October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 3

To the Campus Community:

Since arriving at the college, I have been very pleased by the college com-munity’s commitment to celebrate diver-sity on our campus. Ongoing staff efforts to educate our community on the importance of appreciating differences and embracing our responsibility to pro-tect the rights of every member of soci-ety is commendable.

This month, we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Twenty years after landmark legislation known as the Americans With Disabilities Act established equal opportunity for those with disabilities, their employment rates still fall signifi-cantly below rates for Americans with-out disabilities. Speakers scheduled for

October 27th and 28th at 12:30 p.m. in the McCarthy Library should provide excellent information regarding address-ing this gap.

On December 2, there will be a pre-miere showing of the documentary The Anatomy of Hate; A Dialogue to Hope, thanks to the college’s educational part-nership with Stop the Hate! Staff have also organized a one-day pilot program for 40 Vintage High School student lead-ers in response to the tragic incidents of

bullying occurring across the country. Bringing these critical issues into the public forum is something in which we can all take pride.

Finally, congratulations to student leaders who have successfully launched a long-anticipated diversity speakers series and for establishing a Cultural Center on campus.

I am particularly proud that our stu-dents have demonstrated this level of initiative and leadership, and I hope the speaker series remains a part of our Napa Valley College culture.

Thanks to everyone for their work on these critical issues. I encourage the col-lege community to support these events wholeheartedly.

Greetings

& KudosFrom the PresidentBy Dr. Edna Baehre

By Sonia Wright, Foundation Executive Director

Woohoo to our employees!  The payroll contribution campaign kicked off in August and although we lost 14 payroll contributors to retirement, the money is about the same as last year.  We’re project-ing about $16,000 in payroll contributions for scholarships and program support again this year.  We have six new people who joined the marble apple club of $10/month and eight people who increased their contributions to $10/month.

The Foundation will also distribute apple pins to those who are donating anywhere from $5 to $9.99/month to any one fund.

The two goals were to raise the overall level of employee participation to 50% and raise monthly contribution to $10 per month. The breakdown is as follows:

• 21 administrators/confi dential out of 36=58% participation (increase of 10%) with average gift of $30.40/month;

• 19 classifi ed out of 152=13% participa-tion (increase of 1%) with average gift of $14.63/month;

• 36 full-time faculty out of 94=38% partici-pation (increase of 2%) with average gift of $10.75/month. A special thank you to our part-time fac-

ulty who donate through payroll contribu-tions. Four out of 210 have contributed in this manner over the last 12 months with an average gift of $5/month.

The overall participation rate among permanent employees is 27.4%.  Please help us on our way to 50% participation.   

Thank you for your generosity.  These contributions allow the college to continue to provide much needed support to our students and staff on campus.  You can change the fund you donate toward or the amount by completing the Payroll Contri-bution Form on the Foundation Forms page (click on the Give to NVC button on the college website home page).

New $10+/month contributors:

Edna BaehreMichelle Burhorn

Jennifer KingJanet McCard

Jessica MillikanMaria Villagomez

Those who increased their contribution to $10+/month in one fund:

Barbara BrockPeggy Carroll

Dianna ChiabottiStephanie Grohs

Julie HallBonnie Moore

Faye SmyleRobyn Wornall

Individuals who continued their $10+/month

contribution in one fund:

Kathy BairdGlen Bell

Kate BenscoterLoretta Carr

Carollee CattolicaMarilyn ColeAnne Cook

Michael Conroy

Emily CosbyAnn CounihanMaureen Dolan

Laura EcklinSue Engle

Becky GonzalezFain Hancock

Deborah HollibushJose HurtadoSherry LohseKevin Luckey

Betty Malmgren

Kelly McCannSherry MeltonPatti MorganJohn NahlenMalia PaluBeth Pratt

Christina RiveraCarolyn Sanchez

Judie Walter-BurkeEve-Anne Wilkes

Sonia Wright

Payroll Campaign

The Napa Valley College team in the Fight for Air Walk at Trea-sure Island, the Napa Valley Bronchodilators, raised some $800 and received appreciation from the walk sponsors, the American Lung Association in California. Congratulations to Kate Benscoter and the team!

More photos of the walk are available at http://s1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa397/timd1/Fight%20for%20Air%20Walk%202010/.

Fighting for Air!

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 5

The annual High School Breakfast was the most success-ful to date with a record number of high school counselors and college staff attending. It was held in the McCarthy Library community room. Special recog-nition was given to staff from

Hogan High School, since the school is closing in June. High school counselors had the opportunity to meet Dr. Edna Baehre, NVC’s new president, and to see the new Learning Resources Center and Library on tours that followed the program.

