Vol. 87 No. 5 - Sept. 29, 2017

Celebrating culture

Artist localizes sound

Soccer suffers deficit

Student Life hosts Art and Music Festival in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month — page 3

Conor Cruze talks about his plans to create an album featuring other LMC students — page 4

The Mustang soccer team struggled in their game against Solano College — page 5

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F.Y.I. Important Dates October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Nov. 10

Veteran’s Day: Collge campus is closed in observance of the holiday

Nov. 17

Last Day to withdraw from full-term classes with a “W”

Learn to lead effectively Hear from local activists fighting for a wide range of issues at the IMPACT Leadership Confernce Oct. 6. Attendees will their stories and learn from workshops about how to enact change. The conference will take place in Library Room L-109 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free lunch and T-shirts will be provided.

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CCs making a‘Promise’

By BRENNA ENOS

benos@lmcexperience.com

What if more students throughout California had the oppor tunity to receive free community college tuition? With the re-branding of the Board of Governors Fee Waiver program, this is a new possibility.

The California Community College District published a press release Tuesday, Sept.

19 entailing a new name for the

fee waiver program as “College Promise.” While the name is new, this grant is nothing of nuance — it has been in place for over 30 years. But with a new name and the CCCD’s plan to broaden the marketing of it, many more students can have access to it in the future.

“California has long been a leader in college opportunity,” said Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley in the CCCD press release. “By rebranding our

fee waiver program as the College Promise, we are aligning our historical commitment to affordability with the successful Promise partnership model to send the message that college is within reach to young Californians who otherwise may not see higher education as an option.”

This program currently covers an estimated 1 million students with free tuition across

“...College is within reach to young Californians who otherwise may not see higher education as an option.”

— Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley

See GRANT, page 6

College bucks the tide

Honoring cultural journey Photo courtesy of IMDb

By BRENNA ENOS

benos@lmcexperience.com

Conference for undocumented Diablo Valley College is preparing a free conference for undocumented high school and college students, parents, educators, and their allies to learn about the oportunities and resources available. The conference will take place Saturday, Oct. 21. To register and find out more visit: www. dvc.edu/dreamers.

New show open in gallery Artist Karrie Hovey’s show “Menagerie” is now open in the LMC Art Gallery. The show focuses on how space can ruin the environment. To see “Menagerie,” the gallery will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30- 2:20 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. and will run through Oct. 26.

Experience • Adria Watson

Los Medanos College students Julian Mispireta, Amata Abatcha, Vanessa Fregoso and Diana Cobian relax in the Outdoor Quad Wednesday, Sept. 27 for the viewing of “McFarland, USA” (top photo) hosted

by Student Life in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

LMC shields DACA

By PERRY CONTINENTE

pcontinente@lmcexperience.com

Daily class cancellations Save yourself from making an unnecessary trip to campus for a class that has been canceled.

Professors cancel classes unexpectedly and often can’t tell their students in person.

The LMC website offers a daily class cancellation page to see if any class has been canceled. For the list of cancellations, visit www.losmedanos. edu/classcancel.

Enrollment is slightly up

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Counselor Rudolf Rose during the DACA Assembly.

In the wake of President Trump’s repeal of DACA, a Republican bill seeks to replace the executive order with many more restrictions.

The succeed act would provide a path for citizenship, but it also restricts applicants to the program. On top of DACA’s restrictions, people under the SUCCEED Act would have to submit to a medical exam as well as pursue higher education, join the armed forces, or be consistently employed for ten years before citizenship is awarded.

The program also does away with “chain-immigration” — the process by which people with green cards can sponsor family members and expedite the immigration process.

This approach appeases conservatives, but is a distinct See DACA, page 6

Numbers are looking good for Los Medanos College and the surrounding cities this year: the economy is booming, unemployment rates in Contra Costa Country are at a record low and full-time students at LMC are increasing.

But why does the correlation between unemployment rates and student enrollment matter? Because these two factors do not typically coincide.

In previous years, when the economy was booming in the East Bay, LMC and the rest of the Contra Costa Community College District schools actually experienced a sharp decline in student enrollments. This year, however, the economy has not hindered the enrollment at all.

As of Sept. 6, 2017, the full-time student enrollment population at LMC sits at 3,622 — an increase of 49 students from the Fall of 2016, which had a full-time student population of 3,573. While the increase of students is not significantly large, it does show that despite the odds stacked against LMC, the student population continues to prosper.

“We have traditionally associated a strong economy and a low unemployment rate with coinciding lower enrollments,” explained LMC Vice President Kevin Horan. “The economy is still going strong and unemployment rates in Contra Costa County remain at a record low. The LMC services area, however, is a growing population.”

One possible reason for the student population growth could be attributed to increased housing production in the East Bay. As stated by the U.S. Census Bureau, between Apr. 1, 2010 and July 1, 2016 the Contra Costa County population increased by 8.2 percent, and continues to rise today.

According to Horan, another reason for the positive See LMC, page 6

Composer talks music experience

By KIMBERLY STELLY

kstelly@lmcexperience.com

Renowned Composer Adrienne Albert started off her speech to a mixed crowd of Los Medanos College students, staf f and faculty by surveying the room.

“How many of you grew up in a household where music was a central part of growing up?” she asked. Half of the audience

members raised their hands.

“Well, music is the central part of my life,” she said, beginning “An Afternoon with Adrienne Albert,” an event hosted by the Honors Program and the LMC Music Department.

Before introducing Alber t however, Music Professor Dr. Luis Zuniga and Honors Director Marie Arcidiacono spoke about

how important it was to have events like this on campus.

“Honors is so thrilled to co-sponsor this event,” said Arcidiacono.

Then it was time for Albert to begin her tale of success in the music industry.

Albert was born into a family of musicians. Her parents were

See MUSIC, page 6

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Adrienne Albert speaking at LMC Sept. 21.

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“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

— Robin Williams

Rich Hernandez

Kelsey Fordahl

GUEST COLUMNIST

GUEST COLUMNIST

LGBT deserves equality at work

Keep plastics out of our ocean

Gay rights activists were dealt a decisive victory in June 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act — a federal statute defining marriage as between one man and one woman — declaring it unconstitutional by way of The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

The landmark decision allowed same-sex couples the right to marry and be recognized in all 50 states. Until then, 13 states still had active legislation banning same-sex marriage.

