The Inquirer Vol VI no. 5 by DVC Inquirer

Blaze that stuff

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Do we need a space to legally smoke marijuana? See Page 9. Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Volume VI, No 5

Vets fear deportation

Still no relief for Volt and Leaf drivers KAYLA ROBINSON Copy editor

COURTNEY DONAHOE / The Inquirer

Jose Orta disscusing the deportation of veterans.

Alliance speakers describe flawed path for citizenship after military service COURTNEY DONAHOE Staff member

With all the recent policies going into effect, it’s hard to keep track of who’s being affected by what policy. Diablo Valley College’s Veterans Alliance recently put on a speaker series about the deportation policies and how it has been affecting the veterans who have served in the military. Jose Orta and Maurice Martin were the two speakers, and talked about deportation policies along with their own personal experience in the military. “I’ve started doing research on how many veterans have actually been deported and there is some estimates of about 30,000 veterans since 1996,” Orta said. Orta begins with a video of military veterans who have served in the past, who share their stories of how they got deported. He then continues on about what non US citizens who want to serve in the military have to do in order to be a part of it. There’s a couple of different procedures that include assessing good moral character, administrative barriers, mental health, and criminality

issues. “The biggest one is good moral character issue, if you’re a regular (foreign) person, not in the military or a veteran, you have to have 5 years of what they call good moral character, you have to show you’re a good person, haven’t committed crimes,” Orta said.

“The biggest one is good moral character issue,...you have to show you’re a good person, haven’t commited crimes.” ~Jose Orta Guest speaker

He went on to tell what could happen if you don’t have good moral character, or how other small things could affect your good moral character. Maurice Martin is a military veteran who is currently majoring peace and conflict studies

at the University of California Berkeley. He’s also apart of a California veterans group fair. Martin mainly talks about his time in the war, what happened after coming back, and what he’s doing now to help with military veterans. He spoke of how military veterans are held to a higher accountability when they come back from war. “Are you telling me that the deported veterans that go over there, you encourage them you offer them citizenship, and then when they perform, then you hold them... to a higher standards if they mess up?” Martin said. They ended with questions from the audience talking about related experiences and more of how every one of us could lend a helping hand to our military veterans who served for our country, like going online and donating to our homeless veterans.

Contact COURTNEY DONAHOE at Cdonahoe@DVCInquirer.com

The time has come for electric vehicles to have more than two available charging outlets at Diablo Valley College. DVC currently has two 120v outlets and one 240v located amid faculty parking in lot four, providing accommodation for only two electric vehicles (EVs) at a time. The outlets are often occupied for substantial periods of time - a single electric vehicle can take up to 12 hours to fully charge. “I purchased my vehicle (Chevy Volt) in January,” DVC chemistry instructor Wayne Larson said. “I had previous knowledge of the charging outlet that was available because for the past 20 years I’ve used this parking lot however I am aware that a lot of people are unaware of the outlet.” According to the Department of Energy, the technologies that power electric vehicles have been in development since the 19th century, with the first fully electric car making its debut in the United States in 1890. The technology failed to catch on, with high costs playing a prohibitive role in the mass manufacturing and adoption of electric vehicles. Fast forward to today, and the tides seem to finally be turning. Green Car reports that over 184 thousand electric vehicles have been sold in California since 2011, which has lead to a higher demand for charging outlets throughout the state, including at DVC. According to the PlugShare app, which locates nearby charging outlets and stations for EVs, the closest outlet to DVC is located at Meson Azteca Mexican Cuisine on Morello Avenue, 0.7 miles from campus. Continued on Page 4

news

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

calendar Friday, April 21 M-101 Concert: Classical and Contemporary Music from Iran and the Persian Diaspora, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 22 M-101 Spring Sing!, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25 Baseball Field DVC baseball vs. Folsom Lake, 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 Commons Area Majors Expo, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, May 4 East Bay Gives Drive- donate online at www.eastbaygives@eastbaycf.org/white-pony-express. Tuesday, May 16 M-101, 7 p.m. Musical Theater workshop

police beat Wednesday, March 29 Art complex A student reported her wallet was taken. Kinesiology building- Women’s locker room A student reported personal property was taken from the women’s locker room. Thursday, March 30 BFL, Room 102 Two students previously in a relationship were involved in an altercation.

District attorney informs about sexual assualt prevention MARUKH SIDDIQUI Staff member

Paul Graves, Senior Deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County, held a presentation on sexual assault awareness and intervention on April 12th at Diablo Valley College. The presentation kicked off a list of events being helped at DVC in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness month. Graves' presentation consisted of statistics and common misconceptions about sexual assault and rape as well as what we can do to prevent such atrocities and help victims. According to Graves, one in five female college students have been a victim of rape or attempted rape and 85 percent of those victims don't report to it. Graves also said that a 2002 study of 1,882 part-time college students under the age of 28 in Boston found that 120 men committed 483 rapes, and an alarming

rate were repeat offenders. Most also were never reported to authorities as well. "We need to change that dialogue. We need to make it safe for people to report and we need to encourage them to report so we can stop this," said Graves. "Most of what I see are late reports, at least three days to two weeks later, when they do report." He also stated that our vocabulary and excusing behavior needs to stop. With notions such as "boys will be boys," being so prevalent, it dispels myths that men have no control over their bodily functions. The victim blaming and shaming needs to stop. "Since you weren't there and you don't know, never make an assumption," Graves concluded in regards to questioning the validity of an assault. After the presentation a panel answered questions posed by audience members and gave advice. The resounding sentiment was to not keep quiet about things.

