Wal-Mart gives grant
Gimme Barry‘more’
Softball gets ready to win
The Wal-Mart Community Grant awards the science department $1,000 to buy new equipment — page 3
New Netflix Original Series “Santa Clarita Diet” is a twisted comedy with a bite — page 4
The Los Medanos College women’s softball team gears up for the new season — page 5
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LMC equity with a Kwist New dean brings enthusiasm to role By JOSE PANTOJA
jpantoja@lmcexperience.com
At the college level, equity can be roughly defined as the intentional commitment to fair and just treatment of all members of a university community, and inclusion can follow as the strategic integration of equity and diversity in every aspect of higher education. However, this broad definition only alludes to the involvement and responsibilities of Los Medanos College’s new dean of Equity and Inclusion, Sabrina Kwist. Kwist comes to LMC from Mills College and succeeds Interim Dean Ruth Goodin who retired in December. “I am really looking forward to learning through conversations, through attending events and looking
at what students, staff and faculty want in order to achieve equity and inclusion for the college,” said Kwist. As Dean of Equity and Inclusion, Kwist will hold a broad range of institutional and management responsibilities at LMC that include leading, coordinating, establishing and executing equity goals among students and faculty, co-chairing the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee and serving as a member of the president’s cabinet to name a few. “There was a long vetting process and we are very happy and excited about Sabrina,” said LMC President Bob Kratochvil. “She really enjoys students.” Her enthusiasm for students and community is apparent in her extensive involvement in academic and empowerment organizations. During
“Excellence is a daily practice, it’s holding yourself to standards and moving toward your dreams.” — Sabrina Kwist
her undergraduate education at the University of California, Santa Barbara, she dedicated time to the Program of Determined Students and the Associated Student Commission on Racial Equality. More recently, she was involved with the Solidarity Lounge and Summer Academic Workshop at Mills College, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership. See KWIST, page 6
A ‘digital’ achievement Safe Space program a go LMC will be holding Safe Space trainings twice a semester for faculty, staff and students so they are better educated on how to deal with issues facing the LGBTQ. In addition to these workshops, the program will encourage the LMC community to mark their classrooms, backpacks, etc. to indicate they support the LGBTQ community.
Job fliers misleading By PERRY CONTINENTE Staff Writer
Sign up for late classes Short-term classes are still available. Check online for class availability and waitlist information. For a full list of late-start classes visit losmedanos. edu/shortterm.
Fall in love with justice The California Association of Woke Students, also known as C.A.W.S., and the Honors Club are co-sponsoring a Black Lives Matter panel Tuesday, Feb. 14 at noon in L-109. Panelists include Bay Area civil rights attorney Dan Siegel. For additional information contact mclarck754@ insite.4cd.edu.
Experience • Jake Solarski
Former LMC student Martha Magosmbol, who is currently attending California State University, Northridge, reacts to her award for best digital art at the Annual Student Art Show via videochat as her brother Martin Magosmbol accepts the award in her behalf. See story and photos page 4.
Campus concerned over DeVos Students and employees react to her confirmation By ADRIA WATSON
awatson@lmcexperience.com
Looking for senators LMCAS is recruiting students who would like to become campus leaders. Weekly meetings are Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. in L-106. The deadline for applications is on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. in the Office of Student Life, but students are welcome to submit their applications earlier. For additional information contact John Nguyen at knguyen@losmedanos. edu.
Rogue ads on boards
Betsy DeVos was confirmed as the 11th U.S. Secretar y of Education by the Senate Tuesday, Feb. 7 after a historic tie-breaking vote — 51 to 50 — decided by Vice President Mike Pence. After some responses she made to questions posed to her at the Secretary of Education confirmation hearing Jan. 17 — including declining to directly answer whether or not guns should be allowed in schools, but instead used
a Wyoming school to explain that they may need guns there to protect them “from potential grizzlies” — more concerns were raised regarding whether or not DeVos was prepared, or even qualified, to hold the position. Additionally, DeVos being known as an advocate for char ter schools, private/ religious schools and vouchers — taxpayer money used to help pay a child’s tuition at a private school — has been criticized since the announceSee DEVOS, page 6
Perceived dangers for education
Experience photo illustration • Lissette Urbina and Adria Watson
Black history is being celebrated at LMC By JOSE PANTOJA
jpantoja@lmcexperience.com
To promote Black History Month on campus, Los Medanos College has dedicated its library display as well as extensive bulletin board coverage to the cause. In the spirit of cooperation, Student Life and the Art Club have collaborated on original art pieces of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accompanied by inspirational quotes. “We let everyone in the club know what we wanted to do and people wanted to contribute,” said Art Club member Manny Jimenez.
LMC has several events planned throughout the month of February in celebration of black history open to all students. “It is a campus-wide effort to promote solidarity,” said Director of Student Life Teresa Archaga. Student Life Services is also providing the opportunity for students, staff, faculty and members of the community to view a free screening of the new film, “Hidden Figures” at the Pittsburg Maya Cinema on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. A discussion will follow with the focus on how the film tackles topics of race and sexism still
prevalent in modern society. Student Life is also sponsoring a trip to the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2. This event will also be free to students. LMC Transfer Services is organizing a caravan to the Historically Black College University Fair at Diablo Valley College from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on February 15. “The event will be hosting 21 HBCUs and many will be offering on-the-spot admissions to students with transcripts,” said Transfer Ser vices Coordinator See BHM, page 6
It’s a new semester at Los Medanos College, familiar sights and sounds abound. Students swarm the quad, geese let out their terse honks, and, almost as iconic as the geese and the hustle and crowded courtyard, the halls are flooded with stark black and white adver tisements promising an attractive online job at www.studentworksite. com. Typing in the URL does not actually lead to studentworksite.com, but instead redirects to the equally mundane-sounding www.worklisting.org. The website itself is minimalistic to the point of being barren– a few lines of text and a thin blue bar are all that grace the page. Further inquiry into the site prompts an almost immediate link to a $12 paywall before the site can employ visitors. Joenil Mistal, adjunct professor of computer science who teaches a class on web design, was less than impressed with the website. When Mistal inspected the source code for the site, a warning popped up blocking any further inquiry. “They’re hiding something,” said Mistal, distressed by the pop-up’s interruption of his investigation. His suspicion deepened as the page proved to lack any contact information of any sort. “Usually there is a phone number you can call.” The website www.scamadviser.com is similarly wary of the website giving it a three percent safe rating and declaring it a “high risk” site. Other similar sites also advise against using the website. Mistal also scoffed at the site’s suspect craftsmanship, “I can create a [similar] website right now,” said Mistal. One simple copy and paste later and Mistal had created an identical page. “It’s pretty easy,” said Mistal after duplicating the page in under a minute. These fliers flood the halls at the beginning of every semester suddenly and disappear just as quickly, leaving only a few stragglers hanging on in classrooms or taped to concrete columns. Fugitive fliers continue See FLIER, page 6
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“Don’t try to make poetry out of the blood on your hands.”
