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Times

THE

INSIDEColumn/Commentary...2Around San Jacinto.....3Front Page Jumps.......4Entertainment...........5-6

The voice of San Jacinto Collegesince 1991

Tragedy strikes SJC community

San Jacinto Publicity

Freshman soccer player Jose Perez was killed in a car accident on Sept. 13 on his way to practice.

Star playerkilled in caraccident onway to practice

Slick Rick is always subject for political debate.Page 2

MTV and Gaga. Intriguedalready? Page 6

SJC looks good for its ageBy JANNETTE MARINSan Jacinto Times

Editor’s note: San Jacinto College is celebratingits 50th anniversary. Each week we will highlightcurrent and upcoming events surrounding this mile-stone.

It is finally here: San Jacinto College is celebrat-ing its 50-year anniversary.This has been a remarkable journey for the com-munity and citizens, and most of them are proud tosay their experience at San Jacinto College was apositive result in their lives. For those who do not know the history of San

Jacinto, on September 18, 1961 the College offi-cially opened at 8:30 a.m. with an enrollment of700 students. Even though the College was known before that:In July 1961, two buildings in Pasadena wereleased for temporary site to hold the first classes.It was only a dime store and nearby buildingremodeled and divided into classrooms.Who ever though San Jacinto College would rev-olutionize from two small convenient stores to nowenrolling thousands of students per year?By the 1970’s, San Jacinto offered a degree pro-gram in the growing field of automotive mechanicsand also introduced welding technology. Voters also approved a $3 million bond issue tobuild an administrative-technical building. So manyprograms such as cosmetology and sports werebeing added and more students were enrolling. Bythe 1980’s and 1990’s, more and more buildingswere constructed, the number of students increased,and by September 1997, Adena Loston was namedthe first African American to become a SJC campuspresident of the South campus. Quickly the college

began to be more successful, and by the 2000’s,new facilities were built and were funded by $91.4million capital improvement bond. They built Learning Centers for all three campus-es, new fine arts for the North and South campuses,and a music building at the central campus.Technology also advanced, enabling students toregister online, make class payments, search forclasses, and many more things only the Internetservice could provide.

PLEASE SEE LOOKS GOOD on Page 4

2011 is a golden year for SJC.

Photo by Harrison Lee

The sweltering Texas weathercaused wildfires, hardships By TIFFANY SEXTONSan Jacinto Times

As you step out your door in the morning the suninstantly starts shining right in your face. Thebrowning grass begins to crunch under your feetfrom lack of water, and you notice all of the leavesthat have fallen to the ground. The Texas summerheat has arrived along with the humidity, and wenow have the longest drought on record. Eric Berger, a blogger for the Houston

Chronicle, stated “Houston has received about 1.5inches of rain in the last three months, which isroughly equivalent to what the Sahara Desert getsduring the same time period.” It is a frighteningthought knowing that Houston is being comparedto the Sahara Desert. Experts are extremely concerned that thedrought will continue for several more monthsand possibly into the next year, according to TimHeller on abc13.com’s weather blog.Tropical storms and hurricanes are usually nottypes of weather people wish for, but latelyTexans are praying for any type of rain.“The seriousness of the drought and heat inTexas goes without saying, and most of Texaswould be willing to take a hit from a tropicalstorm or minimal hurricane to bring a change,”said Alex Sosnowski, expert senior meteorologist.No one wants a serious storm to occur, but at thisrate the drought is doing the same amount of dam-age. In addition, wildfires seem to happen dailyacross Texas. “Texas Forest Service respondedyesterday to 63 new fires that burned 32,936acres, including 22 new large fires;” confirmedthe Texas Forest Service newsroom.Burn bans are happening in most of the Texas

counties along with water restrictions. Everyoneis holding off as much as they can to try to settlethe wildfires and to not run out of water. “Bayous, cattle ponds and farm fields are dryingup, and residents are living under constant threat

of wildfires, which have already burned acrossthousands of square miles,” Sosnowski said, areality confirmed by Associated Press writers,Seth Borenstein, Roxana Hegeman, Sheila V.Kumar, Kristi Eaton, and Sam Holmes.The farmers are having a difficult time raisingtheir cattle and growing their crops. They havehad to put down some of their animals during thisdrought to save money since their crops are notmaking them any profit. “One of the hardest hit agricultural sectors islivestock. Texas is the biggest cattle producer inthe United States and ships beef to many foreignmarkets. Earlier this year, ranchers endured oneof the worst winters on record with several daysof subzero temperatures in a region wherefreezes are rare. The drought has made it evenharder, driving up the cost of hay and leavingsome areas so dry that cattle have died of thirstin their pastures,”according to bloggerjohn@bestpublications.

PLEASE SEE WILDFIRES on Page 4

MCT Campus

The raging wildfires are statewide.

New hires boost policeforce. Page 3

By MARIA CHAVEZSan Jacinto Times

San Jacinto Community College suffered agreat loss on Tuesday morning. What started tobe a normal day ended with the tragic death ofsoccer player Jose Perez. Shortly after 7:30 a.m., the BMW Perez wasriding in along with three other soccer players,was involved in a collision at the intersection ofBeamer and Astoria. The driver was headingSouth on Beamer and ran a red light, which leadto him colliding with a Honda Accord at theintersection. Perez was killed; the other three passengerssurvived with minor injuries. Perez was riding inthe back seat and it has been reported by theHouston Chronicle that he was not wearing aseat belt. San Jacinto men’s soccer will be suspendingall non-conference games due to their grieving,but will continue to play soon. “We will stillhonor our conference games, and our team isunited in its passion to honor Jose, his memory,his competitive spirit, and his life,” CoachDavid Santesteban said in a statement releasedTuesday afternoon. In the statement, Santesteban also mentionedhe had “high hopes” for Perez and that the teamknew “he would impact the team in a positiveway.”

PLEASE SEE PEREZ on Page 4

September 19, 2011San Jacinto Times •

Opinion/Commentary

The San Jacinto Times is published week-ly by the journalism students at San JacintoCollege Central, 8060 Spencer Highway,Pasadena, TX 77505.Opinions expressed herein are those of

the writer and not necessarily those of thestaff, its adviser, the administration or theBoard of 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 theauthor’s signature will not be accepted.

The staff reserves the right to edit the let-ters for accuracy without altering the gener-al meaning.Letters can be e-mailed to

[email protected]. Letters must includename and phone number for verification.The online edition of the Times is available

at www.sanjacintotimes.com.

Advertising space is available for $5.00per column inch. Special rates are avail-able. For news tips and information onadvertising, contact the Times at 281-478-2752.

