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Lowriders and  classic cars with a style all their own rolled, bounced and glided into the San Jose City College stadium Sunday, April 22 for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan’s third annual car.

To have this car show, MEChA had to pay the fees and arranged the show themselves.

“We went to different car shows in the Bay Area to pass out flyers and talk to them about our car shows,” said MEChA President Jeff Geurtin Perez.

According to Streetlow Magazine, this car show would be the first car show in San Jose this year.

Perez said because the last car show took place on  Mother’s Day weekend in May 2011. Not many people came, so this year the show was held in the beginning of summer, and the turnout was larger.

Twelve car clubs from the Bay Area joined the show and brought 130 cars for the show.

“We have the car show for student scholarships,” said Perez. “The scholarships are not for MEChA club only but for all students at SJCC.”

Steve Hill | TIMES STAFF

Seafood buyers make a choice at Stagnaro Bros. Outdoor Fish Market on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf in Santa Cruz, Calif., on April 18.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program reaches out to environmentally conscious consumers with a mobile app that lists recommendations on buying ocean-friendly seafood.

The program was launched in 1999 as a way to raise awareness about the plight of the ocean’s fish and fills an information gap for consumers since fish for sale are generally not labeled as ocean friendly.

The app is based on Seafood Watch’s pocket guides that use a color-coded ranking system to advise the public on whether a species of fish is caught or farmed in ways that harm the environment.

Most choices are evaluated on several criteria, such as fishery, habitat, species and management practices.

The mobile app was introduced in 2010 and allows seafood consumers to check the sustainability of seafood they buy.

“We’ve labeled the choices best, acceptable alternative and avoid, but the reasons why each of those is in that category is very varied, so I can’t say that everything in ‘avoid’ is overfished because it’s not that simple,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium’s communications liaison Alison Barratt.

Seafood markets and restaurants use the Seafood Watch guidelines from the app and website to make sure they are buying from sustainable fisheries.  Stagnaro Bros. Seafood on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf in Santa Cruz, Calif., follows the recommendations to ensure that fish stocks remain plentiful.

“Consumers do not want us to sell seafood that is not sustainable,” said Stagnaro’s manager Hector De La Cruz. “We buy most of our fish from Alaska based on Seafood Watch information.  The only local fish we sell now is petrale sole.”

The app was just recently updated to include a new feature.

“In the beginning we didn’t have Project Fishmap, so that’s the feature that lets you tag where you find ocean-friendly seafood and other people can see where you found those items,” Barratt said.

To use the app, enter the species name, and the program delivers recommendations right to your mobile device.

For example, there are multiple choices for salmon ranging from best choice to salmon to try to avoid.  The reasons for the listings are displayed below each entry, and additional information is also available to consumers on the MBA website (http://montereybayaquarium.org).

“The whole idea of the pocket guides (and app) is that people will trust that we have done the homework and that we are saying this is the best bin (category) to put this (seafood) into right now. It’s up to you to choose,” Barratt said. “You can be a part of the solution.  Know that your choices make a difference.”

“Keep Em Flying,” Branden Daniel and the Chics’ breakout album, comes on hard and fast, immersing the listener in a wave of bluesy guitar, raw vocals and strong rhythm.

The Seattle-based band’s album benefits from the addition of Aaron Schroeder on baritone guitar and Matt Winter on drums, both of whom joined the lineup after meeting Daniel during a tour.

The album opens with the hard-hitting, riff-driven “All Things Chic,” a song reminiscent of The Black Keys.

A bouncy overdriven guitar is heard throughout the song, accompanying the vocals, which bemoan the bombardment of the public by the media. The message is translated into music well with a sporadic, dissonant guitar riff and staccato lyrics.

The song sets the tone for the upbeat songs on the album, including the bluesy “Missionary,” the call-and-return “Mor Yay” and the punchy “Burns.”

The band is not afraid to leave the rabble-rousing behind, however, venturing into new territory with “Hey, Howie,” a song about lost friendship that laments with melancholic vocals and a synth-driven chorus.

Another slow song, “Not Like Anything,” was written on the fly at 2 a.m. and is the album’s most aptly named song, employing somber vocals and siren-like strings.

The band shines with “Feel Real,” the biggest song of the album. The song begins with a foreboding a cappella harmony but quickly gains momentum as other instruments join in, seeming to symbolize the erratic nature of the song’s theme, emotion.

