vvc rampage vol. 33 issue 5

RamPage April 27 2012 Volume 33 No 5

Victor Valley College

ldquoSuccess is sweet the sweeter if long delayed and attained through manifold struggles and defeatsrdquo -A Branson Alcott

News

MUN pg2 Safety Center opening pg3 Financial Aid pg3 News Briefs pg 18

FeaturesEntertainment

Babe Ruth Day pg5 Summer wine pg 6 Allied Health pg 8 Jack White review pg 12 The Raven review pg 14

Sports Baseball pg16 Softball pg17

The California State Assembly Demo-cratic Caucus presented a new legisla-tion in Feb that would mean good news to those college students who are fund-ing their own education without state aid John A Peacuterez Speaker of the As-sembly along with other Assembly Members held forums at several Univer-sity of California and Cal State Universi-ty campuses last week to discuss the proposed legislation that would cut tui-tion costs for middle class students by two thirds The state law makers plan to meet with UC CSU and community college stu-dents statewide to educate them on the plans to help make college accessible and affordable to all Californians ldquoThe recession and massive tuition fee increases have put financial burdens on families all over our state ending the dream of higher education for far too many Californiansrdquo said Speaker Peacuterez at the forum held at UCLA Friday April 20 The Middle Class Scholarship Act is composed of two assembly bills (1500 and 1501) The legislation suggests clos-ing a deal made in 2009 with out-of-state corporations that is essentially a tax loophole which the Democratic Caucus claims to be ldquowastefulrdquo AB 1500 intends to close this deal and AB 1501 would redirect the revenue to create The Middle Class Scholarship program This would provide more fi-nancial aid funds for UC and CSU stu-

dents then appropriate funds to Califor-nia community colleges In recent years tuition fees have sig-nificantly increased for colleges all over California The burdens of paying for

increasing education costs have been placed on the shoulders of many of VVC students and their families With next semester per unit rates rising again some stu-dents who donrsquot qualify for finan-cial aid are struggling to make ends meet ldquoItrsquos a very smart idea Itrsquos best that we use resources toward schools because people will have better access to educationrdquo said VVC student Peter Rensink whose parents have been paying his tuition ldquoWith that education they can go out and make new jobs with the resources at handrdquo The program will assist those students whose families make less than $150000 and are not eligible for financial aid Depending on what school they attend UC and CSU students can save up to $33000 over a four year period Community colleges will receive $150 million to reduce tuition cost for their middle class students Assembly member Holly Mitch-ell of the 47 district was among those who accompanied Peacuterez at the UCLA forum last Friday Mitchell also co-authored The Middle Class Scholarship Act ldquoUCLA and Californiarsquos public colleges generate top-notch schol-

ars innovators and professionalsrdquo said Mitchell during Fridayrsquos forum Scholarship from page 1

New Legislation to Help Californiarsquos Disappearing Middle Class Story by Kelli McGurk

Managing Editor

Speaker of the California State Assembly John A Peacuterez speaks at UCLArsquos forum on his new legislation

Photo courtesy of DailyBruincom staff

Continued in Schloarship on page 2

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Page 2 News

On Tuesday April 24 the Los Angeles City Council passed a unanimous (12-0) resolution officially endorsing The Mid-dle Class Scholarship Act ldquoThe Speakerrsquos bills would go a long way toward restoring the middle class in Californiardquo said City Council President Herb J Wesson Jr at the Tuesday meet-ing ldquoWe need to make sure that higher education is affordable for all Californi-ans and that our student have all the opportunities that they deserverdquo As state budget cuts continue to roll out and amidst the shadow of increasing taxes in the coming year Peacuterez hopes that fellow assembly members will in-vest in the education of our next genera-tion The statutory bills require a two thirds majority vote in both houses and oppo-nents argue that current distribution of these funds help corporations to create

more jobs They also question the Dem-ocratic Caucusrsquo commitment to fund the new program since they voted to divert $5 billion of state sales tax to local agen-cies in the 2011-12 budget according to Sabrina Lockhart a spokesperson for our districtrsquos representative in the state assembly republican Connie Conway ldquoWe should focus on growing the economy to boost funding for budget priorities Corporations that would be adversely impacted include businesses that employ tens of thousands of em-ployees throughout the state including Home Depot Target International Pa-per Georgia Pacific and Fordrdquo said Lockhart ldquoThis proposal is a false promise to students because it does not reverse the higher education cuts already approved it does not control future fee increases and there is no guarantee the program will be fundedrdquo

The Assemblyrsquos Joint Republican Caucus has proposed its own budget solution to fund education called ldquoRoadmap to Protect Classrooms and Taxpayersrdquo Details can be found at wwwcabudgetfactcheckcom Students can obtain more information on The Middle Class Scholarship by going to the website wwwmiddleclassscholarshipcom as well as Speaker Peacuterezrsquo website wwwasmdcorgspeaker They can sign the petition hear other studentsrsquo opin-ions on the program and even submit their own story about working hard to fund their own dream of higher educa-tion Quotes from Peacuterez Mitchell and Wesson obtained from official press releases

MUN Retains Their Crown Despite Disturbances Story by Micah Raimo

News Editor

Despite starting the term with no budget the Victor Valley College Model United Nations (MUN) team was able to raise $27000 allowing them to fund their New York Conference trip and bring home multiple awards

This year MUN was forced to rely on bake sales car washes and ap-proaching local businesses to fund their trip to the conference On top of the fundraising each MUN student had to pay an additional $300 out of their own pocket for plane fare hotel fees and one dinner

Without the $17000 grant from Wells Fargo National Bank and a $2500 Foundation grant last fall MUN would have been unable to at-tend the New York conference

ldquoOur team worked really hard to maintain what we have and to main-tain our reputation in our skills The entire premise with this program is that knowledge is powerrdquo said Kelli Pribble MUN President

MUN approached the Associated Stu-dent Body (ASB) four times asking for funds to help them with expenses for the New York Conference The first time on Sept 16 2011 Pribble gave a presenta-tion on MUN According to the minutes

theyrsquove placed in the top five percent of all the colleges who attend the annual conferences competing against schools such as Berkley Stanford and other col-leges in the same categories

ldquoASB is always supportive of us Theyrsquove given us more than they have

ever given us and as they have noted more than they have given any club We are extremely appreciative of ASBrdquo said Pribble

MUN went before the VVC Board of Trustees asking for $360 for out of state student travel funds for the conference Their proposal was turned down

ldquoVictor Valley College has a lot of problems they are trying to work out internally and it is not exactly prudent to focus on one academic program We understand that they canrsquot help us be-cause itrsquos about the college atmosphererdquo said Pribble

With their hard earned money in hand the MUN team left Los An-geles International Airport at 9 pm and arrived in New York at 4 am determined to win Although they faced other schools that used devious tactics in order to acquire a win against VVC including an attempted theft of a laptop to re-move a delegatersquos paper they succeeded in showing how serious the MUN team is by bringing home the prize ldquoThey canrsquot be underhanded and get away with it like that but they also have the makings of being a good delegaterdquo said Pribble Ultimately they returned home

with four teams winning Position Paper Awards and one Outstanding Delegation Award retaining the collegersquos ten-year record of excellence

ldquoWe had such a good time at this con-ference that we werenrsquot expecting an award The fact that we came out with it showed us how much our hard work had paid offrdquo said Pribble

VVC MUN team with their award inside the United Nations Photo courtesy of Dino Bozonelos

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Page 3

Grand Opening of the New VVC Regional Public Safety Center

Story by Zaqueri Black Reporter

Saturday morning on April 21 began the dedication ceremony and the public open house for the new state-of-the-art Victor Valley College Regional Public Safety Training Center in Apple Valley The training facility includes a disaster simulation that gives the Fire-science and Police Academy Students the opportunity to participate in a real life simula-tion of events in their field It makes it feel like a real-life situation that is actually happening even though you know its a sim-ulation said bystander Madi-son Rose The new $315 million center is the first construction project funded by the voter-approved Measure JJ which offers a multi-agency learning environment to maximize disaster train-ing by incorporating fire science EMT paramedic administration of justice and corrections To begin the grand opening event a VIP dedication ceremony was held fea-turing Erik Skinner Executive Vice Chancellor for programs with the Cali-fornia Community Colleges Chancel-lors Office and Fred Wehrenberg the Branch Chief for training and exercise with FEMAs National Preparedness Directorate Following the ceremony the campus held a public open house from 1 pm to 430 pm which featured an afternoon of live demonstrations as well as facility tours The nine-acre campus encompasses 41500 square feet of buildings and classrooms geared for the 21st century learner as well as a prop yard fire sta-tion and tower for training

Designed by Carrier Johnson Archi-tects the center features a 230kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system consisting of rooftop panels and solar covered car-ports that provide nearly 80 percent of the buildings total electricity I was in awe of how many props they could fit into this area while also being efficient in providing scenarios for all of

the different rescue fields said Travis Fawver VVCRPSTC features two student lounges a computer lab and video pro-duction lab twelve smart classrooms showers and locker rooms an indoor tactical shooting range including a 3-D projection scenario program and an out-door courtyard suited with a N level wireless network The four-acre prop yard also offers live simulation training opportunities including Community Emergency Re-sponse Team (CERT) city buildings for urban rescue training a confined spacetrench prop a low angle rope rescue prop a confined space rescue prop a derailed train car and a five-story tower with burn rooms Development of the center was made possible by a community effort begin-ning with the passage of the Measure JJ in 2008 and the donation of land from the Wal-Mart Corporation along with the Apple Valley Fire Protection Dis-trict

VVCrsquos new public safety center offers students simulation exercises Spectators at the grand opening were able to view these simulations Photo by Zaqueri Black Reporter

