From left to right: Architect Jim Gabriel; Vice Chancellor, Facilities Management David Umstot; Chancellor Constance M. Carroll; Board of Trustees President Rich Grosch; Interim President Elizabeth Armstrong; VP of Student Services Barbara R. Kavalier; Acedemic Senate President Cynthia Rico Bravo; and ASG President Shahzeb Naqi line up for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Student Services Building on Sept. 22.

The Mesa PressVolume 53, Issue 8 September 28, 2010The Independent Student Publication of San Diego Mesa College tt

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Ear to the Ground:Little Hurricane

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Constitution Day Page 3

Construction officially begins on new Student Services Building

The Mesa PressNews Page 2 September 28, 2010

Advising ProfessorJanna Braun

Editors-in-ChiefDanny WestBrook Dailey

Managing EditorChris Rosario

News EditorAlec Fernandes

Features EditorDanny West

Opinion EditorAndrew Fergin

Online EditorChris Rosario

This publication is pro-duced as a journalism workshop for aspiring journalists. All materials, including the opinions expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the authors and should not be interpreted to be those of the San Diego Community College District. Submis-sions may be made to the address below.

To submit a letter to the editor, please include your name (unsigned letters or letters signed with aliases will not be printed), age, major/profession, college attending (if not Mesa) and e-mail address. Submit your letters to the address to the left or by e-mail.

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In the print edition of the seventh issue of The Mesa Press, distributed on September 14, 2010, the following mistakes must be addressed:

On page 3 under the story “Interim President Elizabeth Armstrong and deans ap-pointed to office” Dr. Chris Sullivan should be described as interim dean of humani-ties in the photo caption.

On page 3 under the story “Interim President Elizabeth Armstrong and deans ap-pointed to office” new Dean of Business, Computer Studies, and Technology Dr. Jill Baker is incorrectly identified in a photo as the Interim President Elizabeth Arm-strong.

On page 3 in the story “Interim President Elizabeth Armstrong and deans appointed to office” Dean of Arts and Languages Jonathan Fohrman was identified as John Fohrman.

Editor’s note:

Mesa student’s check out Nicolas Gadbois’ Industrial art exhibit. Take a look at the exhibit at the Art Gallery located in building D. Open Sept. 9 – 30 from 12-4 p.m. Case Griffiths/Mesa Press

The Mesa Press News Page 3September 28, 2010

Sept. 17 marked the 223rd anniversary of the U.S. Con-stitution’s inception, and Mesa College commemo-rated the date by welcoming U.S. Rep. Bob Filner to

speak on constitutional issues, specifically Arizona’s immi-gration law.

Filner is known as the state’s border congressman, deal-ing with California-Mexico relations from San Ysidro to Yuma. He taught history at San Diego State University for more than 20 years prior to holding office and was also a member of the Freedom Riders, a civil rights group that pro-tested segregation in the South.

The congressman’s passion for civil rights hasn’t faded over the years. Filner sees the discrimination he witnessed in his youth reflected in Arizona’s State Bill 1070. The bill has raised much controversy, stating law enforcement officials have the right to ask for citizenship papers if someone looks like an illegal immigrant.

What exactly makes someone appear illegal has been the subject of debate since the bill was passed. Filner be-lieves that the law is inherently endorsing racial profiling, specifically against Mexican-Americans.

“The racist police code of ‘driving while black’ has changed into ‘walking while brown,’” said Filner.

He sees this divide between law enforcement and people of Mexican descent as detrimental to public safety. The con-gressman believes a Hispanic witness of a crime may refuse to cooperate with investigators due to the fear of being iden-

tified as an illegal immigrant.Several audience members thought the congressman was

creating racial tension by making such assumptions about of-ficers. Outspoken dissenters were offended by the speaker’s lack of faith in Arizona police and were also threatened by his suggestion that the border needs less surveillance.

Michelle Hawks, a political science major at Mesa Col-lege, agreed with Filner and believed he successfully ad-dressed the bill’s faults, but wanted to hear more about the law in a historical context.

