SPORTS: Big Man On Campus

An average of 17 points per game, the most 25 point or more games, and a 3.0 GPA. Coincidence? Ask most people around the Antelope Valley College campus and they, along with the community, might tend to think so. But ask a certain Donald Ray Williams Jr., and he may have another opinion about the situation.

Being a leading scorer for the Marauder’s Basketball team, having a 3.0 GPA that any student would die for and a chance to play at a top college school in the nation, are definitely not things that have been handed to Williams and are not something that he has taken for granted.

Around 2009 when the always top-ranked college, now No. 2 ranked in the nation, Kentucky Wildcats were having a mediocre season, all seemed okay. Especially for Williams, who was recruited to play with the well-known Kentucky basketball program.

After the firing of the basketball coach Billy Gillispie, after only two years under the program, there was some understandable confusion in the Kentucky sports world. For players, even more so. It is a common practice that many athletic recruits who are prospective students will go to a school based on the coach.

Williams transferred to Antelope Valley College, amongst the confusion, as the second choice in which to start his college career. For someone who’s everything is basketball such as Donald, a transition like this would be a major disappointment to many. One could say that this young man had lost everything. But he is far from self pity.

When asked about the transition and how it affects his focus, Williams said, “The experience made me a lot tougher. Gillispie, being one of the tougher coaches I’ve ever had, helped me with the diversities and pressures of working hard. Basketball and school are the only things I like to do.”

One should not just take his word on his ability to play the game of basketball though; just look at Williams’ extensive resume which shows his previous experience that resembles some of the most competitive NBA or pro basketball player’s backgrounds. Williams said, “I want to play Division No. 1 basketball after this year.” When asked about his future, he added, “There are schools that I’m considering.”

Right now, Williams is someone who wants to “make it” and be successful more than ever. Not because of a supernatural gift he was born with as a child, but because he has actually been there before. Having actually once seen and tasted his goal before, he is perhaps the one who realizes the most how hard he will have to keep working in order to achieve what he values most.

Williams is definitely someone this community of students can look up to. Not just as an athlete, but also as a young man who has set numerous goals, is very focused and is already on his way to completing them.

From a national top-ranked school, to a junior college on the outskirts of nowhere, the man who seemingly has it all, in respects of a future, is standing right before us, so get a good look.

-By Brandon Mann

NEWS: Cheer No More

Our AVC Cheerleaders have been cut. If you go around and talk to the students you’ll find out more people care than would have expected.

Some people are extremely irritated because the general thought is that the cheer team financially supported themselves, so the budget cuts shouldn’t have affected the team at all.

There is also a small group of people who are planning on getting signatures to petition the cut. This same group of people are trying to form a club to show just how much they dislike this change.

The majority of the people asked are upset, yet there are a few who couldn’t care less.
Surprisingly the people on the football team were the ones with the most negative things to say. One person screamed as he walked away, “So what? They sucked anyway!”

Someone else bluntly stated, “Well now we don’t have anything to look at when we play.”

Our campus is one of the lowest when it comes to school spirit. Was cutting the one thing that’s supposed to bust it a smart thing? Only time will tell

- By Sarah Niemann

NEWS: Secret Sales People

Everyone has heard of secret organizations like the Knights Templar or The Black Hand, but what you may not know about are the secret sales people invading Antelope Valley College.

They tread as heavily as students on campus because they blend right in with the crowd. Marisa Karpinski, a fourth semester student at AVC, says that she’s been bothered every semester with the same pitch every time. “They would come up to me and ask me about my hair, and if I would like a special card that would allow me a certain percentage off at their salon. They would pull out a brochure that had a card attached, and show me all the potential offers I could get, along with all the places the salons were stationed—none of them even close. They start out by saying I have beautiful hair, and ask what I do with it.”

If that weren’t bad enough these sales people know how to put the pressure on as Karpinski notes “When with friends they try to persuade us by pulling the two-for-one deal, so that if one of us even as an inkling to get it, the other friend will be roped in. They lie, saying that they never do this normally, but among the many encounters with them they always pull that line.” So its not always just an ambush when students are alone but they’ll even attempt group sales.

Has anyone even reported this kind of activity? Is this legal? Questions were raised when investigating the story, but both lead to the same general answer, probably not.

When asked for a description of the undercover hair people, Karpinski had this to say, “The people are often over done on hair and makeup, looking like a retarded Barbie/Ken doll come to life, though much less proportionate. If you don't want to purchase the card, they ask why not and always say, "I'm not being picky, but can you tell me why?" with an 'I-eat-kids-for-breakfast-

lunch-and-dinner' grin. Or they ask why we're not interested or what they can do for a better sales pitch.” Not only are they trying to get sales but they’re collecting information on how to approach the process next time, almost like a hunter learns the psychology of his prey.

Let's say you break down and want to buy their product—oh wait, you can’t. They only accept credit cards which rules out a large portion of the student population. Karpinski commented, “By only accepting credit cards, that effectively cancels me out, and I tell them so.” Yet, they continue to push the sale, noting that even if you don’t have a credit card you can use your parents. Apparently they claim to have a salon near by but upon further research the closest one is actually in Simi Valley.

This seems to be a general problem for a few students and it’s generally easy to detect. Making this known to the student body will hopefully help rid the college of these Salon Nazis and make our campus a bit safer. If you or someone you know is approached by undercover sales people report it to campus security immediately.

-By Russell Spencer