Grads reach milestone
Instructor sees light
Season touches down
The record breaking 2017 graduating class capped off their journey at LMC May 26 — page 3
Philosophy Professor Edward Haven talks about finding his place in academia — page 6
The Mustang football team prepares for the upcoming season — page 7
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F.Y.I. Important Dates August is Immunazation Awareness Month Sept. 1
Last day to drop full-term classes in person without a “W” appearing on transcript.
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Labor Day: college is closed
Short term class available LMC is offering a number of late start classes this semester. For a full list of classes to register for, go to losmedanos.edu/ shortterm
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LMC earns high grade College Choice ranks top 50 By BRENNA ENOS
benos@lmcexperience.com
With 120 acres of newly renovated buildings, a diverse student population and a long list of majors, it comes as no surprise that Los Medanos College was ranked as the sixth best college in the nation. According to College Choice, an independent online publication, gathered their data from Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program and Pay scale to formulate their list of the top 50 community colleges. Going up against over 1600 community colleges nationally, LMC made it into the College Choice list, earning a spot in the top 10. Many factors went into the top 50 list with reasons such as affordability, diversity, convenience and community. As listed on
the College Choice website, LMC’s campus resources, Honors Scholars program, special academic programs, and associates degree rate also influenced the high ranking. This prestigious ranking not only benefits the reputation of LMC from an outside perspective, but Fred Wood, East Contra Costa College District Chancellor, also believes that it changes the way that LMC’s own students perceive their education. “I was absolutely elated and proud that Los Medanos, which is just such a marvelous college, was getting this national recognition,” exclaimed Wood. “This national recognition is great for our students because they have the confidence in knowing that they’re going to a fabulous school that provides great
LMC places sixth in country College Choice has chosen Los Medanos College as the sixth best community college to attend in the United States, first in Northern California.
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1. Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara
6. Los Medanos College, Pittsburg 13. Santiago Canyon College, Orange 18. Chaffey College, Rancho Cuamonga
See SIX, page 8
Experience Graphic • Lissette Urbina
Total eclipse of the heart
LMCAS seeks senator help If you are interested in making a change on campus, applications to be an LMCAS senator for the Fall 2017 semester are now available. The applications can be found at the Student Life Office in the portable near the Child Care Center or at losmedanos.edu. The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.
Blood drive on campus The Blood Centers of the Pacific will be hosting another blood drive in their truck outside of the Library Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register your donation appointment online, visit www.bloodheroes.com, click ‘Locate a Blood Drive’ and enter sponsor code LosMC.
New tech in 9 classrooms By AZI CARTER
acarter@lmcexperience.com
Experience • D’Aujah Gordon
Los Medanos College student Natalie Yoshimoto and her son Elliot gathered around the Outdoor Quad Monday, Aug. 21 with students, faculty and staff to witness the first total eclipse of the sun in 99 years to be seen across the United States. See story and additional photos on page 6.
District reacts to VA violence By ADRIA WATSON
awatson@lmcexperience.com
Transit creates new route TriDelta Transit has a new 30-minute route between the Pittsburg Marina and Los Medanos College. The revamped Route 381 and will be free to LMC students Sept. 25 through Dec. 31. They must have a current/valid student I.D. in order for the free ride to be applicable. For more information about where this new route will stop, vist trideltatransit. com
Level 2 gets a facelift
Following the “Unite the Right” rally on the University of Virginia campus Aug. 12, the chancellor and the three college presidents from the Contra Costa Community District sent out an email to students, staff and faculty Aug. 15 and 16, extending their condolences to the victims who lost their lives and voicing their disapproval of the events that transpired in Charlottesville. “While the First Amendment grants the right to free speech and peaceable assembly, acts of violence and abhorrent behaviors are neither included nor protected under this amend-
ment. We strongly condemn any and all racist acts intended to incite violence and promote fear,” the email noted. They further stated that as an institute, each college is committed to respecting and promoting diversity, inclusion, social justice and of fering learning environments that are safe for students and employees to “engage peacefully and civilly,” — not tolerating hatred, racism or any acts of violence. “We encourage our students, staff, faculty, and community to join us as we combat injustice, bigotry, and divisiveness by actively listening to one another, demonstrating respect for
Experience • Adria Watson
Counterprotest supporters at Outside Lands Aug.13. others, and engaging in a civil manner at all times.” Los Medanos College Student Life followed suit by hosting “A Place to Talk” Tuesday, Aug. 22. Director of Student
Life, Teresa Archaga explained that this was important for students to discuss feelings in an open and safe setting. “[The LMC Community] was See UVA, page 8
Trustee’s use of funds questioned By PERRY CONTINENTE
pcontinente@lmcexperience.com
Tensions rose over the summer in the Contra Costa County Community College District Governing Board when member Greg Enholm was questioned about use of funds by the board’s president. Board President Vicki Gordon and District Chancellor Fred Wood denied
Enholm’s request for reimbursement in light of his use of the board’s budget. Enholm had sought about $10,000 in reimbursements, which were questioned by Gordon and Wood. The trouble came from Enholm’s allegedly excessive use of the travel budget. Gordon’s problem with Enholm’s use of the budget revolved around several
smaller infractions such as transportation expenses and other similar issues. “It is nickel and dime,” said Gordon, but she insisted that the budget use was “fishy.” “It should have been done privately,” said Enholm about the budgetary concerns. “There was no need to make See FUNDS, page 8
A work in progress on the second floor of the College Complex is nearing completion. Workers were literally tying up loose ends, with utility carts, ladders in tow and final revisions of architectural plans in hand. Nine newly remolded classrooms are visible, and excited chatter from students passing by can be heard as they try to catch a glimpse of the rooms to get a visual of what’s in store. Most of the classroom renovations were done after hours so as not to inconvenience the college community. Work in the College Complex began in early February with construction crews working at night from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. to avoid disrupting classes. The plan must have worked well as students randomly polled responded that they had not been bothered by the construction. “I really hadn’t noticed any changes and was shocked to see the new classrooms,” said one. “I think the new construction looks great!” added another. Student Jimmy Darling, who has attended other colleges in the district as well as LMC, was impressed with the changes. “Viewing LMC as a whole, I really like the way the campus looks now,” said Darling. The renovations include nine new classrooms, two of which are designated for computer labs. The LMC faculty will enjoy the eight new office spaces and two new conference rooms as well. State-of-the-art technology was at the forefront of the master plans for the renovations. Ben Azarnoush, district design director for the Contra Costa Community College District, oversees construction projects from initial programming through construction and post-occupancy and explained the “change have been designed to project a welcoming See WORK, page 8
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“We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Tammy Seward
Robbie Pierce
TEAJAYE’S MUSINGS
AND NOW, THIS
Tips for a great fall semester
Free speech vs. hate speech
Welcome Back LMC Mustangs! Fall semester has begun and hopefully everyone is ready to “get-err-done.” OK, I admit it that sounded so much better in my head and like Larry the Cable Guy, let me adjust my writing cap. There, that should be better. Also a big “HELLO” to the new foals entering LMC for the first time this year. We are a small but growing community college. I use the pronoun, “we” because, in my experience, we become a family as we walk the campus of LMC. In fact, at any given time you might run into President Bob Kratochvil walking around. I had so many lofty ideas for my first return column in the Experience. As I sat down to write this column all my lofty ideas of what I wanted to write flew out the window along with the ever-present Pittsburg wind. It’s hard to know what to say in these troubled times, although many of the ideas for my blog came to mind. I decided upon giving out tips and information in hopes of helping new, as well as returning students to succeed this semester as well as in other areas of life. One of the biggest things I have noticed over the many moons of my life there will always be someone who will criticize your actions even when they do the same exact things. That is OK! Just look them in the eye, say, “Opinion’s vary,” turn and walk away. Don’t stick around and let them bring you down. You know yourself better than others. When they talk about others like that it speaks volumes about them as a person. If at first you don’t understand a subject, do not hesitate to ask questions! Everyone learns differently and at a different pace. Remember there is a Math lab on both the Pittsburg and Brentwood campuses with professors standing by to help you. If you need help with reading and writing assignments try the Center for Academic Support right smack dab in the center of the core building. They have professors as well as tutors on hand to help. In my experience most professors will work with you in any situation. For example, on the first day of spring break in April I had a mild heart attack, two days later my step dad had a stroke. When the semester resumed, I had moved home to help my folks. However I kept in touch with my professors and made sure to make up what I missed; so all four of my teachers were very understanding and helpful. But I took off summer semester to concentrate on my health and family. And when you’re in tough situations, there are resources on campus available to everyone. LMC even opened a Veteran’s Center for vets who come to LMC to further their education and acclimate to society. This center has computers and quiet areas if needed. A food pantry for those who need it was also created last spring and of course, counseling is available in the students’ center. Each counselor I have talked to has been helpful. I wish I had talked to one of them before I registered for classes so I’d be on the right path, not scattered as I am now. So I strongly suggest each student meet with a counselor for an hour to make sure you are on the right track for your academic career. Pace yourself so you don’t burn out. Even the LMC library has textbooks on reserve you can borrow if you forgot your books. However you only get three hours and cannot leave the library. Just make sure to ask your teacher if they have them reserved. Some will even let you use an earlier edition if needed. Remember to ask, tell and respond to the positives of campus life. LMC is widely diverse in their students, faculty, staff, and curriculum. It’s no wonder our growing campus ranked sixth in the nation.