“He did a good job at making the issues understandable for people not associated with the southern border,” said Hawks, “however, I wanted to hear more about the historical

comparisons between countries that require carry-ing citizenship papers versus the United States.”

The congressman recognized the fear Ameri-cans have of illegal residents taking their jobs. His solution to our country’s immigration problem is not extra exclusivity, but rather lending a helping hand across the southern border.

Filner addressed the unique relationship the United States has with Mexico. America, one of the richest nations in the world, borders one of the poorest and least stable countries. This stark con-trast creates economic prospects that are extremely desirable for people south of the border.

He argues that stimulating the Mexican econ-omy will make border hopping less appealing, thus cutting down on illegal immigration.

Mesa College student Ved Red agreed that leveling the playing field was a good idea.

“I liked his solution of bringing countries closer [eco-nomically] so that people don’t want to immigrate,” said Red.

Filner recommends aiding the foreign government with some of the excessive funding spent on border vigilance. However some are concerned about Mexico’s infrastructure and whether or not the country would be financially respon-sible with the funds they receive.

“How do we know that money is being used for the right things, and not for fueling corruption?” Hawks wondered.

California’s border congressman encouraged debate over this controversy, pointing out that such arguments are essential to the democratic process.

Border congressman speaks at MesaALEC FERNANDESThe Mesa Press

Filner addressing SB 1070’s impact on civil rights. Case Griffiths/Mesa Press

Students and faculty gathered in Mesa’s Parking Lot #1 on Wednesday, Sept. 22 for the groundbreaking ceremony of the reconstruction of the Student Services I-400 building.

The ceremony started with a welcome message from Mesa’s Interim President Elizabeth Armstrong and was followed by a number of speakers associated with Mesa and the San Diego Community College district who played key parts in the process of developing the new building. The event also included refreshments and raffle prizes alongside the official groundbreaking.

The new building, roughly 85,000 square feet and four-stories tall, is funded by Proposition S, a bond that voters approved in 2008, and is expected to be completed by March 1, 2012. It will host a number of services including admissions, financial aid, evaluations and testing, counseling, and disabled students services. Associated Student Government offices, classrooms and conference areas, and a new café will also be included in the building.

Jim Gabriel of Hanna Gabriel Wells, the architect behind this project, spoke about the design and purpose of the new building.

“Every project begins with a vision, and we wanted to see campus life intertwined with services,” Gabriel said. “We wanted an accessible environment where the students

were the center of the project.”Dr. Barbara Kavalier, Vice President

of Student Services at Mesa College helped Gabriel with designing of the building.

“When I came up with a concept of what I wanted the building to be like, I didn’t want the traditional boxy college building,” Kavalier said. “I wanted it to be all about the students, an engaging place where life could be observed and students and faculty could connect.”

The new student services building will be a very open and easily accessible building with glass paneled stairway cases and elevators. Doors will not separate individual departments and there will even be areas where students can either study or socialize.

There will also be an express elevator outside the building for students to use to take them directly from the parking lot to campus and also stops at all floors so students can visit the various departments within the building. A new staircase will also be constructed that is double the width than the old stairs that used to be in place.

Rich Grosch, the President of the Board of Trustees in the San Diego Community College District, discussed not only the building at Mesa, but addressed the goals of the entire district.

“We have $1.15 billion and are building 26 new buildings in our district,” Grosch said. “This building is an example of how we put students first.”

Groundbreaking ceremonyreveals new I-400 buildingDANIELLE BRIGGSThe Mesa Press

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The Mesa PressFeatures Page 4 September 28, 2010

Ear To The GroundLocal Music Spotlight

DANNY WESTThe Mesa Press

Spinas and Catalano of Little Hurricane Photo courtesy of the band

InformationUpcoming Gigs:Sept. 30 8:00 p.m. @ FluxxOct. 8 8:00 p.m. @ The CasbahOct. 16 9:30 p.m. @ Tin Can Ale HouseOct. 23 2:30 p.m. @ Oktoberfest

Visit them on the web:myspace.com/littlehurricanemusic

“A song is only [equal to] 100 percent, no matter what song it is. No matter how much you add to a song, it’s always going to be 100 percent. The more instruments you add, the less each one stands out,” explains Little Hurricane guitarist and vocalist Anthony Catalano (aka Tone) on why he thinks his band’s minimalist approach to music has been so well received by audiences, before taking another sip of beer. Celeste Spina (aka CC), the duo’s other half and drummer, smiles and returns to her post behind the bar.