MARUKH SIDDIQUI / The Inquirer

Marlen Valenzuela, Laura Delehunt and Paul Graves inform attendants about sexual assault. "Err on the side of caution and report," said Deputy District Attorney Diane Weiss. Students can find resources reporting and counseling for sexual assault, rape and domestic violence online at

http://dvc.libguides.com/sexualassaultawareness.

percent of reported sexual asAlcohol is also the biggest drug saults are carried out by strangers that often attributes to sexual asin early morning hours on people sault, as it is legal, socially acceptwho are also distracted or isolated. ed at parties and often glamorized Statistics can vary a lot, as some because of the media and people's people do not always report and infatuation with the party lifestyle. up to 2-8% of reports are false. At a party, no one is often there to The workregulate alcoshop also menhol consump“People should be tioned spousal tion, and excesable to go rape, where sive amounts consent is nevcan lead to to a party and er implied in judgehave fun and not have impaired marriage. The ment and reacUnited States anything happen to tion time. g over nment Roofies, a them based on what drug passed a law that dispreventing it in solves into they’re wearing.” 1976. drinks and Date rape has no color ~JAVIER LOPEZ was also menor smell, also Prevention educator at Community Violence Solutions tioned, and is attributes to defined as beassaults as it ing attacked leads to unconby a perpetrator who they were sciousness and memory loss. romantically involved with. WarnRape culture is often a maing signs of date rape can include jor influence on victims coming manipulation and coercion. forward, as many are questioned "I like to tell people, when in unnecessarily more than the averdoubt, get the hell out," Lopez age victim of a crime. Lopez and says. the other crisis counselors at the

meeting encouraged everyone to call out anyone who says insensitive things as a way to stop rape culture. "The hardest thing to change is someone's thinking...Rape culture does come from misogyny," Lopez said. "People should be able to go to a party and have fun and not have anything happen to them based on what they're wearing," continued Lopez. Short term preventive measures encouraged during the workshop includes being aware of your surroundings, establishing a communication and buddy system, being wary of your drinks at a party and using self-protection. Community Violence Solutions offers self-defense training for interested individuals, and their crisis hotline is 1-800-670-7273.

Contact MARUKH SIDDIQUI at MSiddiqui@DVCInquirer.com

Workshop aims to help change people’s thinking on sexual assault stigma NIKKI MOYLAN Co-editor-in-chief

April is "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and this month's Brown Bag Workshop focused solely on ways to prevent these assaults. 1 in 3 females will be sexually assaulted in a lifetime, and it will happen to 1 in 6 males by the age of 18. Javier Lopez, prevention educator with Community Violence Solutions or CVS, was the featured speaker. There is currently no program on the DVC campus which facilitates students with a sexual assault crisis, but CVS does act as a lifeline for anyone in need. Discussed during the workshop was the ideas of consent, described as one participant as "autonomous will", and how it must always be affirmative and in somewhat of an excited tone. Rape is defined as forced sexual contact defined by the victim. The types of assault was also discussed, with statistics like 23

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.

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

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

Contact NIKKI MOYLAN at NMoylan@DVCInquirer.com

Staff STAFF WRITERS Vielle Arcani, , 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 •

news

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Study finds parks improve East Bay economy TREVOR CHEITLIN Copy editor

or how much value each visitor places on a single visit to the parks. Based on activity pricing and estimation, The East Bay Regional Park District pro- the study values each visit at approximately vides a major boom to the East Bay econ- $8. omy, according to a 2017 study conducted Other contributing factors to that $500 by the Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. million economic valuation come in the The EPS, Inc. concluded that the District form of property value premiums for land provides $500 million in benefits to East bordering the parks and healthcare cost Bay residents and businesses every year, savings from the promotion of exercise along with an annual economic impact of and healthy living, along with environmenalmost $200 million. tal benefits such as enhanced air and water This is the first economic study conduct- quality. ed for the park district since 2000. Economic impact, on the other hand, re“Over the past 16 years, much [in the fers more specifically to the district’s role in district] has changed,” wrote District Gen- generating regional economic activity. eral Manager Robert E. Over half of the $200 Doyle in a letter accommillion economic im“The District panying the study. pact of the district stems “We felt it time to provides $500 million from money spent in the commission a new study in benefits to East Bay local economy by outto understand the disside visitors who come trict’s economic benefits residents and businesses the East Bay to visit the today.” parks. Another $9 milevery year.” The difference belion is attributable to distween economic value trict spending of federal and impact can be difficult to grasp, but and state grants. represents distinct economic concepts. Both visitor and grant spending have ripSimply put, value refers to the district’s ple effects that generate new jobs throughworth as a service to the East Bay commu- out the Bay Area in industries such as retail, nity. Impact signifies its contribution to the transportation, construction and food and district economy. beverage services, according to the study. A large chunk of the district’s total ecoThe study also concludes that, since 2000, nomic value comes from “recreation value,” the district’s visitation and economic signifiwhich reflects a “willingness to pay” on part cance has far outpaced population growth of the district’s 25.5 million annual visitors, in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

TREVOR CHEITLIN / The Inquirer

Visitorship to the East Bay Regional Park District has increased 78 percent since 2000. This points to an ever increasing role for the district in the makeup of the East Bay. The district’s 25.5 million annual visitation is more than the attendance of the A’s, Giants, Warriors, 49ers, Raiders, Sharks and Earthquakes combined, and that number, along with the Park district, continues to grow. “The district is not only a major driver

of economic vitality in the East Bay,” the report states. “It enhances, in no small way, the quality of life for all East Bay residents and those doing business throughout the region.”

