Feature

Bolinas murals: art thrives in West Marin Page 3

News

Vol. 11, I. 9

College of Marin

Apr. 16, 2013

Audiences moved by dance show

Page 8

On the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq

The aftermath of war

Page 4

Photo by Nash Kurilko

Jake Velloza, a former student at College of Marin, was buried in Olema Cemetery four years ago this May. He was shot and killed while serving in Iraq.

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

News
Echo Times
College of Marin Kentfield, California Phone: (415) 485-9690 Learning Resource Center Room LC 32

Consultations and other services also available to students

By Cecilia Jordan
ECHO TIMES

Health Center offers seasonal flu shots

Editor-in-Chief Nash Kurilko Managing Editor Kyle Dang Copy Editors Chelsea Dederick Kyle Dang News Editor Jasmin Demil Design Director Chelsea Dederick Photo Editors Nash Kurilko Jim Gessner Chelsea Dederick Reporters Jasmin Demil Johnny Bransford Cecilia Jordan Nicholas Bischoff Nash Kurilko Austin Bodek Liam Werner Austin Matthews Photographers Nash Kurilko Kyle Dang Johnny Bransford Chelsea Dederick Advertising Manager Kim Slater Office Manager Kim Slater Faculty Advisor Tom Graham

Email us comechotimes@gmail.com Follow us: echotimes.wordpress.com

Marin Sun Printing prints the Echo Times using 40 percent recycled paper and 100 percent soy ink

In This Issue
Mar. 15 - Apr. 16, 2013

s a student, staying healthy is a full time job. We are in the public all day, around all sorts of people, and germs spread like wildfire. Missing one day of class due to sickness can potentially put a student behind the rest of the class by a week. However, since a lot of the student population has no insurance, staying healthy is more of a wish than an expectation. For COM students looking for low cost medical options, the health center located just off of parking lot 6 next to the police station might be a good place to start. There are many services offered by licensed health care workers for a small fee and some even for free. Students can take advantage of speaking with a medical doctor or nurse when they have concerns about their health. If a student is sick or hurt on campus, the health center can also either treat them or assist in getting the help they need. The clinic also offers low cost medications, screening tests such as blood or pregnancy and immunizations for conditions such as Tetanus, Hepatitis or the flu shot. June Lee, a registered nurse and clinical specialist practitioner at the health center, is a friendly face students can rely on to keep them healthy. She encourages students to get the flu shot to keep them healthy during the winter months when we are more subject to illness. The Center for Disease Control says that in the United States on average five to 20 percent of the population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications. Flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. Older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions are at high risk for serious flu complications. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination each year. This year, the health center has seen an increase in students receiving the vaccine, in part of a generous donation from ASCOM, which lowered the fee in

Photo by Chelsea Dederick Many students will be familiar with the Health Services building, which is located in the parking lot next to the police station.

Students need to know that [this years vaccine] is only good for the last part of the season. [Students] will still need to get the new [shot] next fall.
-- June Lee, registered nurse
received their shot and would still like too, Students need to know that [this years vaccine] is only good for the last part of the season. [Students] will still need to get the new [shot] next fall, Lee said. If its possible to wait till next fall Lee reminds students that the best way to stay healthy is to wash their hands all year round. It is the best defense against infectious bacteria. Lee says, washing your hands is the best thing. [There] are signs all over [campus] reminding you to wash your hands. People dont realize all the things they touch pens, a keyboard, the pin pad at the grocery store--they all have germs on them. Even with winter behind us and summer is right around the corner, keep in mind that it is a year around commitment to keep you healthy. The CDC says the best way to stay healthy is to get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and to eat nutritious food.

September from $20 to a cost of $10 if they have insurance or for free if they dont have insurance. After November, the cost went down to $5 for insured students and is still free for the uninsured. Lee is confident that this will happen next year as well. If it does not, Lee says that the health center is still the cheapest compared to surrounding pharmacies. Each year these flu shots are taken out of the health centers budget and are good until the next summer. If students have not

News: 1, 2, 4-6 Features: 9, 11 Opinion: 12 A&E: 8 Sports: 10 Travel: 3, 6-7, 9

Visit our blog: www.echotimes.wordpress.com

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

ECHO TIMES

Travel

Bolinas showcases creative, colorful murals

Local opinions divided on murals artistic value
By Nicholas Bischoff
ECHO TIMES

n unincorporated West Marin County, undetected by most travelers on Highway 1, one of Marins most lively public art canvases thrives. A stretch of unmarked road along a lagoons edge leads you to the town of Bolinas. Entering socially acknowledged nature loving town is the only sign to greet you. This socially aware, nature-loving town also happens to be an art-loving town where creativity cant just be contained to picture frames and galleries. The creative spirit spills out on to the town streets, local businesses and on to the beach. Many paintings can be found along Bolinas Beach where opinions about the paintings vary just as much as the styles of paintings that cover the walls. Murals give voice to ordinary people and can strengthen community pride and values. They are seen as a democratic form of art that reflects historical events, visions for the future, or even expresses personal experience. Susan Cervantes, of Precita Eyes Mural Arts of San Francisco, explains on the Precita Eyes website, A mural is a bridge to the community. The artists communicate with the people; meetings are held to discuss the issues. The result is a reflection - a mirror of that community. This form of communication can have a big impact on the local community, and can beautify a neighborhood or start a dialogue on local issues. The Bay Area is full of murals, including famous and historic pieces done by Diego Rivera and Coit Towers interior murals, to the more contemporary colorful work the Missions Balmy Alley,

A mural depicting a feathered serpent adorns a seawall along one of Bolinas beaches.

