Advocate 2-14

WEDNESDAY l 2.14.18 OUR 68TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

WOOD REMOVES PRESIDENT in brief

Questionable timing of district decision to install interim president leaves campus community torn

editorial

By Robert Clinton opinion editor

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

Bridging the gap

In a move that came as a shock to employees, students and the campus community at large, on Thursday district Chancellor Fred Wood announced the removal of Contra Costa College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh.

In a press release written by district Public Information Officer Tim Leong, Dr. Wood revealed his plans to return Mehdizadeh to her previous position as executive vice chancellor of education and technology after she steps down as president on March 15.

Mehdizadeh will be replaced by retired Santa Monica College resident Chui L. Tsang who will serve on an interim basis and was hand-picked

by Dr. Wood.

Even though the position shift returns Mehdizadeh to her previous role, the roughly $296,000 salary CCC’s current president collects will remain intact.

“When I came to CCC I received a 5 percent increase in pay and as I go back to the District Office my salary will remain the same,” Mehdizadeh said. “That will be on the Governing Board agenda (on Feb. 28).”

In the press release, Wood cites Mehdizadeh’s unique and extraordinary skill set needed to guide all three district colleges as the impetus for initiating the shift in positions.

“While I know how important she has been to Contra Costa College and how much she cares about CCC, both of us know that this decision is

Timeline of events in Mehdizadeh’s life Mehdizadeh returns to her previous job as executive vice chancellor of education and technology at the District Office

Feb. 8, 2018 Mehdizadeh is honored by college staff, students and community members on her selection as permanent CCC president

March 2016

March 15, 2018 District Chancellor Fred Wood announces Mehdizadeh is stepping down from her job as president of Contra Costa College

September 2016 District Governing Board votes to approve Mehdizadeh as the 11th permanent CCC president

Mehdizadeh begins her term as CCC interim president after serving at the District Office for over a decade

1998 Mehdizadeh graduates Cal State-East Bay with a master’s in communication study with an emphasis in organizational and intercultural communication

1994 She graduates San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in computer information system

January 2015 Mehdizadeh begins working at the district as vice chancellor of education and technology

1995 Mehdizadeh begins her first permanent position in the district as an Assessment Center technician at Diablo Valley College in its Career Development Center

1992

As an 8-year-old, Mehdizadeh and her family immigrate to the U.S.

1978

Mojdeh Mehdizadeh is born in Iran

1970

Rapid shift in campus personnel raises questions of an administrative disconnect that can disrupt the larger goal of providing costeffective education to the community.

PAGE 2 in the best interest of the entire district,” Wood said.

When Mehdizadeh left her post at the District Office to serve at CCC, Dr. Sally Montemayor Lenz was brought in from the state Chancellor’s Office to serve as the associate vice chancellor of educational services.

Those duties include providing leadership and administrative oversight for academic, student affairs and support services programs. The vice chancellor of educational services also works to improve international education, and workforce and economic development.

However, without intimate knowledge of the Contra Costa Community College District, Montemayor Lenz soon returned to her Sacramento post.

Mehdizadeh arrived at CCC as interim president on Jan. 16, 2015 and served in that capacity until she was selected as CCC’s 11th permanent president on March 23, 2016. But she has served in many positions for the district.

Former chancellor Helen Benjamin selected Mehdizadeh to serve as president of CCC after applicants sought by a professional recruiter fell short of delivering the optimal candidate. Dr. Benjamin chose Mehdizadeh “because of her many years working as vice chancellor at the district.”

From 1994 through 1997 Mehdizadeh first held a permanent position as Assessment Center technician at Diablo Valley College in the Career Development Center.

She then transferred to the District Office in 1998 where she filled multiple roles, serving as executive vice president for technology systems and educational services, institutional research workforce and economic development.

Navigating the shift The decision to return Mehdizadeh to the District Office was executed by Dr. Wood without a Governing Board vote, but with the full support of the board trustees.

District Trustee John Marquez said, “He would have not made the decision if there was any opposition from board members. If there were any, he would have mentioned it. He never said anything to me.

“All the staff works for the chancellor, (and) he works for us. If he messes up, then he has to answer to the board.”

It has been a year since Wood officially took the role as chancellor. His tenure as the eighth permanent district chancellor began in January 2017.

“The chancellor works for the board and Mojdeh (Mehdizadeh) works for him,” Marquez said. “He decided that she has the expertise and knowledge that he needed to have at the District Office. He needed help. I’m one of those board members that doesn’t get

Mehdizadeh enrolls at Diablo Valley College to take accounting classes

1987

nChancellor Fred Wood announces plans to return President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh to her previous position at the District Office. nWood has selected retired Santa Monica College president Dr. Chui L. Tsang to serve as interim president. nMehdizadeh’s last day as president will be March 15.

GRAPHIC BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

SEE SHIFT, PAGE 4

Chamber singers chosen

Appointment stuns campus

Opportunity to serve drives alum from retirement

By Anthony Kinney associate editor

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

For the time being, former Contra Costa College student and president of Santa Monica College Dr. Chui L. Tsang will fill the void left after the district’s recent decision to remove Mojdeh Mehdizadeh as Contra Costa College’s president.

Tsang’s appointment came after Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Fred Wood transfered Mehdizadeh back

WORKSHOP GIVES FISCAL GUIDANCE

Students to perform in NY

Assistance with purchasing a car

PAGE 6 FACEBOOK: /accentadvocate

FILE PHOTO / THE ADVOCATE

thousands of job opportunities for students in the information, communication and Tsang technology industry.

The program was recognized by then President Barack Obama in 2015 as part of his TechHire Initiative.

CCC Vice President Ken SEE TSANG, PAGE 4

Journey instills courage Going from male to female PAGE 8

PAGE 4 INSTAGRAM: @cccadvocate

to her previous position as executive vice chancellor of education and technology at the District Office.

Dr. Tsang is leaving retirement to take the newly opened interim position. He announced his retirement in 2015 closing his nine-year tenure at SMC. As SMC president, Tsang was credited for pioneering the interdisciplinary model which became the foundation of SMC’s “LA HI-TECH” program — a community college, high school and industry consortium that provided

TWITTER: @accentadvocate

YOUTUBE: /accentadvocate

SNAPCHAT: @cccadv0cate

2

Quotable “Readers remember mistakes longer than scoops.”

Thomas Winship columnist 1998 Denis Perez editor-in-chief Anthony Kinney Michael Santone associate editors Ryan Geller Benjamin Bassham news editor Jessica Suico assistant news editor Robert Clinton Alondra Gallardo opinion editor Xavier Johnson Andrew Weedon scene editor Dylan Collier assistant scene editor Efrain Valdez social media editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Advocate Staff Asma Alkrizy Christian Alvarez Sean Austin Derrick Belle Isaac Benivades Joseph Bennett Carina Castrillo Dan Hardin Jshania Owens Gabriel Quiroz Julian Robinson Timotheus Simmons Leon Watkins Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Member Associated Collegiate Press

California Newspaper Publishers Association

Journalism Association of Community Colleges

How to reach us Phone: 510.215.3852 Fax: 510.235.NEWS Email: accentadvocate@ gmail.com Editorial policy Columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of individual writers and artists and not that of The Advocate. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.

opinion

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14, 2018 VOL. 106, NO. 14

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

●

EDITORIAL OUTREACH VOID FUELS STIGMA Lack of campus liaisons foster divide in community relations

O

ver the past year, the Contra Costa Community College District has continued what some see as a disturbing trend of decreasing the number of people of color in leadership positions at Contra Costa College.

On Thursday, CCC President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh announced she would be returning to her old post at the District Office, effective March 15, as executive vice chancellor of education and technology, a position she held for a decade before coming to CCC. The change comes on the heels of both former vice president of academic and student affairs Tammeil Gilkerson and dean of student services Vicki Ferguson leaving CCC to assume leadership roles in the nearby Peralta Community College District.

