By Ariana StevensCity Times

The sound of construc-tion continues to batter on as people weave their way through campus.

2011 has been the biggest construction year for City Col-lege since construction began in 2008. As a result the con-

struction areas have seen vast improvements. The Arts and Humanities, and the Business Technology buildings broke ground in Feb. 2010; a com-puterized picture being the only idea of what was to come. Now, looking over the same area, the buildings, which are scheduled to be completed by Jan. 2013, have begun to take form as construction contin-nues.

The future of City Col-lege lies within the half-done buildings being worked on around the campus. The Arts and Humanities, and the Busi-

ness Technology buildings will include many amenities including: new classrooms, computer labs, a theatre, and two lecture halls — one for each building respectively.

The buildings are also on their way to receiving a Lead-ership in Energy and Environ-mental Design, LEED, Gold Certification by the United States Green Building Coun-cil.

The LEED Gold Certifica-tion was also awarded to the Career Technology Center ,CTC, earlier this year.

Terrence Burgess, City

College President, was quoted in a San Diego Com-munity College District Press Release saying, “We have a commitment that all of our new buildings will qualify for LEED certification ....” How-ever, these buildings aren’t the only ones that have been undergoing major changes recently.

The Math and Social Sci-ence building has seen the most change.

The building, which is also scheduled to be completed in 2013, added two more levels to the concrete structure this

summer. “The construction team

is quickly approaching the completion of the (Math and Social Science’s) concrete structure, and from there, they will begin the interior construction of the building,” Tom Fine, campus project manager, said in an email.

The Central Plant, which will provide heating and air conditioning to the buildings on campus, was completed over the summer and is now gearing up to install the equipment necessary to do its future job.

While all of these new buildings are taking form, others are just beginning. The Science building was bid over the summer and is currently only four weeks away from breaking ground.

The remodeling of many other buildings on campus including the A, T, D, M, and C buildings is also in the works for coming years, as well as a new Child Develop-ment Center after all of these remodels are finished.

The new estimated time of completion for the entire con-struction project is early 2017.

PARKING WOESAvoid parking fines PAGE 2

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CITY TIMESCITY TIMES

August 30, 2011Volume 66, Number 1Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945

By Kevin StroverCity Times

An activist was struck in the face in the free speech section of Gorton Quad on Aug. 23 after interfering with a petition circulator who was collecting signatures.

According to Campus Police,

Sgt. Jordan Mirakian, there was a dispute at approximately 10:45 a.m. that led to an arrest for battery.

City College dispatch received a call about a disturbance between two individuals in front of the Learn-ing Research Center. Officers

Several cranes are being operated to continue the construction projects at City College on Aug. 24. Construction projects are planned to be completed by 2017. Troy Bryant Orem, City Times

Building up higher education

Structures begin to take form as a new semester begins

By Cecilia AretaCity Times

“All fees are subject to change,” states the San Diego City College website in bright red, bold letters.

Students know that statement all too well, thanks to the recent $10 per unit increase. The increase makes student fees 28 percent higher than Spring semester and is the second increase in under three years.

The entire district is facing a $400 million budget cut. Raising tuition from $26 to $36 per unit is just one of the adjustments that the district had to make.

Even with the tuition at Califor-nia community colleges increasing to $36 a unit, the cost of classes is still less than the national average

of $1,080. California community college tuition still remains the lowest in the nation, according to a national tuition survey conducted in March 2010.

According to the study posted on www.capoliticalnews.com, during the 2009-2010 semesters, a student taking 15 units at a Califor-nia community college would pay an average of $780, which included textbooks and other fees. The national average for community colleges was $3,029.

The cost of living in San Diego is significantly higher than other areas of the nation, making the $10 increase per unit a strain on students. According to the Depart-ment of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics the western United States’ cost of living is 13.5 percent above the national average.

For full-time students who work, the high cost of living is always a struggle to handle.

“I have no one providing for me, except me,” said student Laura M. Martinez. “I have a full time job and

I’m sad to say that school comes second.”

In addition to the fee increase fewer courses are being offered, making schedules harder to arrange.

“It’s going to take me way longer to get the classes I need to trans-fer…It’s harder to get the schedule I need,” Martinez said.

