Dutches Richards | TIMES STAFF

Olympian Koji Murofushi warms up his muscles with a stretch at SJCC before he begins his weekly training session.

Japanese Olympic Gold Medalist Koji Murofushi, 37, No. 1 in the world for hammer throw, is training at San Jose City College for the 2012 London Olympics.

David Flynn, SJCC assistant track and field coach, and Murofushi are good friends, and Flynn suggested to Murofushi that he come to SJCC and use the field to train on.

He also decided to come here to get away from the crowd and big publicity in Japan.

“I love it. It is very peaceful here at this field,” Murofushi said.

He trains at both Moffet field in Mountain View and at SJCC with his coach, Torre Gustafsson.

He will train for four to five months to be ready for the Olympics.

Murofushi said he comes from an Olympic family, and their family history of Olympic competitors is known in Japan. He was 13 years old when he attended his first Olympic game.

Murofushi’s father and sister were also hammer throw competitors in the Olympics.

He said he has been in track and field since he was 15. Now, 22 years later, Murofushi stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and throws at about 279 feet.

Murofushi’s father no longer competes, but he said his sister still continues to do so.
Gustafsson, 50, said he has been training Murofushi since 2005.

“It’s like a dream come true,” Gustafsson said.

Gustafsson said he competed in the Olympics from 1988 through 1992 and 1996.

Gustafsson said that training Murofushi is more of training smart along with a lot of recovery.

He said this training is to prepare Murofushi and is not exactly hard training as of right now.

Gustafsson also said that you must be careful when in the training process. This training is to prepare Murofushi for both the upcoming training camps and Olympics.

Gustafsson said Murofushi is doing well in his performance and that there are two training camps left, which are 10 intense weeks of training before the Olympics begin.

Gustafsson said he enjoys what he does and that it is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“It’s part of history and not the moment,” Gustafsson said.

“I am happy to be competing at 37 years old,” Murofushi said. “As of right now I am the oldest champion in history.”

Wednesday, May 9

• College forum on reorganization in the Technology Center room T-315 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 10

• UC Berkeley Rep visit 10:30 to 1 p.m. in the Student Center

• Faculty Development Center presents An “On Course Conference” Discussion/Debrief noon to 1:30 p.m. in GE 118

Friday, May 11

• Track and field— Norcal Finals all day at San Mateo

Monday, May 14

• CSU East Bay Rep visit Jean Paul Nguyen 10:30 to noon in the Student Center

Tuesday, May 15

• Transfer Day Celebration 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friday, May 18

• English finals

Thursday, May 24

• San Jose City College commencement ceremony

Friday, May 25

• Spring semester ends

Wednesday, June 6

• Spring 2012 grades available on MyWeb

The pool is in bad condition with cracks, and there is inadequate funding to cover heating costs.

The Maintenance Department spends four hours a week to keep up with the cleaning.

There have been no lifeguards or certified instructor during class hours, and this raised questions from the senate members about liability issues.

COMPILED BY OLIVIA PAYNE/TIMES STAFF

Items selected are from the daily police logs from the Santa Clara County Police contributed from http://CrimeReports.com and San Jose Evergreen Community
College District campus police.

• A person got shot on the 700 block of South Bascom Avenue on May 2 at 12:33 p.m.
• A vehicle was stolen from the 1400 block of Fruitdale Avenue on May 2 at 7:46 p.m.
• A robbery occurred on the 1300 block of Broadway on May 2 at 1:49 p.m.
• An assault with a deadly weapon occurred on the 1200 block of Del Mar Avenue on May 2 at 10:16 a.m.
• An assault with a deadly weapon occurred on the 700 block of South Bascom Avenue on May 1 at 11:45 a.m.
• A domestic violence assault occurred on the 700 block of South Bascom Avenue on May 2 at 4:24 p.m.
• A domestic violence assault occurred on the 1200 block of Del Mar Avenue on May 2 at 10:16 a.m.
• An assault occurred on the 900 block of South Bascom Avenue on April 30 at 11:36 a.m.
• A theft occurred on campus on April 30 at 10:30 a.m.

Courtesy of Foodhoe.com

Home of Chicken and Waffles is the late night sensation located in downtown Oakland.  It is the perfect place to dine if you are on a budget.

Many combinations on the menu are a little more than $10.  It is also cheap to order items a la carte and side items are less than $4.

Oakland’s Home of Chicken and Waffles is a version of Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles because it is co-owned by the son of the original Roscoe’s in LA.

There is parking available across the street in the parking garage, and the restaurant will validate your parking ticket.

I ordered Keith’s Tackle ($10.25).  The plate included two chicken wings, one waffle and macaroni and cheese.

The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  To get the complete soul food flavor, you need to add the wing sauce to your food.  The sauce adds spice and southern flavor.

My favorite part of my meal was the macaroni and cheese.  The touch of sour cream makes the cheese creamier.  The waffle is thin and is served with a scoop of melted butter.

