SOPA threatens freedom

3Film stu-dent focused on future

3Women’s basketball los-ing momentum

OPINION ON 2 A&E ON 8 SPORTS ON 4

FAIRFIELD, CALIF.www.solanotempest.net

VOL. 28, NO. 7DEC. 7, 2011 - FEB. 7, 2012

MORE ONLINE AT WWW.SOLANOTEMPEST.NET:-The new Muppet movie has humour at heart; -Childish Gambino represents real rap.

“There’s a call to adventure. It’s something in the inner psyche of humanity...” -Gary Gygax

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

SCC programs threatened

THE TEMPESTT H E V O I C E O F S O L A N O C O L L E G E

8SEE BUDGET, PAGE 6

Phillip Temple /Tempest

Unsuspecting students will be surprised by harrowing budget cuts.

By Sharman BruniEditor-in-chief

Attempting to get into classes at the last minute is no easy task, but now it may be even harder to find a place as classes continue to drop and student numbers do not. Fifteen programs have been placed on “program discontinuance re-view” at Solano Community Col-lege due to the budget crisis within the county and state.

Program discontinuance comes from an academic affairs policy in which the Curriculum Commit-tee, a branch of the Academic Sen-

ate, reviews programs and decides whether they will stay the same, be modified, or discontinued.

The list of programs include drafting, electronics, engineering, French, German, horticulture, interior design, journalism, Latin, maintenance technician, market-ing, office technology, Portuguese, real estate, and TV.

Among all these programs, one individual has stood out in her quest to rally support. Melanie Lutz, an engineering professor at the college, has been very proac-tive to keep the engineering pro-gram running at SCC.

“At a time when the local, state and national economies are in dire need of more skilled engineers and scientists, closing the only engi-neering program in Solano Coun-ty would be a disastrous move in the wrong direction,” Lutz said.

So far, 33 letters in support of the continuation of the engineer-ing program have been compiled by Lutz. The list of individuals in support of the engineering pro-gram’s continuance includes Con-gressman John Garamendi, local business leaders, and current and former students.

8SEE MEASURE G: PAGE 6

Professor rallies to save engineering program, other programs at risk of being discontinued

By Ben Gogna Photo editor Solano Community College will consider laying off its police of-ficers next semester, possibly con-sidering private security guards for some or all of campus security.

Police staff received an email in late N o v e m b e r from a repre-sentative of their union, i n f o r m i n g police staff of the possible layoff.

“I don’t see eliminating the cam-pus police officers being the solu-tion to saving a few cents, which won’t be worth all the downside and the negative ramifications,” said senior SCC police officer Joe Ramos, and Stationary Engineers Union Local 39 member.

The SCC police staff consists of four full-time officers, two part-time officers, one parking at-tendant and two administrative personnel.

The issue will be presented to the college governing board in Jan-

uary, the letter said. If approved, the board will issue a 45-day layoff no-tice to the police staff.

“We are look-ing at it as a cost saving possibility vs. service,” said Peter Bostic, ex-ecutive director of institutional advancement.

“There are other issues in addi-tion to cost that would be looked at as well,” Bostic said. “How quick could armed law enforcement offi-cers get here if we only have un-armed officers? Some people pre-fer less armed on campus. Some people want more armed on cam-

By Sharman BruniEditor-in-chief

Superintendent-President Jowel Laguerre came to Solano Commu-nity College with a wealth of knowledge and a breadth of ex-perience under his belt. Although he has found success in the academic world today, as a young boy growing up in the village of Saint George, Haiti, La-guerre almost missed the opportu-nity to attend school. There were no schools in La-guerre’s village, and he did not have the opportunity to start his education until a pastor from a neighboring town visited Saint George and saw that the eight-year-old Laguerre was not in school.

The pastor encouraged Laguerre’s parents to let him stay with the

pastor’s family and attend school in the neighboring village. “Because of the fact that I al-most did not go to school, I’ve al-ways appreciated everything about school and have felt that getting an education was really a privilege,” Laguerre said. Laguerre pro-gressed through

school and started tutoring when he was in fourth grade, a step in his educational path that would eventually lead him to teaching. From tutoring fellow students in 1968 to the present day teaching a Haitian-Creole class last semester at Solano, Laguerre spent many

College to consider laying off campus police

Overcoming hardships, Laguerre developed passion for learning

Community report price tag is $44,988By Anthony Peters Copy editor Solano Community College recently spent nearly $45,000 of Measure G funds on a communi-ty report distributed to residents of Solano County.

