Crude oil situation
Student wins contest
Draining hoops
WesPac has a proposal to build an oil terminal near downtown Pittsburg — page 3
Art Student Daniel Montiel won a poster contest to raise awareness for underage drinking — page 4
The Men’s basketball team has been streaky thus far with a 13-6 record — page 5
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F.Y.I. Important Dates January is National Blood Donor Month Jan. 27
Inter Club Council (ICC) meeting, L109, 3-4 p.m.
Jan. 31
Last day to drop full term classes in person without a “W” appearing on transcript
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Burglarized during break
Set of campus keys and other equipment taken By RATTANA KIM
rkim@lmcexperience.com
Several burglaries occurred on the Los Medanos College campus over the holiday break. Various equipment from the Buildings and Grounds shed and a set of campus keys have been stolen. In an email sent to all LMC employees by President Bob Kratovchil, it is stated that the fence of the Buildings and Grounds area was cut and the same culprits who broke into the shed are believed to be the same people who stole the campus keys. The culprits had also used the keys to enter the Child Study Center; however, nothing else was stolen. For any additional evidence of burglary,
management and Police Services have performed a walk-through of the entire campus. Although no other areas have been identified, it is still an ongoing investigation, according to Lieutenant Ryan Huddleston of the Police Department. As of right now, LMC is in the process of having all the campus buildings rekeyed to prevent any further unauthorized access. All the exterior doors have been rekeyed and the interior doors are in the process of getting rekeyed. Lt. Huddleston said, “we’re just providing extra security for as long as we’ve been asked to so we have 24/7 coverage for the undetermined amount of time.”
In addition to increased security, last week Lt. Huddleston, President Bob Kratochvil and a few members of the safety committee had performed a walk-through of the entire campus to see where the lights are out that could make students and employees feel uneasy. They wrote down the information to provide facilities and department recommendations. It is now assured that all the lights are on and additional lightings has been increased. “The more lighting you have, the more you can see what’s in front of you and around you that way you can feel a bit more safe on campus so those
‘Fences’ without borders Annual LLN Conference
By STEVEN LUKE
sluke@lmcexperience.com
Spring Fever 2014 events
Want to create an LMC club? Interested in creating an official LMC club? Contact the Student Life Office for more information at 439-2181 ext. 3266 or go to www.losmedanos. edu/studentservices/clubs
Annual March in March rally
Photo by Irvin Trigueros
Mario Castillo embraces Arionna White during a performance of “Fences” last October. The LMC Theater Department is looking for donations to raise money to attend a conference at Boise State University.
Drama needs funds to go to festival in Idaho By SUZZANNE SPERRY
ssperry@lmcexperience.com
The LMC Theater Department is preparing for a week-long conference hosted by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States according to their website, www.kennedy-center.org. LMC Theater Depar tment must
raise $40,000 to attend this weeklong conference at Boise State University. The theater department is hoping to raise this money through fundraisers and donations. The scheduled dates for the festival are Feb. 16-22. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said 19-year-old LMC student Du’Praiseja Smith, who was one of the students who first heard about the exciting news. Smith will be performing in the festival. “I am very proud of my school. Fences is the only African American play being featured at the festival. Out of four other schools
a junior college was picked to go. That never happens.” Fences is a production the LMC Theater Department showcased during the Fall 2013 semester. Fences was recognized by a member of the Kennedy Center Committee during what audiences say was a very emotional theater experience. “People walked out of the theater sobbing, tears running down their faces,” recalls LMC Drama Department Chair, Nick Garcia. “The audience See IDAHO, page 6
Accreditation is very important to Los Medanos College. It gives the school credibility and qualifies the school for financial aid funding. This is important to all of the staff, but it should be just as important to the students. Kiran Kameth is the Sr. Dean of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, but is also the liaison for accreditation, and she attended the Nov. 25, 2013 LMC Associated Students meeting to raise student awareness. “It is an entire campus issue,” she said. During the meeting she spoke of the importance of the students voice being heard during the accreditation process, and was hoping to gain students on the committees to hear their voice. LMCAS President Brianna Klipp was surprised to learn at the meeting that she will have to sign off on the final draft of the accreditation on behalf of the student body. To help better educate the AS, Kameth is arranging for dif ferent members of the accreditation committees to come to the meetings and answer questions about their sections. See ACCRED, page 6
LMC alum gets ‘Super’ chippy Gill’s ad for the big game could make her a millionaire By STEVEN LUKE
sluke@lmcexperience.com
Join LMCAS and the Student Senate of California Community Colleges for the annual March in March rally for student needs on Monday, March 3, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Capitol Mall in Sacramento. For information, go to www.studentsenateccc. org/Default.aspx
More student voices needed Accreditation a campuswide issue
The 27th Annual Conference for the Latina Leadership Newtwork of the California Community Colleges is scheduled for March 28 and 29 at the Ohlone College Newark Center in Newark. For more information contact Maria Ramirez at (510)7422346 or visit www.latinaleadership-network.org
There are four remaining Spring Fever events, presented by the Student Life Office. Q Tuesday, Jan. 28 — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Blood Drive, L109 Q Wednesday, Jan. 29 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., LMCAS Breast Cancer Speaker Series, L109 Q Thursday, Jan. 30 — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Game Day, SLO Q Friday, Jan. 31 — 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Coaches vs. Cancer, Gym
See KEYS, page 6
In just over one week the biggest event of the year, the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl, will air on Fox. Many people dream to be a participant in the event, but most never make it. One Los Medanos College (LMC) alumna will live out her dream of being involved with the Super Bowl, but in a different way than you might think. Amber Gill graduated from LMC in the fall semester of
1999 after five semesters. She graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts and completed all the requirements to transfer as a music major. Gill never finished a four year degree, though, but has made a career with the music skills she learned from Music Professor David Henderson, and she credits his guidance for where she is today. She is presently making a splash with something just a Photo by Andrew Abajian bit different from her background in music as she is the Amber Gill and her husband David are one of five finalists for the Doritos Crash See SUPER, page 6
the Super Bowl contest with their commercial “Cowboy Kid.”
