Rampage Fall 2009 Issue 3

Since 1949

Volume CXVIII, Edition 3

October 7, 2009

Course Cancellation Crisis Budget cuts force administrators to reduce much needed classes

by Kimberly Ann Hodges

by Ramiro Gudino

Rampage Reporter

Rampage Reporter It’s frustrating when you are waitlisted for a class. It’s devastating when the class you need isn’t even available because it is cancelled before it makes it to the printed schedule of courses.

Class cancellation has become the unpleasant reality at Fresno City College, and the entire campus is feeling the effects.

Due to the recent state budget cuts—that have taken a most excruciating toll on education across California—many classes, starting in the current fall semester, were removed from the schedule, resulting in a reduction of the amount of sections offered.

According to FCC president Dr. Cynthia Azari, the college’s budget was reduced by 2.5 percent for the 2009/10 academic year, or roughly $1.8 million less than what the operating budget was last year.

With less money to support academic programs and pay salaries, FCC’s leaders had no other choice but to cut out anything that isn’t necessary, including a distressing number in a variety of course sections.

The reduced budget has forced FCC administration to decrease funding of many different programs and other needs on

Police Respond to Accusations

This illustration does not reflect actual classes cancelled.

Photo Illustration by Jeremiah Henry

See “Class” on Page 3

Responding to accusations of police brutality and excessive force, Lieutenant Richard Gaines, spokesperson for State Center Community College District police, said the reports of police brutality are unfounded.

“I do not believe the officers did anything wrong,” Gaines said, despite videos recorded by eyewitnesses alleging that the police officers were unnecessarily rough with the suspects.

Gaines said he has contacted individuals with videos of the incident. “I asked some of those individuals to send me copies of the footage. I told them if my staff has done something wrong, I want to see it,” he said. However, the videos, recorded with cell phones, make it difficult to determine exactly what was happening.

The accusation of police brutality against the SCCCD police is related to an incident during the NAISA club celebration of Native American Indian Day on Sept. 24.

According to several eyewitnesses, Gregory Moultrie was just carrying a skateboard, but police and school representatives stated that he was riding it when officers approached him. Witnesses claim that officers attempted to confiscate the skateboard, but the police report claims See “Arrest” on Page 3

Dr. Chris Villa Focuses on Inclusion and Service

by Ramiro Gudino Rampage Reporter

Inside:

When Dean Robert Fox retired in the spring of 2009, many on the Fresno City College campus felt he could not be replaced. That was until the search committee found Dr Christopher Villa who began his tenure as the new vice president of Student Services on Aug. 24.

“Villa is focused on management during a stressful time. He is cognizant of morale. He believes in collaboration and made it very obvious that his doors are open,” said FCC Psych Services Coordinator Dr. Brian Olowude.

A California native, Villa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social

Ecology from the University of California in Irvine, a Master’s in Public Administration from University of Southern California and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah. Villa has held positions as a student-affairs professional for nearly three decades.

Villa said that it is his goal to continue enhancing student success and advocate for students to transfer and complete their education.

Villa was born to a MexicanAmerican family in East Los Angeles where he was also raised. He said he was strongly influenced by his family, his parents who made huge sacrifices for their children.

“My parents valued education highly, and although our family had

modest means as both my parents worked in factories, they sacrificed to send all of their children and me to parochial schools,” he said. His role models are his father, Robert Kennedy, and Gandhi.

The lessons he learned from his family and their support prepared Villa for his present position. “My father impressed on me the importance to have respect for other people regardless of their socioeconomic or ethnic/racial background,” Villa said. “This value, combined with a hard-work ethic and the belief that I could do almost anything with my life, prepared me for See “Student Success” on Page 2

Photo by Ramiro Gudino

Vice-president of Student Services, Dr. Christopher Villa

Eurydice: FCC Updates Classic Myth

Opinion: Voices of Our Generation

See page 9

See page 13

FCC vs Santa Rosa: 35-21 See page 16

News

2 Rampage

October 7, 2009

A Bigger, Better Fresno Fair Student Success

by Jacob Espinosa Rampage Reporter It’s back, the event that people from all over the Central Valley have been waiting for, the Big Fresno Fair.

It is time once again for spending breezy nights with friends and family, enjoying ride after thrilling ride, showing off your skills at ring toss and other midway games, learning from exciting exhibits, testing your taste buds with all the unique foods the fair has to offer, and above all, having fun.

Many fair-goers would agree, the Big Fresno Fair seems to get bigger every year, always adding new attraction, rides, concerts, and foods. This year shall be no exception. In additional to annual favorites such as livestock competitions and student artwork displays, the Fair is showcasing several new exhibits, such as the Water Tree, which will educate visitors on water conservation, and Wild America, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America organization.

In addition to a wide array of new attractions, the Big Fresno Fair will be offering the largest discounts in its history.

“The economy is in the tank, so to speak,” explained Deputy Manager, Stacy Rianda.

“So we want to make it possible for everyone to come.” Because of its huge success last year, the Fresno Fair’s $2 Tuesday and

$3 Wednesday are back on Oct. 13 and 14. Visitors must bring in receipts from SaveMart or FoodMaxx to be eligible for the discounted entrance fees. They will also receive $5 off the cost of a wrist band for unlimited rides on the carnival.

One of the highlights of this year’s fair shall be the Drought Relief Food Drive. On Oct. 15, between 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., fair goers who bring in three or more canned food items will be granted free admission. Proceeds from the food drive will then be donated to the Community Food Bank and The Salvation Army, to benefit families affected by the drought in the Central valley. “It’s really a win, win, win situation,” said Rianda, referring to the mutual benefits of the food drive.

The Big Fresno Fair draws in crowds of well over 500,000 people each year and contributes more than $60 million to the local economy. “The fair is a huge economic impact [to the Central Valley],” said John C. Alkire, CEO of the Fresno Fair. “We don’t want to give anyone an excuse not to come this year.”

Besides contributing to the drought relief effort through donations, the Big Fresno Fair also plans to educate visitors through its new Water Tree exhibit. The new exhibit will feature an aquarium of fish native to the Central Valley, videos about water conservation and drought, as well as pictures

Racers begin warming up for the fair a week before opening day.

Classified Ads

Crystal Nielsen / 559-346-7151 email: shop@crystalsgiftcloset.com Shop my store: http://youravon.com/cjnielsen Distributor: CRYSTAL NIELSEN 559-346-7151

“Want to Feel the POWER?”

www.drinkbazi.biz/CRYSTALNIELSEN

The Rampage is looking for Federal

Work Study students interested in working in the Business / Marketing / Advertising area of Journalism. If you are interested, Call Dympna Ugwu-Oju @ 442-4600 Ext. 8190 or email: rampage-business@fresnocitycollege.edu (Job Interview Request in subject line)

and tips about how to save water.

Another fun and educational attraction which is set to open is Wild America, a threepart exhibit. The first part will be Brad’s World Reptiles, which will display all kinds of reptiles and mammals from North and South America. The second section will be devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and will feature several hands-on activities. The last section will be the Pop Laval exhibit, showcasing photography that is native to the valley, from the early 1900’s of the Boy Scouts organization and Yosemite Valley.

Of course, the Big Fresno Fair wouldn’t be the same without all deep-fried foods. Among the regulars, this year brave visitors to the fair will have the chance to try a deep-fried Twinkie and even a whole, entirely deep-fried cheeseburger.

If this sounds too decadent for the average fair-goers, there are healthier options available such as fruits and salads.

The Big Fresno Fair is open Oct. 7 to Oct. 18. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. on Monday through Friday, and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close at 11:00 p.m. on Monday to Friday, and at midnight on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, call (559) 650-FAIR, or go online at FresnoFair.com. v

Continued from page one this role.” Villa said his present success can be attributed to the support of “great partner”, Diane, a high school teacher. His daughter, Larisa, is currently finishing her studies at UC Santa Barbara and is majoring in Psychology.

Villa said he is committed to the success of FCC students, adding that students tend to fail because of financial struggles and [unrealistic] expectations. “The cost of attendance at California community colleges is viewed as being only the $26 per unit, which could be mitigated by the Board of Governor’s Grant, but the average student should expect to spend an additional $1,000 for textbooks and other materials,” he said.

Additionally, students will come in with the expectation of a maximum two or three year stay at a FCC before they transfer. Villa said, “If you ask an audience at a freshman orientation how many expect to transfer, often you will have about 80 percent raise their hands.

Unfortunately, many students are not prepared for college level work yet.

Depending on the curriculum, English and Math classes can add more time. Sadly, some students will find this discouraging and leave school without completing their goals,” said Villa.

Villa remains hopeful that he can overcome students’ unrealistic expectations and curb drop out rates.

It is his belief that through collaboration between departments, FCC students will receive the support and encouragement they need to succeed.

While some changes are expected, Villa has set out to strengthen relations first. Villa said collaboration is the key to achieving his goals of enhancing student success and advocates for students to transfer and complete their education. Villa believes persistence and hard work pay off. “If you are determined and persistent to be the best that you can be, you will be successful in life,” he said.

Villa’s experience has taught him to appreciate that many other departments share this common goal.

“Villa has experience with current trends and has worked at both the two year and four-year levels,” said FCC president Cynthia Azari. “It’s tough when you lose 40 - 50 percent of the categorical budget. He has to face questions such as ‘How do you keep everyone employed while cutting the budget?’”

Villa will need to draw on his extensive experience as he continues to learn about the campus culture and the community of Fresno, while simultaneously facing the daunting challenges ahead.

“He is asking all of the right questions...I think it is very wise of him to make connections before he starts making changes...

