LMC Experience Vol. 96 No. 5 - May 13 , 2022

Honors Transfer Program gives out awards to participants — Page 3

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Born to fight fire: Student trains to become a firefighter

The Mustangs wrap-up the season with success

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LMC celebrates Brentwood Center

Ceremony honors campus opening

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

Michael Benedian• Experience

Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, Bob Kratochvil cut the ribbon with one pair of scissors while Judy Walters cuts the ribbon with another pair.

Transfer and Career Services say goodbye

Los Medanos College celebrated its new campus in Brentwood and its development with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Similar to the Student Union and Kinesiology buildings on the Pittsburg campus, the Brentwood Center was unable to have a proper opening at the start of the pandemic due to the Contra Costa Community College District ordering all campuses under the district to remain closed for safety. Not only that, the Brentwood Center would also suffer a flooding incident in the fall of 2021 which would halt its celebratory opening

even further.

Despite all that, LMC was finally able to hold their ceremony Wednesday, May 4, to thank everyone who made it possible for the new campus to be built. Natalie Hannum, Vice President of Instruction, is relieved that it all came together.

“It’s a long time coming,” Hannum said. “It was a beautiful day to celebrate and it culminates a lot of people’s efforts so it feels very joyous.”

Previous speakers like LMC President Bob Kratochvil and Los Medanos College Associated Students President Luisa Velazquez spoke at the celebration and gave

their heartfelt thanks to the people involved with the development of the Brentwood Center. There were also some new faces, such as Governing Board member Andy Li, LMC classified professional Annica Soto and LMC professor Matt Stricker, who both work in the Brentwood Center.

“How incredible [it is] to move from a Lucky’s grocery store to this incredible facility,” CCCCD Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said. “It is truly a new day at the Brentwood Campus of the Los Medanos College.”

Soto shared her perspective on watching the Brentwood Center go See RIBBON, page 7

Acknowledging leaving students

By KATRINA ANABO Staff Writer

To wrap up the end of the semester with a bang, Los Medanos College Transfer Services hosted its annual Transfer Celebration Wednesday, May 2 to commemorate all LMC students who are transferring to their desired college in the fall of 2022.

While transfer celebrations normally happen every year, the pandemic made it hard to get things up and running for the past two years. Now that coronavirus case numbers are lower, LMC Transfer Services was able to hold this event face-to-face again and Transfer Academy Counselor David Reyes is ecstatic.

“We are extremely excited to hold this event in-person for all the LMC transfer students and graduates,” said Reyes.

The mastermind of the event is Director of Transfer and Career Ser vices Sandra Parsons, who coordinated this entire celebration.

“I have been planning this event for months,” said Parsons. “This is by far the biggest transfer celebration we have ever had and I am happy to be here.”

Katrina Anabo • Experience

Ashley Cervantes attempts to dunk Jamee Robbins of CSUEB. This celebration took place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was held outside at the quad on the Pittsburg campus.

Plenty of music, food, games and activities made it an unforgettable experience for all graduate and transfer students.

A variety of stations with different food options for students to choose from, including a selection of hot dogs, chips, popcorn, candy and soda available for students to grab and munch on at any time during the event. The LMC Art Club also handed out goodie bags and ice-cream bars.

Games such as ring toss, miniature golf, high striker, basketball and even a dunk tank beckoned students to let See TRANSFER, page 7

Kai Arellano • Experience

LMC’s baseball team plays with the inflatable basketball game at the annual Transfer Celebration.

A guide to managing mental health during finals

By SARINA GROSSI Editor-in-Chief

Sarina Grossi • Experience

Finals week; it’s a time that produces dread in any student’s heart. In the hustle and bustle of studying, worrying about final grades, finishing up club events and even preparing for graduation or transferring, the well-being of students is forgotten. Members of the Los Medanos College Active Minds Club know this well and have their own tricks on surviving finals week.

Active Minds is a mental health awareness club that LMC student and Active Minds Club president Tamna Bhargav

said aims to “comfortably and casually talk about mental health.” This is not a professional therapy group and cannot offer counseling or treatment, but the group discusses mental health as a way to destigmatize conversations around the subject. The club is open to all students and meetings are held both in-person and over Zoom every other Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Unity Room in the Student Union Building.

“We’re not really a therapy group, but I feel like we still find that space where we can talk about it and help people

heal from their problems,” said Nayeli Gutierrez, the secretary for the Active Minds Club.

When struggling with mental health during finals week, Bhargav recommends talking to those you can trust and are comfortable with. She said that without conversation, mental health will continue to be considered “taboo.”

“We are humans and we need to be heard by other people,” Bhargav said. “We will only find solutions to mental health if we consistently talk about it.”

Active Minds is one place to talk to like minded individuals about mental health, but

if you are seeking more of a counseling setting, LMC offers many counseling services. You can speak to counselors for personal, developmental and academic purposes through appointments and the Student Wellness program in partnership with National University.

Last month also saw the launch of TimelyCare, a virtual health service LMC students can use for free.

Aimee Silahua-Tyeda, the Active Minds marketing officer, said that nourishing your physical health can positively impact your mental health.

See STRESS, page 7

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“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

— William James

Stephanie Arreola

Kai Arellano

STEPHANIE’S STATEMENTS

MY TWO CENTS

‘Femicide’ needs more attention

Is it a man or is it a myth in Ukraine?

Mexico has been plagued by a wave of murders in the state of Nuevo León. The killings made headlines because they all had something in common: the murders are all tied together by the classification of “Femicide.”

The term is used to describe the murder of a woman solely based off of her gender.

According to The Guardian, there have been 52 women reported missing in Nuevo León this year.

“Last year Mexico recorded 1,015 cases of femicide—when a woman is murdered specifically because of her gender—compared with 977 in 2020. Overall, about 3,500 women were killed.”

The murders and how the police in Mexico handle cases involving women sparked an uproar. Women began protesting and rioting in the streets of Mexico City last year to show the police that they want justice. A case involving an 18-year-old woman added more flames into the fire.

Debanhi Susana Escobar Bazaldúa’s body was found in a motel water tank in Monterrey, Mexico on April 21, 13 days after being reported missing on April 9. She was last seen at the Nueva Castilla Motel in Monterrey and was dropped off by a cab driver who reportedly tried to make advances at her. According to investigators, her cause of death was stated as blunt force trauma to the head, and they believe that she had fallen and hit her head. Her father believes that she was abused and said that she was strangled and beaten.

It’s no surprise why in this day and age so many women are afraid to walk alone on the streets. It’s dangerous for anyone to walk around alone, but for women they are seen as the “easier targets.”

Edith Olivares Ferreto, the Executive Director of Amnesty International in Mexico, said “11 women are killed in this country every day. We have at least 20,000 women who are missing in Mexico. And the state’s failures in searching for these women and investigating what has happened to them have remained unchanged for almost 30 years now.”

Women have always been placed in the role of “housewife” and the machismo mentality in Mexico forces them to stay in that role.

Mexican women are expected to stay home, clean the house, cook dinner and take care of the children. They are detained by the role they were placed into by society and often struggle to break away from it.

