Vol. 87 No. 6 - Oct. 06, 2017

Open for discussion

Two-in-one special

LMC defeats Storm

Faculty and staff talk about “Redesigning America’s Community Colleges” — page 3

“Lone Star” and “Laundry and Bourbon” make their way to the LMC Little Theater Oct.12 — page 4

The Mustang soccer team picks up their third win with a 2-0 victory over Napa Valley College — page 5

V O L .

8 7 ,

N O .

6

F R I D A Y ,

O C T .

6 ,

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

2 0 1 7

L M C E X P E R I E N C E . C O M

Armed robbery near LMC Lake

Nov. 10

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

Nov. 17

Photo by Adria Watson

The southwest area of the LMC Lake where the student was aproached by the robbery suspect.

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

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.

Transfer Day this month Students will have the opportunity to speak with 50-plus college reps Tuesday, Oct. 24 during Fall Transfer Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Schools that are currently accepting Fall 2018 applications will be present as well as representatives who look forward to answering students’ questions. For more information, stop

by Transfer & Career Services.

New show in Art Gallery Artist Karrie Hovey’s show “Menagerie” is now open in the LMC Art Gallery. 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. Read the story, page 4.

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. Visit www.losmedanos.edu/ classcancel.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Police investigating Wednesday’s incident

By ADRIA WATSON

awatson@lmcexperience.com

A Los Medanos College student was robbed by an armed suspect Wednesday morning on the southwest side of the LMC Lake.

An emergency alert sent to staff and students following the incident reported the victim sustained no injuries.

The alert also explained

police received a call about the robbery at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 and described the perpetrator as a Black male adult, about 25 years of age, 6 feet tall, 175 lbs., wearing a black hoodie and grey sweatpants and displaying a black handgun.

Police Services immediately notified the Pittsburg Police Department to assist them in an area search that included

neighborhoods surrounding the college in hopes of finding the robbery suspect who reportedly took off toward Roundhill Drive and Gladstone Drive, south bound off the campus.

Because the incident is still under investigation, Lt. Chad Wehrmeister was not comfortable releasing information about the victim other

than the fact he is male, but two students from one of Professor Ken Alexander’s art classes confirmed he is an LMC student.

“I am relieved to learn that the individual was uninjured,” said President Bob Kratochvil, adding that ensuring the safety of students, employees and campus visitors will always be a high priority. “I am con-

fident that Police Ser vices is conducting a thorough investigation about the incident and will make appropriate recommendations regarding safety measures people can take while on campus.”

One precaution, Wehrmeister explained, is for students to take care of their personal safety and be a good witness See CRIME, page 6

Campus reacts to massacre

Professor braves the elements English Channel swim is successful

By PERRY CONTINENTE

pcontinente@lmcexperience.com

By BRENNA ENOS

benos@lmcexperience.com

Swimming in darkness with only a small headlight to follow, enduring jellyfish stings with every crashing wave and doing it all after a sleepless night — that was the experience Los Medanos College professor Briana McCarthy during her swim across the English Channel.

Departing Sept. 14, McCarthy and her team of five swimmers landed in Dover, England and eagerly waited for their time to swim. The team, titled Brown Phatz, prepared for over a year for this swim and would be swimming the 21-mile trek relay-style — each swimming one-hour intervals.

Brown Phatz didn’t have to wait long to conquer the Channel, as their

Photo courtesy of Briana McCarthy

Professor Briana McCarthy swimming in the English Channel. boat driver, who went by the name “Steady Eddie,” declared they would embark on the swim Sept. 18 at 8 a.m.

The team made headway through the English Channel. Working in a rotation to swim the distance, Brown Phatz completed 75 percent of the journey when they were told that they would have to forfeit the swim.

At the time of the forfeit, McCarthy was swimming in the ocean when Steady Eddie told her that the cur-

rents were too dangerous for them to continue.

“When I realized that even our team captain had acquiesced and that forfeiting was non-negotiable, I reluctantly climbed up the ladder to the deck of the boat to join my crying teammates,” explained McCarthy.

“We were devastated.”

McCarthy and the other members of Brown Phatz spent the two-hour See SWIM, page 6

BART revises path Video sparks change in road

By ROBERT PIERCE

rpierce@lmcexperience.com

Thanks to the actions of Los Medanos College’s own photography and graphic design Professor Curtis Corlew, BART, the Contra Costa Transit Authority and CalTrans will be collaborating with Antioch city authorities to ‘fix’ a problematic intersection near Hillcrest Avenue and make it safer for bicyclists.

Corlew uploaded a two-minute-and-17-second video to his self-titled YouTube channel Aug. 19 that was passed around by Contra Costa County residents and officials before ultimately ending up in the inboxes of officials from BART and the CCTA. The video, titled “BART Bicycles and Antioch: Hill-

See PATH, page 6

Photo courtesy of Curtis Corlew

The Las Vegas terrorist attack has claimed the lives of 59 people, including the shooter, and injured over 400 making in the worst mass shooting in American history.

LMC President Bob Kratochvil, who lead a moment of silence at a College Assembly Monday, reacted to the attack.

“Its catastrophic, our hearts go out to the victims,” said Kratochvil, “its another senseless act of violence.”

LMC alumnus Tyler Mor timore was nearby and witnessed much of the chaos of the event.

“I was at the Luxor for a work conference,” said Mortimore, “a guy told me there was an active shooter situation outside.”

He was ushered into the casino’s basement, “I didn’t hear any of the shots or see any visibly wounded people,” said Mortimore, “but there were a lot of people that were either badly shaken and crying or were in shock.”

He was unaware of the severity of the shooting until much later. “We didn’t know how bad things were until the next morning,” said Mortimore, “my coworker said that there were hundreds of people shot, but we kind of laughed him off.”

Mortimore was deeply affected by the incident. “I’ve felt weird ever since,” he explained, “it’s kind of a given that you’re putting yourself at risk of being a victim of something like this when you go out in public, but to have been so close to something like this really drives the point home.”

The shooting has raised many questions about subjects ranging from gun See ATTACK, page 6

L O S

M EDAN OS

C OL L E G E

Quotable

E X P E R I E N C E

Perspectives

FRIDAY,

OCT.

6,

2017

2

“I demand a plan. The time for talk is over.”

— Michael Bloomberg

Brenna Enos

Erika Bojorquez

BRENNA’S BACKTALK

GUEST COLUMNIST

Millenials fight stats and labels

Stop smoking on campus

Quite often recently, I have heard people call the millennial generation “lazy,” “entitled” and “spoiled.” As a millennial myself, I admit to being a little biased, but to me, this generalization of millions of people seems a bit unfair.