This decision opened the doors for LGBT couples to enjoy the same rights, benefits and protections that marriage guarantees to their heterosexual counterparts.

Although the fight for marriage equality is over, the battle for equal rights continues to wage on for America’s LGBT citizens. One of these battles is to ensure employment protections for LGBT workers not only locally at the state level, but also federally.

The U.S. government has no federal law protecting LGBT Americans against workplace discrimination despite legislation repeatedly being introduced since the early 1990s. It is still legal in 17 U.S. states and territories to discriminate against LGBT employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Despite the increasing prominence of all-inclusive work environments, policies and practices in companies popping up across the nation — 33 states do have some form of employment protection for LGBT individuals — Deena Fidas, director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Workplace Equality Program said, “the fact is that LGBT workers still face a national patchwork of legal protections, leaving many to hide who they are for fear of discrimination in the workplace and in their communities.”

Out & Equal, a non-profit dedicated to achieving LGBT workplace equality, recently reported in its 2017 Workplace Equality Fact Sheet that one in four LGBT workers reported experiencing some form of employment discrimination in the last five years.The incidents of transgender events are markedly higher. Nearly half of transgender people surveyed reported they were victims of hiring/firing or promotion decisions based on gender identity. And nine in 10 transgender employees reported experiencing harassment or mistreatment on the job.

During his administration, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13672 that “prohibited discrimination within the civilian federal workforce on the basis of gender identity and in hiring by federal contractors on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity.” This has been rescinded by the Trump administration, further reducing protections and subsequently increasing the disparity between LGBT workers and their employers.

At the beginning of 2010, the Obama Administration added details that acknowledged sexual orientation and gender identity among the classes protected under the power of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

It was the ruling of the EEOC that stated sexual orientation and gender identity were, in fact, protected within the same scope as sex discrimination, along with race, age, disability, or national origin. The fate of this ruling lies in jeopardy as the Trump Administration’s new nominees for the EEOC opted not to comment on this issue.

By and large, Americans tend to adopt a hands off approach to issues that don’t impact their daily lives. But by delaying equality to our many diverse citizens, we truly cannot call ourselves the land of the free. It is only when the chains of oppression break, and the boundaries that divide us fall, that we can finally become a more UNITED States of America.

Our oceans are in trouble and so are all your favorite marine animals.

Dolphins, whales, stingrays, sea turtles, sharks, and many more creatures of the sea are dying because of us. Among the biggest threats to the health of our oceans and marine life is plastic. Water bottles, straws, utensils, toothbrushes, Starbucks cups, candy wrappers, and most ever y other plastic item you can think of winds up in the ocean.

According to One Green Planet, “8.8 million tons of plastic make their way from land to the oceans every single year,” making our oceans a plastic soup.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for example, is basically a collection of marine debris that ends up in the North Pacific Ocean.

And because plastics do not biodegrade, they photo degrade instead, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic over time called micro-plastics, — and this is where the reference to “plastic soup” comes from.

When plastics break down into micro-plastics, they are at their most dangerous for marine animals because the smaller they are, the easier it is for animals to ingest simply by taking in ocean water or by mistaking them as food. When marine life ingests plastics, it is almost instantly fatal.

And although not all plastic that winds up in the ocean breaks down, the full-size throw-aways can be just as fatal to marine life.

Water bottles, grocery bags, and other large plastic items have a harder time breaking down than smaller items once in the ocean.

Just this year on Feb. 3, a beached whale was found dead in Norway. When scientists opened up its stomach they discovered 30 large plastic bags.

The Telegraph, a UK News report, written

by Helena Horton, stated, “The creature had very little blubber and was emaciated, suggesting the plastic had lead it to become malnourished. The whale’s stomach was full of plastic bags and packaging with labels in Danish and English.”

This whale died a slow and painful death due to the fact that our plastics blocked its intestines. This is simply inhumane, and solutions to the overabundance of plastics in our oceans need to be found because if they aren’t, we’re going to lose a lot more whales and other marine life.

Here at Los Medanos College, both the Brentwood and Pittsburg campuses have found a solution to reducing the amount of plastics used. That way, we can all do our part to keeping plastics out of the oceans and the stomachs of marine animals.

At the Pittsburg campus, there are four water bottle refill stations. There is one on the first floor of the Student Services building and one on the second. There is also one by the Parking Lot C entrance by the restrooms, and the last outside of the planetarium classroom. The Brentwood campus has one aswell.

Having water bottle stations on campus makes it easier to stop using single-use plastic water bottles. The stations are not only put there for our convenience, but for the health of the environment.

The plastic problem in our oceans isn’t going to solve itself. So much damage has already been done but what we can do now is reduce the problem at the source — us.

Instead of visiting the student store on campus every day for a single-use plastic water bottle, purchase a reusable one.

Not only will you be saving the ocean, but also you’ll be saving money. Stop and think how much money you spend on plastic water bottles a week compared to buying one reusable one. Ditch the single use plastic water bottles and start using the refill stations on campus. The oceans and their sea creatures will thank you later.

Experience • Lissette Urbina

Editorial

Stop talking, help people

I

t took a week for the president of the United States to acknowledge the tragedy Puerto Rico has been facing in the wake of Hurricane Maria, but just two days for him to withdraw an invite to the White House from Stephen Curry — which had already been declined days before.

With all that’s going on in the world — natural disasters and talk of war — it’s disheartening that the top priority for the POTUS would be to attack Black athletes and sports journalists for calling him out and refusing to visit the White House because of his divisive politics, rather than trying to solve problems and helping the people who need it most right now.

His actions show that he’s more focused on, and better at, the theater of politics than civil service.

When he finally acknowledged what’s been happening, Trump did note that food and supplies are a top priority but also made it his point to mention Puerto Rico’s debt.

“Much of the island was destroyed, with billions of dollars owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with,” tweeted Trump Monday, Sept 25.

It’s a gross perversion of what the ideals of the president should represent.

Celebrities like Pitbull shouldn’t be the only ones sending aid and rescue to people affected by natural disasters, our government should be speedier with its response to suffering citizens.

But it’s not just the POTUS showing a lack of empathy toward the victims of Hurricane Maria.

Most of the time, people are not informed about what’s happening in our country because of a lack of appropriate news coverage or general apathy about what’s going on in the world.

It is crucial not only to stay informed about what’s going on in our country but also about how our current administration is responding to it.