Nazis and white nationalists staged a three-day rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month that ended in a lethal domestic terrorist attack by a rallygoer. The event raised calls to ban hate speech, such as Nazi ideas. However, when the idea of banning these groups is raised, someone always brings up the First Amendment as a counter argument, claiming hate speech is protected by the constitution and Supreme Court cases, whether we like it or not. The thing is, yes, hate speech is legally protected, but it shouldn’t be. No one appreciates freedom of speech and the First Amendment more than a journalist. The freedom to write, publish, broadcast and say what we want is paramount to our industry and our profession, and censorship is the enemy of every member of the press, on a professional level if not a personal one. That said, I could still, as a journalist, wholeheartedly believe in the criminalization of hate speech as a way to protect marginalized groups put in danger by it. Founded Oct. 31, 1941 by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Freedom House is a non-governmental organization that “conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights.” On their website, they rate nations on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the least free and 100 being the most free. Germany is rated as 95 on this scale, while the United States is given a score of 90. This in mind, those who claim censoring hateful fringe groups jeopardizes the rights of the general public, have little to stand on considering Germany completely banned Nazi ideas and symbols after World War II and has yet to become an Orwellian dystopia. Still, some might say that hate speech legislation might set the precedent of labeling any contradicting opinion as a ‘hate group’. Except that won’t happen. There isn’t a single ideology in America, or in the entire world that is as uniquely and intrinsically hateful and dangerous as Nazism. Whenever someone speaks the words or raises the flag of this ideology, they carry the baggage of over six million civilian deaths. And, as evidenced by Charlottesville, they almost always create new ones: Nazi ideas never stay ideas for long when their entire mission statement is ‘racial purification’. Such an extreme and extraneous problem deser ves — necessitates — an equally extraneous solution/ A law banning Nazi ideals, or any other type of anti hate crime legislation, would be a justified nuclear option to prevent the rise of fascism. And if put into place, aside from a few absolute extremists, no one is seriously going to attempt to use a hate speech ban to ban anyone they disagree with. To compare hatred like the kind espoused in Charlottesville to any position you don’t agree with is a horrible false equivalency. And even in the event that someone did attempt to brand their political opponents as a ‘hate group’, the Supreme Court can always step in and rule against them, and prevent any sort of dangerous precedent from arising. They will be able to separate ‘evil ideal’ from ‘opposing opinion’. One might say that ‘evil’ is a subjective term, and that’s true, evil is not absolute. But if you look at white nationalists, white supremacists and Nazi groups that think billions of people worldwide are ‘inferior’ and should die or be forcibly relocated simply because of their birth, and you are not willing to call them evil, you need to rethink your definition of the word. The Court ruled obscenity cases on a ‘I’ll know it when I see it’ basis for decades. As Americans, evil should also be something we know – and are willing to call out – when we see it.
Experience • Sarah Gonzales
Editorial
Bad year for acceptance
B
y now, you’re probably aware of the White Supremacist rallies and counter protests popping up in Charlottesville, Virginia as a result of the removal of several confederate statues. And for some reason, everyone’s reaction seems to be one of surprise. Well, not everyone. People of color knew. Historians knew. Anyone part of any historically disenfranchised group knew. But of course, you’ll always find masses of people in a bubble who didn’t realize “things were that bad.” And then came President Trump’s unfortunate poorly timed response to the events in Virginia. Rather than condemning Nazis, he went the alternative route and instead blamed both sides for the chaos. Here’s the thing, you can be open-minded and neutral about many social issues most of the time and you might even be able to persuade people to see your point of view despite their initial reluctance to do so — this is not one of those situations. You’re either for or against white supremacy; there is no middle ground. The fact that the president couldn’t condemn those “white nationalists” still managed to shock many notable Republicans and Democrats as well as people around the U.S. However, when you take to account the president’s past, including his family’s ties to the Ku Klux Klan, it looks to be less shocking and more expected. Also, the man is in a tough place. He cultivated and enabled this hatred and brought out the worst in these people. He couldn’t completely abandon the bigoted base that helped him win. However, he also had to acknowledge that at least some of the Nazis were bad. But of course, many people will expunge the Trump Administration from any responsibility for what appears to be the resurgence of the Nazi party because his supporters refuse to read between the lines, or understand any type of historical context.
Letter from the Editor
New term brings in new changes By ADRIA WATSON Editor-in-Chief
For the past year there has been fluctuating skepticism surrounding the news and journalists — “Trust? Don’t trust?” and “Real vs. fake.” It’s normal to be hesitant about trusting the source of news and understandable when it’s looked at from the perspective of someone who’s receiving information from the media, but staying informed and following what is being reported is crucial now more than ever, especially in our current political climate. Constantly being confronted with reality can be overwhelming and gets frustrating at times, but keeping yourself in the know will only help make you a better consumer of information as well as benefit your everyday lives and academics. Read your local newspapers, including both articles from both like-minded people and people who think differently from you. Watch the news so you know — and understand — what is going on in the world. One of our goals at the Experience this semester, is to do more stories about national and worldwide issues as they relate to the LMC community. We want to make sure your voice is being represented in our paper. This semester we not only strive to continue being a source of information for all things happening on campus, but also want to share the opinions and reactions from LMC students, staff and faculty about events happening around the world. We hope by delivering accurate stories that not only pertain to our campus community but to society as a whole we will increase readership and engagement. We’ll be making more of an online presence
Voices
Experience • Adria Watson
New Editor-in-Chief Adria Watson. via our website at lmcexperience.com. Because technology is ingrained in our day-to-day lives, another goal of ours is to make sure our online edition is being updated regularly so readers will receive relative and time-sensitive information promptly. Our social media pages will also become a key source of information this semester as we strive to make sure we post and keep those who follow our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages up to speed with events and news that occurs on campus, as they are happening. You can follow our Instagram Twitter at LMC_Experience and like the LMC Experience Facebook page for more updates. We encourage anyone with story ideas, comments, questions and concerns to reach out to any of our staff members or stop by the Journalism Lab located in the College Complex Room CC3-301.
