Click her to downloaad latest issue of The Western Sun

Baseball team
starts off ‘13
with 1-1 mark
Two views
on control
of guns here
Opinion Pages, 4-5
Sports Page 11
Ideas for a
memorable
Valentine
Volleyballers
welcome a
new coach
Entertainment Page 6
Sports. Page 10.
Volume 47, Number 8 n Golden West College n Feb. 6-19, 2013 n www.westernsun.us
Brown’s
budget to
impact
students
New rules
for drops,
and ‘three
strikes’
By Alexander Strada
Sun executive editor
By Seth Fuller
Western Sun staff writer
Slackers beware; Governor
Jerry Brown’s newest budget
proposals for California community colleges could put a
cinch in your five-year-plan.
Beginning next fall, Brown
wants to limit students to 90
units of state-subsidized classes.
After your first 90 units,
you’d have to pay the full cost
of instruction, which comes to
about $190 per unit instead of THE ANNUAL TET FESTIVAL and Tet Parade are coming to Garden Grove and
the current $46.
Westminster this weekend. The Festival is in Garden Grove Park and the paThere are many student concerns regarding this rade on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster. Additional photo on page three.
change, including that it unfairly punishes double-major
students, students who are returning to college to train for
a new job, and students who
need to explore their interests before selecting a field of
study, according to a Los An-
For students at Golden
West College and other community colleges, it’s no longer
business as usual.
The California State Chancellor’s Office, the statewide
governing body for two-year
public colleges, has issued a
series of new policies which
are intended to push students
toward completing courses
without an excessive number of drops and repeated attempts.
Effective as of the summer
of 2012, a “three strikes” rule
has been in place for community college students, which
means that you will only have
three chances to pass a given
course. A student can only attempt to repeat a course twice
after receiving a grade of D,
F, NP or W. Each “W” (withdrawal) counts as a “strike.”
These changes are retroactive and any course taken
within the Coast Community
College District
(Golden
West, Orange Coast, Coastline) will be counted.
Students who want to avoid
Year of the Snake will
be celebrated in OC area
Continued on page 2
GOV. JERRY BROWN
Western Sun staff
“The Year of the Snake” will be celebrated
with two major events in the area this week.
The annual Tet Festival will be held at Garden Grove Park on Westminster Avenue between Brookhurst and Magnolia streets Friday
through Sunday. The event is organized by the
Union of Vietnamese Student Associations.
Hours for the festival are Friday from 3-10
p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and
Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is
$5 at the gate (cash only) and children three
feet tall and under will be admitted free. Those
showing an OCTA bus pass will be admitted
for $1.
Free parking is available at the adjacent Bolsa Grande High School parking lot, and there
is a free shuttle service available from West-
minster Civic Center (Beach and Westminster
boulevards) and La Quinta High School, 10372
McFadden Ave., in Westminster,
The festival, which attracts upwards of
100,000 people annually, is believed to be the
largest Tet event outside of Vietnam. The Tet
holiday begins the lunar New Year for many
Asian cultures.
Continued on page 2
Carnival rides, contests, booths, music and
historical displays will be featured at the festival.
On Sunday the annual Tet Parade will be
held in Westminster starting at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The parade route begins at Magnolia Street
at Bolsa Avenue and turns right onto Bushard
Street, ending at Bishop Place, in Westminster.
This year’s parade has not beeen without
controversy. Pleading financial distress, the
Continued on page 3 A THREE STRIKES RULE
The Newspaper of Golden West College
2 FEB. 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN
New budget Battle of the Bands set
for CC’s aims for March 13 on campus
to push you
Can your band use $500? Is it good enough to compete with other
musical groups?
to graduate “Battle
The Associated Students of Golden West College is sponsoring a
of the Bands” on Wednesday, March 13 from 12-4 p.m. in the
Continued from page 1
geles Times report.
Another controversial element of
Brown’s plan is a change in the way
colleges are funded so that they are
paid for students who actually complete courses.
Currently, funding is based on the
number of students enrolled within a
few weeks of the beginning of the semester. Critics argue that this encourages colleges to cut difficult courses
and push students into less demanding
classes.
State officials said the changes are
meant to encourage colleges to improve on their own, and to encourage
students to move quickly and efficiently through the system.
This is in keeping with other changes recommended last year by a state
task force last year in reflection of an
effort to reduce community college
costs by encouraging students to get
through school quickly.
campus amphitheater on the Gothard Street side of campus.
The deadline to submit applications and a demo CD is Friday,
March 1 at noon.
Bands competing must have at least one member enrolled at GWC
with a current College Service sticker from spring 2013.
The winning band will be required to play a one-hour set on Tuesday, April 24 in the Student Center patio before the prize money is
awarded.
Applications are available in the Student Activities Office on the
second floor of the Student Center. Some rules apply, including:
• Music and performance must be in good taste;
• Profanity is not permitted;
• The ASGWC has the right to cancel the event if fewer than five
applications are submitted by the deadline;
• Only eight bands will be selected to compete in the event;
• Selection of bands playing in the Battle of the Bands will be
done by a panel of student judges. All judges’ decisions are final.
Deadline for
dropping a
class comes
earlier now
Continued from page 1
getting a “W” on their transcripts will
also find they need to act more quickly
than before. The old rule of having to
drop within the first 30 percent of the
course in order to avoid a withdrawal
mark has been shortened to 20 percent.
Additionally, faculty members are
being urged to drop students who are
no-shows any time after the first day
of class. This is to be done prior to
the census date for the class, which is
typically the fourth week of a 16-week
course.
