The Advocate 10-14

WEDNESDAY l 10.14.15 OUR 66TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

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LEFT: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Facilities Mechanical Engineer Sherwin Mendoza encourages students to join the summer internship program during the panel discussion in PS-132 on Friday.

Do not let the fact that you are at community college discourage you from applying (for an internship).”

Robin Lopez, Berkeley Lab scientific researcher

Berkeley Lab offers paid technical internships CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Center for Science Excellence hosts open panel for 2016 programs

BY Asma Alkrizy STAFF WRITER

aalkrizy.theadvocate@gmail.com

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is offering community college and undergraduate students an opportunity to work as a paid intern during the 2016 spring, summer or fall semesters.

The Center for Science Excellence invited three Berkeley Lab employees to host an open panel at Contra Costa College on Friday in PS-132 from 2 to 5 p.m.

Berkeley Lab employees at the open panel encouraged STEM majors to apply for a paid summer internship before the Jan. 8, 2016 deadline. The application deadline

GRANT ENDS, FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM FIZZLES OUT

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for the spring semester has passed.

“Who is ready to change the world and get paid?” Berkeley Lab Internship Sidharta Program Manager Colette Flood said to begin the open panel discussion. “All of our intern students are paid $500 a week. An opportunity like this is hard to find.”

The online application process for the 10-week summer internship at the Berkeley Lab opens on Thursday for both community college students and other undergraduates.

The internship for next fall, how-

ever, is a 16-week program and its online application opens on March 14, 2016.

Flood said that the fall internship is geared toward students who are transferring to four-year universities and want to do scientific research.

She said for community college students who sign up for the summer internship they will mainly focus on gaining technical experiences and exploring technical careers.

Berkeley Lab Scientific Researcher and Civil Engineer Robin Lopez said, “When I started as a student at CCC, I was indecisive about my major.

It was after I joined the Berkeley

First we were robbed of our land, our language, our culture and then ourselves (identity).” — Edgar Mojica-Villegas, La Raza studies professor

Political club garners attention, participation

BY Mike Thomas SCENE EDITOR

mthomas.theadvocate@gmail.com

editorial

SEE SINGLE STOP, PAGE 3

nOnline applications will open Thursday for 2016. nSTEM majors can sign up for a 10-week summer, or 16-week fall program. nInterns at Berkeley Lab make $500 for a 40-hour week, which is $12.50 an hour.

SEE INTERNSHIP, PAGE 3

Single Stop depletes $74,000 contract

Single Stop USA is no longer available at Contra Costa College. The grant program ended at the conclusion of the spring 2015 semester due to a lack of funding from both the organization and CCC. Single Stop, a nonprofit organization that Financial provides people living aid proin poverty opportunigram cut ties to make their living situation better, had The Advocate been assisting students delves into the at CCC for three years repercussions before its termination. of Single Stop “Single Stop USA USA no loncame to us three-andger providing a-half years ago and its proposal was they would financial and actually fund a posilegal help to tion at CCC,” Interim students.

President Mojdeh PAGE 2 Mehdizadeh said.

The grant program did fund itself the first year while establishing itself at CCC. However, at the end of spring 2013 semester, the program turned to CCC to help with its funding, Mehdizadeh said. Single Stop proposed a partnership with the college to split the costs.

According to Business Office Supervisor Nick Dimitri, the initial grant was for $74,000.

Teresea Archaga, former CCC Single Stop manager, said, “Funding started to dwindle, so Single Stop had to attach itself to CalWORKs and EOPS to stay at CCC.” Archaga, now the Los Medanos College

in brief

PAGE 4

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Indigenous People’s Day counters Columbus narrative La Raza celebrates heritage, denounces European conquest, slavery

BY Roxana Amparo and Lorenzo Morotti STAFF WRITERS

accent.advocate@gmail.com

In celebration of Indigenous People’s Day, La Raza Student Union organized an open mic tucked in the corner of the Library and Learning Resource Center on Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. to reject the national celebration of Christopher Columbus. “(Indigenous People’s Day) is the counter narrative to Columbus Day,” philosophy major Alfonso Ramos said, “To resist the narrative we have been taught in school (that Columbus discovered America).”

La Raza studies adjunct

professor Edgar MojicaVillegas addressed more than 70 people attending the “Celebrating Indigenous Peoples in Diaspora” event.

Before the performances, Mojica-Villegas explained that Columbus should not be celebrated because his arrival to the Americas signifies the destruction of hundreds of cultures and centuries of slavery.

Indigenous People’s Day was created in 1992 in protest to U.S. Congress organizing a quincentennial celebration of Columbus’ voyage to the Americas, and the centuries of slavery he instilled.