Do you think what happened in Charlottesville could happen here? C
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“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
“Unfortunately, yes. Until people in this country actually listen, really listen.” — David Taylor
“Of course, you don’t know what could happen here.” — Emily Hammond
“I think so because California is a lot more progressive and diverse.” — Hasaun Warren
“I’d like to think not, but it’s possible.” — Jalya Ferrell
“It could happen anywhere because there is extremism everywhere.” — Jenny Shirk
“It is possible because it is terrorism and terrorism can happen anywhere, anytime, at any moment.” — Skye Gooden
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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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 the youth learn and believe that a positive academic mentor is important for them, join the Homework Club team. All that’s required is a basic understanding of 8th grade-level concepts. To learn more and apply for this position, log onto CCN and search for ID number Volunteer Crisis Line Counselor (job id 4636373), Child Activities Provider (job id 4636375) or Speaker’s Bureau Advocate (job id 4636377).
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“He who opens a school door closes a prison” — Victor Hugo
Moment of elation
Students gather to discuss
A Place to Talk is a service provided by the Office of Student Life, the portable by parking lot A, that allows students to gather and discuss recent events in a safe space overseen by counselors. It is open to any students interested, and the next meeting will be held on Sept. 14, however the theme has not yet been announced.
Marina serves seafood
The 33rd annual Pittsburg Seafood and Music Festival will be held Sept. 9 and 10 at the Pittsburg Marina at 200 Marina Blvd. Pre-sale carnival tickets are available at the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce at 985 Railroad Ave and more information can be found at www.pittsburgseafoodandmusicfestival.com.
Allies to hold weekly meetings
LMC Allies will have meetings every Wednesday from 2-3 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. Meetings and events offer a safe, friendly and inclusive place and time for our community to convene. For more information, call 473-7861, email the group at lgbt@losmedanos.edu or stop by the Q*Spot at College Complex Room CC1-117.
Daily cancellations online
Save yourself from making an unnecessary trip to campus for a class that has been canceled. Professors sometimes cancel classes unexpectedly and often can’t tell their students in person. The LMC website offers a daily class cancellation page for students to see if their class has been canceled. For the list of daily cancellations, visit www.losmedanos. edu/classcancel. The LMC Experience Facebook page also posts class cancellations as well as other campus updates. Visit www. facebook.com/lmcexperience.
Counselors ready to assist
Looking to make an educational plan or review your current one? LMC offers counseling at both campuses. Drop-in hours are offered throughout the week and change on a weekly basis. Students must have a student ID number and a photo ID to meet with a counselor. Appointments on the Pittsburg campus can be made at the Counseling Department in the Student Services Building, Level 4, calling in at 473-7449, or by visiting www.losmedanos.edu/counseling and clicking on the Make an Appointment link. Appointments at the Brentwood Center can be made in person, or by calling 513-1625.
Experience • Cathie Lawernce
Jesus Briseno proudly waves a Mexican flag as he walks up to the stage at graduation.
Class of 2017 is biggest ever By JORDAN NEEL
jneel@lmcexperience.com
The Los Medanos College graduating class of 2017 had an incredible end to their time here as they attended graduation. With 1,257 students graduating, the biggest graduating class LMC has had to date, it was a commencement event that celebrated students finishing up at the college. LMC President Bob Kratochvil, who attended the event, was proud to see how the ceremony turned out. “This year’s graduation ceremony was a celebration of our students’ success,” said Kratochvil. The weather was perfect as the record number of students who walked in the ceremony, and their families and friends, seemed to enjoy the afternoon. The Graduation Planning Committee, led by Dean David Belman, did a fantastic job of organizing the day’s festivities. This was the first graduation ceremony in our district for our
new Chancellor Fred Wood, and he gave an impactful speech. “Our student speakers did an outstanding job of providing important and inspiring messages to the graduating class,” said Wood. “For me, my favorite part is shaking hands with and providing gestures of good wishes to each of the graduates.” “While we part with some of the students on that day, we hope they will remember LMC as the incredible educational institution it is,” Wood continued. “On the day following graduation, they became LMC alumni and forever will be a part of our family.” Some graduates are happy they’re done at LMC, some are going to miss it dearly. LMC graduate Miguel Saro fits in the latter category. “I will miss LMC because I learned so much,” said Saro. “It helped me be a better person. I learned other things from other classes and I’ve made so much friends. I felt good
Experience • Cathie Lawernce
Ijnanya Lane beams as she celebrates with a friend during the graduation festivities May 25. that I was going to be done with LMC but sad because I was leaving and LMC was over for me. “I will say the best part of the ceremony was having them calling your name and you just felt special about it. I’m happy to be transferring to Cal State East Bay University and moving forward to having a good future.”
Local bargins for LMC
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.
Eateries give a discount
What’s lost may yet be found
By ROBBIE PIERCE
Los Medanos College’s lost and found has numerous items found on campus. If you have lost an item, check with Police Services, which is located on Level One. Inquiries must be made in person or no pick-up will be made. A brief description of the missing items will be expected by people wanting to pick them up.
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.
DVC conference for dreamers
Diablo Valley College is preparing a free conference for undocumented high school and college students, parents, educators, and thier allies to learn about the oportunities and resources avalable. The conference will take place on Staruday, October 21. To register and find out more visit: www.dvc.edu/dreamers.
How to report news
If you have a news tip for a story, or a short item you would like considered for publication, here’s what to do: Stop by the Journalism Lab (room CC3 301) on the main level or email the editor in chief Adria Watson at awatson@lmcexperience.com. News Briefs: If you are involved in an event that you would like publicized or have a short announcement fo the newswatch collumn, stop by the journalism lab and fill out a news form No items will be printed without the name and phone number of a person the staff can contact to verify information. Publication can never be garuanteed. — compiled from press releases and staff reports
Another graduate who will also miss LMC Zeltzin Lucas, whose three years here really made a difference to her and even her family. “My parents were really proud,” said Lucas. “Now I’ll be transferring to San Francisco State University to become a teacher. I was excited to leave and transfer but I enjoyed my time at LMC.”
rpierce@lmcexperience.com
Experience • Adria Watson
LMCAS representatives excitedly provide refreshments to enthusiastic students.
