Entrepreneur enlightens
Fences wins at festival
Mustangs lead division
Xochi Birch spoke out to a group of students and staff about her business endeavors — page 3
The drama department took home two awards from KCACTF in Idaho — page 4
The Stangs head into the weekend with an 8-2 record and are on top of the Bay Valley — page 5
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F.Y.I. Important Dates February is Black History Month Feb. 28
Last day to submit early Summer 2014 graduation application to receive early registration appointment for Summer 2014
Annual March in March rally Join LMCAS and the Student Senate of California Community Colleges for the annual March in March rally for student needs Monday, March 3, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m at the Capitol Mall in Sacramento. For information, go to www.studentsenateccc. org/Default.aspx
Human Library coming soon
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Recent crimes alarming Car stolen; office broken into By RATTANA KIM
rkim@lmcexperience.com
Crime continues to be an issue at Los Medanos College. According to the records compiled and published by the Department of Justice’s Campus Crime Awareness Report, burglary and theft are the two most reported incidents. However, LMC remains among the lower rates of crime in comparison to the other three colleges within the Contra Costa Community College District. Between the years of 2010 and 2012, there were total reports of 24 burglaries, 148 thefts, 22 auto thefts as well as three robberies and one assault. From 2011 to 2012, reported burglary rates decreased from 12 to five but thefts increased from 45 to 57 and auto thefts decreased from 12 to eight. Auto theft and a burglary have been reported this month.
Lateca Ojeda, who is an LMC student at the Brentwood campus and the mother-in-law of a student whose vehicle was stolen from the main LMC campus parking lot last Tuesday, has strong feelings about the crimes occurring on campus. “Honestly, I am furious, mostly because I feel that things are not taken as serious as they should be,” said Ojeda. “I feel that even a posted sign in the parking lot, alerting students of theft and stuff could eliminate this from happening, maybe not completely.” Ojeda believes that this could warn thieves and students as well and make students more aware and conscious of taking valuable items with them when leaving the car parked during classes. Fire Technology Department Chair Mike Grillo was also affected by a crime incident. Over the President’s Day break, Grillo’s office See CRIME, page 6
February crime log Location
Report Date
Child Study Center 02/04/14 10:45 a.m.
Location Perimeter Rd./ South Side
Location CC3-362
Report Date 02/09/14 1:52 p.m.
Paves the path to CSUs
By JARED AMBUEHL
jambuehl@lmcexperience.com
Photo by Wes Goble
Chancellor Helen Benjamin leads a discussion on leadership using the Ralph Ellison novel “Invisible Man” at LMC Monday, Feb. 24 at a Black History Month event in Room L-109. The event was sponsored by the Umoja Scholars Program.
Semanick is up for 10th Oscar Former student nominated for sound mixing in ‘Hobbit’ By LUKE JOHNSON
ljohnson@lmcexperience.com
The Conference for the Latina Leadership Network of the California Community Colleges is scheduled for March 28 and 29 at the Ohlone College Newark Center in Newark. For more info contact Maria Ramirez at (510) 742-2346 or visit www.latina-leadership-network.org
Summary Vehicle was stolen while parked on campus.
Black history celebrated Three new A.A.T. options
Want to create an LMC club?
Annual LLN Conference
Summary Report of a window being smashed and property taken from the office.
Report Date 02/18/14 5:30 p.m.
Summary A vehicle enforcement stop resulted in subject being booked into MDF for various crimes.
Report Date
The Human Library LMC is set for Tuesday, April 15. The Library is looking for willing patrons to sign up to become a human book who can get loaned out to students for 20 minutes and talk about a unique topic. If you are interested in volunteering as a human book or would like more information, contact Christine Park at chpark@losmedanos.edu or go to humanlibrary.org. The deadline to apply to be a human book is April 1.
Interested in creating an official LMC club? Contact the Student Life Office for more information at 439-2181 ext. 3266 or go to www.losmedanos. edu/studentservices/clubs
A cigarette box containing green leafy substance was found by staff. Substance destroyed by officer.
02/17/14 11:30 a.m.
Location Lot 1A
Summary
Former Los Medanos College student Michael Semanick has received his tenth Academy Award nomination for Achievement in Sound Mixing for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and has a chance bring home his third Oscar.
The sound mixer earned his first Academy Award nomination in 2001 for “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring,” and later won for the first time in 2003 for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” Semanick went on to wrap his hands around more gold in 2005 for his work in “King Kong.”
Since 1987, Semanick has taken part in over 110 films, and he said it has gone by too quickly. “Sometimes I think ‘did I really do all that?’” Semanick said. “I don’t realize until afterwards and I say to myself, ‘Wow! That’s what I’ve been doing.’” See OSCAR, page 6
Five-year plan is in the works
Diagramming out the future
By JOSEPH DELANO
jdelano@lmcexperience.com
Members of the LMC community met on Monday, Feb. 23 to discuss the future of Los Medanos College at the Strategic Planning Retreat. The retreat, the first in a series of three, was formed to use knowledge and ideas from the faculty and students to produce a relevant and inspiring 5-year plan for LMC.
Listed as the LMC Strategic Planning Process, the event helped to identify areas that may benefit in the future with careful consideration and planning. The goal, according to Los Medanos College President Bob Kratochvil, is for the plan to be “fully vetted by the time the faculty leaves before graduation.” The timeline for this project is ambitious, with Kratochvil
Photo by Joseph Delano
President Bob Kratochvil discusses plans for LMC during a meeting Feb. 23. calling it an “accelerated process.” The college district completed their plans in just a few months. LMC is looking to do the same, shooting for
a mid-to-late April deadline to get the proposed plan to the Academic Senate, LMC Associated Students and to See YEAR, page 6
Three new Associate in Arts for transfer degrees were approved last week in English, Journalism and Studio Arts. For students who are looking to transfer to a California State University and major in one of these three programs, the process will be made easier for students who opt to complete the A.A.T. Journalism was part of the second wave of degrees that got approved for transfer, and Communications Department Co-Chair Cindy McGrath, who heads the journalism program, worked hard to get the A.A.T. approved. “It was the culmination of a long process,” McGrath said. “It took a year for the journalism requirements to make it through the statewide discipline interest groups. Then it took me a year to write it up and get it approved by the college, the district and the state.” She explained that the college still offers a regular A.A. in Journalism for those who plan to go right into a job out of LMC. The standard A.A. in Journalism requires more journalism units so students get more hands-on experience. The A.A. requires 21 total units while the A.A.T. requires only 18. Curtis Corlew, instructor in the Art Department, said the new A.A.T. in Studio Arts “is going to be good for the students,” adding “it will help them with transfers, making what they need to do more clear.” The A.A.T. program pathway directs to the CSUs, so it is important to know that a Journalism degree is not the best option for students looking to go to a university that’s not part of the CSU system. The preparation includes courses in Writing for the Media, Media Production, Mass Communication and Photojournalism; while for English, courses in Advanced See A.A.T., page 6
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“The safety of the people shall be the highest law.”