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“The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative.” — Joesph Gordon-Levitt
Madeline Henderson
Jared Ambuehl
MAD MAXX
REAL TIME WITH JARED
New year, new beginnings Three weeks of vacation flew by so quickily it made my head spin. Before I had time to put up my Christmas tree and decorations, it was time to take them down, but I dragged my feet. My family would come over to my apartment and remind me that Christmas was over and it was time to move on. So out went my beautiful tree, down came the holiday decorations, and in came 2014 with new beginnings. It was a new year to prepare new resolutions and think about what I was going to change. It was also time to think about changes and challenges going in the world. Our beloved state of California has not had rain since heaven knows when and the weather looks like spring instead of winter. Farmers and wine growers are suffering and the governor has had to declare a drought. The Swine Flu has taken 17 lives in the Bay Area so far, and now they are saying they are getting low on flu vaccines. We are nowhere near the peak of the flu season and if you have a weak immune system or are other wise at risk it is recommended you get vaccinated. A 13 year-old boy was Oakland’s first murder victim of 2014. He was coming home from the Boys Club on New Years Eve with some friends, when he was shot in a driveby shooting. I feel for the mother because her other son was also shot and killed on the streets of Oakland just a few days after they buried the young boy. It is said that it’s supposed to be getting better in Oakland, especially regarding black-on-black crimes but I don’t think so. I lived in Oakland for 30 years and because of the violence and drugs I decided to move to a smaller town. There has not been any news lately about the brain dead 13-year-old girl. They now have her in a hospital where they were able to have someone insert a feeding tube. I hope everything will work out for the best for the family. BART police are in the news again for another so-called accidental shooting. In 2009 a young African American male was shot and killed while being subdued at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland. Now they have to figure out how one of their own was shot while trying to serve a warrant on a person who wasn’t even there at the apartment. I really think BART police do not get enough training on how to handle and use guns. Then we have our California Highway Police doing the job of the Oakland Police Department. Recently there have been two shootings in Oakland concerning the CHP. I always thought the CHP’s job was the freeways and highways, so it makes me wonder what they were doing in Oakland shooting people. Wow, 2014 started off with a bang in Oakland. Thank goodness our problems here in Pittsburg and Antioch are less severe than those in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco. San Jose and San Francisco have been having their own share of problems involving the safety of people crossing streets. It is not only adults but children who are being injured or killed by drivers who do not want to take time to slow down and let people walk across the street. It is disgusting that these drivers have so little respect for life. They are in such a big hurry going nowhere. We need to have concern for the lives of others. Life is precious, but once it is gone, we cannot get it back. That also goes for the police too. This is a New Year so it is time to make some changes in our lives and how we do things. Show some concern and compassion for the lives of other people.
Guns are not the problem “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” — Second Amendment to U.S. Constitution
Cartoon by Kimberly Stelly
EDITORIAL
Oil terminal project ‘crude’
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he proposed WesPac Crude Oil Terminal project in Pittsburg does have some benefits, but the negatives severely outweigh the positives. The terminal would span about 125 acres near downtown Pittsburg, where there is currently, 15-year-old dormant PG&E tanks. It would also be built within a half of a mile of communities, schools and not to mention the marina. The benefits are relatively minimal. Yes, it would bring jobs in, about 40 in fact, but the jobs are not necessarily going to residents of Pittsburg, and frankly a local Fry’s store could give another 40 people jobs in the city, but a number alone should not be enough to sway anyone’s vote. The actual type of crude oil that would be brought in is not specific, but is speculated to be of a more flammable variety than average heavy crude oil. It would take over 100 rail cars, ships and expanded pipelines a day to carry 10 million gallons of potentially flammable oil to the facility. The tipping point of this project is the potential pollution. A recent study by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District stated that Pittsburg is in the top %15 of the bay area when it comes to air pollution. A new oil terminal would not help the fact that Pittsburg has the highest rate of hospitalization of people with Asthma, about 105 people per 10,000, compared to less than 20 per 10,000 in nearby cities. Another downfall is the potential of an oil spill or explosions. It would ravage the Delta and hurt the various water recreations around the area. We urge that you visit the defense council website at pittsburgdc.org and join the fight against the proposed terminal. The next community meeting will be held at the Pittsburg Yacht Club, 3 Marina Blvd., on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the project, read the story on page 3.