Villa is open to people sharing,” said Dr. Sonya Hildreth, Dean of Counseling.

Not only must Villa face daily challenges such as the recent altercation between two students and campus police, but numerous budget cuts have added to the difficulty of his position. Despite the numerous challenges of his position, Villa said his first priority is and will remain with the students.

For students concerned at his availability, he assured, “I’m more than willing to meet with students. I do stack my schedule with meetings and appointments, but I always have little breaks here and there. If students need to see me, I will try to make time to see them that same day.”

Villa is doing his best to juggle all his responsibilities and still let students know that he is respectful of their needs. When faced with the recent altercation between students and campus police, Villa insisted that a full investigation would be held before any action is taken. He said, “We are conducting an investigation to see if there was violation of the Student Code of Conduct. We will look at the facts, including the police report.”

Olowude has only high praises for the new V.P. of Student Services. He said, “Villas has shown that his priority is with both student and staff success.”

Ram page

Photos by Jeremiah Henry

About Us

Editors & Staff

Reporters

Rampage is an award-winning newspaper published biweekly by the Fresno City College Journalism 4 & 5 programs and is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges. Views expressed in The Rampage are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Fresno City College, its students, administration or the State Center Community College District.

Contact

Office: (559) 442-8262 Fax: (559) 265-5783

Rampage Fresno City College 1101 E. University Ave. Fresno, CA 93741

Kyle Calvert, Antwan Davis, Ieasha Davis, Stephanie Davis, Krystal Diaz, Jacob Espinosa, Paz Espinoza, Sydney Excinia, Michael Feathers, Ramiro Gudino, Jeremiah Henry, Luis Hernandez, Kimberly Hodges, Raymond Juarez, David Malagon, Calvin Moore, Brittany Nielsen, Victor Rizo, Jemima Romero, Max Rosendahl, Hecor Ruelas, Keneshia Simon, Mark Smith, Laura Solis, and Marissa Villanueva.

Twitter FCCRampage Facebook FCC Rampage E-mail:

Editor-in-chief: Brittany Nielsen News Editor: Laura Solis Views Editor: Kyle Calvert Entertainment Editor: David Malagon Sports Editor: Ray Juarez On-Line Editor: Max Rosendahl Photo Editor: Jeremiah Henry Business Manager: Leah Edwards Production Manager: Ramiro Gudino Adviser: Dympna Ugwu-Oju Production Adviser: John Guglielmino Letters to the editor and submissions to the calendar will be accepted via e-mail or in person 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Monday and Wednesday at The Rampage, Room SC- 211, above the bookstore. Please keep all letters to a maximum of 500 words along with contact information.

Editor In Chief: rampage-editor@fresnocitycollege.edu Rampage business Office: rampage-business@fresnocitycollege.edu Advisor: dympna.ugwu-oju@fresnocitycollege.edu

www.fresnocitycollegerampage.com

News

October 7, 2009

FCC English Professor Swims in Sharkfest

by Victor Rizo Rampage Reporter A Fresno City College instructor will be swimming with sharks this October.

Rebecca Benas, an English instructor, will be swimming with 500 others in a Sharkfest competition at the Fifth Avenue Landing behind the San Diego Convention Center.

Actually there will be no sharks in Sharkfest, and the San Diego Harbor is not known for sharks. Mrs. Benas said she is not really in Sharkfest to compete.

“I’m just going to just to do my best and have fun,” said Ms. Benas who has been swimming since she was 2-years-old.

Benas swims four mornings every week. She swam competitively in college for Arizona State. This is her first time in Sharkfest, but she said already knows she will be doing this again next year, but wearing a wet suit in a 1.5-mile-swim in Alcatraz where the water is a bit colder.

Sharkfest is not for novices but a swimming competition for swimmers who can complete one mile in less than 40

minutes. The competition is set up for a maximum of 500 contestants.

So there should be quite some tough competition for Mrs. Benas.

As for swimming hazards, there won’t be too many.

Benas expects she will have to get used to the waves and jostling with the 500 other contestants.

Additionally, she anticipates some difficulties because it is her first time in a Sharkfest competition.

She is used to swimming only in swimming pools.

Sharkfests are not well known in the Fresno area; so far,

Class Cancellation

Continued from page one

Benas swims four mornings every week.

Photo by Ramiro Gudino

Arrests follow altercation Continued from page one the initial attempt was simply to tell him to stop riding.

Mischelle Loscano, NAISA representative said when she became aware of the altercation, she immediately used the public address system to prompt people to use their camera phones and record the events. A clip of one such video is available at http://tinyurl.com/ KMPH-Video Many eyewitnesses describe the police actions as inappropriate. In an interview aired on KMPH Loscano stated, “It was not a pretty picture at all…I’d have to call it police brutality.”

This was not the first episode involving skateboarders and SCCCD police on the FCC campus. The Rampage reported an incident involving the confiscation of a skateboard back in October 2006. (See Archives Fall 2006 Issue 4 for full story) Unlike the previous incident which ended in a $16 fine and the return of the skateboard, last Friday’s escalated into two arrests and accusations of police brutality.

Lt. Gaines said the incident could have been avoided. “It would have been a non-incident if he had simply cooperated with the officer,” Gaines said.

According to the police report, G Moultrie responded hostilely and the arresting police officers felt he would use the board as a weapon, prompting the officer to try to take it from him.

The situation further es-

calated when Moultrie resisted police attempts to take him into custody. Police claim that during the struggle, G Moultrie grabbed an officer’s belt. According to Lt.Gaines, “The subject grabbed the officer’s baton out of his belt, which is a dangerous weapon. Luckily the weapon was dropped.” However, the baton was picked up by another individual and remains at large.

Making matter worse, while officers struggled with Moultrie, his brother Demone Jamar Moultrie attempted to intervene, ignoring police instructions to keep his distance. “The brother of this first subject came up behind them and began getting too close to the officers and would not back away; he became another person of interest. He was delaying and obstructing,” said Lt. Gaines who added that this type of interference is a direct threat to the officers and puts them at risk.

When D Moultrie resisted and began to struggle with officers, they struck him once on the back of the leg with a baton and used pepper spray on him, both to no apparent effect. D Moultrie fled the scene and headed south west across the campus and parking lot. The SCCCD police requested aid from Fresno PD which intercepted and arrested him near the intersection of Van Ness and McKinley. The brothers now face charges of resisting arrest, battery, public intoxication, and violation of probation.

campus, including popular classes. In determining what classes are cancelled, Tony Cantu, Vice President of Instruction at FCC, explained that the process took a lot of negotiating as well as picking and choosing.

“The divisions looked at the number of sections of each course offered, whether the class was sequential for a major/certificate, Saturday classes, enrollment over the last four to five semesters, other classes available in the same general education area, online classes, etc.,” Cantu explained.

183 total sections were cancelled for the current fall semester.

The list consisted mostly of classes such as College/Life Management with a whopping 31 sections eliminated, and Career Planning and Development, reduced by 12 sections.

In addition to these less essential classes (in terms of transfers and majors), many classes needed to gain an AA degree, finish GE requirements, or to satisfy CSU or US transfer requirements, were cut as well. Twelve sections of a variety of Physical Education classes were cut as well as eight sections of classes in the Foreign Languages department.

The Spring 2010 semester does not look any more promising.

“The spring budget is actually going to be worse than the current,” says Associated Student Government president, Sergey Saluschev. Additionally, Cantu confirmed that FCC is anticipating an additional mid-year reduction, which may shrink the total budget by another 1 percent by spring.

At the moment, 228 sections of classes offered in the spring of 2010 have been removed from the schedule and will not be offered. This list, although only 45 sections higher than the Fall 2009 cuts, is comprised of more vital classes in terms of transfers, GE, and AA requirements.

For example, cuts in Physical Education classes shot from 12 this semester to 23 additional sections being cut in the spring. This fall, only one science class (chemistry) was cut from the roster; in the spring semester, FCC students will certainly notice the 22 science classes that are not on the schedule of courses, including sections of Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry,

Rampage 3

Benas is the only registered swimmer from the Fresno area; there are a lot of registered swimmers from all over the Valley including Madera Modesto, and Clovis.

Because she is the only swimmer from Fresno, Benas said she feels she even inspire swimmers here at Fresno City College to compete in other upcoming Sharkfest events.

Competitive swimmers like Mrs Benas get a lot from swimming; for example, swimming is known as a great exercise because it requires using almost all of you muscles in the body. In

additional, most swimmers will admit that they have a lot of fun swimming.

“Swimming helps keep me stay in shape and it releases stress,” Mrs Benas said.

Mrs. Benas is an adjunct instructor of English at FCC; she teaches 17 units; she also teaches in Porterville. Mrs. Benas has children and is pretty busy during the week. Mrs. Benas said she uses swimming for time management and to keep her daily schedule on track, so she doesn’t waste any time during the day.

Geology, and Geography. 16 math sections are scheduled for cancellation, including three sections of Math101 and two sections of Math103 — sections that students desperately need in order to transfer or simply graduate.

“Classes were reduced across the board,” said Dr. Azari.

“The bottom line w that there is not enough money in the budget to pay for all the classes that we have grown accustomed to offering.”

The next few years for FCC students, judging from the quantity and program of studies reduced, makes the future look very discouraging. “There will probably also be fewer sections offered in Summer [2010],” Cantu said, also adding that the fate of classes for the fall of 2010 and semesters thereafter all depend on the budget situation. “We will start with the current number of offerings and go from there,” Cantu said.

