LMC Experience Vol. 98 No. 2 - Feb. 10, 2023

Drop-in and find your career

Meet LMC’s interim president

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

With former LMC President Bob Kratochvil retiring from the community college last fall, LMC has transitioned into a new era in the school’s history. This new era will be kicked off by Dr. Pamela Ralston, who is LMC’s Interim President for the next six months while the college and district work to find a permanent signee for the position.

As an interim, Ralston’s role is a little bit different

than one she would have in a permanent role.

“I need to be here to help maintain the work that he [Kratochvil] was leading in the fall,” Ralston said, adding that “another part of it is exciting where I can see what’s working well, and what else we can do to get everything else working well.”

Ralston doesn’t need anything to slip through the cracks before LMC brings on the permanent president, and sees herself as “the bridge

between Kratochvil and the future president,” she said. Since she was first brought in on Dec. 29 of last year, Ralston said she hasn’t had many bumps or struggles in her transition to LMC.

“The only hard thing is making sure that we haven’t lost track of anything that was important,” said Ralston. Students, faculty, leaders and managers have all met with Ralston as she gets acclimated with an entirely new group of See PRES, page 5

Students get certificates after long wait

Non-credit snafu fixed

By RAY KOPF Staff Writer

The Contra Costa Community College District has finally resolved the software issue that was impacting non-credit students and preventing them from receiving the certificates they had earned. The changes were implemented at the end of the fall semester and are being felt across campus, especially in the English as a Second Language department.

PTEC building up the world

By RAY KOPF Staff Writer

In-person classes have been slowly increasing at Los Medanos College and many programs are now able to resume regular activities. This is especially true for those with more of a “hands-on” approach, such as the Process Technology program.

PTEC trains future chemical, mechanical, and powerplant technicians to excel in

the workforce, teaching them the tools they need to thrive in their profession. Alongside all of the math and scientific components of the program, students get real insight into what working in these plants will be like. From operating actual systems they will encounter, to taking tours of the plants they could potentially work at in the future, the program encompasses every aspect of the profession and

hammers in the point that safety is key.

On top of all of this, the program includes professors who have worked in the field for years. William Cruz, who has been teaching in the PTEC program since its inception in 2008, highlighted the importance of these jobs.

“It’s a very necessary thing for the country to run these plants,” said Cruz.

The issue originally stemmed from a software error at the district level involving the system the district uses for student information. The only software allowing certificates and degrees to be awarded to programs that were worth credit. According to Riki Hall, the director of Admissions and Records, the district thought the system would also support non-credit programs.

“Unfortunately, this was not the case, and the system would not process noncredit programs with a completed status, thereby making it impossible for us to award the certificates,” said Hall.

The issue specifically had to do with the different academic levels of the two programs and the system was not prepared to handle that difference.

“At the time, there were not many California Community Colleges offering noncredit programs that we could reach out to for assistance with our programming,” said Hall. It would take direct work with the software company to fix this issue, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic would significantly delay this process. Still, the issue returned and was fixed in the fall of 2022.

Positively impacting the ESL program, as now they were able to give out their certificates to the students that needed them. The ESL department chair, Dr. Paula Gunder agrees that the fix in the software is a massive step in the right direction.

“This is really awesome news for those students, our program and the college, in my opinion,” said Gunder But she believes there is still more work to be done. There are still issues caused by the software malfunction that directly affected the ESL program and its reputation.

“There is a very large number of students who have earned one or more of these certificates, who did not apply because we have to tell them to stop applying because the

Juan Cebreiros Experience

President Pamela Ralston (left) speaks with Dean Tanisha Maxwell at the College Asembly meeting Feb. 6

Ray Kopf • Experience

Professor Michael Kean (left) and professor Jeff Andre perform PTEC activities.

“This is really awesome news for those students, our program and the college.”

— Rikki Hall

Perspectives 2

Aiden Lindell STAFF COLUMNIST

Jackson shouldn’t be face of the $20

The Department of Treasury has discussed a redesign of the $20 bill since 2013. Andrew Jackson’s face on the front has been controversial for some time, yet the Biden administration promised to replace Jackson with notable civil rights activist and slave abolitionist Harriet Tubman by 2030. Although Jackson’s replacement is a step in the right direction for our society, it is a long overdue.

In fact, it is a step that we should never have had to take at all, because Jackson should never have ended up on our money to begin with.

Like most countries, America’s banknotes depict figures that are important to its history and the formation of its national values. This can be seen with our other notes: the $1 bill depicts our First President, the $10 bill depicts a notable Revolutionary War commander, and the $5 bill depicts the president who helped free the slaves. All of these men have, in some way, defended the idea that all people are born with a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And then there’s Andrew Jackson. There is perhaps no President who more so represents the opposite of those three undeniable rights than Jackson. To illustrate this, it would be best to focus on each individual right, and explain the affronts to each committed by our seventh president.

First is the right to life. Fairly self explanatory: no person should be put to death by the government or anyone else without a fair and just trial. Jackson, however, seemed to disagree.

In his day, he was known for his hot temper and his tendency to resolve personal disputes with deadly pistol duels. He had openly wished to have killed several members of Congress, and in one instance in 1806, actually did kill a man who insulted him and his wife.