New Financial Aid Changes

Story by Tiandra Bullock Editor

Victor Valley Collegersquos Financial Aid department has implemented new chang-es for this year and the 20122013 school year ldquoWersquore trying to be more efficient in the delivery of student aidrdquo said Arthur Lopez Interim Director of Financial Aid Some of the new changes include Fi-nancial Aid making funds available the first week of school Another change that has already been addressed is the increase in enrollment fees from $36 per unit to $46 per unit which will be going into effect summer 2012 Students without a high school diplo-ma or General Education Development (GED) will no longer be eligible for Title IV funds which is the Pell Grant from financial aid In addition the Abil-ity to Benefit (ATB) which is an option to take six transferable units has been eliminated as well Both policies will be effective as of July 1 2012 The Free Application for Federal Stu-dent Aid (FAFSA) has started using the IRSDATA Retrieval to obtain tax infor-mation immediately when filling this out If the student chooses not to use this method they are required to submit an IRS Tax Return Transcript The Finan-cial Aid office will no longer accept copies of any tax returns For the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is available on the finan-cial award letter the adjusted gross in-come (AGI) threshold has been lowered from $30000 to $23000 In doing this students reported AGI must be in this income bracket to receive an automatic zero EFC which determines the stu-dentrsquos financial need for the year This number can be determined by subtracting your EFC from your full year student budget A new Lifetime Limit for Pell Grant Eligibility has been enforced The maxi-mum Lifetime Limit Eligibility to re-ceive a Pell Grant has been changed from nine years to six years which is the equivalent to twelve full-time semes-ters

Continued in Financial Aid on page 7

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Page 4 Features Spring Break Abroad A Week in Ireland Part I Story by Adreana Young

Editor in Chief

We left for Los Angeles International Airport at 3 am on a cool Friday morn-ing Even though I knew I wouldnrsquot be sleeping for the next 24 hours or more I still couldnrsquot sleep the night before For my Spring break my best friend Victoria and I decided to visit our friend Samantha in Ire-land She studied abroad for nearly a year and so we packed our bags and set out on a week long jour-ney to Ireland After waiting in lines for hours we finally board-ed our first flight Being someone who gets motion sickness I had no illusions about the discomfort I was about to face on this four hour flight and the eight hour flight that was waiting for me in Chicago Unable to sleep I sat staring at the back of the seat in front of me for those four hours while cramped between two other women who were both leaning closer to me than I would have liked I could feel the bags under my eyes swell-ing from exhaustion but I didnrsquot care I was on my first international adventure to Ireland We touched down in Dublin Ireland at 8 am on Saturday We waited in an unmoving customs line for what seemed like hours After being directed to the wrong baggage claim we finally found our luggage and walked out of the big doors blocking us from the outside world where our friend was waiting for us I was so excited to see my old friend I began to cry We all hugged laughed at the silly tears streaming down our faces and then quickly made our way out of the suffocating airport The cold Irish air caressed my face I could see the clouds rolling in and feel

the damp air blow past me Breathing in fresh air for the first time in almost a full day was when it first hit me that I was in a foreign land I had my backpack my oversized red rolling luggage and a small side purse that held my Euros passport and camera I had sat on two flights for a total of

nearly 12 hours We had a six hour layo-ver in Chicago I hadnrsquot slept in almost 24 hours and we were about to hop on a bus for another 5 hours to travel across the entire country of Ireland from Dublin City to Galway City still I had never been more excited in my life Galway The city of Galway can be better described as a big townmdashitrsquos welcoming and quaint The buildings stand weather-worn and the vibrant colors all around jump out at you making you highly aware of the happiness and simplicity that engulfs the coastal city We walked from the bus station to Saman-tharsquos apartment Pull-ing my rolling luggage behind me trying des-perately not to hit the

passing strangers or get a wheel stuck in the cobble-stone streets I couldnrsquot help but look like an American tourist (something I had wanted to avoid ) Everything looked new to me I felt like a child I was excited about even the smallest and most mundane things From the way the small apartments lined the busy streets to seeing the Corrib River flow peacefully down the middle of the city and open up into the Atlantic Gal-way quickly felt like my home away from home The rain in Galway was on and off relentlessly Without warning (unless you consider the constant looming clouds a warning) the rain would begin to fall Occasionally it would rain hard but for the most part the weather in Gal-way was pleasant for Ireland anyway After recuperating from our flights at Samantharsquos apartment we decided to wander around the city a little more We explored a small portion of the university in Galway Called National University of Ireland Galway my friend Samantha attended class there for almost eight months Shersquos a study abroad stu-dent and attends the University of Cali-fornia Riverside According to Samantha ldquoThe school system is much differentmdashit is refresh-ingly (and at times infuriatingly) re-laxed Success is almost entirely up to the student because there isnt anyone

Continued in Ireland on page 5 Ireland from page 4

Flooded boats along the shore where the Corrib River meets the Atlantic Ocean Photo by Adreana Young Editor in Chief

The Corrib River in Galway Ireland Photo by Adreana Young Editor in Chief

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Page 5 really keeping tabs on you or giving you much incentive to do anything at home in California I feel like we are babied a lot morerdquo Even though we didnrsquot see that much of the campus it was easy to see why anyone from the States would want to attend class theremdashthe campus is beauti-ful We walked into where the admin-istration buildings were the buildings looked like mini castles They were cov-ered in vines there were stone arches over the doors and the grass in the mid-dle of the buildings was perfectly groomed However according to Sa-mantha the gorgeous campus isnrsquot the only positive about NUI ldquoThe classes Ive taken have been ri-diculously amazing The professors have all been wonderful and super into their subject matter Class sizes are pretty smallrdquo Samantha said ldquoThere are places to eat and cafeacutes hidden everywhere around this campus Lunch is usually the largest meal for the Irish so if youre on campus you do lunch rightrdquo Samantha went on Speaking of cafeacutes in Ireland one of the stand-out moments in Galway was a little cafeacute we ate in Called Ard Biarsquos the tiny cafeacute sat right beside the Corrib River We walked in to get out of the rain and waited maybe 15 minutes to be seated The cups and plates were all mis-matched the place was crowded both in people and in placement of tables The owner of the place was bringing food out to people sitting with customers and chatting she was charming herself so it was no wonder her cafeacute made one feel right at home All the cafeacutes we went into in Ireland were pleasant and small each of them made you feel at home but this one was a sort of culmination of how I regard Irish cafeacutes Although Irsquom fairly certain that I could have stayed in Galway the entire week I was in Ireland and been perfectly con-tent my friends and I decided to visit more of the country Our journey was just beginning and I had no idea what lay ahead of us To be continued

Part two of the Ireland series will be in the next edition of RamPage

Swing Away for Babe Ruth Day Story by Kelli McGurk

Managing Editor

Baseball season has arrived Every National and American league team has held their opening day ceremonies and the smell of kettle corn and hot dogs envelope my nostrils just writing about it No matter what team may be your team and even if yoursquore not a fan of baseball chances are you know the name of one man who became a leg-end in the game hailed as Americarsquos national pastime Babe Ruth ldquoNever let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the gamerdquo Yoursquove probably heard this quote before It was Ruth ldquoThe Great Bambinordquo himself who said these fa-mous words He also lived them Itrsquos what in part made him a sport super-star Sure he struck out 1330 times (double the average strikeout percentage of his time) but he also hit 714 homeruns Ruth topped the record for overall homeruns for almost 40 years after his retirement from baseball before this record was broken he now sits at number 3 on the list He took fearless chances swing after swing on almost every pitch that was thrown at him And who hasnrsquot heard about that legendary 1932 World Series game when Ruth up to bat pointed to the sky then hit the next pitch almost 500 feet into the stands behind center field This was the longest homerun ever hit at Wrigley Field We as human beings are prone to struggle personal pain that at times hold us back from living meaningful lives Some might be easy to overcome others not so much How will today flow What is waiting for you in the next mo-ment Ruth might have been referring to baseball in his quote but it can and

should be applied to all of our existence not only to exist in life but to live it without the fear of the unknown holding us back from taking chances That chance you fearlessly take today might be that life changing moment that turns your day your year or your entire life in an entirely better direction

April 27 was declared Babe Ruth Day for every organized baseball league back in 1947 when ailing Ruth came to Yan-kee Stadium for a ceremony honoring him The next time he would step onto the field would be his last when they officially retired his jersey number (3) on June 13 1948 Ruth was diagnosed with cancer and died in Aug 1948 at the age of 53 He held 54 major league rec-ords at the time of his death including most years leading a league in homeruns It may not be an official national holi-day but this day should be celebrated by all of us Not sure what to do to cele-brate Just point toward center field and swing away And remember not to let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game Info for this article was obtained from u-s-historycom and babe-ruthcom

April 27 1947 Babe Ruth speaks at Yankee Stadium in a ceremony honoring his golden years in baseball Photo courtesy of lifetimecom


Story by Brandon Chiz Senior Editor

SingerSongwriter Maggie Vee to Entertain

Audiences at DrsquoVine Wine Bar

ldquoWriting producing perform-ingmdashitrsquos all nurturing my soulrdquo said Maggie Vee singer and song-writer for Soul Pattern Project Vee has played mu-sic as a past-time for years earn-

ing a living previously as a free-lance illustrator but after the death of her hus-band in 2008 she transformed her pain into inspiration Sitting in her home passing by her husbands guitar she played it for the first time ldquoI prayed with it I meditated with it Then the amazing happened I played it I donrsquot play guitar but I was playing guitar and singing words Music I didnrsquot compose words I didnrsquot write I sat there for three nights like that as composition after composition came through mehellip at the end of that week on a Sunday night I went out in public and played and have-nrsquot stopped sincerdquo Vee said Now performing as the Soul Pattern Project shell play the D Vine Wine bar in Apple Valley on May 17 Sincere and tenderly expressive her bluesy acoustic guitar and soothing vo-cals will provide a complimentary over-tone to the Apple Valley establishment Over the span of their long four years Dvine Wine bar and Jazz has provided an inviting venue for both dinning and music capitalizing on its relaxing ambi-ance and variety of wines Maggie Vees concert is free admis-sion and will be starting 730 pm For more information call 14845 Monarch Boulevard in The Monarch Pla-za VictorvilleCA 92395 (760) 843-3888

