No news is bad news

We try to keep on top of things here at Dissent the Blog, but sometimes it ain’t easy, cuz, sometimes, there’s not much to keep on top of.

BOARD FRUSTRATION. Near as I can tell, the SOCCCD board of trustees is very frustrated with faculty right now. Evidently, the problem concerns faculty union and Saddleback College Senate leadership. Don’t know much about the union situation, although it’s a sure a bet that it concerns contract negotiations and union Prez Lee Haggerty.

I’m told that the senate is viewed by trustees as pressing for an excessive amount of reassigned time.

Chancellor Raghu P. Mathur to the rescue, I guess. “Please Raghu! Even though you are both a creep and a boob, we rely on you to protect us from faculty!”

As you know, it is at the December meeting (this year, on the 5th) that the board elects its officers for the coming year. Right now, Don Wagner is president of the board, and it seems likely that he will continue for another year.

But know this: Tom Fuentes and Bill Jay are the only trustees who have never served as board president. I doubt that Bill wants the job. If Tom wants it, he’s got the votes.

Yikes!

STUDENT NEWSPAPERS. Once in a while, I check out the local college student newspapers, most of which are lame. The Saddleback College/IVC Lariat, however, is among the better papers. It’s online site is usually pretty lively.

Not right now, though.

On Tuesday, the Lariat posted about “Juicy Campus”: Juicy Campus takes online gossip to the dark side. JC is a predictably offensive student gossip forum that has grown in popularity around the country, although, evidently, it’s not yet grown grape vines through our particular colleges (and parks).

Last Wednesday, OCC’s Coast Report reported on the effects of that school’s budget crisis—“including a seriously scaled back winter intersession, a cut of more than 100 classes in the spring and the possible evisceration of its summer session….” But that’s old news.

Yesterday, the CR’s hot news was the “subsiding” of a rash of vehicle break-ins.

The seldom stinging Fullerton College Hornet reports that there are new cabinets in the Fullerton College faculty lounge. Yup.

On the other hand, it also includes a conversation with NOCCCD Chancellor Ned Doffoney, who, as you’ll recall, was the President of Saddleback College in the mid-90s. (Sitting Down with the Chancellor.) The article traces Doffoney’s career, starting in the Louisiana swamps.

Curiously, his years in the swamps of Saddleback College are left unchronicled! We are told about his move to a Los Angeles trade school in 1982—and then, suddenly, he is sipping coffee with a friend in 1998, and he hears about an opportunity to leave his “gated community” in South OC in favor of them bayous back home. Saddleback College isn’t even mentioned.

(Below, I've attached an old article describing a typically swampy event during Doffoney's last year as SC President.)

CSU Fullerton’s Daily Titan seems to be experiencing a particularly disastrous lull. At it’s website, I clicked on "news" and found a week-old story about a lecture on cyber-bullying (Panel says cyber-bullying is a crime).

The UCI New University’s top story is about a presentation about immigration last week by professor Bean (Langson [Library] Host to Immigration History).

I guess things get a little slow around Thanksgiving.

Hope you have a good one.

June 5, 1997

Saddleback College cans newspaper adviser
Student paper has been critical of district board

Kathleen Dorantes received word May 20, without warning that she would no longer be the adviser to the Saddleback Valley [sic] College newspaper, The Lariat.

She was told the decision came from the office of the college president, Ned Doffoney, and Doffoney had given no reason, Dorantes said last week from her home in Riverside.

Some sources at the Mission Viejo college...say the move was politically motivated. The student paper has been critical of the majority of the college district's board of trustees since the election in the fall.

The faculty member appointed to take Dorantes' place as adviser, Lee Walker, is an outspoken supporter of the board majority.
...
During one of the years she was the adviser, 1996, the paper won one of the top awards in the state for community college newspapers, the General Excellence Award from the California Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
...
Doffoney said in a telephone interview that the decision had been a "contractual" one. He said that any full-time faculty member can bump any part-time faculty member at any time. Doffoney said that Walker had approached him and indicated that he wanted to advise the newspaper.

