All Entries in the "Features" Category

From the Editors: Meet the new nerds in charge

By CHELO GRUBB and DAVID MENDEZ

The new semester has brought a new start at Aztec Press – namely, us: the new Co-Editors in Chief, Chelo Grubb and David Mendez.

Grubb, the former assistant news editor, brings with her a passion for hard-hitting, informative news. Mendez, the last arts & entertainment head, possesses a love for well-written, captivating stories.

Combined, we plan on bringing our readers the best damn paper we can produce, with a sharpened focus on quality, accuracy and information that can make your day easier, if not a bit more fun.

In an effort to start off our new editorship in a collaborative way and utterly rehashed way, we’ve decided to introduce each other.

Meet David

David Mendez is 24, sarcastic and dedicated. He has spent six semesters on the Aztec Press staff.

Throughout those six semesters, Mendez has watched over the arts and entertainment section, aided with copy editing and assisted in a biweekly Wednesday morning scramble to get the paper cleaned up and ready for the printer.

You’ll probably recognize his name from the “Cracking Wise” column, in which he discusses things like parades held in his honor.

Many of Mendez’s sentiments are littered with pop culture references that those of us under 20. Or maybe it’s just me.

This semester is going to be packed for Mendez. On top his class, work and editor duties, he has taken on a internship for the Tucson Weekly. Keep an eye out for his byline on their website.

Lets recap with a condensed biography: David has dedicated a lot of time to the paper. He’s a compelling yet amusing writer, and he’s a little bit silly. Mostly, he just likes to high-five.

Meet Chelo

Chelo is short, young and often has no idea what I’m talking about when I reference something that isn’t on Hulu. She’s also smart and a hell of a writer. Because she’s so young, she’s only going to get better as a reporter and editor. Considering how skilled she is at this point, that’s saying something.

This is her third semester with the Aztec Press.

During her tenure, she’s made hard-hitting news her focus.

No joke, she’s done maybe two non-news features in her three semesters here. By contrast, I can only remember one hard news story that I’ve done in twice the time.

In other words, she knows what she likes to do and she’s determined to do it as well as se possibly can.

And if you can do it with spare time to read a book or nine, so much the better.

Iadevaia keeps students involved

By DAVID MENDEZ

In David Iadevaia’s nearly 30 years at Pima Community College, he’s left his mark all over East Campus—literally. His signature adorns the solstice and equinox walls near the observatory he designed.

In all that time, he’s never lost sight of what keeps him coming back every year: fun.

When speaking to him for the first time, you’re likely to notice three things right off of the bat: his shock of white hair, his Rhode Island accent (“It doesn’t go away— I can’t make prank phone calls,” he said with a laugh) and his earnest passion for science.

Iadevaia can’t recall when this passion began. It’s been there since the nights he would lay out and stare at the sky, a star map in hand.

“Some people are born musicians, some are born football players,” he said. “I was born a scientist.”

He respects that same passion when he sees it in students. He often works with such students in his classes, matching projects with their interests.

Iadevaia gave a student aide majoring in engineering the opportunity to design the original East Campus observatory.

Another student, an art major, designed the plates for the East Campus planet walk. The plate for Pluto, which has since lost planetary status, now sits in Iadevaia’s office.

Beyond physics and astronomy, Iadevaia also teaches Honors Epistemology, the study of knowledge.

“A few years ago they needed someone with a science background to teach the class,” he said. “The underlying ideas are the same in terms of how we interact with people, trying to get to the bottom of something.”

Over the years, he’s run a number of programs: science camps, portable planetarium programs and clubs, such as the radio club he’s currently trying to start. But he doesn’t chase down students.

“You have to be a geek for some of this stuff and if you’re not, you’re not,” he said. “You have to want it and if you want it, it’s available.”

Practical knowledge drives Iadevaia.

“I just experiment, I play,” he said. “I’m a scientist, I can’t help it. It’s what I do. It’s fun.”

That helps when a student asks a question, he added.

“I can tell him from experience,” he said. “Books are nothing— they’re expensive and they just tell you how it’s supposed to be. When you do science, you see what the limits are.”

Though he could retire at any time, Iadevaia has no plans to do so. However, he said PCC isn’t the place it used to be because bureaucracy has grown along with enrollment.

As he put it, “You sneeze and someone tells you which Kleenex to use to blow your nose.”

But as long as bureaucrats leave him alone, Iadevaia will keep teaching.

“In life, there’s a scale with two buckets,” he said. “In one, you’ve got nonsense. In the other, you’ve got fun stuff.”

Happiness results when the fun side prevails, he added.

“As long as I’m having fun, I’ll stay here— they’ll be carrying me out.”

Feb. 7 talk to explore ‘Miracle’

Iadevaia will try to explain the 1917 “Miracle of the Sun” from an astronomer’s perspective when he kicks off Pima Community College’s Spring 2012 Speakers’ Series on Feb. 7.

The “Miracle” solar phenomenon took place in Fatima, Portugal, on Oct. 13, 1917. The sun danced back and forth throughout the sky, frightening more than 70,000 witnesses.

The free lecture begins at 6 p.m. in the Community Board Room, in Building C at the PCC District Office, 4905 E. Broadway Blvd.

For further information, call 206-4500.