Don’t focus on income inequality Income inequality, the 99 percent, the one percent, richer rich and poorer poor. It always seems that everyone is up in arms about income inequality, and how we need to race toward income equality. Sounds like a good idea, right? Well, let’s try an experiment. Imagine you’re in class and you studied all day and night for the final. When it’s all over the teacher, being a fan of equality, decides to take the highest grades and even them out with everybody. You now have a C, even though you originally earned an A and the slacker in the back corner deserved his F. That’s just a quick little show of how income equality works. It doesn’t matter if you work harder than a salmon swimming upstream, you still get the same pay that the average McDonald’s employee would receive. I’m not saying that McDonald’s employees don’t work hard, it just isn’t fair for the CEO and the janitor to receive the same pay. Besides that, let’s see how other countries’ attempts at income equality resulted. We have the Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, and in more recent times Greece. Greece tried so hard for income equality, sharing social benefits until its own economy collapsed, now the rest of the planet’s economy is in jeopardy. I’ve also been hearing this little slogan about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, yet there is no true link connecting poverty with income inequality. Don’t believe me? Then let’s look at it scientifically. We have an interesting little term in the wide world of statistics called the Gini Coefficient. It’s a number between zero and one that shows the income equality range of a country — zero being complete equality where everyone is given the same pay, and one is complete inequality, where one individual would exclusively make
Voices
Dennis Trammell FROM THE CAVE money. America currently has a Gini coefficient of 45 and a poverty rate of 15 percent, however China’s Gini coefficient is 47.4 and a poverty of 13 percent. That might not seem so amazing until you realize that over the last three decades China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty from its previous rate of 84 percent in 1980. All the while its income inequality shot up like a rocket. This helps prove income inequality can have no effect on poverty. Instead what we need to focus on is income mobility, which is also on the rise lately. The difference between the two is that income inequality is the difference between the richest rich and the poorest poor, while mobility is how easy it is to climb and fall between the two — switching from rich to middle class or even poor to wealthy. There is a man I know, he’s ex-military and a huge inspiration to me. Despite being homeless twice he has picked himself up and walked back into society. This man owns his own apartment with his wife now, attends Los Medanos College and in the Honors Program. He works hard, studies well and challenges himself everyday. Through blood, sweat and tears he climbed through the economic and social ranks. If that isn’t a sign of good income mobility, I don’t know what is.
LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE
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Tragedies in Aurora, Colo. and Sandy Hook, Conn. have stirred controversy over the issue of the Second Amendment. The amendment has always been as controversial as it is unclear. Does the amendment mean that citizens have the right to have weapons? Or does it simply mean that our men and women in the army are the only ones allowed to have weapons? Every day in the United States an average of 289 people are shot. Eighty-six of them die: 30 are murdered, 53 kill themselves, two die accidentally, and one is shot in a police intervention, according to The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. There hasn’t been a catastrophe that can be compared to the Newtown tragedy that jolted national debate on gun control, only your average shootings that make the United States a leader of gun crime in the world. We cannot forget the importance of the Second Amendment, but think of the whole issue this way: Are criminals really going to be stopped or even slowed down from getting weapons if our nation takes action? No way. According to the National Institute of Justice, many juveniles and young adults can easily obtain guns illegally; most claim to carry them for self-defense. If we stop letting citizens have the right to own a gun, we will only be hurting them in the sense that they will not be able to protect themselves. The majority of people who own a gun legally use it for protection. Criminals will find ways to obtain guns illegally. That is what criminals do, they commit crime. Do you really think you can stop a person who breaks the law on a consistent basis by passing a law? There does have to be a way to monitor how these guns can be used, and how these guns are ultimately stored. Too, many mistakes have been made by people who own guns. Such as, not locking their weapons up in a safe. There are countless stories of children who may be playing hide and seek, and they hide in their parent’s closet and stumble across a gun. Next thing you know, the children are playing with the gun, and little Johnny ends up getting killed. Another element that should be considered with this constant battle of gun control is mental health. Too many times people with emotional problems end up with guns. James Eagan Holmes, the admitted perpetrator of the mass shooting that killed 12 in Aurora is said to suffer from a mental illness making him dangerous. CBS News reported Holmes had met with at least three mental health professionals at the University of Colorado prior to the horrific shooting. A month before the massacre, Dr. Lynne Fenton reported to the campus police that Holmes made homicidal statements making him a threat to society. Obviously, mental health is not being taken seriously enough. The nation as a whole needs to come together over this issue and put more money toward mental health. The real problem with the Second Amendment is the lack of control our nation has over the issue. If our nation regulated how guns are stored and monitored who in the nation has guns more efficiently, we wouldn’t be talking about this problem. A real issue is mental health in America. According to easterseals.com, one in five individuals are affected by some form of mental illness. More time needs to be spent on this issue than on gun control. Guns are already part of our society, we need to be able to protect ourselves when the moment arises.
Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m
O H E R T Y
Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“I Think The Wolf of Wall Street will win Best Picture.” — Brittany Todd
“I don’t know what movie would win but, if I had to pick it would be Gravity for special effects and great acting.” — Daniel Montgomery
“I think Gravity will win for Best Picture it’s the one movie I’ve heard the best reviews of.” — John Bergerson
“I’m torn between Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave.” — Khandriale Clark
“I think Gravity will win because the cinematograpy and the 3D was amazing.” — Marlen Coderre
“I think 12 Years a Slave will win because it portrays the whole story about slavery like no other movie has done before.” — Samuel Atueyi
“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson
Editor-in-Chief .................... BRENDAN CROSS Perspectives Editors...... AISHLING DOHERTY and JAZMINE GORDON Campus Editors .................. JOSEPH DELANO and ALEXANDRA TAGLIAMONTE Features Editors .......................RATTANA KIM and STEPHANIE PATTISON Sports Editors .......................LUKE JOHNSON and DAKOTAH ZABROSKI Photo Editor ....................... IRVIN TRIGUEROS Web Editor ..................STEPHANIE PATTISON
The LMC Experience is published Fridays by students in the Journalism Program. The newspaper serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.
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“The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.”
— Ralph Nader
Kimball Island fire darkens delta sky Two homes fall victim to a 40 to 50 foot blazing brush fire started by transients on the 109-acre Kimball Island located in the Delta across downtown Antioch. The fire attracted the attention of dozens of local city residents spectating the event on late afternoon Tuesday, Jan. 14. The Contra Costa Times reports that Rio Vista Fire Department Captain Scott Bahrenfuss had confirmed that the fire, enhanced by that day’s dry conditions, had scorched three buildings and six outbuildings. A helicopter, left, attempts to extinguish the smoldering fire. A bystander, above, watches from afar as the fire rips throughout the delicate landscape of the delta island. Photos by Irvin Trigueros
Residents take strong stand NEWSWATCH University tours are scheduled The Transfer Center will be holding numerous University tours throughout the upcoming semester. You can register for the tours online or in the Transfer Center. Scheduled dates are as follows: Q Black College Expo: Saturday, Jan. 25 Q Fresno State University: Friday, Feb. 7 Q UC Davis: Friday, Feb. 28 Q University of Nevada: Friday, March 7 Q UC Berkeley: Saturday, April 14 Q CSU East Bay: Friday, May 2 For more information, please contact the Transfer Center at www.losmedanos.edu/transfer or 439-2181 Ext. 3124
“Tomorrow’s Women” to meet
Photo by Bertha Aguilar
Pittsburg High School students show their distaste for the prosposed project involving volatile oil mixtures being imported into an empty compound near the waterfront in Pittsburg that has been vacant for 15 years.
