Las Positas College Express 25.11

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A 2011 General Excellence Newspaper — Journalism Association of Community Colleges

HOW SAFE IS LPC’S DRINKING WATER? SEE NEWS, PAGE 2

TheExpress December 6, 2013 (Vol. 25 No. 11)

A Weekly First Amendment Student Newspaper

First copy FREE; additional copies 50 cents each

NEW MAN IN CHARGE

Barry Russell takes the reins as LPC’s newest president

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

Bekka Wiedenmeyer

“Getting to know people’s names. Names are always a challenge. I wish everybody had a name tag. I’ve got mine down,” he joked. Nov. 25, 2013, marked the offi-

them of his impending arrival. This e-mail wasn’t intended to MANAGING EDITOR elicit a greeting of pomp and cirAt 8 a.m., he entered the presicumstance, but so that he could let dential suite with a dozen boxes, people know ahead of time who prepared to get set up as soon the man in the suit was walking as possible to around, personalize the introducoffice and make “I thought him very approachable. He focused on me ing himself it his own. He to students and I was able to focus on him. I can’t wait to see how wanted to make and facsure he also had he fills those shoes.” ulty. time that day to “It’s a -Karen Zeigler walk around Las beautiPositas College, ful camintroducing himself to people so cial arrival of new Las Positas pus, and everyone has been so that he wasn’t just known as “the College President Barry Russell welcoming,” Russell said. “(It’s a) man in the suit.” He also wanted on campus. Replacing interim great day to come and visit.” to get a taste of campus life before president Dr. Janice Noble, he will Russell has already had a heading over to the District Office be heading LPC in a permanent chance to meet several people to speak with the chancellor and position and aiding the faculty around campus, including viticultake care of business. and staff of LPC and the district ture and science faculty. His first order of action, how- with essential endeavors such as He was also able to visit the ever, was a little more accreditation. Transfer Center and the Disability casual. As of now, however, he is just Resource Center. focused on settling in and accli“I thought him very approachmating to LPC life. able. He focused on me and I was “I don’t plan on solving world able to focus on him. I can’t wait peace or any of that in the first to see how he fills those shoes,” week,” Russell said. “Maybe I’ll said alternative media technology do that next month.” specialist Karen Zeigler. Before arriving on campus, Russell sent out an e-mail to Russell, page 5 the entire campus notifying

Talk Hawks’ superior preparation paves path to success

TAMI SHEPHERD/THE EXPRESS

Men’s soccer in action against Ohlone College on Oct. 15.

Men’s soccer has best season since 1997 Martin Gallegos TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

Talk Hawks coach Tim Heisler demonstrates the range of student Josh Thompson’s characters.

Bekka Wiedenmeyer MANAGING EDITOR

The secret to the rampant success of the Talk Hawks isn’t genetics. It isn’t a special gift for speaking or some other intangible element. Instead, it’s a simple recipe. Not easy, but simple.

It begins with organization, but the foundation is hard work. Experienced coaches season the student debaters and they work on their craft in an environment made to feel like home. These students are a testament to the diligence of Las Positas College students.

STAFF WRITER

Having etched the school on the collegiate forensics map, the Talk Hawks are an example of what can be accomplished right here on campus. The best part? They’re just average students.

The best season for LPC soccer since 1997. That’s what the 2013 Hawks were able to achieve as they got back to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Although they fell short of where they wanted to end up as they were eliminated in round two of the postseason, Head Coach Larry Aguiar says his team has nothing to be ashamed of. “Would we have liked to have done better? Yes,” Aguiar said. “But these guys put in a lot of hard work throughout the season and I’m proud of them.”