The police don’t care about finding the predators, but instead finding the bodies and closing the cases. They would rather have the bodies found and taken care of instead of searching for the truth. Mexico has a history of its people not trusting the police.

Activist Frida Guerrera told The Guardian, “When a woman is killed and nothing happens, it kills her whole family, her whole society. Police will find the body sometimes, and then the investigation just stops, so the predators are never brought to justice, and by the next day, they’ve taken another girl.

People don’t understand until it’s their own daughter,” she said, urging Mexicans to take the crisis more seriously. “Society will forget again like it has forgotten before. But society should in reality be very worried.”

This is the culture in Mexico and it doesn’t show any improvements. However in recent years women have become more involved in politics. Mexico City’s first Femicide Unit, led by Sayuri Herrera, was formed to find justice for the women who are being harmed with little to no repercussions everyday.

Guerrera states that rampant impunity is to blame in a country where 90% of all crimes go unsolved.

Mexico needs to start taking people’s lives more seriously as anyone with money or alcohol could easily corrupt someone.

As the battle rages on in Ukraine, many people are fighting for their country no matter where they are in life. Poor, rich, middle-class, athletes and politicians are going to Ukraine to fight against Russia from taking over. Well known individuals that people know have been seen making a difference in the war effort. However, no one has made more of a change than the Ghost of Kyiv.

The Ghost of Kyiv is a Ukrainian air force pilot that no one knows. This man has apparently been working in secret and has been shooting down Russian aircrafts by himself.

Everyone has made this man out to be some sort of superhero in their minds and his lone wolf persona has created a sense of hope throughout the Ukrainian citizens. This is now getting out to the world and his hero spirit has made him almost internationally known as a symbol of hope.

The New York Post recently has said that the Ghost of Kyiv has reportedly died after shooting down dozens of Russian aircraft, although this is not the case. The Ukraine Air Force has admitted that the Ghost of Kyiv isn’t alive. In fact, he isn’t even real.

The air force said in a tweet “The Ghost of Kyiv is alive, it embodies the collective spirit of the highly qualified pilots of the Tactical Aviation Brigade who are successfully defending Kyiv and the region.”

Why would they do this? Why create this myth of a mysterious man who puts everything on the line to defend his country by himself? This story has made Ukraine come together in a time where unity is needed.

It has made the atmosphere amongst the Ukraine forces feel like they have someone who’s fighting for them which inspired.

This hero has made it easier to live in Kyiv or any region. Children now look up to this man as a guiding light into the darkness that awaits them outside. He’s a symbol and a warning for those who try to commit acts of violence towards Ukraine. Although Russia sees the Ghost of Kyiv as propaganda, they still fear what comes their way when flying their planes into the country.

In a world where light seems to be dwindling, a symbol of hope goes a long way and is a great idea. His creation has made it more courageous and amazing to be a Ukrainian. He makes it feel good to have a hero fighting for you.

Everyone needs hope, whether that be a made up superhero or your mind being optimistic; it can change the way one sees the world. Who knows if the Ghost of Kyiv is real or not, either way, his legend has become more powerful as the war rages on in Ukraine.

Kai Arellano • Experience

Editorial

Roe v. Wade cannot be overturned

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or millions of people in the United States, the past week has been extremely strenuous. On May 2, the initial majority opinion draft from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the famous Roe V. Wade decision, known for cementing abortion as a constitutional right, was leaked to Politico.

In the draft, the court’s opinion is to overturn the case, as Justice Samuel Alito writes that the original decision was “egregiously wrong from the start.”

Chief Justice John Roberts has also stated that the draft “does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.” According to NPR, however, more than 20 states (almost half of the country) will adopt laws that will restrict or even ban abortion.

Alito wrote “that a right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation’s histor y and traditions.” The Experience staff disagrees with the leaked draft opinion, as it removes autonomy from women and does not make logical sense.

We understand that although Pew Research Center states that about 6 in 10 Americans believe abortion should be legal. The idea that just because the word abortion is not included in the constitution means that it cannot be constitutionally protected is an overly simplistic way to view a complex issue.

However, the constitution was written to be a living document, meaning that it should not be interpreted in the context of when it was written and instead applied with today’s perspective, contradicting Alito’s claim.

You can apply the 14th Amendment to abortion as it claims that “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property.” The 9th Amendment also claims that “certain rights

shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” With this context, is it not wrong to strip women’s autonomy of their bodies, their own property, due to any other constitutional right?

Alito uses as evidence is not logically sound.

He quotes two 17th century treatises from Sir Matthew Hale, an Englishman, that claims abortion “of a quick child who died in the womb as a ‘great crime’ and a ‘great misprision.’”

For Alito to use a case didn’t even happen in America and happened before the creation of the Constitution as an argument against abortion seems irresponsible.

To understand why overturning Roe V. Wade would be devastating, imagine this; you got into a car accident and put another person in the hospital. It was your fault that the other person got injured and now they’re on life-support and need an organ transplant. You happen to be a perfect match, so you agree to donate an organ to save the individual. Completely fine, right?

This would be different, however, if the government had forced you to give an organ to the other person just because you caused the accident. It would be directly taking away something you might need against your will.

This analogy isn’t perfect, but it echoes what millions of individuals might deal with if Roe V. Wade is overturned.

Being pro-choice is not the same as being pro-abortion. You can personally be against abortion, and you can choose to give birth, but that is still a personal choice that (at the moment) you can hold because of Roe V. Wade.

People should not dictate the health of others, as abortion is a decision made by a singular person and their doctor.

The Experience staff believes that abortion is a medical decision and should not be up to political debate or even state governance.

The Supreme Court must not overturn Roe v.

Wade, as we should stand for personal freedom.

Voices

Should abortion become illegal and if so why?

“I don’t think it should be illegal.

If I have a wife and she gets pregnant and if she decides to have an abortion then that’s okay.”

— Johnny Hoffmeister

“I think abortion should not be illegal. It would just cause unsafe aborting methods.”

— Naydelene Maclas

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o m p i l e d

“I think it’s a woman’s choice.

I don’t think there should be a law made for it.”

— Savannah Sharkey

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“What women do with their bodies shouldn’t have anything to do with politics.”

— David Martija

“I think it should be up to each person who chooses to do it.”

— Scott Davis

“That’s a woman’s choice definitely, but it should be optional.”

— Yuto Sato

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“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

— Abraham Lincoln

Honors director Jennifer Saito speaks to the crowd at the Honors Award Ceremony.

Joseph Giddings • Experience

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Cathie Lawrence • Experience Correspondant

Students graduating Los Medanos College in the class of 2016.

LMC graduation ceremony The Los Medanos College graudation ceremony will be held on Friday, May 20.

The ceremony will be hosted on campus instead of virtual, and will be held on the Pittsburg campus at 2:15 p.m. at the Mustangs Football Stadium.

Michael Benedian • Experience

Art by Trinh Ha displayed in the LMC Art Gallery as part of the annual Student Art Show.

LMC 2022 Student Art Show The LMC art department is holding its 2022 Student Art Show May 4 through May 20 every Monday to Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. This is all located on the first floor in the Art Gallery in the Library.