There is a full-service bar in the restaurant with occasional happy hour and daily specials.
I went on Tuesday night, where it was $2 Tuesday.  I ordered a double shot of pomegranate vodka with a pineapple back.

Our server brought a complimentary basket of Taylor’s Sweet Potato Fries ($5.25).

The restaurant has large windows that face the train tracks in Jack London Square.
The music in the background is a continuous play of new and classic Rhythm and Blues songs.

The food at both restaurants tastes almost identical.  It is really good soul food for a good price.

The famous Southern California restaurant was a good experience. The food met my expectations.

Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles is a Southern California restaurant chain.

The Hollywood location is popular with celebrities.  Rapper Snoop Dogg took his camera crew to the restaurant on his reality TV show.

I visited the Hollywood location on a Sunday morning.

The restaurant was packed. There was a 10-minute wait for my party of three to be seated.

The restaurant had a casual ambiance with an intimate setting and low lighting.

There was music in the background that could barely be heard over the loud crowd in the restaurant.

There is not a full-service bar available at this location.  Beer and wine are the only alcoholic beverages served. It is open from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Our server suggested we get the traditional chicken and waffles ($5.75). It included two waffles and two chicken wings.

I added a side order of macaroni and cheese ($4.90).

The food portions were generous.  The waffles were so big they spread over the edge of the plate. 

The fried chicken was delicious.  It had a home cooked taste.  The macaroni and cheese was not the best, it had too much cheese in it.

Our food came in fewer than 10 minutes after we ordered it; we were in and out of there in approximately 40 minutes.

My party ordered three plates of chicken and waffles, strawberry lemonade and a side of macaroni and cheese.  Our bill was a few cents shy of $25.

There is only street parking, so be sure to bring change with you.

I prefer Oakland’s Home of Chicken and Waffles to LA’s Roscoe’s Chicken and waffles because Oakland offers later dining and the happy hour specials can’t be beat.

There is never a wait to be seated.  The setting is inviting and comfortable.  You can sit back and enjoy yourself with good music, good food and good drinks.

COMPILED BY STEVE HILL/TIMES STAFF

What unique cultural tradition do you practice?

Oliver Fredriksen
Age: 24
Major: English

I observe Saturnalia. It’s a pagan ritual where you spend time in nature. Sometimes you hunt your own food like rabbit, elk or deer, or get a belly full of wine.

Erick Soto
Age: 20
Major: Film, radio, Television

For winter break I go home to Los Angeles. My family and I make Salvadoran pupusas and give them to the day laborers.

Noe Torres
Age: 31
Position: English instructor

We make a traditional drink called Ponche.  It’s made with sugarcane and different kinds of fruit and left to ferment for a few days. It is usually served hot on Christmas Eve.

Joe Andrade
Age: 29
Position: Facilities Manager

Most people give out candy or fruitcakes at Christmas. I give out tamales instead.

Ang Huhaoxi
Age: 20
Major: English

I party with friends for the Chinese New Year, then we go shopping.

Soheil Samiee
Major: Web Design

When we celebrate Norouz, the Persian new year, we give money to younger people as a blessing for the new year. If you keep the money, you will be blessed.

Linh Nguyen | TIMES STAFF

American Chemistry Society club members discuss an upcoming prehealth conference at their weekly meeting Tuesday, May 1

The American Chemistry Society club at San Jose City College has quickly become one of the more successful groups on campus.

It has been around only two years, but it has won 12 awards in local and national competitions.

“They (students) get to do a lot of scholarly work, and they get very unique educational experiences, mainly in research and conference attendance and participation,” said Madeline Adamczeski, ACS club adviser. “To be in community college and have that opportunity, it’s incredible.”

Club members have opportunity to participate in many local and national ACS conferences and Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Sciences conferences.

Spring 2012 ACS President Athena Ford said the LAPS PharmD conference at University of California, San Francisco showed her that graduate school was a possibility for a low-income students.

The MIMS conference helped her decide on a career path and solidify her goals.

“I realized how influential the club was on how I viewed my educational career,” Ford said. “Joining the ACS club opened up countless opportunities for me.”

This year was the first time students went to the Latino Association Pharmacy Students PharmD conference and Mental Illness Management Service conference.

Ford said that such successful conferences like these are likely to be continued.

Outdoor trips to local museums and research laboratories are always in the club’s activities. Club members are exposed to a variety of scientific environments.

ACS club also works closely with the SACNAS chapters at SJCC, San Jose State University and University of California, Santa Cruz. A number of students who transferred to SJSU, UCSC and pharmacy schools also act as ambassadors for the SJCC ACS chapter.

Being known as a green club, ACS members actively work in green chemistry.

Before becoming the official club, interested students, who later became the founders of ACS, held Earth day in April 2010 on campus.

Strong leadership is the reason why the club has held many successful events.

Many ACS members are part of Peer-led Team Learning workshops that provide group activities and individualized learning to help other students understand chemistry.

