Download pdf - Feb 23, 2010

Transcript

The Mesa PressVolume 53, Issue 2 February 23, 2010The Independent Student Publication of San Diego Mesa College tt

We’re on the web!

www.mesapress.com

ThisIssue

News

Faculty Art ShowPage 3

Photo essay Pages 6-7

Features

Softball stomps on Barstow

Movie reviewPage 99

Opinion

Olympic commentaryPage 5

Story on Page 11

The WolfmanLady Olympians shut out Vikings in second game of double header

Annalee Luavano scores in the Olympian’s 13-0 win over Barstow College. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss

The Mesa PressNews Page 2 February 23, 2010

Advising ProfessorJanna Braun

Editors-in-ChiefSarah SwaseyBrook Dailey

Managing EditorDanny West

Copy EditorJennifer Karnan

News EditorJennifer Karnan

Sports EditorAshton O’Halloran

Features EditorDanny West

Opinion EditorHope Arjomand

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.

The Mesa Press Founded in 1966

7250 Mesa College Drive San Diego, CA92111Phone: (619)388-2630Fax: (619)[email protected]

Photo EditorDaniel Dreifuss

StaffCeleen ArcceDanielle BriggsAndrew FerginAlec FernandesJoselyn GamaSamantha MirelesRashad MuhammadRachel ParkRonalynne SalangAndy Simmons

Information

Earn your Bachelor’s Degree

in Sustainable Management

nLINE

Advance in your career or make a career change while learning how to create profitable businesses, vibrant communities, and a healthy environment.

APPLY NOW!

For more information Call: 1-877-UW-LEARN (895-3276) Email: [email protected] Learn more at sustain.wisconsin.edu/ca

Southwestern College Slowly Slipping

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges announced Feb. 2, after an extensive evaluation, Southwestern College is on academic probation. The San Diego Union Tribune first reported that the Accrediting Commission came to their decision after interviewing more than 90 teachers, administration, staff and students.

Southwestern College has already been under scrutiny for cutting a large number of classes this semester to help solve the budget crisis that many community colleges like Mesa face today.

“I’m not surprised at all that they are on probation,” said 21-year-old fashion major Jessica Bristow, who now attends Mesa. “Ever since last semester, it has been such a hos-tile environment [because] the teachers and students [are] having so many issues with the board.”

Over the years, issues like a hostile working environment between the school’s presi-dent, Raj Chopra, and faculty has grown immensely. Many students and faculty have called for resignation of Chopra, blaming him for most of the schools issues.

According to SignOnSanDiego, issues like administration resignation over sexual ha-rassment allegations, instructor suspension without pay for participating in a student rally, lawsuits pending against the school and the elimination of 400 courses this spring have contributed to the current probation.

For the past couple of months, Southwestern has been in the negative spotlight for decisions made by Chopra. The Accrediting Committee gave the school until Oct. 2011 to solve the issues affecting the school or they will lose their accreditation.

After the announcement Chopra was quoted as saying they are “taking care of the is-sue.”

Hector Flores, a 22-year-old business major, is one of many students who came to Mesa because he experienced difficulties getting classes at Southwestern.

“I came to Mesa because I could not find any classes at Southwestern that I needed,” said Flores. “I registered on time like I was supposed to, but it wasn’t soon enough. Starting a new school was my only option.”

A concern for some students who currently attend, or had attended, Southwestern is the possibility that credits already earned will be unaccredited, causing setbacks in future plans of transferring or the earning of an Associate’s Degree.

A recent update on Southwestern’s website reads: “Please rest assured that a proba-tion status does NOT affect students’ current transfer credits/eligibility, degrees/certificates, academic programs, financial aid, and other student services.”

Although Southwestern College’s probation may not come as a shock with all the controversy surrounding the college, it still leaves many questions as to what led to the probation. It seems that students who have recently transferred out of Southwestern may have made the move just in the nick of time.

San Diego Mesa College 2008-2009Annual Environmental Report recap

The mission of the Annual Envi-ronmental Report is to inform students and the community of diversity en-hancements and the teaching and learn-ing of basic skills that will lead to a proficient future.

With a quickly declining budget and many cutbacks in classes and ac-tivities, Mesa’s environmental report shows how Mesa College manages to “do more with less.” The intentions of the community report were to promote sustainability and solidity in an unsta-ble time.

The new Allied Health Education and Training Facility provides envi-ronmentally friendly features such as natural lighting, linoleum flooring and high-performance glass to reduce the amount of UV light and solar heat in-filtrating the building which will make heating and cooling costs decrease.