Virtual help for finals week Students are invited to study for finals virtually on Saturday, May 14. Pedro Javaras-Lopez will assist students via Zoom from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dabney Lyons will take over from 1 to 4 p.m. For instructions and Zoom link, naviagate to losmedanos.edu/core — compiled from press releases and staff reports

Experience Policies 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.

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

Staff Writer

Known for their hard work and strong work ethic, this year’s Honors Program students had the opportunity to be recognized for their dedication and academic achievements on May 5 through the return of the annual Honors Awards Ceremony.

In the Los Medanos CollegeStudent Union conference hall packed with loved ones, professors and administrators, nearly 200 of the program’s 250 students were recognized for their hard and labourous work throughout the 2021-2022 school year.

In addition, each of the club’s elected officials were given the spotlight for the time and effort they put in to return the club and its activities to the campus.

Separated by their completion of courses within the program, club members lined the aisles of the hall as they awaited to be recognized by club founder and Honors director Jennifer Saito to receive awards from their elected representatives.

Despite taking place at the end of the 2022 school year, former 2021 Honors Program students also returned to the campus to receive their long-awaited recognition and awards for their accomplishments since the pandemic prevented holding an in-person ceremony last year.

Honors course professors such Luis Zuniga, Scott Cabral and Jim Jackson were shown appreciation from the club’s members throughout the ceremony as well for the inspiration and impact of their courses.

Honors club members Samantha Green and Matthew Murnane also attributed professors Jennifer Smith and Saito for providing an intellectually challenging but fun approach to their courses and academic experiences at LMC. Green said her online philosophy course was tough but praised Smith’s approach.

“She made the class super fun, and I liked learning all the technology that went along with

philosophy,” said Green.

Throughout the ceremony, students expressed appreciation for the program with many saying that their time in honors will lead to positive effects on their future educational and professional careers.

“This college experience is what you make of it, and always take advantage of what community college can offer, because you decided to come here for a reason…. this is your time to really discover yourself, so make sure that that’s your number one goal in life,” said club co-historian Luigi Afficial.

With a three-year long absence from the campus, Saito described the return of the ceremony as a

Above: Matthew Murnane recieves award from Lorenzo Navales.

Left: Lorenzo Navales listens to Jennifer Saito compliment the honor students. blessing, and said she possesses “You did it…being in the Honors a newfound appreciation for the Program and taking these Honors ability to recognize her students classes during a global pandemic, in person. they’re superstars,” said Saito.

It’s an election semester for LMCAS

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Associated Students board conducted elections for officer positions within the college’s student government on May 3 to May 5 and as of press time, results were expected to be finalized and announced Jeffrey Bui is running May 13.

Five positions were open for president in the election, and three of student candidates ran unopposed. government.

Jef frey Bui sought the office of LMCAS president, Oswaldo Zanella ran for treasurer and Marian Martinez hoped to become commissioner of campus events.

Since they ran unopposed, they are expected to be elected when the results are in.

No one was on the ballot for the office of vice president.

The one seat that had opposing candidates striving for the position was the commissioner of publicity and outreach with Jacob Boyle and Tina Basu as the possible choices.

According to Teresea Archaga, director of Student Life, winning candidates must receive more than 50% of the votes.

“In the event the results are not more than 50%, a run-off election would occur for that specific officer position,” she said.

A run-off election would be a more detailed look at the voting, and the outcome of the race would be determined by the specific number of votes that each candidate received.

The responsibilities and duties of each position are posted on page 6 of the LMCAS bylaws, which can be found on the LMC website.

Archaga described the process for students to be placed on the ballot to run for office and how the candidates are elected.

“Officer candidates are nominated by current LMCAS board members primarily and then voted on by the entire student body during

elections,” she said.

Terms of office are for the full 2022-2023 academic year. After the term is up, another election will occur at the end of spring 2023 for students to have another chance at becoming an LMCAS officer.

The LMCAS meets every Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters.

Due to graduations and transfers, there are open senate seats for the fall semester.

If you are interested in participating in student government next year, consider applying to become a senator in the fall.

If you’re just interested in knowing what the board is doing or voicing your opinion on campus topics, meetings are also open to the public.

“LMCAS uses activity and representative fees that the student body pays to create budgets that support such initiatives such as Library Textbook Reserves, Bookstore Loan Program, LMC Marketplace, campus events and activities and more,” said Archaga.

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“Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.”

— Edward Bulwer Lytton

‘Multiverse of Madness’ is a fun ride The MCU expands

By KAI ARELLANO Staff Writer

Marvel Studios’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is another fun and experimental foray into the superhero cannon. In the film, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has to deal with the consequences of opening up portals into the multiverse from “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

As he battles with the monsters in the multiverse, he also meets America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a multiverse-hopping girl who brings him across the multiverse to meet more variations of himself while on the run from the possessed and angry Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), who has become the Scarlet Witch.

The film is directed by Sam Raimi, who you might know as the director of the original Spiderman Trilogy, and you see a lot of his creative influences in the execution. You not only see excellent camera work and entertaining action sequences but you also get to see the multiple perspectives of the characters as they jump through the different universes Rotating angles, sharp cuts and spinning movements make this movie more enjoyable and interactive like a roller coaster—a huge difference

REVIEW

Gospel and grime together

IMDb

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” opens up the possibility for more heroes to enter the cinematic universe. from the rest of Marvel’s catalog.

Raimi even puts a horror twist in this movie, with some of the influences seemingly coming from his horror movie series “The Evil Dead.” He made the Scarlet Witch more of a horror villain that the characters have to run from, with plenty of jump scares in the mix. Even when you think it’s safe, the Scarlet Witch always finds a way

to catch up to surprise the characters and audience.

With this movie being inspired by the comics, it seems that the film would be the most exciting for the knowledgeable comic book fans, as Raimi adds new unseen characters into the universe. The movie features some unexpected cameos that people will come to instantly recognize along

with an appearance of a huge comic book powerhouse. The movie has a lot of easter eggs and small little finds that any comic book fan would love to analyze and find throughout the movie.

With the introduction of the multiverse, it’s meant to open up new stories and introduce more into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s not going to have any huge stakes that may cause

Lorde connects with audience in concert

By DYLAN DAVIDSON Staff Writer

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

Avid gospel listeners and members of Professor Silvester Henderson’s class gathered online as they listened to and watched the virtual 27th Annual Gospel Celebration Concert on Saturday, May 7 at 7 p.m.

This was the second year the annual concert was held on Zoom due to the pandemic.

Admission was free to the public, with the password provided on the LMC Music Event website for attendees.

Students and special guests recorded their performances from home and the videos were then compiled and presented in a slide show format.

The event opened with an introduction by Henderson of what the concert would consist of. Henderson is director of vocal and choral studies and coordinator of LMC’s piano studies area, who also directed this Gospel Celebration.

The concert highlighted performances by the LMC Virtual Gospel Choir, as well as performances from local guests, including the LMC Gospel Caravan, LMC Cham-

this universe to be destroyed or be put into permanent jeopardy, instead it just expands upon the character Doctor Strange and adds the possibility of more superheroes into the MCU. Anyone can go grab a family member, a friend or a significant other and go watch this on the biggest screen you can find, because this movie is a ride you’ll most definitely enjoy.

