The Advocate 9-20

WEDNESDAY l 9.20.17 OUR 68TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

IDENTIFYING SIGNALS OF DESPAIR

Suicide among top causes of death among Americans

By Roxanna Amparo associate editor

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

ILLUSTRATION BY MAYRA GARCIA / THE ADVOCATE

InSite Portal app halted

By Anthony Kinney associate editor

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

Technology challenges and contractual issues have delayed the release of Contra Costa Community College District’s newly designed InSite Portal mobile app.

District Director of Communications and Community Relations Tim Leong said, “We want the app to drop sooner than later, but we also want to make sure we give our students the best product we can.”

District Director of Information Technology Satish Warrier said the setback derives from disagreements regarding the company tasked with designing the district’s mobile application.

Leong said the delay has caused a halt in the production of the app, however its release is expected in the spring semester of 2018.

Leong District Senior Web Application Administrator Jay Shaffer said the vendor contract will be going out for bid soon in order to find a more suitable developer to create the app that the district officials envision.

While students continue to grow more reliant on their cellphones, the district wants to ensure they are technologically prepared to assist students in connecting with their college, Leong said.

The spring 2018 release will be a beta version of the app where developers will ask users for feedback to aid in fine-tuning it for its later official release.

A beta version of a product is released

“We want the app to drop sooner than later but we also want to make sure we give our students the best product we can.”

Tim Leong,

district director of communications

prior to completion so users can familiarize themselves with a commodity and offer feedback to manufacturers to streamline its final iteration.

The app has been billed as a reimagining of the district’s current mobile app Ellucian GO which allows students to do a wide array of college related tasks.

Students can register for classes and check their grades as well as InSite email and schedules.

Contra Costa College’s Director of Marketing and Media Design Brandy Howard said the planned app will keep the same functionally as its predecessor, however, its improved modern design and refined layout will provide better usability.

“The app will be more efficient for students and easier to explore,” she said. “The district is making sure students get all they need from their mobile app.”

The Ellucian Go app currently allows students to opt-in to a text messaging program where students receive notifications concerning enrollment dates and counselor appointment reminders.

Howard said the messaging program has been a success with over 3,000 students signing up since its launch.

Similar to Ellucian GO, the purposed app will be available on both Android and

ILLUSTRATION BY MAYRA GARCIA / THE ADVOCATE

iPhone devices.

Business major Aaron French said he thinks it’s essential for the college to have a mobile app while living in an age of evolving technology.

“More students have cellphones than computers these days. The app makes things more convenient for us who don’t have our own computers,” he said.

Automotive department teaches with VR Students to learn welding, painting techniques using virtual reality

By Andrew Weedon advocate staff

SEE SUICIDE, PAGE 3

aweedon.theadvocate@gmail.com

New virtual reality technology is now helping Contra Costa College automotive students learn the basics of welding and painting in collision repair.

The equipment, aimed at beginners, will now be the first step in teaching students the arts of welding and painting.

The VR system, called GuideweldVR and made by the company Reality Works, is an exciting new step for education.

“It will be used in the AUSER-123/125 (auto collision repair) class and lab,” automotive professor Peter Lock said.

Later, the welding portion is expected to also be introduced in an automotive welding class, which is currently being proposed.

The first part of the VR welding system consists of a medium-sized grey box. With a simulated welding torch, students can train using a multitude of welding joints by simply changing out the included plastic joints.

The device then displays an interface to any screen or projector to allow instructors to easily teach.

MAXWELL CRAIG / THE ADVOCATE This also has the added benefit of allowing other Automotive professor Laura Salas discusses the virtual reality software, Guildeweld, on Sept. 13. The software is being used to teach automotive students to watch alongside the instructor. welding techniques.

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Mental health advocates raised awareness for those who may be in the depths of despair by dedicating the month of September as National Suicide Prevention Month.

Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, ranking just below heart disease and cancer, according to data collected in 2015 from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website.

The data also shows, each year there are over 44,000 suicides on average and 121 suicides per day in the U.S. “I know a person who attempted suicide five times and did not succeed,” Contra Costa College AfricanAmerican studies major Vada Mahan said. “The person had been molested as a kid and didn’t know who to talk to. It followed them throughout adulthood.

“Suicide prevention support is needed. This month has been set aside to acknowledge it. It should be a 12-month acknowledgment.”

Listed among the more common reasons for suicidal thoughts are mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Data collected in 2015 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data & Statistics Fatal Injury Report shows the number of people who visited a hospital due to self-harm is nearly 494,000 in the U.S. According to the data, higher suicide rates are prevalent among Caucasians, followed by Native Americans.

Mahan said suicide has to be brought to the forefront and treated with the utmost importance.

“You have to let those people know that if they do come forward, they will be treated as someone special. People have kids who have hidden secrets that feel they cannot divulge because of fear of ridicule.”

CCC offers services on campus for students combating emotional strains.

CCC’s Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT) is a group of administrators who have been trained to recognize emotionally distressed students and help link them to college resources, like counselors or the Student Wellness Program on campus.

The Student Wellness Program is a therapeutic program for students who may be facing family conflicts, stress or other emotional challenges that prohibit them from succeeding academically.

Sociology major Kadijah Walker said she knows about the Wellness Center on campus but having staff and faculty who walk the campus on a daily basis asking students how they are doing would increase the support students feel on campus.

“If someone asks how someone is doing then maybe they will think twice about it (suicide),” Walker said.

“We need to know how to recognize the signs when someone is depressed because we really don’t know. We need to know when someone is isolated, when they stop talking or when they change and go into the dark — we are not aware.”

Walker said both younger and older students can feel “hopelessness” in their life when they feel their efforts aren’t good enough.

“They get an F and they feel hope-

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Quotable “Silence... blurs more truth than it reveals.”

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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, SEPT 20, 2017 VOL. 105, NO. 4

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

●

EDITORIAL SUPPORT NEEDS AMPLIFICATION

Wellness services lack outreach for suicide prevention

S

uicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, wreaking havoc on families, with no regard for age, sex, or religion.

National Suicide Prevention Month, recognized throughout September, is dedicated to raising awareness and bringing resources to people who may be struggling or know someone who is struggling with thoughts of suicide.

On campus, counseling offers assistance to students in emotional distress. However, those students are already suffering.

Resources should be readily accessible to students, in newsletters or emails, specifically intended to remind students where they can find the necessary mental health resources on campus.

According to the American College Health Association (ACHA), suicide among students ages 15-24, has increased since the 1950s and is the second most common cause of death among college students.

While Contra Costa College is equipped to handle tragedies through their Student Wellness Program, accessible in the Counseling Center, some students may not know about these services.

Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said if students need assistance for mental health they can visit Counseling Office to access consultants trained specifically to handle emotional situations.

But with something as personal as suicide, reaching out for help can be a challenge in itself.

This may warrant the need for a bolder wellness program that approaches problems through face-to-face outreach.

