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Meet the new SGOCC president

Rachel Gajardo is no stranger to OCC’s Student Government and recently became top dog.

See Page 3

A&C

Water polo tryouts are starting soon

OCC’s men’s and women’s water polo teams want people to come try out the first week of May.

See Page 6

SPORTS

Making beautiful music at OCC

A student at OCC continues to pursue his love of piano, composing and different genres of music.

See Page 4

March 6, 2013 www.coastreportonline.com Volume 67, No. 17

Coast Report

Check out the Coast Report

Online

Going green at OCCOCC officials have plans in place to make campus more eco-friendly.

BY BEAU NICOLETTESTAFF WRITER

Orange Coast College is do-ing more to create a sustainable campus than meets the eye.

To become sustainable, the campus must decrease waste and increase recycling to lower the campus’ carbon footprint. In efforts to accomplish this, the campus has instituted a number of sustainability programs to create a greener campus.

“We have a pretty good diver-sion rate, in terms of recycling,” OCC Sustainability Director Mike Carey said. “For a college our size, we are comparatively pretty good.”

A diversion rate is the per-centage of waste that is recycled or reused rather than being thrown into landfills. OCC has programs in place and programs in the works to reduce campus waste.

Currently, all organic waste from campus lawns and gardens is collected and stored at the re-cycling center and then ground into mulch and used throughout campus gardens, Carey said.

Food waste is separate and as of now, one Dumpster of food waste is created at OCC every day and then sent to a landfill. A plan is in the works to compost food waste with a machine that would produce a soil amend-ment and reduce food waste by 90 percent, Carey said.

As OCC waste becomes more sustainable, water is another issue.

“Water is going to be the

See GREEN Page 2

Center keeps up quest for student success

The Student Success Center is striving to keep up with the thousands of students in need of tutoring after the facility’s grant ended last year.

The Student Success Center was required to cut down on the number of tutors available, open hours and services like one-on-one tutoring, after its Title III grant ended in 2012. But with the steady number of students seeking academic help each semester, the center is doing everything it can to continue to

provide these services.“We’re struggling a little bit,”

Jaki Kamphuis, student success coordinator at Orange Coast Col-lege said. “The type of services that we provide has changed, but we’re trying to do the best with what we have.”

The Success Center went from being open 53 hours per week with 130 tutors to being open 44 hours with 85 tutors, according to Kamphuis. Indi-vidual appointments for tutor-ing, other than those for a few math courses, were another service cut.

“Whether or not they have this funding, students still need that help,” Student Government of Orange Coast College president Rachel Gajardo, a 19-year-old English major said. “Seeing that the numbers (of students attending) have been consistent,

it shows how vital the program is to help students achieve their goals.”

According to data from Kam-phuis, 2012 spring and fall semes-ters had more than 2,500 students utilize the Success Center’s ser-vices per semester. The number of students for spring 2013 has de-creased slightly, but still remains at around 2,000 students.

“Administration is talking about institutionalizing some of our services and give us a little bit more money,” Kamphuis said. “They have tried to be supportive with the budget and the way it’s been.”

Institutionalizing would give the center a certain level of fund-ing to continue with its services to students regardless of grant money, according to Gajardo. Without the grant, the success center’s main financial sup-

port comes from the ASOCC at nearly $244,000 with an addi-tional $40,000 from the school, Kamphuis said. The Basic Skills Initiative money is another source of revenue.

“The students definitely want

a place like this,” Susan Aube, an instructional associate from the Student Success Center said. “We need to support the students and a big way to help them succeed is with tutoring and academic assistance.”

The facility provides tutoring and help despite funding loss.

BY CATHY QUACHSTAFF WRITER

Photo by Sarah Borean

Hanieh Novnirad (right), 27, a Cal State Berkley graduate, helps Lagdon Holmes, 19, an English major, with pre-calculus home-work at the OCC Student Success Center.

Former teenage heart throb offers his lips for charity

After Ezekiel “Zeke” Kendall got his heart transplant earlier this year, his family and friends have been there to support him through and through—but a few celebrities like Mario Lopez and Kim Kardashian were there to lend a helping hand.

To help with his medical ex-

penses, Zeke’s family decided to hold a Have a Heart auction at Mixology 101 at The Grove in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. Amber Weiser, one of Zeke’s sisters, said approximately 220 people attended the event and said they had raised around $85,000 from ticket revenue and the auction.

The auction was hosted by Mario Lopez, known for play-ing A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell” and the host of “Extra,” and Maria Menounos, Lopez’s “Extra” co-host. Amber said the team on “Extra,” including Lopez and Menounos were really involved and went above and beyond when it came to getting

information on Zeke out to the public.

“I couldn’t attend but I heard it was great. I appreciate everyone that’s been helping out. That’s fantastic,” Zeke said.

Amber said Jane Seymour, who makes jewelry for Open Hearts, made one-of-a-kind earrings for the auction, Kim Kardashian donated a dress from her line that she had worn her-self and a signed Charlie Sheen jersey from the movie “Major League” also made it up to the auction block.

Adrienne Maloof, a star from “Real Housewives,” was also seen kissing Lopez after she won

a $25,000 bid for the privilege.“We got donations from so

many trips and people. It was awesome,” Birdie Kendall, Ze-ke’s mother, said.

After the successful night, the Kendall family has continued to be in high spirits.

Birdie recalled a time in the past when she used to be down-stairs and hear Zeke singing upstairs to himself before trag-edy struck. In the past few days, Birdie said she was reminded of a familiar scene.

“I was doing laundry and I heard him upstairs singing and I

An ill OCC student recieves help in a less traditional way.

BY ANTHONY LEECOPY EDITOR

See STARS Page 6

Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/ZekesJourney

Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos are just a couple of the stars present at the Have a Heart auction.

Come sail away

Photos by Wendy Birchard

Joseph Hole (bottom), 24, an undecided major prepares to climb aboard the boat during sailing class at the OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship. Nathan Hadar (left), 25, a nursing major and a teaching assistant, shouts advice on how to posi-tion sails during Wednesday’s class. Students launch sailboats (top) in Newport Harbor.

The Professional Mariner Program at Orange Coast College prepares students for careers in the maritime industry in

Southern California and around the world.According to staff, students completing the program can look

for careers in private and commercial vessel operations includ-ing large private yachts, charter yachts, cruise ships, ferries, fishing boats, whale watching and diving boats and commercial shipping.

Because all of these vessels must operate with qualified crew, the OCC Professional Mariner Program was developed with guidance from an advisory council of maritime industry profes-sionals.

Curriculum in the program includes seamanship, marine safety, boat handling, navigation and boat maintenance. Courses are conducted in the classroom and aboard boats. Completion of the marine basic safety course will qualify the student for the U.S. Coast Guard STCW certificate.

The program can be completed in two semesters and courses can be taken in any order.

Students interested in the program must apply for admission to the college and register for these courses through the college.

