LMC Experience Vol. 98 No. 3 - Feb. 24, 2023

F.Y.I.

Important Dates

February is Black History Month

March 1

This is the last day for students to apply for Spring 2023 graduation.

March 7

Saint Mary’s College will be in the Student Union to answer questions.

Stangs baseball team walks off Feather River in comeback win

— Page 4

Men’s basketball defeats Siskiyous to advance in NorCal playoffs

— Page 5

Mental health movie day

The LMC Pittsburg campus Conference Center is the site of the “Movies for Mental Health” event on Feb. 28 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. Everyone is welcomed to attend the event.

Celebrate blacks in the food industry

Starting March 2 and running for the following three Thursdays from 11 a.m to 1 p.m, the LMC Marketplace and Basic Needs will be celebrating blacks by highlighting their efforts in the food industry as well as giving out food items while supplies last.

Shirley Faulkner Davis visiting LMC

Musician Shirley Faulkner Davis will visit the LMC Pittsburg campus March 2 from 1:30 p.m to 3:30 p.m in Library Community room. She will talk about her experiences performing worldwide.

— Page 8

Dead body found in school lake

Passerby made the discovery

By ALIYAH RAMIREZ Staff Writer

A dead body was found on the east side of the Los Medanos College lake Monday, Feb. 20 around 1 p.m. while the campus was closed during the four-day President’s Day weekend. A member of the community discovered the body, which appeared to be floating, and contacted the two police officers on duty at that time.

The cause of death has not been confirmed but the body appeared to be a 25-year-old male according to district police. When the body was found, there appeared to be no sign of trauma and no evidence of foul play.

An autopsy report will be completed within a few weeks by the Contra Costa County Coroner to confirm further details in the ongoing investigation.

The Contra Costa Community College District Police Department assisted in the investigation and confirmed that the person had no connections to the campus.

Due to the holiday campus closure, district police were the only people at LMC. However, the lake stays open to the public “from sunup to sundown,” according to Director of Marketing and Media Juliet Casey, comparing the lake to a “public park.”

Interim LMC President

Pamela Ralston sent an email to staff and students Monday night about the reported “unfortunate occurrence.” The campus re-opened the day after the incident when Lt. Ryan Huddleston confirmed “no evidence to say there was an ongoing threat.”

In a followup email Thursday, Ralston said she understands, “that Mondays events may still be affecting some of us and want to make sure that you are aware of the resources available.”

Students can use TimelyCare, a free 24/7 virtual mental and medical resource. Employees can get help through the 4cd Employee Assistance Program.

Ethnic Studies gets senate rep

By ALIYAH RAMIREZ Staff Writer

As Los Medanos College strives to create an inclusive and diverse environment, the curriculum has adapted to capture all perspectives.

During an Academic Senate meeting last Monday, Rep. Adriana Simone proposed a larger governing body for the independent Ethnic and Social Justice Studies department. A unanimous vote passed the proposal on Feb. 13 allowing a senator position for that department, making LMC the only college in the district to hold this Senate representation.

ChatGPT worries teachers

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

The rise in a fairly new artificial intelligence chatbot could potentially cause problems in academics down the line.

This new AI is ChatGPT, a chatbot released Nov. 30, 2022 and developed by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research company.

The chatbot allows users to have human-like conversations with an AI about a numerous amount of topics and has general knowledge about most things. The chatbot can even be used for things

such as writing poetry, emails and essays, which is where some of the problems with it may arise.

If a student inputted their essay topic into the ChatGPT chatbot, it would spit out an entire essay within the matter of a few minutes. If you input the same exact prompt into ChatGPT, the AI is designed to give you a different answer each time, which could bring up major issues regarding cheating and academic honesty.

Alexander Sterling, who is a member of the English

department at Los Medanos College, said that they are “definitely concerned” with how ChatGPT and AI as a whole will affect English classes.

“A big worry is that many students will use AI to plagiarize, to produce writing that is not really their own,” said Sterling.

Sterling also said how most plagiarism catching tools like Turnitin, which is commonly used by professors to have their students submit their essays on, is not able to detect See CHAT, page 7

“Although we reside in a state where disciplines such as Ethnic Studies, Gender Studies, and LGBTQ Studies are beginning to be supported… people are being put in physical danger,” said Simone. “This is why it is more important than ever to empower them.”

According to Academic Senate President Mark Lewis, creating a change in representative members of the Senate follows the Senate Bylaws. Requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate quorum to approve the change. Proposals are discussed and questioned during the first read, then members vote to allow the proposal to the second read

for a final vote.

However, Simone’s proposal was passed after the first reading and is set to be in effect immediately, following the vacancy in the position.

“It was really exciting,” said Simone. “It showed a nice commitment to the issues surrounding ethnic studies and the fact that we value it and everything it looks at.”

Before California initiated the requirement for students to take an ethnic studies course to graduate with an associate’s degree or transfer to a fouryear university, LMC had degrees available focused on diverse perspectives. Students can complete an associate’s degree for transfer available with a focus on African American, Chicano/a, and LGBTQ Studies as Simone describes these disciplines to be a connection to knowledge, “that was lost or that has been devalued.”

“I think LMC has been unique because it has always valued diversity,” said Simone. “We have always housed our ethnic studies, our multicultural studies, our LGBTQ studies, and our gender studies. So we valued it before it was even institutionalized by a state requirement.”

A part of many committees in LMC, Simone graduated

Fabric style exhibit opens at the LMC Art Gallery

Courtesy of Google Earth/Goole Maps

The body was found on the east side of the LMC lake.

Photo illustration generated by DALL-E

The Experience fed a prompt to an AI program asking for a robot doing student work.

“I think LMC has been unique because it has always valued diversity.”

— Adrianna Simone

Perspectives 2

Tatihn Mellieon T’S

The American role in Ukraine’s war

The United States, under the Biden administration, has given more than $75 billion to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion. Not only this, but various officials, including Biden himself, have visited the country to show support. Obviously, this money has come out of the pocket of taxpayers, and should be understood in full by us, the supposed taxpayers.

