WEDNESDAY l 2.7.18 OUR 68TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF. LEFT: Emergency medical technician and paramedic program director Troy Hess (center) checks EMT major Adonaya Olivares’ pulse (left-center) during lab hours in B-2 on Thursday.
Bravery, prowess DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Hess mentors students toward a life of service through discipline By Anthony Kinney associate editor
akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com
Heroes aren’t always masked crime fighting vigilantes dressed in a cape and tights. Heroes are usually normal people, who in the time of peril, bravely stand up against danger to selflessly help others. Contra Costa College’s new emergency medical technician and paramedic program director Troy Hess is a true representation of a real-life hero. Becoming a reserve firefighter at only 19 years old, Hess spent most of his life boldly putting it on the line for the lives of others. Even after enduring career-ending injuries in the line of
duty, Hess’s determination to aid others in their time of need has never decayed. Hess decided to take on the role as emergency medical technician and paramedic program director at CCC after eight successful years under the same title at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg. Being in the emergency medical science field for over 20 years and gathering a wide range of job titles, Hess has real life experience seeing the reality of danger as a firefighter, paramedic and EMT throughout the Bay Area. “I basically have experience in every job I tell these students to go out and get,” he said jokily in his new office on the first floor of CCC’s General Education Building. “I’m here to ensure they
have the attitude and the tools they will need to successfully save lives.” Only outweighed by his zeal for helping others, Hess grew up with a passion for baseball which led him to play first base at UC Davis while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology. Hess’s team exceeded expectations by finishing with a season record of 47-12 and shattered the university’s most victories and highest winning percentage records during the 1994 season. Their performance that season earned them a spot in UC Davis’s Baseball Hall of Fame. Hess and his teammates were inducted in 2004. SEE HESS, PAGE 3
ONLINE INITIATIVE GIVES ACCESS TO COURSES
Black history month events’ location, time PAGE 5
Contra Costa College aims to join statewide web college program By Michael Santone associate editor
msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com
SQUAD SHUT OUT 9-0 AGAINST DE ANZA COLLEGE PAGE 6
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Peak in crime impairs safety during first week of classes By Robert Clinton opinion editor
rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com
Competition offers taste of Italy, funds trip to Rome PAGE 7
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As each semester begins, campus parking lots are packed with the cars of students rushing to class, often with belongings left in plain sight of wouldbe criminals on the hunt for an easy score. This Jan. 22, as the sun set after the first day classes for the 2018 spring semester, Contra Costa College Police Services posted a tweet informing students that there were three car breakins that Monday, one near the center of campus and two in more remote areas of campus. “We are increasing patrols campuswide,” Police Services officer Manny
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Valentin said. “But it’s hard to be everywhere at once.” The tweet also contained a link to the campus safety tips page on contracosta.edu, which offers faculty and students pointers to avoid becoming a victim of crime while parking or while on campus generally. Police Services guidelines, like using the buddy system, avoiding using digital devices while walking and reporting suspicious activity, are some of the ways to help students take responsibility for their personal safety and the security of their belongings while on campus. Of the three Jan. 22 incidents, two occurred on Mission Bell Drive above the Early Learning Center and one was
ABOVE: Contra Costa County Sheriff Deputy A. Zunio inspects nursing major April Flanagan’s car passenger window after it was shattered by a rock on Mission Bell Drive on Jan. 31.
SEE CRIME, PAGE 3
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Contra Costa College has until March 1 to complete its application to join the next cohort of California Community Colleges in the Online Education Initiative (OEI). OEI, which was announced by Gov. Jerry Brown back in January 2013 is a collaborative effort among state community colleges to provide students with easier access to Flum high-quality online courses. “This is the first time since the pilot that they are accepting applications from colleges,” CCC Distance Education Coordinator for Judith Flum said. “This is something we’ve been hoping for because there are a lot of services and benefits for being a part of OEI that the college would benefit from.” The move from Desire2Learn (D2L), which the college was paying for, to Canvas, which the college is getting for free due to the establishment of OEI is a prime example, she said. Flum who is leading the implementation team said a lot of time has gone into the application process. This includes Admission and SEE ONLINE COURSES, PAGE 3
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Quotable “Surely the glory of journalism is its transience” Malcolm Muggeridge writer 1966 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 Mayra Garcia multimedia editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Advocate Staff Asma Alkrizy Christian Alvarez Sean Austin Derrick Belle Joseph Bennett Isaac Benivades 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
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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. 7, 2018 VOL. 106, NO. 13
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM
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EDITORIAL THEFTS ALTER CAMPUS LIFE Recent spike in crime reveals college security shortfalls
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n an era of increasing wealth disparity, which leads to a larger number of people living below the poverty line, it stands to reason that the number of crimes of opportunity committed will increase as the population of impoverished people becomes more desperate. Even when it’s understood that many of the reasons that people remain in poverty are systemic, this does not excuse criminal behavior, especially against some of the most vulnerable people in our community — students. Students who advocate for a sanctuary campus, with a decreased level of influence by outside law enforcement agencies, are put in a difficult position when nine incidents of theft or vandalism to property occur on and around campus during the first two weeks of school. It isn’t only that criminal behavior endangers the safety of students — it undermines the work many of the students do to protect similarly impoverished community members. Work to decrease racial profiling by police, or simply to minimize the negative stigma that the campus is already burdened with, becomes nearly impossible when this level of crime is committed. This isn’t to say that any of us are explicitly withholding knowledge of people who may have committed these crimes, but it is to say that policing our own begins with us — in our communities. This is not a call to enact some form of vigilante justice, but an urging to use the 6 degrees of separation that unites us all to spread word that a crime against students, especially against students on this campus, is a crime against the community. Students on this campus are the ones who protest, hold conferences and organize the community to find ways to protect everyone’s personal and constitutional rights. Many of the campus employees are CCC graduates who have chosen to accept a lesser wage to help students achieve their goals, students who the rest of the world may see as irredeemable. Our continued connection to the vulnerable communities that surround the campus are what makes this college unique, it also makes it a target. An increased police presence might curb campus theft, but it would bolster the notion that CCC is a bastion of volatile student-criminals. Somehow, the idea that needs to permeate all of our communities is that crimes on campuses that house the community activists of tomorrow should be viewed with the same disdain as someone looting the cars of parishioners during Sunday service at church. Sure, we can rail against campus administrators and Police Services for not sending text alerts when crimes are committed reminding students to keep an eye open for suspicious activity, but that is just a Band-Aid on an open wound that is bleeding our community dry. CCC may not have the most incidents of crime in the Contra Costa Community College District, but when negativity happens here — it’s magnified. According to the district’s daily crime log, since the beginning of the semester CCC has 11 reported incidents of campus-related crime while sister colleges Diablo Valley and Los Medanos have 16 and four respectively. Collectively, students on this campus have to work twice as hard to be seen as half as good and unfair as that may be, crimes that occur at CCC tarnish those efforts — even by association if nothing else.
