SexEditor’s note: the ending to last

week’s Economics for Everyone was accidentally omitted from that issue of La Voz Weekly. What follows is the ending to that column, followed by this week’s installment.

Ending to last week’s Economics for Everyone:

Allow me to end this week’s col-umn with a comment that is a bit (but not entirely) off topic. Compared to the magnitude of what occurred on Nov. 4, all of the above seems a bit trite. And as I and many others have said before, presidents are given too much credit in good times and too much blame in bad.

Nevertheless, the president-elect

is sure to have his plate full when he hits Washington D.C. in January – so you can be sure a column in the very near future will concern the new president, his eco-nomic policies and the economy.

This week’s install-ment:

A couple of days after the conclusion of our historic presi-dential election, I was sneaking out of my apartment in an attempt to get to the carport and into

my vehicle without running into one of my neighbors.

Alas, I was not sneaky enough, and of course right away I was trapped in a discussion about the election results, the economy, the new president-elect and his plan for the economy.

After addressing the issue of what I thought about the election of Barack

Obama, then came the “have we seen the worst and when will things start

to improve?” and “how long will it take for Obama’s policies to fi x the economy?” typical queries.

To the former of these two, I re-sponded that no, the worst is still to come. According to the most recent report, the economy shrunk a bit in the third quarter of this year, but since then, things have gotten generally worse. The stock market has contin-ued its mostly downward wild ride, unemployment has risen, home prices keep falling, the support from exports will be dampened by the rising dollar, and so on.

As for how long and how bad, ba-sically I gave her my most optimistic outlook – with many qualifi ers – and

suggested that, at this point, anyone making those types of predictions is simply guessing (is there really a dif-ference?). And as for the latter – in my mind, anyway – my response was, “Uh-oh.”

Several years ago (it seems like it, anyway), when the campaign for the 2008 Presidential election began, the next President was thought to have a relatively simple task at his/her hands concerning the economy.

Given that the business cycle had once again been defeated (hmm, where and when have I heard that be-fore), that main task was to develop

La Voz WeeklyThe Voice of De Anza College Students Since 1967 NOVEMBER 17, 2008VOLUME 42, ISSUE 8

INDEXCampus Events...................................2Alert Log...........................................3Campus Snapshot...............................4Sports...............................................5Student Athlete of the Week................5Opinion.............................................6

SPORTSWomen’s soccer score at homeThe Lady Dons ended a long tour on the road and came home to their own turf Nov. 7, where they defeated rivalSkyline College.

TRIUMPHANT!SPORTS

Page 5

Obama-cadabra! Time for a lil’ of that Obama magic

NEWSJIF club hosts party to honor past leadersAssassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and others were remembered as students gathered atDe Anza’s Sunken Garden on Nov. 11.

Page 3

Stephen Zill

Economics for Everyone

See ZILL, Page 4

CORRECTIONSNov. 11, Issue 7In the article “Beloved English professor ... ” (p. 3), Christina Espinosa-Pieb, interim vice-president of instruction at De Anza College, is misidentifi ed and her name is misspelled.Lina Kwon’s opinion “Some thrifty ideas ... ” (p. 7)incorrectly states that a person who spends on average four dollars per day on coffee spends $15,000 per year. It should have read $1,500.

See CRIMES, Page 3

Seven registered sex offenders are enrolled in classes this quarter in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, and three are in at-tendance at De Anza College.

“There are no restrictions placed on these individuals by the district or the police depart-ment,” said District Chief of Police Ron Levine. According to Levine, unless an offender has

DONS TAKE VIKINGS TO TASKON MUD-DRENCHED GROUND

NEW BOND OFFERING ‘QUANTUM’DAZZLES

Page 4

OFFENDERSat De Anza College

Maryann SparelicLA VOZ NEWS

NOVEMBER 17, 2008PAGE 2 CAMPUS EVENTS

Happenings around De Anza College

CAMPUS EVENTSLAVOZDEANZA.COM

Monday, Nov. 17PARKING ALERTMONDAY, NOV. 17, 9 - 11:15 A.M., FLiNT CENTERExpect traffic delays and congestion around the Flint Parking Garage due to a Flint Center event.BONE MARROW DRIVEMONDAY, NOV. 17, 10:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M., MAiN qUADParticipate in “Swab your cheek, save a life” for Project Michelle.

Tuesday, Nov. 18BONE MARROW DRIVETUESDAY, NOV. 18, 10:30 A.M. - 3:30 P.M., MAiN qUADParticipate in “Swab your cheek, save a life” for Project Michelle.FACULTY DIsCUssION ON CLAUDE sTEELE EssAYTUESDAY, NOV. 18, 12:30 - 2 P.M., L-21Faculty are invited to a discussion of a Claude Steele essay, “Thin Ice: ‘Stereotype Threat’ and Black College Students,” about the internalization of stereotypes that threatens academic perfor-mance and success. PGA credit is available. RSVP to Maryalice Bonilla at 408-864-8883 or bonilla-maryalice@fhda.edu.

Wednesday, Nov. 19sMOKE FREE CAMPAIGNwEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 11:30 - 1:30 P.M., MAiN qUADThe DASB Campus Environment/Sustainability Com-mittee will host a smoke free day. Free refreshments.

CCP GET TOGEThER: CELEBRATION OF DIVERsITYwEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 12:30 - 2:30 P.M., CAMPUS CTR. ROOM BCross Cultural Partners will be holding their final get-together of the quarter: a Celebration of Diversity.

EMPLOYEE TOWN hALL MEETINGwEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 1:30 - 3 P.M., CAMPUS CTR. FiRESiDE ROOMDe Anza employees may learn about and pro-vide feedback about the Sungard EIS system’s new Web portal, Luminis, an integrated collection of open source tools, which will eventually be in place within the district. The meeting will begin with a demonstration followed by discussion and feed-back. Drop-ins are invited.

FILM/TV DEPARTMENT sPEAKER sERIEs:hOLLYWOOD PRODUCER FELICIA hENDERsON Q&AwEDNESDAY, NOV. 19, 4 - 6 P.M., FORUM 1Felicia Henderson, one of film and television’s most successful writer/producers will talk and answer ques-tions about the film and TV business and how to break into it. Her works include: co-executive producer of “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl” and “Soul Food”; consulting producer of “Everybody Hates Chris”; and writer/produced of “Moesha,” “Sister, Sister,” “Family Mat-

ters,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” Henderson has written full-length movies for 20th Centruy Fox and the Disney Channel. For information contact Ba-rak Goldman at goldmanbarak@deanza.edu.

