Volume 164, Number 1 Wednesday, February 23, 2011

INDEX: Opinion Page 2 News Page 3 Feature Page 4 Arts & Entertainment Page 5 Sports Page 6

By Mario Mariscal

An anticipated $400 mil-lion shortfall for the state's community col-leges could possibly be

$110 million less because of rev-enues from student fees.

A potential student fee hike from $26 to $36 a unit could re-duce the cuts to $290 million.

A recent memorandum from the Legislative Analyst's Office was leaked to the media. It sug-gested a $585 million in cuts on top of the $400 million proposal.

The memorandum recom-mends that community colleges raise their fees from $26 per unit to $66 per unit.

A near billion dollar cut to the state and community college system which is made up of 112 campuses, nine of which are in the Los Angeles District, with 72 districts in total, all face tough decisions.

Voters will decide on June 8, whether or not to extend taxes. It can go from 5 to a 15 percent cut.

Los Angeles Community Colleges will have to cut 6.39 percent of its annual budget, which may affect class sizes.

A forum on the budget cuts took place on campus Feb. 10, with Scott Lay, president of the Community College League of California,College President Dr. Jamillah Moore, Vice President of Administrative Services Paul Carlson and other college admin-istrators.

The forum included infor-mation about how to deal with the cuts and how the cuts will af-fect LACC.

A 15 percent cut would translate to a reduction of classes from the current 3,222, down to 2,719. It is a trend that started in 2008-2009 when the college of-fered 3,800 classes, and then in 2009-2010, the number dropped to 3,231 classes.

The impact of the proposed cuts will be felt by many college students, and some do not view the cuts as a smart move.

“They should increase the funds going into educational scholarships and grants improv-ing the educational standards in California,” said Gene Fernan-dez and ASO volunteer. “More students graduate with degrees, in turn get better jobs, better jobs, the higher the taxes they pay.”

Gov. Brown has said he will cut $6.4 million from his own office budget. The First Lady of California’s office and the posi-tion of Secretary of Education will also be cut.

The newly-elected governor has also proposed a plan that would cut many services like CalWORKs and Medi-Cal. Cal-WORKs may see a $1.5 Billion cut, a program that is vital to single mothers and low-income families.

CalWORKS is a state run program that helps recipients with transportation, child care and books.

Brown has proposed a 50 percent cut of the state’s general spending to CalWORKs.

“Hopefully they make cuts that are equal and don’t affect the neediest populations, and the two biggest programs are the IHSS (In Home Supportive Services) and CalWORKs, those are like the big ‘cash-cows’ of the state,” said Case Manager and Coordi-nator, Hsin-Neh Rogers. “These two programs take up the most money for the state, or two of the most, so it makes sense that they would want to cut where most of the money is going, but they’re amongst the people who need it the most.”

An early contender for elimi-nation is the winter semester of 2011-2012 here on campus, which is not yet final but was dis-cussed at the budget forum.

"Cuts will be painful and we might say goodbye to some of our dear friends, nevertheless we will be OK," Lay said. "We will continue to be the largest higher education system in the country and our work at our colleges will continue to open the doors of op-portunity for people like me.”

Ron Berg Still Awaits TrialBy Emanuel Bergmann

The next hearing in the on-going case of former LACC-instructor Ronald Berg, accused of murdering his wife Violeta Monleon-Berg, is scheduled for March 22.

Berg, who entered a plea of ‘‘not guilty by reason of insan-ity,’’ is being evaluated by medi-cal experts. Their findings will be instrumental as the trial moves forward.

“We are currently awaiting the reports by the expert doc-tors,” said Deputy District Attor-ney Norman Hearon of the Fam-ily Violence Division, which is prosecuting the case.

On Sept. 28, 2008, Violeta Monleon-Berg was found fatal-ly stabbed in the apartment she shared with her husband Ronald Leroy Berg. He is currently in custody and awaiting trial.

Professor, Students Welcome Democracy for Egyptians

Victory and change have come to the citizens of Egypt and are commanding attention around the world and here on campus. The military of Egypt is in charge until elections are held to fill the vacant seat, a win for democracy after 30 years.

Former President Hosni Mubarak’s departure is some-thing that LACC professor

Menes Guirguis anticipated. “It was not a crystal ball, it

was something - I saw it com-ing because I [lived] there and I knew it was a matter of time,” said Professor Menes Guirguis, Arabic Program Director who also teaches French. “The people are now looking for a real de-mocracy.”

Professor Guirguis has an

Amr Ibrahim (left) and Hasssan Ebeid (right) give thumbs up to a student who congratulated them on the morning former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down.

Photo by Abimael J. Rivera/ Collegian

MillionsCut from Budget

L.A. CITY

LAW Watchdog group forces compli-ance with public records laws.

By Rocio Maya and Mende Smith

Californians Aware, a special interest group for public forum rights, evaluated 36 California Community Colleges and gave the Los Angeles Community Col-lege District an “F”.

Chancellor Daniel LaVista of the LACCD has been notified of the grade by CalAware.

The Colleges were audited in five areas and each agency began with 100 points. Each offense re-sulted in a point deduction from that value. The final scores were then matched to a grade scale (100=A+ 90=A 80=B 70=C 60=D 50 (and below)=F) to pro-duce a final grade. The district lost 50 points in all.

Here is how the district lost points: Failure to respond to re-quests within 10 days; failure to provide employment contract within 30 days; failure to provide credit card account statements and requests for reimbursement within 30 days, failure to make available the conflict of interest,

CalAware Gives LACCD Failing Grade

Failing Grade see page 3 Revolution see page 3

Clausen Hall Concert SeriesTakes A Bow

Million Dollar Settlement page 5 page 6

By Donna Lynn

Well it's Oscar time again and many are looking forward to the 83rd Annual Academy Awards this weekend, here in Hollywood.

