sept .17, 2008

El VaqueroGlendale College

El Vaquero

Photo by Richard Kontas

Story and photos pages 10-11

September 17, 2008

New Coach John Rome is bringing a lifetime of experience to the field. See story, page 17.

Vaqueros Football

Off to a strong start this season.

2 Wednesday,September17,2008 www.elvaq.com

NEWS/LETTERTOTHEEDITOR

El VaqueroGlendale Community College

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Here’s What’s Happening

in this issue

September 17, 2008

Volume 92 Number 1

News.................2-7

Features. . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Entertainment...12-15

Sports.............16-18

Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . .19

Budget Impasse Plagues Funding

The state legislature passed a state budget with a two-

thirds vote late Monday night, but as of press time Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was expected to veto the proposal. Without a state budget the college has not received any funding from the state and is running on reserves; the college has passed its own budget.

“It does not look like we’re a n y w h e r e close to getting one (a state budget). The Republicans are still holding fast on no new tax increases… the Democrats are not wanting to make any cuts in the existing appropriations,” said Ron Nakasone, college controller, at the Aug. 25 board of trustees meeting. Appropriations in the proposed budget are programs and services such as Cal Works, education, health and other low-income services in the state.

One of the areas affected by the late state budget is the work study program.

Nakasone said that the federal contribution makes up 25 percent

of the money used to hire student workers. The rest money for student workers usually comes from the state and the college, but because of the late budget there is no funding from the state.

The federal allocation for student workers has been cut by 40 percent, affecting the number of students hired on campus said

Pat Hurley, a s s o c i a t e dean and director of financial aid.

Anothe r area of the c o l l e g e affected by the late state budget is state-funded

financial aid.“We (the college) get less

federal money for less students who receive financial aid,” said Hurley.

The misconception that students believe is that they are not eligible for financial and so they don’t apply, thus the college receives less federal money for financial aid. Pell grant students are not affected by the late budget; however, students who receive Cal grants are being funded by the college.

The college pays those students who applied on time and qualify for the Cal grants; those

who didn’t apply on time, but are eligible, will have to wait until the state has a budget, said Hurley.

Hurley said that when the economy goes down, enrollment in community colleges does up because of the people who need to retrain in their jobs.”

“Our fees are the lowest in the country, because the enrollment fee set by the state at $20 a unit,” she said.

Some classes have been combined to save resources.

Dawn Lindsay, Vice President of Instructional Services, describes the process as one of expedience.

“Our faculty contract states that classes have to have a minimum of 15 students in order to proceed. This is a contractually issue and can not be altered for the fall and spring semesters. We worked to have more efficient scheduling. For example, rather than have two classes being offered in close proximity, say a 1 p.m. start and a 2 p.m. start with both classes having 15 students, we opted to offer one section of the class hoping all 30 students could take the class.

We are working hard to offer all classes students need, regardless of their educational goal, just in a more efficient manner,” said Lindsay.

STAffPHOTOgRAPHERS Graig Agop Allan Beglarian Richard Kontas Ismael Reyes

By Corinna ScottEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Corinna Scott can be reached at [email protected]

Letter to the EditorDear Editor,

Sarah Palin took the September 11th opportunity to give her opinion that it may be neces-sary to go to war with Russia if it invades a U.S. ally. What does this talk promote? Does it let Russia strongman Vladimir Putin know that we’re serious? No. It gives Putin an excuse to clamp down on whatever dissent exists in Russia, and give Putin reason to fear NATO allies on Russia’s borders.

Does the U.S. really have to learn all over again how Russia behaves when it feels that Western nations are lining up against it? In today’s global economy, does anyone really believe that something good can come from an antagonistic Russia? Most importantly, does anyone honestly believe that Palin is qualified to make executive decisions on these issues? Does anyone need to be reminded what Palin’s church, the Assembly of God, believes about the end of the world, that it is coming very soon, and will be ushered in by war with Russia?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-mjfuE-Dz5hpM2uDBVt3Kw6le4AD934QEDG0

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5778018&page=1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080911/ap_on_el_pr/palin_interview

— Phoebe Tran (via e-mail)

Letters may be reproduced in full or in part and represent only the point of view of the writer, not the opinion of El Vaquero or Glendale Community College and its district. Letters must be signed and typed and include the full name and address of the writer. El Vaquero is a First Amendment publication.

STAffWRITERS Claudia Anaya Ani Khashadoorian Susan Aksu Kenneth Malate Rachel Bethke Fabiola Prieto Brandon Hensley Isiah Reyes Garrick Hogg Corinna Scott

“I have been very clear this entire year that I

would be unable to sign a budget without meaningful

budget reform”

— Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

www.elvaq.com Wednesday,September17,20083

NEWS

OnlineOrientationKeepsPaceWithTechnology

As technology continues to revolutionize in order

to keep up with our fast-paced lives, the deaths of the corner bookstore, independent music store, and the travel agency have been realized with the booming popularity of virtual substitutes such as Amazon.com, iTunes, and Expedia.com.

Now available on the Glendale Community College Web site is an online orientation. Not long ago, this information was given in either a one-unit student development class, or a one-hour on-campus workshop.

The online orientation, developed by Jewel D’Aloia Price, dean of student services, is a multi-media presentation packed with essential information to get new and current students on their paths to success.

A photo-link at the bottom of GCC’s homepage takes the visitor to an introduction of the orientation where he or she is given a brief description of the site, the requirements to complete the orientation and the opportunity to earn credit for participation, as well as a set of navigational tips.

The orientation welcomes the visitor with a video message from President Audre Levy.

“I’m sure you will enjoy this video as well as your time on Glendale Community College campus,” says Levy, as she concludes her message, “where we make you our number one priority.”

The main menu directs visitors to information on academic programs, career technical programs, enrollment services,

financial services, support services, campus life, college success, and student conduct and safety.

At the end of each section, one-question quizzes, such as where to go to obtain a parking permit, or where one should go

when feeling overwhelmed with first-semester jitters, serve as a way to track the visitor’s progress throughout the orientation in order to earn credit.

Both new and current students will find that the orientation provides all the tools necessary to

achieve educational success. For more about online

orientation visit http://www.g l e n d a l e . e d u / c o u n s e l i n g /onlineorientrationintro.htm. www.elvaq.com

By Fabiola PrietoEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Fabiola Prieto can be reached at [email protected]

Online orientation is a boon to busy students.

Video Production Class Premiers After Shakey StartBy Fabiola PrietoEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

At last, the music video production class promised

last semester was brought by popular demand. After two years of planning within the visual and performing arts division, MA 117 has come to fruition.

In this class, as explained in its syllabus, “Students will gain experience in camera operation, sound recording, and video editing

as they relate to the production of music videos.”

In their second week, students seem eager to begin their projects; long discussions are triggered when topics such as the artist’s essence and style come up. This is all part of the pre-production process.

The students are to “crew up” into three groups (depending on the turn out of students), and “Whoever brings the [musician] will be the director or have a say on who the director will be,”

said Michael Pitts, media arts professor.

Pitts has worked at GCC for twelve years, and teaches concurrently at Pierce College. He has directed more than 10 music videos from different parts of the world, and was the creator of a show from the early nineties called: Jazzin’ America; where he featured various Jazz and R&B artists.

This particular class is experimental; it’s still uncertain whether one session is sufficient

to end up with a quality piece, but Pitts is hopeful and the media arts department is ready to provide students with all the resources necessary to accomplish it.

“Everybody in the crew has to be on the same page,” said Pitts. Such production relies of the organization and willingness of all to do their part. Although the students will vote on the song each crew will be working with, the result will be a duplication of an already produced video. The student’s job is to find a similar

artist or band and re-enact all the shots. According to Pitts, this will facilitate the process by giving these potential producers a solid base and allowing time to concentrate on the shooting and editing part.

GCTV, the school’s studio and Macintosh-equipped laboratory, along with cameras, sound-recording tools, software, and knowledgeable instructors are available to those who undertake

[See “Video,” page 4]


NEWS

the challenge (as long as they abide by with the school’s rules and regulations). This class is only open to students who have taken Media Arts 101, which is the introductory video production class that Pitts also teaches.

During class meeting, students seem comfortable in this new mission; they’re familiar enough with the professor to mix lecture, jokes, and family matters in the 3 hours and 23 minutes that they’ll be meeting each week.

At this point they’re in the research process, and they

resort to a projection of Youtube in the media arts laboratory. They watch the beginning sequence of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” music video, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

“That’s a classic! That transcends time. Why?” Pitts asks about “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Again, a discussion bursts -the average student here has clearly been touched by the MTV generation. Do they have the answer? Perhaps not, but they’ve taken the first step toward tapping into a potential passion.

“The biggest challenges will be working with the musicians and narrowing down to a single song

[per team],” said Pitts. His 35 years of teaching experience give him confidence, but this is a collaborative effort and it is up to the students to come together and cook up a musical masterpiece — or at least something well done.

For more information on this class and the Media Arts Program e-mail Mike Petros at [email protected], Michael Pitts at [email protected] or visit the Media Arts department in SG335.

[“Video,” from Page 3]

Fabiola Prieto can be reached at [email protected]

Music Video Class Offered by Media Arts Department

Every fall semester brings forth the arrival of new students

who are fresh out of high school, but this often results in a surplus of students who are unsure by what they’re supposed to be doing next. To help get things rolling on the right track, there are numerous resources available to students here on campus.

Taking the required courses for an educational goal is the primary task for most students, and the counseling department specializes in just that. They will help direct students on the right trajectory toward their objectives. Even though most students have already visited a counselor prior to the beginning of the semester, it is important to also see a counselor once the semester has begun to build an education plan.

Jewel D’Aloia Price, the dean of student services said, “Students should visit a counselor to develop a student education plan, which serves as a road map to what courses to take.”

But the counselors are not just there to provide academic help, they also help with college life in general.

“Sometimes students are under pressure,” said Price. “[They] have situational issues that come up, have a problem in a relationship, or maybe there’s something they don’t understand in class, a problem with a teacher.

Counselors also hand out referrals, and assist in legal problems among other things. If a problem persists, Price says that a “counselor will help make you

aware of the tutoring. They’re the one person you can come to with different kinds of issues.”

Aside from the counseling center, there’s the transfer center, which is focused more on helping students select a college to transfer to. Some of the more popular universities that students want to transfer to include UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cal State L.A., and Cal State Northridge.