— Keisha, Alice Isn’t Dead
Samantha Hernandez
Beatriz Hernandez
GUEST COLUMNIST
PERPETUALLY LOST
Americans are materialistic
Include others in feminism
America as a nation has become very materialistic, although people don’t realize it. For example, whenever a new iPhone is released, everyone seems to suddenly need a new phone. When iPhones are announced for release, everyone puts in his or her preorders and it’s sold out by the weekend. More often then not when a new iPhone is released there isn’t any drastic or improved changes. The only thing that does change is the camera quality, but in that case why not just by a good quality camera that will last you a longer time? All this spending on unnecessary products further proves our dependency on material objects. Another product that people are obsessed with are shoes. According to Statistic Brain, There are around 28,360 shoe stores. Payless and Foot Locker being one of the best known. Payless makes an annual sale of $3.8 billion with 4,470 stores, and Foot Locker makes $5.25 billion with 4,000 stores. I believe that although Payless has more stores the reason Foot Locker makes more sales annually is because the brands they carry. A very popular shoe brand that Foot Locker carries and sales out of almost immediately are Jordans. According to The Market Mogul, “In 1985 the shoe made $130 million in revenue.” In 1985 the shoe debuted and Nike expected $3 million dollars in the first year, but came out with higher revenue. I believe that since they saw how much they made off of the shoes they decided to increase the sale price. “When Air Jordan debuted in 1985 they cost $65,” which back then was still expensive for a pair of sport shoes and is “equivalent of about $136 today.” However, in 2002 the XVlls became the first sports shoes to retail for $200. “New Jordan’s sell for higher today,” said The Market Mogul. According to Citizen-Times, Nike manufactures Air Jordan in China and it costs them about $16 a pair. Nike is selling Jordan’s at around $200 when it only costs them about $16 to make one pair. People are more interested in the prestige and luxury it brings them, and don’t realize that they are paying a higher cost than what they are valued at. Americans are obsessed with material goods, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that it has to do with status. According to “Masters of Desire” by Jack Solomon, “American companies manufacture status symbols because American consumers want them.” Status symbols, according to the article are signs that identify their possessors’ place in a social hierarchy. By purchasing products that are higher price people assume they are of money or that they fit in. Whenever something is in trend everyone wants it no matter the cost of it. In Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation, there are supposedly five “levels of need that people strive to satisfy which are sur vival, safety, social, esteem, and fulfillment. This issue with materialism falls into the category of fufillment — the need for human beings to be able to have control over their own satifaction. People will leave or throw away their older version to buyer a new version because it is in trend, which continues the cycle. Businesses use this to their advantage because they know by having things in trend they will get money out of it, since after all Americans are very materialistic.
Diversity without inclusivity is useless. By definition feminism is the equality of genders, but at times it feels as though people forget about the importance of being intersectional. Feminism should work to help all affected by the patriarchy, including people of color and people of the LGBTQ+ community. When I attended the Women’s March in San Francisco following the Inauguration, in the midst of a diverse and passionate crowd of people, I couldn’t help but feel proud. With all of the injustices going on in the world and the fear of the Trump Administration, it felt comforting knowing there were people willing to stand up for what they felt was right. However, the more I looked around, the more I started noticing it — all the signs focused on “Pussy Power” and other versions of that phrase. It’s strange, as excited as I was to see steps taken toward the fight for justice before my eyes, it was clear to me what still lacked — inclusivity. Although reproductive rights are an important issue, it should be recognized that women are more than just their ability to conceive or not. Fighting at a Women’s March using solely phrases that reference a woman’s power coming from her vagina only perpetuates the idea that you have to have a vagina to be a woman. Doing so neglects the experience of the transgender community and only reduces people to their reproductive organs, which is one of the things feminism actively works against. While we live in a patriarchal society that tries to teach people that a woman’s only place in this world relies solely on having a vagina, the best course of action when fighting for equality should be to not to objectify women in the same way misogynists have. Within feminism, there are the people who misrepresent what the term means and taint the social connotation of the word. It can be frustrating to deal with anti-feminists who get the wrong idea that feminism is either misandry or just meant for certain people. It’s celebrities like Taylor Swift who like to preach about how wrong it is when they, a white privileged artist, are personally affected by the patriarchy, but stay silent when it comes to issues affecting others. Being a feminist isn’t about fighting for equality only when it affects you. It’s about standing up and fighting for others, especially when they don’t have a voice. This isn’t to invalidate Swift’s issues. She does face misogyny and slut-shaming in the industry, but as supportive and empowering as she can be for other white women, I can’t relate when the only issues she fights for relate to her and her struggles all while she plays the victim and disregards her privilege in society. Meanwhile in an open letter to Trump written by Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui, she recognized the privileges of being a white passing Latina and has used her platform to speak up on a multitude of social issues. It is important to recognize one’s own privileges despite your struggles. As a bisexual woman of color, I know I have struggle in this world, but as someone who is white passing, and who has had the ability to pass as straight through omission, I am privileged. In turn it is my job to make sure the voices of all are heard in addition to my own. Inclusivity isn’t about having one voice speak for all issues, but to give all their opportunity to have their voice heard.