This year there are 10 movies nominated for "Best Picture". Which film did you like best and who do you think will win?

The Collegian asked a few students to stop and share their thoughts about this year's star-studded event.

There are still a few days be-fore Oscar night, so hurry up and try to see at least one or two of these nominated films before the red carpet rolls out!

According to a poll from In-troduction to Acting class, in the Theatre Academy, the Oscar for "Best Picture" will go to:

VotesThe Social Network 11

The Fighter 10

The King's Speech 9

Inception 8

Black Swan 8

Toy Story 3 4

True Grit 4

The Kids Are Alright 1

127 Hours 1

Winter's Bone 0

City PicksOscar

By Mende Smith

Dr. Kimberly Perry is a finalist for president at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton and at Las Positas College in Livermore.

Perry is among four “highly qualified candidates” pared from a list of 28 at San Joaquin Delta. There are three finalists for the position in Livermore. Perry is the only candidate from California for that job.

Last year she was a finalist at Edmonds Community College in Washington State.

VP of Academic Affairs Named Finalist

By Whitney Shepard

Collegian staff has obtained more than 150 e-mails under the Freedom of Information Act after reporters charged that college ad-ministration interfered with the newspaper and committed prior review last semester.

Collegian staff alleges a First Amendment violation after their printer, American Foothill Pub-lishing Co. (AFP), delayed an issue last semester and shared student work with Vice President of Administrative Services Paul Carlson, prior to printing—prior review.

Some e-mails sent to re-porters were censored; text was crossed out with no justification. Faxes and other information re-quested was not received.

Collegian SeeksMissing FOIA Info

On the night be-fore the students returned to their homes in suburban

Cairo from LA., there were tears at the final assembly at the Fac-ulty and Staff Center.

Students presented Work-force coordinator,Vanessa Marti with a framed photo-graph of them all together. On the white matte be-

neath the glass are warm words scrawled for their mentor of Western culture and vocation.

Marti retrieves the photo from atop a corner shelf against the north wall of her office and shows it proudly. She talks about how a few of her students are now her Facebook friends.

Two years later, Marti is still the program coordinator for the Egyptian Community College Initiative (ECCI). She told the Collegian that she was sad to see her 23 students leave.

Marti smiles brightly at her desk. The office she shares with a co-worker at the Wilshire Bou-levard satellite campus is smaller than a walk-in closet.

Marti’s Blackberry is the same shade of magenta as her batik cowl scarf. She speaks with a friendly voice, barely audible in the digital voice recorder on her desk among the piles of fold-ers and open envelopes.

She said that the ECCI and related outreach programs are designed to expose international students to American work, life and culture.

The students were 19 to 30 years old and each came to Los Angeles last June for a single academic year, armed with a J-1 visa, which is issued just for cul-tural exchange.

“The point of the program is to show them the American side of their chosen fields, so they can return to Egypt and teach it to others,” Marti said.

Marti alludes to the fact that

these young men and women are trained in their own country as machinists, radiologists and nursing staff.

Marti said that she had to re-search life in Egypt and before the program she was not really exposed to their culture.

She was delighted to accom-pany the second group of ECCI students on their journey to the U.S. at the start of the academic year.

With her visit to Cairo she said that she too experienced culture shock, and the students did their best to make her com-fortable while she looked at their world.

“I didn’t just go there as a tourist,” Marti said. “I got to hang out with my students from last year, and it was great because

we bonded, we created friend-ships—so they took me into their homes, it was definitely an honor, I have to say.”

Her voice trails off and it is clear that Marti is sad to learn that following the current aca-demic year, the program will end. She talked about the next batch of students a little more softly.

“So, I went to greet the phase two students in June of last year, there are just 10 students, so it’s decreased,” Marti said. “It’s part of a grander scheme of things. The United States provided an opportunity for the students to adapt to American ways, to bridge peace in the Middle East.”

Marti did not say why the program was being discontin-ued. Marti says the current state of emergency has not had much

effect on the students at all. She says the former LACC students are not from the Suez Canal, which is a hot spot now.

“ Everybody stayed in touch, and they keep in touch through text messaging and cell phones everyday," Marti said.

She also said it is quite a leap to go from their day-to-day group activities for an entire aca-demic year, to scattered dialogue through e-mail messages with only a few of them on Facebook.

Gone are the lunches they ate together, the late nights swelling in conversation and laughter; hopes and future plans revealed.

Marti is left behind but not forgotten, just as the faces in the photograph on her wall.

Ties That Bind: Connected to Egypt

Students who participated in the Egyptian Community College Initiative at City College surround project coordinator Vanessa Marti at Tom Bradley Corridor at Los Angeles City Hall. (Middle row, third from the left. ) Most of the students had returned to Egypt before President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Top row (L to R): Tarek Mahmoud, Mohamed Ramadan, Ahmed Sanor, Khallaf Moussa, Aly Sayed, Mohamed El Salahy. Second Row, (L to R): Abdelfattah Zedan, Mohamed Goshan, Hussein Salem, Mohamed Mohamed, Ahmed Badawi Middle row (L to R): Ahmed Badawi, Mo-hamed Mahmoud, Vanessa Marti (Coordinator), Mahmoud Ahmed , Second below (L to R): Abdelfattah El Makkawy, Magdi Eid bottom (L to R): Kazem Saad, Febe Soliman (Assistant), Nafisa Aly, Hala Mahmoud

As events unfold in Cairo, workforce coordinator stays in touch with students who attended LACC.By Mende Smith

Former Baseball Coach Wins $1.2 Million Discrimination Case

Photo courtesy of Vanessa Marti

Dr. Kimberly Perry

Long lines, overcrowded classrooms, cancelled sessions; these are some of the issues that have

greeted students on their return to LACC. Now, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget cut proposal of $400 million statewide, the LACCD stands to lose $40 million more in budget cuts.