ASSISTANT EDITORSJannette Marin, Ashley Cruz, Caty Christy

ADVISERFred Faour

EDITORSMichael Deats, Maria Chavez

San Jacinto Times

San Jacinto College Student Publications

MANAGING EDITORChris Shelton

CONTRIBUTING EDITORHarrison Lee

WEB EDITORGreg Starks

CIRCULATIONCristal Calvillo

ADVERTISINGSara Quintana

Will Perry win the presidency?By GREG STARKSSan Jacinto Times

There is a perfect storm a' brewin'down here in the South. I am not talk-ing about a hurricane, but about ourvery own Texas Governor “Slick” RickPerry(not to be confused with Slick

Rick the rapper). He has formally thrown his hat in thering and announced his candidacy for President. Whilethere are millions of red-staters that are clambering at thebit to see another good ol' boy in the Oval Office, I ampersonally terrified by the thought of Slick Rick gettingany more political power. I understand that my views arewell in the minority in this State, but perhaps his policiescan explain where those fears come from.Although, I willtake the route of explaining why 99% of my fellow con-stituents and the rest of the voting majority will votePerry in 2012. The reasons can be split into two cate-gories. On one side resides Mr. Perry the man. On theother lies Slick Rick's policy.Personality:�He is George W. Bush on steroids with a gun and abetter head of hair�A+ National Rifle Association member rating and aconcealed handgun license holder�Personal friends with Ted Nugent�Former Air Force officer�Farmer�Married his childhood sweetheart�Devout Baptist� Author of two booksPolicy:�Former Democrat�Wants to reform taxes�Wants to reform Social Security�Proponent of states rights�Strict on immigration�Pro-Life�Opponent of gay marriage�In favor of teaching Intelligent Design�Wants to increase military spending�Opposes increased gun control�Supports Israel's sovereignty�Death penalty supporter�Believes climate change is not caused by humans

I honestly can see some good things in those lists, and Ican understand why someone who is living in fear ofuncertainty would choose to elect him President, but inreality he is just a paper tiger. He and his policies are afalsehood. Although, I agree with some of his ideas, theones I do not agree with far outweigh thie ones that I do.I know that your average voter is too afraid of radicalchange to actually vote against Rick Perry, and he willmost likely be our next President. Things will continue togo poorly in this country, and we will all be worse offbecause of it. This country needs the voting majority to be

courageous and understand that Perry and all other socialconservatives have clearly traded compassion and empa-thy for callousness and apathy. How can someone thatdoes not want to better his fellow man better the entirecountry?He along with the majority of conservative Americabelieve in living life according to the laws of God, andapparently that means persecuting people who aren't likeyou is acceptable, and blindly following and supportinganyone who is like you is greatly encouraged. I feel thatover the past two decades or so, people have been scaredinto voting conservative by the talking heads and radiotalk-show hosts. “Beware the socialist agenda… Watchout for Big Government… They're just going to tax youmore… He wasn't even born in America,” are all typicalconservative talking points. Blanketing the political newsfield is how they convince your average American toform the “right” opinion. They are meant to make youafraid to vote, or even think, any other way. The peoplewho most Americans listen to in regards to forming theiropinions, and subsequently their decisions, are supportinga conservative agenda. Perry is the spearhead of saidagenda, and he is hedging his bet on everyone’s fear of anunbridled government that is just tax and spend. No onewants to have to pay more taxes, but that is what willrebuild this country...money, and the spending of it. Thatswhat Democrats do, they tax, because the government isa business and businesses need money to work and to fixthe things that are wrong with it. There are a lot of thingswrong with this country, and blindly following a party'sfigurehead is definitely one of them.Slick Rick is not what this country needs.

We need informed voters, and people who are willing towork to make this country better. Voting to save your pay-checks from the Government, and just because someoneon television, or in print tells you to is not good for ourcountry. The ostrich approach of voting along party lines,burying your head in the sand and hoping for the best isnot going to work. It did not work in 2000 and in 2004, sowhy would it work in 2012?

By CHRIS SHELTONSan Jacinto Times

When this beautifulnation was introduced toBarack Obama she wason the verge of a messydivorce.

With a wink, a smile and several captivat-ing speeches a nation fell for his Ivy Leaguepedigree and idealistic vision for what thenation of Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, JohnF. Kennedy and Theodore Roosevelt canstill attain.Obama was an enigma who related to ouryouthfulness. He was billed as the charis-matic leader who wrapped all the endearingqualities of the aforementioned Presidents ina tightly wrapped Snuggie around his heart.What nation could pass on a regal combi-nation of charm and intelligence that was soantithetical to the previous administration?Certainly not a struggling nation in themidst of the worst recession since theexcesses of the Gilded Age and roaringtwenties concluded and the GreatDepression began. Obama is expected to bea once in a generation leader who couldlead America back to prominence after alack-luster eight years.The nostalgic feeling for our previousPatriarchs is a contretemps for the ObamaAdministration because we forget ten per-cent unemployment under Reagan orClinton’s approval rating before TimothyMcVeigh rocked the nation in Oklahoma.Fast forward to 2012 when America’sromantic comedy and infatuation stage withPresident Obama is over. There have beenseveral bouts of infidelity against his liberalbase and America’s previous husband isback in the picture.Insert current Republican frontrunner andTexas Governor Rick Perry, who is the dar-ling of the Tea Party and Evangelicals,which consequently makes Perry the baneof Independent and Moderate voters nation-wide. He is the gun toting sun of a gun anda caricature of what George Bush, who wasborn in Connecticut, pretends to be.Perry has surged past previous republicannomination leader Mitt Romney in recentpolls. However Fred Thompson and HowardDean showed how much an election canchange in a short period of time.But, as is true with all national elections,substance is necessary to attain the trust ofthe American populace. Immediately ques-

tions arise about Perry’s Gubernatorialrecords. A healthy skepticism is necessaryto make an informed decision.Perry has stated that 40 percent of thenation's new jobs have been created in Texassince June 2009. This figure, in a vacuum, isvery impressive in the current economic cli-mate. But when you consider that Texas hasa lackluster 8.4 percent unemployment rateyou realize these figures are cosmetic at best.Texas ranks twenty-seventh out of fifty one

states in unemployment rate according to USDepartment of Labor’s website.It’s akin to President Obama’s job creationnumbers. Obama frequently boasts of twomillion private sector jobs while nationalunemployment is still hovering above ninepercent with twenty five million Americansunemployed. In both cases job creation isapparent but not enough to offset populationgrowth.Perry also has to escape from the shadow ofhis Texas predecessor George Bush’s attemptat a Presidency and republican kingmakerKarl Rove scathing disapproval. Obama isgreat at linking the Republican nominee toGeorge Bush. Just ask John McCain.My main problem with Governor Perry ishis adherence to the axiom of decreased reg-ulations and lower taxes no matter the fiscalrepercussions. 2011 bore Texas an opportuni-ty to embrace the principles of shared sacri-fice. Instead we drastically slash educationand deliberately underfund Medicaid byalmost five billion, according to theAssociated Press.Whether this was the correct decision isobviously a matter of polarizing politicalopinion. Political ideology is dangerousbecause it creates enormous caverns filledwith contempt, generic differences and talk-ing points that eviscerate the channels ofcompromise necessary to keep Americagreat. Perry’s views on climate change, evo-lution, education, and social welfare and taxpolicy would exacerbate an already Texassized cavern in the current political land-scape.The simple fact is that Presidents arejudged by their efficacy throughout theAmerican economy.If unemployment dips below seven as it didduring Reagan’s first term as President,Obama wins in a landslide. If not, the com-parisons to the first George Bush will bemore apt and the smell of Texas Chili willencompass the White House.