— Marcus Tullius Cicero
Kellie Mccown
Ken Carlock
SO IT GOES
GUEST COLUMIST
Women are not Barbie dolls
Accommodate students’ needs
The annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition has long been a magazine of pure fantasy for men. Unrealistic depictions of women have graced the cover since its inception, with images of celebrities such as Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford and Elle McPherson. But SI has gone even farther with its 2014 edition, moving from suggesting women are no more than sexual eye candy to effectively, and most creepily, putting Barbie on the coveted cover. Why, oh why, would Mattel, which has owned the rights to Barbie since 1964, think putting the doll on the cover of SI is a good idea? Perhaps it was an effort to increase declining Barbie sales? They’ve been down the last two quarters. That might explain the hashtag that accompanied Barbie on the cover -- #unapologetic. Whether #unapologetic was meant for Mattel or SI is cloudy, but its message toward women is crystal clear: We put hot women on the cover and Barbie is hot and we’re not going to apologize for either of those things. But Barbie is not a person. It’s a bloodless mass produced doll, a child’s play toy, and has no business being on the cover of a magazine men leer at from the age of 12 till death. Mattel has fought a long hard battle against mothers and activists who argue the doll’s figure is unrealistic and, more importantly, unattainable for women. According to a Yale University study, if Barbie’s proportions were put into human form, the woman would be at least 7 feet 2 inches tall, and unable to stand straight because the weight of her breasts would throw off her center of gravity. She would also have a 3.2-inch neck length and a waist six inches smaller than the national average. With these proportions, a women would not have enough body fat to produce a menstrual cycle. This focus on body image and its negative impact on girls sends a dangerous message that not even Photoshopped perfection meets the standards of what men deem attractive. Women don’t make the cut anymore so we are going to put artificial women on the cover. #unapologetic objectification. Trying to market a child’s play thing on a magazine cover meant for men goes far beyond objectifying women, it’s a bad business move for Mattel. I can’t imagine many mothers being open to buying for their daughters a toy that graces the cover of a magazine men use for long showers and as beer cave wall décor. Instead of launching a positive image campaign to address issues that have caused sales to decline in the first place, Mattel markets the doll on the cover of a magazine that has nothing to do with kids. So the question must be asked: To whom is Mattel is really marketing? It’s not to daughters, wives, sisters or mothers. It’s being marketed to men. But last I checked, men weren’t big spenders on dolls, so I can’t see how it will help save Barbie. And what message does it send to a son whose dad or big brother buys a magazine with an inanimate object on its cover promoting an unattainable physical appearance for women? It says that white, blonde, thin and big busted is what puts a woman on top and makes her successful — instead of hard work, a good attitude, and the ability to have an intellectual conversation. The photographer who did the photo shoot for Barbie said the doll was the best model he ever worked with because it just took direction and “didn’t ask any questions.” It all comes down to SI and Mattel being #unapologetic for marketing something completely impossible. If anything, they owe society an apology for false advertising. Sorry SI and Mattel. #notbuyingit.
Sometimes it feels like we get beat over the head with the dire lack of funding for community colleges. With each round of budget cuts, curriculum shrinkage and service reductions, the community college student is made to feel “less than” in the world of education. One has to wonder if this is damaging to our collective psyche. Here at LMC, if not for the efforts of so many faculty and students, many services and organizations would be lost. During budget reductions an identifying process seems to occur, the programs deemed the most valuable and useful are protected and cuts come elsewhere. Budgetary handcuffs bind our decision makers at ever y turn and services that were formerly viewed as essential, are now cut. The decision makers’ logic is not necessarily in question as they are charged with saving as many programs and jobs as they can. If those programs are left to wither or are simply cut, when do they come back? Never? We need champions to try and revive these programs. We need creative funding programs to support them. We need to find people who can think and operate outside the box to help restore some of the luster that has faded on community college education. At the end of the fall semester, cutbacks became apparent to students, but in reality, the issue has existed throughout the semester. Restricted hours at both the Pittsburg and Brentwood campuses hinder students’ abilities to study effectively. The reduced hours on Fridays and elimination of Saturday hours hampers students who cannot fit into the reduced schedules. This sends many students scampering for public locals like Barnes and Noble or any place with a table and few seats and hopefully some free wifi. Group projects are a big part of today’s curriculum and many students don’t have access to suitable space to accommodate even small groups. Many others can’t afford to have their skimpy student budgets “nickel-and-dimed” to death by the purchasing requirements that most businesses enforce to use their facilities. In addition, if patrons need to use electronics, they had better make sure their devices are well charged because many places will not offer outlets to charge them. Larger, metropolitan areas have more commercial study options and some even have libraries with hours that are actually useful to students. In addition they often have colleges that have libraries and student unions visitors can sometimes use. In Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood and Oakley however, we are essentially in the sticks and limitations are significant. Community colleges across the Bay Area and State of California are faced with similar issues. Diablo Valley, Contra Costa, Laney, and De Anza are just some of the colleges with restricted hours on Fridays and no hours on Saturdays. There are exceptions however, usually some of the large schools like Santa Monica, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Sacramento city colleges have Friday library and student union/cafeteria hours on the weekend. A few even have computer lab hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Surely library, student union or cafeteria, and tutoring center budgets at LMC have all been slashed rendering the notion of extended hours and weekend service moot especially with the size of staff needed to run those facilities. Hopefully, there will be bright lights at the end of the tunnel and there will be better financial times. Finding more ways to produce student success and better access facilities for studying and group work (and occasionally providing an outlet for charging electronics) is a service much needed at LMC.