Michael Benedian • Experience

Professor Silvester Henderson performs a solo on piano. ber Chorale, UC Berkeley’s Young Inspiration Gospel Choir, LMC Nu School and LMC Local Celebrity Vocalists Randi Brooks, Jef frey Scott Sr. and Carol Bussey.

The concert also featured a performance from guest artist James Monroe Iglehart, who is a Tony award-winning actor and Broadway star notable for his leading role as the genie in “Aladdin.”

The concert theme, “Gospel & Grime Music: Creative Unifiers that Support Students of Color” brought together the genre of gospel with grime music, an electronic style of rap that emerged in London in the early 2000s.

To aid in the discussion of grime and gospel music’s connection, Dr. Monique Charles, a grime music researcher, cultural sociologist, theorist and methodologist from the University of West London

gave a talk as a motivational speaker. In her discussion of grime music, Charles explained how gospel music and gospel in grime music can support young people.

“Engaging in this space can be a real source of unification and empowerment for those people who are actually downtrodden,” said Charles.

Apart from the performances, the concert also encouraged people to sign up for Music 66, LMC’s Gospel Choir class.

Diane Lemay, who is with the LMC Gospel Choir, credits her involvement in the choir for her improvement.

“I used to be nervous and now I’ll get up and sing in front of anyone right now,” said Lemay in the concert video.

The process of setting up an event like this took a lot of hard work.

Henderson explained the planning process, consisting

of things like finding special guests to perform, creating rehearsal videos and getting funding.

“Planning this event is creatively challenging, yet super innovative,” Henderson said.

The entire project and concert was put together by him, who said that it took about a year for it to be fully finished.

Henderson thinks the concert was a success and is “100% satisfied” with how it turned out.

Attendees in the audience clapped and cheered on camera after each song, showing appreciation for the performers displaying their singing abilities.The event reached a total of 108 live viewers at its peak and Henderson expects it to be viewed by more than 1,000 people in the following days.

In case you were not able to catch the concert, it is posted on Henderson’s YouTube channel, Professor Man.

When it comes to concerts and live shows, there is usually a desired aspect missing: intimacy. When hundreds of fans attend a concert, they are all only able to witness the performer on stage, singing their most popular songs and rarely injecting their personality into the performance.

On May 5, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, New Zealand born artist Lorde proved that intimacy can be brought to over 500 people.

The San Francisco show was one of the first stops on Lorde’s Solar Powered Tour, which commemorates her newest album “Solar Power.”

After the release of her critically acclaimed “Melodrama” album in 2017, Lorde quit social media and attempted to “return to her normal life.”

In that timeframe where she was absent from the public eye, she presented the “Solar Power” album to the world, about five years after her last major release. The album is about her reconnecting with her non-celebrity lifestyle along with nature.

The stage was set for an incredible tour and when it came time, Lorde did not disappoint. The May 5 show was opened by Remi Wolf, a pop artist who hails from nor thern California. Wolf

made it very clear that she grew up visiting and spent a lot of time in San Francisco, which made the crowd roar back in praise. Despite being significantly less popular than her New Zealander counterpart, her performance along with the crowd’s assistance ended up being a notable part of the night.

After Wolf finished her set, a dim light shined over the crowd for about 30 minutes as stage hands worked their way through the shadows on stage, wheeling things around and getting everything into place. Finally, the lights went dark and a single dim orange light found itself lingering on stage, hanging over a massive scaled-up sun-dial. The sun dial would slowly rotate around, revealing Lorde sitting in a compartment built into it. The crowd erupted, and the artist giggled off the nerves.

She would go on to introduce herself, and welcome the audience. Lorde would remark that she had just gotten over a recent sickness and commented on how great it felt to finally be out of bed, especially for such an occasion. This casual type of conversation would persist throughout the show, never droning on for too long and always keeping the crowd engaged. The artist would even say later that she See LORDE, page 7

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“Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard.”

— Tim Notke

Training hard to be a firefighter Tirnetta talks journey

build, having a nice house, raising a family of five, taking trips to Tahoe and The bright red flashing lights of Hawaii every year, I want that exact an ambulance and the sudden loud life for my family,” Tirnetta said. “I horn or sirens of a fire truck evoke want to be able to take my kids and feelings of fear and dread for most wife on trips and have a nice house, people. However, when it comes to I know that I’ll be able to supply that 19-year-old Dominick Tirnetta, he is if I have a nice job like this.”

As a boy, he has many memories different from the others. The Los Medanos College freshman takes in of being at the firehouse and hearing the stories of the these sights and sounds experienced firefighters. with a feeling of exciteThe memories brought ment and opportunity. joy to his face and the “Breaking stuff down, stories fascinated him as taking out fires, physical a kid. Among his favorite stuff like that. Driving a memories are visiting the truck, driving the fire firehouse for Christmas engine, that’s what I want with his father. to do,” Tirnetta said.

“Seeing all the pictures Not many high school from their biggest fires, students know what they the engines and trucks, want to do for a career seeing everything they after graduating. For a do and all their gear. I lot of them, they think was like, ‘This is what they have an idea of what I want to do’,” he said. plan to pursue, but those Being surrounded by plans can change. For the firefighter lifestyle Tirnetta however, He’s made for a clear path always wanted to be a in Tirnetta’s mind as to firefighter since middle what he would do for a school and has already living the rest of his life. taken the proper steps in Dominick Tirnetta his journey to becoming wears his firefighter However, as clear as the gear. path may have seemed one. for him, he’s already It’s as if Tirnetta was born to be a firefighter, with both faced plenty of obstacles, including his dad and older brother setting his own doubts.

“I doubted myself, thinking about the stage for him as firemen. His dad worked as a driver for most of all the people that have failed throughhis career before becoming a fire out the journey because they couldn’t investigator and his 21-year-old pass a test or didn’t have the time for brother is currently a paramedic it,” he said. “ I thought, ‘Am I really cut out for all these physical jobs firefighter in San Diego.

See FIRE, page 7 “Seeing what my dad was able to

By GRIFFIN SMITH Staff Writer

Photos courtesy of Dominick Tirnetta

Dominick Tirnetta sits in the EMT vehicle he works in for Eagle Ambulance.

Taeb races to Berkeley in a year

By KATRINA ANABO Staff Writer

Seventeen-year-old high school senior Nela Taeb is in bed when she hears a sudden ringtone from her phone. She scoops it off her nightstand and silently reads the notification: “University of California Berkeley admissions has updated.”

Taeb’s eyes widen and her heart pounds harder than ever before. She takes her laptop, runs downstairs and tells her family that “the email” has arrived. Ever yone huddles around her on a sofa in the living room. Taeb’s mother reaches for her phone and records Taeb’s biggest moment.

Taeb places her shaky hands on the laptop touchpad and finds the email from U.C. Berkeley. She takes a deep breath and quickly clicks it open. It becomes silent. Taeb’s mother stops recording, she looks at Taeb’s father and her smile turns into a frown. A tear rolls down Taeb’s cheek as she can only think of one word to describe the email she received from U.C. Berkeley: “rejected.”