“The raise of tuition to $36 a unit does make a big difference,” said student Bree Junghans. “I have to save a lot more just to go to school. Community college is way cheaper than paying tuition at a CSU or UC, but increases are all around.”

In a statement on City College’s website, the President of San Diego City College, Terrence J. Burgess addressed students saying, “With increasing economic challenges impinging on education, City Col-lege is working hard to accommo-date your busy work and family schedules. We offer more than 100 majors, 100 certificate programs and 1,500 classes each semester, many online.”

Student life under a budgetFee increases and less classes pushes back academic schedules

FOLLOW US @SDCityTimes

Petitioning leads to arrest

Tina Fletcher (left) a representative from the AFT Guild attempts to dissuade a City student (right) from signing a pettition on August 25. Paulina Aguilar, City Times

See Arrest, page 3

www.sdcitytimes.com | August 30, 20112

TAKE NOTE

n Aug. 29, MondayClub Rush begins, continues through Sept. 1

n Aug. 31, Wednesday Auditions for Smokey Joe’s Café Saville Theatre, 6 p.m.

n Sept. 2, FridayLast day to recieve and pay for add codes.by 11:45 p.m.

n Sept. 2, FridayDeadline for drop without ‘ W ‘by 11:45 p.m.

n Sept. 5, MondayLabor Day, no school.

n Sept 6, TuesdayDeadline to drop and be eligible for refund.

n Sept. 6, Tuesday Parking permit enforcement begins.

n Sept. 10, Saturday Jazz 88.3 Music and Art Festi-val, Ocean Beach 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

n Sept. 12, Monday Academic Senate meeting Room D121A , 2:30 p.m.

Compiled by Troy OremGet your event in the paper. Email us at

citytimes@gmail.com or call 619-388-3880

n Sept. 2, FridayM. Soccer Vs. Longbeach -1 p.m.W. Soccer vs. Golden West - 4 p.m.W. Volleyball at Mt. San Jacinto - 5 p.m.

n Sept. 6, TuesdayM. Soccer vs. Canyons - 1 p.m.W. Soccer vs. L.A. Valley - 4 p.m. n Sept. 7, WednesdayW. Volleyball at Santa Ana - 5 p.m.

n Sept. 9, FridayW. Cross Country at Palomar Invite - 12 p.m.M. Cross Country at Palomar Intite (Gua-jome Park) - 4 p.m.M. Soccer at Long Beach - 4:15 p.m. W. Soccer at Saddleback - 3 p.m.

n Sept. 10, SaturdayW. Volleyball Cuyamaca Tournament all day

Compiled by Troy OremSubmit events to citytimes@gmail.com or call (619) 388-3880

CAlENdAr

SpOrTS liNEup

Parkingproblems persist

By Joseph Stremlau and Michael WheelerCity Times

Although student per-mits are not required to be displayed until Sept. 6, the parking situation has become a hassle for students in the Career Technology Center and other lots due to construc-tion and parking conflicts.

The school district offers parking permits for $35 and allows discounts for those who carpool or require finan-cial assistance.

Daily and hourly permits are also available at the CTC parking structure.

Around campus privately owned parking lots offer monthly parking spaces rang-ing from $50-$75 a month.

Even though the CTC

parking structure on 16th Street provides parking only for those who purchase these permits, many drivers are becoming frustrated trying to find an empty stall.

Tommy, a parking services attendant at City College says there are approximately 975 spaces available to those who purchased parking permits.

The CTC garage itself houses 565 of these stalls.

“Parking here was a b****. It took me half an hour to find a spot today.” said student James Civil.

Another student felt she was “robbed of her money to pay for a permit and not be guaranteed a spot.”

With continued construc-tion around the school, the parking conflicts will not be immediately resolved.

Four of the ten parking lots are closed this semester due to the construction which is scheduled to continue until 2017.

Non-compliance with parking regulations will cost offenders a fine.

Fines range from $38 for not having a permit dis-played and up to $443 for

parking in a disabled park-ing zone without identifica-tion. Students may find some relief by taking public trans-portation like the bus or trol-ley located at Park Blvd. and Broadway.

Parking permits are avail-able at the campus police sta-tion located in room V-100.

They are also available at a

substation located in the caf-eteria for the first two weeks of the semester.

