Archive for January, 2010

NBC was wrong to boot O’Brien

By Jacquelyn Montaño

In the ‘90s, NBC produced hit comedies like “Friends” and “Seinfeld.” These days, NBC seems to be more interested in drama.

In 2004, NBC promised “Late Night” host Conan O’Brien that he would inherit “The Tonight Show” franchise from Jay Leno in five years. Come 2009, O’Brien took the legendary seat, and Leno went off into retirement.

NBC, not wanting to see its beloved Leno on another network, decided to offer him an hour-long talk show of his own in September 2009. Ratings for “The Jay Leno Show” weren’t up to par, leading to its cancellation notice in January 2010.

So what did NBC do? Offer Leno another show, of course. This time, it would be a half hour shorter, placed after the nightly news, where it would force “The Tonight Show” to midnight for East Coast viewers.

O’Brien refused to push back the show, which left him in talk show limbo for weeks. Eventually, NBC kicked O’Brien to the curb with a deal that will pay him more than $33 million. Leno will take back “The Tonight Show” starting March 1.

Now to me, Leno is in the wrong. He and NBC need to realize the game has passed him by. Leno is simply pulling a “Brett Favre,” choosing to retire, only to take it back. Instead of moving on to a new team, Leno wants his old team back and doesn’t care if he displaces the current quarterback.

O’Brien is the victim here while Leno plays bully, with NBC being his posse. Some might argue that O’Brien could have taken the later time slot and he’d still have a show, but his ratings would undoubtedly have tanked being on so late.

Leno just isn’t funny. O’Brien is. “The Chin” should gracefully walk away like he said he would in 2004. Recent polls show most people back the redhead. Fans even created the slogan “I’m with Coco” to show their support for O’Brien.

Like those who organized rallies in cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, showing support for their beloved talk show host, I too, am with Coco.

Student government president welcomes suggestions

Photo by Katie Cunningham
Story by Conrad Pursley

Many students feel they don’t have a say in the workings of Pima Community College. However, there are simple ways for students to shape their college experiences.

The most obvious is joining one of Pima’s clubs or student government. Current East Campus student government president John Rupp did just that.

“What got me involved was All Clubs Week on the East Campus,” Rupp said. “In fall of ‘08 I just happened to be passing by the student government table and thought it looked interesting, so I checked out a meeting. The people were really great so I stuck with it.”

PCC’s campuses traditionally hold recruiting fairs at the start of each semester to let students know about clubs they can join.

“We have a great team this year,” Rupp said of East Campus student government. “I’m really happy to work with them all. It’s a great place to meet friends.”

Rupp said student government provides a link between students and the PCC administration within each campus. They represent the student body, vote and decide on issues brought up by the student body, plan events and try to keep a friendly relationship between students and the administration.

“We are serving the students to the best of our ability,” Rupp said.

For students who feel they just don’t have time to dedicate to a club or student government, Rupp offers another way to get involved. Every campus has a suggestion box for student feedback and input.

There are no special forms, he notes. Just slip a piece of paper in the box, but please make it legible.

Rupp said most students either don’t know of or don’t utilize the suggestion boxes, which can be frustrating to members of student government. Representing students can be difficult when the students don’t talk to you.

“The East Campus does have a suggestion box in the E-5 building,” Rupp said. “We check it, but every week it’s empty. We also post our minutes at the East Campus so students can see what we are doing.”

Rupp said students who think their issues with Pima can’t be helped could be surprised by what members of student government can do.

“There have been a few issues that have been brought to our attention in the past few semesters that we actually worked on,” Rupp said. “Last semester we requested from the administration on the East Campus motorcycle parking closer to the entrance and we got it for students.”

To find when student government or club meetings will take place, check the campus events calendar on the college Web site, www.pima.edu, or visit the Student Life office.

PCC Student Life offices

For further information about student government or activities, contact the following campus Student Life offices:

•    Desert Vista Campus: 206-5026. Student government meetings Friday at 1 p.m.
•    Downtown Campus: 206-7258. Student government meetings Monday at noon.
•    East Campus: 206-7616. Student government meetings Friday at noon.
•    Northwest Campus: 206-2121. Student government meetings Monday at 11 a.m.
•    West Campus: 206-6742. Student government meetings Friday at 11 a.m.

PCC students want to help Haitians

By Manny Manriquez III

Haiti was turned upside down Jan. 12 when a 7.0 earthquake struck just outside of Port-Au-Prince. The death toll has been estimated at more than 150,000.

Many efforts are under way to help the country of Haiti, with donations pouring in from across the globe.

Celebrities such as Wyclef Jean, a Haiti native, and many others have helped raise millions of dollars for relief efforts. Ordinary citizens are helping out as well, including Pima Community College students.

“I donated money a few times since it happened,” PCC student Lisa Romo said. “I think it’s a sad situation and if we have the means to help out just a little, it all adds up in the end.”

The country is still in need of food, water, medical supplies and much more. It will cost billions to reconstruct the city.

“I did the SMS text donations a few times,” student Omar Garcia said. “I think it’s important that we help those in need.”

Garcia said he has been getting his family and friends to help out as well.

A former Pima student involved in relief efforts is featured on MTV’s Web site.

Joshua Nistas, a 26-year-old Naval petty officer stationed at Guantanamo Bay, served as a guide for MTV reporters as the base became a major hub for humanitarian efforts to Haiti.

Nistas, a former PCC student who has been stationed at Guantanamo Bay since August, told MTV he was amazed and proud of how quickly the U.S. military has sprung into action. He called it his most inspiring mission to date.

Read the story online: http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/01/21/mtv-news-crew-in-haiti/.