First of all to clarify, millennials are people born between the years 1980 and 2000 — this is a group of people ranging from high school students, to those graduated and well invested in their careers.

We are a generation who is reprimanded for our work habits, ridiculed for “starting our lives” later than previous generations, and for, in short, being more narcissistic.

While of course there are outliers of people to every group, I have to argue that there are many millennials who do not fit this stereotype. And for those who do fit the stereotype, there is more reason behind it than just them being “lazy” or “unmotivated.”

Due to the rising debt and costs of living in America, younger generations are forced to pay higher prices than in the past. College tuition has skyrocketed: according to collesavings.org, college costs are increasing at about 7 percent every year. Young adults are trying to obtain an education to get into a good career, yet these same people who want to better themselves, must later face the hefty prices of student debt.

This statistic does not discredit the hard work and student debt that older generations had to also face, yet with a steady increase in education costs, it is no surprise that many millennials are opting out of obtaining a high degree because they simply cannot afford it.

According to npr.org, two-thirds of millennials aged 25-32 do not have a bachelor’s degree. Some older generations may see this overwhelmingly large statistic to be an indicator of a “lazy” or “unmotivated” generation, but as a college student myself, I see this number as a representative of highpriced college costs and a group of people who do not want student debts.

Other than our “less than desirable” education rates, we are also often referred to as the generation who is ““narcissistic.”

Honestly, when I scroll through my social media feeds I understand it — most of us love to post photos of our lives, our achievements, and ourselves. But millennials have known nothing other than this lifestyle.

We have grown up in a technological world where we are well accustomed to having everything just a click away — including social media. We love to post about our lives and what we are up to because social media is integrated into ever ything we know. Millennials were raised with “gold stars” from their teachers, participation ribbons in sporting events, likes on social media — maybe we are just acclimated to receiving constant praise because it was the way we were raised.

As a millennial who surrounds myself predominately with other millennials, I must argue that our proclaimed “self-centered” lifestyle does not resonate in all aspects of ourselves. I know so many young people who actively volunteer, frequently donate to those in need and even have humanitarian careers. We may be more individualistic and self-interested than previous generations in some ways, but I think we are also very politically and socially active.

We are a generation who wants more equality, social and political justice and a generation who understands that we need to pull together to make a change.

Maybe, overall, we are lacking in some areas, but it seems unfair to put all of the blame on millennials and not on the previous generations that raised us. Millennials need to pull together to fight these stereotypes and show the world that we are more than our statistics.

Our school and many others across the nation are in trouble environmentally.

As you may have noticed around campus, students have specific areas where they are allowed to smoke cigarettes — mostly in the parking lots. However, are those cigarettes butts being recycled properly, and if not how is it affecting our campus and our environment?

The Philadelphia Daily News reported, “Some 13 landscapers spend 10 hours a week picking up discarded cigarettes at an estimated cost of $150,000.”

Spending that much money from a school’s tight budget to pick up improperly discarded cigarette butts highlights just how big an issue this might be.

Keeping our school clean and safe is important not just for students and staff, but also for the student-parents who bring their children to daycare in the Child Study Center.

It is important to keep children safe from toxic cigarette butts. Butts carelessly thrown on the ground can be dangerous for children playing outside.

An report from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov says, “Two separate campus-wide cleanups were conducted by student volunteers at San Diego State University (SDSU) and at University of California San Diego (UCSD). In one hour, 63 volunteers at SDSU collected 23,885 butts, and 17 volunteers at UCSD collected 6,525 cigarette butts. The average number of cigarette butts picked up per individual was 379.1 at SDSU and 383.8 at UCSD. I have seen lots of cigarette butts littering the LMC campus and even witnessed some students smoking cigarettes in areas where there are “NO SMOKING” signs, including one that reads, “Keep our school beautiful and don’t smoke.”

The article “Tobacco Control” has proposed that “smoke-free policies on campus could have far-reaching effects not only in reducing smoking behavior on campus and ground cleanup costs, but also on the environment.

Campus cigarette waste cleanup can be utilized to call attention to the issue of cigarette butt waste in the environment.”

Reducing smoking on campus is important because here at LMC we also have animals that feed on the grass, exposing them to the toxic cigarette waste, which is unhealthy and sad.

In addition, cigarette butts can cause a fire in less than a minute, threatening the school and the surrounding environment.

Cigarette Butt Litter reported that, “according to the National Fire Protection Association, cigarette-caused fires result in more than 1,000 civilian deaths, 3,000 critical injuries (many among firefighters), and $400 million in direct property damage each year.”

Even though LMC has not yet had a damaging fire as a result of smoldering cigarette butts, that fact does not mean it cannot happen in the future.

According to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights more than 1,400 colleges in the United States ban smoking on campus.

The majority of these campuses are completely tobacco-free but students might still feel the need to smoke, regardless of the consequences.

Focusing on the issue of smoking can have a positive effect on those who do light up on campus.

Signs help them remember to recycle their cigarette butts to keep the school beautiful, safe from fire and toxic free. This would benefit everyone who attends, no just the individual.

Schools ever ywhere should sponsor activities to give smokers information on the results of smoking on themselves and the environment, and tips on how to be environmentally thoughtful if they opt to continue smoking.

Experience • Sketch Choice

Editorial

Gun issue needs solution

W

hen 20 Children and six teachers were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary, many thought that was the final straw – something had to be done about how accessible guns are in this country … right? Children died after all. Many people thought there would be a strong drive for both main political parties to come together and do something about the increasingly fatal mass shootings in this country. But we quickly learned, we were wrong.

Now here we are, five years later facing the most devastating mass shooting in modern U.S. history. On Sunday night, a gunman opened fire during a country music festival in Las Vegas killing 58 people and injuring hundreds more.

Now the collective frustration and sadness is at an all-time high.

We can blame the NRA and their influence on the Republican Party. We can blame hyper masculinity or our gun-centric society. We can even put the blame on Democrats, because quiet as it’s kept, they’re not serious about gun control either.

We will not however be blaming mental illness nor will we succumb to the aggressive humanization of the shooter. We will not look to the president to say something genuinely heartfelt and tasteful, because he never does. But there are things we will do. we can still sign petitions and we can donate. We can hold protests and vigils memorializing the victims. While there is only so much people can do, we do encourage you to not lose hope and believe that we can make the U.S. a safer place.

Those looking for information on missing persons in the Las Vegas area can call 1-800-5369488. To donate to those affected, go to www.gofundme.com/dr2ks2-las-vegas-victims-fund.

