WEDNESDAY l 2.1.17 OUR 67TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.
SANCTUARY DISTRICTS COMFORT FEAR Diablo Valley College Contra Costa College
Los Medanos College
CONTRA COSTA
Vanguard communities pass resolution to deny federal government access to registry BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com
FOOTHILLDE ANZA Foothill College De Anza College
Sanctuary status A sanctuary jurisdiction is an agency that refuses to help the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement by providing access to student or employee personal information. Two out of the 10 community college districts in the Bay Area have passed resolutions preventing President Trump’s administration from creating a registry of people based on religion, citizenship status, race or sexual orientation.
Legend Dots mark community college campuses College district with sanctuary status
The Governing Board voted unanimously to grant sanctuary status to protect Contra Costa College, Los Medanos College and Diablo Valley College students and employees of marginalized groups and communities on Jan. 12. As part of the resolution, the California Community Colleges Chancellor Office will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of individuals based on any protected characteristics, such as religion, national origin, race or sexual orientation. Out of the 10 community college districts in the Bay Area only CCC and Foothill-De Anza passed sanctuary status resolutions. The district Governing Board’s special meeting held at DVC’s Performing Arts Center was the result of a high turnout of supporters of the created petition during the previous board meeting on Dec. 14, 2016 in Martinez. “What we saw last month was fear,” district Trustee Timothy J. Padilla Farley said to the board and crowd of about 60 community members and students at DVC in reference to the Martinez meeting last year. “And what I want this community to know is that as long as I am on this community college board, and as long as I have anything to do, I will do everything in my power to protect our students from fear and that is why I will support this ordinance before us tonight. “We cannot tolerate fear,” Farley said. “Not from a foreign government and certainly not from our own.” President Donald Trump’s plans to deport undocumented immigrants instilled fear and prompted scores of professors, administrators and students throughout the Contra Costa Community College district to action before his inauguration. CCC HSI/STEM Manager Mayra Padilla said, “The spirit of a sanctuary (district) is to make students and employees who are threatened as included and safe as possible at a time of real danger.” Padilla was part of the working group created over winter break to draft the resolution based off a petition that earned scores of signatures as it circulated throughout the district via social media sites. She was also responsible for submitting the petition to the Governing Board for review by legal counsel, and review the revised resolution presented during the special meeting at DVC. At the special meeting, CCC student Marisol SEE SANCTUARY, PAGE 3 ILLUSTRATION AND INFOGRAPHIC BY MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE
United Faculty Coroner rules trustee’s vote to reduce death as overdose semester span Investigation BY Lorenzo Morotti
BY Lorenzo Morotti
finds
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com
The decision to compress the semester from an 18-week semester to a 16-week schedule moves forward as United Faculty members vote online to approve the tentative agreement opened on Monday. District Administrative Services Executive Vice Chancellor Eugene Huff said if UF members ratify the online vote, ending on Feb. 9, then a two-week reduction to the semester length would be slated for a 2018 fall semester implementation. “There are various benefits to the switch,” Huff said. “It would give us time to hold a winter intersession. With 16 weeks instead of 18, we trim off 10 days and it gives us two weeks to play around with so we can offer more courses.” District Communications and Community Relations Director Tim Leong said while he is
multiple substances in Nejedly’s system, raises questions regarding drug policy
SEE VOTE, PAGE 3
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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Former Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board trustee John T. Nejedly’s death on Oct. 9, 2016 was confirmed as an “accidental” drug overdose with multiple unspecified substances, New Orleans Coroner’s Office spokesperson Jason Melancon said on Tuesday. Nejedly, 52, was found lying in bed, shirtless, alone, with blood and bodily fluids running out of his mouth and down his chin by Hilton Hotel-Riverside Security Supervisor Lisa Finley at about 9 p.m., according to the New Orleans Police Department Incident Report obtained by The Advocate in October 2016. Melancon said he cannot specify which drugs were found in his system, determine the composition of a “white-powdered substance,” provide information about the woman’s bra and cell phone found with Nejedly in hotel room 636. The coroner’s report containing his cause of death was completed a little more than three months after Nejedly’s death, and about a month after the Governing Board voted in Gary WalkerRoberts to replace Nejedly as the Ward IV trustee on Dec. 12. “Generally speaking, it takes a few months for us to get toxicology results back for cases like this,” Melancon said. “That’s why it took so long.” The full report has not been TWITTER: @accentadvocate
released. Melancon said while it is accessible to the public, it is the policy of the New Orleans Coroner’s Office to not email documents containing personal information. Nejedly, who was the longest serving district trustee at the time of his death, died while attending the annual Association of Community College Trustees Conference in New Orleans. Governing Board President Vicki Gordon said these trips are for trustees to attend strategic planning workshops and establish connections so they can share this information with the board to create plans to improve student success. Gordon said the Governing Board approved the annual trip for three board members and Nejedly arrived in New Orleans on Oct. 5, 2016. He was found dead four days later. He served 22 years on the Governing Board and helped the district receive $856 million in state funding through three different bond measures since 2002. Contra Costa College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh worked with Nejedly at the District Office from 2001 until 2015. Mehdizadeh said she never noticed Nejedly show any behavior of drug or alcohol abuse while working at the District Office and is shocked by his death being ruled as an overdose. “He was always extremely professional and focused in the workplace,” she said. District Communications and YOUTUBE: /accentadvocate
FILE PHOTO / THE ADVOCATE
John T. Nejedly, 52, served 22 years on the Governing Board.
Relations Director Tim Leong said because Nejedly is an employee of the district he was required to adhere to Human Resources Procedures 1018.11 and 1018.06. In a phone interview after the initial incident report was released, Leong also said he was unaware that Nejedly was using drugs during this business trip and he did not show any behaviors associated to drug abuse while at work. District policy prohibits the use, possession, manufacture or disSEE TRUSTEE, PAGE 3
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opinion
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1, 2017 VOL. 104, NO. 12
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM
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EDITORIAL FALSE SECURITY Trump’s executive order violates rights, breeds fear
P
resident Donald Trump signed 15 executive orders during his first week in office, but none is more deceptive than “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States.” On. Jan 25, the Trump administration issued an order that threatens to cut federal grants to public agencies who refuse to help U.S Immigrations and Customs Enforcement target undocumented immigrants who break the law — sanctuary jurisdictions. The order claims creating a weekly log of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants will “better inform the public regarding public safety threats associated with sanctuary jurisdictions.” But it is really a way for the Republican Party to maintain political dominance during state, local and federal elections by using fear. People who support this executive order tend to argue that a multi-cultural nation is doomed to fail. This executive order is particularly misleading because it uses “public safety” to justify plans to maintain Anglo-Christians as the dominant demographic in the United States. Trump’s executive order, written by his chief strategist and a National Security Council member Steve Bannon, came 13 days after the Contra Costa Community District Governing Board granted sanctuary status for its students and employees at Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College. “What we saw last month was fear,” District Trustee Timothy J. Farley said at the Governing Board meeting on Jan. 12. Dr. Farley referenced the dozens of students, professors and administrators who attended the Dec. 14, 2016 Governing Board meeting to urge the district to take preventative measures before Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. “I will do anything in my power to protect our students from fear and that is why I will support this ordinance before us tonight,” he said. “We cannot tolerate fear. Not from a foreign government and certainly not from our own.” According to the document on whitehouse.gov, this order issued aims to: Hire 10,000 additional immigration officers who are able to arrest, detain and interrogate any undocumented immigrant they consider to be violating the law. Create a program that would prosecute, detain and interrogate undocumented immigrants connected to criminal organizations. Reconstitute the immigration program that requires local and state jurisdictions to share information with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport undocumented immigrants — Shared Communities (2008-2014). Racial profiling could return to the surrounding communities of Richmond and San Pablo and negatively affect a large portion of the population CCC serves. We must not succumb to fear and continue pressuring our local municipalities and the state to adopt progressive agendas. And if Trump threatens to cut federal funding then we will continue to use statewide and local income tax initiatives to fund our school system. But the last thing we can become is complacent — we must continue to resist.
MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE
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■ ENVIRONMENT
Clean water on verge of pollution disaster C
lean water has always been a rare commodity throughout parts of the world, but in recent years America has begun to find itself on the verge of losing this commodity of clean and reliable drinking water. Due to an old and crumbling infrastructure that seems to be neglected and ignored, the fossil fuel industry’s gross obsession with pipelines, to record drought, the once privileged resource that is both essential to life and life’s sustainability is becoming absent or contaminated with harsh chemicals and heavy metals. The decline in water, with no end in sight, is a reality traveling across America, and as the value and need for such a precious resource becomes more dire, the need to monopolize and privatize becomes survival of the fittest, or of the richest. Today, in America, water as a commodity holds the same luxury as gold, and as water becomes more sought after, like gold, it becomes more valuable. Like the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation of North Dakota, whose people are in an all-out war against the fossil fuel industry building the Dakota Access Pipeline which would run through their water supply, creating threats of contamination. But the fossil fuel industry is only enemy number one in the attempt to categorize water as America’s 21st century liquid gold. Flint, Michigan is a city where many of its residents live below the poverty line and most have lived without
Climate change is the third enemy to our threatened water supply. And as record temperatures create historic droughts, water is disappearing at a more alarming rate each year. With the lack of water comes increased regulations reliable drinking water for and higher costs, all for a nearly three years. The city commodity that should be is seen as a harbinger of free as a human right. things to come for the future The shift began to take of America. shape during California’s Residents, who are prolonged drought, where already strugpenalties for violation of gling to make “Climate water restrictions were ends meet, issued. survive off of change Without a clean and bottled water, abundant water supply, as a cocktail is the third more people will face water of lead and either because bacteria conenemy to insecurities, it’s too expensive or too tinues to flow toxic to drink. from their our If anything, human faucets into beings are waking up to how threatened important their homes clean water is, and places of how valuable it is, as they water work. fight to protect their water Although supply from intruders forsupply.” the hardest eign and domestic. hit, Flint But the future of clean isn’t the only and affordable water looks city across America dealing grim from all aspects. with a rapid decline in water Although the fight has just quality due to poor decibegun, Flint and Standing sions and a decaying infraRock are a glimpse into the structure. future and the road we are Water samples from citheaded down. ies across the country have And that is a future tested positive for contamwhere reliable clean water is inants, ranging from lead, sparse and becoming a rare and bacteria, to industrial commodity that is fought chemicals and pollutants, over, bought and sold, as known to cause health issues America’s 21st century liqand even death. uid gold. The re-conditioning of America’s broken infrastrucMichael Santone is an ture will take years, but at associate editor of The what cost and to who? Advocate. Contact him at Will it happen withmsantone.theadvocate@ in enough time to spare gmail.com. America’s water system from total devastation?
michaelsantone
CAMPUS COMMENT
How do you think President Donald Trump’s presidency will affect your education?
“My educational opportunities will be limited because of his views about my background and ethnicity.”
“It will get people to want to dig deeper and get knowledge on our country and our rights here as citizens.”
Brenda Martinez
Ebonie Barnett
undecided
anthropology
JESSICA SUICO, JOSE CHAVEZ AND ALLISON SNIATH / THE ADVOCATE
Schools may start shutting down when there is no funding because of high tuiton that people won’t be able to afford.” Htejany Fernandez communications
“I honestly hate Trump. He’s going to bring segregation to our country by tearing people apart instead of together.”
“His plan to privatize public education is terrible. Education shouldn’t be big business.”
Leo Walker
Luke Quilici
business
business
“If he takes financial aid away, I won’t be able to go to school anymore. I hope he keeps the right funding for the colleges.” Nia Allen psychology
campus beat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.1.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
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NEWSLINE SANCTUARY | Resolution predicts Trump’s orders PREPAREDNESS
FINANCIAL AID EVENT ANSWERS QUESTIONS Financial Aid Awareness Day will be held in the College Center Plaza today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students and members of the community will receive information from financial aid representatives. Questions about financial aid will be answered. There will be games and giveaways for those in attendance. For more information about the event or any other financial aid related questions, contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@contracosta.edu.
RELAXATION
WORKSHOP OFFERS TEST TAKING TIPS The Adelante STEM Academy will be having a math workshop today in PS-109 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The film “Tips for Math Success” will be presented by Professor Chris Nagel during the workshop. It will provide students with tips on how to take notes when studying, test-taking strategies and other skills to help students succeed in math. For more information, contact the HSI/STEM office at 510-2154815.
ANXIETY
STRESS COUNSELING DROP IN AVAILABLE There will be drop-in counseling available for students who have been feeling distraught over President Donald Trump’s signing of recent executive orders from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. Students will be able to talk with a counselor tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
DRAMA
SATIRICAL PLAY BACK FOR ONE NIGHT “Joto!: Confessions of a Mexican Outcast” will be performed one night only on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The one-man show will be presented in the Knox Center free for all Contra Costa College students, and $10 for general admission. Tickets will be sold at the door, cash only. “Joto!” is written and performed by drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarria. Drama professor Jimmy Noriega is the director.
TRANSFER
LOTTERY TO BE HELD FOR UC DAVIS TOUR The Discover UC Davis college tour will be held on Feb. 3, 2017. There will be 50 Contra Costa College students to attend a free campus tour. Students will be provided with breakfast and lunch and will have the opportunity to ask UC Davis student’s questions about the college. The bus will depart from CCC at 7:30 a.m. Students interested in attending the tour must register by Feb. 3, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Students can register at https:// c c c e o p s . w u f o o. c o m / f o r m s / q1q65yhb0dupwvz/ and can find more information at the Transfer Center. — Xavier Johnson and Reggie Santini
— 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 Contreras said, “Implementing the resolution would stand against oppression, discrimination and deportation. Contreras said she and others came to ask the Governing Board to stand with the diverse communities the district serves. “I’m asking for support, protection and resistance for people in need,” she said. The resolution states that the mission of the district is to “transform the lives by providing outstanding learning opportunities, nurturing and empowering all students to achieve educational goals.” CCC President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said the colleges have also been engaging in post-election activities. She said these include additional counseling sessions for students and legal advice clinics for immigrant families from One Justice, a non-profit organization. On Jan. 25, Metas and Adelante programs assistant Walter Orellana said the future is “unknown” now that Trump is the president. But Orellana, who was present at the meeting on Jan. 12, said it is important for the college to take on preventative actions to ensure its students feel safe. Padilla said the goal
“The spirit of sanctuary (district) is to make students and employees who are threatened as included and safe as possible at a time of real danger.” — Mayra Padilla, HSI/STEM manager
of the petition was bringing forth the resolution to “reaffirm” the spirit of sanctuary within the district and to make students and employees who are threatened feel as included as possible. The working group that drafted the resolution for district approval was made up Mehdizadeh, DVC’s Interim President Tom Wieden, LMC President Bob Kratochvil, district Executive Vice Chancellor Genew Huff and Special Assistant City Attorney Gabriel Sandoval. Mehdizadeh said it is a resolution in defense of civil rights, inclusion and diversity in the district. “We really see it as that,” she said. District Governing Board Trustee John Marquez said the passed resolution is “well thought out” and covers the important points that the board is trying to achieve
ROXANA AMPARO / THE ADVOCATE
District board members gather for a special meeting at DVC to vote to pass a distrIctwide sanctuary resolution on Jan. 12.