If you would like to donate, the Hispanic Federation has set up hurricane relief funds to help Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico. Text: Unidos, your amount, your name (Ex. Unidos 100 John Doe) to 41444 or visit hispanicfederation.org/donate.

Stand up for the right to kneel Donald Trump has no right to call for the firing of NFL players who choose to kneel for the national anthem. Donald Trump has no right to call a player that chooses to do so a “son of a bitch.” As far as I am concerned, he shouldn’t be the man in charge of our nation, but nothing can change that fact.

But what can change is the constantly brought up reasons for why players are considered “wrong” for choosing to take a knee for a song proclaiming to be the rally cry of the “land of the free.” This protest is not against Trump.

Colin Kaepernick, the man who sparked the movement on the sidelines, began kneeling for the anthem while Barack Obama was in office, but it was only until recently his stance was noted.

This is not about being in opposition of those who have served in the military –after all, was it not those who gave their time to defend our freedoms the reason we have the ability to choose to kneel in protest if we feel the need to? It would be ignorant to think otherwise, but considering whom our president is, ignorance is not new here. Countless veterans and their family members voiced their displeasure by burning team-related merchandise. Mind you, many people who burned apparel were not a people of color, falling in line behind a president who took no offense with the neo-Nazis who rallied in Charlottesville, calling them “very fine people.” Very fine people indeed.

If we strip down what they are to the very basics, they are a group of people in unity voicing their beliefs in a country that not only allows freedom of speech, but also promotes it. If we strip down the NFL players’ protest, we come to the same result. However, when we zoom out, we see one group who wants to

Voices

Andrew Gonzalez ANDREW’S ANGLES

promote the superiority of one group of people above all, while the other seeks to promote equality for a nation lacking it.

One group chose violence. One chose to sit instead of stand. This protest is about destroying the notion of normalized racism within our country, which many believe they can keep alive and well because our “leader” does so.

The title of president does not indicate he is correct in everything he does. The fact that police can get away with murder against African-Americans, or anyone whose skin is darker than white, does not have place within our nation.

Even more appalling is the amount of people who simply move on after these cases are reported. Of course, those are the extreme examples of racism, but it extends so much farther than what we are led to believe, unless you’ve lived it, like many of the NFL players who protest. Trump thinks the portion of the country that stands with him will win. He has called for fans to exit stadiums at the sight of kneeling players, to boycott the league.

I call for the kneeling of the national anthem when possible. I do not stand with Kaepernick and the rest of the NFL; I kneel beside them, it is the only stance that can possibly drive out the hatred within our poisoned nation.

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

Experience

What television family is most like your own family and why?

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California Newspaper Publishers Association

Journalism Association of Community Colleges

“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

“The Proud Family because they promote family values in a funny manner.”

— Khari Rhodes

“Modern Family because my dad is quirky just like Phil Dunphy.”

— Mel Galliano

“Family Matters because I’m the geek who messes things up but remains lovable.”

— Manny Jimenez

“The Montgomery family from ‘Pretty Little Liars’ because my mom is really involved and caring like Aria’s mom.”

— Sam Berkson

“Steven Universe because my family consists of strong women.”

— Micah Judah

“The George Lopez Show because they are a united family even when bad things happen.”

— Victoria Garcia

Editor-in-Chief ........................ADRIA WATSON Managing Editor.................KIMBERLY STELLY Perspectives Editor..................JESSE GOMEZ Campus Editor ..............PERRY CONTINENTE Features Editor ........................BRENNA ENOS Sports Editors .......................CARLOS RUIZ & ANDREW GONZALEZ Graphics Editor .................LISSETTE URBINA 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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“Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something.”

— Frank Zappa

Newswatch Get MS Office for less

Microsoft offers two exclusive discounts for California Community College students.

For Mac users, Office Home and Student 2016 for Mac includes Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote and PowerPoint, and for Windows users, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016 includes all those programs as well as Access, InfoPath, Publisher and L ync.While the Mac download does have fewer programs, it is still a sizeable discount from the other bundles avalable for the platform.

This discount allows for more people to have access to these programs that are becoming increacingly nececary in education. Both bundles are available for $39.99 digital download at www.

CollegeBuys.org.

Free tutors available

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Art Club member Manny Rodriguez plays for a crowd of students at the Los Medanos College Art and Music Festival while an excited fan records the moment. Rodriguez was one of many performers at the festival that day.

A festival of creativity LMC artists share talents

By KIMBERLY STELLY

kstelly@lmcexperience.com

One of the many ways a community can showcase its diversity is through cultural appreciative celebration, and that’s exactly what Los Medanos College did at the Hispanic heritage Music and Arts Festival last Tuesday, Sept. 21 in the outdoor quad.

Puente sold tacos while LMC’s Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science sold beverages. In the background, attendees could be heard singing

along to various subgenres of Latin Music and socializing with one another.

Featured at this event, was an arts and crafts table where Professor Laurie Huffman taught people how to make flowers out of metal rods and crepe paper. There were coloring pages to be colored and maracas to be painted.

SACNAS member Anthony Bartoni was not only aiding people in quenching their thirst, but also generating interest in the SACNAS program.

“It’s fun. We’re a pretty close-knit group, we’re a strong group,” he said.

Bartoni also mentioned SACNAS is attending the National Diversity in STEM conference in Utah from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21. He explained that at least year’s conference; there were representatives there from campuses across

University of San Francisco

P L E A S A N TO N

LEARN TODAY. CHANGE TOMORROW. PROGRAMS IN: MANAGEMENT | NURSING (925) 867-2711 | usfca.edu/pleasanton 6120 Stoneridge Mall Rd., Ste. 150, Pleasanton, CA

CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE

the nation. ”Every single university you could think of, was there,” he said. “We were one of the few Community colleges.”

He explained, this is one of many opportunities given if you’re a member of the program.

Puente Coordinator Stacey Miller was outdoors as well assisting those serving food. She said when students come to events like this, she wants them “to be able to see themselves represented.” She emphasized this saying this celebration along with any other festivities held this month, “is a celebration of all Latin American cultures, not just one.”

Midway through the event, Student Manny Jimenez broke out his guitar and played several songs for the crowd despite the technical issues

The Los Medanos Medanos College for Academic Support is now offering free Arts & Humanities tutoring.