Mass murder leads to reflection I was about two hours into my first company conference when another guest told me there was a shooter outside. I had just gone up to my room at the Luxor Las Vegas to stow my bags after a cocktail party that was supposed to kick off a two-day event.

Back on the ground floor, I saw a cop car fly by outside. The Strip has a noticeably heavy police presence, so I figured any disturbance would be handled swiftly. I headed to the bar to meet with some coworkers and relayed the news. A few moments later, a profoundly drunk coworker began yelling, telling everyone there was a shooter, and to run. The bar cleared out quickly except for a small group of us who assumed it was probably a minor thing, nothing to panic over.

Then a security guard in a flak vest told us it was indeed something to be worried about Las Vegas often feels like a deeply silly place. The Elvis impersonators, the pink Midwestern dads straining their necks to ogle every plunging neckline, kids snorkeling in pools alongside heavy-drinking adults who haven’t made a trip to the bathroom in a conspicuously long time. But it’s never felt quite so silly as it did when I was herded into the lobby of the Criss Angel Theatre with a few dozen other frightened guests and employees. People stood in small groups, nervously whispering among themselves, wondering if we might die while posters of the 49 year-old magician looked down at us through his dramatic bangs.

After it became apparent the casino didn’t really have a concrete plan for this type of situation, and an opened door to the outside led to a chorus of screams and half the room diving for cover, we decided to head back out to the bar. The bartender had left his post, but a crowd of people stood around watching the news, hoping to see what was happening just outside.

Voices

Tyler Mortimore GUEST COLUMNIST

By then, a steady stream of people in cowboy hats and boots started to make their way through the casino, either staggering or running. One survivor was asked to put his shirt back on by a security guard, as there were “still children here.”

After an hour, they instructed us to make for the basement. We deemed that a bad idea and headed to our room. Some creative routing took us by elevator and emergency stairs to a room 22 floors up, looking out from the Luxor pyramid to the Mandalay Bay, just out of sight from the broken window the gunman fired from. We finally saw the extent of the response — a massive column of red and blue lights positioned at one intersection, other convoys speeding about on other side streets. We turned on the news to see two were dead, 24 injured — figures that would reach grotesque new heights when we woke in the morning.

It’s an odd feeling, having been next door to one of the worst massacres in American history. I can’t say I heard any of the shots before hearing them on TV, nor did I see any of the bodies or the heroes rushing in to save people. But I did see the faces of those who escaped, either weeping or in shock, perhaps the same faces I’d seen smiling when I drove in just a few hours earlier.

I watch the news coverage of each new mass shooting monstrous enough to make See VEGAS, page 6

How did the Vegas shooting affect whether you’ll attend public events?

C

o m p i l e d

b y

A

d r i a

W

at s o n

&

J

e s s e

G

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

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

o m e z

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

“Stay the same. I’m very cautious as it is.”

— Rosita CoronelDominguez

“It won’t stop me from going to large events because bad things can happen at any time.”

— Gio Rajo

“Not much, I still will attend stuff because you can’t prevent people from doing bad things.”

— Laura Ramirez

“It will make me be more aware because you never know who has a gun and you never know what can happen.”

“I will think more before attending because we don’t know what can happen. The best thing we can do is pray.”

— Emeka Atum

— Jade Daily

“It will make me think twice about attending such events.”

— Abraham Mathews

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.

L O S

M EDAN OS

C OL L E G E

Quotable

E X P E R I E N C E

Campus Newswatch Job help available at LMC

Students who are interested in work should check out LMC’s CCN database. Any employer that connects with LMC is directed to post in this database. If you are interested in helping young people 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).

FRIDAY,

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

6,

2017

3

— Arnold Palmer

College studies options

Psychology instructor Estelle Davi discusses the book “Redesigning America’s Community Colleges” with faculty and staff as manager David Wahl listens.

Experience • Adria Watson

Staff talks about redesigning learning

By JORDAN NEEL

jneel@experience.com

DVC conference for dreamers

OCT.

“The road to success is always under construction.”

LMC faculty and staff participated in a college wide conversation Oct. 2 sparked by the book “Redesigning America’s Community Colleges” by Thomas R. Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars and Davis Jenkins.

Members of the college community had been provided copies of the book during All College Day in August, and Monday’s meeting focused on Chapters 1 and 3, which are chiefly about redesigning programs and rethinking instruction.

The conversation was facilitated by LMC professors Kasey Gardner, Julie

Von Bergen and Josh Bearden. Gardner and Von Bergen are co-chairs of the Academic Senate task force looking into guided pathways and meta-majors. These models provide students with clearer course maps to complete their education.

The state of California is offering money to explore this approach, and this event is part of the larger college conversation about whether LMC should apply for funding.

The event was organized like a workshop in which participants were placed in small groups to address discussion questions. A variety of topics arose around

the questions including culture, diversity and student learning styles.

One question posed was “What student services practices might LMC implement to support students in developing productive behavioral habits, approaches to learning, and mind-sets?”

LMC professor Scott Hubbard said what one thing that can be to better the situation is to find a way to get every staff member to provide input, since only 30 to 40 people are at every meeting. He also suggested professors should interact with students more actively in the classroom, See BOOK, page 6

Complex construction

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 Lync.

Both bundles are available for $39.99 digital download at www.CollegeBuys.org.

Arts and Humanities tutoring

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, stop by the Office of Student Life or call (925) 473-7590.

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.

LMC recruits ambassadors

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

The job boasts a starting salary 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.

Allies to hold weekly meetings

LMC Allies will have meetings every Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m. in Library Room L-105.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance, provides information, support and community for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer and questioning people in the LMC area, and for their straight family and friends.

For more information, call (925) 473-7861, email the group at lgbt@losmedanos.edu or stop by the Q*Spot at College Complex Room CC1-117.

Loteria Night coming soon

Puente Program, Puente Club and SACNAS Club will be joining together to host a Loteria Night with Ballet Folklorico Dancing in Library Room L-109 Wednesday, Oct 11 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open the public, and there will be prizes available for winners.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Life in person, by phone at (925) 473-7554 or by email at studentlife@losmedanos.edu

New features added to site

Transfer & Career Services added new features to their website this summer, including the new the “Transfer Steps” section. No matter which step you are at in your transfer process, this page has a wealth of information and resources available for you to use. These resources include: n Major and Course Planning n University Exploration n Financial Aid for Transfer n Application Tools and Assistance n Next Steps after Applying To access these resources and more to make your transfer process here at Los Medanos College run smoothly, visit the Transfer & Career Services website, at http://www.losmedanos.edu/transfer

Shell Oil Company conference

Los Medanos College Industrial Technology Program and Shell Oil Co. have partnered up to host the “Energize Your Destiny” event Wednesday, Oct. 18.