for its district. Trustee Gary WalkerRoberts said the resolution promotes is an atmosphere of respect. “It goes through the most vulnerable groups, the minority groups that are facing uncertain times,” Walker-Roberts said. “At this point, we are all in it together.” As a proponent of the resolution and the district’s first openly gay trustee, he said he stands for disenfranchised communities that often become easy targets for demagogues like Trump. “I think that will send a very loud voice to our community and to all of
our students on campus and employees,” he said. “I do feel vulnerable as an LGBTQ person and hearing all of your stories at the last board meeting. And I do feel that there is no need to prolong this resolution.” Governing Board President Vicki Gordon opened the vote to the board for the resolution around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12. “The time to take action is now,” she said. Gary-Walker said he is relieved the resolution passed and hopes to continue the conversation between the district, faculty and students. “We are all in it together,” he said.
Since becoming a sanctuary district, prompted by Trump’s historically divisive campaign, administration of justice department Chairperson Rick Ramos said HSI employees have been gathering resources for students and parents who fear deportation and seek guidance. “I am now seeing some language being used and a lot of stereotypes and profiling is happening,” Dr. Ramos said. “It makes me feel that now is my time. I need to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
CALENDAR | Agreement includes spring 2017 bonus
Continued from Page 1
also confident the agreement will pass, that does not mean there is not a lot of work still needed to be completed in terms of adjusting course sections, labs and other scheduling issues that may arise. Huff said, “For many science professors, their course structure is defined by the science lab blocks and how long they run. So we may have to go back and work with departments and administrators to tweak the schedule.” UF Executive Director Jeffery Michels said the tentative agreement negotiated with the district in December 2016 deals with compensation for part-time, and fulltime faculty. According to the agreement, it would implement a one-time off schedule compensation of about 2.5 percent of the base pay of the 2017 spring semester, and create changes to banked load that would give faculty who retire this year up to a $20,000 bonus. “For a lot of people a bonus is enough justification for approving this agreement,” Michels said. “Even if it is a small one-time bonus, it was included to compensate for the work required with switching over courses to a reduced semester.” According to the UF Table Talk weekly newsletter issued Thursday, this bonus will also pay for professors to the district’s new online learning management system — Canvas. Contra Costa College President
Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said the agreement also sets minimum hours a week for counselors and librarians but more discussions with department chairpersons and division deans are needed to resolve scheduling issues particularly for the sciences and nursing departments. “Science and nursing faculty will have the hardest time adjusting to the change,” Mehdizadeh said. “But the positive side we are not the first college to do this and can look to them for examples.” Huff said discussions about moving from an 18-week semester to a 16-week schedule have been simmering at the district for about a decade, but it was tabled for a variety of reasons. “In the last two years it has come up again,” he said. “But this time with a higher level of interest. This is what we were missing when the district was contemplating the decision in the past.” Michels said the district reached out to various colleges throughout the state and invited speakers who have experienced a switch first hand to its campuses for workshops. “Last year the Academic Senate worked with administrators and professors from other community colleges to work within the framework of a compressed calendar,” he said. “On the UF website we have uploaded videos of speakers from these colleges explaining the benefits of the switch.”
“The condensed time period provides an opportunity for students to focus in a slightly shortened time period.” Mojdeh Mehdizadeh,
Contra Costa College president
But Leong said before they can work out the final issues with the scheduling, the agreement must go through the Chancellor’s Office for approval. “Business takes a lot of time there,” he said. “It is a formality, but we still have a lot more time and resources to make all changes necessary to prepare for a 16-week calendar. “It would be very surprising for this be delayed any further, especially considering this been a topic of discussion for quite a while. Mehdizadeh said she was part of the district task force created in 2006 that began researching benefits to a compressed calendar. “There was interest,” Mehdizadeh said. “But at the time we were not ready to make a move for each constituency group review and provide feedback so we did not have consensus across board.” Now, she said the district Research Office has looked at data from other institutions who have converted to comp calendar and shared those finding with constituency groups throughout the
district as it nears a tangible switch to promote student success. “All the research I’ve looked at shows that it is beneficial for students.” Mehdizadeh said, “The condensed time period provides an opportunity for students to focus in a slightly shortened time period. “You don’t get sense of getting tired over lengthier time frame. Success rates look better for students who are on compressed calendars schedules in comparison to 18-week schedules.” She said considering where the district was in 2006 in terms of being prepared to provide its community a smooth transition, now is the appropriate time accept change. “A decision is coming up pretty soon.” Leong said. “Given the fact we are anticipating a 2018 fall semester implementation date for this tentative agreement on the compressed calendar. “I cannot fathom that we will not be talking about this at a Governing Board meeting within this semester.” CCC history professor Manu Ampim and Michels both agree that the transition from a longer semester to a shorter one will benefit students and needs to be approved as soon as possible. “The compressed calendar is going to help a vast number of students who find the 18-week semester too long,” Ampim said. “I am 100 percent convinced the majority will be helped by it.”
NEJEDLY | Unspecified drugs found in autopsy Continued from Page 1 tribution of drugs or alcohol on “District property, during Districtsponsored trips, activities or workshops, and in any District facility or in any vehicle operated by students or employees.” While the district drug and alcohol policies requires tests during the hiring process, once employed an employee it does not require to undergo periodical drug tests — even if he or she is known to have a substance abuse problem. While Nejedly is one of three trustees to die since 2010, Sheila Grilli in 2013 and Jesse Reyes in 2011, the evidence surrounding his death raises concerns. Mehdizadeh said, “Because it was so sudden, and unexpected there is a deep level of sadness.”
Leong said there is a drug policy that applies to all district employees. It is difficult to know if someone is abusing a substance if they do not display erratic behavior. “There is some testing in terms of looking for signs of substance abuse during the hiring and screening process as a condition of employment,” Leong said. “I can’t believe we don’t have a policy (for ongoing drug testing). We do have a drug free campus policy that prohibits people from smoking or getting drunk on campus.” While no one reported Nejedly for drug use on district property, he does have a public record of drug and alcohol abuse. In 2007, Nejedly, the son of former Republican California Sen. John A. Nejedly, sued his two siblings for reinstatement into
his father’s estate after he was removed due to his history of drug abuse. Nejedly accused his brother Jim Nejedly and sister Mary Nejedly Piepho of manipulating his late father to remove him from the family will. He dropped the lawsuit against his siblings in 2009. Leong said he and former district chancellor Helen Benjamin, who both also attended the conference, did not travel with Nejedly to or from the community college leadership conference, and both left New Orleans on Saturday, Oct. 8, the day before he was found dead. At the Governing Board meeting in Martinez on Oct. 12, about 48 hours after receiving the news, Dr. Benjamin told the packed room full of people who were
“We do have a drug free campus policy that prohibits people from smoking or getting drunk on campus.” — Tim Leong, district communications and relations director
-there to honor Nejedly’s life and legacy that she and Leong were the last people from the district to see him before he died. Nejedly represented Ward IV and was registered as a San Ramon resident. This ward is comprised of Byron, Blackhawk, Diablo, Discovery Bay, San Ramon, Danville, and parts of Alamo, Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton and Concord.