However, the California State University (CSU) system is favored over the University of California (UC) system because the admission policy is less rigorous and the tuition fees are lower.

The minimum grade point average for admission into a CSU is 2.0, while the minimum grade point average for a UC is at 2.4. However, the popular colleges require an even higher grade point average, such as UCLA, which has accepted high school graduates students at an estimated 4.34 grade point average, according to a UCLA press release.

The CSU annual tuition is estimated at $2,772 a year, whereas the UC annual tuition is considerably higher at $7,446. The transfer center assists low-income students through the financial aid office, another resource that all students are advised to look into. Tuition shouldn’t be a problem unless all financial aid has been dealt with beforehand.

Besides the CSU and UC transfers commonly made, many student also want to transfer to independent universities. There are an estimated 100 transfers a year from students who attended GCC to transfer to an independent university.

About 225,000 students attend independent universities, which is equal to about 21 percent of California’s four-year undergraduate students. Each independent college offers its own diverse programs, and about 50 percent of all master’s degrees and doctorates awarded in California are from independent colleges.

Although not all students are planning to transfer to a four-year-university, such as those students who are trying to attain a two-year degree or those who are aiming to upgrade their educational status, they are advised to visit with a counselor to make sure they are taking the required courses for their educational goal.

With a university of choice in mind, most students still don’t know what to major in. The career center provides assistance in just that area. They are here to help students find out about their own capabilities and talents while exploring different jobs opportunities in the market.

“The transfer center is more focused on helping students select a college to transfer to, help students know what courses they need for their major, explain the different admission requirements of the different universities, help students with the applications, and just help them in general with the whole transfer process,” said

Price.“The career center is going to

help decide what their interests are, what is involved in different careers and what is involved in different majors.”

In fact, the career center has an interest survey, which will help students decide if they are in interested in pursuing a conventional, enterprising, investigative, artistic, social, or realistic type of job.

Even if students are new at the whole college experience, visiting these campus services should

help in getting them accustomed to how to the system works and to how succeed at GCC.

For more information about the transfer center, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5442. Or visit the transfer center at the San Rafael building second floor, which is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

Counselors Ease Transfer to Four-Year Schools By Isiah ReyesEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Isiah Reyes can be reached at [email protected]

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Photo by Ismael ReyesJewel D’Aloia Price assists students confused by transfer requirements.

www.elvaq.com Wednesday,September17,20085

NEWS

Some students take two-hour bus rides to get to school,

some decide that getting an education is more important than spending time with friends, and some make a decision to buy books over food.

For those staring at the choice of books over food, Food for Thought may offer some relief.

Food for Thought, now a program that receives more than $6,000 annually, mostly funded from contributions through payroll deductions of more than 50 faculty and staff members here at Glendale Community College, is designed to help students in emergency financial situations.

“It’s hard to feed the mind if the belly is empty,” said Jeannette Stirdivant, one of the founders and a payroll deduction participant in the program.

“Valerie Rhaney and Jeanette were noticing that a lot of students were coming in and they had so few resources that they were making a decision of ‘should I eat today or should I buy books?’” said Joy Cook, another founder and payroll deduction participant.

Qualifying students are awarded $1,000 in gift certificates from local markets. Depending on the funds raised as many as 15 students could receive the $1,000 grant.

Every year, hundreds of applications are turned in from students who are homeless, single mothers, single fathers, single females and single males. The applications are ranked by the Food for Thought committee according to the financial need of the student.

Cook’s most memorable story was of a student who was trying to go to school while she was taking care of her dying mother and father.

“‘I was able to buy toilet paper, bleach, detergent, and toothpaste,’ things that some may take for granted,” said Stirdivant, reading a thank you letter from a recipient.

“We saw the importance of it and took the idea to people and was supported by founding members: Valerie Rhaney, counselor at the center for students with disabilities; Vicki Washington, who was the associate dean of the EOPS; Pat Hurley, associate dean of financial aid; Yei Mei Wong, former instructor of culinary arts; and Mike Eberts, who is almost a founding member — he’s been in the program for about 10 years — and the ASGCC,” said Stirdivant.

Eberts, professor of mass communications and a Food for Thought committee member, raises about $700 to $1,000 during the fall and spring semesters through media-related field trips for his classes, in which television shows pay audience members to turn out.

Eberts finds it hard to rank the students on who needs the award since “they can all easily qualify.”

“ ‘I appreciate having hope and to see my son eating fresh fruit and vegetables, it’s a blessing,’” said Stirdivant reading another thank you letter. “How can you not be thankful that you’re involved in a program like that?”

The program that began in 1995 with $25 food vouchers continues to help distressed students who now receive food vouchers on a monthly basis for one year.

Students that receive the award are “often single parents trying to take care of their kids,” said Stirdivant.

Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units identified on their student educational plan, have successfully completed at least 12 units, maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or higher and have completed a financial

aid file as required by the financial aid office.

Applications are now available in the EOPS office, center for students with disabilities, the

financial aid office, the scholarship office, and the information desk with a deadline of Oct. 17 to be turned in at the center for students with disabilities on the second

Food for Thought Offers Help to Needy Students

floor of the San Rafael Building.

Jeannette Stirdivant and Jay Cook, two founders of Food For Thought, help students in need with their program.

By Claudia AnayaEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Claudia Anaya can be reached at [email protected]

Photo by Jane Pojawa

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(323) 644-3888 • www.aphcv.org

Solar Panels Reflect Green Consciousness By Garrick Hogg EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Glendale Community Col-lege's new parking struc-

ture was crowned with 872 so-lar panels this past summer.

Construction for the photo-voltaic array began in Febru-ary, executed by Chevron En-ergy Solutions and funded by the Glendale Water and Power for a total of $2.9. According to a G.W.P. press release, “The project is the largest solar pow-er infrastructure in Glendale to date.”

"We have established a pol-icy of energy sustainability," says Larry Serot, vice presi-dent of business services at the college.

This policy is in its forma-tive stages. Administrators are currently working in tandem with the Glendale Unified School District to find meth-ods of assessing the college's energy consumption.

"They [Glendale Unified School District] have found

ways to be more productive in analyzing their facilities, we haven't quite gotten there yet, we are talking about it, and we have put in place the pieces to do it, but we haven't gone into implemen-tation," said Dr. Audrey Levy, president of the college.

"This has come about in terms of trying to be economical and to use our resources more wisely, at the requests of the faculty and the budget committee," said Levy.

Having funded the project, GWP will own and maintain the solar panel array for its expected lifetime of 50 years, after that period, the infrastructure will be turned over to the college.

The GWP is currently selling the environmentally friendly en-ergy to the college at the market rate of conventional energy. This means the college gains no im-mediate economic advantage, however an agreement between the campus and GWP waves a “Green Power Premium,” an in-creased rate that GWP charges its green energy customers in order to fund current and future renew-

able energy projects. The array is expected to pay for itself in 25 years.

The solar energy system is plugged directly into the cam-pus's energy grid so that whole campus can benefit. The solar panel array provides an aver-age of 400 mega-watt hours per year, which accounts for 10 percent of the campus’ en-ergy consumption. Addition-ally, the array provides shade for the fourth and sixth levels of the student parking struc-ture.

In the works is a five-to-six-year plan to renovate the school gymnasium that will include an installation of so-lar panels. The college's plan includes ownership of the new solar panels, providing energy free from an outside utilities company. The project is still seeking a source for funding.

The solar panels atop the student parking structure are only one of several collabo-

[See Solar, page 6]

New Solar Panels on Parking Structure Reflect Change


NEWS

College President Audre Levy with Victor King of the board of trustees and representatives of Glendale Water & Power, Rep. Adam Schiff’s office and the Chevron Corporation at the grand opening of the solar panels at Glendale Community College.

Photo by Allan Beglarian

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[“Solar,” from Page 5]

ations between GCC and the GWP. The Cimmarusti Science Center across cam-pus is also outfitted with a photovoltaic system, which pro-vides one-third of the building’s energy demands. The GWP also spent $500,000 to provide GCC with energy efficient air conditioners called “Chillers.”

"I think this is the way our whole society is going, so we have to make these kinds of decisions," said Levy.

Photovoltaic systems are not a new concept. Light was first con-

verted to electric energy by French physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Photovoltaic sys-tems now appear in devices such as hand-held calcula-tors and NASA's Mars rovers.

To learn more about PV systems, visit the U.S. De-partment of En-ergy's website at

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/so-lar/photovoltaics.html

Check Out Our Online Magazinewww.gccinsider.com

"I think this is the way our whole

society is going, so we have to

make these kinds of decisions"

— Dr. Audre Levy, President/Superintendent, Glendale Community College

kicked out of the house. Germans took 18,000 Jews to a cemetery and 12,000 people were shot into mass graves that day,” said Germinder, explaining that the only reason he survived was “pure luck.” Since his family was on the first truck they remained in the back of the cemetery and as it got dark and began to snow 6,000 Jewish people were told to go home.

“In the ghetto, it was bad. I would walk out to the street and would see people hanging from telephone poles, I would see babies being thrown against the wall, my brother and I kept a low profile,” said Germinder.

Suleiman shared his experience of the Darfur genocide by saying that the victims go through the same process of being killed in shallow graves. “I had gotten a call a few days ago letting me know that there had been people getting shot in a market from

vehicles passing through trying to get the tribes out of the Darfurian land.”

After the experiences of the survivors and stories of those who have felt a sense of closeness to the topic, Haviv mentioned what can be done.

“The rooms dedicated to the genocides in the Rwandan genocide museum that Father

M o v s e s i a n mentioned are not enough. Since the Holocaust, there has been 38 genocides; Darfur is number 38 and I think it’s time to mean the phrase ‘never again’,” said Haviv.

“There are organizations on the ground on Darfur helping and if you’re looking to write a check, you write from your heart,

if you’re interested in children, women, food, there are programs to support. Food is needed, medicine is needed, everything is needed,” said Haviv as she urged

people to think beyond basic needs and reminded people that the Darfurian people need grief counseling, education, and ways to build for the future.

Haviv mentioned the importance of making a phone call before writing a check “to the president, to your member of Congress, to the UN, whoever you think needs to have that voice, whoever needs the pressure right now. Our government moves because we ask it to, that’s our job.”

“What the Darfurian people need is for the genocide to end and that’s what’s going to do it,” said Haviv.

Ruth Shure, member of the temple’s social action committee member, who helped put the event together said that the Jewish and Armenian communities have a connection to genocide and should “start engaging in dialogue…I think people become more motivated to be agents of change when it resonates deeply within them.”