David Iadevaia stands next to a student-designed plate at East Campus' planet walk. (Leftrick Herd/Aztec Press)

Pima Olympic hopeful Curley fails to place

By MYLO ERICKSON

The Olympics had tryouts in Houston for the marathon on Saturday, Jan. 14. There were about 156 men racing on a 26.2 mile course, and only the top three qualified for the team.

Craig Curley is from Kinlichee, a Navajo reservation in northeast Arizona. He also happens to be a Pima Community College alumnus.

Curley also holds the PCC school record in the 5,000-meter run, which he completed in 14 minutes, 21.03 seconds.

Curley qualified to compete in the Houston tryouts by running in a half-marathon championship in 2010. He ran it in one hour, 4 minutes and 14 seconds.

Curley and his coach, Greg Wenneborg, who is the head coach for PCC’s cross country and track and field teams.

The two of them were fairly confident about Curley’s chances going into the race.

“He’s here to make the team,” Wenneborg said the Friday before the race.

Wenneborg felt Curley’s biggest challenge would be to hold back and not try to run and get into the lead right away.

However, they were still being realistic about Curley’s chances, as he has never run in a marathon before and that distance can present numerous problems for any runner.

“If nothing else, we’re hoping for at least a top-five or top-10 finish,” Wenneborg said.

Curley has spent the past year training for the race in Houston and fully committed himself to trying to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic marathon team.

The day before the race Curley spent his time relaxing and hanging out with the other athletes.

When it came time for the race to start that Saturday morning, only 120 runners took the line, instead of the projected 156.

Curley started out the race fairly strong, with his mile times ranging between 5:05 to 5:08.

This was the pace that both Wenneborg and Curley wanted to keep up, and Curley was in 50th place around the eight-mile mark.

Unfortunately, somewhere between the 20th and 23rd-mile marker, Curley began to struggle, as his energy steadily dissipated.

“It was an off day,” Wenneborg said.

Curley ended up finishing 84th, with a time of 2:39:53.

“Pretty shocking for him to finish as bad as he did,” Wenneborg said. “He’s handling it well.”

Only 85 of the 120 runners actually finished the race, as the distance took a toll on the athletes.

Curley ended up walking parts of the last two to three miles. Curley was also the youngest runner in the group, at 23.

Coming back home, the duo, are now thinking about their options for the future. They are going to take about a two-week break and then decide where they are going to go from there.

“It’s a humble beginning,” Wenneborg said.

Aztec Press File Photo

Enjoy the game with friends

By LARRY GAURANO

Everyone talks about feasting over the holidays. First comes Thanksgiving, with turkey and all the trimmings. Then come the December holidays, with more calorie indulgences.

In January, we make New Year resolutions to lose the weight we have gained.

But wait a minute… we have one more gluttonous holiday: Super Bowl Sunday.

Just 35 percent of Americans watched the Super Bowl last year, but it’s a holiday nonetheless. It may not be recognized officially, but retailers market the big game to consumers.

You’ll find TVs at great prices with special financing, and Super Bowl displays at every grocery store. Food channels suggest snacks to serve during the game. Radio stations host contests and other special events.

And in truth, not everyone who watches is even a football fan. Some friends gather at Super Bowl parties to watch the crazy commercials and to pig out. Sometimes, the game seems secondary.

So why not make your Super Bowl party as accommodating as it can be for your guests, whether they like football or not?

I do this each year by setting up food bars with plenty of variety.

Try a burrito bar, nacho bar or baked potato bar. Provide the primary ingredients, say tortillas and meat. Then ask your guests to bring two or three of their favorite toppings – enough to serve eight.

This makes it easy on you for two reasons: you share the costs and please picky eaters. Some people like cheese, some don’t. Some are vegetarians, while some are carnivores.

Provide a couple of desserts and you’ll have a happy bunch of friends. Make it a bring-your-own alcohol party, and you’re set.

It will be close, but Patriots will win

By LARRY GAURANO

The National Football League’s most prestigious event is less than two weeks away, and excitement is at a fever pitch.

Few events bring so many people together. Even non-football fans are attending Super Bowl parties for the food and to laugh at commercials that companies spend millions to be aired for less than a minute.

For us football fans, the food and commercials come second to the question that perplexes us each year, who will bring home the Vince Lombardi trophy?

Super Bowl XLVI will be a rematch of 2008’s Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. The Giants won that match up ending Patriot’s attempt at perfection.

The New York Giants (12-7) will be representing the National Football Conference. They were the NO. 4 seed and went up against the San Francisco 49ers in the conference championship. It was a close game, but the Giants were able to edge out a win in overtime.

The Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning is having a pro bowl season and leads the 8th best offense in the league.

That defense is what helped push them over the 49ers, as they only allowed one 3rd down conversion during regulation.

The number one seed New England Patriots (15-3) will be representing the American Football Conference in the Super Bowl. They went up against the Baltimore Ravens for the conference championship, and although the lead kept changing, the Patriots were able to pull through in the end.

Tom Brady leads the Patriots high potent offense, ranked No. 2 in the league.

The Patriots did struggle some against the Raven’s defense. It was the Ravens inability to capitalize off of the Patriots’ mistakes that cost them in the end.

The biggest downfall of the Patriots is their defense, ranked 31st in the league.

Some would say that the defense doesn’t matter. But the Green Bay Packers proved a few weeks ago that in order to make it to the championships, the defense must step up.

