Pima Community College’s graduation ceremony will feature a speaker who displays the qualities of a top student: drive, purpose and an eye for the future.

Dax W. Crocker, 40, exudes those qualities in and out of school by studying religion and serving as a minister at Tucson’s House of Glory Church.

He graduates as a Phi Theta Kappa honor society member, maintaining a 3.9 grade point average.

Crocker was born in Guatemala. His surname comes from an adventurous Irish great-grandfather who journeyed to the United States, then to the Central American nation. At age 14, he immigrated with his family to Los Angeles.

He served as a missionary in Sweden, Spain and Italy before returning to the United States in 1997 to pastor a church in Providence, R.I. He moved to Tucson in August 2006.

Crocker had no college background beyond ministry school when he began attending PCC in his 30s. His goal was to earn an associate degree in general studies and gain academic experience.

“I have been in ministry for over 20 years, but I don’t have an academic degree,” he said. “I want to reach out to the academic world.”

Crocker attended PCC with his 18-year-old daughter, Rebecca. The two shared an online math course and helped each other with the workload.

“I’m proud of him,” she said of her father.

“I know he didn’t get a chance to [go to college] when he was younger, because of stuff that life had thrown at him.”

Crocker will transfer to the University of Arizona to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in religion studies. From there, he hopes to attend Harvard University to earn a doctorate in divinity.

His ultimate goal is to return to UA as a religion professor.

In his current role as a minister at the House of Glory Church, Crocker has built a strong bond with church members. They stay to chat with Crocker long after the service has formally ended.

Worshippers like Dave Coder think Crocker is a great person and that PCC made the right choice in picking him to speak.

“His speech was outstanding in addressing issues that we are facing today” Christy Yebra, chairwoman of PCC’s graduation search committee, said. “He will represent the class of 2012 and Pima Community College well.”

Graduation ceremony

slated for May 17

Pima Community College’s graduation ceremony will be held May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.

Parking is free for students and guests. Graduates may bring as many guests as they desire.

Participating graduates should check in between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Professional photographers will be available before and after the ceremony.

The ceremony will be recorded and rebroadcast on Cox and Comcast cable channels.

For full details, visit the 2012 graduation link at pima.edu.

The link is pima.edu/events/graduation-ceremony/index.html.

Steven Blackman, a 22-year-old Pima Community College student majoring in music production, has attended classes in each of West Campus’ many art buildings.

“The music classes that I’ve taken at Pima have all left me with more constructive knowledge on music than I had before,” Blackman said.

“I honestly paid less attention in some of them than I should have,” he added. “But the information that I was able to gain has definitely made a significant difference in my understanding of music theory, production and recording, and the business end of it all.”

Blackman has written several songs, composing guitar and voice arrangements. He receives inspiration from a variety of sources.

“I guess it really depends on the mood I’m in at any given moment,” he said. “Most of the time I’ll be listening to certain music and it will somehow spark my creative imagination.

“Other times, something will just click in my mind and an idea will form. But no matter the inspiration, I really have to be in ‘the mode.’”

Blackman said it’s always better not to force himself.

“Most of the time I write my lyrics first, because I’ve always been really good with words,” he said.

“Once I have the first verse and chorus written, I’ll create a melody and rhythm with guitar. Once I have that all set, I’ll continue writing verses in the song structure I’ve made. After that, I just experiment with the lyrics and guitar until the feeling is just right.”

His songs aren’t complete until the lyrics and the guitar work together in exactly the way he wants the story to be heard.

Blackman plans to be involved with music for a long time.

“At the moment, I’m working with a friend to get his recording studio up and running,” he said. “My goal is to work as a producer in this studio.”

Beyond that, he’ll continue writing lyrics and composing original songs.

“I don’t plan to ever stop doing that, no matter what I find myself doing as a career,” he said.

College students who need an extra boost for all-night cram sessions but hate energy drink calories can indulge their caffeine cravings in a new way.

With Aeroshot, users swallow finely powdered caffeine after drawing puffs from a container.

The shots contain B vitamins and roughly 100 milligrams of caffeine, according to the company’s website. That is equivalent to an 8.4-ounce Red Bull energy drink.

