Alex FarrThe San Matean

College of San Mateo • www.sanmatean.comVolume 172, Number 4 March 22, 2010

San MateanTHE

Alumna takes photosat Swag Party

See page 2

Earthquakes,close callsand futurethreatsSee page 3

Lady ‘Dogspull offconferencewinSee page 5

Student files discrimination charge against Hollister Co.

Marlene Gomez, 25, Arthur Baian, 20, Karry Ferguson, 19, and Matt Peralta,19 help design posters for the upcoming protest march in Sacramento on March 22.

Student senate-sponsored buses brought students to the March in March budget protests in Sacra-mento, March 22, but enthusiasm about the event was not universal.

The buses were scheduled to pick up students between 5:45 and 6 a.m. from each campus in the district, and leave for Sacramento at 6:30 a.m. The buses were expected to meet at Raley Field in Sacramento at 7 a.m. and participants then marched to the Capitol. Students who took the buses had to RSVP to e-mails sent out by the senate.

“To show our support for the California Community Colleges,

students from CSM will be joining thousands of others from all across the state for a march on Sacramen-to,” said President Michael Claire in a March 8 campus-wide e-mail.

“I support what the students are trying to do,” said Robert Ovetz, adjunct professor of sociology. “But I don’t think (the march on) March 22 will really be effective. There’s a consensus in the state legislature that public education should be carved up and sold off.”

Student protesters face incredible difficulties in the capitol, where their voices have little chance of competing with the influence of the lobbyists relentlessly pressuring legislators, said Ovetz.

Students, faculty go to Capitol

Jeff StanleyThe San Matean

Student Hani Khan was fired from Hollister Co. Feb. 22, for refusing to remove her hijab, an Islamic headscarf.

Khan, 19, a political science major, worked in the stock room of Hollister Co. since October of last year. She said that the local managers were fine with her wear-ing a hijab, as long as it was one of the store’s signature colors - navy blue, white or gray. A hijab is a garb used by Islamic women to promote modesty.

On Feb. 9, the store’s district manager glanced at her as she was

working on the sales floor, but did not say anything, Khan said.

A week later, Feb. 15, Khan had a telephone conversation with the Human Resources Department and the Corporate Headquarters. She was told that her headscarf was not allowed under the company’s “look policy,” and was sent home for that day.

On Feb. 22, she was asked by the Human Resources Department and District Manager if she was will-ing to remove her hijab, but Khan refused for religious reasons. This ultimately led to her being fired.

“I was surprised and really shocked because none of the local managers said anything ,” said

Khan, “but an outsider coming in and saying something was surpris-ing,”

Khan then contacted the Council on Islamic Relations.

They filed a complaint on Feb. 24 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the parent company of Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch.

“They want a certain type of people to wear their clothes and look,” said Zahra Billoo, execu-tive director of the San Francisco chapter of CAIR.

“This is a store that has decided to perpetuate bigotry in the com-munity,” she added.

According to Billoo, Hollister violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which states that “discrimination on the basis

of race, color, and national origin” is prohibited.

Billoo also explained that a similar incident like this occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the sum-mer of 2008. A Muslim teenager applied to a job at Abercrombie & Fitch, and was told during the interview that she could not wear her hijab.

“It had nothing to do with my performance, but an article of cloth-ing that got me fired,” said Khan. “I’m not imposing my religion on anybody. I’m just symbolizing me. I’m not forcing anyone to wear a scarf.”

Abercrombie & Fitch is now under investigation by the EEOC.

Photo from Facebook.com

Hani Khan

NASA eyes duo’s twist on telescopeChristopher DePass

The San Matean Students and faculty have teamed

up with NASA in an effort to study the star Epsilon Aurigae with CSM’s spectrograph.

In February, Astronomy Profes-sor Darryl Stanford, Lab Technician Dean Drumheller and San Mateo High School teacher Sally Seebode joined the NASA Infrared Process-ing and Analysis Center Teacher Archive Research Program. Stan-ford, Drumheller and their students will use the CSM spectrograph to take images of the Epsilon Aurigae and report their findings to NASA’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center.

The spectrograph was not always considered as useful as it is today. When Stanford informed Drum-heller that he planned on getting a spectrograph for the observatory, Drumheller’s first response was, “What the hell are you going to do with that?”

A spectrograph measures light reflected by objects. Different materials reflect light at different wavelengths, so the composition of an object can be determined by analyzing the component wave-lengths measured.

Now, years later, Stanford and Drumheller laugh as they remem-ber that interaction. That same spectrograph has given Astronomy students and faculty a front row seat

to a higher education.Epsilon Aurigae has posed a mys-

tery for more than 100 years, but the faculty and students involved hope to solve its secrets within two years. Every 21.7 years, Epsilon Aurigae is blocked by an unknown dust cloud. The make-up and func-tion of the dust cloud has yet to be uncovered. By using spectroscopy, faculty and students will measure the star and attempt to analyze its dust cloud.

