LMC Experience Vol. 97 No. 7 - Dec. 2, 2022

F.Y.I.

Important Dates

Interim president selected

Decision to be made official Dec. 14

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

Dec. 9

Last day of Instruction. Enjoy the winter break.

Dec. 25

Christmas. Celebrate though gift giving and being with friends and family.

After a lengthy process of reviewing applications and holding interviews, Los Medanos College’s new interim president has officially been chosen. Interim Chancellor Mojdah Mehdizadeh and the LMC selection committee have decided to recommend Dr. Pamela Ralston as LMC’s new interim president once current LMC President Bob Kratochvil retires at the end of this calendar year.

The announcement for the position of LMC Interim President was first made Sept. 26, with interviews being conducted all day Nov. 2 to see which

candidate Mehdizadeh and the LMC selection committee would recommend for the interim position. Ultimately, they landed on Ralston as the person they thought should fill that role.

Ralston has been involved in academics for years and has experience working as the president of a community college before having recently served as president of Santiago Canyon College from June 2021 to July 2022. She also has experience being the Interim Vice President and later permanent Vice President, at the Santa Barbara City College from June 2018 to June 2021.

Her educational background

includes a Bachelor of English Language and Literature, which she received after attending the University of Oregon and a PhD in Comparative Literature and Ethnic Studies, which she received after attending the University of Washington.

Ralston was not available for comment as interviews will not be granted until after the final approval for her to become LMC Interim President is made.

Ralston has exhibited the values that all students are important. In a video from Santiago Canyon College made this year, Ralston is featured in the video welcoming students back for their spring semester

with her stressing how “each student matters.”

Final approval for the recommendation of Ralston as LMC’s Interim President will be agreed upon during a Dec 14 Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board meeting. During this, the specificities of the contract, such as the length and compensation level, will be discussed and confirmed, said Public Information Officer Tim Leong.

The agenda will be posted approximately a week before the Dec. 14 meeting and will have the proposed contract for Ralston included within it.

As of now, there are current-

‘Delta Energy’ exhibit stays open

The “Delta Energy” exhibit will remain open though winter break until Jan. 16. The exhibit can be found in the LMC Library and is open Monday though Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free for all.

LMC marketplace closes for winter

The LMC Markeplace will be closing its doors for the holidays on Dec. 5. They will reopen on Jan. 8, 2023 before the spring semester begins.

Student Union building to close

The Student Union will close its doors for the semester Dec. 21 and re-open Jan. 2, 2023. Remote services will be provided Jan 3–6, 2023 with in-person services returning Jan. 9, 2023.

LMC lands deal for food trucks

By KAI ARELLANO Staff Writer

LMC will now have a food truck every Tuesday in front of the library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. To kick it off, LMC were able to have the local food truck “Groovy Gorditas” come on campus for all students and staff to enjoy. With a widespread menu, the college community can enjoy a wide variety of Mexican cuisine and put down the convenience store snacks.

The truck itself was a surprise to many as it was in the main parking lot where most students park. It was exciting for so many students because the cafeteria has been closed since the pandemic and nobody knows when it’ll open up again. Having access to a food

truck makes it nice to come to school and eat on campus.

“This is our first time being here,” said Seth Saoceda, who manned the register and took orders. He was excited to come to LMC but was nervous at first. Saoceda explained that his mother started the food truck a year and a half ago and wanted to bring authentic Mexican food to her local town.

“When we landed the gig of coming here for lunch we were kind of nervous about how big it was going to be but we’re really happy with the turnout,” said Saoceda.

Students hurried over to the food truck because it was something new. They were all excited to try the food

from the truck.

“I feel like the food trucks would be an interesting take,” said student Leonardo Estevez as he enjoyed his chicken gordita. He continued with how he wants more food trucks on campus and that it’s a better way to get more food instead of going to the student bookstore. “I think this is the best spot. Most students usually park here and it’s arguably the best spot to put the truck here.”

“I’ve seen this truck at other food truck events,” said student Michael Boushuy as he waited for his order. He followed up with how he’s had their food before and it was great classic Mexican food.

“When I walked out of class it was a

Dr. Pamela Ralson has experience having served as president of Santiago Canyon College.

ly plans underway to start a national search during the Spring 2023 semester for a permanent LMC president.

For those interested in reading the meeting agenda, it can be found on the Governing Board website.

Police report tells story

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

Los Medanos College custodial workers filed a complaint against their custodial manager after he allegedly issued a threat, leaving some feeling unsafe to even go into work.

In the complaint filed with the Contra Costa Community College District Police Department, custodial manager Frank Ichigaya is alleged to have issued a death threat in a conversation with a worker during a private meeting in the manager’s office.

The Los Medanos College Experience requested a copy of the Criminal Case Report, dated June 23, 2022, following social media posts in October about a manager’s alleged history of using insensitive remarks about “Black people.”

The college came under fire on social media, prompting a rare response from LMC President Bob Kratochvil in an email on Oct. 23 to the college community.

“We remain deeply committed to the critical work of rooting out systemic racism, inequality, and anti-Blackness at LMC,” Kratochvil wrote. “We strive to provide an equitable learning and working envi -

LMC football team finishes season strong despite bad

‘Strange World’ creates a new world full of mystery

Some staff feel unsafe

Kai Arellano • Experience

Seth Saoceda (at cash register)

taking orders for the Groovy Gorditas Truck as the line grows for their food.