The report is an eight-page fold out with information regarding the different community partner-ships SCC has developed as well as a message from SCC President

Jowel C. Laguerre. One page of the report says how

Measure G bond funds have been used to build the student services center on the main campus, build new Vallejo and Vacaville centers as well as fund health and well-ness, sports medicine and recre-ational facilities.

Yulian Ligioso, vice president of finance and administration, said that the report is a way to in-form the taxpayers of how SCC is

spending its funds.“The pamphlets are a way to

let the residents know what we did with the money given to us by Measure G,” Ligioso said.

The college spent $44,988.45 of Measure G funds on the pam-phlet, according to Peter Bostic, executive director for institutional advancement.

According to the 2010 annual Measure G report, Measure G,

Jowel Laguerre

8SEE PRESIDENT: PAGE 6

Ben Gogna

Flyers have appeared around campus.

8SEE POLICE: PAGE 6

If you’ve spent an extensive amount of time on the Internet in the last few weeks, you’re prob-ably familiar with H.R. 3261, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act. Proposed by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the bill aims to censor websites that corporations fear are illegally distributing copy-righted material. With 1.2 billion illegal music downloads last year (according to arstechnia.com), the issue of piracy needs to be dealt with, but not in the way that SOPA is suggesting. The bill seems to suggest that the way to combat online piracy is to black out sites that merely contain copyrighted material, which will only serve to give governments and corpora-tions too much power and render the Internet nearly un-useable.

I’m hardly alone in this opin-ion. One anti-SOPA petition on Reddit.com had over 30,000 signa-tures, and opponents include Ron Paul, Nancy Pelosi, and even Vice President Joe Biden. It’s no secret

that the bill is unpopu-lar, but the fact that it has reached the floor of Congress is a cause for concern.

U n -like most c o n g r e s -sional bills which have m a n a g e d to evade the public eye, this has caused an outcry among Internet users and rightly so. SOPA is riddled with problems and could have a nega-tive effect on the Internet and free speech if it passes.

The main problem with SOPA is its broad implications. The bill’s objective is “to promote prosper-ity, creativity, entrepreneurship, by combating the theft of U.S. property.” Lost in this flowery lan-

guage is what exactly constitutes “theft.” Obviously, sites that allow free download-ing of movies that haven’t come to vid-eo would fit in this category, but what about somebody who posts a link to a video on Facebook? Is that considered theft? The vague-ness of this bill is the reason why so many people are up

in arms over it, and prominent sites like Twitter, Google, and YouTube are against it, while the MPAA and RIAA (AKA the lobby-ists) are for it. If that’s what it does mean (and Smith says it doesn’t, even though he waited until after the controversy to make that clear), then the bill needs to be stopped. Something about the government having control over what goes on the Web feels very Orwellian, and

that is not the direction America needs to go in.

What the authors of SOPA don’t realize is that not everyone who shares or posts copyrighted material is a pirate. Most are just fans who are trying to get the word out about movies, TV shows, or bands they think should be more popular. With a resource as large as the Internet, it’s become much easier to spread word of mouth by posting songs or movie clips. As long as they aren’t trying to gain anything more than the ability to turn others on to the work they admire, this should not be consid-ered piracy.

According to the Washington Post, the bill is scheduled to be debated on Dec. 15. Until then, consider to make your voice heard about why this bill is wrong, and possibly even write to your con-gressman telling them to vote “No.”

OPINION2 THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7, 2011- FEB. 7, 2012

Campus calendar Dec. 7Workshop: Concurrent Enroll-ment; How to attend SCC and a local university simultaneous-ly, for little or no tuition cost. Room 437 4 p.m.-4:40 p.m.

Planned Parenthood Express Clinic Room 1409 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Registration for returning and transfer students begins

Dec. 8Registered Nursing Workshops Room 812 5:30 p.m.-6:45 p.m.

