volume 77 no. 6
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The DVC InquirerTRANSCRIPT
to use the same primary wholesaler the bookstore already uses, so there will be no change in costs to the bookstore itself – most of the savings will be student sav-ings.
“It’s pretty much revenue neutral for us.
We won’t make any more money and we won’t make any less money. We’ll make as much as we always have,” Foster said.
“In the long run we hope to save the
• News: 1, 2 • Features: 3 • Entertainment: 4 • Opinions: 5 • Editorial: 5 • Campus Buzz: 5 • Calendar: 2 • Sports: 6
DVC classes becomea bitgreener
ASDVC discusses possible executive position
New program eases wallets
In an effort to cut rising academic costs to students, the DVC bookstore will be rent-ing out textbooks in addition to selling them starting next semester.
The program, which the school began pi-loting at the beginning of November, will expand to cover almost all the textbooks the school carries, and allows students to rent textbooks for a semester for signifi-cantly less money than purchasing.
Bookstore manager Bill Foster, who has been running point on the rental program, said that the savings would be sizable. “New rentals will be 55-60 percent of the new sales price, to students,” Foster said. “If it was a $100 book they’d be able to rent it for $55. If it’s available used, and it would normally sell used for $60, we’d rent it for $35.”
Foster said that the bookstore had been considering renting books for two or three years, but had only recently been able to find an acceptable program model – spe-cifically one that didn’t require instructors to make a multi-year commitment to the same book.
The rental program will also continue BOOKS, Page 2
While most of us are focused on final exams and winter break, a few students at DVC are taking the time and initiative to help create a more environmentally friendly campus.
The Associated Students of DVC are considering forming a new executive officer position, tentatively called the Minister of Environmental Affairs, who would pursue and promote ideas to keep the college environmentally conscious, ASDVC President Katerina Schreck said.
“The position’s main purpose is going to be for student green advocacy, work-ing with the college Sustainability Com-mittee and forming [an ASDVC] Sustain-ability Committee,” Schreck said.
The Sustainability Committee at DVC has proposed a resolution to remove Styrofoam containers from the Crow’s Nest, Basement Café and cafeteria, and has been endorsed by ASDVC.
Schreck created the ASDVC Sustain-ability Committee, currently an ad hoc, in November in hopes of brainstorming
JONATHAN ROISMANEditor-in-chief
SCOTT BABAStaff writer
DEGREE, Page 2
In the spirit of environmental con-sciousness on campus, DVC is now gear-ing some of its curriculum toward eco-logical responsibility.
Engineering instructor Joe Valdez has created a new associate of science de-gree in environmental science, which is available for the first time this semester. The degree centers on environmental concerns that have an impact on the human race, ecological systems and en-ergy diversity.
“We didn’t have a program dealing with the issues of water resources, wa-ter conservation and energy in Califor-nia,” Valdez said. “It’s a hot topic.”
The associate degree in environmen-tal science includes courses in engineer-
Bookstore allows textbook rentals to reduce student financial stress next semester
DVC is entering the Green Age, it seems, with the removal of en-vironmentally-unfriendly materials at the top of its ecological agen-da.
DVC’s Sustainability Committee has proposed a resolution to eliminate the use of Styrofoam containers from the Crow’s Nest, Basement Café and the cafeteria.
“The purpose is to encourage, force-fully, DVC Food Services to stop serving food and drink in Styrofoam contain-ers,” said John Freytag, an instructor of oceanography and marine biology at DVC and Faculty Senate corresponding secretary, who has been working with the Sustainability Committee.
The 20-member Sustainability Com-mittee is charged with promoting ideas for environmental awareness and sus-tainability on campus.
The committee is concerned largely with the health dangers that Styro-foam presents, particularly with hot food and drink. It also contains carci-nogenic compounds, and its effects are detrimental to the human reproduc-tive system, Freytag explained.
Another worry for the committee is the environmental impact of using Styrofoam products. Styrofoam is not biodegradable, creating a problem in landfills, and it breaks down into small pieces, which are
ANNIE SCIACCAEditor-in-chief
Committee pushes for material switch
ASDVC, Page 2
JULIUS REANews editor
Scrapping
Baron Bredenberg, senior inventory and receiving clerk, stacks books for the upcoming semester, most of which will be available for rental.
