To LMC and beyond
‘Block’ gets bigger
Dunking out cancer
The MESA program prepares to bring its newest invention to the halls of NASA — page 3
The LMC Drama Department’s production of “My Block” is set to premiere at the California Theatre — page 4
The LMC men’s basketball team helps raise awareness in Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser — page 5
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District bids farewell Benjamin to retire this year By CASSIE DICKMAN
cdickman@lmcexperience.com
An 11-year chapter in the Contra Costa Community College District’s history will close at the end of this year, as Chancellor Helen Benjamin has announced her Dec. 31 retirement. Benjamin expressed her gratitude in a district-wide email sent Jan. 27, for both those who have helped her in her journey
“I have been allowed to grow, develop and contribute alongside many of you as we have transformed the lives of thousands of students.”
through the college district and the many others she met along the road. “I could not have worked in a better place,” said Benjamin, who started with the college district in 1990 as the dean of language arts and humanistic studies for Los Medanos College before working her way up through the ranks. “I have been allowed to grow, develop and contribute alongside many of
— Chancellor Helen Benjamin
See HELEN, page 6
Career services to offer more aid Tours among newest ideas By ADRIA WATSON Staff Writer
Plan now for Summer ’16 The Los Medanos Summer 2016 Class Schedule is now available for students who plan on registering for classes next semester. The new schedule can be viewed online at losmedanos. edu/schedule.
Calling all blood donors A blood drive will be held Thursday, Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Library, Room L-109. To make an appointment, go to www.bloodheroes. com, click on “Donate Blood” and enter sponsor code LosMC; or contact Student Life at 473-7554.
Deadline for STEM nears The deadline for turning in an application for the STEM Scholars Program is Feb. 11. To qualify, students must fill out an application, provide a letter of recommendation, type a 500-word essay, provide high school or college transcripts, signed ediucational plan, provide a FAFSA or SAR report, and meet minimum requirements. For more information go to http://www.losmedanos. edu/stem/scholars.asp.
Source: LMC Vice President Kevin Horan
Graphic by Lissette Urbina • Experience
Change is coming to LMC New additions set for completion in Fall ’19 By TYLER MORTIMORE
tmortimore@lmcexperience.com
Los Medanos College just keeps getting bigger and better. In addition to the recent expansion of the Journalism lab and renovation to the north wing of CC-2, LMC is also eyeing a March completion date for its new Veterans Center. “We’re anticipating the delivery of furniture, computers and printers for the center in the upcoming weeks,” said Gail Newman, Senior Dean of Student Services.
Also, according to a PDF file provided by college Vice President Kevin Horan, an assortment of plans dealing with refurbishments to older buildings on campus, as well as plans for brand-new buildings coming to the college over the next four years, culminating with the completion of the Student Union & P.E. Center and the Brentwood Center in the fall of 2019. With the addition of nine classrooms, eight faculty offices, and two meeting rooms to the second floor of the College Complex, Horan also stated in an email that Science Room-103 will change from an hours by arrangement lab to a scheduled lab, something he said will be similar to the other biology labs on the first floor. But according to Horan, not everyone is happy about See BUILD, page 6
Umoja shares black history Assembly focuses on accomplishments By KIMBERLY STELLY
kstelly@lmcexperience,com
An assortment of Los Medanos College staff, faculty and students got to experience several presentations relative to the accomplishments of African-Americans in Monday’s college assembly meeting in Library Room 109. Predominantly black LMC staff members along the student senate and members of the Umoja program coordinated the event, which was primarily meant to inform people of the importance of black history. In addition, a new African American research guide was also announced by LMC librarian
Christina Goff so that the teachers could “incorporate African American history” into their curriculums. As part of the assembly, English instructor Tess Caldwell introduced Hip-hop journalist, activist and educator at San Francisco State University DJ Davey D, who started off by emphasizing the idea that history is important. “Institutions will erase things … dissent is often erased,” he said, explaining that Experience • Cassie Dickman several years down the line, we will have Tacuma King of Bay Area Youth forgotten all the fighting for our rights that we’ve done today. He cited recent Arts speaks during the assembly See UMOJA, page 6 inside the LMC Library Feb. 1.
Transfer and Career Services hopes to provide new resources this semester that will further help LMC students plan accordingly so as to ensure that they are on the right path for their future careers. For students who want to transfer to an out-of-state college and want to meet with their perspective college representative, Transfer and Career Services hopes to start online video appointments so that communication between representatives and students are easy and accessible. Additionally, they want to start career tours this semester where they will provide transportation to go and visit different companies. While these companies are not yet set in stone, the idea is to set up tours of the companies, as well as hears from speakers who work at the company talk about their career paths, different options they had and how they ended up where they are. With the career tours, the idea they want to promote is for students to realize they have multiple options and that these options are available for them to make the best choices for themselves. The major students graduate and receive a degree for and the career they end up doing in life may be related and they may not be and that is what Transfer and Career Services hope to inform students about by doing this. “We’re here to help you connect the dots on skills and interest and how all of those things come together so that you know your options and you know all the different things that are available for you,” said Los Medanos Transfer and Career Services Director Kristin Conner, who came on board as the director early August of last year. The goal is to eventually go and visit companies and businesses that fit in with the popular majors on campus, but for now Conner and Transfer Services Coordinator Rachel Anicetti have been talking to the student ambassadors about their own majors and career interest to start getting ideas. Student Ambassador Kiani Taylor says that the new plans will get people thinking more about the career side of things and that people are going to start thinking about what paths they have to take to get to the See TOURS, page 6
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“The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Tyler Mortimer
Sarah Gonzales
TYLER’S TRUTH
BRAINPICKER
Hillary Clinton not the best bet
Woe is me: I cannot ‘adult’
