LMC Experience Vol. 96 No. 2 - April 1, 2022

‘The Batman’ is a new and exciting look at the caped crusader — Page 4

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Professor Anthony Hailey tells his story as a veteran

Artists host their work inside the LMC Sculpture Garden

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LMCAS is getting social on campus

Learning groups to host prom

Clubs and resources available

By DYLAN DAVIDSON Staff Writer

By SARINA GROSSI Editor-in-Chief

For the past two years, Student Life on campus has been rather quiet. The silence has ended however, with Los Medanos College Associated Students hosting the LMCAS Campus Social Wednesday, March 23.

The event, located in the outdoor quad at the Pittsburg campus and spanning from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., worked as a “resource day” that was open to all students. It showcased campus resources like the Center for Academic Support, Counseling and the LMC Marketplace along with learning communities such as the Honors Program. The social also highlighted active clubs on campus, including the Active Minds Club, Art Club, Rotaract Club, Games Club, Latinx Club, Kapwa Club, Women in Stem Club and Pride Alliance.

For the sponsors of the event, it took over two months to plan the campus social, which is the biggest event since campus has opened back up. LMCAS was in charge of reaching out to other campus groups,

Sarina Grossi• Experience

Jacob Boyle holds Art Club sign. organizing the event details and funding the project.

“I was really excited for [the campus social], especially because this has been an event that we haven’t done,” said Luisa Velazquez, the president of LMCAS, “and also just because we wanted to revamp Student Life.”

Stations had unique offerings, with some giving out goodie bags and general information like LMCAS and others holding activities of their own, namely the Women in Stem Club See LMCAS, page 6

Sarina Grossi • Experience

Sheena Dugao, the LMCAS treasurer, hands out free boba drinks.

After almost two years of no in-person events or events being canceled altogether, the Los Medanos College Honors Program and Student Life are hosting the 2022 Learning Communities Prom. The event will be hosted on campus and is available to students in learning communities. In just a few weeks of planning, the Honors Program has prepared a variety of activities for the event. A DJ and an open dance floor is a given for any prom event, so naturally there will be one in the main room. A game room with a variety of activities will also be open, featuring corn-hole, giant jenga, karaoke and trivia.

Plenty of food options in different varieties will be provided at the prom.

Food trucks will be in attendance, with a wide variety of selections, including Crazy Empanadas. Straw Hat Pizza will also be provided. Students will receive a $15 coupon with their ticket purchase that can be used at a food truck of their choice. Dessert options are also provided and included with the purchase of a ticket.

Professor Jen Saito, LMC Honors director, hopes that the prom can make up for lost time, “I hope that students have a fabulous time and that it very slightly See PROM, page 7

Helping with Student Wellness

Program provides mental health assistance

By SARINA GROSSI Editor-in-Chief

Sarina Grossi • Experience

It’s challenging to get through college when a student’s mental health is at stake.

Priorities can stack up one after another and it becomes difficult to navigate through those piling issues. Luckily, Los Medanos College offers a Student Wellness Program that is available to individuals in need.

Initially known as John F. Kennedy University, National

University’s Community-Based Counseling Programs teamed up with Contra Costa Community College District along with LMC in 2016 to offer wellness appointments to all students.

The Student Wellness program consists of the LMC Care Team and National University’s JFK School of Psychology counselors. “[The Student Wellness Program] offers comforting suppor t and resources to help students get back on

Sign up to show academic skills

By STEPHANIE ARREOLA Staff Writer

The Academic Competition, a school tradition that has been delayed, is back. Returning for its fifteenth annual event, LMCAS is getting ready for some friendly competition between students.

The Academic Competition is an event held at Los Medanos College to let participants compete against teams, have fun and win prizes.

Teams of 4 compiled by students will compete in the academic category of mathematics, english, physical science and social science. Winners

will receive scholarships that team mates will share, with the top team winning $1,500, second place winning $1,000 and third place winning $500.

Teresea Archaga, director of Student Life, stated that the last competition was held in 2019. They were not able to hold it for the past two years due to COVID, but since students are returning to campus, they can hold it again.

To keep the integrity of the competition, they did not want to hold it virtually as there are moving parts involved in the competition.

“We normally have 10 to 15 teams

track academically,” said LMC Administrative Assistant for Counseling and Student Support Sharonda Frazier.

With 17 full-time counselors and an additional team of part-time counselors, the LMC Care Team works with students who are experiencing a crisis. Students who are struggling with non-academic concerns can find support with the LMC Care Team who will immediately set them up with a counselor who can

help. These counselors will schedule follow up appointments to check in with students in need. The care team also offers personal development counseling which focuses on personal stressors that impact academic performance.

When it comes to academic or non-crisis problems, the 5 CBCP or Student Wellness counselors work remotely to provide students with 5 to 8 individual therapy sessions.

See MENTAL, page 7

of 4. To date, we do not have any applications, but they usually come right on the day of the deadline, April 8.”

The participants will receive a T-shirt, lunch, and snacks. They also plan to do a random opportunity drawings during the event.

The event is taking place April 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with regular breaks between rounds and a closing ceremony to honor students.

If you are interested in entering, apply with a team of 4 by April 8 at Cathie Lawrence • Experience archives 4 p.m. to the Office of Student Life.

For the application, visit the Student Jose Hernandez, Angelica Guzman, Adonai Salgado and Samantha Romero-Bothi competed in the Academic Competition in 2014.

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Sarina Grossi

Kai Arellano

SARINA’S VIEW

MY TWO CENTS

Bill could harm LGBTQ+ youth

The Parental Rights in Education Bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by the public, passed the Florida Senate on March 8 and is being prepared for Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign into law. The bill bans any conversations in kindergarten through third grade classes on sexual orientation and gender identity or according to the bill “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” If the bill is signed, it will go into effect July 1 of this year.

This bill becoming law is petrifying for LGBTQ+ youth and their parents.

Florida Rep. Joe Harding, a supporter of the bill, claims that the bill stops schools from enforcing ideologies and that “Families are families. Let the families be families.

The school district doesn’t need to insert themselves at that point when children are still learning how to read and do basic math.”

It’s understandable that parents might want to teach their children about gender and sexuality. I can believe that some teachers and schools might push certain ideals onto children that parents disagree with. However, most parents either subconsciously or consciously do teach children ideas of surrounding gender and sexuality.