What does that mean to you? Even longer lines, more problems with students meeting transfer re-quirements and less financial aid to those of us who need it.

Our community colleges are filled with students who hope to transfer to four year universities, but also students who seek a bet-ter life through education.

In today’s economic times, many students have lost jobs and returned to school in order to train for a new career.

Many of these students are in financial straights, relying on un-employment and financial aid to get by. The latest budget cut pro-posals will only make it tougher on our out-of-work students, by denying them much needed fi-nancial support.

Recent high school graduates will also suffer, as classes and ses-sions are cancelled and transfers to four year universities take lon-ger.

When their financial aid gets cut, the burden of cost will fall on their family’s shoulders. Many low-income families will not be able

Dreams Deferred EDITORIAL

by Budget Cuts

OpiniOn

Media Arts Department, Learning Resource Center 201

Los Angeles City College855 N. Vermont Ave.,

Los Angeles, CA 90029

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:Reuben E. Reynoso

ART DIRECTORLuca Loffredo

SECTION EDITORS: FOOD:

Bria WissingOPINION:

Mende SmithSPORTS:

Luis PonceARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

Tanya FlowersDISTRIBUTION MANAGER:

Collegian Staff

ADVERTISING: Tercius BufeteGRAPHICS:

Luca Loffredo, Mende Smith, Gegham Khekoyan

REPORTERS: Kalifa Madden,

Whitney Shepard, Luis RivasMario Mariscal,

Emanuel Bergmann,Brent Pearson, Tanya Flowers,

Luis Ponce, Curtis Strain, Heather Bisemeier, Rocio Maya,

Erin Sapinoso, Susana Lobo,Miguel Gonzalez

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Luca Loffredo, Russ Mutuc, Jorge Ponce, Pe-dro Dias, Reuben E. Reynoso, Abimael j. Rivera, Luis Rivas

ILLUSTRATORS: , Edgar A.

Gonzalez Aguilar "Bubbles," Billy C. Monroe,

Jose Ramon Tobar

ONLINE MEDIA: Russ Mutuc

FACULTY ADVISER: Rhonda Guess

E-mail:losangeles.collegian@gmail.

comTwitter:

@CollegianWiredFacebook:

LACC broadcastEditorial / Advertising offices:

(323) 953-4000, ext. 2831(Mon. and Wed., 1-4 p.m.)

The college newspaper is published as a learning experience, offered under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff.

Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles City College, or any officer or employee thereof.

© 2003 Collegian. No material may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Collegian.

NEXT ISSUE:

March 9 2011

Editorial deadline:March 2

For all submissions including letters to the editor and

publicity releases.

Advertising deadline:March 2

Send materials to Collegian Office: LRC 200

Q:Jerry Brown is slated to approve a budget cut which affects the LACCD with as much as an immediate $400 million decrease in the allotted funds for com-

munity colleges and CSU’s which could mean a tuition hike to as much as $66 per unit. What message do you have for Gov. Brown?

Compiled by Kalifa MaddenPhoto by Abimael J. Rivera

LOs AngeLes COLLegiAnWednesday, February 23, 20112

Fred HarrisEnglish Professor

“Lots of students are hurting and a lot of students don’t have jobs right now, so I think they should reconsid-er their plan before putting it into action.”

Janysh OsmonovBusiness

“It’s getting tougher and tougher every day. I’m trans-ferring to a Cal State Uni-versity and I can’t really add classes, because of the bud-get cuts a lot of classes are closed.

It’s important to give the opportunity for students to learn and graduate from school especially from the community colleges ... ”

Lyanne HernandezBiology

“I think that’s really bad especially coming from a community college, it’s sup-posed to be cheaper than a Cal State and a UC, but I just spent $350, on my books for one semester.

I think that they should give more opportunities for students instead of spending more time on war and stuff cause I think education is more important than that and I don’t have money. UGH!”

Paula AbdulTheatre

“I would tell Gov. Jerry Brown most of the politicians need to stop stealing from the beginning, because they have all these great speeches and then they don’t do what they’re supposed to.

It makes it so much harder for other people, cause while they’re working and paying taxes they’re stealing from the country ... Embezzlement that’s what that is!”

Megan ScottEnglish

“Education is an incredibly important thing to better soci-ety. If education isn’t available to the general population how are we going to improve as a people.

I think it should be taken from other places not educa-tion because it’s so incredibly important. I don’t know where we could take it because we just don’t have enough of it.”

By Natalia Swader

The state budget crisis in public education that is af-fecting LACC is taking its toll on the morale of students, leaving us angry, disappoint-ed and frustrated.

CStudents are vocal in ex-

pressing their opinions to that effect. Unfortunately, all of this talk has generally been inef-fective. Therefore, let’s stop complaining and make an effort to understand how the U.S. government operates, so that we can become movers and shakers instead of whiners and takers.

Do you know the underly-ing dynamics of how the politi-cal system operates? Do you have a clear understanding of the Constitutional founda-tion of our government? Did you vote in the last presiden-tial election? Will you vote in March? Have you studied po-

litical science? I hear some people justify

their inaction by saying that the government is evil and corrupts people who are in of-fice.

I disagree. It is people who take action and have the fac-ulties to execute “evil”. Politics is a system designed to keep corruption low.

"If men were angels, no government would be neces-sary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor in-ternal controls on government would be necessary."

