The Advocate 4-19

WEDNESDAY l 4.19.17 OUR 67TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

WEBSITE SHEDS ‘BROKEN’ DESIGN Marketing spends $20,000, revamps virtual experience

BY Reggie Santini SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

rsantini.theadvocate@gmail.com

The redesigned Contra Costa College website went live last week and the upgrade was immediately noticed by students and staff.

Instead of adding lots of information, the new website was designed to provide quicker load times and streamlined navigation for students, staff and the commu-

nity, Marketing and Media Design Director Brandy Howard said.

“The (old) website was not reflective of the current programming of the school,” Howard said.

“We want to change the perception people have of the college when they look at us online.”

She said she facilitated the website redesign project through El Cerrito-based web design company Rootid, and with the help of students, faculty and staff.

She said the $20,000 used for the redesign was drawn from CCC’s marketing budget.

Despite the redesign, the site still has most of the same information from the previous website,

she said.

“We redesigned the site to better showcase Contra Costa College for prospective students,” she said.

“The old website was really outdated or broken.”

The website is no longer hosted at CCC, but will now be hosted

by Pantheon Website Management Platform (PWMP).

Howard said performance has increased now that a third party, PWMP, hosts the site remotely. The redesign process also prioritized how the site would function on mobile phones and tablets. This was an important part of the design SEE WEBSITE, PAGE A3

SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

The college’s website was re-designed to provide quicker load times and streamlined navigation for viewers.

Per Ankh boosts rate of success African-

BY Robert Clinton OPINION EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

After the unanimous decision by the hiring committee, the candidate was chosen.

“Dr. Mayra Padilla was precisely what this college needs to continue to move us in the direction of improved institutional effectiveness,” she said. “(Padilla) is a member of this community — she is from the city of Richmond,” Mehdizadeh said. “She is a graduate of Richmond High School, a former Comet herself and an incredibly accomplished woman with a Ph.D. in neuroscience.”

Her background in scientific research is also an element that made her stand out as a candi-

The Per Ankh Academy, since its inception two years ago at Contra Costa College, has made consistent strides toward meeting its goal of improving success rates of Ampim African-American students who struggle to pass English 1A and English 142B composition classes.

In its first year, 18 students entered the program with 14 (77 percent) of those students successfully completing English 142B. The academy continued to improve in its second year with 85 percent of its students passing their English courses.

Both percentages are above the success rates for African-American students at CCC not participating in the academy.

“Ideally we want a 100 percent success rate,” math professor and academy co-founder Sherry Sharufa said. “A lot of the credit goes to English professor Bukola Adesokan for doing such a great job with the students.”

The academy holds weekly information meetings to discuss transfer opportunities, the college application process and Per Ankh course options for fall 2017.

The next meetings are April 20 from 2-3 p.m. and April 27 from 4-5:30 p.m.

Both will be held in SA-211.

Per Ankh exposes students to more than just textbook based learning.

SEE PADILLA, PAGE A3

SEE PER ANKH, PAGE A3

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Equity Mayra Padilla confidently steps into a prominent role that will allow her to implement programs that continue to develop equity plans for underserved communities.

Padilla accepts role to help underserved Former HSI/ STEM

manager vows to keep building ‘bridges’

BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

Fueled by a passionate commitment to student success, her work as the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) manager has helped underprepared students achieve their career goals.

Former HSI STEM Manager Mayra Padilla was chosen, from four finalists, as Contra Costa College’s dean of equity and institutional effectiveness in March.

She will create and review cohorts of students moving through CCC to help the college figure out which demographics

of students need the most help and in which areas of study.

“It is important for me to do the work because I think that education is an economic leveler,” she said, “meaning that it allows people who grow up poor to access jobs that are high paying. From that perspective education is really important.”

College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said she was excited to see who among the candidates would be the best fit for the position, until she came upon Padilla’s application.

“It became extremely clear that we already had someone (on campus) who is the perfect match for this particular position,” Mehdizadeh said.

OPINION EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

After completion of the Campus Center Project and the opening of its three new buildings, students have become accustomed to the amenities that have transformed Contra Costa College from a college defined by its prominent past to one with a bright future.

None of these improvements make more of a difference than the added food options on campus. Whether it be the culinary arts department’s Pronto or Aqua

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Terra Grill, or even the new vendor on campus, Brix, any of these choices surpass the food options on campus over the past few years.

However, increasing the options has not eliminated all the food obstacles on campus.