Since then dozens of citINDIGENOUS, PAGE 3

ABOVE: Local rapper and teacher Chhoti Maa (right) concludes her poetry set during Indigenous People’s Day in Diaspora in the Library on Monday. Maa’s performance included raps and a cappella songs concerning decolonization and Columbus Day.

COMETS WIN IN CLOSING MINUTES, SEAL SECOND PAGE 5

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Quotable “If government had the right to decide who was a legitimate journalist, it would become a licensing authority. And with that you could kiss freedom of the press goodbye.”

Harry Rosenfeld editor-at-large, Times Union, Albany, N.Y., 2001 Christian Urrutia editor-in-chief Roxana Amparo Lorenzo Morotti associate editors Jared Amdahl opinion editor Robert Clinton sports editor Mike Thomas scene editor Jose Jimenez spotlight editor Cody Casares photo editor Marci Suela editorial cartoonist Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Asma Alkrizy Benjamin Bassham Brian Boyle Joseph Bennett Keno Greene Xavier Johnson Magali Mercado Jason Sykes Mark Wassberg Larry Wickett Staff photographers Jordan Khoo Denis Perez Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 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 Member Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.215.3852 Fax: 510.235.NEWS Email: accent.advocate@ 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, OCT. 14, 2015 VOL. 103, NO. 6

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

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EDITORIAL FINANCIAL AID PROGRAM CUT Grant to support Single Stop ends, students without resource

S

tudents at Contra Costa College faced with economic barriers will no longer be able to go to Single Stop USA to receive financial or legal support because the $74,000 grant ended at the end of the spring 2015 semester.

Since 2012, Single Stop has worked with students as a nonprofit organization that provides people living in economic poverty the opportunity to receive financial help and legal advice while going to college.

The Advocate agrees that the college did what it could to keep the program serving its students by attaching it to CalWORKs and using grant monies to pay half of its operational costs.

But the lack of foresight and planning involved trying to get a replacement program at the college by the time the contract with Single Stop expired to provide a smooth transition is appalling — especially so if you consider the student population it serves.

During the three years that Single Stop served the college, the state approved about $7.85 million in Board of Governor Fee Waivers for students at CCC based on income standards according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Financial Aid Summary Report, which can be found on its website using the DataMart search engine.

And this does not take into account the other five methods a student who is taking 12 or more units can be approved to have unit fees waived by the state, which according to DataMart totals about $10.7 million since 2012.

While the BOG waiver is not directly connected with Single Stop, the amount of money granted to the college to pay off these institutional unit costs shows people in CCC’s service area, which spans from Kensington to Pinole, need financial help.

Teresea Archaga, former Single Stop manager, said most students came to the office when their financial aid fell through or needed help with their taxes.

According to DataMart, about half of CCC’s 6,500 students use the BOG waiver every semester since Single Stop joined the college. That is a lot of students who will have one less place on campus to get help if their financial aid falls through.

Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said that discussions to replace Single Stop with SparkPoint, another nonprofit organization that provides legal and financial help, have only recently begun.

It is good the college is considering replacing the program, but the longer the college is without Single Stop, or a program like it, then thousands of students who need financial support and/or advice will have one less resource.

Further, it is a shame this discussion has only now begun considering that during Single Stop’s second year serving students at CCC it was clear that the program could not sustain itself. Why did the college fail to look for a similar program able to fund its operational costs two years ago?

Not having this discussion earlier while knowing the program would soon be unable to stay active is a disservice to the students who want to go to college but need financial help.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

■ GENDER

Societal pressures denote feminist’s goals F

eminism tends to discourage individuals from advocating for gender equality because it is associated with the connotation that it is reserved for women.

Because of that connotation, not many people are capable of identifying themselves as feminists.

I thought about this term one day during class.

So I asked a girl about her stance on feminism. She said she’s not a feminist, but she supports gender equality.

She did not know it, but she too is a feminist because she is aiming for gender equality. But why was she afraid to embrace the feminist label?

The problem lies in the misconception that feminism is an exclusive term for women.

So to make the movement inclusive, it should be changed from feminism to “equalism.”

According to a YouGov poll, only 20 percent of people living in the U.S. consider themselves as feminists.

But when asked if they believe that “men and women should be social, political, and economic equals,” 82 percent of the respondents agreed.

This statistic startled me considering that a high percentage of the respondents embraced the idea that both sexes should be considered as equals. So I contemplated these results, and came to a conclusion.

The huge gap between the percentages of the

cate the equal rights and opportunities for men and women from an egalitarian perspective.

Now, giving feminism a new name doesn’t mean I’ve set aside women inequalities, as many women throughout the people who consider them- world still face discriminaselves feminists and those tion in education, employwho desire equality for ment, and political repreboth sexes is a result of sentation. misinterpreting feminism.

