The Skyline View - Volume XXX - Issue 4

deal with is the fact that they do not qualify for the same healthcare cov-erage as their full-time colleagues. They are awarded a small stipend to cover some healthcare costs, but full health-insurance coverage is not provided. However, neighboring schools like Foothill, De Anza and City College of San Francisco do provide health insurance for their part-time faculty.

“There is widespread concern among part-time/adjunct faculty about bread-and-butter conditions,” reported a 2010 American Fed-eration of Teachers national poll. “About 57 percent of the survey respondents say their salaries are falling short. Just 28 percent indicate that they receive health insurance on the job.”

With the many imbalances in benefits and working conditions

Volume XXX - Issue 4 October 13, 2011 www.theskylineview.com

“Their vulnerability stems from their . . . weak job security.”

--Margaret Hanzimanolis

Read about Skyline alumnus turned Giant on page 12

Read about Latino Heritage Month on page 3

By Chris Korp

Part-time educators struggling

Part-time instructors at Skyline College make up a 3-1 majority of all instructors employed at the school and often face struggles that go unnoticed by the student body.

According to the Skyline budget office, there are approximately 275 part-time and 103 full-time instruc-tors working during the fall 2011 semester. Many of these instructors have to commute between two and sometimes three schools throughout the course of their day in order to earn enough money to live in the Bay Area. Their colleagues call them freeway flyers, and some of the demands facing them are over-whelming.

However, the Skyline adminis-tration pointed out that the numbers alone do not tell the complete story and was quick to minimize their impact on the school.

“I just want you to be aware that full-time faculty teach anywhere from three to five classes a semester, whereas a part-timer may just teach one class,” said Eloisa Briones, certified public accountant with Skyline’s budget office.

Because of their need to com-mute, part-time instructors must often work under sub-standard con-ditions, often having to do without actual offices or email password protocols through which to process student inquires. In addition, the very logistics of having to commute in the often congested Bay Area can add hours to travel time to the already hectic schedule of these educators. Part-time teachers often have little recourse but to work out of their cars, which then function as offices.

Younger part-time teachers may be further challenged by the lack of accommodation provided by the federal government in regards to debt they may have amassed through student loans. Although President Obama passed a loan forgiveness program which cancels student loan debt after ten years, the program is not available to part-time educators, whose debt is often exasperated by their wage earnings, which do not match those of full-time instructors.

Yet another of the myriad in-equalities that part-time instructors working for the San Mateo County Community College District have to

facing Skyline’s part-time instruc-tor majority, it is a wonder that more freeway flyers are not more outspoken about these issues. How-ever, the lack of protest by Skyline’s part-time/adjunct community can be explained by Margaret Hanzimano-lis, the Part-Time Faculty Organizer for American Federation of Teachers, Lodge 1493 during the spring 2011 semester.

“Their vulnerability stems, in large part, from their relatively weak job security,” Hanzimanolis said via Skype. “In fact, despite union-negotiated seniority rights, PTF (part-time faculty) might not receive a course assignment because of bi-ased evaluations, temporary changes in course offerings or program dis-continuance, FT (full-time) faculty seniority rights for overload classes, or scheduling frameworks that make an offered course assignment impos-sible. In addition, PTF are afraid to participate in discussions or debate or political actions mounted against their low status, low pay, and low governance participation because they believe their outspokenness would ruin their chances for a FT position. Group solidarity (with other PTF) in this sort of political configuration actually may indeed

diminish the chance to jump status into full-time teaching.”

New students at Skyline may have questions for their instructors about how to navigate various ad-ministrative tasks, such as adding or dropping a class, or signing into Web Access, but an instructor who is trying to juggle multiple protocols and passwords for many different campuses may not have the answers the student needs immediately. Add to that the fact that Skyline has a much younger part-time/adjunct instructor population than other schools in the San Mateo Commu-nity College District. The reason for this newer crop of teachers is debat-able, but one thing is for sure: They have not been here long enough to be fully integrated institutionally. As an example, the part-time roster for the English Department alone shows ten instructors with a 2011 hire date.

There is not currently a cohesive, organized group of part-time/adjunct instructors at Skyline speaking out on their own behalf, but perhaps that will change as their numbers grow and the amount of students aware of their plight and touched by their love of teaching join the fray.

Teachers forced to juggle several different roles

Read concert reviews on page 10

Average salaries of teachers teaching:

1 class:$203.90 per week

or $815.00 per month or $10,602 per year

2 classes:$407.80 per week

or $1,631.20 per month or $21,205 per year

3 classes:$611.70 per week

or $2,446.80 per month, or $31,808 per year

Photo IllustratIon by Matt PacellI/skylIne VIew

Many part-time teachers must use their cars as make-shift offices

2 October 13, 2011Skyline ViewThe

N e w sThe Staff

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Want to yell at [email protected]

Or use snail mail:The Skyline Viewc/o Language Arts

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Editor In ChiefStephen BenoitOnline Editor

Blair HardeeMultimedia Editor

William NacouziNews Editor

Matt PacelliFeatures Editor

Julianna LeonOpinions Editor

Joe BarrackEntertainment Editor

Daniel BeckmanSports EditorRichard Estrada

Chief Copy Editor Liz McMahonCopy EditorNina Smirnov

Photos EditorEstrella BenavidesGraphics Editor

Diana RodriguezP.R./Business Managers

Terence ChinSarawut Saechang

Editors At LargeJJ Valdez

Marc ArguelloJay Johnson

Staff WritersLea NaqishbendiCamille Wieland

Dean Kevin SantosChris KorpKent Foster

PhotographersJonathan Chan

Roxanne WahabMilan SubediCartoonists

JJ ValdezAlyssa Koszis

Faculty Adviser Nancy Kaplan-Biegel

The Skyline View is a First Amend-ment Publication. The Skyline View

is published bi-weekly during the spring and fall semesters by the jour-nalism students at Skyline College. The Skyline View is a member of the Journalism Association of Commu-nity Colleges. Opinions expressed

in the paper are those of the writers and should not be interpreted as the views of Skyline College, SMCCCD,

the faculty, administrators or the newspaper adviser. Additionally, the

paper does not endorse any of the products or services advertised.

The Skyline View welcomes Let-ters to the Editors; letters must in-

clude full name, address, and phone number for verification. The Skyline View reserves the right to edit letters

for length, libel, clarity, and taste.

Jerry Brown vetoes controversial billNew student group on campus

The Financial Key to Your Success

Financial Education Workshops

Workshops conducted by Financial Aid Office, San Mateo Credit Union, and SparkPoint at Skyline College

Workshops funded in part by Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Pay Yourself First! Learn how to build your savings

Oct 18: 12:30 – 2:30 pm Oct 19: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

How Does Your Cash Flow? Learn how to create & stick to a budget

Nov 15: 12:30 – 2:30 pm Nov 16: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Credit Do’s and Don’ts Learn the basics of what affects our credit scores

Dec 6: 12:30 – 2:30 pm Dec 7: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Qualify for Prizes and a Chance to Win $125!

By Terence ChinA group of Skyline students and

a faculty member met together in the hopes of receiving recognized club status for a student organization.

Professor Jennifer Mair and stu-dents James Mudrick, Mike Jones, and Zadoka Perez of Skyline College attended the first planning of a club meeting on Thursday, September 22. VOICES, which stands for Voices of In-spired, Caring, Engaged, Students, will promote student success and unity by engaging students to have their voices heard by becoming involved in their community.

Providing grants to fund student project ideas is just one way that VOICES plans on contributing to the students. This year, VOICES will have over $6000 in funds, and it plans to put it to use by awarding three grants worth $1200 and one grant worth $2500 at a Thanksgiving feast that they will host on Nov. 22.

VOICES will be funded by the Presi-dents’ Innovation Fund, an organiza-tion which funds campus student-wide engagement projects. In addition to rolling out the money and grant awards, VOICES also plans to unveil an online platform for students to add their ideas and for other students to rate the ideas they are seeing. The online platform will be used to help raise student project ideas together.

