Barato, Barato, Todo Barato

"Dos dolaritos. Lléguele. Lléguele. Dos dolaritos la ropa," a portly man in a sombrero calls people into his tent. (Come get it. Come get it. Two dollars. Two dollars, clothes.) "Barato, barato, todo barato," a woman selling cd's yells. (Cheap, cheap, everything is cheap.) Every weekend the California Open Air Market holds a swap meet in the Cypress College parking lot. Hundreds of people come to participate in this event, even buyers from Japan.

Media Credit: Alexandru Mitroi Enjoying shaved ice at the swap meet.

Cypress College owns the parking lot used by the swap meet. The college rents it out to Rick Landis, division supervisor of the swap meet. He then rents spaces to 500 vendors.

Landis said the swap meet provides a wide range of goods-from baby diapers to fresh produce.

"There are areas specifically for antiques, used merchandise, clothing, jewelry," he said. It is a great place for the entrepreneur, said Landis.

Media Credit: Vanessa Medina Various truck grills can be found at the swap meet.

Cypress College Journalism Professor Robert Mercer said he once bought some fishing gear there. While teaching study abroad in Japan, he also met a Japanese antique store owner who comes to the Cypress Swap Meet twice a year to buy American memorabilia for his store.

Not everybody gets the deal they're looking for, though.

On Saturday, September 27, one woman haggled over the price of weed killer. The vendor would not lower the eight dollar price and she left annoyed.

Landis encourages not only the community, but students to come enjoy the bargains found in the swap meet.

"I have bought a lot of stuff over there like knives, shoes," said Cypress College student Wing So. He also said that he sometimes finds illegal stuff there, like butterfly knives. He said he likes the fact that the vendors are negotiable.

"I bought some really cute fu**ing shoes," So said. "And I'm not gay."

Media Credit: Alexandru Mitroi A child waits as his mother browses

Million Dollar Bazaar

Cypress College receives $1.2 million dollars annually from the swap meet, according to Karen Cant, vice president of administrative services.

The money is put into a discretionary carryover fund, which Cypress College President Dr. Michael Kasler distributes with the help of six committees, according to Kasler.

"When you take a look at $1.2 million it sounds like a lot of money, but the needs exceed the dollar amount," Kasler said.

A discretionary fund is money that doesn't have a specific, designated purpose, so it has to be allocated. Kasler said the process of voting where the money will be spent begins with every division identifying five major needs.

Then five direction committees prioritize the budget requests. Those decisions are then presented to the Planning and Budgeting Committee. Cant, who is a member of this committee, said it is made of two students, three appointed faculty, two classified members, and three administrative positions.

They next take the priorities requests and make a list to show to the President's Advisory Council. The president looks over the requests and he decides whether or not those are important budget requests. Kasler said he has the right to deny a request, but so far he hasn't.

Media Credit: Vanessa Medina Generic MP3 players and accessories at a vendor's table. The discretionary funds fill in where state funding falls short. The state funds the college to teach approximately 10,500 full time equivalent students. Cypress College exceeded this enrollment by 580 FTES. Kasler said that he felt it was priority to do a better job in helping students succeed. "We rely on the swap meet funds to support programs that we don't have money for."

But where do they all park?

Every weekend Cypress College is buzzing with hundreds of people, but the campus is mostly devoid of students. But some of those who are on campus complain. Cypress College student James Floresco said, "Finding parking on Saturday is difficult."

On the Weekends, parking lot 1 is reserved for students and faculty. "We do isolate parking lot 1 I believe until noon, then open the parking lot for the swap meet," said Kasler. There are 100 spaces kept open at all times for students and faculty in this lot said Landis. He also makes the vendors park as far away because it helps the turnover and empties spots quicker.

Media Credit: Vanessa Medina Swap meet customers can park in lot 1 after noon.

At around ten on September 27, every spot in parking lot 1 was full. But by 11:30, approximately 25 spots were available.

Because there is only one lot open, students have to walk to classes from that location or try to find parking closer to their building. Floresco also said that the reason he was coming on Saturday was to make up a class, and "not many students come for Saturday school." He said he didn't realize the swap meet gave Cypress College that much revenue.