Concert radios in
Soccer still undefeated
Remembering the dead
The Golden Gate Radio Orchestra played for LMC in their second concert in two years — page 3
The Mustangs soccer team continues its undefeated streak blowing out Merritt College 6-0 — page 4
A Spanish class held a Dia de los Muertos event to celebrate Mexican culture — page 6
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Plot to be redeveloped
November Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month Nov. 6
Midterm elections, remember to go out and vote.
Nov. 16
The last day to withdraw from classes with a W.
Choir presents a fall concert The LMC Music Choral Division conducted by Professor Silvester Henderson presents the Fall Choral Adventure Concert. The concert will take place in the Recital Hall Nov. 6 at 7:30. Tickets are $5, for more information those interested can send a message to shenderson@losmedanos. edu.
Experience Perry Continente
The defunct Concord Naval Weapons Station is set for redevelopment, possibly into a new university campus for Contra Costa County.
Compound could become a new college By DALE SATRE @DaleSatre
Ajax slices up the theater The California Theatre in Pittsburg presents Ajax, the Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the fifth century B.C.E. 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/
Film explores conciousness Movie night comes to LMC Tuesday, Nov. 28 in Library LCC-114 at 7 p.m. Christopher Nolan’s film “Inception” will be shown. The film centers around thieves that delve into the minds of others and implant ideas. For more information students can contact the Office of Student Life at (925) 473-7554 or email them at studentlife@losmedanos.edu.
Part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station could get repurposed for a university campus and research center, if local politicians and stakeholders have their way. The Concord City Council established the 14-member Blue Ribbon Committee for Campus District Revisioning Project (BRC), to evaluate the former naval base’s potential use for an institution of higher learning. The BRC will hold nine meetings from September 2018 to March 2019. Contra Costa Community College District
Chancellor Fred Wood is also one of the BRC’s members. “This Committee will play a critical role in evaluating campus trends in higher public education, research and development parks, and innovation districts as well as funding and financing mechanisms,” said Concord Vice Mayor Carlyn Obringer in a press release. “The city is fortunate to have so many experienced leaders who are willing to volunteer their time to this effort and who are committed to bringing a much needed campus for higher learning to our community.” The base was established in 1942 for the Navy
See SITE, page 5
Kaiser fair drives LMC up the wall
By ALVIN JACKSON @AlTheJournalist
LMC holds a free health fair in the outdoor quad every fall semester. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, the goal of the health fair is to bring healthcare awareness to the surrounding communities. Daniel Mejia, health fair coordinator, is happy to be apart of the process that creates healthy communities. “I am happy to bring free health checkups to LMC,” said Mejia. The health fair goes to local community colleges and promote the services at Kaiser to let the community know they are there and available. “We have representatives from mental and sexual health facilities..we have lots of areas covered,” said Mejia. This is the thirteenth year
Kaiser has held the event here at LMC and Kaiser has not intention to stop now. Licensed clinicians come here on their time to volunteer to give students the information they need. Mejia hopes students “utilize the free health assessments” and get answers to their health questions while at the fair. Over the span of thirteen years, Kaiser has helped many students get health assessments regardless of their condition. Studies show that younger people, college students in particular, are the healthiest demographic among us. This fair holds true to that study and helps younger generations stay update on their health, especially for those living in Eastern Contra Costa See FAIR, page 5
Charity provides a safe place Shepherd’s Gate protects women By NICK CAMPBELL @nicky_charles
Experience Anthony Martinez
Participants climb the rock wall at the Kaiser Fair.
Students learn to create meals By A.R. BROOM
@AlexanderRBroom
Follow us on: @lmc_experience @lmc_experience @lmc_experience
to hold ammunition during World War II, and was the site of the infamous Port Chicago explosion in 1943 that claimed the lives of 320 service members. The Navy fully vacated the site in 2005 and left it up to the city of Concord as to what to do with the land, which totaled 12,600 acres according to the BRC’s website. “I’ve driven by the base for 22 years,” said Governing Board Member Greg Enholm. “I want to see it used to benefit the community. Enholm ser ved on Concord’s Community Advisory Committee for the base redevelopment
Experience A.R. Broom
John Nguyen, right, participates in the chef’s demonstration.
Tuna, green beans, and pumpkins were on the menu Tuesday when the Los Medanos College Food Pantry held an interactive cooking demonstration lead by Gwenn White of Contra Costa Health Services. Like many meals the event began with prepping the ingredients and setting out the totals. White helped people participating in the demonstration by handing out protective equipment such as gloves, aprons and hairnets. Once the ten participants were all geared up White began with her first dish–a canned tuna and green bean pasta salad, See CHEF, page 5
This holiday season many organizations in the community will perform much needed philanthropy work. At the forefront of that work is Shepherd’s Gate, a faith based ministr y located in Livermore. Headquar tered in Livermore with an additional location in Brentwood, the ministry started over 34 years ago by its founder, Aliceann Cantelow. Cantelow was already an advocate for the homeless when she began her ministr y. Initially, her ministr y efforts began by offering shelter to women and children in her own home. Soon after she purchased another home with the help of her neighbors in the community. The approach to the challenges of her philanthropy was met by her faith. “I’ll do what I can and let God do the rest,” describes Cantelow’s mentality per the ministry’s website. However, Cantelow had to eventually turn away many people seeking help due to a lack of space and resources. So by 1992, Cantelow and her team began working on a massive expansion to meet the growing needs of their mission. This led to the creation of a three acre campus
See GATE, page 5
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“Elections aren’t just about who votes but who doesn’t vote.”