“This program enables us to make the lessons more interactive and hands on to students during lecture and lab,” said Stanford.

The program is broken down into key steps, with Drumheller

Caption X X X

Photo by Chris DePass of The San Matean

Photo by Cecile Basnage of The San Matean

Darryl Stanford, professor of astronomy and Dean Drumheller, lab technician show off the spectrograph used to take photographs of the star Epsilon Aurigae. See “NASA” on page 3

See “Marches” on page 3

Page 2 • The SAN MATEAN News March 22, 2010

CSM student and former Photo Editor for the San Matean, Leah Banks, has had an interest in photography throughout college-- shooting portraits of her friends, local bands, or whatever caught her eye, but last week was a first for Leah: she was shooting Hollywood celebrities. Banks was flown down to L.A. to photograph an Oscar swag party on an all-expense paid trip paid by the San Francisco Chronicle. “I was starstruck,” said Banks. It was a family-friend who got Banks the job. Chelsea Schick, a locally-based purse designer, first secured a booth for her business at the Oscar’s Secret Room Style Lounge. She presented the idea to the Chronicle as a potential article for the Style section. They agreed, and on March 6, the day before the Oscars, Banks documented the sales of Shick’s creations. The event lasted 12 hours and was held in the Intercontinental Hotel on the Avenue of the Stars.

“I had a lot of fun,” said Banks, though the day was quite rushed. “It was very tiring...Chelsea sold all but five purses.” The event attracted a mix of small-scale designers, and “random celebrities and media people.” Among the stars Banks could recognize were Igbal Theba, who plays the principal in the TV show, Glee, and Sarah Ramirez from Grey’s Anatomy, though “she passed right by [the] table.” It was an opportunity few have. “I hope to have an experience like it in the future,” she said. For Banks, photography is definitely in her career plans for the future. Having just graduated from the program at CSM, which Banks describes as “wonderful,” she hopes to major again in the art when she transfers to San Jose State. In the nearer future, Banks hopes to get another job at an event similar to this past March’s party in July. Banks discovered her love for the photographic medium when she was 17. In her senior year, she won the National PTA Reflections award and hasn’t stopped since.

Two years ago, after winning a cash prize for a radio contest - unrelated to photography- she purchased her first SLR camera, a Canon 4D. Now she shoots mainly for family and friends, and uploads her work to dpchallenge.com, a photo contest site where users can rate each oth-ers work. Banks prefers to work in digital format rather than film, and has realized that she is “more of a fine art photographer than a photo-journalist.”

Campus Briefsby Julie Myhre

Campus Blotter Wednesday, March 10, 3:15 p.m. - Someone parked and locked his ‘96 Green Saturn Coup in the parking lot for construction workers at about 5:30 a.m. He later returned to his car at about 3:15 p.m. on the same day to find it missing. There is no suspect at this time.

Information provided by Lt. Mike Brunicardi of the San Mateo Police Department.

If there is an event that readers would like listed in Campus Briefs, please submit it to The San Matean at Bldg. 19, Room 123 or sanmatean@smccd.edu. Submissions should be typed neatly. For more information, call 574-6330.

Page 2 • The SAN MATEAN

Web 2.0 Technology Presented by CSM Library: Blogging and Building SitesWednesday, March 24, 1 p.m.Library Classroom, Building 9Free one-hour workshop on how to blog and build websites.For information, email csmlibrary@smccd.edu Health & Wellness Building: Ribbon Cutting CeremonyWednesday, March 24, 3:30 to 5 p.m.Building 5, PlazaFor information, call 574-6538, or email maddenb@smccd.edu Proper Dog GroomingThursday, March 25, 6 to 8:30 p.m.Bldg. 14, Room 215For information, call 574-6149 or visit http://communityed.smccd.edu Student Music Department ConcertFriday, March 26 noon to 1 p.m.Bldg. 02, Room 110, Choral RoomFor information, email jacksonj@smccd.edu, or visithttp://col-legeofsanmateo.edu/music/calendar.asp Eye ExamsMonday, March 29, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.To schedule an appointment and pay fee, visit Health Center or Bldg. 1, Room 226. CSM Health FairTuesday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Wednesday, March 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Building 5, First Floor, LobbyFor information, call (650) 574-6396 or visit http://collegeof-sanmateo.edu/healthcenter

Spring RecessSaturday, April 3 to Friday, April 9No Classes Horticulture/Floristry/Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale: Tomatoes, Peppers and Plants Joint Sale by CSM and Master Gardeners of San Mateo and San Francisco CountiesSaturday, April 10, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.CSM GreenhouseFor information, call 574-6170, or visit http://collegeofsanmateo.edu/horticulture Art and Science Lecture: Mohnsen Janatpour: Perception and Art, A RetrospectiveFriday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. CSM TheatreFor information, call (650) 574-6191, or email souranoff@smccd.edu

