Vol. 90 No. 6 - March 22, 2019

Screening fosters insight

Another ‘Lego’ movie

LMC wins double-header

Umoja/BSU’s special showing of the critically acclaimed film “Blindspotting” elicits discussion — page 3

Everything awesome, except the second installment of the series — page 4

The Mustangs won in two landslide victory games this past week — page 6

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F.Y.I. Important Dates March is Women’s History Month March 29

Last day of classes before Spring Break.

April 1

First day of Spring Break and April Fools Day. Trust no one.

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Transfers hit record high TAG applicants raise the bar

By A.R. BROOM

@AlexanderRBroom

In the past year, LMC has seen great increases in closely monitored statistics on its students that apply, receive acceptances or earn other guarantees.

LMC President, Bob Kratochvil, was well aware of the improvements seen in reports of the school’s key goals.

“The trajector y has been

good on a lot of things — our graduation, the number of people that have been participating in our commencement ceremony, numbers of transfers, our dual enrollment numbers,” said Kratochvil. “All of those are going up each year for the last five years.”

The numbers of particular greatness include a 34 percent increase from last year of Trans-

LMC TRANSFERS BY THE NUMBERS

fer Admission Guarantee (TAG) applications to the UC system, with a 33 percent spike in approvals. In addition, the 2017-2018 school year had LMC’s highest number of students transferring to CSU and UC campuses — a 123 percent increase from the year 2007.

Numbers in closely-watched demographics, such as Hispanic/

in Hispanic/Latinx 42% Increase transfers since 2012

38 Increase in overall transfers 123% since 2007

Increase in Black/African% American transfers since 2012

Experience • Lilly Montero

See TAG, page 5

Watch some bands battle The Music Department will be putting on a jazz concert event Thursday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for general admission. The event will feauture the Ken Brock/ Ron Wetzel Thursday Night “Smash Book” Big Band, as well as the Los Medanos College Jazz Ensemble. Battle of the Big Bands Part 2 will come later in the semester May 15. For more information contact anakaji@losmedanos.edu.

Active shooter awareness The second week of April will be dedicated to presentations and activities to help prepare students and staff on what to do when there is an active shooter present.

The week will a day of remembrance.

Photo courtesy of Somtochi Ezeh

Speech and debate professor Marie Arcidiacano-Kaufman recieved the most donations for the “Pie in the Face” event.

Pi Day brings fun straight to the face

By HILLARY HETRICK @hillarymhetrick

LMC members to be awarded The Cesar Chavez Awards ceremony will be held Friday, March 29 at 6 p.m in the LMC Recital Hall. Honorees will include LMC students, faculty and community members who have a strong track record of leadership and dedication to the Contra Costa County community.

Awards include the LMC Cesar Chavez Award, the Cesar Chavez County Educator Award and the Chavez Spirit Award.

Those honored will be exemplify the core values Cesar Chavez fought for like service to others, sacrifice, acceptance for all people and more.

Follow us on: @lmc_experience @lmc_experience @lmc_experience

LMC’s Math Department hosted Pi Day, an event that takes place each semester on March 14 to correspond with the numeric value of Pi. The number 3.14 is represented by the said date of March 14 often written out in numbers as “3/14.”

Earlier in the day, students gathered on the Student Ser vices Patio to witness the event, “Pie in the Face.”

The event was hosted by the LMC Honors Program at 12:45 p.m.

On each day of the week leading up to Pi Day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. students had the chance to vote on which one of five department heads would get a pie in the face. They did this by placing money in jars and whoever got the most votes would get a pie thrown in their face.

The possible candidates were Marie Arcidiacono-Kaufman from Speech and Debate, Nick Garcia from Drama, Edward Haven from Philosophy/ Humanities, Ryan Pederson, Dean of Math and Sciences Ryan Pederson and

Jennifer Saito from Math, Philosophy and Humanities. Arcidiacono-Kaufman ultimately won when the votes were tallied.

Arcidiacono-Kaufman earned the Honors Club $311, while Haven brought in $54, Garcia $28, Pederson $35 and Saito $29.

LMC student Jacob Amrine enjoyed the event.

“It was funny that Mrs. A got the pie [in her face],” said Amrine.

Following the LMC Honors Program event, students moved to the Math

Department for the official Pi Day commemoration. At 1:59 p.m. in representation of the next three digits of Pi, students stood in line and waited their turn for a free slice of pie. A table with an assortment of four types of pie stood at front and center. Students had their pick of apple, cherry, pumpkin and chocolate cream pie.

Lab Coordinator Julio Guerrero and LMC student Eric Cruz manned the table, serving slices of pie to many students who stopped by.

See PI, page 5

Interim VP shares journey Higher education runs in the family

By NICK CAMPBELL @TheNCExperience

“Opportunity in this country is not limited to the way you are viewed by others.”

— Sally Montemayor Lenz

There is an African proverb that reads “it takes a whole village to raise a child.” Deeply rooted in that proverb is Interim Vice President of Instruction Sally J. Montemayor Lenz, Ed.D. Montemayor Lenz, a Fresno State alumni originally from Selma, California, has been with Los Medanos College for about five years. As a first generation American, her career with the Contra Costa College District spans over 30 years, with her most recent tenure at the chancellor’s office as Associate Vice Chair.

Raised by her mother, Montemayor Lenz and her siblings always knew the power of education by virtue of their grandparents. Montemayor

Lenz credits her success to the grit and determination of her grandparents, who were migrant farm workers from Mexico.

“My mother used to help my grandparents in the fields,” said Montemayor Lenz.

Her whole family was instilled by example, the value of an education.

Her grandmother was educated in Mexico, and played a large role in her development.

Her grandfather, Gregorio Madrigal, believed that learning took place in and out of the classroom. According to Montemayor Lenz, “He sacrificed his life and fled his beloved Mexico in search of a better future for his children and grandchildren.”

True to form of upholding See VP, page 5

Experience • Anthony Martinez

Sandy Lomeli and Daniela Garcia inspect permits.

Female police aides step up

By BREANNA CRAWFORD @Lyniece_

Police aides here on campus make sure that they do whatever they can to keep LMC safe and secure. With the law enforcement field being well dominated by males, more women are stepping up to the plate to show they also have a presence in the field.

