Vol. 89 No. 11 - Nov. 30, 2018 by The Experience Los Medanos College

Therapist talks empathy

A walk down Stonestreet

Reflecting on Vball

Family Therapist Lora Groppetti teaches LMC how to be empathetic in a free talk — page 3

Punter Cody Stonestreet discusses his time in the military, discipline, and the game of football — page 6

Volleyball comes to an end with the team winning the Bay Valley Conference but losing the playoffs — page 6

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F.Y.I. Important dates December Impaired driving prevention month Dec. 2

First day of Hanukkah, the holiday runs through Dec. 10.

Dec. 16

The final day of instruction at Los Medanos College.

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Saying goodbye to VP

Horan off to head Crafton By ROBERT PIERCE @RobertP_EXP

Los Medanos College Vice President Kevin Horan has been selected as the ninth President of Crafton Hills College in San Bernardino Community College District and will soon be leaving his position at LMC. According to President Bob Kratochvil, the exact date of Horan’s departure from LMC is still being determined, though Crafton Hills stated in a press release Horan will be assuming the presidency Jan. 7, 2019. “Kevin’s career with the Contra Costa Com-

munity College District, and particularly at Los Medanos College, has been long and productive,” Kratochvil said. Horan joined the district in 2006 and has worked at LMC as Vice President of Instruction & Student Services for over six years. Previously, Horan served as Executive Dean for both the Brentwood Center and San Ramon Campus. “We are thrilled that Dr. Kevin Horan will be our ninth president of Crafton Hills College,” said Angel Rodriguez, District Director of MarSee HORAN, page 5

Crafton Hills’ site welcomes Horan

Close affects studies

Shutdown disrupts LMC

‘Ajax’ slices up theater

By DALE SATRE @Dale Satre

The California Theatre in Pittsburg presents LMC’s production of “Ajax,” the Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century B.C.E. This modern reimagining has a focus on PTSD and mental illness. The play will run from Dec. 5 to 8. Shows start at 7 p.m. Those interested can purchase tickets from the theatre’s website at http:// www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com/event/ajax/ Experience • Perry Continente

A sign and caution tape restrict what is usually one of the most traversed stairways at LMC.

Rain blocks off stairway By PERRY CONTINENTE @perrycontinente

The dogs are coming back The Library will play host to therapy dogs from Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation next Tuesday, Dec. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. Students can find a respite from the stress of finals by petting the dogs. For more information those interested can contact Librarian Roseann Erwin by email at rer win@losmedanos.edu or by phone at (925) 473-7572.

Return for the Experience While this issue is the final print issue of the Los Medanos College Experience this semester, check the website www.lmcexperience.com for news updates. Publication will resume at the begining of the spring semester.

The stairway by the Little Theatre, a major thoroughfare, has closed due to rain slicking the stairs. Wet stairs have not previously been an issue, however, the removal of windows above allowed water into the area resulting in the closure Tuesday. The stairway serves as the main way

for students parked in Lot C to access the lower floors of the College Complex. Glenn Sobolik of Buildings and Grounds explained that because the Division of the State Architect needs to finalize the repairs, the windows have not yet been replaced. “We have to be approved through the DSA,” said Sobolik. He added that the department is “extremely careful”

about all construction conducted in the school. This careful approach has slowed the replacement of the windows resulting in an open space above the stairway for the semester. Sobolik said that weak fittings necessitated the removal of the windows. It is unclear at this time when the replacement of the windows will occur.

Food pantry gives holiday donations By HILLARY HETRICK & LETICIA ROBLES Staff Writers

The Los Medanos College food pantry has a Thanksgiving basket giveaway every to provide baskets of food to those who may be in need during the holiday season. Contra Costa Community College District closed all campuses during the Thanksgiving week, due to the poor air quality which subsequently impacted holiday donations. How-

ever, because participants RSVP’d during beforehand they will still receive their basket. The LMC food pantry reopened Monday Nov. 26 for the giveaways. “Students RSVP a few weeks before in order to receive a basket. The basket this year consists of rotisserie chicken, apple cider, cheese and vegetables,” Student Life coordinator, John Nguyen explained.

Experience • Perry Continente

See GIVE, page 5 Jessica Wilson prepares a basket.

The automated texts started Thursday, Nov. 15: “CCCCD [Contra Costa Community College District] has decided to close all locations … effective 3:00 p.m. today and will reopen Monday, November 19, 2018.” The following texts brought similar messages: classes were pushed to Tuesday, Nov. 20, then pushed to the next week on Monday, Nov. 26. This started a scramble among students and teachers to find ways to deal with what would become over a week of missed classes, due to poor air quality and the Thanksgiving holiday. According to a press release by CCCCD spokesperson Timothy Leong, the district decided to be cautious with fluctuating reports of local air quality. “It threw me way back,” remarked administration of justice professor Anthony Hailey. “I couldn’t access my office. Everything I needed to grade didn’t get graded. I had no warning I’d be set back so much.” Professors were encouraged to offer course work online to maintain credit hours for their courses. Business professor Perry Wilkins said the closure encouraged her to try new ways of distance teaching. “The closure created an avenue to be more innovative about getting content to people, such as getting material online. I sent out lectures over Canvas and held exams online that people did at home,” Wilkins said. “If it came to it, I could even hold live lectures over Zoom. The good thing about this is that it forced us to move to the twenty-first century.” However, others are facing difficulty as the remaining two weeks of the semester loom. See CLOSE, page 5

Panel informs on ‘fake news’ By JARED DAVIS Staff Writer

How do you know this story you are reading is not fake news? To help members of the Los Medanos College community deal with the current epidemic striking the world, the LMC Hrs Program sponsored an event Nov. 26 to shed light on the problem — Combat Fake News: A Media Literacy Panel. With both students and faculty members in attendance, the panel tackled controversial

questions and a variety of opinions. Honors student Chance Nelson moderated the panel that included Professor Nolan Higdon, who teaches at several Bay Area colleges, and student reporter Aimee Casey, both of Project Censored, as well as LMC Library Director Christina Goff. The three shared professional viewpoints about the effects news outlets and social media are having on Photo courtesy of Emilio Gomez society through dissemination of fake news Panelists from left to right: Nolan Higdon, Aimee that seems to be almost everywhere. See FAKE, page 5

Casey, and LMC Library Director Christina Goff.