Sports Men’s Baseballv. Cabrillo College, Tuesday, March 23, 2 p.m. San Mateov. San Jose City College, Thursday, March 25, 2 p.m. San Josev. Hartnell College, Saturday, March 27, noon San Mateov. Ohlone College, Monday, March 29, 2 p.m. Fremontv. Sacramento City College, Wednesday, March 31, 1 p.m. Sacramentov. West Valley College, Tuesday, April 6, 2 p.m. Saratoga

Women’s Softballv. Monterey Peninsula College, Tuesday, March 23, 3 p.m. San Mateov. Hartnell College, Thursday, March 25, 3 p.m. San Mateov. Gavilan College, Tuesday, March 30, 3 p.m. Gilroyv. Ohlone College, Thursday, April 1, 3 p.m. Fremontv. Foothill College, Tuesday, April 6, 3 p.m. San Mateo

Swimmingv. West Valley College, Friday, March 26, 2 p.m. San Mateov. Solano College, Saturday, March 27, all day Fairfieldv. De Anza College, Friday, April 2, 2 p.m. San Mateo

Track and FieldDiablo Valley Meet, Thursday, March 25, noon Pleasant HillBeaver Invitational, Saturday, April 3, 10 a.m. American River

Christine KaravasThe San Matean

-Jessica RitterThe San Matean

CSM’s ‘Cinderella of swag’

Trygve KatigbakThe San Matean

Telecommunications and Tech-nology Infrastructure Program, the funding source for academic electronic resources, has been eliminated from community col-leges across California.

The program funded electronic databases which made cheaper subscriptions available to com-munity colleges by eliminating paper resources, such as academic magazines and newspaper archives.

“TTIP funding (which amounted to $4 million total and about $36,300 per college) for library databases, and in some case (was) used for annual online catalog maintenance contracts, has been

eliminated,” said James Matthews, member of the Council of Chief Librarians for California’s Com-munity Colleges, in a newsletter.

“The funding for instructional equipment, which colleges used to supplement the database and online catalog costs, was also eliminated. Statewide, college supplements to the TTIP funding represented another ($2 million) in purchas-ing,” he said.

“To have an academic setting, we need a pure library with library resources for the 21st century,” Matthews said. “We can’t go buy newspaper subscriptions anymore.Therefore, the cheapest way is to go electronic, rather than dealing with costly paper subscriptions.”

CSM’s Reference and Instruction

Librarian Teresa Morris said she was disappointed with the outcome of the long-standing program.

“($4 million) for colleges - it’s not big,” she said, analyzing the budget imposed on the program. “Without the electronic subscriptions from TTIP, there would be insufficient online academic resources.”

The electronic subscriptions cre-ated a “unique, functional library,” Morris said.

Morris did not know what hap-pened to the funding for TTIP, but she said that she assumed the budget might move to other projects or funding that need special attention.

“CCL had to be a not-for-profit, so that we could apply for grants (to continue) funding of the program,” Matthews said.

Budget cuts library resources

Two students garnered presti-gious awards for their work at The San Matean in a statewide com-petition which included students from two and four-year colleges.

The California College Media Association will honor Senior Staff Writer John Servatius and former staffer Laura Babbitt by placing them within the top three winners for their respec-tive categories, breaking news and personal opinion writing.

The f ina l award p lace-ments will be announced April 17 during a CCMA event at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.

Servatius was recognized for his March 2009 article, “Sen-tencing in stabbing death.”

The report covered the sentenc-ing of Sarith Soun, 27, convicted of slaying Skyline student Boris

Albinder, 19, in 2006 during an off-campus fight over a parking space.

Babbitt’s September 2009 opin-ion article, “Returning student gets 2nd chance,” about her ex-perience returning to college 20 years after earning her first degree, also placed among the top-three.

Professional journalists served as volunteer judges for the en-tries from 38 college journal-ism programs across the state, most from four-year schools.

The 2009 competition was the first time since 2004 that CCMA has ac-cepted work from two-year colleges.

“Students work very hard,” said Ed Remitz, journalism adviser. “It’s always great to see them re-ceive praise from professionals.”

Journalism instructors who advise student participants are re-quired by the CCMA to sign an oath that “there is no prior review of any aspect of the newspaper’s content

by an adviser before publication.”“(The oath) is to authenticate that

the work is done by student journal-ists and not their advisers,” CCMA Vice President Melissa Lalum said. “(It includes) everything from con-ception of the story to laying it out on the page or putting it online.”

“It’s an impressive set of awards, especially considering that CSM is a two-year college competing with four-year colleges,” said Alex Farr, editor of The San Matean.

“ I t ’ s q u i t e a p r e s -sure to live up to,” Farr said.

The San Matean also partici-pated in the 2004 CCMA contest and was awarded an honorable mention for General Excellence.

Servatius’ coverage of the Al-binder story also received top newswriting honors last November during a journalism conference hosted by the Journalism Asso-ciation of Community Colleges.

