FEATURES: Give the gift of daffodils - and cancer research

When you think of daffodils, what images come to mind? Rolling hills of a meadow covered in yellow, the fresh sweet scent of grass and clean air, the beauty of spring in the wilderness. That’s what some think of when they see a bouquet of daffodils. But then there are some like Debra Dickinson who think of patients battling cancer. Dickinson is a Registered Nurse who teaches in the Nursing Program at Antelope Valley College. She is also the representative for The American Cancer Society here at AVC.

In the past she worked on a cancer unit at a hospital for ten years, helping patients battle the devastating disease in various shapes and forms. “I worked with patients who had cancer in various stages, anywhere from being newly diagnosed to receiving their first chemotherapy, which I would give, or taking care of them after surgery” said Dickinson, which is a very stout record for any qualified representative to ask for donations. But Dickinson has recently developed a more personal attachment to her cause than anyone would want, when last year her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Currently she is asking for donations to help fund research into cures for various kinds of cancers. “I saw, in the twenty years that I worked at the hospital, […] big drives in the kind of care that we can provide cancer patients. Some of the cancer that I dealt with when I was starting out went from ninety percent fatal, to currently being ninety percent curable,” said Dickinson.

Without a doubt, exposure for cancer research has done a lot of good for those affected. The Daffodils for Cancer fundraiser is a state-wide affair to raise cancer awareness and give comfort to patients by sending them either a bouquet of daffodils, daffodils in a vase, or a teddy bear for children affected by the disease. Those who wish to donate can receive a bouquet of daffodils for $10, have them put in a glass Carafe for $20, or anonymously send a gift of flowers or a teddy bear to a cancer patient. All of the flowers will be delivered to the campus on March 22, 2011. Hurry! The fundraiser will end on Monday, February, 28.

For more information about Cancer, Cancer Research, or Donations visit The American Cancer Society on the web at www.cancer.org or follow the link bellow to be redirected to the Debra Dickinson’s page on the society’s site.

-by Josh Sanchez

FEATURES: Solo performance comes to the Black Box Theater

Stephanie Satie, actor and writer of "Coming to America."

They’re coming.

Stephanie Satie comes in the form of many in her solo production of “Coming to America: Transformations.”

The play is a cross section of nine individual women of various ages, origins and creeds, all woven into a narrative that shows us a cross section of human nature as we may not have seen before. Coming to America is an exhilarating, unsettling and sometimes dangerous endeavour for those who make the journey, and Satie’s performance (or performances, if you prefer) does not shy away from the facts while presenting it in palatable mouthfuls.

It is not a play in the traditional sense that it does not have an arch, but instead displays their stories so that they can stand alone. Here you will see a single actress give new life to women from El Salvador, Armenia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Iran, Russia and Serbia, who are coming to America, or “have arrived to greater or lesser success.” According to Satie, the intent is “not to force an impression. I didn’t want to make anyone look good or bad […] I really wanted to tell the story how it is.” The goal is to introduce these women in the most honest manner possible.

This is not her first time covering this kind of subject matter. The idea came from teaching English as a Second Language to immigrants, where Satie was exposed to a variety of stories from extraordinary people who endured a plethora of hardships leading up to their eventual arrival in America. She would come in and perform segments from what she had heard, and everyone insisted that she write them down. These stories later developed into the earlier “Refugees,” a play in which the actor assumed the personas of representative and composite characters in a classroom.

Some of the stories were left over, however, and with such a wellspring of information at her disposal, it was only a matter of time before the characters came to life.

“A couple of [these stories] are from the horse’s mouth. The Iranian woman who I play, […] she’s a friend of mine.” Some, however, required more of a creative process. “There were some stories that I only heard a kernel of, and so I had to go back and write around them. And of course, if you’re doing a two hour interview, things are going to have to be changed around.”

Following the play, she will be fielding questions from the audience.

Satie is excited to be performing on campus. “When you get bodies in that room, it’s always really amazing.”

You can catch “Coming to America: Transformations” on March 2nd at the Black Box Theater.