After the rejection, Taeb considered her options and applied to Los Medanos College with the goal of graduating in one year with grades phenomenal enough to transfer to her dream university in the fall of 2022.

“The day after I was rejected, UCLA, she wasn’t able to go I realized that my only choice because she was married and was to apply for community had to stay home and cook for college, that’s what I needed to her husband and be a young do so I might as well make the housewife.” best of it and take advantage Her mother also gave birth of the opportunities given to to Taeb at a young age, so both me,” she said. parents had Through to drop out of h a r d w o r k “My motivation is school to take and dedica- my parents and care of her. tion, Taeb did For as long finish LMC in I do it for them. as she can rea year, applied But somewhere member, her again to U.C. mother and Berkeley and along the way, I father treated was recently am doing this for education as accepted to a top priority h e r d r e a m myself as well” due to this ex— Nela Taeb perience. school. To anyone else, Her mom it seemed almost impossible ended up going back to school, for her to finish LMC in a year; earning a degree and becoming it would be tons of work, but successful in accounting. She Taeb aimed her arrow and pushed education on Taeb beshot perfectly at the target. cause she wanted her daughter What motivated her to finish to succeed early.

LMC so quickly?

“My parents have always Taeb’s mother and her emphasized that I go to a family immigrated from Af- good school, stay focused and ghanistan to America in 1985 do well in school so I won’t after becoming refugees in have to struggle as much as Pakistan. Her mother’s family they did— they have initially resided in San Leandro where done so much for me so it is they lived a traditional Afghan the least I can do,” she said. lifestyle where education is Taeb said her parents’ stories important but young marriages inspired her to be the best in are normalized. school and a switch inside her “My mom got married super, brain sparked as her educasuper, super young,” said Taeb. tional journey began.

“When she had gotten into “My motivation is my par-

ents and I do it for them,” she said. “But somewhere along the way, I am doing this for myself as well.”

Taeb, now 18, spent the most of her life in Brentwood where she attended elementar y, middle and high school. Her parents’ stories echoed through her head as she attended classes every day.

She made sure to achieve the highest grades in each class and challenged herself to take advanced placement courses to prepare for college. She even took on extracurricular activities to interact with others and gain experience.

Taeb ended up attaining a 4.3 grade point average and ranked No. 32 out of almost 700 students in her high school class. So why wouldn’t a scholar like Taeb get into her dream school?

“Now that I look back, damn, I did not do enough,” she said.

“Me being rejected from U.C. Berkeley motivated me to work harder, pay attention to school and do my research this time around.”

Determined to tr y again, Taeb applied to LMC in the summer of 2021. As a result of her motivation in high school, seven of the 11 AP classes she took were eligible for college credit. In addition, she enrolled in three summer courses after

Photo courtesy of Nela Taeb

Nela Taeb dressed in her cap and gown for her high school graduation on June 3, 2021. graduation, including advanced composition, calculus and a coding class, all while maintaining a part-time job. She had about half the units she needed for transfer before the fall semester even began.

A now-relaxed Taeb sits with arms crossed as she reminisces about how difficult that

summer was: “[The classes] were all 16 week courses that had to be slimmed down to six weeks. It was hella work dude, I didn’t leave the house for six weeks straight, it was horrible.”

But Taeb stayed strong and finished all of her summer See QUICK, page 7

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“I can honestly tell you that I would play in the NFL for free.”

— Troy Polamalu

Atreyu Hinckley TREY’S THOUGHTS

NFL receivers are overpaid

Joseph Giddings • Experience

Mustangs catcher Yuto Sato practices catching and blocking balls during practice drills on Wednesday, May 11.

Mustangs clinch Bay Valley

Team aims for success in playoffs

By GRIFFIN SMITH Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Mustang’s regular season has officially come to an end, but the fun is just beginning. The Mustangs won the Bay Valley Conference with a record of 16-5 in conference and 28-14 overall, qualifying them for the CCCAA Baseball Championships Playoffs.

Down the final stretch of the season, LMC held off Marin College to claim their conference championship, winning the conference by one game. The Mustangs didn’t lose a single series in conference play, crucial to the final outcome of becoming Bay Valley champs.

LMC Athletic Director Richard Villegas spoke about the success of the program as a whole.

“This is the third championship in a row for our baseball program,” Villegas said. “Under Head Coach Anthony D’Albora’s leadership our baseball team has qualified for post season play seven times in the past 10 years.”

The coaching of D’Albora helped this team secure the number eight seed in the CCCAA playoffs, which set up an eight vs. nine seed matchup against Merced College. The Mustangs were able to make quick work of Merced,

winning the first two games of the three-game series with scores of 14-10 and 15-2.

“There’s plenty of guys having statistically good seasons,” A’lbora said. “But I’d say I’m more proud they’ve continued to find ways to keep it simple and keep competing for all the little wins each day.”

The Mustangs prepare for a second round series against the No. 1 seed Ohlone College.

Ohlone put up an impressive 20-0 record in their conference and overall record of 40-3.

Catcher and outfielder Bubba Rocha,talked about the team’s feelings on the tall task ahead.

“The team’s emotions can be summed up in one word, and that’s grateful,” Rocha said.

“Everyone is just happy to be given the chance to compete against opposing competitors that have shown they have a talented squad.”

Rocha explained how the team has grown since the start of the season, when they lost five of their first seven games. The Mustangs were able to bounce back, winning six of their next seven, getting into the rhythm they would ride the remainder of the season.

“Although we didn’t start off very hot at the beginning of the season, it allowed us to learn one another’s strengths and weaknesses,” he

Joseph Giddings • Experience

Outfielder Bubba Rocha fields a ball. said. “As the season went on, we began to mesh which led us to continue to win more series.”

LMC will play the best out of three game series at Ohlone with game one on Friday, May 13 at 2 p.m., game two on May 14 at 1 p.m., and, if necessary, game three on May 15 at noon. Admission for identified students, senior citizens and children under the age of 12 start at $8 while general admissions start at $12. The Mustangs look to perform the upset and keep their successful season alive by advancing to the third round of the CCCAA playoffs.

LMC falls short against Laney in thriller

By GRIFFIN SMITH Staff Writer

The Los Medanos College Mustangs took the field against the Laney College Eagles April 28 in the final home game of the regular season. In an extra-inning shootout thriller the Mustangs came up short 7-6.

LMC went into the game having just beat Laney on their own turf 4-3 and holding the No. 1 spot in Bay Valley Conference standings with Marin College just one game back. The series was the last of the regular season and had big playoff implications for the team.

Mustangs Head Coach Anthony D’Albora emphasized how this series is no different from any of the others, and said that the team’s approach remains the same.

“We have to find a way to win the week, and it won’t be done any different than before.” D’Albora said. “We need to execute the routine in everything we do, and we need to challenge ourselves to compete for the next pitch and each pitch as best we can.”

LMC started off hot offensively, scoring a run in each of the first two innings with an RBI groundout from first baseman Casey Vogan and an RBI double from shortstop Colton Trudeau.

The pitching for the Mustangs also started out strong, allowing Laney only two runs through six innings. Jack Saylor, No. 27, was the starter for LMC, pitching only two innings and allowing one earned run. Xavier Nelson, No.16, went in as relief, pitching four solid

innings with five strikeouts and one earned run.