Journalism students win awards

Cecile BasnageThe San Matean

Photo by Leah Banks

Leah Banks

NewsMarch 22, 2010 The SAN MATEAN • Page 3

Petero QauqauThe San Matean

NASAcontinued from page 1

Margarita Trujillo is counting her lucky stars and thanking God that officials warned her daughter in Chile against surfing the morning of Feb. 27.

Trujillo is an English student in her late sixties. Her daughter, Diana Choy, planned to go surfing that morning at a beach near Peru’s capital, Lima, not knowing that an 8.8 magnitude earthquake had just hit Chile miles away.

“(My daughter said) when they reached the beach, there were of-ficials there to warn them,” Trujillo said.

Moments later, the sea pulled away from the beach and came splashing back, said Trujillo.

Trujillo contacted her daughter three hours after the earthquake. Her first reaction was one of panic, but she later thanked God that her daughter was not in the water at the time of the earthquake, Trujillo said.

Trujillo migrated to the United States to live with her elder daugh-ter. Choy and her son still live in Lima.

The earthquake’s epicenter was calculated by the U.S. Geological Survey to have hit the Chilean Coast on Feb. 27, about 65 miles North-North East of Concepcion City, at 3:34 a.m local time.

Chile’s capital, Santiago, is about 210 miles inland from the quake’s

epicenter.Tsunami warnings were issued

to all countries in the Pacific soon after the quake.

Wave surges were felt in Hawaii and Japan hours after the Earth-quake had hit.

Tongan student Maxine Tupou immediately called her parents in Tonga after learning that, by 3 a.m. Tongan time, a Tsunami warning had been in effect for the Pacific region.

Her brother Maliu Tupou, who works as a consultant in Tonga’s capital, assured her that all her family was safe, Tupou said. But he informed her that they had been warned at 3 a.m., and that the tsu-nami warning had been cancelled.

“My cousin, Mauka’kala, said the wave hit a place called Na-vutoka and damaged some of the graves that were by the beachside,” Tupou said.

Scientists, meanwhile, estimate a 20 percent chance of a large earth-quake, in the 6.0 range, hitting the San Francisco Peninsula section of the San Andreas Fault in the next 30 years.

The San Andreas Fault begins off the California coast, in the Pacific Ocean near Daly City, and runs under the Earth’s surface all the way to Southern California.

Last hit by the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta quake in 1989, the San Andreas Fault’s peninsula section

runs in close proximity to CSM.It is not the most likely place to

fail, but amongst the most likely places to fail in the Bay Area, said Jack Boatwright, geological physi-cist of the U.S. Geological Survey.

“The reason we feel that it has that probability is because we know what the slip was in the 1906 earthquake,” said Boatwright. “It was about 4 meters of slip across this section and we know what the strain accumulation is.”

It took 200 years of 2 cm strains for the earthquake to build up and it has been 100 years since 1906, so the chances of an earthquake

reoccurring is great, he said.The strain accumulation is

about 2 cm and 19 mm a year for the peninsula section of the San Andreas Fault, said Boatwright. When an earthquake occurs on a strike-slip system, one side moves horizontally relative to the other side of the fault.

Boatwright predicted offsets similar to those of 1906 to occur along the fault line if an earthquake were to happen along the San Andreas Fault. The effects would cause shaking but would not be as intense as the Jan. 12 earthquake that hit Haiti.

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Summer Session June 7 - August 13, 2010

Photo by the U.S. Geological Survey

Ground view of collapsed building in wake of Loma Prieta quake, Beach and Divisadero San Francisco.

Some useful geological terms

slip: the relative movement of geological features on either side of a fault plane, expressed as a displacement vector

strain accumulation: build up ofpotential energy along a fault

strains: potential energy along a fault line

strike-slip system: a fault surface that is near vertical, in which the surfaces move either left or right, with very little vertical motion

Like video with your text?Check out

SanMatean.com

Faultline roulette?

and select students continuously taking weekly spectroscopic im-ages of Epsilon Aurigae through the telescope, and Stanford using spectrographs from those pictures to interpret the data during As-tronomy lab classes

“Instead of just going online or looking through books, (students) are getting hands-on data,” Stan-

ford said. Once the spectrograph is inter-

preted, Stanford and Drumehller partner with Seebode, who contin-ues her own portion of the research and then sends it to the NASA processing center.

“This opportunity opens us to so many other things,” said Drumheller.

On top of being actively involved

in space research for NASA, the faculty and students are also able to view many of NITARP’s archives.

“Students who participate in this project can add it to resume’s and continue forward to do some really cool stuff,” Stanford said.

NITARP also sponsored a trip for Stanford and Drumheller to attend the American Astronomical Society in January to showcase the project.

“When we go to Sacramento, we’re outgunned,” he said.

Rather, Ovetz advocated contin-ued local action.

“Stay local, we’re stronger in our own community,” he said. “That’s where our power lies.”

The organizers of student-led protest groups “Cañada Strikes Back” and “Skyline Against the Cuts” seem to agree. While the groups have been active in trying to spread word about the March 22 protests, the groups are not formally participating in the march.