Cartoon by Brendan Cross
EDITORIAL
Let’s make LMC a safer place
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rime has definitely been on the rise at LMC and we feel that steps need to be taken by the faculty, staff, students and the police force to ensure a safer campus. Although LMC is still the safest statistically of the district, the increase of crime (especially theft and burglary) needs to be dealt with before it becomes more of a problem. Recently, a car was stolen out of the Lot A and Fire Tech Professor Mike Grillo’s office was broken into. For more information refer to the story on page 1. In order to reduce crime, everyone must be accountable. Faculty and staff need to lock doors at all times when leaving their office/room. Students need to make sure that they are not careless with their things. It only takes a thief a brief moment to get in and get out with goods. Anyone on campus should always be on the lookout for suspicious activity, especially when entering or leaving the parking lots. It’s always better to be safe then sorry and one call could save someone from losing their valuable laptop, backpack, or books. Students heavily outnumber the staff and police force on campus, so with great numbers comes great responsibility. Students need to realize their power in numbers should help prevent crime. Students should not stop a crime in the making though, leave that to the Police. Students are constantly going in and out of the parking lots and all around the campus, meaning there are more sets of eyes and witnesses to stop crimes. Students may feel like it’s not their problem or that someone else will deal with it, but the student body needs to unite and take charge for the greater good of LMC. The police force is doing the best they can, but more can be done, even if they are only small steps. The campus police should also campaign to promote awareness of surroundings on campus, especially at night, and create a set of guidelines that can be easily viewed by anyone on campus as to what they can do to cut down on crime. If everyone helped out, even if just a little, the people of LMC will have a safer campus to come to. Crime will most likely never be eradicated completely, but everyone doing our part is a step in the right direction.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Proposed cost too high for courses DEAR EDITOR: A news report last fall indicated that there might be classes offered between semesters, which is a good thing. The problem with this is the proposed price per unit of these courses, for some reason, goes way up. I am lucky enough that my parents help me with school and pay for my classes and books. I am not eligible for financial aid or really any benefits because of my parent’s income. Even with my extremely fortunate financial situation, I could never take classes in between semesters because of the outrageous unit prices. This makes me wonder if I can’t pay that much for classes, then how many people at LMC can pay for these courses?
The prices per unit would be at about $200 per unit around the state. That would mean that just a three-unit class would costs $600, not even counting the cost of books and supplies. I know many students and have many friends that struggle with paying for the regular amount of classes. There would be such a low percentage of students able to take these courses at LMC that I don’t see the significance of even offering them. My proposal would be that the price per unit, at the very least, should be cut in half. This way a higher percentage of students could maybe afford to get some classes out of the way in between semesters. — David Nelson
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
What could be some ways to make the campus safer? C
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“Basically we need to keep an eye out for people and look out for each other.” — Du’Praiseja Smith
“One way could be to have more security on campus. That would make it much safer.” — Brian Navarro
“More cameras everywhere, and more security.” — Taylar Gatson
“I would say have more security around and more lights.” — Alex Williams
“I think that maybe security should pay more attention, period.” — Cindy Morris
“You can start with having cameras in specific points throughout the school.” — Kevin Wright
“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson
Editor-in-Chief .................... BRENDAN CROSS Perspectives Editors...... AISHLING DOHERTY and JAZMINE GORDON Campus Editors .................. JOSEPH DELANO and ALEXANDRA TAGLIAMONTE Features Editors .......................RATTANA KIM and STEPHANIE PATTISON Sports Editors .......................LUKE JOHNSON and DAKOTAH ZABROSKI Photo Editor ....................... IRVIN TRIGUEROS Web Editor ..................STEPHANIE PATTISON Associate Editors...............BERTHA AGUILAR and STEVEN LUKE 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
‘Tomorrow’s Women’ to meet
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“The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity.”
— Ayn Rand
Monkey Inferno heats up
“Tomorrow’s Women Leaders Today” is a conference held for young women in high school and college who are interested in politically charged topics presented by Compton’s Mayor Aja Brown. Topics include: Q Immigration Rights Q Reproductive Rights Young women from across the Bay Area are encouraged to attend the jam-packed day, which will be held at the UC Berkeley Campus, Faculty Club on Saturday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 for college students. Lunch will be provided. Contact Fatimah Simmons at Fatimah@igniteca. org to register.
One university tour remaining The Transfer Center will be holding one more university tours throughout the upcoming semester. The remaining tour is for the University of Nevada: Friday, March 7. You can register for the remaining tour online or in the Transfer Center. For more information, please contact the Transfer Center at www.losmedanos.edu/transfer or 439-2181 Ext. 3124
What’s lost may be found
Los Medanos College’s lost and found has numerous items found on campus. 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 missing items will be expected by people wanting to pick them up.
Chili Cook-off to raise money The classified senate is hosting the 9th Annual Chili Cook-off on Wednesday, March 5. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the indoor quad. The event will be to raise money for scholarships. Judging will start early at 10:45 a.m. There will also be a People’s Choice Award announced by 1 p.m. Costs will be: Q Chili bowl with bread for $4 Q Chili shots for $1 Prize drawings will also be held, with tickets available for purchase.
Triple Helping Hearts Heal The Helping Hearts Heal Club is sponsoring a sale to support the Walking Miles Against Violence (WMAV) scholarship. Foods for sale include: Pineapple upside-down cakes and nachos. It will be held in the indoor quad on April 2 and April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the WMAV Scholarship.
Photo by Cynthia Evans
Xochi Birch, founder of the social networking website Bebo is interviewed by Kasey Gardner in the Little Theater, Monday Feb. 24. The alumna now owns many upstarts.