The college receives funding from
the state based on enrollment, and the
state wants to make sure that students
listed on the rosters are continuing to
attend and participate.
Follow Golden West College news, opinion, arts and sports
online at
our website at www. westernsun.us.
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THE WESTERN SUN/FEB. 6-19, 2013 3
Campus & Community
Suzanne Fisher, news editor
Spring full
of activities
for GWC
Datebook
Feb. 6
n Baseball 2-5 p.m. Victor Valley vs. GW
n Employment opportunities
for F1 students 2-4pm
n Women’s softball @ Citrus
College vs. San Diego Mesa
4-5 pm
n Men’s volleyball Santa Ana
vs. GWC 6-9 p.m.
By Suzanne Fisher
Westen Sun News Editor
Spring semester at Golden West
College includes a wide variety of
events such as a Donor Day Blood
Drive, a Battle of the Bands competition, to a karoake competition.
Each month the Student Activities
office sponsors a Collection of Kindness activity. The concept is simple. If
each person performs one simple act of
kindness each month, and those efforts
are coordinated, what a difference we all
could make in the lives of those in need.
The Student Activities office also
sponsors a monthly meeting for the Inter-Club Council. Inter-Club Council
assists clubs in fund raising and publicity, and is responsible for coordinating
and promoting club events on a cooperative basis. Call (714) 895-8261 to
reach the Student Activities office for
more information on existing clubs and
for guidelines on how to form a club.
February’s Collection of Kindness is
towels and personal hygiene. Student
Activities Center will be accepting new
or slightly used towels and new, unopened personal hygiene items. Golden
West College Student Activities starts
February with the ASGWC application
for funding available as of Feb. 5.
The Creative Writing and Poetry
Contest begins Feb. 11. Guidelines
can be found on the GWC website under Student Activities. The Inter-Club
Council meeting will be held on Feb.
12. Joining a campus club is a great
way to enrich your collegiate experience. For more information about
which clubs are available to join and/
or how to start your own club, call Student Activities at (714) 895-8261. A welcome back event and entertainment day on Feb. 14 will provide
students with a free pasta meal deal
and entertainment by 97.1 AMP radio
from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and evening
food from 5:30-6:30 pm. (See related
article this page). Campus will be closed on Lincoln’s
Day, Feb. 15 and Washington’s Day,
Feb. 18. A video game competition
will take place on Feb. 19 following
with a billiards tournament on Feb. 20. The month will close with a Donor
Days Blood Drive taking place during
Feb. 26–28. The Student Activities office hopes participation this spring semester will be even higher than last fall
semester’s of over 100 students donating 70 pints of blood.
March’s Collection of Kindness
theme is Soles 4 Souls & Socks. New
and slightly worn shoes and socks will
be collected for the Souls4Soles, Inc., a
non-profit organization that gives away
these items to the hurting worldwide. Feb. 8
n Men’s track and field @Riverside 11am
n Women’s swimming and diving 11am
n Women’s track and field 11
a.m.
n Baseball GWC vs Reedly 5-8
p.m.
n Men’s volleyball El Camino
vs. GWC 6-9 p.m.
Feb. 9
n Baseball GWC @Sequoias 1
p.m-4 p. m.
Feb. 10
n Baseball GW at Bakersfield
1-4 p.m.
THE TRADITIONAL Dragon Dance as performed at last year’s Tet
Festival in Garden Grove. Additional photo on page one.
Feb. 11
Tet fest, parade
coming to OC area
Feb. 13
Continued from page 1
City of Westminster announced that it
could not provided police support and
traffic control unless parade organizers
could raise $60,000 to cover the costs
of the those services.
But a plea through the Little Saigon
business community quickly raised
that amount and the parade will go
ahead. However, a protest was held
this week by a coalition of Vietnamese
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
groups claiming their organization has
been denied a spot in the parade.
Welcome Back event Feb. 14
Even if you don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day, you can have lots of company on Feb. 14.
The Associated Students of Golden West College is sponsoring a “Welcome
Back” event that day in the Student Center area. It will be going on from 11:30
a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
A free pasta meal deal will be available for those with a current College Services sticker on their ID card or for volunteers. Staff and students without stickers will pay $2.
There will be entertainment during the day and music from 97.1 “Amp Radio.”
For more information, to volunteer, or to get your College Services sticker
visit the Student Activities office (second floor of the Student Center) or call
(714) 895-8261,
n Baseball GW at Cerritos.
n Planning and budgeting
committee meeting 2:30-4
p.m.
n Softball @ Orange Coast 3-5
p.m.
Feb. 14
n Baseball Los Angeles Valley
vs. GWC 2-5 p.m.
Feb. 15
n Lincoln’s birthday. CAMPUS
CLOSED
n Baseball Los Angeles Mission vs. GWC 2-5 p.m
n Softball vs. Cypress College
Home game 2-4 p.m.
Feb. 15
n Men’s and women’s track
and field at Concordia 9 a.m.
– Compiled by
Samantha Hernandez
4 FEB. 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN
Opinion
Alexander Strada, executive and opinion editor
No more Mr. Nice Guys Guns DO
not settling for someone so ‘nice.’
The flaw in this image is that it’s
based on a fundamental lie: that the
nice guy is behaving selflessly. No
one behaves selflessly in dating, it’s
completely preposterous. You are
attracted to people who have something to offer you, whether it’s their
looks, their similar interests, their intelligence, or whatever else.