Experience • Joey Fajardo
Editorial
Keep on pushing forward
A
ll eyes were on Lady Gaga this Sunday as she took the stage after a Super Bowl first half dominated by the Falcons. Though few were expecting a political manifesto from the singer, the absence of any direct political message was disheartening. Gaga, with her passionate LGBTQ fanbase, opened her set with “God Bless America” and a quick rendition of folk singer Woody Guthrie’s populist anthem “This Land is Your Land” before moving on to her hit “Born This Way” — which does contain references to gay and trans people — but oblique references on the world’s biggest stage feel wasted. Her 2016 Oscars performance of “Til It Happens to You,” a song written for campus rape documentary “The Hunting Ground,” was a powerful statement calling attention to American rape culture. The fact that this recent performance — in front of an audience many times larger than that of the Oscars — was largely apolitical is baffling, especially considering our President has admitted to regularly committing what the law and newly-confirmed Attorney General Jeff Sessions defines as sexaul assault. The opposition to President Donald Trump should not — and cannot — be led by celebrities. That said, we know that President Trump is hypersensitive to criticism from mass media, be it Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech admonishing bigotry or Alec Baldwin’s terrible but apparently effective impersonation of the Commander-in-Chief himself. The more time President Trump spends lashing out at celebrities on Twitter, the less time he has to sign catastrophic executive orders. It may be a silly strategy, but we’re living in a silly time. Gaga wouldn’t have been breaking ground, either. Just last year, Beyoncé walked on the field with a phalanx of women, all styled as Black Panthers, a massive statement to a country which has just begun to reckon with the issue of police brutality. Conservative media had a collective meltdown, and this was without a white supremacist in the White House. Gaga, faced with a fresh administration chock-full of misogynists and homophobes, chose a message so subtle that it went over the heads of most viewers, including Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s former organization Breitbart News, which cited her use of red, white and blue drones as the performance’s most political element. If the most easily outraged of your opponents cannot detect your protest, it is not an effective protest. Though many of the celebrity messaging during the election season was tone deaf, it’s far from impossible to convey a political statement that is humanist without being preachy. As stated earlier, celebrities should not be in the driver’s seat when it comes to resistance. But given one of the largest stages, there is a civic responsibility to amplify certain messages. Lady Gaga had the world’s ear, and said nothing.
What is this country coming to? I woke up the morning of January 20 to the inauguration ceremony of the 45th president of this country. It was not that I had planned on watching the ceremony, but I had fallen asleep the night before with the television on, and awoke to the inauguration of now-President Trump. It sounds strange saying President Trump after eight years of saying President Obama. I heard that in the White House they called him “No Drama, Obama.” He did not believe in any kind of drama and tried his best to work situations out to keep them from becoming drama. President Obama that will go down in history as a humble president – his smile, kindness, humility and love for this country and the people who live here. His wife, too, because she showed the same qualities as her husband. She showed much love and respect for all women no matter the color of their skin. She carried a big responsibility as a mother, spouse and the First Lady of this country. Many women admired her a great deal, and she too will go down in history with her husband. I know there was a very heaviness upon my heart to see that beautiful Black couple leave the White House, but as they say all good things must come to an end. I don’t feel these
Voices
Madeline Henderson MAD MAXX
two people will ever be out of the limelight and if we never have another Black president, I know in my heart that the Obama family will always have a place in history. Who can say the same about President Trump? I thought this country seemed to be real hard up for a president, because we have had a movie star for president now we have a reality star who will run this country like he did “The Apprentice.” I don’t understand why he wants to keep the immigrants out of America when his own wife is not from this country. Well we will find out if he will be an honest president at the end of his first 100 days. If he does succeed in making good on his promises, then maybe the country will trust him. I have never seen this country as divided as it has been since the election in November.
Do you agree or disagree with Trump’s recent immigration executive order? Compiled
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Jared
Fialho
a n d
Tyler
Courchane
LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE
Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m
Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“Other countries have said no, and I think we can as well.” — Diana Garcia
“No point in banning people, they aren’t the reason behind most of the crime in the country.” — Brandon Mora
“Disgusting. Un-American. Hypocritical.” — Alexis Stanley
“At first I disagreed, but then I saw a video that changed my mind.” — Dylan Jones
“I believe it is politically immoral, but I think protesting will bring it to an end.” — Stephanie Recinos
“Overall, it’s ethically and morally wrong, in my opinion.” — Jeremy Jones
“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson
Editors-in-Chief ...........BEATRIZ HERNANDEZ and KIMBERLY STELLY Managing Editor.....................ADRIA WATSON Perspectives Editor............VANESSA FLORES Campus Editor ......................TERESA GAINES Features Editor ................SARAH GONZALES Sports Editor ....................... GARRETT BELME Graphics Editor...................LISSETTE URBINA Photo Editor ..........................CHRISTIAN RUIZ Copy Chief ...................... TYLER MORTIMORE The LMC Experience is published Fridays by students in the Journalism Program. The newspaper serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.
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Campus Newswatch LMC goes to UC Davis
Students interested in attending UC Davis will have a chance to explore the UC Davis campus on Friday, Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the Transfer Academy. You will be able to plan your strategy for transferring to a four-year university, learn about financial aid and prepare for a graduate or professional degree. For more information, visit the Transfer & Career Services located at the Student Services Center, Upper Level (SS4).
DVC holds HBCU fair
Diablo Valley College is holding their 2nd annual Historically Black Colleges and Universites Fair Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the DVC cafeteria on the first floor of the HSF building. 28 HBCUs will present who will be providing application waivers, on the spot admissions offers (bring your transcripts) and several scholarships.
LMC Food Pantry is open
The Los Medanos College Food Pantry is a department-run pantry that provides food for LMC students who are in need of support. The pantry is fully stocked and ready to serve healthy and nutritious foods. It is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information, visit losmedanos.edu./foodpantry.
Sustainability invites you
The Sustainability Committee is inviting students to the first meeting of the Spring 2017 semester. It will be held in Room SC1-103 Monday Feb. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. If you have been interested in steps you can take to make the campus greener, if you have been curious about what the committee has been working on, or if you just want to introduce yourself and join the conversation about issues related to campus sustainability, this is a meeting not to be missed.
Employment help is available
Students who are interested in work should check out LMC’s College Central Network database. Any employer that connects with LMC is directed to post in this database. If you are interested in helping youth learn and believe that a positive academic mentor is important for them, join the Homework Club team. All that’s required is a basic understanding of 8th grade-level concepts. To learn more and apply for this position, log onto CCN and search for ID number Volunteer Crisis Line Counselor (job id 4636373), Child Activities Provider (job id 4636375) or Speaker’s Bureau Advocate (job id 4636377).
Learn your rights
If you have questions regarding President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from certain countries, the Transfer & Career Center offers an FAQ information packet. The center is located in Student Services Center.