KEVIN HAYES / THE INQUIRER
STYROFOAM, Page 2
Styrofoam
INQUIRERThe
Volume 77 No. 6 Copyright © 2010 The Inquirer - Diablo Valley College Thursday, December 2, 2010www.TheInquirerOnline.com
S T U DE N T VOIC E OF D I A BL O VA L L E Y C OL L E G E
Opinions | 5Entertainment | 4
Airport security measure forces passengers to choose between
Need to Know
The Sustainability Com-mittee is charged with promoting ideas for en-vironmental awareness and sustainability on campus.
Styrofoam contains car-cinogenic compounds, and its effects are det-rimental to the human reproductive system.*
*Attributed to oceanography instructor John Freytag
Styrofoam is not bio-degradable, creating a problem in landfills, and it breaks down into small pieces, which are often ingested by ani-mals.*
HARRY POTTER 7: COMPETENT,
NOT STELLAR
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT BABA & JULIUS REA
a ROUGH
FRISK
aREVEALING
SCANor
2 Thursday, December 2, 2010The Inquirer - Diablo Valley CollegeNews
CALENDAR
CORRECTIONS
POLICE BEAT
In the article, “Understand-ing Islam” in the Nov. 18 is-sue of The Inquirer, Amer Araim’s place of birth was misspelled. Araim was born in Fallujah.
In the article, “Textbook posting law creates tension” in the Nov. 18 issue of The Inquirer, the attached pho-tograph should have been attributed to Carly Jones.
In the article, “Vikings head to Grafitti Bowl” in the Nov. 18 issue of The Inquirer, Tra-vis Jenkins should have been attributed as a contributor.
Thursday, Dec. 2Communication and Outreach Work Group BFL Community Confer-ence Room 10 – 11:30 a.m.
St. Mary’s College RepCounseling building 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. by ap-pointment 12 – 1 p.m. drop-in
Brown Bag Lecture SeriesStress Relief HypnosisSU room 20412:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 3Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble ConcertTickets are $7 advance; $10 at the door. PAC8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4Emeritus College Holiday Brunch and Boutique BFL Community Conference Room Tickets are $2510 a.m.
Emeritus College Holi-day High TeaBFL Community Conference RoomTickets are $252 p.m.
Drama - ‘Fuddy Meers’PAC8 p.m.
Philharmonic Orches-tra ConcertTickets are $7 advance; $10 door. 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 5 Drama - Fuddy Meers2:30 p.m.
Celebration of Light ConcertPACTickets are $7 in ad-vance; $10 at the door7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 6Club A-3‘Give A Can a Day’ food drive11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 13 to Fri-day, Dec. 17FinalsSee the Finals Schedule at www.dvc.edu
Nov. 18, 2010SRC Overflow Parking lot: A student’s personal items were stolen from his vehicle.
Parking Lot 6: A car ac-cident occured near Stubbs Road.
Bus Stop: A student with pre-existing medical condi-tions made suicidal state-ments. American Medical Response transported the student for treatment.
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BOOKSfrom Pg. 1
STYROFOAMfrom Pg. 1
often ingested by animals, Freytag said.
The Associated Students of DVC voted to endorse the Sustainability Com-mittee’s resolution almost unanimously in their Nov. 23 meeting. The Faculty and Classified Senates will each vote on the item next week. If the resolution is approved, the governmen-tal bodies will send their endorsement of the cause to the College Council, Faculty Senate President Laurie Lema said.
The cost of the switch to non-Styrofoam products may limit the way DVC Food Services can implement it.
In an attempt to find a so-lution for the financial com-ponent, Freytag said, the committee is considering using paper products, in-stead of compostable ones, which are significantly more expensive than both paper and Styrofoam.
Even using paper prod-ucts presents a sizable cost increase for Food Services. The added expense is the department’s main con-cern, said George Delfabro, food services manager.
To switch from Styrofoam to paper products would cost an estimated additional
students somewhere on average $100 to $150 a se-mester,” Foster added.