If they were truly behaving selflessly, they wouldn’t be pursuing
only women to whom they are attracted. For every nice guy who complains that the women he wants don’t
want him, there is a nice girl that
would have him to whom he would
never give the time of day.
The hilarious irony that nice guys
NO NO, NOT THIS KIND OF NICE GUY, THE OTHER KIND.
miss is that they insist on pursuing
Except for in their victims, the
Long ago we developed this great women who they perceive as havterm ‘nice guy’ tends to conjure an technique of making sounds with our ing something to offer, without havimage of some respectful, chivalrous throats to communicate how we feel ing something to offer the woman
gentleman who loves you for you about this or that. Women can do it in return. Worse, they are playing
and just wants you to be happy.
too, and if you listen, they will tell you the exact same game in the opposite
To their victims, nice guys, and things! It’s really very revolutionary.
role with every unattractive, but nice,
I don’t use that term lightly, in their
I am also uniquely qualified to com- girl. Their inability to draw the paralextreme form, represent something ment because I, myself, am an ex-nice lel between the two situations traps
like this: someone you met at a party guy. That’s right, it’s true,
them in a confused,
last weekend who brought you flow- though I maintain with “I might not have
endless cycle.
ers the first time you hung out and sufficient dignity that I
And if you’re gotook you somewhere awkwardly ro- was no extreme case be- anything you want, ing to try and argue that
mantic, and who won’t stop texting cause I knew how to take but I’ll still give
“being nice” is someyou everything!”
you to ask, “What ru up to? :)” even a hint.
thing to offer, what
when you didn’t respond the last
Still, I am guilty of
you’re really saying is,
three times.
pushing much too hard, much too fast “I might not have anything you want,
Before I continue, a word on my my fair share of times, and worst of but I’ll still give you everything!”
credentials. You might point out that, all justifying it to myself as me being
This isn’t to suggest you have to
as a straight dude, I’m in no position the “good guy,” while other guys were be an asshole to attract women, quite
to comment on how straight women “assholes.” The regular nice guy com- the contrary. You can still be respectsee things.
plaint is that women are into assholes, ful without being desperate, the point
This would be a fair point, if and that they must hate themselves or is that if all you have is being rehumanity had not yet developed be very confused to turn down such a spectful, you’re offering the absolute
language. It’s wonderful opportunity for happiness.
bare minimum.
a common misThat’s the key problem with the
So if you’re a nice guy, recognize
conception that nice guy mentality. They’ve convinced your self-righteous delusion and start
there is some themselves that they’re knights in shin- actually developing yourself into
u n b r e a c h a b l e ing armor, that they’re some woman’s someone women want to be with, inbarrier between messiah come to deliver her from her stead of complaining they don’t love
the sexes, the darker nature.
you for all the qualities you say you
whole men are
Worse, in many cases, they’ve con- have.
from Mars men- vinced women, too. Plenty look at nice
And if you’re a woman troubled
tality, but there guys and buy into the image, despite by your disinterest in nice guys,
Alexander IS a way across. wanting nothing to do with such guys worry no more. Trust your feelings,
It’s called ‘talk- themselves, and will often wonder Padawan. If it seems too good to be
Strada
ing!’
what’s wrong with them that they’re true, it probably is.
kill people
THIS guy invites you to disagree.
By Alexander Strada
Western Sun executive editor
“Guns don’t kill people, people kill
people.”
We’ve all heard it, from every random Joe who thinks he’s really stumbled on something clever. We’ve all
seen it, on bumper stickers, Facebook
posts and YouTube comments.
It’s an “argument,” a word which
should be read as if accompanied by
very sarcastic air quotes, that pops
up a lot whenever someone foolishly
mentions gun control within earshot of
a pickup truck or someone who likes
them, and is almost always followed
by a little, self-satisfied sort of smile.
The logic here is completely
screwed, but that’s not what’s important. Doesn’t it just sound clever?
Never mind that nobody is arguing that point. Gun control activists
don’t run around decrying the dangers
of flocks of mindless, self-propelled
handguns that roam the streets, filling
our citizens with bullets.
Maybe if they did, this argument
would make sense. “Yes, very good!” I
could say to those who used it, praising
their astute skepticism with a pat on
Continued on page 5
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Alexander Strada
NEWS EDITOR: Suzanne Fisher OPINION EDITOR: Alexander Strada
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Chelsea Turner SPORTS EDITOR: Sarah Martinez
ADVISOR: Jim Tortolano ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & WEBMASTER: Katie Cumper
STAFF WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS: Belen DeSantiago, Carly Kazempoor, Nathan Heacox, Seth Rutter, Joshua Ware, Samantha Hernandez,
Daniel Bourland, Tiffany Ochoa, Gabriel Arias, Nazir Faroqi.
THE WESTERN SUN is published biweekly on Wednesdays by the newspaper production classes of Golden West College. Opinions
expressed in The Sun, unless otherwise indicated, are those of the individual writer or artist and do not necessarily reflect those of the
college, district, or any other organization or agency. The Sun is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and the
California Newspaper Publishers’ Assn. Offices are at 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, CA 92647 in the Fine Arts building, room
138. Phones: 714-895-8786 (news), 895-8256 (advertising), 895-8795 (fax). E-mail: [email protected]
THE WESTERN SUN/ FEB. 6-19, 2013 5
More gun control
is not the answer
BETTER THINK TWICE before unlocking your smart phone.
Your cell phone is
no longer your own
By Alexander Strada
Western Sun executive editor
WE ARE all too eager to sacrifice our rights in the face of tragedy.