Aeroshot markets itself as a quick pick-me-up for anyone, especially students, athletes and dieters. It touts the product’s ease of use and zero calories.

However, a Federal Drug Administration warning criticizes the company’s strategy.

The warning says children should not use the product, and claims the company has irresponsibly marketed to children by associating Aeroshot with school.

The FDA also says consumers should not inhale the product, because no studies have looked into the effects of inhaling the fine-grained powder into lungs.

Additionally, the FDA opposes the company’s encouragement of mixing the product with alcohol.

Aeroshot is not widely available. Those curious and daring enough to try it must purchase the product online at aeroshots.com.

The caffeine shots are housed in cylinders that looks like shell casings, and come three to a package.

It costs $3 per shot, plus shipping.

REVIEW: Expensive, but does its job well

After learning about Aeroshot, its purported effects and the controversy associated with it, I felt it should be tested in a setting familiar to most college students: the day after an all-nighter.

By coincidence, this plan worked out perfectly. My online order arrived on a Monday after an extremely late night. Another late night awaited.

I took the shot during a small party that night. Putting the caffeine cylinder to my mouth drew curiosity from everyone around me, partly from its appearance. More likely, though, the attention came from my coughing fit that ensued.

Aeroshot does not properly tell you how to use it. Do not take a hard hit like it’s a cigarette: That causes the powder to enter your airway.

On my second attempt, I gently puffed with much better success.

As I swallowed, I was struck by the caffeine’s disgusting taste. The taste lingered in my mouth for several minutes after each puff.

Beyond the bad taste and possibility of choking, the shot did its job very well. I would normally have been fighting sleep, but found myself surprisingly alert. It kept me going through the night.

Caffeine pills or energy drinks tend not to last long. They are also consumed quickly, leading to a hard crash later. Aeroshot can be used for many hours, with occasional small hits.

Aeroshot is not cheap, but the shot provided multiple hits through the night. Overall, the product did its job.

-By Eric Klump

The audience will experience winter, spring, summer and autumn through a series of dance styles when the Pima Community College performing arts department presents “The Four Seasons” on May 11-12.

Director Aurora Gonçalves-Shaner will illustrate the passage of time using an assortment of music, including Antonio Vivaldi’s classical “Four Seasons.”

“I grew up listening to Vivaldi’s compositions, and have always wanted to create movement to his master work,” Gonçalves-Shaner said.

Dancers will interpret winter ice skating and skiing, spring’s blooming roses and young love, summer pool fun with Arizona monsoon weather and a fall harvest and Halloween.

“We all go through different seasons in our lives,” Gonçalves-Shaner said. “Why not celebrate them all through movement and music?”

Gonçalves-Shaner said choreographing varied dance styles such as ballet, modern and jazz makes the performances visually interesting.

“I usually lean toward making pieces that are classical,” she said. “The audience will connect with the dancers.”

Gonçalves-Shaner uses an audition process to choose dancers, who practice three times a week.

Performances will take place in the West Campus Proscenium Theatre on May 11 at 7:30 p.m. and on May 12 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10, with discounts available.

High school students have been invited to attend a free dress rehearsal on May 10. Gonçalves-Shaner said she will also admit PCC students..com.

 The smell of fresh air. Hearing little but the wind, with a few animal noises mixed in.

The nearest neighbor is located seven miles away. You must travel 65 miles to find the closest school and golf course.

Such is life on a Montana cattle ranch, where Pima Community College freshman golfer Joseph Courtney grew up.

Courtney and his four siblings were all home-schooled. It was a rough commute to the nearest school, and his parents were not fond of the local education system.

“It was a great way to grow up,” Courtney said. “I would have liked to have played school golf, but that’s kind of how it goes.”

Instead, Courtney spent lots of time practicing golf at the family ranch.

He often mowed part of a field and set up five-gallon buckets. His goal: hitting golf balls into the buckets.

Unlike the time-honored practice of cow tipping, Courtney preferred “cow chipping” balls into herds of cattle.

His father introduced Courtney to golf when he took all five kids to the golf course as a way to get them out of their mother’s hair.

Courtney started by chasing a ball with a club and hitting it once he caught it. With practice, his skills grew.

When his father saw Courtney’s growing interest in golf, he cut the ends off some of his clubs and gave them to his son.