When you look at things on paper regarding the Giants and the Patriots, it’s rather close. Vegas list the Giants as two and a half point underdogs.

I think that’s exactly how it will play out in the end.

Patriots win, Tom Brady will be named Super Bowl MVP.

By The Numbers – Issue 8

By MEGYN FITZGERALD

226 million

Number of shoppers over “Black Friday” weekend in 2011.

212 million

Number of shoppers over “Black Friday” weekend in 2010.

$398.62

Average spending per “Black Friday” shopper in 2011.

$365.34

Average spending per “Black Friday” shopper in 2010.

$52.4 billion

Estimated “Black Friday” total spending in 2011.

$45 billion

Total “Black Friday” spending in 2010.

Source: msnbc.com

11

Percentage of holiday shoppers who plan on using their smart phone to shop.

61

Percentage of 2011 consumers who would like to receive clothing as a gift.

Source: lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com

$101,119

The cost of all items from the “Twelve Days of Christmas” in 2011 – the first year the cost surpassed $100,000.

Source: Christmas Price Index

$96,824

The cost of all items from the “Twelve Days of Christmas” in 2010.

$107.50

The average amount holiday shoppers spent on themselves in 2010.

453,600

Additional workers hired for the holiday shopping season in 2009.

1,175

Estimated number of malls in the United States.

Source: facts.randomhistory.com

Food boxes deliver hope to community

By NINA ELLIOTT

Many government programs designed to help those in need are getting cut, even though thousands of Americans are unemployed and unemployment benefit filings are at a nationwide high.

Increasing criteria for meeting poverty status impedes many jobless or part-time workers from receiving Department of Economic Security benefits.

Having to resort to a food box is a pride-swallowing experience for many newly poor people but that is not the real tragedy. Federal USDA food allotments are down by 60 percent, and this year it means no turkeys or hams were given away for holiday meals.

Community Food Bank representative Andres Valenzuela recently spoke to a West Campus nutritional biology class. Instructor Maureen Cunningham assigned her students to use previous lectures to create nutritionally dense meals based on the contents of a food box.

Valenzuela explained the face of poverty has changed the working poor.

“People who used to donate now feel shame to need food boxes,” she said, “although, most of our clients have been repeat customers for the last three years.”

The Food Bank in Tucson serves from eight different distribution locations and operates seven days a week. Even on Sundays, at least a bagged sandwich is available. Last year the group put out 15,000 boxes, but this year it increased to 25,000 boxes.

Because of the increased need, volunteer hours have increased 10 percent a month. In addition to paid employees, roughly 100,000 volunteer hours are needed to keep locations running.

Valenzuela explained that their network includes a professional chef who works with PCC and its culinary program. The Food Bank also works with the Family Resource Center, Community Supported Agriculture, farmer’s markets and community gardens.

The Food Bank seeks people with degrees in plant science, especially experts specializing in worms and irrigation.

Volunteers provide advice geared toward teaching children and adults to produce their own food with home gardening, enabling them to sell their own produce through a consignment program and make a profit from food they make.

“That’s the future,” Valenzuela said. “We want to provide food for people and for people to provide food from themselves… that’s going to be the way to end hunger.”

Families are only allowed one food box per month. The head of the family needs a picture ID and proof of residence. A type of card is swiped to keep track of people who try to take unfair advantage.

Soup kitchens are different.

“I think what’s really good about the soup kitchens is that they don’t ask questions,” Valenzuela said. “You have people completely homeless next to the working poor.”

Soup kitchens run out of food but the food box program does not. Some areas stay open late at night with the help of volunteers and employees. Certain items in the boxes are depleted but never entire boxes.

Valenzuela recalled one distribution location that “served 600 boxes on a Tuesday.”

The Food Bank serves healthy foods whenever possible, Valenzuela said.

“We’re moving towards education, ways to provide healthy alternatives to fast food,” she said.

Volunteers everywhere can be used, particularly nutrition students at the University of Arizona and PCC.

The organizations need help with food safety and sorting good produce from bad produce.

“There is something for everyone, sorting, working with clients, packing, working on the farm, and events,” Valenzuela said.

The Community Food Bank gets rice and beans from government surplus bought at lower prices, plus larger donations from Kellogg’s and Pepsi and smaller donations from individuals.

As a policy, it doesn’t give out sugary or fattening foods. Vegetable availability changes but corn and carrots are usually available.

A good source of protein must be put in every box. An example is peanut butter, which is the most expensive item the food bank has to buy. Macaroni and cheese is another staple in a food box. Soups are always donated. Stores like Safeway, Walmart and Fry’s donate bread.

Because of Arizona’ proximity to Mexico, the food bank gets a range of produce such as kale, rutabagas, lima beans, turnips, radishes and squash. Poundage determines the amount given out.

Produce is also distributed to the soup kitchens from the main distribution center.

“There is a struggle between nutrition versus calorie dense food,” Valenzuela said. “There is a diversity of people in need and their cooking styles. Coming up with recipes for them to use the foods provided is difficult.”

Many vegetables are re-donated because people getting the boxes don’t know how to cook with them.

This is where the Biology 127 class comes in—Cunningham’s students researched recipes to configure the foods in nutritious ways based on a semester of lectures and labwork.