Contact TREVOR CHEITLIN at TCheitlin@DVCInquirer.com

news

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Continued from Page 1 DVC plans to add three charging outlets to other lots around campus but that plan has not been finalized. The addition will be an answered prayer to EV owners but a level two charging station might make more sense. A level two charging station costs on average 20 times more to install than an outlet and has an average electricity cost per car of $2.00, but charges in two to four

hours. “I have noticed an increasing number of EV vehicles in the staff parking lots whose owners would appreciate and need an opportunity to charge,” Fred Kennedy, DVC Computer Science Instructor said. “To meet these needs DVC needs to install at least eight level two charging stations to help meet the needs of faculty and staff.” California’s Bay Area Air Quality Management District offers $4 thousand in tax credit per level two charging station to offset part

of the costs. In an emailed response to the concerns of DVC math instructor Peter Willett, Interim President Ted Wieden said, “we are committed to either upgrading the existing EV charging stations or installing new stations. Once we develop a scope of work, we will solicit bids from vendors that are already on file with District Purchasing.” Contact KAYLA ROBINSON at KRobinson@DVCInquirer.com

District chancellor visits ASDVC NAGISA TSUKADA Senior staff member

Fred Wood, newly-appointed Contra Costa Community College District chancellor, shared goals for the district with the Associated Students of Diablo Valley College on April 11. Dr. Wood began his college career at DVC. After receiving his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from U.C. Davis, he gained his experience teaching before working as vice chancellor at UCD and as chancellor at the University of Minnesota Crookston, according to 4CD website. According to Dr. Wood transfering from community colleges to 4-year universities is a good choice because students will get a deeper education and earn the same degree for half the price. “One of my goals is to help improve the relationships with University of California and

Cal State as well to create greater and wider paths for transfer students,” Wood said. He also emphasized the importance of hearing student voices and encouraged ASDVC members to participate in district-wide committees to share student perspectives. “It makes a difference to hear from you and what your experiences are and how we can intermit your circumstances,” Wood said. In fact, the 4CD board committee is composed of five officially elected members and one student representative, and DVC is honored to have a student trustee for 2017 on the board. The candidates for the new student trustee are Jessica Cisneros, John Michaelson and Peter J. Swenson. Online voting will be held on May 8-10. Contact NAGISA TSUKADA at NTsukada@DVCInquirer.com

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features

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Warped Tour makes stricter guidelines for free parent admission KAYLA ROJAS Staff member

Previously, Vans Warped Tour offered free admission to adults accompanying children under the age of 18. Currently, many music fans waited in anticipation for the lineup to be announced, eager to make their decision to attend. Much to their chagrin, Warped Tour had a different kind of announcement. The committee announced the end of the free parent ticket from 2017 going onward in a statement, “…the tour is ‘going back to our roots’ and with the booking of a more balanced lineup including many legacy acts, we are no longer offering the FREE parent ticket. However, any parents who buys a ticket will still be able to come to our Re- Parents can still use the Reverse Daycare Tent when they buy the ticket. verse Daycare Tent where they can hang out, parents, however, “People would go up to with a paid ticket, they must still get a nonwatch TV, and keep an eye on their child.” kids attending and ask them to pretend to transferable wristband the morning of the “Legacy” acts refers to bands that have be their kid so they could get in for free,” show. Children are not allowed to switch out been around for a long time, and have been a said a Warped representative in a social me- parents halfway through the day, and older part of Warped’s history. Bands like GWAR, dia comment. siblings are not allowed to act as the adult. Hatebreed, Anti-Flag and Municipal Waste After much controversy, Warped founder Parents should have an ID to obtain the create a more balanced lineup between the Kevin Lyman had revised the rules on the wristband, though legal guardians can have newer bands that cater to the younger de- website and although he’s not getting rid of this privilege if documentation is provided. mographic. it, he has administered stricter guidelines. “There are NO exceptions,” Lyman wrote Understandably, there has been some While a parent over the age of 28 can on the Warped website. upset in the music community for young still get in with a child under the age of 16 With the terms now changed, things

Courtesy of Ted Van Pelt, CC by 2.0

seemed to have settled down among fans and the Warped committee alike. Without anyone abusing the program, hopefully Warped Tour 2017 will be an enjoyable experience for all.

Contact KAYLA ROJAS at KRojas@DVCInquirer.com

DVC supports for foster students the position as the student services and structural support coordinator in 2015, when the program began DVC is filled with a multitude to expand. of student programs that cater to The program offers a number a variety of different groups of of services, such as financial, edupeople. cational, and emotional support. From international students to According to promises2kids.org, veterans, there is something for only 10 percent of former foster everyone from all sorts of back- youth will attend college, and of grounds and experiences. One that 10 percent, only 3 percent will of these programs is the START graduate. program, which stands for Student “There is a need for support. It's Transition and Academic Reten- not for a lack of trying or a lack tion Team. It is a support program of not knowing, it's the unknown,” that caters specifically to current says Lezama. “College can be hard and former foster youth who have to navigate. You add on barriers been in the foster care system from that foster youth experience on the age of 13 and older. top of that trauma and it becomes The program is designed to in- even more daunting. My hope is crease access, retention, and gradu- to create this environment where ation rates as well as to provide they know that it's welcoming, that “a warm and welcoming environ- somebody understands you and ment, create a support network, wants to listen and that we are here and emto cheer power fos- “There is a need for support. you on.” ter youth The It’s not for a lack of trying or START students to make prog- a lack of not knowing, it’s the program ress tooffers exunknown.” wards selftensive sufficiency, support to ~MERCEDES LEZAMA profestheir stusional sucdents in cess and community leadership,” helping them reach their academic as stated in their webpage. goal. This includes counseling apThe program originally started pointments extended to one hour in 2008, but due to lack of fund- with an academic advisor. Stuing the program was not able to dents are also required to meet expand. Mercedes Lezama took with Lezama twice a semester to ASHLEY LOAEZA Staff member