Oil proposal sits badly with some local citizens By BERTHA AGUILAR
baguilar@lmcexperience.com
A new project is being planned for Pittsburg that will not only bring forth new job opportunities to those seeking them, but will also bring property tax revenue as well. There are many concerned residents who oppose this new project because it is felt that the risks outweigh the benefits. This project is known as the Pittsburg Energy Infrastructure Project and the company bringing this project to light is
WesPac Energy Group. The project entails reopening and modernizing an old PG&E oil storage and transfer terminal located at 696 West 10th Street near downtown Pittsburg. This facility will be used to store and transport virgin and refined crude oil from the Bakken shale oil fields in North Dakota. WesPac will have to completely revamp the facility as it has sat dormant for 15 years. A statement on WesPac’s website indicated that the
modernization of this facility will include state-of-the-art equipment and technology to ensure environmental compliance with all federal, state and local regulations.It will also have an automatic monitoring system that will monitor safety 24 hours a day. The facility will receive oil shipments from trains, pipelines and marine vessels which will then be stored in tanks for various periods of time and then transferred to local refineries through existing and new pipelines connected to the facility as well as loading marine vessels to be transported to other destinations. With ever y new project
that can potentially affect the environment, an Environmental Impact Report, or EIR, has to be drawn up. The EIR evaluates the effects the proposing project will have on air quality, public health and explores other potential risks that the project can bring. In WesPac’s case, the EIR report they released is not adequate as it does not present all of the impacts this project will have on air quality, potential accidents that could result from the multiple forms of transportation and it does not fully disclose other potential impacts this project will bring. A safety alert released on See OIL, page 6
“Tomorrow’s Women Leaders Today” is a conference exclusively held for young women in high school and college who are interested in politically charged topics presented by Compton’s new Mayor Aja Brown. Topics include but are not limited to: Q Immigration Rights Q Reproductive Rights Q Gun Violence Q Human Trafficking Young women from across the Bay Area are encouraged to attend the jam-packed day, which will be held at the UC Berkeley Campus, Faculty Club on Saturday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission for high school students is free and $10 for college students. Lunch will be provided. Contact Fatimah Simmons at Fatimah@igniteca.org to register or for more information.
LMC to host blood drive LMC is holding a blood drive on Tuesday, January 28 in the Library Room L109 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you would like to donate, you can schedule an appointment by contacting Student Life at 439-2181 Ext. 3266. You can also register online at www.bloodheroes.com, just click on“Donate Blood” and enter sponsor code: LosMC To show appreciation, each donor will receive a $50 Hornblower Cruises and Events coupon toward a brunch or dinner cruise for two. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
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Student artist prevails
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“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”
— Pablo Picasso
MARQUEE ‘Born on Pangea’
Born on Pangea presented by Cate White will be the next art show coming to Los Medanos College’s Art Gallery. This art show will depict drawings, paintings, altered objects, and videos by heroic derelicts, awkward lovers, and dignified losers. These art pieces are inspired by outsider art, punk, neo-expressionism, comics and media cliches. White approaches her work by cultivating a comtemplative state and engages with whatever arises. The messages relate to religion, art history, gender and race narrative, among others. Born on Pangea will be showing from Feb.4 to Mar. 13 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.The reception will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 4-6 p.m.
‘Hamlet’ replay is on
Poster by Daniel Montiel that supports the Visibility/Enforcement campaign of Underage Drinking Prevention created at the end of the Fall 2013 semester.
Poster garners money, accolades point. There was enough visual spattison@lmcexperience.com interest,” she explains. “This one “There is a problem with un- was superior.” Talley makes each student derage drinking in the community,” said Rebecca Talley, Art research their subject before they and Advertising professor at Los do any assignment. Montiel talks about how he researches a lot Medanos College. Talley was approached by the before each assignment. “It gives city of Antioch to try and help raise you different ideas,” he explains. He says that’s when the idea just awareness on the subject. Teri L ynn Lower y, Antioch pops in your mind. Montiel has been interested Project Coordinator for Underage Drinking Prevention, worked with in art since he was very young. Talley as they came up with the idea Starting with drawing, then painting to have a Poster Contest to sup- and now graphic design. He has port their Visibility/Enforcement been doing graphic design for four campaign of Underage Drinking years now and wants to continue with it as a career. Prevention. Montiel’s career choice before There are numerous adults who taking graphic supply alcohol to design was to be underage drinkers “I didn’t expect a Police Officer. “We really want“I always wanted ed to address the it,” Montiel be one since peer pressure,” explains. “In that to I was little,” he said Talley. Talley made the class, there were said. After taking design he Underage Drinka lot of talented graphic changed his mind ing Poster an ascompletely. signment in her people. I was His first ar t Adobe Illustrator surprised they class at LMC was class. She then graphic design told the students picked mine.” there was a chance — Daniel Montiel with Talley. “I realized I to win $100. Daniel Montiel was selected as wanted to do this for a living,” the winner of the poster contest. “I said Montiel. “When I thought about an actual didn’t expect it,” Montiel explains. “In that class, there were a lot of career, graphic design was the talented people. I was surprised thing.” That is why Montiel was so passionate about this contest. they picked mine.” Talley talks about why Montiel’s “It was like working for the real poster was the winner. “It was clean, thing.” In Montiel’s family, he is one it was professional, it was to the
The Diablo Valley College Drama Department are performing the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, directed by Nicole Hess Diestler. Murder, melancholy and madness are at the center of this William Shakespeare classic. The death of Hamlet’s father and his mother’s hasty remarriage to his uncle leave the Prince of Denmark in suspicious mourning. When his father’s ghost appears to him demanding revenge, Hamlet obeys, putting into motion a plan of vengeance that will have devastating consequences. In Hamlet, we see an unforgettable portrait of overwhelming grief, obsession and revenge. The play will be showing Jan. 31 to Feb. 16. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday For tickets call (925) 969-2358 or go to www.dvcdrama.net.