Thursday, Nov. 20CAMPUs CLEAN UP DAYThURSDAY, NOV. 19, 11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M., MAiN qUADThe DASB Campus Environment and Sustain-ability Committee will host a campus clean up day. Free refreshments.

korean film screening: ‘spring,summer, fall, winter ... and spring’ThURSDAY, NOV. 20, 3:30 - 5:30 P.M., CAMPUS CENTER, RMS A&BThe Korean film “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring” will be shown. It is set on and around a tree-lined lake where a tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breath-taking landscape. Each season in the film represents a stage in a man’s life. More about the film is at http://www.sonyclassics.com/spring/shell.html.

Friday, Nov. 21ONE-ON-ONE PERsONAL sTATEMENT TUTORINGFRiDAY, NOV. 21, BY APPOiNTMENT, wRC, ATC 309The Writing and Reading Center will be help-ing students with one-on-one tutoring for writing their personal statements to transfer to UCs. Ap-pointments are advised.

Tuesday, Nov. 25PARKING ALERTTUESDAY, NOV. 25, 9 - 11:15 A.M., FLiNT CENTERExpect traffic delays and congestion around the Flint Parking Garage due to a Flint Center event.

Wednesday, Nov. 26WORKshOP: UNIVERsITIEs AND COMMUNITIEs WORKING TOGEThERwEDNESDAY, NOV. 26, 1:30 - 3 P.M., SANTA CRUZ RM., CAMPUS CTR.This workshop will help prepare college students who are getting ready to do youth-related community service work in East Palo Alto. The workshop will cover issues facing youth in East Palo Alto, the history of East Palo Alto and the dynamics between universities and communities. For information contact communityengagement@deanza.edu or 408-864-8349.

Thursday, Nov. 27-Sunday, Nov. 30CAMPUs CLOsED FOR ThANKsGIVING hOLIDAY

Monday, Dec. 1BUDGET TOWN hALL/OPEN FORUM MONDAY, DEC. 1, 2 - 3:30 P.M., CAMPUS CTR. FiRESiDE ROOMVice Chancellor of Business Services Andy Dunn will

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Schedule appointments in the Transfer Center to meet with representatives from various universities. The Transfer Center is on the 2nd floor of the Student and Community Services Building and can be reached at 408-864-8841.

monday, nov. 17 UC Davis: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., by appointment, Transfer Center

tuesday, nov. 18 Cogswell Polytechnical College: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Information Table,

Campus Center Lobby

wednesday, nov. 19UC Santa Cruz: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., by appointment, Transfer CenterCal Poly Pomona: 2 - 5 p.m., by appointment and Information Table, Campus Center LobbyCal State East Bay: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Information Table, Campus Center Lobby

thursday, nov. 20SFSU: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. by appointment, Transfer Center

monday, nov. 24 UC Davis: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., by appointment, Transfer Center UC Irvine: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., by appointment, Transfer Center

tuesday, nov. 25 SJSU: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Information Table, Main Quad

monday, dec. 1 UC Davis: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., by appointment, Transfer Center John F. Kennedy University: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Information Table,

Campus Center Lobby

UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVE VISITS

Let us know!Send event notices to Happenings@

LaVozDeAnza.com by Wednesday noon preceding the publication week. Please type “Happenings” in the subject line. La Voz does not guarantee publication.

All events take place on the De Anza cam-pus and are free, unless stated otherwise.

provide a district budget update, including an open fo-rum to gather feedback on the governor’s proposed January 10 percent budget cuts to education.

Thursday, Dec. 4EMPLOYEE OF ThE MONTh CELEBRATIONThURSDAY, DEC. 4, 1:30 P.M., ADMiN. BLDG. LOBBYThe employee of the month celebration will hon-or classified staff employees of the month for October, November and December. The theme is Italian and pasta and cake will be served. Creative Arts Division instructor IIan Glasman will provide entertainment.

Friday, Dec. 5DE ANzA VOCAL jAzz ENsEMBLEs IN CONCERTFRiDAY, DEC. 5, 8 - 10 P.M., A-11, ChORAL hALLThe De Anza Vocal Jazz Ensembles, featuring De Anza students, will perform. General admis-sion is $10, student admission is $5, children are free. For information contact Michelle Hawkins at hawkinsmichelle@fhda.edu.

jOEL MChALE IN CONCERTFRiDAY, DEC. 5, 8 P.M., FLiNT CENTERComedian, actor and TV host Joel McHale will perform. McHale is the host of “The Soup” on E! Entertainment Television. Tickets available from Ticketmaster for $32.50.

Saturday, Dec. 6DE ANzA FLEA MARKETSATURDAY, DEC. 6, 8 A.M. - 4 P.M., PARkiNG LOTS A & BThe monthly De Anza Flea market offers about 850 vendor stalls. Items for sale include an-tiques, 99 cent items, artwork, clothes, baby items, hand-crafted items, jewelry, books, ce-ramics, phone accessories, ethnic artifacts, pet accessories, collectibles, holiday ornaments and gifts, scrapbook items and garage sale items. The Flea market is held the first Saturday of every month. Entry to the Flea Market is free; parking is $5.

guitar workshop, student recitalSATURDAY, DEC. 6, 7 - 9 P.M., A 11, ChORAL hALLThis guitar workshop and De Anza student recit-al performance is free. For information contact Ron Dunn at dunnron@deanza.edu.

Sunday, Dec. 7DE ANzA ChORAL CONCERTSUNDAY, DEC. 7, 3 P.M., UNiON ChURCh OF CUPERTiNOThe De Anza winter Choral Concert, featuring De Anza students, will be held at the Union Church of Cupertino at 20900 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino. For information contact Billie

Bandermann at bandermannbillie@fhda.edu.

Saturday, Dec. 13KFjC PsYChOTRONIx FILM FEsTIVALSATURDAY, DEC. 13, 7 P.M., FORUM 1The KFJC Psychotronix Film Festival shows unusual and unique vintage 16mm films that reveal the follies, the faults and the foibles of the recent past. The event is sponsored by De Anza’s Film/TV Dept. and Foothill’s Communication Radio Dept. Cost is $5. For information go to http://www.kfjc.org. or contact Susan Tavernetti at tavernettisusan@deanza.edu.