Instead, the groups are coop-eratively organizing an off-campus community teach-in. Tentatively scheduled for April 17, the com-munity teach-in is being planned to bring together the community at large that is being affected by budget cuts, including workers, teachers, students and others.

“My hope is that it forms the basis of further organizing off campus, with other members of the com-munity,” said Katy Rose, an active member of Cañada Strikes Back.

Meanwhile, Cañada Strikes Back is facing possible disciplin-ary action as a result of the March 4 walk-outs.

Entering campus buildings and disrupting classes to announce the walkout was a violation of the “time, place, and manner policy” of the student code of conduct, said Student Activities Organizer Aja Butler.

“Interference with normal op-erations of the College (i.e., obstruction or disruption of teach-ing, administration, disciplinary procedures, pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or other College activities, including its public service func-tions or other authorized activities on college premises)” is a violation

of prohibited action five of the student code of conduct.

There were e-mailed complaints, said Butler, mentioning Paul Ros-celli, professor of economics, and an unspecified “number” of others.

“We need to figure out a way to address, to resolve this issue,” said Butler. “There are ways in which you guys can work within the system and still be effective.”

The members of the group asked to see the e-mail complaints before any further steps are taken.

“If people felt threatened, then I could see an apology,” said Maki Matsumura, a member of Cañada Strikes Back. “But not if they just felt inconvenienced.”

Butler agreed to “see what she could do” about getting the group copies of the e-mails, and the group agreed to come up with some pos-sible solutions once they had seen the complaints.

Marchescontinued from page 1

eNtertaiNmeNtPage 4 • The SAN MATEAN March 22, 2010

Justin Eddy, 19 Computer Science, Belmont

“No, because it disturbs your learning environment and distracts other people.”

Do you think texting in class is ok?

In the Mix By Cecile Basnage

Nicholas Hui, 19Motion Pictures and TV, Millbrae

“It depends if the professor allows it or not, if there’s a test. Maybe in emergency or personal situations.”

Daniel Godinez, 21 Latin America Studies, HMB

“I would say no but I do it sometimes, it’s a hit or miss ... If it grabs your attention I won’t.”

Ying Chen, 19 Graphic Design, Millbrae

“I think it’s fine. Better than talking on the phone.”

Brie Reddick, 20Undecided, San Bruno

“Well I do it so ... just not when the teacher’s looking.”

Campus SpotlightName: Patrick A. FitzGerald Title: Head Athletic Trainer Age: 53Birthplace: Santa Cruz

S.M.: What do you do at CSM?P.F.: My official title is the Head Athletic Trainer and I take care of the medical needs of student-athletes attending CSM. Among my duties; sport physical screenings, evaluating injuries, overseeing injured players physi-cal therapy. I communicate between the injured players, coaches, players families and in more serious cases with the team physician who is Warren King, MD from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. I’m also a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association and the California Athletic Trainer’s Association.

S.M.: How long have you worked at CSM?P.F.:I’ve been here since the fall of 1979.

S.M.:What do you like about CSM?P.F.: I enjoy my interactions with students and the staff. I believe in the philosophy of the program: education before sports. The coaches and the administration stress the importance of academics. As a group our mission statement is that the student-athletes succeed both in the classrooms and on the field.

S.M.: What are your most memorable times working for CSM?P.F.: There have been many memorable moments on and off the field. One memory that stands out; after the women basketball team pulled off a huge upset by beating the #1 seed Lassen College on the road, on the way back from Susanville it started to snow, we pulled the team van over and had a snow fight after the game, for some of the players it was the first time they touched snow.

S.M.: Do you travel?P.F.: I travel with the CSM teams all over North California and occasion-ally down to South California . I do travel to Omaha , Nebraska about once a year and occasionally to North Carolina. S.M.: What are some of your hobbies?P.F.: I enjoy gardening, stamp collecting, genealogy and photography. Through the years I’ve taken pictures at games and shared the photos with the players.

S.M.: What is your favorite food?P.F.: I’ll eat anything but liver.

S.M.: Do you own any pets?P.F.: Yes , I have two German Shepherds. Their names are Shomer and Zohur. Shomer, which means guardian in Hebrew, frequently attends CSM practices.

S.M.:What schools have you attended?P.F.: I attended Soquel High School in Santa Cruz, Cabrillo C.C and Cal

State Hayward (now CSU East Bay) where I received my Bachelor’s and-Master’s in Athletic Training with emphasis on Exercise Physiology.

S.M.: What kind of entertainment do you enjoy?P.F.: Watching the San Francisco Giants, San Jose Sharks and of course watching the CSM Bulldogs. I also like country music.

— Marcin MarciniakThe San Matean

Photo by Marcin Marciniak of The San Matean

(Above) Patrick A. FitzGerald, Head Athletic Trainer, 53, prepares Josh Trejo, Left Handed Pitcher, 20 before practice.

(Right) Fitzgerald takes a minute with his pet German Shepherd, Shomer, outside the trainers’ room.