Earlier this month, Catalano and Spina walked away from the San Diego Music Awards with the award for Best New Artist. Although they have only been churning out their brand of down and dirty blues for less than a year, Little Hurricane is quickly becoming one of San Diego’s best bands.

There are some who consider Craigslist to be the asshole of the Internet. While in most cases this may be true, every once in a while something great may come of it, and such is the case with Little Hurricane. Catalano, who has been working in the music industry for about nine years and playing in bands for almost 15 years, had grown tired of the polished mainstream rock bands he was playing in and decided to start writing songs that he would want to listen to. After spending years looking for a drummer, Catalano responded to an ad posted on Craigslist by Spina this past January and the two started jamming together instantly. A Little Hurricane was starting to brew.

“This is my first rock band really,” Spina says as she brings Catalano and myself another round. Both members had played in their high school jazz bands, but that was Spina’s only experience in a band, until now. With Catalano’s experience and Spina’s fresh outlook and raw talent, the two complement each other perfectly.

Catalano’s guitar playing teeters on the jazzier side of blues, often substituting the unexpected in place of standard blues chord progressions. Spina’s roots in jazz are very apparent in her drumming. Instead of bashing away on simple repetitive beats common to the genre, she favors intricate rhythms and laying back on the beat, which accentuates Catalano’s playing seamlessly.

The band’s approach to songwriting is to focus on the overall vibe of the track. Whether the lyrics inspire the instrumentation or vice versa, both come together for a listening experience that leaves the listener feeling exactly what they want you to feel.

Openly admitting to being more of a live band, Catalano and Spina decided to focus more on playing shows for a while before even considering to record a full length release. Now, after consistently playing live since March, Little Hurricane is working on their debut album, which they expect to be completed by the end of the year.

Little Hurricane will be departing on a nation-wide tour this coming December that they expect will last for more than a year. While this will help the band gain much deserved exposure, us San Diegans now have a limited time to catch one of the best shows in town. So turn off the TV and go see Little Hurricane while you still can. Little Hurricane

Greed is back in the limelight as it weaves its way through the daily lives of the main characters and

creates the madness, manipulation and lies that surround Wall Street in the movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

A dramatic sequel to the original 1987 Wall Street, Director Oliver Stone complements the acting styles of Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko) with Shia LaBeouf (Jake Moore), Carey Mulligan (Winnie Gekko), and Josh Brolin (Bretton James).

In writing Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff enhanced the world created by Stone and present the viewer a conspiracy theorist dream explanation for the events contributing to the current economic recession.

Setting the stage about 13 years after the original movie, the viewer is greeted with a comical introduction where Gordon is being released from prison. From a conviction that was alluded to during the original Wall Street, he served his sentence in prison for a charge of insider trading and other related white-collar crimes. Gordon gladly receives a large brick size cell phone from the late 1980’s and is floored when he realized the limousine parked outside the prison isn’t for him, but is in fact filled with the family members of a rapper who was released on

the same day.The story line is pushed forward with

the interactions of Jake Moore, a Wall Street junkie with an environmentalist streak, and Winnie Gekko, the estranged daughter of Gordon Gekko.

Jake is entrenched in a fast paced world of “too big to fail” banking strategies as he learns that his mentor, Jules Steinhardt (played by Eli Wallach), commits suicide

after the manipulations from rival banks cause Steinhardt’s company to fall apart.

Jacks mission to avenge the death of his mentor and the company he’d worked for is paralleled by Gordon’s need to avenge the loss of millions of dollars and the years that were taken from him by the insider trading conviction. Paying homage to the original movie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps follows the ups and mostly downs of stock

‘Wall Street’ worth the investmentMovie Review

GISELA LAGOSThe Mesa Press

market manipulations and adds the current bailout negotiations that have become commonplace in the news.