The parking structure contains drought-tolerant plants and an efficient irrigation system.

Debra Rowe, president of the U.S. Partnership for Education Sustainable Development, said education for a sus-tainable society “enables people to de-velop knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions…that will im-prove the quality of life now without

damaging the planet for the future.”The report also features a month-

to-month view of Mesa College events, as well as student profiles, sports achievements, academic awards and scholarships.

One of the featured student profiles is of Mesa student Kelvin Crosby, who was among one of the five young adults greeted by President Barack Obama at the Oval Office in commemoration of Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week.

Another page is dedicated to the Mesa College Women’s Soccer team, who made history for the San Diego Community College District soccer programs by advancing to the State Fi-nal Four in the fall of 2008. They fin-ished third in the state and fifth in the nation.

Following the highlights and achievements, the report wraps up with scholarship information and a back-ground on the San Diego Mesa College Foundation: a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for Mesa.

According to Rita M. Cepeda, President of San Diego Mesa College, “The Mesa College 2008-2009 Annual Report is dedicated to the year that was and the future that will be ours.”

HOPE ARJOMANDThe Mesa Press

SAMANTHA MIRELESThe Mesa Press

The Mesa PressFebruary 23, 2010 News page 3

How to do the soda shuffleANDREW FERGINThe Mesa Press

Mesa Art Gallery displays faculty works

For over 20 years, the Mesa College Art Gallery has exhibited

many forms of art from members of the faculty about every two years.

The 2010 Faculty Exhibition will be on display in the gallery through March 3.

Professor Alessandra Moctezuma was responsible for gathering and exhibiting the paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other works.

She has been the gallery director for Mesa College for nine years. Moctezuma decided not to feature her work in this particular art exhibit, but said she was very proud of her colleagues’ work.

“A lot of our students might be taking a class with a very intelligent, talented artist and you never get to see your teacher’s work,” said Moctezuma.

“I think people should see this art exhibit because it will give them a sense of what their teachers and colleagues are interested in. I think a lot of the pieces in the show are beautiful and striking, but there are also a lot of pieces that are humorous, so I think people will like it.”

The exhibit featured pieces from faculty artists including

Misty Hawkins, Mario Lara, Randall Christopher, Jim Machacek, Patricia Yockey, Kraig Cavanaugh, and Robert Sanchez, among many others.

One of the more popular pieces is a painting by Misty Hawkins, entitled “The Red Carpet,” which portrays half the body of a young woman wearing provocative garments. At the foot of her is a dog asleep on a red carpet. Hawkins paints nude portraits in many of her works, as a metaphor for her “intimate feelings.”

Artist Nuvea Ruland, who was a gallery sitter and greeter, revealed that her favorite artwork was “The Red Carpet.”

“I really like that painting because it has a lot of story in it,” said Ruland.

“It’s very narrative, plus it invites you in, so you kind of feel like you’re walking into

something you’re not supposed to be looking at. The colors are so rich, and everything about it seems so right. It’s a very beautiful painting.”

Moctezuma said she feels that Mesa College is a unique campus.

“I’m inspired by my colleagues,” commented Moctezuma.

“I think that I am very lucky to work at a community college where I share common interests with the other

members of the art department. I think it’s unique to have a community college where the members of this department work well together, so it’s a really nice community to be a part of. I think that this college is really receptive to art and they have made an investment in the gallery. That’s to be appreciated, because in our world and our culture, art usually falls to the wayside, so it’s nice to have a place where they value it.”

The Mesa College Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 12 to 4 p.m.

More information on the Faculty Exhibit is provided at: www.sdmesa.edu/art/

RASHAD MUHAMMADThe Mesa Press

Students are beginning to take notice of changes transpiring recently on campus at Mesa College. One of which is the replacement of all the soda products on campus, including energy drinks.

There are still the same types of soda available on campus; the only difference is that they are now all the Pepsi brand equivalents. The inventory shift applies to the San Diego Community College District, so Miramar College and City College are also switching to Pepsi products.

The reason for this shift is in how the district chooses what beverages are for sale.

Every few years, auctions are held between different firms who make offers for the business contracts. This gives them a monopoly on beverage distribution rights within the SDCCD’s campuses.

When this happens interested companies submit bid forms that explain how they will provide beverages if they are chosen to be the vendor by the SDCCD, as well as what they would prefer to do differently from the standard contract agreement.

The bid forms are a series of forms also referred to as bid packages, which are submitted by interested companies and then either approved or denied at the discretion of the San Diego Community College District.