Horticulture Plant Sale 1000 building 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Holiday food drive ends

Dec. 9Horticulture Plant Sale1000 building8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Typing Test CertificationRoom 5022:30 p.m.

Fall Film FestivalSuisun Harbor Theatre 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Dec. 10Horticulture Plant Sale1000 building 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Solano Youth TheatreAladdin performance4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.

Dec. 13 Finals for evening classes

Registration for K-12 special admissions begins

Winter Choral Concert1200 Building7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 14-Dec. 16Finals for evening classesFinals for day classes

Open registration begins

Dec. 17-Dec. 18 Finals for Saturday/Sunday classes Finals for evening/day classes

Dec. 19-Dec. 20 Finals for evening/day classes Semester ends

January 18Spring semester begins

Congress needs to drop the SOPA

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ON THE WEB

Visit Solanotempest.net for news and updates.

By Nick SestanovichA & E editor

Community needs

creative, driven stu-dents

Editor-

Congratulations on receiving four awards from the Journal-ism Association of Community Colleges, including the award for general excellence for the online edition of The Tem-pest! As the assemblymember representing Solano County, I am pleased that the hard work of the staff at The Tempest re-ceived statewide praise from your peers.

The award for excellence is es-pecially well earned; the quality of the website for your online edition is comparable to many professional online news sourc-es. Our community needs the efforts of creative and driven students now more than ever, and we are fortunate to have you in our midst.

I applaud your leadership and the continuing efforts of your staff to keep us all well-informed.

Mariko Yamada

Assemblymember

Eighth assembly district

cartoonsletter to the editor

Phillip Temple/Tempest

Phillip Temple/Tempest

VOICE YOUR OPINION

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Phillip Temple/Tempest

OPINION 3THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7, 2011- FEB. 7, 2012

THE TEMPESTThe Voice of Solano College nVol. 28, No. 7

The Tempest is published by Solano College

students. Opinions expressed in the paper

are those of the individual writers and artists,

and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of

the college’s governing board, the administra-

tion, the faculty and staff, or the Associated

Students of Solano College.

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Sharman Brunieditor-in-chief

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news editors

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Sara Berzmanopinion editor

Rebecca Naranjosports editor

Deborah Grahamonline editor

Ben Gogna photo editor

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Phillip Templecartoonist

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contact us:

It is Tempest policy to correct any errors in the paper. Please contact us if you spot one. To get in touch with us:phone:(707) 864-7000, ext. 4361e-mail: tempest@solano.edupostal address:SCC, Room 18614000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield, California 94534

An eye for an eye

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I am not here to spring my beliefs or convince you of the wrongs, rights, ifs, ands, or buts- let alone the pros and cons--on such a touchy subject as the death penalty. I’d rather give insight on a cloudy issue the accused ulti-mately may face in committing the most capital crime or offence.

So far 58 nations still practice the death penalty and 96 countries and counting have abolished it. Capital punishment is reserved for murder, espionage, and treason in the U.S. , and for other reasons in other countries.

In the U.S., the electric chair and the gas chamber were introduced as more humane alternatives to hanging, but have been almost entirely superseded by lethal injec-tion in most states. Nevertheless, some countries still employ slow hanging methods, beheading by

sword and even stoning, although the latter is rarely employed.

Advocates of the death penalty argue that it deters crime, is a good tool for police and prosecutors (in plea bargaining for example), makes sure that convicted crimi-nals do not offend again, and is a just penalty for atrocious crimes such as child murders, serial killers or torture murderers.

Opponents of capital punish-ment argue that not all people affected by murder desire a death penalty, that execution discrimi-nates against minorities and the poor, and that it encourages a “culture of violence” and violates human rights.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, capital pun-ishment leads to miscarriage of justice through the wrongful ex-ecution of innocent people.

Many people have been pro-claimed innocent victims of the death penalty, according to ex-tended research noted in several articles on Capital Defense Week-ly and Justice Denied.

Some have claimed that as many as 39 executions have been car-ried out in the face of compelling evidence of innocence or serious

doubt about guilt in the U.S. be-tween 1992 and 2004.

Newly available DNA evidence prevented the pending execution of more than 15 death row inmates during the same period in the U.S., according to the Innocence Project, but DNA evidence is only available in a fraction of capital cases, according to the Casey An-thony Trial-Aftermath.