Get ready to raise those sails at OCC

Carleton College

Carleton became the first college in the country to own a utility-grade wind turbine, and it was the first Minne-sota college to offer “single-stream” recycling--meaning it’s not necessary to separate paper, plastics and glass for recycling.

College Of The Atlantic

You’d better be thinking green if you attend the College of the Atlantic; the only major it offers: human ecology. In December, the school became the first college to go completely carbon-neutral--meaning that it negates all of its carbon dioxide emissions by investing in offset projects.

Dartmouth College

So far this year, Dartmouth has reduced its energy use by nearly 6 percent from 2005 levels, according to the Dart-mouth Sustainability Initiative. The college also gets much of its food from local produc-ers and new buildings follow guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Harvard University

Harvard’s Green Campus Initiative is one of the most advanced campus-sustainabil-ity programs in the country. The school is also among the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of the top 15 renewable power purchasers, and depending on the sea-son, its dining services buy between 35 percent and 70 percent of their produce from local farmers.

Middlebury College

Middlebury has committed to carbon neutrality by 2016, it’s got its own wind turbine and solar panel system, and Middlebury students can rent hybrid-engine Zipcars. In 2007, Middlebury’s graduating class left the school a nearly $93,000 endowment to sup-port environmental projects.

New York University

NYU was recently bumped from EPA’s top spot as the No. 1 campus purchaser of green energy, a position it held for over a year. The renewable energy credits the school buys account for 100 percent of its electricity use--no small feat for a sprawling urban institution.

University Of California-Santa Cruz

In 2006, its students created a fund to buy renewable energy credits, and today the equiva-lent of 100 percent of UCSC’s power comes from hydroelec-tric and wind generation.

University Of Pennsylvania

Penn recently stole the crown from NYU as the largest purchaser of green energy in EPA’s Green Power Partner-ship with colleges and uni-versities. Although Penn buys only 46 percent of its power from renewable sources--compared to 100 percent for many other schools--the 192 million kilowatt-hours of wind power it uses each year encourages investment in renewable resources.

University Of Vermont

For six years, all the universi-ty’s shuttles have been fueled with biodiesel, and the school requires all new buildings meet U.S. Green Building Council certifications.

University Of Washington

The University of Washington is one of the 12 founders of the Seattle Climate Partner-ship, a group of employers dedicated to beating the goal of the Kyoto international climate agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 7 percent from their 1990 levels by 2012. The school has also committed to carbon neutrality and 100 percent of its electricity purchases come from renewable sources.

Missing in airA female student was re-

portedly injured in the Dance building room C at 4:55 p.m. on Thursday.

According to Chief of Cam-pus Safety John Farmer, a security officer reportedly found the victim, who had been practicing ballet, with ice on her ankle. She had report-edly jumped, but she didn’t get enough air, so she fell and sprained her ankle.

Farmer said the victim re-fused aid because her injuries were not severe enough for the paramedics to pick her up, and since the Student Health Center was closed, she said that her mother would pick her up.

The victim was taken on a cart from the room to her mother’s car, Farmer said. It was recommended that she should be taken to Hoag Ur-gent Care.

Helping hand There was a reported hit

and run in the Adams Avenue Parking Lot on Feb. 26 around 2 p.m.

According to Farmer, the female victim parked her white BMW in the parking lot around 12:30 p.m. with no damage, but she report-edly found black scratches on the front bumper when she returned to her car around 4 p.m.

A witness reportedly left a note on the car saying that they had seen a female Asian in her 20s, who was driving a black Hyundai, hit the front bumper. The witness was able to get partial information on the li-cense plates, Farmer said.

Farmer said that the victim planned to file a report with the partial information with

the Costa Mesa Police De-partment.

Pinky swear There was vandalism re-

ported to a car in the Gym Parking Lot sometime be-tween 10:50 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. on Feb. 26.

According to Farmer, an OCC security officer on patrol was reportedly flagged down by the female victim who was talking on her cell phone. She said she had reportedly found foul language written in pink graffiti on her rear and side windows.

The victim said she did not recall an altercation, but did remember hearing a female voice yelling in her direction, Farmer said. He said that he thought the person yelling had been upset over the victim supposedly taking her parking spot.

Suspicious callA black iPhone with a blue

cover, valued at $500, was reported stolen from the sec-ond floor of the Literature and Languages building on Feb. 25 sometime between 1 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.

According to Farmer, the victim reportedly left her iPhone with a friend when she left her study table and went outside. When she came back 15 minutes later, the iPhone was gone.

Her friend reportedly said that she had seen a male wear-ing a black hoodie around the area who looked suspicious, but she didn’t see him or any-one matching the description take the iPhone, Farmer said.

CRIMEBLOTTER

2 CAMPUS MARCH 6, 2013

— The Crime Blotter was compiled by Lori Jarvis from Campus Safety reports.

Get your leadership on! Join the

Student Government of OCC!

Become a Student Senator!!!

2013-14 Student Senator applications are now

available for in the ASOCC Office

Applications due Friday, March 15th at 12 noon!

For more information visit the ASOCC Office located in the Student Center or call 714.432.5507

GREEN: OCC is already making small changes to improve campus environment.

biggest new hurdle that we are going to be experiencing, I think, in the next 10 years,” Carey said.

As bathroom equipment is upgraded and replaced, low flow fixtures are being used to reduce water usage. The low-flow urinals, for example, use only one pint per flush and can save 30,000 gallons per year, Carey said. He added that 90 percent of water used in campus irrigation is reclaimed water. “We use it for all the irrigation in every area on campus with the exception of the children’s center and the early childhood

lab,” Carey said.A major turning point in cam-

pus electricity comes from Mea-sure M funding as it will fund the installation of solar panels at OCC, official said.

Carey said that the goal is to get about half or as close to half of OCC’s energy usage from the solar panels.

In addition, the campus is us-ing carpet tiles made of recycled materials in place of large carpet rolls and will soon be installing electric and hybrid car charging stations, Carey said.

The Student Government of Or-ange Coast College also has plans to make OCC more sustainable.

“One of the major goals the

student senate had from the August retreat was to leave OCC better than we found it,” SGOCC President Rachel Gajardo, a 19-year-old English major said.

One plan put forth is to use tablets to replace paper at the stu-dent government as the SGOCC uses more paper than any other campus organization, Gajardo said.

The SGOCC is holding a com-petition for sustainability aware-ness and is currently sponsoring a recycling competition between two classrooms, which offers ex-tra credit, to create sustainability awareness.

“We have a competition be-

tween the geography class and the large oceanography lecture hall, Gajardo said. “We’ve really had the support of the teach-ers. They are giving one point of extra credit for every 400 pounds (of recyclable material) collected.”

One of the largest factors of the OCC carbon footprint is that many of the nearly 25,000 stu-dents are single drivers, Carey said. There are currently no programs that reduce the emis-sions of car commuters. An in-centive program once paid staff and faculty if they carpooled or used alternative transporta-tion, but has since been ended, Carey said.