Talk Hawks, page 4

Soccer, page 7

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Las Positas College Express

On Sept. 30, college representatives will be visiting LPC’s campus to speak to students about transferring opportunities. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., students will have the opportunity to traverse Campus Boulevard and the quad conducts to speak with AGS representatives food driveeither by appointment or drop in. To The Alpha Gamma make an appointment, go Sigma (AGS) Honor to www.laspositas–college. Society will be conducting edu/transfercenter/ its annual “Holiday” Food drive from Nov. 1 to Dec. AdmissionRepresentatives. 10. Canned or boxed foods php. are preferred, and they On will Oct. the Business and be1, taken to ABODE Marketing Department Services (previously TriValley Homeless Coalition) will present “Innovation: in Livermore. Nelly The Search for New Villanueva, Social Service Ideas that Change the Coordinator of the ABODE Services Livermore World.” Esteemed BOffice, ay is an LPC graduate and Area thought leader Bob AGS member. Drop off barBorchers ill be sinpeaking rels are w located building 1600, the the PE as part of the library, Business building and room 601. and Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, sponsored conducts by AGS the Business and schoolDepartment. supply Marketing This meeting will be in the drive Multi-­‐Disciplinary Building The H AGS Lecture all, Honor Room Society 2420, is also doing a School from 5:30 to 6:45 on Supply Drive untilp.m. Friday, Tuesday, ct. 1. AGS Public Dec. 13.OThe Relations Officer, It’s that time of year Raissa again! Chiri, will be personally Flu V accinations a re n ow delivering the donations available. The Student to low-income first grade children of Villa Maria del Health and Wellness Triunfo in Lima, Peru when Center is offering vaccines she returns to visit for the ϐ ǡ holidays. If interested in donating, use theTbarrel in staff and faculty. he Flu the Library for the school Vaccination is free for supply drive. Paper, notestudents (while pencils supplies books, binders, and crayons welcome. last) and are $25 for staff & faculty. Walk-­‐ins are LPC Veterans available on Wednesdays from a.m. to 7 p.m., and say11 thanks scheduled appointments Las Positas College on MThe ondays, Tuesdays and Veterans First Program Thursdays from 9 Veterans a.m. to 5 and LPC Student p.m. For more gives information, Organization thanks to all who shared holiday contact the Student spirit with the LPC Veterans Health Wellness in theand Veterans Resource center at on (925)-­‐424-­‐1830 Center Monday, Dec. Almost 100 toys were or 2.email dbarbero@ collected from around the laspositascollage.edu. community and has been On delivered Oct. 3, Jtoeff Bell, n ews Chabot College for the Marine Corps. anchor of KCBS, will be Reserves Toys for Tots giving a presentation Drive, which benefits chilabout dren O ofbsessive Alameda County. Compulsive Disorder. The LPC Phosts sychology ECD book Department and fair Psychology Club will host Tuesday, Dec. to this pFrom resentation in R10 oom Thursday, 12, the Early 2420. This Dec. discussion will Childhood Development be Center open twill o all be students, hosting a faculty nd swhere taff from 9:30 book afair students andto 1 parents can come a.m. 0:45 a.m. purchase interactive and instructional books for their little ones. If interested, head over to the Center Lobby of building 2300 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the dates listed above to pick up some books.

NEWS

December 6, 2013

Water filters keeping campus green Will Tanner A&E EDITOR

It’s something people consume on a daily basis. An essential part of any working ecosystem, life would not survive without it. Water plays a vital role in their lives. On campus we have many options to fill our water fix. There are bottles for sale all over the Las Positas campus. Or, if you like free water, there are fountains. Attached to certain ones, there are eco friendly water bottle refill stations. The filtered refill stations were installed as part of a green initiative on campus. The same bond money that was used to construct the new building paid for the new additions to the water fountains. “Before the stations were installed, everybody was drinking out of the plastic bottles,” said LPC chemistry professor Mike Ansell. “Some of the bottles ended up in the recycling, but most ended up in the trash. They were piled up and more were thrown on the top of the pile.” Bottled water may not be the best thing to drink. Zone 7, the local water agency, said on their website that the standards they are held to for local drinking water are much more stringent than those for bottled water. “The Environmental Protection Agency strictly regulates all public water under the Safe Drinking Water Act, while the Food and Drug Administration oversees

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

the bottled water industry with less stringent regulations. In many cases, bottled water is actually filtered tap water.” These stations are filtered. They don’t refill the bottles with purified water, but with double filtered water. Purified water, unlike filtered, has little to no flavor. With every impurity taken out, the water is completely cleansed of anything that isn’t hydrogen and oxygen. The water from the filter station has a tiny bit of flavor as compared to that of purified water. It is considered hard, which means

it still has minerals that weren’t taken out by the system. Starting off at the water treatment facilities for Zone 7, the local water district, the water is filtered to remove impurities. Then, when it comes through the refill station, it goes through an activated carbon system. “The activated carbon filters out organics,” said Ansell, “if there are things like pesticides and all the non-polar items.” In addition, there is an additional ion exchange filter, which helps take out minerals like iron and copper that cause the water

to have a bitter flavor. In addition to catching those minerals, if there is any mercury or lead that got through the system, it would catch those as well. The water still has calcium and magnesium, but Ansell says that’s a good thing. “The hardness comes from calcium and magnesium, and people need more of that,” said Ansell. “People seem to think it tastes better.” With almost 80,000 bottles saved from using the refillable station, it would seem the students and faculty agree.

Too-hot coffee causes fire Travis Danner

EDITOR IN CHIEF

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY READER

Las Positas College Campus Safety received a phone call of a fire on campus around 1:10 p.m. after an instructor smelled smoke inside the 2100 building. Campus Safety arrived and confirmed that there was indeed smoke in the building. They then alerted the Livermore Fire Department (LFD) and activated the building evacuation system. Upon thorough inspection, LFD determined coffee was to blame. Specifically, a Starbucks cup had been placed in the microwave and heated extensively. It was then placed in the garbage and was hot enough to start a small fire. Around 2 p.m. the LFD fire captain gave the all-clear signal and the building was opened for re-entry. “I’d like to (acknowledge) Sean Prather, Jeff Nelson and all of Campus Security,” new LPC president Barry Russell said at a town meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 4. “They did a fantastic job of making sure that the building was cleared and the students were safe.”

