Vol. 90 No. 8 - April 19, 2019

Coordinator shares past

PechaKucha gets speedy

Mustangs playoff bound

Workforce development’s new program coordinator discusses her journey with education — page 3

The Honors Program held a new, fast-paced speech event that kept people on their feet — page 4

The Stangs’ have clinched a spot, aiming for Bay Valley Conference — page 6

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F.Y.I. Important Dates April is Autism Awareness Month April 21

Easter Sunday.

April 26

Last day to drop from a full-term class with a W.

Speaker for graduation

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Students hit campaign trail LMCAS elections begin

By NICK CAMPBELL @TheNCexperience

Starting next week between April 22 and April 24, students will choose new leadership for the Los Medanos College Associated Students. Up for grabs are the office of President, Vice President, Commissioner for Campus Events and Commissioner for Publicity and Outreach.

Elections for LMCAS occur every Spring semester with the terms beginning the following semester. The prerequisites for being a candidate are a minimum GPA of 2.0 and enrollment in at least 5 units. One must also be an LMCAS senator to run for office of the President.

The role of student government is vital to the student experience on campus.

According to John Nguyen, Student Life Coordinator, many changes on campus come as a result of LMCAS advocacy. Nguyen cited the recent addition of a lactation unit on campus as an example of that groundwork.

“The role of student government is to be a voice for students on issues that matter to them,” says Nguyen.

Running unopposed for President is Thyra Cobbs, a Bay Area native and Brentwood resident. A psychology and English major, with a minor in African American studies, Cobbs was inspired to run for office by her mentor in student government, Jamila Stewart.

Cobbs is a former Umoja ambassador for LMC and has worked as an EOPS mentor and library clerk.

Recently she was one of 40 students to attend a student leadership conference

Thyra Cobbs

Shagoofa Khan

in Riverside. She was also inspired by a recent women’s empowerment conference at UC Berkeley.

“While I was there, I had a chance to meet people with different perspectives. It gave me ideas I can use to empower our students here at LMC,” said Cobbs.

The primary function of the LMCAS President is to advocate for LMC students. Cobbs has plans to hit the

ground running on student issues.

“I feel like we need to focus more on mental health and other resources for our students,” said Cobbs.

Christian Ortiz, is running for Vice President. The role of the Vice President is to provide support to the President and represent the student body at events and meetings. His goals and priorities, if elected, will

‘Big Band’ swings

By LILLY MONTERO and MARC LOPEZ Staff writers

New play to come soon LMC’s Drama Department will be debuting the new play called “Bolt Bolton vs. Outer Space” April 25 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater. The play follows star-quarterback Bolt Bolton and his journey from winning the Super Bowl to facing off with alien Zeene the Infallible. Tickets are $10 general admission. More information can be found on the LMC website.

Experience • Hazel Recinos

Tamara and Jerry Smith dance to the live band. The Big Band Dance Party had veterans of multiple generations, as well as students, faculty and staff dancing to tunes from times past. The event included a dance instruction, as well as dance and costume competition with prizes. See story, page 3.

Kennedy-King awards students A transfer fair geared toward STEM majors will be held in the MESA Center Thursday, April 25 between 2 and 5 p.m.

The event will include representatives from UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Merced and many others.

There will be a presentation panel where representatives will provide information about their programs, as well as a tabling event for students to talk to individual representatives.

Follow us on: @lmc_experience @lmc_experience @lmc_experience

See LMCAS, page 5

New change for web blocks

LMC’s is currently seeking applications for a graduating student 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 commencement speaker please visit, https://www.losmedanos. edu/graduation/ceremony. aspx.

STEM Transfer Day is coming

Christian Ortiz

By ALEX CAMILLI @A_Carnation

Adversity is prevalent in an academic setting and in life, those who persevere against the odds deserve to be distinguished. And that is exactly what the Kennedy-King Memorial College Scholarship Fund strives to accomplish.

The Kennedy-King Memorial Fund was founded in 1968 in memory of the late President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since then, almost $4.5 million in scholarship funds have

been awarded to about 776 students.

On Saturday, March 23 75 students were interviewed in the Contra Costa Community College District to potentially be awarded a $10,000 scholarship.

Twenty-five of the students interviewed were selected to earn the scholarship fund, 10 of which were Los Medanos students. To be considered, students must achieve and maintain academic excellence while remaining dedicated to their community.

The organization is all-volunteer and

over 90 percent of all contributions go strictly toward the students who make it through the interview process. For students who undergo graduate study, the Kennedy-King Foundation also offers a scholarship of $5,000. Some of the questions asked of the students selected pertain to potential difficulties they may have encountered while pursuing their education.

LMC Student Christian Sevillano heard about the Kennedy-King ScholarSee KING, page 5

Moms’ needs are met

Lactation pod provided, not ready

By HILLARY HETRICK @hillarymhetrick

Students who are breastfeeding will soon have a place available anytime while the campus is open to pump breast milk or breastfeed.

Alongside the Student Services building, a pod called the Mamava Lactation Pod was implemented over the spring recess.

According to Senior Execu-

tive Assistant Jennifer Adams, the Mamava Lactation Pod isn’t ready for use just yet.

“There is more prep needed on the Mamava Lactation Pod before it can be made available for use,” said Adams via email. “Once everything is ready to go, the Mamava unit will be launched to the Experience • Marc Lopez campus community via email LMCAS President Prescilla Tatmon advocated for the and on the LMC website.”

See POD, page 5

lactation pod on Level 3 of the College Complex.

A compromise has finally been reached for the long debated Contra Costa Community College District’s web filtering software.

In 2017, CCCCD paired up with Palo Alto Networks, the self-proclaimed global cybersecurity leader, to install a firewall and URL blocker throughout the entire district for a total of $727,046. The system was soon met with backlash due to sporadic choices in what the firewall decided to allow access for.

Websites such as collegehumor.com were blocked as they fell under categories such as “questionable” or “adult” while sites that are flagged by the Digital Citizens Alliance and cybersecurity exper t RiskIQ for extreme sources of malware were not.