We dress little boys in clothes that have phrases like “chick magnet” or ask little girls if they have boyfriends. Mayo Clinic states that “children typically develop the ability to recognize and label stereotypical gender groups, such as girl, woman and feminine, and boy, man and masculine. Most also categorize their own gender by age 3 years.”

These concepts are considered normal.

Why is it any different to teach children about queer identities? This bill seems to target one side of the spectrum, particularly those that are marginalized.

It might be hard to believe, but homophobia and transphobia are real. For many LGBTQ+ youth, they live in households that don’t accept their identity and they are in need of an outlet. If school can’t provide a safe place for them to discuss their identity, who can students talk to?

LGBTQ+ youth are particularly at risk for mental health crisises and suicide. The Trevor Project estimates that at least one person between the ages of 13 and 24 with a queer identity attempts suicide every 45 seconds. Isolating kids doesn’t help them and only makes them feel unsafe. This bill makes kids (along with some children’s parents) stigmas and taboos in their own environment.

Since the bill targets elementary students, it feels like politicians want children to be ignorant to the world around them. Things that aren’t allowed to be talked about become “shameful,” indicating that lawmakers want anyone associated with LGBTQ+ identities to be ashamed.

For argument’s sake, imagine if you were never taught about the color red. Being exposed to such a bright color with no context of it before might feel jarring to kids, and though some might like the color immediately, others might be hateful towards the color because they are not used to it.

The same could be said for LGBTQ+ identities, as ignorance can breed hate, making children unable to interact with any group. If we want to cultivate a supportive and respectful environment, children should learn about different identities early on so they aren’t blindsided.

Queer identities aren’t rare, as according to a Gallup poll, 5.6% of the U.S. adult population identifying as LGBTQ+. And it isn’t like they have been hiding throughout history and are popping up suddenly. Remember, we have only made this progress in a short period of time; only about 7 years ago, gay marriage was legalized.

This bill is a step backwards for becoming an accepting society.

Harassment is not awareness online

Kai Arellano • Experience

Letters to the Editor

LMC needs African American classes DEAR EDITOR: More classes should be available about African American history and literature. African American Literature is important because it tells a story through different perspectives about the trials and tribulations of black people in our country’s past. As the minority, it is possible for our history to get watered down or changed by people who might be ashamed of what happened, so African American Literature provides a reliable and credible source to know what was actually going on during these times from people who experience it firsthand.

If you are a student going into African American Literature, the best way to get prepared to is come into the class with an open mind and be empathetic to these authors’ stories because some of them were coming from a time of darkness when their voices weren’t allowed to be expressed fully by society. You also need to have an interest in black history in America and as a black man in this country, I am curious to know how people who looked like me handled living in this country in the past.

I learned a lot from my African American Literature class at LMC, especially the fact that some people aren’t even aware of how tense the racial climate is due to the environment that they were raised in. What I mean is that people who are perceived as racist by others around them couldn’t help the fact that they are just a product and spitting image of the

Editor-in-Chief .......................SARINA GROSSI Managing Editor .................DYLAN DAVIDSON Perspectives Editor ................KAI ARELLANO Campus Editor .............STEPHANIE ARREOLA Features Editor ..............MICHAEL BENEDIAN Arts & Culture Editor ........JOSEPH GIDDINGS Sports Editor .........................TREY HINCKLEY

Voices — Breanna Gomez

— Kenneth Umozurike

Time to make a global change

DEAR EDITOR: Global warming is real. Higher temperatures, unhealthy air particles, increase in wildlife extinction rates, acidic oceans and higher sea levels are happening due to climate change.

I am sad there have only been conversations about climate change and no progress has been made to prevent it. The consequences are unfolding before us, so it is impossible people are still unaware of this crisis.

California has wildfires annually and it’s becoming the new norm. Less rain is falling; our water supply is almost nonexistent. Forests aren’t being tended to. Global warming will begin to affect everyone; not one human or animal on this planet will be excluded. We’re all at fault. Let’s buckle down and create a plan to try and mend this issue.

Being aware is only the first step. Putting a plan into place is the step we’ve been avoiding for far too long. It’s time to come together to make a change to protect our home called Earth!

— Jada Holmes

Experience Policies

Experience Staff

“I don’t really have an answer.”

environment they come from. I understand that doesn’t excuse hateful behavior but maybe if they were exposed to more positive influences that could have made them grow up thinking differently.

“You’d think we wouldn’t repeat history.”

— Chelsea Remero

The LMC Experience is published by students in the Journalism Program. It serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, email submissions to LosMedanos.Experience@ gmail.com. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the authors, and do not represent the views of the college.

In a drastic power grab, Russia suddenly invaded Ukraine Feb. 23. A lot of people think that this is the beginning of World War 3.

With this being one of the biggest events that’s going on in the world, I understand that a lot of people want to spread the news as much as possible.

Spreading information is important and can be well-spirited because it raises awareness and it hopefully brings people in the loop of what’s going on. However, there can be a limit to spreading the news and when forcing others to speak, it all becomes a sort of harassment.

As we see now, almost everyone in the world knows what Ukraine is going through as a national crisis. It’s everywhere on social media and many news stations talk about it everyday. So in turn, people ease up and stop talking about it, but many people don’t want that to be the case.

People on social media post whatever they want, whenever they want. Individuals that post all the time have followers that will constantly comment or reply on posts with what they think they should keep talking about. It then goes into the DM’s of those people and harasses them even more. This is a form of cyber bullying.

Lamar Jackson, a quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, has a twitter where he usually just posts whatever he wants for fun. Everything that he talks about isn’t necessarily important to the world, but you would hope that he would know that Ukraine is going through a war with Russia.

In a recent tweet Jackson was making fun of the upcoming emojis that Apple will be releasing.

Even though there were a lot of positive replies on twitter, there were people confronting him and asking why he isn’t talking about Ukraine. People would reply with negative comments that wouldn’t even be about Ukraine, but to just make fun of Jackson and then put why he should talk about Ukraine.There were even comments that would insult his level of education.

It all just became a weird pool of comments that seemed hateful. It may not have affected him because of how big of a football star he is, but if this were a random person on the internet, then this would make them feel bullied.

People have to understand that just because someone isn’t posting about it, doesn’t mean that they don’t care about it.

Social media users need to understand that people are starting to be more aware nowadays and get information just as fast.

There’s no need to force those who don’t feel like speaking to comment on issues.

How do you feel about what the Ukrainians are facing?