Although this was committed before he became president, he did worse. In 1830, as president he passed and enforced the Indian Removal Act. This act allowed governors and land owners to forcefully acquire Native lands, often through threats of violence. This led to multiple death marches, such as the Choctaw Trail of Tears, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Natives. Not exactly a staunch defender of every man’s “right to life.”

Second is the right to liberty. All men are created free, and cannot be subject to servitude except in cases, such as punishment for a crime. In 1804, he purchased a plot of land which he developed into a slave plantation.

As president, he did little to emancipate those stuck in perpetual bondage that so defies the concept of liberty. In fact, when anti-slavery abolitionists were sending pamphlets and publications, hoping to soften the hearts of slave owners, he enforced a rule which restricted the sending of this literature to subscribers only. He also made publicly available the names and personal information of these senders and receivers, putting them in danger of retaliation and intimidating them into stopping.

Finally, is the right to the pursuit of happiness. Any person can seek personal happiness and fulfillment, so long as doing so doesn’t harm others. To see Jackson’s affront to this right, one only needs to look back to the Choctaw Trail of Tears, where the livelihoods of thousands of Natives was uprooted, and they were forced to leave the lands they had found so much happiness and prosperity in.

At this point, someone who has more positive opinions of Andrew Jackson may be keen to point out all the good he’s done for the country: being born to a common logging family, his election showed that the right to vote and participate in politics was not excluded to an elite few, and that the See BILL, page 5

lEttErS tO thE EditOr

Transfer Academy needs exposure

DEAR EDITOR:

During my time here, the Transfer Academy has made my experience so wonderful. The counselors and academic aids that they continue to provide to me and my other peers in this program have greatly contributed to my increased work ethic and scholarly success throughout the semesters.

With this being said, I do not believe that this program is advertised enough to incoming students. Personally, I heard about Transfer Academy through a coworker who also had pleasant experiences with their assistance, but I would have had no idea if it weren’t for her! While I was fortunate enough to have someone to recommend it to me, I also have many friends who wished that they had known it was an option.

It may just be within my circle, but I do not think that Transfer Academy is promoted nearly enough. I think that it should be introduced to all eligible high school seniors, as it provides an abundance of guidance and career planning. I know that right out of high school, I was really concerned about how to register for classes and navigate the campus. But Transfer Academy made my transition into LMC seamless, and I am, honestly, forever grateful.

I truly think that giving this program more exposure would help out so many students,

and that it should even be expanded to provide aid to a larger number!

— Jeanelle Pagaduan

Canvas notifications for paper?

DEAR EDITOR: I have been a student at LMC for over three years and am soon to go on my fourth year. I started college in the fall of 2020 when COVID-19 was going on. This was a crazy first year as all of my classes were online and I barely had any communication with any other students. This was a weird first semester to start college in. If we fast forward to the 2022-23 academic year, things are starting to get a little better but still a lot of my classes are online and asynchronous. So there still isn’t much communication with other students.

One area where LMC could improve this problem is in its newspaper. I have not heard much of anything about the LMC newspaper. It is great to focus on certain academic success, athletic success, or the opening of a new center. Many students don’t even know about the LMC newspaper. What if the newspaper were sent out weekly kind of like the Canvas weekly notifications? Then start to focus on bringing students together with hobbies and whatnot.

— Michael Hogan

ExpEriEncE Staff rEadEr OpiniOn pOlicy

Editor-in-Chief ................... JUAN CEBREIROS

Managing Editor ........... MOHAMMAD NAJIMi

Perspectives Editor ........... ALIYAH RAMIREZ

Features Editor ..................... JADEN FORTIER

Arts & Culture Editor ..................... RAY KOPF

Sports Editor ................ MOHAMMAD NAJIMI

Photo Editor ................. KATHERINE MUSTAR

Voices

“I don’t see how banning an app will do any good, I feel as if they are trying to control our lives more than they already do.”

— Brian Romero

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.

“Nothing will work unless you do.” — Maya Angelou

Tatihn Mellieon

GOP is elephant in the divided room

President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday was the newest example of political division in our government. With bipartisan applause for better veteran services to boos and cries of “bullshit” over Fentanyl overdoses, it’s clear that tension in the halls of Congress only continue to grow.

While I could spend my time lamenting the importance of increased pay for teachers or better infrastructure throughout the states, both topics Biden himself addressed, I want to touch on for a less discussed but still very important topic: the Republicans.

For those unaware, the House of Representatives currently has a slim Republican majority, meaning that it’s largely up to the Republicans over what does and doesn’t get passed. While this is most likely retreading old water for most, this is a key fact both in Biden’s address and the responses he got, in real time and after.

Key figures amongst the Republican party on Tuesday were House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who looked rather unhappy with the whole event; Marjorie Taylor Greene, who shouted both “liar” and “bullshit” at the president; as well as George Santos, a new Representative from New York whose only claim to fame is that he lied about most of his life on his résumé and remains in office.

These three largely represent the different sections of the party amongst Congress: McCarthy is an old school conservative who told his party to act like adults before the address, Greene is a far-right extremist who believes Jewish space lasers cause California wildfires and Santos doesn’t really believe anything besides what the party thinks.

But why focus on these three, and why is the Republican party in the House even that important?