Anthony Martinez
Chance Nelson
WHEN IT HITS THE FAN
GUEST COLUMNIST
Faith shouldn’t be a product
Stress can help achievement
Religion has been a delicate subject throughout the course of histor y — its relevance and priority in certain settings has always been questioned, which is why I will attempt to speak on this subject with respect. In many settings such as politics, school, work or other professional environments talking about religion is not looked at in a good light, but what about advertising? Recently I have seen a surge of religious advertisements in the Bay Area while at the same time there is a lot of push-back against religious figures or organizations such as televangelists. But let’s look at things from a more local perspective because of how much more it can affect us. In my perspective, religion that starts treating their place of worship like a company by marketing itself like it’s a clothing brand is an indicator that it is heading in the wrong direction. The whole purpose of an advertisement is to generate attention and use the same attention to generate revenue. They understand the power of advertisement and use it repeatedly as a means to grab as much attention as possible. This method of advertising could be seen as propaganda. A local church in the area has even used repetition on their apparel to promote their name as if it were supreme apparel. This is a very intelligent strategy that can be used to build brand familiarity where individuals will become comfortable with the name and could flock to the name because of the familiarity. Marketing for religious organizations in this area is just pure genius. So many of them will target the youth through means of Instagram and Youtube advertisements by showing how much of a good time you’ll have if you attend one of their services. Some churches will hold activities that have nothing to do with church and are made for the sake of attracting new faces. These places market themselves better than most Instagram-marketed companies, and I would know because I run one. They have ever ything — ever y social media, billboards, flyers, cards and more and at the rate some of them grow there is a very thin line between their organization and an actual company. I don’t remember what my baptism looked like, but based on the photos I have seen of that special day I am glad I didn’t have a huge banner hanging over my head showing the whole world what church I was baptized by and what companies are currently sponsoring it. The problem is this actually happens in real life and I couldn’t think of a more selfish thing that a religious organization in this area could do. Money has an effect on all of us whether we like it or not but we should at least ask ourselves what we really want from a place of worship. I believe that it’s important to read between the lines. Whether the case may be, do not put yourself in a position for an industry to use your faith as a marketing opportunity. Free advertisement and awareness can be incredibly difficult to come across so I would advise everyone to not let these big names step all over you just to enable them to make a quick buck. Religion can be a beautiful passion, escape or belief and observations go a long way but so many people have no shame in taking advantage of people willing to spend money on the premise of their faith. A religion is a personal belief and I am in no position to judge someone for their beliefs. But I believe a religion’s texts should speak louder than their advertising because at the end of the day it’s the content that really matters.
The semester is halfway over and it’s all downhill from here. What’s that, you say? Your English professor just assigned you a 12-page research paper? And your Bio professor scheduled a midterm the same day as your Anthro presentation? At least you have a working car and a roof over your head. Then out of nowhere you’re short on rent and your car spontaneously caught on fire—how can you possibly overcome stress and stay motivated when the universe keeps running interference on your dreams? No one will deny the statement “college can be stressful” — it’s meant to be. If you aren’t stressing out about midterms, projects and finals, you’re missing out on what higher education has to offer. In his book “The Stress Test: How Pressure can make You Stronger and Sharper,” neuroscientist Ian Robertson outlines the science behind shifting stressful scenarios into triumphant ones. Norepinephrine, the “stress hormone” your brain produces during a stressful moment (like when a professor hands out a pop-quiz), has many positive effects on your brain. Studies show that “increased norepinephrine enhances processing sensory inputs, enhances attention… enhances formation and retrieval of both long term and working memory.” In short, the stress you’re feeling has positive side effects for your brain. You learn quicker, think faster, and can recall study materials at ease. If you can’t frame a stressful event in a positive light, you’re more likely to slump into a cycle of depression and anxiety. If enough stressful events occur, your memory soon becomes biased towards them. That is, your world perspective gets “stuck in the suck.” One of the keys to overcoming academically-induced depression and anxiety lies in positive self-talk. To quote Notorious B.I.G., “Uh, damn right I like the life I live / ‘cuz I went from negative to positive.” Biggie Smalls is sending you a message. Why break yourself down when you can build yourself up? Like Biggie, Dr. Robertson believes the most effective way to overcome hardships is to reframe your inner dialogue. For example, you aren’t anxious about your final, you are excited. Physiologically speaking, this is not a lie – the physical symptoms of anxiety and excitement are essentially the same. By reframing your attitude from a “threat mindset” to a “challenge mindset,” you are building psychological habits that make it easier to stay positive in the long run and recall positive memories. So do yourself a favor, and hack your own psychology to help you reach your goals. Now that you can stop stressing about stress, let’s address another factor in academic success: motivation. How can you possibly stay motivated to finish the semester, let alone graduate? The good news is, it isn’t too late to withdraw from your courses. But studies have shown that students active in academic communities perform better than those who don’t participate. A study at Columbia University showed that “Self-supporting peer networks endorsed important academic behaviors, including their pushing each other to continue to take advanced courses, as well as persisting in college.” Engaging with an academic community will help you stay motivated and encourage you to complete your degree. The US military has understood this for years. My MTI, Drill Sergeant, from Air Force boot camp told us the only way through was together and if anyone tried to go it alone they would suffer for it. Remember that the stress you’re feeling is natural and it’ll only get harder to stay motivated.