On the Pittsburg campus, hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 3 to 5 p.m. and Thursday noon to 3 p.m. in Room CO-300 by appointment only.

To make appointments, call stop by the Office of Student Life or call (925) 4737590. At the Brentwood Center, tutoring is available in Room 13 on a drop-in basis Monday 3 to 6 p.m. and Tuesday noon to 3 p.m., no appointments needed.

Appointments for the Pittsburg campus must be made at least 24 hours in advance, and will most likely be shared.

One on one tutoring is not offered at either campus.

Ambassadors sought

Los Medanos College is recruiting outreach ambassadors to represent LMC through campus tours and outreach.

The job boasts a starting salar y of $10.50 an hour and a flexible schedule in addition to providing experience for jobs and college admissions.

Students can apply at the office of student life.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

See FEST, page 6

Clubs feature activities

Students provide fun and culture

By JORDAN NEEL

jneel@lmcexperience.com

A steady stream of students flocked to the outdoor quad Tuesday, Sept. 19 for Club Day. 14 of the 26 active clubs were present on hand to provide information to students in joining a student-run club on campus — including AGS, Anime, Honors and UMOJA. Director of Student Life Teresa Archaga, who also advices The Inter-Club Council, said the main objective of club day is to raise students awareness of clubs they don’t know about and may possibly want to join.

New members also help clubs fill the void left by members who transferred Archaga said joining a club is key to student engagement on campus and gives students more to do than sitting in a classroom.

“Club Day is a fun atmosphere to be around,” she said adding that she would like to see more diversity in club offerings on campus and encourages interested students to start new clubs.

“I would love to see more clubs being developed from our Muslim community as well as different

Experience • Chris Ruiz

Puente Club performs a line dance routine for Club Day as a fun promotion for their organization. cultural events,” she said. “The clubs not only give students an opportunity to showcase their talents but things you normally wouldn’t expose yourself to.”

Puente Club President Briana Orozco, who has been a member for a year, said the club is all about celebrating Hispanic culture. On Club Day they raised funds by selling food.

“We’ve had a lot of people come up to our table,” said Orozco. “Part of why may be since we have bright decorations, food and we have music. It’s just

a fun day to be a part of.”

Art Club Vice President Jennifer Ramos has been in the club for a year and saw a lot of students interested in art. Her main objective for participating in Club Day is recruiting a community of new artists to come together and showcase their work. “I feel like club day is a great way to make friends on campus,” said Ramos. “A student doesn’t have to know how to draw to join art club. They can come and discuss the art and how it makes them See CLUB, page 6

Student body gives blood

By JOSHUA WOOD

jwood@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College held its Fall 2017 Blood Drive on Sept. 20 The blood drive was run out of a mobile donation center from Blood Centers of the Pacific, a non-profit organization that delivers blood to over 40 hospitals in the Bay Area and northern California. Students from across LMC gathered at the “Bloodmobile” outside of the library to schedule donation times, register their blood type, and of course, donate blood.

Long time donator Eric Perez offered some insight into the effects of the process, and encouraged others to donate as well.

“It’s a good thing,” he said, adding “It’s exhausting when you first do it. I’ve been doing it since ’07. I took a break, so this is my first time donating in two years.”

However, not all donators are veterans like Perez. Student Armani Smith, a first time

Experience • Crea Jones

Armani Smith reclines in the blood bus as he donates. donator, pushed through some of his apprehensions to donate blood and discovered that it was not as bad as he thought it would be. “It was relaxing,” he explained.

As an encouragement to those ner vous about the process, Smith said, “They gave you a complete understanding…they gave you the option to leave.”

See BLOOD, page 6

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“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”

— Plato

LMC artist seeks new exposures

Student creating communal album

By ROBERT PIERCE

rpierce@lmcexperience.com

“I’ve been making tracks for a year since I was about 17,” recalled Conor Cruze, as described on a Los Medanos College campus bulletin board poster as ‘LMC student and local amateur rapper.’

“I initially made amateur rap battle videos, that later inspired me to make original tracks. I’ve touched different topics, a few political, a few just describing my personal life.”

Cruze named dozens of musical inspirations and influences, from funk and rock icons Roger Troutman and Jimi Hendrix to immortal hip-hop superstars Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. One particular influence was local Antioch rapper Woodie, whose career gave Cruze the idea for his latest musical undertaking.

“I was actually inspired by a hip-hop album that released back in 1999, called ‘Northern Expozure Vol. 1,’” said Cruze.

“Northern Expozure” is a compilation album released

by Woodie featuring different artists from Antioch and the surrounding area. Cruze’s newest project is woven from the same cloth: “New Exposures: A Compilation” will be a non-profit online album featuring songs and performances from LMC student musicians.

Anyone interested can apply, and while Cruze originally wanted to make exclusively a hip-hop compilation, he changed his mind and will accept pieces from virtually any genre.

“After getting into … making amateur tracks and starting to rap myself, I was inspired by that compilation to make my own compilation,” Cruze explained. “Initially it was going to be limited to hip-hop but I am willing to extend it to pretty much any genre.

Whatever other students feel … I decided if it’s going to by LMC students, I might as well

Photo provided by Conor Cruze

Student and musician Conor Cruze hopes to make a compilation album featuring other artists at LMC. include [students that perform] other genres as well.”

At the time of the interview, Cruze had only received one submission, but he hopes things pick up rapidly.

“Hopefully we will expand soon,” he said. “I’m looking

for anywhere between 11 to 14 tracks, hopefully — as many as can fit.”

Cruze even stated he would be willing to go beyond 14 tracks if the project is popular enough, but it all depends on how students respond to his

initiative. Multiple people are allowed to be on track as well – bands and group performances are welcome.

Don’t worry about whether or not you’re ‘good enough’ — Cruze wants the album to open to everyone, regardless

of musical skill.

“Even if you’re not necessarily the most musically talented,” he stated, “as long as you can rap, sing or play an instrument … just email me and we can go from there.”

See CRUZE, page 6

Metroid impresses

By JOSH WOOD

jwood@lmcexperience.com

After 10 years of waiting, nothing was more torturous than the minute-long cut scene of the staple red and orange spaceship descending onto the surface of planet SR-388.

But when the hatch opened and Samus rose from the depths of her ship to one of the most recognizable choral jingles in gaming, the excitement, apprehension and sheer delight at the first true Metroid game since “Metroid Prime 3” was uncontrollable. I was not disappointed.

