2008 Woodie Awards
Updated:
So, you froze your credit card in a block of ice to keep from racking up bills while shopping for the holidays? Well, put down your ice pick. For the perfect holiday gift - beautiful and easy on the wallet - look no farther than the Trophy Room. Some 600 pieces of pottery - including plates, platters, bowls, cups, vases and bottles - will go on sale as part of the ceramics annual holiday sale, along with artwork by jewelry, printmaking and photography students.
With the economy in a downward spiral and state budget cuts looming, the California State university system has plans to turn away students as early as next fall, a decision that will affect DVC students hoping to transfer, and the college itself. Due to budget cuts, the 23-campus Cal State system stands to lose as much as $600 million this year and next.
Jamie Bree, 27, is one of the many DVC students who returned to school as a result of the global financial meltdown. "I have had several low-paying retail jobs," Bree said, "but when the economy started tanking, and my husband lost his job, I decided I needed to go back to school.
Walk past the orchestra practicing in a large room near the entrance of the Music building and continue down hallways lined with practice rooms, where muffled piano and singing slips out from under soundproof doors. Arriving at Room 108 in the back of the building, you discover the unexpected thump of hip-hop music and the wind-whipping sound of turntable scratching.
The verdict is still out on DVC's new block scheduling format. While the administration and faculty say it increases students' success and provides flexibility, student leaders blame it for poor attendance at school and club events. Bundit Kertbundit, president of the Associated Students of DVC, said student government and club events will continue to struggle if block scheduling remains in place at DVC.
Eight computer programming students went up against Stanford University, UC Berkeley and other four-year schools last month in the Pacific Northwest Regional Competition at Stanford. DVC was the only community college from the Northwest to do so. The students volunteered from instructors Carol Lokke and Robert Burns' classes, because, for the first time, DVC is without a computer science club.
DVC student Colin Amato, 19, converted to Islam two years ago. He was the featured speaker at the first of three events sponsored last month by the Muslim Student Association to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslim students. We did this so that we could raise awareness of the misconceptions surrounding Islam," said MSA President Tori Burrell, "and also so that we can share our education about each other's religion.
Theft at DVC dropped by 22 percent in 2007 and auto theft plummeted by 60 percent from the year before, according to crime statistics from campus police. But Lt. Tom Sharp said the good news doesn't mean people should be less vigilant about keeping an eye on their possessions.