Rendition of novel
By STEPHANIE PATTISON
The Contra Costa College Drama Department are performing the play, In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Tyrone Davis. This play is a modern riff on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter. Hester La Negrita, a homeless mother of five, lives with her kids on the tough streets of the inner city. Her eldest child is teaching her how to read and write, but the letter “A” is, so far, the only letter she knows. While Hester’s kids fill her life with joy—lovingly comical moments amid the harsh world of poverty—the adults with whom she comes into contact only hold her back. Nothing can stop the play’s tragic end. The play will be showing Mar. 12-15. Call (510) 235-7800 for more information.
‘Dream’ to play again
Photo by Stephanie Pattison
Montiel works on a new project in the Graphics Lab. of the only artists. “It’s just me and my sister,” he explains. “My dad can only draw stick figures,” he laughs. Talley has been a big help in Montiel’s dream of doing this as a career. “She’s always been very
supportive and tries to help as much as she can,” he said. Talley has helped Montiel with receiving an internship at LMC in the Student Life Office. He plans on continuing to pursue his career as a graphic artist.
The Contra Costa College Drama Department are performing the play, Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Linda Jackson-Whitmore. Hilarious events surround the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to his kidnapped bride Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Four young Athenian lovers and a group of ameteur actors are bewitched and manipulated by the mischevious magic of the fairies that inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. This comedy is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world. The play will be showing Apr. 30-May 3. Call (510) 235-7800 for more information. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
Blockbuster is definitely lackluster By JOEY DELANO
jdelano@lmcexperience.com
An empty theater is almost never a good sign for moviegoers. Sure, an empty theater can be nice aesthetically, but the lack of patrons is usually indicative of the quality of the feature film. This proved to be true, as “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” floundered. Being that the film is based on a character and not a specific novel, there was no clear direction for the story, which led to the film to be full of missed opportunities, from the lack of twists to the massively predictable plot. “Jack Ryan,” starring Chris Pine, as a Financial Analyst with the CIA, left a lot to be desired as the plot left viewers hanging almost immediately. The plot is almost too simple: Analyst Ryan is thrust into the spotlight when he discovers discrepancies with financial records between banks in the U.S. and Russia. He works in close consort with CIA Operative Thomas
REVIEW
Photo by Larry Horricks
Actor Chris Pine filming a scene for “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” Harper, portrayed by Kevin Costner, to uncover the truth and thwart a terrorism event. Throw in an exceptional baddie, Viktor Cherevin, portrayed by Director Kenneth Branagh, and some eye-candy as Ryan’s fiancé Cathy played by Keira Knightley, and you have your generic formulaic action movie. Regrettably, the movie only featured halfway impressive acting, with the exception of Pine and Branagh. Different factors also had a hand in the way I perceived the movie, from the volume in the theater to the giant mole on the side of Chris Pine’s face. The Trailer for the movie told a far more intriguing story than the actual film. Therefore, I would recommend that you do not see this film in theaters.
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Sports
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
FRIDAY,
JAN.
24,
2014
5
“Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire.”
— Nelson Mandela
Stangs’ season: hot ’n’ cold
Photo by Cathie Lawrence
Mustang forward Marcus Walton takes off for a lay-up in an 82-70 victory over Bay Valley conference rivals Contra Costa College Comets last week.
Men back on track after tough string of losses In the team’s string of close defeats, it was without important role player forward Ramiro It has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Contreras due to injury. “He means hustle, which is the Los Medanos College men’s basketball. most important skill in any sport The team heated up early and began “The you play,” LMC coach Derek Dothe 2013-14 season with a 10-2 record, menichelli said. “He competes at a and at one point were ranked tenth in league is high level of intensity every single the state and fifth in Northern Cali- getting His intensity wins fornia in the California Community better.. Los possession… us games, and then it makes the College Athletic Association polls. other players play hard because But after entering conference play Medanos he’s playing so hard… It makes against Bay Valley opponents, the is much our coaches even coach harder Mustangs lost four of five games and better [from] watching him play… He is fell off the CCCAA rankings. an extremely, extremely valuable Two of those four losses were by a now.” — Doug Cornelius player to our team.” difference of one point, and another In LMC’s victory to Napa Valley, was by only three. Now things are looking up for the Mustangs, Contreras scored 16 points off the bench. “I’m feelin’ good, I’m just playin’ my game as they have won back-to-back; most recently and getting wins with my team, “ Contreras a 73-66 win against Napa Valley at home. By LUKE JOHNSON
Ljohnson@lmcexperience.com
said. “It’s a team win, not just ‘cause of me.” Suffering from an injured achilles tendon, guard Zack Corby has missed the past four games. Corby is second in points (14.3) and rebounds (7.8) per game, and third in assists (3.2) per game in statistically recorded contests for the Mustangs. Corby is one of the team’s deep threats. Along side guard Drew Cones and forward “Make It” Wayne Engelstad, the Mustangs oppose other its Bay Valley competitors as the best three point shooting team. All three players are averaging more than three 3-pointers in games that have been statistically recorded. “We’re a good shooting team. We get hot… You can’t rely on the three, but we definitely need it,” LMC forward Marquis Aaron said, who is averaging 5.3 points. The team is now halfway through conference play and sit in third in the BVC with a 4-4 record
(13-6 overall). The toughest team they will have to face is Yuba, who is 8-0 (14-4 overall). “This league is just getting better… Los Medanos is much better now,” Yuba coach Doug Cornelius “We knew it was going to be tough [playing LMC]… Thank God we got past them.