Career assistance offered
Students who need help figuring out their career path can talk to Career Counselor Kristen Freeman. Schedule an appointment by calling 473-7444. Freeman is available Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
RSVP to Latino Speaker Series
The Undergraduate Success Center at John F. Kennedy University is holding a Latino Speaker Series featuring Mara Parez, Ph.D. Parez’s talk will cover education, economic development, philanthropy, immigration and Latinos in the United States. Lunch will be served and is open to the public at the JFK Pleasant Hill campus on the second floor in room 209 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Counselors ready to assist
Looking to make an educational plan, or review your current one? LMC offers general counseling at both campuses. Drop-in hours are offered weekly. Students must have a student ID number and a photo ID to meet with a counselor. Appointments at Pittsburg can be made in person, by calling the Counseling Department at 473-7449, or by visiting losmedanos.edu/counseling and clicking on the Make an Appointment link. Appointments at the Brentwood Center can be made in person, or by calling 513-1625.
Daily cancellations online
The LMC website offers a daily class cancellation page for students to see if their class has been canceled. For the list of daily cancellations, visit www.losmedanos.edu/ classcancel. The LMC Experience Facebook page also posts class cancellations as well as other campus updates. Visit www. facebook.com/lmcexperience. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
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Club founder means business Experience Staff
Students and staff will be traveling by airplane departing from the Oakland Airport on Sunday, April 9 and returning Saturday April 15 to historically black colleges and universities on the east coast. The tour application is available on the LMC website.
FEB.
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Serving up the future Story by TERESA GAINES Photo by CHRIS RUIZ
HBCU campus tours available
FRIDAY,
“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”
When you trip, the hard part isn’t the fall. It’s the act of getting back up after you’ve hit the ground that most struggle with. When 19-year-old Los Medanos student Nilton Ser va fell, he found himself alone, staring at a future in juvenile detention during the time most kids his age were studying for geometry exams. But now, three years later, with an above average GPA, $1000 scholarship, a budding internship at a digital marketing agency and the current president of the developing Business Club, people might be tricked into thinking he never struggled a day in his life. His life began to take rough turns early on in his life. His mind for business was polished through drug dealing and theft. In high school, the risky lifestyle eventually caught up with him and a run-in with the police left him with a
black eye, a badly beaten body and a long recover y time that took a toll on him emotionally. After the incident, he was set up with the lawyers of Oscar Grant, an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by an Oakland BART police officer in 2009 that made national headlines and was adapted into the film “Fruitvale Station.” Serva had a compelling case but was ultimately forced to forfeit it when he was incarcerated for new crimes shortly after at age 16. The seven months he See BIZ, page 6
Excelencia is recognized By VANESSA FLORES Staff Writer
The Transfer Academy at Los Medanos College was recently chosen by Excelenica in Education, a non-for-profit organization that promotes Latino student success, to be a part of their Growing What Works database. Growing What Works is an online database that serves as a resource for institutional leaders, funders, policymakers and others looking for programs that use evidence based practices to accelerate Latino student success. According to edexcelencia.org the online database accomplishes two goals: to affirm as-
set-based approaches to serving Latino and other students, and inform a network of action-oriented leaders engaged in accelerating Latino student success. “Great organization,” said Director of Transfer and Career Services, Kristin Conner, who is ver y excited for the Transfer Academy. Excelencia in Education accelerates higher education success for Latino students by providing data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latinos. Their website highlighted LMC’s Transfer Academy as a signature program that reshapes the experience of first-time students, including Latino and first-gen-
eration students. The Transfer Academy has an 80% success rate, higher than the college average (71% in Fall 2014). The Transfer Academy has seen an increase of Latino students according to the Growing What Works database. The Fall 2011 cohort (78 students) was comprised of 30 (39%) Latinos, while the Fall 2014 cohort (83) had 46 (55%) Latinos and the Fall 2015 cohort (119) grew to 66 (58%) Latinos. “They have increased significantly over the last 10 years, which is amazing,” said Conner. Excelencia in Education has become See EDU, page 6
Wal-Mart grants LMC clamps for Chem Lab By CARLOS RUIZ Staff Writer
Science Lab Coordinator Paul West’s wish of new chemistr y burette clamps was granted after receiving a $1,000 donation from the Wal-mart Community Grant Program, a first time donor to Los Medanos College. Experience • Chris Ruiz After a shortage of clamps Science Lab Coordinator Paul West uses new last semester due to unforeseen burette clamps acquired from $1,000 Wal-Mart grant. wear and tear, West wanted to
replace the clamps, but the department didn’t have available money in that budget cycle. He then decided to submit an online community grant application to Wal-Mart last December. “Most public and some private corporations can grant funds in local communities to those who apply and are in need of something for public See LAB, page 6
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“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”
— Margaret Mead
LMC show inspired by students Cash prizes given By JORDAN NEEL Staff Writer
The Los Medanos College Art Gallery is currently stuffed with diverse ar t, from the colorful to the monochrome, from student contributors for the Feb. 2 art show. Gallery Director Judi Pettite, who’s in charge of each of the six art shows that happen each year, expressed her thoughts on this year’s recent reception. “I think the shows get stronger every year,” said Pettite. “We get many entries from about 170-200, there’s 10 categories and gets more competitive each time we do it, the art gets better, the Art Guild of the Delta gives cash prices ranging from $300-$400. One student ended up winning 2 awards so they won about $750.” She explained students gain a real work experience. “When they enter a show they have to do it the same way you would as a professional artist so they also send it in electronically,” she said. “Students also see what it’s like having people look at your work.” When it comes to her role in the show Pettite says, “I get the student work, put it into a PowerPoint, send the PowerPoint to the Juror, we as a gallery send out acceptance and rejection letters.” For those interested in being apart of the next art
show Pettite says, “We accept work on a calendar year basis so anytime from now until school ends is that window of time when we can take work so we don’t take work from five years ago it has to be the current year. Those who want to send in their work can email me sending their work as a .JPEG file. As long as they make it in by the deadline their work will be considered for the show. Most importantly you must be a student in the art department taking at least one art class then you can enter in any category.” Jacqueline Nares, an artist who painted pieces for the art show “Still” and “Sia’s ‘Chandelier Study” said, “I remember coming to this art show last year. There was something about it that was just really welcoming and being able to see the perspective of art through different mediums and seeing what everyone else does with their work is really exciting for me.” When it comes to why there should be a show Nares says, “I think it’s great to showcase the student’s work. What inspires me to do art is that you can find art in almost any medium. Everyone and anyone can draw so I feel like if you put your hard work into it you can be an artist.” Ashlyn Bell, another artist
See ART, page 6
Experience • Cathie Lawerence
Esteban Garcia is receives a congratulatory hug from Guild President Angela Simms.
Experience • Christian Ruiz
Experience • Christian Ruiz
LMC student Victor Vargas observes a photograph.