Well, for a few reasons, one of which I’ve already mentioned is their ability to block legislation they disapprove of and pass what they like. Second is something you may have guessed based on Greene’s beliefs, but the extreme elements of the GOP continue to work their way up to the top. In the Republican response to the SOTU, newly elected Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-Ark. claiming that the “left wing culture war” was destroying the country, as well as going on to say that “he’s the first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob,” whatever that is supposed to mean.

While many of her points and topics were either downright false or extremely exaggerated, the message is as clear as ever, the right is not entertaining left wing politics and policy to any degree. She also included a remark about a new conservative education

See STATE, page 5

What do you think about the U.S. proposal to ban tiktok?

C ompiled by K atherine m ustar

“If they try to get rid of TikTok in the U.S., something else will just be created and replace it.”

Elizabeth Mohr

—

“It’s a coin-toss on whether it will be banned, especially since it’s so popular with the younger generations.”

— Eric Sidrien

“This is my firsttime hearing about this, and it is surprising. TikTok promotes a lot of learning, but it has caused a lot of divide .”

“Restriction of any kind on social media doesn’t sit right with me. It’s a big information source, I like it for that reason.” —

“I’m the type of person where if there is no physical proof, then I’m not going to believe in it.”

“Respect

Math teacher a Renaissance man Tue Rust

shares his journey

By RAY KOPF Staff Writer

Teaching wasn’t Professor Tue Rust’s first choice for a career when he went to UC Berkeley for a degree in astrophysics. He happened upon his love for it after some self-reflection following graduation, feeling worn out from the work he was doing in his classes. It was when he was asked to teach a class at the Jose Valdes Summer Math Institute that he discovered what he wanted to do.

He took time to heal after graduation in 2000 and decided to try teaching. He searched for tutoring jobs and got the gig at the Math Institute.

“I remember teaching a class how to do signwaves just from out of my ass,” said Rust. “They just loved it and everyone was applauding. And at that point, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

From there, he went on to pursue his masters while pursuing a career in teaching and tutoring in various places. He now has 24 years of experience under his belt and has had a massive impact on college curriculum across the country. Thanks to his efforts alongside the Academy for College Excellence (ACE) and Myra Snell, students today are now able to jump into college-level math.

“Now everyone can just take statistics right away. You wouldn’t have been able had you come to this college in 2000,” said Rust, “Before, if you had tested into remedial math, you would never get a degree.”

These changes were made after Rust attended a three-week conference about ACE in 2007, the year before he was hired at LMC, and he incorporated the program’s curriculum into his own classes at LMC.

“When they tried to take this [accelerated] Math and English together they had a 95% failure rate,” said Rust.

But when Rust incorporated the ACE program’s curriculum into his own courses, he found the success rate quickly rise.

“My success rate with those students was 300% better than everyone else and I was like: ‘Oh shoot I’m onto something’,” said Rust.

From there, with the help of Snell and her work in trying to open remedial math classes to all, they combined

their data and shared it with the world. Rust went across the US and presented their findings to various colleges and got it implemented.

Since then, the ACE program has shrunk in size, but its impact is felt at many colleges across the country.

Students are offered tools and tricks to help them succeed in their math and english courses. All of this is thanks to the work Rust and Snell put in alongside the ACE program.

But his accomplishments don’t stop there. He is also an alum of the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in Concord, one of the most decorated drum corps on the planet.

He is a multi-talented man and isn’t exclusively interested in one thing.

“When I was a kid I remember saying I want on my tombstone: ‘Here lies a renaissance man.’ And I’ve always believed that,” said Rust.

Rust was a musician before he started kindergarten and can play multiple instruments. He even runs his own marching band, “The Spirit of Sunnyvale” which performs for thousands of people at a time.

“I’ve done marching band and music since I was 4... and I play the

saxophone, tenor sax. I currently play the baritone, but I’ve played five or six other instruments,” said Rust. Not only is he an avid musician, he is also petitioning to be a knight for the Twilight Renaissance Guild where he performs under his stage name: “Toffey Spenderson.”

“We have fun and we train kids. Our goal is the reenactment and the engagement of 16th century martial arts,” said Rust, the goal is to, “share this to the public to educate them. So that these skills and knowledge will be passed onto future generations.”

In addition, Rust is an avid gamer and has been playing Dungeons and Dragons for many years.

“For about 35 years I have been Gm’ing and roleplaying,” said Rust, adding with enthusiasm, “We are just about to finish an epic 4-20 level adventure where I created a 10th layer of Hell.”

Rust simply loves to engage in new hobbies constantly.

It’s clear that whether it be his love for role playing, music, sword fighting, or his accomplishments in his teaching career, Professor Tue Rust truly is a ‘renaissance man.’

Students take on challenge

Honors helps build academic strength

By: ALIYAH RAMIREZ Staff Writer

No matter where students decide to begin, the Honors Program at Los Medanos College has encouraged them to aim higher in their education. The program allows students to challenge themselves in advanced coursework and activities, including participation in the Honors club.

Students can work up to become an Honors Scholar, the highest academic award granted by LMC. To earn their awarded medal at graduation, students must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher, be involved in the club for two semesters and take five Honors classes. Each class must fulfill each area of fine arts or humanities, social or behavioral science, math or science, seminar and an elective course.

Each student holds different personal aspirations when it comes to advancing

their education, but all share the common goal of becoming better students. Jenna Cajayon joined the Honors Program to stand out on applications and get to know other students. Still, after completing her first semester, she plans to continue her progress in the program.