Photo by Nicholas Bischoff

murals have brought life to Bay Area streets. Traditionally Mural spaces around the Bay Area are usually commissioned works or they must go through an approval process before you are allowed to paint. Bolinas walls allow for total freedom of expression allowing anyone to paint with no permission required. Today, having a free space to paint is hard to find, and the Bolinas mural walls reflect the openness of the Bolinas community. Bolinas is a town with a rich history and it played an important role in building San Francisco. With West Marins

abundance of trees, the lumber industry boomed with many mills just north of Bolinas in Dogtown. Schooners would carry the lumber from Bolinas to San Francisco supplying much of the citys lumber. Bolinas also played a vital role in the transportation of dairy and meat that came from West Marin to San Francisco. Over time as the automobile gained popularity and lumber could be shipped from other locations, the towns economy shifted. Bolinas was transformed from a lumber town into a small rural beach side community and eventually became a

Photo by Nicholas Bischoff Many different styles of art can be found along Bolinas seawalls.

counter culture hub. Today it continues to be a unique creative community inspired by its beautiful natural settings. Because of the towns location right on the Pacific Ocean the Bolinas community has built seawalls to keep sand and structures intact. The earliest seawalls date back to the late 1800s but have been rebuilt because of wear over the years. Some of the older seawalls are wooden and some of the more recent walls are made of cement. These wooden and cement surfaces have created a one of a kind canvas for an ever changing public art wall, making it freely available to the entire Bolinas community and even those outside the community. The beginnings of the paintings on the sea walls are not documented and, depending on whom you talk to, the origins of these murals can vary a lot. It is known that the first painting on the walls were focused on an area to the right of the Brighton Avenue beach entrance known as the Green Wall. Today the Green Wall is reserved for locals work. Front and center on the Green Wall are the words Local Respect. These words take center stage on the walls but also seem to represent the philosophy behind this unique canvas. Respect is a key word repeated by locals about the murals. Most dont have issues about them painting the walls. Some describe them as beautiful and adding to the community. Others say esthetically its not their style but dont mind the work as long as they are respectful of the beach and community. Respect is the name of the game. Not everyone is in agreement that people painting on the walls are respecting the community. Elia Haworth of the Bolinas Museum recognizes the importance of selfexpression but she wonders why people come out to this beautiful natural setting
Murals Continued on page 9

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

News

A decade after the invasion

The human costs of the Iraq War continue to hit home
By Nash Kurilko
ECHO TIMES

ust over 10 years ago, U.S.-led Coalition troops poured into Iraq, overrunning the Baathist army and deposing longtime dictator Saddam Hussein. Many disaffected Iraqis rebelled against the occupation force, some using the chaos to launch attacks on rival ethnic or religious groups. The ensuing intractable conflict reached a peak in 2007 in the form of a virtual civil war. In response to the violence, then-President George W. Bush ordered a troop surgea massive influx of fresh U.S. soldiers to help secure and rebuild the war-ravaged country. Two years later, on May 2, 2009, a 22 year-old Inverness, West Marin County native, former College of Marin student and U.S. Army soldier named Jacob Robert Velloza was killed in action in the Iraqi city of Mosul. His death was one of 4,486 U.S. military fatalities in Iraq between March 2003 and December 2011. More than 100,000 people were killed in Iraq from March 2003 to April 2009, according to the Associated Press. The war came after a dozen years of stringent sanctions imposed on Iraq in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War. Many Western intelligence agencies suspected Husseins government possessed weapons of mass destruction acquired or produced in the 1980s, such as Sarin gas, nerve gas, and other chemical and biological agents. Throughout the mid-to-late 1990s international inspectors toured Iraq and found no evidence of WMD production in the country. Then came the horrifying terrorist attacks of September 11 2001, which heralded the beginning of the War on Terror. The nation grieved for its losses, and sought revenge. In October 2001, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, ejected the Taliban government, occupied the cities and continued to hunt Osama Bin Laden. But the U.S. was denied immediate revenge. Regardless of how dubious Iraqs complicity with Al-Qaeda was, the Bush Administration worked to build a case for invasion from 2002 onwards. Their cassus belli: Saddam had not dismantled or destroyed his weapons of mass description. They argued that his regime needed to fall. Worldwide opinion polls showed that the population of nearly all countries opposed a war without a UN mandate. Mass protests broke out in cities all of over world, with the largest in Rome, London, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Yet, on March 19, U.S. and Coalition forces swept into Iraq from the south and north. They used air supremacy to overtake the disorganized Iraqi ground forces. American shock-and-awe

Part one of two

An American tank crew watch as a giant statue of Saddam Hussein is pulled down in Firdos Square, Iraq, 2003.