At its core, the Metroid franchise follows a simple system and play style dubbed “Metroidvania.” Players are given control of a character with various items they must pick up to progress and unlock new areas. Acquiring all of these upgrades requires players to advance through various rooms, kill bosses and find hidden secrets. All of these events lead to a culminating boss battle with the big bad.

This isn’t a genre ripe with story or innovation by nature, and that’s what makes “Metroid: Samus Returns” one of the strongest installments in the metroidvania genre. “Samus Returns” sports one of the most innovative and dynamic systems of any Metroid game to date, and quite possibly the first worthy successor to what is widely regarded as the greatest installment in franchise history, “Super Metroid.”

Players become Samus Aran, an interga-

REVIEW Photo provided by PlayStation

‘Infinite’ rather limiting

By ROBERT PIERCE

rpierce@lmcexperience.com

The sixth installment in Capcom’s acclaimed “Vs.” series, “Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite” is… a fighting game. As a ‘fighting’ game, it’s absolutely excellent, with the flashy combos, frenetic action and fast pace that makes the “Vs.” series distinct. As a ‘game,’ however… it’s presentation and overall content package leave a lot to be desired.

The story mode – seemingly the biggest selling point of the game – follows heroes from both worlds teaming up to collect the Infinity Stones (the same ones central to the

REVIEW

plot of the upcoming “Averngers: Infinity War Part 1”). The heroes use the Infinity Stones to defeat Ultron-Sigma, a fusion of Ultron from the “Avengers” comics/movies and Sigma from the “Mega Man X” game series.

The mode lasts roughly four hours and is genuinely entertaining. Despite some shortcomings, the plot feels rushed along at some points, not well fleshed out and a good chunk of the writing feels awkwardly forced. Several of the Capcom characters are portrayed rather out-of-character if you know their backstories, but even with all of its baggage, there are enough genuinely impressive moments and

Solange’s ‘A Seat’ continues to inspire “When I felt afraid or when I felt like this record would be so different from my last, I would see or hear another story of a young Black person in America having their life taken away from them, having their freedom taken away,” said singer-songwriter, Solange during the “A Seat With Us” conversation she had a year ago with her mother (Tina Knowles-Lawson) and writer Judnick Mayard about “A Seat At The Table.”

“I think that ‘A Seat at the Table’ for me is an invitation to allow folks to pull up a chair, get very close and have these hard uncomfortable truths be shared.”

Sept. 30, 2016, Solange brought cultural and soulful authenticity to the lyrics and production on her third studio album while taking listeners on her journey through self-discovery.

Inspirations that range from artists like Junie Morrison, her family, Louisiana and societal issues facing Black people in 21st century America —

Adria Watson WATSON’S WORDS

police brutality and systemic racism — are what Solange embodies throughout “A Seat At The Table.”

There was a celebration across social media when this album released. People thanked Solange for gifting her artistry to us at a time when the community needed it the most.

“A Seat At The Table” became even more significant after the 2016 election results.

Black people expressed on platforms like twitter, that going back to listen to the album was comforting.

I remember when I first listened to “A Seat At The Table.”

I isolated myself, making sure to take in ever ything Solange was saying in each song — some songs even felt like the were made especially See ALBUM, page 6

See GAME, page 6

Photo provided by IGN

lactic bounty hunter known for her incredible efficiency, power and her storied history with the vile metroids, life forms that feed off the energy of other living creatures. “Samus Returns” follows a simple story told in the wake of Super Metroid, and serves as a remake of the GameBoy installment, Metroid II: Return of Samus.

Samus is called to planet SR-388, the home of the metroids, in an attempt to exterminate the universe’s most dangerous organism entirely. To progress, Samus must acquire the DNA of metroids by killing them, using alien artifacts to drain pools of acid and unlock the next environment on the planet.

This is ultimately where the similarities end. “Samus Returns” is immediately a far more superior game to its GameBoy counterpart — sporting incredible sprites, detail rich See SAMUS, page 6

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Sports

Quotable

E X P E R I E N C E

FRIDAY,

SEPT.

29,

2017

5

“You can’t make progress with excuses”.

— Cam Newton

Stangs clawed by Falcons LMC struggles to keep up in key game

By JONATHAN LITTLE Staff Writer

With a bit of momentum after their recent shut out of Lassen College, the Los Medanos College Mustangs women’s soccer team had a 1-3-1 record and high hopes going into the first game of the regular season Sept. 22 against Solano College at home.

But despite their opponent’s pre-season record of 0-5 the Falcons were still ranked in the Top 10 in Northern California and proved too much for the Mustangs to handle.

The game ended in a heartbreaking 6-1 loss. But the Mustangs bounced back on the road against the Mendocino Eagles with a 1-0 win Sept. 26.

Solano College had the ball first in the Sept. 22 matchup and the game began as a back-and-forth chess match.

LMC countered any type of pressure Solano put on their defense, while the Falcons did the same by stopping any type of offense LMC had to offer.

First Captain Vanessa Kualapai and Second Captain Autumn Kish returned to the line-up from injur y, adding more interest to the match and driving the momentum the team felt after beating Lassen 3-0.

So at the outset, it seemed as if the contest was going to go down to the wire. But in the 20th minute of the game Solano midfielder Kailyn Herrera scored to put the Falcons on top 1-0.

And it didn’t stop there for the Falcons — Herrera scored two more times in a matter of 10 minutes to put the Mustangs

in an early 3-0 deficit.

The Stangs seemed bewildered at the fast-paced offense of Solano College, and the offensive surge of the Falcons wore down the LMC defense for the rest of the first half.

After the game Kish admitted that Herrera “had a strong leg, and I think she saw our weaknesses and ran with it.”

The Stangs had the ball to begin the second half of the game. However, it was more of the same as Solano came back with a fast-paced defense, which translated to an even faster offense.

And only one minute into the second half, Herrera struck yet again with her fourth goal of the day to put the Falcons on top 4-0 The Mustangs had trouble generating any type of momentum, whether it was on offense or defense. Physically the Stangs seemed tired on both sides of the ball as a result of the continuous fast-paced play of Solano.

And in the 55th minute of the game the Falcons scored once again on a goal by midfielder Maria Luna.

At this point in the game, Solano was wining 5-0 and looking to run down the LMC defense even more to keep the momentum going in their favor.