MAYRA GARCIA / THE ADVOCATE
■ MUSIC
Rap on repeat: Xanax, coke, weed and lean
D
rugs and music go together like rock stars and rehab. Even before the cocaine-fueled dance parties that thrived in 70s disco clubs to today’s promethazine-induced comas at house parties, music and drugs have always been fused to invoke a euphoric getaway for those who indulge. Spanning across generations, the harmonious pair of music and drugs have aided in the creation of some of the most revered pieces of music in history, as well as in the death of some of the industry’s most prominent figures. Although we have lost countless celebrities (and some of us, relatives) to drug-related deaths, the public not only tolerates but welcomes the glorification of drug use in entertainment, especially in modern day rap. With music artists seen as role models by many of their fans, especially in urban areas, the positive portrayal of drug use and increase in references to drugs used to signify glamour is alarming. The glorification of mind-altering substances in today’s mainstream rap music is frankly producing a generation of lean-sipping, pill-popping, dyed-haired Frankensteins in designer belts and sneakers. A study conducted by two UC Berkeley researchers found that drug references in popular rap music increased six-fold between 1979 and 1997. That trend has continued
has plagued the country in recent years. That notion is hard to deny when drug-riddled songs like “Rock Star” by Post Malone and Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” are currently two of the biggest hits in the country. This isn’t a call to boycott to surge at an exponential songs or artists who referrate over the following years. ence drugs in their lyrics — American artists have I mean, some of my favorite evolved from the secret drug songs are laced with dope abusers of our parents’ era bars (pun intended). who hid their addictions This is an acknowledgbehind public images and ment of the transgressions drug-free of today’s rap music and music, to We should the direction its leading the ostentatious culture. druggies expect more We should expect more who gain from these artists whose from these popularity songs help shape percepby boasting artists tions and mentality of our about their sprouting generations. addictions in whose As a collective, we should their music. force them to acknowledge songs help Popular the power their words weld artists such shape over the minds of the peoas the Migos, ple. Gucci Mane, perceptions We should also urge them 21 Savage, to do their part in ensuring Kodak Black and our planet’s future is brightand count- mentality. er than its past. less others We need to demand more use cult leader-like influence thoughtful lyrics than the to alter the vast population’s tired, materialistic mumble moral sensibilities regarding rap we seem to have grown what’s socially acceptable. accustomed to. Armed with this enorLike a guy praying for mous power, new age main- his childhood friend to pull stream rappers have flipped through as the heart monithe detrimentally successful tor’s beat begins to slow, my drug dealer mentality of eyes fill with tears as I watch rap’s earlier generations to rap struggle with its drug an even more disastrous addiction. psyche, one of the customer. I believe the steep Anthony Kinney is an increase in the mention of associate editor for The pharmaceutical drugs in Advocate. Contact him at popular music has a direct akinney.theadvocate@gmail. correlation with America’s com. current opioid crisis that
anthonykinney
CAMPUS COMMENT What do you do to protect yourself from car break-ins?
“Don’t leave anything valuable out in the open that would tempt people to steal.”
“I hide my belongings and lock my doors so thieves won’t attempt to steal from my car.”
De’alaundria Gardner
Marikris Weber
real estate
radiology
JESSICA SUICO AND GABRIEL QUIROZ /THE ADVOCATE
“There are accessories you can buy for your car that act like a blanket that hides all my valuables.” Johnson Nguyen aerospace engineering
“I try to park in a more populated area where a lot more cars are parked.” Bemister Tessema computer science
“I always make sure my doors are locked and nothing is out in the open for people to get curious.” Ruth Corona medical assistant
“I would say to never leave your backpack, always lock your doors and never leave valuables visible.” Vanyel Siegel mathematics
campus beat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.7.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
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HESS Life situations arm professor for classroom | NEWSLINE Continued from Page 1
n EVENT
FINANCIAL AID OFFICE TO PROMOTE SERVICE 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. The event will also include booths with games and prizes for winners. For more information you can visit the Financial Aid Office in the Student Service Center, call 510-215-6026 or email the office at financialaid@contracosta.edu.
n BOOK LAUNCH
PROFESSOR LAUDS BOOK PUBLICATION English professor Dickson Lam will be throwing a book launching party for his book, “Paper Sons: A Memoir.” The celebration will be hosted March 18 in Sole Space at 1714 Telegraph Ave, Oakland from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The book, winner of the Autumn House Non-Fiction Prize, is a coming of age story set in a public housing project in San Francisco. It will be published in April. Admission is free. Questions can be directed to Lam through email at dlam@contracosta.edu.
n VEHICLES
WORKSHOP TO HELP STUDENTS BUY CARS Sparkpoint will host a workshop for students on best practices when buying a vehicle. The workshop aims to teach money management regarding ownership of a vehicle, handling loans and staying on top of debt. The workshop will be held in the SA-227 on Feb. 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. For any questions or other information call Sparkpoint Director Bill Bankhead at 510-215-6873 or visit Bankhead in his office in the Career/Transfer Center, SA-227.
n HEALTH
BLOOD DRIVE COMES TO FIRESIDE HALL The American Red Cross’ Cesar Chavez Blood Drive Challenge will be hosted in Fireside Hall on March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Identification and knowledge of health history is required for all participants and donors will receive a free T-shirt. To schedule an appointment by phone call 1-800-733-2767. To pre-register online visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code CCC.
CRIMEWATCH Tuesday, Jan. 30: There was a report of an alarm triggered in the Art Building. No details were documented. Tuesday, Feb. 1: Vandalism was found and reported on the Police Services Building. No details were documented. There was a report of an alarm triggered in the Student Service Center. No details were documented. — 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.