Perspectives

Jaden Fortier

We rely too much on technology

It feels like nowadays, our attention spans are shorter now than they have ever been during this boom in technology. We have so much information at our fingertips now that whenever something doesn’t hold our attention for more than a few seconds we just keep scrolling or searching until we find something else that we get bored with in a similar amount of time.

We can learn so many new things that it would be so much harder to find without the use of technology. I can order food to my house, purchase a TV online, watch my favorite sports teams play and talk to my family through text, just with the click of a couple buttons.

The capabilities our technology has nowadays is practically endless due to the amount of great advances we have made over the years.

Technology has made everything so much more convenient for us. This is kind of part of the problem.

A relatively recent study done by Microsoft a year ago found that the average human attention span has dropped to 8.25 seconds, which is a 25% decrease from previous years. For reference, the average human attention span was 12 seconds in 2000. On paper this seems bad, but it gets even worse when you compare it to the fact that the average attention for a goldfish is 9 seconds.

If all of this information is true, which is the consensus thought, we now have a worse attention span than an animal whose brain is so much smaller than ours. Why is that?

Often, the simplest answer is usually the correct one. Our daily lives are constantly surrounded by technology. We use technology for our jobs, personal pleasure, and so many other things.

It’s near impossible to go a full day without using technology at least once, and I am completely guilty of this.

I realize this overuse of technology on my part whenever I receive my weekly notifications on my phone about how many hours of screen time I had within the last week.

Every time I see the number, I realize just how much time I spent on my phone that I didn’t even notice I was doing. For my most recent screen time this week, I spent a total of 14 hours and 10 minutes on my phone. The two apps I’ve spent the most time on are Messages and YouTube, which make the most sense because Messages is the way I communicate with others the most and I often use YouTube videos as background noise when I do my homework.

It would be flat out dishonest for me to look at that number I just mentioned and for me to say that there isn’t at least the tiniest bit of overuse of technology for myself, and I know other people experience this as well. Dr Sharon Horwood, who is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at Deakin University, conducted a study on problematic phone usage in 2018 where 33% of respondents admitted to feeling anxious or nervous if they didn’t check their phone within a certain time frame.

We have the constant need to check what’s going on so much that it’s caused people anxiety. This goes to show how much power our technology has over us. This does not necessarily mean that technology is all bad, though.

There are, of course, benefits to having so much technology around us all the time. It’s an important part of our lives, I am certainly not denying that element.

I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if I had to handwrite everything and was never allowed to use a phone or a computer to type. In the times we live in, we have more access to information that we have ever had in the history of humankind.

Nevertheless, it is still important that we recognize the extent of our technological uses and how excessive they can be.

lEttErS tO thE EditOr

A retort on racism problem

DEAR EDITOR:

News that recently caught my eye was “LMC reacts to the situation” about racism. This has been an issue for many years, not just at LMC, but around the world. The news was about an incident in which a video was posted Oct. 21 on ‘TikTok’ that included an audio recording of an alleged LMC manager making insensitive remarks toward Black people.

I was shocked that racism is so close that even the people expected to not follow that wave are being involved, too — especially those in charge at a college that is so diverse. The good thing is that many leaders on campus are responding to this situation and are working to make the school as equal as it can be. It surprised me that other schools have faced this problem too.

I have not seen the video of the manager who acted that way nor do I want to see it because what it will really do is probably anger me.

This was a really good post because it’s highlighting issues at LMC and it’s putting it out there for the public to see. The way LMC is responding to the issue makes me proud to still be a student. The way they take their students into consideration by the two-hour long assembly gave Dr. Hollis and the college the opportunity to directly address questions and comments

ExpEriEncE Staff

Editor-in-Chief ...............MICHAEL BENEDIAN

Managing Editor .....................KAI ARELLANO

Perspectives Editor ................KAI ARELLANO Campus Editor .......................JADEN FORTIER Features Editor .....................TREY HINCKLEY

Arts & Culture Editor .....MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Sports Editor ......................JUAN CEBREIROS

from members of the college community while also allowing them to explain how they would like the college to respond to the situation. This brings the whole community of college together to fight against matters like these.

End of the semester study slam

DEAR EDITOR:

These last couple weeks of the semester can really feel like we are put on a time crunch. It can feel discouraging to pull through with the flood of assignments and finals. In times of stress some of us may also feel that it is too late to put in that extra effort. I encourage you all to reach out to your professors about what is bothering you. Even if you are not able to find the solution to your pre-existing low grade. Now is the perfect time to seek out tutoring and workshops to really give your finals all that you’ve got!

For those who have a written final, now is also the time to schedule a time slot with a reading and writing consultant. Some classes may require this to pair with the assignment. Reach out to peers in your classes and exchanging notes and study methods.

—Sydney Amaral

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, drop them off in Room CC3-301 or email them to LosMedanos.Experience@gmail.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.

What are your goals for 2023?

Britney Smookler

Cancel the urge to cancel others

One day you wake up and look at your phone to suddenly see thousands of verbal attacks about something you did or said. Social media allows people to publicly shame others — mainly celebrities and public figures — for unfavorable behavior with no repercussions. It takes just minutes and is without human interaction. Cancel culture has become a serious issue that not only affects our mental health, but builds toxic traits that block us from moving forward and becoming better people.

Canceling has become collective bullying where individuals involved make cruel comments to a victim, including unacceptable statements about their character — and even death threats.

It feels as if the whole internet is against you. Research from Stopbullying indicates that cyberbullying victimization has been associated with increased depression, anxiety and feelings of isolation.

