May 4, 2007

Photo by Ismael Reyes

FRIDAY May 4, 2007

Affordable Food

Culinary Arts offers culturally diverse menus.

Page 6

In This IssueNews...................2-6Features.............7-9Sports...................10Calendar.............11Vaquero Views...12

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Approximately 1,000 marchers gathered at the Turkish embassy on April 24 to protest the denial of the Armenian Genocide.See story, pages 8-9.

Volume 91 Number 5

‘Oklahoma’

New theater production takes

center stage.

2

Scholarship

Faculty raises funds to assist undocu-mented students.

Page 3

El VaqueroEl VaqueroGlendale College

Photo by Ismael ReyesPhoto by Ismael Reyes

2 Friday,May4,2007 www.elvaq.com

NEWS

Vandalism Targets Reserve Books in Library

Recent vandalism has struck the college library, targeting

the reserve books and affecting those students who cannot afford to lose this valuable asset.

This selection of assigned text-books is updated every semester and represents over two-thirds of all textbooks being used on cam-pus at any given time. They may be checked out for two-hour in-crements and used in the library only.

This is a service for students who cannot afford to buy the text-books or it could be a source for textbooks that arrive late in the bookstore.

“People are tearing out nu-merous pages, often complete chapters,” said Sarah Williams, a GCC library technician. “Previ-ously the majority of books af-fected were math books, however this semester has seen it spread to

business administration, philoso-phy, history, speech, biology and English books.”

Eight of the books have re-cently been found to have been vandalized.

Library Public Services Manag-er Russell Beckett, explained that “while the number of incidents seems like a small percentage of the overall volume circulated, the fact remains that these books are a valuable resource for the stu-dent body and [they] shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

There are a total of 350 books in the reserves and in Fall 2006 four book were vandalized. Last semester, there was a total circu-lation of 35,000 and that would mean that if each book gets circu-lated 100 times per year, then the eight recently vandalized books are out of circulation; that is 800 times that the students will be un-able to access that resource.

“Reasons reserve books are used primarily by students that

cannot afford the high cost of textbooks,” Williams said. “Or those who may own the book but

be really frustrating and [would] seem like such a waste.”

Alison Geller, a GCC alumna,

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the cover, or to repair the book with copies of the missing pages.

“What students may not realize is the amount of work involved to get a reserve book on the shelves,” said Williams. “Each semester instructors list all textbooks re-quired, then the information goes to the library staff who compile a master list.”

“This is cross-checked against the current collection and books not in stock get reported back to the division chairs, who will then try to supply a copy of the text.”

This has evolved into a system that consistently provides stu-dents with a valuable resource.

“If the library does not have a particular book ask the instruc-tor,” Williams said. “This can be a vital step in the process. [Also] students that may have old text-books at home, consider donating them to the library.”

According to Glendale College policy Standards of Conduct: “Theft or damage to property of the college (including cutting, tearing, or defacing magazines and books) is a violation that may lead to probation, suspension or dismissal from the college in ad-dition to possible legal prosecu-tion under California Education Code, section 19910.”

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Photo by Richard Kontas The comprehensive reserve textbook collection in the library has recently been subject to an increase in vandalism.

either didn’t bring it or simply forgot it.”

“I’ve used the reserve book section many times,” Pamela Bond, a part-time photography student said. “Although I’ve never come across missing pages or chapters, [I think] that would

agreed. “I’ve used them [reserve books], and it would be very an-noying to discover vandalized books.”

In a worst-case scenario, the book is removed, but in some cases the solution is to add a note (“pages missing: 120-145”) on

www.elvaq.com Friday, May 4, 2007 3

NEWS

New Scholarship Assists Undocumented Students

Generous donations from 18 faculty members allowed

Glendale College to provide its first Dream Scholarships to some of the nearly 300 undocumented students [AB-540 students] on campus.

The scholarship was announced by Extended Opportunity Pro-gram and Services (EOPS) Coun-selor and Dream Scholarship committee member Greg Perkins on April 12. It will provide a form of financial assistance for undocumented students. AB-540 students are among a group of students who are allowed to pay in-state fees, but they are not eli-gible to receive any type of finan-cial aid.

The committee, which accord-ing to Perkins, consists of 14 counselors, classified staff, man-agers, and instructional faculty members. Along with the mem-bers, the committee also includes two AB-540 student representa-tives who are Voces Del Mañana club-members.

Voces Del Mañana is an on-campus club that works in creat-ing awareness for undocumented students across campus.

“The majority of these are con-scientious and hard working, yet financially struggling, students,” said Perkins.

Although these students are not eligible to receive any type of government assis-tance, they are eligible to receive the various scholarships provided. The Dream Scholarship allows these students to have a way to ease the stress of paying for col-lege.

According to Perkins, there is no specific num-ber of people who could receive the scholarships. The selection committee consists of five members and is respon-sible for deciding which students deserve the funds. Since AB-540 students are among a group of students who are not eligible to work or receive any type of finan-cial aid, the committee does not only base the criteria on GPA, but considers their community work, both on and off campus. Once a student applies and their situation fits the criteria, then the scholar-ship could vary anywhere from $75 to $200.