Welcome week wows By KIMBERLY STELLY
kstelly@lmcexperience.com
Members of the Los Medanos College community geared up for the new semester by participating in the school’s signature Welcome Week activities. Los Medanos College Associated Students planned the event in its entirety. One of the bigger Welcome Week events was Club Day, held Tuesday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the outdoor quad. Clubs gave out candy, buttons, pamphlet and all other sorts of items to drive membership. In particular, the Art Club set a table in which members drew pictures for anyone interested. Art Club Member Adrian Montemayor said the club “accepts all kinds of artwork.” He also pointed out that the Art Club works on many of the flyers and posters on campus. “We do a lot of art work on campus, so be on the look out,” said Montemayor. The Debate Society had a table in the shade, where that Debate Team members Lilly Montero and Hailey Solares explained that in addition to being a club, there is a an accompanying class – however, you don’t have to be in the class to be on the team. Solares noted there
are perks that come with being on the team. “It looks really good on your resume,” Solares commented. Montero nodded in agreement adding, “It helps with your argumentation skills and expands your worldview.” Other clubs present at the events included the Rotaract Club, Club READ and Puente. Midway through the event, representatives from each club were allowed to come up to a microphone and give a quick spiel about the purpose of their club. In between speakers, music played over the proceedings and students sang and danced along. Wednesday was Mustang Day at the LMC Brentwood campus, and Thursday, student gathered in the quad in anticipation for the free hotdogs given out. Local radio station WILD 94.9 was out there as well playing Top 40 hits as the students bonded with one another over their love of free food. Los Medanos College Associated Students Officer Marco McMullen said, “it’s important to hold events like this on campus because it helps students, faculty and staff come together.” He said that ultimately, LMCAS “aims to give a voice to the students” via events like Welcome Week.
Burgers, burritos, sushi, and soon more can be the daily special for students here at Los Medanos College when they use the LMC Associated Student’s “Mustang Discount” program to get anywhere between five and 20 percent off their meal. The discount is currently offered at three restaurants in the Pittsburg area: Little J’s, a burger and sandwich restaurant advertising itself as cooking up the “Best Tri-Tip In Town” according to its website; Tokyo & Beijing, a Japanese and Chinese combination restaurant with a series of lunch specials; and Las Panchitas, a family owned and operated Mexican restaurant that is home to the ‘Lucky Burrito’ and the ‘Burrito-Zilla.’ To get the discount, just present your student ID card at checkout, and ask for the discount, which varies by location. The discount is the brainchild of Israel Castro and Natasha Garcia of LMCAS and was first offered during the Fall 2016 semester, designed to help out LMC students. “LMCAS wanted a way to support both LMC students and the Pittsburg community. They also noticed that students were unable to afford food, See SAVE, page 8
CTRL
ummer of Music Summer hit of 1997
Umbrella
I’ll be missing you
by Rihanna ft. Jay Z
by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans ft. 112
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In the final track on SZA’s debut studio album “Ctrl,” she sings about the psychological rollercoaster that Artist: is being in your twenties trying to find your place in SZA the world — questioning love, friendship, stability and Release Date: how fast life comes at you. The acoustic guitar mixed June 9, 2017 with SZA’s velvety vocal stylings in “20 Something,” Tracks: 14 was the perfect way to end the journey “Ctrl” took its Label: Top Dawg listeners on. In songs like “Doves In the Wind,” “Wavy” Entertainment and “Pretty Little Bird,” SZA molds her sound to fit Review by: Adria the artists featured on the tracks which is one of the Watson small, but many, technicalities that make the assorted production throughout “Ctrl” unique. When an album can change decades between two songs and go from ‘80s-pop in “Prom” to ‘90s slow-jams in “The Weekend,” there’s no questions as to how far an artist like SZA will go to include that variety in her music. Much of the attention surrounding the album sparked unwarranted opinions across social media, mainly from cisgender-heterosexual men, about whether or not SZA’s womanhood and life choices should be respected. Albums that tend to be as open and personal as “Ctrl” steer away from the artistic integrity of the album but in this case, the criticism gave the songs new meaning. “Ctrl’s” early June release set the tone for the rest of the summer but also may just be some of the singer’s best work to date. When SZA said, “picking up a penny with a press-on is easier than holding you down” in my personal favorite “Go Gina,” I really felt that.
RUNDOWN
RAINBOW
Summer hit of 1987 Alone
I just want to be your everything
by Heart
by Andy Gibb
2017
After a five-year hiatus, Kesha is back with her third RUNDOWN studio album “Rainbow,” which scored her second Artist: no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts. This album Kesha combines elements of hard rock, country with her Release Date: established signature brand of pop, and though these August 11, 2017 influences are somewhat present in her second album Tracks: 14 “Warrior,” it’s far more apparent in her latest creation. Label: Kemosabe Though different genres are explored throughout, Records “Rainbow” has a heavy faux-country influence. Ironically, Review by: it’s the most genuine Kesha’s ever been. Kimberly Stelly Though there may be stylistic changes in the way the music sounds, the typical Kesha markers are apparent both in the lyrics and in the visuals accompanying the album. In “Woman,” you hear Kesha’s signature adlibs in the song as well as her signature laugh. In the video for the successful lead single “Praying,” you can see she hasn’t abandoned glitter, colorful costumes or her flair for the avant-garde despite the emotional tone of the ballad. One of the interesting things about this album is that it’s comparable to Lady Gaga’s “Joanne.” Both were highly anticipated albums by pop songstresses experimenting with different genres to tell a story of empowerment and personal growth. Though there are those few similarites, this is still Kesha’s most unique work to date. The beauty of this particular work lies in its honesty and versatility. It gives us a taste of the soft but strong Kesha we could know, while reminding us of why the Kesha we already knew was so much fun.
ALBUMS PACKED WITH NOTABLE SOUND
UNPEELED
These are our favorite songs released this summer that deserve recognition. Also featured are other hits that were released but were played one too many times.
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“Where words fail. music speaks.”
— Hans Christian Andersen
TI AMO
Back with new music after a four-year album hiatus, Phoenix has eloquently re-entered the music scene Artist: with a catchy, romantic album. Debuting June 8, “Ti Phoenix Amo” has both old fans and new listeners pressing the Release Date: “replay” button over and over due to the indie-electro June 9, 2017 and seventies-inspired sound. The album’s context Tracks: Ten focuses mainly on love, foreign places and quite often, Label: Loyauté, gelato — transforming it into the perfect combination Glassnote for a summer playlist. The songs not only discuss a Review by: variety of different geographical locations, but lead Brenna Enos singer Thomas Mars sings in English, Italian, French and Spanish. The album begins with the euphoric-sounding hit-single “J-Boy.” The title track of the album, “Ti Amo,” follows in second on the album and it maintains the happy pop-vibe that is carried throughout all 10 songs. Tracks such as “Fior de Latte” and “Lovelife” are hidden gems on the album that have an undeniably catchy tune — both sound great played at full volume during a summer car trip. While the album is undeniably catchy to any fan of alternative pop music, it isn’t hard to image that some songs would end up on a playlist at H&M. Quite often, it is hard to decipher exactly what Mars is talking about throughout the album — other than love and eating gelato of course — and that might be the only downfall to its quality. But in its entirety, this album successfully takes listeners to another place that is filled with budding romance, Italian scenery and summer sun.
RUNDOWN
FLOWER BOY Questioning, loneliness and longing are some of the
RUNDOWN words that sum up “Flower Boy.” Steering away from the Artist: Tyler, The Creator Release Date: July 21, 2017 Tracks: 14 Label: Columbia Review by: Adria Watson
dark sounds he’s usually known for, Tyler the Creator’s fourth studio album is more endearing and personal. Each song transitions smoothly into the next which makes it seem as if he produced the entire album in one sitting, which is especially nice during moments when he transitions from “See You Again” into “Who Dat Boy” — both tracks being day and night in comparison to one another. “Garden Shed” and “I Ain’t Got Time” are two songs on “Flower Boy” that had listeners pondering about his romantic life. In “Garden Shed” he raps, “Truth is, since a youth, kid, thought it was a phase. Thought it’d be like the phrase ‘Poof! Gone,’ But it’s still going on” and drops that he’s kissing white boys for awhile now in “I Ain’t Got Time” — but along with those revelations, listeners got to experience the feelings that Tyler has previously masked in his music with dark humor and detachment from his critics. I enjoyed not knowing where the album was heading with opener “Forward,” a song centered on reflection and foreshadowing. When he says on the song, “How many raps can I write till I get me a chain? How many chains can I wear till I’m considered a slave?” poses curiosity as to if some of the things he’s questioning in “Forward” pushed him to create “Flower Boy?” The final song “Enjoy Right Now, Today” is an instrumental variant of the album cover. Its ethereal realness makes you want to listen to it all over again every summer.