VOICES’ struggles with achieving club status were due largely to the club’s mission statement, which was deemed as being too similar to that of the ASSC. VOICES expects to change its mission statement along with recruiting many students in the hopes of applying for club status as soon as this month.

Jennifer Mair, faculty advisor for VOICES, was inspired to revive the organization after claiming her students as a source of inspiration.

“Students should know that they’re powerful, and what they do matters,” Mair said. “I hope they feel that what they do and say matter to their campus. The opportunity is there to improve your campus and community, and to be involved and have your voice count.”

As the adviser of VOICES, Mair will be facilitating student engagement and opportunity. VOICES plans to run student forums throughout the year, including a multicultural Thanksgiv-ing feast on Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The intention is for the forum to include topics about what students want to see change on campus and how to improve involvement in campus life.

Regardless of whether VOICES gains recognized club status this year or not, it still hopes to encourage stu-dents to join their organization and to participate in its bi-weekly meetings. The current members of VOICES stated that they hope to collaborate with stu-dent government and any other clubs or dedicated students to create change on campus. The organization plans to hold meetings every other Thursday at 2:30 p.m. All students who are interested in joining VOICES are encouraged to attend their next meeting on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 2:30 p.m. or on Thursday, Oct. 27. All meetings will be held in building 4 in the new multicultural center.

Editors Note: Terence Chin is a cur-rent student in Jennifer Mair’s Comm. 150 class.

A bill that sought to effectively reinstate affirmative action in UC’s and CSU’s was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sunday, Oct. 9.

The bill, titled SB 185, was proposed as a means to counteract a 1996 law called Proposition 209, which ended affirmative action in community colleges. Gov. Brown vetoed SB 185 under the pretext that it was a matter for the courts, not the legislature, to decide on the matter.

Days prior to Gov. Brown’s deci-sion, Skyline’s ASSC voted in sup-port of SB 185 on Thursday, Oct. 6. The next day, student senator Dean Santos was attempting to drum up student support by handing out fli-ers urging students to call their local representatives. Santos supported the measure because he believes that the current ban on affirmative action puts underprivileged students at a disadvantage, making it more difficult for students to gain access to higher education.

“It’s (Proposition 209) an insti-

tutional barrier to higher education, which in turn manifests itself as institutional racism,” Santos said.

Supporters of SB 185 have also cited statistical evidence in favor of the bill. Since 1995, there has been a steady decrease in the number of African American and Latino stu-dents admitted to California Univer-sities. In UC Berkeley, for instance, the number of African American students has fallen from 7 percent to 3.7 percent, and the number of Latino students has decreased from 18 percent to 14.8 percent.

However, not all students felt that it would be appropriate to reinstate affirmative action.

“I don’t think they should bring it back,” said Andre Lacy, a first-year Skyline student. “Race shouldn’t matter in who gets in.”

The issue of affirmative action has been a source of controversy in recent weeks, most notably in the form of a bake sale protest on the UC Berkeley campus where students

who were opposed to affirmative action attempted to demonstrate their views by adjusting the prices of baked goods in accordance with race. The now infamous bake sale was met with a great deal of nega-tive backlash.

According to the text of the bill, “The bill would authorize the University of California and require the California State University to consider race, gender, ethnicity, and national origin, along with other relevant factors, in undergraduate and graduate admissions, to the maximum extent permitted by the 14th amendment.” Skyline Politi-cal Science Professor Jeff Diamond stated that the language of the bill made it somewhat dubious.

“My sense was it wasn’t going to stand up to court challenges any-way,” Diamond said. “I don’t think that any court in the country would think it makes sense.”

Bill intended to undue Proposition 209vetoed, left to courts

Photo IllustratIon by Matt PacellI/skylIne VIewThis is a recreation of the controver-sial bake sale.

By Matt Pacelli

3October 13, 2011 Skyline ViewThe

Features

“Dia de la Raza” Celebration Success

Skyline promotes culture, heritage and latinidad Burritos, chips and dip for

all. Latino Heritage month at Skyline was joyfully concluded with free Mexican food for everyone.

The Latino American Student Organization (LASO) and Powering Ourselves to Demand Educational Rights (PODER) organized an event to celebrate Latino culture for all Skyline students in Building 6 on Wednesday, Oct. 12. The event in-cluded free burritos, chips, salsa, gua-camole, horchata (flavored rice milk), and watermelon juice from El Metate taqueria in San Francisco. The first 200 students in attendance received a free burrito with their choice of meat including beef, chicken, carnitas (pork), fish, or vegetarian.

David Correno, the owner of El Matate taqueria, was in attendance at the event to hand out the free burritos to all the students.

“I’m happy to see different people, not just Mexicans, who like this food,” Correno said, referring to the many students lined up for burritos. “The carnitas are the most popular. It’s tasty with the rice, beans, salsa, and guacamole.”

Students from different cultures were also in attendance at the final Latino Heritage event. Garland Li, a first-year student at Skyline, enjoyed this event with a free carnitas burrito and a cup of watermelon juice. He was surprised at the turnout of this event, after only hearing about it from one of his professors.

“This is a huge event. The free food is a good thing. It’s a good way to get people together and discuss a new culture that people may not know about,” Li said.

An Aztec dance was performed in the quad to kick off the event, and history professor John Ulloa, linguistics professor Luciana Cas-tro, and Director of Casa La Raza in Palo Alto Andres Connell were three panelists who spoke on dif-ferent topics within the Latino culture. These topics included the history of Latino education, the statistics of Latinos in prison, the

Latin culture and language from a personal aspect, and the importance of networking.

Student Noemi Perdomo, the activities coordinator of the Latino American Student Organization, couldn’t ask for a better turnout at the event. Perdomo also recog-nized the idea that Latinos struggle through education and hoped the

The importance of an associate degree

We all enter a two-year college like Skyline for a reason, whether it is in pursuit of dreams, the future, a

better life or a better job. In the end, we are students, regardless of age or sex, following our own paths in life. But stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What is the value of an associate degree? And is it worth getting one?” The answer is yes, but why? Whether you already know what subject you’ll major in or you don’t know what you want to do in the future, it’s still a good idea to get an associate degree. According to an article written by Jack Hough published on www.money.msn.com, earning an associate de-gree ensures that you have a better chance of getting into the job market and better pay compared to people with only a high-school diploma. But there are more important reasons than just money and the increased chance of getting a job. Patricia Carter, a biology lab technician here at Skyline College, pointed out that earning an associate degree may not mean a lot to you, but it does give you a sense of success, like managing to get over the first hurdle in your education. As stated above, an associate degree allows students to get a foot in the door of the job market, giv-ing them a better chance at getting a job. More important is the fact that a student with an associate degree can use it toward getting their bachelor’s degree and more if they are interested in furthering their education. If students aren’t interested in pursuing their education any further than earning their associate’s degree, they may use it as a firm foundation or starting point from which to build their career as they enter the work force. There are two more reasons that an associate degree is valuable: Not everyone starting college knows right away what subject they want to major in. Some students don’t know until it’s too late, and others don’t know until they experience a life-changing moment. This is where the value of an associate degree comes in. The degree gives you the freedom to choose a wide range of classes to fulfill its requirements, thus giving students the time to choose. The last reason for getting an associate degree is that “sometimes things get derailed in your life or whatever, you know at least you have that (the associate degree) to fall on,” Cart-er said. “Or sometimes if you’re not planning to transfer, then it will look good on your resume.” In short, life happens, and we never know what could happen in the future, but no matter what it is, at least you’ll have your associate degree and the chance of getting a better job.

by Terence Chin

“I’m happy to see different people . . . not just Mexicans, who like this food.”

—David Carreño

It’s the first step towards your goalsby William Nacouzi

event helped spread the word around to the students.

“Students should understand that not just Asians, whites, African Americans, and Filipinos struggle through education, but also Lati-nos,” Perdomo said. “I was surprised to see a big line, but I’m happy that a lot of people were able to come and check this out.”

wIllIaM nacouzI/the skylIne VIew

There was a feeding frenzy over burritos, chips, and guacamole after an Aztec dance performance.