The deception doesn’t stop with personal vendettas. In scenes that would tickle controversial documentary writer and director Michael Moore’s funny bone, the research into alternative energies is again and again pushed aside or suppressed.

The viewer can expect an amazing amount of dialogue, as with other Stone movies, and interactions between the various characters. Phrases like “toxic debt”, “too big to fail”, and “shorting sub-primes” are littered throughout. During a particularly interesting conversation between Gordon and Jake, Gordon talks about being let out of jail and realizing that the real criminals can all be found on Wall Street. He

continues by saying that the acts that caused his conviction was trivial

compared to the type of criminal acts being committed every day by the billionaires in the United States.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is entertaining and intellectual; it is littered with comical moments to entertain and ideas in the dialogue to entice the conspiracy theorist.

In a witty encounter Gordon Gekko confronts Bretton James during a charity event, as Jake Moore watches uncomfortably. Photo courtesy of Google Images

The Mesa Press Features Page 5

Sushi Deli prides itself for selling the best value sushi in the community of San Diego. Sushi Deli has three locations: Downtown, Hillcrest,

and Clairemont. Sushi Deli 1 was opened in 1983, it began as a

small shop in San Diego selling sandwiches and sushi. The restaurant became so popular that they opened the other two locations.

Although they are no longer serving sandwiches they still offer the freshest and best value sushi in town. Sushi Deli is a college student’s restaurant, offering unbelievable prices and fantastic drink specials. The restaurant offers a variety of sushi rolls and caters to the trendy, yet on a budget college students can afford.

The overall environment of the restaurant is upbeat and comfortable. The staff is outgoing and has the freedom to have an eclectic style, showing off their tattoos and facial piercings.

Sushi Deli is not like any other sushi place that people would normally go to. The main difference between Sushi Deli and any other sushi restaurant is Sushi Deli is not fancy, nor does it try to be. It stands out from its competition because they are laid back and casual with their crew, restaurant decor and more importantly their customers.

Walking up to the restaurant, customers will see a patio adorned with Christmas lights and wooden bench seats for waiting. Walking further back past the outdoor seating, customers can wait on outdoor picnic tables.

Upon entering the restaurant they have a bar to the left

and a sign-in sheet where guests add their own namesThe restaurant has very dark lighting to increase the

laid back ambiance. The music choice is alternative and loud. The overall décor in the restaurant is dark and full of wood furniture. The walls are a glossy burnt orange color with papers addressing drink and food specials. The support columns are decorated with Japanese inspired masks and other Japanese décor.

When going out for sushi, people expect to pay an arm and a leg for it, but not at Sushi Deli just around the corner

This restaurant is the perfect place to go when looking for sushi on a budget. The prices of the rolls start at $2.75 to $7.99. The rolls are unique, interesting, and fresh. Most people going to this restaurant can have a plentiful sushi

dinner and walk out spending less than $20, including tip.

Favorite rolls amongst patrons are the Dragon Roll, the San Diego Roll, and the Hot Hot Shauna Roll for the vegetarians. The Dragon Roll consists of crab, cucumber and shrimp tempura and topped with eel and sweet sauce. The San Diego Roll is a deep-friend roll with plenty of cream cheese to satisfy anyone’s taste buds. The Hot Shauna roll is very composed with an interesting flavor or sweet potato, cream cheese and spicy mayo. Sushi Deli has over seventy rolls and counting.

Sushi Deli always makes its customers happy by having 99 cent Budwiser on draft all day, every day.

Because of their extreme popularity, customers can expect to wait over an hour for dinner. Luckily, they do have take-out,

so there is an alternative solution. “The wait really doesn’t bother me so much because

the waiters are so friendly and are working so hard that they make up for the longer wait. And besides, the food is definitely another reason to wait patiently,” said Jake Allen, a Mesa College student who enjoys sushi on a regular basis.

Since there are three Sushi Deli restaurant locations, no matter where you are in San Diego a Sushi Deli is near by.