Yes, but for all the wrong reasons No, because Obama should

MCT Campus

Rick Perry is running for President.

Curtain up on another Texans season. Hope for a good showBy HARRISON LEESan Jacinto Times

As a writer, it’s most probablyquite impossible to match thesheer joy of all the wonderfultraditions that accompany thestarting of football season:

game-day, tailgating, getting into alcohol-fueledarguments over the most trivial of statistics. It’s arite of passage that ends summer and kicks off fall.Beyond all the cliché NFL films narrations that con-tain almost Vanity Fair like prose, pro football is aritual we would all be terribly bored without.Personally, sports talk-radio was boring enoughwithout a real off-season. Luckily, we can all nowbask in the glory of arguments about how quicklyBryan Braman will achieve cult hero status.

Even the completely meaningless Pre-Seasongames brought about renewed vigor and enthusi-asm, and not just because we all wanted to see if agrown man actually could be named LeStar. ThePlayoffs or bust mentality has been further bol-stered by a productive 3-1 Pre-Season record, thusadding to what will be either an amazing achieve-ment of the human spirit or yet another dashing ofcarefully arranged hope.

Why is it we so loyally flock to Reliant Stadiumon Sundays? Perhaps it is because half of us areafraid that this team might leave, which might resultin another pleasant bout of emotional jeopardy. Of

course, it is easy to be lured into the frenzy by suchoddly effective promotions as “Battle Red Day”.But outside of your high school football team’sHomecoming Game, you’d be hard-pressed to finda more communal, slightly cult like, experience.Of course we go willingly into this folly because,besides something to do on Sundays, it gives us amarvelous sense of community. Though this senseof comradeship is probably fueled by copiousamounts of liquor and chicken wings. But no mat-ter, it is all worth the hullabaloo. Even if it is a totaldisconnect from the real world, we would all ratherwhine about defensive issues in the secondary thantalk about wildfires.

I have to admire the collective devotion of theTexans’ faithful. All those sellouts and noise relatedpenalties have to count for something in regards toour NFL prestige. Year after year of rosters filledwith suspect amounts of tight ends and the occa-sional quarterback follies only seem to make theteam all the more alluring. Like it or not, there willalways be a chuckle whenever someone mentionsGlover Quin’s unassisted assist to help theJacksonville Jaguars. I can still tell you exactlywhere I was when Kareem Jackson achieved hissingular ‘one shining moment’, AKA that one timehe managed to randomly fall down against theCowboys.

It only makes sense that we Texans followerschoose to take these less than stellar accomplish-ments in stride. I would rather laugh than cry is one

way to look at it. Maybe it is a kindred sympathy orthe fact that we just can’t bring ourselves to be madat this, our Pro Football family member who isevery so often prone to embarrassing moments thatboggle the mind, but somehow manage to makethemselves more endearing. After the Oiler/Titandebacle, it would be hard to ever imagine Houstonfans ever actually leaving the team, no matter thefrustrations. In that aspect, we’re like a guy whohappens to be dating an exceptionally out of ourleague woman. By default she’s allowed to dowhatever she wants with whomever she wantswhenever she wants, and not care if we know aboutit. What are we going to do? Leave? She knows wewon’t, thus making us the relationship version of asecurity blanket.

I consider myself pretty jaded when it comes torooting for any football team, but after an off-sea-son as daft as this one, it only makes sense I havefound myself pouring copious glasses of the WadePhillips and 3-4 Defense Kool-Aid. Like the rest ofHouston, I was giddy to discover how bad the restof the AFC South was. Masochistic or not, Number18 for the Colts being out of action is a thing littleshort of beauty. It’s a little like Dr. Seuss: A win isa win no matter how small. It’s almost foolish not toblindly and happily cheer along at this early point.The bandwagon hasn’t yet pulled a Thelma &Louise and raced off the nearest cliff with alarmingalacrity.

Like a dingy bar with quality drinks, we keep

coming back to Reliant Stadium even though weknow things can get a little awkward. There is thelarger, corner booth brute [Peyton Manning] thatoccasionally threatens to beat you up just for thesheer pleasure of it. Luckily, we might avoid himaltogether this year. It’s amazing how fast we sowillingly compromised on our tried-and-true standup to bullies theory for the sake of two possibly eas-ier wins. Though, at least the Texans can now claimto have played the stat-tastic Kerry Collins in twodifferent blue-ish uniforms. And now we can saywe managed to beat him up in our own house.

34-7 may have come by virtue of no Peyton, but Ichallenge you to tell that to a rocking and rollingReliant Stadium. Call it the purest form of sportscatharsis around, but is their anything better thanwatching those annoying horseshoe helmets scurryaway in shame?

From here, we can look with open and optimisticeyes towards the Dolphins and Saints. We alwaysbeat the Dolphins and at least the Saints lookedmortal against the Packers and, in the spirit of lifebeing a circle, a Dom Capers defense.With the guarded optimism that has made fans ofthe Texans famous, we actually look forward to thescary part of our schedule. Perhaps it’s becausewe’ve decided that there’s no need to MondayMorning Quarterback. More realistically, I suspectthat all those who root for the Texans have finallydecided that the fate we seemed to be resigned to infact belongs to someone else.

