The youth vote: an elusive enigma

Endeavor makes final flight

Jaclyn BatesCommunity Editor

It’s nothing new that breast can-cer is a huge part of lives today.Survivors, spouses, sisters, moth-ers, and those who fought so hardbut did not make it remind us thatbreast cancer is everywhere. Fromjewelry stores selling specialbracelets to pink ribbons to an en-tire month dedicated to aware-ness. San Jacinto College alsoplays a part in the awarenessthrough club activities, athletics,and student life.

San Jacinto College athleticsplays a large role in breast cancerawareness. San Jacinto’s volley-ball team hosts a tournamentevery year called Dig Pink. In2011, the volleyball team raised$773 for breast cancer awareness.The tournament this year will beheld on October 12 against LeeCollege. This is San Jacinto’sfourth year to participate in the

Dig Pink rally. In the past, DigPink has held a silent auction. Allof the proceeds from the tri-matchtournament go toward organiza-tions that serve breast cancer pa-tients in all ways.

Dig Pink is an event created bythe Side-out Foundation. The

Side-out Foundation was createdby volleyball coach Rick Dunetz.Rick’s mother was a breast cancervictim and he decided to share thisstory with his volleyball team.

See Cancer on Page 6.

According to NASA 20,000 people gathered one last time to give a bittersweet farewell to the retired space shuttle Endeavour on Wednesday September 19th. Many Houstonians huddled around while remi-niscing as the shuttle made its final launch from Ellington Field on Thursday after sunrise. The shuttle made its final stop in Texas as it landed in El Paso to refuel and then headed towards its final destination.Just before arriving in California the space shuttle flew over Tucson, Arizona where former Astronaut Mark Kelly, who commanded the shuttle on its last mission STS-134, early last year, and wife former U.S.Representative Gabrielle Giffords watched from a roof at the University of Arizona.

~Vanessa Piña

e student publication of the San Jacinto College DistrictVol.23, No. 2 October 1, 2012

SAN JACINTO TIMES

College students were big factor in President Obama’s election, but will they show up again?Leif HaymanStaff Writer

With little more than a month left until the elec-tion on Nov. 6 and less than a week left until theOct. 6 voter registration deadline in Texas, candi-dates are trying harder than ever to win over theyoung voters that determine elections.

In 2008, 54 percent of eligible voters under theage of 30 turned up at the polls. Youth voters de-cided the election by demonstrating overwhelm-ing support for Barack Obama.

In contrast, the youth stayed home for the 2010election with only 22 percent of that age groupcasting a vote. Their perception of Washington hadshifted.

As one of the most indecisive and diverse votingblocs, candidates and pundits alike are struggling

to predict how America's youth will approach andaffect the coming election.

Student loan debt recently exceeded $1 trillionin the U.S. with little hope for relief once studentsenter the job force.

Increases in tuition costs further added to studentdebt because avoiding college altogether poses aneven less palatable option.

Although the job market appears bleak for col-lege graduates, it is considerably worse for thosewho forgo it completely.

With many unable to pay off the bank and findmeaningful work, American college students areleft with no viable option but to vote.

The prevalence of smart phones Apps and socialmedia websites have made registering to vote ac-cessible to younger voters. 76 percent of eligibleyouth between the ages of 18 and 29 years old are

planning to vote. With unprecedented amounts ofmoney being spent on advertising for the election,the youth vote has become big business.

The College Democrats and College Republicansat Central campus aim to address the fledgling en-thusiasm among college voters by assisting stu-dents in registering to vote.

Leading up to the election, both groups will beconducting a variety of voter outreach programs.They hope to debate each other, but the logisticshave not been hashed out yet.

A report from the group Generation Opportunityfound that most students cite the poor economy astheir major reason for voting in this election.

Morgin Tingle, a member of the College De-mocrats, says “Though I don't think there is nec-essarily a war on women, there are a lot issuesbeing brought up, in this election in particular that

are really important and women need to pay at-tention to them, especially young women.”

Although Tingle is not yet registered to vote, shestill plans to vote for President Obama.

Unemployed Army veteran, Christopher Car-penter, in the Process Technology program at SanJacinto College, says the major issues influencinghis vote this year are the national debt and the un-employment rate.

Carpenter is unhappy with all the candidates onthe ballot and plans to pick from the list of writein candidates for President. He said he is afraidMitt Romney will outsource jobs and increase theunemployment level, while he is unhappy with thetax that Obama's health care plan put on those whodo not buy insurance.

Carpenter tells students, “Regardless of who youvote for, you still need to vote. Regardless.”

Vanessa Piña San Jacinto Times

Caty ChristyEditor-in-Chief

The San Jacinto College dis-trict is in the process of plac-ing new security cameras uparound each campus in an at-tempt to increase security.

This project has been in itsplanning stages for nearly twoyears. In early August, the dis-trict received the cameras andbegan installation.

William Taylor, Chief of Po-lice at Central campus expectsthe project will be completedin early October.

“All the [equipment] is here,and it’s just a matter of gettingthe cameras mounted andworking out the logistics ofgetting them started,” ChiefTaylor said.

Each campus is being allot-ted roughly 10-13 cameras -depending on campus size -and they will be mounted out-

side on buildings and in park-ing lots. Officials are focusingon stopping incidents thatmainly occur in these problemareas. “Nothing outlandish orunusual [has happened] butthis is one more measure to tryto make things a little better,and hopefully [the cameras]would give us some documen-tation if something did happenout there,” Chief Taylor said,also adding that he hopes thepresence of these camerasmight prevent future incidents.

Some might say that the im-plementation of new camerashas come just in time. On Fri-day, Sept. 14, three collegecampuses were evacuated inresponse to bomb threats. TheUniversity of Texas at Austin,North Dakota State Universityin Fargo, and Hiram Collegein northeast Ohio were the tar-geted schools. When nobombs were found, officials

announced classes would re-sume the following Monday.Louisiana State University inBaton Rouge was evacuatedfor similar threats that oc-curred Monday, Sept. 17, butallowed students to return totheir dorms that evening.

In an incident at the Univer-sity of Houston a student wasrobbed at gunpoint on Sunday,Sept. 16. According to TheDaily Cougar the student saidtwo unidentified black malesdrove up to him displaying ablack handgun from the dri-ver’s side window and de-manded the his property.

By installing new camerasaround the campuses, our po-lice department is hoping tokeep a watchful eye on the se-curity and safety of all stu-dents, and possibly evenprevent incidents such as thesefrom occurring here.

New security cameras up andrunning at San Jac in Oct.

Breast cancer touches lives atSJC; awarness key to prevention

Courtesy of sjcd.eduSan Jac event raises money for cancer research.