By Chelsea Turner
Sun entertainment editor
fied by the mass shootings around the
country in the last decade. Yet it has
been statistically proven more people
Joseph Stalin once said, “Ideas are die from handguns every year.
And though these massacres are
more powerful than guns. We would
not let our enemies have guns, why heartbreaking, using the emotions of
the public to induce policy is immoral
should we let them have ideas.”
Throughout history dictators such and corrupt. Using these tragic deaths
as Hitler, Stalin and Mao all disarmed to rationalize why assault weapons
their citizens prior to their deadly re- should be banned manipulates the argimes. Is history doomed to repeat its gument and is not logically consistent.
People die in car accidents every
self?
Since the Aurora Massacre, Presi- hour. A compact car is a 20,000 lb. metal weapon. Should
dent Barack Obama
we ban trucks behas given the green
light on the long- “Banning a specific weapon cause they contain
more pounds of faanticipated push for will only open doors to ban
others. Infringing on one
tal metal?
gun control.
Banning a speThe 2nd amend- right will only set paths to
cific weapon will
ment clearly states; infringe upon others.
only open doors to
“A well regulated
ban others. Infringmilitia, being necessary to the security of a free state, ing on one right will only set paths to
the right of the people to keep and bear infringe upon others.
There are many other reasonable
arms, shall not be infringed.”
In this amendment the word militia approaches to dealing with gun related
by definition means all males capable assaults. Offering accessible resources
of acting in concert for the common such as support groups, therapy and
defense. “The right of the people” im- psychological help are all effective replies U.S citizens have a right to bear sponses.
Other precautions include strengtharms including as means of defense.
Furthermore it states clearly that the ening security in schools and public
government shall not infringe upon settings, making gun registration more
comprehensive, and making locking
these rights.
The basis of the second amend- all firearms in a safe mandatory.
A recent poll by Fox News indicates
ment is not about hunting, target practice, tradition or even self-defense. It is that the majority of Americans are
about resistance to government usurpa- against gun control and only 22 pertions and tyranny. President Obama’s cent would willingly hand over their
efforts may be honest now, but there firearms. In fact, gun and ammunition
is no telling what the future holds and sales have doubled in the last year.
Are the people not to be trusted?
those words were imbedded in the soul
Have we become so useless and depenof this soil for a reason.
Many politicians dance around the dent on government to protect us from
second amendment by suggesting that ourselves? Will we allow this fear to
singling out assault weapons is justi- coax us into giving up our rights?
Whenever I buy something, I tend
to assume that what I’ve bought belongs to me. However, a federal mandate that went into effect last month
suggests that our government, or more
specifically, the Librarian of Congress,
doesn’t grasp this concept, as least as it
pertains to your cell phone.
As of now, anyone who unlocks
their cell phone without the consent of
their wireless carrier is a criminal subject to a fine of up to $500,000 and up
to five years in prison.
Yeah, you read that right.
Why the Librarian of Congress gets
to make such decisions is a mystery,
especially when it’s a position you’ve
probably never heard of.
You might picture it being held by a
doting old grandmother who shouldn’t
be entrusted to drive, let alone set
rules for modern technology, and you
wouldn’t be far off. James H. Billington, 83, was appointed to the position
in 1987 by Ronald Reagan. Surely we
can imagine no one better to rule on
tech law.
In October, Billington allowed an
exemption to the Digital Millenium
Copyright Act, or DMCA, to expire,
effectively mandating that he no longer found it acceptable for Americans
to unlock their own smart phones. If
you’re wondering why we have to beg
for exemptions to a law in order to do
as we please with our own cell phones,
the answer could fill a book.
Put shortly, the DMCA is a nightmare law designed and passed by old
men in the 1990’s with little practical
understanding of technology. The act
was so broadly written that every three
years disability rights advocates have
to lobby Congress for the renewal of
an exception for the blind that allows
for books to be read aloud.
Granted, enforcement on this one
is pretty laughable, and indeed the vast
majority of people will totally ignore it.
It’s not likely that many unlockers will
actually face these sorts of charges, or
any at all, but why does that make it
acceptable? Why should judges be able
to ignore the rule or throw the book at
someone at their personal discretion?
A petition to make phone unlocking
definitively legal on Obama Administration website We The People, where
anyone can post a petition, is halfway
to the 100,000 supporter goal required
for an official response from the administration, but it doesn’t seem likely
such an issue will see much attention
in the face of everything else going on.
So instead, it seems like we’ll just
have to get used to more and more inherently preposterous, unenforceable
laws that, in the right circumstances,
could completely destroy your life if
your judge happens to be having a bad
day.
Guns DO kill people
Continued from page 4
the head, “You’re right, guns AREN’T
alive and filled with cold, metal hate.
Boy, nothing gets past you!”
The idea of gun control isn’t to put
an end to murderous, self-animated
weapons. The point of gun control is
to keep them out of the hands of certain people. You know, “people,” those
guys you said do the killing?
This might sound painfully obvious, but isn’t so for everyone.
To put it another way, picture yourself in a crowded movie theatre. A maniac in full body armor and a pair of
Groucho glasses marches in, ready to
do some damage. Would you rather he
be strapped to the teeth with semi-automatic firearms, or his not-at-all-creepy
collection of knives?
Therein lies the spirit of gun control.
Make no mistake, it’s an incredibly
complex issue. A very difficult balance must be struck between the right
of responsible adults that mind their
own business to own what they please,
and the right of responsible adults that
mind their own business to not get shot
in the face.
It’s an issue that must be solved
with careful, reasoned debate, and this
sort of argument has no place anywhere
near the word “reason.”