First, where is our money going? According to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, we’ve given almost $4 billion in humanitarian aid, $26 billion in financial support for Ukraine’s economy, and $46.5 billion for military aid, which includes grants and loans for weapons and training. In fact, the U.S. has given more money than all other supporters combined.

So why are we so invested in the independence of an Eastern European country that borders Russia?

This question has a rather historic answer, dating back to the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s independence in 1991. This was followed by a new constitution being adopted in 1996, a revolution and a unilateral declaration from Russia in 2014, annexing Crimea from Ukraine and beginning conflict on the ground. This is just a brief summary, but the point is more than proven: tensions between Ukraine and Russia are both complex and long-standing.

While Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has been plastered on TV stations and social media for the past year for his speeches, Russia’s President Putin has been relatively silent in comparison, especially in Western media. His most recent address to Russia’s federal assembly was by far his most telling moment in the year since the invasion itself occurred, with accusations that “the people of Ukraine have become the hostage of the Kyiv regime and its Western overlords” as well as claiming “the destruction of the family,” in Western society.

Okay, with the backstory and context out of the way, why should you care about any of this? The reasons should be apparent, but I’ll explain.

Firstly, we’re paying a lot of money for Ukraine to defend itself, which most people think is a good idea. However, the question of what happens to all the tanks, missiles and guns afterwards is one that has yet to be answered by the West or Ukraine.

Secondly, China is very close with Russia, and their bond has only strengthened since the invasion. During 2022, China both got 10% of its total gas imports from Russia, as well as having signed multiple agreements, one of which included the usage of Russian roubles and Chinese yuan to pay for Russian natural gas going to China. If you know anything about current China-U.S. relations, then you know that they’re rather tense.

Thirdly, Russian officials have largely claimed the war is no longer about land disputes, but now about the imperial force of the West against Russian independence and culture.

If it hasn’t become obvious, the war in Ukraine is no longer about a country and its people repelling an invading force, but now a proxy war over the idealized version of capitalism both sides represent.

The West represents neoliberal capitalism, fighting for individualism and capital above all else, whereas Russia is fighting for an Orthodox Christian oligarchy, where the government works in open arms with the country’s largest industries to push its agenda.

Both are rather brutal in practice, invading smaller countries for their needs, but it really comes down to which you think is better.

The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and guest columns. All members of the LMC community 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.

Afrofuturism is blossoming

I don’t know much about LMC, but I would like to see more about Afrofuturism. There is so much to be explored.

My interest started as a study and developed into a passion. Afrofuturistic writers don’t get enough recognition, so I would like to give them some.

Afrofuturism is a combination of African oral traditions and African storytelling through writing and multimedia technology. Those stories have turned from scripts into books, from books into movies, and from movies into the future. Our music is passed down from generation to generation, and that music creates lively sounds that infuse a rhythmic breath of life into those forms of media.

This blossoming field of writing has produced classical, timeless pieces of art and has room for more to be created. I’ve seen a lot of writing styles, but Afrofuturism has captured my attention for a long time. Part of me believes I’ve always liked this style but didn’t know what it was.

I did some research, dug up some facts and found that UCLA had a strong history of Afrofuturists before Afrofuturism was even a term. UCLA has some great lectures in its African American Studies Department and that inspired a future transfer from LMC to UCLA.

According to The UCLA Newsroom Mag-

ExpEriEncE Staff

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

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

Perspectives Editor ........................ RAY KOPF

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

Arts & Culture Editor ......... ALIYAH RAMIREZ

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

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

azine in 1993, critic Mark Dery coined the term “Afrofuturism/Afrofuturist” in his essay, “Black to the Future.”

One lecturer, Tananarive Due, recently explained in the same magazine, “little did we know at the beginning of this term that Afrofuturism would become now, as we’ve been forced to adapt to new uses of technology — not just to complete the school term, but just to go about our daily lives.”

With my research, I discovered that Angela Davis made revolutionary contributions to Afrofuturism as a faculty member at UCLA. W ith her passionate words paraphrased by Due, “to work toward a better future, we need to believe that future is possible.”

Believing you can create that future with your writing is where we must be today to become Afrofuturistic writers. I have a vision for my writing which inspired me to write about the topic.

Without many classes offered in Afrofuturistic writing, there are many opportunities for Afrocentric writers to lead the way in studying, researching and teaching classes. Writing scripts, graphic novels and poetry, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, is a missing element in many environments.

When it comes to African-centered content in the writing industry, especially regarding family or child entertainment, there is so much room for more. We need Afrocentric writers to create more content and scripts.

If you’re interested in being a writer, study the works of Sun Ra and Octavia Butler. Octavia Butler wrote a book called “Parable of The Sower,” which has since been turned into a graphic novel by Damian Duffy and John Jennings. There is a movie, “Space is the Place” where the script is written by Sun Ra and Joshua Smith, and all the music was arranged, composed, and conducted by Sun Ra.

I hope you find something to be as passionate about this year as I am about Afrofuturism. Have fun at LMC and enjoy the Experience.

Ray Kopf RAY’S RECORD

We need to talk about Hogwarts

The long anticipated “Hogwarts Legacy” was released two weeks ago and received mixed reviews from fans. Some love the game and some don’t. A lot of people are refusing to buy it because of J.K. Rowling’s views and beliefs on transgender people. Rowling has anti-trans views and there is plenty of evidence to support this. This fact has turned so many people away from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises. With the recent launch of a new video game based within the Harry Potter universe, controversy was bound to surface.

“Hogwarts Legacy” offers an open-world, story driven experience with plenty of activities to do. Despite this, many refused to purchase the game as a portion of the money would go back to Rowling through royalties.

I understand not wanting to support someone with transphobic views, but I cannot understand harassment of content creators, seen on multiple streaming platforms.

It has happened non-stop since the game launched and some creators have been brought to tears over the harassment in their live chat. Everytime you tune in to watch someone play the game while live, the chat is calling the creator a “transphobe” among other names. The issue has gotten so bad that people are being “doxxed” and having their personal information leaked on the Internet just because they played the game.

It is understandable that you would not want to support a game that is paying a person whose viewpoints don’t align with yours, but it is simply unacceptable to harass and leak the personal information of those who did buy the game under any circumstance.

