‘Next Day Air’ set to hit theaters with a bang Page 6
Volume 6, Issue 13 HTTP://VALENCIAVOICE.COM April 22, 2009 Iraqi parliament elects new speaker
By Corinne Reilly and Sahar Issa McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD — After months of infighting, Iraq’s parliament Sunday elected a prominent Sunni Arab Is- lamist as its new speaker. Ayad al-Samarrai, who heads the parliament’s main Sunni bloc, won by a comfortable margin. The lead- ing contender before Sunday’s secret ballot vote, al-Samarrai has been a vocal critic of Iraq’s Shiite Muslim prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who recently rebranded himself as a sec- ularist. Samarrai’s election, coming as Renee C. Byer, Sacramento Bee / MCT Campus Mark Miller, 41, left, is congratulated by his doctor Nora Wu, right, after receiving two vaccines to help fight the reoccurance of his brain tumor, called glioblastoma, at the Obama administration prepares Sutter’s Cancer Center in Sacramento, California, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. He is the first patient at the hospital to undergo the experimental treatment. to begin drawing down American forces in Iraq, could aggravate ethnic and sectarian tensions that appear to be rising again, or it could prove to be a major step toward easing the longstanding friction between Sunni Cancer vaccination and Shiite Arabs. There had been widespread speculation that al-Samarrai’s elec- tion might increase the likelihood of a parliamentary no-confidence vote against the U.S.-backed al-Ma- gives patients hope liki, whose removal would prompt a major shake-up in Iraq’s fledging, By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg biotech company will be able to expand its clinical cancer cells, at least for a while. Shiite-dominated government. McClatchy Newspapers trial, with Miller paving the way. Miller, 41, was receiving one of a legion of po- After his election Sunday, howev- One stick of a needle, and then the next, de- tential vaccines being studied and tested around er, al-Samarrai dismissed the notion SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a compact ex- livered two batches of Miller’s own immune cells the country to treat brain, lung, skin, kidney and his Iraqi Islamic Party is considering amining room at Sutter’s Cancer Center, so much back into his body earlier this month, in the first other cancers. Unlike vaccines meant to prevent a such a move. hope was riding on two brief pinpricks. round of what could be years of injections. virus that can cause cancer, these are therapeutic “It is not and it has never been Mark Miller’s hope that his youngest son will They weren’t the same cells that had been ex- vaccines, designed for treatment after someone is in the program of the IIP to bring know him from more than a video. tracted in January. diagnosed. down the government,” al-Samarrai Rachael Miller’s hope that her husband’s brain They had been to what amounts to an immune Such vaccines might help the immune system said in an interview with McClatchy. tumor isn’t too far along to be slowed by an ex- cell boot camp, multiplied and trained into lethal ram through a tumor’s devious defenses, and very “We will only use our position to perimental vaccine. scouts for a killing machine that—if everyone’s early results suggest that for some people, they can pressure the government and parlia- Dr. Nora Wu’s hope that a recession-battered hopes come true—will track down and eradicate extend lives. ment into doing a better job.” Other Islamic Party members also Continued on Page 2 said Sunday a no-confidence vote isn’t on their agenda. “We don’t have any will to remove China seeks control of reserve currency issuers Maliki,” said Alaa Makki, an Islamic Party member. “We don’t think that By Lisa Twaronite “We should advance reform of tually making the yuan more of a Asian Nations, Wen said. The plan would be productive at this point. MarketWatch the international financial system, global reserve asset. was announced earlier this month We need to build up our govern- increase the representation and “We should give full play to bi- by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang ment, not take it apart.” SAN FRANCISCO — Chinese voice of emerging markets and de- lateral currency swap agreements Jiechi. Read more on China’s fund Makki said the parliament has Premier Wen Jiabao called for more veloping countries, strengthen sur- and will study expanding currency for ASEAN. been largely dysfunctional for the surveillance of countries that issue veillance of the macro-economic swaps in scale and to more coun- ASEAN’s other member coun- past three years, and al-Samarrai’s major reserve currencies, accord- policies of major reserve currency tries,” Wen was quoted as saying. tries are Thailand, Malaysia, the election will help change that. “We ing to published reports Saturday. issuing economies, and develop China’s central bank has signed Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, have been paralyzed by bad leader- Wen did not specify the United a more diversified international six such swap deals since late 2008, Vietnam, and Indonesia. ship,” he said. “We need this re- States in his remarks at the Boao monetary system,” Wen said, ac- totaling 650 billion yuan ($95 bil- “We should make greater efforts form.” Forum for Asia in China’s Hainan cording to China’s official Xinhua lion). to promote free trade and expand The parliament’s last speaker, Province. But Chinese officials have news agency. China will set up a $10 billion intra-regional trade,” Wen said, ac- Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also a recently expressed their concern Wen said China would seek to cooperation fund to support in- cording Xinhua. Sunni Arab, stepped down in De- about their country’s investments expand currency swap agreements frastructure projects in countries in dollar-denominated assets. that are seen as a step toward even- in the Association of Southeast Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 2 VALENCIA VOICE April 22, 2009 New Iraqi parliament speaker elected
Continued from cover cember after lawmakers criticized what they called his erratic behavior. The speakership has been vacant since his departure. Renee C. Byer, Sacramento Bee / MCT Campus Under a system that splits the top posi- Mark Miller worries financially about taking care of his wife, Rachael, a stay at home mom. Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor and is undergoing an tions among Iraq’s major ethnic and reli- experimental treatment in hopes of gaining more time on his life. gious groups, al-Mashhadani’s successor was expected to be a Sunni Arab. However, parliament’s main Sunni bloc, New hope for cancer patients called the Iraqi Accordance front, was un- able to agree on a replacement until Sunday. In a February vote, al-Samarrai won ap- Continued from cover leled,” said Dr. Edie Zusman, director of adult neurosurgery for proval from the majority of lawmakers who the Sutter Neuroscience Institute and the surgeon who removed as were present. His critics, however, claimed “The problem with immunotherapy is, when it works, it works much as she safely could of Miller’s tumor. that wasn’t enough, and argued any winner really well. It just doesn’t work all the time,” said Robert Prins, a Zusman and Wu, Miller’s neuro-oncologist, opted for this vaccine must gain the approval of at least 138 law- neurosurgery professor at UCLA who helped develop the vaccine partly because it has good early results, and partly because it’s being makers, or half of parliament’s total mem- being used on Miller. tested relatively nearby, in Los Angeles. bership, plus one. (At any given session, doz- In the UCLA team’s early tests, only six of the 16 people given Although Miller didn’t meet the research criteria, Zusman was ens of lawmakers usually are absent.) their own personalized vaccine after being newly diagnosed with able to persuade the vaccine’s maker, Northwest Biotherapeutics, to Parliament recently appealed to Iraq’s glioblastoma, an especially aggressive brain tumor, are still alive, prepare his personal vaccine for “compassionate use”—another way highest court to decide how many votes a Prins said. to get an experimental drug before it has been federally approved. winner must garner, but the court hadn’t is- But those six have survived for a median of nearly three years, That option needed agreement from federal regulators, from a sued an opinion by Sunday. That didn’t mat- and some have lived longer than five—breathtakingly precious time Sutter panel that oversees experimental treatments, and from the ter, though, because this time, al-Samarrai for someone with a cancer that commonly kills in 12 to 18 months. company—which hopes one day to charge $50,000 to $150,000 an- got 154 votes, enough to win no matter what So far, it’s hard to tell whether vaccines will help large groups of nually for a personalized glioblastoma vaccine called DCVax. the court might have decided. people or only a scattered few, said Dr. Rudolph Schrot, a Univer- It helped that Northwest Biotherapeutics wants to expand its Parliament’s delay in selecting a new sity of California-Davis neurosurgeon who focuses on brain tumors. clinical trial to more sites, including Sutter, if it can raise more mon- speaker has held up several important piec- He expects that doctors will know more in the next year or two as ey. The company hopes to enroll more patients that way and get es of legislation, including amendments to results from ongoing studies are published. Still, he encourages his results sooner. Iraq’s constitution and a law that would spell own patients to try any therapy that seems reasonable. For Miller, the vaccine is just the latest round in a cancer bat- out how the country’s oil revenue should be “With the devastating nature of this disease, patients don’t have tle that started nearly 2 years ago when he first noticed something shared. Sunni Kurds have wrested control a lot to lose for trying something new, even if it’s not yet proven,” odd—a slight droop on one side of his face. of most of Iraq’s northern oil fields from he said. He was a young father and computer specialist who had just Sunni Arabs, and Shiite Arabs control the Glioblastoma, Miller said, “is the great white shark of brain tu- moved to Rocklin to be closer to his wife’s parents. By mid-2007, Rumailah fields in southern Iraq, as well as mors.” Diagnosed in roughly 10,000 Americans annually—among when the tumor was diagnosed, their first son was 4 and Rachael Iraq’s access to the Persian Gulf. them Sen. Edward Kennedy—it is so lethal partly because it is dif- Miller was pregnant with their second. Samarrai, 63, is a leader in the Iraqi Is- fuse. “You go through this foggy terror” after a brain tumor diagnosis, lamic Party, the first Sunni party to enter Surgeons can remove visible parts of a glioblastoma if they can she said. The doctors were blunt. At every visit, they drilled it in mainstream politics after Iraq’s democracy reach it safely, but like a weed, the tumor leaves behind unreachable again—this was a death sentence. Over time, she said, “you feel kind replaced Saddam Hussein’s secular, but Sun- roots and tendrils that almost invariably regrow. of emptied out, emotionally.” ni-dominated, Baath Party dictatorship. It’s Therapeutic vaccines aim to train the immune system to recog- Miller has been through two surgeries, radiation and rounds of the biggest party in the Accordance Front, nize the remaining cancer cells for the enemy they are _ but there are drugs. His tumor has recurred and is growing again. the Sunni bloc that al-Samarrai heads. different ways to do that. Rachael Miller wants to hope, but she wants to be realistic, too. Saddam’s Baathists persecuted al-Samar- One vaccine targets a protein common in nearly a third of all They’ve done their estate planning. He is making a video for his sons rai, an engineer by trade, according to the glioblastomas. It doesn’t need to be tailored to each patient, but the to watch. Islamic Party’s Web site, and he spent much tumor has to be the right type. He tries to surrender his fate to God. The experimental vaccine of Saddam’s rule living outside Iraq, most Several other vaccines are made by extracting a patient’s immune “is just a blessing for me,” he said. recently in Britain. He has dual Iraqi-British cells and then exposing them in a lab to one or more of the proteins Doctors will know Miller is improving if they see on brain scans citizenship. common in that patient’s tumor. that the tumor is shrinking. They’ll never know for sure whether the He will remain as speaker until Iraq holds When the exposed cells are injected just under the person’s skin, vaccine was responsible, though, because Miller is also receiving a national elections, which are slated for the they enter the lymph system and help other immune cells recognize range of other treatments. end of this year. and attack the cancer. After his most recent surgery in October, enough tumor was re- “Dr. Samarrai is a very responsible man, The vaccine that Mark Miller is getting is a variation on that theme. moved to produce a three-year supply of his own, personal cancer and he has a long history in the opposition Instead of exposing the patient’s immune cells to a just a protein or vaccine. He will get twin injections every 10 days initially, then less against Saddam Hussein,” said Falih Fayadh, two, they are exposed to a solution made from the patient’s entire often as time goes on. a member of al-Maliki’s Shiite Dawa Party tumor. The hope is that this way, the immune system will be able to The first shots came on April 1, and the next round was on April who didn’t vote for al-Samarrai. “There was destroy cancer cells even if they mutate in ways that might remove a 10—just 10 days before the Millers’ eighth wedding anniversary. a desire to end this matter today, so coali- single protein target. — MCT Campus tions (emerged).” “That is a brilliant strategy ... a level of specificity that is unparal- — MCT Campus China looks to oversee reserve currency issuers