“China is Sudan’s closest economic military and political partner. They buy 70 percent of Sudan’s oil and that money goes

Genocide Forum Brings Dafur to Glendale

The first genocide of the 21st century is taking place in the

Darfurian region of Sudan, more than 60 years since the Jewish holocaust and about 90 years after the Armenian genocide. Arab militias use child soldiers, torture, rape, and execute the people of Darfur.

The Temple Sinai of Glendale held the Glendale Interfaith Forum on genocide on Sunday where Father Vazken Movsesian, priest of the Armenian church; Robert Geminder, a Jewish Holocaust survivor; Mohamed Suleiman, Darfurian refugee; and Naama Haviv, assistant director of the Jewish World Watch (JWW) team spoke as Rep. Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Glendale, moderated the event.

It’s been years and “There is so much to be done,” said Schiff during his opening speech, “Over the past three years, more than 450,000 have lost their lives, more than 2.3 million have been forced to flee their homes and have now live in displaced homes in Sudan or in Chad, another million still live in their villages under round the clock threat. 3.5 million men, women and children are dependent on international aid for their survival.”

Rabbi Rick Schechter of the temple introduced a prayer before the panelist spoke. He asked everyone to stand as a community “of men, women, and children of different religious faiths, united and gathered to hear testimony of injustice, human cruelty, and genocide…open our ears, open our eyes, open our hearts, and our minds as we come together in search of guidance and wisdom for a broken world.”

Movsesian, Geminder, and Suleiman spoke of genocide stories they’ve experienced and heard.

In 2006, Movsesian took a trip to Rwanda to meet the survivors of the genocide and heard the same stories that his grandmother had told him of how women were raped, men were beaten and killed, and stories of children who witnessed the violence.

“In the Holocaust, 6 million Jews were killed along with 5 million non-Jews, a holocaust of 11 million people. When I was 4-years-old, my family was

Mohamed Suleiman, a refugee from Darfur, tells of the systematic genocide that he escaped. Many others were not as fortunate.Photo by Jeryd Pojawa

www.elvaq.com Wednesday, September 17, 2008 7

NEWS

By Claudia AnayaEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Claudia Anaya can be reached at [email protected]

to funding the genocide. They sell Sudan small weapons; they also sell Sudan heavy arms, leg irons, and major moving equipment for the military. Chinese weapons have been found in Darfur. The Chinese government says that they can’t be blamed for selling weapons to Sudan, who move them to Darfur, but in fact they can,” said Haviv.

A woman in the audience asked why we should get involved when a message is sometimes sent that people should not meddle in what other countries are doing.

Haviv responded by saying “Genocide is different; we are not talking about the exportation of democracy, cultural relativism, we are talking about the annihilation of a people, genocide is different and responding to genocide is different when it comes to debating to what your response should be the question goes like this: Can I do something? Yes, then you do it, as much as you can do as often as you can do it, because it’s different,”.

“People become more motivated to be agents of change when it resonates

deeply within them.”

—Ruth Shure

Price of Textbooks Causes Students to Cringe

Imagine stepping into a live action rendition of something

similar to a Salvador Dali painting; a mere minute long walk from your latest class and you too can step into the world known as “Spontaneous Fantasia”, housed at the GCC planetarium.

Produced by J. Walt, “Spontaneous Fantasia” is never the same exact experience twice. Walt has five parts to his creation, each full of its own intricacies and themes. Every piece is accompanied by a composition of music, making it a multi-sensory experience.

Surrounded by vivid colors and 3-D lines, you’ll feel like you’re walking around in a live performance of the famous surrealist painter.

“Spontaneous Fantasia” will

run for one last weekend on Sept. 27th , until its return in January 2009. Walt is working on plans to add new elements to the show after the start of the new year.

“I have many new ideas…that I’d like to incorporate,” said Walt of the upcoming shows, whose production has garnered rave reviews from many outlets – ranging from the L.A. Times to the Immersive Theatre Institute.

With performances on Friday and Saturday evenings, “Spontaneous Fantasia” is done in real time, with Walt sketching away in the room, while the concert is projected on the screen above.

The opening act titled “Autocosm: Aeries” feels like you’ve been thrown into the world of “Alice in Wonderland.” Bright colors pop into flowers while an entire world of its own has begun to build itself.

“Nocturnes” takes the

elements of earth, water, air and fire and turns them into works of digital art themselves, while “Autocosm: Gardens of Thuban” is a world full of vivid imagery and sunbursts.

The final two acts, “Pachelbel’s Canon” and “Color Organ” are both inspired by musical compositions from the “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel and “Toccata” from Charls-Marie Widor.

Every piece feels like a dream. Spectators will feel fantastic and lulled by what is going on. The 3-D aspect adds to the fun, as you sit there and try to reach up to the illustrations up above you.

Live orchestra accomp-animents to the show have also been performed; the show integrates all aspects of art, so it is no surprise that it has been well-received. Walt has performed “Spontaneous Fantasia” all over the world – past performances

have included a sold out show in Amsterdam at the Artis planetarium, the Planetarium Hamburg and Louisiana State University’s planetarium.

Housed in the Cimmarusti Science Center, “Spontaneous Fantasia” is produced by artist J. Walt. Centered on live action artistic influences ranging from dance, painting, sculpture and much more, Walt animates the show entirely by himself in the center of the room, giving a unique twist and truly living up the name of performance art.

Admission for adults is $15. Children 12 and under are $6. Group rates are also available. GCC’s free K-12 science program is funded in part by sales from Spontaneous Fantasia. For more information, call (626) 688-0778.

According to a report run by the U.S. Government

Accountability Office (GAO) in 2005, textbook prices have tripled within the last 20 years. With numbers that have doubled the inflation rate, the cost of books has exceeded the budgets of many college students.

However, as much as students tend to blame the bookstores for the shockingly high prices, the real damage is done by the producers. Neither the students nor the faculty decide on the product that will be used for classes, which gives the publishing companies free reign to choose a product and set prices. The choices of author and edition are slim, and when there is less to choose from, the competition price gets easier to raise.

In 1999, Anthony Gray, the editor in chief of the paper at Hudson Valley Community College in New York, requested information concerning how much the college paid for their books versus how much they sold them for. His request was denied and he sued. The store said that releasing that information may put them at a “competitive disadvantage with competing non-college bookstores.”

After Gray’s lawsuit, Hudson Valley Community College must now provide the price of each book in their store. Unfortunately, since 1999 the price of books has increased greatly which proves that merely posting the purchasing

price is ineffective.So who is really making all the

profits on our textbook sales? The National Association of College Stores has provided a price distribution layout.

Bundling — and I don’t mean mittens and scarves on a cold day — adds a whole new aspect to the price of textbooks. The CD’s and extra material shrink-wrapped and stuck in the middle of the textbooks is a tactic called “bundling.” Whether or not one every uses the inserts there is no choice but to pay for them.

The GAO report said that bundling increases the expense of books to the bookstore and makes them more difficult to be resold.

In an effort to save money, students are looking for other avenues in which to buy textbooks. GCC alumnus Sevada Begijanyan, who is currently a senior at UCLA, said, “Always look for alternative options before buying from the bookstore.”

Recently, students have been purchasing used books by either buying them from other students or getting them from other sellers, such as non-college book stores or online. GCC sophomore Olivia

Congress has even stepped in and passed into law the Higher Education Opportunity Act on Aug. 14. Chairman George Miller said, “This law overhauls our nation’s higher education laws, advancing key reforms that address the soaring price of college and

J. Walt’s ‘Spontaneous Fantasia’ Enacts Live Performance in Planetarium Dome


FEATURES

By Rachel Bethke EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Rachel Bethke can be reached at rachel_bethke @elvaq.com

Ani Khashadoorian can be reached at [email protected]

By Ani KhashadoorianEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

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remove other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students to go to college.”

Rufus said, “Usually I buy mine [textbooks] online from Half.com.”

Rufus, along with many other college students, may be saving money by finding new places to purchase books, but it seems unfair to have the supply of needed textbooks on campus yet forced to search elsewhere because of outrageous pricing.

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Data provided by the National Association of College Stores

For Some, Theater Auditions Are a Hit or Miss

Glendale College’s theater department has made it

their duty to produce enthralling student productions over the years; this semester is no different with the upcoming showing of the classic “Macbeth,” and the more contemporary “Savage in Limbo.”

“It’s always nerve-racking at first,” said Lora Goudey about her acting. Goudey auditioned for a part in “Savage in Limbo.” When Goudey was asked how she felt after her audition, she said “at this point, I’ve gone to quite a few auditioning processes so that I’m already used to it.”

The auditions were held on Sept. 3 and 4 and were attended by a handful of GCC’s best actors. One could feel the nervous tension in the air as anxious actors, practicing their lines, started to fill up the auditorium lobby.

“Leading up to the audition, I felt really nervous,” said Joseph Gjura, 15, who was auditioning for “Macbeth.” “But once you’re up there, adrenaline kicks in and I

just kind of went with it. Besides, I think it’s okay to be nervous, it just shows that you want it that much more.”

The amount of work that goes into producing plays of this magnitude is no mystery. It’s understood that it is incredibly hard to produce a play in such a short time — the actors only have five weeks before their first production, add on the tough task of finding the right people that will best fit the characters and you have the recipe for a disastrous situation.

Jeanette Farr and Melissa Randel will be producing and directing the plays. They will both have the difficult task of casting for both productions. “As far as the actors go, I look for the ones that make bold choices,” said Farr, who will be directing “Macbeth.” “I look for the ones that just go for it. This [audition] is the time to show me that they can do it.”

“They have to be able to do their homework; also, I like to see the actors take on the characters and how they can connect that with their own lives,” said Melissa Randel, director of “Savage in Limbo.” “I chose actors who I

know can do that.”This year is the first year that

the theater department will offer the class “Voice for the Actor,” which will be taught by Andrea Stark. The aim of the class is to teach and train the actors’ speech. For instance, one of the plays will require the actors to speak with a Bronx accent; this class will help

Joseph Gjura, left, and Frank Pozos high-five after being picked to play in fall theater productions.

By Ken Juaner Malate EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Ken Juaner Malate can be reached at [email protected]

Photo by Ken Juaner Malate

in the studio theater for eight performances: Oct. 9 through 19. “Macbeth” will run in the mainstage theater for eight performances, from Nov. 6 through 16.

and teach them to do just that. “This is really more of a growth plan for the actor. We look at what the actor needs and what they need help with,” said Farr.