Alumna hopes to inspire entrepreneurs By BRENDAN CROSS
bcross@lmcexperience.com
Xochi Birch, daughter of LMC co-founding staff member Felipe Torres Jr. and entrepreneur with a net worth in the hundreds of millions, came back to LMC Monday, Feb. 24 to talk about her business experiences and endeavors. Birch, along with her husband Michael, were the creators of the social networking website Bebo that launched in 2005. The site was an absolute hit in the UK as well as Ireland garnering over 10 million unique registrants at its peak. In 2008, Bebo was sold to AOL for $850 million. Within just a few years of being acquired by AOL, Bebo saw its worth and user base plummet due to not being able to compete with sites like MySpace and Facebook
that were overtaking the social Some, if not most of those networking landscape. product ideas are being de“Their goal at the time was veloped at Monkey Inferno, to somehow marry Bebo and a personal incubator (PINC) AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) where a team of 20 current emand try and make it the next ployees take their internet and generation of social media. It mobile projects to the next level didn’t work, the and strive to CEO [of AOL] “I believe people make them was fired soon into fulafterwards and are always going l y - f l e d g e d the new CEO to be looking businesses. came in and Birch said publicly stated for the next they tried t h a t b u y i n g social media to make the Bebo was a misventure intake. The whole experience.” clusive with — Michael Birch “great family product kind of just went downcommunity hill really quickly.” Birch said. within the company.” The Birches eventually An already launched project reacquired Bebo in 2013 for under the Monkey Inferno the sake of the brand name name is Beer Hunt, an app that and are developing product lets users log favorite beers, ideas under that brand. review and rate beers and
‘Come Out’ and be ALLIES
‘Major’ campaign embraced By JAZMINE GORDON
Scholarships are being offered
Join the Gamers United Club Come by to meet with other game enthusiasts and play games such as Magic: the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Gamers United Club meets Tuesdsays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in Room CC3-361 from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information contact Miguel Reyes at mreyes0691@gmail.com.
Crab feed benefits CCC sports The Contra Costa College Athletics Department will be working with the College Foundation to sponsor the CCC Atheletics 13th Annual All You Can Eat Crab Feed. The event, on March 29, will be held at the Contra Costa College Gymnasium. The feed will start at 7 p.m. with the doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and there will be door prizes and drawings on the night. For more information, call (510) 215-4804 or (510) 215-4801. Enjoy the food while supporting college sports. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
See BEBO, page 6
Success sought
Join the Gay-Straight alliance Club. The club helps build awareness and bridge LGBT & straight communites on campus. The club also creates support systems & resources for all sexualities. E-mail rockyrain@live.com for more information.
Los Medanos College opportunes for many scholarship possibilities. For more information on any of the listed scholarships, visit the online scholarship listings available on the LMC website: www.losmedanos.edu and click on scholarships or financial assistance. Or you can reach them at 439-2181 Ext. 3130. Q Assistance League Diablo Valley deadline: 2/28. Amount: $1,000 -$4,000 Q Sweet and Simple Scholarship Application deadline: 2/28. Amount: $1,500 Q Blackhawk Womans Scholarship deadline: 3/1. Amount: $5,000 Q Robin Aliotti Memorial Business Scholarship deadline: 3/31. Amount: $1,000 Q Superpower Scholarship deadline 3/31. Amount: $2,500 Q Broadcasting your Aspirations Scholarship deadline: 4/1. Amount: $2,500. Q Mt. Diablo LPA deadline: 3/1. Amount: $1,000$2,000. Q Plumbersstock.com Scholarship deadline: 3/31. Amount: $2,000. Q Spokeo Connections Scholarship deadline: 7/1. Amount: $1,000
earn points for trying unique craft beers. Another one that has been released is Boya. In Boya you can share whatever your story is and converse with other people in the community. Users simply start off their post with either “I am,” “I have,” “I will,” or “I love” and share their story. Other users can then comment and ask questions about the post. The Battery, a private members club in San Francisco, is another Birch upstart. The Batter y provides its 1,800 members with an ideal social environment where they can air and share their ideas. It also offers rooms, suites and a penthouse, a restaurant, a wine bar, a gym, a spa and an art program with ever-changing exhibits.
jgordon@lmcexperience.com
Photo by Joseph Delano
Signs such as this one are featured across campus. This sign is near lot C.
LMC has a new campaign that emphasizes the point that a student’s path to success comes first. The banners and sandwich boards that declare “Be a major success at LMC, choose your major today!” around campus indicates this campaign’s mission which is to help undecided students discover what major best suits them. Barbara Cella, LMC’s Director of Marketing and Media Design, explains how the campaign idea came about. “The foundation for California Community Colleges held presentations to get feedback on the California Community College Student Success
Initiative,” said Cella, “As they were developing it in conjunction with the state Chancellor’s Office a couple of years ago.” Students may often in their first years of college, wonder what career they are going to wind up pursuing. They spend time thinking about what you want your academic focus to be on and the help you could get to achieve your goals. “The concept just jumped out at me, and that makes total sense but I hadn’t really thought about the importance of it was that students who choose their major during their first year are more likely to complete See MAJOR, page 6
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Features MARQUEE LMC music events
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“The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.”
— Oscar Wilde
Actors win over Idaho
Los Medanos College is having a series of musical events throughout the semester in the Recital Hall located in the Music building, next to the Lot C parking lot. Q Choral Adventure Concert, Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. General admission $5 and students/seniors $3. Q Concert Band Performance, Friday, March 14, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. with Freedom High School. General admission $5 and seniors/students $3. Q Concert Band Performance, Friday, May 2, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. with Concord High School. General admission $5 and seniors/students $3. Q Guitar Concert, Monday, May 5, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free admission. Q Gospel Celebration Concert, Saturday, May 10, 7 to 10 p.m. Admission $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Q Piano Honors Recital, Monday, May 12, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free admission. Q Concert Band Performance, Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. General admission $5 and seniors/students $3. Q Jazz Studio Concert, Wednesday, May 14, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Admission: TBA.
‘Born on Pangea’
Born on Pangea presented by Cate White is the current art show at Los Medanos College’s Art Gallery. This art show depicts drawings, paintings, altered objects and videos by heroic derelicts, awkward lovers and dignified losers. These pieces are inspired by outsider art, punk, neo-expressionism, comics and media cliches. White approaches her work by cultivating a comtemplative state and engages with whatever arises. The messages relate to religion and art history, among others. Born on Pangea is showing through March 13 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.