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campusbeat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.1.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
Fee hikes hinder plan Threats of closure raises concern for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com
The price for the paperwork to exempt undocumented individuals from deportation and issue a two-year work permit has increased from $465 to $495, as of Jan 23. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was a program passed as part of one of former President Barack Obama’s executive actions. It allows individuals who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to qualify for DACA. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will cover the increase in fees by raising DACA related costs 21 percent following Congress’ refusal to approve continued funding. Before the increase, the application (Form 1-765) was $380 and is now $410, and the $80 fee for biometrics and photo is now $85. But under President Donald Trump’s leadership the (DACA), which has benefited more than 740,000 people since 2007, is in danger of removal. Contra Costa College counselor Norma Valdez-Jimenez said, “As things stand today, I think students have to be extremely cautious. Legal experts have been saying that individuals can renew, but are not recommending folks to apply for the first time. With all of the executive orders being signed this week, we would be fools to think that the new administration is not going to swiftly take some action on DACA. We will know soon.” Valdez-Jimenez said when students ask her about renewing or applying for DACA, she prefers not to give advice but instead refers them to a reliable legal source. Certified Immigration Law Specialist Renzo Manay said, “It’s really hard to say right now because it can go both ways. I am advising people who have DACA and are eligible to renew, to just go ahead and renew. Because the only thing is that you can probably lose is the money.” While every undocumented person’s situation and circumstance might be different, attorneys were advising their clients to renew DACA before Trump took office. “What if, come January, they say, well we are going to grandfather (in) everyone who has applied, then everyone else who (applies after that), too bad,” Manay said. Although it is not clear what Trump plans to do with DACA, during an interview on ABC News on Jan. 25, he said DREAMers, a term referring to individuals who qualify for the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an immigration policy passed as part of President Obama’s executive action. It allows individuals who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to qualify for a twoyear work permit and be exempt from deportation. The program was part of President Obama’s executive order in 2012.
$495
The two-year work permit has increased in price from $465 to $495. Before Dec. 23, the price for the application (DACA) was $465. This included $380 for application fees and $80 for biometrics and photo. When sending an application, the updated fees must be included. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) did not receive the proper funds from Congress; therefore the increase was necessary to move forward with the 21 percent increase.
Catholic Charities of the East Bay is a non-profit social services organization. It is located at 217 Harbor Way in Richmond and there is also a location at 433 Jefferson Street in Oakland. The organization provides immigration and naturalization services and programs for immigrant families living in the East Bay. DACA appointments are available by appointment only, for $40 every Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m.
Upon receiving the work permit, the DACA applicant also receives a Social Security number. The next step is making an appointment at the DMV and bringing the Social Security number, an original paper verifying name, birth and proving legal presence in the U.S. The application fee for a California ID is $27. Cash, check, money order and debit card are acceptable.
INFOGRAPHIC BY XAVIER JOHNSON AND ROXANA AMPARO / THE ADVOCATE
Dream Act, should not worry. He said he and his cabinet will come up with policies regarding immigrants during the next four years. ValdezC a t h o l i c Charities of the East Jimenez Bay’s Immigration Legal Assistant Mayra Valdes said one of the biggest concerns for applicants is whether they will get deported or if they will lose their two-year work permit. “Immigration doesn’t have the capacity to deport everyone,” she said. Manay said there is a higher risk for first-time applicants because they’ll have to provide personal information to
“We don’t know if it’s going to chang, to be honest. We can only anticipate the worst.” Norma Valdez Jimenez, counselor
immigration. Although it is advised to move forward with renewing, it is not recommended for first-time applicants. Manay said it doesn’t mean all immigration relief is going away under Trump’s presidency. “We don’t even know if it’s going to change, to be honest. We can only anticipate the worst. And that is something that I go over with a lot of my clients
because sometimes they are able to fix their status,” he said. Valdes said, “You shouldn’t be scared of what Trump decided. Those are opportunities that we have out there. This is something that a lot of people fight for.” Catholic Charities of the East Bay, a nonprofit organization located at 217 Harbor Way in Richmond, is offering their services to help DACA applicants with their application. Valdes said over 200 applications were filed just in the months of December. “We have a high demand,” she said. Valdes said they have $40 DACA consultations, by appointment only, every Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m.
Academic Senate removes predetermined classes from degree requirement checklist Vote result openly frustrates senate members opposing action
BY Robert Clinton OPINION EDITOR
rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com
The decision to remove four educational requirements from the checklist students are obligated to complete prior to earning an associate degree from CCC has passed in a near-unanimous vote by the Academic Senate Dec. 16 in GE-305. Many educators at Contra Costa College that serve on the senate were morally opposed to the decision, and voiced that disapproval, but felt compelled to vote the will of their individual constituencies to remove Health Education, Physical Goehring Education , Library Studies and Science Lab from the requirement list. The changes, expected to be implemented for the fall 2017 semester, are primarily to assist Career Technical Education (CTE) student graduation rates. “It’s not just CTE, this affects all students getting local degrees,” Academic Senate President Beth Goehring said. Academic Senate vice president Rick Ramos said, “My students said get rid of them because it’s holding them back from getting local degrees.” Goehring reminded senate members that they represent the faculty and that members shouldn’t cast votes based on personal opinions. “We have to report out on what people asked us to do,” She said. Goehring asked the senate to voice personal opinions about the changes, despite how the divisions that the 7 members in attendance represent-
ed may have voted. Early childhood education department Chairperson Intisar Shareef made her opposition to the changes clear. “People are looking for what’s expeditious — how to complete goals with the least amount of challenges,” Shareef said. “Those are the times we live in. Everything is being done so students can get through quicker and I think we are seeing the results of it — they are not very well prepared.” Before reaching the senate, the four departments on campus, Liberal Arts (LA), Natural and Social Applied Sciences (NSAS), Student Services (SS) and Library Health Vocational Education and Athletics (LAVA) voted individually to keep or remove the courses. For the LAVA department, 52 percent of the votes tallied were for keeping Health Ed and Physical Education courses while 60 percent voted to keep Library Studies. Only 40 percent of voters from the LAVA division elected to keep the science labs. NSAS also posted low voting percentages toward keeping the four courses. Members of the department totaled 16 percent toward keeping and only 25 percent to keep Physical Education. Library studies earned a 25 percent in favor vote from its department and even the science lab couldn’t get a positive percentage from the department as only 50 percent of its members voted to keep science labs as a graduation requirement. “I’m very disturbed to see that people think the actual practice of science is not important, it makes me feel bad going into Christmas,” Distance Education Chair and CTE representa-
“Those are the times we live in. Everything is being done so students can get through quicker and I think we are seeing the results of it — they are not very well prepared.” — Intisar Shareef, early childhood education department
tive Katherine Krolikowski said. “The essence of science is doing. What if we asked English teachers to teach English without allowing the students to write? — It’s the same thing.” Music department Chairperson Wayne Organ said he couldn’t imagine only teaching Music from a book without students actually having a chance to use the instruments. The liberal arts department also posted low numbers in reference to keeping the courses. Only 23 percent of members within the department voted to keep Physical Education or Library Studies with 30 percent voting to keep Health Ed. The only course that the liberal arts department voted overwhelmingly in favor of keeping was the science lab at 55 percent. Only two departments voted to keep any of the courses up for removal, LAVA, which voted to keep Library Studies and Liberal Arts, which supported retaining the science lab requirement. Student Services supported keeping Physical Education, Library Studies, and the Science Labs with votes of 100 percent across three categories. The only course that did not receive over 50 percent support was Health Ed — only 25 percent of student services voters
decided in favor of keeping the courses. In total, campus faculty members voted to remove all four of the courses by substantial percentages with the vote to discard Library Studies only passing by one percentage point, 51 to 49 percent. After a breakdown of the departmental vote and the representatives opportunity to voice concerns or questions regarding the decision, Goehring readied the eight senate members in attendance to determine the future of the courses. Goehring reminded senate members, some who were openly frustrated or displeased with the direction of action, of the importance of properly representing the will of their constituency despite moral or personal objections. “Personally, I voted to keep everything because I think we are slowly degrading the value of a degree. When the degree becomes the be-all end-all you feel like if you can just get that degree then you’re someplace,” Organ said. “People get less experience so they are less prepared to move on to the next stage.” The courses removed from the requirement list are still available for students to take if they choose despite all senate members electing to remove the courses. The only non-removal vote was by LAVA division representative Judy Flum who chose to abstain. “I don’t see it as the bar being lowered, I see it as giving students more choices,” Dean of student services Vicki Ferguson said. “I look at it as a chance for students not to be handcuffed by classes they don’t have to take in order to get a degree.”