“Students are victim to the direct result of the budget,” Saluschev said. Even the ASG president himself felt the sting of the class reductions. Saluschev explained that although it was not an urgent or required class, he could relate to the frustration of other students when he found his Spanish 9 class section was no longer offered this semester because of the reduction.

It’s difficult enough for students to get the classes they need to fit the schedule that they, in most cases, cannot change. With such a heavy reduction of sections and a current student capacity of 101.2 percent, fitting in these muchneeded classes will present a tough challenge to many FCC students.

“Students will need to take advantage of the registration timeline and register for classes as soon as they can,” Dr. Azari suggested.

Instructors are also affected by the cuts. When classes are taken away from the students, it also means work is taken away from the faculty who teach them.

For some instructors, however, it is much more than just a class or section that is being taken from them.

Marcia Klinder-Badgley, known to some of her students as the “Rock goddess of FCC,” is one of many dedicated instructors who lost a class they love to teach. Klinder-Badgley, who lost her Wednesday night Music 17, History of Rock class, said it was much more than a ‘section reduction.’

“When I received the interoffice memorandum in my faculty mailbox stating the Wednesday

section of Music 17 was cancelled for Spring 2010, I felt (and still feel) devastated.”

Klinder-Badgley explained that the History of Rock was more than just a class to her. She said she had proposed and originated the ideas for this unique class, pouring her own sweat and money into promoting the first offering of the class in Fall 2008. KlinderBadgley said she simply loves what the class offers to the eager students who filled the recital hall each semester. Although there is still one section of this class being offered, Klinder-Badgley commented that because of the work she put into creating it, the Wednesday night class, which was the original section, was close to her heart.

“To watch someone’s face when they hear Janis Joplin for the first time in their lives, to share an original clip of the Rolling Stones and watch the reaction of the students, to prompt an always lively discussion about hip-hop—this is amazing,” she also said.

Because of her passion for the course, Klinder-Badgley said it was hard to accept the news of the reduction lightly.

“Reading that I am appreciated for my ‘invaluable service to the campus’ on a piece of 8 ½ by 11” paper doesn’t take the bite out of this for me,” Klinder-Badgley said. Other instructors shared her disappointed outlook on the issue of their class cancellation.

But who can the students and the faculty blame for taking away their much needed, and much cared for, classes? In reality, everyone should be pointing not at the college administrators, but at the administrators of the state of California itself.

“The state has undertaken these budget cuts because, in reality, it’s what needs to be done,” said Saluschev, the ASG president. “College has become such a luxury to our society, with the illusive dream of easily becoming ‘college graduates.’”

The ‘illusive dream’ Saluschev spoke of is becoming more surreal with every decrease to the education budgets. Saluschev said FCC students and faculty all need to be asking some important questions. “Why has politics targeted education?” he asked. “Students should be asking these types of questions and attempting to make a difference. We need to be there and try to support it.”

4 Rampage

News Ask Azari

by Brittany Nielsen

Rampage Reporter Why is footage from the security cameras unavailable? Were you aware of the situation?

“The cameras on the LRC building, the Art/Home Economics building and the Bookstore are not functioning at this time. They have never fully functioned and we are meeting with Pelco to see if we can correct the problem. There is no video available from these cameras.”

- Response from Chief Joe Callahan The previous Dean of Students had a reliable open door policy.

It seems as though the new Dean of Students, Dr. Villa, does not have the same accessibility.

Is there a timely way to reach him or do students who want to express concern need to make an appointment?

October 7, 2009

“The Vice President of Student Services Dr. Christopher Villa welcomes students to drop-in to his office during regular office hours.

In the event that he is not available, students are encouraged to make an appointment to see him.

It is hard to avoid the trench in the center of campus. What sort of work is being done there and when is the projected completion date?

“The heating loop was to have been completed prior to the start of the beginning of the semester. The work began late and is currently being tested with pressurized water for leakage. After testing the trench will be covered and landscaped. If you recall several trees were removed and they will be replaced. The project is projected to be completed by MidOctober or late October.”

- Response from Michael Guerra, Vice President for Administrative Services

News

October 7, 2009

Rampage 5

Students looking to lend a helping hand Local programs ask for FCC volunteers

by Mark Smith

Rampage Reporter Hundreds line an early morning street as The Poverello House opens its doors for breakfast. Workers, both living in The Poverello House’s housing program or volunteers for the day, have been here for over an hour, cooking food, doing dishes, cleaning and setting tables, all in preparation for this early morning rush.

Amidst a setting of tables, benches, bookshelves, a blank television, posters, and upbeat music, many of Fresno’s most needy citizens, on canes and their own determination, enter to partake of one of the three meals served here daily. It is a scene of goodwill and kindness, a picture of certainty in these uncertain times. And although they are accepting charity, it’s difficult to find differences between these people and Fresno City students.

Merry greetings are given, conversations are struck up, some folks even sport Raider and 49er t-shirts, laughing as they poke fun at each other. The entirety of the morning serves as a poignant reminder that no matter where we are in life, we are all part of the same struggle.

Officially started in 1973, The Poverello House provides for all sorts of people, completely free of charge, food, clothing, shelter, showers, and companionship, no questions asked. “We serve anywhere from 1,200 to 1,400 meals a day”, said Gabriela Espinosa, community relations coordinator for the charity. “We have a wide variety of clients here. We have families, we have men, we have women, everybody. Those that are handicapped, disabled, and nobody gets turned away, it can be anyone,” she said. “We get the sad cases sometimes, we have people that come in and we don’t know what’s happened, but they’re like

Photo by Mark Smith

Hands On Central California can be found at 732 North Van Ness Avenue in Fresno. in a hospital gown or something Espinosa. Volunteers who can set and so, well they’re here for cloth- their own schedules and come ing, and no problem. If they’re in in on their own time are always a hospital gown we’re going to welcome, Monday through Friday get them clothes,” she says with a from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, and cheerful smile.

Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 Located at 412 F. Street in AM to 1:00 PM. Espinosa recdowntown Fresno, The Poverello ommends for groups larger than House also provides living space, three to phone or e-mail her ahead in the form of sheds that serve of time, at 498-6988 ext. 101 or as temporary shelters. “It started info@poverellohouse.org. If out just palettes and tents, that coming by yourself, you are free we would provide, and sleeping to simply walk in and start helpbags, you know, things like that. ing after visiting the contact desk; Now it’s got more of a structure work which may consist of prepto it, with the tuff sheds and ev- ping food, sweeping or mopping erything.” Known as the Village floors, and other such activities. of Hope, the community is self- The House’s web site is poverelgoverned by those who live there, lohouse.org, and they can also be who work together to do their own found on Myspace, Facebook, and chores and take care of each other. Twitter.

And their work shows; a striking The Poverello House is but absence of litter was seen around one of many charitable outlets for the Village and The Poverello students, staff, and others who House itself, as opposed to more wish to better their community. wealthy areas of Fresno where In times of economic instability, litter is abundant. charities like this are relied on The charity relies on dona- more and more as jobs are lost tions from citizens and businesses, and homes are foreclosed. As a as well as volunteer work pro- gateway for prospective volunvided by people around the city. teers, Hands On Central California “I don’t see too, too many from and its executive director Cathy Fresno City College, but Fresno Caples couldn’t agree more. “Your State comes in force here”, said generation is on fire with service,”

Photo by Mark Smith (Left to right) Lydia Florez, Cathy Caples, Sandy Dixon, Robert Rodriguez, and Robbie Branch craft wedding decorations.

she said. “We are seeing such enthusiasm, and it’s really kind of neat, because for a long time I wouldn’t have said that was the case. But in the last 18 months to two years, they have really taken on the mantra that ‘we are going to change this country.’”

“But a lot of times [students] don’t know where to go to find the volunteer opportunities, and so we would encourage them to come take a look, to see what’s available, and we can help them find the right organization that can actually use them at the times they are available,” she said further.

Hands On is the place to go if you’re interested in volunteering around Fresno. Logging onto their web site, handsoncentralcal.org and creating a volunteer account allows you to set your hours and detail what you’re in-

“We have a wide variety of clients here.

We have families, we have men, we have women, everybody.

Those that are handicapped, disabled, and nobody gets turned away, it can be anyone,” -Gabriela Espinosa terested in doing. Consequently, Hands On will make connections between you and various charities that fit your hours and interests, allowing you to choose from a variety of organizations that interest you. You are in control of where, when, and what you do at all times. Their building, located at 732 North Van Ness Avenue in Fresno, holds a wealth of information for those who are tired of living life on the couch and want to help out.

Volunteering can also serve as a way to meet people and learn more about your city. “My daughter’s a freshman in college and she’s out of town. One of the things she’s found is that [volunteering] is part of getting to know the town. It’s a good way to find out who’s doing what, and who needs what in the community”, said Robbie Cranch, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) director, a program that helps seniors find charities to work for through Hands On. “For students that are not from Fresno or just from one narrow part of Fresno, it’s a great way to get deeper into what’s going on in their community.”

“It’s also a great way to find out if the field you’re thinking about is the field you’re wanting to stay in”, interjected Caples. “There are volunteer opportunities in just about every

discipline. We have arts opportunities, environmental which includes a lot of science, construction and engineering, computer technology, graphic design, I mean if you look at the list of opportunities they cover just about everything, so people get to do some hands on trying out with the field they’re interested in.”

There are other rewards to be found through volunteering other than personal satisfaction and knowledge. Through Disney’s “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program in 2010, volunteers who have a day of volunteer service verified by their local HandsOn branch will earn a free ticket to any park at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, or Disney World in Florida. Students can also enroll in classes for social work programs or work-study programs, which HandsOn will help coordinate, earning credits while helping their community.