Corporal LMC police aid Sandy Lomeli had always known that she wanted to pursue a career as a police officer, so when she had the chance to become an police aide on campus, she took it as soon as possible.

See STEP, page 5

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Perspectives

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“You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Jensen Ready

Ruth Ontiveros

GUEST COLUMNIST

GUEST COLUMNIST

The challenges of gun control

Networking helps you win

The recent New Zealand mass shooting, based on prejudice and racism, was a terrible and disgusting act. It has left the world once again astounded at how these awful acts of hatred can continue to occur.

Following the incident, New Zealand has decided to ban all assault rifles that were used in the terrorist attack on March 15.

Following this decision, there seemed to be an American outcry on social media blaming our own government for not being able to make the decisive choice that New Zealand has made regarding their ban on assault rifles.

Although New Zealand is capable of making this choice, it is a lot harder for America do so. You shouldn’t expect a ban of assault rifles in the United States anytime soon.

There are key reasons why New Zealand was able to ban assault rifles and America can’t, which are differences in law and culture.

The legal aspect stems from the deep-rooted right Americans are granted through the Second Amendment.

A debate about whether it’s obsolete and should either be modified or entirely repealed is a separate matter. The fact is that the Second Amendment does exist in America, and because of its existence and supported by many citizens in the country, it will continue to stand.

But beyond that, lobbying prevents us from enacting or changing gun laws. The National Rifle Association has a non-profit sub-group called the NRA Institute for Legislative Action that acts as a PAC — meaning that it lobbies politicians to continue supporting the Second Amendment and gun rights as a whole.

New Zealand, on the other hand, does not have these complexities and when faced with the issue of gun violence the country was more easily able to ban assault rifles.

The other key reason America is different from New Zealand with regard to banning the use of guns is culture.

In New Zealand, the police are not constantly armed.

Officers there are required to open the trunks of their police cars and unlock their weapons from a safe. In America, police are armed when on duty.

The difference in how guns play a role in our daily lives as citizens is evident from the fact that any time we see a police officer, we also see a gun, so in America, the use of guns is far more normalized.

Beyond the difference in police officers, there is also the fact that many Americans love guns. The United States is unique in that it is one of the only countries in the world in which citizens seem to obsess over their weapons.

Potentially taking those weapons from them in a democracy and constitutional republic proves to be a challenge.

Overall, both legal and cultural issues pose a significant challenge posed when discussing the reformation or removal of gun ownership in America.

So despite the fact that New Zealand, as well as other countries, have enacted gun controls in response to mass shootings, changing the laws in America is not going to happen overnight like it seemed to happen in New Zealand.

But it could happen over a longer period of time. And while the future regarding gun ownership in America might seem bleak, but there are things we can do as citizen to change things.

We can continue to educate others about the need for gun control and the importance of voting for the people who would work to put in place the laws we agree with.

It is important that we do our part as citizens so that we can create a country that is safer and more desirable to live in.

Many of us don’t have an active college life. Although the lack of engagement in extracurricular activities can apply to any student from kindergarten through high school, the reasons may differ and engagement is not entirely a reflection of interest. But, as adults in college, we have more control over our own lives, so lack of engagement on campus is mostly excuses.

Having an active life academically can be crucial to succeeding. More involvement in school not only helps you focus more intently academically, but also allows you to make connections and gain more real-world experiences. School engagement lets you pick up skills that prove to play an important part in succeeding.

Connections are important because they offer opportunities like future employment.

Sakina Rangwala of The Washington Post writes, “In an August 2009 survey conducted by global outplacement consultancy challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., human resources executives were asked to rate the effectiveness of various job-search methods on a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective). Networking averaged a 3.98.

About half (48 percent) of the respondents gave networking the highest effectiveness rating of five.”

This 2009 survey tells us the effectiveness of making connections in past years. Living in the same economy, it still proves effective.

Today, members of the school district stress the importance of making connections.

Websites like LinkedIn exist to help people network professionally. Without networking you can find yourself lost, even after earning a degree. You may be unsure of your next step and have a hard time getting a job. But making connections helps prevent situations like this because it involves reaching out to others. Involving yourself in school lets you meet new people and in turn make connections with those who can help you when you least expect it.

Involvement outside the classroom gives you more real-world experiences to add to your resume and gives you the opportunity to encounter new ideas that are critical in becoming more creative and open minded.

Steve Urbon, reports on Temple Gradin, a popular autistic professor of Colorado State University. Gradin spoke in a high school gymnasium about the importance of real-world experiences especially for visual learners like herself. She explained how in the education system people who graduate can’t do practical things. Getting real-world learning experience is a must if you want a smooth transition from college to the real world. Involvement in college gives you the opportunity to gain that experience through actions like participating in activities and joining a club or study group.

More participation leads to a more academically focused environment. For many, there is less motivation at home than in school to do better academically. You are more inclined to avoid procrastination through the support of an effective study group. Study groups can assist you in relieving stress, anxiety or other causes of procrastination by aiding you in understanding the material. If study groups aren’t an option, you can also do things like set up an appointment with a tutor at your convenience or go to labs that offer tutors.

Some might reasonably say they do not have time to be more involved in school, or all the services are not available all the time.

That can be true, but it is also about time management and setting priorities. Time management can go a long way and help you see that you are actually able to make room in your schedule for the participation that is key in making connections and gaining real-world experiences crucial to your future success.

Experience • Isabelle Ortiz

Editorial

A clinic in real leadership

I

n one of the deadliest mass shootings in New Zealand’s history, the Christchurch Mosque terrorist attack captivated the media’s attention and shocked the world. Carried out by an avowed white supremacist, the entire attack was captured on the killer’s GoPro camera and live streamed on Facebook.

The killer methodically and indiscriminately went from room to room to kill people. In the video, he’s shown shooting a woman begging for help at point blank range. The youngest victim in the attack was three years old, a toddler. The oldest victim was 77 years old.

In predictable fashion, President Trump downplayed the increasing instances of violence from white supremacists. Trump, via Twitter, expressed dry and tone-deaf condolences of “best wishes” to the grieving country. Facebook removed the video from its website after over 4,000 people viewed it.

This introduces another element to the terrorism. Modern technology helped this white supremacist not only terrorize his victims, but even terrorize the public by broadcasting his heinous acts.