After graduation, Hess managed to continue firefighting while on the roster of a minor league White Sox affiliated team. As he did so many times before, Hess hastily answered the call to duty. Fighting against flames, Hess pushed through thick smoke clouds to reach a victim trapped inside a house fire. Without hesitation Hess lifted the 340pound mass of humanity on his shoulders and out to safety. The rescue gravely injured Hess’s back and lower extremities causing him to give up his dreams of baseball and medically retire from the Alameda (city) Fire Department. Once recovered, Hess fell back on his college education to teach at LMC. He’s been inculcating future heroes ever since. He said although the emergency medical field can be a dangerous and physically draining career, it can also be extremely rewarding. “There’s really nothing better than saving a human life,” Hess said. “I was fortunate enough to have a great team that saved quite a few lives.” CCC emergency medical sciences (EMS) instructional assistant Carol Dooley said she sees Hess as a hero and her mentor because of his unshaken commitment for helping victims. “He’s an inspiration to all us who got into the field
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Emergency medical technician and paramedic program director Troy Hess speaks during the opening hour of EMT lab hours in B-2 on Thursday. to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. Hess said under his guidance there is a high expectation for students to show determination and a focus on discipline, integrity and morality. All are traits that he feels are vital to have when inspiring to go into the EMS field. “I’m a disciplinarian but I’m also fair,” Hess said. “I have high expectations but I’m empathetic to what people are going through.” Hess said rather than just teaching the book, he wants to create an attitude in his students that instills a more effective way of conducting themselves in
n “I have high
expectations but I’m empathetic to what people are going through.” — Troy Hess, emergency medical technician and paramedic program director
a stressful, fast-paced yet professional setting commonly associated with EMS jobs. “My goal is to create an environment where students have to be on time, respectful and work hard because that’s what will be
expected from them in the field.” CCC EMS instructional assistant Chris Jones said Hess brings an entire career of experience and expertise to the program. “He’s an excellent instructor. He’s knowledgeable and thorough,” Jones said. “He does an excellent job taking the classroom knowledge he gives students and showing how it applies in real life.” Dooley said Hess has strong story-telling abilities. His renditions of life in the field are so compelling that listeners can close their eyes and vivid-
ly visualize the scene he’s describing. “He’s that good,” she said. “He possesses a treasure trove of field knowledge that our students can greatly benefit from, and prepare themselves for, by simply listening to the stories and advice he shares in the classroom.” She thinks Hess’s greatest quality is his “heart,” which she said is the most essential tool in EMS fields. “He truly cares about helping others in their strongest time of need,” Dooley said. “He’s a prime example of who you would want by your side when things are going tough.”
ONLINE COURSES | Online courses urge accessibility Continued from Page 1 Records, financial aid and even some technological aspects, such as a review of the internet servers and the quality of internet connection. Also required are trained faculty and staff and an evaluation of the courses to be placed on the “Course Exchange.” “Professors who teach online can’t wait and we have six other professors who have never taught online signed up for training exercises on how to teach online,” Flum said. “We don’t know if we will get it, but if we are chosen we will find out in May.” The interest in providing online courses comes after a recent trend of students ditching the old face-to-face method of learning and moving to the online pedagogy. According to documents compiled by Flum through the tracking of online course offerings over the years, there has been a 224 percent increase in online course offerings from spring 2014 to spring 2018. “Most of these classes have 20 to 40 students registered per semester,” she said. “We found that over the years students began to turn to online courses because they are flexible.” Another benefit for CCC, if accepted, would be the possible rise in funding for Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) and degrees and certificates received. “There’s the home college that would receive credit for the degrees and certificates and the teaching college that would receive credit for the student,” Flum said. “We don’t have much money as it is. Being a part of OEI would only be positive for CCC.” The registration process for OEI is housed
at ccconlineed.org, which, according to their website, provides a “Seamless pathway for students to register across participating colleges without requiring a completely separate matriculation processes.” Students will also find the catalog or “Course Exchange,” comprised of the courses from participating colleges throughout the state. “If a student wanted to take a Shakespeare course, which isn’t offered at CCC, they could search for this particular course throughout California, register and get the credits,” United Faculty Vice President Jeffrey Michels said. “This opens up opportunities for students who are registered at one of the 114 California community colleges to take courses not available at their home college.” Michels said many of these programs proposed have good qualities, but we should make them better by listening to faculty and staff. “There’s some big bucks backing this initiative and because it provides a unique online educational experience, more and more faculty are turning to online courses,” he said. “We have to serve the students of our communities the best we can.” CCC Academic Senate President Beth Goehring said the Contra Costa Community College District has been working over the years to establish 100 percent online education. “There were some key problems with local degree requirements and science labs,” she said. “But within the last few years the removal of some of these requirements have opened up better opportunities for online education.” Goehring said things are still being figured out including the funding. “When we converted from D2L to Canvas
Growth of online courses
In four years, CCC has gone from 41 (spring 2014) to 81 online courses offered this semester.
INFORGRAPHIC BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
there was a $400,000 we asked the district to use to support this (OEI) effort,” she said. “We are hoping there is more than $400,000.” In 2014, a group of 24 colleges were selected for a trial run of OEI, which began in spring 2015. Through the trial run, groundwork for course design standards, faculty professional development, online readiness tutorials and basic skills resources were established. Flum said that if chosen CCC would have a year to prepare before adding courses to the exchange for the fall 2019 semester.
CRIME | Lack of awareness fuels odds for burglars Continued from Page 1 on campus near Library Drive. All three crimes were reported as burglaries. Since then, two more auto-involved crimes have occurred on campus in the same area of Mission Bell Drive. The first was another auto break-in on Jan. 25 and the second was an auto theft that occurred on Jan. 29 just before 6 p.m. Of the five incidents, three happened in broad daylight with two crimes being committed just after sunset. Most of the burglaries that happen on campus occur on the perimeter of CCC and away from the common pathways that students take to class. Students can often be confused as to what parking spaces are monitored by Police Services. San Pablo Police officers patrol Mission Bell Drive behind the bleachers on the football field up to the intersection with College Lane. The remaining portion,
Campus Drive, which extends through the Bus Transfer Center and around the upper portion of the campus, is the jurisdiction of Police Services. The San Pablo Police Department declined to respond to questions about increasing patrols to protect student property on Mission Bell Drive. Little can be done to halt what can be seen as a crime of opportunity, but CCC students believe more notification can be done to give the campus community more of a heads-up during a spike in criminal activity with tips on how not to become the next victim. Other than word of mouth, many students, who don’t follow CCC on social media had no idea the thefts had even occurred. Some students believe a more robust notification system should be used to update students of campus incidents in hopes of increasing the level of awareness dedicated to student safety and security. “I do believe that students should be alerted when these inci-
dents happen because it will cause people to be more aware of their environment,” ASU President Alex Walker-Griffin Walker-Griffin said. “The messages should also provide tips such as placing items in your trunk before going to class.” Walker-Griffin believes texts would be the best way to convey these messages because they would give students a reminder to check to see if they left anything in plain sight. Many see the price of enhanced vigilance as the cost of doing business, on campus, just like anywhere else that becoming a victim of crime is a possibility. Librar y department Chairperson Andrew Kuo said he takes precautions everywhere that he goes, be it Richmond, Oakland or Orinda. “It doesn’t change my routine. I always exercise protection for my
car. I use The Club,” Kuo said. “It doesn’t guarantee that my car will not be taken, but the extra time that it takes to remove the club may force a criminal to move on to another car. It’s a deterrent.” Of the incidents occurring this past two weeks on campus, all have not been auto thefts or break-ins; some have been simple acts of vandalism. Nursing major April Flanagan parked on Mission Bell Drive while she awaited approval for her parking pass during the second week of classes. She walked off campus to have lunch just after noon on Jan. 31 and arrived back at her car to find her front passenger side window smashed with a large rock that remained on her passenger seat. “I didn’t leave anything on my seat. There was nothing unusual. I don’t keep anything in the car, especially if I have to park down here,” Flanagan said. “I went to Subway and came back to a broken window. I don’t have money to pay for this.”