Wine for the HeatmdashIn and Out of the Bedroom

Story by Micah Raimo News Editor

Summer is around the corner and the temperature is shifting to the typical desert heat Ideas for dates and romance are replacing general education Food oddly enough can be the way to a womanrsquos heart but having wine knowledge along with a properly prepared meal shows attention to detail and that you had your partner in mind In laymanrsquos terms brownie points

With this in mind I went to The Wine Sell-er in Apple Valley and Drsquovine Wine Bar in Victorville to judge not only the establish-mentsrsquo dating atmos-phere but also their ownersrsquo recommenda-tions for the perfect summer wine

The Wine Seller located on the corner of Bear Valley and Apple Valley Road is a combination wine store and seating area where pa-trons can buy and drink wine Although no one past the age of 21 can proceed into the drinking area patrons are al-lowed to bring there own food and relax in a mellow casual environment perfect for picnic style one-on-one company

Owner Arlene Pence-Bruinsma along with her father Paul Bruinsma took over the establishment in 2010 She as well as the other employees caters to each customerrsquos particular palette with the selection of microbrews and wines provided

Bruinsmarsquos recommendation was a 2010 Eberle Viognier from Paso Robles The wine was filled with subtle surpris-es The California native has citrus notes akin to Chardonnay but there is a higher note of plum flavors introduced with a momentary fizz This wine isnrsquot recom-mended for the novice drinker but is a great drink to cool a fish dinner on those

hot nights Take note you cannot buy this at your local Stater Brotherrsquos shop-ping market

Across Bear Valley Road the Drsquovine Wine Bar located on Monarch next to Victor Bowl serves wines that are both commonly and uncommonly found in

the local store The establishment like the Wine Seller is very relaxing and perfect for a date Unlike the Wine Seller the estab-lishmentrsquos formal setting is more towards a relaxed candlelit dinner They have cheese and cracker plates to compliment the assorted wines You are allowed to bring food if your party consists of ten people or more Co-owner Steve Sipe has owned the establishment for four and a half years His choice for the summer is a

2008 Appellation Vouvray Controlee Marc Bredif Vouvray Only one word comes to mind with this French piece Clean

The Vouvray is a medium to high citrus taste but is not as dry as a Char-donnay This winersquos approach is gentle The color is almost clear with a light amber yellow tint which matches the clean finish of the wine The scent leap-ing into the nostrils isnrsquot fruit or citrus but itrsquos the sweet aroma of honey The flavors are subtle the wine is lined with sweets like ripened cactus fruits and oaks but the smooth textures are as rich as a buttery chardonnay Unlike the standard Chardonnay the citrus impact dissipates making the wine perfect for any novice Romantic dinners by the fire beware this wine is meant to cause additional attraction Wink wink

Generally the rise in temperature calls for white wines Continued in Wine on page 7

DrsquoVine Wine in Victorville Photo by Micah Rai-mo News Editor

Maggie Vee Photo courtesy of Maggieveeus


DSPS Coordinator Rises above Disability Story by Todd Hadler

Reporter

The doctors told Sherri Piercersquos par-ents that she would not live past three-years-old Pierce was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at birth SMA is an incurable disease that weakens the muscular and nervous systems According to smatrustorg one in eve-ry 6000 births is affected by SMA Today Pierce is confined to an electric wheelchair yet through all this she is the Disabled Students Programs and Services Coordinator ldquoWhat has gotten me through this is a strong will to be motivated and to get on with life also a strong family to support me 247 and a good educationrdquo said Pierce Pierce has never had a dull moment since being appointed the DSPS Coor-dinator in May 2011 She coordinates the daily activities within DSPS such

as working with other disabled students and reviewing disability documentation to ensure their eligibility for DSPS Pierce is also the chair for the diversity committee which is composed of Victor Valley College staff to celebrate diverse issues One would think that with all the work she does on a daily basis there would be no time to enjoy any hobbies wrong Pierce loves to sing as well as listen to music She also loves to write and to read poetry Pierce cannot stress enough to students the importance of education She started school when she was just three years old the same age that the doctors said that Pierce would not live to see The school that changed her life was Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in Downey CA ldquoTeachers and artists are my main in-spiration to move forward because they give the world humanityrdquo said Pierce

Pierce has dedicated her time as DSPS Coordinator to make sure that every student at VVC with a disability is treated as equal to any other student on campus She wants to ensure that every student with a disability is provided with more accessible technology and that this technology would be more campus wide and universally designed While she said that efforts have been made to have more accessibility on campus for disa-bled students there is still a long way to go ldquoMy main goal is to make sure that every student with a disability has a chance to have equal opportunity for academic successrdquo said Pierce ldquoHowever students with disabilities will have to work just as hard Nothing will be handed down and it will be the same standard as everyone elserdquo

From Wine on page 6

The palette shifts from the warm thick tastes of reds to the crisp cool refreshing tastes of whites California and French wines are great for this time of year Their thin body and complex variety make an appealing partner to most chicken or fish dinners For the novice stick with your sweet whites and blushes like Moscatos or White Zinfan-dels These dessert wines are reserved for those curl-up moments in front of a movie

Be forewarned know what you are talking about and donrsquot recite the label You partner will most likely read the bottle ahead of time Wine aids in both relaxation and demonstrates intelligence which helps your overall situation in the long run Or you can naiumlvely buy a cheap bottle of wine dissolving your romantic evening to a fizzing solo

Financial Aid from page 3 This applies to all students with no exceptions Students that have already received six full-time years of the Pell Grant are no longer eligible to receive it Decisions are not final but a proposal by the Governor has been made for the Cal Grant program which suggests increasing the requirements of the grade point average (GPA) from 20 to a 275 I feel that the changes regarding the GED and high school diploma is a smart move on their behalfrdquo said Vic-tor Headley ldquoStudents that come here with those require-ments show that they are serious about school It eliminates all the foolishness running around campus For more detailed information regarding any of the chang-es please contact the VVC Financial Aid office at (760) 245-4271 ext 2245


New Lab Equipment Helps Nursing Students Advance their Skills

Story by Jonathan Giddens Reporter

The Victory Valley College Nursing Program received a special gift of its own over the semester break New dona-tions from local hospitals have helped enhance the programrsquos prestige by offer-ing students new avenues of learning Kaiser and Desert Valley Hospital presented VVC with replicas of more modernized hospital equipment includ-ing actual hospital beds and various sim-ulation men This allowed them to im-prove their facilities by transforming old classrooms into brand new skills and simulation laboratories All of the dona-tions and advancements total more than $100000 The labs assist teachers in providing real life scenarios and giving the students hands on experience ldquoThe new lab helps establish confi-dence and prepares students for inde-pendencerdquo said Kimberlee Rendon fourth semester nursing student ldquoFor being in a small community it really helps us raise our standardsrdquo Nursing simulation is still a relatively new subject The idea came from state-wide numbers showing that students who have gone through simulation train-ing have higher success rates ldquoWe miss out on great students who donrsquot learn the traditional way of reading a book and memorizing The addition of simulations help enhance those students through demonstration observation and

trial and errorrdquo said Dr Terry Truelove Professor of Nursing The basic skills lab is set up like an actual hospital room with beds curtains and heart monitors Having this newly

accessible area allows the program to test the studentsrsquo skills in real life situa-tions The simulation lab is a model of an Intensive Care Unit it includes high fidelity mannequins crash carts medi-cine dispensary machines and a psychi-atric clinic ldquoThe equipment we had before was simply outdated based on changing in-dustry standardsrdquo said Dr Joseph Mor-ris Director of Nursing and Allied Health ldquoThe simulations provide close

to real life situations the students may experiencerdquo The simulation men have the manner-isms of live human beings and are capa-ble of more than 80 percent of human

functions Each of them re-enact specific situations for students to practice with The mannequins vary from kids in pediatric care mothersrsquo with their newborns and patients in intensive care The professors can watch the students while they work and talk through the simulation men to act out the situations with them In time professors are able to identify which subjects need to be re-taught by how well students perform in the simu-lations Once the students finish their scenarios they enter a debriefing room to watch

their performance on tape with their pro-fessors It is usually one to two profes-sors in the room with anywhere from one to ten students ldquoThe true learning begins in the de-briefing where students can reflect on what they did and did not learnrdquo said Dr Morris Widely known for its successful nurs-ing program VVC continues to make strives to better its studentsrsquo educational experience

A simulation dummy donated to the VVC nursing program Photo by Jonathan Giddens Reporter

Child Development Center Announces Enrollment Story by Francisco Casillas

Reporter

The Child Development Center (CDC) is announcing that they will be opening their doors to children for enrollment for the Fall semester Students are encour-aged to sign up their children at the day care center This year the laboratory will be lim-ited to a maximum of 32 children Its a very limited spacerdquo said Kelley Johnson director of the CDC According to admission and eligibility requirements children canrsquot be over 5-years-old Signups begin now until June 1 The first day of the Victor Valley College

laboratory classroom is August 20 Par-ents interested must first fill out a one-page simple app form Once the page is filled out and received by the CDC the center can begin enrolling children after June 1 First priority registration is exclusive to low income families of San Bernardi-no County Families who receive Tran-sitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Calworks or Social Security income have automatic eligibility Second on the priority list is pointed to VVC students Later they open up to the rest of the community Earlier this year the lab classroom was at risk of being cut down financially which would affect both students and children

