Softball struggles
An artful reception
Oscars on the way
LMC women’s softball team puts its skills to the test during recent double-header — page 4
Student works of art take center stage during an art reception Thursday, Feb. 4 — page 5
The Oscars are set to air next week and nominees have been evaluated — pages 6-7
V O L .
8 4 ,
N O .
F.Y.I. Important Dates February is Black History Month Feb. 29
Last day to submit early graduation applications to receive priority summer registration.
April 29
Last day to drop classes to recieve a W on transcripts.
Ambassador apps due 3/1
3
F R I D A Y ,
F E B .
1 9 ,
2 0 1 6
L M C E X P E R I E N C E . C O M
LMC status reaffirmed By ALEXANDRA RIVA ariva@lmcexperience.com
The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges reaffirmed Los Medanos College’s accreditation status based on the evidence submitted in Nov. 2015. ACCJC gave LMC three recommendations including references to the Brentwood Center and others that focused on improving the effectiveness of the resource allocation process. All recommendations are now rectified. “This successful outcome was achieved thanks to much effort by many individuals, broad engagement and input, constituency groups working collaboratively, and a collective focus on institutional improvements to better serve our students,” said
LMC president Bob Kratochvil in an email. The changes made and problems resolved came in part to the members of the recommendation response teams, the accreditation steering committee, the leadership and members of our academic, classified and student senates, LMC’s marketing and media design team and everyone who took part in the meetings and arrangements for the follow up visit from ACCJC. LMC Vice President Kevin Horan has taken on the role of Interim ALO throughout completion of the follow up report and visiting process. “All institutions of higher education wishing to remain eligible for federal funding is required
“I know that our entire community is proud of the work we do.” — President Bob Kratochvil
See ACCJC, page 10
Welding a future
Death leaves court in ‘limbo’
The Transfer Center is currently accepting applications for student ambassadors for the 2016-17 school year. Priority applications are due March 1 and can be downloaded from the Transfer Center’s website at http://www.losmedanos.edu/transfer/. For more information contact the Transfer Center at 473-7444 or stop by the Student Services Center on the second floor of the Student Services building.
Plan now for Summer ’16 The Los Medanos College Summer 2016 Class Schedule is now available for students who plan to register for classes this coming summer. The new schedule can be viewed online at losmedanos. edu/schedule, and students’ summer semester priority registration dates can be found through the InSite/WebAdviser portal.
Mesa speaker series returns MESA has invited Mark Anthony de la O, a civil engineer for the Contra Costa County Public Works Department, to speak to LMC students about his journey from Pittsburg High School to civil engineering. The MESA Speaker Series event will be held Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. in Science Room 202. For more information go to http:// www.losmedanos.edu/ mesa/events.asp.
Professor says choice pivotal By MICHAEL MARTINEZ Staff Writer
Experience • Christian Ruiz
Welding Technology student Billy McDevitt practices techniques learned in his class. For more on recent changes coming to the welding program on campus, see story on page 3.
Choir goes silent Many spring courses get cut By SARAH D. GONZALES
sgonzales@lmcexperience.com
A handful of music major requirement and prerequisite music classes have been cut for the 2016 spring semester here at Los Medanos College. Music 013 and Music 014 — Musicianship one and two, respectively — are listed as required courses music majors needed to complete to acquire their degree. Both courses have been removed from the class roster. Diane Maltester, LMC professor who
was to teach both classes, was notified within the first three weeks of the spring semester that the classes were to be cut because not enough students had signed up for the courses. Maltester had stated it was “the first time in 30 years,” the school had cut courses needed for music major. “Obviously, it is very rare that we would Experience • Sarah Gonzales cut a major class that’s for transfer.” The Rehearsal Room remains remarked Maltester. The class cuts can come as a major quiet during the time choir See MUSIC, page 10 classes are usually held.
The sudden and unexpected death of longtime justice Antonin Scalia has brought a whirlwind of new conflict. While most of the countr y has been fixated on the heated presidential race, the attention has now shifted back to Obama, who plans on nominating a justice with an “outstanding legal mind” and fulfilling his constitutional right. “I understand the pressure the Republican senators are now under, “ said Obama during a new conference on Tuesday. “Most people don’t realize how important this nomination is. I will likely be more important than anyone’s vote for presidency,” said Los Medanos College political science professor Dave Zimny. The death of Scalia puts the Supreme Court in a state of limbo, as they no longer have a swing vote to break a 4-4 deadlock, Zimny explained. This could have major ramifications in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case, he said, which has been a source of conflict for years. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the teacher’s union, which means compulsory union fees would stand. But Rebecca Friedrichs and the nine other California teachers who are plaintiffs in the case, along with Christian Educators Association International, have opted to bring their plight before the Supreme Court to contest the verdict. If the Supreme Court hands down a decision in a 4-4 deadlock, the ruling of the lower court will stand, said Zimny. But the new vacancy in the See LIMBO, page 10
Students cash in on financial aid College utilizes multiple programs for assisting By TYLER MORTIMORE
tmortimore@lmcexperience.com
Experience • Jazmine Gordon
Javier Leyba of Financial Aid assists Natori Wardsworth (right) in processing her forms.
Deadlines for many of the aid programs at Los Medanos College have come and gone for this spring semester. But like many of the programs at LMC that are designed to help students, there seems to be a barrier between the would-be aid giver and receiver. The bulk of cash aid doled out to students comes through the Office of Financial Aid. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 3,087 students secured $11,194,558 in grants, an average of $3,626.35 per student.
“One of our main objectives is to maximize the amount of state and federal grant programs for students so they can get financial assistance to pay for books, supplies and transportation,” said Jennifer Ma, financial aid supervisor. In addition to grants and FASFA, there are also more specialized programs like CalWORKS, Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education and Extended Opportunity Programs & Services. EOPS is designed to help students who traditionally have lower retention rates. “We are different in that we don’t provide cash — we provide book vouchers, parking permits and academic materials,” said Yasmin Flagg, EOPS assistant. Flagg explained that EOPS distributes what is essentially a gift card to qualifying students for the See AID, page 10
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Web
E X P E R I E N C E
Back Talk Lovin’ LMC
Experience • Jazmine Gordon
In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, members of the LMC community participated in a variety of holiday-themed festivities in the Outdoor Quad Thursday, Feb. 11. Above, Interim Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks shows off his drawing from the ART club.
ANTI
SPORT AID From page 4
From page 1
With “ANTI,” Rihanna succeeds in making an artistic statement while at the same time being ver y “anti” everything her music is known for. She broke the pop star formula of hit songs being manufactured for her, and instead opted to collaborate on songs that were meaningful. Forget everything you think you know about Rihanna before you listen, and I think you’ll be impressed with “ANTI.”
This is a main factor of Guaranteed Prize Pool games that pay huge amounts to the people who finish in first. These tournaments skew the numbers from the large majority who play “cash” games such as Head-to-Heads, 50/50s and double ups where you have to finish in the top 45-50 percent rather than the top 10 to 20 percent in GPP’s. I like to make the analogy of comparing daily fantasy to day trading on the stock market. Each day you expect players to either exceed or fall in giving a return on your investment. Cuban shares my perspective and said in an interview with USA Today the legal stock market is even more of a gamble than investing in players in daily fantasy sports. “It’s the ultimate in hypocrisy. Gambling in the stock market is Gambling 101 right now because you have absolutely no clue why things are happening or what’s going to happen or whether or not it’s even safe.” Cuban said. I agree daily fantasy sports should be regulated, but not banned Many of the politicians pushing for a ban appear to be attempting to make a name for themselves, and clearly do not understand the game or what it takes to be successful at it. It should be up to the consumer whether they decide to play daily fantasy, and not a political official because they want votes. The industry is standing its ground on the issue and refusing to go down without a fight. The battle may go on for a while, but many players like myself believe it is a battle worth fighting for.
bookstore, as much as $350 depending on state funding. Flagg explained that EOPS has numerous qualifying thresholds, from being a first generation college student or testing into remedial math or English, to being a non-native English speaker or graduating high school with a GPA less than 2.5. Qualifying students also receive individualized counseling and priority registration and a variety of fee waivers. And as always, it’s an uphill battle engaging students. “We are going to budget more for marketing,” said Flagg. “It doesn’t feel like we are reaching as many students as we can,” adding that other problems, like the application deadline for the fall semester being in May makes it hard for true freshman to apply. The problem is not limited to EOPS. Data provided from the Office of Financial Aid revealed only 56% of students receive grants or scholarship aid. “Out of about 3,000 full time students, we only had about 180 applicants last year,” said Tammy Oranje, Scholarship Coordinator, noting that they secured over $6,000 in scholarships last year. Students interested in finding more information on grants, scholarships and fee waivers can stop by the Student Services Center, where they can find the Office of Financial Aid on the third floor and EOPS/CARE upstairs, next to Counseling.