Money and relief supplies aren’t the only needs in the stricken country. Tens of thousands of Haitian children are now orphans.

Children who were already in the adoption process had visa requirements waived, which allowed 50 Haitian children to enter the United States.

What about the rest of the children? Adoption agencies are unclear as to what will happen.

“If I could adopt a few Haitian orphans, I would,” Romo said.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

You can donate online to Haiti relief groups at the following Web sites:

•    www.unicefusa.org (1-800-4UNICEF)

•    www.redcross.org

•    www.yele.org

You can also text donations the following organizations:

•    SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross.

•    SMS text “GIVE10” to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief.

•    SMS text “HAITI” to 501501 to donate $10 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.

•    SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts.

Calendar

Compiled by Austin Driscoll

Thursday, Jan. 28:

Through March 5: Joseph DiGiorgio landscape paintings, Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, West Campus CFA. Free. Details: 206-6942.

Food For Thought: The History of Mexican Food, noon to 1 p.m., Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Free. Details: 791-4010.

“The House of the Devil,” 10 p.m., The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Tickets: $6.50. Details: loftcinema.com.

Friday, Jan. 29:

Gabriel Ayala concert, 6:15 p.m., St. Francis-in-the-Valley, 600 S. La Canada Drive. Tickets: $10. Details: 207-0889.

Tumbledown House performs, 7 p.m., Delectables Restaurant, 533 N. Fourth Ave. Details: www.tumbledownhouse.com.

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, 8 p.m., Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Tickets: $5. Details: 622-8848.

Saturday, Jan. 30:

Kate Becker Project, noon, The 17th Street Market, 810 E. 17th St. Free. Details: 624-8821, extension 147.

Jan. 30-31: Arizona Balalaika Orchestra, 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, West Campus Proscenium Theater. Admission: $15 ($10 students). Details: 206-6986.

Chax Press Poetry & Music featuring Ron Silliman and Marilyn Crispell, 7:30 p.m., West Campus Center for the Arts. Admission: $15, $10 in advance. Details: 206-6986.

Sunday, Jan. 31:

Nota Bene concert, 3 p.m., CFA Recital Hall, West Campus. Tickets: $6, with discounts available. Details: 206-6986 or www.pima.edu/cfa.

Through Feb 14: Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase, throughout the metropolitan Tucson area. Details: www.visittucson.org/gemshow.

Through Feb. 14: Ansel Adams photography exhibit, Tucson Museum of Art. Details: www.tucsonmuseumofart.com.

Monday, Feb. 1:

Drop/refund deadline for 16-week classes.

Through March 31: Butterfly Magic live tropical butterfly exhibit at Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Admission: $11 for ages 13+. Details: 326-9686 or tucsonbotanical.org.
Every Monday: Meet Me at Maynard’s Social Run/Walk, 6-8 p.m., Maynard’s Market and Kitchen, 400 N. Toole St.
Tuesday, Feb. 2:

Feb. 2-3: American Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., West Campus Student Lounge. Details: 206-6742.

Softball vs. Mesa Community College, 2 p.m., West Campus.

Mike Pinto-The Suppervillains, 9 p.m., Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Details: 622-8848.

Wednesday, Feb. 3:

Eliminate Hunger Soup-a-Thon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northwest Campus Level 2 and café. Details: 206-2121.

Bernal Gallery “Joseph DiGiorgio” art exhibit: gallery talk, 1:30 p.m., reception, 5-7 p.m., West Campus CFA. Tucson Visiting Artist Consortium lecture, 7 p.m., Proscenium Theatre. Free. Details: 206-6942.

Women’s basketball vs. Eastern Arizona College, 5:30 p.m., West Campus.

Men’s basketball vs. Eastern Arizona College, 7:30 p.m., West Campus.

Thursday, Feb. 4:

Drumming Circle, 10 a.m., 17th Street Market, 810 E. 17th St. Free. Details: 624-8821, Ext. 147

Free beginner guitar lessons, 4 p.m., 17th Street Market, 810 E. 17th St. Free. Details: 624-8821 Ext. 147

Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Exposed, Naked in Public, 7 p.m., Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Admission: $7. Details: www.odysseystorytelling.com.

Friday, Feb. 5:

Tucson Clean and Beautiful, 9-11 a.m., Desert Vista Campus. Join students and staff to clean up Calle Santa Cruz.

Every Friday: Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Broadway Village, southwest corner of East Broadway and Country Club Road. Details: 603-8116.

Define/Defile: Beyond the Surface, 5:30 p.m., Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road. Free. Details: www.creativephotography.org.

Saturday, Feb. 6:

Track and Field Pima Invitational, starts at 11 a.m., West Campus.

Car exhibition, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Santa Cruz Catholic School, 29 W. 22nd St. Admission: $5. Details: 624-2093.

Southern Arizona Hiking Club New Member Hike, 10 a.m. Meeting place: Wilmot Plaza,
northeast corner of Broadway and Wilmot. $2 fuel compensation for drivers. Details: 312-5348.

Sunday, Feb. 7:

Flight & Feathers, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., Roy P. Drachman-Agua Caliente Regional Park, 12325 E. Roger Road. Free. Details: 615-7855.

Joyce Yang in concert, 3 p.m., Leo Rich Theater at Tucson Convention Center. General admission: $25, student tickets: $10. Details: 577-3769 or www.arizonachambermusic.org.

Sunday Night Jazz Jam, 7 p.m., Old Pueblo Grill, 60 N. Alvernon Way. Free. Details: www.peteswan.com.

Monday, Feb. 8:

Sports Park reopening, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mike Jacob Sports Park, 6901 N. Casa Grande Highway. Fee varies with sport. Details: 982-4739 or 744-9496.