Photo courtesy of NBC

Photo courtesy of www.whenthewarstops.org A U.S. soldier handles his weapon near a burning oil well, Southern Iraq, 2003.

tactics prompted mass surrender. By December 2003, Iraq proper been taken, the Republican Guard broken, Saddam captured and his government supplanted by the Coalition Provisional Authority. Former Iraqi soldiers, now out of work, joined ethnic and religious insurgent groups. Weapons and Jihadist volunteers flowed into Iraq from Syria, Jordan and Iran. The country quickly dissolved into bloody sectarian violence as various armed groups vied for power. At the time, Jake Velloza was a junior at West Marins Tomales High School. Though born in Santa Rosa, he spent his childhood in West Marin living with his parents in Inverness. He was a football and baseball standout in high school. Football coach Leon Feliciano served as his athletic

mentor. He was one of those young men who knew what he wanted to do and did it. Service to his country is what appealed to him, Feliciano told the San Jose Mercury News. Coach Feliciano recalled the 62 Velloza playing wing-back, defensive back, kick returner and kicker on a team that won the 2002 North Coast Section Class B championship with an 8-4 record. Jake was remembered in the community for once competing in a school track meet in the morning, where he won several events, and then starring in a baseball game later that afternoon. He pitched a no-hitter and hit a home run. I think he knew from the first day he got into high school that he was going into

the military, Feliciano told the Mercury News. He had in his mind since freshman year that he wanted to be in the military. He wanted to perform for his country and he was very patriotic. It was his destiny. That was it. We talked about college, but he said, No, Coach, I want to be a ranger doing special ops. Following his graduation in 2004, Jake enrolled at College of Marin, where he pitched for the Mariners, COMs baseball team. COM also helped him foster an interest in photography. He started working with the North Marin Water District, where his grandfather had also worked for more than 20 years. But, he felt the burning drive to be a soldier, and on February 2, 2006, he joined the Army. He did his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and then went onto Fort Sill, Oklahoma for the advanced training required to be a Fire Support Specialist. Afterward, he was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas with the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. On September 1, 2006 Jake was deployed to Iraq for his first tour of duty. He spent 15 months at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, outside of the town of Baquba. He returned to Fort Hood on November 30, 2007 for additional training, which completed in 2008. He got a furlough later that summer. He left Fort Hood to enjoy a short break in California, and in November he proposed to his girlfriend, Danielle Erwin, on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. His family was also present. On December 15, 2008 he was deployed near Baghdad for his second tour. It was to last roughly a year.

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

ECHO TIMES

News
him, and he compared it to being hit without warning by a roadside bomb. He was a different breed of soldier, Captain Toll said. [Jake] was a good-hearted person. He was a great soldier, but a better friend. I will always remember Jake for the rest of my life. My thoughts and prayers will always be with him and his family. For those who knew Jake, let us remember him in the best way that we can, said thenSergeant Michael Strausbaugh, who had served with Jake in his platoon as a 13F, otherwise known as Forward Observer.

5
Over a quarter million returning troops are being diagnosed with mental or emotional health issuesfrom anxiety, depression, to full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder. In part to counter the costs of PTSD and continuing medical treatment, the Veterans Administrations budget has more than doubled over the past decade, going from $61.4 billion in 2001 to $140.3 billion in 2013. As a share of the total U.S. budget, it has grown from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent over the same period. There are conflicting views on the overall death count, as sectarian bombings and shootings still occur in Iraq. Wikileaks released the Iraq War Logs in 2007, and data in the logs tracked from January 2004 to December 2009 claim 109,032 deaths in the war, including some 66,000 civilians. Yet the weekly medical journal The Lancet conducted its own surveys, in two parts: one in October 2004, and another in October 2006. The Lancet Surveys indicate that there were 601, 027 violent deaths from March 2003 through June 2006. According to Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government, the combined over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost America as much as $6 trillion, the equivalent of $75,000 for every household. It is a staggering financial and economic burden, one that continues to adversely affect our national economy. The Bush Administration led the nation into a war over alleged WMDs, none of which were ever found. Regardless of the economic costs, there is no restitution or comfort for the thousands who have lost family members in Iraq. Like the Vellozas, these families bear the pain, the anger, and the anguish of wara sacrifice most of us have not had to make. (Part two of this series will appear in the May Echo Times issue)

He kept saying, Those guys are my brothers, said Jay Borodic, to the L.A. Times. Borodic, Jakes best friend since eighth grade and a former high school baseball teammate, said, He wanted to re-enlistthose were his new teammates, those were his new brothers. Speaking to the L.A. Times, Borodic said his old friend wasnt entirely sure about re-enlisting for a second tour of Iraq. He was hesitant, but I think the economy convinced him to go back. Plus, he always spoke so highly of the people he worked with. That was important too. Coach Feliciano agreed. He was always going to bat for his friends, he said. Though Saddam Hussein was hanged on December 30, 2006, after being found guilty of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi court, the violence in the country failed to abate. In a January 10, 2007 televised address to the U.S. public, President Bush proposed adding 21,500 additional troops for Iraq, a job program for Iraqis, indepth reconstruction proposals and $1.2 billion in funding for these programs. In his 2007 State of the Union Address, Bush announced deploying reinforcements of more than 20,000 additional soldiers and Marines to Iraq. In Iraq, Velloza continued to plan his wedding to Danielle, though they had to do it via email. A month after he had proposed to her, Jake was shot and killed in Mosul. Another soldier killed was his friend Jeremiah McCleery, 24. Three U.S. soldiers were also wounded. The attackers were later identified as Iraqi policemen. They opened the door a crack and [one man] started shooting, Jakes grandfather, Richard Velloza ABC7 news He shot two dead and three were wounded and one of them was our grandson. Jakes grandfather had once worked as a gardener