The Dream Scholarship criteria requires the student to be undocu-

mented, hold a 2.50 cumulative GPA, not be on academic proba-tion, be enrolled in six or more units, and have a minimum of 2.5 average in the most recent se-mesters. Along with this, a letter

of reference must be submitted in order for the students to have their community involvement documented.

“The minimum amount the scholarships awarded through the Glendale Community Ser-vice Scholarship application for Spring 2007 was $75 if the stu-dent had a marginal GPA but had

significant service experience and extenuating circumstances,” said Perkins. “The highest award was $200 for students having both good to excellent GPA and strong service record”

With more dona-tions, the commit-tee has goals to one day provide scholar-ships which would be the value of a Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver. The BOG fee waiv-er, which according to the Financial Aid office waives enroll-ment fees for the en-

tire academic year, depending on their income.

Liliana Arrazcaeta, AB-540 student and treasurer for Vo-ces Del Mañana, feels that the Dream Scholarship provides a good financial base for AB-540 students.

“This cause that we are sup-porting helps open opportuni-

By Tamara BaskinEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Tamara Baskin can be reached at [email protected]

ties for the AB-540 students on campus,” said Arrazcaeta. “Little by little with the help of these scholarships, we’re making fi-nancial aid available to AB-540 students.”

The Dream Scholarship is an extension of the DREAM Act. Voces Del Mañana along with the committee are working with promoting the DREAM Act, which could potentially allow undocumented students to apply for citizenship, after the satisfac-tory completion of high school.

Those that support the DREAM Act, which was introduced on May 1 by the House of Repre-sentatives, would most benefit undocumented students by al-lowing them citizenship so that they could apply for financial aid, as well as legally working. Although this act has been pro-posed it has not yet been passed.

If interested in donating money to the Scholarship Committee or learning more about the Ameri-can DREAM Act, contact Greg Perkins at [email protected] or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5571.Dancers Honor Former

Student Who Died in Iraq

Photo by Ismael ReyesMario Mason, 19, and Ani Simonian, 20, dance in the piece“Dear Life” choreographed by Simonian herself in honor of Carla J. Stewart on April 14. At the end of the show, Debbie John, Robin Ward, Mario Bardales, David McGee, Yvonne Younger and Ariel Sands said, “Tonight we’re not going to say goodbye [to her]. She’s just gone ahead to save us a seat.

Clubs Awarded Funding forSpecial Projects on CampusBy Kara AranasEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

The Associated Student Government (ASGCC) al-

located $3,312.09 to various registered clubs and organiza-tions on campus that applied for financial assistance. The Inter-organizational Committee that oversees all the clubs on campus, presented the Special Organizational Support Appli-cations (SOS) to be voted on.

SOS is the student legisla-ture’s way of helping out clubs that have applied for financial support. The legislature does not pay for the whole amount that the club petitions, but tries to pay at least half of the quan-tity asked for.

Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) was granted $139.69 for sup-plies such as sheet protectors, index dividers, binders, divid-ers, calendars and scrapbook

supplies. AGS is the honor soci-ety for all community colleges. Students can become inactive and active members. Inactive members pay a fee in order to be a part of the organization, while it and active members work to acquire points to earn a scholarship at the end of the semester.

Baha’i Association received $150 for a club banner, books, and brochures. Baha’i Associa-tion provides a forum for stu-dents to discuss important is-sues such as world peace, race units, religious beliefs and hu-man nature.

The Conservative Club’s re-quest for $71 for the printing of flyers, handouts and poster boards was approved. The Con-servative Club was created to bring political diversity to cam-pus by providing a place to dis-

[See ASGCC, Page 5]

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“The majority of these [students] are conscientious and hard working,

yet financially struggling, students.”

- Greg PerkinsEOPS Counselor and

Dream Scholarship Committee Member


NEWS

Campus Commemorates Armenian GenocideBy Olga RamazEL VAQUERO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Olga Ramaz can be reached at [email protected]

In memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who were annihi-

lated by the Turkish government from 1915 through 1923, the As-sociated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC), faculty, staff and students, con-gregated in Plaza Vaquero for a genocide commemoration cer-emony on April 24.

David Arakelyan, student pres-ident, talked about the horrors of the Armenian Genocide and the importance of acknowledging such crimes against humanity.

“It is obvious that we cannot do anything to change the mistakes of the past; but what we can do and should do, is remember those mistakes and keep the memory of those who perished, alive,” he said. “Only global awareness and condemnation of such terrible crimes can bring about an end to genocides.”

Also in attendance were mem-bers of the board of trustees, Ar-mine Hacopian, Vahe Peroomian, Tony Tartaglia and Anita Quiño-nez-Gabrielian, and Vice Presi-dent of Instructional Services Dawn Lindsay.

“Every student is much more

than a body in a classroom,” said Lindsay. “Understanding and respecting different cultures and history is a part of respect-ing, honoring and celebrating the unique aspect each student brings to GCC.”

Arakelyan believes that it is especially relevant to honor the memory of those who perished during the genocide, “given that we have a large Armenian com-munity here at the college.”

However, the overall senti-ment is that it is necessary to hold events commemorating the Ar-menian Genocide in order to raise awareness of the current atrocities happening worldwide.

“Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is just one step in rais-ing awareness of a crime that often goes unpunished,” said Peroomi-an. “We need to be heard loud and clear, on behalf of the Armenians, the Jews, the Cambodians, the East Timorese, the Rwandans, the Bosnians and the tribes of Darfur, so that the words ‘never again’ re-gain their true meaning.”