ONGOING EVENTS500 years of powerful latinasDIA DE LOs MUERTOs ALTAR ExhIBITNOw - ThURSDAY, NOV. 20, ADMiN BLDG. LOBBY¡Lead! presents a Dia de los Muertos altar ex-hibit dedicated to 500 years of powerful Lati-nas. For more information contact Marc Coro-nado at 408-864-8409.

FREE TUEsDAY LUNCh WITh jIFEVERY TUESDAY, NOON - 1:30 P.M., SUNkEN GARDENSCome meet fun and interesting students from the De Anza Jews, Israelis and Friends club. A free lunch is provided during JIF’s weekly Tuesday gatherings.

PLANETARIUM shOWsEVERY SATURDAY ThROUGh DEC. 20, PLANETARiUMJourney to the stars with the Planetarium’s In-finium S Star projector and full-dome digital astronomy and laser light shows. Costs range from $7 - $9. Go to http://www.deanza.edu/planetarium for a list of shows and times.

MAssAGE ThERAPY CLINICEVERY MONDAY & wEDNESDAY, 6 - 9 P.M. ThROUGh DEC. 3PE 12L & MASSAGE ROOM PE 12UThe Massage Therapy Program clinical class is of-fering massages every Monday and Wednesday evenings. Appointment times are at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Cost for students is $10, faculty/staff is $15, the community is $20. To make an appointment call 408-864-5645. For more information see http://www.deanza.edu/pe/massage/clinic.html.

Rather then eating lunch in the Sunken Garden, members of the Jews, Israelis and Friends club gath-ered in the Main Quad on Nov. 11 to reflect upon the legacy of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Members of JIF set up booths by the fountain, allowing students to discuss and learn about Rabin’s attempts to establish peace in the Middle East. On display was a copy of a memoir written by his grand-daughter.

Posters illustrated Rabin’s life-time accomplishments as a military leader and politician. Photos dis-played included the famous moment he entered East Jerusalem with Moshe Dayan and Uzi Narkiss after the Six-Day War.

Songs written in Rabin’s honor played while club members offered bagels to students passing by.

JIF members Bella Yashayev and Maya Kostyanovsky together read the last speech Rabin gave at a peace rally in Tel Aviv followed by the song Ha’ish Ha Hu, which is Hebrew for “That Man,” a song that has been associated with him.

JIF co-President Omer Ben-Zvi and Zohar Porshyan, Hillel’s Israel Fellow, performed the song.

Rabin was the fifth prime minis-ter of Israel and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. He shared this honor with Shimon Peres and Yass-er Arafat for the signing of the Oslo Accords.

Signed in 1993, the Oslo Accords was an agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Orga-nization to formally acknowledge each other, and to establish the West Bank and Gaza Strip territory to be self governed by the Palestinians for five years.

Yigal Amir, a right-wing radical who was opposed to the Oslo Ac-cords, assassinated Rabin in 1995.

“I was ashamed that one of my people did it,” said Porshyan, re-flecting on the the tragedy.

“It was like a political earthquake for Israel,” said Emilya Burd, a member of JIF disusing the impact the assassination had.

The assassination and its last-ing effects have been compared to the 1963 assassination of American President John F. Kennedy.

NOVEMBER 17, 2008 PAGE 3

SOHEIl REZAEE/lA VOZ WEEKlY

Co-president of Jews, Israelis and Friends Omer Ben-Zvi (left) and fellow JIF member Niv Joseph sing a song in honor of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995.

Jews, Israelis and Friends club honors late Israeli PMCAMPUS NEWS

Soheil RezaeelA VOZ NEWS

Soheil Rezaee is the video editor for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: soheilrezaee@lavozdeanza.com.

“CNN, NBC, The Washington Post and The New York Times.”

“SNL, The Colbert Report and YouTube.”

Miguel Libarnes, 19, art

Lea Bair, 24, business finances

“The Yahoo search engine and Yahoo news.”

“The Daily Show, Bloomberg Television and The New York Times.”

David Lok, 25, business

“Documen -taries.”

Phil Lao, 19, communi­cations

“Dad’s lectures and my political science class.”

Ashley Ganjtomari, 21,liberal arts

DA VOICESWhat De Anza students have to say

From what media sources do you obtain yourpolitical knowledge?

COMPIlED BY lINA KWON

LAVOZDEANZA.COM

Mohammad Nadeem, 18, engineering

ALERTLOGCAMPUS POlICE

COMPIlED BY NARSU RAO

REPORT:LOST PROPERTY

INVESTIGATION: VEHICLE STOP

REPORT:LOST PROPERTY

TRAFFIC COLLISION: ACCIDENT - NO INJURIES

REPORT:MISSING PERSON

TRAFFIC: RECKLESS DRIVING

Wednesday, Nov. 5Location: Flint Parking Garage, Level 1Summary: No further information.

Sunday, Nov. 9Location: Parking Lot ASummary: White Toyota Camry,CA plate 4MOH179.

Tuesday, Nov. 6Location: Parking Lot BSummary: No further information.

Wednesday, Nov. 12Location: L Building Summary: Venus L-73 cell phone.

Wednesday, Nov. 5Location: PD SubstationSummary: No further information.

Wednesday, Nov. 5Location: Flint Parking GarageSummary: No further information.

TRAFFIC:SPEED CONTESTFriday, Nov. 7Location: Flint Parking GarageSummary: Vehicle stopped,CA plate 5CPX532.

CRIMES | Administrators have no way of knowingor probation, sex offenders are treated as having the same rights as any other students.

As per Megan’s law, individu-als convicted of sex offenses must register with the Department of Justice, and local authorities must provide information such as offend-ers’ names and home addresses to the public.

However, California colleges are not required to release the names or any information about sex offenders in attendance, according to Cali-fornia Penal Code. Campus police can disclose an offender’s name, aliases, physical descriptions and crimes committed, though no such

disclosures have yet been made, said Levine.

“Our department does not release the names of persons registered with the district as a sex offender,” said levine. He said that unless a person is considered a “serious habitual of-fender” or the safety of the college and district are thought to be at risk, individuals’ information would not be released.

Before enrollment, offenders must register with the community college’s Chief of Police, complete a personal information form, be fin-gerprinted, photographed and inter-viewed by a campus police officer.

Aside from the Police Depart-ment, instructional divisions and faculty say they cannot distinguish

a registered sex offender from other students. Drug convictions are the only crime screened on the applica-tion for federal financial aid eligi-bility, said Cindy Castillo, Director of Financial Aid at De Anza. “The FAFSA (Free Application for Feder-al Student Aid) has no questioning of prior convictions,” she said. “So there’s no way of knowing.”