According to a national poll commissioned by Times Opinion and Siena College, about a third of young adults admitted that they harshly criticized someone because of something that person said. When people hear things they do not like or agree with, they jump to conclusions and leave no room for the person to grow and learn. This creates an environment that denies the opportunity for those who made a mistake to correct their behavior. Furthermore, it creates an environment where people are afraid to speak up about what they believe because they are fearful of becoming the next person canceled.

There have been several instances in which people who stand up for what they believe have been quickly shunned. For instance, when ex-football star Colin Kaepernick took a knee before a game to stand for the movement addressing the social injustices and oppression Black people face in America, he was canceled. This resulted in him losing a career in the sport he trained for his whole life. Fans of Kaepernick became his cancelers, all because they defined him based on something they did not agree with and they were not willing to try to understand.

Cancel culture has caused us to become less understanding and if we cannot be understanding, then we will be afraid to share our points of view.

When a child makes a mistake, they are given the opportunity to apologize, make amends and use their mistake as a way to learn and grow. We should not deny that same opportunity to adults.

As former President Barack Obama once said: “The world is messy, there are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws.”

Kai Arellano • Experience

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”

— Dr. Dwayne W. Dyer

“Focus on my major which is automotives and influence others around me.”

— Anthony Hernandez

“Transfer and graduating from Chico State or San Francisco State.”

— Saidy Azeituno

“Keep going to LMC and finish my classes as soon as possible.”

— Angel Castillo

“I’m a psychology major and hopefully I get my associate’s and get to transfer by then.”

— Minelly Padlan

“For the new year is getting better grades and looking into more colleges.”

— Andy Kharsa

“Save money to transfer to college and get to know my father’s side of the family.”

— Lauren Gannod

— Jorge Alba

“Skills are cheap. Passion is priceless.” — Gary Vaynerchuk

Newswatch

CSU East Bay coming to LMC

Get the chance to speak with Cal State East Bay representative Jamee Robbins when the college comes to LMC on Dec. 6. Robbins will be set up in the Student Union at the LMC Pittsburg campus, where students will be able to ask Robbins questions and can receive information about CSU East Bay. They will be there from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Pop Up Pantry being hosted

The LMC Marketplace is hosting a Pop Up Pantry for any students on campus to do last minute shopping from the Student Union before Winter Break. Those in need can head over to the Student Union Conference Center, room SU 106, at the LMC Pittsburg campus December 6. The pantry will be set up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speak with Saint Mary representative

Those interested in attending Saint Mary’s College can get the chance to learn more about the college when representative Memphis Latchison comes to the LMC Pittsburg campus Dec. 7. Students will be able to ask questions and learn more information about the college. Latchison will be set up in the Student Union from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Earn college credits for your job

Los Medanos College’s Work Experience Education program or WRKX, allows students to earn college units for their job, internship or volunteer experience. They are hosting a Zoom meeting on Dec. 7 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Students interested in the program can attend this orientation to see if the program is right for them. To join the Zoom, go to https://4cd.zoom.us/j/4782583056.

Register for spring classes

Dec. 7 is the day that students who are a part of spring 2023 Group 4 registration can apply for their spring classes. Students that belong to this group are continuing and returning students with over 100 degree applicable units completed within the district or on second semester probation or dismissal through InSite. Make sure to sign up for classes as soon as you can to not have to worry about being waitlisted or missing out on a class.

Baskets full of holiday cheer

By KAI ARELLANO Staff Writer

LMC held its fifth annual Thanksgiving basket giveaway on the first level of the Student Union. They had a wide spread of food that people could take home. There were baskets full of bread, vegetables, meats and even a turkey if you requested one. This was started to help students who can’t afford or live by the bare necessities of other students and can have a Thanksgiving on their own or with their families.

People couldn’t just go and take food though. You had to RSVP in order to get a basket. With 150 RSVPs, they had food for all 150 people.

“We gave out 40 or so,” said head of Student life Teresea Archaga. She explained how everyone got emails to come and grab a basket at the school.

“We have quite a few to distribute,” said Archaga.

Everyone on the RSVP list didn’t show up at once, as people came through in different waves at different times. So far there, might have been a lot of baskets that hadn’t been given away.

“Reminder emails were sent out to those who RSVP’d,” said Archaga. She wants to make sure that those who were on the list get what they asked for so the food doesn’t go to waste.

Those who didn’t know about the event could come and write their name on a waitlist if there’s any food left over.

“Whatever is left over is going to be up for grabs,” said Archaga. She explained that those who have their name on there get first priority and anyone who comes after can come and get food as well.

The event didn’t come to fruition

Luigi Aficial’s hobby turned to a passion

The eyes behind the camera

By: ALIYAH RAMIREZ Staff Writer

recently, as it has been around for some time now. When the event first started, it was an EMOJA scholars’ program years ago. At the time, it was all separate until it combined with the LMC food pantry. As of now, it’s been this way ever since spring of 2017.

“It just made sense to collaborate with that program,” said Archaga. She continued and said that this has expanded to the honors program, EOPS and LMCAS.

“There’s now a lot of us working to put these baskets together.”

The giveaway, gradually, had more people join in and receive food. Archaga was happy to help each and every family who RSVP’d for a basket. She gave them many options among the various food choices that were available for everybody.

Archaga wanted everyone to take care and have a happy holiday.

Attend PTEC Open House

Los Medanos College’s Process Technology Program is hosting a series of virtual and in-person information sessions on what they have to offer. The next installment in this series takes place Dec. 7 from noon to 1 p.m. Students interested will learn skills that they need to launch a successful career in an important sector of our economy. Students can find the Zoom link on the LMC website’s calendar.

