12-02-11 LMC Experience

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Achievement gap persists Equity an issue in transfer

By PRISCILLA SANDOVAL Staff Writer

Jazz concert coming soon The Los Medanos Jazz Ensemble, with special guest Erik Jekabson, will be performing in LMC’s recital hall on Friday Dec. 9, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Jekabson is a faculty member here at Los Medanos, as well as Cal State East Bay, and Chabot. Jekabson has his own ensemble, and has performed at the DeYoung Museum, the SFJazz Summer Series, and the Downtown Berkley Jazz Festival, to name a few. He has also released two self titled CDs, and has recorded as a sideman on more than 25 other jazz recordings.

General admission is $10.

Tickets for students and seniors are $5. For ticket information please contact the LMC music department at 439-0200.

Los Medanos College is faced with the problem that not all students who attend wind up equally prepared for transfer, and a close look at the data shows that the achievement gap breaks down along ethnic lines. But while some ethnic groups are still struggling, others have overcome and closed the achievement gap.

The biggest gap in achievement persists among the African-American student population. This segment of students has not been the only ethnic group facing an achievement gap. The Latino population long battled the

same problem, but LMC succeeded in the closing of the gap.

According to a Contra Costa Community College District report compiled in August 2011, and based on the three-year enrollment period 2007-2010, data shows that while African-Americans accounted for 17 percent of the total student body only 5 percent were transfer prepared, compared to the white population that accounted for 35 percent of the student body and had 44 percent rate of transfer preparedness.

The data shows the significance of the gap in achievement in the African-American See GAP, page 9

Heavy casualty drill run

by EMT’s

Talk to a UC/CSU representative

Simulation prepares students for disaster

Representatives from fouryear colleges and universities visit the LMC Transfer Center often throughout the semester. To make appointments, call 439-2181 ext. 3124.

CSU East Bay n Dec 8, 3-6 p.m. by appointment.

Dec 8, Brentwood Center, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. by appointment.

UC Davis n Dec 13, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. by appointment.

San Francisco Art Institute n Dec 13, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. info table near cafeteria.

Academy of Art University n Dec 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. info table near cafeteria.

By SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ Staff Writer

Textbooks for holiday cash

The Holiday Cash Textbook Buyback will be taking place Dec. 12-16. The LMC bookstore will be buying back your textbooks and all other supplemental materials that were purchased with them. Up to 50 percent of the purchase price will be given (certain conditions apply). Operating hours of the bookstore are MondayThursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information please call the bookstore at 439-2056.

Photo by Callib Carver

Kevin Niemeyer plays the role of an injured civilian in the EMT program’s mass casualty drill on Saturday, Nov. 19. Niemeyer, who graduated from the same program two years ago, volunteered his time to help train the latest batch of EMT students.

MESA pushes science and math

Need help to pay for school?

If you need assistance paying for college, then you should attend the scholarship and financial aid workshop, sponsored by Alpha Gamma Signma on Dec. 7 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The workshop will be held in the Science Building, Room 136. Refreshments will be provided.

Donate for the food drive now The Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano county, along with AGS and the Mighty Mustangs are sponsoring a food drive for the holidays. Look for the red barrels near the student life office, information desk, library, math and science buildings. They are asking for donations of non-perishable foods.

LMC’s EMT students got some hands on training on Saturday, Nov 19 as they participated in a full dress, mass casualty drill.

Volunteers played the role of patients. Even though, they wore fake wounds, they were instructed by EMT lab coordinator Stephen Martin to act as authentic as possible. “ Be real patients,” Martin told the victims before the drill got underway. “ But don’t go overboard.”

The EMT students took their positions in parking lot C. Their patients were spread out around the EMT classrooms area, where fake blood spatters stained the floors.

When all the victims were in position, the EMT students descended on the mock disaster area and got to work. Their job was to find every patient and attend to them according to the severity of their wounds.

Students knocked on doors and called out to patients who might be locked inside. Others checked the bushes around the perimeter to make sure all the patients were accounted for.

The mock patients groaned and yelled, trying their best to simulate a real emergency situation, the better to test the skills of the EMT students. The morning’s first drill didn’t go as smoothly as it could have. “ This did not go the way it was supposed to,” said Martin. “ They were not suposed to bring all the patients up at once.”

Martin briefed his students after the first drill and told them not ot worry about the mistakes that were made.

“Don’t take this as criticism . This is a learning process,” Martin said.

The second drill of the day went much smother than the first.

EMT student Yaneli Hernandez said that the most difficult part of the drills was staying organized and making sure all the mock patients were in the right places at the right times.

You just have to get used to it,” said Hernandez. “It’s really easy to get disorganized. “

Photo by Brandon Ribergaard

The leak stained carpet in 221.

Construction causes leak

By BRANDON RIBERGAARD Staff Writer

Drip…drip…drip is the sound many students and teachers hear as they attend class in the college complex building Room 221. There is a leak in the classroom’s ceiling caused by the construction going on upstairs. The age of the building is not helping either.

This leak isn’t the first to occur.

In fact, there have been many in the last couple years.

See DRIP, page 10

Program is enriched

Speakers offer insights

By JESSE GOMEZ

By SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ

The Math Engineering Science Achievement students (MESA) feel like they just won the California state lottery after they got news of a $4.25 million STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) grant from the Department of Education being awarded to Los Medanos College.

Carol Hernandez, the leader of MESA, was ecstatic when told the news about the program’s good fortune.

She has been running MESA since she started working at LMC two years ago. She can now breathe easy for the next five years knowing that the Photo by Samuel Gonzalez program will be financially supported in its trainings and Mona Sadeghian and Kelsea Weber talk grad

Almost every student comes to college with some kind of plan , be it in writing, or floating around in their heads. But plans change.

At least, that was the experience of most of the professionals who were invited on campus by the MESA program to share their expertise with students.

Cecelia McCloy, president and CEO of Integrated Science Solutions said that she started out in college with the goal of becoming a paleontologist. She graduated from Stanford with a double major in paleontology and geology, but she never found any work as a paleontologist.

“It’s never a straight path anywhere you think you’re going,” McCloy said to a full classroom.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

See STEM, page 10

school with MESA guest speaker Cecilia McCloy.

See MESA, page 10

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“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”

— John F. Kennedy

Aishling Doherty

Mark Francis

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Appreciate your role models

Stop the madness of black Friday

This November will be three years since my Aunt Joanie passed away from cancer. She was a wonderful person in life and had this light about her that brightened an entire room and brought happiness to others in the process.

I learned a lot from my aunt and thinking about what she taught me in life makes me miss her a lot.

Growing up as a kid I had many role models.

I consider Derek Jeter to be one of my role models and looked up to him also. But, my real role model in life was my aunt, and even though she’s not here today I still admire her.

When, my aunt got sick I had no clue that she would be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

It was something I thought only happened to people in movies not someone I loved and cared about.

My aunt worried a lot and went through so much in her life from surgeries to infections.

Each time she became sick or ill she fought through and came out on top. I knew cancer was a different kind of illness but I actually thought she would pull through again but she didn’t.

I remember it as if it was yesterday, the day at the hospital when my grandma, my cousin and I heard the doctor tell my aunt she had cancer. She was devastated and broke into tears.

After hearing the words cancer coming from the doctor’s mouth I went blank. How could it be that my aunt had cancer and didn’t know about it until now? It had to be a nightmare or dream that was happening at the moment.

After a few days in the hospital my mom suggested my aunt come home and be comfortable for the time she had left.

She was only home for about three weeks before she died. It was horrible, and the last couple days I shared with my aunt are the ones that I cherish forever.

But one day stood out for me, the day before Halloween I was sitting next to my aunt and I remember she tried to braid my hair. I turned to her and said “I love you.” My aunt just nodded and smiled.

On Nov. 2 my aunt couldn’t fight it anymore and lost her battle to cancer.

It was hard to come to terms with the loss of my aunt Joanie and I didn’t cope well with her death. It was hard to imagine what life without her would be like.

Life without my aunt was unreal and hard to get used to. Something inside me felt like it was ripped out and stomped on. But losing my aunt made me stronger and I carry a piece of her with me each day and try my best to be like her.

I’ll admit there are days when I become lost but I know that she wouldn’t want me to give up on life or stop living it.

It took her death to make me see that she was my role model. It is hard to imagine what was going through my aunt’s mind at the time she found out she had cancer.

I saw her face turn into sorrow when she received the news, but she turned around and didn’t let that news defeat her or bring her spirits down. My family could tell she was scared but she always put on a brave face in the short time she had left to live.

I regret not being able to tell my aunt she was my role model and how much she inspired me to be a good person and never give up.

In life everyone should have a role model who gives him or her the courage to be a good person and do well in life. But when you find that role model whether it’s an aunt, a father, a mother, a sibling or a friend don’t wait to tell them.

I never had a chance to thank my aunt Joanie or tell her she was my role model, and that is something I’ll regret forever.

The day after Thanksgiving is commonly known as Black Friday, where retailers across the country hold lightning deals on hot items of the season; sometimes dropping the price of certain ones to ridiculous lows.

Because of this, many Americans can be caught outside braving the oftentimes-harsh winter night in massive lines that can sometimes circle around the building.

Personally, I would never be caught hanging around huge crowds in the early hours of Black Friday. I find it to be a moronic thing to do when it’s easy to find good deals on things all year round — in stores and also online.

But ironically enough, I found myself on the other end of the spectrum working retail at Wal-Mart on this day. While getting paid extra was a great way to end a crazy long day for myself, it just does not justify the rationale that this is the “be all, end all” day when it comes to finding a good deal. Not to mention, justifying that it is alright to be crazy getting those deals.

I’m sure many heard about the crazy two-dollar Waffle Maker mob that occurred at a different Wal-Mart in the country, in which a huge rush of people broke down the display stand that the waffle maker was on and dogpiled all over it.

Normally, it would be one per person, but these people grabbed around three to five different waffle makers in the mad scuffle that ensued.

This isn’t the only case of erratic shoppers on Black Friday. A similar weird moment happened when a lady pepper sprayed a group of teens who had already got an item and subsequently took their Xbox Kinect bundle outside a Best Buy store. She claims it was all in self-defense, but witnesses claim otherwise.

There are countless Black Friday horror stories out there from not just this years’ take on it, however is this kind of action really at all justifiable? I seriously don’t think it is.

The holiday season is about giving away things to people we care about — and also to those who need things.

It is not hoarding up two-dollar waffle makers and pepper spraying anyone who bought the last copy of something. Honestly, what is the purpose of taking five waffle makers for yourself, if you really are only going to use one? And if you’re not going to use it, then why degrade it to the holiday fruit-cake status for other family members by giving it away as gifts to them? Sometimes, the logic behind these crazed shoppers makes zero sense.