Walker could not be reached for comment.
...
When asked about reasons for the change or reasons that the college president, rather than an immediate supervisor, would make a decision about a faculty teaching assignment, Doffoney said, "I think this conversation has gone about as far as it can," and indicated he did not want to comment further.

Rebel Girl's Poetry Corner:"my shining loaf of quietness"

It's Thanksgiving. Rebel Girl's son has donned his "Indian vest" made of brown paper grocery bags (his read "Lucky" on the inside) and his headress of bright construction paper feathers and paraded with his peers in front of parents to sing a song about an unhappy turkey.

Rebel Girl and family will have three Thanksgivings: one on the day in West Covina (lots of Alvarezes); one on the next day (just her and her fellas); and then another on the weekend when Special Needs Mama and her family visit for an overnight in the yurt. They plan to eat, to hike, to make music perhaps.

So - she's been baking. This year's theme is bread. She likes the faithfulness of the yeast and how the house smells like real people live it in. She likes to think that her son will remember this smell and her, that she's making a memory, a good one.

Today's poem is one she's shared before, written by Peter Everwine:

Night

In the lamplight falling
on the white tablecloth
my plate,
my shining loaf of quietness.

I sit down.
Through the open door
all the absent who I love enter
and we eat.

~~~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ashamed beyond words

SALARIES. All of a sudden, everybody’s talking about how much academics, especially academic administrators, get paid. On Saturday, the OC Reg (UC salaries: How much university employees earn) declared that

There were more than 250,000 people employed by the University of California system in 2007. Of those, 3,018 earned a gross pay of $200,000 or more.

Wow, I guess. Meanwhile, we’ve been hearing a lot lately about college and university presidents refusing raises, what with the hard economic times and all. On Saturday, the New York Times joined in the fun (Presidents of Colleges Give Back Some Pay). Big bucks, baby.

Garsh, I wonder if the world knows that the Chancellor of the SOCCCD, the worthless and execrable Raghu P. Mathur, makes about $300,000?

Do you suppose he plans to give some of it back?

That seems unlikely. It turns out that UCI’s Chancellor, Michael Drake, makes $387,000 (plus the use of a fancy schmancy house at the university). Raghu occasionally hobnobs with the Drakester.

My guess is that Tom Fuentes will arrange for another raise for Mr. Goo.

DOUBLE DIPPING AGAIN. Inside Higher Ed reports this morning that

The University of California plans to review the pay arrangements of hundreds of double dippers — retirees who are collecting their pensions while also having been rehired into jobs, in some cases at salaries that are higher than they received before retiring, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The paper reviewed a university database and reported that it found “widespread violations” of guidelines that limit retired workers to no more than one year of post-retirement employment and generally only for part-time work. At least 440 people were identified as violating the one-year limit and 181 were found to be working full time.

BOB JONES SAYS SORRY. IHR also reports that “Bob Jones University has issued a formal apology for its past racist policies, such as refusing to admit black students until 1971 and banning interracial dating until 2000.” Oh good. Back in 2000, Bush spoke there.

YOUNG REPUBLICANS. Then there’s this:

John Fike has resigned as faculty adviser to the Young Conservatives chapter at Texas A&M University at College Station after student members put up posters attacking four professors at the university who had signed a petition defending William Ayers, the one-time Weather Underground leader who is now an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, The Bryan/College Station Eagle reported. Fike said he was “ashamed beyond words” at the attack on colleagues. The posters suggest that the A&M professors who signed the petition back his Weather Underground views. The petition actually defends his work as an education professor and criticizes the way Republicans attacked him during the presidential campaign. Student leaders of the Young Conservatives responded to Fike’s resignations by questioning whether he really is conservative, and one alleged that he had an Obama sign outside his house.