Skyline cosmetology program offers servicesStudents get cheap services; cosmetology students get good practice

Why spend money at an expen-sive salon when your own school can hook you up with the same services at a fraction of the cost?

The Skyline Cosmetology Pro-grams have now began offering a variety of hair, nail, face and body services to all of Skyline College, with students getting discounts.

The services provided include basic procedures such as haircuts and shampoo, but also manicures, pedicures, facials, and myriad other beauty/spa treatments. All of these services are provided by Skyline’s own cosmetology students.

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to learn on real people instead of mannequins,” said Josie Glenn, coordinator of the cos-metology department and retired instructor.

Glenn said that the services the cosmetology program provides could benefit anyone. “Whatever condition they are in, we can make them feel better,” Glenn said. “They’ll look better and feel bet-ter.”

“It’s a great opportunity to try something new,” said Gigi Isaacs, the cosmetology department’s receptionist.

The services provided are much

Sounds of serenity

4 October 13, 2011Skyline ViewThe

by Marc Arguello

by Roxanne Wahab

S t u d e n t s w e r e c a p t i v a t e d b y t h e melodic tune of Japan’s national instruments

wIllIaM nacouzI/the skylIne VIew

The Japanese music concert was a complete success for Profes-sor Hanson’s World Music class. Students enjoyed a detour from the typical lecture when they listened to musicians play three instruments used in Japanese culture and give notes on how to play them along the way.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the angelic tone constructed by instru-ments dating back to centuries ago was a great way to sync together different learning styles through instruction, sight, and sound.

“The performance was very entertaining and informative,” said student Evan Baker.

Kanow Matsueda, a music teacher and musician, acted as the speaker of the event, introducing the artists and explaining the history behind the instruments as each were taken out to be played.

Wi t h a n h o n o r a b l e bow, the first musician, Ka-zuko Mura-moto, began plucking the strings of the oldest orches-tral instrument in the world. Named koto because of its resemblance to a dragon, its notes perme-ated the room

as students closed their eyes to feel the music entirely.

The second musician, Michael Connelly, brought out a flute called shakuhachi, an instrument that had made its way to Japan from China back in the 7th century. As he began playing, the class watched as his torso seemed to be in sync with the flowing, whistling tones coming from the shakuhachi.

Connelly has played the shaku-hachi for the past 20 years, first becoming interested when he went to Japan. “I was interested in martial arts,” Connelly says. But as he went to Japan to teach English and pursue martial arts, he became enraptured by this newfound hobby.

The performance ended in a soothing duet, with Muramoto sing-ing prolonged notes of a Japanese song. The performance was a very calming, interesting way to learn about ancient tunes. Let’s hope to get more treats like this!

This is a koTo, a Japanese insTrumenT.

cheaper than usual salon/spa prices, and this isn’t including the discount students receive if they show their ASSC card. Skyline students with their ASSC card will receivin extra 20 percent off any services the program provides.

Isaacs mentioned that the services weren’t just available to Skyline stu-

dents. Anyone that wanted to could be a customer of the program.

“It’s a great vocational program,” Isaacs said. “The students here are dynamic, friendly and creative.”

According to instructors, being a cosmetology student is a full-time affair. Cosmetology students have to understand far more than simply

how to cut hair or apply makeup.“[The students] have to know

chemistry, anatomy, theory, disin-fection and sanitation,” said Karen Nielsen, a veteran instructor of the cosmetology department. “It’s real hands on. You have to learn to adapt to different people.”

Glenn also suggested that being a cosmetology student was hands on work, and suggested that if you want to work in this field, you have to be a people person.

Nielsen, who has more than 12 years of experience with the program, says that cosmetology students have to be very com-mitted. The program runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. five days a week, considerably busier than the aver-age student’s sched-ule.

However, all of that work goes toward helping the students earn their cosmetol-

ogy licenses, so that one day they could go to work in their field of choice.

Edwina Stevens hopes to one day open up her own business when she is done with school.

“I like when they fall asleep,” Stevens said, when asked what her favorite part of performing facials was. “It means that I did a good job.”

Stevens is one of many students of the cosmetology program who has the opportunity to work with real people and practice their craft. On Oct. 7 she was one of a group of students that gave away free facials to anyone on Skyline campus.

“We like to open it up to whoever wants to come and find out about us,” said Regina Pelayo, an instructor of the aesthetics portion of the cosme-tology program. She estimated that around 25 people came in on Oct. 7 to get free facials or hair removal. She touted the new building and its new facilities.

“If you need an hour and a half of pampering, relaxation and just feel-ing good, come in,” Pelayo said.

(For a full list of services the Cosmetology program offers, go visit the program in building 4 on the second floor.)

JJ Valdez/the skylIne VIew

nIna sMIrnoV gets exfolIated.

wIllIaM nacouzI/the skylIne VIew

From Oct. 18 to Nov. 17, the Black Student Union will be holding a text-

book drive. Students who are interested in donating their old or used textbooks are advised to drop them off at Ms. Tay-

lor’s office in Building 1, Room 1-133. The textbooks will be used by the

Black Student Union to start a book-loan-ing program for next spring. The program will be open to all low-income students.

Students will be required to complete some paperwork from the financial aid

office in order to demonstrate that they are low-income or qualify for financial aid. “The Book Loaning Program does want

to help all low-income students because Sky-line College is the community that we want

to serve, not just one group of people there but all students,” said Christopher Holmes, member of the Black Student Union. “The more

donations that we receive for the Book Loan-ing Program, the more students we can serve.”

The program was formed as the Black Student Union members brainstormed ideas in an attempt to find some way to help their fellow

students. The brainstorm session eventually led to the formation of the Book Loaning Program.

Members of the Black Student Union were able to identify that a number of members and friends had prob-

lems with getting their hands on books in time for classes. “The issue is that a lot of students with or without financial aid, TRiO, FYE, EOPS, were finding it dif-

ficult to find books on time to attend class,” Pat Dreamer, club adviser, said, “so the (Black Student) Union decided

that was one of the things that they will take on. There is a book-loaning process in the bookstore with TRiO, but if you think about if you aren’t a TRiO person or EOPS person, your books aren’t provided for you, plus you got

to get there on time before the books run out. Therefore, that’s why they (the Black Student Union) started it.”

Donating your used textbooks will allow the Black Stu-dent Union to build up a library of textbooks, which

will be used for the Book Loaning Program to help your fellow students here at Skyline College.

Students who are interested in signing up for the program next spring will be

required to sign a contract and to meet a few conditions. The most important

conditions are that students must return all rentals in clean and fully

resalable condition, meet with an assigned or chosen men-

tor in order to guarantee success at Skyline, and

maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.

Black Student Union book driveDonating books will help your fellow students

Nina Smirnov bustled through the small library, looking pleased. She was looking for “Into The Wild,” an adventure book similar to the James Bond book a prisoner had asked for in a letter.

Smirnov, member of the Leadership Board of the Skyline Honors Club, is volunteering at the Grassroots House in Berkeley, which houses the Prisoners’ Literature Project library.

The Honors Club volunteers one day every month with the Prisoners’ Literature Project, an undertaking by Bound Together Books that sends books to individual prisoners based on written requests.

Skyline Honors Club students Kajah Ram, Nina Smirnov, Diana Kozlova, Christian Etienne, and Gabriel Denham started volunteering in September. Most of the time they spend at the Grassroots House is used reading letters from prisoners and gathering books to fulfill their requests. Each prisoner receives a package weighing up to two pounds. The limit is imposed in order to keep postage, the project’s main expense, in check.

George Vassiliades, a volunteer with the Prisoners’ Literature Project who trained the Skyline students, says that the work they do is “not mechanical; it’s not like feeding the homeless.” Because the library they cull from is limited, volunteers are not always able to meet requests for specific books. Instead, volunteers will look for similar books that may be of interest to the person writing.

“Considering how small the library is, there’s actually a very good selection of books, and I managed to meet the needs of the prisoners” fairly well, says Skyline student Kajah Ram.

Ram is passionate about continuing to work with the Prisoners’ Literature Project because there’s a great need for the work they do. Ram says a lot of prison libraries are being “cut down, or basically reduced to nothing or just taken out completely.”

