Vol. 84 No. 12 - May 6, 2016

Huffman is ‘outstanding’

AGS works for Earth Day

Baseball scores berth

Spanish instructor Laurie Huffman honored by Florida State College. Story inside — page 4

Alpha Gamma Sigma worked to clean up the Los Medanos Nature Preserve. Photos inside — page 5

The Mustangs baseball team clinches a place in the playoffs, heads to regionals — page 7

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F.Y.I. Important Dates May is National Water Safety Month May 7

22nd Annual Gospel Celebration in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m.

May 21 to 27 Final exams

‘Serenity’ to be had at LMC

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A place to call home

LMC vet center opens

By Kimberly Stelly

kstelly@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College’s Veterans Resource Center opened its doors Thursday, April 28.

Students, faculty and staff crowded the third floor of the College Complex to witness the ribbon cutting. There was a salute and everyone stood as a trumpeter from LMC played the “Star Spangled Banner.”

“I’ve been proud of many things at LMC but never prouder than this,” said LMC President Bob Kratochvil who — of the scheduled speakers — was the first to congratulate the student vets and thank everyone who had a hand in making sure the center was opened.

“Having a resource center will put us in a position to have even more

student veterans,” he said.

“Veterans resource centers are hallmarks of student success,” said Kratochvil. “The first step is creating space, the second is equipping it.”

Contra Costa County Community College District Governing Board President Vicki Gordon approached the lectern and thanked the community for supporting local veterans. “We are celebrating today because we got a lot of help from the community,” said Gordon.

Kratochvil then introduced District Chancellor Helen Benjamin.

“We are opening a veterans center at each of our colleges and this is the Experience • Cathie Lawrence very first one,” said Benjamin. “To be Oakley Mayor Kevin Romick shows respect during the the first one is quite an honor.”

See VETS, page 8 presenting of the colors at the vet center’s opening ceremony.

EMTs prepare for worst

The Los Medanos College drama department is currently showing off the work of students in the directing class. “Project Serenity” is on stage in the Little Theatre, and the play is showing May 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 16 at 7 p.m. with a 10 a.m. matinee May 11. Tickets are $10 for the public, $7 with student ID and $5 for high and middle schoolers.

By SARAH D. GONZALES Staff Writer

Personalizing for graduation Los Medanos College is teaming up with Jostens to offer personalized graduation announcements for the May 27 event. For information visit www.college.jostens. com.

ALLIES ends year with party The LMC ALLIES club will be having a Pre-Pride Party May 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. on the field in front of the Math Building.

The event will also serve as an end of the semester celebration with a Holi throwing and a water balloon fight. Tickets are $4 or $6 for a ticket and a shirt. Contact Robert at robertgcampbell95@ gmail.com for more information.

Michael Kreh attends to nursing students Karima Dunlap and Roseann Aguirre, top. Sophia Ervin (left) lays prone with a faux-injury.

The two-hour EMS event started with a simulated bomb blast and also involved the members of the Nursing program, who “treated” the victims at the scene and in makeshift triage centers in the Nursing Department. See page three for further coverage of the event.

Photos by Chris Ruiz • Experience

Apply now for aide position

Police Services is searching for applicants as a police aide on campus. For more info on the requirements needed for the position and to download the application, visit 4cd. net/crpa/pd.

Job titles at LMC renewed by group A new agreement between the Contra Costa Community College District and the Hay Group may be the cause of concern to some members of the Los Medanos College classified staf f as new job descriptions are written and staff is reclassified.

The concern centers on the fact that staff members must first agree that new job descriptions accurately describe what they do, before they find out what the new salary ranges will be.

The Hay Group is a global counseling management firm that works to modify job classifications by updating them, making title changes for some positions or creating new job descriptions altogether.

Since the job classifications haven’t been updated in over 20 years, many of the job performance requirements are outdated. Some listings still require workers to know how to use a typewriter.

“This has been a three year program — some places take five,” said Local 1 union district president Mike West. “Classifications/Job Descriptions haven’t been updated since 1985. Revised job descriptions are currently being reviewed

by Classified Professionals — those that perform the work to serve our students, programs and services and maintain a quality learning environment.”

All updated job classifications were sent out to classified staff members by email after careful evaluation by the Hay Group See HAY, page 8

Team wins tournament Debate groups place first and third

By Michael Martinez Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Debate Team scored a victory April 30 and May 1 at the inaugural Dominican University Penguin Invitational Debate Tournament in San Rafael, Calif.

Team members Grace Babayan and Taylor Gonzalez claimed first place after entering the championship round as the number one ranked team.

They took first place wins in all six of their preliminar y rounds in the

process. The team was initially unsure if they’d make the tournament due to the entry size.

LMC entered the Worlds Schools Style format event as the only community college in a pool that included teams from Humboldt State University, University of California Davis and host Dominican University.

Despite this, the team outperformed some stiff opposition.

Not only did two of their own win the tournament, the team had members Photo courtesy of Marie Arcidiacono • Experience Richard Stanfield and Genaro Mauricio From left, Taylor Gonzalez, Grace Babayan, Richard Stanfield enter the championship round as the second ranked team, eventually placing and Genaro Mauricio debate during the inaugural Dominican

See TEAM, page 8 University Penguin Invitational tournament April 30 and May 1.

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“As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself — and not just by voting.”

— Sandra Day O’Connor

Kimberly Stelly

Alexandra Riva

SOCIALLY UNWELL

MY TWO CENTS

Is English even proper English?

Don’t be a low infomation voter

If you ask someone what Ebonics is, they might be tempted to tell you that it’s the way “ghetto” people speak. They’ll tell you it’s the language of the uneducated. But what those people don’t know is that Ebonics, or more formally African American Vernacular English, is a specific dialect typically spoken by urban, working-class, African Americans.

Though the term “Ebonics” was coined in the early seventies and had been debated among scholars with var ying opinions, there wasn’t much of a stir caused until two decades later. According to PBS, in 1996, “the Oakland (California) School Board passed a resolution declaring Ebonics to be the language of 28,000 African-American students in that school district.” There was backlash – the original proposal even got negative criticism from the Clinton administration.

It was amended slightly and passed but thus hasn’t done anything to remove the stigma. Rather than any progress being made on the subject, AAVE still has negative connotations due to the severity of ignorance of the masses. Though the issue has since been “resolved,” it seems the idea that AAVE being recognized as a studied language is still laughable and frustrating to some. It’s still seen as an excuse to “speak lazily.” The sad thing is that when other people come to this country, a lot of us can accept that people will mix their native language with English – Spanglish for example – and it’s seen as an acceptable way of communicating.

But somehow when working class black Americans do it, it’s some sort of sin against our Founding Fathers.

Perhaps it’s because those who use Ebonics are products of the United States and so people think they have no excuse not to be able to speak correctly. Given the cultural and historical context, however, it makes sense for the use of Ebonics to be a continuous habit in today’s world, considering it’s such a huge part of black identity.

Due to the obnoxiousness of upper-class, typically Eurocentric ideals, it has been widely stigmatized despite being officially deemed a standardized subsect of English.

There are notable differences between AAVE and SAE. For example, it’s perfectly acceptable to use “ain’t” instead of “haven’t.”

Pronunciation is a big thing as well. In AAVE, you can say “axe” instead of “ask,” though apparently, that’s looked down upon.It’s typically considered bad English, but there are a lot of interesting things regarding AAVE that should make those who speak that way, proud.