Another highlight of the album is the soaring “Keep Em Flying,” a song about Daniel’s grandfather, a bombardier who was a POW during World War II. Daniel uses the upper half of his vocal range to sing the heartfelt lyrics, propelling the song forward with an optimistic melody and falsetto harmonies.

The album has its low points, however, and the band loses momentum in “So Alone,” because of a repetitive melody and overly simplistic rhythm section.

Despite mild shortcomings, the ‘Chics’ deliver a solid album, with powerful rock songs and soulful slow songs, earning the album 9 out of 10 stars.

Ceramics instructor Michelle Gregor organized a sculpture exhibition to celebrate women’s history month and showcase her students’ works.  About 50 people attended the reception, which was in the Fine Arts Building, Room 307.  The show continues through April.

There are approximately 25 sculptures, which showcase each artist’s talent, perspective and inspiration.  The pieces included ceramic stoneware sculptures, vessels, bowls, vases, Egyptian-inspired busts, as well as ceramic figurines.

“These were students of mine over the past couple of years, and they were all chosen because they are exemplary in their own right,” Gregor said.

Art major Rosa Harrison has several historically-inspired pieces, which included a green ceramic vase with the tree of life carved on three sides.  Harrison said the vase was inspired by a Mayan piece she found during her research into historical artwork.

“There are actually four symbols that symbolize the tree of life, and I took three of them and put them on this piece,” Harrison said. “I decided to do the ceramic glazing in this green because it lent itself to this whole idea of the tree, life, growth.

Art major Bernadette Fernandes’ piece is an abstract bird form inspired by Native American art. She said she preferred making the form rather than drawing it on a vessel.

“It is based on Mimbres pottery, which is an ancient North American tribe,” Fernandes said. “They used high contrast slips, which is a glaze. They had forms of animals, just simple, primitive forms.”

The sculpture sits on a pedestal designed by theater art major Casey Jane Satterlund.  Satterlund’s line work on the pedestal complements Fernandez’s Mimbres-inspired sculpture.

Satterlund said she did not have a specific inspiration for the pedestal and worked for a total of 12 hours to complete the piece.

“I thought it looked African and a little bit Indian and even Celtic,” Satterlund said. “I ended up using a lot of negative space, and you can see the lines and the flow of it when there is space left untouched.”

Rocio Mora, a 28-year-old art major, is inspired by Egyptian, Mayan and Aztec history. She had two Egyptian-inspired busts, Nefertiti and Akhenaton, that reflected those interests and said building in ceramics brings her back to memories of making art as a child.

“It allows me to be in contact with this element, earth, which is so tactile, generous and humble,” Mora said.

Artist and SJCC alumna Ri-Ta had several pieces that depict the feminine, as well as small ceramic figurines.  For her piece, Utopia, Ri-Ta created a sculpture that celebrated the female form.

“I made Utopia a few semesters ago, and what I had in mind was a woman with natural beauty,” Ri-Ta said.

The reception also included art major Allison Sandoval.  Sandoval’s performance art piece “Noah and the storm of righteous anger,” was a live-action skit that added humor to the event.

“It’s about having fun more than anything, and I just wanted to make people laugh,” Sandoval said. “I wanted to entertain people and if that inspires them … to do something crazy and fun then what more could I hope for.

Sandoval, who played Noah, recreated the great biblical flood but added a drowning dinosaur, played by Chris Crotty, to the scene for irony.  In the piece, Noah peddled a bike on the sidelines of the flood to activate the wave motion, while a dinosaur languished in the waves.

From behind the scenes, Sandoval’s friend Kevin Fager manually operated the movement of clouds.  To complete the story, a fake dove was lowered by stick and line onto Noah’s hand, signaling the end of the flood.

“The bicycle I always knew would be incorporated,” Sandoval said.  “My dad helped tremendously with the construction; and if it did not work, we tried again and finally it is the finished piece.”

Gregor said the Art Department would like to have a similar show next year for women’s history month.

“Next year we’re looking forward to having our brand new building with a gallery, a real gallery,” Gregor said.  “Maybe next time it will be even bigger and better.”

Dear Bonnie and Clyde,

I have a boyfriend that won’t take me any place. When he comes over he just wants to stay home, yet he goes all over with his friends. I don’t know if he is ashamed of me or what. I really love him, and I don’t want to lose him. What can I do?