For example, Coca Cola’s bid was rejected this time around because the SDCCD felt they were making too many amendments to their bid packages contract. The bid packages that dealt with beverage distribution rights were 10-7, 10-

8, and 10-9, all of which were awarded to the Pepsi Bottling Group.

Bid package 10-7 addresses fountain drinks. The benefits granted by 10-7 give the awarded firm the right to choose what beverages will be distributed at the soda fountains, which are, for technical purposes, the soda machines that students operate themselves.

Aside from fountain drinks there are also alternative beverages which are discussed by bid package 10-8. Alternative beverages are for simplicity drinks that aren’t carbonated beverages (though this can vary).

Water for example, is an alternative beverage as are energy drinks and Frappuccinos.

The granted contract gives the right to dispense beverages in vending machines but also covers any manner of distribution not addressed by packages 10-7 and 10-9.

The company is responsible for furnishing and maintaining any equipment they use to dispense their beverages.

The final package, 10-9, deals with canned and bottled beverage distribution. With respect to contract agreements beverages in this case refers mostly to carbonated beverages such as sodas. The firms selling their beverages, similar to bid package 10-8, are responsible for providing and maintaining their own refrigeration units, which is why students may notice that the soda freezers such as the ones in the Mesa C-Store have changed.

Each of the contracts granted by the bid packages last for a period of two years.

Don’t be surprised if drinks on campus stay the same longer than this however, because all of the contracts come with three optional one-year renewal periods.

Misty Hawkins’ “The Red Carpet.”

Students view a wide variety of art media at the Faculty Exhibition. Photos by Brook Dailey

Photo essay of the Facutly Exhibition on pages 6 and 7.

Pepsi provides new beverage coolers replaced in C-store.Photo by Daniel Dreifuss

The Mesa PressOpinion Page 4 February 23, 2010

>> Guaranteed admission

>> No enrollment fee

>> Flexible scheduling

>> Unique one-course-per-month format

>> Scholarship programs

At National University, we know you can’t sit in class all day or lock yourself in a library – you’ve got work, family, and friends. You’re transferring because you want to finish your degree and move on into a new career. You want help, and at National University we’ll give it to you, with. . .

1 . 8 0 0 . N AT. U N I V | g e t i n f o . n u . e d u / t r a n s f e r

Transferring?Finish School YoUr Way!

N A T I o N A l U N I V e r s I T Y®

© 2

009

Nat

iona

l Uni

vers

ity 8

122

The University of Values

What sport are you looking forward to in the winter Olympics?THE WORD:

“ Figure skating.”

Jaziel Lucas, Nursing

“Halfpipe.”

Megan Streeter,Transfer

“Bobsled.”

Ryan AlvaradoUndecided

“Snowboarding superpipe.”Matt WellenUndecided

“Snowboarding.”

Rosalia SanchezUndecided

The Mesa PressFebruary 23, 2010 News/Opinion page 5

Olympic Games too cool for San DiegoALEC FERNANDESThe Mesa Press

TOP 10 New Toyota Recalls 1. Pretentious radio dial 2. Hungry hungry cup holders 3. Seat warmer combustion 4. Cruise control with a mind of its own 5. Angry windshield wipers 6. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear, really far away, or figments of your imagination 7. High power death ray head lights 8. Turn signal gets its lefts and rights confused 9. Bulimic gas tank 10. Compulsive liar speedometer

San Diego residents remained comfortably warm as the Winter Olympics commenced in Vancouver last Friday. While most of America is currently covered with several feet of snow, you would never know it here in Southern California.

Locals watched as snowboarders carved up half pipes like surfers riding massive waves; however residents had no such analogy for the bizarre sports of curling and skeleton.

Icy pastimes like speed skating and bobsledding remain unfamiliar to this temperate town, so it’s only natural San Diego feels left out when the world comes together to celebrate a winter never seen at home.

Athletes in sunny San Diego are warm-blooded – they prefer long runs on the beach to tobogganing. This means that locals who dream

of competing at the Winter Olympics are exiled from the temperate coastal city to somewhere more appropriate to train.

Figure skater Rachel Flatt is an example of this – the Del Mar native grew up skating at the UTC ice rink, but moved to Colorado to pursue her Olympic goals. She is now competing in 2010 Va n c o u v e r O l y m p i c Games.

C a r l s b a d snowboarder Shaun White wasn’t shredding fresh powder on any local sandy hillsides as a kid.

Now he’s going for his second gold medal in Vancouver.

Though this town has bred several Winter Olympians, it will

never host the Winter Games. San Diego is arguably the least snow-savvy city in the country; residents

are thankful that their winters don’t involve black ice, snow shovels

or tire chains.Many can’t understand why

anyone would choose to live where the temperature falls below 60 degrees.