With suicide being so prevalent in society and glamorized by TV shows like “13 Reasons Why,” paying attention to National Suicide Prevention Month can be crucial in making progress toward saving lives.

But the fear of being shamed, or appearing weak in the eyes of peers, may cause someone to avoid seeking help and rather stay quiet about their inner pain.

According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), certain factors like substance abuse, or untreated depression, can lead to higher risk of suicide.

However, there is no common trait that people on the verge of committing suicide will consistently exhibit.

Although some support programs (like the Student Wellness Program) are offered on campus, the information is not universally accessible unless students seek it out for themselves.

There are many reasons that a student might refuse to seek help, but we shouldn’t need to be reminded during designated months that target awareness.

Instead, issues regarding suicide should be addressed among all faculty and staff on a weekly basis with any new information openly shared with the student body for reflection.

For on campus assistance, students can call the Counseling Center at 510-215-3960 or wellness@contracosta.edu, or make a drop-in appointment the Counseling Center in SSC-108.

Although taking a life may seem like a selfish act, students must know that they have the support from their community at CCC who will not turn their backs on them.

Suicide should be taken with the utmost respect and priority.

MAYRA GARCIA / THE ADVOCATE

■ BATHROOMS

Gendered bathrooms hinder progress T

he whole notion of transgender bathrooms is redundant; this country has solved the problem of segregated bathrooms before.

When they were segregated by race the solution was to get over our collective hang-ups and let group A and group B use the same bathrooms.

This time the proposed solution is to let the members of group B who identify as members of group A use group A’s bathrooms.

This seems like an inferior solution.

Before you say sex is different from race, consider what accusation are you making about group B? Are they gross? Are they a threat? Are they perverse?

Do you just not like having them near your daughters?

I have never seen any situation improved by segregation. It just makes people resent each other and cultivates an unhealthy sense of superiority in the ones doing the excluding.

Also, how do you distinguish a trans-A person from a B person?

The only identifying factor is the statement “I am trans.”

All it takes for those filthy, scary, bestial B’s to gain unrestricted access to group A’s bathrooms is a single lie.

That’s what all the conservatives are upset about.

Well, some of them.

Others just don’t accept trans-As as real group A members, and so regard all of them as lying B’s.

The only consistent options are either unisex

benjaminbassham bathrooms or strict biological segregation. The policy of desegregation for trans people and liars requires sloppy thinking, and it isn’t protecting anyone.

In most of the country, the taboo against going into the wrong All it takes bathroom is weakly for those enforced.

Janitors, par- filthy, scary, ents helping children and bestial overlong B’s to gain lines have worn the tra- unrestricted dition down to a nub and access to unisex bath- group A’s rooms only bathroom is degrade it further. a single lie.

Since there will be B’s in the A’s bathrooms anyway, it’s better to just get over the irrational fear all at once.

Having people of different races crap in the same room didn’t shatter society, so I don’t think having people of different sexes continue to crap in the same room will either.

In addition to saving room and reducing costs by not building segregated bathrooms, I think there would be social benefits.

A bit more than two centuries ago, civilization developed, or worsened, a

really unhealthy attitude about sex. It was suddenly unacceptable for men and women to bathe together.

After all those millennia of human civilization where it generally wasn’t a problem, group B’s unclean eyes could no longer be allowed to gaze upon the bare bodies of group A. Oddly, the reason for this decidedly conservative thinking has to do with the development of housing and heating. When people lived in single-room huts around a fire pit, privacy just wasn’t possible.

With separate rooms, people were free to develop neuroses about nudity. This meant the wealthiest developed this cutting-edge segregation first, but it became fashionable with everyone soon enough.

In any case, shared bathing was suddenly too sinful, or maybe group B could no longer be trusted.

We don’t need to embrace the nudist lifestyle, but the current brand of irrational fear could be toned down a little.

Is there a single reason to not desegregate that doesn’t boil down to disgust for, and fear of, group B? Maybe equal bathroom rights would be uncomfortable for a while, but that’s a good thing. The racists mostly learned they were wrong by being forced to be uncomfortable, the sexists will too..

Benjamin Bassham is the news editor for The Advocate. Contact him at bbassham.theadvocate@ gmail.com.

CAMPUS COMMENT

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about committing suicide?

“I would try to be supportive of them and encourage them to go get help and talk to someone about what’s going on.”

Isabella Gutierrez psychology

“Everything will be OK and there is nothing too big that should bring you to kill yourself and that your problems are temporary not forever.”

Damion Tingle psychology

JESSICA SUICO AND LOUIS CANO /THE ADVOCATE

“I would ask why they feel that way and try to convince them not to do it.”

“It’s not worth it. Every problem has a solution.

If things don’t look beautiful now just know it’s not the end.”

Oscar Rodriguez Ortiz

Ferlin Munoz

environmental science

nursing

“I would show them how important they are to bring to their attention that doing that affects everyone around them.”

Ira Goospy business

“I would give them a suicide prevention number and refer them to someone to talk to.”

Alexis Gutierrez psychology

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NEWSLINE SUICIDE | Month raises mental health awareness

n ADVENTURE

GROUP TO GATHER, HIKE MUIR WOODS The Outdoor Adventure Club will be hiking at Muir Woods on Sept. 30.

Club members will meet at Muir Woods at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the afternoon.

The purpose of the outing is to gain appreciation and respect for nature, while having fun.

For more information about the hike, contact club President Julissa Martin.

n CAREER SERVICES

WORKSHOP ENABLES APPLICATION SKILLS There will be a workshop on how to apply for seasonal employment in SA-227 Career/Transfer Center on Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.

The event is a continuation of the series of six career services workshops in the fall 2017 semester.

Students will be able to receive advice about skills employers are looking for over the holiday season and how to work with classes schedules.

Contact Career Services Coordinator Natasha DeAlmeida at 510-215-6865 for more information on the workshop.

lessness because they worry about what will happen to them,” Walker said.

“What are my parents going to think? Am I dumb? All of (these questions) play a mind game with you and make you want to stop and give up and think, ‘why keep going’.”

For some students, suicide has impacted their lives and the lives of their own family members.

Psychology major Mary Youngblood said depression led her brother’s ex-wife to commit suicide.

“She was depressed because of her relationship and called my brother because they have an 8-year-old son.”

Youngblood said her brother

saw his son waiting outside of the front door and was upset because his son was left outside without supervision.

“When they went inside the house, she had already shot herself. She was in her bedroom dead.

(My brother’s) son came screaming because his mom was dead on the floor.”

Having programs available and letting people know how they can reach those programs when having suicidal thoughts can save their lives, Youngblood said.

Among the leading methods of suicide is suicide by firearm, accounting for almost 50 percent of suicide deaths, according to the 2015 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website.

Poison and suffocation were the next common methods of suicide as of 2015.

Walker said, “Suicide attempts and thoughts come from hopelessness. I believe waking up in the morning and feeling this hopelessness creates this chain reaction of thoughts about giving up or why should I even try.”