Sincerely,

Undecided Girlfriend

Bonnie:

Girl, please! You are telling us that you love this guy and yet here you are complaining about him! If what he is doing upsets you, tell him. You are not going to accomplish anything if you cannot communicate with each other, especially if he is young enough to be a part of today’s generation.

Boys tend to be socially awkward and unaware that what they are doing is both stupid and immature. Basically, he’s clueless.

If this is upsetting you so much, why don’t you break up with him? He does not want to take you out and yet, he goes out with his friends? If you have the patience and you really do love him, wait it out. But it honestly sounds like this guy is not as into you as you think and you need to realize that.

With love,
Bonnie

Clyde:

I don’t believe that your boyfriend is ashamed of you. He probably just does not have as much in common with you as you may think. Try taking an interest in something he does either as a participant or a fan.

If he plays or enjoys watching a sport, you should try it out. You might find that you like it as much as he does. On the other hand you could try to make something you do or watch seem as appealing to him as it is to you. Hope all works out well for you two.

Sincerely,
Clyde

The March 2 release of the computer-animated comedy, musical and drama is the fourth feature presentation to be based on the work of the admired children’s author.

“The Lorax” was Illumination Entertainment’s first film to be shown in IMAX 3-D and the first film of the many Dr. Seuss books to be presented in 3-D.

It was an entertaining and charming film, filled with cuteness throughout.

The moral of the story, which was first published in 1971, is relevant in today’s society, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Dr. Seuss was not afraid to have a serious message in his books, which was that we must care for our trees and the environment.

The help of  the Lorax, his furry orange character with a noticeably large yellow mustache, speaks for the trees and opposes the ideas of the greedy Oncer-ler.

It begins with a young boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron), who pays tribute to his creator, Theodor Geisel. Ted lives in Thneed-Ville, a city sealed off from the outside world that is entirely made out of plastic with mechanical flowers and battery-operated trees.

The people of Thneed-Ville are satisfied with how things are run, especially since Aloysus O’Hare (Rob Riggie), creator of O’Hare Air, delivers fresh, clean oxygen in a bottle.

Ted is infatuated with Audrey (Taylor Swift), named after Dr. Seuss’ wife, who dreamed of seeing real live trees, just like the ones she has painted on the outside of her house.

Ted is on a mission to find a tree for Audrey, and his Grammy Nora (Betty White) helps him with instructions to track down the Oncer-ler (Ed Helms), the one who destroyed all the trees.

One thing that was changed in the film was the Oncer-ler’s face is never shown in the story’s illustrations or in the television series but in the film, the creators decided to give an identity to this money-hungry businessman.

Before the Oncer-ler gives a key to what will bring life to the trees, he begins with the story of what happened to all the truffula trees.

He explained to Ted that he arrived at a cheerful place with adorable bar-ba-loots, birds and singing fishes. He noticed the colorful truffula trees could be useful for his invention. He made a profit off a simple creation and contacted his relatives to help in his business.

That is where the orange creature, the Lorax (Danny Devito), comes onto the scene and pleads to the Oncer-ler to stop cutting down trees because he is doing harm to the environment.

The flashbacks of his story are interrupted by the present day story. Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” has brilliant visuals throughout the film along with catchy songs that deliver important messages.

The Lorax’s frizzy fur and the trees’ wispiness in the forest must have been a challenge for the CGI artists, but it was nicely designed.

The Lorax proved to be a surprise achievement, as it has made $70 million opening weekend and claimed the No. 1 spot at the box office.

It is worth your $10. Not only is it a family movie, but it is a great moral story that all ages will understand.

I give it 8 out of 10.

Originally starting out as a thesis for her master’s at San Jose State University, Adkins expanded her project into making this book, which makes it a little more personal than some of the other books in the “Image of America” book series.

The book is mainly a history book and features the wide array of research Adkins had done.

She presents it in a simple and stunning design with 126 pages of pictures and facts.

At $21.99, it would be recommended for those who especially want to know about the history of the African-American and Californian culture.

In her introduction, Adkins wrote, “The aim for this book is to inspire conversation about the efforts of the early pioneers and 20th-century leaders who envisioned new lives in the west.”

Those early pioneers she included in the book were African-Americans that included ex-slaves escaping the south, activists fighting for equality during the civil rights movement, schoolteachers, reverends and politicians, most of whose story, up until now, have unfortunately never been told.

