We are the problem and the solution
I began this article on the principle of giving light to the fact that the American people have lost many of their freedoms, primarily that of free speech. I set out to illustrate examples of censorship in our society, mostly because I myself feel censored due to the recent budget cuts pushing the media out of Modesto Junior College. How I witnessed at the last budget meeting hundreds of students and teachers appealing to the board to keep their programs only to fall on deaf ears. How I watched as a veteran was escorted out of that same meeting by police, silenced for speaking out of order above a ridiculous time limit, a man who fought for a "free country". How I traveled to Sacramento to protest against these same budget cuts and though our voices were loud, we were still urged to keep it civil, to not speak out of turn, to not fight.
Running into an unexpected person leads to hope, wisdom
He reminded me of my dad, though he looked nothing like him. He was in his late 30s, dark skinned, polite and, unlike my dad, spoke understandable English.
A visit from Dr. Loewenstein last semester gave us false hope
During President Loewenstein's first semester in office at Modesto Junior College, he stopped by the Pirates' Log newsroom and made a point of voicing his opinion on journalism. He emphasized the importance of student journalism for campus and academic life. Every college has to have a school paper, the staff heard him say.
He reminded me of my dad, though he looked nothing like him. He was in his late 30's, dark skinned, polite and, unlike my dad, spoke understandable English.
According to SFGate.com, California has raised state funding for prisons by 9% annually and higher education by 5% since 2007. By 2012, our budget will spend more on our prison systems than colleges.
The pen is mightier than the sword
My whole life people have been telling me that if I go to college and get an education, that I can be anything or anybody I want to be. I believed them. What they didn't tell me, however, is that I have fight for what I want; that I either have to give up, or put up the biggest fight of my life.
Now is the time to voice concerns to state
After reading and then digesting the 20-page budget cut proposal Dr.Gaither Loewenstein submitted to the school on February 28, I found myself and the ASMJC office a bit out of the loop. The ASMJC office felt like it did not have a say in what went on, this on a campus that according to California Ed code 70902(b)(7) under shared governance, mandates that a collaborative effort be made between the student government, faculty senate and the higher ups like Dr. Loewenstein.
Students reacts to slate of cuts; cuts of programs
"It's like the rug was pulled out from under me." This statement by culinary arts major Anthony Martinez, 21, reflects the general sentiment of Modesto Junior College students in response to the president's proposed budget cuts last week.
The cutting of the tongue
In this great country we call the United States of America we the people are afforded civil liberties. These liberties are emplaced into laws that protect the people from the government. These laws allow the people to challenge the authority of the government, not allowing total control as in a dictatorship and give the people a voice. That very voice is protected in the Constitution by the First Amendment which states:
The fight to teach freedom
Of all the jobs that American citizens might do, and of all the careers for which they may train, only one profession is constitutionally protected. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech and of the press; and by "the press", they meant journalism.
Lately, I have heard the word "decision" a lot. "It's a decision that has to be made." "It's a decision that will affect the rest of your life."
A journalist’s point of view on the budget cuts
I am in danger. I am among the many in danger of losing something vital to the way we live in this supposed "free nation." We are in danger of losing our free speech, and in that our freedom to express ourselves freely and follow our individual dreams.
Letter to the Editor
To Whom It May Concern: I am a student of Modesto Junior College. It has always been in my future to attend Modesto Junior College. Ever since I was a small child struggling to learn to read, I was familiar with Modesto Junior College. I can recall numerous moments in my childhood where I sat in classrooms on campus and did my homework, played, or assisted my parents as they taught their classes. They raised me to value college education and I knew the first step towards my success would be at Modesto Junior College.
Life is full of ironies. Like in 1973 when the Supreme Court declared it moral and legal to murder a child while he's in his mother, and then in the same year pass the Endangered Species Act which rendered killing animals was immoral, and illegal… Oh the irony.
MJC President Dr. Gaither Loewenstein announced Feb. 5 that the college faces an estimated $8 million in budget cuts. This would include layoffs of faculty and staff, possible elimination of programs and classes, increasing the "ever-so-growing'' waitlist for students.
My dad asked me the other day: "Sabes como hacer reir a Dios? (Do you know how to make God laugh?)" "No?" I answered "Como (How)?"