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“That’s it, Mister. You just lost your brain privileges!”

Ceasia Moore

Bailee Truitt

GUEST COLUMNIST

Take advantage of resources

Gun control is not the answer

Taking advantage of all the resources this community college has to offer is vital and is the key for many to being successful at Los Medanos. Things such as financial aid, non-resident exemption for tuition, California Dream Act (formerly BOG fee waiver) are available to help those in need. After graduating high school everyone tells you to go to college but nobody puts an emphasis on how to cover the fees. And they can be steep. The New York Times reported that the tuition for private schools has risen three times what was in 1974, so on average the cost is $31,000 a year; public tuition, at $9,000, has risen by nearly four times. This generates fear and turns a lot of students away simply because they aren’t able to pay. I didn’t know how in the world I would pay for college but when I heard about financial aid I knew it was heaven-sent. Financial aid is meant to cover tuition and fees you may encounter during the semester. My tuition and fees for LMC totaled $3,363, mainly because I’m being charged a non-residency fee of $237 per unit plus the enrollment fee of $46. I don’t qualify for the non-resident exemption fee either because I attended college in Texas. You can qualify for this type of assistance if you attended a California high school for three or more years and graduated from a California high school or attained a GED or Certificate of Proficiency. I highly encourage everyone who does qualify to take advantage of these resources also in a timely manner. I know that timeliness is vital. I didn’t apply for financial aid until a week before school but luckily fees don’t have to be paid up front. Entering college, I thought teachers would give you time to get your books and things but that’s not the case here. In my journalism class the first assignment called for the textbook and I had none. Even though I was able to get the book for that class, it won’t help everyone, so get your packages in and on time because proper preparation prevents poor performance. The financial aid office is located in the Student Service Center on College Level Complex 3. You can call them at (925) 4737523; fax (925) 473-1651. Also, check out their website for the hours because they are subject to change. LMC also offers resources other than money. Once you’re enrolled, the college offers resources to support your success. The Center for Academic Support provides free services to students with their reading, writing and answers questions you may have about any of your classes. Visit this center on the third floor of the College Level Complex, or call 925-473-7590. You can also find more information on the website www. losmedanos.edu/core. LMC also offers resources in the library. If you need help with a research assignment all you have to do is make an appointment with one of the librarians and they will be glad to help you with finding all the academic sources, you need. This is also a quiet place to study, work on assignments and if you don’t have a computer they have those too. It costs 10 cents to print. And if you run short of cash during the semester, LMC has a food pantry to make sure you don’t go hungry. The food pantry is located on Level 3 of the College Complex next to the cafeteria. Anyone can go there and fill out a short application for assistance. Don’t worry, everyone gets approved. Los Medanos College wants everyone to succeed and they give you the necessary resources to do so. They help you pay for college, they give you the resources so that you can succeed and they feed you. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?

Many people think that the government should put a strict control on guns to prevent mass shootings. In theory would be a brilliant idea. Many people have lost their lives because of guns, however many people have had their lives saved by guns. We live in a scar y and unpredictable world. Guns may add to the scariness of going outside which I can relate with, but I know that they serve a purpose. They are designed for self defense and is among our rights in the Constitution. Our second amendment right can not be taken away. Many people blame guns for killing people, although it is people killing other people. People will use any means necessary to kill people if they are really sick enough to do so. Not everyone should have their rights taken away because of the few people that decide to kill others by using a gun. Guns are meant to be a tool not a weapon. Killing people is a crime. People who kill people are criminals. Criminals don’t pay attention to the laws. People expect for gun control to solve all of our problems involving gun related violence. If someone really truly wants to use a gun to kill people they’re going to do so. Taking away someone’s right to arming themself is putting everyone in danger. This will make it so that only the people that shouldn’t have guns, have access to them. I personally feel that a stricter control on guns will make the problem worse. It has been proven that in states that have less gun control and allow people to conceal and carry, there are far less mass shootings. The positives of owning guns is often overshadowed by the negatives. In places where people are allowed to conceal and carry, people are able to take down people that make any threats of shooting places up. Guns are meant for self defense and not for killing people. If people were allowed to conceal and carry, there is potential for far less casualties in mass shootings. People that kill people are less likely to go through with it if they know there are other guns around and they can be taken out in a heartbeat. If a stricter gun control gets put in place, I feel that mass shootings will increase. If a control on one weapon is placed, the government should be required to put a control on anything that could potentially kill people. That crosses the line on what is strictly viewed as a tool or a weapon. The reality is any item can be used as a weapon if someone really wants to use it as a weapon. Even words can be used as a weapon. Some people’s words cause people to kill themselves. So are we going to then have to put a control on what people say? It becomes an issue on taking away our first amendment right. This would likely cause an uproar among people because the government can’t take away our freedom of speech, but these same people are okay with our second amendment right being taken away. There is a huge flaw in society. People choose to only look at the negatives of things, such as guns, rather than looking at the entire picture. Many people are narrow-minded to the fact that guns have saved lives. Our country was built on the usage of guns. The second amendment right was given to us in order to not give the government too much control. This was the result of Great Britain having too much control over us and we needed to fight back. What happens then if our guns are taken away and we suddenly have to fight the government. The world is so unpredictable and so screwed up that people need a way to fight back. Guns are a tool not a weapon.

Editorial

House rep an inspiration

s the semester comes to a close, many events have occurred that affect our lives, one way or another. For many students here at Los Medanos College, we came here with a goal of graduating and taking on the world. The underlying theme to being a student is to reach our full potential. No single event embodied this goal than the political rise and election of New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As the youngest person ever elected to Congress, while her youth shouldn’t get lost on you, it appeals to something even greater — the realization of a dream or goal achieved and having the gall to go for it all. The role of the House of Representatives in Congress is meant to be a representation of the people. So when you see a 29-year-old Latina woman achieve this goal, you have to look at her background to understand the magnitude of it. Growing up in a working class family from the Bronx, it doesn’t get more representative of the people than that. Prior to running for Congress, Ocasio-Cortez worked as bartender and waitress at a Taqueria. Congress is infamous for having multi millionaire and elite types in their ranks in Washington. You’d have to search hard to find someone who relates to everyday people, particularly college students. After being inspired to enter politics after working on Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, she entered the race and the rest is history. Ocasio-Cortez is the living embodiment of this generation taking charge of their goals. As a student body it would behoove us to take heed to whatever calling motivates us to push forward.