Most people who purchased the game had no idea of the controversy surrounding Rowling. When I bought the game the only thought that had crossed my mind was that I was finally going to be a wizard. I only learned of the controversy after playing for several hours and having a great time.

I don’t support transphobic behavior of any kind, but I also don’t support battling it with negativity. It only makes you look bad as a person. I live by the saying that you should treat others how you want to be treated.

The world is a negative place and we are constantly being surrounded by negativity in our everyday lives. Video games offer an escape from that reality and an opportunity to lose yourself within the game. Buying a video game doesn’t reflect that person’s character and it doesn’t warrant that person being called a “transphobe.”

If you feel strongly about something, you should act accordingly. Contradict Rowling how you see fit, but don’t spread negativity and fight hate, with more hate.

What do you think about the continued military aid to Ukraine?

conflict.”

CORNER

Jerome Hill

THE AFROFUTURIST

Buttons eluminate, boba refreshes

‘Black in STEM’ celebrated

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

As a part of “Black in STEM” week for Black History Month, LMC’s MESA program held a series of events celebrating African Americans for their efforts. The first two of these events were “Buttons and Boba,” which took place on Feb. 21 and 22. Tables were set up at the LMC Brentwood campus in the Math lab on the first day and at the LMC Pittsburg campus in the MESA Science Building on the second day.

Students could walk up and choose from three different flavors of boba tea: mango, strawberry and chai, with cookies available for snacks as well. Everything they served was free, as all students had to do was write their name and student ID on a piece of paper before they could take anything.

On both days, all of the drinks were gone quickly as students enjoyed them.

Nicole Trager, who is the director of MESA, said that they had a pretty big turnout for the events and was overall successful.

“We had a big group come in around 11:10,” said Trager, as a flock of 30 people showed up for boba during the LMC Brentwood campus portion of the events.

As time winded down, they gave boba away to anyone who wanted any, once again having them put their names and student ID’s written down. Aside from everyone enjoying boba, there was a selection of buttons for people to take as well.

Students could either decide

to make their own buttons, or take home a pre-made one. To make these buttons, Trager would press the design a student wanted onto a blank button using a button maker machine.

There was an array of selections that Trager said had “words of affirmation” on them.

Some of the things these buttons said were “Black History is Science History,” “Black in STEM” and “Black Lives Matter.” Other designs were the black power fist and tribal African patterns.

Trager said the events were designed to recognize students in STEM as a whole

and especially Black students . As previously mentioned, these two “Buttons and Boba” events were just the start of celebrating Black students that are in STEM.

To finish off “Black in STEM”week, pioneers in that community talked about their stories in the LMC Pittsburg library on Feb. 23 from 2 p.m to 5.

The last event took place Feb. 24 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m on Zoom, as Amy Vreeland, an LMC MESA Alumni, talked about the experiences and path she had from LMC to UCLA to her job now as a research assistant. Jaden Fortier Experience

A different selection of boba drinks and snacks were offered at each of the events.

Students learn, build camaraderie abroad

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Contra Costa Community College School District has been sending students to study abroad for decades now. The most recent group of students are currently in Florence, Italy for the 2023 spring semester.

Students and teachers have been in Italy for three weeks already and they will spend 10 more as they continue their education in the European country.

LMC art professor Eric Sanchez spent time as a student at LMC studying abroad but now as a teacher he’s able to notice how much the program has advanced since his days as a student.

“One nice change is that they now use apartments for students which have a kitchen. When I was a student it was set up in a hotel without a kitchen,” said Sanchez.

He also noted that the use

of technology is a lot more prevalent now than it was when he was a student studying abroad. Students are now more easily connected to friends and family at home with the internet. Sanchez said he was completely separated from his friends and family during his time studying abroad.

“It was a good thing for me, but that varies from person to person,” said Sanchez.

LMC art professor Ken Alexander has been working with the study abroad program since 1999 and noticed as the years have gone on, the students’ bond has grown stronger with each other.

“1999 students differ from 2010 students but students who traveled after COVID were the most caring of one another. They really built a strong camaraderie and family bond during their trip,” Alexander said.

Before leaving for Florence,

FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2023

“Nothing is more exciting and bonding in relationships than creating together.”

— Stephen Covey

Jaden Fortier Experience

MESA director Nicole Trager sits at the button-making station for LMC’s first “Buttons and Boba” event at the LMC Brentwood campus Feb. 21.

Photo courtesy of Eric Sanchez

LMC art professor Eric Sanchez (kneeling left) and the students who are in Florence, Italy to learn for the spring. See ABROAD, page 7

“It’s

Baseball team comeback successful

LMC steals the victory from the Golden Eagles

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Mustangs defeated the Feather River Golden Eagles in an extra inning thriller on Feb. 17. The Mustangs fell into a hole early but scored three runs in the final three innings to steal a victory against Feather River.

Starting pitcher A.J. Gamboa got into some trouble in the top of the second inning. He allowed a leadoff walk followed by a single to put Feather River in a prime position to score with runners on first and third, with no outs. Reed Alexander scored Jordan Davis with a sacrifice fly and two batters, later Mack Higuchi lined a double down the left field line to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Mustangs

looked to cut into the Golden Eagles’ lead with Colton Trudeau leading off the inning with a single. Seth Gwynn walked and Trudeau stole third to put runners on the corners with two outs in the inning. However, Golden Eagles starting pitcher Eric Valdez picked Gwynn off at first to get out of the jam.

Bubba Rocha and Michael Weber started the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles. After a throwing error, Rocha scored to get the Mustangs on the board with Weber advancing to second base. However, baserunning blunders struck the Mustangs again as Ryan Pierce grounded out to third and Weber was thrown out while trying to advance to third base, now trailing by one.

The Golden Eagles responded in the top of the fifth with the first three runners to lead off

the inning reaching base. Gamboa managed to get a double play but the Golden Eagles managed to score on the play, growing their lead to 3-1.

Gamboa was relieved in the seventh inning for right-hander Rocco Borrelli after giving up three runs and striking out six batters in six innings of work. Borrelli came in looking to keep the deficit at two runs to give the Mustangs a chance to come back.