Currently, we are living in a country where the economy is at it’s poorest with a lot of families out there barely surviving on a day to day basis because of it.

Let’s not get started on the whole Occupation movement happening in nearly every metropolitan city in the country. Yet, for many crazed shoppers they find it justified to go on a massive shopping binge on Black Friday and waste their money away. Not to mention to bring their foul attitude with them.

Take this for example, on my retail experience working the Black Friday shift. I ran into a woman walking into the store — an hour after we opened — I greeted her and asked if she needed any help finding something, she simply said back with a smirk and pompous attitude, “can you give me 1000 dollars?” and then walked off.

For some people, I guess, you just can’t help but look down on them for getting all possessive and rude during any Black Friday.

They become consumed by the fact that they must have the best deal, and if they don’t get the item they want or if it is sold out they will go into a fit and revert back to a whinny fiveyear-old who needed to get their way.

Thankfully, at work, we had massive security all around and the crowd didn’t resort to pepper sprays and mobs.

But the rudeness was in the air still, even after the day when people “say” they were thankful for the things in their life. Kinda hypocritical, don’t you think?

Reader Opinion Policy

The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. Bring to room CC3-301. Submissions must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification.

Cartoon by Samuel A. Gonzalez

Editorial

Get real about immigration

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ccording to many pundits and politicians, the most recent wave of immigration, much of it illegal, is different than the waves of the past. They claim these immigrants pose a serious threat to our economy and culture and must be dealt with immediately.

But how serious is this alleged threat that is being brought upon us by immigrants?

And why is it that immigrants are the only ones who take the blame and punishment when they are obviously not alone in creating this problem. Immigrants are here to work and everybody knows it.

If lawmakers were serious about dealing with this issue, they would have enforced employer sanctions, a long time ago. Federal officials have never been serious about this side of the immigration issue and they continue to place all the blame on the immigrant. Federal officials should be more honest when it comes to discussing immigration in public. They should stop misleading the public and trying to pit working people against each other.

Elderly treated unfairly due to budget cuts Imagine waking up with your left side paralyzed, you’d probably be devastated. Who wouldn’t be just like anyone else with a distinguished disability in-born or brought on?

Our country sometimes forgets and tends to neglect the weak or the ones who are not loud enough to speak up for their rights.

This is unfair to the elderly, they’ve done their share to make our country what it is today, why take away or cut back some of the beneficial things that are left to them now?

I am writing this in the hope that I can make people aware of the cutbacks that have happened and are now happening to seniors by providing my story. Before I begin, I know our economy isn’t good right now but I think we can find alternative, more positive ways around this recession instead of targeting the disabled since they’ve had numerous cutbacks already.

My grandma is 73 years old and had a stroke twelve years ago. She must have assistance with her daily routine due to her left side being paralyzed, and is happily able to still live on her own. She goes to an adult day care with other seniors who have similar disabilities.

Now I don’t know if you have ever been in a group of people with the same qualities, similarities, or lives but it can really bring a person hope and conformability in getting through.

At these centers or at least the ones that are left, they provide entertainment such as dancing (you can only imagine how cute they must look),

Voices

Lindsay Jackson Guest columnist

in-group and individual therapy, entertainment, socialization, daily meals and a nurse abroad.

Wouldn’t you want your mom, dad and grandparents to be taken care of like this and be able to enjoy themselves at least 2-3 days out of the week?

We are all going to get old and are going to need assistance one day to some degree. Your independence will slightly turn into dependence just like the cycle of life. I am speaking out to generations ahead.

We all have something in mind of what our retirement or senior days will look like, but this is the here and now.

The adult day care is scheduled to be taken away December 2011 due to budget cuts, resulting in many seniors and families being put in anonymous situations of what to do next.

Senior care is always going to be a must, so let’s make sure some of it will be left in our days to come. Please hear my words and help take a stand by keeping this in mind and making yourselves and others aware of this.

L os M edanos C ollege

Experience

What do you think of the bathrooms on campus?

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Ribergaard

Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“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

Editor in Chief ........... SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ Perspectives Editor ........... MARK MARTINEZ .

Campus Editor ..................... NICK CAMPBELL

and MARK FRANCIS

“They are average. Not the best, but they aren’t the worst.”

— Nick Carter

“They are actually okay and pretty sanitary.

The janitors are doing a good job.”

— Anna Prado

Features Editor .......... ANGELICA GONZALEZ.

and SKYE SALA

“They need to be cleaned more.”

— Jeff Morse

“They are kept clean, but I like the new ones more.”

— Maria Lopez

“In terms of urinals, not a problem. But in terms of bathrooms in general, they need to be updated.”

— Jesus Gomez

“I don’t use them.

Public bathrooms are disgusting.

People don’t know how to respect bathrooms.”

— Evan Dean

Sports Editor .................... LAURA CRABTREE Photo Editor .............................. LISA CASSIDY Assistant Photo Editor.............. JESUS CHICO The LMC Experience is published Fridays by the journalism program. The newspaper serves 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 LMCAS introduces activity fee

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“Education is not preperation for life; education is life itself.”

— John Dewey

Helping save lives

Los Medanos college associated students (LMCAS) will be introducing a Student Activity Fee that will allow the LMCAS Senate to provide scholarships, leadership opportunities, cultural programs and other curricular programs beginning in the Spring 2012 semester. The cost for the Student Activity Fee will be $5.00 per a semester — fall and spring only — with it being refundable within the first two weeks of a semester.

Benefits include current sponsored activities and services such as Mustang Madness, academic competition, textbook reserve program and ICC & club activities sponsorship.

Proposed activities and services may include Brentwood Center outreach, increased scholarship funding, discounted buss passes and more.

Muslim unity group on campus

The Muslim Student Association is here to unite Muslims and non-Muslims together in harmony. Meetings are held every Monday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Music Room 710.

For more info email sehrarahmany@yahoo.com

UMOJA accepting applications

Interested in achieving your academic dreams while being part of a supportive learning environment? Become an UMOJA Scholar. The scholars are currently accepting applications for their new spring cohort.

UMOJA is a program that addresses student needs through academic support services and a curriculum that focuses on African-American literature and history.

You must enroll in Math 12 and either English 70, 90, 100, or 221 in Spring 2012.

If you want more information or need to print out an application, visit UMOJA online at www.losmedanos.edu/ umoja/ or contact A’kilah Moore at 439-2181 ext. 3243.

Check out the Inter-Club Council

Inter-Club Council meetings are held on Mondays from 3 p.m – 4 p.m. in the Library, Room L-106 (Conference Room 2). Each club can be represented in the ICC, which promotes engagement in community college activities.

If your club is a member of ICC, it is imperative that your ICC representative attends the meetings on a regular basis.

Come to heal and connect

The Healing Circle provides a unique opportunity for both students and staff to share their stories; helping others while they help themselves.

Through information, discussion, and support, they provide a comfortable and safe place for sharing feelings related to the stress of balancing college and personal life. Tuesdays 11 a.m. to 12 p.m in Room 473 (upstairs from Admission).

If you need more information, contact Phil Gottlieb at ext.

3382, or Francis Moy at ext. 3136.

Visit Cuba for New Year’s Eve

Celebrate a joyous New Year’s Eve in Cuba with the sizzling rhythms and passion of music and dance – the soul of the Cuban people.

The trip will be led by Professor of Anthropology Lenore Gallin, who has directed five previous trips to Cuba. The trip will last from Dec. 27 to Jan. 11.

For further information, contact Professor Gallin at 925685-1230, ext. 2772.

Photo by Daniel Gala

A student donates blood at LMC during the drive sponsored by the Blood Centers of the Pacific.

Students donate blood at LMC MICHAEL BOONE Staff Writer

Hospitals need blood to help patients everyday and Blood Centers of the Pacific helps make that happen with its blood drives.

“Our goal at the blood centers is to get everybody who is eligible to donate at least three times a year,” said Joanne Alwine, Account Representative for Blood Centers of the Pacific. “If everybody who could donate would donate three times a year, we would never have a blood shortage.”

Blood donations can help up to three people through normal donation methods and can help up to six people through the use of a device called the Alyx machine. The Alyx machine allows someone to give twice the normal amount of red blood cells, the most needed blood component, with one donation.

“We always say the rarest blood type is the type that we don’t have available for the patient,” said Alwine.

There are a few things to think about before donating blood.

“One of the main things you wanna consider when you’re gonna

donate is you have to have eaten something within the last four hours,” said John Lopez, donor technician. “Water is always a good idea and you’re gonna need a photo I.D.” The number of staff at the blood drive is determined by how many people set an appointment to donate. “If you know you wanna donate and you know there is a blood drive coming up, one of the best things you can do is to set an appointment,” Lopez said.

Students have their own reasons for donating blood. “Every time there’s an opportunity here at school I always donate. I just feel like helping out people,” said Luis Martin, a student at Los Medanos College. “I believe in karma.”

Elijah Mays, a student at LMC said. “This is my very first time giving blood. It’s a good and fun experience. You’re helping somebody live.”

Blood drives happen almost every day and can be found at a variety of locations. “We work with local schools, high schools, colleges, churches and local companies. If an organization is See GIVE, page 10

Flushing problem

Earn teaching qualifications

Become qualified for employment as an assistant teacher at LMC in just one semester.

This program, presented to you by the East Bay Career Advancement Academy, fulfills the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Child Development Assistant Teacher Permit requirements.

Students vent on public restrooms

Spring 2012 semester: n Jan. 23 – May 24. Monday – Thursday, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

No cost to qualifying students for books and materials, student fees and parking.

Early Childhood Education required courses: n Child Development 1- Introduction to early childhood studies - 3 units n Child Development 10- Child growth and development - 3 units n English 90- Integrated Reading/Writing/Critical Thinking - 5 units n Human Services 110- Academy for College Excellence (ACE) Foundation – 1.5 units n HMSRV-111-ACE Team Self Management - .5 unit There is a max of 30 students, so enroll early.

By BRANDON RIBERGAARD Staff Writer

Career Center is willing to help

Are you undecided about your major or career goals? Overwhelmed by all of your options? The Career Center offers a variety of assessments in the areas of interests, personality, skills and values to help students attain their goals.

Career Center staff will work with you to explore potential goals and refer you to campus counselors to develop an education plan.

Don’t spend another semester feeling undecided; contact the Career Center at 439-2181, ext. 3252 to schedule an appointment today.

Apply for a scholarship for 2012

Vanguard Minority Scholarship Program gives out meritbased scholarships, up to $10,000, to students who are entering either their junior or senior year of college during the upcoming 2012 Fall and Spring semesters.

For an application or more information, please visit the Vanguard website at www.vanguard.scholarshipamerica.org

Alumni Raider tickets on sale

The LMC Alumni association has teamed up with the Oakland Raiders once again this season to offer you tickets at a discount rate.