at the Olema Cemetery, where Jake is now buried. His father, Bob Velloza, who inspected the cemetery before Jake burial, found it overgrown with weeds, both inside the grounds and out by the road. It was a disgrace, Bobs brother, Mike Velloza, told the Contra Costa Times. He knew he couldnt have people parking in grass thats five feet tall. Bob Velloza spent all of that day cutting the grass and straightening things up. He returned later that week to finish the job, and to make Olema Cemetery suitable for a proper military funeral.

Jake Velloza, a former College of Marin student, was killed four years ago in Iraq. He was a gifted athlete and a dedicated soldier.

We have to honor Jake, Mike said. The May 15, 2009 funeral ceremony attracted a large gathering of fellow veterans, local police, fire and emergency service personnel. The familys parish priest, Rev. John ONeill, presided over the proceedings. This is a West Marin kid, he told the gathered crowd. Army Captain Russell Toll, Jakes commanding officer, told those assembled in a trembling voice that Jake had been like a brother to him. Captain Toll added that his friends sudden death had blindsided

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Rev. ONeill read a posthumously released poem penned by Jake, prior to deploying on his second tour. Its from Jake to you, and its called I Am Free, he said. Dont grieve for me now for I am free/I am following the path that God has laid for me/Be not burdened with times of sorrow / I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow/Perhaps my time seemed all too brief / Dont lengthen it now with undue grief / Lift up your heart and share with me / God wanted me now and set me free.

Photo by Nash Kurilko Jake Velloza is buried in Olema Cemetery with other members of his family.

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

Tra

Coasting through Europe at 10 miles per hour

By Nicholas Bischoff

ECHO TIMES

he clouds were getting darker and the storm was on my mind as Tiffany, Katie, Venetia and I biked into the Swiss countryside leaving the urban sprawl of Zurich behind us. We had just left our couch surfing hosts apartment in Zurich, Switzerland, which was a nice shelter from the summer thunderstorms that had caught us almost every day in Switzerland. Like most nights, we werent sure where this campsite was, but being on the road for about a month now we knew we could get by with the one German phrase we knew really well by now, Sprechen sie Englisch? If that didnt work, we resorted to the key word Campingplatz? and asked it as a question is if it were a full sentence. For our last resort rest of communication we relied on the universal language, body language. These forms of communication had worked so far and had got us by from Frankfurt, Germany to our current location just west of Zurich, Switzerland. Pedaling along the rivers edge we stopped in a small town square for some lunch, the usual Nutella and banana sandwich, and looked at the map for further directions. While looking at the map an older Swiss lady came up to us trying to help us out. She tried to communicate with us, telling us that a storm was coming and we have to go up a big hill to get to the campsite, the only issue was she didnt know any English and we didnt know any German. We knew we couldnt camp in city limits and had to be on our way to set up camp before the storm would come through. The woman kept repeating the gestures over and over again and we kept repeating in English what we thought she was trying to communicate. It wasnt going so well. Danke schon! we smiled and waved trying to focus back on the map knowing we had to get on the road soon. She smiled back and retreated across the street. A minute later she comes back with another woman. She spoke good English and told us that we can stay at her hotel in town. She told us stories of her daughter traveling Australia and her brother biking all over Europe. She wanted to contribute to the good graces the traveling community. Hoping that her good karma would be transferred into good luck for her daughter. Not shy anymore about taking people up on their offers we jumped on her offer to stay at her hotel for free. A few minutes later we found ourselves in very nice hotel right in the heart of town with hot showers and comfortable beds. The big storm never materialized that night and I didnt sleep that well that evening. I was woken up very early by clamoring of church bells that seemed to be rung by a three year old with no sense of rhythm. Waking up really early to the loud sounds of chaotic bells didnt bother me so

Photos by Nicholas Bischoff The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, was the subject of a recent film starring Martin Sheen and his son, Emilio Estevez, called The Way. Pilgrims have been taking this spiritual journey through Northern Spain for more than a thousand years.

much as I was laying in an actual bed with warm sheets, listening to the sounds of a small Swiss town waking up. Traveling on bicycle is a great way to see a region. Traveling at 10 miles per hour you use all your senses and become apart of the place. You are really engaged with your surroundings, the sites, the sounds, and the tastes. With an open schedule and open mind the detours are endless and experiences enriching. Traveling on bicycle is also a great conversation starter and its a great way to communicate with locals, learning about people who live in the region, and to meet new people. People are very interested in your story when they see you are traveling by bike and its fun to hear their story. On a bike tour you are apart of the environment and you can feel the changes of the environment and culture as you pass. It is a great sensation seeing the change of environment around you. I wont forget the Riding across Switzerland the most apparent culture change occurred the day riding across from the Swiss-German side to the Swiss-French side. That day of riding we found our selves in a whole different environment starting the day in a German influenced environment and ending up in a French influenced environment. I really enjoyed my time in Europe. When people ask me what was my highlights I usually ramble a story or two about the generosity of people I met or the beauty of the sites that I saw. But one thing all my highlights contain is that they occurred while riding my bike exploring a region that was new to me. Cycling is a great way to travel.