From page 9
SOFT From page 4
said Rognlien. “The second game we went with the reserve pitchers who needed work,” he added, “We needed to play them so they got in some time, and they did well. Our pitchers just got hit, and they were good hits. Offensively we hit, just to everyone’s gloves. We didn’t produce when we needed too, but our girls fought until the very end.” Smith also shared her thoughts on her performance as well as the team’s. “I thought I did well defensively. I was productive with outs during the first game and didn’t let balls through that had a chance to get through. The second game was a little harder; I don’t play shortstop and don’t practice there. So I had a hard time figuring out where I was meant to go, but I got it eventually. My team did well today, I was especially proud of our pitcher Abbee, she threw her heart out and really gave us the ground balls we needed to make outs for her.
F R I D AY,
FEB.
19,
2016
10
Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com
LIMBO FILM From page 1
From page 3
MUSIC
Supreme Court would not just affect current cases for review; but also prove problematic to the conservative agenda. Scalia’s death leaves a void as he was largely seen as “the intellectual anchor to the court’s conservative majority,” according to a 2009 article from J.J Goldberg. Scalia was nominated in 1986 by Ronald Reagan and was eventually confirmed by the senate that year, becoming the first Italian-American justice. Scalia was a noted originalist, meaning his interpretation of the constitution was consistent with those who originally drafted and ratified it and was considered by many as the most conservative member of the Supreme Court, and it’s no surprise the vacancy left by his death has caused contention. “I believe the senate should not move forward with the confirmation process until the American people have spoken by electing a new president,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) stated in a press release. According to a recent New York Times article, 29 out of the 54 Republican senators say Obama should not nominate a successor. The senate majority leader Mitch McConnell also echoed these statements by agreeing the Senate should block any nominee put forth by Obama. “The implications this has on the upcoming elections as well as future legal cases is huge,” Zimny continued. Some LMC students also offered their opinion on the issue. “President Obama should be able to choose, so I would dismiss what the republicans are saying,” said student Israel Castro. Out of the 34 Senate seats up for grabs this year there are nine states where the battle is most fierce and where the standing senator is most vulnerable to the political tides this November. They will no doubt make the justice nomination a major part of their campaign moving forward. A Democratic victor y in the senate and White House would be a major blow to the Republicans, explained Zimny, as the chance to nominate a more liberal minded Justice would likely lead to a shift in the political balance of the Supreme Court. “The supreme court has traditionally been very conservative, the republicans don’t want someone progressive who could tilt the balance,” Zimny elaborated. With 11 months left in Obama’s presidency most political commentators predict it’s likely he will nominate someone who is more middle of the road. Though it’s just speculation, it’s believed that a politically moderate nominee will be more appealing to Senate Republicans interested obstructing Obama’s maneuvering. Obama hasn›t given any hints yet on whom he›s considering but, according to a White House Press Release, he did tell a Los Angeles crowd at a private fundraising event Feb. 12 that it is essential for a nominee to be confirmed who will uphold gains made toward civil and equal rights.
Kansas. Adams’ ancestral histor y has inspired her to write her dissertation for her doctoral degree on Nicodemus. “I feel it’s a continuation of the story Lulu had started,” said Adams. “Lulu had nothing and she created such a beautiful legacy.” In addition to Craig’s contributions as a writer, she was a teacher for over 55 years and a good friend of George Washington Carver. “As you watch the film today I want you to consider your own contributions to our own future society and your own academic and professional goals in life. How will you change the world?” said Adams. In the discussion, students in attendance were able to express how they were able to connect to Mrs. Craig and her family. “She’s lived a really long life and when I’m old I want to have that feeling that I did a good job and I didn’t waste my life,” said student Hailey Publico. White notecards were placed on each seat at the event with questions the students were meant to think about and discuss after the showing of the film. “You’ve got to love one another and understand what it means because without the love and the care for your family, you can drift apart,” said student Phyllis Walker on one of the key messages she got from the film. Adams also emphasized the importance in learning that many of the struggles people were dealing with in the past are still relevant today. “This is why we celebrate Black History Month,” said Adams. “So that people can be educated on the African-American experience.”
obstacle and set back for music majors, especially those who had planned on transferring or graduating at the end of this spring semester. John Chandler, a music major here at LMC, had faced this very dilemma upon realizing his Music 14 class had been canceled. Chandler had already submitted his applications to UC Berkeley, CSU East Bay and SF State with every intention to leave LMC behind with an Associates Degree in music under his belt at the end of this 2016 spring semester. However, the last course he needed to meet his music major requirement was now beyond his reach. “I quickly realized that I needed to talk to admissions and a counselor to figure out what I could do to be able to graduate with the degree this semester,” said Chandler, sharing what his first initial thoughts were upon seeing the class cancelation, “It would be a major setback to have to stay at LMC another semester to take just one class.” Along with the Music 14 class, Chandler had also planned on taking a Music 77—Chamber Chorale—which was another class he needed for his degree. But—surprise, surprise! Chamber Chorale is also included on the list of music classes that had been cut from the department. In the end, Chandler was able to sign up on an alternative ensemble class that could satisfy the practical requirement for his degree—Jazz Ensemble (Music 70)—and managed to arrange independent study sessions with Maltester for Music 14 to ensure that he graduates and transfers out of LMC like he had originally planned. While Chandler was able to avoid a major set back in his education plan, a handful of other students may not be so fortunate. Along with Chamber Chorale, the Music department has lost additional courses that provided vocal instruction, such as: Applied Music (Music 8), Class Voice (Music 65) and Jazz and Vocal Popular Techniques (Music 67). Music 65 and 67 had acted as a prerequisite for vocalists who are interested in pursing a major in music while Music 8 was a class music major and minors have access to private lessons. Silvester Henderson, a well known and long time professor of 23 years here at LMC, had planned on teaching the vocal courses but was unable to do so. At the end of last 2015 fall semester, Henderson had reran for the Academic Senate President position at LMC. Unfortunately, the vote hadn’t come back until a week or two before the fall semester came to an end. Henderson had gained the Academic Senate position but at the cost of being unable to take on the vocal instructional classes. “I couldn’t teach them, which really bothered me a lot.” said Henderson, “I really wanted to teach the courses.” And since the vote had came back so late, the district had no time to hire a professor to take on the classes in Henderson’s absence. Henderson expressed his concern for the lack of music classes available this spring semester. “The choir area was like the largest component to the department, we were a major feeder to all of the other general music courses—theory, piano…” said Henderson, “The students that were in the choir—they were taking the theory classes, they were taking the piano classes, they were taking the general music classes. So it really hurt the department big time.”
ACCJC From page 1
by the US Depar tment of Education to participate in an approved accreditation process. It is also a quality assurance control process to ensure students know they are receiving a quality education that has been reviewed by an outside agency,” said Horan in an email about the accreditation process. LMC is currently accredited on a six-year cycle and will submit a midterm report to the ACCJC in the fall of 2017. The ACCJC will return to LMC in 2020. “The whole accreditation effort is a process of continuous improvement, and LMC has a proven track record of achievement. I know that our entire community is proud of the work we do,” said Kratochvil in an email.
DPOOL From page 9
and being R-rated gave the film the freedom to follow his character well. Deadpool now holds the biggest Februar y opening weekend (surpassing Fifty Shades of Grey), the biggest opening weekend for 20th Centur y Fox (surpassing every X-Men film), and the biggest opening weekend for an R-rated film ever (surpassing The Matrix: Reloaded). The film was well received by critics and fans alike, and the sequel is already in the making. It makes you wonder what this film would have been like had it been released 12 years ago. All things considered, with the amazing style, the outstanding per formance by Ryan Reynolds, Miller’s great directing and the amount of cr ude humor throughout, “Deadpool” was worth the 12-year wait.
GIRL From page 8
woman in the film “Steve Jobs” was so powerful. On the other hand, Vikanders’ turn as Gerda Wegener in “The Danish Girl” was so beautifully tragic, that even I, who hated that movie, would watch it again just to relive her story. The two women were so evenly matched as masters of their craft, that the only way to decide who I think will win is to base it on past work. Simply put, Winslet has an Oscar, and now it’s time for Vikander to shine. I would be remiss, however, if I neglected to mention that Emily Blunt was snubbed for the second year in a row for her brilliant role as Kate Mercer in the film “Sicario.” For some reason, the Academy just won’t acknowledge her enormous talent. What it all comes down to is who was the best of the best. In my opinion, Vikander and Winslet are interchangeable. I would like to see Vikander win though, if for no other reason than to pay her back for being snubbed for her role in “Ex Machina.”