Courtney now finds himself in Tucson, pursuing a dream of becoming a professional golfer.

Courtney was ineligible for NCAA programs because he was home-schooled. PCC head coach Grant Waltke was willing to let him play at Pima.

He said his work ethic came from his father and from working at their ranch.

“If I’m not working hard, it’s not another person’s problem,” he said. “It’s on me.”

Courtney brought that philosophy with him to Pima.

“I’ve learned a bunch from coach Waltke and assistant coach Rich Elias,” he said. “I really feel like I’ve been able to focus on school and my golf game.”

Courtney plans to major in business.

If he doesn’t make it as a professional golfer, his backup plan is to be a golf course director.

He is considering a minor in languages because he successfully taught himself German during his high school years. He followed up by taking German classes at Pima.

“I want to move on to do some Russian,” he said. “Spanish seems a little more practical down here, but …”

His favorite aspects of golf are learning new skills every day and having a constant drive to get better.

Courtney was the first player to collect a medal for Pima this season, taking fourth place at the Ahwatukee Country Club in Phoenix.

 He collected his second medal at the Region 1 tournament.

Courtney took first place as an individual, with an even par over four days.

After the semester ends, Courtney will head home to Montana for the summer.

In addition to working at the nearest golf course, he plans to play in tournaments.

He will also try out for the U.S. Amateur Qualifier. Last year, he missed qualifying by two strokes.

Courtney can’t wait to see his friends and family, and knows they can’t wait, either. “I want to give my mom and dad a big hug, and see my nieces,” he said.

He credits home schooling for his close-knit family.

“If you wanted to do something, you grabbed your brother or your sister and went and did something,” he said.

“It wasn’t like we had friends around the corner to run and do stuff with.”

The Pima Community College baseball team’s season came to a close on May 4 in Coolidge, where the Aztecs failed to win a game at the NJCAA Region 1 baseball tournament.

The Aztecs entered the competition as the No. 3 seed, and played second-seeded Central Arizona College on day one of the double-elimination tournament.

PCC hurler Julio Felix tossed a gem, but lost a 1-0 pitchers’ duel. Felix went 8 1-3 innings, giving up just five hits. He had three strikeouts and surrendered one walk.

Vaqueros outfielder Tyler Booth hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to spoil Felix’s masterful game and send CAC home a winner.

Pima sophomore Zach Sweety had a busy day at the plate, going 3-for-4. He was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.

Pima returned to action on day two of the tournament, facing elimination against CAC. The Aztecs dropped a second close one, losing 4-3.

It was another heartbreaking loss for PCC, as freshman pitcher Santiago Romero walked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Sophomore Dylan Schickel knocked in a run with a second-inning single, and Sweety also had an RBI on two hits.

Pima finished its season at 34-22.

The Aztecs had three players named to All-ACCAC teams and All-Region 1 teams, respectively:

First team all-conference

Julio Felix

Second team all-conference

Ryan Moser

Bryant Muñoz

First team all-region

Julio Felix

Second team all-region

Ryan Moser

Bryant Muñoz

—

By LYNDAJOE ECHERIVEL

 The Pima Community College men’s baseball team ended the season on a high note, sweeping Cochise College on April 28 at home.

The Aztecs earned the No. 3 seed for the NJCAA Region I tournament.

The Aztecs won the first game 6-1, as sophomore pitcher Pepe Gomez threw a complete game to improve to 5-4 on the season.

Sophomore K.C. Mejia got the Aztecs on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run triple. Freshman Ryan Moser followed with an RBI single, as Pima scored four runs in the inning.

Freshman catcher Blake Davey saw his streak of 15 consecutive hits foiled, but still managed to go 2-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and a double.

The Aztecs continued their stellar play in the second game, winning 10-2.

Freshman infielder Ruben Rivera went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a double.

Freshman Santiago Romero got the win, pitching four shutout innings in relief. He gave up two hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

PCC clinched a playoff spot on April 26 after it swept a doubleheader against Eastern Arizona College at home.

The Aztecs secured a spot after winning the first game 8-5. Sophomore Juan Vega improved to 7-5 on the year and Romero earned his second save of the season.