No Limit Texas Hold’em Poker, 6 p.m., Bedroxx Bowling Center, 4385 W. Ina Road. Free. Details: www.Tucson.ThePokerPub.com.

Every Monday: Magic Powers Record Show with Matt and Dan, 9 p.m., Grill/Red Room, 100 E. Congress St. Free. Details: 623-7621.
Tuesday, Feb. 9:

Feb. 9-10: American Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Desert Vista Campus.

Baseball vs. University of Arizona club team, 1 p.m., West Campus.

Through Feb. 13: Tucson Sculpture Festival, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Sculpture Resource Center, 640 N. Stone. Admission: $3 to $5 donation. Details: 495-4770.

Historic Fox Tucson Theatre public tour, noon, Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. Free. Details: 547-3040.

Wednesday, Feb. 10:

Women’s basketball vs. Central Arizona College, 5:30 p.m., West Campus.

Men’s basketball vs. Central Arizona College, 7:30 p.m., West Campus.

Ebène Quartet, 8 p.m., Leo Rich Theater at Tucson Convention Center. General admission: $25, student tickets: $10. Details: 577-3769 or www.arizonachambermusic.org.

Firefighting student returns as instructor

Story and photo by Gretchen Patze

Earning a two-year degree in Applied Fire Science and completing fire academy training helped Jason Greenawalt get where he is today.

Greenawalt has worked as a firefighter for the Tucson Fire Department for almost five years. He is also a teaching assistant at Pima Community College’s fire academy.

When he was younger, he always dreamed of having a job that involved public safety.

During high school he participated in a cadet program for TFD. At about that time, he and a buddy decided to enroll in the Fire Science program at PCC following their high school graduation in 2002.

Greenawalt worked on his associate degree for about four years while also working at a Safeway deli.

During his second year in college, Greenawalt enrolled in PCC’s fire academy. Because it was first-come, first-serve, he and his friend woke up early the morning of registration to be the first to enroll.

“It was crazy to see how many people were there at five in the morning,” Greenawalt said. “There was a long line outside the door of people just waiting to sign up.”

After attending PCC’s fire academy for one semester, Greenawalt was ready to apply for the Tucson Fire Academy.

He continued working on his degree for another year until he finally got what he wanted: TFD accepted his application. Greenawalt was officially a Tucson firefighter-in-training at age 20.

“I was one of the youngest guys in the academy,” Greenawalt said. “It really helped me grow up fast.”

After he finished the TFD academy, Greenawalt went back to school and finished his degree after one semester. He was finally ready to begin his career in public safety.

In 2007, after two years of firefighting experience, Greenawalt began to teach at Pima’s fire academy.

He helps run the workouts for the students, sets up certain drills and demonstrates general firefighting skills.

“It’s always fun leading the recruits into live fire training, especially when it’s their first time being in that situation,” Greenawalt said. “They are always really nervous, and they look to us for what to do.”

Greenawalt enjoys being an instructor as a side job.

“Our firefighting schedule has us working 10 24-hour shifts a month, so it’s nice to have something else fun to fall back on,” he said.

“It’s also cool to see these boots go from the fire academy to being actual firefighters,” Greenawalt added. “It’s a pretty satisfying feeling knowing that you helped get them there.”

Greenawalt plans to stay with TFD for the next 25 years or so, and continue his job as a teaching assistant at Pima as well.

“I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else today,” Greenawalt said. “I love both my jobs, and I work with great people.”

Credit card changes coming

Photo by Gabi Pina

Story by Liza Porter

Do you have problems with credit card debt?

Students are graduating from college with an average of $4,100 in credit card debt, up from $2,900 in 2004, according to a recent survey conducted by the Sallie Mae Student Loan Marketing Corporation.

That debt total is over and above student loans or other types of loans.

The survey found that 84 percent of undergraduates have at least one credit card, and half of all college students have four or more cards.

College students are affected by the recession as much as anyone.

In a survey conducted last fall by the University of Arizona’s Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, more than three-quarters of the students surveyed said they were spending less on entertainment, food or communication.

The students also said they have increased “risky coping behavior, like postponing medical care, reducing classes, using high-interest loans, using one credit card to pay another or taking a leave of absence from school.”

The Credit Card Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama last spring and going into effect on Feb. 22, could help students get out from under debt.

Two major provisions in the Credit Card Act affect students directly.

One prohibits credit card companies from issuing cards to anyone under age 21 without a co-signer or proof of creditworthiness.

Another provision prevents banks from coming on campuses to sign up students for credit cards by offering free gifts.

There are other important provisions in the Credit Card Act, according to www.credit.org, a nonprofit consumer counseling Web site. They include:

•    A credit card holder must be notified 45 days in advance of any change in interest rate.

•    Interest rates can only be raised after disclosure to the card holder, and only under specific circumstances, such as the following examples:

o    If your rate is tied to a national rate that varies, like the Fed’s prime rate.

o    If previously disclosed that your current rate is only temporary (in which case the introductory rate must last for at least six months).

o    If you are 60 days late on your payments. For new credit card accounts, the rate can only be raised after a year has passed.

•    If you have different Annual Percentage Rates on your balances, anything you pay over the minimum payment must be applied to the higher APR balance first.

•    Creditors must send you a credit card statement at least 21 days before your payment is due.

The Credit Card Act protects consumers more than previous laws, but it is still important to build credit without carrying large high-interest balances. See the sidebar below if you need help with your debt load.

Trouble signs for credit cards

Here are some warning signs that can indicate problems with credit cards, according to www.familyeducation.com:

•    Anxiety, sleeplessness, worrying about bills.
•    Late or incomplete payments.
•    Expenses exceeding income.
•    Paying basic expenses with cash advances.
•    Using one card to pay off another.
•    Getting phone calls or late notices from creditors.