Lynn Badertscher, a Professor at FCC, runs the Speech 20 class, which provides students with volunteer opportunities, earning anywhere from one to three credits depending on the amount See “Volunteer” Page 6

Participating Volunteer Organizations

Big Brothers Big Sisters CA Rural Legal Assistance Catholic Charities Center for Independent Living Central CA Blood Center Craycroft Youth Center Empowerment Institute FCC Jumpstart FCEDC Headstart Preschool Footsteps of Saint Agnes Fresno Chaffee Zoo Fresno County Probation Dept.

Fresno County Public Library Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership Fresno Metropolitan Museum Fresno Safe & Proud Neighborhoods Fresno Street Saints FUSD Mentoring Office Girl Scouts of Central CA S. Grid Alternative Hands on Central CA Kings Community Action Organization Marjaree Mason Center Pan Valley Institute Planned Parenthood Poverello House Project: MALE Read Fresno Reading & Beyond Saint Agnes Hospice San Joaquin River Parkway Sierra Foothill Conservancy Speech 20 St. Paul Newman Center Susan G. Komen Teaching Partners The Salvation Army Tree Fresno United Way Valley Animal Shelter Westcare

News

6 Rampage

Volunteer continued from Page 5 of work put in. “It is an opportunity for students to get college credit for doing volunteer work, and they can work in any one of hundreds of volunteer and non profits such as schools, hospitals, boys and girls clubs, animal rescue programs, all kinds of places,” she said. “It’s a fun class”, said Max Rosenthal, who is enrolled in the class. “I get to work on a web site”, which shows just how much real world experience can be gained from these classes.

Another student volunteer, Crystal Juarez, had this to say about her work with the College Activities office. “I really do like it because you get to meet so many people on campus. Everyone’s real nice, the environment is very stress-free. I also like that you get to be involved with the activities going on around campus and know more about them.”

Students are also advised to be aware of the volunteer fairs which take place on campus every second Wednesday following the beginning of each semester. Maile Glover, who coordinates the event, said that as many as 39 nonprofit agencies come to campus and set up booths from ten to two, which recruit anywhere from zero to hundreds of students. “The non profits really look to Fresno State and Fresno City College for a wealth of volunteers. They all want to be here,” she said.

Volunteering, both on and off campus, can be a rewarding experience with a multitude of benefits. From hospitals to schools to animals to people, there are hundreds of ways for you to get involved making your world a better place. If you’re tired of routine, if you’re bored with television and video games, if you’re simply looking for a way to meet people and make your community better, then volunteering is for you. Find a way to do it, find a place to do it, go out there and get it done! Your life, your world, and those around you will thank you for it. Good luck and happy volunteering!

October 7, 2009

FCC’s Tutorial Center, Rx for academic woes

by Keneshia Simon

Rampage Reporter The fall semester is just a week from midterm. Are you where you need to be in your classes? Are you confident about passing your midterm exams, or are you struggling in math, English, chemistry or history?

Are you not doing as well as you had hoped in your quizzes or tests?

Are you contemplating dropping a class or two because you’re not making sense of your lectures or keeping up with your homework?

Does it all seem too difficult for you to handle?

Don’t give up. Hang in.

There is help for you. The tutorial center at Fresno City College assists students with the help they need to be successful in their classes and college in general. According to James Tucker, Dean of Instruction of Library Services, the center uses peer tutors to provide assistance in key subject area.

“It [tutorial center] makes the class easier for me, and I get done with my homework and class work faster,” said Guimel CruzSanchez, a re-entry student. The tutors are very patient and goes through the problems step by step Cruz-Sanchez said getting tutorial help has helped her have a better understanding of the subject matter, even though she doesn’t go everyday.

Ray Sanchez, coordinator of the tutorial center, said that in addition to the traditional tutoring and helping students understand their subjects, notes and textbooks, the center assists students with proofreading and correcting their papers.

Rodney Smith, a freshman who was recommended by his English instructor, said he gets help with his English work and now goes to the tutorial center at least two times a week. Smith said he has noticed that his essays are coming together well and that

We Buy Text Books Everyday Custom Texts Available Two locations to save!

Look for the Yellow & Black Sign

Fresno City College

Fresno State

980 E McKinley Ave

1762 E Barstow Ave

(SW Corner of McKinley and Vaness)

(Northwest corner Barstow & Cedar)

(559) 233-4002

(559) 230-1292

COUPON

save $5.00 off any Book **Expires January 31 2010**

he is using correct grammar in his essays also. Now, he goes to the tutorial center to get his rough drafts proofread.

Students who need a lot of help get unlimited assistance.

“There are no limits on how long a student can receive help from tutors downstairs,” Sanchez said.

“The reading and writing center up stairs only allows 30 minute appointments.”

The tutorial center is so busy that six tutors are available to assist student at any given time in.

Sometimes there are 15 students with one tutor.

Dalia Haitayan who tutors mostly English said she works one-on-one with those needing help in writing. With math, she works with more than one student at-a-time, which she said can be frustrating. Haitayan said that if she can’t explain the topics to the best of her abilities, she sends those students to other tutors who can.

Haitayan is one of 35 peer tutors who provide this much

“Attendance is very important; pay attention, and work hard on home work and even during personal time.”

-Van Thai

needed assistance to FCC students. Peer tutors are themselves students but are selected because of their academic performance in the subjects they tutor as well as their familiarity with the subjects.

Dean Tucker explained that the tutor must get an A or B and be recommended by a teacher in that subject in order to be eligible.

Van Thai who tutors math went through the rigorous selection process before he was hired.

Thai said he prefers to have students explain to him exactly what

Students work together with a math tutor at the Tutorial Center.

their problems are and what kinds of support they need.

Thelma Decoy is a reentry student who is struggling to find her footing in an academic setting.

Decoy said she gets math help at the tutorial center. She goes to the tutorial center everyday to get help on homework before class to make it easier. “I get more help in the tutorial center than I do in class,” she said.

Students present a variety of problems when they first come to the tutorial center. Peer Tutor Dalia Haitayan said she sees mostly problems with math word and grammar. “Grammar is difficult even as a tutor,” she said.

Van Thai said the most common problem he sees in students is in reading. “They don’t read the word problem before they do the actual problem,” he said.

The tutorial center, like most categorically funded programs at FCC suffered a 50 percent reduction in its budget and the number of tutors it can hire to work with students. This fall, the center’s budget is significantly less than in the past years, leading to a huge cut in the number of tutors.

Tucker said that the number of tutors is determined by the amount of money available to the center which isn’t good news.

The budget cut has also led to a reduction in the number of hours the center is open each week, limiting access to resources and help for students who really

Photo by Jeremiah Henry

need help in their classes. “I wish it [tutorial center] would be open on Fridays,” said Thelma Decoy, the re-entry student who uses the center every day.

The reduced budget is hard for tutors as well. Haitayan said the budget cut has affected her work with students a lot. “There are [fewer] tutors on staff, and it also gets very hectic because more students need help,” she said. Thai agrees, adding that the budget cut has shortened time with students and he feels that he leaves them hanging. “It’s not fair,” he said.

Tucker said he doesn’t like the budget cut but that he understands the state legislature and the tax revenue is down so that means there is less money for education and tutors.

FCC students who are still struggling in classes get the help they need at the tutorial center.

Ray Sanchez recommends that students who need help should use the center. He said, “Go back because the tutors will continue to work with you; go see your instructor during faculty hours, and find time to review at least 10 hours a week.”

Peer Tutor Van Thai said the first step to academic success is attending classes. “Attendance is very important; pay attention, and work hard on home work and even during personal time,” he said.

Dalia Haitayan added, “Come in and utilize the services; everyone needs help, and you shouldn’t be ashamed.”

8 Rampage

Entertainment

There’s a rule brought up in the movie – enjoy the little things. And that’s exactly what the experience is about.

by Kyle Calvert Rampage Reporter

I’ve never heard of Ruben Fleischer.

I doubt I know anyone who has, before recently. There’s not even a Wikipedia article about him. But the man is responsible for the best movie-going experience I’ve had in… I actually don’t know how long.

‘Zombieland’ centers on Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin as the last known humans in a world where the zombie apocalypse was brought on two months earlier by a cheeseburger. What remains is a lot of ruin, a swath of the living dead, and four people named after their destinations – respectively, Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock.

Columbus is a nerd with a lot of phobias and a crush on Wichita. Little Rock and Wichita are sister con artists, and they’re surprisingly good at their career of choice. But Tallahassee… he’s driven. He has actual motivation to traverse the world.

Tallahassee is on a quest to find the world’s last Twinkie.

hilarious little snippets of the movie, some signs of things to come. It had zombie versions of Charlie Chaplin and John McCain.

And the very concept of the movie was so silly that I just couldn’t say no to it. They had me at “world’s last Twinkie.” And for the first time in so very long I didn’t have that voice going through my head saying, “There’s probably a few good parts, most of which were in the trailer, and a lot of mediocre C- material.” I had faith that this movie would be not only as good as it looked, but better, and my faith was rewarded.

There are all of maybe seven or eight characters with names in the movie. It’s a very laid-back, hilarious show with a surprising amount of graphical gore for how funny it is. And I guarantee, every time one of Columbus’ rules to live by flashes on the screen, the entire theatre will be laughing.

Pretty much every time Tallahassee opens his mouth, or has a facial expression, you’ll be laughing. Harrelson and Eisenberg are the hilarious duo that enough stupid comedy films have been trying to find for ages.