According to the Community College League of California Com-mission on Athletics, student ath-letes convicted of a violent felony are prohibited from playing on col-lege sports team, a rule that would bar many sex offenders from par-ticipating.

De Anza Athletics Director Kul-want Sing said there’s no way of

knowing if someone is a sex of-fender or not, and the teams treat students who sign up as if they are enrolling in a class. “The men’s soc-cer team is treated as a class,” Sing said. “It’s not as if you can deny en-rollment in an English class.”

Offenders seeking campus em-ployment are denied unless suf-ficient reversal and rehabilitation has occurred as per the California Education Code. Also, those con-victed of a sexual offense on or after Sept. 15, 1961, are prohibited from employment on community college campuses.

Registered sex offenders em-ployed by contractors are allowed by the college to work on campus regardless of crimes committed, but

they must first meet with police for an interview.

The Sex Offender Tracking Pro-gram is responsible for keeping track of individuals’ information in Cali-fornia. While all persons convicted of a sex crime must register as sex offenders, 25 percent are excluded from the program’s Web site.

Crimes involving sexual battery, restraint, misdemeanor child mo-lestation or any other violation not involving sexual or oral intercourse are excluded, as well as any offender who has completed or is in the pro-cess of completing probation.

Maryann Sparelic is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact her at: maryannsparelic@lavozdeanza.com.

Continued from Page 1

The James Bond series has entered a new phase of their evolution. “Quantum of Solace” drives us away from long ago, campy Sean Connery Bonds and Smarmy, product-placing Pierce Brosnan Bonds to a new Bond. A better Bond.

This new Bond, played by long time supporting actor Daniel Craig, is much more of a soldier than his more gentlemanly predecessors. No longer can James bond incapacitate a man with one chop or choke a man out in ten seconds. He now must run faster, fi ght harder and be able to take more punishment than he ever has before.

Of course, director Mark Forster didn’t make the movie excessively

realistic either. The stunts are unbelievable and Bond still manages to escape certain death by mere seconds time and again. But, this is as it should be. Bond should not completely suspend our perception of disbelief; he’s here to entertain, and so he does.

In many ways, this is the same bond we have been watching for years. The rebellious agent, ignoring his bureaucratic superiors, fi ghting for queen and country and, of course, womanizing.

Yet, gone are the gadgets, though hopefully not for good. It is possible they were temporarily suspended after that fetid turd of a movie, “Die Another Day,” gave bond an invisible car.

As the franchise continues, we may be reintroduced to MI6 R&D man Q, and once again James Bond will get

suited up with the most innovative and useful of gadgetry.

“Quantum of Solace” picks up the story right where “Casino Royale” left off. The movie starts on a high note and keeps it up through its entirety, sparing a few moments for emotional sentiment.

Bonds obvious torment over the Death of Vesper Lynd in “Casino Royale” gives depth to his cold nature and adds a little humanity to a once very two-dimensional character.

Bond has been reborn in a new time and for a new generation. The story is fresh, and I look forward to seeing what the next bond fi lm has in store for us. This latest Bond leaves you wanting more.

Matthew Larvey is the features editor for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at:mattlarvey@lavozdeanza.com.

PAGE 4 CAMPUS NEWS NOVEMBER 17, 2008LAVOZDEANZA.COM

New Bond opted to grow a pair for latest in series, ‘Quantum’

IMAGES (4) COURTESY OF 007.COM

some (probably) not so simple or painless plans to deal with the impending explosion of entitlements because of the silver tsunami – the impending tidal wave of retiring baby boomers and the estimated $50 trillion of so of “unfunded liabilities” thereof.

But, a not so funny thing happened on the long and winding path to the White House. Loyal readers of this column (hi, Mom!) know the tale of terror, but just in case, less the gory details: ever rising home prices suddenly stopped rising and began to reverse course, setting in motion a chain of highly unfortunate events, and, as a result, many are predicting an economic slowdown on par with the early 1980’s or worse.

So now, the second after Obama takes his hand off the Bible, he will be confronting long and short-run economic challenges of monumental proportions.

The media is full of “pundits” telling the new president-elect what he needs to do and what he should do. These suggestions – as you would fi gure, depending on the writer’s general economic philosophy – range from “quite a lot” to virtually nothing.

Then there are plenty who are now – and who have been – telling us about the potential damage Obama’s economic policies will infl ict upon the economy, or instead how his “free market loving, big spending, fi scally conservative, wealth redistributionist” (say that fi ve times in a row real fast) will “save the economic day.”

For example, you have the typically conservative Wall Street Journal – which went a bit over the top this time, I thought – who claim that Mr. Obama’s economic policies involving the redistribution of income are simply a ploy to steal from the rich and give (away) to the poor; and they will likely turn the United States into a semi-isolationist nation; and when all is said and done, they will lead us inexorably down a path to socialism, resulting in the United Red States of America.

Oh, and I left out the part about drowning millions of puppies.

The other side – his defenders – will point out the income gap between the rich and the poor, the likes we haven’t seen since the Great Depression; and that our trade policies have – among other things – depressed wages for low income workers; and that it is time to ditch most of the elements of Reaganomics (which led to big, ineffective government) for Obamanomics (big, effective government [oxymoron?]).

Oh, and everybody gets a free puppy, which you are not allowed to drown.

But let’s put all the highfalutin rhetoric and partisan politics aside, and, with as little pain as possible, summarize some of the main parts of President-elect Obama’s economic agenda; I’ll leave the rest up to all of you budding pundits.

Let’ cover taxes, free-trade and health care. Perhaps we can elaborate further on some of his other policies some time in the future.

Here goes! First, taxes. As for increases, he is planning on rolling back President Bush’s “tax cuts for the rich,” bumping capital gains taxes from 15 to 20 percent and lifting the

cap on payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare money). All in all, this would result in a 10 percent increase in marginal tax rates for incomes over $250,000 and many small businesses.

Nevertheless, given the current state of the economy, any plans for a tax increase will probably be put on the back burner, including such cuts as is featured in his famous tax reductions for “95 percent of working families.”

These will come mainly in the form of “tax credits” or refunds; for example, his “Making Work Pay” tax credit of $500 for individual workers or $1,000 for working couples (here, I must pause and ponder ... would $1,000 be worth it for me to get married? $1 million maybe.). The college tuition tax credit will be increased from $1,800 to $4,000, expansion of the earned-income

tax credit, and a 10 percent mortgage interest-credit for some, to name a few others.