Coursework for nutritional biology included required reading from Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food.” Cunningham began the first day of instruction by having her students plant seeds in potted soil at a West Campus greenhouse for hands-on nutrition.

Some of the seeds have taken root, sprouted and are now growing leafy greens. This approach to understanding biology, food, nutrition, nutritional studies and community outreach is edifying education.

FYI

For more information and to volunteer, visit:

Community Food Bank: communityfoodbank.org

Emergency Food Assistance Program: feedingamerica.org

Tucson Community Supported Agriculture: tucsoncsa.org

Community Gardens of Tucson: communitygardensoftucson.org

Student flees Iraqi religious persecution

By KARYN WALLIKER and KATTA MAPES

Maher Jawad lost more than half of his family to religious persecution and was on the run for years, moving from place to place, friend to friend, to stay alive.

Jawad, a Pima Community College student enrolled in the English as a Second Language program, is a Shiite Muslim from a small Iraqi village called Jedidat al-Shatt, northwest of Baghdad.

Iraq’s Muslim population is 65 percent Shiite and 35 percent Sunni. The two branches believe in different lines of succession from Mohammed, and have been in conflict for more than 1,400 years.

Photo By Karyn Williker

Jawad disdains the religious turmoil. “I am an artist, a poet,” he said. “I love in my heart all the people of the world.”

He was the youngest of six brothers and one sister. For many years, Jawad’s family prospered on a farm. Then in 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

Immediately, violence escalated. Baath Party extremists imprisoned hundreds of thousands of Shia, and most of Jawad’s siblings were killed.

In 1986, at age 18, Jawad was captured by Baath police, tortured and sentenced to 20 years in prison. After four years and 10 months, he was pardoned and forced into the Iraqi army.

He was taken directly from prison to the front lines of Iraq’s war against Kuwait. After a few days, he escaped the army and flagged down a Kuwaiti civilian motorist.

The man heeded Jawad’s pleas and agreed to drive him across the border into Iraq. He gave Jawad a change of clothes and hid him in the back of his car.

“He wouldn’t let me know his name,” Jawad said.

After five years and no news, surviving family members were shocked to see Jawad alive.

In November 1993, Jawad married Ashwak, a distant cousin. Baath terrorists continued to harass his family, showing up at their home about every six months.

By 2002, Jawad and his wife had three children and one on the way. They were constantly on the run, spending a few weeks or months in a place, and moving before they were reported.

In the early fall of that year, they were staying at a friend’s farm near a small Sunni village.  Jawad ran an errand, leaving his pregnant wife alone with their children.

While he was away, his car broke down. After spending several hours getting the vehicle fixed.  Jawad returned to find that Ashwak had given birth. The umbilical cord still connected her to the baby boy.

Sending for paramedics was too risky, so Ashwak guided Jawad in cutting the cord. He decided they couldn’t go on living like that, and needed to leave Iraq.

In January 2003, when the baby was 4 months old, Jawad spent $10,000 to obtain falsified passports for himself and his wife.

The family traveled to Syria and hired a smuggler to get them across the border to Lebanon. They would ford the Kabir River under cover of darkness.

The night was cold, and the river ran swift with mountain runoff. Jawad helped his three older children across the river first, then returned for his wife and the baby.

Jawad gripped his wife in one arm and infant son in the other as he carefully crossed the stream. The water was up to his neck when river stones beneath his feet moved. He stumbled in the powerful current and the infant was swept from the crook of his arm.

He pushed Ashwak toward the dimly visible far shore and turned to rescue the baby, who had disappeared under the choppy water. All the while, he feared the border patrol would hear and capture them, but the family safely reached Lebanon.

Jawad and his family stayed in Lebanon until 2004, when they returned to a U.S.-occupied Iraq in hopes of reuniting with family in a more peaceful time. Disappointed, they eventually returned to Lebanon.

Rasem, 5, is named after Jawad's brother, who was gunned down in Iraq.

In 2008, Jawad went to the United Nations in Lebanon to apply for refugee placement. His case was approved, and his family was assigned for relocation to the United States.

Jawad and his wife are now the parents of five children. The family has lived in Tucson for 3½ years, and is acclimating to life in the United States.

Jafa Jawad, 9, is adjusting well to his life in America after his trying times in Iraq.

His children adapted quickly. They have learned English and all attend public school.

Jawad has no plans to move back to Iraq. He wants to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, and continue his education. He hopes to eventually become a U.S. citizen.

“I like the people of the U.S.,” Jawad said. “I feel that they have mercy.”

The Word: What’s your favorite holiday memory?

Interviews and photos by Celeste Orendain

“I went to California to visit my family. We had a big table full of food. I got a lot of presents and got to spend time with my family. It was cool because it was something I wasn’t used to. I made everybody dance, even my grandpa.”

Karla Sanchez

Nursing

Desert Vista Campus

“When I was little I got to spent time with my older brother for holidays, and my little nephews too. It was so much fun being with them and going to the movies together. Those are the moments I will cherish forever.”

Alejandra Martinez

Fine Arts

Desert Vista Campus

“My favorite holiday was with my family of 70 up in Canada during a wonderful snowfall of 3 feet. We all talked of the beauty of life and spent quality time with each other.”

Nicolas Duran

Business

Desert Vista Campus

“My favorite holiday memory was Thanksgiving because I was with my grandma. She was always making the dinner, but it was fun to be with her.”