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campusbeat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.7.2018 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
Educators adapt to digital era Alternative internet resources ease burden of rising textbook costs By Anthony Kinney associate editor
akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com
Educators and administrators around the state are collaborating to adopt the sharing of digital Open Education Resources (OER) as an alternative to the overwhelming increase in textbook costs seen over the last three decades. OERs are teaching, research and learning resources that have been released in an online public domain by professors and educators under an intellectual property license that permits the free use and repurposing of the material. Often customizable, the digital learning materials found on OER databases such as textbooks, lesson plans, assignments, tests and other teaching tools are designed to give the professor the control to fine-tune their teaching plans. This option seems more in line with the needs of students instead of facilitating lessons around traditional textbooks. Contra Costa College library coordinators Judith Flum and Amanda Choi are heading the initiative to bring OERs to CCC. With many years of experience as a librarian, Flum said she’s well aware of how expensive textbooks have grown over the decades and how increasingly challenging it has become for students to obtain them. “The price of textbooks is climbing at an incredible rate and not coming down anytime soon. That is creating a big problem for our students,” she said. “Adopting OERs will ease the financial stress of our students which will greatly improve their chances of graduating.”
Evidence proves her right. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group conducted a study in 2011 which found that seven in 10 students didn’t purchase a textbook because it was t o o expensive. Also, an average of 60 percent of students admitted to delaying purchasing textbooks until they received financial aid. In 2012, Virginia State University and Houston Community College found that students in courses that utilized OER textbooks tended to have higher grades and lower withdrawal rates than their peers in classes that depended solely on traditional textbooks. Eight years ago, California legislators passed Senate Bill 1052 which authorized the assembly and funding of the California Open Education Resources council. The nine members comprised of three UC, CSU and community college faculty members were tasked with determining 50 lower division courses to be created for OERbased instruction as well as to review and approve submitted open source materials to be used at institutions around the state. SB1053 authorized the creation of the California Digital Open Source Library which is utilized as an online repository for approved open source textbooks. Its passing also made other digital teaching and learning materials available to educators and students for little or no cost.
After attracting an enthusiastic crowd of campus professors at the library’s OER-themed workshop during CCC’s flex week earlier this semester, Flum feels even more motivated to make sure the college OER funding from the district is appropriated for the implication of an OER. “There were professors from the math, biology and English departments there looking for ways to effectively introduce OERs into their teaching plans,” Flum said. “I’m thrilled to see such a crowd of administrators wanting to see this happen.” One professor in attendance was medical assisting department Chairperson Jessica Le. Le said as a professor she’s always looking for ways to better her student’s chances of success and sees OERs doing that by providing students with an innovative alternative to the wallet crippling prices of textbooks. “I don’t want students to sit in class then have to work an extra 20 hours just to pay for the textbook,” she said. “OERs allows us to provide our students with an education without counteracting what should be our overarching goal, which is to get them into more stable financial situations.” Textbook prices are at their most expensive since 1978 after an astonishing increase of 82 percent between 2003 and 2013. According to the National Association of College Stores, the average college student spends $655 on textbooks each year.
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
“Students on our campus can easily pay more for books than their full-time semester tuition,” math professor Sherry Sharufa said. “So many of our students can’t afford it, I see it every semester.” In fact, textbooks costs have outpaced the cost of medical expenses and new home prices over the last three decades, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan. Sharufa said that over time OERs will grow to be more beneficial and mainstream as prices for textbooks continue to climb and today’s students grow more inseverable from their electronic devices. “I think obtaining information digitally is becoming natural for our younger students. That’s why we’re seeing a push for education to move more into the digital realm,” she said. More information on CCC’s OERs can be found under “research guides” on the library page on the college’s website.