CCC students seeking help from professionals can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for confidential help. Services are available 24 hours and an online chat option is available.

“This is very real and if it’s not in your house, it is still a part of your life,” Youngblood said. “We need to help each other.”

Statistics Suicide rates per year are estimated to be over 44,000 on average in the U.S.

Hotline The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800273-TALK (8255.) Services are available 24 hours a day.

Suicide methods The primary method of suicide is by firearm, followed by poisoning and suffocation.

AUTOMOTIVE | Course offers alternative method

n EMPTY BOWLS

CERAMICS, CULINARY MERGE FOR CHARITY The Aqua Terra Grill will host the annual Empty Bowls event on Oct. 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The culinary arts department will serve a variety of soups in bowls created by Contra College’s art students.

All proceeds go to the Bay Area Rescue Mission.

Tickets are $10 general admission and $5 for students.

For more information about Empty Bowls, email wchau@contracosta.edu

AUTHOR, SURVIVOR SHARES EXPERIENCE Author Jabali Smith is presenting “The Sojourn of Tragedy and Triumph” in GE-225 today from 5:30-7 p.m. Smith is a human trafficking survivor and activist.

He is the author of “Slave: A Human Trafficking Survivor Finds Life.”

The Well Child Foundation and Contra Costa College are presenting this event.

CRIMEWATCH Friday, Sept. 1: A Gateway staff member reported an incident involving two students that occurred in the Applied Arts Building.

Sunday, Sept. 3: A traffic collision occurred in Lot 14. No injuries were reported.

Monday, Sept. 4: The walk-up window to the Bookstore was smashed.

Tuesday, Sept. 5: Officers responded to a report of a female student attacking a male student in Lot 2.

— 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.

Continued from Page 1 The second part, which is a separate device, gives the user a much higher level of immersion with an included mask that houses a video screen.

With the more advanced system, students also have control over welding temperature and many other factors.

While the painting system is not being used yet due to technical issues, both of the welding systems are up and running.

The painting system consists of a VR headset and a simulated paint gun. In the virtual environment, students are presented with a metal plate, automotive instructor, Laura Salas explained.

Students may look around and use the paint gun to practice painting the metal plate.

The main reason to use systems like these is to help students gain muscle memory, which is an important part of both of these skills.

After gaining that experience, students may then move on to real painting and welding.

MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding, the style of welding the students will be learning, as well as painting, requires lots materials.

As Salas explained, the combination of these two systems will allow students to learn the basics while also keeping the material costs down.

Salas believes that even if these systems don’t expose beginners to real welding, the money saved is far more helpful in advancing the automotive programs.

Both Salas and Lock agreed that having such a modern system to teach students is important for introducing a younger generation to these skilled jobs.

Automotive student, Alex Wu, said he is happy to see a system like this be implemented because it will give people who are not familiar with these skills a chance to make mistakes and learn.

The college was able to afford these VR systems through two grants that were received two years in a row.

Both the Carl D. Perkins Grant and the California Apprenticeship Grant were obtained for the automotive department by the Dean of Economic and Workforce Development Kelly Schelin.

With the help of these grants, the automotive department was able to test the systems during the spring 2017 semester so that they worked as well as they could.

The public had a chance to experience the VR system at the El Sobrante Stroll on Sunday.

All those involved are excited to introduce the public to this new technology.

It is also hoped that having this new technology will inspire a new generation to join the workforce and learn these exciting trades.

University of San Francisco

P L E A S A N TO N

n AWARENESS

MAXWELL CRAIG / THE ADVOCATE

A group of students train using the software virtual reality technology, Guildeweld, in the automotive department during an Automotive Collision Repair class in the Automotive Technology Center Wednesday.

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DAY OFFERS INSIGHT ON PAST Celebration honors foundation of American political system

By Ryan Geller advocate staff

rgeller.theadvocate@gmail.com

Constitution Day was celebrated with an amendment scavenger hunt at Contra Costa College Friday to mark the signing of the U.S. Constitution over 200 years ago.

The Associated Students Union and the Financial Aid Office set up posters of the first through the eighth amendments on buildings surrounding the Campus Center Plaza.

Students who visited each of the posted amendments and marked it down on their scavenger map earned a free hot dog or slice of pizza for lunch.

Copies of the Constitution were available for free in English and Spanish along with a book about the Declaration of Independence.

“This is a time where we try to teach students about our history and to understand their rights and how this country was built,” Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said.

“This is a day to understand how to build our country.”

The Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, were added two years after the signing of the original articles as a means for the states to check the powers of the federal government.

When asked to comment, many students spoke about the First and Second amendments. “If people felt like they could not choose their own way they would not be happy,” said undecided Kalynne Williams. “(The First Amendment) helps the world to be more diverse in character gives us freedom “This is a time where and to be who we want to we try to teach students be,” said student May about our history and to Souvandara.

“People should not understand their rights be allowed to keep and how this country guns because it results in more violence,” said was built.”

CCC student Roshedy Rabides. Another CCC Vicki Ferguson dean of student services student, Jessica Godinez said “I don’t think people should have guns because if they get into an argument they will want to take things into their own hands.”

Constitution Day is also known as Citizenship Day and some students commented on Dreamers and their relationship to the U.S. Constitution.

“This could be a way for citizens to help non-citizens

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Criminal justice major Ben Hayunga peeks into one of the many voter registration booths stationed around the campus during the Constitution Day event held in the Campus Center Plaza on Friday.

because you have to know about the U.S. Constitution to become naturalized,” said political science major Chris Miller.

“The constitution might affect other people but it does not really affect me as a student. Authorities state that we have these rights but are they really enforced? It can really affect DACA students though, they have to fear for their education or their life,” said CCC student Christian Martinez. “I was thankful to see an email from counseling that the school is giving out DACA renewals.”

In 2004 congress passed a spending bill that requires that all institutions of higher learning receiving federal funds to observe constitution day and provide a corresponding educational program.

The U.S. Constitution is the most influential legal document ever created according to the pamphlet that was passed out for free. The document was signed on Sept. 17, 1787 by zero women, zero black people, and zero Native Americans in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

CCC’s COPA Club chose to celebrate Ferguson Constitution Day by screening the documentary film “13th” in the Fireside Hall Monday.

The film traces the freeing of African-American slaves by the 13th Amendment to the modern-day slavery of the prison industrial complex.

Fresh produce available

By Mayra Garcia art director

mdgarcia.theadvocate@gmail.com

Beginning Monday students were supplied with fresh produce through Contra Costa and Solano County’s Mobile Food Bank program.

The mobile Food Bank will be on campus the first and third Monday of every month near the bus terminal from 2-3 p.m.

The Food Pantry on campus provides eligible students with primarily canned food because they make purchases in bulk and are not set up to handle fresh produce, Associated Student Union President Joel Nickelson-Shanks said.