According to Kelley Johnson with budget cuts affecting school programs statewide the state considered cutting the program limiting enrollment spaces down to a maximum of 20 children We wrote a letter to our fiscal analyst to solve this problem said Johnson Dr Christopher OHearn took the letter to his management and they accepted it Well have some funding Hopefully it will be enough Johnson added For any additional information contact the Child Development Center at (760) 245-4271 ext 2618 or through the Par-ent Handbook found at vvcedu under the Child Development departments page


Planetarium Shows Entertain and Educate Students

Story by Kevin Hunzeker Reporter

Leaned back in theater seating the audience sat eagerly while the planetari-um went black and Light Shows from Andromeda began Friday night at Victor Valley College The star show was informative and visually stimulating The shows main focus was on the travel of light in space but also touched on topics such as the evolution of astronomical studies light travel and the big bang The show con-sisted of a variety of narrated slides and musical effects ldquoThe show was quite enjoyablerdquo said Sean Reed former VVC student ldquoIrsquove always wondered where we came from and the stars in generalrdquo Reed who heard about the show from a friend liked the portion of the show that was about ldquoquasarsrdquo which are enormously bright objects at the edge of the universe that release massive amounts of energy VVC student Brian Lollock heard about the show from his Astronomy 101 teacher ldquoI liked understanding exactly how light travels and how we see light with-in a certain periodrdquo said Lollock This portion of the show explained how looking into space is actually look-ing back in time The further an object is the further back in time we are looking The show explained that the sun we see is roughly eight minutes old and light from the Andromeda galaxy is roughly two million years old Another segment of the star show dealt with the evolution of astronomical stud-ies and the early misconceptions of the universe In the beginning stages of as-tronomy it was believed that Earth was the center of the universe This idea was later disproved as astronomy studies evolved ldquoIt was interesting how early astrono-mers were wrong about so muchrdquo said Matt Simpson ldquoIt makes me wonder how much of what we think we know now is wrongrdquo The star shows are displayed with the help of the Zeiss Zpk3 star projector according to Meyer The projector is a mechanical machine that uses a bulb to project light through glass plates that

have series of pinholes on them that cov-er the entire sky Adjunct Instructor and Planetarium Facilitator David Meyer has been con-ducting Friday night star shows at the VVC planetarium since January of 2002 ldquoWe do a variety of showsrdquo said Mey-er Most are ldquocannedrdquo shows and run by the computer The shows usually start at 7 pm and run 30 minutes long After the show Meyer answers any astronomy related questions The Q amp A session usually lasts 10 minutes

Prices for star show tickets range from $2 to $4 Students of any age and seniors 55 and over can get a ticket for $250 Non-students pay $4 Members of astro-nomical societies such as the High De-sert Astronomical Society receive a dis-count price of $2

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 0

The Growing Pains of a Community College Student Opinion by Joseph Ciulla

Web Editor

What do you want to be when you grow up A question posed to all of us when we were in grade school Back then the answers were usually as simple as a fireman doctor lawyer veterinarian or even the President of the United States all of which are probably still the most sought after jobs excluding the latter As you prepare to graduate from high school it becomes a little more real and serious We are expected to have a ca-reer path lined up when we enter into our post-secondary education which is easier said than done Students tend to rush into a decision when it comes to a future career later finding out that it is not at all what they thought it would be This leads to more time in school and more importantly what seems like wast-ed years of your life which could also lead to students beginning to feel trapped In todayrsquos society degrees are dimin-ishing in value so it seems pertinent that we as students need to find a path and stick to it soon so that we can get our six to eight years of schooling out of the way and enter the workforce before the age of 25 I have already been going to commu-nity college for four years and still have only a general direction When speaking to students about their goals after education I tend to get a lot of the same response ldquoI donrsquot know what I want to dordquo I am stuck in a simi-lar predicament I am currently in a state

of What should I do I know my skill set I just donrsquot know what I should ap-ply it too So I decided to seek out the advice of those who have gone through similar situations ldquoFirst do not see it as being lsquotrappedrsquo It is a normal decision we all must face in life It is important to allow yourself to develop interests and then explore themrdquo said Victor Valley College pro-fessor Frank Foster ldquoIf you make a has-ty decision you could end up being mis-erable for the rest of your life Take the time to discover This is important and I believe in itrdquo Foster who teaches art and photog-raphy has a comparable experience Foster attended a small community col-lege in Mississippi where he took sever-al art courses Foster didnrsquot exactly know he wanted to be a teacher until later in his education path ldquoI was in graduate school and I was helping a student with their problems When you help someone and they listen and really grasp what you are trying to teach it is a golden moment It is a feel-ing that is worth much more than any monetary value you can attach to itrdquo said Foster Also many students struggle with hav-ing a goal in mind and then there could be a catalyst that changes their direction An example of which is student worker Greg Harbor When entering VVC Har-bor knew exactly what he wanted to do theater arts Then Harbor was in a car wreck and it changed his outlook on life ldquoI felt that I was invulnerable before the wreck It was definitely a reality checkrdquo said Harbor

Since then Harbor has decided to have a back-up plan if theater arts doesnrsquot work out He has started taking biology clas-ses so that he could go into the medical field Harbor also brought to my atten-tion that maybe it isnrsquot so bad to be at a community college trying to find your-self ldquoI would rather students get stuck here at a community college rather than being in debt over at a 4-year university be-cause they still donrsquot know what they want to dordquo said Harbor Foster also added to the benefits of being at a community college ldquoI believe the community college is very important because it is a place you can take a variety of classes to see if in fact you have an interest in a certain subjectrdquo said Foster ldquoThat is important because sometimes a studentrsquos initial interest in something needs further ex-ploration to know if in fact they really want to study that subjectrdquo When I started the research for this article the intent was to get good advice for my fellow students here on campus What I ended up with was advice from peers who have gone through a similar phase I now feel that itrsquos okay to be where I am Irsquove always felt the pressure of society trying to make me choose a career immediately Now I can focus on finding my passion and following it ldquoDo what you love to do and you will live a much happier life I know that sounds so easy but it is very truerdquo Fos-ter said ldquoSlow down and allow yourself to discover what it is that you love in your life and then try to translate that in to a careerrdquo

VVC Guitar Instructor Inspires Students Story by Eric Abrego

Reporter

Rich Sumner tells the guitar students to practice their duets on their own after his lecture He helps each duo with their songs individually and spends plenty of time with each student There is almost never a moment when he is not helping a student Even before and after class Sumner can be seen advising someone for up to 30 minutes He is a dedicated guitar teacher Sumner a guitar veteran of over 40 years resides in Apple Valley and is an

instructor here at Victor Valley College He has been teaching a variety of guitar classes for more than 20 years Before coming to VVC he was a guitar teacher for a number of schools and also did some private guitar tutoring ldquoTheres one instrument that just reso-nates with yourdquo said Sumner Sumner has been playing ever since he was given a guitar as a gift when he was five-years-old He attended the Musi-cianrsquos Institute a vocational school dedi-cated to music in Hollywood There he studied under Joe Pass Joe Diorio and Ron Eschesteacute among other teachers

Continued in Guitar on page 11

Instructor Rich Sumner Photo by Eric Abrego Reporter


Guitar from page 10 According to Sumner one of his greatest achievements as a guitarist is simply that he is able to pick up a guitar and play Being able to play an instrument well is satisfying for him Sumner currently plays in the groups Latin Express a RampB and Latin band here in the High Desert and Zzaj a contemporary Jazz RampB and Latin music group Some of his favorite musicians are Pat Metheny Chick Corea Larry Carlton Miles Da-vis and Andreacutes Segovia Sumnerrsquos advice for his students can be summed up with a quote from Chet Atkins ldquoPlay the song all the way through Many music students when learning a song will learn maybe the intro to the song but not play through the whole thingrdquo

Former VVC Student Opens Creative Outlet for High Desert Residents


Held two Sundays a month former Victor Valley College student Christian Thompson created a lively art and music showcase available to all in the High Desert titled The Lotus Lounge Essential team members of The Lotus Lounge include Thompson coordinator Trey Brooks known as DJ Fame-Oh and staff Arielle Edwards Creator and entrepreneur Thompson is also the founder of Glamorous Living Kids (GLK) Clothing and Photography and has established a career as a graphic artist ldquoThere was no home for creativity in the High Desertrdquo said Thompson The Lotus Lounge in the High Desert has been created for the community to experience and enjoy what fellow artists

and musicians have to offer The lounge has opened its doors for the expression of the arts and the availability to appre-ciate it ldquoItrsquos a great way to expand and a great opportunity to see the artists and the motivated people in the city One hun-dred percent positivityrdquo said Julio Diaz de Leon Lotus Lounge attendee A variety of genres are available mak-ing the lounge assorted and appealing to its guests The Lotus Lounge offers ex-posure for the artists and musicians while being able to feed off of the reac-tion of the crowd ldquoIt is a non-labeled and safe environ-mentrdquo mentioned Thompson Entertainment at The Lotus Lounge includes open mic live musical perfor-mances live art display vendor tables a photo booth and an open bar The cover charge is five dollars and is open for 18

and up lounge goers Doors are open from 7 pm to midnight at Social Res-taurant on Cottonwood Ave in Vic-torville Artwork displayed and music from featured shows are available to be pur-chased and profits go directly to the art-ist themselves This is a way for the community to be productive in a creative approach Students interested in showcasing or being a vendor at The Lotus Lounge can email glamorouslivingkidsgmailcom with contact information and website All music is pre-approved and should represent the positive dynamic The Lo-tus Lounge has created For more information and photos taken by GLK Photography on The Lotus Lounge please visit wwwfacebookcomThelotusloungeshowcase

