Vol. 83 No. 3 09-11-15

Campus needs clean-up

NASA comes to LMC

LMC football flounders

An abandoned sandwich shows a need for a cleaner campus. See editorial — page 2

Speaker demonstrates success after attending a community college — page 4

Merced College Blue Devils best Mustangs at home.

See story inside — page 5

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F.Y.I. Important Dates September is National Bourbon Heritage Month Sept. 15

Last day to submit early spring 2016 graduation application to receive early registration appointment for spring 2016.

Sept. 25

Native American Day — college closed.

Staff art now on display

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Parking set to improve Changes considered

By BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ

bhernandez@lmcexperience.com

With all the difficulties students and faculty face during the first few weeks of a new semester, the Los Medanos College Brentwood Center is looking to make it a little bit easier by improving its parking situation.

“It’s a real issue and it’s one that we’re trying to give some real attention to,” said LMC President Bob Kratochvil at a recent College Assembly meeting.

The demand for more parking has been linked to the growing enrollment and occupancy rate of nearby business parks. “The highest demand occurs during the first 3 weeks of the semester,” said LMC Vice President Kevin Horan. “Students tend to be at the center more frequently during this

peak period.”

Although some problems regarding parking availability have decreased, LMC is encouraging students, staff and faculty to use the public parking on the nearby streets of Business Center Drive and Technology Way to combat the issue.

“Another effort has been to tell them about public transit — the buses and how frequently they are coming,” added Kratochvil.

In a recent email sent out by Director of Marketing Barbara Cella, students were encouraged to take public transportation or participate in carpools to get to classes at the Brentwood Center in order to deal with the limited parking spaces. In addition to public parking, Tri Delta Transit has a bus stop located

Graphic by Irvin Trigueros

on Brentwood Blvd. just a few steps away from the campus.

“The long-term plan is to move to our new campus location, which will have more than ample parking to meet our needs,” said Horan. “The short-term plan involves diminished growth at the current center and re-evaluating the times that courses are offered.”

As far as classes go, LMC is not planning to decrease the number of classes offered at both the Brentwood and Pittsburg campuses.

“We do need to evaluate the option of spreading them out in an effort to decrease demand during peak periods,” said Horan. “For example, we have

’Stangs give it up

LGBT looks to get degree

The third annual Los Medanos College Faculty & Staff Art Exhibition is now on display inside the Art Gallery located in the Library. Featuring creative works of art of various styles, the exhibit showcases the many talents of staff members and faculty from both the Pittsburg and Brentwood campuses. The gallery exhibit is open Tuesday to Thursday from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and will continue to run until its closing day Thursday, Sept. 24.

LMC to be district first

By BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ

bhernandez@lmcexperience.com

Get your TAG with a UC now Learn how to complete a Transfer Admission Guarantee to a University of California during two upcoming transfer workshops on Monday, Sept.

14 and Tuesday, Sept.

15. Students interested in securing their admission while applying to UCs such as UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and more, are encouraged to attend.

For more information, visit the Transfer & Career Services Desk in the Student Services Center, or call 473-7444.

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Nurse Dan Vogelpohl of Blood Centers of the Pacific inserts a needle into Los Medanos College student Christina Samuel’s arm during the recent blood drive, which was put on in collaboration with Student Life inside Library Room L-109 Thursday, Sept. 10. In addition to the prospect of helping save lives, blood donors were also entered into a drawing to win a Toyota Prius courtesy of Stevens Creek Toyota. For full story, see page 3.

Fall graduation deadline nears Students who are interested in applying for fall graduation must have their applications submitted to the Admissions Office by Oct 1. Notification of eligibilty will be sent to students through their InSite emails by Nov. 15.

Applications are available in the Admissions & Records Office, the Brentwood Center, and online at losmedanos.edu.

See PARK, page 6

Social media used to connect

By ALEXANDRA RIVA ariva@lmcexperience.com

Social media, to most people, is a way to stay in contact with family and friends. But recently, professors at Los Medanos College have been using the Internet to connect with their students in game changing ways.

“There are no district wide policies regarding the use of social media, but by using dif ferent forms of communication tools it provides significant avenues of student engagement,” said LMC President Bob Kratochvil. “Maintaining

good communication with students, providing them with information about assignments and changes in materials, and keeping the student informed about progress are all important elements to student success.”

While LMC has provided methods of communication for both professors and students, such as email addresses and websites like Desire2Learn, these forms of communication between the two parties felt very formal and were often underutilized. Students stopped asking questions,

Screenshot of LMC Twitter feed

which led to confusion in the classroom and assignments. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have helped strengthen conversations among professors and students.

“I use Twitter, Facebook and Instagram,” said professor Scott Warfe, who uses social media to inform his students of upcoming assign-

ments, quizzes and tests. “ I don’t get a lot of messages on Twitter, though. Most students send me messages through Facebook.”

Students do not need an account on Twitter or Facebook in order to access the content a professor posts, which adds to the allure of using social media in a productive manner.

See MEDIA, page 6

Los Medanos College is currently in the early stages of becoming the first community college in the Contra Costa County Community College District to offer an associate of arts degree and/or certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies.

The need for a degree in LGBT became abundantly clear to English professor Jeffery Matthews when he noticed an increased desire to learn about the subject from the college community.

“Over the years interest in LGBT issues have risen and of course with the high profile battles over same-sex marriage that we’ve recently gone through as a country I think that society in general, and certainly the LMC community, is just more aware of gay issues than they ever have been in any other point of history,” said Matthews.

Despite the program being in its beginning phase, Matthews expressed hope that the degree will be considered.

“I’ve been here long enough to see other programs form, so I know what the process is,” said Matthews. “I’m actually feeling very optimistic at the moment because we’ve already got two of the core courses created.”

New programs are required to have major requirements of at least 18 units.

LGBT Studies, which is currently being taught, and LGBT Literature, which will be taught for the first time in the spring, are two of the courses already created and being implemented, making up two out of the four core courses required for the program.