From page 1
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
Perspectives
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
2
“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” — John Wooden
Sam Halladay
Yetunde Ogunleye
GUEST COLUMNIST
ON THE BRIGHTSIDE
Focus on what really matters
May/December couples in film
For those following the presidential election and watching the Republican and Democratic primary debates in the past few months you have probably noticed a scary trend. The candidates have come out swinging, some at the issues we face as a nation, and some at each other. It’s sad that these occurrences then become the big story overshadowing the main issues and are often used to openly avoid them. Instead of engaging in intelligent discussion of the issues at hand, candidates spout useless rhetoric or tear down other candidates to give themselves the edge. This avoidance of the issues in the presidential debates has become increasingly worrying, there shouldn’t be any place for it in the premier institution that helps us select our next president. The debates are a platform for which the candidates can put forth their political views and policies for the public to decide who they want in the White House, but candidates who participate in a live gladiatorial match to tear down the competition are abusing it. Are we not intelligent enough to decide for ourselves? Or do our potential presidents really have so little to say? As it stands the debates pose candidates with on-the-spot questions, and they have to respond with no preparation. Candidates are taken off guard by questions or backed into corners leading them all too often to lash out at other candidates without driving the debates forward. This has a lot to do with how the debates are managed. In reality, a president should never have to make snap decisions. It is the job of thousands to keep our president well informed and prepared for whatever problems arise. Make no mistake, I’m not trying to defend those who stoop to slander, I’m saying that these voices can overshadow the positives and the purpose of these debates. Candidates’ views can go unheard because they stumbled in their reply to a question. Opponent views are disregarded because instead of addressing them, the candidate with the biggest voice is allowed to say things like: “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?” — Donald Trump about opponent Carly Fiorina. The president of our country should be able to do more than win a beauty contest behind a podium. He or she should be able to lead the country effectively and clearly. It is not a contest of whose resume is bigger. These arguments fill the debates because candidates are ill prepared to argue persuasively on the task at hand. Stephen L. Carter, a law professor at Yale University, proposes the change should come from the way we run the debates — that candidates should instead be given the questions before hand, so that each can prepare a statement that directly reflects their views as a candidate. A change to this system would re-energize the debates with on-topic discussion in which politicians could hammer out the issues on live television, to educate the public about their views and display how it would look of if they were the president of the United States. For the Republican primary and Democratic primary, debates should be all about defining a front-runner for each specific party — a nominee to represent each party in the presidential election. It was Socrates, the father of western philosophy, who said, “When debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.” We must promote healthy debate in our country so that every candidate has a chance for their views to be heard in a setting where substance counts more than style so that we can select the right candidate for the job.
The film industry and the Hollywood Machine as a whole has been put under a microscope because of things like #oscarssowhite and for good reason. The lack of diversity when it comes to directors and industry leaders as a whole is appalling. But it brings to mind another issue that has come to light recently, the sexism against women in the film industry. For a while, we as audiences never really questioned the pairing of a young woman and a significantly older man in films. Going back to classic Hollywood films like Casablanca, the two main love interests where played by Ingrid Bergman who was 27 at the time and Humphrey Bogart who was 43. That’s a 16 year age difference. The May/December romance is very common in Hollywood, it’s usually a young woman in her 20’s with a man that can be old enough to be her father. This hasn’t let up despite the fact that it doesn’t mimic real life couples age gaps. The average age difference for heterosexual couples is 2.3 years, with the man being the one who is older, according to the 2014 current population survey. In 64 percent of heterosexual couples the man is older, in 23 percent the woman is older, and in 12 percent the couples are within 12 months of age. So clearly these films aren’t reflecting real life. The sad thing is that this is still a heavily perpetuated ideal in films. Yet Huffington Post has reported that the ideal age gap for couples is 4 year 4 months. Compare that to the recent movie starring Emma Stone and Colin Firth, they have an age gap of 28 years. That’s an extreme though, the average age gap on Hollywood movies is 10 years, but the age gap increases when a male actor reaches his mid thirties. Thankfully female actors have begun to speak out about this ridiculous and unrealistic standard. Maggie Gyllenhaal has recently spoken on the subject saying, “I’m 37, and I was told recently I was too old to play the lover of a man who was 55.” Luckily when it comes to the age gap issue specifically, it seems enough awareness has been garnered to change the film industry. In the recent James Bond film ,”Spectre”, actor Daniel Craig who is 47 had a romantic scene with Monica Belluci, 51. When asked about the having a scene where he’s being charmed by an older actress, Craig responded, “I think you mean the charms of a woman his own age. We’re talking about Monica Bellucci, for heaven’s sake. The problem with sexism in Hollywood isn’t just with casting young actress with older male actors, it also lies within some of the ways they cast female roles in general. Actress Rose McGowen has recently called out horribly sexist casting requirements. McGowen tweeted a note that accompanied a casting direction which called for black or dark colored form fitting clothes and a cleavage baring top, a push-up bra was encouraged, so where leggings. Honestly as a woman when I hear about this it makes me so angry. I think like a lot of people, I’ve always had a feeling that there was something wrong with the way women sometimes seem to act as accessories in films. A big part of an actresses career is seeming unattainable and amazingly attractive. That’s why so many actresses have entire college educated hair and makeup teams, PR teams, agents, and managers to handle their image on and off the screen. So although there has been some ground made in way of sexism in Hollywood, there is still a lot to cover. We just have to be aware of these stereotypes, fight against them and never ever see them as the norm.
Editorial
Experience • Joey Fajardo
Need more diversity in Oscars
A
couple of weeks ago the nominations for the Oscars were announced and sent Twitter and social media into a frenzy. #OscarsSoWhite was the trending topic, which left us wondering two things; are the board members who are in charge of nominations being discriminatory against minorities? Or is the lack of diverse films in the industry the reason why the Oscars aren’t as diverse as they can be? The answer is simple, right? Many would choose the latter and say the Oscars are prejudiced and the elite of the elite don’t want to see other cultures winning those shiny, gold prestigious awards. In 2015 there was an array of poignant movies that starred incredible talented African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and women. Thus leaving many notably known actors and directors to boycott the Oscars this year. Will Smith played a Nigerian forensic pathologist who fought against efforts by the National Football League to suppress research on brain damage suffered by professional football players. Michael B. Jordan did a great job playing an actor who is following in his late father’s footsteps to become a professional boxer in “Creed,” where the director was African American as well. In “Straight Out Of Compton” most of the cast was relatively unknown, the acting was great. Also Idris Elba, who is known for amazing acting, brought the film “Beast Of No Nation” to life. He also didn’t receive a mention. So, we all would like to know what are the requirements to get an Academy Award. The nomination process is managed by an accounting firm and the nominees are chosen mainly by men who’re involved in the film industry. They place their vote and then an actor is on the path to winning an Academy Award. Spike Lee, who is well known as an innovator, directed “Chi-Raq,” and even though they made him his own honorable award, he still refused to attend the Oscars and boycott the event. Are the actors boycotting this years Oscars taking things to far by not attending a traditional event? We would like to say no, some feel as though they deserve at least a nod for their amazing jobs that they played in the films. What can we do to make the Oscars better? How can we make the Oscars assorted? Maybe they can take viewers choice polls and listen to the people instead of Hollywood’s elite. At Los Medanos College, we have very diverse plays that offer many different roles for various people. If we as a whole want to see a change in the Oscars, then we must take a stand and start speaking to the upper echelon about the changes in movies, roles, and making the Oscars diverse for us all.
Letter to the Editor
Tuition increases but there are no changes DEAR EDITOR: I would like to thank you and Los Medanos College for giving us the opportunity to read about the school and the different activities going on throughout, while also allowing us to express our rising concerns about the cost of education. As a sixth year returning Los Medanos College student, I have not only witnessed the cost of tuition and parking passes rise gradually, but the books too; just because a few words are changed and now given a different edition number. Moreover, students have to pick up the expenses of having to buy scantrons of all different sizes just so they can be given a test by their instructor. I understand that there is a convenience to selling the scantrons for immediate test grading, but I’m sure that most students would not mind waiting another couple days for their results to save a couple dollars down the road. I believe this is something that should
be covered by the school district, seeing that the cost of tuition keeps rising. Something that is also a rising concern is that teachers themselves are also not getting the required tools that they need to conduct class appropriately and effectively. I recall classes in which teachers had no whiteboard markers, no erasers, broken, missing, or malfunctioning LCD projectors; and limited access to printing documents for their students, forcing students to print it out on campus computers at a cost of 10 cents per page, or on personal printers. These are all additional cost for Los Medanos College students and professors to have to cover, which is unacceptable because it should be provided by the college. My question to you is: where is the student’s tuition really going? Maybe with a new year starting we will see some changes in the extra amount of out-of-pocket expenses students will have to pay. — Michael Trade
Reader Opinion Policy
The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. All members of the Los Medanos College community — students, faculty and staff — are encouraged to write. If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, bring your submissions to room CC3-301 and put them in the Perspectives Editor’s mailbox or mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. You may also 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
Experience
How do you feel about the lack of diversity in Hollywood? Compiled
by
Adria
W at s o n
and
Sarah
Gonzales
L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m
Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“I think other cultures and ethnicities should be given more opportunities to show their skills.” — Natalia Gonzalez
“I’m pretty proud of where we are. I think we’ve come a long way with the diversity in Hollywood so I’m really proud of that.” — Aliya Hall
“It’s 2016. We should be past that by now. I think people of color should get more credit for their roles.” — Tiana Montgomery
“It shouldn’t matter per say. I mean if someone is a good actor then they should honestly get the part anyway.” —Kamrin Ortiz
“Oscar nominations are all Caucasian so you can notice the lack of diversity.” — Fausto Perez
“It’s not that big of a deal, but at the same time it is.” — Clay Thompson
“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.