From Page 1

Forbes’ top 10 greenest campuses

Tradition on the waterMen’s crew will celebrate 60 years at OCC on campus this weekend.

A former Orange Coast Col-lege rower and “Seinfield” alum will host a celebration of the men’s crew team’s history and achievements this weekend.

Patrick Warburton, a former OCC rower who is best known as Puddy from ‘Seinfeld,” will host the crew’s 60th anniversary dinner and silent auction at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Student Suc-cess Center.

“We’re proud of the tradition that has kept going throughout all these years, where now we are into the third generation where some of the rowers’ grandfathers used to row with us,” Paul Prio-leau, head coach of OCC men’s crew said.

The team holds three national championships and two world championships and six of its alumni have made Olympic teams, Prioleau said.

The anniversary celebration will feature representatives from the Henley Roy-al Regatta, the Charles Com-pe t i to r s and China Crew. There will also be ve terans , Olympians and alumni of ev-ery class that graduated with the year ending in 3.

“I think it’s great having a celebrity host the event, espe-cially him being part of the crew and hearing about his experience and how it affected his life after,”

Austin Gentry, 21, an undeclared major and part of Coast crew said.

The money raised during the auction will help the team cover its costs for competitions, hotel stays, equipment maintenance and other expenses, Prioleau

said.“We hope to

raise around $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 t o $60,000,” Prio-leau said. “It’d be best if we had people to donate at least $10 a month instead of once in a while, be-cause it would insure our suc-cess.”

Men’s crew is not funded by ASOCC athletics, Prioleau said.

“Basically all the funds come

from the parents, donors and the alumni which helps towards the hotels that we stay in when we travel,” Joe Morris, 20, a political science and history major and part of Coast crew said.

They will also use an online bidding program for the silent auction portion of the dinner. Those who can’t attend but want to support the team can use the bidding website.

“The website is called Bid-ding for Good. Anyone can sign up as a bidder and decide how much they would like to bid on the item,” Elizabeth Parker, a foundation specialist said.

Then if the absent bidder is the high bidder, he will be awarded the item and be able to arrange the shipping or picking up meth-od with them, Parker said.

Some of the items listed for the auction include a piece of art by Jimi Gleason for around $4,000,

an Avon Redcrest Inflatable Dinghy for around $600, an 1890 madeira wine with glass seal and much more.

If anyone would like to par-ticipate and donate, the website is www.biddingforgood.com/or-angecoastcollege/menscrew

Photos by Sarah Borean

Sixty years of men’s crew at Orange Coast College will gather Saturday on campus to celebrate the team and raise funds for competitions.

“We’re proud of the tra-dition that has kept going throughout all these years, where now we are into the third generation where some of the rowers’ grandfathers used to row with us”

Paul PrioleauMen’s crew coach

BY MONICA ALANISSTAFF WRITER

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There are thousands of parking stalls on campus and each day they are packed with students. This week

the Coast Report found out a little bit more about ...

Austin Olivier

PARKING LOT DIARIES

BRITTEN ANDREWSSTAFF WRITER

Austin Olivier, 31, a comput-er information systems major, is a Marine Corps veteran who served three tours in Iraq.

Olivier was attracted to the Marine Corps by his passion for helping others.

“I really just want to make the world a better place,” said Olivier.

Though Olivier has complet-ed his eight year commitment to the Marine Corps, he said the time he spent in Iraq still affects his day to day life.

“Sometimes I wish I was hap-pier,” Olivier said. “I have some good days and I have some bad days”

Olivier, who served in Iraq in 2003, 2004 and 2005, is still receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, but says that he has been able to come to terms with the trauma he experienced in Iraq more fully in the past few years.

According to Olivier, ac-ceptance has been key to his

recovery.The Marine Corps veteran,

currently unemployed, hopes that earning a degree will make him more competitive in the job market.

Olivier, who is in his sec-ond semester at OCC, said he doesn’t have any concrete plans for a career path.

He chose to major in comput-er information systems because he feels he can gain skills that will make him more attractive to employers in a number of fields, he said.

Olivier has been riding mo-torcycles since 2005, and has never been in an accident.

When he’s not cruising the California highways, Olivier en-joys watching movies, playing video games and working out.

He also spends his free time building and collecting models of army figures. These figures are inspired by the fantasy genre, and Olivier says that he loves the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Up the organization

Rachel Gajardo said that if it wasn’t for her late brother’s sup-port, she may not have believed in herself enough to become Orange Coast College’s vice president of communications.

And now, chosen as the new president of the college’s student government late last month, she said his support is still with her.

Gajardo, 19, an English major, who was serving as the govern-ment’s vice president of commu-nications when she was selected to serve as president, replaces Kolby Keo, who resigned to be-come the student representative to the Coast Community College Board of Trustees.

“I didn’t know if people would want me to join,” she said of her insecurity about applying for the vice president’s job. “I didn’t know if I was qualified, and he [her brother] said ‘No, you have to believe in yourself. You have lots of qualifications. You’ve just got to go for it,’ and so I did,” Gajardo said.

The new student government leader is no stranger to school activities and said she was in-volved in several throughout high school. Additionally, she was OCC’s College Life Com-mittee historian and was vice president of communications for ASOCC before being tapped for the president’s position.

But even with her experience, Gajardo said she wasn’t sure if she was qualified as the deadline to turn in applications for the vice president position approached.

So, she said, she turned to her brother, Kobi, for support.

When 21-year-old Kobi died

in May after a car accident, Ga-jardo said she was undeniably shaken.

“I thought, ‘How am I going to get through without my big-gest supporter, my number one fan?’ I think that really taught me to believe in myself, and it taught me to be really strong,” Gajardo said.

And, she said, she has learned to be strong with the support of her family and the friends she’s made at OCC.

“I have people here to rely on now,” Gajardo said. “And my mom and I, we lean on each other. We’re strong people. We don’t give up.”

Despite her personal trag-edy, Gajardo said she is willing and able to put in the work as SGOCC president.

“Losing my brother really taught me to value my relation-ships, but not only that, it taught me that since life can be taken away so quickly, if I’m going to be gone tomorrow, I want to do something that means something now I want to make a difference any way that I can,” Gajardo said. “I’m a go-getter. I want to do things. I try to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of me, and even though I’m not going to be here forever, I really care about this school.”

According to former SGOCC president Keo, the office has been left in capable hands.

“Rachel’s a great candidate because Rachel is outstandingly well-spoken, very eloquent and very well-prepared whenever she comes into a room,” Keo said. “As VP of communications, she has been, in my opinion, one of the greatest that this organization has ever seen.”

Applications for the position of vice president of communica-tions are now available, and the selection process is expected to take about three weeks, ac-cording to Gajardo. Until that time, she will be fulfilling both

positions. Gajardo leaves behind a legacy

of innovation and creativity.As vice president of commu-

nications, she initiated several new policies that are affecting OCC life today.

Her social media policy will soon allow the ASOCC and other student-run organizations to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets to spread information and reach students off campus.

