting to graduate.

ECHO TIMES

By Roddy Heckelman

Drought predictions get watered down

11ECHO TIMESAPR. 1, 2014

News / Features

Photo by Patrick Brown

Phoenix Lake’s spillway is now overflowing after recent rains this February.

ECHO TIMES

By Dino Moreno

Recent rains have quelled the mandatory rationing proposal by the Marin Municipal Water

District. After the storm on the fifth thru the ninth of February, and 15 inches of rain, the Marin reservoir system increased from 53 percent capacity to 66 percent.

Marin’s reservoir system is now above 78 percent capacity, and at close to normal for this time of year. Although not much rain is in the forecast, the reservoir system has enough water to last Marin’s residents until next winter if necessary.

According to the MMWD, “We can confidently state that mandatory water rationing will not be needed this year.”

The recent downpour has put mandatory rationing out of the question, MMWD is still asking for a voluntary water use reduction of 25 percent. MMWD asks that residents of Marin turn off irrigation systems, only water plants when necessary, fix leaking or dripping faucets, and install water efficient toilets and washing machines in their homes. These steps will help residents of Marin save

Photo illustration by Chelsea Dederick

Waiting to graduateMany students support themselvesthrough college by working in restaurants

Page 12: Echo Times Issue 3 (Spring 2014)

12 College of marin APR. 1, 2014

CalendarEvents

College of Marin Spring Dance Concert—Earthly Flight College of Marin is hosting its annual Spring Dance Concert, “Earthly Flight,” a unique production directed by the College Dance faculty. Choreographic works by faculty and guest artists are presented. Production design is by e. “Ernie” Ernstrom.When: April 4, 5, 11 and 12, 8 p.m.Where: James Dunn Theatre, Kentfield CampusAdmission: Tickets: $15 general, $10 students/seniors/staff/alumni; Box Office: (415) 485-9385.

Liebesjahr - Art Songs by Robert Schumann - Advanced Voice Class RecitalArguably one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era, Robert Schumann was thoroughly committed to the idea of music being composed to register the feelings, thoughts and impressions garnered by a sensitive spirit on its journey through life. Prior to 1840, Schumann had written almost exclusively for the piano. In 1840 alone, however, the year he finally married his bride Clara, Schumann wrote 168 songs. Biographers have attributed the sweetness, the doubt and the despair of these songs to the varying emotions aroused by his love for Clara and the uncertainties of their future together. Please join us as we explore these beautiful, heartfelt songs.When: April 7, 2014, 11:10 a.m. Where: Lefort Recital Hall (PA 72), in the Performing Arts Building located on the corner of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Laurel Ave. in Kentfield.

Dance to the College Jazz Ensemble Tonight at the Sausalito SeahorseCayce Carnahan, directorThe COM Jazz Ensemble performs at the Seahorse in Sausalito. Enjoy great music, great food, and great atmosphere. Bring your dancing shoes and swing the night away. When: April 10, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.Where: Sausalito Seahorse, 305 Harbor Drive, Sausalito.

Dedication of the Humiston Reading RoomYou are invited to the dedication of the Humiston Reading Room, a beautiful location on campus in which to enjoy the pleasures of the written word. The room was made possible through a generous bequest by the Thomas Frederic Humiston Trust. Humiston believed that community colleges offered everyone a chance to obtain a college education and pursue their dreams. He attended Santa Ana Community College and transferred to Stanford University where he earned a bachelor’s, a master’s and a doctorate degree. He served as an officer in

WWII and during the Korean War and later worked for many years as a counselor at San Francisco City College. After retiring from City College in 1975, he delighted in taking classes at College of Marin. It was his wish to provide College of Marin Emeritus College students with just such a place to experience literature. There will be hors d’oeuvres and a ribbon cutting.When: April 15, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.Where: Student Services Building, Emeritus Center, room 146, Kentfield CampusAdmission: RSVP by calling (415) 485-9648 by Thursday, April 10.

Five Women Wearing The Same DressBy Alan Ball Directed by Molly Noble“Five Women Wearing The Same Dress” is an irreverent, funny and “a wonderfully entertaining play.” Written by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under and American Beauty) Five reluctant bridesmaids and a male usher hide out in an upstairs bedroom during an elaborate southern wedding. Each woman has her own reasons for avoiding the festivities below. Unlikely bonds emerge, touching secrets are revealed and hilarity ensues.When: April 24, 8 p.m. (First dress preview); April 25, 26.Where: Studio Theatre, Performing Arts Building, Kentfield CampusAdmission: Non-subscription single ticket prices: $20 general, $15 seniors; $10 students/COM employees and alumni

The Looking Glass Quarterly Seeks Submissions This MonthThe College Literary Magazine Student Club is gearing up for a new issue of The Looking Glass Quarterly, a magazine that supports the literary and artistic creativity of College students, faculty, and staff. The club is seeking submissions this month of fiction, non-fiction, art and poetry. Named after Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, the publication strives to be an open-minded venture dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in and around the College of Marin. Submission guidelines can be found at the club website: http://thelookingglassquarterly.com/. Submit your work by Tuesday, April 1 to [email protected].

Free On-Campus Tax Preparation at Single StopGet help with tax preparation services, learn about benefits you might be eligible for, and improve your financial skills at Single Stop, an on-campus center that provides FREE services to students, student family members, faculty, and staff. A host of services are available, including certified tax preparation services through April 15. Services also include: health coverage information, grocery assistance, affordable housing options, and utility discount assistance. Single Stop also provides referral information for childcare services, cash assistance, financial advising, and legal consultation. To learn about the many services that Single Stop offers or to become eligible to win a Kindle Fire or backpack full of supplies (including an 8 GB flash drive, note book, and index cards), stop by the Single Stop office to participate in raffles during the spring 2014 semester.When: Mondays – Thursdays, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Where: Student Services Building, room 124, Kentfield Campus

Nor Cal Diving ChampionshipsWhen: April 13, All dayWhere: Modesto

Bay Valley ChampionshipsWhen: April 18-20, All dayWhere: Fairfield

State ChampionshipsWhen: April 25-27, All dayWhere: East Los Angeles

Stanford InvitationalWhen: 4/4-4/5, 8amWhere: Stanford, Palo Alto

Chico TwilightWhen: 4/12/14, TBAWhere: CSU Chico

Chabot Legacy MeetWhen: 4/19/14, TBAWhere: Chabot College, Hayward

Big 8 Conference MeetWhen: 4/22 & 4/25, 2pmWhere: Delta College, Stockton

Baseball

Dates to RememberLast Day to Drop a Class with a W Symbol - April 11, 2014

Spring Break. No Classes. College Offices Open M-F. - April 14-20, 2014

Swimming and Diving

Track & Field

COM Baseball vs LaneyWhen: 4/5/2014, 1:00Where: Oakland

COM Baseball vs Contra CostaWhen: 4/8/2014, 2:00Where: College of Marin

COM Baseball vs Contra CostaWhen: 4/10/2014, 2:00Where: San Pablo

COM Baseball vs Contra CostaWhen: 4/12/2014, 1:00Where: College of Marin

COM Baseball vs MendocinoWhen: 4/15/2014, 2:00Where: College of Marin

COM Baseball vs MendocinoWhen: 4/17/2014, 2:00Where: Mendocino

COM Baseball vs MendocinoWhen: 4/18/2014, 2:00Where: College of Marin

COM Baseball vs SolanoWhen: 4/22/2014, 2:00Where: College of Marin

COM Baseball vs SolanoWhen: 4/24/2014, 2:00Where: Fairfield