In his opening statement during the commemoration ceremony, Arakelyan illustrated the inhu-mane treatment toward the Arme-nians at the hands of the Turks.

The Turkish government round-ed up more than 800 Armenian

intellectuals on April 24, 1915, a day which marked the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. Over-night, Armenia was left without political, cultural and military leadership.

The remaining population, hailing from Western Armenia, was forced to relocate. Hundreds upon thousands of Armenians were slaughtered as they marched through the Syrian deserts. Among the innocent victims were men, women, and children who were maimed, raped and gunned down. Their bodies were thrown into the Euphrates River or left behind for preying animals.

Those that did not perish at the hands of the Turks during the march, eventually died of starva-tion, dehydration and disease.

By 1918, Western Armenia, which was populated by more than 2 million Armenian inhabit-ants at the turn of the century, was bereft of its native population.

Hacopian’s father and uncle were orphaned during the geno-cide when her grandparents were killed. She believes that the deaths of those who perished in the genocide were not in vain and said that events like the one in Plaza Vaquero, provide aware-ness and prove to be a “great step toward educating others.”

“Although this is a small cam-pus, it [the Armenian Genocide] is a big issue,” she added.

Following the genocide, the Turkish government abolished everything relating to Armenia. Armenian churches were con-verted into stables, architectural structures, which dated back to the ancient and medieval times, were torn down, and cities were renamed to sever any ties to Ana-tolia, the native Armenian popu-lation.

Even today, the Turkish gov-ernment refuses to acknowledge the mass extermination of the Ar-menians.

Arakelyan said that the over-all success that the campus may achieve by commemorating the genocide reflects through the in-

formation “that is being spread out.”

Recently, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Glendale, introduced a bill in congress to recognize and con-demn the Armenian Genocide.

“Of course, small events of this scale are not going to change the minds of people around the world, but what it is going to do is promote awareness,” Arake-lyan said. “The least we can do is pay respect to the over 1.5 million people that were slaughtered.”

See related story on pages 8-9, “Armenian Community Rallies

for Recognition.”


NEWS

Documentary Cautions Against Consumer Debt

“There are some things money can’t buy. For everything

else, there’s 29 percent,” mocked a commercial in the documentary by Eric Stern titled “In Debt We Trust,” screened on May 1 in the J.W. Smith Student Center.

The hour-long documentary talks about the seriousness and varieties consumer of debt in the country, the possible options for Americans to avoid it and to possibly get out of it. Stern uses examples ranging from credit card debt to military debt, student debt, and even shopping.

In the film Stern unveils how credit card companies deceive their users by adding extreme rewards to make it more appealing. An example he uses is the American Express black card, which enables the user to charge up to $300,000 annually. In addition to that, these “black card holders” are privileged to shop at an exclusive store that is only meant for those who are able to afford such luxuries.

“We are doomed to shop until we drop,” said a consumer who is interviewed in the film. By inserting a clip from CSPAN of a heated Sen. Edward Kennedy said that “$5 billion [is] going to these credit card companies,” Stern

emphasizes that debt is becoming a national crisis.

The film states that most families will never pay back their mortgage because of constant re-financing. Natural disasters such, as Hurricane Katrina, played a major role in the loss of homes and drastically affected the victims’ financial situation.

Bankruptcy is also discussed in the documentary. “More than two million Americans went bankrupt in the year 2005,” says Charles Juntikka, a bankruptcy attorney interviewed in the film.

Among those that fell to bankruptcy was film producer Joel Sucher and actress Lorraine Bracco, who starred in the hit TV show “The Sopranos.” Bracco explained that although people may think that celebrities and the affluent never experience any financial dilemmas, it is quite the contrary. “We’re just like regular people; we have problems too,” says Bracco.

Stern also exposes the scams that are brought out in the form of check-cashing businesses. “That’s where they get you,” says a frustrated victim. The film reveals such businesses target rural Americans, who cannot afford to have a bank account, since most banks require a a deposit of at least $300 to open an account. Check-cashing stores and Rent-to-Own shops (a shop that allows

its customers to rent things such as television sets and VCRs for payments that can range up to 20 years) target the low income members of society.

Footage of members of the Association of Communication Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) protesting is also shown. ACORN is meant to help those who are economically disadvantaged campaigning for better housing, the improvement of schools and to provide secure living wages for all workers.

“Debt has become more of a class separation than a racial one,” says an ACORN legislative representative.

The documentary concludes with tips on how people can get help with their debts.

One solution presented is attending a seminar with Dave Ramsey (host of the “Dave Ramsey Show”). Ramsey hosts a radio show on XM Satellite Radio channel 165 and on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 161. He holds these seminars hoping to answer questions of those attending and help them get on the right track.

At the end of the film presentation a question-and-answer session was held for students who had questions the film or to describe any financial problems they had. The session was conducted by Harvey Warren, author of the upcoming book

“Forever in Your Debt; Escaping Credit Card Hell” and a promoter of “In Debt We Trust.”

“This feature was shown to let students know [how] to take this problem seriously,” said Warren. He explained that the purpose of the taping was not to turn students against credit cards, but to warn them about the irresponsible use of them.

