Last Saturday: SOCCCD self-evaluation board meeting

     Just noticed this. Evidently, the board met on Saturday to hold a "Board Self-Evaluation Workshop" before the public.
     Did anyone attend?

The Great Burrito War of 2014

Lalo Alcaraz, "La Cucaracha."

The Great Burrito War of 2014 has entered its third week. And, as with most battles, progress is difficult to measure.

Still, Rebel Girl, a field marshal by default, was heartened to discover the cartoon above, published this past Thursday in the Los Angeles Times and syndicated around the country. It's the work of Lalo Alcaraz, creator of the forthcoming FOX animated series "Bordertown."

You can follow the battles and skirmishes via the Facebook page Cultivating Invisibility: Chipotle's Missing Mexicans.

If you have no idea about what this is about, the FB page will help you figure it out.

Oliver North in Orange County (remembering North's visit to Saddleback College eighteen years ago)

Heroic liar

     [See LA Times article at end.]
     The OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley reports on Oliver North’s recent visit to the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. (Oliver North Comes To Nixon Library).
     North was there to bash the Obama administration—and to promote his new book, an “explosive new thriller.”
     Naturally, the audience was receptive:

     "The next big scandal … is going to be how the United States Government responds when the Iranians make an announcement that they've ceased their nuclear program and we're now going to sign a deal with a bunch of other countries saying all sanctions are now lifted," said North with a dramatic, conspiratorial tone he employs on Fox when he mentions Democratic Party presidencies.
     The Orange County audience—overwhelmingly dominated by folks with silver hair, pale pigmentation, hearing aids and, probably, coupons for 4 p.m. Sizzler dinner specials—moaned in disgust.

     North, whose infamy (and fame, I guess) developed starting in 1986, has a history of speaking at local colleges. For instance, back 1993—a year before his failed bid to become a U.S. Senator—he spoke at Chapman University (North Will Speak at Chapman).

     And, as you know, in 1996, he spoke at Saddleback College (North's Appearance Draws Warm Reception; 9/21/96). The gig was arranged by then Assemblyman Bill Morrow.
     You remember that guy. According to Wikipedia,

     Morrow was elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 73rd District in 1992. … In 1998, Morrow was elected to the California State Senate with 60% of the vote to represent the 38th District. In 2000, he ran for the Congressional seat of retiring Representative Ron Packard and came in second to Darrell Issa.... Morrow was reelected to the Senate in 2002 with 66% of the vote.

 

     Morrow, an off-road vehicle enthusiast, was caught and cited in 1996 by a ranger for doing "doughnuts" in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in a four-wheel-drive vehicle with special legislative license plates.
. . .
     In 2005, Morrow made headlines when he formally joined the Minutemen anti-illegal immigration organization, serving several weekends watching the U.S./Mexico border near the small border community of Campo, California.
     Morrow also became a hero to the skateboarding community. He pushed laws that reduced liability for skateboard accidents, making it feasible for cities to build skateboard parks.
     A conservative Christian, Morrow also is a prominent advocate for "traditional family values." He is a pro-life leader on abortion issues and an opponent to experimentation on human embryonic stem cells. In 2005-06 Morrow authored Senate Constitutional Amendment 1, which limit marriage to "one man-one woman."
. . .

     Toward the end of his tenure in the California Senate Morrow sponsored the controversial "Students Bill of Rights," which was modeled on David Horowitz's Academic Bill of Rights. Morrow introduced the bill "to help protect students in our public education system from harassment and abuse." However, some critics alleged that the bill's vaguely worded requirements—e.g., to respect the "unsettled character" of the social sciences and humanities—denied the distinction between plausible theories and implausible theories, giving theories like Holocaust denials an academic respect not warranted by the evidence." This criticism was given further support when Morrow publicly claimed the bill "treats all ideological perspectives the same." In addition, the bill required social science and humanities faculty to "provide students with dissenting sources and viewpoints." Given the bill's vague criteria, some critics alleged that this requirement could be used to force faculty to cover implausible theories in their classes. Though the bill gained some media attention, it never made it out of committee….