Rendition of novel
The Contra Costa College Drama Department are performing the play, In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Tyrone Davis. This play is a modern riff on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter. Hester La Negrita, a homeless mother of five, lives with her kids on the tough streets of the inner city. While Hester’s kids fill her life with joy—lovingly comical moments amid the harsh world of poverty—the adults with whom she comes into contact only hold her back. Nothing can stop the play’s tragic end. The play will be showing Mar. 12-15. Call (510) 235-7800 for more information.
‘Dream’ to play again
The Contra Costa College Drama Department are performing Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Linda Jackson-Whitmore. Hilarious events surround the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to his kidnapped bride Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Four young Athenian lovers and a group of ameteur actors are bewitched and manipulated by the magic of the mischevious magic of the fairies that inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. This comedy is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works and is widely performed across the world. The play will be showing Apr. 30-May 3. Call (510) 235-7800 for more information. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
Photo by of Kevin Horan
The Los Medanos College Drama Department celebrates after their performace of ‘Fences’ on Feb. 19 in Boise, Idaho.
Students showcase talent states away By RATTANA KIM rkim@lmcexperience.com
A total of 27 students from Los Medanos College’s Drama Department, including the cast of Fences, had the opportunity to go to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21 in Boise, Idaho. The Drama Department brought back not only newfound experiences and knowledge, but also two awards and future opportunities. The production of Fences, written by August Wilson, was
performed twice on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the festival. Fences had won an award, being one of the only community colleges selected to perform their play at the festival. This is the first time an August Wilson piece had been performed at the festival. An award was also given to Marina Ketchum, who is stage manager of Fences. “What makes us successful is that everyone in our department is passionate and they’re following their dreams passionately or using that passion,” said Drama
Department Chair and Professor Nick Garcia. “I feel like when you’re doing what you love with every part of you, then it’s hard not to be successful.” The students became what Garcia compares them to “celebrities” overnight. Before the performance of Fences, people would recognize the students from LMC and “flock to them.” After the show, they had two standing ovations. At the end of the second show, the audience were “screaming and cheering.” Garcia enjoyed seeing his students
“breathe in the audience” and have a tender moment of hugging each other and crying out of happiness knowing “they did a great job.” After the performance, one of the faculty members at the University of Idaho set up a meeting in the conference room, which overlooked the hockey rink. The students were catered to and had the opportunity to have a one on one with the faculty. Many universities were interested in the Drama Department See PLAY, page 6
Technology is wearable
Futuristic gadgets become available By BERTHA AGUILAR Staff Writer
The word mobile no longer applies to just phones, now the meaning has expanded into all kinds of devices. Smart watches, health trackers and now Google glass are just some of the new devices known as wearable technology. This technology is also starting to change the way things are done in the medical field. Companies are trying to find new ways to bring these wearable devices to consumers. First, we have the health trackers and there are many out there to chose from, some include; Polar watches, Nike fuel band, Misfit shine, Jawbone Up and Fitbit, but for some of their functions expand far beyond health and fitness. Misfit shine is a small metal disk; it weighs slightly less than ten grams with a price tag of $119.95. You can clip it on clothes, wear it as a band or even a necklace. This device, according to their website, is built to last a lifetime, and they have four colors to chose from. This device not only tracks your
REVIEW CREW
‘One Night Ultimate Werewolf’ Game Summary: “One Night Ultimate Werewolf,” by Bezier Games is a quick card game for 3-10 players where players receive a role as one of a dozen different characters, each with a special ability. In a single morning your village will decide who is a werewolf. You can purchase it at beziergames. com/oneniulwe.html for $24.99.
Photo courtesy of http://www.esquire.com
Pictured is the new Google glass, now being researched and experimented with by ordinary people who joined the Glass Explorer Program. activity level, but it also tracks your sleep and is waterproof. All of this data is synced to the mobile app called Shine. Fitbit is another health tracker that is designed to track your activity level, your sleeping habits and weight all though the Fitbit mobile app. It also allows you to log your food choices to become a better tool for weight loss. You can wear it as a wristband or you can clip it on your clothes. The wristband runs at $99.95, while the clip is just $59.95. Polar is a popular brand that makes watches
to monitor your heart rate and displays your calories burned after a workout or from walking. Some watches have smart coaching features, which enable the watch to guide you to improve your running and cycling performance and tells you exactly how your fitness is developing and illustrates how your running performance has developed. Smart watches give off a 007 vibe, however they do not burn locks, stun mercenaries, detect radioactive material or saw through See TECH, page 6
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Brendan says: App-tastic
Joseph says: Group-tivity
Steph says: Interesting
The fact that the game is so short is not my forte. I usually like to be able to sink my teeth into a game. This definitely takes bite-sized to a whole new level. Despite that, it is definitely entertaining and enjoyable to play. The more people you get, the more hectic it can get once the night phase is done and it is time to decide who the werewolf is. The real shining part to the game is the free accompanying app that you can download on iPhones or Androids. You can input all of the game characters into the app and have it announce what each charcter does during the night phase. The MSRP for the game is a bit high as the average length of each game we played was three or so minutes, but the elements of the different characters abilities makes its replay ability value high.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is an interesting game. at first, I thought it was kind of hokey. Big cards made of thick cardboard and POG-esque tokens remind me of my childhood. The artwork is really something special and is almost worth the cost of the game. It only takes about 5 minutes to actually play the game once you understand the rules and the roles. If you are confused about the roles, do not fret. The app that is associated with the game is really great at “setting the mood” of the game and allowing for people to be able to be completely submerged in the experience. The game is set up for 3-10 players, but it really is much better with more people. the discussion section, or “day phase” is much more involved when there are more players.
I have personally never played a game even midly like One Night Ultimate Werewolf. When you purchase the game, the booklet tells you there is a free app you can download so you don’t need a physical person for the announcer. This made playing the game so much more simple, but at the same time, I felt it was easy to win. The more people you have, the more fun this game is to play. I would suggest at least five people, where as the game says you only need a minimum of three players. I did enjoy the game for the time length, each game is only about ten minutes. It can be even shorter if everyone can agree quickly on who they think the werewolf is. For people with short attention spans or a group of people that are easily distracted, this is a great, simple game that is fairly entertaining.