This is a movie that knows exactly what it is – it knows the zombie movie is

They had me at “world’s last Twinkie.”

As you may have noticed, this movie does one thing extraordinarily well: it entertains the audience. While the plot is easily predictable, the silliness and the dialogue make every scene in the movie so refreshing that it really is just that good. Most movies lately don’t do much to entertain, which greatly irritates anyone who wants entertainment. I was so pleased with ‘Zombieland,’ I might actually have to buy the DVD, which is a huge thing for me to boast.

I remember a couple months ago, at my friend’s house, when I first watched the trailer for ‘Zombieland’. It showed me

a genre that has been overdone before, it knows that any kind of plot twist the movie could take would be pretty predictable, and it knows that it’s not going to be a very serious thing. But there’s a rule brought up in the movie – enjoy the little things. And that’s exactly what the experience is about.

And when Woody Harrelson stops you from making out because he needs help building a pillow fort, you laugh. And you really do enjoy the little things.

‘Zombieland’ is produced by Columbia Pictures, it came out on October 2, and I hope it stays in theatres forever.

Photos by Zombieland.com

Tallahassee (Harrelson) and Columbus (Eiseberg) search for the last Twinkie

October 7, 2009

Entertainment

October 7, 2009

Rampage 9

Eurydice: love and loss

by Louis Hernandez Rampage Reporter Eurydice is a tale of love and loss. Based on a mythological tale told from a modern perspective, it is a tale of two lovers that ends in tragedy.

Orpheus (Jarod Caitlin), a very talented musician, falls in love with a nymph named Eurydice (Melissa Booey) who is the daughter of Apollo (Mike Harrison), the god of light and music. One day, he proposes to his lover, and she accepts.

On the night of their wedding, Orpheus plays wonderful melodies for his wife to be.

They were destined to be together,

or so they thought.

Then one day, a snake lunges at Eurydice, biting her shins and poisoning her, leading to her death. This made Orpheus extremely depressed. He played his saddest and most mournful song that caused all the gods to cry and weep for Eurydice.

The gods advised Orpheus to plunge into the dark abyss that is the underworld and rescue his bride. His song was so beautifully morose it even caused Hades himself to weep like a baby.

He felt Orpheus’ sorrow and cut a deal with him.

The deal was for Orpheus to walk towards the surface, and allow Eurydice to follow behind him, but if he were to turn around and see his wife, she would disap-

Orpheus (Caitlin) makes a deal with the lord of the underworld (Chan) as the Stones look on.

pear for a second time, never to be seen again. As Orpheus makes it out of the underworld, his impatience causes him to turn around too soon, leaving him with only the memory of his lover as she faded away.

In Eurydice, the perspective of the play is more from the heroine of the story and her journey into the underworld. As her soul reaches the abyss, her memory was wiped clean, as is the fate of anyone that passes through the River Styx.

There, she is greeted by the Stones. a trio of mischievous troublemakers who are more than happy to be the bearer of bad news. This band of little, big and loud stones help to move the story along, providing interpretation wherever it is needed.

The underworld is also home to Eurydice’s father, who managed to not forget how to read, write and speak the language of the living. Unfortunately for him, his daughter’s memory was wiped clean and she had forgotten the language, only speaking the tongue of the dead.

When he attempts to communicate with her, he fails to do so as she cannot understand a word he says. All but a few words were exchanged successfully, until she heard the name of her beloved: Orpheus. Then her memory came rushing back to her, bringing back the memories that made her the happiest, like those of her dead father and her living, breathing husband.

She lived happily with her father until the comically played Lord of the Underworld (Magnus Chan) arrived. It is very humorous to see a God riding a tricycle, wearing an over-sized crown and an open jacket exposing his bare chest for all to see, along with shoes that he most likely pilfered off Ronald McDonald.

He is not afraid to jump

Photos by Ramiro Gudino

Orpheus (Caitlin) and Eurydice (Booey) dance on their wedding night. and run, even make a dramatic entrance through his secret trap door.

Hades is an ecstatic character that will sure leave the audience grinning long after his performance.

Despite the awesome acting, a modernized play cannot do without a few stage effects. Get ready to experience a stage with water effects as the elevator that leads to the underworld. A fountain was installed to mimic the effects of the River Styx, but the audience should not worry in fear of flooding as proper plumbing was installed to prevent such a tragedy.

Props such as a giant a marionette to express the Lord of the Underworld’s “growing up” phase also adds excitement to the play. This puppet is extraordinarily huge that it actually takes two people to maneuver it.

Projections were used to demonstrate letters falling, or characters forgetting their lives as humans. Different colored lights were used to set a mood for every scene.

With an amazing soundtrack to boot, Eurydice is a spectacle that no one should miss.

Show Times:

October 9, 10, 14, 15, 16 and 17 at 7:30pm October 10, 11* and 17 at 2:00pm

Call the FCC Theatre Box Office for tickets: 442-8221.

For the love of Capitalism

by Marissa Villanueva and Laura Solis

Rampage Reporters Many know the wit and humor of filmmaker Michael Moore and his groundbreaking films like “Sicko”, “Bowling for Columbine”, and his newest film “Capitalism: A Love Story,” which just opened this past Friday, Oct 2. In the film, Moore describes Capitalism as a system of “giving and taking, mostly taking,” and concludes that “Capitalism is an evil, and you can’t regulate evil.” Furthermore, he reveals the outcome and unruly circumstances because of capitalism. He gets priests of different churches to explain what they think capitalism is and what they believe their God would think about this situation.

The foreclosures of the working class, insurance policies on dead people who are apparently referred to as “dead peasants,” and underpaid pilots were the stars of the documentary to appeal to the audience with “sob” stories and convince you of the truths of

capitalism. Moore explains some of these “sob” stories, described a family that owned a property that has been in their family for years, and how it was ripped off their hands.What he does not tell you is what the family did to get their house taken away. If they owned this house for so many years, why did the government take it away?

This family must have taken second mortgage on it trying to make money out of their property, but failed miserably in the attempt to do so.

Moore parades around the country in front of various governmental buildings and corporations with his megaphone claiming that he wants the money that was stolen from the American people and was used for the so called “bail-out.”

It is quite funny but truthfully ineffective and not professional.

He tries to make his point by only showing one side of the government and the people affected by

this side, the bad side, and again the “sob” stories. Moore seems to express genuine indignation of what he displays in this film.

How will America be remembered? Because evidently we where what Rome was hundreds of years ago when the fall of Rome came. Will America be remembered as cops knocking down the doors of citizen’s homes?

Or will our memories be people being evicted from their homes which have been in their families for generations because they have failed to make payments as they are laid off/ Perhaps we’ll be remembered for corporate CEOs being bailed out and not giving the working class what they deserve while showing no remorse. To make his argument more effective, he goes onto the story of this group of work-

ers whose company was closing down and they were being laid off. He showed the attempt that these workers made to get their hands on some of the money that was owed to them for taxes, etc.

The workers closed the factory down and locked themselves inside until the owners of the company agreed to their demands. They were expecting the police to get involved and they where ready for them, but the police never showed up. After a couple of days people stated support for the worker’s cause as their story made it into the news and newspapers. Other people who supported their cause took the workers food and became a part of the protest.

As they lived inside for several days, they began to see a revolution happen around the United States.

Other workers, who were also being laid

http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/51609

off, began to rebel against their employers and demand some of the money the company made that belonged to them. As the days went on, the workers’ petitions where accepted by the company and each individual got an accumulative amount of $3,000.

Like this story, Moore uses many other examples to make his point, that capitalism is wrong and it should be banished.

All these examples are simplistic, Youtube-like videos with professional equipment and crew. The film was not a red carpet feature film but an activist documentary with no outline of where it will go next. It touches some of your emotional strings. This film will make you cry, laugh and it will awaken a sense of anger toward the government. There was no telling what Moore would do, would he have another curse word outburst? get arrested by GM security? Make you laugh by cracking a joke on a congress representative? Watch the film and find out for yourself.

Entertainment

10 Rampage

October 7, 2009

FrightNight Preys on Fears

by Hector Ruelas and Ramiro Gudino Rampage Reporters In an abandoned movie theatre near the edge of Clovis, Frightnight, one of Fresno’s biggest haunted houses, is home to four separate rooms: Psychosis, Asylum, Desecration, and Necropolis, each with a different setting and theme.

Utilizing optical illusions and over the top personalities, Psychosis delivers thrills without relying on the shock value of gore.

A carnival gone wrong, the bright colors, black lights and 3-D glasses all blend to create a surreal experience as clowns taunt visitors from nooks and crannies.

Asylum immerses you in the nightmare of insanity as some inhabitants suffer through their treatments, while others beg for theirs. Nurses insist on admitting you despite your protests of sanity while doctors test out their sadistic “cures.”

The bloodiest of the four, Desecration is a morgue populated with slasher villains and their victims. Ghoulish coroners snack on corpses as they work and machetewielding masked men lurk in the dark.

Described as the City of the Dead, Necropolis is the largest of these four attractions. Necropolis fills two theatres with monsters straight out of the classics, from the Hollywood wolf-man to characters straight out of a Bram Stoker novel, such as Dracula, and even a bit of Dante Aligheri’s nine circles of hell material is used.

Each room picks its theme and explores it thoroughly from many different perspectives all the while engaging almost all of your senses, though unfortunately they don’t utilize taste...yet.

The attractions tend to be dark, with paths lit by brief flashes of lighting, or the somber glow of dying light bulbs. Psychosis’s carnival theme breaks from this, instead utilizing a dizzying array of bright colors enhanced by the 3-D glasses.

