Music festival wows
Stangs score in football
Yogis embrace goats
The End of Summer Bash brought out LMC’s finest bands for a one-of-a-kind free show — page 3
The Mustang defense lead to a commanding 22-7 victory over Gavilan College — page 4
Farm animals and stretching combine for a unique barnyard experience — page 6
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National Hispanic Heritage Month begins.
Sept. 28
Native American Day, College closed for holiday.
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FT3 brings free tuition By PERRY CONTINENTE @perrycontinente
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
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Many first time students in the district will be able to attend schools with no tuition charge this fall and spring following the implementation of the First Time Full Time Free Tuition, or FT3, a program that allows full time students during their first year to waive per unit fees.
Executive Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology Mojdeh Mehdizadeh championed the program and is excited for its implementation. “We implemented this pretty fast,” said Mehdizadeh who explained that this would provide opportunities to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access to education. An example of one such student
is Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Fred Wood who is a graduate of a community college program himself. Wood was ecstatic about the program, “we’re back!” he exclaimed. Wood then spoke to his own experience with affordable education, “when I went down to
“My dad said ‘please go to college’ and I know that he only said that because it was free.” — Chancellor Fred Wood
See FT3, page 5
Book grant blazes trail
Lots at capacity
Constellations brings drama
By ROBERT PIERCE @Rpiecre
Constellations, the newest play by the LMC drama department, runs from Sept. 10 to Sept. 12. The play will premire in the Little Theater at 7 p.m. and explore themes of destiny vs choice, as well as romance. Tickets will be sold at $7.
Blood drive is coming soon
Blood Centers of the Pacific will be on campus to run a blood drive on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in the Library Community Room, L-109, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment students and staff can contact the Office of Student Life at (925) 4737553 or register online at www.bloodheroes.com. Click on “donate blood” and enter sponsor code LosMC.
Day reads you your rights The Office of Student Life will host Constitution Day 2018, an annual event that encourages citizens to understand their constitutional rights. Students will be provided free United States Constitutions as well as other giveaways. Those interested can contact the Office of Student Life at (925) 473-7553
Follow us on: @lmcexperience @lmc_experience @lmc_experience
Experience Perry Continente
Above: LMC’s parking lot B filled to capacity, Below: the dirt lot fills as students continue to arrive at school. Many students experienced extended wait times or were turned away unable to find parking
Traffic blocks student access By PERRY CONTINENTE @perrycontinente
As Los Medanos College enters its fall semester students new and old flock to the campus for classes, counseling meetings and clubs, however, many are finding parking to be a difficulty, if not an impossibility. On Tuesday Aug. 28 parking was so impacted that police aids were dispatched to direct traffic, first onto the overflow parking area above lot B and then off campus when the dirt lot filled. Professor Jennifer Saito remarked on the difficulty of access and the impacted nature of parking. “I have been here
for 25 years and never seen anything after finding no available spots. Saito said that during the first week like this,” said Saito who remarked that many of her students had difficulty she experienced students “30 minutes arriving on time, with some even being late or absent by no fault of their own.” Saito speculated unable to attend due to that construction a lack of parking. “I have been could be a major Shaylee Sanan, a factor in parking transfer from Diablo here for 25 years obstruction menValley College sat in and never seen her parked car Tuestioning not just blocked spaces but day awaiting a spot to anything like this ” — Jennifer Saito those occupied by open up, “we’ve been the constr uction parked for around 5 minutes,” said Sanan. Sanan’s case personnel themselves. Lieutenant Chad Wehrmeister, who was far from unique as students either waited for a space, or drove off campus See PARK, page 5
See ZTC, page 5
Student runs in local election
SWAT team trains locally By PERRY CONTINENTE @perrycontinente
Pittsburg Swat moved with military precision storming Corteva agriscience, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont from their dock Friday in a joint training drill between the police force and the company. The SWAT team crossed a wet flatland in the shadow of the towering salt piles as they infiltrated the compound after disembarking from a new police boat piloted up the canal. The team moved and operated with hand signals and quickly communicated their tactical approach while maintaining a perimeter and securing the area for the safety of the team. The air was tense as the men barked orders at each other and assessed the situation efficiently, each clad in a tactical
One hundred and fifteen sections are marked as Zero Textbook Cost or “ZTC” at Los Medanos College this semester, up from last semester’s count of 100, covering the entire breadth of LMC’s General Education curriculum. So many sections are now ZTC that, according to a presentation given at All College Day by philosophy professor and Zero Textbook Cost Grant Director Edward Haven, there is at least one hypothetical pathway for an LMC philosophy student that would see them not having to buy a textbook at any point from enrollment to degree. However, there is currently only 1 ENG-100 section available, and it is exclusively for Puente students, meaning only a few can take advantage of this. “In theory, the pathway is there, and we need to expand that,” said Haven, who also commented that he is actively “working with other departments” to create a wider scope of ZTC sections and even degrees, with emphasis on English and statistics sections. Haven also mentioned that the Art and Drama departments are “talking seriously” about creating a ZTC pathway, and that math, biology and chemistry are also targets. The focus on STEM majors is deliberate, as they include a large amount of general
By LETICIA ROBLES Staff Writer
Experience Anthony Martinez
An Pittsburg SWAT officer scans the area during a hostage rescue drill at the DOW chemical plant last week. mask that obscured their faces and combat fatigues making them look more like a military force during a beach landing than local police. They then assaulted the chemical plant’s control room apprehending the officers posing as hostage takers and rescuing
the plant employees who were taken ‘hostage.’ “we love doing this kind of thing,” said Swat Sargent William Hatcher who led the assault, explaining that similar drills are run by the officers around the community, “we do schools
See DOW, page 5
Shagoofa Kahn is the youngest person to run for Antioch School Board trustee. Growing up in Antioch, as an Afghan and Pakistani woman, Kahn faced a lot of challenges culturally. Based on her religion, she was taught that women take care of the household only. Women’s voices did not matter, in fact the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, was shot in the head for having too much power and speaking her mind. Shagoofa Even though Kahn grew up in Kahn, board Antioch, she watched Benazir candidate go into power and fight for women’s rights, which inspired her. “I want to be a cheerleader to the students,” said Kahn. Kahn does not have any plans or promises in
See KAHN, page 5
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“Be great in act, as you have been in thought.”