Utilize time, no procrastinating Time management is one of the biggest problems that face people today. Time management is defined as “the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work.” Time management problems come from either not having enough time, or putting something off until right before it’s due, then wasting more time to think about where in the day you should’ve done whatever it is you were trying to do. This impacts a lot of people, even in the workplace, all because people never learn to manage their time. I’m one of the biggest offenders, I casually shrug off whatever assignment it is that I was supposed to do, wait until the last minute, and then complain about how much work it is. I don’t start studying until about a week before the test. When in reality I should’ve started studying the day I got the material, that way I wouldn’t have to worry about the test because I would’ve already taken the time to know all of the information. A lot of teachers tell you to take the time to learn the information and the more time you put into trying to learn it, the more you’ll know it, but in all honesty, who wants to do that? Some people don’t want to take the time to learn the information but it will make things easier. Most classes have a unit where they reteach things from the previous class, and if you already know the information, it’s not like you need to learn it again. The way our brain processes memory is a complicated process, to put it simply, it processes everything, The more you repeat it the more likely the information will be transferred into long term memory. There are different types of long term memory. Things of greater importance are remembered better. They’re also going to be processed differently. One thing that helps you memorize information is repetition, though it’s processed differently. If you repeat it enough you’ll remember it. The more you recall something, it also helps for holding something in long term memory. For studying, it needs to be worked into

Voices

Amy Anderson GUEST COLUMNIST

your schedule, even if it’s just a little bit a day, it’s better than nothing. The problem is trying to work it into your schedule, but there is always somewhere where it can fit in, without impacting anything else. There is time for everything and once again it varies from person to person. Looking online at different schedules of college students, there’s almost nothing in common, which is the case of a lot of people. Sometimes your schedule is so packed it seems like there is no time to study or do anything. One thing a lot of people have to do is drive, put on a lecture and listen to that instead of music. There is always time to do something else, because multitasking is something a lot of people have to do. Even if your schedule is packed it’s important to take some time for yourself, take a day off from work or school and take a break. Stress is something that impacts everyone, and sometimes you just need to take a step back. If you pace yourself, then it won’t be a problem. Learning to manage your time is also something that will relieve your stress, it does this by spreading things out. Even though multiple projects are handed out at one time the dates vary and not waiting until the last minute makes things less overwhelming. Planning things out ahead of time helps, having a mini planner, or a big calendar helps visualize when things are due, it also allows for you to be much more organized. Though it’s hard to start, it will be beneficial in the long run. Time management is a skill everyone should have and the sooner you learn, the easier it will be.

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

How has the campus closure affected you? COMPILED

L I L LY

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Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“I had a midterm and paper worth 15 percent of my grade due the day classes were canceled.”

“As a first-time student it’s hard with the schedule to adjust to the pace of my classes.” —

“My teacher[s] don’t like it. They say they wish they had the extra two weeks.”

“It’s my first time in college. I feel like I was having a hard time getting used to the math class and the speed of college.”

“I feel like I have to rush a lot more assignments and a lot more school work.” Montemayor

“A lot because I’ve had some tests that I could’ve taken last week and I had to wait when I was prepared then.”

“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson

The LMC Experience is published Fridays by students in the Journalism Program. The newspaper serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.

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Campus Newswatch

Academic and artistic lecture

Professor Silvester Henderson and the Los Medanos College Choral Program would like to invite you to the Fall Academic Scholarship Lecture with guest presenter Dr. Dean Suzuki. Suzuki is an Associate Professor of Music History at San Francisco State University. The topic of the lecture will be “Contemporary Popular Music and Artistic Social Freedom.” The lecture will be held Monday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in Room MU3-710. Admission is free, but parking is $3. For more information, contact Professor Silvester Henderson at (925) 565-6107 or (925) 473-7806, or contact the LMC Music Office (925) 473-7805.

Slam and jam with Study Slam

The Center for Academic Support will hold a Study Slam Thursday, Dec. 6 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.The Study Slam will be free for all Los Medanos College students and will be available on a drop-in basis with no appointment needed. The Center for Academic Support will also provide “free pizza and refreshments” during the Study Slam. Peer Tutoring will also be offered for over a dozen subjects including accounting, siology, Excel, humanities, speech and statisitcs. In addition, several Reading and Writing Consultants will be present. For more information, you can visit the Center for Academic Support during its normal operating hours. The Center for Academic Support is located on the third floor of the College Complex in Room CO-300.

Social Media intern wanted

The Contra Costa Community College District is now hiring a Social Media and Marketing Intern for the Spring 2019 semester. To apply, visit www.collegecentral.com/ losmedanos and use job ID number 5711803. The position is available for all current students attending LMC, DVC or CCC as a Graphic Design, Communications or Journalism major taking at least six units this semester. Dec. 19 is the deadline to apply. Visit www.4cd.edu/ intership to learn more.

Drug dosage course offered

The Vocational Nursing program will be offering a course next semester titled Drug Dosage Calcuations for Health Occupations. According to a poster, “this course is for students looking to get into or who are already in the healthcare field such as RN, VN, and Paramedic.” Students taking the course will learn how to interpret medication labels, calculate drug dosages, calculate IV flow rates and perform metric system conversions. The course will offered Wednesdays from 12:45 to 2:50 p.m. with course number VoNur 020.

Faculty and staff Adobe Apps

CollegeBuys.org has partnered with Los Medanos College to provide Adobe Creative Cloud Apps for $19.99 per year for all faculty and staff through the CollegeBuys Work at Home program. Creative Cloud Apps for Faculty and Staff includes the essential software previously available in the Adobe Creative Suite with updates available instantly. For more information or to purchase, visit www.collegebuys.org

Outreach Ambassadors hiring

Los Medanos College is now hiring Outreach Student Ambassadors for the Spring 2019 semester. Working as an Outreach Student Ambassador involves, among other things, tabling at local high schools to recruit prospective LMC students and provides students with leadership experience, networking opportunities and a chance to promote and represent LMC. Applicants available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on weekdays are preferred. Applications are available at the Welcome Desk (SS3-320). For more information, email eramierz@losmedanos.edu

What’s lost may be found

Los Medanos College’s lost and found has numerous items found on campus. If you have lost an item, check with Police Services, which is located on Level One. Inquiries must be made in person.