Laney managed to put up another couple runs, one in the seventh inning and one in the eighth, while also preventing the Mustangs from scoring between the third and eighth innings. The score stood at 4-2 entering the bottom of the ninth.

In a do-or-die situation, the Mustangs came through thanks to an RBI single by outfielder Parker Judy, No. 22, and an RBI double by catcher Yuto Sato. Although LMC tied up the game in the ninth, they had a golden opportunity to win the game.

But Judy was called out stealing second in a controversial call.

Shortly after, Trudeau hit a double that would’ve caused Judy to score

Griffin Smith • Staff Writer

Xavier Nelson winds up to throw a pitch against Laney. and win the game for the team.

“It was pretty terrible, especially considering how important the play was.” Judy said. “But we had our See JUDY, page 7

In the last few seasons of the NFL, there have been big contracts being signed by players.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed a 4-year $200 million dollar contract with the Green Bay Packers, with $150 million of it guaranteed. With contracts like these, we are seeing a ripple effect of players expecting to be paid a lot for their play. But do some of these players deserve these types of contracts?

Aaron Rodgers is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, so his contract comes as no surprise. But now we have players who are beginning to see the NFL more for the money than for the love of the game, most notably players who play the wide receiver position.

In the offseason, one of the first free agent wide receivers to receive a big contract was Christian Kirk. The contract he signed to leave the Arizona Cardinals and join the Jacksonville Jaguars is 4-years for $72 million dollars.

Kirk has shown flashes of being a good receiver, but the numbers Kirk has posted so far in his young career makes him a No. 2 receiver at best. Kirk is being paid like he’s a No. 1 receiver and since he was the first receiver to sign a major contract in the offseason, all other star receivers have taken notice.

Davante Adams, Aaron Rodgers’s most trusted receiver, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and signed a 5-year $141.25 million dollar extension with the team. Next was Tyreek Hill, who was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins, and then signed a 4-year $120 million dollar extension with them, with $72.2 million of the contract guaranteed.

Adams and Hill are easily two of the best receivers in the NFL, but these two recievers alone are making a combined $261.25 million dollars.

Yes they have the speed, good footwork to make plays, and great hands to catch. However, Adams and Hill had Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback, who are elite quarterbacks.

This brings up Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. He has yet to make a decision whether he wants to sign an extension with the team, keep the contract he is already under with the team, or to be traded to another team and sign an extension there.

Samuel had an insane year in the 2021-22 NFL season. He played both wide receiver and running back, or as he called it a “wide-back,” and put up some eye opening numbers, even with Jimmy Garropolo at quarterback who was average at best.

The issue with Samuel is prior to this season, he dealt with injuries. It isn’t guaranteed he can replicate the numbers he put up again all while staying healthy. To make matters worse, he no longer be a wide back. We have yet to know the real reason as to why, but many speculate it’s because of the higher chance of getting injured playing two different positions.

Unsurprisingly, Samuel wants to be paid a good amount of money whether he is a wide back or just a receiver. This caused speculation of whether or not Deebo wants to continue playing for the 49ers, if the 49ers think he is worth the money he seeks, and a ridiculous amount of rumors of Deebo being traded during the NFL draft.

Deebo ended up not being traded during the NFL draft, so that shows that the 49ers want to work things out with him. But the domino effect that occurred ever since Christian Kirk signed his contract revealed that receivers are more for the money this offseason. It is to the point where teams are looking to draft receivers from college who are praised by scouts and hope they pan out than to sign proven receivers.

AJ Brown had a similar scenario to Deebo Samuel. But since the Tennessee Titans didn’t want to pay him what he wanted, they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. He would then sign a 4-year $100 million dollar extension with the Eagles and the Titans would draft receiver Treylon Burks to replace Brown with the pick they got from the Eagles for Brown.

The NFL is starting to face a problem with the contracts receivers are being paid. If contracts like these keep up, we will be seeing receivers get paid over $40 million a year a few years from now.

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Katrina Anabo • Experience

Alexia Riccabona, Nayeli Gutierrez and Jose Ballesteros play ball.

TRANSFER From page 1

loose and have a great time. Photo booths and cap decorating stations were also set up inside the Student Union for transfer students to partake in as well.

Many who attended came by to grab snacks, hang around the quad and play games with other fellow transfer and graduating students.

But most importantly, students came to celebrate themselves for accomplishing such a huge milestone

JUDY

by graduating and transferring.

LMC transfer student Brandon Zeidan is planning to transfer to San Francisco State University in the fall and feels accomplished through his journey at LMC and proud of his academic career.

“Going to LMC for three years and finally transferring is definitely an accomplishment considering how hard it has been these past few years,” said Zeidan.

From page 6

chances after and didn’t get it done.”

Entering extra innings Jake Guardiancic, No. 35, took the mound in an attempt to close the game out. With the recently added extra innings runner rule, a base runner starts on second base. Even with this rule, Guardiancic pitched four innings, striking out three and allowing three runs.

Neither team was able to score in the 10th. However, both sides exchanged runs in the 11th and 12th innings, knotting the score at 6-6 going into the 13th. Once again, the Eagles were able to score, putting pressure on the Mustangs, down by one in the bottom of the 13th.

LMC eventually worked the bases loaded with two outs. In a position where a base hit would win the game, catcher Sato came up to bat. After fighting to a full count Sato struck

FIRE

out and the Eagles stormed the field with the final score Laney 7, LMC 6.

Designated hitter Bubba Rocha, No. 11, talked about what this loss means in the playoff picture with the season coming to a quick end.

“This loss against Laney has me fired up a little extra now because now we need to win our next game at their home field.” Rocha said. “If we win this next game our playoff hopes will be set because we will be set as a nice seed in the bracket.”

The Mustangs moved on to a mustwin game April 29 at Laney College with a record of 15-5 in conference and 25-14 overall.

“Hopefully this group keeps working hard to compete for and with each other on every pitch.” D’Albora said.

“I’m excited to watch them work to win the week and continue to move on to the next pitch from there.”

From page 5

and mental tests, all the studying?’”

Even with his own doubt, Tirnetta stayed the course and put in hours upon hours of study time to pass big exams like the national test and kept his body in prime physical condition.

Standing at 5 feet 9 inches and weighing in at 172 pounds, Tirnetta is well built and strong with a persistent workout routine. He hits the gym at least four times a week and uses his workout time as therapy, turning his stress into strength and clearing his mind.

Currently, Tirentta works as an EMT basic for Eagle ambulance, meaning he primarily transports patients from their house to the hospital.

Already he has dealt with many different emergencies in his first few weeks on the job, including some life-threatening cases such as stroke and shock which can be scary to deal with as a newcomer.

“It’s nothing really that serious, just making sure the patient gets to where they need to go with the medical team,” he said.

Once Tirnetta finishes his school-

ing by transferring to Chabot College’s fire academy next year, he hopes to work for the Alameda County Fire Department. Wanting to stay in the Bay Area, he talked about why Alameda was the top fire department on his list of potential departments he would join.

“Alameda is the core of the Bay Area, you can cover Oakland or San Francisco,” Tirnetta said. “They also do boat operations and have helicopters and aircraft. They do it all.”