NEWS

December 6, 2013

Las Positas College Express

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A Message from the Associated Students of Las Positas College PRESIDENT’S CORNER Finals are approaching and students are bunkering down as the semester draws to a close. Even though everybody’s schedules are filling up with papers, projects and study groups, students all over campus are still committing time to staying involved. The basketball teams are playing hard, the performing arts department is cranking out produc-

tions and concerts, The Express keeps on printing and the clubs continue to hold meetings and events. The level of dedication and passion that I see on a daily basis is nothing short of inspiring. The ASLPC would like to wish all of you the best of luck in the trials ahead. We also hope that whichever holidays you celebrate this year bring you happiness. Enjoy the break because you’ve earned it!

DID YOU KNOW? There is a program on campus that very few students know about. Helping Hands Network Directory located on the Student Government link inside the Las Positas website lists professors on campus that are trained to assist YOU the student on any issues regarding your life. The great thing about this program is that most of the issues can be

solved by just talking about them, but if the professor cannot solve the issue, they have a list of more qualified people that you can contact. Each professor involved with the Helping Hands program will drop ANYTHING they are doing to speak with you. It is a great tool we all can use in our lives at one time or another, and yes, it’s confidential!

EVENTS: PREP-TO-PASS Dec. 12 and 13, 6 to 10 p.m. Student Senate members provide individual and group tutors for any student needing extra help in studying for finals. Tutors will be paid by the student govern-

ment. Tutoring will be provided for math, English, accounting, physics and chemistry. Free snacks will be available.

FINANCE

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASLPC

Senator of the Month: Brenton Arndt 1. Do you have a favorite quote or saying to live by?

Friday, Oct. 18

Friday, Nov. 8

“It’s all part of the experience.”- Clark Griswold

$1,000 to fund Club Day

$600 Donation for Online Tutoring

2. What is your major?

Friday, Oct. 25

Friday, Nov. 15

Rhetoric

Additional $400 to fund Club Day to accommodate vegetarian options $50 to fund Campus event #2 $500 to buy tables for ASLPC Friday, Nov. 1 No funds approved

$14,000 approved for spring advocacy trip $1,000 approved for end of semester celebration Friday, Nov. 22 $2,000 Donation to CalWORKS

3. Why did you join Student Government? I joined Student Government because I wanted to be involved in decisions being made, which affect my learning experience. 4. What are your hobbies and interests? I really enjoy camping and hiking.

Poor driving around campus becoming problematic Brandon Clutter STAFF WRITER

Running through stop signs. Spinning donuts in the parking lots. Speeding nearly 20 miles per hour (mph) around campus. The quality of driving on the campus of Las Positas College is arguably inadequate. Drivers have almost caused many accidents with illegal driving antics and are angering other people on campus: drivers and non-drivers, alike. There must be a solution to this problem, and people would like to see it as soon as possible. Campus safety overlooks the campus as much as they can, but with a small staff, not everything wrong can be caught. “In the last calendar year-to-date, since Jan. 1, 2013, we have given 12 tickets for speeding and reckless driving, minus the ones we haven’t caught,” said Campus Safety Supervisor Sean Prather. When people are getting away with bad driving every day, it sets an example to other drivers. These drivers then think driving outside the law is OK, and it causes a problem. Add the bad driving to the distracted driving seen every day, and it’s much more than a problem. It becomes an epidemic. Mark Tarte, Administration of Justice instructor, is a concerned driver, and being an ex-policeman, he has seen everything dangerous a driver can do. “The problem with drivers now, is that the younger drivers have the reactions, but don’t have the experience,” Tarte said. “Then you have the older drivers, 60 and above, who have the experience, but don’t have the reactions anymore.” The speed limit on campus is 10 mph, and in the parking lots, only 5 mph. When campus safety has to write speeding tickets for drivers going 45 mph, up to sometimes 60 mph, something is going wrong. Even with campus safety officers watching drivers on campus, and writing tickets, it’s not enough. The officers will get your license plate down, send it to the campus safety

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTAN PICO

office and run it through the Department of Motor Vehicles database. They then mail the driver their ticket. A solution has to be made for this problem. There are too many people getting away with their driving, and it’s going to be too late for a solution when a fatal accident occurs because of this driving.

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Las Positas College Express

FEATURES

December 6, 2013

Talk Hawks members’ discipline reaps rewards Talk Hawks, page 1 “I didn’t know too much about (the Talk Hawks), but once I started I loved it. I love everybody in here,” Talk Hawk Jake Averill said.

