Rampage: Spring 2014 Issue 7 by The Rampage at Fresno City College

Rampage The

ISSUE 7

The Student-Run Newspaper of Fresno City College

May 14, 2014

Vol. CXXVI

FREE

ALL DRIED UP

California drought reaches dangerously historic levels as federal officials point to climate change as culprit BY PATRICK FORREST

2,500,000TAF

News editor pforrest@therampageonline.com

2,000,000TAF

1,500,000TAF

1,000,000-

0TAF

Current Levels

TAF

Historical Avg.

500,000-

Capacity

TAF

San Luis Reservoir storage levels as of May 11, 2014. Statistics from Department of Water Resources California Data Exchange Center. TAF stands for Thousand Acre Foot- the amount of water to cover one acre of land with a foot of water.

“We have the capacity to stop sexual assault, support those who survived it and bring perpetrators to justice.” -Barack Obama

l SEE WHITE HOUSE ON PAGE 5

California’s historic drought has continued into the entire the spring and the Federal government has placed the blame on climate change as to why the water levels have dropped so severely. According to a White House task force report on the effects of climate change, the cost of maintaining and improving drinking water infrastructure will increase, because expanded wastewater treatment and desalination for drinking are among the key strategies for supplementing water supplies. The report goes on to say that increased heat and changes to rain will send ripple effects throughout the region and its critical agriculture sector. Drought and increased warming fosters increased competition for scarce water resources for people and ecosystems. These changes will increase the cost of fruits and vegetables as they become more and more scarce. “Here in California, you’ve seen these effects firsthand,” said President Barack Obama during his speech on the effects of climate change in Mountain View, Calif. ”You know what’s happening. And increasingly, more and more Americans do.” Many in Washington have seen the effects of climate change on California’s environment and the president has recently asked them all to act to fix it. “Rising sea levels, drought, more wildfires, more severe storms -- those are bad for the economy. So we can’t afford to wait,” Obama said. “And there’s no reason why we can’t even go further than we are so far by working with states and utilities, and other organizations to change the way we power our economy. Climate change is real and we have to act now.” California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been building the support for the “California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014.” The bill would “direct the

l SEE DROUGHT ON PAGE 2

“These are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters that have given, at minimum, four years and much of their youth in service to our country .” -Mario Reposo

l SEE VETERAN’S ON PAGE 2

NEWS

Rampage Staff Editor-in-Chief Jordan Russell Managing Editor Kaitlin Regan Production Manager Victor Aparicio News Editor Patrick Forrest Opinion Editor Kevynn Gomez

Arts & Entertainment Editor Lauren Baker Sports Editor Keaundrey Clark Photo Editor Darlene Wendels Art Director Lauren Baker Copy Chief Jordan Russell Multimedia Editor Michael Monroy Reporters James Clark Yolanda Garzon Daisy Martinez Razi Syed Photojournalists Evona Clay Abel Cortez Akinye Chatmon Alexis Chavez Maria Vargas Multimedia Journalists Desiree Aranjo Rebekah Madison Jarrett Ramones Cresencio Rodriguez Business Manager Sydney Excinia Faculty Adviser Lynn Badertscher Journalism Instructor Jefferson Beavers Tip Line: 559.442.8262 Twitter.com/FCCRampage Facebook.com/FCCRampage Instagram.com/FCCRampage YouTube.com/RampageNewsroom Send Questions or Letters to the Editor to: editorial@therampageonline.com Fresno City College C/O The Rampage 1101 E. University Ave Fresno, CA 93741

Journalism Association of Community Colleges

Fresno City College

05.14.2014 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

MEET THE NEW ASG PRESIDENT BY PATRICK FORREST

News editor pforrest@therampageonline.com

After an election cycle that pitted two current Associated Student Government senators against each other for the office of president, all 369 votes were counted and only eight votes separated Emily Haas from the winner and next semester’s president: Daniel Melchor.

Q A

Why did you join ASG?

It’s just something that I have always loved to do, ever since high school. In high school I was involved with Junior representative class, I was the ASB vice president my junior year. I just ... really like taking on leadership positions and putting myself in a position where I can best serve people, it’s really the best place to be able to get things done for other students. And being new, it really helped me learn the campus. I got to learn a lot and helped a lot of people find their way around while I was with my high school ASB, and I was lost a lot when I first got to college, but once I joined ASG I started figuring out where the T Building is, where the Humanities Building is and stuff like that. But more than all I just really like helping people.