CCC also was forced to replace former senior dean of instruction Donna Floyd after her retirement last year.

Change is inevitable, but when the changes leave the CCC administration more out of touch with the students and the community it serves, it can’t be seen in any other way than problematic.

Most of the selections hired to fill these voids have minimal connections to the campus or the community — and it shows.

One is a chancellor’s appointment, one a Plan B hire and two were handed their positions in less than transparent conditions.

This isn’t shared governance.

Although race is not the sole determining factor in selecting the ideal candidate, only one of the replacement administrators is a person of color.

As administrators change, some feel the shift will further widen the gap between the college and the diverse community it serves.

Mehdizadeh’s interim replacement, retired Santa Monica College president/superintendent Dr. Chui L. Tsang, appointed to the position by (district) Chancellor Fred E. Wood, has only a minimal connection to the students he will be charged to serve.

Floyd’s successor, former Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill) dean of biological and health sciences, physical sciences and engineering Tish Young, and Gilkerson’s successor Ken Sherwood, who served as vice president of academic affairs and student learning at Oxnard College in Southern California, had no ties to the West Contra Costa County community prior to their hiring last summer.

Ferguson’s stand-in, Interim Dean of Student Services Dennis Franco, who has served as dean of enrollment services for two years, was appointed in January and can’t be expected to continue on as enrollment dean while serving as dean of students.

So, who in the upper administration is left for students to trust?

The shift away from community engagement comes as no surprise judging by the direction district officials continue to steer campus leadership.

The empathetic ear Mehdizadeh used to address problems on campus might be a thing of the past.

In 2012, during a budgetary crisis, Tsang supported the proposal of a two-tiered course system where students taking core classes would be charged more per course during winter and summer intersessions.

Currently, CCC is experiencing its own budgetary crisis and while Mehdizadeh may have a soft spot for the community, Tsang may be the cold-hearted cost-cutter the district wants.

ALONDRA GALLARDO / THE ADVOCATE

■ MANUFACTURING

Transient fashion trends spawn global scourge

W

hile women walk around with a $12 little black dress on to support the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, think about the young girl making your dress inside a factory under extremely poor conditions, receiving little to no wages and possibly experiencing sexual harassment herself.

Fast fashion is de-valuing the actual meaning behind powerful movements.

The term “fast fashion” in case you are not familiar with it, refers to stores like Forever 21, H&M, Charlotte Rousse, Zara (just to name a few) where you can buy trendy, yet super cheap, clothing items.

The little-known truth is, these fast fashion brands are stealing great ideas from hard working artists while not giving them credit.

There are four seasons in the year — fall, winter, spring, and summer — so there are four different seasons for different styles of clothing. But when it comes to fast fashion, there are 52 micro seasons leading to more clothing items being produced.

Each week, these stores get shipped different fashion styles and not in small portions — but in large quantities.

The clothes are made in foreign countries that use chemicals that are not necessarily legal to work with here in the United States because of their increased toxicity.

Clothing manufacturers coat their products with chemicals at several different stages, from coloring

movement itself. It only enriches out of touch fashionistas.

Think about where your shirt comes from and who makes it.

Anyone can market a slogan — whether they stand with the movement or not.

According to the clean fabrics to finishing pieces clothes campaign, the garand in cleaning just before ment workers worldwide are shipping. about 75 percent female.

And tons of styles that get Last time I checked, the shipped each day get thrown feminist movement was supout, whether it’s because posed to include all women, they did not sell in the short and not just the ones who period of can afford to wear the time they The clothing T-shirt. were put Using these trends as caton display, items are alyst for activism is pretty or the conironic. sumers find not able to So next time you decide pieces to be be recycled to purchase a little black made out of dress or a T-shirt with “fempoor mate- because of inist” phrases written on rial. them, please think about all the In many of the women and young cases the chemicals girls making your toxic consumer clothing items. They suffer throws prod- used during in silence as you are obliviucts away production. ous to, or unaware of, where or quickly your clothes actually come returns them So they from. to the store Having large chain stores to buy even just get sell these items is making more items. it a trend that just about The cloth- thrown out. anyone can hop onto rather ing items than actually having the are not able to be recycled movements be glorified for because of the chemicals what they actually stand for. used during production. So Fashion can be a forum they just get thrown out. for protest if it is done the This irresponsible behav- right way. But co-opting ior leads to more pollution movements for money contaminating the Earth or turning a profit, while — as if it needs anymore of exploiting workers, is not it. that.

Wearing a $7 T-shirt that Alondra Gallardo is has “feminist af ” written an opinion editor for The across it because it has all Advocate. Contact her at of a sudden become socialagallardo.theadvocate@ ly acceptable and trendy gmail.com. does not justify the feminist

alondragallardo

CAMPUS COMMENT What makes a Valentine’s Day date memorable?

“Depth in conversation always makes a date memorable.”

“Spending time with a loved one.”

Arcenia Macedo

Jayscean Owens

humanities

biology

JESSICA SUICO AND CHRISTIAN ALVAREZ /THE ADVOCATE

“I believe going somewhere really nice to eat with really good food makes a memorable date.”

Julian Dunn sociology

“I think having something planned or a yearly tradition makes the day memorable.”

“If you treat her right she will treat you right and that can lead to a memorable night.”

Maritza Castillo

Cody Tarantino

nursing

liberal arts

“Well, I’ve never had a valentine but if I did I would like to be surprised unexpectedly, but not intrusively.”

Montaria Pierce behavioral sciences

forum ■ MAIL BAG

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

3

We want your opinions Send us your thoughts about one of our articles

T

he Advocate staff works as hard as it can to serve as the voice of Contra Costa College students, but there are opinions and issues we miss.

We need to hear from students and fac-

ulty to cover the campus fully. Send us your opinions or interests.

Send letters to the editor to accent.advocate@gmail.com or deliver them to our Newsroom in AA-215.

Letters must be signed, are limited to 300 words, and are subject to editing for libel, space constraints and clarity.

— The Advocate Editorial Board

ILLUSTRATION BY ASMA ALKRIZY / THE ADVOCATE

■ HOLIDAY

Valentine’s Day overrated Tradition contributes to corporate sales, ignites false sense of love through materialism

whipped by men with strips or many, the of goat hide dipped in blood, celebration of embark on their journey for true St. Valentine’s Day is etched in an romance. Of course, this is nothing similar atmospheric romance of greeting cards, to our modern-day celebration of candle lit dinners and the occaValentine’s Day, but hey, it’s fun to sional afterglow of holiday lust. point out.

Scented bouquets of red roses Although today we don’t go around are ordered by lovers for lovers, as striking the fannies of those we wish to be boyfriends, girlfriends and secret admirers douse each other in our valentine, the cruel characteristics associated with its hisheart shaped boxes of chocolates, sealed with kisses. tory are mirrored in the social celebration of love and affection.

The craze, which seems to resurface about three months Or how I used to refer to it, the celebration of corporate marbefore February, invades department stores with oversized teddy keting. bears cascading from display shelves of purple and pink signage.

It is here where my discontent for the holiday is coupled with Even television programming succumbs to the fever of Valentine’s the cruel reality of why I came to loathe Valentine’s Day. Day with reruns of “Flavor of Love” and eager advertisements from Now, it’s not just the corporatization of love and romance but the the Shane Company reminding love-struck shoppers of their “friend obsessive nature that seems to overcome those who participate in in the diamond business.” expensive gift giving and outlandish pageantry.

And when Feb. 14 finally arrives everyone morphs into love- Growing up, For couples who partake in the festivities of walking sick zombies clad in XOXO sweatshirts and red glitter head around with Edible Arrangements, big fuzzy teddy bears and my views on balloons shaped as big pink lips, the importance seems to be boppers that rattle with every twist of the neck.

