RampageFresnoCity

CollegeApril 13, 2011Volume CXXI, Edition 6

SCCCD Chancellor Proposes Pay Cut forDistrict Employees

Gai Drops Classes and loses ASG presidency

ByAustinVerBurg

Rampage Reporter

Dr. Deborah Blue, Chancellor of the State Center Community College District, has proposed a pay cut for all district employees as part of a budget reduction plan to accommodate an expected $20 million shortfall next year.

The proposed pay cut ranges from 5 percent for all academic and classified managers to 2

percent for faculty. Salaries of classified and confidential employ-ees will be reduced by 4 percent.

In an e-mail dated April 8, Blue

wrote that the budget reduction plan is based on the “worst case scenario” and an assumption that there would be no tax extensions and no funding from Prop 98. She explained that the dispar-ity between the proposed faculty and classified salary reductions is because of the 50 percent law which requires that half of the district’s general fund be spent on classroom instruction.

Blue’s email stated that she was hopeful that the district and the unions representing the faculty

Associated Student Government President Daniel Gai resigned from office on Tuesday, April 5 after dropping all of his courses, which was in violation of the ASG requirements for being in office. Gai withdrew from his classes in early March with the intention of devoting more time to student government.

Gai said he was overwhelmed by the accumulating responsibility of ASG, classes, and his personal life.

“I’d noticed that he was obvi-

ously working a lot more on ASG stuff,” said Executive Vice Presi-dent Vanessa Cabrera. “He was much more involved than any of us. He was very dedicated.”

The stress of all three impacted Gai’s ability to do what he cared about most, which was leading the student body. Conflicted, Gai chose ASG over school. “I strived to represent the student body,” explained Gai.

The ASG Constitution, Article V, Section 2, states that to be an ASG officer, “All officers shall retain a minimum of six units and a 2.0 cumulative GPA.” Gai said he had misunderstood the minimum

unit load requirement believing he only had to register for six units, not maintain them. “I believed that I could still get away with what I was doing under my own interpretation,” said Gai.

“His heart was in the right place,” said Cabrera, “It’s just that he went against the rules. He didn’t let anybody know. That’s what is kind of hurtful because we’re all supposed to be a group.”

Student Activities discovered Gai was not enrolled in classes when they verified ASG applicant

See “Gai ResiGnation” Page 3 See “Pay Cuts” Page 2

Interim President CantuNEWS

See Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTNature’s Wild Flowers

See Page 8

VIEWSArizona Bans Ethnic Studies

See Page 11

SPORTSWoman’s Badminton Team

See Page 15 &16

Gabriel CordovaReggie DeLeon Cindy Quiralte

ASG ELECTIONSThree Vie for President

BysAmmy“Pro”LoProto

Rampage Reporter

See “Candidates” Page 4

ByJesseFrAnz

Rampage ReporterWhen Fresno City College students vote for their student

representatives on April 26 to 28, they will be using an electronic voting system through their SCCCD email. All voting will be done online, rather than with the paper ballots which have been used in the past.

To make sure that even those without home computers are still able to vote, the ASG is looking into setting up a computer bay where students can vote online on campus.

ASG’s main goal, besides finding new officers’, is to increase voter turnout. With dismal participation in last year’s ASG election in which only 431 students voted, members of the student government are making all attempts

to get students more involved in the political process. With the college facing some of its biggest obstacles in

recent memory, this year’s Associated Student Government (ASG) elections promise to be pivotal.

Incoming ASG officers will face a myriad of different challenges, ranging from budget cuts to possibly implementing a new smoking policy.

This pool of candidates is more diverse in this election cycle than in years past and feature 13 candidates who have all been involved in FCC in different ways. Each candidate is offering a different set of priorities, what they would change if elected.

Canidadates for PresidentReggie DeLeon

DeLeon is a community activist, and claims to be the creator of the Jim Bean Facebook page, which helped Fresno to gain funding from the Wal-Mart “Fighting Hunger Together” campaign, this past December. Now, he hopes to bring his serving attitude to Fresno City by running for ASG president.

DeLeon’s biggest concern is the lack of student involvement in ASG, and around Fresno as a whole. “We ask our community to rally around us, but have we really rallied around our community?” DeLeon said. He said that

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News2 March 16, 2011

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Fresno, CA 93741

Managing Editor: Sydney ExciniaNews Editor: Alyssa Diaz

Views Editor: Dylan DomingosEntertainment/Online Editor: Max Rosendahl

Photo Editor: Paul SchlesingerRoaming Editor: Emilio Gutierrez

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The Rampage is an award-winning newspaper published biweekly by the Fresno City College Journalism 4 & 5 programs and is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges. Views expressed in The Rampage are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Fresno City College,

its students, administration or the State Center Community College District.

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www.FresnoCityCollegeRampage.comVisit our web site for updates

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College

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Pay Cuts Continued fRom PaGe 1

and classified staff can reach an agreement on the proposed cuts.

Lacy Barnes, President of the State Center Federation of Teach-ers, AFT Local 1533, stated in an email to instructors that that the district cannot impose a pay cut and that the chancellor’s recom-mendations are “in fact manda-tory subjects of bargaining.”

Barnes, who is also a psycholo-gy instructor at Reedley College, said the “Chancellor’s Budget Reduction Plan has no bearing on current agreements tentatively reached between the Federation and the District for the contract year 2010-11.”

“We were present for the origi-nal budget proposal which was actually worse, targeting educa-tors and administrators to the tune of about 6 to 9 percent reductions,” said Ernie Garcia, president of the Classified Senate Garcia. “Overall, the consensus seems to be that people are re-lieved that there is actually some communication coming out of

the Chancellor’s office on how we are going to deal with this.”

The District’s finance depart-ment delivered a revised budget plan to the Board of Trustees for the fiscal year of 2011-12 on April 5. The proposals include a reduction in the district’s surplus (reserves) by $6 million; a 20 percent reduction in the district’s maximum contribution to medical benefits; suspension of step and column increases for all employ-ees; offers of retirement incen-tives for classified bargaining unit members for a savings of about $800,000, and a $600,000 reduc-tion in operational funds.

Reactions around the campus

Garcia said he had been aware of the salary reduction plan for a while, but that it still is hard to digest. He said the budget outlook could be a lot worse and that other districts have experienced severe layoffs and program cuts. “Right

now, it is a wait and see attitude. We know that some people do live paycheck to paycheck, and with these proposed salary cuts, the numbers may grow,” he said. “The Senate meeting on Wednesday will certainly be a lively discussion.”

Around the FCC campus, reac-tion to the District’s drastic cost-c utting proposal is mixed. The Arts department which has already shed numerous classes for the fall semester is required to trim 10 more from its spring 2012 offer-ings. Art department chair, Bob Kizziar, said, “For years, the Arts department has been carried to new heights on the backs of part-time instructors. Now that it is time to pay the piper, it’s the part timers once again. This time they will be the sacrificial lambs. Who will it be next time?”

Art instructor, Susana Sosa, said she is disheartened about the inevi-table cuts. “We realize that there is a necessity to undergo budget cuts in these times of crisis,” she said. “But, we hope we can maintain the integrity of the program we offer here at FCC. We may not be able to avoid layoffs in the spring of 2012.”

Mike Dana of the music depart-ment said he would rather “take a couple of furlough days than a pay cut.” He added that he willing to do either if it will “protect the quality of our program and help students get the education they deserve.”

Around the stateLast week, the Community

College League of California teamed up with UC and CSU for a summit on higher education in Sacramento. The newly formed alliance teamed Chancellor Dr. Jack Scott with UC President Mark Yudof and CSU President, Charlie Reed. The trio met with Gov. Jerry Brown on April 5, advocacy day at the State capitol.

“We are willing to join our voices to say there needs to be some kind of tax extensions; oth-erwise in all of our communities, we are going to see young people being turned away from our col-leges and universities.” Dr. Scott was quoted in an article in the Sacramento Bee. “That is going to be a tragedy for them, but it is going to be a bigger tragedy for the future of California.”

Read “Striving for the Homeless” and more on our website.

Striving for Homeless: Food Not

BombsBy Paul

SchlesingerRampage ReporterIn a country where there is an

overabundance of food, there are still people that struggle everyday to find a bite to eat. According to the Community Food Bank, one in six Americans suffer from hunger.

Fortunately, organizations like the Community Food Bank, Poverello House, and Food Not Bombs strive to help feed the homeless.

The goal of FNB is to feed the homeless and the poor in the community by handing out vegan and vegetarian meals. The organization started in 1995 by anti-nuclear activists in Boston. FNB feeds the homeless and the poor every Sunday at the Fresno County Courthouse in downtown Fresno. According to Kevin Smith, a volunteer for FNB, about 20 to 35 people are served on a typical Sunday. The number is usually significantly lower dur-ing the winter and early spring when it rains. The food that is served is usually donated by area stores and farmers markets. A typical meal that is served by Food Not Bombs is a vegetable soup, salad, fresh fruit, bread, and bakery sweets. Water is also served with the meal. Any food that is left over is donated to a homeless shelter.

The people that go out on Sun-day to the courthouse to serve the food all share the same thing, the drive to do something and help. Roe Zore, another FNB volun-teer, was inspired to help FNB while working near downtown as he, “noticed a need for help-ing the homeless,” he said. Roe says that the most memorable moment from working with Food Not Bombs is seeing the thankful faces and the peaceful environ-ment when serving the homeless and the hungry.

Asian American Month CelebrationsoPeningdAyForAsiAnAmeri-CAnmonthwAsheLdintheFCCtheAtre.thAtnightFeA-turedtheCeLeBrAtionnightshowAndtheJAPAnreLieFFundrAiserrAisedoVer$300ForJAPAn.JohnCho,AsiAnAmeriCAnstudiesinstruCtor,orgAnizedtheeVents.hesAidthemonthoriginALLystArtedAsAweek,then,AsmoreeVentsAndAC-tiVitieswereAdded,theCon-CePteVoLVedintothemonth.“AsiAnAmeriCAnmonthistoCeLeBrAte,LeArn,PArtiCiPAte,oBserVeAndPonderonAsiAnCuLtureAndissuesConCerningtheAsiAnAmeri-CAnCommunity,”ChosAid.

3March 16, 2011News

ByJesseFrAnz

Rampage Reporter

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Asg Committee Finds Mecha Violated Policies Rampage Wins Awards at JACC Conference

BykArinAorneLAs

Rampage Reporter

Gai ResiGnation Continued fRom PaGe 1

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signatures. While officials were reviewing the collected applicant support signatures, Gai’s name kept coming up as “not enrolled.” When confronted about this, Gai realized that his only option was to step down and send out his resignation letter via e-mail to his colleagues.

“He’s not afraid to apologize,” Cabrera said. “If he knows he’s wrong, then he’s wrong. He’s not going to be arrogant about it.” Cabrera said she previoualy sug-gested that “there should be an evaluation on everybody in ASG. Now I understood why he didn’t want that.”

For Gai, the resignation has not been easy. “This is something that’s really been troubling. I’m so upset and disappointed with myself,” he said.

Cabrera said the situation will hurt how the ASG is percieved by the students and clubs they represent.