Q A

Do you feel like you have gotten to help people?

I’ve tried my best. I’m really the type of person that is never really satisfied with what I do. I push, I’m too hard on myself. I’ve always tried to do as much as I could, whether that be covering office hours for someone who can’t do it, or taking up bills when someone didn’t want to or couldn’t do it or even welcome week. So I would say I contributed what I could but of course I wish I could have done more.

How do you find the time to do all of this stuff?

Daniel Melchor. Photo/Michael Monroy

There’s the triangle that everybody talks about that you have to balance: sleep, social life and homework. So my social life is out, that thing is gone. I try and have fun with what I’m doing, in the work. So it’s taking away the social life, but I don’t get a lot of sleep either.

Q A

How do you have fun?

Fun is getting to meet new people, I always love meeting new people. People usually tell me that I am always smiling and I guess they’re right because I am. But I really love talking to people and getting to know them, especially here at City. And especially older students, having them here is really nice because it gives younger students like myself someone right next to me who embodies that importance of an education and never giving up on it.

Q A

What inspires you to do this stuff? Who is your hero?

My dad. I mean growing up the son of someone who came to a country with nothing but the clothes on his back and nothing in his pockets, working in the fields, earning documentation through the Reagan amnesty. I would say that I would like to help make my dad’s efforts to make this family worthwhile.

2014-15 ASG Executive Board President

Daniel Melchor

Legislative VP

Toni Sandoval

Executive VP

Jacob Page

PPT

Gao Vang

Trustee

Garret Hale l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8

Veteran’s Resource Center set to open BY RAZI SYED

Reporter rsyed@therampageonline.com

Although the opening of Fresno City College’s Veteran’s Resource Center has been delayed since last semester, it now has a tentative opening date in the fall 2014 semester. In addition, the Veteran’s Office is planning to expand services offered to student veterans in the upcoming semester. FCC Veteran’s counselor and founding member of FCC’s Veterans Association Mario Reposo highlighted the importance of the upcoming services for veterans. “These are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters that have given, at minimum four years and much of their youth in service to our country,” he said. “Society owes them the opportunity to heal and re-enter civilian life with as few obstacles as possible.” The Veterans Resource Center will be located in the old Business Office on the west side of FCC’s campus. According to members of FCC’s Veterans Association, it would be a place where student veterans could go to receive help for their academic needs, find out about local resources, receive help with applying for benefits as well as create a community support group where the veterans could get help with needs that arise during their time at FCC.

The establishment of the Veteran’s Resource Center has had a number of setbacks since it was first announced, according Reposo. “[The Veteran’s Resource Center] was supposed to open last semester but it keeps being pushed back,” said Reposo. However, a tentative date of November 2014 has been set for the Veteran’s Resource Center’s opening, according to Reposo. The opening of the Veteran’s Resource Center couldn’t come at a more needed time, as the needs of the student veterans are only expected to increase. According to a September 2011 report by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, entitled “Connecting Military Service and Civilian Life,” California’s veteran population of over 2.2 million exceeds that of any other state. FCC’s Veterans Association is a campus organization composed of students, staff and faculty; The Veterans Association describes its mission as “to serve as a permanent and stable advocacy organization for student veterans and to ensure that FCC’s educational environment is in-tune with the needs of our student veterans.” As of fall of 2011, over 26,600 veterans have enrolled in California community colleges - and that number is expected to grow as the Iraq War has

ended and the war in Afghanistan is winding down, according to the same report. The Veteran’s Resource Center would consolidate the existing services provided on campus, according to FCC Veterans Association President and Financial Aid Department Secretary Josephine Llanos. In addition, agencies currently providing services for veteran students off campus could provide them at the Veteran’s Resource Center. “There’ll be outside agencies connected to veterans, for example [the Department of Veteran’s Affairs], who will come in and offer the services on our campus,” Llanos said. But while the opening of the Veteran’s Resource Center will be a big step in making the FCC campus more veteran-friendly, there is still work that needs to be done to make people aware of veteran’s needs and how to be sensitive to those needs, according to Disabled Students Program and Services counselor Sam Alvarado. One issue in particular, Alvarado notes, is that veteran’s sometime face difficulties in classrooms because their disability is not always visible. “When someone comes in and [the instructor] can’t see the disability, they assume that there isn’t one,” Alvarado said. l TWITTER.COM/RAZISYED