Travel Tips
S
o, you want to go on a bike tour? Biking around Europe sounds great, but very expensive. The great thing about bicycle touring is that it can be done at home. The adventure can start right out of your front door and very little travel expenses are needed. Bike overnight trips are a great way to get started on bicycle touring. Here in Marin County we have access to many campsites throughout the county. Here are two great Bike-In campsites available right here in Marin County: Samuel P. Taylor State Park Located 15 miles west of San Rafael, this is a perfect bike overnight trip is right in our backyard. Park Rangers are there to answer questions, help with registration and also sell firewood for evening campfires. Highlights: Camping among the redwoods and along Lagunitas Creek you have easy access for spotting Coho Salmon and Stealhead trout, hiking along Bolinas Ridge, or up Mount Barnabe. Address: 8889 Sir Francis Drake Blvd Lagunitas, CA 94938 Bike-In Cost: $5 Website: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=469 Pantoll Campground, Mount Tamalpais State Park Pantoll campground is on Mt. Tam under a patch of Douglas Fir trees. This ride is more difficult and does take some more strength to get up the mountain, but the location is worth the climb. Highlights: This site is a perfect base camp for exploring Mt. Tam with day hikes starting right at camp some highlights include Muir Woods, East Peak, Steep Ravine, and Stinson Beach. Address: 801 Panoramic Highway Mill Valley, CA 94941 Bike-In Cost: $5 Website: www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=471 Whether you are cycling in Europe or here in Marin, getting on a bike is a great way to explore a place. All you need is an open mind and adventurous spirit and the rest will come naturally. There is so much to explore out there and no better way to do it than hoping on a bike and exploring the back roads.

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

ECHO TIMES

avel

Top: Navigating through sheep on Bavarian back roads. Right: Neuschwanstein Castle in the foothils of the German Alps. Bottom: Sunset in Brugg, Switzerland where we were given a hotel room to escape the storm.

Above: A serving of pulpo in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Left: Kayaker setting up camp in Donauworth, Germany.

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

Arts & Entertainment

A moving performance
Dance production features themes of past, present and future
By Jasmin Demil
ECHO TIMES

he College of Marin enjoyed another exciting event in the James Dunn Theater this season. The 2013 spring dance concert, called Moved, was created by the dance faculty of College of Marin. Choreography was produced by College of Marin Dance Faculty, and Production Design by Ernie Ernstrom. The performances started on March 29 and continued through April 6 at the Kentfield Campus. Featured guest performers include Kale Isabella, Annalise Thompson, and Casey Lee Thorne. Isabella performed Self Portrait, which touched upon themes of identity and its evolution. David Alonzo Jones Mayhem combined Hip Hop, Jazz elements and the African-American dance style Wobble to create an explosive performance. Buscando, also performed by Alonzo Jones, featured a hip-hop duet.

It takes four hours [of work] for every one minute to perfect the dance.
-- Kristi Kuhn, performing arts instructor

Photo by Robin Jackson Jessica Sarkisian Schwartz floats across the stage in By George!, a performance piece featuring music by George Gershwin.

Alan Scofields Pains and Pleasures evoked emotions such as jealousy, love and passion. Two solos were presented by guest artist Annalise Thompson. Erin Dersti choreographed both Dulamon and the modern piece Esmeralda, which told a very peaceful story. Together they were like a cool breeze after a hot summer day. From guest artist Casey Lee Thorne, of Inside Out Contemporary Ballet, came an excerpt from Dance Anyway, which recalled the phases of ones life, with all the conflict of the past, present and future. Sandra Tanners Levedad Del Ser, which translates as the lightness of being, was an energetic dance set to the music of Rodrigo y Gabriela, A. George, choreographed by Deborah Graham, was a piece set to the music of American composer/songwriter George Gershwin. Kristi Kuhns Beyond was a duet where the memories of the past came alive to the music of Chopins Nocturn No. 7 in C# Minor.

Kuhn, one of the Performing Arts instructors, explained that Moved has a lot of personal meaning to the performers. None of the dances have anything to do with each other. They are not tied together. Each choreographer created what they envisioned, including the music, she said. It takes 4 hours [of work] for every one minute to perfect the dance. Kuhn also noted, To be able to become a good choreographer with creative ideas, you have to be a keen observer of life. Despite losing one of the most talented dancers to a health issue, the show was a success. According to COM students Lisa Kelly and George Tapi, the only complaint about the show was that not enough people saw it. It was the best show in a long time, but it was not promoted very well, Kelly said. The Performing Arts Department presents many fine concerts, plays, and dance performances every year for the college community and the public. Moved is one more in a long line of stellar performances from the College of Marin Drama Department. The next production from the Drama Department will be I Hate Hamlet, which will be performed on April 25 in the Studio Theatre.