Non-payment of parking fines can result in parking privileges being suspended and a hold being placed on the student’s account.

To get more information about parking and citations at City College please call park-

ing services at (619) 388-6515. You may also visit www.

sdcity.edu/parking to obtain a detailed list of fines and cita-tions, along with up to date information on parking lot status.

The CTC garage is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is closed on weekends and holi-days.

Jeremy Sanderson, 32, a construction worker, tears apart the parking lot located behind the T building on campus on Aug. 25. Construction in that area is put in a new sewer line. Joseph Stremlau, City Times

Construction continues to disrupt the flow of traffic on campus

VOICEAugust 30, 2011 | www.sdcitytimes.com

3

City Times is published twice monthly during the semester. Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, City College administration, faculty and staff or the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.

District policy statement | This publication is produced as a learning experience under a San Diego Community College District instructional program. All materials, including opinions expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the students and should not be interpreted to be those of the college district, its officers or employees.

Letters to the editor | Letters to the Editor are welcome, 350 words or less. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation and length.

Memberships | Journalism Association of Community Colleges,California College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association

Journalism Program | www.sdcity.edu/journalismRoman S. Koenig, associate professor, journalism and mass communication

How to reach us:City TimesSan Diego City College1313 Park Blvd.San Diego, CA 92101Newsroom: T-316

Published as:The Jay Sees | 1945-1949Fortknightly | 1949-1978City Times | 1978-Incorporating the newspapersTecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks

CITYTIMES

Volume 66, Number 1August 30, 2011

www.sdcitytimes.com

Phone: (619) 388-3880Fax: (619) 388-3814E-mail: citytimes@gmail.com

Anulak SingphiphatEditor-in-Chief

Fernando YatesOnline Editor

Troy Bryant OremPhoto Editor

Aida Bustos-GarciaJournalism Adviser

City Times StaffPaulina Aguilar, Cecilia V Areta , Sara Calsadillas , Lena Evans, Ann Feister, Sandra Galindo, Rachel Landrum, Jennifer Manalili, Bliss Mellen-Ross, Nicholas Preston, Francesca Rodrigues, Pablo Rojo, Joreal Ross, Daniela Solano, Amanda Santomi, Nico Smedley, Joseph Stremlao, Ariana Stevens, Lashekita Sutton, Kyle Ward, Robert Whaley, Michael Wheeler, Tiana Willein, Malasia Yancey

VOX POPULI

How has the tuition increase affected your academic career?

Question by Megan Rose BartellPhotos by Troy Bryant Orem

By By Michael Green-stone and Adam LooneyMCT Campus

The 3 million Americans who graduated from high school last spring have had to grapple with a big deci-sion: whether to continue with their educations this fall. In today’s economic cli-mate, a growing number of families are questioning the value of higher education. Will an investment in college pay off? Or will it simply be a high-cost ticket to the ranks of the unemployed?

We’ve just completed a study that draws on a variety of data to help answer those questions, and our research suggests that college is not only worth it; it’s probably going to be the best invest-ment a person makes in a lifetime. Even though the cost of tuition, room, board and lost wages is substan-tial, and even though the job market remains tough even for college graduates, the evidence is unequivocal: Those with college degrees, on average, earn far more than those without them.

First, we looked at what we call the Class of the Great

Recession _ those young adults who graduated from college during the last three years. The results surprised us. We’ve all seen the head-lines about how difficult it is for new graduates to find work in these tough eco-nomic times. But almost 90 percent of these young college graduates were employed in 2010, compared with only 64 percent of their peers who did not attend college but went straight on to look for work. Even more astounding, the col-lege graduates are making, on average, almost double the annual earnings of those with only a high school diploma. And this advantage is likely to stick with them over a lifetime of work. For example, at age 50 a col-lege graduate earns about $46,500 more per year than the average person with only a high school diploma.

A second way we assessed the value of higher education was to compare the rate of return for the investment in a college degree against other possible investment vehicles. By any measure, a college degree is a big invest-ment that requires a lot of

upfront time and money. When you add up the costs of tuition, books and fees, as well as the loss of earnings from going to school rather than working, the average cost of a four-year degree is about $102,000. Of course, this is an average; some schools cost far more, while others cost less.