— William Shakespeare
Dale Satre
Nick Campbell
UP IN THE AIR
NICK’S PICKS
Mending our health system
Fake news is not welcome
Americans boast about our countr y’s number one achievements, but when it comes to healthcare, we shrink in shame. The Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development (OCED) showed Americans paid $10,209 per citizen for healthcare last year through taxes and out of pocket expenses. In 2016, our federal and state governments alone spent 8.5 percent of gross domestic product on healthcare, which is consistent with other developed nations. However, the real blow came with private spending on healthcare, which was 8.8 percent of GDP. The average for other developed nations was only 2.7 percent. What we get in return is a Shakespearean tragedy. Americans lost 15,267,720 lifetime years in 2016 to premature deaths, according to the OCED. We have lower life expectancies than citizens of developed countries while having higher rates of infant mortality, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory illness. As populations age and we are burdened with costs for drugs ($1,174 per citizen on average), emergency room visits ($1,917), and medical debt ($9,255), conversation over healthcare reform is rabid. Washington’s metric for the Affordable Care Act’s success has been the increasing number of Americans with health insurance, but the laws of economics are winning against the laws of Congress. Counting on healthy people to cover costs of the chronically sick doesn’t work because healthy people don’t buy the insurance necessary to support the business model. The Wall Street Journal recently examined one case in a La Crosse, Wis. hospital. The hospital raised knee surgery prices by three percent annually on autopilot until the price was over $50,000. The hospital tallied labor, facilities, and equipment expenses: the price was brought down to $8,700. At Vox Media, citizens submitted bills such as $25,000 for an MRI scan, $629 for a band-aid, and even a $39.95 fee for mothers to hold their babies after birth. Private insurance companies only cover a fraction of this. The consolidation of providers to a fewer number of entrenched health management organizations (HMOs) and insurers is an American nightmare. Patients rarely know the true prices until they get the bill, and their choices are limited by their insurance network. By processing checkups and primary care purposes through a bureaucracy meant to protect against high cost rare events, the system overcharges for services that other countries’ programs provide much more efficiently. We must address an industr y that is politically and economically well-endowed. The biggest return on investment would be reforming how the government regulates insurers and HMOs. The government funds any procedure that hospitals deem “reasonable and necessary.” There aren’t even federal guidelines to classify identical procedures across different hospitals. The other facet is transparency in out-of-pocket costs. Hospitals must be obliged to disclose full costs upfront, like any other product, letting patients evaluate choices for themselves. Restr ucturing how the government disburses healthcare funds and patients’ right to choice will spur political angst as we debate how much the taxpayer should spend for different cases of operations. It’ll even come around to how we assess the value of a patient’s life. Any healthcare system must answer these questions if it is to survive. Just throwing money at the problem isn’t going to fix it. Having taxpayers subsidize without a spending limit is insane: Americans cannot have the cake and eat it too.
The era of Donald Trump has exposed the nation to a tricky term: “Fake News.” But what exactly is that? How does it impact us? These questions are important to consider because in the era of easy access to information, often times, information is subjective. “Fake News” is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or social media. An example you might recognize is the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory during the 2016 election. In this debunked story, Hillary Clinton’s hacked emails were falsely linked to a sex trafficking ring operating out of a Pizza shop in Washington, D.C. Although debunked, social media shared the story and impacted many people’s perspective of her. Another example is false quotes. Trump himself has been subject of the very fake news he decrees. There is a popular meme, that quotes him as saying if he ever ran for President, he’d run as a Republican because they’re the dumbest group of voters. That’s subjective, but the problem is he never said it. As students, we must pursue the truth. There is a lot of misleading information and blogs on every corner of the internet. We must be mindful that truth never needs an alibi. The power of the citizen journalist is a double-edged sword. We are empowered to share information but on the other hand every blogger clogs social media with garbage. Many options exist to filter fake information on the internet. Social media giants like Facebook, Google, YouTube and others have implemented tools to combat false news sources. Many people ask, how did fake news influence the election? Facebook removed 652 fake groups and pages linked to Russian actors. These pages averaged over 50-100k members. They targeted demographics that normally vote Democratic. They targeted the black community, the LGBT community and pro-immigrants. The information they put out was not just fake, but meant to stoke dissent against Hillar y Clinton. Example, to target the black community, they rehashed misinterpreted comments Clinton made when President Bill Clinton signed the federal crime bill of 1994. She made reference to gang members being super predators and it was misinterpreted as all black people were super predators. You’d be surprised what a headline can do to a story’s message. This was meant to disenchant black voters. Did it work? In the 2016 Presidential election, Clinton lost Michigan by 11,000 votes. She lost Pennsylvania by 44,000 votes. These are thin margins, so one can say that social media played a role. Now that you know what fake news is, how can you spot it? Some questions to ask is whenever you see something being shared on social media: What’s the source? Is it extreme left or right? The source of information is a good indication of its validity or the reason it’s being shared. What evidence is it citing? For example, a Rasmussen poll, which is infamous for skewing to the right of politics, claimed that Trump had doubled his support of the black community to 36%, while a number of other polls only had him at 18-20%. When you click on the articles sharing this “Poll” it takes you to a page that has this data nowhere to be found. Why do news organizations share it? They can cite a source, anonymous or known, they can say it was vetted, but can you trust it? Have you done your own due diligence? By answering that, you become truly empowered and by thinking critically you are doing your part to combat fake news. Politicians rely on this banana in the tailpipe tactic, don’t be that person.