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LGBT+ group gets seat at ICC table The Alphabet Club met for their first official meeting on Jan. 30.
Inaugural meet for club yields ideas, inspiration BY Michael Santone ASSOCIATE EDITOR
msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com
The Alphabet+ club held its first meeting of the 2017 spring semester on Monday in SA-107, and although off to a slow start, current members discussed the governing board and ideas for up-coming events that could help boost club membership, awareness and organization. Founder Enrique Duarte said he didn’t do any recruitment over the past month, so the lack of students was expected. “The main idea is to create a club where people feel comfortable and safe,” he said, “We want to first create that environment before we worry about members.” Duarte opened with a brief memorandum of the clubs main purpose, which is to raise awareness of social injustices based on sexual orientation through education, programming, and dialogue. Members introduced themselves and were lead into an open conversation of LGBT+ “The topics. M a t h main idea is major,to create a Michael Zephyr said club where he recently people feel heard about an anticomfortable LGBT+ law and safe. We that Trump was getting want to first ready to sign. create that “A ny on e environment can tell you, you are before we not wanted worry about because of his or her members.” religious belief,” he — Lenisha said. But as the Halcombe, mother discussion began to take a more stirring turn, club adviser Michael Peterson, calmed things down. Peterson said, “it’s difficult to say what is law right now and what isn’t.” After closing the discussion, on a lighter note, Duarte went over the constitution, that details the president and vice presidents role in the Alphabet+ club, which are still vacant with election plans in the coming weeks. “We still have basic guidelines to work out and fill positions that are necessary,” Duarte said. The Alphabet+ club is also without other directional leadership that is essential to the running of a club, which is why the club is unorganized and having little success. Duarte continued on with ways to spread the word about the club, with some members suggesting a table in front of the Fire Side Hall to handout flyers and posters. However, some members felt the need for a confidentiality rule and did not want to participate. Mr. Zephyr said that since the club was so new, it would be better to at first send an e-mail blast to get more people involved and interested in a comfortable way. Mr. Peterson suggested doing something for Valentines Day along the lines of rapid HIV testing, while other members suggested themed discussions and fundraisers. Duarte said, there are many goals that the Alphabet+ club wants to achieve this semester, “I want this club to get up and running and bring people together,” he said, “we want to make the LGBT+ community visible on campus, and enforce unity, to build confidents.” Club members also discussed creating a rainbow flag with the CCC logo that would represent the Alphabet+ club on campus. Psychology major, Virginia Beltran said the Alphabet+ club is important especially now with a lot of important issues coming up with the new president. “It’s to let people know they aren’t alone and it’s ok to come out and there are people here to help them,” Beltran said, “Anyone is welcome to come in at any time.”
JALEEL PERRY / THE ADVOCATE
Plan to eleminate tuition costs gaining local support
BY Lorenzo Morotti ASSOCIATE EDITOR
lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com
As tuition hikes are being discussed by UC and CSU governance boards for the first time since 2011, a report issued by Reclaim California Higher Education poses that eliminating tuition cost for students is more practical solution. So far the report created by a working group of 6 professors and administrators has been presented to the UC Board of Regents and the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board meetings last week. “This tax would just charge California residents,” District United Faculty Executive Director Jeffery Michels said during a phone interview just after the initial press release the non-profit’s headquarters in Berkeley. “But considering how much it costs to send your kids to college paying about $2,000 a year in my case for my children, potentially their children and my children’s children to be free from paying expensive college tuition sounds like a good investment to me.” The $48 Fix: Reclaiming California’s Master Plan for Higher education also intends to reduce the budget deficit all three segments of the higher education system, California Community Colleges included, to pre-2000 levels. Eliminating student debt for the 2016-17 academic year would cost taxpayers $9.43 billion according to the report. This would require that the state charge an income tax to individuals or families who earn less than $39,999 annually no more than $48 a year, while citizens earning $40,000 to $89,000 would start at about $70 and cap at $308. People who earn 500,000 to 999,999 would pay $7,104 while people who make more than $1 million would be required to dole $50,239. Reclaiming California Higher Education Coalition Director Amy Hines Shaikh said the working group began working on this report on September 2015, a year after the coalition formed. “We have not heard a whole lot in terms of feedback from administrators,” Hines-Shaikh said. “(Michels) is our liaison with the Contra Costa College District’s administration. Being a member one of our partner organizations
“The strongest work, in all facets of society, is done by people who took a while to figure things out.” — Stanton Glantz, Council of University of CaliforniaAsociations President
endorsing the report we asked him to read how we plan to regain public ownership of the system.” Michels said while he was not part of the working group he did attend the press release at the non-profit organization’s headquarters on Shattuck on Wednesday. Foothill-DeAnza Faculty Association President Richard Hansen, part of the working group, said restoring the budget to before the economic collapse would mean reversing California Community College Chancellor’s Office $35 increase to tuition costs since 2000 when the per unit cost was $11. Instead of paying $132 for 12 units, fulltime load, students now pay $552 per semester. Hansen said while the community college system is funded different than the UC or CSU system it has strayed further away from inclusivity and become a pipeline to 4-year institutions. He said the Chancellor’s Office funds its 113 campuses through a combination of state funding based on unit load per district and local property taxes through Proposition 98. “When the state was in bad economic shape the Chancellor’s Office raised the fee to be able to compete in the market,” Hansen said. “When the economy got better fees usually go down, but that has not happened in a long time. Now the price is $46 per unit and it has been that way since 2012. “The cost per unit has gone up 300 percent since 2000.” Before 1984, and the passing of the Donahoe Act, community colleges did not charge tuition. Council of University of California Faculty Associations President Stanton Glantz said, “The ideology driving community colleges under the original 1960 Master Plan, and other institutions of higher education, was to pro-
vide a public service at zero or minimal cost to students. “But that changed under the Reagan administration. Education was slowly commercialized into another product for consumers on the free-market.” Michels He presented to the UC Board of Regents on Jan. 25 regarding the need to revert to applying an altruistic methodology to higher education listed in the $48 Fix report. “It’s a totally different mentality than before,” Glantz said. “Now community colleges function to get people transfered in a hurry. While don’t get me wrong, being efficient is good but you can over do efficiency. Students need time to figure out what career the want. “The strongest work, in all facets of society, is done by people who took a while to figure things out.” Hansen said despite the differences in funding and course offerings between community colleges, UC’s, CSUs and K-12 systems, they are inherently tied to the success of students and California’s economic stability as it heads into an uncertain future with low retention rates and high cost to families. CCC President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said the Governing Board listened to Michels highlight the report during the public comment session on Wednesday. “The Board thanked Jeff for bringing the report to their attention and starting the discussion,” Mehdizadeh said. “This is an item that could be brought back to discussion if there is enough interest.” District Communications and Community Relations Director Tim Leong it is challenging for any plan seeking to eliminate tuition costs to be ratified by conservatives. “We keep storing money away for a rainy day fund and bracing for not only a recession but what are the potential impacts that come with California going against the grain of the new presidential administration’s policies,” Leong said. “And anything that requires new revenue is going to be really difficult to get approved through the legislature, but nevertheless anything is possible.”
