The Inquirer Vol VI no. 4

I

'Out of the box' Oakland Museum of California showcases a sneaker exhibit.

See Page 6 & 7.

inquirer Volume VI, No 4

Strive to save

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

New bill to make college tuition affordable MAHRUKH SIDDIQUI Staff member

SUMMER PAGÁN / The Inquirer

Senator Kevin de Leon addresses Hassam Jawaid’s question on March 16.

Senator leads open forum to suggest $2 billion dollar budget for those in need SUMMER PAGÁN Staff member

California state senator Kevin de León carried on with the discussion of protecting refugees and undocumented immigrants during a visit to DVC’s cafeteria on March 16.

Having the state come together to become a “beacon of hope” and continuing to uplift diversity in California was one of the main ideas that Senator de León shared on Thursday.

Crowds gathered in Main Street Bistro as they heard the district’s chancellor and two California senators speak on behalf of how the state plans to support communities.

“Following last year’s fall election, our country in particular California, we’re seeing and experiencing a life very different than it was before,” said Fred Wood, the chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District, as he asserted challenges the Muslim, immigrant and LGBT+ community face daily.

Wood continued by acknowledging how those communities could possibly be supported by the “California Values Act” - SB 54, which is in alignment with Resolution 1-S.

As Sen. de León took the stage, he explained the possible outcomes of SB 54, released a positive attitude to the future of the country and responded to public questions and comments.

In response to President Trump being elected to office, de León said, “Donald Trump may have won the presidency of the United States but he hasn’t changed our values of who we are as a great state.”

“The cost of living is skyrocketing in cities across California.” ~HASSAM JAWAID DVC Student

After a brief introduction of his beliefs and plans for the state, de Leon replied to public comments with the best of his ability.

DVC student Hassam Jawaid asked the senator, “What good ultimately is a sanctuary state when you can’t afford to live in it?”

Jawaid carried on as he highlighted his concern, “The cost of living is skyrocketing in cities across California. Every day we’re seeing more and more homeless people, and the state level governments are doing nothing about it.”

In reply, the senator was disappointed by the amount of money that is being used to jail those who are mentally ill or homeless instead of helping them survive by living.

He described a $2 billion budget for building urban housing for homeless persons with mental illnesses as a possible solution to the problem.

Although many Californians are still concerned with the future of the state and country, the state’s senate team only plans for the better during the next for years and longer.

“California has always been a place where you can be whoever you are and become whoever you dream of being. We celebrate who we are. We celebrate diversity. We don’t deport it, we don’t ban it and we don’t wall it off,” Sen. De Leon said.

Contact SUMMER PAGÁN at SPagan@DVCInquirer.com

Copyright © 2017 The Inquirer - www.dvcinquirer.com

The Democratic leaders in the assembly announced the Degrees Not Debt higher education budget package earlier this week.

In addition to a press release, Assembly Democratic leaders outlined the details for the new budget package during a Facebook live press conference on Monday, March 13.

This new budget package is geared towards helping reduce student debt and making college affordable for almost 2.8 million undergraduate students at the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community College (CCC) systems.

The Degrees Not Debt budget package is set to allow community college students’ tuition to be free for the first year for any in-state students.

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago said, “…full-time students can expand access to financial aid, promote equity, increase enrollment, help improve academic performance, and boost college completion rates.”

The program also rejects Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate the Middle Class Scholarship.

“Getting into college is challenging,” Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), chair of the Assembly Budget Committee said.

“The total cost of attending college, whether it be a two or four-year institution, has grown significantly over the last years,” Jose Medina (D-Riverside), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, said in the press release.

The program is planning to be established as a part of the 2017 Budget Act with the first scholarships being distributed in the 2018-19 school year.

Contact MAHRUKH SIDDIQUI at MSiddiqui@DVCInquirer.com

2

news

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

calendar Saturday, March 25 DVC Softball vs American River, Softball Field 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 28 7th Annual James O’Keefe Comic Awards, Diablo Room HSF Building, 12:30 - 2 p.m.

Friday, March 31 Deadline to submit work for DVC literary contest, email jbarksdale@dvc.edu.

Saturday, April 1 DVC Baseball vs Santa Rosa Baseball Field, 1 p.m.

Monday, April 3 - Sunday, April 9 [~~~~~Spring Break~~~~~] Friday, April 14 DVC Baseball vs Sacramento City Baseball Field, 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 DVC Softball vs Cosumnes River Softball Field, 3 p.m.

police beat Thursday, March 2 Bookstore A student shoplifted food items.

Business and Foreign Language Building, Room 111 A student lost their wallet.

Friday, March 3 Library Room 110 A non-student found using school property, a TV, for personal use.

DVC Speech team wins many awards at state competition NIKKI MOYLAN Co-editor-in-chief

The Forensics team, a club at Diablo Valley College, won big at a California tournament for the first time in 10 years.