Yes, you’ve seen them.

Valentine’s placed on the value of materialistic possessions than possessBut these are not the reasons I came to loathe the celebraing love. tion of love and affection.

Day have It’s like that classic Valentine’s Day episode from every I mean, how can I blame society for its overzealous sitcom where husbands and boyfriends completely forget always about the holiday and go on a manic race to find the perapproach to Valentine’s Day when we’ve been conned since childhood to hand out cards, with pictures of Scooby-Doo been that fect gift for the wife or girlfriend. posed on a bed of roses, to our classmates.

For those who are single, watching all of this go down And it doesn’t stop there. it’s a cruel could be amusing, to an extent.

Year after year things only get more complicated with There’s comedy gold in some hormone-induced fool and unusual purchasing the pressure of personalized gift baskets for your high two dozen roses and cheap chocolates in school sweetheart, while practicing the steps for the lovhonor of some Saint Valentine who may or may not holiday. ey-dovey couples school dance. have been beheaded for treason.

Growing up, my views on Valentine’s Day have Although seeming to get the better end of the always been that it’s a cruel and unusual holiday. deal on Valentine’s Day, for those who are single and loneThis may be due to my fascination with the roots of ly the constant bombardment of love and heart shaped the celebration. everything can bring out an inner desire to jump from The origins are dark and bloody. Legends of Saint the tallest building around.

Valentine range from his imprisonment for helping This is why the celebration of Valentine’s Day is Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons, to complete torture, no matter if you are single or him secretly continuing to marry young coucoupled. ples under the dictatorship of Claudius who And it’s the prime reason I came to loathe would eventually find out and order Saint the holiday of love and affection.

Valentine’s death.

But recently the atmospheric romance Sounds like a fantastic plot for a that’s plagued the week leading up “made for TV” romance movie on to Feb. 14 has taken my views of the Hallmark Channel starring Valentine’s Day and turned them Candace Cameron-Bure and inside out.

Dean Cain, no?

As the day of love nears and Anyway, the tradition and I’m ambushed by the scented celebration of Valentine’s bouquets and heart shaped Day would evolve over boxes of chocolate, I realtime since its incepize I don’t want to be tion during the Claudius anymore.

Middle Ages.

Tales of love Michael Santone is letters, sacrifices an associate editor and beheadfor The Advocate. ings litter its Contact him history, as at msantone. stories of theadvoyoung cate@ women, gmail. who com. are gently

F

michael

santone

4

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

NEWSLINE n EVENT

HBCU CARAVAN MEETS STUDENTS TODAY Visit Campus Center Plaza today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities caravan. The HBCU will have 20 representatives present who will meet one-on-one with students.

Students will have the opportunity to apply to colleges and universities, learn about scholarships and have a chance to get accepted to a college on the spot.

For more information contact Andrea Phillips at aphillips@contracosta.edu or visit the Career/ Transfer Center in SA-227.

n MOVIE SCREENING

‘BLACK PANTHER’ MOVIE AT HILLTOP The Associated Student Union is giving out free tickets to a screening of the new Marvel Studios film “Black Panther.” The screening will be held at Hilltop Mall Century 16 movie theater on Feb. 20 from 7-10 p.m.

The tickets are on a first come, first served basis so tickets will run out.

To request tickets, contact Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks at jnickelsonshanks@contracosta.edu or visit the Student Life Office in SA-109.

n BOOK SIGNING

SIGNING HELD BY OLYMPIAN, AUTHOR Former American track and field athlete Eddie Hart, a Contra Costa College alum, and award-winning journalist and author Dave Newhouse will visit CCC on Feb. 21 to talk to students.

Their book “Disqualified” is based on the true story of Hart’s disqualification from the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany after arriving minutes late to his quarterfinal heat.

The event will be held in GE-225 from 6:30-8 p.m. For more information contact professor Carolyn Hodge at chodge@contracosta.edu.

n WORKSHOP

FINANCIAL SEMINAR OFFERS ASSISTANCE The Financial Aid Office will hold an event to promote financial aid services in the Campus Center Plaza on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Financial Aid Awareness Day will provide information on financial aid resources and refreshments.

For more information visit the Financial Aid Office in the Student Services Building, call 510-2156026 or email Financialaid@contracosta.edu

CRIMEWATCH Friday, Feb. 2: A suspect was caught stealing items from the Bookstore. No other details have been released.

Monday, Feb. 5: A suspect was arrested after striking a victim during a disagreement. No other details have been released.

A car break-in occurred on Upper Campus Drive. No other details have been released.

An alarm was triggered in the Early Learning Center. No other details have been released.

— Anthony Kinney

— The Contra Costa Community College District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and campus life. The District does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in College programs, activities, and application for employment.

Workshop helps car buyers

By Jessica Suico assistant news editor

jsuico.theadvocate@gmail.com

SparkPoint is hosting a “Buy A Car...Smartly” workshop on Thursday that will provide resources, information and tips on ways to secure a good loan toward purchasing an affordable car.

The workshop, which will be held in SA-227 from 1-2 p.m., will focus how to buy a car, how to improve bad credit and offer techniques on how build a credit profile without previous credit history.

“The main purpose of the workshop is to empower students to lease versus purchasing a car.

It’s also to give them knowledge about down payments and how they can get assistance on paying them,” Community Housing Development Loan Coordinator Manuela Zacarias said. “We also want to inform students about the resources and how to reach them.”

SparkPoint has been organizing weekly workshops since Jan. 29 about properly budgeting financial aid disbursements, how to pay bills and to buy books and supplies while extending limited finances throughout the semester.

“There will be prizes given out at this workshop, which makes it more exciting and interesting for attendees,” SparkPoint Coordinator

Bill Bankhead said.

“Our main sponsor is the Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC). They are also a program that have a lot of resources for people about budgeting money,” he said.

SparkPoint workshops are intended to inform people about resources and to introduce them to programs that can help with money management, loans and transforming small business into larger ones, he said.

“CHDC is a non-profit organization that has been serving the community for over 25 years,” Zacarias said. “We provide counselors and help with home ownership.”

These workshops are held once a semester.

There are two main elements that will be addressed at this workshop, he said. The first will be direct auto loans for low to moderate income households, people with challenged credit and people with no credit at all.

Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for loans with an 8 percent interest rate to purchase a reliable car or a chance to qualify for a loan of up to $8,000.

The second element to be discussed is a program, funded

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

by state grants, that helps people buy hybrid and electric cars, some which offer qualified buyers a $5,000 rebate.

There are requirements to get these loans and rebates. Applicants must be employed for at least six months and there is an income cap that allows low-income workers a fair shot at car ownership.

“We have been a part of these workshops at CCC with SparkPoint for the last four semesters. Our main goal is to give resources to the community,” Zacarias said. “We have a program to help clients acquire loans and down payments, which leads to empowerment.”

Undecided major Julian

Mayodong said, “I am very interested in going to this workshop. I need to learn all about money management.”

Having these workshops are helpful to students on campus because a lot of people are always over-spending and we aren’t taught the basics about buying cars or home ownership, she said.

Bankhead said the ideas for the topics of these workshops come from students. SparkPoint gives out surveys for students to fill out.

It also allows them to list check specific topics they would like the workshops to focus on.

To be a part of this workshop, students need to RSVP to Bankhead at bbankhead@ contracosta.edu or go to the SparkPoint Office in SA-227 in the Career/Transfer Center.

SHIFT | Mehdizadeh to return to district position Continued from Page 1 into micromanaging, I don’t try to tell him what to do or how to do it. If he asks me suggestions I give them to him.”

Marquez said he did suggest to the chancellor that he come to CCC and speak to the faculty, staff and students to quell their concerns about changes occurring on campus.