Photo by Cathie Lawrence
Drew Cones takes on a Yuba opponent
Baseball HOF controversy Steven Luke
Dakotah Zabroski
QUIETLY THINKING
BROSKI’S CORNER
BBWA writers No PED’s in need to own up the Hall of Fame Photo by Cathie Lawrence
Head coach Richard Villegas gives a game speech to motivate his team.
LMC looks to finish on high note By DAKOTAH ZABROSKI
dzabroski@lmcexperience.com
After recently losing ten of eleven games, the Mustangs women’s basketball team won a back-and-forth game in commanding fashion over the Napa Valley Storm and has now won two out of three. For most of the game, LMC went back and forth for the lead. The game was either tied or the lead changed every minute. The Mustangs started off
shooting well but cooled down as the game progressed. The team got hot at the right time and resumed their hot shooting as the game was coming to an end. At about five minutes left in the game, LMC put their foot on the gas and put away the game. At one point, LMC was down 51-54 with the second half coming to an end and LMC played their A-game as the final score was 73-64. “The last five minutes we were determined to win, we
didn’t want to lose again, so we came together,” said Forward Ashawnti Bloodsaw. LMC tweaked their game plan toward the end of the game and it paid off for them. “I knew they would be pressing so we wanted to attack their press. Once we got past them, we were able to get a lot of lay-ups at the end,” said head coach Richard Villegas. LMC fired on all cylinders and made their coaches happy See BALL, page 6
The Hall of Fame (HOF) of Major League Baseball (MLB) in Cooperstown, New York has a big issue, some of the greatest statistical players in the history of the game are up for enshrinement. This should be a no-brainer, but the cloud of steroid suspicion that surrounds them has turned the Baseball Writers of America (BBWA), who vote for who is enshrined into the HOF, into moral gatekeepers. My issue with the HOF has little to do with the BBWA and who they choose to enshrine or not, but has everything to do with the inability of MLB to make a decision on whether or not players who are suspected of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Why should the weight of the world fall only on the shoulders of the BBWA? Why doesn’t the MLB make a decision on who should or shouldn’t be allowed into their HOF? The writers who make up the votes in the See BBWA, page 6
Anyone who has been linked to steroids should not be inducted to the hall of fame, plain and simple. If anyone in the Hall of Fame comes out and admits to using ‘roids or has gotten in trouble for ‘roids then they should be taken out of the hall of fame. Yes, one may say, “well, everyone in the league is doing it, so what’s the big deal?” The Big deal is that it is ruining the game in many aspects. I know this cliché is lame and overused but, if one person jumped off a bridge, would you? Just because everyone is doing something doesn’t make it okay. First of all, it ruins the integrity of the game; it isn’t fair to clean players such as new inductee Frank Thomas and future hall of famer Ken Griffey Jr. To me, if you can overcome an unfair game and still succeed, then that is a true hall of famer. It is also bad for the youth who look up to players on performance enhancing drugs. See PED, page 6
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Back Talk
IDAHO
KEYS From page 1
are a few things that we’re doing and looking at,” said Lt. Huddleston. Both Vice President Kevin Horan and Lt. Huddleston commented that many initiatives are being discussed to prevent future burglaries like this one. For example, it is being dis-
cussed to increase lighting and increase police services as well as bring in security “cameras throughout the district.” If anybody feels uneasy on campus, they can call Police Ser vices to request an escort. The Police Dept. can be reached at 439-2181 ext. 3228.
VOICE From page 1
The first to speak was at the LMCAS meeting on December 9, 2013. Dean of Liberal Arts, Nancy Ybarra and Librarian Kim Wentworth, spoke representing the Student Learning Plan and Services section of accreditation. The Student Learning Plan Services sections is one of the most important sections of accreditation as it covers the library and lab rooms. These are sections of the campus that are the biggest use to students on the campus, and that makes student feedback important. Wentworth went over stepby-step what the committee has been working in the new accreditation including an updated library catalog that is more user friendly, has new collections, a larger Spanish
language section, the ability to stream video. In addition to the upgrades they are working on in the library, Ybarra went over the changes that they have made in the Center for Academic Support (CORE). Wentworth responded that the reason all the computers do not run every program is that not all computers have been updated properly. Kameth said that this is an issue because of the small size of the IT department which could be remedied by the new tech plan. If you want to be more involved in accreditation you should check the contact us tab on the accreditation page to learn about joining a committee.