However, in the 67th minute of the game LMC showed a little light when Sydney Torrano set up Carmen Diaz with a smooth goal to bring the score to 5-1 with the game coming to a close.

But, the Solano Falcons went right back on the attack when midfielder Kaci Trujillo

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Los Medanos College’s Sydney Torrano battles for the ball with a Solano College player. scored the final goal of the game leading to Los Medanos College’s 6-1 loss.

“We’re str uggling with how to play as a team. Connecting passes and having that chemistry on the field is something we’re still working on,” admitted Kualapai after the frustrating loss.

Kish added that the team

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Samantha Rhodes smacks the ball over the net against San Mateo.

Vball splits series

Women show heart on the court

By CARLOS RUIZ Staff Writer

After a heart-breaking 3-0 loss to the Solano Falcons on last week, it was a tale of two games Wednesday for the Mustangs volleyball team — two games against two different colleges on the same day. The LMC women were looking to get back into the win column at home.

With hard work and team effort they won decisively in three sets against the Shasta College Knights but lost a close five-game set against the San Mateo Bulldogs.

Going into the first game against the Shasta College Knights, the Stangs looked determined and focused on redeeming themselves from the Solano loss that head coach Lou Panzella called “a tough game, ” in which the team “didn’t get anything going.”

The first set showed that the team had forgotten about their last game and completely dominated from the first minute until the last, winning it 25-13 with teamwork and plenty of kills that translated to points and gave them confidence that the lead wouldn’t slip away from them.

The second set, however, was too close to call for both sides, a back-and-forth battle that

featured dives, spikes, and errors. But through it all the Stangs prevailed to take the second game of the set by 27-25.

The final set against the Knights showed that the Mustangs were motivated to get this win and kept their success on repeat. Despite a few moments of miscommunication that gave Shasta points, the Stangs kept calm and an ace and a kill by outside hitter Malaya Salinas spelled the end for Shasta with the final score of 25-19.

“Anytime you win all three it’s always a good thing,” said Panzella. “There were few scrappy moments here and there but we played hard and did a good job that got us the result we were looking for.”

However the day was far from over for the Stangs. As they faced off against the San Mateo Bulldogs of the Coast-North Conference several hours later.

In the first set the Mustangs were under a lot of pressure from the Bulldogs, with their spikes being saved and miscommunication errors that caused them to fall behind. Eventually San Mateo took the first set 25-18.

The second set almost was a repeat of the See VBALL, page 6

needs to work on fitness.

“They had 14 players and we had 20 and they were not tired, and we were getting tired throughout the game, ” she said.

While losses like this are never fun for any team in any type of sport, Kualapai said the key to improving is preparation.

“This game isn’t one to just

shake off and forget about. But then again the team can’t dwell on the game either,” she said.

“We need to recognize our mistakes and push ourselves in practice in order to improve.”

With that being said, LMC traveled to Mendocino College to face the Eagles Sept. 26 and were able to get a bounce-back win 1-0. They will continue to

be put to the test on the road again as the face the College of Marin Friday Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.

The next home game for the Mustangs is Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. against Napa Valley College.

For more information on the LMC Women’s soccer team visit http://www.losmedanos. edu/soccer/ .

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Back Talk

F R I D AY,

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ALBUM GAME

FEST

SAMUS MUSIC

for me. They made me gain a new sense of what empowerment really felt like.

The album reminded me that no matter how many times people try to shut you down, you should speak up and never let anyone make you feel less for being loud and proud about who you are.

And in that first moment of listening to “A Seat At The Table,” Solange made me feel even more proud to be a Black woman.

A year has passed and the album still has that same significance in my life.

Solange ignited a persistency in me to continue having much-needed conversations centered on race and accountability with people who find it uncomfortable.

But it’s in each of the interludes featuring her mother, father Matthew Knowles and music mogul Master P that listeners receive in depth discussions about the Black experience.

In “Tina’s Interlude,” Tina Knowles-Lawson talks about the fr ustration regarding White people thinking that being pro-black is anti-white when at the end of the day, our carefree joy surrounding our Blackness has nothing to do with White feelings.

“Tina’s Interlude” subject matter perfectly transitions into “Don’t Touch My Hair.”

This song is any Black woman’s anthem.

Freely touching our hair whenever you choose to, asking us if it’s “real” and talking about our hair in the same context as an animal are not only examples micro-aggressions, they’re demeaning.

Throughout the years Black women have been told how to style our hair, how we should or shouldn’t love it, what’s professional and not professional, good vs. bad and so many other rules society has tried to box us into in an attempt to force Eurocentric standards of beauty.

Our hair makes up so much of who we are and Solange gave Black women an asylum in the form of “Don’t Touch My Hair,” to embrace it: “You know this hair is my shit/Rode the ride, I gave it time/But this here is mine.”

It is on track 13, “F.U.B.U.,” that the true essence of “A Seat At The Table” comes out.

During her live performances, she has made it routine to specifically sing this song to her Black fans. Solange amplifies that empowerment she wanted to create with the songs title by hopping off the stage to be in that moment with them.

Watching videos of her having those moments with her fans is inspiring, but seeing it all happen in person is powerful.

Witnessing Solange’s ethereal pneuma live is indescribable.

It was liberating to see a large number of young Black people make their way to the front of the barricaded stage at Outside Lands, just to gaze in awe of her beauty and carefree spirit up close.

Taking in the moment, seeing people who look like me excitedly embrace that liberated feeling that comes with singing along to songs like “F.U.B.U.” made it even more clear to how unifying and essential “A Seat At The Table” has been, and will continue to be, for Black people.

with the mic stand and the construction going on in the background.

At one point, Student Dominique Walker approached the steps in front of the Student services Center where Jimenez was playing and began snapping pictures as he was singing.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing.

It’s a great event to be a part of,” said Walker. She herself came out to enjoy the festival because it was a good opportunity to get away from the stress of everyday academic life Walker also said “uplifting events like this bring enlightenment and awareness to this campus.”

Puente Student Vanesa Rangel said it’s important to have events like this for Hispanic students as well as for students not a part of those cultures.

“It’s celebrating culture. You’re celebrating ever ything you went through as a community,” she said. “We’re all coming together as one.”