The mazes surround you with ubiquitous screams of victims, the beating of the butcher’s knife, endlessly ringing phones, rattling chains and the occasional riddle or two from some of the more lucid inhabitants.

Stumbling through the dark, narrow passages, it’s nearly impossible to avoid touching walls or running into the many obstacles suspended in the air, all of which tell their own stories as well. Wandering through Asylum, the shock therapy is a little too effective and the only way into Necropolis is to crawl through a narrow burrow into the City of the Dead.

Oddly enough, the rooms even incorporate smells into the experience. Near the vampire hunter’s garlic barricade, halls of

Psychosis brings out the clowns.

Necropolis reek of garlic. Some seductive vampires beyond try to relax their victims with pleasant scented candles in their lairs. In Asylum, a patient with a laundry obsession has hung ripe socks in the halls leading to her room.

However, the environment is only one component of the experience. The biggest factor is the human (or inhuman?) touch.

From the ghoulish cannibals looking for their next meal in Desecration’s halls to Mrs. Fleet, a cheerful host who monitors the lines while recommending guests visit her friend, a barber named Sweeney Todd, Frightnight is home to many dedicated actors.

“Many of the actors from last year spent the whole year dreaming about who they were going to be this year,” said chief entertainment officer Brandon Wright.

Behind the actors are many others whose evident passion makes this event possible.

“They (the actors) take a lot of pride in their personal expression and creative talent but we have that everywhere: sound people, make up artists, and set builders,” said Wright. The goal is to bring your fears to life, and they succeed.

Photo by Ramiro Gudino

Desecration is the bloodiest attraction.

Photo by Hector Ruelas

Necropolis is the largest of the attractions.

Photo by Hector Ruelas

Asylum takes you into the world of insanity.

Photo by Hector Ruelas

The Greatest Show on Earth

by Hector Ruelas Rampage Reporter Richard Dawkins comes out with a bang, with his new book, The Greatest Show On Earth, going on the counter attack with creationists, or as he calls them “History Deniers”.

He is one of the most well known authors about evolution. His very first book, which was published in 1976, “The Selfish Gene”, and others such as “The Blind Watchmaker”, “The Ancestor’s Tale”, and “The Extended Phenotype”, inspired many evolutionary biologists. This book has been described by Richard Dawkins as “my missing link” and the author explains that all his previous books on evolution have primarily dealt with the power of natural selection and assumed that evolution has happened and that this book will show how we know evolution is true, but this

shouldn’t be surprising; science is an edifice of tested assumptions.

the evidence for evolution and assembles it very well, walking us through the natural world to demonstrate that evolution by Taking the title natural selection is everywhere, from the Ringling Broth(natural selection is the process ers and Barnum and Bailey by which forms of life having Circus, Dawkins begins by traits that better enable them to asking us to imagine what adapt to specific environmental it would be like to be a Eupressures, as predators, changropean history teacher who es in climate, or competition is “continually faced with for food or mates will cause belligerent demands to give the strongest to survive and equal time” in his classes to reproduce in greater numbers Holocaust deniers. (For him than others of their kind, thus that would be what it’s like ensuring the perpetuation of to teach the scientific fact of those favorable traits in sucevolution around the world, ceeding generations) yet we all especially in America, should know that the evidence where 40% of us deny that for evolution is buried in a humans evolved from other fossil record which provides Photo by Hector Ruelas history on how life forms have animals.) These American’s Richard Dawkins new book. claim instead we were all adapted or naturally selected in to that kind of ignorant thinking is created as a distinct species changing environments. not more than 10,000 years ago. his present work, which presents “All the fossils that we Just like the Holocaust deniers, “the positive evidence that evolu- have, and there are very, very many Dawkins claims these people are tion is a fact.” indeed, occur, without a single Dawkins details beautifully authenticated exception, in the “history-deniers” too. The antidote

right temporal sequence” writes Dawkins, who is a retired Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. “Evolution could so easily be disproved if just a single fossil turned up in the wrong date order. Evolution has passed this test with flying colors.”

Dawkins’ previous book, “The God Delusion”, still echoes through “The Greatest Show on Earth”, as if the author has some unfinished business to take care of. In this authors opinion, this is a great book. It is very well written, intelligent, vivid, and an easy read, intended for anyone interested in evolutionary biology. If you just have an interest in science non-fiction, start off by reading the “Greatest Show on Earth” because it will give you much of the groundwork for your scientific explorations. The book costs about 25 to 30 dollars, and is definitely worth the price.

October 7, 2009

Views

Rampage

11

The Campus Cafe at Fresno City College is going

Tired of Torture After the first time, shock isn’t all that shocking

by Kyle Calvert Rampage Reporter

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

A guy wakes up in a room he doesn’t recognize. There’s a large bear trap affixed to his face with some sort of clockwork around it. He’s tied to a chair in one of the worst dumps you can imagine wearing a death helmet, freaking out as he gains consciousness, and after a moment of some screaming, a television turns on in front of him. The puppet face on the TV turns, and the voice of serial torturer Jigsaw says “I want to play a game.”

You’ve heard it before, I’m sure.

The ‘Saw’ series is notorious for this exact scene, over and over again, each time with more sadistic traps than the last. And every year, on Halloween, a movie comes out with enough of them to make a decent person sick to their stomach. But this year, there’s a double feature of sorts – not only does a new ‘Saw’ film come out for the sixth consecutive year, but a video game is being released.

Nothing that’s been shown in the game’s footage is anything new to the series. Reaching through a bunch of used syringes to get to a key? The bear trap thing? Being stalked by someone in a pig mask and a red robe? We’ve seen it all before in your movies, you imbeciles.

When you base your series’ success on how well you can shock and amaze people with how screwed up you are, recycling your old ideas are a fast way to kill the interest in your series.

What do you do in the ‘Saw’ video game? The answer is “not a whole lot.”

What I’ve seen of the game from its trailers and game play videos doesn’t add up to much. It seems like someone’s taken

As Seen in the all of the Saw movies.

‘Silent Hill 2’ and removed anything that was good from it, instead replacing all the surrealism and horror with a sense of urgency and a bunch of pointless, undue sadism. It’s like survival horror for Amish toddlers.

When a series capitalizes on making people cringe, there’s only so far you can go before it becomes overdone. Logically, they should have stopped around the time they had the idea to make a sequel to the first movie. Instead, in the classic tradition of ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’, the films blend together with some vague semblance of plot, and the only thing that matters is that every year there’s something gory to look at. Is that really something to look forward to on an annual basis – watching people die in new ways, each year more insane and over-the-top than the last?

Even if the point of the films was to desensitize people, the writers and producers and directors should be doing it in a way that makes at least a little sense. You can scare people better when you’re doing things that might actually happen to them. An old man designing ornate traps from rusted metal and used syringes? You might as well be afraid of the Bogeyman. Reality is stranger than fiction, and oftentimes scarier.

The only thing that really unnerves me anymore is that people still flock to this trash. Every year the makers get enough sales to keep making them. It boggles the mind.

The only logical conclusion is that there is no point. The movies and games following ‘Saw’ have no point at all. It’s violent pornography, and that’s really it.

We don’t need a game, or any more of these damn movies.

Please, do humanity a favor – don’t see the movie, and don’t play the game.

Read a book or something.

Photos from konami.com

GREEN All Paper producs are 100% recyclable or bio-degradable

Taher Purchase From local Purveyors 1st Quality Produce (Fresno) Producers Dairy (Fresno) Brownie Baker (Fresno) Sysco of Central Caiifornia (Modesto)

Only use 0% trans fat oil All food made from scratch

For mor information contact Anita Handy Food Service Director 559-265-5779 ahandy@fresnocitycollege.edu

Professional Food Service Management

12 Rampage

Views

October 7, 2009

Campus Voices

What do you think of the conditions of bathrooms on campus?

“Boys need to flush the toilet. They need to be cleaned and they stink a little.”

Leshawn Escobar

“Sometimes the trash cans are overflowing, and there’s no paper towels or toilet paper.”

Zachary Jamali Health major, 1st semester

“Sometimes they’re dirty and you walk into the bathroom and people don’t flush. There are girls on their period, and they don’t…you know.”

Marissa Sandoval Business management major, 1st semester

“Most of them are clean, but the bathrooms inside the cafeteria and the theater are the most clean. Some of them need more soap or paper towels.”

Antoineka Dabbs Child psychology major, 1st semester

“They’re alright. I usually go in the library; those are kind of not that great. Those smell usually. I do like that there’s a window open usually so you can see outside. You get a view of trees or something while you’re in there, which I like.”

“I think anywhere you go, they’ll be dirty, especially with the amount of students here. I think the ones at Ratcliffe Stadium are nicer. tI’ve had pretty good luck over there.”

Kevin Torrence Music major, 2nd year

Jeff Brenner Kinesiology major, 2nd year Campus Voices by Mark Smith Photos by Jeremiah Henry

October 7, 2009

Views

Rampage

13

VOICES OF OUR GENERATION

by Brittany Nielsen and Kyle Calvert

Some days, I spend a good bit of class looking out the windows of the Rampage office. I see people passing each other down in the field, talking in front of the cafeteria. Some are eating food, some are smoking, and a lucky few are sharing affection. Others read, or relax in the shade, or are just passing by on their way to class or to their cars. Some are on laptops, checking their email or watching videos.

Within my field of vision is the huge trench that’s gated off just south of the campus bookstore. Every day, I see people pass it by. Every hour, a thousand students walk along the paths of those gates. Workers are intermittently in and out of it. I would be willing to bet that I could go through a thousand students before finding out any real information about it.