How to report news

If you have a news tip for a story, or a short item you would like considered for publication, here’s what to do: Stop by the Journalism Lab (Room CC3-301) on the main level or email the Editor-in-Chief Lilly Montero at lilly.montero3@gmail.com. News Briefs: If you are involved in an event that you would like publicized or have a short announcement fo the newswatch collumn, stop by the journalism lab and fill out a news form No items will be printed without the name and phone number of a person the staff can contact to verify information. Publication can never be guaranteed.

Chicanx literature at LMC

LMC will be offering English 211, Introduction to Chicano Literature, in the Spring 2019 semester. The class is transferable to both UC’s and CSU’s. Taught by Dr. Adrianna Simone, the class will focus on the Chicano literary movement from the 1950s to the present-day, including the Chicana and Chicano Power Movement in the 1960s. Those interested can register for the class on Insite. — compiled from press releases and staff reports

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— SpongeBob SquarePants

Empathy encouraged

Therapist discusses emotions By LILLY MONTERO @Lilly_Montero3

LMC’s Speech Department in partnership with the Equity Speaker Series put on the event “Empathy in Our Lives.” The event was hosted by licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Lora Groppetti who discussed how to be empathetic in a society that struggles with being vulnerable. “To understand and share the feelings of another [is empathy],” said Groppetti. Groppetti admitted that being empathetic can be hard and she even pulled from her own personal experiences with both clients and family members, keeping the event conversational. Though her tone was light and informal, Groppetti didn’t shy away from asking the difficult questions, like why it’s hard for people to be empathetic and vulnerable. “It’s hard for us to see people in those [dark] places… because we just want to make it better,” said Groppetti. The audience responded well to the conversational style and during discussions and activities people raised their hands to share their thoughts and experiences. “It’s scar y to not say the wrong thing… so you just kind of watch their reactions,” said student Briana Orozco on why people may not be as empathetic as they could be. Others pointed out it could be further complicated when people struggle to relate to one another. “That’s where it’s hard, when the other person can’t relate to the situation,” said student Hassina Sarwari. Groppetti reminded people that being empathetic had less to do with relating to a specific experience and more to do with the emotions of it. She also offered tips for

Experience • Perry Continente

Marriage and Family Therapist Lora Groppetti visited LMC as part of the Equity Speaker Series to discuss how to stay empathetic in today’s society. becoming more vulnerable and empathetic began with the self and expanded to the broader community. To start, the therapist suggested people treat themselves as they would treat others, to be kind and to practice positive self talk. From there she emphasized the importance of approaching others with

an open mind and checking unconscious biases that could affect our judgement. Finally, Groppetti suggested moving from empathy to compassion, which entails more than just understanding another person’s feelings, but rather finding solutions to actually fix the problem. “Can you imagine if we as

a country could get together how much problem solving [could be accomplished]?” asked Groppetti. Communications professors Marie Arcidiacono-Kaufman and Star Steers felt the event would be insightful considering both the debut of “Ajax” a play which discusses PTSD and See MFT, page 5

Black Student Union back at LMC By BREANNA CRAWFORD

De-stress Week upcoming

The Office of Student Life will be hosting De-stress Week Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 6. During both days from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Indoor Quad, the Office of Student Life and Los Medanos College Associated Students will be handing out free coffee, donuts, muffins, scantrons and other items according to a poster. For more information, contact the Office of Student Life at (925) 473-7554 or via email at studentlife@losmedanos.edu

FRIDAY,

“Remember, licking doorknobs is illegal on other planets.”

@Lyniece_

“We are scholars and successful at it.”

— T’keyah Taylor

After a few years of not having a Black Student Union on campus, the club is finally back. The renewal of BSU comes in partnership with the Umoja Scholars Program. Umoja only takes 70 students to participate in the program, but with LMC having around 2000 African-American students, the program wanted to have another outlet for students to get the support they need. Umoja has had to turn away many people because of the amount of students the program could take in. They wanted to make sure that there was a space for anyone and everyone to come and have a place to be successful. “I wanted to have another forum for academic success,” said club ambassador T’keyah Taylor. The idea to restart the program was proposed this year in August. The club has been dormant

for two years so Taylor decided to rebuild the old club with new faces. “We wanted to fill the space that the old club left,” said Taylor. Despite the stigma of BSU existing only for black students, this club, like every other club on campus, is open to all regardless of race or ethnic background. “All clubs have a mission. If you’re down for the mission of BSU or any club, there’s always a seat at the table,” BSU adviser Jamila Stewart said. What sets the Umoja program and the BSU apart is that one is a student club and the other is an academic program. Similar to Puente, the Umoja scholars program is an academic learning committee that requires an application to apply, as well as the set of classes attached to the program. BSU is a student club See BSU, page 5

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“I wumbo, you wumbo, he-she-me wumbo.”

— Patrick Star

LMC critic’s favorite fall frequencies @A_Carnation

Over the course of this fall semester there have been numerous releases by artists who have shown prowess throughout their career. I have compiled a list of what I consider to be five noteworthy tracks of the albums I reviewed this semester. I was unable to cover even half of the content released due to the high output of records. However, each top 10 entry has excelled in the two main categories that make or break a song which is the production and songwriting. At number 5 is “Anywhere” from Anderson .Paak’s third studio album “Oxnard” released Nov. 16, 2018. The song features west coast natives Snoop Dogg and The Last Artful Dodgr over an instrumental that sounds as if it was arranged for Snoop himself, combining elements of neo-soul and R&B. At the top of the track you hear Snoop say “Lemme get that intro” before the drum groove is introduced, sharing a strong relationship with the distorted bass groove cuts comparable to a breath of rustic fresh air. The Last Artful Dodgr is best known for her role in the Portland, Oregon’s hip-hop scene but on this record she shines providing a warm vocal harmony alongside .Paak. Number 4 is a banger titled “No