Continued from cover “We should accommodate each other’s concern to the harder for the IMF, a global organization, to make deci- removing the inherent deficiencies caused by using credit- greatest extent possible, build consensus and establish a sions. based national currencies,” Zhou wrote in the essay. regional reserve pool as early as possible so as to better Last month, Zhou proposed the creation a new inter- Also at the Boao Forum, the chairman of China’s sover- protect our region from financial risks,” Wen reportedly national reserve currency in an essay published on the eign wealth fund said that the fund plans to expand its inter- said. central bank’s Web site. Read more on China currency national investments this year, including those in European Also at the Boao Forum, Zhou Xiaochuan, head of the proposal. nations it shunned after they set limits on its investments. People’s Bank of China, said at a panel discussion that Zhou suggested that the IMF’s Special Drawing Right China Investment Corp. Chairman Lou Jiwei said that the International Monetary Fund failed to give alarm or (SDR) should be given a greater role. The SDR is an in- due to financial protectionism limiting his fund’s stakes diagnosis, let alone remedies when problems occurred in ternational reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to and voting rights, it “didn’t invest a single cent in Eu- developed countries, according to Xinhua. support the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate system. rope,” according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. “International financial institutions need reform, and Its value is based on a basket of key international cur- But since last year, Lou said, “there has been a change,” have many weak points,” said Zhou. He added that the rencies. and “Europe is now very welcoming to us, and isn’t talk- combination of international and regional organizations “The desirable goal of reforming the international ing about such conditions anymore.” such as the Asian Development Bank would be a good monetary system, therefore, is to create an international The newspaper report cited Lou as saying, “People option, Xinhua said. reserve currency that is disconnected from individual na- suddenly look at us as a lovable force.” Zhou reportedly said he understood that it might be tions and is able to remain stable in the long run, thus — MCT Campus April 22, 2009 VALENCIA VOICE Staying green after Earth Day
By Claudia Buck that invest in companies devoted to alterna- —Eliminate 4.5 gallons of gasoline (con- Founder and president Rodd Gilbert, a McClatchy Newspapers tive energy, clean water, organic products and sumed by mailing and delivering all those pa- plastics broker who started Earthworks as a those that avoid alcohol, tobacco, gambling per payments). business sideline, says 75 million pounds of If only cash sprouted as easily as backyard or weapons. —Prevent 63 gallons of wastewater re- PVC cards go into landfills each year. weeds, we’d all be cheering. But greening up The annual list is a mix of new funds and leased. “That’s what we’re trying to prevent,” he your wallet is still doable. those that have changed or enhanced their —Eliminate 171 pounds of greenhouse says. “My goal is to keep it out of the earth.” In homage to Earth Day on this month’s investment mix to be more environmentally gas emissions (the equivalent of 169 miles of His company gathers up millions of calendar, we’ve harvested some Earth-friend- conscious, said Cliff Feigenbaum, founder driving or conserving 24 square feet of for- pounds a year of scrap PVC card plastic and ly money habits you might want to adopt. and president of the Green Money Journal, estland). reprocesses it into “100 percent recycled —Green donations based in Santa Fe, N.M. A handy calculator at www.payitgreen.org sheets” that are sold back to credit card man- It’s grown from a Bay Area brainstorm “The funds represent different ways people lets you compute your “financial paper foot- ufacturers. into a global campaign to get businesses into can align their money with their values,” said print.” Type in how many checks you write and Most of his material comes from “skel- the spirit of environmentalism. Buy a shirt, Feigenbaum, who has published the journal how many bills you pay by mail each month etons, overruns and obsolete” stock left over a chocolate bar, a beer _ even fencing sup- since 1992. “Our goal is to make money and and it’ll add up how much you’d save the planet from plastic card manufacturers. Other con- plies or legal services _ and 1 percent of the make a difference.” by switching to electronic payments. tributors are retailers like Rite-Aid, GAP, Ap- company’s gross sales are pledged to environ- His list of mutual funds that are “greening Another proponent, eBill Place (www. plebee’s and Whole Foods, as well as movie mental nonprofit groups. it up”: Appleseed Fund, Integrity Growth & ebillplace.com), puts it more personally. By theaters, hotel chains, even universities that Since launching from a California Pata- Income Fund, Wells Fargo Advantage Social its “Cash & Time” calculation, the average ship him leftover student IDs. gonia store in 2002, the One Percent for Sustainability Fund, Dreyfus Global Sustain- family would save $50 a year in postage and But what warms his heart are the “little sol- the Planet _ or 1% FTP _ program has now ability Fund, Calvert Large Cap Value Fund, five hours of time spent writing and stuffing diers,” like the Ace hardware employee in Sac- spread to some 1,138 businesses in 38 coun- Calvert Global Water Fund, Pax World Global checks into envelopes. ramento who sends an envelope stuffed with tries, said Terry Kellogg, the Vermont-based Green Fund, Pax World International Fund, —Green plastic plastic cards every so often. Or the Arlington, CEO of 1% FTP. Pax World Small Cap Fund and Firsthand Al- If your wallet is weighed down by plastic Va., mom who was selling plastic scrip at her “It’s a very tangible way to make a very dis- ternative Energy Fund. gift cards, credit cards, gasoline cards and kids’ school and couldn’t stand the thought crete impact. If I make this purchase, I know For more details, go to www.greenmon- such, maybe it’s time for some pruning. As we of all those used-up cards going into the lo- that X amount of dollars will go to a cause I ey.com. all know, clipping up or paying down costly cal landfill. Her solution: She set up recycling care about,” said Kellogg. —Green banking credit cards can be a huge lift to your bank boxes for used cards at her favorite retailers, The participating companies range from big All kinds of companies, from banks to your account. then sends them to Earthworks. retailers like Sony to independent jewelry sell- local utility, are urging customers to switch to But don’t just snip and toss that plastic. “From a business level, I deal in dollars ers. The recipients run from high-profile non- electronic billing, statements and payments. If it’s a used-up gift card, ask to have it and cents all day,” said Gilbert. “But when I profits like the Sierra Club to tiny grassroots The notion: Pay online, save a tree. Or two. reloaded with cash (your local merchant will talk to these people, it’s just people who genu- groups. Based on company audits, Kellogg said (It also saves companies the payroll and love you). If it’s a no-longer-needed credit inely care.” more than $42 million has been contributed to overhead costs spent processing paper ac- card, hotel key or other plastic, toss it in your For more information on Earthworks, go environmental causes in the past six years. counts by mail.) recycling bin. to www.earthworkssystem.com. For details, go to www.onepercentforth- PayItGreen is a coalition of financial ser- But check to be sure it’s actually recyclable; Looking for more creative uses for out- eplanet.org. vices companies that promotes electronic bill- some companies are converting to biodegrad- dated plastic? Lots of crafty types are turn- —Green funds ing. According to the coalition, if the average able materials. The Sacramento, Calif., landfill ing them into earrings, guitar picks, kids’ toys, One way to feel environmentally good U.S. household switched to electronic pay- says most aren’t suitable for recycle. trivets and artwork. about your investing dollars is with so-called ments, it would annually: A greener solution? Pop it in the mail to To see some examples, go to: www.treehu- “green mutual funds.” —Save 6.6 pounds of paper. Earthworks System, a company in Solon, gger.com or www.creditcards.com (search for The GreenMoney Journal recently re- —Save 0.079 trees (not a whole tree, evi- Ohio, that’s on a crusade to rid the world’s credit card crafts). leased its new Top 10 list of mutual funds dently). landfills of those tiny rectangles of credit. —MCT Campus Students weigh in on new safety alert aystem By Jessica Frelow ated, closed due to weather, or any other [email protected] crisis that involves safety. Some students feel that the alerts were really helpful in getting Stay informed with Valencia Alert! Valen- the word out to students about any type of Transfer to the world of cia Alert is a free emergency messaging sys- eminent dangers at Valencia. Kristin Hanson tem used to notify students when there is an was one of several who thought the Valen- Webster University incident. Receiving these notices can assist cia alert was a good idea to promote campus in keeping students and faculty safe while safety. on campus or keep one from accessing the “I love the idea,” said Hanson, “I don’t campus. watch the news very often so anything would “They should notify people in as many help.” EARN YOUR BACHELOR’S DEGREE ways as possible,” said Bill Bobaggins, “A Upon registration to the system, students UÊVVÕÌ}ÊUÊ ÕÃiÃÃÊ`ÃÌÀ>Ì serious event requires you to alert as many can receive alerts via email, cell phone, pager, UÊ >>}iiÌÊÜÌ Êi« >ÃÃÊÊÕ>Ê,iÃÕÀViÃÊ >>}iiÌÊÊ people as possible.” smartphone or PDA. Real-time updates are UÊ >>}iiÌÊUÊ*ÃÞV }Þ Alerts are sent out when provided along with instructions and contact any campus at Va- information when needed. lencia is being With hurricane season approaching e v a c u - and the increasing rate of police activity around campus, it’s critical for every one s 'ENEROUS 4RANSFER OF #REDIT 0OLICY that uses the Valencia campus to stay s .O #,!34 OR &OREIGN ,ANGUAGE 2EQUIREMENT safe and advised. Though the alerts s ) ISSUED TO QUALIlED STUDENTS 4UITION COSTS ARE SAME AS DOMESTIC are a good start to promote campus s #REDITS FROM REGIONALLY ACCREDITED SCHOOLS EVALUATED AT NO CHARGE safety and help students stay in- s 3MALL #LASSES -EET /NE %VENING 0ER 7EEK formed, Katie Walker thinks that s #ONVENIENT &REE 0ARKING Valencia shouldn’t stop there. s &REE #OFFEE4EA(OT #HOCOLATE “They should make a Twit- UÊ««ÞÊÌ`>ÞÊ>ÌÊÜÜÜ°ÜiLÃÌiÀ°i`Õ ter alert system,” she said, “That would be really effec- tive because Twitter sends out mobile alerts.” Students are encour- aged to sign up at http://alert.valenci- North Orlando: 3ANLANDO #ENTER s acc.edu or through South Orlando: 7ESTWOOD #ORPORATE #ENTER s Photo illustration by Robert Navaille / Valencia Voice their Atlas account. £nnnÎäÓn£££ÊUÊÜÜÜ°ÜiLÃÌiÀ°i`ÕÉÀ>` Utilize all that Regionally Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, and a member of the Valencia has to .ORTH #ENTRAL !SSOCIATION WWWNCAHLCORG offer and stay c o n n e c t e d EC-774 Transfer5x6.5.indd 1 1/30/09 2:03:14 PM to the ac- tivities on campus. WORLD NEWS April 22, 2009 Obama looks to renew relations with Cuba By Frances Robles Cuba travel restrictions political prisoners jailed in Cuba for five convicted Cu- On April 13, the Obama administration lifted travel and gift restrictions for Cuban-Americans, allowing them McClatchy Newspapers to freely visit the island and send additional financial help to family members. ban intelligence agents serving time in U.S. prisons puts 1960s 1970s Obama in a difficult spot. On the one hand, Obama could PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — President Barack 1962-63 President John F. Kennedy imposes economic embargo 1977 President Jimmy Carter lifts have the chance to help free 200 people who are jailed on Cuba because of its ties to Soviet Union, essentially banning Kennedy's travel restrictions, allowing Obama is ready to start a new era of engagement with all U.S. travel to the island direct charter flights from Miami for offenses that vary from independent journalism to Cuba, he assured his regional counterparts Friday. 1980s planting bombs in a quest to destabilize the state. 