Throughout 2018 librarians, faculty, the Academic Senate and LMCAS fought hard against the district’s requests to uphold any decisions on the web blocks and now, we have a compromise.

On March 21, Executive Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology Mojdeh Mehdizadeh sent an email detailing the new changes, which went into effect the week of March 25.

Now when students and faculty access sites that are categorized as “high risk for malware and viruses; sites containing adult content and those that are “gambling-related” a message is displayed making the user aware that it has been flagged by the District’s firewall and URL blocking system, said Mehdizadeh in the email.

The message reads as follows: “The website you are attempting to access has been categorized as highly prone to malware and viruses by the District’s internet security blocking system.

Among such websites are many containing adult content or related to gambling.

Additionally, the District’s Acceptable Technology Use Procedure stipulates that the technology systems are only intended for instructional and work related purposes and that surfing inappropriate websites such as those that are sexually See WEB, page 5

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Perspectives

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“Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.”

— Paul Krugman

Jesse Reeves

Melody Oyinkansola

GUEST COLUMNIST

GUEST COLUMNIST

Brentwood due for an upgrade

An argument for unplugging

Any student who frequents the LMC Brentwood Center can tell you how charming and warm it is. Since its opening in 2001, the Brentwood campus has provided some of the best community college education in the country for people in the area.

However, over the years, what was once a fully functional college campus has become technologically outdated, overcrowded on many levels.

But something long overdue is said to be arriving and is doing so just in time: the new Brentwood Center.

In 2016, plans and funding that had been in talks since as early as 2006 were approved to build the much-needed extension to the Brentwood Center.

The campus has broken ground and is located just off Highway 4 on a 17.5 acre lot in the southeastern hills of rural Brentwood.

The new campus is expected to be a 55,000 square foot structure when entirely finished in spring 2020.

The current Brentwood campus is 22,000 square feet, so that is nearly 35,000 square feet of extra space in the new campus, and the students of LMC Brentwood deserve every last foot of it.

Much of the reasoning behind these expansion plans were the ever growing student population of the Brentwood campus.

Per ThePress.net, when the Brentwood campus first opened up in 2001, enrollment was just 667. In 2018, that number has jumped up to a whopping 3,000 students enrolled at the Brentwood campus.

The increase in students is putting pressure on the campus and its infrastructure.

To help meet these demands, the new Brentwood campus has promised to tackle all these issues. The increase in parking will be among the biggest perks for current and incoming students.

As many know, classes between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the current Brentwood campus can be difficult to navigate.

During high traffic hours, it can be dangerous for students entering the building who walk among the parking lots to get to class. More parking will help alleviate these problems.

The increase in student population also brings the need for more academic courses. Many students currently attending the Brentwood campus can be limited in their course selection, especially for science-based classes.

The expansion will allow students living closer to the Brentwood campus the advantage of not having to take courses in Pittsburg for lack of course availability.

It will be incredibly convenient for the entire Brentwood student body.

One underrated addition will be much-needed technological advances inside the classroom as well as around campus.

Many students and teachers know that the WiFi and Internet are sometimes unreliable.

I believe this is one large focal point with the new campus. Communication, student access and network reliability are import.

Our dear Brentwood campus has been a home to us for 18 years. It has served many past and current students as a vessel to achieve their academic dreams.

Just as students have learned to grow inside the walls of our campus, LMC has also learned that it must grow to accommodate the need for student success.

With such need comes greater opportunity for LMC to open its doors to better and brighter futures for its faculty and staff; something this new campus will do once complete.

The expansion has been long overdue and couldn’t come at a better time. It’s time to get excited for the future of academics, Mustangs.

Is social media taking over our lives?

Can you really give up your phone for a week straight?

I recently lost my phone out of carelessness. I had put it on top of my aunt’s car at church and forgot it there and she drove away with it.

Something that has been driving me nuts during these few weeks is the fact that I can’t easily check my social media.

I’ve even gone through the trouble of asking my friends whenever I’m around them if I can use their phones.

How sad is that? Is that what social media has brought us to, that we feel as though we have no life because we can’t post on our Snapchat or Instagram?

Forty-six percent of smartphone users now say that their devices are something they couldn’t live without, according to a new Pew Research Center survey — Forty-six percent.

In this generation social media has become a way of life.

Without social media a lot of people, not only teenagers but adults and even children, feel socially non-existent without them.

Some people might argue that social media has helped us to progress in this generation.

But this new method of communication has made us so focused on what everyone else is posting and doing, and it has made us lose touch of the people right in front of us.

Are we really progressing as a generation if we can’t even have conversations with the people around us.

Mainly because we are so fixated on what is going on in our phones.

Due to the fact that I now have no phone I have noticed that a majority of students at LMC are on their phones while walking around.

I’m sure before I lost my phone I was just like that. Social media has become bad because it’s become all that we do.

It has consumed us to the point where phone manufacturers now give updates on your level of “screen time.”

Even at home with my family I experience this. My little brother and I are very close, and tell each other nearly everything.

But once he is on his phone, I can never get his full attention. He even says the same thing about me.

If not for my parents being very strict about no phones at the dinner table or when we go out to eat, we would probably be like those people who are not even talking to each other.

That’s because everyone is in their own little world on their phones. Social media is even affecting our brains.

Researchers at the UCLA brain-mapping center did a study of 32 teenagers to see how likes on Instagram affected their brains.

The study showed that receiving “likes” activates the reward centers in the brain, similar to winning a prize.

This is not a good thing because that means if someone gets little to no likes on their social media this can cause depression and anxiety.

Social media also affects how we interact with people around us.

Because everyone is on their phones so much, this has caused us as a society to be very awkward when it comes to face-to-face interactions.

We are too afraid to go up to the person we like and tell them honestly how we feel so we try to get their attention by liking their pictures.

Is this where our generation is headed?

I only wonder what it would be like when I have children and they are my age.

Let’s hope more people lose their phones so we all can wake up to the real world and get out of this trap social media has us all in.

