Dec. 9, 2005

NEWSAssociated Students

names new president.

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS........................1-4FEATURE...................5-6SPORTS .........................11ENTERTAINMENT............10CALENDAR....................15

PHOTO FEATURE

Peña celebration raisesmoney for Guatemalan

Hurricane victims.Pages 8-9

EL VAQUEROwww.elvaq.com Volume 88 Number 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2005

G l e n d a l e C o l l e g e

NEWS

Maintenance crews domore with less.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bif Naked is on tourwith a new album.

Page 10

Page 4

Photo by Elizabeth Linares


By ALISON GELLEREL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Page 3

Glendale College was one ofmore than 14,000 Glendale

Department of Water and Powercustomers left in the dark at 5:30p.m. on Nov. 29 because of afaulty, 34 thousand volt, under-ground cable; the power went outfor more than an hour, accordingto Ritch Wells, PublicInformation Officer for theDepartment of Water and Power.

Because there are limitedemergency lights, in some build-ings only illuminating hallways,Steve White, Vice President ofInstruction Services, decided tocancel all of the evening classesand to close down the campus,after discussing it with SharonCombs, Interim Vice Presidentof College Services, and SteveWagg, Chief of Campus Police.

“The campus wasn’t safe,”said White. “At the time wecalled — it was approximately 5or 10 after 6 p.m. — GlendaleWater and Power could notlocate the problem and could not

tell us when the power would beback on. So we decided for thesafety of the students and staffthat we had to close the campusand evacuate.” He closed thecampus at 6:10 p.m.

“It was early in the eveningthere was no moonlight and itwas very dark,” said White. “Wehave emergency lighting in thehallways and in our classrooms.As long as you could find thedoor to the classroom and get tothe hallways you’re able to exitthe building safely. But onceoutside…we don’t have anyemergency lighting outside. Soas soon as you got more than 10feet away from the building itwas extremely dark and thechances of injuries…were signif-icant.”

Some of the emergency light-ing failed. In the San RafaelBuilding staff and students hadto make their way out in the dark.

According to Nidal Kobaissi,the campus’s Police Specialist,no injuries, accidents or crimesoccurred during the blackout,though, several students weretrapped in elevators but none

sustained injuries.Two or three students were

trapped in an elevator in theLibrary building and one wastrapped in the elevator in the SanRafael building.

Senior Cadet Ryan Wells ofthe college’s police departmentwas working that evening andheaded to the San Rafael build-ing when he was found out that awoman was stuck in the elevatorbetween the second and thirdfloor.

When he got there he madecontact with the woman, foundout that she wasn’t injured andassured her that they were stand-ing by. She was trapped in theelevator for about 30 to 45 min-utes, according to Cadet Wells.

When the power came backon Cadet Wells assumes that sheexited the elevator by the thirdfloor because he was stationedon the second level and anothercadet was stationed on the first.When the elevator doors openedon both levels she was alreadygone.

According to Combs, the ITdepartment said that 111 classes

were canceled, which affectedabout 2,580 students, all ofwhom needed to be notified thattheir classes were canceled thatevening.

Representing the campuspolice that evening were threecadets, three officers, PoliceChief Wagg and Police SpecialistKobaissi.

“Most of the work [in notify-ing students that the campus wasclosed] was done by campuspolice and cadets who werelocated at all the strategic loca-tions,” said White. “We put upsigns on as many buildings as wecould, we were doing a little bitof stuff with bull horns, and wehad administrators and volun-teers walking around spreadingthe message [that the campuswas closed].”

When the power came backon campus officials changed themarquee at the corner of VerdugoRoad and Mountain Avenue sothat it read “Campus Closed.”“It stayed on even during the sec-ond blackout,” said White.

Campus Plunged Into Darkness

while attempting to cross the Canadian bor-der.

Oscar Torres hung on to life for fivemore days.

At a wake held at Forest Lawn GlendaleSunday, many relatives and friends came topay respects for Torres, who was remem-bered for his acts of kindness.

In his MySpace (an online diary)account, Torres said: “I am a freshman incollege. I like to hang out with my friends,like to meet people. I am a friendly guy whocan get along with almost anyone. I alsohave a beautiful girlfriend who I love verymuch.”

His mother, Martha Torres, said “Oscarwas the sweetest, most loving child. Hisheart was filled with love. He was the kindof boy who would do anything for you.”

Torres is survived by his mother andfather, Juan, and three brothers.

Oscar Torres, an 18-year-old freshman atthe college, died Thanksgiving Day

after being struck by a hit-and-run driver onNov. 19 near the corner of ColumbusAvenue and Riverdale Drive in Glendale.

One passenger, a 17-year-old friend,remains in critical condition. A vigil sitemarks the scene of the accident.

Sandi Gibbons, spokesperson for the LosAngeles County District Attorney’s Office,said that Andranik Manukovich Atshemyan,23, has been charged with murder and withleaving the scene of an accident.

Torres’ car was parked when it was hit bythe suspect, according to Glendale PoliceSgt. Peter Pressnal. Witnesses claimed thatAtshemyan, who was not badly injured, fledthe scene on foot. He was later arrested

Student Killed in Traffic AccidentBy JANE POJAWAEL VAQUERO EDITOR IN CHIEF

See BLACKOUT, Page 14

Oscar Torres died Nov. 24, following a caraccident on Nov. 19.

Photo by Jane Pojawa

Armineh Dereghishian

Trash cans overflow .

www.elvaq.comFriday, December 9, 20052

N E W S

Glendale College Newspaper

Editor in ChiefJANE POJAWA

Staff MembersVIOLETA ARRAZOLA PAULINE GUIUANELIZABETH LINARES ALISON GELLER

OLIVER TAN OLGA RAMAZKASIA FAUGHN

Online EditorMCHAEL J. ARVIZU

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Photography AdviserLIANE ENKELIS

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‘His Life Was Teaching, Family Was His Job’Memorial services for

Enfiadjian were held at KreiderHall on Sunday. Family, friendsand students paid their lastrespects to a man whom AdjunctFaculty Coordinator IsabelleSaber regarded as “one-of-a-kind.”

“His students are his legacy,”said Saber. “One of the thingsthat was said at the memorialservice was that ‘his life wasteaching and his family was hisjob.’ He was truly, verydedicated to the art of teachinghis students.”

A memorial scholarship hasbeen set up under Enfiadjian’sname. Various guests at theservice donated money to thescholarship, including aprofessor at SMC who took overEnfiadjian’s classes after hisresignation. She has contributed

the salary she received fromtaking over Enfiadjian’s classesthe scholarship.

Enfiadjian taught right up tothe last Monday beforeThanksgiving.

He is survived by his wifeLouisa, sons Edward and Levon,and their respective wive’s Maryand Raquel, and hisgrandchildren Hagop, Levon andEllen.

The family expressed theirdeepest thanks to the ExecutiveVice-President of AdministrativeServices, Lawrence Serot, andthe facilities department for theircontribution toward thememorial service.

— Compiled by Olga Ramaz

EL VAQUERO

Adevoted husband, father,grandfather and

mathematics professor, Dr.Rafael Enfiadjian passed awayon Nov. 25.

An adjunct instructor at GCCand Santa Monica College(SMC), he was very highlyregarded by colleagues andstudents.

“He was a great guy,” saidChair of the Math Division,Peter Stathis. “If I needed anadjunct to teach a class, healways stepped forward.”

Enfiadjian was born inYerevan, Armenia in 1941. Hewas accepted to Yerevan StateUniversity in 1960 where hemajored in physics andmathematics. He later receivedhis doctorate in physics fromthe Yerevan PolytechnicInstitute. Dr. Rafael Enfiadjian

www.elvaq.com Friday, December 9, 2005 3

N E W S

Armineh Dereghishian Named President ofAssociated Students in Mid-Year Shake-Up


In a surprise announcementon Nov. 21, the GCC Board

of Trustees introducedArmineh Dereghishian, vicepresident of campus relationsof the Associated Students ofGCC (ASGCC), as the newpresident of the AssociatedStudents of Glendale College.Dereghishian replaced HaikChilingaryan, who was origi-nally elected ASGCCPresident for this academicyear.

Chilingaryan, who waselected to the position duringthe spring semester, resignedfrom the presidency in mid-November following a failed

More than a thousand GCCstudents flocked to Plaza

Vaquero last week to exercisetheir right to vote for studentleaders for the spring semester.According to ASGCC adviserAlen Andriassian, a surprisinglyhigh total of 1,170 ballots wascounted.

“This was a pretty big turnoutfor a non-presidential election,”Andriassian said. “If the black-out hadn’t happened, wewould’ve had a record for thenumber of voters.”

“It doesn’t matter who youvote for, as long as you makeyour voice heard,” said ElsaUrquilla, one of the former sena-tors of campus relations.Urquilla introduced this year’sAssociated Students of GCC(ASGCC) candidates for elec-tion at Plaza Vaquero on Nov.29, formally opening the elec-tions to the students.