1982 In effort to reduce Cuba’s profits 1988 New requirements established for 1989 Those “The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba,” from U.S. travelers, President Ronald those providing Cuba-related travel granted travel But many Cuba-watchers say Obama would be ill-ad- Reagan reestablishes travel restrictions, service, including travel agents, tour licenses, restricted Obama said at his opening remarks at the Fifth Summit which are unsuccessfully challenged in operators, ticket agents and remittance- to spending $100 vised to equate political prisoners with convicted spies. U.S. Supreme Court forwarding services a day during visit of the Americas. “Let me be clear: I am not interested in 1990s “President Obama has to be very careful—he could talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we 1992 Cuban 1993 Clinton administration amends 1996 Shoot-down of two Brothers 1999 In wind up negotiating with himself or playing chicken with Democracy restrictions on U.S. travel; allows to the Rescue planes by Cuban support of can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction.” Act imposes religious, educational and human MiGs prompts Clinton to stop all the Cuban himself,” said former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Car- fines against rights groups with special licensing direct flights between U.S. and people, His remarks followed a barrage of criticisms—before those who Cuba; only way to reach island is Clinton los Gutierrez, one of the architects of President George illegally 1994 After Cuban rafter crisis, through a third country announces travel to the President Bill Clinton tightens family a policy for and during the 34-nation summit—over the decades-old travel restrictions W. Bush’s Cuba policy. “The president has gone down island via a 1998 Following Pope John Paul II's increased U.S. sanctions against Cuba and the communist nation’s third country 1995 Clinton reverses restrictions in an visit to Cuba in January, Clinton people-to- a path that other presidents also chose. The president effort to promote democracy in Cuba; restores licensing for direct charter people suspension as a member of the Organization of Ameri- rules authorize one family trip per year flights transporting religious contacts would be wise to study history.” 2000s pilgrims can States. Gutierrez was taking a thinly-veiled shot at President 2001 President 2003 Treasury 2004 Bush administration 2009 In March, George W. Bush eases some rules announces travel is limited to Congress passes Pre-summit gatherings focused heavily on building announces for Cuban- once every three years for spending bill that Jimmy Carter, who 30 years ago negotiated with Cuba to additional travel Americans visiting Cuban-Americans; amount removes Treasury’s consensus on the U.S.-Cuba issue and four other leaders restrictions; asks relatives and travel of money is reduced to $300 funding to enforce release political prisoners, only to later see Castro unleash Treasury to expand is no longer limited quarterly to a specific relative, Cuban-American family who also addressed the region’s most important gather- enforcement powers to humanitarian definition of a relative is more travel restrictions; prisoners and mental patients on the Mariel boat lift. Under Bush need; amount of restrictive and amount of Obama administration ing called for a diplomatic truce between Washington administration, money travelers money spent on the island responds by changing But Carter’s chief negotiator said that while a prisoner travel to Cuba for may carry is raised daily drops to $50 regulations to allow “tourist activities” to $3,000; Cuban Americans to and Havana. 2005 Religious travel to Cuba swap is not realistic “at this time,” Obama can’t dismiss ends restricted visit relatives once a educational travel is reduced to once a year, for year The representative of the Caribbean Community said groups of up to 25 individuals the opportunity to get wrongly convicted people freed. the 14-member organization “stand ready to assist ... re- Source: Miami Herald Research Graphic: Miami Herald © 2009 MCT “I hope Obama tries to learn some of the history be- versing 50 years of non-engagement,” said Belize Prime security cooperation. fore he embarks on it,” said former White House official Minister Dean Barrow. “I didn’t come here to debate the past—I came here Robert Pastor, now a professor of international affairs Obama acknowledged that it would take time to re- to deal with the future,” he said. “As neighbors, we have at American University. pair a history of mistrust but said, “there are critical a responsibility to each other and to our citizens. And by Pastor was the director of Latin America for the Na- steps we can take toward a new day. working together, we can take important steps forward tional Security Council under Carter, and negotiated “I have already changed a Cuba policy that has failed to advance prosperity, security, and liberty.” directly with Fidel Castro. During his administration, to advance liberty or opportunity for the Cuban peo- But Cuba continued on the summit front-burner, a 3,900 prisoners were freed from Cuban prisons, Pastor ple,” he said. “ ... Over the past two years, I have indi- day after Cuban President Raul Castro gave an unchar- said. cated—and I repeat today—that I am prepared to have acteristically fiery speech more befitting of his brother “This is a moment very much like what we faced in my administration engage with the Cuban government Fidel, saying he was willing to talk with Washington— 1978,” Pastor said. on a wide range of issues—from human rights, free and swap spies for political prisoners. In Cuba, the news that Castro was offering deals was speech, and democratic reform to drugs, migration, and In a speech Thursday night, Cuba’s Raul Castro said not welcomed by the Ladies in White, a dissident group economic issues.” he’s willing to talk to Washington about topics long con- of wives and mothers of political prisoners. During his 16-minute speech, Obama also outlined sidered taboo. “Our husbands are ready to serve their sentences three priorities for the region: economic assistance; en- The text of Castro’s message was not new: Cuba has rather than be traded for spies, because they are not ergy and climate partnerships and security cooperation. long said it would negotiate as long as there were no spies,” said Ladies in White leader Laura Pollan, whose He reiterated his request of $448 million to help vic- preconditions and its sovereignty was “respected.” But husband Hector Maseda was sentenced to 20 years for tims of the economic recession outside the U.S. shores, Castro knows this time is different, because now some- being an opposition journalist. announced a new Microfinance Growth Fund for the one may actually be listening. “We are not objects that can be bartered.” region and promised to spend $30 million to strengthen Experts say Castro’s latest salvo offering to trade — MCT Campus Israel rejects U.S. plan for independent Palestinian state
Custom Build Your Career By Dion Nissenbaum of offering Palestinians limited rights that McClatchy Newspapers would fall short of independence. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management Netanyahu reiterated his stand in his JERUSALEM — In a direct challenge to meeting with Mitchell, said one Israeli gov- President Barack Obama’s commitment to ernment official, who spoke on the condi- Courses include: rejuvenate moribund Mideast peace talks, tion of anonymity because he wasn’t autho- U Construction Law Israel on Thursday dismissed American-led rized to publicly discuss the details of the U Building Construction Drawing efforts to establish a Palestinian state and conversation. laid out new conditions for renewed nego- Netanyahu also indicated that Palestin- U Construction Contracts tiations. ians would have to accept Israel as a Jewish U Construction Cost Estimating Leaders of Israel’s hawkish new govern- state in negotiations. U Managing a Construction Project ment told former Senate Majority Leader “For us, this is a crucial element,” the George Mitchell, the special U.S. envoy, that official said. “It’s a fundamental element in U Construction Layout Planning they aren’t going to rush into peace talks peace talks.” with their Palestinian neighbors. In recent years, Israeli leaders have been Call about our additional degree Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya- pushing this demand as a way to ensure that programs in Alternative Medicine, hu said that he would require Palestinians to the nation retains its Jewish identity. Aviation, and Business. accept Israel as a Jewish state in any future However, compelling Palestinians to ac- negotiations—a demand that Palestinians cept the idea would all but require them have up to now rejected, Israeli government to abandon their demands that Palestinian officials said. refugees be allowed to return to homes they www.EvergladesUniversity.edu Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieber- abandoned when Israel was established in man told Obama’s envoy that past Israeli 1948. concessions led to war, not peace. Yossi Alpher, a former official with Israel’s U Small classes with individualized attention These were Mitchell’s first meetings with Mossad spy agency and a co-founder of the Israeli leaders since Netanyahu’s center-right bitterlemons.org Middle East political Web U Students take one class at a time for more focused learning government took power two weeks ago. site, said that Netanyahu’s conditions could U Financial aid is available for those who qualify Palestinian leaders have said they won’t be a poison pill that prevents any peace talks open peace talks with Netanyahu’s govern- from getting under way. ment until it agrees in principle to the idea of “The position he took today cannot in any a two-state solution and imposes a freeze on way generate a peace process,” Alpher said. building Jewish housing in the West Bank. “The Palestinians are not going to offer him Orlando Campus 888.854.5642 As expected, Mitchell made it clear that this recognition. It could be a deal-breaker, 887 East Altamonte Dr., Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 the Obama administration sees the two-state but it could be an opening gambit. It’s too The Orlando Campus is a branch of the Main Campus in solution as the foundation for future talks. early in this whole new process to tell.” Boca Raton, FL “U.S. policy favors—with the respect to Mitchell also faced resistance from Li- the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—a two-state eberman, an ultranationalist solution, which would have a Palestinian Israeli leader who began his tenure as state living in peace alongside the Jewish foreign minister by declaring the death of state of Israel,” Mitchell said before meeting the U.S-led peace talks that then-President with Lieberman. George W. Bush launched in November Netanyahu has refused to embrace that 2007. formula and has instead floated the idea — MCT Campus WORLD NEWS April 22, 2009 Obama touts benefits of diplomacy at summit
By Peter Nicholas the election was a referendum of sorts on Chicago Tribune the argument that U.S. solicitude toward foreign leaders could be seen as a “weak- PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad —Rebuff- ness.” ing criticism of the warm greetings he “The American people didn’t buy it,” exchanged with Venezuelan leader Hugo the president said. “And there’s a good Chavez, President Barack Obama said reason the American people didn’t buy it Sunday the United States, with its over- —because it doesn’t make sense.” whelming military superiority and need The U.S. has nothing to fear from Ven- to improve its global image, can afford to ezuela, a large supplier of crude oil to the extend such diplomatic “courtesy.” U.S., Obama said. Obama, in a news conference capping “Its defense budget is probably 1/600th a three-day meeting of leaders from the of the U.S.,” he said. “They own (the oil Western Hemisphere, also said the U.S. company) Citgo. must engage other countries through hu- “It’s unlikely that as a consequence of manitarian gestures, not simply through me shaking hands or having a polite con- military intervention. versation with Mr. Chavez, that we are Obama said it would be a mistake to endangering the strategic interests of the measure the Summit of the Americas by United States.” specific agreements reached. That said, Obama aides were not so But by listening to his counterparts charitable toward Chavez. In a back- and eschewing heavy-handed diplomacy, ground briefing earlier, one senior official he said he was creating an atmosphere accused Chavez of performing for the in which, “at the margins,” foreign lead- cameras. ers are “more likely to want to cooperate Impressed with Obama, Chavez seemed than not cooperate.” ready to re-evaluate relations with the A running theme of the summit was U.S. He announced he was considering Obama’s cordial dealings with Chavez, appointing an ambassador to Washing- who once called former President George ton, D.C., an idea he discussed over the W. Bush the “devil” and who just last weekend with Secretary of State Hillary month dismissed Obama as an “ignora- Clinton. mus.” The two were photographed smil- The two countries expelled each other’s ing and clasping hands. ambassadors last year. At one meeting, Chavez made a show Although Cuba’s fate was not part of of walking around the table and handing the official agenda of the summit, many Obama a copy of “The Open Veins of Latin American leaders pressed Obama Latin America,” a 1971 book by Eduardo to lift the 47-year-old trade embargo and Galeano chronicling U.S. and European to normalize relations with the island na- imperialism in the region. tion. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., told CNN Obama resisted. Sunday it was “irresponsible” for Obama His administration has loosened travel to be seen “laughing and joking” with the restrictions on Cuban-Americans wishing Venezuelan president. to visit family, but Obama called upon Obama dismissed such concerns. Cuban leader Raul Castro to move toward He said the 2008 campaign proved that a more open and democratic form of American voters want the president to government. Summit shows progress engage his counterparts, whether they are avowed friends of the U.S. or not. — MCT Campus Obama said it “was a nice gesture to for Cuban, U.S. relations give me a book. I’m a reader.” He added