Fall 2010 High School Breakfast

Above, Bob Lortz of Financial Aid announces Cash for College events. Counselor Alex Guerrero was master of ceremonies. Right, Dr. Edna Baehre at the event.

Photos by Betty MalmgrenAbove, College staff Martha Navarro, Veronica Gomez, and Liz Gomez welcomed those attending.

Below, guests enjoyed coffee and breakfast prepared by the NVC Cafeteria.

appropriate memorial of the 9-11 attacks in New York. What is less clear is America’s historical ambivalence and struggle with making memory visual, be that of George Washington, the Civil War, or, more recently, the Vietnam War. This talk will address what is at stake. What is the language of loss? Whose memory is made visual? How do monuments such as this define a nation?

Prof. Amanda Badgett earned a B.A.

in Art History from the College of Wil-liam and Mary in Virginia, and pursued graduate study in Art History at Columbia University, with a focus on collective memory in nineteenth-centu-ry American architecture. While a graduate student, she received fellow-ships from the Henry Luce Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies and the Pew Charitable Trusts.  As the art historian at Napa Valley College, she teaches courses in areas including Islamic Art, Contemporary Art, and the History of Graphic Design.

Napa Valley College wine and hors

d’oeuvres will be served  following  the lecture. Please R.S.V.P. to 707-253-3374 by Nov. 1.

The Upper Valley Campus is located at 1088 College Ave., St. Helena.

Future topics“Contemporary Conversations with

Napa Valley College Faculty” will feature the following professors in March, April and May 2011: John Liscano, Ph.D., Political Science; Janet Stickmon, Humanities, and Maria L. Villagómez, Spanish Language and Hispanic Culture. Watch for future announcements on these spring presentations.

BADGETT from Page 1

The death of Napa State Hospital psychiatric techni-cian Donna Gross, 54, of Concord is mourned by many, including those in Napa Valley College’s Psychiatric Technician Program. Gross, who had worked at the hospital for 14 years, had attended the college program. Counselors were available to students and staff.

Napa State Hospital tragedy felt at Napa Valley College

Fall MESA FairThe Fall 2010 MESA Fair is Thursday, Oct. 28 from

11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Quad. This year the partici-pating instructors will be Forest Quinlan, Antonio Cas-tro, Michael Gianvecchio and Tom MacMullen. Fea-tured demos include circuits from Engineering, liquid nitrogen from Physics and chemical reactions from Chemistry. There will also be a Calculus/Algebra Con-test with a prize of $50. Hot dogs, burgers, veggie burg-ers, lumpia, nachos and drinks will be sold during the event. For more information contact Forest Quinlan at 253-3383.

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 6

Are you stressed? As a community college student, stress follows us everywhere we go like a bad odor. If

it’s left unchecked, it can start to sour our moods, affect our day to day activities in a negative way, and in some cases, manifest in a migraine at the most inconvenient time. While we’re conditioned into believing a day at the spa will help wash away all of that stress that’s been building up, it may just be too difficult to get out one day and do that. For those of us that aren’t so lucky, stress relief is something nearly every video game can offer.

According to a study done

by the Department of Psychi-atry at the University of Oxford, it was found that playing video games such as Tetris after a traumatic expe-rience helps with reducing involuntary flashbacks that often pop in our heads.

Puzzle games challenge players to constantly think on their feet. With Tetris, the player is constantly manipu-

lating a number of blocks into fitting perfectly together. The longer they play, the faster the game gets, which also encourages them to uti-lize their problem solving skills. So, playing games that are as mentally involving (but not as tiring as a difficult math or physics problem!) as Tetris will easily keep your mind off of that test you studied all night for, that real-ly tough lab practical, or sim-ply an embarrassing moment in class.

Did any of these things recently happen to you? Don’t fret! Remember that it’s not the end of the world! Even so, it’s very important to deal with your stress, before it piles up and becomes too unbearable. If you’re interested in trying your hand at Tetris, there is an arcade featuring the game located in the back of the Cafeteria on campus.

by Brandon Perry

HitPointsHitPoints

Tetris Beats Stress!

There are many Tetris games for different media available. This image of Tetris Zone is from: http://www.tetris.com/products/Tetris-Zone.aspx

How often have you found yourself crunched for time throughout the day? The life of a college student is often jam packed with classes, studying, social

engagements and family time, and a host of extra-curricular activities in between. When situations are hectic, it becomes difficult to make wise food choices for meals and snacks as the day progresses. However, integrating healthier foods into your pre-existing diet can have tre-mendous effects on your health and overall well being.

