The Experience 3/04/2011

Page 1

V O L .

7 4 ,

N O .

F.Y.I.

Submit to the writing contest its time for the 12th annual LMC Outstanding Writing Contest, sponsored by the Center for academic Support and the Honors Transfer Program. Students may submit any paper written for an LMC class since april, 2010. The categories for the writing contest are personal/autobiographical; creative writing; informational writing; argument/ persuasive and up-andcoming writers: academic essay (for students who are enrolled in Eng. 90, 70 or below or who were enrolled in fall ’10 and submit a paper that was written then). The deadline for submission is april 13. Papers can be submitted to the Honors Center or the Center for academic Support, room CO-300. Submissions are to have a 10-page maximum and must be typed. The grand prize will be the president’s parking spot for a week and a $50 gift certificate. Winners from each category will receive a $25 gift certificate.

4

f r i d a y ,

M a r C H

4 ,

2 0 1 1

P i T T S B U r G ,

C a

Economic recession hits LMC By JOSEPH BORJON Staff Writer

The National Bureau of Economic Research stated in September that the economic recession had officially ended in June 2009. But the recovery has been slow and many people see no end to their economic woes. Students at Los Medanos College have experienced the consequences of the downturn directly. The necessary personal expenses associated with college — including tuition, textbooks and transportation — mixed with a reduction in higher education funding from the state, has created a financial strain on students and perhaps even their families. “LMC is facing unprecedented demand for classes and services with reduced revenues to provide them,” said Richard Livingston, Los Medanos College interim president. “For the past two years, the college has been going through the difficult process, determining priorities and deciding what kinds of reductions to make in order to live within our means.” For students, having to deal with the uncertainty of financial instability can add to the stress of the academic workload.

A high national unemployment rate has left many local students on campus jobless. Some are striving to improve their chances of being hired by an employer by enrolling in school. “When the economy is good, people are working,” said LMC Admissions and Records Director Robin Armour. “When the economy is bad, people are going to school.” Armour added that this is “the worst economy I’ve seen in all my years here.” She made no allusion to an end to the recession. Because people are trying to go to school when times are tough, LMC enrollment has increased dramatically in the past two years. “When there is an economic downturn, community college enrollments tend to boom,” said Livingston. That boom adds to the college’s budget deficit. Resources have to be spread more thinly across the student body. “We have had to reduce support programs, such as some counseling hours, due to drastic state cuts in categorical programs,” Livingston said. “We have been using the district’s limited financial reserves to

“For the past two years, the college has been going through the difficult process, determining priorities and deciding what kinds of reductions to make in order to live within our means.”

— richard Livingston

avoid even deeper cuts, but we cannot continue to count on those one-time monies.” For many, the recession hasn’t ended. But there are measures that students can take to cope with the difficulties of going to school in a time of economic struggle. “Students can do all the things I normally suggest,” See ECON, page 6

Summer 2011 schedule here if you are planning on taking classes in the summer, the new schedule is now available online for free and in the LMC bookstore for one dollar.

Tour UC Davis next week The Transfer Center will take students on a campus tour of UC davis on March 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Transportation will be provided by LMC. a continental breakfast and lunch will also be provided courtesy of UC davis. To reserve your spot, or for more information, visit the Transfer Center (room 434a) or call 439-2181 ext. 3124.

Bookstore hours resumed The LMC bookstore has resumed its regular business hours. The bookstore will now be open Monday to Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m., friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Add the online Experience sites you can now catch the Experience on facebook and Twitter to follow up on what’s going on. Each site is updated regularly and your questions, comments or concerns are welcome. facebook search for “Losmedanos Newspaper.” for Twitter, it’s www.twitter. com/lmcexperience.

Chili cook-off brings out fire in competitors By SHARRON QUEBEC Staff Writer

The sixth annual Classified Senate Chili Cook-off was held in front of the Student Life Office this past Wednesday in the indoor quad area between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Hallways on the second and third floor were filled with aromas of herbs and spices and the bustling sounds of anxious tasters seemed to draw more and more people to the fundraiser for student scholarships. Sandra Mills, from the Center for Academic Support, dressed in a large, colorful sombrero, energetically served the contestants and testers as well as drew in customers to purchase chili shots for $1 or a chili bowl and cornbread for $4. Nine contestants filled their crock pots with a variety of recipes, some traditional with red beans and meat, and some not. All were competing for the grand prize trophy, the coveted “Chili Man” figure and one year of bragging rights. Other awards are given for second and third place, as well as “people’s choice.” Mary Long, Administrative Assistant in Student Service and four-year participant, made “White Chicken Chili” with two kinds of peppers, garlic,

cumin, coriander, and white lima beans topped with sour cream and limes. “This was the first time I made this recipe. I actually got the recipe off the America’s Test Kitchen website,” she said. “It just looked intriguing.” Eloine Chapman, LMC’s senior web administrator, made “S’More Chili,” which included grilled portobella mushrooms and zucchini, chipotle salsa, southwest spices, black beans, ground beef, and her special ingredient — Jack Daniel’s Whiskey. “This was my first attempt at making this,” Chapman said. When asked why she named it “s’more,” she said, “Because you just have to have some more! I came up with this name with my mom.” Chapman’s recipe was not the only one that contained alcohol. John Schall, LMCs media design specialist, entered his “Hard Luck Cowboy Chili,” named after his belt buckle, with Newcastle brown beer and coffee. There were no vegetarian chili entries this year, which was unusual. “There had been vegetarian chilis in the past cook-offs. I’m surprised there is none now because there are many students

Club Day attendance higher than last fall By MARK MARTINEZ and REBEKAH GANGAR Staff Writers

The upper quad next to the cafeteria was full of life this past Wednesday in celebration of Club Day. A few booths were set up early and 30 minutes into the event the upper quad was packed with students and staff. Clubs that attended Club Day

were Anime Unlimited, RPG, SHPE (The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), Mustangs for Life, Puente, La Raza Unida, AGS, Shenanigans and the Veterans Club. Each club had its own booth set up and were trying to recruit students to join their club. Along with recruiting members, each club was raising money for general club activities,

Photos by Sharron Quebec

Top photo: Student entry group Nadine Zellner, Samuel rainey and Monica Baugh serve Jeremey reddic some chili. Below: The coveted Chili Man and trophy See CHILI, page 6 were awarded to the winner of the chili cook-off.

money to go to conferences and charity donations. In order to raise money, each club was selling food and various treats. The AGS was selling tacos for $1.50, along with soda and lemonade. The smell coming from the booth was tantalizing and delicious. “The AGS club is very well known for their tacos, which is why we decided to go with them,” Treasurer Gemma Jerez said. “About 30 to 40 people have stopped by our booth and purchased tacos. The students really enjoy them.” Student Kat Urbina purchased tacos from AGS. “These are

amazing, they actually take their time to cook it. And make sure ever ything is fair,” she said, smiling. The club had two stations — one where students place their order and the other for cooking and condiments. Heriberto Diaz, AGS president, was working on the grill warming up corn tortillas and cooking shredded chicken for the tacos. Once students got their tacos, they were able to choose from a variety of toppings such as cilantro, onions, salsa, tomatoes and cheese. The proceeds from the taco stand go toward the See CLUB, page 6

Photo by Lisa Cassidy

aGS President Herbierto diaz cooks up some tacos for Club day.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.