“Probably just work and try to go to Yuma to visit friends. It’s been awhile, so I probably need to go back there.”

Stephanie Edwards

General Studies

“I’m going to Yucca Valley, Calif., to visit friends and North Hollywood to visit my grandpa. I want to go to the wax museum in Hollywood.”

Heather Davis

Liberal Arts

“I’m going to travel to Europe. My mom lives there and it’s not the first time I’ve visited. I’m going to Holland and Spain.”

Johny Vargas

Music

“I’m going to practice guitar and record a CD in a studio. I’m recording classical and Spanish classical music.”

Paul Oman

Music

“I’m going to be doing community service, since I can’t afford to go to summer school. I have to do something, not just sit around the house.”

Malakai Silvas

Construction

Since the U.S. economy has been spiraling, the government has tried to reduce homelessness.

Between 2009 and 2011, programs like The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program have reduced homelessness by 1 percent.

But, that still leaves more than 600,000 people in the United States without homes. More than 200,000 of those people live without shelter.

There is a misconception that all homeless people are alcoholics, drug addicts or just plain lazy. Many times, this is not the case.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an estimated 23 percent of the homeless are veterans.

It is also estimated there are 25,000 homeless youths in the United States. Many are either runaways or have been forced onto the street because their families lost their homes.

Often people assume that homelessness is caused by hardship, mental illness or drug addictions. This many times is the case, but less often than one might think. Many insist they enjoy being on the street, saying a routine way of life is not living.

Some people claim to choose a life of homelessness in order to travel and meet new people. Jeremy Schmidt, commonly known as Rounder, is one of those individuals.

Schmidt, 33, received his nickname from his friend Levi after years of showing up to rainbow gatherings with a new “hippie chick” attached to his arm every time.

“I have the things I need to survive,” Schmidt said, pointing to his backpack. “The things people own give them a false sense of security.”

Schmidt has been homeless on and off for 16 years and says he will never change. He used to have a home and a job but was fired because of a 13-year-old felony.

His choices and lifestyle have caused him to lose touch with his family, including a 9-year-old daughter.

Schmidt sits on Tempe’s Mill Avenue between My Big Fat Greek Restaurant and the Valley Arts Theatre day after day. He has a guitar and holds a sign asking for alcohol.

Throughout the day he moves from sun to shade to prevent his pit bull, Hazel, from overheating.

He is one of many who live on Mill Avenue, each having a different story.

Many Mill Avenue transients are part of a younger generation. According to the Arizona Department of Education, youth homelessness in the state has grown more than 80 percent in the past five years.

“Many of the teens say that homelessness was a choice for them, when in reality there was something behind it,” Jana Smith, program manager for Tumbleweed’s Tempe Youth Resource Center, said. “It was better than the alternative choice.”

Cory Maldonado, 22, of Salem, Ore., has been homeless for eight years. His mother died a few years before his father was sent to prison.

He says he chose his way of life. “It kept me away from foster care.”

Traveling kids tend to look at their situation as a way to experience life and to see different cities, Smith said. The appeal of the open road and a sense of adventure attracts them to this way of life.

“I hate being called homeless or a transient,” Maldonado said. “It’s demeaning and generalizes people.”

Looking at his girlfriend, he said, “We’re wanderers. The earth is our home.”

Maldonado and Jessica Powell, 18, have been dating for five months. They met five years ago in Washington.

They plan on leaving Tempe soon with just the clothes on their backs, their dog, guitar and a sewing kit.

“Stuff gets stolen. It’s just stuff,” he said. “I’d be more upset if my dog went missing.”

People, or wanderers, come from all over the country. Mill Avenue is a hot spot because of all the tourists, businesses and easy access to food.

“I can make $30 a night if I try,” Schmidt said.

“I hold a sign just to fit the stereotype,” he added. “They say we’re a bunch of drunks and drug addicts, why not play off of it?”

Maldonado agreed. “If you go hungry, you’re stupid.”

Another homeless man on Mill Avenue, Mike Nissen, prefers to be called Skum. He said there have been places where people just give him food.

“People in L.A. are a lot friendlier, all the yuppies live here,” he said. “Still, it’s easy to get food.”