Bleedin” from Vince Staples’ most recent effort “FM!”. Staples is heard rapping over beats crafted by none other than rising producer Kenny Beats. Staples’ verse recounts his poverty stricken upbringing in Long Beach, CA coexisting with the street gang known as the Crips. Staples recalls his dire financial conditions in an interview with Big Boy’s Neighborhood stating, “My momma never made more than $25,000 a year, and she had four kids. Our house wasn’t dirty and we never lived in what we would consider the slums.” The rapid paced trap percussions over detuned marimba plucks suits the aggressive bars Bay Area rapper Kamaiyah executes with fierce confidence to close out the track. Settled in the top three is yet another track from Staples’ “FM!” project called “Don’t Get Chipped” which features rapper Jay Rock, a longtime member of the record label TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment). The consistency of Kenny Beats’ production is evident throughout the whole album but track stands out as the peak of the album. One of the opening tracks of Mick Jenkins’ third studio album “Pieces of a Man” titled “Gwendolynn’s Apprehension” comes in second place. The track is produced by Black Milk. Black Milk is a seasoned record

producer working along sampling innovators such as J Dilla, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, and Pete Rock. The retro eight-bit sample compliments the sidechained snare as Jenkins demonstrates he is worthy of the title of being hip-hop’s lyrical black sheep.Textured vocal harmonies toward the end of the song are foreshadowed by the ambient pads and random vocal chops as Jenkins

REVIEW CREW

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begins his verse. Finally, at number one is “Cheers” another track from .Paak’s “Oxnard” featuring the legendary MC Q-Tip who produced tracks for A Tribe Called Quest. The instrumentation is top-tier as well as the songwriting. It is almost impossible to not be captivated by the immense talent showcased in an almost six minute narrative.

The overall depth in the production incorporating a plethora of live instruments is only enhanced by the versatile duo rapping heartfelt lyrics of past friendships and romances. The female vocals on the track help create the soulful vibe, especially during the break before Q-Tip’s verse that serves as a vivid reflection. Even if all of the entries are of

See TOP, page 5

HHH

Marc says: It’s ‘meh,’ less than alright

Bre says: Vegan cheese not for me

Alvin says: It was a cool experience

Maybe it’s best to reconsider Go Vegan? Go Vegan falls short on some of its food and drinks, yet for a vegan, this may be a considerable Asian vegan choice. My experience with Go Vegan started off rough due to its location but slowly started to pay off by the time we received our food. I had taken a bite out of both of my colleagues’ appetizers (vegan egg rolls and potstickers) and both were decently enjoyable. The egg rolls were standard and very crisp. The potstickers’ only turn off was that they were too crispy and bothered me as I chewed away. My entree seemed promising as I’m very familiar with rice noodle soup. However it’s poor quality “beef” and tofu was unwillingly crispy. Even worse, the soup was supposed to be spicy and it wasn’t whatsoever. Overall, Go Vegan was meh.

An eclectic tracklist

I’m familiar with mexican vegan food, due to some of my family being vegan, but what was surprising to me is that the vegan options at Go Vegan were mostly Asian options. Nothing screamed Asian food until you opened the menu and saw the choices. I wanted to play it safe so I ordered vegan chow-mein garlic noodles with vegan cheese on top. As soon as my plate hit the table the extreme smell of garlic filled the air. The noodles were quite big and the vegan cheese on top actually resembles real cheese. The chow mein was good, the vegan cheese on the other hand, tasted like a mix of chemicals and something I just couldn’t put my finger on. I ended up liking the noodles a lot with the exception of the cheese. I would recommend Go Vegan to those who are looking to try an Asian Cuisine.

I’m giving Go Vegan restaurant this review because the food was good but as someone who is not a vegan it was not as appealing as people make vegan food out to be. The setting of the restaurant was very ‘makeshift small business.’ In other words, it was just the basics in there to form a restaurant. The food would be great for someone who is vegan and needs a place to eat or for a student who wants more than the usual burger and fries. The establishment did a great job with service. It’s good to see a new restaurant in the area provide food options other than fast food. It’s creative, new and fresh for the Pittsburg/ Antioch area. Highly recommended for those with vegan diets and people who want to explore our food scene outside of the bun.

CD collector shares unique collection @RobertP_EXP

When you work at a newspaper, you start to pick up a fondness for outdated media. Last March, I spent a half hour and twenty dollars at the used CD section of Half Price Books in Concord walking around the place after dinner, and since then I’ve been collecting CDs as a hobby. I’ve collected a little bit over four dozen at this point, and there’s a few I’d consider to be either hidden gems or very interesting releases. Yellow Magic Orchestra’s self-titled album released in 1978 proved itself to be a huge influence on the emerging techno, synthpop and even hip-hop genres with its at-the-time revolutionar y computerized sound filled with cutting-edge electronic instruments and arcade machine sound samples. Originally intended as a one-of f project between bass player Haruomi Hosono, drummer Yukihiro Takahashi and keyboard player Ryuichi Sakamoto, the name “Yellow Magic Orchestra” was a very tongue-in-cheek choice to play around with and subvert the concepts of orientalism and exotica. Several tracks, such as “Computer Game / Firecracker” and “La femme chinoise,” feature melodies meant to emulate Chinese music produced during the Cultural Revolution the decade prior. “Computer Game / Firecracker” would later go on to be sampled itself by everyone from Afrika Bambaataa to Jennifer Lopez to Mariah Carey.