Experience • Isabelle Ortiz

Editorial

The finale of Russiagate

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nder the cloud of speculation and anticipation, the Mueller report on the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, was finally released to the public Thursday, April 18. Upon the report’s release, Attorney General Bill Barr held a spin session under the guise of a press conference.

While the role of the Attorney General is to uphold justice and enforce the law and Constitution, Barr spun the report to the defense of Trump.

The unethical actions of Barr notwithstanding, the report is full of details surrounding the Russian influence over the 2016 election.

In particular, the report details how Trump’s campaign team met with Russian contacts to get potentially damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee.

Members of the campaign lied to investigators about these dealings, resulting in many subsequent indictments.

Some revealing tidbits from the heavily redacted report include the answer to a heavily debated topic in the legal community.

Can a sitting president be charged with a crime? Mueller’s team confirms, yes, he or she can.

According to the report: “With respect to whether the President can be found to have obstructed justice by exercising his powers under Article II of the Constitution, we concluded that Congress has the authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice.”

This ruling means the party is just getting started because, despite the report’s inconclusiveness, Congress has the authority to investigate Trump and even impeach him if applicable.

Does that mean Trump will be impeached? Not necessarily, it would require the level of high crimes or perjury to meet the legal requirement.

Additionally, with a divided Congress, that further complicates the odds of impeachment.

But it also doesn’t fully exonerate the President as he erroneously claims on social media.

The report itself and its accompanying summary is merely informational. Congress must now decide what to do with it.

So it’s no wonder that on page 290 of the report, it is revealed that Trump panicked back in 2017 at the original announcement of the investigation into his campaign: “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m fucked,” Trump said. Not exactly the words you would expect to hear from someone claiming to be innocent.

lEttEr to thE Editor

LMC Students must be informed DEAR EDITOR: The school needs more efficient ways to reach their students.

I don’t only mean about their enrolled class announcements, but also about school activities, plays, and other things that are going on campus.

I’m currently a student attending my second semester and every week I find about something new at LMC that happened on campus the previous week.

When most students log onto Canvas, they go straight to where they want to see on the app instead of stopping to read whatever flier has blocked our way on Canvas.

Most students don’t have time, especially during midterms and finals to stop and look at the bulletin boards.

It’s insufficient when student leaders take up class time to say announcements, unless

it’s at the end of class and lectures and work has been done.

It’s understandable that students may not want to keep up with school news, but students should be more involved.

The only way to do that is if the advertising of events expands.

There are exceptions for those students who are busy with being a full-time student and/or have a job.

Students should be surveyed on how they would like to see their stuff and go from there.

Student council should take it upon themselves to resolve this issue so that all students can be up to date.

While the majority of us may only be here to receive an education, we should be informed of what the school has to offer than simply classes in a more efficient way.

— Aria Mallorca

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

Why do politicians doubt climate change?

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

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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

“They’re ignorant.

Everything’s changing, the world is changing. Look at the disasters of today.”

— David Holmes

“I think I’d like to see politicians be a little more informed, because we have evidence the world is changing.”

— Earl Almazar

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

“I believe they don’t think it’s realistic because they’re part of the problem.”

— Esperanza Rojas

“I kinda find it dumb because it’s evident that we’re screwing mother Earth.

And she’s pretty mad at us.”

— Marlyce Maxwell

“I feel climate change is really hard to fix so they push and ignore the issue.”

— Sierra Able

“I believe they don’t want to believe it.

People are scared to try new things.”

— Yanjuan Wu

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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Big band draws crowd

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“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”

— Bruce Lee

Newswatch Earth day celebration

Student Life is holding an Earth Day celebration April 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Outdoor Quad.

There will be local green organizations, nature preserve plant sales, live animals, an many more. For more information contact Student Life at studentlife@losmedanos. edu or call (925) 473-7554.

‘Lake Lovers’ 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.

Positions at EBMUD

Experience • Hazel Recinos

A World War II veteran and his Martinez V.A. therapist dance to the live performance Wednesday evening at LMC.

Vets dance to the tunes of yesteryear

By KIRSTEN HAUN Staff writer

Lively music filled the air as the Heritage Jazz Band kicked off the night playing tunes that swayed people to the dance floor Wednesday, April 17. The event was called the Big Band Dance Party and it was held from 6-9 p.m. to commemorate the third year since establishing the Veterans Resource Center at Los Medanos College.

For the United Service Organization theme, the Recital Hall was decorated with red white and blue stars and stripes accompanied by posters of iconic fliers from the World War II era.

LMC President Bob Kratochvil described the event as “a remarkable event [that was] well planned by faculty and staff.”

There was, however, a parking snafu at the beginning when some

visitors were ticketed by campus police.

“There was a miscommunication between the music department and campus security about parking,” said event volunteer Jenna Rodriguez. “[Parking enforcement] weren’t notified about the free parking.”

Rodriguez dealt with the matter promptly.

One of the organizers of the event Frank Dorritie announced to the crowd, “If you got a ticket, bring it to me and I’ll fix it,” following with a remark of gratitude. “We are grateful for you being here.”

The rest of the event went off

without a hitch. “It was a huge success,” said Co-adviser of the Veterans Club and Resource Center Diane Ferguson. “I am very proud that we were able to entertain some of the area’s oldest vets,” Ferguson said.

The Martinez Veterans Affairs center brought out veterans that served in wars dating all the way back to World War II. Anthony Archimedes, a veteran himself, but also a volunteer for the Martinez VA, speaks for those that were unable to speak for themselves. “You have no idea what this does for us,” Archimedes

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.

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

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 .Publication can never be guaranteed.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

See VETS, page 5

Masterclass has an impact

By CYNTHIA VASQUEZ Staff writer

The talented voices of Los Medanos College had the opportunity to debut their classical and gospel songs in front of a live audience and get critiqued by a vocal clinician on Tuesday evening at the Choral/Vocal Masterclass Recital.

With students performing in the recital, the event also included an academic lesson on the impact of hip hop culture in the Bay Area by a special guest speaker from Sonoma State University.

The students of the master vocal class ranged from inexperienced international students transitioning to singing in english to more experienced singers like Isabella Bishop who has gained self confidence with performing.