Due to scheduling conflicts and the upcoming long weekend, that meeting was never able to take place.

Why now?

“There never really is a good time. The chancellor has been contemplating the notion of having me return to the District Office for a bit of time,” Mehdizadeh said. “Frankly, the colleges (in the CCCCD) aren’t getting the level of support and services that they need.”

The actual timeline that brought this change varies between board members. Marquez said the process was three months in the making, while others say it has been in the planning stage for one year.

Senior Dean of Instruction Tish Young said, “I heard about it today (Thursday) as well, but I don’t think it’s unusual. Major management changes always happen at the highest level and they are not brought to us until they are fully flushed out.”

She also said the whole state system is in flux.

“We have a new chancellor and he’s challenging us to do things differently,” Young said.

Young traveled to Sacramento to hear Wood speak at a reception where he said the status quo isn’t good enough. “(The college) isn’t meeting our state goals and if you are going to compete with the status quo then that means change,” Young said.

CCC Vice President Ken Sherwood said he was never involved in any form of discussion and only found out Mehdizadeh was being reassigned when she came to his office to notify him before the College Council meeting on Thursday.

“This was sprung on me like everyone else,” he said. “It’s hard to find leadership like Mehdizadeh’s. She did an outstanding job representing the community.”

Like Young, Sherwood suggested that issues at the district level could be to blame for the quick swap.

“There are complaints coming out of the District Office addressing the lack of leadership,” he said. “People aren’t happy and things

FILE PHOTO THE ADVOCATE

President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh (left) speaks in September 2016 during a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the Campus Center Plaza.

are not getting done.”

students because I was just like them.”

An immigrant, Tsang came to the United New leadership States from Hong Kong as a 19-year-old and Wood hand-picked Dr. Tsang who seems now has a Ph.D. in linguistics from Stanford. to have the support of some CCC employees He was enrolled in classes at CCC from 1971despite many of them having never heard of 73. him before.

“The decision to install Tsang was made Controversy in consultation with me,” Mehdizadeh said.

Although successful, Tsang’s tenure at SMC “When I first arrived at CCC as an interim, it was seen, at times, to be controversial. During was former chancellor Helen Benjamin who a 2012 student protest over a proposed system asked me to come and serve in an interim to increase core-class fees, 30 students were capacity.” pepper-sprayed after attempting to forcefully Others use the fact that Mehdizadeh has a enter a Governing Board meeting. good working relationship with Dr. Tsang after “I don’t know any of the details of the inciworking with him on the campus accreditation dent,” Mehdizadeh said. project.

Although Wood consulted Mehdizadeh Young said, “She (Mehdizadeh) says we are when selecting Tsang, she said the 2012 incibeing left in very good hands. It’s an excellent dent at SMC was not taken into consideration community college district that he’s coming when the decision was made to name Tsang as from so I think we can benefit from that interim. knowledge,” Young said. “I haven’t had a chance According to a Santa Monica College review to do one lick of research about him.” panel report, one officer was found to have With the continuing trend of leadership behaved in an unprofessional major. positions drifting away from people who have The report states that no penalties were ties to CCC, Tsang is an exception. given to anyone involved in the event and “I got my higher education start at CCC, so instead the panel suggested that Santa Monica I am a Comet,” Tsang was quoted as saying in College should ultimately “move forward Leong’s email. “Thanks to that experience, it strengthened by a re-doubled commitment gave me the foundation for my career. I under- to the values of mutual respect and collegial stand the challenges and circumstances of our communication.”

TSANG | Former Comet named interim president Continued from Page 1 Sherwood said Dr. Tsang has an excellent reputation as a solid leader in the community college system.

“When I was Academic Senate president at Los Angeles City College, I worked with Academic Senate leaders at Santa Monica College and their assessment was always entirely positive,” Sherwood said. “I also heard about his leadership qualities from mutual friends who have worked as college presidents.

“He is held in high regard and universally respected.”

Mehdizadeh said Tsang is someone she looks up to as a mentor because of his excellent people skills and impressive ability

n “I don’t think we

could find a better interim leader.”

— Ken Sherwood, Contra Costa College vice president

to calmly navigate through strenuous times in the role of academic leader.

Mehdizadeh worked alongside Tsang during an accreditation visit to the City College of San Francisco in 2015.

“I learned so much from him during our time working together on accreditation,” she said. “He’s excellent at organizing people

and projects to ensure maximum effectiveness.”

Tsang said President Mehdizadeh has implemented many promising initiatives in collaboration with the faculty and staff of the college. He hopes to maintain that momentum along with focusing on ensuring the college continues to operate smoothly until a permanent president is appointed.

Sherwood said, “I think he will bring a great wealth of experience, which will provide us with a valuable perspective on many of the important activities in which the college is currently engaged.”

Dr. Tsang also served for nine years as president of San Jose City College.

Sherwood said his experience

in other districts in the state may provide some innovative ideas to help the campus address some of the challenges it has been facing in recent years.

With a Ph.D. in linguistics from Stanford University, Dr. Tsang has also gained experience as a professor at De Anza College, Stanford and San Francisco State University.

Tsang was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education and was named one of America’s “100 great immigrants” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

“I don’t think we could find a better interim leader,” Sherwood said.

Dr. Tsang is currently overseas and unavailable for comment.

campus beat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

5

FREE BREAKFAST PROGRAM BEGINS Hot meals served to 100 students per day at Brix

By Michael Santone associate editor

msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com

Helping to further alleviate the food insecurities of students on campus, Contra Costa College Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks has launched the free breakfast program.

Finalized on Friday to begin Feb. 26, the weekly program will provide a hot meal MondayThursday mornings from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Brix cafe in the Student Dining Hall. CCC culinary students will prepare the food.

“Food insecurities are a big issue for our students and we (faculty and staff) want to help so that students can focus on school and not have to deal with being hungry,” Nickelson-Shanks said.

“We created the food pantry a year ago for students to take food home but realized that it doesn’t help get them through the day.”

The program, which is being funded by equity and institutional effectiveness funds, will receive $20,000 for the 2018 spring and fall semesters.

This gives an allotted amount of $10,000 per semester with the goal of serving 100 students per day on a first come, first served basis.

Nickelson-Shanks said because it is difficult to determine whether a student is suffering a financial burden, everyone is qualified to utilize the free breakfast program.

“In the future we would like to work something out with EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services) and aim for the more needy student,” he said. “The idea is to start off slowly and (later) fix the details.”

Keeping in mind the atmosphere and stigma associated with students who receive free break-

fast or lunch, Nickelson-Shanks said searching for the right location and vendor took some time to sort out.

“We had to find a vendor who could give us a price point that we could work at,” he said. “It’s crazy expensive when you start to calculate all of the components that come with the free breakfast program.”

Nickelson-Shanks said Brix and the culinary department were considered but because Brix was offering a higher price point, the culinary department was chosen.

“I’m expecting push back and complaints, but it comes with the territory,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s really the students who are the primary focus.”

A ticket system corresponding to the day of the week will be issued from the Student Life Office in SA-109 once the program is launched.

Although the food will be prepared by the culinary department, it will be served in the Student

Dining Hall.

C C C culinary department Chairperson N a d e r Sharks said that the idea Sharkes for a free breakfast program is a great move to help the under served community.

“These are all of our students and it’s good for them to have homemade food made by students,” he said. “Breakfast is the backbone of the day and important for the functions of students.”

Some meal ideas include pancakes, waffles, eggs, turkey sausage and some sort of fruit, Sharks said. The main goal is keeping the costs low to meet NickelsonShanks’ budget.

“I don’t need to make money off students,” Sharks said. “There’s a lot of leverage when creating something for a $1. But its not the value it’s the thought that counts.”