Hillary Clinton is not an especially brave politician. Faced with the possibility of losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, her campaign leaked a photo of Barack Obama wearing a turban while visiting Kenya. In a televised debate a few days later, she urged then-Sen. Obama to not only reject a non-endorsement from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, but to repudiate him. The optics of the situation were apparently lost on her. Secretary Clinton’s instinct to jump into bizarre attacks perhaps comes from her apparent lack of any sort of concrete positions. After months of playing nice with Sen. Bernie Sanders, she again employed a puzzling strategy as he pulled closer in Iowa: she began to tell voters that universal healthcare will never happen. It was a baffling move from someone who calls herself a progressive. Not only has universal healthcare long been at least a long-term goal for Democrats, a candidate for office generally aims to energize voters with their ideas, not hamper their spirit with banal pessimism. She also went after Sen. Sanders’ plan for government-funded college, hedging her bets on a less universal plan with more requirements for potential students. At one rally, a young Iowan asked Clinton how she would make college affordable for his generation. “I’m not going to take care of rich people, OK, I don’t want to give them free college,” the New York Times reported her saying. “My opponent’s plan is to give free education to everybody.” “That’s good with me,” the boy said. Clinton, always terrified of not relating to young people, went to her go-to line. “Want a selfie?” Clinton has tried on many different policy positions over her lifetime, beginning by campaigning for the Ted Cruz of the Sixties, Barry Goldwater. As First Lady, she actively promoted the 1994 crime bill, which led to skyrocketing incarceration rates, in the name of being “tough on crime.” In one speech, she spoke of children and teens in gangs: “They are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called ‘super-predators.’ No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way but first we have to bring them to heel…” This is the low language of wartime propaganda. In addition to the disastrous crime bill, Clinton also suppor ted the Defense of Marriage Act – a Federal ban on gay marriage that was only repealed in 2013 – and the gutting of Federal welfare programs, which had a particularly brutal effect on women. Of course, this was before she was elected to the Senate, where she did very little besides voting for the Iraq war, of which she now says, “Oops.” She doesn’t let setbacks like these get in her way though: she was the lead proponent in the Obama administration of the NATO invasion of Libya, which has similarly been a disaster. If she’s been consistent on any one position, it’s been her enthusiasm for dropping bombs and putting boots on the ground. This election, she has campaigned on the premise that she’s ‘Not As Bad As The Republicans’. Which is true in many ways, but in a field including Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, it’s not exactly morally brave. After a week of campaigning hard against Sanders’ universal healthcare and college plans, Clinton won Iowa by 0.3%. She gave her victory speech to an excited crowd. “I know that we can finish the job of universal healthcare coverage for every single man, woman and child,” she said. Applause.
When I was in high school, I imagined my life after graduation playing out like a neat little storybook – because that’s how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? You go to college, get a job, move out of your parents’ house and become an independent adult. Only, it’s not that simple. They say high school is supposed to prepare you for the real world. But after four years of schooling, I haven’t the slightest clue how to “adult.” Now, I’m not saying that the education I received in high school isn’t valuable, but I don’t know how it can apply to real-world situations. If you asked me if I knew how to pay my taxes, I would tell you I don’t know how but I do know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. You see a lot of jokes on the internet, most commonly in the form of memes, about how “I can’t adult, don’t make me adult,” along with the continuous gag about how the adult task of scheduling a doctor’s appointment without the help of your parents is a nearly impossible task to complete. Many of us look at these and can jokingly relate on some level – but for some, these jokes may be their reality. Toward the end of my senior year in high school, I realized with panic that reality was quickly rearing its ugly head and destroying the storybook illusion I had built in my mind. I realized I wasn’t financially or emotionally ready to move out of my parents’ house, let alone manage apartment rent on my own. I had no job experience and only an inkling of understanding on how the world worked. As I counted down the days to graduation, the growing anxiety that accompanied the question resonating in my brain – the repeated mantra of “WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?” – slowly began to suffocate me. I wasn’t ready to handle the responsibilities that would come after my high school diploma. The only real comfort I had concerning my future was that I had another 4 to 6 years of college to look forward to, because school was something I could do – it was something I spent 13 years doing. I could live with another couple years of studying and writing papers – but any thoughts about my life moving beyond that terrified me. And I’m sure a handful of my peers might have felt the same way. In conclusion, I don’t feel that high school had mentally prepared me for the real world or how to be an adult – to work for a living with the added responsibilities of paying bills, taxes and being an active member of society. At most I felt like a child playing dress up in my mother’s grown-up clothing, pretending I knew what I was doing. I realize now that some of us graduates were under the delusion that the things we have planned in our own individual storybooks – a well-paying job, a home of our own and a secure future – will be handed to us on a silver platter. In truth, there is no comfortable transition from high school student to adulthood – you graduate and then you are left to your own devices. But maybe that’s how it has to be. Maybe we’re supposed to flail and struggle to adapt to this abrupt transition into the adult world. Perhaps the only way we will ever learn how to properly function in society is through firsthand experience. So to all of you graduates who are fresh from high school and are attending your first year of college- don’t stress about the future. Take one day at a time and don’t let your mistakes discourage you--learn from them instead. It’s all a part of becoming an adult.
Editorial
Experience • Joey Fajardo
More students should be voting
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he California primaries may not be until June 7, but now is the time to reflect about why not enough college students actively participate in elections and why it is important for them to do so now. Ask yourself one question; Why is it that when it comes to determining who would be a decent fit for the role of the president of The United States, most of the people who vote are age 45 or older? By not voting, students loose out on making a difference and the voice of our future is to quiet to impact politics. Some students may feel their votes don’t matter. Others may lack knowledge about the election itself or the candidates and their policies. Some may even feel as if candidates don’t take the time to reach out to students and talk about fixing issues they deal with-- tuition rates or finding a job after graduation. Don’t let those be your excuses. Your votes matter and can make a difference between the right and wrong person being elected into office. Become informed about the candidates who are running this year by simply going online or turning on the news to see who is running and what some of their policies are. If any of the candidates are advocating for issues you feel strongly about, get registered and go support them in the upcoming election. Primary elections are where it all begins. It is crucial for students to vote in the primaries because this is when you’re choosing who is the best representative for your political party. Your involvement shouldn’t just stop at presidential elections. The election for President of the U.S. is this year and will happen every four years. But what most people don’t know is there in another two years there will be midterm elections where you can go out and vote for congressional representatives. These elections are as important, if not more important than presidential elections because you are essentially electing candidates who you believe would support your presidential choice and create laws that coincide with the changes you want to see. Get involved in local and state elections as well. These two levels of Government have a large impact on the everyday lives of Americans. Keep up with propositions you are in favor of or problems the state or your local community are facing that you want to see solved and just like the presidential elections, go out and support the candidate who wants the same as you. Absentee ballots exist for students who want to participate but are unable to physically go in and vote for elections happening in their home state or town. If there’s a way for you to get involved, then do so. Your future depends on your civic participation now and in the future.