As for free trade, here Mr. Obama has done some “fl ip-fl opping.” Early on in the campaign, he came across a bit as a hardliner against free trade, but has since softened his position. My opinion is that he is generally “pro-free trade,” just a trifl e more dubious about its outcomes.

He voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), and opposes the agreements currently on the table with Columbia and South Korea. He also believes that NAFTA could use a little reworking as well. He claims to have nothing in general against free trade, just that the U.S. needs to change the way it negotiates trade agreements and that the government needs to do more to help workers displaced by international trade.

Health care. The soon to be president has never shied away from the fact that he favors some sort of “universal” health care – building the system in stages – with everyone insured by 2012. (Actually, we already have a form of “universal” health care – it’s called the emergency room, and it is terribly costly!)

Now keep in mind, this subject alone could take up many pages, or even a book or two, but proponents of his fi ve-point plan claim that the average family will save $2,500 on premiums and business-sector costs will drop by about $140 billion.

Obama also supports some sort of government bailout/rescue plan of the ailing domestic auto industry and a fi scal-stimulus package, similar to the one passed early last year, to prop up weakening demand ASAP.

Now, for why the “uh, oh.” The election of Obama was truly an historic event, to say the least. But before we get too carried away, let’s keep things in perspective; remember that we have a huge economy with huge problems and no magic words or pulling of rabbits out of hats are going to solve our problems. And I fear that, due to the huge expectations many have for the Obama presidency, if people don’t see instant results, they will lose faith and the honeymoon will be over rather swiftly.

As I have noted before, getting ourselves out of this hole is going to take some time, some hard work, and will not be done without some pain – so put those hats away!

Stephen Zill

Economics for Everyone

Stephen Zill is an instructor of eco-nomics at De Anza College. He wrote this article for La Voz Weekly. Con-tact him at: zillstephen@fhda.edu.

CLASSIFIEDSSPORTS WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS NEEDED FOR ONLINE SPORTS MAGAZINE(www.sjsportsreport.com)

San Jose Sports Report covers all SJ sports including the Sharks, Stealth, Sabercats, Giants, and many more. We are looking for writers/photographers to freelance for our staff.

This is an unpaid position but will look great for your portfolio. We currently need beat reporters for SJSU Athletics throughout the year. Press passes are provided.

If interested please e-mail us your clips and tell us why you want to write for our magazine. All inquiries should be sent to reza@sjsportsreport.com

VISIT WWW.LAVOZDEANZA.COM

AND CLICK ON CLASSIFIEDS TO SUBMIT

YOUR CLASSIFIED POSTING

DESI WOMEN – RECEIVE $75If you are an Indian or Pakistani woman:

* 18-60 years old * Hurt or afraid in a * Living in the Bay area current or past

relationship

Contact “Calendar Study”to participate in a

safe & private interview1-800-354-0386

indianinterview@gmail.compakistaninterview@gmail.com

International sensation “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring,” aka “Spring Again,” has won eleven awards since its release on Sept. 19, 2003. The fi lm has been praised for its cinematography. It was directed and produced by acclaimed Korean director Ki-Duk Kim and Julliard graduate Ji-Woong Park.

The fi lm’s fi ve chapters follow the fi ve seasons of the title. The seasonal changes are cleverly juxtaposed with the different stages of human growth; spring alongside childhood memories, summer beside the teenage years’ temptations, fall with diffi culties of adulthood, winter with maturity and realization, and spring again with another beginning to come.

The story takes place in the mountains of North Kyung Sang Province in Korea in a small fl oating temple on Jusan Pond. In the temple, an old monk mentors a little boy, raising him with compassion and patience.

The old monk is precise with his thoughts and makes every word count, where the little boy is curious and irrational at times.

The story follows the little boy’s journey through turmoil and happiness as life takes him in and out of the temple.

The lack of action and dialogue might be daunting, but the cinematography and scenery of this beautiful fi lm will leave you speechless.

The fi lm continually addresses many signifi cant aspects of life: compassion, wisdom, temptation, passion, lust, murder, redemption, karma and ultimately change.

There will be a free screening of “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring” on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Hinson Campus Center. For more information, contact Clara Jung at Clara.Y.Jung@gmail.com.

Matthew LarveyLA VOZ NEWS

Lina Kwon is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact her at:linakwon@lavozdeanza.com.

Revered Korean fi lm to screenat De Anza

Lina KwonLA VOZ NEWS

ZILL | Healthcare, taxes and free trade,the rest for punditsContinued from Page 1

Mud, rain and hard hits were the story between Coast Conference rivals De Anza College and West Valley College Nov. 8. De Anza left the soggy West Valley field with a 41-13 victory.

The match-up featured two high-powered offenses with running back Lawrence Taylor leading the way for the Dons and Doug Webster quarterbacking for the Vikings. “It’s going to be a good match up,” said Dons head coach Dan Atencio. “West Valley is a good team. We’re really fired up about this one.”

The Dons and Vikings went into this game with the same divisional record at 2-1. Two teams with the same record, in the same division, and only ten minutes away from each other suggested that it would be an exciting game.

The game did not disappoint, but would only be exciting for De Anza’s side.

Even though the Dons won by a staggering 28 points, the game had a rough beginning.

The offensive and defensive lines from both colleges reached a stalemate in the first quarter. “The main thing is we have to start

blocking,” said offensive coordinator, Tony Santos. “We have the plays but it doesn’t mean anything if we can’t block for our play makers.”

After a few offensive series resulted in punts, Dons quarterback Isaac David opened up the playbook by throwing a 44-yard pass to wide receiver Tyler Miller, who made a spectacular catch over the heads of two defenders. The catch set up a 38-yard touchdown run for Taylor drawing first blood.

Taylor took the game into his own hands after the touchdown, rushing 24 times for 293 yards and three touchdowns. “L.T. is unstoppable,” said wide receiver Kendall Hendon.

West Valley expected a big game out of De Anza’s premiere back, but what the Vikings didn’t expect was the Dons’ defense to wreak havoc. It was a team effort on behalf of the defense that stopped West Valley.

De Anza’s defense had a total of four sacks from four different players, including linebacker Gabe Delgado and defensive lineman Ryan Eseroma. De Anza recovered two fumbles, forced a missed field goal, intercepted a pass and forced the Vikings to pass, holding them to just 30 yards rushing total.

The Dons went into the half leading by only a touchdown. However, they left no room for comebacks; setting the tempo by scoring on their first drive of the second half, never letting up.