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“They [Ukrainians] are stuck in the crossfire.”

— Frank Kurtz

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“I haven’t really been following up with the Ukrainian War.” — Jacob Fucci

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“I dont know why Russia is doing what they are doing.”

— Jordan Derher

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“It’s hurtful that they have to go through such circumstances.”

— Nico Torres

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“You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light.”

— Edward Abbey

New hours for academic assistance Saturdays now available for help

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

Do you have trouble when it comes to writing? Maybe you need some assistance with scholarship applications and personal statements. The Center for Academic Support, located on the third floor of the College Complex Building at Los Medanos College, is available to help with any of these issues, and they are now offering new times to provide assistance to a wide array of students.

“The Center for Academic Support was concerned that students who needed assistance outside of ‘normal’ working hours and early evenings might be in need of assistance,” said Richard Stanfield, a program assistant for the Center for Academic Support. “Thus, with an eye towards equity, we have expanded access to our Reading & Writing services.”

Students can make appointments up to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays, up to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and now from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. These appointments are conducted through Zoom, however the Center for Academic Support also provides some consultations in person on Tuesday, Wednesday and

First in the family

Thursdays.

Before students can use these services, they are required to enroll in the supervised tutoring course SPTUT 020. This course is free, has no credit and no requirements and students only have to enroll once per semester on their first visit to the Center for Academic Support. Once signed up, students will be provided links to either live online consultations or email consultations.

With the live online consultation, students can make a 25 minute face-to-face appointment via Zoom. Students can receive feedback on their papers through email consultations. Although they try to provide feedback within 24 hours on Mondays through Friday, students should allow a minimum of 48 business hours for feedback.

These Reading and Writing appointments are done with actual English faculty members as of this time. English professor Dabney Lyons is one of the professors who are giving guidance to students who take part in these consultations.

“I think the new hours are great!” said Lyons. “ Having availability later in the evening once or twice a week and hav-

Michael Benedian • Experience

Vivian Diaz, Eddy Cardonza and Donelle Minister studying and doing school work in the center. ing Saturdays available means that we›re able to help more students.”

Lyons also said how rewarding it is to be able to work with students who wouldn’t be able

we can speak in real time,” she said.

These ser vices are free of charge, giving students opportunities to benefit their education. If you are interested

in more information, visit the Center for Academic Support page. The staff and tutors are more than happy to help you with whatever questions or concerns you have.

she is enthusiastic to provide these ser vices to students again. “We are so excited to bring back a lot of the campus activities we haven’t been able to hold for the past two years,” Anicetti said.

One of the activities Transfer and Career Services has

planned this semester is free college trips. LMC students will be able to visit UC Berkeley, Holy Names University, CSU East Bay, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz.

When attending a university tour, students can expect an

Career and Transfer Services Center welcomes back students

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Staff Writer

An inside look at college life

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Staff Writer

Los Medanos College is home to many different students throughout Contra Costa County, all of which possess their own unique backgrounds as well as challenges and struggles. One type of student in particular may possess experiences that are dissimilar to most: the first-generation college student. Throughout the country, first-generation students populate college communities, and the same can be said about LMC. Here, first-gen students work hard to support their families both inside and outside of their homes, as they try to provide them with new opportunities, as well as their own future professional careers, and lives.

“To me, it feels like I’m opening new opportunities for my family as a whole that they didn’t have before. And as well as making a bridge for my younger siblings since I’m the oldest,” said Marcos Arreola, a first-generation student at LMC. The college experience and all that it entails is new to the

to meet in-person over Zoom.

“The email consultations are helpful, but the discussion of a student›s essay and the issues they›re concerned about is much fuller and richer when

Joseph Giddings • Experience

family of a first-generation college student, leaving them with many questions and an overall uncertainty in regards to the pursuit of their academic careers.

“I never knew I needed a counselor until it was time to graduate. Many first-gen students do this on their own and only meet that counselor that one time to get their paperwork signed. It is amazing to know how many of us feel we must do it all ourselves,” said Anthony Scoggins, LMC Puente English Coordinator and ESL Instructor.

While confusion may be present within the community, LMC works to aid each of their students through learning communities and programs such as Puente and Umoja, Extended Opportunity Program and Services, Financial Aid,

Counseling and Disabled Students Program and Services.

“The Puente Program has really helped me out with knowing what to do with my classes. And secondly, the DSPS program has really helped me out with some accommodations that I really need,” said Beneranda Lopez-Rios, a first-generation student at LMC who attended the recent “I am the First: College Hour” event.

Scoggins encourages student involvement with their campus or community and attributes this involvement as a major factor in their overall academic success, along with the friends and peers developed inside and outside of the classroom.

“Some of the best steps for first-gen students are to take See FAMILY, page 7

In an effort to get back into the swing of things, Transfer and Career Services at Los Medanos College has put significant effort into welcoming students while they return to campus.

Excitement has rippled throughout Transfer and Career Services in anticipation for events and students being back on campus. Rachel Anicetti, the director of Transfer and Career Service along with the Transfer Academy, said

Joseph Giddings• Experience

See CAREER, page 7

Wellness in Words

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Staff Writer

In a stress filled time of midterms and projects, the Student Life and Student Equity departments at Los Medanos College have shifted their focus towards the mental health of their students. This includes new events added to this year’s calendar such as Art with Impact’s Wellness in Words: Poetry and Film event.

Students throughout the Contra Costa Community College District were invited to partake in a free virtual Wellness in Words event

Joseph Giddings • Experience

Tuesday, March 22. At this event hosted by the Art with Impact organization, students were able to have safe and suppor tive conversations regarding their experiences with their own mental health through the power of poetry and film as a means of uniting and empowering those within our community.

“When you’re a young person, it’s quite easy to think

that you’re the only one going through that [problem],” said the workshop facilitator and member of Art with Impact, who was identified only as Chris in this Zoom meeting.

Throughout the two-hour workshop, students were challenged to express themselves through their own works of poetry in response to the prompts provided to

See HEALTH, page 7

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“Of what use is a dream if not a blueprint for courageous action?”

— Adam West

‘Batman’ provides neo-noir thriller

A new mystery

By SARINA GROSSI Editor-in-Chief

The shadows can hold many terrifying possibilities for those who know they’ve done wrong.