College students fall prey to these various credit predators because they can be found in emails, flyers, mailboxes and have stands set up on campus in Plaza Vaquero. They are persistent and determined to get students to apply for a credit card, creating

a bigger hole for those already in debt.

Prior to concluding the question and answer session, Warren offered the students some advice.

“A student loan is the cheapest money you can get,” he said. “It is almost impossible to pay it with cash. Get out of school, do well and pay it as quickly as possible. The most important advice I can give is to start a budget.”

“The documentary was really helpful because it makes people aware,” said student Rabi Shamas.

Kara Aranas can be reached at [email protected]

By Kara AranasEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

and promote conservative ideas. The French Club, GCC Theatre Guild, Honors Biology Club, Judo Club, Philippine Cultural Organization, the Hip-Hop So-ciety, the Japanese Club and Voces del Mañana acquired $150 for club T-shirts. “The benchmark for T-shirts is $150 maximum,” said Arake-lyan. “However, there are spe-cial cases.”

ASGCC supports all types of clubs created for student inter-est and will provide financial support to any club that shows a need.

The Delta Sigma Omicron (DSO) requested $200 for a permanent bake sale banner but was only approved $60. DSO is to present opportunities of life available to students with dis-abilities on campus.

The Justice Coalition, a com-bination of a number of clubs that fight for social issues, asked for $349.20 to purchase 350 silicone wristbands but was only granted $280.

The GCC Criminal Justice club wanted $350 to obtain uniforms, ID cards, banners, of-fice supplies, brochures, bind-ers, sweatshirts and T-shirts for competitions but was given only $175. The Criminal Justice Club promotes awareness of GCC’s Administration of Jus-tice program and help students seek a career in law enforce-ment.

The Martial Arts Club re-

quested a century bag stand with speed platform and leather training bag which costs $300 but only received $200. This club educates students on self-defense to help protect them-selves against bodily harm spe-cifically the specialized form of Mixed Martial Arts.

Project Earth Tomorrow ap-plied for $350 but was granted only $175. Their goal is to edu-cate students about environ-mental issues and their impacts.

Arakelyan explained that the reason why the legislature did not approve the whole amount that these clubs desired was be-cause of the fact that these clubs can raise the money to meet their own needs. They receive the aid that they need but the legislature must be fair to other clubs that need the finances.

A discussion was held about the Association of Latin Stu-dents of America (ALAS) re-garding their $320.84 request for chafing pans, but was only granted $294.40.

Senator of Finance Rabi Shamas felt that they should not approve the full amount because it can potentially not re-register to become a club. Clubs have to register each semester and the legislature takes when funding them, that they may not return.

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Kara Aranas can be reached at [email protected]

6 Friday,May4,2007 www.elvaq.com7

FEATURE

Armenian Community

— Story by Vartanoosh Kiourktzian

Rallies For Recognition

Photo by Ismael ReyesArmenian protestors challenge the Turkish embassy with their picket signs expressing contempt for the events of April 24, 1915.

Photo by Ismael ReyesTaner Akcam, author of “A Shameful Act,” speaks about the relations between Turkey and Armenia, during a presentation on April 23.

Photo by Ismael ReyesFour Armenian protesters hold an Armenian flag while marching in front of the Turkish em-bassy along with 1,000 other people on April 24.

Photo by Ismael ReyesArmenian Genocide protesters march in front of the Turkish embassy with picket signs and Armenian flags chanting “1915 never again.”

Hundreds of people gathered at the Turkish embassy in Los Angeles on April 24 to protest against the Turkish government’s t denial of the Armenian genocide.

The genocide was from 1915 through 1923 and resulted in the extermi-nation of 1.5 million Armenians. Descendants of genocide victims and survi-vors reside in California, and especially in Glendale, which boasts the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia.

The protest, which was organized by the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) began at 4 p.m. Men, women and children of different backgrounds all rallied under the same goal; to gain recognition of th genocide not just by the Turkish government, but by the rest of the world.

The AYF, which was founded in Boston in 1933 by General Karekin Njdeh, is the youth organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and has played a pivotal role in organizing events to raise awareness for the genocide.

The AYF had school buses to transport those who could not make it to the embassy on their own. The buses gathered in front of Saint Mary’s Ar-menian church, located at 500 S. Central Ave., Glendale, at 2 p.m. and took anybody who wanted to attend. Others opted to drive and/or carpool ot the Turkish embassy, which is located on Wilshire Blvd., in Los Angeles.

At the protest there were hundreds of people holding up signs with say-ings such as “1915 never again” and “Darfur, the modern day genocide,” which is about Darfur’s Janjaweed militia group killing off African farmers and their families. The roads were blocked off while people were circling the embassy and chanting “Turkey run, Turkey hide, Turkey’s guilty of genocide.”

Narek Balagyozyan of Glendale was among the group of protestors.

“The continual denial of the genocide by the Turkish government pol-lutes the world and doesn’t stop further genocides from going on, such as those in Rwanda and Darfur,” said Balagyozyan.

Many non-Armenians were also present for the protest. One protest0r, Michael Tau said, “I’m here because I have a lot of Armenian friends and I think what the Turkish government did is wrong,” he said. “They keep deny-ing it even though there is a lot of evidence. They have to admit what they did because denying is setting an example for others that they can get away with murder too.”