“Students can get better connections,” said Cajayon. “Basically engage in a different kind of learning experience and meet new people.”

In terms of workload and grading, classes are similar, but the Honors courses are specifically designed to motivate students. The system intertwines a challenging curriculum but fulfills general education requirements for transfer. By completing the set number of classes and achieving the Honors Scholar award, can grant transfer scholarships and partnerships with top universities.

Honors Director Jennifer Saito said she “spearheaded” the effort of creating a program for students to be able to transfer to competitive universities and See HONORS, page 5

FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2023

is earned but honor is given.”

— Craig Groeschel

Photo courtesy of Tue Rust

LMC math professor Tue Rust takes a selfie as he takes part in a parade as a member of a marching band.

Photo courtesy of Tue Rust

Tue Rust practices his marching band technique.

Aliyah Ramirez • Experience

Officers of the Honors club from left. Top row: Lance Quinones, Luigi Aficial, Lorenzo Navales, Heath Galiwango, Muskaan Adeel and Alyssa Ramirez. Bottom row: Aalyssa Shepherd, Valeria Navarro, Ashley Cervantes and Nina Manayon.

Arts & Culture 4

‘Sword Art’ is worth watch

By RAY KOPF Staff Writer

The latest installment of “Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night” in the Sword Art Online anime franchise was released and succeeds by hitting the nail on the head. The story starts with the lead characters Kirito and Asuna a month after “Aria of a Starless Night,” the previous installment in the franchise. In this film, they find themselves continuing their journey to try and escape the Aincrad death game that had trapped them two months prior.

Kirito and Asuna slowly work their way up the 100-floor castle alongside two of the biggest guilds at the time: The Dragon Knights Brigade (DKB), and the Aincrad Liberation Squad (ALS). It’s only a matter of time before internal forces threaten to create conflict between the two guilds and it is up to Kirito and Asuna to prevent this.

From the start of the movie, it was clear that the fight scenes would be carrying a significant weight of the budget. The animation would be extremely detailed in every fight scene and would be simplified in transitional sequences. However, the dialogue and chemistry between the characters were interesting enough to make the difference in animation seem trivial.

At times the dialogue between characters, especially between Kirito and Asuna, would make you solely focus on them. The animation would become secondary to the actions of the characters and what they were saying

Razzie Awards nominee sparks controversy Noah

In many ways, criticism is an essential element to the world of media and arts. It helps artists know how they succeeded, how they failed, and, most importantly, how to improve. But when does it cross the line?

When does it stop being constructive and become a way to make fun of a product or, even worse, a person?

The nominees for the 43rd Annual Golden Raspberry Awards were announced Jan. 22. Actors such as Tom Hanks and Sylvester Stallone were among those nominated for Worst Actor. But what really caught the public’s eye was the fact that 12-year-old actress Ryan Kierra Armstrong was nominated for Worst Supporting Actress for her role in 2022’s “Firestarter,” an adaptation of the novel by Stephen King.

Upon news of her nomination, the Golden Raspberries Organization received widespread backlash and criticism for nominating a young girl in the category.

Julian Hilliard, another child actor known for his roles in “WandaVision” and “Doctor Strange 2,” tweeted: “The Razzies are already mean-spirited & classless, but to nominate a kid is just repulsive & wrong. Why put a kid at risk of increased bullying or worse? Be better.”

The backlash seemed to have gotten the better of Razzie founder John Wilson, who later announced that Armstrong’s nomination would be revoked. In a formal statement, he openly apologized to Armstrong and said that there will now be a guideline for voting that will exclude

Cannon

NOAH’S NEWS

performers and filmmakers under 18 years old from being nominated for their awards.

“It is why our Redeemer Award was created,” said Wilson. “We all make mistakes, very much us included.

Since our motto is ‘Own Your Bad,’ we realize that we ourselves must also live up to it.”

That problem might be solved, but what about the universal timeless issue of criticism, insults, and insult comedy? In the history of the Golden Raspberries, Armstrong has not been the only underage actor nominated.

“Star Wars” and “Home Alone” alum Jake Lloyd and Macaulay Culkin were nominated at 10 and 13 respectively.

While Culkin was fortunate to continue his performing career, Lloyd fell into a depression and was bullied in school for “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” In 2020, after being arrested, his family revealed he was being treated for schizophrenia.

So when does criticism and joking cross the line? Is insult comedy reminiscent of Don Rickles or Chris Rock ever appropriate for children?

Or anyone? I’m sure that the Razzies never meant to hurt anyone, but regardless of intentions, we all know that every action has a consequence.

to each other.

The film delivers stunning action sequences paired with fitting music to energize the viewing experience. Every action scene has its place and the movie flowed well.

A-1 Pictures, the production company behind this film, doesn’t fail to deliver all of the elements that made the first season of Sword Art Online good. They adapt the light novel on which the film is based and give us a great taste of the Sword Art franchise. The comedy, action, animation style, character interactions and sense of conflict are all great representations of what the anime franchise should’ve been.

The hint of romantic tension between Kirito and Asuna pulls attention away from the death game, but that is simply one of the calling cards of the anime franchise.