BBWA
PED
BBWA, witnessed first-hand the exploits of these players. They watched and wrote about how these players dominated their profession, but none of them are doctors or experts in side-effects of PED use. MLB officials are the ones who make the rules in this business. They are the ones who looked the other way as these players wowed the audiences and brought fans back into the stadiums after the strike of 1994 caused a cancellation of the World Series. They raked in the dough as in three seasons, 1998-99 and 2001, the single season home run record was threatened and broken twice. They stood aside as the players who are now being punished by the BBWA brought fans back to the game. They turned a blind eye as these players who are now being unofficially banned from the HOF won award after award, and who voted for those awards? The BBWA of course. In 1998 St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, broke the single season record of 61 when he bashed 70 home runs. He again passed the mark of 61 in 1999 as he hit 65 home runs. He has won a World Series, made 12 all-star games and sits 10th on the all-time home run list, but he has yet to receive more than 25 percent of the vote. Sammy Sosa was the primary rival to McGwire in the great home run chase and he surpassed the mark of 61 on three separate occasions, in 1998, 99, and 2001. Thanks to his part in the home run chase of 1998 he won his first and only Most Valuable Player award. He sits at eighth on the all-time home run list, but after two years of eligibility for the HOF he has not been voted in because of the report from 2003 as one of the players who tested positive for PEDs in an anonymous testing program. The two biggest snubs, are Roger Clemens and Barr y Bonds who have won seven Cy Young and seven MVP awards respectively. They are leaders in their respective statistical categories including wins, strikeouts, home runs, and on base percentage. Both have been brought to court by the government concerning use of PEDs but neither were found guilty of knowingly taking them, nor did they ever fail a drug test during their careers. Yet neither of them have received enough votes to gain enshrinement into the hall. If MLB wants to do that, and keep them out of the HOF for using PEDs, that’s fine, but they need to come out and say so. They need to admit that what they did was wrong and they need to take some of the blame. No matter what MLB says, or in this case doesn’t say, they were just as much to blame as the players who used, because they just looked the other way and watched it all happened.
Today’s youth and future athletes see what players on ‘roids are doing and want to be just like them. So, they start taking PED’s to improve their game, it’s an endless cycle. There is no doubt that players such as Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa were good players, but with the steroid implications it puts a huge grey cloud over their head. Who’s to say how good those two would have been without steroids? It is quite possible that a player linked to steroids may have gotten hurt if it wasn’t for steroids. Griffey, who as far as the fans know, was clean his whole career and was injury ridden, but still managed a lengthy career and hit 630 home runs. Whose not to say that Sosa or Bonds wouldn’t have got hurt and shortened or ended their career. If that happened then they wouldn’t even been in Hall of Fame talks. Yes, that is a big “what if,” but it happens in baseball often. Just look at pitcher Mark Mulder whose career was cut short because of a shoulder injury or former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb who had to retire because of multiple injuries. Webb piled up 87 career wins and a 3.10 ERA is just five years. Who knew what their potential was? My whole point being is that steroids have a huge “what if factor.” What if Webb or Mulder took steroids? Who knows how good they would really be? They could still be playing and potentially be talked about for the Hall of Fame IF they were on steroids. But they didn’t, they took the high road and stayed clean. Bonds, Sosa as well as some other sluggers did not, and it was a huge advantage for them. People may argue that, “well, they still have to hit the ball and perform.” Yes, that may be true, but steroids enables people to train harder and helps athletes recover faster. Faster recovery, and harder training leads to a stronger and more endurance as an athlete. A stronger athlete leads to more hits, home runs, stolen bases, nice players, the whole nine yards. Yes people love seeing clutch hits and home runs, which steroids definitely helps, but they ruin the game and have negative side effects. Steroids have been linked to increased anger known as “roid-rage” and have been known to be damaging to athletes body. The Hall of Fame is the fountain of youth for baseball because a player if forever immortalized, and is the ultimate goal for an individual who excels at the game, and anyone who took steroids to gain an upper hand shouldn’t even be put on the HOF ballot. If Pete Rose who leads all of baseball in hits by a landslide isn’t in the Hall of Fame for gambling and lying then any cheater deserves no spot in Cooperstown.
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Web
E X P E R I E N C E
From page 1
F R I D AY,
JAN.
BALL From page 5
made a connection with the with their play. characters in the show.” “It was a good team effort Fences includes a wide range by everybody, it was a quality of African American and His- win for us, we needed that,” panic cultures intertwined in said Villegas. a diverse group of individuals. Napa Valley head coach The production is learning Vince Shaw was not happy with about heritage and celebrating his team’s play. “We could have it, according to the cast. given a better effort, mentally “It brings us together. I just weren’t there, didn’t pay know it sounds cliche to say attention to any details, even this, but Y.O.L.O. You only down the stretch. That’s what live once, right? Why not give happens when one team plays it everything you have and hard and the other team take any opportunities that doesn’t,” said Shaw. come your way and go all out,” Villegas wasn’t the only one said 19-year-old LMC student impressed with LMC’s play Jarrelle Tramble. Tramble has down the stretch; even Shaw never traveled out of the state noticed the hard work of the of California and is excited Mustangs. to perform in the production “LMC played harder than we as Bono. “I’m juiced and so did, give them the credit, they stoked.” just played harder, gotta give In the month of February credit to coach,” said Shaw. the theater department will Forward Bloodsaw led the perform their production of Mustangs in points with 17 Fences at the El Campanil Theater in Antioch. Admission will be free. “We would love it if the community could come and From page 3 see all the hard work we have Jan. 2 by the department of put into the show. What better transportation indicated that way to do it then by putting on the type of crude oil being transported from the Bakken a play,” said Garcia. region may be more flammable than traditional heavy crude oil; this is the same crude oil that could be making its way From page 1 producer of a commercial that to the city of Pittsburg if this is one of five finalists to be a project is passed. A city council meeting was Doritos commercial that will held on January 6 to further air during the Super Bowl. discuss the WesPac project and This is happening because to hear the publics concerns. Gill, her husband David and a group of 30 others got together Among the present were to enter a Super Bowl ad contest Mayor Salvatore Evola and put on by Doritos. This is the Vice Mayor Pete Longmire eighth year that Doritos is as well as council members running this program, but it is Ben Johnson, Will Casey and the first time