In the eighth inning, Rocha singled home Kris Leffle to make the score 3-2 going into the ninth inning. Borrelli struck out the side in the top of the ninth and the Mustangs needed one run to tie and play in extra innings or score two runs to walk it off and win.

The Mustangs were down to their last out after Nico Torrez grounded into a double play.

It looked like the Mustangs were finished but Khimani Blakney hit a double to right field to give his team life. Trudeau doubled down the left field line to score Blakney and the Mustangs had tied the game despite being down to their last out. Anthony Manuel struck out to end the ninth and the game went into extra innings. Borrelli balked which moved the ghost runner to third base with no outs in the 10th inning. However, Borrelli induced three straight ground balls to strand the Golden Eagles runner at third and give the Mustangs a chance to walk it off.

Gwynn intentionally walked, bringing Rocha to the plate. He lined a double into the right-center gap and that won the game for the Mustangs with a final score of 4-3 after 10 innings of play.

Stangs hold on to early lead for the win

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The men’s baseball team held on to a lead to beat Monterey with a final score of 9-6. LMC took the lead early and didn’t look back until the later innings when it looked dim.

The entire baseball team celebrates an extra-inning walk-off as they improve their overall record to 4-3

Mustangs celebrates thrilling game

By JAYDEN LAWRENCE Staff Writer

The men’s baseball team was able to secure an 8-7 victory against Sacramento City on Feb. 11. The game had the impression of being over early on, but both teams fought hard to the end.

In the bottom of the 10th, LMC scored a final run to secure the victory of an intense game. Pitcher AJ Gamboa had three strikeouts, and brought in shortstop Colton Trudeau to pitch for the last two innings with another three strikeouts, but only allowing one unearned run. On the offensive end, outfielder Seth Gwynn had a

great game scoring in three runs for LMC.

Within the first inning, first baseman Ryan Pierce hit a home run, setting the tone for a battle on the field. The following plays resulted in another point as Gwynn came home to put LMC up 2-0.

At the top of the second inning, Tyler Hamilton of Sacramento City circled home with a sacrifice play to put the score within one. Trudeau of the Mustangs, advanced on a base hit. After a ground out and shortstop error, he would score again for LMC, ending the inning at a score of 4-1.

The next five innings would

trade two runs for each team, but showed great performances from both pitchers.

Until the eighth inning, where multiple errors allowed runs to be easily scored. DJ hit a double and stole third base to set up a prime scoring into the fourth run of the inning for Sacramento. The score was 6-7, the only time Sacramento held the lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, an RBI by Gwynn brought Nico Torrez back for the game-tying point in the clutch. A Sacramento fan audibly yelled “game should be over” as he walked off to the parking lot.

In the 10th inning, Bubba Rocha hit a double, the pitcher walked Trudeau, and Anthony Hurtado received a walk as well. When the bases were loaded, a wild pitch brought Rocha home to score the final points. It wasn’t the best ending to the game, but it’s a walk-off that gave the Mustangs a win.

The Mustangs came back after their loss against Sacramento despite a scare in the eighth inning, while engaging the crowd during every moment of the game.

For more information on the baseball team, visit https:// www.losmedanos.edu/baseball/.

Starting fast with a hit-bypitch and two stolen bases lead to an RBI single by Khamani Blakney putting LMC first on the board. There was an attempted pickoff but the Monterey pitcher threw it too low to allow Blakney to advance to second and then third after a line out to the center fielder.

The next batter up was Nico Torrez and he singled up the middle to score another run. Torrez advanced to third from first on a wild pitch from the opposing pitcher. Monterey’s catcher couldn’t get to the ball quick enough to keep Torrez at second. Torrez, now at third, distracted the opposing pitcher which allowed another wild pitch to occur, getting another run on the board for LMC.

Points increased in the second as Seth Gwynn hit a solo home run to right field, just over the fence. This ended the day for the starting pitcher on Monterey’s side, as he allowed four earned runs. The beatdown didn’t stop there, as Colton Trudeau hit a single to

left field, scoring two more runners and giving LMC a 6-0 lead after two innings.

LMC starting pitcher Jack Saylor looked lights out until the fourth, as he gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced in the fourth inning, but would not give up another the rest of the game. See BASE, page 7

FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2023

not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

Nico Torrez, 33, dives into second base as he successfully steals the base to put himself in scoring position for the team. This effort didn’t lead to him scoring a run.

Ray Kopf • Experience

for the season.

Mohammad Najimi Experience Jack Saylor winds up into his pitch toward the batter.

Heartbreaking defeat for Mustangs

Men failed to close out victory

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The men’s basketball team had a heartbreaking loss against Yuba College, with a final of 105-99. It was a hardfought game that showed the grit, toughness and resilience of both teams to get the victory.

The game started off in Yuba’s favor as they garnered a 7-0 lead before an LMC timeout. The timeout changed the momentum, as LMC came rushing back to tie and keep the lead for most of the game.

The first half showed incred-

ible three-point plays made all over the court. LMC held a lead of nine as Yuba made mistakes, but tried their best to stay close with a halftime score of 54-45.

When the second half started, Yuba started to do press defense, which for the first four minutes didn’t work so well as LMC built a 14-point lead going into the final 10 minutes.

However, Yuba College started making a comeback and LMC couldn’t overcome the defense, resulting in an eight-point lead for Yuba with four minutes remaining. LMC blew their lead and was in trouble of losing.

LMC didn’t go down without a fight as they got within two points with 30 seconds left, but

Yuba made free throws, while LMC couldn’t execute on the offensive end. The game ended with Yuba College celebrating their hard-fought victory.

D’Montay Warner led the team with 22 points, while Devin Carson and Jason Zimmer each added on 20 points each respectively. Adegoke Adeyemi led the defensive side with four blocks.

The audience was heavily invested throughout the game. A group of students, who were standing up from their seats most of the game, constantly heckled Yuba College players to distract them from making shots, including a chant that would be screamed whenever Yuba College’s Caden Flowers would miss.

