Sac City Express » Christopher Geanakos

Rustling up another recognition

Christopher Geanakos — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:21:08 +0000

Jan Haag, adviser for Susurrus, with the 2010 literary journal, won second place in the Pacific Western region of the Community College Humanities Association annual contest. Photo by Jack Remson

The staff of Susurrus recently learned that the 2010 edition of the City College Literary Journal won second place in the Pacific-Western Division of the Community College Humanities Association Literary Magazine competition.
“We’re thrilled and honored to be recognized again by the CCHA,” said Susurrus adviser Jan Haag. “When a national organization gives a student literary journal an award, it is a major validation of the students’ work.”
‘Susurrus has won many past awards in the annual CCHA competition, including the top Best in the Nation prize in 2002 and 2004, as well as second place in 2001 and third place in 2005 in the Pacific-Western Division.
“Every year our students turn out a top-quality magazine,” said Language and Literature Division Dean Albert Garcia, who helped launch the journal. “With its quality poems and stories, it’s beautiful artwork and design, Susurrus is stronger than many university journals.”

Since Susurrus’ inception, a new edition of the literary journal has been published every May for the past 16 years, much to Haag’s surprise.
“When Tom Miner, Albert Garcia and I started Susurrus in the fall of 1994, we hoped the book might last a good five years,” Haag said. “When we got to 10 years, we looked around and were frankly astonished.”
The current Susurrus class, which meets on Tuesday nights, is reviewing creative writing for the 17th annual literary journal, Haag said. The EngCW450/451 class continues its work in the spring semester.
Susurrus makes its debut each spring, showcasing original short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and artwork by City College students and former students.The word “susurrus” means “a light whispering or rustling; a murmur,” according to the definition on the back of every journal.
“It’s the sound wind makes through trees,” Haag said. “It was so named because the first staff hoped it might create just that—a murmur—on campus and in our city.”
Though the writing submission deadline for Susurrus’ 17th issue has already passed, the literary journal will be accepting artwork from late January until March 1, 2011. Submissions of .jpg files of 1 megabyte or less with the artists’ name, email address and phone number can be sent to ||Jan Haag|| haagj@scc.losrios.edu.

Additional reporting by: Lucian McKinney, staff writer, and Stephanie Rodriguez, online news editor

Behind the scenes: Sept. 29 issue

Cecilio Padilla — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:14:45 +0000

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at The Express? Well, here’s a look at what happened during our Sept. 29 issue.

Video produced, edited, and filmed by Cecilio Padilla.

Leave your mark on City College

Robert Pace — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:58:36 +0000

Commemorative bricks will be placed at the base of the Panthers statue near the College Store. Engraving will begin once the 20-order minimum is met. Christopher Geanakos geanakc@imail.losrios.edu

City College and the Associated Student Government are selling commemorative bricks at the base of the Panther statue near the student bookstore.

The statue was installed last year by the ASG. The bricks are at the base of the statue and include one line of up to 15 characters for the buyer’s name. They are priced at $30 for current City College students and $50 for non-students.

“It is a recognition gift that they will have forever,” City College Foundation Executive Director Mary Leland said. “They can come back and sort of see their footprint here — or paw print.”

There are 1,000 bricks available for purchase, and a minimum of 20 orders must be met before any of the bricks can be engraved.

ASG President Steve Macias said that the ASG has been slow to promote the sale because the plans were drawn up by the prior ASG administration.

However, he said there are plans for a full-fledged promotion.

“One of the things our ASG has talked to Mary Leland [about] is commercializing the statue itself, selling commemorative bricks to actual businesses to support the campus,” Macias said. “I feel like we put a lot of money into these local business, [so] they should give something back — right?”

According to Leland, the commemorative brick sale will continue until all 1,000 bricks are sold. She also said that even though the 20-order minimum has not currently been met, she is hopeful that it won’t be too long until every brick is sold.

Proceeds from the sales will go to repay City College and the ASG for the statue’s cost, which Vice President of Administration Robert Martinelli says consisted of about $8,000 contributed by the ASG and roughly $32,000 from the college.

For more information, contact the City College Foundation office at (916) 558-2197

UPDATED: Anti-abortion display ignites debate on campus

Online Staff — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:05:24 +0000

Heated debate stays civil during Constitution Day controversy

Christopher Geanakos | Editor in Chief
geanakc@imail.losrios.edu
Additional reporting by Genevieve Jerome, Randy Briggs, Juan De Anda and Robert Pace.
Skip to video

Updated on 9/29/2009 at 7:34 PM

An anti-abortion group sparked debate among City College students and faculty members Sept. 16-17 with an exhibit on the Quad showing photographs of aborted fetuses.

Exhibit speaker Howard Blythe said its purpose was to facilitate dialogue on abortion and was part of scheduled events for the Associated Student Government-sponsored Constitution Day.

Many on campus expressed different points of view about the exhibit.
“It is very sad to see these pictures,” criminal justice major Robert Adams said. “If I got a girl pregnant, I could never ask her to do this to a child after seeing these pictures.”