September 19, 2011San Jacinto Times • Around campus

8 DAYS A WEEK8 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, September 19• Mixed Martial Arts Meeting, 6 p.m., Gym

Tuesday, September 20• Tobacco: Reduce Your Cancer Risks,

10 a.m., Kaleidoscope Room

• Student Government Meeting, 1:30 p.m.,

4202

Wednesday, September 21• Music of Grant Terry, 11:30 a.m., Atrium

• African American Association Meeting,

12 p.m., 4202

Thursday, September 22• Phi Theta Kappa Induction Ceremony,

6 p.m., Banquet Room

Friday, September 23• No Scheduled Activities

Saturday, September 24• Low-Cost Rabies Vaccination Clinic,

9 a.m., 1114 & 1117

Sunday, September 25• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, September 26• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, September 19• Mason Rankin East West Art Exhibit,12:30 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery

Tuesday, September 20• Paint Club Night, 2:30 p.m., FAB 213

• Mason Rankin East West Art Exhibit,3 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery

Wednesday, September 21• Mason Rankin East West Art Exhibit,12:30 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery

• San Jac Night at the Pasadena Rodeo,

7 p.m., PSLR Fair Grounds

Thursday, September 22• Mason Rankin East West Art Exhibit,3 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery

Friday, September 23• Mason Rankin East West Art Exhibit,12:30 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery

Saturday, September 24• No Scheduled Activities


Monday, September 26• Artist Gallery Talk, 2:30 p.m., Fine Arts

Gallery

Monday, September 19• No Scheduled Activities

Tuesday, September 20• UH Main Recruiter, 10 a.m., NSTC Table

• Rotaract Club Meeting, 1 p.m., NSTC S215

Wednesday, September 21• Gator Slam, 10 a.m., Courtyard

• Special Speaker: Plundering Empire,

Pirates, and the Spanish Main, 9:30 a.m.,

NFAB 103

Thursday, September 22• Anime Club Meeting, 2 p.m., NTEC A1025

Friday, September 23• No Scheduled Activities

Saturday, September 24• No Scheduled Activities


Monday, September 26• UH Downtown Recruiter, 10 a.m.,

NSTC Table

N o r t h

S o u t h

C e n t r a l

EspanolEspanol

Lunes, Septiembre 19• Junta de Artes Marciales Mixtos, 6

p.m., Gym

Martes, Septiembre 20• Junta del Govierno estudiantil, 1:30

p.m., 4202

Miercoles, Septiembre 21• Musica de Grant Terry, 11:30 a.m.,

Atrium

Jueves, Septiembre 22• Ceremonia de induccion Phi Theta

Kappa, 6 p.m., Cuarto de Banquetes

Viernes, Septiembre 23• No hay actividades

Sabado, Septiembre 24• Clinica de Vacunas de rabia a bajo precio, 9

a.m., 1114 & 1117

Lunes, Septiembre 19• Mason Rankin East West exposicion de

arte, 12:30 p.m., Galleria de artes

Martes, Septiembre 20• Noche del Club de Pintar, 2:30 p.m.,

FAB 213

• Mason Rankin East West exposicion de

arte, 3 p.m., Galleria de artes

Miercoles, Septiembre 21• Mason Rankin East West exposicion de


• Noche de San Jac en el Rodeo de

Pasadena, 7 p.m., PSLR Fair Grounds

Jueves, Septiembre 22• Mason Rankin East West exposicion de

arte, 3 p.m., Galleria de artes

Viernes, Septiembre 23• Mason Rankin East West exposicion de


Sabado, Septiembre 24• No hay actividades

Domingo, Septiembre 25• No hay actividades

Lunes, Septiembre 26• Una conversacion de galleria de artis-

tas, 2:30 p.m., Galleria de arte

Lunes, Septiembre 19• No hay actividades

Martes, Septiembre 20• Reclutador de UH Main, 10 a.m, mesa

de NSTC

• Junta del club Rotaract, 1 p.m., NSTC

S215

Miercoles, Septiembre 21• Gator Slam, 10 a.m., Patio

• Orador especial: Plundering Empire,

Pirates, y el Spanish Main, 9:30 a.m.,

NFAB 103

Jueves, Septiembre 22• Junta del club de Anime, 2 p.m., NTEC

A1025

Viernes, Septiembre 23• No hay actividades

Sabado, Septiembre 24• No hay actividades

Domingo, Septiembre 25• No hay actividades

Lunes, Septiembre 26• Reclutador de UH Downtown, 10 a.m.,

NSTC Table

N o r t e

S u r

C e n t r a l

Lady Ravens representBY MIKE VASQUEZSan Jacinto Times

All eyes are on the Lady Ravens Volleyballteam after last year’s stellar season. The LadyRavens finished second in the nation last year withan over-all record of 29-10.The team goes into this season with a national

rank of No. 9 overall in the nation in the pre-seasonpoles.San Jacinto College returns two sophomores

from last year’s squad. NJCAAAll-Tournamentselection Jazmine Green and Rachel Tower areback to lead a team that includes three transfers and

several freshmen. Green was third on the team lastyear in kills per set (2.96) and service aces (33total). Tower averaged 1.45 kills per set and justunder .50 blocks per set last season. Expectationscouldn’t be any higher and keeping that bar sethigh is going to be a huge priority for coach,Sharon Nelson.After their wins against Lon Morris and Brooke

Haven the Lady Ravens currently sit at 9-2 for theseason and hope to keep the wins coming onSeptember 16 when they host the 50th AnniversaryTournament here at Central Campus. The spirits arehigh in the gym for what our team can do, and ourteam is starting to show signs of continuing tocarry on the winning tradition.

Annie comes to San JacBY ASHLEY CRUZSan Jacinto Times

Musical lovers get ready: San Jacinto Centralannounced that this Fall’s grand performance is thetreasured story of an optimistic orphan namedAnnie. Director of this show is Professor BrianHamlin, who is excited to direct this fun, familyfriendly show for the San Jacinto community.After reviewing many auditions, a cast of 65 peo-ple has been chosen. Of these 65, Hamlin has castAnnie to be played by San Jacinto’s very own SaraSmith. In addition he cast Ashley Hays as Mrs.Hannigan, Angie Warren as Grace, and MattTriesmyer as Daddy Warbucks. The entire team hasalready started getting to work by beginning theirstaging process. Hamlin says that once everyone

learns where to go and what to do it will much easi-er to polish leading to a great performance.Over these next three to four weeks, Hamlin willbe working with his crew of people to help make thisshow possible. While Richard Turner is in charge ofcostumes, Hamlin assists Curt Meyer with the setdesign and construction. Music director MichaelVaughn from Lee College will prepare this cast of 65people for a great performance.The show will be performed on October 7, 8, 14and 15 at 7:30pm as well as October 9 and 16 at2:30pm. Special school performances are editeddown in time for younger audiences enjoyment.These performances will be on October 13 at 9 a.m.and October 14 at 10 a.m. Be sure to bring your fam-ily and friends, you wont want to miss this classic.

SJC at Rodeo

BY MICHAEL DEATSSan Jacinto Times

San Jacinto College is hitting Facebook withSchools App, a safe way to interact with your cours-es online and reach other college students in class.The application runs separately from your newsfeedin the sense that it posts into your newsfeed but doesnot share your Schools App posts with your friends.

It’s a great way to make study groups online anddebate your curriculum with your peers. The appalso provides instructors with a means of answeringquestion and reminding students of assignment duedates in a private manner. Clubs and faculty organi-zations both will have the ability to champion theircauses in the new Schools App and provide easyadvertising and promotion for school events.