Editorial
Amendment is targeted
P
resident Trump, in a desperate attempt to fire up his base ahead of the midterms, has now found a new boogeyman to focus on. The caravan of migrants didn’t work, so he’s turned to the outrageous idea of repealing the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. This would impact so-called “anchor babies,” a common term used to identify children born in the United States to immigrant parents whether documented or not. To give some context, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was enacted as a rebuttal to the “Dred Scott” decision, or Scott v. Sandford of 1857. In this ruling, the Supreme Court determined that African slaves were not considered American citizens despite being born in America. As in so many instances in this country, blatant racism rears its ugly head to remind America of its past. Like many of Trump’s aggressions towards the Latinx/Hispanic community, not only is his policy and Executive Order rooted in xenophobia and racism, but it is also unconstitutional. It’s not surprising to find Trump is unaware of how the Constitution works, although enforcing the Constitution is the President’s sole job. Changing or eliminating an amendment of the Constitution requires two-thirds of both houses of Congress or two-thirds of the state legislatures to call for a constitutional revision. The odds of that happening are slim to none, even in today’s political climate. Attempting to use an executive order to change the Constitution shows Trump is bluffing and merely seeking to rile up his base.
lEttEr to thE Editors
On behalf of trans students DEAR EDITOR: It was appalling when, in February 2018, the U.S. Department of Education publicly stated it will no longer investigate transgender students’ complaints about the inability to access bathrooms on public school campuses. It was even more troubling that the given reasoning for this position was that the board no longer interprets Title IX, which explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of “sex” in publicly funded educational institutions, as being inclusive of gender identity as it pertains to transgender students. Based on this interpretation, this becomes not only an issue of bathroom access, but also an issue of trans students’ protection of rights on every public school campus in the United States. This is an explicit statement that we are no longer a concern of the Department of Education; they have, in effect, defined transgender students out of the law and, thus, defined approximately 1.4 million transgender Americans out of their civil protection from discrimination. The Trump administration is now making
an attempt to recreate this precedent in even more sectors of the federal government. A memo obtained by the New York Times earlier this month, in reference to the definition of “sex” outlined in Title IX, explicitly states: “The sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.” Not long after, it was found that all mention of transgender individuals and transgender identities has been erased from the public websites of the U.S. Health Department and the Office of Civil Rights. We must recognize with full clarity the direction these actions are heading toward: a complete erasure of transgender identities from legal definition. If we are not defined, we are no longer seen, heard nor protected by the law. It is imperative that we continue to advocate for our transgender peers’ rights and lives to be protected and make the necessary efforts to change the political landscape that allows this type of mass erasure to happen. — Keandre Combs
rEadEr opinion policy
The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. All members of the Los Medanos College community — students, faculty and staff — are encouraged to write. If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, bring your submissions to room CC3-301 and put them in the Perspectives Editor’s mailbox or mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. You may also send them electronically through the Experience online newsite lmcexperience.com. Letters and columns must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. They may be edited for clarity, content taste and length at the editor’s discretion.
Voices
LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE
Did you register to vote for the midterm elections? COMPILED
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Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“I did not even hear or know there was a midterm election.”
“No I did not register. I also didn’t know about the midterms.” —
“I’ll consider.”
“I would register if I knew where to go.”
“No, because I didn’t know about them. I didn’t know they had midterm elections.”
“The reason was time constraints, I had to take care of my niece and nephew, and before I knew it the deadline was ...over.”
“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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“Politicians have to be committed to people in equal measures.”
Ghoulishly fun times had by all
Fall Festival held @hillarymhetrick
Los Medanos College held their third annual Fall Festival event which showcased clubs and departments, most of which had treats to sell or fall activities for attendees to participate in. The event was a good time for fundraising and fall festivities. As students walked around taking in the sights, sounds and aromas of the activities taking place, many stopped at the designated tables to chat with club members and get a bite to eat. The Veterans Club, with representative Michael Moran, was selling pulled pork sandwiches with a vegan and gluten-free chili. “We do have a Veterans Resource Center, so we highly promote that,” said Veterans Club President Patricia Granados. The Veterans Resource Center is located next to the Bookstore. Students in EOPS, Extended Opportunities Programs and Services, recently formed the EOPS Club. Club member Sirreck Brown said the club’s objective is to help out EOPS students. “We feel that there are things that [EOPS] lacks and it would be beneficial if we provided our input in a student perspective and that’s essentially what we do,” Brown said. “We meet ev-
ery Friday at 2 p.m. We figure out things like how we can help out… EOPS. Whenever we have events, we volunteer at them.” The Art Club also had a Halloween activity set up at their table where kids could decorate a trick-or-treat bag. Art Club President Marissa Bebeau, Vice President Jennifer Ramos and club member Alfonso Camus staffed the table. “We do the Paint Nights, and in a couple of weeks we’re going to have the showing of ‘The Iron Giant,’” said Bebeau. Women in STEM sold Halloween-inspired pasta, which included a pasta “sorta shaped like pumpkins” and another that was “dyed spooky colors,” said club member Grabriana La. Women in STEM “are really underrepresented in this field,” said Annelle Garcia, another club member. “You don’t have to be a woman to join up.” Some other clubs present at the LMC Fall Festival were the Los Medanos Ceramic Depar tment, the Mustang Ambassadors Club, the Honors Society, Student Life and Shenanigans drama club. Student Life hosted a Costume contest. Participants were divided into two categories — kids and adults. Student Life Coordinator John Nguyen Student Life Coordinator and LMCAS Adviser John Nguyen high-fives the winner of the costume contest
held during the Fall Festival. The robot won best costume in the children’s division.