Photo by Robin Jackson Nancy Mimms performs Pains and Pleasures, a moody interpretive dance.

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

ECHO TIMES

Features/Travel

Kentfield-Novato campus shuttle needed

Students finding it difficult to get from main campus to Indian Valley
By Liam Werner and Nash Kurilko
ECHO TIMES

OM has provided an affordable alternative to traditional secondary education to Marin County since its founding in 1926. While COMs contribution to our community far outweighs any potential deficiencies, it is unable to provide absolute excellence in all of its community programs, specifically campus transportation. A plethora of students lacking cars or bikes are severely hindered by the current bus system, which only provides rides to hubs in San Anselmo or San Rafael. Riders must spend up to an hour waiting to transfer buses, at which point they may be late for their next class. Those who hope to take on a full-time schedule are forced to commute via three long buses just to get from the Kentfield campus to its sister campus in Indian Valley. Many students find it very difficult to arrive to classes on time when they are to put up with three separate bus rides between the two campuses, all-adding up at a max of two hours. Student Kevin Carcamo said, I used to take classes out at Indian Valley but my major is going to be in automotive technology. Its a shame because I was looking forward to study in an environment so relevant to my course. College of Marin has an obligation

Photo by Austin Matthews Students board the 22 Northbound Golden Gate Transit bus at the Kentfield campus, which will take them to San Rafael.

to strive for excellence, it is essential that COM re-evaluate its transportation system. This would further provide each generation of young academics with the opportunity to succeed. I dont think they offer any classes I need. Im an engineering student so I

mostly need science classes. I live right next to the IVC though, so I would totally use the shuttle if they offered it, said Matt Stewart, engineering student. Our nations infrastructure has been dramatically modernized since COMs establishment in the 1920s. It is essential

for the institutions well being to reassess any inherently flawed programs in order to enhance its service to our community and to its students. If this issue were resolved, it could also possibly boost COMs enrollment, the rate of which fell to its lowest level since 2003 this semester.

Is graffiti art? Some local Bolinas artists think so

Murals Continued from page 3

to create their art by spraying toxic fumes into the air. She says its as not healthy for the individuals doing the work, people walking by or for the environment. She suspects that most of the spray painters are not locals. Ebba, from Berkeley likes the paintings, but sees it as disrespectful to tag the natural setting around the walls. Some dont respect the paintings as art and describe the work as graffiti, using it as a perjorative term for writing and imagery they believe dont belong. Juliet, of Bobolicous Smoothie Lounge, described the work as graffiti but with a positive connotation, saying that graffiti is a form of art. She says she enjoys the paintings, pointing out a greeting card of an artists work on the wall that she sells in her shop. In recent years this form of art has gone from an underground subculture to becoming a respected form of art that has made it into galleries, museums, and private collections. Graffiti-style advertisements are featured in magazines, billboards, and store fronts, while famous street artist pieces are so sought over they have been cut out of buildings and sold in action houses. Graffiti and street art are seen as controversial art forms by most but its gaining respect outside of the underground scene.

Photo by Nicholas Bischoff Bolinas mural pieces meld in to natural settings.

One local artist, Schehera Van Dyk, is a strong believer in public space and public art. Van Dyk tries to bring beauty and color to the wall. Doing her first piece around 25 years ago, and many others since then, she has seen mural pieces come and go. She likes that the wall is ever changing. She loves the process of painting, saying, Art

is living its not dead, it can continue to mature and develop a life of its own. She sees the paintings on the walls as a positive and adds color and creativity to walls that can sometimes be over powered by simple bland tags. As long as the people painting do it with integrity and respect Van Dyk is open to peoples work knowing that

nothing on the walls are permanent and will always change. Even a simple phrase can stand out and make big statements. Everything is Temporary, stands out, bold in white over a red paint-tinted wall where past messages have washed out over time. Just as the ebb and flow of the tides change the environment around the town, pieces come and go leaving a lively conversation of local and international talent. Just as this was once an important resource transportation hub, time and culture has transformed this spot into a socially acknowledged natureloving town that has a very unique and creative identity and a free public canvas to express ones self. The juxtaposition of the public canvases and the natural setting dont seem invasive, but appear as natural as the environment surrounding the town. Weathered over the years, the walls meld into its surroundings. From sculpture carved in natural sandstone to urban style Wildbombs, the array of style and creativity seems to be an extension of this social and ecologically conscious community. With its natural setting, the constant drone of breaking surf, and wild life mixed with beachgoers and surfers, this mix of nature and culture seems as natural as the towering hills surrounding the small community of Bolinas.