Mesa College students no longer have to get stuck spending your savings on sushi in a bourgeoisie restaurant.

Sushi Deli 3, which is the closest location to Mesa College, is located at 5447 Kearny Villa Road, a mere two miles from campus.

Sushi Deli 3’s chefs are hard at work preparing sushi dishes for hungry customers. Nicholas Santiago/Mesa Press

KATRINA JACKSONThe Mesa Press

Great sushi on a budgetAn over-exciting, unfulfilling

collection of songs that not only repeats the same themes, but also

tweaks them in every which way to make

them almost unrecognizable from their original thematic element, False Priest, the tenth studio album from the indie pop band Of Montreal, releases a certain musical energy that can be taken either negatively or positively, depending on what point of view you inspect it from.

Each track from the beginning to the end fills you with a different sense of understanding. Even from the first few seconds of the opening track, I Feel Ya’ Strutter, the high squeals moaning on about love and all its minuscule meanings, you can’t help but gain a sense of un-heroic passion that withholds itself throughout the

album. Charting in at a lengthy 53 minutes and 43 seconds, False Priest comforts you with negativity and confusion. A confusion to love, pray, live and fuck. All the elements combined upset the rhythm of everyday life and False Priest is right there to be the music for the mayhem.

At the first listen there is not much

movement, not much of a display is pictured for the listener to maneuver around. It is not until one fully listens to the intrinsic patterns of music, that over time become so prominently pieced together. It’s as if they start to choose what roads to travel through, to get to that personal negative or positive understanding of the album after its entirety.

A theme of love violently frolics through the 13 tracks, showing many different sides of itself. The sad aspect of love shines through greater than the happier more calming aspects, so this can only bestow one with a felling of discomfort, or most importantly a deep, vulnerable, sickly connection.

Casualty of You is a beautifully creepy push towards the dark side of thought, but you cannot help but hold it in your hands and give comfort while it experiences its last reaming breaths of air.

The brighter aspect of False Priest, however, not as featured as the dimmer side, is a delicately soulful coalition of a few songs that grind and groove their ways through the clutter with delayed beauty and ignorance.

Enemy Gene, featuring Janelle Monae, pushes on with pixie, mythical, light influenced passion while Like A Tourist demands happiness through a Bowie influenced croon mixed with a Chariots of Fire like theme.

Coquet Coquette, Of Montreal’s first single off the album is rightfully chosen for its mainstream appeal and its radio friendly tone. Its presence is remembered long after the song ends, leaving it desirable for the listener. The song omits a cry for greatness and a chance with love, all while spinning a message of falseness. Falsehood is the seed for the album. It remains very much so in foregrounds and is the first layer applied to all the songs.

False Priest conveys many meanings and leaves you in a state of neutrality. When the black clears away or when the black covers all, you understand no more and no less about anything. It’s a neutral piece of music that throws you in many directions but in the end you still arrive nowhere.

Artistically pleasing and so elegantly glued together, it will shine on as a mediocre diamond.

False Priest could hold truth

NICHOLAS SALEENThe Mesa Press

Album Review

Restaurant Review

September 28, 2010

Cover art for ‘False Priest.’

The Mesa PressOpinion Page 6 September 28, 2010

The Word:

“You have to stand out more than any other guy and be yourself.”

“The wink and the gun (holding up both his hands shooting the breeze)”

“I chop her down. Tell a joke. Just wing it.”

“I would smile and try to be funny. It wouldn’t work on the guy I did like, only the ones I didn’t.”

“I don’t really try to get people to talk to me. I’m not too interested right now. ”

What do you do when you’reinterested in someone?

Christian Serna23, English

Berkley Cavignac19, Communications

Eddie Yanez23, Kinesiology

Michelle Bertsch 19, Sociology

Steven Okidi18, Business

Staff Editorial

The world is becoming a terrifying place. A look through the pages of any newspaper will say this. On the international platform however, the chief terror is not violence, it is not poverty, and it is not a few sick swine. No, the curse word of the world has become Islam.