“The vision Rachel had was something run by students, for students,” said Keo, a 20-year-

old international studies major.Gajardo also essentially cre-

ated a new branch of student government called the Commu-nications Task Force, according to Keo.

“This was something that hadn’t been done in previous years. I took the communica-tions officers from the different branches of government and got them together to work on differ-ent communications projects,” Gajardo said. “It was really fun to try to get students to participate

Former SGOCC vice president is appointed to lead the group.

BY BRITTEN ANDREWSSTAFF WRITER

Photo by Ashley Mirabal

Rachel Gajardo

See PRESIDENT Page 6

Seeking a safe place

Comfort and security in life are commodities that are often overlooked, but for people who are maliciously targeted because of their sexual preference or identity, they can become a big-ger part of their lives.

The Gay Straight Alliance club at Orange Coast College was formed to combat those insecuri-ties on campus by creating a safe space for students whether they are gay or not.

The GSA meets up weekly to discuss topics of the LGBT com-munity, plan awareness events on campus and talk about each other’s personal stories in an effort to build comfort among one another.

Richard Reyes, a 20-year-old geography major, is the president of the GSA and identifies as gay.

He said he was willing to share his identity with the school be-cause he understands the power of coming out as a tool to raise awareness and as an invitation for others to join him.

One of the many difficulties of being a LGBT identified per-son is coming out because not everyone is fortunate enough to receive the instantaneous support from their loved ones, he said.

Reyes added that it pretty easy when he came out to his mom.

“She was totally cool with it. She didn’t have problems with it—you know, some other people are less fortunate and are kicked out of their house,” Reyes said.

Although he has not had an open conversation with his dad about being gay, Reyes is certain that his father is aware and he is counting the days until he will finally have the conversation with his father about it.

“Be yourself . Don’t le t anyone’s judgment bring you down—just stick to who you are and don’t be fake around other people, be yourself,” Reyes said.

For others in the club, includ-

ing Anisa Foy, a 19-year old ani-mation major and vice-president of the GSA, an experience in her childhood gave her the first glance into the struggle that the LGBT community faces.

When Foy was 5 she dis-covered her gay uncle and his boyfriend were not able to get married. She said she promised to help them get married one day.

“When he explained that he couldn’t get married to the per-son he loved I was really mad about that and I was only 5,” Foy said. “I didn’t understand and it made me really angry and I told him that no matter what, I would help him.”

Foy has followed through with that promise and has actively been involved in support of the LGBT community by participat-ing in the NO H8 campaign and by going to pride festivals to show support.

The NO H8 campaign was a silent protest that was largely the result of efforts from the grass-roots organizers against

Gay students and their advocates meet each week at OCC to talk.

BY HUGO FARIASSTAFF WRITER

See GSA Page 6

4 ARTS & CULTURE MARCH 6, 2013

Campus Events

For information on most campus events,

call (714) 432-5880 or toll free at

(888) 622-5376.

Theater

Events

Dance

Dining

Music

“Original Play Festi-val,” Friday, Saturday and March 16: OCC Rep-ertory Theatre Company’s performing original works. Recommneded for mature audiences. In the Drama Lab Studio at 7:30 p.m. on March 8 and 16 and 2:30 p.m. on March 10. Free admission.

“OCC Chamber Sing-ers and Long Beach Cho-rale,” March 16: A col-laboration between the two groups, including Orff’s Carmina Burana. Conduct-ed by Eliza Rubenstein. In the Robert B. Moore The-atre at 8 p.m. Tickets $10, students $10.

Exhibits

“California Drawing,” Now through March 14: Curated by OCC art instruc-tor Tom Dowling and Arts Pavilion Director Trevor Norris, exhibit includes the work of 38 artists who use the ancient discipline of drawing in diverse ap-proaches. In the Arts Pavil-ion. Gallery hours are Mon-day, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Free.

“Men’s Crew Diamond Jubilee and Alumni Din-ner,” March 9: Men’s crew will celebrate 60 years of tradition with the celebra-tion that will bring together six decades of team mem-bers. In the Student Center. $60 for dinner, drinks and live and silent auction. Re-serve by March 1 at tinyurl.com/coastcrewjubilee.

“Eclectic Cafe,” Fridays: OCC’s Culinary Arts de-partment offers a low-cost gourmet lunch every Fri-day in the Student Center. Served from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., reserva-tions are recommended. In the Student Center. Call 714-432-0202 ext. 26435. Full meal is $6.25.

Piano with a passionBY MALIKA PERRYSTAFF WRITER

There is something about classical music that stirs the soul.

While many view classical music as boring, stuffy or even pretentious, where would music be today without the influences of Beethoven, Mozart or Vivaldi?

When you listen to it, allowing your-self to be swept away by the melodies and chords, the soul dances, paint-ing visions evoked by the emotions brought forth.

Orange Coast College music major Evan Kliewer, 20, is a musician and composer with a knack for playing the ivories.

Kliewer’s musical beginnings are really a typical story: inspired and put into piano lessons as a kid by his parents only to then walk away from traditional teaching a year later.

In his time away from the lessons, his love for the classic instrument grew. And so did his passion for playing.

“Even after I stopped lessons, I kept playing. I taught myself some songs because I knew how to read music,” Kliewer said.

It wasn’t long until he was back to traditional lessons.

His appreciation and love for other types of music helped inspire this baby grand lover to start composing music.

He learned to compose classical music through writing rock and metal.

“I started off doing rock and metal and things like that,” Kliewer said. “I used to

write metal music with my friends.”Kliewer’s tinkering with GarageBand

generated a fascination of matching guitar chords with melodies to produce something entirely new.

“That’s how I started composing. Let’s take a few chords, add a melody with that to match the chords and then that was it,” Kliewer said.

While Kliewer finds enjoyment and pleasure in listening to diverse varieties of music, his passion is classical.

The tunes filling the room are generally soothing, Kliewer said.

At least for now.“I still enjoy listening to lots of types of

music, but in terms of composition, clas-sical is my thing,” Kliewer said.

While it is Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto that is currently challenging him, the sweet melody of a lullaby is one of his latest pieces.

Writing a lullaby, though, wasn’t in-tentional.

“I had already written the first part

of it. I had an idea where I was going to go with it,” Kliewer said. “So I showed it to my dad and he said it sounds like a lullaby, and I thought, ‘You know what, I like that.’ So I went along with it.”

After plunking around on the ivories for a while, Kliewer became frustrated having no success in coming up with a melody.

“So I stopped, started humming and it just came to me. I took that and com-posed just about more than half of the song in that night,” Kliewer said.

According to Kliewer, the comforting song is not solely from his efforts.

“I must say there are times when a melody comes from me that I can honestly say God gave me that. A lot of it I cannot take complete credit for,” Kliewer said.

This former multiple high school pianist competition winner isn’t resting on his God-given talent.

He is continually growing.As a former member of the OCC

Choir, and currently in the OCC Cham-ber Choir, Kliewer is taking private voice lessons to become an all-around performer.