Ram enjoys corresponding with the literary-inclined prisoners and hearing their interesting and heartwarming stories. He believes that it’s a worthwhile project for many reasons and thinks that anyone would benefit from volunteering time, not least because it provides moral support to prisoners who often have no loved ones to correspond with.

Christian Etienne is volunteering for similar reasons. “The limited resources and the lack of educational programs in the prisons all over the United States inhibit the inmates to have the opportunity to acquire certain knowledge and skills while incarcerated,” Etienne said.

And he’s happy to be helping where help is needed: “This is one of the main things that we strive for in the honors club,” Etienne said. “It’s to give back and reach out to the community.”

The benefits of the Prisoners’ Literature Project’s work are evident in the myriad thank-you letters that prisoners send after receiving materials. Some of these letters are kept in a binder at the Grassroots House in Berkeley, and the omnipresent theme in them is heartening: The prisoners are grateful and wish to return the favor in any way they can.

Some of the prisoners write with the progress they’ve made, thanks to books sent by volunteers, in arguing their cases in courts of law. Others adorn their letters with artwork and calligraphy they’ve learned. Still more speak of the hope they’ve found in reading religious or philosophical works. But the resounding, common message is clear: The prisoners are grateful to be thought of as intelligent human beings with a simple desire to read.

Students give the gift of literature to prisoners

5October 13, 2011 Skyline ViewThe

Features

by Liz McMahon

Honors Club takes into consideration those who are locked away

courtesy of gabrIel denhaM

froM left to rIght: dIana kozloVa, kaJaah raM and nIna sMIrnoV readI letters and choose books.

by William NacouzichrIstoPher holMes , a current MeM-ber of the black student unIon.

Skyline ViewThe

OpiNiON

You’d have to be living under a rock to have not heard the words “Dream Act” floating around campus lately. The Dream Act, bipartisan legisla-tion that aims to help illegal residents who are students get conditional permanent residency in the United States, has been discussed, rejected, and more recently, revived by California gov-ernment. The act was originally introduced in 2001 and has now been reintroduced for further discussion in 2011.

Here at The Skyline View, we are strong be-lievers that everyone--ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality, and gender aside--has the right to an education. There are many illegal-immigrant students that have lived here their entire lives. They face many challenges because of several factors that other students may take for granted. Until recently, illegal-immigrant students had been barred from getting any state funds for their education. So we ask you to stand with us, by calling your congressman or congresswoman to ask them to support making the Dream Act a national law.

What do you think makes an American? Does being an American have to do with knowing the Pledge of Allegiance? Does being American mean that you know all 50 states? What defin-

ing characteristic does a person have to attain to be considered a democracy-loving, capitalistic, warm-blooded American?

It has become increasingly important to ask ourselves this question, given the political climate that affects us directly. Whether you apply it to the Occupy Wall Street protests or something as simple as being able to drive a car, the question pertaining to how we define ourselves as a nation and what that implies about our personal liberties is one of great relevance and importance.

We all know how difficult it is to pay for school these days. As California students, we’re being bombarded with new fee increases and policies that are not making things easier. Every year, many apply to institutions of higher educa-tion hoping to further their academic goals and achieve their dreams. However, not everyone has an equal opportunity to do this.

However, AB-131, which is only the second part of the Dream Act, was recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. It will allow illegal students to apply for competitive CalGrants and Board Of Governors fee waivers. As of Jan. 1, 2013, students who have been almost literally break-ing their backs to pay for school will have some help. Although many complain that tax money

will be used inefficiently to help those who have not earned it, many undocumented people living in the United States pay taxes without getting anything in return and contribute positively to their communities performing jobs that pay less than minimum wage that other people would never do.

Of course, it is understandable that many American citizens would oppose this act because it might encourage too many people to rush to the country and try to take advantage. The government has anticipated this. In its entirety, the Dream Act requires that students meet the following requirements: The individual must have entered the U.S. before the age of 16; they have to have been here for longer than five years prior to the passing of legislation; they must have a G.E.D, American high-school diploma, or be enrolled in a college or university here in the U.S.; they must be between the ages 12 and 35 when applying; and they must have good moral character. The bill would also grant temporary residence to those who meet the above require-ments and instead of academic involvement serve in the military.

Here in California, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed the entirety of the Dream Act three times. We hope that under our new governor Jerry Brown, advances can continue to be made so that students who meet the above requirements can better their lives in positive ways.

“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking,” stated Brown in a prepared press statement pub-lished in the Sacramento Bee. “The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us.”

Making dreams a realityStudents deserve a brighter path

It is no surprise that there are multiple ways to get your education these days, and Skyline students are preferring taking classes both from the computer screen, and in the traditional ways of attending class and listening to lectures.

If you can get the same general course educa-tion from the comfort of your own home or even from your own bed, why get up and commute to the foggy weather at Skyline? For many reasons, some students still prefer the traditional ways of sitting in classrooms and listening to lectures.

Second-year Skyline student Eduardo Lepe, who has taken advantage of Skyline’s online of-ferings, recognizes that there are certain pitfalls associated with taking classes online.

“It’s a time management (issue) I guess,” Lepe said about his experience with online classes. “You really have to plan out your week on how

much homework you’re going to do online. If not, you’re going to get stuck with a lot of homework on the last day and you’ll be rushing to turn it in.”

Lepe was forced to take all online classes last semester after getting surgery on his right knee, making the commute to Skyline difficult. He also went on to explain what he disliked about his online class experience, but praised the traditional class experience.

“I don’t like the fact that you don’t see other students as much,” Lepe said. “You miss the interactions you have with other classmates. In classrooms, I like the social interactions you have. They can also help you. . . . It’s difficult to get help from classmates online.”

Meanwhile, some students on the other side who take online classes enjoy the classroom ex-perience from their laptop. Second-year Skyline student Heriberto Rodriguez attends Skyline dur-

ing the day, but is taking his first and only online course this semester at College of San Mateo.

“I kind of like the idea of online classes,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes you can’t come to class if you work or if you’re going out of town; I think that’s what makes online classes beneficial.”

Rodriguez also went on to explain how online courses have affected his learning of course material.

“Sometimes, I don’t absorb as much in a lecture than if I read the book,” Rodriguez said. “I think I prefer online classes despite being deadlines. I feel like I can still learn at my own pace. It’s more independent.”

Skyline offers over 60 online courses this semester, including courses such as Statistics, physical education, and Dance Appreciation. With education making its way to the internet, Skyline has been offering courses for years to a new student demographic which otherwise would not have time to participate in traditional classes.

Online course offerings at SkylineStudents weigh the advantages and drawbacks

By Terence Chin

Thumbs up: The 49ers crushed the Tampa Bay Bucs!

“Lions, beware of the red and gold on

Sunday.”

--Terence Chin

Thumbs down:Children

“Can’t take a punch.”

--Matt Pacelli

Thumbs up: Latino Heritage Month

“The last show is

always the best!”

--William Nacouzi

Thumbs down :Drunks at concerts

“Get your butt off me, and grind where it’s welcome!”

--Nina Smirnov

Thumbs up: Oc-cupy Wall Street pro-testers

“Like the tea party, except mad at the right

people.”

--Marc Arguello

Thumbs up: Shoot-ing footage on location in the Castro

“The Castro has a great lavish commu-nity.”

--Dan Beckman

E D I T O R I A L

Just a few weeks ago, Netflix announced the new direction its company was taking. The new plan was to completely separate DVD’s from online streaming. Under the new plan, the Netflix.com website

was dedicated to online streaming and the company was starting a completely new site called Qwik-ster.com, which required a separate membership for its DVD service.

The front page of Tuesday’s SF Chronicle displayed the latest in the

whole Netflix catastrophe.Apparently, the company and its

CEO have done a complete 180 after public outcry over this new plan. The company is nixing the whole plan, cancelling the new Qwikster.com website and keeping both DVD

and streaming under one account at Netflix.com. The company’s official position is apologetic, and they’ve been on the defensive for months now, first apologizing for the fee in-creases and now again for proposing the separation of services.