10

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

Sports

Baseball team in first place, softball team improves

W
ECHO TIMES

By Johnny Bransford

ith a little less than two weeks left in the regular season, the COM baseball team is looking to capture the league title. With a 24-7 overall record, the Mariners lead the Bay Valley Conference. Four of College of Marins pitchers have a chance to be named All-Conference players, and one may be crowned Pitcher of the Year. This team finds peace knowing every game theyre running an ace out to the mound. Sophomore starting pitcher, Jake Barron said, Were over 20 wins, and any time you can do that you can call it a good year. We know we have a shot this year, and we cant call it a great year without making some noise in the playoffs. Winning 10 of their last 11 games, the Mariners have continued to pitch tremendously with Barron, Herrick and Ihrig posting the top three ERAs in the Bay Valley Conference, as well as Ihrig leading the league with 14 saves. Barron and Herrick have combined for 13 wins this season. Althought the pitching staff is rock solid right now, their freshman catcher, Tommy Beritzhoff cant be overlooked.

Photo by Kyle Dang Members of the College of Marin baseball team, the Mariners, are first place in their league.

Barron said, Hes an animal. Not only as a catcher, fielding and throwing guys out, but his clutch hitting is something that needs to be noticed. Beritzhoff has 18 hits to go along with 13 RBI and has thrown out 21 of 40 runners stealing this year, while

only allowing four pass balls. Aside from pitching and catching, the COM hitters have gone on a tear as of late too. Patrick Hodges is top five in the league in hitting, posting a .352 batting average with 28 RBI. Casey Levy-Tulloch

has hammered three home runs, putting him 3rd in the league. With five games remaining in their season, the Mariners are sitting in first place leading Mendocino by two games and Laney by three. Four of their final five games are at home against Los Medanos, Yuba and Mendocino. College of Marin softball has put together a year to remember up to this point. With a 19-14 record, the womens team has more than improved since last season. Led by sophomore pitcher, Samantha Schilling who has been more than great on the mound, leading the state in strikeouts. Newcomers to the team who have made an impact this year include; Gianna Bruschera, Nia Ceasar, Bridget Pacchetti and Neika Peterson who have all done significant damage at the plate.Freshman Gianna Bruschera said, Weve made a huge improvement over last years team. Beating our rival Solano 4-2 was a huge win for us, and were looking to keep the momentum rolling. In fourth place, the Mariners are looking to make a playoff push as the season winds down to the end.

A FISCAL PROJECT OF

WITH THE SUPPORT OF

ADULT DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAM

DESIGNED TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER
OFFERING A BACHELOR OF ARTS IN: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ENGLISH HUMANITIES AND CULTURAL STUDIES MANAGEMENT PSYCHOLOGY
SUNDAY, APRIL 21ST, 11 AM 5 PM REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL 395 DOHERTY DRIVE LARKSPUR
Rain or Shine

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR EVENING

FEATURING:

Garth Lenz Nationally-known TEDx hit: award-winning eco-savvy comic Tar Sands photographer Swami Beyondananda
Marin Independent Journal Haiku Contest Winners Music: Spark & Whisper, Dore Coller, Matt Jaffe, Sol Doc & Special Guests Secure valet bicycle parking will be provided by Marin County Bicycle Coalition. Play the Carbon Game & Eco-Jeopardy! Look under the hood! Zero waste event Tasty, local, organic food

Take effective action & get free raffle tickets

Grand prize: Hale Akua Eco-Resort in Hawaii!

RSVP FOR AN INFORMATION SESSION TODAY! 415-485-3204 www.dominican.edu/admissions

Double your renewable energy in 1 minute Sign up to lose 5,000 unsightly lbs of CO2 Don't miss the bus: bookmark the real time transit site Bike/Board/Walk/Bus /Carpool Ride w/Bicycle Works @10am Write to your reps & more! Volunteer! Visit EarthDayMarin.org or contact COM's Environmental Action Club for more information!

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

ECHO TIMES

Features

11

Dance floors are packed with students every friday night

By Austin Bodek
ECHO TIMES

Club X welcomes students 18 and up

ts the weekend. No early morning classes, monotone lectures, or chalk flying at your head for checking your Facebook in class. But whats there to do on a Friday night if youre not 21? Club X, located at 715 Harrison Street in San Francisco, is a dance club that welcomes the 18 and older crowd. Every Friday night the doors open at 10pm and the 15,000 square foot club becomes packed with around 800 - 1,200 people. Each week features a new theme, such as their upcoming neon theme party in April. The club has two main dance floors, go-go dancers, multiple dance cages and two fully stocked bars for anyone who is 21 or older. Stage contests, such as dance offs, offer a chance to win $200-500 bucks! The club has eight speakers with powerful base, that shake the room up with electronic dance music mixed with some Top 40 hits. Club X has three light shows every night, with a lighting system that is the best of its kind. Promotions manager Barrett Hahn says, Our club has the nicest

The club has eight speakers with powerful bass that shakes the room up with electronic dance music, mixed with some Top 40 hits.
lighting system in Northern California. Club X has an admission price of $20, but offers customers a hook up pass that gets them in for only $5 by simply texting CLUBX to 69302. They also hand out VIP cards that get not only the card owner in for free, but also a friend. Hahn says, At Club X we understand that you just want to let loose and have a great time. Thats why we have beer pong, hookah, and dessertsto satisfy all of your needs. And thats exactly what Club X does, by welcoming the 18 and up crowd to their unique dance club. To find out more information about Club X, you can visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook. com/club.x.sf

Photo courtesy of Facebook The clubs dance floor packs around 800 to 1,200 students every friday night.

REALIZE YOUR DREAM AT MILLS COLLEGE.

Mills offers talented women who want a personal and exceptional education the opportunity to: Get the classes you need to graduate on time. Earn merit scholarships totaling up to $20,000. Transfer with no minimum number of credits. Transfer without completing your GE requirements. Apply now for fall 2013 to receive special expedited admission benefits. Financial aid and scholarships are available.

INFORMATION SESSION
Thursday, April 18 11:00 am2:15 pm

MAKING THE WORLD MORE . . .

Oakland, CA admission@mills.edu www.mills.edu/transfer RESERVE YOUR SPACE AT WWW.MILLS.EDU/VISITFORM.

12

College of marin

Mar. 16 - Apr. 16, 2013

Opinion

Is sequestration really necessary?

Austin Matthews

ecently there has been a lot of talk about the sequestration of our federal budget. There are people that are worried about it and people that are upset about it. But mostly I think there are many people Commentary that have no idea what it is or what it will mean for them. To take a deeper look at the problem, I think at first we need to establish a few facts about our federal government and its budget. In the world of government there are a multitude of programs that make up the Federal Budget. Some of these programs are very popular and important to people. For example, we have Medicare, which offers inexpensive healthcare to older people. Medicare is actually cheaper and more efficient per person than private insurance, but its still extremely expensive because older people have more health issues than younger people. We also have something called Medicaid, which provides health insurance for our poorer citizens. Combined, these two programs make up 23% of the federal budget. Social security, another very popular program that gives older citizens money to live on, makes up another 22% of the budget. Altogether these programs make up 45% of our federal budget, and are whats called Mandatory Spending Programs. In addition to our national health insurance and Social Security, 13% of the budget goes to other mandatory spending for things like federal judge salaries, and 6% goes to the interest on our national debt. This makes the grand total of mandatory spending 64% of the federal governments budget. The remaining 36% of the budget, which congress allocates yearly or even every few years if they want, is called discretionary spending. This is for everything from highways, to science programs like NASA, to veterans benefits, or even agriculture. Then of course, there is our nations defense, which takes up more than half of the discretionary spending. Another important thing to understand is that the United States has a long-term debt problem, but it does not have a shortterm debt problem. For example right now our country can borrow money for close to no interest, with no problem. This is because we have a strong economy, we havent ever defaulted on our debt, and there is no reason to think that we would. Also, our budget deficit, which is

Graphic from ctvnews.ca A breakdown of the federal budget under sequestration.

the annual difference between what we take in and what we spend, is shrinking pretty fast and may not be a problem in the foreseeable future. Our country does have a very serious long-term debt problem with our mandatory spending. For instance, the cost of Medicare and Medicaid could double over the next thirty years as citizens get older and health care costs continue to rise, and the cost of Social Security could follow. So we either need to increase revenues or decrease benefits, or our deficit will fishtail

By passing the budget act they also created a committee that would address the nations long-term fiscal problems, and keep them from fishtailing out of control. In order for Congress to make sure that this committee did their job, they created a bomb they called Sequestration. If they could not come to an agreement on a sensible budget plan, then the bomb would go off and there would be automatic cuts of $1.2 trillion across the board. Half to defense and half to other spending, very little of the cuts are to the mandatory spending programs, which

The sequestration is a symbol of everything that people dont like about government.
and increase our debt. So now we have a long-term problem that will need a long-term solution. This is where the sequester comes in. If we look back to 2011, the U.S. almost defaulted on its debt. Not because we could not afford to pay, but because congress would not raise the debt ceiling. This was extremely funny to me, seeing as how the reason we reached the debt ceiling was because of budgets that congress had passed. In response, congress passed the budget control act, which raised the debt ceiling in order to pay for the budgets that they had previously created. are causing the long-term debt problem. The sequester is such an incredibly bad idea, it was proposed with the hope that it would scare congress in to cooperation. This is what feels insane to me. Congress is using horrible ideas to force people to compromise, but when they fail, only we are affected. The sequester is not a horrible idea because of the cuts that are taking place, but because they are indiscriminate. Every single program or project funded by the U.S. government has to be cut by the same percentage, except those mandatory programs that are causing the problems.

That means that all federal programs will be cut by 8%, no matter the programs importance. It is ridiculous that instead of choosing which programs we can afford to get rid of, we have to shave every program by 8%. It will also cost us between half a million to two million jobs. Instead of getting rid of jobs because they are out of date or not needed as much, we are just going to cut. The sequestration is causing more problems while also failing to fix any existing problems. It does nothing at all to address the long-term debt problem our country is facing. Congress has attempted to solve a long-term problem by creating a short-term problem and that fails to fix anything. Some people may think that this is President Obamas fault for bringing this idea up in the first place, but I am here to remind everyone that the president does not pass legislation in our country. No, this was all due to congress and their inherent inability solve problems. The sequestration is a symbol of everything that people dont like about government. I feel like we could have and should have done a better job as one of the most powerful countries in the world. I am actually embarrassed by this whole thing and I hope that we can find a way to redeem ourselves. We have a lot to be proud about in this country, but I can honestly say that the sequestration was not one of them.