There are limitations that renting books plac-es on the renter. If the book is lost or not re-turned, the student will be charged for the full price of the textbook, and there are terms and con-ditions that renters must agree to before renting a book which, among other things, involve not mark-ing books or taking notes in them.
“A lot of people freak out when they see the long list of things that they have to agree to,” said Bill Jason, a bookstore opera-tions assistant. “We had one girl look at it and just throw up her hands and say ‘Never mind.’”
Richard Tash, a con-struction instructor, said that he wouldn’t recom-mend renting textbooks for his own class because there’s a lot of paper and pen interaction with the books.
Tash said, “There’s a lot of writing that needs to be done in books: high-lighting, notes, and in the back [of the book] there are quizzes and tests for the students to do.”
DVC student Marcela Gama, 21, said that she would probably start renting books next se-mester.
“When people buy and sell back their textbooks, they don’t get as much money back,” Gama said.
Richard Curtice, a 19-year-old English major, said that he already rents books at Barnes & Noble and recommends it.
“I feel like it works bet-ter than buying because it’s cheaper, and I don’t have to worry about what to do with the books after the semester’s over,” Cur-tice said.
Susan Lamb, vice presi-dent of instruction, indi-cated that she approved of the program. “Gen-erally I think it’s a good thing,” Lamb said. “It gives students options, and anything that gives students options is a good thing.”
ways to make the school greener, such as removing Styrofoam on campus and
adding more solar panels. She said she wants the
committee to determine whether the environmen-tal affairs officer would be
feasible as a long-term po-sition.
Committee chairman Sean De Witt said the first ASDVC Sustainability Com-mittee meeting was Nov. 25 in the Student Union quiet room.
“I hope to promote and increase the knowledge of the students and general popu-lace around DVC on the subject of green sustain-ability on the campus itself,” said De Witt. “Environmental technology is my passion. I believe it’s a key feature of the future.”
Former ASDVC member Brian Donovan proposed the idea of an environ-mental affairs officer ear-lier in the year. “[It] actu-ally started as an idea I was campaigning on last semester,” said Donovan, who was elected to the position of vice president
of legislative affairs last spring but had to resign before taking office.
He said the committee and board position would help students gain envi-ronmental knowledge that could help not only them-selves, but also their com-
munity. Schreck said there
wasn’t an exact timetable for the creation of the en-vironmental affairs posi-tion, but she said it could happen as early as this se-mester.
As of now, it is undeter-mined whether the new position would be voted on by students in the annual election with other ASDVC
officers in spring 2011, or if it would be picked in house, Schreck said.
If the board decides to create the position this semester or next, it would be filled by an interim who would be picked by ASDVC.
Donovan said he wouldn’t be disappointed if the position wasn’t formed until fall 2011 because there is already a cam-pus-wide sustain-ability committee that is working
toward making DVC more environmentally friendly.
He expressed concern, however, that the new board position could be neglected.
“If unchecked, this po-sition would just become another position to put on your transcript.”
ASDVCfrom Pg. 1
The position’s main purpose is going to be for student green advocacy, working with the
college sustainability committee and forming [an ASDVC]
Sustainability Committee.
“
”Katerina Schreck
ASDVC President
DEGREEfrom Pg. 1
40 to 50 cents for one “clam-shell,” or food container, and one cup, Freytag said, noting that with thousands of meals sold, the cost adds up.
“My goal is to keep it be-low 50 cents, but it’s impor-tant to know that the cost will be passed on,” Freytag told the ASDVC in last week’s meeting.
Karen Ockander, a first-year DVC student, explained that although she would be willing to pay an extra 25
to 75 cents per meal for non-Styrofoam containers, she does not believe that other students will think the cause is worth the ex-tra cost.
“A lot of people are pay-ing to go to school [by] themselves, so they prob-ably want to avoid extra costs,” she said.
ASDVC discussed the pos-sibility of subsidizing the cost of the switch, but as of now, the financial aspect has not been resolved.
“I am only going to rec-ommend that the board consider this if the other senates are going to help subsidize the cost too,” Schreck said. “I do not be-lieve that ASDVC, the stu-dents, should be the only ones paying for this, espe-cially because everyone will be benefiting, and not only the students use the food services on campus.”