However, the term Two problematic confeminism confuses people notations people have to what the movement is with femabout — gender equality “The term inism are and not superiority. that it only Some people may argue feminism promotes against “equalism” because equality for women are discriminated confuses a particular against more than men. gender and While it is true that people to encourages there are many women misandry. what the who are more disadvanMany taged than men, feminism movement men seem fails to address the main hesitant idea of gender equality, is about — to join the which is to put an end to feminist all inequalities based on equality.” movement, gender. as they perCivil rights, for instance, ceive the term “feminism” was a movement that as a female exclusive move- advocated for the rights of ment and an ideology that African-Americans. But subjugates men. the term itself is inclusive, Some women are even as any racial minority is reluctant to label themable to associate with the selves as feminists, afraid of Civil Rights Movement. being seen as men haters, It is the time to change and they usually say, “I’m the distorted reputation not a feminist, but…” that has followed feminism.

Because of these misBroadening the movement conceptions, not all indiby changing the name from viduals consider themfeminism to “equalism” selves feminists. would explicitly states that Changing feminism to all genders should fight for an inclusive term “equalequality. ism,” means that gender equality is a concern for Asma Alkrizy is a staff both genders, and not only writer for The Advocate. women.

Contact her at aalkrizy.

“Equalism” would advo- theadvocate@gmail.com.

asmaalkrizy

CAMPUS COMMENT

Would you use Single Stop services, if offered on campus?

“Yeah, services like this benefits society as a whole. It’s better to have it and not need it than to really need it and not have it.”

David Burch engineering

XAVIER JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE

“I would use the services. This is a college, services like this should be available for free anyway.”

“Yes, I need to take advantage of services like this. Any good resource should be used.”

Anthony Countee

Darrick Parnell

computer science

music

“Yeah, financial planning assistance would be very helpful.”

Angela Williams

“Yes, having this would help students follow the right path. Students need help to prepare for their futures.”

“Yes, services like this (office) being available makes it easier to transition into post-college life.”

Justin Aquino

Sarina Curtis

nursing

business

nursing

campus beat Follow The Advocate

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 10.14.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

3

Transfer Day bolsters academic goals

BY Roxana Amparo ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

Receive breaking campus news and sports updates by following The Advocate on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can find a digital copy of this paper on Issuu. twitter.com/accentadvocate facebook.com/accentadvocate instagram.com/cccadvocate issuu.com/the_advocate

NEWSLINE ■ PLAY

PERFORMANCE LEADS T0 SELF DISCOVERY The play “Wonder of the World” will continue to run this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Knox Center.

Drama students will perform David Lindsay-Abaire’s dark comedy, when a married woman discovers a secret about her husband and goes on a journey to find herself.

During her journey she meets these strange characters who are also on a voyage.

Tickets will be sold at $5 for students and $15 for general admission.

■ DELICACY

CHOCOLATE EVENT HELPS FUND TRIP The culinary arts department is hosting its 9th annual Chocolate and Champagne event on Oct. 25 at the Three Seasons Restaurant in the Applied Arts Building. There will be live music, savory treats, a chocolate fountain, raffles and more from noon to 3 p.m.

Advance tickets are $25 and general admission tickets are $30. The fundraiser is to benefit the culinary arts scholarship which funds promising students the opportunity to study abroad. To purchase tickets, call 510-215-3878 or email wchau@ contracosta.edu.

■ DISABILITY

DOCUMENTARY TO RAISE AWARENESS Disabled Students Program and Services is hosting a film entitled “Lives Worth Living” as part of its Disability Awareness Month series moderated by librarian Megan Kinney.

The film will be shown in LLRC-107 on Thursday from 2 to 3:15 p.m.

The documentary focuses on an oral history, told by the movement’s mythical heroes themselves, featuring Fred Fay, who suffered a spinal cord injury at age 17 in 1961.

Representatives from more than 30 universities gathered outside the Liberal Arts Building patio on Oct. 6 to provide information regarding transfer opportunities for students during Transfer Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

During the event, representatives from public and private universities visited Contra Costa College to expose students to the opportunities available at a variety of campuses.

Among those running booths, representatives included people from UC Berkeley, Saint Mary’s College of California, Chico State University, Holy Names University, Cal State-East Bay and others.

Dominican University’s Undergraduate Admissions Counselor Isabel Rangel said, “It (Transfer Day) allows (CCC) students to get a better idea of what university they want to go to and it gets them excited for what is to come.”

Kelly Stubblefield, a representative from San Diego NewSchool of Architecture and Design, said a benefit of having a Transfer Day is that it is a good way to connect with students.

Stubblefield said students often hear the name of the university, but rarely have the chance to connect with someone directly related to the college.

“It’s putting a face to a name,”

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Business major Latuan Wheaton writes down information from a Grand Canyon University representative during the Transfer Day event at the Liberal Arts Patio on Oct. 6.

she said.