Also known as the Speech team, the term “forensics” (not to be confused with forensic science) refers to the Latin term about court testimonies and how to perform well in that setting.

Former coach and DVC faculty member Becky Opsata worked with students on the team for six years.

“My advice for them was to always be confident, remember what they worked for, and to have fun and enjoy what they’re doing,” she says.

Speech and debate also incorporates 11 different types of speeches including theatre, as students perform monologues and prose.

Senior students can perform as many as three or four speeches during a competition.

Current director, professor Robert Hawkins, focuses on coaching students on performances and literature like prose poetry.

“The goal is for the performers to advance their thesis through social commentary,” Hawkins says.

Speech and debate tends to be a highly competitive activity and the championships are when the stakes are raised.

“Southern California tends to beat quite a bit at these competitions, but it’s a great opportunity for us to show how awesome our team at DVC is,” he says.

The team is is partially funded through the Communications department, ASDVC and through their own fundraisers.

“We do a lot of outreach to law firms and political establishments, and local groups inter-

Courtesy of ROBERT HAWKINS

DVC Speech and Debate team won multiple individual and group awards. ested in helping debates. We are decently well off when it comes to funding,” says Hawkins.

Another event funded by the Forensics team is their Speech night, which allows both the members of the club and communication students to showcase their best work that they have been practicing all semester.

Alan Fishman, DVC student and member of the team, have been a part of it all for the past two years.

He notes that the skill of debating builds critical thinking and public speaking skills.

“I love how exciting and intellectually stimulating debate is,” Fishman said via email. “I love

being part of a team and working with others who share my passion. Debate has really transformed my life and enabled me to grow into the person I am today.”

As for advice for any potential members, Fishman says to “Come in with an open mind and be eager to learn. It’s up to you to choose how much effort to put in.”

“Don’t be turned off by the learning curve, it gets better when you really get into it.”

Contact NIKKI MOYLAN at NMoylan@DVCInquirer.com

ASDVC member removed before election NAGISA TSUKADA Senior staff member

Warehouse An unknown person shattered a DVC maintance Van window.

Monday, March 6 Hospitality Studies/Food Court Room 290 Student reported difficulty breathing and feeling pain in their back and arm, declining medical transportation.

Tuesday, March 7 Off Campus A subject reported a road rage incident which occured near campus.

NAGISA TSUKADA / The Inquirer

ASDVC members discuss among themselves about the upcoming elections as well as the recent removal vote.

THE INQUIRER Diablo Valley College 321 Golf Club Road, ATC-103 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 The Inquirer is published Thursdays during the school year by the Diablo Valley College journalism students. Unsigned articles appearing on the opinions page are editorials and reflect a two-thirds majority opinion of the editorial staff. Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the writer or artist and not necessarily those of The Inquirer, Diablo Valley College or Contra Costa Community College District.

Associated Students of Diablo Valley College denied an officer’s membership in a board meeting on Tuesday, March 14.

Secretary (Allen) Tiangan He, has become subject to removal upon his fourth unexcused absence on the semester, according to ASDVC President (Chris) Bowen Liu. ASDVC bylaws state that board members “shall be allowed three unexcused absences per semester.”

The issue was put to a vote and a majority of board members agreed to remove Tiangan He. He’s removal comes on the eve of next month’s ASDVC general election, when a variety of seats for the 2017-2018 school year will come up for a vote.

Editorial Board CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR

Frank Guitron and Nikki Moylan Will Nevin Erin Smith Geoffrey Weseman Kayla Robinson

The nominations are as follows: President John Michaelson Zhijian (Kevin) Zhang VP of Executive Affairs Pau Chun (Edmond) Lok Xiaocheng (Candy) Liang Parliamentarian Kodai Yasuda Xin Ma Secretary Asami Higuchi Jesslyn Mulianto Yuka Hamada General elections are being held on April 19 in the Cafeteria.

Contact NAGISA TSUKADA at NTsukada@DVCInquirer.com

Staff STAFF WRITERS Vielle Arcani, Trevor Cheitlin, Courtney Donahoe, Mark Lindahl, Ashley Loaeza, Julia Muskevich, Isaac Norman, Summer Págan, Kayla Rojas, Camille Schwartz, Marukh Siddiqui, Nagisa Tsukada, Danny Yoeono.

INSTRUCTIONAL LAB COORDINATOR Julius Rea ADVISER Mary Mazzocco

• Phone: 925.969.2543 • Email: inquirer@dvc.edu • Website: www.dvcinquirer.com • Printed five times per semester •

3

features

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Jazz Combo Night brings students together KAYLA ROJAS Staff member

Each semester, the music department puts on a series of concerts featuring student musicians. While some may overlook the importance of live music in an academic setting, concerts like these prove to be beneficial to the school community.