The effects of mass shootings on kids What kinds of ideas do kids or even adults get in their heads to come up and follow though with a mass shooting? Could it be video games? Movies that encourage this kind of violence? Or could it be just that these people want attention so badly that they will shoot up an entire school or movie theatre to have their five minutes of fame. Not the right kind of attention I would want on myself but in my opinion people will do literally anything if it means they get any kind of attention no matter what the cost. In my opinion, with the somewhat recent scare at Los Medanos College where young boys had threatened to shoot up the school, it made me a little nervous to go to school or hearing about the shootings inside of movie theatres made me uncomfortable. Kids these days watch violent television and play games that basically say its okay to shoot innocent people and that cops have a chance of catching you but if you can outrun them it’ll all be okay and then you can do it again. In the studies of the American Psychological Association, witnessing a mass shooting at any school can not only have an emotional effect but also psychological and physical effects.
Kaitlin Maghuyop GUEST COLUMN
Kids start having trouble eating or sleeping , nightmares, or even resisting to go back to that school. School performance, anxiety, and changing relationships with their teachers or friends is a huge after effect on mass shootings, kids feel unsafe with an unsettling feeling that maybe their next. Lastly my opinion on mass shootings is that they make kids and parents feel uneasy, kids might decide that they don’t want to go to school anymore, I feel that this is a serious issue to all students and parents. You never know when it’ll happen or even if it could happen again, when kids listen to music, play violent video games, or experience a family tragedy such as a divorce or a death it contributes to the thoughts of shooting sprees.
Reader Opinion Policy The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. If you are interested in expressing your opinions mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565, or send them electronically through the Experience online newsite lmcexperience.com. Letters and columns must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. They may be edited for clarity, content taste and length at the editor’s discretion.
Voices
LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE
How do you feel about Valentine’s Day? Compiled by Jazmine and Sarah Gonzales
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Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m
Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“It’s a pretty good holiday, but I have nobody to share it with, so, I’m not that big on it.” — Braddy Lally
“It’s a cute day, but I hate it becuase I don’t have a valentine.” — Daja Moseby
“Valentine’s Day is a day where you can share your compassion of love with your family, girlfriend, boyfriend, whoever.” — Dashron Vann
“I think it’s great for those who are in a relationship and I think it’s a great time to take the ones you love and go out.” —Jaqueline Mantoya
“It can be good or bad depdending on the situation. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, it’s good and if not, it could be bad.” — Trayvon Muldrow
“I think Valentine’s Day is an overrated holiday because I think Valentine’s Day should be everyday, any day.” — Kristie Lee
“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
Editors-in-Chief................DAMIAN LEWIN and CASSIE DICKMAN Perspectives Editor......YETUNDE OGUNLEYE Campus Editors...........ALEXANDRA RIVA and TYLER MORTIMORE Features Editor............BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ Sports Editors.....................RENEE SMITH and GARRETT BELME Photo Editor.......................JAZMINE GORDON New Media/Marketing.............JAMARI SNIPES Web Editor..........................KIMBERLY STELLY 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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Campus Newswatch Talk to universities this spring
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“Seeing’s believing, but feeling’s the truth.” ––Thomas Fuller
LMC picked for NASA
Several institutions will be visiting campus in the coming weeks. Brandman University will table Tuesday Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. UC Berkeley will host drop-in students Thursday, Feb. 11, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. The following universities will be available via appointment: n CSU East Bay: Friday, Feb. 5, noon-5 p.m. n San Francisco State: Tuesday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. n CSU East Bay: Thursday, Feb. 11, 2-6 p.m. CSU East Bay will also be available through appointment at the Brentwood Campus Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-noon.
Medical club seeks members
The American Medical Student Association Club is looking for members. The club meets every Wednesday at 4 p.m. in SCI-229. All medical professions are welcome and there is no GPA requirement. Scholarships are available.
Library adds databases
The LMC Library has added two new databases for student use. The first is Science Online, which is the digital edition of Science magazine, which includes peer review and research articles, as well as a bevy of other features. The other is Oxford Music Online, which contains full music reference texts, including the Oxford Companion to Music and the Oxford Dictionary of music.
Transfer Center workshops
Coming up in their How To Get Ready for Internships series, the Transfer Center will be showing LMC students how to build their LinkedIn profiles and use the service to network and search for jobs. The workshop is February 22 from 3 to 4 p.m., with a drop-in period from 4 to 5 p.m. for students to have their LinkedIn profiles reviewed.
Photo courtesy of Engineer Tech
Engineering Tech’s most current model of their coring device, used for drilling into the top layer of asteroids.
Students chosen for competition By ALEXANDRA RIVA ariva@lmcexperience.com
Historic Tuskegee University in 1916.
HBCU fair at DVC
Catch a free bus to Diablo Valley College Thursday Feb. 11 to meet with representatives from over 15 colleges including Howard University, Clark-Atlanta, and Tuskegee University. The first bus leaves at 10:30 a.m. and returns at 1:15 p.m. The second bus leaves at noon and returns at 2:45 p.m. Space is limited, reserve your spot at www.losmedanos.edu/transfer/CampusTours.asp.
Prepare for interviews
This workshop in the series will provide steps to preparing for interviews and how to answer those “hard questions”. Tuesday, April 5, 12:30 – 1:30pm in room 412, Student Services Center.
Find out your career options
This Transfer Center workshop in the “How To” series will show students the resources to discover all the career options they have with their major. Tuesday, April 19, 12:30 – 1:30pm in SS-412, Student Services Center.