Step 1. Choose a topic. Depending on what the student likes, it could be a humorous after dinner speech or a serious persuasion. The coaches may help by choosing a couple different pieces that they believe suit the student, but the decision can be made by the student. Last year, Talk Hawk Josh Thompson was admittedly not great at performing pieces portraying more than one character. This year, coaches Tim Heisler and Jim Dobson saw so much progress that they gave him a prose piece with four different characters, allowing him to flex his new strength. “We try to play to people’s strengths, and topics are a big part of that,” Heisler said. “In that sense, we can customize to what you like to do. That’s one of the reasons why we’re very good.”

Step 2. Research the topic. This depends upon the speech. It could take up to a week or longer, especially if it’s an informative or persuasive speech that has to be written by the student. For example, Talk Hawk Nathan Bolin wrote and performed a persuasive speech about trains. He had not previously planned on giving a speech about trains, but with the proper research and writing, he saw decent success throughout the semester with the speech.

Step 3. Condense the speech. The hardest part about the research phase is perhaps deciding which research to keep. This is crucial, especially if the piece is interpretive, pulled from a longer work such as a

50-page short story. With only 10 minutes of speaking time, it’s hard to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. “Working on the speech is hard ‘cause when you’re writing it. It has to be a certain amount of time. It has to be structured very well. Figuring out what the structure’s going to be, cutting it or adding on to it. Figuring out what to cut is the hardest thing for me,” said Talk Hawk Jacob Alexander-James Montez.

Step 4. Memorize the speech. This goes without saying. When a student goes to tournaments, he or she doesn’t want to still be using cards. It’s distracting to the judges, doesn’t look polished and overall doesn’t make a good first impression.

Step 5. Rehearse the speech. This is most likely one of the most important parts of the process and most helpful for the students. It can be accomplished in one of three ways: alone in a separate room, in front of peers or in front of the coaches. A mix of the three could be the perfect recipe to success. Room 4211 plays a large part in the students’ ability to rehearse. Before the Barbara Mertes Center for the Arts was built, the Talk Hawks only had room 711 available for use on Friday afternoons. If they wanted to meet any other time, they had to do it in an office. Now, with the ease of their own room, they can meet or rehearse whenever they want. “They’re here all the time working on stuff. The amount of hours that we’re putting into this now because of this room makes it all feasible,” Dobson said. If rehearsing alone, there are adjoining rooms to practice in. In fact, when standing in room 4211, it is not uncommon to hear voices echoing through the walls

from students rehearsing their speeches. If rehearsing in front of coaches, the students are prepared for different responses based on which coach he or she is giving the speech to. “Janet (Brehe Johnson) is mother hen. When things don’t go well, she’ll say, ‘hmm, you should work on that a little bit. We’ll see you tomorrow!’ Jim is the football coach. He’s expecting you to be a seasoned member of the team, so you should expect to be yelled at and over time you learn. Everybody’s a little different. I’m a huge teaser, everybody knows that. I’m very sarcastic. I get my point across in different ways,” Heisler said. At a certain point, though, all the coaches do crack down. “There’s a moment of tough love for everybody. Sometimes you have to look them in the eye and say, ‘this is not cutting it,’” Heisler said. According to the students, though, the tough love is what brings it all together. “Our coaches are awesome. They grill us,” Averill said. “When you do it in front of them, you have to act like they’re the judge and they just have that face. They won’t let us go until it’s perfect.” Some students even say that this is the main factor to their success. “Tim and Jim are very passionate about this,” Talk Hawk Heather Crockett said. “They’re very involved and they really care about the team on an individual level, and as a whole. That’s the main factor.”

Step 6. Perform. It’s tournament time. If the numerous trophies and placards on the walls are an indicator of anything, it’s that the Talk Hawks have seen major success over the past year. And while part of their success can be attributed to researching, memorizing and rehearsing,

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

another part can be attributed to the Talk Hawks themselves. “You learn your family. You learn your team, as well,” Heisler said. Family and team are synonymous when it comes to the Talk Hawks. They spend hours and hours together every week, drilling their speeches and making sure they are perfect for tournaments. They support each other when they do well in tournaments, and they support each other when they don’t do so well. “Everyone’s still very positive

about it. This last competition I went to I didn’t place and I was really upset, but everyone was still really nice. They said, ‘It’s OK, there must be something more we can work on.’ Everyone’s nice, no one’s rude,” Averill said. Home is another word that is used to describe the Talk Hawks. “These are the nicest people I’ve ever met. I’m being totally sincere. This is like my second home,” Alexander-James Montez said. They’re just average students, but with a simple process, they become extraordinary.

The various characters portrayed by Talk Hawk Josh Thompson in his prose speech, selected from the short story “Quiz Bowl Antichrist” by David Levithan.