ASHLEY LOAEZA / The Inquirer

Toni Knox (left), Giovanna Cooper (middle, standing), Mercedes Lezama (middle, sitting) and Erica Hickey (right) in the START office on Thursday, April 13, 2017. touch base with students on their progress. Backpacks are also provided filled with notebooks, pencils, scantrons, and other supplies necessary. Approximately 60 students are currently in the START program. Among these students is Giovanna Cooper, a culinary arts major who has been in the program since its beginnings. “Everybody needs support, but foster youth especially. It's easy to get pushed through the system and become another page in the book. You don't stand out or get much help. To have this

kind of support and to feel like a real person is helpful and motivating,” she says. START also offers opportunities for its students to build a safe space to meet other foster youths. Various events and opportunities such as support groups, college tours, movie days, and trips are coordinated in order to build a smaller community within the larger DVC community. “You make friends and you see that other people come from the same thing as you do and they share those experiences with you,”

says Candice Grant, criminal justice major. START is located in the EOPS office at the Student Services Center . For more information contact Mercedes Lezama at 925-9692203.

Contact ASHLEY LOAEZA at ALoaeza@DVCInquirer.com

features

College hosts bone marrow drive ISAAC NORMAN Staff member

During an episode of the hit television series “House, M.D.” the team of doctors is forced to perform a bone marrow transplant without anesthetizing the patient. The viewers watch a young boy strapped to a table writhe in agony as a giant needle is stuck into his hip and his bone marrow is extracted. Afterwards one of the doctors remarks what he did was akin to torture. While this makes for compelling television it creates misperceptions about how bone marrow donations actually work. Dispelling these myths is one of the reasons why the PreNursing Society at DVC is holding a semester-long bone marrow drive. On April 12, they partnered with Be the Match, a bone marrow registry, and Blood Banks of the Pacific to educate the community and recruit bone marrow and blood donors. Despite the wet and soggy conditions they recruited 13 potential bone marrow donors. The bone marrow drive is being held in honor of J.J., who at two days old was diagnosed with neutropenia, an abnormally low concentration of a type of white blood cell in the body. J.J. is of mixed Latino and Caucasian heritage and according to Be the Match, only four percent of donors on the

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

DANNY YOEONO / The Inquirer

Pre-Nusing Society students table on campus to promote their group. national registry are of mixed heritage. For comparison according to DVC’s student success scorecard provided by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, eight percent of DVC’s population is of mixed race or ethnicity. This matters because donors and recipients must match human leukocyte antigens (HLA) to increase the likelihood of a successful transplant. HLA types are inherited, so the best chance of finding a suitable donor may be with someone of a similar racial or ethnic background. There are three ways people can donate bone marrow:

“People are hesitant, to do it.” ~Stephanie Engle President of Pre-Nusing Society The first is peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation which is the collection of blood-forming cells also found in bone marrow. The procedure is nonsurgical and is essentially like a lengthier version of giving blood. According to the website bethematch.org the median recovery time is one week and side effects may include headaches, bone or

StarCraft brings nostalgia to fans WILL NEVIN News editor

During an annual “I <3 StarCraft” event in Seoul, South Korea two weeks ago, President of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime announced that the company is officially updating their famous real-time strategy game StarCraft: Brood War with a free standard edition as well as a HD remastered edition. The standard free edition will be “as close to the original game as possible,” Morhaime explains, meaning Blizzard is only offering a widescreen resolution in the free edition which creates black bars with modern HD monitors. The remastered edition will support 4k resolution for HD monitors as well as improved graphics for every unit and building. Both editions are compatible to play with each other, offering all six episodes from the campaign mode, Battle.net multiplayer, as well as supporting the map editor. “StarCraft is a pure distillation of Blizzard’s DNA—its story, its

balance, and all the little details reflect our long-running commitment to epic entertainment, and it’s been a staple in competitive gaming and esports for almost 20 years,” Morhaime said. Originally released in 1998, StarCraft progressed the RTS genre to a new standard with a seamless campaign storyline, iconic voicelines, and the ability to control massive armies with simple ‘hotkey’ commands. Zerg rival to BoxeR was Hong Jin-ho (YellOw) who is nicknamed the “King of Silver” due to his second place finish in multiple tournaments in a row, the “Boxer of Protoss” Kang Min (Nal_rA) is considered one of the most creative and game changing Protoss players in StarCraft history after using anti-air units corsairs against Zerg flying supply units, a strategy which changed the entire way Protoss and Zerg fought each-other. Classic Games senior producer at Blizzard Pete Stilwell, in an interview with Yahoo esports, describes how the “original StarCraft didn’t have an [automatic match-

muscle aches. The second is a surgical procedure that takes place in a hospital room. According to the website bethematch.org doctors use needles to withdraw liquid marrow from both sides of the pelvic bone. Donators are typically discharged the same day of the procedure and occasionally are kept for overnight observation. Common side effects reported two days after the procedure are back or hip pain, fatigue, throat pain, muscle pain, insomnia, headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite and nausea. The median recovery time is 20 days. The third way is to donate cord blood. Immediately after child birth blood is collected from the umbilical cord, not the baby. According to the website bethematch.org the advantages of cord blood are it doesn’t have to be as closely matched to the patient as a marrow donor, so it may be an option for patients with uncommon tissue types. Cord blood is ready to use for patients who need a transplant right away. Studies have found that a complication called graftversus-host disease is less common and less severe after cord blood transplants than after PBSC transplants. Although the side effects may give potential donors second thoughts, Stephanie Engle, the president of DVC’s PreNursing Society likes to keep things in perspective saying, “people are hesitant to do it, (you are) unlikely to be picked but if you do, could be the one in a million that saves a life.” Contact ISAAC NORMAN at Inorman@DVCInquirer.com