Santiago Reyes

Vet Tech

Desert Vista Campus

Calendar (Dec. 8-21)

Compiled by LAURA BLANDBURG

Thursday, Dec. 8:

American Red Cross Blood Drive, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Downtown Campus, Amethyst Room.

NWC Student Life and Counseling: Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Northwest Campus, Level 2.

One Hit Wonders: “Eames: The Architect and The Painter,” 7:30 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $7/student. Details: loftcinema.com.

The Wailers and Lee “Scratch” Perry, 7:30 p.m., Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St., $26/adv $29/day of show. Details: rialtotheatre.com.

Friday, Dec. 9:

Adelante celebration, 6-8 p.m., West Campus cafeteria. Details: 206-3021.

Cinema Under the Stars: “The Polar Express,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Northwest Campus, outdoor amphitheater, level 2. Free.

Dec. 9-10: PCC Dance – Dance Fusion, Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 2 and 7:30 p.m., Proscenium Theatre, West Campus CFA, $10/discounts available. Details: 206-6986.

Cult Classics: “Black Christmas,” 10 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $6. Details: loftcinema.com.

Saturday, Dec. 10:

Through Dec. 11: Tucson Regional Ballet: “A Southwest Nutcracker,” Sat. 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., TCC Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave., $23/student. Details: tucsonregionalballet.org.

“X,” 7 p.m., Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., $22. Details: foxtucsontheatre.org.

Emily Dickinson’s 181st Birthday Bash, 7 p.m., Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free. Details: hotelcongress.com.

Sunday, Dec. 11:

Arizona: A Celebration of the Grand Canyon State, 2 p.m., Jewish History Museum, 564 S. Stone Ave., $5. Details: jewishhistorymuseum.org.

Dec. 10-18: “The Magic of Christmas,” Fri. and Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., Temple of Music and Art’s Cabaret Theatre, 330 S. Scott Ave., $10/adv $12/at door. Details: arizonarosetheatre.com.

Winterhaven Run Through the Lights 5K fun run, 5:45 p.m., Winterhaven Square, SE corner of Fort Lowell and Country Club roads. Free (no registration). Details: azroadrunners.org.

Through Dec. 23: ZOO Lights, Thurs.-Sun. 6-8 p.m., Reid Park Zoo, 1100 S. Randolph Way, $5. Details: tucsonzoo.org.

Monday, Dec. 12:

Through Jan. 1, 2012: Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros: Santa’s Little Outlaws, Mon.-Fri. 7 and 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 6, 7 and 8 p.m., Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free, donations appreciated. Details: wildweststuntshow.com.

Mondo Mondays: “Time Walker,” 8 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $3. Details: loftcinema.com.

Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot, 8 p.m., Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St., $35/adv $37/day of show. Details: rialtotheatre.com.

Tuesday, Dec. 13:

Stress Management, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Desert Vista Campus, F-119.

Through Jan. 1, 2012: “Christmas in the Big Apple,” 3-4 shows daily (no show 12/25), Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd., $15.95/student. Details: 886-9428.

Dec. 10-25: Winterhaven Festival of Lights, 6-10 p.m. (drive-thru nights 12/13, 12/15 and 12/20), entrances on Fort Lowell and Prince roads. Free, canned food donations suggested. Details: winterhavenfestival.org.

Wednesday, Dec. 14:

“Troop 1500,” 6-8 p.m., Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Free. Details: library.pima.gov.

Jazz with Elephant Head, 6-8:30 p.m., La Cocina at Old Town Artisans, 201 N. Court Ave. Free. Details: lacocinatucson.com.

PCC Board of Governors regular meeting, 7:30-9 p.m., Community Campus A-109/112.

Thursday, Dec. 15:

Through Dec. 18: “A Tucson Pastorela,” Thurs. and Fri. 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., TCC Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. Details: 882-7406.

Beading Workshop, 6-7:30 p.m., BEADHoliday, 355 E. Fort Lowell Road/3725 W. Ina Road, Suite 140. Free. Details: beadholiday.com.

The Very Merry Holiday Sing-A-Long Spectacular, 7:30 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $8, half off with unwrapped toy donation. Details: loftcinema.com.

Friday, Dec. 16:

Christmas with Aaron Neville, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., $25. Details: foxtucsontheatre.org.

Lenguas Largas with Monster Pussy and Otherly Love, 9:30 p.m., Plush, 340 E. Sixth St., $5. Details: plushtucson.com.

Cult Classics: “Home Alone,” 10 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $6. Details: loftcinema.com.

Saturday, Dec. 17:

Third Annual Holiday Gift Gathering, noon-3 p.m., West Campus cafeteria. Details: 312-8120.

Through Dec. 18: Arizona Dance Theatre – Nutcracker 2011, Sat. and Sun. 2 p.m., West Campus CFA, $15. Details: 206-6986.

17th Annual Downtown Parade of Lights, 6:30 p.m., begins at 17th Street and Stone Avenue. Free. Details: downtowntucson.org.

Neshama Carlebach with Gospel Choir, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., $25. Details: foxtucsontheatre.org.

Sunday, Dec. 18:

Dancing in the Streets: “El Cascanueces,” 3 p.m., Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., $13. Details: foxtucsontheatre.org.

Early Chanukah Party, 5-7 p.m., Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3880 E. River Road, $10. Details: 577-9393.