According to mypyramid.gov, specific cup and ounce recommendations for foods depend on the age and gender of the individual, but here are some quick diet modifications and additions that can be useful to everyone’s diet.

• According to My Pyramid’s dietary guidelines, half of the grains that

we consume though out the day

should be whole grains. Try

switching from

white bread to nutritious whole wheat bread.

• Try adding fi ber rich spinach to your salad at lunch. Spinach is also great in omelets, sandwiches, or heated up and served as a side with dinner.

• Bananas which have a lot of potassium are a delicious addition to oatmeal at breakfast time, and are a convenient snack throughout the day.

• Try integrating lean meats like baked chicken as opposed to fried options.

• Yogurt is a delicious snack throughout the day, a great addition to any breakfast, and can be added to virtually any kind of smoothie. Are you lactose intolerant? There are a variety of soy products on the market today (brands like Silk, or Kirkland Signature) that can give you that calcium kick you need.

• According to the Mayo Clinic, adding two tablespoons of olive oil is effective in helping to prevent heart disease. Olive oil tastes wonderful in salad dressings and bread dips.

It’s important to remember that we are never too busy to take care of our-selves! It would almost be as if all of our hard work thoughout the day would be futile if we let our bodies deteriorate in the process.

To learn more information about the new and improved Food Pyramid and ways to a healthier you based on your unique dietary needs, visit MyPyr-amid.gov.

Simple ways to a healthier you

is a publication for faculty, staff and students of

Napa Valley College and the communitywhich the college serves.Dr. Edna Baehre

Superintendent/President

Betty MalmgrenDirector, Community Relations

Richard BrunsLayout & Design

Sports Editor & PhotographyNVC Print Shop

Rick Foley, Nitu SinghAcknowledgments

Marian WoutersStudent Writers

Treina Bills, Elyse Lopez, Brandon Perry, Matt Rios and Vanessa Walker

Send items for this publication to the Community Relations Offi ce or email

bmalmgren@napavalley.edu

Napa Valley College News

Napa Valley College Board of Trustees

District 1 – Steven Reinbolt

District 2 – Bruce Ketron

District 3 – Brenda Knight...........................Clerk

District 4 – Charles Meng ...........................President

District 5 – Michael Baldini

District 6 – JoAnn Busenbark

District 7 – Thomas Andrews ......................Vice President

James Holliday ..........................Student Trustee

by Vanessa Walker

1,000Parachutes1,000Parachutes

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 7

Diversity speaker on feminism, Goddess and witchcraft

Photos by Richard BrunsAbove, Starhawk address a nearly-full Little Theater audience. Above right, during her presentation Starhawk clenches her fist as an emphasis for the need for social justice for women and the poor.

By Vanessa Walker

On October 18 students, staff, faculty and community members filled up Napa Valley College’s Little Theater in order to see the renowned earth-based spiritual leader, author and activist, Starhawk.

The issues that she discussed in her speech, “The Insights of Feminism to Change the World,” included her personal stories about the oppression she experienced as a woman growing up in the ‘70s, Feminism and Wicca, as well as the political activist group she helped create called “Reclaiming.”

She touched on the female experience in the ‘70s, and how in her opinion many women did not realize that they were being oppressed. “It was the problem without a name,” she said. She briefly shared her experience as an undergraduate Art student. She was once told that she had no future in the field because there were hardly any successful women in that field at the time. Instead, she was advised to try her hand at photography, as women were more accepted there. “Oppression was subtle (back then),” she said, and

many women did not realize that they were being robbed of their passions by an oppressive society.

While in college, she discovered witchcraft though a project she worked on for an Anthropology class. In her findings, she found that 16th and 17th century England as well as the indigenous populations of Mexico both had some form of an earth-based spiritual religion. Likewise she noted that she felt a closer connection to spiritually though nature than being in Synagogue, as she was brought up in the Jewish faith. However, in the ‘70s she says that it was uncommon to see someone who identified themselves as a Feminist and a Wiccan at the same time. Though her passion for both feminism and earth-based spirituality, she became one of the major influencing forces behind the advancement of the Goddess religion.

In the ‘60s, she helped form the political activist group “Reclaiming.” In the 80s, Reclaiming coordinated a non-violent protest against PG&E’s plans to build a power plant on an earthquake fault in Diablo Valley. Their protest consisted of

rituals that honored the elements and the forces of nature. Although Starhawk and her fellow protesters were eventually arrested, they felt as if their protests and rituals paid off. “Engineers built half of the plant backwards,” she said, and production had to be stopped and it corrected, which pushed building plans back four years. According to Starhawk, PG&E planned to build 49 other power plants during this four year time span and eventually, every plant’s production except for one was cancelled.