Guided pathways constructed By Michael Santone associate editor
msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com
Since the California Community College’s Board of Governors approved the Guided Pathways Grant Program in July, Contra Costa College has begun to examine its course offerings in preparation for the move to a more structured format. The allocation formula, which granted CCC $750,000 over a five-year period, will help establish and integrate guided pathways into the existing course curriculum in conjunction with the structured framework. “We are only at the initial stage of this five-year project,” CCC Academic Senate President Beth Goehring said. “There have been many meetings with student services, management and faculty that have created approximately 15 courses and program maps.” The board-based design of guided pathways is a collaboration and adaption of the national American Association of Community Colleges pathways model. Aimed at increasing the number of students earning community college certificates and degrees, guided pathways helps clarify paths for student end goals, helps student select a program and stay on path to ensure quality learning. “It will take a lot of collaboration with the entire campus to make it happen,” she said. “We can see the benefits for our students.” During October and November, a preliminary survey of CCC faculty, staff and students was conducted on how to approach grouping majors. Biology professor Katie Krolikowski, who is the faculty lead on the project, said the initial process was to get a common understanding of guided pathways on campus. “We made a lot of progress to include and get everyone involved,” she said. “It’s a place to get us all talking in the right direction, but the devil’s in the details.” Krolikowski said that guided pathways are best established at community colleges in California where faculty and staff work
“There have been many meetings with student services, management and faculty that have created approximately 15 courses and program maps.” Beth Goehring,
academic senate president
together. This includes the 20 participating community colleges chosen in early 2017 to implement the model for all incoming student by 2019. “Sometimes teachers don’t communicate well and this is somewhat true at CCC,” she said. “We like and respect each other and with this project we have to work very closely.” A team of five to six faculty meet all last semester, Krolikowski said, to construct parts of the guide pathway structure, such as majors, the order classes should be taken and curriculum pathways. “Our faculty is really on board to make it as successful for students as possible and I’m happy about that,” she said. “Especially with Mojdeh’s (CCC President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh) involvement. She wants to make sure all the information is being shared throughout the college campus.” Krolikowski said one of the biggest challenges is for faculty to find time to dedicate to the project. But because of the support from department chairs, progress has made headway. “We have 16 to 19 out of the 44 programs reviewed. That’s about 40 percent of programs with established pathways,” she said. “For the first draft we have pathways from departments across the campus. We’ll probably end up grouping majors into five different categories.” Although guided pathways gained support, the initial proposal received negative criticism as faculty and staff felt lifelong learners were excluded from the educational
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY BENJAMIN BASSHAM / THE ADVOCATE
experience. “Faculty want to leave space for the lifelong learners and personal developers on campus,” Krolikowski said. “We are sympathetic to supporting the needs of these students and have to advocate at the state level for leverage.” CCC Associated Student Union President Alexander Walker-Griffin said the guided pathways model pushes to get students through the community college system faster. “This could potentially lower the number of students who get lost in the system and eventually drop out because they fell off track or had a difficult time trying to understand what classes they needed to take
in order to get out of school as soon as they can,” he said. “I like that it targets underserved students, which historically have had the hardest time getting out of the system.” The state Board of Governors will distribute the funds with an outlined criteria that includes 10 percent of the total funds toward assistance and programmatic support, 35 percent based on the Full Time Equivalent Student and 45 percent based on the number of students receiving federal pell grant. “All 114 community colleges are different, so we need to work to find a better technique to get colleges to have higher graduation rates that won’t (adversely) impact their funding,” Walker-Griffin said.
LACK OF CAMPUS FIRST-AID CENTER RAISES QUESTIONS By Efrain Valdez social media editor
evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com
Over the past few decades there has been a sharp decline in on-campus nurses or first-aid centers at K-12 schools and college campuses around the country due to budget cuts. According to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), just 45 percent of the nation’s schools have a full-time, on-site nurse. Contra Costa College lacks a first-aid center or a campus nurse where students can get immediate help if suffering from a small cut or something more serious, like a heart attack.
“Even in the 80s, when I was in grade school we had nurses,” emergency medical technician and paramedic program director Troy Hess said. “Over the years you started to see one nurse servicing four schools and eventually those positions were almost non-existent due to all the budget cuts,” he said. Four-year universities all have a medical/ first-aid centers to give students basic help for something minor. Sometimes the services simply buy the paramedics more time to get someone to a hospital if they are experiencing a life-threatening episode. “Even though this campus does not have a medical center to get first-aid help, Police Services officers are trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if need-
ed,” Buildings and Grounds manager Bruce King said. Students are left to find common sense solutions to medical problems when they arise on campus. “If somebody needs emergency medical help on campus they need to call 911 and give them good direction to your location,” Hess said. If a medical emergency were to happen on campus, professors and administrators are told to let Police Services know of the situation. “As an adviser and an employee on campus, I am told to call Police Services, (if an emergency arises)” Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks said. King said officers are required to know
CPR, so if it’s a serious situation they can apply that before an ambulance arrives. Hess said that when he worked at Los Medanos College the emergency medical technicians (EMT) department and the nursing department were next to each other and that allowed them to help anybody who came knocking on their doors. “We actually got to help a lot of people there,” he said. “It’s complicated, but as an individual I can provide someone in a life-threatening position CPR. But I can only operate under my scope of practice. “There are good Samaritan laws that protect individuals that are trying to help somebody in distress if they accidentally hurt that person.”
campus beat
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Celebration honors history Event praises African culture, rhythm By Ryan Geller news editor
rgeller.theadvocate@gmail.com
The black intellect, rhythms and dance, of the annual African Heritage Month Celebration returns to the Knox Center for Performing Arts Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. This year’s theme is African traditional legacy, cultural continuity and renaissance. Professors Manu Ampim and Carolyn Hodge are organizing the event, they agree that African Heritage Month should include more than simply AfricanAmerican history. Hodge said, “African Heritage Month as opposed to Black History Month is a political stance we are taking about the culture being of African descent. It is a statement to the community that we are celebrating being of African descent or African.” Every year students are featured in the event, Hodge said, some will do spoken word performances, one student is putting on a fashion show, sometimes students will speak about their experiences taking the Africana/AfricanAmerican studies program. “It’s always a positive thing, but they should advertise it more so more students will go,” biology major Ashley Jones said The introduction to the cele-
bration is dedicated to the great scholar and historian Carter G. Woodsen who started “Negro History Week” in 1926 which later became Black History Month 50 years later, Ampim said. Congolese drummers Fua Dia Congo will perform. This group has become a Contra Costa College favorite because it brings incredible energy to the event year after year, Hodge said. Sistah Iminah will perform a song in the African tradition called the “Goddess Experience.” Ampim is going to share stories and slides from his latest research with isolated peoples from Southern Ethiopia and Sudan. “These are people who have not changed their traditional dress, they only marry within their own ranks and they don’t care about anybody else. They are doing their own thing. They only focus on their own tribe and their own ceremonies and their own rituals. Their resistance to change allows us to look at the culture the way it was in the past.” There will also be a live demonstration of traditional African hair wrapping and an explanation of the different meanings of each style, Ampim said. Hodge said, “Everybody should come. This celebration is not just for black folks. Everybody really enjoys this event. I have been
CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE
Kiazi Malonga (right) and Fua Dia Congo (left) play drums during the annual African Heritage Month celebration in the Knox Center on Thursday night from 6-8 p.m.
known to give my students assignments to write about the experience. “Some of the most powerful comments have come from some of my non-black students. They have told me that they did not know about the powerful culture. Some students said that they became more interested in their own history and culture after attending the
event.” In 1916 Woodsen founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). This organization still facilitates Black History Month events and ceremonies. The theme that ASALH has selected for 2018 is AfricanAmericans in times of war. Woodsen choose February for
his original celebration because both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln have birthdays in February, Ampim said. “Sometimes people say that ‘they gave us the shortest month of the year,’ but there was no ‘they.’ Here was Carter G. Woodsen and it does not matter whether you have a 28-day month or a 31-day month, it’s still not going to be enough.”
Upcoming African Heritage Month events Twenty reps from Historically Black Colleges and Universities will meet with students one-onone in the College Center Plaza on Feb. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the HBCU caravan. Students can meet with college representatives and possibly get accepted on the spot, as well as apply and receive scholarships.