Community college tuition costs examined Academic year
Tuition per unit
2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06
$46 $46 $46 $46 $46 $36 $26 $20 $20 $20 $26
Non-resident tuition fee per unit
$205 $198 $198 $195 $190 $185 $184 $181 $170 $163 $151
Non-resident student capital outlay fee per unit
$18 $10 $7 $6 $5 $5 $4 $7 $7 $14 $10
Total cost per unit
$269 $254 $251 $247 $241 $226 $214 $208 $197 $197 $187
Source: Per California Education Code sections 76140-76143
As governor of California (1967-75) Ronald Reagan waged a smear campaign against college radicals that he felt were undermining the educational system. Once elected president in 1981, Reagan imposed a series of legislative acts aimed at limiting Americans access to education. His administration instituted a 20 percent cut in higher education funding while calling for the end to free tuition for state college and university students.
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Comets relinquish “ 12-point lead, lose to district rivals Misfortune continues as conference losing streak grows
BY Jaleel Perry STAFF WRITER
jperry.theadvocate@gmail.com
The men’s basketball team lost its fourth game in a row in a heated battle at home that came down to the final minute of the contest, after leading early then falling late, 74-71 to Los Medanos College Friday in the Gymnasium. With only five conference games remaining, the struggling Comets (7-15 overall, 5-6 in the Bay Valley Conference) will try to bounce back to their winning ways in a matchup against last place Solano Community College tonight at 7:30 in Fairfield. After letting a 12-point lead slip away in just four minutes, there weren’t many words from Comets coach Miguel Johnson after the game. “We lost.” Johnson said. “Open quote, close quote.” Turnovers were a big issue for the Comets against LMC (10-9 overall, 7-3 in the BVC). Comet sophomore guard Kolman Kelly said, “We just didn’t execute well. We have to execute better under pressure and put our foot on them early.” The matchup featured two guard-heavy squads which made for a very fast-paced game. Fans in attendance could not look away for a second or risk missing an inspired play. LMC came into Friday’s game against the Comets having won eight of its last nine games. Its only loss came by way of a 20point blowout to undefeated Yuba College on Jan. 25. The high energy Comets applied defensive pressure on LMC from the onset of the game. On offense, CCC successfully kept the Mustangs out of rhythm defensively by driving to the basket for high-percentage shots and also by crashing the boards for rebounds on those shots. The efforts made for easy put backs in case of a miss. After two early first quarter turnovers, the Mustangs jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. The Comets responded quickly with two 3-pointers of their own
“We just didn’t execute well. We have to execute better under pressure and put our foot on them early.” — Kolman Kelly, Comet guard
“We’ve got to be more physical on defense and rebound the ball better.” — Kolman Kelly, Comet guard
to take their first lead of the game. The Comets shot 55 percent from behind the 3-point line finishing 11 for 20 in the contest. CCC held a lead for the majority of the game even though the team had offensive and defensive lapses at multiple points throughout the contest. Sophomore guard Dwight Wilson and freshman Dru Solis showcased their talent from the 3-point line as CCC looked to take advantage from the perimeter with their 3-point shots. Wilson lead the team with 19 points and four rebounds against LMC. He also led the team in 3-pointers shooting 4-6 from behind the arc. However, LMC didn’t get discouraged and kept repeatedly pounding the ball inside the key to its post players. Coming off back-to-back team fouls, the Comets recovered one of many LMC turnovers and converted it with a Kelley layup and Mustang foul. CCC sophomore Demond Washington was able to contribute 13 points off the bench in 22 minutes of play. Slowly, the Comets transformed a small advantage into a double-digit lead facilitated by four Comet guards who scored in double figures. Even after committing five team fouls in the first 10 minutes of the first half, four of them offensive, the Comets still managed to hang on to a comfortable lead heading into halftime. Wright ended the first half with a big 3-pointer for the Comets to extend their lead over the Mustangs 41-32 at the break. Solis began the second half with another 3-pointer. After the shot, CCC made it a priority to pressure whoever had the ball for LMC which helped the team hold on to a double-digit lead
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Comet guard Demar Dunn attempts to draw a charge as Los Medanos College guard Mark Thomas drives for a layup during Friday’s 74-71 loss in the Gymnasium.
through the first 10 minutes of the second half. Coming down to the final five minutes of play, LMC started to close in on the Comets after chipping away with a variety of scores and made free throws. As the moments intensified, Comet players began to show signs of wilting under
the pressure of watching a robust advantage whittled down to a mere five-point advantage. Inconsistent play by CCC allowed the Mustangs to tie the score at 71 with 1:20 to play in the game. LMC hit a clutch 3-pointer with five seconds left to take the lead at 74-71.
The Comets had no choice but to launch a Hail Mary which drew iron but failed to go in as the final seconds expired. “We’ve got to be more physical on defense and rebound the ball better,” sophomore forward Curtis Harris said.
SQUAD SECURES WIN DESPITE LACK OF SUBSTITUTES Team captures win with scrappy defensive effort BY Rob Clinton SPORTS EDITOR
robclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com
CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE
Comet guard Julian Robinson makes a shot against Mustang guard Margot Vrana during CCC’s 64-45 win against Los Medanos College in the Gymnasium on Friday.
Despite only suiting up seven players, the women’s basketball team took an early lead against undersized Los Medanos College (1-16 overall and 1-8 in the Bay Valley Conference) and continued to exert its dominance on offense and defense en route to a 64-45 victory Friday in the Gymnasium. With just five games remaining in the regular season, the Comets (11-10 overall and 6-3 in the BVC) are playing some of their most inconsistent basketball this year — despite winning six of their last eight contests. “We hope to have leaders who know only one way to play — hard,” Comet coach Vince Shaw said. “We play the game the right way no matter what the score is.” CCC took its first lead of the game on a Julian Robinson (17 points and 14 rebounds) lay-up followed by back-to-back buckets by freshman forward Keyauna Harrison (eight points and six rebounds). The small outburst of points gave the Comets a 13-9 advantage that the team would not relinquish for the rest of the contest. At the end of the first quarter CCC led the Mustangs 17-16. The Comets ratcheted up their defensive intensity holding LMC to only five points in the second quarter.