Orchestra radios in Big band ensemble comes to campus @RobertP_EXP
Strings player Susan Magrini focuses intently during a difficult number.
Newswatch Fall to be a musical adventure
The Los Medanos College of Music Choral Division conducted by Professor Silvester Carl Henderson will be presenting the Fall Choral Adventure Concert Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall. The performance will feature the LMC College Chorus, LMC Chamber Chorale and LMC Gospel Choir as well as special guest tenor Chadwick Somers of Martinez, CA. Tickets will be $5 with children under 4 being allowed in for free. For more information, call (925) 473-7805 or (925) 565-6107 or email shenderson@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. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
“Under the direction of maestro Luis Zuniga, the Golden Gate Radio Orchestra is now on the air,” declared vocalist Eric Riberio as the Golden Gate Radio Orchestra began its second concert in two years at Los Medanos College Oct. 30. They began with a performance of “Great Day,” the title theme from an unreleased 1930 MGM musical. “Great Day” was followed by “More Than You Know” from the same film. Riberio also acted as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, taking to the microphone between numbers to introduce each song and give trivia and
history behind each. Fitting with the Golden Gate Radio Orchestra’s theme of replicating a 1930s Big Band style radio show, the vast majority of the songs performed for the concert were showtunes from 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s movies and musicals. The next two songs were “Carioca” and “Music Makes Me” from the film “Flying Down to Rio.” Both were written as dance songs with a Latin vibe, incorporating elements of samba, foxtrot, rumba and Brazilian tango both in their composition. The dreamlike sound, subdued drum and soothing lyrics by vocalist Heather Tinling of “Carioca” contrasted well with
the faster, more upbeat and more Americanized sound of “Music Makes Me,” performed by Riberio. Later in the show, two highlights of the first set were “My Sugar is So Refined,” a crooning duet made famous by the Pied Pipers with whimsical lyrics about the singer’s infatuation with their partner’s elegance and sophistication, and an instrumental rendition of “Sweet Georgia Brown,” a fan favorite tune recognizable by many as the theme of the Harlem Globetrotters. While the Orchestra’s performance of the track did not include any whistling, they more than made up for it with a very strong performance by
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“The ballot is stronger than the bullet.”
— Abraham Lincoln
Another big victory for LMC soccer Undefeated in BVC By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano
Experience Jesus Cano
Ashleigh Raines and a Merritt College player battle it out for the possession of the ball.
You didn’t have to be psychic to have predicted the outcome of the Los Medanos College women’s soccer team’s match against Merritt College. LMC kept rolling in its impressive undefeated Bay Valley Conference run, defeating Merritt 6-0. And while the LMC soccer team is accustomed to seeing star players lead the Mustangs in this historic season for the program, games like Friday afternoon’s against the struggling 1-8-1 Merritt team provided the opportunity for many of LMC’s secondary players to step up, especially with absence of five starters. “Even with missing five starters I think they stepped up and filled in those spaces,” LMC Head coach Zach Sullivan said. And LMC took care of business in the first half, scoring all six goals in the first 45. It was the captains that gave the Mustangs the early lead when centerback Emma Spears scored on an assist by Samantha Donovan. A few minutes later, Donovan recorded the second goal with a shot outside the box, making 2-0 LMC lead with plenty of life left in the game. Leia Baker scored the third goal. Baker did not play in LMC’s previous game against Napa Valley College according to Sullivan, but she filled in nicely in the outside back.
“We can work on making runs down the sideline and we can work on switching it from our defense and putting it up through our mid,” Baker said. In the last 10 minutes of the first half LMC scored three goals, one on a breakaway from Sofia Kerns that she dribbled from midfield. Carissa Day scored her 10th goal of the season, continuing her lead as the Mustangs’ top scorer. Ashley Galindo got her first goal of the season in the last minute of the first half. LMC did not score in the second half, but also didn’t allow a goal, something the Mustangs are pretty comfortable doing. They have gone 810 minutes without getting scored on. Freshman Holly Gallagher recorded two assists. “I was just looking up, taking my time and just finding the gaps to who I can play it to,” Gallagher said. “Everyone is working really hard.” As of the printing of this paper, LMC defeated Yuba College 2-0 with goals from Day and Gallagher on Tuesday, Oct. 30 to improve to 10-0 and have now gone 900 minutes The Mustangs gear up for their final two games of the regular season, when they travel to play College of Marin on Tuesday, Nov. 6 and their final game of the regular season when they host the reigining BVC champions, Solano College on Friday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.