Tuesday, March 14 was Jazz Combo Night, and the turn-out was great. The show took place inside the music building in a large classroom rather than the performing arts center, and the crowd took up almost all of the seating.

Four student bands played a 3-4 song set, each with their own unique style. [Inaudible], Vermillion Lounge, Crunchy Love and Runnin’ on Empty were the four featured bands of the night. Throughout the semester, the bands work closely together to prepare for these graded performances.

The teachers usually are the ones organizing these events, and it can be pleasantly surprising to see their students perform outside of the classroom.

Crunchy Love, one of the featured bands, packed a pleasant surprised towards the end of their set by a surprise rap performance

by Danny Balderramos. “That was the reaction we were going for!” bass player Sean Spangenberg said.

“With two hours of music, a lot can go wrong but a lot can go right,” said event codirector Ben Levine. “Most of the students

Courtesy of Jameziecakes (CC by 2.0) here are jazz history students, so their assignment is to go to one of these live events and write a paper on it. But besides that, most people stayed until the end. It was a good turn out.”

Levine and the rest of the department hope on bigger audience attendance for fu-

ture live concerts. If these shows keep going the way they are now, it won’t be so hard to fill up aisles. Audience participation is also a key element in these shows and keeps the crowd going.With the amount of talent that these student bands bring, it is no surprise that the music department is doing so

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Contact KAYLA ROJAS at KRojas@DVCInquirer.com

4

features

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Good veteran replaces tattered flag KAYLA ROBINSON Copy Editor

Everyday Scott King walked passed the old tattered flag on his way to fitness class near Viking’ Stadium.

As a veteran, “Every time I see the flag I think of the men and women that I served with,” said King, a veteran.

“The missions we were on, everywhere we went we took the flag with us and I think of those who were very close to me who died for our country, for the flag.”

It was just a regular Monday afternoon when DVC fitness instructor Theresa Flores-Lowry witnessed “some young guy” lowering down the flag. “I thought to myself, somebody’s stealing our flag,” she said.

“Then I thought, oh well, no big deal because it was worn and tattered and needed to be replaced anyways.”

Flores-Lowry always inquired about the condition of the flag to the athletic director around football season.

“I didn’t give it much thought after that and a couple hours later I see the flag is up there. A new one. Shiny, not tattered and I’m thinking, that guy put a new flag up,” Flores-Lowry said.

Police services is responsible for taking care of the flags on lot one and on lot five. Lt. Ryan Hud-

Student veteran Scott King looks on at the newly replaced flag in the DVC Viking Stadium. dleston said in an email he wasn’t sure who was responsible for the Viking Stadium flag and he would check with the athletics department.

“At some point, it stopped hap-

pening, and that went on long before anyone questioned it,” FloresLowry said.

Due to the lack of responsibility for the flag, Scott King felt compelled to take it upon himself to

see that at least for this semester, it was taken care of.

“Rather than me going to go knock on someone’s office door to figure out who’s job it is to change it I figured it was better to ask for

KAYLA ROBINSON / The Inquirer

forgiveness than to ask for permission,” King said.

Contact KAYLA ROBINSON at KRobinson@DVCInquirer.com

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5

features

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Film showcases what wearing a hijab really means in US

COURTNEY DONAHOE / The Inquirer

Left, Professor Rosemary Henze and Dr. Arwa Abu-Shariefeh introduce their film “Just a Piece of Cloth” to an interested audience.

COURTNEY DONAHOE Staff Member

The award winning film, “Just A Piece Of Cloth”, is a short movie educating the public on what the hijab for Muslim women is and what it really means to them.

Producer and director Rosemary Henze guides us through four Muslim women’s lives, and how wearing the hijab in the United States comes with their struggles and difficulties.

Henze received her Ph.D from Stanford, and currently she is a professor in linguistics and language development at San Jose

State University. they make while doing so.

The short film introduces us “It’s a film built on my experito four women who are Muslim, ence as a teacher, and wanting to or have congive a place verted to the my stu“We hope to expand on for Muslim relidents voices gion, and they to really your knowledge and speak about speak to a maybe do something their lives here larger audiin America. about it maybe take it to ence was reDr. Arwa ally my goal,” the next level.”

Abu-shariefHenze said. eh, Dian AlyFollowed ~Dr. Arwa Abu-Shariefeh an, Nur Laura after the inBean, and troduction Mahsa Mohaddess Modirzadeh was the film that lasted for 30 mintalk about how they wear or don’t utes, then right after a discussion wear their hijab and the choices of what the whole process of film-

ing and putting the film together was like for Henze occurred.

“It was a huge undertaking, much more than I imagined because I didn’t have any really background in film making, I took a few classes here and there, and tried to learn as much as I could,” Henze said.