The result is a weak-looking company that can’t make up its mind. Meanwhile, investors are get-ting skittish, and Netflix shares are taking a huge hit. According to the SF Chronicle, Netflix went from an all-time high of $304.69 per share in July, to $111.30 on Monday.

The thing that surprises me most is how Netflix did not see this com-ing. A company of that size must have done an extensive amount of market research before attempting a change like this. It would be inter-esting to take a look at its findings and figure out exactly what its logic was. There had to have been fears of public dissatisfaction.

Netflix had a pretty successful formula, and this all could have been avoided by not messing with it. In the end, Netflix probably made the right decision for everyone by keep-ing DVD’s and streaming under the same roof. You know what they say: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Netflix makes complete U-turnThe company is sending more mixed messages than DVD’s

By Joe Barrack

Thumbs up: News-paper promotion give-aways

“Now students can feel rewarded for reading the paper besides just the news.”

--Sarawut Saechang

Thumbs down:Finding the only

nude guy on Castro Street

“The Castro has a couple nuts!”

--Dan Beckman

alyssa koszIs/skylIne VIewNetflix was planning a new service called Qwikster.com before deciding against it.

October 13, 2011 7

8 October 13, 2011Skyline ViewThe

OpiNiON

HEAL

HURT

Topic: Priority Registration

Dear JohnnyMany of you out there are wondering what to do when it comes to your relationships, jobs, or life. My name is “Johnny”

and I would like to help you. There are some basic relationship issues everyone deals with. Think of me as Deepak Chopra, Oprah, or even Ferris Bueller. I’m just someone that wants to help with your issues. If you would like to share you issue with me and get advice email me at [email protected].

Misconceptions surround community collegeBy Matt Pacelli

J.J. Valdez

Dear Johnny,I met a guy about a week ago at a bar. We had a great time, drank a lot, and ended up back at my place for a night cap.

The next morning I found myself confused and embarrassed. Does this mean I have to date him? Am I a jerk if I don’t continue a relationship with him? Help me because it’s been a week and it’s been filled with confusing texts and awkward conversations.

--Miss

Dear Miss,

Meeting men and women at bars is usually more negative than positive unless you are attending an event or meeting with friends already. The reason I say this is that both men and women that frequent bars are usually only looking for one thing, maybe two things if you include alcohol. With that being said, I will start by saying that I personally don’t believe that having sex with someone necessarily means that you are obligated to begin a relationship with that person. Do you two have things in common? How much fun did you have before you were inebriated? These are the types of questions you want to ask yourself.

Now about the weird texts and conversations you two have been having, are they awkward because one of you is being standoffish or because you are not sure what you want? Really think about that because if you want something more than weird awkwardness, then you can still have a chance with this guy. If you don’t want to be with this guy at all and you were just having fun, then just tell him that from the beginning. Don’t beat around the bush or try to break the news to him softly; just tell him what you feel. That way there is no confusion or awkwardness at all, and it will definitely be better than prolonging it and hurting his feelings. The last thing anyone wants is to wake up next to a wildebeest, so try a new place when looking for a guy or a good time.

Life is full of little deaths and re-births, beginnings and ends. The fallen tree in the forest makes room for new saplings to come into this world. The bloated, over-the-hill NFL quarterback, who had once been relevant but now only serves as a generator of sex scan-dals, must retire in shame so that a new player may take his place to be beaten stupid. And here in community college, we too find ourselves caught in this cycle of regeneration at the beginning of every fall semester when we are swamped with a wave of high-school-seniors-turned-community-college-freshmen. But just what do these nameless, faceless resource leeches think of the system that they are taking part in?

A great starting point would be to ask a prospective community college student. Michelle Reber is a senior at Mercy SF, who says that she will prob-

ably attend community college. She was kind enough to give her thoughts on what she thought of community college, and specifically on Skyline.

“It’s an option,” said Reber. “But I wouldn’t want to go to Skyline because it looks depressing. It looks cold and foggy.”

Reber’s cheery position is not unique-ly her own, as I would have fully agreed with her when I was in high school. There is a degree to which she is cor-rect: The windswept netherworld that is Skyline can be pretty depressing. It’s like going to school in some horrible medi-eval moor. But aesthetics aside, Skyline does have its positive aspects, namely in providing academic redemption.

Speaking for myself, I was a terrible high school student. I barely graduated high school, after which I decided to take a semester off and worked exceedingly hard at nothing. After several months,

I began to have grotesque nightmare visions of myself being 35, uneducated, obese, and living in my parents’ base-ment, so I decided to attend community college in hopes of transferring. Several semesters later, I am actually close to my goal. Skyline, and by extension the community college system, gave a means to right some of the ignorant educational decisions of my past.

Many people seem to have an inaccu-rately negative perception of community college because they view it as merely an extension of compulsory education. They act as if they have to be here against their will, and it is often evident in their performance. I could personally attest that if I didn’t think that I had something to gain from being here, I most definitely would not stick around. But, if you use it as the second chance that it is, you can go a lot farther than you would by being a short-term pessimist.

Skyline an option for high schoolers

Heal: The system

“It’s bad if every student were to register for classes at the same time because it would cause an overload.”

--Rozan Alawamelh

Heal: Organized students

“If you have your stuff orga-nized and go through the neces-sary steps, you deserve to get registered early.”

--Brian Cruze

Heal: Students who are on financial aid or disabled

“Some students need to reg-ister early, like the disabled and those who are under financial aid who need to know how much it will cost.”

--Jasmine Ben

Hurt: Students who get classes later

“A lot of people go to this school, and if they don’t get their classes here, they’ll have to go and get them at CSM.”

--Alex Arceo

Heal: Those who have it

“Those students who have (priority registration) will sign up early, and they’re the ones who will get the classes they want pretty much guar-anteed.”

--Pooja Singh

Heal: Responsible students “It’s a heal for those students

who have actual educational goals. They know where they’re going in their academics.”

--Leonard Aguinaldo

Hurt: Students trying to transfer

“It’s not fair because some students need certain classes to transfer, and if they don’t get it, then they have to stay at Skyline longer.”

--Jalayna Schneider

Hello again, Skyline. Have you all been enjoying your semester? With the printing of this issue, we are halfway done with the semester. We print a total of eight issues a semester, and this issue is the fourth.

While it may be halfway through our semester, we’re not anywhere close to slowing down. In fact, I expect things to get a bit more hectic as we get new rules into full swing and our editors reach the point where they get accustomed to their jobs.

While I may make it sound like a lot of work to be on the newspaper staff, it’s also a LOT of fun, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I always encourage my friends to give it a try because I think it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

I’ve made a lot of great friends here, friends I’ll probably have throughout my life. I have lots of great memories here as well, like when everyone surprised me with a potluck for my birthday last semester.

When I first started taking journalism classes, it was out of curiosity. I was a huge news junkie and didn’t really know if I wanted to get into it. I was taking news writing for kicks, and within the first week I was thinking I may drop the class since I didn’t know if it was for me. But then the instructor called me after I cut class. She commented about how good my writing style is and how much she’d like to have me on the paper.

I came back and talked to her in person, and before long I was signed up for newspaper staff. Most of the positions were already taken, so I really just fell into the role of Online Editor because of my computer experience. Over the semesters, I did a lot of things to the website. I was there for the transition to our new website, and for the longest time I was the only one who understood it.

I’ve learned so much in these past two years that it’s ridicu-lous. I don’t feel like any other subject has grasped me this tightly. I’ve gone to every Journalism Association of Community Col-leges convention since. Now I’m starting to feel like the world is my oyster; I have plenty of ways I could go. I feel like I could move to a magazine to write about gaming, or that I could become a correspondent overseas for a major news network.

If you’ve read our paper and have considered joining us, I’d definitely recommend it. The classes you’re looking for are Jour-nalism 300 if you’re interested in being an editor and Journalism 690 if you want to be a freelance writer or photographer.