Rangel specifically acknowledged the festival as being a beneficial source of fun and “people are happy and events like this make them feel good,” she said, smiling.

environments, and an incredible soundtrack. Gameplay feels fast and fluid. Even the simple animation of Samus entering a save point has attitude and style. In addition to this, level design has been taken to an entirely new high, sporting many complex room structures that force players to observe, learn, and take advantage of Samus’s many new abilities. Of these newfound skills, Samus gains a tool that she has deserved for over 30 years: A melee attack.

Samus now has the ability to swat enemies away with her arm blaster by tapping the X button, stunning them briefly and immediately following up with an empowered blast from her weapon. When this ability was first revealed, I thought that it would make this game one of the easiest installments in Metroid history. I’ve never been more wrong.

Enemies in “Samus Returns” are incredibly aggressive, often dive-bombing towards the bounty hunter from the edge of the screen. Even the easiest of enemies can drain an entire energy tank in 2-3 hits. The melee counter isn’t a safety net, it’s a survival tool, and mastery of its timing and use is vital to the player’s ability to progress with any degree of safety.

In addition to this, the metroids have begun to evolve, shedding their jellyfish-like form for a more complex appearance. Until Samus retrieves a certain upgrade, countering their diving attacks is the only way of damaging these incredibly dangerous foes. Even as Samus gains the upgrades, her task to exterminate the metroids is continually made more difficult by new environments and evolutions from the metroids themselves.

Each fight is different from the last, providing enough variety to keep the player interested, while allowing the player to become more comfortable in the fight.

Old bosses return as well, bringing references to classic installments into the series, while still presenting a challenge for experienced players.

“Samus Returns” is one of the best installments in Metroid history, and it leaves new hope for one of the most favored Nintendo characters. With something for new and veteran hunters, Samus returns with a well deserved 9/10.

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one-liners that it never overstays its welcome.

It’s not a particularly deep or fulfilling story however, it’s definitely a fun ride.

The ending resolves the situation with a creative plot twist that fleshes out the world the game has created and potentially allows room for DLC characters to have their own story content.

Of course, after bringing up DLC, the roster has to be addressed. The game boasts a roster of only 30 characters, 25 of them ported over from the previous installment “Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3” – a game that had 50 characters.

The fact that “Infinite” has a roster that is over 80 percent reused assets from the previous game and yet still has fewer characters than the previous game, is baffling.

The lack of effort is both obvious and frustrating, especially since Capcom is likely going to charge an arm and a leg for DLC containing the characters people actually want to play – for example, there isn’t anyone from the “X-Men” franchise in the game whatsoever.

The roster is the biggest single disappointment, but there’s so many small nitpicks to be had, it doesn’t even feel like a finished product at some points – the UI in all the menus is boring, most of the music is subpar, the replay viewer has no fast forward or rewind, arcade mode ends with a screen saying ‘Congratulations!’ and features no unique endings… and that’s without even mentioning the graphics, which have been criticized by many.

In motion, the game looks fine, but any time the majority of the cast gets a close up – including the post-match win screen – their facial models look absolutely horrid, and the art style in general never does anything striking with the characters or their powers.

Of course, despite all this, the one thing the game has going for it is the actual gameplay, as a match in “Infinite” is incredibly fun and the various systems and mechanics have tons of depth to them.

And while the fast-paced “Vs.” series has never been very beginner friendly, there is a fairly robust tutorial to cover concepts like movement and combo structure for newer players, as a well as a mechanic (that you can turn off) that lets you mash one button for a full combo.

Overall, if you’re a big fan of fighting games, “Infinite” is still a great purchase for its fighting system alone – but then again, if you are hardcore, you probably already bought it on Day One. For more casual players who didn’t pre-order and are still on the fence about “Infinite,” the game has its perks, for sure. But the overall package and value for the consumer are so underwhelming, you’d probably be better off waiting for a sale or a Complete Edition — or just buying “Tekken 7” or “Injustice 2” instead.

The story mode is fun, but it’s not enough to carry the game, and if fighting games in general don’t appeal to you, this one just doesn’t have enough going on to hold your interest for very long.

CLUB

BLOOD

feel. Artists are always looking for feedback.”

Many of the clubs on campus also encourage their student members to reach for academic success. That is definitely La Raza’s goal.

Kenneth Prado also said La Raza was originally a club for the Latinx community, but now that they no longer do that they’re all about academic success.

“La Raza is all about reaching personal growth,” he said. “They can achieve what they want whether they’re planning on being a lawyer, doctor or whatever their major is. It’s exciting to see new members want to chase the same success.”

If you missed out on Club Day and would love to join a club, or even create one go to losmedanos. edu or contact Teresa Archaga at tarchaga@losmedanos.edu.

Smith noted that the most important part for him was the satisfaction that came with donating.

“Saving someone else’s life and knowing that you did that is a blessing,” he said, adding that he would definitely be donating again.

Of course, students also donated for a variety of other reasons. For student Serena Neal, the experience of donating blood is what drew her in.

“I’d never donated blood before,” she commented. “I wanted to see what it was like.” Neal recommends that others donate as well so that they can further research and help those in need.

If you’d like to learn more about Blood Centers of the Pacific, you can learn more at http://www.bloodcenters.org.

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CRUZE From page 4

Cruze does not have a release date in mind for “New Exposures” as it depends on how fast submissions come in. However, he previous work can be found on his YouTube channel, “United California Republic Records.”

“I’ve touched different topics,” Cruze said, reflecting on his time with music. “A few political, a few just describing my personal life… I like to focus on a lot on my verses in my hip-hop tracks.”

Cr uze, a Spanish major at LMC, is passionate about music, but at this stage he is unclear about his future with it.

“It’s a hobby at the moment,” he explained. “But I don’t know, I’ll see where the direction takes me.”

“At the moment, it’s just a hobby.”

If you are interested in being featured on Cruze’s album, you can reach him at conorcruze@ gmail.com.

GRANT From page 1

California, which is almost half of the 2.1 million community college students. As more students find out about this grant and meet the qualifications for it, the number of students covered could potentially rise.

Not only does this grant cover 1 million students, but it is also a “first dollar plan,” meaning that it pays for student tuition before anything else. This is really beneficial to students because this grant covers for tuition, which is typically the most expensive aspect, and any other financial aid obtained can cover the cost of textbooks and other expenses.

This “first dollar plan” is not nationwide however, as many other states give grant money after other types of aid cover the costs and therefore, the students do not receive as much money.