Opinion/CommentaryOctober 1, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 2

The San Jacinto Times is published bi-weekly by the journalism students at SanJacinto College Central, 8060 Spencer High-way, Pasadena, TX 77505. Opinions expressed herein are those of the

writer and not necessarily those of the staff,its adviser, the administration or the Boardof Regents.The Times encourages letters to the editor.

Letters must be in good taste, accurate, freefrom libel, malice or personal controversy.Letters must be limited to 200 words inlength. Letters submitted without the author’ssignature will not be accepted.

The staff reserves the right to edit the let-ters for accuracy without altering the generalmeaning.Letters can be e-mailed to Hellen.Papada-

cos@sjcd.edu. Letters must include nameand phone number for verification.

The online edition of the Times is availableat http://issuu.com/sanjacintotimesAdvertising space is available for $5.00 per

column inch. Special rates are available. Fornews tips and information on advertising,contact the Times at 281-478-2752.

LIFESTYLE EDITORSCourtney Mouton, Edith Manzanares

ADVISERHellen Papadacos

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCaty ChristySan Jacinto

TimesSan Jacinto College

Student Publications

NEWS EDITORSAngelica Rodriguez, Vanessa Piña

COMMENTARY EDITORJose Alejandro

STAFF WRITERS

Araceli R. Bautista

Amy Chandler

Monica Davila

Anally De Leon

Liliana Delarosa

Leif Hayman

Brooks Kubena

Asher Minx

Adrian Salas

Christopher Villegas

ADVERTISING Sara Quintana SPORTS EDITOR

Brandon Hurley

PAGE DESIGNERMichael Deats

COMMUNITY EDITORJaclyn M. Bates

STUDENT LIFE EDITORJaneth Cervantes

Asher MinxStaff Writer

New racial controversy erupted inSelma, Alabama after plans to restore astatue of Confederate general NathanBedford Forrest were announced fol-lowing the theft of the statue's bust.

General Forrest, famed historicalfigure and southern icon, was an earlyleader of the Ku Klux Klan.

The restored monument was to bemoved to an elevated pedestal and en-circled by a protective fence. Whilesome locals call this project a way topreserve and honor their southern her-itage, others see the statue as a celebra-tion of bloodlust and racism.

Growing up without a formal educa-tion, General Forrest first came intowealth through the trading of real es-tate, livestock, and people. When theCivil War began and one of his threemajor sources of income fell into jeop-ardy, General Forest enlisted in theConfederate Army. Although nottrained in military tactics, General For-rest proved himself a natural strategistand became one of the few men to rise

from the rank of private to general dur-ing the conflict. Robert E. Lee calledhim "the most remarkable man, andfinest soldier, produced by the war."

At Fort Pillow, he led a charge thatended in massacre. At least two hun-dred black Union soldiers were killedafter declaring their surrender.

In his postwar years, General Forrestwould go on to join the original incar-nation of the KKK - an expandinggroup of former Confederate Army sol-diers dedicated to suppressing therights of African-Americans. There hewas elected their first supreme leader,or "grand wizard." In the wake of in-vestigations into the group's intimida-tion tactics, Nathan would eventuallycall for the organization to officiallydisband. Of course, the KKK unoffi-cially continued its existence up to

present day.Although General Forrest would live

to tone down his views to what was rel-atively moderate for his time period,one has to wonder what proponents ofthis monument hope to honor.

Todd Kiscaden, of the group Friendsof Forrest, stated on the group’s web-site, "I would recommend this man forany young people to model his lifeafter. The man always led from thefront. He did what he said he was goingto do. He took care of his people, andhis people included both races."

Bill Nuget, the Southeast RegionalDirector of the Anti-DefamationLeague, was blunt about his organiza-tion’s opposition, telling Selma’smayor, "We believe the people ofSelma would be well served if the proj-ect is shut down permanently since it is

intended to memorialize a man who es-tablished a record of hatred and ex-treme violence towardAfrican-American."

It is imperative that we denounce big-otry and historical revisionism withoutexception. Forrest sold and killed thosewho didn’t share his skin tone, and tofeel any respect for him in spite of thisis indicative of troubling priorities, toput it gently. While there is certainly adiscussion to be had about what citygovernments should allow throughtheir channels, it is difficult to look pastthe fact black residents are being askedto go about their lives near a monumentto someone who didn’t afford themtheir basic humanity.

As of press time, a petition to haltrestoration of the bust has garnered84,000 signatures.

Minx Thinks: Alabama made monumental mistake

Liliana DelarosaStaff Writer

If you’re reading this, you mostlikely live in Texas, like me. Whenpeople outside the state think of Texas,they imagine cowboys, cowgirls, hats,boots, pigs and horses. I am actuallyoffended by these stereotypes. Theonly time I see this is when thePasadena Livestock Show and Rodeocomes into town. This year, theRodeo, which takes place across fromSan Jacinto College Central campus,was rather boring but had a few posi-tive highlights.

This is the 63rd annual Rodeo, sothey must be doing something right.In reality, how many more cows,horses and pigs is it going to take untilthey realize it’s the same thing everyyear, over and over.

First of all, who cares who has thefattest cow? Second of all these cow-boys are risking their lives for enter-tainment. This does not soundreasonable.

As I walked around the Rodeo onSaturday Sept. 15, 2012, I did not seemany appealing attractions. All I sawwas one mechanical bull, food tents,three “fun” rides for children, and twotents that sold clothing and acces-sories. Boring, boring, boring!

The food was the usual, greasy andfattening. We had the typical barbequeplate, hot dogs, turkey legs and funnelcakes. Anything that could be deepfried, they had it. I was starving, so I

ate a turkey leg; not healthy but rathertasty.

The children’s rides didn’t look likemuch fun, either. I witnessed a littlegirl crying to her mother that she didnot want to ride the pony attraction orgo down the slide. Poor girl, I under-stand her. I wouldn’t want to ride apony going around in circles until Igot dizzy either.

Do not even get me started on theclothing tents. It was beautiful cloth-ing, but I really did not want to spendmy whole paycheck on one shirt anda pair of jeans. The prices were highand unreasonable.

On the other hand, I was quite enter-tained with the country singer that per-formed that night, Kevin Fowler.Fowler put on such a great show hehad me dancing in the stands, and Irarely listen to country music.

Even though the rodeo was packed,I loved that it was family-oriented andthat I ran into many friends.

One reason I liked the rodeo is be-cause I am a fashion lover. Let me tellyou - for a minute, I was confused be-cause it looked like the Rodeo had be-come a fashion runway for the countrylovers. Everyone had their countrylook tied in with their own uniquestyle.