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

Features

December 6, 2013

Las Positas College Express

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Russell welcomed to LPC campus, described as “approachable” Russell, Page 1 Approachable was a word that several used, in fact, when describing Russell. “My first impression of Dr. Russell is that I find him very personable, very approachable and all around friendly,” said Special Student Services receptionist Constance Hildebrand. “I think he was very personable and friendly, and seemed very easy to talk to and approachable,” added Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) test facilitator Kelly Pettis. Along with meeting members of the LPC community, Russell has been able to get a little taste of campus life. He was able to attend the second annual LPC women’s basketball tournament. “Las Positas was winning when I left,” he said. “It looked like they had everything under control.” He was also able to view a Friday night showing of “Fahrenheit 451.” “I met Wendy (Wisely), the director,” Russell said. “It was very well done. That’s a really tough play. I liked how she included a lot of diversity in the cast.” Originally from Texas with degrees and teaching experience in music, Russell is also looking forward to the end of semester recitals performed by a variety of LPC’s performing arts students. “I look forward to being on campus and going to those things,” Russell said. “All those concerts are on my schedule. I’ll try to make as many of them as I can.” Along with acclimating to LPC life, Russell is also focused on settling into his office and setting everything up. Part of the plan is making his office more personable. “I have boxes of art, (and I’m)

Tristan Pico/the Express

Librarian Cheryl Warren introduces President Barry Russell to library assistant Lesley Barren during a walkabout on his first day. Warren and Barren talked to Russell about the upcoming library renovation plans.

trying to figure out where I’m going to put all of this stuff,” Russell said. “It’s kind of hard to hang things on the windows. I don’t want to put a lot of holes in the walls. It may take me awhile to figure out how exactly I’m going to do this. I love art and making it individual so that when people come in, they may see some kind of art that speaks to them.” After settling in, Russell will then get down to business and

tackle the administrative side of the president’s role. With the help of faculty such as Noble, who has returned to her position as Vice President of Academic Services, and Diana Rodriguez, Vice President of Student Services, he will begin attending meetings and transitioning to fill the permanent position of president, last held by Dr. Kevin Walthers. “I think the good thing is that Dr. Noble has been here the last

two months. She kind of knows where everything is and what’s going on, so the first two weeks she and I are going to just be spending a lot of time together,” Russell said. “She’ll be going with me to all the meetings, district meetings, to just make sure that there’s a transition and some of the questions people ask that I don’t have the history for, she’ll be able to provide some of that.” Within the next couple of

weeks, Russell will continue to settle in and meet people around campus, along with taking on the responsibilities of school president with the help of faculty such as Noble and Rodriguez. The transition will soon be over. The permanent position of LPC school president is no longer empty, and Russell’s name will be hanging by the door with his art and determination to lead the school in a brighter direction.

Dime Dialogue 10 QUESTIONS. 10 ANSWERS.

Coach “Yeah baby” Larry Aguiar kicks it with The Express “What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?” Listen to wise older people, they will direct you in the right direction “What is your motivation?” I’ve got the gusto for life. Just enjoying the precious moments that we have here on earth. “What is your favorite food from the LPC cafeteria?” Omelets, not the Denver omelet without the ham, which is just the onions and the tomatoes with the eggs. “What did you want to be when you were a child?” A teacher. You remember Jane Wyman, she had a television show where she was a teacher and I was just always mesmerized with that show and the messages that show gave, and the lessons that the teacher gave. Express file photo

“If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?” There are just too many beautiful spots and beautiful countries all over the world to pick one. Top three: The United States, there’s so much beauty to see here that we really don’t need to go anywhere else. You know Niagara Falls, The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone; I mean, there are so many hidden treasures in the United States. Europe, because in two hours you can cover four or five countries. I mean, it’s that quick and you can see a lot more. And the last one would be Africa. But you know the whole world is a treasure. “If you could be any fictional character, who would it be?” I’d probably be a healer, heal the most treacherous diseases that we have.

“In the news story of your life, what would the headline say?” Aguiar cures diseases. “What would your last meal be?” My wife’s Eggs Benedict. I have not found the restaurant that can top hers. And we’ve been married 35 years so I’ve had a lot of Eggs Benedict. “If you could pick any two celebrities to be your parents, who would they be?” I would not pick any celebrities to be my parents. The two parents that I have I would have never changed them they did the best job, I believe that society wants from two parents. “If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be?” God, so I could cure all the diseases.

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Las Positas College Express

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

December 6, 2013

<AKF=Q K >JGR=F E=DLK L@= A;Q @=9JL G> OAFL=J William Tanner A&E EDITOR

Disney has done it again. The newest animated musical, “Frozen,” is a fantastical adaptation of a classic Hans Christian Anderson tale “The Ice Queen.” Set in the kingdom of Arendelle, Frozen is the tale of two sisters Anna and Elsa. Elsa has the magical power to control the snow. She is told to keep her power in check and not to let others know of it. If you walk into this movie knowing that it’s a Disney film and just let yourself get enveloped in the story, it is a fantastic movie. It really calls back to the movies of Disney past. The music does more than set the tone. It tells its own story within a story. Utilizing the seasoned voices of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, the two carry their songs with the grace of a falling snowflake. Idina’s voice rings out like the howling gale. She captures the pure essence of the songs written by the duo Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Josh Gad’s song as Olaf, a magically brought to life snowman, stole the show. Gad’s comedic timing along with Robert Lopez’s wit (he wrote songs with Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Book of Mormon) creates a perfect storm. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but snowmen aren’t accustomed to that weather. While the songs are great, Disney still had surprises in store.

