EOPS celebrates 50
‘Abbey Road’ turns 50
Soccer wins 3-1
EOPS turned 50 Sept. 4 and celebrated the achievement Oct. 1 — page 3
The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” celebrates its 50-year anniversary, Sept. 26 — page 4
The Los Medanos College Mustangs won against the Solano College Falcons 3-1, Oct. 2 — page 6
V O L . 9 1 ,
N O .
F.Y.I. Important Dates October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct. 15
Last day to apply for Fall 2019 graduation
Oct. 31
Wear your costume to school on Thursday for Halloween
National Coming Out
4
F R I D A Y ,
O C T .
4 ,
2 0 1 9
L M C E X P E R I E N C E . C O M
Lab hours lengthened College responds to concerns By KRYS SHAHIN @Krysshah
After concerns were raised following the surprise reduction this fall in hours for the Computer and Business Lab in CO2-200, a compromise has been reached to trim the reduction from 28 hours a week to just 11. The lab, which at the start of the fall semester was open only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., will now be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. “We were able to negotiate funding,” for the hourly position, said Vice President Sally Montemayor Lenz. In addition, software that had only been available in that lab will be installed in other labs on campus so students will have access to programs that they
need in the evening. “In essence, based on a more comprehensive review of the Computer Lab location, hours, and services, effective Monday, Oct. 7, the Computer Lab CO2-200 will remain open until 7 p.m. to allow our students access to computers to support and meet their educational needs,” said Montemayor Lenz. The original decision to cut the Computer Lab hours by nearly 50 percent, from 55 hours to just 28, was made based on data from the spring 2019 semester. “There were decisions based on assumptions… We found through many sources that students aren’t required to log in when they come into the
“Ultimately, the computers in the lab were bought for the use of the students.”
— Roseann Erwin
lab… The data doesn’t show it’s used. It inferred that students were going in there just to print things,” said Montemayor Lenz. “Upon further review, there were unmet student needs and that
New app to trim tasks
National Coming Out Day is Oct. 11. To celebrate, The LGBTQ+ employee caucus and allies will be screening “Rocketman” with a sing-along Oct. 10 in the Library, Room L-109. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and movie starts at 6 p.m. For more information you can contact Catt Wood at cwood@losmedanos.edu.
Hyphae Club recruiting
eLumen is under way
Los Medanos College nature club is seeking members if you are looking to learn more about gardening, state native plants and animals, as well as take part in nature hikes and other trips, then Hyphae Club is perfect for you. For more information, email the club at thehyphaeclublmc@ gmail.com.
LMCAS meeting Los Medanos College Associated Students is holding a meeting Oct. 7 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in Room CC1-114. If you have concerns, or are looking to hear what your student government is planning for the upcoming semester, then attend this.
Congressman speaks at LMC Congressman Mark DeSaulnier is holding a meeting with constituents Monday, Oct. 7 to address the challenges facing the next generation. It will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall, MU-720. He is looking for answers to some basic questions involving student loan debts, the rising cost of housing, jobs of the future, or climate change. Please RSVP online at https://desaulnier.house. gov/town-hall. Any questions call (925) 933-2660.
See HOURS, page 5
By KRYS SHAHIN @Krysshah
Katie Loughran • Experience
Sandra Mills directs students and staff out of College Complex Level Three into the safety of Lot C.
False alarm disrupts classes By KRYS SHAHIN and KATIE LOUGHRAN Staff writers
A false fire alarm was set off at Los Medanos College Thursday, Sept. 26. The false alarm originated in the Art Building at 9:56 a.m. for reasons still unclear to authorities on campus. “The smoke alarm in the Art Building was set off for reasons unknown,” said Lieutenant Chad Wehrmeister of the Contra Costa Community College District Police Department. Students in the College Complex building were swiftly ushered out of the building by Sandra Mills, from the Center for Academic Support, and into the back of parking lot C. Once there, students and staf f were left in the dark about the reason for their abrupt evacuation until the alarm was officially cleared at 10:19 a.m. “That’s the first fire alarm I’ve had in about ten years here. That was really interesting,” said Professor Zachary Feere. The screeches of the alarms were not heard by all LMC students as fire
Krys Shahin • Experience
Students and staff are calmly evacuated out of class from the building. alarms did not go off all across campus. “It [the alarm] was scary and lasted Students also did not receive any emer- longer than normal,” said instructor gency alerts in the form of texts at the Florence Kline. See FALSE, page 5 time of the incident.
A new educational software program purchased last year by the Contra Costa Community College District will make courses a bit easier for instructors to create, revise, and assess. This eLumen program, which costs about a half million dollars for the four-year contract through June 2022, is now being integrated into college processes and although it will eventually streamline paperwork, it is causing some implementation challenges. “Right now, curriculum… is done through cumbersome Word documents,” said Scott Hubbard, math instructor and Chair of the Teaching and Learning Committee, who was a part of the team that selected the program. “It’s been hard to track and keep everyone updated on the latest documents that people are making when we develop and revise courses. It’s sort of like trying to do a group project, and not being able to use Google Docs.” Because the process was cumbersome and difficult to track, course descriptions and outlines were being accepted throughout the year, despite a longstanding Nov. 1 deadline. This year, however, faculty face a strict Nov. 1 deadline that some are confused about, and
See APP, page 5
Vets stand down to get up By SPENCER BATUTE @BatuteSpencer
“Reveille,” hailing from the French word for “wake up,” is a customary wake-up call used to alert military service members at sunrise. “Waking up” is exactly what happened for more than 300 homeless and at-risk veterans at Stand Down on the Delta from Sept. 20-23. Stand Down on the Delta is a bi-annual, four-day encampment for homeless and/or at-risk veterans to come together and receive support from their communities. While at Stand Down, veterans are provided with court and legal services, DMV, addiction counseling, clothing, food, shelter, hygiene services, wellness, medical, dental services,
and a number of other community services. The event was put on by Delta Veterans Group, a veterans’ nonprofit based in Contra Costa County dedicated to bringing housing, employment, health and education to veterans in surrounding Northern California areas. DVG’s president, J.R. Wilson, who was homeless himself in the city of Antioch as a teenager, founded the group after returning home from years of military service to find an increase in homelessness among veterans in the East County. The struggles of veterans reintegrating into society are often intensified by a lack of social support networks, which Stand Down
Spencer Batute • Experience
See VETS, page 5
Chiropractor Kristen Mattingly works on Etna Majors.