NEWS

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 05.14.2014

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05.14.2014 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

Semester in review

The biggest stories from spring 2014 retold in photos

Jamie Nelson, known as “Gentle Jamie,” sits down after performing at Fulton 55 on Thursday, March 27, 2014. Photo/Abel Cortez

Women’s basketball coach Brian Tessler goes over strategy during a timeout at the Rams’ game against Laney College on Sunday, March 1, 2014. Photo/Abel Cortez

(From left to right) Mia Barraza Martinez, Cody Hoover, Kyle Hoover and Monique Quintana of the Chicano Writers and Artists Association. Photo/Abel Cortez

Former SCCCD Chancellor Deborah Blue at the Tuesday, March 4, 2014 board meeting. Photo/Darlene Wendels

President Barack Obama approaches Marine One after landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. Photo/Darlene Wendels

More Behind the Scenes Coverage online at THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

NEWS 5 White House Task Force Attempts to End Smoker’s Sexual Crimes on College Campuses Paradise

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 05.14.2014

l FROM PAGE 1 BY CRESENCIO RODRIGUEZ

Reporter crodriguez@therampageonline.com

There is a new plan that aims to protect students from sexual assault on college campuses. The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault brings with it a mandate to strengthen federal enforcement efforts and provide schools with additional tools to combat sexual assault on their campuses. President Barack Obama established the task force on Jan. 22, 2014 in an effort to combat sexual assault against students. “We have the capacity to stop sexual assault, support those who have survived it, and bring perpetrators to justice,” Obama said. According to a news release from the Office of the Press Secretary sent out on April 29, 2014, the task force is pushing a series of actions that would further the prevention of sexual assault on college campuses. “Sexual violence is one of those issues we all wish didn’t exist. And too often, our society has chosen to ignore it rather than confronting it openly and honestly,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Duncan praised the Obama administration for its efforts in releasing guidance under Title IX of the Education Amendment 1972, explaining how schools and colleges should deal with sexual violence. The U.S. Department of Education, under Title IX, states that “federally funded schools must ensure that

l CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take actions to provide additional water supplies and disaster assistance to the state of California due to drought and for other purposes.” The drought storyline has been played out for a couple of months now, when Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Jan. 17. “The driest months are still to come in California and extreme drought conditions will get worse,” said Gov. Brown. “This order cuts red tape to help get water to farmers more quickly, ensure communities have safe drinking water, protect vulnerable species and prepare for an extreme fire season. I call on every city, every community, every Californian to conserve water in every way possible.” The upcoming months of June, July and August are the months

students of all ages are not denied or limited in their ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s educational programs or activities on the basis of sex.” Title IX states that a school violates a student’s right regarding student-onstudent sexual violence when alleged conduct creates a hostile environment for a student and when a school, upon

Central Valley Sexual Crime Resources n Rape Counseling Services of Fresno 259 N. Blackstone Hotline: (559)222-7273 Office: (559)497-2900 n Marjaree Mason Center 1600 “M” Street Hotline: (559) 233-4357 Office: (559) 600-2822 n Carmen Meza Center 838 “O” Street Hotline: 559 222-7273 Office: 559 237-4706 l TWITTER.COM/CRES_GUEZ

notice, fails to take effective steps to end the sexual violence. A number of different acts fall into the category of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual abuse and sexual coercion. The State Center Community College District defines several other categories of sexual violence in which any sexual contact is committed against an individual without his or her consent. Such categories include “forcible rape,” this offense, the district states, can be perpetrated against both males and females. Other categories that fall under sexual violence are “statutory rape,” which means “non-forcible” sexual intercourse with a person who is under the age of 18 and “forcible fondling,” which means “the touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification.” A public service announcement launched by Vice President Joe Biden also encourages men to speak up and step in if they see someone in danger of being sexually assaulted. The PSA was launched in coordination with the 1 is 2 Many campaign and the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The PSA features both the president and the vice president. Other notable individuals featured are Steve Carell and Seth Myers. “Our daughters, our sisters, our wives, our mothers, our grandmothers have every single right to expect to be free from violence and sexual abuse,” Biden said.