By Frances Robles change in Cuba policy. McClatchy Newspapers After meeting most of his fellow 33 heads of government who make up the PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad—Presi- Organization of American States, Obama dent Barack Obama sent a clear message said strides had been made, particularly to Cuban leader Raul Castro Sunday: It’s with Venezuela and Cuba. your turn. Now, he said, there must be additional If Castro wants to start dialogue with actions if Castro is serious about improv- the United States, he should start by re- ing relations with Washington. leasing political prisoners and lowering “They could release political prison- the steep fees the Cuban government ers. They could reduce charges on remit- charges on money sent from abroad, tances... . It turns out that Cuba charges Obama said. an awful lot; they take a lot off the top,” In the meantime, his administration Obama said, referring to a total of 20 per- will examine what other steps can be tak- cent in fees. “That would be an example en toward ending decades of isolation be- of cooperation where both governments tween Washington and the hemisphere’s are working to help Cuban families and last communist nation. raise standards of living in Cuba.” “The fact that you had Raul Castro say Obama noted he was struck by how he’s willing to have his government dis- many of the leaders at the summit deeply cuss with ours not just issues of lifting appreciate Cuba’s overseas medical bri- the embargo, but issues of human rights, gades. The United States, he said, does political prisoners, that’s a sign of prog- not serve its own interests if its only con- ress,” Obama said Sunday at a press con- tact with foreign nations is through mili- ference wrapping up the Fifth Summit tary and drug interdictions. of the Americas. “And so we’re going to “I think that’s why it’s so important explore and see if we can make some fur- that in our interactions not just here in ther steps. ... There are some things that the hemisphere but around the world, the Cuban government could do.” that we recognize that our military power Obama spoke to reporters on a swelter- is just one arm of our power, and that we ing hotel rooftop with a stunning moun- have to use our diplomatic and develop- tainous backdrop, where he defended his ment aid in more intelligent ways so that policy of courtesy over antagonism and people can see very practical, concrete underscored that his administration was improvements in the lives of ordinary not behind an alleged plot to assassinate persons as a consequence of U.S. foreign President Evo Morales of Bolivia. policy.” MCT Campus Obama is under fire for appearing too The official logo for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, which took place from April 17-19 in Port of cozy at the summit with Venezuelan Pres- —MCT Campus Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. ident Hugo Chavez, who was part of a diplomatic full-court press here to urge a VALENCIA VOICE April 22, 2009 Columbine massacre 10 years later
Schools take safety “We’re constantly monitoring. What are our students drawing in art class? Are they drawing more seriously a stick person with a knife stuck in, or are they drawing flowers in a field?” Hall said. By Kristen A. Graham and Bonnie L. Cook Last week, dozens of school staffers from The Philadelphia Inquirer around Montgomery County, Pa., gathered in a King of Prussia conference room to hear PHILADELPHIA — Some schools have security expert Kenneth Trump talk about the banned backpacks. Others have locked doors, post-Columbine security landscape and answer installed cameras, bought metal detectors, and questions about lockdown drills, safety fixes on started disaster drills. a tight budget, and cyberbullying. Ten years ago Monday, two teenagers killed “Some people are dealing with communities 13 people and wounded 23 others inside their that still have the philosophy ‘It can’t happen suburban high school in Columbine, Colo., a here,’’’ Trump told the educators. “There are massacre that forever altered the nation’s school- glaring gaps, and lots of work remaining.” security landscape. Just after Columbine, school safety was the “We used to just worry about drugs and alco- hot topic, with awareness at an all-time high and hol, but now we’re all overwhelmed by this fear money readily available. Then came 9-11, and that our children aren’t safe in schools,” said Al the nation’s focus shifted to terrorism, Trump Hall, director of security for the Hatboro-Hor- said. sham School District outside Philadelphia. These days, school security is a mixed bag, he Chuck Kennedy, KRT Washington / MCT Campus While some national experts say that schools said. Some schools fall short, mostly at keeping Coloradans held a “We are Columbine” banner in remembrance of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado as participants to the Million Mom March gathered in Washington D.C. are no safer now than they were a decade ago, safety plans updated and well-practiced, and at Sunday, May 14, 2000. educators from around the region point to new investing in training. It’s easy to slip on the basics efforts to keep students out of harm’s way. — failing to enforce a universal ID policy, allow- schooled student to kill people at Plymouth- nabei said. “Not anymore. You have to have a Among other things, they’re training staffers, ing visitors to enter a building without signing in, Whitemarsh High School was thwarted, and last background check to go deep in the building.” attending safety conferences, putting cameras leaving a door unlocked by mistake. year, a student’s plan to kill individuals he did not In Cherry Hill, N.J., staff members are re- on buses, and setting up emergency-notification Steven Beck, school-safety coordinator with like at Pottstown High also was averted. minded to be on the lookout for mental-health systems. the Montgomery County Department of Pub- Now, there’s much better communication issues, and students are schooled in stopping Like many regional districts, Hatboro-Hor- lic Safety, sees that firsthand. “At times, I still among schools and police and fire departments, bullying before it starts, said Michael Nuzzo, sham has never had tragedy, but it has opted for have to go out and convince school personnel Beck said. Students are kept aware of the impor- director of security for the district. New to the a proactive approach — just in case. Hall’s posi- that this is important, that there isn’t a guaran- tance of a safe school environment and warned district this year is an emergency parent-notifica- tion is new, and the district also stresses security tee it won’t happen in your particular location,” of tough stances on bullying. tion system — should a school be locked down in small and large ways. Beck said. In Radnor, Pa., Leo Bernabei, the school or evacuated, for instance, parents would get the Visitors must now surrender IDs when they But in general, Beck said, school shootings district’s director of operations, has seen a sea message automatically. enter schools. Emergency plans are updated fre- and narrow misses elsewhere have served as change in the 30 years he has been around. “A lot of school districts are moving in that quently. Students drill for specific events — a wake-up calls. Gone is the custodian with the overflowing key direction,” Nuzzo said. “The mind-set has suspicious package found, an intruder inside the In the Philadelphia area, in 2006, a multi-stu- ring to secure buildings; now, codes are digital. changed. We know a tragedy can happen any building. There’s a hotline to report worrisome dent plot was averted in Winslow, and a Spring- Professional security consultants are hired. time, any place.” activity, and reminders for school staff to keep field Township student killed himself at school “As a parent, I would say hi to the secretary Urban districts have their own set of safety an eye out for troubled students. with an AK-47. In 2007, a plot by a home- and walk right to my child’s classroom,” Ber- challenges — violence in school communities, huge buildings with dozens of doors — but Columbine still jarred Philadelphia into beefing up security measures. “And every year, the anniversary of the event is a poignant reminder for us to focus on school safety,” said James Golden, who heads that de- partment for the Philadelphia School District. Before Columbine, the district had metal de- tectors in some schools. Afterward, it went to universal metal detection in high schools. With cameras, locked doors, and IDs, it has adopted the same strategies most suburban schools are using, Golden said. Golden also said the district had sent more than 1,000 administrators and staff to federal emergency-preparedness training. “They go through training as if they’re first responders,” he said. In Washington Township, N.J., where voters endorsed a tax hike in 2004 for upgrades to school safety, including cameras for buses and high school hallways, Superinten- dent Cheryl Simone said safety was “foremost.” “Securing the building, securing the kids, is your number-one job,” Simone said. “You have to do that before you can attend to your primary mission, educating kids.” School shootings during the last 10 years also have “upped the ante for the severity of disci- pline.” Now, zero-tolerance policies mean that a penknife on a key chain or a pair of scissors in a kindergartner’s backpack equal an automatic suspension. “It’s a very different perspective,” Simone said. “We do take these things seriously, at all grade levels.” Jim White, who handles secu- rity for Bristol Township, Pa., schools, has seen “drastic changes” since Columbine. From ID badges and surveillance cameras to a portable metal detector and more regular locker checks, it’s a new world order, White said, with staff required to be on alert about safety. “Teachers, the custodial staff, are constantly looking for something out of place,” White said. “The guidance counselors are trying to get stu- dents to say, ‘Hey, this person is a threat.’’’ Children are different, too, White said — no longer innocent about the danger that’s out there. And though there was some initial par- ent pushback on stepped-up security measures, White said, that has faded. “People appreciate MCT Campus your trying to protect their kids,” he said. Graphic looks back at the shooting at Columbine, which happened 10 years ago; includes statistics on school shootings in the U.S. —MCT Campus 7 VALENCIA VOICE April 22, 2009 Breeders fear explosion of interest
Bo Obama could the number of abandoned Dalmatians. “We see faddism when it comes to pet- be the worst keeping in the movies, and we may see that scenario play out in the case with the first addition to society family’s selection of a Portuguese water dog,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of By Stacy St. Clair the U.S. Humane Society. Chicago Tribune “Sadly we expect disreputable puppy mill operators to start producing them as well, in- With his playful demeanor and tuxedo-like tent on cashing in on the heightened aware- coat, Bo Obama could be the worst thing ness of this breed.” that ever happened to Portuguese water dogs. Currently only the 64th-most popular Portie enthusiasts expressed concerns Mon- breed in the United States, Portuguese water day that the first family’s new pet will spark dogs typically enjoy a close-knit community heightened interest in the breed, giving way to of breeders and owners. puppy mills and irresponsible owners. Breeders recognized by the Portuguese “The fear is that people are going to run Water Dog Club must agree to take unwanted right out and get one without doing their puppies back and face fines if the dogs know- homework,” said Stu Freeman, president of ingly end up in shelters. the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. The majority also conducts genetic tests “If the demand is there, we worry that some- on the sire and dam to minimize health is- one we don’t like is going to be there to meet sues such as progressive renal atrophy and hip it.” dysplasia. The first images of Bo released by the Given the strict controls and the relative- White House show the 6-month-old puppy ly small Portie population, the breed rarely wearing a colorful Hawaiian lei and running shows up at animal shelters. The Portuguese merrily alongside the president. He’ll make Water Dog Club of Greater Chicagoland, for his public debut Tuesday in a photo-op that’s example, performs a rescue only once every sure to win plenty of TV airtime, Internet hits two or three months. and newspaper ink. Susan Kessler, who heads the group’s res- Animal advocates fear the first pooch’s cue efforts, fears that number will increase popularity could make Porties the new must- dramatically unless would-be owners educate have dog, forcing them down the same path themselves on the breed’s energetic personal- Pete Souza, White House / LATWP News Service Dalmatians took after Disney produced a live- The identity of the first puppy, a six-month-old Portuguese water dog, leaked out Saturday, despite ity and constant desire to be around people. action version of “101 Dalmatians” in 1996. White House efforts to delay the news until the big debut planned for Tuesday. Bo was given to the “It’s terrifying for us,” said Kessler, who In the years after the movie’s release, dis- Obama girls as a gift by Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. owns four Porties. “We basically face a re- reputable breeders cashed in on the spotted quality of the puppies