Garbage cans full of styrofoam would no longer be a common with the switch to environmentally-friendlier containers.
KEVIN HAYES / THE INQUIRER
-ing, biology, chemistry and math. These courses match those in CSU and UC environmental science pro-grams, Valdez said.
“[Instructors and admin-istrators] are for it because it’s an interdisciplinary degree, the first on cam-pus, and it utilizes courses already existing,” he ex-plained.
Joseph Gorga, assis-tant professor of biology, teaches “Environmental Science,” a required class for obtaining the degree. He said environmental science is a broad subject with many opportunities for students.
The degree helps students understand the function of the ecological system and human impact upon these systems at a local, regional and global scale.
“Many decisions pro-fessionals take and make
have all kinds of impacts. We tend to minimize or not look deeply at what those impacts are,” engineering instructor Seyyed Khan-dani said. “It’s important to raise awareness of how those decisions create envi-ronmental and social side effects and impacts.”
He and Valdez have cre-ated new courses that will factor into the degree.
Instructors began teach-ing DVC’s first environmen-tal science course, “Water Conservation,” in summer 2010.
“Water Conservation” is currently a contract class paid for by Swords to Plowshare, an East Bay non-profit providing em-ployment, counseling and housing services for veter-ans, explained Valdez, who created the class.
Next year, the class will be state funded and will be available in the fall 2011 catalog.
Valdez said the class has had many speakers from the East Bay Municipal Util-ity District and the Contra Costa Water District. The class also sets up a model of sprinkler devices for dif-ferent landscapes.
“The students need to be more informed about the issues of water and energy in California,” Valdez said.
Khandani created an-other environmentally-focused class, “Energy, Society and the Environ-ment,” which is offered this spring.
“During the past 23 years, this is the first class of its type which is multidisci-plinary,” Khandani said.
“Energy, Society and the Environment” is an inter-disciplinary social science and was approved as an Intersegmental General Education Transfer Cur-riculum and DVC social and behavioral science re-quirement.
Khandani said he be-lieves environmental edu-cation can influence and improve all types of deci-sion making. “[The] BP oil spill didn’t have to happen if there were proper pro-cedures to operate the rig and well,” he explained.
According to an August 2010 New York Times ar-ticle, community colleges are offering more environ-mental education courses and degree programs for “a new generation of environ-mental smart manager” for the changing economy.
Assitant professor Gorga said environmental educa-tion will lead to the tech-nologies needed to mitigate current environmental is-sues worldwide.
“Everything is intercon-nected,” Valdez said. “And it’s important we just start looking at it all.”
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Features 3The Inquirer - Diablo Valley CollegeThursday, December 2, 2010
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Life in the Promised Land
Editor’s note: Heath Attia is a former DVC student cur-rently living in Israel.
Israel and Palestine’s his-tory and politics are com-plicated, but it is my daily life while living in this for-eign land that interests me the most: not politics, not activism – just living with the people.
Around the world, people are exposed to the constant media coverage of Israel and its problems. I came to Israel to see everything be-yond the TV screen, to actu-ally feel the situation from the inside and to try to gain insight about the people living here.
I am currently living in northern Israel on a kib-butz – traditionally a Jew-ish collective community – in the Jezreel Valley, about 15 kilometers from the West Bank and even closer to Hafia, the main city of northern Israel.
This kibbutz, called Ha-Zoreah, is surrounded by both Jewish and Arab cit-ies and villages. It’s a non-religious, basically secular kibbutz where people both work and live.
Everyone contributes to the community and helps one another by working. No job is more important than the other, and the income stays exactly the same. Whether a person cleans dishes or manages the factory, she will receive the same pay.
What makes this kibbutz so unique are the people
living and working within it. Besides the people who call Ha-Zoreah home, there are also volunteers from all over the world who come to work and live in the kib-butz for a period of time.
I work as a carpenter and spend most of my days working with Arab people from every background. Some are Bedouin Mus-lims, who live in the neigh-boring villages. Others are Christian, mostly coming from Nazareth, which is across the Jezreel valley.
I cannot explain in words how refreshing it is to be interacting with Jews and Arabs on something out-side politics and religious debates. We sit and eat to-gether; I try speaking Ara-bic and Hebrew, and they all try English. Everyone is always laughing and hav-ing a positive experience.