Those wishing to observe snowy competition at its finest are transported out of the

warm sunshine to a different

world, where man cannot simply ignore

the idea of snow, but is forced to conquer it. Locals

are aware, now more than ever, of San Diego’s unique

climate in comparison to the rest of the frozen U.S.

This disconnect is noticeable in every aspect of the Winter Olympic Games – even advertising. San

Diego children yearn to be part of the snow-frolicking families they see in half the advertisements by Olympic sponsors. This captivating white world inspires images of snowball fights and hot cocoa.

Though being snowed in seems cozy to some, exercise enthusiasts in San Diego are grateful for the city’s easy access to outdoor recreation.

While citizens of Vancouver need many layers of clothing to venture outside in mid-February, San Diegans need nothing more than a light jacket.

As the competition heats up in Vancouver, so does the weather here in Southern California. An increasing number of local surfers are abandoning their wetsuits, signaling the start of spring’s arrival.

As far as the Winter Olympics are concerned, San Diego’s just not as cool as Vancouver.

In the mid-1950s, Rosa Parks left an impression on the United States. She was one of many who fought for civil rights in America. And ever since, her movement has inspired many more.

Parks will be memorialized here at San Diego Mesa College this month. As part of Black History Month, a transit center will bear her name and memory at the east campus entryway.

The public is welcome to enjoy the center’s unveiling on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. at the corner of Mesa College Drive and Mesa College Circle. Remarks, refreshments, music and entertainment will be provided.

The Rosa Parks Transit Center will consist of an augmented MTS bus shelter that features panels with the history and images of Parks. Actual Mesa College students’ photographic transparencies are laminated in between safety glass displayed above the benches.

Adjacent to the transit center is a “Quiet Strength” reflection area. This features Terra Cotta colored cast concrete curved walls,

seating and a rose vessel.Parks visited Mesa campus many times

between 1992 and 1995. She was close with San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll.

After Parks’ first visit, she named Mesa as the “San Diego-Mexico branch of the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self

Development.Upon Parks’

death in 2005 at the age of 92, the Mesa College Foundation “explored the possibility of honoring the late civil rights activist, and provided funding to explore a memorial on the grounds of Mesa College.”

The artists who created the center are Dr. Gerda Govine-Ituarte a diversity expert and CEO of Govine Consulting, Nena Karavasiles a public prtist and Mesa College Professor Mario Lara, also a public artist.

The total project cost was $150,000. Construction began in the summer of 2009.

Rosa Parks Transit Center almost completeSARAH SWASEYThe Mesa Press

Small-scale model of future transit center. Photo courtesy of Mesa College Public Information Office

Faculty Exhibition 2010

Mesa Style

The Mesa PressFeature Page 6 February 23, 2010

The Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 12 to 4 p.m.The current exhibit will end March 3.Photos by Brook Dailey

The Mesa PressFebruary 23, 2010 Feature Page 7

The Mesa PressFeature Page 8 Feburary 23, 2010

ServedYOU

BenefitSGet

Step

1Review your benefit options online at www.gibill.va.gov.

Step

2Submit your application VA Form 22-1990 or 22-1990E.

Step

3Check with your School Certifying Official (SCO) to confirm that your VA enrollment certification has been sent to the VA. This triggers your payment.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides vets great education benefits, but YOU must take action to ensure the assistance you deserve is paid in a timely fashion. Follow these steps to simplify the process and help VA expedite your benefit payments.

Text “GIBILL” to 99702 or visit www.gibill.va.gov for more information.Standard Message and Data Rates May Apply

3 StepS tO YOUr pOSt-9/11 Gi Bill BenefitS

VA_AD_10x6.5.indd 1 2/5/10 11:24 AM

Chocolat Cremerie serves up sweet and savoryAfter a year of successful business in the Gaslamp,

Chocolat Cremerie opened up a second location in Hillcrest last December on the busy corner of Fifth and University Avenues.

At lunchtime, patrons will find a relaxed atmosphere. The tables are small and intimate, with cow pattern faux fur stools. There is a flat screen TV on the wall showing a fish tank. The tank is not actually in the restaurant, but a projection from a mystery location elsewhere.

Though Chocolat appears to be a place serving only desserts and coffees, they actually boast an extensive menu with plenty of options for a more savory tooth, and with a price range of $5-$12 for the foodie on a budget.