“I used to be so nervous, but today I definitely feel like I came out of

my shell and was able to show how much I’ve grown” said Bishop, who has performed with the chamber choir for four semesters.

Overcoming self doubt is a common issue for performers, like Grayson Jolivette who admits to struggling a lot with growing into his voice.

“A lot of the things I learned in high school, in addition, to the chamber choir program and vocal classes at LMC have helped me become a better singer,” said Jolivette, who sang with the chamber chorale.

Eight soloists were put to the test and challenged on the spot to make adjustments in front of the audience when Professor Ivanna Taratula-Filipenko judged and critiqued the strengths and weaknesses of their performance. Singers like Larry Walker and Anna Horrocks flourished under the pressure and brought the best of their voices to

First-gen alumni talks education with her about taking the college path after graduating.

“I never really had anyone “Education really does open so many doors for you, I push me to go to college, it wouldn’t be here without my was always after you graduate education,” said Workforce [high school] you just work,” said Rodriguez.

Development’s Her family has new program coa long history of ordinator Melina working in the Rodriguez. trades, and back Rodriguez is in the day all you no stranger to needed was a cerWorkforce Development or tificate to get a LMC, as she has job within a parworked for Admisticular field besion and Records, cause employers Calworks and was never checked the administrato see if you had tive assistant for Melina Rodriguez a highschool or Workforce Develcollege diploma. opment a few years ago.

After working for LMC for “March 15 marked my 11th two semesters, she began to year working here on campus,” feel strange when she would said Rodriguez. push the students to finish In 2008, a few months after college, despite never doing she graduated high school, so herself. she started to work the front “I felt like a hypocrite telling counter at Admissions and students that they can do it Records on the LMC campus. when I wasn’t even in school,” For Rodriguez, she was always said Rodriguez. taught to go from graduating She began to feel helpless high school to getting a job, so when it came to helping the that’s exactly what she did. No students and she didn’t like one ever had a conversation See WORK, page 5

By BREANNA CRAWFORD @lyniece_

the excited audience.

A few speakers like Taratula-Filipenko entertained the crowd with her own flirtatious performance, while Dr. Amanda Morrison from Sonoma State lectured the audience about rap activism and consciousness in the community affecting culture generations later.

“We have something special in the Bay Area,” said Morrison, regarding the music from the Bay Area’s impact.

The program was conducted by Professor Silvester Henderson, LMC Direct of Choral/Vocal Activities whose passion for talented singers is evident through the work he’s put in to help the singers grow.

The material chosen by Henderson went through a selection process that satisfied the conditions of what the Experience • Cynthia Vasquez he considered to be the “trinity of vocal singing,” meaning the songs Tenor singer Richard Hayes performs his solo toward the end See VOCAL, page 5

of the Masterclass Recital.

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“Don’t be nice to me because I got a haircut.”

— P-LO

‘Pechakucha’ event shares insight Speed matters in attendees’ presentations

By SIERRA SWEDBERG Staff Writer

Attendees at the PechaKucha 20 x 20 event, hosted by the Los Medanos College Honors Club knows it was a fun and interesting way to listen and watch speeches.

Pechakucha means to chit chat, a perfectly fitting name for the packed event as attendees got to watch presentors publicly speak about anything while keeping pace with their prepared and timed slides—20 slides showing for 20 seconds each.

Students and faculty from around CCCCD told a variety of stories ranging from the topic of curiosity to living in the jungles of South America.

Energy flowed through the room as the audience was intrigued with the wide variety of interpreting topics and asked engaging questions.

“I truly enjoyed the event,” said LMC speech professor Star Steers. “It was wonderful to have a chance to hear about my colleagues’ passion projects and unique life experiences.”

Chance Nelson was the man behind the curtains who put the event together. He was inspired to organize it from his girlfriend’s experience in grad school and her job as an architect because they use this type of fastpaced detailed speeches in meetings.

“It seemed really interesting, like a fun way to do something was not as stuffy and formal as like a TED talk, but approachable for everybody,” said Nelson.

LMC student Lorenzo Navales took this opportunity to talk about his passion for movies.

“Guilty pleasure movies are like ChickFil-A,” laughs Navales. “You know it’s bad

Experience • Marc Lopez

Biology professor Parisa Roghani (left) demonstrates osteopathology on LMC student Luwanda Jordan. but it’s so good.”

According to Navales, his love for movies started because he used them as an escapism tool on a bad day, which led him to developing an analytical eye. As he analyzed movies that were good and bad, his eyes opened to a different perspective in life.

“If you find the silver lining in movies, you can in life,” said Navales.

More personal life skills were shared by LMC biology professor Briana McCarthy.

McCarthy, who is passionate about teaching is also an open water swimmer and uses this

REVIEW CREW

Experience • Marc Lopez

In-N-Out’s secret menu

Summary: The not-so-secret menu at In-N-Out to some may be considered as an urban myth but the California-grown fast food restaurant believes it’s just plain excellent customer service. The not-so-secret menu has a variety of wacky items for customers to induldge their taste buds.

See SPEAK, page 5

HHH

HHHH

Spencer says: Neopolitan wins

Lilly says: Less burger, more flavor

Marc says: Heartburn sucks

In-N-Out’s not-so-secret secret neapolitan milkshake is a treat worth tasting.

This shake blends together InN-Out’s three milkshake offerings — vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry — into one, making for a frosty fusion of varied flavors.

Being able to sip on the three flavors at once gave my taste buds an interesting ride, avoiding the usual pitfall of taste fatigue that comes when slurping on the same flavor for minutes at a time.

While the shake is made from fast-food-grade soft serve, this is where it plays to its strengths; it turns your average ice cream into an easily drinkable, affordable form.

No less, a cool dessert hits the right spot the warming weather.

The neapolitan will be my go-to choice the next time I crave an oldschool milkshake.

There’s nothing revolutionary about In-N-Out’s secret “grilled cheese.”

It’s basically a cheeseburger minus the burger, making for a rather bland vegetarian option.