Food sources include places like the Potter House, the Salvation Army and Tempe Beach Park. Tumbleweed’s Tempe location also serve a warm meal each day around noon.

“I don’t mind the center,” Maldonado said, making Powell laugh. “You can eat as much as you want as long as there’s enough for everyone. They even have pastries.”

The Tempe center provided more than 2,700 meals to homeless youths ages 12-25 in 2010, according to Tumbleweed’s 2010 annual report.

People who live or have businesses on Mill Avenue don’t always approve of the services that organizations such as Tumbleweed provide. They say such programs enable the homeless to continue their free-ride attitude and lifestyle.

Megan Schneckloth, a bartender from Blondies Sports Bar and Grill, said she’s heard complaints from customers.

“I even had this one guy pretend he was deaf just for a free beer,” she said.

Other businesses say they lock their bathrooms to ensure that the homeless won’t take sponge baths in the sink. Some owners have gone as far as having the city of Tempe remove benches from in front of their stores, hoping to attract fewer homeless.

The Metro light rail makes it easy for transients to travel from Phoenix to Tempe. Many don’t pay.

“We treat them like any other person. We kick them off and if they want to ride they have to buy a pass,” Gilberto Roble, a member of light rail security, said. “But I can say it definitely doesn’t appeal to other riders.”

Traveling folk don’t like staying in one place too long. They like that they can pick up and go whenever they get bored.

On May 3, Schmidt will be done with probation and plans to hitchhike back home to Kalispell, Mont., to visit family.

Afterward, he hopes to meet up with the Rainbow Family of Light, a group that holds rainbow gatherings every year during the first week of July. The event is held in a different national park every time.

This year, they plan to meet in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. The group will set up camp and experience life in a sharing, loving and respectful manner.

Jeremy Schmidt, known as Rounder, is a familiar sight on Mill Avenue in Tempe. Photo by Ana Ramirez.

“You have to go, you just can’t explain it,” Schmidt said. “Traveling the country shows you that there are so many good people out there.”

With fuel prices escalating, individuals and corporations are looking for new ways to save a buck.

Many pilots and student-pilots are replacing traditional paper maps with iPads, saving money on gas and books.

In August 2010, United Continental Holdings, Inc. announced it would convert to paperless flight bags and provide 11,000 iPads to its pilots. Since then, other airlines including American, US Airways, Alaska and UPS have started using them.

Pilots must take a variety of maps with them, depending on their destination. The flight bag weighs about 40 pounds.

The 1.5-pound iPad Electronic Flight Bag replaces operating manuals, flight checklists, logbooks, navigation charts and weather information. It’s estimated it will save $1.2 million worth of fuel per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3,208 metric tons.

“You can take all of that and condense it down to an iPad,” said Boris Vasiley, a flight instructor at Arizona Flight Training Center. “It’s cheaper to download maps too.”

United predicts it will save 326,000 gallons of jet fuel and 16 million sheets of paper a year.

It is necessary for pilots to replace their maps every three to four months. It can become a safety issue if they aren’t constantly aware of any changes being made in airports or air spaces.

Pilots need about 40 maps to cover just the United States, Vasiley said.

The iPads update the most recent information automatically, saving time and worry.

“It’s a very handy tool to have all your maps and information with you at once,” Vasiley said. “You can download all the information you need.”

Bob Bingham, who received his private pilot’s license last September, said it would have been nice to have electronic versions of the expensive books.

“The instructor I had was old-fashioned and tried to encourage me to learn the traditional way,” Bingham said.

However, Bingham said he’s glad he learned how to fly using paper maps and charts, and always brings them when he flies.

“If technology went out, I’d still know how to fly,” he said.

Some pilots see a downside to the Electronic Flight Bag.

James Raynovic, an instructor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, said the paper format remains his first choice.

“In my own personal experience as a private pilot, I still keep a paper sectional on hand due to the fact that the batteries don’t go dead,” he said. “I think the iPad is a great tool for aviation to supplement what we have but not a total substitute for paper format.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the EFB but has yet to approve the use of the iPad’s GPS function.