Dr. Arwa Abu-shariefeh was also at the short film presentation and gave her intake on the process of making the film as well.

Abu-Shariefeh earned her Ph.D in international and multicultural education at the University of San Francisco.

“We hope to expand on your

knowledge and maybe do something about it maybe take it to the next level,” Abu-shariefeh said.

Ending the panel, they opened it up to the audience for students, family, and friends to ask any questions regarding what they thought about the film and anything to do with the hijab and Muslim religion.

“The more you ask questions the more you’re gonna notice we’re just like you,”Abu-shariefeh said. “we’re exactly like you, you have no idea.”

Contact COURTNEY DONAHOE at CDonahoe@DVCInquirer.com

New Board Kings app caters to busy players NIKKI MOYLAN Co-editor-in-chief

NIKKI MOYLAN / The Inquirer

A screenshot of gameplay from Board Kings.

If you're looking for a new game to pass the time in between classes, Board Kings is a colorful new app which promotes playing with friends and also stealing coins from them.

Board Kings is a brand new game developed by Jelly Button, a mobile gaming company formed in 2011 and based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Their first game was Pirate Kings, a glorified roulette wheel which they dubbed "the original mingle player experience."

The premise of Board Kings is simple: You own a game board which doubles as a town where bunnies live, and travel through the town through a roll of the dice. For every square landed on, you earn cash which can be used to upgrade town facilities, increasing the number of bunnies. Rolling doubles allows for more coins collected.

Landing on certain spaces allows you to choose a card, which ranges from an extra cop on a space to collect fines from visitors, to 10 extra rolls. Watching a short, 15 to 30 second ad about another gaming app will also get you another card as well.

One of the most addicting aspects of the game is collecting tokens, or "idols", with the possibility to gain new ones by landing on a space and randomly selecting one.

There are numerous cute tokens, ranging from in-game themes like candies or techno-esque devices. Collecting all of the idols from a series will allow for you to use special dice. The themes of the board itself are not necessarily important, but add for a customization option and can be changed as often as you like. The more bunnies living in your town, the more themes you can unlock.

People can also purchase "gems" which are used to buy ingame items, more rolls and tokens. This gem currency can be

obtained for free by landing on one of the squares, avoiding the temptation of in-app purchases that is so common in the industry.

What makes Board Kings appealing to users is there is no real pressure to spend money on the game in order to advance; people are able to progress at their own preferred speed.

While it is fun to work on building up your own town, the most essential part to playing Board Kings is going to others' boards, stealing money from their town's banks, and destroying their buildings. People also run the risk of being thrown in "jail", where in a fashion similar to Monopoly, you must roll for doubles or pay a fine.

Connecting the game to Facebook and playing with friends is highly recommended, but you can also travel to strangers' boards as well. Inviting Facebook friends daily gives you 20 free rolls. There are also spaces on your board which randomly choose people who you can steal from and displays the amount of money you can take.

One complaint most users have mentioned in the comment section is the fact that everyone is given a limit of 35 turns, and 4 turns are generated every hour. Definitely a game which should be played when you know your day is going to be busy so turns can regenerate over time.

The game also has an impressive social media following, specifically on Facebook and Instagram, for a small, up-andcoming gaming company. They often organize competitions for 50 rolls in exchange for a review in the App Store or on Google Play.

Board Kings is currently available on Apple and Android devices.

Contact NIKKI MOYLAN at NMoylan@DVCInquirer.com

Sneaker Style slays Out of the Box exhibit shows wide range of sneaker styles GEOFFREY WESEMAN Sports editor

S

neaker heads rejoice. For the next two weeks the “Out of the Box: Rise of Sneaker Culture” exhibit will be open at the Oakland Museum of California.

Located at 1000 Oak St., the museum is hosting a display of sneakers from the early 20th century to the present day.

Everything from a pair of Yeezy Boost’s to all 23 pairs of Jordan’s can be seen.

Shoe enthusiast Daisy Rosario talked about her favorite pair. “I think I would say the (Jordan) IV’s probably. I’ve been a fan of the whole line, but I actually owned those as a kid and I loved them.”

If movies peak your interest, there are a pair of Mache custom Air Force XXV inspired by Heath Ledger’s iconic portrayal of the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

There truly is a bit of something for everyone. At the exhibit, including Steph Curry’s Pregame Curry 3 low-top’s, which feature the words “Ghost Ship” and “Always Remember,” along with the initails of all the lives lost in the december 2016 Oakland fire.

Each shoe was auctioned to support the Oakland Fire Relief fund.

The exhibit also features the Curry 3 high-top’s which read “Oakland Strong.”

Get out and see the hype before the Museum puts the shoes back in their box on April 2.

Various Adidas from the 1960s and 1970s.