She concluded by asking students what they hope to get out of their education. “What’s important to you? What’s sacred to you? Do you care more about it than your comfort? Is that what you are studying?” she asked. Though she experienced many ups and downs during her college career and thereafter, she stressed to students to always follow what is truly important to them and to surround themselves with people that support those goals, just as she did.

For more information about Starhawk, visit http://www.starhawk.org/.

Starhawk at NVC

Starhawk was the

4th speaker in the

inaugural 2010

Diversity Speaker

Series. There are 3 more speakers

slated through

December.

Little Theater

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 8

For the month of October, I thought it would be of benefit to talk about pas-sion and how one’s passion can lead to the unifi-

cation of individuals, despite differences we may have. So I took it upon myself to inter-view NVC’s Community Gar-den Club organizer Jennifer (Jiin) Nichols.

Nothing says community like NVC’s Community Garden Club. Just recently NVC’s Gar-den Club hosted the Harvest Moon and Fall Equinox cele-bration which took place on September 23, 24, and 25 in NVC’s greenhouse, located behind the welding building on the west side of the campus. Through her excitement about the event, Nichols mentions, “It couldn’t have come at a bet-ter time.”

During this festive event artistic talents, both musical and creative, were displayed. Teachers and staff attended in support of students and to share their love of the arts. “Our goal is to draw from skills and talents of individuals by harvesting the community and their inspiration, as well as the garden,” says Nichols. Eager not to leave anyone out Nich-ols gave me a list of perfor-mances and art work featured by local artists and club mem-bers including Lisette Bandat, Max Ed Stanly, John Thill, Latay, Ashley King, Israel Valencia, Alicia Martinez, and last but not least, our very own Jennifer Nichols who has been recognized for vocal/acoustic talents around campus by many students. As a result of the Harvest Moon and Fall Equinox event, the garden club

hosted a farmer’s market which had veggies grown by mem-bers. “We wanted to reach out to everybody,” says Nichols.

When I asked Nichols if she had expected the event to be such a success, she replied, “No. Never. It started off as a seed and it all came together. It was worth it. The garden flour-ished. Excitement spread.” Just by speaking with Nichols for a short period, you can sense her passion. Passion is a key ele-ment in life. Many of us find ourselves feeling like we are bound to things we don’t have interest in because others tells us to. We must find what makes us passionate and share it with others. We must nur-ture it. If there is no passion, there is no point!

From a very young child Nichols found inspiration in gardening. It’s in her blood.

She can’t help it. “My body wants to work the earth. My mind wants peace. Steward-ship is the best work that can be done. The Earth needs to be taken care of. This mental-ity has been lost amongst technology,” says Nichols. She aims for the root of things that shows its richness and its purity.

Following the Harvest Moon and the Fall Equinox event, NVC’s Community Garden Club along with Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) advocated the film, The Future of Food, starring UC Berkeley Microbial ecologist Dr. Ignacio Chapela. The film addresses the concerns about genetically engineered food; it collected donations on behalf of and in support of P.I.N.A (Preserving the Integrity of Napa’s Agricul-

ture). For more information on genetically engineered agricul-ture, please see the P.I.N.A. website at http://www.preserve-napasag.org/.

There you have it folks! A group of pioneers liberated by passion!

P.S. The Garden Club will be hosting “Jam’in the Garden: Music, Workshops and Pot-luck” every first Saturday of the month from 2 to 5:30 p.m. in the NVC Community Garden.

For more information on NVC’s Community Garden Club, contact ASNVC at 707-253-3065 Monday through Thursday 12:30 to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also check out clips on You-Tube for updates featuring art work and musicians in NVC’s greenhouse or drop by and check it out.

by Treina Bills

Alphabet SoupAlphabet Soup

NVC’S Garden ClubDiversity is the spice of life: An interview with student organizer Jennifer Nichols

Photos by Marian Wouters and Richard BrunsThe Napa Valley College Garden Club garden, above, and club member Jennifer Nichols, photos below, is the product of hard work and responsible care.

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 9

Napa Valley College has been awarded a grant from the 2010 Dwight David Eisenhower Com-munity College Fellowship Pro-gram. The estimated amount of the fellowship is $30,000. The objective of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellow-

ship Program is to attract quali-fied students to the field of transportation and research, and advance transportation workforce development.