AAVE is the reason some modern mainstream slang exists. Terms like “cool,” “cat,” “dig” and “bad” are still in wide use today because of Ebonics. People don’t consider this side of it though because many of the habits and trends spawning from black people are seen as inferior and defective.

The roots of AAVE specifically come from the way people spoke in the US during slavery where the African diaspora was essentially forced to communicate by creating a language that was a compromise between numerous African dialects and the English being spoken in the South. On a related note, the illiteracy rate among whites was high in the south at the time, so those who were slaves were doomed from the start in terms of learning English.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense to tell people to learn how to speak English “properly” because chances are, they were taught AAVE growing up. This way of speaking has been instilled in numerous generations of black people.Not everyone is going to be able to articulate their thoughts in the same ways. After all, it’s not the language an idea is presented, it’s the intent and effort put into that idea, ya dig?

With the California presidential primary election coming up on June 7, people young and old are registering to vote, because in this day and age, everyone is given a chance to “make a difference” in America, whether they deserve one or not.

I’m not saying some people should be allowed to vote and others shouldn’t, I’m just saying those who are uninformed or misinformed might want to think twice before voting and possibly making the nation a worse place for us all.

I recently overheard two students on campus debating politics. One voting Democrat and the other, presumably, Republican.

The exchange was the typical, “But what is it about Bernie that you agree with? What policies?” Followed by silence and eventually the, “Well, he’s a lot better than Hillary” retort.

Too often people back candidates they don’t know a whole lot about.

We all know Hillary Clinton is pro-choice.

We all know Bernie Sanders has free tuition plan in mind. We all know Donald Trump wants to build a wall.

This information is on the covers of magazines and newspapers everywhere, but what else can young supporters of any of these candidates think of as to why they should be president?

We can’t just say, ‘I think it’s time we have a woman in the White House so I’m voting for Hillary,’ or, ‘I want to stop illegal immigration, so I’m voting for Trump.’ It just doesn’t make any sense.

Where are the facts? What do the remaining candidates plan to do about radical Islamic terrorism? What do they plan to do about climate change? Healthcare? A budget?

If people are bold enough to openly say they support any of the three remaining presidential candidates, they had at least have a good reason to back themselves up.

If you support Bernie Sanders and someone asks you why, offer up something more substantial than ‘free college’ because anyone with a half working brain and a television set could offer up that nugget of political insight and knowledge.

Finding information about the candidates is not difficult to accomplish. All of them have an official website and nearly all of us have access to the internet. Anything we need to know about the candidates is only a few clicks away, so a lack of information at this point is just ridiculous.

Make a list in your mind of personal values and political stances you have, then find a candidate who most embodies those.

People need to get out of the mindset of ‘Democrats are this’ and ‘Republicans are that’ and find a candidate they like despite party, age, race or gender.

Even when we find a candidate we like and are willing to help put in office, we need to be realistic. Many of these presidential candidates are hyping up their abilities and expereince just to rake in votes of the gullible.

What can this person do with four years?

Free college in four years? I doubt it. A wall in four years? I doubt it.

Add a second term and even then these goals seem unrealistic for America.

People also need to take into consideration that the president can’t do what they say they are going to do. Take for instance when Obama ran back in ‘08 and ’12 — he made promises he hasn’t kept.

He wanted to end the war in Afghanistan by 2014, which hasn’t happened.

He wanted to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, which also didn’t happen.

Obama’s supporters are like today’s candidtates supporters; they have unrealistic expectations as to what a president can accomplish within their term.

Free college and a wall might seem like good ideas to some voters, but will they really happen?

Get educated.

Experience • Sarah Gonzales

Editorial

Two stand out for supervisor

T

his is an election year so naturally the presidential election is receiving a lot of attention from news outlets across the country, but there are other races that are just as deserving of our support, like our local elections here in Contra Costa County. The County Supervisor position for district 3 and district 5 of Contra Costa County are up for re-election this year, and there are a lot of new faces in the mix. District 3 consists of Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Blackhawk, Discovery Bay, Bethel Island, Diablo, Knightsen and Byron. The candidates for the district 3 are Wade Harper, Doug Hardcastle, Diane Burgis and Odessa Lefrancois. District 5 includes portions of Antioch and Pinole, Pittsburg, Hercules, Martinez, bay point, Clyde, Crockett, Pacheco, Rodeo, Port Costa, Mountain View, vine hill, and Alhambra valley. Federal Glover, Conrad Dandridge, Anamaria Avila Farias, and Michael Menesini.

The staff at The Experience has chosen to back one candidate from each district that we feel will to the best job in fulfilling their duties. Odessa LeFrancois has earned our support for district 3 county supervisors. LeFrancois has served as the NAACP east county president for 5 years, and is a 21 year navy veteran. She is also a respiratory therapist at the contra costa medical center, to add to her many successes. Most importantly though, she comes off as being the candidate that is the most in-tune with the people.

She said she wants to create a center for battered women and set a source for east county veterans to provide social services. She back pep this up at a recent forum that took place on Monday May 2 when she said that she thinks veterans deserve more than a free pasta at Applebee’s, but to actually be cared for by their communities when they come back from their service. Not only is Odessa fiercely real when it comes to knowing the constituents but she also showed great empathy for those struggling with addiction at the recent forum and hit hard when it came to proposing after school and summer vacation programs and for the youth of our county that are actually affordable and beneficial.she also advocated for better facilities for those struggling with mental health issues and argued against the stigma put on mental health.LeFrancois has called the recent board of supervisors “a little disconnected” with the people and wants to work closer with the people stating, “I want to hear from them. I want to make sure they have a say at the table.” As for district 5, the candidates are receiving a little less attention then the ones from district 3 but nonetheless after doing our research we have chosen to support Anamaria Avila Farias as the county supervisor. Farias is running against 2 mayors and is the only female candidate in the running for the district. We urge the community to go out and vote and to pick a candidate that best identifies with our county.

Same formula, different superhero With the coming release of “Captain America: Civil War,” it’s once again time to be barraged with the incessant marketing that comes with the release of a new superhero movie. Just a few months ago, it was nearly impossible to watch TV or enter a gas station without being attacked by some form of advertisement for “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and I say that with only a slight degree of hyperbole. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help but feel that superhero films have reached their saturation point.

It wasn’t long ago that Marvel Studios announced they had mapped out over 14 years of movies, as ridiculous as that sounds. Yes, we have reached a point where sequels are announced before a film is even released.

15 years ago, I remember shaking with excitement at the idea that my favorite superhero Spider-Man would be making his much-anticipated Hollywood debut. Now, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed the series isn’t beat to death more than it already has been. I was of course only nine years-old, but superhero franchises then weren’t quite what they are now.

Yes, we got sequels, but we didn’t get the bloated cash cows that seem only to exist to generate more cash.

Back in the day, I felt like superhero films actually captured the charm of the comic stories they were based on. Tim Burton’s Batman perfectly recreated the essence of reading a Batman comic, while “Batman V Superman”

Voices

Michael Martinez BEYOND THE FRAME

stumbled over it’s own weight.

There have been some exceptions — “Deadpool” was refreshingly funny and entertaining, as was “Guardians of the Galaxy” back in 2014 — but I’m grasping for straws to come up with more than that.

I can’t blame Hollywood for wanting to cash in on some of these enormous franchises — I just wish they would bring us more than just origin stories. I think we all know by now that Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed and that a radioactive spider bit Peter Parker. Uncle Ben doesn’t need to die again.