DROUGHT that the governor would fear. With the increased temperature and lack of water will stress the existing infrastructure. According to the White House National Climate Assessment, extensive use of air conditioning to deal with high temperatures can quickly increase electricity demand and trigger cascading energy system failures, resulting in blackouts or

brownouts. “What they found was unequivocally that climate change is not some far-off problem in the future,” said Obama while speaking about the assessment. “It’s happening now. It’s causing hardship now. It’s affecting every sector of our economy and our society.” l TWITTER.COM/FORRESTP8

San Joaquin Driest Years ranked by inches of precipitation

YEAR

RAINFALL

2013 1947 1917 1898 1929

2.9 4.5 5.2 5.5 5.7

Western Regional Climate Center

ASG to give students places to smoke while on campus BY VICTOR APARICIO

Production Manager vaparicio@therampageonline.com

For semesters, the Associated Student Government has been discussing the installations of designated smoking areas around the FCC campus. With every conversation on the topic, no action was ever taken. This semester, ASG senator and next president, Daniel Melchor was assigned the duty of getting the policy approved and raise awareness for the forthcoming smoking areas next semester. Melchor explained that bill has been approved and the signage for the designated areas for smoking were being made, waiting for summer break for the installation. “Right now my current job is to basically do a campaign of awareness and let every student know that starting next semester, there’s gonna be designated smoking areas in place,” said Melchor. Previous ASG senators that were assigned the task never delivered results despite student interest, with the last senator even departing ASG. “[The policy has] been going on for years, students voted on it twice,” Melchor said regarding past attempts. “I just say a lack of leadership and interest to actually get this done.” Out of a total of 19,702 voters in a 2010 - 2011 ASG election, 36 percent of students voted for designated smoking areas followed by a tie of 26 percent between no change to the policy and changing to a non-smoking campus. In 2004, the majority of FCC students voted for a non-smoking campus 455 votes out of 1,223, second being designated smoking areas with 309 votes and third being no change with 295 votes. There will be ten designated areas for smoking on FCC’s campus and the Career and Technology Center site. The areas on FCC are the south side of the west lawn by OAB, university mall between student services and the library, the benches on the corners of Weldon and College, the patio area outside of Theatre Arts, west of the Health Science Building, southeast of the tennis court next to the metered parking, northwest and east side of Ratcliffe Stadium’s track. At C&T Center, the two designated spot are left to the East Annadale parking lot entrance and outside of the student lounge. DSAs are equipped with outdoor ashtrays, a trashcan and a sign marking the smoking area. l TWITTER.COM/VICTORKID

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05.14.2014

Student Art on Display

BY KEVYNN GOMEZ

Opinion Editor kgomez@therampageonline.com

The Student Art Show allows FCC students to share their work in the Art Space Gallery Ceramic stoneware by Fresno City College art student Gabriel Mendoza, titled “Red Drip” and “Yellow Crag,” are displayed at the spring 2014 Student Art Show in the Art Space Gallery on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. Mendoza was the recipient of the ClayMix award, which provides a chosen student with a gift certificate for art supplies. Photo/ Kevynn Gomez

“Midnight Star,” a sterling silver and rough-faced drusy necklace crafted by Fresno City College art student Glenn T. Brown sits on display in the Art Space Gallery during the spring 2014 Student Art Show on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at FCC. Photo/Kevynn Gomez Emily Liang stands next to her artwork “Male and Female Figure Charcoal on Paper” on Monday, May 12, 2014. Photo/Abel Cortez

l TWITTER.COM/THEONLYKEVYNN

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Fresno Fun in the Sun Don’t be a part of the masses that think there’s nothing to do--beat the heat and be entertained! BY YOLANDA GARZON