The $5,000 fellowships were each awarded to Jesus Mendez, Engineering; Eloy Lopez, Aero-space Engineering; Enrique Mora, Biomedical Engineering; Lucero Cervantes, Civil Engineering;

Lucia Ruiz, Architectural Engineer-ing; and Amanda Gunnell, Electrical Engineering.

Prof. Antonio Castro is their faculty advisor and Jose Hernandez and Rene Rubio are the MESA administrating staff.

If you’re like me you pay attention to the news, and you probably have heard about the upcoming elections. I know it’s just a mid-term elec-tion, and if you’re like me you’ve thought about not even vot-ing. Maybe it’s

because you think your vote doesn’t matter one way or the other because of the radicals on either side, or maybe you don’t like any of the candidates running for governor, but whatever reason you have isn’t as important as making your voice heard. Whichever way your politi-cal senses may lead you, be it to the left, right, or more towards the center, if you care about what happens to the commu-nity in which you live it is important to make a decision by casting your vote. Just as important as getting out and vot-ing, it’s critical that those of us who do intend to vote spend some time getting to know a little bit about the issues that matter, and any prospective candidate’s stance on those issues.

Making an informed decision can be hard. With all the hyperbolic rhetoric and jabs at caustic personal scandals clouding the media (largely thanks to the inundating effect of networks like MSNBC and Fox News) it’s hard to tell what’s really on a candidate’s mind, and what’s just pandering to election-year voters. That’s why, if you’re look-

ing for a reliable source of information on the politics of local and national issues, do what I do: pick up a copy of your local newspaper. Not that a news-paper is perfect, it doesn’t have the ability to bring you up-to-date infor-mation on any subject--that’s just the nature of the print newspaper busi-ness--but what that newspaper lacks in volume of coverage it makes up for in quality of reporting. When you read an article about a local issue in a newspa-per, you’re reading something based on fact, instead of listening to the opinions of the political commentators that have taken over the major news networks. An even better resource for

finding out more information about candidates in your area would be the Internet. Specifically websites like www.sos.ca.gov/elections and www.votes-mart.org/ can help you find out more about your local representatives and the issues facing your community. No matter how you vote, it is important that you do so knowing as much as you can about the issues important to you so that you can make a responsible decision, and not waste a vote on someone who doesn’t represent you. Because if those with a modicum of reason don’t make their voices heard above all, they’ll be sorry when the radicals take control in November.

by Matt Rios

RundownTh e

An informed decision

Photo by Betty MalmgrenUMOJA, Black Student Union and the Associated Students of Napa Valley College hosted a debate between Board of Trustees District 4 candidates Lauren Ackerman and Bill Blair on Oct. 26 in the Little Theater. James Holliday, student trustee, was the moderator. Ackermann and Blair are running for the seat being vacated by long-time trustee Charles Meng, who is not seeking re-election since he has been named to a state-wide Accreditation Commission role.

BOT District 4 candidate debate

MESA’s Jose Hernandez is one of the biggest San Francisco Giant’s fans on campus and is thrilled that they are in the World Series.

Go Giants!Go Giants!

Photo by Richard BrunsLeft to right, Jesus Mendez, Eloy Lopez, Enrique Mora, Lucero Cervantes, and Lucia Ruiz. (Not pictured Amanda Gunnell.)

NVC students honored with Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships

Student selected to present at Transportation Conference

Enrique Mora of Napa Valley College has been selected to present his research during a poster session at a Department of Transportation conference in January.

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 10

Story & Photo by Richard Bruns

In its bid for a four-peat Bay Valley Con-ference championship title the Napa Valley College Storm volleyball team had its toughest challenge of the season Oct. 22 as the Yuba College 49ers took the NVC spik-ers to five games – the first non-sweep of the season.

According to head coach Kelly Van Win-den, lack of offense in the first two games resulted in losses of 15-25, and 17-25 but the team rallied to come back with 25-22, 25-18 and 15-9 game wins to take the match.

Sophomore Nicole Bickham and fresh-man Hillary Domecus tallied 10 kills each with sophomores Tiffany Molinar and Christina Fonville following closely with 9 and 8 respectively. Bickham and Molinar

also had four and three aces respectively.Defense stats include 26 digs for Dome-

cus and 20 for Fonville. Under Coach Van Winden, the Storm

has scored five BVC championships – 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The 2009 title was split with Yuba with the Storm losing one of the two season's matches to the 49ers. This season the Storm has cap-tured both matches.

At press time the Napa Valley College Storm volleyball remains undefeated at 9-0 in Bay Valley Conference play, including recent three-game sweeps against the Contra Costa College Comets, Oct. 20 and frequent nemesis, the Solano College Fal-cons, Oct. 15, on Solano's home court.