     Morrow also spoke at the 1996 Saddleback “Oliver North” event.
     Here are some excerpts from the Times article covering the event (written by Michael Granberry):

     …North was ready to field his first question.
     The young man approached the microphone in the brightly lit Saddleback College gym and wanted to know about a recent newspaper series. Was what he had read [see] in the San Jose Mercury News really true, the man asked:

     Did a connection exist between the Nicaraguan Contras whom North once supported and drug dealers in South-Central Los Angeles, who allegedly helped fund the Contras with proceeds from the sale of crack cocaine?
     For the first time all day, North appeared momentarily flustered. Coy and cool from the moment he set foot on campus and embraced by virtually every adoring fan who extended a hand or hug, he suddenly sounded irked.
     Calling it "a frivolous, crazy question," North, 52, told the man: "I want to be very specific. I do not know, nor have I ever known, anyone who would tolerate drugs coming into this country. . . .
     "Where were these accusers in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 . . . when Congress conducted one of its longest inquisitions in history" into allegations that North masterminded a plan to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua by selling weapons to the Iranian government.
     "Where were they then?" he demanded. "Can you tell me that?"
     North's response was punctuated with more thunderous applause from the highly partisan crowd that packed one entire side of the Saddleback Gauchos basketball arena and included a who's who of Orange County's Republicans.
. . .

     North was convicted of aiding in the obstruction of Congress, accepting illegal gratuities and destroying documents. The courts overturned his convictions on appeal in 1990.
     [Predicted] protests failed to materialize, with only one 60-year-old man from Dana Point holding up a sign that read "California Is Clinton Country" and jockeying for position with a handful of dark-suited students from the Young Americans for Freedom [see]. The latter group wore "YAF" on their lapels and carried such banners as "United We Stand, Liberal We Fall" and "Ollie Never Went Whitewater Rafting."
     Aurnie Sutliffe, who appeared to be the lone Democrat anywhere in the vicinity, was outside the gym arguing to anyone who would listen that a Clinton supporter ought to be given equal time—even in Orange County, where recent polls show Clinton running neck-and-neck with challenger Bob Dole. "At a college of higher education, both sides ought to be given the opportunity to present their views," said Sutliffe, who seemed genuinely surprised upon being greeted warmly by a smiling North, who spotted the pro-Clinton sign en route to the gym and walked over to pump Sutliffe's hand and thank him for coming.
     Moments later, North said he agreed with Sutliffe—that college campuses ought to be forums of every political view, even if it meant having to listen to the likes of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
     "And furthermore," North told a reporter, "I'd be disappointed if there weren't a few protesters."
. . .

     An ex-Marine who rose to fame as a key player in the Iran-Contra arms deal, North was invited to Saddleback College by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside), who introduced North and the subject of his speech, "Is the U.S. Constitution Still Relevant?"
     It is relevant, said North, who wore his boyish, gap-toothed grin most of the day and whose answers occasionally provoked murmurs of surprise among the crowd, though in no way chilling their enthusiasm.
     After being serenaded by a drill team that wore glittery American flags as tight-fitting vests, and getting to meet the great-great-grandson of Francis Scott Key, North took aim at the street curfews imposed on teenagers by some cities. Hitler, he said, was a big fan of such curfews….

How's this for communication? The Foundation event shell game

     If one goes to the page announcing the IVC Foundation "Golf Classic," one now encounters the above. (Announcement.)
     How odd. Back on May 21 (see graphic below), IVC Prez Roquemore announced that people were "lining up" for the June 10 tourney. Now, it seems, the event has been rescheduled to an unspecified date in the Fall: "The...Golf Classic will take place on Fall 2014...."
     On Fall? Used to be "on Tuesday." Now it's "on Fall."
     And why no announcement that the June Classic has been cancelled and rescheduled?
     Golly.
     Here's what the webpage looked like previously:

     —They're a curious bunch, this crew that runs IVC. They're really not much into the "communication" thing, are they?
     Or the honesty thing.