Sharks said since there isn’t much wiggle room in the budget, finding vendors who would participate was the challenge.

“If you need something you have to be creative and give them a story,” he said. “My vendors believe the program is good, and my students believe this is a good program.”

Sharks said, “Students are excited because they are doing something for the community.”

CCC Dean of Equity and Institutional Effectiveness Mayra Padilla said she was thrilled when Nickelson-Shanks proposed the free breakfast program.

“The program is funded for a year and afterward it will be evaluated for a decision on further funding,” she said. “Our state chancellor has identified homeless students as a target population for equity initiative and we thought this would be a good way to increase the retention of our homeless students by helping support their food insecurities.”

‘Prayer room’ project scrapped Proposal to renovate Applied Arts Building balcony canceled

By Robert Clinton opinion editor

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

Last semester, a plan was devised to re-purpose a rarely used balcony in the Applied Arts Building for use as an “interfaith prayer room,” but as of this semester, that plan has been completely nixed.

Safety concerns marked the reason for the cancellation as the balcony was not built to perform as a load-bearing platform.

Moreover, plans for the elevated surface were not reviewed before allowing the area to be designated for student use.

“We are going to have to start from scratch and look for a new location because technically it’s a roof and not a balcony,” Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said. “The schools are all regulated very tightly on safety and by the ADA.” The idea, initially the brainchild of Muslim Student Association members and club President Rayah Alammari, was presented to then Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson who took the proposal through operations and then to the College Council for approval.

The area, for students of all cultures and faiths, was intended to provide a quiet space to pray or practice life-enriching activities requiring a more personal setting.

Ferguson, along with King and Director

FILE PHOTO / THE ADVOCATE

A group of Muslim students pray in the Library and Learning Resource Center on March 20, 2017 during one of their five daily prayers. The Muslim Student Association coordinated efforts to create a designated space on campus for prayer. But the space allocated for prayer failed to comply with ADA requirements or district architectural standards.

of Business Services Mariles Magalong, scoured the campus in spring 2017 looking for available options for the proposed interfaith prayer room.

Since not one room was made available for an “interfaith prayer room” throughout the pristine $73 million Campus Center Project, the trio settled for a secluded balcony on the north side of the AA Building.

Alammari said she has not been contacted by anyone from the administration alerting her that plans for the MSA to use the AA Building balcony had been rescinded.

Even with the renovations currently underway in the AA Building, no designated space has been allotted for an “interfaith prayer room” despite handing students an area for personal reflection, then yanking it away before any of them got to use it.

“I’m not 100 percent sure if they (MSA) know that the balcony will no longer be the location, but I will make an announce-

ment at the next ICC meeting,” Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks said.

“They (MSA) did lead the charge to see if we can get a little more pressure to make sure that finding a space stays on the radar.”

Nickelson-Shanks said the location of the interfaith prayer room is not the only change that are being made. The name of the interfaith prayer room is being changed to the wellness room as a caution to not alienate any students due to religion.

A walk-through the General Education Building on any day of the week will reveal a host of unused conference rooms that could easily accommodate the square feet requirements.

Contra Costa Community College District Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said, “The basic load capacity, as determined by code, is 15 square feet per person.”

Plans have not begun to find a replacement for the ill-fated “interfaith prayer

room” and judging by the traditional inaction by committee, a process that usually accompanies any transition from idea to action on campus, it may take a while.

“The way that things generally happen on this campus is they go through the Operations Council and that’s what I’m going to recommend when Joel (NickelsonShanks) and I sit down,” Interim Dean of Student Services Dennis Franco said. “We have to find another place and that, of course, has to be given the blessing to use.

Space is at a minimum especially at the peak periods of the day.”

There is one silver lining to losing the AA balcony as a sanctuary space.

King said, “It may be a good thing that the room is being moved. The windows (near the balcony) made what should be a private moment for students to observe their faith, a spectacle for everyone to see.”

Lack of finances prompts class cancellations Low enrollment causes funding deficit, cuts

By Andrew Weedon scene editor

aweedon.theadvocate@gmail.com

The class schedule is taking drastic cuts this semester as campus administrators try to regain some of the college’s financial surplus, which has been dwindling in the last few years.

Since the college leadership has undergone major changes over the last five years, the class schedule has been severely neglected with a large number of low enrollment classes being allowed, Contra Costa College Vice President Ken Sherwood said.

“We have essentially been hemorrhaging money over the last five years due in part to low enrollment in classes,” he said.

Several classes have been canceled this semester due to a lack of enrollment.

Liberal Arts Division Dean Jason Berner said, “There have been about 10 classes canceled in the Liberal Arts Division.”

Most of the classes that were canceled however, are classes that have multiple sections and only one of them had low enroll-

ment, Berner said.

Berner said he would prefer not to cancel classes but sometimes it must be done.

A decision to cancel a class not only includes enrollment but also the status of the course and department. If a class is very new and not many students are enrolling, they might cancel it to build interest for future semesters.

“All of the division deans sit down and look at every single class before the semester to see if they meet our guidelines,” Sherwood said. “If a class passes this but doesn’t have 10 students by the first day of class, it will be canceled.”

Many students believe that the college is suddenly cracking down on this problem, but in reality, this is how most colleges run and it was in fact business as usual many years ago, Sherwood said.

Some students have been affected by these cancellations because the some of the classes that were canceled were ones required for their major.

Student Victoria Fairchild has had her Pharmacology class canceled four semesters in a row due to low enrollment. She also had her Dual Diagnosis class canceled which forced her to take a math class that interferes with her job.

“I basically go to class on my lunch break

then go back to work,” Fairchild said. “I really hope it gets fixed because I am starting to lose faith in my school.”

With the new push toward enrollment management, it is hoped that the schedule will begin to better cater to the students’ needs, Sherwood said.

“Ideally we would use data from the last few years to decide what classes to offer in the first place. It’s there so we should us it.”

As Berner explained, the major problem here is productivity.

If you have a class with only 10 students, then the college is losing money since it is paying the teacher more than the students are bringing in.

“This is where the college has been losing a lot of money and a leading reason for why CCC doesn’t have its 5 percent reserve that the state of California requires,” Sherwood said.

Photojournalism instructor John Diestler said, “If you are canceling classes because you don’t have the budget, then you have to wonder if the classes are the problem or the amount of money the state is providing is the problem.”

Diestler has had his Photojournalism class canceled three years in a row, again for low enrollment. It was canceled this semester when it was only one student short of the

required minimum.

“We work within the parameters we are given.

Then when we meet our budget by canceling classes the state sees that we are fine and nothing Sherwood changes.”

For both the Photojournalism and Pharmacology classes, they are required for their respective majors.

“Nobody wants to cancel classes. Ideally, we would either have the right number of classes in the beginning or have enough enrollment to open a section,” Berner said.

One step the college is taking is to improve outreach to help pull more students to the campus, Sherwood said.

“Our new Outreach Program Manager Maryam Attai is out almost every day at schools and events recruiting more students.”

Having more students is important because CCC has the same number of classes as Los Medanos College, which has nearly 2,000 more students.

“Our goal is to create a schedule that is the right size for our students’ needs while also meeting state initiatives,” Sherwood said.

6

scene

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

LEFT: Music professor Stephanie Austin leads chamber singers from Contra Costa Singers during a class rehearsal on Monday.

The CC Singers’ next performance is at Carnegie Hall in New York during Gotham Sings!, an annual performance series showcasing choirs, orchestras, bands and music programs.

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Vocal ensemble showcases talent at prestigious venue Carnegie Hall in New York hosts collegiate chamber singers to highlight expertise

By Gabriel Quiroz advocate staff

gquiroz.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Contra Costa Singers is one of three collegiate ensembles from across the country chosen to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on April 1.