The album “Stadium Arcadium” from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is much less obscure, but still interesting due to its unique packaging. The full CD version package features 24 tracks across two discs, “Jupiter” and “Mars,” and a jewel case filled with sketches and photography that would go on to win the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers can pick up stylistic traits from all across the band’s lengthy career while listening to the album, which alternates in tone and pace from track-totrack. Songs like “Slow Cheetah” and “Desecration Smile” feature very down-tempo, longing melodies while songs like “Warlocks” and “Storm in a Teacup” consist of fast-paced, funk-style bass riffs. One of my personal favorites in my collection is 1986’s “Jazz from Hell,” a provocative instrumental affair from the controversial Frank Zappa. Urban legend states that the album was sold in some stores with a “Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics” sticker in some stores despite being purely instrumental. Some speculate it was due to either Zappa’s publicized feud with the Parents Music Resource Center, the word “hell” in the title or the presence of a track titled “G-Spot Tornado.” All that aside however, the music itself holds up very well as an experimental electronic jazz collection, with each track varying in composi-

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Economics professor Shalini Lugani said that many faculty are now in a bind as they try to figure out how to make up for lost time in a semester already trimmed to the legal minimum. “This is going to have to be a multi-pronged approach. There’s going to have to be more take-home work and quizzes,” she said. “I’m planning to tr y the flipped classroom… We’ll have to condense discussions on big topics. We’re trying to be fair to students without piling on more work.” On the student side of things, the ef fects of the shor tened semester and campus closures have been a mixed bag. For LMC student Odochi Nwokochah exams have been her greatest concern. “On the negative side, my classes had to reschedule tests that I had already studied for. Now that we’re back, I’m not as ready at this time,” said Nwokochah. “On the positive side, one class had to restructure ever ything with a take-home quiz and give more points to our final presentation.” For other students like Natalie Yashimoto the lack of time has caused much undue stress. “The closing definitely made it more hectic,” she said. “I and other students are not sure where we are in our classes. There hasn’t been much communication about where we go from here.” According to an email sent out by Vice President Kevin Horan 60 sections have been “negatively impacted” by the campus cl¡osure. To ensure classes meet the state mandated credit hours professors have options. Professors can provide online instruction, extend class time, or add a meeting. If your section has been affected by the closures, consult with your professor for more information.

The baskets were also given away all around the Contra Costa area. Most pick up locations were set up at churches, while others were set up at health ser vices. Some required participants to sign up and pre-register for the baskets, while other places allowed people to just show up. “The closure of the campus has affected the food pantry with us having to postpone our Thanksgiving basket event,” said LMC student Jessica Wilson who works in the Pantry. Despite the closure, 30 students signed up to receive a basket. There is a form online at http://www.losmedanos. edu/foodpantry, but according to Wilson, students who didn’t sign up for a basket can still get one if they come to the pantry. To qualify to receive a basket, one must be a currently registered LMC student and had not received a basket the previous semester. The canned food event has been extended to Friday, Nov. 26. Anyone wanting to donate canned food can do so at both the pantry and the Office of Student Life. Student Life holds a canned food drive every semester. For those who did not sign up for the Thanksgiving giveaway or who have a general need for food, the food pantry hosts pop-up food pantr y events every Thursday in the Outdoor Quad. Students can also visit the LMC Food Pantry Mondays-Thursdays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. The same qualifications apply for receiving food at the pantry as for the Thanksgiving basket giveaway. For questions or concerns, Student Life coordinator John Nguyen can be contacted by email at knguyen@losmedanos.edu or by phone at (925) 473-7758.

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their experiences in their own classrooms. “Star and I see and hear a lot in our classes,” said Arcidiacono-Kaufman. “[We thought] empathy… we need to talk about this.” Arcidiacono-Kaufman also felt empathy was a good topic for the Equity Speaker Series, considering that it’s “part of the equity value vision.” Though Groppetti was unable to reach the technology portion of her presentation due to a time crunch, she commented, “It makes it a lot more difficult to because [of] technology — it’s decreased our ability to be empathetic.” However, she hoped students left considering, “How can [empathy] relate to your community? How can it make change?” Students can find more information on upcoming Equity Speaker Series events at https://www.losmedanos. edu/equity/event.aspx.

open to any LMC student who wants to work toward the “mission” of the club. For Taylor, her goal is to make sure the club is used to bring people in instead of keeping them out. “My goal for black students here is to build bridges, not walls,” said Taylor. Another goal is to issue a Town Hall-like forum called the State of the Black Student, an event which occured Wednesday, Nov. 14. The forum not only introduced information, but also created a platform for African-American students to express what they need from staf f, advisers, counselors and anyone else to help them succeed. “We want to open up resources for African-American students,” said Taylor. One difficulty the club has faced is having the right number of students in attendance. “One of the biggest challenges this year is generating membership,” Taylor said. However, with organized and dedicated people by her side Taylor is hopeful for the future. “I have a great team,” Taylor reflected. “Leandra Matthews, Falero Smith, adviser Jamila Stewart and my sister Tiana Taylor.” With the help of her team, she’s confident the success of the club will increase. By joining the club everyone involved aims to increase the visibility of excellence in the African-American student body. The success rate of African-Americans is great, but it’s not as apparent. This is important to Taylor. “We are scholars and successful at it,” she said. Those interested in the Black Student Union can contact Taylor at Tkeyaht91@gmail.com.

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Composition, length, tone and tempo. some tracks like “The Beltway Bandits” deliberately features atonal melodies to create a truly unique sound. These are just a handful of the more interesting albums that I’ve picked up. CD collecting is something I’d recommend any music lover to get into if you aren’t already. Today’s age of digital music streaming ser vices allows listening to music to be way simpler and more accessible, but there’s still something quaint about physically owning the media of your favorite performer, or rifling through a used music store for a hidden gem. CDs represent a great middle ground between digital and physical formats; they’re much more substantial than audio files streamed from a cloud server, but they’re also much less of a buy-in than vinyl. And, you know, the jewel case art is cool.