Without looking away from the window I hear a conversation inside the room about how a student had locked her keys inside her car and had to break into it in order to get home. People had watched her; they had seen that she was breaking into the car but never seemed to care whether or not she owned the car.

Every time I look out at the college, I see my generation draped in apathy. Something about the millennium age makes us so very uncaring about the concept of life – as individuals, as students, and as a whole. I get the feeling that if someone brought a gun to that same field and unloaded a clip into the ground and then left, nobody would even look up from their text messages or remove their headphones. Nobody would ask why.

We live our lives independent of one another, between the screens of computers and cell phones and televisions that allow us to preoccupy ourselves with whatever the moment shows us. We seem to think that if we get through today or make it to the next paycheck, then our dreams will return to us. We can set our hopes and aspirations aside until tomorrow comes. We can always put them away. Tomorrow morning, it will be better, a new day, and then, we can be something greater than we are today.

I really hate my generation sometimes. It just doesn’t seem to give a damn.

Across America, college students have been referred to as “tomorrow’s generation.” We have been hailed as such since we have been in diapers. Our parents and grandparents expect us to do something extraordinary with our lives.

And plenty of programs are in place to educate us about the world – for instance, government-sponsored financial aid is available to any student that wants it. Our elders expect us to change the world.

But in my eyes, we have been nothing but a failure to these expectations. Students these days are

Rampage Reporters

so wrapped up in the materialistic parts of society that we have lost the thought of doing something amazing for the world.

We sit and watch as our country sends innumerable soldiers across seas to fight in a war that we shouldn’t be taking any part in. We watch the unemployment rate climb more and more each week and do nothing to help cease the rise. We are watching the world melt, and yet no strong action has been taken.

And we have nothing to show for the brilliant minds that sit in lecture halls across the nation. Nothing.

We are the generation of tomorrow, and we treat it as if there is nothing beyond today. I firmly believe that we are the generation that is going to destroy what we have left of this world. Instead of being so absorbed in the minute details of our lives, we need to learn how to take a step back and see what can be done for those around us.

40 years ago, college students stood by one another and protested for change in things they so strongly believed against. Antiwar protests consumed campuses across the nation; students were fighting for equal rights and the ability to have their voices heard; people our age were fighting for the future, for the rights that we take for granted today.

There is no doubt in my mind that amazing things can be accomplished by the students not only in Fresno, but by all students in the United States. Instead of just sitting by and watching the world fall apart, we could be out organizing our voices and making changes. The means to do it has been in front of us our entire lives, and we turn away from it to pursue mediocrity.

The opportunities that the youth of today have are things that the youth of the past fought for years ago. The example has been given, paths have been set up, and we ignore them because they require us to stand up and do something. Why don’t we follow the path? Why don’t we use the same collective pride and responsibility that was passed down to us, and give to the generations that are to come?

Our parents teach us to lead by example. We cannot simply assume that others will change the world.

We have to do what we can; we have to do something, because today, we don’t even try. The actions that we take (or fail to take) shape each day we have, and the future itself. It’s

everyday vision, and we shape the outcome of things to come for entire generations. Students of the past knew that very well. I’m not sure present-day students know it at all.

So why does our generation seem to be careless about the things taking place around us? Why do we ignore the beauty in life, and fear what is down the road so much that we don’t look at it? The lack of passion, honesty, courage and optimism in the youth today makes for a less proactive group of adolescents than previous years.

Our generation is lacking passion and motivation. We’re missing the drive necessary to make things happen. Students say that they stand for the things they believe in, things they take pride in. But when those things are pop culture, then the student has missed the point entirely.

Fads and popular music don’t shape a person’s heart – they don’t enrich the mind, and they do not make us who we are. 40 years ago people

We are a generation that does absolutely nothing of importance. got together to make a difference in wider issues. Students stood for civil rights, and they fought to end a war they didn’t support, and some even died for doing it.

These were viable issues to fight for that affected generations to come, and it was because the student population made a conscious decision to do something about it. That is all but gone today. Our generation doesn’t decide to do anything about our world. We are so apathetic and complacent that we don’t even watch – we don’t care. We turn away and focus on the smallest, most insignificant parts of life. We spend entire days in front of a computer, reading the trivial one-liners of everyone we know, and we don’t even do anything with that.

We are a generation that does absolutely nothing of importance.

People of our generation need to see the beauty in vulnerability.

Taking risks, allowing for mistakes, and stumbling upon new experiences… that is what being in college is all about. College is not simply designed to take a challenging course and it’s not just about stirring up the courage to talk to a gorgeous girl in your biology class. It’s about

ideas of society.

Our generation is terrified by the chance of being frowned upon by our peers. At our age, should we care in the slightest what the world thinks of us? Really, why are we are frightened by people thinking about us in a certain way? It doesn’t make any sense.

I believe that we are all destined for more that what we expect of ourselves, instead of ignoring the things we think need to be changed or surrendering to mediocrity and complacency after one failed attempt.

Our generation must find something that we can stand for as a whole.

There are so many issues, causes, charities, and social problems that could use fresh and young perspectives and our ideas could end up as our solutions. But this generation has sunk into an abyss and is too damn lazy to find a way out.

Look at the bigger picture of life. I’m not asking to hear what you have planned for the future, your major, your intended career, or your projected family plans. Stop thinking about yourself – the future is a greater ideal than just what you have in mind for yourself. We are too selfish and it’s about time we do something about it.

But these days, we are nothing to our future, and likewise, our future is nothing to us. We are complacent; we all have our apathy for the greater vision of life. Most of us are nothing more than bystanders to something incredible: a world we could be doing something of importance with if only we weren’t blind.

For the future, OUR future, I urge you to see the potential in the world around you. There is more to life than the individual; there is more to living than just your life. And yet you are who you are: the selfish individual, who lives each day in a sealed time capsule.

You do the same things each day, you think the same thoughts.

You, who never yearn for more than this… you never once desired a better world, and just like that, our generation, our past, present and future, is dead. We died with our dreams.

We have no future save for that which WE actively create. It cannot be done alone in a room, it will not be created as a class project, and the schools and the jobs and the governments will not craft it for us. Our future is entirely in our hands and we do nothing with it.

And this message, this order, is to you. Find what you need to, look very deeply at the world No one will do it for you. No one will do it for us. and around you. Take notice of what it We must be the ones that change our world. is, what you can do about it. What you can change to make this world We must be our future. ours. No one will do it for you. No about more than making it to the pushing our minds to explore ideas one will do it for us. We must be the paycheck next week, or getting the we once shied away from. It’s about ones that change our world. We must rent to pay for next month. We live finding our voice and learning how be our future.

We must make our dreams. longer than weeks and months. We to speak. It’s about fighting the silive longer than the scope of our lence imposed by the overpowering And I will never forget that.

Photo courtesy of www.aucklandmuseum.com

Sports

14 Rampage

October 7, 2009

Kickin’ It With Rams Soccer Women’s soccer vs. Taft

by Luis Hernandez Rampage Reporter Fresno City College’s Lady Rams triumphed over Taft during Friday’s soccer game. The match started off slowly for the Lady Rams, with a good hustle from the opposing team which stayed on the offensive for the first few minutes of the game.

Soon, however, FCC’s defense had them on the run.

Eventually, the FCC team was able to take a strong offensive, keeping the Taft’s goal keeper busy. The FCC team had a few close calls but no net; they even made one goal which the referee invalidated, calling it an offsides.

The Lady Rams team was a force to be reckoned with as Ashlynn Marino and Jesslyn Menefee would not give the opposition a rest. Relentless in their goal, they kept Taft on their toes.

Menefee showed impressive skills, but she was not invincible. Forty three minutes into the game, and with three Taft team members on her tail, she had only a small opening to score. In desperation, she went in for a sliding kick, completely thwarting any attempts by the goal keeper to prevent her from scoring, giving FCC the lead, 1-0 The rest of the first half went without much change for either side.

At the start of the second half, the FCC team was on fire,

keeping the ball under their control and the Taft goalkeeper out of breath. Maghan Wright, along with other defensive players, seemed bored out of their mind as offense took over.

FCC defense eventually let their guard down and Taft rushed past them, leaving and goalkeeper to fend both the goal and for herself. Taft scored its first goal of the game, tying the game 1-1.

With the game tied, the Taft team seemed to stall the start up of the game whenever the ball went out of bounds. It seemed they were content not to score as long as the Lady rams did not score.

It seemed to be a pretty grim ending for the FCC team as time was dwindling away, but the team would not lose hope.

With only three minutes left, the Lady Rams were pulling out all they had and eventually a small window of opportunity opened.

The ball went flying towards the opposing goal, hitting nothing but post. The ball ricocheted high into the air, and the crowd was on the edge of their seats as blurs of red ran towards the determined landing spot.

A group of FCC players gathered around the ball, determined to make the winning goal.

As the ball was finally within reach, Marino was able to shoot the ball into the net. The girls shouted with joy, but a bit too prematurely.

One of the referees expressed a concern, and the crowd was ready to protest due to some arguable calls earlier against both

Ashlynn Marino dribbling past a Taft team member teams. But upon further evaluation and discussion with the other appointed official, the goal was considered valid.

With only a couple of minutes left on the clock, Taft only stood helplessly by as their chance to tie the game was gone. The final score was 2-1 with FCC as the victor.

Coach Oscar Germond said he was happy with the outcome, but was surprised by the opposition “We were impressed by how well Taft played. I felt they came out a little stronger than us in the first half, but I was proud of our team because we competed and found a way to win. I don’t think we necessarily played very well but it showed character to compete the way we did and find a

Photo by Hector Ruelas

way to win,” he said.