Hockey, a completely different experince Hockey is a sport that if you’re not into, chances are you barely know what it’s all about. At least that was the case for me. Hockey was something I knew about but never looked into. Recently I was able to attend a San Jose Sharks game at the SAP center. It was truly an eye opening experience. Each sport has its own culture, football games have tailgates and soccer games have Ultra fans that sing support throughout the game. The game I experienced had the entire home crowd join together to rise their team’s spirit up and the opposing team’s down. Prior to attending this game I had no knowledge about
hockey or its culture. I assumed there would be a fight between either of the teams’ players every five minutes and knew there were goals involved. As the game progressed I learned more about the rules, tactics and the overall vibe given out throughout the arena. The Sharks’ intro left me astonished. Never before had I seen anything like it, the players came out of a shark head while the stadium lights were dimmed. Then the lights brightened up revealing all of the players on the ice. In soccer ever ytime someone scores a goal you can hear the whole stadium erupt but at the SAP
Hugo Calderon THIS IS IT CHIEF
center, a horn reminiscent of a ship horn blows throughout the arena, adding more of a dynamic feeling to the experience. Joonas Donskoi opened the scoring for the Sharks with only 3:35 on the clock. As expected, the crowd started cheering then I heard a loud horn
CHARGE UP YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.
which I initially confused for a fire alarm. It added something unexpected for first-time hockey goers. I was shown the tradition of throwing your hat on the ice when a player scores a hat trick. This was courtesy of Logan Couture, who scored his third goal of the night right before the game ended. Couture scored into an empty net, completing his third hat trick of his National Hockey League career. This was unique, as it took me off guard when I saw people throwing their hats onto the ice until I was explained the reasoning behind it. I had never experienced a game inside an arena before. An arena
carries with it a more compact setting and bringing you much closer to the action compared to a stadium where the noise of the crowd carries over. Location is something that also decides the turn out. Downtown San Jose, right next to Santana Row and five minutes away from San Jose State University, is a great location as it is in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Also being down the street from SJSU, the SAP Center is close to many different types of fans. Overall, hockey is an interesting sport. Before experiencing it, I would have written it off as a small sport no one cares about but now know it to be the exact opposite.
SPOTLIGHT
A chat with James Looney Spotlight is an occasional Q&A feature with a member of the LMC Mustang football team. BY CONNOR HORSFIELD Contributor
James Looney has experienced winning in the past couple of years. Dating back to his senior year of high school, Looney was on the first ever undefeated Freedom High School football team, that made the inaugural open division championship and saw a state title appearance. At LMC he was part of the team that one its first ever bowl game in at least a decade. Now Looney is part of a struggling LMC team, but still seeks to improve his performance to earn a division one scholarship. You cur rently have a 20/235/2 line through six games. With four games left in the season you’re on pace for a 33/391/3 line for the season, do you think that’s about right? Or do you think that you’ll finish with a better or worse stat line? I would like to get my stat line as high as possible in these last few games. I was hoping to have 900-1,000 yards this year, so sitting at around 200 right now is a little bit embarrassing, but our quarterbacks haven’t been able to
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James Looney looks to gain attention of D1 schools. connect with me at the right times. I feel like I’m supposed to be one of the leaders of this team, so I’m going to do all that I can do to raise my stat line, and hopefully we can all step up to finish strong. Since you’re a sophomore, I have to ask, do you have any plans for after this year? My plan is to go to a division one school after this, which is another reason that I want to try to finish this season strong. I did get offers
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from a couple schools, but I’ll probably have to try to get an academic scholarship and walk on somewhere. I could go to a D2 school and get guaranteed playing time, but I really want to try to make it at a D1 school. I also kind of want to stay in California, so it depends on all of those things, but that’s the overall goal. Have you played any other positions than wide receiver?
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pretty much moved me all over, but I was primarily a safety. I ended up switching to the receiver side of things because I got hurt making a hit, so last year was pretty much my first time playing as a wide receiver in a game. Is there a particular wide receiver, past or present, that you look up to or try to emulate on the field? There’s obviously Antonio Brown and Odell, but I also really look up to Jarvis Landry and try to learn what I can from him. I believe his combined time was in the 4.6 or 4.7 range, and that’s about what I run too. Just like him, I’m not the fastest guy, but that just means that I have to have really good route running and be able to make people miss. Who is the best wide receiver in the NFL? Probably O’dell, there’s just no covering him. : How long have you played?
two years acquiring approvals to ferment and distribute wine, and perfecting their product. The public debut came in 2017 with their Petite Sirah and Zinfandel blends. It was an instant hit with the friends who bought it. “I owe a lot to my friends, the first people that joined our wine club,” Petersen recalled. “I made my first mistakes with them, and they ef fectively became my first salespeople. I sold them on authenticity. Selling out of my warehouse, with the steel fermenting vats and concrete floor, keeps it simple and honest. They liked being able to have a glass with the winemaker himself.” Petersen Vineyards went on to take Brentwood’s 2017 Art and Wine festival with some clever marketing. Petersen bought a 1930s truck and 1930s clothing for his family to staff the event. This small investment turned out a huge return in local attention, effectively marketing his product for free. “My marketing philosophy was simple. I wanted to create a something that people stumbled over, and that was the truck and clothing. The next essential was a 15 second ‘elevator speech,’ with the intention of getting off at the same ‘floor’ and creating a sale,” he said. “The goal of the first sale is to make people come back. Instead of paying for advertising, you make sure every customer is happy.” Petersen hopes to recoup his costs in 2018 and make a profit. “Our intention is to become a local household name, the to-go place for wines. I think I’ve successfully convinced my wife that this is my retirement,” Petersen laughed. For now though, the wine maker is aiming to get his name out there and foster his own unique brand. “When you’re star ting a business, the challenge is telling everybody that you’re different, and why that makes you better,” Petersen said. “You never cater to the mass market — you cater to people who like to brag about their wine.” Tastings and purchases are open to the public on Fridays from 4 to 6pm at 101 Blaine Lane, Knightsen. Private tastings can be arranged by calling 925-890-4841.