While we are seeing some studios touch up on lesser-known comics like “Suicide Squad” and “Doctor Strange,” let’s not ignore the fact we’ve seen Robert Downey Jr. suit up as Iron Man almost six times. So while everyone is enjoying their superhero summer at the movies, I’ll be home, perfectly content with never watching another Batman or Spiderman reboot again.

If you could replace the world’s currency, what would you replace it with and why?

Compiled

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Sarah

Gonzales

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m

Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“I would change it to something I can grow, like vegetables and some kind of fruit. Food I could exchange for goods.”

— Omar Manzo

“I would just choose rocks because we have a lot of rocks everywhere.”

— Brittany Matlock

“Knowledge and information... and that way, the wealthiest can be the smartest.”

— Solomon Uhuru

“We’re going to keep the currency the same way. ’Cause you can’t use chocolate, you can’t use trees.

The end.”

“I guess it’d have to be just talking. If I talk to someone and they were able to like give me food off of that, that’d be pretty rad.”

“Community service. For example, if you wanted to receive a shirt you would have to do a certain amount of service.”

— Sarah Bullington

— D’Elijah Smith

— Christina Esquivel

“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Editors-in-Chief................DAMIAN LEWIN and CASSIE DICKMAN Perspectives Editor......YETUNDE OGUNLEYE Campus Editors...........ALEXANDRA RIVA and TYLER MORTIMORE Features Editor............BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ Sports Editors.....................RENEE SMITH and GARRETT BELME Photo Editor.......................JAZMINE GORDON New Media/Marketing.............JAMARI SNIPES Web Editor..........................KIMBERLY STELLY The LMC Experience is published Fridays by students in the Journalism Program. The newspaper serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.

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“Carbon structures life. Oxygen ignites it.”

— Eric Roston

Experience • Alexandra Riva

Hassib Faiez is treated by Laura Campbell (left) and Michael Mungcal (right) after suffering a simulated traumatic brain injury Wednesday, May 4.

Simulated disaster at LMC EMS, Nursing team up for relief efforts

By TYLER MORTIMORE

tmortimore@lmcexperience.com

The College Complex walkway above the Child Study Center was littered with bodies Wednesday morning as part of a mass casualty simulation put on by the Los Medanos College Nursing and EMS programs.

An imaginary improvised explosive device went off at 10:28 a.m., resulting in numerous injuries and deaths.

A secondary blast at 10:34 struck down many of the first responders.

Randomly chosen nursing students acted as the blast victims and were given makeup and prosthetics to replicate injuries, from minor scrapes and burns to missing limbs.

The second wave of responders mobilized victims to the emergency triage area in a nursing classroom, where victims with less-serious injuries were screened and treated by licensed vocational nursing students, while those with more dire injuries were rushed into the nursing lab to be treated by registered nursing students.

It was a hectic scene inside as the wounded nursing students were able to show off their acting chops.

“Where’s my baby’s daddy?” howled Katie Carignan, who was with child for the simulation. The explosion brought her into labor, and the nursing staff delivered her beautiful plastic son, Bartholomew.

Meanwhile, Karima Dunlap was wandering about the rooms looking for her friend who she lost in the chaos following the explosion.

“I’m wondering if I can go in there and act a fool,” she wondered aloud while looking into the skills lab before deciding she could indeed. Dunlap studied drama in high school, and

an unassuming passerby wouldn’t likely be able to tell her tears were not from fear, but laughter.

Nursing student Alyssa Fumar explained that the histrionics helped to create the sort of bedlam that would occur in a hospital in a real world situation.

“In any situation, a hysterical person is often hard to work with just for the fact they’re in so much shock from the event,” said Fumar.

“We do everything in our power to calm hysterical patients and reassure them that we are there to help.”

Though the departments have independent training exercises, this is the first time they have worked together, and the chaos wasn’t all by design.

“Typically for an exercise of this magnitude there are 12 to 14 folks running it behind the scenes. I had six,” said assistant EMS professor German Sierra. “Next semester we will have a much bigger command staff and it will go a lot smoother.”

After the faux-baby was delivered, and the patients stabilized, the departments met for a debriefing at noon.

“It’s not supposed to be perfect, it’s supposed to be messy,” said nursing instructor Trang Nguyen. “It’s part of the chaos, how this type of situation would play out in real life.”

Nursing Instructor Colin McDowell reminded students that — while training is important — it’s no replacement for the real deal.

“During panic situations, you’ll have that feeling that you don’t know what you’re doing. There’s not going to be a place in your practice where you step over that feeling,” said McDowell, “Hold on to that feeling and work as a team.”

Left: Andrea Thors comforts Karima Dunlap, who lost her friend in the commotion. Below: Melissa Cardenas, gives a patient oxygen in the hospital area after the explosion.

Above: Los Medanos College student Connor Green lost his left arm during the mass casualities simulation.

Left: A patient is covered with a burn blanket, given oxygen and transported to triage on a gurney.

Photos by Chris Ruiz and Alexandra Riva

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‘Slam’ for finals

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“People didn’t have the political guts to stand up against an American war.”

— Sen. George McGovern

Coming construction

The Center for Academic Support will be hosting a study slam to help students prepare for finals on Wednesday, May 18 from 3 to 9 p.m. in the Core.

Tutors will be available all day, although the event is first come, first serve. Snacks and drinks will be provided to those participating.

Tryouts for dance team

The Los Medanos College dance team will be holding tryouts on Wednesday May 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the LMC gym and Friday May 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the dance room, PED-1.

For more information about tryouts, contact team captain Raquel Ellis at Ellisraquel@ymail.com or CoCaptain Naorie Harris at Naorietyrece@gmail.com

Become an ambassador

Los Medanos College’s office of student life is looking for students interested in developing the leadership skills by becoming a student ambassador. The application deadline is Friday, May 13.

For more information about becoming a student ambassador and the application process contact, Student Life Coordinator, John Nguyen at knguyen@losmedanos.edu

New English class

A new English course has been approved for Los Medanos College’s fall 2016 semester.

English 124, Children’s Literature is open to all students but may be of special interest to English majors, parents and future early childhood, elementary and secondary level teachers.

English 124 satisfies CSU-GE area C2. The class will be held on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and will be instructed

by JoAnn Hobbs.

Experience • Alexandra Riva

Bella the dog helped calm students at the hug a pet event last semester.

Come hug a dog

Stressing about finals? No worries. The Los Medanos College Library will be hosting the Pet Hug Pack’s Therapy Pets on Wednesday, May 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Make the cut with film club

Have an interest in making films? LMC’s Student Studios is a digital media and video production club. They will hold meetings every Monday and Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. Location to be announced.

For more information about Student Studios contact Dylan Jones at Dylanjonesvideos@gmail.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 the Science Building, Room SCI-229.

All medical professions are welcome and there is no GPA requirement. Scholarships are available.

Allies hold meetings

LMC Allies 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.

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.

Counselors ready to assist

Looking to make an educational plan or review your current one? LMC offers counseling at both campuses.

Drop-in hours are offered throughout the week and change on a weekly basis. Students must have a student ID number and a photo ID to meet with a counselor.

Appointments on the Pittsburg campus can be made at the Counseling Department in the Student Services Building, Level 4, calling in at 473-7449, or by visiting www.losmedanos.edu/counseling and clicking on the Make an Appointment link.

Appointments at the Brentwood Center can be made in person, or by calling 513-1625.

Daily cancellations online

L t Graphic by Lissette Urbina • Experience

VP briefs college community on expansion

By ADRIA WATSON

awatson@lmcexperience.com The last All College Meeting for the semester was held this past Monday and there was big talk about the upcoming facility projects that will begin on the Los Medanos College campus this summer.

LMC Vice President Kevin Horan made a presentation at the meeting about these upcoming projects, the three most significant projects being the new P.E. Complex, Student Center and the Brentwood Center.

Coming this summer, the gym and tennis courts will be remodeled and resurfaced, respectively, and the leaks in the College Complex’s roof will also be taken care of.

According to Horan, the college wanted to try to maximize all the funding sources, so Prop 39 helped provide energy efficient lighting in the gym. Marketing

instructor John Schall has rendered images of LMC’s own student-athletes that will be adorning the walls of the new gym.

Horan also presented plans for the College Complex. The second floor of the Complex will be getting the most renovations. They are currently in plans with the Division of State Architects to create eight faculty offices, two small conference rooms and nine additional classrooms. Two of the classrooms will have what Horan said are “line-of-sight desks.” These will have a table-chair set up but the computers will be built into a secure garage in the desk, so that the rooms can be used as both a normal classroom or a computer lab.

“In theory, by 2017 we will be done with the second floor renovations,” said Horan.

Horan said they are at the point in the

By ADRIA WATSON

awatson@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College Spanish professor Laurie Huffman — who also teaches online at Florida State College in Jacksonville — received the award for “Outstanding Faculty” from FSCJ Thursday, April 21. Huffman was recognized for her contributions to the college’s online Spanish classes over the last 10 years.

According to a letter sent to Huffman from FSCJ, the awards are given each year to selected faculty and students based on personal nominations.

Huffman was nominated by her peers at the college, who wished to highlight her leadership and excellence in the

digital classroom.

“It was such a surprise to receive this award as I am an adjunct at Florida State College,” Huffman said. “I had no idea my students had recommended me for the honor.”

LMC President Bob Kratochvil said Huffman is an exceptional educator at LMC and that her receiving this award is indicative of the outstanding teaching and collaboration with students that she exhibits at LMC. FSCJ is one of the most Experience • Alexandra Riva popular online colleges in Spanish Professor Laurie Huffman at the opening of the nation. FSCJ was able to offer her specific training in the LMC Veterans Center. Huffman was recognized design and delivery of online by Florida State College Jacksonville for her See HONOR, page 8

contributions to their online curriculum.

40 year boogie Degree discussed

Terrorism Studies pathway shelved

By JOSE PANTOJA Staff Writer

What’s lost may yet be found

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

See BWOOD, page 8

Instructor awarded for online classes

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.

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.

process where they are about to wrap up design development and begin creating blueprints. “What that means it that it’s about six months for us to do the very detailed documents that we submit to the state for review,” said Horan.

They are also doing a shared process that has not been used for a long time, but the DSA allowed for them to engage in it — they’re getting plans approved as they go along instead of waiting for the final package so they can speed up the process a little.

Inside the building, Horan explained the first floor would have a conference center/meeting room that will hold nearly 500 people. It would also include a new bookstore, food services and a student lounge, which Horan called “about 2,000 square feet of noisy space.”

The second floor would have Student

Experience • Alexandra Riva

Los Medanos College students (left to right) Karmin Ortiz, Tyrone Duncan and Frankie Trono provide music to students and staff during the United Faculty’s 40 year celebration Wednesday, May 4.

The Los Medanos College Academic Senate considered the possibility of integrating a Terrorism Studies pathway under the Social Justice degree program at its April 25 meeting.

In a press release brought before the senate by Academic Senate President Silvester Henderson, security expert Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University, explained that following 9/11, academia has seen a demand for programs and professors in the field of terrorism. Bloom, a researcher on the effects of extremist groups like ISIS on

children, notes that college and university administrators are creating Terrorist Studies programs to remain relevant and to respond to student interest in the subject.

The prospect of developing the degree at LMC received a lukewarm response from faculty.

Biological science professor Mark Lewis drew a parallel to his time at UC Berkeley when it tried to adopt a War Studies program 35 years ago, which was ultimately retooled to be the Department of Peace Studies. The argument he sympathized with at the time See STUDY, page 8

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Campus 5 Raking in the clean FRIDAY,

MAY

6,

2016

Quotable “I like thinking big.

If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.”

— Donald Trump

Experience • Jamie Perlee

Los Medanos College student and AGS member, Cesar Ramirez uses a gardening hoe to pull up weeds, Friday April 22 in the Nature Preserve.

Experience • Jamie Perlee

LMC student and AGS member Cesar Ramirez uses a rake to pull up weeds in the LMC Nature Preserve April 22 in honor of Earth Day.

AGS tidies up the LMC Nature Preserve

By JAMIE PERLEE Staff Writer

Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Society helped clean up the Los Medanos College Nature Preserve Friday afternoon in honor of Earth Day. About 20 AGS members came to pull weeds, trim bushes and rake up the residue.

AGS member Cesar Ramirez, contributing to the cleanup effort by using a gardening hoe to pull up pesky weeds, said what made him interested in volunteering was that he simply felt like serving the community.

“At the end of the day, it is just a

good feeling knowing that you helped out the environment,” he said.

While pulling weeds, AGS Web Administrator Jerome Ner said ‘it was a beautiful day to give back to nature’.

“I think it is a great volunteering event because it is an opportunity to give back to earth itself. It is pretty sentimental especially being that it’s Earth Day,” he said. “It is a good way to get outside and away from civilization while enjoying nature.”

Lupe Mauricio, an LMC student who is not a member of AGS also helped clean up the preserve.

“The reason why I help is I want

to give back to the environment, because Mother Nature is what makes the world go round, and I want to do my part to make sure it does,” said Mauricio.

The Nature Preserve is certified as a Schoolyard Habitat for wildlife by the National Wildlife Federation and has more than 65 different native plants including the Chilean Aster, Lemonade Berry andthe California Poppy. It is also home to wildlife like the Anna’s hummingbird, monarch butterfly and other various insects.

The one-acre preserve was started in 1999 by the now-retired Christine Hagelin and students from her En-

SPORTS MEDICINE

vironmental and General Biology classes. They started the preserve to provide a habitat for the local wildlife as well as an opportunity to learn about the ecosystem.

The preserve is maintained by chemistry major Ricardo Black and garden supervisor Mickey Rovere, a former LMC student who now attends U.C. Berkeley.

“Not only does it serve the biology department, but it is also used by the art department. It’s also a perfect place to sneak away to get some fresh air,” said Black. “The Nature Preserve is a hidden jewel within the campus that not everyone is aware

of. We are trying to change that.”

Black has been involved with the nature preserve for about two years, since he started volunteering through clubs creating trails, planting, propagating plants and getting acquainted with the plants in the garden.

After several months of volunteering, a preserve job opened up.

“I’ve always had a calling towards nature in general, and the Nature Preserve provides the ideal opportunity for me to intimately get to know plants more in depth,” he said.

“In fact, plants and the benefits they provide for us is what motivated me See RAKE, page 8

Earth Day comes to campus

By MICHAEL MARTINEZ Staff Writer

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.

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April 20th marked Earth Day at Los Medanos College, a global observance of environmental issues focused on ultimately building a healthy and sustainable planet. LMC celebrated Earth Day for the first time in two years thanks to efforts from the sustainability student club and committee who hosted the event.

Throughout the day the event featured activities and games as well as a guided tour of the Nature Preserve. Plants native to the area were also sold, while locally grown fruit was handed out to interested students.

“We want this day to spread awareness to students on campus about climate change and get them involved in making changes that can help the planet”, said Biology Instructor Briana McCarthy.

An electric car was on display while several tables were set up around the outside quad in order to spread information and demonstrate the local commitment to environmentalism.

Local organizations were also represented, including the Ocean research foundation, PG&E, Mt. Diablo Audubon Society and the Mt. Diablo

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Kids from the LMC Child Development Center plant seeds in pots at the Earth Day Festival in the Outdoor Quad April 20.

Beekeeper›s association.

As part of the Earth Day festivities, the following day featured guest speaker Vicky Vasquez on behalf of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Vasquez played a key role in a identifying a new species of shark known as the “Ninja Shark” and her speech focused on bringing more attention to lesser known sharks such as the one she helped name.

After the presentation the documentar y “The Plastic Age” was shown. The film was a shocking reveal of how much plastic is polluting the world and was a call to arms for people to begin reducing their use of it.

According to researchers in the film, plastic in the ocean is being found in more abundance than plankton.

“It was pretty moving, I feel like this issue is overlooked and it makes you realize the big corporations wont do anything unless money is involved”, said student Noah Tan. The first Earth Day was in Held in 1970 and has since grown to be recognized by more than one billion people and over 141 countries. Many groundbreaking laws have been implemented thanks to support from Earth Day and those who participate in it according to the Earth Day website.

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Movies released

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— Drake

New Drake album delivers

By TAYLOR STROUD

n “Captain America: Civil War” Rated PG-13 Genre: Action, 3D n “Mother’s Day” Rated R Genre: Romance, Comedy n “Keanu” Rated R Genre: Crime, Comedy

tstroud@lmcexperience.com

If you are a Drake fan, you probably know that the ominous album “Views,” has been in the works at least since 2014. On Friday, April 29, the much-anticipated 20-track album was finally released to the world.

The album reflects upon his life in Canada, his career and his exes.

Because of its length, it took me several listens to be able to evaluate the album as a whole, but now I can conclude that Drake delivered what his fans wanted – solid production, sure-fire summer anthems, variety in genre and effective features. Drake

also made sure “Views” represented the various Drake archetypes we’ve come to know and love – Sad Drake, Reflective Drake, Revenge-Rap Drake and Richer-Than-You Drake, to name a few. But with the exception of a few standout moments, it just didn’t seem that Drake delivered anything too far out of his comfort zone.

One such exception was the album’s opener “Keep The Family Close.”

While Drake never shies away from emotion in his music, this song is dramatic in a way we haven’t heard from him. In typical Drake fashion, he’s reflecting on his exes, but with its lack of an instantly recognizable

REVIEW

‘Heart’ showing

The “Normal Heart,” a drama following the story of Ned Weeks, a gay activist enraged at private and public indifference to the AIDS plague premieres Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m. at the California Theatre, located in Pittsburg at 351 Railroad Ave. It runs through Saturday, May 14 at 2 and 8 p.m. and May 15 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10 to $25. For additional information call the theater at 427-1611.

FRIDAY,

“Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.”

Photo courtesy of vt6.com

Cover art for Drake’s latest album titled “Views.”

hook or chorus, this entirely-sung intro sounds almost like a monologue from a stage production.

The next track “9” is the first of many standouts on the album with strong production that is, in a word, fuller. You can tell the producers paid much more attention to detail on this project and gave some extra tender, love and care into crafting songs like this and “Feel No Ways.”

“Hype” is an angr y rap on the coattails of his infamous diss tracks toward Meek Mill. The beat is bassheavy and as hard-hitting as his flow. As its title suggests, the song addresses the hype Drake receives See VIEWS, page 8

Gospel warms pipes

Campanil events

The El Campanil Theatre is located at 602 W Second St. in Antioch. For ticket sales and additional information visit elcampaniltheatre.com or call 757-9500. n House of Floyd, a tribute band for Pink Floyd, will be performing a show Saturday, May 7 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors 62 and over and free for youth 18 and under. n The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra, comprised of 45 musicians ranging in age from 15 to 94, will perform various pieces by Mozart Saturday May 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students. n International film showcase presents the Japanese film “Sweet Bean.” A showing will be held Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m..

Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. n Music group The Diamonds will be performing classic rock & roll with today’s attitude Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors 62 and over and free for youth 18 and under.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

Experience • Beatriz Hernandez

From left, Diane Lemay, Gina Salzillo-Mckeen and Deborah Walters practice their music warm-ups before singing during the Gospel Choir class Tuesday, May 3 in the Recital Hall. The 22nd Annual Gospel Celebration will be Saturday, May 7 in the Recital Hall at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

‘Kimmy’ still ‘unbreakable’

Fey’s Netflix sitcom stuns with second season

By JOSEPH DELANO

jdelano@lmcexperience.com

The Tina Fey and Robert Carlock machine “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” is just that — unbreakable.

The hilariously-witty second season of the quirky comedy was released by Netflix April 15. In typical Netflix fashion, all 13 episodes were released at once.

The inaugural season of the comedy about a woman rescued from a doomsday cult, Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) getting her life back

REVIEW

on track, featured a slough of guest actors to boost its appeal to new viewers.

Instead of going in the same direction, this season focused more on the core characters established in the first season.

These characters, including Schmidt’s roommate Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess), her landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) and employer Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski) really shine this time around.

Much more character depth is explored in this season, especially

for Kane’s character. Her gritty, unrelenting por trayal as Lillian wowed in the first season. This time, however, it seems as if she has really transformed into the old-school tough guy with a heart of gold.

During a scene in which Lillian is protesting gentrification in the destitute neighborhood she so dearly loves, Kane delivers a line so convincingly that one wonders if this role was made for her, if she Photo Courtesy of imdb.com was born to play this part.

The line, “I was breaking into the Lillian (Carol Kane), right, confronts a hipster couple Bob and See KIM, page 8

Sue Thompson (Evan Jonigkeit and Zosia Mamet, respectively).

Canadian popstar deserves respect

It’s been nearly a year since we were blessed with the pop album of the decade.

On June 24, 2015, notable Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen released her third album “Emotion,” her first since her hastily-assembled 2012 album “Kiss Me.” That record’s indifferent reception — despite it being a solid collection of songs — might’ve defeated a lesser person. But a hero never gives up. They persevere.

Like Stallone in “Rocky IV,” Jepsen trained on the Canadian tundra for months, weaponizing her songwriting abilities. She collaborated with members of Vampire Weekend and Blood Orange, learning the many styles of pop. After years and years of preparation, she unleashed pure bliss on her naysayers.

“Emotion” articulates all the beautiful feelings and moments of love — from meek flirting, to the endorphin rush of the first kiss to the empowering feeling of telling your ex to take a hike.

Tyler Mortimore NO RHYTHM, ALL BLUES It starts with “Run Away With Me” and its memeified, triumphant saxophone intro.

The song’s tale of long-distance lovers evokes lovely imagery: “‘Cause you make me feel like/ I could be driving you all night/ And I’ll find your lips in the streetlights/ I wanna be there with you,” she sings, and your little Grinch heart grows several sizes bigger.

While Beyoncé might represent the id many of us would like to be (“If you try this shit again, you gon’ lose your wife,” she warns Jay), Jepsen is the ego we’re probably closer to.

One of the judges on Canadian Idol commented that Jepsen is “the most adorable and vulnerable human being ever,” and the latter is all is present all over “Emotion.”

This album is the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling MUSIC, page 8

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Trivia

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FRIDAY,

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Who holds the NFL record for most catches in a season?

A: Marvin Harrison

LOS

Stangs head to regionals

Baseball claims twelfth seed

By RENEE SMITH

rsmith@lmcexperience.com

Finishing their season with a loss to Laney College and a win over Contra Costa College, the Los Medanos baseball team heads into the Regional Round of the Baseball Northern Regional Championship as the twelfth seed.

The Mustangs will face fifth seed Mission College of Santa Clara in the first round of playoffs.

In the Bay Valley Conference, LMC fell short of taking first place after losing 4-2 to Laney at home on April 28. The Mustangs beat CCC 5-2 on the Comets’ field the following, giving them an 18-6 record for the 2016 season.

Mission currently holds first place in the Coast-Golden Gate division with a 15-5 record, equaling the Stangs’ .750 win percentage.

However — comparing individual leaders from both divisions — the Stangs have an upper hand in five out of eight categories when it comes to hitting and pitching.

Los Medanos outfielder Jonathan Allen leads the BVC with his .414 batting average, which is higher than Mission outfielder/infielder Matt Hearn’s .381 average. However, Mission’s 44 runs batted in trump LMC, who doesn’t make the leaderboard. Mission’s first

baseman Blake Billinger beats out the Mustangs’ catcher Ethan Utler homeruns 6 to 5 and Allen falls one stolen base short of Hearn’s 24.

Pitcher Mike Alexander of LMC leads the conference with his 1.75 earned run average and Jack Higgins holds a 2.50 ERA, both topping Mission’s top pitcher’s 2.59 ERA. Alexander is also the BVC’s leader in strikeouts with 74, followed by pitcher Jake Brandt who has 63, which tops both Mission pitchers Zayne Patino (60) and Garret Ciuk (56).

LMC also leads Mission in saves from pitcher Gabe Taylor, who has notched five this season.

As a whole, Los Medanos

Above, Los Medanos College outfielder Jonathan Allen dives safely back into first base against Laney College on April 28 at home.

Left, Los Medanos College pitcher Jack Higgins in mid pitching stride in the loss against Laney College.

has scored 225 runs while earning a .295 team batting average with a .366 on-base percentage while hitting 11 home runs in the course of their regular season.

Mission falls short of LMC when it comes to runs with only 242, but have higher numbers across the board, with their .297 batting average, .382 on-base percentage and 15 home runs during their regular season.

These teams will face off on May 6 and 7 at Mission’s field to see who will move on to the next round to face either San Joaquin Delta College or Butte College.

For more information on Mustangs’ baseball stats, visit cccaasports.org.

Photos by Cathie Lawrence • Experience

DON’T SCRATCH THE SURFACE.

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Abbee Cruz-Lawrence, Shayna Lee and Jazmyne Brown at the banquet.

Athletes honored

Softball end of the year banquet

Players awarded for academics

By CATHIE LAWRENCE

By JARED AMBUEHL

clawrence@lmcexperience.com

The Los Medanos College softball team officially wrapped up its season at the annual 2016 Softball Banquet Tuesday night honoring players for accomplishments both on and off the field.

Athletic Director Richard Villegas opened remarks with praise for Coach Tim Rognlien. “I hired him last year when our softball team was in a crisis. It was one of the best hires I have made,” said Villegas, who gave Rognlien credit for turning the softball program around this year with a 14 and 10 conference record and 15 and 7 overall.

Rognlien himself gave a lot of credit to the team for being so versatile and ready to accept any challenge put before them. “ It’s not easy forming a team.

It’s kind of like a puzzle that we have to put together,” said Rognlien, adding that players were in positions they never played before and did the job.

Villegas also praised the commitment of the team members.

“You are doing the job not only on the field, but in the classroom,” he said addressing the players and the audience. “They are practicing every day and may have part-time See SOFT, page 8

BREAK THE GROUND.

jambuehl@lmcexperience.com

Two Los Medanos College athletes were awarded for their “It is nice outstanding achievements in the classroom. Softball players Brittni to be Brown and Renee Smith earned recognized places on the 2016 Academic Allfor all the State Team, it was announced April 23rd. time and Both of the softball players effort I put are leaders on the diamond, and in for my now they have shown they are good all-around students as well. grades.”

— Renee Smith Brown, the sophomore catcher who won 2nd Team All-Bay Valley Conference in 2015 for having a stellar freshman campaign behind the plate, recorded a 3.82 grade point average over the course of the last two semesters at LMC. Besides balancing softball and school, the sophomore standout also works, which only makes it tougher for her to keep up the good grades.

“I was proud to be on the list,” Brown said. “It isn’t easy maintaining school, work and softball, so it “It isn’t easy was rewarding to be recognized for all the hard work I’ve put in maintaining two years.” school, work theInlast the team’s 24 games played and softball.” in the 2016 season, Brown hit an — Brittni Brown excellent .388, with a .443 on-base percentage and 10 extra base hits See AWARD, page 8

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2016 STAY ON TRACK.

GRADUATE AND START YOUR CAREER ON TIME. • Small classes, personal attention • $2,000 Los Medanos College transfer award • $14,000 Honors at Entrance Scholarships RSVP for the May 26 transfer information session at smcadmit.com

Saint Mary’s College of California smcadmit@stmarys-ca.edu

(800) 800-4SMC

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and the District. Staff members were to either accept the job classification given to them and send in a classification placement acknowledgement or complete a classification placement appeal if they feel their position has been classified incorrectly.

However, some staff members were put-off when salary ranges were not mentioned with their reclassified job descriptions and that they would not be settled until after all job classification placements have been turned in and finalized.

“They want us to sign and agree to paperwork without seeing salar y,” said LMC instructional assistant Eric Sanchez, “Some of us have been a little wary about signing it.”

Staff members are required to accept job classifications without first seeing what that job classification salary will be. For those who are having their job classification title altered, it may become an even bigger issue.

“Lets just say — and they don’t have this for my position — but let’s just say that they had a senior instructional position and that was my current role. They might have [removed that position and] demoted me to a lower instructional position. The position you were hired for may no longer be available,” said Sanchez, “So that’s some of the difficulty with the study because it affects certain people in different ways.”

Those who may have their job classifications altered to a position lower than their original position will not be guaranteed a salary matching their current one.

The district hopes to see the implementation of all new job descriptions and salaries by the beginning of July 2016.

She then went on to say that having a center on campus is important because it supports “a very special group of students.”

Kratochvil then introduced CEO and Board Chairman of the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Fund Mike Conklin.

“We appreciate his willingness to help with our college,” said Kratochvil of Conklin.

Conklin thanked ever yone for their suppor t and attendance and said he was especially proud of the steps LMC has taken to open the center considering the fact that “we don’t take a dime from the federal government.”

“Veterans never stop serving,” said Conklin, and as such, they deserve a space where they could thrive.

Veterans Club representative Brenda Cato, spoke next and thanked everyone involved who helped get the center opened.

“We now have a place we can go get help,” said Cato.

“We can relive the camaraderie we had while under the flag.”

She noted there are hardships for vets because they have a hard time transitioning back into everyday life.

“Transition and change bring forth a new mindset which isn’t always easy for veterans,” she said, adding that having services for veterans on campus makes the transition easier.

“This resource center gives us hope for the future,” said Cato. “Thanks for keeping your promises and thank you for giving us a home.”

After the speeches, representatives from the offices of U.S. congressmen Jerry McNerney and Mark DeSaulnier and state representatives Jim Frazier and Susan Bonilla presented certificates to LMC for opening the resource center.

Kratochvil, after accepting the certificates on behalf of the school, thanked each person and campus organization that was involved in the development of the center.

A certificate of Congressional Recognition was given to Veteran and LMC student Tito Ramos for his “commitment to aiding all of veterans of our region.”

After the ribbon was cut, Kratochvil officially opened the center for touring.

and he dismisses it in favor of the work itself. “They love to talk / me I’m just done in the hype,” he raps.

Aside from the message, I appreciate any Drake track that makes me want to turn up the volume.

“Views” has a few contenders for a summer smash hit worthy of being a sequel to “Hotline Bling” (which serves as a bonus track at the album’s very end).

One of these is “One Dance,” a catchy, danceable jam that ventures into dancehall, a new territory for Drake. Another is “Weston Road Flows” – this bouncy, lighthearted flow over a sunny Mary J. Blige sample is a refreshing antithesis to Sad Drake.

“Pop Style,” is in a league above the other songs. The song was released ahead of “Views,” originally featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West under the moniker The Throne.

In a brave move, Drake removed The Throne from the album version, but it’s undeniable that Drake took a page from the book of Kanye.

His flow is dark, menacing, confident and self-aware — very Kanye in the best ways.

This song instills a hope that West continues to push Drake further in this direction in the future.

One thing I love most about this album is the collaborations.

Some less familiar names like Wizkid, Kyla and dvsn found themselves on “Views,” as well as dependable Drake collaborators PARTYNEXTDOOR and Rihanna.

On “W ith You,” PARTYNEXTDOOR’s vocals pair swimmingly with Drake’s by supplying key changes and vocal tricks Drake can’t necessarily achieve. “Too Good” with Rihanna isn’t their best work together, but it’s energy is lively and fun.

I just take comfort in that “Views” seems to have solidified these two particular collaborations as not just likely, but a tradition.

Perhaps my favorite song from the album is “Controlla.”

The song represents one of the album’s most enticing beats, Drake’s smoothest vocal tone and delivery, and an interesting blend of R&B, trap and tropical vibes. The song makes you want to dance without sounding like it wants to make you dance — which, in my opinion, constitutes the best dance song.

A close second favorite is the slow burn “Fire & Desire.” Personally, Love Song Drake is my favorite of his many archetypes, and at first listen, this became my favorite Drake love croon to date. While professing his love for a woman isn’t something new to a Drake listener, his voice has never sounded so simultaneously soothing and reverberant.

While he is certainly no Al Green, on this song — and in “Views” in general — Drake has found his vocal sweet spot. In my opinion, this track finished the album off strong and should have been the final track.

Unfortunately, the “Views” title track ended the album on a lackluster note. The beat and its sample sound alright, and the rap is alright. The song reflects on his rise to fame out of his hometown of Toronto, Canada, but the narrative is something we have heard countless times.

I hate to discredit the fact that Drake acknowledges his roots. After all, that seems to be the most prominent theme of the album – many of the songs are interlaced with sounds of fuzzy radio obscured by blizzard-y winds reflective of Canada’s cold winters.

It’s great that Drake pays tribute to where he came from, but at this point in his career, it seems he’s put too much energy into acknowledging his past instead of putting that energy into his own growth as an artist.

Overall, “Views” is honestly a great album – but I wish he would color outside the lines.

The production, lyrics and vocal delivery on “Views” have all been chiseled into a kind of near-perfection that is almost too perfect.

As a rapper, Drake lets his guard down by singing and expressing his feelings. But nowhere on “Views” do we hear Drake completely let go to an extent that truly renders him vulnerable.

This is something I’m still waiting for from Drake, and in the meantime, I’m happy to have another Drake album.

From page 1

From page 1

Photo courtesy of Marie Arcidiacono • Experience

Richard Stanfield, left, and Genaro Mauricio prep for their debate during the Penguin Invitational.

TEAM

BWOOD

third overall.

The team also saw solid per formances from Kyle Marshall and Amata Abatcha, as well as Colin Brown, who judged and was promoted to “chair.”

The LMC Debate Team’s performance at the event was rewarding for Coach Marie Arcidiacono, who watched as her team rise to the occasion.

“To say that I am proud of the debate team would be an understatement. I couldn’t think of a better way to cap off our season as well as the final tournament for Taylor and Grace in their LMC debate careers,” Arcidiacono said, “It was amazing to hear and watch them debate at such a high level it was truly a team effort this past weekend and I was impressed with everyone’s contributions and debating skills.”

Life and learning communities.

According to Horan, they have space allocated out for four separate learning communities, about another 2,000 square feet for Student Life and a large shared conference room for LMC Associated Student Body officers to work and hold meetings in.

Horan told attendees the P.E. building would have one huge workout area that ties into the new curriculum the department will be adding.

This will create a drop-in environment for students who are taking P.E. classes.

The building will also include an athlete-specific weight room that will have Olympic style equipment needed for athletes. This includes two cardio studios — one with a rubber spring-loaded floor and the other will have wood spring-loaded floor — for dance and cardio activities.

The P.E. building and Student Center construction will be happening at the same time, and the administration expects to break ground on the Student Center by Fall 2017.

There should be an 18 to 24 month construction period for both projects.

As for the Brentwood Center, Horan said they are only in the programing phase for Brentwood and have designs for different structure options — whether a two-story building would work out or two separate buildings instead.

Horan added that LMC is also working with the state to allow them to get the project approved over two phases. One phase is getting all of the site work and building pads done first before finishing the rest of the construction in the second phase. If the state allows it, it could save an estimated three to six months. Construction on the Brentwood Center is scheduled to be completed

by Fall of 2019.

From page 1

STUDY SOFT From page 4

being, “college should focus on the positive aspects of human knowledge rather than the negative.”

Academic Senate Vice President Janith Norman echoed the ethical concern.

“If we are going to be educators, do we become educators in terrorism as well?” she asked.

Another voice of concern about the ethics and feasibility of courses in terrorist studies was featured in the press release presented to the senate by Nasser Weddady, an activist who helped train Arab Spring activists and now studies radicalization and its use of social media.

“There’s a lot more pop culture being produced than serious academic works that are actually enlightening our knowledge of the problem,” he said. “Experts shouldn’t come from the Ivory Tower, but from the communities where terrorist groups are sprouting around the globe.”

In the post 9/11 world, jobs ranging from corporate security to analysts in federal and national governments around the world are readily available to those with a master’s degree in terrorism studies. Academic ethics aside, as the growth of terrorist groups like ISIS and Boko Haram continue to make headlines and establish a permanence in the geopolitical landscape, Terrorism Studies may prove to be a practical field of study for some college students looking for the next untapped, well-paying job market.

For now, members of the senate appeared content to acknowledge the existence of Terrorism Studies as a legitimate college program but did not commit one way or another to beginning such a program at LMC. In a related field however, political science professor Dave Zimny said he has already submitted an outline for LMC to begin offering an associate’s degree in political science he hopes will be up and running by the fall 2017 semester.