The Mobile Food Bank will provide both students and community members a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables free of charge for those at Contra Costa College.

Although the Mobile Food Bank is a separate program from CCC’s food pantry, which stocks and distributes primarily

canned food on the second floor of the Student and Administration Building, it is anticipated that the Mobile Food Bank will provide people with potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, corn, celery, oranges, pears, plums and cantaloupe.

Nickelson-Shanks said the program had been searching for additional food distribution sites.

The program will not only be free to students but local community members as well.

“People will be able to walk away with free produce,” Contra Costa and Solano Executive Director of Food Banks Larry Sly said.

Sly has received funding for the program through raffles, sponsorships and generous donations from the community.

He said his main concern was improving the distribution system to get more produce out to those who need it.

Program Director Caitlin Sly said in the past five years the Food Bank program has

“The program started off collecting food donations from the community and leftover bread from grocery stores. Since then the program has continued to grow with over 180 agencies.”

Caitlin Sly

program director

worked to improve food security for community members and now they are a focusing on students who may need additional support.

Sly said the program has continued to expand and that it distributes pounds of produce per month, and said most produce gets distributed and only small amount are left to perish.

“The program started off collecting food

donations from the community and leftover bread from grocery stores.

Since then, the program has continued to grow and is now partnered with over 180 agencies,” she said.

NickelsonSly said 22 million Shanks pounds of produce are distributed yearly.

The Food Bank trucks distribute the otherwise quick to parish produce to 60 different sites around both Contra Costa and Solano Counties, Sly said.

Pharmaceutical sciences major Lovell Hale, in his first year working with the food pantry, said he is in charge of welcoming students and referring inquiries.

“The Bookstore also does not have fresh produce, but rather junk snacks. I would like to find fresh produce there too,” he said.

No official decision in place to ban riders

By Andrew Weedon advocate staff

aweedon.theadvocate@gmail.com

Confusion about the rules of biking and skateboarding on campus continues to persist at Contra Costa College among both students and staff.

The white A-frame signs that inform students of the ban on biking and skateboarding are only an occasional sight on campus.

Because of this, it is common to see students cruising the brick walkways of the Campus Center Plaza.

The signs are an attempt to limit these activities and encourage safety on campus, however, this isn’t the first time the college has tried to do this.

Buildings and Ground Manager Bruce King said, in previous years, signs were bolted to sign posts on the edge of campus stating that there was to be no riding of bikes or skateboards beyond specified points.

Later it was found out there were no set guidelines as to where this could be enforced, so the signs were removed.

Despite the newer signs now being in use, it has been noted by many that they are not always displayed.

n “It (skateboarding) is useful for people who need to get to class on time, which some people have a problem with.”

— Marcus Everett, undecided MAXWELL CRAIG / THE ADVOCATE

When asked about why this is, a police aide said that they only put them out on days they receive complaints about people biking and skateboarding through campus.

Police Services enforce the rule even on days that the signs are not displayed.

The Contra Costa Community College District does in fact have a policy with regards to these activities.

Sections three and four of business procedure 20.01 deal with the riding of bicycles, roller skates, inline skates, skateboards, coasters, and toy vehicles on campus.

With regards to all of these except bicycles, it is unlawful to ride them on any sidewalk, paved surface, or roadway.

Any person found in violation of this

Without any notification that skating is not allowed, a student rides a penny board on the pathway leading from the Library to Parking Lot 9 on Sept. 13.

can be cited under California Vehicle Code Section 21113(f).

When it comes to bikes, the policy is essentially the same except it specifically says that bikes shall not be ridden in areas that have posted signs or markings banning them.

Undecided major Marcus Everett, says that he understands why the rule is in place.

“It is useful for people who need to get to class on time, which some people have a problem with,” Everett said.

There has been some concern that skateboarding in particular could cause damage to campus sidewalks and other features.

No damage has been done to the campus at this time, King said after reiterating that safety is the main concern of everyone involved.

King continued by saying that the college and district still encourages the use of alternate modes of transportation and as such, have installed bike racks in front of nearly every building on campus.

At this time, it is not known whether the college or district plan to make changes to signage or markings on campus.

Until a decision is reached, students will continue to board across campus at their own risk of being targeted for complaint.

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COPA Club seeks to enlighten

Political group works to inform students on issues

By Andrew Weedon advocate staff

aweedon.theadvocate@gmail.com

A campus club is helping students express their political beliefs, understand hot political topics and gain experience taking political action.

The Community Organizing and Political Action (COPA) Club has two events planned so far this semester with dates not determined. The first is a screening of the film “13th,” directed by Ava DuVernay alongside food, trivia and a discussion.

The second event is a panel scheduled tentatively for November consisting of local and state officials.

This event will help students and community members better understand issues affecting them at the state and local level.

Club adviser Vanna Gonzales said that she wants the club to be “political but not partisan,” like a Democrat or Republican club would be. At the time the club was created two years ago, the political science department was inactive except for its classes.

Since then, the department has grown in a large way, Gonzales said.

For many of the students who are part of this club, they originally joined because they aspired to make changes to their communities. President Rebecca Hernandez said she originally joined to become more involved with her community.

The club is also designed to help those who wish to pursue careers in politics to gain the connections and confidence to do so. Alex Walker-Griffin, former club president and current member of the California Community College Governing Board, said, “It helps build community by being a bridge to other parties and political ideologies.”

The club achieves this by organizing events related to politics. From public film screenings, to raffles and trivia, COPA wants to inform the student body and public in any way it can. During the 2016 election, COPA set up tables to help eliGonzales gible students register to vote.

COPA also held Q&A events with local city and state officials.

Since club members include a large variety of ideologies, differing political views have caused tensions for the club in the past. However, they are now focused on political awareness in regards to local issues, Gonzales said.

Former COPA treasurer Tiana McKneely said she was tired of not helping. “I’m fed up with feeling like I’m not contributing and only looking at problems through my phone,” McKneely said.

Gonzales said that the club is more work than many students expect. With a full schedule of activities to help organize, students have been known to be overwhelmed.

She said despite this, many students have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge from the club.

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Club member Ricky Cusguen adjusts a Community Organizing and Political Action Club (COPA) sign outside Fireside Hall during a COPA event on Monday.

Future scholarships to provide funding

By Jessica Suico advocate staff

jsuico.theadvocate@gmail.com

Students looking to apply for scholarships online or in person will be able to submit applications beginning Nov. 1 in the Financial Aid Office or, for the second year in a row, through Insite Portal.

Scholarship Program Specialist Mia Henderson-Bonilla said, “There is $80,000 in scholarships available to students this year and there are still new scholarships that will be added.”

To be awarded a scholarship, students must have completed at least 12 units during one semester at Contra Costa College to qualify.

As student loan interest rates balloon and the cost of tuition increases, more students than ever are turning to the support of grants and scholarships.