This event will be held at the LMC Recital Hall from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature Shell employee speakers, resume reviews by Shell’s Human Resources Department staff, a local training program resource fair, a raffle and free food. Space is limited, to register visit http://losmedanos.edu/shell/ — compiled from press releases and staff reports

Experience • Adria Watson

Diversified Demolition Contractors begin the early stages of the construction of LMC’s new Physical Education Complex and Student Union. A groundbreaking event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. No RSVP necessary, refreshments will be served.

If you need a place to talk, swing by

By JORDAN NEEL

jneel@experience.com

LMC’s A Place to Talk program has helped students and faculty bond and discuss divisive issues in a safe, moderated environment.

The one-hour session is designed to provide a safe space for students, faculty, and staff to talk about topics as varied as politics and world events to things affecting students on campus and

in the local community. Each session is open to all who wish to participate, current numbers of attendees have ranged anywhere from five to 20 students.

Director of Student Life Teresa Archaga initiated A Place to Talk at the time of the 2016 Pulse shooting in Miami and has been a participant ever since.

“I am truly interested about what our students and faculty

are thinking and feeling,” she said. “It is important to have something like this for us all to come together to share dialogue.”

The best part of this activity to Archaga is that the LMC community comes together in Student Life to talk about sensitive and not so sensitive topics in a place that is safe. No one is required to talk or share anything as it is meant to be pressure free, people

who attend can just sit and listen.

The most recent topic was on Campus Safety, with Lt. Chad Wehrmeister of the campus police as a speaker. He shared some tips about how to be more aware of one’s surroundings on campus and plans to do training for students and staff in the Student Life Office soon, with the exact date yet to be determined.

See TALK, page 6

L O S

M EDAN OS

C OL L E G E

Quotable

E X P E R I E N C E

Features

FRIDAY,

OCT.

6,

2017

4

“Life is a theatre set in which there are but few practicable entrances.”

— Victor Hugo

SNES feels brand new

By JORDAN NEEL

jneel@lmcexperience.com

I was one of the lucky thousands of people able to purchase the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) Classic Edition Friday, Sept. 29 and haven’t been bored with it since. The original 1991 console has been re-released as a smaller, HD compatible system with 21 games built-in — one of which is the never before seen Star Fox 2.

Nintendo made the decision to put out a limited number of the consoles and stores like Target, where I bought mine, only had 300 units in stock.

Video games have always been a favorite of mine and I’ve played most every Nintendo console from the Nintendo Enter tainment System to the newly released Nintendo Switch. Before the SNES Classic came out, I had never played Super Nintendo a day in my life.

It’s a new feeling to play nostalgic old games like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and Street Fighter II. While you can argue that the graphics aren’t as good as the ones we see in video games today, to be playing a game that’s from the 1990s in 2017 almost feels like a virtual time capsule. The gameplay is so captivating it brings back the feeling I had as a kid when I played the NES. It’s also a bonus that the new console is small and fits in the palm of your hand.

If you lose all your lives you have to start all over again at your last checkpoint. The counsel does not include a “save progress” option on every game, which can be irritating from all the hours of playing the same level only to lose the progress just by messing up.

There are times I wish that the controllers were wireless, but I know Nintendo wanted to stay close to capturing the spirit of the original Super Nintendo as much as they could.

The SNES Classic is a purchase I’m glad I made especially since, according to the Boston Globe, it won’t be put back in stores until 2018.

If you’re a fan of retro gaming, be on the lookout for the SNES Classic in the future.

REVIEW

Photo by Adria Watson

LMC students David Kluzek and Austin Trenholm rehearse for the opening night of “Lonestar” and “Laundry and Bourbon.”

Comedy to stage at LMC

Two-act country classic

By AZI CARTER

acarter@lmcexperience.com

Comic relief awaits the Los Medanos College community when “Lone Star” and “Laundry and Bourbon,” directed by Barbara M. Norris, opens in LMC’s Little Theater Tuesday, Oct. 12 for a two-week run. These two-in-one comedic acts, with “Lone Star” heading up the duo, constitute a full evening of theater.

“Lone Star,” which takes place in the cluttered backyard of a small-town Texas bar, is centered on a Vietnam War vet as he deals with day-to-day issues two years after retuning home.

While the plot itself may seem serious, the comedic aspect is a big part.

“You’d better wear two pairs of socks, because you are going to laugh the first pair off,” joked Austin Trenholm a seasoned actor who has performed four major roles on campus. Trenholm plays Ray in the first of the two acts.

“Lone Star” and “Laundry and Bour-

bon” are separate plays but, according to Norris in an earlier interview, “they don’t have to be performed together, but function best when you do them together.”

“Laundry and Bourbon” adds flavor to “Lone Star” as the audience gets another dose of good ole Southern comfort in the next act as the women in the lives of the men in “Lone Star” take center stage bringing wit and humor to entertain the theater-goers.

“If you love to laugh and love a good Southern classic, these two plays will fill the bill,” said actor Elysse Green. “Be prepared to have a good time.”

Green is cast in “Laundr y and Bourbon” as the best friend of Elizabeth, played by Katie Garcia. Hattie is a fun-loving, outgoing young woman who loves her best friend.

“Personal relationships with cast members has made it so much easier to connect in the play and we just have so much fun participating in this

Photo by Adria Watson

William Thompson rehearses for his character Cletis in the play. production,” said Green.

This is Green’s fourth performance in a major production since being at LMC and she is an accomplished playwright and wrote “Grey” an original play that debuted in the “New Play Festival” last spring. In addition, she wrote a portion of the play “Project Serenity” that made its debut in 2016.

Green is looking forward to graduating Spring 2018 and pursuing a musical theater major at a four-year university.

Opening night is Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and continues Oct. 13,14,16,19,23. At 7:30 p.m. with a Matinee Wednesday Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. $15 general admission for the evening shows and $12 with student ID/Military ID and $10 for middle school students with ID the Matinee is $7.00. Tickets can be purchased online up to one hour before show time or at the door.

For more information visit www.losmedanos.edu/drama/productions.asp.

Sumney’s album feels comforting

By KIMBERLY STELLY

kstelly@lmcexperience.com

If the word ‘comfort’ came in the form of music, it would sound something like Moses Sumney’s debut album “Aromanticism.”