If you’re in too deep, contact Consumer Credit Counseling Services at 1¬-888-656-2227 or visit www.cccsstl.org. CCCS is a nonprofit community service agency. Other information is available at www.credit.org.

R-Galaxy comic book store: a nerd nirvana

Story and photo by Taylor Bock

I’m a rather rabid comic book nerd. You can get me off on a tangent about the subtle intricacies of Marvel’s “Civil War” or DC’s “Blackest Night.”

Ask me about any character and I could most likely give that character’s entire history. If you mention the upcoming “Green Lantern” movie, I will drool at the thought.

I wasn’t always like this. I’ve always been a nerd, but up until starting college I was more inclined towards anime and manga. I’d been interested in reading comic books, but there wasn’t a nearby comic book store to get started in.

Recently, I decided to hunt down a comic book store in Tucson and make the commute no matter how far. My search led me to a small store near Campbell and Grant named R-Galaxy.

Since stepping into this store, I’ve converted to the massive comic book fan I am now. R-Galaxy reminds me of the comic book shop on “The Simpsons” except the staff is much more willing to take you in.

Typically, there’s always someone who tosses you a calm “hello” the moment you walk in, whether they’re at the desk next to the door or clear on the other side of the store.

You’ll also notice their adorable Shar-Pei, Niea. With such a relaxed and cordial staff and friendly dog to meet you, it’s not difficult to feel like it really is your neighborhood comic store.

The decorations can floor you if it’s your first time in a store like this. With wall posters, toy shelves, comics and collectables, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

My first time, I had no idea what to get or even look at first. I bought a few comics, but had to come back a few days later when I knew what to look for.

If you have something specific in mind, the staff has no problem pointing the way or showing you exactly where to find it.

I’ve now taken up collecting comics as a hobby, and enjoy following new series. R-Galaxy makes it easy with a convenient set of shelves on your right when you walk in.

The store always has the current week’s comics on top and the previous week’s comics on the bottom. The shelves are also separated into different sections like Marvel and DC to make things easier to find.

By the way, Wednesday is new comics day at any comic book store.

If you can’t find the issue you’re looking for, let the staff know and they’ll order it. They take care of the shipping and handling costs, and you just pay the price of the issue.

Other Pima Community College students have discovered R-Galaxy, including Elijah Starks.

“When I went, I was taking my little brother to a comic book store for the first time,” Starks said. “When we told that to the owner, he gave him a bunch of free comics. All in all, they were really cool. I like that place a lot.”

Even though I’ve tried to put most of my anime and manga fandom behind me, I still look into it occasionally. R-Galaxy has a decent selection for anime fans, as well as music soundtracks and DVDs.

The store carries all the popular anime series, as well as ones off the mainstream path. The staff is very knowledgeable either way. Whether it’s western or eastern, staffers will tell you whatever you want to know.

If you’re a fan of Bookmans, you might also like R-Galaxy. The store has a similar trading system where you can get credit for things you bring in. They take anything relevant to pop culture, so bring whatever old nerdy junk you have to make room for new nerdy junk.

“Pop culture is always changing,” manager Rick Keefe said. “We just try to roll with it and keep up with what’s popular.”

I also discovered a back room full of movies for rent. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it feels as though R-Galaxy has everything. Whatever you were thinking of will be right there. Be warned, however, that they charge by the day.

If you’re tight on cash, go fishing in the dozens of bargain bins and boxes. You never know when you might find a hidden gem among the dusty old comics and toys.

Speaking of toys, the store can satisfy your collectable sweet tooth, with walls and shelves covered in action figures old and new. It’s a bit of a nostalgia rush to see the same Power Ranger action figure I played with as a kid, still in its original packaging.

If you’ve got money to burn, check out www.R-Galaxy.com. It can direct you toward their Amazon and eBay stores, where you can shop and bid for items.

The store itself isn’t difficult to find. You may have seen the small yellow building on the northeast corner of Grant Road and Campbell Avenue. The “R-Galaxy” sign is fairly obvious. There are a few parking spots out front, but it might be easier to park in the back.

R-Galaxy always welcomes newcomers. Feel free to stop by. It’s a cool, relaxed place to be a complete geek.

February in Tucson means gems, rodeo, golf

By Laura Halverson

The time has come for treasure hunts, parades and rodeos. Tucson will again host a variety of February events.

Tucson Gem Show

The Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase returns Jan. 30-Feb. 14 with dozens of displays at more than 40 locations citywide.

Finished jewelry, loose gems, beads, raw minerals and clothing are just a few treasures to find at the showcase.

Since 1953, thousands of vendors from all over the world have participated in the event. The showcase contributes $100 million to the Tucson economy and brings in at least 50,000 out-of-town visitors, according to the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Gem show participants have partnered to create free shuttle routes that will offer access to more than 25 shows and various parking hubs throughout the city. Shuttle days and hours of operation depend on individual show schedules. Pick-up intervals vary from 10 to 30 minutes.

For details about shows, locations and transportation options, visit the Visitors Bureau Web site at www.visittucson.org/gemshow.

Tucson Rodeo and Parade

The 2010 Tucson Rodeo is well on its way, along with a parade of cowboys and their trusty steeds.

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros begins Feb. 20-21 and continues on Feb. 25-28 at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association event attracts champions who compete for a share of $350,000 in prize money.

For tickets or additional details, visit www.tucsonrodeo.com or call 1-800-964-5667.

Along with the rodeo comes the Tucson Rodeo Parade. The parade will shoot off on Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. with 150 western themed floats and horse-drawn buggies, Mexican folk dancers, musicians and high school marching bands.