“I know that there are people on campus that have been not in favor of ASG and they’re going

to scrutinize ASG even more,” Cabrera said. “But we who have been here know what ASG is about. They know the work that goes into it and how much work you put into it.”

According to Cabrera, the issue could spark routine evaluations of ASG members to make sure that they are doing well in their classes while still being able to stay committed to the student body. If a member is having trouble maintaining the required 2.0 cumula-tive GPA, Cabrera says that the ASG is sup-portive enough so they can “Do what [they] need to do so [their] academics don’t fail.”

Cabrera said, “Everybody’s here for the same reason and that is to receive an education.” She added that an evaluation “at least once a month would be great.”

According to Cabrera, ASG is now faced with the task of review-ing the progress that was made

between March 8 and April 5. It is possible that ASG will have to recommission the previously passed legisla-tion. Under the leadership of Rebecca Ashjian, previously the legislative vice president, now standing in as President for ASG.

“We’re still focusing on accomplishing what we have to finish,” said Ashjian. “We’re still moving, still on track.”

Ashjian says one of the things ASG is focusing on is a smooth transition from the old administration to the new one. “We have a lot of potential ASG candidates right now.”

The ASG plans to stand by the Rally for Community

Unity, going through with

plans concerning the possible reform of FCC’s smoking policy, as well as the recently passed Ram-Pantry, regardless of if these things were done under Gai’s signature during the time he was in office illegally.

Of the remaining ASG staff Gai says, “They have to stay together, and there can’t be an internal pow-er struggle.” Gai said he heard rumors that some ASG members are vying for his position. “They

have to stay focused on student advocacy,” urges Gai. “Just be-cause I’m not there anymore does not mean that the strategic plan is not in place. It’s still in place, you guys [ASG] just have to finish it.”

Gai says that he will not be returning to Fresno City College until the summer. He hopes to finish the classes he dropped and be able to start classes at Fresno State in the fall. “I have to get my life back together,” he said.

“He was here for the students,” Cabrera said on Gai’s legacy. “He helped a lot of students on campus like DSP&S students. He brought them in under his wing to make sure that they felt comfortable, to make sure they were being lis-tened to. He tried to make every-body feel comfortable that way.”

According to Cabrera, things Gai implemented while presi-dent was a stricter office policy that allowed for a better work atmosphere, as well as moving to have ASG work alongside the administration to have a voice for the students.

“No one’s going to forget who Daniel Gai is,” Cabrera said. “For good or for bad, he’s done a lot of great things.”

“Through tremendous efforts we have accomplished our goals, and in my eyes, succeeded.

- Rampage Editor in Chief, Sydney Excinia

“I have to get my life back together.”

-Daniel Gai

The editorial staff for the Fresno City College Rampage newspaper won several awards, at the 56th annual Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention, held in Sacramento.

The awards were made for work completed during the spring 2010 and fall 2010 semesters. The Ram-

page won an award in the General Excellence category, which covers the overall reporting, content, and design of the newspaper.

Former copy editor, Andrew Veihmeyer, won second place in the News Writing category while former managing editor, Kyle Calvert, and current online and entertainment editor, Max Rosen-dahl, won General Excellence in the Enterprise Reporting category for their coverage of the Health in-structor, Brad Lopez’s controversy. Current news editor, Aly Diaz, also won the General Excellence award for her series, “DSP&S In Crisis” last semester.

Current art director, Austin Ver-burg, won first place for Editorial Cartooning and received Honorable Mention in the Critical Review category.

Diaz and current production manager, Ramiro Gudino, won first and second place, respectively, for Online Student Designed Adver-tisement. The Rampage staff won fourth place in the Editorial Writing category for the Centennial Edition. Former production manager, Jes-sika Verdusco, won fourth place in the Inside Page Layout – Tabloid category. Additionally, Rampage reporter, Jesse Franz, won presi-dency of the Northern California

region of JACC.“Through tremendous efforts,

we have accomplished our goals, and in my eyes, succeeded,” said current managing editor, Sydney Excinia, who has been with the Rampage for two years. Excinia also said she is proud of the staff she works with.

The event from April 7 to 10 opened with a keynote speech by Joyce Terharr, managing editor

for content at the Sacramento Bee. Each of the three days of the con-vention was filled with workshops and on-the-spot competitions for aspiring journalists.

The JACC state convention gathers faculty and students from 45 California and Rhode Island colleges to exchange ideas with others and encourage the develop-ment of an enriched educational experience for journalism students and instructors alike.

In her the keynote address, Terharr addressed the current state and effects of online media she encouraged journalism students to not only effectively report and

write, but also to accurately investigate a story.

The JACC convention kept over 550 students and faculty busy, of-fering 13 on-the-spot competitions and over 70 seminar-styled work-shops, led by journalism profes-sionals from various well-known publications as well as instructors from various universities. Compe-titions incorporated many aspects of journalism, including writing, editing, editorial cartooning, pho-tography, and layout.

Keynote speaker Terhaar urged participants to embrace their role as journalists. She said, “You can create the future, and that’s a great place to be.”

Rampage Team at JACC Conference

An Associated Student Gov-ernment committee reported on Tuesday that it found MEChA to be in breach of administrative conduct code, subsections 11 and 15, pertaining to the use of language at a school sponsored event.

The committee, chaired by ASG senator, Nathan Alonzo, investigated whether members of the MEChA club were in breach of the personal conduct policies of Fresno City College when they allegedly used foul language during the Rally for Community Unity event on March 14. In accordance with ASG’s findings, MEChA must present a formal letter of apology for their actions at the rally or appeal the ASG rul-ing by the April 26 ASG meeting.

Alonzo said that if MEChA does not meet the deadline, ASG will “not allow the club to

participate in any event for the rest of the semester.” If MEChA further refuses to corporate with the ASG ruling, they risk having their club un-chartered for the fall semester.

Clayton Richie, president of the CIT-0 club, had filed a report against MEChA at the weekly ASG meeting on March 29. Richie had asked ASG to endorse a letter of complaint against the MEChA club for what he per-ceived as inappropriate behavior at the Rally for Community Unity.

Although ASG members voted not to support the letter, they launched an investigatory com-mittee to decide if MEChA was in breach of the personal conduct policies of the college. Subsec-tion 11 pertains to “Disruptive behavior, willful disobedience, and the habitual profanity or vulgarity” whereas 15 restrains students from “Lewd indecent, or obscene conduct… at District sponsored events.”

Some supporters of MECha have made allegations that this investigation is intended to dis-couraging the candidates asso-ciated with MEChA from run-ning for ASG office this month. Senator Alonzo discredited these claims.

“That’s probably inaccurate, and it’s unfortunate that those allegations would take place,” Alonzo said. “ASG is only acting on it because a student brought it up. It doesn’t have anything to do with ASG or any special interest that people might think have against anyone else.”

However, besides the issue of whether MEChA will appeal this ruling or not, there is the question of whether or not this investigation was illegitimately chartered because it was formed during the invalid administration of resigned President Daniel Gai.

This issue will be evolving in the coming days and weeks. Follow it exclusively at fresnoci-tycollegerampage.com.

News4 March 16, 2011

Candidates Continued from page 1

Executive BoardLegislative Vice President

Executive Vice President

Student Trustee

if elected president, he will “make an impact in our school by getting more students involved with ASG, so that they can voice their opinions and concerns.”

Through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, DeLeon hopes to make ASG more accessible to the average students. He would also make himself “available for hours once a week by the big fountain,” to listen to students’ concerns. Gabriel Cordova

Gabriel Cordova, a current ASG senator, is seeking to be president. Cordova’s motto is, “I’m here to serve you.” One of his biggest goals is to get students more involved in the shared governance of the college. Cordova said, “We want to get students more interactive with what’s going on campus.”

His plans, if elected, include instituting a more aggressive recycling program, making a weekly address to the students via Youtube and expanding his current ASG pet project, the Rampantry, a food handout through ASG that aims to attack student hunger.

Cordova said his biggest accomplishment has been working with DSP&S to help accommodate students with disabilities and create easier access and better opportunities around campus. He has worked with the Student Welfare Committee and lobbied on their behalf. Cordova said, “I love serving students.”Cindy Quiralte

Moving from Merced last year, Cindy Quiralte is a Chicano Studies major who hopes to go into law. She is best known at Fresno City College for her role as president

of the MEChA club. She said she believes she has a deeper connection with

FCC students because of her humble upbringing. “I know what struggle feels like,” Quiralte said. “I know what it’s like to be lost and confused.” Through this connection she believes that she is better suited to serve the students than her opponents.

Quiralte has three main goals that she will pursue if elected. They include lengthening library hours, establishing a deeper connection between teachers and students on campus, and having more cultural activities on the FCC campus.

Quilarte is a self-described, “public servant.” She is currently the president of MEChA and is involved with the city council; she holds a part time job and is enrolled in seven classes with a 3.8 GPA. This has played a large part in her mission statement, which is “Help me help you.”

Nathan Alonzo is running for Student Trustee as a write-in candidate. Currently he serves as an ASG senator, as well as a sports and entertainment reporter on the Fresno City Col-lege Rampage staff.

Alonzo’s campaign is based on, what he calls, “Opening the channels of communication.” By opening these channels of communication he hopes to save popular classes, pursue more diversity in the shared governance of ASG, and give a more powerful voice to students.

Alonzo says of what he would do if elected, “I would advocate for student rights…. I will be the voice for students in (ASG) meetings.”

nathan alonzo

Karlton “King Tut” Brown was born in Philadelphia, but migrated to Los Angles and Fresno in search of culture. Brown believes that this experience of culture has given him new ideas and a better viewpoint of the world, and makes him better able to serve in the position of government.

About his experience at Fresno City, Brown said, “Ever since I’ve been on campus I’ve tried to show everyone what I’m about.” He added, “I want to help everyone, no matter what class, creed, or color, if they need some assistance I’ll help them, and if I need some assistance they’ll help me. That’s the system I drive with.”

KaRlton “KinG tut” BRownJames Miser is a write in candidate for legislative

vice president, and former ASG senator who resigned earlier this year, to plan “March for Community Unity”, without the restrictions that his office presented. “If I was still in ASG I would not have been able to say the things that some people need to here,” Miser contin-ued, “they had to have that one person that was not attached… that one person they couldn’t do anything too.”

Miser is also a creator of WeAreTheCommunity.com, a website which is aimed to organize student civil disobedience against budget cuts and rising tuition at their schools.

James miseR

President Pro-TemporeBen Andersen is a current

ASG senator, and candidate for president pro-temopore. His campaign stresses the need for interconnectivity on campus. He believes that clubs, ASG, and the student body as a whole need to come together.

Holding to this ideal he has two plans to implement next year that he believes will bring the school to-gether as a whole. One plan is to give FCC clubs a voice in shared governance. The other is to create a Rambox. This will be an industrial kitchen and meeting place near the main fountain area. There clubs, ASG, and stu-dents are expected to meet and express themselves.

Ben andeRson

Daesha Black is a Fresno City College freshman this year. After observing the di-verse array of clubs and ASG’s influence, “I just wanted to be a part of that.” she said.