You shouldn’t be going to In-N-Out for vegetarian options anyway, but that’s neither here nor there. I was expecting for the grilled cheese to be boring without the burger patty, but I found out that it’s actually the opposite.

All of the flavor you think you’re getting from the burger pattie you are actually get from the slightly charred bun, cheese and sauce.

Basically, if you wanted to have a meatless day, a burger, but were also too lazy to make a grilled cheese at home then In-N-Out’s secret grilled cheese is the order for you.

I’m giving this three stars, just because it’s nothing special.

Taming the beast known as the “4x4” wasn’t the most ideal situation for me.

To add more insult to injury, I added the hot peppers inside of my burger.

Adding the peppers to my burger will now be a part of my regular orders at In-N-Out, however eating the 4x4 will probably be a once-ina-blue-moon occurrence.

Those eating that large of a burger should come with no expectations other than you eating a ton of meat and a ton of cheese.

You do end up getting a good hearty taste of the four burgers and let me tell you it’s not pleasant.

The peppers weren’t as overpowering as I had expected, leaving the glorious taste of a classic In-N-Out burger intact.

I walked away with a happy belly, and also a little heartburn.

— Spencer Batute

—Lilly Montero

—Marc Lopez

CHARGE UP YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

By DANTE HARROLD Staff writer

REVIEW

DVC German Professor Peter Woods. He’s lived in Suriname, South America with bug-eating geckos, vibrant flowers and the poisonous bushmaster snake.

Woods spoke of how one night he went to grab a pee bucket, accidentally squeezing a coiled-up bushmaster snake sleeping on the edge of it. After encountering it, he ran to grab his machete to comply with the village rules and cut the “only snake that will chase people.”

While some may not have been stung by a jellyfish or encountered a snake that will chase

HHHH

‘Punch’ is hard hitting The first episode of the much-anticipated second season of “One Punch Man” does not disappoint in most regards by starting off with a strong punch.

The episode has an interesting premise. Series protagonist Saitama meets up with a man named King, someone believed to be the world’s most powerful hero.

The irony is Saitama’s power is underestimated by the general public. Saitama has the power to end any bad guy that crosses his path with one single punch.

hobby for fun and stress relief.

“I think of open water as my playground, sanctuary and therapy.” chuckled McCarthy.

“Therapy because you can cry in your goggles and no one will know.”

Besides adding a few tears to the ocean, McCarthy told the audience about her experiences swimming in Asia and Europe, including crossing the English Channel. She added that among her supporters were whales and manatees and even some jellyfish that cheered her on with some stings.

Just as McCarthy ran into animals, so did

Photo courtesy of Viz Media

Garou and Saitama on the poster of One Punch Man. In the general public’s eye, he is a non-existent hero while King gets all the fame.

The comedy featur ed throughout the episode is stellar. The extremely nonchalant nature of Saitama, even in the face of seemingly life-threatening situations, is displayed once again, and fans will likely rejoice at his reappearing characterization.

When Saitama comes across the foil character King, the dynamics between to the two escalate to a boiling point of laughter ultimately leading to the discovery King’s true colors.

The action scenes are also enter taining, with most of them featuring Genos, Saitama’s apprentice, taking on the See PUNCH, page 5

Grant Larson inspires students

By DANTE HARROLD Staff writer

The Los Medanos College Honors Program and Music Department jointly sponsored An Evening With Grant Larson, a renowned jazz musician, in a well-attended concert Tuesday night in the campus Recital Hall.

Music professor Luis Zuniga asked long-time friend Dr. Grant Larson to perform at LMC in hopes that it would inspire students. For his part, Larson said, “The main thing I hope they get is to enjoy their time here.”

And enjoy it, they did.

Although many of the audience members

were music students attending the concert for a class assignment, the general reaction to the program was positive, with most showing interest in the music and cheering upon each song’s completion.

“It was phenomenal,” said music student Richard Hayes, who explained that while he was there for a class assignment he would have attended the performance anyway. Hayes was not alone in that sentiment.

“I thought it was great,” added sophomore Marinelli Tellez.

Philosophy professor Edward Haven, who See JAZZ, page 5

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LMCAS TRACK From page 1

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KING

inform the student electorate and keep them engaged.

“I want to take their voices to the next level,” said Ortiz.

His nomination to the role was by a fellow student senator, Jessica Wilson, due to his active participation in LMCAS. “It was uplifting to see that I was nominated,” said Ortiz who is a first-time senator.

Shagoofa Khan, who is also running for Vice President, puts a high priority on advocating on behalf of LMC students. Some of her goals will be to decrease the cost of college for students and hold the school district accountable. She believes the power of change lies with the student body.

“Without the students of LMC, nothing can be changed,” said Khan.

Deborah Tatmon, a first year student, is running for Commissioner of Publicity and Outreach. The of fice advertises different events on campus via Insite, Instagram and other social media channels. Tatmon is also a part of the sustainability committee, which is formed to impact change on campus in terms of environmental and other quality of life issues. Tatmon is running against fellow senator Chisom Iwunze, who Tatmon acknowledges a good working relationship.

“It’s more than competing, but more like helping each other out,” said Tatmon.

For more information on the candidates and LMCAS, visit the Student Life building located across from the Child Study Center or online at www. losmedanos.edu/studentlife.

To place your vote for your candidate of choice, go to www.losmedanos.edu.

running has the ability to alter an individual’s mood because endorphins are released as we run.

For as long as I can remember I’ve been running track.

It’s a part of me because I’ve been involved for so long. It’s the only sport I’ve done and I can say that throughout the years it’s kept me in the best shape. There are several other things I’ve noticed that has also benefited me. I began to notice a difference in my skin and how it cleared up naturally.

I also noticed that my appetite became much more active before and after workouts.

The sudden change in muscle growth from just running was amazing, but most importantly my bones and muscles were getting a lot stronger just from running.

When I attended American River College, I was given a chance to participate in both a track and field program that let you compete against other schools, and a track class that all ARC students were able to enroll in. The most beneficial aspect to the track class was that it let you learn about the sport while at the same time giving you the chance to participate in track workouts. The class would be in the fall so that by spring student athletes could execute that knowledge on what they learned in the track class. Of course, students don’t have to compete in the spring but after doing the workouts in the fall it’s almost impossible to resist.