An interesting story to come out of this ordeal has been the leadership of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Adern demonstrated true leadership in the aftermath of the attack. She showed empathy and reassured her nation that in the shadow of such violence they can get through this.

She’s displayed poise, grace, and most importantly, action.

Adern wants to prevent someone being inspired by the shooter, so she refuses to publicly speak his name. Then, she worked with her legislature to look into ways to improve their gun laws. Meanwhile, here in the United States, the commander-in-chief is still feuding with a dead war-hero from his own party and who actually served in the military. Unlike President Trump who cited “bone spurs” for his reasons not to enlist.

It is almost fascinating to watch as the leadership that used to be attributed to America, is now on display elsewhere and America has to witness it vicariously through Ardern.

It is tragedies like this that startles many Americans as we continue to live under incompetent leadership. It’s almost surreal to know that not too long ago, we once had that type of leadership.

The case for a poetry club at LMC People go through hard times. Some are born with anxiety, some show signs of depression at a young age and some act out because their parents were never around. All of these experiences create negative thoughts and emotional issues for those who can’t cope with the issues in their lives.

So they push thoughts away, deep down inside their minds and hearts to try and forget. I am here to tell you there is a solution. It may not work for everyone, but it is definitely worth trying. Poetry has been a great outlet that has impacted my mind, body and heart.

Los Medanos College should create a poetry club for students who feel lonely or sad, or want to learn creative writing. A poetry club could create a place for students to be free from judgment and give them the ability to use their creative writing skills.

Reading a poem in front of fellow club mates can help with the fear of public speaking.

Poetry also gives you the opportunity to tell your story without having to speak in the first-person, so those who are shy and don’t want anyone knowing their personal stories have the chance to speak up and feel heard.

Poetry can help individuals learn about themselves. Sometimes when you write something down it’s a form of growing and letting go.

When you write it down, your eyes can see it and when you read it, your brain understands it. So writing down the thoughts in your head can lessen emotional stress.

People who have a habit of not dealing with their emotions simply can’t take the weight of

Voices

Kayla Anderson GUEST COLUMNIST

that emotion, and that can lead to depression because they’re suppressing how they feel.

Most college students are stressed out due to procrastination, school work and other outside factors. Poetry could become a person’s “drug,” of choice, that is how addicting it can be. Because poetry feeds your mind positive energy, you end up craving poems.

When you give students creative writing assignments, students learn how to take in information, annotate it, then give feedback.

According to ProudtobePrimary.com, poetry is a part of the curriculum, and it builds reading, speaking and listening skills.

To understand something in full depth, you must read it. Some people don’t like poetry until they give it a try. That is why a poetry club should be created on campus.

Instead of pushing yourself into depression because you feel nobody listens to you, grab a pen and paper and start writing. Wouldn’t you like to have a free mind so you can focus on your studies? Do not let depression or anxiety beat you down. Use poetry as an outlet in this dark world to become a better you.

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

What are you doing for Spring Break?

COMPILED

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L I L LY

Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m

MONTERO

Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“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

Editors-in-Chief .................... LILLY MONTERO & MARC LOPEZ Copy Chief ................................... A.R. BROOM

“I’m gonna spend some time with family and then get my siblings to come with me to San Jose.”

—Odochi Nwokochah

“Nothing besides doing my work or going to work.”

— Brooklyn Phillips

Perspectives Editor............. NICK CAMPBELL

“I’m probably gonna go to SF Moma.”

— Jonelle Cabal

“I’m probably just gonna stay home because college makes me broke.”

— Shelby Johnson

“My friends and I are going to Tahoe and getting high.”

— Bryce Yoder

“I’m gonna work, maybe hang out with my friends.”

— Matheiu Koumchesfahani

Campus Editor............BREANNA CRAWFORD Features Editor.......................... MARC LOPEZ Sports Editors ....................HUGO CALDERON & JESUS CANO Social Media Editor ................... JESUS CANO Photo Editor.................. ANTHONY MARTINEZ Multimedia Editor................. KELLY WILLIAMS 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 Food drive donations wanted

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“Well behaved women rarely make history.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Blind to the issues

Student Life is holding an MLK Jr./ Cesar Chavez food drive to help support the LMC food pantry.

Bring your non-perishable items to the office of Student Life or LMC Food Pantry through March 29.

Blood drive March 26 at LMC

Blood Centers of the Pacific will be holding a blood drive at LMC March 26 from 11 a.m to 3 p.m in the Library, Room L-109.

To schedule your appointment, contact the Office of Student Life at (925) 473-7553.

‘Lake Lovers’ establish club

If you love LMC’s lake and its natural inhabitants and are interested in making the LMC lake path a safer and cleaner place, or if you just want to learn more about out the campus, then you should join the LMC Lake Appreciation Club.

The club is open to students, all employees, and community members. For more information please contact Catt Woods at cwood@losmedanos.edu or call (925) 473-7569.

Speaker for graduation needed

LMC is currently seeking applications for graduating students to give a brief three-minute speech at graduation.

This is an opportunity to share your “pearls of wisdom,” “words of encouragement” or “advice for the future” with your graduating classmates. The deadline to apply is April 24. To apply to become the next speaker please visit, https://www.losmedanos.edu/graduation/ceremony.aspx

Scholarship up for grabs

The Academic Competition is a one-day event designed to motivate students to achieve scholarly excellence at LMC. It is also a fun and interactive way for students to compete academically.

Students participate in teams of four in the following subject areas: English, Science and Social Science.

The competition will be held on March 30. In the LMC Gymnasium.

Scholarship awards from $500 to $2,000 will be given to the winners of the competition. For information visit the office of Student Life.

Veterans hosting dance party

The Veterans Resource Center intvites members of the LMC community to stop by the LMC Recital Hall April 17 to celebrate the third anniversary of its opening with the Golden Gate Radio Orchestra.

This is a USO dance-themed event with a costume and dance competition with music presented by the LMC Music and Recording Arts departments.

For more information visit losmedanos.edu/music/ events.aspx or call (925) 473-7805.

Manufacturing interns sought

The California Community Colleges Advanced Manufacturing Team is working to connect students with internships for up to 150 hours.

Pay would be $15/hour. Students will work 15-20 hours per week around their school schedule.

Applications are now open. For questions contact Mark Martin at markmatin@peralta.edu or call (650) 284-7728.