in Livermore. By May of 2000, the first phase of the campus was opened. Then, in 2005 a second residence hall was added to expand their campus to a capacity of 70. Since then the ministry has only continued to expand. In 2004, Signature Properties, a real estate company based out of Oakland, volunteered to build a 7600 square foot campus in Brentwood. The Brentwood campus opened in January of 2006 and houses up to 18 women and children. Some of the ser vices Shepherd’s Gate of fer to its residents are: Drug & Alcohol rehabilitation, food, shelter and life skills. The life skills program focuses on budgeting, cooking, job skills, Bible study and many other disciplines. It is a very str uctured program each about an average of about one year in length. They are currently running at an 80 percent success rate of residents becoming self-sufficient. “Our goal is to have our residents equipped to handle being on their own when they leave,” said Director of Residential Services, Mary Norcross. To assist in that goal, the sites have what’s called “The road to freedom” with levels of training and resources to help the residents meet this goal. The typical path to the organization star ts at the intake line for those seeking help. The intake unit takes it from there and provides potential tenants with instructions. Shepherd’s Gate has approximately 10 case workers on staff. The ministry relies on support from the community. This comes in the form of donations, volunteerism, and via the ministry owned thrift store. Volunteers from all over have lent their time to the Shepherd’s Gate. People like former LMC student Dante Ortiz donate funds and volunteer. Ortiz was motivated to volunteer so he could give back to the community and Shepherd’s Gate provided an avenue for that desire. “Overall it was one of the best experiences I’ve had in volunteering,” said Ortiz. Thirty-four years since Aliceann Cantelow followed her calling to help the homeless, Shepherd’s Gate is thriving and she has left a legacy. Once a month the ministry does truck pick ups of donated goods to be sold at the thrift store. In addition to the thrift stores, if you are interested in donating to the ministry, or interested in volunteering, you can inquire further via their website at www.shepherdsgate.org or by phone at 888-216-4776.
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Since seventh grade, so I think this is the eighth year. Since you played with Joe Mixon in high school, I figured that you would be a good person to ask, but when do you think a person’s NFL talent is apparent? Could you tell he would make it back then? I think we always knew that he would make it, even in high school. The trouble in Oklahoma may have caused a little hiccup and made us worry for a bit, but he’s always been a special talent. I may not have played on the same field as him, but I definitely practiced on the same field as him. It was inspiring to know that someone that good came from our area and made me want to get better and better in the hopes that I could get that good one day too. You cur rently have a 20/235/2 line through six games. With four games left in the season you’re on pace for a 33/391/3 line for the season, do you think that’s about right? Or do you think that you’ll finish with a better or worse stat line? I would like to get my stat line as high as possible in these last few games. I was hoping to have 900-1,000 yards this year, so sitting at around 200 right now is a little bit embarrassing, but our quarterbacks haven’t been able to connect with me at the right times. I feel like I’m supposed to be one of the leaders of this team, so I’m going to do all that I can do to raise my stat line, and hopefully we can all step up to finish strong. Since you’re a sophomore, I have to ask, do you have any plans for after this year? My plan is to go to a division one school after this, which is another reason that I want to try to finish this season strong. I did get offers from a couple schools, but I’ll probably have to try to get an academic scholarship and walk on somewhere. I could go to a D2 school and get guaranteed playing time, but I really want to try to make it at a D1 school. I also kind of want to stay in California, so it depends on all of those things, but that’s the overall goal. Have you played any other positions than wide receiver? I played linebacker and safety in high school, they pretty much moved me all over, but I was primarily a safety. I ended up switching to the receiver side of things because I got hurt making a hit, so last year was pretty much my first time playing as a wide receiver in a game. Is there a particular wide receiver, past or present, that you look up to or try to emulate on the field? There’s obviously Antonio Brown and Odell, but I also really look up to Jarvis Landry and try to learn what I can from him. I believe his combined time was in the 4.6 or 4.7 range, and that’s about what I run too. Just like him, I’m not the fastest guy, but that just means that I have to have really good route running and be able to make people miss.
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SITE From page 1
initiatives from 2008 to 2009, and has been active in representing non-Concord residents in the project. During his time on the committee, he argued against the proposal to build a stadium in favor of building a world-class sports park. Enholm is also the trustee for Ward 5 of the Contra Costa Community College District. According to a report by Concord City Manager Valerie Barone, the BRC will review baseline information on local socio-economic and education demographics, and study the proposed campus’ place in the overall base reuse project. The BRC will also study financing options for a campus and discuss what type of institutions Concord should tr y attracting to the land, while reporting these findings periodically to the Concord City Council. The next BRC meeting will be at the Concord Senior Center Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. The Committee will review academic campus design and development ideas. As for the future, a lot of things still have yet to be decided and a solid timeline for redevelopment is still unclear. “These things take a lot of time,” said Enholm. “As for what ultimately happens, we’ll have to wait and see.”