-- James Madison, Feder-alist Paper no. 51.

Whatever may be wrong with America, we are not in a hopeless position.

Abraham Lincoln, Mar-tin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk all dreamt of equality and justice, far beyond what the America of their times was de-livering.

Harnessing a deep knowl-edge of our Constitution along with the power of widespread civic engagement, these Americans led our country for-ward.

We can do the same — we need to be the leaders for our times.

I can see why people take

the easy way out and use cynicism as a pretext for not participating in our political process.

Being cynical requires no strength.

On the other hand, being a responsible citizen requires that we dedicate time and effort to understand the com-plexities of all the problems we're currently facing. Knowl-edge is power and with power we can get results from taking action.

What You Can Do About the District Budget Crisis

By Erin Sapinoso

It’s the beginning of the school year, so complaints about long lines, perva-sive construction, and cuts to athletic programs and classes are rather com-monplace.

People are in a scram-ble to get the classes they need, required books, and some peace and quiet to actually hear lectures, pick up some knowledge and get some work done.

In the midst of all these difficulties and hullabaloo, though, it’s important not to lose sight of what Los An-geles City College still has to offer us. Let’s take the time to reposition ourselves and look at this place from another angle.

Budget cuts and lack of funding can be identified as the source of many of the obstacles that we face on campus. The California Community College system sustained an 8 percent cut in its overall budget last year, and LACC cut winter and summer sessions to bal-ance its own budget.

It makes sense then that the school and personnel struggle to do the work they set out to do for students, and students in turn suffer from the continually declin-ing resources and support.

According to the Cali-fornia Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, about 140,000 students were esti-mated to be turned away during the 2009-2010 school year.

As grim as this data may seem, there is still a light at the end of this tunnel.

Fortunately for us, we are officially students, and we are actually enrolled in at least one class.

Seriously, we’re here, aren’t we? We are ben-efitting from the programs, services and resources that LACC is making available to us despite the major cuts to its overall budget and subsequent programs.

Furthermore, for some individuals like myself, LACC continues to be a place that gives second chances for an education.

Unlike most students here, I already have a bachelor’s degree (and a Master’s degree for that matter), and yet I’m en-rolled in first year courses.

Suffice to say, I’ve reached a point in my life where professional transi-tion is both inevitable and necessary, and I am basi-cally starting all over again.

Where else can indi-viduals wishing to explore other career options and eventually embark on a full-fledged transition, take classes for $26 per unit, at least for now? My local community college, LACC - that’s where.

When comparing the affordability of attending a California State University or a University of California school where the cost of a unit is more than $300, I am more than willing and happy to enroll at a place where construction occurs to accommodate more students.

I will miss out on the opportunity to try out for a spot on the basketball team to stand in line for up to an hour to take at least one class that is of inter-est to me. In the end, the school is still running, I’m getting what I want and I’m satisfied.

Let’s Cut LACC SomeSlack and Say Thanks

to handle the extra cost and so the dream of a bright future at-tained through higher education will disappear along with the mil-lions the system is losing.

We here at the Collegian want to send Gov. Brown a mes-sage: we want you to know that the state’s budget should not be balanced on the backs of the working class.

We understand that there is a shortfall in the state budget, but these cuts to the community college will only hurt those that already suffer; the low-income students, the displaced worker student, the immigrant student with images of the American dream.

Gov. Brown: We ask you to re-think your proposal, to look into other programs besides educa-tion for cuts. In the end, if you cut the budget of the commu-nity college system, you will also defer the dream of thousands of students.

Illustration by Jose Ramon Tobar/ Collegian

newsLOs AngeLes COLLegiAnWednesday, February 23, 2011 3

Los Angeles Police Department Crime StatsKnow What’s Going On!Compiled by Susana LoboFeb. 6, 11 p.m. – Robbery at Santa Monica Blvd. and Mari-posa.Feb. 6, 10:30 p.m. – Grand theft auto at North Edgemont St. and Lily Crest Ave.

Feb. 7, 1 p.m. – Grand theft auto at Madison and Burns.Feb. 8 9:20 a.m. – Theft from a vehicle at Vermont Ave and NormalFeb. 10, 6 p.m. – Grand theft auto at North Hoover St. and Lockwood Ave.Feb. 11, 12:01 a.m. – Grand theft auto at Heliotrope Ave. and North Beverly Blvd.Feb. 11, 3:15 p.m. – Theft at

Beverly Blvd. and Kenmore Ave.Feb. 12, 3:30 a.m. – Robbery at Melrose Ave. and Oxford Ave.Feb. 13, 4 p.m. – Theft at N. Normandie Ave. and Melrose Ave.Feb. 13, 9:30 p.m. – Theft at Santa Monica Blvd. and Oxford.Feb 14, 5:45 p.m. – Theft at N. Vermont Ave and Prospect Ave.

Reaching higher to advocate for small town Colorado.

For more information visit go.uccs.edu

The overwhelming growth and

change at UCCS is infectious. It reminds

me anything is possible. Now, after graduating

early - in just three years - I am dedicated to a

diff erent type of growth and change. Someday

I plan to help transform small towns into

thriving communities.

Graduate Student and UCCS Alumni

Adam

800-990-UCCS (8227)

University of ColoradoColorado Springs

extensive background in the history, culture and politics of the Middle East. He also covered the historic Camp David Accords as a journalist for the Middle East News Agency in 1977.

“Egypt has never known de-mocracy for the last 5,000 years,” Guirguis said. “They were supposed to know [democracy] in 1952, but unfortunately the military came into power and they never had real de-mocracy.”