The menu consists of fresh salads, cold plate appetizers such as capriccio and cheese boards, Mediterranean delights from their mozzarella bar, and six unique kinds of bruschetta. There are also grilled panini sandwiches and flatbread options, a variety of pastas, brick oven pizza, and dozens of sweet and savory crepes.

Dessert, however, is clearly where Chocolat shines. They feature a wide selection of gelato flavors including pistachio, coconut, cantaloupe, rum raisin, tiramisu, spicy chocolate, pomegranate and caramel, just to name a few. The attendant at the gelato counter provides sample spoons with endless patience.

Chocolat makes biscotti in-house and they come in petite, cookie-shaped morsels perfect for dipping. Crème

brulee is offered in multiple flavors, and truffles come in exotic flavors like dark chocolate-strawberry-balsamic and Grand Marnier.

Service could be improved, as it is a bit awkward. Upon entering, there is no indication of whether one should wait to be seated, so customers are inclined to approach the counter. One must ask for essentials like cream and sugar when the coffee is served, and the wait for food should have been much shorter.

The food compensates somewhat for lost points in service. Even though the ricotta and pear bruschetta arrived without silverware, it was delicious. Any confusion as to why it only cost $4.95 was forgotten when only three pieces arrived on the plate.

The organic turkey breast panini, made with roasted red peppers, brie and cranberry mayonnaise, was an improvement. The bread was grilled to perfection, bringing an essential crispiness to a hearty sandwich.

The Sicilian tuna and olive crepe was lackluster. Though the crepe itself was huge, beautifully crafted and packed with tuna, smoked mozzarella, fava beans, sliced egg and red onions, it was dry and the onions were overpowering. A nice sauce of some kind could bring this item back to life.

For dessert, the choice was clear. The gelato counter beckons throughout the dining experience at Chocolat, reminding patrons to save room for dessert. Even if customers have stuffed themselves with prosciutto, mozzarella and gigantic crepes, a small cup of gelato is essential. The cantaloupe flavor is a light, fresh note to end on.

The new Hillcrest location gives them plenty of exposure and walk-in business, but previous restaurants at this location have failed to thrive. If Chocolat steps up their service, the “curse of the corner” could be a thing of the past.

People who don’t take getting a bite to eat too seriously will love this place, be it for a quick lunch, a dinner date or just a pop-in to satisfy a sweet tooth.

JENNIFER KARNANThe Mesa Press

A Chocolat specialty, the organic turkey breast panni sandwich. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss

Restaurant Review

The Mesa PressFebruary 23, 2010 Features page 9

Ear To The GroundLocal Music Spotlight

DANNY WESTThe Mesa Press

Pitta, Williams, Cueves and Scafidi. Photo courtesy of Myspace

Information

Members:Joel Williams: Lead vocals, keys and trumpetJessie Cueves: Guitar, keys, noise and backing vocalsAlex Pitta: Guitar, keys and backing vocalsBrian Scafidi: Drums and percussionPatrick Scafidi: Bass

Upcomming Gigs:Feb. 27 7 p.m. @ Epicentre

On the Web:myspace.com/wolvesdlast.fm/music/D%252FWolveswolvesd.blogspot.com

D/ Wolves

Are you in a band or know of any local bands that you would like to see in Ear to the Ground? Let us know by sending an email to [email protected]

When asked how they would classify themselves, members of local band, D/ Wolves, simply replied, “Mud.” If this is true, mud has never sounded so good.

D/ Wolves came to be in the summer of 2009, starting out as the merging of two bands. Jessie Cuevas and Patrick Scafidi had been playing together in The Kodack Momentz while Joel Williams and Alex Pitta were in Kris Kraft. Having all been friends since high school, the members of the two groups decided to branch off and start a new band. After recruiting Patrick’s older brother Brian to play drums, D/ Wolves was formed.

There is no primary songwriter in the band, although Williams is responsible for the majority of the lyrics. Everyone is involved with the writing process, which usually begins with one of the members bringing an idea to the others.

Using what could be best described as a “jam based” method of trial and error, the band will play around with an idea until they have something that resembles a song. According to Cuevas, multiple songs will be often combined into one. The band claims that their best work is created when they lock themselves in the garage with their instruments and plunge into a self-induced state of sleep-deprived delirium, only to emerge at dawn with a new song.

Their songs are simple pop tunes enveloped in a blanket of noise, bearing resemblance to The Shins or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era Wilco. With catchy riffs and melodic based structure, their songs bring to mind a Velvet Underground of the digital age.

D/ Wolves employ synthesizers, effects pedals, samplers and computer software to create the static noise that is layered on their songs’ basic instrumental tracks. A prominent feature in most of their songs is circuit bending, which is when an electronic device is modified to produce sounds that it was not originally intended to make. The members will sometimes switch instruments while writing, often stumbling on ideas that would not have surfaced otherwise.