The Storm is slated to play Los Medanos in Pittsburg, Oct. 27 and then return home

for an Oct. 29 contest with Mendocino College. The Friday night game home match starts at 6 p.m.

If you have never seen an NVC Storm vol-leyball match, you are missing an incredibly exciting athletic experience. These young athletes are skilled, competitive and fun to watch.

It's also worth noting that although all intercollegiate athletes are required to maintain a minimum C Grade point aver-age for a full-time academic load, these young students average much higher than a C. Supporting them in their athletic careers is also supporting them in their academic careers. I hope you will join me, the Storm Family and the NVC communi-ty in support of the Storm as they continue their quest for another successful season.

From left, Christina Fonville, Andrea Particelli, Tiffany Molinar, Meriha Wallace, Kaylie Martin, Courtni Jo Hansen, Nicole Rambo, Hillary Domecus and Nicole Bickham. Inset photo top right, Kelsey Cervantes, participating as a red shirt player for the 2010 season.

Meet volleyball's Team Storm 2010

Storm volleyball on track for 4-Peat

Taking her five feet nine inches to the net, Kaylie

Martin is keeping the middle and right side safe as a blocker. Left-handed Kaylie is another local player, a graduate from Napa High School and Scott Kostecka’s program. After NVC Kaylie plans to transfer to a four-year

college as a Registered Nursing major. She states beating Vintage High School and becoming second-Team All-League player in her junior and senior years as significant athletic highlights in her young career. Adding to her balanced outlook, her role model is “Mommy! She’s

strong and she is always so caring and never gives up on anything.”

Sophomore Christina Fonville is a five foot five

inch right-handed power-house with an awesome vertical jump and a kill that heats the air the ball passes through. A dental hygiene

major, Christina worked with Scott Kostecka, Stephanie Raymond and Manny Johnson in the Napa High School program. One of her memorable athletic highlights: “My senior year of high school, we were in game five and it was tied. I got the last two services

aces of the game which moved us up to compete in sections.” Of many possible athletic role models, “Troy Gittings is a former coach of mine who always pushed me to the best I could be.” She brings that drive and

VOLLEYBALLContinued on Page 11

October 27, 2010 – NVC News Page 11

attitude into her daily life and future as well as volleyball.“ I would like to be successful and find happiness in whatever I choose to do for my career. I would love to travel to Greece and Italy after college and remain healthy.”

Hailing from Justin-Siena High School where her

volleyball coach was Kelly Porter, sophomore Tiffany Molinar is another five foot five inch dynamo who can spike, pass, set and dig with the best of them. Pursuing a Liberal Studies and Social Science major at Napa Valley College, Tiffany plans to transfer to Sonoma State University next year. She was named All-Conference while at JS and “My role model is my mom. She is an amazing person; she’s raised five great kids! She has a huge heart!”

Meriha Wallace has returned to the Storm

following a daunting Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear last year. It is significant that Meriha identifies returning from this very significant athletic injury, the bane of virtually all action athletics, as her main athletic highlight. A graduate of Sonoma High School, she played for Marianne Spitzer. She is

working on her General Education requirements at Napa Valley College and will be pursuing dental hygiene at Santa Rosa Junior College. She, too, identifies her mom as her role model. As to the future, she wants and plans to “Be happy! Be successful! Be independent!”

A multi-sport graduate of St. Helena High School

where she played volleyball for Benny Rabanal and basketball for Will Densberger. Adriana Particelli is a five foot six inch freshman who notes that her athletic highlights to date include going to conference playoffs for both volleyball and basketball. Crediting her parents Ray and Annetta as her role models, Adriana is pursuing Nursing as a career and will undoubtedly succeed in her career choice and in life.

A freshman joining the Storm from Napa High

School and Manny Johnson’s volleyball program, five foot ten inch right-handed Nicole Rambo will help keep the ball on the other side of the net. She is a Biology major and looks forward to transferring to either the University of Hawaii or University of San Diego. It’s probably only coincidence

that both states have beaches. Nicole identifies being a part of the MEL. championship team while at Napa High as a significant athletic highlight. Life lessons come from her role model mom "Because she has earned everything she has with pride.” She incorporates a similar attitude towards her future, “To be the best I can be with any obstacle I am given.”