The View From Here

with Stephen Benoit

9 October 13, 2011 Skyline ViewThe

eNtertaiNmeNt

by Stephen Benoitto the flag. Some players prefer the direct approach and will rush over land to get the flag. Others will play more sneakily, building bridges in the sky or digging great tunnels un-der ground, in hopes that the enemy won’t notice until it’s far too late.

The game employs pseudo phys-ics, so if there’s not at least one block of support for a structure touching the ground, the entire thing will crumble. This leads to some hilari-ous moments where an entire castle comes crashing down because the attackers blew out the foundation with bombs. Or there are moments when an intricate bridge almost reaches the enemy’s base, only to be stopped dead in its tracks by a catapult that destroys the supports and sends it, and all the people stand-ing on it, crashing to the ground and their deaths.

The game feels like a strange PVP-oriented Terraria, but with classes, objectives, and two op-posing teams that start on opposite ends of the map. The game is still seemingly in early development and has many features apparently on the way. For a free game it’s hard to put down and is still relatively undiscovered.

All in all, it’s a great little waste of time and is hard to beat for something you can get for nothing! If you’ve got some free time after your studies, go ahead and give it a download to try it for yourself!

Knights. Archers. Builders. Fortresses constructed to reach the heavens. Ancient ruins. Great battles. Sieges for control of terri-tory. All of this and more in “King Arthur’s Gold,” a free 2D platform game akin to games from the SNES era for the PC.

“King Arthur’s Gold” is a simple-looking game that’s simply addict-ing! There are three classes to play: the knight who fights with sword, shield, and bombs; the archer who fights from afar with his bow and ar-row; and the builder, who constructs and deconstructs many things. You can change classes any time while near a tent belonging to your team.

When a match begins, you have 300 seconds to build your best defense against the enemy team. Sturdy walls and pits full of spikes will help, but make sure to be safe enough in their construction so that they do not harm your team along with your enemies! Smart players will play builders at first to ensure the defenses of their team. The ob-jective of the game is simple: the tent your team starts at holds a flag, and you must capture your enemy’s flag and bring it back to your flag—this wins the game.

When the match begins, things can get messy quickly. Archers will rain down arrows, builders will rain down boulders after building cata-pults, and knights will rush to hold territory long enough for builders to build new fortifications on their way

“King Arthur’s Gold”

“Abduction” makes for a good date

I went into this movie thinking it would be another bad chick flick. Taylor Lautner, better known as Jacob from Twilight, plays Nathan in Abduction.

The movie’s plot is actually deep and engaging. Without giving too much of the story away, the film cen-ters around Nathan, who finds out he was on a missing children list.

This triggers the plot to unfold very quickly. He finds out that his parents aren’t really his parents and for the most part, his life is a cover up. Nathan is then plunged in a high-tension situation where he is constantly running, fighting and trying to figure himself and his past out.

The movie includes secret agents, spies, terrorists and even lots of pirates.

Guys, don’t be too depressed if your girlfriend or date drags you to watch this movie. There is action and suspense for us too! BMW car chases, gun fights, explosions—the works. Nathan’s co-star, Lily Col-lins, is a decent actress and good eye

candy for the single guys. To the girls, yes, Lautner does ap-

pear shirtless maybe once or twice, but the movie does have romance and a love story.

Since I thought it was going to be a bad move, I was impressed. The movie was good, and I would recommend it to my friends. If I had anything negative to say, it would be about Taylor himself and not the movie.

I found Lautner’s acting to be a little bit fake and scripted. It is hard to tell what he is feeling or thinking due to his face being blank all the time. The transition from romance movies to action for Lautner might have been a “fail”.

As far as being an action hero, I don’t think he played the hero well. Once I watched it, I wondered to myself as I was driving home why it was called “Abduction”.

Overall, the movie was a good movie and worth the $9 for two tickets (Groupon Deal). I would take a date to watch this movie in theatres, but I would not go with my

friends as a group like we would an action movie.

If you’re wondering if it’s worth it, my advice to you is unless you’re going with a date, I would just wait and rent the DVD .

Upcoming MoviesThe Big YearFather Of InventionFireflies in the GardenThe ThingThe Skin I Live InThe Three MusketeersRetreatThe Reunion

•••

•••

••

by Sarawut Saechang

courtesy of stePhen benoIt

The blue team works to build a bridge across the sky to the enemy base.

courtesy of lIongate studIos

Taylor Lautner tries to play an action hero.

10 Skyline ViewThe

eNtertaiNmeNtOctober 13, 2011

by Stephen Benoit

Music of NIN for the win!Nine Inch Nails may be laying

low for the moment with no word on new content and supposedly no future concerts, but the sound is still strong and can keep me tapping my foot no matter how many times I’ve heard it before.

I’ve been listening to Nine Inch Nails since 1997, when they quickly became my favorite band and have stayed there ever since. Their sound was different from anything I’d ever heard and quickly brought me into the fold as a fan of industrial music.

When I say industrial, I don’t mean corporate music, I mean mu-sic that incorporates a lot of sounds that when brought together make music. The front man for the band, Trent Reznor, has quite a streak of anti-corporatism, especially against his former record label. His feel-ings about corporatism in America are summed up quite well in the themed album “Year Zero,” which takes place in a dystopian American society influenced in horrible ways by George W. Bush.

Political messages aren’t ev-erything Nine Inch Nails is about though. Prior albums have had songs that deal with issues like suicide, losing loved ones and various other issues. The most famous song by Nine Inch Nails is without a doubt “Hurt,” a song that was covered by

the late Johnny Cash and accom-panied by a music video that was frankly tear jerking.

Song meanings are not given away freely; they’re left open to interpretation. For example, the previously mentioned “Hurt” has one interpretation of someone who’s committed suicide, and another in-terpretation of someone who finds meaning in living. The whole album “The Downward Spiral,” which “Hurt” premiered on, seems to be a theme of the life of someone who has slipped into the titular focus.

I personally interpret the album as someone who ends their own life, but as their life is slowly draining away they realize things weren’t so bad and if they had another chance that they wouldn’t change a thing about it. While the subject matter may be dark, it’s kind of uplifting and makes the listener really think, especially the ending. I know several times in my life when I’ve been feel-ing down, listening to this made me feel better about my own life.

All in all, if you’re looking to get into Nine Inch Nails, there’s a lot of material. There are eight full albums and many remix albums. If you’re into an ‘80s kind of sound, I’d definitely recommend “Pretty Hate Machine” and “Broken.” “The Downward Spiral” is easily the most popular as it went quadruple plati-num and definitely has a ‘90s sound to it. “Ghosts I-IV” is an interesting creation—it’s a totally improvised

instrumental album made in 10 weeks by Trent Reznor and friends he invited over for the project. He just wanted them to play whatever came to mind, and the result was a beautiful and eerie album aptly named “Ghosts.” It’s a great album to listen to on a rainy day just relax-ing in a room with the lights off.

If you want to get yourself pumped up, I’d recommend listen-ing to “Year Zero,” as the whole album has the feeling of “Fight, fight, and fight some more!” One great example of Reznor’s fighting spirit was at a concert in Australia where he urged fans to protest high album prices by stealing his music

and sharing it with friends. Overall I think there’s something

for everyone in Nine Inch Nail’s discography, and I find Trent Reznor to be a great composer among a sea of auto-tuned crap and generic pop sounds.

Wolf Gang takes a bite out of the Warfield“Look at Sharkcat’s eyes! Aren’t

you scared?!” bellowed a member from Odd Future to the sold out crowd at the Warfield on Friday, Sept. 30.

To those of you unfamiliar with Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (an L.A. rap collective more commonly known as Odd Future), Sharkcat is the mascot of their cur-rent tour, and its feline face, cute but definitely not all together innocent, adorns a massive banner in front of which the crew raps to their audi-ences during their current tour.

In an impressively short time, the group has made a place for them-selves in the hip-hop scene. Already, they’ve performed on Jimmy Fallon and more recently, front man Tyler The Creator won the VMA award for Best New Artist. They’ve come a long way from the underground scene and have an equally impres-sive live show to accompany their radical success.

Most of the members in Odd Fu-ture are younger than 21, and much of their following is too. This was

definitely more of a younger crowd, and because of this, the energy both on stage and off was forceful and stimulating.