Reporter ygarzon@therampageonline.com

The end of another spring semester has arrived. The time has come to relax and sleep, that is if you are not attending summer classes. During the summer months, students seem to find themselves not waking up until noon and looking for activities to do. There are many things to do around Fresno and the surrounding areas of the Central Valley. Starting this summer of festivities, the Tower District will be hosting the Rainbow Parade and Festival as well as Father’s Day Blues Fest. If you enjoy plays, then Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theatre will be showing “The Pirates of Penzance” and “West Side Story.” Mid-June through July, “Macbeth” will be playing at Woodward Park as well as “The Taming of the Shrew” in mid-July and August for the 10th season of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival. When it comes to movies, Fashion Fair Mall will be host-

ing “Movies on the Plaza,” a showcase of a variety films which includes “Top Gun” and “Sixteen Candles” in May and June. If concerts are your calling, Sierra Vista Mall will have the “Rock the Mall Summer Concert Series” featuring “Foreigner Unauthorized” and “Journey Revisited.” For the outdoors enthusiast or those looking to gain experience, Kings and Sequoia National Parks will be holding events that aim to enrich the mind. According to www.visitsequoia.com, “Wildlife Wednesdays” are free clinics that teach tricks on how to spot wildlife. The website also lists “Flashlight Hike,” a hiking experience held at night to highlight wildlife in the dark. There will also be the “Sole 2 Soul 5k Summer Series” held at Woodward Park. The Sole 2 Soul store’s website says that these races “are not about awards or t-shirts, but rather they allow you to enjoy some great company and race

against your previous times, if you chose to race multiple times.” The first race is on June 10; the cost to sign up before a race is $5 and $7 on the day of the race. If you seek fresh organic foods, then you could check out the different farmers markets that are already around the city. Manchester Mall hosts their farmers market on Fridays from 10 a.m. until dusk. The Vineyard Farmer’s Market, located on the northwest corner of Blackstone Ave. and Shaw Ave., is on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. until noon. With so much to do around Fresno, there are no excuses to say that you are bored. Summer is about catching up with old hobbies and discovering new ones. Even with summer classes, these activities could be a way to help take your mind off of sitting in a hot classroom. l TWITTER.COM/ X_WHATSHERNAME_X

Fortress of Fandom Was a reboot of the Spiderman franchise really necessary? BY LAUREN BAKER

Arts & Entertainment Editor/ Art Director lbaker@therampageonline.com

This is a tricky question to answer. For anyone who grew up with the Tobey Maguire Spiderman movies, there is a definitive divide between those who possess a sweet nostalgia for them and those who have grown to hate them. For those more bitter individuals, the release of “The Amazing Spiderman” was a welcome endeavor, met with equally successful box office earnings. As for myself in this matter, I am on the fence because while I am one of those nostalgic kids, I was also blown away by the quality of TASM series. So I can only offer you my wish list: I wish there was a Spiderman film where Tobey Maguire was Peter Parker and Andrew Garfield was Spiderman. You see, Tobey Maguire makes a better Peter Parker because he fulfills the prototype of a nerd that doesn’t amount to much outside of science classes, lovestruck over a girl he thinks he can’t have. Andrew Garfield’s version of Peter Parker comes off as cocky and overly con-

fident, which only works when he’s actually playing Spiderman. However, in TASM 2, we are shown a much more hands-on Spiderman by Garfield when he takes the time to walk home a small child after being bullied, fixing his ruined solar system project. This is a far different Spiderman than that of Maguire’s verison who was so absorbed in his own problems that he began to lose his powers in his sequel. So when the chips are down, yes, I do believe a reboot of Spiderman was completely necessary because as the series continues, I do believe we will see a little more of the humbled Peter Parker that avid readers have come to know. Besides, we have a great responsibility to give a character like Spiderman justice by not dilluting what could be a great story with cheesy puns like the Green Goblin singing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” as he terrorizes New Yorkers. Seriously, some of us have yet to recover from the Governator’s “the iceman cometh!” in 1997’s “Batman & Robin.” l TWITTER.COM/ELBTHEHERO

Fresno City College Transfer Center

Congratulations Transfer Students of 2014! FCC is a premier community college that transfers students each academic year to baccalaureate awarding colleges and universities Visit the following link for a list of the 2014 FCC Transfer Students

www.fresnocitycollege.edu/transfercenter

OPINION

Campus Voices “What is one positive way you can ‘give back’ to your community during summer vacation?”

05.14.2014 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT In an age of overconsumption, finding ways to cut back is essential BY RAMPAGE EDITORIAL BOARD editorial@therampageonline.com

Felix Figueroa American Sign Language “Any form of volunteering, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Tracie Martinez Psychology “Helping around in the community.”

R.J. Burrell Film “Recycling and taking my little brothers to the pool.”