produced. themselves on their erratic temperament and sponsibility as breeders to make sure these dog’s popularity and began breeding in large At the same time, many Dalmatian enthu- high-energy demands. As a result, shelters and puppies go to the right families.” numbers with little regard for the health or siasts adopted the dogs without educating rescue groups reported a marked increase in —LATWP News Service Introducing Bo Obama Statistics of on chromosome 15. They think that snippet nomes of more than 1,000 water dogs, has Nobody knows suppresses the IGF1 gene, which keeps dogs X-rays from 600 and has conducted more the first dog small. than 150 autopsies. Bo Obama like The next step was to look in that area for The whole idea to use the Portuguese Breeds and quanity vary genes affecting diseases of growth regula- water dog for genetic research actually came throughout the different geneticists do tion, such as cancer, said geneticist and can- from a breeder, not a scientist, according to presidencies cer researcher Elaine Ostrander, head of the Chase. About a dozen years ago, University By Trine Tsouderos Dog Genome Project at the National Hu- of Utah soybean geneticist Gordon Lark Chicago Tribune man Genome Research Institute in Bethes- contacted breeder Karen Miller after his da, Md. “The genes we have found are gen- water dog, Georgie, died. Miller, who now The Obamas may have accepted Bo the erally responsible for diseases in humans,” lives in Maine, sent Lark a puppy for free and Portuguese water dog as first puppy because she said. urged Lark to study the genetics of Addi- of the breed’s hypoallergenic coat, but the The third lucky break also traces back to son’s disease, a form of which strikes both dogs are also the most genetically studied breed in the world. Thanks to their unique history, the dogs have been the source of key insights into the function of certain canine genes, including determining a dog’s size and whether it is susceptible to a devastating disease. Those insights have offered clues to researchers looking into human disease, too, from can- cer to dwarfism. “Dogs have many of the same diseas- es that humans have. There is great hope these (findings) will translate to humans,” said Kevin Chase, senior researcher at The Georgie Project at the University of Utah, which studies Portuguese water dog genet- ics. (Georgie was a water dog belonging to the project’s founder.) A series of lucky breaks have made the breed ideal for genetic research. First, all American Kennel Club-registered water dogs came from a tiny founding group of about 30 animals starting in the 1930s. That means the amount of genetic variation from animal Bill O’Leary, Washington Post / LATWP News Service The Obama family gets to know their Portuguese water dog, which daughters Sasha and Malia have to animal is small compared with breeds that named Bo. The Obamas take their new dog, Bo, for a walk. have many founding “Adams” and “Eves.” That variety allows geneticists to look those original 30 or so dogs. Owners have dogs and people. (President John F. Kenne- at the genomes of big water dogs vs. small worked hard to breed out disease and keep dy famously suffered from it). The Georgie ones, seeking out regions where genetic pat- the population going, said Susan Becker, Project was born. terns differ. When they find genes that seem president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club Miller said she did not know whether to have something to do with size, research- of Greater Chicagoland. the Obamas would be participating in The ers can apply that idea to other breeds, from When The Georgie Project started asking Georgie Project but said she planned to mastiffs to toy poodles, and see if the pat- water dog owners to provide blood samples, send Michelle Obama a T-shirt (“to be part tern holds. pedigree lines, X-rays and even, more re- of that wonderful wardrobe,” she said) and Doing just that, geneticists found that cently, to ship their dead pets to Utah for au- an issue of the breed’s magazine. Calls to the small dogs shared a snippet of DNA near topsies, many owners agreed to do it, Chase White House were not returned. the IGF1 gene, which helps control growth, said. So far, the project has looked at the ge- —MCT Campus MCT Campus OPINION April 22, 2009
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Criminals, fearless Your Voice Gary Markstein , Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel / MCT Campus of death penalty Inmates sabotage the Murder is the unlawful killing of age or the loss of human life, then another human being with crimi- the only penalty for said crimes nal intent. In today’s world, terrible would be death for the individual system, lawyers help crimes are being committed daily. that committed this act. Many believe that these criminals Many also feel that if an indi- By Adam Fishman It is reasonable to assume that the problem is re- deserve one fate: death. Capital vidual can possess the strength [email protected] lated to the absence of professional standards and punishment, the death penalty, is and will to take the life of another the limited availability of defense resources in capital the maximum sentence used in human being in a planned manner, Pretend the death penalty is a toaster that is tested cases. By contrast, in Ohio, capital trial attorneys are punishing people who kill another then they must also in turn be able for 10 years, in numerous inspections by an army of certified by court rule and have the benefit of services human being - and is a very con- to face their punishment which toaster testers to make sure nobody gets electrocuted and assistance from the state public defender’s office. troversial method of punishment. could only be a punishment of the by mistake. Sound safe enough? Well, not to oppo- More reversals in Ohio mean less risk of executing In most states, a person con- same magnitude as the crime they nents of capital punishment. Their new argument is the innocent. victed of first degree murder has have committed; that being for that we should unplug every toaster because some did Nationally, a handful of death-row inmates have the potential to be given the death their life to be ended for the com- not pass inspection. been found innocent by DNA testing. There are penalty. Capital punishment is a mon good. These people feel that, The shattered victims and strong arguments for capital subject that can be counted upon while it is the cruelest punishment, families left behind by murder- punishment criminals sitting to stir up emotional reactions, and it is the best way to penalize heart- ers, rapists, and violent criminals on death row, bring on the controversy. The very concept pro- less, cold-blooded killers. in general, is enough to justify They ignore victims and make DNA tests. They will prove vokes a profusion of valid ques- The ideal of executions maxi- capital punishment. The best martyrs of murderers. They that an innocent person is less tions and opinions. Today’s daily mizing public safety through inca- case against it is morals, but the sabotage the system at taxpayer likely to get killed by the death world of crime and violence calls pacitation and deterrence explains worst opponents are not ethical. expense, then say executions are penalty than by opponents for punishment of a severe nature, that such a punishment as the death They ignore victims and too costly. who spring condemned killers and many citizens argue that the penalty would keep callous and make martyrs of murderers. to block executions. punishment necessary is the death dangerous murderers from roam- They sabotage the system at tax- We certainly don’t need a penalty. These people quote pas- ing the streets of our children and payer expense, then say execu- study to assess the cost of the sages such as innocents. tions are too costly. Defense lawyers salt the record death penalty. We can all agree that it does cost more. the “an eye In fact, this with deliberate mistakes, then say the killer had a lousy But because it does, many people argue that the ex- for an eye, The homicide rate in those opinion is defense. ecution of criminals should be stopped. That is not a tooth for a states with the death penalty backed by The latest twist looks like more of the same. Many compelling enough reason. tooth” con- is almost double the rate in s t a t i s t i c a l are trying, by creating the impression that innocent As each criminal act becomes more violent and re- cept from states without the death data col- men are getting toasted. According to a recent study pulsive to society, the trial will always cost more. It the Old Tes- penalty lected by the by the Chicago Tribune, 93 percent of death penalty costs much more to try a defendant for burglary or tament of AP, in that “reversals” were still found guilty. The rest were not armed robbery than for shoplifting. Just like it will al- the Judeo- the homi- innocent, but escaped execution because of proce- ways cost more to try a defendant in a death penalty Christian Bi- cide rate in dural errors by judges, prosecutors, police and most case than for vehicular manslaughter or second-degree ble. Some people take the neutral those states with the death penalty often, their own lawyers. murder. position that there is no right or is almost double the rate in states wrong answer, that each opinion without the death penalty. on capital punishment is valid in It would serve to “scare” crimi- Your Voice its own way. nals into not committing their Opponents of the death pen- crime for fear of the ultimate pun- alty claim that sentencing a person ishment. It seems rational to think U.S. places 4th in executions to death does not change the re- that if potential killers are aware ality of the situation; the harm al- that if they commit serious crimes ready done simply cannot be fixed they could be put to death for it, By Kenny Wagner In Fact the US has earned its place as one of the from a vengeance standpoint. You they are less likely to commit these [email protected] highest execution rates in the world. Of the 59 coun- cannot bring the murdered person crimes. tries that still use the death penalty the top five with back by taking the prisoner’s life. Another strong point of this How is it that the United States has one of the the most executions in 2008 are in order from most Proponents of capital punish- concept is the retribution and jus- largest numbers of criminal executions in the world? to leasr: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, The United States, ment tend to defend their opinion tice bestowed to society. The com- How did we get to the point where we are suppos- and Pakistan. mainly on two grounds: death is a munity demands a sense of clo- edly the freest nation on Earth, yet we still condemn Yep, there we are in between Saudi Arabia and fitting punishment for murder and sure, that justice be served. This is citizens to death? Pakistan and among some of the countries that we executions maximize public safety imperative for peace to be main- Honestly, what other industrialized nation has the despise the most and consider the most brutal. through incapacitation and deter- tained. If criminals were allowed death penalty and utilizes it in the same way as our How can we tell these countries that what they do rence. to get away with such a serious country? Brittan, nope don’t think to their citizens is despi- The view of proponents of the crime as the taking of human life, so, the UK abolished the death cable and wrong, specifi- death penalty in reference to the fear and chaos would rule. A sen- penalty years ago and the same The top five with the most cally Iran and China, when “let the punishment fit the crime” tence of life in prison is not sub- goes for the rest of Europe. executions in 2008 are, in order we’re still in the practice of ideal is that, in the eyes of many stantial enough. The government In fact, most of the countries from most to least: China, Iran, killing our own citizens? law officials and citizens of the must be trusted to permanently that still have capital punishment Saudi Arabia, The United States, Of course this type of hy- United States, if a crime is so seri- protect its innocent citizens from laws on their books are mostly and Pakistan. pocrisy is not new to the ous that it causes irreversible dam- further crime. located in Asia. Asian countries U.S. government, (see: U.S. also get credit for being the most foreign policy and Latin ruthless among countries with the America). death penalty. But, the time has come to end this ridiculous prac- Opinion: Dedicated to Accuracy China alone executed over 1,700 people in 2008. tice that only serves to venerate absurd arguments But the good ol’ US of A isn’t off the hook, sure from rash politicians that like to promote capital pun- Want your voice heard? Whoops! Did we miss anything? Let us know! Send us your opinions. If you spot a correction or want to let us China’s number is pretty high but in the terms of ishment is a deterrent even though it’s not. Submissions are subject to know what you think, please send an e-mail their population its really only .00000017% of their It has become a political crutch instead of a means editing for grammar, length to: [email protected] population. The United States, however executed 37 of punishment. And when people are losing their lives and AP style. Send submis- people in 2008, .00000012% of our population, pretty over political campaigns no matter who the person is sions to Kenny Wagner: small percentage but just about as bad as China. or how despicable they might be, it is wrong. April 22, 2009 OPINION Do you support the death penalty?