Did you know that Raghu used to advise the Young Republicans here at IVC? Yeah. Plus he's the president of the Indo-American Republican Club of California.

I bet it has no members, though.

"My quest for success" is why

About 45 minutes into Monday night’s board meeting, two student government leaders—Kalin and Travis—presented Saddleback College’s Associated Student Government (SCASG’s) proposed budget for 2008-9. It's about a million bucks. (To see the presentation, go here.)

As they waited to speak, Kalin and Travis looked pretty damned cute. Absurdly so. And they came with a crew of enthusiastic supporters, all of them wearing red shirts. No apathy there!

Alas, as you know, several trustees were unhappy with ASG's proposed budget. To the trustees, the budget did not seem to give much of value back to students. The board wanted to see a super-sized value meal, and all they were getting was a mush-ball of stale french fries.

As board president Don "Blunt Boy" Wagner put it, “[Your budget] gives some money to forensics, and it gives some money to the surfing team meals, and it gives some money to the ‘ride the wave’ early bird orientation…—[but, dagnabit] that’s not where the rubber meets the road for students!”

The kids in the room were plainly horrified. They gaped. They were instructed to go back to the drawing board. They marched out of the building in single file, like Republicans, little red states.


But even apart from the "mush-ball" problem, I’ve gotta say that, for me, the students’ presentation was weird. So odd were Kalin and Travis’ bearing and their odd celebrity among their twenty or so red-shirted supporters, that, for once, the adults in the room were transfixed.

And amused? And charmed? And horrified? All of the above, I think.

Speaking for myself, there was something positively creepy going on. It had something to do with these self-important leaders’ relationships to their student supporters. Well, judge for yourself. (You really should see it.)

ASG President Kalin K: …I am so pleased to be with you this evening to present our budget …I came to Saddleback College expecting to make the most of my experience by getting involved…I feel very well grounded in the fact that I will be a leader, prepared to serve my fellow citizens no matter what career path I choose. My Saddleback College experience solidified this foundation and gives me the confidence to pursue my life goals. As members of ASG, we devote our time to serving our fellow students. I therefore benefit from this program in a variety of ways as both a student and as a student leader ... I know that the single greatest motivation for all of us has always been serving our peers by supporting student success… Thank you for you time and your consideration. [Student applause.]

ASG Treasurer Travis F: ...I first want to thank my contingent of supporters here… [They applaud.] It is truly you guys who make ASG tick, and without your participation and efforts, we wouldn’t be anywhere… That being said, my name is Travis... …First, I really want to emphasize that we do administer a very substantial budget…at times this can be an incredibly difficult and daunting process—yet, for all its difficulties, it is still immensely rewarding. I know that, as I pursue my career and my goals that I will be able to draw upon this experience and really use it in my quest for success.

The overarching goal of student government is student development. … We feel that it is our responsibility to really encourage our students’ intellectual ambitions and I think this budget reflects that. …We funded $965,000 of requests….

…[Sighs heavily.] And lastly I would just like to emphasize the amount of time and effort that went into formulation of this budget. Every decision was hashed out in great detail and great collaboration, and throughout this process we knew acutely what was at stake and that is the welfare of the students at Saddleback College, and as leaders, it is our responsibility to treat any matter and every matter with integrity, accountability, and transparency, and this budgetary process was no different. …At the beginning of the year, …President Todd Burnett came to one of our senate meetings and spoke about how we might go about leaving a legacy here at Saddleback College and we discussed this a few times in the past month and for me personally I don’t think that our legacy will be left[?] by how many students—or the growth and development of leaders within student government. That is important, but it is secondary. It is not about us, and it never has been [Um, who thought it was?]; rather, our legacy will be left by how efficiently we allow our students to succeed here at Saddleback College and pursue their ambitions and achieve what they need to achieve in order to have a successful life, and if we can have even one student find his or her true calling, or overcome some obstacle that has previously prevented their success, then I think that we have already left an impressive legacy and one we can all take a tremendous amount of pride in…. [Students applaud enthusiastically.]

