A place so near - Napa Valley College

A place so near... A place so near...
...can take you so far!
Student Involvement

...can take you so far!

Photos, Story and design by Richard Bruns

Student Involvement
by Richard Bruns
A place so near... T oday’s news media apartheid racism in the 1950’s,
...can take you so far! present an overriding that all students are framed with students running for student gov-
angst regarding educa- the same lens. There are many ernment off ices, another student
Page 2 tion in California. who are plowing ahead with their running for public off ice in Napa,
Certainly, there are own vision, their own mission – and other photos of student
areas of grave concern ranging education, community involvement, involvement during the Spring
from increasing costs for stu- personal growth and a generosity 2005 semester at Napa Valley
dents, district f inancial misman- of spirit. College demonstrate a core of
agement at many levels of public hard-working, idealistic and moti-
school administration and increas- The photos which follow docu- vated students of all ages who
ing violence, drug use and aca- ment just a few of the activities do what they feel they need to
demic failure on many campuses. either participated in by Napa do to succeed despite the news
Valley College students or spon- ... or perhaps because of it.
On the other hand, just sored by concerned and
because educational infrastruc- involved students and student As Scoop Nisker always said,
ture and many students seem to organizations. “If you you don’t like the news, go
have problems, it doesn’t follow out and make some of your own.”
Promo photos of a powerful
play about South African

Rick Donohoe, standing at right, takes his sociology class outside in college Glade on a warm spring day rather than stay inside a
classroom.

Page 3

Oops!

Napa City Council candidate disputes claim

Thistle plants are silhouetted against the eastern sky as the sun rises over the Napa Valley Rachel Frank-Clark knows the value of an that fellow Napa City Council candidate Pat did receive considerably more votes than
College duck pond in fall 2004. Associate of Arts degree – she has been Rogers only held an Associate of Arts did Rogers.
working on her own Associate of Arts degree in business – not a Bachelor’s
Page 4 degree at Napa Valley College for ten degree as claimed in Rogers campaign lit- The Napa City Council and Mayor candi-
years, going to school part-time while work- erature. date forum was sponsored by the NVC
ing full-time. She also ran for Napa City Associated Student Body. It was one of
Council this year. Seated to Frank-Clark’s right are candi- numerous ASB sponsored and co-spon-
dates Dee Cuney and Jim Krider. Krider sored events during the 2004-2005 aca-
Frank-Clark holds up what she said was a won one of two seats on the council. demic year.
FAX from the University of Alaska stating Although Frank-Clark did not win a seat, she

Page 5

Emery Meeks, seated left, Associated Change
and George R. Thomas III, Student Meofnu
candidates for Associated EleBctionsody
Student Body member of Freshly made personal pizzas include a salad and a 16
ounce beverage.
the Napa Valley College
Board of Trustees, await
the announcement of the
winner. The position was

one of only two ASB
offices that had more than

one candidate running.
The other position was
Senator of Social Sciences.
Meeks won a second term

as student trustee.

From left, ASB office candidates Jessica Harrington, Myra Belman, Alex Segura, Emery Meeks, George R. Thomas III, Guinevere Allen, Vicente Ismael Alvarez of Kinyon Café and Catering prepares sandwiches for the day’s student, staff and faculty clien-
Ramirez, Mariam Aboudamous, Mpanda Mwela and Susan Wallace wait their turn to present their platform. Each candidate was allowed a
few minutes to present their platform statements and discuss their qualifications for the office they were seeking. Following their statements, tele. Students helped effect a change
submitted questions were moderated by Andrew Boyd, current ASB chief financial officer. Not pictured, Aaron Kavanagh and Guillermo Students helped make a difference in administrators, and student representatives
Richerson-Herrera. the quality of food available at breakfast Andrew Boyd, Associated Student Body Rita Easely
and lunch for students and staff. Rumblings Chief Financial Off icer, Josh Firestone, a
Students review of discontent regarding the previous cafe- student, and Victoria Estrella, classif ied,
Associated Student teria’s offerings, ASB off ice assistant Rita Student Life coordinator. About a half
Body election ballots Easley crafted a survey and distributed it dozen bids were submitted to NVC for
before casting their campus wide. A signif icant response (223) consideration, according to ASB advisor
votes. Several teachers measured the depth of the discontent. Victoria Estrella.
across campus offered
extra credit in their Easley helped create a committee to Kinyon Café and Catering was chosen
classes if a student pre- f ind a new vendor. Members included a and has been greeted enthusiastically.
sented a sticker saying cross-section of campus staff, faculty and

“I voted.” Page 7

Page 6

Hello, Dolly! One of the most popular Napa Valley College Theatre produc- Participants in NVC productions include students and commu- Andrea Ruygt as Minnie Fay, Megan Palagi as Ermengarde,
tions in recent years was the spring musical, Hello, Dolly! This nity members who sign up as a class member. The NVC cast Kristopher Kuest as Ambrose Kemper, Elizabeth Dreyer as
American musical comedy classic, winner of ten Tony awards included Kathi Brotemarkle as Dolly Levi, Zachary Stockton as Ernestina, Holly Zaccone as Mrs. Rose, Matthew Gracy as
including Best Musical when it premiered on Broadway, is Horace Vandergelder, Tim Setzer as Cornelius Hackl, Mary Rudolph Reisenweber and a supporting cast of thirty actors,
based on Thornton Wilder's play, The Matchmaker. Jenson as Irene Molloy, Benjamin Ganger as Barnaby Tucker, singers and dancers.