Since the death penalty reinstate-ment in the United States during the 1970s, no inmate executed has been granted posthumous pardon. Overall, the Innocence Project has exonerated more than 250 inmates through February 2010.

The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, and looks to the day when the United States joins the majority of nations as an abolitionist state. The ACLU Cap-

ital Punishment Project works to abolish the death penalty national-ly through direct representation as well as through strategic litigation, advocacy, public education, and mentoring and training programs for capital defense teams.

In the case against the death penalty the ACLU says it “violates the constitutional ban against cru-el and unusual punishment and the guarantees of due process of law and of equal protection under the law.” The ACLU also says that the state should not give itself the right to kill human beings.

“Capital punishment is an in-tolerable denial of civil liberties and is inconsistent with the funda-mental values of our democratic system,” the ACLU says on their website. “The death penalty is un-civilized in theory and unfair and unjust in practice.”

By Sara BerzmanOpinion editor

By Deborah GrahamOnline editor

A recent Mississippi Amend-ment on Nov. 8 was shot down by Mississippi voters. The “personhood” initiative, according to CNN, would have defined life as starting at conception (the one-celled embryo) and banned any form of birth

control or abortion. Would an initiative like this set a precedent for other states? What kind of impact would this have on our Nation as a whole? For more information on this initiative check the on-line edition on the Tempest.

“Personhood” could set precedent

Phillip Temple/Tempest

If the campus police were no more...

SPORTS4 THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7 2011 - FEB. 7, 2012 SPORTS 5THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7 2011 - FEB. 7, 2012

By Mark BeierlyStaff writer

To anyone involved with collegiate sports, a basketball game can be a test.

“It was a good hard fight and is ac-tually what we needed; to be tested,” According to what women’s basket-ball head coach Matt Borchert said in the Solano Falcons 72-65 victory over Skyline Tuesday, Nov. 23.

The Falcons played a close defen-sive battle with Skyline in the first half with the score tied at 33-33.

The second half turned out to be a tale of two stories. The Falcons jumped ahead in the second half dominating the boards and making key jump shots. At around the 9 min-ute mark, the Falcons jumped to an 11 point lead with the score 55-44 in the second half. But Skyline went on a 15-6 run in the later portions of the second half.

The score was now 61-59 around the 4 minute mark in the second half. Solano, which had an 11 point lead earlier, was now up by 2 with 3 minutes remaining in the second half. Luckily within those 3 minutes, the Falcons held up with their defensive stops and went on an 11-6 run to close out the game. The final score was So-lano 72 Skyline 65.

The key players for the Falcon vic-tory were forward Thaleya Nickson who had 14 points and was a big force in the post down low game, chipping in with 7 rebounds.

The same can be said with other So-lano forward Kandace Perez who also played terrifically with 12 points and 2 assists. Perez also came up with 7 re-bounds in the game.

Guard Presley Neufeld made some key clinching free throws that sealed the game, scoring 11 points, 6 assists,

and 4 rebounds. The big star of the game was sopho-

more guard Tara Cooley who was the leading scorer of the game with 18 points. Throughout the game, Cooley made her presence felt with some key 3 pointers in the first half, while in the second half she continued making shots that lead to the early 11 point

lead. Cooley describes the Falcons victori-

ous outcome as the team “having good energy and focused on the defense” in the game.

Both Cooley and Solano forward Shannon Rankin felt the victory over Skyline was what they needed after playing in the Santa Barbara MTXE

tournament. Rankin echoed the sentiments of

Cooley and head coach Borchert say-ing the team “stayed strong in the game and is darn happy they won.”

Sometimes in situations, it’s a very good thing to be tested.

By Jeff StockStaff writer

The Solano Community Col-lege Women’s basketball team was unable to rally after falling behind early to the visiting San Jose Jaguars. This disappointing loss brings the Falcon’s record to 3-3, which ties them for first in the Bay Valley Conference, Bay Divi-sion with Los Medanos. “We laid an egg,” Solano head

coach Matt Borchert said. “They were frustrated early on and it snowballed from there.” The Falcons couldn’t connect

with passes in the paint, turn-ing the ball over to the Jaguars frequently. According to coach Borchert, these turnovers were ne-gated the team’s solid defensive ef-fort and instrumental in the loss.Sophomore guard Presley Neufeld

led the defense, aggressively pursu-ing the ball carrier, taking away the Jaguars time and space. “We have to set being more ag-

gressive as one of our goals; to get that extra umph,” Neufeld said. “We have to contain better; they

didn’t shoot any 3’s,” she said.Solano’s offense, in addition to

being plagued by turnovers, had a hard time sinking shots, hitting only 46 percent from the field and 55 percent from the free throw line.