When you purchase these specially priced tickets, LMC receives $20 of each ticket sold and proceeds go to support the LMC Bookstore’s textbook rental program.

Contact Claudia Acevedo at 439-2181, ext. 3130, by email cacevedo@losmedanos.edu, or by fax at 432-3261 for more information.

— Compiled from press releases and staff reports

Photos by Brandon Ribergaard

This is one of many automatic-flushing toilets, located near the Little Theatre that students complained about having problems.

There are 38 bathrooms on campus at LMC, with 20 in the main college complex and 18 throughout the rest of campus, including the newest buildings (science, math and school library).

Some students are very outspoken and negative about the condition of the bathrooms and their cleanliness, as they should be. Others are happy and positive about the school’s restrooms and some do not care at all.

“I don’t dare use the bathrooms here. I only urinate here. Public bathrooms are horrible,” said drama major Julius Ojewole.

Evan Dean is a current LMC student and she has very strong opinions about public bathrooms.

“I do not use them. Public bathrooms are disgusting.

People don’t respect them,” said Dean.

Another issue brought to the table is the fact that the automatic flushing toilets “finish” before the occupant.

“Often times, the toilet will flush three or four times before I am done. That crap gets annoying, literally,” said science major Nicholas Robertson.

Janelle Hampton, with the Building and Grounds department, is in charge of all bathroom maintenance.

Hampton is informed about people’s quarrels with the current automatic flushing system on the commode toilets. But at the moment, there is nothing she can do.

See FLUSH, page 10

Take advantage of campus lockers

By ALEXANDRA WALTON Staff Writer

LMC lockers scattered around campus can be rented from the cashier’s window every semester for $5 plus the cost of buying a lock. PE lockers however, are free to rent, but you need to buy your own lock or rent one from the locker room attendant.

“The lockers are on all three floors. They are located in the hall by the women’s restroom, by the music building, the language arts building, near classrooms by the planetarium, the tutoring center, and in the PE locker rooms,” said LMC cashier Linda Maniscalco. “All of the lockers except the ones in the locker rooms can be rented with the use of cash, check, or debit card at the cashier’s window.”

The lockers most often rented are the PE lockers. Since so many people use them, the rules for renting them are a little different from renting any other lockers on campus.

Janelle Cuasito, the women’s locker room attendant, said the main rule is don’t put your lock on a locker without talking to one of the members of the locker room staff first. If you do, they will put a notice on the locker telling you to remove it. If you don’t comply, by the third notice your lock will be cut and your belongings put into a plastic bag behind the locker room counter. If that happens, talking to the attendant on duty is how you would get your things back.

Since many people rent the PE lockers, some thefts do occur, but not often. According to LMC campus police reports, in 2009 only 36 thefts were reported for the whole campus during the entire year. This has improved from 2007 when 41 thefts were reported.

“I’ve only had one person report a theft, and it was a missing lock. I’ve also never had anyone report anything stolen out of their locker,” said Cuasito.

See LOCK, page 10

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“Fashion is what you adopt when you don’t know who you are.”

— Quentin Crisp

‘Muppets’ bring the laughs

By CHUCK BUCK Staff Writer

Walter grew up with his brother in Small Town always feeling out of place. Upon discovering an old television program, “The Muppet Show,” it becomes his life-long dream to meet his idols. When he, his older brother Gary, and his brother’s girlfriend Mary find that the run down Muppet Studio is in danger of being torn down by an oil tycoon for its resources, the trio make it their mission to get the Muppets back together to put on one last show and save the studio.

The movie is partly a musical in nature. Each of the main characters has songs of their own. Brothers Walter and Gary have a great duet of sorts they sing in the middle of the movie.

The plot is pretty basic and easy to understand for the most part, with quick pacing to keep you moving smoothly through the story. For a comedy, there are quite a few moments of tension, but always like clockwork it’s broken by a bit of comedic input.

Never does the movie take itself too seriously at any given point. There are comedy interjec-

REVIEW

Photos by http://muppet.wikia.com

James Bobin, Jason Segel, Nick Stoller and Bret McKenzie go over important information with “The Muppets” cast.

‘Uncharted 3’ pleases fans

By PRISCILLA SANDOVAL

By MARK FRANCIS Staff Writer

REVIEW

See GAME, page 9

See MOVIE, page 9

‘Office’ actress offers some wit Staff Writer

When one thinks of a game, most of the time the actual plot is something they think about last, while gameplay and controls come first. Yet when it comes to the Uncharted series, people tend to think fondly of all three. This is no exception during the series’ third outing, “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.” Yet, does it live up to the bar that was set from the second entry in the series released two years ago?

Uncharted 3 tells the story of adventurer Nathan Drake, and his mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan, and their quest to find the mythical “Atlantis of the Sands.” Along the way, a cast of familiar and new characters will either help or interfere in their quest.

The plot alone is probably one of the strongest it has ever been in the series, with it trying to explain how both Drake and Sully became a pair. The story at its core is a complete “buddy cop” tale. By the end of the story, you will probably find yourself cheering for Drake and Sully as they beat up the villain. Also within the story is a bit of a fictional history lesson about Sir Francis Drake and T.E Lawrence aka, “Lawrence of Arabia”.

For fans who complained about the floaty weight that Drake had in the previous games, when it comes to overall movement, the amount of realism thrown into this game will impress. Drake has a sense of weight whenever he moves, and all weapons are based on real world physics such as recoil and the larger-the-gun-the-slower-you-move mentality.

Also given an upgrade is the combat mechanics. Drake and other characters can punch, counter and also grab/ break out of grabs with ease. It is quite similar and mimics the “Freeflow” combat found in the Arkham games by Rocksteady.

The only issue I found is the fact that in single player, aiming is a tad bit slower than normal, leading to inaccurate headshots or missed shots completely. However, after a while of playing, I firmly got used to this new more ridged aiming mechanic. Yet, this is the only gripe I found with the controls.

I loved the increased logic in the enemy A.I., as it is ruthless here. There are also a vast number of them, making most areas of the game very hectic. Making players stay constantly on their toes to avoid death. I died well over 90 times on my first run, yet the game was so engaging that I easily forgot that I had died that many times while also avoiding some “nerd rage”.

Level design is absolutely fantastic. Uncharted 3 lives up to the standard that was set by the second game, and goes

tions left and right, from witty comebacks to good old slapstick there’s always something to laugh at when watching. Also in classic Muppets fashion, the fourth wall is often broken in a tasteful manner to get a joke across to the audience and to take advantage of the fact that this movie is offered in the new Real-D 3-D. Even some of the songs ser ve as longer jokes poking fun at the movie itself.

There weren’t too many people in the audience at the time I saw the movie, but those present seemed to love it as much as I did, if not more. This film had me and my friends laughing quite heartily, and even pulled a few quick ones that caught us by surprise.

Did I mention there were celebrity appearances? There were so many celebrity appearances all over the place. Ones I could spot were Zack Galifianakis as Hobo Joe. Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Jack Black, and Neil Patrick Harris all appeared as themselves, Sara Silverman played a waitress, even Jim Parsons from the TV show Big Bang Theory makes a brief appearance in this movie. Having

Rapper proves his skill in new album

By OMAR HAMILTON Staff Writer

Donald Glover made a name for himself as a star of the NBC program “Community,” but after three popular mix tapes Glover, now known by his rap name Childish Gambino has released his first commercial album, “Camp.”

Despite many positive opinions about Gambino’s previous work, he has also been faced with criticism for not being “hood,” or “black” enough and being too “soft,” similar to the criticism leveled at hip-hop heavyweight Drake.

But Gambino addresses that criticism in songs such as “Hold you down” where he says, “This one kid said somethin’. That was really bad. He said I wasn’t really Black. Because I had a dad.”

Gambino’s goofy character on “Community” added to the negative criticism, but once again Gambino refused to shy away from it and shows his goofy and weird side in songs such as “All the Shine.” And he does not try to change his style or flow to please his negative critics.

Gambino has always done a good job of transitioning from topic to topic smoothly while still delivering great punch lines and metaphors and Camp is no exception.

He raps with educated phrases and is still able to come hard on the tracks.

He shows versatility by being able to make upbeat and intense songs such as his single “Bonfire” and then is able to slow it down and make romantic slow songs such as “Letter Home.”

Many rappers use their struggles growing up in difficult circumstances as ways to get messages about life across to their audiences, but Gambino does this by simply telling a story about how he spilled his feelings with a girl he had spent the summer with at camp. She shared everything he said to her with her friends, who subsequently make fun of him as they exit the bus.

Gambino explains how this taught him to share his secrets with everyone, so that no one can spread rumors because everybody knows.

Gambino’s first commercial album is as pleasing to the ear, mind and heart as any other rap album this year. He exhibits his tremendous talent as a rapper in the album “Camp” without “selling out” or giving in to the criticism, allowing him to make unique tracks.

Gambino has created a quality hip-hop album; one that can appeal to both die-hard hip-hop lovers and other music fans a like. This album could launch Gambino into the music spotlight, solidifying his place as a hip-hop and music star.

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Can’t get enough of the antics of character Kelly Kapoor portrayed by Mindy Kaling on “The Office?” Well, you’re in luck.

The hilarious comedy writer and actress has debuted her writing chops in her new book, “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns).”

The book is a compilation of essays including anecdotes from her personal and professional life, lists, and other observations. Kaling is best known for her role as writer, executive producer, and actress on the hit sit-com, “The Office.”

In her bestseller, Kaling opens with a funny list of alternate titles for her book including, “Barf Me to Death and Other Things I’ve Been Known To Say,” and “When Your Boyfriend Fits into

Your Jeans and Other Atrocities.”

The titles give an insight to her humor. She even jokes about not being as funny as famous comedian Tina Fey and wanting to lure her into a “FreakyFriday” situation. The hilarity continues as Kaling walks the reader through her life and observations that she has made.

Kaling goes into her childhood growing up in Massachusetts, her college experience as a drama major at Dartmouth, and moving to New York to pursue an acting career. Defeats and triumphs, Kaling finds the humor in it all. Even in being bullied for being a chubby Indian kid: “Do you know how rare that is?”

The book is easy to read and perfect for students who are always on the go as it doesn’t

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See BOOK, page 9

Political thriller intrigues audience

By LAUREL HANSEN Staff Writer

Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer star in “J. Edgar.”

Focused around the character J. Edgar Hoover who was the head of the FBI for nearly 50 years, served through three wars and under eight presidents. He’s a die-hard patriot, utterly focused on keeping the country safe from communism. He is the father of modern-day forensics, like finger printing and crime scene preservation.

However his tactics were at the least overreaching, if not illegal.