The new Marvel Studios film “Black Panther” will be screened at Century 16 Hilltop. The Associated Student Union will be giving out free tickets to the screening to students on a first come, first served basis. For more information contact ASU adviser jnickelsonshanks@contracosta.edu or visit the Student Life Office in SA-109.
Feb 14. Historically Black College University caravan, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Feb. 20
‘Black Panther’ movie screening, Century 16 Hilltop, 7 to 10 p.m.
Eddie Hart, American track and field Olympian, and award-winning journalist and author Dave Newhouse, will discuss his book at Contra Costa College in GE-225. “Disqaualified” is based on the 1972 Munich, Germany Olympics where Hart was disqualified after arriving minutes late in the quarterfinal heat.
Feb. 21
‘Disqualified’ Book signing, GE-225, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Feb. 21
Poetry Night, Fireside Hall, 5 to 7 p.m.
INFORMATIONAL GRAPHIC BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Pamphlet guides, aids undocumented students Resource tool provides info for DACA students, Dreamers
By Ryan Geller news editor
rgeller.theadvocate@gmail.com
Creators of Contra Costa College’s information pamphlet for undocumented students are delaying the publication of the latest version so the most up-to-date information can be included. The recent U.S. District Court injunction and the congressional bargaining on immigration that is playing out this week are the latest tectonic shifts that have held up the ‘Keeping the Dream Alive” pamphlet, STEM Councilor Lorena González said. González expects the updated version, as well as a Spanish language translation, to be out by the end of February. The current version, now available in the Student Services Center, contains key facts about the potential termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). It also includes a step-by-step guide on applying for California financial aid and scholarships/grants, a list of legal and educational resources and a “know your rights” informational card. The pamphlet includes a memorandum from Jacob Knapp, acting general counsel for the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. “The ‘unwinding’ of DACA does not impact a student’s ability to attend our colleges, qualify for an exemption from non-resident tuition fees under AB540, or to apply for financial aid under the provisions of the California
Dream Act,” he said. “AB540 and the California Dream Act are state programs that are entirely separate and distinct from DACA.” The “Keeping the Dream Alive” pamphlet was first published two and a half years ago at CCC as a project to help undocumented students understand the educational path that laws like AB540 and the California Dream Act offer, Student Equity Coordinator Mayra Padilla said. Faculty involved with the CCC equity plan asked then student Valeria Avila to lead the effort, Padilla said. Avila pulled together a group of undocumented students and posed the question: “What would you like to have known about navigating the educational system?” The original pamphlet was a collection of the answers to this question, along with a list of additional resources. The project was edited with the help of González who added a section on managing mental health to the recent publications of the pamphlet. “You have to take into account the emotional roller coaster that undocumented students have in transitioning from one country to another, and then add to that the fear of disclosing your status or information and thinking, ‘Am I going to be supported?’” González said. She said the threat is not just deportation but possibly being separated from your family. Gonzales said it is important to have good mental health resources available so undocumented stu-
dents can have tools to remain focused through the challenges happening at the same time. The upcoming publication of “Keeping the Dream Alive” will also include a Spanish language version translated by González. The guide is for undocumented students but also for family and friends because there are many mixed status families. “The guide is also geared for faculty and staff. As an educational institution we are under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,” Gonzalez said. The pamphlet notes that FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
On the back cover of the pamphlet is a poem by Roxana Amparo, who is an undocumented student at CCC. The last lines of the poem are in Spanish: “Mujer de color, sin documentos. No peso nada para viento. Para si no hoy, cuando sera mi tiempo?” Amparo offered this version in English: “Although I am an undocumented woman of color, I am weightless. I cannot be stopped.”
PHOTOS BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
BELOW: The“Keeping the Dream Alive” pamphlet provides students with up-to-date information for undocumented students.
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sports
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LOSING STREAK CONTINUES AFTER OFFENSE FALLS FLAT
By Dylan Collier
assistant scene editor
dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com
Despite striking out just four times, the Comet baseball team lost its third game in a row, this one a 9-0 shutout to De Anza College (4-1) Saturday on the Baseball Field. Contra Costa College (1-3) started the game with good defense COMETS and solid fielding but began to unravel halfway through the game. In the fifth inning, Dons’ third baseman Josh Longabaugh hit a deep line drive to right-center, ric- DONS ocheting off the fence and allowing him to safely slide into third base for a triple. Longabaugh eventually scored the first run of the game by way of a sacrifice fly hit to center off the bat of DA center fielder Andrew Coan. Coach Brian Guinn said, “Overall, I think we have a pretty good ball club, but the players learned today that a few bad innings are all it takes for the opposing team to surge ahead and win.” The fact that more than half of De Anza’s lineup was left-handed batters gave them an advantage going up against all right-handed Comet pitchers. Any movement on the Comet pitches broke into the batter’s swing, rather than moving away from it. The Comets had more than four innings where all three of their batters were retired in a row, making it hard for them to get into any sort of rhythm. While the Comet hitters only got between three and four plate appearances, the Dons got between four and five trips to the plate for almost every player on the team. “Our missing ingredient was executing at the plate offensively. We didn’t do that today,” starting pitcher Jake Dent said. The Comets got a chance to improve on their execution Tuesday at Ohlone College in Fremont, after press time. In the game Saturday, De Anza had an explosive seventh inning, where the team was able to maintain a level of consistency by stringing together multiple hits. Dons’ third baseman Tyler Jochen and catcher TJ Solomona found the outfield grass with backto-back singles. Later left fielder Diego Fisher drew a walk to load the bases for Longabaugh, who hit a double to the warning track. That bases-clearing double contributed to De Anza’s four-run seventh inning, making the score 5-0 Dons. Comet catcher Tyler Winston started off a little slow behind the plate, especially by hesitating to throw to second base to catch runners stealing. Winston got into his groove and threw out two runners attempting to steal second later in the game. “I had a high frame behind the plate in our first game against them on Friday, so I learned how to adjust. Coach told me to move the frame down a little and keep it low, so we wouldn’t allow any homers like we did the other day. I’m learning every day,” Winston said. “We weren’t mentally prepared today, and while we played solid defense, we just didn’t hit the ball,” he said. Right fielder Dylan Wilson said what it boils down to is CCC just needs to put runs on the board for their pitching staff. Guinn said, “I like this team, because they all work hard and take instruction well. It’s a good group of kids. I’m looking forward to this year.”