The noise they hear in a dark alley could be a rat, a person or simply just the wind, but the idea of something lurking in the shadows is enough to make their stomach churn. Director Matt Reeves captures this feeling in his 2022 comic book adaptation, “The Batman.”

The film, starring Robert Pattinson as the iconic superhero, presents a character we have seen countless of times in a fresh and intriguing way.

The story follows Bruce Wayne in his second year behind Batman’s mask when a new serial killer, the Riddler (Paul Dano), begins to murder powerful figures in Gotham. With the help of Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Batman tries to solve the ticking time bombs that are the killer’s riddles.

Don’t be mistaken; this isn’t your average superhero movie. Reminiscent of “Se7en” and “Zodiac,” Reeves creates a neo-noir that harkens back to Batman’s origins as more of a detective. There are constant twists, turns and puzzles that pull the audience in deeper along with the protagonists.

Matched with Michael Giacchino’s pounding score, the plot creates tension that is never eased and keeps audiences on the edges of their seats.

In Reeve’s adaptation, the central city of Gotham becomes its own character. You feel slimy watching Pattinson ride his batmobile through the grime and trash infested streets.

The buildings tower over the city streets, blocking out any form of sunlight and leaving its citizens in total darkness. When most film recreations of the city appear to be just cheap knock-offs of New York City, Reeves’s Gotham becomes the film’s entire gritty world.

Cinematography and action elevate “The

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Paul Dano as the film’s antagonist, The Riddler, in Matt Reeve’s newest film adaptation of the caped crusader, “The Batman.”

Batman” above most comic book movies.

The audience is in the sidecar of the action in shots like where Pattinson is riding on his motorcycle. Though the lighting of the film is dark, each punch and kick is clearly visible and the audience can feel the impact.

The highlight of the film, almost like the bat signal through the midnight sky, is Pattinson himself as the dark knight. Unlike past suave bachelor versions of Bruce Wayne, we see a man who is struggling so deeply as a person who is unable to distinguish between himself and a fake identity.

Pattinson is mainly seen in his batsuit that covers his face, and even though you can

really only see his eyes, he is able to convey each emotion with just a small eye movement.

Seeing that he has only recently adopted the Batman moniker, we also get a chance to see him adapt to the trade, make mistakes when decoding riddles and make brash decisions with his imperfections, making him the perfect interpretation of the character.

Other cast members also give famous characters a new perspective, like Dano, whose Zodiac Killer-esque Riddler is a pessimistic and unhinged foil to Batman’s optimistic and grounded portrayal. Kravitz gives Catwoman and Selina Kyle more depth, with her story arc having truly emotional stakes. Wright also

perfectly balances Pattinson’s grit, with the actors having a buddy-cop dynamic missing from previous adaptations.

The main critique one could pinpoint on the film is the length. A whopping run time of 2 hours and 56 minutes somewhat weakens the film’s impact, but on further inspection, almost every scene feels too important to cut.

Even scenes that seem insignificant have some impact on characters or plot.

“The Batman” is a dark, muddy and invigorating film that gives an old story a new and shiny package. If you want to watch a film perfect for the movie-going experience, check this one out.

From Software’s newest ‘Elden Ring’ is hit-success

By DYLAN DAVIDSON Staff Writer

In June of 2019, decorated game studio From Software released a trailer for their upcoming game “Elden Ring,” teasing a few short clips from the game and announcing that George R.R Martin, author of the “Game Of Thrones” book series, would be a creative director. Two years later, “Elden Ring” has finally been released, and From Software and Martin have delivered one of the best gaming experiences of the year, even possibly the decade.

“Elden Ring” is the seventh installment in the “Souls” series, a collection of games that have been notoriously difficult, even going as far as titling the deluxe edition of the first game in the series the “Prepare to Die” edition. And while “Elden Ring” pulls no punches in challenges, it’s combat isn’t necessarily at the forefront of it’s design.

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Godrick The Grafted, one of the many bosses featured in the “Elden Ring” game.

The series has a reputation for having nonlinear gameplay, with little to no sense of direction given to the player, encouraging exploration that is necessary to progress in the game. “Elden

Ring” doubles down in this aspect, creating a fully fleshed out open world for the player to traverse on horseback.

It’s common to travel the game’s open world and be am-

bushed by a dragon or discover a small cave that leads the player to an ancient dungeon. It’s this aspect of exploration that is one of the reasons the game is so great, as the game simply rewards the

player for being curious of their surroundings.

Another hallmark of the “Souls” games is the bosses or the large and powerful enemies, and “Elden Ring” provides some of the most intricate and strenuous bosses of the series.

A great example is the first main story boss of the game, Margit the Fell Omen. When the player first enters the area and gets a glimpse of Margit, they see a massive, seemingly aged ogrelike being with a large wooden staff. He might seem like an easy foe at first, until the end of his cutscene when he unsheathes magic daggers from thin air.

This fight marks the first great challenging enemy of the game and sets a precedent for the difficulty of future boss encounters.

But after the player’s 50th or 80th try of fighting Margit, the feeling of finally overcoming a boss is next to none and gives players motivation to keep playing the game. However, if they

end up finding an unbeatable enemy, they can instead explore the world to grow stronger, finding new weapons, spells and leveling up to make the fight that much easier.

The graphics and visuals of the game are absolutely stunning. I played the game on the first iteration of the Playstation 4, and even with my outdated hardware the game still ran and looked amazing despite a few frame-drops in a few areas with high density. Sprawling vistas, great castles, huge magic trees, the “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones” influences are obviously implemented into the games aesthetic and provides for some of the most interesting locales in any of the games throughout the series.

The story of “Elden Ring” is hard to put a finger on entirely and is mainly pieced together from cutscenes and item descriptions. The player is told that they See RING, page 7

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“I think gas prices are a conspiracy.”

— Tom Braidwood

Bay Area gas prices start to skyrocket

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

Michael Benedian• Experience

The exceptionally long line for gas at the Pittsburg Coscto station.

Vet that hails from Harlem

With the war in Ukraine, many countries around the world are putting harsh sanctions on Russia as a way to pressure them off their invasion plan. President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday, March 8 that the U.S. is banning the import of Russian oil to strike a blow on the Russian economy. This move has led to a hike in gas prices and the U.S. is starting to notice these effects.

The national average as of March 15 is $4.31 a gallon, setting the record for the highest recorded gas price since 2008. Californians, however, have seen the average cost of a gallon at around $5.75, more than the national average.