Let’s assume that you’re a high school graduate and you have $102,000 to invest in your future. Is college your best bet? Or would you be better off putting the money into an alternative invest-ment, like stocks or bonds, and earning the salary of a typical high school graduate over your lifetime?

By any financial mea-sure, the investment in a col-lege degree is the winning choice, with a rate of return of a whopping 15.2 percent a year on the $102,000 invest-ment for those who earn the average salary for college graduates. This is more than double the average rate of return in the stock market during the last 60 years (6.8 percent), and more than five times the return to invest-ments in corporate bonds (2.9 percent), gold (2.3 per-

cent) long-term government bonds (2.2 percent) or hous-ing (0.4 percent).

This high rate of return translates into large differ-ences in earnings. Over a lifetime, the average col-lege graduate earns roughly $570,000 more than the aver-age person with only a high school diploma.

In addition, statistics show that college graduates on average live longer lives than high school graduates and tend to have higher job satisfaction.

Some high school stu-dents may be reluctant to choose the college path because they believe their experiences will be differ-ent and these benefits won’t apply to them. But economic research concludes that many more students would gain from college than cur-rently opt to attend.

We live in difficult eco-nomic times filled with chal-lenging financial trade-offs. There is no guarantee with regard to any investment, but the evidence on educa-tion is clear: The more edu-cation you obtain, the better off your job prospects and future earnings.

College: Expensive, but a smart choice

Sean Brown, 22Undecided/Transfer

“It made it harder to take more classes because it’s more expensive. It’s kinda hard.”

Daniel Caldera, 19Chemistry

“It’s discouraging. I think it’s doable, but I wish it didn’t increase in the first place.”

Liliana Burke, 25Anthropology/Photo Journalism

“Not at all, my college is paid for. I was able to get a grant through FAFSA.”

Rosa Jijon, 22Graphic Design

“It is harder for me to take classes. I used to take four and now I take two because I have to pay for my own classes.”

detained the individual who was positively identi-fied as the suspect accused of striking the other indi-vidual.

A subsequent investiga-tion revealed that the suspect was gathering signatures from students on campus and the victim was attempting to interfere with the signature gathering.

At some point the suspect struck the victim in the face with an open palm and fled the area.

The suspect was arrested for battery on school grounds, issued a citation and released.

Andrew Chacon, a peti-tion circulator affiliated with

the organization Petitioning for Progression, describes his part in petition circulat-ing as gathering support for ballots. According to Chacon the pay for each signature can range from 70 cents to $5.

The victim is affiliated with The American Federation of Teachers Guild.

According to AFT’s web-site members have been working to combat the decep-tive signature gatherers in the city of San Diego and the state of California.

AFT claims to have seen the use of fake petitions and lies about ballot measures.

“We always encourage the public to avoid confrontation or inference with any individ-ual off or on campus,” Mara-kian said.

ArrestContinued from Page 1

Sudoku

www.sdcitytimes.com | August 30, 20114

Arts | News

‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’ coming soon to City

By Robert WhaleyCity Times

The San Diego City Col-lege theater department is producing the musical revue “Smokey Joe’s Café”.

“Smokey Joe’s Cafe” is a musical showcase of up to 39 hit songs written by the songwriting team Mike Stoller and the recently deceased Jerry Lieber.

“The songs of Leiber and Stoller are perfect material for the stage, each song is a storyline with clas-sic themes of love won, lost and imagined, (and they) dovetail with humorous set-pieces and slice-of-life cameos perfectly,” said the Executive Director June E. Richards.

Stoller and Lieber wrote such songs as: “Stand By Me,” “On Broadway,” “Kansas City,” “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.”

The Musical Revue includes song and dance pieces and opens Oct. 28 and runs through Nov. 13.

The revue shows each Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and on Sundays at 2 p.m.

Admission prices are $15 for general admission and $10 for student, senior, and military personnel.

Richards has already hosted the first day of audi-tions August 29, the second day of auditions will be held Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Sav-ille Theatre.

Richards said those wishing to audition should be prepared to sing and an accompanist will be pro-vided.

Those auditioning don’t have to be a current stu-dent, but will need to enroll in the production courses Dramatic Arts 250 or 251 once they are cast.