In the first half alone, Flow-

Playoff run continues on

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College

Mustangs men’s basketball team defeated the Siskiyous Eagles 90-80 in the opening round of the CCCAA Norcal Regionals on Feb. 22 at LMC. The Eagles managed to cut a 26-point deficit all the way to just six points but couldn’t finish the comeback against the Mustangs

The Mustangs started the game with high energy with guard Ramon Bailey hitting three three-pointers in the games opening five minutes. At the same time, Forward Adegoke Adeyemi recorded three blocks as the Mustangs dominated the opening minutes of the game on both sides of the ball. The Eagles called a timeout after five minutes of play but by then LMC was leading 20-6. LMC led 31-18 with eight minutes to play when the

team went on a big run to end the half. Led by the defense of Adeyemi and point guard D’Montay Warner, the Mustangs were able to double their lead from 13 to 26. Guard Devin Carson started to sink his shots late in the first half, connecting on four three-pointers and giving the Mustangs a 56-30 lead going into the halftime break.

The Mustangs were in complete control but starting the second half the team was flat. In just three minutes, the Eagles managed to score nine straight unanswered points until LMC coach Derek Domenichelli called a timeout. However this wasn’t enough as coming out of the timeout the Eagles run continued, now outscoring the Mustangs 16-5 in the opening five minutes of the second half.

In a matter of minutes LMC’s lead shrunk from 26 to 17. See PLAY, page 7

ers went 2-8 from the field so one could imagine the constant screaming of “Let him shoot!” affected him. He missed vital threes to keep his team in the game which led to the hecklers screaming at LMC defenders to leave him open so he could miss another shot. The two made shots were a three and a short two-pointer.

In the second half, however, Flowers found his groove as he would only miss one shot on 6 tries. The hecklers went quiet but continued to heckle his teammates instead.

The audience didn’t distract Yuba as they went on to get the victory over LMC. For more information on the men’s basketball team, visit https://www.losmedanos.edu/ basketball/mens/index.aspx.

Women’s

five-game losing streak ends

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI

Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College women’s basketball team ended their five-game losing streak with a victory over the struggling Yuba College. The final score was 68-55.

The game went great for LMC as they played well as a team. They made some incredible passes and some tough shots while not allowing Yuba College to shoot easy shots. Their defense was the key for this game as they would have a defender attempting to block every shot put up by Yuba College.

The defense for LMC was the key factor in the victory as Yuba couldn’t get to the rim. They were forced to make tough threes and two-pointers near the three-point line. At some points, mistakes were made on the defense, but overall, there was not any clear way

for Yuba to get to the basket for layups.

LMC’s offense got a lead and kept it for the entirety of the game, as their lead grew to 24 in the third quarter. Yuba College started to make a small comeback, but they only made LMC’s lead go down to 14 until LMC found their stride again.

This game wasn’t close from start to finish as LMC got the victory over a team that has struggled their entire season. LMC’s overall record for the season is now 11-15 while the overall record for Yuba College goes to 3-22.

This game showed the strength of the women’s team as they would fight through defenders and shoot layups while getting fouled. They pushed their way to the basket and disrupted the flow of Yuba’s game. LMC’s top player, Busola Ayiloge would consistently get physical getting to the basket

to find that open shot.

Before the victory today, the women were on a five-game losing streak, but this game secured a win before the upcoming conference matchup

Team suffers loss on Sophomore Night

By JAYDEN LAWRENCE

Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College women’s basketball team held its sophomore night on Feb. 17, which unfortunately ended in a 60-54 loss to Solano. With this defeat, the team’s record for the season stands at 11-16.

Before the game, both Sophomore teams were recognized, as it was their last game before transferring to another college. A powerful quote read by the speaker said, “88 percent of life is showing up, the rest is up to you.”

against Solano. For more information on the women’s basketball team, visit https://www.losmedanos. edu/basketball/womens/ index.aspx.

Despite putting up a good fight throughout the game, the Mustangs fell short as they struggled to capitalize on offense, and gave up too many rebounds to the Solano team, with Solano finishing with ten more offensive rebounds than LMC.

Solano won the tip-off, but Kyla Maghoney grabbed their

first miss and started the game with an excellent pass leading to Megan Ramirez opening the game with a layup. Maghoney continued her excellent performance with a putback dunk, an assist, and a layup to give the Mustangs an 8-2 run to start the game. However, by the end of the first quarter, the Mustangs trailed 14-15.

Unfortunately, Melody Rafan of Solano was injured towards the end of the first quarter, and had to be escorted off the court, although she was able to walk with the support of the crowd.

In the second quarter, Jacquelyn Munoz got an inbound steal, leading to an easy bucket, and then played lockdown defense setting the tone for the second quarter. Both teams worked hard to get good looks, but the Mustangs fell behind at the end of the period with See WOMEN, page 7

“If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!”

— Charles Barkley

Juan Cebreiros Experience

Jordan Mijas, 23, drives to the basket looking to set up an open shot for a teammate as the Stangs get the victory.

Mohammad Najimi Experience

D’Montay Warner shoots a mid-range on a Yuba defender.

Mohammad Najimi Experience

Elane Johnson takes a mid-range over a Yuba defender.

Arts & Culture 6

“A friend is one of the best things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.”

Pooh slashes his reputation

By KAMRYN CHAVEZ Experience Correspondent

“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” is not a children’s movie. Pooh, the beloved children’s character, stars in what is essentially a slasher film. The movie is a twisted horror tale in which Pooh and friends are not as sweet as we remember, preying upon a group of young girls staying in a remote cabin.

ruining our childhoods by turning our old friend, Pooh, into a blood-thirsty murderer.

REVIEW

“Blood and Honey” is only playing at select theaters, so finding a movie time may be a challenge and it is not available on any streaming services at this time. A $15 movie ticket bought me a small-budget experience that left me questioning: Why?

They are fueled by vengeance from their perceived betrayal by Christopher Robin, vowing to slay any human who comes their way.

This adrenaline rush of a movie is one that I will never forget. It is filled with blood, gore, and most of all honey!

With Winnie the Pooh coming into the public domain, director Rhys Waterfield decided to change the way we view the Pooh friends forever. This R-rated film earned its rank by the immense amount of gore it includes, and by

I was impressed by the number of people who were in the theater because I had assumed I was going to experience evil Pooh alone. When I left, though, I felt the disappointment loom as my fellow audience members exited.