What’s lost can be found

Los Medanos College lost and found has numerous items on campus. If you have lost an item, check with police services, which is located in the Campus Safety Building at the front of the LMC campus in Parking Lot A.

News briefs needed for print

If you have a news story, tip, or college news related idea for consideration for publication here’s what to do: stop by the Journalism Lab (room CC3-301) on the main level or email Editor-in-Chief Michael Benedian at mabenedian@gmail.com.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

As the music blazes across the arena of students filling the stands, the lights beam and fireworks shoot toward the sky as the San Jose State University football team runs across the bright green field. Capturing the momentous pregame on film, Luigi Aficial chases behind the players rushing with adrenaline as chills race throughout his body.

For most college students, one football game is no different from the next, but for LMC student Aficial, experiencing San Jose State’s football game brought a bit of a “culture shock” since, for him, it was stepping onto the university field for the first time. As a sports fan all his life, he was inspired to explore opportunities within professional sports in the less traditional sense, outside of a jersey number.

An interest in sports and the creative freedom of photography led Aficial to turn his interest into a passion. Working toward his business administration associates for transfer, Aficial has developed skills in how to manage and organize projects and remain focused on turning his love of the creative arts into a future career.

Aficial picked up his parents’ old camera during his junior year of high school for fun. It had been collecting dust in the closet, so he put it to use shooting a multitude of school and family events, building up his experience and getting his name out there. It was not until he shot his first sports project, his outlook on photography changed from being more than single images. Instead, he focused on creating a meaningful impact for his audience.

However, with his Filipino family custom of focusing one’s career into a practical field, which in most cases is healthcare related, his parents did not see videography as a realistic career. Aficial describes his parents’ mindset of their son’s career to be in nursing, “as the way to get out of your circumstances and to give your family a better life.” This made it harder for them to see the creative industry as a way to reach success.

Determined to make a name for himself, Aficial worked throughout his first years at LMC to save up enough money for a better camera and other photo equipment, while perfecting his craft along the way. By developing his passion into more than a hobby, Aficial’s parents were

able to see that a traditional career is not the only way to be successful.

“As a photographer, videographer, it really embodies how I want more Filipinos to broaden their horizons when it comes to career interests,” said Aficial. “You don’t have to rely solely on just your culture to define who you can become as an individual. It’s something that I’m using as motivation to transcend it as well.”

Three years after he posted

his first sports edit, his eyes brightened as he reflected on his journey to continue his passion in creating a new outlook on sports coverage.

Taking players and making their journeys stand out both in and out of the game takes immense creativity. Expressing your individuality with each photo or video is what his inspiration, Cameron Look, does to stand out within the creative industry. A trailblazer

Kai Arellano Experience

Earl Hudson (left) and Honeymeil Montecillo (right) organize the Thanksgiving baskets for the annual giveaway.

Photo courtesy of Luigi Aficial

Luigi Aficial covering a San Jose State football game.

Los Medanos College Calendar

The PTEC Program provides hands-on learning.

Art in the garden

Old barn gets final touches

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

After two months of preparation and planning, Eric Sanchez’s Art 10 2D Design class are starting the final phase of their Mural project for the Rivertown Garden Site. For the next two weeks, Sanchez and his students will be working on painting art on the barn at the local garden located next to Antioch High School. It’s the culmination of the Los Medanos College students’ hard work and creativity finally coming to fruition.

Back on Oct. 6, Sanchez and his students visited the local garden to get measurements and a run down of how they want to approach this project. With support from the Contra Costa Master Gardeners and each other, the class each split into teams and tackled different aspects of the garden, from looking at tools for inspiration, speaking to the gardeners about the process of gardening and taking accurate measurements of the barn. During this time, LMC student Jaden Peralta expressed his nervousness about this project considering that this is the class’s first ever big assignment.

Fast forward two months after that, Peralta didn’t show hesitation like he said but instead confidence when it finally came time to painting. The extra preparation time proved to be useful as all the students who were present at the garden site to work on this project knew exactly what to do, even when Sanchez stepped out to return to LMC to grab extra supplies. Many of the tools that students utilized to paint came from LMC and were helpful in making the long painting sessions as comfortable as possible such as the scaffolding, courtesy of the Drama Department.

Using what they learned from their inspection of the garden site, they laid out a plan of how to approach painting their mural. LMC student Anna Capperauld shares that their inspection that occurred in Oct. allowed each team to come up with a design for the mural, which then the class voted on the most popular.

“We had a bunch of groups and then we picked the best design so now we’re doing that,” said Capperauld. “There’s five of us now so each one has picked a side.”

Capperauld said that each side of the barn will have a different design but will be related to gardening, with each design coming from a different team.

“We’re gonna have some people and some vegetables with one [design] that’s a watering can,” said Capperauld. “Other ones are gonna be more fruits and vegetables and stuff like that and then the other side is going

“As a journalist, the details always tell the story.”

— James McBride

Art 10 2D design student Mark Ronas starts applying the base layer of blue paint on the side of the barn for the mural.

Photos by Michael Benedian Experience Above and left: The Art 10 2D design students start blending the colors together and adding more elements and designs to the barn before packing up for the day. Anna Capperauld refills the paint roller bin for the roller brushes and other students to continue painting the barn.

Left: Eric Sanchez shows student Christian Munoz the design plans for the barn.