Above, Share Your Sneaker Story wall, where “Sneaker heads” share the sneaker experiences. Right, Air Force XXV Mache Customs featuring Hea Ledger’s final role as the Joker in the Batman movie, “The Dark Knight.”

Contact Geoffrey Weseman at GWeseman@DVCInquirer.com

eir ath

Photos by GEOFFREY WESEMAN/ The Inquirer

Left, Dez Customz low-top pregame Curry 3 featuring the words “Ghost ship” in honor of the victims of the Oakland fire. Bottom, Barack Obama Nike Air Force One by Jimm Lasser.

DVC's Best Bites ISAAC NORMAN Staff member

T

his meal, pictured on right, was purchased from the Express Bar on Tuesday, March 14th.

The theme of the day was Indian food and the entrĂŠe items were tandoori chicken and chicken tikka masala (pictured in the cup).The two value meals and cucumber salad cost $14.75 including tip. Conversely, if you wanted to spoil yourself, you could head to the Pastry Shop right next to the Express Bar. Both offer a wide variety of choices in terms of nutrition and flavor and they are not the only ones.

The Main Street Bistro, located downstairs, has more options to choose from.

The quality of food the culinary program offers begins to shine when you taste how fresh the vegetables are. The Pastry Shop lets you sample a variety of different items although it is important to remember food like the quiche and bagel are best when eaten right away or heated up. Knowing there is gourmet ice cream offered on campus makes the Pastry Shop even sweeter.

Indian food for sale on the Express Bar’s menu, which switches weekly.

Contact ISAAC NORMAN at INorman@DVCInquirer.com

J

ocelyn Tan enjoys her pork kung pao, broccoli and chow mein from the Express Bar on the second floor of the cafeteria on Wednesday, March 15th.

This is Jocelyn's first time trying Chinese food from the the Express Bar. She usually enjoys the American and Japanese food they serve.

People can be turned off from ordering in the Express Bar because they think it will take too long but Jocelyn disagrees.

She feels even though the lines are long they usually move really fast.

P

rofessor Kristen Koblik holds her sandwich, Korean barbecue flavored Kettle chips and a latte she purchased at the bookstore on Wednesday, March 15th.

In her opinion, the food has only fair to middling nutritional value but the sandwich will be two meals for her.

"I was just thinking, I like these sandwiches as I was walking over here," said Professor Koblik. "I'm faculty, I've been here awhile.

Pickles, mustard...it's all good."

Grilled salmon with citrus terragon, risotto and grilled vegetable medley, also for sale during lunch at the Norseman.

A

ngelica Orellana eats her mushroom tofu over rice from the Crow's Nest on Wednesday, March 15th.

She feels the food is healthier than what you get from the cafeteria and the value is not bad because a small pizza from the cafeteria costs four dollars while her meal cost five dollars.

She feels getting food from the Crow's Nest is very convenient, especially if you go during class periods when the lines aren't as long, but the only thing that sucks is they close early.

M

Photos by ISAAC NORMAN / The Inquirer

arcos Rios is trying a chicken teriyaki plate, his first meal from the Main Street Bistro on the ground floor of the cafeteria, on Wednesday, March 15th.

"I'm not a food critic, I like simple things and I think it will be fine," said Rios.

The cafeteria is closed when he is on campus for evening classes and he normally gets food from the bookstore.

10

opinions

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Spring Break spent inside is a break well spent As spring break approaches, visions of nubile coeds storming sandy beaches, getting drunk off cheap tequila and being involved in questionable social situations come to mind. But are these tawdry dreams and fantasies all they’re cracked up to be?

ERIN SMITH Opinions editor

The closest I ever got to a spring break spent liquored up in an exotic location was probably with my Mom in Santa Monica, sneaking vodka cranberries in Ocean Spray bottles onto the beach while my siblings boogie boarded the day away.

Most, however, were spent sleeping in until 2 p.m. after staying up all night long running around the neighborhood with my friends.

And this was all in high school.

By college a week off meant taking on extra hours at work to get that sweet, sweet paycheck with more than 16 part-time hours on it.

The one jet-setting spring break I took to NYC was spent primarily holed up in the Waldorf Astoria reading “The Kite Runner,” and breaking out in hives from drinking too much Fernet-Branca at the Spring breakers live it up on a sunny sandy beach. hotel bar. The first class flight was worth it, though. will be staying local, just about up, coordinate a costume, or fish My spring break record may making up the other 50 percent of out the only green piece of clothnot be the most extravagant, but spring breakers. ing I own just to be a part of the according to the Chicago Tribune Spring break reminds me of party. more than 50 those suppleBack in the 1990’s and early percent of col- “The closest I ever got mental holidays 2000’s MTV spent an entire week lege students to a spring break spent like New Year’s of air time every year dedicated to will be jetting Eve, Hallow- showcasing college age students off to hotspot liquored up in an exotic een, or the re- debasing themselves on national locations such passed television. locationwas probably cently as Las Vegas, St. Patrick’s According to Bustle.com, proCancun, Mex- with my Mom in Santa Day. The pres- gramming included whipped ico and Punta sure to go out cream bikinis, bumping bodies Monica...”