Guard Lexus Meriwether (10 points and three steals) set the defensive tone for the Comets by opening the quarter with a steal and lay-up triggering an 8-0 CCC scoring run. “I let the defense come to me and when I see the ball I just go,” Meriwether said. CCC continued to extend its lead with timely shooting by freshman Dierra Mize (11 points, eight rebounds and four steals) and Kayla Orozco (15 points and six rebounds). The defensive triumvirate of Mize, Orozco and Meriwether kept Mustang guards from finding any scoring continuity or initiating any effective offensive plays. “We played an OK game. We could have done better. It was a good win,” Mize said. “We still have a chance to make the playoffs.” The Comets continue to push toward the postseason tonight when the team travels to Fairfield to play Solano College at 5:30. After holding Los Medanos to five second quarter points, CCC led at halftime 33-21. The Comets continued to outplay the Mustangs despite sloppy fouls and unforced turnovers that stunted the team’s attempts to take total control of the contest. Earlier in the season, the freshman-heavy squad had a hard time finding each other while in the best possible position to score. Now, after adjustments and the growing pains it takes to gel as winning team, wild 3-pointers are limited and the team has a much more balanced approach to scoring. Out of seven players, four are scoring in double figures for the team with Robinson’s 19 points-per-game pacing the team and slotting her at
“As a team, we knew we wanted to get to our spots to get open layups. On defense we wanted to jump passing lanes so we could continue to get steals without reaching and fouling.” — Julian Robinson, Comet guard
ninth in overall scoring in the BVC. “We have to keep understanding each other and working together. We need to play together as a team and not let anything come between us,” Meriwether said. The Comets did have a few hiccups in the contest. Minutes into the third quarter consecutive Mustang baskets cut into CCC’s double-digit lead. “Out of halftime, they (LMC) scored a couple of shots that cut our lead to seven 33-26,” freshman guard Victoria Lopez said. “That’s when we picked up our energy on defense. We knew we had to step it up.” The contest was a tale of two halves with a second half fueled by the defensive pressure applied in the second quarter. “At halftime, coach (Shaw) didn’t say much except that we needed to keep our energy up,” Robinson said. “As a team, we knew we wanted to get to our spots to get open layups. On defense we wanted to jump passing lanes so we could continue to get steals without reaching and fouling.” The Comets regained their composure and held off every Mustang attempt to fight back into the contest en route to the 64-45 victory.
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The coaching staff is taking it extremely well. Some of us have worked with Carter since 2010 when he started. We’re happy for him to get to experience this opportunity.” — Patrick Henderson, assistant head coach After serving as coach of the men’s football team at Contra Costa College for six years, Alonzo Carter has assumed the role of running backs coach at San Jose State University.
FILE PHOTO / THE ADVOCATE
Carter resigns after six years leading Comets Departure signals search to replace title-winning coach BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR
rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com
Following a successful six-year run as head coach of the Comet football team, Alonzo Carter has tendered his resignation and has assumed the role of running backs coach at San Jose State University. In Carter’s tenure at Contra Costa College, which began in 2011, CCC amassed a 42-21 overall record with three bowl appearances in the last four years and four conference championships over the last five. “I wasn’t looking for a job. (But) after I earned my (bachelor’s) degree it was in my gut and my heart to pursue any outside opportunities that came to me,” Carter said. “I’ve been offered jobs for the past 10 years but I wasn’t in an academic position to entertain any of them.” Carter said once his degree from Cal State-East Bay was earned in
2016, the decision rested more on the right person approaching him with an offer. Shortly after his early December hiring, SJSU football coach Brent Brennan (a longtime friend of Carter) presented the former Comet coach with an offer that he could not let pass. Carter resurrected CCC’s football program, which makes walking away with such short notice a sensitive situation. “I handled it with gloves,” Carter said. “I spoke to Mr. Wade (Athletic Director John Wade) and he was very thoughtful of me and my family. He was very gracious and I appreciate the opportunity he gave me.” Wade was shocked when he heard the news of Carter’s impending resignation, but offered well wishes to the coach on his next opportunity. “I think it’s great for coach (Carter) and his family. It’s a good opportunity and I am extremely happy for him,” Wade said. “We have some good kids that will hopefully return so we will continue to be able to compete.” Wade said the search for a new coach is just getting underway
and as of now there is no clear front-runner for the position. “We have to see who we get in here (to interview),” Wade said. “We would like to hire a new coach as soon as we can get one, but it doesn’t always happen like that.” As for Comet football, Carter said he has a great group of assistant coaches who have been very supportive on the field and who ultimately want the successes the program has enjoyed to continue. “The coaching staff is taking it extremely well. Some of us have worked with Carter since 2010 when he started,” associate head coach Patrick Henderson said. “We’re happy for him to get to experience this opportunity, but it’s business as usual around here.” Henderson also spoke to what it was like to work with Carter while transforming a struggling program into a success story. Over the past two seasons alone, the Comet football program, under Carter, has transferred 34 players to four-year colleges. “He taught us and showed us the way — that’s never going to leave us,” Henderson said. “We’re all Carter guys in that office. I’ve played for him and coached with
“I know how to be a good Indian. I don’t always have to be the chief. Working around young people keeps my energy young and it’s the same atmosphere here at SJS.” — Alonzo Carter , former Comet football coach
him. Myself and some of the other coaches who are here, we embody what he brings to the table. I‘ll be exited to see what he does as a coach on that level.” The move to hire Carter as running backs coach at SJSU came as a shock to some because Carter is primarily known as a defensive-minded coach. Aside from defense, the coach’s most marketable talents are his close Bay Area ties, especially the East Bay, and his ability to recruit top offensive talent. CCC freshman Jordan Greenley said, “I was supposed to go to a four-year college when Carter called me and convinced me to come here. He gave me a chance to
play the game that I love and be all that I can be.” Carter’s past two quarterbacks, who both earned all-conference honors, were close to signing with SJSU before committing to CCC. Those quarterbacks played the Comets into consecutive bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015. “My East Bay ties and all of the relationships that I have built with coaches over the years was very relevant in the hiring. Me being able to go out and recruit the top skill players in the Bay Area and Northern California is also very relevant,” Carter said. “Coach Brennan put his faith in me that I would be successful in whatever position they put me in. It feels good to go out and work for someone who allows you to be you.” Although Carter has made his name as a head coach, the East Bay native says he knows how to fit in and become a part of a program instead of running one. “I know how to be a good Indian. I don’t always have to be the chief. Working around young people keeps my energy young and it’s the same atmosphere here at SJS,” Carter said.
BASEBALL TEAM RALLIES TOGETHER DESPITE TWO LOSSES Bullpen issues damper opening to 2017 season
BY Dylan Collier ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR
dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com
The Comet baseball (0-2 overall) team is off to a somewhat rocky start this season losing Saturday at home to rival Diablo Valley College 21-6. With an experienced but young team, some returning players are trying their hand at new positions — sophomores Johnny Velasco at third base and Eric Whitfield behind the dish as catcher. The lopsided loss was mainly fueled by the lack of pitchers hitting their spots and the Comet offense not putting enough runners in scoring position. The Vikings’ (2-0 overall) offense jumped all over the Comets’ pitchers from the start of the game putting up four runs in the top half of the first inning. Additionally, the Comets’ pitchers couldn’t seem to fine-tune their location. In the game, four DVC runners scored on wild pitches, five other runners advanced due to wild pitches, four batters were hit by pitches and a whopping 15 batters reached first base on walks. “We need to work on our pitching, cut down on the walks and it will all work itself out. It’s still just the beginning of the season,” Whitfield said. The attitude in the locker room was upbeat after dropping the first two
COMETS
games of the season and the team seemed to focus on a larger silver lining — losses to good teams early VIKINGS on will only help them build and improve their skills so they are more prepared for play in the Bay Valley Conference. The baseball team will return to action in an away game against City College of San Francisco on Thursday at noon. In the middle innings, Vikings coach Larry Quirico made the call to his bullpen and brought in freshman pitcher Scott Miller. The move wasn’t enough to contain CCC’s lineup. The Comets had an explosive eighth inning where they minimized the number of runners left on base and made their hits count with a total of four runs crossing the plate. Freshman outfielder and designated hitter Dylan Wilson started it off with a long double that rolled well past DVC freshman left fielder Amari Baltimore. The left fielder eventually scored off the bat of freshman third baseman Joel Quintos’ single up the middle. “We’re starting to come together more as brothers, but we played better on Friday than we did today because we were more focused,” Wilson said. In the second half of the game
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CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE
Comet first baseman Chris Brue slides safely back into first base during CCC’s 21-6 loss to intradistrict rival Diablo Valley College at the Baseball Field on Saturday.