This movie used SFX makeup to bring Pooh and Piglet to life. Piglet looked like any ol’ pig while the makeup for Winnie took all its inspiration from the animated Pooh. This “animated” Pooh took away from the story but, in the end, it was the best choice because I found the supposed-to-bescary Pooh comedic more See POOH, page 7

Another ‘Toy Story’ is too much of a good thing

installment in the Frozen franchise.

By NOAH CANNON Staff Writer

Is there ever too much of a good thing? Is there ever too much love? Too much kindness? Or is there ever too much of a certain franchise?

OPINION

Since I was a child, my favorite movie has been Pixar Animation’s very first feature film, “Toy Story,” directed by John Lasseter and starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. “Toy Story” has touched my heart as no other film has. I’ve loved and cherished it for as long as I can remember, and I doubt another film will captivate me and fill me with unbridled joy.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced two new animated features for Disney and Pixar. The first is the third

The other is “Toy Story 5,” with Tim Allen set to reprise his role as the lovable space ranger toy Buzz Lightyear. I had just read the news about the announcement and it shocked me. We were getting another Toy Story? Why?

“Toy Story” debuted on Thanksgiving weekend in 1995. Despite its near-universal critical and commercial success, if you took a time machine back to the 90s and told somebody that “Toy Story” would gain four sequels, a spin-off film, and a handful of TV specials, I doubt anyone would have believed you. Not even the brilliant creative minds at Pixar.

We’ve had two brilliant sequels to “Toy Story” over the last 27 years.

“Toy Story 2” won the Golden Globe award for best feature film musical

REVIEW CREW

or comedy, and “Toy Story 3” won the best-animated feature at the Oscars and became the third film in history to be nominated for best picture. “Toy Story 1, 2, and 3” are three perfect films. And “Toy Story 3” is arguably the perfect ending to a delightful trilogy. Andy is all grown up and he expressed his love for his toys before lovingly passing them on to a new little girl. Then, he drives off into the sunset for college as Woody laments, “So long, partner.” No movies have brought me to tears as much as the “Toy Story” films had and for the longest time, I thought that was the end, and I was satisfied that we had, in my mind, a perfect trilogy. But then something happened. In 2018, a trailer dropped on YouTube for “Toy Story 4.” “Toy Story 4?” Was my mind playing tricks on

me? I was in denial, telling myself that there deserved to be a fourth installment in this glorious franchise, that it was totally necessary and spectacular. And, to be fair, I liked it. I loved a lot of stuff about the film, but not Woody’s character. Here’s where the problem with milking a franchise comes in. Because it was the fourth installment in a series that already had a perfect ending, the Pixar team had to do nothing that they had ever done before in the series so that they could make it fresh and entertaining. And so, the result was Woody realizing that he’s not loved by his kid anymore who for some reason wanted nothing to do with him, despite absolutely loving him about a few months before the movie takes place. And so, he follows his heart instead of

See WOODY, page 7 Noah Cannon Experience

Ray says: Dry plot, but great acting

The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was released Feb. 17. “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,” an interesting film with the main focus on Cassie Lang, the daughter of Ant-Man, Scott Lang.

It offers the classic comedy we are used to seeing from Ant-Man films, with entertaining action sequences. But the film seems to have a rushed plot. Many events throughout the film isn’t explained and quickly jumps from scene to scene.

Noah says: Enjoyable, but style over substance

Here’s the deal, I didn’t love this film, but I enjoyed it all the same. Paul Rudd and Kathryn Newton also did great jobs as Ant-Man and Cassie Lang respectively. Rudd is likable no matter what he’s in. I adored the visual style of the film. The production design, costumes, and Quantum Realm creatures are cool, colorful, and creative.

Photo courtesy of Disney Media

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’

Movie Summary: “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” starring Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton, and Jonathan Majors, was released Feb. 17. Father Scott Lang (Paul) and daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn) get teleported into the Quantum Realm looking for a way back to Earth. During their journey in the Quantum Realm, they stumble upon a supervillain who calls himself Kang the Conqueror and who has nefarious plans for both of them. The movie runs for two hours and five minutes and is rated PG-13.

The movie performance was weak with a somewhat dry plot, but the actors and actresses’ performances were strong. Paul Rudd does a good job as Ant-Man and Kathryn Newton does a great job of playing Cassie Lang. But one of the more stand-out performances of the film was Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. While the portrayals of characters were good, it doesn’t make up for the plot conveyed throughout the film.

“Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” isn’t a bad movie, but in terms of the caliber of Marvel movies; this film falls short.

Unfortunately, I found the film to be style over substance with a poorly written and underdeveloped plot. The pacing is all over the place, and the excessive humor is annoying, cringy and completely takes away whatever weight the movie attempts to have.

As for the villain, Kang the Conqueror – portrayed by Jonathan Majors – has an intriguing concept and cool costume. Despite this, Majors’ portrayal is not very menacing or intimidating. He sleepwalks through the film waiting to punch and blow up stuff and nearly all of the supporting characters are meaningless and add nothing to this lazily thought up plot.

Regardless of the many flaws, this movie is still entertaining. But just because something is fun and enjoyable doesn’t make it a good film.

FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2023

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Lara, portrayed by Natasha Tosini, relaxes in a hot tub as Piglet and Pooh sneak up behind her to commit murder.

The Rest 7

PLAY

“I can’t stop Andy from growing up, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

— Woody from “Toy Story”

ETHNIC

The Mustangs didn’t let the lead dip below 17 but they were unable to to grow their lead past 17 points.

The teams traded scores until Siskiyous went on another run to get back in the game with three minutes left to play in regulation.

With three minutes to play the Eagles scored nine more unanswered points as the Mustangs struggled to close out the game. The score was 84-75 when Eagles forward Cade Ealy connected on a three pointer to make it just a six point game with a minute to play.

The Mustangs needed scores to close out the game and Warner was able to provide them by scoring three straight layups to put a halt to the Eagles late push and giving the Mustangs a 90-80 win.