An acrylic on canvas piece created by gallery worker and art student Ashlyn Bell appropriately named, “SelfPortrait,” shown at the art show.
‘Diet’ is a tasty dish Zom-com is fun twist on genre By SARAH GONZALES
sgonzales@lmcExperience.com
The new Netflix original series “Santa Clarita Diet” provides zombie fans with a comedic take on the undead in the modern world. The show takes place in Santa Clarita, California where the main characters, real-estate duo Joel (Timothy Olyphant) and Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) and their daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) have their world turned upside down when Sheila develops a sudden appetite for human flesh. The undead transformation occurs without any solid explanation one morning after Sheila paints an entire bathroom with her vomit and realizes she can no longer feel her own heartbeat. Looking for answers, the family elicits the help of Eric Bemis (Skyler Gisondo), the nerdy teenage next-door neighbor and supposed expert on all things ‘creepy,’ who diagnoses Sheila as ‘a zombie.’ Along with her newly acquired cannibalistic diet, Sheila notices a sudden surge in her libido as she becomes more impulsive and energized. In fact, even though she’s technically a walking corpse, Sheila feels more alive than ever. The downside? She has to
REVIEW
DON’T SCRATCH THE SURFACE.
BREAK THE GROUND.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2017 STAY ON TRACK.
GRADUATE AND START YOUR CAREER ON TIME. • Small classes, personal attention • $2,000 Los Medanos College transfer award • $14,000 Honors at Entrance Scholarships (3.5 GPA minimum) • $10,000 Transfer Gael Scholarships (3.26 GPA minimum) RSVP for the February 16 transfer information session at smcadmit.com
Saint Mary’s College of California transfer@stmarys-ca.edu
(800) 800-4SMC
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A ravenous Drew Barrymore talks to husband Timothy Olyphant in “Santa Clarita Diet.” eat people and may be prone to decomposition in the near future. While Sheila seems to flourish with her new and improved undead self, her husband Joel struggles to adjust. Being the doting and supportive husband he is, Joel sticks with his wife and works to help Sheila find, murder and store her next meal — despite his own obvious discomfort — because he loves her. But Joel desperately wishes for things to go back to normal. Throughout the series, Joel searches for answers. How did his wife become a zombie? How can he fix her? His search for a cure is what keeps him going through the odd twists and turns his marriage has taken. Initially, the concept of the show was interesting as far as horror-comedy shows go. The Hammond’s stick together and provide Sheila support,
regardless of such odd and horrible circumstances, while also maintaining their cover as a normal suburban family to their neighbors and friends. Dull moments were practically non-existent between the weird humor, the occasional gore and whatever odd situation or obstacle the Hammond family found themselves dealing with next. However, it seemed like an element of ‘dumb luck’ was forced onto the story to keep it moving in the direction it needed to go by only incorporating certain conflicting situations that would either be taken care of later or be resolved on it’s own. The Hammonds was never caught by police or outed by those who knew about their killings. Nor did the couple get caught during the initial act of killing, despite the fact that a See DIET, page 6
Marquee Movies released
n “John Wick: Chapter 2” Rated R Genre: Action, Adventure, Suspence, Thriller n “The Lego Batman Movie” Rated PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Animated n “Don’t Hang Up” Rated R Genre: Horror, Suspense, Thriller n “Duckweed” Rated NR Genre: Comedy n “John Wick: Chapter 2” Rated R Genre: Action, Adventure, Suspence, Thriller n “Havenhurst” Rated NR Genre: Horror, Suspense, Thriller n “Fifty Shades Darker” Rated R Genre: Drama, Romance n “Jolly LL.B 2” Rated NR Genre: Comedy, Drama n “Kedi” Rated NR Genre: Dcoumentary n “Stray Bullets” Rated NR Genre: Suspense, Thriller n “A United Kingdom” Rated PG-13 Genre: Romance
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“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” — Marv Levy
Andrew Gonzalez ANDREW’S ANGLES
Pats save their best for last
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LMC’s Marie Rios reaches down to catch a ground ball during practice Jan. 30 in preparation for the season.
Stangs ready for season
Old and new faces aim to ‘come together’ in 2017 By ANDREW GONZALEZ agonzalez@losmedanos.com
When spring comes around at Los Medanos College, it signifies not only the beginning of a new semester, but also the dawn of a new softball season. The Mustangs look to start off on the right foot as they kick off their season against Lassen College in a doubleheader, Friday, Feb. 17 at 12 p.m. After two solid seasons, the team may be primed to make the playoffs this year, as last year’s 14 wins left them one win short of postseason play. The team will have to adjust to a different schedule this year, as the season has been shortened from 24 games to 18. This alteration comes on the heels of both Napa Valley College and Solano College dropping out of softball play this season in the Bay Valley Conference. Yet the conference is not the only one facing adversity, as the Mustangs have not exactly had the smoothest transition from last year up to this point. “I had 19 players on the roster during September, and in January I was down to 5,” said head coach Tim Rognlien. Due to the limited roster at the time, the team was forced to cancel pre-season games. “Some [players] can’t play full-time, so we’re putting the puzzle together as we go,” Rognlien added. “We’re fortunate to have a really good coaching staff, technique-wise and in teaching fundamentals.” One of the strengths for the team last year was their pitching, as they finished with 132 strikeouts, compared to the conference average of 80. While they outpaced their rival teams, they
will have their work cut out for them, as their number one pitcher from last year has moved on from the team. While they did set a strong pace for strikeouts, they could also look to improve on the amount of walks they allowed in a season. Last year they allowed 127 walks compared to the conference average of 104. It will bode well for the team that the coaching staff remains unchanged, as both John Gamblin and Gabe Soliz are returning as assistant coaches, but only three players are returning from last year’s squad. The influx of new faces to the team and limited time to prepare as a unit could be seen as a bump in the road, but returning team member Ryann Yelder sees good progress. “It’s been a little weird for me because there are only two other returning players, so there is basically a whole new team for me, but I like everyone this year.” A big focus for any team would be creating good chemistry with one another, and Yelder believes it is coming along well for the Mustangs. “Even though we haven’t practiced together that much, I think everyone really gets along well, and I think that will help us on the field.” Of course something else that’ll help the team get through games is putting points on the scoreboard, which Rognlien does not foresee being an issue. “I think we’ll be good hitters, some of the ladies are long ball hitters.” Offensively the team appears to be set, but he believes there is still work to be done on the other side of the ball. “Defensively, we’re not sure yet. Pitching is always going to be a concern, we lost our number one pitcher from last year, and our
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Danielle French throws the ball in to the pitcher. returning one has to shake off some rust.” While the challenge of preparation for the start of the season is evident, Rognlien has a firm belief in his club. “First we have to get an immediate feel for the team, to see what we got. [But] I don’t see any reason why we can’t compete with any team. We’re going to surprise some people.” Yelder echoed similar sentiments with her own expectations on the “I expect that if we come together as a team and play like I know we are all capable of, we should win our conference this year. I think we have a really good chance at that.”