In Sweden we see the Sweden Democrats party for the first time in their history winning seats in the country’s parliament. This is a political party who openly boasted being against the “Islamification” of their nation that now holds 20 of the nation’s 349 parliamentary seats.

France, once the purported nation of high culture, has seen fit to ban burqas entirely (going so far as to implement fines for wearing a burqa in public)

Of all the nations however, the worst offender has become the United States of America. While the U.S. has neither banned burqas nor seen candidates who openly advertized as being against Islam, it has committed a far greater crime. It has forgotten it’s history to such a degree as to be considered hypocritical.

Perhaps such things are easily forgotten by the American populace in this era where the humdrum of day to day survival in a struggling economy is more than enough on its own to occupy a person’s thoughts. However, there was a time at the foundation of this country when men and women gave sweat and blood to create a place in which citizens of all faiths would be welcome.

Instead, America has become a nation where a man receives cheer and applause for threatening to burn piles of sacred texts. Instead, America has become a nation where a newspaper publishes an apology for its coverage Ramadan. Instead, America has become a nation that is criticized by the United Nations for portraying Muslims as terrorists, extremists, and a menagerie of other buzz words.

Nobody has forgotten 9/11. The smoke and flame billowing from the towers of the World Trade Center is a haunting image that few Americans have not witnessed. During what should have been a time for Americans to band together, lines were drawn instead. Whether for fear or for a different reason, the reality is that in the time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 many Americans have come to view all of Islam as guilty in some capacity for the attacks. There is no excuse for such a degree of ignorance.

The United States of America was once a great nation. It was an example to countries all around the world that no matter a person’s color or creed they could still stand side by side as brothers and sisters. But, when in a country that enjoys some of the most extensive civil rights of any nation, the people of a particular faith are viewed for ignorance’s sake as some sort of hostile faction, that greatness dims and everybody becomes the less for it.

A NAtioN Divisible

Disbelief was embedded in the minds of many Americans this past Sept. 11 when they heard the shocking news of a newspaper, The Portland Press Herald in Portland, Maine, being forced to publish a controversial retraction on their front page.

The retraction was made in response to outcry from the publication’s readers expressing offense when the paper’s editor and publisher Richard Connor placed a picture on the front page of the paper that showed Muslims praying at the end of their holy month, Ramadan, which fell on the an-niversary of 9/11.

Given the importance of the First Amend-ment, which grants the freedom of speech in print media, it’s strange that the Herald decided to print a retraction instead of standing by their decision to forgo the 9/11 story.

The criticism the Muslim religion has been undergoing in America, the momentous memory of their holy month, Ramadan, coming to a close, in print on the 9th anniversary of a significant day that will remain forcefully imprinted on all Ameri-can’s minds; the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Given the significance of 9/11 to Americans, it ‘s easy to see why many readers would take offense to the publication choosing not to run a story about the attacks on the day they happened. Instead, the paper waited until the following day to run a story covering 9/11 as though the events were not important enough to print on the day they actually occurred.

The fact is that the Al-Qaeda and Sunni Mus-lim movement were the radical religion organiza-tions of the individuals who were involved in 9/11. This for many Americans is enough to raise sen-

sitivities, particularly when for a large number of post-9/11 Americans this is a sore spot.

The incident made it harder on the Muslim population that resides in the United States. Air-port security skyrocketed. Our hard earned money was spent on keeping us safe in order to allow us to go about our day-to-day lives, comforted by announcements about the tight belt of security around our nation.

Every citizen of the United States wants to be able to say they feel safe in the country in which they reside. With all the “changes” America is un-dergoing, our nation seems exceedingly more inse-cure during the process.

Although caution is a must for the United States while undergoing these alterations in our country, especially with President Obama pull-ing our exhausted military units out of the Middle East, it’s vital that America remains unified and protected.

The main concern of our nation is the dire need of being prioritized. Just because this inci-dent was the only one that raised concern does not mean there are not countless actions going on that mirror the same statement that America is not be-ing given the respect it surely deserves.