Donate and help save a life
Engineering Tech, a club composed of 11 Los Medanos College students, has been chosen to participate in NASA’s Micro-G NExT Competition. Their journey began in October 2015, when they sent letters of intent and their initial proposals to NASA. “Professor Briggs gave us the information about this NASA project and from there we decided to make the Engineering Tech Club,” said Elizabeth Castro, the ICC representative for Engineering Tech. The proposals made by Castro and the rest of Engineering Tech included early designs, testing methods, and plans for an outreach program conducted by Engineering Tech to inform others about the Micro-G NExT program. Based on the guidelines provided by NASA, student groups are tasked with creating one of five dif ferent design challenges: a Float Sample Grabber, a Coring Device for Regolith, a Gap Spanner Boom for Asteroid Redirect Mission, an Anchoring Device for Regolith, or a Rock Chip Sampling Device for Microgravity. On December 9, 2015 the selected teams were announced. LMC was accepted into the competition alongside many big name
Photo courtesy of Engineer Tech
Elizabeth Castro and Marc Margarin colloborating on the design. were announced. LMC was accepted into the competition alongside many big name schools including Virginia Tech, Purdue University and University of California San Diego. “At the beginning of December we learned our team was selected, together with 23 other teams throughout the country, to actually build the tool and fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, this coming June, to test the tool we built in the NASA’s NB lab. So, now we are in the manufacturing phase, building and refining the design for the tool students proposed to fabricate,” said Francesca Briggs, an LMC Engineering professor and the faculty advisor to Engineering Tech, in an email. Jeanne
Bonner, an LMC Physics professor, is also one of Engineering Tech’s faculty advisors. Briggs had most of the Engineering Tech students in either her engineering graphics or materials science class last year. The students meet regularly throughout the week to work on their prototypes and discuss upcoming events and fundraising. “The team meets for two hours every week minimum, but to be honest students have been meeting quite often and working around the clock on this project. I can tell you they are driven, capable and motivated to succeed. The team is diverse in term[s] of student roles and background,” said Briggs. The prototype, currently named I.R.I.S
Instructors made more accessible
LMC is hosting a marrow registry drive in the library March 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration only entails a consent form and a quick cheek swab to gather DNA. People of color are underrepresented in the current marrow registry, help diversify the donor base. The registry will be held in L-109.
Free campus tours available
By JASON FIERROS Staff Writer
Get a taste of local universities. Free tours begin February 26, when students will have the opportunity to visit UC Davis. Registration for that trip begin February 4. Registration for a UN Reno trip also opens on February 4, the trip takes place March 4. Registration for a March 11 trip to San Jose State opens February 11. Register at http://www.losmedanos.edu/transfer/CampusTours.asp
Daily cancellations online
Save yourself from making an unnecessary trip to campus for a class that has been canceled. Professors sometimes cancel classes unexpectedly and often can’t tell their students in person. The LMC website offers a daily class cancellation page for students to see if their class has been canceled. For the list of daily cancellations, visit www.losmedanos. edu/classcancel. The LMC Experience Facebook page also posts class cancellations as well as other campus updates. Visit www. facebook.com/lmcexperience.
Graduation application dates
Students who plan to graduate in spring 2016 can apply for graduation once they have registered for spring classes. The deadline to apply for spring 2016 graduation is March 1. Please see your counselor to make sure you are on track.
Counselors ready to assist
Looking to make an educational plan or review your current one? LMC offers counseling at both campuses. Drop-in hours are offered throughout the week and change on a weekly basis. Students must have a student ID number and a photo ID to meet with a counselor. Appointments on the Pittsburg campus can be made at the Counseling Department in the Student Services Building, Level 4, calling in at 473-7449, or by visiting www.losmedanos.edu/counseling and clicking on the Make an Appointment link. Appointments at the Brentwood Center can be made in person, or by calling 513-1625.
— compiled from press releases and staff reports
See NASA, page 6
Experience • Damian Lewin
Joshua Bearden leads a class lecture on the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.
Kindling interest in past
Instructor leads rousing history debates By SARAH D. GONZALES
sgonzales@lmcexperience.com
“In my early days, I was really interested in English history,” said Los Medanos College history professor Joshua Bearden, “It was always what I remembered reading about most.” Book-stuffed shelves hang on either side of the walls in his small office. A desk hogs one side of the room, dimly lit by the glare of his computer screen and lamp. A book, partially covered, save for the prominent white print of the title “The Black Death” sits on the corner of his office desk. As a child, Bearden had always been drawn to history. While most kids would grumble and complain about reading a history book, Bearden enjoyed it. He would frequently borrow his sixth grade brother’s American history book, despite being in fourth grade himself. “My brother used to get mad,” said Bearden, “because I would read ahead … using his history book when he needed to do homework.” His passion for history has even led to an
unconventional name for his dog. “When I got a Yorkie, I wanted to name it an English name—Thatcher” he said, a reference to the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. “I just really liked the name.” When thinking back to what might have piqued his interest in pursuing a career in teaching, Bearden said it started with a project in high school. His 12th grade history teacher assigned the students to teach a lesson to the class. Bearden chose to teach about the American Revolution. “I had a lot of fun outlining the lesson plan,” said Bearden, recalling the project. He had presented his project with great enthusiasm and received multiple compliments from his peers who also suggested Bearden think about a career in teaching. And so he did. Bearden recalled his first teaching experience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, looking both amused and slightly abashed as he told the story. It was his first lecture of the day
See TEACH, page 6
For students who find oneon-one in-office meetings with their instructors intimidating or uncomfortable, the Center for Academic Support provides a special service for this exact reason. This service, dubbed “The Professor is in!” allows instructors to meet with students in a less intimidating and open environment. It is a plan to encourage students to get involved with office hours in a different setting. “Often, students are intimidated by going to office hours, so our hope is to provide a friendly environment that is intimidation free.” said Sandra Mills, the Center for Academic Support Coordinator. Many students do not take advantage of the office hours that are offered to them and one of these reasons is the environment they are held in. The environment of a oneon-one meeting with a professor can be intimidating to some students and leads to them avoiding office hours all together. “I used to do it when I was teaching because I found students were more likely to come to the Center for Academic Support, especially in small groups, than they were to come to my office and see me privately,” said Dean of Liberal Arts, Nancy Ybarra. The ser vice also allows part-time instructors to have See HOURS, page 6
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Movies just released
n “The Finest Hours” Rated PG-13 Genre: Drama, Thriller n “Kung Fu Panda 3” Rated PG Genre: Comedy, Family, Animated n “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” Rated PG-13 Genre: Adaption, Comedy, Romance n “The Choice” Rated PG-13 Genre: Adaption n “Hail, Caesar!” Rated PG-13 Genre: Comedy, Period
Shows at the theater
The California Theatre is located in Pittsburg at 351 Railroad Ave. For ticket sales and additional information call 427-1611. n “Love Is What We Need” will be shown on Friday, Feb 12 at 8 p.m. and Valentine’s Day at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $35 for VIP Cabaret tables, $30 for adults and $20 for students and seniors. n Comedian Scott Capurro will be performing Saturday, Feb 13. At 8 p.m. Advanced tickets are $20 for general admission and $25 for VIP. Tickets sold at the door will be $25 for general admission and $35 for VIP.