If I were to tell you the Patriots would win Super Bowl LI 34-28 before the game, I would not be going out on a limb to say the least. But if I were to tell you the Patriots would be down by 25 points with less than 3 minutes left in the third quarter in this game, and they would still win, you would give me a confused look. But the largest comeback in Super Bowl histor y, up from the previous record of a team coming back from what now looks like a measly 10 points happened. New England re-defined what momentum means in sports. The Patriots were a shell of the team they played like during the regular season for three quarters of the game, while the Falcons eighth highest scoring offense in history found their rhythm quicker. No one counted out Tom Brady led offense to keep pace with the team. But the blueprint to defeat Brady in the big game had been constructed, once in 2007 and again in 2011 by the New York Giants. And based on the way Atlanta came out in the first half, it’s clear they had their hands on the plan. The Falcons were able to wreak havoc on the Patriot offensive line, pressuring Brady to either release the ball before he wanted to, or take the sack. The Atlanta defense set the tone early, sacking Brady twice in the first quarter. At this point I’m sure New England fans were having flashbacks of those Eli Manning led Giant teams, or at least I was. Atlanta was faster, more athletic, and simply outplaying the team in white. Atlanta capped off two drives in less than two minutes each, to take a quick two-touchdown lead. Something seemed off about the Patriots, but as always, the feeling they would rebound lingered. Then Brady did the most uncharacteristic Brady thing ever, especially considering the stage he was on was so familiar to him. In a season where he threw only five interceptions over the course of 15 games, he threw one to Robert Alford, which he easily ran back 82 yards for the score. On the play we saw Brady chase after the defender and fail at a dive attempt to take him down. Seeing Brady on the ground while his team suffered seemed to embody the way the game would go. This game felt over, even if the clock did not stay steady at triple zero’s. Even when Brady finally led his team into the end zone late in the third quarter, his kicker missed the point after. This meant they would need two touchdowns along with a two-point conversion on each, and a field goal to even tie the game. And on the drive where New England got their field goal, they didn’t feel like they were playing with a single sense of urgency. It took them one third of a quarter to put up three points. I don’t think I was the only person yelling at their television, trying to get the New England offense to pick up the pace. This comeback was not supposed to happen. The Falcons were a Devonta Freeman block away from stopping Dont’a Hightower from forcing a Matt Ryan fumble. But Hightower got through. The Falcons had the pressure to slow Brady down from turning the turnover into points. But they couldn’t get through. Julio Jones made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history, a catch that was supposed to stop the emphatic comeback. But it didn’t. Somehow, Brady found himself with the ball with 3:38 left on the clock, and at that point, every person watching the game knew what he was going to do. And he did it. And when overtime rolled around, and the Patriots won the toss and chose to take the ball, those same people knew this game was over. And four game minutes later, it was. If you think any quarterback besides Tom Brady is the greatest of all time, you are officially wrong.
Waterlogged ballfields draw attention to drains By JONATHNAN LITTLE jlittle@lmcexpierence.com
One of the biggest aspects of being an athlete of any sport is the place where one plays and competes. It can be a baseball field, basketball court, football field or swimming pool –– all places of competition. But the place at where an athlete plays must be taken care of daily. As the risks involved in not maintaining a field or a court could lead to injury risks for the athletes, or worse, the end of a sports program.
For a baseball and softball players the need of maintaining a field is high. As gopher holes pose risks for players running in the outfield. Patches of missing grass in the infield can cause bad hops from the ball, and more recently the amount rain that has been in the weather causes the fields to be flooded and swamped. Making it unfit for players to practice, let only compete against other teams. Now many may ask, why isn’t the grounds crew doing their job in maintaining the fields to
the best of their ability? But Head Groundskeeper Andre White said that is not the case. When it comes to maintaining the field and financial support, “The school gives us the best opportunity they can,” said White. “With the allotted budget, but as a district they can do a lot better in giving money for the fields. I feel the district can do better, but as a school we do a good job with what we have.” White adds that, with a larger budget, “it can be an See FIELD, page 6
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Los Medanos College’s baseball dugouts in less than preferable condition.
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spent in a juvenile facility in Martinez are what he credits for turning him into a different man with a radically new outlook on life. “You don’t have to worry about anything in there. Your whole day is planned out for you. All you do is think. So I just kept thinking, ‘What’s my next step?’ It was graduate high school, then go from there.” He found a new purpose in books about business. With nothing to distract him, he found comfort and a fresh perspective on learning. “I read a lot of books. I would read it, tuck it under my bed, read, finish it, then get another business book, then another,” he said. “I read all the ones in my facility and then read the ones for an adult facility. I didn’t know a lot of the words, so I wrote down words to define and websites to search when I got out, important quotes and concepts. I self-taught.” Since dropping his education after tenth grade, he decided to earn a GED equivalent while in juvenile detention. Through the Reset Foundation and an organization called Bay Area Community Resources, both of which strive to assist and encourage youth who may be struggling with poverty, court-involvement and unemployment, Silva learned about financial aid offered by LMC. Soon after being released early for good behavior, he made up the missing essential credits and earned his high school diploma at the age of 18. Anyone who meets him now would never guess that he ever strayed from the path of a regular public school education. He takes pr e-calculus amongst four other classes and is a business administration major with three semesters under his belt. But the new life wasn’t handed to him. “I put a lot of work into what I do. Everyone tells me I do extra, that I don’t have to do this or that. But it’s what makes me stand out.” The first classes he took after being released were summer school classes. He balanced a full day of classes with a part time job at Costco. “I would wake up an hour and a half before school to get