Ha-Zoreah is a special place, but it’s outside of the kibbutz that I call the real Israel.
Every week I have been traveling around Israel and Palestine to explore. Being in Israel, I notice a stark contrast between the land and its people.
Israel’s geography is amazing – the North is lush with green forests, mountains and valleys. The weather is cooler than in the south but much higher in humidity. The southern half of Israel turns from the lush greens to the pale sandy colors of the Negev desert. The dry heat and rocky desert floor make me feel thousands of miles from the North.
The people of Israel are also different, but they are
not divided by north and south. Each village, city and territory has a differ-ent people and culture. One city can be populated by Muslim-Arabs or Jews, and only a short walk can take me to a Christian-Arab village or Bedouin camp.
Israel is divided inside its own borders by differ-ent territories, and each territory is controlled by a different political and religious entity. Israel is a very small country – think of New Jersey – with a lot of different people living very close together. Most ter-ritories where I have been have the Palestinian flag, but are still a part of Israel and at peace.
For the time being, I have learned to stay far from politics when visiting each place. Instead, I just ob-serve how the people are living, and that explains much more than a heated political debate.
Right now I am still learn-ing about this place and its history, but I believe the people of Israel and Pales-tine are capable of either peace or continued con-flict.
My experiences are unique to myself, I can see the good in all people here, but they get caught up in politics and lose their sense of humanity. This is still the Middle East, and this coun-try is still very new. The future is uncertain, but I have hope for both the Is-raelis and Palestinians.
Heath AttiaGuest writer
Remember that time when your roommate pulled an all-nighter to finish that economics take-home final and was really sleep-deprived, and the two of you drove to Tijuana and had a really awesome time?
TheInquirerOnline.com is just like that, except instead of Mexico it’s the news, and instead of your roommate it’s a website, and instead of a donkey show, it’s reading.
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT BABA
Guest writer Heath Attia learns firsthand what it feels like to live in the state of Israel.
4 Thursday, December 2, 2010The Inquirer - Diablo Valley CollegeEntertainment
The Harry Potter film series has been a bit of an anomaly in the film world since its first release in 2001 with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Nine years and five more films later, the common consensus among critics is that the series can be summed up with a shrug of the shoulders and a resounding “meh.” On the other hand, the movie se-ries has grossed over $5 billion, so take that how you will.
In the end, the movies have been good for what they are, taking a popular book series and translating them to the big screen, competently enough that its fan base doesn’t try to blow up Warner Bros.’ corporate offices.
In the continuing adventures of “Har-ry Potter and the pivotal plot device,” di-rector David Yates brings the series to a close with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” the first chapter in the two-part adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s 7th book. Will this film finally be able to rise out of the trenches of mediocrity that has pl0.agued the other movies in the series? In short, not really, but the film didn’t make me want to gouge out my eyes either.
One of the real problems I had with this movie is its reliance on the actors to properly emote the anger, angst and hopelessness the characters are sup-posed to be feeling at the time.
These moments usually fall flat, not because the acting is bad, but because the moments run on for too long. You can only show one angle of Harry “sav-ior complex” Potter brooding at the cam-era for so long before it looks stupid and you start glancing at your watch.
In every one of these instances I wait-ed for the characters to say something insightful or let off a quick quip to end the scene. What I got instead was almost a “deer-in-headlights” effect. It’s like the actors were teleported to a Broadway stage, they called for their next line and it never came. The technique was dis-tracting, and I found myself thinking, “What are you waiting for? End scene already.”
Ultimately, many of my complaints come from choices made by the direc-tor. Like with other films in the series, a lot of plot points are not thoroughly explained, due to the time constraints of adapting a book for the silver screen.
For instance, the story of Regulus Black and his relation to Voldemort are
quickly glossed over. On the other hand, audiences get a five-minute montage of different images of the countryside as Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the run from Voldemort’s “snatchers.”
While these vistas would probably make great background images for a corporate PowerPoint explaining the virtues of avoiding sexual harassment lawsuits, this isn’t “Sexual Harassment and You” so it comes off as nothing more than, “Hey they went to a place with a river. Now they’re in a place with lots of trees. Hey look, now they’re in a place with snow. Oh, there’s another river.”