The film mainly covers Asuna’s point of view and does a great job of exploring her relationship with both new and recurring characters from the previous film. It excels where the anime adaptation lacked and that’s in the character interactions.

Overall this is another step in the right direction for a franchise that has been criticized heavily for a lack of content. This film had a good balance of action and dialogue scenes, the relationships between characters were further explored, and the animation style was great. “Scherzo of the Deep Night” is a great entry into the Sword Art Franchise and is a must-watch for fans of the series, as well as newcomers who want to have a good viewing experience.

‘Knock at the Cabin’ impresses

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The new horror film titled “Knock at the Cabin” presented a unique but simple plot that had its audiences enthralled throughout. The choice wasn’t easy but it was one that would cause “End of the World” complications.

As the mysterious opening scene gave viewers a little taste of what’s going to happen throughout the film. It showed the calmness from the antagonists and the urgency of the matter at hands. It allowed the audience to form different scenarios that could happen and ended with a different ending than Paul Tremblay’s novel “The Cabin at the End of the World”.

Andrew and Eric were given an impossible choice to make in a short time frame and were reluctant to do it. It was an impossible choice for

anyone to make, but the choice was eventually made. This movie was different from other mystery movies as it forced some sacrifices that no one would think would happen.

The movie was set in a cabin in the woods with nothing but trees in a 10-mile radius. It was remote so cell service was shaky, but good. Even with that cell service, it was cut by the antagonists before the couple could call 9-1-1.

The daughter of the couple,Wen, was taught to not talk to strangers, informing her parents about the intruders, and attempting to get help when she escaped from the house.

The cinematography for this film was intense as it displayed the urgency from the antagonists for a choice to be made from the couple and the reluctance to make that choice. It showed the attempts to escape from the couple and their adopted daughter and how it ultimately failed.

The antagonists were portrayed as normal people trying to save the world and the couple were insistent on not making that decision.

The standout actor for this movie was Dave Bautista who portrayed Leonard. Bautista is a famous WWE wrestler turned actor that didn’t portray action stars like John Cena and Dwayne Johnson. He made his path in acting in a different way.

He starred in movies that would give him the chance to show his flexibility in completely different personalities, stretching his flexibility even more. Other standouts in this movie are Ben Aldridge as Andrew and Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina. I would recommend anyone to watch it as it’s a unique, edge of your seat, and thrilling movie that M Night has made. It makes you rethink who is right in the situation and keeps the audience invested in the simple and straightforward plot.

FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2023

“Culture is a way of coping with the world by defining it in detail.”

— Malcolm Bradbury

Photo Courtesy of IMDB

“Sword Art Online Progressive” movie poster features Kirito and Asuna, among others.

Photo Courtesy of IMDB

The main four antagonists attempting to persuade a gay couple into making an impossible decision.

The Rest 5

CERT

From page 1

people, which Ralston said has been delightful.

“People have been really friendly and open,” said Ralston.

While Ralston is new to LMC and the East Bay as a whole, she is not new to being president of a community college. Before being hired here, Ralston worked at Santiago Canyon College, a community college in Orange County. From that experience, Ralston said she was able to learn things that will help her in her time here.

“My takeaway from my last year and my work here has been, ‘what are the best ways we could work with the district office and how do we work with our sister colleges?’” said Ralston, adding she has been learning a lot and is thrilled to work with Mojdah Mehdizadeh, who is Interim Chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District.

When it comes to what drew Ralston to LMC, there were two things that played a major role in her wanting to be here. As mentioned, she was thrilled to be able to work with Mehdizadeh, as she was really interested in what the leadership was like at a district level.

Another factor in her decision was LMC’s dedication to student success, specifically for those who come from underprivileged and minority backgrounds. Community colleges that excel in helping students in those situations are nominated by the Aspen Institute and are eligible to win the $1 million Aspen Prize, and Ralston noticed how LMC was consistently nominated.

“To get nominated four times is amazing,” said Ralston, as she found it particularly successful for a smaller community college to accomplish that.

During her time here, Ralston wants to know how dedicated she is in working at a community college.

“I am deeply committed to the project of making an academic community open to everyone who wants to learn,” said Ralston.

“There is no more important work than working at a community college at every level, it’s the most important thing I have ever done.”

PTEC

From page 1

Not only are these jobs necessary, they are well paying. Professor Michael Kean, who has been teaching in PTEC for five years, touched on how quickly you can make money.

“You can earn as much as $100,000 a year after just three terms,” said Kean.

The program is also limited in quantity. There are only about 44 PTEC programs across the country and LMC hosts one of them.

“We are the only PTEC program in Northern California,” said Cruz.

With such a specialized program, students like Sandeep Thind feel lucky to have, “A good program and a good opportunity at our local college,”

It is true that the work in the program is not the easiest and Cruz will be the first to tell you that, but the professors

college couldn’t award them, and their applications would just sit there,” said Gunder.

Gunder believes the college has more work to do involving this issue and shouldn’t stop at just fixing the software.

“I contend that the college should reach out to every student who had earned a certificate during the time period of SP19-SU22, let them know that they are eligible for a certificate, teach/show them how to apply for their certificate(s), and make it a priority that these certificates go out this semester,” said Gunder, adding that, “I also think the college should apologize for not having been able to award the certificates and offer their sincere congratulations on what the student has accomplished and recognize them for being among the first students to earn these new-to-LMC noncredit certificates.”