While Tirnetta has put in plenty of hard work and time to pass his classes, from becoming an EMT and being in a position to transfer for the fire academy, he claims to not be proud yet.

Although he is in a good position to achieve his dreams at the age of 19, he said there is still much work to be done.

“I know I’m where I need to be right now, but I know I’m not where I want to be,” he said. “Once I get past this fire academy I’ll be a little proud of myself, but I’m nowhere near where I want to be, I’ll get there soon though, real soon.”

RIBBON

From page 5 had bands play as much as a song would seem to allow.

The first half of the performance was mostly filled with songs from the “Solar Power” album, sprinkled with four songs from the “Melodrama” record. Lorde’s vocals along with the crowd singing along were gorgeous, and the soft lighting and trippy visual effects playing along the screen behind the stage all added up to create a fantastic and gorgeous spectacle.

For the encore, Lorde performed her two most popular songs off of her award winning album from 2013, “Pure Heroine.” This prompted a quick costume change, to a tight-fitting blacked out number that was reminiscent of the artist’s style at the time. The crowd roared along with to teenage-anthems “Team” and “Royals.” With a final farewell, Lorde departed from the stage, and an intimate night of music at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium had ended.

From page 1

from being crammed into a shopping center to having its own space. She discussed her time working there in 2006 and hearing about the first steps being made in the planning for the development Brentwood Center.

“Looking back, I’ve had the privilege to see the Brentwood Center grow and flourish throughout the years,” said Soto. “We continue to welcome and ser ve communities living in the far parts of Contra Costa County and we continue to inspire and motivate students on their journeys toward success.”

After the speeches were given, visitors were invited to take a tour of the facilities on the Brentwood Campus or to explore on their own.

Director of Admissions Rikki Hall led the tour and spoke about the

many rooms that were toured to the visitors, with the visitors being satisfied to see the campus thrive.

“The Brentwood Center just grew like crazy,” Stricker said. “It really helped push growth throughout the entire district and it’s really been a great place for our students in the far east county to come here and learn.”

Despite setbacks such as the pandemic and the flooding incident, the Brentwood Center bounced back and has shaped up to be a welcome addition for LMC and the communities in Contra Costa County. From being next to a grocery department to having its own space, it’s another step for LMC and its mission to provide communities with access to education and to empower students to achieve their goals.

STRESS From page 1

“I think taking care of your body also goes into taking care of your mental health,” Silahua-Tyaeda said.

“Stay hydrated, make sure you’re eating well, get good sleep.”

When facing stress over finals, students can be overly harsh on themselves, impacting their academic performance. Though everyone experiences academic anxiety, Bhargav urges that students should be kind to themselves during this time and focus on what is important.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.

There are some things you should not stress over if it’s out of your control,” said Bhargav. “Definitely try to stress over things in your control.”

Many college students are balancing not only finals but also jobs, family matters, and other pressing issues. One can feel spread thin over finals week, but you can avoid stress by giving yourself some free time.

“You can make a plan for yourself.

Put family time in that, put self-care time in that and also give yourself time to do each assignment,” Gutierrez said.

Self-care is a vital factor to maintaining mental wellbeing, especially if school work is taxing to deal with.

Taking time to do hobbies you love can provide hope and clarity to anyone grappling with academic pressure.

“Do activities that you think are going to help you destress while studying for finals,” Silahua-Tyeda said. “Also look forward to after finals since we get to go on summer break.”

Active Minds Club member Ashley Cervantes agrees with Silahua-Tyeda, as she said students need to relax and reflect on their anxiety toward finals.

“I think that at this stressful time and month of the semester, you forget we have to have time for ourselves and just to breathe and step down and just look at the whole situation knowing you are going to be ok,” said Cervantes.

Finals week is daunting, but if students develop good studying practices and healthy mental habits, they will be able to use these learned habits in the future during stressful times.

“Any work that you’re putting in now is going to be to your benefit in the future,” Silahua-Tyeda said.

As the end of the school year approaches, keeping your psyche in good shape can drastically improve your experience and make sure that you end your academic year strong.

MOON From page 8

as though you are viewing a six-hour long movie rather than a television show. Such improvements in quality set up high expectations for the future of Mar vel-television, such as upcoming shows “Ms. Marvel,” “She-Hulk” and “Secret Invasion.”

Fans of the MCU and all of its

— Sun Tzu

QUICK

From page 4

enjoyed smaller venues like the Bill Graham, because it felt as if she was connecting with old friends, asking how they were doing, who they were dating, what they had been eating.

It was moments like this that made the show feel more intimate.

The performance itself also helped greatly in adding to the intimate aspect as well as most of Lorde’s music being soft and interpersonal.

I have never personally been to a pop-concert before, only ever going to grittier rap or rock concerts where an aggressive energy overtook the atmosphere. I felt as if there wouldn’t be as much energy but there absolutely was, just in a much different manner. A crowd full of people singing along with Lorde’s moody bedroom pop was sort of cathartic, almost as if everyone in the crowd were empathizing on the same level. An impressive feat to mention was that neither Lorde or Remi Wolf used any sort of lip-syncing techniques, and

7

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

previous film productions should definitely check out the newest addition to Marvel’s line of on-screen heroes and uncover the myster y behind Oscar Isaac’s “Moon Knight.”

The six-episode season of “Moon Knight” can be viewed in all of its entirety on the Disney Plus.

courses with straight A’s. She continued to pave her way through LMC, taking a total of 10 courses in the regular academic year, five in the fall and five in spring. Finishing LMC within a year is not easy. Taeb said she struggled to gain support from LMC counselors who did not believe she could complete LMC’s transfer courses in less than a year.

Taeb met with a counselor during the fall semester as she was registering for spring courses. The counselor advised her she was not going to be able to do well taking so many required classes and suggested she stay another year at LMC. Taeb knew her own abilities and didn’t let those words discourage her.

She took it upon herself to research and apply for the spring classes she needed and then achieved all A’s.

After admission notices started arriving in April, Taeb was happy to announce she has been accepted to her dream school. She will be attending U.C. Berkeley in the fall of 2022 and major in data science. She not only emphasizes how rewarding it is to be accepted into her dream school, but also is grateful for the positive changes LMC made in her life.

“Attending LMC wasn’t just an educational opportunity,” she said.

“I felt like I grew as a person and I also became closer to my family than ever before.”

Despite the stress of tr ying to transfer in a year, Taeb appears just like any other freshman completing their first year at LMC. She dressed in a graphic-tee along with fitted dark blue jeans to match her dark blue oversized cardigan. She wears flashy silver jewelry to accentuate her look and shows off henna tattoos that cover her hands to represent her completion of Ramadan.

She likes reading books during her free time and her playlists consist of rap songs sung by her favorite artists. She enjoys telling silly jokes, hanging out with her friends when she has the time and she loves a good warm matcha latte from Starbucks on a cold day.

But now, this freshman appears like any other sophomore looking forward to attending U.C. Berkeley in the fall as a junior.

Taeb is sitting comfortably, with legs crossed, as she speaks about her future at U.C. Berkeley.