WILL NEVIN / Screenshot

Starcraft: Brood War logo. making] button like Warcraft III. Players threw down a gauntlet in chat channels or hosted open game lobbies for other players to join and discuss terms. We’re re-

taining that style of interaction as an option. That is an essential element of [StarCraft’s] culture.” StarCraft: Remastered’s success may lead to other classic Blizzard

games like WarCraft and Diablo getting remastered editions. Contact WILL NEVIN at Wnevin@DVCInquirer.com

features

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Not A ‘Room,’ but THE ‘Room,’ is getting the midnight movie treatment KAYLA ROJAS Staff member

PAT LOIKA / cc by 2.0

Tommy Wiseau himself, in a 2011 photo, has become a celebrity thanks to the movie.

A little known film dubbed “so bad that it’s good” has long since made a name for itself in the film community. “The Room” is an independent film by director, writer and producer Tommy Wiseau. The movie follows Wiseau playing a banker whose fiancee is having an affair with his best friend. The film has achieved cult classic status as of late, and theatrical screenings of it are now a novelty. Every second Saturday of the month, movie theaters in the Bay Area, most notably in San Francisco and San Jose, hold a showing of “The Room.” Much like the “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” it capitalizes on the audience’s participation and shouting lines on cue. A prime example of this is because the crew forgot to take the stock photos of spoons out of the picture frames used as props, and upon them being shown on screen audience members now yell “Spoons!” and proceed to throw plastic spoons at the screen. The transitions in the movie are poorly done, and shots of San Francisco are inserted instead to which the audience responds “San Francisco!” Participation is encouraged among movie goers by throwing a football around whilst the characters onscreen are doing so, or by screaming back infamous lines. Watching this movie on the big screen is a much different experience depending on the type of audience that you are with. The most unique part of it all is that not one show will be the same as the audience will vary. Contact KAYLA ROJAS at KRojas@DVCInquirer.com

KAYLA ROJAS / The Inquirer

Spoons get thrown at the screen, ‘Rocky Horror’ style..

Martinez Regional Shoreline offers tranquility to visitors TREVOR CHEITLIN Copy editor

Don’t go to Martinez Regional Shoreline if you’re looking for a workout - you’ll not find one. This short loop, which winds along the Martinez waterfront, is the second-shortest option for the East Bay Regional Park District’s Trails Challenge, measuring at just over 1.8 miles. Its flat gravel paths make it a preferred destination for trail runners, or those simply looking for an easy walk in the sun. Dogs are not allowed in most parts of the park. Martinez Regional Shoreline finds itself nestled in a bend of the Carquinez Strait, just west of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. It’s an idyllic plot of protected marshland, with a diverse array of avian wildlife. “Martinez Regional Shoreline” Difficulty: Easy Distance: 1.8 miles round-trip Elevation: 10 ft Time: 40 minutes The area has a rich history as a 19th century fishing village and transport hub. The trail’s suggested starting point sits adjacent to the Martinez Marina, from which the Bay Area’s earliest established (and longest running) ferry service began funneling passengers across the strait in 1847. The park was officially renamed the Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline in December 2016, in honor of longtime Park District Board member Ted Radke and his wife Kathy. Radke served on the Board from 1978 to 2014. He passed away in August 2016. The park’s trails and bridges are well-

TREVOR CHEITLIN / The Inquirer

Trail sign at Martinez Regional Shoreline, which is a light hike. maintained, and quite picturesque. Informative panels along the path offer tidbits about the environmental and societal history of the area. A significant chunk of the walk will lead you along the Pickleweed Trail in the westernmost part of the park, past the wreck of the sunken schooner Forester, which in the early 20th century would carry lumber across the Pacific to Asia. Martinez Regional Shoreline has its drawbacks as a natural space, however. It cer-

tainly feels like an urban park. At one point the trail weaves behind a pumping station - a stark reminder of the extent to which human hands have shaped this place. In the end, Martinez Regional Shoreline provides a convenient space for a tranquil walk, and the easily visible hills of Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline to the west offer an encouraging reminder of how the winter rains make possible a dazzling display of green in the Bay Area. It’s worth taking the time to sit and watch

the world come alive as the wind whips through a sea of tall grass. Keep an eye out for the next part of the Inquirer’s Trails Challenge series on www. dvcinquirer.com. The first part of the series can be found there.

Contact TREVOR CHEITLIN at TCheitlin@DVCInquirer.com

opinions

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

DeVosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; loan policy failing students

remember waking up a couple mistake that may have substantial months back to find that Bet- ramifications. sy DeVos had been voted in as While the loan cap didn't stop secretary of "educatuon"- thanks 8.7 million people from defaulting to the official White House Snap- on their debt, paving the way for chat for that gem. companies to profit off the inacIn addition to cessibility of the disbelief, to higher educathe distaste I felt tion is morally in my gut (and wrong. in my mouth Sure, we thanks to the could debate the day-old coffee government's I was drinking), role in higher was my genuine education, but concern about allowing the having a person predatory nawith no experiture of business ence managing to directly affect a trillion-dollar access to college loan program. can also be conDeVos desidered of quesFRANK GUITRON cided to remove tionable intent. Co-Editor-in-chief the Obama adWith students ministration's $1.31 trillion alcap on student loans on April 11, ready in debt nationwide, higher effectively rescinding protections interest rates don't seem to have from increased interest rates, a the students' best interests at heart.