Cana, Dominiin a jovial bang, on “The Grind” and “I’m Spring can Republic. get wasted and Broke.”

Statista.com have “fun,” can Who else but Jerry Springer stated that 27 percent of students be all too great. could entice Shelly to cover herwill be working while 22 percent I’d rather not have to get dolled- self in honey and feathers for an

Courtesy of Prakash / CC by - ND 2.0

undisclosed amount of money.

As bustle.com said, “The feathers washed off her body, sure, but did they ever wash off her soul?”

So this spring break I implore you to spend your time off from school how you please. Party hard, work your ass off, sleep the days away, whatever you do, don’t let party envy get the best of you.

Contact ERIN SMITH at ESmith@DVCInquirer.com

To degree, or not to degree? That is the question Finding a job fresh out of col- your golden ticket to employlege is almost as hard as commit- ment within your desired profesting to a major within your first sion. But the real world isn’t Willy year on campus. As millennials, Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It we face steep competition before seems as though the more degrees even entering are earned, the the workforce. higher unemNot only is ployment rises. the unemployIn 2015, a ment rate sky projected 2.8 rocketing within million univerour generation, sity graduates but millennials entered the U.S. must come to workforce with terms with higha bachelor’s, er university tumaster’s or itions, causing doctoral degree a tremendous as America’s amount of stuunemployment dent loan debt rate fell to its JULIA MUSKEVICH that’s greater bottommost Staff member than ever bepercentage fore. in practically According seven years, as to a survey conducted by Mon- stated by the National Center for ster TRAK in 2006, 48 percent Education Statistics. of graduates move back home “If you look at the numbers after graduation. This percentage starting in 2009, we’ve been in fluctuates as the prosperity of the the longest sustained period of economy does. unemployment since the Bureau One would reason that if you of Labor Statistics began collectspent numerous years working ing their data following World War towards a degree, it would be II,” said David Pasch, spokesman

for Generation Opportunity. gree when a majority of graduates These statistics and research don’t even use it? make it undeniably less motivatWell according to a Pew Reing to attend college and earn a search Center Report, people degree. with at least a bachelor’s degree A report from Pew Research had median annual earnings of showed young adults without stu- $45,500 compared to the median dent debt have a net worth that is for people with only some college seven times higher than those who at $30,000 or a high school dido. Not surprisploma at only “A report from Pew $28,000 a year. ingly, millennials are deferring Research showed young The difficult from homepart is finding ownership and adults without student an occupation substantial which your debt have a net worth indegree purchases due would that is seven times to unavoidable come in useful student debt higher than those who rather than apand underemplying for a job do.” ployment. that virtually The employanyone could ment gap has do. “They’re amplified over the years and across the first generation that needs to many generations. According to have a college degree and experithe BLS, the U.S. unemployment ence to compete, before they even rate for 20 to 24 year olds is nearly enter the workforce,” research double that of 25 to 34 year olds. professor for Georgetown UniAs reported by the Federal versity’s Center on Education and Reserve Bank of New York, in Workforce Anthony Carnevale 2012 about 44 percent of gradu- stated in an interview with Newsates were working jobs that didn’t week. require a college degree. It makes The advantages of having a you wonder, why aim for a de- degree most certainly outweigh

the off-putting facts of unemployment. The U.S. Census Bureau stated that college graduates earn 75 percent more than a high school graduate.

That equates to about $1 million or more over a lifetime. Imagine the impact on your lifestyle that would have.

Pew Research Center said that millennials are projected to soon overtake the baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation.

By 2020, millennials will make up an estimated 46 percent of all U.S. workers.

The employment rate within our generation is anticipated to inflate within the next few years due to technological advances and opportunity growth within the workforce.

A significantly higher salary should be incentive enough for millennials to be compelled to obtain a degree.

Contact JULIA MUSKEVICH at JMuskevich@DVCInquirer.com

11

opinions

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

editorial

Alleviating trash benefits campus

WILL NEVIN / The Inquirer

A long lost gum packet and lonely discarded water bottle liter the area surrounding the Crow’s Nest.

Most Diablo Valley College students have experienced problematic parking, impacted registration and ridiculously long lines for food. Recently, unwanted trash around campus has also become part of the DVC experience.

In 1950 the original DVC campus only accommodated a mere 300 East Bay students. According to a DVC Self Evaluation Report in 2014, DVC's student body has averaged around "20,000 students every semester since 2000."