Through his career, there were two people by his side, his secretary, Miss Gandy (Naomi Watts) and his closest colleague, Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). These two play major roles in Hoover’s life, especially important to him as he was close to no one else, besides his mother (Judi Dench).

For the history buffs in the audience, the story is told as Hoover telling his own life story - his legacy, to a writer so the information is one-sided and paints a rather narrow picture. There is still some interesting historical content worth seeing, especially if you have any interest in the secretive federal government.

The story is not told in a chronological fashion and, although the acting is good, the makeup used on the actors to make them look elderly is kind of creepy.

Being a fan of politics, and highly interested in what the Federal government is up to behind closed doors, the premise was enough to draw me in. If politics are not your cup of tea, the movie is also an enthralling love story, which moved me to tears on multiple occasions.

“J. Edgar” runs a little more than two hours, but it certainly does not feel that long. The story is compelling and easy to watch, although there are certain scenes that will make the more delicate patrons turn away their faces.

I loved “J. Edgar,” I would say most Clint Eastwood movies are good, but this one is amazing, gripping, and secretive. I highly recommend this movie for fans of history, politics, and love stories. There were not any other women in the audience, but I know several of the men did not share my sentiment

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“I’ve been on a calendar, but never on time.”

— Marilyn Monroe

‘Twilight’ from different perspectives She says: Best film of the series

He says: Too much romance

By AISHLING DOHERTY

By JARED THOMSON

What do you get when you have vampires, werewolves and a human girl named Bella Swan all on one big screen? You get one of the best movies of 2011. Starring in “Breaking Dawn” is Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewar t, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, and Billy Burke.

For me, Billy Burke, who portrays Charlie Swan, stood out. His acting was amazing when he and Stewart were doing the scene where Charlie was giving away Bella to Edward. It was one of the best scenes the two shared together so far.

This scene really showed their father-daughter relationship and I felt like they had a better bond in this scene.

If you’re a Twilight fan, you will know that Charlie never showed his emotions to his daughter, but while giving her away, he tried his best to hold in his tears.

When “Twilight” arrived during the 2008 holiday season, no one could have guessed the magnitude at which it would explode into popularity for women, both young and old.

Its third sequel, “Breaking Dawn: Part 1,” is a film that should only be watched by people that have seen the previous entries in “The Twilight Saga.”

For the boyfriends or significant others that are being pulled along for the ride, this is no ordinary film. It is only the first part of two films that ends the saga, and it is most definitely a romance or a “chick flick” if you will, more so than the previous films.

If you haven’t seen any of the films in the series, this is not for you. It’s a love story that began in the first film between a young woman named Bella and a “good” vampire named Edward.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

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See HERS, page 9

Spend a week with Marilyn

Photo courtesy of http://www.freehdwallpapers.in/

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1” shows Bella Swan and Edward Cullen finally getting married and starting a family.

See HIS, page 9

By JESSE GOMEZ Staff Writer

“My Week with Marilyn,” directed by Simon Curtis, is a drama that allows you to take a step back in time to 1956 to see through one man’s eyes how one of the most famous female actresses of all time affected not only him but the culture around him.

The film is based on a true story about a young man named Colin Clarke, played by Eddie Redmayne, who is determined to work in the film business any way he can. He packs his bags, leaves his London home and judgmental family members, and sets off on a journey to become part of a film production.

After his wittiness and gogetter attitude are noticed by some important people, Colin lands a lowly job on the set of a movie called “The Prince and The Showgirl” starring Marilyn Monroe. He is thrilled not only to be on his first movie set, but to see and work with the first sex symbol the world had ever seen.

The role of Marilyn Monroe was played by Michelle Williams, who definitely found her inner Marilyn. She did a great job

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Photo courtesy of http://www.jackieloi.com/

Arthur helps everyone rediscover Christmas as they seem to have forgotten what is important.

Film gets the viewers in the Christmas spirit

By VANITA TIMOTHY Staff Writer

‘Tis the season for holiday movies and “Arthur Christmas” is a film that aims to bring the Christmas spirit. The movie is about the Clause family and how they rediscover the meaning of the season.

Over the years, Arthur’s father Santa Clause, who is on the verge of retirement, has lost the Christmas feeling. Arthur’s older brother is technical support for their father and in charge of making sure all the presents are delivered to all the kids around the world.

With Christmas Eve coming to an end, Santa and See WEEK, page 9

Arthur’s brother believe they and their trained team of elves, have delivered all the presents. After the team has celebrated success, they discover a toy left behind.

Santa and Arthur’s brother are not concerned and put it off with the thought that it is only one kid. Arthur, on the other hand, believes no kid should be left out. Since Santa and Arthur’s brother decide not to bring the girl her toy, Arthur takes things into his own hands and joins up with his grandpa, Grand Santa, to make sure the little girl has a present to open from Santa — even if Santa is not the one giving it to her.

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They bring the old sleigh out of retirement and take it for an amazing race around the world, fighting with time and all the odds that cross their path to save Christmas just for one little girl. Arthur, racing with time, accomplishes his goal getting this very special toy to this very special girl. Along the way he wins the hearts of everyone at the North Pole — including Santa Clause himself.

The movie does a great job of getting the audience into the Christmas spirit, and Arthur and Grand Santa’s adventures are a treat to watch.

Take the time to see it — it will win your heart too.

Kid film is full of twists and mysteries

By MICHAEL BOONE Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of http://www.desitara.com/

Adam Sandler plays identical twins in the new comedy “Jack and Jill.”

Comedy shares family values

By ALEX ESCAJEDA Staff Writer

“Jack and Jill” is a pleasant comedy starring comedian Adam Sandler in a dual role. He plays Jack Sadelstein, a well off advertising executive who is happily married with children as well as Jack’s twin sister Jill.

The way Sandler portrays Jill may remind viewers of the various female characters he played on the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live.” Jill’s speech pattern has looks and actions that are reminiscent of numerous SNL skits where Sandler was playing a woman.

During the first part of the film, the twins are seemingly different from one another. Jack is funny, successful and friendly. He has a lovely wife, two beautiful children and an enormous house.

Jill, on the other hand, is single and lonely, she usually visits her brother every Thanksgiving

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but this year’s stay is extended because their mother recently passed away and she doesn’t want to spend Christmas alone.

As the film progresses it’s clear that Jack and Jill are similar in both reaction and expression.

Another key character in the movie is Al Pacino in a cameo role. In the film he’s having trouble landing gigs and it appears that he may have lost his mind.

Jack, being the ad executive that he is, wants to get Pacino to be in a Dunkin Donuts commercial but he refuses unless he can go out with Jill, which Jill refuses to go out with him.

Jack dislikes Jill being there and tries to get her out of the house. He does things like sets her up on dates, tells her lies so she can leave and other things of that nature.

Jack does something unspeakable in an attempt to get Al Pacino in the commercial and Jill gets See JACK, page 9

From Martin Scorsese the director who brought us “Goodfellas,” “Gangs of New York” and “Shutter Island,” came the out of nowhere new PG-3D film for kids. Set in the early 1930s “Hugo” is about an orphan boy who lives in secrecy at a train station in Paris.

Hugo is in the process of finishing his late father’s final project: Repairing an automaton, a robotic doll capable of writing with a pen.

An adventure unfolds as Hugo befriends the person who holds the key to finishing the repairs on the automaton.

For the rest of the film many lessons are learned, friendships are gained and mysteries about the automaton and the past are revealed. Based on the book, ”The Invention of Hugo Cabret,”

by Brian Selznick, this film is easily likeable by film lovers of any age.

The backgrounds and environments used in this film were amazing, especially in 3D. I haven’t been much of a fan of 3D films but this film changed my outlook.

Instead of using 3D effects to mindlessly throw items out at the audience, like many 3D children’s movies are sure to do, this film uses the 3D effect to enhance the film in an amazing

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Photo courtesy of http://www.movies.com/

Hugo finishes his father’s automaton, which is capable of writing with a pen. way. The sight of snowfall or dust coming down and around the camera made scenes feel as is I were there actually observing the events taking place.

The plot structure was easy to follow and kept the movie interesting with few long scenes and boring explanations. Because this is a film for kids, you couldn’t ask for a better way to tell a story that will keep them paying attention.

Switching between the past and present was easy to follow and rewarding due to the suspense surrounding what took place in the past.

The acting was great to the point where I felt empathy toward almost all of the characters and I was almost brought to tears

during a few of the more tragic scenes, which is fairly unusual for me.

The music did exactly what music in a film should do and it amplified the scenes in an intense way.

The audience seemed to have an overall good feeling about the movie due to the large number of laughs during the film and not a single face walked out of there without a smile.

Overall, I would have to say that this film is for more mature kids and adults. It is full of plot twists and if you can’t follow the story very well, you won’t enjoy the film. If you usually avoid family movies, give “Hugo” a shot and you might just be surprised at how enjoyable it is.

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“In times of shrinking expectations,... everyone feels like a victim and pushes away outsiders to defend his own corner.”

— Oscar Handlin

The rights of immigrants

By JESSICA VAUGHN, GUADALUPE SEPULVEDA, GUADALUPE HERNANDEZ and SAMUEL GONZALEZ Special to the Experience

Are illegal immigrants entitled to the same rights as U.S citizens? That question is constantly being debated, and laws that seek to enhance or diminish immigrants’ rights are also constantly being proposed,

T

he United States of America was populated and built by immigrants. Immigration is still changing the United States and with this change comes a

passed and challenged.

Few would deny that even illegal immigrants deserve basic human rights, but that hasn’t stopped various states from trying to weaken those protections.

Most recently, the state of Alabama has become the focus of the U.S. immigration debate by passing an immigration law that is widely seen as the strictest in the nation.

Alabama’s law would have had public schools check the immigration status of children enrolling in schoolfor the first time and would allow police officers to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally, among other provisions.

The part of Alabama’s law that would make schools check the immigration status of children has been blocked by an appeals court. Alabama officials defended that part of the law, saying that their intent was not to keep children out of school, but only to gather data about the cost of educating the undocumented. Other parts of Alabama’s law have been allowed to go into effect, like the provision that prohibits any state and local contacts from being enacted with illegal immigrants.

Joseph H. Carens, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, argues that there should be a firewall between immigration law enforcement and service providers such as police officers, school officials and doctors, so that the victims of crimes or accidents are not subject to prosecution.

In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that undocumented children are entitled to a public education, not because education is a right however, but because the cost of not educating undocumented children outweighs any financial or intellectual burden they might place on schools.

Alabama’s law is one example of the kind of immigration measures being taken by various states recently. On the federal level, there are other operations and proposed reforms that affect or would affect immigrants rights.