Saint Mary’s College Director of Transfer Recruitment Angelica Moore said Transfer Day exposes students to state schools as well as local colleges and is beneficial for those weighing options who want to stay close to home.

Business major Latuan Wheaton said she would have attended the event regardless of the extra credit assignment for her health class, which required her to talk to five

representatives.

Some college representatives, like Academic Counselor Kimberly Mahoney from UC Davis, were not only looking to share what the college is about based on academics, but also focused on informing students on extracurricular activities.

Automotive technology major Carlos Garcia said Transfer Day offers an opportunity to gather information and develop a plan.

Garcia said although students

can find the information about the different universities online, it is helpful to have them on campus because it makes it easier to grasp the information.

“I am still trying to figure out what I want,” he said. “I don’t know where I want to go.”

Counselor Andrea Phillips said despite the tight space and some of the university representatives not showing up, the event turned out to be a success.

INTERNSHIP | Lab provides scientific experience Continued from Page 1 Lab that I was able to find out what it is that I wanted to do.”

Toward the end of the presentation he said, “Do not let the fact that you are at community college discourage you from applying (for an internship).”

He then recalled his time as a “hood boy” living in Richmond and how becoming a student at CCC changed his life.

“I did stupid stuff back then and didn’t take my education seriously. Now, I am (in charge of) a department, and I am currently working on a climate research project.

“My mom is really proud of me. Even though I’m aiming for senior science level in the (Berkeley) lab — my heart is still with those (community college) intern students.”

Students were encouraged to ask questions.

“I really enjoyed the meeting,” undecided major Iris Wong said. “It exposed us to many opportunities for success. I also think it was

amazing to bring (Lopez), as he was a CCC student. He is an inspiration for many CCC students seeking (science) internships.”

Flood expects the first weeks of summer for student interns to be “intense, fast and furious.”

She said students are expected to catalog about 40 hours a week in the lab. “It is considered a full-time job.”

“I would not recommend that students in the internship take other classes,” she said.

“They will be doing many things in the lab, such as writing research papers and doing presentations on their research project.”

Berkeley Lab also gives community college students the opportunity to pair with experienced scientists in the lab to help them build science, engineering and technology skills.

“The relationship established between the student and the mentor is important,” Berkeley Lab Principal Investigator Brett Helms said.

“My job as a mentor is to promote students to the next level. I take (community college) and (undergraduate) intern students and try

to develop programs that will help them learn about things such as electricity, or renewable energy resources.”

Helms said the faculty mentor must be an expert in the same field of study as the student.

Berkeley Lab mechanical engineer Sherwin Mendoza said, “If you are a mechanical engineer major then you will most likely be paired with a mechanical engineer. It doesn’t have to be specific, as long as it’s in the engineering discipline.”

Flood said joining professional organizations before applying for summer internships is also important.

“When considering candidates for internship programs, we look for how you are engaged in your discipline,” she said. “Professional organizations help you build your network.”

Helms said, “I will also look for (application) essays that stand out. There are collections of things I review. It’s actually tough to connect with potential students if they are interested in a broad major such as structural biology.”

SINGLE STOP | Closure increases economic struggle Continued from Page 1

n “Funding started to

dwindle, so Single Stop had to attach itself to EOPS/CalWORKs to stay at CCC.”

various social services programs and also training around use of our financial resources,” Mehdizadeh said. “Those were the main things they provided, but with external providers they partnered with.”

The college is currently exploring a similar program called SparkPoint. It is a program created

by United Way of the Bay Area that provides the same types of resources as Single Stop, like financial coaching and legal services.

This program also offers a food pantry from food banks. However, CCC is in the beginning stages of considering adding the program to the campus, so there is a chance SparkPoint will not be at CCC, Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said.

“It offered legal and financial

coaching, legal services, assistance applying for CalWORKs and CalFresh nSingle Stop benefits and USA no longer tax prepara- serves the college tions during because its grant the spring,” she with the college ran out. said.

On Sept. nCCC is exploring 28, the interim a similar program president and called SparkPoint. some faculty nSingle Stop USA visited Skyline was cut at the end College to get a of spring 2015 glimpse of how semester.

SparkPoint is set up there.

“Skyline, being a bigger college, had its own center for SparkPoint in the Career Center,” she said.

in brief

CRIMEWATCH

director of students and retention support services, said during her time at CCC from 2012-15 she managed Single Stop while also working in the EOPS/CalWORKs Office.

She said her usual clients consisted of students sent to her when their financial aid fell through, or if they needed financial or legal advice.

“Single Stop is a way of supporting financial barriers by providing coaching and legal services for students,” Archaga said. “I made things easier for students who were struggling financially.”