I think the reason people go to therodeo is to dress up. Of course, not tobe left out, I was happiest with theRodeo because I got to rock my newoutfit and cowgirl boots.

Rodeo roundup

Leif HaymanStaff Writer

There is still time to stop our demise, but that chance isquickly evaporating. Soon, all we will be able to do iswatch. We will watch as everything we love is lost forever.Water shortages, climate catastrophe, petroleum depend-ency, widespread famine, endless war for profit, abusiveexploitation, rampant disease, and mass extinction areproblems we will face in our lifetimes. Occupy is a reac-tion.

On Sept. 17, 2011, thousands of activists descended onWall Street in New York City to demand an end to the cor-porate corruption of American democracy. These protestsand the subsequent police brutality sparked an interna-tional movement. Occupy encampments appeared all overworld almost overnight. The spontaneity with which Oc-cupy arose caught the world off guard. It was a responseto the tea party and thenew conservative re-vival. The ultimate goal:to get the masses think-ing and united againstthe growing injustices; tostart a conversation thathad been silenced.

In the year since, thesegoals have all been metto varying degrees.Washington has notchanged substantially,but the American conver-sation has. Politiciansand the rich elite coulddo nothing but watch atfirst. Then, they beganthe process of sabotageand co-option. The democrats wanted us to vote for themand the conservatives called us dirty commie, hippies, andthen told us to “get a job.”

Well aware of the subversion around us, we stayed trueto our principles. We resisted the pull from the neoliberalmachine and proved Fox News wrong. The media was fi-nally talking about the wealth disparity in America. As aresult, record numbers of American youth plan to vote thiselection season. Thousands of people removed theirmoney from the banks and put it in credit unions duringOccupy's divestment campaign.

In Houston, I was one of 21 activists arrested on Dec.12, 2011 during a blockade at the Port of Houston's mainentrance. One day later, port CEO Alec Dreyer, as a resultof the recent media attention, publicly announced his res-ignation. Dreyer OK'd the building of a $100 millioncruise terminal that has never been used and committedother abuses of power.

More recently, as a result of the port arrests, it was re-vealed that undercover Austin Police officers bought,manufactured, and delivered criminal devices to OccupyAustin activists. The seven activists who used the de-vices to block the road at the port were all charged withfelonies for what would otherwise be a class B misde-meanor. We are actively working to publicize this act ofpolice corruption and entrapment.

The Occupy movement as a whole showed the true na-ture of our militarized state. There were countless in-stances documented of police brutality and useless arrestsduring the last year. Three events in particular shocked thenation and got its attention: the mass arrest of 800 peopleon the Brooklyn Bridge, when UC Davis campus policepepper-sprayed peaceful students, and the violent evictionof Occupy Oakland. Iraq veteran, Scott Olson, was hit in

the head by a police projectile and sustained brain damageduring the Oakland incident. The corporate state andmedia pitted the police against peaceful citizens.

Occupy was born from a perfect storm. The labor, anti-war, and civil rights movements that defined 20th centuryAmerican identity were nearly faded from our collectivememory. The struggles and hardships those movementsdefeated had become distant. We all watched anxiouslyfor the change we were promised only to be disappointedby the realization that no one person is capable of disman-tling the systematic corruption deregulated capitalism hasgiven us. Nothing has gotten done in Washington sincethe arrival of the tea party.

In late 2010 and early 2011, something changed. Anew front appeared in the culture wars; cyberspace.Hackers were attacking major corporations and winning.WikiLeaks revealed the true atrocities of the Iraq war.Protests sprung up all across the Middle East and demo-

cratic resistance demon-strated that it couldoverthrow corrupt lead-ers. Over a hundred thou-sand union activistsoccupied the Wisconsinstate capitol to preventScott Walker from revok-ing their collective bar-gaining rights. OccupyWall Street appearedsuddenly in New YorkCity. Then, the state mur-dered an innocent man,Troy Davis. This seemedto be the last straw.

In the days followingTroy Davis' death, hun-dreds of occupations ap-

peared in cities all over the world. That is when I madethe Occupy Houston pages, dropped all of my classes atSan Jac, and started calling for an occupation in Hous-ton. With help from key players in the national move-ment, the word quickly got out. Two weeks after I madethe accounts on Facebook and Twitter, 600 peopleshowed up to occupy Houston.

With strategic research, I found that Hermann SquarePark was excluded from any formal laws dictating itshours. Without any prior permission from the city, we de-cided that would be where we set up camp. The first nightunder the skyscrapers and stars was magical. Never in mylife had I ever felt at home with a group of total strangers.We started a conversation. We began learning how to di-rect our pent up frustration toward constructive ends.Sleeping in that park for three months was one of the hap-piest and most fulfilling times in my life. The friends Imade are invaluable. That is the most prolific effect of Oc-cupy, the friendships and connections it created.

After the occupations served their main purpose, theybegan to dissolve. The groups moved from physical spaceback home to cyberspace. Since then, we have all begunto focus our individual energies on specific issues. The fu-ture of Occupy is in the escalation of tactics. Talking onlychanged so much. Disruption of the capitalist machine andcivil disobedience are the only options we have left.

The truth is - we have been lied to at every turn in ourlives. American culture and our illusory freedoms aredrenched in blood. We dwell in the shadow of the mostgrotesque Goliath that history has ever known, the petro-leum industry. This moment is a grave time in human his-tory and we are privileged to experience it. Everything isnot OK. That is why we must occupy.

Occupy Houston in reviewSocial networking stops seriousstudents from studying in ILCAnally De LeonStaff Writer

There are roughly 150 computers available for student use year-round at theInteractive Learning Center at Central campus.

The computers are available for students to use for any purpose, and avail-ability of the computers is based on first-come-first-serve. Students visiting theILC are usually there to kill time between classes or catch up on work for theirclasses.

However, those who are surfing social network sites far outnumber those whoare doing schoolwork. Just by taking a glimpse at the computer screens aroundthe ILC, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter can be seen the majority of the time.

The ILC does not enforce time limits on computer usage. Therefore, studentswho have crunching deadlines or want to get ahead on assignments are oftenmet with limited availability of computers.

For those who are not doing classwork, SJC provides free Wi-Fi and signalcan be picked up virtually anywhere on campus. The smartphones and otherhigh-tech electronics many students own in this day and age, are able to ac-commodate fast web surfing. Laptops can also be checked out at the library forno cost.

Students should be aware that the peak hours at the ILC are from about mid-day to about 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those who are leisurely using thecomputers should acknowledge the fact that other students need to get workdone.

Although college is a place to meet and interact with friends, there is a timeand place for social networking. Above anything else, a college campus ismeant to be an environment where students should have the resources neededto further their education.