They could potentially be a turn off for students who can't afford to pay their tuition without financial aid. If interest rates skyrocket enough, it is not inconceivable that there could be a decline in students receiving their bachelor's degree. An average price of $25,000 for a year of college is simply too high. There aren't any clear solutions for this problem, unfortunately. It seems that, at least for the meantime, we are stuck with DeVos, and the price of higher education will continue to rise. I fear there may not be as many opportunities for students to receive an education, which could have a crippling affect on their future. I'd urge our readers to contact DeVos directly at Betsy.DeVos@ ed.gov to voice their concerns on this issue. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/

Contact FRANK GUITRON at FGuitron@DVCInquirer.com

DVC financial aid offers literature to help students fund their future.

U.S. needs to shed light on outdated practice

nless the media talks about ceWho would have foreseen that over lebrities, politics, or President half a million girls are affected by FGM Donald Trump, our country in the U.S. alone? doesn't want to hear it. Muna Hassan, a 22-year-old postgraduBut an ongoing movement is developate student is the co-founder of Integrate ing throughout the world to stop girls and U.K., a charity that campaigns against women from undergoing female genital FGM around the world. mutilation. Hassan voiced in the BuzzFeed interPrimarily performed on girls between view, "I didn't know what it was. infancy and age 15, female genital muThe more I read it, the more it becomes tilation, or FGM, entails all procedures mortifying. that intentionally remove or injure female Do I know anyone who have gone genitalia for non-medical reasons. through it? I told my school to raise Though FGM is primarily concenawareness of these hidden abuses. Why trated in Africa, the Middle East, and did I have to Google to find out?" JULIA MUSKEVICH Asia, the United States is not excluded. I think many of us may feel the same Senior Staff member An estimated 513,000 women and girls in way due to the lack of conversation and the U.S. have undergone or are at risk of disclosure of the issue. being exposed to FGM, according to the U.S. Centers for According to UNICEF, if the population growth continDisease and Control Prevention. ues at its current rate, nearly 63 million girls may be "cut" by

2050. Sixty-three million girls. Try to wrap your head around that number. With a campus as culturally diverse as DVC, and over half a million women in the U.S. affected by FGM, there is a possibility that at least one student has been impaired. Awareness should too be brought to the survivors, campaigns, and advocates in other countries and eventually lead to countries taking a tougher legislative approach to solving this issue. Even something as simple as a hashtag posted on social media can start a discussion. London campaigner Hibo Wardere shares her efforts through #EndFGM. Once awareness is raised within each community, we need to find ways to integrate FGM into personal, social, and health education to evoke dialogue. As Wardere said, "we have a duty to protect our youth and that comes in the form of education." Contact JULIA MUSKEVICH at JMuskevich@DVCInquirer.com

opinions

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Editorial

FRANK GUITRON / The Inquirer

Persons over 21 can now legally smoke cannabis recreationally in Califrornia.

College campuses need to accept weed

he use of marijuana on all Contra Costa Community College campuses is prohibited despite proposition 64 legalizing it in the state of California. For those 21 or older the recreational use of marijuana is now legal due to a 57 percent approval on Prop 64. According to the "DVC Quick Facts" handout produced by the college around 65 percent of students are of legal age to recreationally use marijuana. With marijuana being legal in the state of California and most students being the legal age there shouldn't be so much resistance stopping the approval smoking marijuana on campus grounds. Marijuana use comes with the good and the bad, as does

everything else. The fact is marijuana is still considered a Schedule 1 drug, on par with heroine and acid. But when a person hears the word "drug," it gives a negative connotation. In that sense, some people believe that drugs cause crime, apathy and loss of productivity. Not to mention the creation of addicts, deterioration in intellectual function, and car accidents. Marijuana, however, is allowed in California and other states for medical use. It's positives far out way the negative aspects. Marijuana has been proven to treat glaucoma, help control epileptic seizures as well as decrease anxiety and slow the spread of cancer cells.

From a Los Angeles Times article "Puffing is the Best Medicine," Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, at Harvard Medical School said, "Although cannabis has been smoked widely in Western countries for more than four decades, there have been no reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema attributed to marijuana." If inhaling scientifically proven carcinogens into ones lungs on campus in a designated space is allowed there should be a designated section for smoking marijuana as well. Spring 2017 Editorial Board

Letter to the editor

Student and staff unity is required for progress

Global capitalism has decided that faculty and students are expendable. For a while, professors were immune to this since most had tenure. Today, adjunct faculty are out numbering tenured professors. Their voices are undermined as the university system moves toward corporatization. The undermining of the once strong faculty union is part of the ruling class assault on the traditional rights of academics to pursue avenues of exploration outside of the corporate state and the military-industrial complex. At this point, privileges once thought to be sacrosanct are now in question. There needs to be solidarity between students, faculty and classified staff on our campuses. Times are challenging

and when powerful people attack education, we must come together. Faculty is facing challenges like loss of tenure, lack of meaningful democratic participation, and now a shortened school semester that makes teaching that much more onerous. Students are facing the shortening semester as well, who will soon have to cram 18 weeks of material in 16. All of this is done in an attempt to make our nation's community colleges conform to some elitist dream of being just like "prestigious" campuses that often themselves sacrifice meaningful instruction on the altar of sacrosanct academic traditions. Students are also experiencing increasing fees and the lack of any say in the matter. There is less educational content and more money charged to students. You are not seeing a dime of that money. Instead you are being overworked and under-respected. Classified staff are often the silent voices, or more to the point, the silenced voices. They must be made full partners in the struggle for education and democratic voice on our