According to AlenAndriassian, the ASGCCadviser, “improper conduct”referred to “doing somethingunbecoming of an officer,something outside of what aleader should do,” and “neg-lect of duties” meant that thecharged officer was “not doinghis job” as a leader.Andriassian refused to com-ment when asked what specif-ic mistakes or offenses werelodged against Chilingaryan.

However, the vote forimpeachment did not pass.“The [members] wanted togive Haik another chance,”Dereghishian said.

Chilingaryan said that thecharges against him were notjustified. “I was not ‘neglect-ing my duty’,” he said. “I

called every meeting to order,and I was always on time andready to go. The charge wasridiculous.” He said thatdespite being very busy withhis classes, he “worked veryhard” to maintain his position.

Concerning the allegationof “improper conduct,”Chilingaryan said that it wasbased mainly on “personalissues.”

“‘Improper conduct’ wasbased on other people’s inter-pretation of my actions,”Chilingaryan explained.

“That’s their opinion. Ofcourse, I’ve done things

vote for impeachment intro-duced by five vice presidentsof ASGCC.

“Haik felt that he had toomuch on his plate,” saidDereghishian when asked whythe outgoing president hadresigned. “He wanted to focusmore on his studies. Heresigned for academic rea-sons.”

Chilingaryan, who recentlyswitched majors from PoliticalScience to Biology, said thatASGCC activities “consumeda lot of time” for him and thathe was “falling behind” in hisclasses. “You have to let bigthings go in order to receiveother big things,” he said.

Dereghishian added thateven before the vice presidentsagreed on the vote for

By PAULINE GUIUANEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

By PAULINE GUIUANEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Pauline Guiuan can be reachedat [email protected]

impeachment, they had noticedthat Chilingaryan “couldn’tfocus as much time on hisresponsibilities as he wantedto,” and this affected his lead-ership.

“We [vice presidents]addressed the problem, andbrought it to his attention,” saidDereghishian. “He felt that itwas best to step down, evenwhen the vote for impeachmentfailed.”

At the Nov. 15 ASGCCmeeting, the motion was raisedto remove Chilingaryan on thegrounds of “neglect of dutyand improper conduct.”Dereghishian said that the motion to impeachChilingaryan was voted on bythe whole legislature, which iscomposed of 20 members.

The new ASGCC spring officers are: David Arakelyan, vice president of Finance; Arpine Hovasapyan, vice presidentof Campus Relations Committee; newly appointed ASGCC president Armineh Dereghishian, center; Thomas Dryden,vice president of Administration Committee; Sabine Freij, vice president of Activities Committee; and Erick Santos,vice president of Organizations Committee.

More Than 1,000 VotesCast for Student Officers

Polling booths were set upalong the east entrance to theadministration building. The pollswere open from noon to 3:30 p.m.on Nov. 29 and re-opened on themorning of Nov. 30, finally clos-ing on that evening.

All of the nine candidates forvice president gave their speech-es, culminating a week of heavycampaigning throughout the cam-pus. Placards and fliers promotingthe candidates had been scatteredall over campus beginning Nov.21.

Most of the nine candidates forvice president and the 20 candi-dates for senator said that if theyshould win, they would focus on“representing the students’ inter-ests,” “getting students moreinvolved” and “promoting morefun activities.”

One vice president and threesenators were to be elected foreach of the ASGCC’s fivecommittees: administration,finance, campus organizations,campus relations and campusactivities.

Some incumbent officers,such as Vice President forAdministration Thomas Drydenand Vice President of CampusOrganizations Erick Santos, whowere running for re-electionreminded students of theirachievements this semester andencouraged them to “vote forexperience.”

Unfortunately, the elections

were interrupted at around 6p.m. on Tuesday by the blackoutthat shut down power from theentire campus. Most of the can-didates were on campus at thattime, waiting to campaign to stu-dents with evening classes.

“Because of the blackout,there was no voting or cam-paigning that night,” said ErickSantos, re-elected vice president

of campus organizations. “Thewhole campus was closed.”According to Santos, theASGCC decided not to giveadditional hours for voting tomake up for the three hours lostdue to the power outage.

The election results wereannounced at noon on Dec. 1

See CAMPUS, page 7

See NEW PRESIDENT, page 14

Shrunken Facilities Staff Makes DoTo Keep Campus Safe and Attractive


N E W S

Violeta Arrazola can be reached [email protected]

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLAEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

With cutbacks made to theFacilities Management

Department two years ago, thedepartment has had to deal witha smaller staff to carry out thevast amount of maintenanceresponsibilities needed to keepthe campus clean inside thebuildings as well as on thegrounds.

There were no layoffs, butthe department has been unableto replace employees who quit,were terminated or retired.

According to Lew Lewis,Director of Facilities, the depart-ment had a total of 57 workersand has lost about a dozen of

them. Ten of these employeeswere custodians.

On the 560,000-square-footGCC campus, each custodian isnow responsible for about30,000 square feet, which isnearly double what it was fiveyears ago, said Dan Padilla,Manager of Maintenance andOperations.

“Since they are responsiblefor twice as much area, theyhave had to reduce their sched-ule – like how often they mopfloors, clean windows, washwalls and other extra things thatmake this campus looking clean-er that it is now,” Padilla said.

The smaller staff and biggerworkload has caused facilitiesdepartment workers to reduce

the maintenance campus, withsometimes noticeable effects.

In and around the campus,litter can often be seen accumu-lating, and the department getsfrequent complaints from thefaculty about dirty floors, car-pets, and desktops in class-rooms.

Lewis, who has been directorof facilities for nine years, saidthe department puts priority on“must-clean items.” Places suchas the cafeteria, the culinary artsbuilding, the childcare buildingand restrooms must be cleanedon a daily basis for health andsafety reasons.

The maintenance and opera-tion workers, who include gar-deners, plumbers, electricians,utility workers and custodians,are responsible for a variety oftasks on campus. Cleaning therestrooms and supplying themwith paper, mopping up spills,picking up trash, and emptyingthe trash are some of the dutiescustodians take care of.

Utility workers, have similartasks, but are also are responsi-ble for setting up, supplying, andthen bringing down canopies,chairs, and tables used for func-tions held on campus by studentsand faculty.

Even though the departmentis responsible for all of theseduties, Lewis believes part of theresponsibility for keeping thecampus looking clean not onlyrelies on the custodians, but on

the students as well. He attrib-utes part of the problems to apopulation of students whodon’t take pride in the appear-ance of the campus.

According to Lewis, at theturn of each new semester “theyoung freshmen tend to come into mark their territory, for exam-ple with graffiti, and not pick upafter themselves and use this[the campus] more as a hang outplace.”

Padilla said that in restroomscustodians often have to dealwith unpleasant, appalling, andinexcusable sights, such as tag-ging and toilets that have beenintentionally clogged. Theyhave even had to pick up afterstudents who have defecated onthe floor.

“If we all take an effort inpicking up after ourselves, itwould take a tremendous work-load off our staff and morethings can get accomplished,”said Lewis.

The department is also in theprocess of changing the shift ofthe night crew in order to getmore work done. Since someclasses run until 10 p.m., thenight crew often has difficultygetting work done in classes thatare still in session. Currently thenight shift works from 6 p.m. to2 a.m., but the department wantsto change the hours so thatworkers come in at 10 p.m. andleave at 6:30 a.m.

The Board of Trustees also

recently approved two new posi-tions for the department, whichis actually a replacement of twoof the 12 positions that were lostand not replaced during the cut-backs. “I do see an upward trendto replenish the staff we lost to atleast bring us up to a standard towhere we can provide adequateservices throughout the cam-pus,” said Lewis.

With the construction of anew Allied Health Building andparking structure on campus,which are set to open in thespring of 2007, and plans tobuild a new student servicesbuilding and a press box onSartoris Field, Lewis said“staffing has to increase” inorder to maintain good servicesto all the new buildings.

Nonetheless, Lewis has noth-ing but praise for his staff, whichhas also had to deal with work-ing with minimal equipment andsupplies. “I have nothing buthigh regard for the staff that ishere because not only have theyacquired more responsibilities,they are working twice as hard,”said Lewis. “They are to be com-mended for the way they aremaintaining the campus with thesituation they are in.”


Photo by Elizabeth LinaresA scaled-backed maintenance crew often faces the task of disposing of carelessly abandoned trash.

A not uncommon sight on campus is haphazard disposal of trash.


N E W S

Kasia Faughn can be reached [email protected]

The college was taken on atwo-billion-mile journey to

Saturn by Trina L. Ray, theSenior System Engineer for theCassini Science Planning at JPLon Nov. 22.

Ray, who holds a master’sdegree in astronomy and hasbeen working for JPL since1989, provided an overview ofthe mission and the Cassinispacecraft in an hour-long lec-ture combined with a projectionof pictures of Saturn and itsmoons. The presentation was apart of the Science LectureSeries.