This has led to people scrambling to find

gas stations lower than the average cost so they don’t have to empty their wallets.

As a result, a Costco gas station at Verne Roberts Circle in Pittsburg has started seeing more traffic than usual.

These lines for gas are usually packed, but the last couple of weeks have seen the lines of cars leading up all the way down the street. The price here for regular gas is $5.35 and premium at $5.65, which is cheaper than the Shell gas station located around Los Medanos College.

For LMC student David Martija, who gets his gas at Costco, it’s made it more difficult for him to get a full tank.

“It’s kinda tedious,” said Martija. “The past few times I went, there were just See GAS, page7

Michael Benedian• Experience

Gas prices at the Shell gas station in Pittsburg.

Hailey opens up

By Michael Benedian Staff Writer

“First time I got in trouble I stole a 5 cent bag of potato chips, that’s how much it cost,” Los Medanos College Administration of Justice professor Anthony Vleet Hailey said, reminiscing about his childhood back in New York. He smiles as he recalls his confrontation with Mr. Robertson, a shopkeeper he knew well growing up.

“He called my mom because that’s how close we were. She came to the store and she whipped my tail right in front of Mr. Robertson and made me wash his windows for a week!”

Hailey’s hearty laugh, ashen gray buzz cut and beard give him that charismatic look of a man who’s experienced a fulfilling life, and that statement is not far off the mark.

Hailey and his three younger siblings were raised by their mother in Harlem, Manhattan.

Growing up in such an iconic place gave Hailey the opportunity to be close to culture and his community, and his mom made it a point to make sure the family was exposed to it.

“My mother took us to operas, to museums, and all of that stuff that was available,” said Hailey. “We spent a lot of time going to Broadway. Even though we were poor, we were rich when it came to cultural things.”

Being raised by a woman meant that Hailey didn’t have a male influence in his life.

“New York is a great place but there’s a lot of negative temptation too if you succumb to that,” he said. “My mom saw that and she said ‘I have to get him out of here.’”

Hailey was sent off to live with his aunt in San Jose, where he began his academic career at Evergreen Valley College in 1977. One thing that surprised him about moving to California was the nonexistence of mom and pop pizza parlors.

“I wasn’t used to that,” he said. “I was used to the little individual, mostly Italian-run places, and you walk up to the window outside and they serve you out there, and you can buy slices!”

Despite his current teaching profession, Hailey didn’t pursue criminal justice at the outset but instead steered into that direction due to his love of history. His early dream jobs were either to be a New York bus driver, the mayor or the shortstop for the Yankees.

Hailey graduated with a degree in histor y from Evergreen Valley College but found it difficult to find a job.

He started working part-time for San Jose Parks and Recreation but couldn’t get enough hours to make ends meet, so he joined the military. His first choice was the Air Force but

Photo courtesy of Anthony Hailey

Professor Anthony Hailey has served in the armed forces around the world and loved being in the Phillipines. instead joined the Army for a two-year enlistment when they didn’t have positions he had the aptitude for.

After serving his two years in Fort Mcclellen, Alabama, Hailey reapplied to the Air Force for a position as an Air Force Law Enforcement officer. He spent most of his time stationed in Clark Air Base south of Manila, Philippines. It was during this time that the Philippines was under a dictatorship by former President Ferdinand Marcos. Despite that, Hailey was excited and enjoyed his time seeing new sights and new sounds.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for that countr y ever

since, and the people, and that’s years back” he said, recalling all his experiences with the locals and new locations in the Air Force.

While on duty as a policeman on base, Hailey got a call about a robbery in a nearby club. His jeep pulled up to the door and the robbers shot through it and hit Hailey in the leg, breaking his femur and putting him out of commision for a couple of months. Hailey still feels the lingering effects and continues to go to physical therapy.

“One good thing that came out of it was that while I couldn’t drive or do patrols, I learned how to be a dispatcher,” he said with a chuckle.

After returning to New York in 1984, Hailey found it difficult to readjust to civilian society after being in the military so long. While he waited to be hired full-time by the police department he worked as a trader on Wall Street, an armed security guard for a security company, and went to EMT school. He worked for three years in the New York City Police Department but after seeing how difficult it was to be promoted, he joined a federal police department and later on transferred to California.

Hailey’s 10 years and 10 months of experience working as a police officer in Santa Clara County are chock full

of interesting stories, like the time he was involved in a prison riot when all the inmates got drunk on pruno, a prison wine made by fermenting fruits with yeast for several days. His favorite part of the job was the sociological aspect of working in Corrections, pulling inmates out of their cells to chat with them and just trying to understand the criminal mind. He had also gained a reputation for his strict personality and quick outbursts during his time there.

“I had a nickname in Corrections when I first got there,” Hailey said, “They called me Microwave, because I would See Hailey, page 7

‘Umma’ unsatisfying from the start

By ATREYU HINCKLEY Staff Writer

“Umma,” the latest horror film, unfortunately was an underwhelming experience despite its promising premise. This film marks the directorial debut for Iris Shim, with “Spider-man” Director Sam Raimi taking on the producer position.

The film stars Sandra Oh as Amanda, who lives on a farm with her daughter without the use of technology. Things begin to take a turn when the remains of her deceased

REVIEW

IMDB

Fivel Stewart as Chris in her leading role in “Umma” (2022).

mother arrive on her doorstep.

The film is one of the few recent films that cover the terrors of family trauma, the most recent being Disney Pixar’s “Turning Red.” While the idea sounds engaging, the film instead relies upon tired and worn out jumpscares that many horror films have done throughout the years.

The film also suffers from poor dialogue, with its construction taking away moments that would have felt unnerving. However, Oh ultimately gave the best performance she could with what she was provided.

The film, coming to a relatively

shor t 84 minute runtime, could have done more for its premise if it was slightly longer. Many moments feel choppily edited and like certain scenes were left out. It felt as if the film had to cram in whatever they can in order to get the film finished, and it takes away what could have been a better experience.

Generational trauma is starting to show up more. It is a topic that needs to be talked about for viewers who do not know what it’s like. This film had the potential to take this topic to a terrifying level, but it unfortunately misses the mark.

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“You lose, you smile, you come back the next day.

You win, you smile, you come back the next day.”

— Ken Griffey Jr.

Atreyu Hinckley TREY’S THOUGHTS

MLB salary cap is out of control

Atreyu Hinckley • Experience

Pitcher Charlize Howay throws to second baseman DenaAnn Rosa, who covers first in 7-0 loss against Solano College March 22.