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“I’m an advocate of ‘it’s not what you are’ it’s who you are.’” — Sia Furler
Alum music to LMC ears
Department gets help By TAYLOR STROUD
tstroud@lmcexperience.com
Los Medanos College has welcomed its newest full-time Music Lab Coordinator Fernando Lozano. Last March, LMC saw Keith Parsons, the former Music Lab Coordinator, move on to Diablo Valley College to work in their marketing department. Lozano is the first to fill the position since Parsons’ departure. Lozano, 24, is both a former student and employee of LMC. From 2009 to 2014 he was a music major and a student assistant for the departments of music and recording arts. He is currently a band director for the Pittsburg High School marching band, and has been since 2012. In 2014, he directed the marching band and worked as a customer service representative for Educational Testing Service, the company that manages all standardized tests
in California. After a year away, it was Lozano’s personal connection to LMC that has led him back to the college. “This place is very important to me because I’ve learned a lot here,” said Lozano, noting with fondness that, “the student body here is very supportive of each other.” He continued to say that he took the opportunity to come back “to give back to a place that’s given so much to me.” “We’re happy to have him and he’s doing very well,” said Dean of Liberal Arts Nancy Ybarra, who initially announced Lozano’s new position via email. Ybarra also mentioned that in addition to hiring Lozano, the music department is in the process of hiring a new full-time faculty member, slated to begin in August of this year, with more details to come. The music depar tment has announced a few events for the
Experience • Taylor Stroud
Music Lab Coordinator and former LMC student Fernando Lozano gets things organized for the day. spring semester – the first being a concert from the Electric Squeezebox Ensemble on Saturday, Feb. 27. Presented by Michael Zilber and the Los Medanos College Jazz Studies Program, the Ensemble will perform with both the Heritage High School and LMC Jazz Ensembles. The concert will be held at the LMC Recital Hall at
7:30 p.m. and tickets will be $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general admission. On March 3, LMC will host a free performance of “Black Virgins Are Not For Hipsters,” starring Echo Brown. The show will hold a free Q&A workshop session at 2:30 p.m. in the Little Theater.
Playing on ‘My Block’
El Campanil events
The El Campanil Theatre is located at 602 W Second St. in Antioch. For ticket sales and additional information visit elcampaniltheatre.com or call 757-9500. n “Kit and the Kats” are coming to the theatre Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and youth are free when accompanied by an adult or senior. n In a special Valentine’s Day event “From the Motown, with love” with Top Shelf, will have performances of love songs and duets from the Motown Songbook Saturday, Feb 13 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and free when accompanied by an adult or senior. n El Campanil’s children’s theatre presents “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Showings include Friday, Feb 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb 21 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $10 for senior and $8 for youth 18 and under.
LMC Gallery opening
The annual student art show is now open. The show runs through Thursday, March 3. Artwork for the show features sculpture, drawing, painting and installation. For additional ticket information visit losmedanos.edu/art/gal.aspx or call the gallery at 283-2101. — compiled from press releases and staff reports Photos by Cassie Dickman • Experience
Sia’s new album attracts listeners By BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ
bhernandez@lmcexperience.com
Singer-songwriter Sia released her seventh studio album entitled “This Is Acting” just last Friday, Jan. 29. The album’s title, “This is Acting” comes from the fact that most songs on the album were originally Photo courtesy of siamusic.net written for other artists. Sia in turn is tak- Cover art for Sia’s latest ing the music and singing from album, “This is Acting.” their perspective, “acting” as if the experience were her own. much from Sia other than Released two years after a few of the more popular the success of “1000 Forms singles, I’ve always been able of Fear,” while competing to admire her songwriting with Rihanna’s “Anti” “This abilities and her uniqueness. Is Acting” currently ranks at Known for addressing real No. 4 on the iTunes albums world issues in her songs, chart while the former sits at the first track and next single “Bird Set Free” captivates with the No. 1 spot. However, just because one is a message of freedom, which ranked above the other, doesn’t sets the theme of many of the mean that it is an indicator of songs on the album. I see Sia’s rasp and off-key which is the better album. While “Anti” is able to gain moments as projections of mainstream recognition due genuine emotion that add to Rihanna’s pop stardom, it character to her vocals. Her lacks lyricism, whereas “This imperfections add meaning to what she is singing. is Acting” does not. See SIA, page 6 Although I haven’t heard
REVIEW
Top, Lenard Jackson, as Raphie, raps one of the songs from the show. Far left, Raphie attempts to embrace Simone. Left, Poncho and Raphie chat as he leans of his shoulder. “My Block” will be shown at the Pittsburg California Theatre from Feb. 9 to Feb. 11.The show will also get award recognition at KCACTF in Denver. “We are taking you in to a real world that deals with the issues and events that are happening now,” said playwright Federico Bartolo.
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Athlete gets scholarship By GARRETT BELME
gbelme@lmcexperience.com
Cathie Lawrence • Experience
Maurice the Mustang interacts with the crowd during the event to create excitement for the night during the LMC vs. Solano game.