The band prefers to playing live as opposed to recording, finding the energy and spontaneity of performing on stage to be a benefit to their music.

With a self-titled five track EP set to be released March

20 by Little Fury Things Records and plans to tour this summer, the future is certainly looking good for D/ Wolves.

A horse-drawn carriage plummets through the dark, dense forest of Blackmoor, England, under a brilliantly full, harvest moon, which lights the narrow road to the estate of Sir John Talbot. The carriage bears the heir to a terrible secret and death on its thundering hooves.

The opening scenes of “The Wolfman” instantly transports audiences into a beautifully surreal, Gothic English landscape. The set design is meticulous and the musical score truly haunting. The art direction and the cinematography are flawless and mesmerizing. Which leaves this as the best time to exit the theater.

Director Joe Johnston’s uninspired remake of the 1941 classic “Wolfman” boasts little more than modern effects and impeccable set design for which he is not responsible.

The story of the wolfman centers on a series of mysterious killings, which occurred in Blackmoor, England, around 1890 that gave rise to legends of a wild beast, which roamed the countryside killing townspeople indiscriminately.

This film’s major claim to fame will be that the wolf man’s howl will be the top-selling ringtone by the end of the week. Even so, the howl sounds as if it were sampled straight from the title song on Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller.”

Anthony Hopkins: Check. Benicio Del Toro: Check. Full bucket of popcorn: Check...two hours later, this film is still sitting on the tarmac.

Since the dawn of Computer Graphic Imaging (CGI) and with the complete absence of fresh ideas in Hollywood, audiences have been assailed with innumerable remakes of everything from the 1953 version of “War Of The Worlds” to

any movie that had a monster, an enormous, fictitious city, a pterodactyl, a gigantic spider, a spaceship, an alien, a talking dog, etc., etc., ad nauseum. You get the idea.

Through the magic of computers, we can make practically anything look realistic these days; a man turning into a werewolf, for example. Unfortunately CGI cannot

give actors believable British accents, rewrite scripts or cast a film properly. Not yet, anyway.

Surely Benicio Del Toro must have been compensated generously for the damage this movie will do to his reputation, having exposed him as completely incapable of affecting a British accent, or uttering anything more than monosyllabic grunts.

The definitely overpaid writers actually jammed a short scene into the lackluster script explaining why Del Toro is the only person in the entire film without an English accent. It seems his character was sent away to America as a child for a preposterous reason, so no one in the audience should think about it. (Just keep eating your popcorn; didn’t you see Kevin Costner in Robin Hood?).

Del Toro, although an acclaimed actor, was simply miscast in this film. Bad casting is the result of studios using big names to draw certain target audiences, forgetting that

names make for a big opening weekend, but well made movies create word of mouth.

No doubt they will soon be making “Gone With The Wind” starring Zac Efron and Brittany Spears and handing out loaded guns and cyanide capsules at the popcorn counter so we can all shoot ourselves in the face… with cyanide

capsules.A remake is made, ostensibly, in light of

the fact that certain classic films can now be made with remarkable visual improvements and contemporary scripts that will appeal to a more jaded, violent and incredibly horny generation.

If a film can actually be improved upon then a re-make may be warranted, but let’s not

forget that fifty years ago most movies made, particularly monster flicks, were not very sophisticated at all. Big studios were churning them out at a rate of a dozen a month. Improving one is not a tall order.

Ergo, if a director or a movie studio can’t improve upon the original, they should leave it alone. Case in point: the incredibly disappointing shot-for-shot remake of Hitchcock’s “Psycho” in 1998. When a director lacks the ingenuity to improve on the original they will often simply copy the original directors shot list and say that it’s done purposely “In homage to the original.”

The point is that many remakes are well planned and develop formerly simple characters into well-fleshed and interesting antagonists and inject familiar story lines with surprisingly complex plot twists and the result is engaging films. If you can’t improve on the whole package, please, let sleeping wolves lie.

ANTHONY TEMPLETONThe Mesa Press

Let sleeping wolves lie

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Movie Review

The Mesa Press February 23, 2010Features Page 10

Students get‘Elevated!’

National-award-winning poet Rudy Francisco, accomplished author Kendrick Dial of Collective Purpose and special guest Succinct performed at Elevated! on Feb. 17.

Elevated! is a spoken poetry show designed to inspire and uplift its audience.

“I’ve seen Rudy’s performances before,” said Mesa student David Spearman. “Poetry is something you should really hear again and again.”