Restaurant Management Program Provides a Foundation for Students Story by Keith Diamond

Reporter

Victor Valley College Restaurant Man-agement Certificate gives students the basic skills to become an entry-level manager in the food service industry The program takes a minimum of four semesters to complete at 12 units per semester ldquoClass sizes are limited to 15 students per classrdquo said Mike Bennes a restaurant management instructor

In a studentrsquos first semes-ter they will be introduced to classes in food prepara-tion customer service food service sanitation and the principals of professional cooking This will give a basic foundation to build on for the classes to come Second semester the student will take a course in kitchen and dining room training plus two other academic courses off of the restaurant management rotating aca-demic list A student will move up the ladder in the third semester by learn-ing kitchen and dining room manage-ment as well as two more courses off of the restaurant management rotating aca-demic list In the final semester for the certificate the student will bump it up a notch and take Advanced Restaurant Management as well as the last two classes off the academic list The rotating academic list consists of classes in Management by Menu Pur-chasing for Foodservice Managers Res-taurant Marketing Controlling Foodser-vice Cost Human Resource Manage-ment in the Foodservice Industry Hospi-tality and Restaurant Management and

Nutrition Training for these courses are held in the Desert Rock Cafeacute located at the east end of the Student Activities Center The DRC offers breakfast and lunch for those staff members on campus looking to eat in a restaurant type atmosphere Students can also enjoy the food DRC has to offer by visiting the Ram Rock food cart outside the backside of the SAC The daily specials range from $6 to $150 If you are interested in getting into the VVC Restaurant Management Program and have more questions you may con-tact Deborah Peterson by calling 760-245-4271 ext 2228

The Ram Rock Cafeacute outside of the Student Activities Center Photo by Keith Diamond Reporter


Whatrsquos Wrong With Death Grips is Whatrsquos Right With Death Grips

I can al-

most guarantee that you have heard nothing like Death Grips before The Sac-ramento trio have cre-ated a new unorthodox blend of punk elec-tronic synth hardcore and hip-hop What lead vocalist MC Ride does is not what I would classify as rap though For the listener it would be more like staring down the barrel of a Desert Eagle while its 50 caliber bullet blasts right through your skull Now if you think that was enough thatrsquos where producers Zach Hill (of indie-rock band Hella) and Andy Morin aka Flatlander think yoursquore wrong They relentlessly fire overdriven and distorted beats at you as you lie there paralyzed from Ridersquos onslaught keep in mind this is all from one track On their first major-label release The Money Store Death Grips have brought back their heavy artillery that they used on their first albummixtape Exmilitary With the lead track ldquoGet Gotrdquo it seems as if they have gotten softer and some may say itrsquos due to signing to a major label however this is just their way of pulling you into the minefield that is the rest of the album With each track the experience is somewhat different It brings curiosity as to what can they possibly do next Hill and Morin provide us with a futuristic hip-hopelectronic (dubbed by the Ram-Page as ldquoHip-Honicrdquo) beats that are ca-pable at any minute to blow out any speaker system Itrsquos as if they hopped into Doc Brownrsquos Delorean and traveled to the year 2053 to listen to music and brought it back to progress todayrsquos mu-sic to a new age MC Ride can easily be described as the Henry Rollins (Black Flag) of hip-

hop music He is not just heard he is felt There is no dull moment in his de-livery itrsquos a constant visceral yell that surprisingly doesnrsquot get old The albumrsquos final track ldquoHackerrdquo might be up there with their best work ldquoIrsquom in your area I know your first

three numbersrdquo shouts Ride during the chorus as if it was a warning to others in the industry ldquoI know where you live so I have your area code All I need now is 7 digits and I will find yourdquo Luckily this will not be the last we see of Death Grips this year A sticker on the back of the album accom-panied this release saying No Love Fall

2012 If you can survive The Money Storersquos 41 minute ambush of music and the only thing left is your ringing ears then you will soon realize that what you had just heard is the bright future of progressive hip-hop

MC Ride at a live show Photo courtesy of lastfm

Review by Joseph Ciulla Web Editor

Photo courtesy of Epic Records

Entertainment Blunderbuss is

Blunderless Review by Daniel Compean

Editor

Sometimes artists can lack innovation Other times therersquos Jack White Former guitarist for The White Stripes and The Raconteurs drummer for The Dead Weather and numerous other collaborations White has a prolific resume as a musician White has a queer presence in the mu-sic industry While he will undoubtedly be a contender for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day and is one of the most accomplished musicians in recent years hersquos not without his whimsical peculiarities Whether itrsquos releasing his single ldquoFreedom at 21rdquo via balloons or bizarre collaborations his eccentricities arenrsquot for artistic merit but simply be-cause he can White carries this nonconformity to his music with his preference for a ldquoback to basicsrdquo aesthetic This has come full circle with Blunderbuss as White mas-terfully crafts an expansive album that showcases his diversity as a musician This is an album that begs for repeated listens While White has always been the show stealer in every band and collabo-ration hersquos in his debut solo album is where hersquos truly the star White comes into his own with his talents showing listeners a glimpse of his potential to expand White steps outside of his comfort zone with Blunderbuss foregoing a lot of the blues qualities that epitomized The White Stripes and The Raconteurs White favors a Dylan-esque sound with liberal use of pianos fiddle accompani-ments and a folk aesthetic Blunderbuss seems to venture down a road stopping off at every new musical vista He travels from the high-energy

Photo courtesy of Columbia Records

Continued in Blunderbuss on page 13


guitar riffs of ldquoSixteen Saltinesrdquo to the moody ldquoLove Interruptionrdquo The aptly named ldquoOn and On and Onrdquo feels like a drive down a barren highway to the mo-rose violins of ldquoBlunderbussrdquo White seems to explore an array of musical influences with Blunderbuss yet itrsquos by no means unfocused He ef-fectively connects the album together giving it a life of its own White has always been reticent with the personal details and meanings be-hind his songs Yet even with that strong assertion one canrsquot help but feel an ounce of bitterness in his lyrics ldquoAnd youll be watching me girl takin over the world Let the stripes unfurl gettin rich singin lsquoPoor boy boyrsquordquo from ldquoHip (Eponymous) Poor Boyrdquo is one of the less subtle examples of this It is perhaps a rare instance of him directing lyrical attacks towards his former band-mate and ex-wife Meg White of The White Stripes If Whitersquos lyrics appear cryptic or vague itrsquos because thatrsquos exactly how he wants it and that seems to be the general atmosphere of Blunderbuss It may be that White no longer feels confined by the limits of a band As a solo artist he is empowered to be as varied as he sees fit Blunderbuss is full of brilliant songs that will mesmerize its listeners with Whitersquos trademark enigmatic persona and innovative talents Simply put Blunderbuss is Jack White doing what he does best

Five Years and Still Not Engaging Review by Roscoe Esparza

Photo Editor

In a summer movie season that is sure to be jam-packed with lots of bullets and slow-motion explosions ldquoThe Five-Year Engagementrdquo delivers a romantic come-dy that brings occasional strong laughs and a decent story but ultimately drags on longer than it should The story co-written by star Jason Segal (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) feels like one thatrsquos been told many times before Tom and Violet played by Segal and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Pra-da) respectively are in what appears to

be the perfect relationship One year after they met Tom surprises Violet with an en-gagement ring All appears set for their happily ever af-ter but when Violet receives a promising job opportunity Tom chooses to leave his successful career as a chef in San Francisco to support his fianceacute This leads them to Michi-gan where Tom finds him-self less successful as one road block after another forc-es them to continually push their wedding plans further and further into their future Along the way they both begin to analyze their rela-tionship and whether or not theyrsquore with the right person If yoursquove ever been in a relationship then some of the plot may seem relatable Most relationships find one or both parties sacrificing a lot in order to make the other happy The problem here is that Tom has sacrificed a lot more than Violet and every-one knows it This leads Tom on a downward spiral of emotions and crazy facial hair as he slowly falls into depres-sion As is the case with Judd Apatow whose film credits include such hits as ldquoKnocked Uprdquo and ldquoThe 40-Year Old Virginrdquo his characters are presented with very human and flawed characteris-tics They do and say funny things but at the end of the day theyrsquore average people with emotions trying to get by in life This is a strength and weakness of the movie Itrsquos easier to cheer for flawed people to succeed because in real life we all have flaws There were just times where the movie needed to decide what it was a comedy or a drama The biggest problem the movie suffers from is time both the time between laughs and the length of the movie over-all The parts of the movie that are funny succeed in bringing big laughs but there are long gaps of time between them This makes for a slightly uneven view-ing experience Additionally the movie could have benefited from several un-necessary scenes being removed that

contributed very little to the movie and without would have made for a shorter and more cohesive story This movie definitely brings in a lot of supporting talent to try and fill the no-ticeable voids of the film Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) as Tomrsquos vulgar best friend Alison Brie (Community) as Violetrsquos emotionally unstable sister Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live) as an emasculated knitter of sweaters and Mindy Kaling (The Office) as Violetrsquos gossiping college colleague All have great comedic timing and bring a lot to the movie A scene that stood out in-volved a supporting character testing his theory involving blood chicken feath-ers a handgun and loud screaming Donrsquot knock it tilrsquo you try it ldquoThe Five-Year Engagementrdquo is first and foremost a date movie The story as with most romantic comedies is some-what predictable But it offers enough comedy and deep thoughts on what it really means to be in a relationship that it makes for a solid movie-going experi-ence but itrsquos probably not going to win any awards