Editorial
Nike burning is pointless
T
o simply put it, the protest against Nike will never work. The people protesting already bought Nike gear. Once you buy the gear the money is already spent on their product. Furthermore, Nike also makes all the NFL jerseys. So where do we go from here? Do we burn our jerseys now? The internet already witnessed a man light his shoes on fire while wearing them to protest Nike. He ended up in the hospital and his toes are now stuck together. In order to separate them, he needs medical attention. If Obamacare is under scrutiny and getting dismantled, why put yourself in the hospital over a company that seemingly does not care about you? You’re missing work. You won’t be able to buy new shoes or pay your hospital bill. Now what? Also, how does burning shoes on your feet equate to a protest against a global company? If people really cared about protesting Nike and its latest campaign, they’d protest the mistreatment of sweatshop workers who make the clothes rather than the person wearing them. Priorities people, priorities! As consumers, we have the chance to make this campaign intersectional. Instead we’re focusing on a black man and his knees.
lEttEr from thE Editors
New editors share their goals Every incoming news staff, editors and writers alike, come into their position with ideas of how to better improve and continue the evolution of the paper. However, this time around we find ourselves not only with fresh ideas, but also a solid foundation to build upon. Editors in Chief before us began the online initiative to make our paper more accessible via the online edition and other various forms of social media. Readers can find articles, updates and interactive content in the online edition of our paper at lmcexperience.com as well as both of our instagram and twitter handles at lmc_experience. With each of these we hope to better improve the speed at which content gets posted, with social media trending, it is better offering on-demand news and updates. It is our goal to make online a vital part of The Experience as the print edition, if not the primary method of disseminating news. Also like previous editors before us, we come with the goal of offering LMC students the stories that matter to them. The Los Medanos student body is a diverse community with var ying interests that is ever changing and backgrounds that need representation. We hope that by spreading our net to the entire East Bay Area, rather than just Pittsburg, we will better represent the students we write for. By broadening our scope in this way we hope to appeal to the diverse interests of the
LMC population. As a team we offer a renewed commitment to the quality, speed, and efficiency our readers expect when reading our paper. We look forward to continuing to serve and interact with not only the LMC community but the East Bay community at large.
rEadEr opinion policy
The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. All members of the Los Medanos College community — students, faculty and staff — are encouraged to write. If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, bring your submissions to room CC3-301 and put them in the Perspectives Editor’s mailbox or mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. You may also send them electronically through the Experience online newsite lmcexperience.com. Letters and columns must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. They may be edited for clarity, content taste and length at the editor’s discretion.
Voices
LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE
What should LMC do about the current parking problem? COMPILED
BY
BREANNA
CRAWFORD
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Experience
LETICIA
ROBLES
L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m
Member California Newspaper Publishers Association
“LMC needs to partner with local agencies like Walmart and Winco so that students can utilize their parking lot as well as build a new one.” — Jamaciana
“Have priority parking for those who have been here longer or take a certain amount of credits.” McLeod
“LMC should just build a bigger parking lot.” — Narvis Lawson
“Students should try to carpool more because the parking issue is not going to be a quick fix so the temporary fix for now is to carpool.”
“We as students can find other ways to school like walking, riding the bus, or going with a friend.” Spielman
“LMC should upgrade...with a registered system that lets people know where to park and what section to park in with open spaces.”
“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson
The 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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“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better”
— Maya Angelou
Newswatch Fall Movie Nights
The Office of Student Life will be holding several free movie screenings for LMC students throughout the monthgs of October and November at 7 p.m. in Room LCC-114. The following movies will be shown at the following dates: n “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Tuesday, Oct. 16 n “There Will Be Blood,” Tuesday, Oct. 30 n “Inception,” Wednesday, Nov. 28 For more information, you can contact the Office of Student Life any time at (925) 473-7554 or studentlife@ losmedanos.edu
Music classes still available
Several sections of Music classes are still available for enrollment at the Pittsburg campus at the time of this writing: n MUSIC-093 Studio Music Production I Monday 5:05 - 6:30 p.m. n MUSIC-094 Studio Music Production II Wednesday 3:20 - 4:45 p.m. n MUSIC-017 Music Theory II Monday and Wednesday 12:45 - 2:10 p.m. n MUSIC-089 Music & Recording Industry Monday 6:40 - 8:45 p.m. More information is available through the Los Medanos College Music Department, which can be contacted at (925) 473-7805 or KChuah@losmedanos.edu
Antioch Food Truck Thursdays
The City of Antioch Recreation Department and The Foodie Crew hold Food Truck Thursdays every week at the Antioch Community Center and Water Park parking lot located at 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94531, across the street from Deer Valley High School. The last Food Truck Thursday of the season is scheduled for Oct. 25. The events, advertised as “Family Fun,” run 5 to 9 p.m. and include music and games in addition to the food trucks, which sell craft beer and wine in addition to a large variety of local restaurant food.