In April 2013, the structural damage of an industrial garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh ended with a collapse of the multi-story building that killed over 1,000 workers, largely female garment workers. The death of hundreds of low-income Bangladeshi women may seem like a faraway tragedy, but the ties that bind are even closer than you may think. The now infamous Rana Plaza collapse, so-called due to the name of the destroyed building which produced clothing for American and European brands such as Mango and Walmart, sparked international outrage and criticism of a global clothing industry referred to colloquially as “fast fashion.” Fast fashion is only one subtle example of American consumerism gone awry, which leads in turn to exploitation of environmental and human resources. With hidden landfills on the outskirts of cities, American trash exported to developing countries, cheap clothing sold for a few dollars and shiny produce stacked high in supermarkets, it is easy in the United States to forget that we are very much a part of the problem. Yet the verdict is in; we are trashing our planet and its people with every careless move we make. Americans threw away 32 million tons of plastic waste in 2012, an Environmental Protection Agency study found. Of this exorbitant amount, only nine percent of the total plastic waste was ever recycled. Likewise, Americans waste a nauseating amount of food each year. A 2013 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture press release stated that 133 billion pounds of food that was bought or produced in America was never consumed. If these numbers are starting to make you feel a little guilty, you might find yourself asking “What can I do to stop such excessive waste?” So how do we do this? By changing our buying habits and lifestyle choices. A few key examples include boycotting unnecessary products or those which we know are created unethically, buying only what we need from supermarkets and using it completely, taking shorter showers, using nonplastic containers, recycling all waste products, and purchasing “new” clothing at thrift stores.

Graphic/Jarrett Ramones

FAST FACTS ON OVERCONSUMPTION

•Forty percent of food in America goes to waste each year •The average consumer uses over 10 times as much food as someone in Southeast Asia •Fifty-two percent of fruits & vegetables are not eaten, while only 48 percent are consumed •The majority of food loss occurs after consumers have bought the products Source: National Resources Defense Council According to a 2013 Food and Agricultural Organization study about the problems of wasted food, “Food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security, but also to mitigate environmental impacts.” Indeed, the majority of food wasted can be utilized in simple, healthy meals. Planning weekly meals around specific products can be an effective way to make use of items that typically get left to rot, grow stale, or sit

on shelves until the sheer thought of them becomes unappetizing. It is imperative that all Americans take responsibility for their actions and consumer purchases. We as a nation must put our foot (and wallets) down so that we may think critically about how we can realistically effect change. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

Graphic/Jarrett Ramones

Robert Runyan Criminology “Talking with people, finding out [the] situation they’re in and how I can help.”

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: ALEXIS CHAVEZ

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 05.14.2014

OPINION

Sun, sand and ... low self-esteem? Advice on how to banish body image issues and bear it all at the beach with confidence

BY YOLANDA GARZON

Reporter ygarzon@therampageonline.com

Sun, waves and sand. Sounds like summer. The time has come to enjoy warm weather and let tan lines form. To soak in the fun and relaxation. But what if you are not confident enough to bare skin at the beach? You are not as toned as those Abercrombie & Fitch models and you don’t exactly tan? It seems like the pressure to prance around looking thin and bikini-clad has struck, and you are left feeling like you should not even be at a beach. It is the pressure to look like you came from the pages of Sports Illustrated. It has been thrust upon society by the thousands of advertisements in magazines and televisions. Diets and workouts listed on numerous magazine covers claim that they can prepare your body in time to hit the beach. But what is a “beach body” defined as? A Google search of the term “summer body” generates results that include images of lean-looking female models and muscular male models. These are followed by links to “motivations” and “30-day workouts” to acheive said body type. Unfortunately, these diets are not the answer to achieving a beach body. Deepak Chopra stated to Forbes

magazine that by allowing the body’s hunger signals to be in balance, the impulse to eat will “become your ally instead of your enemy.” So how does one achieve confidence to make an appearance at the beach without making a run in the opposite direction upon the sight of someone attractive in a swimsuit? First, you have to accept that these “body standards” were adopted by an industry that is trying to make profit from you. These models are a small percentage of society and they are not the full and true ref lection of how people appear. The next thing to need to do- and probably the one you should already be doing- is to eat healthy. How many times have you heard the phrase “you are what you eat”? It is true though; eventually those unhealthy fast food burgers and fries

will cause harm to your body both on the inside and out. The Centers for Disease Control