The Aztecs scored four runs in the first inning thanks to freshman catcher Zach Schira’s two-run triple and sophomore Ryan Cota’s two-run home run.

Pima moved into third place in the conference after their 11-1 victory in the second game.

Sophomore Garrett Taggart improved to 5-2 for the season, giving up one run on four hits, with two strikeouts and two walks.

The Aztecs took control of the first game but fell behind early in the second on April 24 in its split against Yavapai College in Prescott.

Schira had a good day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with four RBIs, including two doubles and a triple.

Sophomore pitcher Julio Felix improved to 9-1 after throwing another complete game in Pima’s 9-2 victory.

Sophomore infielder Ryan Gerber hit a two-run double as part of a four-run fourth inning for the Aztecs.

The Aztecs gave up five runs in the second inning and couldn’t catch up in the second game, falling 12-4.

Gomez took the loss after giving up six runs with two walks and one strikeout. The Aztecs used five pitchers in the game.

Pima earned a road sweep on April 21 against South Mountain Community College.

Davey had a good day at the plate, going 6-for-9 with three RBIs.

Vega pitched a five-hit shutout in his complete game outing as the Aztecs won 6-0 in the first game.

The Aztecs finished the season at 34-20 overall and 23-15 in conference play.

They will begin with No. 2 seed Central Arizona College at regionals. Game one of the best-of-three series will be on May 3 in Coolidge.

Arizona’s spring weather brings people out of their homes to enjoy nature at its best.

As temperatures rise, however, we share our environment with insects and reptiles emerging from hibernation.

Pip Tisdle of Tucson’s AAA Africanized Bee Removal Specialists estimates the company removes about 1,000 beehives a year.

“We don’t touch swarms, it’s unnecessary because they relocate anyway,” Tisdle said.

Nearly all wild bees in Arizona are the Africanized variety. For the most part, transient bees are seeking a new location for their hive. During the search, they need a place stop, rest and eat.

“If you respect them and don’t bug them, they usually leave within 48 hours,” Northwest Fire District Capt. Adam Goldberg said.

Triggers of scent, vibration and color set bees off, Tisdle said. They usually don’t attack unless they feel threatened, but they will continue to sting once they decide someone is a threat.

“You don’t want to be walking around a beehive with a yellow dress and a bunch of perfume,” Goldberg joked.

Most calls aren’t considered a hazard, but Goldberg said Northwest Fire District responded to 33 bee and swarm removals last year.

Experts recommend that people who find a beehive in their home call a bee removal company that is licensed with the state office of pest management.

Pima Community College student “Arianna” was home alone on a Saturday night, feeling sick with an upset stomach and headache.

When severe vaginal bleeding began, she was forced to face a looming question: Am I pregnant?

Arianna, who asked that her real name not be used, wasn’t sure how her boyfriend would react to the possibility.

“It was a big despair inside my chest that was hard to control,” she says. “I wanted to cry and scream at the same time.”

Fortunately, he reacted with care and concern. “I’m glad to have the sweetest boyfriend,” she says.

Like many women, Arianna was taking birth control pills as contraception. The pills have been proven highly effective in protecting against pregnancy, but sometimes they don’t work.

Recalls have magnified the problem.

Earlier this year, both Glenmark Generics and Pfizer pharmaceutical companies recalled birth control pills due to packaging errors.

Lo/Ovral-28, manufactured and packaged by Pfizer but labeled as Akrimax, was among the brands recalled.

Arianna was using Akrimax, and her gynecologist feared she had taken defective pills.

The gynecologist confirmed that Arianna had indeed been two weeks pregnant, but lost the baby.

Her doctor urged her to take legal action against Akrimax, but Arianna feared nothing would come of it and did not see the point.

After the miscarriage, Arianna discussed contraception with her boyfriend and decided to switch to a vaginal ring.

Vaginal rings are inserted into the vagina for three weeks, and then removed for a week to allow for menstruation As difficult as it was to imagine having a baby at this point in their lives, Arianna and her boyfriend were deeply saddened by the loss of their unborn child.

The couple agrees that the situation brought them closer together and helped them put their priorities into perspective.

Arianna feels much better now that the incident is behind her, and is attending therapy with her boyfriend.

They plan to marry next fall in Los Angeles. Someday, they want a big family.