Equipped with 12 scientificinstruments and cameras, this20-foot-tall spacecraft waslaunched on Oct. 15, 1997 and

“took seven years to get toSaturn,” said Ray. Under watch-ful eyes of over 250 scientistsfrom 17 different countries,Cassini, along with its HuygensTitan probe, traveled approxi-mately two billion miles betweenEarth and Saturn.

According to the speaker, oneof the major problems the space-craft faced was the sun’simmense gravitational pull.“When you’re trying to get toSaturn, you fight the sun all theway there,” said Ray.

Having made a couple ofloops around the Sun and usingTitan’s gravitational assist,Cassini “went into [Saturn’s]orbit in July 2004,” Ray said.

After being ejected fromCassini in December 2004, theHuygens probe began its 20-daydescent through Titan’s cloudyatmosphere. During the nearly

Science Lecture Offers Virtual Journeyto Saturn via Cassini Spacecraft ImagesBy KASIA FAUGHNEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

2½ hour-long descent, the probegathered information about themoon’s atmosphere. The probesurvived the journey through theclouds and landed near themoon’s frozen equator, where itcontinued to operate for a fewminutes before losing communi-cation with the Cassini space-craft and the scientists on Earth.

It is expected to remain inSaturn’s orbit and stream backimages of the planet and its sur-roundings for the next four years.The main objectives of theCassini-Huygens mission areTitan, Saturn, the planet’s rings,its icy satellites and its magne-tosphere.

According to Ray approxi-mately 30,000 images have beentaken and transmitted to date bythe Cassini-Huygens cameras.She described the images gath-ered by the two spacecrafts as

“absolutely amazing.” They haverevealed geologically active sur-face of Titan; the moon’s atmos-pheric composition; and an equa-torial bulge, referred to as “BellyBand,” on another one ofSaturn’s moons, Iapetus.

For more information aboutthe mission, and to view some ofthe images of Saturn, its rings,and its moons, visit http://sat-urn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

The GCC Science LectureSeries is going to offer anotherlecture on the Cassini missionduring the spring semester. Othertopics covered in the spring lec-ture series will cover high-speedcomputing, polio vaccine devel-opment, and healthy living.

Art GalleryShows Video— Art, Not TV

“A Single Channel VideoShow” is currently on dis-play at the Glendale CollegeArt Gallery. With works by Enid Baxter

Blader, Brooke Megdal,Martin Durazo and Kudzmaand Weingarten among oth-ers, this latest exhibition wasconceived as a negotiationbetween painting and single-channel video art. The end result is a fusion of

diverse media elements,intertwined to create anexhibit unlike any other thatthe gallery has showcased.

The exhibit runs throughJan. 28 when there will be aclosing reception for theartists from 4 to 7 p.m.

For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663.


F E AT U R E

Volunteers Give Back to theCommunity on Thanksgiving

For the most part, the holidaysare a time for family, friend-

ship, eating and reflecting on theblessings one has reaped duringthe year. Those who are fortu-nate can gather around a tablesurrounded by their loved onesand share anecdotes, generatinglaughter and joy. But what aboutthose who are less fortunate?

What about those who arealone, with an empty stomachand isolated from the holidayfestivities. How can one lend ahand and help bring holidaycheer to those who need it? Thisholiday season, volunteering isdefinitely the way to go.

The Salvation Army hostedThanksgiving Dinner at theGlendale Community Corps on320 W. Windsor Road betweennoon and 2 p.m. The eventoccurred with several volunteerswho helped serve turkey dinnerscomplete with all the trimmingsand handed out blankets andgifts, including bags of toiletries.

All of the food for this veryspecial dinner was donated by

the community, and the 25turkeys served were cooked bythe kitchen crew at the GlendaleHilton.

Depending on the need ofeach individual, volunteers at theevent handed out blankets,hygiene kits, and sweaters,scarfs, and hats knitted by thelocal National Charity League.

Lending a hand in this noblecause was Kristine Vardanyan, a20-year-old business major atGCC.

Vardanyan has been involvedwith the Salvation Army sincemiddle school. For Vardanyan, itall started when she would go tothe Community Corps facilitiesand play basketball with hercousin after school. As the yearspassed, Vardanyan found herselfvolunteering in various activi-ties, most recently at an eventbenefiting hurricane victims.

Vardanyan walked up anddown the aisles, serving hotplates and collecting them onceemptied. Earlier that dayVardanyan helped make coffeeand serve juice and cookies asthe attendants waited to set upthe dinner tables.

“I feel good about myself,”said Vardanyan. “I feel like I’vededicated time to a good cause.”

Helping the volunteers caterto the attendees’ diverse needswas volunteer coordinatorMelynda Hooper. This wasHooper’s third Thanksgivingevent and it did not bother hermuch that she was sacrificingfamily time for an event thataccording to her makes “you feelreally well that you’ve servedthe community.”

The room was filled withfamilies, people who did notwant to spend the holiday aloneand theose who were homeless.

“Many folks, unless theycome to this program or toanother program like it, don’t eatand don’t have a meal during theday,” said Captain James Sloan.“It’s a hard thing.”

GCC student Jeff Eastmanwas among those who attendedthe dinner and was pleased withthe food as much as he waspleased with the volunteers atthe event.

“The food is delicious andnow I am well fed thanks tothese people,” said Eastman.

Eastman believes that “volun-teering is the way it should be,”and appreciated the help of thevolunteers who took the time tolend a hand.

Adding a dose of entertain-ment were The Sunflowers, amusical duo comprised ofMichael Fontaine and his wifeTerri.

The Sunflowers began theirrelationship with the SalvationArmy after performing at theirannual Harvest Festival, anengagement which sparked animmediate bond between theorganization and the happy duo.

“I think it’s wonderful thatthe Salvation Army has been

able to supply a sort or normalenvironment,” said Fontaine.“It’s just a positive day and that’sa neat thing to be a part of.”

According to Captain Sloan,events like these are only possi-ble through the help of volun-teers who donate their time to aworthy cause.

“All of the volunteers are giv-ing up their family time to dothis,” said Captain Sloan. “It’simportant for them to give some-thing back to the community.”

Olga Ramaz can be reached [email protected]

By OLGA RAMAZEL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

HHooll iiddaayy OOppppoorr ttuunnii tt ii eess ffoorr WWii ll ll iinngg HHee llppeerrss

Photo by Elizabeth LinaresThe Salvation Army served dinner to more than 300 people on Thanksgiving.

The Salvation Army is not the only organization offering opportunities for volunteer work this holiday season. Here is a brief list of things one can do to lend a hand.

• The Associated Students of Glendale CommunityCollege are working in conjunction with the Padrinos organ-ization in an effort to collect nonperishable food items forunderprivileged residents in Glendale. Monetary donationsare also welcomed. Donations will be accepted untilSaturday at the Student Center. For more information, con-tact the ASGCC Vice President of Organizations, ErickSantos, at (818) 240-1000, ext. 3126.

• The Salvation Army welcomes volunteers to help packfood boxes. Packing will take place Saturday and the distri-bution of boxes and toys will take place on December 17 atthe Glendale Community Corps at 320 W. Windsor Road.For more information, contact Melynda Hooper at (818)246-5586, ext. 121.

• The Glendale Adventist Medical Center is in need of vol-unteers to work at their Thrift Store. Tasks include merchan-dising, tidying up items and working the cash register.Volunteers are especially needed during the busy holidayrush. For more information, contact store manager DonnaWill at (818) 409-8056.

• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is looking for sorters towork this busy holiday season. Volunteers are needed onWednesday to help label, pack and sort food items in theFood Bank’s warehouse. For more information, contact AnaMartinez at (323) 234-3030.

• The Glendale YMCA is looking for volunteers to help atthe Christmas tree lot, located on the corner of Brand andColorado. For more information, contact Craig Yaussi at(818) 240-4130, ext. 15.

• Padres Contra El Cancer is in need of volunteers to helpcreate and distribute food baskets at an Annual Holiday FoodBasket Distribution. This event is taking place at 4650Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles. Volunteers are also needed fortheir Annual Holiday Posada at 501 S. Pacific Ave. on Dec.17. Volunteers are needed to help set up the event, decorateand help out throughout the event. For more information onboth of these volunteer opportunities, contact Gerry De LaRosa at (323) 850-7901, ext. 228.

• Splash of Hope is holding a gift drive to benefit the

Koinonia Foster Family Home and other Foster Homes inthe greater Los Angeles area. All the gifts will be donated tochildren in need. Unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at 415N. Camden Drive in Beverly Hills until Dec. 19. For moreinformation, call Kris at (818) 395-3963 or contact Rosa at(310) 247-0616 for pick up.

• Food on Foot is seeking for volunteers to work onChristmas Day and help distribute food and sleeping bags tomore than 250 homeless people in the Hollywood area. Foodon Foot is a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding andclothing the homeless and poor on the streets of LosAngeles. For more information, contact Jay Goldinger at(310) 442-0088.