Academic Senate President Silvester Henderson said that the senate would likely revisit the possible integration of Terrorism Studies at LMC in the future, but under another concentration of study. LMC students have the opportunity to request time to make a presentation if they feel strongly for or against Terrorism Studies on campus. Silvester Henderson can be contacted at lgiambattista@losmedanos. edu for any further information.

From page 7

From page 4

jobs at night. So I know there is a lot on their plate. So I want to acknowledge your hard work and your commitment and your sacrifices that you make for the program.”

The night’s honors started out with all state academic awards for the highest grade point average. To win this award, players had to have played for two seasons and maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA. Jenna Leavitt, Crystal Hicks and Lyrica Langlois from last year’s team were honored belatedly. Receiving all state academic awards this year were Renee Smith, who has a 3.67 GPA, and Brittni Brown with a 3.88 GPA. The Bay Valley Award is voted on by the coaches in the league, and First Team honors are difficult to win yet the LMC softball team had two unanimous recipients: Jayla Allen and Brown. Allen took first team honors with 6 homeruns, a 439 batting average and 131 outs. Brown took first team catcher, with From page 6 a batting average of 524 and 30 RBIs. She only struck out when working up the cour6 times while at bat 73 times. age to text a crush. It is the Both Allen and Brown were involuntary and instantaneous nominated for the Northern smile on your face when they California team and also for reply with a playful winking emoji. It will make you wish the state of California.

Four Second Team Bay for a summer sweetheart and Valley Conference awards then — if you snag one — act as the soundtrack for your were given: Jazmyne Brown won second cheesy-as-hell fling.

But besides having an team third baseman. Brown batted 352, had two homeruns, album full of retro bangers, 16 RBI’s and played both third Carly Rae has something the other preeminent pop base and right field.

Desiree Chavar ria won Canadians lack — decency. second team utility player. Like the heroes of “The Lord Chavarria batted 357 and of the Rings,” British Columbia played right field, center field, native Jepsen reigns in the Canadian West with a just hand, and shortstop.

Shayna Lee won second while the Eastern Canadians team left fielder. She batted pollute the culture with their 371 and scored 26 runs. She various evils.

Drake portrays himself as also played first and second base, stole 12 bases and was vulnerable, but his vulnerability comes with a clingy the leadoff batter.

Abbee Cruz-Lawrence won misogyny (“Soon as you see the text, reply me,” he sings for placing second in wins.

The honorable mention went in his newest single) not present in Jepsen’s hopeless to shortstop Smith.

“Los Medanos College Team romantic anthems. Lyrically, Awards,” decided by the team The Weeknd is essentially coaches, went to Julie Lopez as a more-misogynistic Drake the most Inspirational Athlete, with the added variable of a Lee as the Defensive Player of coke habit, and — though his the Year, Allen as the Offensive last couple singles have been Player of the Year, and Brittni great — The Biebs is still more dumpster than human.

Brown as Student Athlete.

Most still see Jepsen as Assistant Coach Joe Pennino gave out the last award for the a one-hit wonder after the evening, the prestigious Mario summer 2012 ubiquity of Anthony Romo Top Teammate “Call Me Maybe,” a classic for sure, but not the only time Award to Chavarria.

This evening of camaraderie creative lightning has struck and recognition ended with a this diminutive Canuck. Don’t rousing “Go Warriors,” from let them keep the wool over your eyes.

Rognlien.

MUSIC

KIM

From page 6 Fed naked with ‘OPEC’ written on me in pig’s blood before you were even a twinkle in the eye of the dog that mounted your mom,” comes as a surprise to viewers due to the ferocity and conviction it is delivered with.

While it generally contradicts the overall jovial tone of the series, the line works beautifully to help viewers understand that a show can be incredibly hilarious but cover serious topics as well.

Krakowski’s character Jacqueline is developed the most during the season.

Schmidt’s employer picks up after the events of last season and attempts to reinvent herself and again reach society’s peak.

Along the way, the show showcases her flair for superficial depth.

On one hand, she spends millions to puff herself up in front of other socialites, but refuses to pay Schmidt.

On the other hand, she undergoes a moving period of identity realization which, when juxtaposed against the aforementioned superficiality, bring a layer of depth rarely seen in any cable comedy.

Show creator Fey returns to the series in a different role.

She previously played Schmidt’s inept lawyer the first season. This time, she has a generous arc as a psychologist that Schmidt befriends.

Fey does better in this longer, more developed role than as the woeful lawyer.

Trading the guest star parade for the more focused, fleshed-out group of core characters creates a more family-like feel to the series.

Suddenly, you care more for these characters. You enjoy watching Krakowski boss Schmidt around. You relish the screen time Burgess gets.

Moreover, you simply can’t stop watching.

But then again, why would you want to?

When television is this good, watching seems more like the best kind of civic duty than simply a pastime.

From page 6

From page 7

— nine doubles and a homer.

Smith contributed to the team’s 14-10 conference record from the infield. She recorded a .310 on-base percentage while playing lockdown defense. She showed the same grit in the classroom, recording a 3.62 grade point average.

“It is nice to be recognized for all the time and effort I put in for my grades” Smith said.

“I’ve been working really hard since I got out of high school and came into college so I am not surprised I got the award.”

Smith was ecstatic for her teammate, stating, “I’m really happy for Brittni too, she’s a good friend of mine and the best catcher I’ve ever seen.

I’m glad I’ve gotten to be around her for two years now because surrounding myself with successful people just motivates me to keep going.”

As for the 2015 Scholar Athlete Team, Los Medanos College was happy to see they had one female athlete on the list. Aubree Dejesus, a volleyball player here at LMC, recorded over a 3.5 grade point average to get on the list as the only female at Los Medanos to be on the list.

“This is a true testament to the coaches on our campus emphasizing the importance of education to their student-athletes” Athletic Director Richard Villegas said. “I want to congratulate all participants involved, this is a job well done.”

HONOR From page 4

classes that was not yet available in her department 10 years ago. She said she was able to use her skills from her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning Online through teaching at the college.

Since the beginning of her teaching stint at FSCJ, Huffman has been able to bring these ideas and training methods to LMC. In 2015, she was chosen as a Lead Reviewer for the Online Education Initiative out of the state Chancellor’s office.

“The work I was able to do in Florida and here at LMC gave me the necessary tools to move for ward with the OEI and work with online instructors statewide,” said Huffman. “A well-designed online course is a must for a successful student online experience.”

Huffman has been working with Wiley College in New Jersey to incorporate live learning into her new fully-online Spanish courses that will begin this summer.

“I’m looking forward to this creative collaboration,” Huffman said. “I assisted in the design of this new integrated program from Wiley, which will be a major component of my fully online course.”

She added she would use her experience with LMC, FSCJ, OEI and Wiley to help build a comprehensive course for her students of Spanish at LMC.

RAKE From page 5

to pursue my chemistry major.

Plants are awesome.”

Clubs, including AGS, typically help out Black and Rovere since there is always plenty to do in the preserve.

Black said anyone is welcome to volunteer LMC’s Nature Preser ve, which is located just off the pathway that leads from Parking Lot B to the College Complex.

“We are always looking for people to volunteer, as well as anyone that is a nature lover and is interested in learning more about California natives, or plants in general. We also have plant sales and have any plant from the garden available for anyone that requests them,” he said. “We would love to help people expand their garden and plant knowledge, and we just want people to know what’s available for them via the Nature Preserve!

If you would like to lend a hand at the nature preserve, you can do so by contacting Rovere at mickeyrovere@ gmail.com or Black at black. ricardo626@gmail.com.