“Casting is always an exciting process,” said Randel. “Since we can’t use the same actors, we sort of make a wish list for who we want.”

“Savage in Limbo” will run

Study Abroad Offers International Opportunities

Over the coming year, Glendale Community

College is offering three destinations for studying abroad: Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand and Australia.

College study abroad programs, such as the long-running program at Glendale, offer the opportunity to study and travel at the same time. It is a chance to learn about new cultures, taste exotic food, hear different music, and meet new people, while also furthering educational goals.

“It is a balance between the learning part and the abroad part,” said Kim Foong Chong, director of the program. He said his hope is for people to travel to different countries not just as students but to also experience new places.

The Ireland team will take classes on campus June 15 through 23, 2009. Following the on-campus portion, the

participating students will depart for Ireland on June 24 and they will return July 16.

Professor Sarah McLemore said in those few weeks students will be “putting into practice what we learned on campus.” Not only will there be opportunity to learn about Irish literature, but also the chance to see the Irish countryside. As the study abroad flyer says, “Every square mile is saturated with history and culture.”

The cost of the Ireland trip is $2,400 and includes 21 nights in Dublin. Field trips will be taken to the National Museum of Ireland, Newgrange prehistoric site tour, Melifont Abbey, Trim Castle, the Ancient Hill of Tara, and other walking tours of Dublin.

Courses offered include humanities, taught by Professor Dennis Doyle, and English with Professor McLemore.

The price will not cover airfare and other personal costs such as souvenirs, extra activities and food.

New Zealand and Australia will depart from LAX on Jan. 4, 2009, for a month to enjoy the itinerary. Along with a 12-night stay in Queenstown, 11 nights in Sydney, and one night on board the Milford Wanderer Cruise. This trip offers many sightseeing opportunities.

Program director Foong Chong has chosen three courses that match what students will be experiencing on their trip to New Zealand and Australia. The classes are: social science, taught by Professor Fabiola Torres; culinary arts, taught by Professor Andrew Feldman; and geography, with Professor Darren Leaver. They are designed to equip students with classroom knowledge of each subject with the intent that they then apply what they have learned in exploring the country.

The price of $4,999 includes transportation, accommodations, nine dinners, sightseeing, and basic student travel insurance. Financial aid is available.

Study abroad in Italy will be

offered beginning June 15 on campus. Students will be abroad from June 23 to July 19.

Italy’s rich history and famous sights make it a popular destination. Tours, both walking and by bus, will be held throughout the month-long stay. Participants will experience many sights in Italy while studying Italian art, history and language.

Professor Richard Coleman

will teach art history, Professor Flavio Frontini will teach Italian field studies, and Professor Hazel Ramos will teach the history of Western Europe. The price of this trip, without airfare, is $4,999.

For information on any of the study abroad trips, call Foong Chong at ext. 5218 or visit the office in AD 145C.

By Rachel Bethke EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Rachel Bethke can be reached at rachel_bethke @elvaq.com

Study Abroad students enjoy a harbor cruise in Sydney. The world-famous opera house is an unmistakable landmark.


FEATURES

10 Wednesday,September17,2008 www.elvaq.com11

SPORTS

— Photos by Richard Kontas

A Happy Rome-Coming for New Head Coach

— See Related Story Page 17

Clockwise from upper left: Victorious Vaqueros ham it up after the game; Freshman quarterback Steven Batista caught in mid-air as he goes over ELA for the final touchdown; Glendale Cheer Squad kept the crowd worked up; Freshman Joe Wiggin breaks a tackle on his way to a team high of 138 yards rushing on 12 carries, including one touchdown. On the cover: Vaquero freshman wide reciever Josh Stangby eludes defenders.

From the opening drive, it seemed apparent that head coach John Rome’s Vaqueros wanted to erase their Sept. 6 loss to West

LA College, and the Vaq supporters in attendance were not disappointed. It was a near perfect home opener for Rome, who watched his young Vaqueros beat East LA College 75-21, Saturday night. “It feels very good. I am very appreciative of the players and the work they put in,” said a smiling Rome.

It would be hard not to smile after the offensive fireworks just put on by his team. The Vaqs leaned heavily on their deep backfield. Leading the charge was freshman Joe Wiggan from Burroughs of Burbank, who rushed for a team high 138 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown. Freshman Jorge Chaidez from Bell-Jeff joined Wiggan in the 100-yard club, rushing for 121 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns. Just missing out on 100 yards was fellow freshman Willie Youngblood who gained 97 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.

All in all the Vaqs rushed for 430 yards on 50 carries and eight touchdowns on the ground. Throw in 224 yards and three touchdowns through the air and it is hard to believe the team is dominated by freshman. But the most impressive thing about the offensive attack was no turnovers.

Because of the large lead, the Vaqs were able to use three of their four quarterbacks on the roster. Freshman starter Dylan Martinez was 11 of 16 with 132 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman backup Stephen Miller was five of six for 80 yards and a touchdown. Third stringer, freshman Steven Batista completed his only pass for 12 yards, and had an exciting 12-yard touchdown

run late in the game. Freshman linebacker Kalii Robinson, who was

involved in six tackles and sophomore defensive back J.P. Curvey, who was in on four stops, paced the defense. Sophomore defensive back James Antaplyan had the games lone interception and sophomore defensive lineman Michael Klintworth had the games lone sack.

If there is anything the Vaqueros really need to work on, it is their pass defense. The starting quarterback for ELAC, Pedro Velasquez, completed 18 of 31 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns. When ELAC was on offense all eyes were drawn to star wide receiver Antoine Smithson. Smithson caught eight passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. “Wow, what a great player,” said Rome. “He is fantastic, he did a fantastic job.”

While it is easy to look at the great thing the Vaqs did, Rome is not a quick to dole out the compliments. “Look at me,” he told his players. “We still have a long way to go.” Three fumbles, while none of them lost, are never something you want to see as a coach. Throw in 10 penalties for 88 yards and two missed extra points and it’s easy to see what Rome means. “We’re very young. I still think from an offensive standpoint we need to be able to line up correctly and run the plays that we want, we need to iron out some of our mistakes,” said Rome. “From a defensive stand point we need to become better tacklers.”

Next week the Vaqs are back on the road at Riverside City College before finishing their non-conference season at home against Orange Coast College on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.

—Story by Ross Coleman

Rushing No. Yards TD Avg.Wiggan, Joe 14 138 1 9.9Chaidez, Jorge 14 121 3 8.6Youngblood, Willie 13 97 2 7.5Arreola, Andrew 4 58 0 14.5Batista, Steven 2 17 1 8.5Martinez, Dylan 2 0 1 0.0

Passing Att-Cmp Yards TD IntMartinez, Dylan 16-11 132 2 0Miller, Stephen 6-5 80 1 0Batista, Stephen 1-1 12 0 0

Receiving No. Yards TD LongLinda, Robert 4 55 1 27Bryant, Nick 3 53 1 37Williams, Brian 2 37 1 21Stangby, Josh 2 33 0 21Suber, Kenny 2 6 0 9Youngblood, Willie 1 13 0 13Harrison, Michael 1 11 0 11Rome, Alex 1 8 0 8Arnold, Chris 1 8 0 8

Statistics


ARTSANDENTERTAINMENT

After being absent from the music scene since 2003,

Jimmy Wayne, 35, makes his musical return with his new album entitled “Do You Believe Me Now,” released on Aug. 26 and available in retail music stores and online.

The 12-track disk includes songs that have made it onto the Billboard Country chart, such as “Stay Gone” and “I Love You This Much.” The album also includes a duet with Patty Loveless, another country superstar. For anyone who considers themselves the country music type, they’ll be getting everything they want and much more with Wayne’s new musical release.

However, on behalf of the folks who are unfamiliar with country music, getting acquainted with this particular genre can be a bit daunting. Some of the tracks on the album have an optimistic rhythm to nod your head to, while other songs are slow enough to be considered ballads. Even so, most of the songs fulfill the purpose of making a lasting impact on the listener through strong vocals and heartwarming instrumentals.

This isn’t the case with all the songs, however.

For example, in the opening track “Do You Believe Me Now,” the song would only impact the listener if they happen to be focusing on the lyrics. This is because the song sounds like it would be fitted to play in the background of a coffee shop setting. It would go unnoticed, unconsciously setting the mood while espresso drinkers post their blogs online.

If meaningful lyrics do happen to be a selling point, then a purchase of Wayne’s new album is worthwhile. In a special video portion of the album entitled “Cut X Cut,” Wayne describes the meaning to all his lyrics on this album. Here, he connects with his audience through a behind-the- scenes interview.

Even though most of Wayne’s new songs relate to the same topics that everyone has heard countless times (such as trying to forget about your old girlfriend or about being a true believer in yourself), there were some songs that directly related to him on a personal level.

One such song is entitled “Kerosene Kid,” and besides the upbeat tempo that the song begins

with, it’s essentially a sad song that illustrates how Wayne had to struggle through life growing up.

In the song, Wayne describes how he was so poor that he had to heat his house with a kerosene heater. He recalls one day walking home from school with a jug of kerosene to help heat his home, and then a student from his homeroom class rode by. The student looked out the window and laughed at Wayne, because he had to heat by kerosene. The song is basically about being proud of yourself no matter what the circumstance is and not letting others bring your spirits down.

It is songs like these that have helped Wayne generate a loyal fan base of country listeners. They feel a connection to his songs because the stories they tell also have a meaning in the listener’s lives, albeit not directly.

For instance, another song on the album is entitled “Where You’re Going,” in which the basis of the song is to look ahead at where you’re going as opposed to dwelling on the past. Many people can relate to this song because of its simple, trouble-free connotation. However, for Wayne, this simple meaning holds its own difficult significance.

Jimmy Wayne Returns With New Country AlbumBy Isiah ReyesEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Isiah Reyes can be reached at [email protected]

Jimmy Wayne teams up with vocal stars on new album.

In the song “Where You’re Going,” Wayne recollects being arrested and sent to jail at the age of 15. One of the most damaging memories of that incident revolves around the guard who checked him in. The guard was loud-mouthed and scornful at all the delinquents and kept referring to every convict as “trash.”

After returning to the detention center as a college student on a class field trip, Wayne sees that same guard who has haunted him all these years. In “Cut X Cut,” Wayne remembers telling the guard that not all the kids at the detention center are trash, and then says, “The only difference is, you’re still here and I’m not.”