ready and organized. When you are coming from nothing and want to be something and make a change, you do it,” he said. “People think change takes a long time, it doesn’t. It happens in a second.” This mindset came from months of pondering what his quality of life and future meant to him while inside the Martinez facility. “You either go all in thuggin’ it or go all in [toward] change. Once you start looking at years inside, you really start to think about it. Was it worth it? I even thought about ‘What if I did this crime in a different way?’ And then would think ‘What is my life?’” He began to take charge of his future by attending the California Workforce Association’s Youth Conference in order to make connections and learn more about his passion for business. But before making the trek down to Long Beach, Serva felt the need to stand out amongst the other attendees of the conference. He researched what scholarships would be given out at the conference, found one that suited him and applied. The Antioch native ended up being the only Bay Area recipient of the Dwight Brydie Scholarship for $1000 at the conference. Because of his initiative and drive to stand out, Serva made a positive impression on those at the event and was approached by a woman who asked him to be the keynote speaker at the 2nd Annual Regional Youth Education Summit in March. “If I hadn’t applied to that scholarship, I wouldn’t get to be the keynote speaker at a whole other event,” he said. A few months ago, Serva’s path to success was interrupted by the death of a close friend. The reality of where he might be if he hadn’t changed his lifestyle shook his world. “He was like my brother. He had the same mindset as me, a leader, entrepreneur, but he sold drugs. I could have gone into it too, I was good at it. But he didn’t want me to, he told me not to come, that I was too smart for this,” he said, “My therapist told me that you can be the most changed person in the world but if you go back
into the same place, same environment, same people, you’re just going to go back to the same ways.” In order to move past the loss, Ser va asked himself what it was that he wanted to accomplish. His dream career isn’t about creating a business that makes him as much money as possible. Instead, he says it’s about creating jobs for other people. “You can have one job, but how many people are you helping with that job? I want to be able to give that to people,” Serva said. “I want to help people impact their lives because I didn’t have that.” He is currently working on multiple projects and is full of objectives. In his hometown he is working on a presentation for the Reset Foundation and BACR to propose a youth mentorship program for youth, by youth, in downtown Antioch. Serva wants the mentorship program to focus on what he is best at– personal and career development and general health and wellness. Last fall, he also started the Business Club at LMC. The club currently has 16 members and Serva is in the process of figuring out who can take over as the new president for the next school year. His biggest project is trying to allocate funds and create an internship at a friend’s digital marketing startup. He came up with the idea to involve those in the Business Club who may be interested in advancing their careers and is creating a team of interns to create content for the company. “You don’t see Google coming to Pittsburg and asking for interns,” he said. “I want to give these opportunities to regular kids.” Through utilizing the resources available to him, strategizing every day for his future and never once letting doubt take over, the 19 year-old has not only taken charge of his own future, but is excited to help others do so too. He knows that in order to help others, he first has to be able to help himself. “If opportunity doesn’t knock on your door, go knock on its door. I found so many doors and knocked on all of them.”
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Rachel Anicetti. The new LMC student club California Association of Woke Students and the Honors Club are co-sponsoring a panel on the topic of Black Lives Matter with guest, local civil rights attorney Dan Siegel. The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Feb. 14. In celebration of the end of Black History Month, the Librar y Community Room will host a discussion entitled “Black Wall Street and the Power of Ownership” presented by Professor Evan Wade of San Joaquin Delta College from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 28. The discussion will center on the history of the economically independent black community in Greenwood, Oklahoma once known as “Black Wall Street” and the power of ownership in the black community today. The origin of Black Histor y Month can be traced back to the creation of the Association for the Study of Negro Life in 1915, which sought to highlight the contributions of a neglected and underrepresented people to the United States. Since then, Black Histor y Month has gone beyond acknowledging a people and also serves to promote greater unity in a nation divided. For links to registration forms, contact information, and more information on the various planned Black History Months events at LMC students can visit www.losmedanos.edu/blackhistory/.
a trusted information source on the status of Latino educational achievement, a major resource for influencing policy at the institutional, state and national levels, and a widely recognized advocate for expanding evidence-based practices to accelerate Latino student success in higher education. In an email, Conner expressed that the Transfer Academy is ver y proud of the work they are doing as a Hispanic-Ser ving Institution, which are accredited, degree-granting, public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education with 30 percent or more of Hispanic student enrollment. LMC currently has an enrollment of 34 and 35 percent.
easy fix to get good drainage systems for the baseball and softball fields.” Majority of the baseball and softball teams agree with Mr. White. “The coaches and Dre treat the field as their child and keep it well maintained, it’s just hard with the amount of rain we’ve gotten lately, but as a team including the coaches we do our best to keep it in tip top shape,” LMC baseball pitcher Nick Menjivar. He also agrees with Coach White about the budget, adding that a larger budget would, “definitely help as we already have a good infield and outfield grass, but the main thing is just the drainage.” Brittany Bangert, catcher for the LMC softball team, mirrored Menjivar’s feelings, saying, “Yeah I think that Dre and John do a great job with maintaining the field…I think it would be awesome, to get new drainage stuff and fill some of the holes in the outfield.” White also expressed his appreciation with the teams and the football team in helping maintaining the field and keeping in shape and healthy and while the players greatly appreciate White’s contribution, he believes that they contribute heavily as well. White is hopeful that there can be a larger budget to work with sooner rather than later. With the school building a new weight room facility for the athletes, the next job the players and coaches hope for is improving the current drainage system on the fields, to better the quality of the field and quality of play. As for now, White and the athletes will work together do their best with the resources they have to keep the fields in good quality condition for players this season and the next season.
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to permeate the campus, much to the chagrin of Tereasea Archaga of Student Life. “This seems to be an ongoing issue,” said Archaga. “If it doesn’t have our stamp, it comes down.” “I grabbed it from one of the science classrooms,” said LMC student Azzam Shazhad. “It said you could work from home and I really need a job.” It is no secret that many college students struggle to find money for school, so the prospect of an easy, work-fromhome job is an enticing one. “We had our ambassadors take down everything at the beginning of the semester” Archaga said, going on to call the rogue papers “annoying” and “bad for the environment.” The website’s bold claim that “Extra Money can Change Your life for the Better [sic],” seems to be suspect at best, with Mistal going as far as to say that he had “zero” confidence in the site’s integrity.