Psychology major Leah Gaston said she found the display unsettling.
“It’s really gross and really disgusting and some of them [the pictures] I think are uncalled for.”

Some felt that it was unfair that the exhibit ran unopposed Sept. 16. As a result, Planned Parenthood, The Queer Straight Alliance club, the Sac City FreeThinkers club and City College Health Services set up booths across from the anti-abortion presentation the next day.

“We want to be a supportive, positive presence,” QSA President Ash Pearsol said.

“I’m pro-choice,” said D. Del-Toro, a QSA member. “We want people to understand we respect your choices and your decisions.”

ASG Vice President Debbie Dixon addressed the campus during the second day’s events to personally apologize for the controversial display.

“This part of what had been planned for Constitution Day was never mentioned,” Dixon said. “It was kind of an earmark onto the plans for Constitution Day that the rest of us were unaware of.”

The anti-abortion exhibit by The Sanctity of Human Life Network, a religious nonprofit organization focused on anti-abortion activism, was voted unanimously onto the Constitution Day schedule by the campus ASG Sept. 2.

According to Dixon, the anti-abortion group was billed as the Genocide Awareness Project when ASG was voting on groups to invite to campus for Constitution Day. She said that the group’s misleading name, coupled with lack of information on the group and rushed voting, contributed to the ASG unanimously passing a vote to bring the group onto campus.
ASG President Steve Macias assumed responsibility for arranging the group’s unopposed presence on campus.

“I was the person who added the Genocide Awareness Project to the Constitution Day plans,” Macias said. “The rest of the plans, as far as the 12-1 events on Thursday, were put together by the Student Affairs Committee.”

Though Macias acknowledged the event did not go as smoothly as he hoped, he said that the constitutional discussion generated on abortion was in keeping with the Constitution-based theme.

“I think that much of the controversy is good and that controversy isn’t always a bad thing,” Macias said.

There is currently a petition to recall Macias circulating among students on campus.

Below is a link to a statement by ASG President Steve Macias after the event took place

http://media.scc.losrios.edu/asg/ASGPresGAP.pdf

Video produced by Cecilio Padilla, reported by Chris Geanakos and Randy Briggs, filmed by Randy Briggs

Tradition of excellence

Online Staff — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:28:08 +0000

Softball spring season recap

Christopher Geanakos | Editor in Chief
geanakc@imail.losrios.edu

The City College women’s softball team ended the 2009 spring season as the top-ranked team in the Big 8 Conference, and two players were selected to the 2009 National Fastpitch Coaching Association All-American Team Head Coach Bob Maglione was also recognized as coach of the year.

First baseman Andree Argee and infielder Lindsey Bruno were both chosen for the NFCAA All-American Team. Pitcher Caite Case, Argee, outfielder Alicia Esquivido and infielders Bruno and Kimberly Briggs were all selected for the Big 8 All Conference Team.

Bob Maglione, who has been head coach for the City College women’s softball team since 1998, was also recognized as the Big 8 Conference Team coach of the year and All-State Northern California coach of the year. According to information from Maglione’s profile on Easton’s Web site, his coaching record currently stands at 1058 wins and 354 losses.

The team placed third in the northern California division with 19 wins and two losses within the conference, and fifth in the California Community College Athletic Association Softball State Championship. The team overall was strong with a record of 46 wins and 10 losses.

The City College softball team has had a history of excellence and has won four state championships since 1988 and 25 conference champions since 1983. The team lost its only conference match in 25 years in 2003.

Panthers off to shaky start

Online Staff — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:14:29 +0000

New coach still sees hope

Christopher Geanakos | Editor in Chief
geanakc@imail.losrios.edu

With the leave of absence taken by Panthers head football coach Mike Clemens, 32-year-old Dannie Walker
has stepped up as interim head coach. Under his tutelage he Panthers have started the fall season with two losses.

“Even though we lost our first two games,” said linebacker Freddy Ve’evalu, “all we can do is learn from our mistakes and be prepared for our next opponent.”

The Panthers lost in their first game against defending national champion Butte College 53-28 Sept.
7. Butte College won last year’s California Community College Athletic Association State Championship as well as the JCGridiron.com National Championship.

Following their first week’s loss, the Panthers faced Sierra College Sept. 11 in their first home game of the season and lost 48-26. (see coverage from this game here)

“Our defensive backfield didn’t do so well,” free safety Kevin Johnston said, who had a late game interception for
a touchdown. “I was hoping for a little bit more from them, but all and all I think we did OK. We just made a few mistakes.”

Walker believes that though some key mistakes were made during the game, a lot of good things were accomplished.

“The coaching staff push us to our full potential and expect hard work everyday,” said Ve’evalu. “They say to us
‘how you practice is how you play’.”

The Panthers will look to get their first win Sept. 19 when Shasta College Knights (1-1) roll into Hughes Stadium.