LOS
M EDA N OS
C OL L E G E
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
Campus Newswatch
Allies to hold weekly meetings
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
3
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.” — Orson Welles
Welding galvanized
LMC Allies will have meetings every Wednesday from 3 to 4 p.m. in Library Room L-105. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance, provides information, support and community for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer and questioning people in the LMC area, and for their straight family and friends. Meetings and events offer a safe, friendly and inclusive place and time for our community to convene. For more information, call 473-7861, email the group at lgbt@losmedanos.edu or stop by the Q*Spot at College Complex Room CC1-117.
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 Feb. 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.
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, from 12:30 to 1:30pm in Room 412, Student Services Center.
Chat with ESL Club
Join the ESL Conversation Club and improve your conversational qualities. They meet every Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. in the ESL Lab, CC-2.
Experience • Chris Ruiz
LMC welding student Billy McDevitt works on a project in the Vo-Tech building.
Program gains technology, staff By KIMBERLY A. STELLY kstelly@lmcexperience.com
Photo from Experience archives
LMC counselor Marco Godinez guides a student.
Counselors ready to assist
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.
New and exciting things are happening in Los Medanos College’s welding department. In addition to hiring parttime welding instructor Dann Gesink as a full-time , new equipment has been purchased as well. These technological and staff additions improve upon an already impressive program according to Dean of Career Technical Education and Social Sciences Natalie Hannum, who says Gesink and LMC instructor and program adviser Joe Meyer have been important parts of keeping the department running. “They have made a lot of improvements and there have been significant investments into the program over the past few years,” she said.
Hannum is also working on calculating “the financial investments that have been made over the past three years to grow the program.” According to a story published on the Antioch Herald’s website, Hannum says that these changes to the department are a collaboration among agencies. “This is an example of government systems working together. Industry indicated it needed more welders; a TAACCCT grant provided funds to expand the lab and obtain state of the art equipment; and the college added capacity by hiring additional faculty to meet the need. It is a win for industry by providing a skilled workforce, and it is a win for students by providing more access to courses by offering night and weekend classes.” Meyer says the new technology is in
‘Mrs. Craig’ celebrated at LMC By BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ
bhernandez@lmcexperience.com
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.
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, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in SS-412, Student Services Center.
Donate and help save a life
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.
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.
What’s lost may yet be found
If you have lost an item, check with Police Services, which is located on Level One. Inquiries must be made in person or no pick-up will be made. A brief description of the missing items will be expected by people wanting to pick them up.
— compiled from press releases and staff reports
place to help the students out in preparing them for the real world. According the same Antioch Herald story, Meyer explained that “Our new welding equipment will not only help our students succeed in class, but help them develop skill using the type of equipment they most likely will use on the job ... Our previous equipment was not as precise so it took longer to find the optimum settings.” Both Hannum and Meyer both agree on Gesink being a helping hand and improving the department but also on the idea that those improvements will be helping out those hoping to break into the industry. For more information on LMC’s welding program, visit www.losmedanos.edu/ welding or contact instructor Joe Meyer at 473-7740.
A screening of the documentar y “Happy Bir thday Mrs. Craig” was held in L-109 Tuesday, Feb. 16 as part of Los Medanos College’s Black History Month festivities. The documentar y, made by the production company owned by singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, was filmed during the 1970s in Manzanola, Colorado where five generations of relatives
gathered to celebrate Mrs. Craig’s 102nd birthday and combines American history, scenes of the festivity and interviews about her life. “This is my third time watching this film and each time I watch it I see something different,” said ACS-10 Professor Ashley Adams. The event began with Adams welcoming the audience and thanking them for being a part of the event. Adams holds a special and personal connection
to this film as she is related to Lulu Sadler Craig, whom the film focuses on. Mrs. Craig is notable for her contribution to the history of Nicodemus, Kansas. As one of the first African-American settlements during the Reconstruction, she wrote the unpublished manuscript of its history by interviewing some of the original settlers. To this day, the only copy of these stories is at the University of
See FILM, page 10
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Sports
Trivia
E X P E R I E N C E
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
4
Which MLB team is the biggest franchise?
A: New York Yankees
L O S
Jason Fierros SERENITY NOW
Fantasy sports is not a gamble
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Los Medanos College’s Matt Sisneros reaches out to defend a Mendocino player in the quarterfinals Feb. 16.
Stangs suffer close loss
Playoff spot still a possiblity By CATHIE LAWRENCE
clawrence@lmcexperience.com
The Los Medanos College Mustangs were in it to win the Bay Valley Conference quarterfinals playoffs at home Tuesday night. Although they had a narrow lead of 40-37 at half time thanks in part to Royce Henry’s 11 points and Andrew Hall’s 8 points, the Mendocino Eagles controlled the ball at the last moments of the game to secure their 102-95 victory. Tuesday’s men’s basketball contest was a high-powered and fast-paced offensive game from start to finish. There was a lot of extreme intensity from players on both teams as they competed for the ball and tried to make three point shots and control the backboards.
Mendocino head coach Billy Offill briefly shared his blueprint for his of fensive attack against LMC. “We like to shoot the ball,” said Offill after the team’s victory on the road. Mendocino came out with the hotter hand in the second half by scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter. The game could have gone either way as both teams then seemed to be evenly matched offensively throughout much of the rest of the game, but the Mustangs’ fell short in the rebound department which lead to their defeat. LMC made a comeback effort toward the end of the game but ultimately, the winning difference came in rebounds. The Eagles out rebounded the
Mustangs primarily due to the efforts of Mendocino center Jamar King (44), Who made 14 rebounds for the Eagles during the game. This was the Mustangs’ fourth matchup this season against the Eagles. LMC won the first three contests, but must now wait to see if this tournament loss will keep them from advancing deeper into the playoffs. “We made a great comeback at the end and our guys showed a lot of heart,” said LMC head coach Derek Domenichelli after the disappointing defeat. “Hopefully we got enough all year to get us in.” For more information on LMC’ men’s basketball team, visit http://www.losmedanos. edu/basketball/mens.asp
SPORTS MEDICINE
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Wayne Johnson Jr. takes his shot.
The gigantic yet still-growing industry of daily fantasy sports has seemingly begun to implode upon itself as if it was an old galactic star past its prime. This has left many pessimists of the industry believing it has become too big for its own good and now they want it gone for good. Fantasy sports have been around for years and dates back to the 1950s when people first played fantasy golf. It has evolved over the latter half of the last century up to the point where today there is an advertisement for DraftKings or FanDuel on nearly every other commercial break geared to drawing more fans to add to the current 55 million consumers in the U.S. and Canada. The industry sponsors all the major sport leagues, and has received investments totaling more than $1 billion from corporations such Google Capital, KKR, Comcast, Time Warner and 21st Century Fox. It has also received large support from bigwig investor Mark Cuban. With the first ban in Nevada four months ago, the most recent ban in Texas last month and controversy brewing in other states, including New York and California, the industry would appear to be falling even quicker than its fast rise. The main issue sparking this debate is whether daily fantasy sports are a game or a gamble? Is it based on skill or luck? As someone who has played daily fantasy regularly for the past year, fantasy sports is surely a game of skill. Personally, there is nothing I hate more than being against the odds. Specifically, going into a casino and flushing my money away, pull after pull, on the lever of a slot machine. This is something that is completely based on chance and no one can statistically find a way to profit over the course of time at a casino. This will never happen because the casinos are meant to profit and the odds are in their favor. As for daily fantasy, there are ways to successfully come out on top the majority of the time as many people have found. A game of chance or luck usually does not allow individuals to manipulate the outcome of the game. In terms of daily fantasy, there are many contributing factors when deciding how to choose players and it is apparent that more skill means more winning. Some people are able to play daily fantasy sports as a living and enter hundreds of contests a day while making a profit. To claim that it is illegal gambling because there are factors out of someone’s control is redundant. In any game, or anything in life, there are many things over which people have no control and to use that as a main reason to end a game that millions enjoy playing on a daily basis is wrong. When I started playing for the first time, it was obvious I was an amateur. There wasn’t nearly as much research going into my roster construction and more often than not I would make rookie mistakes. Things have changed and I have learned a lot about each individual sport and the techniques for playing them. Entering the right contests to manage the “bankroll” that players have is key in profiting over a long period of time. One of the misleading numbers used to show it is gambling and made for people to lose is the report that 91 percent of the total winnings were won by just 1.3 percent of the people who played. See SPORT, page 10
Softball splits games Mustangs find their momentum
more teamwork Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, you deserve excellent care. Our talented team of sports medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists can help you stay on top of your game.* To learn more, visit kp.org/diablo.