The financial coaching and legal services for the program

Saturday, Oct. 3: A parent reported his son and two other juveniles were harassed in the men’s restroom.

INDIGENOUS | Community rejects national holiday

Monday, Oct. 5: No reports taken on this date.

Tuesday, Oct. 6: Officer conducted a traffic stop and it was determined driver did not have a license. Subject was cited and vehicle was not towed.

— Roxana Amparo — 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.

— Teresea Archaga, former CCC Single Stop manager

were through external providers, like Mission San Francisco Community Financial Center and Replicon. Both of these organizations are nonprofit and were associated with Single Stop at CCC. “So essentially the manager would be responsible for ensuring that the area is staffed, and (responsible for) programs like tax services, screening services for

Continued from Page 1 ies and colleges across the United States have adopted Indigenous People’s Day in condemnation of Columbus as a murderer and slaver.

Herschel Schwartz, linguistic major, said, “I do not know how often people talk about (indigenous people), so it is good to have (“Celebrating Indigenous Peoples in Diaspora”) event.”

Contra Costa Community College, Peralta Community College districts and UC Berkeley were among the first in the nation to adopt either Indigenous People’s Day or Native American Day in place of Columbus Day. Mojica-Villegas said, “First we were robbed of our land, our language, our culture and then ourselves (identity).”

For over 500 years, people in Latin America have dealt with the negative effects of subjugation and slavery that conquistadors instilled into American societies.

He said the question whether Chicanos in the United States should celebrate Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day is still up for debate — even if it is clear that it should not.

LRSU President Maria Lara said Indigenous People’s Day focuses on creating awareness that Columbus was not the person K-12 education made him seem. Lara said that students at schools across the state and nation often lack the opportunity to express themselves. So having this event on campus helps students learn about their cultural history that they would not have otherwise if they took what is taught in history classes at face value.

Undecided major Salvador Andrade said, “Not a lot of people tell the truth or are informed about what Columbus Day signifies.”

La Raza studies professor Agustin Palacios proctored performances that included student and faculty poetry, musical renditions or spoken word. Palacios did not limit the creativity and said people could share whatever they felt

appropriate.

After Ramos gave his brief introduction about why Columbus Day should not be celebrated, he played a melody with his flute called “One Wolf ” and recited a short poem.

Counselor and poet Norma Valdez-Jimenez, Bay Area rapper Chhoti Maa, drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarría and author León Salvatierra also performed.

Chavarría’s poem titled “High School,” is about his experience as an immigrant coming from Mexico with his family to California’s Central Valley. He said not knowing how to speak English and the feeling of losing his cultural heritage was daunting, but these were obstacles he had to overcome.

Counselor Alfred Ignacio Zuniga said he has experience discrimination due to his light colored skin.

“They think I am a white guy,” he said. “But I want to be taken as who I am (a Mexican American).”

4

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 10.14.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Political activists promote diversity COPA club holds first meeting, seeks open minds

BY Christian Urrutia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Community Organizing Political Action club (COPA) held its first general assembly meeting in LLRC-107 to attract like-minded students on Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

During his welcoming address, Contra Costa College COPA President Wali Khan said, “I believe as students we should do more for our community (and include student input).”

Khan, an economics major, said that a few of the things the club wants to provide is a volunteer base for political action purposes related to social issues such as minimum wage advocacy and health care coverage.

“Many of us face a lot of Gonzales issues, but we do not have a voice in (which) we can be Dr. Vanna heard,” Khan said.

Gonzales He also said the club was recentserves as a platform to proly hired as test other issues students a political may feel are relevant and science promote community action assistant or social justice causes. professor “This club is a platform and serves to create relationships, as one of build social awareness the club’s co-advisers. around community issues and give (students) good insight on how the political system works,” Khan said.

COPA Vice President Nora Rodriguez said many clubs on campus go unnoticed because a lack of awareness is present.

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Political science major Casina Butler (left) listens to political science assistant professor Vanna Gonzales as she introduces herself during the COPA club’s general assembly meeting in LLRC-107 on Thursday.

n “This club is a platform to

goals for the semester that make relationships, build social was introduced by the advisawareness around community Dr. Vanna issues and gives you good insight ers, Gonzales, political science on how the political system assistant profesworks, as well as networking sor, and politiopportunities.” cal science pro— Wali Khan, COPA president fessor Leonard McNeil. They included conRodriguez said it is her inten- cepts like a greater organization keep political apathy out tional capacity as a club and of COPA. access to school resources.

She said COPA aspires to Other concepts presented develop the next generation included empowerment of of community leaders as part individuals to catalyze change of its ideology that students through social and political at CCC should harness their activism. Another one feaonline presence and voice. tured educating through The meeting’s agenda events, speakers and expefeatured a PowerPoint pre- riences that raise political sentation outlining COPA’s awareness and build skills.