HOPELESS FOUNTAIN KINGDOM
For the first time this summer, alternative band RUNDOWN Cage the Elephant recorded and released an entirely Artist: live acoustic album. The album, titled “Unpeeled” Cage the was recorded during a short series of shows last year Elephant and while the typical noise-filled nature of their shows Release Date: wasn’t captured, an emotional and artistic side of the July 28, 2017 band is put on display in the album. The British band Tracks: 21 was joined by a string quartet in the making of this alLabel: RCA bum and due to this, their old music and covered songs Records have a sense of newness about them. The album in its Review by: totality has a unique blend of slow and fast, aggressive Brenna Enos and catchy, new and old — but is all united with the bands unmistakably unique sound. Songs such as “Right Before My Eyes” and “How Are You True” have a heart wrenching and emotional quality to them. Pop-hits “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Trouble” force listeners up from their seats and onto the dance floor with their catchy melodies. The album’s acoustic sound creates an intimate, studio feel but the live sounds of audience cheers bring the authenticity of “Unpeeled” to life. The only element lacking on this album is perhaps that there were no new songs featured, but after the recent release of “Tell Me I’m Pretty” in late 2016, the band understandably did not have a lot of time for writing. Overall, Cage the Elephant can be appreciated at a new level with the broken down and cool sound of “Unpeeled.”
OUR PICKS
Summer hit of 1977
Alternative artist Halsey has ditched her morose indie roots for a more backbeat-driven sound on her Artist: sophomore album “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,” Halsey waxing poetic about familiar topics, like sex, love, Release Date: fame and betrayal. June 2, 2017 Although it was purposely written to be more raTracks: 13 dio-friendly than it’s predecessor “Badlands,” enlisting Label: A-list stars like Sia and The Weeknd to help write key Astralwerks tracks on the album, make no mistake: HFK is still Review by: chock full of raw and relatable tracks. Kimberly Stelly Trap influenced numbers such as “Lies” and “Walls Could talk” might not be particularly unique when you put them in the context of a top 40 radio station, but this doesn’t make them any less catchy or personal. Halsey also shows off her breathy singing style on the remorseful ballad “Sorry” proving that just her voice and a piano are enough to make you look back at your past relationships — even if you’ve never been in one. Halsey has never been afraid to be transparent and prideful about whom she is. This pride comes in the form of the upbeat electro pop duet “Strangers” featuring Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony fame, which has been lauded as a queer anthem especially since both artists are openly bisexual. This track also marks the first time Halsey has used female pronouns specifically in a love song, making it all the more special for her LGBT-identifying fans. If you’ve ever read Romeo and Juliet, you can get away with skipping the “Prologue.” You can just watch the video for lead single “Now or Never” which shows a futuristic, gender-swapped retelling of the Shakespeare work. However, you won’t want to skip over any other part of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom.
RUNDOWN
A d r i a Wa t s o n FAVORITE SINGLE:
Bodak Yellow
Brenna Enos FAVORITE SINGLE:
I Get Overwhelmed
K i m b e r ly S t e l ly FAVORITE SINGLE:
Doomed
by Dark Rooms
by Moses Sumney
PLAYED-OUT:
PLAYED-OUT:
PLAYED-OUT:
Despacito
Shape of You
by Cardi B
by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber
by Ed Sheeran
Bad Liar
TRIVIA Who of the following was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
A. André 3000
B. Chance the Rapper
C. Nas
D. Jay Z
by Selena Gomez The answer is d
Music
Summer hit of 2007
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“Astronomy compels the soul to look upward, and leads us from this world to another.”
— Plato
Experience • Adria Watson
Student Ethan Pool uses a telescope to view the solar eclipse at LMC.
All eyes on the sky Eclipse is stunning By BRENNA ENOS
benos@lmcexperience.com
It’s not everyday that the Los Medanos quad is filled with hundreds of students wearing glasses and using light boxes. But when the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. occurred more than 99 years ago, it definitely creates excitement on campus. During the solar eclipse, which lasted from 9 to 12 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, students and teachers joined together in the quad, fully equipped with light boxes and solar eclipse glasses. While many students may
Experience • Adria Watson
Barbara Cella, director of marketing, and student Giselle Jauregui, watch the eclipse from the LMC quad.
have been in class during the eclipse, some teachers took their students outside to experience the natural phenomenon. Art and Humanities instructor Ken Alexander was one of the teachers who brought his class to the outside quad to view the eclipse and made sure that his students viewed it safely. Along with ceramics instructor Lucy Snow, Alexander layered welding glasses so that his students could view the eclipse without getting eye damage, or resorting to homemade viewers. “There’s a standard you have to
meet to protect your eyes,” said Alexander adding that they thought by adding layers to the glasses would meet that protection, which it did. While most witnessed the eclipse with goggles, glasses and light boxes, a few adventurous students and faculty members went up to the top of the science building for a better viewing experience. “Two of the part-time teachers setup telescopes on the roof of the science building and they had — I guess about a hundred students or more — go up and look at the eclipse
through those telescopes,” explained Astronomy instructor Scott Cabral. “It’s a big news story so it was nice to be involved in this big, social phenomenon.” The telescopes proved to be a success with students as many had yet to witness an eclipse and the telescopes provided a great means to view it. “I’ve never seen a solar eclipse so it was my first time experiencing it,” said LMC student Jordan Avila. “Me and a few friends went to the roof of the science building where they had
set up two telescopes and they passed out a handful of eclipse glasses. The eclipse was really cool.” LMC student Spencer Rohrer not only enjoyed his personal experience, but also believed that the eclipse was a positive thing for the student body as a whole. “The students were really into this historic event and it made others more involved because everyone else was doing it,” said Spencer Rohrer. “Many students are very independent so the eclipse brought new students together as a unit.”