Free college tours this fall
Los Medanos College will be providing five college tours free for LMC students. The following campuses will be toured at the following dates: n CSU Monterey Bay, Friday, Sept. 14 n CSU East Bay, Saturday, Oct. 13 n Sacramento State University, Saturday, Oct. 13 n San Jose State University, Friday, Oct. 26 n UC Santa Cruz, Friday, Nov. 16 Reservations are required and can be made at losmedanos.edu/transfer/CampusTours.aspx
Get your scare on this October
“Local family-owned haunted attraction company” Nite Terrors Productions is seeking out actors to audition to particpate in a series of haunted houses it will be holding throughout the month of October. The events will be held every Friday and Saturday night during the month, and the selected actors will be featured in the company’s media campaign as part of the “Haunt Season Scare Team.” No experience is necessary. Interested applicants can email vanitybunnzo@niteterrors.com or call (925) 325-1920.
New club waxes philosophical
Los Medanos College philosophy department instructor Bequia Sherick is holding meetings for the new Philosophy Club on campus a Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to noon in Room CC2-229. Topics will be decided by students and the instructor. Potential topics include “the good life, purpose and meaning, ethics, religion, truth, politics, race, gender, art, beauty, nature, love, death and any other philosophical topics that interest particpants” according to a poster. All students are welcome to attend, and for more information you can email the instructor at bsherick@ losmedanos.edu
Abraham Quecan performs at the End of Summer Bash with his band 3am Tomorrow.
Summer ends with bash @A_Carnation
Timely rock choruses bellowed from Los Medanos College’s outdoor quad signifying the beginning of the fall semester as clubs gathered to sell craft goods and delicious food options. LMC held their first ever End of the Summer Bash event Friday, Aug. 24, which featured live band performances arranged by student and Student Life associate Julia Steele. The bands shared their alternative, punk, and indie rock tracks with whoever wished to attend. Bands native to California such as Serf and James, Fellow Fessel, String Raze and many more graced the stage, performing their latest tracks while interacting with the audience. The lineup featured more than 6 different bands to establish the vibe
for the full five hours the free admission festival was active. Steele affirmed that this was intentional. “We wanted to fit more bands in and a true festival wouldn’t be a festival if it wasn’t longer than a few hours,” said Steele. To remedy the heat Student Life provided free water bottles and popcorn while clubs like United By Dreams sold chocolate bananas and chips called “Duros de harina”. A club on campus known as Puente sold burritos and had student representatives on standby to answer any questions about their club activities. Aside from food items being sold, the Art Club painted expressive caricatures and Premier Designs had a beautiful assortment of jewelry for sale. A psychic was also present for those interested in
gaining a stronger insight about their potential future, and massage crews attended the event to remedy any physical discomfort for a fee. The event itself had an impressive turnout, establishing a true sense of community among the attendees interacting with the bandmates and students representing their clubs. Student Manny Jimenez detailed his experience visiting different clubs and enjoying the performances. “The even gathered a lot of students and relatives of students,” said Jimenez. “The event was refreshing and with the sun setting making it intimate, with the stage, various bands and singers.” The fact the festival was all-inclusive and did not require a ticket to attend created a socially open atmosphere,
A galloping time for LMC @HillaryMHetrick
Los Medanos College started the Fall 2018 semester with many fun events for the students and faculty. One of these events was on Tuesday, Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mustang Day, held in the Outdoor quad, provided a welcoming atmosphere where anyone on campus could get a glimpse of student life at LMC outside of their scheduled classes. Currently, LMC offers over 30 clubs to choose from. Faculty were handing out free hotdogs and pizza, along with water and various snacks. Los Medanos College President Bob Kratochvil was among the faculty volunteers. He said, “Free food equals happy students. It’s a good way to welcome back students.”
3 Mustang Days took place during the first week of the Fall Semester. Student Life (Advisor) Teresea Archaga says that during Tuesday’s event, “500 hot dogs and 22 pizzas were bought and are all gone.” At Monday’s event, “Over 100 notebooks, pencils, pens and highlighters were handed out.” The Brentwood campus had their Welcome Back event Wednesday. School supplies were given away there as well. In reference to the school supplies handed out at the Brentwood campus, Archaga exclaimed, “we came back empty-handed.” During Thursday’s Mustang Day event from 5-7 p.m., students were given free ice cream. In reference to Tuesday’s
EOPS’s Hassum Warren with talks to LMC students. Mustang Day event at LMC, it had a good turnout. Several clubs were present with an array of brochures, fliers, sign-up sheets, snacks and club representatives. Some of the clubs and programs present were LMCAS, LMC Shenanigans, Allies, Young Americans for Freedom, Student Life, DSPS, and The Center of Academic Support. Librarian Kim Wentworth was there to let students know
What’s lost may be found
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.
Church giving food and clothes
Hillcrest Congregational Church at 404 Gregory Lane in Pleasant Hill is giving out food and clothing to any and all students, veterans and/or residents of Contra Costa County who need some. The church allows anyone to take a three-day emergency supply of food up and clorthing up to four times a year. The only thing required to receive a donation is an ID card, though the church does record names to make sure the limits are followed. For those needing more information, call the church’s office phone (925) 689-8260. The church’s poster announcing the donation program also names two other contacts, Outreach Coordinator Bill Cunningham at (925) 326-1567 and Board Member Flor Cruz at (925) 325-1567.
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
Marayah Guinto
Priscilla Tatmon
what resources the library has to offer. Students can go to the library to get help on research papers, obtain scholarly resources, check out books, use computers and reserve group study rooms. Student Life member Jaime Orozco informed students of services that Student Life has available for students. “Not a lot of students know we have a microwave and we offer print-
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“Believe in something.Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
4 Vball sets up for its season
— Colin Kaepernick
FRIDAY,
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By HUGO CALDERON @HCal09
Experience BreAnna Crawford
LMC Mustangs’ runningback Z’andre Givens rushes to gain yards on a drive against opponents Gavilan College.