The animation done by Disney artists has always been smooth as freshly zambonied ice. Perfect lines, crisp details and amazing synchronization with reflections. Disney spared no expense to show off their incredible craftsmanship. Every time I saw the ice form, it blew me away. Not even seconds after you saw one part of the ice form, the details emerged. Reflections changed and everything was perfect. I cannot talk enough about how perfect that animation was. I plan on seeing it a second time just to watch the smallest details as they emerge. There was a scene towards the middle of the movie where you could see the points on some icicles melt. The water didn’t just drip down, but slowly formed until the bead was heavy enough to drop. It’s the small attention to detail that really pulls even the smallest moment together. With every moment drawn together, the story just flows effortlessly. Though not perfectly connected to the original story, the adaptation carries it through. Nothing is out of place. Maybe it’s because the story warmed my frozen heart, but this was the perfect movie for a cold winter night. If you have any trepidations about seeing Frozen, cast them aside and bask in its warmth.

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PHOTOS VIA FROZEN OFFICIAL MOVIE FACEBOOK

Top: The stunning details in the reflection give a perfect view of the attention to detail of Disney’s animators. Bottom: “Here I stand and here I’ll stay.” Elsa’s ice castle shines on Arendelle’s North Mountain.

Performers delight at Music Department Recital

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Clockwise from top: 1 -­ Tony Marsilli performs three movements of Ludwig von Beethoven’s “Piano Sontata No. 23, f minor, Opus 57 ‘Appasionata’” on Dec 4. 2 -­ Abby Peterson and Sam Leeper portray the “Too Late to Turn Back Now” from “Bonnie and Clyde” by Frank Wildhorn/Don Black. 3 -­ Graciela Pena sings “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady” by Loewe/Lerner. 4 -­ Danielle Breedan vocalizes “Roxy” from “Chicago” by Frank Ebb/John Kander in the Barbara Mertes Center for the Arts Main Stage Theater.

December 6, 2013

SPORTS

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Men’s soccer reflects on historic campaign, already looking to 2014 Soccer, page 1 The season officially came to an end on Nov. 26 in Salinas when the team was on the losing end of a 2-0 shutout to Hartnell College. With the loss still fresh in their minds, returning players can’t wait for an opportunity of redemption next season. Chief among those is Freshman Dennis Andrade who is wasting no time as he has already started training for next season. “This ending has me motivated for next season,” Andrade said. “I want to be a leader on this team next year. I want to take my game to the next level.” While some are already preparing for next year, others are still having trouble getting over the loss. Midfielder Darren Sanchez is proud of the history-making season but says it still doesn’t cure the feeling of losing. “I’m not ready for the season to be over,” Sanchez said. “We put so much work into this game and this season. It just hurts.” Making the playoffs was a surprise to many, but how they got there may have come as even more of a shock. To say the team started off slow would be an understatement. The Hawks lost four of their first five games The Hawks defend their goal against West Valley College on Oct. 25. and appeared to be on their way to another losing season. row and only lost three times in their final 16 games, cataHowever, this year’s squad refused to let that tradition pulting them into the playoffs. continue. Heading into their first playoff game on the road “They became one big family,” Aguiar said. “Outside of against fifth ranked Taft, the 12th ranked Hawks were soccer they were really bonding. I think that’s why they huge underdogs. were so successful. They played as a team.” Just making the playoffs would have been enough for Whatever the team did to spark a turnaround obviously some, but the Hawks were able to stun Taft College in worked. penalty kicks. The team proceeded to win their next six games in a “That was the highlight of the season,” Darren Sanchez

TAMI SHEPHERD/THE EXPRESS

said. “There’s no better feeling than winning in penalties.” Looking ahead to next season, the Hawks will have a number of players returning looking to build on their newfound success. The chemistry formed in 2013 will have to continue into next season if they want to go back to the postseason. “Unselfish play is the key,” Aguiar said. “If they buy into playing as a team, we can get back there next season.”

LPC Cross Country has best finish at state; Espinoza Upcoming Sports finishes 20th

Dec. 21 San Jose City Livermore, 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Dec. 5 - 7 Cuesta College Tournament San Luis Obispo, TBA

Men’s Basketball

Dec. 11 Hartnell College Salinas, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 - 15 Skyline Tournament San Bruno, TBA

SAME USF,

TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS

Cross-­country team member Abraham Espinoza finished 20th at the State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif. on Nov. 23.