MJC’s food providers go head to head
Ann Onimus is waiting for her next class on East Campus with time to spare, $4 in her pocket and a rumbling in her stomach. She usually brings her own lunch, but today she forgot, forcing her to make ultimate MJC food decision: cafeteria or taco truck?
Frequent usage turns to obsession over social networking
Have you ever found yourself sitting at your computer, intending to do your homework, and suddenly find yourself wandering onto Facebook? When you wake up in the morning, do you check your Facebook before you do anything else? Do you use your phone to update your status? Is Facebook the last thing you check and/or update before you go to sleep? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have Facebook Addiction Disorder, or FAD. But don't worry; you're not alone. Many students have become addicted to social networking. In fact, 39% of Facebook users admit to being Facebook addicts. Unfortunately, that percentage includes me as well.
Campus signs on for campaign to improve social behavior
Days after the January 8 Tucson shooting, people began arguing about who was to blame. The press began pointing fingers at Sarah Palin's slogan "Don't Retreat, Reload" and the map of the United States with Democratic House Rep. Gabby Giffords of Tucson (among other Democratic seats) in its crosshairs. Palin then condemned the press for committing "blood libel "against her in its criticisms. (Blood libel is a false claim that the Jewish people murder Christian children for their blood to use in religious rituals).
The leaves have changed colors, the seasons have moved on, it no longer feels just like fall but winter seems to officially be here. Fall semester is ending and with it, our stress and anxiety. We will finally get a break from the never ending homework assignments, readings and deadlines. I must admit this semester has not been a walk in the park and I'm sure many can relate.
Website lets students rate their professor, many comments lack areas of concern
As registration for the next semester gets underway, I find myself scrambling to find the "best" instructor available for a class. I look for classes that are educational, fair in homework and lack in boredom. In other words, I like to learn and have fun at the same time-- monotone and unorganized classes are the ones that I usually drop after the first two months. I asked other students around campus of who is their favorite professor and always gets different responses.
December 8, 1980 is a day that lives in infamy for music lovers around the world. That was the day Mark David Chapman took the life of John Lennon in cold blooded murder. On the 30 year anniversary of his death I can't help but imagine a few things. What would the world be like if John Lennon was still here? What if there really was no heaven above or hell below? Can you imagine a world with no countries or possessions? No need for greed or hunger?
Some people are just hard to shop for. To give you a little help, we at the Pirates' Log decided to create a gift list that includes things your friends and family would love and many of them are actually affordable.
As a 19-year-old, I've had a lot of teachers. Most of them I liked, few of them I loved, and some of them I couldn't stand. There was my second grade teacher who took away my brand new, multi-colored pen the day I got it and never gave it back. Then there was the teacher who lost some of the work I did, and gave me a low grade. Now, however, I have a teacher who's a nice person, but a horrible teacher. I'm not sure if any of you have had this problem, but it sucks.
Why it’s important to screen for Alzheimers early
I remember being a little girl on Christmas watching my grandmother, who we all call nanny, prepare a feast for the whole family. She'd make fresh pies and scalloped potatoes and a giant ham, then lay it out on a gloriously set table with a giant tree centerpiece she'd made herself, and all the best china laid out precisely next to perfectly folded napkins. Then all of us kids, my siblings, cousins and I would rush to the enormous tree surrounded by dozens of presents that she'd over-shopped for once again, leaving us with bags upon bags of toys to take home. My Nanny prided herself on those Christmases, and on being the housewife she was taught to be as a girl and the grandmother she'd adored being at the birth of her grandchildren.
I always hate the first day of classes where teachers do "ice breaker" exercises to make students feel comfortable with one another. I don't dislike them because I'm antisocial in any way or because I can't stand the thought of public speaking—I cringe every time I have to tell the class my age and how long I have been a student at MJC.
Sex is always a touchy subject, no matter what angle you try to take on it nor what background you come from. Most prefer not to speak of it and those who do speak of it do so timidly or are very overt about it. It's taboo. Many parents don't like speaking to their children about it and children, of course, don't want to hear about it from their parents. So, they go to other sources: the internet, a book, a friend, a sibling. Or they learn about it on their own, the hard way.