To learn more about the parade and Tucson’s pioneer days, visit www.tucsonrodeoparade.org.

Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering

“Cowboys and Sweethearts” will be the theme at the 18th Annual Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering on Feb. 12-14.

More than 30 cowboy poets, musicians and storytellers from the western United States will gather at Buena Performing Arts Center in Sierra Vista, about 75 miles southeast of Tucson.

Tickets to the gathering cost $6-$18, with free Saturday afternoon sessions. To find out more about show times and ticket prices, visit www.cowboypoets.com.

World Golf Championships

For all the golfers in Tucson, the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship is coming to Tucson Feb. 15-21, at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain.

Tiger Woods isn’t likely to attend, but 2009 champion Geoff Ogilvy is expected to return to defend his title, along with other star golfers such as Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia.

Players will test their skills on the 7,800-yard, 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature course, built in 2009 to create a challenge for the elite players and to accommodate the best gallery areas for viewing the match-play format.

For tickets, visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com or call 1-888-401-8000.

Online Extra: Women’s Basketball 2009-10 Results

Photo by Daniel Gaona

National Junior College Athletic Association Division II 5th place

Final Record: 28-8, 18-4 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference

Back to back National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region I champions
Back to back National Junior College Athletic Association Division II District A champions

Women’s Division II National Basketball Tournament

Nov. 6 vs. College of Eastern Utah (Cedar City, UT ) W 78-67
Nov. 7 vs. Salt Lake City CC (Cedar City, UT) L 59-52
Nov. 13 vs. ODESSA COLLEGE L 78-69
Nov. 14 vs. SOUTH PLAINS CC L 67-66 (OT)
Nov. 18 @ *Cochise College W 80-56
Nov. 21 vs. *ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE W 85-53
Dec. 2 vs. *PHOENIX COLLEGE W 95-59
Dec. 5 @ *Eastern Arizona College W 67-47
Dec. 9 vs. *SCOTTSDALE CC W 66-58
Dec. 12 @ *Central Arizona College L 76-73
Dec. 15 vs. LOUISIANA STATE UNIV.-EUNICE W 82-61
Dec. 28 vs. COLLEGE OF EASTERN UTAH (Country Financial Classic) W 43-34
Dec. 29 vs. ODESSA COLLEGE (Country Financial Classic) W 62-45
Dec. 30 vs. WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE (Country Financial Classic) W 62-45
Jan. 6 vs. *CHANDLER-GILBERT CC W 97-60
Jan. 9 vs. *GLENDALE CC W 95-55
Jan. 13 @ *Yavapai College W 59-49
Jan. 16 vs. *SOUTH MOUNTAIN CC W 72-62
Jan. 20 @ *Mesa CC L 78-74
Jan. 23 vs. COCHISE COLLEGE W 78-43
Jan. 27 @ *Arizona Western College W 60-55
Jan. 30 @ *Phoenix College W 94-67
Feb. 3 vs. *EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE W 102-36
Feb. 6 @ *Scottsdale CC L 69-52
Feb. 10 vs. *CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE L 75-72
Feb. 13 @ *Chandler-Gilbert CC W 92-67
Feb. 17 @ *Glendale CC W 58-49
Feb. 20 vs. *YAVAPAI COLLEGE W 76-52
Feb. 23 @ *South Mountain CC W 78-66
Feb. 26 vs. *MESA CC W 73-62
Mar. 2 NJCAA Region 1 Playoffs Semifinals vs. SOUTH MOUNTAIN CC W 65-55
Mar. 5 NJCAA Region 1 Playoffs Championship vs. MESA CC W 63-60
Mar. 17 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship (East Peoria, Illinois) First Round vs. Bismarck State College W 82-56
Mar. 18 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship (East Peoria, Illinois) Quarterfinals vs. Schoolcraft College L 65-56
Mar. 19 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship (East Peoria, Illinois) Consolation Bracket Second Round vs. Illinois Valley CC W 77-76
Mar. 20 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship (East Peoria, Illinois) Fifth Place Game vs. Parkland (Ill.) College W 77-65

*ACCAC Conference Game

Follow us on Twitter @Aztecsports

Online Extra: Men’s Basketball 2009-10 Results

Photo by Daniel Gaona

National Junior College Athletic Association Division II 7th place

Final Record: 20-16, 9-13 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference

National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region I champions
National Junior College Athletic Association Division II District 1 champions