Photo courtesy of Universal pictures

Blunderbuss from Page 12


The Great Gatsby and The Pursuit of Happiness Story by Brandon Chiz

Senior Editor

Itrsquos a breezy April night and upon walking up to the door the tracks from Gatsbys mix tape Underestimated still carry on in my head Its a little surpris-ing that who opens the door isnt Gatsby at all but his little sister She says Vance is in the kitchen Vance Palacio the brother of Gatsby and producer of the team stands behind a counter finishing a sandwich he apolo-gizes as he said its the first time today hes had a moment to stop Their mother comes around the corner and offers conversation and hospitality After some time I ask where Gatsby is From above the stair-case he calls out and invites all of us to the studio The studio was on the top floor in a seem-ingly modest two story homemdasha narrow hallway low-key kitchen and strict no-shoes in the house rulemdashbut the studio seems to host its own ambiance With a gray sound booth in the corner a command center of electronics and instruments in the other and one wall which Im told later is for indoor photo-shoots Vance immediately sits down at the desk which along side of the computer has an opened Macbook on top of a piano key-board Vance becomes immedi-ately relaxed Ive entered his world where hes most comfort-able Gatsby sits on the ground seem-ingly half-busy with his iPhone possibly texting Gatsbys speaking voice is lazed and impassive uninterested in conversa-tion that isnt music related Theyre friendly sort of nerdy and choosey about the words they use to express themselves Their working relationship is so well collaborated that its filled over into other facets of their lives So when I ask when they got started they synchro-nize effortlessly passing the conversa-tion to each other as a team ldquoWe been doing this for the last ten years but we made the choice to pursue this full-time in 2009rdquo expressed Vance ldquoever since we got serious we never

wanted to sound underground Under-ground sounds more like poetry and we dont want to do thatrdquo Gatsby notices were talking about music and stops with his phone calm quiet confidence ldquoWe want to be up there with The Majors Thatrsquos what we call them The Drakes TIs Kanyes all

of them Right now this mix-tape has to get big We have to promote and market it Thatrsquos our focus right nowrdquo Gatsby knew about his brothers musi-cal abilities and used to consistently asking him to make beats throughout high school However at the time Vance wanted to become a computer program-mer but after finding more passion in making music rather than programming they started to research and craft their music more efficiently They both studied influences like Pharrell Drake Jay-Z and Kanye West respecting the pathways those artists paved Gatsby writes syncing up his lyrics with the beats that his brother pro-

duces Vance applies the common influ-ences similar to Gatsby however he has also found inspiration through Japanese culture ldquoHave you ever heard of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy There is a lot of that there A lot of video game influ-encesrdquo he laughed and went on with his

process of making music ldquooriginally when I made my music I would go to some instruments and just play and I would keep playing until I found something cool So the whole song would come at me like where did this come from But thatrsquos one way of doing it but the other way is Sage Mode rdquo Laughing again as he references the Japanese Manga Naruto ldquoSage mode is where I hear a full song in my head and getting them completely as I hear them from my mind but its a really hard thing to dordquo The dedication to their craft shows Gatsby raps with con-fident indifference similar to Jay-Z especially when dis-cussing women and the good life Yet on slower tracks like ldquoThink About Merdquo off of the Vendetta album he brings the Drake inspiration to the fore-front with each bar beginning with languid enunciation like a pick-up attempt which fades out With the mix-tape Un-derestimated Vance pro-duced beats with synthesized cords with Vendetta he

creates moods with tracks like ldquoJust Like Magicrdquo you can hear the accents of Nobuo Uematsu from Final Fantasy completing an atmosphere with the help of his brothers flow to make a nightlife album After their release of Underestimated they attempted to gain recognition but admit to marketing failures both with production and the concert venues they to play at The brothers admit that the reason for their recent success comes from learning from past mistakes change of venues and the expansion of their team

Continued in Gatsby on page 15

Photo courtesy of Vatican Clothing

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Page 15 Gatsby from page 14 ldquoWe learned a lot overtime especially from the desert The desert is just an oasis ofwell crap Out of all the clubs with all the violence and drama you have to deal with Karma and the San Bernardino clubs really just most of the Inland Empire we just stay away from them It was about the same time we met up with Nate Rosales of Vatican Cloth-ing thats when things started to turn around for usrdquo Nate Rosales who goes by ldquoThe Poperdquo is the founder for The Vatican clothing company With the marketing and exposure from Vatican and now with theyre new album cleaner sopho-more effort with Vendetta they feel like the possibility of reaching the top is fi-nally becoming closer Yet for all their recent triumphs the goals they wish to reach becomes increasingly difficult as their competition and peers attempt to define them ldquoWe just call it Hip-Hop Because too many times you have to put out one type of music or a certain image but thatrsquos unrealisticrdquo Gatsby reclaims almost as if hes heard this conversation too many times already ldquoI think each song is a particular re-flection of how youre feeling at that time We do what we feel What we like or whatever emotion we want to express that dayrdquo Before I leave they show me a Youtube video of Gatsby performing back in March We talk about the ambi-tions of the team now that the album Vendetta is finished They mention marketing again and the plans to contin-ue going forward ldquoRight now its promotion Because we feel like were at a cross-roads where either well go further and get major orrdquo he pauses and looks to his brother Gatsby finishes without falter where the other left off ldquoWe just came to a point where we decided that we have our whole lives to be normal but we have to try So what if we try and fail Then were just normal again But there is no reason why not to give everything we have into ittherersquos just no reason not tordquo For more on Gatsby visit ListentoGatsbycom

Murder mystery and The Raven Review by Garrett Johnston EntertainmentFeatures Editor

Taking audiences on an adventure through the life of Edgar Allan Poe the Raven opens up in theaters nation wide Set in the 19th Century ldquoThe Ravenrdquo is a take on the last days of Poersquos life The movie begins with a scream that can be heard for blocks followed by a group of officers running to investigate The officers arrive too late When they enter the building that the scream came from they quickly stumble upon a body but no murderer Upon fur-ther inspec-tion the clues begin to re-mind the lead Detective of a story he once read After discovering that the crime matches a story Poe wrote Detective Fields played by Luke Evans brings Poe in for questioning Soon after Poersquos life begins to take a turn for the worse as he is forced to solve the crimes and clues left behind by the villain in order to save his fianceacute The screenplay written by Ben Living-ston and Hannah Shakespeare is cleverly written Poe has some of the best lines in the movie and as he should being a writer himself The story kept me guess-ing throughout as to who was the villain and in the end I was happily surprised Director James McTeigue who is known for directing ldquoNinja Assassinrdquo and ldquoV for Vendettardquo creates an eerie Baltimore atmosphere From rain soaked cobble stoned streets to a dark and dreary news room the feeling of despair in this movie is palpable Scenes of mur-der help the macabre nature of the film

convey a sense of foreboding throughout the movie The actors do a good job playing their roles all with the exception of Evans Evanrsquos character Detective Fields is very monotone He is gruff and angry throughout the movie without any emo-tional change John Cusack though does a good job playing an over the top self obsessed and manic Poe Cusack gives life to Poe that sometimes makes you feel sorry for his character but others times you des-

pise his overt arrogance The score in the movie while forgetta-ble helps to convey the sense of impos-ing danger There are moments in this film where the scenes on screen are en-hanced by the frantic and often jarring tones of the score For instance there is a scene where a masked figure is riding a horse through a forest the music that accompanies the scene helps create an immediate sense of urgency as the audi-ence is led to wonder who the masked figure is I enjoyed the movie but I know it wonrsquot be for everyone Even with some of its flaws there were moments when I was at the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next My advice is for those that enjoy peri-od pieces or for those that are looking to just waste a couple of hours watch the movie

Photo courtesy of Relativity Media Distribution Group


VVC Baseball Wraps up Season with Disappointing Record Story by Mario Gonzalez

Sports Editor and Arvin Sulikhanyan

Senior Editor

Coming off a win against the San Bernardino Valley Wolverines the Vic-tor Valley College Rams baseball team was looking for consecutive victories for the first time all season in the first of a three game match up against the Barstow Vikings The Rams needed extra innings to accomplish the feat in a game that saw great pitching and quality starts from both sides Infielder Zack Bilsland hit a walk off dou-ble to score Cody Daugherty in the 11th inning to give the Rams a 2-1 victory at home In what can be classified as a pitching duel the Rams Jeffrey Montana and the Vikings Mark Marinch matched each other pitch for pitch throughout most of the game both earning no deci-sions Montana pitched eight scoreless innings allowing just five hits and one run ldquoHe threw very well He commanded the zone from his first pitch to his last pitch He threw everything he had for strikes He was just on top of his gamerdquo said Rams head coach Jesus Beltran Mark Minrich provided both offense and defense for the Vikings allowing just one run in seven innings and scoring the teams only run with a solo homerun to left Ryan Oliver came on in relief of Montana and tossed three scoreless in-nings for the win The Rams got off to a quick start with a runner on first shortstop Ronald Leon hit a deep ball that bounced over the outfield wall for a ground rule dou-ble If the ball had stayed inside the park the runner would have easily scored from first The play was almost a micro-cosm of the whole season for the Rams as yet another bounce goes in favor of the opponent but the bad bounce didnrsquot deter them in this game In typical Beltran fashion 1st base-man Drake Parrish drove in the run with

some small ball hitting a grounder up the middle to the shortstop allowing just enough time for the runner to score from third ldquoThatrsquos situational key hitting that wersquove been working on all year Playing small ball thatrsquos what I coach thatrsquos what Irsquom all about and I feel thatrsquos what wins gamesrdquo said Beltran The game would remain tied until Bilsland came up to bat in the bottom of

the 11th and smashed a liner into the cen-terfield gap for the walk off win ldquoWersquore finally executing the way wersquove planned on all season Just getting that big hit at the right time itrsquos a real good feelingrdquo said Beltran The excitement would be short felt as the Rams fell to the Vikings in each of the final two games 11-5 at Barstow and 9-7 at home The Rams took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning in the game at Barstow on RBIrsquos from Kenny McMur-ray and Ronald Leon but any hope for a third consecutive win would be wiped away with two big innings from the Vi-kings Some sloppy pitching from Rams freshman pitchers Brandon Baisden and Richard Guzman allowed the Vikings to score four runs in the sixth for a 7-1 lead as the two pitchers combined for four walks in the inning Strong winds had an effect on the game but Beltran refused to assign any blame