The Mustangs will travel to Hayward on Saturday Feb. 25 to battle Chabot College with the winner keeping their playoff run alive.

BASE

From page 4

At the top of the sixth, Saylor got himself in trouble by having men on second and third with no outs. This didn’t phase him, however, as he went on to get a pop-out and two strikeouts to end the inning, pumping up the team as they went on to score three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to build their lead to 9-1.

It looked over for Monterey as they needed to get eight runs to tie the game up, but they built a small comeback after Terry Baker took over the mound for the seventh and allowed two runs to score.

Sebastian Palma took over on the mound before the sac fly and allowed two more runs in the eighth to cut the lead to 9-5 via an RBI groundout

WOODY

From page 6

his toy code and leaves his family to go have adventures with the love of his life, Bo.

That was the scene that broke me. As emotional and beautifully animated as the film was, that was NOT Woody. That was not the character that I grew up loving and adoring. The Woody I know always said that the most important part of being a toy was to be there for your child, not to be played with. However, Woody has hypocritically abandoned his child and is told to listen to his inner voice instead. He says goodbye to Buzz, Jessie, and all his other toy pals before living a life of on-the-nose adventures, ruining the happy, perfect ending of “Toy Story 3” for the sake of milking out another movie.

Now, we’re having a fifth one. Sigh.

If this was announced when I was seven or even when I was sixteen, I’d have thrown my hands into the air and exclaimed, “Yes! I’m so excited! Woo-hoo!” But now, as a twenty year old, I can say that I’m mixed about the news. The child in me is still there inside, screaming with joy from the depths of my memories, but the man in my head is nervous,

CHAT

From page 1

and single.

Noah Tofan took over in the ninth as he looked to close out the game without blowing the lead.

Another sac fly sealed the lead of 9-6 as Tofan would strike out Cameron Estes to end the game and give the Stangs the victory.

LMC was close to blowing an eight-run lead after the sixth inning, but they kept fighting and improved their overall record to 5-3.

The next home game for the baseball game will be on Friday Feb. 17 against Feather River College at 11:30 a.m. For more information on the baseball team, visit https://www. losmedanos.edu/baseball/ index.aspx.

saddened, and scared. What will happen to these characters that I’ve loved since I first could love? Will they be butchered even more? Will Woody even be in it? Will it be modern for the sake of being modern instead of focusing on telling a good story?

Most importantly, I have to ask myself why. And I know the answer. To make money. That might sound cynical, but hey, welcome to the 20s. All joking aside, that’s why all these franchises are getting more and more unnecessary installments and spin-offs—to make money. And while I understand that money is the purpose of businesses like Disney and Pixar, why can’t they do that by making something original? Something bold, emotional, and new? Something that isn’t afraid to take risks and be raw and even mature at times?

The wonder and joy of my hero Walt Disney’s early films were seeing him, and his team of talented artists, composers, and storytellers make something fresh, built from the ground up, and downright touching. The same can be said for Pixar when they first started.

I said this in a previous

when something is written by an AI. This makes it essentially impossible for a professor to tell whether or not a student actually typed what they submitted.

Despite something like this existing, Sterling believes that it is still too early to see how much of an issue AI plagiarism will play in English classes.

“It’s also good to remember that students don’t want to cheat and they do want to be good writers,” said Sterling, adding that students “understand that the goal of English-100 is to grow as a writer, reader, thinker and person.”

While the involvement of AI in education has its potential dangers, Dean of Student

Success at LMC, Dave Belman, said “as new tools become available in our world, I think it is important for educators to continually clarify for students which tools are acceptable for use in their classes.”

Belman said that there have been a bunch of different tools that have impacted education, such as calculators and the internet, so ChatGPT is just the next thing on that list.

“I know that some faculty have considered incorporating the use of ChatGPT into their classes while others have modified their assignments/exams because of it,” said Belman.

It still remains to be seen just how ChatGPT and other AI tools impact the world of education, for better or for worse.

From page 1 with a focus on Ethnic and Social Justice studies, but she did not see this field of study as her future. When completing her master’s degree as an English major at UCSB, she stumbled upon a book of poems and short stories called “Chicana Falsa: And Other Stories of Death, Identity, & Oxnard,” by Michele M. Serros. Reading the book from cover to cover, Simone realized she was in the wrong study.

“I had missed so much historical context, educational contexts, symbolism that I wasn’t aware of. It was like getting my face hit with a bucket of water,” said Simone. “I realized that the type of work I wanted to do, which was very transdisciplinary, liberatory, and revolutionary, could not be done in an English Department.”

The Ethnic Studies and Social Justice department has expanded and with high demand, integrated more courses into the curriculum,

POOH

From page 6

times than not.

They did not appear to put much effort into the story or the acting, since casting Winnie the Pooh as a murderous antagonist will draw people in regardless. The acting was unimpressive, and the dialogue made me cringe. The characters’ actions were classic horror-movie stupidity in which they make every horrible decision possible, except when Alice went to grab the gun from her purse.

“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” has all the elements of an average slasher film, filled

ABROAD

From page 3

the school district asked Sanchez, “How are you going to use Florence as your classroom?” This was easy for Sanchez since he is teaching art history and Florence is one of the most historically important cities in the world when it comes to art.

“Our drawing classes sometimes are held outside. We get to see the famous sculptures and art from the area as well as going on field trips to see the famous buildings and churches in the area,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez also added that on these field trips the students will be able to get as close as five feet to famous sculptures from famous Renaissance

along with a full-time hire set to join this fall. For the first time, Introduction to Black Studies (ETHN-045) and Intro to Social Justice Studies (SJS-110) will be offered this upcoming summer.

Counselors are available to help assist in choosing classes, in addition to helping students meet transfer and GE requirements for graduation. Opportunities available to learn about diverse perspectives allow a student to gain knowledge about information that has been brushed over by a Eurocentric Western education system.