Philosophy gives a new Haven to LMC
Questions create path to career By ROBBIE PIERCE
rpierce@lmcexperience.com
“Edward, what do you think happens after you die?” That was the question a seventh-grade history teacher asked Edward Haven, Los Medanos College’s newest Philosophy professor, to demonstrate Socratic questioning as part of a unit on classical Greece and Rome. “I gave him my answer, and he said ‘why do you think that?’,” Haven remembers. “I gave him another answer, and he said ‘why do you think that?’” This pattern of Socratic questioning continued unrelentingly until “eventually it came to the point where I realized, really the only reason I thought what I thought, was because that’s what my parents had told me,” explained Haven. The experience sent him into a short, but deep period of introspection and self-reflection. This early br ush with philosophical thought foreshadowed events later
Experience • Adria Watson
Edward Haven has philosphical dreams come to fruition as an LMC professor. in life that would lead Haven to teach Philosophy at LMC. “It was this sudden realization of ‘that’s not a very good answer’ that stuck with me,” he said. “But it wasn’t until college that I realized this is a discipline you can study.” Even in college however, he
didn’t start down the path of philosophy right away. Maybe it was a loss of interest over time, or maybe it was the seventh-grade interrogation that scared him away, but it took time for him to re-engage with the discipline. He started his studies at Sierra College
in the Sacramento area as an engineering major. “I took calculus,” he said, laughing as he explained what prompted the change to Philosophy. “I saw calculus and said ‘no thank you.’ I bombed that class so hard. Luckily the teacher dropped me anyways so
I didn’t have to retake calculus.” “But that put me in a crisis,” he recalled, growing somber. “I tried architecture, but that still requires quite a bit of math. Then I did history and political science.” Disillusioned with college and still unsure about his major, Haven recalls how he found himself randomly wandering through the library one day after class, “not knowing what to do, and asking some questions about what I wanted to do with my life.” “I went to college because it was the thing you were supposed to do,” said Haven in his LMC office, sitting leisurely on a chair, surrounded by deskwork. Then he transported himself back to that day in the Sierra College librar y, wandering through the shelves, until he stumbled randomly onto the philosophy section. “I’m doing it because I’m supposed to, but I don’t know to what end, or why,” he said. “I saw this book,” he began. “It had a leaf on the cover, and it was called Being and Time.” Immediately, something about the book struck the young Haven as “familiar,” and he began to read it.
“What does it mean to be?” That was the question the book’s first line asked Edward Haven, a freshman in college unsure of what his life meant or where it was going. “I was like, ‘Damn, that’s the question I’m trying to ask,’” he recollected. “I checked it out and started reading it… it just spoke to me. I was like, ‘Yes, this is the problem I have and these are the answers that make sense to me.’” The book gave him some much-needed guidance – but beyond cosmic coincidence, Haven still has no idea what exactly it was about the book that called to him, that seemed so familiar that day in the library. “I tried to figure out where I had seen that book before – my mom and my father had never heard of the book,” he said. “But something about that book just kind of said, ‘this is the time and here is the place.’ I’m not someone who believes in, like, crazy mysticism or something like that. But there seemed to be some… who knows how to describe it?” Whatever that hidden factor was, the book not only called See HAVEN, page 8
Drama staging two fall shows By HAYLEE STEVENS
hstevens@lmcexperience.com
“One of the things that we’ve been fortunate enough to have are a lot of passionate individuals who want to write and create their own art,” said Drama Department Chair,” Nick Garcia. For the last couple of years at Los Medanos College, at least one major show has been student-written play. This semester, the student production will be a socially relevant and humorous play “Reality Check” that 20 students put together in the summer Drama 914 class. The show is set to run Wednesday, Dec. 6 through Saturday, Dec. 9 at the California Theatre in Downtown Pittsburg. The Creating Theatre for Social justice class spent “the entire summer just researching and writing this play,” said Garcia, adding that the play “tackles a lot of social issues that are happening right now specifically like racism in this country.” The show will also deal with LGBTQ and mental health
persecution but does not stop there. Topics surrounding gender and the Black Lives Matter Movement will also tie into this play. “This show tackles each of these issues with humor but also it’s been heavily researched,” explains Garcia. “Each thing we’re bringing up is based on a fact.” The stor yline of “Reality Check” is similar to that of Jumanji, in which a group of friends get sucked into a board game that challenges their preconceptions about certain ideas and along the way they learn more and more. It also deals with the kinds of the falsehoods that are believed and by the end of it, they grow together as friends and as human beings.” Earlier in the semester Professor Barbara M. Norris will direct the first major show of the academic year, “Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon” which opens Tuesday, Oct. 12 and runs through Monday, Oct. 23. This two-in-one act will be held at the LMC Little Theater. See DRAMA, page 8
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“I figure practice puts brains in your muscles.”
— Sam Snead
Football back in full force
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Los Medanos College running back Namontte Grisby tries to find his way through the defensive line during practice in preparation for the new season.
Stangs primed for achievements this year By CARLOS RUIZ
cruiz@lmcexperience.com
As the fall semester begins, the LMC football team is gearing up for the 2017 season and preparing themselves for the season opener against Reedley College Sept. 2. Last season, the Mustangs finished in second place in the Pacific 7 division with an 8-3 overall record, behind the undefeated Shasta College. The duo of quarterbacks Gabe Taylor and Sohail Mohsini both finished in the top ten in passing yards and touchdowns per game in the Pacific Seven division. Taylor ranked fifth in rushing touchdowns as well. Offense had key players like running back Billy Wells, who had the sixth overall rushing yards per game with 53.8 in his junior year. Wide receiver Jacob Puente finished eighth in receiving yards per game and second in receiving touchdowns in his final year with the team as well. Defense also excelled as freshman linebacker Richie Peralta, sophomore
middle linebacker Alex Espinosa, and freshman defensive back Charlie Ramirez Jr. cracked top ten in tackles per game. While linebacker Zach Eckels had the ninth most sacks in the conference in his sophomore year. Despite the Stangs 28-21 loss last November against the Monterey Lobosat the Rabobank Stadium in Salinas for the Living Breath Foundation Bowl, the Mustangs hope the new season will bring even more success for them. “The most important thing different from this year’s team compared to last year’s is experience”, said head coach Richard Shipe. “Last year we had a large number of sophomores that were huge contributors but we also had a good group of freshmen that contributed as well,” Shipe said as he enters his 14th year as a coach at Los Medanos College and sixth as head coach. “Those Freshmen are now our Sophomore leaders and are doing a great job.” Yet many new faces are also waiting to make an impact on this season and
fill the void of the departing sophomore players. “Those looking good on the defensive side would be Heamasi Latu, Antoine Tanner, Garrett Hart and Shurod Thompson,” he said, “and on the offensive side of the ball that are doing a good job so far would be Keenan Norris, Tarif Rivers, EB Rios, and Jordan Montoya” after displaying impressive performances during practice. The team’s first competitive game is on Saturday, Sept.2 against Reedley College at 6 o’clock. It’s safe to say that the Mustang’s expectations are not much different from most teams competing this season. “Our goals this year is to win a conference championship and be undefeated at home,” said Shipe. He explained why a conference title is a top priority by saying “ it will make it easier for the team to reach our last goal and that’s to go back to a a championship bowl game this season.” Experience • Cathie Lawrence For more information on the football team, please visit http://www.losmed- Demone Dorsey, LMC running back, catches a pass anos.edu/football/ while practicing for the season opener.
Soccer squad aims for bounce-back year
By JONATHAN LITTLE jlittle@lmcexperience.com
Experience • Cathie Lawrence
Los Medanos College women’s soccer teammates Rachel Minor and Sydney Torrano tackle for the ball during practice while Leah Brackenridge follows.