The wind definitely had an effect on it but I donrsquot think it had an effect on the batters Itrsquos just not spotting up not pounding the zone like we teach said Beltran The Vikings blew it wide open in the seventh on the heels of a James Carra-way grand slam that stretched the lead to 11-3 The Rams never recovered The Rams lost two out of three to Barstow but went out with a bang in the

final game at home Catch-errsquos Coach Luke Mullinax was tossed from the game in the top of the sixth for argu-ing balls and strikes from the dugout after a four pitch walk by starting pitcher Dustin Buttner Shortstop Brady Paige and Infielder Frank Martinez were also tossed in the bottom of the seventh for the same reason ldquoItrsquos baseball yoursquore going to agree disagree chirp at him but at the end of the day itrsquos the umpire thatrsquos going to make the decisionrdquo said Beltran The Rams fell behind early and trailed 6-0 going into the bottom of the sixth but the team made a come-back Five consecutive run-

ners reached base for the Rams to start the sixth effectively ending the outing for Barstow starting pitcher Roman Da-valos The pitching change didnrsquot help as the Rams drove in five runs to bring them to within one but thatrsquos as close as they would get The Rams gifted the Vikings two runs in the top of the sev-enth walking three batters hitting one and also throwing a wild pitch bringing the score to 8-5 The Vikings tacked on another run to make it 9-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth A two out rally saw the Rams pull to within two as Steven Beltran hit an RBI single scoring two runs but just like the rally in the bottom of the sixth they fell just short The loss put an end to a Rams season in that was filled with ups and downs The Rams finished with a 3-21 record in conference and 7-28 overall in Bel-tranrsquos first year as VVC head coach

During their second game against Barstow VVC player Ryan Dickinson batsPhoto by Mario Gonzalez Sports Editor

Sports


Lady Rams Softball End Season with a Loss Story by Octavious Thomas

Editor

The Victor Valley College Rams Soft-ball team finished up their season with two final home games The Rams faced-off against the Barstow Community Col-lege Vikings on April 11 and the Mt San Jacinto College Eagles on April 13 After the final two games the Rams were left with a (6-26) overall record and a (4-10) record in the Foothill Conference giving them the sixth place spot Victor Valley beat Barstow with a score of 11-8 and lost to Mt San Jacinto 2-10 ldquoThe whole season we looked at every team as a rivalry gamerdquo said assistant coach Anthony Cadena ldquoWe could have made a lot of improvements this yearrdquo For the game against the Vikings the Rams opened up the home-half of the first inning with a 3-0 lead over Barstow After a triple from Rams in-fielder Ryan Gregg Cliana Santa Cruz recorded an in-the-park home run off of a quick bunt With that Santa Cruz was able to bring Gregg and her across home plate During Ramsrsquo short-stop Jenna

Shermanrsquos at-bat she recorded a double as she hit a ball toward center field Rams pitcher Crystal Benavidez was able to add another run to the scoreboard as she got an RBI single to bring Sher-man home ldquoComing into this game we knew that we have to winrdquo said head coach Donell Thomas ldquoWe always expect the team to go out and play 100 percentrdquo To begin the top of the fourth inning the Vikings had tied the score at 5-5 With that the Rams opted to have Ryan Gregg replace Jessica Escobedo in the pitching circle Gregg ended up being the pitcher for the remainder of the game and only allowed four hits one home run and five walks ldquoAt first I wasnrsquot really hitting my spots very wellrdquo said Gregg ldquoToward the end I felt more confident with my pitchesrdquo Ryan was rewarded with the win as the Rams were able to outscore the Vikings six runs to three giving the Rams an 11-8 victory over Barstow Other than Ryan another player stood out from some of the other player Freshman third

baseman Trish Holland really played her position well throughout the game ldquoWhen Irsquom out there I always stay positive and stay hungry for the winrdquo said Holland Just two days after the win against Barstow the Rams played their final game at home against Mt San Jacinto Throughout the entire game the Rams were unable to maintain control of the game and quickly fell to a 2-10 loss to the Eagles Benavidez and third baseman Alexxis Amouroux were the only Rams players to cross home plate in the big loss Benavidez started off as the pitcher for the Rams and ended up allowing six hits in the opening inning She then left the pitchers circle and moved to first base in the middle of the third inning after al-lowing 11 hits Escobedo came in as her replacement ldquoPlaying multiple positions can some-times not be that difficult but itrsquos much harder as a pitcherrdquo said Benavidez

Continued in Softball on page 18


Softball from page 17 Benavidez was one of only two sopho-more players on the team After a very progressive season she is going to miss her team when she moves on ldquoIrsquom going to miss itrdquo said Be-navidez ldquoItrsquos going to be hard to leave and Irsquom going to miss the people I played withrdquo

News in Brief Registration for Summer 2012 classes begins May 14 More information on each reg-

istration block can be found at vvcedu

A grad faire will be held in the Ramrsquos bookstore in the Student Activities Center on May 2 from 11 am to 4 pm and again on May 3 at 11 am to 4 pm Cap and gowns can be purchased in the bookstore until June 8 Cap and gowns can be pur-chased for $4799 in the bookstore until June 8 Also students are limited to six tick-ets per grad For more information on tickets call (760) 245-4271 Ext 2395

The Music Department will be hosting a free musical recital on May 11 at 730 pm in the Performing Arts Center

A job search and networking workshop will be held on May 3 from 3 pm to 4 pm in Blding 21 Rm 171 For more information contact Lorena Ochoa at ext 2713

The second annual nursing alumni reunion ldquoA night of elegancerdquo will be held on May 11 at 6 pm The cost is $30 per person or $50 for couples The deadline for tick-ets is May 11

ADVERTISE IN THE RAMPAGE

When you advertise in three consecutive issues the fourth ad is on us

Business Card 35 inches x 2 inches - $50

Quarter Page 35 inches x 5 inches - $125

Half Page 5 inches x 7 inches - $250

Full Page 10 inches x 7 inches - $500

For more information email us at vvcram-pagegmailcom or at vvcram-

pageyahoocom

Scan with your smart phone to go

to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Adreana Young Managing Editor Kelli McGurk News Editor Micah Raimo EntertainmentFeatures Editor Garrett Johnston Sports Editor Mario Gonzalez Web Editor Joseph Ciulla Photo Editor Roscoe Esparza Senior Editors Arvin Sulikhanyan Jonathan Brown Brandon Chiz Editors Sheri Bender Tiandra Bullock Daniel Compean Octavious

Thomas Reporters Eric Abrego Zaqueri Black Francisco Casillas Keith Diamond

Ashlee Dubach Jonathan Giddens Todd Hadler Kevin Hunzeker Desiree Rollins

AdviserInstructor Nicholas Hartman Cartoonist Guest Work Welcome AdministrationFacultyStaff Mentors Jennifer Fowlie Tim Isbell Scott

Mulligan Deanna Murphy Christopher OrsquoHearn Robert Sewell Paul Williams

Printing Victor Valley College Campus Print Shop

CONTACT INFORMATION VVC RamPage 18422 Bear Valley Road Victorville CA 92395 Phone (760) 245-4271 Extension 2773 bull Fax (760) 241-5723 Email vvcrampagegmailcom or vvcrampageyahoocom httpwwwvvceduofficesrampage Website httpwwwissuucomvvcrampage

GENERAL INFORMATION

The RamPage is a newspaper published as an educational exercise and First Amendment Public Forum by students at Victor Valley College in Victorville Calif Issues come out approximately twice a month in the two full-length semesters generally each February March April May September October November and December for a total of 14 issues each calendar year

The views expressed by the RamPage are not necessarily those of VVC its board of trustees its administration its faculty its staff its Associated Student Body Council or its students

The RamPage welcomes press releases story ideas letters to the editor guest articles and guest editorials Submit proposed items to the on-campus mailbox of RamPage Adviser Nicholas Hartman clearly marked as being submitted for publication Or email them to vvcrampagegmailcom or mail information to RamPage Victor Valley College 18422 Bear Valley Road Victorville CA 92395 or leave a message at 760-245-4271 extension 2773

VVCrsquos journalism program belongs to the Associated Collegiate Press the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges

ADVERTISING

The RamPage generally accepts as advertising only 8 12 - by -11-inch flyers as inserts The cost is $100 which covers insertiondistribution of 1500 copies The cost and responsibility of designing reproducing and delivering the 1500 flyers to the RamPage is borne by the advertiser

To discuss display advertising options or to purchase any form of advertisement call Assistant Director of Auxiliary Services Deanna Murphy at 760-245-4271 extension 2707

Acceptance of any advertisement in the RamPage does not constitute endorsement by the paper college district board council or student body