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ment of her nomination, but it is her lack of experience with public education that some Los Medanos students and faculty members are concerned about. LMC President Bob Kratochvil said he is “hopeful that Secretary DeVos will recognize the important mission of community colleges and be a strong advocate for our students,” but others around campus see that as unlikely. English instr uctor Alex Sterling said the secretar y of education is supposed to oversee public education and that involves helping disadvantaged students and he doesn’t believe that DeVos has that experience. “She is a rich person and she sees things through the eyes of a rich person,” said Sterling adding, “she has shown no qualities that would prove she’d do a good job.” Student Dale Satre echoed
similar sentiments explaining that he’s worked in government bureaucracy before and said that mixing business with bureaucracy could have dangerous implication for the public school system — along with her lack of experience when it comes to public education. Although he believes DeVos being the Secretary of Education could have a negative impact, Satre explained he does not see there being a drastic change to the department of education as long as the local school districts make decisions that are best for the students. “I don’t think the department of education will, in four years, radically change public education as long as there are still local districts that will do their best to operate without being influenced by [the department of education],” said Satre. “They can’t really do much as long as there are
still local education districts that will do their own part.” Student Jennifer Holderman expressed her disappointment in the fact that “someone that has almost no knowledge of what a ‘normal’ citizen has to go through got placed in such an impactful position.” Additionally, Holderman said she believes DeVos impact will be “fairly negative” but would affect K-12 students more than college students. “I think it’s going to hit more of the grade school and high school kids because she’s going to be pushing her own agendas in there. She’s all for private schools and a lot of people get their education from public school because they can’t afford to send their kid to some private school,” said Holderman. “I hope she’s not in the position long.” — Kimberly Stelly contributed to this report
current LMC interim student equity plan coordinator and former instructional assistant in Art, Journalism and Drama, became involved in this year’s show by suppor ting some former students in his Art 5 class who participated in the art show. “The reception had about fifty people,” said Sanchez. “It’s great to display the works of the students that are here. I think the larger focus of it is to have an area where students can examine art from a larger community. It’s important to support artists in your local area. Seeing the support from student’s family was one of my favorite parts. People are proud of artist but not as much in our American society. What’s great is the Delta Art Gallery wants to buy some of our work.” Sanchez’s personal favorite
picks of ar t were Esteban Garcia’s “Contemplation” and Garcia’s “Rebirth of Color” both watercolor paintings. “It felt direct and simple,” said Sanchez adding, “It was a portrait but it what was having an organic background. The head dissolves in a water-like background and I thought that was really cool, aesthetically looking at that I really apprecitated the artwork. I think this was a very strong show which had a lot of variety.” Those interested in seeing the art can drop by the Los Medanos College Art Gallery open from 12:30-2:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday until it ends on Feb. 28. — For a complete list of Student Art Show award winners, see the online edition of the Experience at lmcexperience.com
it is sent to the main district office in Martinez,” said LMC Foundation Development Officer Dr. Trinh Nguyen. The LMC Foundation has supported student success through fundraising since its inception in 1997. “The foundation exists to help the college to fund various things,” said Nguyen. “West’s need for new clamps is an example of how the foundation works.” According to Pittsburg Walmart Community Grant’s personnel coordinator Lonnie Barrett, Walmart’s grants team reaches out to grant funds for local communities. “It is for the sake of student education. With better education, students can receive better opportunities,” said Barrett. “At Walmart, we strongly believe in giving back and are
proud to support organizations that improve communities where our customers and associates live and work,” the Walmart Community Grants Team added. The grant request of $1,000 was accepted Dec. 27 and will increase the number of functioning clamps from 15 to 60. To thank Walmart for its help, West said an acknowledgement plaque will be placed outside the chemistry stockroom and a letter of appreciation will be sent to the Walmart Community Grant Program. “The LMC foundation hopes that we continue getting funding from [Walmart] and similar corporations because with the help of nonprofit donations we can fulfill the future needs of the students and the school,” said Nguyen.
the season finale arrives, we find ourselves leaving off on a terrible clif fhanger that answers some questions but leaves multiple loose ends. Ultimately, nothing is resolved regarding Sheila’s zombie status nor do viewers get a solid answer on how she came to be undead in the first place. It makes you wonder if the writers themselves had actually thought of a solid explanation for Sheila’s disease in the
first place or if they had even thought ahead on how the whole series could be resolved. Although, with the way the final episode turned out, it could suggest a second season could be heading our way, Overall the series was entertaining. While the ending left a sour taste in my mouth, the show was fun and compelling –– especially for those who appreciate a little gore with their humor.
and company you keep.” Mary Oleson, who works on Institutional Equity and Advancement alongside Kwist, shares the same sentiments about her as Kratochvil. “She is compassionate and perfectly matched for the job,” said Oleson. “We the staff are doing our best to support her in her new role.” For students, LMC’s new Dean of Equity and Inclusion is accessible and inspiring, as well as worldly and relatable. She commutes from Oakland by BART, loves sports and
hip-hop, plays fantasy football and has visited 26 countries around the globe. “Please invite me to spaces, events or a just a cup of tea to talk about what equity and inclusion means to you here at LMC,” said Kwist with a smile. Kwist, cur rently works Monday, Wednesday and Friday until April while she finishes transitioning from her work at Mills College to her new full-time responsibilities at LMC. She can be found on the fourth floor of the College Core in Room CO-408.
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the ar t show painting the piece “Self portrait” and the digital art piece “Jungle Man” participated in the show for the exposure. “I was just happy to make it into the show this year,” said Bell. “Art is really important, art is a very political thing and an expression of the mind. It’s more than just a picture of a drawing.” When it came to giving advice for those who want do art Bell explained that people should not be afraid and to do what feels right. “You can be persuaded very easily which sometimes is a direction you may not be happy with,” said Bell.“Be who you know you should be instead of what other people tell you to be because it’s not going to end up pretty if you do what other people tell you to do.” Professor Eric Sanchez,
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purposes,” West said. Because many of the companies people shop at have that type of program, he decided to check out the Walmart website. “It was an easy choice,” he said. “It’s local and I shop there.” But it wasn’t easy to find that information. West explained that before applying for a community grant, there is a process you need to go through. “You always have to check the budget first and if there isn’t any room… you identify the potential donor and contact the LMC Foundation and coordinate with them,” he specified. After West contacted the foundation, the process of trying to get the new supplies continued. “The grant application gets reviewed by the foundation and
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handful of their murders took place in wide-open areas in public. Realistically, the couple shouldn’t have any idea on how to go about getting away with murder- they’re realtors. One could assume this is the writer’s attempt at keeping the show light and comical, but it takes away what could have been more than a show filled with laughs and gore. The whole series works up to finding a cure, but as
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Kwist confided that much of her passion, motivation and success comes from her perspective as a first generation college student who relied on the communities she grew up in to help her achieve a greater sense of identity and strength. “Sometimes you have to accept help, it doesn’t mean you’re not strong,” reflected Kwist. “Excellence is a daily practice, it’s holding yourself to standards and moving toward your dreams, and your mindset is affected by the community