*By referral only.
By GARRETT BELME
gbelme@lmcexperience.com
The Los Medanos College softball team fought hard at home and split their doubleheader against Lassen College. The first game was locked at 0-0 as starting pitcher Abbee Cruz-Lawrence battled back and forth with the opposing pitcher. It wasn’t until the bottom of the fourth inning when Reneé Smith got the ball rolling with a single down the third base line. Smith proceeded to set herself in scoring position and was brought in by first basemen Jayla Allen with an RBI double; 1-0. Lassen answered back with a solo homerun during the top of the fifth. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Mustangs embarked on a scoring barrage that would put them up for good. Third baseman Jazmine Brown would start the hitting parade in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single. A two-out rally would total five runs; 6-1. Lassen failed to respond to the runs in their last at bats. LMC didn’t let up even as a relief pitcher was brought in to try and close out the side. The girls ended up burying Lassen
Experience • Chris Ruiz
LMC’s Shayna Lee readies herself to bunt the runner over during the double header against Lassen. 8-1 at the end of the game. During the second game of the double header, LMC seemed to lose the magic. While the Mustangs didn’t struggle to find their way on base, they failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities and were already in a 6-0 hole by the bottom of the second inning. However, Los Medanos didn’t give up quite yet. Brown would come back up and blast a tworun homerun to put the ladies on the board, 2-6. This would be the last time LMC scored during the second game. The Mustangs would rotate between pitchers Allen and Ma-
ria Reyes before substituting back in Cruz-Lawrence. Over the next two innings Lassen would add four more runs to extend their lead to 2-10. The game ended in the fifth inning with a Lassen victory due to the eight run rule. Softball head coach Tim Rognlien assessed his team’s performance after the games. “(The) first game we had a number of girls in new positions and they adjusted accordingly. They worked great (together). We were hitting well, fielding well, and it resulted in an 8-1 win,” See SOFT, page 10
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Arts
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
Celebrating creativity
5
“Every artist was first an amateur.’”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Marquee Movies released
n “Race” Rated PG-13 Genre: Sports, Biography, Drama n “Risen” Rated PG-13 Genre: Religion, Drama n “Zoolander 2” Rated PG-13 Genre: Comedy, Sequel n “How to be Single” Rated R Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama n “The Choice” Rated PG-13 Genre: Romance Drama
Theater events
The California Theatre is located in Pittsburg at 351 Railroad Ave. For ticket sales and additional information call 427-1611. n Putting a twist on the classic children’s story of “The Princess and The Pea,” “Once upon a Mattress” brings audiences on a journey filled with songs, comedy and romance. Showings include March 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and March 6, 12 and 13 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10 to $25.
Campanil shows
Experience • Joseph Delano
Student Saul Flores receives an award from Professor Rebecca Talley during the Student Art Show reception Feb. 4.
Artwork shown in LMC gallery By LAURENAE LEAKS lleaks@lmcexperience.com
The various artwork created by students on campus contrasted with the white walls in the Los Medanos College Art Gallery Thursday, Feb. 4 as the art program celebrated its Seventh Annual Student Art Show reception. Walking into the room you could hear the laughter and see the smiles of proud student ar tists as they mingled with their fellow students, professors, and family members as they celebrated their artwork on display. Additionally, local administrators from the Art Guild Of The Delta we also in attendance. The annual student art show, which brought supporters, was a great success. The gallery was filled with striking photographs, sculptures and colorful paintings. The Art Guild Of The Delta was able to give away generous cash prizes to the winners of each category. This year they were proud to honor students with prizes that equaled in the amount of $1,500 as well as bags filled with art supplies. The heart-tugging photograph of a baby chick held in a mother’s hand, was the first prize of the night in the photography category. In “Baby’s Passing,” the artist Mark Baker-Sanchez, captured the loss of a life. The 3D award winner, “The Egg Carton” created by Stephanie Gomez, depicted an egg spilling out of the carton. Baker-Sanchez won another award for his shot in digital art titled “Ms Hollywood.” The best in show award was given to Saul Flores for his 2D piece “Hyper Chugi.” Makayla Scott-Jefferson was a winner as she captured the eyes of the crowd in her light catching photograph called “Catching Fire.” “This allows us to get exposure, they get to see everything that we do here as artists,” said Jefferson. Opening its doors annually for students have gave students confidence and an experience that they wont forgot. “Its exciting, a learning experience in front of a bunch of people you know and don’t know. It’s an honor to be picked,” said Alicia Archuleta. Her painting was picked and was one piece that she won an award for. The student art show will be on display in the LMC art gallery until March 3. For additional information visit losmedanos.edu/art/gal.aspx or call the gallery at 283-2101.
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 Performed by the children of El Campanil’s Children’s Theatre, The Emperor’s New Clothes tells the stor y of an emperor and his three daughters, whose terrible fashions distract them from seeing the problems in their kingdom. The show will run tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for youth. n The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra will perform a selection of Broadway numbers that have made their way into films like West Side Story, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Les Miserables, Chicago and more. See Broadway at the Movies Saturday Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students. n Presented by the International Film Showcase, this French film tells the love story between a chocolatier and the newest chocolate maker he’s hired. It will be shown on Sunday Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $7 for students. n For the past 5 years El Campanil has hosted this annual benefit concert, carr ying on the tradition of the Delta Blues Festival, which has provided Antioch with live music and entertainment for 17 years. This year’s 5th annual concert will feature international and local blues performers such as Sugaray Rayford, Terry Hanck, Aki Kumar, Little Johnny and more. The concert will be March 5 from 7 to 10 p.m. Seats in the first 3 rows are $40 and all others are $30 for adults, $28 for seniors and $15 for youth. 100% of the profits will help fund the next Delta Blues Festival so that it can continue to be a free event.
Music at LMC
Michael Zilber and the Los Medanos College Jazz Studies Program presents “The Electric Squeezebox Orchestra,” performing alongside the Los Medanos and Heritage High School Jazz Ensemble on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The event takes place at the LMC Recital Hall. Tickets prices are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets will be sold at the door. For additional information contact the music department at 473-7805 or email flozano@ losmedanos.edu.
Clockwise starting from far left, Jennifer Holderman’s 2D design winner “Squid Transition.” Professor Rebecca Talley helps distribute awards. Stephanie Gomez’s winner for ceramics/ design and the AGD award for 3D work “Egg Carton.” Saul Flores’s winning drawing, “Hyper Chugi.” Bottom, Alicia Archuleta’s awarded Self Portrait painting. The exhibit will be on display. at the gallery until March 3. Photos by Cassie Dickman • Experience
Dragon Day
A dragon filled event called “Dragon Day” will be held at the Railroad Book Depot located at 650 Railroad Ave. in Pittsburg on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. People are encouraged to dress in dragon-themed costumes. Activities for this event include dragon arts and crafts, a dragon themed book signing by a local author and a showing of the movie “How to Train your Dragon.” For more information call 427-2334. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
IN MEMORIAM:
“To be a legend, you’ve either got to be dead or excessively old.”
“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”
Oscars
— Christoper Lee May 27, 1922-June 7, 2015
— Leonard Nimoy March 26, 1931-Feb. 27, 2015
Quotable
“Acting touches nerves you have no control over.”
“I always had a repulsive need to be more than human.” — David Bowie Jan. 8, 1947-Jan. 10, 2016
— Alan Rickman Feb. 21, 1946-Jan. 14, 2016
F R I D A Y ,
F E B .
1 9 ,
2 0 1 6
“The truth is we ain’t in those rooms and until minorities are, the Oscar nominees will remain lilly white.”
6/7
— Spike Lee
BEST PICTURE BREAKDOWN The Revenant
Room
GETTING TO KNOW THE NOMINEES
This movie has become the RUNDOWN “Boyhood” of 2015, with more Director: ink being used to discuss the Alejandro Iñárritu behind-the-scenes process than Starring: the film itself. Leonardo If you haven’t heard, Leo DiCaprio, and Co. went to the Canadian Tom Hardy, wilderness and only shot in Will Poulter natural light, doubling the Run-time/MPAA: film’s shooting time. 156 minutes/R It was cold and everyone Total Nominations: had a bad time. Inarritu’s Twelve Oregon-Trail-on-Salvia tale is beautifully shot and staged — a Native raid on trappers in the beginning and the famous bear attack are memorable—but Leo’s long trek through the wilderness on his way to Revenge City is oftentimes meandering, and I was left wanting to see more of Tom Hardy’s cynical character instead. That being said, the movie is a gorgeous nature documentary interspersed with scenes of brutal violence, and it is worth seeing.