The album only serves well if you’re planning on listening to the lyrics and trying to find a meaning in them. If you’re planning on buying a CD to dance to and have a good time, then “Do You Believe Me Now” is probably not the best choice. The disk contains a few slow-paced songs on it, so unless you happen to be interested in crying silently by your pillow, you are advised to stay away from this album.

Perhaps now isn’t the best time to sink your teeth into Wayne’s music, because as one of the songs is entitled, “Brighter Days” seem to be in close range for Wayne. Unless you happen to be another one of Wayne’s songs, a “True Believer,” then you might get lucky and purchase the disc you’ve always been waiting for. As for me, I happen to take side

with another of Wayne’s songs, entitled “No Good for Me.”

On a side note, it should be mentioned that Wayne isn’t the only singer on this album. There are guest vocals by John Oates of the duo Hall & Oates and a duet with Patty Loveless. That’s about all you’ll be getting with the purchase of this album. The bottom line is this: if you like country music, then you’ll love this album. If you don’t like country music, then this is a good place to start; but it won’t blow your mind away.

Also, for you women out there, even if you aren’t into country music, you’d be pleasantly surprised to hear that Wayne was named one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Singers” in 2003. I’m sure a sale was just spawned right there.

Retail Price: $9.99Availability: Retail stores and onlineGenre: CountryLabel: The Valory Music Co.My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

elvaq.com

One does not want to experience the pain that

comes from being shot in the head, but “Bangkok Dangerous,” an action flick dealing with an assassin’s journey through the Thai city, manages to give the viewer the throbbing ache that being shot in the head must feel like.

This past year has been full of theatrical movie releases dealing with assassination plots. From the summer box office smash “Wanted” to last week’s “Bangkok Dangerous,” it appears that Hollywood has found a niche market for action movie aficionados. Whether such movies can always successfully execute a hit in moviegoers’ pockets however, remains another story (“Waterworld,” anyone?)

“Bangkok Dangerous” is a remake of the 1999 Thai movie of the same title also directed by

brothers Oxide and Danny Pang. Best known for directing the cult horror flick “Gin Gwai” (The Eye, 2002, remade earlier this year starring Jessica Alba), the Pang duo have cast Nicolas Cage as the paid assassin simply known as Joe.

The monotone voiceover by Joe in the beginning of the movie lets us know that he leads a life with few basic rules. The ends justify the means for this killer, who does his work well enough to evade his employers (what sets Joe apart from other assassins is how he maintains his anonymity from his employers, never meeting face to face with them) while still cashing large checks. A clichéd headshot opens the first minutes of this movie, allowing Joe to showcase his skills as a hired gun.

Joe is sent to Thailand on an assignment by a gang leader to carry out four hits ranging from other gang honchos to a well-loved politician who has been

cracking down on gangs in the city.

Along the streets of Bangkok, Joe finds an assistant by the name of Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) to deliver packages and assist him around the city. As the movie progresses, Joe manages to fall in love with a deaf pharmacist while having begun training Kong as his student.

Although the movie tries to be engaging, it just flops around due to a combination of poor direction and atrocious acting on Cage’s part.

Cage’s lines are forced and awkward; once an Oscar winning actor, he has lost his touch. Instead of coming off as a antihero, his performance seems unnatural and bored, and the action sequences try to redeem the movie but end up looking like a toddler’s reenactment of a train wreck using toy trucks and guns.

The sound track is a joke, with the same piano score is used every 15 minutes, and a bizarre


ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

elephant allegory runs throughout the entire movie.

The only positive aspect of the entire movie is the gritty camera work. Dark hues dominate the screen while lighting is constantly either flaring up or flaring down. You really feel as if you were in the slums of the city, nestled between the stereotypical overzealous tourists and the scheming pick-pocketing thieves.

Perhaps the best aspect of the entire movie is Cage’s hair – whether it’s real has yet to be confirmed. It is greasy, sharp, and droops around aimlessly while Joe is trying to do his job. One couldn’t help but be entranced by the hair on the big screen – what kind of things could be hidden in there? Why does it appear so dirty all the time? Is the hair full of secrets from Joe’s past? When the only high point of the movie is the bad hairpiece of a deadly assassin, you know your movie has failed.

It seems like the Pang brothers

had a good movie idea in theory, but the style in which they pulled it off unfortunately didn’t sync with what they had imagined.

Instead of coming off as a stylish and determined action movie, it becomes a garbled mess on nearly every cinematic and artistic level. The original “Bangkok Dangerous” received slightly better reviews among critics, but the general consensus about the movie is negative.

“Bangkok Dangerous” has a runtime of 99 minutes and is rated R for violence, language and some sexuality. Blue Star Pictures produced the movie, and Lionsgate was the distributor.

My overall rating is a one out of five stars. Better luck next time.

Nicholas Cage fails to impress in this less-than-exciting action flick.

F i l m o o o o o o o o o

o o o o o o o o

r e v i e w

By Ani KhashadoorianEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Ani Khashadoorian can be reached at [email protected]

‘Bangkok’ Is Not Dangerous, Just Badly Acted

‘Ping Pong Playa’ Is a Cross-Cultural Gem

Now that the blockbuster-filled movie season has

come to an end, the time has come for moviegoers to make a decision: either embrace some of the studios’ lesser quality titles, or look for little-known films in hopes of finding a hidden gem.

One such movie that might fit under the latter category opening in limited release this month is the quirky “Ping Pong Playa’,” a comedy centered around Christopher Wang and his Chinese-American family living in Los Angeles.

Wang (Jimmy Tsai) is a former basketball player turned jobless slacker who keeps reminding anyone who will listen that he could have been an NBA pro if not for his

physical limitations. He delights in handing out nicknames (he even gives himself two: C-Dub and The Orient Express) and is completely immersed in hip-hop culture.

All of this does not impress his family, who run a ping pong oriented store and whose mother teaches ping pong to young kids at the local Chinese community center. Christopher’s older brother Michael (Roger Fan) is an annual ping pong tournament champion, which only makes the uninspired Christopher look worse.

Because of injuries to Michael and Mrs. Wang (Elizabeth Sung) in a car accident, Christopher, or “C-Dub,” is forced to take over coaching duties at the community center and encounters the antagonist of the movie, a Brit named Gerald (Peter Paige) who tries to take business away from the Wang family. C-Dub is then convinced (or rather forced by

his father) to join this year’s local tournament to defend his family’s honor against Gerald, who is also in the tournament.

Directed by Jessica Yu (Oscar winner for 1996’s “Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien”), “Ping Pong Playa’” does touch on some social aspects of Chinese-Americans living in L.A., but for the most part, Yu has made a film that goes for light hearted laughs instead of deep racial commentary.

The furthest it may go is C-Dub’s father’s dislike of the British because they take credit for the creation of ping pong away from the Chinese. It’s a low-budget comedy about ping pong, not the next “Crash.”

C-Dub is hard to root for, at least at first. He’s stubborn,

By Brandon Hensley EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

[See ‘Ping-Pong,’ page 14]


ARTSANDENTERTAINMENT

Being ‘Wicked’ Never Felt This Good Before

Reluctant roommates Galinda and Elphaba enjoy “One Short Day” in Oz, the Emerald City.

Tantric primate pandemonium comes to a haunting climax as the gate to the mystical Emerald city unlocks, keep in mind, something bad is happening in Oz.

“Wicked” is the untold story of Glinda the Good and Elphaba the Wicked Witch’s rich, compelling, dramatic, and witty journey to meet the wizard, but all is not what it seems, as the pages of the Grimmerie collect the audience will see there are two sides to every story.

The production comes to a striking open with an explosion of streamers and the distinctly eclectic, rustic and gloomy ensemble composed of citizen witch hunters, armed with weaponry as sharp and powerful as their vocals in “No One Mourns the Wicked.”

Then florescent lights enchant the audience as the glittery and positively shimmering Glinda “The Good” makes her dramatic bubbly entrance from the skies, and the story starts.

“Wicked” illustrates the rise and fall of the misunderstood Wicked Witch. When she is faced with reality, she must decide whether to stand up for what she believes in or turn her back and take pleasure in her unjust glory. Taking place prior to and during

the classic motion picture “The Wizard of Oz.”, “Wicked,” written by Winnie Holzman is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire and it takes a hilariously clever turn in the hands of playwright Stephen Schwartz.

The witty Erin Macky takes a distinctive approach to bringing the giddy Glinda Upland to life, particularly in the delightfully ditsy “Popular.”

“No Good Deed” showcases the immense voice inside the glorious talent that is in Elphaba, played by Teal Wicks. They will both have you by the heart and thinking in green after the humorously catchy “What Is This Feeling?”

As the pages turn, your eyes will stop at the hypnotizing conclusion to “Defying Gravity,” which is with no doubt one of the most visually astonishing moments in theater. It will literally take your breath away. The visuals are so overpowering and stimulating that it will leave you at a daze at intermission and you will agree that Wicks was born to fly.

John Rubinstein is marvelous as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and his sidekick, the fabulous Madame Morrible, played by Jo Anne Worley, is a pleasure to loathe. Munchkin lover Michael Drolet as Boq and the comical and arrogant Derrick Williams

vibrant vivacious and spectacular layers upon layers of non-stop set transitions designed and brought to life by Eugene Lee and Edward Pierce are top-notch. The live orchestras lucid and sharp sound is harmonious perfection.

These factors are only a few of the bricks that construct the yellow brick road to this “Wicked” sensation that will have you back at the Pantages Theatre for more fun and laughs.

as Fiyero were gratifying, but the ensemble was a standout.

Must-see does not begin to describe this mesmerizing theatrical experience. There is no excuse not to take that trip to Oz and enthrall yourself with this gender and age neutral timeless masterpiece that is simply a gift to your senses.

The pleasantly outrageous and lively inventive costumes by Susan Hiferty are ingenious. The

See all the pieces skillfully come together in the fight for what is good. “Wicked” runs at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood until Jan. 11 of 2009. Make sure the first time you experience “Wicked” won’t be your last.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

By Graig AgopEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Graig Agop can be reached at

[email protected]

Photo by Joan Marcus

Jimmy Tsai Goes from Slacka’ to Playa’ in Ping-Pong Moviecocky, and temperamental, reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s character in “Billy Madison.” But his interaction with the community center kids is amusing (he hilariously gives one the kids named Felix the nickname F-Bomb), and his father (Jim Lau) finally teaches him the discipline needed to succeed at something, anything.