It was disrespectful that they did not rightfully reserve the front page for the catastrophic day of 9/11 and that the very religion that forced us to en-dure Sept. 11 was given more respect and attention than the day that same radical religion caused our nation to live in fear.

Although it may appear idealistic to say that all newspapers in the U.S. be required to wittingly reserve their first page for a repetitive tribute to the thousands of lives lost on that tragic day, it seems a small price to pay for the territory that we feel secure in a land we lovingly call home.

9/11 not receiving respect it deservesBRITNEY O’DONNELLThe Mesa Press

In these modern times, trash is paraded as something that can simply be “taken out”. But it’s never really “taken out”, it’s just taken to a place we cannot and wish not to see. Our shiny black bags go to the land of excessive packaging and disposable items that have sadly become the norm of our daily lives.

While trash in this consumer era is nearly impossible to avoid without fierce personal dedication and buyer sacrifice, there are a handful of items that I believe should not be viewed as trash by anyone; organic materials.

I’m talking about turning potential bag fillers into compost. Fruits, vegetables, grass clippings, eggshells and the list goes on. Organic material will decompose at a fast enough pace so that it can be used within a few months if you know how to do it right.

One obstacle that will deter many people from composting is the time, attention to detail and dedication it requires, but if we put forth even a fraction of the time we spend on the computer or in front of the boob tube towards composting, we could actually make something rise from the dirt.

Another discouraging factor may be space, if you’re living in an apartment or condo with limited outdoor access.

Indoor composts are doable, but with our contemporary fear of nature, some may find it less than appealing to store a box of rotting organic matter inside the home, although compost made primarily of plant matter doesn’t stink like trash but rather smells of healthy wet earth.

Although it’s obvious to some why having compost outweighs all the negatives, it’s understandable that for some it is simply not an option.

Lifestyle changes are hard to make, and it scarcely ever comes without a conflict of ego, but composting is an easy change that so many people can do without great sacrifice.

So why is it that we don’t use this easily renewable energy source when it’s so readily available? Perhaps it goes too strongly against our brawny but wasteful consumer habits, but it takes absolutely no sacrifice to turn potential trash into something we can directly recycle back into the earth.

The Mesa PressSeptember 28, 2010

Cut and Paste Illustrated by Nicholas Santiago

Editorial Cartoon

Looking through back issues of “The Sun,” Southwestern College’s student run newspaper, I begin to realize what

it must have felt like living in West Berlin looking over the wall.

The narrative reads like CNN during the post 9/11 Bush Administration.

Southwestern administrators, in a move that would make Orwell jealous, threatened “ramifications” if the first issue of “The Sun” was published.

In effect, the multiple national-award-winning publication, one of the few things Southwestern is doing right – and something the school should be proud of, was quashed in order to censor the information printed about administrators.

An all but dead stipulation, District Policy 6063, states that the student publica-tion must have an established contract with a single printer that is approved by the college’s governing board.

Strange. This policy, unenforced for more than 20 years, is being invoked weeks before the college’s governing board elections; not to mention the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation team due next month and the glaring discrepancies between the facts published by the student newspaper and the facts distributed by administration.

“The Sun” also faces the possibility of an oversight board that will have the ability to ratify and remove the paper’s editor-in-chief. A flagrant disregard for the United States Su-preme Court ruling in Near vs. Minnesota which limited prior restraint, the legal term for censorship of communications by the gov-ernment, to extremely limited circumstances.

The board would include members from many of the parties covered by the paper. The editor-in-chief would have to choose between

retaining their position versus allowing truth-ful, pertinent, albeit controversial and critical, stories from running in the press.

The award winning publication has been covering the draconian practices of its Super-intendent/President Dr. Raj K. Chopra since he started his term in 2007.

In October of last year four instructors who participated in a sanctioned on-campus rally were suspended. Two armed guards ac-companied the suspensions, hand-delivered to the professors’ homes.

Chopra’s blatant intimidation tactics were dismissed as concern for the safety of the campus.

“The college [should] set as a priority fostering an environment of trust and respect for all employees and students that allows the college community to promote college stabil-ity and to work together for the good of the college,” is number eight of ten recommenda-tions put forth by the accreditation team that put Southwestern on probation.