“We need to work on our pitching, cut down on the walks and it will all work itself out.” —
, freshman third baseman
Whitfield significantly improved by blocking more pitches and keeping the ball in front of him than in the first half. Although the Comets have an experienced team with many returning veteran sophomore players, the bullpen
seems to be the largest hurdle they must get over, with nine out of 10 players being freshmen. Ronald Ragland who went to Fremont High School and originally came to CCC for football said once the pitching staff noticed his impressive arm he was excited about pitching for the Comets. “As a team, the upside of today’s game was that everyone rallied behind us and gave us confidence,” Ragland said.
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spotlight
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I’m here to assert my humanity as a woman.” — Michelina Matarrese, San Francisco resident A protester holds up a sign in the middle of a large crowd during the Women’s March on D.C.’s sister march from Madison Park near Lake Merritt to Oscar Grant Plaza in Oakland, Calif. on Jan. 21.
Thousands unite, assert equal rights Trump’s inauguration nauseates multitudes BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com
OAKLAND — Over 60,000 supporters in pink hats and handmade signs took a stance for human rights, civil liberties and social justice on Jan. 21 for the Women’s March in here and throughout the Bay Area. Marchers around the country came together and demanded action after President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 because of his support for anti-choice policies and his threats to end federallyfunded reproductive rights for women. In unity with signs raised high and loud chants marching through Jackson Street in Oakland toward Frank Ogawa Plaza, supporters of all ages were heard. Among the chants were, “Not my president,” “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Donald Trump has got to go!” and “My body, my choice!” “I’m here to assert my humanity as a
woman,” Michelina Matarrese, from San Francisco, said. She said she has been an activist and has participated in other marches post Trump’s election. ”It is all over. It’s time to lay it all to rest,” she said. “There are more of us than him (Trump).” After Trump was elected president, protests and marches around the nation created a way for people to express their frustration with his policies. “It is important to organize around a common goal and have a system. We are a democracy,” Lashante Smith, of Richmond, said. “As part of a marginalized group, I still feel like we are at the bottom,” Smith said. Smith said it will be a while until women of color will advance in society in comparison to men or white women. Stella Vargas, from Oakland, said, “I was skeptical to come because it was white feminists. But what changed my mind was thinking about all the people of color joining the cause. I felt it was compelling and wanted to show my support.”
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Thousands of protesters gather during the Women’s March on D.C.’s sister march in Oakland, Calif. from Madison Park by Lake Merritt to Oscar Grant Plaza on Jan. 21.
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Vargas said, “Women all around the world are being abused, raped and killed. This (march) is a privilege to be part of, and I do it for my family, my friends, my sisters and my cousins.” Vargas said her family is from Guatemala, and as the first-generation born in America, she said she believes marching is the right thing to do in order to “validate” those voices that have been silenced. Although the march called for women to rally against Trump, men joined to support the cause. Ray Edison, of Oakland, said the Women’s March encourages people to fight for women’s rights and the rights of people of color. “It (the march) gives me hope for change,” he said. “Trump is racist and is a misogynist. We are marching against his presidency.” Trump’s rhetoric against women throughout his campaign earned him the name of “predator-in-chief,” according to the website Huffington Post, and that sentiment was seen in several signs carried by women marching. Erik Worth, a resident of Berkeley, said he marched to show solidarity with those affect-
ed groups Trump has targeted throughout his campaign. “I marched today to be with my people,” he said. Worth said it is his first time supporting a movement for women and “hopes” his support is appreciated and not seen as “men trying to corrupt the movement.” Executive Director of the Center for Domestic Peace Donna Garske said electing a “predator” into office is a “big problem.” Garske said instead of talking about what to do moving forward with women’s rights, discussions of “rolling back” progress are happening now that Trump is the president of the United States. “It’s appalling. A lot of women say the behavior this man (Trump) displays is what they put up with in terms of their batterer. When they were assaulted.” Garske said on a daily basis she works with women who have experienced sexual harassment, assault and rape at the Center for Domestic Peace, located in San Rafael, and seeing how many people were supporting the cause brought her joy.
Outraged protesters march on Oakland City Hall A protester finishes a chant by clapping during the protest against the inauguration of Donald Trump as president in Oakland on Jan. 21.
Populace gathers in preparation for future resistance BY Denis Perez PHOTO EDITOR
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OAKLAND — Inauguration day united different East Bay youth and community groups to march for local and national issues and rally against President Donald Trump at Oscar Grant Plaza here on Jan. 20. DisruptJ20, a group focused on disrupting the inauguration, led hundreds of marchers from the UC Berkeley campus to the Oakland City Hall amphitheater. Organizer John Anthony said, “We are hoping to establish an effective network that can fight back against the Trump administration. We (DisruptJ20) are fighting to protect each other against racist attacks and make campuses racism free.” DisruptJ20 is a network comprised of hundreds of high school students, college students and union workers. They arrived at the end of the march at an open microphone that was set up by youth community
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members. By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) organizer Tania Tapner said, “There is a lot of anger and determination to organize. He (Trump) is planning executive actions and making attacks soon. “Some of the things he (Trump) is going to try, I just think no. It will be too much and people are going to be prepared to fight. We are going to need campus shutdowns, strikes and city wide
protests like today to keep going when he makes those attacks to push back and win. But we need some demands and organization to win,” she said. “People are not going to wait another four years for politicians, who are why were in this situation in the first place.” Tapner said, “In terms of our public schools being attacked, union rights being attacked and with ICE coming into our commu-
nities, I think we can make a situation where Trump can’t get away with a lot of what he wants nationally if California really fights and leads the way.” California is the most populous state in the U.S. With one in every eight people in the U.S living in California, the state has the world’s sixth-largest economy, beating countries like France and Brazil in 2016. Tapner said, “We have a huge
leadership role in the nation. It makes all the difference for us to build a movement in California because we can help empower the rest of the nation to protest elsewhere and fight Trump. It is going to be really no business as usual until he (Trump) is out.” Skyline High school senior Yolanda Perez said, “It was unorganized, but everyone knew to come to the front of the City Hall to fight for their rights.” “Everyone has their rights and everyone needs to fight for them. Even if they are scared to raise their voices, everyone here deserves to be valued and heard. Brown is the color of my skin and many have said we are going to be deported but that can’t be a fear,” she said. Perez said, “What we (Oakland youth) want to be is united. It does not matter that he (Trump) is trying to infuse hate, which is not what we want. Your color doesn’t matter. Where you come from doesn’t matter.” The plaza was filled with marchers dancing and singing and even beating and burning a piñata of Donald Trump. Marches rallied through rain until nightfall where another protest with a few hundred people began around 7 p.m.