Blind Draw Dart Tournament, 7 p.m., Lucky Strike Bowl, 4015 E. Speedway Blvd., $6. Details: 909-4285.

Monday, Dec. 19:

Through Jan. 20, 2012: “The Desert Illuminated,” Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Academy Village Long Gallery, 13701 E. Langtry Lane. Free. Details: 647-7264.

Mondo Mondays: “Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker,” 8 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $3. Details: loftcinema.com.

Yip Deceiver with R’Cougar and OWLS, 9 p.m., Plush, 340 E. Sixth St., $7. Details: plushtucson.com.

Tuesday, Dec. 20:

Personal Finance and Budgeting, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Desert Vista Campus, F-119.

Through Dec. 31: High Contrast, Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Conrad Wilde Gallery, 439 N. Sixth Ave., #195. Free. Details: conradwildegallery.com.

Santa’s Cool Holiday Film Festival! 7 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., $8. Details: loftcinema.com.

Wednesday, Dec. 21:

Taoist Tai Chi, 6:30-8 p.m., Zuzi Dance Studio, Historic Y Building, 738 N. Fifth Ave., first class free. Details: 344-2826.

Rescue Lights CD release with Ladylike and Diver City, 7 p.m., Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., $5. Details: hotelcongress.com.

“Leningrad Cowboys Go America,” 7:30 p.m., Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Free. Details: loftcinema.com.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Commercialism an ongoing holiday topic

By SIERRA RUSSELL

Winter holidays have been an annual topic in the Aztec Press since its earliest issues. Several articles in the 1970s noted that commercialism was becoming a major focus.

A few staff writers embraced the trend and offered gift ideas, some extravagant as a $4,000 German wristwatch and a Russian lynx coat going for a “mere” $150,000.

Other writers denounced the materialism of Christmas, reminding readers that the holiday had been primarily honored as a religious celebration for ages.

An anonymous staffer wrote in 1976, “The crowd of Christmas shoppers is a people ocean, lifting and surging like a thousand-headed colossus bearing at them from shop doors and connecting mallways.”

A 1974 article focused on the tough economy’s effect on sales. While glassblowers and shopkeepers expressed concern, the owner of El Con Liquor Store said business was booming.

The liquor store owner said he expected sales to drop after the holidays were over. In the meantime, even the most expensive bottles (then priced at $33) were flying off the shelves.

Several writers from the same decade reported on people who couldn’t be with their loved ones for the holidays. Staff writer Daniel Murray spoke with police officers in 1976 about inmates who spend their Christmas in jail.

Detention officer Evan Stevens said, “We make a special effort to provide a good meal for the prisoners. We treat them like human beings and recognize that Christmas is a special day.”

A detention center psychiatrist, Charles Galbo, said the holidays often cause anxiety for inmates.

“Christmas is the worst psychological time for people who are away from their families,” Galbo said. “It is depressing and lonely. Their feeling of isolation is exaggerated.”

In the same issue, staff writer Tom Kehoe talked to PCC students and faculty who couldn’t go home for Christmas. One student, Sal Manuel, couldn’t return to Big Fields Village on the Papago reservation due to financial constraints.

“The whole village of 200 people celebrates together,” Manuel said. “We have games, races, dance contests; we break a piñata.”

Kehoe also interviewed Beatrice Morales, project director for the Pima Council on Aging, about the importance of volunteers. “The volunteers do what nobody else will do,” Morales said. “Their manpower hours could never be bought.”

There have been a few changes in holiday traditions over the past four decades, but much remains the same.

Health care a challenge for students in search of affordable health insurance

By JOEL GANTT

Many young Americans face the dilemma of acquiring health insurance. With so many Internet ads and different healthcare providers, it is hard to choose the best option.

At Pima Community College, many younger students are covered by their parents’ healthcare.

“I am on my dad’s health insurance,” 20-year-old student Dulce Torres said. “I haven’t thought about what I will do when that runs out.”

What does happen when your parents can’t keep you on their insurance any longer? Can college students even afford their own health care?

I didn’t have insurance, but an injury forced me to purchase a health plan that would allow me to see a doctor.

The injury occurred while I was playing softball at a local park. As I slid into second base, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my foot.

To save myself embarrassment, I jumped up and continued as if nothing had happened. After the game, however, I experienced extreme soreness and discoloration around my heel.

I limped around for a few days in hopes the pain would subside and eventually go away. I didn’t think my foot was broken, but when the pain still lingered a week later I decided to see a doctor.

Currently, I live alone and work as a bartender while attending PCC. The last time I had health coverage was in high school under my mother’s health plan.

As a student working at a job that doesn’t offer healthcare benefits, what were my options?

When I searched “healthcare” on the computer, I found endless websites that urged me to register for an insurance provider.

After viewing several sites that seemed to be selling rather than providing, I finally discovered a site that seemed trustworthy.

The azblue.com website is a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona provider that displays a list of different health care packages and options. The selling point was month-to-month plans that could be cancelled at anytime.

The most affordable plan costs $30 a month. The office visit co-pay is $30 for a basic doctor and $50 for a specialist. Generic prescriptions are $15 and name-brand prescriptions cost $125.

I filled out an application that asked for personal information and medical history. After paying a one-time $20 application fee and the first month of coverage, I was able to print my temporary insurance card.