“California’s commitment to affordability focuses our resources on those students with the most financial need,” said Board of Gover nors President Cecilia V. Estolano in the press release. “This progressive approach to financial aid ensures that all California students, not just those from higher-income families, have the opportunity to attend and succeed in community college.”

This re-branding and expansion has proven itself to already become a more effective program. Some students at Los Medanos College did not know about the Board of Governors Fee Waiver program (BOG) and when told about the benefits of the program, they were eager to look into it.

“I never heard of the BOG free tuition program, but I think changing their name to ‘College Promise’ is a smart more if they want their program to be more accessible,” explained LMC student Jimmy Darling.

“I would definitely apply for free money if it’s available and credible.”

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LMC From page 1

enrollment could be credited to LMC itself.

“The college has been hard at work with numerous initiatives to either increase enrollments and/or increase the retention rate of students currently enrolled,” Horan commented.

The major departments at the college have also been hard at work to keep their students engaged in learning.

Nancy Ybarra, Dean of Liberal Arts at LMC, advocates that through the betterment of scholastic programs and

VBALL From page 5

first with errors that gave the Bulldogs an early lead. However, San Mateo consistently hit balls that were out of bounds and kept ser ving ones that hit the net.

A moment the Stangs were yearning for finally happened after setter Erica Wilder tipped the ball into an empty spot to give the Stangs the lead.

San Mateo continued to give bad serves and out-of-bound balls that would finally give the Mustangs a 25-18 win.

But the Bulldogs completely dominated LMC in the third, a near repeat performance of the first set. The San Mateo Bulldogs had a counter to all of the team’s kill attempts and won the third set, 25-17.

For tunately the Stangs continued their never-give-up attitude and got to a hot start in the beginning of the fourth set.

They took an early comfortable lead with key plays like an ace by utility player Samantha Rhodes, and the defensive duo of Ashley Dixon and Vei Fianu, who blocked the ball simultaneously, resulting in a series-tying victory, 25-16.

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From page 1

classically trained in Europe and met at the backstage door at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She began playing piano at a young age and her parents were excited at the possibility of having an accompanist in the family.

Though she played piano for 15 years, she laid her piano playing aspirations to rest after discovering her passion for singing. This led to many lucrative opportunities leading her to work with music giants Leonard Ber nstein, Igor Stravinsky and even shared a performance with Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. “[Sinatra] He was one of the most musical people I had the pleasure of meeting. He knew what he wanted and if you didn’t get what you wanted in two takes, then that was too bad,” said Albert. “He had the presence of an iconic figure.”

She sang on Igor Stravinsky’s “Mass” and was sought after for her voice, often compared to that of a choirboy. She also worked with Leonard Bernstein on “West Side Story.”

On working with Bernstein, she said, “He was a great educator … he loved music and he loved young people.”

Though having an impressive career as a vocalist, she discovered that she no longer

Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

wanted to pursue a singing career.

“I sang for 20 years or more, but when I moved back from New York, I realized I no longer wanted to be a singer — I wanted to compose my own music,” said Albert.

She then explained that it’s normal for people to change their minds about their career.

“People who know what their passions are and want to follow them at a young age are so lucky.”

During her presentation, she played a few pieces for the audience including a piece she composed called “Sunswept,” originally titled “Windswept.”

During a Q&A portion of her presentation, she was asked about her biggest struggle as a composer and she replied saying “My greatest struggle was believing in myself.”

However, getting older has helped her overcome these str uggles. She owes her success to perseverance and believing in her, a process in which she says comes with age and maturity.

As for words of wisdom, Albert advised the crowd to never throw anything away because even if you make something you’re not proud of yet, it can always turn into something else.

On the topic of creating music she said, “Music should come from the heart and the gut — not the head.”

DACA From page 1

step back in almost all areas for undocumented people.

Stacy Miller, coordinator of the Puente club, was unhappy with the bill.

“My initial reaction is that there is a discussion in the administration,” said Miller, “but I don’t think that this represents our country.”

Miller criticized the medical exam. “This sounds like preWorld War II eugenics,” she said. “But I’m glad there is a conversation.”

LMC faculty, meanwhile, are preparing for the possibility of DACA’s removal and what that would mean for those who benefit from it.

LMC president Bob Kratochvil explained LMC’s procedure for a possible ICE raid: “Police services said they will not interact with ICE unless there’s a subpoena.”

Kratochvil went on to ex-

plain: “We have that protocol so that faculty would not feel pressured.”

Professors will not comply with ICE without a warrant.

Tim Leong, director of communications and community relations at Contra Costa Community College District, expressed the need for unity in the educational community.

“We are living in a ver y special time,” said Leong. “If we can get together as a club, as a community, that can be powerful.”

Leong also encouraged people to be sensitive to issues involving undocumented individuals.

Sabrina Kwist, Dean of Institutional Equity and Advancement also spoke about the importance of activism.

“This is not a moment for general comfort,” said Kwist, calling for activism rather than complacency.

forward thinking, LMC can attract more students to enroll or continue their education at the campus.

“The faculty in the Social Sciences department are innovative and forward thinking, and the addition of an AA-T degree in Histor y is likely to increase enrollments and interest in that discipline,” explained Ybarra. “We have a new faculty member in the Political Sciences, Ryan Hiscocks, and he is ver y excited about collaborating with veteran depar tment members on new ideas for Political Science.”

For some students, the ideologies of Horan and Ybarra prove true. First-year student Peyton Hamblin enrolled at LMC after deciding to leave the four-year college she was attending to pursue better opportunities for herself.

“I needed something more stable and a familiar academic setting to focus on getting better. Community college provides that for people, especially a local one,” explained Hamblin, on her decision to leave a four-year college.

“We’re getting such a wonderful education here — I’ve really fallen in lovewith LMC.”

That led to a rubber match to break the tie. The team that could hit 15 points first would take the win. The Stangs fell to an 0-4 drought in the beginning but kept finding opportunities to get back in the leading position.

Despite the Stangs’ efforts, the San Mateo Bulldogs got the 15-13 win after an unstop-

pable hit.

“We fell behind early but it was a game that built characters that’ll help us on the road.

But would’ve been nice to have gotten a win,” said Panzella.

The team’s next scheduled games are against College of Marin Sept. 29 and Yuba College Oct. 4, both on the road.