He is also trying to start a music honor society on campus that would recognize musicians with good grades while also spreading the word about OCC’s music program, he said.

“I had no idea that it [OCCs music program] was so good. I think people need to know more about it,” Kliewer said.

Spreading the word of OCC’s mu-sic program may be one of Kliewer’s goals, but performing is his ultimate dream.

“I can only imagine the thrill of performing a piano concerto. To me it feels like it would be magical,” Kliewer said, adding later, “I don’t hope for money because it’s generally unrealistic. But, if I could just touch someone with my music, that’s more than enough for me.”

Photo by Sarah Borean

Evan Kliewer, a 20-year-old musician and composer attending OCC plays a tune in the OCC music portables.

A modern makeover for part of OCC

The loud and dissonant noises of power tools emitting from the mu-sic building may normally sound unpleasant, but to Orange Coast College, every drill and hammer plays a part in the orchestra toward the building’s remodel.

Renovation of the building will be done in time for the fall semes-ter after receiving funds from the state and Measure C bond.

“We are supposed to move in July. It’ll give us plenty of time to prepare for the fall,” Joe Poshek, dean of visual and performing arts, said.

Approximately $6 million was

received toward the renovation of the building according to Poshek, half coming from Measure C funds and the other half from state matching funds.

Poshek said that in 2004, OCC was ready to begin building renovation immediately but the architects inspecting the build-ing discovered that the building was in a poor enough state to receive state matching funds, which meant the state of Califor-nia would double the amount of money given to the school pro-vided by Measure C—all Coast had to do was fill paper work and wait a couple years.

Looking back, Poshek agrees that the music building was in need of some reconstruction. Some rooms had carpet, while others had asbestos floor tiles, a compound that is now known to cause respiratory diseases.

“Another thing, those old build-ings weren’t acoustically tuned

so some rooms are to get wood-en floors and sound diffusers,” Poshek said.

The department will also be getting a collection of eight new grand pianos, six upright prac-tice pianos and 26 electronic keyboards.

Brian Gould, director of key-board studies, said he remembers how difficult it was to teach piano classes when he first started teaching at OCC because the pia-nos weren’t electronic, meaning students wouldn’t only hear their own piano when practicing.

“When I was hired in 1995, all practice pianos were upright pianos … over a period of 4 years, we decided to get electronic key-boards,” Gould said.

Alongside the building im-provements and new pianos, Poshek also said there will be improvements made to the cur-riculum for music majors.

“[The] curriculum will change

because we now have a transfer degree and will be putting more resources into the curriculum to ensure students get the class they need to transfer,” Poshek said.

As OCC waits for the renovation to be completed, students involved in the music department seem to

share the same sentiment about the music building renovation—they miss the old practice rooms.

“Practice rooms were bad-ass. You’re just so self-conscious. Having a quiet area [to practice] really helps,” Angel Pinon, 20, a music major, said.

The Music department is getting some upgrades.

BY ANTHONY LEECOPY EDITOR

Photo by Sarah Borean

Naghmen Kia, 23, a civil engineering major, practices Bach during a piano 2 class in the music portables.

A night of passionate classical music

The Orange Coast College Symphony, along with a small cast of vocalists, presented Stephen Sondheim’s musical, “Follies” on Saturday.

“Follies” is the story of a reunion of performers in a Broadway theater scheduled

for demolition and focuses on two couples who are deeply unhappy with their marriages. The couples are, on occasion, accompanied by the ghosts of their younger, and naively happy, selves.

My date and I sat in the overwhelming, but comfortable silence of the Robert B. Moore Theatre in the faint buzz of cell-phone screen lights and buttons clicking. We talked about the human element that seems to be missing from personal interac-tion these days.

As a collective crowd, we di-vorced ourselves from impulse

of cellphones as conductor Ricardo Soto entered to a sea of applause. No sooner than the overture, the cast of “Follies” appeared in the back of the theater and walked through the audience onto the stage, pick-ing up like antennae whatever lingering undertone of passion that was shelled in the air.

This instance of a broken fourth wall made the implica-tion that the musical was not only set in a theater, but in the precise theater the audience inhabited. The events of the performance were not so much recreations but prophetic trans-

lations of the very real future lives of the young audience members.

It became apparent, and quite quickly, that the non-conversa-tion of the pre-show had found a most beautiful way to express itself, which took the form of the opening songs of the per-formance.

Indeed, the dialogue of the cast to the audience was not unlike a dialogue between lovers.

This sentiment reached its fullest expression in the clos-ing song of the first act, “Too Many Mornings”, performed as

a duet by Susan Ali and David Stoneman, who portrayed Sally and Ben respectively.

As the song reached its cli-max, I got goosebumps and looked to my left with a ques-tioning glance that was returned with equal intensity from my date. Yes! I was not alone in sharing this moment, not only with myself or my date, but with the performers.

There is something spiri-tual to the medium of a live performance and there were specific violent moments where “Follies” unapologetically and magnificently achieved this.

Ricardo Soto and the symphony delighted the audience Saturday.

BY ADAM CARRSTAFF WRITER

Medieval drama, good friends and a personality disorder

Orange Coast College is hosting an Original Play Festival which some plays will be directed by the students and performed on Friday and March 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Drama Lab Theatre.

Three plays will be performed at OCC which are “Eliza”, “Nice

Guy Syndrome” and lastly “Man’s Worst Enemy.”

“I look forward to the plays cre-atively because plays are not easy to do,” OCC theatre arts professor Rick Golson said.

Directing the “Eliza” play is Megan Brunner, a 19-year-old undecided major.

“Eliza” is a medieval drama about a female fighter and Brunner will be playing the

main character.“Each play is different and is

written by a member of the OCC Theatre Repertory”, Brunner said.

The struggle to memorize lines might be difficult to some, but not to Ruben Gonzales who has a photographic memory.

“Memorizing lines is really easy but relying on the director is what brings the play together,”

Gonzales, 20, an undecided major said.

Directing the second play, “Nice Guy Syndrome,” is Jennifer Lee, an 18-year-old biology major.

The play is about two good friends who love to mess around with each other but one of them does not know how to treat a girl.

The third and final play is “Man’s Worst Enemy,” directed

by George Rios, a 30-year-old theater major.

The play consists of a character that has a multi-personality dis-order and is imagining all these people that do not exist. The main character is debating if or if not he should kill himself.

Although there were originally supposed to be seven plays, there are only three from the lack of ac-tors and actresses.

BY ASHA WASAUGESTAFF WRITER

Film“BANFF Mountain

Film Festival,” March 20: OCC will screen outdoor adventure films during the festival. It features films in-cluding mountain climbing, expeditions and different cultures of the world. In the Robert B. Moore Theatre at 7 p.m. on March 20. Ad-mission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Student Dance Concert, April 26: OCC students perform orignal choreog-raphy. OCC dance faculty and guest artists are to con-tribute to the evening. In the Robert B. Moore Theatre at 8 p.m. on April 26. Admis-sion is $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

VIEWSMARCH 6, 2013 5Coast

ReportMember:

California Newspaper Publishers Association, Journalism Association

of Community Colleges and the College Press Service.