Tom Wooden, a private pilot for 26 years, said part of the reason is that the iPad has just one GPS sensor. It give pilots a general idea of where they are but can’t pinpoint the exact location.

Instructors also say new pilots must learn how to fly before relying on the iPad’s GPS.

“I would never allow a primary student to utilize a ‘crutch’ such as the iPad for navigation,” Wooden said. “It would be as irresponsible as teaching basic math skills to an elementary student using a calculator.”

Vasiley said young pilots still need to learn the basics using traditional methods, but the iPad is useful for some aspects.

“It’s a good study tool and ground prep,” he said.

Photo illustration by Ana Ramirez

Most people love video games. Nowadays they are practically everywhere, thanks to cell phones and hand-held consoles.

Here are my picks for this year’s top 10. For this list, I only chose games with a release date.

1. “Diablo III” – May 15 – PS3/ Xbox360/ PC

Finally, the third installment of Blizzard’s “Diablo” franchise will be released. After watching the trailer and some cool gameplay, I think this will be the best “Diablo” because of graphics improvement. This is a must-have game.

2. “Max Payne 3” – May 15 – PS3/ Xbox360/ PC

Just when you couldn’t imagine any more suffering for Max Payne, and after a not-so-good movie, Max returns to what he does best: killing bad guys. Max now works as a security henchman for a mob boss/businessman in Brazil, so expect lots of shooting in the favelas.

3. “Assassin’s Creed III” – Oct. 30 – PS3/ Xbox360/ PC

After the “Brotherhood” and “Revelations” AC II kind of “expansion” games, AC III makes its way to the light. Instead of playing as Ezio, you play as Connor: a half-British, half-Mohawk man during the American Revolution. If you pre-order now, you’ll receive a collector’s steel case for your game.

4. “Far Cry 3” – Sept. 4 – PS3/ Xbox360/ PC

When I played the first two “Far Cry” games, I loved the first one. The second was so boring I returned it the same day. When I saw the trailer for “Far Cry 3,” I began to believe in the franchise again. FC3 will be a huge hit.

5. “Halo 4” – Dec. 30 – Xbox360

I haven’t played through an entire “Halo” game, mainly because I don’t own an Xbox, but I’ve enjoyed what I have played. “Halo 4” will be a huge release for diehard fans of the series. The only bad aspect is waiting until year-end to play Master Chief’s latest adventure.

6. “The Last Guardian” – Dec. 31 – PS3

Not all games are about shooting, racing, fighting or kicking a ball. Visual effect can be a game’s most enjoyable facet, and Team ICO is great at providing that. Playing “Shadow of The Colossus” changed my game preferences. I’m really looking forward to “The Last Guardian.”

7. “Borderlands 2” – Sept. 18 – PS3/ Xbox360/ PC

Before I had a PS3, I got “Borderlands” for my PC. The idea is amazing and the entire space-Western theme is really cool. This game is a great shooter with a bit of role-playing. If you like shooters and RPG, you must have it.

8. “The Amazing Spider-Man” – June 26 – PS3/ Xbox360/ WII/NDS/ N3DS

I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t like Spidey, but I have met people who hate Spider-Man games. Many haven’t met fan expectations. Watching the “Amazing Spider-Man” trailer reminded me of “Spider-Man 2” for PS2, which is one of the best Spider-Man games. I’m looking forward to the new game.

9. “Darksiders II” – June 26 – PS3/ Xbox360/ WIIU/ PC

I hadn’t paid attention to this franchise, but checked it out because some friends said it was pretty good. The game looks awesome, and reminds me of the entertaining “God of War” trilogy. I plan to follow my friends’ advice.

10. “Tomb Raider” – Sept. 30 – PS3/Xbox360; Dec. 31 – PC

I haven’t played all of the “Tomb Raider” games, but enjoyed the ones I have played. This new “Tomb Raider” is a reboot. I don’t know why the franchise was rebooted but I’m pretty open to seeing what they did to improve it.