Men’s Division II National Basketball Tournament

Nov. 6 Colorado Northwestern College (Thatcher) W 120-77
Nov. 7 vs. Tierra Del Sol (Thatcher) W 95-70
Nov. 10 vs. SOUTHERN ARIZONA BOMBERS W Forfeit
Nov. 13 vs. DAVIS-MONTHAN STARS W 126-72
Nov. 14 vs. ODESSA COLLEGE L 77-63
Nov. 18 @ *Cochise College L 93-90
Nov. 21 vs. *ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE L 103-68
Nov. 27 Eastern Arizona College Thanksgiving Tournament (Thatcher) vs. Trinidad State College L 101-96
Nov. 28 Eastern Arizona College Thanksgiving Tournament (Thatcher) vs. Tucson Cats W 90-71
Dec. 2 vs. *PHOENIX COLLEGE W 80-70
Dec. 5 @ *Eastern Arizona College W 93-88 (OT)
Dec. 9 vs. *SCOTTSDALE CC L 91-82
Dec. 12 @ *Central Arizona College W 94-93 (OT)
Dec. 30 vs. TIERRA DEL SOL W 110-92
Jan. 6 vs. *CHANDLER-GILBERT CC L 91-86
Jan. 9 vs. *GLENDALE CC L 110-102 (OT)
Jan. 13 @ *Yavapai College W 116-67
Jan. 16 vs. *SOUTH MOUNTAIN CC W 75-65
Jan. 20 @ *Mesa CC L 91-71
Jan. 23 vs. *COCHISE COLLEGE W 104-95
Jan. 27 @ *Arizona Western College L 79-68
Jan. 30 @ *Phoenix College L 85-72
Feb. 3 vs. *EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE L 116-110 (OT)
Feb. 6 @ *Scottsdale CC W 99-83
Feb. 10 vs. *CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE L 91-90
Feb. 13 @ *Chandler-Gilbert CC L 89-59
Feb. 17 @ *Glendale CC W 72-69
Feb. 20 vs. *YAVAPAI COLLEGE W 110-97
Feb. 23 @ *South Mountain CC L 68-63
Feb. 26 vs. *MESA CC L 78-64
Mar. 2 NJCAA Region 1 Playoffs Opening Round vs. SCOTTSDALE CC W 96-74
Mar. 4 NJCAA Region 1 Playoffs Round Two @ Chandler-Gilbert CC W 73-65
Mar. 6 NJCAA Region 1 Playoffs Championship @ Phoenix College W 73-64
Mar. 16 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship (Danville, Ill.) First Round vs. Lincoln (Ill.) College L 76-69
Mar. 18 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship (Danville, Ill.) Consolation Bracket First Round vs. Mercer County (N.J.) College W 79-58
Mar. 19 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship (Danville, Ill.) Consolation Bracket Second Round vs. Grand Rapids (MI.) CC W 74-66
Mar. 20 NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship (Danville, Ill.) Seventh Place Game vs. St. Clair County (MI.) CC W 59-52

*ACCAC Conference Game

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Navajo ‘Long Walk’ ancestor attends PCC

Photo by Gabi Piña

Story by Danielle Bunting

Pima Community College student Jordan Collins, 19, grew up on the Navajo reservation listening to stories about his great great great grandmother Na’ałtǫǫ’í Bitsį́’.

His ancestor, whose name means Tobacco’s Daughter, escaped from the Navajo Long Walk in 1864.

The Navajo Long Walk started when the U.S. Army forced Navajos to march from their native regions to Fort Sumner, N.M. The trek took a little more than 18 days by foot and at least 200 Navajos died along the way.

Tobacco’s Daughter’s family was forced to trek the Long Walk, and late one winter night her mother helped her escape. Tobacco’s Daughter ran two nights and returned home to gather supplies and sheep.

She then traveled to the highest point of a mountain on the reservation and lived in isolation for about 11 years. When the Navajo people were released and returned to the land, Tobacco’s Daughter found a husband and had children.

Tobacco’s Daughter claimed all of the land that Collins’ and his family now own.

“On the reservation today we still have our family reunion at the base of the mountain every year,” Collins said.

The Navajo nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States. The nation’s region includes northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado.

Collins grew up in LeChee, Ariz., about a mile from Page, Ariz., near Lake Powell and the Utah border.

“I miss the lake and my family most of all,” Collins said.

Collins moved to Tucson to earn a college education and is taking courses at West Campus, working toward a degree in mathematics in order to teach someday.

He enjoys math, hanging out with his friends and playing tennis.

“I was on the varsity tennis team all four years of high school. I was the No. 1 player on the team for three years,” Collins said. “I almost played for Mesa Community College or Gateway in Phoenix, but I ended up coming to Tucson.”

Although the Navajo tribe is a very old culture, Navajos still thrive and function in modern society.

“It’s a sovereign nation under the U.S. government,” Collins said. “We elect the president and the Navajo nation is comprised of many different sections maintained by the chapter houses.”

President Joe Shirley currently holds office in the Navajo nation. Chapter houses maintain their designated territory of the reservation. A president resides over each chapter, and if anyone has a complaint they go to him.

“There is a grazing committee that is run through the chapter house to maintain people’s livestock,” Collins said. “You register to vote and cast your ballot there.”

As a formal introduction to know who your family is and avoid interbreeding, Navajos introduce themselves based on the clan system.

“You have four different clans, the main two are the most important,” Collins said. “First is your mother’s clan, the main one. The second is your father’s, the third is your maternal grandfather’s, the fourth is the paternal grandfather’s clan.”

Collins’ two main clans are Tódích’inii, meaning by water’s edge, and Kinyaanii, meaning red house.

“I would say that’s interesting because it makes our tribe unique,” Collins said.

Living on the reservation provides many interesting opportunities. Despite being in the 21^st century, many native traditions live on.

“A lot of traditional families still practice everything,” Collins said. “From raising sheep to farming, still.”

Navajos continue to wear traditional dress for special occasions. Many Navajos still believe the turquoise stone provides protection.

“Little kids are given turquoise bracelets as a form of protection, traditionally,” Collins said. “Women used to have to farm the fields and they would leave the bracelets on the kids for reassurance.” 

For men, Navajo traditional dress consists of moccasins, a long sleeved shirt and pants with leather coming down from the knees for protection.

Women wear long-sleeved shirts, moccasins and their hair tied in a bun with wool strung into yarn. In order to put their hair in a bun, they use a Navajo hair brush made of dry grass strands that are two to three inches in diameter.

Collins knows how to have fun by mixing old and new forms of entertainment on the reservation.

“My family owns five horses and I like to ride my horse,” Collins said. “My family also enjoys riding dirt-bikes and quads.”

The arid desert of the Navajo reservation provides a unique setting to keep Native American traditions alive while still living in the modern world. Collins is just one example of how a person can grow up with traditional values and strive to achieve big modern-day hopes.