The theme of her campaign is awareness and unity. She wants to bring people together, because as she says, in her view, “People walk around her saying ‘what? I don’t know what ASG is’.” However, she thinks that students can come together for a common good. “I’m for unity, everybody, of different culture and different race, everybody coming to-gether and being able to work together… when we unite we get things done.”

daesha BlaCK

Linda Gardner came to Fresno City College to better her education and possibly get a better job, however as she started exploring everything that the FCC has to offer, she took a vested interest in extra-curricular activities. This is how she was first introduced to ASG. “I love the way the senate meetings are run.”

However, as she says, “I’m not really a po-litical person.” However, her interests are about getting more involved with the campus. She be-lieves that she’s the best person to accomplish this because, as she says, “I have the organizational skills that are required to run.”

linda GaRdneR

Mirtha Watt is a current ASG senator, seeking the position of executive vice president for the 2011-2012 school year. If elected, Watt hopes to address the transportation costs for students who are trying to get to campus.

However, she understands that to tackle issues like this that she will need to raise awareness. As she says, she has already begun trying to make people more aware, “When I was getting my sig-natures for nomination I just talked to students and encouraged them to get more involved.”

Christopher Coronado is a Veteran of the US Air Force, and is running for Student Trustee. The main premise of his cam-paign is to “Help increase student participation.”, as Coranado con-tinued, “Only 421 students par-ticipated in last year’s election. We have over 25,000 students. That equates to 2 percent of the population deciding how their voice is heard.”

Although running for political office, Coranado makes it clear, “I am not a politician.” In his opin-ion this makes him better able to serve and address the student’s needs individually. This plays part in his motto, and life lesson taken from his time with the Air Force, “Service before self.”

miRtha watt

Pedro Navarro-Cruz

Jesus GaRCiaChRistoPheR CoRonado

5March 16, 2011News

Author Manuel Munoz Urges students to read

BytomAskAssAhun

Rampage Reporter

RIO WALLER: A STRUGGLING PAST CREATES DESIRE FOR REDISCOVERY

Her counselors had told her she should consider vocational school.

Her parents never thought she would amount to anything more than a farm worker in Okla-homa. Her family suggested she would go nowhere and no one before he recieved a diploma.But in the end, Rio Waller was too stubborn to listen. She had to satisfy her desire to see a new world, to see something different and to discover who she can be. At the age of 17, Waller left behind the farm she had known her whole life, hoping to find a brighter path. With little money and poor grades, she moved to California and enrolled at Fresno City College. The adjustment to a new world proved to be difficult. Waller found herself learning how to navigate in a world that was not as sheltered as the world she had known. “It made me grow up real quick. I got a taste of the real world early on”, said Waller, who was making the transition from a party girl in high school to a serious student in community college. “I realized that a lot of the stuff that I thought that was fun to do was really self destructive,” said Waller. “I had to look at why I was doing that and how I was being self destructive.” In college, the challenges Waller faced since elementary school still haunted her. Among these challenges were reading phonetics. “I had to memorize words. I couldn’t sound them out. I felt like that held me back for a long time,” said Waller. It was not until after community college that Waller sought out help with phonetics. “It actually didn’t take that much effort to jump over what I thought was a huge

hurdle,”said Waller. “I just had to be willing to give it sometime.” Waller also had to develop study habits that she never had in high school.”I was still somebody very social. I had to learn to set limits on myself,” said Waller.”I would tell myself I had to get my work done before I go out.” At times Waller felt that the fin-ish line was too far to reach. With the minimal funding she received, she had to depend on Top Ramen to make it through most days. When Waller was offered job positions, she refused, wanting instead to focus on her educa-tion. “Those were hard choices to make,” said Waller.”It’s alluring when someone is offering you money. There was something in me that pushed me to say that if I stuck with school, I would eventually be in a better position.” Having seen how her parents struggled, Waller was deter-mined to not follow the same path. “What helped me make it through was wanting not to be my parents. I wanted some-thing bet ter,” said Waller. Her father had recommended studying agriculture, but Waller quickly learned that was not the road for her. “I knew from day one I did not want to be in agriculture. I was like, ‘why am I doing this’? The classes were not fun,” said Waller. Before long, Waller discovered a new path and this time, it was love at first sight. She learned from her counselors about Infor-mation Technology and enrolled in computer classes. Waller was in awe of what she was witness-ing. “Just hearing about comput-ers lit me up,” she said. “I took every computer class I can take.” When computer classes weren’t enough, Waller worked at the

computer department in the col-lege. “It was so awesome. They put me in a big room with big computers and some manuals,” said Waller.”I just read manual after manual and it was so fun.” Waller continued to work in the computer industry for many more years, but it was not until she met a computer instructor named Dan Owens that she found the best job yet. Owens had told Waller what a great teacher she would be, but Waller was not con-vinced. Still Owens remained persistent and at last convinced Waller to teach one web de-velopment class. On the first night of teach-ing, Waller went home and couldn’t sleep.”I knew I had found what I wanted to do,” she said. Waller was soon hired at Fresno City College as a full time teacher, but at the same time, she pursued her masters degree. “It was brutal. I was a new teacher go-ing to full time graduate school and full time working,” said Waller. The girl who had grown up eat-ing nothing but meat and potatoes matured and took it up on herself to change her lifestyle. “I remember in elementary school when I was playing basketball and they made teams based on weight. I had to go into the older students division because of what I weighed,” said Waller. Fueled by the haunting memory, Waller began growing fresh produce in her own backyard. She discovered that the adjust-ment was not as difficult as it had seemed for so many years. “When I changed the kinds of food I was eating, I realized I just need to eat

nutritionally dense food,” said Waller. “I didn’t need to eat as much of it. In our society we are overfed and undernourished.” Soon, the only hunger Waller felt was a hunger to see how far she can push herself. She made

running a ritual and eventually ran a marathon. She climbed Half Dome, a rock in Yosemite with an elevation of 8,842 feet. “I felt like my body was waking up. I had all this energy. I wanted to know what else I can do,” said Waller.”I thought I can do any-thing. There’s nothing I can’t do.” Waller decided to not only change her body, but also her environment. She took a look at the world around her and real-ized something had to change. She decided the best change she could make was a change to her-self. “The way I walk the earth is the best change I can make,” says Waller. “Rather than complaining about what people are doing, be the change and hope that people can see that. They may or may not see that but you know you have

done the best you can do.” Waller now uses solar, captures water for her plants and rides her bike to work everyday. After all her efforts, Waller has learned that being an environmental-ist is actually less expensive.

A s a

teacher, Waller has made a big difference in the lives of many students and in the computer department. Dean of business division Dr. Tim Woods says “She is absolutely passionate about student success. She has devel-oped high tech lecture capture video that allows instructors to capture lectures and make them widely accessible to students.” President of CIT 0 club, Clay-ton Ritchie says, “She is willing to listen to students demand. She teaches students how to solve problems and work ahead of time. She wants students to work hard but work smart.” Waller says the most impor-tant message she can send to young people is to do what they love. “Be willing not to be mediocre,” says Waller.”The world needs you to be much

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wALLER LEfT HER fAmiLiY’s fARm fOR CALifORniA AT THE AgE Of 17.

ByieshAmendez

Rampage Reporter

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Born and raised in Dinuba, Manuel Muñoz, author of two short stories collection, “The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue” and “Zigzagger”, read an ex-cerpt from his new novel “What You See in the Dark” during his visit to Fresno City College on March 7.

“I write because it is the art that I am best at,” said Munoz. “I think if you have a certain passion, you have to go after it and pursue it with the best of your abilities.”

Currently, Muñoz resides in New York and has no sudden plans of moving back to Dinuba. However, Munoz said the val-ley was important to him; it is so important that it has become the focus of his stories. He also explains that he constantly writes about the valley because it shaped the person he is today. He added, “Not living here [the valley] al-

most haunts me.”His new book,” What You See

in the Dark” is different compared to his other published works. His previous books were short stories; “What You See in the Dark” is his first novel. He said the transition was complicated because with a novel, he had to write the whole story and wait to the end of the draft for revisions. In contrast, with a short story, he explains he could manipulate and maneuver everything while still writing the story.

Additionally, Munoz wrote “What You See in the Dark” in second person, which is differ-ent from his previous works. He admits wanting to experiment.

He said that unfortunately, his parents can’t read his books since they speak and read only Spanish. Munoz’s siblings are lucky to be able to read his books; however, they choose not to discuss their opinions with him. He also said that with his books, he has a very

public voice and within his fam-ily, he essentially has to be quiet.

However, this does not stop Munoz from writing. He said, “Knowing things can be surpris-ing for people, especially when I’m here in the valley and people think about their own city, that it could actually be the setting of a novel or story.”

While reading a passage from his own book, Muñoz urged students to have a desire to read and realize they live in a place that is worth writing about.

He encouraged aspiring writ-ers “to read.” He said one has to read a lot in order to know what is out there and what is going to inspire them. About his future plans, Munoz said his plans con-sist of continuing as a professor at the University of Arizona and starting work on another book.

“Honestly, I wish people could do more reading,” he said, “be-cause reading is the key to everything.”

Munoz, Dinuba native, visited Fresno City College on March 7

News6 March 16, 2011

Tony Cantu can be described as a man of many hats -- he has been an instructor, a dean, a vice-president. Now, he holds the high-est office in Fresno City College: the presidency.

His previous experiences pro-vide him a rare perspective – he is able to appreciate the chal-lenges instructors may face in the classroom; at the same time, he is focused on creating a student-centered environment. Cantu said his time as president will be focused on sustaining the college and continuing on the current path amidst the current budget woes.

Q: You started off as an instructor, then became a dean, then held an administrative po-sition at Reedley College. Then you became the vice-president of instruction here at FCC. How did these work experiences in education help you become the leader that you are today?

A: They are different, but I think it’s the same skills that ap-ply either way. In the classroom, part of what you do involves lead-ership; it’s not just about teaching, it’s also about getting ready, and getting active on campus. By going through those activities, you provide better service to the students.

Interim President Cantu is Focused on Sustaining College Amidst Budget Woes

BynAthAnALonzo

Rampage Reporter

In terms of administration, I went to Reedley College first as a dean for community campus, then I came back to FCC as dean of the Humanities Division. I then went on to become vice-president of instruction. Each of those positions have allowed me to become more familiar on how the district works and develop a global view. As I assume other positions it has given me a global view and broadened my perspective.

Q: Do you feel there have been fundamental changes in the educational system since you became a college administrator?

A: I think in some ways, it has gotten better, and what I mean is that it seems that the expecta-tions are clearly defined. When I started, there was a big shift in governance that was part of AB 1725; that was a big change for the better because it affected every single thing that we did.

Q: What are some of the hurdles that you feel students must overcome in order to be successful during these difficult times?

A: Not to give up, and to persist. Part of success has a lot to do with persistence and hanging in there, and making sure that you have clearly defined goals and are asking for help when you need it. What I mean is, life happens to our students, so there may have to

be a change in plans, but students should not think that it is reason enough to quit or to give up. They have to persist and continue, and actually find the resources that will allow them to reach their goal.

Q: When did you realize that you wanted to work with students?