Arts & Culture

‘Strange World’ a cavernous mystery

Enter a place created to get

you enthralled

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

“Strange World” is a highly unique and eerie film that follows the son of a famous explorer as he tries to protect his discovery, while being on an expedition to the other side of an unconquerable mountain outside their city.

The plot was understandable to follow and it made the film more intense than intended. It gave the main characters more emotions and actions throughout the movie to show the hardship they faced during the adventure.

The main characters in the movie showed their grit to get their objective completed.

Searcher Cade, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, is the one who is the leader of the explorers looking to try and protect his discovery, an electrical plant that can power a whole city by itself. He is on the expedition with his son Ethan Cade, portrayed by Jaboukie YoungWhite, his wife Meridian Cade, portrayed by Gabrielle Union, and Callisto Mal, portrayed by Lucy Liu. They all went on to attempt to protect the plant to keep their city working.

Searcher Cade had to endure his son trying to be his own man while also being the decision maker for the entire trip into a mysterious cave. His father was lost and thought to be dead after he went into that same cave they are entering. The cave led into a whole new world that contained animals that would attempt to kill them all or aid them in their expedition.

The film showed the combination of action, adventure, and comedy in a way that made fans enjoy everything that occurred within the

movie. They viewed the movie as an enjoyable, fun, and quirky experience that assisted the movie more than hurt. The film featured many different aspects that a great action movie would have: the dangers of death, a plot twist at the end to change the ending, and a happy ending for the heroes.

REVIEW REVIEW

The movie as a whole was interesting to watch when you view it as an enjoyable family-intended feature in theaters. It’s meant as a movie for kids to enjoy, but it has scenes that relate heavily for young adults heading into adulthood. It’s one of those movies that is created for everyone to appreciate no matter

the age of the viewer.

This is the kind of movie that anyone could watch because it’s something to enjoy while being with family and friends. It’s a movie that gives you the excitement of the character going on an adventure and learning about the true villain and beating it in an exciting way.

Netflix film amazes

‘Glass Onion’ twists your brain

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is an exceptionally erratic film that centers around a murder that is meant to be solved by a group of well-known friends. This movie contained many plot twists as it made the viewers look at the smallest details to figure out the true killer.

Unfortunately for the killer, a known detective who is seen as the “greatest detective ever,” was unknowingly invited to the island to derail the killer’s motive. This detective is known as Benoit Blanc portrayed by Daniel Craig who is famously

Addams family reimagined

By TREY HINCKLEY Staff Writer

Netflix released “Wednesday,” the latest adaptation of the Addams Family, which follows the coming-of-age story of Wednesday Addams.

The show is created by Alfred Gough and Miles Milar, with Tim Burton serving as Executive Producer, and Jenna Ortega as the title character. What was provided by these talented people was a show that will be talked about for a considerable amount of time.

“Wednesday” takes the more family friendly approach that the classics had, and gave

it a more grim and violent twist. The show starts with Wednesday dumping a bunch of piranhas into a pool filled with water polo boys, who bullied her little brother Pugsley. She is then expelled and forced to go to ‘Nevermore Academy’, a school that is full of outcasts who have unique abilities. The unique ability that Wednesday is flashes of bad pasts or futures (which is how she found out what happened to her brother), but she does not yet know how she conjures the visions or to control them.

Throughout the show Wednesday meets many different new characters, such as her bright and polar opposite

roommate Enid, who is a werewolf that has yet to fully become one, and an enemy in Bianca, a Siren who matches the same intelligence as Wednesday and engages in different types of activity battles throughout the show.

There are many great things to say about “Wednesday.” The cinematography is spectacular, with many different shots throughout the show that really catches the viewer’s eyes. There are also a couple of great set designs in the show, such as ‘Nevermore Academy’ itself, and the room that Enid and Wednesday share, where they split their room 50/50,

known for his role as James Bond in the 2021 film “No Time to Die.”

The plot for the movie was similar to that of the previous movie titled “Knives Out” where Benoit Blanc was invited to solve the case of the death of the grandfather who owned a mansion. It both ended in similar ways, and it showed the true genius behind Blanc’s ability to find the killer and their motive.

The movie had that feeling of unpredictable incidents that had the viewers gasp at who the killer is. The motive was shown in the tiny details throughout the movie and portrayed the killer as this “Genius puzzle maker” when really the motive was

“Nothing happens to anyone that he is not fitted by nature to bear.” — Maximus in “Gladiator”

Courtesy of IMDB

Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher Cade travels with his crew to the heart of an energy source to protect it from misunderstood monsters.

Courtesy of IMDB

Miles Bron, portrayed by Edward Norton, explains the rules for his murder mystery game to his friends.

Jenna Ortega (third from left) stars as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s “Wednesday.”

Arts & Culture Artistic perspectives

The Los Medanos College Experience hosted an editorial cartoon contest this fall, and a selection of the finalists are featured in this cartoon gallery. Some were drawn in color and others in black and white, but you can view those in color in the online edition at lmcexperience.com. If you would like to see your work in publication, join the Experience staff. Contact adviser Cindy McGrath for more information at cmcgrath@losmedanos.edu or sign up for Journalism 129 in the spring.

“When you’re worried about ‘outdoing’ the next person, yout goals and energy are out of focus.” — Alex Elle

Editorial cartoon by artist Alexis Ramirez

Editorial cartoon by artist Emily La Russa

Editorial cartoon by artist Aye Thwe

Editorial cartoon by artist Jessica Melendez

Editorial cartoon by artist Shuichi Tendilla

Editorial cartoon by artist Gisell Noguera

Rest

ONION

From page 5

was simple, and the kills were made on-the-spot. It didn’t lack creativity, however, because it made the killer seem intelligent and confused the other characters.