Guirguis says the last three Egyptian presidents all came from the military: Mubarak, Anwar Sadat and Gamel Abdel Nasser. He says the Egyptian people never really chose their nation’s leader.

“Now I am proud to be an Egyp-tian and now I can go back,” Profes-sor Guirguis said, adding that he is now considering a trip to Egypt after 31 years abroad.

Egyptian students at Los Ange-les Community College, Amr Ibra-him, Hassan Ebeid and Mohamed Mohamed were elated to hear the an-nouncement. Ibrahim was awakened early in the morning by one of his roommates.

“‘Amr Amr! Our president is out!’ I go to my computer and see all the people in the streets celebrating,” Ibrahim said, a electronics and com-puter technology major.

Although Egyptians managed to oust Mubarak, it has not come at an easy price. Violence was reported, but the estimates varied because of the lack of official reports. The num-bers fluctuated from 300 into the thousands. Knowing this, Ibrahim and his friends still wish they could have been in Egypt to be part of the movement.

“I wish I was there right now be-cause I wanted to share this revolu-tion,” Ibrahim said, “But I did what I could from here, making calls to encourage them to do something use-ful for our country. My brother took part in the revolution and got shot in the shoulder by police, but he is OK now.”

Professor Guirguis believes the revolution should be credited to the work of the youth in Egypt for taking the technology and communication methods of today to spark the begin-ning of the revolution. According to CNN, the movement was organized from Facebook and continued on Twitter.

“This is the era of the Internet, of the technology, it’s not anymore the era of the soldier and of the gun, you cannot control with the gun any-more,” Guirguis said.

The government of Egypt shut down the Internet and phone lines for few days and after being urged to restore all communications from everyone from State Secretary Hilary Clinton to the Vice President of Co-lombia, Angelino Garzon, Egypt did just that.

“When the connection was back, I found some of my friends, not all but a few, brainwashed by the media in Egypt,” Ibrahim said. “Some kept saying this might have been a bad idea.”

Ibrahim and his friends decided to continue his support from here in the U.S by joining a demonstration at the Federal Building in Westwood. They were elated to find that many Americans supported the pro-democ-racy movement.

“Now, the youth has the power. We are in the position to elect our next president,” Hassan Ebeid said.

“The best people to be involved in this, [are] the young people, the new generation, and Egypt is full of young people who are very well edu-cated, wonderfully knowledgeable, and Egypt is the only country where you can find someone who speaks three languages and who is extremely sophisticated and well educated but is driving a taxi because there is no job for him,” Professor Guirguis said.

These Egyptian students and professor, think there is a democratic ripple effect taking place in the Mid-dle East and that these demonstra-tions can inspire more countries like Jordan, Yemen and Syria.

“Egypt is the heart of the world, whatever happens in Egypt is going to affect the entire world,” Professor Guirguis said.

We can see minor glimpses of freedom in Syria which has restored connections to YouTube and Face-book after three years of the websites being blocked the New York Times reported.

“We are going back to Egypt in four months. so you can imagine we left Egypt and everything was worse and now we go back and everything is changing.” Ibrahim said.

“Today we have our freedom,” said Mohamed Mohamed.

“I wish I was there right now because I wanted to

share this revolution,”

The hieroglyphic translates to: Mubarak steps down. Egyp-tians are Free.

By Whitney Shepard

In addition to federal financial aid, students at Los Angeles City College have a variety of scholarships available to them to help fund the costs of tuition, books and the cost of living.

Like grants and financial aid, scholarships provide money that does not have to be paid back and can help tremendously in easing the financial burdens of pursuing an education.

Most scholarships require submission of unofficial transcripts, a copy of current semester registration and a one-page essay along with a simple application.

Additional requirements may include letters of recommendation from school faculty. Each scholarship has a unique set of requirements.

Proof-Reading.com Scholarship ProgramEligibility: U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, minimum 3.5 GPA, essay topic available on website.Award:$1,500 maximumDeadline: June 1, 2011Contact: Proof-Reading.com Scholarship Program703 Market Street21st FloorSan Francisco, CA 91403-2131Website: www.proof-reading.com/proof-reading_scholarship_program.asp

Unmet Need ScholarshipProgramEligibility: U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, family’s adjusted gross income must be $30,000 or less, minimum 2.5 GPA or GED score of 42, visit

website for more information.Award: $1,000 - $3,000Deadline: May 31, 2011Contact: The Sallie Mae Fund Unmet Need Scholarship ProgramScholarship AmericaOne Scholarship Way, P.O. Box 297Saint Peter, MN 56082 (507) 931-1682, jfarlinger@scholarshipamerica.org www.salliemae.com

Bill Doyle ScholarshipEligibility: Minimum of 12 units with grade of “B” or better in Social Science courses taken at Los Angeles Community College. Include unofficial transcript demonstrating a minimum GPA of 3.0 and 12 units completed at any one of the colleges in LACCD. Currently attending a college in the LACCD as a fulltime student. Download application with complete instructions at www.aft1521.orgAward: $1,000Deadline: 4pm March 25, 2011Submit applications and essays to: Los Angeles College Faculty GuildTina Epherson

3356 Barham Blvd.Los Angeles, Ca 90068For more information on scholarships contact: LACC Foundation Office (323) 953-4011

Scholarships:Show me the Money

Democracy from page 1

Police Wire

form 700 within 30 days of the request, and failure to charge a duplication fee of .10 per page for conflict of interest form 700.

In cases where an agency did not respond at all (with either a proper response or fulfillment of the request), they were automatically given 0 (zero) points. The LACCD was not the only district to fail for not complying with the request to view the public records in a timely manner, or to overcharge for copying records, but made the current list of offenders. The Glendale and Cerritos districts received an A+, San Diego Com-munity College District lost only 10 points.