Along with the continual denial of the genocide, Turkey “may be wit-nessing a growth of brutal nationalism,” according to Turkish writer Taner Ak-cam, who spoke on campus on April 23. An open opponent to the denial of the genocide, Akcam was jailed in 1976 in Turkey after writing a journal about Turkey’s treatment of the Kurdish population. After a year, he escaped and received political asylum in Germany. Akcam was on campus to speak about the genocide and to promote his new book “A Shameful Act: The Armenian

Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility.”

Turkey has seen a recent surge of anti-Armenian sentiments and Ak-cam believes it is due to the younger Turkish population feeling threatened by Christian Armenians. On January 19, Turkish-Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink, was killed by 17-year-old ultra-nationalist Ogun Samast. Dink was an outspoken proponent for genocide recognition and many considered him to be the voice of Armenians in Turkey.

However, according to Akcam, denial is not the attitude of the general Turkish population. The denial of the genocide comes from the government. Akcam believes that the moral aspect of the genocide is one of the main rea-sons the Turkish government denies its actions.

“Many founders of Turkey participated in the genocide and made money from it,” he said. “Turkey must declare some of its founding fathers as thieves and murderers.”

Another reason might be monetary.

Akcam stated that Turkey admitting to the genocide would mean repara-tions and the government does not want to compensate for losses, such as land or money.

In order for Turkey to recognize the genocide, its relations with Armenia must improve.

“Turks and Armenians understanding each other is more powerful than political resolutions,” said Akcam. “Current relations between the two coun-tries is more important that having the U.S. and UN putting pressure on Turkey by recognizing the genocide.”

AYF member and protestor Mary Ashdjian, who was also one of the organizers of the protest, said, “I think it’s awesome that we have a lot of Ar-menian supporters as well as non-Armenian supporters.”

“This protest is not just for the Armenian genocide but for the genocide going on in Darfur. The U.S. government also needs to recognize the genocide so it can stop further killings from happening,” she added.

Currently Sen. Hillary Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have agreed to sponsor Senate Resolution 106, the Armenian Genocide Reso-lution.

“We’reverygratifiedthattwoprominentnationalleaders-HillaryClin-ton and Harry Reid - agreed today to join with a growing number of their Senate colleagues in supporting the passage of the Armenian Genocide Reso-lution,” said Aram Hamparian, executive director for the Armenian National Committee of America, in a statement released to anca.org

One young protestor, Lucy Hueng, 16, said that “the genocide isn’t just an Armenian thing; it’s a human thing.” “It’s something that all people should stand up for so it doesn’t happen again.”


NEWS

The Culinary Arts Depart-ment offers three-course

meals for just $5. Not 10, not eight, but five dollars! Every Wednesday healthy and cultural-ly diverse food is offered for little more than a pack of cigarettes, or a gallon and a half of gas.

“The meals are top quality and are cooked by my Culinary Arts 112 class,” said profes-sor and chef Andrew Feldman.

Culinary Arts 112 helps stu-dents develop advanced skills for food preparation and on-the-job training in a food establishment.

The waiters and hosts are stu-dents enrolled in the Culinary Arts 207 class, taught by Pro-fessor Anthony Battaglia, which shows students how to conduct food sales and services includ-ing dining room management.

The program dates back to the mid-1990s where Amy Wang, a former professor and chef here, started the restaurant in a chemistry lab before Los Robles was built.

Today the culinary arts depart-ment is located in Los Robles, where the luncheon is held every

Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.“Although the restaurant ac-

commodates 80 people, it is very important to make reservations by Monday b e c a u s e we sell out fast,” said i n s t r u c -tional aide A n d r e w A y e r s .

“So far we have had Soul Food, Ar-g e n t i n -ian, Native American, C a l i f o r -nian and Mediterranean style menus this semester,” said Ayers.

“This [Mediterranean] meal has so much food, they should be charging $20 a plate,” said Culi-nary Arts Professor Michael Lao.

The meal had three main en-trees to choose from, including Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Pa-ella: seafood, chicken and sau-sage, and a vegetarian Moussaka.

President Audre Levy may also be seen at the restaurant dining

with students and faculty mem-bers, sharing and listening to opin-ions about improving the campus.

“It’s a great three-course meal each time,” said Feld-man. “You cannot get that at Mc-Donald’s for five bucks.”

Most of the money the restau-rant makes is used to repair or to replace worn out equipment. The depart-

ment also saves that money to give out five to six scholarships each year to students.

This week’s menu offered an array of Tex-Mex dishes, and Feldman said that they provide copies of the reci-pes.

The students who participate are graded while the restaurant is in session. Students get to prac-tice their cooking or dining ser-vices nine to 10 times per semes-

By Jennifer TinocoEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Jennifer Tinoco can be reached at [email protected]

Photo by Ismael ReyesCulinary arts major Chris Higa, 19, serves iced tea to the Dean of Instruc-tional Services, Ron Harlan, at the April 25 lunch in Los Robles.

ter. Due to spring break and other holidays some semesters may have more or less restaurants.

“It is really great prac-tice for all students who want to advance into a culinary arts career,” said Feldman.