Benoit Blanc wasn’t fooled at any point because he found the true killer faster than he did in the first movie. It shows the intelligence Blanc has while also showing the true absurdity for the killer.

The characters in the movie had different personalities and that led into the reason why the killer would do what he did. The one standout for this movie would be Daniel Craig who portrayed Benoit Blanc. The difficulty in showcasing the intelligence alongside his quirkiness was played so well in the mind of Daniel Craig. He knows how to play a sherlock-like character and give the viewers a better perception of his character in the movie. Other standouts in the movie were Andi Brand who was portrayed by Janelle Monáe and Miles Bron who was portrayed by Edward Norton.

The movie displayed the true personality of how each character would react to a murder where the friends would grieve another friend’s death where they would react nonchalantly when someone outside their friend group would die. It’s a huge turnaround of feelings when it occurred.

The movie officially came out to theatres on November 23 for a week before releasing again but this time on Netflix starting December 23, two days before Christmas.

I would recommend watching the movie when it comes out on Netflix because of its comedy, mystery, and quirkiness throughout. It’s a movie that’ll make you laugh and make you notice the smallest of things that you wouldn’t think of having it being part of the solution.

DESIGN

From page 4

to be more like a community side.”

Due to the nature of this project, it’s not possible for Sanchez’s class to work on this mural only during class time so students of Art 10 were given the opportunity to pick times Monday through Friday where they were free and could come work on the mural. He hopes that this flexibility for his students will allow them to finish the mural before the end of the semester, but has a feeling that bad weather could potentially delay this project from finishing in time. Despite that, Sanchez has full faith in his students’ ability to finish this mural.

“As a backup I have three students who can volunteer to help after the semester ends,” Sanchez said.

The hard work that LMC’s Art Department is putting into this mural is not going unnoticed and will no doubt wow the Rivertown Garden Site. The color, art and creativity that is being showcased through this project is a testament that the LMC community fosters very talented students and the Antioch gardening community just can’t wait to see the end result.

with Enid having bright, vibrant colors in her half, and Wednesday having nothing but grim, black colors on hers.

The biggest highlight of the show is the excellent performance given by Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams. She gives so many great deadpan lines and performs the soulless facial expression of Wednesday Addams’ to a tee, that her fellow co-star Christina Ricci, who originally played Wednesday Addams in the ‘90s films, can’t help but be impressed by. There isn’t anyone else that could have played the titular character better than Ortega.

Another highlight is the score played throughout the show, anchored by the great Danny Elfman. There are many moments in which Wednesday is playing different classic rock songs on her cello. “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones and “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica fit the tone of the show so well.

A couple of faults in the show are certain dragging points in the middle of the season. The show starts off red hot in the first couple of episodes, so to have a point where the show slows down can leave one patiently waiting for the show to ramp up the adrenaline again, which it successfully does in the final two episodes.

Another criticism has to go to the CGI effect to the main monster of the show, which in certain shots look a little silly when compared to some of the other great shots provided by the show. It could be an ode to the wonky effects from the old classics, but it could leave a bitter taste to some viewers who expect a better look.

Overall, Netflix has yet another show that will have many viewers raving about for a while. ‘Wednesday’ has it all; great performances, score, story, and cinematography that deserves all the praise that it can get. There is no denying that there will be a second season of the show in the works soon enough, and Jenna Ortega is going to be a major star for years to come thanks to her woeful performance as Wednesday Addams.

SOCCER

From page 8

conference was positive. They led their conference in goals, assists, saves, save percentage, and points.

The players also had amazing individual seasons with Kim Garcia and Tatiana Elsea both cracking the double digit mark in goals scored with 15 and 11. The two of them also combined for 62 of the teams 119 points on the season. Sam Nash played the most goalie on the squad tallying up 81 saves on the season and completing 4 shutouts, and helped finish off a 5th.

At home the team played well by winning six games and dropping only two. The team saw more struggles when traveling, finishing at just 3-3 and dropping their playoff match on the road as well. The struggles in non-conference play however cut this team’s season short and something they will look to improve upon come next season.

FOOD

From page 1

pleasant surprise. I probably wouldn’t have eaten all day, but when I saw this I had to order something.”

The food truck was brought to the school because of the head of Student Life in the Student Union Teresa Archaga. She came up with the idea to bring a food truck to the campus for everyone to enjoy.

“We wanted to bring more food options to the college. I found a food truck network and they’re gonna be here every week on Tuesdays for now,” said Archaga. She explained that since there isn’t a cafeteria for the students to go to, the school and Archaga wanted to make it so there’s an option for students to eat on campus.

Going forward Archaga explained that there is a way we could have a cafeteria though. “Our contractor who requests proposals is going to be here in the spring with hopes of having someone on campus next year, but I don’t know,” said Archaga. She continued with how the whole situation isn’t in her control and everyone is just going to have to wait and see.

LMC is slowly implementing more for its students and now with the food truck every Tuesday and the hope for the cafeteria opening next spring, food options will be very plentiful for the foreseeable future.

LUIGI

From page 3

as one of the few Asian Americans in the sports field, Look inspired Aficial to use his set of creative skills as a content creator and view sports within another light.