Coaches vs. cancer Stangs lose at annual event By CATHIE LAWRENCE
clawrence@lmcexperience.com
Solano College edged out Los Medanos 82-79 during the Coaches vs. Cancer men’s basketball game Friday, Jan 29. The goal of the event was to raise awareness and money for the American Cancer Society. Both teams were tough competitors that played well. “We had a chance to win at the end but the ball didn’t bounce our way,” said Coach Derek Domenichelli. LMC had a 4-point lead at the end of the first half but Solano tied the score 79-79 in the last few seconds of the second half. With 10 seconds left on the clock, the referees added two more, giving Solano just enough time to score a three-pointer and the win. “We thought we were going to have our hands full tonight so luckily we chipped away the lead late and had one more last opportunity,” said Solano Head Coach John Nagle. “It was the kind of game whoever had the ball last probably was going to win.” Despite the loss, Domenichelli said the team “made some big shots.” The team also had stellar plays by team members, including Albert Waters who Domenichelli said was “our top player” for the night. During half time, 20 children from Dream Sports Academy played a game of basketball on the court. Dream Sports works with children in Pittsburg, teaching them to play baseball, softball, football, basketball and cheer. The program has about 700 kids. Marshall Collins, the group’s president who used to coach at LMC six years ago, said he reached out to Domenichelli and “asked if our kids could come and play basketball during half time.” The LMC Dance Team came
to cheer throughout the contest and also performed dances at half time and at the end of the game. Maurice the Mustang, the team’s mascot, honored fans with his presence and got the spectators in the mood for the game and evening festivities. Student Life Adviser Melina Rodriguez and a group of volunteers helped put up tables and filling the stands in the gym with pink, white and black balloons. In keeping with tradition, they also sold pink LMC T-shirts honoring those with Breast Cancer. Volunteers sold hot dogs, candy, chips and drinks. Long pink bead necklaces, glow in the dark bangle bracelets, football whistles and pink mustaches were among some of the things that were given away. The Mustangs’ next home game is Feb. 5 when they take on Yuba College.
Clockwise from top left: Elliot Abdullah dunks the ball during pre-game warm ups. Dream Sports Academy basketball teams play during halftime. Anthony Leslie lines up for a free throw attempt. Los Medanos Dance Team rallies with Maurice the Mustang during the game time festivities. Cathie Lawrence • Experience
Los Medanos has seen another one of its students move on due to receiving an athletic scholarship. Former LMC basketball guard Brandon Silva accepted his 80-85% scholarship offer from Waldorf College. He doubted if the spor t he loved would put him into a position to get most of his education paid for. Silva recalls, “I didn’t think it would actually, I wanted to, it was my goal, but I didn’t think I could.” Silva’s journey began when he started playing basketball as a kid. “Its basically my life since, I’ve been playing since second grade. It means a lot because its been apart of my life for so long,” said Silva. Not long after he started playing basketball, the sport star ted taking him places. Silva said, “I played travel basketball. It was in 5th grade, we started a travel basketball team. My older brother was already on it, but we started a younger basketball team. One of my coaches from my Catholic Church league started it, that’s how it was formed.” Silva’s traveling team played all over in places like “Vegas, Reno, and Sacramento.” Silva traveled with the team playing all the way up until he graduated from Clayton Valley High School, however at that point it seemed to like the basketball ball’s same old routine had grown stale. “I didn’t even want to play basketball after that,” said Silva. “I think I just got tired of it. I didn’t feel like I wanted to play anymore.” As his drive to play basketball slowly dwindled, there was another sport that was vying for Silva’s athletic attention. “I played volleyball in high school my freshman year, I was on JV. I got MVP of that team at Ignacio Valley High School. I started having knee problems after my freshman year so I stopped playing volleyball. Then I tried giving it another shot junior year, I got top 3 in tryouts,” said Silva. While he proved to be no slouch in volleyball, it proved to be a minor detour on the road that lead back to basketball. Silva recalls, “I didn’t want to play anymore, I just wanted to focus on basketball.” He sited, “being on a team. Just competing and having fun,” as reasons to returning to basketball, however his return to the hardwood would have to wait a year. For almost everyone college is a new experience, while most people adjust to longer classes and over priced text books, Silva had to adjust to one more thing; school without basketball. Without having to meet a GPA requirement to stay on a team, Silva’s grades began to take a hit. “My first year after high school I went to DVC, my grades were bad. I didn’t really care about classes. I never really went to school to go to school,” said Silva. Recognizing that he couldn’t go on like this, made a change for the better. “I had a 1.8. I had to pick myself See SILVA, page 6
Baseball splits Modesto series in half By XAVIER VALLE and RENEE SMITH xvalle@lmcexperience.com
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Catcher Ethan Utler slides into second base.
The Los Medanos baseball team starts out with a home opener loss against Modesto Junior College last Thursday. Head coach Anthony D’Albora brought back veterans such as outfielder Jared Ambuehl, infielder Jake Hom, catcher Ethan Utler and infielder Brandon Gazdar who all managed a .300 batting and slugging average last spring season. Starting the game was Mike Alexander returned to the pitching rotation, coming off of last year’s 3.34 ERA and 74 strikeouts on a 4-4 record for the 2015 season. D’Albora introduced Craig Chipman as a new assistant coach who supervises the catchers as well as batting. Chipman
previously coached at Deer Valley High School for five years as an assistant coach. “Should be a good game as long as we execute our plays and get runs in along the way,” said D’Albora right before the guys started up a pre-game Mustang chant. Alexander started out the first inning with hard fastballs and sliders to trick the count early. Soon enough, Modesto began the inning with an enormous double toward the right center gap to get the game rolling. With a man on base, Alexander struck out the side to get out of the inning. The Mustangs would not have the same luck as Modesto as the first three batters all flew out for a quick bottom of the first. Alexander looked sharp in the top
of the second as he made back-to-back backward K’s to the first two batters in the top of the second. However that streak ended as a single would allow a man on base. LMC defense showed promise and backed up their pitcher to keep a tie 0-0 game in the top of the second. With one out to start out the bottom of the second, third baseman Tony Self would start out his 2016 career with a flawless double to left center. However, the Mustangs would fail to produce afterwards as Self’s hit was quickly followed by two outs. Alexander took lead of the third inning with a strikeout, but a mistaken walk would turn into a stolen base for Modesto. See BASE, page 6
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and Bearden momentarily let his nerves get to him. When he got the job, the university gave him his classroom number, his schedule and promptly left him to his own devices. With the lesson plan for his class prepared and ready to go, he stepped into a classroom as a teacher before students for the first time. The class began and the room was quiet save for the scratching of pens and pencils on paper and Bearden’s own voice resonating off the walls. He remembered being self-conscious of his voice during the lecture — how loud it sounded in the near-silent room. Noticing this, he became anxious and began increasing the pace of his lecture. Then, he abruptly stopped talking mid-lecture to collect himself. For five minutes, there was nothing but complete silence as he calmed himself with slow, even breaths under the dozens of pairs of eyes of his students. “That’s what made it so bad,” continued Bearden, “they kept staring at me without saying anything.” After regaining his composure, the lecture continued on without any other major flubs. Yet, a bit of nervousness lives on. “I’ve been teaching for 10 years and I still get butterflies in my stomach,” admitted Bearden, a smile curling his lips. Despite the near slip at the beginning of his teaching career, Bearden seems to have adjusted well to his position here at LMC. “We have wonderful, exuberant class discussions about the readings and the handouts he gives us as well as his informative lectures.” said History 39 student Candace Brown. Bearden grew up in the small town of Heflin, Alabama with his mother, father and brother. His grandfather was a conservative man and the pastor of a church Bearden attended in his youth. “Religion has a big hand in the views in the south,” said Bearden, “Women were not allowed to speak in the church I went to.” “To be brutally honest,” continued Bearden, “1980 interracial relations were taboo and gay people were a little unheard of. Abortion — most people I grew up with were pro-life.” When he entered college, he was exposed to different ideas and the classes he took in his major opened his eyes to the historical reality of the south. “Studying the history of race and gender—it made me question ‘why can’t women speak in church?’” Bearden realized sometime in his studies that history is strongly related to identity. “What does it mean to be southern or African-American?” said Bearden, “the history that built behind that, tells us what it means. Studying race and gender the way I did — it made you see the way you live now was not how it was before … It’s all kind of made-up as society progresses.” In addition to having already achieved a Masters degree in history, Bearden is on his way to completing his Ph.D in History in Maryland, with a dissertation mainly focusing on interracial relationships — rooted from his fascination with history’s ties to identity. While that is underway, Bearden continues to pursue his love for history and teaching here at Los Medanos, which he states has been, so far, a “wonderful experience.”