college campuses. Universities are feared because they are often places of radical dissent. The fear of radical dissent has led to a corporatization of education. Faculty should leave there academic high places and join forces with students and classified staff. We need an organization that joins faculty, students and classified staff as a form of parallel governance structure on our campuses. With this structure, we can challenge fee hikes, the shortened semester that will only exclude valuable educational content and put students at a disadvantage when transferring, as well the attacks on labour that classified staff experience. The alternatives are grim. This is not about luxuries or vague promises. This is about the survival of our campus in an age of privatization. The possibility of privatization is very real. As students, faculty and grounds people we have to be together. Nathaniel Bates

The

Buzz

What’s your favorite shoe and why? Interviewed by: Geoff Weseman Photographed by: Geoff Weseman

Terrel Koon, 18 Undeclared

Taz Neal, 19 Bussiness

Jeneva Vance, 19 Bussiness

Mousawer Safi, 20 Health Science

“Jordan XII’s because they’re simple and you can wear them with anything.”

“The Jordan ‘Flu Game’ because

“Red Nike Huaraches because they’re comfortable.”

“Ultra boost because they’re comfortable and look nice.”

of the red and black, which go with anything red you wear.”

opinions

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Social media leads to excessive snooping

t is always great to share There is always the option of what you are doing on so- limiting your privacy, but what are cial media. But how many schools capable of finding on their take an opportunity to check on students? others they may have lost contact In a way, it is great that compawith, had a falling nies and out from, or broken schools up with? How about can look at employers running potential your name through employFacebook to see your ers or stuprofile? dents and According to a determine 2011 study, the if they are Guardian reports that squeaky “cyberstalking is now clean or more common than not. Howface-to-face stalking.” ever, not Clearly, it shows everyone how easy it is to find lives out what (or who) you’re their ideal NIKKI MOYLAN looking for thanks to selves on Co-editor-in-chief numerous social mesocial media sites. dia and The paranoia is definitely real. not everything posted on it should For example, a Facebook friend be taken seriously. of mine recently had to change Some may joke about how easy his last name on the site because it is to find someone they just met he had just gotten into his dream or accidentally liking another percollege and feared that they would son’s old post because they snooped reject him if they looked on his too much, but it is a serious issue. profile and saw his silly but wellInstagram used to have a feature intended photos and posts. known as the “photo map” where

people could post their location and see their other photos in proximity to each other. However, due to the ability for others to stalk those posting on their photo map, Instagram removed the feature back in December. Sites like LinkedIn actually inform users who has viewed their profile, but even those settings can be altered. I personally think LinkedIn has the right idea because it helps to know if it’s more than just your inner circle catching up on accomplishments. In the end, just watch what you post online because it’s never truly private and it never goes away, even if you delete it. Social media should be about having fun and not hurting your chances of landing that new job or getting accepted to college.

Contact NIKKI MOYLAN at NMoylan@DVCInquirer.com

NIKKI MOYLAN / The Inquirer

An example of Facebook’s privacy policies.

The benefits of living with less N ever heard of the word minimalism before? Most people haven’t, so don’t worry. But the movement that is sometimes known as simple living, is a lifestyle without owning an excess of materialistic items for the purpose of decluttering from stress physically and mentally. Minimalists would rather save their money to spend it on experiences than on a bunch of little things that could add up to collections. SUMMER PAGÁN “Minimalism is a tool that can Staff member assist you in finding freedom…. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our era roll, or decorations in your lives around. Real freedom,” said house being used? Joshua Fields and Ryan NicodeIf yes, do they make you happy mus, also known as “The Mini- or bring a purpose to your life? malists”. If you don’t love it, leave it. Although If you don’t there are need it, let it go. “Minimalism is a tool many dif“We found ferent kinds a better way to that can assist you in of freedom, live centered on finding freedom...” Fields and more important Nicodemus pursuits. It has ~JOSHUA FIELDS AND RYAN are telling been a journey NICODEMUS you the truth of discovering “The Minimalists” when they say the abundant you can find life is actually freedom and found in ownhappiness by ing less,” said owning less. Joshua Becker as Are all the he described his clothes in your closet, makeup results from becoming a minimalproducts in your purse, shoes on ist on his blog, Becomingminimalyour shelves, photos in your cam- ist.

SUMMER PAGÁN / The Inquirer

Clothes hang in a minimalist closet. As a non-extreme minimalist, there is a truth that in knowing that owning less stuff can lead to lower levels of stress and more passion in life. Success isn’t defined by material items. You cannot buy time; you can only spend it. Experiences and memories can

last a lifetime, but consumer goods cannot. As I have found, minimalism is a great idea because it not only helps you save money, it can help you love to work, get out of debt, untie yourself from the past, give you more time on your hands, and more. “What minimalism is really all

about is reassessment of your priorities so that you can strip away the excess stuff – the possessions and ideas and relationships and activities – that don’t bring value to your life,” said Colin Wright in “Minimalism Explained”. Contact SUMMER PAGÁN at SPagan@DVCInquirer.com

sports

Green’s abilities help the Warriors get wins Forget about Curry, Durant, and Thompson. Draymond Green’s consistent play boosts the Warriors’ play to a new level. Green does it all on the court. This team wouldn’t be where they are without Green. His tough style of play gives this team the grit it needs. In game one of the Warriors’ first round matchup, the Portland Trailblazers only shot 25 percent from the field when Green was the primary defender. At the beginning of this season the Warriors’ wanted to take the villain role in the NBA, but to me they still aren’t the villains of the league. A villain is more of a rogue team thats rough all around.