One of many signs held by defiant protestors in theface of growing economic instability

Photo courtesy of Leif Hayman

Around CampusOctober 1, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 3

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8 DAYS A WEEK8 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, October 1• MMA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

Tuesday, October 2• Coke Zero Sampling, 11 a.m., Student

Center Lawn

• SBF Meeting, 11:30 a.m., S11.111

• SGA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S11.228

• Game Enterprises Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

Wednesday, October 3• HSF Meeting, 1 p.m., S9.208

• Domestic Violence Awareness and

Prevention Poetry Slam, 2:30 p.m.,

Under Large Stairs in Building 8

Thursday, October 4• Crescent Circus, 11:30 a.m., Student Center

Atrium

• GSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S9.250

• Game Enterprises Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

• πPTK Induction Ceremony, 6 p.m., S11.250

Friday, October 5• MMA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

Saturday, October 6• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, October 1• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

• College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m.,

C2.224

Tuesday, October 2• Crescent Circus, 12 p.m., Raven Café

• National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.233

• Sociology/Anthropology Club Presents

Read a Book, 1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, October 3• Distracted Driving Simulator, 9:30 a.m.,

C14 Lounge A

• Anime Society Meeting, 1 p.m., C15.115

• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

Thursday, October 4• Phi Theta Kappa Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.230

Friday, October 5• TACHE Meeting, 12:30 p.m., C2.210

Saturday, October 6• Gaming Society Meeting, 12 p.m.,

First Floor Student Center

Monday, October 1• Robotics Club Meeting, 3 p.m., N7.261

Tuesday, October 2• Breast Cancer Awareness Event, 10 a.m.,

N12 Lobby

• √Domestic Violence Awareness

Presentation, 10:30 a.m., N12.200

• Men of Honor Meeting, 12 p.m., N6.108

• Psychology Club Meeting, 1:30 p.m., N7.132

Wednesday, October 3• Hispanic Heritage Concert Series,

10:30 a.m., N1.103

• Psychology Club Meeting, 1:30 p.m., N7.132

• Anime Club Meeting, 2 p.m., N9.133

Thursday, October 4• Ladies of Integrity Meeting, 11:30 a.m.,

N12.215

• Anime Club Meeting, 2 p.m., N9.133

• Phi Theta Kappa Meeting, 5 p.m., N12.211

Friday, October 5• Math & Engineering Club Meeting, 10 a.m.,

N8.251

• Science Club Meeting, 12 p.m., N8.201

Saturday, October 6• Free Workshop: Center for Healing of

Racism, 8 a.m., N12.200

N o r t h

S o u t h

C e n t r a l

8 DAYS A WEEK8 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, October 8• MMA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

Tuesday, October 9• SBF Meeting, 11:30 a.m., S11.111

• GSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S9.250

• Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

Wednesday, October 10• HSF Meeting, 1 p.m., S9.208

• WEBB Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S7.156

• Coyote Future Teachers Club, 3 p.m.,

S7.100

Thursday, October 11• Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

Friday, October 12• MMA Meeting, 9 a.m., S21.120

Saturday, October 13• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, October 8• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

• College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m.,

C2.224

Tuesday, October 9• Mixteco Ballet Performance, 11:30 a.m.,

C14 Lounge

• TSEA Meeting, 1 p.m., C20.263

• National Society of Collegiate Scholars

Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.233

• Sociology/Anthropology Club Presents

Read a Book, 1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, October 10• Anime Society Meeting, 1 p.m., C15.115

• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

Thursday, October 11• Phi Theta Kappa Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.230

Friday, October 12• TACHE Meeting, 12:30 p.m., C2.210

Saturday, October 13• Gaming Society Meeting, 12 p.m.,

First Floor Student Center

Monday, October 8• UH Clear Lake Transfer Recruiter, 9 a.m.,

N12 Lobby

• Rec Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., N12 Lobby

• Hispanic Heritage Speaker, 11 a.m., N10.128

• Robotics Club Meeting, 3 p.m., N7.261

Tuesday, October 9• Rec Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., N12 Lobby

• Financial Aid Workshop, 9:45 a.m., N6.108

• Rotaract Club Meeting, 1:30 p.m., N12.215

Wednesday, October 10• Rec Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., N12 Lobby

• Lit’s Alive, TBA, N12.200

• First Year Experience Workshop, 11 a.m.,

N13.208

• Men of Honor Meeting, 12 p.m., N6.108

• Anime Club Meeting, 2 p.m., N9.133

Thursday, October 11• Hispanic Heritage Concert Series,

10:30 a.m., N1.103

• Anime Club Meeting, 2 p.m., N9.133

• Culinary Club Meeting, 3 p.m., N12.215

Friday, October 12• Breast Cancer Awareness Event, 8 a.m.,

N1.103

• Math & Engineering Club Meeting, 10 a.m.,

N8.251

• Science Club Meeting, 12 p.m., N8.201

• SJCN Choir Invitational, 5 p.m., N1.103

Saturday, October 13• Free Workshop: Center for Healing of

Racism, 8 a.m., N12.200

N o r t h

S o u t h

C e n t r a l

Spotlight on Faculty

Jose AlejandroCommentary Editor

A San Jacinto College fac-ulty member recently trav-eled to New York City whereshe had her wardrobe redoneas a participant on TLC’sfashion make-over televisionshow, What Not to Wear. Leigh-Anne Williams, a mother of three

and speech and de-bate professor, wasnominated to be onthe show by herlongtime friendAshley Franksonand her colleagueFloyd McConnell.What Not to Wear isa reality televisionshow on TLC thattakes participantsand transforms themfrom drab to fab.With the help offashion expertsStacy London andClinton Kelly, hairstylist Ted Gibson,and makeup artistCarmindy, contest-ants learn to dressbetter in order toboost self-confi-dence for a com-plete change.When Frankson found out

that the show was coming toHouston she thoughtWilliams would be a perfectcandidate. “[Frankson] al-ways joked about mywardrobe and my outfits. Shewould even pick out outfitsfor me when we would goshopping but I would neverwear them because they weretoo out there or I was notcomfortable,” said Williams.

Her nomination landed heron a plane to New York Cityand in the hands of StacyLondon and Clinton Kelly.London and Kelly offeredWilliams a gift card valued at$5,000, but under the condi-tion that they would be ableto go into her old wardrobeand throw out any items theydidn’t like.

Once in New York,Williams got tips from Lon-don and Kelly that wouldhelp her pick out the rightclothes that would then beapproved by the stylists. Inaddition, Williams’ makeupand hair received an updated.The end result was an amaz-ing transformation that wouldreflect, both her playful sidefor her family, and her pro-fessional side for work.