COPA general assembly key notes:

Political science major Xenia Rivera said the diversity of the club, along with its open-mindedness, gives students a boost of knowledge about what is going on in the current political arena.

Another element of COPA is working in concert with community political organizations to learn and receive training for ideas for involvement like minority empowerment and providing information for voter registration.

History major Nathan Patterson said he attended the meeting out of political curiosity and he is interested in community involvement.

Patterson said, “I would like to see the club garner more supporters. A lot of students on this campus are out of touch and it behooves them

n There will be a trip to UC Hastings School of Law on Oct. 24. n COPA will be present during Club Rush on Oct. 27 and 28. n The next general assembly meeting is on Nov. 12 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

to be socially and politically aware.”

Patterson said the club’s activism could bring certain aspects to light, such as upcoming electoral candidates or social justice issues and talks about how important it is for students to be self-aware of their own communities.

After a meet and greet session, potential members were shown some future agenda items, such as the Club Rush event, the next film forum date on Nov. 18.

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CHANGE THE WORLD FROM HERE

Former editors, staff gather to honor work, contributions, legacy

BY Roxana Amparo ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

For the first time in decades, former and current Advocate staffers will reconnect on Saturday night at The Advocate’s first ever reunion.

Inspired by an idea of the late Rowena Millado Walton, 1993-94 Advocate associate editor, the reunion is set to happen Saturday night in Berkeley to keep the connection going between staffers from the different years and decades.

“When Rowena Millado Walton passed from cancer in February, it hit people hard,” Melanie ReyesSoqui, 1994-1995 Advocate editor-inDeBolt chief, said. It was at Walton’s funeral service that her dream of bringing Advocate staffers across generations together was taken up by her friends.

Closely connected with Walton, ReyesSoqui and 1995-96 Editor-in-Chief Genoa Barrow gathered to enact Walton’s vision.

“Genoa took up the torch,” Reyes said.

Barrow said, “After years and years and years of trying to plan the reunion, it is finally coming together.”

The dinner reception will be held at HS Lordships Restaurant in Berkeley for the estimated 85 guests from the different years and decades, including current Advocate staffers and supporters of the program, journalism department Chairperson Paul DeBolt said.

“It’s been 20 years (since I was on staff),” Barrow said. “We are old.”

DeBolt said, “We are all part of the history of The Advocate, and we get really close to (each other).”

Barrow said they are coming together to celebrate DeBolt’s 35th year of teaching journalism classes at Contra Costa College, his leadership role and his contributions to the class to be able to have a strong college

paper.

She said although many staffers went on to careers outside of journalism, Contra Costa College’s The Advocate was the foundation where it all started for everyone.

During the reunion there will be three scholarships given out in memory of Advocate staffers who have died, but have not been forgotten, DeBolt said.

Those are the Rowena Millado Walton Scholarship, John Baldonado Scholarship and Con Garretson Scholarship, in honor of the associate, sports and associate editors, respectively.

DeBolt said there has been a lot of history made by students while being part of The Advocate, but what makes this special is that the reunion is actually happening for the first time.

“We’ve had many Advocate alumni who have done some pretty cool things,” DeBolt said. attendees “We are willReunion be coming from all part of Southern California, Wyoming, Oregon, the histoWashington and the ry of The Bay Area where they have pursued careers in Advocate, journalistic and related, and we get or unrelated, fields.

Barrow said she really close is looking forward to to (each hearing where everyone went after they left the other).

Advocate Newsroom.

— Paul DeBolt, There will be laughs and journalism depart- it will be fun, she said.

Apart from catching ment chairperson up over dinner, there will be a slideshow, raffles and awards to honor contributers to the paper who were never on staff.

Barrow said there also will be hall of fame inductees to honor former editors, writers and photographers for their contributions to The Advocate.

Excited to reminisce about the good times with everyone, Reyes-Soqui said the memories spent in the newsroom will be relived once everyone comes together.

Prior to the reunion, some former staffers will meet on Friday night to revisit the newsroom, in AA-215 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., where they once spent countless hours producing The Advocate.

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“I didn’t think I was going to score. I just knew I had to step up or else we would lose the battle for second place (in conference).” — Missael Hernandez, Comet striker

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■ OFF THE RECORD

robertclinton

SOCIAL MEDIA’S ‘DARK SIDE’ SHOULD NOT FUEL BANS

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CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Comet center back Edgar Yepes steals the ball from Eagle midfielder Oscar Martinez during the Comets’ 2-1 win at the Soccer Field on Friday. The Comets host Santa Rosa Junior College today at 4 p.m.

Comets edge Eagles in last minutes BVC champions slip, men’s team capitalizes to win

BY Lorenzo Morotti ASSOCIATE EDITOR

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

With less than two minutes left to play in the game, the men’s soccer team capitalized off a Mendocino College error to score the winning goal holding last season’s Bay Valley Conference champions to a single goal at the Soccer Field on Friday.