The federal DREAM act would seeks to hep undocumented immigrants who attend college or serve in the military by See RIGHTS, page 10 Illustration by Samuel Gonzalez

reaction. Just like factors that bring immigrants here, the reaction to each

The nativist influence

wave of immigration is very much the same as it was in the past. Aa result,

laws that seek to reform America’s immigration situation are always being debated. This

By TIFFINI HENDRICKSON, FREDERICK PLACZKIEWICZ, DANIELLE CAPUTO and KAREN HUAPALLA

debate is often broken down into different topics. What is the economic impact or cultural

Special to the Experience

impact of high immigration? What is the right, and ethical thing to do? The five articles be-

Nativism is the favoring of the interests of the established inhabitants of a nation over the interests of new immigrants.

Some say nativism is bigoted; others say that the U.S. has a long history of nativist

low examine some of the more popular and some little known factors that influence or have influenced the immigration debate in the United States.

Reforms from the past

By CESARE JACINTO and THANIA SALAZAR Special to the Experience

Going back as far as 1882, the United States has attempted to control the number of immigrants entering the country. More recent history is no different. In November 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) into law, one of the most drastic changes in U.S. immigration policy since the 1960’s, when old immigration restrictions were eased.

The intent of IRCA was to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. by granting amnesty to approximately 2.7 million, prosecuting employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and increasing funding for the Border Patrol.

About two years after IRCA went into effect, the INS reported that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States had been significantly reduced, But according to Historian Roger Daniels, the INS was merely counting those who had been legalized by

the IRCA. In the 1990’s Border Patrol officials attempted to control further illegal immigration by launching operations at the two main corridors for illegal entry on the US-Mexico border – in San Diego, there was Operation Gatekeeper, and in El Paso, Operation Holdthe-Line. The goal of Border Patrol officials was to push migrants through more remote locations to discourage them from entering illegally. They also built fences, hired more officers and employed more sureveilllance technology at both locations.

Operation Gatekeeper and Operation Hold-the-Line were successful in reducing the number of unauthorized entries at each location, but illegal immigrants began to make the dangerous journey across the border in the remote desert of Arizona, now infamously known as “Devil’s Highway,” where numerous immigrants have paid the ultimate price in search of a better life.

In 2006, the Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated that there were

11 to 12 million illegal immigrants residing in the United States. The high number of immigrants that continued to enter in the years after IRCA reflected the ineffectiveness of such reforms. Other attempts at reform followed. In December 2005 The House of Representatives passed hb 4447 which would have made illegal immigration a felony.The Bush Administration followed with another plan they called Comprehensive Immigration Reform, introduced in April 2006. The reform would provide a pathway to citizenship, increase border protection, and create temporary guest worker programs.

Protesters came out in protest of the house bill, and in support of the less punitive comprehensive reform bill.

The most dramatic protest took place nationwide on May 1, 2006. Known as “A Day Without An Immigrant”, children skipped school and people walked away from their jobs with some not showing up. Some busi-

About this project This feature was created by groups of students from Professor Alex Sterling’s Philosophy 2: Ethics of Immigration class.

See REFORM, page 10

The free trade factor

create a more trade friendly environment. It was the largest free trade agreement of its time. For Mexico, NAFTA signaled a drastic change in Special to the Experience policy by reducing the public sector and allowing more private ownership.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the It was also intended to stabilize Mexico’s economy through increased United States, Canada and Mexico, went into effect on Jan. 1, 1994. NAFTA exports to the United States.

For the United States, the purpose of NAFTA was to create economic was passed to eliminate trade barriers between the three countries to growth, increase imports and exports with Mexico, and increase exports to Canada. NAFTA’s goals were for greater economic integration between the three countries. While selling NAFTA, much of the rhetoric centered around reducing illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States, even though NAFTA was mostly silent on immigration. Many experts believe that NAFTA has failed in its objectives and has created more problems than it has solved.

NAFTA has also claimed some success. The largest is the vast number of factory jobs that have been created in Mexico since NAFTA went into effect. Also, the per capita income of Mexico has increased steadily, and Mexico’s economy has gone from fifteenth to the ninth largest in the world. This is largely in part due to the dramatic increase in exports that NAFTA caused, primarily to the United States.

Some economists argue that this increase in exports to the United States has also created jobs there. This has a lot to do with the open markets that NAFTA brought to Mexico. NAFTA includes provisions that allow for cooperation between the United States, Mexico and Canada in regards not only to the environment, but also labor. This allows the countries to work together to improve their economies.

On the other hand, people who argue against NAFTA believe the

immigration.”

History professor Roger Daniels, wellknown for his writing on the history of immigration, says that Huntington is nothing more than a nativist who stereotypes Hispanics with discriminatory, unreal data.

Is Huntington simply a bigot, or is he right about the alleged threat Hispanic immigrants pose to U.S. culture?

Daniel T. Griswold, Director of the Cato institute Center for Trade Policy Studies, says that “immigration is not undermining the American experiment, but is an integral part of it.” He also states that successive waves of immigrants into the U.S. have been a positive addition to American society, which kept this country demographically young, enriched our culture, and have added to our productive capacity as a nation as well as enhance our influence on the world.

However, nativist sentiment seems to be behind recent laws passed in Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona. In a 2009 letter to Congress Sylvia Allen, an Arizona state senator who supported Arizona’s immigration law SB 1070, sees the Hispanic influx as a serious threat: “We have already lost our language, everything must be printed in Spanish also. We have already lost our history it is no longer taught in our schools.

And we have lost our borders.”

People like Huntington and his fellow nativist comrades who are still attempting to restrict immigration levels and exclude immigrants from establishing themselves within our culture illustrate just how much nativism and cultural discrimination is still a significant aspect of our national identity.

What must be done to further safeguard our American tradition, our native tongue and most importantly, our humanity that was formed by a communal melting pot of immigrants from all over the world?

Economic impact

By ANNALISE OLSON, HAILEY PAHL, MICHELLE ARECHIGA, KAITLYN ANGWIN and BLAKE HANSTEAD

See TRADE, page 10

prejudice against foreigners.

During the 1840’s there were Anti-Catholic movements, which were mostly aimed at Irish immigrants. This movement manifested itself in “No Irish need apply” signs in storefront windows and in physical assaults on Catholic churches in Philadelphia in 1844.

In 1882 there was the Chinese Exclusion Act (CEA), which was enacted by Congress to ban all Chinese immigrants from entering the U.S. for at least 10 years.

The CEA wasn’t repealed until 1943 after China joined U.S. allied forces in WWII. Thus, the Magnuson Act was passed which allowed Asian immigrants into the U.S. to become established citizens.

In the 1920’s anti-immigrant sentiment culminated with the Immigration Act of 1924.

This set the annual quota of any nationality at 2% of the number of foreign-born citizens of such nationality already residing in the U.S. This was implemented as a response to the rapid increase of immigrants flowing to the U.S. from Eastern and Southern Europe.

The U.S. tried to keep these people out in order to preserve the Western European influence on our nation’s identity.

The nativist argument still runs strong within the United States. Samuel P. Huntington, an influential American political scientist, has written many articles and a book on the topic of immigration. In his article “The Hispanic Challenge,” he claims “the persistent inflow of Hispanic immigrants threatens to divide the United States, into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages.”

Huntington claims that not only are Hispanics failing to assimilate, they are splitting our country’s culture in two by keeping a tight embrace to their own customs. “In order to preserve American culture,” says Huntington, “we need to reduce Hispanic

By SAMANTHA WILLIS, DAVID CULLISON and ELENA EGAN CACERES Special to the Experience

Illustration by Guadalupe Hernandez

Does immigration hurt or help our economy? There is no easy answer to this question. Research has shown that immigrants have both positive and negative impacts on the economy.

Experts tend to agree that the presence of immigrant workers does depress wages; particularly among unskilled workers. George Borjas, a prominent expert on immigration policy and economy, claims that the overall impact of immigration on the economy is a net gain.

The benefits of immigration cannot be ignored; immigrants provide the U.S with a flexible and cheap labor force. As a result employers are able to increase profits and contribute to an increase in GDP. David Cole, Georgetown law

professor and writer for various periodicals such as The Nation, explains that immigration not only fills American jobs but creates them too. Cole cites Mario Cuomo (DNY), who said that the immigrants of New York State own more than 40,000 companies and contribute $3.5 billion to the state’s economy each year. In another study, Cole found that between 1970 and 1980 Hispanic immigration.

Through their labor, immigrants provide the U.S market with cheaper consumer products that yield an increase in consumer spending power and redistributing income as capitalists are able to cut costs and extend the savings to consumers.

Others argue that the cost of immigration is unsustainable. Alabama’s legislature recently enacted tough new legislation aimed at curtailing illegal immigration.

Part of the new law made it a crime

not to carry valid immigration documents. It also forces police to check the status and detain anyone that they suspect of being in the country illegally. Furthermore, it requires schools to check citizenship status of children enrolling is schools for the first time. A federal judge refused to block the majority of the provisions of this law and immigrants fled in fear of being deported.

This has had disastrous effects on Alabama’s agricultural industries.

Tomato crops were left rotting on the vines because there is no one to pick them. In the poultry industry, chicken farms had to cut production or close down operations altogether.

Brian Cash, a tomato farmer in Alabama says that he will lose his entire crop this year because all 65 of the men he employed have disappeared. His losses are going to total about $100,000. But the entire See IMPACT, page 10

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Timeout with Coach Shipe

Photos by Lisa Cassidy

Above: Coach Shipe talks with quarterback Mike Behr (16) during a home game in the past season. Below: Shipe wraps up a drill by reviewing the team’s play during practice.

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“Sometimes in football you have to score goals.”

— Thierry Henry

By JUSTIN BRITTON Staff Writer

“I’ve been coaching for the past thirteen years to prepare myself for this experience,” said Chris Shipe, head coach of the LMC Mustangs football team.

He thought coaching was a skill you gain through experience playing the game, and being taught by the best. But it never once crossed his mind that he would become a head coach one day.

Shipe, born and raised in Pittsburg, had an interesting life growing up. Once beating the top notch De La Salle in a high school football championship as a senior playing at Pittsburg High, you would think football ran through his veins.

But it didn’t. In his younger years, soccer was his sport and he played from elementary school to his 7th grade year of junior high school.

It wasn’t until a family friend suggested he should give football a try that he walked onto the gridiron.

“My family was good, because they never told me what to do, they just let me make a decision,” he said.

Curious about how he would per- form in an actual league, Shipe gave the local Junior Football League a shot.

“Football wasn’t my first love, it was basketball,” he admits.

From then on it was all about football. Playing both football and basketball all four years of high school at Pittsburg High, there came a point where he had to choose between which one he wanted to pursue. His senior year at Pitt showed him that football was the way to go.