Because they’re so young and gung-ho, the members jump into the crowd during the show, causing waves of the audience to slide left to right to catch them. Believe me, I know this can be irritating during concerts, but the energy of the show and in the music was so pervasive, that it was difficult to find much to complain about.

The general admission crowd was literally pulsing with force. I found myself in several spontane-ously created mosh-pits throughout the show, but for any seasoned concert aficionado, this is not much to sweat. Speaking of sweat, man, was it sweaty in that crowd! This is understandable when taking the context of this group’s message into account.

With objectionable language and themes, it’s not surprising that their audience was loud and aggressive. But that’s the entire point! Some people don’t really know how to

react to Odd Future and that’s ex-actly what the group wants. Some take them too seriously, berating them for being disrespectful and inappropriate, but it’s important to remember that these are just a bunch of kids. They’re a talented group of young people that produce all of their own music and have complete creative control over their material just having fun. Part of their appeal is that they’re kids just like us, who have grabbed their dreams and done something about it.

Everyone has dark thoughts and Odd Future has a business model centered around this. They use this to garner attention and have a dedi-cated fan-base that even brings them gifts to shows. One young lady in the crowd brought Tyler a gift bag with his favorite lotion.

There was definitely a sense of homogeny in the crowd, since the group’s popularity has understand-ably shot up due to their preco-cious artistic style. Odd Future are incredibly self-aware and know that provocative and ignorant lyrics will gather both good attention and

bad. The crowd went crazy as OF played “French,” which encourages the audience to “check” rather than pardon their French. The set-list covered many favorites like Tyler’s “Yonkers”, Mike G’s “Everything That’s Yours”, and Mellowhype’s “64”. Domo Genesis played some new material and I have to admit, he brought the most to the stage. Even Earl Sweatshirt’s (a group member who is unfortunately absent) music was played over loud speakers.

by Nina Smirnov

I would highly recommend that people check these guys out because they’re doing something really fresh with music and as long as you can appreciate solid beats and clever word play, you shouldn’t get too wrapped up in the darker themes that normally turn people off. This is definitely a group worth keeping up with and personally, I look forward to following them through their inevitable future success.

stePhen benoIt/the skylIne VIew

This is a collection of Nine Inch Nails music.

Skyline falls to Cañada: 6-1Trojans continue to battle bad calls during games

by Richard EstradaFriday afternoon’s game between

visiting Cañada College and Skyline could very well have been the game that changed the season for either of these struggling teams.

Going into this match, Cañada had just defeated the defending Coast champion, De Anza College, and looked to carry that momentum into San Bruno against their district rival. The Cañada Colts ranked fourth in their division (just above winless Monterey Peninsula) going into the match and were seeking their third win of 2011.

This year’s Trojan team has also had its share of frustration and dis-appointment with a record of 1-6-2 thus far this season. Coming off a crushing 2-0 defeat to the Rams of City College of San Francisco, the Trojan soccer team looked to bounce back against Cañada. In the loss against San Francisco, Skyline’s energy and effort made the opposing coaching staff rethink their game plan and forced them to re-strategize in order to put Skyline away.

According to the players and coaches alike, the loss was due more to the season-long battle against

game officials. “Honestly, we were robbed. That game wasn’t decided by the play on the field,” said Head Coach Daniel Link regarding the game at San Francisco.

Skyline appeared ready and de-termined to build on the last game’s performance, as first year midfielder Esteban Morales motivated his teammates during pre-game warm-ups, telling them, “Think about San Francisco! This one is ours!”

The game began with both teams aggressively attacking each other and locking each other down on defense. This match had all the

makings of a tight contest. How-ever, after a call against the Trojans, Skyline players found themselves disoriented.

Cañada was first to score, with a corner-kick leaving 40 minutes in the first half. Skyline’s defense was evidently shaken up, as they were unable to re-cover in time before Cañada’s second goal went in just two minutes later.

Skyline’s strategy slowly began to take shape as they built upon their momentum and tightened up their offense. The urgency picked up but was once again disrupted by a handball call on Cañada, which was immediately retracted and gave Cañada possession that eventually resulted in their third goal with 15 minutes left to play. The Trojans fell 3-0 with 30 minutes still left in the first half.

At this point in the game, Skyline had ground to make up and appeared more organized in their quest to cut into the deficit. In an impressive drive beginning on Skyline’s end of the field, Trojan forward Michael McNab split through a series of Cañada’s defenders and cut the Colts’ lead to two goals after scor-ing Skyline’s first. It would be the only Trojan goal for the rest of the match.

In the closing moments of the first half, an offsides call on Skyline disrupted a second drive toward the net, and a Skyline foul put Cañada in scoring position, where they took advantage going into halftime lead-ing 4-1.

Coach Link began the second

Recent Games:

half with a new lineup, which slowed down Cañada’s attack, but an aggressive play by a Cañada midfielder injured Skyline’s Diego Sanchez. Although he was able to continue, frustration would ultimate-ly factor into the progression of the match. Cañada went on to score two more times and defeated the Trojans with a final score of 6-1.

“It’s very difficult when there’s no consistency,” Coach Link said after the game in reference to the officiating during the match.

Trojan goalkeeper Luis De Paz added, “We just lost our heads. Certain no-calls are tough to get through, especially when you’re down.”

Skyline currently ranks third in the Coast Conference’s Central Division. They will prepare for Tuesday’s game as they host Gavilan College on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m.

Trojans tame the JaguarsSkyline’s volleyball squad sweeps San Jose in straight sets

by Richard EstradaSan Jose City College’s vol-

leyball team huddled by the court entrance chanting, “Win! Win!” before stepping onto the court to face Skyline for their Oct. 7 match on the Trojans’ home floor. Evidently, Sky-line decided to show them how.

Earlier this season, Skyline and San Jose faced off in the 25th annual San Jose City College Volleyball Invitational, where the Trojans man-aged to put away the Jaguars in four sets. This October meeting proved to be different as Skyline dealt with injuries to key starters, leaving the Trojan coaching staff with the task of developing a game plan to counter a healthy Jaguar team.

Poor communication between the Jaguars had them fighting an uphill battle early in the first game as the Trojans played a balanced game and took advantage of the issues on the opposing side of the court. Hustle plays by freshmen Theresa Ferrari and Kimberly Tang strengthened the team’s performance as they kept the ball in play throughout the match. San Jose fell to the Trojans after the first set.

Game 2 proved to be much more competitive as the Jaguars addressed their poor execution and took control early. Again, Skyline’s balance managed to easily bring them back to tie the second set at seven points apiece. The game remained tight as Skyline sophomore April Sherfy’s clever play at the net left the Jaguars frantically diving to the floor unable to respond and eventually losing the second set.

Making up one third of the Trojan offense, Sherfy continued to domi-nate offensively in the third set as her individual numbers skyrocketed. Fans in the gym cheered as their Tro-jan team capitalized with successful rallies deflating the Jaguars’ hopes of a comeback. San Jose lost three consecutive sets, falling to Skyline for the second time this season.

“They all stepped up,” Head Coach Rayannah Salahuddin noted after the game. “Every player on the

court played hard and helped make up for our injured players. April was truly a team leader. She’s the player she is through hard work,” she added, referring to her team captain’s performance.

“Their defense was set up for our offense, so we had to change it when we were out on the court,” Sherfy said. “We did a good job, and it helped us get the win.” She noted that the ability to adjust to different teams has helped them get through

many games this season.Although Skyline was able to

defeat San Jose in straight sets, de-fensive specialist Ferrari saw aspects of the game not reflected in the final box score. With momentum mount-ing from wins against De Anza College and San Jose City College, Ferrari sets the bar higher as they continue their conference schedule.

“Something we have to ad-dress is maintaining our intensity throughout games,” Ferrari said.

rIchard estrada/the skylIne VIew

rIchard estrada/the skylIne VIew

“We have a tendency to relax when we get a lead, which teams pick up on. Overall, we played a great game, but it’s definitely something we have to fix.”