“I am so excited to room with my roommates. We have been talking for the past couple of days on social media and we all have similar interests and want to join the same clubs,” she said.

Despite all the hard work it took to finish community college in a year, Taeb plans to keep the same mindset she had at LMC and bring it with her to U.C. Berkeley.

She is still in a hurry and now dreams of attending graduate school and becoming a successful woman in STEM.

CAGE From page 8

satisfying considering that we barely knew the character or were introduced to them beforehand, and the whole act felt like just a contrived way to make Cage save his relationship with his family.

Although the last act is rather weak, it doesn’t subtract much from the film, as it is still entertaining throughout its 1 hour and 47 minute runtime.

For a long time, Cage has been viewed as a sort of joke or meme, especially on the internet. “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” however, is a sweet tribute to its star, acknowledging both his lifelong legacy and what is to come for the actor. If you are a fan of the actor, the film honors its star with hilarity, heart and respect.

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“Everybody learns differently and everbody gets to a certain point from a different direction.”

— Stan Lee

‘Northman’ full of revenge

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Staff Writer

Robert Eggers’ “The Northman” is a brutal yet captivating tale of both fantasy and adventure, following Prince Amleth’s quest for honor and revenge throughout the Scandinavian landscape.

With a plot like something out a Shakespearean-drama, the story follows the betrayal of the Icelandic prince, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), and his road to avenge the death of his father, King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke), by the hands of his Uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang) and reclaim what was once taken from him. In doing so, Amleth must face the forces of both man and nature as he unleashes his inner beast with the wrath of Valhalla at his side, all in an attempt to fulfill his destiny.

The quality and scale of the film’s production

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Alexander Skarsgård as he pillages an Icelandic village in Focus Features’ newest film, “The Northman.” does not go unnoticed, as you become fully immersed within the world of the story. Whether it be on land or sea, you are joining Amleth as he experiences his trials and tribulations and the pressing dangers that surround him, through the work of Egger’s masterful direction and cinematography which contribute to the film’s immersive viewing experience.

In addition, the performances of Skarsgård, and Anya Taylor-Joy as his co-star and love interest, Olga, are the film’s standouts, as their connection will have you rooting for them at all times as they wreak havoc on the lands of the treacherous king. While the performances of Skarsgård and Taylor-Joy are the best of

the film, the entirety of the cast shows their dedication toward the work of Eggers and the world that he presents through their overall synergy and acting prowess.

Skarsgård releases the “beast within” in many of the film’s more brutal and gory action scenes, depicting a more accurate representation of what a medieval duel or pillage may have been like at a time filled with Vikings, witchcraft and mysticism.

Despite this however, those looking for an action-packed experience rather than a story-driven one may find themselves disappointed as the film’s fight scenes are few and far between. When they are shown though,

it will leave you with a lasting impact and wanting even more throughout the remainder of the film.

This film has only gained the attention of a few throughout the world, with its mere $50 million box office revenue in the six weeks since its release, but it may just end up being the best film that this year has to offer. If you are experiencing any skepticism or doubt towards viewing the film, I highly encourage you to go against such presumptions and view the hard work of all those involved with its production and success while you still can, and witness the brutality of Alexander Skarsgård and all of its glory.

Cage returns with ‘Talent’

By SARINA GROSSI Editor-in-Chief

In Hollywood, it’s common to refer to a movie as a “star-making vehicle,” something that cements that an actor or actress is a star. It is incredibly rare to see a film be a “star-affirming vehicle,” featuring someone we have seen for decades and works as a sort of redemption film rather than an introduction.

“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” directed by Tom Gormican, highlights Nicolas Cage in his most personal role yet, himself.

As previously mentioned, the film follows Cage as himself, a once successful actor that is now struggling to find a job and to connect with his family. Down

REVIEW

IMDb

Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal lay by the poolside in “Massive Talent.”

‘Moon Knight’ is intriguing

on his luck, Cage agrees to take a job where he attends the birthday party of his biggest fan (and possibly the most notorious arms dealer in the world), Javi (Pedro Pascal). As their friendship grows, Cage is recruited by a CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish) to uncover the kidnapping plot Javi might possibly be involved in.

With a plot like that, the movie sounds ridiculous— and it is, in the best way possible. With the film focusing on Cage, an actor known for his exaggerated performances in a wide array of movies, the movie needed to be a cheesy, wacky adventure, and it definitely delivered as it didn’t take itself too seriously. From a scene showing Cage and Pascal struggle to run away from two

random old men while inebriated to a whole secret room owned by Javi memorializing Cage including a life size wax figure of the actor, the film revels in its campiness, providing a delightful watch.

A particular highlight is the chemistr y between Cage and Pascal. Both actors appear to be having the time of their lives, becoming best friends in the process. It almost makes the audience feel like a third-wheel, as they seem to just get each other in a special way.

The main issue with the film is the stakes of the main conflict, as the last act of the film feels like it turns into a straight action movie with no motivation behind it. The secret villain reveal wasn’t very

See CAGE, page 7

Marvel brings mystery back to the universe

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS Staff Writer

With the highly anticipated arrival of the newest hero into the Mar vel Cinematic Universe, Mar vel Comics’s character “Moon Knight” reintroduces intrigue and mystery into the franchise, paving the way for new and fresh takes on the on screen adaptation of Marvel’s fan favorite heroes.

Throughout the television series, the story follows Marc Spector and Steven Grant as they serve as the crescent cr usader Moon Knight. They enact the will of Khonshu, the Egyptian god of time and the moon, as he seeks vengeance for those who have been wronged through the superhuman abilities of his vengeful servant. By the end of

REVIEW

the six-episode season, comic book fans and average viewers alike will find themselves rooting for the story’s unlikely pair, as they work together to solve their differences for the fate of the world.

Oscar Isaac’s portrayal as Marc Spector is fantastic as he seamlessly juggles between the brash yet collected personality of Marc Spector and his anxious and diffident personality counterpart, Steven Grant.

Through both personalities, Isaac provides an entertaining viewing experience filled with heroism and self discovery as he handles the subjects of mental health and childhood trauma with care.

While the performance of Isacc shines through as the show’s main protagonist, May El Calamawy and Ethan Hawke excel in their roles as the love

interest and main antagonist of the series, pairing well together in their trio of good and evil. Any scene featuring one of these three characters is sure to be enjoyable and will leave you even more invested in the storyline as it progresses throughout the show.

Due to the contrast between the character’s darker source material and the family friendly image of Marvel’s productions, the limitations to the violence and action within the show are heavily apparent, often opting out of the depiction of the show’s more violent and explicit scenes through the usage of jump cuts and offscreen deaths. Despite this however, Marvel manages to deliver a satisfying experience to the show’s seemingly limited portrayal of the character’s graphic background, providing

IMDb

Oscar Isaac as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s newest antihero, Moon Knight. you with just enough of the action associated with the antihero and the love that he holds in the hearts of fans.

As the sixth installment in

the Disney Plus’s line of Marvel television series, “Moon Knight” ups the ante for the quality of Mar vel Studio’s streaming exclusive produc-

tions. The cinematography and visual ef fects are like something out of a summer blockbuster, making you feel See MOON, page 7