While on the show Williamslearned that she did not haveto sacrifice being comfort-able in order to look fashion-able. She learned to pick outclothes that best fit her per-sonality and to be confidentwith what she wears. “My experience on What

Not to Wear was overwhelm-ingly positive. Stacy and

Clinton helped meto realize that it ispossible to be com-fortable and fash-ionable at the sametime, and that fin-ishing touches areworth the extra ef-fort. I left the showfeeling very confi-dent, positive, andenergetic,” shesaid. She also men-

tioned that upon re-turning from NewYork and havingher style rebooted,she could not be-lieve her friendswould let her walkaround in her oldscrubs and mater-nity clothes. As Williams men-

tioned on the show,she would wear

these clothes because theywere comfortable.Williams was not able to

watch her televised debut be-cause she was camping withthe Cub Scouts at the timethat the show originally aired(June 19, 2012). Thanks to21st century technology, shewas able to record the showon her digital video recorderand enjoy it with her familyat a later date.

Courtesy of sjcd.edu

Professor Leigh-Anne Williams gets amakeover on TLC’s What Not to Wear.

Leigh-Anne Williams on What Not to Wear

From the CoverOctober 1, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 6

Anally De LeonStaff WriterMedical centers are cutting MRIscans because they cannot cooldown the magnetic system. Indus-tries have short supply and arelosing revenue. Party City sells alimited amount. A shortage of helium is the rootof these problems. The shortage isbeing caused due to the fact thatthere is a low supply and high de-mand of the nonrenewable re-source. There is an estimated 20years supply of helium left in theworld, making companies turn toalternatives.The Federal Helium Reserve inAmarillo, TX is controlled by theBureau of Land Management. A450-mile pipeline that contributesto 30 percent of helium produc-tion connects the reserve to a re-finery in Kansas. However, therefinery shut down in June 2012for maintenance, causing a signif-icant delay in supply.Officials around the country are

attempting to solve the issue.Pennsylvania-based Air Productsand Chemicals RepresentativeJohn Van Sloun stated, “New he-lium plants are scheduled to startback up in the next year or so, andthat should help alleviate some of

the tightness in the marketplace." Popular retail store Party City isone of the businesses being hit bythe shortage. The surroundinglocal stores near Central campus,who sell filled balloons, havebeen awaiting refills on their tanksfor quite some time.Decorative balloons account forless than 1 percent of helium de-mand. Although the public use ofhelium is a minimal amount, theconsumer still has a very limitedaccess to the product when theyneed it. A Party City employee,who preferred to remain anony-mous, stated that, “Customers be-come irritated at us when weexplain to them that we cannotfulfill their tall orders.” Not only is the average con-sumer being affected by the short-age, even the DemocraticNational Convention resorted tousing confetti in place of helium-filled balloons this year. Due tothis shortage there have been sev-eral private parties attempting todevelop a substitution to the de-mand. An American upstart company isattempting to jump the gun anddevelop a fine wire that will re-place helium to make balloonsfloat. Until then, the consumermust resort to balloons on a stick.

The team took it upon them-selves to put their all into theirpractices and matches andended up winning their districtchampionship title. Rick’smother attended as many of thegames as she could and shefound strength in the team’s de-termination. She found thestrength to press on through heradversity. Side-Out is an inde-pendent nonprofit organizationthat dedicates the majority ofdonations to the translational re-search for breast cancer. Side-Out focuses on their Side-OutProtocol. This is a clinical trialfor patients with metastaticbreast cancer that uses targetedtherapy to determine the bestform of therapy and treatmentfor each individual. Side-Outrecently donated $160,000 tothe Foundation for the NationalInstitutes of Health to support abreast cancer clinical trial,called I-SPY 2, for patients withearly stage breast cancer.San Jacinto’s baseball and bas-ketball teams also play a part inraising awareness. Thoughthese activities are not held inOctober, they are still notable.The baseball team holds an an-nual Play Pink game. This is agame that Assistant CoachJimmy Durham holds very dearto his heart. He lost his belovedwife to breast cancer eight yearsago. At that time, they were liv-ing in New Mexico and used aservice called Angel Flight togo to Houston for his wife’streatments. Angel Flight is aservice that arranges free trans-portation for those needinghealth care and other com-pelling human needs. “Thesepilots are amazing at what they

do,” said Durham, now in hisfifth year with the San Jac base-ball program. “The best way myfamily and I could say thankyou is to raise money for the or-ganization that did so much forus and others. Our players andtheir families should also be ap-plauded for all they did as wellto help, because without them,

this would not have been possi-ble.” In March 2012, the teamsold barbecue plates, raffled apink Louisville Slugger base-ball bat signed by the team, andalso accepted donations. InMarch 2012, San Jacinto Col-lege raised over $3,100 forAngel Flight South Central.In addition to athletics, theNever Too Late at San Jacinto(also known as N2L@SJC)

College Outreach and SupportCenter for Adult Learners hasalso contributed to breast cancerawareness. In 2011, this supportgroup raised $1,050 that went toThe Rose breast cancer organi-zation. In 2010, The Rose or-ganization helped provide33,784 screening and diagnosticprocedures for those able to

pay; 19,369 procedures at nocharge for low-income, unin-sured women; and 8,857free pa-tient navigation services topatients without insurance. Thismoney aided in providing mam-mography screenings, diagno-sis, and access to treatment,along with support for women.This San Jacinto College groupheld an event called “It’s neverToo Late to Palpate!” This

event promoted awareness andalso featured demonstrations oftechniques on how to self-ex-amine for men and women. Abake sale and prize drawingwere held to increase donations."The only goal we set when westarted our drive was to reach asmany people as we could withthe life-saving importance ofour message, It's Never TooLate to Palpate!," said KayeMoon Winters, N2L founder."However, when your commu-nity is San Jacinto, and youget a core group of adult learn-ers leading the way, the sky'sthe limit. Thank you, San Jac-into College community andkudos to The Rose."Learning about self-examina-tions saved one San Jacintostudent’s life. Mary Matlockwas diagnosed with breastcancer in October 2008. "Iheard about self examinationon TV," said Matlock. "I founda lump and went to my doctor.I've heard women say they'reafraid of the exams and of thepossible outcome, but I say'don't let the fear rule you.'Events like ‘It's Never tooLate to Palpate!’ let womenknow that they're not alone inthis." Mary survived breastcancer and has dedicated herlife to teaching others the im-portance of self-examinationsand receiving regular mammo-grams.There are two events so far atSan Jacinto College for thisbreast cancer awareness monthon October 12, 2012. The vol-leyball team will be hostingtheir annual Dig Pink rally. TheLicensed Vocational Nursesprogram on the North campuswill host a guest speaker. Dr.Miranda will be speaking aboutbreast cancer in the Fine ArtsTheater at 9 a.m.