you as we have transformed the lives of thousands of students.” While the retirement announcement came as a surprise to LMC President Bob Kratochvil, he said it is well deserved and her legacy will live on for generations. “Dr. Benjamin has had such a positive impact on so many lives – not only in our district and community but statewide and nationally as well,” explained Kratochvil, adding that “her departure is going to leave a huge void.” As for the daunting process of hiring a three-college district chancellor, CCCCD Director Communications and Community Relations Tim Leong said the task will fall to the district’s governing board, but the path to finding a permanent replacement could take many different forms. And, although at this point it is still too premature to speculate on what board members will do, they are fortunate to have been given a considerable length of time to decide. Leong, who came to the district in 2008, said it has been an honor to work with Benjamin and that he has benefited from her knowledge and the connections she has extended to him. “I just feel really blessed to have been so fortunate to have her as my chancellor,” he said. Although Kratochvil echoed Leong’s sentiments, he noted that she isn’t done yet and has more to accomplish before December. “Helen can do more in 11 months,” he said, “than some people can do in 11 years.”
incidents in states like Texas and Kentucky where there have been arguments about the content of the textbooks some of which have been written in favor “of the dominant half.” “We talk about Abe Lincoln but never about Freddy Douglass or Sojourner Truth,” he continued, adding, “and I don’t know important this is for everyone to know but the first responder when 9/11 happened was a black man.” Davey D also mentioned that there were hundreds of slave rebellions and black people — particularly the black youth — which you don’t often hear about. What followed next was an anecdote about what happened when James Brown came to visit the radio station he was working at. Davey D went on to state that it was four days after Columbine, and Brown wanted to talk to the local youth about how the black community “has their own Columbines.” But after being told “James Brown is not relevant to this audience,” he decided to let him come on his show. In the end, the interview was then pulled off the air. Upon hearing this, the audience made sounds signifying disapproval. “Meanwhile, next door the station was celebrating the long careers of artists like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones,” said Davey D. The Hip-hop journalist then explained that stripping kids of color of the opportunity to learn about where their culture comes from “removes their rebelliousness.” “It makes them soft, it makes them pliable and they’ll never challenge, “he said. “This means no innovation and no room for institution building … a lot of people are selfish and don’t want to change their ways.” He also stated that people from marginalized communities are discouraged from looking at history and that even when they do, they don’t often see it in the right light. “They look at it as numbers and dates and not as concepts and narratives,” he said, adding that people often don’t see how these narratives are connected to modern day experiences. After showing a short clip of an interview with ex-FBI informant Darthard Perry about how the FBI keeps hundreds of files on black culture in order to infiltrate the community when they feel threatened, Davey D concluded his speech by saying “institutions have long memories.” After hearty applause from the audience, Davey D stepped aside to let the performers from Bay Area Youth drumming circle led by “master percussionist and teacher” Tacuma King. The musicians filed in from the back of the room, engaging with the audience by giving them instruments and getting students to come up to the front and dance. The audience clapped along with the intricate drumbeats until King paused to orate on the place that dance and song holds in the communities of African-Americans, and how those mediums are crucial to creating an identity. “There is an annihilation of culture is prevalent throughout the nation,” said King. “We were lynched for playing the drums, we were lynched for talking proper.” He continued by saying that there is hope however, thanks to those willing to pass down history to youth. He then cited Davey D as an example, who humbly nodded when he referred to him as a “griot.” Lastly, Caldwell introduced Dr. James Noel, English instructor at LMC, to read the poem “Listen Mr. Oxford don” by black British poet, John Agard. Following the reading, LMC President Bob Kratochvil ended the meeting and thanked everyone for attending, joking how he was glad no one asked him to dance. After a hefty applause from the audience, the crowd was dismissed and encouraged to partake in the snacks and beverages that were provided.
career they want rather than sticking to some of the shortterm goals some students have. “I think that if people do take advantage of this that they will think ‘to get where I have to go it’s going to take a lot of hard work.’ that maybe they didn’t think about before,” said Taylor. Some of the resources Transfer and Career Services are currently providing: college and career workshops held during the fall and spring semesters, College and University campus tours, in-person meetings with college representatives, transfer and college fairs, and transfer and career counseling appointments to help students focus on their plans. One thing Conner said that about he workshops they host is that the conversations that happen between students there are important because they are learning from each other and brain storming ideas together. “I really like bringing groups of students together because I think there really is a lot of information and empowerment that can happen and if it happens to be in the context of a workshop where it’s one speaker then that’s where it starts off,” said Conner. There are weekly emails that the office sends out every Friday to students who are subscribed to it. The emails are updates and reminders for events and services that might be coming up for the next week scholarships, application deadlines, internship opportunities posted.