Pima Community College student Reyver Fontes, 19, works hard as an economics major by day and a disc jockey by night.

Fontes began his music career by playing trombone in elementary school. He discovered music production in middle school.

After graduating from Rio Rico High School, Fontes decided to pursue music production as a career while DJing on the side.

“At some point in my youth, I wanted to be a lawyer, then music ruined my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Fontes collaborates with University of Arizona student Lakshya Chhabra, who acts as his manager and handles the finances. The two design merchandise, network through his Facebook fan page and find places to perform.

“Getting started has been not that bad, and working together with each other is much better than working alone,” Chhabra said. “We have had a couple of financial issues, but it has been a smooth sail for the most part because we understand each other very well.”

Fontes has gathered DJ equipment since middle school, starting with a pair of speakers. He uses desktop computers for his music production and they use Chhabra’s MacBook for live shows.

Aside from lights or extra speakers, they keep their performances simple, though Fontes hopes to keep adding equipment.

“I’d like to think that my gear kit is constantly evolving and may never be completely assembled,” he said.

It’s taken a while to get started. Fontes said there’s no centralized “DJ scene,” but Tucson offers hope for ambitious musicians.

“The city is thriving with a lot of undiscovered musical talent in a variety of genres and fields,” he said.

“I’m immensely grateful to have come in contact with a few stellar musicians in my time here, and I hope to elevate not only the DJ and electronic scene, but the local music scene as a whole.”

Fontes mostly performs at house parties, but also works school events and weddings. His favorite places to perform are friends’ houses full of familiar faces.

“The best venues will always be amongst the cramped, stuffy houses packed with people I know,” he said.

“No matter where I am, I always feel at home behind my gear, but it always makes me feel better knowing that the fans in my audience are friends.”

He hopes to grow in popularity while maintaining that close-knit feeling.

“I hope that at some point, any place I perform at, be it a club or a stadium, will become a cramped, stuffy house in spirit,” Fontes said. “My crowd, my friends.”

Future goals include performing at major clubs in town and eventually taking his performances on tour.

Fontes has struggled to secure publicity for his performances, but received help from friends and from a support group.

“It would’ve been impossible to get to where we are now without a locally based organization called This Is Local Love, whose purpose is to help out local musicians nationwide,” he said.

“I’m thankful for all the support I’ve gotten, and I aim to return the favor to TILL as much as I possibly can.”

Fontes and his partner have big ambitions and lots of drive to meet their musical goals.

“As hypothetical as everything is now, Lakshya and I will work to make it happen,” he said. “We’d be letting ourselves and our supporters down if we didn’t give this our all.”

Email: reyverfontes@gmail.com
Music Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/produceconsume
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/reyverfontes
Mixcloud: http://www.mixcloud.com/reyverfontes/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/reyverfontes

It’s hard to discount the delicious and healthy homegrown food found at farmers’ markets once you’ve experienced it.

Tucson Farmers Markets has become one of the largest cooperatives in Southern Arizona, sponsoring four markets on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: Jesse Owens Park, Maynards, Oro Valley and St. Phillips Plaza.

With a “keeping it rural” slogan, the markets draw more than 100 vendors from Arizona ranches and farms.

Several thousand shoppers turn out each weekend.

“I’m all about sustaining local produce,” manager Roxanne Garcia said. “This is small economic development with ranchers and farmers going directly to the public.”

The cooperative has worked since 1999 to connect consumers with local food producers and to educate people about the benefits of eating locally produced food.

Garcia feels a strong need to teach Arizonans about the health benefits of shopping at farmers’ markets.

“My generation has been eating processed food for so long and we’re seeing all the health problems because of that,” she said. “Now we’re coming back into natural, healthy, rural and local homegrown food.”

The markets are open year-round.

Summer hours are April through October from 8 a.m. to noon. During the winter, markets open and close an hour later.

All four Tucson Farmers Markets offer free admission and maintain a fun, family-friendly atmosphere.

They allow dogs as long as pets remain on a leash at all times.

Most vendors rotate among the markets, providing ample opportunities to buy favorite farm-fresh foods.

American Farmland Trust  recently named Tucson Farmers’ Markets the top Arizona winners in “Americas’ Favorite Farmers’ Market” voting.