Summer job provides valuable lessons

Photo by Jessica Canchola

Story by Laura Halverson

Working with mentally disabled, blind and deaf children and young adults can be challenging and fulfilling. Kelsie Grant has learned it opens eyes to a new way of looking at the world.

Grant, a student at Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Science of Speech and Hearing. She is one of many who have been impacted by the disabled, the blind and the deaf.

She works for Tucson Parks and Recreation Summer Therapeutic Program, and spent the last two summers working with mentally disabled, blind and deaf children and young adults.

“I worked with kids ages 3 to 5 my first summer,” Grant said. “This last summer I worked with 16- to 22-year-olds.”

Grant first started working for TPR in 2008. “My dad wanted me to go to summer camps to work with kids with speech disorders,” she said. “I went to a job fair they were having and signed up and got into it.”

She enjoyed her time working with TPR. “I really love working with the 16- to 22-year-olds,” Grant said. “I fell in love with the older kids because I felt like more of a friend to them instead of an authority.”

Working with the mentally disabled, blind and deaf can be fun, but challenging. Grant has learned a lot from her participants, including patience.

“Sometimes a participant would get really upset, angry, and sometimes throw objects around the room,” Grant said. “All you can do is back off and let them go because you could possibly get hurt if you stepped in.”

Grant and her coworkers planned a weekly schedule, full of fun activities and field trips for the participants.

“We would take them swimming once a week at the public pool at Reid Park,” she said. “We would also do arts and crafts and play a game like kickball or play on the playground outside for physical exercise.”

Grant said they went on field trips to places like McDonalds and Reid Park Zoo with the 3- to 5-year-olds. They took the 16- to 22-year-olds on field trips to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Breakers Water Park.

The older participants would help with cooking, setting and cleaning up after lunch. Giving them this responsibility helps them build independent living skills to eventually live on their own, Grant said.

“I feel that it helps them build patience as well as independent living skills,” Grant said. “Everyone needs structure and these little tasks help them become familiar with it.”

Grant said every participant functioned differently. “Some were very high functioning and could do just about anything,” she said. “Then there’s the other end of the spectrum where others were pretty much nonverbal.”

It was hard to get all of the older participants to participate in some activities, especially if it was below or above their skill level.

“Higher functioning participants excelled at sports and other physical activities, but could get frustrated if they were having difficulty playing or understanding the rules,” Grant said. “I would just tell them to keep trying and tell them that they are wanted in the group.”

Grant has taken sign language at PCC, which came in handy while working with deaf participants. She worked with a participant who was the first in Arizona to get bilateral cochlear implants.

“His main communication was sign,” she said. “I was able communicate a little here and there, but he was much more fluent than I was in sign language.”

Grant now holds a new view and respect for people with disabilities.

“It’s very frustrating and upsetting when people joke about people with disabilities,” Grant said. “They are just like everyone else and can do anything they put their mind to.”

Grant has changed a great deal since working with TPR, she said. “Working with them has opened my eyes to the simplicity and beauty of life.”

Journalist switching career to teaching

Story and photo by Liza Porter

Breyman Schmelzle was a sportswriter for the Tucson Citizen for 22 years until the newspaper went out of business earlier this year.

He hadn’t made any preparation for a second career. But near the end of his Citizen days, another reporter stopped by Schmelzle’s desk and said, “You ought to teach, you’d be really good at it!”

It clicked.

At 63, Schmelzle decided to become a high school teacher. He’s taking classes at Pima Community College, and working to become recertified by taking Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments.

He taught language arts in Illinois his first year out of college, but was more interested in becoming a sportswriter. He wrote for a couple of papers in the Midwest before coming to Tucson.

Schmelzle’s journalism career was long and fruitful. He started at the Citizen as a copy editor and went on to cover just about everything in the sports world: basketball, football, softball, tennis, wrestling and gymnastics. His favorite assignment was covering Olympic athletes at the University of Arizona.

“It was very rewarding, being able to associate with that type,” he says. “You learn from people.”

After Gannett, the newspaper chain that owned the Citizen, announced it planned to sell the newspaper, staffers waited months to learn their fate. “Morale was horrible. It was a tragedy,” Schmelzle says.

“Newspapers are just so much fun to work at. And of course we were convinced we were much better than the morning paper,” he adds, laughing. “Nobody wants to read an afternoon paper because by the time they get it, it’s not news anymore.”

Journalism is definitely taking a turn, Schmelzle says. But he doesn’t think journalism itself will fail.

“Maybe newspapers,” he says. “The paper part, I think, may be like a black and white TV some day.”

Schmelzle is grateful that Pima is here. Deciding to take classes at Pima was part of the process of deciding to become a teacher. “Without Pima, this thing wouldn’t be going, I don’t think.”

He started last summer with Tom Speer’s modern literature class. “It was great. I had never, ever been so into school.”

Schmelzle quit high school in the spring of his senior year because he knew he wouldn’t graduate. But he went back the next fall and completed his graduation requirements, then went on to graduate from the University of Notre Dame.

The way Speer conducted the literature course was just fabulous, Schmelzle says.

“I just felt that energy.” It transformed him. “Wow! This is it!” he thought.

Schmelzle had never considered himself an academic, but he got so involved in the class he became completely convinced that he wanted to teach.

“And things have just happened, one thing after another,” Schmelzle says.

This semester he’s enrolled in a humanities course and an American authors course. “I’ve always been a reader and always interested in characterization,” Schmelzle says.

When he was a journalist, he loved doing personality sketches. He could talk with someone for 20 minutes and grasp who they were and what they were about.

“I was pretty competent at that. The game and the competition were fine, but it’s the people that I was interested in.”