Despite the present issues, this is good news for those who put in an application for a non-credit certificate. Those students, such as Javier Murillo, have had their applications approved recently.

“I have received emails informing me that the certificates are in process and that they will be sent and/or delivered,” said Murillo.

This is happening across the non-credit program and the process to distribute certificates is happening in mass.

“LMC awarded 101 noncredit certificates to 47 unique students as of fall 2022,” said Hall.

According to Gunder, all but three of the applications were for students in the ESL program, the main LMC program impacted by this software problem.

She said they are “going to move on to items/issues related to transcribing non-credit classes (and these certificates), the non-credit application, and the representing and tracking of these certificates by the research and institutional effectiveness office(s) in the same manner that all degrees and certificates are captured so that our program has this data and research can be done to help us understand how our students are progressing through and out of ESL and into their chosen... pathway.”

are good at taking complex formulas and simplifying them in real-world terms. For example, they explain convection and conduction using a Thanksgiving turkey in place of a tank. They do this with many topics you would cover in the field, such as decreasing pressure in a tank or controlling the flow of liquids into tanks.

The courses cover different aspects of science and math while also teaching how to operate the same machinery you’ll see on the job. From energy transfer to opening and closing valves, the professors will teach you how to safely operate and run a plant.

“They definitely know what they’re doing,” Thind said about his professors. “You can tell they’ve been in the field.”

Students are given the tools for success and are put in a good position after graduat-

WOMEN

From page 6

Johnson getting the final shot. Ultimately, the Mariners once again found their rhythm, ending the third quarter 36-40. In the final quarter, Ayiloge started strong with layups and and-one plays, but Yusury Deleon sank a three and Claros knocked down 3 three-pointers to extend their lead. Mustangs tried to make a comeback, but it was to no avail at this point. This game was essentially over. Despite the offensive struggles in the second half, this was not a bad showing from the women’s team. Throughout the game, the team showed heart even as they were trailing. Defensively, they weren’t allowing any easy buckets and they cleaned up the turnover problem from their last game. Granted there were some traveling violations, but this was undoubtedly a better performance.

The next home game for the women’s basketball team will be a conference game against Yuba College on Feb. 15. For more information about the women’s basketball team, visit https://www.losmedanos. edu/basketball/womens/ index.aspx.

AWARD

From page 3

Raspberries Awards, Miss Armstrong has not been the only underage actor to be nominated. “Star Wars” and “Home Alone” alumni Jake Lloyd and Macaulay Culkin were both nominated at ages 10 and 13 respectively.

While Culkin was fortunate enough to still continue his performing career, Lloyd fell into a deep depression and was bullied in school after performing in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” In 2020, after being arrested twice, his family revealed that he was taking treatments for his schizophrenia.

So when does criticism and joking around cross the line? Is insult comedy reminiscent of Don Rickles or Chris Rock ever appropriate for children? Or anyone? I’m sure that the Razzies never meant to hurt anyone, but regardless of intentions, we all know that every action has a consequence.

ing. The certificates earned are looked at highly by local companies, such as Calpine in Pittsburg and Bayworks, that might hire them. In fact, many students can get internships while in the program.

“Pretty much any of our students that graduate can get a job as a manufacturing technician,” said Kean.

This is especially true as LMC is reopening more than 20 internship programs with local refineries, including Calpine and Bayworks, and companies that PTEC students and graduates can jump into.

For those who are eager to work on an active jobsite, Cruz said PTEC is a great program to try out. It takes teamwork and critical thinking.

If you want more information about PTEC, contact William Cruz at wcruz@losmedanos.edu or Michael Kean at mkean@losmedanos.edu.

BASKET

From page 6

was screaming from their lungs in support of the tough Stangs getting back into the lead. The noise that radiated from that gym would make it seem like it was fans at an NBA arena. The Stangs defied odds to force the game into overtime tied at 72.

The second half brought frustrations, toughness and excitement that anchored the team through overtime. The period of overtime kept that energy going as the teams went back and forth scoring.

As the game was ending, LMC had an 80-78 lead with 25 seconds left as the Stangs were inbounding the ball from the opposite side of their basket. The opposing coach decided against fouling LMC as the Stangs brought the ball up the court. This plan went well as LMC turned the ball over with six seconds left.

As Marin got the ball back, their coach called a timeout to lay out a plan for the upcoming play. When they came back, the play was to win the game on a three-pointer. They tried their best, as they put up two separate three-pointers that both were contested and missed. LMC got the rebound and the player who got the ball immediately threw the ball into the air as time ran out.

The crowd in the stands roared out in exhilaration as the Stangs pulled off an incredible come from behind victory to beat the College of Marin 80-78.

The next home game for the men’s basketball team will be a massive conference game against the number one seed in the conference, Yuba City College on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. For more information on the basketball team, go to https://www. losmedanos.edu/basketball/ mens/index.aspx.

SIERRA

From page 6

going to be their last chance to make a comeback in the ninth.

At the top of the ninth, Sierra College built their lead once again after a RBI double to make it 5-1. It was now the bottom of the ninth and the Stangs needed 4 runs to tie with 3 outs remaining.

The first two batters in the bottom of the ninth inning immediately flew out. Bubba Rocha, who was the third batter of the inning, got hit by a pitch to extend the inning.