Football opens with win Defense pulls through
By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano
The Los Medanos College football team has a very young roster, and the first half of their season opener showed that. But despite the rocky start, LMC kicked off the year with a 22-7 victory over Gavilan College. Right from the beginning, LMC looked like a deer in headlights, especially quarterback Tim Evitt who struggled to hit his targets, throwing three interceptions in the first half. One of them resulted in a Noah Muñoz pick six which lead Gavilan to get in the board 7-0 early in the first quarter. “It’s hard to say whether it was those first game jitters or just trying to force stuff that wasn’t there in an effort to make a play,” Evitt said. “That normally isn’t me I’m usually very careful with the football, that one game will not define how our passing game is going to be throughout the
season.” In a matter of moments there was a momentum shift for LMC. Demone Dorsey got the Mustangs on the board with a 13 yard rushing touchdown. In the next drive, the defense produced a score as Heamasi Latu intercepted the ball and took it back to the house to give LMC the 14-7 lead heading into halftime. Z’andre Givens added insurance by scoring on a three yard run in the third quarter. But the second half showed the dominance of the Mustang defense. The Mustangs added more to the scoreboard when Gavilan quarterback John Bell was caught sleeping on a snap which resulted in a chase down the field, and an LMC safety by Tre Pierce, resulting in a final score of 22-7. Overall, LMC’s defense made Gavilan’s rushing game look like weather in Alaska with keeping them 10 yards below zero.
Experience BreAnna Crawford
Antwan Hendricks gets in the tackle to stop the ball carrier. LMC also maintained the aerial attack low, with interceptions by Nik Filardo, Brooklyn Hardiman, Damani McGee and of course Latu’s pick six. Filardo also had two sacks on the night in his junior college debut. “Our defensive line and linebackers kept putting pressure on the quarterback giving the secondary an opportunity to get some interceptions,” head coach Chris Shipe said. “You
CHARGE UP YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.
don’t want them to sit back and let them take the short stuff, you gotta attack the quarterback.” The shaky start certainly was not noticeable with the way the Mustangs performed in the second half. “We were down early with the 7-0 deficit with a young team, that could suck you a little bit.” Shipe said “We’re happy but we definitley have to fix mistakes.”
“This group of girls has as much, if not more, talent then any group that we’ve had coming in,” said Los Medanos College women’s volleyball head coach Lou Panzella of his team for the 2018 season. Panzella will be in his seventh season in charge of the Volleyball team as well as also coaching men’s volleyball at both Antioch and Deer Valley High School winning the Bay Valley Athletic League title with both teams. Panzella believes that the strength of this team lies in the players and in the deep depth that they have unlike previous seasons. “If we wind up losing someone to illness or something like that we have capable players ready to step in and take their chance.” Panzella said. Apart from that, he believes this current team has the best passing and ball control that has been seen in recent memory. The team is also surrounded with good chemistry on the court according to the coach. “The girls seem really enthusiastic, excited and seem to get along really well,” said Panzella. The former Antioch coach says there could be improvement on the offensive side to their game as well. “We’re gonna have to improve our ability to put balls away, to get kills, to attack the ball and once we get a little bit more consistent with our attacking I think it will show in our results,” said Panzella According to the head coach, the Mustangs go into the gym every training session ready to put in work. His philosophy is that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse which is the opposite of what any player would want to do. The Mustangs start off their season on Wednesday Sept. 12, against Yuba College at LMC. “We look forward to the challenge of going out there and doing our best every night. You never really know how teams are going to react to the challenge until they’re against it,” said Panzella. He looks forward to all of the challenges that different teams are going to present throughout the season. LMC’s non-conference record stands at 1-7 with its most recent loss coming at the hands of Cosumnes River College on Wednesday Sept. 5. The Mustangs have three non-conference games left before the start of the season.
Soccer gets on board Women find back of net for first time By JESUS CANO @Juice_Cano
The Los Medanos College women’s soccer team was in a drought to start the season, but found its oasis against De Anza College. Previously, the Mustangs had not been able to capture a victory, or even score their first goal of the season. But that changed after LMC tasted victory for the first time with a 2-0 shutout win versus the visiting Dons. Midfielder Samantha Donovan was the player to score LMC’s inaugural goal of the 2018 campaign and it came in an unorthodox fashion. Donovan set up a corner kick with the intention to connect with one of her teammates, instead she ended up finding the back of the net as the ball got in between the goalkeeper and the nearest post to Donovan. “It was frustrating at first [not scoring] but were still learning to play as a team,” Donovan said. “I was not expecting to score that one, so I can’t believe I did that.” Defender Emma Spears added to LMC’s lead in the first half as she scored a long ranged shot from 45 yards out
Experience Anthony Martinez
Shelly Torrano attempts a shot on goal. that just got over the head of the De Anza goalkeeper. The offense was certainly on fire this game, producing 27 shots, including two that bounced off the crossbar and a close one where Sofia Kerns had a one-on-one encounter with the goalkeeper but her shot was blocked. “We’ve been working, breaking lines and getting more players on the attack,” head coach Zach Sullivan said. “We need to commit to finishing
those chances, I think they’ll come with practice. The more time we train together we will be better.” Sullivan said that the biggest focus coming into the game was working the defense, and their work reflected that. The Mustangs only allowed one shot in the entire match, and it was saved by goalkeeper Rylie Pearson, who transferred over from Diablo Valley College. “We worked on our back See WIN, page 5
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ing up to five pages free. Come see us.” He also urged people to “follow us on instagram to find events.” Two community organizations, HealthRight 360 and Community Works were advocating for outreach programs. These include programs that help homeless youth aged 18 to 25 and programs for parolees under a re-entry citizen program. Two universities, University of the Pacific and Arizona State University, gave out information about their degree programs. Representatives were available to answer any questions students had about attending their colleges. Fred Martinez, a visiting vendor was selling posters and jewelry He offered his gratitude and compliments to Los Medanos College President Bob Kratochvil. “Your president [Kratochvil] is the best president of all the college presidents in Northern California.” Martinez was amazed to meet a person who generously provided hotdogs and pizza to his students. If anyone is interested in having a table at any future Mustang Day or student life events, stop by the Student Life Office. Mustang Day is usually held during the first week of each semester. Check your student email often to stay informed about events at LMC.