New Chief brings orderBY JACOB KESSINGERSan Jacinto Times

As of May 2011, San Jacinto College hasrevamped its security force with more officers, newmodes of transport, and an augmented duty rotation.Under the direction of police chief Jeffrey VanSlyke, San Jacinto College has added 15 full-timeofficers to the ranks of its police department. Alsoadded were new cars, bicycles, and golf carts inorder to increase mobility throughout San Jacinto'sthree campuses. These changes come as a result of areport drafted by the International Association ofCampus Law Enforcement in 2010. Chief Van Slykewas unable to provide the Times with a copy of thereport because, “it is an administrative working doc-ument, case sensitive, and a work-in-progress.”New ranks were also created in order to more effi-

ciently divide the work among officers. Previously,each campus staffed only one captain, one sergeant,and five officers. Also added are officers staffed forweekend and night shifts. As well as the newly mint-ed police chief, the ranks of Detective Sergeant,Assistant Chief, Sergeant of Training And CrimePrevention Coordinator, and Sergeant of TechSupport-Procurement and Evidence Manager, whichgave all officers a full-time position. Officers nowrotate every two hours between foot patrol, policecruiser, golf cart, and bicycle to maintain a compre-hensive security presence and to keep officers freshand alert.Crime is up across all three campuses; instances ofburglary, car theft, and assault have increased from2008 to 2010. The record number of students attend-ing San Jacinto College campuses this year willmost likely continue the trend. The increased securi-ty on campus may be necessary in order to ensure asafe and productive learning environment.The work performed by the campus policeinvolves more than just handing out tickets for traf-fic and parking violations. It also entails investigat-ing crimes and making arrests. Though hundreds oftickets are issued every year, hundreds moreinstances of services such as escorting students andemployees to their cars, unlocking vehicle doors,and assisting motorists are performed by campuspolice as part of their duty to the students andemployees of San Jacinto College. Chief Van Slykewould like students to know that officers are avail-able around the clock to provide security escorts toand from their vehicles if requested. An escort canbe arranged by calling campus police dispatch.

Pursuant to the service-oriented nature of campuspolice, Chief Van Slyke shares his view of the role ofcampus police with the new hires. Chief Van Slykesaid that he does not “condone a cuff 'em and stuff'em” mentality and believes that an “arrest shouldonly be made as a last resort.” Chief Van Slykeassured the Times that each new officer undergoesan “extensive interview process,” and is informed ofthe unique challenges that face campus police. As aDoctor of Education in Higher EducationAdministration and two-year director of public safe-ty at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.Chief Van Slyke is has experience with the issuesand challenges of securing an educational institu-tion.Crime is an unfortunate reality both on and offcampus. Though an enhanced security profile oncampus will help to combat crime related incidents,students should remain vigilant in order to preventthe No. 1 security issue on campus: theft. Laptops,notebooks, purses, and backpacks are all targets ofpetty theft and Chief Van Slyke advises students to“be aware of your surroundings.”Each student is a citizen on patrol or C.O.P.

Remember,” Chief Van Slyke echoes the San JacintoPolice Department motto, “cooperate and graduate.”

San Jac with school’s app

BY MICHAEL DEATSSan Jacinto Times

On Sept. 21 the San Jacinto College night at the Pasadenarodeo is taking place. Two dollars from every ticket sale willbe donated to San Jacinto College Foundation, with ticketscosting 15 dollars, tickets can be found on campus and at thedistrict office.Tickets are good for any night during the week of Sept. 16through the 24.Get your tickets while they last and have fun at the Pasadenarodeo.

Photo provided by San Jacinto College

New Chief Jeffrey Van Slyke

February 19, 2011San Jacinto Times • Jumps, etc

San Jacinto College Web site

This year, Texas Governor Rick Perry joins otheragencies to declare September 19, 2011 as SanJacinto College Day in honor of the College’sGolden Anniversary.All year long, SJC will incorporate the 50th

anniversary into many existing activities and wouldlove students to be part of it. A celebration willbegan today as “San Jacinto College Day,” There isgoing to be a board meeting and kick-off celebra-

tion at 7p.m. at Central, Monte Blue Music build-ing.Throughout the year, decades from the 60’s and

up will be celebrated and it’s important that you getmore information from our sub-committees of thedifferent dates and events happening right here atSan Jacinto Central Campus. Get involve and join,many activities that the college has plannedthroughout the year.

LOOKS GOODContinued from Page 1

By MICHAEL DEATSSan Jacinto Times

Each week, the Time will feature a different classoffered at San Jacinto.

A few days before school started, my classes werejust paid for, and I had just finished getting my text-books when I received a phone call. This call wasfrom Dr. David LeMaster.Dr. LeMaster had been searching for students to

fill his course Literature and Film and I was recom-mended for the class. Not really knowing what Iwas in for I signed up for the class.Expecting old creepy movies that were poorly

adapted from their novel counterparts, I coura-geously waltzed into the class while film clips fromStar Wars were playing on the screen and LeMasterwas lecturing on the many possibilities of film andthe archetypes represented. The class got really indepth from the very start. Repeatedly LeMasterstated, “The Director is God.”As with every course there are prerequisites, and

Literature and Film is no exception. Students arerequired to complete Composition one and two, andfor Honors students, you must maintain the stan-dard 3.25 GPA rating.Literature and Film currently has 3 instructors at

central campus; David LeMaster, Vicki Brown, andrecently added was the ever so clever Nick Wiess.English, History, and Art Majors can all benefitfrom this course as it will count as three credithours in humanities or even as an elective.

From Monty Python and the Holy Grail to AStreet Car Named Desire these fine instructorsguide you through the world of film, as it is adapt-ed from literature. As I am in LeMasters class I canpersonally say that silent films will be studied alongwith in-depth looks at Amadeus and The Grapes ofWrath. Students will also be using short stories andnovels to portray how they relate to current eventsor even how they are interpreted now.

Don’t expect the class to be all about moviewatching though. Research assignments will be duebefore too long and these movies are a lot morethan they seem. Clips will be shown in class toillustrate points during lecture hours and studentsare expected to read and to be able to verbally com-municate concepts and interpretations using animmense vocabulary that bridges the gap betweenthe words on the page and the picture on the screen.Most importantly though is the meaning behindboth. That is what you will learn to put together, asyou take a trip through time and view the historybehind the art you will study.

Lights, camera, Lit classWEATHERContinued from Page 1

People are already grasping at straws to savemoney in the economy that we are in right now,they do not need the drought on top of that to dry uptheir land and kill off their crops.As we have all been wondering about the wild-

fires, lack of water, the cattle, and our crops, onething that has yet to be discussed: How the humanhealth has has been during this drought. One con-cern that has been brought up is the rapid amount ofanimals catching rabies.A writer for the Texas Tribune, Ari Auber said,

“Statewide, 591 animal rabies cases were reportedduring the first six months of this year, compared to387 cases for the first six months of last year."Inthis time of drought, animals are searching for foodand water, which increases the likelihood of inter-acting with each other and then infecting each otherthrough bites," said DSHS spokeswoman CarrieWilliams.