Photo Illustration/Kevynn Gomez and Prevention says that it takes time to enforce healthy habits. The CDC also states that it is all about being patient with new habits. This does not mean having to completely change your consumption, but

rather to add more of what is healthy that you already eat. F i - nally, be content with yourself and accept your body. Liz Brody, in an article for Oprah magazine, listed three steps to gaining selfconfidence with your body image. One step Brody listed is to “avoid m a k i n g negative remarks about the appearance of others.” More than likely, the negative remarks are because of a lack of conf idence. Yes, there a r e certain clothing articles that just do not go with every body type, but that is why you should flaunt what you consider your best assets.

l TWITTER.COM/X_WHATSERNAME_X

OPINION

05.14.2014 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM

Should the California drinking age be lowered to match the voting age of 18?

PRO

BY JAMES CLARK

Reporter jclark@therampageonline.com

At the age of 18, a person can enlist or be drafted into the military. These young soldiers at war are expected to be morally mature enough to judge when someone should die. At the age of 18, a person will start receiving letters of pre-approval for credit cards they didn’t order, and are then held fiscally responsible if they accumulate a lifetime worth of debt. At the age of 18, a person is expected to be socially responsible enough not to commit a crime, and also to accurately interpret punishment for another’s social irresponsibility while on a jury. At the age of 18, however, a person cannot be expected to responsibly have a drink. If the drinking age was lowered, the government and the people would benefit from the additional tax revenues, as well as from the jobs that the new industry created. The new market of 18-21-year-old clientele would require a service enhancement by the industry. This additional service could be created by the 18-21 year olds that then, legally, could serve alcohol as bartenders and waiters. The drinking age not only severely conflicts with the age of adulthood, but could have an adverse effect on

Graphic/Jarrett Ramones the growth of the economy. While the economy is still on its slow march back to health, many states are looking for new ways to bring jobs and money flow back, even to the point of repealing laws that upon closer inspection have seemed unjust. Colorado is an excellent example. By legalizing marijuana, the government is now benefiting from the taxes from sales, saving money in enforcement and has more people back to work selling pot. This new industry has not taken or replaced jobs, but created them, simply by expanding the state’s viewpoint of legality. This all adds up to more money being exchanged, and jobs being not replaced, but created. The creation of new jobs in new fields, through innovation, has been one of the backbones of American economy. Perhaps reversion and reexamination of past rules that have worked in theory, but in effect are currently hurting the economy and the people, is the more feasible route to economic advancement. In the end, most underage people are drinking anyway. The responsible thing to do is to regulate the behavior rather than try to stomp it out entirely-- in the same way that it is responsible to give under age people condoms rather than abstinence awareness and removing prohibition instead of cracking down on every person who has a drink. The state has decided that, somehow, responsibility for actions extends as far as killing and being killed in battle and accumulating overwhelming debt, but cannot extend to sitting on the bar porch, having a drink with friends. Through this simple change in the drinking age, the people and state can benefit from a better economy. Those drinking can benefit from advisement, and laws can make adults truly adults as responsible citizens. l TWITTER.COM/FCCRAMPAGE

CON

BY DAISY MARTINEZ

Reporter dmartinez@therampageonline.com

Lowering the drinking age to 18 would raise the rate of alcohol-related car crashes, academic failures and social and physical problems. In 2010, the Department of Motor Vehicles reported 1,416 deaths that involved alcohol abuse. The drivers were between ages 18-20. Many teenagers get their license by age 16, and if they were drinking they would get their license suspended till age 25, according to California state law. Many jobs require people to have a valid license. That would take good job opportunities away from those who got their license suspended. If people are already drinking under age 21 and know that they are breaking the law, lowering the age would give them more freedom to drink. When a person starts drinking at an early age, there’s a higher chance of them becoming alcoholics later in life. Becoming an alcoholic can lead a per-

