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Letters
DeCinzo traveled the low road in his recent cartoon
I am writing today to express my outrage with the DeCinzo cartoon that appeared in your paper last week. While I understand that it is inherent in the nature of editorial cartoons to be controversial, the cartoon lampooning the West Valley Physical Education and Athletic Departments sunk to a new low. It was more than just unfair, it was absolutely inaccurate and outright offensive.
DeCinzo's cartoon caricaturizes West Valley athletes as dim-witted. The facts demonstrate precisely the opposite: the student athletes at West Valley College take 12 units or more and maintain a GPA of 2.76. The 1999 football team was lauded by the state's commission on athletics as a "scholar team." The COA honored the team in recognition of academic excellence and athletic achievement. The grade point average for the football team that year was over 3.00. Student athletes deserve to be praised for their academic achievements, not ridiculed.
DeCinzo has infuriated scores of teachers with the old stereotype of "those who can't do, teach..." When will the day come when uninformed cartoonists realize that many of us are in education because we want to be here, where we make a positive contribution to the community. The cartoon particularly insults the physical education department faculty as below the standards of other teachers. Once again, the facts prove otherwise: every faculty member in our physical education department has a master's degree or higher. Many have been recognized as outstanding educators by their professional organizations.
DeCinzo needs to travel to the college and interview the student athletes and the faculty. I think he'd be surprised.
Worst of all, the cartoon depicts the student athletes as ape-like. Approximately 46 percent of the football team players are ethnic minorities. They represent a wonderful mix of Asians, African-American, Hispanics and Native Americans. As an African-American, I could not help but feel that the cartoon had an undertone of racism--which rekindled unpleasant memories of other cartoons created in the '60's. I hope this wasn't DeCinzo's intent, but that is how the message was received.
I know that the Saratoga News regularly adheres to standards of journalistic integrity and fairness, but apparently these rules don't apply to DeCinzo's cartoons. You should be ashamed.
Joseph Samuels
Vice President, Instruction
West Valley College
Teacher fed up with attacks on West Valley College students, teachers
The bombardment of articles in The Saratoga News over the past several months attacking West Valley College, the physical education department, the athletic department, the board, the chancellor, the president, the college environment (or lack of attention to the college environment) culminate in the vindictiveness of De Cinzo's cartoon in the March 14 issue. The group of homeowners responsible for this campaign appear to have a schedule of letter writing. "Can You Top This" appears to be the theme. The letters deal in half-truths, imagined truths, invented truths and just plain lies.
"THOSE WHO CAN'T DO, TEACH" (the first line of a four line message included in the cartoon) is an insult to every teacher in Santa Clara County and the United States. Teachers CHOOSE to teach because they have a passion for their subject matter and a passion to help students on their path to maturity and productivity in our society.
In my 37 years of teaching at West Valley College, I have had wonderful students. Many of these students are from Saratoga and span the life cycle of the community. I have a passion for what I teach: physical education.
The insinuation that coaches "teach sports" because they can't teach is further insult. In fact, coaches are probably the best teachers. Their goal is excellence for their athletes. They are organized and motivated to produce the best team they can, within the skill limits of those athletes participating. You can't achieve this if you don't teach well.
Further, the insinuation that the football players lined up to register for classes are well below the norm of college level intelligence is a further insult to these student/athletes. Stereotypes of this sort die slowly. A look at the statistics should help to clarify these issues.
Each year, academic counselors prepare a "Transfer and Graduation" athletic report. The report for the academic year 1999-2000 shows that the West Valley College football team received the statewide Football Scholar Athlete Award for the highest GPA. In addition, West Valley overall athletic transfer rate or A.A. degrees was 68.
Total athletic scholarships totaled 34. Noteworthy is that these GPA statistics are higher than the general population of the college. Athletics have always been an integral component of the West Valley College curriculum. These athletes, in addition to team practice, must complete their classes, often work at outside jobs, and complete a degree or transfer. Athletics is the extension of the regular physical education program, just as an orchestra or choral group is the extension of the regular music program.
At the base of all these vitriolic attacks is the issue of whether or not seating should be provided for the football and track facility. To label this a "stadium" is ludicrous. Seating so that parents, students and other visitors can safely watch an athletic contest is a far cry from a "stadium." The 49ers, the Oakland Raiders, and Stanford University play in a stadium. West Valley College has a "home" football game (approximately five per football season) played on their football and track facility.
Communities throughout the state view their community college as an asset. Many Saratoga citizens also embrace this college and take advantage of what we offer: cultural events, athletic events, other special events, and classes. The college has provided a wonderful environment of which we are proud. To insinuate otherwise is a great disservice. To insinuate that the board is not sensitive to community needs is also a great disservice. I have seen many boards come and go over the past 37 years. Not everyone agrees with every board decision, but at the base of each decision I believe that the board looks at the needs of the student and reach their decisions with the student in mind.
Some of these very homeowners who now attack the college and its board served as board members in the past. One of these homeowners serves once again. During their tenure on the board, they never, to my knowledge, engaged in conversation or debate on nonagendized items brought before the board by members of the public. In fact, I have never heard any board debate on nonagendized items. Yet now, these people attack the board for lack of courtesy and behaving in a manner consistent with past board policy. Their vision is tunneled and self-serving!
Joan Sarlo
Instructor, Physical Education Division
West Valley College
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