• AIDS Project Los Angeles needs volunteers to assist inthe bagging of groceries for distribution to clients. AIDSProject Los Angeles is dedicated to improving the lives ofpeople affected by HIV disease, reducing the incidence ofHIV infection and advocating for fair and effective HIV-related public policy. For more information on volunteering,contact Jim Williams at (213) 201-1496.

No Power Was NoProblem for Somein Night Classes


N E W S

Alison Geller can be reachedat [email protected]

By ALISON GELLER EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

While students from mostclasses were making their

way out of the buildings, somedidn’t let a little darkness stopthem from learning during theblackout on Nov. 29.

One teacher Andrew Young, amath professor, continued withhis Math 119 lesson.

Jessica Hollins, 28, and one ofYoung’s Math 119 students saidthat there were about 10 to 15students there that evening.

“We continued with lecturewith the emergency lights on,”said Hollins. “We moved ourdesks up close [to the front of theroom] and continued with classuntil we were told by [PeterStathis] the head of the MathDepartment that we needed toevacuate the building.”

The Arroyo Seco building isone of the few buildings thathave emergency lights in theclassrooms.

Hollins and fellow classmateMaria Castillo, 26, said that ifthey weren’t told that they had toevacuate, Young would havemost likely gone on with the restof the class.

They said that Young had toldthem earlier in the semester thatduring the Northridge earth-quake he continued to teach his

class, Stathis told them the storyas well when he was checking inon them, before telling them thatthey had to evacuate the build-ing.

The students were let outaround 6 p.m. Young said thatthey were trying to make sure thatthe students were prepared for thenext math class. They were a bitbehind schedule and with finalscoming up soon, they couldn’tafford the loss of time.

“There never is a good time fora power outage,” said Young.“But that was a particularly badtime.”

Steve Dehner, 28 an Englishmajor, was in the middle of lead-ing a Supplemental Instruction forAnthropology 101 in theCimmarusti Science Center whenthe blackout occurred.

The Cimmarusti building hasemergency lights in the hallway,so they opened up the doors to getsome of the light.

“We continued the SI by cellphone illumination,” said Dehner.“Everybody opened up their cellphones. We tried to continue it aslong as we could until somebodycame around and told us that allclasses were canceled and weshould all clear out.”

El Vaquero Staff Story

The editor in chief of ElVaquero, Jane Pojawa, broke

her wrist in a fall at Forest LawnGlendale Sunday while coveringa story for the paper.

Pojawa was at the wake forGlendale College FreshmanOscar Torres, who died on Dec. 1

as the result of a ThanksgivingDay hit-and-run accident, whenshe tripped and fell down a stair-way.

On Sunday evening her wristwas encased in a plaster cast, butafter reviewing X-rays her doctordecided to operate. On Tuesday,a steel plate and pins wereimplanted.

Although she has said she is

recovering successfully, Pojawawas unable to work on the finaledition of the paper for thesemester.

Pojawa, 38, and her husbandJeryd, also a student at GlendaleCollege, live in La Cañada.

A former nurse, Pojawa is areturning student enrolled inphotography, journalism andcomputer classes on campus.

El Vaquero Editor Injured

Pamela Abolian19ART HISTORY

“I just sudden-ly saw dark-

ness, then I heard peoplescreaming. Two minutes later Irealized the lights went outwhen I went into the cafeteria.Then I was happy becauseclass was canceled.”

ZoharaKaye30LIBRARY

TECHNICIAN

“It was actual-ly kind of

chaotic because there was nocommunication with campuspolice. So we did not knowwhat to do for the first 20 minutes or so.”

EmersonReyes27PHOTOGRAPHY

“The lightswent out...all

we have is this emergencylight...no one can see anythingbut the teacher goes ‘you guyscan see right?’ and everyone’slike ‘no’ but he wanted to getit done.”

IsabelleSaber39MATHEMATICS

PROFESSOR

“When thelights went out

everything was very dark andwe couldn’t see anything. Sowe fumbled our way throughthe office and got to the corri-dor where there were someemergency lights.”

BrandonLeBlanc24 POLITICAL

SCIENCE

“I was luckyenough to have

a classroom full of people withcell phones, so it seemed asthough the room was morehighly lit when all the cellphones turned on.”

What was your experience during the blackout?CAMPUS COMMENTS

dates, said that she wanted tofocus on publicity. “We’re goingto focus on getting more studentsinvolved,” she said. “We’regoing to publicize events andscholarships and make thesemore interactive.”

“I’ll focus on helping clubs domore,” said re-elected VicePresident of CampusOrganizations Erick Santos.“We’ll do more fund raisers,have more club activities andbring back the IOC [Inter-Organizational Council]Olympics.”

Following is a complete list ofnewly elected ASGCC officers:

Vice President ofAdministration:

Thomas Dryden

Vice President of CampusActivities:

Sabine FreijVice President of CampusRelations:

Arpine Hovasapyan

Vice President of CampusOrganizations:

Erick Santos

Senator of Administration:Edwin BaboomianSevanna HartooniansBianca Khachatourian

Senator of Finance: Artur KarasyovMeline KhachatourianFrunzik Oglakchian

Senator of Campus Activities:Alina AghazarianAylin MovesesyanSyuzanna Petrosyan

Senator of Campus Relations:Soseh KhodaverdianKarla MercadoHermine Sarkisyan

Senator of CampusOrganizations:

Araz EssagholianLuis MaresJohannes Sanchez

Campus Election Resultscontinued from page 3

and were posted outside theASGCC offices at the studentcenter.

Thomas Dryden was re-electedas vice president of administra-tion in a close lead of 30 votes over opponent TinaBerberyan.

“My main goal for the nextsemester is to get everyone inthis organization on the samepage,” said Dryden immediatelyafter finding out he had won. “Iwant to get everyone workingtogether, and I want to promotecamaraderie.”

The new vice president ofcampus activities, Sabine Freij,said her focus was on “putting[ASGCC] committees back ontrack and finding new leaders forthe upcoming year.”

Arpine Hovasapyan, electedvice president of campus rela-tions with the most votes out ofthe four vice presidential candi-

www.elvaq.comFriday, December 9, 20058 9

P H O T O F E A T U R E

PHOTOS BY OLIVER TANEL VAQUERO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Oliver Tan can be reached at [email protected]

The Association of Latin American Students Present

PP ee ññ aa

G uatemalan folklore filled the J.W. Smith Center conferenceroom on Sunday for an afternoon of entertainment, foodand culture at the bi-annual Peña.

With the help of the Guatemala United Information Agency(GUIA), the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) pro-duced this semester’s Peña in an effort to raise funds that will pro-vide medical assistance for people of Guatemala who were affectedby Hurricane Stan.

With roughly over 200 guests in attendance, Peña managed togenerate approximately $2,000.

“We raised money, people had a good time and the food wasgreat,” said professor of Ethnic Studies Fabiola Torres, who is cur-rently sitting in for the club’s adviser, Carlos Ugalde. “He [Ugalde]would be very proud because it [Peña] showed solidarity.”

The event included performances by Nicaraguita, Ecos de Boliviaand Grupo Cultural Guatemalteco whose unique presentation incor-porated traditional dance along with theater and spoken word. Thesounds of the traditional marimba (xylophone) were also present,

adding a great dose of color and joie de vivre.Marlene Jenson, a resident of North Hollywood, heard about Peña

through radio station KPFK. Jenson knew right away that she want-ed to participate.

“I came out because I’m concerned about the situation down thereand I’ve been wanting to do something to help,” said Jenson.

Milton Alvarez, the Council General of Guatemala, was also inattendance and expressed his gratitude toward ALAS and theiraccomplishments.

“I feel really honored to be here and overwhelmed with pride tosee the work they [ALAS] have done,” said Alvarez. “They havecombined support of the culture with help toward our fellow manand I hope that they continue with their hard work and enthusiasm.”

Outside of the conference room, attendees were treated to a tasteof Latin American cuisine that included traditional dishes fromGuatemala as well as Mexico, like; enchiladas, tamales and handmade tortillas, among other foods.

Also on hand was Miriam Quezada, a vendor who has participat-

ed in Peña events for seven years. An acquaintance of Ugalde’s,Quezada is an artist who creates manualidades (hand made works).Every Peña she donates an item to be raffled off or sold, benefitingthe cause.

“I like participating in these type of events, first of all because Iam promoting the culture and second, because I am participating,”said Quezada.

One of ALAS’s major goals for the future is to come up with dif-ferent methods of fund raising, although club member FreddyMoncada believes that Peña is still a very significant fund raiser oncampus.

“The best part of the Peña experience is the unity of students, fam-ilies, friends and faculty in accomplishing something good,” saidMoncada. “Knowing that you are sending some help to people whoare usually ignored by their own country and the world, makes all thehard work worth while.”