Five foot ten inch Hillary Domecus is a right-

handed freshman from St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School. Curiously, her high school volleyball coach has a similar name, Danette Domecus. She is a Business major at NVC and plans to transfer to UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly or Monterey Bay. She has an impressive list of high school credits including MVP for two years, Most Inspirational for two years and First-Team All-League three years. She also participated in the Junior Olympics three years in Open, National and Club divisions and winning two silver medals. Role models include two former Storm standout alumni athletes: volleyball and softball standout Jackie Domecus, her sister, and Storm basketball guard and current assistant Storm basketball coach, Aaron Trigg. “Jackie is strong and

smart. She is my sister and I look up to her. And Aaron–he always wants me to do my best, be smart and strong and never give up on my dreams.” Which will carry her through to her goals of being successful and achieving those dreams.

At five feet ten inches, right-handed Courtni Jo

Hansen comes to us by way of Will C. Wood High School and the volleyball program of Heather Leonard. A freshman this year, Courtni is majoring in Kinesiology and plans a junior year transfer to either University of San Francisco or Monterey Bay. She counts her athletic highlights as defeating “Vaca High every single game my senior year.” Courtni’s role model is “My Papa Coy; he was my biggest fan and I learned a lot about life from him.” Her life goals includes an aim “to raise a big, happy, athletic family and still have decent money.” A worthy goal, indeed.

Forced to watch from the sidelines last year due to

a knee injury, Nicole Bickham is back on the court with energy and enthusiasm. A sophomore hitting right-handed at five feet six inches, Nicole came to us from Vintage High School and the Jim Cherniss program. Majoring in Environmental Science, she is setting her transfer sights

on Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. Nicole was MVP for the freshman Vintage team, Rookie of the Year her junior year on the Varsity squad and named to the Second-Team All-League her junior and senior years. She looks up to “anyone who goes above the average and does good for more than just themselves.” And she joins with the positive side of life and wants “to be happy, healthy and successful.”

Kelsey Cervantes transferred from CSU

East Bay “because I felt Napa was a better education environment.” She comes from Bear Creek High School in Stockton and is supporting the Storm this year as a red shirt*. According to Coach Van Winden, “Kelsey is a pleasure to have in the gym. She works extremely hard and is a big supporter of Napa Valley volleyball.”

*A red shirt participates with the team but is not officially a part of the intercollegiate competi-tion. A red shirt may be recovering from injuries, establishing eligibility as a new transfer from another school, or establishing eligibility as a full-time student. It is anticipated that a red shirt will participate in the next school year's season.

VOLLEYBALL from Page 10

The Napa Valley College Tennis Club hosted the opening 2010-11 Tennis On Campus (TOC) Tournament of Champions for NorCal Region of USTA Saturday, Oct.9. This tournament leads to the TOC Championships at Stanford on Oct. 30-31.

Teams participating included Chico State University, City College San Francisco (two teams), St. Mary’s College (two teams) and Cal Berkeley.

According to Tennis Club advisor Dr. Rebecca Thompson, "All in all, it was a great afternoon of tennis. Many spectators from Napa Valley College Tennis Club and faculty enjoyed the day watching top Northern California teams battle it out. Cal Berkeley won the title for the second year in a row." The team was awarded a case of tennis balls donated by NVC athletics counselor, Jose Hurtado.

Student members of the NVC Tennis Club working hard throughout the day to ensure a good experience for the out of town teams were Melissa Goltiao (NVC Tennis Club representative), Dorothea Chow (NVC Tennis Club treasurer), Ron Downs (NVC Tennis Club equipment manager), Pete Peralez, Robert Mustacho, Jason Torres, Ron Rhyno, Gerardo Paez (NVC Tennis Club vice president), Craig Pina (NVC Tennis Club president), Tracy Bunker (and her students from New Tech High School who stuffed the 60 goodie bags for the players), and Joe Conners. The NVC Tennis Club wishes to thank Pete Peralez and Ron Rhyno who swept the courts, Ron Downs who officiated the tournament, Sherrie Melton who donated Bookstore bags and NVC pens to each participant, and Ben & Jerry’s for their generous donation of free waffle cones and $2 off coupons to all participants and workers.

NVC student namedplayer of the year

NVC student and Tennis Club team member, Gerardo Paez, advanced to the semi-finals in the early rounds of the USTA Grand Prix on Oct. 9 in Santa Clara. He was also awarded the Player of the Year trophy for his first place finish and good sportsmanship. He played the semi-finals on Oct. 10 in Santa Clara. He is the first member of the NVC Tennis Club Team to win this prestigious award. Finals were to be played in Santa Clara Oct. 16. Congratulations, Gerardo! Bravo!

For more information about the NVC Tennis Club contact club advisor Dr. Rebecca Thompson at rthompson@napavalley.edu or leave at message at 253-3222.