The Los Medanos College women’s soccer team experienced a tough season last year. The Stangs ended the campaign with a record of 2-7-1, resulting in a .250 winning percentage. The team is looking to bounce back this year and improve on a forgettable 2016 season. Last fall was Zach Sullivan’s first year as the LMC head coach, taking over leadership of the team less than a month before the season started, leaving him to organize a squad in a short period of time. The season overall was a frustrating one for the Mustangs, as the women pushed through a tough season, losing for the second year in a row. However, this year has an energetic feel with Sullivan returning to take the reigns for his second season. During the offseason, Sullivan focused on 2017 early by adding new players who are excited to compete and look to put LMC women’s soccer on the map. Among the new players joining the Mustangs are Emma Spears at center back, Sydney Torrano at center mid-field, Mia Castro at center mid-field, and defenders Brianna Olmedo and Hannah Walker. The team also has a solid stable of players returning for their second season, includingsophomore captains Vanessa Kualapai and
Autumn Kish. Kualapai plays at center midfield, and Sullivan explained her importance to the team. “She leads by example and knows how to control the game,” said Sullivan. While with Kish, a goal scorer by trait, Sullivan commented on her style of play. “She’s very dangerous to score, and can score from anywhere,” he added. Sullivan has been impressed with how the returning and new players have coalessced as a team. “The team is coming together well. We have 24 players on the current roster, and our goal is to win conference and make it to the playoffs,” he said. However, Sullivan is not the only one who is excited to get this season started. Kualapai expects the Stangs “to play well, encourage one another, build each other up. I think we’ll do very well.” Overall things are improving for the team, and the women are determined to make some noise in the Bay Valley Conference as they push toward achieving their 2017 season goals. The Mustangs will start their season striving for a bounce-back year on Tuesday Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. at home against the Chabot College Gladiators. For more information about upcoming games, results, and roster changes, visit www. losmedanos.edu/Soccer/.
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environment.” “The remodeled classrooms offer so many new technological advancements,” he said, highlighting the mechanical aspects — better air and lighting — that the average person often overlooks. “Being environmentally friendly was a huge concern that was addressed in the initial stages of planning,” he added. Among the changes in the new classrooms are zoned lighting and access to interactive technology. The ability for instructors to control the lighting “is crucial in today’s classrooms,” Azarnoush said, as well as the opportunity for instructors and students
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The first comedic act, “Lone Star” takes place in Texas and tells the story of how a Vietnam soldier deals with day-to-day issues after returning home. “Laundr y and Bourbon” is about three that will later connect to Lone star. “Lone star and Laundry and Bourbon” are separate acts but Norris, believes that the acts are better when put together. “The unique thing about
FUNDS From page 1
public.” Past chancellor Helen Benjamin had previously approved Enhom’s requests and the recent refusal struck him as a surprise. “I didn’t see it coming,” said Enholm, “you can look on the agenda, nowhere does it mention me or my budget.” Enholm took exception to the surprising turn of events reaffirming his feeling that the matter should have been solved privately and not in a public meeting without his prior knowledge. Enholm also contacted Gordon via email and admitted the interactions were heated. “It should have been private,” said Enholm, “she put the ball in my court and all I did was send it back.”
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Experience • Jose Alfonso Camus
campus is so beautiful, it really makes me want to do well,’ and you know, that has stayed in my mind,” said Kratochvil. “I think that’s really true. If you go to a depressing place, you’re probably not going to do as well as you would if you go to a place that not only looks really nice, but is active and the faculty, staff and managers are responsive and try to help — it’s only going to increase your chances of success.” Aside from the many resources on campus, the teach-
ing staff greatly influenced the success at LMC as well. “I think the teachers are what make the school so great,” explained LMC student Ashley Rownd. “I’m currently enrolled in my fifth semester at LMC and I have never had one bad teacher or bad experience in a classroom. My professors have always been welcoming, encouraging and challenging and I definitely think they are the reason the school is ranked so highly,” As the college rejoices over the amazing ranking,
to plug their laptops into the projection systems “for more hands-on experiences.” While most students and teachers will have to wait until spring to get into these remolded classrooms, the biggest inconvenience for many now is finding a restroom on the second floor. The two restrooms on the second floor of the College Complex are being upgraded with a new design to bring them up to federal specifications called for by the called for by the American with Disabilities Act. “The problem with the restrooms is that they are not wide enough,” said Mike Gutierrez, project superintendent. Because there are only two restrooms on the floor, they
are renovating them one at a time. Officials expect the first restroom to be completed by the middle of October. The second one will begin once the first one is finished. The second floor-remodeling project is funded with money from the $127.5 million in bonds approved by taxpayers with the passage of Measures A and E and to update facilities in the Contra Costa Community College District. “Our facilities have an impact on the success of our students and the quality of our working environment,” said LMC Vice President Kevin Horan, who has been overseeing this project from its inception. It is expected to be completed by January 2018.
Drama Department Chair Nick Garcia instructs his DRAMA 22: Principles of Voice class on Monday, Aug. 21. The program is putting on two plays this fall.
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From page 1 opportunities and chances for growth.” Wood’s statement proved correct with student Megan Zmerzlikar who resonates with her own similar beliefs. “I definitely believe that LMC deserved it, especially because of the resources that we offer,” said Megan Zmerzlicker. “The first thing that I heard about when I came here is how awesome the math department is.” Due to the campus atmosphere and resources, student success has also been at a high rate. According to the research done by College Choice, an estimated 60 percent of students receive an associate degree, and 30 percent who complete coursework transfer to a four year college or university to continue their education. President of Los Medanos College, Bob Kratochvil has had a fist hand experience with the many positive effects that the campus has on its students first hand. “I still remember Rose — who was a student here for several years — when we opened the student service building, she was down on the bottom floor near the welcome center and I was walking out and she yelled at me, ‘Bob! Bob! This is such a beautiful campus! I can’t believe this
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Experience •Adria Watson
these plays is they can be performed separately — they don’t have to be performed together,” said Norris. But, she added, “function the best when you do them together.” The Drama Depar tment is currently working to get a grant to bring in a speaker and have mini events leading up to these two major shows. If you have ever considered being a part of a play, The LMC Drama Depar tment of fers various positions on both the
Gordon characterized the emails as “disrespectful” and heated. “I do view email as personal communication,” said Enholm. “Much of what was said was personal.” Enholm, who has past experience as a Wall Street analyst and is a graduate professor in economics, explained that he “doesn’t really have a side to the story.” He insisted that the issue of the budgetary concerns was a small matter that was being overblown. Many council members would disagree however, Gordon and Wood being chief among them. While, according to Enholm, many members were on board with approving his budget, Wood and Gordon took issue with, what they perceived, as a disregard for public funds.
production side and acting. Casting is usually finalized the first week of school each semester. There are also courses offered in Theatrical Design, Principles of Acting and Directing for the Stage among others — leaving many opportunities to be guaranteed a spot on this hands-on department. For more information about the drama program and upcoming shows, contact Nick Garcia at ngarcia@losmedanos.edu
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feeling like it was time to come together to talk about how they were feeling,” said Archaga. Although “A Place to Talk” sets-up a safe space for students to have these discussions, they are also voicing their opinions about the issues at hand outside of settings like such. Student Armando Serverino explained how surprising it is that white-nationalists rallies are still happening in 2017. “I feel like if you support things like that, you shouldn’t put it out there because it just causes more problems,” said Severino, adding that rallies like the ones in Charlottesville just cause more chaos and that people are always going to want more regardless of it what they want goes away.
the resources, positivity and quest for improvement on the campus will only continue to grow. While the ranking may look great on paper, students can truly get a sense of the achievement that LMC breeds by just being on the campus. “Los Medanos has always had an innovative approach,” explains Fred Wood, Chancellor of ECCCD. “It has a youthful aspiration and optimism about it and when you visit the campus you can really feel it.”