After the win, Skyline’s record improved to 2-2 in conference play, and 8-9 overall. They will travel to San Francisco to face arch-rival City College of San Francisco on Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in hopes of remaining undefeated in October.

Trojan Theresa Ferrari prepares for San Jose’s attack prior to the serve.estrella benaVIdes/the skylIne VIew

April Sherfy’s presence helped put Skyline over the top in their match against Foothill.

Defensive forward Conor McNab takes the ball downfield.

11October 13, 2011 Skyline ViewThe

spOrts

Women’s Soccer:Win, 4-0 @ Chabot (10/04)Loss , 0 -2 @ Ohlone (10/07)Loss, 2-1 VS EVC (10/11)

Men’s Soccer: Loss, 2-0 @ CCSF (10/04)Loss, 6-1 VS Cañada (10/07)Loss, 0-1 VS Gavilan (10/11)

SportsSkyline

Upcoming Games10/14 @ Foothill 4 p.m.10/18 @ West Valley 4 p.m.10/21 @ Mission College 3 p.m.10/25 @ Cañada @ 4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer10/14 @ Chabot 3 p.m.10/18 @ Evergreen Valley 6:30 p.m.10/20 VS Santa Rosa 3 p.m.10/21 @ Mission College 4 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

Wrestling Volleyball10/15 North Dual Meet 9 a.m.10/19 @ Fresno City 7 p.m.10/26 @ Modesto 7 p.m.11/02 @ Santa Rosa 7 p.m.

10/19 @ Foothill 6:30 p.m.10/21 @ Ohlone College 6:30 p.m.10/26 VS De Anza 6:30 p.m.10/28 @ SJCC 6:30 p.m.

Justin Christian on deck

Trojans fall short of comeback against EVC

Former Trojan realizes big league dreams

If there’s one term that could be used to describe the baseball career of 31-year-old San Francisco Giants journeyman outfielder Justin Christian, it’s “perseverance.”

It doesn’t matter that he’s undergone a number of surgeries to repair an old high school injury, or

by Joe Barrack

Women’s soccer team continues to struggle with injuriesAfter a shut-out defeat in Fre-

mont to Ohlone College, Skyline planned to bounce back at home against visiting Evergreen Valley College for their Oct. 11th matchup and avoid their first losing streak since September. The Trojans had slipped to second place in their divi-sion and prepare to face an E.V.C. team who’s coming off back-to-back wins. Skyline’s players have had trouble adjusting to different roles due to injuries to key players, reflected in their dip in goals in their last two matches.

Evergreen Valley has been playing their best soccer of the

season, winning three of their last four games while outscoring their opponents 15-5 in those contests. The Hawks were looking for their third straight win.

The foggy conditions on the field appeared to play a factor in locating the ball early in the first half as kicks downfield for both teams went out of play with players unable to hold possession. Skyline’s defense had trouble adjusting to E.V.C.’s unorthodox ball move-ment as they chose to kick the ball down the field rather than pass to their open teammates. The Hawks were first on the scoreboard as they capitalized on a lapse in judgment

by the Trojans midway through the first half. Skyline trailed 1-0 going into halftime.

Evergreen continued their dominance early in the second half adding a second goal in the first four minutes of play. The two goal cushion was short-lived though as Skyline caught the Hawks by surprise with a goal from freshman Jazmine Cazares two minutes later. Both teams elevated their intensity as players were given yellow cards for unnecessary roughness at various points of the second half. Possession alternated between the teams for the remainder of the game. In the clos-ing minutes of the match, Skyline

was unable to take advantage while in scoring position and ended up short of a comeback.

The Trojans have now lost three of their last four games and slipped to third place in the North Division standings.

“We’re not the team we want to be right now. We’re missing great players on the sidelines with crutches, and it hurts us when we’re not fully healthy and able to compete with our full team,” said head coach Kevin Corsiglia, addressing the current obstacles the team is facing. “We’re trying to find ourselves right now. When you try to find yourself while making mistakes, you’re not

by Richard Estrada going to win games.”Leading scorer Katie Jaques,

who was involved in a hard play at the net toward the end of the game, shared her frustration, “When the score is close, games tend to get more physical. We made too many mental mistakes today.” This Trojan team unfamiliar with losing must now regroup and prepare for their next match as they travel to Los Al-tos to face Foothill College. Jaques added, “We’ve played the game long enough for us to play that way; we know how to win and need to stop losing. ”

Skyline’s game at Foothill Col-lege will take place Oct. 14 at 4 p.m.

that he went un-drafted out of Southeast Missouri State University; Christian’s determination has been the key to success in his path to professional baseball.

“Just like his whole life and his whole life story, he was persistent to get better,” said Skyline Head Coach Dino Nomicos. “When people told him he couldn’t do something, he proved them all wrong.”

Christian came to Skyline in the summer of 2000 during the first year of Coach Nomicos’ tenure at the college. Skyline was an important part of Christian’s development as a ball player.

“Out of high school I was decent, but I wasn’t as good as I needed to be,” Christian said. “(Skyline College) was a big part of my development. (Batting Coach) John Quintell really did a great job of giving me a foundation to my swing.”

Coaches Nomicos and Quintell recognized the extraordinary amount of raw talent that Christian possessed, and were both confident that he would have a bright future in baseball.

“The first day I saw Justin Christian, he hit a weak ground ball to second base, a four- or five-hopper,” Quintell said. “And I said to myself, ‘That guy could play in the big leagues.’”

Paired with the Skyline coaching staff’s expertise, Christian’s ability led to big numbers for the young phenomenon. In his one year at Skyline, Christian re- corded a batting average of .485 and was an All American selection.

Nomicos’ and Quintell’s mentorships played a big part in Christian’s performance at Skyline. Consequently, Christian’s prowess on the baseball diamond helped establish legitimacy for the Skyline baseball team, which had only won two games in its previous season.

“He took a chance to come play for me,” Nomicos said. “He’s one of the reasons we’ve built the program to what it is today.”

Christian is a Bay Area native who grew up in San Mateo and attended Aragon High School, where he played both baseball and football.

His father helped instill a love of sports in him at an early age.“I’ve been playing baseball since I was two or three years old,” Christian said. “My father is

the one who taught me the game. He gave me the opportunity to play little league and coached me. He did an absolutely fabulous job of helping me learn the game.”

Growing up in the Bay Area, Christian was a big Giants fan and made frequent visits to Candlestick Park with dreams of one day playing for his favorite team.

It was at the age of fifteen, when he began playing in the San Mateo Joe Dimaggio League, that he decided to pursue a career in baseball to someday play in the big leagues.

“It was at that point where I really tried to stay focused and really work on my craft to be the best I could be,” Christian said.

But his road to the big leagues would be plagued with nagging injuries. After receiving a full scholarship out of Skyline to the University of Auburn in Alabama, he missed the entire 2002 season recovering from surgery.

With regular injuries, Christian’s health became the biggest obstacle to pursuing his baseball career. He went un-drafted in 2003 out of Southeast Missouri State University despite having a stellar season and making All American for the second time in his career.

In June of 2004, he was finally picked up by an affiliated team. He made his Major League debut on June 24, 2008 starting for the New York Yankees.

“That was a great experience,” Christian said of his first game in the big leagues. “I ended up going two for four with a double and a couple RBI’s and got a taste of the big leagues at that time.”

He played 24 games with the Yankees that season and in 2009, he was signed to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Christian signed with a Giants affiliate in February 2011, and later that fall the San Francisco Giants purchased his contract from Triple-A Fresno. Christian got a second chance to play in the big leagues.

Christian’s father, who is his biggest fan, has been with him through it all.“He’s always been there for me,” Christian said. “He was very excited when I signed with the Giants

to come over here and play at AT&T Park.”For Justin, being called up to San Francisco was the culmination of years of toil and some frustration.

But he says that all that hard work has been worth it.“The Giants were my hometown team growing up as a kid. To be able to play for your hometown

team is absolutely extraordinary. This is a lifelong dream come true.”

Giants outfielder, Justin Christian takes batting practice before a

game against division rival, Colorado.

Joe barrack/the skylIne VIew