Page 8 Page 9

focusBlack fashion ‘DoOnwthen
Low ’
Triska Lambkin discusses a viewpoint during the
Down Low panel discussion which targeted Down
Low, a phrase referencing the African-American
community’s secrecy regarding same-sex encoun-
ters by individuals who do not identify themselves
as openly gay or bisexual.

From left, volunteer fashion models include Andrew Boyd, Leon Thomas, Kaele McHahon, Dominique Daggs and Rita Easley. Andrew Boyd is Students attended a February “Hot Topics” panel discussion sponsored by the Associated Student Body of Napa Valley College entitled On the Down Low. From left, answering
Chief Financial Officer for the ASB. Dominique Daggs is a player on this year’s Storm softball team. audience questions and listening to comments and observations, Darrel McElvane, NVC student in the Human Services program and coordinator of the Hot Topic Panel; Rickey
Williams, Our Love program coordinator, STOP AIDS Project; Curtis A. Moore, Education and Outreach coordinator, BAY Positives; and Chris Dumas, outreach coordinator, Napa
African-American fashion through the decades Planned Parenthood.

Sponsored by the Black Student Union, Ethnic Success and A free dinner featuring traditional African-American fare was Bringing secrets into the light
the Associated Student Body, the fourth Annual African American offered to all attendees. Over a 120 students, staff, faculty and
Celebration and Decked Out Fashion Show had volunteer mod- administrators and guests attended the event. One of the most controversial issues gay or homosexual. One of the goals of the According to Student Life coordinator
els strutting their stuff decked out in the fashions popular in the concerning African-Americans was explored discussion was to demystify the idea preva- Victoria Estrella, the idea for the event was
African-American community over the last sixty years. The fashion show was one of several events spread over Feb. 16 in a discussion led by panel mem- lent in African-American culture, that being put forth by students of the Black History
February, which is designated Black History Month.

bers from the Stop AIDS Project, Bay down low is a primary cause of AIDS. The Month Planning Committee, which included
Positives and Planned Parenthood. The cause of sexual HIV transmittal, the viral students from the Black Student Union,
topic was “On the Down Low,” a term rough- agent responsible for AIDS, they said, is Ethnic Success and ASB. They brainstormed
ly equivalent in the African-American commu- unprotected sexual encounters. Not identi- what were the current hottest topics con-
nity to the Caucausian term, “in-the-closet.” fying oneself as belonging to a particular cerning African Americans today. The group
The phrase, they said, refers primarily to sexual preference is not causative – both came to a consensus that Down Low was the
men who have sexual relations with other heterosexual and gay encounters are fully most important topic around which to organ-
men but who do not identify themselves as capable of transmitting the disease. ize an event.

Page 10 Page 11

The Fall intercollegiate sports at Napa Valley College include
Napa women’s golf, volleyball and soccer. Winter sports pick up in
Valley Storm the middle of the fall semester and include men’s and
women’s basketball. Spring sports include baseball, softball
College and men’s soccer.
Left Courtney Thomas plays third base in this home game
Top photo, Kelly Montana tees off to against Solano College. According to sports sociology, partici-
start a match during a Bay Valley pation in sports does not build character – it reveals charac-
Conference golf match in late 2004. The ter. The Storm softball team and coach is rife with character.
BVC matches include all BVC teams Head coach Cindy Harris came on board to replace Karen
playing the same day. Matteson, who accepted the head coaching position for UC
Above, Storm forward Juan Martinez Davis. Short recruitment time led to barely recruiting enough
kicks the ball into play in a late 2004 players to field the team. Some players had never played
gane. softball before. To their great credit, they won two games dur-
Right, NVC Storm guard Jeff Larson goes ing the season, worked hard to improve, and by all accounts,
for three in a game against the College had a good time.
of the Redwoods late in 2004. Left below, outside hitter Emilee Wright saves a Butte
Left, Bernadette White makes a 2-point- College kill attempt..
er against Mendocino College during Below, First baseman Adam Fonville, left, and second base-
the 2004-2005 season. man Joe LeMasters both try for a Cosumnes River pop fly.
LeMasters made the catch.
Page 12 Bottom, Storm golfer Kevin Alexander attempts a 28-foot putt
on the first green of Silverado Country Club’s North Course in
February during a practice match against Santa Rosa Junior
College. NVC’s Derric Shultz and an unidentified SRJC player
look on.

Page 13