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so LMCAS decided to go to local businesses to ask for discounts for LMC students,” said Student Life Coordinator John Nguyen. “Say the student didn’t have a lot of money or was at an economic disadvantage. They wanted the students to be able to come out and get food at a lower price than people would normally get,” recalled Marco McMullen in regards to the motivations of Castro and Garcia in establishing the Mustang Discount. “Also to get local businesses to embrace students here at Los Medanos.” While the discount is currently only accepted at the three restaurants mentioned, both Nguyen and McMullen indicated there are definitely plans to expand the scope of the program. Locality to the college is a big factor in choosing which businesses to approach about a potential discount, as well as the size of the business. “Some of them, like the big food chain places, they weren’t very responsive,” explained McMullen. “So that’s why we target a lot of local businesses because they were more receptive to what we wanted to do. It attracts more business to them as well.” The businesses in question aren’t necessarily limited to just food, either. McMullen mentioned potentially making deals with school supply stores as another way to give LMCAS students, in his words, “the same advantages that you would if you were going to a big university.” “Because it’s a Mustang Discount that has to do with local business, to me, that doesn’t restrict non-food places,” he commented. “So if we can find places that could benefit students, definitely we would target those places as well. [In Pittsburg] and even in Brentwood, too.”
He also explained that the district wide email is important because it shows students that they support. Courtney Samuda echoed similar sentiments, explaining that it is important for students have that respect and safety not only at LMC, but also throughout the district. “It was definitely a mix of frustration, anger and confusion — especially when you grow up in places like the Bay Area where there’s a lot of diversity,” said Samuda in regards to her initial reaction about the rallies in Charlottesville. “I never had to grow up in a place where I didn’t feel accepted and it’s sad knowing that there are people who have to grow up in environments like that where they are made to feel uncomfortable for being who they are.”
out to Haven, it drew Haven in to the world of academic philosophy. Being and Time is the main text of Martin Heidegger and Haven quickly sought out more of his works, reading volumes of his essays over summer. “I said to myself, this is something I want to do,” Haven remembered with a smile. Knowing what major he would pursue for the rest of his college career was a great source of both relief and motivation. But there was still work to be done if he was to be able to pursue it – it wasn’t just calculus he had flunked in his academic restlessness. “I had a 1.7 GPA,” he recalled none too proudly. “I got my act together… retook all my F’s and D’s and ended up with a 3.3 and transferred to University of California, Riverside.” One of his professors recommended it, he said, adding, “I wanted to go to Berkeley but I didn’t make it in, so I went ‘OK, I’ll go to UCR.’” Haven’s second choice ended up being “one of the best decisions” he ever made, however. At Riverside, he met Professor Mark Rathall, one of the nation’s top Heidegger scholars. Haven’s studies with Rathall and other faculty members led to Heidegger being his main philosophical focus in undergraduate school —“my main bread and butter, if you will,” he said. “At least at the beginning it was Heidegger, which is a phenomenology, kind of a methodology, existentialism. But then my interests started to move much more to postmodernism, and the critique of things like phenomenology, and the modernism of Hegel.” Even after getting his bachelor’s degree, Haven knew he still wasn’t anywhere near done, academically. “If you’re familiar with philosophy, there aren’t lots of jobs,” he said laughing. “What you do if you study philosophy is, you teach it. I liked the idea of teaching, so I did that – part of my background is that I tutored in college.” He applied to graduate school, to earn a degree required for teaching on the college level and “decided to go to the University of Chicago, site unseen.” It takes courage to attend a college without having ever set foot on campus. For Haven, it was the outstanding faculty members that drew him in – at least at first. “So, I wanted to go there because… Mark Rathall and a number of other people are all students of a professor who was at Berkeley, Herbert Dreithus… he’s kind of the guy who is responsible for bringing Heidegger into the mainstream,” Haven began. “[Dreithus] had all students who had kind of spread out. At University of Chicago they had John Hogland, who one of his students. I had been working with Mark Rathhall, and he knew John Hogland, and he put in a word for me, and I was all ready to go.” But every story has a twist, and Haven described this story as “unfortunate.” “John Hogland died of a hear t attack that summer, before I showed up, which was very unfortunate, both for him, but also for me because I showed up and there was no one for me to work with,” he said. “It ended up being kind of a mess. I didn’t have anyone to be my mentor and work with, and I got paired with someone who I kind of found myself disagreeing with a lot.” So, how did Haven manage to make the dire situation work? “I kind of just forced my way through it,” he laughed. “It was a very brutal space anyways, so I just kind of put my head down and focused. I got through, but I did not get through well. “The University of Chicago, what’s it’s known for is working people like dogs,” he continued. ““It was a condensed Masters’ program, so I did it in a year,” As a result, graduates students take three classes at a time “and for each you’re reading 700 pages a week, and you have to write a 30-page paper.
And they don’t have semesters, they have quarters, so every 10 weeks you have to turn out three 30 page papers.” Students in the program had to devote every waking moment just to get it all done. “You’d just pull all-nighters and stay locked up in the library. It’s snowy in Chicago, so you don’t need to go outside,” he added on with a smile. One way or another, Haven made it through, graduating in 2010. He stayed in Chicago for a while, working with a foreclosure law firm, but never forgot his desire to teach. With a Master’s degree from a school like The University of Chicago, he probably could have taught anywhere, but decided to come back to his roots, and took a part-time position in the Sacramento area, working not only at his own alma mater Sierra College but also at several others within the area. Three years later, he was hired, at LMC. But why LMC? “They had a job,” Haven said nonchalantly. A moment passed, and Haven chuckled before continuing his explanation. “No, it’s more than that. I really liked the culture here. I think the students here are a much more close-knit group, I think the students are much more interested in just learning and doing what they need to do.” “The University of Chicago, at that level, and I think this is true of the Ivy League schools, are kind of disconnected from ever yday life,” Haven elaborates. “It was a lot of name dropping and who do you know, look at this fancy thing I can show off rather than any sort of practical enjoyment of philosophy. That’s what drew me to community college. There’s no airs and fancy frills to it, it’s just people interested in learning. I like that.” Haven commutes everyday from Sacramento, his hometown, a city where he loves the “vibrant” yet “laid back and mellow” culture and flow of life. Outside of philosophy, he loves watching soccer and playing video games – he’s spent an “embarrassing” amount of time playing Football Manager among other titles. At the end of the day, philosophy is still something he absolutely loves doing – but whether he is a scholar or a philosopher is up in the air. “There’s always been a big debate in myself as to whether I get to call myself a philosopher. I think every philosopher has that debate,” he said. “Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, so I would think a philosopher is someone who pursues wisdom. But that doesn’t really answer the question, it just changes it to what is the definition of wisdom.” And what is wisdom in his opinion? “Wisdom isn’t intelligence. If I get a phone book and I memorize every single name in that phone book, I have a lot of information, and I have a certain intelligence. But was that wise of me to do? I would say no, because anyone can look that up on their phone. So wisdom seems to be a different thing than just intelligence, and it seems to me to be a deeper understanding of the meaning of things.” “Socrates says the kind of knowledge that goes into wisdom, is the knowledge to identify the one thing that makes something unique. That one piece that makes it meaningful and significant. The one thing that makes a desk fundamentally different from a chair.” “That’s what I see as a philosopher, someone who is hunting out that kind of knowledge. Something like that, I don’t know if I’d give the same answer twice in a row.” “The other thing I would say is that a philosopher is someone who can no longer speak plain English,” Haven added as an afterthought, completely straight-faced. “Once you go down the path of philosophy, you know you gotta give up your friends,” he said. Quite a few seconds passed before he laughed that off.