“Eva” softly sings The Clark Sisters’ “Center of Thy Will”. In an interview with Pitchfork Magazine Hynes reveals his intention on making a cover song that seems separate from the rest of the album. “When it kicks off, it’s so far from what you think would be on a Blood Orange album, but as it progresses, when the synths come in, I wanted to pull you back into familiarity with things you do associate with me,” said Hynes. The next couple tracks “Dangenham Dream” and “Nappy Wonder” which includes angelic and delayed chords with a ver y experimental drum arrangement. “Dangenham Dream” has lyricsthat tell a story of how Hynes dealt with solitude skateboarding through East London. Though Hynes is a seasoned professional in the music industry hearing him speak about his hardships resonates with a wide demographic. “Runnin’” serves as reassurance because the spoken word by Hynes serves as a negative introspection on ones character while the vocal harmonies by Vocalist Georgia Anne Muldrow affirms that these are things everyone goes through. Bassist Steve Lacy from the band “The Internet” is featured on the track “Out of Your League” strangely Hynes recorded the bass for the track and Lacy recorded the synth keyboard chords. Nearing the end of the track the listener is introduced to a gripping groove in “Minetta Creek” which gives a strong sense of ambience that is reminiscent of the city nightlife before reaching the final track “Smoke.” The acoustic guitar is the only instrument in the mix and the narrative being told describes a newfound self-acceptance while being adorned by the sun. “Negro Swan” is an accessible masterpiece that has many great morals behind the blissful chord progressions and relevant skits. Hynes is significantly more precise with what emotion he is trying to convey to the listener through his latest effort.
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is in charge of the LMC campus police, explained the response to the parking situation and addressed construction, “we periodically, when the need arises throughout the day, assist with traffic,” said Wehrmeister. Wehrmeister continued commenting about the impact construction is having on parking availability, “part of our community is now people building the new facilities,” said Wehrmeister, “we are all experiencing this together.” Wehrmeister then suggested that students should arrive to park earlier than they had previously, saying that arriving five or ten minutes early will often not be enough time in the earlier, more chaotic weeks of the semester. He suggested carpooling, arriving early and, in the worst-case scenario, communicating to the professor about absences due to parking. “Communicate with your professors, they will understand if you reach out to them,” he said. Wehrmeister continued saying that the traffic should clear up in the coming weeks as students often attend counseling meetings and other activities in the first few weeks, and because students often drop some classes lessening the number of people on campus. LMC President Bob Kratochvil addressed the impacted nature of the campus and echoed Wehrmeister’s sentiments about reduced traffic congestion in the coming weeks, “after the second week it will calm down,” said Kratochvil. He then compared the traffic to the levels experienced at graduation and explained that police aids are periodically dispatched to direct foot traffic in the front entrance by parking lot A. As of press time traffic is still impacted, but not nearly at the level of the previous week, the dirt lot is still being utilized throughout much of the day, however students are not being turned away.
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From page 1 the union hall to get my union card my dad said ‘please go to college’ and I know that the only reason he said that was because it was free.” LMC President Bob Kratochvil was enthusiastic about the implementation of the program, “Mojdeh took the lead on [the program.]” said Kratochvil before remarking about the large number of new students and the happiness on their faces. The program will lighten the load on students in the district coming as per unit prices are reaching their highest point in recent years at $46 per unit, whereas in the year 2000 they were a comparatively tiny $11. This means that taking a full-time load of 12 units in the year 2000 cost $132 per semester while today it costs $552. First year Student Luis Ruiz was interested in the program and the benefits it could offer. “I’m not taking 12 units so I can’t use it,” said Ruiz, “but I have friends that are taking 12 units who are in worse financial situations than me.” Many students have taken advantage of the service with reports stating that district wide over 1200 students have taken advantage of the program with over 250 at LMC. To apply students need to be enrolled in 12 or more units and maintain a 2.0 GPA as well as complete a pledge/ application to FT3 as well as apply for financial aid and complete an educational plan no later than Sept. 10 2018. Students need to have Fall or Summer semester 2018 be their first semester in college with no prior postsecondary educational experience. Students who maintain their 2.0 will either be reimbursed or have their outstanding fees for the semester be waived for fall and spring semester. For more information visit www.4cd.edu/ed/cp/.
Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com
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Mikael-Ja’Hon of the band 3am Tomorrow sings at the End of Summer Bash. The band was the final group to take the stage at the event.
accompanied by music from local talent. Steele herself is in a band called the Jukebox Breakers and organized how the event would pan out in a creative manner. Director of Student Life Teresea Archaga mentioned her admiration for how well the festival worked out despite it never being done this way before. “I definitely would like to see something like this possibly next year, the event turned out pretty well,” said Archaga. Overall, the End of the Summer Bash was a creative way to fundraise for clubs through delicious delicacies and craft goods. And the bands that performed their original tracks contributed to the festival with their music. At the end of the night the festival was an exhilarating spectacle to say the least showcasing the diverse talent of the groups.