The FCC women’s soccer team has had a pretty good season so far, with only one loss, a couple of tied games and many victories.

Unfortunately, the team will have to play without a valuable player at their disposable.

During FCC’s game vs.

American River, Alex Rivas was injured when she collided with a player on the opposing team. Her injury was so severe that she has to have surgery and will not be able to participate in any more games this season. Rivas is scheduled for N A T I O N A L

surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 6th.

Coach Germond is not too happy about Rivas’ injury. “Alex is a big loss to our team; she is one of our leaders and being left footed and playing left half we’ve had to make some major adjustments to fill her shoes,” he said. “More importantly, we just hope that Alex will make a full recovery and have a chance to continue playing at a four-year college. She is still a big part of our team although she no longer can participate in the games and practices.”

U N I V E R S I T Y®

Transferring?

Finish School YOUR Way!

!"#$$%"&'()*+',"-+)./01)(2""34##

Men’s soccer vs College of the Sequoias

Fresno City College faced off against College of The Sequoias last Friday t

Photo by Hector Ruelas

At

National University,

we know you can’t sit in class all day or lock yourself in a

by Hector Ruelas Rampage Reporter On a warm Friday afternoon at Ratcliff stadium, Fresno City College men’s soccer team delivered a tie instead of the hoped for win against College Of The Sequoias.

Coach Eric Solberg lead this year’s men’s soccer team, who played a very strong game in the first half against an equally determined College of the Sequoias.

Both FCC men’s soccer

team and COS players grew frustrated, especally in the first half as each team eagerly tred to score.

Their frustration was evident as throughout the game several of the players threw taunting words at each other until they reached a point where a brawl nearly broke out.

FCC player, Tyler Crough # 1, gave an amazing performance giving the COS a run for their money through the whole game.

There were some great defensive plays of amazing agility by

Victor Guiterrez #3. During the second half both teams held their defense, as neither team scored in the second half. “We finished our chances, I don’t even know what to say to them, we got 18 goals in 12 games, there’s nothing you can coach too finish the ball but that was our issue today, for me it was very disappointing,” said Solberg.

FCC men’s soccer team ties with COS 0-0. With a tough season still ahead. It’s back to the basics for Coach Solberg and his Rams.

library – you’ve got work, family,

 Guaranteed admission >>  No enrollment fee >>  Flexible scheduling >>

because you want to finish your

 Unique one-course>> per-month format

degree and move on into a new

 Scholarship programs >>

and friends. You’re transferring

career. You want help, and at National University we’ll give it to you, with. . .

!"#$%&'(#)*'+,$-. $/012#* 1.800. NAT.UNIV | getinfo.nu .edu/transfer

Sports

October 7, 2009

15 Rampage

On The Sidelines With Emmanuel Lewis built a strong foundation that took the pressure off of me if any.”

The Rams football team has a slogan titled “FCC finish”.

“It’s not how you begin, it’s how you finish,” said Lewis. “The slogan is more of a mental aspect that came from the lack of us not finishing how we should have last season. This year our goal is to finish and finish strong”. “Even with the games we’ve lost, we still finished hard; the teams who did beat us knew that they couldn’t just walk away with the win they had to finish the game just like us. We’re not a losing team, we have that bad taste in our mouth we’re hungry; and ready to win.”

Two week ago, the Rams played at home for the first time this season against the undefeated Bear Cubs from Santa Rosa Junior College and won. Lewis said that Santa Rosa was a good team and that being undefeated means nothing. “It’s just a record; we have to prove how good we are on the field,” he said. Lewis said he likes working with impressive receivers like Arkeem French and Isiah Barton and throwing the ball up and trusting they will make the catch.

“They’re very different from each other, but both have a good upside to their game,” he said. Along with the win, Emmanuel had a great

by Ray Juarez Rampage Reporter Fresno City College is known asone of the best junior colleges in the state of California.

Also there is a number of outstanding student athletes who make an impact while attending FCC, and then moving on to a four year college or university.

With so many students on a college campus, you never really know who plays a sport unless it’s a classmate or a close friend.

You may hear about them word of mouth, the paper, even the news. But you never get to know who they are as a person...all you know is that they scored a goal or through a game winning touchdown. earlier this week I sat down with a one of FCC’s unrecognized student athlete and got to know who he is, where he has been, and where he is headed.

The 21 year old sophomore and Bakersfield native says being a “Ram” has been great. Coming from the south valley of Tulare county, Lewis talked about some of his first memories of playing ball. “My dad and older brother played football, so I’ve always wanted to play too” says Lewis.

“I remember I was like three or four playing with all the older neighborhood kids in the streets, then by the age of five I was already playing organized football.

It was only flag, but by seven I was already in pads playing tackle,” he said. “When I started high school, I never thought I would be a quarterback. I kind of got stuck playing the position. I’ve always wanted

to be a running back, I grew up wanting to be like Emit Smith.”

He said playing for Tulare Union was fun. “There is nothing like playing high school ball. We had a few bad seasons, but my senior year we were good. We made it all the way to the championship game, and lost. Losing that game still hurts, it was a fun experience, all the hard work paid off, and I ended up getting a scholarship.

I enjoyed coming from a small town and community. People always recognized who I was; it was like being the man of the town,” he said.

Before his success at Tulare Union, Lewis and his family moved out to Atlanta, Ga. where he played for a very good football program. “It’s a lot different down south on the east coast; it’s a different vibe, and the game is rougher,” said Lewis. His family would later move back to the valley after a few years and he finished high school years in Tulare.

“Playing for FCC is a great opportunity because I’m close to home, and my family and friends get to come out and support me,” said Lewis. “I was a starter my freshmen year, and even made All Conference. I thank Coach “C” for giving me a chance; I was looking for somewhere to play at a short period of time.” When asked to describe the pressure of being a quarterback, Lewis said, “The nerves are there, but I feel that there is no pressure at all. I’m still learning this position and I want to get better. I don’t feel that I’m a quarterback completely yet, there is a few things I still need to learn,” With a sophomore at every key position, this year’s team has

game himself, completing about 75 percent of his passing; he even walked one in for a touchdown.

“Scoring is part of my job; it happened a lot in high school but with the mentality I have, I want to score any way I can…throwing and passing,” he said.

With the season just getting

“Playing for FCC is a great opportunity because I’m close to home, and my family and friends get to come out and support me.”

Emmauel Lewis

started, Lewis says that his goals for the rest of the season are to not only have a successful season, but to win conference and hopefully make it to state.

Lewis also said that after it’s all said and done, he wants to graduate from FCC and further his education. He said, “I would like to make it to the NFL. If it happens it happens; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

The Rams are back at home Saturday afternoon Oct. 17, 2009 against West Hills College. Lewis said, “Last year’s game was tough; it was hot out there but it was a good game. We’ll be ready; we’re a tough, fast, and physical team, so our opponents need to bring their “A” game because the Rams lay down for no one.”vv

Next Game FCC vs.

West Hills College October 17, 1 p.m.

Ratcliffe Stadium

Upcoming Home Games: Oct. 31 Sierra College Nov. 7 San Joaquin Delta (Homecoming)

Sports

16 Rampage

October 7, 2009

Bear Cubs Get Rammed Over !

Rams win Home Opener 35-21

Top:Offence lines up against Santa Rosa, Center: Ram’s defense putting on the pressure, Botton Left: Number 8, Isiah Barton, making touchdown catch Bottom Right: Darrel Jackson running back an interception.

All photos by Jeramiah Henry

“We beat a very good football team.”

Head coach Tony Caviglia

by Ray Juarez Rampage Reporter There is no place like home for the Fresno City College Rams. After a rough start, the 1and 2 Rams came home for the first time this season looking to upset undefeated Santa Rosa junior college. The Bear Cubs made their way to Ratcliffe stadium Saturday Sept. 26, 2009 looking to claw right through the Rams.

With nine minutes to go in the first quarter, Santa Rosa headed to the in-zone ready to light up the score board. On 3rd & Goal, Reggie Brown stopped the bear cubs hoping for an easy three and out, but Santa Rosa took a chance by going for it on 4th down and quarterback Gray Galloway threw

an interception to Fresno’s Darrel Jackson. Jackson ran it back for 98 yards which then led to a short touchdown pass from Emmanuel Lewis to Arkeem French.

Santa Rosa would later answer back with an interception of their own, taking it to the house for a 35 yard touchdown. The Rams were quick to answer back early in the second quarter when Lewis kept the ball himself and walked right into the in zone.

Starting the second half leading 20-14 Fresno didn’t waste any time expanding their lead. After the hard hitting defense forced another punt, it was Lewis connecting with Arkeem French for the touchdown and then to Isiah Barton for a two-point conversion; the Rams took a bigger lead 28-14. Late in the third quarter, Santa Rosa was doing what they could to close the gap by scoring

one last time, bringing the game to 28-21. But FCC’s defense was not having it...they forced yet another punt and in the first nine seconds of the fourth and final quarter, Lewis threw a TD pass to Isiah Barton for 46 yards. Santa Rosa was not going down without a fight, the Bear Cubs charged down field but couldn’t finish after Fresno fumbled an interception and then fumbling themselves. The Rams took a knee and the victory 35-21.

After the game, head coach Tony Caviglia said, “We beat a very good football team. I feel very good about this team, we’ve practiced hard all week, and I feel we’re really coming together. We need to work on a few fundamentals, but we’re going to get better.”

The Rams are back at home after a road game and a bye week, on Saturday afternoon Oct. 17, 2009 against West hills College.