“If someone is sentenced “I don’t support it at all. Religion has to the death penalty, mean- Everyone should have a ing they killed someone else, chance. They should show no place in they are getting what they some mercy.” deserve.” the jury room —Raul Alicea — Marissa McDole By Linsa P. Campbell McClatchy Newspapers
Despite his given name, Khristian Oliver was not heartened to learn that jurors in Nacogdoches, TX consulted their Bibles in the room where they decided to sentence him to death. It might be easy to say that Oliver deserved Death Row for shooting Joe Collins in the course of a 1998 home “It depends, I think life in “I believe if you can robbery then smashing his head with a prison if it is good enough, invoke so much wrath on rifle butt while he lay in his front yard. but if it is really severe, they someone that you kill them, Trouble is, what the Scripture-read- deserve the death penalty.” then the state should be ing jurors did by bringing their Bibles able to execute you. It’s what into the deliberations violated the Con- — Ashley Kitzman you deserve.” stitution. Juries are supposed to base their ver- — Vince Mullins dict solely on the evidence presented in court and the law as provided by the judge, without outside influence. That’s part of the Sixth Amendment’s “impar- tial jury” guarantee. It’s mystifying then that the appel- late court upheld Oliver’s sentence, cit- ing the trial judge’s conclusion that “a conscientious, and dedicated jury” had reached its verdict “uninfluenced by “I absolutely support it, if “I support it, definitely, any outside influence of any kind.” what you did was that bad, some people should go How could that be, when they were then yeah you should be away for what they’ve done.” reading their Bibles in the jury room? Oliver’s lawyers have asked the Su- gone.,I think that’s moral.” —Robert Asonso preme Court to set the lower courts right on Bibles in the jury room. And — Sarah Lucas it’s time the justices did. In an exercise in twisted logic, the Texas attorney general’s office wants the high court to reject Oliver’s peti- tion precisely because the appeals courts aren’t all on the same page about whether jurors consulting Scrip- ture violates the Constitution. Besides that, the state contends, the court should wait for a case where its ruling would make a difference. In other words, the Attorney Gen- “In certain situations I “I think it’s wrong, two eral believes that Oliver would have do, if they’re a repeated of- wrongs don’t make a right.” been convicted and sentenced to death fender then obviously they even if the jurors hadn’t brought in are not going to learn their — Jeff Chery extraneous material, so even a consti- lesson and they deserve tutional violation doesn’t matter. it,they’re not going to There’s no denying that Oliver did change.” a stupid, senseless, vicious thing. But if Texas wants to kill him for it, the state and its representatives should —Tuillicia Williams have to follow the most fundamental constitutional rules, not just the ones they like. —MCT Campus
Kenny Wagner , Adam Fishman/ Valencia Voice
Tight regulations placed on Maryland cases Letter to the Editors
Reader offers encouragement By Julie Bykowicz sought a repeal in Maryland, but the to the list of evidence acceptable in capi- The Baltimore Sun closely divided Senate instead chose to tal cases. This e-mail is for anyone associated with restrict the kinds of evidence needed for But, death penalty opponents are urg- the Valencia Voice, including your Faculty ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The House of capital cases. ing lawmakers to reject that proposal, Sponsor. I just reviewed your online Valen- Delegates on Thursday approved new re- Prosecutors now will only be able to pointing to recent studies that call prints cia Voice, It’s exceptional, except for more strictions on the death penalty in Mary- seek the death penalty when they have unreliable. than a few grammatical errors, congratula- land. DNA or biological evidence, a videotape Delegates originally appeared poised tions! What I deeply regret, however, is that They will send the proposal directly to of the crime or a video-recorded confes- to approve a full repeal, but they switched a hard copy of the Voice is no longer avail- the state’s anti-capital punishment gover- sion by the killer. gears at the governor’s urging because a able on campus college wide. What a pity! nor, who has said he will sign it. Some death penalty supporters, includ- slim majority of senators support the Keep up your good work! I really like the ar- The evidentiary limitations are the ing Maryland Attorney General Douglas death penalty meaning, the legislation ticles related to diverse issues of import,stay strictest of any of the 35 states that have F. Gansler, have said the new plan will would fail in that chamber. on that ‘page’. capital punishment. “nullify” capital punishment because it is But the 47-member Senate did over- John Scolaro, Professor of Humanities New Mexico abolished the death pen- so restrictive. whelmingly support death penalty re- West Campus. alty this year. Some senators are planning a separate form. Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat, bill this year that would add fingerprints —LATWP News Service 10 Entertainment April 22, 2009
Courtesy of Summit Productions Left: Donald Faison (Clueless, Scrubs) and Mos Def (The Italian Job) play characters Leo and Eric. Right: Actor Mike Epps (Next Friday, The Honeymooners) plays Brody in this action packed comedy. Cast of ‘Next Day Air’ prepares for delivery
By Ashley Bland those ‘bad guy’ roles but this was a labor ing aspect of their character was and their Out of the 28 different projects that [email protected] of love, I know the writers and I’m one favorite scene in which they participated he has worked on, three of those roles of the producers’ friends. A lot of the in the film both actors. Epps and Harris are ones in which he portrayed a charac- Comedian and actor, Mike Epps, as cast are people I know.” had this to say: ter named Reggie. well as actor, Wood Harris engaged in In Epps’ case, his role in the film holds “Nothing about my role was really “That was my step-father’s name, I a conference interview based on their a sense of an entertaining thrill. He said, hard because I’ve always had those skills don’t know why they keep giving me that involvement in the upcoming comedy, “I play the role of Brody and I’m playing anyway so I have been just looking for name. But it’s what I do, I live to make “Next Day Air” on Tuesday, April 13. a guy who is a down guy, I’m down with the opportunity to do it. My favorite part movies and I love to make people happy “I feel like Ice Cube has really helped everything. You know, robbery, murder, of the movie is the stand-off because no- and laugh,” said Epps. me and he’s shown me the ropes without selling drugs, but at the same time I don’t body knew it was going to happen and Harris who is currently pursuing a Doc- showing me the ropes, you know what have a lot of sense.” when we all got there it was tensed,” said trine in Natural Patenting Medicine and is I’m saying? It’s been such a learning pro- Donald Faison also contributed to the Epps. an ambassador for Healthier, a fundrais- cess for me, and I’ve been soaking it up film portraying the character Leo and al- “You know to be honest with you, I ing organization for medicine targeting and using it,” said Epps when asked who though he took part in the phone con- come from Chicago, Illinois, so I guess I the Latin and black community continues was his favorite person to work with and ference he was not available to be inter- come from a humble background. I can to expand his repertoire saying, “I also why. viewed. relate to the urban market rather easily,” have a lot of opportunity in music, so I’m Gangster rapper Ice Cube, also known The three have had a great deal of his- said Harris. currently weighing those opportunities. for his triumphs as an actor, screenwriter, tory working together. “That doesn’t mean that there’s not a I’m looking forward to see what comes and producer, has placed Epps in leading When asked if there was any healthy lot of homework to do but it does mean a of these things in the future.” roles in popular urban films such as “Next competition during the filming process lot of homework has been done in my ex- Harris also hopes to start some filming Friday,” “All About the Benjamins,” and Harris said, “Nah man, you know, the set periences. I don’t have to mock it so I’m on the “college circuit” so that students “Friday After Next.” for “Next Day Air” was like a basketball not going to fake it. I’m going to draw will be able to get to know him better as Harris, who portrays the character game. We came with a team that worked from experiences as much as I can wheth- an activist for the youth. Guch in the film, had this to say when well together; everyone came in wanting er they’re mine or someone else’s.” As for Epps, he mentioned producing asked about the similarities in between his to win the game fair. It was one of my “The thing that struck me the most his own film and hopes of working with role in the film and that of his character best experiences.” was the scene where we go into the bank Denzel Washington in the future. Avon Barksdale on HBO’s “The Wire,” “It’s not healthy to have competitive and make our request which was day one The comedy, “Next Day Air”, directed “It’s like reading a science fiction book actors but occasionally, people who you of shooting. I had the most fun working by acclaimed music video director Benny and then you’re reading a history book, work with for some reason, try to steal with Mike Epps though, everyday.” Boom and starring Epps, Harris, Faison those are two different things so you can’t the scene. I think we should make the Epps has been playing comedic roles as well as Emmy nominated Mos Def and expect the same things out of them.” best scene we can make.” since 1997 when he made is debut perfor- Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen, will “So I get a lot of consideration for When asked what the most challeng- mance as Mike in the film “Strays.” be in theatres May, 8, 2009. ‘The Informers’ poorly brings back the eighties
By Roger Moore erbody’s high. Everybody’s bisexual. bad.” That way, the unintentional laughs The Orlando Sentinel Well, everybody who matters, namely Let’s see: coke? “Bad.” Unprotected seem almost ironic. the scion of the rich and studio-connect- sex? “Bad.” The author of “American Psycho” may Thanks to Brett Easton Ellis, nobody ed in LA. Graham (Jon Foster) is caught An English rocker (Mel Raido) staggers have something to say about that epoch, can ever tell you “You had to be there” up in this whirl. Graham has lots of great from concerts to hotel rooms with under- but director Gregor Jordan (Ellis co-wrote when talking about the ‘80s. sex with his girlfriend (Amber Heard). age girls and boys. Graham’s pal, bi-curi- the script) has concocted a brew so retro Ellis lets us re-live those halcyon days Martin, who directs music videos, sleeps ous Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci) vacations with that you find yourself asking “Where’s of cheap coke, “Miami Vice” fashions and snorts with them both. Graham’s stu- his skirt-chasing drunk of a dad (Chris Andrew McCarthy?” and the rise of AIDS. dio-exec dad (Billy Bob Thornton) is leav- Isaak) who tries to man the boy up. Jordan (“Buffalo Soldiers”) wallows in Occasionally, some fool gets the idea ing his TV anchor girlfriend (Winona Ry- And, in an unrelated story, desk clerk it all, treating himself to as many shots that his literary wretched excess would der) to get back with Graham’s drunken Jack (Brad Renfro) is in a pickle when his of a topless Amber Heard as he can man- make for a good film. mom (Kim Basinger). underworld uncle (Mickey Rourke) shows age. “The Informers” is another “Less than No wonder this college boy is con- up and kidnaps a small boy. The Aussie Jordan didn’t exactly miss Zero”-style riff on those years, only this fused. It’s a terrible muddle unless you take it the ‘80s; he just missed out on them in time it’s a period piece. “I need something more than this,” as a satire on the Age of Ellis, the Jac- LA. Recreating them for “The Inform- In Ellis’ universe, the ‘80s were one big Graham confesses. “I need someone to queline Susann for that Flock of Seagulls ers,” he misses them again — by a mile. “Love Shack.” Everybody’s grooving. Ev- tell me what is good and tell me what is era. —MCT Campus April 22, 2009 Entertainment 11
Courtesy of Crank.com Actor Jason Statham returns as Chev Chelios in the second installment of the super charged Crank. Produced by Lions Gate and directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor the film has raised $6,510,000. ‘Crank 2: High Voltage’ gets you charged
By Frank Tobin Its rank, nihilistic tone is relentless and “Crank” is set heroically in stone barely five stream, who’d surely relish the opportunity [email protected] exhausting. The misogyny is benchmark minutes into its sequel - that directors Mark to make films like this if only the corporate horrendous. The acts of violence are brutal, Neveldine and Brian Taylor appear to be machine would let them. Let’s face it - with “Crank” you already had frequent and often blatantly homoerotic. It’s completely obsessed with pornography. All-out exploitation it may be, but if any to suspend disbelief. flippant. It’s homophobic. It’s vulgar. There is a truly jaw-dropping amount of film lives up to cinema’s ancient adage of But with “Crank 2: High Voltage” you’ll And it feels as much seething contempt for flesh on constant display, and the film’s only providing its audience with relentless sex and need to put your disbelief in a microwave and its own narrative coherence as it does for its female speaking parts belong to a prostitute violence, this is it. cook it until it’s about ready to jump out and few prominent female characters. and a stripper. The second half of the film is where it re- kick the ever-loving stuffing out of you. But there is something bracingly brilliant This lends the film an air of uncomfort- ally flies, and chooses to disregard not only This movie not only doesn’t follow logic about it. able, almost smutty bathroom sleaziness, its own plot, but any care for the patience or or laws of physics or biology, it flips the fin- Films this fearlessly unhinged simply do until a bunch of actual pornstars turn up in expectations of its audience. It goes, essen- ger and goes along its way like the best vid- not get made any more, and thirty years ago the middle of a scene, starring as a bunch of tially, mad. eogame your friend ever got that he wont let this would’ve played, late at night, to packed disgruntled, well, pornstars striking for better And for something that was clearly de- you play. houses for years on end, perhaps aptly bun- pay. ranged in the first place, it’d be foolish not to This movie practically begs to be passion- dled with the likes of John Water’s “Pink Fla- Although it hardly passes as satire, it does offer up the only advice that will enable you ately loathed by absolutely everyone, with the mingos.” seem like a sly dig in the direction of the pro- to see exactly what it means: notable exception of antisocial teenage boys. One fact that was suggested by the first ducers that populate the Hollywood main- Go and see it. Today.