A: A long time ago. I always knew that I wanted to be in educa-tion; I never considered anything else.

Q: If you could change anything about the educational system, what would it be?

A: Probably the cost and access. The cost is too great, and it makes it much more difficult for students to attend and get help in a reasonable amount of time. We are getting challenged to have students complete programs and certificates in a reasonable amount of time, yet with the budget being the way it is, we are reducing classes. On one hand, we are being asked to focus on completion; on the other hand, we are making it harder for students to complete.

Q: What’s unique about FCC and its students?

A: It is the diversity of the students. All you have to do is walk the mall during the afternoon or in the mornings. The richness of the diversity of Fresno is reflected on

this campus. What I really appreci-ate about FCC is the strong student leadership. We have been fortunate for years to have a strong student government.

Q: Can you reveal some-thing exciting things that will be happening on campus within the next couple of months?

A: In the next couple of months what the push will be is graduation of course. We are focusing on graduation, accredita-tion, and the budget, not necessar-ily in that order either.

Q: How does this responsi-bility differ from your job as VP of Instruction?

A: The scope is different, what I mean is that the scope is broader than before. Even though my involvement on campus has always been across all the different areas, now it is much broader. Now it’s not just focusing on instruction, but I’m also focusing on student services, administrative services. I’m looking at all the different components.

Q: Did you have any thoughts of not accepting the role of president?

A: No, I was asked to do it, and at this point in time, it’s what we needed to do. FCC has always been a college where when we need to get things done, people come together and get them done.

Q: What are some of the obstacles that you will face in your time as president?

A: The budget, I think, is at the top of the list -- how we are going to get through what we need to get through while making sure that we go through the necessary process that everyone is aware, and that communication is out there.

Q: What are some of the things that Dr. Azari did that you feel you want to continue?

A: Reminding ourselves that we are here for the students; that has always been my perspec-tive as well as hers. I think that

is paramount. The other thing to continue is to support the variety of programs that we have, mak-ing sure that our fine performing arts are successful, as well as our athletics and student clubs.

Q: What are some of the things that you would like to do differently?

A: At this point, I don’t think there would be anything that I would do differently. I think she put a lot of really good things in place, and for the time that I am going to be in the position, I think it is just continuing and making sure things get done.

Q: What is the most re-warding aspect of being FCC’s president?

A: The most rewarding part is being in the role and still being part of FCC, and that’s being here and being able to do things that benefit the institution and the district.

Q: Describe your relation-ship with the faculty at FCC

A: I think it’s a positive relationship. I was a faculty mem-ber, committed to governance and all the different programs that we have. I think I’ve been very sup-portive of all the programs that we have.

Q: How do you plan to maintain student access to you?

A: Students have always been able to see me wherever I have been. Whether I was teaching, students always had access to me. When I was a dean, I was always available, as well as when I was vice president. So I don’t antici-pate that changing.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I am getting towards the end of my career, so I will be here at FCC ensuring that we continue to move forward, and to continue to serve the students and provide the services that they need across the board.

PhotoByABeLCortez

tonyCAntuistheinterimPresidentForFCC

Entertainment 7March 16, 2011

We Buy Text Books EverydayCustom Texts Available

COUPON

Save $5.00 off any Book**Expires May18, 2010**

Fresno City College 980 E McKinley Ave

(SW Corner of McKinley and Vaness)(559) 233-4002

Fresno State 1762 E Barstow Ave

(Northwest corner Barstow & Cedar)(559) 230-1292

Two locations to save!Look for the Yellow & Black Sign

**ExpirEs May 21, 2011**

With gas at $4 a gallon and the stagnant economy, the vision of spending spring break in Miami isn’t realistic this year. But just because a plane ticket isn’t in your budget does not mean you can’t enjoy your break locally.

You should think of your spring break as a mental break from the stresses of college, so relax your mind and make your break an amazing one. Your meager budget can accommodate many adventures. Here are some fun ideas that cost less than $100.

1. Camping: The sweet outdoors is the best way to

spend some free time with friends or family. Fresno is only a few hours away from some of the most gorgeous campgrounds in California -- Yosemite, Shaver Lake, Mono Hot Springs, not to mention the entire coastline. Call up some friends, and split the cost of gas. Don’t forget your camera and marshmallows.

2. Wine Tasting in Paso Robles: It is only an hour and

a half away from Fresno, and is home to some of the country’s best wineries. The drive is as gorgeous as it can get this time of year, and there are almost 40 different wineries. If you are not a wine person, there are beer tasting places available too.

3. Have a BBQ at Woodward Park: Barbecue spots are

scattered across the park for your outdoor parties. Entry fee to Woodward Park is only $3, and is worth every penny. It’s one

of the nicest spots in Fresno to kick back and relax.

With acres of

grass and a lake in the middle with big trees, pick a spot and unload the cooler and blanket. There is a bike trail, lake for people who like to fish, volleyball court and hike trail to keep you and your friends entertained. If you have kids, there are multiple playgrounds with rock walls and slides that will have your kids asking for a nap time. If the sun is out, this is a must.

4. Take a day trip to the beach: Get your best friends and

leave early to spend some time in the fresh air and the sound of crisp waves. Pismo, Avila beach and Cayucos are about two and a half hours away, and it is worth it. Rent a surf or boogie board for $15 and spend the day in the ocean. If you aren’t a surf-and-turf kind of person, there are unique shops and galleries to visit. Grabbing some

homemade clam chowder or fish and chips can fit nicely into your schedule as well as your budget.

5. It’s time to party: Whether you have a place or you have

to convince a friend, throw a party! It is a guaranteed fun and memorable way to spend your spring break. Send out a Facebook invite or shoot a text to your

contact list to come over for a kickback. Whether it

is five friends or 50, tell your invitees to bring their

favorite drink or ask to chip

in for a keg. The point is to listen

to some music, drink and have

fun with friends. Just be sure you can remember what happened the night before.

6. S p e n d i t w i t h family: With work and school, our

day-to-day lives seem so busy we can’t even think straight. If you are not living at home, being around family may not be on the agenda most days. So while school is out, invite one of your parents to a movie or to grab some tacos at Don Pepe. See if your siblings want to go to Rasputin Record store for discounted CDs and grab a Jamba Juice. Whether it takes an hour or all day, time with family is important. If your family drives you nuts, maybe a movie is a better idea since you can’t talk.

Spring Break on a BudgetByALexisABrAhAmson

rAmPAgerePorter

Have you and your friends ever wanted to go out to a club where a designated driver was not needed? Or maybe you’re in the other crowd of college students who are younger than 21, and don’t want to be part of the drinking scene but wish there was something fun to do on a Friday night.

If you meet any of those groups, Kuppajoe is the place to go. Kuppajoe is an all ages nightclub open Friday nights and some Saturday nights. Also, their cover charge is reasonable ranging from $6 - $12, depending on the bands that are playing that night.

Kuppajoe opened up 12 years ago as a coffee shop by Dave Brown. Since then, they have realized how bands draw a crowd of people. Therefore, they feature bands such as Wavorly, Becoming the Archetype, Confide, A Current Affair, and My Beautiful Surrender. Some are local bands while others are nationally known.

While no alcohol is served, they do offer soda, hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and energy drinks. All drinks can be purchased for just $1, except the Rockstar drinks that can be purchased at $2. Jesse Kennedy, an employee at Kuppajoe, explains, “There are many reasons why we decided to go non-alcoholic, but one of the main reasons is we want the environment to be safe.

Kennedy adds that he wanted an environment, “safe for anyone to come and have a good time without worrying about intoxicated people causing drama, fights, etc.”

You can find Kuppajoe located on 3673 N. First St. Fresno, CA. 93726, and online at www.kuppajoe.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Kennedy said, “Everyone come out and have a great time watching some of the most talented national and local acts. There’s a very good reason why we’re the longest running all ages nightclub in the valley.”

ByCrystALhodges

rAmPAgerePorter

Sober Nightclub Features Bands

The third space for the growing population of young urbanites in downtown Fresno is the Iron Bird Café. The Iron Bird Café serves its coffee with a sophisticated, modern, urban flair. This can be seen in the beverages served at the coffee shop. On top of the usual coffee house drinks, the Iron Bird also serves beverages that have been created by the café called signature drinks. These drinks have creative and interesting names that range from the Downtown Mocha to the

ByPAuLsChLesinger

rAmPAgerePorter

Iron Bird

breakfast sandwiches made in the morning with spinach tortillas and fresh salsa, to deserts such as cinnamon raisin sweet rolls.

In the evening, the Iron Bird Café hosts and participates in

lavender infused Cosmo. Another drink under the signature drink menu is the Barista’s Whim. This drink is created by the barista in the way they want, the only input the customer has into their order is whether they would like their beverage hot or cold.

Drinks are not the only things that are available at the Iron Bird; food is also served at the Iron Bird Café. The menu ranges from

PhotosByP

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ChLesinger

different events such as open-mic and the once a month art-hop. Open-mic is an event where any musicians or poets can perform at the café. According to co-owner Gary Christiansen, if they are good enough, the person might have a chance to have their own solo show. For their art-hop event, they host a different artist every month. The artists range from painters to photographers. The current

art show at the café is called “Artisism.” The art shown is a showcase of the artistic talents of the children with autistic spectrum disorder at the Village Educational Center in Fresno. The show lasts from now until the end of April. Iron Bird Café is located at 1915 Fulton Street.

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Entertainment8 March 16, 2011

Spring has arrived, which means warmer weather and the opportunity to witness vivacious wildflowers.

Wildflowers can be viewed around the Fresno area from vacant lots in north Fresno, to the foothills of the Sierras. Since wildflowers are dependent on seasonal rainfall to survive, some areas might have more flowers than others, while sometimes you might not see any at all. The wildflower season begins in March and continues through May. Withstanding factors such as rainfall and temperature could make the season last shorter or

longer.Auberry road located in the

Fresno County foothills, is one area filled with flourishing wildflowers for passers-by to gaze at. The 18-mile road travels from the valley grasslands to the oaks and pines of the foothills included with the Calif. state flower and the Calif. Poppy.

When the San Joaquin Valley reaches above the average amount of rainfall, some parts of the valley and the foothills have carpets of wildflowers. Usually, the patchwork of colors can be seen in the Carrizo Plain National Monument, in the southern part of the valley west of Bakersfield. The inland valley is the largest remaining remnant

PhotosAndessAyByPAuLsChLesinger

rAmPAgerePorter

Field of Beauty: Natures Wildflowers

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of the original San J o a q u i n Va l l e y habitat according to the Bureau of Land Management website.

When traveling out to see nature’s beauty, remember to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Also, make sure to bring a camera too.

For more Info:Wildflower Hotline

www.thedovepayne.org/hotline.htmlCarrizo Plain BLM page

www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield/Programs/carrizo.html

Entertainment 9March 16, 2011

NAISA Celebrates Native American Day

nAisACLuBCeLeBrAtednAtiVeAmeriCAndAywithdAnCing,drumming,AndrituALsintheFreesPeeChAreAontuesdAy

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Entertainment10 March 16, 2011

w10 ways to lose weight over spring break

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1. E x e r c i s e . (Obviou sly)

Don’t stay inside the entire spring break. Go outside and walk somewhere or just go somewhere.