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From page 1 education courses within their curricula. “It’s by design in that we do need to meet those life sciences… for the California State Universities,” Haven said. “Everyone needs those.” While this semester is a boom time for ZTC at LMC, it is also a time of transition and somewhat uncertain future. The original grant that allowed LMC to develop a ZTC program ends at the end of the year and starting next semester the program will be rebranded as the Open Educational Resource or OER program. Scott Hubbard, a key
player in the OER program, commented that there is no functional difference between the two programs, but that ZTC is limited in scope to the state of California and a specific grant, whereas OER is an umbrella term used in education nationwide and can refer to materials beyond textbooks such as videos, lesson plans or handouts. The program shift will not affect sections that have already implemented OER — according to Hubbard, those sections were built from the ground-up with materials that “will never cost anything.” However, if the OER board is not able to secure alternative
forms of funding, it could slow down the anticipated expansion of the program. According to Haven and Hubbard, the process for creating an OER/ ZTC section is very involved, labor-intensive and expensive, requiring brand new syllabi, homework, tests and other elements that work with the free resources. Many teachers used stipends from the grant to develop their OER sections — but those stipends will no longer be available with the grant closing. “We’re hoping that when the grant ends, we’ll be able to get some buy-ins from the college… to continue our
work,” Hubbard said. According to numbers from Haven, the implementation of OER at LMC saved students $177,600 during the Fall 2018 semester alone. “The college recognizes this is something of value,” Haven said. Hubbard hopes that the efficacy of the program can secure future funding. “If people can understand how important it is… if we can make that clear to people that we’re helping save money… if we can continue to make the case,” Hubbard said, “I’m confident we can get [funding.]”
members if they really do accept the youth coming in and making changes. Young people are the future, we all need to step up and be more involved in our school district, and community. Graduating Dozier Libbey Medical high school, Kahn’s original plan was to become a doctor. Having a brother that passed away, made her think that the medical field was not for her. Instead Kahn wants to major in Political Science and eventually transfer from Los Medanos College to Berkeley and pursue to work on legislation, fight equality
for women and equality for all races, sexes and colors. Bernie Sanders is one person she aspires to be like, to focus on young kids, because no other politician does. Kahn faced obstacles running for the school board. Meeting the age requirement,which she barely met being 18, running for council requires a US born citizen and a lot of paperwork. When in high school, Kahn was involved in a lot of programs such as LCAP, leadership, tobacco prevention, volunteering at kaiser and much more. Kahn has more
than enough time to handle this pressure if she was to win. Kahn heard about running her Junior year, when her running partner, Householder told her about open seats in the school board. Kahn is doing it for the students. She wants to make the students feel safe and want the students to do better in school. Also giving the special attention to those students who need it. If elected, Shagoofa Khan will be the youngest Muslim American elected in office in the East Contra Costa County, such an honor to have her here at Los Medanos College.
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what to change if she wins this election. With her co-pilot Eli Householder, the goal is to push students and parents in getting more involved in the school district and community. Kahn wants to give ever y students the special attention they deserve, she also wants students to feel safe at school. With her election running November 6, winning or losing, Kahn hopes to spark a movement for students and have them run for office as well. “If i can do it, anyone can.” “Im a test,” Kahn explains that she is a test to the council
Pittsburg SWAT examines the area while participating in a hostage rescue drill last week.
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too, we do all sorts of on site training.” The event was not only to drill the SWAT team, but also for Corteva to test its own emergency procedures, overseeing the proceedings was Justin Smith, an Emergency Services and Security Technologist Leader at the
company who explained that the company and site is constantly drilling and training for emergency events, “we’ve done drills with the Fire Department, Chemical spills, mass casualties, rescue training,” said Smith explaining the various drills that the plant is constantly undergoing. Among the Corteva staff participating in the drill was Kristen Haehl, a Production Engineer at the company who was playing the part of
a concerned employee who had heard gunshots, “I’ll see how this goes,” said Haehl as she rode out to her position as the drill began. As the drill winded down the hostages were rescued and the hostage takers were apprehended, the previously stoic SWAT team began to unwind, the tactical masks removed to reveal smiling and laughing men, a far cry from their demeanor during the drill.
“I am ver y proud of our performance,” said Smith, although he did also notice certain security improvements that could be made, citing the PA system as an area that needed improvement as all parties on site did not adequately receive the warning message. On the side of SWAT, Hatcher emphasized how important the event was for his team, “these drills are just as important for us,” he said.
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“Nothing can disturb your peace of mind unless you allow it to.”