I don't want to be too hard on these kids. I mean, it's only student government. And like Travis says, if only one kid--just one--gets a little encouragement, isn't spending that million bucks well worth it?

REESE WITHERSPOON EXPLAINS:

Tammy Metzler's speech:

A lovely morning in the canyon, with sis and brat and fog

As usual, Tiger Ann seeks to control the situation.

Annie calls Tiger Ann her "daughter." I have my doubts.

Looking down Live Oak Canyon, toward Trabuco Canyon.

Some kinda flower or something, I dunno. Anything that pokes, I call it "cactus."

Tiger Ann looking spooky. Cats do that. Right now, she's tear-assing around my house as I listen to Acker Bilk's "Stranger On the Shore." Perfect!

A bougainvillea, I suppose. Another cactus.

Tiger Ann tolerates my antics. She does, however, keep me at arm's length.

I loved these songs during the ante-Liverpudlian era (i.e., pre-Beatles):

"Stranger On the Shore," Mr. Acker Bilk (1962):

"Midnight in Moscow," Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen (1962):

and my personal fave (from this era and ilk):

"Washington Square," The Village Stompers (1963):

This is what Annie and I looked like, back then, more or less:

What men don't know

IVC TAMPONGATE:

On her “College Life” Blog this morning, the OC Register’s Marla Jo Fisher notes Rebel Girl’s recent post about the sudden unavailability of feminine hygiene products in Irvine Valley College restrooms: Feminine products disappear from college restrooms.

Writes Marla: “This is an interesting development considering the majority of college students nationwide are now women. ¶ By the way, for men who don’t frequent women’s restrooms, many if not most women’s restrooms have vending dispensers for feminine products. At our office, they cost 10 cents. According to Rebel Girl, the dispensers at IVC cost a quarter.”

More TURKEYGATE

An MSNBC forum presents this alleged Sarah Palin response to an alleged PETA call for an apology re the grisly Turkey video:

"Look, if God didn't want a turkey to be put head first into a galvanized turkey restraint and kill cone, than he would not have invented turkeys. Those PETA people are so misguided. They need to sit down and really read the Bible. Why do you think God put all this gosh darn oil under Alaska? He wanted us to use it, not let it just lay in the ground doing nothing. This reminds me of the whole Niemen Marcus thingy. I never planned for all those clothes to be kept by my family. You know there are hundred of thousands of children in our country that go hungry, and don't ya think it would make their little lives a little brighter if they got some nice donated clothes from Niemen Marcus?"

A put-on, I guess. Even Sarah ain't this dumb.

To see David Shuster's recent (MSNBC) report on Turkeygate, go here.

Pictured: Tiger Ann, cat, this morning. (Oddly, she is unsympathetic to the plight of turkeys.)

SADDLEBACK COLLEGE RETRO-FASHIONGATE:

Fashion students showcase vintage wear at Saddleback College: Goal is to sow interest in fashion and design program at the school

OC-HARVEY-MILK-GATE:

Recently, in the OC Weekly:

UC IRVINE PROFESSOR AND THE "SHAM OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT SEMINARS" (11/21)

SADDLEBACK HIGH SCHOOL COVERING UP SEX CRIMES BY TEACHER'S AIDES? (11/21)

HARVEY MILK: THE MAN, THE MOVIE, AND ORANGE COUNTY (11/21)

Scene from the movie:

ANNE KRONENBERG: Not great. State Senator John Briggs is Anita Bryant's go-to guy in California for sure. He's filed his petition for a statewide referendum to fire all gay teachers and anyone who supports them.

[A pall falls over the room. This is worse than expected.]

HARVEY MILK: How many signatures will he need to qualify for the ballot?

CLEVE JONES: Whatever. He can get them in two Sundays at church in Orange f*cking County.

SUPER OBAMA GIRL-GATE!

In the Kitchen with Rebel Girl: by popular demand:

Golden Celebration Pie of Winter Vegetables (mightily adapted from Lynne Rosseto Kasper's The Splendid Table) (Pie pictured left is not my pie but someone else's.)