“Draymond was amazing.” ~GEOFFREY WESEMAN Sports editor

The only tough guy I see on the court for the Warriors is Green. His stocky build allows him to go toe-to-toe with some of the NBA’s best big men despite the fact they’re taller than he is. Now this isn’t to say the Warriors aren’t grinders or they don’t play hard. This team, just like every team in the league, has to work hard to get to where they are at. This is to recognize Green for the well rounded style of play which is the largest piece to the pie. I praise Green for his efforts and for his ability to make plays to get scoring opportunities for Curry, Durant, and Thompson. Without him I’m not sure the Warriors would be where they are right now. In a post game interview Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, “He played a game, that I’m not sure anybody else in the league is capable of.” Contact GEOFFREY WESEMAN at GWeseman@DVCInquirer.com

Thursday, April 20 - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

DVC loses to Sac after grind of a game MARK LINDAHL Staff member

DVC couldn't quite pull off the victory against a tough Sacramento City College opponent on Tues., April 11. The first three and a half innings were a scoreless grind, highlighted by awe-inspiring defensive stops from both teams. The Vikings (10-22) broke through the stalemate in the bottom of the fourth inning, when catcher Drew Downing scored from second on back-to-back wild pitches from Sacramento pitcher Isaiah Nunez. Sacramento (24-8) hit back in the top of the fifth after second baseman Ruben Garza led off MARK LINDAHL / The Inquirer with a stand-up double. He was brought home three batters later after a battle at the plate cul- Vikings pitcher Logan Fischer against Sacramento City College on April 11. minated in a two-run homer from catcher Antonio Torres. The Vikings refused to go down without a walk. A bomb launched to center field in the The Panthers added another run to their lead fight, however, with a base hit leading to anoth- next at bat brought the crowd to its feet, frantiin the top of the sixth to make it a 3-1 game. er run scored in the bottom of the eighth to pull cally waiting to see whether it would fly over the The Vikings were thrown into a potential DVC within one. center field wall. Caught. panic after Downing took a pitch off his faceWith the bases loaded again for DVC in the With two outs and one on, the fans grew simask. The game soon resumed after he passed eighth, it looked like the Vikings might be able lent with anticipation. concussion protocol. to steal the game away from Sacramento. A It was not to be, as a strikeout ended the game The bottom of the sixth inning saw DVC in grounder to short tempered that comeback bid. and shut down the Vikings' hopes of adding anprime position to mount a comeback after loadDVC came back out in the top of the ninth other win to their conference record. ing the bases, but the Vikings were only able to determined to preserve the one-run deficit. A It was a great game, and both teams fought muster up one run on a single from third base- quick 1-2-3 inning put the Vikings back up to hard for this one, but the Panthers came out on man Andres Rodriguez. bat for one last chance to steal the game. top 4-3. Sacramento came out firing following a ViThe bottom of the ninth started off with a The Vikings moved to 5-11 in conference kings pitching change going into the seventh strikeout by the Vikings, putting a little angst play with the loss. The two teams will meet inning. A stand up double from first baseman into the fans as they yearned for their team to Dominic Diana led to a run, and the Panthers get some traction going. Contact MARK LINDAHL at now led 4-2. Hope came in the form of a Jordan Willi MLindahl@DVCInquirer.com

Competitive video gaming is the next professional sport DotA 2 and League of Legends are video games within the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre, where the objective is to strategically destroy an enemy team's base. America's next popular sport is already Teams choose five "heroes," which have here, they just don't know it yet. unique abilities such as healing teammates, Most Americans are not aware of how inflicting damage, teleportation or hindering popular competitive video gaming is today, enemies from using their abilities. and usually do not perceive it as being a proProfessional teams often come from difessional sport. verse backgrounds and Its popularity proves have sponsors and ownthey could not be further “Games like League of ers. from the truth. Teams often live, study Legends and DotA 2 U.S Customs and Imand practice together for migration Services clas- often draw more viewmonths or years to massifies international proter strategy, coordination ers in their championfessional video gamers and reflex control, before as "professional athletes" ship rounds than those entering tournaments who can apply for special like The International for of established leagues P1 visas allowing them to DotA 2, which reaches "live in America for five like the NBA and upwards of $20 million in years and perform for prize money. MLB.” payment or prize money," Games like League of with extensions available. Legends and DotA 2 of~WILL NEVIN It's the same visa foreignten draw more viewers News editor born baseball, football in their championship and basketball players rounds than those of esreceive. tablished leagues like the NBA and MLB. In 2013, the U.S government granted the According to Riot Games (the developers first P1 visa to Danny "Shiphtur" Le, who of League of Legends), "27 million people represented Canada in the League Champiaround the world viewed the last game of onship Series of a League of Legends tourthe 2013 championship tournament in Seoul, nament. Korea." WILL NEVIN News editor

Game 7 of the 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals was viewed by 23.5 million people globally. That year's NBA Finals drew 18 million people. By 2017, competitive video gaming claimed its crown as the fastest growing sport in the world. People might struggle to compare glass eye wearing competitive video gamers to traditional strong body physical athletes, but the industry has already established itself as one of the most popular sport. Within ten or even five years competetive video game tournaments will be mainstream and eventually overtake the Superbowl to become the largest watched event of the year.

Contact WILL NEVIN at WNevin@DVCInquirer.com