With soft, surreal crooning and minimalistic instrumentation, this album is the musical embodiment of a warm blanket on a cold day.

But this isn’t your typical “hearts and flowers” kind of record. Sumney made this album to be the antithesis of your average pop or R&B love song – yet he still manages to make it sound sweet.

Though comfort comes to mind when you hear the unreal vocal layering on songs like “Lonely World” and the 35-second “Man On the Moon (Reprise)”, there are many themes in the songs on this album that go far beyond that. With no sexual innuendos or double entendres, this album’s uniqueness lies in its ability to make the listener feel relaxed while also causing a sort of inadvertent self-reflection.

According to the 26-year-old singer, the album is “a record about lovelessness as a sonic dreamscape,” which one can only take to mean it embraces darkness, loneliness and existentialism. It’s an album for those who are comfortable enough to confront the dark spaces in the deepest pockets of their consciousness.

The song “Plastic” is an example of the soul-searching lyrics Sumney disperses throughout his songs. This lilting, guitar-driven song, actually released on his 2014 EP “Mid-

Photos by Lissette Urbina

Right: Artist Karrie Hovey gestures at her art piece “[Trans]act” which focuses on rhino horns. Above: Hovey’s wall sculpture “Kaleidoscope.”

REVIEW

Artist advocates animal activism

By PERRY CONTINENTE

pcontinente@lmcexperience.com

Striking red and white instillation art pieces revolving around poaching were unveiled in the art gallery. These pieces use a variety of mediums to convey the same message, all of which promoting animal activism.

Artist Karrie Hovey’s instillation “Menagerie” opened Sept. 26 to the public, with a discussion involving the artist herself. Hovey explained how everything from the color and medium, to the arrangement conveyed meaning in her pieces.

The galler y was packed with students wanting to see a renowned artist discuss this ambitious exhibit.

The first piece one is likely to see, “Kaleidoscope,” a circular arrangement of butterfly See ALBUM, page 6 sculpture on the wall. It takes a minute to

identify the pure white butterflies, which reinforces the instillations use of color and its theme of wildlife being obscured.

One piece, “[Trans]act” consists of several silk rhino horns arranged in neat rows.

“It deals with rhino horns and rhino poaching but it also deals with dot painting,” said Hovey, “the horns are made of silk because it refers back to the Silk Road and colonialism.”

This striking peace dominates the wall behind the centerpiece of the first room, “Man.I.cure,” which is a large felt rhino on a red platform, complete with red threads coming out of the horn.

Hovey explained that the name refers to both how rhino horn is made of keratin, the same material that makes up finger nails comparing the poaching of horns to a macabre “manicure” as well as a reference to rhino horn’s popularity

as a bogus medicinal cure.

Beneath the piece lie several teacups, a reference to the Chinese and their status as the largest importers of rhino horn.

The entry to the exhibit also features “Catch,” which is a large net with red specks made of plastic bags, focusing on how plastic waste is decimating marine life.

The second room continues the striking white and red theme with an installation called “Trophy Room” that features several pieces, including the enigmatic wool piece “Pangolin,” which has a shape that is intentionally vague, resembling a curled up, spiny, pangolin.

“Pangolins are poached for their scales, for ornamental display, for medicine, and pangolin meat is also a delicacy,” said Hovey.

Hovey held a Q and A after the explanation See ART, page 6

L O S

M EDAN OS

C OL L E G E

Sports

Quotable

E X P E R I E N C E

FRIDAY,

OCT.

6,

2017

5

“It ain’t over till it’s over”.

— Yogi Berra

Mustangs stomp out Storm LMC cruises to victory over Napa

By JESUS CANO Staff Writer

A two-goal second half paved the way for the Los Medanos College Women’s soccer team, as they picked up their third win of the season by defeating Napa Valley College 2-0.

Plenty of scoring opportunities were presented in the first half Tuesday afternoon at Mustang Stadium, but the Mustangs did not capitalize until the 53rd minute in the second half. Brianna Olmedo was on the attack but was tripped up in the penalty box by a Napa player, right in front of the eyes of center referee Francisco Franco. A penalty kick was awarded where defender Emma Spears put the ball away in the bottom right corner to edge LMC to a 1-0 lead.

“It felt good because we had just talked at halftime,” Spears said. “After we get one goal our momentum and intensity increases and we could put some more in to take the game.”

The intensity did pick up, as 10 minutes later Maggie Alvarez headed in a one time shot that seemed as it might give LMC another goal, but was saved on the line by a Napa defender.

LMC was however able to get an insurance goal late in the game. Adrianna Urrutia dribbled the ball in the Napa box and delivered a pass right next to Autumn Kish who rifled the ball in the bottom right corner to give LMC a comfortable 2-0 lead with seven minutes left in the match.

“She (Urrutia) played the perfect ball to my feet,” Kish said. “I just got really lucky there.”

In the first half, the Mustangs had multiple chances to put the

game away from the beginning, but simply could not place the ball in the back of the net. Kish had two shots on goal, but was not successful. Brianna Olmedo had a one-on-one encounter with the goalkeeper, but took one extra step too much and ended up losing possession of the ball.

Goalkeeper Berenice Fernandez preserved her clean sheet early in the game on a free kick shot that took an awkward bounce over the heads of many of her teammates, but managed to tip the ball out of bounds.

While LMC missed a lot of scoring plays, offside infraction were also a big issue in the first half as assistant referee Jose Chavez called three offside on scoring chances for the Mustangs.

“We’ve had trouble with the timing of our runs,” head coach Zach Sullivan said. “We were the better team but struggled to score points.”

The team did show improvement, as no offside infractions were called in the second half, where they were able to net in two goals, which took a lot of weight of the shoulder of team according to Sullivan.

“It was more of a relief,” Sullivan added. “The more the game goes on the scarier it gets when you have not scored.”

Many of the team members agreed that Napa was not a competitive opponent, and believed they should have won by a significantly greater margin.

“We won that game 2-0 but we should’ve easily put away at least four,” Spears said. “They weren’t that challenging and I think we outplayed them completely. We were definitely the better team.”

See STANG, page 6

Experience • Cathie Lawrence

Los Medanos College’s Emma Spears takes a knock to her head to stop the ball in the 2-0 win over Napa.

Big Baller family misunderstood

Battle of the Bay: LMC style

Above: Vice President Kevin Horan swings for the fences. Right: Cashier Peggy Peters and Math teacher Kwadwo Poku celebrate after a run was scored.

