Madden a good fit
‘RENT’ plays on stage
Vega shines on squad
Biology teacher spreads whimsy and life experience to his students. Profile inside — page 3
Drama Department opens its production of ‘RENT’ at the California Theatre — page 5
Ana Vega finds friends and opportunities as part of the LMC volleyball team. Profile inside — page 7
V O L .
8 1 ,
N O .
F.Y.I. Important Dates December is AIDS Awareness Month Dec 17
Last day of classes. Start of winter break
Jan 12
Spring 2015 classes begin
Finals week upcoming
1 3
F R I D A Y ,
D E C .
5 ,
2 0 1 4
L M C E X P E R I E N C E . C O M
Center nears finish line ‘One-stop-shop’ to open in the spring By JOSEPH DELANO
jdelano@lmcexperience.com
The new Student Services Center will be up and running for the upcoming Spring 2015 semester. The center, hailed as a “one-stop shop” by Los Medanos College President Bob Kratochvil, will house most of the student services under one roof and has a completion date of Dec 24. With the exception of the Student Life Office and the Bookstore, departments such as the Welcome Center, the Office of Instruction, Counseling and DSP&S will be among the services provided in the central area.
The $16.7 million building is to be occupied by various offices beginning Dec. 15. The tentative schedule, available online at losmedanos.edu/ studentservices, has 18 departments and offices moving in over a five-day period. Most offices will open the day after they are relocated. The 38,100 square foot building is the result of bond Measure A, which allowed for money to become available for the construction. LMC Vice President Kevin Horan spoke on the ongoing construction of the building Experience • Cathie Lawrence saying, “We are very pleased to say that the project is A new water feature is what students who enter from the Outdoor Quad will See SHOP, page 10
notice first. This beautification is just the beginning of the new building’s design.
Hands up for Ferguson
Dec. 11 marks the start of finals week for the fall semester. A reminder: classes that start at 4 p.m. and into the evening will hold finals at the normal time. Confirm with your instructor as to the specific times for your finals.
Two more robbed at lake Trio used fake gun By CASSIE DICKMAN
cdickman@lmxexperience.com
Kennedy-King spots open The Kennedy-King Memorial Scholarship application is now available. The deadline to apply is Feb. 2, 2015. The scholarship gives two $4,000 awards per year to members of underrepresented minority groups in California. There will be an upcoming workshop: “How to Write a Winning Essay” Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Center for Academic Support. Contact the Scholarship Office at 473-7520 for more information.
A group of students on campus organized a peaceful protest Tuesday, Nov. 25 in solidarity with the family of Michael Brown after the grand jury’s decision not to indict Ferguson, MO. officer Darren Wilson. Tyler Ward, above, reads the name of a victim of police brutality. LeRon Hill, left, sits among the group of protesters on the steps of the Outdoor Quad.
Photos by Bertha Aguilar • Experience
Bio class cleans up campus Hug a pet in the Library The Library will be hosting a Stress Relieving Pet Therapy session Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 12 to 1 p.m. For more information, contact the Reference Desk at 473-7575.
Students collect cans and bottles By DAMIAN LEWIN
dlewin@lmcexperience.com
Environmental Health was the last topic for LMC students enrolled in BIOSC-005 this semester. For their final lab assignments, students set out to examine how often recyclable plastic water bottles are ending up in the trashcans on campus. “Students need to understand this problem,” said professor of biology Sharon Wellbrook. “It’s horrific the amount of plastic out there.” Having designed the current curriculum for students enrolled in BIOSC-005, Wellbrook was inspired by fellow biology professor Ron Gallin and his own views towards recycling when formulating the lab assignments for this semester.
“He single handedly walks around campus and takes them out of the garbage can,” Wellbrook added, “he was my inspiration.” Stressing on the importance and the benefits from properly disposing of our waste, Professor Gallin offers his own opinions towards the recycling practices at LMC. “It’s annoying,” said Professor Ron Gallin as he described to his class the amount of improperly discarded items he has personally viewed in trash bins. “There’s recycling bins all over campus.” And he is right. Located throughout LMC, green recycling containers are properly labeled for each corresponding item and in some cases are located See CLEAN, page 10
“If we all do just one little thing, it will really make a difference.”
— Sharon Wellbrook
The crime rate at Los Medanos College does not seem to be on the decline. An armed robber y took place at the school’s lake just after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the second in less than month. “In the most recent incident, two students were confronted by individuals they did not know, and who demanded personal belongings,” said LMC President Bob Kratochvil. “Both victims...were unharmed.” A campuswide safety alert was sent out to students and staff via email the evening of Dec. 1, informing members of the college community about the crime, which occurred earlier at approximately 6:40 p.m.. Police Ser vices Lt. Ryan Huddleston of at LMC said in an interview the two victims, who were sitting on a bench near the LMC lake, saw three males approaching them. Only one of the suspects reportedly spoke — he was carrying what appeared to the victim to be a toy-replica, plastic firearm — and he demanded the female student hand over her bag. She refused. Both students reported to police they thought the man was joking and didn’t take the situation seriously at first. But, Huddleston said the man then approached the male victim and told him to hand over his bag as well. He fled toward the college leaving his bag behind. The bag, which contained a few binders, was taken by the suspects. Many things about this crime echo the events of the first robbery, which took place early last month on Nov 5. Both incidents involved three unknown males wearing hoodies and a gun, or replica, was See CRIME, page 10