-by Ben Fassett

SPORTS: Marauders get easy win in a must win against Desert

Nick Bennett (5) drives to the basket

The AVC Marauders Men's basketball team (19-8, 8-5) got a much needed win Wednesday night against the College of the Desert Roadrunners. Marauders' Nick Bennett had a game-high 19 points, as they took the lead early on and never looked back, taking down the Roadrunners 84 - 74.

AVC showed their depth with George McGrew who came off the bench and contributed with a near double-double, finishing the game with 9 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The size advantage of the Marauders thwarted any chance of the Roadrunners making a comeback, only allowing them to cut the lead to a single digit twice throughout the game.

The Roadrunners, however, made a push at the end of the game, cutting the lead to just 7 points with less than a minute left to play. Still, the Marauders' defense proved overwhelming for the visitors whose record dropped to 5-20.

Wednesday night's victory was first of two must-win games for the Marauders who are fighting for a tournament spot. Currently the Marauders are tied in forth place with Mt. San Jacinto.

The final game is by far the most important of this season as AVC travels to San Jacinto on Saturday for the tie breaker and a playoff spot.

-Image by Jason Hemsath

-Story by Benjamin Min

FEATURES: "The King's Speech" is well delivered

King George (Firth) steels himself for a round of imperial troubleshooting.

The red light flashes four times. Silence echoes across the nation. The world waits in suspense as King George VI steps forward to speak, fearing the worst.

Directed by Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech” brings history to life through the supreme performances of actors Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffery Rush, Michael Gambon, Guy Pearce and Eve Best.

When the movie opens, Prince Albert, or the Duke of York (Colin Firth), is practically sweating bullets as he prepares to step forward and make a speech for the British Exhibition in 1925. As a life-long sufferer of stammering, Albert fears the podium above all and finds difficulty getting a few syllables out before he’s overcome with stammering. With nothing but the best in mind, Albert’s wife, Lady Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), made it her mission to help her husband in overcoming his stammer by finding the best speech therapist money could buy.

At the suggestion of others, Elizabeth seeks out the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffery Rush),

Fast-forward eleven years to 1936. The reign of King George V (Michael Gambon) has died and his reign has come to an end. His oldest son, Prince David, or the Duke of Windsor (Guy Pearce) succeeded him for the throne as King Edward VIII.

But conflicts arise when King Edward refuses to cut off relations with a divorced woman, Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), even though the church does not recognize marriage to a divorced person and he is, as King, head of the church. Confident that his happiness can only continue if he marries Wallis, King Edward stepped down from the throne to pursue his own happiness, rather than the protection of his nation, which is on the brink of entering war with Germany.

David’s abdication causes great distress to Albert for many reasons. His brother’s obvious irresponsibility is disturbing, but not quite as disturbing as the fact that as King, Albert would be required to speak publicly for his nation.

Through the course of many sessions, the use of unorthodox therapy techniques and angry tirades from the King (all complete with continual swearing), Lionel helps Albert find his way past his stammering and through his first wartime speech. After this triumph, Lionel continues as Albert’s therapist for the entirety of his reign and the two of them form an unbreakable friendship.

“The King’s Speech” made its initial debut on just four screens November 2010 for just four days and opened to the rest of USA December 2010. It received twelve Oscar Nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Colin Firth, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Geoffery Rush and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Helena Bonham Carter.

This film received an R rating for profanity.

-by Courtney Unander

FEATURES: "Tron" makes your brain crash

“Tron: Legacy”- that’s really all you need to say about this movie, isn’t it? Whether you love it or hate it, this is the legacy that “Tron” will leave on the world: it stinks. First thing we see in this movie is Jeff Bridges’ character, Kevin Flynn, talking to his son. The only problem is that it’s not Jeff Bridges. The director decided it would be awesome to make a clone of Bridges through CGI. This would have been fine if they had not shown his face or just kept the camera behind the man’s head, but they gave us a full facial of a fake, young Jeff Bridges. Not ten minutes into this film and I’ve already found something to pick on. Maybe the great story will overcome the CGI Jeff? Nope.