Matthews will be working with faculty from other departments to create the remaining two courses needed — History of Human Sexuality and LGBT Film and Drama — which they See LGBT, page 6

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Perspectives

FRIDAY,

SEPT.

11,

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“Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything.”

— Terrence Malick

Damian Lewin

Kimberly Stelly

MEAT-N-POTATOES

SOCIALLY UNWELL

Reminiscing on youth’s charms

Be a little more understanding

I miss orange flavored Bubblicious.

Even though I had barely reached the age of five, I can still recall the first time I ever tried that sweet citrus flavored bubblegum, and the events of that entire morning still remain in my memory in vivid detail as if it were only yesterday.

I remember sitting in the living room inside the house of a family friend, watching my Saturday morning cartoons as I ate my breakfast, when the images of cowboys appeared on the screen.

Just another wacky advertisement aiming kids at some sort of sugary treat, a common sight during the early weekend hours of television.

But what was it this time? Orange flavored bubblegum? Not my usual, but it sounded like something I had to try.

I remember walking to the local convenient store just down the street, the scent of pine trees filling the air as my tiny feet trotted through the dirt and foliage.

Despite having the appearance of a rustic trading post, the small establishment still provided the current flavors of modern culture, including the bubblegum that I had set out to experience.

I remember standing beside a large tree, the sound of acorns crunching below my feet as I unwrapped that tiny wrapper that held the morsel I was about to enjoy, followed by a sweet citrus scent like I had never smelled before.

I remember that flavor, a perfect blend of tart orange and sugary sweetness hitting my tastebuds.

I loved orange flavored Bubblicious.

But the company just doesn’t make it anymore.

The Saturday morning cartoons are also gone, along with their wacky bubblegum peddling cowboys.

Replaced long ago by the images of false realities constructed by Hollywood, consistent terror threats from those who oppose our values and beliefs, and the constant reminder of how desperate we are for water as we pray for the next chance of substantial rainfall.

I’ve walked to the local 7-Eleven in the hopes that the memorable treat inside an orange wrapper may once again appear on the shelves.

But again I leave feeling discouraged, walking home through streets littered with broken glass and hypodermic needles, learning later that day that I had, once again, missed an armed robbery at that same store just moments after my departure.

Standing in my side yard, I look up at the power lines crossing overhead and recall that morning and the events that transpired.

As sirens wail in the distance, I stand there and try to remember that flavor, a taste of something gone so long ago. Something I longed for.

I miss orange flavored Bubblicious.

It’s hard to tell whether the phrase “stop kink-shaming me” is used more by those who are into “unusual” sexual behavior or by those making fun of those people. Whichever the case, it’s considered a serious issue most notably by bloggers apparently. It’s time we make an effort to be open-minded to new things but to also learn to understand there are boundaries to be considered.

People have been tearing each other down for centuries based on their morally offensive bedroom activities so naturally people want to remove stigmas — here’s nothing wrong with a little clarification.

When “50 Shades of Grey” came out, the BDSM community condemned the novel: They didn’t want a sloppily written book full of glorified abuse to define their culture.

Good for them. They furthermore dispelled myths about themselves in an effort to make outsiders understand their lifestyle.

However, some people are immediately defensive and rude in defending themselves.

Certain aspects of human sexuality can be difficult to comprehend as expertly displayed by the Republican Party, so rather then telling someone who is kink-shaming you to kill themselves, it’s best to try and explain your fetishes or keep them to yourself.

Those indulging in these more-than-vanilla acts have to realize it’s called a kink for a reason. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a kink is defined as a “mental or physical peculiarity” and when it comes to sex, that’s putting it mildly. You can’t expect people to be 100 percent on board with things just because it’s a part of who you are. If we’ve learned anything from our being humans, it’s that everyone’s got limits.

At the conservative side of the spectrum, we seem to have an issue with making rash judgments about other people’s habits.

It’s important to remember that different people like different things and so if it’s not affecting you why make a big deal out of it?

So you know a reverend that wears women’s underwear and likes being spanked with baguettes — it’s his life to dictate.

As with most taboo topics, there are specific groups of people who would rather keep sexual discussions to a minimum but it’s 2015 — we’re immersed in a deeply sexual culture and we aren’t looking back to modesty. If the uprising of Miley Cyrus is an indication of anything, it’s that nudity and the sexualization of everything will be the new norm. If we’re more progressive, we’ll be closer to understanding topics that still makes a lot of us uncomfortable.

It’s true some people want to keep their activities to themselves which is fine but if you’re going to talk about it, the environment will have to be ready do have a mature discussion without resorting to epithets and throwing bibles at the sexually adventurous.

Without those brave souls fighting the good fight against intolerable kink-shamers, where else would we get our information? Surveys are unreliable. According to a 2007 study done by Dr. Scorolli “Data from the studies examining rare fetishes are typically from psychiatric patients, sex offenders” and those who have been recommended for therapy.

This might lead people to believe the only kinky people are those with psychological issues but this isn’t so.

This particular form of “shaming” isn’t focused on as much as other forms but it still illustrates social compromise is needed. We could all benefit if the uptight and the deviant met each other half way. Some need to be bit more understanding toward those who don’t understand fetishism. Other people need to remove the stick from their you-know-whats — unless they’re into that sort of thing. Only then can we move on to something more important like the freeing the nipple or doing away with the illuminati.

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.

Experience • Garrett Belme

Editorial

A cleaner place to learn

T

he annual Marsh Creek and Delta Creek Cleanup is Saturday, Sept. 19 and volunteers from local communities will help clean up up our environment by picking up trash and other pollutants in Marsh Creek waterways. Knowing that so many people care about the environment, that surrounds us every day yet goes widely ignored, is inspiring to most; especially to the LMC community.

The Marsh Creek and Delta cleanup can serve as an inspiration to the college and its surrounding neighborhoods. The way we see our learning environment is integral to the way we internalize our educational experience. A messy environment can easily influence peoples’ feelings about the quality they’re getting when it comes to their learning experience .