Photo by Marcin Marciniak of The San Matean

Patrick A. FitzGerald, Head Athletic Trainer, 53, prepares Josh Trejo, Left Handed Pitcher, 20 before practice.

sportsMarch 22, 2010 The SAN MATEAN • Page 5

Bruno ManriqueThe San Matean

Petero QauqauThe San Matean

CSM’s defense earns conference win

Rain falls; Wright, Monce shine through

The Bulldogs (16-8 overall, 4-2 conference) steadily pulled off a 4-0 road win at San Jose City College on Wednesday, March 10. CSM wasted no time as they scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Sam Pacheco’s hit to middle field ended up in a score after the ball slipped off freshman shortstop Theresa Thomas’ glove. The affair was controlled by CSM’s outstanding defense and great plays from the infielders. The Bulldogs kept constant communi-cation and made great decisions every time they needed to do so. “When it comes to being in sync, it’s just the mindset that we’re in,” said first baseman Stephanie Bau-tista, 20. “We always think about the play beforehand…Sammy (Pa-checo) and I work with (the infield-ers) on practice all the time, so it’s just become a matter of instinct.” Bautista had 12 put outs in the game, most of them assisted by in-fielders Alyssa Jepsen and Meggan Craviotto. Bautista said her favorite defensive play in the game was sophomore pitcher Lauren Cole’s quick hands. Cole caught the ball at the mound after a liner down the middle, but

then slipped off her hands due to the speed; she immediately picked it up from the ground and assisted Bautista for the out at first base. “Lauren helped herself with that play, and gave us another out,” added Bautista. “That play really hyped us up and kept us going.” Craviotto also had a highlight play fielding the ball from her knees after a San Jose groundout hit down the middle, she assisted Bautista once again. CSM closed the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles from Tai Vegas and Stephanie Bautista. Vegas, who started the late hitting streak, hit a line drive to left field to give her team some much needed momentum after having the last six batters retired. “Since I’m a lefty, one of the pitches I see the most is the outside pitch,” said Vegas, 19. “It’s funny they don’t realize that is my favorite pitch to hit.” The Bulldogs’ athletic play and great defensive positioning secured a great win against the Lady Jags. Cole’s solid pitching included three strikeouts and only two hits allowed through seven innings played. “I made it a point to keep my right toe down when pitching,” said

Cole, 20. “Coach (Borg) told me to work on my mechanics; it’s been happening all season, but it showed the worst yesterday against Chabot. I’m glad I got to fix it today.” The San Jose City College Lady Jags are first in the south-coast

conference with a 4-1 record, and an overall of 12-3. Both teams share one thing in common, a shutout loss to Sierra College, one of the two best teams in the state. Sierra; with an 18-2 overall

record, leads a very competitive Big 8 Conference and could be a possible playoff match-up for either of these teams. The Bulldogs will play their next conference game at Cabrillo Col-lege on Tuesday, March 16

Photo by Bruno Manrique of The San Matean

Sophomore pitcher Lauren Cole throws a curve ball against Lady Jags.

Against the cold gusts and heavy rain, CSM thrower Nathan Wright placed second when he threw a distance of 13.26 meters in the men’s shot-put event at the CSM Flex Day Bonanza on March 12.

Wright, a throw specialist who is placed second overall in the discus event in Northern California Com-munity College standings, also threw 42.92 meters and placed third in the discus, and threw 44.86 meters in the javelin event also, at the CSM Flex Day meet. His best discus throw of 48.41

meters was recorded at the Coast Conference preview on Feb.12. Heptathlon athlete Amethyst Monce collected 2924 points to place fifth in her event after fine performances in the javelin, 200 meter dash, 100 meter hurdles, shot-put, and 800 meter run. CSM track and field officials rued

the bad weather but are optimistic of a better result over the coming meets. “We expect better results at the Chabot meet,” said Joe Mangan, Head CSM Coach Cross Country, track and field. The Chabot “fix it” meet is sched-uled for Feb. 19 at Chabot College in Hayward. “We were fighting mother nature,” said Mangan. “The rain made it difficult, but we are expecting a better result this weekend. Despite all that there was some nice performances from Na-than Wright and Amethyst Monce,” said Mangan About 200 officials and athletes from 12 colleges braved the heavy downpour to converge at CSM for the two day meet on March 11. The meet started off with good weather on Thursday but deterio-rated early on Friday. Meanwhile, Peni Tafuna failed to find his grip in the men’s javelin event. The robust Tongan has plans of improving and qualifying for the State Championships. “I made it last year, so for now the aim is to better my performance and qualify for State,” Tafuna said. CSM throwing coach Mike Lewis believes Tafuna could have done better if there was better weather.

“Well, the weather wasn’t good but he should do better in the com-ing meets,” Lewis said.