As a self-taught creator, Aficial has worked with more than 200 clients since he first started and had many unexpected opportunities along the way. Many say, ‘friends have the ability to change one’s life,’ and that is exactly what AJ Tinio, creative director at San Jose State University, did for Aficial.

He was given an internship at SJSU and, noticed for his hard work and ability, Aficial continued his progress working in publicity at the college. With each project, from a short edit to a documentary, his main purpose is to impact others through visual storytelling.

“Every time I finish a project or some photos and I send it out to clients it’s like they’re always telling me, ‘man Luigi, I can’t believe what you just did,’ the reactions, they never get old,” said Aficial.

Yet one of the most memorable experiences so far has been working with NFL running back Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Shooting two practices and

FILE

From page 1

ronment for all students and employees, and to strengthen a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and racial justice.”

According to the June 23 police report, campus police received a call concerning a verbal disturbance between a worker and a manager in the manager’s office. The worker and two of his colleagues met officers outside of the Police Services building on the north side of the campus to explain their perspective about the events that transpired.

Ichigaya allegedly called custodian Milo Mathis into his office June 22 to discuss his return to work after he had missed an extended period of time due to illness.

Mathis told police that Ichigaya said he was not happy with the quality of work from Mathis’ team, which includes Quinn Glenn and Sydney Morales. Mathis reported Ichigaya

putting it all together with photos and a mixtape, Aficial felt it was important to get his work out there as Mixon was returning from an injury. The goal of the project was to show Mixon’s hard work of trying to get better and healthy for the upcoming season.

“So I was really happy to tell a part of his story. You get to portray people and your ideas and who they are,” said Aficial. “Who they are as individuals and that was one of my most, if not my most meaningful, projects I’ve done.”

Aficial’s process of shooting, editing and sharing his content has undergone trial and error. Through an improved editing process and other factors he learned at SJSU, he is now able to complete his projects within a day compared to a week.

As a perfectionist with all of his work, he makes his edits stand out from the others through his unique use of colors.

“I think that’s a very important thing to differentiate. I use a lot of effects to create vibrances, colors, cinematic,” said Aficial. “I have a specific color palette as well that makes my videos consistent, which adds to my signature.”

Being able to balance both

work and school as a college student has been a challenge and working multiple projects at once he experiences times of burnout. However, to avoid losing motivation, he has learned the importance of taking breaks to focus on himself. Taking his mind off the stress, he goes back to playing sports.

As a member of the LMC community for a year and a half, Aficial is focused on finishing up his business major and has been involved in the Honors Program as vice president. He believes if he had gone straight to a four-year university after high school, he would not have been able to discipline himself into finding balance in his workflow, making LMC the right choice for him.

“With LMC you’re basically in command of your own learning. As a community college student, I’ve been able to take command of myself and take command of who I want to become,” said Aficial. “So that when I do transfer, the temptation to stray off course from all of what it is to be a university student, I can make sure that I can balance it all and be confident in that way.”

Working as a freelance photographer and videographer for

three years, Aficial has been able to accomplish one of his top goals of shooting college sports before even graduating from LMC. Once he finishes his education,

Aficial is confident he will find work in professional sports for the NBA to fulfill his childhood dream of shooting for the Golden State Warriors.

Working in the professional sports environment can be incredibly competitive, but Aficial’s skills and individuality set him apart from the rest.

“The reason why I’m able to be in this position today is to just take responsibility and work at your craft,” said Aficial. “What matters is that I put my best effort forward, that the work will show itself, the results will tell itself, and I can live with that because I put maximum effort in what I do.”

As he moves up within the industry, his foundation has been built upon inspirations of representation, culture, and gained experiences. To turn his passion into a career, Aficial will capture every step of the way through the crystal lens of his camera.

Editor’s note: This article is being published both in the Experience and in the Brentwood Youth Press.

also said he did not like “being questioned” by Glenn in front of other employees in meetings.”

During the conversation Mathis also alleges Ichigaya said, “If I see them around my house, I will shoot them dead.” It is unclear who Ichigaya’s threat was meant for when he referred to “them” but Mathis told police he understood Ichigaya’s remarks to be about his team.

This and other alleged instances of insensitive language prompted Mathis’ co-worker Glenn to urge Mathis to report Ichigaya to police Mathis also told police Ichigaya had previously made racial comments such as “Blacks use a lot of coco butter.”

Glenn, who was not called in for the meeting with Ichigaya, told police he feared for his safety after hearing Mathis’ report of what transpired. According to the police report, Glenn said he had previously

seen video of Ichigaya shooting firearms. That knowledge, and a lack of police presence on campus after midnight when the crew comes in to work, led to his concern he reported.

Glenn alleged Ichigaya had also made racial remarks toward him in the past, such as saying his attire is similar to the way a “Thug” dressed.

Police reported Ichigaya denied the claims about him that he owned firearms and that he would shoot anyone dead. He also told police that Mathis was displeased that his employment probation was extended three more months “due to his time off work” after being ill.

The police report notes that reporting officer Patrick Clark, “contacted the Pleasant Hill Police Department and had them check for any registered firearms in Ichigaya’s name.”

There were none found.

According to the police report, the case was turned over to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office. Earlier this month a spokesperson for the DA’s office said, “This is an ongoing case so we cannot comment at this time.” Additional updates requested this week by the LMC Experience were not readily available by the time of publication

Kratochvil reaffirmed Los Medanos College is a safe place for students and staff. He also said the workers remain on administrative leave and have not returned to campus for work since the incident, LMC Vice President Carlos Montoya said they have been on leave since June of this year. He also confirmed the investigation is still going on but said as of Dec. 1 there has been no resolution to the situation.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Kai Arellano • Experience Leonardo Estevez (left) enjoys a meal from the food truck with his friend Michael Boushuy.