West Valley switched up their play calls by throwing short passes on offense. This allowed De Anza’s defense to hold firm on two crucial fourth down attempts.

Toward the end of the game, a battle broke between Taylor and one of West Valley’s cornerbacks. Taylor had a nice run and was hit hard by the defender. After the hit, the West Valley player was staring at the De Anza sideline, confronting the team as De Anza’ players were pleading for an unsportsmanlike penalty.

On the very next play, Taylor ran the ball again. The result was a 39-yard touchdown run and that very same defender was the only man to beat on the play, which Taylor broke the tackle for the score and flipped into the end zone.

“That’s how we want to play,” said Santos. “We want to be physical, execute and shove the ball right down their throats.”

The Lady Dons finally came home to play on their turf, after a five game stretch on the road defeating Skyline College 5-1 Nov. 7.

In the fifth minute, forward Molly McBride took an Alayna Bongiorno assist and scored the first goal, as the Lady Dons took a 1-0 lead.

In the 10th minute, right fullback Samone Torres of Skyline scored the first goal for the Trojans to tie the game 1-1 as the Lady Dons momentarily gave up their early lead.

“We were able to win four out of five games on the road,” head coach Cheryl Owiesny said of her team’s recent road trip. “The only road game that we lost was against the Solano Falcons. The game was a tough one for the team.”

“We were able to stay extra focused on the road and didn’t let our opposing teams intimidate us that easily,” said center back Jessica Sanchez. “Playing five games on the road wasn’t easy because our op-ponents have their own crowd cheering them on to beat us, but at least we came out strong on the road.”

Still early in the first half, forward Jennifer Kute scored the second goal for the Lady Dons to push the lead to 2-1.

In the 33rd minute, the Lady Dons struck again. Kute was again able to put the ball back into the net, extending De Anza’s lead to 3-1 in the first half.

“Our team was able to step up and overcome our mistakes to pick up the victory against the Trojans,” said Sanchez. “This game was a challenge for us because early in the first half the Trojans scored an easy cross and tied the game up at 1-1. We need to start making improvements for our team to make sure we don’t let our opposing teams score an easy cross over us.”

Late in the second half of the game, forward Yas-min Mohamed scored the fourth goal, in the 67th minute, pushing the Lady Dons’ lead even further to 4-1, making it difficult for the Trojans to keep up with De Anza.

In the 80th minute, Mohamed put the ball inside of the net a second time, putting the win well out of reach for the Trojans.

“It’s been so long since we’ve played at home,” Sanchez said. “It’s a joy to play on our home turf again and to see our crowd root.”

Midfielders Jennifer Herrera and Jessica Heeb each tallied an assist on scoring plays and defensive back Danni Ra Bon and Toni Jenkins also had as-sists. All these brilliant players combined for five assists for their team, in the Lady Dons’ 5-1 rout of Skyline.

Linebacker Gabe Delgado (32) helps lead the charge defensively against West Valleywith this tackle in the first half of De Anza’s 41-13 victory on Nov. 8.

Quan LuongLA VOZ NEWS

NOVEMBER 17, 2008 PAGE 5SPORTSLAVOZDEANZA.COM

KEN ENG/LA VOZ WEEKLY

De Anza rolls West Valley

SPORTS

Dons victorious again, triumph over Vikings 41-13; Taylor injured

Vinh Vu is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: vinhvu@lavozdeanza.com.

Vinh VuLA VOZ NEWS

Quan Luong is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: quanlong@lavozdeanza.com.

Lady Dons come home again, win 5-1

KEN ENG (3)/LA VOZ WEEKLY

Student Athleteof the Week

Kyla BuchananWomen’s volleyball

In the De Anza College Volley-ball team’s previous two games, Kyla Buchanan had eight kills, 36 digs and three blocks for the Lady Dons.

What got you interested in join-ing the volleyball team? Buchanan: When I first started playing volleyball, it was dur-ing my high school year. Then I went on to a university, and then I went directly De Anza to play for the women’s volleyball team.

What are your other interests? For example: hobbies and fun stuff?B: In my free time, I like to play

the piano, watch movies, listen to music and hang out with my friends.

What are your favorite foods, music, TV shows, movies and books? B: I like to eat pizza, listen to Snow Patrol, read “The Twilight Series,” watch “Gilmore Girls” on TV and watch the movie “Love Actually.”

Do you have any siblings in the family? B: I have one older brother, three younger sister, and I’m the second oldest in the family.

So how does it feel to be nomi-nated as player of the week? Buchanan: It’s an honor to be athlete of the week. I didn’t ex-pect myself to be athlete of the week either, so I’m really sur-prised by this.

Quan LuongLA VOZ NEWS

As an editorial board, and as a newspaper in general, we are often put to the test when it comes to mak-ing last-minute decisions and meeting weekly deadlines.

We must face these challenges head on to meet our goal of producing a high-quality student newspaper.

In last week’s editorial, we criti-cized the De Anza Student Body Senate. For months, the Senate had been working on presenting a mock election to see how De Anza College would stack up to the actual election for the next president of the United States.

Our editorial was overly critical of the student senate’s methods and their

eventual short-comings, and it failed to present any suggestions on how the pro-cess could have been improved.

Criticism is worthless with-out constructive suggestions for improvemen t . According to the La Voz Weekly handbook, meet-ing the needs of the public should be the prime directive of a student-produced newspaper. The editorial

content should be carefully con-sidered and ex-hibit sound judg-ment on the part of each board member.

As an edito-rial board, our guidelines tell us to run each edi-torial through an approval process which includes a two-thirds vote

to approve what was written. We did not do this for last week’s editorial because we were pressed for time.

The result was a poor decision, made without all board members discussing and voting on the editorial content.

We, the editorial board, allowed a lapse in judgment and printed a hasti-ly-written editorial in stark opposition to the philosophy of integrity and fair play in newspaper content.

We should have done a better job in our organization of the process, done less name-calling and presented better solutions for the Senate.

For our actions, we sincerely apologize to those members of the DASB Senate who were offended by our harsh words and to all others who may have been affected.

We offer an olive branch.

As a fi rst-year De Anza College student, these past few months have been my fi rst experience with the quarter system.

With all the midterms, quizzes and papers I’ve already had in this short time, I have contemplated whether my decision to attend a quarter-system college was wise or not. But, I have concluded that regardless of quarter system’s tendency to be stressful and frustrating, it is ultimately rewarding.