(ONLINE)

Trailer links:

1. “Diablo III”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgbUSsblCSQ

2. “Max Payne 3”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PbphJ8KMjo&ob=av3e

3. “Assassin’s Creed III”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVUMPrv8oRw

4. “Far Cry 3”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6gnOVJsCsM

5. “Halo 4”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9iQiHNXgMU

6. “The Last Guardian”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHzHoMT5eRg

7. “Borderlands 2”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW7qO_wpfvk&ob=av3n

8. “The Amazing Spiderman”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-7qN9cohSU

9. “Darksiders II”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbM0W6bOS0o

10. “Tomb Raider”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFBrgeSjj-0&ob=av3e

Many young women consider mammograms a health precaution that is still decades away.

But the number of U.S. women with breast cancer is increasing. Research into causes continues, with smoking the prime suspect.

However, even low levels of alcohol consumption by women increases the risk of breast cancer, according to a Nurse’s Health Study by Harvard University researchers. The longitudinal study sampled 100,000 women over a 28-year period.

The results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last November, said there was a 15 percent cancer increase in women who consumed three to six drinks per week. Women’s risk of breast cancer increased along with increased drinking.

The study was criticized for its dependence on self-reported data. Critics said the participants were less likely to report undesirable habits.

The study included both drinkers and non-drinkers. Not every women had received mammograms within the first few years of the study, but each participant had been screened by the end.

For more information, read the JAMA article here.

 In Issue 2, this column detailed the ridiculously busy lives of the newspaper student editors.

Attending classes, doing homework, covering events and watching over the newspaper consume large portions of our time.

Some nights, those duties alone have me collapsing into bed the moment I get home. But every few weeks I grab a cup of coffee and take on one more task: volunteering with the American Cancer Society.

I was suckered into helping some friends prepare for an ACS event when I was a junior in high school.

Don’t get me wrong — ACS is a wonderful organization. They give money to scientists looking for a cure, lobby for cancer-friendly legislation and host lots of programs to help people with cancer.

I knew all of that going in, but it didn’t mean much. In my mind, all of those services fell into the “nonprofit organization duties” file.

Going to the event was different. There’s something unique about being in an environment where everyone is excited about trying to make life better.

So far, I haven’t really found a way to portray what it is like to be part of a group like that. It’s inspiring in a way that I can’t really liken to anything else.

The downside, of course, is that I’m constantly hearing about people being diagnosed with cancer. It’s sad, and it makes me panic about things like freckles and headaches. However, I feel better knowing that I’m there to do something about it.

The American Cancer Society kind of picked me, but I’m happy to be there now.

There are Relay for Life events coming up all over Tucson. You should head over to relayforlife.org, enter your zip code, and see which one is closest to you.

I’ll be volunteering at the Oro Valley event on April 28. Stop by that relay or one of the others, to see for yourself what the organization is really about.

If it’s not for you, I’m sure there’s another nonprofit in the area that could use your help.

“I think people should recycle, because it’s productive. People should also support businesses that ‘go green,’ because it’s benefiting ourselves.”

Shantae Watkins

Social Work

Downtown Campus

“People should take public transportation or buy hybrid cars. They should also recycle.”

Amanda Antone

Computer Engineering

Downtown Campus

“People should walk whenever they can. Not only does it help the environment but it also benefits your health.”

Hriana Gallegos

Biochemistry

Downtown Campus

“I think recycling is a huge thing. It is very important. People should also turn the lights off when they are not in the room and maybe even go out of their way to pick up trash.”

Nick Scott

Marketing

Downtown Campus

“Take public transportation, because you’ll save money on gas.”

Alicia Canchola

Liberal Arts

Downtown Campus

Since the 1980s, the United States has seen a drastic increase in the number of single parent households. Single parents have to work alone in figuring out their children’s future.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, children with two parents have an edge over children living in a single parent household. Children with both parents tend to have financial and educational advantages.

Mitchell Chi, 36, and Keasha George, 31, disagree that their children have fewer educational opportunities. Both of their children, ages 7 and 8, are at the top of their class.

“It depends on how involved the one parent is,” George said. She quit her teaching job to take care of her daughter and now works at a restaurant to pay the bills.

Chi says he put his life on hold until his daughter grows up. “Bartending is the only thing I can do where I see her enough and make enough,” Chi said.