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which was a hit among the participants. The other two dishes included, an avocado, lemon and tuna salad, which was another hit while the pumpkin parfait was thought to leave room for improvement. LMC student Julius Garcia, enjoyed the parfait–which consisted of a pumpkin puree, vanilla yogurt, and crushed cereal which are all widely available at the pantry. “I was fortunate enough to eat the pumpkin parfait, it was very good” said Garcia, “I am actually a big fan of granola and grains.” Each of the participants left with some helpful tools like an avocado slicer/pitter/ spoon a can opener and the knowledge of how to use them. Participant Angela Hudson fell in love with the avocado tool and finally learned some effective methods for prepping the often dangerous-to-prepare fruit she was clearly fond of. “The dip was excellent, I just love avocado, that was a perfect combination,” said Hudson. “It was a great experience, because I was always afraid of cutting avocado.” Hudson had good reason to be afraid of preparing avocados, as the amount of self inflicted injuries due to people improperly slicing and pitting them. Jessica Wilson is a student worker with the food pantry and was disappointed with the turnout. “Advertisement could have been a little bit better, because a lot of people were interested.” said Wilson. “I feel like with class scheduling it was a little difficult for them to make it.” Garcia enjoyed the experience as a whole, despite having a mild seafood allergy. “For beginners especially, because there’s a lot of students who don’t even know how to use a microwave.” The Food Pantry at LMC operates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. To access the Food Pantry, students are required to have an LMC ID and be enrolled in classes.
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Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com
RADIO FAIR From page 3
From page 1
the brass section.
County.
After an intermission, the second set was prefaced by Luis Zuniga giving a lecture on the anatomy of an orchestra from the time period and the lengths the Orchestra goes to in order to recreate that sound and presentation.
Joella Oribello, Associate of Public Affairs Representative, is proud to be at the event to help students get the necessary information they need to maintain their health.
Her favorite part about the health fair is her personal Highlights of the second involvement in our community. set included the uplifting “I get to bring health inforand happy-go-lucky “Aren’t mation to the community for You Glad You’re You” from free,” Oribello said. the movie “The Bells of Saint Her participation in the Mary’s” and an instrumental per formance of “The Toy event stems form her values Trumpet” from “Rebecca of around community health Sunnybrook Farm” starring and her determination to prevent bad health outcomes Shirley Temple. for students at LMC. “The Toy Trumpet” was a Many LMC students have particularly interesting number habits that can inhibit mainas it was composed in part by Raymond Scott, the inventor taining a healthy lifestyle. of electronic instruments, To keep communities and featured a drum march healthy, Kaiser has a comintro and crooning woodwind munity benefits and relations sounds mimicking an actual toy program. trumpet created by the expert “We give out grants and use of mutes, as demonstrated sponsor community health after by Zuniga. The drum line organizations that provide toward the end of the piece communities in need with would not have sounded out proper health screenings,” of place in a modern electronic Oribello said. song despite its place in time. Other than the Health fair, Near the end of the show, Kaiser’s sponsorship with the performance incorporated a LMC provides the school sing-a-long section with “When with much needed money the Red, Red Robin” and “I that helps student success Got Rhythm.” The playbill rates rise. given out to audience mem“We sponsor LMC with bers contained the lyrics for both songs and the Orchestra five thousand dollars yearly,” performed trial runs of each she added. to give the audience a chance Director of Student Life, to learn the melody before the Teresea Archaga, says the actual number, and judging by feedback from students prove the sound of the hall during that the partnership has been the performance of those two a success. songs the sing-a-long section “We get positive feedback was a hit with attendees. ever y year,” Archaga said The show was closed out commenting on the response with “San Francisco,” described for the event. by the Orchestra as its “theme Incentives such as rock song.” “San Francisco” was climbing and raffles bring also performed as a sing-astudents to the health fair. long, to the rave response of The health fair happens the audience. Despite a few technical on campus yearly and gives hiccups with the sound system out beneficial information to during some of the songs, the the students.
“It’s just good to get an roughly two-hour performance was intensely entertaining and overall health check up,” worth the price of admission Archaga said. for any casual listener or jazz Students can expect the aficionado. health fair every fall semester.
FALL From page 3
conducted the contest and kept people engaged during its duration. After introducing the judges, he introduced the costumed kids. “First of all, we have a firefighter here. Then we have a robot. Then we have a dinosaur, another dinosaur, a werewolf,” said Nguyen. There was also a reaper, dead security officer, and Owlette, a superhero from a Disney Channel cartoon, but ultimately
the robot took home the $20 Target gift card. The adults had their turn next to see who would win. There were four adults participating in the contest—a pirate, a butler bunny, a calavera and another dead security guard. After a brief pause, Nguyen announced, “The judges are in a deadlock right now. They cannot decide who the winner should be.”
Contestants were then asked what inspired their costumes and who made their costumes. The butler bunny was the most compelling and took home the prize. Both groups were called up for a surprise contest to decide the best overall costume. After a drum-roll, Nguyen announced the calavera had won. Also featured was the haunted house “Hotel 270,” an attraction produced by Shenanigans.
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“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
— Nelson Mandela
Students celebrate the dead
Class creates ofrenda @MTPPHOTO
Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween have become somewhat tied over the past few years in a wave of cultural trading. Los Medanos College is celebrating Dia de Los Muertos in more ways than one, with classroom and public events being held on campus. This day means a lot to people in the Latinx community and LMC intends to do their part to share the traditions of this day and build community bonding on campus. Spanish professor Victor Coronado held an annual ofrenda and potluck for all of his Spanish classes to demonstrate the meaning of the day. The celebration was set up by students and Coronado himself with many of his students bringing photographs of lost loved ones and food as offerings. Students brought food from different origins to share with the class and set up as offerings such as pan dulce and fruit. The ofrendas were beautifully decorated from top to bottom with vibrant colors and patterns relevant the Mexican community. Cempasuchil flowers, portraits, candles, incense and food blanketed the ofrendas with more color and life. “Even if you don’t believe in something, being part of a celebration opens your mind because you’re learning about other cultures and why they do it,” said Coronado. “I do it because I want the students to learn about the Mexican culture and the beauty behind Dia de los Muertos.”