Child care opportunities open

Child Care Careers (CCC) are looking for students and staff who want the opportunity to become preschool and afterschool teachers. CCC is dedicated to giving the expericence and personal growth LMC members are seeking in the early childhood education feild. They are offering competitive pay and tuition reimbursement. For more information visit www.childcarecareers.net or call (510) 888-9666

Saxophonist performs at LMC

The Music Department and Honors Program will be presenting An Evening with Grant Larson. An active recitalist and proponent of new music, saxophonist Larson will be performing at the LMC Recital Hall, Room MU-720 April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets will be sold for $5. For more information contact Luis Zuniga at lzuniga@losmedanos.edu or call (925) 473-7810.

Positions at EBMUD

The East Bay Municipal Utility District is looking for motivated students who are willing to learn and grow within the water industry.

No experience is necessary because new staff will be trained on how to read and calibrate water meters at homes, troubleshoot problems, and repair broken meters, as well as other related tasks.

There is opportunity for increased pay up to $73,000 per year over three years. Applications start in March.

For more information contact Cynthia Perez-Nicholas at cperez@losmedanos.edu.

Lost and Found

LMC lost and found has numerous items found on campus. If you have lost an item, check with Police Services, which is located in the Campus Safety Building at the front of the LMC campus.

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 for the newswatch column, go to the Journalism Lab and fill out a news form.

No items will be printed without the name and phone number of someone the staff can contact to verify information. Publication can never be guaranteed.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

Experience • Anthony Martinez

Domonique Echeverria and other moviegoers in their seats await the premiere of “Blindspotting.”

BSU hosts film at Maya Cinema

By MARC LOPEZ @KaptainMarc

“No matter what ever yone has a blindspot,” said actor Rafael Casal from the critically acclaimed indie film “Blindspotting.” “You are always conditioned to see one thing before the other.”

LMC and Maya Cinemas held a special screening for the critically acclaimed film “Blindspotting” on March 14. The free event was open to all LMC students and was set to be a packed screening with a discussion after the viewing.

Faculty also joined in on the screening such as Sabrina Kwist, LMC’s Dean of Equity and Inclusion, and Sasha Brown, Coordinator of Social Justice at Mills College. Both facilitators assured students that the event was a safe space and they would be given an opportunity have their voices heard during the discussion.

“As a concept, “Blindspotting” requires you to slow down your thinking,” said

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Daveed Diggs (left) and Rafael Casal in a scene from ‘‘Blindspotting.’’

Kwist. “Pay attention to your assumptions and see instances, communities, people in your life for more than your instinct.”

“Blindspotting” is the tale of Collin and Miles, two best friends on the last three days of Collin’s probation for a violent crime.

Miles witnesses a police shooting during the movie and struggles with post traumatic stress disorder through-

out the entire film alongside a variety of other topics.

The topics brought up throughout the film are important.

“Blindspotting” challenges viewers on their perception of racism, cultural appropriation, police brutality and gentrification.

Most of the students and the faculty noticed this and when discussion began, everyone was on the same page on how well the movie portrays those issues.

“We really had a great dialogue,” said Brown. “To be in the theater and hear people’s reactions to the movie while it was happening, it made me more excited to talk about [“Blindspotting”] afterwards.”

In an interview with Vice news, both stars and writers of the film, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal expressed that this film is meant to be a “love letter” to Oakland. Both Diggs and Casal grew up See MAYA, page 5

The power of the mind A counselor’s journey with education

By HALEY AHMED Staff writer

It was a normal day at the office. Deborah Baskin was focusing on the task at hand, serving as a manager to a company that provided physicals for potential life insurance customers. In the wake of the 2007 recession, when many people were lucky to have a job at all, Deborah knew it was a miracle to have this high-paying job without a college degree.

Her boss comes into the office for a visit. Still, a pretty normal day.

But the sense of normalcy quickly dissipates when Deb-

orah’s boss takes her aside, alone, and utters the words that nobody ever wants to hear.

“You’re being laid off,” her boss says. “You can collect your things and go home. We’ll send your severance check in the mail.”

Baskin’s was turned upside down within seconds.

“I cried. A lot. And got pretty depressed,” Baskin admitted, retelling her story. “Clearly, I wasn’t as impressive as I thought I was if they could just let me go like that.”

It’s a difficult feat, imagining a depressed Deborah Baskin, as she smiles even

through discussing her most personal hardships. Standing at an average height with medium-length brown hair and her nails perfectly painted, Baskin seems very well put together.

Her eyes glow with passion, her ever-present smile radiates through the room and her voice neither timid nor untaught once she gets talking about her current position as Los Medanos College’s Financial Aid Assistant.

On any given day, you will most likely find her wearing at least one item of LMC merchandise — a representation of her positive vehemence.

“I have always wanted to help people in some way.”

— Deborah Baskin

Born in Walnut Creek in 1979, Deborah Baskin had a pretty typical upbringing with the average nuclear family of mother, father and one sister.

She grew up in Antioch, but after reaching adulthood, See MIND, page 5

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“I’m just trying to make my momma proud.”

— 2 Chainz

Everything isn’t that awesome ‘Lego Movie 2’ feels late

By DANTE HARROLD Staff Writer

The sequel to the “Lego Movie,” “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” premiered back on Feb. 8 but honestly, the movie feels a couple years too late.

The “Lego Movie 2” is not a great sequel nor a great film in general. The movie doesn’t reach the level of the first movie, it is something many who went to see it in theatres believed was worth paying for.

The film continues the story of Emmet, played by Chris Pratt, an ultra-optimist lego figure tr ying fit in a world where everyone around him has began to see the world as dark and bleak while he continues to try to be optimistic.

Most of the cast that appeared in the first movie are back and they performed on par to what they did in the original. Will Arnett’s “Batman” is the best part of the whole film, as he encapsulated all of the narcissism and brooding nature that people love about Batman. Pratt’s delivery as the lovable goofball that is Emmet was also well done, but Batman ultimately took

REVIEW

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Unikitty, Metalbeard, Batman, Benny and Wyldstyle all pack into General Sweet Mayhem’s spaceship for a wild adventure in the “Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” home the gold.

The musical score for the movie was as appealing as the last, but failed to improve upon the previous movie. There’s not a single new song introduced in this sequel that will become as popular as the “Everything is Awesome” song that was featured in the first “Lego Movie.” Most of the songs will likely be mostly forgotten

by the time the movie is over.