The website provided a list of medical practitioners, which helped me select a nearby doctor who could see me within a week.

My doctor didn’t think I needed an X-ray, and said I had probably just suffered a deep-pressure bruise to my heel. He answered all my questions and gave me a physical. Ultimately, he gave me sense of relief.

I had given myself peace of mind by getting to a doctor and finding a health plan, but used limited research in my rush. I still was not sure that this was my best option for health care.

Although PCC does not offer a health insurance program, there is a convenient and affordable medical clinic located on a Pima campus.

The Marana Health Center provides students and non-students discounted health care at 12 clinics located throughout Marana and Tucson. One clinic is located next to the cafeteria on West Campus.

MHC will evaluate a patient’s income and provide health care at a very affordable rate.

In order to be evaluated, you need a month’s worth of paystubs or proof of income, proof of address (electric or utility bill) and government-issued identification.

If a person makes less than $900 per month, the co-pay is $15 to be seen by a physician. Prescriptions are also available with a discounted co-pay.

MHC also offers dental and specialty doctor options, with a separate program for hospital visits. There is no signup fee and no contract.

The health center offers the most affordable coverage that I found in Tucson. Once I discovered this, I cancelled my Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan.

In comparison with Blue Cross Blue Shield, MHC will save me $30 a month and $15 on each office visit.

My advice to fellow students in need of health care is to visit a MHC clinic, then seek cheaper alternatives. Don’t make the mistake I did, losing $50 because I did not know all of the options.

***

Dental services available through Pima program

By RYAN TSARSIS

Finding a dentist in Tucson without insurance is tough. Many insurance plans have deductibles that allow a certain amount of coverage, causing a major toothache for those who can’t afford the extra work needed.

I recently received a free oral cleaning and teeth whitening from the Pima Community College West Campus Dental Hygiene Clinic during a health fair.

The visit stirred up bad memories from dental procedures past.

As a native of Freehold, N.J., I spend my summers back in the comforts of home. When my mother received an offer for a free whitening and X-ray, she encouraged me to visit the dentist’s office.

My simple trip to the dentist became an oral nightmare. Although my pearly whites were clean, the X-rays revealed eight cavities. It had been some time since my last visit, and I didn’t know how I could pay for the procedure.

I asked the dentist, a family friend, what the X-ray and whitening would cost without the special offer. He said $250.

My oral screening and whitening at Pima got me wondering what a whitening and X-ray procedure would cost at the Dental Hygiene Clinic. The answer: $70.

The low price encouraged me to research other opportunities the clinic has to offer.

Overall, the service fees were at times up to 80 percent less than a traditional dentist visit.

With slashed costs comes longer waits. Clinic workers stress that services may take multiple visits and up to three hours per visit. Dental hygiene students, under the supervision of licensed dental hygienists, provide the services.

The clinic provides PCC students with limited or even no insurance an opportunity to receive necessary dental services.

Clinic rates include whitening for $55, sealant for $15, periotherapies for $20 and screening X-rays from $15, among other services.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic is open to the general public. For more information, call 206-4500.

Adelante program: Finding paths to success

 By ASTRID VERDUGO

 For students like Jose Fernando Valencia, the Adelante Program, a performance based scholarship offered to Hispanic males only, will direct his future towards the most optimal path for success.

 Valencia’s aptitudes have helped him become part of the honors colloquium with a set plan to major in engineering at Pima Community College and transfer to Arizona State University in the Fall of 2013.

He has also become a student ambassador and a prospective Phi Theta Kappa member at PCC.

 “Growing up, school really wasn’t one of my priorities — I wasn’t the book nerd you see today,” Valencia said.

 “I would do just enough to get by and after finally taking a year off school I just realized how important education is.”

 The Adelante Program is part of a national study that will determine an answer to the question, “If Hispanic males are provided with financial aid, would that change the outcome of their future?”

 Frank Velasquez is the advanced program coordinator for PCC.

 “These studies are basically seeing whether or not it makes a difference and certainly for our particular program we specifically chose Hispanic males because they traditionally struggle in higher education,” he said.

According to Valencia, statistics state that two out of three Hispanic males who attend college in general will never graduate.

 “So what the program wants to determine is if Hispanic males have the funds available, would they attend college and would they finish? I make part of that research group — I’m actually the last group to benefit from this,” he said.

Both Valencia and Velasquez emphasize that Hispanic males are notably hesitant to ask for help.

 “My culture in particular being Mexican — we’re really known as being hard headed, I guess,” Valencia said.

 “We stick to our ideals and, well, me in particular I tend to do things a certain way, my way, and if it doesn’t work my way it’s really hard to switch me to another way.”

“Traditionally Hispanic males won’t ask for help,” Velasquez said to the Board of Governors at the Nov. 9 regular meeting.

“I know it’s a challenge and I certainly know it’s an obstacle to get past,” he said in a subsequent interview.

The Adelante Program is a three-semester program. It awards up to $1,500 per semester.

Orientation, advising sessions, workshops, tutoring and meetings (called “platicas”) are required in order to receive the award.

There are 1,029 students in the study, but 612 are granted the financial award.

Valencia said that males tend to drop out of college because of financial constraints and family circumstances.

“Whether they need to provide for their families, help out with the bills or if they need to provide child support — those are the trends that they’ve noticed,” Valencia said.