son into depression, suicidal thoughts and death from alcohol poisoning. Teenagers get a lot of peer pressure, so allowing them to drink can lead to unplanned and unprotected sex and leave them vulnerable to other drugs. If they become parents at an early age, they have less chances of furthering their education and having a decent lifestyle. At age 18, many students are still in high school. High school is the most important four years of education that guides students to a good college. If students were to be drinking over the weekend, they would not have any time to do homework. Waking up Monday morning with a hangover would increase absences in school. Studies show that people who don’t make it past high school are the highest group to live under the poverty line. People who live in poverty are at greater risk of committing crimes, according to the American Psychological Association. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number one substance abused is alcohol. In the United States, 11 percent of users are between 12 to 20 years of age. CDC reported that underage drinking results in the disruption of normal growth and sexual development-- just some of many problems underage drinkers are faced with. The drinking age needs to remain the same, or higher, but never lowered to age 18 just because they are considered adults. A person 18 or younger is barely learning what they want in life. They are not at an age where making decisions on drinking can benefit them in any way. They need to concentrate on school and getting ready for a career path. Drinking would only affect their future and impact the type of life they will have. l TWITTER.COM/FLOWERDAZY

SPORTS

THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM 05.14.2014

FCC SPRING SPORTS AT A GLANCE BY KEAUNDREY CLARK

Sports Editor kclark@therampageonline.com

Fresno City College sports reigned supreme again this semester, having four teams finish in the state’s top 5 for their respective sports. Women’s Basketball FCC finished the season 30 – 4, 11-1 in the Central Valley Conference. They won the CVC title for the 7th straight season. They finished ranked No. 4 in the state and No. 2 in NorCal. It’s the 7th straight year they’ve finished top 10 in the state and top five in NorCal. NorCal Player of Year Keyora Wharry (24.1 points per game, 13.2 rebounds) helped lead Rams’ return to state tournament wiith 25 double-doubles. Wharry is an FCC career leader in scoring at 1,189 career points, 733 rebounds and a 59-8 record. Men’s Basketball

(Top) FCC All-Star Keyora Wharry drives past a defender. Photo/Abel Cortez (Bottom Left) FCC Infielder Brett Brausem ready to throw the ball. Photo/Darlene Wendels (Bottom Middle) FCC Star Candace Egan returning a serve. Photo/Michael Monroy (Bottom Right) Co - Conference player of the year Chris Ashanti attempts a free throw. Photo/Abel Cortez

FCC men’s basketball continued its dominance this season finishing with a 28-2 overall record. They became 10-2 in the CVC going on a 20-game winning streak during the season. FCC won their 12th straight CVC title. They were led by co-players of the year sophomore guards Chris Ashanti and Rich Tesmer. Head coach Ed Madec was named Coach of The Year. “The season was a shock, I know the program has a history of winning. Coming here as a freshman is paying off,” said freshman point guard Dejon Burdeaux. “We’ve become a brotherhood, bonding throughout the season, we see each others as brothers. The three sophomores have taken us in like family.” Men’s Tennis The FCC Rams won their third straight Central California College Athletic Association Men’s Tennis Team Championship. Fresno, the No. 1 seed in Nor-

Cal, completed a perfect season (18-0) and extended its winning streak to 58 straight matches. They also finished No.1 in the state. Sophomore Matt Alves, a transfer from UC Santa Barbara, finished the season No.2 in the state. Jakov Tkirkshin ended the season at No. 4 in the state. Scott Gray, Adrine Varenne and Alec Bessinger all finished the season ranked very highly, giving FCC one of its strongest tennis teams in recent memory. Women’s Tennis FCC women’s tennis had one of the greatest seasns in school history. They finished the season 17-2 going undefeated in the CVC conference. FCC’s last conference title came in 2012 when they were cochamps with Reedley College. Freshman Maya Mammetgulyyeva and freshman Briawna Brown led FCC to an undefeated conference record. Mammetgulyyeva, Brown and 2012 CVC MVP Candace Egan helped FCC finish the season No. 3 in the state. FCC Baseball FCC baseball had another excellent season, going 26 - 1. They finished tied for 2nd in the Central Valley Conference. They finished the season 15th in NorCal. Sophomore Ryan Deane led FCC with 47 hits and 24 Runs.. He hit for a .301 average. Sophomore Preston Scott led the team with five home runs and 33 runs batted in. Freshman pitcher Jose Alvarez had a fantastic season on the mound going 7-2. He pitched a total of 73 innings, recorded 65 strikeouts and had a 2.03 earned run average. Sophomore All - American Dominic Topoozian had a decent season. He went 6 - 7, had 1 complete game, pitched 88 innings, recorded 60 strikeouts and had a 2.63 earned run average. l TWITTER.COM/SLOCUM13

SPORTS

05.14.2014 THERAMPAGEONLINE.COM