Martin Gallegos STAFF WRITER

Led by record-breaking standout Abraham Espinoza, the LPC men’s cross-country squad marched into the state’s biggest meet with high expectations. It was the State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno, which took place on Nov. 23. “We knew going in it would be a tough meet,” Head Coach Steve Navarro said. “Our goal was to finish better than last year.” The team achieved that goal. In fact, their 15th place team finish was their best in school history. Abe Espinoza has played a big role in the team’s success all year and it was no different this time around as he personally finished 20th overall out of 203 runners who competed. While he wanted to finish better, Espinoza gave it his all the last meet of his LPC cross-country career. “I didn’t finish where I wanted to,” Espinoza said. “Still, I left everything I had out on that course. I did my best.” Motivation is something often used by coaches to give athletes an extra kick and coach Navarro is no different. He and assistant coach Kyle Robinson promised the team pizza if the team finished in the top 15 at state. The team came through with the finish and Navarro made good on his promise after the meet. “We took them to BJ’s for pizza after the meet,”

Navarro said. “It was a reward for a good season overall.” The team may have finished 15th overall, but as far as Northern California schools go, LPC was fourth overall in the region. Two of their top runners, Abe Espinoza and Adam White, garnered attention from four-year schools in attendance scouting in Fresno. “The coach from CSU Stanislaus was raving about Abe and Adam,” Navarro said. “Hopefully those guys can get some scholarships. They both have worked hard the past two years.” While Navarro is proud of the recognition they got for their performance on running, their work away from the track is what really brings a smile to his face. Both Espinoza and White finished the year on the All-Academic list for state with GPA’s of 3.47 and 3.42, respectively. “A lot of times you see athletes getting into trouble outside of sports,” Navarro said. “These guys are getting it done on the track and in the classroom. It’s good to see them get that recognition.” Top performers Espinoza and White are at the end of their LPC cross country careers. Navarro is now faced with the task of recruiting the next crop of talent to carry on the tradition of great runners at LPC. No matter how the team does in the future, Navarro will always have a special place in his heart for this year’s team of runners.

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Las Positas College Express

OPINION

December 6, 2013

EXPRESS YOURSELF

TheExpress EDITOR IN CHIEF TRAVIS DANNER

How do you deal with the stress of finals?

MANAGING EDITOR/COPY EDITOR BEKKA WIEDENMEYER

PHOTO EDITOR TRISTAN PICO

PRODUCTION MANAGER BEN CASTRO

DESIGN EDITOR Angelica Estacio

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR WILLIAM TANNER

PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER JASON LESKIW

FEATURES EDITOR KALAMA HINES

EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION STAFF Brandon  Clutter  Charlie  Anne  Curtis  Ashley  Freitas   Martin  Gallegos  Augusta  Hohn  Angelica  Guillory

Brianna  Guillory Richard  Jimenez Brian  Lingl Tami  Shepherd Aretha  Welch

“A  lot  of  coffee.   Trying  to  piece  together  all  the  stuff  I  have  learned.   This  is  my  first  semester  so  I’m  trying  get  a  grip  on  how  to  handle  college  right.â€? Darby Clark, Forensic Anthropology

ILLUSTRATION Â BY Â BRIANNA Â GUILLORY

ADVISERS MELISSA KORBER GEORGE RETELAS

BUSINESS MANAGER MARCUS THOMPSON Š 2013 Express.* Reproduction in any form is strictly prohibited. The Express is a First Amendment publication of the students of Las Positas College. It is published most Fridays during the academic year. The students who staff the Express run an editorially inEFQFOEFOU OFXTSPPN 6OTJHOFE FEJUPSJBMT SFnFDU the collective opinion of the editorial board. Other opinions express the views of individual writers and artists are not to be considered the views of the publication’s staff, editorial board, advisors, the associated students, the college administration or the board of trustees. *Students retain copyright ownership of the content they create, including words, photographs, graphics, illustrations, cartoons and other work. The Express retains copyright ownership to advertisements the Express creates. The Express retains the right to use all material in all forms in perpetuity. Letters to the Editor The Express is a public forum newspaper that seeks to encourage robust discussion among members of the college community. Letters to the editor, editorial and opinion pieces, freelance articles and photographs may be sent via e-mail or U.S. mail. Pieces must be typed and signed and include contact information, including a daytime phone number. Anonymous submissions will not be printed. All submissions are edited for space and clarity, and upon publication become the property of the Express. $PSSFDUJPOT $MBSJmDBUJPOT The Express strives for accuracy and fairness in the reporting of news. If a report is wrong or misleadJOH B SFRVFTU GPS B DPSSFDUJPO PS DMBSJmDBUJPO NBZ be directed to the editor. Advertising The Express solicits paid advertisements to help DPWFS DPTUT "ET BQQFBSJOH JO UIF &YQSFTT SFnFDU the views of the advertisers only. For advertising rates and information, please contact the business manager. The Express reserves the right to accept or reject any advertisement. The editor in chief may decide to accept or reject an advertisement only after consulting with the editorial board. Language and Material Policy The Express Staff follows the Associated Press Stylebook rules on obscenity, profanity and vulgarity. The Express allows publication of explicit language and material if it enhances coverage of a story. Use of explicit language or material for shock value is against Express policy. The Express 3000 Campus Hill Drive Livermore, CA 94551-9797 tel.: 925.424.1240 fax: 925.606.5317 e-mail: LPCExpress@laspositascollege.edu web: www.lpcexpressnews.com newsroom: Room 2409