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DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Comet Jake Dent pitches during Contra Costa College’s 9-0 shutout loss against De Anza College Saturday on the Baseball Field.
■ OFF THE RECORD
Halftime performance echoes NFL problems E
ver since Colin Kaepernick was effectively blackballed from participating in the 2017 NFL season, football just hasn’t been the same and although I haven’t watched a complete game this season, my efforts fall short of a full boycott. This past weekend, the biggest American sporting event of the year, Super Bowl LII, took place, complete with all of the pageantry and multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns that we have come to expect. And somehow, now more than ever before, it all felt extremely hollow. From the multicultural children strewn before the cameras during the pre-game festivities, to the crocodile tears shed by many of the players during the national anthem — the scenes of patriotism and inclusivity wrapped in a blanket of Americana was nothing short of contrived. Super Bowl football fans are no different than Christians who overflow churches on Easter. The church welcomes the offerings of fair-weather followers, the same with the NFL
and fair-weather fans. Even the halftime show, which was bad, felt different — it felt like defeat. Seeing Justin Timberlake perform his version of blueeyed-soul, with just enough hip-hop to avoid owning the seductive dweeb market, left me yearning for Janet Jackson to take the stage and get her revenge by causing him a wardrobe malfunction. In 2004 Jackson suffered the brunt of America’s faux-puritanical public scorn following Timberlake’s exposing of the singer’s breast during that year’s Super Bowl halftime performance. But there is no justice in halftime shows or football for that matter, CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) proves that. When Patriot receiver Brandin Cooks left the 2018 Super Bowl with a head injury, how many updates on his condition were given throughout the game. Nobody remembered — nobody cared. It was a real-life rendition of “Everything is Awesome,” where all of the events of the past 18 weeks completely ceased to exist.
robertclinton It was during this season, Sept. 22, that Trump called NFL players who spoke out against systemic oppression “sons of bitches.” Those words unlocked the secret sentiment of average football fans nationwide. Five days later, NFL fans took to social media to post videos of themselves burning their own season tickets. Not because players took a knee to bring awareness to social injustice — they were angry because players knelt to the dulcet tones of the hypocritically-versed national anthem. This is the often forgotten third verse of the anthem. “No refuge could save the hireling and slave, from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave. O’er the land of the free
and the home of the brave.” Kind of makes you want to take a knee while donning a raised fist, doesn’t it? But that was four months ago and in this political climate and never-ending news cycle, four months can feel like four generations. As for the game, deciding who to root for between the Patriots and the Eagles is like electing Democrats or Republicans. It’s all deciding between the lesser of two evils. In 2013, the Eagles handled receiver Riley Cooper with kid gloves when he threatened to fight every n***** at a country music show. One year later, the team extended his contract. And the Patriots are, well — the Patriots, what’s to respect? This was the NFL’s last opportunity to sway me as a fan and they failed, miserably. Next year, no Kaepernick no football in my house. I’ve had enough.
Robert Clinton is an opinion editor for The Advocate. Contact him at rclinton.theadvocate@ gmail.com.
Comets fail to overcome early deficit to conference leaders By Efrain Valdez
social media editor
evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com
In a contested away game against red-hot Yuba College (19-11 overall and 11-1 in the Bay Valley Conference), the men’s basketball team failed to complete an epic comeback after trailing by 18 points at halftime to lose 80-75 Friday in Marysville. Contra Costa College (13-11 overall and 7-6 in the BVC) was on its way to another lopsided conference defeat against the first-place 49ers, but the Comets turned on the burners in the second half and nearly pulled off the upset. “It was all about our energy,” forward Jovell Vance said. “We were lackadaisical with our effort early on, but in the second half we really wanted to win. We came out and played some defense, made some shots and listened to our coach.” Vance led the way for CCC on the stat sheet totaling 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while being on the floor for 30 minutes. He was one of five Comets who scored double-digit points.
“I think the 49er home crowd played a big part in the game. It was a pretty exciting place to play in, but I think we came out a little flat,” Comet guard Isaiah Attles said. “We weren’t used to that environment. That was definitely the most packed gym we have played in this season.” At halftime, the Comets trailed Yuba 49-36. Yuba has outscored CCC in the first half of both games by a combined 33 points. The Comets have played superb in the second half of contests this season and managed to out- COMETS score the conference leaders in that category. Comet forward Demond 49ERS Washington said that the team played Yuba much better in this game than it played in the first game. Attles said, “We are a good team. All of us can play, so we knew we could play better than that first half we had. As a basketball player you just
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know when you have to turn it on,” CCC committed 16 turnovers and had 17 assists. Having that many turnovers and only obtaining one more assist didn’t help make the comeback effort any easier. Vance said Yuba didn’t really force them into mistakes early on in the game. He said that it was a combination of bad Comet turnovers, bad shots and the 49ers running their offense effectively. “In the second half we did the complete opposite from what we did in the first. We shot the ball well and committed (fewer) turnovers,” Vance said. “We really needed to win to make playoffs, so a moral victory doesn’t really mean anything at this point,” With this loss, CCC’s playoff hopes are dim. They need a combination of themselves winning the remaining the three remaining conference games on the schedule and the teams above CCC in the standings have to lose out. The Comets next game is Friday at College of Marin at 5:30 p.m.
LEON WATKINS / THE ADVOCATE
Comet point guard Eric Jones drives into the lane during Contra Costa College’s 80-75 loss against Yuba College Friday in Marysville.
focus
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Italian dishes feed campus’ appetite, hunger
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LEFT: Culinary arts students line up their dishes on the front counter of the Aqua Terra Grill during the Iron Chef Taste of Italy competition on Thursday.
Photos by: Denis Perez For
more photos visit our website: www.cccadvocate.com/multimedia
RIGHT: Culinary arts major Nelson Rosas (foreground) untangles pasta, with Chef Nader Sharkes’ help (top), in the Aqua Terra Grill kitchen during the Iron Chef Taste of Italy competition on Thursday.
LEFT: Culinary arts majors Ellen Chou (left) and other members of the Cheesy Wheezy team react as department Chairperson Nader Sharkes calls their team’s name as the winners of the Iron Chef Taste of Italy competition in the Aqua Terra Grill on Thursday.
RIGHT: Contra Costa College culinary arts program alumnus Armando Robinson (center) grabs a plate of food as Hercules resident Kenneth Jett (right) walks past and looks at a food tray at the Iron Chef Taste of Italy competition on Thursday.
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RIGHT: Umi Grant (left) and Oz HerreraSobal (right) perform a scene from “How We Got On.” The play is nominated for presentation at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Spokane, Washington. The festival will take place Feb. 19-23.