6 FEB. 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN
Entertainment
Chelsea Turner, photo and entertainment editor
Ten ideas for this Valentine’s day
random place and go or
maybe just take the day
and drive up the coast.
4. Scavenger Hunt.
This may sound a little
goofy but hey, it could be
fun. Pick a large store like
Walmart or Costco maybe
even stores at the mall.
Make up a list of thing is
for one another to find. Be
creative. Take your cell
phone and each time you
find something on the list
take a photo. First person
to find everything picks
the next place to go.
5. Dancing. Go out or
stay in. There are many
clubs that are having Valentine’s Day specials, so
I’m sure it wouldn’t be
hard to find a place to go.
Or you could make it a bit
more personal (and save
some money as well) by
DISNEYLAND is sure not to disappoint.
gathering up some sweet
sounding CD’s and mixing it up at home.
By Catherine George
6. Dinner Cruise. If your looking
Western Sun staff writer
for a romantic evening out on the waValentine’s Day is a day when you ter, Newport Beach Tours is offering a
are most likely to spend way too much 3 hour Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise
money on a fancy dinner and a huge complete with private candle-lit tables,
box of chocolates that will be gone be- champagne throughout the duration of
fore morning. For this Valentine’s Day, the cruise, a 4-course dinner, live enterI have ten ideas that can make your tainment, and romantic views. Cruises
special day perfect.
leave out of Newport Beach, Marina
1. Ice Skating. Take your favorite del Rey, and Long Beach.
hot drink and a few sweets and bundle
7. Amusement Park. For those of
up for a sweet night.
you that want some thrills and maybe
2. Home Movies. Nothing beats a little magic this Valentine’s Day, you
renting a few of your all time favorite can always head to the Magic Kingromantic movies, or maybe action is dom – Disneyland. Though it may be
your thing, either way you’ll be cud- a bit pricey, it’s a day you will be sure
dling up to a fun time in the comfort of to remember. And if it’s more thrills
your own home.
than romance for you, Six Flags Magic
3. Road Trip. It doesn’t have to be Mountain is just a few hours away.
some long planed out vacation, just
8. Adventure. Rent a gondola or
pack a bag with your favorite yum- kayak for a sunset paddle through the
mies, include a map of your surround- canals of Long Beach. Make sure you
ing areas (within a 100 mile radius) book in advance, these may go quick.
and don’t forget your camera. Pick a
9. Create. Creating something for
WHY NOT TAKE a road trip through the Californian wilderness?
HOW DOES IT SOUND if you spend the night out dancing?
one other is always fun. You could
take a trip to Build A Bear or Color
Me Mine and let your imagination run
wild. You will both walk away with
a most unique gift that neither of you
will ever forget making.
10. Dinner At Home. Invite that
someone special over, have your table
ready with linen and candles, set the
mood with soft music and low lights.
Perhaps you could even pen a poem to
be read at the appropriate time. Make
certain you know what they like to eat
before attempting this one.
THE WESTERN SUN/ FEB. 6-19, 2013 7
WHAT’S UP
Feb. 6-19
Help support or just come join
the 1st annual Valentine’s Day
YWCA Charity Fashion Show
on Feb 9 from 4 – 8 p.m. Located
in Santa Monica at 395 Santa Monica Place, this event will be hosted
by Broadway and television star
Amanda Jane Cooper. There will
be auctions, dance performances,
and fashion shows from all age
groups. Be a part of a good cause
and have a good time while doing
so!
Samantha Hernandez
& Catherine George
Need to relax and let out some
stress? Relieve yourself naturally
by having a good time laughing
and smiling at Huntington Beach’s
own Irish pub. Gallagher’s Pub is
holding comedy night on Feb 7 and
Feb 14. There will also be a mixer
for Valentines Day. If you haven’t
got big plans, stop by from 9 p.m.
to 11 p.m. and check this spot out
for a couple laughs and good memories. Located in Downtown Huntington Beach.
The Tet Festival is happening
Feb 8 through 10 in Garden Grove.
Come and celebrate the Vietnamese
Lunar New Year. Join the festival
with traditional food, live entertainment, and festive celebration.
Admission is $5 (cash only), and
children 3 feet and under get in free.
This is located at 9301 Westminster
Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844, and
the hours are:
Feb 8 from 3 – 10 p.m., Feb 9
from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Feb 10
from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Rod Stewart Tribute Valentine’s Day Weekend at Don the
Beachcomber in Sunset Beach is
the place to celebrate, ignite, or
discover love on Valentine’s Day
weekend. Two dates start with
a show on Feb 14. This night
promises romance and intimacy
by candlelight. The Hidden Village is a paradise locale for lovers, and Rod Stewart music is the
sound of love. Prices start out at
$15-$60.
Forced Valentine’s Day romance is phony
In case last year’s holiday extravaganza didn’t make you realize that
you are in fact single, a whopping 43
days later the liberal media has developed Singles Awareness Day or
SAD to set the record straight.
This kick you while you’re down
holiday also known as Valentine’s
Day showcases a flying naked midget carrying a hunters bow an arrow
ready to point and shoot at any given
moment. Cupid seemingly represents singles in his openly pathetic
and desperate search for love.
For those of you in a relationship
the anxiety doesn’t kick in until you
realize that you don’t like chocolate
covered cherries, flowers die in a
week, and you now have to wait an
entire year for
romance. Days
like SAD send
the message that
romance is only
needed on special occasions. If
you want a love
life like this just
get married.