Most of the twists in the “Lego Movie 2” aren’t particularly stunning either and may seem like a simple rethread of the twists introduced in the last movie. Most moviegoers who did see the first movie could glean one of the biggest twists in the sequel, even if they only paid it the slightest bit of attention.

The comedy is also a disappointment. The writers seemed to try their best on the jokes and tried to get the audience to laugh but doesn’t get the reaction they were trying to elicit. There are jokes in the movie that could cause some to at least chuckle, but a lot of the humour for the most part falls flat.

Storywise, the “Lego Movie

2” paces a lot of the same ground its predecessor did.

Many of the characters repeat the same tropes and character developments they already covered in the last “Lego Movie” film.

The basic problems Emmett had to contend with throughout the film, feels very familiar especially to those who saw the first movie.

The “Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” truly does feel a few years late. The movie seems like a rebuke of pessim that had taken hold of a lot genres, particularly the superhero genre for a time, but has since faded.

In the end, the movie the movie is subpar, but good enough to leave most people content after having watched it.

Sings’ new album is dreamy Dutch artist diversifies his sound in ‘City Pop’

By ALEX CAMILLI @_Carnation

Album artwork courtesy of Bandcamp

A new sound is found in Benny Sings’ latest album “City Pop.”

Dutch pop artist Benny Sings announced he will be releasing his sixth studio album. The sixth album retains the dreamy characteristics heard in his soft hearted ballads of past works.

Sings was born in Dordrecht, Netherlands where he formed his first band in high school called “The Loveboat” before setting out to collaborate with other bands such as De Toffen, Abstract Dialect and Heavenly Social. Through those experiences, he has built a resume apt to create quality records.

Sings’ most recent release, “City Pop,” was through Stones Throw Records and has been hinted at since November of last year when he dropped his own rendition of Drake’s

“Passionfruit” under a new label.

“City Pop” was officially released on all streaming platforms Feb. 22.

Sings’ latest effort delivers 34 minutes of his heartfelt take on love embellished by a blend of live instruments and synthesized leads.

His song “Everything I Know” begins with repeated chord patterns as Sings details a faulty relationship using his soft-spoken vocal delivery heard in his earlier works.

Ending the intro track are a group of uplifting horns that play with drum patterns in the mix. The union of unexpected synths and an organic rhythm section has always been a characteristic of Sings’ sound. This quality can be heard in its truest form on the track “Not Enough.”

A sticky bass line immediately kicks off the track that compensates

for the simplistic lyrics. As the song progresses, the saxophone solo meshes well with both the sub-bass and live bass without making the mix sound muddy.

“Duplicate” is one of the tracks on the album that uses texture soundscapes to add to the overall vibe.

Sings recruits Canadian recording artist Mocky to execute a brief chorus before the percussions come in to liven up the higher frequencies.

The clicks and pops in this track are intentionally done to add warmth as if you were listening to vinyl.

The song “Late at Night” is my favorite because Sings’ vocals can become repetitive at times and the way he transitions from the pre-chorus to chorus makes the melody feel rich and resolved. The bass breaches See CITY, page 5

BSU voices soon to be heard

By RAAZHEL WATKINS Staff writer

On March 28 the LMC’s Black Student Union (BSU) will be putting on an open mic event featuring students’ spoken word and other forms of art in a continuation of the celebration of Black History Month.

According to T’Keyah Taylor, president of BSU at LMC, the theme of the night is creative minds, which provides a safe space for students to share their creativity.

“The idea of Black History Month isn’t just in protesting or talking about our leaders, but it’s about being expressive

in more ways than one,” said Taylor.

Along with student work, poets Dre and Patrick who make up the group Jackhammer Serenade from the non-profit Bay Area Creative, will be hosting a workshop from 5pm-6pm prior to the open mic event, to give artists the opportunity to generate and workshop their pieces before the show.

After the workshop there will be a period of food and music, allowing time for people to come to the event and socialize as the performers get ready to transition to the show.

After student performances,

“Black History Month is about being expressive about your culture.”

See WORD, page 5

Marquee

Upcoming music events The Los Medanos College Music Department will be holding a series of Spring events showcasing the talents of LMC students and special guests. All events will be held in the Los Medanos College Recital Hall and will range from free admission to low cost. n Thursday, March 28 — First Spring Jazz Concert at 7 p.m. Admission: $8 n Thursday, April 11 — An Evening with Dr. Grant Larson, Saxonist at 7:30 p.m.

Admission: $5 n Tuesday, April 16 — The Spring 2019 Choral/Vocal Master Class Recital at 7:30 p.m. Admission: $5 n Thursday, April 18 — The Big Dance Party at 6 p.m. Admission: free n Saturday, May 4 — 25th Silver Anniversary Gospel Celebration Reunion Concert at 7 p.m. Admission: $27

— T’Keyah Taylor

New art show A new art show featuring the work of more than a dozen members of the Art Guild of the Delta will open in the Los Medanos College Art Gallery Thursday, March 28.

An opening reception will be held at 4 p.m. in honor of the artists in the show. The guild is a non-profit organization based in the San Francisco East Bay. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and from 4 to 6 p. m.

Coming soon to Cinemas n “Us” — In theaters March 22, directed

by Jordan Peele. n “Dumbo”— In theaters March 29, directed by Tim Burton. n “Shazam” — In theaters April 5 , directed by David F. Sandberg. n “Hellboy” — In theaters April 12, directed by Neil Marshall.

CALL IN. CLICK IN. OR COME IN. CARE, THE WAY YOU WANT IT.

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Latinx and Black/African American students, have both seen around a 40 percent increase.

It is not just Transfer and Career Services that deserves the praise, according to its director, Rachel Anicetti, but the whole campus as it works together.

“The reality is that transfer success is the result of work across the campus. More students are transferring at LMC, not just because they receive excellent preparation from our office and Counseling,” said Anicetti, “but also because the English and Math Departments have created courses to help students finish faster, and Financial Aid works to get students money they need to enroll full-time, and EOPS has study groups… the list goes on and on.”

Anicetti also elaborated that a major department goal is to help students find their major earlier at LMC, so that they can have a clear pathway of courses to take, and transfer more quickly; a goal shared around campus.