The RamPage reserves the right to reject any material mdash advertising or editorial mdash that it deems to be not in keeping with the standards of the paper

Heard Around the Lake Do you feel VVC has been meeting your needs as a student

I cannot fully know whether or not it has

been because I have yet to be accepted into the college of my choice -Willie Hardeman

Yes I dont know what else they could provide

for us that they dont already

-Ryan Bagwell

Yes it has consistently provided the classes for me to transfer out suc-

cessfully -Cameron Howard

It does not provide enough classes toward my specific major and the school itself isnt as credible as it should be

-Alyshia Kelly

April 27 2012 Page 19


An with

authorsevening

Come join us to meet and greet published authors on

in the Student Activities Center 500pm

May 10 2012

DAVID BELLOMY FREDDI GOLD NORMA GARCIA

E VAN LOWE CHRISTOPHER MEEKS

RamPage VVC April 27 2012 News

On Tuesday April 24 the Los Angeles City Council passed a unanimous (12-0) resolution officially endorsing The Mid-dle Class Scholarship Act ldquoThe Speakerrsquos bills would go a long way toward restoring the middle class in Californiardquo said City Council President Herb J Wesson Jr at the Tuesday meet-ing ldquoWe need to make sure that higher education is affordable for all Californi-ans and that our student have all the opportunities that they deserverdquo As state budget cuts continue to roll out and amidst the shadow of increasing taxes in the coming year Peacuterez hopes that fellow assembly members will in-vest in the education of our next genera-tion The statutory bills require a two thirds majority vote in both houses and oppo-nents argue that current distribution of these funds help corporations to create

more jobs They also question the Dem-ocratic Caucusrsquo commitment to fund the new program since they voted to divert $5 billion of state sales tax to local agen-cies in the 2011-12 budget according to Sabrina Lockhart a spokesperson for our districtrsquos representative in the state assembly republican Connie Conway ldquoWe should focus on growing the economy to boost funding for budget priorities Corporations that would be adversely impacted include businesses that employ tens of thousands of em-ployees throughout the state including Home Depot Target International Pa-per Georgia Pacific and Fordrdquo said Lockhart ldquoThis proposal is a false promise to students because it does not reverse the higher education cuts already approved it does not control future fee increases and there is no guarantee the program will be fundedrdquo

The Assemblyrsquos Joint Republican Caucus has proposed its own budget solution to fund education called ldquoRoadmap to Protect Classrooms and Taxpayersrdquo Details can be found at wwwcabudgetfactcheckcom Students can obtain more information on The Middle Class Scholarship by going to the website wwwmiddleclassscholarshipcom as well as Speaker Peacuterezrsquo website wwwasmdcorgspeaker They can sign the petition hear other studentsrsquo opin-ions on the program and even submit their own story about working hard to fund their own dream of higher educa-tion Quotes from Peacuterez Mitchell and Wesson obtained from official press releases

MUN Retains Their Crown Despite Disturbances Story by Micah Raimo

News Editor

Despite starting the term with no budget the Victor Valley College Model United Nations (MUN) team was able to raise $27000 allowing them to fund their New York Conference trip and bring home multiple awards

This year MUN was forced to rely on bake sales car washes and ap-proaching local businesses to fund their trip to the conference On top of the fundraising each MUN student had to pay an additional $300 out of their own pocket for plane fare hotel fees and one dinner

Without the $17000 grant from Wells Fargo National Bank and a $2500 Foundation grant last fall MUN would have been unable to at-tend the New York conference

ldquoOur team worked really hard to maintain what we have and to main-tain our reputation in our skills The entire premise with this program is that knowledge is powerrdquo said Kelli Pribble MUN President

MUN approached the Associated Stu-dent Body (ASB) four times asking for funds to help them with expenses for the New York Conference The first time on Sept 16 2011 Pribble gave a presenta-tion on MUN According to the minutes

theyrsquove placed in the top five percent of all the colleges who attend the annual conferences competing against schools such as Berkley Stanford and other col-leges in the same categories

ldquoASB is always supportive of us Theyrsquove given us more than they have

ever given us and as they have noted more than they have given any club We are extremely appreciative of ASBrdquo said Pribble

MUN went before the VVC Board of Trustees asking for $360 for out of state student travel funds for the conference Their proposal was turned down

ldquoVictor Valley College has a lot of problems they are trying to work out internally and it is not exactly prudent to focus on one academic program We understand that they canrsquot help us be-cause itrsquos about the college atmosphererdquo said Pribble

With their hard earned money in hand the MUN team left Los An-geles International Airport at 9 pm and arrived in New York at 4 am determined to win Although they faced other schools that used devious tactics in order to acquire a win against VVC including an attempted theft of a laptop to re-move a delegatersquos paper they succeeded in showing how serious the MUN team is by bringing home the prize ldquoThey canrsquot be underhanded and get away with it like that but they also have the makings of being a good delegaterdquo said Pribble Ultimately they returned home

with four teams winning Position Paper Awards and one Outstanding Delegation Award retaining the collegersquos ten-year record of excellence

ldquoWe had such a good time at this con-ference that we werenrsquot expecting an award The fact that we came out with it showed us how much our hard work had paid offrdquo said Pribble

VVC MUN team with their award inside the United Nations Photo courtesy of Dino Bozonelos













Editor in Chief











Managing Editor




























Reporter




From Wine on page 6















Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



RamPage VVC April 27 2012












Editor in Chief











Managing Editor




























Reporter




From Wine on page 6















Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




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An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Features Spring Break Abroad A Week in Ireland Part I Story by Adreana Young

Editor in Chief











Managing Editor




























Reporter




From Wine on page 6















Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















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Sports



Editor




















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to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



RamPage VVC April 27 2012 really keeping tabs on you or giving you much incentive to do anything at home in California I feel like we are babied a lot morerdquo Even though we didnrsquot see that much of the campus it was easy to see why anyone from the States would want to attend class theremdashthe campus is beauti-ful We walked into where the admin-istration buildings were the buildings looked like mini castles They were cov-ered in vines there were stone arches over the doors and the grass in the mid-dle of the buildings was perfectly groomed However according to Sa-mantha the gorgeous campus isnrsquot the only positive about NUI ldquoThe classes Ive taken have been ri-diculously amazing The professors have all been wonderful and super into their subject matter Class sizes are pretty smallrdquo Samantha said ldquoThere are places to eat and cafeacutes hidden everywhere around this campus Lunch is usually the largest meal for the Irish so if youre on campus you do lunch rightrdquo Samantha went on Speaking of cafeacutes in Ireland one of the stand-out moments in Galway was a little cafeacute we ate in Called Ard Biarsquos the tiny cafeacute sat right beside the Corrib River We walked in to get out of the rain and waited maybe 15 minutes to be seated The cups and plates were all mis-matched the place was crowded both in people and in placement of tables The owner of the place was bringing food out to people sitting with customers and chatting she was charming herself so it was no wonder her cafeacute made one feel right at home All the cafeacutes we went into in Ireland were pleasant and small each of them made you feel at home but this one was a sort of culmination of how I regard Irish cafeacutes Although Irsquom fairly certain that I could have stayed in Galway the entire week I was in Ireland and been perfectly con-tent my friends and I decided to visit more of the country Our journey was just beginning and I had no idea what lay ahead of us To be continued



Managing Editor




























Reporter




From Wine on page 6















Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012


























Reporter




From Wine on page 6















Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012














Reporter












Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012











Web Editor





Reporter













Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012











Reporter







I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012





I can al-










Editor







Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012






Photo Editor








Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012





Senior Editor


















Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



RamPage VVC April 27 2012 Gatsby from page 14 ldquoWe learned a lot overtime especially from the desert The desert is just an oasis ofwell crap Out of all the clubs with all the violence and drama you have to deal with Karma and the San Bernardino clubs really just most of the Inland Empire we just stay away from them It was about the same time we met up with Nate Rosales of Vatican Cloth-ing thats when things started to turn around for usrdquo Nate Rosales who goes by ldquoThe Poperdquo is the founder for The Vatican clothing company With the marketing and exposure from Vatican and now with theyre new album cleaner sopho-more effort with Vendetta they feel like the possibility of reaching the top is fi-nally becoming closer Yet for all their recent triumphs the goals they wish to reach becomes increasingly difficult as their competition and peers attempt to define them ldquoWe just call it Hip-Hop Because too many times you have to put out one type of music or a certain image but thatrsquos unrealisticrdquo Gatsby reclaims almost as if hes heard this conversation too many times already ldquoI think each song is a particular re-flection of how youre feeling at that time We do what we feel What we like or whatever emotion we want to express that dayrdquo Before I leave they show me a Youtube video of Gatsby performing back in March We talk about the ambi-tions of the team now that the album Vendetta is finished They mention marketing again and the plans to contin-ue going forward ldquoRight now its promotion Because we feel like were at a cross-roads where either well go further and get major orrdquo he pauses and looks to his brother Gatsby finishes without falter where the other left off ldquoWe just came to a point where we decided that we have our whole lives to be normal but we have to try So what if we try and fail Then were just normal again But there is no reason why not to give everything we have into ittherersquos just no reason not tordquo For more on Gatsby visit ListentoGatsbycom









Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















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to our website

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GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012






Senior Editor








Sports



Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012





Editor




















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012


















pageyahoocom


to our website

RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly



An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



RAMPAGE STAFF








GENERAL INFORMATION





ADVERTISING










-Ryan Bagwell




-Alyshia Kelly

April 27 2012


An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012




An with

authorsevening



May 10 2012



vvc rampage vol. 33 issue 5

Documents

middle class students

college students

middle class scholarship

csu students

state aid

middle class story

vvc students

financial aid