These things do not work in the con-text of a film. What does work, however, works very well. The action sequences are thoroughly exciting and the special effects are used tastefully.
While the battles between Harry and friends and the forces of evil could eas-ily devolve into a maelstrom of sparks and whooshes akin to an overactive gun fight with fireworks, neon-spell effects are kept to a minimum and instead are replaced with small controlled explo-sions where missed spells hit. It’s less “Star Wars” and more “Indiana Jones,” if you’re looking for a comparative short-cut.
The acting of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, playing our three-main characters, is adequate and has remained consistent throughout the series. If you were fans before, their performances won’t disappoint you this time.
Now that he is actually alive and not some corporeal ghost thingy, Volde-mort (Ralph Fiennes) is also well done, although I became distracted by the in-creasingly prevalent series of veins that seemed to appear on his head as the film went on, and his oddly bulgey brain pan. While my first thought was that he should see a urologist because his blood vessels appeared inflamed, Scrotumort’s screen time is thankfully kept to a mini-mum.
All in all, it’s hard to be too angry at “Deathly Hallows.” It managed to take a world that previously existed on the pages of a book and turn it into a fully-realized world on the brink of destruc-tion. Because of that feat, the consis-tently-solid acting, impressive special effects and Emma Watson’s increasing attractiveness, the film is a success and a must-see for any Potter fan.
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TROY PATTONEntertainment editor
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Since Sept. 11, 2001, in response to potential radi-cal terrorists, airport secu-rity has entered a height-ened state of paranoia. The latest craze: the Trans-portation Security Ad-ministration’s new highly detailed and humiliating full-body scans.
If you were planning to fly to a snowy destination during winter break, you may want to reconsider. Now, instead of walking through security with minimal embarrassment, travelers must go through full-body scanners, and those who refuse will be subject to uncomfortably thorough pat-downs.
Airports across the coun-try – including the Oakland and San Francisco Interna-tional airports – are using this new technology. The highly-detailed body scans capture images of the pas-senger in the nude by use of technology that can see through clothing, with no blurring of the areas usu-ally covered even by un-derwear.
But in order to agree to this newfound “security,” we must also be willing to forgo many of our civil liberties. Both the body scanners and the invasive
pat-downs go against our constitutionally guaran-teed right to privacy.
A Nov. 22 article from RawStory.com, via “Busi-ness Insider,” reported that ABC News producer Carolyn Durand opted for the pat-down instead of the body scan and claimed that the TSA agent felt inside of her underwear. Although one could argue that these are the inappropriate ac-tions of a single TSA agent, the fact remains that when the individuals that make up a system can’t be trust-ed, the entire system be-comes suspect.
The TSA has promised us that images of our naked bodies will not be saved or made public. But, as prov-en by the 35,000 leaked images put on the internet by Gizmodo, the U.S. Mar-shals in a Florida Federal Courthouse saved the im-ages on their scanner.
All the personal privacy issues aside, the technol-ogy itself presents a health risk. In a letter to Dr. John P. Holden, assistant to the president for science and technology, a group of sci-entists and faculty from the University of Califor-nia, San Francisco point out that the TSA’s claim
that the scanners present no radiation risk is, at best, a poorly researched one.
The scientists argued that although the radiation received is no worse than the claimed “two minutes at altitude,” the radia-tion received at altitude is spread throughout the en-tire body, while the scan-ner focuses the majority of its rays entirely on the skin and therefore is signifi-cantly more concentrated. It’s currently unknown whether that kind of con-centration increases the risk of cancer – but that’s
the problem. The research hasn’t been done, and the machines can’t truly be considered safe until that happens.
The TSA is an appalling reactionary system that acts only when a possible terrorist-related incident has occurred. All airports need to discontinue the use of this invasive technology and find better ways to protect citizens.
In 1759, Benjamin Franklin made a timeless statement: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither lib-erty nor safety.”
And we seem all too ready to give up our civil liberties for a little peace of mind.