“Growth comes from trying to understand your own, as well as others in your community, and their cultural norms, traditions, history, and values,” said Natalie Hannum, Vice President of Instruction. “Like other general education areas, it provides a breadth of study that is very relevant to our very diverse college and community.”

with suspense paired with the classic trope of a group of girls in a remote area just waiting to be murdered. This, of course, is no average slasher film because of the transformation of a once-beloved character in a light we have never seen before. But this movie is not even average, it’s below average. If you’re looking for an experience, then this film is for you. If you’re looking for substance, then this is not for you. For me, it was an experience! I will never forget this movie and I will never look at Winnie the Pooh the same way again.

artists, such as Michelangelo. Alexander usually travels abroad with students once a decade but with him feeling his teaching career is coming to an end, he applied to travel to Florence for spring semester 2024.

“I’m not always applying but I’m getting towards the end of my teaching career. These trips are worth adjusting your life to experience,” Alexander said.

Every spring semester students will travel to Florence, Italy but for fall semesters, the location changes each year.

This past fall semester students traveled to London but for the 2023 fall semester, students will travel to Barcelona, Spain.

article from last semester, but the first eleven Pixar films are spectacular because of their stories and originality, how each film did something fresh and new that also felt familiar.

So, can we please use our imaginations some more?

Have we run out of ideas that we’ve resulted in making a dozen “Star Wars” spinoffs, a new “Indiana Jones,” and another “Toy Story?” We don’t need another “Toy Story.” Is spoiling a perfect ending and butchering its characters worth it to make a few bucks?

I can’t emphasize this enough. “Toy Story” means the world to me. It always has and always will. And I am not optimistic about the future of

this continuing franchise. I’m scared. I’m probably going to see the movie for the sake of love and nostalgia, but seeing what happened with “Toy Story 4,” I am not sure how it will turn out. All I ask is that Disney and Pixar please stop milking their franchises and finally let them rest.

Let go of the past and make something new, something that holds the ideals and beliefs of the past but is fresh and fun at the same time. Hopefully, new talented creative young minds will not be afraid to make the movies that they want to make. Movies that do the impossible. As my hero, Walt once said, “it’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

WOMEN

From page 5

From page 5 a score of 24-29.

In the second half, Munoz and Micaela Pentecostes found their rhythm from the three-point line, while on defense, steals characterized the third quarter. With 32.5 seconds left, Munoz attempted a three-pointer, but it was waved off as it was after the buzzer ending the quarter with a score of 40-43. In the final quarter, Munoz found good looks at the three-point line, and Busola Ayiloge swatted a layup attempt, shifting momentum back to the Mustangs.

Unfortunately, LMC got into foul trouble, and the following free throws cost them the game which ended with a final score of 60-54.

Despite the loss, the team never gave up and played with great intensity. Defensively, they made it difficult for Solano to win, and this game was a testament to the effort and hard work of both teams. For more information about the women’s basketball team, please visit https://www. losmedanos.edu/basketball/ womens/index.aspx.

FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2023

Juan Cebreiros • Experience Jason Zimmer, No. 5, dribbles the ball looking to score a basket for the Mustangs.

Photo courtesy of IMDB

The two main characters of “Toy Story” pose for a photo.

Arts & Culture 8

FRIDAY, FEB. 24, 2023

Quotable

“The aim of art is to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

Quilts designed for a conversation

LMC art gallery opening

By ALIYAH RAMIREZ Staff Writer

Creative works can be demonstrated through different mediums and start a conversation.

Oakland fabric artist, Alice Beasley showcased her outlook on life through quilts, inspired to spread awareness for political and historical change. Opening night of Alice Beasley: A Retrospective collection was featured to the public on Feb. 9 from 4-6 p.m. at the LMC library with free admission, as viewers were able to interact with Beasley and her work.

Put together by the Los Medanos College Art Department, the gallery featured 21 fabric works varying in types of colors and materials, with intricate details running through each piece. Within a few minutes after opening, people started to file in and explore the art, with student Sopfia Martinez describing the work as “eye-opening” and Patience Isch emphasizing she was “glad to have come.”

Following an informal talk with the artist, Beasley engaged with witty humor and answered questions from participants to give insight into her ideas and process behind her work.

She came from a line of women who created fabric works and used her skills in quilt-making to capture portraits of objects and people. As each piece carried a story, Beasley said she started art to “create something beautiful,” allowing those to connect through personal experiences, in addition to raising different opinions.

“I have my ideas, I made it with an idea in mind but you may have a completely different idea about what this is,” explained Beasley.

Preparations for the opening began weeks prior, as Gallery Director Carol Ladewig worked with Beasley to select pieces and design the area for the show. Ladewig went through multiple combinations to create a flow throughout the tour, to allow people to stop and think.

“I think of narrative, I think of what connects one thing to another, it can be shape, color, or content,” said Ladewig. “A lot of it’s unconscious or just pure visual response to what you are doing.”

Working with each other was a “wonderful” experience said Ladewig, as they both share a love for art. Ladewig, a painter, and Beasley, a fabric artist, together were both excited to bring different kinds of art styles to LMC.

After retiring from her political career as a reporter and lawyer, Beasley became a board member of the Kala Art Institute, focused on engaging and supporting local artists’ work with the community, and her art became a passion.

Her work features topics about colored women’s rights; for instance, the piece “she refused to walk behind,” targeted gun violence, “unidentified black man,” and economic or racial inequalities, seen in “the swamp.”

It also highlighted realistic portrayals of simple pleasures in “Tuesday in the park with George,” and everyday struggles

in “contemplating next move.”

As each piece captured a necessary time in history or provoked a particular emotion, all had a purpose in the message portrayed.

The Beasley collection will continue to show in the LMC library Monday through Thursday from 12-4 p.m. from Feb. 9 to March 9, open to the public. To learn more about the artist or view her past collections please visit, https://www.alicebeasley.com.

Alexis Ramirez • Experience

Artist Alice Beasley interacts with students and staff about her featured collection at the Los Medanos College art gallery opening on Feb. 9

Aliyah Ramirez Experience Patience Isch and Bomani Howard viewing Beasley’s quilt art, “Blue Burqas.”

“I’ll Rise Up Like the Day” features intricate details.

“She Refused to Walk Behind” made for the 100thanniversary women’s suffragist movement highlighting heroine Ida B Wells. “In My Wake” “Unidentified Black Man”

“A Well-Tendered Garden”