DVC has undergone several face lifts since. Most recently, the old cafeteria, culinary department and student service's buildings were demolished and replaced with new state of the art facilities.

The new eateries specifically have increased the amount of food students purchase and consume on campus, however the new digs clashing with the surrounding aging classrooms has led to an odd problem: not enough trash cans for the new DVC. The cafeteria has an entire wall dedicated to displaying color coordinated trash cans and recycling bins. In comparison, the Crow's Nest near the Advanced Science Building has only two "garbage only" trash receptacles, a plastic trash bin and one recycling center.

The Crow's Nest feeds about 200 - 300 students a day. The increasing popularity has caused an increase in traffic as well as trash,

and as a result trashcans are found filled to the brim with their famous black trays.

“Trash has always been a problem here on campus.” ~DR. GABRIELE WEITZEL Biology professor

Biology Professor Dr. Gabriele Weitzel explains how "trash has always been a problem here on campus. We fought hard to bring recycling containers to campus, these blue bins are relatively new."

"Science students around here

work non-stop and need quick food, these students do not have time to walk all the way down to the new cafeteria," said Dr. Weitzel, "causing the Crow's Nest line to grow incredibly long and their black plastic containers are filling trash cans."

Even the cafeteria and express line are affected due to the increasing student body, leaving DVC trashed.The culinary department and cafeteria received a million dollar department upgrade which included two new kitchens, a bake shop, and buffet on top of the regular cafeteria.

Chef Paul, culinary department instructor said the the former facility was, "the absolute worst

kitchen in California, now DVC has one of the best kitchens in the nation."

Following the trend of demolishing the old and bringing in the new, the area surrounding the Crow's Nest should be replaced with new facilities that can accommodate the influx of students and their remains. More color coded trash and recycling centers should be made more prominent throughout campus making it easier for students to properly dispose of their garbage. This would not only alleviate the trash problem on campus, but help the environment as well.

-Spring 2017 Editorial board

Trump to thwart much needed financial aid Here's what's happening: President Donald Trump and his administration seem to hate people who get an education.

The current political regime has taken back protections ordered by the Obama administration that blocked guaranty agencies and student loan debt collectors from charging late fees or collection charges.

This change in policy may affect around 7 million people who have student loan debt under the Federal Family Education Loan Program.

Trump has also released details into his budget proposal and it has deep cuts to the Education Department. For college students, the Federal Supplementary Educational Opportunity Grant, or money that is only given to those in college who have the greatest need, will be chopped.

Another cut in the Education Department means the Pell Grant program will

lose 3.9 billion dollars in funding.

DANNY YOEONE Staff member

On March 1, Daniela Vargas spoke at a press conference in Jackson, Mississippi, about her hope that she and other Dream-

ers could remain in the United States and contribute to the country they’ve long called home. Minutes later, the 22-year-old woman — who earlier obtained permission to stay in the country through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — was detained by immigration agents and taken to a detention center in Louisiana.”

Vargas entered the country when she was 7, and now faces the possibility of deportation.

Here's why it matters: Now, if a borrower is late on a student loan payment they can expect a fee and pay up to 16 percent of the principal and accrued interest owed. Which could amount to thousands of dollars owed on top of the loan itself.

When you are middle to lower class the Pell Grant is crucial to being able to afford

school.

Here's what you can do: These are problems affecting the nation, so call your national representative. The Capitol Hill switchboard can be reached at (202) 224-3121.

Join a resistance group. The Indivisible Guide has set up the grassroots blueprint that the Tea Party used to influence Congress. It is easy to find a local group online that has events near you.

The ACLU has launched People Power to mobilize citizens to fight for civil liberties outside the courts.

On March 11 they had a resistance training that was live streamed by the Civil Liberties Club here at DVC.

Contact DANNY YOEONE at DYoeone@DVCInquirer.com

The

Buzz

What are your plans for Spring Break ?

Interviewed by: Mark Lindahl Photographed by: Kayla Rojas

DESTINY LEWIS Nursing

SCOTT CROWE Political science

KRIS DEMOV Business/Computer science

Christian Jauregui Mechanical engineering

“Hanging with friends.”

“Going to Cabo with friends.”

“Training for kickboxing.”

“Day vacations, so going to a different place everyday.”

12

sports

Sharks looking good ending season Have we forgotten about the San Jose Sharks? We most certainly have not.

The Sharks are first in the NHL Pacific Division with ten games to go in the regular season. This team looks primed and ready to make another run at the Stanley Cup Final.

After last year’s great effort to get to Lord Stanley’s Cup I think they’re hungry for redemption.

Thursday, March 23 - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

NIKKI MOYLAN/ The Inquirer

Kinesiology major Ty Piona works with a student in the gym on March 16,,2017.