What Tsai may lack in raw acting ability, he makes for in pure energy. His personality dominates over every other actor that shares screen time with him. The kids are enjoyable enough, and end up being the ones who inspire C-Dub, not the other way around.

It does feel like the film struggles to complete it’s running time, and the climax and outcome

is predictable, but “Ping Pong Playa” offers a good time in a post-summer world. The ping pong action is intense (as intense as it can get) and while not offering any huge laughs, it’s the little things, like beeping out profanity with the sound of basketballs bouncing, that make the movie an ultimately enjoyable experience.

Rated PG-13 for language, including some sexual remarks and drug references.

Directed by Jessica Hu. Written by Jessica Hu and Jimmy Tsai. Produced by Anne Clements and Joan Huang. Music Composed by Jeff Beal.

My rating:3 out of 5 stars

[‘Ping Pong,’ from Page 13]

Brandon Hensley can be reached at brandon_hensley @elvaq.com

C-Dub, played by Jimmy Tsai, keeps the competition at arm’s length in “Ping Pong Playa.”

Carlos Niño lays down mellow tunes for the LA Flash event.


ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Kenneth Malate can be reached at [email protected]

pleased by involving them in the performance, as well as captivating them with his provocative dance moves.

Covered in sweat and shirtless, wearing super low rise jeans, Yosef, with his rebellious looking Mohawk, sang “Bush belly dancing with the resistance,” referring to President Bush in “La Bush Resistance,” moving in a rhythmic and racy fashion, as if he were a belly dancer.

For the duration of their performance, they made several political remarks about the current state of government and Washington, urging the people to “make the right choice in November” while holding up the

peace sign, while the audience mirrored the gesture. The band reiterated that war is not the answer to solving the world’s problems in a few otherr songs that were politically focused, such as “Hermetico” and “Digital Monkey.”

All the members of the band exerted their need to stand out. The saxophonists and trombonist had several choreographed moments where they would take center stage, play their solo pieces, while dancing moves they seemed to have worked out together.

DeLeon opened with “L’ner Vlivsamim,” a gloomy yet romantic piece that had the

audience up on their feet. DeLeon’s unique style and expression was truly like no other especially a little-known band.

The band consists of drummer Justin Riddle, vocalist/guitarist/banjoist Dan Saks, bassist and vocalist Kevin Snider, keyboarder Amy Crawford and trumpeter Andrew Oom.

When they began to play “L’ner Vlivasmim,” it was not clear at first which language was being sung until recognizable words in Spanish were heard. The illusion created was that they

By Ken Juaner Malate EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Photo by Ken Juaner Malate

Photo by Paul Castro

‘Flash’ Lights Up Los Angeles at 35th Anniversary Event

Hundreds of hipsters crowd LACMA to celebrate street style.

Balkan Beat Box Rocks With Multicultural Music

The message of peace was being spread at the El Rey

in West Los Angeles on Sept. 9, by the musical group Balkan Beat Box (BBB), with an opening set by up-and-coming band DeLeon.

BBB is a musical fusion group with songs in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Bulgarian, covering different styles of folk music from the Balkan regions while incorporating urban beats from the States.

BBB consists of 10 members: Tomer Yosef, vocals and percussion; Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat, percussion; Ben Handler

and Itamar Ziegler, bass guitar; Eyal Talmudi, Peter Hess and Uri Kinrot, saxophone; Jeremiah Lockwood, guitar; and Dana Leong, trombone.

The opening song for BBB was “Move It,” followed by “BBbeat,” which began with funky urban beats, and transitioned to a saxophone solo — playing a very Middle Eastern sounding tune, keeping the beats continuously playing in the background.

They were able to keep old folk styles “from back in the old country” contemporary by experimenting with different instruments and beats, creating a unique trend of music.

Yosef kept the crowd

By Susan AksuEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

[See Concert, page 16]

More than 3,500 stylish Angelenos showed up to

LACMA’s late-night L.A. Flash event on Sept. 6 demonstrating the relentless originality of contemporary Los Angeles street style.

The original L.A. Flash project was first introduced on the year 1973. Five photographers were there to document the current

street style of the time.The photographers were David

Alexander, Annette del Zoppo, Peter Kredenser, Don Peterson and Lester Sloan. More than 400 photos from the ’73 L.A. Flash were showcased through outdoor projections.

For this event, photographers Melissa Manning, Jessica Miller, Amy Graves and Charley Gallay tried to replicate the work of the original L.A. Flash event.

The work of the original photographers were eye-popping

images that explored deep into the culture of street wear of that generation. From the screen projections the audiences can see women with amazing afros and polished black men in colorful suits posted in front of their “whips.” The viewers can also find the typical hippie scene that was intensely documented through these images.

Karen Satzman, a LACMA staff member, described the night as a “very art-focused event.”

“We’re opening the museum later than usual to celebrate the 35th anniversary of when the first photographs for L.A. Flash were taken,” said Satzman.

“I love that there’s this many people of all different ages. There are those here who have experienced the ’70s and those who are here who want to experience it for the first time. I think it’s great,” said Mary-Jo Johnson, event-attendee.

The attendees enjoyed live music from Carlos Niño, which played oldies and contemporary tunes. Niño showcased a wide-variety of tracks, from the hip-hop suave of A Tribe Called Quest, to the soothing rhythms of Bob Marley. Every now and then he would throw in some hits from Abba and other ’70s hits.

“I really love the music that they’re playing! It just makes you want to get up and go,” said Sandy Vazquez as she blithely danced in front of the DJ booth.

Guests were also treated to special screenings of independent films, and curator and educator-

led tours of modern art from the permanent collection and special exhibitions inside the museum.

The night was a unique interpretation of what Los Angeles swagger was truly all about. “I was just telling my girlfriends that I wish I would have been born in the ’70s as a black man,” said Emma Mcintosh “They had the most impressive style. I loved the hats, the denim vests, and the amazing suits.”

Throughout the night, one realizes that the common reaction to the photos was sheer awe. Just

speaking to the people, it’s hard not to come to the realization that everyone envied the stylistic prowl that the older generation possessed.

“Looking back at the time, there’s a lot of pieces that I wish I still had and still incorporated into my wardrobe today,” said Laurie Woolfe. “So many people now are backtracking to older times for inspiration to incorporate into their daily lives.”


ARTSANDENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS

ConcertMixesEthnicMusicandPoliticalAwareness

were singing in Hebrew with the common “kheh” sound made by certain words and the entrancing melody, but in actuality they were singing in Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language which is near extinction, spoken by Sephardic Jews.

Regardless of the language barrier, the energy from the two bands was reflected by the reactions of the diverse audience members, who were dancing, singing or just grooving along with the music.

The volume of the loud speakers was not as loud as most bands tend to have them during shows for either band. During Deleon’s set, some audience

[Concert, from Page 15] members — who were clearly there just to see BBB, could be heard making side conversations, loudly and distinctly enough to cause a distraction to those watching and enjoying the performance. During BBB’s set, audience members singing along would, at times, almost drain out the performer’s voice.

The venue’s interior is plastered with red velvet walls and lavish chandeliers overhead, providing for a dim and intimate setting for the performers. The lighting for both bands was simple, as far as special effects go, and kept to a violet and blue color scheme.

Backdrops for both bands were also non-existent, but the number of band members on stage at a time made it unnecessary for props or extra stage décor that

Photos by Ken Juaner MalateThe Lady Vaquero’s, pictured from left, Beverly Gonzales, Sarah Bourdreaux, Ashleigh Diller, Nicole Diller, Carissa Mathijssen, Ashliy Veliz, Isabelle Carter, Anne Figueroa and Aya Nakano. Isabelle Carter is pictured below left.

Volleyball Team Suffers Setback Against Orange CoastBy Ken Juaner Malate EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Ken Juaner Malate can be reached at [email protected]

would cause the set to look crowded.

Both BBB and DeLeon performed well, bringing the audience a night of passionate music and unique and styles.

Other bands coming to the El Rey are Juno Reactor, Sept. 25, and MSTRKRFT, Sept. 28.

Rating for the concert… four out of five stars.

Susan Aksu can be reached at [email protected]

Photo by Ismael Reyes

Frontman Tomer Yoseph sings about George W. Bush and bellydancing.

The Glendale College Lady Vaqueros’ record went down

2-2 after suffering a devastating loss, falling to a three-game sweep by visiting Orange Coast College on Sept. 12.

OCC won 25-17, 25-18, and 25-18 after what seemed like a tough defensive game for Glendale. The Vaqueros kept each of the games close until late in the sets, when OCC managed to find every hole in GCC’s defense. The Vaq’s unsuccessfully struggled to bounce back from the first set with all the errors

and missed opportunities they committed.

“We made so many unforced errors,” said Coach Yvette Ybarra about Friday night’s game. “If we could limit our unforced errors and put the ball down, I mean really hit it hard, it would really help us against our next competitors [PCC Sept. 17].”

Glendale came out blazing around the court, managing to rally with almost every serve, touching the ball, but just lacking the chance to really capitalize on it.

Freshman setter from Bell Jeff High School, Nicole Diller recorded a game high 24 assist for Glendale. When Diller was asked what she and her team could improve on for the next game she said, “personally, I need to improve on my defense. As a team, we

lacked communication out there, I’m sure that if we come through together, everything else will fall into place.”

Communication might have been the biggest factor for Friday’s game. Confusion plagued Glendale as they just couldn’t seem to find their positions on the court.

Sophomore international student and Glendale star Aya Nakano led the team with eight kills and six digs. “I think I lacked confidence tonight, especially coming off the last game we played,” said Nakano about the

night’s game. “We need to stop standing

out of our positions. Also, I need to trust my setters and passers more,” said Nakano, when asked what she thinks she needs to work on for their next game.

“We really have to work on our focusing, because tonight we weren’t focused at all; most of the play they scored on was because we were out of our positions,” said freshman Ashliy Veliz, from Eagle Rock High. “We have to play great defense. We also have to hit better. We have a lot of great hitters in this team, and if

we execute properly, I know we can do it.”

The Lady Vaqueros definitely put forth a valiant effort in their disappointing loss. “I was excited about how we played, I know with Glendale they always play aggressive and scrappy defense, and they always serve well, so we expected just that,” said Orange Coast Coach Chuck Cutenese.

The Lady Vaqs start Western Conference play Oct. 7.