Another concern is about our firefighters who areout there controlling all of these wildfires. There area lot of them who are suffering from heat exhaus-

tion while they are trying to keep the public safe.Paul Harrop from Newschannel 6 stated, “Three

Vernon Firefighters are recovering from heatexhaustion. They each became ill while fighting afire in Lockett Monday. Fire Officials say heat is onthe minds of fire crews, but at the front of thoughtis fighting flames.”Texas is losing cattle, crops, land, health, and

money during this drought. “The $5.2 billion inlosses estimated by the Texas Agrilife ExtensionService already exceeds the previous record of $4.1billion during the 2006 drought, and the drought isexpected to continue for months,” confirmed by theeditor of ThinkProgress Green at the Center forAmerican Progress Action Fund.The end result of the 2011 drought is still

unknown. Experts think that the only way it willend is through a storm, but we can all hope that itwill end without having to do any more damagethroughout the State.

COURSE FOCUS

DavidLeMaster,Professorat SanJacintoCollege.

Nation remembers years laterBy CATY CHRISTYSan Jacinto Times

This year marked the 10-year anniversary of theterrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The day will never beforgotten. Future generations will always know thebravery of the men and women who died that day,and those who've fallen since.

For the past several years construction has beenunderway in New York City to rebuild the TradeCenter. Along with the new buildings, a rathersecret memorial has been built. This year on Sept.11, two memorial pools were unveiled at groundzero. The pools lie in the very footprints of whereboth the North and South Towers stood.

As an added honor, the names of all 2,996 livesthat were lost that day have been permanentlyengraved on the walls of the fountains. There is nospecific order to which they were written, ratheralluding to the relationships between all of the livesthat were lost. The families and loved ones of thepeople who were lost were given the opportunity tosee the pools and the names thereon first.

These memorial pools, which have been aptlynamed Reflecting Absence, are sure to be a must-see for every American who ever visits New YorkCity in the future, lest we never forget those fallenfriends. Future generations will see this beautifulattraction and carry on the memory of that day.

Meanwhile, down here in the Houston andPasadena area, the day was remembered as well.Since 2007, the Travis Manion Foundation has beenhosting a Heroes Run on the anniversary of 9/11.Travis Manion was a United States Marine whodied in 2007 fighting for his country. His parents,Tom and Janet Manion, started the foundation to"honor the fallen by challenging the living."

Participating runners included Prairie ViewA&M Navy ROTC, a few U.S. Army veterans sta-tioned at Ellington, U.S. Marines from AlphaCompany and H&S Company running as a wholeplatoon, Houston Firefighters, Policemen, andcountless motivated civilians. Mayor Annise Parkersaid Houston's run had the largest attendance acrossthe nation.

The day began at 8:30 in the morning on Sundaywith a commencement ceremony to honor fallenheroes. There were motivational speakers alongwith the Color Guard of each military branch pre-senting their colors while the National Anthem rangloud and clear in the forefront. After the ceremonywas the 5K run. A sea of people traipsing the

grounds of Ellington field. The day ended withanother ceremony and celebration around 5:00 PM.

Among the runners was Private First Class,Joseph Gomez of the United States Marine Corps,H&S Company. The marines in H&S Company hadbeen participating in their monthly drill weekend; aweekend out in the field for training purposes.Since drill weekend landed on Sept. 11, their unitdecided to run as a whole platoon in honor of theirfallen brothers in arms.

"It was a truly motivating weekend," PFCGomez said.

MCT Campus

America remembered Sept. 11 with this memo-rial.

MCT Campus

Wildfires have been a problem in Texas due to dry conditions.

PEREZContinued from Page 1Perez was a member of the U.S under-17 national

team. “He also was a starter for FC Dallas soccerclub’s Development Academy,” said DanielRobertson, who runs a blog devoted to FC Dallas(Quote provided by the Houston Chronicle.). Perezwas a two-way midfielder and was “very goodoffensively and very good defensively,” StatedRobertson. Perez recently graduated high school inMay from Keys Learning Center in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district. His formerPrincipal told the Chronicle that Perez was “charm-ing, wonderful, [and] a great student.”“He was determined to be a soccer player.”

Principal Jacoby said. Everyone who knew JosePerez knew that one day he was going to make itbig in the soccer world.”

“A rising star on our soccer team…” ChancellorDr. Brenda Hellyer said in a statement emailed tothe San Jacinto College Community. She also stat-ed that Coach Santesteban was having a “hardtime” because Perez “chose San Jacinto college”

over many other offers.“This morning we lost a friend,” Santesteban

added. “ Our hearts and prayers go out to his fami-ly and loved ones. We are all devastated by thisaccident.”The coach then went on to say, “we will carry the

torch of Jose and this year will be in honor of him.”Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and

loved ones. San Jacinto has prepared college offi-cials to deal with this kind of situation and they willbe on hand at the South Campus to help studentscope with this tragedy.

Photo courtesy of Sanjac.edu

Perez on the field he loved.


Entertainment/Reviews

By GREG STARKSSan Jacinto Times

Sept. 19Agnostic Front, The Mongoloids, The Horrors, The Stepkids-FitzgeraldsKaiser Chiefs-House Of BluesMuhammadali, Cop Warmth, Shakes-Mangos

Sept. 20Seth Walker-McGonigel’s Mucky DuckThe Fox Derby, Lighthouse Music, Lound Valley, Neptunes Explode-Super Happy Fun-landBoyce Avenue-FitzgeraldsKip Winger-House Of BluesB.M.C. of Swishahouse-Mangos10 Years-Hurrican Harry’s

Sept. 21That 1 Guy, Pogo-Stereo LiveBrandon Rhyder, Scooter Brown Band-Blue Moose LodgeGlen Campbell-The Stafford Centre

Sept. 22Neon Indian, Com Truise-FitzgeraldsAtmosphere, Blueprint,Evidence-House Of BluesGet Scared, Dr. Acula, Girl On Fire,-Warehouse Live(studio)Swishahouse Crew-Warehouse Live(ballroom)

Sept. 23Indian Jewelry, The Watermarks, Tense, Searching For Signal-FitzgeraldsWeird Al Yankovic-Verizon Wireless TheaterHanson(haha!)-Warehouse LivePaul Van Dyk-Stereo LiveDeiselboy-Rich’sDef Leopard, Heart-Cynthia Woods Mitchel Pavilion

Sept. 24Mix Master Mike-FitzgeraldsQueensryche, Windowpane-House Of BluesPeachcake, A Room In The Body-Super Happy Fun-landMatt Nathanson, Maroon 5, Train-Cynthia Woods Mitchel PavilionAlien Ant Farm-Scout BarThe Aggrolites, Peelander-Z-Warehouse LiveRandy Travis-Houston Arena TheaterAmerican Fangs-Fitzgeralds