Having to be a backup his freshman year, Shipe said he set a goal for himself to become the starting QB for the next three year, but it wasn’t until his senior year that his talents started to unfold.

He threw for 27 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and led the Pittsburg Pirates to an 11-1-1 record.

That year his team beat De La Salle, breaking their 84 game winning streak in the high school championship game.

Finally, having had his chance at showing off his talents, Shipe said he wanted to give the Los Medanos Mustangs football team a shot after high school.

“You go from being a starter for three and a half years in high school, then I come here and now I’m a backup,” said Shipe who only played two games his freshman year.

Shipe sat back and knew that the QB ahead of him wasn’t capable of doing what he could do. So going into his sophomore year he had his chance at a starting position.

He had a good year and led the Mustangs to a bowl game. His mind was set to transfer to Sac State and show the coaches there what he could do, but they did not offer him a scholarship. So for about two and a half years, Shipe was just a student. He spent his free time watching the LMC games wondering if he would ever play again. Then Humboldt State came knocking at his door and offered him a full ride scholarship to play for them.

He made a last-minute decision to attend Humboldt, and had to fight both for classes that were filling See SHIPE, page 10

Fans finally proud to represent the Bay Area

Mustangs declaw the Red Hawks on home court

On a franchise record-setting day for Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, the stadium was full and the fans were as loud as they have ever been, as he went 6 for 6 kicking field goals.

This also marks the first time the Raiders have sold out six games in a row since going to the Superbowl in 2002. Are the Raiders of the old days back?

With the season on the line and hearts still heavy following the passing of Al Davis, the man who created the iconic franchise, the Raiders are sitting in first place in the AFC west and control their own fate this late in the season.

Across the bay, the 49ers are 9-2 and are five games ahead of the Seattle Seahawks for a dominating lead over the NFC west.

Even though San Francisco lost over the weekend to a playoff-bound Ravens team, they still played well against one of the most dominating defenses in the league and looked poised to go deep in the playoffs this season.

Just a couple of years ago, both of these teams were the laughing stock of the league and the poster children of how not to run an NFL franchise.

With bad draft picks and questionable coaching and roster changes, these two polar-opposite teams managed to succeed at gaining the same result year after year — bad football.

With both teams missing the playoffs since 2002, the bay has experienced a winning drought that this area has never felt

Men’s basketball season is here and it’s off to a great start, as the Stangs beat the Simpson Red Hawks 84-64 Wednesday night at home. Players to look out for include sophomore Emmanuel Bradford (21), who scored 22 points in the game, as well as Mustang big man Kris Gallop (34), who scored 12 tough points in the paint. Gallop, Mustang 6’11” center, seemed to set the tone for the season with a powerful slam-dunk to start the second half of the Simpson game. The 2012 season seems promising as the men’s team looks prepared to battle it out in the Bay Valley Conference this season.

Matt Moeller ONE NATION before. Some fans even resorted to extreme measures, jumping off the bandwagons of their favorite teams to one that is winning and successful.

And who could blame them?

For years it seemed that neither one of these teams could take a step forward without disastrous consequences that would ultimately hinder both organizations for nearly a decade. I need only remind you by mentioning the names JaMarcus Russell and Mike Singletary. For a fan of either one of these two teams, the sheer mention of these names makes the skin cringe.

These franchises are historical to the NFL. Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, the 49ers and Raiders dominated the West Coast as well the rest of the league, combining for eight Super Bowl wins and providing the league with numerous Hall-of-Famers.

To have both of these teams falter for the better part of the last decade from the joys of success these storied franchises once experienced, as a fan I felt like the youngest in a house of eight siblings and the only child who didn’t get a cookie.

There is light at the end of this dark tunnel that was thought to be an endless pit of despair. Both organizations have rookie head coaches. One was brought in with a hefty price tag, but has shown to the fans, as well as the organization that hired him, he is well worth the price. The other was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. These two coaches have turned both franchises around and have given Bay Area fans something to cheer for once again.

Raiders and 49ers fans can leap in excitement as they finally witness their teams resembling the classic images burned in the memory of a super slow motion highlight reel — NFL film musician Sam Spence’s orchestra blaring in the background, and the narrator’s deep raspy voice counting down the yards to pay dirt, “10, 5, Touchdown.”

Bay Area fans can finally witness in person the same success we watched during the team’s successful years and know that soon they will be able to see the Bay Area teams return to slow motion glory.

Today, looking around at this soldout crowd at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, filled with optimism and hope, on a day filled with record-setting performances, on a day for players to overcome injuries, on a day when the fans came out to support their local heroes, I can finally say Bay Area football is back. I can finally say the Raiders are back. I can finally say “Just win, baby.”

Photo by Lisa Cassidy

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population, minus 12 percent compared with plus 9 percent for white students, a difference of 21 percent (see accompanying graphic.)

“It’s alarming, the disparity of the enrollment gap and the transfer gap,” said Dean of Student Development Blas Guerrero, adding, “it’s a very complex issue when you talk about achievement gap, I think it really has nothing to do with intellectual ability. There are so many other factors when you talk about achievement gap.”

A surprising find within the data is the improvement made by the Latino student population. Once faced with the same achievement gap problem as African-Americans, the Latino student population has succeeded in closing the gap in transfer preparedness. Accounting for 27 percent of the student body and having 26 percent of transfer preparedness according to the CCCCD report from 2011.

The gap at minus 1 is no longer statistically significant.

What might account for the improvement? LMC has been awarded two Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) grants, each over $3 million, over the past decade, but could they have played a part in the closure of the gap?

“I’d like to think so. These things are so complicated, I don’t think you can say there’s one thing that LMC’s done that’s made a huge difference here...

We hope that that’s a part of it, but there are things we don’t control, like preparedness. When we begin to make changes it takes a while to actually show,” said Interim LMC President Richard Livingston.

LMC applied for the first HSI grant in 2005 and is currently in its first year with the second HSI grant intended to improve transfer rates, and has just been granted a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) grant in October 2011.

“I think we’re getting better prepared students from the high schools. Many more of them (Latino students) now are coming with a clear college and career goal as opposed to having no idea. Once they clarify college and career goals, they do better,” said Guerrero on the subject.

There was a time when data was looked at in a general sense, focusing on the student body as a whole. It wasn’t until data was broken down into ethnic categories that the gaps in achievement among minorities were clearly drawn out in a numeric sense.

“Both the district and LMC have been trying to break down the data to see how specific categories were doing. We have a contract with the Center for Urban Education (CUE), we’ve been working on for a couple of years to work on the data asking why is this happening and what can the institution do to improve,” said Livingston.

CUE is housed at the University of Southern California and according to its website, “CUE helps two and four-year colleges and state higher education systems identify problems, develop interventions, and implement equity goals to increase retention, transfer and graduation rates for historically under-represented racial-ethnic groups.”

The issues run deep and there are so many aspects of the problem to be addressed. The problem could stem from socio-

economic issues, high school preparation, or it could even be cultural. Students who live in lower socio-economic areas are prone to facing challenging financial problems.

According to a repor t by Complete College America that compares data from public colleges and universities in California, “graduation rates are very low, especially if you’re poor, part-time, African-American, Hispanic, or older.”

LMC’s demographics fit that description to a T. When rated by campus, LMC was low on the list with only 18 percent graduation in three years. Diablo Valley College ranked highest in the district with 33 percent and followed Contra Costa College with 23 percent. Trending low on the list of ranked campuses were colleges in the lower socioeconomic areas of the state.

“Areas with more money and better educated parents have higher graduation and transfer rates. Areas like East County, where a lot of people aren’t college educated and there are a lot of low-income people, don’t have high graduation rates. But that shouldn’t be an excuse, we’ve got to do better than we’ve done,” said Livingston.

High schools in the lower economic areas are notorious for under preparing their students.

Could these students be coming into college at a lower academic level than students who went to high schools in “better” areas?

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s 2011 Condition of Education report, about 68 percent of 12th graders in high-poverty schools graduated with a diploma in 2008, compared with 91 percent of 12th graders in low-poverty schools.

In an analysis done by The Education Trust, a Washingtonbased research organization, it was found that students in poverty and those who are members of a racial minority are concentrated in the lowest-achieving schools. This is definitely one of the factors researched by LMC and the district.

“Number one is the issue of preparedness. What high school are these students coming from? How well prepared are they coming from high school,” said Guerrero. Cultural stigmas may also play a part. Guerrero explained that for some students admitting they need help is half the battle and it is often seen that students who use the resources available on campus do better in their classes. But the stereotypes associated with tutoring often keep students away.

“I don’t want people to think I am not smart because I need help,” said LMC student Valerie Gonzalez. “It’s hard admitting when I need extra help.”

This poses a question that may be difficult to answer.

“Culturally do we need to deal with the stigma of tutoring? Are we helping them and putting them in the appropriate classes or are they circumventing and not coming to a counselor? All of these things have nothing to do with intelligence. It’s a challenge,” said Guerrero.

While Latinos have made progress, LMC is still fighting the problem. Programs and improvements have been put in place to help combat the ongoing achievement gap, but change is slow and it could take years to see the difference in the data.

The most recent addition to LMC’s resources is the Transfer Academy that started this fall.

Outreach efforts to high schools and to parents are also being improved, and orientation is getting a face-lift. LMC’s contract with USC’s CUE should also bring change and improvement.

“There are a whole bunch of things going on that we think, again, with enough time, around two to four years we’ll begin to see significantly better numbers than we have right now,” said Livingston.

Help is needed, as it is imperative that all students succeed, Livingston reiterated. According to the Complete College America report, by 2020, 67 percent of jobs will require a career certificate or a college degree.

What is the Contra Costa Community College District doing to meet this goal?

“At a district level we are providing data to the colleges and providing some funding for special programs,” said Chancellor Helen Benjamin.

“We want all of our students to be successful.”

LMC could do its part and provide an abundance of resources, but if students do not participate, the efforts have gone to waste and the programs have not served their purpose.

Programs like Umoja, which is an aid in the success of AfricanAmerican students, and Puente, its Latino counterpart, have been put in place for students to take advantage of. A goal of both is to give students a sense of belonging on campus.

“These can provide a safety net. The more a student is engaged on campus and campus-related activities, the better they’re going to do academically... We really need to be conscious that we have equal representation in all of our activities,” said Guerrero.

The importance of this issue has not gone unnoticed by the administration at LMC and it is a priority of the institution.

“I think it’s both ethical and practical, it’s not right that one segment of society is not achieving education,” said Livingston.

“I really believe education is a key to success in most people’s lives. It’s just not right that students are coming to us, but for a variety of complicated reasons they’re not leaving us having met their goals and we need to do better with that.”