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“I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer.� — Tommy Lasorda
Mustangs heating up early
LMC stampedes into 2014 season allowing zero runs. Even with that great outing, In the span of six days, Lassen almost made a comethe LMC baseball team have back by scoring five runs in played five games and ended the ninth inning. If it wasn’t up sweeping two double head- for some poor execution early ers, but lost only their second in the game by Lassen hitters game of the season in a tight the game could have gone game against Sacramento City differently. Lassen Head Coach Frank College. Ten games have now passed Avilla felt the poor execution in the Mustangs’ baseball hurt their chances of getting season and they sit atop the a win in the first game. “It does hurt you when your Bay Valley standings. They are now 8-2 and a lot of it has guys don’t execute,� he said. Lassen had multiple runners to do with sweeping back-toon in the first few innings and back double headers. The first double header was failed attempts at bunts led to on Feb. 20 at home against the runners left on in the first two innings of that first Lassen College game. Cougars. In the second Those games “They say, game with Lassen, star ted out with ‘hitting is g r e a t s t a r t i n g contagious.’� it appeared that pitching from the — Anthony D’Albora the momentum from the ninth in‘Stangs, and it was important that those starters ning comeback for Lassen had went deep into the games carried over, and they started knowing they were going to off fast with two runs in the have to play four games in the first and second inning. After giving up two runs span of three days. LMC Head Coach Anthony in the first two innings, only D’Albora was very impressed one earned, starting pitcher with how well his starters Nabeeh Blackburn settled pitched, specifically Brad down and pitched seven innings of two hit ball. Fulton in the first game. The quality starting pitching “For Brad to put together eight innings the way he did transferred over into the first was huge,� he said. “Early in game of the second double the game he didn’t have his header two days later on Febbest secondary stuff so for ruary 22 as starting pitcher us it’s pleasing to see he can Ben Polansky pitched eight shutout innings in the win over work through that.� Even without having his the DeAnza College Dons. In game two, the pitching best stuff early, Fulton pitched through seven and two-thirds ran into a bit of a speed bump, innings while only giving up though, as starting pitcher See HOT, page 6 four hits, walking three and STEVEN LUKE
sluke@lmcexperience.com
Left photo by Dakotah Zabroski, right and top photos by Irvin Trigueros
(Left) Nabeeh Blackburn fiercely stares down the batter before he pitches. (Top) Ryan Lacy dives back to first to avoid being picked off. (Right) Matt Jacobson with his follow through swing after contact.
Where preparing to return to the workforce balances with
“I have two young kids.�
College ball undervalued
When student athletes go to college it is at 10.5 percent. not only to continue to play sports, but it is so Gray was one of the players who went to that they can grow physically and personally. college and went on to make it, and according There are a lot of players in sports who to him he wouldn’t be here without his time never finished college and in some cases just in college. went straight to the pros. While many of them “I think it was a huge impact,� he said. “If function in life without issue more of them end I would’ve signed out of high school, I don’t up not living their dream than those who do. even know if I’d still be playing baseball. I was One of the sports where high school kids a lot smaller and I was just so young.� are able to go straight into the pros is baseball, He was a small guy coming out of high and while there are plenty of success stories of school, and when you’re a small guy like young men going straight into MLB from high that, those years in college help your physical school, the development development. they get in college is Los Medanos College unmatched. men’s baseball coach I had a chance to Anthony D’Albora has speak with two Oakland seen firsthand how that Athletics pitchers on college development the subject, closer Jim can change young men. Johnson and starting “The camaraderie QUIETLY THINKING pitcher Sonny Gray. that you lear n, the Johnson went to the passion for the game, pros straight from high school and Gray spent is something that you really can only get in three years at Vanderbilt. college baseball,� he said. “Professional baseball Johnson did end up taking classes in college, obviously is everyone’s goal, but the hard part but for him going from high school to college of it is that at some point in that experience where they expect you to pitch every day was it is a business, it is job, it is a grind that you too much of an injury risk. will never experience anywhere else. It’s “I felt like I was physically ready to go to hard that if you were to go from high school pro ball,� he said. to professional baseball to really cultivate That doesn’t always work out, though, as that energy, that tempo, that culture that’s the odds are already stacked against you that necessary to be great.� you’ll make the pros straight out of high school. He believes that you can only get that kind Only 5.6 percent of kids who play high school of experience from playing at college baseball. baseball make it onto an MLB team, and while The only way to get that experience is to ride on the percentage of kids who play in college is the bus with your college teammates and learn See BALL, page 6 still small it is nearly double high school kids
Steven Luke
Š 2014 National University 13818
Missed by that much
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Even with a 17-10 record, Los Medanos men’s basketball fell short of making the playoffs, and will miss postseason action for a fourth consecutive year. The Mustangs dominated the 2013-14 campaign early, and jumped to a 10-2 record to be ranked fifth in all of NorCal. But after finishing the season 7-8, the Stangs were unable make the top 17 cut to reach the State Championship Tournament.
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F R I D AY,
‘Short Buds’ provide CRIME quality at a low cost From page 1
Photo by Irvin Trigueros
Short Buds and BudLoks are available to purchase at farendgear.com.
15-inch cord ideal while being active By JOSEPH DELANO
jdelano@lmcexperience.com
Good headphones are hard to find. Sure, you can just go out and buy the most expensive pair you can find and hope that they are worth the cost. Doing so can leave you with a product that may or may not live up to their hype. The quest to find specialized headphones is even tougher. If you are a runner or do something that may leave you in weird positions, you may want an easy solution to tangling and confusing wires. Far End GearTM has developed a product for this people. Their Short BudsTM Short Cord Earbuds (In-Ear) solve the problem of tangled cords and unnecessary length of cords. Their cords measure in at around 15 inches, making them ideal for cyclists, runners and the like to use with armbands and even with shirt pockets. The company idealized them to be used with clip-on products like the iPod Shuffle. When I used them, I found that they were
REVIEW
a suitable product for my needs. I do not generally use buds with the shorter cords, but these are really great. The sound quality was good and the cords are reflective, adding a safety element to it as well. I would really recommend these to active persons looking for a quality, cost-effective solution to the search for music freedom. Short Buds are available through farendgear.com for $16.95. In addition to the buds, Far End GearTM also offers a product called BudLoks Earphone Sport Grips. This item is an attachment that can be used with any earbud product. They simply slip on and grip to the bud and fit into the bowl of the user’s ear. These BudLoks really do help to “anchor” the bud onto your ear and provides a secure fit for active users. I really liked these as they could be used with any existing product I own. The BudLoks are also available for purchase at farendgear.com for $14.95 in various colors. In the end, I really like the products from Far End Gear and would recommend them to those with active lifestyles.