Photos by Adria Watson • Experience

Staff battle each other in softball game

By CARLOS RUIZ Staff Writer

The heated rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics is one of the most famous clashes of all time in sports and on Friday, Sept. 29 the rivalry continued to create dramatics after the A’s vs. Giants Los Medanos College staff softball game.

What began as a simple softball game with LMC employees, soon evolved into a friendly scrimmage in which members imitated their favorite Bay Area Major League Baseball team.

“It started out as Los Medanos College faculty against staff workers,” said former LMC and current DVC grounds worker Steve Valencia. “Later it became whoever liked the Giants played for the Giants and whoever liked the A’s played for the A’s.”

However, the reason for an event like this doesn’t really have to do with proving

which is the best Bay Area baseball team.

“It’s a great way for staff and faculty to get to know each other and have fun at the same time,” said Bookstore Manager and Softball Giants Manager Robert Estrada.

“A lot of times we don’t see each other that much because it’s cross department but this is how to get visit people that we don’t see as often,” said Estrada.

Not only is it a nice event for fellow LMC workers to meet and get to know each other, “but it’s a great way that we can have some fun and let off some steam.”

“Maybe a little trash talking but it’s all in good nature,” joked Estrada.

The game had a unique set of rules you wouldn’t see in a normal softball game. Bunting, sliding and stealing base were not allowed. A strikeout only occurred if the bat was swung three times and missed. And your efforts in the game would be done for the day if

you hit a homerun. Meanwhile most of the supporting crowd in attendance was those who work at LMC. And LMC President Bob Kratochvil played the role of home plate umpire.

Rather than flipping a coin to determine who got to bat first, team captains Estrada and Computer and Network Services Specialist, Elaine Ortiz decided, that the Major League team who had the worst record would decide who would bat first. Meaning the Giants batted first.

However the designated pitcher of the bout, Vice President of Business and Administrative Services, Alex Porter was neither a Giants nor an Athletics fan.

So instead he represented his favorite team the Los Angeles Dodgers. And in doing so he would attempt to do his best Clayton Kershaw impression by pitching the entire seven-inning game.

See STAFF, page 6

You don’t have to be an avid sports fan to have heard about the Ball brothers and their controversial father LaVar. This basketball family burst onto the scene when oldest brother Lonzo started to make headlines as a freshman at UCLA during the 2016-17 season. Lonzo has two younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, both of whom can carry their own on the basketball cour t, and are committed to play college ball at UCLA. As Lonzo quickly shot up the draft boards during his first college season, so did the notoriety of his dad. LaVar has made many head scratching statements throughout 2017, many of which have cast him as the evil father lurking in the background appearing to thrive off his son’s popularity and skill.

Some have even gone as far to label him as the next Kris Jenner, the famous Kardashian empire patriarch.

LaVar did not shy away from saying that back in his day he would easily beat Michael Jordan. Yes, he’s talking the about being better than the best basketball player of all time. He also made the bold statement that his oldest son Lonzo will be better than Steph Curry. To be fair maybe he will be some day, but many wondered, as did I, why put so much pressure on your sons?

Why write a check that you yourself will never have to worry about cashing? He even turned away every big-name shoe and apparel company that wanted to sign his oldest son a to a major rookie shoe deal. When it came down to it, every outlandish comment the Ball family leader made it fell

heavy on the shoulders of the three young basketball players.

I was originally one of those anti LaVar Ball people, who just wished he’d stay out of the spotlight like all the other sports dads. Mainly because I’m a die-hard UCLA Bruin fan and Los Angeles Lakers fan. I didn’t want to see a good kid have his career cut short because his dad was too involved. So many wondered, why is this man doing what he’s doing?

It wasn’t until their new reality GAME OF WORDS show “Ball in the Family” which airs on Facebook weekly, did I realize I may have had this husband and father of three pegged wrong the whole time.

We can see a new side of LaVar, not a quiet or tamer side but a new side nonetheless.

We see a father that loves his boys more than anything in the world. Also, we see what he calls “the master plan” unfolding with every thought-out brick being laid.

He reveals that everything he has done up to now was calculated. From turning down the shoe juggernauts of Nike, Adidas and Reebok which lead the way for his family ran sports apparel company Big Baller Brand to make a splash into the industry with only his son as their athlete endorser.

If you watch one episode of “Ball in the Family” it will be clear to you that his controversy on television was a persona. In real life, he is a smart businessman who loves his family and friends more than anyone can.

He wants to create a legacy for his family and instill it in his boys so they can reach their full potential.

As we watch the Ball broth-

Jesse Gomez

See BALL, page 6

L O S

M EDAN OS

C OL L E G E

Web

E X P E R I E N C E

Back Talk VEGAS PATH From page 2

the news cycle. I read the short obits for the victims, in which we learn a community lost a nurse, a librarian, a youth sports coach.

The 19 year-olds who hadn’t made much of a mark yet in their adult lives, but loved country music or going to the movies, a harmless hobby that would ultimately cost them their lives.

I covered an active shooter training at LMC for the Experience after a man with a rifle killed several of his fellow students at Umquah Community College in Oregon, two years to the day before the shooting in Las Vegas. I came away from it feeling even more hopeless than I was before, knowing even the Experts didn’t really have any wisdom on how to handle the situation when a man with a rifle decides to commit wholesale murder, other than to flee or hide.

Whenever these shootings happen, I think about a Washington Post profile of Cheyeanne Fitzgerald. Cheyeanne was 16 year-old who graduated from high school early and enrolled at Umquah.

She was in the writing class the shooter attacked, and was shot in the back. She didn’t die, but the rifle round shredded her insides, leaving her nearly unable to walk and prone to terrible panic attacks at the slightest trigger.

We love stories of heroism after these tragedies, but for most survivors, it’s simply a story of not dying. After the cameras leave, it’s up to them and their families to deal with the lifelong damage.

We have a dire number of mass shootings every year.

We also have incredibly high rates of gun homicides, gun suicides and abusive relationships that end with the male and a firearm. Would some sort of comprehensive gun control wholly eliminate gun murder? No. But someday I might like to take my hypothetical kid to a movie or a concert without having to think about our relationship — and potentially hundreds of others — being ended by a .223 round.

ATTACK From page 1

control to public safety.

Officer Mike Hotton explained the district’s mindset and procedure about the possibility of a mass shooting, “Vegas is 500 miles away, but that is a topic of concern,” said Hotton.

Hotton went on to discuss the actions the campus police take in preparing for such an event, saying that the police department is consistently meeting about and planning for the possibility of an active shooter.

“Our lieutenants are spearheading that,” said Hotton.