RUNDOWN Director: Lenny Abrahamson Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen Run-time/MPAA: 113 minutes/R Total Nominations: Four
things of that nature. I was truly shocked when Tremblay was not nominated for his acting. He is a revelation, the fact that he could act in the manner he did and convey complex emotions better than most adults is wondrous. This film is my pick for Best Picture, although I fear it is flying too far under the radar to get enough votes, like “Whiplash” last year.
Film reviewed by Tyler Mortimore
Film reviewed by Joseph Delano
Spotlight
Bridge of Spies
“Spotlight” was fueled by a magical cast, including the chronically underappreciated Brian d’Arcy James. RUNDOWN The characters show a group-will to reveal a Director: Tom McCarthy terrible truth that rivals the villainy in “The Big Short.” Starring: Each of the characters show a range of emotions Michael Keaton, rather well, with Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton Mark Ruffalo, being the standouts in the film. Rachel McAdams, One of the movie’s most interesting elements Brian d’Arcy James is that the team was all involved with the church, Run-time/MPAA: whose web of lies regarding child molestation the 127 minutes/R team is trying to uncover. Total Nominations: Seeing their own stories being effected by newSix found information is really interesting, as it changes some of their relationships with their families and friends. This film was masterful at building suspense while not dampering emotions. The real-world implications of the films context add yet another layer of heart-wrench and Keaton proves that his return to good films is real.
When putting Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks together, you cannot go wrong. Director: That said, if Hanks’ charm was not gracing the screen Steven Spielberg the entire time, I would not have seen myself enjoying Starring: this as much as I did. Tom Hanks, The trouble with movies based on true events, such Mark Rylance as this, is that they become difficult to judge based on Run-time/MPAA: how the events actually happened. 135 minutes/ With a movie involving moving through enemy lines PG-13 during the Cold War, more grit and gruesomeness Total Nominations: would have been expected. Six It was played safe, and a film with this subject matter needed absolute free reign in order to succeed at a higher level. An R rating may have put this movie over the top, but as it stands, it is yet another fine addition to the careers of the aforementioned Hollywood legends. While Rylance played his character adequately, his nomination came as a surprise to me when they were announced.
RUNDOWN
Film reviewed by Joseph Delano
Film reviewed by Brendan Cross
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
“Brooklyn” is a charming yet clichéd fish out of water story. Though there was a relatable, underlying theme about Director: growing a backbone, there isn’t anything special about the plot. John Crowley That being said, it’s surprising that this movie was nominated Starring: for anything. There weren’t any notable performances and in Saoirse Ronan, some parts, it seemed they were dragging things out to make Emory Cohen, sure the movie had a suitable run time. Domhnall Gleeson There was a lack of tension, so there wasn’t any incentive Run-time/MPAA: to care about the stor y or any of the characters for that 111 minutes/ PG-13 matter other than Emory Cohen’s character, Tony whose Total Nominations: stereotypically Italian traits aren’t enough to make this movie Three into something great. There was some semblance of a love triangle in which Domnhall Gleeson’s character took part in, but it was more annoying than dramatic. Except for some mild death-related emotion, the film lacks a serious outward conflict. It’s fairly bland in terms for a Best Picture nominee.
RUNDOWN
Film reviewed by Kimberly Stelly
It had been some 30 years since the last time “Mad” Max RUNDOWN Rockatansky battled the forces of evil in the post-apocalyptic Director: desert, where the only liquid that flows in abundance is gasoline. George Miller George Miller’s 2015 entry into the Mad Max canon is Starring: high-concept filmmaking at its finest: a two hour car chase, Charlize Theron, beautifully choreographed and reliant on real world stunts. Tom Hardy, Miller practices the rare art of “Show, Don’t Tell” action Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz filmmaking, painting the viewer a detailed portrait of this Run-time/MPAA: motor-centric desert culture, complete with its own lexicon 120 minutes/R and specialized vehicular combat. Total Nominations: Tom Hardy continues his winning streak as the Ten ever-mumbling, animalistic Max, who arrives on the scene in chains just in time to lend a hand to the Imperator Furiosa, played by a fierce Charlize Theron. The movie’s heavy metal score is played in the movie by a mutant guitarist seemingly bred only to shred while suspended in front of a monolithic stack of amps atop a moving vehicle. If this movie doesn’t win Best Picture, it will be the final indictment against the Academy’s taste. Film reviewed by Tyler Mortimore
The Big Short
The Martian
“The Big Short” felt like it lasted way too long. RUNDOWN It draws you in with the first hour or so, then loses Director: you somewhere in the middle. Adam McKay Since the film dealt with the housing market crisis, Starring: you’d think more of it would focus on the people who Christian Bale, lost everything rather but the film spent so much time Steve Carell, attempting to be quirky that the emotional angle you’re Ryan Gosling supposed to care about falls flat. It seems like the whole Run-time/MPAA: time we’re seeing Steve Carrell having a meltdown and 130 minutes/R Christian Bale being enigmatic and not much else. Total Nominations: Though enter taining, it seemed like a lot of Five information to pack into a two-hour film so there was a lot of exposition, which was at first, done well but got old after a while. This is one of McKay’s better films but that’s not saying a whole lot considering he had a hand in making “Step Brothers.” Honestly, the best part about this movie was the soundtrack.
From top to bottom, or rather Earth to Mars, this movie is a visual marvel and a joy to watch. Director: Some negative reviews state that Matt Damon’s Ridley Scott character, who is stuck on Mars for years, is much Starring: too jolly about having to survive as the sole human Matt Damon, on the planet, but I see it as him coming to terms with Donald Glover, that fact quickly, and doing everything in his power to Jeff Daniels make sure he lives until his possible rescue. Run-time/MPAA: The set pieces are lifelike and make the viewer feel as 134 minutes/ though Damon is truly stranded in the barren grounds PG-13 of Mars and the conversations between Damon and Total Nominations: the troops on Earth figuring out how to go about his Seven rescue keep the movie interesting. I would have preferred less humor from the cast, but it does not detract from the overall enjoyment of the film, specifically supporting cast member Jeff Daniels, who was overwhelmingly enjoyable, as he usually is.
RUNDOWN
Film reviewed by Kimberly Stelly
Film reviewed by Brendan Cross
PREDICTIONS AND SNUBS
PREDICTIONS AND SNUBS
Kimberly
Stelly
BEST PICTURE WINNER
Brie Larson if one of a few actors that can shatter you while simultaneously building you up. She did just that as captive mother, Ma, in the film, “Room.” Her character’s resilient, stoic nature, along with co-star Jacob Tremblay’s masterful portrayal of a Jack, a captive child, proves that sometimes, a simple movie can be better than its counterparts that use explosions, large casts and
Tyler
Mortimore
Brendan
BEST PICTURE WINNER
Cross
Joseph
Delano
BEST PICTURE WINNER
BEST PICTURE WINNER
The Revenant
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Room
BEST PICTURE SNUB
BEST PICTURE SNUB
BEST PICTURE SNUB
BEST PICTURE SNUB
Straight Outta Compton
LEAD ACTRESS WINNER
Brie Larson, Room
LEAD ACTRESS SNUB
Teyonah Parris, Chi-Raq
Beasts of No Nation
Beasts of No Nation LEAD ACTOR WINNER
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
LEAD ACTOR SNUB
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
All photos courtesy of imdb.com. Reviews done by staff members of The LMC Experience. Oscar statuette is life-sized. See more reviews, page 8.
Steve Jobs
SUPPORTING ACTOR WINNER
SUPPORTING ACTRESS WINNER
Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
SUPPORTING ACTOR SNUB
SUPPORTING ACTRESS SNUB
Steve Carell, The Big Short
Emily Blunt, Sicario
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
Oscars
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
8
“Our lives are not fully lived if we’re not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe.”