After a power boating accident leaves his wife comatose, Matt King (George Clooney) has to find a way to be a father to his two daughters, handle a major business deal amidst his cousins and come to grips with the fact that his wife may not recover.

The movie delivers a fantastic performance from most of the staff and grants a deep look into many of the characters. This is one of the few films I’ve seen where any character proves to be completely two dimensional.

The directing of the movie takes the acting and makes it shine with some great camera work and a nice pace to the plot.

My only complaint about the movie, and the only thing I think keeps it from being a perfect 10 as a drama, is the sound editing.

The sound itself is great. It carries well with the mood, using minor keys in all the right places; however the editing of the sound could have been done far better.

During some of the more dramatic scenes, the sound score is set much more loudly than it should have been and thus damaged the emotional state the actors and director did so well at portraying.

I’m not normally a fan of dramas, though I have enjoyed some of Clooney’s work in recent years, but when I heard it said that this was his best performance yet and the film won an Oscar for best writing, I felt compelled to see it. I do not know if it will be the best drama to be released this year, but I have to say that this is the best film I have seen this month.

Every great drama has a quote that can help it to stand out and define the situation, and this movie is no exception.

King sums up his entire life’s problem in his line, “My family feels like an archipelago, all part of the same group, but all separate and all slowly drifting apart.”

I recommend this movie to anyone who has lost a spouse or mother, felt that there is more to themselves than most people acknowledge or just wants to see a film that portrays how real people handle a situation and find hope in a bad situation.

From the time they make the decision to become vegan, be it by a conscious decision or a bad experience with a meat related food product, vegans and vegetarians take into account everything that ends up on their plate.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, although they still eat animal related products, such as milk and eggs. Vegans, on the other hand, have an entirely plant derived diet, with no animal products at all.

“Being vegan is super hard,” said Sameer Rahman, 20, Good Karma patron. Rahman said he is not vegan himself, but he knows vegans in his hometown of Felton. He said vegans “have a lot less to choose from to eat.”

Ryan Summers, 35, the owner of Good Karma and a vegan of 15 years, said he gets all of the nutrients he needs from his vegan diet. “Between legumes and tofu I get tons of protein,” Summers said, “I do exceptionally well on a vegan diet.

Some people change their eating habits when they find out how their food is being made and out of what. Erin Salazar, 24, who is vegetarian, stopped eating meat after she took classes on environmental law and sustainable agriculture, and she said what she found out about the farming industry really upset her and made her rethink what she eats.

Salazar said the only downside to being a vegetarian is when she goes to someone else’s house and she has to say, “Sorry, I don’t eat pork, I don’t eat lamb and I don’t eat fish. That part is a little hard because you want to be polite, but at the same time, you can’t eat this.”

Being vegan is not for everyone though.

“Every body type is different,” Summers said. “You have to just listen to your body and do what it tells you to.”

Score: 9 out of 10

Warfare took to the skies like never before in World War II, and an amazing part of American history took place with the Tuskegee Airmen. In “Red Tails,” the new movie by George Lucas, a group of these pilots are shown to be the best American pilots and soldiers who set an important precedent for the Civil Rights of African-Americans.

The film features good acting and a well-written script. It has a nicely paced plot with a great mixture of action, romance and drama, and very few glaring historical inaccuracies. I left the theater impressed by how much the film would fit in among other great WWII-themed films.

My major complaint is that the movie failed to “wow” me. It is good in every area that a movie is expected to perform; however, it is not exemplary in most of them.

The casting was well done; and with a primarily African-American cast, it was nice to not see the glaring cliches, such as characters being over-acted or poor slapstick humor, I have become so jaded over.

Despite what many other reviews have claimed, some of the dialogue impressed me; and it stood out more than many of the other qualities of the film.

In one scene the pilots are in an officer’s bar speaking with caucasian pilots of bombers they had protected. When asked what the African-American pilots prefer to be called if not “colored,” Andrew “Smoky” Salem, played by Ne-Yo, said, “When you get angry, you turn red. When you get sick … you turn green. When you get scared, you turn yellow, and you have the nerve to call us colored?”

I recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of WWII movies or the Tuskegee Airmen. It is definitely worth seeing if you don’t know who the Tuskegee Airmen are and how they contributed to the American war effort in WWII.