After the terrorist at-tacks that brought down the World Trade Center, paranoid airport-security measures increased, and while this has lessened over time, the TSA con-tinues to create new ways to protect us from poten-tial terrorists that often do more harm to travel-ers than it does safeguard them.
EDITORS IN CHIEF
NEWS EDITOR Julius ReaFEATURES EDITOR Scott BabaOPINIONS EDITOR Taliah MirmalekENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Troy PattonSPORTS EDITOR Gerardo RecinosVISUAL EDITOR Chris CorbinCOPY EDITOR Ariel Messman-Rucker
Opinions 5The Inquirer - Diablo Valley CollegeThursday, December 2, 2010
Editorial Board Staff
• Phone: 925.685.1230 ext. 2313 • Fax: 925.681.3045 • Email: [email protected] • Website: www.TheInquirerOnline.com • Printed Every Two Weeks •
Winner: Journalism Association of Community Colleges 2009 Online General Excellence
Jonathan RoismanAnnie Sciacca
INSTR. LAB COORDINATOR Ann StenmarkADVISER Samanda Dorger
What’s the worst excuse you’ve
ever heard from a student for failing to turn in an as-
signment?
Editorial
SCOTT BABA / THE INQUIRER
Opinions
BuzzThe
Neil ChlarsonHistory instructor
“An ex-boyfriend sent a virus to my computer and it ate up all my home-work.”
New TSA security measures are intrusive
Live Nation nickels and dimes fansMost concerts and sporting
events are expensive, but they’re even more costly when everyone associated with the event tries to gouge you.
Service charges. Processing charges. Building facility charges. Shipping charges. That’s how a $30 ticket becomes a $50 ticket.
Live Nation Entertainment has a stranglehold on most concerts and major sporting events in the United States. If you want to see your favorite band or basket-ball team, you usually have to go through them.
Live Nation is one of the coun-try’s largest ticket wholesalers. They recently purchased Tick-etmaster, another large ticket wholesaler, essentially creating a legal monopoly. Live Nation owns or operates more than 100 venues worldwide where the artists and
athletes perform and play. I expect to pay extra from third-
party sellers looking to make an extra buck off good seats, but not from the direct seller.
First they tell you what the face value cost is for the ticket. Let’s say it’s $30. Not too bad, I sup-pose. But that won’t be the final cost when they charge your credit card.
First comes the 30 percent ser-vice charge. Looks like Live Nation forgot to tell you the face-value price doesn’t go to them. Now it’s a $39 ticket. The next level of hell is the processing charge. You’re charged just for ordering the tick-ets. Tack on another $5, and we’re up to $44.
Oh, but the fun hasn’t stopped just yet. The venue needs some extra cash, so why not charge you for walking in the door? Say hello
to the building facility charge – that’s another $5.
We can’t forget how they’re go-ing to deliver the tickets to you. Why pay shipping when you can print them from home? You thought that was free? Sorry. Now they’re charging you $2.50 to use your paper and ink to print your own tickets.
That $30 ticket is now $51.50.
That’s an example of a recent hockey game I went to in Ana-heim. Not all events charge build-ing facility fees and you can usual-ly get your tickets shipped for free through the post office. And to be fair, the service charges vary.
But because of Live Nation’s grasp on many entertainment-based events, you will very rarely pay the actual face value price from the direct seller. I expect to be gouged from third-party ven-dors like StubHub, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
Mr. Smithers from “The Simp-sons” was right when he said ser-vice charges are “a policy that en-sures a healthy mix of the rich and the ignorant.”
A few weeks ago, DVC and other colleges’ administrations met at the Crown Plaza hotel in Concord, where they were joined by CCCD Chancellor, Helen Benjamin. The topic: the widening achievement gap and why many don’t go on to either graduate with an AA or transfer to a university.
Instead of taking the obvious step of asking the students in question directly as to what hin-ders their progress (and thus ad-dress deficiencies in constituent communication, outlined by the
recent accreditation memos), they decided to remove themselves from the answer.
For one, since ours is a commu-nity college district, there is the opportunity to earn certificates, degrees or the right to be accepted to a state university in some cases, but there is no obligation to do so. I’ve encountered many in my classes who have already earned bachelor’s, even master’s degrees. Some people are just taking one or two classes to satisfy work re-quirements or to just better them-selves.