LMC acknowledging the problem has funded the programs to assist in students’ achievement. Both Umoja and Puente have faculty-reassigned time which is where faculty that would normally be teaching courses instead use that time running the programs. As a result, LMC hires part-time faculty to cover the sections, costing approximately $10,000 a semester. Not to mention the work done with the HSI grants that aid in the achievement of not only the Latino population, but of the student body as a whole.

“I think it’s beyond important, I think it’s critical. Our campus is a very nice reflection of the state of California. I think unless we begin to improve the achievement pattern of all of our ethnic groups we are going to end up in a very divided society and have very negative implications,” said Guerrero, adding, “I would love to be able to walk down the sidewalk and know that whoever I’m bumping into is most likely a professional, to be a time in society where anyone you see probably has a college degree.

That’s my dream and goal in terms of what I’m trying to do and why I work here.”

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showing Marilyn’s innocence and childlike attitude and captured her as someone who just wanted to be loved rather than being noticed for her sex appeal.

This movie is filled with curiosities, and there are plentiful possible romances throughout.

As Colin Clarke gets acclimated to his new role on the movie set, he begins to fancy a young girl working in the wardrobe department named Lucy, played

by Emma Watson, who is most famously known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series.

As their romance seems to blossom Colin gets more involved in his job than he ever anticipated.

After the cast and crew grows tiresome of Marilyn’s antics of being late to the set and constantly getting her lines wrong, Marilyn seems to bottle up and becomes depressed.

Photo courtesy of http://www.filmofilia.com

Michelle Williams plays the iconic Marilyn Monroe.

With everything slipping away — her marriage and her current role on set — she seems to lose her way and desperately needs someone to catch her.

This movie illuminates the vulnerable side of Marilyn and shows that although she’s unimaginably famous, she still has insecurities and longs to be admired by her peers.

While she is going through her personal problems, she takes a liking to Colin and asks him to take care of her for a week because she believes she can

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trust him. After a couple warnings from a guy who claimed to be in his position some years ago, Collin appears to fall for her anyway as he believes he sees the true Marilyn, not just the girl on the silver screen.

Overall, this movie does a great job portraying Marilyn in a different light, telling both the story of how she impacted one young man’s life and how she handled her own limelight.

Whether you’re a Marilyn fanatic or not, this movie will still impress.

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“A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away.”

— Bill Keane

’Tis the season of giving

Photo by Lisa Cassidy

If you’ve happened to walk through the Admissions area this week, you may have noticed a Christmas tree near the cashier’s window. The reason is simple: during the holidays too many poor children may unfortunately spend Christmas without the opportunity to open any gifts. You can make a difference in a child’s life by visiting the Angel Tree. The tree is decorated with paper angels, each having the gender and age of a child in need of a Christmas gift. When you visit the tree, pick up the angel you want, buy the age-appropriate gift and bring it unwrapped with the angel tag to Eileen Valenzuela in the President’s Office or Linda Kohler (pictured above) in the Business Office. The last day to bring in your gift is Thursday, Dec. 15. Last year 115 gifts were collected, and the goal is to top that number for this year.

GAME beyond that. A personal favorite of mine was the third chapter and the chase sequences. While not the same as the wonderful train opening of the second game, it gives a good feel for how the rest of the game will be with players jumping from roof top to roof top avoiding the “men in black.”

Level design is in of itself as much of a character as Drake or Sully. By the time Drake reaches the desert, you’ll find yourself in awe with all the details that go into the look and feel of the desert. It is quite an impressive technological feat for the PS3 by Naughty Dog. New additions found in the game, other then what was mentioned up above, are primarily found in the upgraded

multiplayer and the new co-op story. Multiplayer’s new bells and whistles are mainly from the user interface, allowing users to design their own icons to place around in levels and menus.

Also players can now create — while not deep — their own playable character for multiplayer matches. Don’t expect it to be as great as something you’ll find in other games like WWE ‘12 by THQ. But it’ll do for now, until Naughty Dog releases either an update or future downloadable content.

Multiplayer matches are nearly identical to “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves”, besides the new weapon realism, players can now dash and three teams death match being included.

Co-op mode is entirely new, featuring a micro story for players to team up and compete, with

the option to play LAN games; this is also doable in multiplayer along with split screen mode for two players.

In conclusion, “Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception” is one of those rare games that come along every once in a while that justifies buying a video game system.

The production values are through the roof, in terms of story, acting and gameplay. If video games can be considered art, then Uncharted 3 is one of the fine examples of that statement being true. By all means, pick up Uncharted 3 and give it a try. Allow your self to ease into the controls at first and then prepare yourself for an epic story that seems to conclude the Uncharted series. Well that is until Uncharted: Golden Abyss comes out for the Vita.

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When Bella and Edward are married and they say goodbye to their family and friends, the two go off onto their honeymoon.

Fourteen days later, Bella becomes sick and Edward thinks it’s food poisoning, but the two get a shock when they realize Bella’s pregnant.

Once the news spreads and Jacob, who is Bella’s best friend and in love with her too, finds out about it and transforms into his wolf form.

The leader of the werewolf pack, Sam, demands that they destroy the baby before it harms innocent people. Jacob makes a bold move and leaves the pack along with Leah and Seth Clearwater to protect Bella from the pack.

I don’t want to spoil or give too much away of the movie, but ‘Breaking Dawn’ will not let fans down. By far, it’s of the best movies of the series.

With its twist and turns, love triangles, action and romance, fans will enjoy the movie.

The majority of the movie covers their wedding and honeymoon, resulting in continuous drama among family and friends.

Jacob, a shape-shifter who will not let go of his feelings for Bella, is right smack in the middle of the rift, leading to some action in the latter half of the film.

If you’ve never been a fan of this series, but you’ve been dragged to the theater for the previous films, I regret to inform you that you will be very bored this time around, even if you’ve mildly enjoyed the series before.

The problem lies in the romance. If you only care about the actions scenes, you will have to survive till the end of the film to enjoy that aspect.

The wedding and honeymoon are excruciatingly boring, and this is coming from someone that actually enjoyed the last film, “Eclipse.”

For stor y’s sake, the film needs to be seen. Save your some money and rent it.

really follow a storyline, you could just read an essay, put it down and pick back up whenever you have time again without having to rack your brain trying to remember the parts that you have read.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read, but especially to comedy nerds. If you enjoy the comedic work of Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, and Amy Poehler, you will have a great time reading Mindy Kaling’s venture into the literary world.

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so many celebrity appearances really harkens back to the old days of the Muppet Show when there would be a new guest host every night.

The ending will not disappoint either, with punch lines arriving even after credits start rolling.

Personally I give this movie a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

There were a few points in Out of 5 stars, I give this film the plot that probably could 3 and a half. Adam Sandler good have been written better, but From page 5 and Al Pacino give a few laughs for the most part this movie had very offended. Also, the film has here and there. It’s not just a me in stitches the entire time. a fun ending involving a actor comedy full of laughs but theres I recommend it to everyone of all ages. that’s not used to being fun. also good family values.

JACK

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nesses remained closed for the day.

Despite the efforts by advocates, both bills never made it out of Congress. The following year a similar Comprehensive Immigration Reform was introduced, but that bill died in the Senate. It was only 14 votes shy of passing.

Since 2007, the debate rages on and new solutions to take on the immigration problem persist.

One controversial program under the Obama Administration is Secure Communities. The program has allowed for illegal aliens convicted of crimes to be removed from the U.S. This has been done using an information partnership between state law enforcement, the Immigration

TRADE From page 6

agreement is causing more harm than good to the countries involved. Although NAFTA has provided jobs in Mexico, it has left many hundreds and thousands of Americans without jobs, since their jobs are being sent overseas for cheap labor. NAFTA has encouraged American companies to move their factories to Mexico and Canada to avoid strict environmental laws, as well as health and safety regulations.

Although NAFTA was thought to be able to provide enough foreign jobs to keep people from coming to the U.S., numbers suggest that illegal immigration to the U.S. from Mexico rose 2.8 million in the first 10 years of NAFTA. This was in part due to the impoverishment of Mexican cities and poor treatment of workers. Garment factories called maquiladoras are infamous for the maltreatment and abuse of their workers, ultimately pushing them over the borders in search of better pay in American factories and laws to protect their worker and human rights. Opponents of NAFTA also believe it is wrong to take away necessar y jobs from American citizens and it is also wrong to move companies overseas to avoid strict regulations and higher taxes.

NAFTA was intended to decrease illegal immigration to the U.S. but it ended up causing poverty in Mexico and increasing immigration from Mexico to the United States. People living in

RIGHTS From page 7

granting them a path to fix their immigration status.

The DREAM act was first introduced in Congress in 2001 and it has been debated on many times but it has not made it through Cngress.

In 2009 Immigration and Customs enforcement launched a major immigration enforecement measure, called the Secure Communities program. ICE claims claims that their main goal is to remove immigrants who pose a threat to our society, but according to Bridget Kesler of the Benjamin Cardozo School of law, 1 in 4 immigrants nationally who were deported

by Secure Communities were not convicted of any crime. Do illegal immigrants have the right to due process before the law?

According to the many supreme court decisions they do, but ICE documents show that those rights have not been respected by imigration officials.

Record reveal that ICE has detained immigrants without

MESA From page 1

McCLoy went to work for a major defense contractor doing environmental science and cleanup. She was with that comapny for 13 years when she learned that she had hit the “glass cieling,” meaning that she would recieve no more promotions.

Mc Cloy wasn’t happy about that and was motivated to start her own company, which she did in 2009 with the launch of ISS. Biology major Frances Castillo liked how McCloy didn’t focus only on science related topics.

“She talked about goals and the future. Practical stuff that’s really helpful,” Castillo said.

MESA’s next guest speaker, Steve Waymire, a civil engineer

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Read our latest issue online. Visit http:// www.losmedanos.edu/ journalism/

STEM

Customs Enforcement and the From page 7 said Nursing/EMT remodel From page 1 From page 1 Federal Bureau of Investigations. superintendent Steve Domasig.

Mitch Schweickert, physical Another immigration re- community will soon realize Music major Sade Browne experiences.

MESA is a must-experience if form currently under way is what the new laws have done science professor, mentioned has an honors art class in 221. the DREAM Act, which was when they go to the grocery that the main complex is known “The leak started about two you are a STEM major. Hernanreintroduced in May 2011. The store, where they will have to for its leakage. weeks ago. It should not be dez strives to give students plenty of hands on and visual examples Kasey Gardner communica- here,” said Browne. proposed DREAM Act would pay more for the food products tions instructor teaches a speech grant citizenship to qualifying they need.

She said that it should at least and experiments. Just recently Alienating the immigrant labor communications course and a be fixed temporarily and later a speaker from California State illegal immigrant students under force will directly affect their debate practicum in Room 221 repaired permanently.

University East Bay visited LMC the age of 35.