Having earned degrees from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, he has held more accredited jobs but doesn’t want to work long hours and never spend time with his “little princess.”

Both Chi and George said it’s not about how many parents are in a household but rather is about how much effort and time you put forth to your child’s future.

According to the 2010 census, fewer people are getting divorced and married but there is still an increase in single parent households.

In 1980, about 16 percent of people were getting married and in 2008 only about 10 percent. In 1980, divorce rates were about eight percent and in 2008 about five percent.

Then why are there so many single parents? It’s because there has been a huge increase in the number of unmarried women giving birth in this country. It went from about 18 percent to 40 percent in a span of 28 years.

What’s the hardest part about being a single parent?

“Just having to do everything for her financial and hoping that she grows up normal,” George said with laugh.

“It’s difficult not having the other parent around when you need them,” Chi said. “It’s hard to schedule time with the other parent.”

Tiak Williams, also known as Ty, says, “You’re always doing something and it’s not for yourself.”

Williams, 34, loves everything about being a father but says at times he struggles to pay the bills. “You learn to cook more dinners,” he said with a chuckle.

They all have had roommates at times to help keep living expenses down. They say they have to know the person and trust them before introducing a new person into their child’s life, especially when it comes to dating.

“I’ve only had one girlfriend since my divorce five, almost six, years ago,” Chi said. “I have to be real picky because of my daughter.”

Williams said he tried to date but wasn’t giving enough time to that person. “It’s the time,” he said. “When you have a job and come home to another job (raising his 3-year-old daughter), it’s difficult to find the time to date.”

Chi says it’s all worth it when “I see my standings in her come out.” He says the best part about being a single father is, “the little things she does and says that puts a smile on my face.”

Mitchell Chi, 36, enjoys time with his daughter Leyla, 7. Photo courtesy of Mitchell Chi.

“Kids are suffering as well as their parents.”

Francisco Granillo

Major: Undecided

Desert Vista Campus

“I still think tuition is better here than at the U of A, so I can’t complain.”

Kelsey Coleman

Major: Nursing

Desert Vista Campus

“I’m going to be full time next semester, so that will affect me much more. I don’t see why it should be raised again.”

Krista Ramirez

Major: Undecided

Desert Vista Campus

“I feel that everybody at Pima works as hard as they can. It’s cool when we have a tuition increase and it’s only five dollars.”

Jaime Tarazon

Major: Business

Desert Vista Campus

“I don’t see why it always has to go up. It should just stay the same.”

Samantha Leyvas

Major: Undecided

Desert Vista Campus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGW44t9zXnk

The life of a student journalist isn’t exactly glamorous: We shape our social lives around board meetings, live off cafeteria food and rarely leave the campus before sunset.

We do this because we are proud of our newspaper— and, as it turns out, we have good reason to be.

This year our newspaper is up for two prestigious Region 11 Mark of Excellence Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Larry Gaurano, assistant photo editor, is a finalist for best sports photo at a two-year college. His front-page photo of the men’s soccer team celebrating a playoff victory ran in Fall 2011’s Issue 6, published Oct. 27.

The Aztec Press as a whole is competing for 2011’s best all-around non-daily student newspaper at a two-year college.

In both categories, we have either won first, second or third place. The placing won’t be revealed until March 31, when the winners are announced at an awards luncheon held as part of a SPJ regional conference in Universal City, Calif.

Either first-place win would put Aztec Press back on the national stage, as we were in 2009. That year, Aztec Press was named one of the top three community college newspapers in the country.

In an effort to introduce a bit of glamour into our otherwise drab and boring lives, we two co-editors in chief and Larry will attend the regional SPJ conference in sunny California.

Sure, we’ll have to fly out on the least expensive option the college can find, but at least it’s better than having to drive eight hours— both ways.

Sure, we’ll have to double up at the hotel. (David will surely be forced to sleep in the bathtub.)

And sure, it’s a lot of effort to possibly be handed a piece of paper that says “third place,” and be sent on our merry way.

But, in the end, it’s worth it to see our hard work and long hours recognized.

Thanks for your support, PCC. We hope you enjoy Issue 5.