“In comparison to women, it actually shows that females that are attending college they’re graduating compared to males.”

The Adelante Program has opened a lot of doors for its members.

“You see, I didn’t even know we had a tutoring center available at the campus. If it wasn’t for Adelante I would never attend tutoring, period,” he said.

“I believe that this program has gotten me more focused into school — I’m more determined to finish and to prove a point that we have to get this out there for the future.”

Valencia expressed how beneficial this program would be for thousands of students and hopes its permanency remains.

“If it has a positive outcome, it would pretty much work like a Pell grant; if you are a Hispanic male then you’re eligible for this program,” Valencia said.

“In order for this to happen it has to be a success. They have to see positive results and so the research group is going to keep track of us.”

Maori Development Research Centre, the research group conducting this study will use the student’s social security number to keep track of the student’s progress for years to come.

“I believe they follow us eight to ten years and from that they’ll determine the results,” Valencia said.

“They will determine what types of jobs we end up with after we graduate.”

The Adelante Program is comprised of Hispanic males of diverse backgrounds and ages.

“Because it’s part of a study it can’t be biased in any way so everyone had a fair shot at being selected for the Adelante Program,” Velasquez said.

PCC is among the last schools in the nation to determine the outcome of this study and Valencia is part of the last group at Pima to benefit from this program.

In 2013, the study’s data will be compiled. Only then can the Adelante story be told in full.

PCC falls deeper in hole for every student it enrolls

By ASTRID VERDUGO

A recent decrease in enrollment has become more of a relief to Pima Community College than a hindrance.

 Enrollment surged at PCC in 2008 and 2009 during the economic recession. At the same time, Arizona legislators reduced the college’s state funding by 55 percent, or $8.8 million.

“To put this in context, it costs the college approximately $6,200 to educate a typical full-time student, and the state is funding only $325 per full-time student,” PCC Registrar Michael Tulino said. “The college falls deeper in the hole for every student it enrolls.”

The college makes up the $5,900 gap through local taxes, tuition and budget cuts. However, Tulino said PCC wants to ensure that the quality of instruction and support services remains high.

 “The services that students receive throughout their Pima experience are – and will remain – very important to us,” Tulino said. “The board of governors, Chancellor Flores and the administration have made a specific point to maintain adequate resources with regards to academic instruction during this challenging budgetary time.”

Community colleges offer a wide selection of two-year programs and cheaper tuition rates, so tend to attract returning students in tough economic times. PCC enrollment increased four years in a row from 2007 to 2010.

Pima’s “full-time student equivalent” reached a peak in 2010 with 35,365 students. That tally counts two half-time students as one full-time student.

 For 2011, enrollment totaled 33,852 students, a 4.3 percent decrease.

 Chancellor Roy Flores has said lower enrollment will help the college remain financially stable.

 “The college has to become smaller, with perhaps as many as 10 percent fewer students over the next two years,” he wrote in a website message.

Even with enrollment leveling off, demand for Pima programs remains high, especially for health-related professions. The nursing program has a three-year waiting list.

 A new admissions standard taking effect in 2012 may impact enrollment, though college officials say that is not its intent.

 The new policy requires students to have a high school diploma or equivalent and to test into higher levels of math, reading and writing.

“In the past, the thinking was that everyone has the right to come to Pima and fail,” Tulino said.  “The goal of the new admission standards is to give our students the opportunity to succeed.”

 Tulino predicted that tough economic times will continue for the foreseeable future.

 “Unemployment remains high,” he said. “The stock market continues to fluctuate. The European economic situation is unstable. Decision-makers in Washington appear unable to work together to deal with serious issues like the deficit.”

 Given those factors, Tulino said, it is probably too early to predict what a post-recession world might be like.

“But in good times or bad, the college will never retreat from our commitment to the community we serve,” he said. “Our mission – to develop our community through learning – is unwavering.”

FYI

PCC’s “full-time student equivalent” tally counts two half-time students as one full-time student.

Student headcounts for fall semesters since 2006 totaled:

2006                30,901             Percent change

2007                31,426             +1.7%

2008                32,605             +3.8%

2009                34,360            +5.4%

2010                35,365            +2.9%

2011                33,852             -4.3

Club Spotlight: Pima Paws works to help animals

By LARRY GAURANO

Pima Paws seeks to make a difference for animals in the community by raising awareness through education, services and charity work.

The club, which has members at Pima Community College campuses and at the University of Arizona, is open to anyone who wants to stand up for animals.

Heather Bradley is the group’s founder and president.

“Many people love animals, but we have to move from ‘feeling’ to ‘doing’ to make a difference,” Bradley said. “People just don’t know what’s really happening in our backyards, community and the world, and how much help animals need.”

As a major animal advocate, Bradley tries to establish relationships with other animal advocacy groups so Pima Paws can help in as many ways as possible.

Pima Paws activities include dog walks, fundraisers, animal adoptions and pet sitting for students who leave town during semester breaks. While around town, members seek out feral cat litters and report them for their safety.

The focus is to help keep animals out of harm’s way, and to help pet owners keep their pets instead of sending them to a shelter.

Bradley is always eager to take in new members, and tells people that doing even a little can make a big difference.

For additional information, search for “Pima Paws” on Facebook.

Heather Bradley, Pima Paws president. Aztec Press photo by Larry Gaurano.