By Anthony PetersCopy editor

Though the season is still young, the Solano Community College men's basketball team is still strug-gling to find an identity.

The Falcons (0-3) are still seek-ing their first win of the season after being beaten by Sacramento City College 83-69 Friday at the Solano Gym.

"We just had stretches where we were inefficient offensively," Sola-no coach John Nagel said. "We got careless on offense and they got in and put pressure on our defense."

The Falcons kept pace through the beginning of the first half, due in part to crisp ball movement on the offensive side. After falling behind 7-3 in the early moments, they answered back with a 16-5 run, spurred by a Maurice Hernan-

dez 3-pointer that tied the game up at 9 after a Hernandez jumper, Manny Gabriel pushed the lead further with his first 3-pointer of the evening.

After Sac City fought back to a 24-19 deficit, the Solano offense was absent. Sac City capitalized on seven straight Solano possessions without points to go on a 10-point run.

The Falcons answered right back with three straight three-pointers to take the lead back at 33-32. They couldn't hold on to the lead, however, as D.J. McGee hit two free throws, then forced a turnover and laid the ball in on the fast-break to give the Panthers a 36-33 lead going into halftime.

When the second half started, Solano cut the lead to one on a Brett Cauchi three at 42-41. It turned out to be the closest Solano

got the rest of the way. From there, the Panthers turned on the heat going on a 15-5 run, highlighted by a three-point play by Bobby Barnes.

Solano fought back bringing the game back to a two-possession lead at 72-66, before its offense once again fell silent, allowing Sac City to go on a 10-3 run to end the game.

Despite the loss, Nagel is as-sured that his young team is close to finding its identity.

"We have to get experience," he said. "To get experience we need to get tested. We are very close. We just need to keep plugging away."

The Falcons will be off until Fri-day as they open the Diablo Valley College tournament against San Jose City College at Diablo Valley College.

By Jeff StockStaff writer

The Solano Community College Women’s soccer team is untouchable, finishing the 2011 season un-defeated in the Bay Valley Conference, winning the championship for the fourth consecutive year. This is the fifth season in a row the Falcons went undefeated in their conference.

Solano’s 19-game shutout streak against conference rivals ended this season when Mendocino managed to find the twine in a 1-1 tie on Nov. 1. This marks the first goal a Bay Valley Conference team has scored on Solano since November, 2009.

Sophomore nursing major Alexsa Gonzalez, who finished the season leading the team with nine assists, said it has been a good experience playing for coach Jeff Cardinal here at Solano.

“I got everything accomplished that I wanted to,” she said. “I made the team last year and first team this year.”

Fellow sophomore Briana Scholtens felt the 2011

season did not meet her expectations. Scholtens, whom head coach Jeff Cardinal considers one of the most athletically versatile players on the 2011 squad with the ability to “play anywhere, even goalkeeper”, spent much of the season frustrating opponents be-tween the pipes, giving up only six goals in 680 min-utes played.

“In the beginning it was hard for us to come to-gether and find our swing. If we had connected early on the way we did toward the end, we would have been phenomenal,” Scholtens said.

Scholtens’ experience with the Falcons has been positive overall, she said, with the knowledgeable coaching staff helping her develop on and off the field; athletically and academically.

Both Scholtens and Gonzalez hope to catch the eye of talent scouts from four-year schools who will be in attendance during the sophomore showcase on Saturday, Dec. 3. The sophomore Falcons have been in contact with several schools, hoping to attend San Diego and Cal State L.A., respectively.

Lady Falcons season shaky at 4-5

Solano’s Tara Cooley shakes off a Skyline player leading to a two pointer during a home game on Tuesday, November 23.Ben Gogna/Tempest

Falcon Presley Neufeld takes charge of Tuesday, November 23 game against the Trojans. Neufeld would go on to help increase the score against Skyline.