Jennifer LaneEditor in chief

OpenManaging editor

OpenFeatures/Arts andCulture editor

OpenNews editor

Dean NothsteinViews editor

Anthony LeeCopy editor

Sarah BoreanPhoto editor

OpenSports editor

Cathy WerblinFaculty adviser

Britney BarnesEditorial assistant

Staff WritersMonica AlanisBritten AndrewsWendy BirchardAdam CarrMarivel GuzmanLori JarvisSean MillerAshley MirabalDylan MooreBeau NicoletteMalika PerryCathy QuachAlicia ReyesMatthew RichardsJenna RobertAwsteran RodriguezVirginia ValenciaAsha Wasuge

PhotographersWendy BirchardSarah BoreanAshley Mirabal

Contact Us

Newsroom(714) 432-5561Advertising(714) 432-5673Fax(714) 432-5978Adviser(714) 432-5094Offices/ DeliveriesJournalism 101E-Mailcoastreport@gmail.comWebsitecoastreportonline.comEditorcoastreporteditor@gmail.com

Articles, comments and editorials are those of staff members and edi-tors and do not reflect the views of Orange Coast College, its adminis-tration or student government or the Coast Community College District. California law states that college journalists are assured the same First Amendment rights as profes-sional journalists. Their work cannot be subjected to prior restraint and the law prohibits college officials from disciplining a student for activities related to speech or press related endeavors. Coast Report welcomes letters from readers. Guest Commentaries are the views of the writer and don’t reflect the views of the Coast Report, OCC or the district. Letters must be signed and are subject to editing for taste, length or libel. Letters are limited to 350 words. Advertising claims are those of the advertisers and do not constitute endorsement by the newspaper. Coast Report reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason. The newspaper is not liable for return of unsolicited materials.

QUESTION of the WEEK

Vanessa Deluna19, undecided

Carlos Sanchez20, theatre arts

Fardad Sisan19, biology

Rachel Rowley22, anthropology

“Shake my desk with their feet.”

What is the most annoying thing people do in class?

“Start talking about the most ran-dom crap and then the teacher gets

off-track for like 30 minutes.”

“Make stupid jokes while the teacher is trying to talk.”

“On their phones, I guess. They don’t pay attention to class.”

It’s not hard being green

EDITORIAL

Patsy Luna22, business

“If they are eating something, not like Skittles, but some people go

and get wings. They are so smelly.”

Ethanol not-at-allMy love for alcohol stretches

far and wide, except when it’s added to gasoline.

A l c o h o l , o r e t hano l , is commonly added to fuel nowadays to reduce engine e m i s s i o n s . B u t , w h i l e whiskey and rum hit that sweet spot, high ethanol content in fuel wreaks havoc on engine components and reduces engine performance and efficiency.

Ethanol ratings in fuel are pretty simple to understand yet most people are in the dark about it.

The most common type of fuel in the U.S. is E10 and is composed of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline.

There are E15 and E85 fuels that contain 15 and 85 percent

ethanol with E15 having just been approved for sale by the En-vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June.

Ethanol is a strong solvent known to deteriorate plastic and rubber engine parts and cause corrosion to metal parts.

Ethanol attracts and absorbs water, which can rust your fuel tank, clog up fuel lines and fil-ters, ruin your fuel pump, but probably not before it destroys your fuel injectors.

It also burns hotter than pure gasoline, which further weakens engine components.

Some problems you might no-tice from ethanol in fuel includes reduced fuel economy and horse-power, engine hesitation, stalling and lack of acceleration from the lower energy output of ethanol compared with pure gasoline.

Another problem with ethanol in fuel is a phenomenon known as phase separation where the heavier ethanol goes to the bot-tom of the tank, leaving the

lighter gasoline at the top. The engine will now draw in ethanol at much higher concentrations.

While all passenger cars pro-duced since 2001 are supposed to run on E10 with no problems, older cars and smaller engines like those found in lawnmowers and chainsaws along with most marine engines don’t run well with E10 and can be damaged by its use.

The EPA now says that ve-hicles produced on or after 2001 can run on E15.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) and several automobile manufacturers have disputed the EPA’s claims saying that using E15 fuel can damage fuel lines and void owner’s war-rantees.

BMW, Chrysler, Nissan, Toy-ota and Volkswagen have said their warranties will not cover fuel-related claims caused by E15. Ford, Honda, Kia, Mer-cedes-Benz and Volvo have said E15 use will void warranties.

ASOCC CORNER

Come on over and meet your government

The Associated Students of Orange Coast College is hosting an open house on Wednesday in the Student Center Lounge from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

The ASOCC open house is an event that allows members of the student body to acquire informa-tion about the Student Govern-ment of Orange Coast College (SGOCC).

Each branch of the student government will have a table and student representatives to answer questions and give information about the leadership opportuni-ties available for this year and next. Refreshments will also be served.

The event’s organizing chair, Vice President Sam Trinh said,

“[The Open House] has been done by past student govern-ments but over the years we kind of stopped doing it. I wanted to revive it and really notify the students on what student govern-ment is all about.”

Trinh added that the event should bring more information to students.

“I hope [the students] have a more informed view of the stu-dent government and the leader-ship positions we have,” he said. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the campus, what’s happen-ing behind the scenes and how to gain leadership experience. By getting involved students can learn things such as how to put on an event, chair a committee and make important decisions.”

All students are encouraged to attend.

Stop clowning aroundSome students go to school

to learn and some students go to school to be the class jester.

We all have t h e m — t h e mumblers, the puffers and the “roll my eyes at every word” students who usually sit in the back row. Unfortunately, lucky students like me get the smartasses next to them who have a remark for everything the teacher says.

Having Valencia as my last name means I have always sat in the back. Kindergarten? Yes. College lectures? Oh yes. And I usually enjoy it, but not when a know-it-all pops out of no-where.

The teacher is lecturing and a hand is raised in the air. A ques-

tion is thrown at the teacher that really has no reference to any point the teacher is trying to make in class – it’s unnecessary and pointless.

There is no reason to ask that question at all, especially during class. Go after class or during the teacher’s office hours—that is why they have them.

Students trying to show off? Now, that is a recurrent show in every class.

Do not get me wrong. I am all for knowing the material at hand, but when one brings up irrelevant material to the lecture just to show that they know more than other students, that is annoying.

As a student who does not enjoy reading books cover to cover, especially about history, I crave the teacher’s lecture for note-taking and less in-depth reading after class.

If one really believes they know it all then why take the class? They are acting like they

have a degree in this already. Those students seem to forget

they are students. Why compete with the teacher when the teacher is doing his/her job. More im-portantly, why are they not doing theirs? Write notes and learn, be-cause no one really knows it all.