YEAR From page 1
the Classified Senate. Gregory Stoup, Senior Dean of Research and Planning for the district, commented that processes like these are “hard to get done in a year,” much less 4 to 5 months. Library Director Christina Goff found the meeting to be “successful” while Rosa Armendariz, project director for HSI grants, said she “got more out of it than she thought she would.” Dean of Liberal Arts Nancy Ybarra said in a statement, “it
is exciting that a consensus is emerging around the need for a comprehensive professional learning program at LMC.” Kratochvil was “pleased by the number of participants,” which was around 75. Those who attended were split into random groups to discuss topics together and to report out to the entire room. The grouping style helped to get groups of people with different viewpoints and skill levels together for a diverse and productive discussion.
A.A.T.
HOT
Composition and Critical Thinking, Literature of the Imagination and Humanities are required. “We’re thrilled that we finally have an English transfer degree at LMC because students can get through faster. We are looking for diverse students who can teach English that can transfer in two years, get their bachelor’s in two years, get their masters in two years and come back and teach at LMC,” said English Professor Barbara Austin. Students must finish the 60 required semester units of CSU-transferable coursework while maintaining a minimum grade point average of 2.0. After completing the degree and transferring, students will be required to complete 60 more units to earn a bachelor’s degree. A wide range of jobs and opportunities will be open to students who complete the degree. Any job from being a reporter to an advertising copywriter is a possibility after completing the degree, and ultimately transferring to a four-year university. Before the three were approved recently, there were five A.S.T.’s (Business Administration, Child Development and Physics) and 3 A.A.T.’s available (Communication Studies, Theatre, Studio Arts, Kinesiology, Psychology and Sociology). There are a total of eleven A.A.T.’s and A.S.T.’s available.
Ryan Derdak only pitched one inning. They got the win though, thanks to solid pitching out of the bullpen by Robbie McCloud and Anthony Ogolin who combined for six innings while only allowing one run. Obviously the team cannot win games on starting pitching alone and there is one glaring bright spot on the offense, outfielder Matt Jacobson. Jacobson was on fire and in the five game stretch, he had a .529 batting average with two runs batted in, seven runs score, two walks and eight stolen bases. D’Albora said, “They say, ‘Hitting is contagious,’” and added that Jacobson has been taking quality at-bats early in games which sets up at-bats
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The next retreat on March 3, will be open to members of the community and according to Kratochvil, will help “establish a baseline” as to the wants and needs of the “external partners” of LMC. Armendariz is “looking forward to the next meeting,” adding that she is “looking forward to the community input.” The second retreat is to be followed by a campus-wide survey related to topics discussed in previous retreats.
From page 5
later on. After ten games he ranks high in some key statistics in the state. In a crazy moment, the second base umpire began yelling at the Los Medanos bench after a questionable hit-by-pitch call went Lassen’s way in the first game of that double header. “I don’t know how much I can or want to get into it,” D’Albora said. “It’s hard to get yelled at by an umpire and then go back to playing but that’s exactly what they did.” Even with the tough loss on Tuesday, the Mustangs are playing great baseball. The next two home games are on March 4 against American River College and March 8 against Cosumnes River College.
OSCAR From page 1
Before graduating from Antioch High School in 1981, Semanick found a passion for music and performing arts, and knew that was the career path he wanted to pursue since his sophomore year. During his senior year, he took music classes in the morning at Los Medanos, then booked it to Antioch High in the afternoon and later worked an evening shift at the Burger King near Auto Center Drive in Antioch. He said the best part of his success is sharing it with the Antioch community, and hopes
to inspire others that come out of the small suburban town. “I want people to say, ‘If he can do it, I can do it too,’” Semanick added. The Oscar winner said one of his biggest mentors has been his drama teacher Theresa Rossi at Antioch High. The school’s drama program has been defunct since 2012. Semanick feels it is a shame that something that was incredibly influential to him is not existent. The 86th Academy Awards ceremony will air Sunday, March 2, in Hollywood on ABC network at 4 p.m.
was broken into and all the computers, copy machines and printers were stolen. Grillo says that because his office’s window is faced out to the public compared to the other offices within the Nursing Department that are along the hallway, it is more convenient and visible for thieves. This is the first time Grillo has experienced a crime incident like this. Due to the burglary, it is a problem not only for Grillo but for his students as well. “They (students) depend on you and then you don’t have your computer. You’re office is a mess and then you’re trying to catch up right away,” said Grillo, “but our program is still going hot and heavy.” Currently Grillo has moved to another office and will remain there until his office’s window has been replaced. From now on, Grillo will “take more precautions” by pulling down the drapes in his office and leave valuables out of the public eye. Both Grillo and Ojeda agree that there should be more public awareness and security, such as posted signs and electric alarm systems to deflate potential criminals. Chief Charles Gibson, Chief of Police for the District Police Depar tment, commented that there are “undercover operations in the works to capture those kind of folks.” The District Police Department is working on increasing more patrols, especially being more visible during the night. Currently surveillance cameras are in the process to become district-wide by the end of the year. To stay safe, Corporal David Sano, from LMC Police Ser vices, advises staff and students to be aware of their surroundings and to not leave belongings unattended as well as to bring personal belongings and valuables and keep them out of sight. Sano also advises faculty and staff to keep their offices locked up and secure. Gibson encourages staff and students to get involved as well. “The college President, Lt. Huddleston, and staff are working hard to make the campus safe. We’re a team. It affects everyone,” he said. “I encourage everyone to get involved. There are a lot more good people than bad people, but sometimes good people don’t get involved.” To report suspicious activity anonymously, call the Silent Witness Tip Line at 685-1230 ext. 1999. For any questions or concerns, contact Police Services at ext. 3228. In case of an emergency, dial 911 anytime from a campus phone or cell phone or ext. 3333 for Police Services.