The Contra Costa Singers, who come out of the CCC Vocal Chamber Music classes, are the only performers chosen from a community college to perform at Gotham Sings!, an annual performance series that showcases outstanding choirs, orchestras, bands and music programs.

The event will have three separate divisions — Collegiate Showcase, High School Showcase and Band & Orchestra Showcase — each only with a small number of groups chosen to perform.

The University of Iowa and the University of Louisville are the other two colleges chosen to perform at the event in the Collegiate Showcase division.

The ensembles will have from 30 to 40 minutes of performance time and will be performing one piece with three movements, as well as three other pieces, for about 34 minutes.

For them to meet this time and give their best performances, the group has been rehearsing rigorously and practicing where and when to stress words, when to come together and also in sections as they have sopranos, altos, tenors and basses who must all come together to make a masterpiece of

sound.

Ci Ci Taylor is a music major at CCC who has been in the music department since 2010, when she began by taking guitar classes. She is now a soprano for the Contra Costa Singers and alto in Jazzanova, another prominent vocal group in the department.

“Rehearsals have been more intense as we are getting closer to the Carnegie (performance),” Taylor said.

She said she enjoys working with her fellow singers and that they haven’t had problems within the choir. They take care of each other and know when and how to be professional.

She also said she appreciates the teachers, including music department Chairperson Wayne Organ who also sings in the group.

She said he is always making sure they’re learning something new.

Music performance director Stephanie Austin will conduct the Contra Costa Singers in their Carnegie performance.

She is also responsible for the creation of the group and the other more advanced department ensembles, Jazzanova and Jazzology.

“Everything is timed precisely for Carnegie Hall,” Dr. Austin said when referring to the performance that they will give and their attention to detail during rehearsals.

In order to be chosen for the event, the Contra Costa Singers had to audition over a year in advance by submitting previous live performances that showcased their musical repertoire, from classical to contemporary.

There will be 25 singers in total going on the trip, including 12 alumni singers from previous semesters who Austin rehearses with in the evening.

Contra Costa Singer Carol Kessinger is in her eighth semester with chamber. She said she loves singing with the full ensemble and she always learns from the other singers. The group has previously performed at choir fes-

BELOW: Chamber singer Laura Krast (right) sings during a recent rehearsal. The Contra Costa Singers’ will perform at Carnegie Hall during Gotham Sings!, an annual performance series that showcases choirs, orchestras, bands and music programs.

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

tivals and high schools like De Anza, John Swett and Berkeley.

During the trip, some members of the chamber singers who are in Jazzology, the most advanced vocal group in the CCC music department, have booked a gig of their own at Club Bonafide in Brooklyn.

Ninoangelo Lastimosa is in both the Contra Costa Singers and Jazzology groups. He will be performing at Carnegie Hall and Club Bonafide.

“It’s humbling to know you’re performing in one of the most celebrated venues and sharing that moment with many others. I feel as though the bar has definitely been set high,” Lastimosa said.

Valentine dinner serves romantics Annual event raises money for department, helps instruct students

By Jessica Suico assistant news editor

jsuico.theadvocate@gmail.com

For anyone still looking for a destination for their Valentine’s Day dinner, the culinary arts department is hoping to be their final decision.

Aqua Terra Grill will be the location of the Cupid’s Season Dinner tonight from 5-8 p.m. where guests will be treated to a five-course meal with one glass of champagne.

Culinary arts department Chairperson Nader Sharkes said a ticket into the dinner is $35 per person. He said they have 40 reservations already, nearly a full house.

Sharkes said the money raised by the dinner goes back into the culinary arts department to pay the expenses of holding the dinner and other expenses the department accrues.

Instructional assistant Angel Chau said the dinner is open to the community.

The appetizer will be burrata with speck, peas and mint, kumamoto oysters with ponzu granita and tobiko caviar.

The entrée will be New York steak with chipotle chocolate glaze, mashed golden potatoes and late-winter vegetables. Fudgy chocolate layer cake with strawberry sauce and assorted cheese plate for two will be the dessert, completing the night’s meal.

Beverages served will be hot and iced tea, coffee and a glass of champagne.

Sharkes said the department has been hosting events for six years, starting back when Three Seasons Restaurant was open in the Applied Arts Building.

Criminal justice major Valeria Condori said, “I think it’s great that the culinary department is hosting a dinner like this. It gets students involved with more things on campus and I think it’s really cool.”

Sharkes said, “Our students thought it would be a really cool thing to have a Valentine’s Day themed dinner for our

FILE PHOTO / THE ADVOCATE

Pinole resident Carol Jenning (right) enjoys conversation with a friend during the 2nd Annual Cupid’s Season Dinner on Feb. 11, 2016.

campus.”

The students involved are volunteering their time to be a part of this event.

Sharkes said it’s more practice for them in a restaurant setting.

He said the skills students apply while working at the dinner will be the same skills they will need to use while at any professional restaurant.

“I have a responsible staff and faculty here in the culinary department. They pretty much planned this whole dinner,” Sharkes said.

Students who complete the culinary arts program will be attractive candidates for job openings and promotions

in the culinary arts field through the skills, strong personal work ethic and outstanding demonstration of acquired culinary skills.

Chau said, ”What I am looking forward to about this dinner is our guests having a great time. It also gives us a chance to promote the culinary arts program and its quality food.”

Condori said, “I remember clubs and the culinary department giving out free food and I thought that was a really cool and smart way to get students interested and involved with things happening on campus.”

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

7

Comets downed by Mariners

By Robert Clinton Opinion Editor

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

With just two games remaining in the 2018 season, the women’s basketball team failed for the sixth time to notch back-to-back wins, this time, with a 61-51 loss to the College of Marin (15-9 overall and 10-5 in the Bay Valley Conference) Friday in the Gymnasium.

After a convincing 53-46 win against Yuba College on Feb. 2 in Marysville, the Comets hoped to build on that momentum and at the same time avenge the 61-35 drubbing the team suffered Jan. 11 in Kentfield.

“The last time we played them we took a tough loss over there and I didn’t want to feel like that again.

So I had a vendetta against them,” Comet forward Jahnna Maramba said. “I wanted to let them know that it wasn’t going to be easy for them to get through us.

“When I came out on the floor, I came out with the mentality that I want to win.”

The game took a different path COMETS than expected for CCC. From the opening tip, the Mariners found cracks in the MARINERS Comet defense and extended an early 4-0 lead to 10-4 before CCC began to fight back.

Maramba (23 points) and Larissa Carvalho (four points) kept the Comets in the game early by controlling the paint.

Carvalho did so with her rebounding and intimidation and Maramba with her aggressiveness and sheer will to get to the basket.

After falling behind early, CCC tied the score at 10-10 with 3:35 remaining in the first quarter.

Despite asserting an inside presence and erasing a six-point deficit, the Comets were not able to maintain their inside advantage due to poor passes and ball handling mishaps.

The Comets trailed at the end of the first quarter 15-10.

Comet guard Kristyle King said, “Things get intense when we pull close to tying or taking the lead in a game. We start forcing things and committing turnovers and everybody’s energy drops. When

51

61

coach (Shaw) yells we get energized. Nobody likes to get bopped at home.”

After nailing a 3-pointer to begin the second quarter, the Mariners continued to pile on the points. Even when getting multiple shots at the basket on many possessions, CCC was only able to manage enough points to keep the Mariners within reach, but never enough to actually climb back into contention.

The Comets next travel to Napa Valley College tonight to play the Storm at 7:30 p.m.

Against Marin, trailing 21-12 with six minutes to play in the second quarter, CCC finally began to collect enough defensive stops to mount an actual comeback.

With just over one minute to play in the second quarter, the Comets cut the Mariner lead to eight on a Maramba 3-pointer.

Another Mariner bucket just before the buzzer gave the Mariners a 27-17 lead at halftime.