“I have received a scholarship before, but this year will be my first time applying for a scholarship here at CCC,” bioengineering major Carla Cortez said. “I am looking for any type of scholarship that will help me to transfer and it was really helpful when I was referred to these scholarships.”

To qualify, students need to either be a full-time student or have a statement showing they are a well-rounded student.

Henderson-Bonilla said another part of the process that students must be prepared for is the general application portion and the short essay question on

“There is $80,000 in scholarships available to students this year and there are still new scholarships that will be added.”

Mia Henderson-Bonilla, scholarship program specialist

the application that evaluators expect to be answered with complete honesty.

“In the end though, each application and scholarship has different criteria,” Henderson-Bonilla said. “Available scholarships are also growing in each department and in specialized programs, like the Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), music and automotive.”

There are 80 different foundation scholarships given out to students.

Foundation scholarships are funded and offered by donors, organizations, businesses or other foundation’s outside of the Contra Costa College Foundation.

Psychology major Ockemia Kates said she’s never received a scholarship but would like to know about scholarships and how they work and how she receive one.

Fliers and postcards will be plastered around campus detailing when and where scholarship sign-ups will happen. Scholarship workshop dates and

times will be posted on the financial aid department’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on the college website.

“Students can also schedule a one- Hendersonon-one appointment with me to go over Bonilla scholarships and procedures. There will also be open labs to work on the application process,” Henderson-Bonilla said.

In the past students were not able to see a person one-on-one about any questions, concerns or problems they were having with their scholarship or scholarship status.

The confusion concerning scholarships forced the office to transition and now the service in under the same umbrella as the financial aid department.

Previously, outside foundations that helped fund the scholarship program used to be trusted to make the majority of the decisions about qualifications and the application process, so everything went through them. Now they are connected on campus so it is more of a service to students and there is an easier way for them to apply and get information about scholarships, Bonilla said.

To get information about scholarships, students should go to the Financial Aid Office in the Student Services Center.

RELOCATED PROGRAM PROVIDES CAREER SKILLS Class seeks to place students in immediate warehouse jobs

By Dylan Collier assistant scene editor

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

ANDREW WEEDON / THE ADVOCATE

Ed Aquinde during a forklift operations class on the Tennis Courts for part of the forklift logistics operations warehouse program.

After an 18-month hiatus, Contra Costa College has brought back the conglomerate of industrial technology classes, including Forklift Operations, Warehouse Management, Introduction to Computational Science, and Job Search Strategies.

The program had been moved from Contra Costa College because the instructors felt it was important to hold the classes in a more suitable area.

“They taught both the class and the forklift training in downtown Richmond on 23rd (Street) and Barrett (Avenue) and leased the space from RichmondBUILD, because they felt the space simulated a real job environment,” Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said.

Through the 10-week program, the students split classroom study in a portable building on campus with hands-on training in an area behind the Tennis Courts.

Although the facility does not simulate a workplace environment like the downtown Richmond location, at CCC students have three forklifts and an electronic pallet-jack to use during class.

Students who complete the forklift logistics operations warehouse program (FLOW) get much more than just forklift operation training. In addition, students receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certification that is federally recognized.

The program provides the students with a career fair at the end of the semester geared toward immediately placing them in a job.

“They receive a certification that states they have completed a forklift safety program,” instructor Rick Palermo said.

“The benefit to our program is that they get a well-rounded educational experience with warehousing, forklift, computer skills and all of that is supported with job search skill training.

They also learn effective resumé writing and training in job interview skills.

“It’s much more than just learning how to drive a forklift,” .

Palermo said the five students who are enrolled in the classes, will also get a statement of training outlining the skills they are proficient in with regards to forklift operation.

Career Pathways Manager Evan Decker said the industrial technology classes, which are partially comprised of the FLOW program, were originally funded by a federal Department of Labor grant in 2013.

“It’s helpful for students to have additional support to meet their goals,” Decker said. “Our faculty members are encouraging, and they talk to each other in ways that really support the students as a team.”

Decker said he’s happy that the college has been recognized by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office in Sacramento and that the students who complete the program are able to increase their incomes by up to 126 percent.

For Richmond native and previous CCC student Ed Aquinde, driving a forklift is much more than a job to be taken at face-value. It’s a therapeutic mechanism.

“For me, coming back to Contra Costa College is a healing process because I had to put everything on hold due to previous health complications,” Aquinde said.

He said that he found out about the FLOW program when he saw a flier at East Bay Works, a career center located in San Pablo, and it caught his eye.

At first he was a little skeptical, but he said the hands-on segment of the class is giving him a chance to see if he is physically prepared for a job at a warehouse.

He was raised in Richmond, where his father worked for Chevron in the petroleum industry and later for the U.S. Department of Defense.

“This program is testing my physical readiness and it’s created an opportunity for a change of career,” he said.

Aquinde said the program can be particularly beneficial if people are willing to move out to places in the middle of the state, like Fresno, where Amazon is planning to build a new huge warehouse.

This and other opportunities make the program advantageous.

Palermo said, “My favorite part is that you’re teaching folks a skill that they can go out into the workforce and get a job with.”

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Unleashed

MOVIES

This week: “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (R) “American Made” (R) “Flatliners” (PG-13) “The LEGO Ninjago Movie” (PG)

BLU-RAYS

New releases: “Fuller House: Season 3” (Netflix) “Jerry Before Seinfeld” (Netflix)

“Wonder Woman” (Blu-Ray)

“The Big Sick” (Blu-Ray)

MUSIC

New releases: Prophets of Rage: “Prophets of Rage”

The Cool Kids: “Special Edition Grandmaster Deluxe” Farruko: “Trapxficante” Foo Fighters: “Concrete and Gold” Rapsody: “Laila’s Wisdom”

GAMES

New releases: “Project Cars 2” (T)

“NBA 2K18” (E)

“The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+” (M)

Editor’s note: This column lists popular new (and upcoming) releases for the week.

— Xavier Johnson

LOUIS CANO / THE ADVOCATE

Drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarria teaches the cast steps to a dance number at a “Zombie Town” rehearsal on Sept. 13.

Satirical play aims at zombie outbreak ‘Mocumentary’ set in 70s parodies overly serious plays

By Louis Cano advocate staff

lcano.theadvocate@gmail.com

A comedic journey chronicling a theater troupe’s experience in a town torn by a zombie apocalypse opens up the drama department’s 2017-18 theater season.

“Zombie Town,” directed by Tara Blau and written by Tim Bauer, opens Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts.

Additional show dates are on Oct. 14, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 15 and 22 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $10 for students.

The production serves as a play within a play. Set in the 70s, it is about a theater collective visiting a minuscule town in Texas, Harwood, with a population of 112. In the play,

survivors of a zombie apocalypse are interviewed.

The collective has plans of re-telling the apocalyptic tale of the city by acting out information gathered from the surviving citizens.

Blau said she was “a little terrified” about the prospect of performing in such an active adaptation.