The quarter system consists of 11 weeks of instruction, plus one week of fi nal exams (12 weeks total). On the other hand, the semester system consists of 15 weeks of instruction plus one week of fi nal exams (16 weeks total).

If one student takes four classes at a semester school, and another stu-dent takes four classes at a quarter school, the semester student would be carrying a 12-credit load where as the quarter student would be car-

rying a 16-credit load while tak-ing the very same courses.

Students may be receiving the same amount of content in each of these schools; however, as courses must be completed in a shorter time pe-riod, the students in the quarter sys-tem receive more papers, exams and assignments on a weekly basis.

In this sense, the semester sys-tem is advantageous. Professors are able to get more in-depth with their material, and students have more time to absorb, study, repeat, practice and prepare. Because you are not in a hurry to complete your assignments, you have more time to produce qual-ity work.

Moreover, semester students get

to enjoy the all the privileges of having the month of December off. It is a great relief to have one full month of vacation to prepare for the next semester.

On the other hand, the quarter system is arguably too condensed and demanding. However, it has its advantages to out-shine its fl aws.

For one, it is helpful to have quizzes, exams,

even class discussions immediately as opposed to waiting a while because the studied information remains fresh in your memory.

Also, the quarter system is conve-nient in that you can get through un-wanted but required classes quickly.

Moreover, with more curricular terms, there is time available to take

more classes than you could at a col-lege on the semester system.

This is a huge plus because it al-lows room for mistakes. But more im-portantly, it gives you time to take dif-ferent classes and to decide on what you like or dislike: an important step in life that might help you identify your desired job or eliminate, from a long list of possibilities, what you don’t want to do.

In addition, you get a chance to meet more people every time you sign up for a new class.

With all being said, I don’t regret choosing a college with a quarter sys-tem. Despite the stress, I’d rather be done with an undesirable class after 12 weeks than be stuck with the same class, instructor and drab material for 16 weeks.

De Anza keeps me busy – I don’t have a chance to get lazy because my schedule is so tight.

How much do I love Rahm Emanuel?My love for Rep. Rahm Emanuel is as great as

the probability of him stealing my lunch money and killing all my loved ones for no reason other than needing to blow off some steam. Or maybe one of his daughters was bored. My love for Rahm Emanuel is vast.

There are really no words to describe President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff pick, although if there were, I probably wouldn’t be able to print them. I sometimes have to pause and marvel at his sheer existence – it’s like he made a deal with the devil to step out of a Christopher Nolan fi lm and become a real person.

Maybe the Joker got fed up with him stealing the stage and ousted him from the world of fi ctional reality. Because you know even the Joker wouldn’t be able to handle Rahm Emanuel; Rahm Emanuel would mess him up.

What is there to say about the man who repeat-edly stabbed a knife into the names of Bill Clinton’s enemies, shouting “Dead! Dead! Dead!” after each one? How do you respond to the man who’s known for his foul mouth, who once read a love letter from the GOP to big oil companies on the House fl oor, who almost became a professional ballet dancer but decided to run for offi ce instead?

Let’s consider. I could say: “Rahm Emanuel is a total extremist. How does he fi t in with Obama’s message of unity?”

I could say: “Rahm Emanuel is insane. How can you trust a guy who once mailed a dead fi sh to a pollster who ticked him off?” (A better ques-tion would be: “How can you not trust a guy who once mailed a dead fi sh to a pollster who ticked him off?”)

I could say: “Check out Rahm Emanuel’s Demo-cratic Leadership Council ties. He’s not even re-motely progressive. Why didn’t we just elect Hil-lary?”

But instead, let’s consider the following anec-dote. In 2005, Emanuel asked former professional football player Heath Shuler to run for Congress in North Carolina. Shuler was hesitant, saying he wanted to spend time with his wife and kids. For the next few weeks, Emanuel inundated Shuler with dozens of 30-second calls: “Heath, I’m at my daughter’s ballet recital. Just wanted you to know that.” “It’s Rahm. Driving my kids to school right now.” “Hey, we’re getting ready for soccer prac-tice. Bye.”

It worked. Shuler ran, and in the next year be-came North Carolina’s 11th district representative.

Rahm Emanuel is without a doubt insane, but he is smart, loyal, disciplined, and he gets things done. There isn’t much more you can ask of a White House chief of staff, whose job is not to craft leg-islation but to twist every arm in Washington into getting it passed.

That’s something Obama needs. His relative in-experience and talk of hope have led some people to believe he subsists on a diet of rainbows and marsh-mallows. It’s not exactly a fair characterization, but it’s nicely countered by his selection of Emanuel, who likely thrives on a diet of human fl esh.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham praised Obama’s choice, calling Emanuel “tough but fair.” It’s true: Rahm Emanuel may be two seconds away from shooting someone in the face at all times, but he is eminently democratic in his victims, and it will always cut down on extraneous political petti-ness. He’ll get the job done.

Kelly Truong is the opinions editor forLa Voz Weekly. Contact her at:kellytruong@lavozdeanza.com.

NOVEMBER 17, 2008PAGE 6 OPINION LAVOZDEANZA.COM

OPINION

La VozWeeklyShawn McGann Editor in Chieflavoz@fhda.edu

Josh Bays Managing Editormanaging@lavozdeanza.com

Audrey Barker News Editor

Matthew Larvey Features Editor

Joe Chunnic Sports Editor

Kelly Truong Opinions Editor

Soheil Rezaee Video Editor

Daniel Gamberg Website Editor

Business StaffBeth Grobman Faculty Advisergrobman@fhda.eduWalter Alvarado Lab Technicianalvaradowalter@fhda.eduReza Kazempour Business Managerads@lavozdeanza.com

About UsLa Voz Weekly is a First

Amendment newspaper written and published by De Anza Col-lege students.

La Voz Weekly is partially fund-ed by the De Anza Associated Student Body and is printed with soy-based inks at Fricke-Parks Press. All rights reserved; no part of La Voz Weekly may be repro-duced without permission.

Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author or the opinions of the La Voz staff. Opinions expressed by staff and contributors are the opinions of the individuals and not necessarily the opinion of La Voz Weekly.

Phone: 408-864-5626Fax: 408-864-5533lavoz@fhda.edu

www.lavozdeanza.comRoom L-41

21250 Stevens Creek Blvd.Cupertino, CA 95014

Come to Room L-42 Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:45 p.m. to at-tend the newspaper staff class.