They are often the leaders and tutors at PLTL. Many students, who were in the PLTL workshop, later become the club’s members.

The ACS club was officially formed at SJCC in the spring of 2011. Before becoming an official club, a few chemistry students and teachers had been worked together on their research.

On Dec. 10, after receiving the starter grant for ACS student chapters from the national organization, the ACS club officially started with 12 student members with Eric Oh as the club’s president.

“Everyone is welcomed to join,” Ford said.

However, she said members should have an interest in math or science as the club has a strong emphasis on allied health fields and chemistry.

“You can attend this school for years and never really make any lasting connections,” Ford said. “Joining a club like ACS will help you build up relationships that will last a lifetime.”

Linh Nguyen | TIMES STAFF

American Chemistry Society club members assemble at their Tuesday, May 1 weekly meeting.

What kind of music do you dislike?

Name: Sandra Franco

Age: 22

Major: Biological Science

It probably would be rap because it has too many bad words, and it just talks about really dumb things. I just don’t understand how people can really like it. It doesn’t make any sense to me. It just talks about party girls and a bunch of bad words. The melody is all right, but not the lyrics.

Name: Robert Holmes

Age: 37

Major: English

The one that I really dislike would be death metal or something that is really loud but actually has no rhythm, no melody and just noise. The lyrics, if they’re talking, that’s fine; but if they’re screaming at me, then no.

Name: Loan Trac

Age: 18

Major: Nursing

I don’t like rock. I just can’t understand what they are singing. The lyrics, the melody and the screaming are not really my type. I don’t like rap, but I can listen to it.

Name: Luong Thach

Age: 60

Major: English

I don’t like rap music because it’s weird to me and gives me a headache.

Name: Emerald Francis

Age: 23

Major: Business Administration

I don’t really listen to music, but I guess the kind of music I dislike would be heavy metal. It gives me a headache. I prefer more relaxing and smooth music.

Name: Jose Lara

Age: 53

Position: Day custodian

I don’t like rap. It makes no sense to me, but I listen to rock.

According to the California Energy Almanac website, gas prices have increased 52 cents since Feb. 13.

To save money in this economy, people look for special deals that will give them more for their dollar.

The newest money-saving trend is couponing. You can still use name brand products without paying outrageous prices.

It is easy to get started; check your email. You could have an inbox full of savings without even knowing it.

If you are a frequent shopper or a registered user, department stores, restaurants and websites send emails with sale announcements and coupons.

Coupons are everywhere; they appear in the Sunday newspaper, in magazines, on store shelves, on products and on the back of your receipts.

Online Shopping: Surf the web; there are many websites that offer free coupons or promotional codes.

Promotional Codes (http://promotionalcodes.com) offers online deals, including free shipping or discounts on your order.

Another useful site that can give instant savings to your online purchase is Retail Me Not (http://retailmenot.com). It offers a search engine to locate all promotional discount codes available for online shopping.

Retail: The website that has launched thousands of couponers is Krazy Coupon Lady (http://thekrazycouponlady.com).

The extreme couponing website does all the research for you.  It offers printable coupons and shows you which coupons you should look for in the Sunday paper.

It does a price comparison of a sale item so you can locate which retail store has it at the lowest price.

Grocery: Another great website with printable coupons and a savings guide is Coupon Mom (http://couponmom.com).  The website is focused on grocery savings and promises to cut your grocery bill in half.

Social: Discover the best in your city. Living Social (http://livingsocial.com) offers discounts on local spas, restaurants, shops and travel.  It gives you an opportunity to plan fun family outings and vacations.

Applications: With more than five million downloads, the most popular money saving mobile application is Groupon.

Groupon works with popular businesses to negotiate discounts of 50 to 90 percent. The daily deals are sent to all of its subscribers through emails and social networking.

It is time to eliminate those last minute trips to the store where you purchase everything at whole price.

Be smart, think ahead and coupon.

Items selected from the police logs of the Santa Clara County Police Department,  San Jose Evergreen Community College District campus police and http://CrimeReports.com.

*A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 18 at 9:54 p.m.

*A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 18 at 11:49 a.m.

*A rape occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue on April 15 at 1:51 p.m.

*An assault and battery occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue

on April 15 at 12:10 a.m.

*An assault with a deadly weapon occurred on the 700 block of S Bascom Avenue

on April 14 at 12:18 p.m.

*A vehicle was stolen on Fruitdale Avenue and Southwest Expressway

on April 12 at 9:11 a.m.

*A vehicle was stolen on the 1500 block of Southwest Expressway

on April 17 at 7:59 a.m.

*A vehicle was stolen on the 700 block of Menker Avenue on April 11 at 11:25 p.m.

*A vehicle was stolen on the 900 block of Leigh Avenue on April 11 at 2:43 a.m.

*A vehicle was stolen on the 2000 block of Beatrice Court on April 10 at 8:14 a.m.

*A grand theft occurred on the 1600 block of Parkmoor Avenue

on April 10 at 12:28 p.m.