CalAware is already in court seeking an order to bring the worst copying fee overcharges encountered in the audit (see the "worst performing districts" answer above) into conformity with the law.

“We expect a favorable re-sult from either a court order or a settlement, either of which will be brought to the attention of other clearly overcharging public agencies.” CalAware stated.

District Gets Failing Grade

CalAware from page 1

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By Bria Wissing

The Spring Semester has come into bloom, and student stress levels are on the rise. With the reduced num-ber of classes available, to cranes and tractors in every direction, LACC stu-dents are prime for heightened stress levels. Professionals have their own opinions on stress.

“The underlying cause of all phys-ical and mental illness, they believe, is from stress,” said Amy Sweetman, professor of psychology. “[Studies show] 70-90 percent of all illnesses are psychosomatic or psycho physiologi-cal, and are related to our stress levels, and that includes mental disorders.”

The most common causes of stress early in the semester involve getting

settled into classes. With a large por-tion of the student body employed, it can be hard to find the right classes to fulfill a major and still accommodate a busy schedule.

Other influences of stress for stu-dents might be home and family life, transportation and finances.

“It gets to be tiring, keeping up with work and everything else,” said Geraldine Chiaramonte, a working mother studying to be a nurse.

Chiaramonte’s two-year old daughter, Chloe, patiently sits in a stroller in the endless line outside the Business Center, while her mother jug-gles roles as parent and student.

Everyone seems to have a lot on their plate these days, and the key to manage it all is balance.

“Organization is very important in

lowering stress,” said Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, one of LACC’s licensed clinical social workers. “Physical or-ganization starts with mental organiza-tion. We tend to use up our energy worrying ‘am I going to forget this?’ Write it out, and follow through.”

There are minor remedies you can introduce into your life to help combat stress. Consider breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation training, or even a yoga class.

By teaching the body how to breathe properly, it introduces oxy-gen into every inch of the body, which calms the senses and washes away that stress.

Another staple to alleviate stress is time management. Compile lists and write down an agenda to follow through, and you will give yourself a

nudge to get things done. Don’t forget to allow for downtime. Everyone de-serve some rest and relaxation.

Sometimes a person can’t handle it on their own. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. The professionals at the Student Health and Wellness Center urge you to make a free appointment, no questions asked.

They offer support and service for students. Located in Holmes Hall Room 2, on the bottom floor, the Cen-ter’s staff are all licensed profession-als who maintain the highest levels of confidentiality.

Ever wonder what that Health Fee you pay with your tuition is for? The free clinic is there to offer support in any way necessary.

At the end of it all, remember to breathe. Tomorrow is another day.

Campus Resources Help Students Handle Stress

By Miguel Gonzalez

Bicycles are the choice for some here on campus. One by one the bicycle racks fill up as students arrive for class. Bike culture is an alternative choice for those who look to share the streets; a more simple means of transportation.

“Some people drive or ride the bus -- I prefer to ride my bike,”said George Ortiz, a psy-chology major at city.

Both new and experienced riders see how the culture has changed Los Angeles as new laws are instated and bicycle lanes are built.

A new law, which went into effect at the start of this year, states that in order to be consid-ered grand theft, the value of a bicycle has to be $950, up from $400 a year ago. This new legis-lature frustrates some in the bik-ing community.

“What are they doing about

the standard of grand theft in general, I mean if you steal a bubble gum machine that’s worth $400 is that not grand theft?” said

TJ Flexer, owner of Orange 20 Bikes, a local bicycle shop.

“ I think it should be grand theft even if a rear wheel is sto-len. That in itself can be worth that amount of money. They

should keep it at $400 as opposed to $950.”

Across campus there are an estimated 11 bicycle racks, some more out of plain view then oth-ers. Students vow to take caution when they lock up their bicycles. Many are unaware of the new law.

“ It’s definitely an eye open-er,” said Jason Williams, a 19 year old whose major is unde-cided and who arrived on campus riding a bicycle.

The city of Los Angeles has also begun to build new bicycle lanes citywide, in an effort to encourage new riders in the city. The goal is to create an accessi-ble, convenient and safe environ-ment for bicycle travel.

“ It makes riding easier for me to know that I have a place to safely use,” said Fernando Romero, a 19 year old art major . “ From now until the day I die, it’s [bike culture] a lifestyle for me now.”

New State Law Costs Unlucky Cyclists $500

A new law that changes the

threshold for grand theft af-

fects bicycles as well.

Write to us with your stories, opinions or thoughts LosAngeles.Collegian@Gmail.com

Attn.: Editor in Chief

Brent Adam Clermont, a Spanish major, rides four miles to LACC on a Mongoose hybrid that he de-scribes as "not a mountain bike, not a road bike".

Photo by Abimael J. Rivera/ Collegian

Illustration by Jose Ramon Tobar/ Collegian

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By Kalifa Madden

Ten LACC actors are among the top students nominated this year to receive the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship for the Ken-nedy Center American College Theatre Festival which took place Feb. 9 - 12 at the Los Ange-les Theatre Centre in downtown Los Angeles.

The actors currently study-ing at the LACC Theatre Acad-emy are considered Region 8 students, which includes students from other schools in California and on the West Coast.

The annual festival provides students with a unique opportu-nity to become even more im-mersed in theater by educat-ing themselves with workshops taught by some of the best acting coaches in the business.

There are also additional workshops and awards given out

for other aspects of theater such as stage design, stage managing, playwriting and directing.

This year, LACC students Liz Dickson, Leslie Rehn Hunt, Margaret Green and Michael Leon were among the students nominated for achievement in stage design.