“We’ve been very purposeful and deliberate in providing funds and staffing that help our students in those two major areas,” said Kratochvil, “moving into four-year institutions as well as getting jobs.”

With all this growth it is important to maintain a good supply of the resources transfer hopefuls require.

“We’re real cognizant of that and putting funds and staffing into those various efforts,” said Kratochvil.

The staffing that many of those who interact with first are the student assistants.

“They are rock stars. If you see the... students on campus, please know that they are transfer and application experts,” said Anicetti.

Those assistants have not gone unnoticed by others on campus.

Two of which, Jack Stehn and Jerrilynne Junio highlighted their surprise with respect to the number of students coming back to let them know they had been accepted or simply to thank them for the help.

But their work with transfer students is far from over now that application season has ended. The next batch of applicants are looking to find the right schools for their lists or are even applying for admittance in the Spring of 2020.

While students are wondering how long it takes to get word back from schools and others who have heard back, many need assistance with the next process of getting full, rather than conditional admission to the schools. The process differs from school to school, nevertheless, Transfer and Career services are there to help.

Getting the word around early during students’ stay at LMC is crucial.

“We want students to talk about transfer options with each other, with their professors and those they know at LMC,” said Anicetti. “The more people speak with one another, the more prepared they are when it comes time to complete the application.”

STEP From page 1

“This is what I want to do in the future, this is what I want to do for a living,” said Lomeli.

After working as an aide for about a year, she got promoted to corporal amongst a group of men.

“I got promoted by doing what a police officer is supposed to do and more,” she said.

As corporal she helps manage the police aides and trains the incoming aides as well.

Over time she has learned, when it comes to training, she has to be conscious of other people’s learning styles.

“It does get hard teaching them how they learn, so they can learn as fast as they can and be on their own,” said Lomeli.

It may be difficult at times for her when it comes to training the new aides, but she loves what she does and

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Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

PI

From page 1 “I love pie, it’s better than cake,” Cr uz commented.

“Pi Day is a fun day for the student body.”

While some were just happy to be having free pie and some enjoyed seeing their teacher get pied, others were excited about the more academic portion of the day.

“This event is a good way to promote math and science,” said LMC student Nicole Trager.

Math professor Julie Von Bergen gave further background on what Pi Day is.

“Did you know that today is Albert Einstein’s birthday?” asked Von Bergen.

She went on to explain, “Pi Day started at the Exploratorium in San Francisco [on this day] in 1989 to commemoExperience • Anthony Martinez rate Pi and Albert Einstein’s Students, staff and faculty grab the pie LMC student Eric Cruz sliced and prepared for the festivities. birthday.”

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she moved to Seattle, Wahington.

However, it was only a few years before she moved back to California after she “got tired of the cloudy skies.” Baskin had been going to college on and off over the years, but when she arrived back in California and found a job where she was earning many promotions, eventually becoming a manager and reporting directly to the vice president of the company, college began to seem unnecessary. After all, she was making plenty of money without a degree and, in all aspects, it seemed like she’d gotten lucky. She had it figured out.When she was laid off from her position, Baskin took it extremely hard.

“I realized that not having a college degree meant I would only be able to find minimum wage jobs for the most part,” said Basking.

After maintaining a higher-end job for so long without a degree, she admits that she thought she was “the best thing since sliced bread,” and that being laid off forced her to take stock of herself and bring her back down to earth.

“It felt like the end of the world, and my ego took a big hit,” Baskin said.

Soon after, Baskin found out about a job opening in the Financial Aid office at Los Medanos College, applied and was hired.

“I knew nothing about financial aid before I started working in the field,” said Baskin. “But I think I have always wanted to help people in some way, and that has always been a part of what I wanted to do as a career.”

Through her years working in Financial Aid, Baskin has also been working on her own college career, already earning her Psychology and Sociology degrees for transfer through LMC, and now attending CSU East Bay as a double major in Psychology and Sociology.

This is all for her next step, a career that would allow her to help students on an even greater scale.

“I decided I would be a good fit as a counselor at LMC, since I love planning and picking out

From page 1 classes, and creating pathways to move forward educationally,” Baskin explained, her voice equal tones of giddiness and determination. “I figure, why not get paid for something I like and am pretty good at?”

However, maintaining both her very demanding full-time job and school hasn’t been a walk in the park for Baskin.

“I have to say, going back to school as a non-traditional student [a student who isn’t coming to college straight after high school] is a lot harder than doing it when you have financial support or can live with parents, because I now have to balance all the responsibilities of adulthood with all of the homework from college,” Baskin admitted. “It isn’t easy to balance everything, and I have to make choices every day to do homework instead of having a social life.”

Baskin shares that her husband is luckily very understanding and supportive, and her beloved dogs and cats are just happy to spend time with her when she is home.

“I definitely think my own circumstances make me have a lot more compassion for other students who are also working and going to school, regardless of their age,” said Baskin.

Baskin has made many friends through her job — people who appreciate her undying wit, humor, and enthusiasm for her work.

“Our office can get really stressful sometimes, especially when students’ payments are about to be sent out,” said Tamara Carreon, a fellow Financial Aid Assistant in the office. “Deb [Baskin] always has a joke ready to lighten up the intensity during those times.”

For now, Baskin can be found in the Financial Aid office, assisting students every day in chasing their educational dreams, whether it be through financial aid or scholarships.

“I’m not sure if I could label myself as ‘successful’ at this time,” admitted Baskin, “but I am happy with what I do and I love knowing that I help other people reach their educational goals while I strive for my own.”

the values learned from her grandparents, she is not the only educated member of her family, in fact, all of her siblings hold undergraduate degrees. A mother of four children herself, her kids are all pursuing higher education and there is extended family working in all reaches of the workplace. Many of her family members working in everything from law to education — they truly run the gamut of career experiences.

Reflecting on what experience or advice she’d pass down to young women at LMC, Montemayor Lenz stresses the importance of early self awareness in relation to educational and career goals. To not let ourselves be rushed to a choice that isn’t yours.

She also tells students that if a career path appears difficult, it doesn’t mean it can’t be accomplished. However, Montemayor Lenz continued you have to be willing to get the education or training needed to seek that opportunity. Additionally, she advises students to be watchful of your actions.

Considering today’s social media climate, this should go without saying.

“Protect your reputation, it’s worth its weight in gold,” said Montemayor Lenz.