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Public Affairs & Government Relations for Crafton Hills. Horan had been wanting to pursue “the next level of leadership position” wanting “to ideally be at an institution similar in size as Los Medanos College.” “They conducted a national search,” Horan said of the process by which he was selected for the position at Crafton Hills. “I applied for the position and participated in two levels of interviews, which included meeting with members of the college community, the larger service area community, the district office and Chancellor’s Cabinet.” During Horan’s time at LMC, he has overseen an increase in transfer and completion rates, led planning and implementation for several construction and renovation projects including the formation of the new Kinesiology Building, Student Union and Brentwood Center. Horan also helped to establish the Student Success and Workforce Development units as well as the Guided Pathways system. “There are so many, it’s hard to select just a few,” Horan stated when asked about highlights of his career, which also included LMC’s nomination by the Aspen Institute as one of the 150 best community colleges, the creation of the Social Justice Studies Associate Degree for Transfer and the hiring of over 100 permanent faculty, staff and management positions. “I think the topper for me has been seeing the first piece of steel installed for the new Brentwood Center,” Horan said. Horan remains apprehensive yet hopeful about his own future at Crafton Hills. “[Excitement, anxiousness, nostalgia…] I feel all of those things,” Horan commented. Still, Horan is taking the time to reflect on his tenure at LMC before making the jump, confident in its future as an institution. “LMC will continue to be an outstanding institution and a place where students can thrive in their academic and career pursuits,” he stated. “I’d like to thank Dr. Bob Kratochvil for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services for the last six and a half years. I will always appreciate his guidance and support as we navigated the work over the years. Bob has fostered a great leadership team at LMC and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”

According to its own website, “Project Censored educates students and the public about the importance of a truly free press for democratic self-government. We expose and oppose news censorship and we promote independent investigative journalism, media literacy, and critical thinking.” Higdon, who is a co-host of the Project Censored Radio Show, highlighted the importance of media literacy and explained the roots of fake news date to the early 20th century. The term “Lugenpresse,” he said, was used in Germany during World War I to attack propaganda and made a comeback in 2014 during the German anti-immigrant movement. In English, “Lugenpresse” is translated as “lying press,” and fake news has now become a common refrain in the current political climate in the United States. According to Goff, the rapid rise of the Internet and social media has changed news, journalism and how stories are told. “New technology has made everyone creators,” she said. “People become information authors.” In addition, Higdon said that the “Internet has allowed targeting for fake news.” The panelists agreed that people love to be told what they want to hear, which is why fake news often targets emotions, making them feel like their own personal views are shared and common. Goff described this phenomenon as ‘confirmation bias.’ Social media exacerbates this problem because the friends you add to your accounts influence what and how much you are exposed to. And the more you see something that confirms your own gut instincts, the more likely you

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are to believe it. “If you’re familiar with something it must be true, right?” Nolan Hidgon remarked sarcastically. In a world where so much news is shared via social media, the panelists found a solution. “Education is the cure,” said Higdon, adding that teaching more about ethics and the difference between fact and opinion is crucial. Goff believes people need to challenge norms more than they do and “question everything.” And, she said, members of society need to critically analyze what they hear and see and ask, “Tell me where you got that information. Don’t just tell me, show me.” And while Goff believes education is the key to the problem of fake news, “I think it begins in the elementary school,” she said. Studies show that learning media literacy at a young age can improve the way others handle information at a more mature age, she explained, adding that it is the groundwork for determining what will eventually become their beliefs. Despite the fact social media is getting a lot of criticism for the spread of fake news, the panelists agreed it is not always a bad thing. Social media can and does have positive effects, helping people keep up with family and friends. “The road to hell was probably made with good intentions,” said Casey about the hopes for improved communication at the creation of social media. If you’d like more information about how to recognize and combat fake news, contact Goff. — Jacob Mejia contributed to this report

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Division 1 volleyball. None of the players in the current squad were apart of the 2016 team that brought home the banner, this is their first title together as a team. “The result of all that [hard work] was a team that kept improving all season long, supported each other, took care of eachother, and won and lost together, as a team, earning and deserving all the accolades they are getting.” said Panzella “So yeah this season was really special.” Panzella believes the team is set up for next semester. “We have the nucleus of an outstanding team for the 2019 season.” said Panzella.

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hip-hop and R&B or a blend of both, each song artfully gives off different mood that is bound to grip the listener and provide a unique experience. Whether it’s from the playful perspective of Anderson Paak, boisterous bars from Vince Staples bangers, or a collected cacophony from Chicago’s very own Mick Jenkins. The artists and producers featured create a lush sonic landscape that any music enthusiast can’t possibly ignore, each bringing their unique fingerprint to the art Those interested in a‘Top 10’ version of the spotify playlist can be found in the online version of the article.

Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

PUNT From page 6

step up and play. In this case he found the specialist role with the Mustangs. At 25 years old, Stonestreet was one of the more older, or in better words, mature players. And his teammates and coaches took note of it. “Being older, he was definitely mature and never messed around or didn’t take things serious when it was time to go to work.” said LMC defensive back Brooklyn Hardiman. “When things weren’t going out way in the games, he would stay calm and handle adversity.” “Cody’s presence in the locker room was huge for us. Yes he was older, he was also married with a child, and his background in the militar y were just some of that things that stood out.” said LMC Head coach Chris Shipe. And while Stonestreet has had all these jobs, from a member of the USMC to roles in multiple sports teams, and looks forward to opening his own automotive business in the future, there is one role he will always find the best out of them all. Being a dad. Stonestreet has a two-yearold son, Aleq, who in his words has been the biggest gift in his life. In fact, one of Stonestreet’s main reason to get discharged from the military was in order to spend more time with his little boy. In fact, Stonestreet said that if LMC had a playoff game and his son had to be taken care of, the Mustangs would need to find someone else to punt the ball. However, Aleq and his mom came to Califor nia, while Stonestreet stayed in Virginia. He was away from his son for an entire year, something he says was one of the most difficult challenges in his life. “It was hard not having him here and seeing him everyday, I can’t really explain how it feels, but it’s something I never want to do again” said Stonestreet “This is the best job in the world.” But, due to his militar y duties, Stonestreet had to spend an entire year away from his son. Now Stonestreet’s family is united. His wife serves as a dog groomer, working full time while Stonestreet is a full time student at LMC in the automotive program. It is a step by step process to opening his own business where he can work with his passion: cars.

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“The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.”