Here is some advice—take the classes you like. However, if one has to take a class one does not want but need, suck it up.

No one wants to hear a smarty-pants remark, funny or not. Stu-dents are there to learn, not for stand-up comedy shows.

No student wants to pay for a class that is simply about how funny a student thinks he/she can get.

It is fun to have a joke said during lecture and I enjoy it, but after a couple, it’s a problem. It is simply disruptive and dis-tracting.

So to the class jesters—know your limits. Remember to be a student before a clown.

Signal stressor

Sean Miller

Staff Writer

Virginia ValenciaStaff Writer

Orange Coast College needs to become more self-suffi-cient. Fortunately, it’s on its way to doing that with OCC’s efforts to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and ulti-mately make the institution a greener campus.

It’s already doing a great job. The plan to construct solar panels in the Adams Avenue Parking Lot can po-tentially save a lot of money on energy costs.

Energy isn’t the only util-ity that drains the budget, though. Water is huge, and more should be done to con-serve it.

Currently, much organic waste is recycled as mulch, which not only beautifies the school, but conserves moisture in the soil where it is used. Gradually, bathroom equipment is being upgraded to reduce water consumption. Most of the school’s irrigation is done with reclaimed water, or former sewage water that is relatively clean, but still has not been treated as thor-oughly as water intended for drinking.

It can do more, though. Food waste is currently sent to a landfill. In an interview with a Coast Report staff writer, OCC Sustainability Director Mike Carey said that there

is a plan under development to compost food waste and convert it into a soil amend-ment.

Not only will that serve to further improve the aesthet-ics of the campus, but it can increase soil’s ability to hold water and provide nutrients, meaning less water is needed to care for plants.

Another concern that should be looked at is the issue of recycling and properly sorting out trash.

The one or two bins located in each classroom serve as a multi-purpose waste basket where students can toss out paper, plastic bottles and trash as far as they are concerned.

Adding more recycling bins on campus would allow OCC to sort out waste easily and k and keep it from sending recyclables to landfills.

There is also action that can be taken to reduce both spending and the impact on the environment without al-locating any extra funds.

Simple things like mak-ing sure faucets are shut off completely, lights are only on when necessary and un-plugging electronic charging equipment when they are not in use will all make OCC a greener and more cost-effi-cient school.

BY RACHEL GAJARDOSGOCC PRESIDENT

O n t h e g r o u n d s o f e c o n o m i c s , as well as the relevance of its objectives in 2013, the yearly tab of the embargo on Cuba of $1.2 bil l ion is a shameful waste.

In 1959, nearly all Cuban cattle ranches, mines and mineral concessions, utility plants and oil import-export businesses were rented to or owned by American companies. The U.S. supplied two-thirds of all imports to Cuba. The agrarian reforms of the Cu-ban Revolution ended the recog-nition of Cuban soil as “owned” by foreign companies and the land was seized and redistributed to the Cuban peasant and proletariat.

In response to the seizure of land, the U.S. instituted import and travel restrictions. However, it was in retaliation to the hosting of Soviet nuclear weapons that all Cuban assets in the U.S. were frozen under the Trading with the Enemy Act in an attempt to economically isolate Cuba.

Without commenting on the validity of the Cuban Revolution,

I’m unhesitant to say that, from the point of view of the U.S. pre-1991, the year the Soviet Union dissolved, the embargo was rea-sonable as a measure of national security of the U.S.

But, nearly $100 billion and a half-century later, Cuba doesn’t pose a significant military risk. A 1998 report by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that Cuban military forces were “defensive” and “residual.”

The embargo from a point of national security has been dated for over a decade. The U.S. policy toward Cuba denies the Cuban people the opportunity for lower-cost foods and goods that can be purchased from the U.S., which in turn cheapens the opportunity

for independent economic growth based on tourism and trade in the private sector.

The converse, in terms of American business, is true as well and for the same reasons.

Though, on some visceral level, more important than the exchange of capital is the exchange of culture.

In the same way that censor-ship not only denies one’s right to speak but of your right to hear them, the policy denies the American population the oppor-tunity to explore the culture of our Caribbean neighbors.

The U.S. ought to reverse the Cuban embargo on the grounds of economics, and on the grounds of, simply, cultural-exchange.

Saying adios to the embargo

Adam Carr

Staff Writer

I f I h a v e lea rned one thing since mov-ing to California it is that people here hate blink-ers, and I have no idea why.

Blinkers take no real effort to use, you move your hand in the same direc-tion you are turning to click it and the noise is not loud enough to get super annoying.

I realized that the lack of blink-ers gives me trust issues when someone actually uses it.

I have to hesitate before turning out in front of someone using their

blinker because I wonder, “Are they really turning or did they just forget to turn it off at some point?”

I understand not everyone fol-lows every law, I mean laws are meant to be broken right?

Wrong.It is dangerous to the people

around you and it is inconsider-ate to drive like you are the only person on the road.

I don’t want to die because someone didn’t signal and let me know they were merging into my lane.

Driving makes me nervous and having to focus on my driv-ing is enough. I don’t need to focus on everyone else’s driv-ing too.

Jennifer Lane

Editor in Chief

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OCC sportsRead about it in the Coast Reportcheck us out online at www.coastreportonline.com

and get involved and hear what’s going on around campus. It’s not the easiest thing to do on a com-muter campus, but I think I like the challenge of it.”

Perhaps her most notable and controversial achievement was the creation of the ASOCC’s new media policy, criticized by some as reducing the transpar-ency of the ASOCC and even censoring members of student government

The policy creates a sort of pecking order about who can speak to the press on behalf of

ASOCC depending upon the topic.

According to Gajardo, the motivation behind the media policy was not to limit transpar-ency, but rather to try to increase the communication between student government, increase efficiency, and really make sure that the most knowledgeable person is speaking on whatever the issue is.

After such a prolific term as vice president of communica-tions, Gajardo plans to continue work on the communications front as SGOCC president.

According to Josh Stone, 27, a political science major, Gajardo has plans to continue working to increase student involvement, which was the central aim of her term as VP of communications.

“Her biggest goal is to in-crease the voter turn-out for the elections. She really wants to get students more involved in the election process so that the student body knows who they’re voting for, and we can really get the best results,” Stone said.

Gajardo is passionate about getting students involved, due in part to her own experiences.

“Joining student government has really made my experience here not only a lot more fun, but a lot more meaningful. I think that when you develop relationships on campus and you do different things, it’s enriching to your character as a student and as an individual,” Gajardo said.

With no immediate plans for transfer, Gajardo hinted that she might be back on the ticket next year.

PRESIDENT: New student government president appointed from the ranks.From Page 3

Proposition 8, a state constitu-tional amendment that passed in the 2008 election that only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman.

The Supreme Court is set to

listen to an appeal on the propo-sition on March 26.

For both Reyes and Foy, their perfect world would include ev-eryone being accepting of each other’s culture, orientation and identity, they said.