Other results at CSM Flex day meet. Men’s 100m dash: Mykel Block (11.69) placed fourth overall, Ed-idiong Essien (12.31) placed 15 overall, Will Frazier (12.58) placed 24 overall, Tim Celestine (12.73) placed 25 overall. Men’s 400m dash: James By-rens (53.17) placed seven overall, Mohammed Abbas (55.83) placed 13 overall. Men’s 800m: Mitchell Milligan (2.25.26) placed 16 overall. Men’s 1500m: Mitchell Mil-ligan (2.25.26) placed six overall, Thomas Setser (4.23.94) placed 11 overall, Zackary Ha (5.40.81) placed 28 overall. 4x100m relay: CSM (44.27) placed four overall (Block, Frazier, Essien, Taylor) Men’s Long Jump: Johnny Bough (6.07m) placed 9 overall, Essien (5.79m) placed 19 overall. Men’s Hammer Throw: Trevor Smith (16.78m) placed 15 Men’s Javelin: William Bryant (43.70m) placed five, Mohammed Abbas (37.60m) placed 11, Trevor Smith (24.15m) placed 17. Women’s Javelin: Sarah Taggart (27.77m) placed 3.

For more sports coverage and photos

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SanMatean.com

Photo by Petero Qauqau of The San Matean

Ready, set, go! CSM sprinters compete in the 100 meter dash.

March 22, 2010The SAN MATEAN • Page 6

News / opiNioNMarch 22, 2010 The SAN MATEAN • Page 7

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AnswersContinued from page 8

of The Academic Senate regarding the importance of The San Matean.“ ... during this time of extreme budget cuts, deans and faculty ... are being asked to examine their courses and make some tough decisions. However, the journalism course that allows for the creation of a stu-dent–produced newspaper is one course that should be supported. Now more than ever, a communication vehicle that helps keep the campus informed is essential to keep the community aware of the decisions that are being made and how events will impact the college ... It (The San Matean) is an important part of the campus overall, ” read the letter. The San Matean contacted Bennett March 15 to request information regarding the implementation of The Media PIV and how this would effect the journalism program. The next day the publication recieved a response from Bennett ex-plaining that she had rescused herself from the matter of The Media PIV and that Huy Tran, Vice President of The Academic Senate, would be handling the matter. The San Matean e-mailed Tran and requested an interview. Tran stated that he had a lot on his plate right now but would try to get back to the publication if we e-mailed him questions. The Ex-ecutive Editor of The San Matean sent an e-mail to Tran with specific questions and asked for meeting times and dates where the program would be discussed. Later that day The San Matean recieved a series of e-mails from Ben-nett and from Laura Demsetz, The Chair for The Committee on Instruc-tion with meeting dates and times where information on the topic could be obtained. A letter was sent from Rachel Matteo-Boehm, the pro bono lawyer representing the interests of The San Matean to John Nibbelin, county counsel who is representing the college on the matter on March 17. The letter voiced concerns over the recent trouble in gathering information about the new Digital Media Program, which is slated to be rolled out in the Fall, and what decisions are being made about the future of the journalism program. The San Matean attended a March 18 meeting of the Committee on Instruction where several digital media courses were reviewed. Some were approved and some are slated to be approved in the next week or so pending updated changes to the courses.. The courses that produce The San Matean and its associated website are among those slated to be approved in the next week. The classes are the same as the current ones that produce the paper with the addition of an advanced newswriting class and will run in the fall if approved by the committee. The district has a rule that any class with less than 20 can be cut for low enrollment. Even if the courses are approved this rule will still apply. Please see www.sanmatean.com for more information.

adviser: Ed Remitz

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How do you cope with morning parking?

opiNioN & public forum March 22, 2010Page 8 • The SAN MATEAN

editorial Back Talkby Cecile Basnage

Spare a dime

Ruby Barragan, 26 Business Mgmt., San Mateo

“I’m usually taking evening classes so ... I get here early before it starts getting really hectic.”

Priscilla Chian, 18 Nursing, San Francisco

“I carpool, and it saves gas, money, and the environment.”

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Fare, or not fair?

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Jessica Ritter, Will Ruddock

the san Matean is a First Amendment newspaper published bi-weekly during the academic year by the Journalism 120, 300, 690 and 850 students at College of San Mateo as a medium for campus communication and laboratory for classes. Opinions, letters and commentary reflect only the opinion of the writer, and not necessarily the opinion of the san Matean. Letters to the Editor and opinion articles are welcome, although they may be edited for style, space, content and libel. Mail or deliver letters to Building 19, Room 123, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94402.

Telephone: 650-574-6330. E-mail: sanmatean@smccd.edu. All letters must be signed and accompanied by phone numbers or addresses to verify authorship. Names may be withheld upon request. Advertis-ing that conforms to San Mateo County Community College District regulations is welcome. the san Matean reserves the right to refuse advertising. Single copies are free —additional copies 25 cents each.

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Sarah Taggart, 18Biology, Oakland

“It’s easy for me. When it’s later it’s harder.”

Jeremy Troupe-Masi, 19Liberal Studies, Fremont “I carpool, and park in the faculty lot.”