James Johnson, Daniella Oropeza and Jessica Estrada were nominated for achievement in stage management.

The students nominated for achievements in acting were Rene Aranda, Bryan Bergman, Gentry Collins, James Egan, Sar-ah Fontenot, Jesse Myers, Der-rick Oshana, Jesse Reyes, Ahsia Taylor and Deborah Senior with Aranda making it to the semifi-nals round of auditions for the Irene Ryan Scholarship.

“Now knowing what the lev-el of competition is around our side of the country, there are a

lot of good scenes, a lot of good actors … it was really inspiring to watch a lot of the other work … we’re celebrating each other's

work,” said Jesse Reyes who performed a scene from “A Mid-summer Night’s Dream” with his partner and fellow LACC actor Lee Broda.

“I'm very fortunate to be

a part of an ensemble such as LACC's Theatre Academy," semifinalist Rene Aranda said. "We're a program with incredibly gifted and insightful instructors, an extremely dedicated faculty, and an eager student body, all de-voted to the art of theatre.

Aranda said the nominees share a great deal of trust with their acting partner.

"Our progression through the competition wouldn't have been possible without their col-laboration," she said. "Anyone with a family as supportive as this would feel as grateful as I did for the education available to me.”

Students can expect more star moments with the nomi-nees, as casting begins at the end of this month when instructors hold auditions for “The Unseen Hand” and “The Crucible”.

By Brent Pearson

“Death of a Salesman” and “The Crucible,” two classic American plays by Arthur Mill-er will be performed this spring by the LACC Theatre Academy

Also, scheduled for this semester is “Unseen Hand” by Sam Shepard, the play that inspired the famous musical, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” where lost newlyweds are seduced by the ghoulishly

charming underworld and its flashy sex-perversion. It’s a sort of dark rock-n-roll circus.

LACC is definitely in store for a wonderful few months of theatre where women are com-munist witches and men are spiritually unsound hustlers at the end of their rope.

“Death of a Salesman” opens March 4 -5. Tickets are available online: http://www.laccfoundation.org/tickets.html

Kennedy Center Recognizes Acting Students

By Whitney Shepard

One hour of chamber music performed by female group Duo Seconda, formed by

cellist Carter Dewberry and pia-nist Kanae Matsumoto was not enough. Students filled the hallway of Clausen Hall last Tuesday as they anticipated the performance. The doors opened and students filled the auditorium to capacity.

The lights went dim and only focused on the stage. Duo Secon-da’s performance was featured as part of Los Angeles City College’s Music 152 class, “Current Music Events”. Although attendance was mandatory for students, visitors were welcomed.

The show started off slow and dramatic. Listeners were taken on a roller coaster of emotions with Claude Debussy’s ‘Cello Sonata’. Dewberry and Matsumoto played with vibrance. The sound of their instruments narrated a story and the swaying of their body, sharp jerks of their arms, and facial ex-pressions acted it out. After the first piece, Dewberry and Matsumoto spoke to the audience and ex-

plained what they had just played and introduced the next piece.

“We’re going to take you to Spain and give you a little love,” Dewberry said. She was right, it was a beautiful and romantic movement that made you feel as if Valentine’s Day decided it wasn’t ready to leave yet. With the next piece, the performers body lan-guage changed from dramatic and powerful to soft and feminine fur-ther enhancing the romanticism of the performance.

Next was Benjamin Britten’s ‘Cello Sonata in C’. Dewberry and Matsumoto explained to the audi-ence that they selected pieces to play that had different colors and that ‘Cello Sonata in C’ was going to take them on a ride and was like an argument between “a couple that has been married for 70 years.”

The audience was witness to a conversation between a cello and a piano in which the cello got the last word. After the finale, Duo Seconda received a standing ova-tion.

“Bravo!” “Wonderful!”, and “Beautiful!” could be heard yelled among the audience members. They wanted an encore. Duo Sec-

onda did not refuse, but stated that they did not think there was enough time as the class was ending.

Matt Williams, a student who plays the viola said, “The perfor-mance was excellent. I wanted to come watch it because I like to see people who play string instruments well. I would like to see them come back.”

Lawrence Peavey is a music student who plays the piano and this was his first time in attendance at a live chamber music perfor-mance.

“I didn’t really like it. It was hard to get into,” Peavey said about the first piece. When asked about the rest of the performance, Peavey smiled with an expression on his face that said it all.

“Wow!” Peavey said.Students asked Dewberry and

Matsumoto if they would come back to perform again, but an an-swer could not be given. The deci-sion is up to the faculty of the mu-sic department.

Future performances can be found posted in the hallways of Clausen Hall.

Music Duo Leaves Students Yearning For More

Photo by Pedro Dias/ Collegian

Theatre Academy Stage Comes to Life withWitches, Sex and

Salesman

Cellist Carter Dewberry and pianist Kanae Matsumoto mesmerize students with a lively performance last Tuesday at Clausen Hall.

spOrts LOs AngeLes COLLegiAnWednesday, February 23, 20116

Baseball - Cancelled

Volleyball - Cancelled

Soccer - Cancelled

Badminton - Cancelled

Football - Cancelled

Golf - Cancelled

Sports Calendar

By Luis Ponce

More than 75 students have signed up for the new Intramural Sports Program set to start this March at LACC.

The program began with the assistance of LACC faculty members and Sean Tuber, who was hired as an unpaid intern to help put the program together.

Tuber has expressed great interest and desire in mak-ing the Intramural Sports Pro-gram a success, knowing that during these hard times and a non-existent Intercollegiate Sports Program at LACC, this could provide the students with something that has the feel of sports.

“It’s an opportunity to pro-vide students with a chance to play sports on campus in a school with the size of 18,000 students that have no recre-ational sports,” Tuber said.