That interest in people will certainly help Schmelzle in the classroom.

He’s not nervous at all about relating to high school students, he says “because I’ve actually been relating to kids, to late teens, all my life.”

And he is excited about being a teacher this time around. His words almost trip over themselves. “I think understanding history, understanding literature … and math trains the brain … and logic …”

Schmelzle wants to be one person in kids’ lives who will help them find themselves.
The purpose of education is about becoming, he says.

“For the student to grow, you know, to find themselves somehow. Through all of the problems and the peer pressure and the culture.”

He tries not to think about the future too much, or to dwell on the past. When the Citizen folded, Schmelzle decided he wasn’t going to panic.

“I think it’s a blessing. I’m not cynical about it,” he says.

He told himself, “It’s not going to cause depression. I don’t care, it’s just not going to do it.”

Schmelzle thinks everything has a purpose.

“I’m a late bloomer at the age of 63, that’s pretty late,” he says, laughing. “Maybe I needed that much preparation.”

Schmelzle knows it could take a while to find a teaching position. He had one offer, but it fell through because of budget problems.

“Right now, I can take—so to speak—failure,” he says. “If you consider what failure is—not reaching the goal—I can take it.”

But he won’t be denied.

“A person has to do that,” Schmelzle says. “No matter what realm they’re doing it in, they have to keep going. They have to say ‘I will not fail.’”

Trails abound at Saguaro National Park

Story and photo by Jessica Canchola

Drive east on Speedway Boulevard to the Rincon Mountains or west on Speedway to Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains, and you’ll see vast forests of saguaros in all shapes and sizes.

Saguaro National Park covers two districts on opposite sides of Tucson. Together, the Rincon and Tucson mountain districts offer more than 165 miles of trails.

Trails range from easy to advanced, and can range in elevation. The Rincon district contains numerous rock climbing trails that reach to the very top of the peaks. There is also plenty of dirt and sand, so wear good hiking shoes.

Hikers should be aware of horses and their droppings, since ranchers take their horses up certain trails.

One east-side trail starts at Douglas Spring trailhead and takes you into a valley of giant saguaros. The trail leads to rock climbing. The elevation soon changes and you encounter gorgeous views.

The trail splits off, with one option continuing on to Douglas Spring. Taking the Baja Vista trail brings more uphill climbing and loose gravel. After you reach the top, you get an expansive city view.

Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a good hat for this adventurous climb. It provides a workout, but rewards you with breathtaking views.

Other popular trails include:

East-side Rincon Mountain District
 Desert Ecology Trail (1/4 mile roundtrip)
 Freeman Homestead Trail (1 mile)
 Cactus Forest Trail (2.5 mile loop)
 Mica View Loop (2 miles)
 Loma Verde Loop (3 miles)
 Freight Wagon Loop (3.5 miles)
 Garwood Loop (5.3 miles)

West-side Tucson Mountain District
 Cactus Garden Trail (100 yards)
 Desert Discovery Trail (.5 miles)
 Valley View Overlook Trail (.8 miles)
 King Canyon Trail (3.5 miles)
 Hugh Norris Trail (4.9 miles)
 Sendero Esperanza Trail (3.2 miles)
 Cam-boh Trail (2.7 miles)
 Ringtail Trail (1 mile)
 Sweetwater Trail (3.4 miles)
 Cactus Wren Trail (1.5 miles)

Visit nps.gov/sagu for additional information.

Desert Vista plans community garden

Story and photos by Sierra Russell

Desert Vista Campus will hold a celebration Dec. 10 to honor Terra Madre Day.

The event is being observed in more than 100 countries worldwide to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Slow Foods International, an organization that promotes regionally grown and seasonally harvested foods.

Terra Madre, which means mother earth in Italian, embraces Slow Foods International’s philosophy: “Our movement is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy: a recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet.”

During the local celebration, the Desert Vista Honors Colloquium will present local tastes and a recipe booklet. There will also be free samples and participation by several other local food sources.

“If you have wondered about sustainable gardening practices and how you can be a friend to Terra Madre, stop by Thursday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.,” said Barry Infuso, head of the Culinary Arts Program at Desert Vista.

Plans for a community garden at Desert Vista will also be featured during the event.

JodyLee Estrada Duek, an environmental biology instructor and member of the board of directors for Slow Foods International, has helped coordinate plans for a garden.

“Chef Infuso and I have discussed the idea for about 10 years,” Duek said. “And I knew others who wanted to get involved, but there were obstacles.”

Persistence and patience played essential roles in getting the garden approved.

“Early last spring, administration was receptive to the idea,” Duek recalled. “Students of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society wrote grants and approached local groups for donations. By early summer, we had official permission from the college. Then we could begin the process of paperwork and soil testing.”

David Kaiser, a nursing major at PCC and a liaison to Phi Theta Kappa, outlined the group’s involvement in organizing a community garden.

“Phi Theta Kappa has raised over $1,500, as well as a cache of tools and implements,” he said.

Tools have also been donated by Home Depot and will be officially presented to the campus during the Terra Madre celebration.

“There will be plots for heirloom plants that are indigenous to the area,” Kaiser said.

The garden, which will be located on the east side of campus, will be a main focus for both the biology and culinary programs at Desert Vista. Vegetables and herbs grown in the garden can be used in the campus kitchen.

“We hope to have a section for indigenous plants, a section for herbs, a greenhouse and a shaded ramada,” Duek said.

The garden will be the first community garden at PCC.

“The garden will be unique to this campus,” Kaiser said. “There are other beautification projects on some of the campuses of PCC, but this will be the first educational garden that also offers community outreach opportunities.”

For additional information, e-mail Duek at jduek@pima.edu.