Contra Costa College (6-4-3 overall, 2-1-1 in the BVC) and Mendocino (1-2-1 in conference) seemed as though it would share a point (tie game) and record (1-1-2) by game’s end, but Comet striker Missael Hernandez’s volley from an incredibly tight angle sealed the valuable 2-1 win.

An errant Mendocino midfielder’s pass at minute 89 generated Hernandez’s game winning play.

“It’s tough when you give up a goal at the 90th minute because of a mental lapse,” Mendocino coach Shane Huff said. “It was a tight game against a good team, but a draw would have been a fair result.”

The Eagles “mental lapse” allowed CCC to swing the play along half field to the left sideline and move into the edge of the attacking third with the game tied at 1-1 and time running out.

Hernandez sprinted into space near the far goal post to find midfielder Jorge Avina’s 45-degree cross, sent from 25 yards from the goal. Hernandez volleyed the out-swinging ball with the inside of his right foot less than two yards from the end line — lofting it above Eagle goalkeeper Victor Hernandez’s reach and into far corner of the goal to complete his brace (two goals).

Missael Hernandez admitted that he hit the ball with the intention of it being a cross to the far post, but it ended up going into the top left corner of the goal.

“I didn’t think I was going to score,” he said. “I just knew I had to step up or else we would lose the battle for second place (in conference).”

He also scored CCC’s first goal at 32 minutes when he cleaned up a loose ball that was delivered into the penalty area by striker Bryan Vega.

Hernandez now has four goals this season, three behind the team’s leading goal scorer Pedro Rodriguez and one behind Vega. “(The team) worked hard to

pressure high up the field while keeping our (defensive) form, especially during the EAGLES second half,” Rodriguez said.

“But (Hernandez’s) goal was wonderful. He came out of nowhere to score — he was the man of the match.”

Rodriguez was limited to only 19 minutes of play, coming off the bench at minute 36 and being subbed out at minute 75. He is still recovering from a foot injury.

CCC fired only three shots compared to Mendocino’s two in the first half, but both teams finished with six shots by the end of a high-tempo game.

Mendocino’s Huff said after his team struggled throughout the first half, it held possession better and created more goal scoring chances in the second half.

Comet coach Nikki Ferguson said Hernandez’s goal was pivotal, but if it were not for centerback Edgar Yepes’ consistent defensive clearances and vocal leadership, the game could have ended as a loss for CCC. “(Yepes) was the (defensive) man of the match,” Ferguson said.

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“He dominated in the air against a team that likes to serve the ball into (the penalty area).”

The Eagles scored their goal at 49 minutes, when a long throw-in to the edge of the penalty area caught the Comet defense napping.

Mendocino striker Oscar Martinez, in between two Comet defenders, trapped the ball and quickly spun, dribbled and rifled a low left-footed shot past Comet goalkeeper Eduardo Escamilla and into the bottom left side of the goal.

The Comet’s last minute goal, however, secured three points in the conference standings to bring them up to seven points and second place. CCC now has 28 goals scored so far this season — six in conference play.

The Comets are now trailing only Yuba College (7-4 overall, 3-0 in the BVC) and by just two points in conference. Unlike CCC, the 49ers have only played three games in conference as of press time Tuesday.

Depending on the result of its Tuesday game at Merritt College, which can be found on cccaasports.org, the Comets could be battling for BVC supremacy on Tuesday against Folsom Lake College on the Soccer Field at 4 p.m.

Comet striker Paula Sanchez (middle right) defends against Mariner striker Jenny Huezo during the volleyball team’s loss to Marin on Friday.

VOLLEYBALL TEAM LOSES TO MARINERS, STAYS WINLESS MARINERS DEFEAT COMETS

25-11, 25-9, 25-9

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

The volleyball team took a step backward on Wednesday, managing to score double digit points in the first set before eventually losing 3-0 to the College of Marin (3-10 overall and 3-3 in the Bay Valley Conference) in the Gymnasium.

Before its game on Oct. 7 against third place Yuba College, Contra Costa College (0-6 overall and 0-6 in the BVC) started to show signs of improvement.

The Mariner squad only had two more players than the Comets, who have the minimum of six, but the ability to substitute even momentarily, left the home team with a familiar problem — fatigue.

“After playing the top three teams in the BVC in our last five games, we were drained,” Comet setter Paula Sanchez (three spikes, two kills) said. “Some of our players are still pretty new and have not adjusted to playing on this level yet.”

The Comets have another shot to get into the win column tonight against the College of Alameda, which is coming off a three-game winning streak, in the Gymnasium at 6 p.m.