LMC could easily have a track and field program. It will, however, take time, money, and a combined effort on the part of many people. Students needto put their health first and realize that one of the best ways to become healthier is to start with the most natural way to do so.

Funding for programs like these could come from fundraisers, outreaches through other community colleges that have the same program implemented, and free local school sessions that inform the facts about the spor t.

If arrangements like these can be implemented, we will surely see a decrease in health problems leading to a healthier life risk free.

arship through friends who had received it in the past. His parents immigrated from El Salvador and took whatever jobs they could to stay afloat.

Sevillano majors in Mechanical Engineering, and is pursuing a career in aerospace or defense systems.

Through the mock interviews provided by LMC faculty, he felt confident by the time he faced the Kennedy-King inter viewers. The schools Sevillano plans on attending are UC Davis or San Francisco State University, issuing a reassuring sentiment to those having difficulty achieving a higher education.

“I believe with the right mindset, careful budgeting and planning, and taking advantage of ever y opportunity such as this scholarship, anyone can make going into higher education possible,” said Sevillano. “The Kennedy-King scholarship has allowed me to look further into my future education with less of a financial burden.”

Celeste Morales is a first-generation college who will be attending Cal State East Bay in the fall. She saw the 20 minute interview as an opportunity to further her academic journey as a Recreational Youth Development major.

Morales is an associate of the City of Antioch’s Recreation Department and intends to guide her community in the future.

As a first-generation scholar, she was forced to learn the minutiae of a collegiate setting with little guidance. Through the experience, she’s grown to meet the expectations in order to reach her objective.

“My goal is to provide programs and opportunities to those of low-income, minority and [those] with disabilities,” said Morales.

Scholar Azi Carter has not let tragic events in the past af fect her academic feats completing an AA in Theater Acting, Communications and Journalism and Liberal Arts Degree in Humanities and Arts.

She endured alcohol and drug addiction, childhood molestation and domestic abuse viewing those experiences as tools in her journey to help women and people of color in the recovery community.

Carter is a first-generation college student, coming from a family where her grandparents were sharecroppers and a mother who was a domestic worker and picked cotton. Carter’s experience with her mother’s illiteracy, made her realize the value in higher education. Carter now majors in Media Studies at the University of California Berkeley that is made possible through the Kennedy-King Scholarship Fund.

Carter has been a proactive member of society inside and outside the classroom, visiting jails and institutions to convey the message of hope. She now has grandchildren in college, indicative of her lasting impact on her family.

“Journalism and Communications are my passion, loving to write and report, being a voice in the community as an agent for social change and restorative justice,” said Carter.

The Kennedy-King Foundation Scholarship Fund has been a great to many aid disadvantaged students.

The scholarship will again be available next spring.

JAZZ From page 4

From page 1

Experience • A.R. Broom

An outside look at the newly placed lactation room in the College Complex.

POD From page 1

Implementation took some time to get off the ground.

“The decision to provide this lactation room was made a few months ago,” said Buildings and Grounds manager Russ Holt. “Building, shipping and assembly time have led up to it being installed over the spring break.”

Though the current pod is the only one on campus, plans are in the works to provide a mother’s room in the new Student Union Building as well as the new Brentwood Center, said Holt.

They are also looking for a more convenient location for the current pod.

“It will remain in its current location until a place where it can better serve those who need it is identified,” Holt continued.

The lactation room, which has been needed across campus for some time got its start

team teaches a class on the philosophy of music with Zuniga, said he hoped “students see what real improvisation From page 3 looks like, improv jazz,” adding, “it’s kind of an enjoyable that feeling at all. experience.”

“After being there for two Larson gave an improv persemesters I finally decided formance on saxophone with to try and take a class,” said bassist Aaron Shaul, drummer Rodriguez.

Juan Carreon, and trumpeter Rodriguez is a first generSteve Ernest. He also shared ation college student in her with the audience that he and family — a huge deal to her. his improv team got together “My mom and father didn’t only once, an hour before even graduate high school, so the show, to practice for the From page 1 this was a huge step,” she said. evening’s concert.

Taking a class for the first explicit, gambling-related, Throughout the show Larson time was scary, for the simor that subscribe to hate explained why he selected the songs to perform: respect for propaganda, are prohibited. ple fact that she was doing the artists who composed the Finally knowingly or carelessly something she’d never even jazz he loves, as well as the introducing any invasive or considered.

“When it finally hit me that I importance of jazz musicians destructive programs (i.e. was a college student, that was viruses, worms, Trojan Horswho are innovative at their big for me,” said Rodriguez. es) into District computers or craft, giving a new musical She wanted to make sure networks is prohibited. interpretations to old songs.

If you would like to continue that she star ted with only Among the songs featured were classics such as “I’m to the site click on ‘continue’ taking one class to get the feel an Old Cowhand” by Johnny other wise close your web of a college class, so Rodriguez Mercer and “Strange Meeting” browser. Should you continue, took a math class and passed with flying colors. the access will be logged.”

by Bill Frisell.

Faculty who advocated for The musicians who performed were just as pleased as a removal of the blocks, are the audience with the outcome satisfied with the continued access this compromise allows. of the concert.

“I think the district worked From page 4 Shaul expressed surprise really hard with faculty and villains. The animation during at the turnout, explaining the staff to come up with a solution the fight scenes are clean and concerts he usually performs that they hope will keep our impressive and there is not a have many fewer attendees. network safe and yet allow noticeable difference between “It was way bigger than I the changing of animators from expected,” he said. ”I think it students, faculty the access season one of “One Punch they need in a learning enviwent well.”