Sept. 25Journey, Night Ranger, Foreigner-Cynthia Woods Mitchel Pavilion


Battles is an experimental progressive rock bandfounded in New York in 2002, and they are defi-nitely the best band you have never heard of(if youhave, well done). They are kind of a super-groupso-to-speak.The members are from other fairly well known

acts, such as Lynx and Helmet as well as some notso well-known acts such as Don Caballero andStorm & Stress, all worth lending an ear to. GlossDrop is Battles first release since loosing front-manTyondai Braxton to his own solo devices, but theyare not weaker because of it. The energy on GlossDrop is amazing, a pulsing whirlwind of loopingguitars and booming drums. The album has a veryunique sound exclusive to Battles. The feel is like amix of a house party and an island luau performedby a rock band with tons of guitar effects and loopstations. While most of the songs are instrumental,some vocals are provided by guest appearances

from 80’s music God Gary Numan, BlondeRedhead’s Kazu Makino, and Japanese visual artistand vocalist Yamantaka Eye. The guests all lend anecessary cog to the gears that make Gloss Dropsuch an amazing record. I was very skeptical aboutthis album prior to pressing play; I realize now thatthe remaining members are still going strong andmaking some of the best new music that is out theretoday.They all have such massive amounts of talent in

what they do, and that comes through the speakerswith amazing clarity. Battles have establishedthemselves as the purveyors of cutting edge pro-gressive rock. I usually pick a couple of songs thatstand out to me as a starting point for a listener, butwith Gloss Drop they all stand out. I recommendthat you acquire this as fast as possible, as well astheir previous album Mirrored. If there was a gradethat existed higher than an A+, they would get it.Since there isn’t, an A+ is what they get, but I feelcompelled to add a few extra +’s there on the end.So A+++ it is.

Gloss drop by Battles A+


Pop-Punk quintet Taking Back Sunday has beenreleasing music for over a decade now and tearingup the US billboard and Indie charts since their firstfull-length album Tell All Your Friends wasreleased in 2002. Every one of their records hascharted in the top 20 on either the Billboard 200 orthe US Independent charts. This is their eponymousrelease(that means self-titled), and I feel that it is anappropriate decision to “self-title” this record.It seems to be what they were striving toward all

these years. A blend of pounding drums and drivingguitar melodies with some lighter almost prettysounding interludes. T.B.S does a really good job atkeeping poppy and staying punk at the same time.Although I would never describe their music aseither of the two, I suppose those are words solelygenerated from the genre. They are also describedas Emo-rock. While I detest the word “emo”, I

think that might be closer to what they actually are.The lyrics are layered with confessions of intenseemotions and belted out of Adam Lazzara quiteaccordingly. Taking Back Sunday is a great album,it is a really active listen. If you were to just put iton in the background I feel a lot would be lost. Theguitars and bass put on a rock clinic. If you were toever write a pop punk album, this should be on theinspirational albums list.The energy is so intense on Taking Back Sunday,

it makes me want to explode on some songs, andget introspective on others. My foot hasn't stoppedtapping since the album started, but I'm pretty sureit is like that with all five of their records. T.B.S isdefinitely a zenith of this generations poppy emo-rock. They have proven that even after a decade,they are still more rockin' than ever. This albumdefinitely gets an A. I love Taking Back Sundayand I suggest that you fill your ears with it as soonas you can. Trust me, they'll thank you for it(yourears that is, not T.B.S, they don't care what you do).

Taking Back Sunday

Local concert calendar

By KRISTINA TAYLORSan Jacinto Times

Horrible Bosses came to theatres on Friday, July8 and in my opinion is the best comedy I have seenin awhile. I have seen many previews for moviesthat make the movie seem really good and then leftdisappointed after seeing the film. This was not thecase for Horrible Bosses; after seeing the preview,I knew I wanted to see the film and it definitely didnot leave me disappointed.Directed by Seth Gordon, Produced by Brett

Ratner and Jay Stern and Written by MichaelMarkowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan M.Goldstein. The three main characters in this filmare Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis),and Dale (Charlie Day); they are best friends in thefilm and all have one thing in common, they hatetheir bosses. Kurt is the only one at first who doesnot hate his boss or job but unfortunately his bossdies, leaving the company to his son, Bobby Pellitt(Colin Farrell), who does not care about the com-pany at all and is rather humorously addicted tococaine. Nick’s boss, Mr. Harken (Kevin Spacey),makes him believe that he is going to get the bigpromotion as long as he can show he deserves it bydoing over the top things for his boss. Instead, Mr.Harken gives the promotion to himself after mis-leading him. Dale’s boss, Dr. Julia Harris (JenniferAniston), sexually harasses Dale knowing he isengaged and is not interested at all. She threatens totell his fiancée that he is sleeping with her when infact he is innocent. They eventually come up withthe idea to kill their bosses but they know they arenot smart enough to do it themselves. So, they try

to hire an ex-con (Jamie Foxx), to do the dirty workfor them. The actual name of Foxx’s character isalone worth the cost of a ticket.There are five top films that Seth Gordon has

been a part of that he is known for, one of thembeing Horrible Bosses. One of the four movies hedid not direct, he was the producer. According toRottentomatoes.com, on the “T-meter” it wasranked 70 percent fresh and 77 percent of the audi-ence liked it.Every week since it has been released, which was

two and a half months ago, it has ranked in the top50 box office. The weekend gross was 9.9 milliondollars and the total gross was 114.9 million dol-lars. On Fandango.com, most of the fan reviewshad good things to say and said it was a must gosee. Of course people are going to have their ownopinions and may think it could have been better.Rolling Stone Reviews review on the movie byPeter Travers says, that it was funny but wishingthat it could have been funnier.They comment on how good the actors were in

this film but the writers could have written it better,saying they wrote a “timid script.” Although, StevePersall of the St. Petersburg Times has a differentopinion on the movie, He refers to this film as “thebest adults-only comedy of 2011.”

Fans of comedy, this is a must see movie all theway. I have seen The Hangover 2 and Due Daterecently, I liked them both but this film is even bet-ter. The writers of Horrible Bosses need to writemore like this and the actors definitely succeededthe roles that were presented to them. For thosewho did not get the chance to see it in theaters, themovie comes out on DVD Oct. 8, 2011.

Movie Review: Horrible BossesGoogle Images

Google Images

Google Images

Horrible Bosses will be out on DVD soon and is worth a look.


Entertainment

NNEEEEDD AA PPAARRKKIINNGGPPEERRMMIITT??

Beginning July 26, 2011 2011-2012 permits available at the

Business Office ONLY

Here’s what you need to get your free permit:• Students – San Jac picture ID, San Jac ID (G00#), and vehicle license plate number

• San Jac Employees – San Jac picture ID, San Jac ID (G00#), and the contact information for your department (extension, building, office number, etc.)