Ben Gogna/Tempest

Solano at bottom of ConferenceWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Falcons laid 65-53 egg loss to Jaguars

5Solano's head coach John Nagel yells in frustration.

A Falcon struggles against a Trojan to get a rebound.8

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Solano struggled to catch up during Friday, December 2 game against Skyline.Rebecca Naranjo/Tempest

Rebecca Naranjo/Tempest

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Falcons dominate Bay Valley Conference again

Solano’s Yedith Martinez charges towards the goal during Friday, October 28 game against Yuba.

Ben Gogna/Tempest

Men’s basketball continues 7 game losing streak

THE TEMPEST6 THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7,2011 - JAN. 7, 2012

7 MEASURE G: FROM PAGE 1

7 PRESIDENT: FROM PAGE 1

7 BUDGET: FROM PAGE 1

7 POLICE: FROM PAGE 1

pus. Everything is a possibility. A blending of Guardian Angels are a possibility,” Bostic said, referring to the volunteer organization.

“We don’t know what we’re do-ing right now, but looking at po-

tential models of law enforcement on campus,” Bostic said.

“We’re exploring different models,” said Yulian Ligioso, vice president of finance and ad-ministration. “This particular item has been on what’s called the People and Things ‘to do’ list for probably two to three years, so I’m just following up on that,” Li-gioso said.

Ligioso said he did not know how much money might be saved, or how much the current police department costs.

“We’ll be presenting, discuss-ing different options,” Ligioso said. “If we can effectively embrace technology to assist in the security and safety aspect and maybe go to a different type of model, from po-lice department to security, then it might be cheaper,” Ligioso said.

“Obviously we want to maintain the level of service, maintain a safe and secure campus.”

Ramos, a 10-year veteran of the SCCPD, said that with unarmed security, if an incident did take place on the campus that the sher-

iff’s department would be called. Laura Strand, business repre-

sentative of the Stationary Engi-neers Union Local 39, said in an email to The Tempest that the So-lano County Sheriff’s Department would be unlikely to be able to provide a level of service that the

SCC officers currently provide. “If the district believes that they

can rely upon the Solano County Sheriff’s Office to be the first re-sponder for calls for assistance, that is quite an optimistic assump-tion,” Strand said.

“It will compromise the safety of the campus,” Ramos said. “You won’t be able to get the appropri-ate help when needed.”

Ramos said the Solano police department already has the low-est paid officers of the community colleges.

“We’ve already taken cuts over the years” Ramos said. “We’ve lost officers that were never replaced, we’ve lost graveyard shifts, and we’ve already been cut into, sig-nificantly. In other words, we are operating at bare bones.”

Ramos says he doesn’t expect severance pay. “I don’t know what the final negotiations will be if it gets to that point, but based on what’s already happened, you get your 45-day pink slip and that’s it,” Ramos said. “As far as sever-ance pay, we’ll be in the unemploy-ment line like everyone else.”

“SCC’s engineering program plays a key role in educating a high-ly qualified workforce to meet the demands of our technology-based economy,” said S. Shankar Sastry, UC Berkeley’s dean of engineer-ing. “The need for more engineers to drive innovation and industrial growth is especially acute during this period of economic stagna-tion.”

“The classes in this program were the most challenging and motivating experiences I had at Solano,” former student Eian Vizzini said. “They tied theoretical derivations with hands on labora-tory experiments, which cannot be taught online. As a result, I feel I

was better prepared than my peers at the University of California, Da-vis.”

The Dean of Sciences, Betsy Julian, relayed that there was “very systematic data-driven approach to generating the list,” referring to the process facilitated by the Cur-riculum Committee.

According to Julian, during better times financially, the college was able to offer a wide variety of classes, but with the current fiscal cuts, many classes are now under scrutiny to either be cut or modi-fied to better fit the college’s needs financially. Julian says she is not concerned that the engineering program will be cut, but said there is the chance that it will be modi-fied.