The
ranChelsea dom holiday,
conveniently
Turner
placed on a
workday this
year, has men,
women
and
children panicking across
the globe. Men
everywhere are
forced to indulge in pink
hearts, stuffed
animals,
and
diamonds
as
women subconsciously
plot
their own devastation with
extravagant ex- ADORABLE EXPRESSION OF LOVE or saccharine consumerist garbage?
pectations.
SAD is a day to give into the aph- ous day’s cheap indulgence of erotiEven children are encouraged to
participate in promoted promiscuity by rodisiac hysteria by buying chocolate cism, while those who sulk are left
exchanging cards with classmates and for a desired lover in efforts to seduce exhausted in their everlasting search
crushes lettering seducing words such them. Although, convincing children for the perfect fish in a cold and deep
and obese diabetics to shove piles of sea.
as “Be mine.”
The meaning of Valentine’s Day
Is this really the route the world chocolate and sugar into their already
must take to sustain a consumer de- clogged arteries just to make a buck has been morphed by the media into
isn’t very effective in improving the expensive expectations resulting in a
mand for useless junk and boredom?
In this country, we celebrate indi- population’s overall health, and it’s day of sorrow for singles and chaos
for couples. You shouldn’t be roviduality and uniqueness. Yet focusing certainly not morally sound or sexy.
Most people celebrate or sulk in mantic this Valentine’s Day just bean entire day on behaving romantically
as a couple simply because we are told the name of love on Valentine’s Day cause you think you’re supposed to.
to is conformity for its own sake, con- without even questioning its meaning This year refrain from romanticizing
tradicting originality and confusing the or lack there of. Those who celebrate a single day based on versions of
will wake up hung over from the previ- someone else’s truth.
message of independence.
8 FEB. 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN
A punk rock take on the latest pop music hits
By Carly Kazempoor
Western Sun staff writer
It’s safe to say that a good amount
of the world still has issues getting
“Call Me Maybe” out of their heads.
Carly Rae Jepson’s hit single combined
a catchy chorus and plenty of hooks
to create a tune that had millions of
people humming along, often against
their will. With the song’s
success, it’s certain a large
amount of people thought
to themselves, “This is so
catchy, but a screamo rendition of the song would be
ever better!”
Maybe that was just me, but Fearless Records clearly agreed. The alternative label has a long running series
of Punk Goes Pop albums, with alternative rock/punk artists putting their
own spin on today’s greatest pop hits.
The newest is Pop Goes Punk: Volume
5, featuring Upon this Dawning’s “Call
Me Maybe” cover, in addition to covers of Bruno Mars “Grenade”, Justin
Bieber’s “Boyfriend” and more.
While some people may be weary
of the album, most of these covers are
very well done. They’re catchy, extremely unique and able to be enjoyed
by those who are not even interested in
punk music. One of the album’s standout songs is definitely “Somebody that
I Used to Know,” with Mayday Parade
spreading a pop punk sound over Gotye’s hit.
Lead singer Derek Sander’s excellent falsetto is paired with Pierce the
Veil singer Vic Fuentes. Together they
combine the respective sounds of their
bands to create a song that,
although
recognizable,
strays far from the original.
In addition, Craig Owen’s spin on Coldplay’s
“Paradise” is beautifully
done. Owens has a high-pitched, gorgeous yet masculine sound that fits
perfectly within the song and may even
give Coldplay a run for their money.
The Pop Goes Punk series was not
created for people interested in one
specific type of music. On the other
hand, it gives rock artists a chance to
put their own sound into that of today’s
chart topping hits, in hopes of luring
fans of other types of music into the
often-criticized punk music scene. Pop
Goes Punk: Volume 5 is a great album
with something for everybody, and will
make sure nobody thinks of “Call Me
Maybe” the same way again.
Music
Review
HHHH
Kendrick Lamar a good kid in ‘M.A.A.D City’
By Gabriel Arias
Western Sun staff writer
“If I told you that a flower
bloomed in a dark room, would you
trust it?”
Not since Tupac has there been
an artist delivering poetic justice,
until the emergence of K-Dot.
Mainly known as Kendrick Lamar,
he was born and raised in the infamous city of Compton,
California.
While most contemporary music of
any genre, but especially hip-hop, depicts
violence, greed, and
drug use, Kendrick’s “Good Kid,
M.A.A.D City” is more like stories
on a beat, than just the same old repetitive phrases. Kendrick displays
his life in a rough city gone “mad,”
how he was a good kid trying to
survive without succumbing to the
city’s darker entities or the promises of gang life.
“The Art Of Peer Pressure” talks
about Kendrick’s childhood hanging out with his friends that grew
up to be gang bangers, and how he
struggled to avoid getting involved
with their lifestyle while at the same
time maintaining their friendship.
“Sing About Me/Dying Of Thirst”
describes how he lost his brother to
gang violence, a woman he knew who
turned to prostitution, and Kendrick’s
own issues being torn between good
and evil. Kendrick especially certifies his place on the throne of hip-hop
king of California with
his track “Compton.”
These songs offer
real, meaningful stories,
not the same bland, hollow lines of other hip
hop artists.
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City”
reached first place on the Billboard
charts for its category. With much
more material to be released this year
and sold out concerts, Kendrick is the
artist to look out for this year.
If you’re a hip-hop junkie looking for some real depth and meaning
to your music, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D
City” is sure not to disappoint.
Music
Review
HHHH
THE WESTERN SUN/ FEB. 6-19, 2013 9
‘Hansel and Gretel’ a new take on the classic
By Sarah Martinez
Western Sun sports editor
Lately Hollywood has been making old kids movies or fairy tales into
live movies instead of animating them.