NVC Tennis Club TOC Tournament of Champions

Napa Valley College News – BACK PAGE

Candidates on campusNovember elections are fast approaching. Napa Valley College’s honor society Phi Theta Kappa will sponsor an “Election Bash” on Thursday, Oct. 28. Those attending can learn more about the candidates who are running for local office and about issues that will be addressed on next month’s ballot. This event is free and open to the public. It will be held in Napa Valley College’s Cafeteria at 4 p.m. Speakers will include NVC professors as well as candidates for local office.

For more information, contact cgillis@napavalley.edu.

NVC celebrates Halloween with 'Psycho' Orchestra concert

The Performing Arts Center at Napa Valley College celebrates Halloween by presenting the PSYCHO Concert by the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra. The orchestra, comprised by some of the finest professional musicians in the San Francisco Bay area, is making its debut as the inaugural orchestral concert in the new Main Theater.

Featured soloists for the evening will be Annette DiMedio, pianist; Joseph Gold, violinist; Karen Bentley, violinist, and Seth Montfort, pianist. Roberto-Juan González, orchestra director at Napa Valley College since 1988, and principal conductor of the Concerto Orchestra, will conduct.

The music featured on the evening’s concert includes works from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, designed to scare, titillate, and excite concert and film audiences. Concertos by Tartini, Liszt, and Saint-Saëns make up the music of the night. The concert takes its

name from Bernard Herrmann’s music from the film Psycho to be played by the orchestra.

The music begins at 8 p.m. Parking is free. The concert is a benefit for the piano fund of the new Performing Arts Center. Reserved seats are $15 general, $10 students, seniors and military available by phone 707-256-7500 or online at www.musicnapavalley.org or at the box office, the night of the concert.

Annual writing contestThe Napa Valley College Writing Center’s sixth annual writing contest is open to all NVC students (except Writing Center peer tutors). The theme this year is “Finding Courage.”

“Tell us about a time when you faced fear. What were you afraid of? What did you do to cope with your fear? How did dealing with that fear change you?” ask Writing Center staff.

The first place winner will receive a $25 college Bookstore gift certificate; second place, $15 Bookstore gift certificate, and third place, $10 Bookstore gift certificate.

Guidelines are available below the bulletin board just outside the Writing Center, Room 832.

The last day to turn in entries will be Thursday, Dec. 2.

NVC presents Songsby Nat, Frank and Billie

The Performing Arts Center at Napa Valley Col-lege presents Roberto-Juan González, crooner, and the Michael Parsons Jazz Trio, performing Songs by Nat, Frank, and Billie, a concert of torch songs and love songs. The event is a benefit for the Piano Fund of the Performing Arts Center.

The evening’s performance, presenting songs from the American Songbook of the 1930s through the 1950s, featuring Michael Parsons, piano, Adam Guy, bass, and Ulf Bjorkbom, drums, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theater of the Performing Arts Center. Music for the evening will include songs by Cole Porter, Billy Strayhorn, Frank Sinatra, George Gershwin, Jimmy van Heusen, and others. Return with this singer and group to the days of cabaret performances with songs of love won, love lost and love gone wrong.

Tickets are $15 general, $10 seniors/students/military. All seating is reserved. Call 707-256-7500 or visit www.musicnapavalley.org to make a reservation. Unsold tickets will be available at the door. Parking is free.

The AIDs Walk will be on Oct. 30 start-ing at the Lincoln Theater at the Yountville

Veterans Home. The team photo will be at 9:30 with the walk starting at 10 a.m. With a Halloween theme, the walk route will take participants through downtown Yountville.

Each year the college supports this event with a team organized by Commu-nity Relations. Last year the college was honored for the largest team in the school category. Clubs, classes, office groups, family and friends are invited to join the NVC team. Email bmalmgren@napavalley.edu right away to join the team and indicate your shirt size.

If you can’t walk but would like to sup-port this event with a donation, checks can be sent to Community Relations and made out to Aids Walk Napa Valley.

Aids Walk Team formingJoin the NVC team in Aids Walk Napa Valley

NVC File photoA few members of the 2009 Team.

Disability Awareness

MonthOctober is National Disability Awareness Month. The staff at Workability III invites everyone to events in October. Pride Industries Representatives Andre Anthony and Traci Brooks will be at the McCarthy Library Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m. to speak.

The Superior Court of California Human Resources Manager Susan P. Clark and Disability Services and Legal Center Representative April Dawson will speak at the Library Oct. 28 at 12:30 p.m.

For more information call Edward Beanes at (707) 253-3055.