Michael Weber came up to the plate and smashed a ball to left field over the fence to cut Sierra’s lead down to 5-3. It looked like LMC was going to make a huge comeback but, unfortunately, the next batter Colton Trudeau couldn’t get on base as he grounded out to end the game.

Throughout the game, LMC made some big baserunning mistakes as they went 1 for 5 on stolen base attempts and got caught leading twice. Simple mistakes gave the game away to Sierra College and they need to be fixed before their next game.

The next home game for the Stangs will be on Feb. 10, 2023, against Sacramento City College at 2 p.m. For more information on the baseball team, visit https://www.losmedanos.edu/baseball/.

MEN

From page 6

second game started at 2 p.m. The Rams and Mustangs fought hard, trading inch for inch in speed, skill, and wit. One highlight of the game was when LMC first baseman Mike Weber took away a hit with a full split in order to keep his foot on the base and catch the ball at the same time. Before the game could end, however, the game was called by the umpires after a lengthy discussion with the coaches, deeming the continuous rain and risk of damaging the field too high to let the game continue.

Coach Matt Lisle shares his thoughts on the two games, speculating that, “Fresno is the Top 10 team in the state. There’s no moral victories, but I believe that after game one we were able to walk away and think ‘Hey, we were a better team there and had a chance at winning that game’. Game two was frustrating because our guys were ready to win, and I think we would have won that baseball game if the rain hadn’t come in, which made things hard.”

The unfinished ending of game two was a let down for everyone, and Coach Lisle sums up the thoughts of everyone on the team by commenting that, “We are just disappointed we didn’t get to play especially when we had the momentum and had one of our best pitchers on the mound.” There was no score for the second game, and the game itself won’t count towards either of the teams. The future is unknown on whether the second game will result in a rematch, as Fresno is very far away and it is unlikely either team will want to travel for a rematch.

BILL

From page 2

power really did belong to the hands of the people. Additionally, he is the only president to pay off the national debt. However, even one who is of the opinion that Jackson was an overall positive figure in the development of this country must agree that he doesn’t belong on our money. You see, one of Jackson’s campaign promises and projects while in office was the deregulation of banks. He abolished the federal bank, and in 1836, passed a law requiring all land purchases to be made with gold and silver, with paper notes not being allowed.

If Jackson hated national banks and paper currency so much, why would any supporter of his want his face on a paper currency printed by a national bank? It would be analogous to naming a 9/11 victims’ charity the “Osama Bin Laden Charitable Trust.” It’s the ultimate disrespect to what the man stood for, and is an insult to those who don’t support him.

Not only do his actions and beliefs not line up with our fundamental principles of liberty, but to iconize him on something he would have hated serves only to disrespect his legacy. It makes no sense that Jackson has remained on our money for nearly the past 100 years, and his removal is long overdue.

STATE

From page 2

plan for her state, one that would increase pay for teachers and allow for students to transition from in-person to online classes via a voucher. On the surface this may sound good, but we shouldn’t forget that only a couple weeks ago Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tried to ban AP African American Studies because it supposedly “significantly lacks education value.”

All of this to say, Republicans are likely to mess with any program, legislation or idea they don’t expressly agree with. Besides, this SOTU address only comes a week after the House denounced the “horrors of socialism,” claiming the US would never adopt socialist ideals, like universal health care or free college tuition.

While I wouldn’t bet on many things changing, I’m willing to bet we’ll continue to see a rise in expressly conservative policy and ideology. Those submerged in the wants of a few people who are so disconnected from reality think that Latinx is a “derogatory term.” God bless America!

HONORS

From page 4

build off their academic strengths. She has worked with students to reach goals some may have seen as out of reach.

“Everyone can do the Honors Program. You have to just get over your fear. Probably 90% of the students in the program felt intimidated to join it,” said Saito, but through assistance along the way, she has watched, “students bloom, as so many of our graduates now are doing amazing things.”

Not only does the program help students academically, but encourages them to participate in extracurriculars as well. They can join the programs’ Honors club, a supportive learning community to learn and have fun. With each event, members of the club have been given many opportunities to create long-lasting friendships with others.

Throughout the fall semester, Honors club officers have put together many events to bring the campus back to life after the pandemic. To name a few, the Honors club hosted a welcome-back picnic and bake sale for members to interact with others. In addition, the Honors club collaborated with other learning communities to plan events celebrating Halloween and Friendsgiving.

Honors officers, President Lorenzo Navales and Vice President Luigi Aficial, have worked with other club officers this year to bring events back to campus. For officers “we support each other, we uplift one another,” Aficial said, adding that the effort has helped him and Navales bring never-ending laughter and smiles to members of the club.

Since the founding of the Honors Program, its focus is providing students with the best opportunities.

If you are interested in joining, please contact Honors Director Jennifer Saito at jsaito@losmedanos.edu.

FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2023

“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

— John D. Rockefeller

Baseball team’s hot start concludes

Early deficit tells the entire story

By: Katherine Mustar Staff Writer

The LMC baseball team had a nail biting opening game to a double header

Saturday Feb. 4. They took on the Fresno Rams in their pre-season game. These back to back games were a result of having to cancel their Friday game the previous day due to the baseball field being flooded from the rainstorm Thursday. First pitch was at 10:30 a.m, and the teams remained scoreless until the third inning. The Mustangs gave up five runs in the top of the third, but with their fighting spirit they managed to make it a one run game by scoring in the fourth and sixth innings. In a personal account of the resulting first game, player Jason Silva comments that, “We had one rough inning that summed up our loss for the game, but we came back at the end and fought pretty

hard. This next game we’re gonna prove what type of team we are, and it’s going to take all 35 guys for that.”

Usually it is a sports player’s nightmare to play two games in a row, especially with the fact that the rain started to come down again at the end of the first game, resulting in the teams having to cover the pitcher’s mound and batter’s box with tarps.

Coach Silva, however, thinks otherwise. “We got to see their full lineup and a couple of their arms, so we are definitely more prepared now and can use a different approach overall. The story is that it’s really hard to win two games in one day, so the Rams are going to be pushed up against the wall and will have to fight hard because we will be motivated to mke a comeback and want to split the deck.”

After a half hour delay, the See MEN, page 5

Costly mistakes closes game out

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The men’s baseball team lost a heartbreaker to Sierra College with a final score of 5-3. The game had some costly errors from the Mustangs that led to multiple runs scoring; however, they had a short comeback that didn’t go all the way.

For the first six innings, LMC pitcher Jack Saylor only allowed three hits on zero earned runs. There was a run scored within those six innings; however, it was due to an error by Ryan Pierce in the top of the fifth inning. He called off Colton Trudeau coming in to catch the pop fly, but Pierce bobbled and dropped the ball. It looked as though Trudeau had a better angle to make the catch, but Pierce insisted he had it.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Stangs came out swinging with two straight

doubles to give them a 1-0 lead. After this run, they were left quiet until late in the game. They couldn’t muster even one hit off the Sierra pitching for 7 innings.

The first six innings turned into a pitching duel where both teams’ starting pitchers were keeping opponents to one run, but after the sixth inning, Sierra College pumped the gas and didn’t look back. Jack Saylor was taken out of the game after allowing batters to reach first and third base, but got 2 outs by the time he left the mound. They brought out a righty pitcher Kenny Esposito to attempt to get one out in the inning. However, Sierra College got a 2 RBI single that gave them a 3-1 lead.

In the eighth inning, Sierra College took a 4-1 lead after a sacrifice fly from their player. LMC went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth as it was See SIERRA, page 5

Women’s team losing streak continues on Stangs hold on for the comeback

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI

Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team played a thrilling game in a conference battle against Marin College which ended in an 80-78 overtime win. The Mustangs battled back from a 11-point deficit to force overtime which made the audience cheer loudly.

The game started off with immediate threes from both teams as the game looked as if it was going to be a close contest. Both teams defended very well, and the first half didn’t show that either team was better than the other.

The first half went on as both teams stayed close to one another. There was never a time where one team had more than a five point lead. The defense for both teams was the highlight of the first half as it ended with a score of 38-37 with the Stangs in the lead.

When the second half started, the Mariners quickly jumped to

an 11 point lead, the biggest of the night. LMC basketball coach Derek Domenichelli called a timeout to calm his players down and it worked out.

After that timeout, the Stangs fought their way back into the game and within 3 minutes left, Marin led by one as Jason Zimmer got fouled

LMC can’t pull off the victory against Marin

By JAYDEN LAWRENCE Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College women’s basketball team lost to the Marin Mariners with a deflating 54-61 score on February 3rd. This marks the fourth loss in a row for this multi-talented team, giving them a 10-14 record for the season.

behind the three-point line and went to the line. He got three foul shots and made them all to give LMC a two-point lead. The second half made the audience turn the gymnasium into a frenzy after Zimmer got the foul. Everyone See BASKET, page 5

The team loss can mostly be attributed to a lack of an offensive game plan in the later periods. Down the stretch, many plays were not executed properly, which led to some bad shot-selection moments. A saving grace for the Mustangs came from the fact that the Mariners were not able to find that offense early on either. This created a game where it felt as if both teams could have brought more onto the court.

The Mariners may have won the

tip-off, but Busola Ayiloge forced a turnover in the first play. And for the first minute, she was scoring at will. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Micaela Pentecostes was able to set the tone for her defensive assignment with a steal and physical defense. Everything looked good at the start of the quarter, as the Mustangs were on a 5-0 run early on. However, Victoria Claros of the Mariners was able to keep the score close. After some time and a block by Ayiloge, the first quarter ended 21-15, with the Mustangs up.

In the huddle before the buzzer into the second quarter, the Mariners coach was visibly frustrated, and loudly told her players what she expects to see in the next 10 minutes. She was talking mostly to Claros, and the Mustangs still had no answer for the offense that Claros brought into the game. By the end of the period, Mustangs were down 28-33 with only 7 points in those 10 minutes.

Coming out of the half, LMC was able to spark an 8-0 run, with Elaine See WOMEN, page 5

Mohammad Najimi Experience

LMC relief pitcher Kenny Esposito throws a pitch to a Sierra College Wolverine batter while Clayton Coats leads off first to get a jump to second base trying to distract Esposito.

Jayden Lawrence Experience

AJ Dungo tries to run past a Marin defender to score for the Stangs.

Katherine Mustar • Experience Rocco Borrelli, 22, throws the ball to get an out at first.