According to Francisco, Collective Purpose met through poetry. They are a group of poets founded to “inspire others to become truth seekers, truth speakers, and positive change agents.”

The performed pieces were sharp and poignant. The trio seemed to speak directly to every single person in the crowd.

Francisco’s pieces reflected a refinement of anger and pain made vocal and intensely personal. Through a glimmer of hope in his words, he attempts to alleviate the worlds’ pain.

“Poetry will allow me to die with my heart on my sleeve,” said Francisco.

Dial showed a caring heart, an uncanny talent for rhythm and a profound eye for the patterns and systems of daily life.

According to Succinct, “Silence will murder your mind.” Her performance shattered the silence plaguing the ignored torments of societies’ unseen and unheard.

“They [Collective Purpose] are here to help you discover the gifts you already have inside you,” said Professor of Black Studies Starla Lewis.

Several students, including Spearman, started the show with a display of their own gift of poetry with their own spoken word pieces.

“Literature is a kind of residual charity, offering insights and wisdom for future generations,” explained Spearmen.

An open question and answer forum ended the inspirational performance. Impressed, inspired, even shocked students asked the performers about their inspirations, lives, and purposes.

“When you figure out your purpose you’ll figure out your major,” Lewis explained.

Students left with a sense of confidence, if not purpose, that through their education they will discover themselves.

“When you’re done [with school], if you don’t apply what you learn, it’s like you weren’t even there,” said Spearman.

CHRIS ROSARIOThe Mesa Press

Feb. 23The Hip Hop ProjectRoom H-117/11811-1 p.m.Black Male/Female WorkshopRoom Room H-117/1181:30-4 p.m.

Feb. 24The Hip Hop ProjectRoom G-1016:30-9:30 p.m.

Feb. 25Love, Sex andRelationshipsRoom G-1013-6 p.m.

Feb. 26Love, Sex andRelationshipsRoom G-1016-9 p.m.

Black History Month Events Calendar

Kendrick Dial (l) and Rudy Francisco perform spoken word poetry. Photo courtesy of www.collectivepurpose.org

After destroying the Barstow Vikings in the first game of the Feb. 15 double header with a score of 21-2, the Olympian Softball team proved it was

no fluke with a 13-0 victory in the second game.

The Olympians played this game after losing five sophomores to academic ineligibility.

They looked to new players such as freshman outfielder, Charlee McDowell, who also got her first hit of her collegiate career on Monday.

“[I] set my mind on the gap,” said McDowell. “And kept my eye on the ball.”

The Vikings pitching was erratic and lacking skill in the basic fundamentals of the game.

The Olympians were patient and waited for good pitches to hit. Although, it was a difficult task because the number of strikes thrown by the Vikings were fewer than the runs they scored. But the Olympians adjusted well to the poorly thrown pitches by the Vikings.

“[You have to] let the ball go deep, and then let it fly,”

said sophomore outfielder Alexis Franco.Franco was one of the many women who scored big

numbers for the Olympians commanding offense. Bianca Gonzalez also helped the Olympians, who hit three for three, scored three runs and had 2 RBI’s.

In contrast to the Vikings pitching, the Olympians were whipping the ball to pinpoint locations. In the second game, Brittany Fishtrom pitched all five innings with ease. Fishtrom had five strikeouts, two hits and no walks.

The Vikings struggled to keep up with Fishtrom’s speed and at times did not lift the bats from their shoulders.

There are two main goals the girls and coaches hope to attain this season: “To make playoffs and for the girls to have good grades,” said coach Guidi.

The one long-term goal for the Olympians is to have as many players as possible transfer to a four-year university.

The Olympians have a long season ahead of them with 19 games remaining, four of them being double headers.

“Beating City College is number one,” said sophomore Victoria Trujillo.

The team has had a bumpy start but with the two wins on Feb. 15, the Olympians are looking forward to continue the winning streak and make the playoffs.

With a young team that consists of 6 sophomores and 15 freshmen, the Olympians need to

focus on playing as a team and consistently making the routine plays.

The next home game for the Olympians is against Grossmont College on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m.

Palomar Comets shot their way through the Mesa Olympians women’s basketball team with a final score of 55-37.

Comets Bailey Nyla and Matheney Lauren used their height to their advantage, both players reaching double figures.

Lady Olympian Shelby Watson left with 13 points and La Queshia “PJ” Donald finished with 11.

The start of the first half began with active drives that sadly ended with reckless turnovers for Mesa.

It seemed that Annessa Jamison’s steal half way through the first quarter would reverse the momentum, but her efforts were returned with shot clock violations and broken plays.