Some students feel Brix is an unrealistic alternative because some of its prices are too high.

“The prices at Brix have discouraged me from eating here more — especially because my son attends school here too,” health and human services major Sandy Aguilar said. “Lunch for both of us

tear past academic stigmas, succeed

at Brix is, like, $20.”

Although the culinary arts department offers meals at a reduced price, the hours they keep to accommodate the students in the culinary program often leaves other student without an option that is cost-effective.

Aqua Terra is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and Pronto’s hours are more varied with menu options that rotate as often the student work staff.

SEE BRIX PRICES, PAGE A3

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students

A burger’s average price at Brix is $5.95, not including fries or a drink.

EXPENSIVE FOOD PRICES AT BRIX EATERY ‘DISCOURAGE’ CUSTOMERS, LIMIT OPTIONS

BY Robert Clinton

American

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Quotable “Silence remains, inescapably, a form of speech.”

Paul Robeson, actor, writer 1953 Roxana Amparo editor-in-chief Marci Suela art director Lorenzo Morotti Michael Santone associate editors Benjamin Bassham Anthony Kinney news editors Robert Clinton sports editor opinion editor Xavier Johnson scene editor Dylan Collier assistant scene editor Reggie Santini spotlight editor Denis Perez Cody Casares photo editors Efrain Valdez Yesenia Melara social media editors Tashi Wangchuck multimedia editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Advocate Staff Sean Austin Madison Burfield Jose Chavez Dahn Bey Karla Juarez Jaleel Perry Julian Robinson Valeria Garcia Jshania Owens Kyle Pierce-Turley Isaac Resendiz Matthew Robinson Jessica Suico Carlos Suarez Desmond Sylva Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Member

Associated Collegiate Press

California Newspaper Publishers Association

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

opinion

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 VOL. 104, NO. 19

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

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EDITORIAL UPGRADE STILL LOADING

Redesigned website improves interface, but loses content

T

he sudden launch of the redesigned website is a needed change to the outdated virtual front door of Contra Costa College, but students lost links to important information during the move.

While the redesign was long overdue, the surprise launch of the site leaves much work to be done in terms of becoming an online beacon for the community.

Students, faculty and administrators are encouraged to work with CCC Marketing and Media Design Director Brandy Howard to get the appropriate information uploaded to the website.

Wanting to launch the website as soon as possible is understandable considering the level of the college’s dysfunctional online presence.

“The website was not reflective of the current programing of the school,” Howard said. “We want to change the perception people have of the college when they look at us online.”

She’s right. The old website, which was only live for about two years, had information that was outdated throughout its lifespan and had a design that hearkens back to an era when MySpace was cool.

But as bad as it was, the website design before that one was even worse.

Dean of Enrollment Services Dennis Franco said, “We’re hoping that this effort will make CCC more attractive to prospective students, and make accessing the information needed to make the decision to come to CCC easier.”

After seeing the clean design of the website, and the mobile site, launch last week no one can deny it is pleasing aesthetically.

“We redesigned the site to better showcase Contra Costa College for prospective students,” she said. “The old website was really outdated or broken.”

But now, after spending $20,000 for the redesign, there is still work that needs to be done if we want to strive for institutional transparency.

The website, in all its beauty, is missing links to shared governance committees’ minutes and agendas. These are documents that inform the public about the happenings and decisions made by faculty during committee meetings.

Howard said she was unaware that the redesigned website is without these links.

She said she has received messages from faculty in various departments and is working to have missing content filled.

Because the website is no longer hosted at CCC, Howard said it should be easier to upload information now that the college pays Pantheon Website Management Platform (PWMP) for hosting the service.

She said the highest hurdle is reaching out to faculty, administrators and students so they help point out areas on the site where content is missing.

If the website redesign was promoted to the college community via Insite Portal, or text message, then this would have made Howard’s job easier.

Keeping up with technology is a challenge that we all deal with, but when a college is underfunded it can be like trudging up a muddy hill while carrying weights.

We cannot have a modern online platform that is opaque.

Making sure that the content on the website is on par with the way it looks is tough, but not impossible if we work together.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

■ RACIAL PROFILING

Micro aggressions demean morality, race M

ost people are discouraged from publicly engaging in hate speech by the distressful possibility of rampant ridicule unabatedly attacking their better judgment.

For these hate-filled folks, saying what you mean is usually an ugly deliberate insult targeted at a marginalized group.