that fans will get Nancy Parent. The first citizen remark to decide which commercial came from Pittsburg resident airs during the Super Bowl. “We’re just tr ying to get Paulette Lagana. She expressed her disapproval on the WesPac everyone to vote,” Gill said. She wants everyone to vote proposal. “I am not against this project because she believes it is just by saying, not in my backyard, as cool to be able to say that there are multiple industrial your vote helped decide whose commercial got selected for complexes already in my backyard. I’m saying, enough the Super Bowl. They are making sure ev- is enough,” said Lagana. Not all attendees were eryone knows how to vote for against this proposal. their commercial with their own Jim Cooksey from Boil Makwebsite www.vote4cowboykid. ers International said, “I believe com, efforts on social media and a daily email reminder to with the unemployment in this anyone who signs up for it on area and the opportunity for their website. The commercial people to train at our training itself came from a round table center over on Piedmont Way, of ideas among the crew, and we have a thousand members when the idea of two boys and and we’re always willing to train a sibling rivalry came up it hit more, bring more people in and with the unemployment in this home for her. “I am a mother of two boys so area I think this is nothing but it resonated with me,” she said. good for this area.” Although there was not So when they came up with much sway from the council the final idea they had two weeks to shoot and only needed members on whether they the actors. The mother was the are for or against this project, easy part. She came to them it was a great meeting where from the recommendation of a the voices of those opposing friend of a friend. The two kids and supporting sides could made the cut after auditions be heard. Pittsburg resident, were held, but it was the dog and Defense Council Member,
24,
2013
6
Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com
and for ward Keshia Ward was right behind her with 16. Guard Janessa Veronis led the way like usual with nine assists. Bloodsaw and forward Mykaela Jones each grabbed 10 rebounds. For the Storm, guard Reana Hardin raked in the points, she had 22 on the night and forward Allana Burnham had 12 points respectively. The women’s basketball team has been competitive, and has been in just about every game they’ve play in. “We’re in ever y game at halftime, we’re right there, but then there is about three to four minutes where it’s the difference and we can’t over come it, last night that didn’t happen, “ said Villegas. At the start of the year, standout center Myeshia Ward had a knee injury and the final deci-
sion was to medically redshirt her, so she will be back next season according to Villegas. Along with Ward, there will be returning freshman players as well as new recruits and Villegas thinks his team next year will be loaded with talents. LMC finished 2-6 after the first half of conference play and the team would like to go 6-2 for the second half so they can finish with a .500 record. There will be no playoff implications for the next eight games, but the Mustangs would love to play spoiler for their conference opponents and potentially end their playoff hopes. The Mustangs sit at 2-6 in conference and 6-13 overall as they look to improve on their season. Their next home game is Jan. 31 against the College of Marin at 5:30 p.m.
Kalli Graham is very active in trying to stop this project from happening and is tr ying to inform other residents about this project by canvassing. “It’s not if, something happens, it’s when,” said Graham adding, “It’s so close to schools, so close to communities and churches.” Kalli lives near the site and is not going to give up on stopping this project. “There is nothing about this project no matter which angle you look at it that’s good, it just isn’t good,” said Graham. Many concerned residents, other defense council members as well as high school students and teachers from Pittsburg High School were in attendance, even residents from as far as Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco came out to show their support in stopping this project from happening. Pamela Arauz, while showing a map of Contra Costa County on the overhead, said “we have the highest rate of Asthma,” she said. This map was a report received from the Contra Costa Health Department, which shows that Pittsburg has the highest rate of asthma emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the county. The map showed that per every 10,000 people, the rate of hospitalizations for asthma was between 104.9150.3 for Pittsburg, Antioch and Richmond as other cities such as Orinda and Moraga had less than 17. Many people were stunned at this report. Susan Burkitt expressed the importance of attending city council meetings and speaking up, “it’s really important that our voices be heard,” said Burkkit adding, “I am a firm
believer in that if you are persistent and you are tenacious and you are like dripping water on their fingernails, that you will eventually have influence on them, so we need to keep doing this.” A big break came when Attorney General Kamala Harris released an 11-page letter criticizing the RDEIR repor t for not mentioning what type of crude oil will be transported. In this letter she urges the City of Pittsburg to correct the deficiencies before cer tifying the RDEIR and approving the project. Another city council meeting was held January 21 at the Civic Center in Pittsburg and the turnout from concerned citizens was more than expected. Although the WesPac project was not on the agenda and will not be on the agenda for months to come many residents took time away from their families to show their support and let their voices be heard. Many were wearing T-shirts, pins and stickers that read “Stop WesPac” as well as “I Heart Pittsburg” stickers. In total, there were 23 speakers and the city council members listened attentively and took notes. The defense council members will keep on doing anything in their power to keep this project from happening. If you would like to learn more about this project or want to know what you can do to help, you can go to the defense council website at www.pittsburgdc. org or you can email them at pittsburgdc@gmail.com. You can also email city council members at aevenson@ ci.pittsburg.ca.us or you can call (925) 252-4850 to try and arrange a meeting with them.
OIL
SUPER
who was the hardest to find and ended up taking up most of the budget. They found Ben, the dog actor, through an agency called Hollywood Animals. The dog was paid the most because it was important they had a dog who could do what was needed. In the end, they got everything they needed in time and shot the commercial in two days, including shooting the scene of the child on the dog in front of a green screen. They then took a week to edit. If all goes right, the Gill’s and their team could be sharing $1 million and get the opportunity to work on the set of the Avengers sequel that begins filming this spring. Money like that doesn’t seem like a lot when split between over 30 people, but it could still do wonders for the Gill family. “If we win, we want to start our own production company with our share,” Gill said. And with that company they hope to make more commercials and maybe a movie someday. Gill knows that there is no guarantee that they will win and is just excited to be a part of something this big. “We are very fortunate and humble that we’ve made it this far in the competition,” she said. If you would like to help the Gill’s and their crew achieve their dream, you can go to their website at www.vote4cowboykid.com and vote once a day or you can vote at www.doritos. com. Voting ends on January 28 at 10 p.m. and every vote counts.
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