Coach Michael Hootner showed no attempt to hide his frustration, which increased during the second half.

Palomar’s center Nyla remained dominant over the Olympians throughout the entire game, unchallenged in the paint.

“Their posts were tough,” said Hootner. “They hurt us big time in the interior. They were very solid and it made a big difference especially on the inbound plays. We were slow to adjust and they made us pay, and I have to take

responsibility for that.” Two foul shots were made to

start the second half by guard Donald, but turnovers remained a problem. Instead of looking for open shots the team passed the ball around to their teammates, subsequently increasing the number of shot clock violations and unforced errors.

Center Schenelle Johnson made

notice of her effort.“I guess I could have went harder,

ran up and down the court more and played better defense,” Johnson said.

During the last ten minutes of the game, Mesa was determined to put points on the scoreboard. But Mesa’s efforts failed to surpass Palomar’s.

“In the first half, on turnovers, I don’t think we did so well,” said

Donald. “But in the second half we put it to them, so I think we did really well.”

Forward B r i d g e t t e Palmer thought the team lacked staying power

on the court “We had a lot of deflections and

steals in the first half, we just didn’t finish,” Palmer said.

Asked what they needed to work on, members of the Olympians stated that they needed to execute offensively in order to get good shot opportunities.

The Mesa PressFebruary 23, 2010 sports Page 11

Women’s Basketball falls to PalomarRASHAD MUHAMMADThe Mesa Press

Olympians school VikingsANDY SIMMONSThe Mesa Press

Photo by Brook Dailey

“We had a lot of deflections and steals in the first half, we just didn’t finish.”

Brittany Fishtrom throws some heat against Barstow College. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss

Olympian guard Annessa Jamison looks to pass.

Pressure is a continuously growing sensation for all the pitchers on the Mesa baseball team this year following the team’s slow 0-5 start to the season.

Allen Townsend a sophomore and one of the nine pitchers who starts and closes games, and anything else his team needs of him on any given day. He has 10 strikeouts for the seven innings he has pitched over the last 5 games.

“Striking kids out on the hill [gets] my confidence is up, I know they can’t hit me,” said Townsend.

Townsend was raised in Mira Mesa, Calif. where his parents still live today. He graduated from Mira Mesa High School and decided to attend Mesa. Townsend’s baseball story started long before high school. He participated in t-ball since the very young age of 3, and now has 17 years of the sport behind him.

Being a sophomore at Mesa, Townsend knows he has more responsibility than the freshmen.

“I have more leadership, and am expected to do more,” said Townsend. “But I can handle the pressure. Mental preparation with longevity is vital for the pitchers, with extended periods of time off the field and out of the games. They must be standing by to gear up at any

moment and make a positive contribution to the game. Townsend knows dry spells can come and has his own methods to prepare for long road games.

“I listen to rap, a good beat always gets me motivated and pumped up,” he said.

After the pitchers throw in a game depending on how many innings and how many pitches, they need a rest, sometimes for up to four days.

“Your arm can get really sore from throwing,” said Townsend.

Townsend has many goals for his future include transferring to a four year institution with a baseball scholarship, and to continue on after that, pitching for the San Diego Padres in the major leagues.

“Someone has to turn that program around,” said Townsend.

But more importantly team goals and personal goals for this season are in his immediate sights.

“I want to have more strikeouts than anyone,” he said. “As a team we want to win conference and go far at the state tournament.”

The team started slow with a 0-5 record so far this year but Townsend is confident there will be a turn-around shortly.

“We have it figured out, and we are on the up and up,” he said.

Allen Townsend and the Mesa Baseball team will play Grossmont College at Mesa on Saturday, Feb. 27 at noon.

ASHTON O’HALLORAN The Mesa Press

The Mesa Presssports Page 12 February 23, 2010

SPORTLIGHT: Allen Townsend

Sports Schedule BaseballFeb. 25 vs. Ventura College at Mesa 2 p.m.Feb. 27 vs. Grossmont at Mesa 12 p.m.

SoftballFeb. 26 vs. Imperial Valley at Mesa 1 p.m.Mar. 3 vs. San Diego City at Mesa 3 p.m.

Women’s TennisMar. 2 vs. Palomar at Mesa 2 p.m.Mar. 4 vs. Grossmont at Mesa 2 p.m.

Men’s TennisMar. 4 vs. Palomar at Palomar 2 p.m.

Swim and DiveMar. 5 vs. Palomar at Mesa 2 p.m.

Allen Townsend, pitcher for the Mesa Olympians baseball team. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss