Grads walk the stage
Drama to come
Tackling a new season
LMC students take the next step in their journey at the commencement ceremony May 27 — page 3
Five new productions are currently in the works in the drama department — page 4
New and returning Mustangs prepare for the upcoming football season — page 5
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Last day to drop classes without a “W” appearing on transcript
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State names chancellor By CASSIE DICKMAN
cdickman@lmcexperience.com
At the end of this year, the nation’s largest college system will be under new leadership by someone who truly understands the lives of its students – because he used to be one. Eloy Ortiz Oakley was the name announced by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors at its July 18 meeting, which was also broadcast live over the Internet. “The vote to appoint and employ our new chancellor was unanimous,” said Board President Geoffrey L. Baum, who went on to list the recent improvements California Community Colleges has made for students, describing Oakley as the obvious choice to keep the educational system’s
momentum going and the ability to strengthen it further. At the board meeting, Oakley described himself as a California native who grew up in a working-class family that never consider a college education an option. But after serving four years in the Army, Oakley returned to California with his family to make a life here and that thinking changed. “I was a father looking for work, trying to figure out what I was going to do,” said Oakley. “So, Golden West College opened that door for me, like so many students throughout this great state, and gave me the opportunity to be here today.” The current president of Long Beach City College,
“Community college runs deep in my family.” — Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley
See ORTIZ, page 6
Allies hosts guest orator
Short term class available LMC is offering a number of late start classes this semster. For a full list of classes to register for, go to losmedanos.edu/ shortterm
LMC switches D2L to Canvas
Molling talks self-discovery
The Contra Costa Community College District is transitioning from D2L to the Canvas course management system. Beginning in summer 2016, some instructors will use the Canvas for online, hybrid and in-person courses. D2L access will continue to be available until June 2017. To access Canvas, go to losmedanos.edu/ onlineclasses/default.asp
By KIMBERLY STELLY
kstelly@lmcexperience.com
Mesa speaker series returns MESA has invited YouTube star “Science with Tom” to speak with LMC students about his career as an Eighth grade teacher innovating new ways through his youtube channel to help teachers embrace the Next Generation Science standards. The MESA Speaker Series event will be held Sept. 2 at noon in Science Room 202. For additional information on the MESA speaker series go to losmedanos.edu/ mesa/events.asp
AMSA seeks membership
The American Medical Student Association will be having orientation meetings Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 4 to 5 p.m and Thursday, Sept. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. Room locations will be announced on the clubs website. AMSA is open to all students interested in current/future health issues and education. For additional information on AMSA’s meetings or upcoming events go to amsalosmedanoscollege. weebly.com/about.html.
Experience • Beatriz Hernandez
Eric Broussard, a contractor from Best Contracting Services, works on construction outside the College Complex Level Three entrance near Lot C.
Roof renovations under way By ADRIA WATSON
awatson@lmcexperience.com
Students may have noticed the ongoing construction happening by the Lot C entrance the first two weeks of this semester. According to Vice President Kevin Horan, the sections of the College Complex that are currently being worked on were in dire need of a new roof. “You may recall in recent past winters the growing number of trash cans being put out to catch water leaking through the roof,” Horan said. “There will be no trash cans out this winter.” Eric Broussard, a contractor from Best Contracting Services said what they are specifically doing to the roof is called a
coal process. Afterward, they will build up to roofing installations from there. Horan said the school has budgeted a million dollars for this College Complex roof project. This project is on track to be on or under budget. Horan added the funding comes from a special allocation of Schedule Maintenance funds from the state. The buckling asphalt over by the Lot C entrance is also apart of the construction and is said, by Horan, to be replaced with concrete. This project is set to be complete by the middle of September and further renovations for the Little Theater are anticipated to start in October. Drama Department Chair Nick Garcia
has been in contact with Horan and facilities manager, Russ Holt, about the plans regarding the little theater’s roof getting renovated. According to Garcia, they are trying to make sure the roof on the theater gets done before the rainy season. “I’m really excited for this to happen because the leaking has been bad,” said Garcia. “It’ll be worth it even if [the department] has to move. I’ll feel better and much safer.” According to LMC President Bob Kratochvil, there are more improvements and additions to the campus just on the surface. He said the school See ROOF, page 6
Student leaders seek new representatives By SARAH D. GONZALES
sgonzales@lmcexperience.com
Newly elected president of the Los Medanos College Associated Student Senate, Israel Castro, held his first senate meeting for the fall 2016 semester on Monday August 15 at 1 p.m. in Room L-106. By the time the meeting began, the room was packed with LMCAS members, LMC students and community guests alike. Castro was pleased with the amount of people who had attended, stating it was nice to see so many people who showing interest in the LMCAS. A few notable speakers had participated in the meeting.
Greg Enholm, the Elected Trustee for the Contra Costa Community College District, had attended the student senate meeting to share the educational oppor tunities made available to high school students this coming fall. High school students will now be able to take college courses in their own high school during regular school hours. This opportunity would high school students would be able better prepared for college level work upon graduation. Renee Zeimer, who had been invited by Castro personally to the meeting had promoted a ‘Your vote, your
Experience • Lissette Urbina
Greg Enholm, the Elected Trustee for the Contra Costa Community College District, speaks at the See LMCAS, page 6 LMCAS meeting Monday, August 15.
Richard Molling stood in front of a small group of Los Medanos College students and faculty Tuesday, Aug. 9 to speak about his experiences during a workshop called “Is It OK To Be Different? The Story of a Cross-Dresser & His Wife.” Accompanied by his wife of 30 years Marsha, he told his tale of self-discovery guided by a PowerPoint presentation. Starting out, Molling made it clear he was heterosexual but that he also just felt more comfortable in women’s clothing. “I’m not effeminate—if that’s the legal term to use—but I’m not macho either,” he said. LMC English and LGBT Studies Instructor Jeff Matthews, who helped lead the workshop acknowledged that there are so many terms and phrases used by this generation. He said Molling might fall under the label “genderfluid” or “genderqueer.” Molling said he wasn’t sure which label he’d fit under. “Those who study LGBTQ issues are still trying to figure it out,” said Matthews, referencing the many terms that have fallen out of fashion over the years. “The issues and ideas are still the same.” Growing up, Molling said he was conflicted both because he came up in the 1950s, when most states banned men from wearing dresses, but also because he went to Catholic school. “I finally realized that I would never be able to reconcile my views with the institutional church. Rather than continuing this fruitless struggle, I have recorded my own personal spiritual beliefs and will look to them, not the church, for guidance,” he wrote regarding his issues with religion in a piece published in Whosoever Magazine titled: “Tr ue Confession: Richard Molling aka Rachel Miller” Molling, now 75 years old, said he didn’t find himself until he was 40. In 1981, he snuck off to an X-rated bookstore in San Francisco and found a book on cross-dressing. From there a new phase in his life had begun. He came up with the name Rachel Miller, got another P.O. Box and had fellow crossdressers
See ALLIES page 6
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“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
— Matthew 19:26
Jose Pantoja
Alexandra Riva
GUEST COLUMNIST
MY TWO CENTS
Social media can be toxic
IOC to blame for Rio mess
Ever since MySpace was launched in 2003, social media has steadily become a greater part of nearly every generational demographic. However, the importance placed on social media has revealed serious negative side effects—higher degrees of narcissism and even loss of impulse control. You don’t have to dig deep to find an excess of self-congratulations on social media that can seem competitive in nature. Facebook and Twitter users flock to their posts to describe their latest outings, and on Snapchat or Instagram you can find the visual proof. There seems to be a game of one-upmanship for the most interesting life. It seems to me that social media largely serves an ego-boosting process in society. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are built around the user. You are the subject of everything that is posted. With that level of importance placed on the user, how does one not become a little self-obsessed? Users display a desire for being the center of attention when they publicly post all the events in their lives from the unusual to the mundane. With so many social media formats, users can spend hours a day cultivating detailed public images for themselves whether it be marketable or out of vanity. A University of Michagan study found that “narcissists like Facebook and Twitter and social media in general reflect and amplify our culture’s deepening narcissism.” College students showed an affinity for Twitter as a “megaphone” platform for getting messages out. The study notes that these messages are more opinionated in nature lending to the conclusion that narcissism is the driving factor for mass communication. The study found that users of various social media dedicated considerable time to gauging and analyzing how their social presences were being received in order to maintain control of the image they had cultivated. The same study found that adult lives were also heavily invested in social media with a preference for Facebook. Adults most often had established social circles of closer friends from whom they would seek “social approval.” The adults in this study were also found to have the similar image cultivating tendencies as college students but with a greater focus on approval seeking behavior. In another study published online in the Journal of Consumer Research, researchers found serious negative effects of boosting one’s self esteem on social media. The study points out that users may show more narcissistic tendencies through social media platforms because the cultural taboo of boasting is less apparent in the online medium than it is in face-to-face communication. Consequently, participants in this study were discovered to have impulse control issues which were reflected in unhealthy eating choices, higher body-mass index, and even lower credit scores. The conclusion of the study was that the higher doses of positive self-esteem garnered from social media interactions led to individuals then making poorer life decisions because they felt as if they could do no wrong. Avid users of social media may want to consider their intentions when tagging that next photo or posting that next status update. Users should question where they receive their satisfaction in social media interactions. Do you place more importance in documenting and publicizing your life than you do living it? If it’s a close call, shouldn’t that be a concern? I propose a test. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, go back through a year of posts and read them aloud. Now read those posts aloud in public. Do you feel better about yourself or do you feel even just a little bit narcissistic?
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was the host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to the dismay of, or simply the sheer confusion of, many people. In 2009 when the country won the right to host the games they beat out Tokyo, Japan, the host of the 2020 Olympics, and many other seemingly more fit contenders. The term ‘won’ is loose and inaccurate, if anything considering the International Olympic Committee chooses the next host city based on an application and a substantial bid that proves a country’s willingness to host the games. The IOC, which has long been accused of being money hungry and dishonest, is often followed by controversy. Most notably the scandal around the 2002 Salt Lake City winter games which lead to the resignation of several IOC members after reports came out that they had been bribed with millions of dollars worth of gifts, trips, plastic surgery and jobs for family members. If that isn’t enough, the IOC conveniently calls Switzerland home, which allows the non-profit organization to avoid paying a 20 percent income tax. While all 98 of the IOC’s elite members do not receive an annual salary they do, however, get some major perks. One of these ‘perks’ includes free travel to the games and being driven around in limousines, at the expense of the host city and major companies vying to become an official sponsor of the games. Extravagant ceremonies and sporting arenas dazzled the athletes competing there as well as everyone watching at home, but how did Rio manage to cover up the major atrocities dwelling, in some cases within seeing distance, from the hordes of tourists and athletes, in the city? Demolition. Not just the demolition of the impoverished homes and communities nearby, but of the lives of the people who lived there. After years of fighting with their government, only 20 of the 600 families that had lived in a neighborhood nearest to the site of the now Olympic Village were allowed to stay, but this too came with stipulations. The families’ homes would be torn down. New homes that were easier on the eyes would be built for them, because God forbid anyone in attendance of the games see a glimpse of what Rio is actually looks like when they aren’t hosting an event. The residents of Rio face serious health risks, but so did the people traveling to the city, even for a short time. The games lasted a little over two weeks, but that is plenty long enough for the Zika virus to run rampant through the world’s most elite athletes. Rio has the most Zika cases of any state in in Brazil, with 26 thousand confirmed cases. While the Zika virus was discovered around 70 years ago, all assumptions of safety and control concerning the virus should be dismissed, because this is not the same as before. The virus has mutated— it’s stronger and much different. In addition to the Zika vir us, Rio’s waterways running through the city and beaches are filthier than ever. A 16-month study conducted by the Associated Press discovered dangerously high levels of viruses from the pollution, which includes raw sewage. All the competing athletes had been warned not to put their heads in the water, but primary concern was to the sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers who would be more directly exposed than, say, beach-going gymnasts. The IOC supposedly strives to cultivate unity throughout the world and be non-discriminative. I find this a little hard to believe, but hey, who am I to judge? Perhaps to Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, good sportsmanship means tearing families from their homes and allowing athletes to frolic in raw sewage. To each their own, I suppose.
Experience • Sarah Gonzales
Editorial
Bad year for acceptance
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016 is the most tolerant, inclusive year in the history of the United States. 2016 has also seen craven attempts by several states to roll back the voting rights of minorities, a riot in Milwaukee — one of the most segregated cities in America — in response to yet another killing by police, the passing of a law in North Carolina restricting bathroom access to trans people and a presidential campaign built atop two racist pillars. LMC has done an admirable job at accommodating students of various backgrounds, with its implemented equity plan and gender neutral restrooms, which have not led to a campus crime wave, as North Carolina lawmakers would have you believe. But just as important as institutional change is interpersonal change. Too many Americans believe the Civil Rights Act of 1964 somehow ended racism, that with a stroke of a pen, President Johnson vanquished prejudice. Likewise, the relatively rapid advancement of gay marriage rights has seemed to give the false illusion of equality in the eyes of many. As outright racism was replaced by the more insidious Southern Strategy brand of bigotry, outright homophobia has slyly replaced by the “I don’t care, as long as I don’t see it” school of bigotry. Which is to say: Why hate something that doesn’t personally affect you? Why let your bile boil over someone engaging in a lifestyle you wouldn’t personally live if it doesn’t negatively alter your own personal journey? Sure, cheese pizza is an affront to the pizza family, but your neighbor’s liking it will in no way change your own pizza consumption. A person wearing a dress whom you aren’t used to wearing dresses won’t likely change your life in any measurable way, unless they happen to take the dress you like off the rack. The Experience editorial staff believe that people should adhere to the “Whatever floats your boat, as long as it doesn’t sink mine,” adage, and work to recognize that few actions or backgrounds fought over in the Culture Wars will do damage to your vessel.
Letter from the Editors
New term brings in new changes Welcome back to the Los Medanos Experience, a news publication filled with all the on-campus news and entertainment LMC needs, made entirely from the finest and freshly produced tears of student-journalists. (We’re only half kidding). As the new Editors-in-Chief of this paper, we hope to foster a creative and inclusive community where all feel free to express their feelings and opinions not only through the print edition, but by maintaining an online and social media presence as well. To the staff of the Experience, LMC is a place of opportunity and success, two key qualities we hope to exhibit throughout the school year. Recently, journalism has come under fire for sensationalism and subjective reporting. but we hope to continue the tradition of priming our staff by instilling in them a sense of journalistic integrity and while some of us enjoy your typical, clickbait listicle every once in a while, we realize our audience craves hard facts relevant to the issues and events they care about. In addition to attempting to improve upon our award-winning newspaper, we aspire to go out help create a better news-reporting environment. We also want to represent the opinions of the student body while also passive-aggressively criticizing people we know (kidding). We’re also looking to expand our reach using social media and creating more multi-media content. By creating a bigger online presence, we hope
Experience • Adria Watson
Experience • Adria Watson
New Editors-in-Chief Kimberly Stelly (left) and Beatriz Hernandez. to better engage with our audience and tell the stories they want to hear. We’d also be doing this to humanize our reporters. There are people out there who assume all journalists are out to destroy the reputations of upstanding citizens. We’re all humans though — well, most of us are. There are people on staff who have almost supernatural writing abilities but outside of that, we want the same things as our consumers: accurate and fair disbursement of the news. Our readers are welcome to email us at bhernandez@lmcexperience.com or kstelly@lmcexperience.com. You can also express your intense love for our paper orschool by submitting a letter to the editor at our paper’s site lmcexperience.com.
Reader Opinion Policy
The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. All members of the Los Medanos College community — students, faculty and staff — are encouraged to write. If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, bring your submissions to room CC3-301 and put them in the Perspectives Editor’s mailbox or mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. You may also send them electronically through the Experience online newsite lmcexperience.com. Letters and columns must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. They may be edited for clarity, content taste and length at the editor’s discretion.
Voices
If you could create a new Olympic sport category, what would it be? C
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“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
“If I were to create a new Olympic sport, it would be lifeguarding because of the stamina and effort it takes to be successful.” — Esme Hernandez
“It would be barrel racing.” — Brianna Rodriguez
“Badminton, because you can keep the birdie in the air more, and even though it’s a slower sport, it is more competitive than most.” — Zarya Carter
“It would be video games because they are played around the world and the impact it has had.” — Spencer Vincent
“It would be a variation of gymnastics, like back flipping races. That would be pretty fun.” — Ebenezer Oyoko
“A new Olympic sport I would create would have to be football.” — Antonious Robinson
Editors-in-Chief ..........BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ and KIMBERLY STELLY Managing Editor..................CASSIE DICKMAN Perspectives Editors.......TYLER MORTIMORE Campus Editor .......................ADRIA WATSON Features Editor ................SARAH GONZALES Sports Editor ....................... GARRETT BELME Web Editor .........................LISSETTE URBINA 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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“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
— Nelson Mandela
Newswatch Searching for senators
LMCAS are looking for students who would like to become a Senator. They’re are looking for people who are interested in something bigger than themselves, and would like to have their voices recognized and make a difference. LMCAS has weekly meetings on Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. in L-106. The deadline for applications is on Friday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. in the Office of Student Life, but students are welcome to submit their applications earlier.
Capping off the journey
LMC provides tutors
Students who need help and are seeking tutoring in Math, Chemistry, Accounting, and Spanish, contact Eng. Ramon Coria at racorias@yahoo.com or call at 778-6071 if you have any questions. Classes included in tutoring are: Math 12, 25, 26, 27, 30, 37, 40, 50, and 60. Chemistry 6 and 25.
Finding your classes
Last week, multiple math classes were canceled due to change of locations for classrooms. If you were a student in Math-25 and were unaware of your class switching into another room, e-mail your instructor.
New club on the rise
Los Medanos has a new club called the Computer Science Club. This club’s goal is to spread the knowledge of computer coding to any Los Medanos student by collecvtively working on independent and group projects. Students who are interested will learn things such as: n Creating new coding languages as a group n Creating phone applications n Creating web pages n Taking Hackathon trips n Taking Coding convention trips n Possibly taking company tours. Sign up at losmedanoscac.wufoo.com/ forms/zljph7lr0p7id0g You could also contact LosmedanosCSC@gmail.com if you are interested.
A growing number of graduates celebrate By KIMBERLY STELLY
kstelly@lmcexperience.com
Aid checks on the way
Students who have signed up for Financial Aid should be receiving their check during the week of Aug. 29. If you have any questions about your financial aid or have not signed up for financial aid and would like to, visit the Student Services Center and schedule an appointment. You can choose to receive your financial aid check in three different ways: n CollegeCash Card, which is a credit card that holds yoir financial aid money. n Direct deposit into your own credit or debit card. n Standard check delievered in the mail (please note that if this is chosen, you will most likely receive your check later than the week of Aug. 29).
Library changes hours
Library hours within LMC have changed for the 2016 Fall semester. As of Aug. 20, The following hours are as followed: n From Monday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. n Friday: 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. n Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. n Sunday: Closed
Youth leaders needed
Students who are still interested on becoming the Youth Development Leaders have until Aug. 30 to turn in their applications. Visit stsacademy.org to submit an employment application or call 252-9199 for more information. n Minimum requirements: High School Diploma. n Locations : Schools around Pittsburg, CA. n Rate of pay: $10.90 per hour n Hours: After schoool hours from Monday-Friday. n PO Box: 1355-710; Black Diamond Road Pittsburg. CA. 94565.
Ed plan help offered
Looking to make an educational plan, or review your current one? LMC offers general counseling at both campuses. Drop-in hours are of fered weekly. Students must have a student ID number and a photo ID to meet with a counselor. Appointments at Pittsburg can be made in person, by calling the Counseling Department at 473-7449, or by visiting 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 is found
Los Medanos College’s lost and found has many lost items found on campus. If you have lost an item, check in with Police Services, which is located on Level One. Inquiries must be made in person. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
LMC graduation ceremony was held on May 27. The joyus event celebrated and acknowledged the accomplishments of the record breaking class of 2016.
This past May marked record-setting Los Medanos College’s 42nd Commencement Ceremony. The large group of graduating Mustangs congregated on the football field in the early evening in preparation for the night’s events. Parents, friends and other assorted loved ones showed up with flowers, balloons and life-sized cardboard cutouts of graduates’ heads. LMC Vice President Kevin Horan welcomed attendees, then veteran and LMC grad Tito Ramos led the school in reciting the pledge of allegiance. President Bob Kratochvil then spoke and expressed his pride for the class of 2016 especially since, according to a newsletter sent out earlier this year, this was the largest graduating class in LMC’s history. There were 452 graduate walking this year — an eight percent increse from last year. He also noted that the staff and faculty at LMC strive to provide “the tools, support, learning opportunities and equitable incomes that lead to the achievement of their goals.” At the end of his speech, Kratochvil thanked the loved ones of the graduates “for coming to celebrate the class of 2016.” He acknowledged just how important it is to have a strong support system to help you through your education in the commencement program–– he said, “It is our mission to be the primary path to success for all of our students.” Each following speech echoed that sentiment. Kratochvil ended his speech by saying “Stay true to who you are, stand firm in what you believe. Follow your passion and be ready for new opportunities.” Classified Senate president Linda Koehler introduced student speakers Nakaela Hall, who graduated with a degree in business Office Administration and Small business Operations and Janette Bustos Borracio, who graduated with a degree in Liberal Arts. Hall spoke first, leaving graduates with this
Pittsburg campus meters revamped
Students brush off Gideons
New parking restrictions in Brentwood By MICHAEL MARTINEZ
mmartinez@lmcexperience.com
Los Medanos College has recently seen changes to the parking lots at both the Pittsburg and Brentwood campuses. New parking permit machines have been installed on the Pittsburg campus while the Brentwood center will be implementing new regulations in order to address issues related to the shortage of parking in the lot they share with several businesses. The permit machines were replaced this past summer after becoming increasingly subject to complaints from students. “The old machines served us well but they had reached the end of their lifespan,” said Traffic Officer Michael Hotton. “Our goal is to make this as easy for students as
possible.” According to Hotton, feedback for the new machines has been “100 percent positive.” The new machines have a more modern design with motion detected LED lights and a larger LCD screen. One of the changes with the new machines is they will no longer accept paper bills as a payment due to costs involved with maintenance and shifting trends as more students pay electronically. Apple Pay and Android Pay will now also be accepted methods of payment for both students and visitors. Though the machines have only been in service for a short amount of time, the first impressions have been favorable. “I think they look ten times
See GRAD, page 6
By CAMERON TOTH Staff writer
Courtesy of CCCCD
New parking meters ready for use on Pittsburg campus better. In the past, it was kind of a pain when they would go out of service or just take your money and give you no permit,” said visitor Jon Hull. “It looks like See PARK, page 6
The first week of school was filled with Mustang Madness activities, but one unnoticed event took place. For the first two days school was in session, free bibles were passed out. Donald Watson and his colleague, who wished to be referred to as Dan, were seen at the main entrance of the school passing out different versions of the New Testament bible. They volunteer for The Gideons International, an organization dedicated to telling people about the teachings of Jesus Christ. Gideons International has now spread to over 200 countries and territories across the world and has distributed more than two See BIBLE, page 6
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“Life’s like a play: it’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.”
— Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Experience • Beatriz Hernandez
Nick Garcia has his Voice and Dialects students gather together in a circle to discuss concepts learned in class.
Drama takes on a full semester Comedy and social issues ensue
By TERESA GAINES Staff Writer
If you’ve never witnessed a play performed by the Dramatic Arts Department of Los Medanos College, this semester is a perfect opportunity for you to make up for lost time. You’re especially in luck if you enjoy comedic or socially relevant works, as the scheduled shows have an overall comic and whimsical attitude or are reminiscent of today’s civil rights commentary. “All of our plays are really exciting and fun. We are pretty comedy-heavy this semester, but I don’t think anyone ever complains about laughing too much,” said Drama Department Chair Nick Garcia of the planned shows. The semester kicks off with the classics — sort of. The first show, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” also known as “The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr,” is a satirical spin on Shakespeare’s play collection directed by former LMC student John Dunn. The first show opens at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 and will run through Sept. 9 in the Little Theater. Auditions for all shows began and ended a few weeks before fall classes started. When asked who the leads were in the shows, Garcia said, “I’m usually pretty ner vous
about saying ‘these are the leads’ because what we’re really doing is casting a team. Even with a play that seems like it has a lead, one person cannot make or break a show.” Although casting is over, Garcia said students interested in the productions may still drop by his office to work out how they may become involved. “We’re looking for people who are fearless, work well, and listen.” When choosing what shows to put on, the department chair opened up the decision to his students. The students work out in teams what they may want to perform and collectively decide on a show. “I want to say passion motivates our decision more than anything else. The students are just moving ahead and making their vision and dreams come to life,” said Garcia. Along with choosing and performing their own shows, two students are directing them this semester. Student John Brown is making his directing debut with the drama “The Meeting,” a show based on a supposed meeting between civil rights activists Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. on the night of Malcolm X’s assassination. This selection comes to LMC as a thought-provoking historical reference crucial to the narrative of today’s Black Lives Matter movement that is
sure to be on the minds of audience members. You may attend this show, which runs from Sept. 21 through Sept. 23 in the Little Theater. If you enjoy religious-themed spoofs, save your money for Oct. 13-17 and Oct. 19-24 for the show “Brother Gary,” directed by drama professor Jack Nicolaus, in the Little Theater. The show consists of a group of monks in an Italian Monastery that deal with the annoying “Brother Gary.” The play was written by Ramiz Monsef, a friend of a professor at LMC. After that production, professional artist Brian Quijada will guest-star and be performing his original work, “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” from Nov. 7-11. This one-man play has been making its way across the country, sharing an autobiographical stor y about a young Latino boy who asks his teacher where his skin color would have placed him on the bus that Rosa Parks rode. Through spoken word and charming musical numbers, Quijada asks his audience to think about what it means to grow up as a Latino-American. To wrap up the semester, Garcia will be directing “Boeing, Boeing,” a 1965 farce by French playwright Marc Camoletti. In 2008, the show was produced on Broadway and a
Experience • Beatriz Hernandez
Nick Garcia addresses his students after a warm up. Tony Award was won for Best Revival of a Play. Garcia chose to end the semester with this story about Bernard, a bachelor happily juggling three stewardesses that are all oblivious to the fact that he is engaged to each one. Ridiculousness ensues when his balancing act of a schedule is thrown off by the introduction of new, faster Boeing 747 jets that allow
the stewardesses to all arrive at his Paris apartment at the same time. He reflects on why he has chosen to fill this semester with humorous plays, “With all the stuff that is happening in the world right now, what I think we need is laughter, finding a fun escape for the community to come together and just laugh and remember all the nice parts of being human.”
Made by Laika Studios, known for producing other films such as “Coraline” and “ParaNorman,” it uses its usual 3-D stop-motion animation style to tell the tale in a way that is both intriguing in a technical sense while also being artistically pleasing. In instances such as the origami storytelling scene, the detail in the movement is clean and purposefully executed. In his directorial debut, President and CEO of Laika Studios, Travis Knight, has managed to create a film enjoyable to people of all ages, while still having a meaningful message. Still, it felt like certain plot elements were brought into the story primarily to create a happier ending. Even for a movie dealing with a magical guitar and personified origami and a talking monkey and beetle, it felt a
little rushed and unrealistic. Matthew McConaughey’s character Beetle plays as the comic relief to lighten the melancholic mood. His personality along with Monkey’s, voiced by Charlize Theron, is a bit confusing especially when their true characters are revealed. There’s no real transition between when they are acting as Beetle and Monkey and their true characters. Most of the time this makes it feel as though the revelation is thrown into the movie just for shock value. The jokes and light mood also felt like it was too much at times and took away from the depth of the story. Although it felt reminiscent of alive-action foreign films, at times it also felt as though the film tried to make Kubo’s journey much more epic than it actually was.
Kubo strings audience along By BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ
bhernandez@lmcexperience.com
“Kubo: And the Two Strings” takes its audience through an 11-year-old boy’s journey when he uncovers the truth behind the stories he tells to the villagers for money through the use of origami and the shamisen, a Japanese threestring guitar. Set in ancient Japan, the film begins with Kubo’s mother fleeing her family after they killed her husband, Hanzo, and stole one of young Kubo’s eyes. In present day, they hide out in a cave where Kubo cares for his mother as her memory begins to fade. She warns him to not stay out after dark in fear that his aunts and his grandfather, the Moon King, will take his remaining eye.
REVIEW
Photo courtsey of imdb.com
Kubo and his companions on an exciting adventure.
‘Hell or High Water’ gets high mark for thrills By TYLER MORTIMORE
tmortimore@lmcexperience.com
Capitalism is the villain in David Mackenzie’s neo-western “Hell or High Water,” the driving force behind the thiever y at the center of the film: the seizure of the West Texan land from the Comanche, the slow drain of wealth from Texans to the banks and the two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) determined to keep their family ranch by any means necessary. The movie opens on what becomes a regular sight throughout its runtime — a deserted parking lot encircling a boarded
REVIEW
up business. The camera pans past graffiti that reads “Three tours in Iraq but no bailout for people like us” as it makes its way toward the front door of a Texas Midlands Bank branch. A bank employee opens the door only to have the brothers shove a gun in her back and force her inside. A hiccup in their plans aside, they’re in and out quick, taking only loose small bills and leaving the dye packs behind. Small-time crooks don’t interest the FBI, so two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) are assigned to the case. Pine’s Toby is the brains behind the plan. The banks they choose to rob are carefully select-
ed — the explanation behind the plan is patiently revealed over the course of the first two acts — the only obstacle is Foster’s Tanner, Toby’s older jailbird brother, who might be helping his brother for reasons of personal excitement as much as a feeling of fraternal commitment. The screenplay, written by “Sicario” scribe Taylor Sheridan, is full of sizzling dialogue, from Bridges’s constant barbs at his partner to a waitress who tells the Rangers they’ll have to get a warrant to seize her (possibly stolen) tip money, thank you very much. Colorful side characters are just as essential to painting Mackenzie’s portrait of West
Texas as the dead and dying towns the brothers pass through. Mackenzie’s film brings to mind the Coen brothers’ “No Country For Old Men,” the adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s grim novel set in West Texas. McCarthy used 1980 West Texas to explore the unmerciful, Job-ian nature of the world. The Coens had Anton Chigurh, a bizarre fella’ with silenced shotgun and a bad haircut, to use as an avatar for their unseen evil. “Hell or High Water” employs a villain which puts America’s most famously maverick land in shackles and slowly drains its life force. Mackenzie’s banks might be the scarier villain.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
‘Toby’ (Chris Pine) and ‘Tanner’ (Ben Foster) act in a scene from “Hell or High Water.”
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“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
— Vince Lombardi
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Los Medanos College’s quarterback Gabe Taylor tries to evade teammate Ashontee Bonhomme in a drill during pratice.
Mustangs are set for kickoff
Team ready to improve on solid 2015 campaign By JASON FIERROS
jfierros@lmcexperience.com
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Tyrone Roberts and Anthony Wellington square off during practice.
As NFL teams kick off the new seasons this September, the Los Medanos College football squad will start a new season of their own. The Mustangs will look to improve on their 5-5 season from last year and become a real threat to win the division. Their first game will take place on September 3rd as they will be on the road at Reedley College while the first home game for the team comes on Sept. 10 vs. West Hills College. Los Mednaos will have the luxury of their signalcaller from last season making his return. Quarterback Gabe Taylor is back and focused on improving his game and leading his team to a championship. “I am looking forward to going out onto the field with my teammates and enjoying the most of it because it is my last season here at LMC. I can’t wait to compete for a championship,” he said. Taylor a product from Clayton Valley high explained which area of his game he needs to improve in order to get his team to the promise land, “I came from a school that didn’t pass that much so when I came here I had to learn how to read defenses. I struggled with
Volleyball team is primed for success
Squad aims for playoffs By TYLER MORTIMORE
tmortimore@lmcexperience.com
Los Medanos College students who were hooked on volleyball during the 2016 Rio Olympics won’t have to wait another four years to see more of the dynamic sport. Mustang Volleyball kicks off their preseason Friday, Sept. 2. The Mustangs were 13-11 overall last season—11-5 in conference— and were in the playoff hunt until the last game of the season, when they failed to upset first place Solano College in Fairfield. Last year’s team was a young one, with only four sophomores, and coach Lou Panzella says his team this year is his most experienced yet. “We have a lot of returning players and our freshmen players all played in high school,” said Panzella. “We also have 14 players this year, which is our biggest turnout as well.” The Mustangs have a busy preseason schedule with four doubleheaders scheduled in two weeks. They open against Consumnes River College at Ohlone College before playing the hosts on Sept. 2. They then travel to San Mateo College to face Skyline College and San Mateo on Sept. 7. The next doubleheader takes place at Monterey Peninsula College,
where the Mustangs play the hosts and then West Hills College. Their preseason wraps up in what will be an indubitably hot night in Chico when they play Butte College and Folsom College. Panzella explained that the busy preseason is due to a limit on the number on the number of days a team plays, but not the number of games played. “I’d rather get more games, more contact to prepare for the rest of the season,” said Panzella. The lack of preseason home games came down to uncertainty over the status of the LMC gym, which underwent renovations this summer. Work is still being done, but the majority of upgrades are complete. Athletic director Richard Villegas shared his expectations for the upcoming season. “It’s going to be a five-year process to really see how good he is as a coach. So, with the first year we are going to be supportive with him and what kind of a product he can put on the soccer field,” said Villegas. “It looks like a brand new gym,” said Panzella. The Mustangs start the season against last year’s conference Experience • Cathie Lawrence champions Solano College Friday, LMC’s Janessa Seei jumps up to hit the ball. Sept. 16.
that last year, but am getting better each day.” Taylor emphasized teamwork will be very important and is grateful to be able to push each other every day. Taylor went on to praise the LMC coaching staff. “I would like to add that we recognize the coaches because they do so much for us, not just as an athlete and a student, but help us grow into a man,” said Taylor. The coaching staff features more than 6 coaches which is led by Chris Shipe who is entering his seventh season as Head Coach of the Mustangs, but has been a coach at LMC for 15 years. The BVAL Coach of the Year in 2013 is known to have produced good rush offenses in the past and with an improved and focused quarterback this year it should create problems for opposing defenses. LMC Athletic Director Richard Villegas breifly touched on the Mustang coaches. “The coaches are working with the teams. They’re are developing them,” said Villegas. The Mustangs played for a championship in 2014 and will look to do the same this year as well. For more information on the football team’s upcoming season and schedule visit losmedanos.edu/football.
Garrett Belme GARRETT’S GRIPES
Manning not the best ever Now that we have had time to digest quarterback Peyton Manning’s legendary career, it’s time to determine if he is in fact the G.O.A.T.. In terms of numbers, the five-time league MVP is unmatched. He holds the career records for wins, passing yards, and passing touchdowns which on paper should leave little room for debate. He did the most of the three things you want your quarterback to do; pass for yards, pass for touchdowns, and most importantly, win. While all those things are nice, when compared to other quarterback frequently in discussion for best ever, it just doesn’t stack up. The first thing that needs to be addressed is Manning’s gaudy numbers. At first glance they look great, but when you add context to them they start to lose their shine. Not to down play Manning’s insane football IQ or his once in a generation abilities as a passer, but what he was able to accomplish in the record books was due in large part to the era in which he played. In this day almost all 32 teams want to throw the ball all over field. If everyone is passing more than ever before then it makes sense that the better quarterbacks are going to put up numbers never seen before. In just a 10 year period we saw the season passing touchdown record fall three times after not See BEST, page 6
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Back Talk LMCAS ORTIZ From page 1
voice’ pr ogram. Zeimer stressed the importance of participating in public decision-making regarding elections and provided options in where students could get involved in the voting process. “Overall, I think we had a great turnout,” said Castro, “I invited at least 20 people. I’m glad we had a lot of support and I’m excited for what we will be doing this semester.” Castro first became interested in joining LMCAS last spring after several of his colleagues told him there was a student government at LMC. He was required to complete a senator application, have at least a GPA of 2.0, be enrolled in 5 or more units, obtain 50 signatures from other students and was required to have attended one LMCAS meeting. Once he met the requirements, he underwent a public inter view during a senate meeting. LMCAS members would then vote next meeting following the inter view to determine whether or not he would be a part of the senate. Later, Castro showed interest in the officer position as the president of LMCAS began his official term June 1. “It was my first time that I actually had to campaign, to really meet the people and introduce myself,” said Castro regarding his campaign. “It made me feel like it was a legit election. Throughout the process I was able to see the lack of knowledge in students that there was a student government. And during the whole thing I thought it was interesting to hear different opinions on what LMC needs to work on.” Castro added, “I think that LMCAS has a lot of potential for now and for the future and I’m really honored to be in this position. I’m thankful for all the support I’ve received so far.” Castro hopes to see the LMCAS grow throughout the semester, as there are numerous vacant spots in the senate. LMCAS has a total of 15 senator positions and 5 officer positions. Only one of the five officer positions have been filled- by Castro himself- and there are only five senators within the senate: Natasha Garcia, Jose Hernandez Morales, Angela Lee, Tabitha Romero-Borthi, and as of Monday Aug. 22, Eliacin Velazquez. “It was a little nerve wracking- waiting through the weekbut they accepted me, so I’m excited to get to work,” said Velazquez regarding his initiation in the student senate, “Personally, I’d like to get started on a lot of programs here on campus.” “Right now we are contemplating on me being treasurer,” he added, “I have to wait my ten weeks before I can actually be eligible for the role. So I’ll be interning, learning the ropes and what exactly the job entails. And after a certain amount of time I will be interviewed for the role.” Castro encourages students who may be interested in joining the LMCAS. “LMCAS is really about students who are interested in something bigger than themselves. It is an opportunity to obtain experience, develop leadership, build your network and enhance your overall LMC experience. I would want to cordially invite anyone of these to come to our weekly meetings to recognize your voice and to make a difference.”
who will begin his new job as chancellor Dec. 19, added that the California Community Colleges are a part of his family and impacted who he has become. Along with his partner Terry Carball, all three of his eldest children started their college careers at one of the state’s public two-year educational institutions and he assured the room his youngest daughter would most likely follow that path as well. “So, you can see community college runs deep in my family, and it’s amazing to think that one generation ago there wasn’t much thought about going to college,” said Oakley. “And now there is nothing but the thought of going to college. That is the magic of our community colleges.” Oakley said he was proud to have the opportunity to serve California Community Colleges and help it transform the lives of California students the way the system did for him. And although he treasured its mission, he also made clear he would challenge it at times to make education better for the more than 2 million students at the 113 colleges in the 72 districts that makeup this educational system. A formal press release from the California Community
College Chancellor’s office was sent out the Tuesday following the board’s hiring decision, which also included the highest of praise from government and educational leaders. “The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges has made a spectacular choice,” said Ted Mitchell, under secretary of the U.S., Department of Education, who looks forward to working with the new chancellor. “Eloy Oakley is a proven leader of national stature. He has been a valued partner in the president’s effort to provide free community college to qualified students.” California’s governor, Jerry Brown, echoed Mitchell’s sentiments. “Eloy Oakley knows California’s community colleges inside and out and has served at every level in the system – from teaching in the classroom to running a campus as superintendent,” said Brown. “California’s 113 community colleges – and the 2.1 million students they serve – are in good hands.” According to the press release, Oakley will become the first Latino to be leader of the California Community Colleges. He will take the helm from Skinner, who took the position temporarily when Bruce W. Harris retired last April.
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they’re designed to be much more accessible for everybody here.” Brentwood students will notice new restrictions have been placed around the parking area surrounding the center. Parking spaces are now color coded to indicate whether they’re available for students to park. Any purple space will be available for student parking while yellow will require a permit for LMC staff and local business employees. Green will indicate time enforced parking and red is restricted. Despite the new restrictions, there will still be plenty of parking for students. “The new parking regulations implemented this fall were the direct result of many conversations with surrounding business and the City of Brentwood,” said LMC Vice President Kevin Horan. “It’s important for students at the Brentwood Center to know there is plenty of free street parking on close by Business Center Drive and Technology Way” Horan added.
is “very fortunate to have had the suppor t from the community over the past several years” –– taxpayers who agreed to pay for the new construction at LMC (and the other two colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District). “It’s a real investment for current and future students of our service area.” Kratochvil said by having remodeled and refurbished classrooms, instr uctional facilities could provide a more welcoming environment for students. “Having newer classrooms and instructional space is critical to improving success for our students,” he said. This new construction is able to allow LMC to respond to growth in enrollment that the school expects in continuing years. “Improving facilities and infrastr ucture at LMC is helping provide the necessary tools for our faculty, staff and managers to help our students succeed.”
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BIBLE From page 3
billion bibles. Watson, who has been working for Gideons for 20 years, and his partner, who has been working for 5 years, distribute bibles to anyone who will take them. “I’m doing this for the Lord, not myself,” Dan said, “Matthew 28 calls us to make disciples so that’s what we’re doing as followers of Christ.” The typical response to their question, “Would you like a free bible?” was “No,” or “I already have one.” Venturing further onto the campus, the bibles were found scattered around. A student collected a few and returned them to Donald. “I didn’t take one because I have plenty at home,” said student Erin Palmer, “I believe
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this is a good concept, but just passing them out won’t do much because as college students, we already have a lot on our plates and unless someone already has previous religious affiliations I don’t think it will do too much.”
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falling once for 18 years. When put in perspective, Manning’s record 55 touchdown passes in 2013 looks less impressive than Y.A. Tittle’s then record 36 touchdown passes in 1963. One of the biggest factors in deciding the greatest in any sport is how many championships you win. While rings are not everything, quarterback Dan Marino has none as is look at by many as a potential best ever, and quarterback Terry Bradshaw has four and is rarely looked at as the best ever, they should play a big role in determining the greatest of all time. While Manning ended his career with a walk off second championship, it doesn’t over shadow the fact that his poor play in big games cost his teams a chance at a ring. It is well documented that early in his career Manning couldn’t get it done in the playoffs against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, playing poorly and getting knocked out in both 2003 and 2004. But his poor postseason play didn’t stop there. For how great he is, Manning’s poor play in the 2009 Super Bowl, and 2012 and 2014 playoffs cost his teams a shot a ring as he threw awful interceptions late in the game in 2009 and 2012. This isn’t to say that Brady and Montana never threw games away, (Brady threw away the 2006 AFC championship game against Manning.) but it got to a point with Peyton where late in the game you almost expected him to throw a big pick in a bad place. In short, while he may have put up crazy numbers, Peyton Manning inflated stats are product of the era he played in and other quarterbacks came up big in big moments more frequently.
GRAD From page 3
piece of advice: “Believe in yourself so that others may come in contact with you and find inspiration to believe in themselves.” After, Borracio took the stage to talk about all the ways LMC has had a positive impact on her life. She also expressed how proud she is of her fellow graduates. “Go show the world your Mustang awesomeness and when you make it to the top, don’t forget the community college that shaped us into the scholars we have become.” The big moment arrived. Academic Senate president Silvester Henderson, Business Department faculty member Elizabeth Perman and Vocational Technology Department faculty member Leonard Price announced the graduates. Kratochvil closed the ceremony and with a celebratory cheer, the newly graduated class of 2016 was set free to explore new ventures.
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send him letters about their own experiences. He then knew he wasn’t alone. “After awhile, I began to feel like there was hope for me,” he said. “I wasn’t out of the woods yet, but the hope was there.” Marsha was the first person he told. At first, she was upset. “I wasn’t angry that he was a crossdresser, I was angry because he hadn’t told me.” After getting over her anger, she understood him better. “I love him more today than I did at the beginning,” she said. She cited their friendship as a huge part of why they are still together. She’d been married once before and had no interest in remarr ying. Marsha said she and Richard were “good friends before they were lovers,” but even when they started dating, she was hesitant about marriage. However, she eventually came to the realization, with the help of a good friend that Richard was worth marrying. “I love his mind. He’s a very bright man,” she said. When asked by one of the attendees if he and his wife fought over clothes, he said, “We don’t fight, we share.” Marsha joked. “He only recently started raiding my closet.” Before he let anyone else see him dressed, he wanted to make sure it sank in first. “I wanted them to know intellectually before they saw me cross-dress.” He read his loved ones his coming out poem “Do You Love Me?” “Most people have been accepting,” said Molling. He goes out with his wife and his friends. They jokingly refer to him as their boyfriend. He said his family accepts him for the most part. He has one brother who’s accepting and another brother who “doesn’t wanna hear about it, much less see it.” He joked that because his other brother doesn’t accept him, “God got even and gave him a gay son.” Despite minor instances of discomfort, Molling began to feel more and more confident about who he was. Using the pen name Rachel Miller, he authored a gender community best seller, “The Bliss of Becoming One!” published in 1996. Molling couldn’t sell his book to the crossdressing community because “full integration wasn’t a part of the community.” People were content with keeping their crossdressing lives separate from everything else. Still, he and his wife have spoken at many cross-dressing events as well as at universities and religious organizations. Molling noted that his coming out led people to feel safer. Marsha said men usually have a harder time coming to terms with it. “There’s no suppor t for them to know they’re okay,”
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said Marsha. Molling noted that it isn’t always easy to blend in at the events he’s asked to speak at. “I am not a typical cross-dresser. The goal of every cross-dresser I’ve met is to pass for a woman.” He’s been called out for not wearing wigs or and “appropriate amount of makeup. “I just wanted to feel okay about wearing a dress,” he said. “I don’t fit in to a box.” “You’re definitely a trailblazer in that sense. Your situation is unique … you’re one aspect of the continuum,” said Mitchell-Matthews. One person asked if he used the men or women’s restroom. “I’m a man—I go to the men’s bathroom,” said Molling. Richard and Marsha said there are places where they don’t exactly feel comfortable and Richard doesn’t dress up in certain settings. “We don’t go to places where there would be problems,” he said. Marsha said her husband Richard is from Wisconsin and is very different from where they live now. “Going back and visiting was like stepping back into the 1950s,” she said. She’s grateful they live in California, which she calls a “wonderland.” Molling said he visited DVC awhile back and had no problems or strange experiences there outside of a little staring. He talked about while walking around LMC’s campus, a woman tried to look up his skirt. “Straight women love crossdressers” said former Associated Student President and former Contra Costa Community College District Student Trustee Gary Walker-Roberts, who also expressed his appreciation for dressing up as a woman. Walker-Roberts, who expressed his interest in morbid topics, then asked if Molling wanted to be buried in men or women’s clothing. Richard said he hadn’t thought about it. One other person attending the workshop talked about how her dad, a preacher, eulogized a man who was buried in a suit and high heels. LMC history instructor Josh Bearden used Maya Angelou’s “I know why the caged Bird sings” to parallel issues facing African Americans and the LGBTQ community. He pointed out the similarities in Molling’s self-discover y and Angelou’s self-discovery. Walker-Roberts said that accepting who you are is a lifetime journey since human beings “are always metamorphasizing.” He said life is made up of moments where you are “constantly falling in love with yourself.” Molling said, “When I was younger, I used to think I was the only one who didn’t have their shi— together,” he said. “Now that I’m older, I know that’s not exactly true.” The workshop ended, Molling and his wife stayed behind to answer questions.