Some old kid’s stories have new twists
added onto them.
These movies are fairly
decent, and include, “Alice in Wonderland,” “Snow
White and the Huntsmen,”
and most recently one
based on many kids’ favorite books, “Hansel and Gretel: Witch
Hunters.”
Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) are kids left in
the woods. They must stick together
throughout the story. They fight together and are always there for each other.
Instead of going to find their parents cabin Hansel and Gretel find the
witches lair, and so begins their adventure.
Together they must fight the evil
witches and do whatever they can to
avoid the past. The two learn the hard
way that the past can’t be forgotten,
and it always comes back to bite you.
In the movie the two find out what happened to their parents, and learned that
not all witches are evil.
The movie shows the important lesson to not judge on first appearances,
and that not everyone in
a group with something
in common is the same.
Everything is not what it
seems in real life and in
movies, and the kids are
taught not to jump to conclusions.
Movies today are mostly about all
fighting and no plot line, but this movie
was different. It had a good plot line,
and the story was easy to follow. It was
good to see for once a movie that had
good action and fight scenes along with
a good story line.
The movie is really well written and
directed, but this movie isn’t for little
kids. The R rating is deserved because
of the violence, death, and some sexual
content introduced in the movie.
Movie
Review
HHHH
One family’s struggle to
survive ‘The Impossible’
JEREMY RENNER AND GEMMA ARTERTON.
Get Your Associates Degree
and go to Law School.
Good Idea.
Great Idea.
All of the above.
Enroll in Trinity Law School in the Fall.
NAOMI WATTS STARS in “The Impossible.”
By Carly Kazempoor
Western Sun staff writer
Maria and Henry Bennett had decided to go on a family vacation to
Thailand with their three
young sons in 2004. Everything had been going well,
until a monstrous tsunami
turned the island and their
lives upside down.
The new film “The Impossible” tells the story of the devastating 2004 Thailand tsunami, capturing
the true story of one family’s strength
and unity as they struggle for survival
in the face of one of the most terrifying
natural disasters imaginable.
What I found interesting about
“The Impossible” was that it focused
on a family’s story of survival on a
personal level. While the media generally does not reveal much about natural
disasters other than grim details and body counts, it was
refreshing to truly go into
the eyes of someone who has
lived through such a terrible
tragedy.
That being said, it did drag in parts,
but no more than most movies. It
teaches some very valuable moral lessons. For one, it warmed my heart to
Movie
Review
You can attend law school upon completion
of your Associates Degree. Go straight to law
school. Save time, save money, and get a great
education with unlimited opportunities.
HHHH
Continued on page 10
TRINITY LAW SCHOOL
2200 North Grand Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705
800.922.4748 | www.TLS.edu
10 FEB. 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN
‘Impossible’
movie review
Continued from page 9
see that little Daniel was eventually reunited with his father, also giving Lucas a strong sense of the joy of helping
others.
Lucas came the longest way
throughout the film. He starts off as a
typical pre-teen boy, a bit full of himself and wanting his alone time. While
he was nursing his mother back to
health, however, he gained a strong
sense of love for his family and those
around him that he didn’t seem to have
before.
“The Impossible” is very intense at
times, but has magnificent special effects and does an excellent job of portraying the true horror of the 2004 tsunami. It shows how lives can change in
an instant, and to not take anything we
have for granted. It is an excellent film,
every bit deserving of all the award
nominations it is sure to receive in the
future.
Sports
Sarah Martinez, sports editor
GWC men’s volleyball team
welcomes new coach Harwell
Rustlers split first
two matches of
the 2013 season
By Sarah Martinez
Western Sun sports editor
With a new season underway the
Golden West Rustlers men’s volleyball team has had to make many adjustments, because old ideas and new
have been mixed together by new head
coach Kasey Harwell.
Proposed Ad Copy
been PRI
a hard#750.751.752
adjustment with
“It’s
working our new ideas with old ideas,”
said Harwell. “I love returners, they
have made the transition easier.”
Golden West has started off the season decently enough with a 1-1 record.
On Friday, Feb. 1 the team opened up
the season at home against the Long
Beach City College at 6 p.m., and lost
in five sets.
GWC won the first set by the score
of 33-31, before dropping the next two
sets by the scores of 25-22, and 25-23.
To avoid being eliminated, the Rustlers
took the fourth set by the score of 2520, but lost the fifth and final set by the
score of 15-12.
In the first set the green and gold
quickly took a 3-1 lead, but LBCC
fought back and tied it up. In the first
set the score was tied 27 times, and the
teams kept battling back and forth for
the lead, but the Rustlers pulled away
the last two points for the 33-31 win.
In the second set the Vikings kept
control of the game for the most part,
but had a few slips here and there. The
Vikings scored the last three points to
win by the score of 25-22.
During the third set Golden West
only tied up the score six times, and
only had the lead once. With the score
tied at 10-10, but Long Beach eventually went on to win the third set by the
score of 25-23.
Despite the Rustlers starting off the
fourth set slow, they managed to win
the set by a score of 25-20.
In the final set Golden West almost
made the come back but couldn’t get
over the hump and fell to the Vikings
in the last set by a score of 15-12.
“Our guys came back and fought
when it mattered most in the end, and
made it really close. I was really proud
of them,” said Harwell. “The team
needs to work on our serving, passing,
and transitioning quickly.”
The team next hosts El Camino
College on Friday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.
GWC will then visit Moorpark College on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.