In its original form, the play is a satire of documentary productions.

Blau said the “mockumentary” riffs on documentary plays like “The Laramie Project.”

“We’re not doing a normal play.

There are more people. I think it’s very funny. It’s a fun show,” Blau said.

Traditionally, documentary plays are done on serious topics, such as “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992,” a play about the LA riots. “Zombie Town” takes the idea and flips it on its head by documenting a farcical zombie apocalypse.

Each actor performs various characters over the duration of the play.

The dialogue often comes in the form of individual monologues.

Sophomore forensic pathology major Kamaria McKinney plays “Actor

n “It is a challenge to

remember that each character has their own motivations and thoughts.”

— Kamaria McKinney, cast member

#3.” She said she didn’t have prior knowledge of “Zombie Town” when auditioning. She said she was surprised by how funny the play is.

McKinney said the characters she plays are polar opposites, ranging from a tavern owner to a peppy local student.

“It’s getting easier, but it is a challenge to remember that each character has its own motivations and thoughts,” McKinney said.

McKinney said her favorite character is Didi Drago, a student in the town. “Didi is a character with a lot of quippy one-liners and a really cute sense of humor,” McKinney said.

Blau said in her previous directorial efforts, including “Two Sisters and a Piano,” the cast was more self-contained and smaller in scope. “Zombie

Town” is full of cast members as zombies and includes a dance element.

Sophomore drama major Diego Loza plays “Actor #2,” a role that has him performing as five different characters, including the mayor of Harwood and a gravedigger.

Loza said the play is goofy and similar to the comedy of the old TV sit-com “The Beverly Hillbillies,” but in an apocalyptic world.

McKinney played Gilmer in the spring musical “Godspell.” She said acting in “Godspell” was a different kind of comedy because it is more absurd and fantastical.

She said the comedy in “Zombie Town” has characters acting absurd in apparently real situations.

“It’s the perfect time to do a zombie-themed play with Halloween coming up,” Blau said.

Cast member Mark Shepard said it has been a while since he actually performed in a play.

“I was so impressed with the theater department, the theater, the space and how everything is run. It is one of the reasons I came to audition,” Shepard said.

Friendly vibe enhances brewery Richmond-based taproom offers casual atmosphere

By Anthony Kinney associate editor

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

POINT RICHMOND — Tucked away in an industrial warehouse in Point Richmond, East Brother Beer Company Brewery provides a modernized casual ambiance that creates a friendly environment centered around beer that’s welcoming to all people, even minors and pets.

Named after Richmond’s historic East Brother Light Station, East Brother Brewery offers five different crafted beers, all brewed in-house at the warehouse and sold at a reasonable price.

Hidden on the backside of a quiet industrial depot located at 1001 Canal Blvd., East Brother sits at the bottom of a gorgeous hilly range which produces a calm and serene atmosphere that is ideal for meeting new people.

Prices set on the beers are fair.

A 32-ounce glass will cost patrons between $14 and $15 depending on the brew. A 64-ounce glass ranges from $24 to $26.

Wanting to try everything they had to offer, I decided to order the “flight of four” which are four 4 ounce tasters each filled with a different beer. It’s not a bad choice for eight bucks.

I tried four of the five beers offered: Red Lager, Bo Pilsner, Red IPA and Oatmeal Stout. (The wheat IPA had run out prior to my visit.)

Besides visiting the taproom for a sample, East Brother beer can also be found at select bars and stores

East Brother Beer Co. serves five different beers: Red Lager, Wheat IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Red IPA, 80 Pils.

The Richmond brewery is in a repurposed 12,000 square foot warehouse building.

The five beers are brewed in-house.

Patrons have a full view of the brewing process.

MAXWELL CRAIG / THE ADVOCATE

throughout the Bay Area.

However, I was impressed with the welcoming and sociable crowd that East Brother attracts within its doors.

Everyone seemed to be there for the same reason — to drink good beer around good company. After only minutes of being there, I found myself chatting with kind-faced strangers over delicious brews as my feelings of anxiety from being a novice beer drinker fluidly poured away — like an on-tap beer filling a mug.

East Brother Beer Company promotes a different vibe than the usual “watering hole” people have grown accustomed to in the Bay Area.

Contrary to the typical bar scene of wall-to-wall television screens and long lines for insufficient pool tables, East Brother boasts only one television, which seemed to be secluded on the corner wall as if it’s designated to be a last resort for entertainment.

The brewery offers alternatives to

the brain-numbing entertainment of television and instead actually requires patrons to socialize with others in activities such as bocce, corn hole and ping pong.

Group games like dominoes, chess and traditional playing and Uno cards can be requested from the counter as well.

Food trucks line up outside of the taproom daily since the brewery doesn’t sell food, only snacks such as nuts and chips.

Expect the food trucks to vary depending on the day and time you visit. A Mexican taqueria truck supplied the food while I was visiting.

Also, if the nuts or the food trucks are not pleasing to your palate, the taproom allows customers to bring in outside food.

Although East Brother doesn’t currently sell kegs to the public, it does sell promotional merchandise like hats and gift cards on the spot and on its

website.

Tours are currently not offered to the public, but the brew house and cellar are all viewable from the taproom.

Taproom hours are WednesdayThursday 4-8 p.m. and Friday from 4-9 p.m. On the weekends, it opens at noon.

East Brother Brewery also uses its taproom to work with local businesses in the community to host events such as work parties, Rich City Rides social group bicycle rides and classic car shows.

On Sept. 27 East Brother will be partnering with Richmond Promise to host the “Cheers for the Promise” event which will take place from 4-8 p.m. as a community celebration and local teacher appreciation night.

Contra Costa College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh will be one of the guest bartenders for the event alongside others, including Richmond Mayor Tom Butt.

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7

EAST BAY TEAM TO BUILD STADIUM, REMAIN IN AREA

By Efrain Valdez social media editor

evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com

W

LOUIS CANO / THE ADVOCATE

Comet defender Reece Burkhart dribbles the ball as Roadrunner forward Marlon Rowe approaches during Contra Costa College’s draw against Butte College in the Soccer Field on Friday, 2-2.

comets fail to secure win despite early lead

By Drew Thomas

n “The (team’s) composure in

advocate staff

dthomas.theadvocate@gmail.com

Last Friday Contra Costa College men’s soccer team (0-4-4) played a hard fought game against Butte College (4-0-3) that resulted in a draw, 2-2.

Butte’s aggressive play rewarded them early with a penalty kick after Butte player Jao Paolo Ferreira collided with Comet forward Jorge Avina while battling for possession of the ball COMETS around 14 minutes. Butte player Breno Arauja took the penalty kick which landed right into CCC’s possession.

ROADRUNNERS The game was going back and forth until Comet left midfielder Anthony Maytum passed to forward Eduardo De Loa Jr. to get around Butte defenders aggressively trying to force a turnover.