— from the film, “Selma”
Actors shine on film Vikander, Winslet wow
Larson leads stellar group
jdelano@lmcexperience.com
kstelly@lmcexperience.com
By JOSEPH DELANO
By KIMBERLY STELLY
For the Actress in a Supportiing Role category, there are many standouts. Nearly all of the women nominated did a stellar job, but of course, only one can win. Below, I have listed the nominees in order of least powerful to most unforgettable. I am not basing my list on any previous wins or recognition, but purely on my reactions to their respective films. Normally, there are a couple nominations that do not make sense. This year, there is only one, when Rachel McAdams portrayed journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in the film, “Spotlight.” While she does a perfectly good job, she did not have a stand out moment that set her apart from the rest of the cast. Not one, anyway, that stood out to me. McAdams is almost always a consistently good actress, but I was a little let down by her lack of emotional depth and the weakness of her character Photo courtesy of imdb.com development. Overall, the movie was terrific, and she was a part Alicia Vikander stars as Gerda Wegener in the film, “The Danish Girl.” of that machine that fearlessly defeated conspiracy, I just wished that she could’ve shined more. Rooney Mara, who played Therese Belivet in the phenomenal movie, “Carol,” was so beautifully naïve in the movie. Her lack of worldly knowledge as a young woman played effortlessly against Cate Blanchett’s older woman, Carol Aird. While she had some emotional ups and downs, she was just not as good as the other nominees. That should not take away, however, from how well she did in this film. After being robbed for her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” she cemented her place as an actress to watch out for. Jennifer. Jason. Leigh. She was so good in “The Hateful Eight.” At first, I was shocked that she was nominated. I had always enjoyed her in the projects she had done, but never saw her as the Oscars type. I was proven wrong in the first five minutes. She had me hooked onto every word she said for the entirety of the film. Any interactions she had with other characters were often the best interactions in the entire movie. Kudos to Leigh for being awesome. The last two women on this list are in a dead heat for first place. Kate Winslet and Alicia Vikander both churned out stellar performances that have the ability to leave an entire theater breathless. Winslet as Joanna Hoffman, Steve Jobs’ right-hand
OPINION
See GIRL, page 10
Rocky win probable
Ever y year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences votes on the best in the world of filmmaking, giving many actors, directors and others lifetime bragging rights just for having being nominated. This year in the best actress category, the Academy has bestowed nominations upon five actresses for being the best at professionally pretending to be someone else. In 2016, all the nominees are impressive, but a few performances stand out among others. Brie Larson is nominated for her role as Ma in “Room.” The thing that sends her performance over the edge is that it’s centered on a situation that, unless you’re a terrible filmmaker with no regard for the source material, can’t be messed up. It’s impossible to not to be drawn in by some aspect of the film because it clearly outlines whom you should be rooting for. Though it isn’t based on a true story, it plays upon the fantasy that if someone goes missing they can be found regardless of time. Larson out shone every other actor in the film other than Jacob Tremblay who played Jack — because let’s face it, what’s cuter than a kid who perseveres in the face of tragedy? The movie was written in a way probably purposely minimalizing the role of the other characters to ensure that the Academy focuses on Larson to ensure Oscar success and it worked, earning her first academy award nomination. Meanwhile Cate Blanchett scored her sixth Oscar nomination for her role as Ayers in “Carol.” Though this tale of a tumultuous lesbian romance is nothing new – terrible films with similar plots and worse actresses and scripts are commonly found on Netflix – this perhaps provides the best example of on screen chemistry between two actresses. Blanchett, captures the inner struggle of a woman having to pick between the expectations 1950s society has set for her and staying true to her identity at the cost of losing her family. Up next is Jennifer Lawrence in the film “Joy,” loosely based on Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop. Now I, like many other people am somewhat tired of seeing Jennifer Lawrence paired with Bradley Cooper, however since Cooper doesn’t come until later in the flick, you get to focus on Lawrence. I guess when you find a formula that works, you milk it for all it’s worth and time after time, Lawrence has been proven to be a magnet for Oscar noms. She definitely deserves recognition
OPINION
See ROOM, page 9
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Brie Larson plays Ma in the film, “Room,” alongside Jacob Tremblay.
By BRENDAN CROSS
Fassbender stuns as Jobs By TYLER MORTIMORE
bcross@lmcexperience.com
tmortimore@lmcexperience.com
This year’s Actor in a Supporting Role category for the 88th Academy Awards is loaded with great performances, but ultimately comes down to a twoman race to grace the Oscar trophy February 28. Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies” – If you did an image search for stills from “Bridge of Spies,” and looked through every picture with Mark Rylance’s character Rudolf Abel in it, you would notice that he is making the exact same face in each, giving off a vibe that tells everyone around him that he is bored with life as a Soviet spy. As this movie was based on real events, perhaps the actual Rudolf Abel suffered from a lack of exuberance as well, meaning Rylance did the part justice, but this character was not award worthy, nor should it have been nominated. Christian Bale, “The Big Short” – Perhaps Christian Bale’s next role will be as the “Fantastic Four’s” Mr. Fantastic, as he not only has the waistband elasticity to transform himself into the Photo courtesy of imdb.com characters he plays, á la skin and bones Trevor Reznik in “The Machinist” and hulking anti-hero Michael Fassbender portrays the iconic Steve Jobs in his titular biopic. Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy, but he also does not shy away from any genre. In “The Big Short,” he plays drumstick-toting and slightly off-kilter hedge fund manager Michael Burry. I enjoyed Bale in this role, but I also enjoy him in every one of his roles. He dives into this character and does not come out, but his costar Steve Carell stole the show and should have gotten the nod instead of Bale. Much like Rylance with Abel, the Burry role could have been given to anyone, and it would not be award winning. Not only is Bale’s screen time the least of the four main actors in the movie, but his character does not go on the same emotional trajectory as the others, especially Carell. Mark Ruffalo, “Spotlight” – Thus begins the top three performances – from here on, I would not be disappointed with either of the actors taking home the prize. Of the five nominees however, Ruffalo’s portrayal of Boston Globe reporter Mike Rezendes lands right in the middle. The climax of this movie is a shouting match between Ruffalo and Michael Keaton’s character, who is the editor of the Globe’s Spotlight team. It is an amazing scene that by itself may have given Ruffalo the nomination. He is extremely believable in his role as an investigative journalist and is the standout in a cast of other great performances. While that room-shaking argument may have helped his case, it may also have hurt it as well in that he never reaches that pinnacle at any other point in the film. Photo courtesy of imdb.com Tom Hardy, “The Revenant” – Tom Hardy, perhaps
OPINION
See CREED, page 9 Sylvester Stallone stars as Rocky Balboa in the film, “Rocky.”
The Academy loves true stories, and this year is very much the rule. Four of the five nominations for Best Actor went to men for roles playing people who had walked the earth as recently as 2011. Some are more mythologized more than others. The lone fictional character is a botanist who finds himself alone on Mars. Seven years after winning the first of four Emmy awards for his titanic portrayal of Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” Bryan Cranston is finally given a lead role in a movie. As usual, he gives a great performance as Dalton Trumbo, the Hollywood screenwriter blacklisted for his Communist leanings. Cranston brings depth to a shallow role in a movie more concerned with telling the audience that Trumbo was a genius, rather than showing them. The movie’s writer makes sure we realize that writers are indeed clever, and Cranston has a field day wryly delivering lines like, “[I’m] the perfect combination: the radical fights with the purity of Jesus, but the rich guy fights with the cunning of Satan.” Last year’s Best Actor chose an odd path. Eddie Redmayne, who won for his starring role in the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything,” could have conceivably chosen any part he liked. Rather than taking a role in another Oscar-bait period drama like his many detractors assumed he would, Redmayne instead played Balem Abrasax in “Jupiter Ascending.” It was a brave choice for the English actor, and he gave a magisterial performance. Redmayne deftly portrayed a villain who wholly and truly believes himself to be the hero, and his careful switches between hoarse whispering and rabid yelling show a man on the edge of sanity. In a less crowded field, he’d be this year’s favorite. Much was made of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, and perhaps no other acting nomination in the segregated field stuck out as undeserved more than Matt Damon’s for “The Martian.” Neither “The Martian” nor Damon’s performance are bad, and in fact both are satisfactory, but not much more. The movie itself was unique for being an uplifting space adventure, proficiently directed by the great Ridley Scott. Damon, alone for the bulk of the movie, plays stranded astronaut Mark Watney well, as he usually does, but it didn’t strike me at the time as a superlative performance, and it doesn’t now. It’s hard to imagine that millionaire movie star Leonardo DiCaprio, who trades in his supermodel girlfriends once they hit the geriatric age of 25, cares much about whether or not he has won one specific film award, but it’s certainly become a meme that he
OPINION
See JOBS, page 9
L O S
M EDAN OS
C OL L E G E
Quotable
E X P E R I E N C E
Features
FRIDAY,
FEB.
19,
2016
“Who I am on stage is very, very different from who I am in real life.’”