Programs under discontinu-ance review:

• drafting• electronics• engineering• French• German• horticulture• interiordesign• journalism• Latin• maintenancetechnician• marketing• officetechnology• Portuguese• realestate• TV

decades honing his teaching meth-ods and working in the academic community. During his time teaching in Haiti, Laguerre would often arrive at school at 6:30 a.m. and many times find himself there until 8 p.m. “Weekends were spent prepar-ing for the whole week,” Laguerre said. “The reward was the response of the students.” Laguerre looked back on his life then and remembered having “all the energy in the world” in his early twenties as well as being sur-rounded by encouragement. Laguerre continued his educa-tion at the University of Kansas to acquire his Ph.D. in Educational

Leadership as well as receiving his Master’s of Science in Education in School and Administration and a Master of Arts in French Litera-ture. “I think that my doctoral studies at the University of Kansas played an extremely important role to in-still confidence in me,” Laguerre said. Laguerre was hired at SCC in 2009, previously serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Truckee Meadows Community College, the Executive Vice Presi-dent for Academic and Student Services at Montgomery College, and Vice President of Student Ser-vices and Learning at Lake Supe-rior College.

“I enjoy working for him very much,” said Judy Spencer, execu-tive coordinator to the president. “He has everyone’s best interest at heart.” “For the ASSC he helped en-sure our funds that we will be getting from the Barnes and Noble contract,” Phil McAffrey, President of the ASSC, said. “Laguerre has always been look-ing out for the students.” “Even in this difficult economy, the people who have college de-grees are better off than those who don’t,” Laguerre said, “When we are educated, we can create a fu-ture from ourselves as opposed to having others create a future for us.”

Police department is operating at “bare bones”

Fifteen SCC programs to be reviewed

Laguerre: long hours teaching in Haiti

in accordance with Proposition 39, contains strict financial safe-guards to insure that bond funds are spent on classroom and facility improvements as identified in the ballot measure.

“There is language in the bond that doesn’t specify buildings or infrastructure,” Ligioso said. “Ac-cording to that language the re-ports fit the parameters.”

Ligioso said the school was un-able to finish all of the planned projects due to a rise in construc-tion prices.

“We weren’t able to finish ev-erything,” Ligioso said. “Cost estimates were 30% higher than originally thought due to a higher increase of demand on resources.”

Measure G was a bond passed in 2002 by voters of Winters and Solano County. Originally it was $124.5 million but according to the SCC website, that total has grown to nearly $150 million with interest.

The 2010 annual report states SCC has spent $142 million on Measure G projects.

“It will compromise the safety of the campus.”

-- Joe Ramos, SCC police

SCC mailed this community report to Solano county residents.

Community report used Measure G funds

7THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7, 2011- FEB. 7, 2012 ADVERTISEMENT

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT8 THE TEMPEST n DEC. 7, 2011 - FEB. 7, 2012

“Skylanders” brings your toys to life on all consoles

By Deborah Graham Online editor

I tore through the plastic, pulled out my “Portal” peripheral, and plugged it into my Wii console. I dropped a “Skylander” figure on it and my toy came to life on the screen. I am not an 8-year-old but I am losing my flipping mind over this game. I want this game for Christmas. “Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure,” is a simple game with some very cool graphics and 3D technology. “Star Control” developers Toys for Bob in collaboration with Activision has given us a game with a round shaped “Portal of Power” peripheral, and a full launch range of 32 three-inch action figures (they are sold separately). The game is another entry in the “Spyro” series, which has been going strong since the PS1 days. Your starter pack includes the portal of power, three figures (Spyro, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt). I love the fact the portal of power is USB compatible with Xbox, but gives me that wireless feel with my Wii. The plot is that the Portal Masters (that

would be you or I), have to save the Skylander world from an evil nemesis (isn’t it always an evil nemesis?) named Kaos and rebuild the Core of Light. You can use the three characters provided in your start up pack to finish the game, however adding more characters will bring a greater diversity to the

game and make easier to complete. The levels play to the strength of each character. In some levels, you may need to cross water, and Gill Grunt would work better for you than Trigger Happy, who is more of a technical character. You just remove Happy and put Gill on your portal and he will save the day. I love the interchangeability of all the characters. It only takes a few seconds. Jennifer Avina, one of the production coordinators at Activision, notes the toys can travel with you to a friend’s house and you can play it on their console. The toys have all the character’s elements, the treasures