— Story by Olga Ramaz

Council General of Guatemala Milton Alvarez, top left, thanked ALAS and GUIA for their dedication and hard work on suchnoble cause. Peña guests, center left, were treated to an assortment of Latin American cuisine. Dance ensemble Nicaraguita, bot-tom left, performed a series of dance numbers. Ecos de Bolivia, above, performed a number titled, “Caporal.”

GUIA’s own, Grupo Cultural Guatemalteco, top right, premiered their latest number that blends both theater, dance and spokenword. The story-line of the performace depicted a family on the verge of marrying off one of their daughters to a humble farmer.The performace culminated with the traditional bride and groom dance.

tunes outweigh the rest.“Funeral of a Good Grrl,” “LadyBug Waltz” and “The QuestionSong,” among others, are thesongs meant to be played outloud.

“The Question Song” holdstrue to its title because it doesjust that, questions what seemslike an unsuspecting ex. “Tellme, how do you sleep?/In yourbed of true deceit/Are you hun-gry, hungry for me?/Or is it justconditioning?”

But without a doubt thebiggest treat on this album isBif’s unexpected cover ofMetallica’s “Nothing ElseMatters.”

No one messes withMetallica – just ask ShawnFanning. For Bif to take a verywell-known Metallica song andmake it all her own is definitelyworthy of some major props. Avery appropriate song, fitting inthis diary-like album, beautiful-ly showcases the various rangesof her voice which fluctuatewith every note.

Lets take a minute and dareto dream what the “BlackAlbum” would sound like ifinstead of James Hetfield man-


E N T E RTA I N M E N T

p r o f i l eMusic

Rock ’N’ Roll Diary Bif Naked Style

“Every song is a love song”according to Bif Naked,

an artist who has steadilyclaimed fame with her ener-getic, pump-up-the-volume typemusic and her don’t need youattitude.

At first glance this BettyPaige-esque femme fatalecomes off as a stand-offish per-former covered in tattoos andfilled with a good dose of rage.But once she takes the stage andgrabs the microphone, her truepersona shines: a performercovered in tattoos, filled with agood dose of rage and incredi-ble ball-busting chops.

She was born in New Delhi,India to a pair of boardingschool teenagers. Her move toMinneapolis came after she wasadopted by American mission-aries who moved around fromcity to city until finally settlingin Winnipeg, Manitoba, theplace where she would eventu-ally tap into her musical talent.

Short stints in various bandswould soon follow. After part-ing ways with her last band,Dying To Be Violent, Biflaunched herself as a solo artistin 1994 with an EP titled “FourSongs and a Poem,” which wasquickly followed with her self-titled debut album. A string ofrecords would follow, ultimate-ly giving way to unprecedentedsuccess and a solid fan base invarious corners of the world.

“I don’t know how you guyslive here,” she said jokingly to acrowd of eager fans at aNovember gig at the legendaryViper Room in Hollywood,which according to Bif is the“scary part of town.”

Armed with nothing but amicrophone and an entourage to man the drums, bass and gui-tar respectively, she took thestage like a bolt of lighting,crashing down and spitting out “Yeah, You,” the fourth track off

of her latest release,“Superbeautifulmonster.”

The crowd responded to herevery move, bouncing back theenergy radiating off of hergyrating body as she claimedthe stage as her own personalplayground.

The energy skyrocketed with“Let Down,” a lyrical manifes-tation and rant to her peersabout her faulty nature. Withlyrics like “Can’t get my motheroff my back/she don’t have farto go to drive me crazy/somedaythat bitch is gonna make mecrack/might be the last time shecalls me lazy” can just aboutstrike a nerve with anybody andlends itself to becoming a sort ofan anthem for the so-calledblack sheep.

The intimacy of the showcalled for some interaction withthe crowd. In between songs,Bif initiated random conversa-tions with the audience, tellingstories and sharing mishapsfrom life on the road. The cozyatmosphere of the Viper Roomand the warmth of breathingbodies almost initiated animpromptu meet and greet. “I’llstart. My name is Bif, I live inVancouver.” She then encour-aged the audience to “get intouch with their chakras” asthey stood there taking in theexcitement of the show.

The set list predominantlyconsisted of tracks off the newalbum, playlist that reads verymuch like a diary.

The creation of this latestrecord spanned about threeyears. During this time, Bifmanaged to muster up well over50 songs, 35 of which wereactually recorded. In the end, 13tracks managed to make it on tothe final recording. Songs influ-enced by her struggles, Bifopens up and exposes her vul-nerability with an array ofsounds borrowed from suchgenres as metal, alternative andpop.

The range of her voice has nolimits, abilities which shine

through on this latest effort.When she is not spitting outlyrics straight from the pit ofher stomach, she is merelywhispering vocals as if lullingthe listener into the realm ofSamadhi, the practice of com-plete meditation, which Bif her-self seems to practice andencourages.

Musically, the album is verywell balanced, giving the listen-er a taste of both the hard-hit-ting tunes, the power balladtype songs and the pop infusedtracks.

Falling into the category ofthe power ballad type songs are;“Abandonment,” “Henry” andthe beautifully written,“Everyday.”

In “Everyday,” Bif’s voice ofexperience speaks, givingwords to the wise with lyricslike “Soak every emotion thatyou never thought you’dlive/And never take for grantedevery breath you’re breathingin.” Accompanied by anacoustic and a string ensemble,this song stands out not only forits lyrics, but for the way themagnetism of each instrumentcarries out the sweet and hope-ful aura of the song.

“The World is Over” and“That’s Life” are the two lonepop songs on the album guaran-teed to stick on the listener likea wad of gum.

The oh-so-catchy lyrics of“That’s Life” make it very easyand rather enjoyable to singalong to. The chorus itselfdraws some attention with itslyrics; “That’s life with me/Iknow around and around youwill go/But, if I French-Kissyou in the broad daylight, you’llfall in love, oh, oh, oh.”

For some reason this song inparticular begs to be linked witha “Gilmore Girls” type sitcomand Avril Lavigne. Minus the“Gilmore Girls” parallel, it’spossible that this associationjust stems from the wholeCanadian rocker chick vibe.

Certainly the hard-hitting

ning the post on vocals, Bif tookthe reigns and added a zest ofchick. Male Metallica fans andperhaps even a disgruntled LarsUlrich would be all up in arms,but what a feat that would be.

This album has all the ele-ments it needs to be massivelyaccepted, be that by loyal fansand media from all corners ofthe world. An epic recordingfrom start to finish, the consis-tency among the tracks makeevery tune melt into one anoth-er, carrying on the concept of anauditory diary ever so well.

Now, if only radio would tap into “Superbeautiful-monster.” It would certainly be amuch needed change from whatis currently infesting the air-waves.

She is the total package;looks, attitude, talent and fist-full of guts, and her album is noexception to these either.

Dive into this album headfirst, and as Bif said, “may yoube absorbed in Samadhi.”

By OLGA RAMAZEL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR


www.elvaq.com 11

SPORTS

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some of the many eggs your body

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Friday, December 9, 2005

“Nothing is impossible” hasbeen the theme of the

Vaquero women’s basketballteam, which started a challengingseason. Both the women’s andmen’s teams went onto the courtswith only three returning players.

New head coach MonicaHang, who previously was theassistant coach to the women’sbasketball team at Cal State L.A.,is leading the Vaqueros. She alsoserved as assistant coach to thewomen’s basketball team at MarkKeppel High School inAlhambra.

So far this season, theVaqueros are only 2-6, but Hangis looking forward to a successfulseason. “We’re rebuilding theprogram…it’s a young team, butthey are adjusting to the system,”said Hang. “They are workinghard and want to learn.”

The three returning players forthe Vaqueros are guard JasmineStanley, forward Alyssa Roscaand guard Julie An, who is lead-ing the team with points scored.The Hoover High graduate hasaveraged 14 points per game.

Coach Hang, who feels fortu-nate to have a team that is “easyto get along with and play witha great attitude,” believes defenseand “giving it your all,” wins games.

Other players to watch thisseason are forwards VanessaEscobar and Christina Chase,who both hail from Eagle

Rock High. The men’s team also has a

young team this season. Theyhave a total of 15 players, butthere are only three returningplayers. But from these returning

sophomores, only one player hadplaying time last season: JovanJester.

Jester will be one of the lead-

Vaqueros Face Challenges on the Courting players this season and so farhe leads the team with 48 assistsin eight games and is averaging13.88 points per game. He fin-ished last season with an averageof 11.5 points per game and had91 assists in 27 games. He wasalso a first-team all Western StateConference player.

The Vaqueros (2-6) are beingled by Brian Beauchemin, who isin his 26th year as head coachand boasts an impressive 463-345 overall record. Beaucheminsays his team has been “strug-gling a little bit” to score thisseason, but has seen improve-ments over the past two weeks.“We’ve done an average job upuntil this point, so hopefullywe’re starting to find turn thecorner and start to get morecohesive in our collectiveefforts,” said Beauchemin.

The other players for theVaqueros who have been top per-formers for the team so far thisseason are forwards JamarEubanks and Owen Duckworth,and point guard Derrick Blair.

Eubanks, who is 6 feet, sixinches, is leading the team withan average of 16.88 points pergame; Duckworth, out of Muir

High School in Pasadena, isleading the team with an averageof 9.25 rebounds per game and issecond in scoring with an aver-age of 15.75 points per game;Blair has 24 assists, which is sec-ond on team.

Coach Beauchemin is hopingthat the team will continue toimprove with more than 20games remaining in the season.“We’re working hard and we’retrying and that’s all you couldask for,” said Beauchemin.“Once you work hard and try tothe best of your ability…hope-fully the rest will take care ofitself.”

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLAEL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

Violeta Arrazola can be reachedat Violeta [email protected]

Photo Courtesy of Conrad AmbaJovan Jester is one of the leading players on this season’s basketball team.

You Can SeeYYoouurr NNaamm ee

above the Stories inEl Vaquero

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O P I N I O N

They come in different sizes,styles and types. They have

different faces, voices, personal-ities and passions. Sometimesthey rebuild torn-down housesand mow lawns. At other timesthey bag canned groceries, peelvegetables and bake bread.Often they sing. Often they wrapChristmas toys and decorateEaster eggs. Mostly, theyfaithfully work behind thescenes, but are easily spottedduring the holidays.

Sometimes, one can findespecially tough versions ofthem as they work their waythrough natural disasters andmajor events like the pasthurricanes. Simply put, they seea need and quickly run to throw

themselves into it and fix it. No,they are not Snow White’s littledwarfs. They are the volunteers.

More than ever, volunteersare of tremendous importance.According to findings of the1999 national survey Giving andVolunteering in the UnitedStates, an estimated 109.4million adults are engaged involunteer work. According tothe EconomicReport of theP r e s i d e n t ,volunteers gave anestimated total of19.9 billion hours ofvolunteering in 1998and these numbershave been rising ever since the1990s.

This shows a positive trendfor American Society, becausevolunteers are actually the oneswho are making the most lasting

impact on people and causedefinite social changes thatbenefit the entire country.

The Merriam WebsterDictionary defines volunteer as“a person who voluntarily[which means proceeding fromone’s own choice] undertakes orexpresses a willingness toundertake a service.”

It is exactly this “free” or

“volunteer” aspect of socialengagement that changespoverty-stricken communities,gang-infested neighborhoodsand whole cultures. Volunteersare the ones who show peoplevalue and respect in the greatestdimension. “You are worth mytime and resources,” says thevolunteer to the person in need,and often they do so withoutwords. Volunteers exemplify inthe most genuine dimension that,as Martin Luther King Jr. said,the greatest power for changelies in love and not force.

Having been a volunteer indifferent continents and at theLos Angeles Dream Center fornearly three years, I havewitnessed the power of volunteerwork in inner cities. Over andover, I have seen lives andfamilies changed and restored,just through the simple acts ofpeople showing people that theycare.

When 20-year-old MatthewBarnett came to L.A.’s notoriousRampart District in 1995, all hehad was a passion to help. Hebegan to knock on his neighbors’doors and asked how he couldmake life easier for them.Inspired by this selfless deed,hundreds of people from allwalks of life would come andjoin him in his efforts to helpbring hope and restore brokendreams.

Today, the Los AngelesDream Center under PastorMatthew Barnett providesmultiple rehabilitation programsand over 200 volunteer outreachprograms and stands for themeeting point of thousands ofvolunteers who give their timeand resources to help others

every month. During the first three years

after the Dream Center movedin, the homicide and violentcrime rate in the RampartDistrict declined by doubledigits, according to the police.According to recent reports bypolice officers, stated at thisyear’s back-to-school backpackgive-away, the crime rate is so

low now thatpolice officersare sent to otherdistricts. Daily,gang membersand ex-convictsare surprised andoften changed by

the mere fact that someone caresenough to give his or her timeand shows small acts ofkindness. A miracle? Probably.But a miracle that shows thesimple power of volunteers.

One thing that marksvolunteers is that though theydon’t get recompensed for theirwork, often they do greatly morethan is expected of them just forthe joy of reaping a surprised orgrateful smile. Volunteers oftendiscover how fulfilling it is togive to others without expectinganything in return.

Often the unpaid workers alsoenjoy the mere fact that they cansee that they made a difference inanother’s person life by giving astruggling family a few bags ofgroceries or helping the self-esteem of children at skid rowthrough after school programs.

For some people,volunteering is also a way ofcoping with life tragedies, lossesand grief. Building new relation-ships with lonely senior citizensin a nursery home, for example,can help in getting over a brokenrelationship or lost friends.

Some volunteers also enjoygetting to know and work withother people who have the sameheart to help. I’ve met artists likemovie makers, musicians andactors who simply volunteer toget their eyes opened andinspired for their next project.Others volunteer out of the beliefthat it is God’s calling on theirlives to help others. People whohave experienced help in theirlives often simply look for a wayto give back to the community.Families who volunteer togetheroften set an example and helpinstate unselfish values in their

children and help raise them tobecome responsible youngadults. Once a volunteer, alwaysa volunteer, one could say.

Surprisingly, volunteers arenot carefree superheroes withnever-vanishing smiles. They areregular humans with struggles,problems and feelings just likeyou and me. Honestly, after thefirst few months of committedvolunteer work, much of the“volunteer romanticism” that avolunteer might have initiallydies the very moment they meettheir first “ungrateful person.”The volunteer realizes “Oops,not everybody does actuallyappreciate my help!” But eventhe experience of rejection fromneedy people (and still not givingup on them) will shape thevolunteer into a strongerpersonality able to help otherseven more effectively.

Though volunteers have theirown issues, it is often the veryprocess of reaching out to othersthat lessens their absorption intheir own problems. Theirproblems diminish in scope asthey extend a hand to a dyingpatient or someone who has losthis or her family.

So, who qualifies forvolunteer work? The readerdoes. Just as volunteers havedifferent faces, there are differentways to volunteer, depending onone’s own abilities, personalityand passions. According to thenational survey, volunteeractivities performed were variedand ranged from fund raising toservice for a religiousorganization. However youapproach it, it is easy find yourarea of passion or expertise andinvest it into others.

After all, the saddest life livedis the life lived only for oneself.Volunteering starts with helpingthe old neighbor with hergroceries or by taking a singlemom’s children to the park for anafternoon. Matthew Barnett putit simply: “Find a need and fill it,find a hurt and heal it.”

By NANCY AGBENUEL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

“Volunteers are the ones whoshow people value and respect

in the greatest dimension.”

Nancy Agbenu can be reached [email protected]

Student Volunteer Praises Service to Others


L E T T E R S

STD information. It would have been great to

let your readers know that thecenter also has information onthe health risks of smoking (andsecond-hand smoke), I believe,from the American CancerSociety, given the gravity of thesituation.

I guess it is only a reflectionof the general attitude towardssmoking in our school. At leastthat’s the impression I have got-ten so far, returning to schoolafter many years of absence.

I am really amazed by theamount of smoking that takes

place here at GCC. What is evenmore appalling is the laid-backattitude with which it is lookedat.

I have yet to see one flyerpinned up on a billboard or any-where on campus about smokingor help in quitting. What mini-mal information the health centerhas should be put out there,regardless of what knowledgeabout the risks of smoking therealready is. Apparently it is notenough.

Yes, I have seen the no smok-ing 20 feet away from buildingentrance signs, and I have also

Dear Editor:

As I am sure many of yourreaders will notice, GlendaleCommunity College has a smok-ing problem.

I was surprised after reading“Health Center Gives MoreThan Free Condoms” (Nov. 18)that there was no mention of theinformation or help available forthis problem. It is great to knowthe wide array of services thehealth center offers: from overthe counter medications, to flushots, to vision, hearing, TB andHIV testing to contraception and

School Should Do More to Discourage Smokingseen the ashtrays and sittingareas 9 to 10 feet away from saidbuilding entrances. It is a shameto have such a beautiful campus(it really is), with such haz-ardous air.

I only have to step out of mycar and walk a few feet before Iget my first lung full of smoke.Whether I choose to or not, Ihave become a smoker.

My intention is not to controlor ban smoking in school,because everyone has the right tomake their own choices, but it ismy intention to send an SOS toour school community.

Dear Editor:

During the fall and springsemesters, the GlendaleCommunity College library isopen Monday through Thursday,8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday,8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. andSaturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.However, it is, unfortunately,closed on Sunday. Moreover,during the winter and summersessions, the library is closed onSaturday as well as Sunday. Thelibrary schedule of many com-munity colleges is similar toGCC. In contrast, many four-year universities have theirlibraries open on Sunday, evenfor 24 hours. Practically, it is noteasy for community colleges tohave libraries with these openschedules. However, as a com-munity college student, I desireto have a library open as often aspossible, and I believe it is atleast possible for the GCClibrary to be open on Sunday.