Certified personal trainers now available NIKKI MOYLAN Co-editor-in-chief

GEOFFREY WESEMAN Sports editor

To get that redemption the Sharks will need to improve their performance during a power play, when the other team draws a penalty and are restricted by one player.

The Sharks are currently ranked in the bottom half of the NHL for power plays and penalty kill where they rank 13th overall.

The Sharks kick off a four game road trip with their division rival, the Dallas Stars. And it is going to be a tough rink to play in for them.

But nothing gets the blood boiling more than a heated rivalry. In an interview regarding the trip in a game preview on ESPN, head coach Peter DeBoer explained “We’ve never shied away from tough rinks or tough trips. I think we’ll be ready [for the Stars].”

Look for the Sharks to come out flying on the ice Friday, March 24th to break their two game losing streak.

One of the keys to the Sharks’ success is their ability to limit the other team from scoring a goal.

They currently rank third in the NHL in goals-against-average due to the young goalie Martin Jones.

If they can focus on improving the power play and keeping their goalies healthy on this road trip they’ll be successful.

Contact GEOFFREY WESEMAN at GWeseman@DVCInquirer.com

Diablo Valley College’s Kinesiology department is now featuring personal trainers for hire for those interested in improving their health and reaching their fitness goals.

The sessions, which began on March 7, occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays at either 9:4510:45 a.m. or 11 a.m. -12 p.m. in the Kinesiology building.

According to their flyer, they are currently serving DVC staff, students, and community members.

Shelly Pierson, kinesiology professor, hopes to expand the program in upcoming semesters.

There are about 5-10 personal trainers every semester, and began with faculty and staff only taking on the role.

The program allows you to develop a cus-

tom fitness plan focusing on your specific health goals, whether it’s weight loss, muscle tone or staying active.

“The personal trainers have about 2 clients twice a week. It’s really great hands-on experience before going out in the workforce,” said faculty member Ralph DePew. Ty Piona, kinesiology major, agrees that the experience is great and says his favorite part of personal training is “that it’s a job which benefits someone’s lifestyle and motivation to get fit. I’m also having a positive influence on someone.”

The program for getting a personal trainer certificate is experience intensive, involving internships and 2 semester long classes, which leads to a NASM certification that can occur before or after you start working.

“People definitely feel more comfortable with a trainer who has certification. I prefer to

get my certification here [at DVC] instead of a gym because the experience is more handson,” Piona explains.

Summer classes such as cycling, social dance and yoga are popular choices for students interested in staying active in between semesters, and is highly encouraged by the kinesiology department to join a program in addition to their personal training programs.

“A lot of students don’t know our facilities exist or are open to athletes only,” said DePew. “We’d love to help people work out and stay fit.”

For anyone interested in checking out one of their programs, wearing athletic clothing and bringing water is advised.

Contact NIKKI MOYLAN at NMoylan@DVCInquirer.com

Vikings comeback attempt too little, too late MARK LINDAHL Staff member

MARK LINDAHL / The Inquirer

Outfielder Tyler Toland takes a hack against American River College.

At the very start of this game it was apparent that the Diablo Valley College Vikings were going to be in for a rough ride.

Even though a late ninth inning comeback would end the game at 10-5 in favor of American River College.

The ARC Beavers came out bats swinging in this game. There was nothing the DVC pitchers tossed their way which could get an out for the Vikings.

Through two innings the Beavers piled up a lead of 9-0, with the Vikings in need of a regroup. At the start of the third inning Coach Steve Ward decided to make a pitching change, which led to a lot more playable balls, giving the defense something to work with.

DVC started to gain momentum after putting together a nice string of defensive stops, the offense started to get rolling as well.

After a sacrifice fly and a grounder that turned into an error for the Beavers, DVC got on the board in the fourth inning with a score of 9-2.

In the sixth inning the ARC offense started to show up again after the Vikings gave

up another run, and the score now ballooning to 10-2.

Once they got out of the inning, Coach Ward decided to go to his bullpen in hope for another spark for his club.

After back to back base hits and a wild pitch, the Vikings were in scoring position on second and third.

With another sacrifice fly, DVC scored another run cutting the lead to 10-3.

After a couple more pitching changes and some solid defense by the Vikings, including a nice double play, it looked like there was still a chance.

Coach Ward knew his team needed to get something going in the ninth inning.

He got exactly what he was looking for. In the final frame back to back hits started the inning and the Vikings plated another run, but also gifted the Beavers a double play, giving the Vikings only one more out to work with. After a base hit by the Vikings.

Now 10-5, the crowd was starting to believe there was some hope that seemed all but lost by the third inning. With a runner on second and crunch time setting in, DVC hit a grounder right to the shortstop, ending the comeback bid by the Vikings at 10-5.

Contact MARK LINDAHL at MLindahl@DVCInquirer.com