Before I get ahead of myself, let’s just go through the worst things that “Tron” got wrong. First and foremost is the story. Its execution is flawed in just about every way you can imagine, most notably in plot holes, clichés, and poor character design. If you stop to think for a moment about the story, you’ll see this entire movie fall apart under its own weight. For example, at the very beginning of the movie, we see Sam (Garrett Hedlund) the protagonist, do all of these James Bond-like moves while sneaking into the headquarters of his father’s company, Encom, to upload the new OS that they developed; presumably as a torrent to The Pirate Bay.

The problem with this is that he owns the company. If he really wanted to upload the new program all he would have had to do is walk into the office in broad daylight, grab the program, take it home, and then upload it. So why did he have to break in, steal the program, and parachute off of the roof? It makes no sense. Of course, this was probably a tool for the director to explain how Sam could acclimate so quickly to the lightcycles and disc wars once he’s in the grid. Let’s face it, if he had no previous experience with this kind of stuff, he’d be a pretty weak character.

This isn’t the only glaring plot hole in the movie either; one of the biggest is when Sam meets up with Quorra (Olivia Wilde), another character that looks interesting but gets no development. It happens when they escape from the clutches of our main antagonist, Clu (Bridges); she busts him out in an awesome, glowing light-dune buggy that I must have missed that in the last “Tron” movie.

In any case, they break out of the grid and go off-roading in this bleak dark landscape. When Sam asks why they aren’t being followed, Quorra says, “Their vehicles aren’t modified to work off the grid.” Fine. I can believe that. What I can’t believe is that not fifteen minutes later, after Sam meets up with Flynn, Clu and company enter their hideout, having tracked Sam’s lightcycle when he left to go back onto the grid. They just went where the script said they could not go.

A lot of people argue that "they just took one of their rectifiers to the hideout." In that case, why didn’t they follow them immediately after they escaped? Of course, the counter to this is "it’s all part of Clu’s master plan." Did that plan also include killing Sam, the only way he could have found Flynn? He was doing a pretty good job of that during the previous battle.
These two mistakes aren’t quite movie breakers for me anyway, but what totally destroyed everything for this movie was the villain’s plot. The entire premise is fundamentally broken, irrational, and devoid of logic. You know what that does to the character that thought up this broken plan? It makes them look incompetent. An incompetent villain like Clu sucks out all the tension and conflict in the film because he doesn’t pose a serious threat to everyone.

There are lots of holes, but the biggest holes in this guys’ plot to take over the world would have to be the fact that he’s counting on the ability that programs will be able to get out of the grid and into the real world. There is no premise to base this idea off of; there’s no way for him to know that this is possible. Wouldn’t it have been better to send someone ahead of the rest of his massive army to find out if he could even leave the grid?

The other and biggest hole is this: Clu has this gigantic army, but they’re all equipped with discs and glowing batons. They are supposed to invade the United States of America; you know they’re going to run into a tiny little problem: The United States Marine Corps, National Guard, Army, Air Force, and Navy. They just don’t look like they are a force to take over the world; heck, most people would probably think that there’s an Anime Convention going on down the road.

I think I’ve carefully outlined this movie’s flaws. I could go into greater detail, but there are some good things that “Tron” did. Obviously, the first one was to make money, which means that people obviously enjoyed it. The visuals in this movie were absolutely stunning. If you have the choice, go see this in 3D, but the 2D version looks great too. Also, when I heard that Daft Punk was going to make the soundtrack, I honestly couldn’t contain my glee. They do a beautiful job in fleshing out even the worst scenes. With this on their resume, I really hope we’ll get more great film soundtracks from them.
So the final verdict on “Tron” is: stay away. Wait until it comes out on Blue-ray or DVD and rent it. If you love it, buy it. I will do neither.

-by Joshua Sanchez

NEWS: Two students arrested; Cadet Program proves useful

Two students were arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department outside of the Marauder Bookstore on Feb. 9.

The two students, both women, had been inside the bookstore when a member of Antelope Valley College's Cadet Program, who was providing security for the bookstore, detected a heavy marijuana odor stemming from the two women. The cadet notified the LA County Sheriff's dispatcher.

Minutes later, the women, both Palmdale residents, were detained outside the bookstore where one was found with marijuana in her possession and the other had an arrest warrant for a prior marijuana possession citation. The women were then arrested and cited by LA County Sheriff's Department. After the two women were cited, they were released.

Arrests for possession of marijuana are not a common thing at Antelope Valley College, according to Deputy Miguel Ruiz.

“There were four last year,” he said. “We have a relatively low amount compared to other community colleges I’ve worked at.”

The arrests mark an early success for the AVC’s new Cadet Program. The program was started this spring semester in conjunction with the LA County Sheriff’s Department. The program consists of ten AVC students, all of who are in the Administration of Justice Program.

The cadets are easily recognizable by the bright reflective vests they currently wear, although new uniforms are coming.

“They will have the word ‘cadet’ on the back,” Ruiz said.

Since the cadets are also students at AVC, they will be able to direct other students and answer questions because they will be familiar with the campus and its procedures and policies. The cadets will also provide a physical presence that may deter a variety of nefarious acts.

Reporting suspicious activity is not limited to only the cadets. Any student or staff member can contact the Sheriff’s office for a non-emergency by dialing 661-722-6399 from a campus or cellular phone, or by dialing *80 from a campus payphone.

In case of emergencies, students and staff can dial 4444 from any phone on campus, including payphones, or they can dial 911 from off-campus or cellular phones.

-By Kevin Michael Kramer

NEWS: AVC's accreditation reaffirmed

Antelope Valley College’s accreditation was reaffirmed for another six years by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges last month.

The decision by the ACCJC comes after an extensive review and study of Antelope Valley College by professionals and staff from other colleges. Last year, AVC published a study documenting exactly how the college is adhering to accreditation regulations. The review team evaluated the 415-page study in search of evidence that the standards for accreditation were indeed being followed.

According to its website, the ACCJC evaluates colleges based on several standards, such as the institution’s mission and effectiveness, student learning programs and services, available resources, and leadership and governance.

Antelope Valley College President Dr. Jackie L. Fischer Sr. was pleased with AVC’s reaffirmation of accreditation.

“With so many California community colleges that have faced accrediting sanctions in recent years, we are proud of the fact that AVC continues to meet all the standards for reaffirming our accreditation,” he said in a recent campus update. “This reflects the hard work and high standards of the college’s faculty and staff.”

The ACCJC, who placed or renewed sanctions on 14 California community colleges, did ask AVC to take some more action. They asked AVC to create a follow up report to address four recommendations of the evaluation team.

The review team suggested that AVC implement and assess student learning outcomes, document the involvement of professionals in curriculum development, enhance the use of technology, especially regarding computer network and administrative data security, and to consider its financial obligation to pay benefits to retirees. This report is due in 2012.

The staff and faculty at AVC have worked hard to ensure that the college has met the bar raised by the ACCJC. Students and staff alike can breathe easier knowing that at least for the next six years, AVC is still an accredited college.

-by Kevin Michael Kramer

Video contest offers $$$

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the DEET Education Program are sponsoring a video public service announcement (PSA) contest to help kids and adults understand how to prevent tick-bites.


-First place winner receives $350



Click here for more information

California Department of Public Heath Video Contest

SPORTS: Marauder shows pitching dominance in a shutout against Canyons

Christian Carbajal (7) in her ninth shutout

The Foothill Conference softball champions AVC Marauders (11-0) showed their pitching dominance shutting down 4-0 College of the Canyons Cougars as they win their eleventh straight game this season.

“I am excited,” said the starting ace Christian Carbajal (9-0) “It what every freshman wants for their team, and my team is backing me up.”

Carbajal who allowed 3 hits in seven innings shut down the Cougars and won her ninth game this season. She is ranked second in the Foothill Conference with an ERA of 1.11.

All nine of Carbajal’s wins have been shutouts.

“I haven’t seen the pressure get to her at all,” said Marauders head coach Cindy Vargas. “She actually thrives at that.”

The Marauders will go on the road for their next two games before they start their conference games on Feb 23.


-Story and images by Avi Ithier

avi@avifoto.net

Twitter.com/avifoto

NEWS: Prescription mix-up

A young pregnant woman was accidentally given a known abortion drug by a Safeway pharmacy in Fort Lupton, Colo.

Mareena Silva took Methotrexate—a drug used to treat cancer and terminate early pregnancies—thinking it was her prescribed antibiotic.

Silva, who is only six weeks pregnant, took the drug and felt ill. She immediately checked the bottle and realized it was not her prescription. On the advice of the Safeway pharmacist, Silva vomited the pill and went to the hospital.

This medication can cause miscarriages—and in the possibility that it doesn’t, can cause birth defects.

Silva and her family do not know anything as of yet. “We will just have to wait and see,” her mother, Lynn Chavez, told Fox 31 News.

"For all this to happen now, it's really overwhelming to know that I have to come home and sit and wait," Silva said.

The mistake likely happened because the Methotrexate was prescribed to someone with a similar name as Silva.

Safeway’s spokeswoman, Kris Staaf, was reported as saying that Safeway’s policy is to ask and listen to the patient’s full name and date of birth. They are then informed to repeat the information before the transaction is completed.

Staaf also claimed that Safeway will double their efforts to make sure policies such as these are performed by all personnel.

The Colorado Board of Pharmacy is investigating the incident, and Safeway has offered to pay for Silva's medical expenses that result from the prescription error.

"Sorry is not going to cut it. I'm going to have to deal with this a long time," Silva said after Safeway apologized.

The family has not talked to Safeway, but for now, the company is the least of their worries.

"I am just trying to make sure my daughter is going to be okay," Chavez said.

-Story by Dani Keinz

NEWS: California is bankrupt, is AVC next?

Jackie Fisher gives a breakdown of how much students, staff and administration will be affected by budget cuts.

Examiner staff have been attending recent Town Hall budget meetings. We know that cuts to the school are coming; the question is how bad. The related question is if California is bankrupt, is AVC bankrupt? Quick answer: yes and no. Due to good management we will have a reserve to start next year. Even so, students should be aware fees could rise­—a lot. Will costs go up to $66 a unit? Read our first issue on March 3^rd to find out.

-Photos by Brandon Mann

SPORTS: NCAA changes bat standards

If you notice the new roster is not the only challenge facing the Marauders this season. They are batting with Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) certified bats instead of the aluminum of past seasons.

“We are getting adjusted to them; they just don’t perform the same,”

“We all are getting adjusted,” said Marauders coach John Livermont.

This comes from a change issued by the NCAA during the post season following an injury to High School athlete that was hit by a ball from a “metal” bat.

In a telephone conversation with the President of Coaches Association, Mr. Paul Moore he claims that the changes had nothing to do with the incident of Marin County.

“This issue (changing bat regulations) was on the table since 2008,” Said Mr. Moore “We wanted bats to feel and perform as wood bats do,”

-Story by Avi Ithier

avi@avifoto.net

twitter.com/@avifoto

SPORTS: First win shows promising season for Marauders Baseball

Cory Stanton (19) Pitches against Pasadena City College lancers

After their first road game lost to Pasadena City College the Marauders Baseball team hosted The Pasadena City College Lancers for a double header on Saturday. The Marauders split that series 1-1.

On the first game the Marauders lost 10 runs to 5. The Lancers finished with 10 runs, 11 hits and 2 errors while AVC pulled in 5 runs in 9 hits and one error.

However, the Marauders were not to be silenced. They won the second game and first in their new stadium. The game was a pitching duel which went into extra innings and AVC wins by a walk-off, bases loaded, walk in the bottom of the tenth inning, giving the Marauders a 2-1 lead.
AVC showcased their promising freshmen ace Cory Stanton.

Stanton, a freshmen, from Boron High School showed dominance throughout the entire game allowing his first hit in the sixth inning. He then closed inning after inning until the top of the ninth where he allowed a run that tied the game.

“We keep track of pitch counts and he had a relatively low count going into the ninth,” said Marauders coach John Livermont.

Mathew Vazquez relived the young ace and finished with one strikeout, one walk, in one inning pitch and obtains his first victory of the season and first in their new home.

As the season begins the Marauders will have to prove themselves with out of conference “quality” teams.

“I wanted them to play these teams before the conference games starts,” said Marauders skipper.

The Marauders now 1-2 will visit Pierce College on Tuesday.

- Photos and story by Avi Ithier

avi@avifoto.net
twitter.com/@avifoto