Under pressure, Alexander managed to strike out two in a row to relieve the side. Shortstop Jeremiah Francis would step up to the plate with a one-out single in the bottom of the third and advanced to second on an error. During Utler’s at bat, a wild pitch would give Francis the go ahead to take third base, placing him in scoring position. Soon after, Utler produced an RBI single into right and the Stangs took a 0-1 lead. A courageous attempt by LMC sent Utler towards home on a hit and run situation with Hom up to bat. Hom took a hack and would end up sitting at first base on an error; Mustangs now led 0-2 and by another hit and run chance, would make the score 0-3. Modesto would quickly answer back in the bottom of the 4th as a
HOURS From page 3
a proper place to conduct their office hours since they do not have offices. For the students that are already aware of the other services of the Student Services Center, it allows them to take care of all the their academic needs and pursuits in one location. For more information, contact the Center at 473-7590.
BUILD From page 1
the upcoming construction plans, especially since in order to make way for the new P.E. Complex, the College will be forced to remove the fortyyear-old swimming pool that currently is in that location. Monica Unpingco-Adams, the president of the Antioch Delta Skimmers, a recreational youth swim team, expressed regret that the two parties’ long-running agreement would be coming to an end. “It is tragic for the community, on all levels,” Ungpinco-Adams said in an email, adding that the team will look for a new home for the 2017 season. “The pool was built in the 70’s and has only had cosmetic upkeep since,” Horan explained. “Any facility that is 40 years old is going to require on-going maintenance. The pool ups the ante a bit with its large utilities draw to run the pumps, filter and heater.” Horan added that the pool doesn’t meet regulations required for collegiate swimming or water polo, and that the few swimming and water aerobics classes offered have experienced dwindling enrollment. Most of the pool’s use was by local groups through rental agreements. Horan also stated that while the College has set aside land next to the future P.E. Center for a new pool, no funding has been secured for the construction of a new pool at this time. “A long term plan around the development of a new pool will be focused around the expansion of our P.E. curriculum and an expansion of our athletics program,” said Horan. “ This would also benefit similar community swim organizations.” The ongoing expansion is set to cost $115.8 million, funded by almost entirely by Measures A and E, which raised $24.5 million and $85 million respectively, raised through bonds and a property tax increase.
Correction Due to an editing error in the Jan. 29, 2016 issue of the LMC Experience, the story featured on page 1 under the headline “New staff shows at event,”did not continue on to the back page. We regret any confusion this may have caused. To read the story in its entirity, please visit the Experience website at www.lmcexperience.com.
NASA From page 3
MK-X, is intended to collect a sample from an asteroid without disturbing the material inside. As the students work on their designs, they must follow the NASA guidelines, which state, ‘The device shall be able to collect a core sample 1” diameter and 6” in depth, the device may be operated manually or under power. Powered operations shall be driven pneumatically and the device shall be compatible with a chlorine water environment,’ among other stipulations. Engineering Tech was created to give LMC students a chance to apply their skills in the real world. “Our initial idea for this club was to give students who are interested in engineering hands-on projects that they can From page 4 tackle as well as make projects Sia manages to combine the that would better LMC… catchy pop sounds that have [like] a solar powered boat helped grant her commercial success, while being able to produce music that is able to send a meaningful message. From page 5 While I appreciate experimentation with different genres up so I went to LMC and when the switch gave up Sia’s ability I played basketball it really to showcase her vocal skill in shaped me to get my grades “Move Your Body,” originally better so I could transfer out. intended for Shakira. It stands I went from a 1.8 to a 3.0. It out as a song vastly different really helped me.” Silva said. With this being the beginning from Sia’s usual style. Rather than her usual upbeat soulful of his college basketball career, sound, it has an electro pop Silva had to adjust to playing sound that seems as if it would against the “better players” and “better teams” he stared facing. be played at a dance club. Even though not every song The adjustment was seamless as has to be about a struggle, he enjoyed success both in the a dance song feels foreign classroom and on the basketball coming from an artist like Sia. court. “In my freshman year The main thing to remember when we won the Mendocino about the album is that this college tournament, we ended isn’t Sia. In “This is Acting” up forming a close bond.” “That she takes the “rejects” and turn freshman year was the most fun them into something beautiful I’ve ever had playing basketball,” and real. And even when the said Silva. Things were going great for songs don’t feel like Sia, the grit and rawness in her voice Silva after his freshman year, but that is able to reel me back in. just prior to year two, tragedy hit.
SIA
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two-run RBI single would close the score gap 2-3. Spencer Vincent, who was a freshman redshirt last season, would make his first pitching appearance for the Mustangs in the top of the 5th. Vincent would quickly take an error allowing the batter to reach first base. Modesto barreled up and bombed a double that sent the runner all the way home. The game was now tied 3-3. Both pitchers worked hard as they didn’t allow any runs until the top of the 10th against Vincent as an RBI single would be the last hit each team would see. The Mustangs were handed the first loss of the season 4-3 “It’s frustrating being in a tie for 4 innings straight and giving the game to them at the end,” said Coach D’Albora. The Mustangs answered back the next day as they continued their series 11-3. The team currently holds a 1-1 record.
that would clean the lake or solar powered phone chargers that we could put around the campus, however, now that we got accepted into NASA Microg NExT, we are focusing on that,” said Castro. “The team just received very positive feedback from NASA on their January status report. Students have been praised for their accomplishments so far and I am very proud of them,” said Briggs. This is a huge opportunity for Engineering Tech students to get a glimpse into the world of engineering and to potentially have a hand in aiding asteroid exploration in 2020. Materials, testing, and travel and lodging fees will soon be too much for the Engineering Tech students to pay for on their own, so they have set up a ‘GoFundMe’ page and will be holding various fundraisers to help them meet their goal.
“Before my sophomore season at LMC my friend got murdered. I dedicated my sophomore year to him. He got stabbed at a house party, we were all sad and I made a promise to myself to play my sophomore year to him and I did pretty well. He was a friend, but he was like a big brother to me. He was my older brothers best friend so I’ve known him for a while, like 6 or 7 years. He would always sleep over at my house so we got really close,” said Silva. Not long after being struck by a huge loss, Silva was recognized with a huge opportunity. St. Francis University, Trinity Christian College, and Waldorf College were all pursuing Silva to come bring his talents to their school. In the end, after talking it over with his family, Silva decided to commit to Waldorf College.
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