Rustler softball is
off to a slow start
with a 1-5 record
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Golden West next in action vs. OCC
By Sarah Martinez
Western Sun sports editor The Golden West Rustlers softball
team has started off the season slow
with a 1-5 record. Starting with Friday,
Feb. 1 the girls traveled to the Yuma
Tournament, and lost four games by
the score of 8-1, 11-0, 8-6, and 3-1.
On Saturday, Feb. 2 the Rustlers
played Western Nevada College and
lost by the score of 3-1.
The Rustlers were first on the board
with an RBI by Marissa Gilbuena, who
brought home Jessica Llamas. Golden
West went up 1-0, and was the only run
the Rustlers scored in the game.
WNC came alive in the fifth inning
and scored all three runs in that inning
alone. In the fifth they took the 3-1 lead
and never looked back or let up. The
defense only allowed two hits in the
sixth and seventh innings.
The green and gold next travel to
division rivals Orange Coast College
on Monday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m.. Then, on
Wednesday. Feb 13 hosting Cypress
College.
Follow us online at
www.westernsun.us
THE WESTERN SUN/FEB. 6-19, 2013 11
Is Ray Lewis
now pulling a
Brett Favre?
Western Sun photo by Sarah Martinez
SOLOMAN Williams (44) for Golden West College tries to bring home runner on third against the
Palomar Comets on Saturday, Feb. 2. The Rustlers lost the home opener 6-4. The Comets and the
Rustlers split the series.
Rustler baseball team loses
home opener 6-4 to Comets
Golden West next faces Reedley College on Friday at 5 p.m.
By Sarah Martinez
Western Sun sports editor
The Golden West Rustlers baseball
team’s first game of the season was on
Friday, Feb. 1, and the Rustlers traveled to the Palomar Comets. The Rustlers won by the score of 8-6 in 12 innings.
However, on Saturday, Feb. 2 the
Rustlers hosted their season opener
against Palomar and lost by the score
of 6-4. The Rustlers have started off
the season with a 1-1 record.
Both teams got off to a slow start,
but the Comets went on the board first
in the fourth inning when Denni Morton was brought home, and took the
1-0 lead.
The Rustlers came alive in the seventh inning and got out of a tight spot.
With the bases loaded and only one out
it looked as if the Comets were going
to score, but Golden West got a double
play by tagging home base and the runner on third.
The strong seventh inning continued when Thomas Walker hit an RBI
single with the bases loaded and one
out. Walker brought home Michael
Gregory and Frank Califano. Walker’s
RBI single made Golden West take the
2-1 lead, and kept the lead until the
ninth inning.
“It was a matter of seeing pitchers.
It was an adjustment period and once
we started to adjust we started to hit
decently,” said Head Coach Bert Villarreal. “We played like this yesterday,
and the team is starting to get it late in
the game, we just got to get it started
earlier.”
“The team needs to work on taking
advantage of scoring position, and we
have time to work on it since it’s only
the second game of the year.”
The Rustlers had the 2-1 lead going
into the ninth inning but were unable
to close out the game with a three and
out. In the ninth inning the defense let
in five runs, to fall beind 6-2. Golden
West almost made a comeback but was
stopped short and lost the game 6-4.
Andrew Yazdanbakhsh hit an RBI
single with no outs and brought home
Daniel Dewolf, and advanced Thomas
Walker to third base. With the bases
loaded and one out Nicolas Marshall
hit an RBI single and brought home
Walker. Marshall’s RBI single cut the
lead to 6-4, and ended up being the last
run scored on the night.
The green and gold’s next game
will be on Friday, Feb. 8 at Reedley
College at 5 p.m.
One of the
most
prolific
linebackers
in
the
National
Football league,
Ray Lewis, said
these
playoff
games were his
last ride. When
Sarah
players say they
Martinez
are going to retire the fans can’t help but wonder
if that is true or not.
Recently two all pro, first
ballet hall of fame players have
announced retirement and came
back to play the game. The one
that comes to mind in this instance
is Brett Favre retiring only to decide to come out of retirement a
month later. Favre made a big debacle a few years ago and brought
drama to every team he played for.
Another player that comes to
mind is Randy Moss suddenly retiring after the 2011 season before
deciding to come back in the 2012
season. Since Ray Lewis is an all
pro first ballet hall of famer, like
the two before him, the fans can’t
help but wonder if he’s following
in their footsteps.
He’s been in the league 17
years and just came back from a
triceps injury, and missed a lot of
time. Lewis has been a constant
player since he entered the league
and the team revolved around
him.
Did Lewis just say he was going to retire to motivate his team?
Some are skeptical to accept he
is really retiring. The team won
the Super Bowl for him and over
came a lot of adversity.
If Lewis really is retiring they
sent him out the right way. If he
doesn’t pull a Favre, he will follow the footsteps of the other
greats John Elway, Jerome Bettis,
and Michael Strahan.
“I told him it’s like an old Motown song,” Ravens coach John
Harbaugh said. Then the coach
crooned a few bars. “Ain’t no
mountain high enough, ain’t no
valley deep enough, ain’t river
wide enough,” Harbaugh sang,
“to keep us from winning a championship.”
Harbaugh and the team backed
up his words after being battle
tested in this game and almost losing, but managed to hold on. The
team in the second half gave up
more then 22 points to allow the
49er’s to almost come back.
It was amazing the deaths the
team went through this year and
still managed to come together.
It must have been hard to lose
the old owner Art Mendel that
brought the old Cleveland Browns
to Baltimore. 12 FEB 6-19, 2013/THE WESTERN SUN