“With the food network, culi-nary arts has grown a lot. The de-mand for jobs is increasing for both males and females and I definitely think that the demand has helped our program here on campus grow. Our classes fill up quickly each semester,” added Feldman.

“Cooking your own food is very economical. Obe-sity is very common in our country and very dangerous.

“Learning how to cook your own meals may not only re-lieve your wallet or advance your career in the food indus-try, but it will benefit a bet-ter health instead of eating out fast food,” explained Feldman.

The latest technology is also

used inside the classrooms. There are new tools invented every year to better prepare foods and “we try to use those so that our stu-dents are prepared for the mod-ern world of cooking when they look for a job,” said Feldman.

The culinary arts department also offers various nutrition and weight-control classes that may also be transferable. For informa-tion, Feldman may be reached at (818) 240-1000, ext. 3256.

Wednesday’s menu, called “Florribbean,” will include yucca frita with sunshine aioli, pan cubano, jerk chicken with pineapple chutney and rice, co-conut curry mahi mahi, and a dessert of coconut rice pudding with tropical fruit. For reser-vations, call Vera Paragouteva at (818) 240-1000, ext. 3210.

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“This meal has so much food, they should be charging $20

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FEATURE

Campus Tours Rewarding for This Student

Traveling to Central and Northern California and vis-

iting four universities in April was topped by sightseeing in San Francisco and a chance to meet many new people. I was one of 52 GCC students who participated in the free trip organized by Transfer Center counselor Kevin Meza, who co-ordinates the trips to expose stu-dents to the many opportunities open to them in our state univer-sity system. “I started this program five years ago and so far it has been more successful each year,” said Meza. “There has been an increase of transfer students applying and more getting accepted to these UC’s since this program started,” added Meza.

This trip is offered in the spring semester and students submit ap-plications with personal state-ments to be selected to participate statement with their application.

The program was funded by the Partnership for Education grant the first two years, but since then “the school has helped fund all of the money needed for the last few trips, and I hope that we can con-

chances are excellent to transfer here with the minimum course re-quirements,” said tour guide John Velasco.

I really enjoyed the beach weather and the awesome Mexi-can food from Freebirds, a res-taurant next door to campus that serves 11-inch burritos.

For those majoring in engineer-ing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo may be the school of your dreams. Also known as “Cal Poly,” it is located less than two hours north of UC Santa Barbara.

“Our school is considered to be the safest CSU in the nation,” said tour guide Sarah Shackel-fold. “Our biggest problem here is bike theft,” added tour guide Jenn Roosendal. But if you think GCC school parking permits are painful to pay, Cal Poly’s parking permits cost about $500 per year, excluding summer. The unique thing about Cal Poly is the hands-on training students receive.

“All of the hands-on experience you get in our classes prepare the students for their future jobs and careers,” said Associate of Rela-tions, Walter Hamson. “Com-panies love to hire our students because they know how much experience they already have,” added Hamson.

By Jennifer TinocoEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

tinue this for future ones,” said Meza.

The trip kicked off at 6:30 a.m. on April 16, heading to UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

“The most popular schools to visit are Santa Barbara, Berkeley and Davis,” said Meza. “I pick the fourth school to be different each year,” added Meza.

For those students who would wish to transfer to a non-com-muter school, Santa Barbara is the way to go. With more than 80 percent of the students living in dorms or in the nearby com-munity, the seven-mile bike path around the school (with bikes having the right of way instead of pedestrians) makes it a student-oriented environment. There are scarcely any old folks telling them to quiet down.

“I really want to transfer here [to Santa Barbara] because it’s a big campus and it is right by the beach,” said 19-year-old GCC student Cindy Moscoso.

Santa Barbara also has a guar-anteed admission for GCC trans-fer students as long as they follow the basic UC requirements.

“We admit 70 to 75 percent of all transfer students and your

Jennifer Tinoco can be reached at [email protected]

Berkeley was my favorite school of all. Considered the number one university in the nation, it is one place transfer-minded students should not miss. Miguel Fernandez, Berkeley’s transfer coordinator, invited us to chat with him and with former GCC transfer students.

“I really think that your person-al statement is very important for your admission decision because if you really work on it, people will be able to read it and tell whether or not you wrote it last night or if you worked on it for weeks,” said Fernandez.

“Remember, don’t be cocky, be confident,” said Fernandez.

Former GCC student Ziza Del-gado said “major in something you love to do, not what makes the most money, you will end up very unhappy and stressed out.”

“I love the campus diversity, the old buildings and all the nearby shops,” said 22-year-old GCC student Julie Hernandez.

Berkeley’s location may suit many GCC students since it has such a city-like environment and the dorms are located only out-side of campus.

The tour made a stop at San Francisco, where we visited the Golden Gate Bridge and had din-ner at the famous Pier 39. Resem-bling Universal City Walk here in Los Angeles, Pier 39 has fine seafood dining, along with ice cream, wine and souvenir shops. San Francisco was the highlight of the trip for many of us. After all it was our spring break so we did enjoy some time to wonder off with new friends and explore the city.

On our last day we made a stop in UC Davis, about a 15 minute drive from our state capital, Sac-ramento. Offering over 100 dif-ferent majors, I think that UC Da-vis is great for undecided transfer students.