Loved ones grieve over youn sergeant's life
"The world lost a really great man today. I will love you and miss you for the rest of my life David Senft. You were the best brother a girl could ever ask for," posted Catherine Snyder, sister of recently deceased soldier Staff Sgt. David P. Senft, on her Facebook page Monday November 15. Staff Sgt. David P. Senft of Grass Valley, CA was born July 4, 1983 and died at age 27 from injuries sustained in a non-combat incident on November 15, 2010 at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Senft joined the Army in March 2002 and was originally part of the 82nd Airborne division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Senft was a UH-60 helicopter repairman assigned to the 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, and 101st Airborne Division.
Growing up as a food addict
Every year that goes by all I can ever think about is, "There go another pair of pants I'll never squeeze into," and those pants suddenly haunt me, like the years themselves. I look in the mirror, no change; I look in the photo album, big change. I find myself wondering, "When did my neck shrink?" I go in my drawer to take out a shirt I bought just six months ago and find it doesn't fit as well as before; I blame it on the dryer. I chug a bottle of mountain dew and munch on Panda Express's two entrée plate, savoring the Orange Chicken and greasy chow mein, and I tell myself like I've told myself every weekend for 10 years, "This is my last hurrah; my diet starts Monday." I lie to myself and the people around me often, reassuring them that I've got my weight under control and smiling like I'm comfortable with myself, when in truth every time a girl in a size five pair of jeans walks by I cringe and try to hide, afraid they'll see me, all of me.
When Jennifer* (not her real name) didn't get her period by the end of the month, she became worried. She had already taken one pregnancy test with results indicating a negative, but her friends advised her to take another one. The results were shocking, but not uncommon. Jennifer was pregnant at age 17.
The ballots are in and most of the votes are tallied. We Americans used our one opportunity we have to make our voices heard and let our government know which direction the country should take in the future. Of course, not everyone got the results they hoped for, 45.9 percent of Californians wanted to legalize marijuana but it wasn't quite enough to make it happen. Republicans gained the majority in the House of Representatives but California held on to its Democrat stranglehold. Let us review:
A brief history of the end of the world
The signs were all there. Naysayers mocked those who warned of the imminent doom that came in the fall of 2012, and even those who believed this prophesy wished it to be false. No amount of wishing disrupted this apocalypse that Nostradamus, the Mayans, and the Chinese "I Ching" predicted. Though no one predicted the fourth horseman would have arrived in the form of such horror: the legalization of marijuana.
"You have cancer."
That's what he said that morning. My doctor hadn't prepared me to receive that kind of news. He said that the tests I took were just precautionary and that all I had was a small, common little fibro adenoma. I was 16 years old.
The disappearnace of a Halloween tradition
In many neighborhoods across the nation, trick or treating has begun to disappear as a Halloween tradition being replaced by "safer" school or community events. It seems to me that parents are being a little over-protective in getting rid of this Halloween staple. I'm not saying that they shouldn't protect their children, but there's a point where you have to let them experience traditions that have been reoccurring for generations.
"As spirits roam the neighborhoods at night, let loose upon the Earth till it be light..."
Poet Nicholas Gordon wrote this saying based upon the many myths and mysteries of Halloween. Inspired by traditions of many cultures that have blended together, Halloween's history is captivatingly fascinating and eccentric. Halloween, which we celebrate on October 31, is a combination Celtic, Catholic, and Roman religious traditions.
Social network users promote breast cancer awareness
"I like it on the couch, when I first walk in the house…On my bed however; is my favorite place."
"I like it on the floor."
"I like it on my desk."
Girls, I'm sure we all have gotten our fair share of laughs when reading this type of Facebook status and see the comments guys leave or get the text message from our boyfriends wanting to know what is going on.
Sex. It is on television, in movies, and even on the radio. With so much hype surrounding this social taboo, it must be common knowledge, right? Wrong. Although sex education is being taught in schools, the subject still remains elusive to many. Teens are being sexually active but not getting the information or services they need to be sexually responsible.
The subject of sex was assumed to be self-evident, however new studies show many of the beliefs about children and sex are incorrect. Because it is such a touchy subject, it has been difficult to do research in this area. Most of the funding for research comes from government agencies.
MEChA club and surrounding cities celebrate heritage
The bicentenary anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain has been celebrated far and wide, not just in Mexican territory but also here in the U.S. In Mexico it began with a huge spike in security and a government issued notice to Mexicans to stay at home rather than flood the streets of the grand plaza and watch the "grito de independencia" either on TV or streamed live on the internet. Many, however, still went out to the streets on September 15 and celebrated by watching the parades, live music and dances, as is traditional.