SPORTS

John Rome Brings Coaching Experience to the Team

John Rome has a lot on his plate. It’s a early afternoon

on a hot day in late summer, and the football coach is busy in his office. While answering phone calls every few minutes, he turns away a player who wants to play on the team this season.

“See me in November to talk about next year,” he says. He gets up to talk to colleagues who request to see him outside his office. “It’s always hectic in here,” he says with a smile.

Not that he’s complaining. Handling this kind of

responsibility comes with the job of being head football coach at Glendale Community College, a title the 52-year-old Rome can finally lay claim to after three stints as a Vaquero assistant coach. He takes over for John Cicuto this season, who stepped down to become the full-time men’s athletic director.

“I love it here.” Rome says. “I’m here as long as they’ll have me.”

With more than 30 years of coaching experience under his belt, Rome has experienced all of the highs and lows life has to offer, both professionally and personally. These days, he’s a happy man, realizing that life can take you places you don’t

always expect to go.A Southland native, Rome

graduated from Burbank High School in 1974, where he was a Foothill League all-American defensive end. After playing collegiate football at the University of La Verne, where he earned several defensive honors, Rome looked toward a career in coaching.

“I knew I was going to teach, and I knew I wanted to coach and teach,” Rome said.

After coaching at the high school level, he made his first stop at GCC in 1982 as an assistant coach. The Vaqueros won the Western State Conference that year and again in 1983.

Rome moved up to the big time in 1984, serving as a graduate assistant coach for UCLA, which afforded him the opportunity to work under legendary Bruins coach Terry Donahue.

“[Terry] was incredibly practical. He was fair in his dealings with people, and [unwavering] in his conviction in what he wanted to do.” Learning under Donahue furthered Rome’s drive to move up the coaching ladder.

“I had aspirations of being a head coach at the Division 1-A level,” said Rome.

He took an assistant coaching position at the University of New Mexico in 1987, saying, “it was

more responsibility and more money.” But the team didn’t win, and the staff underwent numerous coaching changes.

Rome’s opinion of Division I-A football was beginning to sour. He cited “shallowness” as a reason for his views and said, “I didn’t want to sacrifice the things I believed in. I wanted to have a major impact on young men to become better students, and young men.”

Rome came back to Glendale to coach in 1990, but had to do a juggling act for a while. Aside from coaching, he was teaching junior high history during the day and working on his master’s degree at night.

Rome continued to teach middle school and coach at Glendale until he took the head coaching job at Citrus College in 1995. Citrus made the Potato Bowl in Bakersfield that year and in six seasons the team compiled a 32-29 record.

However, Rome had problems during his tenure at Citrus. He was not working in a full-time position, and had to look for outside jobs to support his family.

“I took lots of jobs. I was a janitor. I managed the driving range facilities [at Citrus],” he recalled.

One job required him to pass out packets at a school for disaffected youth who couldn’t

even last at continuation school. He says this all with a shrug. “I did what I had to do.”

Eventually, his marriage suffered and he and his wife divorced. “That lifestyle is hard on families. That [relationship] grew apart.”

His professional relationships were being strained as well. Rome pushed for a full-time position at Citrus, but he says he ruffled too many feathers in the way he went about it. “I alienated some in the administration. Being young, too aggressive. It was foolish.”

Citrus eventually created a full-time position for head coach, but Rome was not asked to be a part of it.

As it turned out, he returned to Glendale in 2001 as an assistant coach to Cicuto. Now, in 2008 as head coach, Rome has come full circle in his professional career.

Rome remarried in 2004, and he and his wife Mary welcomed a baby girl to their family in 2005. In all, their family consists of 11 children. “But that’s not adversity. Adversity is sharing an office with Alex,” he jokes, as he looks over toward Alex Leon, the sports information director.

Rome describes his personality as one that always looks to improve, whether it’s at home life or on the field with his team. He tries to do both with his son Alex, 21, who is the starting tight end for the Vaqueros. “[Alex] would probably say I’m uncompromising,” although Rome would disagree with that assessment.

Rome recognizes that football is not the be-all and end-all in life, especially in a community college. “It’s important that we treat football for what it is. [The

players] are here to get educated.” A specific life lesson Rome likes to point to? “Football teaches you that can’t always get what you want.”

Rome has nothing but praise for former athletic director Jim Sartoris, as he hopes to continue the values Sartoris and others put in place here over the years. “The foundation is always try to be successful,” adding, “it’s about character.”

Cicuto is confident Rome is the right man for the job.

“We have a pretty good reputation of doing things the right way. John has a good understanding of our philosophy. He cares about everybody, from the first team guy to the second team guy.”

Cicuto describes Rome as “extremely organized” and praises his recruiting ability. “I thought John did a great job of recruiting the freshman class this year. [He recruits] not only players, but people.”

Building both a foundation of winning as well as developing character players is a challenge, especially since the Vaqueros joined the tough Northern Conference National Division this season, but last Saturday Rome was able to celebrate his first victory as head coach, as Glendale defeated East Los Angeles College 75-21.

Leon is more than willing to share his praise of Rome. “He expects that the young men put in as much work as the coaches do. He’s a hard worker. The challenge is to get them all on the same page and perform on the highest level. He does a great job of that.”

Coach John Rome, the new head football coach at Glendale Community Col-lege, during a class session where he discuses the plays for the first upcom-ing game of the 2008 Fall semester with the team.


By Brandon Hensley EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Brandon Hensley can be reached at brandon_hensley @elvaq.com

Coach John Rome during a practice session where he fine tunes the plays for the first game of the fall semester on Sept. 13.



SPORTS

It is the start of another school year at Glendale, which means

new faces, new classes and new parking lot struggles.

It also means new seasons for the fall sports teams. It’s a time for new opportunities: to improve teams that have been down, to continue success of recent years and to cement new legacies.

Women’s golf made waves in its premiere season last year by finishing fourth in conference and third in the conference championship tournament. Not bad for a brand new program. Head coach Kirt Kohlmer returns to lead a mix of experienced returning golfers and talented new recruits.

The returning Lady Vaqs golfers are team MVP Rebecca Cate, Ruth McNevin, and Emily Moniz. The new recruits who hope to have an immediate impact are Brittney Gonzales, Chrislyn Herring, Cristina Pasquariello and Alexa Petroski. Look for the Lady Vaqs to use last year’s success to build this into a stellar program.

Women’s soccer looks to improve from last year’s record of 9-6-7, 6-4-5 in Western State Conference. Despite the winning record, head coach Jorge Mena’s team missed the playoffs.

The Lady Vaq’s top returning players are forwards Catalina Sanchez and Ashley Givens and goalkeeper Monica Rosales. Newcomers include Allyson Burns, Teresina Cuccinello, Natalie Diaz, Celia Flores, Elena Torres and Christina Voskanian.

The men’s soccer team looks to bounce back from a lack of scoring and only two wins a year ago. Head coach Joe Agoston hopes to lean on his returning players to increase the offense and increase the wins.

The Vaq’s bring back the team’s lone all-WSC first team player, goalkeeper Edwin Cabrera. Joining Cabrera are midfielders Emilio Vallejos-Paeza and Bruno Sanchez, defender Oscar Velasquez, and back-up goalkeeper/forward David Avetyan.

Women’s volleyball head coach Yvette Ybarra will be looking to the experienced returning players to turn

Fall Looks Bright for Sports Teams

Vaquero Sports SummariesMen’s and Women’s Cross CountrySept. 5: Men — Finished first in Ventura InvitationalSept. 13: Men — Finished first in Beaver InvitationalSept. 5: Women — Finished first in Ventura InvitationalSept. 13: Women — Finished first in Beaver Invitational

Women’s Golf:Sept. 8: Finished fifth at Western State Confer-ence match 1 at El Cariso Course

Women’s Volleyball:Aug. 31: defeated Antelope Valley College 3-1Sept. 5: defeated Rio Hondo College 3-0Sept. 10: lost to Chaffey College 3-0Sept. 12 :lost to Orange Coast College 3-0

Women’s Soccer:Aug. 29: lost to Long Beach City College 2-1Sept. 2: defeated Santa Ana 1-0Sept. 5: defeated Rio Hondo College 2-0 Sept. 8: defeated L.A. Harbor College 2-0Sept. 12: tied San Bernardino Valley College 1-1

Men’s Soccer:Aug. 27: lost to Fullerton 4-0Sept. 2: forfeited to L.A. Harbor CollegeSept. 5: forfeited to Chaffey CollegeSept. 9: lost to Orange Coast College 4-0Sept. 12: defeated San Bernardino Valley College 3-2

Football:Sept. 6: lost to West L.A. College 20-13Sept 13: defeated East L.A. College 75-21

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country:Saturday: Golden West Invitational at Golden WestSept. 27: San Bernardino Meet at Chino Hills

Women’s Volleyball:Friday v. East L.A. College at GCC 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Santa Barbara College 6 p.m.Sept. 26 v. Moorpark College at GCC 7 p.m.Sept. 30 at Ventura College 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer:Friday v. El Camino College at GCC 5 p.m.Sept. 26 v. Moorpark College at GCC 5 p.m.Sept. 30 at Citrus College 3 p.m.

Men’s Soccer:Friday v. El Camino College at GCC 7 p.m.Sept. 23 v. East L.A. College at GCC 7 p.m.Sept. 26 v. Compton College at GCC 7 p.m.Sept. 30 v. Allan Hancock College at GCC 7 p.m.

Football:Saturday at Riverside City College 6 p.m.Sept. 27 v. Orange Coast College at GCC7 p.m.

Upcoming Events

Scores

For more information visit:www.glendale.edu/athletics/

around a team that went 0-10 in WSC conference play.

The team returns top players outside hitter Aya Nakano and middle blocker Isabelle Carter, both of whom were all-WSC selections in 2007. Also returning are libero Anne Figueroa and Nicole Diller, who will be playing setter.

The men’s cross country team may have been in the shadow of its female counterparts last year, but it is possible that they will be shining on their own. However, they will be doing so with a rather inexperienced crew. Of the nine-member team, seven are freshman.

Head coach Eddie Lopez will be looking to returning runners Steven Carrillo and Alain Perez to lead the team to the top of the WSC and maybe even the top of Southern California.

The women’s cross country team is coming off an undefeated state championship season a year ago. The team faces this year without three of their top runners from last year, Tove Berg, Desiree Ruiz and Vivien Waddeck.