— Roy T. Bennett
Farmers give yoga a twist
Goat yoga a hit Lilly_Montero3
“I will not be offended if you don’t stretch. I know you’re here for the goats,” Gina Bravo, the yoga instructor said. The class laughed. They were there for the goats. First Generation Farmers, one of the few organic non-profit farms in East Contra Costa County, has been putting on baby goat yoga sessions throughout the summer. The yoga class is just like any other — a calm setting, with meditative breathing, and lots of mountain poses — but with a side of running, cuddling and the bleating of baby goats. Aside from providing the occasional pellet, the four-monthold goats Mocha, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and Hollie also provide an upbeat and open
atmosphere not often found in traditional yoga settings. An aspect of the class that makes for a novel experience. “It was quiet and you could hear the birds and there were goats — it was just, like, a unique experience,” participant Heather Luna said of the Aug. 31 class. Novelty is something the organizers of First Generation Farmers are aiming for. In addition to raising money for their educational programs, they hope that baby goat yoga acts as a way to get the community’s “foot in the door” to learning more about farming. “Our main mission… is to educate our community and make sure that they have sustainable access to organic foods and just get people back outside and in the dirt,”
Above: First Generation Farms Yoga instructor Krista Miloslavich smiles as one of the goats contorts its head. Left: two participants laugh and pet one of the many friendly goats. said farm manager, Krista Miloslavich. First Generation Farmers is geared to educating potential future farmers and engaging the community in what many consider to be the “backbone” of modern society, Miloslavich said. Noting the aging farming community, Miloslavich emphasized the importance of getting
people involved in traditional and not-so-traditional farming experiences. On the not-so-traditional farming side of things lands baby goat yoga. The event is a new one that began when Bravo was struck with an idea after seeing images of the baby goats on the organization’s instagram. “I know it sounds weird,
but would you like to try goat yoga?” Bravo said when she called. The rest is history. Since beginning the class in June the turnout has been exciting, according to both Miloslavich and Bravo. People have come from all around the East Bay and San Francisco area to do yoga with the baby goats. “I feel ver y empowered
watching these women, and sometimes men, just taking the time to heal themselves and also have fun,” Miloslavich said. The classes will continue until late October and will return again when more baby goats are born in the Spring. For more information students can go to firstgenerationfarmers. org or web search the event for tickets.
Blood Orange’s album ‘Charcoal’ is masterful A_Carnation
Multi-instrumentalist Dev Hynes formerly known as “Lightspeed Champion” has proved to release his most ambitious efforts under the alias “Blood Orange” often incorporating elements of gospel, pop, hip-hop, and R&B in his projects. Hynes 4th studio album “Negro Swan” has continued to incorporate a sense of displacement and isolation prevalent in his previous album “Freetown Sound” released in 2016. “Negro Swan” gives the audience more of those warm and soulful synths that establishes the vibe with the opening track “Orlando”. The funky drum groove reaches an abrupt halt towards the end of the track with guest speaker and American Writer Janet Mock
speaking about the “internal resolution of doing too much”. That theme is mentioned a couple more times on another track titled “Jewelry” which initially seems to be disjointed with the arrangement of euphoric vocal melodies paired with grim lyrics performed through spoken word. The cacophony of vocal harmonies brings a sense of empowerment to the listener as if Hynes was hit with an epiphany despite the undesired and inescapable circumstances. Transitioning to the next track titled “Family” introduces Mock who shares an interesting perspective on what family is to to her. She acknowledges that bloodline is often associated with family but states we get to choose our family. “We are not limited to biology, we get to
REVIEW CREW
‘The Happytime Murders’ “The Happytime Murders,” the film masterminded by Jim Henson’s son Brian, shows a darker, hard R-rated version of “Sesame Street.” The film opened Aug. 24 and stars Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Joel McHale.
make ourselves and we get to make our families,” said Mock. The triumph in the track “Charcoal Baby” with nuances relating to being comfortable in black skin is a celebration compared to how the first half of the album panned out sonically. “Chewing Gum” is the ninth song on the project that features rappers “A$AP Rocky” and “Project Pat” who offer lyrics that hold explicit metaphors of being content with adversity. The gritty verses throughout the track ends with the vocals pitched down to deliver an ominous tone before segueing into the track titled “Holy Will”. This song serves as a unofficial interlude and features Vocalist Ian Isiah singing in his higher register while accompanying Vocalist See BLOOD, page 5
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Hugo says: It’s a bad spinoff
Robbie says: not a great caper
Jesus says: made me uncomfortable
“The Happytime Murders” feels like the offspring of “The Muppets” and The Netflix’s “Bright.”The trailer for the movie played a perfect catfish as the movie was completely different. The movie tried so hard to prove itself as a comedy that it ended up overplaying the same jokes that eventually ruined the angle it originally had. It also played with the concept of equality in today’s society, replacing some of today’s issues with puppets instead of people. The puppets are considered the lowest class of society, they tried to also put an emphasis on this but in the end it turned out to be a bad recipe as the movie was all over the place. The storyline in whole was predictable and added nothing worthwhile. What was expected to be a good balance of comedy and mystery turned out to be the complete opposite.
“The Happytime Murders” is disappointing. What could have easily been this generation’s slightly grittier “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is instead an uncomfortable mess that has brief moments of novelty but no narrative identity or substance. Directed by “Muppets” creator Jim Henson’s son Brian, the movie’s quest to be an R-rated subversive puppet comedy film holds it back more than it liberates it, as sight gags and sex jokes are squeezed in where they aren’t really needed for the sake of being ‘outrageous.’ The comedic pacing is all over the place, the comedic subtelty is nonexistent, and the movie switches between comedy and drama fast enough to cause whiplash. Add in an on-the-nose civil rights metaphor and the movie murders any chance it had of being decent, instead wallowing in mediocrity.
Watching “The Happytime Murders” was like watching porn with your parents. Yes, that awkward. Associating these characters with the child-friendly “Muppets” made it much harder to watch. The plot of the story is straightforward, but the real issue is the awkward jokes that were forcefully placed. This movie was labeled as a comedy, yet the jokes were all over the place. The comedy aspect was there, but the drama would make appearances, and so did the action. It felt like a pack of Skittles, with so much variation. This movie could have had much more success if the comedy wasn’t shoved down your throat and if it didnt have such uncomfortable moments that added nothing to the film and made ever ything uncomfortable.
— Hugo Calderon
— Robert Pierce
— Jesus Cano