and equipment stored in the toy. This enables you to use it on any other portal and also to cross platform it with any other system. “’Sklyander: Spyro’s Adventure’ originated from our developer, Toys for Bob,” said Avina. “The developers watched how the kids interacted with toys and video games and wanted to merge those two types of play into a unique and imaginative experience. I want to warn anyone that if they buy this game thinking Spyro is the main character, they will be sorely disappointed. This is probably a marketing ploy, but it doesn’t detract from the fact that Activision has put out a great product just in time for Christmas. The game is a bit expensive ($69), but with all the things you get in your starter pack and additional characters on Amazon for less than ten dollars, it is worth the investment. The game also contains great graphics, is available on every platform, appropriate for all ages, and, most importantly, if I can’t get out of a level with my character I can go over to a friend’s house and make my character stronger. I can then take my figure back to my house and continue my game. It’s a must buy for that spot under the Christmas tree.

GAME REVIEW

Solano student aims high with movie production company

Tyler Manzo/Courtesy Photo

A screenshot from “Sam Raymond and the Post Break-Up Zombie Depression.”

Veteran film student Tyler Manzo has high aspirations for himself and the future of the film production company he began in March 2010, Black Rose Productions. Black Rose Productions produces darker, more ironic films that range from dramas to dark comedies. As a child, Manzo always knew he wanted to be a director. “I’ve always been creative and wanted to share stories with people,” Manzo said. “Filmmaking is the best way to do that.” Currently, Manzo is hard at work in post-production on his latest film “Sam Raymond and the Post Break-Up Zombie Depression.” It’s due to premiere at the Suisun Harbor Theatre for Solano’s Film Festival on Dec. 9. “It’s a dark comedy about a guy and his ex-girlfriend stuck in a house as the zombie apocalypse breaks out,” Manzo said. “It’s pretty funny how things play out.” On the backburner is the longest film Manzo has attempted to shoot, “Our Happy Apocalypse.” It’s a 50 minute project that has been put on hold due to lack of permits for the film location. “I’m trying to get more recognition for the company.” Manzo said. “It’ll make it easier to get permits and other things. You’re just not taken seriously when you’re a film student. It’s just tough since not only are you trying to market yourself, almost everything is coming out of pocket.” Since Manzo has to pay for everything for all of his filming, he does a variety of odd jobs and promotes his company through friends.

In the past, Manzo has created six short films and either acted in or helped out with filming with numerous others. “You’re never 100 percent satisfied with your work,” Manzo said in relation to his past work. “I am constantly trying to get better; better actors, better equipment, better stories.” Manzo has already set high aspirations for his future. “I want to stick to internet based things. I’m not stuck in the past. I like to think that I’m part of the new wave of videography groups. Hopefully I’ll get to make it to Sundance film festival one day.” Although Manzo is dedicated whole heartedly to his craft, he is determined to stick to his dream no matter what obstacles stand in his way. “If I had to give a word of inspiration to other film students, it would be to not be discouraged by failure. Filmmaking is going to be accomplished through failure. Embrace it if you have family troubles or breakups. I’ve started tons of films and not finished because of life hardships, but I embrace failure and keep going.” You can learn more about Black Rose Productions by visiting their site at Blackrose.tv or their Facebook page at facebook.com/blackrosefilms

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By Rebecca NaranjoSports editor

Want to see “Aladdin” at Suisun Harbor Theatre? Wish granted!By Tempest Staff

“Aladdin,” the classic folk tale of a lowly street rat and his encounter with a genie who grants him three wishes, will come to Suisun Harbor Theatre on Dec. 10. “Aladdin” is the latest production from Solano Youth Theatre, and features some of the youngest company members. In addition to being SYT’s opening show of the 2011-2012 season, it’s also the first show under the banner of Vacaville’s Young Artists Conservatory of Music. The show will be performed for one night only at the Suisun Harbor Theatre on Dec. 10 at 4:30 and 6 p.m. Tickets are $6 for children and $12 for adults. For more information on the show and other Solano productions, visit solanocollegetheatre.org.

“Skylanders is a must buy for that

spot under the Christmas tree.”

Activision

“Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure” offers colorful graphics and a fresh style of gameplay.