Roquemore's Pravda piece, May 21: "Sponsors are lining up..."

Zot

UC Irvine's Antsy 'Eaters (OC Weekly)
Is the university doing as much as it can to help students with mental-health issues?

…UCI has seen more student suicides over the past eight years than any other university in Orange County: 11. In 2006, a UCI undergraduate leapt to her death from an 11th-story window at a hotel in Atlanta. A year later, a male undergraduate was found in a social-sciences building with a fatal gunshot wound to his head. A year after that, a male transfer student suffered a gunshot injury to the head while in Fontana. In 2010, an international graduate engineering student was discovered by a pair of hikers with a plastic bag over his head days after he had disappeared from his apartment, taking nothing but some petty cash. Last year, a prominent LGBT speaker jumped to his death from the top of a parking structure as other students looked on….

This 'n That

El Modena, 1959

     It's summer! Are you having fun yet?
     Rebel Girl is having something. She wouldn't necessarily call it fun, but she will concede that it is, indeed, summer.

Some highlights:

In the new A400, students will be translucent, evidently

A-400: The end is near!
     For those of you off campus, the A-400 building has been ringed with a fence, port-a-potties have been installed and destruction is imminent. So they say.

Darryl Cox Sighting

Cox

     It is the season of Open Houses at elementary schools everywhere and Rebel Girl was surprised to bump into Darryl Cox at one of those celebratory evenings. Her son and his granddaughter attend the same school – who knew? She is pleased to report that Darryl is continuing to do what his does best, serving the needs of returning veteran students – this time at UC Irvine. They spoke as he sat on a low brick wall in the courtyard of the school, a California Distinguished School. He was dressed all in black, invoking a lean version of Johnny Cash.
     To see what Darryl is up to across town, check this out:

http://www.veteran.uci.edu/

     Rebel Girl took the time to tell Darryl just how much the IVC vets missed him—as that has been her experience. He, in turn, reported how pleased he was to continue working with the IVC vets who had transferred to UCI.
     Finally she was able to make Darryl smile by telling him the story of the recent effort of the hiring committee charged with replacing him. The committee forwarded three candidates to the college president only to have all of three turn down the position.
     See, Rebel Girl told him, people are now saying you are "irreplaceable."
     She must report though, that his smile was tinged with sadness—as it would be.

Morley

Scholarship Process and Ceremony Redux
     On Tuesday morning a couple dozen people met in BSTIC 101. A couple dozen donuts and muffins were served. Starbucks coffee (decaf and regular) was poured. Index cards handed out. Discussion ensued. Mini-teams were formed. Some feelings were hurt. Large index cards were pressed onto a wrinkly purple cloth taped to a white board – where they stayed, magically, as if glued! Some people were heartened by the meeting, others not so much. Another meeting will be scheduled. Come one, come all.
     (Last year’s “debriefing”: Today's scholarship program debriefing: "It's the first I've heard about it!")

Summer Schedule

The Reb

     Rebel Girl is department co-chair for the first time in a few years. Last time she was chair (back then an impossible solo job) she broke out in a rash, a terrible rash that made her cry. This time it's better – duties are shared. She has a rash, but it is small and intermittent. There is reassigned time which makes it almost manageable. But still, there is no compensation given for the summer. By her count, she has been on campus almost daily ever since the semester ended, either physically or virtually via her home office, taking care of one crises and another. No she is not over stating anything but she has been advised not to share the gory details – suffice to say there are many thrilling and mundane variables which run the gamut from an unforeseen indictment (!) to the entirely foreseeable but still problematic suddenly unstaffed classes. Rebel Girl has sometimes thought she has seen it all but this year proved her wrong. There is still much more to see.
     If she didn't care, she'd let it all fall down. But she does. That's what they count on. And this kind of labor is so cheap. She—and the other department chairs—cost nothing in the summer. She, a ten month contractual employee, does wonder what a twelve month contractual administrator would do for free, say, during their "vacation." She understands that the union plans to address this oversight during next contract negotiation. She hopes that the administration will dot the right thing and support summer compensation for chairs. Glenn, Craig – why not draft a memo of support right now?