Noria Chenunnou, 40 Social Work, Burlingame

“It’s a disaster. They should do something. We lose more time walking, stressing, sweating, and we get to class drained.”

Isabella Dos Santos, 27Economics, San Mateo

“I come early. If I come here late, then I usually wait for people to leave and then get late. I have a friend and sometimes I call him to see where he is parked.”

-Bruno ManriqueThe San Matean

The board of trustees is placing a $34 parcel tax on the June 8 ballot, in order to raise funds in an attempt to close the budget gap, but why is a parcel tax needed? “How is this not overkill?” asked John Servatius, of The San Matean, at the March 3 board meeting, referring to the parcel tax. The board’s frustration was expressed by Chancellor Galatolo, “The short answer is ... what choice do we have? ... We’re seeing it as neces-sary for survival. We can’t rely on the state, so now we’re looking to the community for support.” Why? Why are the trustees having to turn to a parcel tax? How did the district come to this state of affairs? In 1972 California took the power to levy property taxes away from local school districts, instead turning to “revenue limits” which dictated funding levels at the state level. This move was argued as a means of leveling the inequalities of funding obtainable from property taxes be-tween more and less affluent school districts. The passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 then limited the increases in property taxes. So, what does this history mean to the district? Firstly, it means that the shift from locally levied property taxes to the state allocated “revenue limit” funds, which are based on average daily attendance of students, has taken control of school funding away from the local school districts and moved it to the state legislature and the governor. Secondly, the dysfunctional two-thirds requirement to pass budgetary measures in the state legislature has made the “revenue limit” funds that schools depend on increasingly unstable, despite apparent local voters’ support for continued funding of education. The trustees’ Godbe Research surveys indicated a 69 percent support rate for the proposed parcel tax. With that level of local support of edu-cation funding, measures historically meant to level funding state-wide seem to be acting counter-productively. The question that should be asked is— Is that level of local support mirrored state-wide? If so, perhaps a state-wide ballot measure should be considered to pass a state-wide parcel tax, or even a property tax, to fund education. The legislature may require a two thirds vote to pass budgetary measures, but a ballot measure only requires 50 percent plus one votes to amend the state’s constitution, as evidenced with Proposition 8. Maybe it is time that the state’s school districts take the problem to the people, rather than wasting time with the legislature or the governor.

The Transit District board of directors recently agreed to a 7.5 percent reduction in bus services, and a fare increase to cover the costs of service for this fiscal year. I remember back when the adult pass was only $48, and the reason why I remember is because it was only about two years ago, compared to the staggering $64 I’m charged every month for one now, just to go to school and get around. To be quite honest, for that $64 I spend every month, I rather get on a bus that arrives on time and doesn’t make me late for my connection bus, causing me to miss the first 20 minutes of class. Every type of fare has been increased: adult, youth, disabled, as well as the express lines that facilitate commute between the Peninsula and San Francisco. Service cutbacks have also reduced the times in which some buses circulate, and completely eliminated the 342, DX, FX, MX, NX, PX, and RX routes. According to SamTrans bulletins, 45 employees, including administrative staff and bus operators, re-ceived layoff notices as a result of the service reductions. “It’s a scary situation, layoffs are happening everywhere” said Kevin Williams, 37, a bus operator. On the other hand, SamTrans added 135 new buses to replace the ones that have exceeded the recom-mended life span of 12 years. This will replace 137 old units of the 337 that actively run every year. I wonder how long the feeling of riding these new buses will last, because soon enough they won’t be new anymore. People will start drawing on the back of the seats, and the windows will clog with moss from the lack of maintenance. In spite of the rewarding feeling of getting something new every 12 years, I ask myself, so what will SamTrans come up with next? I’d rather get on a bus that can hold more than 28 sitting passengers, one that doesn’t make me feel like a sardine inside a can. The last thing you want after riding a bus for two hours is to have to stand up in another one and see it go over capacity. Yes route 250 I’m calling you out! Is it really fair to pay that fare? Are a few new buses really worth the extra money that bus riders get charged in a daily basis? To me it’s not, and although a price decrease seems highly unlikely, I just hope SamTrans is not too greedy to add a few more buses for people to get to school or at least make sure the ones that circulate can sit the amount of people who ride in it.

First Amendment update:Classes slated for approval

The San Matean is involved in an ongoing dispute with the adminis-tration concerning the future of its newspaper and website. A 2008 Pro-gram Implementation Viability Review (PIV) of the program threatens the independent voice on CSM’s campus. The Student Press Law Center, an advocate for student free-press rights; The California Newspaper Publisher’s Association, a group pro-tecting the interests of newspapers throughout the state; The Office of State Senator Leland Yee, a champion for First Amendment rights; and The Journalism Association of Community Colleges, a non- profit edu-cational group dedicated to community college journalism continue to watch the situation. A letter was sent March 11 from Jay Seidel, President of The Journal-ism Assocaition of Community Colleges, to Diana Bennett, President

See “Answers” on page 7