A lot of thought goes into making the college an appealing place for its students, faculty and staff. To take a nonchalant, cavalier attitude about the way it’s presented and treated on an everyday basis is not only disrespectful to custodians and sanitation servicers who work every day to keep the campus clean, but also to ourselves.

Clean up after yourselves. It’s that simple. But why not go that extra mile and pick up trash you see on the campus, around the lake and even on the trails that surround LMC. Feng shui is a serious practice that a lot of architects and interior designers use, its also an idea that rings true to one’s everyday environment. The idea is that the environment you live in can have real, lasting and, in some cases, negative effects on your attitude and selfharmonization process.The same way a messy room can keep someone in a bad or lazy mood, a messy campus can have a negative impact on ones drive, attitude and mood.

Last year the Marsh Creek and Delta Creek Cleanup saw 300 volunteers clear 6 tons of trash on over 20 miles of waterways. That’s impressive to say the least, and although the threat of dirty water affecting our health is an apt motivator, a dirty environment effecting our future educational and work endeavors should be just as scary.

When the solution is so simple and yields such rewarding results, why not make it a point to clean up the campus? That’s right, there is absolutely no reason why that’s not something that should be prioritized as recipients of the colleges’ benefits.

With this motivation, we are of the belief that a cleanup day on campus would yield great results, helping to shape our pride in our school and have an impact on each of our characters.

Pop music today is too repetitive When musicians focus on one genre of music, it’s really hard. Its like multiple copies of the same sound or style. For the past couple of years, I have been unsatisfied with the songs that have come out. On average, I like 10-15 songs a year, due to songs sounding the same as I’m reaching the age of 21, I realize that the music I’m hearing is not as sweet as the music I heard in my early teens.

There is a clear understanding of why I got attached to songs such as “Cupids Chokehold”

by Gym Class Heroes, but not “Sugar” by Maroon 5. According to an article on slate. com, “to understand why we grow attached to certain songs it helps to start with the brains relationship with music in general. Music is a crucial element to everyone’s lives but when every song you hear is similar, you can get frustrated. And 2010 was the year of pop, the decade that start of similar sounding songs, with artists such as Usher and Taylor Swift joining the pop bandwagon.

According to an article on billboard.com, “If you expand the definition of pop to include Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, whose mainstream-leaning country hits were embraced at pop radio…you could argue that nine of the top 10 albums speak to pop’s dominance”.

Yes, Taylor Swift was a country artist when she first started but by 2010 her songs sounded like pop before her latest album which acknowledge her pop transition, “1989” came out.

I can easily state that “We are never ever getting back together” is a pop hit.

Pop is the dominant genre in music, but it is infused with sub-genres such as hip-hop,

Voices

Jazmine Gordon EARTHINKER

and EDM. Pop is where the money is coming from and clearly artists are getting away with making a song about anything, and music videos that don’t make sense.

For example, when I saw David Guetta’s video for “Hey Mama” ft. Nicki Minaj, I was getting “California Love” by Tupac vibes with the video concept, and yet it still didn’t make sense.

The song is about wanting to be a girl’s man.

I don’t really think that people really focus on the lyrics to these songs, which helps with understanding the song better. According to the article on slate.com, “Pay close attention to the lyrics and instrumentation and you’ll activate your parietal cortex, which helps you shift and maintain attention to different stimuli”.

In other words, if you pay attention to both lyrics and sound, you could picture something different in your mind, and then the video the artist eventually gives us. Yes the “Watch me (Whip/Nae Nae)”by Silento is catchy, but the lyrics are repetitive and have no type of meaning. It is important to listen closely to the lyrics of songs but with today’s music, any song could get your attention.

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

Experience

How do you feel about the new smart classrooms?

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Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“The chairs are ... the biggest change in terms of group work. You can work more efficiently.”

— Allesandra Gutierrez

“I think that they’re really cool, they’re really useful, completely different from last semester.”

— Claudia Vasquez

“The actual desks in the smart classrooms are a little too complex.”

— Cody Smith

“It’s a little chaotic inside the classroom because right now there’s no rows ... and the chairs just kind of do what they wish.”

— Ester Guerrero

“The desks keep hitting each other ... there should be a way to keep them organized.”

— Kenneth Palle

“Very efficient, once the professors know how to utilize the technology.”

— Leonardo Bojorquez

“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 Managing Editor...................JOSEPH DELANO Campus Editor....................LISSETTE URBINA Features Editor............BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ Sports Editor.......................BRENDAN CROSS Photo Editor......................CATHIE LAWRENCE New Media Editor....................JAMARI SNIPES Special Projects Editor..........LUKE JOHNSON 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 National Bourbon Heritage Month

FRIDAY,

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“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

— Winston Churchill

Giving for the cause

National Bourbon Heritage Month is an annual observance in the U.S. to celebrate “America’s Native Spirit”.

In 2007, U.S. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky sponsored the bill for proclamation, which passed unanimously.

It was designed to celebrate the heritage and tradition surrounding the whisky’s production.

Congress declared it a distinct product of the U.S. in 1964.

It is often disputed whether the name, which has been used since the 1820s, comes from Bourbon County in Kentucky or Bourbon Street in New Orleans but it is still recognized everywhere. It has become increasingly popular over the years both in the U.S. and internationally.

If you are of legal drinking age, please consume responsibly but if you aren’t, stick to Shirley Temples.

UC and CSU workshops set for fall

Transfer Ser vices are offering fall workshops for students interested in transferring. The first set will be learning to complete a Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) to UC’s like UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and more.

Transfer Counselor David Reyes along with UC representatives will host the workshops in Student Services Building Room 412, Monday Sept. 14 from 12 to 2 p.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m.

More workshops for information on applications will be held in October and November.

Daily cancellations online

Save yourself from making an unnecessary trip to campus for a class that has been canceled.

Professors sometimes cancel classes unexpectedly and often can’t tell their students in person.

The LMC website offers a daily class cancellation page for students to see if their class has been canceled.

For the list of daily cancellations, visit www.losmedanos. edu/classcancel.

The LMC Experience Facebook page also posts class cancellations as well as other campus updates. Visit www. facebook.com/lmcexperience.

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Adjunt professor Pat Martucci donates at the blood drive Thursday, Sept. 10 sponsored by Blood Centers of the Pacific in conjunction with Student Life and Stevens Creek Toyota in San Jose.

Blood drive arrives back on campus

By DAMIAN LEWIN

dlewin@lmcexperience.com

Although the sign posted on the door of Library Room L-109 stated a later start time of 11 a.m., staff from Blood Centers of the Pacific began accepting donors just after 10:30 a.m. as part of their most recent blood drive Thursday, Sept. 10.

As nurses set up equipment for the next available donors, those waiting for their appointments sat in chairs and filled out questionnaires on laptops provided by the center, while others stood and watched, contemplating the possibility of donating themselves.

“I’m deadly afraid of needles,” said student William Forbes, focusing on the negative aspect of his potential involvement. While he is afraid of needles, the benefits of donating still sway his decision on whether to become involved or not.

“My sister has a really rare blood type, and I think I do too,” added Forbes. “I feel like by donating it will be a really good cause.”

In addition to being a “really good cause,” part-time professor Pat Martucci also stated to Forbes that another perk of donating blood is that, “it’s a good reason to have a good meal.”

For those who took time out of their schedule of classes or jobs that could not make the trip for a “good meal” following their donations, snacks and refreshments were provided by the center to help dealing with some of the effects of giving blood, including dizziness and fatigue.

In addition to the thought of potentially helping those in need, donors were also encouraged to sign up for the drive with the announcement of a prize to be awarded following the event, a Toyota Prius donated by Stevens Creek Toyota in San Jose.

Bachelors now at CC level

Photo courtesy of www.csus.edu

CSU Sacramento is in the heart of the state’s political, economic and cultural center. This is just one of the entrances to the university.

Free campus tours available

Unsure of where to transfer? Sign-up for the Transfer Center’s upcoming university campus tours online: n Sacramento State: Sept. 18. Registration is open n UC Santa Cruz-STEM Day: Oct. 23. Registration opens Sept. 23.

The Transfer Center will provide transportation. For additional information, registration, future tours and tour suggestions contact the Transfer Center at 473-7444 or check out its website losmedanos.edu/transfer/default. asp. The Transfer Center is currently located in Student Services, SS4-435.

LMCAS accepting applicants

The Associated Students of Los Medanos College (LMCAS) is currently accepting applications for Senators or Representatives this fall 2015. Those that are interested in student government and leadership are encouraged to apply.

Requirements include maintaing a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Those interested must submit the completed packet by Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. Fall semester applications are now available online at www.losmedanos.edu/Groups/ lmcas/ and click on application.

Sharpen your business skills

LMC is offering a unique, focused Business Career Academy during this semester. The “Fundamental Business Skills” Academy will prepare students for entry-level positions by providing instruction in the Microsoft Office Suite and in business math and English skills, skills valued by employers.

LMC business certificates provide skills needed for immediate employment, while preparing students for advancement to positions that require more in-depth knowledge of organization and business principles.

For more information and an application, see the East Bay Career Academy on the LMC website, or contact Melina Rodriguez at mrodriguez@losmedanos.edu or call 473-7416.

Counselors ready to assist

Looking to make an educational plan, or review your current one? Do you need career advice or a personal counselor? LMC offers general 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.

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 of the main college complex building. Inquiries must be made. in person or no pick-up will be made.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

See BLOOD, page 6

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Yetunde Ogunleye speaks at fall 2014 Public Debate at the California Theatre.

Debate team gets ready for new term

By JAMARI SNIPES

jsnipes@lmcexperience.com

The growing LMC Debate Team has set a record for the largest fall squad in its history and is looking forward to a successful debate season both on campus and off.

The team boasts 15 new members and five returning debaters who will participate in local public debates and Worlds Debate tournaments.

“This semester we have a

huge team, at current count we have 20 members,” said Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Forensics Marie Arcidiacono. “This is the largest fall semester team we have ever had.”

The first debates of the semester will be the Aztec Invitational at San Diego State University Oct. 2-4 and the Claremont McKenna Invitational at Claremont McKenna College Oct. 8-11.

Worlds Debate tournaments consist of students getting topics 15 minutes before their actual debate rounds, so students won’t know their topics until then and need to draw on knowledge they have mastered.

Because of this, student debaters must keep up with current events in the news. The Debate Team course includes quizzes on current events to insure team members are following the news.

“The debate team provides our students with the ability to engage in critical thinking, impromptu thinking and increase their knowledge about See TEAM, page 6

By GARRETT BELME

gbelme@lmcexperience.com

Three more community colleges have been approved to offer bachelor’s Degrees in specific areas of study.

A bachelor’s in automotive technology course is now being offered at Rio Hondo College, with interaction design and biotechnology being offered at Santa Monica and Solano respectively.

According to the official press release on these new programs, “the board’s actions are in response to legislation sponsored by Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego) and allows up to 15 college districts to establish a pilot baccalaureate degree program at one of their colleges in a field of study not offered by the California See CTE, page 6

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Features Marquee Movies just released

n “American Ultra” Rated R Genre: Action, Comedy n “We Are Your Friends” Rated R Genre: Drama, Music, Romance n “The Transporter Refuled” Rated PG-13 Genre: Adventure, Action n “The Perfect Guy” Rated PG-13 Genre: Thriller n “The Visit” Rated PG-13 Genre: Horror

El Campanil events

The El Campanil Theatre is located at 602 W. Second Street in Antioch. For ticket sales and additional information call 757-9500. n The classic children’s story of the “Pied Piper of Hamelin” will be brought to life and performed by El Campanil’s Children’s Theatre with showings Friday Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets prices are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for youth 17 and under. n The International Film Showcase will be showing a screening of slovenian film “Class Enemy” Sunday, Sept 13. at 2 p.m. Tickets prices are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $7 for students. n The Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra comprised of members ages 15 to 94 will be playing a concert entitled “Around The World in Eighty Minutes” Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students. n Hotel California “A Salute to the Eagles” will be performing a tribute show for ’80s band “The Eagles,” Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and free for youth 18 and under with a paid adult. n Musician James Garner will be performing a tribute show for “the Man in Black” Johnny Cash Oct. 24 with 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. showings. Ticket prices are $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and free for youth 18 and under with a paid adult.

Delta Blues Festival

The 17th annual Delta Blues Festival will be held at Waldie Plaza in Downtown Antioch Saturday, Sept. 19.

Artists performing include Matt Schofield, The Blues Women of the Bay Area, Aki Kumar and more. Music begins at 12 p.m. and admission for the event is free. For more information visit deltabluesfestival.net.

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“As with the butterfly, adversity is necessary to build character in people.”

— Joseph B. Wirthlin

NASA rep inspirational

Bywaters conquers adversity

By LAURENAE LEAKS lleaks@lmcexperience.com

It was standing-room only last Friday in the MESA Science Center as members of the college community eagerly waited for astrobiologist Kathr yn Bywaters to share motivational words on her success.

“What does it mean to be successful? To be happy?

Fulfillment?” asked Bywaters rhetorically.

She said the key to happiness is to love what you do.

“You can be making a ton of money, working 60 hours a week doing something that you don’t like that’s not going to make the cut,” said Bywaters.

The space scientist, whom eventually found her way to a career she loves, offered words of encouragement and used her story as an example to show that it doesn’t matter where you start, you can still get where you want to go in life.

As a child, her father was in the business of importing and exporting, which eventually led her family to Russia. And, even though they tried to stay on top of her studies, the mail system wasn’t reliable, making

Experience • Laurenae Leaks

Kathryn Bywaters is having a conversation with a group of students after her presentation in the MESA Science Center. it difficult to complete her education.

Although Bywaters didn’t make it past the sixth-grade, she didn’t allow those roadblocks to interfere with her eagerness to learn.

“I didn’t finish high school or junior high,” said Bywaters.

“But that was one of the reasons why school, to me, when I did finally go, was like a whole new world.”

She filled the science classroom with words of hope, letting them know she had once been in their shoes and understands the struggle of

low-paying jobs. But Bywaters, who worked as a telemarketer after returning to the states in 1997, emphasized how important an education is to success.

“If I was lucky I was broke

by Wednesday and if not, I was broke by Monday,” said Bywaters, who got paid on Fridays and was living paycheck to paycheck. “And that’s when it really hit me. Without an education, without a skill set, that was going to be my life.”

So she signed up for classes at Mira Costa College, a community college in Southern California much like LMC, and

began to form relationships and contacts. The bonds she built with teachers and fellow students sparked her interest in chemistr y and were a ladder to her success as an astrobiologist.

But the key moment in her community college education was meeting Shannon Rupert, a scientist with the Mars Society — a space advocacy group —as she was volunteering in the chemistry lab. That connection was a bridge to her own work with the Mars Society, and led to her doing some volunteer See MESA, page 6

All that jazz...

Shows at the theater

The California Theatre is located in Pittsburg at 351 Railroad Avenue. For ticket sales and additional information call 427-1611. n Known for his socio-political satire, Famecast Comedy Winner SHANG will be performing a comedy show at the California Theatre Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets prices are $18 in advance and $21 at the door. For more information on Shang and his act visit iamshang.com n The Black Diamond Follies, performing in the style of Las Vegas Showgirls, will be strutting their stuff for three shows. Performances begin Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. and will continue through run Sept. 26 and 27 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $15 for students, children and seniors. n The comedic play “Moon Over Buffalo” will have showings at the California Theatre Oct. 9 at 8 p.m., Oct. 10 at 2 and 8 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets prices are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for youth 17 and under. n Award-winning comedian Marc Yaffee, known for his original topics and sarcasm, will be performing a comedy show Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 in advance and $21 at the door. n The classic interactive performance of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be put on Saturday Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. It is a comedic spoof of Hollywood horror movies.

There will be a pre-show beginning at 9:30 p.m. and live shadow casting by The Bawdy Caste. Ticket prices range from $12 to $15,

‘Macbeth’ to Drama Factory

The Drama Factory presents the classic Shakespearean play, “Macbeth,” which will be performed at the Nick Rodriguez Community Theatre at 213 F. Street. Performances will begin Oct. 30 with a 7:30 p.m. showing and will continue to run Oct. 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 6, and Nov. 7 with 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. showings. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors.

The Jazz Band begins rehersals by practicing new songs in the music department Wednesday night. Left: Daniel Jones plays the saxophone Top: (from left) Marcus Bettencourt, Justice Krugman, Ricardo Dlejalde, Daniel Jones and Jedel Chiaro play the saxophone. Above: Tyler Hamner practices the trombone.

Experience • Ashley Castaldi

‘Narcos’ TV show is a better ‘gram

By JOSEPH DELANO

jdelano@lmcexperience.com

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Artwork by Kyoko Campbell entitled “El Campanil Theater.”

Los Medanos Art Gallery

The annual art show, “Roll Call 3” Los Medanos Faculty & Staff Art Exhibition” opened Aug. 25 and will be shown at the LMC Art Gallery until Oct. 25. Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 6 p.m.

For more information call the gallery at 283-2101.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

Netflix has not yet ceased to amaze me. Its programming has risen above that of the regular cable rabble for quite some time now, and it shows no signs of stopping.

Its most recent release, “Narcos,” just goes to show what a powerhouse the network has become.

The biopic series, centered around the lives of Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar (portrayed, brilliantly, by Wagner Moura) and those in pursuit of him, does more than just paint a violent and strangely entrancing picture of the narcotics scene, it also inspires an interest in real facts.

While based on true events, the series, of course, takes some artistic liberties. The cool thing, though, is that I wanted to know more. I couldn’t put

my phone down as I watched the show, as I was constantly researching who people were and what they had done.

An interesting take in the direction of the series was to inject real footage, pictures and commentar y from histor y’s archives to bring the characters even more to life.

The real lack of familiar actors also went beyond to create a world that I believed in. While there may have been one or two actors I recognized, the majority of the cast was played excellently by people I had never heard of, mostly those from the region where the series was filmed, Columbia.

I have seen most of the show, and I can honestly say the only misstep for me in the direction and presentation of the show is the constant narration from

REVIEW

Photo courtesy of imdb.com

Pedro Pascal as U.S. DEA Agent Javier Peña looking at a map of the drug cartel.

Boyd Holbrook, who portrays U.S. DEA Agent Steve Murphy.

While Holbrook plays the part of Murphy with a withdrawn coolness, his retrospective narration is heard as unemotional. It almost seems as though after filming the series, they made him do the narrative track against his will.

A familiar face to me, and other fans of the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” is Pedro Pascal, who plays Murphy’s partner Javier Peña. Pascal

perfectly embodies the type-a drug enforcement agent who doesn’t mind getting dirty and cracking skulls to make sure he gets his job done.

Overall, the series is another well-done piece of stylized realism from a studio that just keeps dominating the cable/ streaming war.

Being stylized, I’m not sure how history buffs will like it, but for the common folk like me it places high on Netflix’s achievements.

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Sports

Quotable

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5

“Football is unconditional love.”

— Tom Brady

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

LMC wide receiver Lymond Glover-Walker is well defended by Merced defensive backs Tazarium Thomas and Demario Guyton as the fourth-quarter pass fell incomplete during the Mustangs’ 44-14 home opener loss to the Blue Devils.

Mustangs trounced by 30 Big plays the momentum killer

By BRENDAN CROSS

bcross@lmcexperience.com

Despite a nice crowd and an early touchdown from the Mustangs, the football home opener quickly derailed as the Merced College Blue Devils caught fire from the second quarter on and defeated Los Medanos College 44 - 14.

An 11-play, 70-yard first-quarter drive engineered by quarterback Julius Mozee, ended in a 6-yard touchdown pass from him to freshman wide receiver Jacob Puente. The two-point conversion failed however, which left the score 6-0 in the Mustangs favor.

The lead did not last long as a 12-minute, 35-second span from the second to third quarter saw the Blue Devils rally with 27 unanswered points of their own, featuring two touchdowns from running back Stephon “Scooby” Cross, one on the ground and one through the air. He finished with a team high 7 receptions for 130 yards. His quarterback, Randy Jones, also filled the stat sheet nicely,

completing 20-28 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mustangs made it interesting late in the third quarter as Mozee floated a ball perfectly down the sideline to sophomore wideout Angelo Moore, who made an over-the-shoulder catch with a defender closely trailing him for a 22-yard score.

A successful two-point conversion pass made the score 27-14 and kept LMC within striking distance.

Big plays from the Merced offense in the fourth frame kept the Mustangs at bay as running back Justin Stefani had a 55-yard run that led to a 27-yard field goal and a 42-yard touchdown run later in the quarter.

The scoring for Merced continued as a 90-yard pass from Jones to kicker and wide receiver Noah Croninger set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Stefani that sealed the game for the Blue Devils.

LMC head coach Chris Shipe said his squad did not build on their promising drives early in the game.

“After we put that first touchdown on the board, we could never get back into control with the momentum,” he said.

Shipe also spoke about what he took from last season’s 19-16 win at Merced for their home opener in application to this game.

“You’re always going to get a lot of turnover at the junior college level. You go into a game blind,” Shipe said. “You can take a look at personnel from what they had last year, but you never know what the incoming freshman have talent wise.”

Merced head coach Bob Casey talked about what he saw from his group throughout the contest.

“We started off pretty slow and made some mental errors on assignments and once we started cleaning those things up we felt pretty good about things,” he said.

The Mustangs next bout is at Monterey Peninsula College Sept. 12 at 6 p.m.

Their next home game is the following week, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. against West Hills College Coalinga.

Nullified 4-game ban bad for NFL

Volleyball struggling early on

By RENEÉ SMITH

rsmith@lmcexperience.com

The Lady Mustangs Volleyball team took a hard hit at the beginning of their preseason. After three tournaments in a row September 2, 3 and 4, the squad walked away with 1 win in 6 games played.

“We start off really strong, but halfway through our games we fall, and we come back. It’s like a cycle that keeps on happening,” said team captain and setter Aubrey Dejesus.

“Sometimes we don’t finish the play like putting a ball over the net or hitting it in. When we’re in that slump, it’s critical to our game.”

The team believes climbing up from being down will be the key factor, besides tuning in during practice, which will lead the team to see more wins.

“Performance wise we are pretty sound, but sometimes we get down and it’s hard to come back from that,” said outside hitter Caitlin Sadler. “If we can find a way to come back up during the games, all the girls know that we will be able to come out on top every time.”

Although the Mustangs did not begin on the right foot, the team

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Merced wideout Nih-jer Jackson comes down with the catch despite tight coverage from LMC defensive back Raymond Garcia.

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Volleyball players Calissa Leming, Kila Stevens and Aubrey Dejesus watch Janessa Seei set a ball at a Sept. 1 practice. took away some positives to build on toward a winning season.

“We are definitely starting to work better as a team. We can get a little inconsistent, but we can figure out how to pull through. We are getting use to each other and clicking, so we are improving as a team,” said Dejesus.

Head coach Lou Panzella also gained some great takeaways from the tournaments that put a slight blow to their early record, including being able to see the girls gel together to play as a single unit.

“I am very pleased with the effort our players put in and feel we are See VBALL, page 6

After a long process that took just about all year, Tom Brady is off the hook for a 4-game suspension to start the 2015-2016 season. This controversy, which has dated back to before Super Bowl XLIX, has been a cloud over the National Football League, making Tom Brady along with the entire Patriots organization and Commissioner Roger Goodell, look bad.

Every NFL fan that is not a diehard Brady or Patriots guy is quick to jump all over this situation and call the Pats a bunch of cheaters, citing Spygate as textual evidence supporting their wild accusations.

The fact of the matter is, Spygate happened, and if you want to call their head coach Bill Belichick a cheater, that is fine by me.

But if we are talking about Brady, I do not think it would be smart to label Brady as a cheater. To be honest, I do not care one bit if Brady destroyed his cellphone. For all we know, Mr. Brady decided to destroy his cellphone because he did not want his personal life to be exposed, and I cannot

Jared Ambuehl REAL TIME WITH JARED

blame him for that.

I will admit, when you destroy your phone after learning you are under investigation by your employer for cheating the rules, you look shady.

A destroyed cellphone, however, is not enough evidence to suspend Brady for the first four games of the season, and this was Judge Richard Berman’s decision in the end. According to espn.com, this is what Patriots owner Robert Kraft had to say about the issue.

“As I have said during this process and throughout his Patriots career, Tom Brady is a classy person of the highest integrity. He represents everything that is great about this game and this league,” Kraft said.

“Yet, with absolutely no evidence of any actions of wrongdoing by Tom in the Wells report, the lawyers at the league still insisted on imposing See BRADY, page 6

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Back Talk

MESA From page 4

LGBT From page 1

work with the organization in Utah.

After earning an Associate of Arts from Mira Costa, Bywaters — who received acceptance letters from the University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Davis; and California State University, San Marcos — chose to continue her education at Cal State San Marcos, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in biochemistry.

Her passion to know more about physical science led her to do graduate and doctoral studies in San Antonio, Texas, and then got a job with the City of Houston’s bio-terrorism unit.

Because she wanted to do more fieldwork, she chose a post-doctoral fellowship and wound up working in the Planetar y Science Branch of National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

As if making it from 6th grade to community college to NASA isn’t impressive enough, 20th Century Fox decided to make “The Martian,” a movie in which she and six other scientists were selected for interviews about their research.

Bywater’s story inspired many of those who came to hear her speak and gave them knowledge of opportunities they may not have been aware of before, such as LMC student Prince Singh.

“I didn’t know that anyone could go and visit the science and research center. Now I can go and become an intern and meet cool people like her,” said Singh.

Her stor y also provided encouragement to individuals who may be struggling like she did and gave to get a better outlook to students like Laya Clark.

“I know what I want to do after college, but I wasn’t quite sure on how I’m going to get there and how it all will work out,” said Clark. “I feel like I got a better gasp on how there’s more than one path on where I need to go.”

are looking to have approved to be taught by next fall.

“Then what we’re doing is working with other departments that already have courses that deal with LGBT issues and we’re working with them to bring out those LGBT issues specifically in their course outlines,” said Matthews. “Those courses would then be the elective courses.”

They are also looking to help students transfer as many universities have began to of fer degrees in LGBT related fields.

“Whether you get the certificate or the degree, it’s the sort of thing that will show your future employer that you’re well versed in this segment of our community,” explained Matthews. “Usually being aware of diversity regarding LGBT issues is usually a sign that you’re aware of diversity in other areas of our society as well.”

According the the LMC website, potential new instructional programs go through a process in two different phases at the college and state level. First presenting to the Academic Senate and then to the Shared Governance Council for evalutation and recommendation for the president.

If the program is approved by the president, it will enter the second phase in which the proposal is developed and goes through the same process as phase one. Once approved, it is submitted to the Contra Costa Community College District Educational Planning Committee for approval then forwarded for to the district’s governing board for approval.

The proposal is then finally sent to the Chancellor’s office for state level to be given the go-ahead.

Some sections dif fer in proposals for Career and Technical Education/occupational programs at LMC, and are turned in for review by the Regional Occupational Consor tium before being submitted to the Chancellor’s office.

From page 3 As it is still in its infancy stage, the soonest the program domestic and international could be implemented is by events,” said Arcidiacono. fall 2017.

Austin Brown, who joined the Debate Team to improve his public speaking and get over nervousness about talking in front of peers, added that he From page 3 wants to be “more up-to-date on current events and what’s “That’s a perk,” said student happening in the world.”

Christina Samuel, thinking of Other students agree that the idea of winning a new car, debate experience contributes something different in her to their overall knowledge and twelve years of being a donor, abilities. a continuing effort she finds “Whenever I go to compe- important to herself and those titions, I feel like I’m growing close to her. as a person,” said Yetunde “I have a friend who had Ogunleye. chronic myeloid leukemia,” Team member Grace Ba- added Samuel, recalling her bayan added that tour na- first time participating in a ment participants gain “skills blood drive, “and that particthat can be put into the real ular one happened to be one world.” where they were going to try Competition requires that find people who matched him debaters bond as a team so, that could possibly donate.

Arcidiacono said, “We also That was the beginning and I have weekly ‘team dinner’ just haven’t stopped donating.” after practice on WednesWith the average human day to encourage our team body’s ability to continuously members to get-to-know each provide red blood cells, some other.” donors take pride in this fact Last year, the debate as they wait for their chance team switched formats from to donate once again.

Parliamentar y Debate to “My body produces it,” said Worlds Debate, which focuses Martucci. “It’s something I can more on content and delivery give away and help somebody than on the technical strategies out.” of argumentation such as speed The next blood drive schedspeaking. uled at LMC will occur on “We are very happy with Tuesday, Nov. 10. Those interthe decision. Worlds debate ested in donating at the next provides an even playing field, event are advised to schedule where a debater’s knowledge an appointment by visiting and ability to research prior to bloodheroes.com or contact the tournament are truly relied Student Life at 473-7554. on,” said Arcidiacono.

In addition to competition, the debate team participates in local public debates, which have been held at From page 5 Pittsburg City Hall in the past.

There are also intramural improving each time we play,” debates on campus at the end said Panzella. “We dug the ball of each semester, in which any really well, played really good LMC student can participate to scrambling defense and after see if debate is for them. Both Wednesday, served very well.” of these upcoming events are Panzella was also able to get still in the planning stages. a first look at what needs work.

If you are interested in “We need to improve on learning more about the Debate our blocking and cut down on Team, email Arcidiacono at unforced errors. We need to marcidiacono@losmedanos. do better at keeping the ball edu or stop by a team meeting in play on the court and make Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. the other team earn all of their in CC1-115. points,” said Panzella.