After stringing together, several defensive stops to end the first half, and a Maramba bucket to begin the third quarter, its seemed CCC was continuing the trend it began before halftime.

A 3-pointer by Comet freshman Kianie Williams (eight points) cut the 10-point Mariner halftime lead to five, 27-22 with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

“I think we get carried away with how close we get to taking the lead in a game then we make the wrong pass at the wrong time,” Comet guard Brooklyn Crawford said.

The Comets continued to battle Marin into the fourth quarter and despite not being able to capture the lead, CCC did not allow the Mariners to run away with the contest, playing the Mariners even points-wise in the second half.

For Marin, it was 15 point per game scorer Kaleah Williams who steadied Marin whenever CCC attempted to surge forward.

In the final quarter, the Comets, trailing by five, Williams knocked down a 3-pointer from two feet behind the arc.

On Marin’s next offensive possession the guard spun through a crowd of Comet defenders, floated the ball over defenders and into the hoop leading her team to a 61-51 Marin road victory.

LEON WATKINS / THE ADVOCATE

Comet forward Jahnna Maramba shoots as two Mariner guards approach her during Contra Costa College’s 61-51 loss against the College of Marin in the Gymnasium on Friday.

team grasps victory in overtime Squad challenges, boxes out defenders to win rebounds, possessions

By Joseph Bennett advocate staff

jbennett.theadvocate@gmail.com

The men’s basketball team (1411 overall and 8-6 in the Bay Valley Conference) completed a conference sweep of the College of Marin (3-20 overall and 2-13 in the BVC), earning an 88-85 victory in overtime Friday in the Gymnasium.

Despite controlling the action for the majority of the contest, CCC failed to completely pull away from the Mariners allowing them to score a number of late baskets to send the game to overtime.

Freshman guard Eric Jones led the Comets in scoring with 22 points making seven of 17 shots from the field. His dribble-drives into the paint consistently broke down the Mariner defense allowing the Comets a number of shots from the outside.

Jones also notched 11 assists in the contest. Despite those open looks, the Comets only shot 20 percent from behind the 3-point arc.

“I keep getting fouled, that’s why some of my shots weren’t falling from the outside,” Comet forward Demond Washington said.

CCC jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter and kept the small crowd on its feet with explosive dunks from Comet forward Trevon Silas.

Silas, who finished the game with

88 85

let up on its intensity.

Coach Johnson encouraged his team to run their plays the way they were designed and he even folded a dryerase clipboard while trying to ease his frustration.

The second half was marred by bad calls by the officials.

Multiple times in the second half, as Jones drove into the paint, Mariner defenders slapped across his body and hands with no calls by the referees.

However, Mariner players routinely found themselves at the free throw line, which stopped the clock, allowing the visiting team to claw back into the contest.

Midway through the second half, Marin had tied the game and momentum was swinging in their favor.

As the Mariners clawed back into the contest, a scary moment quieted the Gymnasium.

On a fast break, 6-feet-9-inch Mariner forward Joey Potts dashed down the sideline looking to retaliate for a Silas dunk with a dunk of his own.

As he dribbled toward the hoop, Jones, who is 6-feet tall, also raced toward the basket, leaped into the air to meet Potts at the rim to block his shot.

Jones’ right hand met the ball, just before reaching the rim sending Potts crashing to the hardwood with all of his weight landing on his right arm.

Men’s Basketball

STANDINGS Bay Valley Conference (Women’s Basketball) W L Pct. GP Merritt 12 2 .857 14 Los Medanos 12 3 .800 15 Solano 10 4 .714 14 Laney 10 4 .714 14 Marin 10 5 .667 15 Mendocino 4 10 .286 14 Contra Costa 3 11 .214 14 Napa Valley 2 12 .143 14 Yuba 1 13 .071 14 Bay Valley Conference (Men’s Basketball) W L Pct. Yuba 13 1 .929 Napa Valley 10 4 .714 Mendocino 9 5 .643 Los Medanos 9 6 .600

16 points, made seven of his 10 shot attempts and was often outsized by Mariner center Kevin Kahriman.

Although outsized, Silas used his quickness to beat Marin’s two 6-feet9-inch centers to rebounding position and regularly scored on shots inside of the paint.

During the game Comet coach Miguel Johnson regularly implored his team to work harder on the boards and for his guards to block out Marin’s lengthy point guard who regularly attempted to crash the boards for rebounds.

Johnson said, “I know number 2, guard Dereck Morgan, averages about 11 to 12 rebounds per game. We need to get in position, box out and grab the damn rebound.”

Unable to match CCC’s athleticism, the Mariners remained in the contest with opportunistic shooting and by taking advantage of seven Comet first half turnovers.

At halftime, CCC COMETS led the Mariners 41-35.

The Comets return to action tonight to play Napa Valley College tonight at 5:30 MARINERS p.m. in Napa.

With a six-point lead coming out of the break, CCC began to

GP 14 14 14 15

Bay Valley Conference (Men’s Basketball continued) W L Pct. GP Contra Costa 8 6 .571 14 Merritt 5 9 .357 14 Solano 4 10 .286 14 Alameda 4 10 .286 14 Marin 2 13 .133 15

SCHEDULE Women’s Basketball Today, Feb 14: at Napa Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb 16: vs. Merritt, 7:30 p.m.

Today, Feb 14: at Napa Valley, 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb 16: vs Merritt, 5:30 p.m.

Baseball

vs. City College of San Francisco, Feb. 15, 2 p.m. vs. Sierra College, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. at Modesto Junior College, Feb. 20, 2 p.m. vs. Sacramento City College, Feb. 22, 2 p.m. vs. Sacramento City College, Feb. 24, 1 p.m. at City College of San Francisco, Feb. 26, 1 p.m. at Monterey Peninsula College, March 2, 2 p.m. vs. Monterey Peninsula College, March 3, 1 p.m. vs. Napa Valley College, March 6, 2 p.m. vs. Mendocino College, March 8, 2:30 p.m. at Yuba College, March 10, 1 p.m. vs. College of Marin, March 13, 2:30 p.m.

After examination by the athletic trainer, it was determined that Potts had a broken wrist.

The lull in action reinvigorated the Mariners and after making three consecutive shots while allowing only one by the Comets, the Mariners tied the game just before the end of regulation.

The Comets had a shot at winning the contest late in regulation, however, a highly contested, fall away 3-pointer is not the play Johnson called.

“Run the plays that I call,” Johnson said in the huddle after the regulation-ending play. “Don’t go out there doing whatever you want to do. Stick to the game plan.”

Marin outscored CCC in the second half 40-34 leaving the score tied 75-75 at the end of regulation.

The Comets owned overtime by hitting timely shots from behind the arc and by limiting Mariner players to tough shots from outside of their comfort zone.

In the end, Jones and guard Kemare Wright sealed the victory for the Comets by preventing Mariner guards from getting Marin’s offense into a comfortable position to score.

The Comets outscored Marin in 13-10 during overtime and eventually won the game 88-85.

(at Sonoma State University) vs. College of Marin, March 15, 2:30 p.m. vs. College of Marin, March 17, 1 p.m. (at Sonoma State University) at Solano Community College, March 20, 2:30 p.m. at Solano Community College, March 22, 2:30 p.m. vs. Solano Community College, March 24, 1 p.m. at Los Medanos College, March 27, 2:30 p.m. vs. Los Medanos College, March 29, 2:30 p.m. at Los Medanos College, March 30, 1 p.m. vs. Laney College, April 3, 2:30 p.m. at Laney College, April 5, 2:30 p.m. vs. Laney College, April 7, 1 p.m. vs. Yuba College, April 10, 2:30 p.m. at Yuba College, April 12, 2:30 p.m. vs. Yuba College, April 14, 1 p.m. at Mendocino College, April 17, 2:30 p.m. vs. Mendocino College, April 19, 2:30 p.m. at Mendocino College, April 21, 1 p.m. vs. Napa Valley College, April 24, 2:30 p.m. at Napa Valley College, April 26, 2:30 p.m.

vs. Napa Valley College, April 27, 2:30 p.m.