Softball gets staff change Richard Villegas takes charge of the LMC team

By KAI ARELLANO

an outfielder,” said outfielder Ariana Vasquez. She added that Villegas is Athletic Director Richard Villegas surprisingly good at has stepped up to fill in the void folcoaching the softball team even lowing the mid-season resignation of though he has spent many years Tim Rognlien who served as softball coaching the women’s basketball team. coach since 2014. The Charlize Howay, softball team, which a pitcher and third has been competing “I really like him baseman, explained since Feb. 4 has a as a coach.” some of the ins and 13 game roster as a — Ariana Vasquez, outs of their practices. member of the Bay “We have a lot of outfielder Valley Conference. planning and fundaTheir record curmentals,” she said, rently stands at 1-7 and they lost to adding they have been working on Solano College in their most recent consistency and technique. double header. The first game losing The softball players will continue 10-0 and the second game losing 22-4. its season with Villegas by their side.

The team has a full roster and Ville“All the players, we all want to be gas now leads practices and organizes here,” said pitcher Raven Yelder, who defensive plays, offensive workouts. explained that although Villegas isn’t “I really like him as a coach. He the official coach, his presence has Atreyu Hinckley• Experience had us working these hitting drills made a difference and players are and stuff, then afterwards made us looking forward to the rest of the Pitcher Charlize Howay, No. 3, throws a pitch against Solano College in the first game of a double header. do some diving drills because I’m softball season.

Staff Writer

LMCAS From page 1

hosting trivia and giving out prizes for correct answers. The event also featured music with a playlist curated by LMCAS Commissioner for Campus Events Nicholas Sessions.

The campus social provided free food and snacks like burritos (including vegetarian options) and boba drinks. Students also got the chance to play games like cornhole and ring toss for more social interaction. Along with these perks, students were able to enter a live drawing for prizes.

A high priority for the event was giving students an opportunity to interact with peers on campus for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and to encourage student involvement in more clubs.

“There is more to going to college than just going to classes. I feel like a big portion of the college experience is being able to be involved,” said

Velazquez. “Especially because you are able to find people that are like you. You are able to connect with them and I feel like that connection makes you more comfortable on campus.”

Antonio Moore, the commissioner of publicity and outreach for LMCAS, was the student who initially proposed the idea of a campus social.

He agrees with Velazquez on the importance of campus involvement.

“It’s very important to join clubs because you get a sense of self and a sense of community,” said Moore.

Sheena Dugao, a student associate for Student Life and the LMCAS treasurer, said she is excited to see more students on campus and “to bring attention to the parts of campus not a lot of people know.”

Students, many of which are experiencing their first semester actually in-person, explored the campus social, moving from booth to booth to get a full idea of exactly what LMC has to present.

“I think it’s just a great way for

The MLB ended its lockout with players on March 10. With that, baseball operations such as free agent signings were allowed to proceed. As expected, signings around the league went crazy now that opening day is around the corner on April 7. The fact is that baseball continues to not have a salary cap provided to teams compared to other major sports and it is starting to get out of hand.

One of the biggest signings happened on March 16, as the Los Angeles Dodgers signed star first baseman Freddie Freeman to a six year contract worth $162 million. With that, the Dodgers payroll for their team roster rose over $272 million for the 2022 season. To put this in retrospect, the Baltimore Orioles have the lowest payroll at $32 million.

How does this make the game of baseball fair?

In other sports, the best example being the NFL, there are provided salary caps for every NFL team.

After their season has concluded, they must be at or below their salary cap before the season starts.

This forces teams to make critical trades and cut players that may be good but too expensive to afford. It is difficult, but that is what keeps the game fair for every team.

Baseball has avoided this for many years and has continued the argument of multi-million dollar teams versus the dog house teams that are doing their best to build their team with the money they are provided. Throughout the past few years, teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays have been trying to fight against the grain of spending money in order to make a good baseball team.

For years they have been a team with one of the lowest payrolls in the game, but have made the playoffs a fair amount of times in spite of this.

In the 2020 season shortened by the pandemic, the Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series with a $28.3 million payroll, the third lowest number in baseball. They would go on to lose the world series in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had the second highest payroll with $107.9 million.

What would have happened if the Rays could afford the players that the Dodgers had in that season? Would they have ended up winning the world series or still lost? These are questions that a lot of fans of their respective teams continue to have because their team can only afford so much while the other can spend whatever they like because there is no limit.

Baseball needs a salary cap. It isn’t right that the Dodgers with the highest payroll are allowed to spend over $240 million more than the team with the lowest payroll can in the Orioles. If they followed the footsteps of the NFL, it would make the game more fair for every baseball team.

people to come to campus and interact with other students, to actually get that experience,” said Dugao.

Moore advises those who are hesitant or nervous about getting involved to take things at their own pace, as community college is about finding individual passions.

“Go into it slowly, find your space, live in your space,” he said.

If you attended the event and didn’t find a club that sparked interest, there is always the option to form your own club with LMCAS. “If you don’t see a club you’re interested in on campus, make one and LMCAS will support you,” said Moore.

For those that missed the campus social, LMCAS and Student Life plans to host more events in the future that will focus on student engagement and outreach.

“We’re slowly opening up and getting more events, so hopefully Sarina Grossi • Experience [students] get to join,” said Dugao.

To find out about more events, Lauren Gannod, the secretary at the Games Club, plays on her laptop visit the the LMC Student Life page. during the LMCAS Campus Social Wednesday, March 23.

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experience similar to that of a student attending these universities. They will be taken on a tour of the campus and the university’s admissions department will give a set presentation. Students will also eat lunches with LMC alumni who also transferred in the past and even give introductions to their future professors and administrators.

For those unable to attend these in-person university tours, Transfer and Career Services will have the opportunity to meet with university representatives including Arizona State University, Fresno State University, San Diego State University and many more. These will be held through virtual appointments and info sessions, which can be found on the transfer and career services section of the LMC website.

Anicetti encourages students to take advantage of these opportunities and learn about these universities through campus visits and vir tual appointments with representatives.

“It’s motivation to finish your time at LMC strong. It’s time and space to really think about and research what options you want to pursue after LMC and it’s a really special time to connect with LMC professionals and learn more from them one-on-one,” she said.

While the transfer side of the department works to prepare students for the next steps, members of Career Services provide students with the necessary skills to make them competitive in today’s job market.