LMC football squad finishes strong

Injuries plague season

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Mustangs football season was one that was filled with ups and downs. The season appeared to get off to a disastrous start with the Stangs dropping their first three games of the season. However, the team was able to turn their season around and finish 5-5 by winning five of their last seven games.

The teams first three losses were all within one score with the team being unable to make a play when needed most to win. Head coach Chris Shipe on the rough start said, “Our young guys were still trying to figure out how to finish games and how to play within the scheme. Guys were trying to make hero plays instead of trusting the scheme and trusting their teammates.”

Shipe and his coaching staff did not make any changes to their gameplan or preparation despite the 0-3 mark. They knew going into the season their defense would see struggles early on since the defense had freshmen at almost every position that were still adjusting to this higher level of play.

The team got into the win column for the first time all season winning back-to-back games against San Jose and De Anza. The offense continued to produce but now the defense started to play drastically better as they didn’t give up more than 20 points in either of their back-to-back wins.

“Our defense started to make more plays and our offense limited their

turnovers,” Shipe said on the teams back-to-back wins. LMC dropped their next two games before ripping off three straight wins to end their season on a high note and finish 5-5.

Shipe said, “The team continued to mature and get better as the season progressed. I wish we had one or two more weeks with these players because of how much better they were getting.”

The team dealt with their share of adversity all season with injuries affecting almost every position group both on offense and defense. However, injuries hit the team’s quarterbacks the hardest. Jake Byrne and Brenden Bush both dealt with shoulder injuries that lingered for a majority of the season. Bush would also injure his wrist which would keep him sidelined for the rest of

the season and would only play in an emergency. Shipe said, “Everyone has to be prepared to play because a backup player is just one play away from seeing the field.”

Down the stretch of the season there were players on both sides of the ball that stepped up. Zeke Barber emerged as a star Running back taking over as the lead carrier. Safety Khi-ron Green was ranked

high

interceptions.

Shipe said, “If one of those close losses go our way, you’re looking at us possibly playing in a bowl game this past weekend.” Shipe has been coaching at LMC since 2002 and is the head coach since 2010. He said if given the opportunity to return,

Basketball suffers defeat to San Jose LMC soccer team wins conference

Stangs blow first-half lead

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Mustangs held a commanding 10-point lead at half against the San Jose City College Jaguars on Nov. 29, but a second-half collapse and a controversial no-call by the referees cost them the win as they lost 92-89.

The Mustangs did not get off to a great start, falling into a 21-9 hole early in the game. However, after a timeout the team caught fire. Guards Devin Carson and Jason Zimmer each hit numerous three-pointers as the Mustangs not only got back into the game, but took the lead.

Mustang pressure on San Jose’s offense forced them to turn the ball over and take more contested shots. Later in the second half the Mustangs went on a run and continued to grow their lead while the Jaguars struggled to move the ball beyond the half court line.

Going into halftime the Mustangs led 48-38 and were in complete control of the game. But in the second half the Jaguars stiffened up their defense and began to force LMC into taking more contested shots. The Mustangs weren’t getting the open looks they had been in the first half and were quiet on offense as San Jose mounted a comeback.

With 10:30 to play in regulation San Jose managed to tie the game. Five minutes of gametime later and they took their first lead since the opening minutes of the first half. However, the LMC offense found spark again and the two teams traded scores back and forth until about a minute left to play.

San Jose had the ball with both teams stuck at 89 and points looking to take the lead. Jaguars’ guard Daniel Malagon found open space and hit a three-pointer to give his team a three-point lead with 48 seconds to play. LMC’s offense got the ball back but could not capitalize and the pressure was put on their defense.

Down three with little time remaining, the Mustangs defense forced a needed turnover, but once again failed to capitalize on offense. Needing one more stop to have a chance to tie the game, the Mustangs increased the pressure of their full-court press.

San Jose inbounded the ball to their guard along the sideline as his foot appeared to slip out of bounds, but the referees did not make the call and sealed the Mustangs’ fate.

This loss drops LMC’s record to 4-3 on the season as they will be on the road for their next three games before returning home Dec. 21 to play Contra Costa College.

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

For the fourth year in a row the Mustangs Women’s soccer team won the Bay Valley Conference championship. The team went 8-0-3 in their conference and 9-6-5 overall and qualified them for postseason play. However they lost in the opening round to Reedley College by a score of 1-0, but the playoff loss does not tell the whole story of this soccer season.

Athletic Director Richard Villegas said, “I want to congratulate the student-athletes and coaching staff for a great season,” giving the respect the team deserves for their remarkable season.

The team won a surplus of awards with Kim Garcia taking home BVC MVP honors for the second straight year. Forward Tatiana Elsea took home Forward of the year for the conference and Sam Nash won Goalkeeper of the year. Head coach Zach Sullivan won BVC Coach of the year honors for the fourth year in a row.

The team was shaky in non-conference play going 1-6-2, but the team took advantage of a weak conference when it came time for conference play. The team shined with an 8-0-3 record and a staggering +34 goal differential when no one else in their

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

Guard Jason Zimmer goes for the layup around defending Jaguars.

“If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.” — Lou Holtz

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

LMC men’s football team celebrates as they win the games of the season. They finish their season off even with a 5-5 record.

in the conference in tackles and Cornerback Bryson Parker ranked high across California for