Man” to season two. ronment and for the freedom Larson said he was satisfied Together, the action and to explore ideas,” said Graphic with the audience turnout and comedy blends perfectly and Arts Professor Curtis Corlew. their reaction to his music, Academic freedom and the the action never gets serious and looks forward to another ability to research contro- enough to where it detracts concert at LMC in the future, versial topics was a sticking from the comedy but still “If they ask me back.” point faculty, though some keeps the viewer engaged. still worry about the potential The monsters are drawn to effect the message will have on a disproportionate image to students’ researching habits. give the idea that they are From page 4 “I hope that students don’t extremely power ful while you, all the speeches provided assume that they will get in Saitama’s nonchalant, bland a side most attendees wouldn’t trouble for researching cer- personality counteracts the know about the presenters. tain topics,” said Brentwood powerful imagery.

“My favorite part was that Librarian Roseanne Erwin.

I was left thinking about the “It’s still really impor tant presentations even after I’d that users continue to give left the event,” said Steers. us feedback as to whether the “I’m still sitting here thinking warning message is affecting From page 3 about some of the points and their research process on Events like the Big Band ideas presented.” campus.”

Dance Party gives veterans While website access will something to talk about and continue to be logged, stu- provides more than just giving dents can be sure that their them the basic needs to live, privacy will be protected as according to Archimedes. It the system logs IP addresses ultimately enhances the quality and not their information of their life. explicitly. For now, the new The veterans watched from system is being monitored the front row at reserved tables and will be re-evaluated in as the many events the night upcoming months, according held unfolded. to Mehdizadeh.

Beginning with music from

WORK

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during an open forum during campus Associated Students meetings.

LMCAS then represented that need and led a large portion of the push for that room through the proper channels along with folks from other areas of the campus.

LMCAS President Priscilla Tatmon has been advocating for a lactation room even before she became LMCAS President.

“When I was a senator in LMCAS, a student mother came up to me and asked if there was any place on campus to breastfeed her baby.

I had no clue whatsoever,” said Tatmon.

As Tatmon investigated the situation after hearing there was one in the Nursing Department, she saw that there was still a need for more convenient and accessible locations.

“The lactation room is available for nursing students

during class time on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays,” said Nursing Instructor Joanne Bent. “Unfortunately, the nursing lab is locked and unavailable for students on Thursdays, Fridays and weekends.”

Tatmon then sought out help from LMC President Bob Kratochvil, who was eager to work with her.

Tatmon stayed in touch with Kratochvil during the progress of the room and the challenges that arose while implementing the plans. “[Kratochvil] stayed persistent and now, only a couple of months later, there is an able room for mothers to have the privacy they deserve,” said Tatmon.

While the Mamava Pod is not currently ready for use, future access to the suite will be provided through an app known as Mamava which is available on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores.

“My head was huge after I passed my first college class.

I was so excited to officially be a college student,” she said.

From then on she continued to take and pass all of her classes and eventually graduated from LMC. During the time she was taking her classes before she graduated, she began encouraging her older sister who was a single mother at the time to take classes with her. She chased after her sister for three years until something seemed to change at Rodriguez’s own graduation ceremony.

“It wasn’t until I graduated from LMC that it finally hit her, the whole vibe and atmosphere of the graduation got to her,” said Rodriguez.

After the ceremony her sister told her that she wanted to take the big step and pursue her education.

“I was like, ‘What? No way. I have been chasing you for three whole years,’” said Rodriguez After her sister started going to school, Rodriguez started a trend in her family.

“I went to college and graduated, and it was kind of a domino effect after because knowing that I did it and paved the way, everyone felt like they could do it too,” said Rodriguez Her two sisters, aunt and multiple cousins started going to college and graduating, which was impactful for the first-generation college student. Each graduation was something to be proud of as she watched her family members pursue their dreams and do so successfully.

“When you do things like take on new opportunities or challenges, you do them for yourself, not for ever yone else,” said Rodriguez.

Seeing Saitama just walk up to these humongous monsters always gives a good laugh.

There is an interesting subplot that hints about a possible crisis Earth will face that might need Saitama’s attention later in the series, as well as the introduction of a potential adversary for Saitama to vanquish. The introduction of the adversary seems like it will build throughout the rest of the season and could reach an anti-climatic end most likely ending in just one punch.

There is also foreshadowing of Saitama possibly having conflicts with other heroes threatened by him. A faction of hero’s want to recruit him

and they won’t take no for an answer. Knowing how Saitama usually does stuff on his own, it will be interesting to see how this storyline plays out.

The most disappointing part of the episode is its lack of an opening song. The first season’s opening was heavily favored by many fans of the series, so it may come as an extreme disappointment to many to experience it without an opening.

The first episode truly succeeds in being something that will get the public excited for the rest of season two. You can watch the new subbed version season of “One Punch Man” exclusively on Hulu.

VOCAL

“I actually really wanted it now that the weather is nice,” Tompkinson said.

Even though Tompkinson had been putting it together for 6 months he still wasn’t super confident in his G.I. Joe costume’s ability to win.

“Everyone had a wonderful time,” Ferguson said. “I’m very proud that we were able to entertain some of the areas oldest vets.”

had to highlight a vocalist’s energy and intellectual application, support their diaphramic area, and provide tone that travels through the vocal cavity.

The warm energy and enthusiasm from the audience at any given moment had a positive impact on the singers whose nerves seemed to disappear once on stage.

Those who attended, including experts that sung in the event, heard a variety of lovely sounds from a group of diverse individuals and enjoyed a masterful evening of music.

VETS

Heritage Jazz Band, the dance floor filled with over 50 people for a swing dance lesson followed by the Golden Gate Radio Orchestra providing upbeat tempos for the dance and costume competition.

Big prizes were awarded to the winners who put in noticeable effort. Joe Tompkinson won first place prize of a patio set donated by the Home Depot for the costume contest.

From page 3

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6

“Life doesn’t give you all the practice races you need.”

— Jesse Owens

Left: Jesus Hernandez hit a double to drive in Josiah Peterson from third base to open the score in LMC’s 5-4 win over Yuba College.

Below: Dominic Arias throws a pitch as the Yuba dugout watches on.

Experience • Anthony Martinez

BVC title is within grasp of Mustangs

By HUGO CALDERON @Hugothegreat09

All Justin Roper could do was watch his team lose the lead but in the bottom of the eighth inning, before he heard his name called to the on deck circle.