9
— Beyoncé Knowles
‘ANTI’ rejects mainstream popstar sound Album defies expectations By TAYLOR STROUD
tstroud@lmcexperience.com
In the past two years, Rihanna has released a few singles – one being the instant classic, “Bitch Better Have My Money” – but until now she hadn’t released a full body of work since her 2012 album “Unapologetic.” After three years, Rihanna finally released her much-anticipated album “ANTI” on Friday, Jan. 29. After one listen through, I failed to grasp the concept of the album. It definitely was not what I was expecting. With probably two exceptions, these songs were not written for the radio or the club. So I found myself asking, “If Rihanna’s not trying to make hits, then what is she trying to do?” After another listen, I acclimated to the sound and found my answer: something different. As a Rihanna fan, I’ve never really felt that her music reflected who she really was. I’ve never heard her hits reflect what we see of her on Instagram – smoking things on beaches and clapping back to haters in the comments section. But the songs on “ANTI” seem to paint a more vivid picture of the real Rihanna, not the manufactured version, and although I didn’t realize it at first listen, this album is what I’ve wanted from her all along. In “Work” featuring Drake, Rihanna sings in Patois, a Jamaican dialect. While the “work, work, work, work”
REVIEW
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
Ryan Reynolds and Stefan Kapicic as Deadpool and Colossus in the new “Deadpool” movie.
‘Deadpool’ gets paid By ATREYU HINCKLEY Staff Writer
Marvel’s Deadpool is the crude, pansexual, fourth-wall breaking antihero many of us know and love. Before its release, the film was actually in a development crisis for 12 years, so the fact that he finally got his own movie is crazy. In 2004, New Line Cinema attempted to produce the movie with David S. Goyer as a writer and director and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, but Goyer lost interest in the film later that year. 20th Century Fox decided to move forward with the project, but any sort of production toward the film had stalled. Reynolds was cast as Deadpool in the movie “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” in 2009, but the movie was panned for not following Deadpool’s comic book character.
REVIEW
ROOM From page 8
for this role. She makes you laugh, cry and by the end of the film, you want to start a company or invent something just to spite corporate America. However once again she plays a thick-accented blonde mother, making it seem like she’s just a smarter, more determined version of her character from “American Hustle.” Unlike Hustle, her age wasn’t necessarily a problem until the end of the movie when everyone was supposed to have aged and all she did was get her hair done differently and wear a pantsuit. She was good but amongst the other nominees, she was middle of the grain. Soarisie Ronan is another actress up for an award who played passive, quiet Irish immigrant Elilias in “Brooklyn,” which is nominated for Best Picture as well. While there are no flews in Ronan’s acting, there was also nothing spectacularly outstanding about her role. Sure the story is charming and compelling with just the right amount of relatable “fish-out-of-water” clichés and love triangle drama, but it’s hard to see why she was nominated when there are probably women in other movies that did a better job at utilizing their acting chops to better draw the audience into the story they are trying to convey. It’s unlikely that Ronan will win this time around but it seems she certainly has the skills to earn a best actress win in the future. Lastly, Charlotte Rampling is up for Best Actress for her role as in the subtle yet
In July of 2014, visual effects test footage created for the film back in 2012 was leaked online, with Reynolds being the lead. Fox officially green lit the film in September 2014, and production finally started. Compared to most of Marvel movies that averaged a budget of $140 million, “Deadpool” was only given a budget of $58 million. Because of the small budget, many characters from Deadpool’s comics had to be cut. Making his directorial debut, Tim Miller was praised by the cast for using the small budget to their advantage. Throughout the unbalanced adventure, Deadpool’s film was finally born. “Deadpool” is a hilariously entertaining film that works because of Reynolds himself. He is able to capture Deadpool’s crude sense of humor well. The action sequences and pacing is so good that it makes you forget that the
pleasing drama “45 Years.” Rampling’s performance might not be enough to win over the Academy, however she has a better chance than Ronan and probably Lawrence. Her portrayal of conflicted wife Kate Mercer, does a great job of making you think, reevaluate how secure you are about your personal relationships and much you know about yourself and the ones you really care about – not really a good movie to watch if you’re avoiding an existential crisis. Unlike the other movies, this is filmed in such a way where it seems like a scene from a couple’s everyday life. All the events are building up to the celebrations of the Mercer’s 45th anniversary. Because of this, her performance might be misconstrued by some as boring but because it draws on human insecurity and disillusionment, it makes it almost haunting and therefore memorable. Rampling is a huge part of what makes this movie worth watching, but did she do enough to wow the Oscar voters into giving her the award. Most likely Larson is coming out of this with the title. Everyone loves a story about struggle, particularly ones that ruthlessly plays on situations that have been in the news in recent years. Blanchett might pull an upset victory but other than that, it’s hard to foresee any other actress winning for their performance. It’s going to come down to technique versus background story and the more valuable aspect will become apparent when the Academy Awards airs Feb. 28.
director is making his debut. From the outrageous opening credits, to the fun poked at every X-Men film throughout the film, to the end credits that gives you a little taste of the 80’s (Bueller? Bueller?). “Deadpool” is consistent at being funny despite the occasional change of tone towards Romance, Horror and Drama. The film was meant to be weird and perverse, and the filmmakers did a fine job working with it. On top of that, it’s not often we see a pansexual superhero in such a big studio film, this addition makes it interesting. Marvel rarely makes R-rated films, but this film was the one that counted the most, and may give us the chance to see more R-rated Marvel films in the future. “Deadpool” contains so much language and gore. It was not meant to be a family friendly film, that is the best part about it. Deadpool’s film was meant to be this way,
even more than his screen partner Leonardo DiCaprio, commands every scene he is in. Maybe it is the evil and no holds barred nature of his character in “The Revenant” that slots him just under who I think should win this category, but frankly, I do not think it is his time to win an Oscar. He will be back, however – hopefully in a lead role that fully lends him the reigns on the movie that does not also star an actor who everyone
knows needs an Oscar. Sylvester Stallone will finally get his due for his long-tenured portrayal of the American icon Rocky Balboa in “Creed” 40 years after he was initially nominated for the part in the film that started it all. Who knows if “Creed” is the last entry into this franchise, but it seems to at least be Stallone’s swan song as Rocky. When watching this movie, I had no idea that Stallone could captivate like he did. His father-like figure to snubbed
chorus is an earworm, if you don’t speak Patois you probably can’t pick up any other lyrics. But what’s great is that where she could have gone with a clearer catchy tune for the album’s first single, she instead chose to reflect her Barbadian culture. The “James Joint” interlude features a similar breezy, island vibe. “Needed Me” is a fier y number with ample expletives addressing an ex-lover. That and “Desperado” contain bold lyrics denying any need for a man in her life long-term. But what’s taking most fans by surprise is the song “Same Ol’ Mistakes,” which is actually a Tame Impala cover. It’s not largely known that Rihanna is inspired by rock music, but dare I say that “ANTI” is more rock than it is pop. This can be heard in the second half of the album with lots of 70s’-reminiscent guitar and airy, soaring vocals – notably in “Love on the Brain” and “Higher.” See ANTI, page 10
JOBS From page 8
is desperate for an Oscar. Whether or not that influenced his decision to follow Alejandro G. Inarritu into the frozen Canadian wilderness to eat raw fish and bison liver, we may never know. DiCaprio’s performance in “The Revenant” is textbook Leo: He gets upset and makes a lot of faces, and people gush over it. DiCaprio spends much of the movie crawling around a national park searching for Tom Hardy, who overshadows him, though I’m rooting for the “The Revenant” makeup team to win an Oscar for making DiCaprio’s chapped lips look so disgusting that I had to turn away. The best nominated performance of the year is Michael Fassbender’s turn as Steve Jobs in the movie of the same name. The Danny Boyle-directed, Aaron Sorkin-written movie, which follows Jobs behind the scenes of three important product launches — the Macintosh, the NeXT computer, and the iMac — shows one of America’s most lionized men at his brilliant best and sociopathic worst, and Fassbender, one of the best actors of the decade, plays him perfectly. Sorkin, famous for his motormouth characters in“The Social Network” and “The West Wing,” reins in some of his more cloying tendencies and arms Fassbender with devastating lines that he brutally wields against his ex-girlfriend and their daughter. Fassbender, who should have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in “12 Years a Slave,” would make a deserving winner.
CREED From page 8
See DPOOL, page 10
Photo courtesy of tidal.com
Cover art for Rihanna’s latest album, “ANTI.”
Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis Creed character was played perfectly to a tee. The boxing itself in the movie is well done, but it plays second fiddle to the relationships that needed to be formed out of thin air. At this point, Stallone is not even acting as Rocky — the character is in his blood, and he pours it all out on the screen. If he can still run up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, he should find that an Oscar awaits him at the top.
EARN A DEGREE . MAKE A DIFFERENCE . Deg re e Prog ram s in: M anage m e nt | N ur sing
C A L L T O S C H E D U L E A N A DV I S I N G A P P O I N T M E N T 9 2 5 . 8 6 7. 2 7 1 1
usfca.edu/pleasanton
U n ive r s i t y o f S a n Fra n c i s co
925.867.2711 pleasantoncampus@usfca.edu Change the World from Here
PLEASANTON