He also encouraged students to educate themselves about mass shooters and how to best deal with the possibility of being involved in a shooting, “we like to tell people if you want to be more prepared, jump on a website, do your research.” said Hotton.

Hotton directed students towards the Contra Costa County Community College District website’s section on police services as one possible resource.

STAFF From page 5

“It felt good out there,” said Porter. “My arm was good, but I gave up too many runs.”

Overall the game was an absolute offensive back-andforth war by both sides.

Until the bottom of the seventh inning, the game was tied at 12, with a runner at first, two outs and captain Ortiz at the plate.

When a clutch moment was needed, Ortiz delivered with a two-run homer, that gave the Athletics the lead and eventually the victor y, with the final score, 14-12.

“I think the game was a phenomenal success.”

“There were no injuries, just bruised egos from our team that’s all,” said Estrada.

From page 1

crest BART,” outlines Corlew’s perspective of a major problem with the roads surrounding the Hillcrest BART park-and-ride station.

“Here I am riding northbound on Hillcrest [Avenue],” states Corlew’s voice in the video, played over GoPro footage of him riding down said street on his bike. “And when I get to the turn for BART, it seems that the cars have to cross the bike lane to get on the freeway.”

“That’s right,” Corlew continues. “They have to cross through the bike lane… that leaves me, the cyclist, between the right turning cars on my right, and the cars that I assume would have to go straight on my left.”

The video goes on to explain in greater detail how flawed this design is, especially since cars merging onto California State Route 4 — or driving toward the Antioch park-andride — from Hillcrest Avenue have three lanes of traf fic available to them, all three of which can turn right onto the highway and only one of which requires drivers to cut into the bike line – meaning bicyclists are endangered for little reason.

“It’s pretty terrifying,” Corlew describes. “It means that if I try to ride through that intersection, cars to my left will naturally be trying to run into me.”

Corlew did not offer a specific idea for a solution in the video, though he did state later that his optimal plan would be to redraw the bike lane so that it occupies the far right turn lane, and isn’t cut into by any traffic. To close the video, he offered his email address, and requested that BART work with the city of Antioch to reach a solution to the problem “before someone is seriously injured or killed.”

It worked. “[The video] triggered a second look at the design of the intersection,” stated Joel Keller of the BAR T Board of Directors, remarking that the fact that Corlew brought up the situation before the amount of bikers in the area increased was “important” and applauding Corlew’s “initiative” as a citizen.

While reconstruction of the intersection would be more in the hands of the CCTA and the city of Antioch than BART itself, Keller expressed a keen interest in keeping the area safe for BART riders and Contra Costa County residents in general, and came up with several ideas on how to improve the situation in response to Corlew’s call to action.

“There are relatively easy things that I think can be done very quickly,” he mentioned.

He noted that, if nothing else, even just adding extra arrows and signage to the area to clearly denote a reser ved bike line would “certainly be an improvement” over the current situation.

The CCTA seems to agree with Keller – according to an article ran in the East Bay Times titled “Fixes to East County bicycling dangers on the way, say transportation officials,” the CCTA currently “plans to paint arrows in the far left lanes as well as add signs alerting those drivers that they can’t turn onto the highway,” and there will be temporary electronic signs in the area until CalTrans finishes making the proper, permanent signs.

Corlew will attend a ‘Hillcrest Phase T wo Improvement Meeting’ hosted by the CCTA Oct. 11, to discuss a more sweeping, long-term solution, but for now, he is happy that CCTA has at least pledged to do something about the problematic intersection.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Corlew commented.

STANG From page 5

LMC will be home once again on Friday Oct. 6 at 3 pm against Merritt College from Oakland.

For more information on the women’s soccer team, please visit http://www.losmedanos. edu/Soccer/

SWIM From page 1

boat ride back to Dover in defeat, with some team members sleeping, others feeling seasick and all very heartbroken.

After returning to Dover, the team regrouped and decided if they would swim the Channel again. After a week of waiting and finalizing some changes, they got their second chance to swim the Channel Sept. 25 at 2 a.m.

McCarthy, wearing a grey “shark-bite” swimsuit, was the first swimmer to hop into the water. The boat that would be following the team during their journey was anchored off the shore of Dover, and to officially swim the entirety of the Channel, McCarthy had to jump off the boat, swim back to the shore of Dover, and then swim back out into the ocean.

Since she had a 2 a.m. start time, McCarthy did all of this in complete darkness with only the light of the boat to guide her.

“Swimming in the dark with a giant floodlight from the boat illuminating me was really disorienting, and I wanted nothing more than to get out of the water,” explained

F R I D AY,

O C T.

6,

2017

6

McCarthy.

The team worked together the same as before: each member swimming one-hour at a time in relay style. While they made their way across the Channel, the swimming conditions didn’t prove to be far easier than the first time.

During McCarthy’s swim, she not only had to put up with the ocean currents and her own exhaustion, but for an entire hour she swam through a large patch of jellyfish.

“It was like getting tiny electric shocks over and over for an hour, and the water felt like a washing machine,” recalled McCarthy “I kept repeating, ‘I¹m having fun, I¹m having fun, I¹m having fun’ and at some point, I got to, ‘No! I¹m not having fun, I’m just going to have to suck it up and swim through it.’”

McCarthy and her team did swim through it.

Seeing the shores of France in the horizon with only a few miles to go, the team was determined to finish – no matter what happened. The team was pulled off their track by a very strong tide pull and they watched as another swim team in the distance forfeited due to the strong current.

This did not deter them from finishing what they flew out to England to accomplish.

“We fought it so hard. I got in for my final leg, and although my wrist and shoulder hurt and I had gotten maybe one hour of sleep in the last 36 hours, I pushed myself hard to fight the eddy, which our observer and pilot told me I¹d need to do to get our team into a better place.”

After a few hours of swimming against a strong current, the last swimmer of Brown Phatz reached the French shoreline and finished their English Channel swim, completed in 17 hours and 19 minutes.

“We cheered on deck, popped a bottle of champagne, and celebrated with our teammate when she finally got back to the boat,” reminisced McCarthy, adding that the whole team sadly could not touch the shore of France due to the rough ocean conditions although her teammate grabbed a “souvenir” from France for them: “She brought back a little ziplock bag of French sand in her (swim) suit to share with us.”

Through all of the stressful, tiring and at times, painful moments of their time swimming the Channel, the Brown Phatz conquered the English Channel – the strong currents, exhaustion, jellyfish and all.

slapped on his music.

“Aesthetically, what classifies this as modern R&B music?