Contact UsLetters to the editor, submis-

sions and press releases are welcome and can be submit-ted to:

www.lavozdeanza.com/letters

Letters should be 300 words or less; letters more than 300 words may be edited for length. Letter content must not be libel-ous or intended to air personal grievances. La Voz does not guarantee that submissions and letters to the editor will be printed, nor does it guarantee coverage of events for which it receives press releases. La Voz reserves the right to edit letters and submissions for clarity in ac-cordance with Associated Press writing style.

AdvertisingAdvertisers reach 3,500

De Anza community members weekly by advertising in La Voz Weekly. Contact Business Manager Reza Kazempour by phone at 408-864-5626 or send an e-mail to ads@lavozdeanza.com for rates.

Photo ReprintsImages published in

La Voz Weekly or online at http://www.lavozdeanza.com are available for purchase. Ten limited use digital images can be obtained for $20 or 8x10 prints for $25. Contact Business Manager Reza Kazempour to place an order.

Additional CopiesThe first copy of each issue

of La Voz Weekly is free to ev-eryone. Additional copies can be purchased through Business Manager Reza Kazempour.

The Voice of De Anza Students

EDITORIAL

OTHER VIEWS

Our editorial too critical of student senate

Why you should love, fear Rahm EmanuelKelly Truong

HER OPINION

ILL

UST

RA

TIO

NS

(3)

BY

GA

LE

N O

BA

CK

Debate over quarters versus semesters revisited

Cathrine Schermann is a freelance writer for La Voz Weekly.Contact her at: cathrineschermann@lavozdeanza.com.

Cathrine SchermannHER OPINION

It’s fall in America and the Supreme Court is ruling in yet again, this time on the issue of censorship.

FCC vs. Fox Television has them arguing over the appropriateness of fines resulting from live award shows. Should Fox have to pay $350,000 because Bono decided to use the “F” word on live TV?

The FCC and the Supreme Court’s past at-tempts to define obscenity and determine what is wholesome enough to broadcast over basic cable have always been awkward and ill-de-fined.

In the name of “protecting the children,” the FCC browbeats writers and others into fitting the mold of acceptable content. They use ar-bitrary and capricious fines to create a chilling atmosphere in which people are afraid to do anything that might push the limits.

Television is not a nanny. There should be no guarantee that anything that goes out over the airwaves will be appropriate for little kids. Net-works should adhere to a natural standard that reflects an understanding of the sensibilities of the masses, and not a group of non-elected and unaccountable empty suits who can decide ba-sically whatever they want.

Adults should be allowed to hear and see whatever they want as long as it does not violate the law. If networks do not match the public’s standard of decency (whatever that means),

they will lose viewers and be forced to change their ways.

Really, think about it. Someone who you don’t know and who you didn’t elect gets to de-cide what you are or are not allowed to watch on TV.

Who is he? What makes him so qualified to make that decision for you? Can you name any-one you would trust to tell you what is appro-priate for you to hear or see or read?

A TV is different from some crazy person with a megaphone running around screaming obscenities. You have to buy one. And turn it on. And if you have kids, you have to allow them to watch it.

The FCC seems to act under the impres-sion that television is this belligerent invader that barges into all the nice homes, destroying American values and apple pie.

Justice Roberts, in discussing Bono’s passing use of the “F” word at the Golden Globe awards show, had this to say: “Here is an awards show. Here is a celebrity. I want to listen to what they are going to say because I listen to their music, and he comes out with this.”

Why should we care what the FCC or Justice Roberts want to hear from Bono at the Golden Globes? I don’t and neither should you. But we are forced to because they happen to be the ones in charge of what we can watch.

And that’s f----d up.

PAGE 7NOVEMBER 17, 2008 LAVOZDEANZA.COM OPINION

Josh Bays is the managing editor for La Voz Weekly. Contact him at: joshbays@lavozdeanza.com.

FCC restrictions, censorship too invasive in peoples’ homes

Josh BaysHIS OPINION

This truly memorable political season has come to an end with an incredible success for the Democratic Party. Now that the two-year media craze has come to an end, it’s time to speak of what is to come next.

This election had everything: the best cam-paigning I have ever seen, competitive candi-dates from both parties, a fair amount of drama, and speeches and stories that brought many Americans to tears.

Most importantly, the election received a tre-mendous amount of media coverage that led to superb involvement of the American public.

With the election over, what I’m curious about is what will happen to interest in politics as the media withdraws its attention. Now that we’re free of the roller coaster ride, are we go-ing to care less?

My predictions go something like this: the election night marked the beginning of an end, and now people will gradually start to careless and less about the important steps made by our government and instead follow whatever breaking news CNN decides to cover next. Then someone will criticize a single mistake made by President-elect Barack Obama or Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and the gossip col-umns of various magazines will exaggerate it to no end.

We will continue to laugh at the mistakes and uncanny look-a-likes’ impressions on “Satur-day Night Live,” but slowly forget the signifi-cant changes being made within the core of our government. We will carry on riding whatever rollercoaster ride the media take us on.

I hope my prediction will turn out to be ter-ribly wrong. However, it is an inevitable truth

that the American public has a short attention span, following only the recent ups and downs covered by mass media.

Just backtrack within this election: for the past couple of weeks we have been so caught up with the McCain vs. Obama and Palin vs. Biden debates that we have completely forgot-ten about the Clinton vs. Obama debates.

It was front-page news in January when those two Democratic rivals chided each oth-er in South Carolina. Now that the media has moved on, so have we.

Rudy Giuliani’s dangerous gamble in Florida was indeed memorable and significant, but it was replaced by the news about fierce hockey mom Sarah Palin so quickly that I am wonder-ing if the risky move really did happen. A sig-nificant amount of the population did not even know of Sarah Palin until a few months ago, but all of a sudden we are talking about her clothing expenses, just as Vogue is.

While various news stations promote a flashy headline of “first black president,” an-other kind of change has been minimized in importance. Many have already forgotten that this election showed us a possibility of the first female president.

Knowing how voraciously Americans con-sume television news, nighttime comedy, gos-sip columns and magazines, how can I not think that much of the public’s opinion will follow whatever the media decides to cover?

I hope that the American public will prove me wrong. I hope that we as Americans will continue to be well informed and involved in politics, not just during election season, but be-yond it as well.

Lina Kwon is a staff reporter for La Voz Weekly. Contact her at: linakwon@lavozdeanza.com.

Election ’08 may be over,that’s no reason to get lazy

Lina KwonHER OPINION

Ill

uST

RA

TIO

NS

(2)

BY

GA

lE

N O

BA

CK

COMICS

COMICS BY DElIA SANJAYA