This is the right of the people, however, so unless the administra-tion takes more proactive steps to encourage and support their thou-sands and thousands of students to churn further through the system, it will take a major re-thinking of the concept of community college in order to require everyone who applies to finish a specified educa-tion path.
But for those who do wish to proceed, many are stuck in a seemingly endless holding pattern of unnecessary stress, prohibitive costs and rising fees at the com-
munity and state college levels, lack of class availability, parking and assistance resources, long lines that ultimately lead to being turned away due to “budget cuts” or “staff reductions” and unre-sponsive administrators.
Those who run the district should spend more time at their schools instead away from them at hotels, even if it turns out the hotels were free.
Jonathan RoismanEditor-in-chief
Heidi Goen-SalterEnglish instructor
“I didn’t realize it was plagiarized because my sister wrote it for me.”
Sara HongEnglish instructor
“I didn’t do the homework because I was in Vegas.”
Nancie KesterMusic instructor
“I went to Starbucks and my latte explod-ed all over my home-work.”
THE INQUIRER
Diablo Valley College321 Golf Club Road, H-102
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
The Inquirer is published Thursday mornings during the school year by the journalism students of Diablo Valley College. All unsigned articles appearing on the opinions page are editorials and relfect a two-thirds majority opinion of the editorial staff. All signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the writer or artists and not necessarily those of The Inquirer, Diablo Valley Col-lege or Contra Costa Community College Disctrict
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Christopher C. Long Student
Achievement gap
6 Thursday, December 2, 2010The Inquirer - Diablo Valley CollegeSports
Najee gets full ride to SJSU
First-year guard signs letter to play at San Jose
KEVIN HAYES/ THE INQUIRER
GERARDO RECINOSStaff Writer
GERARDO RECINOS/ THE INQUIRER
Khufu Najee works on his jumpshot during basketball practice.
Khufu Najee streches out with his teammates before starting their practice on Thursday, November 23.
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Basketball players are athletes with speed and strength, and Khufu Najee pos-sesses both.
Najee, a 6 foot-3 inch tall guard, now playing for the Vikings, was this season’s first DVC basketball player to sign his let-ter of intent to play college ball at San Jose State University next year on a full-ride athletic scholarship.
Najee, 18, a freshman, played only a handful of games at DVC before signing his letter.
As a star basketball player at Berkeley High School, Najee managed to keep a 3.45 cumulative GPA when he graduated, as well as being a first team all-league selec-tion.
He was offered the scholarship to play college basketball at the Division I school because he did well both on the court and in the classroom.
Head basketball coach Steve Coccimiglio said he is happy to work with Najee.
“The fact that Najee will only be with us for one year is not a factor,” Coccimiglio said. “At the two-year level you build your team hoping to have returning players, but it is not critical. I recruited Khufu with the hope that he could earn a Division I scholarship in one year and I am happy for him.”
Najee’s teammates said they’re happy for him, even if it means only having him on the team for one season.
“He works hard and he plays well,” teammate Louis Lowe said. “He is still a team player. He isn’t cocky and is one of the hardest workers on the team. Because he was the first to sign his letter of intent, it pushes everyone to work toward a scholar-ship.”
Najee, who is currently averaging 12 points per game with 7 rebounds in a start-ing role, is providing help to the Vikings who currently lead the Big 8 Conference, not having lost a game, Coccimiglio said.
Najee said he knows that his situation is a difficult one. He’s leaving a team after just one season, so he will miss the oppor-tunity to bond with the team over the two seasons players are eligible for at the com-munity college level.
Najee said his coaches care about their players, and he appreciates that they un-derstand the circumstances he is in.
“I love my coaches because they are try-ing to prepare me for the next level,” he said. “They don’t treat me any differently than the other guys. They help me a lot.”
Najee, who is taking four courses at DVC, has had to transition from being strong ac-ademically in high school to the strains of college and said he attributes his success in the classroom to playing basketball.
“[Playing] basketball helps with life skills including school,” he said. “In college you don’t have to go to class, your homework is more to studying. It’s easy to want to skip class, but I feel like I’m good with my self determination. I want to succeed in school and basketball.”
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