— Patrick Star

A season to remember for Stangs

Ohlone sweeps LMC By HUGO CALDERON @HCal09

Another year of volleyball has come and gone, leaving a banner at the gym during its time here. Also for the third consecutive year, the Los Medanos College women’s volleyball team qualified for playoffs. LMC was placed against Ohlone College in a must-win game that they lost 3-0. The first set ended with only a two point difference, the Mustangs trailed 25-23. The following two sets LMC was unable to improve on those 23 points, ending the second set 25-22. In the last set, LMC scored the least points on the night ending their hope of continuing in the playoff with a 25-19 score in the final set. “I am very proud of the way we competed in the playoffs. It would have been great to pull out a win, but we didn’t,” said head coach Lou Panzella. “If we keep working, keep improving, we will break through and

earn a playoff win soon.” Since the beginning of the season, Sophia Clavido made it clear that one of their goals of the season was to win the Bay Valley Conference title. LMC ended BVC play with a 13-1 record and as co-conference winners with Solano College. Their only loss of conference play coincidentally was also at the hands of Solano on the final game of the regular season. Since Panzella took over seven years ago the volleyball program has improved every season but Panzella believes the players deserve most of the credit for the teams’ success. “Our success is because we are getting good athletes that are good volleyball players and great people,” said the head coach. One of the biggest turning points for the team was when Taylor Scriven played for LMC, according to Panzella. In her sophomore year she made conference MVP and played

Photos courtesty of Ken Boone

Top left: Libero Emily Jones dives for the ball to avoid conceding a point. Top: Emily Sobolik and See VBALL, page 5 Nuru Boone block the ball from entering their side of the court.

Soccer’s historic season comes to end By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano

The season that seemed impossible to achieve at the beginning year has ended for the Los Medanos College women’s soccer team. After a week of delay, the Mustangs were finally able to play its play-in game against interdistrict rival, Diablo Valley College. And while the game had LMC as the home team, both teams were on the road. This game was rescheduled as a result due to the poor air quality level around the Bay Area. This game found College of Marin to be the neutral site. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, DVC proved

to be too much as the Vikings stood on top in a 1-0 shutout victory. But one loss does not describe the amount of success this team had. For the first time in at least 25 years, LMC won the Bay Valley Conference. And its performance during conference play lives up to the accomplishments. For nine games, LMC was lights out, not conceding a single goal and outscoring opponents 42-0 during that span. “I’m extremely proud. Our season goal was to win conference and we did that for the first time in over 25 years at LMC,” said head coach Zach Sullivan. “The DVC game was

Punters are people too By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano

On Saturday afternoon Cody Stonestreet was actively punting the ball for a struggling Los Medanos College football team. But it wasn’t too long ago that he used to wear a uniform that held much more significance to him. The Washington native had the honor of being a member of the United States Marine Corps. His main job being was part of an artillery unit where he served as a Motor T operator, transpor ting many of ficer students but more impressively important politicians from one location to the other, in some cases through the pentagon. It was a job that allowed him to travel all around the United States to places like Virginia and Hawaii, even internationally to Japan. In addition to travel and gain a lot of field experience, it prepared him for the life he had ahead. “I learned self development. In boot camp you learn about yourself. It prepared me for life as it is now,” said Stonestreet. “You gain a lot more responsibility, like finances and taking care of your own business.” But it was in Virginia where he was able to meet his wife, and essentially the turning point in his life that found the Burbank, Wash. native found his way to East Contra Costa County. One of the aspects of LMC that caught the eye of Stonestreet was its strong automotive program, he thought it was by far stronger than most of the community colleges in his native state, Washington. Sports has always been been a huge part of Stonestreet’s life. Anywhere, anyplace and at any level, if there are sports around, Stonestreet will

See PUNT, page 5

disappointing as we won the right to have a home game as we were seeded ahead of them but had to move to a neutral site due to the air quality. We weren’t able to train for over a week before the game which impacted things.” But at the beginning of the season, the Mustangs went 1-5-1, ending the non-conference play on a four game winless streak. They took on some of the best teams in the state like Las Positas and San Joaquin Delta College, who recently made the elite four. “It’s pretty exciting, we worked so hard for this,” sophomore captain Emma Spears said. “Preseason was tough but I think it prepared

us for conference play.” Spears was one of the best defenders on the team according to Sullivan, along with Briana Olmedo. Carissa Day lead the team with 11 goals, meanwhile players like Samantha Donovan and Holly Gallagher helped out distributing the ball. But goalkeeper Rylie Pearson was performing like a power outage, lights out recording a 0.89 goals against average and recording 62 saves. Sullivan hopes that the accomplishments this year will attract more local talent to play at LMC rather than commute to play at another school.

Brain heatlth is more important than football Football is one of the biggest sports in the United States. It has even become a Thanksgiving tradition in some families to watch Thursday night football while enjoying their dinner. Football has been around for so long it would be hard to imagine having a society in which it didn’t exist. However, football is a sport that involves heavy player on player contact, including intense head hits. Until recently no one had been asking any questions about what impact those hits had on players in the long run. In July of 2017 Boston University released a study they conducted in which signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) were found in 110 out of 111 former NFL players. Ever since the results of the study were released there has been debate about the safety of the sport on both sides. The fact of the matter is that football is overall not a dangerous sport. No matter how much protection is offered, rules are changed, or helmets are designed all it could take is a hit to the end to effectively end your career before it has even started. This is not to say that football should no longer be played. It is an extreme Experience Anthony Martinez solution but instead of trying to eradicate one of the biggest sports in the Stonestreet punted for 1,881 yards this season for country, spreading awareness about the 3-9 Mustangs. Here he poses with his service dog, Tonka. At left he is in action vs. Cabrillo College. the symptoms of CTE and how they can be treated would go a long way. Another cause for concern is youth football. While the hits may not be “I learned self development. In boot as hard as in highschool or college, there is still a significant danger camp, you learn about yourself. It present for young players. prepared me for life as it is now.” “The brain is going through this — Cody Stonestreet incredible time of growth between the

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years of 10 and 12, and if you subject that developing brain to repetitive head impacts, it may cause problems later in life,” said Robert Stern, one of the various authors of the Boston University study. For children 12 and under, the brain is most susceptible to damage as it is still developing. It was shown in the study that athletes who participated in tackle football, had more behavioral and cognitive problems as they got older compared to those who did not. That raises another question, should tackle football be allowed for youth players? Most people would argue that it is up to the discretion of the parents but parents don’t always know what is best, especially if it is something that challenges the widespread culture of football. Having tackle football at a younger age compared to highschool or college football carries more severe risks. The long term brain damage can be intensified from playing at a younger age. In youth leagues, it would be a greater benefit to the athletes to play flag football. While adults can make decisions for themselves, children should not be put at risk for the sake of football.