Saddleback Classes

O'Connor's new look

     Many IVC denizens were amused a few days ago to receive emails from the district with Class Roster Profiles for summer classes. Classes they have never knew they were teaching! Classes to be taught at Saddleback! Classes outside their disciplines! Rebel Girl was designated to teach Digital media Arts, Soc 1 – and a class in the Medical Lab Technician Certificate Program while her office mate and co-conspirator was slated for Anthro, Psych and get this – Child Development. An email arrived a day or two later acknowledging what we all knew - a computer glitch.

Golf anyone? It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing…
     Rebel Girl often meets up with retired colleagues at Oak Creek's café and she did so this week. While she was waiting for her pal to arrive, one of the servers asked her if she was going to play in the upcoming IVC Foundation Golf Classic. Noooo, she said. The last time Rebel Girl played golf was in high school back in the 70s …I lost my swing, she told him. But she was flattered.  Did she, soft, middle-aged Rebel Girl, really look like those fit, tanned female golfers with the toned arms?  She left a big tip.
     The tournament is next week – Tuesday June 10. The cost of the event is $295 per person or $1,150 per foursome and includes 18 holes of play, golf cart, lunch, dinner, gift bag and hole-in-one prizes. It is, as they say, for a good cause.
     Glenn's recent (5/21) news from IVC bragged:

Lining up

     "Sponsors are lining up to support IVC for our Annual Golf Classic, which will be held across from the campus at Oak Creek Golf Club on June 10th. AT&T, a sponsor for many years, will be joining us again. The Pepsi team will be providing drinks for the event, and the PGA Tour Superstore will be sponsoring gift items for the team players. The IVC Men's and Women's Golf Teams and Coach Ben Burnett will be out on the course offering help and tips."

To sign up, check out the IVC Foundation's event page:

http://www.ivc.edu/foundation/golftournament/Pages/default.aspx

Roquemore: "Sponsors are lining up...."

Fore!

*

P.S.: Horsehead nebula

     One of our colleagues sent us an email entitled "Demolition begins." He attached the following cell-phone photo of A-400, evidently taken from the restroom area of A-200:

He writes:

     They are hard to see, but two men in white suits and white masks, stand between the tree on the left and the roof pipe to the right. [See blue box "detail."]
     Angels? Ghosts? Or just "Neutral Tones?"

     I see only one man.
     Here's a further closeup. It's pretty pixilated:

     Does that guy have a horse head? Good Lord! What does it mean?!

IVC's fabled and notorious "horse head"

Wendy's EXCELLENT adventure—top primary vote-getter in 73rd AD

From the OC Reg; info from Registrar of Voters

Gabriella (D) and Brough (R) will
advance to the general election

     ...[Wendy] Gabriella had the best chance of riding the ideological divide in the Republican Party into Sacramento if Petrilla or Bryson had been nominated. Brough makes it a harder road. But she’s a bright and engaging figure and he apparently has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way — I heard people wonder if his coming out of an apparently resigned slumber to almost overtake Gabriella for the top spot in the primary was some sort of ballot tabulation error. Gabriella has worked hard and is not just another Democratic sacrificial lamb in South OC. If Brough doesn’t do a really good job of consolidating the party — and he’s going to need good luck to make that happen — Gabriella could be the sort of shocking Democratic success coming out of OC than Sharon Quirk-Silva was in 2012, except even more unlikely. She has already gotten off to a decent start! Anyone in touch with Jesse Petrilla, so we can find out what he thinks about his coming in third? –Greg Diamond in Wednesday’s Orange Juice Blog