The courses range from one to four units each and are held during rehearsal Monday, Wednesday and Thursday’s from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Saville Theatre.

For more information email Richards at jurichar@sdccd.edu.

By Calvin WilsonMCT Campus

Director Jesse Peretz had an appropriate col-laborator on his latest film, “Our Idiot Brother” — his sister, Evgenia Peretz.

Along with her husband, David Schisgall, they came up with the story about a nonconformist and his three sisters.

As to whether the comedy-drama, which stars Paul Rudd and opened Aug. 26, is in any way autobiographical — well, yes and no.

“Yeah, I’m the idiot brother,” Peretz said with a laugh. “In the sense that everybody who is a brother is an idiot at one point or another. And there’s little bits of autobi-ography all over the place.”

Just as one of the charac-ters in the film, Miranda, is a writer for Vanity Fair, so is Evgenia Peretz.

But she and Jesse have no other siblings. Their father is New Republic columnist and former editor Martin Peretz.

Having a sister on the inside at the posh Vanity Fair proved to be a lucky break, said Jesse Peretz, whose other films include “First Love, Last Rites” (1997), “The Chateau” (2001) and “The Ex” (2006).

“On a tight budget, we were looking for a high-end magazine office location for the movie, and we weren’t finding stuff that was nice enough,” he said. “In our origi-nal script, Miranda was a fash-ion writer for W magazine.

But W didn’t want to take

credit or responsibility for the character. Then we tried Elle” — which didn’t work out, either.

“So we inquired about whether Vanity Fair would be willing to let us shoot there, if we kept it kind of discreet and our footprint kind of small.”

Graydon Carter, the magazine’s editor, agreed to filming on the condition that Miranda’s ethics were brought in line with journal-istic standards, Peretz said.

“Our Idiot Brother” traces the social evolution of Ned (Rudd), an extremely laid-back fellow who might remind some moviegoers of the Dude from the Coen Brothers classic “The Big Lebowski.” Ned takes people at their word and expects them to deal with him hon-estly — an approach to life that prompts various levels of disdain from his sisters Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) and Liz (Emily Mortimer).

Although the publicity for the film emphasizes its

goofier aspects, it actually has quite a lot to say about the clash of values in modern America — from the urge to go back to the land to the imperative to chase the dollar — and how dealing with that reality can be at once exhila-rating and exasperating. It’s also about the struggle to find a place for yourself without sacrificing your individuality.

“Our Idiot Brother” is Peretz’s second collabora-tion with Rudd, whom he met through a mutual friend, actor Donal Logue. Rudd starred in “The Chateau,” which was an improvised comedy set in France.

“We just had such a good time making that movie, and it made me want to work with him again,” Peretz said. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve had a couple of false attempts.

So when my sister and I, and her husband, started working on this script, one of the first ideas that we had was, ‘Let’s write something that we can do with Paul Rudd.’”

The scraggly but inscru-table Ned is something of a

departure for Rudd, who is best known for playing guy-next-door types in comedies such as “Knocked Up” (2007) and “How Do You Know” (2010).

But while Rudd turns in an impressive star performance, “Our Idiot Brother” is also very much an ensemble piece.

Peretz said he was inspired by “Hannah and Her Sisters,” Woody Allen’s 1986 comedy-drama about a close-knit family that almost comes unraveled.

Both films include a piv-otal scene in which the sisters tiptoe around sensitive issues.

In “Our Idiot Brother,” it’s all the more powerful for the subtlety and nuance that Banks, Deschanel and Mor-timer bring to it.

“I remember being really excited and moved when we spent that half a day, shooting that scene,” Peretz said.

“There were incredibly harsh things that they were saying to each other, and then to be able to find the comedy in it — I felt like they really did become sisters.”

Paul Rudd stars in “ Our Idiot Brother” opening Aug. 26. Photo by: Nicole Rivelli ©2011 The Weinstein Company. All Rights Reserved. ©2011 The Weinstein Com-pany. All Rights Reserved

‘Our Idiot Brother’ is family affair

Students come together to bring a musical slice of life

By Troy Orem

Smokey Joe’s Café

Opening Oct. 28Performances every Friday and Saturday

General Admission $15Student, Senior, and Military Admission $10