And he made his only at-bat of the game count.

LMC (14-5) baseball found themselves down 4-1 in the eighth after a big four run inning by Yuba College (9-10) but ended the game winning 5-4.

Roper came on to pinch-hit for Zach Ellsworth in the eighth and his single was enough to drive in Jared Hedrick from third.

“Going into a close game late is pretty nerve wrecking for a lot of people, but when the coach tells me to get ready to go in, my mindset is to find a way to get the job done,” said Roper. “I told myself to stay calm and relaxed and had all of the confidence in the world in myself to get the job done.”

Head coach Anthony D’Albora praised Ropers’ attitude for coming into a game cold and producing big, something he did against Solano College where he hit a triple to drive in a run in the eighth after watching the game from the dugout.

“I give that guy so much credit [Roper] because he’s had a couple of those opportunities where he’s not in the starting line up, but he stays ready all day,” said D’Albora.

The Mustangs didn’t stop the runs there, Neko Caspsaliaris’ single was enough to bring Roper home. Following an error from the right fielder, Vince Lontz was awarded home. Lontz’s run was enough to lift them above Yuba by one with the inning ending 5-4.

“Coach D fights really hard for us to make sure the umprires make the right decision. So I had a feeling I was going to be sent home.” said Lontz “We’ve had pressure these last eight, nine, ten games and we’ve handled it well we

lost one to Marin last week but besides that we’ve been on a roll.

Poir to the seventh, Dominic Arias only allowed one hit the whole game, no runs, and retired eight batters on the mound. Scott Meyland came in for Arias in the seventh, which included two pitching changes, Arias gave up two hits and the 49ers put up two runs which were based on errors.

“Through the first six innings I felt great.

My body felt great, coming into this game my arm felt alive,” said Arias “Watching the seventh inning, we have a lot to work on as pitchers. Working on coming out of the bullpen and going right at hitters, not going at people, going right in the zone.”

Yuba took the seventh by the horns. Keith Walker doubled to drive in Dareon Thompson and Tre Pankratz to add on to the two runs that were already put up.

“We just have to be ready to take more quality

Watkins makes All Star game

Shawn Simms GUEST COLUMN

Sophomore scores 19 points

Track should be at LMC LMC does not have a track and field program — and it should.

Not only is running the most natural way to stay in shape, track and field is important for your health. According to Health Fitness revolution there are several outcomes that are sure to benefit you from participating in the sport.

The first: it builds healthy habits.

It wouldn’t be the best idea to eat unhealthily and then begin a run.

Coaches encourage athletes to eat properly before and after races. You perform and feel better when you have the proper nutrition during training, not to mention a healthy diet allows you to perform better so when running track, you tend to make healthier food choices Secondly, running improves your cardiovascular fitness which, to your benefit, decreases your risk of stroke and heart attacks while at the same time burning fat and increasing muscle tone.

Track and Field also has many life and psychological benefits as well that will help you. For instance, in track you will learn commitment, dedication, and discipline, some of the hardest virtues to learn. For most men and women, the importance of aging beautifully is at an all-time high.

Track actually helps to slow down aging because as we run, we condition our bones and muscles to remain strong and not easily weaken. This explains why people who run regularly are less likely to experience bone and muscle loss as they age. Psychologically, See TRACK, page 5

at bats early in the game,” said D’Albora “We scored a run and took the lead but we’re the type of team that usually one [run] becomes two, three, four.”

Despite the win, the Mustangs still came up agaisnt something that has haunted the team all season— come from behind. Although this may seem like a negative to most people, it has instilled a belief that no matter the score there is always a chance to put themlselves back in the game according to D’Albora.

Following this victory for the Mustangs, the team secured a seed in the Bay Valley Conference playoffs.

The second game of the series against Yuba will take place April 18 away for the Mustangs.

Last season, the Mustangs lost its BVC play in game against Traft College but lost 11-3.

With a win against Yuba they can clinch the BVC title and a chance at hosting a regional playoff game.

By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano

Experience • Kelly Williams

Raazhel Watkins will further his basketball career at CSU, Sacramento.

When Raazhel Watkins decided he was going to attend Los Medanos College to continue his basketball career, it was to get one last shot at making it big.

Much like on the hardwood, Watkins stepped back, took that shot and hit nothing but net.

Watkins came to LMC with high praise, especially considering the fact the Diablo Valley College is across the street from his house. The six-foot one-inch basketball player won the Diablo Valley Athletic League MVP award during his tenure at College Park High School.

“My choice for JuCo was all basketball oriented. I liked the style at LMC better, it’s a fast pace and I’m in a position where I could play much better,” said Watkins.

In his sophomore year he posted up a conference leading 21.3 points per game, with the addition of a 50 percent threepoint shooting percentage.

It was enough for him to be awarded first team in the All-Bay Valley Conference, and be selected as part of the 2019 North versus South Junior College All-Star game presented by NorCalSportsTV .

Watkins was the lone representative from LMC and one of few from the Bay Valley Confer ence.

“He was one of top scorers and assist men in the

statem,” said NorCalSports commentator Chris Babcock.

“He made his LMC teammates better with his ability to score and distribute the ball.”

Watkins dominated the game for the North, finishing the night with 19 points, the highest on his team.

“Many people don’t believe you can make out it, as in getting 4 year school exposure or much success, on an LMC athletic team,” said teammate Charles Jones. “But him making it to the all star game shows that it’s all about hard work and determination.”

With all these accomplishments, it’s hard to believe that Watkins played his freshman year through an injury that required the entire offseason to recover from.

“After physical therapy and getting my body right, I felt way better,” Watkins said. “I love this game so much. It’s never going to stop.”

For Watkins, his journey has just begun.

After being recruited by schools like San Francisco State University, California State University, San Bernardino and University of North Dakota — Watkins has elected to head to the state’s capital and play for California State University, Sacramento.

“It was a clear answer from me. After going on the visit, I loved everything about it. I’m proud and excited to be part of the family,” said Watkins.