CCC kept its pace early on in the first set to knot the score at 5-5, but Marin surged.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

The Mariners scored four unanswered points, forcing CCC coach Christy Tianero to call an early timeout.

Shortly after play resumed the Comets were seemingly discouraged by the Mariners’ productive offense and fell victim to another run. This time, Marin pushed the score to 17-6.

Former Comet outside hitter, now Mainer Kailey Walker (12 points, eight service aces) finished off the scoring outburst for Marin with a service ace. The Mariners took the first set 25-11.

Marin struck first in the second set but Comet right hitter Amy Palomares (two points, four spikes) along with Sanchez combined to tie the game 1-1. Competition was fierce throughout most of the second set.

CCC trailed by only three points shortly before the midway point of the second set when the score was 11-8.

From that moment on the CCC momentum was shattered and the Mariners began to sense an inevitable win on the horizon. The visitors poured on the points, fueled by the Comets’ dissolving vitality.

“There are only six of us so when we get

tired there isn’t really much that we can do,” Comet outside hitter Deanna Craighead said.

Along with having no substitutions, CCC’s coaches said having just a couple more players would also provide opportunities for productive competition for playing time.

The Comets only scored one more point in the second set and the Mariners eventually won it 25-9.

Marin played the third set with a smile.

They cheered after every point and amplified the hurrahs as the points piled up.

“It felt bad in a way especially with everything the team is going through,” Walker said “We were 2-10 (overall) coming into this game so it wasn’t out of disrespect. We just need to use anything we can to build on and get better as a team.”

A service ace by CCC middle blocker Mariah Marinho (one point, three spikes) cut the Mariner lead to four at 10-6. The point sparked a four-point run by Marin that eventually led to CCC calling a timeout in an attempt to break the momentum of play.

From that point the Comets were outscored 9-3, ultimately losing the final set 25-9 and the match 3-0.

o the average college student the expansive landscape of social media platforms is no passing fad. It is a communication staple connecting people in ways that could not be fathomed just a decade ago.

But there is a dark side.

Lists exist online of tweets and stories that can only be described as collections of misogynistic, moronic statements made in public forums.

One example is a tweet in 2009 published by University of Arkansas basketball player Courtney Fortson.

He tweeted, “I’m getting in workouts like a dude who doesn’t understand the word no from a drunk girl lol.”

That dark side is fueling the debate around the increasing number of college athletic programs that impose a social media ban on their players.

Some colleges, including Clemson University and the University of Minnesota, have already enforced the ban.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, at least 59 athletic departments restrict student-athletes’ use of social media.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District that a public institution cannot censor speech simply because it wishes to avoid “discomfort and unpleasantness.”

As of late, tweets that represent why a student should be allowed to mature while using social media are

by Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. He tweeted in 2012, “Why do we have to go to class if we came to play FOOTBALL, we ain’t come to play SCHOOL classes are POINTLESS.” Jones redeemed his social media image three years later (following a National Championship victory) while tweeting about the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

He tweeted in July, “Why is it that the only ones getting beaten, killed when unarmed & die in police custody are African American. You tell me that #AllLivesMatter well I say how do you define ‘All’?”

A fan responded on Twitter, “Worry about getting us another championship…

Stay out of this bullshit.”

The quarterback’s response instantly spread through the social media stratosphere.

Jones tweeted, “Sorry mr massa, I aints allo to tweet nothin but foosball stuff I donts want you to think I more than a foots ball playa.”

Jones could have been suspended or removed from his team for reckless or irresponsible posts. But no action was taken against him.

And rightly so. College is not a place of work. They are supposed to be institutions working to educate students.

The discussion returns to the students who have the most impact on a college’s bottom line. It is unreasonable to hold amateurs to the same standard as professionals who sign code of conduct policies.

If student-athletes are to be held to the same standards as their professional counterparts, seen as little as a coin in an ever-flowing fountain of money, then their bank accounts should be represented accordingly.

Robert Clinton is the sports editor of The Advocate.

Contact him at rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com.

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Richmond celebrates Home Front Festival Photos by: Cody Casares and Christian Urrutia FOR

ABOVE: Elandis Brooks of Showtime Dunk launches into the air off a small trampoline to dunk the ball during the Richmond Home Front Festival at Marina Bay Park on Saturday.

MORE PHOTOS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

LEFT: Eugene Rodriguez, of Los Cenzontles, strums his guitar while performing during the Richmond Home Front Festival at Marina Bay Park on Saturday.

RIGHT: Contra Costa College culinary arts student Jose Rosales prepares a burrito for a patron during the Richmond Home Front Festival at Marina Bay Park on Saturday.

ABOVE: Maria Barrera (left) of the Way of Life zumba studio guides participants through an exercise during the Richmond Home Front Festival at Marina Bay Park on Saturday.