De Loa Jr. set the play up by passing the ball back to Maytum for a successful shot through the middle before Butte’s goalie Francisco Noguera could react, giving CCC a 1-0 lead to close out first half.

Comet men’s soccer coach Nikki Ferguson says, “They were coming from behind, which

2 2

terms of finishing has to really be there, especially in those dire minutes when we have the opportunity to win.”

— Christopher Guzman, Comet midfielder

increased the pressure on us a little bit.”

In the second half, Butte’s pressure on the defense forced the Comets to make mistakes which led to Butte’s Charles Cleyton getting past Comet goalie Griffin Henley to score the team’s first goal, making the score 1-1.

Butte had a game plan revolving around forcing the Comets to turn the ball over.

“We knew we wanted to press (up higher),” said Butte’s men’s soccer coach Ross Sandberg.

In the second half, both teams showed their competitive fire and came out with an aggressive attitude which led to a more physical game.

“We had a physical presence that we didn’t have all year,” Ferguson said. “We used to be on the receiving end (or the aggression). Now we’re kind of dishing it out. But they did kind of beat us up a bit.”

Butte’s Bawe Salehi broke through Comet defenders Raul Garcia and Reece Burkhart

to score around the 23-minute mark taking a lead of 2-1.

Sandberg said, “It took us a while to wake up, but we wanted to come out in the second half with a (more aggressive) strategy.”

However, the Comets didn’t give up after Butte scored. Comet Eduardo Torres brought a dead end play to life by staying aggressive and scoring to make it a tie game again, 2-2.

Comet Raul Garcia showed effort to fight for ball possession against Butte’s Steven Dillion and Marlon Rowe resulting in a turnover for the Comets around the 36-minute mark.

Comet Christopher Guzman said, “The (team’s) composure in terms of finishing has to really be there, especially in those dire minutes when we really have the opportunity to win.”

The Comets tried to score another goal to take the lead and get their first win of the season, but couldn’t get the job done.

“We had a clear chance to score and finish off the game, but it just didn’t happen,” Guzman said.

In the final seconds of the game, Comet forward Jordan Flechero chased down and blocked a shot taken by Butte’s David Gomez, leaving the total shots taken by the Comets at 10. Butte had 11 shots for the game.

Team fails to preserve momentum, loses in four sets to Alameda, 3-1 Comets fail to beat Cougars in BVC season opener

By Xavier Johnson scene editor

xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com

ALAMEDA — In a four-set contest, the volleyball team lost its first Bay Valley Conference game of the season to the College of Alameda Cougars (1-8 overall, 1-1 BVC) here on Friday.

Contra Costa College (2-4 overall, 0-1 BVC) lost 3-1 to a Cougars squad that was winless coming into Friday’s match.

The Cougars previously lost to CCC Aug. 26 at the 8th Annual Cougar Classic Tournament.

The tide of the game turned in the COMETS third set.

After a competitive first half of the match, with the teams splitting the first two sets, COUGARS the Cougars pounced on a Comet squad that was forced to play from behind in sets three and four.

“The team started off playing well but lost momentum as the game went on,” Comet coach Christy Tianero said.

“We take off good, then we crash. We don’t know how to land. We need to learn how to land.”

The volleyball team returns home tonight in a BVC match-up against College of Marin (4-6 overall, 0-1 BVC) at 6 p.m. in the Gym. Outside hitter Justine Ayson said the team’s biggest problem was not hustling.

1 3 DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Comet outside hitter Victoria Matue digs the ball over the net during a game against College of Alameda.

“We didn’t talk and just expected someone else to make the play,” Ayson said.

Early in the first set Comet outside hitter Victoria Matue (9 digs, 1 kill) left the game with an injured ankle.

“The setter set me farther out. I tried to hit it and I landed hard and rolled my ankle.” Matue came back into the game to start the second set.

She said when she came back her ankle was still hurting, but not bad enough that she couldn’t play through it.

Tianero said Matue covered the right side well with a lot of digs preventing the Cougars from scoring.

Delaine Baca also contributed defensively with 11 digs.

The Comets won the second set 25-16.

Middle blocker Makaya Thomas (9 kills, 2 blocks) was a key factor in the Comets’ lone victorious set. Tianero said Thomas played with a lot of energy on the floor and really helped the team with her blocks.

“I know Alameda switched up their sets because of Makaya’s play,” Tianero said.

The Cougars applied pressure in set three and four with various long scoring volleys. As the Comets performance slumped, so did their body language.

“In the third and fourth set we lost the spark of energy from the first two sets,” Thomas said.

Multiple scoring runs by Alameda in sets three and four prevented CCC from gaining momentum. In the third set, CCC gave up eight unanswered points to close out the set. Nine unanswered points were yielded by CCC in the fourth set, winning it 25-13.

ith Raiders owner Mark Davis taking his team to Las Vegas and Warriors owner Joseph Lacob taking his team across the bay to San Francisco, Oakland will be left with one professional sports team.

The Athletics, through team President Dave Kaval, have announced that they want to build their privately financed stadium at East 8th Street and 5th Avenue near Laney College in Oakland.

The stadium is set to open for the 2023 season if everything goes to plan.

The A’s have been presented with a unique opportunity to become the epicenter of Oakland sports without the company of the Raiders and the Warriors.

There is a void in the Oakland sports world since the Warriors and the Raiders formally announced their impending departure.

The A’s could build a stadium as great and long lasting as Wrigley Field in Chicago or Fenway Park in Boston. They can also make it an intimate place to watch baseball like Camden Yards in Baltimore.

The franchise can reward its city and loyal fan-base with a world class baseball facility.

This location offers many more things than just easy freeway access and a short route to the nearest BART station (Lake Merritt).

The proposed stadium will feature a view of downtown Oakland in left field, Lake Merritt in center field and the Oakland hills in right field.

This will bring back the nostalgia of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum before Mount Davis was built as an expansion for the Raiders — when they returned after their exodus to Los Angeles.

The franchise will have to hear out the residents (90 percent are renters and business owners of the Chinatown and San Antonio districts).

City officials have made it clear that there is a concern for those neighborhoods becoming gentrified.

Another big hurdle for the franchise is that it must convince the Peralta Community College District Board of Governors to sell the land which currently contains the college district offices. The A’s have proposed to build parking for Laney, but it is unclear if it will be shared with the team or if they will have separate lots.

The team could also help connect the estuary and Lake Merritt into a park that would stretch along the canal. This is already in the works thanks to the tax dollars from Measure DD, which is providing funding to extend a bay trail from the lake to the bay.

With the A’s choosing the Peralta site, the front office has a chance to change the look of a run down industrial side of Oakland.

The stadium will show off the side of Oakland (downtown/Lake Merritt) that a national audience hasn’t seen before.

And it’s about damn time.

Efrain Valdez is the social media editor for The Advocate.

Contact him at evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com.

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“ They are so nice and helpful, very good friends and good listeners.”