Look up, there’s a whole world in front of you The same robots that are used to kill and spy on people will, in the next few years, be able to deliver that DVD copy of the entire series run of “Gilmore Girls� you’ve been itching to get your hands on. On the latest episode of “60 Minutes,� Amazon revealed that it was working on technology that will deploy drones to deliver people’s items within 30 minutes. It calls the service “Amazon Prime Air,� and it will deploy small robot helicopters from its numerous warehouses to deliver goods directly to customers. Never mind that this will be yet another modern job that eschews the type of general labor that is the backbone of the middle class in favor of highly-technical work that requires a series of degrees many can’t afford to get — it’s part of the furthering antisocial streak that runs through the human condition circa the end of this year of our lord, 2013. It sounds like bad Science Fiction but it may be where we end up — a world of robot-human symbiosis where it’s no longer required for humans to leave the house, let alone open their mouths to speak to any other person. Instead we’ll have Facebook apps downloaded directly into our brains and we’ll watch each other’s memories like we watch reality shows. We’re in danger of becoming a world full of people totally connected but still in a perpetual state of isolation from the outside world. Most everyone has the experience now of being at a ballgame, or a restaurant, or a movie and taking that quick moment to observe the people around them and realizing that the family next to them is all looking at their electronic devices at the same time. This sight is so common now as to be a part of what I like to, quite unoriginally, call the “new normal.�

The drive to break up any social activity is so strong as to be contagious. If you enjoy people watching, observe a group of friends talking and wait until the first person pulls out their phone. What you will see is that within moments, the others in the group will follow suit. You can see it every time you fly on a plane — travelers now prefer to shut down and watch a movie on their laptop then taking the opportunity to get to know a stranger. People together but alone. It may seem strange to suggest that devices that seem to keep us so close together can tear us apart, but it extends beyond mere social contact into the realm of the personal. All this technology and all this instant access to information has caused another phenomenon that will most likely continue to spread — a disease I like to call being-aself-centered-jerk syndrome. Not only can we isolate ourselves physically, we can isolate ourselves emotionally when the only reality we have access to is the one we create every day virtually. When you only hear music you like, or watch the movies you like, or talk to the people you like or read opinions you like or eat at restaurants you like — well, you lose something: some sense of adventure or tests of your character or opinions. Instead, you walk around all day inflated on your own sense of the world — created by the

unearned ability to pick and choose what reality suits you best. A reality it takes no effort or work to find. If a person is liberal, they can go to liberalopinions.com or conservatives can go to conservativeopinions.com (both sites being hypothetical, of course). Instead of gathering all relevant information and forming an opinion based on reasoned analysis, a couple clicks and one can find an opinion without thinking whatsoever. And these problems will only get worse, as technology improves. Phones will get better — more immersive and better looking. With each new iPhone, mankind’s gaze will be drawn further downward and away from the rest of the world. And when Amazon Prime Air is operational, don’t think for a second that it won’t lead to less people leaving the house. More things will eventually be delivered in this fashion: food, for instance. Pizza delivery by way of car may become an obsolete practice. And maybe this is all a good thing. Less gas used, less people driving, less carbon emissions being put into the atmosphere. But we as humans run the risk of fulfilling the “WALL-E� prophecy. That would be a race of people who spend their whole lives in chairs indoors — depending on the chairs to cater to our every whim. Smart phones may be the most revolutionary innovation since fire as it’s hard to say that any thing else has captivated and commanded so much attention since the caveman days. While it seems great that they can do so much for us, it’s time to remember to look up every once and awhile. It will become doubly important once the Amazon drones are online — one may bump you on the head as it passes.

“Study  hard  and  pay  attention  in  class.   Study  for  three  or  four  hours  per  day.  I  will  study  around  one  to  three  p.m.  and  take  a  break  for  ten  minutes  in  between  and  start  again.â€? Christine Lin Biology

“I...think  of  a  goal,  and  if  I  can  accomplish  it...I  treat  myself.  I  study  for  an  hour  or  two  and  then  I  ...(take)  a  break.  Then  I  study  for  something  else.  I  limit  the  breaks  to  an  hour,...(so)  I  can  rest...â€? James Avila Music

“Because  I  am  the  mother  of  two  kids,  it’s  really  hard.  ...  My  husband  takes  the  kids  and  says,  â€˜OK  now  you  have  two  or  three  hours.’  ...  But  for  single  mothers  it  is  really  hard.  â€œ  Saleha Janjua Nursing transfer student

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