Through the integration of the department’s new Career Crawl Series, hosted virtually all throughout the semester for each career pathway, students will be exposed to valuable skills and information necessary in preparing them to pursue their future career goals. These include strategies for searching for jobs, practice for interviews and writing resumes and employer information sessions, where students will meet with representatives of their desired field of work in order to gain information regarding their future careers.

Despite their career-focused design, workshops in the series are open to all LMC students regardless of their majors and potential plans for the future. Cynthia Perez-Nicholas, the program coordinator for Transfer & Career Services, encourages all students to attend and take advantage of the workshops.

“What I tell students is ‘Come and learn about all of the different industries, because why not?’” said Perez-Nicholas.

“You just never know…it’s

RING From page 4

they are trying to reclaim the lordship of the Elden Ring, which has the power to unite The Lands Between (where the game’s setting takes place).

The stor y is admittedly a side-panel to the game, someone could dive and look into if they wanted, but is secondary to the actual gameplay.

“Elden Ring’s” release was

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always an opportunity to meet Students dealing with anything an employer that’s local and from educational anxiety hear what they have to say.” to depression can meet (by In addition to the opportu- appointment only) with one nities provided by the Career of the clinically trained counCrawl Series, students can also selors. The sessions have three take advantage of LMC’s Coop- phases, with the first meetings erative Work Experience Edu- focusing on assessments, the cation Program (C.W.E.E.P), second group of meetings lookwhere students can earn up to ing at resource identification four college units, dependent and the third set of meetings on hours worked at their job, translating aftercare plans.

“We aim to help students internship or college volunteer experience, ultimately encour- understand their strengths and aging work and productivity of learn skills to cope, so they can students on and off of campus. deal with most other issues on Much like Anicetti, Pe- their own,” said Jessica Moniz, rez-Nicholas encourages stu- the CBCP coordinator and an dent participation in these adjunct academic counselor. career events, stating that “If a student is committed it will provide students with to helping themselves, then necessary skills when entering therapy can really help them the competitive job market grow in so many ways, perand will allow them to secure sonally, academically and a job with greater ease than professionally.”

To be able to access the their competitors.

While the struggles and wellness counseling appointissues caused by the pan- ments for free, students must demic have been experienced be enrolled in at least 6 units throughout campus, Mark and fill out a referral form.

Isham, a Career Counselor in Anyone can fill out referral the department, feels that the forms, including faculty and recent events have benefited students, on behalf of anyone his ability to connect with attending LMC. After submitting a referral form, a Student students.

“I can tell you that from the Wellness counselor will reach career counseling perspective, out to the student and schedule using Zoom and text messag- a screening session that will ing during the pandemic has determine whether or not the helped me maintain contact programs will be satisfactory with students,” said Isham. for the student or if they need to “I have found it to be a useful give them outside references.

Frazier said that Counseling method for reaching out to students to remind them of an Ser vices hopes to provide upcoming appointment, or to students with a safe space.

“Having that friendly face on communicate when Zoom isn’t cooperating, or to communicate campus where they feel comwith large numbers of students fortable expressing themselves I think is very important and efficiently.”

Perez-Nicholas shared Ish- contributes to student success,” am’s gratification of the new she said. “The faculty and staff advancements towards the in counseling are here to help all students and I hope that department’s accessibility.

“I feel like it was an overall positive…all of us as a campus community and counselors, we had to evolve, and it helped From page 5 us grow our technical skills,” get hot in a second.” she said.

After retiring from the Despite their advancements, the depar tment looks for police force, Hailey switched feedback from students on professions to teaching middle how they may improve upon school all around the state, communication in the future. from Fresno to Bakersfield, Transfer and Career Services and was even a high school is excited about how they may principal for in San Francisco. work to provide for students He settled down in Brentwood, during their time at LMC and where he continued to teach here at Los Medanos College. beyond.

Hailey’s experiences shaped “Now that we’re back, I feel like we’re bigger and better, him into someone who truly because we have more ability cares for his community. As and capacity, because we used a professor, he is able to use to only have one door, and now those experiences to make have two, and it’s awesome,” every lesson memorable.

“Professor Hailey is always said Perez-Nicholas.

There will also be an up- willing to help, goes the extra coming celebration held on mile to help students and does May 3 to honor those who are so with a positive attitude,” set to transfer and continue said Kelly Green of the Early their academic careers next semester. Information regarding upcoming workshops can be found on the Transfer and From page 1 Career Services page on the makes up for things that have LMC website. been canceled or out right lost,” said Saito.

Honors student and Prom Coordinator Isabel Zehnpfennig agrees with Saito, as she marked with some very impres- had events canceled throughsive accolades, with it being the out her college experience, “I know being a 2020 gradmost watched game on Twitch for almost two weeks after it’s uate it was hard for me to release and projected to be one have to skip out on things I of the best selling games of the had been looking for ward year. If you own a console or to since elementary. That’s a strong enough PC, “Elden why I have pushed so hard Ring” is an incredible must have to make this happen because experience and sets a precedent I know I am not the only one who missed out.” for the industry.

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all students feel comfortable calling the depar tment or coming to visit.”

Although the program offers students accessible counseling, Moniz said that students must understand that the program will not automatically solve ongoing matters.

“Keep in mind it is brief therapy and is more goal oriented. Therapy is not usually about solving your problems, but about helping students to see how they can solve their own problems. We just offer guidance along the way,” said Moniz.

The Student Wellness Program hosts regular workshops and events. This includes a current district “Mindfulness Challenge” that promotes healthy practices for prizes until March 31 and the upcoming “Wellness in Words: Poetr y and Film” event on March 22.

National University also offers a free series of grief workshops, with the next one happening April 15 at 4 p.m..

As a former Diablo Valley College student who struggled with mental health, Moniz expresses that self care is vital to maintaining a balanced life.

“Our mental health impacts everything we do, everything we think about ourselves and others, impacts our relationships, our ability to function at work in school and in life,” said Moniz. “If our mental health is in good shape, then everything else tends to be a little easier… If our mental health is in bad shape, this becomes more difficult.”

If you’d like to learn more about the Student Wellness Program, visit the Student Wellness Program info page and the general Student Wellness page. For those that wish to submit a referral, please visit this jot form.

College Credit Program. “His classes are informative not only for ADJUS majors but also any student who wants to learn more about their rights, and the justice system as a whole.”