Other sources for transportation for students
Whether you drive, take the bus, ride the shuttle, bicycle or walk to school, all modes of transportation have issues. There are 3,725 parking spaces on both campuses. Last fall, there were 9,242 parking permits sold, according to Marsha Calbreath, Director of Security and Safety. These spaces accommodate a little over 20,000 students, 740 full time employees, and 400 adjunct instructors.
It's hard out there for a broke college student. With paying for classes, books, and other college related fees, it can be hard to manage finances or pay for recreational activities. So, wouldn't it be great to have a little more financial leeway? How about saving money on things you were going to buy anyway? Just use these money saving tips and you could put some extra cash in your pocket.
Most likely you have been seeing headlines exclaiming "Mass Extinctions!" along with the all too familiar "Apocalypse 2012." Whether the latter has any truth to it, the first is, sadly, a reality.
In light of certain events that have taken place in our country over the past few weeks, a cautionary note is in order.
In one of my classes recently, we discussed the impact that various right-wing radio and television programs have had (and continue to have) on the fringe of the conservative movement. By "fringe" I mean the people who bomb abortion clinics, fly planes into IRS buildings, and throw bricks through the windows of their representatives in Congress because they are angry over how they voted on this health care reform bill.
Learning from the classroom of the world
The Disneyland ride says that "It's a small world after all." I get what they were trying to say in that song. I really do. But if you are someone who has rarely traveled outside of California, the world is a much bigger place than you can imagine. And I'm not just talking geographically.
reSTART program contradicts Americans once more
The pathway to communication is solely pushed towards the internet. This new age we witness that everything is transformed to online; online bill pay, order take-out food, registering classes for school, communicating with friends and colleagues, updating records for DMV and even work at home jobs are online. Now, after years of encouraging internet-usage, we have entered into a new type of health concern, internet addiction disorder.
Is there any real human connection in the dating world anymore?
About a year ago I met this guy, and I fell in love, but about two months ago it ended. Same story, girl loves boy, boy doesn't want to be burdened with girl anymore, boy falls out of love, girl stays stuck, unable to let him go without the fight that she won't win. My heart's still broken, no melodramatics, it's just the simple truth, but I have been attempting to move on for my own sanity. So, I decided, why not start dating? That's what people do, now isn't it? I didn't exactly know how to approach it though, because this isn't the same world that it was in the past decades. People don't just "date" anymore; everyone leaps into relationships after texting each other for a couple weeks or chatting on Facebook.
Outsourcing contributes to a fallen economy
Major businesses find themselves struggling these past two years since the economy took a fall. Businesses have been faced with laying-off veteran employees, downsizing the company and trying every marketing tactic known just to stay alive. As a last resort, many companies have found themselves swimming away from the recession—by outsourcing their company.
I am a conservative evangelical Christian and a member of the Republican Party and I believe that George W. Bush‘s War in Iraq was wrong.
Sprouting a nation obsessed with greens
It has been said that if every person in China formed a single line, due to the population rate, it would be never ending; the line would continue forever. The same could be argued regarding our country's debates over marijuana. Now, with the Obama Administration taking the laissez faire approach and leaving it for the states to decide, the California Compassionate Use Act (passed in 1996) is back in effect. A recent debacle regarding marijuana in the US presents the questions of medical purpose and interstate commerce. In 2005, California citizen Angel Raich was prosecuted for the possession of an illegal substance. Raich suffers from an inoperable brain tumor, scoliosis and endometriosis, among her other illnesses.
When did the requisite to obtain the Peace Prize, an award that is held at the highest of levels (at least in America, that is), evolve from DOING something to TRYING to do something or even saying they are GOING to do something?
It was 4:30 p.m. The time smiling or laughing wouldn't be allowed for the rest of the day. He had come home frustrated again, something I knew he'd take out on my mom. Minutes later, he began yelling at my mom telling her she was useless and stupid, but there was no response from her; she looked down and stayed quiet because she knew better than to talk back to my dad.
Legalizing Marijuana on November 3 ballot.
About 58% of West Coast voters believe that marijuana should be taxed and legally regulated just like alcohol and cigarettes, according to Zogby International Polling, a company that specializes in polling and market research. After the state budget passed in January 2009, this controversial issue—one that was fought 12 years ago -- came back to the legislature for reconsideration.
is a member of the 