With over 30,000 students this campus is tough to walk from one side to the other. At the entrance there are several cows and horses and red double decker buses that have been transporting students

for free for the past 30 years. “Although we are a big school,

you [are not] going to be shaking hands with all 30,000 students,” said Anthony Pineda, a student who is currently triple majoring at Davis. “For example, if you are an engineering major you’ll be clustered within four to five buildings, so you will be able to make a close connection with new friends.”

Davis also has a special con-tract available for those who are currently freshmen in a commu-nity college in California. If you are on the right track with courses and units, your counselor must sign the contract stating that you will complete all requirements by the end of your sophomore year and you will be guaranteed a spot for the fall.

At Davis, you can learn how to make wine or take bowling as a physical education class. Also with a small lake located on the side of the campus with ducks swimming freely, Davis is a na-ture-lover’s dream campus.

I think that networking is one key to success and after sharing a two-bedroom suite with five other strangers for two nights, you start a new little family. Whether some enjoyed each others company or not, I learned a lot about my roommates future transfer goals and we all got along as if we were old friends. It helps me to know that there are students just like me with the same goals here at GCC.

“Its cool to see the students from the trip come back to GCC with their Santa Barbara T-shirts or with their Berkeley sweaters because other students will begin to ask what those schools are all about,” said Meza.

“I think the trip helps our stu-dents spread the word to their friends and classmates about the big opportunities that are avail-able to all transfer students.” Meza may reached at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5820 or at his office in SR 214 for more information.

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SPORTS

Photo by Anita K. Marto

Vaquero batter, Zev Bernard, hits a home run, reducing the College of the Canyons Cougars lead to 2-1.

Vaqueros Sports Summaries

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BASEBALL

Glendale won one of three games last week to finish the season 23-21 overall and 7-16 in the WSC South. They beat Valley 6-5 on April 24 and lost to College of the Canyons 18-1 on April 26 and 19-14 on April 28. They had a bye Tuesday.

SOFTBALL

The Vaqueros beat Los Angeles Mission College 12-6 on April 24 to finish the season 13-12 in WSC and 18-24-1 overall.

At the WSC coaches meeting last week, seven Glendale players were named to the all-WSC team and led by sophomore Heather Kelly, who was named to the all-WSC first team and is now eli-gible for all-state consideration. Named to the all-WSC second team were sophomore infielder Ashley Messenger, sophomore outfielder Vanessa Escobar, fresh-man pitcher Kelly Korros and freshman infielder Jamie Avan-cena. Sophomore catcher Jessica Pejsar and freshman pitcher Jen-nifer Nazarian were named hon-orable mention.

TRACK&FIELD

The men and women had some outstanding results at the Western State Conference finals on April 28 at Bakersfield College. The women’s team finished fourth with 83 points behind meet win-ner Bakersfield with 131 and the men’s team finished fifth with 59 points behind meet winner Moor-

park with 216 points. The top six finishers in each event qualify for the Southern California Region-als May 5 at UC San Diego. The outstanding effort of Tove Berg was the highlight of the day for the Vaqueros as the freshman won three WSC titles in the 1500 meters in a personal best time of 4:41.16 and won the 5000 meters in 18:39.34. She had previously won the 10,000 meter at the WSC preliminaries last week with 39:34.71. Lili Hernandez was also a winner in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 12:15.53 and fin-ished second in the 5000 meter in a personal best time of 18:49.99 and also advanced with a second place finish in a personal best time of 39:36.66 in the 10,000 meter. Desiree Ruiz qualified in four events by finishing second in the steeplechase in 12:24.92 and fifth in the 5000 meter in a personal best time of 19:23 and finished fifth in the 10,000 meter to advance in 40:26.69. Brenda Santana finished fourth in the steeplechase in 13:00.81 to qual-ify as did Sandra Martinez with a sixth place finish in the 800 meter in 2:26.28. The Lady Vaqs also qualified their 4 x 400 relay team of Sandra Martinez, Crisel Ve-nancio, Lili Hernandez and De-siree Ruiz with a six place finish in 4:21.32.

Alex Leon Sports Information Director

can be reached at(818) 240-1000, ext. 5764

[email protected]

noon to 2 p.m. All are welcome. For more information contact the gallery director, Roger Dickes at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.

theater

Oklahoma” — Richard Rodgers’ and Oscar Hammerstein’s classic musical, “Oklahoma,” takes cen-ter stage through Sunday, May 6. Performances will take place in the Auditorium Mainstage The-atre starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 for students and seniors, and $8 for children 12 and under, or groups of 10 or more. For additional in-formation or ticket reservations, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618.

fundraisers

Car Wash — Voces del Mañana will hold a car wash on May 5 in Plaza Vaquero to benefit low in-come immigrant students who are

exhibition

“Modern Lovers” — A group art exhibition, on display at the Glendale College Art Gallery and curated by Kathryn An-drews, draws to a close o May 5. Artists include; Jeffrey Rugh, Stan Kaplan, Brett Cody Rogers, Jonas Wood and many more. The Glendale College Art Gallery is located in the library building. Admission is free. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon-day through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday. For more in-formation, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663 or visit www.glendale.edu/artgallery

Annual Student Art Exhibi-tion — GCC students showcase their works in the annual student art show which runs in the Col-lege Art Gallery from May 17 through June 7. An artist recep-tion will be held on May 17 from

unable to receive financial assis-tance due to their residency sta-tus. The car wash will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wash costs $6 for small vehicles and $9 for larger vehicles. Refreshments will be served. For more informa-tion contact faculty adviser for Voces del Mañana, Greg Perkins, at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5571.