Hailey expects to be teaching at Los Medanos until he’s 70-years-old. He made the decision at the age of 63-years-old to attend law school full time by the fall semester, but not to practice law. Hailey hopes that by going he’ll be able to become a better professor.

“I want to be able to challenge my students by putting together great questions and looking at issues from a different angle, not just from an enforcement angle but an angle of understanding the law itself,” Hailey said.

PROM

Tickets are currently on sale until April 9 and are $20, which include activities and food. They are available for members of learning communities including Honors, MESA, Puente, Transfer academy and Umoja Scholars program.

All students who purchase a ticket must fill out a prom attendance agreement form.

Members of learning communities are also allowed to bring a plus-one as long as they fill out the agreement form. A ticket sell-out is anticipated, so get a ticket as soon as possible.

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“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

— Albert Einstein

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big lines into the gas station and it takes forever, and also it’s just getting expensive.”

Travel for Martija is not really an issue because he only lives a couple minutes away from campus. However, students who live further away might want to consider other ways to get to their destination if they find the price hike to be too much to handle financially.

One thing to consider is carpooling with some friends.

Not only does it help the environment and in some ways alleviate traffic, but people can split the cost of a full tank to help save money on gas for each passenger. Another option is rideshare apps.

LMC student John Gutierezz doesn’t drive to campus, but utilizes ride share apps like Uber and Lyft to travel. While this is an option to travel, keep in mind that gas prices rising also means that rideshare apps are doing the same with their cost. There is always public transportation like BART and Tri Delta available to consider

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a risk: ask for help from any one and everyone. I never participated in any college events or activities until I reached graduate school. Now, I know it would have been better for me to seek guidance and join in on the events, but I really did not know back then,” said Scoggins.

While such struggles and challenges presented to first-generation students can feel discouraging or stressful at times, qualities such as resilience and dedication are often crucial in achieving academic goals and ultimately prove to be worth it, providing a better future for the next generation.

“It does tend to be a very stressful time, but it also has its rewards. But the most important part of it is resilience, you have to keep bouncing back every time something happens…you have to bounce

HEALTH

also.

Alumni might remember when there was a bus pass program which offered bus passes at a discount to students, but there are no plans to implement it any time soon.

“The Bus Pass Program was funded by LMCAS many moons ago,” said Teresea Archaga, the director of Student Life. “It was a very expensive program from what I recall… maybe more so now.”

If students plan on continuing to travel with their own vehicles, an app they might want to check out to help with their travel cost is GasBuddy.

This app lists the real time prices of gas stations local to you with cheap prices and also can save you 25 cents per gallon.

Recently, the U.S has started to see the price of oil drop and that could mean gas prices might follow too. Experts say to not expect it soon however, it could be months or a year before the price of gas settles down.

back for others as well, because they depend on you,” said Lopez-Rios.

Like Lopez-Rios, Arreola wishes to encourage his fellow first-gen students in their path towards a life of opportunity, despite the challenges that life may throw at them.

“No matter how long it takes you to reach your goal, as long as you reach it, that’s all that really matters.”

Both Lopez-Rios and Arreola wish to transfer to a CSU after their time at LMC, where they will continue their academic careers towards earning a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

Additional information regarding assistance can be obtained at the Student Services Center, as well as the new Student Union building, where they may find some of the on-campus learning communities on the building’s second floor.

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them, with topics ranging from “Reaching the Unreachable” to “A Love Letter to a Younger You.” In addition, students were shown two short films titled “Parallel” and “Little Elizabeth,” raising attention to the issues and harm caused by depression, as well as mental illness and childhood trauma, and how a person may receive help and guidance regarding these issues.

In the event chat box, students were given the opportunity to express their own feelings towards the films and prompts as well as the issues portrayed within them and how they have affected their lives.

“I thought the film really touched on emotions that I’ve felt before,” said an anonymous event attendee.

As the event progressed, the questions and comments raised by students in the chat began to go deeper and deeper, commenting on complex issues and struggles that many of us face in our own ways as we go about our days, with statements such as, “Why are we here?

Is [there] any purpose?” and “Sometimes I lose hope when I see the news.”

“Sometimes it takes some students longer than others, and that’s okay,” said Carrie Bennet, Veterans and Disability Services counselor at LMC, when discussing the topic of self-discovery and potential.

“I feel that we’re taught to kind of doubt ourselves, and that can be really hard,” said Chris. “We are who we connect with in life. We are our community.”

Those on campus struggling with issues relating to mental health or any issue within their lives should take time to remember that our traumas do not define them and that growth can be achieved through forgiveness. Although individuals may feel alone at times, help will always be provided to those in need within the LMC community.

If you need support for any mental health issues, LMC offers designated mental health support, wellness counseling and counseling resources.

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Arts & Culture A garden of creativity

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

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— Edgar Degas

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Above: Lucy Snow examines the texture of a pot made by volunteer Martin Guzman. Top photo: A set of sculptures created by Snow and Tess Kavanagh

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN

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Clockwise from right: Sculpture by Andrew Cadiz; pot by Ian Bassett; a group of pottery made by other artist volunteers.

A pot by Martin Guzman, a volunteer for the Art department

he quad located on the third floor of the College Complex building is looking a little less dull this time around. This semester, Professor Lucy Snow has moved out the old head sculptures and replaced them with beautiful clay pottery.

“The nursing instructor contacted me and it was so funny she said ‘so who’s in charge of the creepy heads?’” said Snow. “I totally took her point and it was time for a change.”

Considering the geometric shape of the area, Snow decided to use pottery as decoration. With the help of Snow’s friend who’s an architect, they decided to make use of wooden boards and logs to make it feel more natural. The wooden boards were created by Clint Sides, who volunteers with the Drama department.

The pottery was then sealed with silicone to prevent them from falling off their pillars.

“We wanted to do something that was kind of more peaceful, restful, natural and organic,” said Snow. “I was trying to go for the opposite of creepy heads frankly.”

All of the pottery that can be seen in the new scultpure garden come from Snow and are made by volunteers, where she would collect these pieces with the intent of doing fundraisers to help raise money for her department.

“A lot of these pots are made by my volunteers,” said Snow. “You can really start to see the characteristics in their art.”

“I really wanted to demonstrate that we’re still here,” said Snow. “We’re still making cool pots and we’re going to be completely in person.

It just seems like a nice idea.”