“Intramural sports is going to give students a chance to spend more time on campus and play the games they like to play.”

John Erdhaus, a former foot-ball coach that has spent 31 years at LACC, feels the importance of sports in a school is vital. “I’m a big believer in team work, in cooperation and learning how to work together and that’s what athletics does,” Erdhaus said.

“These intramurals, I just think it will help keep people here on campus and help bring the cam-pus together.”

Students also see the neces-sity for sports at LACC and hope that the new program will be something to look forward to.

“LACC should have a sports program so we can have extra-curricular activities besides clubs," said Crystal Wheeler, a

nursing major. "So people can participate in the sport they love.” Currently, men’s and women’s basketball and co-ed volleyball are the only sports programs available during the spring se-mester due to a shortage of facili-ties.

As far as soccer, track and

field and other outdoor sports go, this is not yet possible until the facilities are completed and ready for use.

“It’s a good plan. We need that school spirit that all other schools have,” said Scott Evans, a human services major.

Both basketball and volley-ball will be competitive sports among students, which will con-sist of formal teams based on skill level and knowledge of the respective sport.

The program is intended to make the playing field fair for every participant.

The program’s cost for stu-dents and faculty interested in participating will be a one-time affordable semester fee.

There are plans for weekly games played on campus, but times and days of competition are yet to be confirmed accord-ing to Tuber.

There will be two scheduled meetings at the Women’s Gym on Friday, Feb. 28, at noon for all students and faculty inter-ested in the Intramural Sports

Program.“We want to get students to

enjoy their time on campus,” Tu-ber said. “We want to extend that time and show the students that LACC is a great place to spend time and have fun.”

Intramural Sports in the Making: Almost a Reality

By: Tanya Flowers

Jurors in the case of Selwyn Young vs. the Los Angeles Com-munity College District—buzzed twice at 3:15 p.m. last Thursday to inform a clerk at the Los Ange-les Superior Courthouse that they had reached a verdict.

A jury of seven men and five women awarded the former City College baseball coach more than $1 million in damages. De-fense attorney Conrad Kohrs was reached for comment and says the district will appeal.

After a month long trial, ju-rors ruled in favor of Young on three counts, including retalia-tion for disclosing information, failure of the LACCD to prevent harassment, discrimination or re-taliation and disparate treatment based on race.

In the case, Young alleged sexual harassment, racial dis-crimination, nepotism and being fired for reporting corruption and fraudulent activities within the athletic department.

Young was the head baseball coach in 2006 and filed the law-suit in August 2008 after he was fired.

The jury dismissed claims that Young was sexually harassed by former LACC Athletic Direc-tor and Head Basketball coach, Mike Miller, and that he worked in a hostile work environment based on race.

In addition, the jury also found that defendant Daniel Cowgil did not aide or encourage the mlistreatment of the plaintiff, Selwyn Young.

"It’s a great verdict for the taxpayers. The verdict proves the extensive corruption and re-

taliation that occurred at LACC under Michael Miller, Allison Jones and Jackie Ireland and that was endorsed by the district,” said Young’s attorney, Louis J. Cohen. “The former Chancel-lor Drummond and the general counsel, Camille Goulet were complicit. The general counsel knew that Miller and Jones fired Coach Young without the re-quired approval and against the wishes of President Maradian and did nothing.”

Cohen says the jury award is one of the largest ever for whistle blower retaliation.

During testimony, Miller took the stand, sporting City College school colors in a crisp white shirt and a burgundy and navy vertical striped tie to deny an extensive list of allegations.

The allegations of unprofes-sional conduct, dishonesty and violation of school policy were alleged by Young’s attorney.

The details of the allegations against Miller included, shred-ding eight boxes of internal doc-uments, the removal of the office computer from campus grounds to erase the hard drive, academic

fraud and wrongful termination.Miller’s reason for terminat-

ing Young’s employment was for installing batting cages at LACC. However, this renovation was ap-proved by the Department Chair, Hayward Nishioka. In addition, Miller argued that Young covert-ly created the baseball team, Hit for Power, or Fall Ball, without his knowledge.

Miller testified that Young raised funds for Hit for Power or Fall Ball, while claiming it was for City’s Cubs baseball team.

Young contends that there were no grounds for suspension or termination. But according to an e-mail written by Allison Jones, dean of academic affairs, “Young’s assignment was termi-nated due to repeated and con-tinuous failure to follow district and college procedures.”

As the verdict was read, Los Angeles Superior Court presiding Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis sat stern-faced. Although Young re-ceived $1 million dollars, sources reveal that he originally sought a settlement of $2.85 million. The jury awarded Cohen $1.5 million in legal fees.

Former student, Louis Fuen-tes who was coached by Miller while he instructed at Cathedral High School, then later on at Los Angeles City College from 1996-1997 said he was in “disbe-lief” that Miller was accused of sexual harassment.

“Coaching Basketball is Miller’s passion and it really hurt him emotionally, physically and mentally,” Fuentes said.

Motions filed by Miller in a separate lawsuit against the LACCD are scheduled to begin later this week.

Selwyn Young Awarded $1.2 million in LACC Discrimination Lawsuit

Photo by Reuben E. Reynoso/Collegian

Compensation and past economic losseslost wages and benefits: $124,960

Future and past economic loss, lost wages, benefits andmedical expenses and mental suffering:

$ 805,348 $ 20,800

Past non-economic loss including mental suffering: $ 150,000

Future non-economic loss including mental suffering: $ 25,000

Total: $ 1,126,114Coach Mike Miller in action in 2004. His trial begins this week.

Damages Awarded to Selwyn Young: