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Black History Month began as Negro History Week by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. The goal was to educate America about the history of African-Americans and their rightful place in the building of this nation. Woodson hoped that “Negro History Week would outlive its use-fulness,” meaning that we as a nation would not need a physical set in time to realize the importance and place in history that Afri-can- Americans deserve. Though Woodson may have felt as a society we might come to include the correct history in our nations curriculum, we sadly have not.

That is why Black History Month is so important. It helps highlight the positive contributions many have given to our great nation. The struggles of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., the pro-black movement of the Black Panthers, and the HOHFWLRQ�RI�WKH�FRXQWU\¶V�¿UVW�$IULFDQ�American president, Barrack Obama. With-out the high lighting of these achievements and note worthy actions, we as a society would loose focus of how we became what we are today.

Think about this, the education system in Arizona last year wanted to wipe the history of Mexican Americans and Na-tive Americans from their books, as if that history never even existed. In Texas, sev-eral months before the attempt in Arizona, the board of education of the state of Texas voted to change their standard of curricu-lum to a more Republican leaning one.

According to a March 12, 2010 New York Times article:

Battles over what to put in science

and history books have taken place for

years in the 20 states where state boards

must adopt textbooks, most notably in

California and Texas. But rarely in recent

history has a group of conservative board

members left such a mark on a social stud-

ies curriculum.

Efforts by Hispanic board members

WR�LQFOXGH�PRUH�/DWLQR�¿JXUHV�DV�UROH�PRG-

els for the state’s large Hispanic population

were consistently defeated, prompting one

member, Mary Helen Berlanga, to storm

out of a meeting late Thursday night, say-

ing, “They can just pretend this is a white

America and Hispanics don’t exist.”

“They are going overboard, they are not

experts, they are not historians,” she said.

“They are rewriting history, not only of

Texas but of the United States and the

world.”

So if you think a month, or any SHULRG�RI�WLPH�WR�UHÀHFW�RQ�WKH�DFFRPSOLVK-ments of an ethnic group in our society is overboard, just think about how many people out there want you to forget that any of those people were anything other than a crucial part in their overblown sense of reality.

Alexander DaryananiEditor-in-Chief

Bekki Jasmin ZarcoASG Senator at Large

P. A . R . T. iS q u a d ?

On January 21st 2012 around 8 O’ clock, the Parti Squad held their “Stop the Violence” event in Gullo I. What was billed as a fashion show to rally against violence appears to be nothing more than exercise in disorganization. It is to our understanding that at the evening event there was not an advisor present and the chaotic atmosphere showed that.

See Violence pg 3

Why is it that so many people commit years of their lives, a dedicated few spend their entire careers in the institution known as college? For most, college is the ¿QDO�SKDVH�RI�IRUPDO�HGXFDWLRQ�DQG�WKH�ODVW�VWHS�EHIRUH�they become truly self-sustainable. Some of us though, being so enamored by the idea of higher learning, choose to return to the system they have mastered. They earn themselves positions of authority and respect as a reward for their dedication. The process of past students teaching current students creates an environment that churns out JUHDW�ZRUNHUV�DQG�WKLQNHUV�WR�EHQH¿W�WKH�SODQHW��%\�JRLQJ�to school each day as one of the educational community, we have invested ourselves into continuing this legacy of progress and self-improvement. Community college in particular not only educates in the way that only colleges can, but by being the threshold between high schools and the universities, it places students on the path to achieving exactly what they want from education. Success or failure here can dictate if and how students accomplish their edu-cational goals. To ensure that our community college sys-WHP�¿OOV�LWV�UROH�DV�D�ODXQFKLQJ�SDG�IRU�VWXGHQWV��D�WHDP�RI�professionals known as the Student Success Task Force has been called to action. Working with the resources of the CCC system, this group plans to restructure our schools to promote the agendas of our students. The Task Force was originally formed at the be-ginning of 2011 to solve problems that our representatives noticed within public education. What they found was that only 41% of students graduating from our state’s commu-nity colleges end up ready for transfer to their university. In order to increase the number of prepared students, the Task Force has designed a proposal of amendments that it feels will improve upon our current system.

See Success pg 3

Energy drink drinker? check out pg 3 for an interesting look at your favorite ones.

Writer? Poet? Ever want to get pub-lished? Check out pg 6 for details on this years Leaf by Leaf submission process.

Check out pg 4 for great tips for scho-lastic sucess.

White House Hispanic Action Summit visits EVC, see pg 2.

Anthony DiSilvestreStaff Writer

White House Hispanic Community Action Summit “when you are still able to accomplish something positive, that should be the biggest take away.”

The White House Hispanic Community Action Summit descended on to our campus January 21st 2012 here at Evergreen Valley College to have a rally to help build relationships in our community. Jose A. Rico an Executive Director for the White House initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, lead the group of Federal Officials and community leaders in open forum roundtable discussions to help encourage new partnerships between individuals with ideas and those with capital. A first of its kind of summits on our campus, but hopefully not the last. It was able to bring many like-minded individuals together to collaborate for something more positive: the future of academics for Hispanic as well as all ethnic communities. Jose A Rico began his acknowledgements by giving praise to our Chancellor, Dr. Rita Cepeda. He started off by reminiscing on the first time they met several years ago in San Diego and how great a job she did in helping him arrange an event with months of time for preparation -- But how this time he only gave “11 days [notice] to put [the] event together”. It was impressive, 11 days to put any event together is trying, let alone one that involves such logistical challenges as security, catering and media involvement. For that effort Rico also acknowledged all individuals involved in putting the event together. Included in his salutations were President Henry Young and his team, as well as ASG President Jessica Diaz and the ASG team. Additionally Julie Chavez Rodriguez continued on with the theme of teamwork and community effort, stating that “America [is] a work in progress…a destiny to be fulfilled”. One that can only truly see it’s potential through the shared sacrifices and hard work of all involved in the academic world. The theme of teamwork could be seen throughout the day as well. Our ASG team, led by the efforts of President Diaz and External VP David Nguyen, were hard at work ushering people from the parking lot down to Gullo 2 in golf carts. Some ASG team members like VP of Finance Edgar Guzman and Activities Director Timothy Burpee were positioned to help out with foot traffic. While most of the

day’s processes went smoothly, some issues needed to be worked out. “We did not get clear instruction[s]… next time we should know what we are doing beforehand”, quipped Marisa, a Student Ambassador, “Not upset, but concerned with making a smooth go of the event.” Understandably with any rush project, she added, “there will be some problems” but overall they managed well. Aaron Bevans, another of the Student Ambassador said, “it is a positive thing when government officials can come together in such short notice and provide inspiration to a community and [more] to be involved in a time like this when people are struggling.” Aaron is correct, sometimes when work is rushed it can be daunting to cross all the t’s and dot the i’s. But when you are still able to accomplish something positive, that should be the biggest take away. Think about this: for all the heat the Federal Government has received during the administration of President Barack Obama and for all the naysayers dwelling on the negatives, this group has been able to make significant strides. Through the health care legislation passed under President Obama, millions of uninsured 18-26 year olds have been able to gain coverage. People with preexisting conditions have also been given coverage. They gained the same chance to gain insurance coverage as anyone without those negative stipulations against them. Also the administration has helped in unveiling a Loan Grant Program for college tuition. The new guidelines in student loans call for a massive cut in interest charged to the student, lessening the amount for individuals to repay and making it 10% of their salary per year post graduation. So hypothetically if you make $40,000 per year post graduation, your yearly payment on your student loan would be only $4000. As well, if you stay in a community-serving job like teaching, police work or firefighting. For the 10 years post-graduation your loan will automatically become a grant for recognition of giving back to your community (for more information on program refer to FAFSA). So next time you think to yourself “What can I do?” Remember you’re not alone. All you have to do is look out in your community. Many people have the same dreams and desires: a more stable future for their families. Be part of the positive change in your world, and forget party lines, as all they do is stop progress.

Page 2 - News February 2012NewsPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

Photo Credit: Edward Balaoro & Jerome Guiang

Alexander DaryananiEditor-in-Chief

The goals of these plans include, but aren’t limited to: informing students on how to plan their educational path, developing a better technique for testing the readiness of en-tering students, using existing resources such as Fee Waivers and registration priorities to incentivize student success, encouraging school faculty to assist students in their goals, and lastly, setting a standard for coordination that will make future plans in favor of student success easier to implement. Areas that the plan will be avoiding include the way that school admin-

istration operates and how the schools will earn money. 7KLV�SODQ�ZLOO�GH¿QLWHO\�SODFH�QHZ�DQG�GLI¿FXOW�FKDOOHQJHV�for students, staff, and ad-ministration, but the outcome ZLOO�OLNHO\�EH�D�PRUH�HI¿FLHQW�CCC system than ever before. The plan has been proposed to the Board of Governors and currently awaits their approval before being delivered to the state legislature. Depending on the decision of the Board, the plan may be passed, failed, or revised. The scheduled deliv-ery of this plan to legislature is between now and March.

If the plan is passed, the Task Force will be in charge of deciding how the recom-mendations will be executed. However, whether this plan and others like it will see con-tinued support is ultimately up to the community colleges themselves. The full docu-ment to be proposed is avail-able online, and if it passed, you should expect plans like it to be created in the near future. Community colleges as of now are the centers of our world, so improving them in whatever way we can is in our best interests.

Success continued

Photo Credit: Edward Balaoro & Jerome Guiang

Page 3 - News February 2012NewsPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

Feeling tired? Pick up any brand of energy drink at your local market or gas station and you’re good to go. Most labels read: “An invigorating blend of taurine with just the right amount of caffeine and sugar to keep you alert and ready to tackle on the day’s needs.” It sounds convincing enough, so why not go for it? This is the question most people would raise in their minds, but then immediately a nanosecond after, bring it to the counter for purchase. Pop the top and guzzle it, toss the container in the trash and you’re already feeling the high buzz kicking in! We instantaneously feel like we can lift a skyscraper above your head and run around the world ten times before The Flash could even start bragging about how fast he is. Just what is this magical elixir? We all know the fountain of youth doesn’t really exist, unless you lived around 300 BC and rode across Europe with Alexan-der the Great looking for it. However, nowa-days people will tell you that energy drinks are about the closest thing that can get to it. If 80 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounces in a 24-ounce package is close, then I sure hope the fountain does exist. A mil-ligram may seem miniscule but when we’re talking about stimulants like caffeine and taurine, every little bit gets taken into account. A daily serving of caffeine for young and old adults is around 300 mg, ap-proximate to two to four cups of coffee. Anymore and you might experience nervousness, in-somnia and faster heartbeats. A cup of coffee from say, fast food tycoon McDonald’s contains about 100 mg of caffeine whereas a Starbucks latte ranges around 160 mg. Now both these bev-erages are weighed in at 16 ounces but when compared to a popular brand of energy drink ¬¬- such as Amp or Monster that contains 170 mg of caffeine in the same amount - it’s quite clear which one is worse. Perhaps the worst brand and best example among energy drinks is Rockstar. How can that be if every-one loves Rockstar? Amongst my colleagues

and friends it certainly seems to be the most popular. Considering the fact that Americans have been spending $4.2 billion and up since 2008 on high-octane tonics, it’s no surprise Rockstar and many other brands have seen major boosts in sales and marketing. That marketing is for a drink that is drenched in empty calories, taurine, guarana and caffeine – chemicals whose effects are still largely unknown. Its closest competitor is Red Bull, which it has 20 extra calories and a whop-ping 62 grams of sugar, earning it the title of possibly the worst energy drink on the mar-ket. You’re going to have to walk for at least 30 minutes to work off those 130 calories, perhaps more if you had a sandwich with it. Instead why not have black coffee. Black coffee only has 20 calories and is full of anti-oxidants that are actually proven to work. It’s also worth mentioning that energy drinks are laden with large amounts of sugar, about 58 grams in each 16-ounce can. Di-vide it and you get 3.625 grams of sugar per ounce. That’s about as much as you can find in the same size container of soda. As men-tioned before, a single cup of black coffee at

16 oz. has 150 or so mg of caffeine and abso-

lutely no sugar. At most locations

that serve coffee,

they’ll

come equipped with sugar packets that come at 4 grams of sugar per packet. In a poll done by search giant Yahoo.com, an average per-son takes their coffee with 4-5 packets. You have 4 grams per packet, multiply that by the average usage of an individual and you

get a general amount of 16 to 20 grams per cup of coffee. Energy buzzes become energy crashes. We’ve spoken calorie and caffeine count, but now it is time to get down to the bottom of things. Why do we drink these energy drinks as much as we do without a care about what it does to our bodies? Two words: Caffeine and taurine. Some studies suggest that tau-rine supplementation may improve athletic performance, which may explain why taurine is used in many energy drinks. Caffeine stim-ulates the central nervous system, alleviates fatigue, increasing wakefulness, and improv-ing concentration and focus. Other studies suggest that taurine combined with caffeine improves mental performance, although this findings remain controversial. Professor Chris Semsarian, based at Syd-ney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said that energy drinks could cause two groups of heart-related problems. “The first is re-lated to the electrical rhythm of the heart, whereby they can make the heart go faster leading to very dangerous rhythms which can ultimately lead to sudden death. He continues, “They can also lead to problems with the blood flow in the heart and this can lead to blockages of arteries and heart attacks in the conventional sense.” It has also been said that those with heart problems or com-plications from obesity should abstain from consuming these beverages. Prof. Semsarian warns that, “It’s an especially dangerous sit-uation where the patient or the young person doesn’t know they have an underlying heart

problem, they drink it and then it unmasks the problem.” Perhaps the most sus-

ceptible are young adults and athletes. Some athletes are known to drink at

least two before a game and oth-ers even more. That’s more than

the recommended amount and sports doctors are not surprised

by what usually happens after. In Orange County, California four high

school football players were taken to the emergency room last season with persistent tachycardia, or rapid heartbeats, after down-ing super-caffeinated drinks, said Michael F. Shepard a team physician and member of the California Interscholastic Federation’s state medical advisory board.Athletes alone make up more than half of

the advertising campaign for popular energy drinks such as Monster, NOS, Rockstar and Red Bull. Ricky Carmichael, a popular athlete, endorses the brand Monster. This in turn encourages the younger generation to go out and empty their allowance on these refreshments. For kids and teenagers it acts as a catalyst between them and being “cool”. It’s similar to Nike or Vans shoe endorse-ments. Young adults will see that on T.V. and then they’ll drag their parents out to get it for them. Energy drink companies know that the mindset of a 12-15 year old has not yet developed a sense of awareness and therefore is prone to outside influences. The fact is that too much caffeine and its cronies: taurine and guarana are extremely detrimen-tal to a growing child’s health. The American Beverage Association advises its members not to promote their products in K-12 schools and not to advertise to children younger than 12. They also advice energy drinks to list the amount of caffeine from all sources and include a label saying that the drinks are not recommended for children, pregnant women, nursing women or people who are particu-larly sensitive to caffeine. Red Bull said its policy is not to sample its products to chil-dren under 15. Energy drinks may seem tempting and prom-ise a lot of good benefits but the next time you pick up a can be sure to read the fine print. If you spot an ingredient that you do not immediately recognize then put the can down and back away. Go for the natural en-ergy boosts such as bananas or coffee. If you must consume it for a late-night meeting or overnight workload, then one drink will not harm you, but remember less is more.

Book links: [Eat This, Not That! – David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding] [The Diet Detective’s Countdown – Charles Stuart Platkin]

Web links: [http://news.ninemsn.com] [http://articles.cnn.com/][http://www.usatoday.com/] [http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600][http://www.energyfiend.com/sugar-in-drinks]

Energy DrinksMan Quac La

Sr. Staff Writer

As we entered the building to get to our office, we witnessed a scene of participants running up and down the hall and up the stairs. Bottles where being thrown left and right, and at one point we saw an high school student get a hold of a long wooden pole with a nail embedded in it and was swinging it around with no concerns for the people that surrounded him. Normally during any event hosted by the ASG or other clubs and student organizations we would have the upstairs of Gullo I sealed off. But surprisingly what we saw at this event was that it was not the case. One of our biggest concerns was that there where girls upstairs changing for the fashion show with boys in the room. All this while the surrounding area was being trashed with candy wrappers, chairs being misplaced and graffiti on the front help desk. Having seen what was happening inside, VP David Nguyen and I approached Officer Lugo with our concerns. And thankfully when officer Lugo came in the chaos ceased. Kids where no longer running around, and the boys from the “dressing room” had left and the event

seemed to be more organized. On their flier it says that they are the 2011 recipients for the MLK JR. Association of Silicon Valley “ Mover of Mountains” award. I have reached out to MLK JR. Association of Silicon Valley to learn of the good the P.A.R.T.I. Program does to make sense of what occurred this night. The response I received was that “The PARTI program received an award from the MLKSCV to recognize the positive impact they have on youth. The PARTI program received our Mover of Mountains award.” And that I should go to the P.A.R.T.I. Programs website if I wanted to know anything further. While all this is inexcusable, what is worse is what’s unexplainable. How was this event presented to our ASG board as an event for Evergreen Valley College students and now marketing was done to attract our students? And how do they get away with charging a $40 cover for non-EVC students when they received funds and support from our board to run this event? Our students deserve the right to know.

Bekki Jasmin ZarcoASG Senator at Large

Violence continued

Photo Credit: Edward Balaoro & Julie Ngo

Page 4 - Arts & Entertainment February 2012Arts & EntertainmentPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

Club Advisors:

Marjorie Clark

Sterling Warner

Upper Management:

Editor in chief:

Alexander Daryanani

Chief of Graphics Department:

Edward Balaoro

Writing Department

Senior Writers:

Heather Garcia

Jessica Diaz

Managing Editor:

Francisco Zarate

Webmaster:

Alex Velasco

Web Editor:

Man Quoc La

Marketing Director:

Amy Dundon

Writers:

Remi Kloth

Graphics Department

Senior Layout Management:

Steven DeMartini

Layout Management:

Madison Muong

Senior Photographer:Funded in part by EVC Associated Student Government

newspaper.editors.messenger@gmail.com

Jerome Guiang

It’s the second semester of the school year. You’re start-ing off fresh in college or maybe you have just changed schools and have decided to start attending EVC. It’s always a little nerve racking for various reasons. One of the main reasons is because you’re not quite sure what to expect. It’s easy to get lost, and without guidance to unintentionally put tasks that are of importance on the back burner. However we’ve compiled a few tips that will make your experience less exhausting and more positive.

1. Parking: The most important thing to remember on your ¿UVW�ZHHN�RI�VFKRRO�LV�SDUNLQJ�ZLOO�EH�QHDUO\�LPSRVVLEOH�WR�¿QG��$�ORW�RI�VWXGHQWV�ZLOO�EH�UXVKLQJ�WR�JHW�ODVW�PLQXWHV�FODVVHV�RU�¿QGLQJ�WKH�ORFDWLRQ�RI�WKH�FODVVHV�WKH\�VLJQHG�XS�for. A way to avoid having to deal with that is simply get-WLQJ�WR�VFKRRO�HDUOLHU��<RX�ZLOO�EH�DEOH�WR�¿QG�SDUNLQJ�DQG�you will also make it to your classes on time.

2. Textbooks: There are many ways to buy your textbooks and not spend a small fortune doing so. A quick search on Google will give you a variety of websites that sell used

DQG�QHZ�WH[WERRNV�IRU�YHU\�FKHDS��$QRWKHU�ZD\�WR�¿QG�books for a smaller sum of money is to look around the VFKRRO��$�ORW�RI�VWXGHQWV�ZLOO�SXW�XS�À\HUV�WR�VHOO�WKHLU�books form past semesters. Our school’s book store also offers many of the books you might need for your classes, both new and used.

3. Get your student ID card: We cannot stress how important it is to have a student ID card. You will need it for a range of things. First and for most, knowing your student ID number is incred-ibly essential and having your student ID card with you is a great way to have that number constantly at your disposal. Having your card when you have a paper to write will be incredibly helpful because your card not only doubles as a library card; it also allows you to print papers in the FRPSXWHU�ODE���$Q�H[WUD�EHQH¿W�WKDW�FRPHV�ZLWK�KDYLQJ�D�student ID card is that many museums, galleries and even theaters allow you access to events for a lower price if you have an ID card that proves you are a student.)

4. Visit a counselor: Coming into college you have to expect that your

education will now be your responsibility. You have to take FKDUJH�RI�ZKLFK�SDWK�\RX�ZDQW�WR�WDNH�DQG�¿JXUH�RXW�ZKDW�you need to do to get there. However there is help provided by the school to help you choose and to know what you need to do: counselors. We highly suggest you visit one as VRRQ�DV�\RX�FDQ��7KH\�FDQ�KHOS�\RX�¿QG�RXW�ZKDW�FODVVHV�you need to take, what the requirements will be if your plan is to transfer or to get your degree from EVC.

5. Get Involved: Many students feel like their time at EVC is a requirement, and it discourages them from participating in their school. Getting involved in school will make your experience in school more enjoyable. It will aid you in feeling like you are a part of the school. The school houses a huge assortment of clubs for different interests. It’s an excellent way to meet other students and make friends.

We hope these tips are helpful. Remember the best way to accomplish your academic goals is to be prepared. So get a head start, and good luck on this semester!

Robin Hahn has taught full-time here at EVC for 7 years. She began her teaching career back in 1978 as a student teacher. Due to a lack of teaching jobs in subsequent years, VKH�ZDV�IRUFHG�WR�¿QG�ZRUN�HOVHZKHUH��3URIHVVRU�+DKQ�soon found herself earning her livelihood in the tech-industry, were she remained for 20 years. It wasn’t until 2002 that she was able to come back to her love of teach-ing, once again as a part-time instructor. Three years later, she worked her way to teaching full-time, and is still doing so today. Professor Hahn grew-up in the countryside near Santa Rosa Ca. She attended elementary, Junior High and High School there. In Elementary school, Professor Hahn had the interesting experience of attending a two-room Schoolhouse for a year. In Jr. High, she was part of her school paper. She continued writing for school newspa-pers throughout high school and at Santa Rosa Jr. College (where she attended before transferring to San Jose State University). Professor Hahn says she was originally going to be a journalism student, but later changed her mind after taking a few English classes. She found herself enjoying reading novels and writing, and decided to major in Eng-lish. Professor Hahn earned her B.A. and M.A. in Literature /English (with a specialization in Teaching Com-position) at SJSU. She also received credentials for TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from SJSU and Reading credentials from SFSU. Professor Hahn not only devoted her education to those various subjects, but has taught them as well. Professor Hahn currently teaches English 1A, English 1C, and Women in Literature. As well, Professor Hahn is a part of the Woman Studies Department Faculty. In her English 1A and 1C classes, Professor Hahn strongly emphasizes the importance of critical thought. She often stresses the question, “why do we think the way we do?” Professor Hahn challenges her students to not only seek the answer to this question, but she also asks another, “have you ever thought of it like this?” In other words, it’s

not only essential to know why you’ve made a particular decision, but also, have you searched multiple avenues IRU�DQVZHUV�WR�EDFN�WKDW�GHFLVLRQ��6KH�VSHFL¿HV�WKDW�WKHUH�is much more to critical thinking then pure inductive and deductive reasoning. For example, (as well as other English 1C instructors) Professor Hahn has incorporated the novel, 7KH�6XQÀRZHU��LQWR�KHU�WHDFKLQJ��,Q�WKLV�ERRN��PDQ\�ZRUOG�UHQRZQHG�HWKLFLVW��SROLWLFDO�¿JXUHV��DQG�KXPDQLWDULDQV�DV�ZHOO�DV�UHOLJLRXV�¿JXUHV�WU\�WR�DQVZHU�WKH�TXHVWLRQ�RI�whether or not it is okay to forgive a Nazi soldier for his crimes. Of course, this in turn begs several other questions such as, “how do you know if someone is truly sorry? Is it right for someone who was not persecuted in the holocaust to forgive?” Or even, “[is it possible] for one to forgive on behalf of all [victims]?” Professor Hahn reminds her students that critical thinking not only has logical compo-nents, but also has moral and ethical components. So, these questions must also be addressed with our own moral, ethi-cal, and religious values in mind. That’s not to say, that we allow them to inhibit us from thinking objectively. How-ever, Professor Hahn recognizes that students sometimes get stuck in their own way of thinking without examining why they think that way. This is why she asks her students “why?” Professor Hahn says, “I’m not trying to encour-age students to think one way or the other, or to have one opinion or the other. But understand why they think the way they do, and examine what their reasons are.”

Professor Hahn hopes that her students will take what they’ve learned in her classroom about critical think-ing and meta-cognition (thinking about thinking), and apply them to other aspects of their lives. “That’s why I like [English] 1A and 1C especially, because they focus on critical thinking and research... It doesn’t just apply to English, it applies to anything.”

When asked what she gets out of teaching Profes-sor Hahn replied: “Well, after working 20 years in the technology industry

... and networking in semiconductor equipment companies. $QG�KDYLQJ�WR�ZRUU\�DERXW�WKLQJV�OLNH�VDOHV��SUR¿W��DQG�loss and all that. I just think that it’s exciting to be able to have a job where you talk about ideas all day. Right? I mean, what could be better than that! If you get a good idea in my class from class discussions or what you read, it’s a good idea! You don’t have to measure it like, ‘oh, how mvuch money can I make?’ It’s just an idea. We can just enjoy it, because it’s a good idea! So if I can give students the pleasure of good ideas or examining how they think, without having to worry about ‘oh nobody’s going to buy my thought, so it was worthless.’ then, I think that’s an ac-complishment!”

Professor Hahn is certainly a person who not only understands, but also respects the critical thought. How simple, a thing as thought might seem. After my interview with Professor Hahn, I realized that it isn’t really at all. To think critically and understand why we choose to make certain decisions in life is more complex then that. Why do we choose to follow a particular religion or political party? Being able to conscientiously differentiate ourselves by make our choice based upon our own critical thoughts, not just because someone else is doing the same thing, is truly a skill we should all learn. It really says a lot about the old saying, “If your friends jump off a bridge would you do it too?” If so, then why? If not, then why not? Why am I doing this? This is a question we should all ask ourselves before we make any decision and then give ourselves a solid answer before we proceed.

Robin HahnHeather GarciaStaff Writer

The Messenger’s quick tips for sucessNahiely ZarateStaff Writer

Bekki J Zarco Photographers:

Julie NgoCarmen Candelaria

Page 5 - Arts & Entertainment February 2012Arts & EntertainmentPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

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Minecraft is a sandbox game that allows players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world. This game was created by Notch - better known as Markus Persson, a Swedish creator and his company, Mojang. Minecraft is an independent video game written in Java and origi-nally on PC. Later on it was released for Macintosh, iOS and Android. Soon after there was a version of the game for the Xbox 360 and Kinect.

Minecraft is all about discovery of the distance world, creation and con-struction of the mind. Minecraft is a world with no rules and whatever the players do are his or her own ideas to build their structures. Discovering what’s beyond the horizon, discovering new cave systems, discovering incredible projects others have done, discovering new features snuck into updates, discovering new like-minded people and discovering architec-ture. In the game you deal with electronics, sculpture, texturing, land-scaping, action, photography, decorating and music. The game is about discovering that we all love to make things and it provides an accessible and cost-effective way to do so.

The world is made entirely of 1-meter cubes. Any of those cubes, except bedrock at the very bottom, can be removed or moved, which enables the player to reshape the world. As far as the player can wander in any direction is as far as more terrain will be randomly generated. Day and night cycles also pass in the game. Aggressive enemies spawn when and where it’s dark. Underground there are cave systems with lava, iron ore, diamond, and a few other minerals. Above ground there are trees, hills, animals, streams, oceans, cliffs, sandy beaches and deserts.

First-time play tends to go something like this: The player spawns with no supplies. Punching trees drops logs which can be used to create a workbench, a weak wooden pickaxe and a few other basic supplies. The wooden pickaxe can be used to break stone, which can be used to make stronger stone tools. Stone pick axes are then used to mine coal and iron ore. Coal and wood are combined to make torches, which cast light to prevent enemies from spawning in otherwise dark areas. Combinations of materials produce a variety of objects. The player dies a few times but learns a few things and tries out a few different kinds of projects. Time passes and the player then builds the Taj Mahal, or something very much like it. In the end the Tetris effect kicks in, causing the player to have Minecraft dreams.

Madison MuongStaff Writer

Player built castle within a snow environment.

You can also change texutres of the game too.

A top down view of a town created by two people.

Players have the choice of playing off or online.

Tools aren’t strong enough? ENCHANT ‘EM!

Riddle of the day:For some I go to fast for others I’m slow. To most people, I’m an obsession relying on me is well practiced lesson.

Answer to riddle of the day: Time

Comic Corner

Page 6 - Arts & Entertainment February 2012Arts, News, & EntertainmentPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

News / AdsPRESENTED BY THE: EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CLUB

Page 7 - News / Ads February 2012

EVC

*This is the tentative name of the program, will update with further detail.

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Presented by Immigrant Relations & Integration Services IRIS & The Santa Clara County Citizenship Collaborative

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Please fi l l out the “Participation Form” below and circle the role you want in the back of this page and return this to the staff or contact:

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Osvaldo Castro: ocastro@cet2000.org (408) 534-5215

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Page 8 - Clubs/ C

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February 2012C

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BSU Valentine Gram Pre-Sale @ 12:30-2:00pm Gullo Lawn

Black History Month Essay Topic Announcement

Male Rights of Passage Event @ 12:15-1:40pm EVC !eater

TET Festival by the VSA @ 11:00an-1:00pm Gullo II

Resources for Life and Career-A Panel Discussion @ 12:15-1:40pm Montgomery Hall (SC 127)

EVC Author’s Series Presents Angie Chau @ 12:30-1:30 Mont-gomery Hall

College Council Meeting @ 2:30-3:45pm Mishra Room

Census Day

BSU Valentine Gram with Guest Poet- Julinda Caldwell @ Gullo Lawn

J.E.W.L. Speaker Event- Chief Judge Ware @ 12:15-1:40pm EVC !eater

Freedom Righers Movie Panel Discussion @ 12:15-1:40pm Montgoery Hall

Sistas’ Tea Circle Guest Speaker- Sarah Payne, Google Inc. @ 2:00-3:00pm Gullo Faculty Lounge

EVC Author’s Series Presents Jym Marks @ 12:30-1:30pm Montgomery Hall

Music Appreciation Workshop with Guest Lecruter and Artist- Clairdee @ 12:15-1:40pm EVC !eater

Submissions Due for Black History Month Essay @ 5:00pm

Last day to Drop Classes with “W” on record

Last day to apply for enrollment fee refunds

Last Day to submit Credit/No Credit fors to O"ce of Admissions and Records

College Council Meeting @ 2:30-3:45pm Mishra Room

Black History Month Closing Event with Keynote Speaker !urman White, Investment Company @ 12:15-1:40pm EVC !eater

President’s Day, Campus Closed President’s Day, Campus Closed

Campus ClosedPresident’s Day, Campus Closed