Peña— The Association of Latin American Students is sponsoring a Peña in Plaza Vaquero on May 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be live music, dancing, ex-hibits, books, arts and crafts and Latin American cuisine. Proceeds from the evening will go toward book scholarships for immigrant students. General admission is $12 and $7 for students. Childre under 12 get in for free. Donations are welcome at the door. For ad-ditional information call the Latin America Studies Department at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5470.


C a l e n d a rOn Campus

academic news

Academic Decathlon— Support student organizations as they do battle in the Academic Decathlon on May 18, starting at 5 p.m., in the Verdugo Gym.

Student Elections — The AS-GCC elections will take place on May 23 and 24 in Plaza Vaquero. Applications will be available in the Student Center, room 202, starting May 7 through the 11. For mor information contact Carolina Yernazian at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5601.

Evening Transfer Fair— Repre-sentatives from colleges and uni-versities will have tables set up on campus in San Rafael Plaza from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 8. For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5442.

music

GCC Invitational Choir Fest— GCC vocal groups and local high school choirs will be performing in the GCC au-ditorium on Sunday May 9 at 7 p.m. The event is coordinated by Jayne Campbell from the Vi-sual and Performing Arts Dept. Admission for this event is free. For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5660.

workshop

High School Dance Day— Stu-dents get an opportunity to par-ticpate in workshops and take dance classes on May 12 at the High School Dance Day, to be held in the Sierra Nevada Gym from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Master classes will be given by choreog-raphers of the FOX TV show “So You Think You Can Dance!”

Around Town

Mail-in, in-person and online registration begin April 23. In-person registration is available at the Client Services counter, Room 100, in the Tseng College/Matador Bookstore Complex. Summer 2007 for Visiting Summer Students information is available on the web. Class schedules are available at the Tseng College/Bookstore Complex. For additional information or a free Summer 2007 schedule, please call the Tseng College office, (818) 677–2504 or visit web site: http://tsengcollege.csun.edu.

theater

“Romeo and Juliet” — A Noise Within presents Shake-speare’s classic tale of romance and death, “Romeo and Juliet,” which runs through May 25. Tickets range from $26 to $58. A Noise Within is located at 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. To make reservations call (818) 240-0910, ext. 1. For additional information, visit www.anoise-within.org

“No Time for Sergeants” – Glendale Center Theatre pres-ents a comedy about a hillbilly joining the United States Air Force. The play runs through May 19. Tickets are range from $18.50 to $21. The Glendale Centre Theatre is located on 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. For box office information call (818) 244-8481.

music

Bright Eyes — Bright Eyes with Gillian Welch, perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sun. May 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 to $40 each. The Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S.

Grand Ave., Downtown Los An-geles, For more information call (323) 850-2000.

Mike Davis Trumpet Recital — The Brand Library, located on 1601 W. Mountain, is host-ing a trumpet recital by musi-cian Mike Davis, on May 8. The recital starts at 8 p.m. and will be held in the Brand Library Recital Hall. For more informa-tion, call (818) 548-2051.

film

17th Annual Celebration of Iranian Cinema — The Ar-mand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center presents the 17th annual celebration of Ira-nian cinema on May 5. A series of 13 films from Iran and the di-aspora, will be screened starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $5 and $3 for seniors. Students and anyone under 17 get in for free. The Armand Mu-seum of Art and Cultural Cen-ter is located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. For more in-formation call (310) 443-7000.


VAQUEROVIEWS

‘OKLAHOMA!’

The GCC Mainstage Auditorium opened its doors on April 27 for the opening night of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s musical play “Oklahoma!” First performed on Broadway in 1943, “Oklahoma!” is revered both for its memo-rable songs and choreography by Agnes de Mille. Songs include “Oh What a Beau-tiful Mornin’,” “People Will Say We’re In Love,” and the title song, “Oklahoma.” With the simple plot of budding romance between cowboy Curly McLain (Frankie Pozos) and farmer girl Laurey Williams (Sarah Borquez), the play revels in the love story while in the background farmhand Jud Fry (Jacob Lopez) wants Laurey as his own. It becomes a fight between Curly and Jud to see who can win the heroine’s heart and escort her to the social. Underlying the main plot, there is a short comic subplot involving Laurey’s friend, Ado Annie Carnes (Mary Garcia), who has an on-again/off-again relationship with cowboy Will Parker (Alexandre Valencia). The show is directed by Kim Mowrey and choreographed by Melissa Randel, with musical direction by Dan Belzer. It runs tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

- Compiled by Diana Petras

Photo by Ismael ReyesCurly, played by Frankie Pozos, and Laurey, played by Sarah Borquez, share a duet in “Oklahoma.”

Photo by Ismael ReyesWill Parker (Alexandre Valencia) kisses Ado Annie (Mary Claire Garcia).

Photo by Ismael ReyesAunt Eller, played by Bonnie Shipston, fires her sidearm to break up the fight.

Photo by Ismael ReyesThe ensemble of “Oklahoma” performs one of the major musical piece in the play.

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May 4, 2007

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