Phillip’s Korner:

ByPhiLLiPromAr

rAmPAgerePorter 2. STOP TRYING T O E A T

AROUND THE CLOCK! Just because you see food doesn’t mean you HAVE to eat it.

3. It wo u ldn’t hurt to eat

fruits and vegetables every now and then.

4. Do you know you can gain

20 calories each time you curse? Want to lose weight? Stop cussing.

5. M I D N I G H T SNACKS ARE

DIET BUSTERS. YOU DON’T NEED THEM!

6. Stop eat ing fast food for

a week or two, and you should see some weight loss.

7. W a t e r o r Gatorade, soda

or crunchy Kool-Aid, watch your liquid intake too.

8. To te l l the truth, it would

not hurt to miss a meal. Don’t star ve yourself, but skipping meals every once in a while might be useful. I have missed many meals in my life. When I was in high school, the only food I ate was Lunch.

9. If you save money, you will

lose weight. Really. Put $50 in your wallet and keep it there for a week or two and watch your stomach shrink as the days pass.

10. It is a myth that smoking

helps you lose weight. In fact, it makes you gain weight, and it can kill you too. If you are a smoker, stop it now.

Spr ing is here, and summer and swim shorts season is around the corner. As you contemplate the summer pool parties, you need to get into shape -- tighten your bulging tummies or put some mass on your noodle arms. It’s easy, but please try to do it the healthy way.

Reviews: Your latest movies and Restaurants

The movie “Arthur” is a remake of the 1981 version with Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The premise of the movie was about a rich bachelor (Russell Brand) in New York City, who hasn’t worked a day in his life due to the fact that his father is the wealthiest man in the city. This, in short, caused him to act like an immature adult with a severe drinking problem. While constantly baby-sat by his nanny (Helen Mirren), his father makes the decision for his son to marry the woman of his choice. After Arthur gets engaged to a businesswoman named Susan (Jennifer Garner), he falls madly in love with Naomi (Greta Gerwig),

public eye, his snobbish work-obsessed mother (Geraldine James) decides that the time has come for Arthur to grow up and benefit the family’s business.

In this case, Arthur decides he must marry her brown-nosing employee Susan. If Arthur does not comply with his mother’s request, he could kiss his $950 million goodbye. So like any man, who wouldn’t shack up with a beautiful business woman for a filthy amount of money?

Of course the minute Arthur makes a deal with the devil, he roams around Manhattan and meets a simple girl next door, Naomi. For Arthur, it was love at first sight, whether he was struck by her average Jane appeal or her illegal activity in the tourist industry. Naomi, an aspiring children’s book author, begins to spend time with Arthur giving him a chance to care about someone

other than himself. Arthur continues with a

struggle, juggling romances with two women. In my opinion, it does not seem fair to have two beautiful women fighting over a skinny, alcoholic with a personality disorder. The money may be appealing but it’s hard to find any genuineness from Brand’s character that would make anyone think he deserves money or women. As a character, Arthur does not have depth, however, he is filled with witty comebacks for everyday conversations.

Overall, “Arthur” is worth the movie ticket price, comical and witty. However, the movie would have been better if the classic 1981 “Arthur” traits had shown through the remake. In the original, Arthur was drinking to fill a void he never received from his parents.

Brand’s character was more of a party boy drunk, who seemed to come off as a moron, rahter than funny. Indeed, “Arthur” is a decent movie for those who are on a date and want a good laugh.

Grade: C+

the love interest that Liza Minnelli rocked in the original.

Russell Brand (Get him to the Greek) was chosen to fill the stumbling shoes of Arthur. Brand played an interesting role considering he was much younger than the original 1981 character. For the most part, Arthur is a 30-something year old, who lives to make himself happy, while leaving the discontent of others who cross his path. For example, Arthur is obsessed with cartoons. He pretends he is Batman inside of his own Batman mobile. Since he was raised in a leisure and comfortable lifestyle, Arthur’s nanny, Hobson, attempts to teach Arthur facts about life and growing up.

After his latest stunt in the

ByALexisABrAhAmson

rAmPAgerePorter

“Arthur”

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ros.

Thrilling, gritty, and suspense are few of the various elements that compile the high-power action style in Hanna.

Directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice and Atonement), Hanna centers around a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) who endures an excruciating existence in the forest of Finland;

training for a mission. Trained by her father Erik

(Eric Bana), Hanna learns how to fight, speak several languages and memorize the encyclopedia, eventually transforming into the perfect solider spy. In the film, Erik later admits training Hanna for a mission, in which others try

and capture her. Since Hanna and her father

live in the Arctic Circle, they are untraceable, completely undetect-able. Both minds control their detection with the switch of a remote control.

One the eve of Hanna’s thir-teenth birthday she flips the switch, dramatically transforming her life. Soon after, she is ambushed by U.S. government agents held in their custody for interrogation.

Intimidated by government agents and trapped in a holding cell, Hanna forcefully escapes.

Throughout the rest of the film, Hanna is in pursuit running away from government agents and trav-eling through different parts of the world; exposed to things that she had only heard of in the Arctic wilderness.

The cinematography in this film is outstanding. The close, angled scenes add to the overall excellence. Hanna is sterling and a guaranteed adrenaline rush for all audiences.

Rated PG-13. Grade: A-

BynAthAnA.ALonzo

rAmPAgerePorter

I have driven by Geno’s Sandwiches & Salads on Ashlan and Blackstone every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the past three semesters, always wanting to stop by and try it out.

Finally, last week I stopped by to try their food. I was intimidated and more intrigued when I saw the line stretched outside of the restaurant. I decided to stand and wait, luckily the line moved quickly.

While waiting in line, I looked over their menu figuring out what

I wanted to eat. I knew I wanted to try a sandwich, so that ruled out the salad option. They offered both cold and hot sandwiches included with a variety of meats: roast beef, turkey and pastrami. I decided something simple; a turkey and cheddar sandwich.

My next challenge was choosing what size sandwich I wanted. The small sandwich sounded good at $4.85, but when I saw the size of the bread I knew that it wouldn’t fill me up. Instead, I went for the medium size at $7.25. They also offered a large sandwich for $9.70, which could be shared by two people.

Also, I decided to purchase a drink. Since Geno’s offered unlimited refills I decided to get a small size for $1.50—this was a mistake because the “Super Giant” size, which was at least five times bigger was only $0.30 more than the small.

Additionally, Geno’s also offered sides to go along with sandwiches such as, macaroni salads, Italian salads, chips and cookies.

My sandwich took about 3 minutes to be made and I was excited when it came out perfectly decorated with: lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, mustard, oil, vinegar

and wax peppers. My first bite—and every other

bite after that—was amazing. The bread was perfectly fluffy and fresh. The sandwich as a whole was probably the best sandwich

ByJessiCAhArrington

rAmPAgerePorterGeno’s to everyone that is looking for a new sandwich place that has unlimited drinks, great food, and amazing service.

Geno’s Sandwiches & Salads

“Hanna”

I’ve had in my life. Even with the line

out the door, I would definitely go back to Geno’s and wait for a sandwich. Even though I am always on a budget as a college student, paying $9.54 for my entire meal was worth every penny.

I would recommend geno’sisoPenmon.-Fri.11A.m.-3P.m.

FoCusFeAtures

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ByJesseFrAnz

rAmPAgerePorter

Is it Ever Appropriate to Publicly Display Affection?Con

If love is a treasure, it must be a treasure buried deep beneath the lust that covers the Earth.

And as I walk across the campus of Fresno City College, this facts be-comes even more evident to me. I can’t help but cringe at the sight of two human beings devouring each other like hot dog eating legend Takeru Kobayashi devours hot dogs. Why these people feel the need to display their affection in public is a mystery to me.

Just sitting on the benches at FCC has become a difficult task for me. In fact, I don’t feel like I’m sitting on a bench at all. Rather, I feel like I’m on the other side of the bed, observing the process of reproduction.

Sometimes I wonder how painful it must be to roll around on a rock hard solid bench; particularly for the women who normally carry the weight above them. Wouldn’t there would be less pain and more pleasure if these couples ex-pressed their feelings in the privacy of their bedrooms on a nice, comfortable Tempur-Pedic?

The only thing worse than the sight of lust is the sound effect that comes along with it. Upon hearing all the moaning and the groaning and the slurping noises of saliva,even the Dali Lama would put together a string of adult rated vocabulary.

Public display of affection is embar-rassing for the onlookers as much as it is for the performers. When the couples enter the classroom after having been engaged in deep intimacy, severe con-sequences follow. Sometimes lover boy walks into class with Lady Gaga lipstick all over his face.

For the college, public display of af-fection has a devastating effect. Just look at the designated slobbing areas for evi-

dence, which are not hard to find. This is what future college students witness when they come to take a tour of their future. This is the factor that contributes to the negative perception of community colleges.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying couples should act completely numb while in public. I

understand this is college and the five feet apart rule doesn’t apply here, but too many students have crossed the line when it comes to intimacy in public.

I can walk by the forum hall several times in one day and see the same people every time, applying the same motions. It’s like watching frogs mating continu-ously for months without a second of rest.

Public display of affection leads to serious issues such as sexual harassment cases. When the man goes where he does not belong, the woman often turns against him and conflicts arise. As a result, neither the man nor the woman know what they are getting into; therefore, increasing the chance of a sexual harassment case.

Because public display of affection has become so abundant on college campuses, students from high schools can migrate to colleges, where there is no principal to break apart their precious moment of lust and blend in with the other couples.

When more students realize the differ-ence between Hollywood and college, we can all enjoy a lust free campus. I can see the beauty of a romantic scene between Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet, but there’s nothing romantic about the exchange of saliva between two college kids.

Maybe when Johnny Lee said he was looking for love in all the wrong places, he was talking about college. Because apparently it’s not love in the air. It’s lust. And it stinks.

There they are: That couple in the corner eat-ing each other’s chapstick. They are the couple who walk around with their hands in one another’s back pocket; the people whose only argument has ever been, “You’re cute,” “You’re cuter,” “No, you’re cuter!” Although their relentless display of af-fection is enough to inspire single people, like this writer, to regurgitate their last meal, are we so pompous to try and dis-cern whether these actions are done out of lust or love?

Pause and remember Allie and Noah, the main characters from the Notebook. Although fictional, they took PDA to a whole new level, and no one in their right mind would dare despise them for it because their act was committed in the name of love. However, when one sees two college kids making out in the hall-way, they automatically assume it is lust. Now ask yourselves, who are you to say whether someone’s in love or not?

We as a civilization have set a principle that love is in the eye of the beholder. Love is something that only an individual in it can perceive, despite what their par-ents, or their creed says to the contrary. This is the reason why nobody is in dis-belief when two people say, “I do.” It’s the reason why Allie and Noah’s story was so heartbreaking, and yet so fulfill-ing. Love is an unperceivable connection between two people that only they can know, because only they are immersed in it. So how are you, as an outside observer, to say, “These kids aren’t in love, they’re in lust.”

When we look at two people holding hands walking down the street we should feel inspired or fulfilled, not revolted. Inspired that one day you will find some-one that you feel so connected to that

you aren’t ashamed to kiss them in public, even if you’re embarrassed by the onlookers. Or if you have already met that spe-cial someone, you should feel fulfilled knowing that you’ll be holding hands with your beloved soon.

Love is the only phe-nomenon that’s dualistic;

a mental experience that causes physical side effects. So why then would it not be expected that those in love would pursue their emotions in physical ways, even in public. Of course those acts commit-ted out of lust are better saved for the bedroom, and procreating in its essence should remain a private act, but you can’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, or in this case those in love with those who are making babies in the bathwater. Pub-lic display of affection also takes on the more sinister face of homophobia. When two straight people walk down the street they are never met with the confrontation of a glaring audience however, when two gay people do the same they are subject to the judgement of those who wince in the face of their love. The first step out of this principle of inequality in love is to accept PDA in all forms. To accept Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres, just as we accept Noah and Allie. If we cannot have equality in love, where can we have it?

Overall, something like PDA – nor-mally regarded as trashy – promises new hope for the future. Whether that is a future of equality, or the future of your own personal love. So hold someone’s hand in a crowded room, kiss your darling during the movie, or hold your sweetheart in the parking lot till the sun rises. Don’t put off showing someone how much you care about them, because tomorrow you may not have the chance.

There are three types of people in a college classroom: The rude students, the quiet students, and the class clowns. Which one are you?

There are many more, but we will just use these three examples for the time be-ing. Based on the classrooms I have been enrolled in these are the polls of the classes at Fresno City College school.

The Rude Students: The population in a class is 5 percent.

The rude students always distract other pupils and teacher. The rude students say everything that pops in their heads, and they only pay attention to what they want to hear. I see no reason why they even

bother to come to class in the first place if they are not willing to pay attention in class and learn the material. For the rude students, the time seems to go by slower, and their patience is thin.

On average, their grades are not above average. I have never encountered such an attitude in a class setting until I have come to FCC. Sometimes I will listen to these inconsiderate people and wonder, “They must not be scared of what their parents might say.” A classroom would benefit without them

.The Quiet Students: The population in a class is 80 percent.

Other students barely notices the quiet students because they do not ask questions, or speak out during a class discussion.

The quiet ones always seem to be upset

for some reason and they never say much unless you speak to them, or if the teacher chooses them to answer a question. On average, their grades are ridiculously high.

Back in high school, whenever I sat next to a quiet student I would exchange words with them and most of the time I would help them open up and become more active in class.

Most of them were girls I would try to flirt with, and guys I would try to befriend. In return, they would help me with my homework. With-out them, I would not be in college. I have to say that a class needs them - At least I do.

The Class Clowns: The population in a class is 15

percent. The class needs a little humor every now and then. The class clowns are my favorite variety of students. Like me, these students always have other students laughing from their silly jokes.

Their are few of these students I know that made fun of me. Instead of P.J., they would purposefully call me B.J., but I was never their only victim.

Sometimes I would envy them because the class loved those people. Even the teacher thought they were funny. Other teachers would not find their jokes funny, and would become angry with them.

On average, their grades are surprising. They are a lot smarter than one would

ByPhiLLiPromArrAmPAgerePorter

Students Create a Different Atmosphere for Classroomsthink. Without them the class would be boring.

I was a class clown sometimes, but people said I was only funny when I was

mad or if something embarrassing hap-pened to me. I was more of the goofy student. Whenever I am single, I tell girls the world’s worst jokes just so they will remember me. For the guys I would laugh at just about anything stupid that they said, but whenever I laughed, I kept laughing to show them that I thought they were humor-ous. I would be the only one laughing too.

On average my grades were straight C’s, and not to sound cocky, but in my yearbook, I found out that a many of people said that the class was really fun with me in it. So I guess the classes that I have now cannot go without me because I bring humor and life into the classroom.

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As a student at Fresno City College, I, along with others, have come to realize that the counselors are not always helpful, or even available for that matter. Some-times they can set you back, and sometimes they leave you with more questions than you walked in with before seeing one.

However, once I figured out how to get out of FCC, I was no longer going to leave it in the counselor’s hands to get me out of FCC ina timely manner. I took matters into my own hands.

There are four pieces of paper that you need in order to get your-self out of FCC in two years—the best part is you do not need the

counselors help except to check in with them occasionally to make sure you are on the right check track. Especially if you are focus-ing on a specific major, or school you are planning to transfer to.

Figure out what you want to major in and then either go on to fresnocitycollege.edu and look up the major requirements sheet, or go into the counseling office and find the major requirements sheet that you need. You need to make sure that you take each of the classes in the core requirements AND the correct amount of elective units that are listed in the elective section by taking the classes that are listed.

Find out what exactly what you want to transfer in. Once again, you can go on to fresnocitycollege.

How to graduate from FCC: A Self-Help Guide for StudentsByJessiCAhArrington

rAmPAgerePorter

edu or go into the counseling office and pick up the transfer require-ments sheet. All of the require-ments need to be filled before you can transfer, however, you do not have to complete all the require-ments on the transfer sheet in order to graduate from FCC with an AA or an AS.

Log on to fresnocitycollege.edu or go into the counseling office and grab a Fresno City College general education requirements sheet.

Finally, you must decide wheth-er you want to go to a CSU or a UC because the general requirements are a little different. The final sheet you need is the CSU or UC general education requirement sheet.

Once you have all of these sheets, you are almost done!

This is going to be the most

time consuming part of getting to graduation other than taking all the classes. Sit down lay out all four papers. Look over each section and try to match classes on all four sheets. When you have a single class that is needed on all four sheets write it down. This will be one of the first classes you take.

Once you have gone through each of the sections and found all of the classes that are across all four sections, go on to the next section and see what is covered on three out of the four papers, then two out of four and there might be a couple classes that are required on only one sheet.

Now, you have a plan of what classes you need to take and you avoid taking two classes where you could’ve taken one class to

cover two or more sections. I recommend checking in with

the counselors and telling them your plan. Discuss exactly what you plan on doing and it should work perfectly. Be sure to stand behind your decisions and carry an unofficial transcript and the list of classes you are currently taking and what you plan on taking. This will help incase the counselors say you need to take a class not on your list.

Remember not to disregard the counselor’s advice because they are the experts and they can tell you whether you followed the method correctly or not.

ByemiLiogutterez

rAmPAgerePorter

Would America Benefit from it?

All the talk stemming from this government shutdown makes me tingle on the inside.

It’s a sort of warm fuzzy feel-ing: the kind you get when you know something great is on its way.

Let me clear the air first: I am not a sadist.

No per-s o n o f any ethnic or politi-cal back-g r o u n d s h o u l d suffer a t the hands of another, let alone their gov-ernment . Those de-pending on our social safety net cannot be allowed to fall further into desperation and destitution, and a government shutdown would do just that: tatter an al-ready thread-thin safety net.

At the same time, a govern-ment shutdown would do Ameri-ca a much needed favor. It would

frame the pathetically partisan interests of our legislature, put it on blast for all the country to see.

Consider this: it is well-docu-mented fact that the legislative branch receives most of their campaign contributions from corporate entities through PACs (political action groups), indus-tries, and campaign committees. Because these entities are what

provide the steam for a candi-date’s campaign, it would stand to reason that elected officials would be beholden to them and their needs.

According to a report filed by Opensecrets.org, House Speaker

John Boehner (R-OH) raised over $12.9 million during the 2009-2010 election cycle. The top three contributors to Boeh-ner’s campaign - the insurance industry, securities and invest-ments, and retired - were a whop-ping $1.4 million.

Aside, Boehner’s top PAC donors included AT&T Inc, First-Energy Corp, and the American

Financial Group. Their dona-tions, together, were just over $230,000.

So we stamp out any sem-blance of partisan play – consider that the Democrats are nowhere near innocent, either.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) raised over $3.8 million. Her top contributors - the PAC ActBlue, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a law firm, and Torchmark Corp - donated $217,475. The top industries - health professionals, lawyers/law firms and lobbyists - provided $778,300 to her campaign.

This is just the House of Representatives, too - the Senate is about as clean as a downtown bathroom toilet seat.

I f you lasso these numbers to the fact that the case of Citizens United V. Federal Election Com-mittee nixed any l imitat ions on corporate contri-butions political broadcasts, you can understand why there is a se-

cret constituency hidden behind a sea of greenbacks.

Simply put, the law-making, tax-levying branch of our gov-ernment answers to their donors, and these donors speak louder than individual, hardworking or

otherwise impoverished Ameri-cans.

It is why banks are bailed out, corporate executive officers can waltz away with billions in bo-nuses, and companies like Gen-eral Electric can stave off death and the tax man. Of course, this is also why a government shutdown would do America a favor.

If the circus de corporate pup-pets were to screech to a halt, we would see who is really looking out for whom.

Corporate America can do without social services - average Americans cannot.

Corporate America can do without Welfare, Medicare or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Impoverished Americans - who already strug-gle to make ends meet - depend on such programs.

A government shutdown would most certainly bring much unneeded suffering into this country. It would be our own self-inflicted crisis

Unfortunately, crisis is most often a catalyst to change.

For that, I say let it be, let the government shut down.

Let Americans know who and what their country really stand for.

“The law-making, tax-levying branch of our government has a constituency that speaks louder than invidivual, hard-working or otherwise impover-shed Americans.”

Government Shutdown:

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“Absolutely nothing. I am going to lay around and relax with my dog. I might go to the park on Eas-ter, but I just want to hang around locally for the most part.”

Rebecca Williams, Business

“I am going to spend as much time with my family as possible. After the everyday stress of school, it will be nice not having to get up early and get ready for school. I might do some yard work around my house as well.”

Amanda Marquez, Business

“We are thinking about going to Six Flags on one of our days off. We will be working all break so, we can’t do much out of the ordinary.”

Chad Powell, Medicine

“This will be my first spring break away from my home in Georgia. Hopefully I can get some of my friends together and take a trip around California.”

Trent Hicks, Physical Education

“I am just going to be staying in for the majority of my break. I haven’t really thought of any plans to do anything so far.”

Shaquille Senegal, Recreation

Campus VoicesByALexisABrAhAmson

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“I am going to take my beautiful girlfriend to Monterey for her birth-day. We will go for the food, spend some time at the beach and relax as much as we can.”

Matt Alter, Undecided

“I plan on visiting my fam-ily for most of the break. I play basketball, so I will be practicing that and studying as well.”

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another example of the Ameri-can government attempting to oppress a minority population, one simply has to look to the state of Arizona.

In the month of May of last year, Gov. Jan Brewer signed H.B 2281 bill, which placed a ban on the teaching of ethnic studies in state schools. We can thank Brewer for the one of the broadest and most strict anti-illegal immigration measure in decades.

Brewer signed this bill shortly after signing the S.B 1070 bill, which aims to identify, pros-ecute, and deport undocumented residents. The governor could not wait 20 days before danc-ing a pen across a bill that bans classes that supposedly endorse “resentment,” “ethnic solidar-ity,” or the “overthrow of U.S. government.”

I do not believe that signing laws that specifically target and persecute Latinos, or any ethnic group, in a state where they make up 31 percent of the population will lead to any racial harmony and progress.

Brewer’s political party has attempted to criminalize the study of Chicano and Mexican American studies for students of all races. Her intent is to hinder the possibility of more Latinos learning and becoming proud of their rich history and culture.

The last thing that Gov. Brew-er would want in the political climate of controversy that she has created for herself is

to have a large population of proud, politically active, Latino college students protesting and spreading a broader awareness of the injustice to humanity she has caused.

Furthermore, the ban on eth-nic studies could be a major deterrent for more non-Latino people who want to learn about the Latino culture and realize that Latinos are just as equal as other races.

Throughout any civilization there is bound to be a population of people who either passively or aggressively advocate Nativ-ism, or believe that immigrants are hostile or cannot properly integrate into the natural culture.

Brewer’s political actions are a blatant attempt to oppress a racial minority that has been perpetuated to be described as alien and hostile to the “Ameri-can way.”

With Brewer’s political agen-da having banned ethnic studies in Arizona that specifically tar-get Latinos, is it possible that the ban will spread to the studies of other ethnic cultures?

If it is possible to pass a law that specifically targets Latinos then it is certainly possible that there could be a ban placed on African American studies, In-dian studies, Asian studies and many other cultural studies.

For the sake of argument, let us suggest that in the near future the population of mi-nority groups such as Asians, Indians and Middle-Easterners dramatically rises. If the men-tioned scenario ever proves to be true, then it is possible that Brewer’s biases will force her

pen to sign another bill that will target different ethnic groups for persecution.

In our current American soci-ety, undocumented immigrants from Mexico have proven to be the face for the issue of illegal-immigration.

If there were to be a different minority group radically im-migrating to the United States, it could be very likely that this race would become the face of illegal-immigration.

If this growing minority popu-lation were to be considered a threat to the existing order established in Arizona, then it is possible that laws will be imple-mented to target and persecute this ethnic group.

The establishment in Arizona is governing what the popula-tion is allowed to be taught and what not will not be taught in state schools. This is one of the steps that are required for a society to accomplish totali-tarianism.

The ban on ethnic studies is another attempt to try to decrease the chance of more people learning about their own and various cultures. The reason for this is to try to decrease the number of ethnic minorities learning about their own history and culture.

Furthermore, it is an attempt to Americanize undocumented immigrants or objectify them into criminal aliens.

Proponents of the bill argue that they are banning classes that advocate “resentment” toward the American government. This is a type of establishment that seriously needs to be resented.

ByFrAnkLoPezrAmPAgerePorter

Arizona’s Ban of Ethnic Studies Oppresses Minorities

Sports14 March 16, 2011

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Meet Your Athletes: Badminton BynAthAnALonso

Rampage ReporterNicole Seymour

Seymour has been playing bad-minton since freshman year in high school. This is her third year at FCC and her second year play-ing badminton. Her favorite part about badminton is playing with the girls, “I love my team,” said Seymour.

Seymour said her favorite mem-ories this season have come from the van rides because they are “very eventful. We eat, sing, and talk about all of our crazy super-stitions.” Seymour said that she likes to read and considers herself a geek. She loves shopping and playing soccer and football.”

After FCC, Seymour said she would like to continue working as a marketing assistant and gain more business knowledge. Then, she would like to go into human resources. Seymour said, “I like people, I like helping people, and I like to plan things, so hopefully I can get into some sort of human resources.”Akinew Her

This is Akinew Her’s first year playing badminton at FCC, and plays both doubles and singles.

Badminton is an enjoyable but difficult sport, according to Her.

“It seems like a small court and seems easy, but so much work goes into hitting the birdie. Plus, I can get my anger out hitting the birdie.”

Her also enjoys singing, and says her favorite singer is Hmong. She also sings at parties for her friends and relatives.

She plans on playing more bad-minton and transferring to Fresno State. Her dream job is teaching 3rd grade.Windy Hang:

This is Wendy Hang’s second year at FCC. She plays both singles and doubles, but prefers doubles because she says “there’s too much thinking in singles.”

Her favorite memories this sea-son came from their out-of-town trips, because of the van rides and stories. Hang likes playing vol-leyball and watching “NCIS” and “Criminal Minds.”

After FCC, Hang plans on trans-ferring to Fresno State, but is still

undecided on a career. Kellie Poindexter

Poindexter has been playing badminton since her freshman year in high school. She plays both singles and doubles, but enjoys playing singles more. Her favorite part of badminton is the sport itself because she is good at it.

Poindexter’s favorite memory so far this season has been play-ing with all of the girls because they get along well. Other than badminton, Poindexter has played soccer for 12 years and her favorite TV show is “The Office.”

After FCC, she plans on trans-ferring to CSU Channel Islands to continue majoring in business. One day she dreams of owning a café.Kia Her:

This is Kia Her’s first year of playing badminton.

She says she enjoys playing doubles because it is less challeng-ing, and because she does not feel like she has enough experience to play singles.

She says her favorite part of badminton is that it is a very men-tal game.

Kia Her also enjoys playing vol-leyball and designing clothes, she has even completed a few small projects where she has designed and made her own clothes.

She plans on transferring to Cal-ifornia State University, Fresno, to continue with her major in psy-chology. Her’s dream is to one day open her own boutique where she can sell her own line of clothing.Manjot “M.J.” Pandher:

Manjot “M.J.” Pandher is a second-year student here at FCC and her first year playing badmin-ton. She says the most enjoyable part of playing badminton is “the adrenaline rush that you get when you’re playing.”

Her favorite memories this sea-son have been eating on the road trips, “because we order so much food and people look at us like ‘are you going to eat all of that?’, and we do,” Pandher said.

When she isn’t playing bad-minton, she likes to play soccer with her family and occasionally participates in the Indian culture

dance shows. After FCC, Pandher plans on

transferring to either San Fran-cisco State or Fresno State major-ing in psychology. She said she wants to get her master’s degree and possibly open a clinic one day. Melissa Vang:

Melissa Vang is in her first year of playing badminton. She plays singles at FCC.

Her favorite part about the sport is that it is very competitive.

“Overall, I really like bonding with the girls,” said Vang.

Outside of badminton Vang likes to play volleyball and has also been the assistant coach of fresh-man volleyball team at Hoover High School for two seasons.

After FCC, Vang would like to transfer to a four year university and graduate with her bachelor’s degree. She said she would also like to coach volleyball.

“That’s something I hope to do for a long time.”Lauren Garcia:

This is Lauren Garcia’s first year playing for FCC’s badminton

team. So far, her favorite memories

of the season came while travel-ing during the preseason games where, according to Garcia, she was able to get to know her team-mates better.

Outside of badminton, Garcia plays music - the violin and guitar.

“I really like to sing too,” she said.

After FCC, Garcia plans on transferring to California State University, Fresno, and majoring in psychology.Darlene Yang:

Darlene Yang has been playing badminton since her sophomore year in high school and this is her first year playing at FCC. She plays both singles and doubles, but likes singles better.

“You can take your time in singles,” she says, “in doubles it is very quick fast.” Yang said.

Her favorite memory so far this year was her first out-of-town game because “we killed the other team,” Yang said.

Other than badminton, Yang likes to play volleyball and watch

Date Sport Opponent Time4/7-9 Tennis Big 8 South Tournament All Day4/13 Men’s Golf Conference # 10 12:00 PM4/14 Badminton Skyline 3:00 PM4/16 Baseball Porterville 1:00 PM4/17 Baseball Merced 1:00 PM4/19 Softball COS 3:00 PM4/29 Badminton San Francisco 3:00 PM5/4-7 Men’s Tennis Nor-Cal Championships All Day5/7 Badminton Conference Finals 3:00 PM

5/12-14 Men’s Tennis State Championships All Day

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“Ghost Hunters”. She also likes to draw and is considering majoring in art.

After FCC, Yang plans to con-tinue her education by transferring to Fresno State. Thao “Amy” Xiong:

This is Thao “Amy” Xiong’s first year of playing badminton, ever. She enjoys playing singles because she says she like the chal-lenge that it brings. She also says her favorite part about badminton is practicing and having fun.

“I have learned a lot from the coaches,” Xiong said.

Xiong’s favorite memory this season is meeting all of the new teammates because they were very welcoming and fun to be around. Outside of badminton, Xiong enjoys playing flag football and acting. She attends acting club where she practices and learns from professional actors.

After FCC, Xiong wants to transfer to Fresno State and contin-ue majoring in liberal studies. She plans on one day being a teacher and possibly teaching 6th grade.

Sports 15March 16, 2011

Fresno City Col-lege Athletic Direc-tor, Susan Yates, is ant ic ipat ing cuts across the board in athletics, and is plan-ning how the depart-ment will continue on its course with decreased funding.

Q: How se-vere ly are the cuts go-

ing to hit the athletic department?

A: I’m sure t h a t t h e cuts will be

spread throughout the college, and athletics will take their share. Any cut is severe at this point, be-cause we have been cut already.

Q: What is the specific number, as far as the amount, that will be cut

from the department budget?

A: I don’t know yet, I was just in a meeting about that. I thought we would

hear something about it at the board of trustees meeting, but nothing has been said yet.

Q: Will cuts limit the amount of recruiting that Fresno City College can

do? And will it make FCC less attractive to possible incoming athletes?

A: We don’t have a recruit-ing budget, so as far as dollar amount, it will not

affect us. All the recruiting we do is coaches going out there and hitting the pavement, our program speaks for itself, if they know about the program. In terms of courses available, that hurts, because if we have a recruit that is a throwback from Division-I they usually come late, so that recruit arrives and there are lim-ited courses available, so in those terms it will affect us.

Q: Is there the possibility that we could see some athletic programs cut

entirely?

A: I have not heard that, but I think everything is on the table. Every single

program, pretty much everything at this college is on the table. I know that as far as a district we are in a better situation than most because of the fiscal plan-ning that many of our business managers have done through the past couple of years. I think that if there are cuts, they will be felt across the board, and they will be well thought out.

Q: What are the changes that will be easily seen going into next semes-

ter?

A: Course offerings I would say is one of the main one’s, because that is what

is really out there. I know that athletically we are fundraising like none other; we are anticipat-ing that we will have to do more with less. So we are doing what we can to pinch every penny and

cut costs where we can.

Q: Would the budget cuts affect the way that the teams here at FCC for-

mulate their preseason sched-ules?

A: Absolutely, FCC has made good fiscal deci-sions in the past. We may

not be hit as hard as other col-leges, but those other colleges are the ones that we have to play. So in a way it does affect us, because now they can’t come to play us, and we may have to find someone closer. It affects us as far as preseason and scheduling go. Now not only are we look-ing at preseason and conference scheduling, we are looking at the postseason now too.

Q: Are budget cuts going to be an important issue for athletic programs in

the Central Valley Conference?

A: Yes, and it’s those schools that don’t have any other place to cut

that will take the big hits. No one is really looking at eliminat-ing teams, they are only looking to suspend them - in essence a furlough for this year. Maybe if they fundraise they won’t cancel the season, just the funding for the sport.

Q: If the budget cuts are severe, what will the department do to offset

them?

A: In our department we are committed to taking any kind of hit across the

board. We feel that our programs service a part of the campus, a different part of the campus community. We are committed to taking cuts across the board in order to save all of our sports programs.

Q: How do the cuts to the athletic department affect FCC as a whole?

A: I think that the cuts would affect the depart-ment a way that would

bring the campus community onboard. An example would be that we would be limited to what we could do at homecoming, and what we could do to spark inter-est in giveaways and all of the little things that we do in order to get the campus community involved in the athletic program.

The Fresno City College Track and Field team continues to put up strong marks in several events.

At the American River Invita-tional meet, Miguel Quinn ran the 100 meter with a personal best of 10.56. “It’s only my 3rd time run-ning. I surprised myself by placing 4th. I should of won, I believe, but everybody wants to win,” said Quinn who continues a strong season.

Earlier in the season, Quinn finished second in the 200 m at the Jack Albiani Invitational. In the same meet, he finished second in the 100 meter. He was also part of the relay teams that finished first at the Jack Albiani Invitational and fourth at the American River Invitational.

Another athlete that continues to build on a strong season is freshman Willy Irwin. This season, Irwin has recorded four first place finishes in the shot put and two first place fin-

ishes in the discus throw. Irwin also finished second in the discus throw at the Santa Barbara Easter Relays.

Sprinter Michael Staab had his best performance of the season in the 400 m hurdle at the Delta Mus-tang Invitational. He finished first with a time of 55.97. Staab’s other strong performances of the season include a second place finish in the high jump relay at the American River College Beaver Relays and a jump of 2.06 m at the Run for the Dream meet.

On the women’s side, the pole vault team has made a large contri-bution to the success of the team. At the Jack Albiani Invitational, Rebekah Morrison and Claudia Morrison finished second and third respectively. Karissa Bell also finished third at the Jack Albiani Invitational and third once again at the American River Invitational.

In throwing events, Pilar Becerra has emerged as one of the top per-formers. Becerra was first in the Javelin throw at the Raydell Bark-

ley Relays and at the Jack Albiani Invitational. “I am very surprised on how well I’ve performed. After two left knee surgeries I didn’t ex-pect to do much. Recovery has been hard,” said Becerra who is ranked 2nd in the state.

She gives the credit to hard work and strong faith. Equipped with Christian hip-hop on her iPod, Becerra starts her day with a trip to the gym at 5 a.m., a mile run and some running on the stairs. “When I get on the run-way I pray before I throw and tell God that He is in control. When it’s my turn to throw, I look up at the sky and say this is for you Lord,” said Becerra. “When I do good, I give God all the glory. When I don’t perform well I work harder so that I can continue to share that light.”

Becerra says her goal for the rest of the season is to have fun and work as hard as possible. “I want to be able to look back and say I did all I could,” said Becerra. “Whether I continue to do well or even if things turn around, I’ll always work hard to get that number one for Jesus,

Making the CutStaying On Track

Tennis Endures

BynAthAnALonso

Rampage Reporter

BytomAskAssAhun

Rampage Reporter

BytomAskAssAhun

Rampage ReporterIt has been a season of growth for

the Fresno City College Women’s tennis team. The team that was once quieter than a Prius is now louder than the women of The View.

“At first we didn’t communi-cate. Our moral has gone up and we understand each other better now. We even know each other’s strength and weaknesses,” said Amber Iqbal. There’s no one on the team that hasn’t improved. We have improved our strokes, footwork, speed and we have improved as competitors.”

The team finished the season with a 12-2 record and is now look-ing forward to the playoffs.

“It’s not as easy as it looks. We have worked hard since the fall to get to where we are,” said Iqbal. “Tennis is such a mental sport and

our focus has become much better.Katherine McFeeters has in-

scribed the word “focus” on her ten-nis shoes. “We have worked hard every day. It’s a big commitment,” said McFeeters. McFeeters has im-proved in doubles play and become more aggressive with volleys.

Estefania Salgado has made her reputation as one of the smartest and mentally toughest players on the team. “I give it a 120 percent. It doesn’t matter if I’m bleeding, I will play for three hours straight,” said Salgado. “I tell myself I can’t lose. I tell myself I have to run two miles if I lose.”

Salgado is proud of the progress she has seen in her team. “Our sophomores have become much better and our losses are minimized. We are louder, we cheer for each other and we stay positive,” said Salgado.

Another player that has made huge strides is Andrea Pereyra. “We go into matches believing we will win,” said Pereyra.”We don’t think about other things when we’re playing, only tennis.”

In one of her toughest and longest matches of the season, Pereyra battled hard but came up short. Pereyra lost the first set, won the second and lost the third. Neverthe-less, Pereyra is not discouraged. “This time of the year it’s mentally challenging. Everyone is tired but we won’t give up. We’re in it to win it,” said Pereyra.

This year the Rams will host the State Championships. The players believe playing in front of family and friends will gave them an added boost. Estefania Salgado said “We are proud to host. We want to play fair but we want to dominate.”

The Rams will be competing against the best teams in the state.

“It will be a fight, but we can overcome. Nothing can hold us

susAnyAtes,AthLetiCdireCtor

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Sports16 March 16, 2011

Badminton 101

Carol Kadingo has been the Fresno City College Women’s Badminton head coach since 2000.

What makes Coach Kadingo different is that she has never competitively played badminton. However, she is definitely no stranger to coaching. Kadingo has been coaching and teaching since 1977.

Kadingo is originally from Pennsylvania where she first started coaching volleyball at a branch college campus of Penn State. While she was content with coaching volleyball, she felt that there was more that she could accomplish. “I felt like I was still moving through the ranks, I was still looking for that really great job, even though I wasn’t expect-ing to leave Pennsylvania as soon as I did, ” she said.

Kadingo found a listing for an open position as head coach of the women’s basketball team at FCC. “I liked the difference in schools, the branch school that I was at had a little over 400 students and in comparison to FCC’s thousands of students, I thought ‘I like this. This could be a challenge,’” she said.

Kadingo was the head coach of the women’s basketball team at FCC from 1984-1992. During her eight years as head coach, the women’s basketball team made five regional appearances.

After coaching basketball, Kadingo had a seven year period when she did not coach. Then, the FCC athletic director at the time asked Kadingo if she would be interested in coaching the women’s badminton team. She said, “At first I was really reluctant to take the position because I had never played myself, and I didn’t feel like I could do the job from a competitive stand point. However, I have been able to do it with the tremendous help that my assistant coaching staff has brought along.”

In the transition from coaching basketball to coaching badminton, Kadingo admitted that she strug-gled with the completely different nature that each sport had. “I had trouble going along with the more relaxed nature of the practices. In basketball there were so many different things that we would do every minute of every practice, but the good thing about badminton is that you don’t need the entire team here to be able to practice. We can work individually with the girls on footwork, drives, or smashes to make them better.” Kadingo said.

“Right now, I have great as-sistant coaches, Ray Tijahadi and Benedictus “Benny” Azali. They have a tremendous amount of expertise in badminton. I really let them run practice and then we come back together and corrobo-rate as coaches on the players and the team,” Kadingo said.

Currently, the badminton team is 2-2 in conference play and there are only two returning players on the team.

Right now, Coach Kadingo says that the singles teams are stronger than the doubles teams, “There are a lot of new people that are working together and personalities really become a factor because they have to really meld together in order to do well.”

The biggest challenge that Coach Kadingo says she faces in coaching badminton is working with the fact that badminton is not a sport that is started with girls at a young age. “Most of the girls start in high school or when they come here and play.”

“Most girls who come through the program,” she says, “have only started playing badminton in high school and there is a major dif-ference in competition level from high school to college.

“When they finally start getting really good, their two years is

up and the rotation starts again,” Coach Kadingo said.

While badminton is a sport that receives very little media atten-tion and very little respect for its true competitive nature, Coach Kadingo and the women of the badminton team disagree with the reputation of badmin-ton being an “easy” or “lazy” sport.

“Badminton requires a lot of muscle memory, movement, footwork, hand-eye coordination, and a player’s response and reaction time must be quick in order to com-pete,” Coach Kadingo said.

Player Manjot Pandher said, “Most people think this is easy, but we have to run so much and people think it’s easy and it’s such a small space to play in, but we run a lot.”

“While we are happy about our wins, we cannot get too confident. For instance, our win against Mission College was great,” Coach Kadingo said. “But they also didn’t bring their no. 1 seed, no. 2, or no. 4, so our no. 1 ended up playing their no. 3, our no. 2 ended up playing their no. 5 and so on. So, when we go to play at Mission College we will prob-ably have more of a challenge.”

Coach Kadingo said, “Together, we’re trying to strive to be better players and have a good experi-ence, we’re not the most popular or most well-known sport, but the girls have a good time with it.”

Overall, Coach Kadingo said that she would like to win every match, but “realistically, I would like to see us continue to improve in order to make us stronger.”

The girls on the badmin-ton team are chosen to play either singles or doubles depending on skill level. Both the singles and doubles teams are ranked in a lad-der system, like tennis. The singles and doubles team each have their own ladder. The strongest player/doubles team is ranked no.1, the next best is no. 2, and so on. Bad-minton has six singles players and three doubles teams.

While badminton is somewhat similar to tennis, it is also very different. It is a racquet sport, where a birdie, or shuttle-cock, is hit back and forth over a net that is five feet high. Points are awarded when a player hits the birdie over the net and lands in

the opponent’s half of the court, or when the opponent fails to hit the birdie back over the net success-fully. The birdie may only be hit one time to make it across the net and into the opponent’s side of the court.

A match is held between two teams. In one match there are two rounds. In each round the singles and the doubles play.

In the first round there are six singles games and three doubles games.

In the first round for the singles, the no. 1 ranked player plays the opposing team’s no. 2 ranked player, the no. 3 ranked player plays the opposing team’s no. 4 ranked player, and the no. 5 ranked player plays the opposing team’s no. 6 ranked player. The same thing happens vice versa with the

other team during the first round of singles. Their no. 1 plays our no. 2, their no. 3 plays our no. 4, etc. In the first round each singles match win is worth 1 point.

In the first round of dou-bles, the no. 1 ranked team played the no. 2 ranked team of the oppos-ing team, the no. 2 of the opposing team plays the no. 1 ranked team and the no. 3 ranked teams play head to head. In the first round, each doubles match win is worth 2 points except for the no. 3 ranked team’s game, it is worth 1 point.

In the second round of singles, each of the singles players play head to head with the oppos-ing ranking, no.1 plays against the no.1 rank of the opposing team, the no. 2 play the no. 2 and so on. Again, each game is worth 1 point.

In the second round

of doubles, the doubles team play head to head with the opposing rank-ing, no. 1 plays against the no.1 rank of the oppos-ing team and the no. 2 plays against the no. 2 rank of the opposing team. In the second round, however, the no. 3 doubles teams do not play.

The total number of points possible in a match is 21. The win-ning team is the one with the most collec-tive points from both the singles and the doubles games of each round.

ByJessiCAherrington

Rampage Reporter

ByJessiCAherrington

Rampage Reporter

Coach kadingo wants team to strive to be better

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