Upon its reappearance, the household budgets. The state four days a week.

Janelle Hampton with LMC’s to talk about engineering. A “It is very distracting to be buildings and grounds was the large number of the program’s DREAM Act was unable to of Georgia has enacted similar pass the Senate. However, laws recently and the results dripped on while trying to teach,” individual who put the work members traveled to Oakland recently to experience a job fair. said Gardner. several states have adapted have been the same. order in.

According to the Federation Hernandez wants the proMany other classes are held in laws to provide opportunities “We have been going back to illegal immigrant students. for American Immigration Room 221. This leak is creating and forth with the construction gram to be fully equipped and In California, the California Reform (FAIR), immigration a huge brown stain in the carpet. crew that is working above the ready when it comes time for A work order was submitted classroom. This problem causes the members to move on and Dream Act (AB-131) was signed is creating growing problems in The United States. Among on November 22 after mainte- legalities between an indepen- these events and seminars on October 8, 2011.

Beginning in 2013, this law the most glaring problems is nance was notified of the leak. dent construction company and seem to get them prepared for will provide undocumented the suppression of wages and The main reason it is taking a public college,” said Hampton. the next step. She explains that students at the community col- displacement of the native so long to fix is because it has Once the paperwork is worked they focus so much on helping lege/university level to apply workforce. For every industry been raining. out, the leak will eventually be students transfer that MESA that employs immigrants at a The cause of the leak comes repaired. Then students and even has its own counselor who for financial aid. high rate, FAIR says there is from upstairs within the nurs- teachers can do what they do assists students in writing their a native population that has ing department’s new remodel best. personal statements through been displaced by employers project.

In the meantime, thank you a workshop held periodically. who want to increase profits Although this program seems “We cannot fix the leak until it to all of you who have been by cutting wages. stops raining. If the concrete roof patient through this classroom to be heaven on campus for rural parts of Mexico and many In the 1980’s, the Los An- is wet, the sealant won’t stick,” leak ordeal.

STEM majors, there are rules people employed in the agricul- geles hotel industry replaced and regulations to becoming a tural occupations in Mexico were African-American janitors who MESA member. You must be a deprived of their jobs and forced were earning $12 per hour with first-generation college student water possible while still being planning to transfer to a fourto enter the United States for a Mexican and El Salvadorian From page 3 effective. means to make money. These immigrants at a reduced wage year college. An application and On another note, have you interview is also required before “The toilets, flushing systems people feel that the only way they of $3.35 per hour, the minimum can provide for their families wage at the time. Many of the and motion sensors will only ever wondered if there are any you can join MESA. financially is to illegally cross displaced workers could not find work as a unit,” said Hampton. secret lavatories here on campus?

“If you want to have a proThere is actually one hidden fession in math, engineering Which means that swapping the border to find a job. new jobs because they had no and switching out certain parts in the President’s office.

According to Juan Gonzalez, other skills. or anything along that line this “I have a toilet, sink and small club is going to be great,” said in his book, Harvest of Empire, Hospitals in California, Ari- will make the toilet inoperable.

If you are known to conserve shower in my office. But I don’t MESA student Kristain Garcia. since NAFTA has been enforced, zona, New Mexico and Texas Mexico’s minimum wages have report losses of around 300 water whenever possible, you use it. I find it elitist that I get a He added that there is nonstop dropped by 25 percent and the million dollars annually. This is may be thinking that the urinals different bathroom than every- help and guidance from HerUnited States manufacturing due to emergency room visits in the men’s bathrooms are one else,” said LMC President, nandez and science professor Richard Livingston. wage is 5.8 times higher in the and ambulance ser vices for wasting a ton of water.

Jennie Bonner. It is only his first In the next year, remodeling semester at LMC but he said he Hampton promises that water United States than in Mexico. illegal immigrants.

The only option that these The costs for these services is being conserved as best as will begin that will include a new could already see the positive admissions office, counseling effect MESA is having on him. people see is to cross the border are not collectable, therefore possible.

“All of the urinals are on tim- and faculty offices. into the U.S. illegally, in order the cost of healthcare for the Bonner also helps by making “The new president’s office will sure the program is on the right to support their families. This native population is rising. In ers and at night, they are set to not include a private bathroom. track and does what’s best for raises an important question: Is some hospitals, as much as two sleep mode,” said Hampton.

She mentioned that the urinals My philosophy is that teachers its students. She is a faculty the United States to blame for thirds of the total operating cost causing increased poverty in is for uncompensated care for auto-flush every five minutes should have the same services adviser for MESA as well as a Mexico? It has been argued that illegal aliens. Many hospitals and use the least amount of as students,” said Livingston. physics teacher. the United States cause poverty in this region have been forced Not too long ago a small group and job losses in Mexico but into bankruptcy, and close their from MESA went to a NASA outsourcing jobs and exporting doors. learning center to fine-tune agriculture into Mexico. This Borjas has studied these is- From page 3 There is a blood drive at Los their creation, a coil gun. This caused many Mexican farm- sues thoroughly and is arguably Medanos ever y eight weeks device tested the accuracy and ers and workers to lose their the leading expert in the field. community related, yes we will so they can give enough time precision of an electromagnetic occupations and livelihood and His research indicates that the work with them to set up blood between so previous donors launching system. immigrate to the United States net impact on the economy is drives at their location,” said may donate again. The next Bonner, who has been involved in hopes of finding a job. an estimated gain of $10 bil- Alwine. blood drive will be held next in MESA since its beginning at Alwine donates blood six spring semester.

On the other hand, others lion annually. But that gain is LMC about two and a half years propose that NAFTA would not relatively small in the larger times a year herself and that is If you are interested in donat- ago, was there for the whole have caused these consequences picture, because it represents the maximum number of times ing blood at a local blood drive, experience assisting where she if the Mexican government would a minute percentage of the a person may donate blood. go to the website www.blood- could and seeing everything You can donate blood every heroes.com. On this website, through. have intervened and helped it’s U.S. economy. So minute that own people. The Mexican people it falls well within margins of 56 days through normal dona- you can also find out the next Bonner said she is excited needed an economic reform that error. The impact overall may tion or every 112 days using the time you are eligible to donate about the five-year grant beAlyx machine. would have secured Mexico’s in fact be zero. if you have previously donated. cause she can see her goal resources and used them to But there are winners and of a giant increase in student their advantage. losers according to Borjas. The success coming true thanks day. It was very helpful because to the funding. As a result the depression of wages hurts unI don’t have a car to leave my program may reach the goal of skilled workers, but the money From page 3 things in,” said LMC student being institutionalized. does not disappear. It is redistributed to wealthy investors in the Because thefts are rare and Brandi Nygard.

The program is a great support The lockers on campus can system for students because form of increased profits. Borjas having a locker is convenient, charges for long periods of time, says that” immigration increases many students take advantage easily be taken advantage of. If they realize, “Oh, I’m not in this interested in renting one, visit alone,” she explained. “MESA is and there are numerous cases the size of the economic pie” of renting a locker.

“I use my PE locker to store or call the cashier’s window or a giant safety blanket for striving wehre detainees are transferred but it decreases the income of to facilities awaty from their native workers while increasing everything I need for the school locker room at 439-2181 ext. 3111 STEM students.” profits for those who hire the families and lawyers.

The ACLU reports that 84% immigrants.

Although the income has not of immigrant detainees do not have a lawyer or adeqaute legal been lost to the economy, it has information. ICE Director John been redistributed from many Morton sent a memo to ICE hands to few. field offices earlier this year which apparently signaled a new policy direction.

The memo called for the HELPING YOU increased use of prosecutorial From page 8 discretion, meaning that ICE officials should review cases fast and for a starting position more carefully to focus their at QB. He faced the same situation at

By Andy Rodgers, MD resources on more serious Humboldt that he did at LMC, criminal offenders.

Some immigrants rights ad- and it wasn’t until the third game e all have 24 hours in a day. Yet some of us vocates see the memo as sign of his junior year that he got the feel like we have no time at all, while others of change for the better, while start, but his time as a starter manage to get their work done and have immigration restrictionists see it was short-lived.

He suffered a shoulder injury time to relax and enjoy life. The pressures of time as a kind of backdoor amnesty. can take its toll on your health creating tension and anxiety, loss of sleep, poor nutrition, and Whatever the intention of- his senior year and decided to prosecutorial discretion may leave football alone and focus negative effects on your mood and self-esteem. be, it is unclear as of today what on his studies.

Then one call changed his exactly the effects of the memo An organized, relaxed life would not only be more pleasurable, but it’s healthier, too. Stress-free life.

His former Humboldt coach have been. living isn’t realistic for most of us, however there are things you can do to manage your time, asked if he would like to be a deal with procrastination, and accomplish important priorities in a more relaxed, enjoyable way. part of the coaching staff.

“It was one of those opportunities where I was done playThe key is to discover what’s really important to you and do those things well. Help stop your for the City of Walnut Creek, said ing and I still wanted to stay time struggles with these tips: his original college plan was to involved,” said Shipe. “You can’t • Recognize priorities: If our time is to have meaning, our personal vision must take become an architect. Once he play forever.” priority. Every few months—or at least once a year—it is essential to step back and started studying he realized that Shipe coached at Humboldt consider what is most important to you. architecture wasn’t really what for about four years, then made he thought it was and he started the transition into the junior • Set goals: Write down some short, medium and long-term goals. Setting goals will weighing his options. college level, moving bah Van influence your daily decisions on how to invest your time and energy. Reassess and “I was going to go back to Boschetti retired. revise these goals periodically.

Eastern Illinois and play football.

Now Shipe has his chance • Live in the moment: Break the rushing habit and be present in the moment. Try I thought that would be more to bring back the flame in the driving 5-10 miles slower, try not wearing a watch, schedule some protected free time, fun,” said Waymire.

Stangs. or focus your full attention on the task at hand.

Waymire also had some practi“It’s stressful and demanding,” • Take five: Take a time out for fun, relaxation, daydreaming, contemplation, family, cal advice to offer to students. said Shipe, adding he is not He stressed the importance of afraid of the challenges ahead. friends, and hobbies. Many “busy” people find these moments refreshing and it staying flexible, and staying “I learned a lot since I’ve been enables them to be more productive. positive. here,” he said.” I’m still learning.

“When your working in a I don’t know everything, but For more information on time management and stress reduction, group, be the person that says, the best thing people say is you check out the Kaiser Permanente Web site at www.kp.org. yeah this is hard, but lets figure got to have a good support staff out how we can get through this. around you and having guys you This article is proudly sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

Be the positive person in the can trust (assistant coaches), Andy Rodgers, MD, is Physician Site Leader for the Livermore Medical Offices. group,” Waymire said. and I do.”

FLUSH

GIVE

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SHIPE

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