Helium crisishits hard

CancerContinued from Page 1

Courtesy of sjcd.orgThe Gators bring awareness to breast cancer.

Annaly De Leon San Jacinto TimegBalloon industry also hit by helium shortage.

Araceli BautistaStaff Writer

Disney Resorts is offering collegestudents the experience of a lifetimethrough the Disney College Pro-gram, which is aimed at providingcollegians with valuable work expe-rience in addition to an extraordi-nary educational opportunity.

Application submissions for thespring 2013 term opened on Sep-tember 6, and on that day alone, theprogram’s website was flooded withover 10,000 applications.

Erin Sheffield, a theatre major atSan Jacinto College, playedPrincess Ariel in the Voyage of theLittle Mermaid musical productionat Florida’s Hollywood Studiostheme park. “I loved The LittleMermaid growing up, so beingable to play her was literally adream come true,” she said.

Erin has been in theatre for 12years and became involved in mu-sical theatre when she was 14. Ac-cording to Sheffield, herparticipation in the program duringthe spring semester gave her the ex-perience she needed to further herentertainment career. “The show ranthe whole day, and we had littleprep time between scenes. It wasdifficult at times but the experienceI got out of it has been so reward-ing.”

Disney has been operating the col-lege program for over 30 years at

their Orlando, FL and Anaheim, CAtheme park locations. Internshipsare available to students enrolled inany college or university in theUnited States and are open to stu-dents of all majors.

As a college program, there is aclassroom component to the experi-ence. Students are required to takeDisney-run courses where they canchoose between collegiate, seminar,and self-paced offerings. Areas ofstudy include Hospitality Manage-ment, Corporate Communications,Engineering, and Show Production.

Along with the entertainment pro-gram, Disney also offers opportuni-ties for culinary students.

For those who are not interested inthe culinary or entertainment fields,students still have plenty of otheroptions. During the applicationprocess, candidates are asked torank possible positions from high tolow interest. These roles can vary toencompass any position from ahotel concierge, to a janitorial posi-tion, to a ride operator.

Some positions may have little todo with a student’s major, butRichard Gonzalez, a spring 2012participant, urged students to takeany opportunity that Disney pro-vides. “I’m an architecture major,and I was assigned a job at a foodstand in Magic Kingdom. It hadnothing to do with my major, but Imade the best of it and had the timeof my life,” Gonzales said.

While many of the students are3,000 miles away from their friendsand family, Disney makes sure theyfeel at home. Gonzalez pointed outthat there was always something todo at the apartment complexes des-ignated only for program partici-pants.

The living situation is much likecollege dorm life, meant to providestudents with a friendly living envi-ronment. They can choose betweenone to four bedroom apartments,with two students per bedroom. “Imet new people almost every day. Itwas so much fun,” Gonzalez said.

Disney has given thousands of stu-dents a glimpse of real world expe-rience while providing them achance to live, earn, and learn.

After a student’s first semesterwith the program, they can applyfor the Disney Professional Intern-ships, which is more competitivethan the Disney College Program.Unlike the college program, theseinternships provide participantswith a deeper look inside the busi-ness world.

Jasmine Salas is planning to returnto the program for the second timenext spring.

“My first time in the program justwasn’t enough. It was an amazingopportunity and has opened somany doors for me and I know itwill continue to. Also, working forDisney looks great on any resume!”Salas said.

Adrian SalasStaff Writer

Pasadena commuters will soon see lightertraffic when the first phase of the FairmontParkway improvement project is completedby Nov. 1, according to Jack Rodriguez, Har-ris County Senior Director of Road andBridge and Capital Improvement Projects.

Phase 1 is identified as the portion of Fair-mont Parkway between Beltway 8 East andSpace Center Boulevard where drivers haveexperienced snarling traffic delays since theproject commenced in January.

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner,Jack Morman, said in a video release, “We arepartnering with the City of Pasadena to addtwo new lanes from Beltway 8 to Red Bluff inorder to accommodate the tremendous growthand to keep traffic moving. We are going toask for your patience and assistance as webuild this vital project. We know that roadconstruction is always a hassle, but the projectwill be well worth it once we are finished in2013.”

The City of Pasadena is attempting to mini-mize the impact on commuters during construc-tion by restricting lane closures to one in eachdirection and limiting intrusive work to overnighthours.

There are four phases in this project. Phase 1 isnear completion. In a phone interview Jack Ro-driguez said, “Phase 1 should be complete byNov. 1, and the plan to have it complete prior tothe holiday season is on schedule.” Rodriguezwent on to elaborate that the goal of having thefirst phase complete by the holiday season wasso that there would not be construction for holi-day traffic.

Phases 2, 3, and 4, which will be from SpaceCenter Boulevard to Red Bluff Road and includethe Armand Bayou extension, are currently up forbidding. Rodriguez also said, “All three phaseswill be awarded together and we are scheduledto receive the bids back by the middle of October.After we get the bids back, the contracts will beawarded by November.” When asked about thecomplete project, Rodriguez said, “Once phases2, 3, and 4 are started after the first of January,estimated completion should be by the third quar-ter of next year (2013).”

Phase 2 will be the portion of Fairmont Park-way stretching from Space Center Boulevard toManordale, Phase 3 will be a bridge expansion toArmand Bayou, and Phase 4 calls for a lane con-struction from Manordale to Red Bluff.

The project, a result of a partnership betweenthe City of Pasadena and Harris County Precinct2, focuses on 3 major objectives. The first goal isthe addition of a new lane in each direction thatwill allow for more traffic volume and improvetraffic flow. Second, the construction will en-hance drainage in the area along Fairmont Park-way. Finally, U-turn lanes will be added to theintersections at Fairway Plaza, Country Road,Space Center, Rhodes, and Manordale. The U-turn lanes will relieve traffic congestion at inter-sections allowing drivers to change theirdirection on Fairmont without going through sig-nal lights at intersections.

Students commuting on I-45 to get to San Jac-into College’s South Campus may be in for a lit-tle traffic relief as well. The Texas Department ofTransportation is set to complete construction onthe Dixie Farm Road overpass in October. So,leave early and drive patiently it will all end soon.

Student Life & CommunityOctober 1, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 7

Courtesy of Jasmine SalasJasmine Salas (bottom right) poses with other participants of the Disney internshipprogram.