Returning California State Coach of the Year Eddie Lopez hopes that sophomore Justina Sadauskaite and Reyna Samaniego can fill the void left by Berg, Ruiz and Waddeck and lead the Lady Vaqs back to the top this year.

The start of the John Rome era of Vaquero football is here. The former offensive coordinator inherits a talented team from legendary coach and current men’s athletic director John Cicuto.

Last year, the Vaqs failed to reach a bowl game after finishing 6-4, 5-2 in conference. However, Rome hopes to rely on a talented stable of running backs to take the team back to the post season.

The running backs to look out for are Jorge Chaidez, 2006 Vaq MVP Jason McNeill, LaVelle Peterson, Joe Wiggan and Willie Youngblood. This running back group reads like an all-area history book. Chaidez is the Burbank area high school all-time leading rusher, Peterson is a former Rio Hondo League Co-MVP and Wiggan is a former all-CIF selection.

Giving the running back corps holes to run through is a talented offensive line that is headlined by two all-WSC honorable mentioned sophomores Nick

Sabatella and Marc Valdez. Also returning to the starting lineup this year is Brian Granillo.

Rome has named freshman Stephen Miller as his starting quarterback but Dylan Martinez is expected to get some snaps behind center as well.

The receivers may be an inexperienced bunch but they have plenty of talent. Sophomore Kenny Suber and freshmen Brian Williams and Michael Harrison will be playing along side Rome’s son, Alex Rome, who is

By Ross ColemanEL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

Ross Coleman can be reached at [email protected]

the starting tight end.The defense lost a load of

talent in all-Americans defensive end Grant Valentine and safety Ray McDonough, however Rome has young excited players that are ready to step into the large shoes of the departed stars.

Sophomore Michael Klintworth, is shaping up to be the replacement for Valentine. Along with him freshmen Garrett Rowland, Marcus Mullin, and Jesse Halberstadt are all other options at defensive end.

The top linebackers are Kyle Budrick, Rudy Peterson, and Kalii Robinson.

James Antaplyan is back to help fill the void left by McDonough in the secondary. Freshmen Jacob Franco, Francis McDonald and Patrick Allen will also do their best at the cornerback position. J.P. Curvey, a former cornerback, will be the starting safety to watch out for this year.


C a l e n d a r

Around Town

On Campus

events

Armenian Independence Day Festival — Verdugo Park, 1621 Canada Blvd. The Nor Serount Cultural Association will pro-vide a day of activities and en-tertainment in celebration of the independence of the Republic of Armenia. Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.ar-meniancalendar.com or call (818) 391-7938.

Grand Avenue Festival — Grand Avenue between Temple Street and 5th Avenue, Los Angeles. Enjoy music, theater, dance per-formances, artmaking, and other activities. Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.grandavenuefestival.net or call (213) 972-7611.

Thai Cultural Day — Barns-dall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. The 16th An-nual Thai Cultural Day will fea-ture an array of Thai-themed ac-tivities and workshops including Thai kickboxing, a Thai painting demonstration, Thai massage and more. Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.thaicul-turalcenter.org.

Monrovia Family Festival and Farmer’s Market — Old Town Monrovia, Myrtle Avenue and West Colorado Boulevard, Monrovia. Enjoy the fresh pro-

duce and prepared foods of the farmer’s market along with live music, street performers, artisan booths, and a kids’ play area. Fri-days from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.monroviaoldtown.biz or call (626) 357-7442.

exhibitions

Face of Power and Piety: Me-dieval Portraiture — The Getty, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles. This exhibition explores portraits in illuminated manu-scripts of the Middle Ages. Now through Oct. 28. Admission is free and parking is $10 per car. Museum hours vary. For more in-formation, visit www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.

Five Centuries of Indonesian Textiles — Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Indonesia’s rich and diverse textile tradi-tions will be highlighted in this exhibition from the Mary Hunt Kahlenberg Collection of more than ninety works dating from the early fifteenth through twenti-eth centuries. Tomorrow through March 15, 2009. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students with I.D. Museum hours vary. For more information, visit www.lac-ma.org or call (323) 857-6000.

The Marvel and Measure of Peru — The Getty, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles. Life during colonized Peru is on dis-

play, featuring various paintings and drawings from the period, as well as two manuscripts written by Spanish monk Martín Murúa. Now through Oct. 19. Admission is free and parking is $10. Muse-um hours vary. For more informa-tion, visit www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.

William Stranger: Second Growth — Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St., Pasadena. This exhibition ex-plores the second life of trees, us-ing salvaged materials as well as finely crafted furniture and hand carved objects. Sept. 28 through Jan. 4, 2009. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students and se-niors. Museum hours vary. For more information, visit www.pmcaonline.org or call (626) 568-3665.

Marcel Duchamp Redux — Norton Simon Museum of Art, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This exhibition features a dozen Duchamp works acquired by the Museum as well as photographs and ephemera from the retrospec-tive. Now through Dec. 8. Admis-sion is $8 for adults and free for students with I.D. Museum hours vary. For more information, visit www.nortonsimon.org or call (626) 449-6840.

Grecian Taste and Roman Style: The Society of Dilettanti — The Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. This exhibition presents portraits,

sculptures, drawings, and rare books that illuminate the first 100 years of the Society of Dilettanti. Now through Oct. 27. Admission is free and parking is $10. Muse-um hours vary. For more informa-tion, visit www.getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.

music

Peter and the Wolf — Walt Dis-ney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Presented by the Toyota Symphonies for Youth. Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. Ticket prices vary. For more informa-tion, visit www.laphil.com or call (323) 850-2000.

comedy

John Caparulo — The Ice House Comedy Club, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, presents the stand-up comedy of John Caparulo. Friday at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Satur-day at 8 and 10 p.m. Admission is $16.50. For more information, visit www.icehousecomedy.com or call (626) 577-1894.

theater

“Vaudeville Extravaganza” — Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd. 39 S. The Alex Film Society pres-ents six live acts of period music, magic, and mayhem. Saturday at 8 p.m. General admission is $25 with a discounted price for stu-dents with valid I.D. For more in-

formation, visit www.alextheatre.org or call (818) 243-2539.

“Ghosts of the Sixties: Kenne-dy’s Children” — The Actor’s Playpen, 1514 N. Gardner St., Los Angeles. Directed by John Walcutt and produced by Hrach Titizian. Now through Sept. 28. Admission is free with a $10 sug-gested donation. For more infor-mation, visit www.theactorsplay-pen.com or call (323) 874-1733

“Vanities” — Pasadena Play-house, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. The Pasadena Play-house presents the pre-Broadway run of “Vanities,” the musical based on Jack Heifner’s 1976 Off Broadway hit about three Texas gals and their struggle to find happiness beyond hair spray and husbands. Now through Sept 28. Showtimes and ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org or call (626) 792-6142.

wellness

Free Health Clinic — Open Tuesdays 6 to 8:30 p.m. On a first come, first served basis. Located at 134 N. Kenwood St. Third floor, room 330. No job related physical exams offered. For more information visit www.glendale-clinic.org or call (818) 243-2105, ext. 202.

more information, contact Cam-pus Organizations at (818) 240-1000, ext. 3126.

Psychology Club — The Psy-chology Club’s first meeting is Thursday at noon in AA 108. Open to all. For more informa-tion, visit www.glendale.edu/pys-chologyclub.

information

Fire Academy — The applica-tion deadline for the Glendale Community College Verdugo Fire Academy Class is Nov. 1. Applicants must be 18 years of

workshops

Career Center Workshop: “Re-searching Careers” — The workshop will acquaint students with career exploration and the research resources available. Thursday from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Career Center in the San Rafael building. For information, visit www.glendale.edu/careercenter or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5407.

Meditation Series: “Wisdom and Compassion: Living a Sane Life?” — Monday from noon to 1 p.m. in SR 114. No experience necessary. Flex credit available.

lectures

Science Lecture Series: “Math-ematical Modeling and Compu-tation for the Collective Motion of Animal Groups” — On Tues-day, Dr. Allison Kolpas, postdoc-toral researcher from UC Santa Barbara, will address the college community. Ever wonder how schools of fish, flocks of birds, herds of wildebeest, or swarms of locusts move in large cohesive groups without a leader? Kolpas will demonstrate how from noon to 1 p.m. in SB 243. Free and open to the public.

age or older and be a high school graduate or have completed the GED program. For more informa-tion, visit www.glendale.edu/fire or call Lydia Basmajian at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5918.

planetarium

“Evening with the Stars” — This GCC Planetarium show will introduce the stars, constel-lations and planets visible in the night sky. Friday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10. For more information, visit www.glendale.edu/planetarium or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5275.

events

GCC Swap Meet — Upper cam-pus parking lot. Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free admission. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5805.

Club Rush Week — Clubs show-case themselves now through Sept 26 in Plaza Vaquero.

clubs

All Clubs — To register or start your own club pick up an appli-cation in the Student Center. Ap-plication deadline is Sept. 30. For

Compiled by Tina Hagopian


VAQUEROVIEWS

Club Showcase Runs Through Next Week


Glendale College students file past the club booths at Plaza Vaquero during club rush.

By Garrick Hogg EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Glendale College clubs will be showcasing themselves in an

attempt to spread their messages and recruit new members during Club Rush Weeks today through Sept. 26 when booths with organization representatives will line Plaza Vaquero.

“It gives everybody an opportunity to see what’s available, and how to get involved,” said student activities coordinator Tzoler Oukayan.

Students who are interested in creating their own clubs can visit the Office of Student Affairs in SC202, located above the bookstore. The office stocks the club registration packet, a seven-page bundle which includes a sample club constitution and an advisor agreement form.

Club founders must find at least five students who are interested in joining their organization prior to establishing the club. Prospective leaders must also recruit a faculty member to serve as the club’s adviser. The adviser serves to help guide club leaders with their own

experience, as well as oversee and approve their club’s financial practices.

Clubs must also nominate a member to attend all Inter-Organizational Committee meetings in order to receive funding and be recognized as an official campus organization.

After registration, club leaders are obligated to attend a mandatory orientation which will take place 3 p.m on Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Room SC212.

Club Registration is open now through Sept. 30.

“It helps to have other people around you who share your interests and who are doing the same things you are doing, which can motivate students to advance,” said Oukayan in regards to how clubs can help students achieve their goals and find a sense of belonging on campus.

In the past, clubs such as the Filipino Cultural Organization and V.O.I.C.E.S. have created scholarship programs, demonstrating that campus organizations can have a direct effect on the lives of its members and community.