Softball

at Solano Community College, March 6, 1 p.m. at Solano Community College, March 6, 3 p.m. at Yuba College, March 13, 1 p.m. at Yuba College, March 13, 3 p.m. at Mendocino College, March 27, 1 p.m. at Mendocino College, March 27, 3 p.m. at Los Medanos College, April 3, 1 p.m. at Los Medanos College, April 3, 3 p.m. vs. Solano Community College, April 10, 1 p.m. vs. Solano Community College, April 10, 3 p.m. vs. Yuba College, April 12, 1 p.m. vs. Yuba College, April 12, 3 p.m. vs. Mendocino College, April 19, 1 p.m. vs. Mendocino College, April 19, 3 p.m. vs. Los Medanos College, April 24, 1 p.m.

8

spotlight

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.14.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

LEFT: Nursing major Gianna Serrano, formerly known as Bryan Serrano, touches up her eye shadow on Friday.

Serrano has been transitioning from a gay cis man to a transgender woman since 2016.

Despite prejudice transwoman shines DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

By Anthony Kinney associate editor

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

In a world where being different is often discouraged and mocked, people lose themselves trying to fit in with society’s perception of “normal” in fear of being scorned by family members and peers.

Some fight to ignore the mainstream’s daunting impression of what “normal” is to only find themselves bullied and shunned by society as weird or an outcast.

However, a few are born to boldly question and change society’s idea of “what is normal.”

Gianna Serrano unapologetically prides herself as one of those people.

Though given the name Bryan Serrano at birth, she feels that name never suited the person she was, or the gender with which she now identifies.

“When I hear that name I think, ‘that was me once before, but not anymore’,” Serrano said proudly with a gleeful smile, a smile brought forth from a confidence she only recently discovered since she began the transition two years ago from a gay cis (birth gender) man into a transgender woman.

“No one knows me as that anymore.”

Serrano grew an interest in drag shows and as a man would occasionally dress as a woman at shows.

But she felt the dramatization of a man portraying a woman didn’t quite fit.

“I never felt like I was a drag queen,” Serrano said. “I felt the exaggeration of a man dressing like a woman was not me. For me, it felt more natural.”

During her time participating in drag shows she found and adopted her new name and fell in love with her new identity, Gianna Serrano.

“Until I graduated high school I felt as if my body belonged to my parents,” Serrano said.

Now, at age 24, looking back in time, Serrano feels if her parents were more accepting of her situation earlier on, she would have started her transition sooner.

“I just got to a point where I felt like ‘this is my life, and this is how I want to live it. No one will stop me’,” she said.

She said her parents were never disappointed in her for her deci-

sion to transition, just worried about the dehumanizing attacks that often plague the LGBTQ community.

“I feel they believed in the misconception that if you’re gay, you’re weak. If you’re weak, you’re more prone to violence, which isn’t always the case,” Serrano said. “You hear stories about how people assault folks from the LGBTQ community and no doubt, that’s scary. But I think it’s also about the situations you put yourself in, you know?”

The medical regimen she utilizes to prepare her body for the transition consists of taking testosterone-blocking prescription pills daily and a bi-weekly estrogen shot to regulate and maintain the female hormones in her body and to keep her body’s production of testosterone at the lowest levels.

She plans on completing her transition by undergoing “sex reaffirming surgery” (SRS), the procedure to change the physical appearance and function of a person’s sexual organs. In her case Serrano will endure “male to female reassignment surgery” which includes the removing of the testicles and inversion of the penis to create a replica vagina. These types of surgeries can cost patients between $7,000 and $24,000. For that reason, Serrano has been saving money for the operation since she made the decision to have it done two years ago.

Serrano said it’s just another step into portraying the person she feels has been trapped inside her since as far back as she can remember.

Born in 1993 in Mexico City, Mexico, Serrano spent the earlier years of her life in Mexico under the care of her grandmother. At the age of 6 she accompanied her grandmother and brother on a trip to California to be reunited with her parents who journeyed there a few years prior.

Since she came to the U.S. at a young age, Serrano applied and was approved to receive DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) in 2012.

Once settled, Serrano began the third grade in Fairfield before moving with her parents to Albany.

With the insults gradually growing worse as she progressed through the grade levels, Serrano was a daily target of taunting and bullying.

Looked down upon and teased

“As a society we need to stop being so narrow-minded. We are all God’s children. We have one life to live and the right to get it right. We should all be able to feel free to live the way we want.”

Dr. Angela King-Jones nursing professor

by other boys, Serrano preferred spending lunch with her girlfriends instead of trying to fit in with the guys.

Reminiscing on those days, she remembers being called words like gay, weird, soft and girly by boys who gained popularity for bullying her and others who they deemed eccentric.

“I didn’t know what any of those terms meant at the time. I was just being myself,” Serrano said.

And with English being her second language, the communication barrier prevented her from defending herself verbally in a language understood by her tormentors.

The mocking reached its peak in middle school as she experienced classmates and school yard bullies more heinous than in grades prior.

Before long she learned to ignore the hate of her bullies and focus on the reassuring love from friends.

Albany Middle school is also where Serrano met Brittany Curry.

The two have been best friends since the eighth grade.

Curry has been present for all of Serrano’s journey; from a straight cis male to a gay cis male, now into a transgender woman.

Curry said she fully supports her friend’s decision to transition into a woman because she has noticed a sharp boost in Serrano’s self-esteem due to finally feeling free as the gender with which she always identified.

Serrano decided to come out to her parents in the seventh grade.

Initially shocked, they demanded she attend weekly group sessions geared toward troubled teens to determine if the changes she was

going through were just a phase in her young life.

“That made me feel like they were trying to change me,” Serrano said. “At the time they were saying they accepted me, but I didn’t feel as if they did.”

However, she didn’t let the lack of home support nor the bullying from peers impact her schooling. Serrano excelled in the classroom despite the mean-spirited taunting she received from judgmental classmates who considered her weird because of her feminine tendencies as a gay man.

As a Contra Costa College student since 2013, Serrano earned her associate degree in psychology in 2015 and began her transition while earning her certificate from CCC’s medical assisting program.

She’s currently taking nursing classes working toward her license to become a registered nurse.

Contrary to her dreadful experience throughout grade school, she’s now accepted for who she is by her peers in the nursing department.

Nursing professor Angela KingJones said Serrano is a wonderfully knowledgeable student who’s always eager to learn and admired by her peers.

She said the students in the program are a close-knit group who all share an admiration for Serrano and her relentless strength to become the individual she longed to be, regardless of the disparaging criticism often slung her way from those who disfavor the LGBTQ lifestyle.

Dr. King-Jones said more importantly, her male peers address Serrano by the proper pronoun and the women accept her as one of their own.

“They do everything together like a family,” King-Jones said. “She’s just like any other female student I’ve had over the years. She shouldn’t be treated any differently.”

With her education she plans on becoming a nurse practitioner and opening her own clinic focusing on the mental health of children and teens.

“As a society we need to stop being so narrow-minded,” KingJones said. “We’re all God’s children.”

“We all have one life to live and the right to get it right. We should all be able to feel free to live life the way we want.”

Gianna’s transition pack Surgeries

Medication Spironolactone testosterone blocker: 100 mg tablet two times a day. $75-85 prescription

Estrogen shots: 10 mg /2ml a day. $50-75 per prescription

Breast augmentation $6,000-$10,000

Facial feminization $5,000-$20,000

Laser hair removal $60-150 per session

Sex reassignment $25,000-$35,000