While remembering and reminiscing times with loved ones may seem grim to some, the focal point of the holiday is to celebrate life itself and enjoy time together. “It should be seen as a hopeful thing and not a sad thing,” said Karina Gomez of Coronado’s class. Conor Oraze had a portrait prominently displayed on the altar of his late grandfather for the class as did many other students. Oraze comes from a Catholic background, but is open to hearing different takes on spirituality and religion. “I can learn different spiritual ways of thinking,” Oraze said. “I do think it helps the community overall.” Oraze also believes these events are significant because of the large amount of Latinx and hispanic people living in California. Additionally, building tolerance for other people’s culture and honoring Latinx Americans is also important for him, he says, because of the influence hispanics have in this country. Coronado whose wife is of Jewish faith, pushes hard for tolerance and acceptance in all areas of life. He believes that living together in peace is important today more than ever. He shared personal experiences his family had at the beginning of the class when they heard about the massacre at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. He is optimistic about events that promote cultural outreach and hopes for a future where we can all accept one another.
Jasmine Solano and others add food and other personal items for lost loved ones to the vibrant ofrenda.
Local winemaker carves out niche @DaleSatre
Petersen Vineyards has grapes spanning 10 acres used for its Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.
An inconspicuous red warehouse in Knightsen has become a center of attention for the local wine community. Petersen Vineyards is a new winery priding itself on growing, fermenting and bottling its grapes on site. Awarded a gold medal at the Central Coast Wine Competition in 2017 and “Best New Winery” by 110° Magazine this year, owner Peter Petersen actually didn’t start his journey in viticulture with grand plans. “It was a hobby that turned into a venture,” he said. “When we purchased the land in 2011, it was 10 acres of California brown. We simply wanted to try to transform it to green.” Petersen grew up on a Danish dairy farm milking cows, but became a successful electrical engineer by trade. He applied this meticulous approach to winemaking, tinkering with grapes and techniques to produce
the best quality product and learning from the Internet. “At first, we did everything by the book, measured to be exact,” he explained. “We approached it from a chemistry perspective, but the wine wasn’t getting any better.” The breakthrough came in 2014, when he decided to ditch the chemicals normally used in winemaking and focus on organic processing that effectively removed all materials other than grapes. The wine turned out phenomenal, he said, and encouraged by friends, Petersen decided to expand the operation. “I knew that this wasn’t going to be about events or anything else, this was going to be about making wine. I had no idea what was in the future, but this side gig was too good to say no to,” said Petersen. “I asked my wife and family to get fully onboard with this, and then moved forward.” Petersen Vineyards spent the next
Artist gets introspective in ‘Pieces’ @A_Carnation
Chicago native Mick Jenkins released his sophomore album “Pieces of a Man,” a heavily jazz-influenced hip-hop record featuring almost an hour of sonic material with significant depth. The producers chosen to dictate Jenkins’ sound featured longtime collaborators such as Kaytranada and the group BADBADNOTGOOD but for this project some fresh faces contributed to the culmination of this poetically introspective gem. The project begins with a brief monologue by Jenkins himself on the track “Heron Flow” referencing the intro to Gil Scott Heron’s song “The
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Ghetto Code (Dot Dot Dit Dit Dot Dot Dash.)” Jenkins expounds upon the prevalent issues facing black communities in America on the track.“‘Dot Dot Dit Dit Dot Dot Dash’ means ‘damned if I know,’ and the reason this has become a popular phrase in different black communities around the nation is because there are more and more things black people thought they had a handle on that they sorta seen slowly slip away from them,” said Jenkins. One of the many highlights of the album is on the track “Soft Porn” when Jenkins delivers a sticky hook sprinkled with sensual themes and verses that can only be described as “velvety.” The rhythmic lead seamlessly rides the gritty baseline
adding to the mischievous lyrics. Jenkins’ braggadocious lyrics on the tracks “Grace & Mercy” and “Barcelona” emphasize the flagrant sounding instrumentals. “Grace & Mercy” has a catchy hook in which Jenkins thanks his “mercies,” possibly throwing a jab at his contemporaries in the current state of hip-hop. “Barcelona” was one of the pre-release tracks and the seemingly ill-willed Jenkins then recounts his own instances of adversity. Near the end of the track the artist ironically used a line from R&B artist Frank Ocean’s song “Thinkin’ Bout You.” “A tornado flew around my room before you came I straightened it,” said Jenkins. Aside from carr ying the
torch for Chicago poets turned rappers, Jenkins goes into detail expressing his love for fashion and how attainable luxury apparel became due to widespread success in the song “Plain Clothes.” The instrumental features a refreshing piano and guitar harmony on top of a laid back drum groove. The misogynistic trend still in hip-hop today has been ingrained in the genre’s roots, but in Jenkins’ track appropriately titled “Consensual Seduction” details a intimate encounter passionately shared and void of sexual objectification. This track features English singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae who effortlessly delivers a soulful vocal harmony. This latest album has remained cohesive all the way
through and shor tly after listening to the final track “Smoking Song” the continuous jazz groove leaves the listener feeling as if they have experienced the world through
Jenkins’ eyes. Essentially, this album is a reflection, but with the variety of artistic tastes involved, “Pieces of a Man” was a palatable experience.