MAJOR From page 3
their degree/certificate or goal than students who wait until their second year” said Cella. Students usually don’t have a major set in stone or know what classes to take, but the online Ed Planning tool solves that. Robin Armour, the Director Of Admissions, explains how the Ed planning tool plays a factor in the campaign. “If you’re on the student Ed Plan, you could pull up the degree your majoring in and you have to file a change of major with us and you could plan 2 semesters” said Armour. Though this feature is available to help, Armour says a lot of LMC students aren’t putting it to use. “We’ve been going to PUENTE and UMOJA. It’s just select students right now instead of everybody”. John Schall designs the signs around the school. “John Schall is the media design specialist for the LMC marketing and media design department,” said Cella. “He does the vast majority of the graphic design for print pieces and photography for the college.” The “Be A Major Success” campaign strives to motivate students to focus on decision-making and choosing majors that would best prepare them for a profession in a field of their choice. “if students don’t have a major, it’s like going on a trip without a map or GPS system,” said Armour.
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as well. Transfer pathways were opened up to Boise State University, University of Colorado Boulder, Western Washington, and California State University East Bay. One particular faculty member from CSU East Bay came to the cast’s critique, which is only evaluated by the national committee. The faculty member woke up early so he could thank every one who was a part of the production because he personally knew August Wilson. CSU East Bay, along with the University of Pacific, had the similar idea of wanting to rent vans to pick up students from the Drama Department, have them see a show and even tour the campus. A member from Oregon Contemporary Theater reached out to Garcia about performing a play, having a meet up with the cast from Fences, and possibly hiring them for work. The LMC students continue to showcase their talent recognize, being the two keynote speakers especially bonded with them. One of the keynote speakers, Idris Goodwin, a national award-winning playwright, had especially bonded with the students. During the keynote address, the students were the only ones that Goodwin had called out specifically by name. Both keynote speakers saved the students’ cell phone numbers and expressed interest in mentoring them through their journeys. Du’Praiseja Smith, who played Raynell Mazson in Fences, experienced KCACTF for the first time. “I was afraid but just the whole atmosphere was different,” said Smith. “Everybody was really supportive of each other and the competitions weren’t like I expected them to be but it was pretty fun getting to know people and network with each other.” In addition to the keynote speakers and other productions by several different universities, there were various workshops for different interests. One of the workshops was Next Step. Students that entered in the workshop were given a 90 second monologue that they had to perform in front of chairmen from different universities of members from companies. After a couple of hours, there were callbacks and students that they were interested in were given more information. Claudia Vasquez, who has been to KCACTF last year, is amazed by the work of her fellow peers. “I’m just really proud of where we come from. LMC used to be this little school, which nobody knew. In the past couple years, we became so well known. It is because thanks to our Director, Professor Nick Garcia, and you can see all the work he puts up and how much he knows or believes that we have it in us,” said Vasquez. “That really helps us and wants us to get better. It wants us to keep going and see what’s out there for us.”
BALL From page 5
to develop team relationships that you’ll need in the minor and major leagues. He said that there will always be players who are ready to go straight to the majors from high school like Los Angeles Angels all-star outfielder Mike Trout, but he would say those are probably the two percent. “The other 98 percent, I think need the opportunity to fail and you really don’t get that opportunity in professional baseball,” he said. “If you fail eventually they’re going to find someone else and you don’t have a job anymore. At the college level you get a chance to fail, you get a chance at experience, you get a chance hopefully to succeed and learn how to win.” Those experiences are what you need if you are going to make a career out of professional sports. College might not be essential to all athletes hoping to go pro one day, but it is important for the growth of the player to learn, not only academically, but to learn life experiences needed for a future in a career.
Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com
TECH From page 4
ropes, but its functions go beyond timekeeping. They can be used to call you friends and family, snap photos, receive notifications and set your alarm. It’s essentially your phone on your wrist. Many companies have started to venture into this technology. Samsung has Galaxy Gear, Sony and even Apple is looking into making an iWatch, but that is yet to be confirmed. Cuf f is a company that started making fashionable wearable pieces to make wearable technology appealing to women of all ages. It is an 18-piece collection ranging from key chains, pendants to leather and metal bracelets. Cuff has a smart component called the CuffLinc module and it is discrete and usually hidden from view. It’s primary focus it to establish two-way communication between you and your loved ones. The CuffLinc, which can be inserted in any of the jewelry pieces for multiple accessory options, syncs with smar t phones over bluetooth and has a vibrating motion for notifications. The prices of the pieces range from 50-100 dollars and are available for pre-order on their website www.cuff.io. The most controversial wearable that has emerged is Google Glass. Privacy and safety are some of the concerns this wearable brings and as you read into the features you will know why. You can now Google it without typing. Google glass are frames with an optical frame mounted display. With Google glass you can record, take photos, stream live, use GPS capabilities, send messages, search facts and translate your voice. They are yet to be available in the United States, but if you have $1,500 plus tax to spare, you can become part of the Glass Explorer program. This program was set up for whomever can afford it, can become part of the experiment and in turn have a chance to try it out as Google is still trying to make improvements before it is available. Wearable technology has even ventured its way into the medical world. Google glass can make a huge impact in hospitals to improve the efficiency of staff and even doctors. Glass has already been used in a surgery, allowing surgeons to pop up x-rays by using voice commands. There is no doubt that wearable technology is here to stay.
BEBO From page 3
Despite the success of Bebo, Monkey Infer no and The Battery, there are some ideas that did not pan out, such as Babysitting Circle. It was an internet based company created in 2000 where families could find babysitters. “People felt odd meeting new people over the internet and not enough families signed up,” Birch said. Regardless of their ventures, the Birch’s agreed that the landscape of social networking is constantly changing and Michael Birch, who was also in attendance, spoke about that fact. “I believe people are always going to be looking for the next social media experience. Whatever product you start off with, it starts with your real friends, and then over time you accumulate past friends and friends who are too distant. So when something like SnapChat comes along, that becomes [the platform] for your real friends. That becomes the thing you are using all the time and then you have got all these products that are being left behind,” Birch said. When it comes to her success, Xochi Birch said that success means something different to everyone. “You don’t always know why you are successful, but when you fail, you know exactly why you failed. There is a lot of ways to measure success. You need to identify what success means to you,” Birch said. For more information on their companies go to bebo. com, monkeyinferno.com and thebatterysf.com.