After Vice President Kevin Horan accepted a position at Crafton Hills College, current LMC President Bob Kratochvil reached out to Montemayor

CITY From page 4

vocal harmonies at just the right moments creating necessar y tension throughout the track.

“Summerlude” is the album’s interlude hence the title of the track, which features smooth Rhodes piano chords as Sings compares photosynthesis to personal growth. Sings mentions how this track’s purpose was for an advertisement stating,“This song was written for a beer commercial, but never made the cut.”

“It gives a little bit of peace to the album, a moment of rest,” the artist continued.

Lenz about the opening. In the interim position since Januar y 2019, her experience on the district level made the transition smooth.

Montemayor Lenz is excited about the growth of LMC and its expansion to Brentwood.

As with most women in her position, the journey to this destination came with its own unique challenges. She notes that being a woman of color, a Latina, is often a primary source of professional ambition though it sometimes raised stereotypical reactions to her abilities. Montemayor Lenz found it more difficult to find people of color, particularly women, in leadership roles.

To overcome obstacles, Montemayor Lenz set short and long term goals and sought out mentors.

Such mentors Montemayor Lenz cites in her life are families in her hometown; the Esraelians, Carpio, Valdez, Rimas and Duncan families.

All who are the core of her “village” that raised her.

For up and coming students, lessons from her grandparents are still relevant today.

“My grandparents recognized that opportunity in this country is not limited to the way you are viewed by others but very much by the way you view yourself,” said Montemayor Lenz.

She has the following advice: “Know what you want and make a plan that shows you the steps needed to be taken to get there.”

The track titled “My World” featuring Japanese multi-instrumentalist Cornelius is the most ambient on the album combining a plethora of synths and modulated keys. This smooth ballad serves as the projects true ending drastically deviating from the rest of the tracks.

“City Pop” just might be Sings’ most concise project yet, diversifying his sound as well as showing his skill set as a musician. If sappy narratives aren’t your forte then his diverse production will keep you guessing on what this capable visionary will do next.

Working on the job had the enforcement field,” said allowed her to gain personal Garcia.

At times it’s a difficult job, relationships with staff on campus. Being able to see especially when it comes to them outside of class and have handing out parking tickets.

“When you’re giving tickdifferent conversations created ets out...the a more generous dynamic, reaction you w h i c h w a s “It’s good...to get from people [is intersomething that show that it’s esting],” said surprised her.

Garcia.

“Its some- possible... even thing I didn’t though I’m a Sometimes she expect, but I female I can can hear the Experience • Anthony Martinez really enjoy,” people curssaid Garcia. be in charge.”

Corporal police aide oversees fellow police aide ing as she While on the — Sandy Lomeli Daniela Garcia as she inspects cars for permits. walks past job she had realized that she them after the impact she has on others Daniela Garcia became a didn’t want to pursue a career giving them a ticket, but she looking to get into the field. police aide to gain experience in law enforcement. She had knows that everything she has She is proud to be a model in the law enforcement field always had an interest in to do as well as their reactions of what it looks like to have and to see if it was a career drama, nursing and teaching, is all a part of the job.

If you are interested in a woman in a leadership role. path she may have wanted to but she still sees the value in the experience of becoming becoming a police aides you “It is good being able to further explore. can can get more information show that it’s possible… even “It’s not the real thing, but I a police aid.

“It’s a new experience and from Police Services located though I’m a female I can be might just get an idea of what in charge of other men,” said it is like,” she said of her initial it’s a great experience as well, in front of parking lot A or especially if you’re going into online at the LMC website.

Lomeli. experience.

BBALL From page 6

is. When you see him for the first time it’s easy to assume less, based on his size or whatever else but he’s always been a guy who attacks on every pitch with ever ything he’s got and wants to win every time he takes the mound,” said D’Albora. “He cares a lot about his teammates and a lot about winning. He’s definitely the kind of guy you want in your dugout and on your side.”

Adapting to Junior College baseball from high school was not an easy adjustment as it is for many baseball players.

At times the difference is too great that some players don’t pursue their sport at the next level but Arias was able to adjust.

For the pitcher, he noticed there was a lot more competition in the team but as long as he became the best player he could be, he could make it.

All of Arias’ hard work at LMC paid off. He is committed to Chicago State University.

He chose Chicago because he felt he would receive a lot of opportunities there and it makes him feel like he’s at home.

“It was the best thing I’ve done to commit to such a good school, that’s also going to give me the most opportunities and make me feel at home away from home,” said Arias.

His journey is taking him to another state and he still has more baseball ahead of him.

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Student participant, Victoria Alexander, who is part of the creative writing class at LMC said, “It’s nice that they’re doing it [the open mic], we don’t have enough of that stuff on campus.”

Though she doesn’t need it, Alexander also thinks the workshop will be helpful for those who get nervous like her.

“I haven’t ever performed my poetry… I’m kind of nervous about that,” said Alexander.

This open mic will be open to ever yone who wants to express their work.

“Black Histor y Month is about being expressive about your culture,” said Taylor, “but we didn’t want to limit it to the African Diaspora so we just wanted to have a place for expression.”

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in the East Bay and made sure to gather an accurate image of what Oakland is.

“I currently live in Oakland,” said Brown. “The movie is like me watching my own neighborhood on the big screen. I can relate to the characters experiences very easily.”

“Blindspotting” is available on all streaming services and the special screening was a part of LMC’s Black history series of events. To find out more about events such as this for the spring semester, visit https://www.losmedanos. edu/blackhistory/index.aspx.

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“Keep working hard even when no one is watching. ”

— Alex Morgan

Jesus Cano CANO’S CORNER

Sports to grow in strength

Experience • Marc Lopez

LMC’s Alexus Coleman advances from second to third base during her team’s 9-0 win over Yuba College March 19.

Softball hits diamond

Los Medanos starts BVC play with two wins

By MARC LOPEZ @KaptainMarc

After constant game delays, the Los Medanos College softball team made a statement with two landslide victories.

Weather and a damaged field has kept the Mustangs from playing almost the entirety of their pre-season. However, on March 19, the Mustangs let loose during its first Bay Valley Conference games against Yuba College.

The first game ended with the Mustangs on top with the final score of 9-0 but the Mustangs did not let Yuba walk away so easily. In the second game, the Mustangs’ bats continued to dominate with a final score of 15-0.