Regarding this matter, thisquestion naturally arises: how

many students want the libraryopen on Sunday as I wish, and isit needed by enough studentswho would come to the collegeon Sunday? First, if there aremany demands for an openlibrary on Sunday, it must not beout of the question that thelibrary should be open onSunday. In my memory, I used toobserve many students comingon Sunday to the libraries of col-leges which I have attended inthe past. Although those collegesare remote from downtown oreven a residential street and thereare no any classes on Sunday,many students still come to thecollege to study. GCC is locatedjust a few minutes from down-town and in a residential area.Also, the zone near GCC has arelatively well-developed andconvenient public transportationsystem, as well as a freewayright next to the school.Therefore, I believe, once thelibrary is open on Sunday, therewill be many students and mem-bers of the public who will want

to use the library.Currently, the GCC library is

being operated with one hourextension to their open hours,due to final exams. For the samereason, I think that the libraryshould be open on Sunday, and Ihope these extended hours con-tinue during ordinary times. Ifthere are expected obstacles,such as expenses or personnel,we can solve this difficulty byrecruiting volunteer students orfaculty members, or offeringchances for part-time work onSunday. Most of all, when wedeal with this kind of matter, themost important issue we shouldconsider is what and who the col-lege libraries exist for. The GCClibrary main Web page reports

that, “We are here to help youlocate the materials you need,assist you in research strategy,and come to your aid when youare searching the computer sys-tem, whether you are in thelibrary or accessing our web siteand materials from some otherlocation. We hope you will findthe library and its staff helpful inthe successful completion ofyour coursework at GlendaleCollege” (“General Information/Policies”). I assert this idea isthe answer for the question aboutlibrary use on Sunday and is thereason why the library should beopen on Sunday.

Daewoon Um

Student Argues for Keeping Library Open Sunday

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Dear Editor:

I just wanted to give kudos tothe El Vaquero for last issues’six-page honoring of Americansoldiers who have died in theMiddle East.

Everyday we hear about thewar and seemingly accept it; thisarticle made the war a veryfrightening reality, one that wecan not simply turn off the T.V.to avoid.

The fact that it took six pagesto contain all the Americandeaths gives perspective to howmany human lives, military orcivilian, the war has taken. Thiswas great piece and should be inevery newspaper across thecountry.

– Steve Hotchkiss

We need more information,awareness and enforcement onsmoking in our campus, so thatthe choices our students makeare well informed.

Since you, El Vaquero, haveour community at your reach,use your voice to get the wordout — smoking is a problem thatneeds our attention now.

Thank you for your attention,

– Oneida Romo

Thanks forMemorial


N E W S

Blackout Caused Campus Closurecontinued from page 1

New President Appointedcontinued from page 3

When the lights went outthere were about 100 studentsand six staff members in thelibrary, said Linda S. Winters,the acting Associate Dean ofLibrary and Learning Resources.

When the emergency lightswent on some students madetheir way out of the library, whileothers “huddled under the emer-gency lighting,” Winters said.

A half hour after the blackoutbegan campus police came inand evacuated the library.“Everyone was extremely calm[during the evacuation],” saidWinters.

“The students were terrific. Astudent stuck in an elevator fornearly an hour laughed withMary’s [Mirch, associate dean

of the health center]staff and saidhe wanted a discount on hisenrollment next semester,” wroteCombs in an E-mail to theGCC’s staff. “The students usedtheir cell phones for light to walkaround the campus, and manystudents sat in dark, dark class-rooms waiting to be helped outof the classroom rather than riskinjury.”

“The biggest problem we hadwas with the students and theteachers not believing us thatclasses were canceled for thenight,” said Cadet Wells.

Maria Castillo, 26, a studenton campus that evening, said thattraffic was a problem evacuatingthe campus. “It took over 10minutes to get from the parkingstructure to the street,” she said.

Kobaissi, with Cadet Wellsassisting, closed down ParkingLot B, located atop “cardiachill,” so that drivers wouldn’tenter.

“After securing the lot andadvising people that the collegewas closed the power went outfor a second time,” said CadetWells. “So I stayed up in Lot Bmaking sure that everyone wasokay up there, because up in LotB when the lights go out it isvery dark.”

Students who wanted to beescorted to their cars were, ingroups, using the lights from thepolice vehicles to light their wayaccording to Kobaissi.

“I think that, myself, and myco-workers did a very good jobthat night, making sure everyone

was safe,” said Cadet Wells.“I’d give us about a B+,” said

White when asked how well pre-pared he thought the campuswas. “The campus police andthe student cadets were great.They were prepared, their radioequipment worked, they wereable to deal with the two elevatoremergencies we had. They wereable to communicate and keepSteve Wagg and Nidal Kobaissi,head of the police force, in con-tact with me and SharonCombs.”

There are some things theyneed to work on though: theydidn’t have enough flashlights,didn’t recruit enough staff andfaculty to help, some failedemergency lighting, mostnotably in the San Rafael build-ing and insufficient lighting tothe parking lots, according toWhite.

“There’s a lot of things we’regoing to try and fix,” said White.“We’re going to develop anemergency plan for this kind ofevent. We’re also going to dotraining sessions for blackouts.”

“There are some things thatwe need to put in place that werenot in place for emergencies,”said Combs. “Personally all of

us [staff] need to have walkingshoes, flashlights, jackets, water.We need to be prepared for emer-gencies personally.”

Over all White said that“everyone was very cooperative.But some [students] didn’t reallywant to leave until they saw theirteacher. Some were incredulousthat we were actually going toclose the campus and cancelclasses. So they were waiting fortheir teacher to say it’s okay togo. So we had a little hard timeconvincing them.”

Students need not be worriedabout their school information,grades, etc. being lost due to thepower outage. According toCombs no data was lost.

Wells, from the GlendaleDepartment of Water and Power,said that the power outage cov-ered a vast majority of Glendalefrom Pacific Avenue west to theeastern city boundary andCalifornia Street south to thenorthern city boundary. He said.

wrong, but we all make mistakes.These mistakes were made in mypersonal life and not as presi-dent. Yet other people chose tobring those up.” Chilingaryansaid he considered this a “breachof trust.”

He said that the other officers“waited too long” to present theirconcerns to him. “How am Igoing to correct my mistakes ifpeople don’t tell me aboutthem?” said Chilingaryan.“That’s why [the motion forimpeachment] was very offen-sive and heartbreaking for me.”

However, Chilingaryan doesnot regret his decision to resign.“I walked away with dignity,” hesaid. “It was the best decision formyself and for the organization.”He said he hopes students areaware that he did his job with thebest of his abilities. “I represent-ed each and every one of them,”he said. “I fought for them onimportant issues.”

The ASGCC constitution man-dates that Dereghishian, vice pres-ident of campus relations, wasactually fourth in line for the posi-tion of presidency, following thevice presidents of administration,finance and campus activities.

However, the ASGCCExecutive Committee and theorganization’s advisers JosephPuglia, Andriassian and deanPaul Schlossman decided toappoint Dereghishian as presi-dent of the organization because

of her experience as an officer.“This is my fourth semester as

an officer,” Dereghishian said.She is the first female ASGCCpresident in seven years.

Dereghishian decided to sharethe responsibilities of the presi-dency with Thomas Dryden,vice president of administration,who will serve as a studenttrustee on the school’s Board ofTrustees with an advisory vote.Dryden was sworn in at a boardmeeting on Nov. 21.

“Thomas has more experiencewith the Board of Trustees,” saidDereghishian.

The new president said thatone of her current priorities is“keeping up the spirits” of theother ASGCC officers. “Losingyour president is tough to take,”she said.

Andriassian believes that theASGCC is “a strong organiza-tion,” and “the fact that we wentthrough this process and beganrebuilding proves that,” he said.

This is not the first time forsuch an incident. According toAndriassian, Mike J. Smith, theASGCC president in fall 1993,was to be impeached and insteadchose to resign.

Chilingaryan said that he is“happy to see the organizationmoving along.” “My heart willalways be with this organiza-tion,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot,and developed character.”

Dereghishian assures the stu-dents that this change will not

affect the ASGCC’s ability tofulfill their responsibilities, andshe commended the officers forbeing the organization’s “strongfoundation.”

“We’re keeping business asusual,” she said. “Work will goon, and everything is normal.”

Alison Geller can be reachedat [email protected]

Monday through Thursday from8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Fridayfrom 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The GCC Swap Meet — OnDec. 18 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. atthe upper campus parking lot.Admission is free. For moreinformation call (818) 240-1000,ext. 5805.

GCC Police Toy and FoodDrive — The GCC PoliceDepartment is sponsoring the11th Annual Toy and Food Driveto help needy students and fami-lies. Donations of newunwrapped toys, canned food,non-perishables, and money willbe accepted at the GCC PoliceStation through Dec. 22. Formore information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5205.