• Contract Employees – Company Name or Department, Your Name, social security, driver’s license or state ID number, and the contact information for your company or department (extension, building, office number, etc.)

• Motorcycle – San Jac picture ID, San Jac ID (G00#), and vehicle license plate number

• Special/Handicap – State issued driver’s license, San Jac ID (G00#), vehicle license plate number, and appropriate documentation (handicap placard, doctor’s note, etc.)

• Temporary (rental, new vehicle) – San Jac picture ID, San Jac ID (G00#), and vehicle license plate number or temporary plate number.

Business Office Hours: M-Th- 8:00am-7:00pm, F-8:00am-4:30pm

By MIRANDA JENKINSSan Jacinto Times

The MTV Video Music Awards premiered onAugust 28 with Lady Gaga slated to open the show.Yet when the show began, some pompadour sport-ing, cigarette-smoking greaser greeted the audienceinstead. The Danny Zuko impersonator was in factLady Gaga dressed in drag as her new alter ego, JoCalderone. Jo recited a lengthy monologue in which he dis-

cussed the break up between Lady Gaga and himself,before belting into an energetic performance of LadyGaga’s latest single “You and I” which involved atroupe of Jo Calderone look-alike back up dancersand Jo spraying the audience with beer. Lady Gaga did not emerge after the performance as

was expected and instead chose to stay in characterthe entire night. She reportedly used the men’s bath-room, puffed on a cigarette, and hit on women,including Britney Spears, whom she awkwardlyattempted to kiss after presenting Britney with anaward. Jo first appeared on the cover for Lady Gaga’s

recent single, “You and I” and made a second appear-ance in the You and I music video playing the role ofLady Gaga’s boyfriend. The reasoning behind intro-ducing this time warped persona is difficult to comeby, as Jo Calderone only briefly discusses himselfand instead speaks primarily of Lady Gaga. Whilewalking the VMA red carpet, Jo Calderone offered abrief description of his background explaining, “I amfrom New Jersey. My family is from Palermo, Sicilyand I’m not a singer or a model or an actor or any-thing. I am just a guy.” Lady Gaga’s new gimmick is being viewed by

many as performance art and the LBGT communityis especially pleased with her new persona as it shedsvisibility on FTM transgenders. Yet, judging fromthe evidence shown at the VMA’s, Jo actually seemsto be a character designed to feed Gaga’s own ego. Jodoes not appear to be a fully fleshed out character. Hewas given a weak background, which was onlybriefly mentioned and then spent the rest of the nightdiscussing his and Lady Gaga’s love affair. He alsodoes not seem to have a particular message to spreadother than sentiments of acceptance and individuali-ty identical to that of which Gaga herself always dis-penses. It makes one wonder why she feels the needto create an alter ego whom merely repeats idealsthat she can less confusingly deliver as herself. Itgives the impression that this creation is only a halfthought, poorly executed idea and that Gaga simplysaid to herself one morning, “I think I’ll dress up likemy imaginary boyfriend today.” Although many are congratulating Lady Gaga for

the bravery and originality she displayed at the

VMA’s Gaga is not the first celebrity to introduce analter ego. In 1999 country singer Garth Brooks intro-duced his edgy counterpart Chris Gaines in anattempt to safely stray from country music andbranch out into the rock genre. A movie written aboutthe fictional character, titled The Lamb was in pre-production at the time and Brooks released the albumIn The Life of Chris Gaines as a prequel soundtrackto the motion picture. Chris Gaines was given a lengthy and unique back-

ground. He was an Australian pop singer who suf-fered through a serious car accident causing him toseek plastic surgery. He toured for a few years with aband called Crush and experienced the death of aband mate. In the Life of Chris Gaines was estab-lished to cover a twenty-five year span during ChrisGaines life. Chris was a well-developed character,yet once put into execution reception was mixed. Thealbum did moderately well and managed to snagthree Billboard charting singles, but fans were con-fused. Was it supposed to be taken seriously? Whyexactly was Garth Brooks pretending to be an edgyAustralian pop star? Production of the movie came toa halt and Brooks retired the Chris Gaines charactershortly after. In 2008, Beyoncé received a much warmer

response from fans after introducing her alter egoSasha Fierce. The album I Am…Sasha Fiercedebuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chartand sold 482,000 copies in its first week of release.The album was released as a dual disc set to furthershowcase the two personalities Beyoncé hoped topresent her fans. The first disc contained slow tempo ballads meant

to symbolize Beyoncé’s love of soulful R&B songs,while the second disc held electro inspired eurodance songs that better represented the character ofSasha Fierce. This might be the reason Beyoncé’spersona was better received than Garth Brooks.Beyoncé refrained from submerging herself fullyinto the character of Sasha Fierce, making it clearthat Sasha was simply a facet of her personality andthat she was in fact not pretending to be an entirelydifferent person. Will Jo Calderone fare better than Chris Gaines or

become as popular as Sasha Fierce? It might be toosoon to tell. Reviews of Jo Calderone have beenmixed at most. Jo was met by a bewildered andsomewhat annoyed audience at the VMA’s and crit-ics have accused Gaga of unoriginality and show-boating. Lady Gaga may need to pull in the reins onJo a bit, and proceed gingerly down the path SashaFierce so recently blazed, by explaining JoCalderone’s origins and most importantly his pur-pose. Perhaps then, the question of whether JoCalderone is merely another publicity stunt will beanswered.

Lady GaGa goes different as Jo Calderone at VMA’s

Google images

Image courtesy of MCT Campus

Gaga as Jo Calderone pontificates life as a man

September 19, 2011San Jacinto Times • Around campus

Signs, signs, everywhere a signNew signage, construction mark Fall semester

San Jacinto college has been infused with many new signs thatbetter illustrate the buildings around campus. New students arenow treated to visual aides akin to those that you find at thelocal mall. Soon an impressive new building will arise from theconstruction.

Photos by Harrison Lee

San Jac adds some nifty new signs

New construction paves the way for a better San Jac tomorrow.


Visit our website right now by using your smartphone QR code reader.

www.uhcl.edu/U4U (281) 283-2515Register Today!

Saturday, October 19a.m. to 1 p.m.

Student Services and Classroom BuildingFall Open HouseUniversity of Houston-Clear Lake 2011

On-the-Spot admission decisions!* • No application fee during Open House** • Meet our instructors • More than 80 program options – �nd yours here!

• Visit our Financial Aid Headquarters • Tour the campus

If you require special accommodations for any condition or disability please call (281) 283-2515 by September 23.

*With transcripts (which will not be returned) and required test scores; MHA/MBA, MHA, Professional Psychology, Counseling, Doctorate Educational Leadership and international students are not eligible for on-the-spot admissions.

**�e $35 application fee will not be assessed for students who submit an application for admissions during Open House. International students will have$35 deducted from their $75 application fee.

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