Morgan Billeci, starting pitcher of game one, went the distance throwing for all five innings and was lights out. Billeci threw a two hitter shutout with the addition of one walk and three strikeouts.

“It feels good to be back on the field,” said Billeci who wasn’t able to suit up for the last

pre-season game the Mustangs played. “It’s been a bummer getting all of our games canceled and then rescheduled.”

Billeci also out performed her opponents with her batting, gaining a total of two RBIs off of one hit. Tumariana Hill and Alexis Coleman joined Billeci with batting in two RBIs of their own. One of Coleman’s RBI’s came from her very own solo home-run.

In the second game against Yuba, LMC managed a total of 21 hits. Billeci once again took the mound for two full innings in game two and relief pitcher Katelyn Borger finished off the rest of the game. Borger allowed three hits, one walk and struck out four batters.

“I did a pretty good job of not letting [Yuba] score any runs and having a couple strikeouts helped to shut them down,” said Borger. “My team was there to back me up and I feel like we all connect well and can come together as a team.”

LMC head coach Tim Rognlien praised the

Mustangs following the dominating wins. Rognlien believes that these two wins against were huge and well deserved. “[Today] was probably some of the best games we’ve been able to play this year,” said coach Rognlien. “It was a great tune up for the rest of the season.”

Rognlien also referred back to the Mustangs previous game, which was the final pre-season game before BVC play, to draw comparisons on the team’s performance.

“We had a total of 14 errors within the span of two games, today we had no errors,” said coach Rognlien.

The Mustangs impressive start is nothing but the team meeting expectations. The high hitting offense and the well performed defense gives the Mustangs hope going into the regular season.

The Mustangs softball team will play against Mendocino College for their next home game on March 28.

Small player doing it big LMC pitcher committed to Chicago State

By HUGO CALDERON @Hcal09

From being seen as the small kid on the block to the big man on the mound, Dominic Arias’ journey so far has been a curveball.

Arias started playing tee ball at the age of four with his dad as the coach.

When the Los Medanos College pitcher started playing at Pittsburg High School, he realized it was a whole different ball park. The pitcher played all four years at Pittsburg during his time there and played pony baseball during his middle school years.

This was because of the mentality that people were trying to instill in him while he was playing due to his small physical figure.

“The hardest obstacle that I had to overcome was in high school and even before that I was always the smallest guy on the team and not the strongest,” said Arias. “People would tell me I wouldn’t make it past high school and didn’t have a chance to play in college.”

The sophomore found hope through Marcus Stroman, a five-foot seven-inch pitcher that plays for the Toronto Blue Jays. Stroman is only one of seven pitchers in Major League Baseball that are shorter than 5 feet

Experience • Brandon Orozco

10 inches, according to Height Line.

As a result, Stroman created a brand called “HDMH” which stands for Height doesn’t measure heart.

“I seen that he went through so much coming up like I am it pushed me harder and made me hungry to become the best player and person I can be,” said Arias Arias’ parents support also provides him with hope. They provided constant support throughout their son’s baseball career. He also attributes a lot of his strength to his Christian faith that got him through tough times and Arias tries to attend church on a weekly basis.

“I thank them so much for all that they’ve done for me because without their support and the support from my family I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Arias, “when I was growing up through high school my grandma passed away and my cousin

When I was in high school, the running joke that the initials for LMC meant “Lost My Chances” instead of Los Medanos College. No¥t just in academics, but in athletics.

Soon, “Lost My Chances” will be the phrase running through the mind of many opponents they have to up against LMC athletic team.

And that’s because the new Physical Education building is about to change the landscape of LMC athletics.

The new facility is almost complete, set to be complete in August of this year. The combined cost of the new PE facility and student union is 61.8 million dollars according the LMC website. It’ll be worth every single penny.

LMC athletics isn’t the best. Even with the women’s’ soccer and volleyball team winning the Bay Valley Conference title, the Mustangs always seem to only manage to get into a play-in game in order to qualify for the playoffs.

The truth is, LMC should be a powerhouse when it comes to spor ts.The Bay Valley Athletic League -- LMC’s feeder league for high school sports has some of the top athletes especially in football and womens’ soccer. Often times these unsigned athletes choose to go to community colleges that have a brighter exposure in athletics to top division one colleges. Many of these colleges include Diablo Valley College, Las Positas College and even City College of San Francisco.

Many athletes would rather commute in Bay Area traffic than attend the school in their backyard.

With my experience covering high school sports and talking to these athletes about wanting to pursue JuCo sports, LMC is the last destination on their mind.

But the new PE facility is regarded by many coaches to be better than what most division II schools have.

Essentially, students will have the opportunity to gain strength, while the athletics department will do the same.

This PE facility is the biggest blessing to come to LMC. I guarantee there will be a huge increase in student-athletes at LMC, so much that the Mustangs will need to move up a division and potentially break out of the BVC. The participation in student athletics will attract more revenue to the school due to the success in sports.

The best time to be an LMC athlete is coming, and it will be one of he greatest years the school will witness in history.

got shot and went into a coma in the same year so I didn’t know what to cause I was so down so I turned to god and went to church and never looked back!”

After graduating from Pittsburg, Arias chose to come to Los Medanos despite receiving numerous offers from other colleges to play ball. He said coach Anthony D’Albora played a big part in his decision to play here as well as the school being close to home. He also credits D’Albora with his development not just as a player but a person as well.

“Coming out of highschool I had a couple other community colleges asking me to go play for their schools but the reason I picked LMC was because it was close to home and Coach D would attend my games in highschool and text me to check in on me more than any other coach would,” said Arias. “Going through high school I was told I was too small and not big enough but Coach D didn’t care he brought me in and gave me the most opportunities to prepare me as a player.”

D’Albora discovered Arias when he was playing his trade at Pittsburg.

D’Albora believed that Arias’ talent was good enough to land him at a four year college but didn’t have the opportunities available. During his tenure at Los Medanos, D’Albora feels his pitcher has developed physically Experience • Anthony Martinez and is always hungry for success.

“He always has been a guy hungry Above: LMC pitcher Dominic Arias is committed to play at to show everyone how capable he Chicago State University. Left: Arias pitches during his team’s See BBALL, page 6

narrow 2-1 loss against Merced Junior College Feb. 28.