My degree symbolizes success versity and determination. DeVry Uni ge by definitely gave me an advanta r preparing me for a career rathe than just a job.
Mia Buller ’06 9[[gmflaf_
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(,-))-<]NjqNYd]f[aY;;Y\)(½op.&*-½`);N)WÇfYdZ\c,')+'(1 12 Entertainment April 22, 2009 ‘Chinatown Wars’ has pint-sized GTA action
By Frank Tobin among others. [email protected] Various mini-games, however, set it apart from its predecessors. Last year, Nintendo announced that When you get into some cars, for ex- Rockstar intended to de-virginize (sic) its ample, you’ll need to complete fun mini- DS with “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown games to hot wire them. Wars,” a new adventure that would con- One in particular forces you to remove tinue the series’ cop-murdering, civilian screws by drawing circles on the bottom splattering antics. screen, then connect two wires. While that filled gamers with homicid- You’ll experience several of these mini al glee, they had natural concerns about challenges and each one never gets old. the technology. You’ll also become one of Liberty Well “Chinatown Wars” is here, it’s City’s most notorious drug dealers. amazing and most importantly, you can Various missions allow you to sell co- sell heroin. caine, weed, acid and other narcotics for Taking place in GTA’s stomping profit. grounds, Liberty City, “Chinatown Wars” Naturally, you’ll have to keep this side tells the story of Huang Lee, a snobby business on the down low to avoid the rich kid who flies in from China to pres- fuzz. ent an ancient sword to his Uncle Kenny. Speaking of police, they’re significantly Within seconds of hitting the airport, more insane than in other GTA games. thugs assault Huang, steal the sword and Simply tapping a cruiser will earn you a leave him for dead. wanted star and bring a ton of heat. Barely surviving, he reaches his uncle While we realize the LCPD needs to and immediately sets off to complete do its job, this proves frustrating because missions that’ll eventually lead him to his you can’t see what lies ahead until you’re attackers. right on top of it. It’s an interesting story that’ll keep you You’ll actually lose a mission numer- entertained in between all the killing. ous times because you’ll keep smacking As expected, the game plays almost into cops. exactly like every “Grand Theft Auto” This leads to the camera. before it. In order to fit the game onto the DS, You’ll carjack vehicles, run over pedes- Rockstar went with a top down perspec- trians, tick off cops and perform a pleth- tive reminiscent of the first “Grand Theft Courtesy of Rockstargames.com ora of familiar missions that challenge Auto” on the PS1. Thirteenth in the series, “Chinatown Wars” continues on with GTA’s violent antics. you to deliver cars within a set amount That said, “Chinatown Wars” still fea- the ability to get a car on two wheels and Unless you despise GTA, “Chinatown of time, murder rival gang members and tures 3-D graphics. explosions only add to the eye candy. Wars” is an essential purchase. even win street races. Actually, the game’s quite impressive We just wish the characters sported Rockstar did an excellent job trans- There’s also a healthy amount of looking, with towering skyscrapers, nu- more detail. ferring the mayhem to the DS, and it’s weapons, a list that includes a chainsaw, merous cars/people on screen and plenty Rockstar dressed police in blue, but suggested you run out and buy a copy revolver, rocket launcher, sniper rifle, of mayhem. sometimes we mistake a civilian for a cop. ASAP. flamethrower, sword and double pistols, Other cool touches, like elevated trains, That never ends well. The game’s drug lords command it. ‘Blood on the Sand’ mimics other violent video games
By Billy O’Keefe McClatchy-Tribune
In “50 Cent: Blood on the Sand,” you are 50 Cent, and your objective is to fight your way through a fictional Middle Eastern country and recover a diamond-encrusted skull that was promised to and subsequently stolen from you after concert promoters stiffed you out of $10 million for your just-concluded USO gig. No, really. That’s what happens. Conceptually, “Sand” approaches the zenith of celebrity-fronted gaming ridiculousness — rare territory reserved for the likes of Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaq Fu” and “Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker.” Had Swordfish attempted to sell this idea to us with a straight face, we’d be hard-pressed to play it with one. Handout / MCT Campus But Swordfish gets the joke, and it’s got the “50 Cent: Blood on the Sand” is rated M and is game to prove it. for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. “Sand” very overtly borrows chunks of whether you play alone or partner up, and your “Gears of War” (third-person shooting, cover friends (or, if you wish, total strangers) are free mechanics), “Army of Two” (co-op-friendly to drop in and out of your game at any time. objectives and environments) and “The Club” “Sand” gives you a respectably capable A.I. (combos and bonuses for stylish and consecu- partner (portraying one of three G-Unit side- tive kills), but it blends those pieces together kicks) when you play alone, but the sheer ridicu- with a uniquely maniacal sense of energy and lousness of the story remains best enjoyed with with tongue planted deep in cheek. a friend laughing along. The best news? It plays nicely. “Sand’s” cover (In a weird twist on convention, the second mechanic occasionally falls prone to stickiness player actually gets the better of “Sand’s” driv- in tight corridors, but it generally functions like ing missions. If you want to man the turret in- it should. stead of drive the Humvee, you’ll have to latch The weapons feel appropriately powerful on to someone else’s game instead of start your and are fun to use. own.) “Sand” even does “The Club” better than Frankly, no reason exists not to have it both “The Club” itself did, making it a blast to com- ways. plete mini-scenarios on the fly and rack up com- “Sand” lacks any kind of competitive multi- bo points for excessive skill or bravery. player mode, but the campaign is one of those The missions don’t exactly reek of variety, fast, arcade-style blasts that is fun to replay sim- but the game throws objectives at you so rapidly ply for fun’s sake. that it’s hard to be bothered. Unlocking all the available weapons and “Sand’s” co-op elements (two players, online taunts provides extra motivation to go back, but only) also work as promised. it’s almost unnecessary. The storyline unfolds identically regardless of —MCT Campus April 22, 2009 VALENCIA VOICE 13 ‘State of Play’ sticking to the facts
By R.B. Brenner worked my way up to Metro editor. But perhaps The Washington Post Macdonald saw in my eyes that his project mar- ried two of my lifelong passions, journalism and WASHINGTON — Russell Crowe trusts movies. his instincts, and right now he’s almost certain Macdonald and his team had me e-mail pho- they are dead-on. He just needs confirmation. tos of the clothes and shoes that reporters wear. So he darts his piercing eyes toward me. They needed to know what brands of pens we Five days earlier I was in the Washington favor. They found binders like those we use to Post newsroom, editing articles for the Metro store old newspapers and then stained the cov- section. Now I’m in Crowe’s Beverly Hills hotel ers with dirt and coffee to age them appropri- suite, along with director Kevin Macdonald and ately actresses Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams. They arranged for me to lead a “boot camp” Three Academy Award winners. A magnetic for scores of extras, coaching the background young star. And a newspaper guy you’ve never actors on how to pantomime phone interviews heard of, still wondering how he got here. and type on their computers. How’s that for ac- We’re dissecting the script for “State of tion-packed drama? Play,” a big-screen thriller that revolves around Mirren asked me for a list of newspaper the friendship-rivalry between a politician and terms, which she jotted on a legal pad and drew a reporter. It’s Jan. 6, 2008, the eve of three from to sprinkle into her dialogue. months of filming. When it was finished, the massive Globe I’ve known him less than 48 hours. Certainly newsroom, built on a Culver City soundstage not long enough to calculate whether the an- and decorated in painstaking detail, was so re- swer I’m about to give will earn me an icy glare alistic that you could have put out a paper if the or a nod of respect. computers really worked My new, surreal role as a pampered movie But on the macro level, my crusade for au- consultant is quite agreeable: hanging out with thenticity bumped into unyielding walls at times. A-list celebrities, traveling first-class, staying near When I repeatedly objected to the illicit-video- the beach in Santa Monica, fattening up on ca- taping scene, Macdonald politely made clear tered meals. It would be nice to stick around. It that in the end, plot rules. He was trying to tell also would be nice to leave with some integrity a dramatic story, a political whodunit, and didn’t intact. want the audience bogged down in a journalism “In most situations, you’re right,” I begin, ethics lesson. I kept arguing that if he aspired to making eye contact while building the courage elevate the film above mere thriller, then accu- to drop a big “however” on Crowe, who plays rately portraying my profession’s code of con- the reporter. He’s our meal ticket, the guy who duct should matter more. rescued the movie six weeks earlier after Brad Likewise, I fought for a year and a half to Pitt abruptly dropped out amid the Hollywood avoid the impression that a reputable Washing- writers’ strike. If he gives the word, I’m prob- ton reporter would ever consider paying for in- Ricky Carioti , Washington Post / LATWP News Service ably on the red-eye back to Washington. Russell Crowe at Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington with R.B. Brenner, a Washington Post Metro formation. Yet three times in the script, report- After explaining why reporters often have editor who served as a consultant for the big-screen thriller about politics and journalism. ers are asked to do just that. adversarial relations with police and protect Like Crowe’s flawed reporter, whose friend- confidential documents at all costs, I outline a after we spar a few more rounds over the script sonalized director’s chair; accompany McAdams ship with the politician is self-destructive, my very narrow window of exception. If lives are My fun would stretch from Los Angeles to a play and get swarmed by her adoring teen- ability to write about “State of Play” was com- in peril, then your duties as a citizen trump your back to Washington, where most of the exte- age fans during intermission; and fly on a pri- promised from the start. I was paid to be a con- principles as a journalist. riors were filmed. And before the cinematic cir- vate jet with producer Andrew Hauptman, who sultant. Then I became friends with many of Crowe pivots toward Macdonald, who had cus left me behind, this would happen: became a good friend, to watch the professional the cast and crew. I overheard things that would cautioned me that his leading man doesn’t nec- I would end up with a two-line role in the soccer team he owns play a home game in Chi- make for fantastic copy, but I’ll never report essarily see the noble side of my profession. I movie opposite Mirren, who’d make me laugh cago. Oh, and I’d get man-hugged by Crowe. them. To do so would make me the worst kind brace for the worst. Instead, an articulate ally and blush by whispering a slightly risque con- I hardly had the resume to dazzle Holly- of hypocrite. emerges. The exchange we just had, he tells Mac- gratulation (it had to do with losing my acting wood. After working for two decades as a news So is this the full story? donald, needs to find its way into the scene. virginity). I’d become a card-carrying member reporter and editor on both coasts, I joined The Not even close. “That was fun, man,” Crowe says to me later, of the Screen Actors Guild; take home a per- Post in 2002 as an assistant Maryland editor and —LATWP News Service Movie pays homage to print journalism