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State University or University of California. The college districts selected for the pilot program were chosen from several applications. A team comprised of Chancellor’s Office staff, a member of the business and workforce community, and community college administrators, faculty and staff from districts that did not apply to host a program reviewed the applications.”

Is there a benefit of going to one of these community colleges and taking one of these courses?

Councilor Nicole Westbrook believes there is incentive for these programs.

“I think there are some benefits in terms of some community colleges offering a bachelor’s degree, there’s a benefit there because a lot of times students couldn’t normally transfer to a four-year school and earn that degree any way like in auto tech or welding or some of the other CTE programs.” said Westbrook.

While there are benefits to having community colleges off bachelor’s courses, it is not without flaw.

Biology professor Jancy Rickman pointed out a problem that Solano might face now that they’re offering bachelor’s degrees in biotechnology.

“I do know that biotech programs are very expensive to run and maintain and do not necessarily serve the number of students proportional to the cost. Contra Costa College (our sister school in San Pablo) has a biotech program and my understanding is they struggle with this discrepancy,” said Rickman.

Is possible that Los Medanos is selected to offer bachelor’s programs?

“I have had some discussion with faculty, especially CTE faculty, and they have a strong interest in trying to develop that program here as well. I think it’s just a matter of seeing how this pilot goes and if there’s benefit there that could be something we potentially offer in the future,” said Westbrook.

Community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees provides students an opportunity to get a higher education without having to attend a 4-year university.

and defending unwarranted and unprecedented discipline.

Judge Richard Berman understood this and we are greatly appreciative of his thoughtful decision that was delivered today. Now, we can return our focus to the game on the field.”

As for the legacies of all the men involved, Brady should not be looked at differently now that his suspension has been revoked. After all, people have seemed to forget what actually happened in the AFC Championship Game. Just to spark your memory, the final score of the game, in which the Colts did not take the next step in the state of their franchise, was 45-7.

I am neither a Tom Brady lover or hater, but when a football team blows out another in a playoff game by a score-differential of 5 touchdowns and a field-goal, I do not care what

From page 3

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From page 5

footballs are being used, the winning team deserves to win.

For Roger Goodell, I hate to be another one of these guys that bashes the commissioner, but Goodell has done an awful job the last few years. Just add this petty scandal to a list of issues that has been growing ever since Spygate. Goodell has failed time and time again to squash these issues with an iron fist.

For as big and strong as Goodell looks and acts, his protocol for dealing with suspensions and punishment is weak. Matt Gagne of si.com said it best.

“Your ego has been as hardcharging and indestructible as an armored tank, but when Spor ts Illustrated put you on the cover of its Game of Thrones-inspired Power issue in 2013, no one thought you had it in you to turn so medieval,”

said Gagne.

“Your decision to appeal Judge Richard Berman’s ruling that vacated Tom Brady’s suspension is another PR disaster in the making, and you’re about to squander what little public trust you have left after going 0-for-your-last-5: Bountygate, Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy and the Golden Boy,” he added.

Also, I’m all for owners standing up for their coaches and players, but Robert Kraft has got to step up his attitude with the media. He just comes off as old, whiny, and too big a fan of his team’s quarterback, Tom Brady.

Finally, Bill Belichick’s career, although illustrious, is now completely tainted. He will undoubtedly go down as the coach that tried anything, and I mean anything, it took for his team to get the win.

class. But other professors, like Jill Buettner-Ouellette, require their students to make a Twitter profile for their class.

“I thought it would be a good bridge between online and face-to-face instruction,” said Buettner-Ouellette. “I still meet with students and use D2L.” While websites like D2L have not been entirely put out of commission, but rather are evolving as well, professors like Warfe and Buettner-Ouellette have found ways to connect their social media profiles to their college accounts.

“I just learned how to link my Twitter account with D2L so students can see my feed when they login,” said Buettner-Ouellette, who is optimistic about using social

media as a teaching tool. “It’s cool because sometimes a student will see another student’s tweeted question before I do, so it allows us to collaborate and help each other.”

Effective communication between professors and students is a major aspect in educational success. A connection that, before was only available in the classroom, is now online and almost always accessible.

“Communicating clearly and effectively is critical to both student success and organizational effectiveness,” is straight out of the LMC mission statement, and being able to use social media in the classroom is taking this principal to a whole new level and increasing the chance of student academic success.

MEDIA From page 1

“I don’t have a Twitter account,” said student Hannah Fournier. “But when I have a question, I’ll send my teacher a message from my sister’s profile. I just make sure to say who it is from.”

Professors, including Warfe, who use social media as a teaching-tool make sure to tell their students that the social media information given out in class, is the correct information and is where they can be contacted.

“I have separate accounts on each site, one personal and one for my students,” added Warfe. “I feel like there is an image of a professor that should be upheld.”

To some professors social media is used purely as a supplement to the instructions and reminders given out in

BLOOD PARK From page 1

increased the number of courses offered only on Fridays at the Center, as this is the period of time with the lowest demand on parking.”

At the Pittsburg campus, students have recently experienced difficulty regarding the parking machines for daily parking passes that has now been resolved.

“We had a situation where a couple of our machines malfunctioned and we had to get some par ts for them,” said Senior Traf fic Officer Michael Hotton. “They came in [Wednesday] and the boxes have now all been fixed and updated and ready to work.”

Parking is evaluated every year or every other year as par t of a program review.

Suggested changes to parking could include roadway improvements, parking lot painting and updating parking machines.

“We are discussing the possibility of replacing our permit machines,” said Hotton “It’s very expensive equipment and it doesn’t happen over night but we are continuing to see the need for that and we’re opening that conversation now.”

VBALL

The tournaments were a learning experience and a gateway for the team to grow, but it was also a memory for the team to take with them into the future.

“We were wild on the court,” said Sadler. “It’s so much fun playing with these girls and playing with a team you have great chemistry with. The best thing was everybody being together and coming together as a team.”

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Call to schedule an advising appointment 925.867.2711 Information Meetings held at least once a month For dates, visit:

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