I
A bounty of boughs
inquirer
Take a walk through the diverse forest of DVC. See Page 7. Thursday, Nov. 10 - Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2016
Volume V, No 5
Fred Wood appointed new 4CD Chancellor ERIN SMITH Managing editor ALBERTO CHANG Staff member
A fantastical demonstration of horticultural technology is to debut on campus soon. In just a few years, Diablo Valley College will become home to its very own student-managed vertical farm; an agricultural triple threat that will serve as an organic food provider, a research facility, and a prestigious reason for attendance. The idea sprouted in early 2016 when two of the college’s student-run organizations—the horticulture club and the chemistry club—were contemplating possible collaborations. With innovation in mind, they asked a question that would kickstart an ambitious project: Why not go to where the future of agriculture is? Though by name they counter common sense, vertical farms are anything but unfeasible. And, as of late, we are seeing a progressive shift from traditional farms to them. In general, the same set of ingenious steps make them all work: Farmed fish consume intank algae, fish waste is then produced, nitrates from waste mix with the water, and nitrated water is utilized for outside-plant and in-tank algae fertilization. This
Graphic illustration by COOPER MEAD
Aquaponics is a closed loop irrigation system that uses fish to provide waste for microbes and worms to turn into nutrients for plants. cyclical system, called aquaponics, allows for crops to be readily grown in stacks instead of on horizontal plots of soil. And, depending on their designs, “farmscrapers” can reach heights of dozens of feet. The chief reason to get excited about them, says Chemistry Club Public Relations Officer, Chelsey
Froh, is their ability to revolutionize how we get our greens. If you want to give it a term, call it “urban farming.” Because vertical farms take up diminutive spaces, they can be practically built within any urban area of high-population density. Consequently, distances between consumers and their food sources
are radically curtailed, yielding two wonderful outcomes: Eating organic is made easier and environmentally unfriendly methods of cargo transportation are seriously reduced. One purpose of the campus’s forthcoming vertical farm will be Continued on Page 2
New details emerge surrounding board trustee death KAYLA ROBINSON Copy editor
John Nejedly, a Contra Costa Community College District trustee, was pronounced dead after he was found shirtless and unresponsive in his New Orleans, Hilton Riverside hotel room on Oct. 9. A security supervisor reported finding his body with blood and bodily fluids visibly running down his mouth and chin. The officers confiscated a clear plastic bag containing a gram of white powdery substance from the bathroom sink, $300 in cash, a woman’s bra and cell phone. The untimely death of John Nejedly remains “unclassified” according to the NOLA police department’s incident report. Jason Melancon, a Coroner’s Office spokesperson said,
“We won’t have a final cause of death for Mr. Nejedly until toxicology testing is completed.” There are many questions that still circulate this case that will not be further investigated until the coroner’s report is finalized, which could take up to “6-8 weeks” according to a NOLA public information officer. Mr. Nejedly, 52, was the longest serving board member with a total of 22 years on the Community College Board. Leading up to his death, Nejedly had attended an annual convention of the Association of Community College Trustees from Oct. 5-8 in New Orleans, LA. A memorial service was held for the former trustee on Oct. 27 in Livermore, CA. Courtesy of CONTRA COSTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Contact KAYLA ROBINSON at KRobinson@DVCInquirer.com
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On Nov. 4 in Martinez a special meeting was held to determine the newly appointed Chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District, Dr. Fred Wood was appointed to the position. Having just served at Minnesota University of Crookston as a faculty member he left to take care of family in Northern California, he is now welcomed into the CCCCD. Most notably, Dr. Wood has come full circle as he began his college career right here at Diablo Valley College, “Community college was a big deal for me,” he said during an open forum at DVC. “My experience at DVC was life changing. The faculty and staff nurtured me and gave me the confidence I needed to succeed. They advised me not only about the next courses to take, but where might be the best place for me to transfer,” he continued in a response via email. “If DVC had not been here, I would have never gone to college,” he said. This statement holds a lot of bearing and rings true for a lot of students currently attending DVC. One of Wood’s most unique qualities is his attention to the students themselves. The position of Chancellor holds a lot of responsibilities, a lot of which deal with faculty and staff. But what about the 1,019,640 students it’s meant to help? Dr. Wood worked at UC Davis for 26 years and helped establish a cohesive relationship between the students and faculty. He focused on marginalized students. He helped build the new Student Community Center at the heart of the campus which now houses the LGBT Center along with a number of other critically important student centers. He’s also known for acknowledging non-traditional students such as online only students, and social injustice issues as he assisted with Cal Grants. “I would be here. Talking with you. Talking with faculty, talking with students,” Wood said in regards to what he would do as Chancellor. Continued on Page 2