Sophomores Justine (left) and Joshleen (right) Ayeson are starters for the 2017 Comet volleyball team.

Rosa Olivar, Comet right setter

Twins serve it up on court

By Rob Clinton sports editor

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

For some student-athletes the pursuit of athletic goals is a project of passion.

However, for some it’s a stepping stone, providing a platform to learn important lessons and light the path toward loftier goals.

For sophomores Joshleen and Justine Ayson, volleyball found them at an impressionable time in their lives. Skeptical at first, they now embrace it and hope to use it to further their college careers and achieve their ultimate goal of helping people in need.

Born March 28, 1998 in Berkeley, the identical twins were born just two minutes apart. Joshleen was first at 11:57 p.m. and Justine followed at 11:59.

The twins attended Helms Middle School where they were first introduced to volleyball in the eighth grade.

“We didn’t want to play because we thought that it would hurt, but our mom kind of forced us to do it,” Joshleen said. “We talked to the coach and she convinced us

that we’d get used to it. So after that we were like, let’s go for it.”

Both girls went on to attend Richmond High School where they graduated in 2015.

The twins both played on the varsity volleyball team beginning in their sophomore year.

“They are so nice and helpful, very good friends and good listeners. I’ve known them for three years,” Comet right setter Rosa Olivar said. “We played on the same team at Richmond High.”

From a young age both girls had dreams of working in fields that helped people in their time of need. Justine wants to be a doctor and Joshleen wants to be a veterinarian.

“I’ve known them since they were in their sophomore year at Richmond (High School) and they are more mature now. Back in high school they would get mad over little things and their emotions would just take over,” volleyball coach Christy Tianero said. “Now it’s less frequent and it’s easier to talk them through things.”

Having an identical twin brings a lot of

unwanted attention and early in the girls’ lives they provoked the ire of bullies, which followed them deep into their high school years.

“We were easy targets,” Joshleen said. “In middle school people wanted to be in the in crowd and did mean things just to impress people that they thought were their friends.”

They both said everything that happened was volleyball-related, from middle school to high school, and even a little beyond.

One of their current Comet teammates was part of the group of girls that bullied them in high school.

“We used to be cool before anything happened in high school, but she was influenced by the same people who used to bully her,” Joshleen said. “It’s a social cycle — most bullies used to get bullied.”

There aren’t many people that knew this chapter of the team’s history, not even the coach.

“I didn’t know it was going on until Joshleen told me about it,” Tianero, who also coached the twins at Richmond High, said.

“I told her that she is a college student now.

It’s a different life. Both of them talked about it and now it’s behind them.”

After years of being bullied and coming out stronger now that it’s over, the feeling of wanting to help other people has been reinforced as goals in both of the girls’ future plans.

“I still put other people before me. Good or bad I help whoever I can,” Justine said.

“Good things come to good people so if I help people good things will happen for me.”

Despite the thread of altruism that connects them, the twins have completely different personalities.

Joshleen is more vocal and extroverted while Justine takes a measured more cerebral approach to things.

With bullying in the rear view mirror, now at CCC, both sophomores are experiencing what it means to be stress-free socially at school.

“There’s more freedom,” Joshleen said.

“We get to grow and be around people who want to do better.”

Disorganized team falls to Wolverines

By Rob Clinton sports editor

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

The football team lost its third game in as many tries despite scoring more points than in its previous two games combined, this loss a 56-28 drubbing against Sierra College Saturday at Comet Stadium.

The Wolverines (1-2) scored early and often in the game, and despite the Comets (0-3) second half scoring surge, Sierra maintained its offensive tempo and never let Contra Costa College claw back into contention.

“Today is a clear example of what happens if we don’t do our jobs,” coach Pat Henderson said, reiterating a message that he had been preaching to his team all week.

The game had an ominous feel to it, palpable before kickoff or even before the national anthem.

Since a football team COMETS is made up of roughly 50 players, it means lineman, special teams and skill positions all come out separately in timed WOLVERINES intervals for pre-game preparations.

That continuity was lost for the largely freshman team because, prior to the game and throughout regulation play, the play clock and scoreboard was completely inoperable.

Luckily, CCC will play Modesto Junior College Saturday at 6 p.m. in Modesto. The Comets hope the scoreboard is repaired before the next home game.

The Comets seemed disjointed from the start of the game and that sentiment became a reality on the first play from scrimmage.

On a simple 2-yard swing pass, Sierra running back Draysea Hudson shimmied past CCC defenders, shifted gears and dashed up the Comet sideline for a 68-yard touchdown.

As each team settled down, defense became paramount and both teams were forced to punt on each of its following two possessions.

The game descended into a defensive stalemate until, with five minutes to play in the first quarter, Sierra gashed the Comets up the middle for its second touchdown of the game.

The score gave the Wolverines an early 14-0 advantage.

Sophomore receiver Semaj Mitchell

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DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Wolverine running back Dalton Gee pushes off Comet defensive linemen Marcus Pippen and Dayvonne (Bubba) Greenwood during Contra Costa College’s 56-28 defeat to Sierra College at Comet Stadium on Saturday.

(three catches for 75 yards and one touchdown) was productive for the Comets in the loss. At 16-yards-per catch, he is currently slotted at sixth in the National Bay 6 Conference in yards-per-catch.

“I feel like we’ve been saying all year that we need to get the ball to our playmakers in open space. Just get the ball out fast and trust us,” Mitchell said. “ Being down 14-0 so quickly caused some of the younger Comets to lose their composure. They began to hunt for the big play, or overthink simple situations, which only exasperated an already critical situation.

These types of mistakes would lead to multiple quick-strike scores for Sierra. Six of the eight scoring drives the Comets yielded were of three plays or fewer.

Sierra would score three unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter giving

the team a 35-0 lead at halftime.

After the break, Comet quarterback Davin Lemon-Rodriguez (9 of 20 for 117 yards with one touchdown and one interception) completed one big play for the Comets and the 175 fans in attendance.

Lemon-Rodriguez hit Mitchell for a 52-yard touchdown that cut into the Wolverine lead. After a blocked extra point, Sierra led 35-6 early in the third quarter.

On defense, the Comets totaled more sacks than Sierra. The team totaled five sacks for 20 yards compared to three for 17 for the Wolverines.

Most of Sierra’s 476 yards of total offense was generated through the air with only two of the scores coming on rushes. Still, the defensive line knows there is vast room for improvement.

“We need to do a better job getting into

“Today is a clear example of what happens if we don’t do our jobs.”

Pat Henderson, football coach

our gaps to create pathways for our linebackers, so they can make the plays that they need to make,” Comet defensive lineman Sio Anitoni said.

The Comets outscored Sierra 28-21 in the second half of the game by abandoning the pass, which netted three rushing touchdowns by three different backs.

After leading 35-0 at halftime, then scoring 21 points after the break, the Wolverines controlled the contest from beginning to end and eventually left with a big victory.