By Rachel Abramowitz this noble beast, the last lion in the wilderness,” Los Angeles Times Macdonald says. Over a lunch, on a windy day, at the other- HOLLYWOOD — “What happens when wise completely deserted poolside of the Four journalists aren’t there to ask the difficult ques- Seasons Hotel, Affleck and Macdonald -- who tions of politicians?” speak with exuberance and authority about what That’s just one concern Kevin Macdonald, they see as the responsibilities and shortcomings the 41-year-old Scottish documentary filmmaker of news-gathering organizations -- resemble the turned director, is raising with his new political dynamic between the film’s main characters: thriller, “State of Play.” Crowe’s disheveled but tenacious reporter, Cal The movie, which stars Russell Crowe, McAffrey, and Affleck’s shiny bright congress- Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAd- man, Stephen Collins -- old college pals who ams, is set during these tumultuous times for have grown apart while working for the public the fourth estate. The backdrop for this tale of trust (albeit in different capacities) in the nation’s Ken Hively, Los Angeles Times / LATWP News Service inside-the-Beltway conspiracy and intrigue is a capital. With the help of Ben Affleck’s conflicted congressman, director Kevin Macdonald, left, Washington, D.C., newspaper, similar to The The film, based on the gripping 2003 six- explores the watchdog role of newspapers in the upcomming movie, “State of Play.” Washington Post, except without the benevo- hour British miniseries of the same name, be- lent Graham family as the owners, and it does gins with what seem to be unrelated events. A ing, who finds herself paired with Crowe, who Macdonald is circumspect about what hap- capture the feeling of an industry in transition, street kid is gunned down in an alley. A beautiful, has major conflict-of-interest issues as the inves- pened to Pitt, who dropped out a week before perpetually under economic pressures from young woman working on the Hill dies in a sub- tigation delves deeper into his friend’s past. Mir- shooting was to commence in November 2007, the outside, while inside a battle for supremacy way accident. While investigating the shooting ren plays the paper’s acerbic top editor, caught which in turn led to Edward Norton, who was reigns between the brash but unseasoned young for his newspaper, Crowe’s journalist uncovers between the financial demands of the paper and supposed to play the congressman, also leaving bloggers and the traditional hard-charging gum- connections between the deaths -- and what her desire to break big news and speak truth to the project. Pitt was unhappy with the script and shoe reporters. may be a larger government conspiracy involv- power. wanted to push until after the writers strike to Affleck, who plays an ambitious up-and- ing a private, Halliburton-like military contractor Crowe wasn’t the original choice to play allow for more rewrites. Universal threatened coming politician, and Macdonald tend to ban- -- that could derail the career of his old buddy McAffrey. Brad Pitt initially was cast as the con- to sue the superstar for violating a pay-or-play ter jocularly with talking about the seismic shifts the congressman. flicted but dogged newsman and even made a deal, unless an appropriate replacement could in the media landscape, but they didn’t make the Making matters even more complicated, dashing research visit to the Washington Post. be found. film to dance on the grave of any institution. Crowe’s character has had an affair with the “It was the biggest thing that ever hap- Indeed, a portly Crowe appears in the film This is the kind of movie where the closing shot congressman’s wife, played by Robin Wright pened there,” Macdonald says wryly. -- a character choice that might be spot-on for is a loving pan to newspapers traveling through Penn. In a departure -- and updating from the “The biggest thing that happened at depicting a slovenly journalist but not always the the printing plant. “It’s the last hurrah for this miniseries -- McAdams plays a newbie blogger, The Washington Post was that Brad Pitt went way movie fans like to see a leading man. analog technology. You look at it and it feels like more accustomed to pontificating than report- through?” Affleck asks. “Wow.” —MCT Campus
April 22, 2009 SPORTS 15 Sixers steal first game from Magic
By Kate Fagan throws, Thaddeus Young looked at him and The Philadelphia Inquirer said, “We’re going to get them back.” When point guard Andre Miller grabbed a ORLANDO, Fla. — As disappointment defensive rebound, giving the Sixers the final filled Amway Arena, Andre Iguodala looked possession, Iguodala said his teammates gave defiant. him another chance to win the game. He looked like a man who had been count- “I think that game today typifies our team,” ed out, told that he could not get it done. said Sixers coach Tony DiLeo. “We didn’t hang But he also looked like a man who had got- our heads when we got down, we fought back, ten it done. and we won in dramatic fashion. The team al- In that moment, Iguodala seemed to repre- ways had confidence we could win.” sent his entire team. Few had sided with these This game looked like a runaway victory for 76ers, few had predicted a come-from-behind Orlando. In the third quarter, the Sixers trailed 100-98 victory in Game 1 of their first-round by 18 points. Starting the fourth, they trailed playoff series against the Orlando Magic. by 14. But Sunday night, that’s what happened: On more than one occasion in the third The Sixers trailed by 18 in the second half. And quarter, the Sixers wore a “here we go again” won. look on their faces. They had ended the season A minute before Iguodala stood, arms losing six of seven, looking little like a playoff crossed, waiting for his teammates to join him team. in celebration, he lifted the high-arching game- But here we didn’t go again. winner with 2.2 seconds remaining. At the start of the fourth quarter, Marshall His shot, defended by Hedo Turkoglu, checked into the game. He brought with him slipped through the rim. They were the game’s his precision outside shooting: He scored 11 final points. On the final possession, Iguodala points and finished 3 for 4 on three-pointers. defended Turkoglu, whose 28-footer looked “It’s easy,” Marshall said of his job. “I have bad from the start. no conscience.” But Iguodala’s postgame countenance was “Their bench _ even Theo Ratliff _ their not just defiance; there was a hint of a smile bench was the key to the game,” said Orlando there, too. As if he knew all along _ even if you coach Stan Van Gundy. didn’t _ that he would make it. Ratliff played 24 minutes and absorbed the That the Sixers would win. bulk of the punishment from Orlando center Iguodala had missed two free throws with 1 Dwight Howard, who finished with 31 points minute, 7 seconds remaining that would have and 16 rebounds. Sixers guard Lou Williams Gary W. Green , Orlando Sentinel / MCT Campus given his team a one-point lead. He had earned shot 3 for 3 from the three-point line, scoring Thaddeus Young of the 76’ers drives against Rashard Lewis on Monday night. his second chance on the shoulders of reserve 18 points. Sixers outscored their hosts, 35-19. Then the night.” forward Donyell Marshall, whose three-pointer “If we’re going to get outshot on the pe- teams were tied. The Sixers have been here before. Last with 34.8 seconds left tied the score at 98. rimeter by Philadelphia, it’s going to be a long And the 17,461 inside Amway Arena _ not season they stole Game 1 against the Detroit “I think my teammates expect me to make series,” said Van Gundy, whose Magic made an empty seat in the joint _ seemed genuinely Pistons, but eventually lost the series in six big plays, and I have to make them for me to two fewer three-pointers than the Sixers, who surprised. games. be a leader on this team,” said Iguodala, who made seven. “Our team has confidence and they want Howard still seemed relaxed. finished with 20 points. Behind that outside shooting, Orlando’s to win the series,” DiLeo said. “We won’t back “There is no need to panic,” said Howard. Iguodala said that after he missed those free lead dwindled in the final quarter, when the down; we’ll come back as hard as we did to- “It’s just the first game.”
Ron Cortes, Philadelphia Inquirer / MCT Campus Philadelphia 76ers’ forward Andre Iguodala dunks against the Orlando Magic during the first half in Game 1 at Amway Arena.
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Columbia College–Orlando 4ECHNOLOGY $R 3TE s/RLANDO &, s Apply today! www.ccis.edu/orlando April 22, 2009 VALENCIA VOICE 16 2009 NFL mock draft By Alex Barrett for the first round, the draft is now famous for round. There are sleepers out there to be found, [email protected] finding golden players just as often in the later and many teams who have huge voids to fill; and rounds as are found in the first pics. This year, there are still the joke teams that couldn’t win if As the NFL draft approaches on April 25th, there are a plethora of teams that have needs to they had every first round pick (Ahem, Lions tons of angry Jets fans will pack into the Radio be filled by collegiate players waiting to get their fans.) City Music Hall in New York to boo their team’s share of NFL money, while still some teams will Conducting the possible picks for the first selections. The rest of the leagues’ fans will wait just look to better themselves with players they round of the NFL draft this year for The Voice in anticipation to see if their team will properly feel are the best availible on the board. are sports editor Alex Barrett, and sports report- address the needs they feel the squad has through This year, your Valencia Voice team has ers Tim Bee and Reese Wallace, who will offer up the young talent availible in the draft. What used gotten into the ‘War Room’ and established a their choices for the players who will be expected to be a program that shadowed rounds two on number of ways the teams could go in the first to change their teams, for better or worse. MCT Campus TEAM ALEX TIM REESE 1 Jason Smith OT - Baylor Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia Jason Smith OT - Baylor Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia 2 Jason Smith OT - Baylor Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia 3 Aaron Curry - OLB - Wake Forest Brian Orakpo - DE - Texas Aaron Curry - OLB - Wake Forest Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia 4 Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia Brian Orakpo - DE - Texas Aaron Curry - OLB - Wake Forest 5 Brian Orakpo - DE - Texas Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech 6 Andre Smith - OT - Alabama B.J. Raji - DT - Boston College 7 Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech Andre Smith - OT - Alabama Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri 8 B.J. Raji - DT - Boston College 9 Malcom Jenkins - CB - Ohio State B.J. Raji - DT - Boston College Aaron Maybin - DE - Penn State 10 Mark Sanchez - QB - USC Mark Sanchez - QB - USC Andre Smith - OT - Alabama 11 Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee Everette Brown - DE - Florida State Everette Brown - DE - Florida State 12 Brian Cushing - ILB - USC Aaron Maybin - DE - Penn State Mark Sanchez - QB - USC 13 Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU Michael Oher - G - Mississippi Michael Oher - G - Mississippi 14 Chris Wells - RB - Ohio State Malcom Jenkins - CB - Ohio State Malcom Jenkins - CB - Ohio State Rey Maualuga - LB - USC Brian Cushing - ILB - USC 15 Brian Cushing - ILB - USC 16 Everette Brown - DE - Florida State Rey Maualuga - LB - USC Rey Maualuga - LB - USC 17 Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas State Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia Percy Harvin - WR - Florida 18 Michael Oher - G - Mississippi James Laurinitis - ILB - Ohio State Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU 19 Peria Jerry - DT - Mississippi Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas State Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas State 20 Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois Eben Britton - OT - Arizona James Laurinitis - ILB - Ohio State 21 Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia Chris Wells - RB - Ohio State Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia Jeremy Maclin - WR - Missouri Hakeem Nicks - WR - North Carolina 22 Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois 23 Patriots - Clay Matthews - OLB - USC Patriots - Clay Matthews - OLB - USC Patriots - Clay Matthews - OLB - USC 24 Evander Hood - DT - Missouri Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma State Brandon Pettigrew - TE - Oklahoma State 25 Percy Harvin - WR - Florida Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois 26 Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland Hakeem Nicks - WR - North Carolina Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland James Laurinitis - ILB - Ohio State Peria Jerry - DT - Mississippi 27 Peria Jerry - DT - Mississippi 28 Eben Britton - OT - Arizona Alex Mack - C - California Eben Britton - OT - Arizona 29 Hakeem Nicks - WR - North Carolina Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland Kenny Britt - WR - Rutgers 30 Percy Harvin - WR - Florida Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee Robert Ayers - DE - Tennessee 31 LeSean McCoy - RB - Pittsburgh Shonn Greene - RB - Iowa Chris Wells - RB - Ohio State 32 Max Unger - OT - Oregon D.J. Moore - CB - Vanderbilt Darius Butler - CB - Connecticut