Theater fest nominates five students to compete
XAVIER JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE
By Gabriel Quiroz advocate staff
gquiroz.theadvocate@gmail.com
Five students from the drama department have been selected to go to the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival later this month in Spokane, Washington. Umi Grant, Oz Herrera-Sobal, Xavier Johnson, Akilah Kamau and Cody Poehnelt will all be competing at the week-long festival after receiving nominations from last semester’s production of “How We Got On.” Along with the five students nominated, Josiah Garcia and Diego Loza are going to the festival as acting scene partners. Garcia will work with Sobal and Loza will be working with Kamau. The festival will be Feb. 19-23 with a week’s worth of productions, competitions and workshops each day. The festival includes state, regional and national events where students compete in all aspects of theater, from acting to directing to production design. According to its website KCACTF.org, the goal is to “encourage, recognize and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs.” This is the second year students from
the department have been chosen for the acting category of the competition. It is the first year that students will compete in the technical theater and drama in journalism categories. Technical theater student Poehnelt received a nomination in lighting design after his work during last semester’s production of “How We Got On.” Poehnelt has been working in technical theater at CCC for five years and knows the necessary steps to take to achieve the theatrical look he wants. He said he first reads the script for the play, then speaks with the director and begins to develop a concept. Once he decides what he wants to do, it usually only takes a few days to set up the lights and program the patterns. He said developing the concepts is the lengthy process. “My favorite part of the whole process is actually putting on the show and hearing the crowd react to the effects I’ve created,” Poehnelt said. During the festival Poehnelt will not have his lighting equipment with him so he must create a display board showcasing his process from start to finish to present to the judges.
Johnson will be attending the festival as the drama department’s first nominee for the Drama in Journalism category. Journalists at the festival compete by covering of events going on throughout the theater festival and writing play reviews. Drama department Chairperson CarlosManuel Chavarria said Johnson is his first journalism student he’s had compete. He said this is a learning experience because neither he or Johnson know what to expect. This is also the first Chavarria year Umi Grant will be competing at the festival as an actor. Herrera-Sobal and Kamau both competed at last year’s festival. Grant attended the event last year as Herrera-Sobal’s scene partner. The acting competitors are working closely with adjunct drama professor, and the director of “How We Got On,” Angelina LaBarre. She got to choose the scenes and monologues for the acting students to perform at the festival. LaBarre said scene and monologue selec-
tion is very important because students in the acting category will only have three minute segments at the festival to showcase their skills. “I tried to find pieces that they knew how to perform, but also (scenes) that would challenge them,” LaBarre said. One of these challenging scenes comes from “The Pillowman,” by Martin McDonagh, the story of Katurian, a fiction writer and his brother Michal who has suffered from years of abuse at the hands of their parents. Katurian and Michal are both jailed because Katurians’ fictional writings seem to tell the story of actual murders of children that have recently taken place in their small town. Sobal will play the role of Katurian during an intense scene where Michal admits to him that he is the one who has killed the children. “This year we are part of the top 20,” Chavarria said, referring to the college’s position at the festival. There are eight regions in total across the country. Contra Costa College is in Region 7, which includes Diablo Valley College, Santa Rosa College, along with other colleges and universities from Colorado to Washington.
FILM SCREENING SELLS OUT KNOX, CELEBRATES LIFE By Xavier Johnson scene editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
Twenty-four years ago a young girl named Cecilia “Cecy” Rios was murdered in Richmond. After her murder the community at large came together to memorialize the ambitious girl who touched the lives of everyone she met. Now, two decades later, in the sold-out John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts, the community came together once again to remember Rios during screenings of the film “Love, Cecy” directed by Jay Francisco Lopez Friday and Saturday. “I’m glad a lot of people want to know who she was and her story after 24 years,” said Lopez, a former Contra Costa College theater arts student. The event had the somber tone of a memorial, but was also celebratory of Rios’ life and the person she was to those she loved. Pictures of Rios lined the red carpet where dozens of people took pictures in front of a large poster for the film. Her quinceanera dress was rec-
reated and was there alongside an album with her childhood photos and excerpts from her diary. Real life friends of Rios and her parents were at the screening taking in the film that memorializes and tells the story of the person they DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE knew so well. Rios’ cousin Norma Cabrera The John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts was sold out two nights in a row Friday and said the film was perfect in depict- Saturday for the fundraiser screening of “Love, Cecy,” directed by Contra Costa College theater arts ing how her life was, from her alumnus Jay Francisco Lopez. quinceanera to the tragedy. “Watching the movie was like Miguel Navarro, a local rapper and mends Lopez for having the nerve tion and answer session with quessitting there and seeing my cousin.” actor who plays Flaco in the film. to portray this true story with hon- tions varying from what it took The film followed the last He got the crowd on their feet per- esty. to fund the film, to what camera five months of her life after her forming a song in the film that’s a Others were familiar with the it was shot on and how the actors quinceanera, primarily her relation- love letter to the city of Richmond. Rios story from growing up in prepared for the roles. ship with her troubled boyfriend After the film, a solemn feel- Richmond. After the film, people stuck Julio, played by Vince-Anthony ing took over the theater. A perErick Montano, who plays around in the Knox Center lobby Ramirez, and the impact she had formance by Martin Cantu of Gomo in the film, said he remem- to take photos with the cast and on his life. “Suavecito,” Rios’ favorite song, bers when the murder happened talk about the film with several Rios helped Julio focus on his brought the crowd’s energy back. when he was a kid. “Cecy” chants breaking out. schoolwork and helped him deal Danny De La Paz, emcee and Angie Marie Espinoza plays Audra Cabrera said the film was with issues he had at home with his actor from “American Me,” said, Rios in the film. touching. “She was a young girl in own parents. “The story is not about how a girl The actress said it was beautiful school with a good head on her CCC business major Erica was murdered. It’s a story about to see the community come out in shoulders. We focus on her great Delgado was Rios’ friend. She said, her. It’s about the kind of person such large numbers to support the life and that part of the story needs “(Rios) really wanted to bring the she was, her spirit and the impact project. to be brought out to everybody.” best out of people. She found the she had on people’s life with the “This was a big tragedy and it “Love, Cecy” had its world pregood in people.” short 15 years she had.” shows me how people can come miere showing in New York at the As the screening began, there He said he didn’t know Rios’ together through that,” she said. New York Latino Film Festival last was a musical performance by story prior to the film and he comThe event closed with a ques- October.