Construction woesenter Phase Two

Adrian Salas San Jacinto TimesPhase 1 construction is coming to an end

Amy ChandlerStaff Writer

The holiday season is fast approaching andmost college students are short on cash. Accord-ing to the website LibertyStreetEconomics.org,40 percent of the student population is in debt.AmericanResearchGroup.com tells us that theaverage amount spent on gifts per person duringthe holiday season is$646, but there is an op-tion to keep from gettingfurther into debt.

Major departmentstores such as Wal-Mart,Sears and Toys R Ushave brought back theirlayaway programs tohelp.

Frequent Wal-Martshopper, part time SanJacinto student and fulltime employee SamanthaShepard expressed herfeelings about the lay-away program. “I loveWal-Mart layaway. It al-lows me to get every-thing that I need in onestore and I am able tomake payments on every-thing rather than havingto stress about how I amgoing to pay for my mer-chandise all at one time.Between paying for school and gifts, money istight, my family is not cheap,” said Shepard.

Another student, and mother of a student, ex-pressed her views on the layaway options that areoffered. Catherine Fredrichsen, full time studentand part time employee feels the same way. “Ilove that there is no interest, it is all just simplepayments. I also love not having anything toworry about once I get the items out, becausethey are completely paid for,” stated Fredrichsen.

Susan Chandler, mother of a full time studentpaying for her daughter’s education said, “I havealways used layaway, especially now that I ampaying for a college education. Not only do I takeadvantage of it during the holiday season, but forbirthdays as well. I have used all three, Wal-Mart,Sears and Toys R Us layaway programs. Theyhave all been the way I’d rather purchase things.”

Wal-Mart: Now through Dec. 14• Down payment of $10 or 10%, whichever is

greater.

• Opening fee of $5 (Refundable to gift cardupon full payment)

• Total purchases must be over $50 and individ-ual items over $15

• Final payment and pick up must be made onor before Dec. 14 at the same store layaway wasinitiated or the account will be canceled.

• If an account is to be canceled, items will bereturned to inventory. Down payment and pay-

ments made on your items willbe refunded, but the $5 open feewill not be refunded.

Toys R Us: Now throughDec. 10

• Makes it nice and easy.• No upfront or initial fees until

Nov. 1.• Starting Nov. 1 initial fee will

be $5.• 20 percent of the total price

must be paid the day items areput into layaway.

• Sears: All the time layaway, 8week option – Online and Instore

• The service fee will be $5.• Cancellation fee will be $15.• There is a $20 down payment

due or 20 percent of the balance,whichever is greater.

• It will only be four easy pay-ments at 25 percent of the bal-ance due.

Sears: 12 week option, in store only.• The service fee will be $10.• The cancellation fee will be $25.• There is a $35 down payment due or 20 per-

cent of the balance, whichever is greater.• It will be an easy 6 payments of 16.7 percent

of the balance due after the down payment.

A few employees of the department stores of-fering layaway all agreed that option is great forpeople who need to save money while purchas-ing gifts or any type of merchandise. Accordingto the employees, the stores receive a lot morebusiness and it makes them happy to know thatthe company they work for has options to makebuying items easier.

Accumulating debt during the holiday season isoften inevitable and can easily cause the“Scrooge” effect. Luckily with the layaway op-tion that is offered this year, “ Bah Humbug!” isgone and the holiday cheer can find its way back.

Holiday layaway here

Disney offers studentsmagical opportunities

Vanessa PiñaNews Editor

Topping $1 trillion, student debthas exceeded credit card debt, forthe first time. With one in six stu-dents with loan default, the amountof defaulted loans has becomegreater than the yearly tuition bill,adding up to $76 billion.

According to The New York Timesthe number of students taking outgovernment student loans has ex-ploded. A vast number of studentshave fallen at least 12 months be-hind in making payment estimatingabout 5.9 million people nationwide.

Student loans have become the

way to higher education, which ac-cording to The New York Times canlead to up to $50,000 a year, leavingstudents with no other choice but toborrow. Students may have to cutdown on luxuries and outings. Forstudents, borrowing money forschool has become the necessaryway to continue and finish theirstudies.

However, a degree won’t alwayspay back $100,000 in debt and thedepartment of education is aware ofit. In order to collect the money backthe Department of Education paid$1.4 billion to collection agenciesand other debt collectors to trackdown defaulters. However hiding

from the government is not easy.The federal government has comeup with different ways to collect thedebt, which includes seizing tax re-funds and garnishing paychecks oreven Social Security checks.

According to the Huffington Post,the amount in loans can top off to$100,000 to $200,000 with 6.4 per-cent interest considering studentshave only six months to pay backtheir loans. After June 2012, Con-gress passed a transportation-studentloans bill that prevents the interestrate from doubling, keeping it at 3.4percent for the year. They are sched-uled to revert back to 6.8 percent inthe 2012-13 school year.

Student debt piling up

Courtney MoutonLifestyle Editor

With the recent string of Govern-ment ads hitting the airwaves, thepublic is almost constantly beingfaced with the reality of the upcom-ing presidential election. As studentsbecome more aware of politicalstandpoints, whether it is Demo-cratic or Republican, nothing is moreevident than their power to have avoice and the choice they have tomake a difference.

The same goes for students en-rolled at institutions of higher learn-ing. Students have a choice to beheard but will they take it?

Lauren Ayala, the student govern-ment Vice President for San JacintoCollege, believes that all studentshave the right to have their voiceheard concerning all three San Jac-into College’s campuses.

“The student government at SanJac is meant to give students a say

so,” said Ayala. “We create a directpathway from the concerns and re-quests of the students to the electedofficials of the college.”

Ayala points out those studentswith majors like government or eco-nomics are not the only ones that canbenefit from getting involved inSGA.

“Well take me. I’m a theatremajor,” Ayala said as she laughed.“It helped me step out of my comfortzone in a big way, it’s a great organ-ization that takes students and devel-ops them into leaders as they moveon from their educational experienceat San Jac.”

Ayala believes all it takes to get in-volved is a little initiative.

“When it comes to bettering thecampuses of San Jac, it takes stu-dents who will stick there neck outand take a little initiative,” com-mented Ayala. “Smoking is a bigissue at our meetings right now,where smoking areas should and

shouldn’t be allowed, it’s all up fordiscussion pertaining to what thestudents feel like the best choice is.”

When an issue arises frequently atthe SGA meetings President, AdamGuevara along with Ayala form acommittee of students and chairholders alike that put together a pres-entation “to initiate the change,” saidAyala. According to Ayala, that isjust the beginning, as the voice of thestudents is transferred over to mem-bers of the school board or, “the peo-ple who can get the job done,”commented Ayala.