"All the orphans of the vegetable world turn into stars in this party pie. Rutabaga, celeriac, parsnip, Brussels sprouts and turnips could each or all go into the pan, just remember to balance earthy tastes with sweet and rich ones like onion, potato, yam, or carrot."

Make your own mix – what I've listed below is simply a suggestion. Cut harder vegetables into smaller pieces. Avoid the urge to add broccoli (it crumbles) or zucchini (too watery). Peppers are a nice addition, chopped into tiny pieces. Peas are fine – a handful of frozen work (toss them in at the end – don’t roast) but fresh is best but are we going to get fresh peas in November? Alas. Try corn – but again, don't roast – add it as you assemble. Anyway, the goal with the veggies is to simply assemble a thoughtful array – so you decide. You could keep it simple: potatoes, onions, garlic carrots and mushrooms. Please note that this is a roasted vegetable pot pie – not a creamy one. Have fun.

Roast the vegetables a day or two ahead if you wish. As you roast, your big piles of veggies will shrink. Warm them before baking with the crust. Make the crust a day or two ahead if you wish. (It only covers the top, considerably reducing the challenge of this "pie.")The pie is good hot from the oven, or just warm.

The Vegetables:
3 medium yellow or white onions, cut into six-10 chunks each depending on size
10 cloves garlic, halved or quartered depending on size
4-6 small unpeeled red-skin potatoes, halved
1 medium rutabaga or large turnip or parsnip or celeraic, peeled and cut into chunky but bite-size pieces (don't be afraid of these vegetables!)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved (optional but delicious, really)
Mushrooms, quartered or sliced (one "box") (optional)
1-2 yams cut into chunky bite-size pieces (optional)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunky but bite-size pieces
(As you can tell, you can just assemble your favorite veggies and roast away. Use what you like.)

4 branches fresh thyme and/or rosemary
20 fresh sage leaves (if possible)
20 fresh basil leaves (if possible)
2-4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Set one oven rack high up and a second toward the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables (minus garlic), herbs, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil (enough to lightly coat them) with salt and pepper.

2. Spread the vegetables on two large, shallow roasting pans. Roast about an hour, turning several times during cooking for even browning. Switch pans' positions and add garlic to pan halfway through cooking. Vegetables are done when they are browned and easily pierced with a knife. Cool them down, wrap and refrigerate until ready to do the pie.

The Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
Generous 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg, beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
(I always like to make a bit more)

For Assembling:
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
2 egg yolks, beaten in a small bowl

1. Combine dry ingredients in a food processor or large bowl. Cut in butter with rapid pulse in processor, or rub between your fingertips until butter is the size of peas. Add the first egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse just until dough gathers into clumps, or toss with a fork until moistened. If dry, work in another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon water. Turn dough out on a floured board and let rest a few minutes.

2. Select a baking dish large enough to hold the roasted vegetables. I use my mother-in-law's mid-size Pyrex, a veteran of many Lutheran church potlucks. Choose one that your vegetables will fill to the rim or thereabouts. Measure the dish then roll out the dough so it is no more than 1/8-inch thick and at least 5 inches larger than the dish. Put it on a foil-covered cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate (30 minutes to 24 hours)

3. About 50 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400°. Butter the inside and rim of the baking dish. Warm the vegetables in the oven. Pour the broth or water into the baking dish then pile in the vegetables.

4. Turn the chilled dough over onto the vegetables, gently peeling back its foil. Fold up and crimp the overhang of pastry to make a raised border atop the rim of the baking dish (extra pastry could be cut into decorative pieces (stars! leaves!) and applied to the crust with beaten egg). Brush crust with beaten egg, cut a few vent holes, and bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot or warm.