Chopra and his governing board have repeatedly failed to include faculty in the decision-making on campus – widening the schism throughout the campus. He and his circle of cronies have chosen consultants, sabbaticals and travel expenses to preserving class sections.

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression bestowed one of their 2010 “Jefferson Muzzle” awards to the administration at Southwestern for “con-sistently refusing to heed and apply such clear principles of free expression in the gover-nance of an institution of higher learning.”

The “award” is given to individuals and institutions that show egregious disregard for the first amendment.

To Southwestern, I hope your school endures the Bush-esque reign of Dr. Chop-ra. And I offer my deepest sympathies that Chopra may find such a parallel to be a com-plement.

CHRIS ROSARIOThe Mesa Press

Southwestern silences student newspaper

Written by Danny West

The Green Column: c o m p o s tBROOK DAILEYThe Mesa Press

It’s important that if you do decide to start a compost that you research the ins and outs of composting. There’s also a large selection of compost box de-signs you can choose from. You can buy tumblers or build your own.Things you can compost: seaweed and kelp tea bags eggshells (crushed) wilted flowers (dried or wet) pet hair lint wine and beer leftovers dead insects

houseplant trim-mings paper napkins matches, wood-chips coffee grounds alfalfa old herbs and spices tobacco waste fingernail clip-pings

Opinion Page 7

The Mesa PressSPORTS PAGE 8 September 28, 2010

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Fierce first timers take on women’s cross-countryGISELA LAGOS The Mesa Press

Mesa Women’s Cross Country Team work a spirited warm up at a practice the day before a major track meet on Sept. 18. (Left Helen Rosas, Mandy Blume, and Elaine Rosas). Case Griffiths/Mesa Press

The new but fierce group of ladies who make up the Mesa College cross-country team are geared up for a dynamic season of meets, training, and a state

championship.With only two meets under their sneakers and four

more to go before the So Cal Regional Championships, the team spends five days a week running together, bonding and helping each other with their school work.

With Renee Ross as the head women’s cross-country coach and Marie Goigonia as the assistant coach the team is in good hands. Ross has many years’ experience in running, as an athlete and a coach. Each day they work on running skills, drills and form. By evaluating themselves, each other and with Ross helping them work on technique the team is getting better and better.

“This sport is not an easy sport,” Ross said. “Even though they are training for 3.1 miles they are running many miles … they are a great group to watch because you never know what’s going to happen with them.”

Cross-country has several unique aspects as a sport. It’s primarily a distance running sport with added challenges in the varying terrain of the various meet locations. The individual runner competes with themselves for their personal best time, with everyone else in the race for the overall best time and as a team in order to get the best possible score for the school.

Niki Novak, 20-year-old kinesiology major, has a lot of

running experience and notes the differences between cross-country running and other running sports. Novak said she enjoys the fun atmosphere at each of the meets, the camaraderie and positive energy. “It’s not an ugly sport,” Novak said.

The team bonds on and off the course, gaining new friendship and by seeing each other’s strategies they are able to enhance their own personal running style.

The team members come to the group with a wide range of running backgrounds. Amanda Meidinger, 23-year-old business major, describes her experience transferring from track and field to cross-country racing with the team.

“This has been so much more fun and so much more fulfilling then I expected it to be … It’s a part of my life now that I can’t do without,” Meidinger said.

On the more personal side of cross-country running, the individual team member races against their previous time. Mandy Blume, an 18-year-old broadcasting and journalism major, is one of the top runners on the team and set her personal record as one of her goals. Blume said she strives for her “golden time” of running faster then the number one runner on the course.

The team is looking forward to obtaining a spot in the State Championships on Nov. 20.

“They have a lot of talent and I can’t wait to see what they are going to do towards the [end of the season],” Ross said.

Two of the meets are held in San Diego. The So Cal Preview at Mission Bay will be held on Oct. 9 at noon and the So Cal Regional Championships at Mission Bay will be held on Nov. 6 at noon. Mesa College students are encouraged to attend and show their support.