Meetings that are held every Fridayat 11:30 a.m. in the T155 buildingwill inform students and give them aplatform of influence to speak aboutany concerns, problems, or waysthey believe the campuses of SanJacinto College can become betterunified. All meetings are expected tolast and hour to an hour and a halfdepending on the information beingdiscussed at each meeting.

SGA steps up effortsAmy Chandler San Jacinto Times

Local retailers are reinstating layaway payment options.

SportsOctober 1, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 8

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Men’s socceron winning

streakBrooks KubenaStaff Writer

After a rocky start, San Jacintomen’s soccer may have found theirrhythm ranking 18th in NJCAA polls,as of press time, continuing a four-match winning streak in a 5-2 winover Coastal Bend College.

The Coyotes found scoring opportu-nities throughout the game with suffi-cient ball movement and positioning.Five different players would scorewith midfielder Pablo Vasquez open-ing with a goal from an assist byAndre Wade.

Head Coach Ian Spooner is trying topiece together a brand new team withonly seven returning players on the23-man roster.

The Coyotes sought revenge againstTyler after losing in the second roundof the Region XIV Tournament earlierthis season, but would come awaywith a 4-2 loss to the seventh rankedteam, after leading 2-1 at the begin-ning of the game.

Since that loss, San Jac is unbeaten,defeating Northeast Texas Commu-nity College 5-4, Paris Junior College3-0, Mountain View College 11-1, andCoastal Bend College 5-2.

Ever since being shut out by Jeffer-son College at the start of the season,the Coyotes have had no trouble scor-ing, averaging 4.6 goals a game with15 assists. The Coyotes are 29th in thenation in fouls having drawn threeyellow cards and five red cards ineight total games. Disciplinary issueshave been factors in a few of thegames already and must be addressed.

With the way the team has beenplaying in the past few games, thecoyotes should have plenty of confi-dence in their attempt push their winstreak.

All stats and records current as ofSep. 26, 2012

The Lady Ravens beat out competionBrooks KubenaStaff Writer

The Lady Ravens find themselves secondin the nation according to NJCAA polls.They are currently on a 16-game winningstreak after a 3-0 victory against Lee Col-lege. Beating Panola College, seventh-ranked Tyler, and Temple College in theSan Jacinto Classic the week before, HeadCoach Sharon Nelson has her team playingat its best.

“I think that we have really good teamchemistry.” Nelson said. “The girls getalong really well on and off the court. Theyaren’t making any excuses for anything.They’re all walking out there doing theirjob, and holding each other to a really highstandard.”

That team chemistry has brought San Jacto a 20-1 record, including a win againstDodge City Community College earlierthis season that accounted for Nelson’s300th win as head coach for the LadyRavens. In a junior college, players comein and out regularly, only playing for abouttwo seasons before they transfer else-

where, which makes chemistry tough tobuild and maintain at times. With sevensophomore returners, much of the chem-istry players developed last season hasbeen preserved and built upon this yearwith the incoming players. During the re-cruiting process of last year, Nelson saidthat the team made the high school recruitscoming in to visit feel at home, and thatcarried in to the following year.

“They treated those girls like they werepart of the team already.” Nelson said.“They made those incoming new girlsfeel very comfortable. When we came infor preseason everyone was treated thesame. Everyone had the same expecta-tions from the coaching staff and fromeach other. They’ve bought into the sys-tem that we have and you’re reallyblessed every now and then with a group,from one to 14, buys in. That’s thisgroup.”

With Laredo Community and CoastalBend coming to San Jac in the comingweek, the Lady Ravens look to continuetheir success in a season that has the po-tential for a national championship.

Courtesy of SJC MarketingGirls’ volleyball spikes its way to victory

Brandon HurleySports Editor

One in eight women will develop breastcancer over the course of their lifetime.October is National Breast Cancer Aware-ness month. Pink is everywhere andawareness is at an all-time high. Thanks tothis, among many other factors, peoplehave learned quite a lot about how to com-bat this disease, including what foods mayhelp prevent it.

While, it’s not as common, men are alsoat a significant risk. According to breast-cancer.org, about 2,140 new cases of inva-sive breast cancer were expected to bediagnosed in men in 2011. So it is impor-tant for everyone to try and find ways toprevent the disease from occurring.

There are many foods people can easilyintegrate into their diet that have the po-tential to prevent or treat breast cancer.One vegetable humans can utilize is the

baby carrot. These little carrots make agreat addition to a salad or go great withcreamy dips, such as ranch.

Baby carrots are packed full of an antiox-idant called beta carotene. Beta carotene isknown to prevent many different types ofcancer. This is the substance that makescarrots orange. This means that the moreorange the baby carrots are, the more can-cer fighting beta carotene they have.

Aside from all of the other health benefitsthis vegetable provides, broccoli has beenlabeled effective in breast cancer preven-tion and treatment. When people eat broc-coli, sulforaphane is released. Associateprofessor of the Oregon State Departmentof Nutrition and Exercise Dr. Emily Ho re-cently led a study on the effects of sul-foraphane on the human body.

"It is well documented that sulforaphanecan target cancer cells through multiplechemopreventive mechanisms." Ho said inan interview with David Strauth of the OU

marketing department. "Here we show forthe first time that Sulforaphane selectivelytargets benign hyperplasia cells and can-cerous prostate cells while leaving the nor-mal prostate cells unaffected.”

The broccoli will need to be raw. If thebroccoli is cooked, it loses over 90 percentof its cancer fighting properties.

Certain fruits can aid the cause as well.It has been documented that the juice inconcord grapes will actually protect breastcells from carcinogens that cause cancer.It is not necessary to eat a bag of grapes ei-ther. If one simply drinks Concord grapejuice, the beneficial effects are still thesame.

Another tasty fruit that can help preventbreast cancer are dark cherries. KathrynMeininger of livestrong.com says, “Theanthocyanin in black cherries may help re-duce your risk of developing some can-cers, including colon cancer, brain cancerand breast cancer.

They may also help support pancreasfunction and insulin-secretion in type 2 di-abetics.”

Omega-3 fatty acids received a popular-ity boost a few years ago when it was dis-covered that they are instrumental inpromoting joint health and they have a po-tential to prevent heart disease.

What is not highly publicized is that theycan also help to prevent breast cancer.

The best way to increase your intake ofOmega-3 fatty acids is eating cold-waterfish, such as salmon and tuna.

Though fish are healthy, certain types arehigh in mercury, which means peopleshould limit their intake to about twomeals a week. Omega-3 oral supplementsare available as well.

All of these foods are easily accessible atyour local grocery store. Life can be morecomfortable and rewarding for those whochoose to make good health decisionswhen they are young.

Cancer prevention can begin with diet