What about its make-up fits it into that category?” he asked in one tweet. In another, he said, “I love R&B music, but this description bothers me most because I get it the most and it’s the only race-based classification of my music.”

The idea of labeling his music seems to be an impossible feat, because it doesn’t quite fit into one of the classic genres.

The best way to describe it is “introspective music for rainy days that’ll probably make you cry if you think too hard about the lyrics”, but that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.

The first time I listened to this album in its entirety, I

snuck away from class one night to listen to it in an empty elevator.

Because so much of the album is focused on darkness and loneliness, it made perfect sense to listen to it in a dimly lit, confined space in complete solitude where I felt like I might be the only person to still exist.

Logically, I knew there was still a thriving world outside the elevator doors, but with Sumney’s album playing in the background of my thoughts, I understood that “Aromanticism” is an album best enjoyed alone.

And not to alienate those lucky lovers out there, but the album’s message is especially poignant if you are without a significant other.

ALBUM From page 4

City Island”, showcases his falsetto voice as well as his songwriting abilities.

The last line “my wings are made of plastic, and so am I” is haunting, but in the best way possible.

Sumney’s smooth vocals pair well with the ethereal instrumentation.

His vocal talent is especially apparent on the song “SelfHelp Tape” which essentially is just him harmonizing for a few minutes. It’s a peaceful track that sounds like cool water feels.

Recently Sumney has questioned the categorical boundaries placed around his music.

Earlier this year, he took to twitter to express his discomfort with the label of R&B being

CRIME ART From page 1

— this can further help Police Services in their success in apprehending perpetrators of crimes.

“One of the benefits of our notification system is that within a very short amount of time, we are able to get a message out to everybody,” said Wehrmeister explaining that “it often aids in finding not only evidence but witnesses who have seen something,” or someone.

LMC Journalism student Jesus Cano, who also writes for the Experience, was on his way to school around 8:50 a.m., when he saw an individual who met the description of the suspect that sent police circulating the area. But didn’t think anything of it until he later received an emergency alert around 10 a.m., and then proceeded to inform Police Services.

“I saw it and I was in shock because it all made sense to me why I saw all of that stuff,” said Cano. “It put me in a panic because I walk to school through there every single day.”

Wehrmeister advises students to make sure they are paying close attention to their surroundings at all times and if they become a victim of a crime to remember that “your personal safety is always more important that your property.”

“If you have a reason to believe you are in danger, then I advise people not to put themselves in greater danger,” said Wehrmeister. “The important thing to remember with crimes like this, and other crimes, is that we want people to be a good witness.”

More information will be released as the robbery investigation progresses.

Police Services urges anyone who may have been on the Delta DeAnza trail between Wednesday morning around 9 a.m. — or may have witnessed the robbery itself — to contact to them on their outside extension at (925) 439-1505.

From page 4

of the exhibit.

“I’ve always considered myself an animal activist,” said Hovey, explaining her focus on animal advocacy.

“There is very little random in my work,” said Hovey emphasizing her careful approach to everything from placement of pieces to medium used.

Hovey graciously fielded around a dozen questions from the students about a number of topics before closing out her tour of her work.

Hovey encouraged students to educate themselves about issues of poaching and animal trafficking as well as directing them to Project Thorn, a rhino conservation organization.

Among the students in attendance was Adrian Montemayor.

“She is very dedicated with the amount of time she put in,” said Montemayor adding, “It

BOOK From page 3

considering they can only focus on subjects for a limited time.

“The longest a person can hold their attention span for is 20 minutes,” said Hubbard.

LMC professor Marie Arcidiacono suggested instructors attempt to have students adapt to different teaching styles, but in a way that the students can still be successful in their classes.

“It’s important to have trust with faculty and staff. We need to teach students how to learn to break the style they’re used to in K-12,” said Arcidiacono.

When the discussion reached the question about how teachers might include “culturally relevant curricula and other diversity efforts into all subject matter”, LMC professor Estelle Davi reacted strongly, underscoring the importance of discussing culture in classes.

She said the conversation must confront racism, and added that she has seen the how the issues around diversity have affected the community.

“I love how this conversation is bringing new life to these topics and we must talk about diversity and racism,” she said. “For 45 years I’ve dealt with these issues and I’m not saying we’re coming back to the beginning, but we need to talk about racism.”

As the conversation came to a close, Gardner explained next steps to the group.

In an inter view after the event, Gardner explained the task force will lead the college in assessing “where we are on the path to adopting guided pathways. We have to do the assessment in order to get the grant.”

He added that a group from LMC will attend a conference in Oakland to “learn more about guided pathways.”

Bearden explained guided pathways are important for students because it gives them a clearer direction about which courses to take in completing their degrees. He added that it’s vital for students to participate in the process and understand how much it benefits them.

“We want to make sure everybody involved is on board.

The hope of the task force is that this will be discussed so that more people know about it,” said Bearden.

BALL From page 5 Experience • Chris Ruiz

Karrie Hovey’s art piece “Man.I.Cure.” is amazing.”

Also viewing the opening was student Jennifer Holderman who was particularly fond of the piece “Pangolin.”

“If you don’t know what it is, you have to go look it up,” said Holderman, “I like that the artist is so friendly and answers so many questions.”

“Menagerie” will be displayed in the gallery until Oct. 26 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12:30 - 2:30 and 4-6 p.m.

TALK From page 3

Archaga hopes that participants will be able to explore different perspectives and beliefs from others to learn about tolerance, acceptance and embrace diversity.

“It isn’t too often that we are given opportunities like this to come together,” said Archaga, “and we get to know one another outside of the classroom.”

LMC Counselor Melissa Pon, co-facilitator of A Place to Talk said the program is crucial to emphasize positivity and improve the community of LMC by facilitating discussions about current events while focusing on other’s feelings and perspectives.

“It’s very important that LMC continually works on creating safe spaces for students to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment,” said Pon. “There is so much going on in our nation in regards to government administration, people, and natural disasters.”

For those interested in participating in the conversations in the future, A Place to Talk is held monthly on the second Thursday

Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

of the month from 2-3 p.m. in the Student Life office, located in the portable on the pathway between the Planetarium and Parking Lot A.

ers interact with their father it’s easy to see they have bought in on what he’s selling.

All three are polite young men who have never been in trouble and just focus on sports and the family business.

Whether you agree or disagree with the attention grabbing tactics he has used in the past to grab the spotlight I feel is irrelevant.

He’s just a father that wants to see his sons reach the goal, which was set since day one.

And with the talent the Ball family has, on and off the court it doesn’t appear they will be going anywhere anytime soon.