GSA: Students get support in OCC club.From Page 3

just started crying,” she said.The common theme that came

from all three of them was “nor-mal.” They all said they were happy that everything was back to normal.

“My husband said ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. There’s just this light about him,’” Amber said.

Amber said one thing that has never changed is the family’s energetic and upbeat attitudes.

“As dire as the situation was,

we always found humor through-out the day. Even at the worst points, we could get him to laugh,” Amber said.

Zeke said he’s been getting constant check-ups and going to rehab three times a week for hour-long sessions at HOAG and UCLA. He also said he’s recently gotten a treadmill and been using it to get more active and get his body back in shape.

“[I’ll go back] a couple months at the latest but hopefully I’ll get back to work and school,” Zeke said.

STARS: Family appreciates the support.From Page 1

When it came to the other teams in conference play, Or-ange Coast College’s head volleyball coach Travis Turner said that one of the teams his team will need to watch out for would be Golden West College.

Unfortunately, OCC was un-able to get the victory with a 3-1 loss against Golden West College on Friday at home.

In the first set, OCC hardly trailed as they took the first set 25-21 with great pressure on the other team and amazing passing.

In the second set, it was a much different story, as Golden West never trailed and fed off of OCC’s mistakes, thus leading to GWC taking the second set 25-22.

The third set was neck and neck as both teams were tied throughout most of the set, but GWC broke through and took the second set 25-21.

The fourth set was also neck and neck especially when OCC tied it 24-24, but OCC’s come-back fell short as GWC managed to get two consecutive points

thus leading them to taking the fourth set 26-24.

OCC (5-3 overall 1-1 in con-ference) fell to Golden West College (5-2 1-0 in conference) three sets to one.

After the game, coach Turner said his team fell to the Rustlers of Golden West.

“The other team played re-ally well after the first set. It wasn’t us holding back, it was the other team coming out and playing harder than us,” Turner said.

Turner said what worked for his team was that his players Brendan Duff and Scott Enos stepped up when it mattered most.

“We were doing really well in the first set. Unfortunately, we just lost intensity after that and we just couldn’t recover,” Enos, 21, a communications major said.

The real problem for OCC was their passing and serving accord-ing to Enos, as it was just mistake after mistake for OCC.

“Our passing and serving definitely needs a lot of work, but our blocking is what needs work too. Another thing we need is consistency. If we have more of that, then no team, not even Golden West College, will stand a chance.” Duff, 19, a marine biology major said.

OCC will resume conference play with a two-game road trip starting Friday against San Di-ego.

The Orange Coast College men and women’s water polo team will be holding open tryouts the first week of May.

Coach Adam Lee is calling all athletes, with or without a water polo background, to try out for the fall sport. Lee is reaching out to water polo athletes who may have played in high school or for other programs but became ‘burned out’ and stopped pursu-ing a polo career.

The tryouts are also intended to tap into the athletic wealth that is Southern California, specifi-cally Orange County, Lee said.

“Maybe you are a phenomenal athlete that never had a chance to play water polo but you want to give it a try, that is what the open tryouts are for,” Lee said.

Lee is in his sixth year with the women’s program, while this year marks his first as the men’s head coach.

He has an extensive water polo career during which he was considered for the 2000 Olympic team, played professionally in Australia and more recently was the 2010 Orange Empire Confer-ence coach of the year.

After turning the women’s team into a consistent statewide top five team, Lee hopes to do the same on the men’s side.

“I am looking to bring that structure and that mentality and that culture of a winning program and a winning system into the men’s program,” Lee said.

Lee is hoping to recruit play-ers who thought they had played their last game and show them the benefits of joining the pro-gram.

“If you think it [was] fun in high school, it’s a hell-of-a lot more fun playing at community college. It’s a whole different ex-perience then high school ball,” current player, a 19-year-old education major, Josiah Vander Kooy said.

Team member Vivianne Mai, an 18-year-old communications major, said there is a strong team connection and that coach Lee is a solid coach with high expectations.

Lee said he hopes to build a program that the commu-nity can be proud of as well as a program that focuses on teamwork and success out of the pool.

Tryouts will include shoot-ing drills, passing, one-on-one defense and other drills to test candidate’s skill sets, Lee said.

Lee can be found on the pool deck every weekday at 3:15 p.m. or reached by email at alee@occ.cccd.edu.

Orange Coast College’s baseball coach John Altobeli said he fears no teams when it comes to confer-ence play.

Fortunately for OCC, the team managed to open up conference play with a big win after over-coming a three-run deficit. OCC (13-3 overall, 1-0 in conference) beat Golden West College (7-7 overall 0-1 in conference) 14-6 on Thursday.

The last win boosted the teams confidence of winning conference, said Austin Saenz, 19, a communi-cations major.

“I liked seeing our guys step up when it mattered most and as long as we take one game at a time, we’ll win conference with ease,”

Saenz said.In the second inning, OCC’s

pitcher Dallas Draviczki gave up three runs, which forced Altobeli to turn to his other pitcher, David Wilson.

OCC’s offense wasn’t too hot either through the first two innings, as they couldn’t get on base for the life of them.

In the bottom of the third inning, OCC got on the board with four runs thanks to Cody Bruder, Tucker Chadd, Zach Nehrir and Manny Argomaniz.

OCC was far from done when it came to scoring, as they got four more runs in the fourth inning to give them an 8-3 lead.

After a scoreless fifth inning from both teams, OCC caught fire driving in six runs giving them a comfortable 14-3 lead.

However, Golden West did not want to go down without a fight, as the Rustlers tried to mount a comeback in the 9th inning, but it wasn’t enough.

“I absolutely loved our hitting, pitching and our pressure on the

other team,” assistant coach Scott Brewer said.

Brewer said the player that stood out to him was Saenz.

“We [OCC] didn’t fear anything when we feel behind 3-0; however, we do need to work on our situation hitting and our catching,” Brewer said.

Saenz also said that a player that stepped up big time was pitcher Wilson.

“I felt pretty good about pitching today and leading OCC to a great

victory in conference play,” Wilson, 19, a communications major said.

Wilson got hit by the ball once when Golden West was at bat, but he shook it off and kept going.

“This team has no fear within themselves and I feel that we [OCC] will be taking a lot of mo-mentum into the next few confer-ence games,” Wilson said.

OCC, who has won nine out 10 games overall, will return to their home field at 2 p.m. on Saturday against Riverside.

Students hoping for a spot on the team can head to the pool in May.

BY BEAU NICOLETTESTAFF WRITER

Drop on by fora swim or two

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OCC loses to sister schoolMen’s volleyball starts strong, but falls to Golden West College.

BY TERAN RODRIGUEZSTAFF WRITER

File Photo

Orange Coast College’s men’s volleyball lost to sister college, Golden West College, 3-1 on Friday evening at home.

Pirates baseball starts slow, but wins bigThe latest victory boosts the teams confidence forconference.

BY TERAN RODRIGUEZSTAFF WRITER

File photo

Baseball wins its first conference game against Golden West.