GCC Board of TrusteesMeeting — The Board ofTrustees meeting will be held onDec. 19 at Kreider Hall at 5 p.m.

Gay Men Talking — A gay sup-port group meets every Tuesdayfrom 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in RoomAU 115.

To submit a calendar listing, send anemail to [email protected]

advance and $15 at the door.Group pricing is available. For more information, call (818) 790-7924 or visit www.snowqueen.org.

EXHIBITIONS

“A Single Channel VideoShow” — The GCC Art Galleryfeatures a video art exhibit fromnow through Jan. 28. Works ofEnid Baxter Blader, MichaelDee, Martin Durazo, Julie Orser,Chris Peters, Brooke Megdal,Gustavo Godoy, Micol Hebron,Kudzma and Weingarten, RobertLevine, Chris Sollars and EdPelissierare are featured in theexhibition. Admission is free.Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7p.m. Monday through Thursday,and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.For information go to www.glen-dale.edu/artgallery, or call (818)240-1000, ext. 5663.

“Obsession and Devotion” —The Glendale CommunityCollege PhotographicallyInclined Creative Students pres-ent “Obsession and Devotion,” acollective show combiningimages that explore the deepesthuman obsessions and devo-tions. Featured artists includeKimerlee Curyl, Ben Grenard,Matt Gunto, Patricia Lee, LevonMardikyan, Isaiah Marmol,

PERFORMANCES

Chamber Music Recital —Ensembles from the GCCChamber Music class will per-form their final recital in RoomAuditorium 211 on Tuesday at 4p.m. The recital is coordinatedby Beth Pflueger. Admission isfree. For more information, call(818) 240-1000, ext. 5621, orvisit www.glendale.edu/music.

The Faculty/Alumni DanceProduction — The GlendaleCommunity College DanceDepartment presents itsFaculty/Alumni DanceProduction today throughSunday at the Glendale CollegeAuditorium. Performances are at8 p.m. today, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. onSunday. Admission is free, on afirts-come, first-served basis.Seating is limited.

“The Snow Queen” — TheCalifornia Theatrical YouthBallet presents “The SnowQueen” at GCC, a ballet basedon a story by Hans ChristianAndersen. Performances are at7:30 p.m. on Dec. 16, at 2 p.m.and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, and at2 p.m. on Dec. 18. Adult ticketsare $18 in advance and $20 at thedoor, student tickets are $13 in

C A L E N D A R


AROUND TOWN

ON CAMPUS

EXHIBITIONS

Artists’ Market — The Artists’Market is from noon to dusk onthe third Friday of every monthat 101 N. Brand Blvd. Localartists display their photogra-phy, jewelry, paintings andmore. For more information,call (818) 548-2780.

2005 Holiday Arts Festival —The Eighth Annual HolidayArts and Crafts Festival fea-tures handmade original finearts and crafts, free entertain-ment and activities for childrentomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6p.m. at 1601 W. Mountain St. inGlendale. The festival is spon-sored by the Associates of theBrand Library and Art Center.

Admission is free. For moreinformation, call (818) 548 -2051.

PERFORMANCES

“The Nutcracker” — TheAlex Theatre presents a full-length production ofTchaikovsky’s ballet, “TheNutcracker.” Performances aretoday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundayat 2 p.m. The tickets are $38and $30 for orchestra seats, $38for the terrace seats, and $18 forbalcony seats.

“Merry Tuba Christmas 2005”— The Alex Theater presents aholiday tuba and euphonium con-cert on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Admission is free and seating ison first-come, first-served basis.For more information on thisevent, call (818) 243 - ALEX fromnoon to 6 p.m. or visitwww.alextheatre.org.

“Holiday Beats on Brand”— Amusic performance by local musi-cians will be held in the followingdowntown Glendale locations onSunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.:525 N. Brand Chess Park; 227 N.Brand, Damon’s Restaurant; 317N. Brand, Glendale Marketplace;144 S. Brand. The event is free.

“A Christmas Carol” — TheGlendale Centre Theatre presentsthe 41st annual performance ofDickens’ “Christmas Carol” at324 N. Orange in Glendale.

Performances are Wednesdaythrough Saturday, and daily afterThursday. Tickets are $12.50 onDec. 17 at 11 a.m., $18 onWednesdays and Thursdays at 8p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3p.m., and $21 on Friday andSaturday evenings. Prices go up$2 after Thursday. Groups ratesare available. For more informa-tion , call Glendale Centre Theatreat (818) 244-8481 or visitwww.glendalecentretheatre.com.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” — ThePasadena Playhouse presents a re-creation of the 1947 holidayfavorite from the Lux RadioTheatre, “It's A Wonderful Life.”Directed by Stuart Ross, “It’s aWonderful Life” features a differ-ent celebrity cast each week. The

performances run through Jan. 1and tickets range from $37 to $58.The Pasadena Playhouse is locat-ed at 39 S. El Molino Ave. inPasadena. For more informationand to purchase tickets, call (626)356-7529 or go to www.pasade-naplayhouse.org.

2005 Light Festival — The 10thAnnual Los Angeles Departmentof Water and Power Light Festivaltakes place daily from 5 p.m. to10 p.m. through Dec. 30 , along aone-mile section of CrystalSprings Drive at Griffith Park inLos Angeles. The event is free.Shuttle services are available. Fordirections and information on thefestival, call (323) 913-4688, ext. 9 or visit www.dwplightfesti-val.com.

Khetani Mgido, Jane Pojawa,Nicole Raglin-Cook, WendyRivas and Oliver Tan. The exhi-bition opens on Dec. 22 and runsthrough Jan. 12 at 2121 N. SanFernando Road, suite 3, in LosAngeles. Gallery hours areMonday through Saturday 11a.m. to 5 p.m. An artists recep-tion will be held on Dec. 30 from7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more infor-mation about the exhibition, call (323) 223-6867 or visitwww.drkrm.com.

SPORTS

Women’s Basketball —• The GCC team faces IrvineValley at Irvine Valley onWednesday at 7 p.m.• The GCC team faces College ofthe Desert at College of theDesert on Dec. 21 at 5 p.m.• The GCC team faces ImperialValley at Imperial Valley on Dec.22 at 5 p.m.• The Women’s Basketball teamwill play in El CaminoTournament on Dec. 29 and 30.

Men’s Basketball — • The team hosts Vaquero ClassicWednesday through Dec. 17.• The GCC team faces East L.A.at East L.A. on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.• The GCC men’s team plays inSan Diego Mesa Tournament onDec. 28 through Dec. 30.

HEALTH CENTER

Health Center —• Visit the Health Center for firstaid, RN evaluation, over-the-counter medication health litera-ture, hearing tests and visionscreenings. TB testing is alsoavailable on selected dates. • Flu Shots are no longer avail-able. To locate local flu clinicsvisit the Web site of theAmerican Lung Association atwww.flucliniclocator.org• Mental Health counseling isavailable during the hours ofoperation..The Health Center is located onthe first floor of the San Rafaelbuilding and hours of operationare Monday through Thursdayfrom 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. andFridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.For more information, call (818)240-1000, ext. 5909.

ACADEMIC NEWS

• Open telephone registration forthe winter session continuesthrough Dec. 22.• Priority telephone registrationfor the spring semester from Jan.3 through Jan. 20.• Book buy-back is taking placeat the GCC bookstore today,Saturday, and Monday throughWednesday. Store hours are

EL VAQUERO PHOTO GALLERYwww.elvaq.com Friday, December 9, 2005 16

Photos by Elizabeth LinaresEL VAQUERO PHOTO EDITOR

Elizabeth Linares can be reachedat [email protected]

To Give Is to Receive

Volunteers serve traditional dinner of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce,mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie to more than 300 people.

Rafael Berrum, 3, at left, and his extendedfamily, shown at the top left, come togetherannually at this event.

“Starvation brought me here,” says a Glendale resident who goes by thename of Garfield. “This is my fourth year participating in this event. The food is excellent, especially the pumpkin pie.”

ore than 50 people gave their time to serve Thanksgiving dinner at theGlendale Salvation Army. Twenty-five turkeys were donated and cooked byemployees of the Glendale Hilton Hotel.

“This is our first time [at the Salvation Army],” said Patricia Aguirre of Glendale.“Everyone is very attentive and everything is excellent.” Aguirre and her family, like mostattending, commented that their main reason for being at the Salvation Army is financial.

People wishing to volunteer during the Christmas Season can go to the Salvation Army,321 W. Windsor Road, Glendale, on Saturday and Dec. 17 to pack and distribute boxes offood. For more information, contact Melynda Hooper at (818) 246-5586, ext. 121.

M

Miguel Gomez, 8, and his extended family from Pasadena, enjoy Thanksgivingdinner at the Salvation Army in Glendale

Documents

Dec. 9, 2005