Questions like “will I hurt someone if I say this?” usually flood the minds of good-hearted people during contentious verbal jousts.

These thoughts guide people toward formulating better ways to say what they want to say without offending the views of others.

Unfortunately, people also exist who lack the common mental or moral buffer that deters us from spewing out hateful comments that make others feel uncomfortable.

Some are just evil people who don’t mind being labeled as racist or bigoted as long as they feel liberated exercising their First Amendment rights.

While visiting historic Old Sacramento for a video competition during the 2017 Journalism Association of Community Colleges State Convention in Sacramento, I encountered a man who gave me the impression that he belonged in the era Old Sacramento symbolizes — the 1850s.

The area is picturesque and as we gathered footage, we came across an elderly Old Sacramento historian who manned one of the tourist attractions.

As we moved toward him, this colossally sized older

anthonykinney

meant by trouble.

Either he was referring to my heartthrob-like looks as being troublesome to the ladies in the building, or he was simply describing me as a low-life hoodlum.

I wasn’t soliciting drugs to people on the street. I was asking for interviews. I wasn’t armed with a pistol. I was carrying a camera at a global tourist destination.

What’s troubling about that?

He would probably say it was my tattoos or my backward cap that alarmed him.

However, to whom does a Chicago Bulls cap and an arm covered in music notes seem threatening?

My only guess is a music-hating Sacramento Kings fan.

Although there is substantially more truth in the first option, it’s highly unlikely that’s what he was alluding to. It had to be the color of my skin.

I had become, yet again, a victim of racial profiling.

People like the museum historian, who believe in damaging, bigot-based stereotypes, lack the cultural understanding and racial sensibility needed to bridge the racial divide in America.

This is America where everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

However, people should remember that decency and respect should always be a factor when deciding what to say and how to say exactly what it is they mean.

white man scans me from head to toe and says, “Ohoh. You look like trouble.”

My mouth abruptly dropped as my colleague’s smile retracted and was instantaneously replaced with a scowl.

“That’s a compliment coming from me,” he said.

I awkwardly laughed to ensure he knew I felt My soul was uneasy about engulfed in his comment. My feelings of soul was engulfed anxiety, anger in feelings of anxiety, frustration anger, frustraand tion and confusion. confusion.

What did he mean when he said I looked like trouble?

I wasn’t wearing a hoodie, or a gold grill, or baggy jeans.

I wasn’t exhibiting anything that could have been seen as the “danger signs” that an older white man might believe represents “trouble” when he sees young African-American men.

So, what was it that he Anthony Kinney is a news saw in me? editor of The Advocate.

There are only two posContact him at akinney. sibilities I can think of that theadvocate@gmail.com rationally figure what he

CAMPUS COMMENT

How was your experience when you last visited the college’s new website?

“Great. I found what I was looking for but it took me some time to get the hang of the updated version.”

“It was easy for me to find everything. I like it.”

Ely Romero

medical assisting

Darno Salenga computer science

JESSICA SUICO, MADISON BURFIELD AND ANTHONY KINNEY/THE ADVOCATE

“I didn’t know how to use it, so a teacher showed me.”

“The new website is pretty good but a little difficult to navigate through.”

Lidia Lozada kinesiology

Guillermo Sotolong

“I thought I was on the wrong site at first, but I did find what I was looking for once I located the drop down menu.”

Middle College High School student

“I got comfortable with it and I was able to find everything I was looking for.”

Hicham Hamed psychology

Natasha Singer music

campus beat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 4.19.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

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NEWSLINE WEBSITE | ‘Outdated’ online platform gets update WORKSHOP

PLATFORM PROVIDES JOB OPPORTUNITIES A workshop on networking and how to use LinkedIn will prepare students for online job market searches.

LinkedIn is a professional platform for companies to post their available positions and for applicants to post their resumés.

The workshop will take place on Monday in SA-227 at 2 p.m.

FILM

ASU TO HOST AWARDWINNING MUSICAL The Associated Student Union will be holding a free screening of the Academy Award-winning musical “La La Land” on Thursday at 3:20 p.m. in Fireside Hall.

The film stars Golden Globe award winners Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as the leading characters.

For more details, contact the ASU at asu@contracosta.edu.

FUNDRAISER

FAST-A-THON OFFERS MUSLIM AWARENESS Students who participate in the Muslim Student Association’s FastA-Thon will be fasting on tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The participants will be able to attend a dinner in Fireside Hall at 4 p.m.

Students who choose to participate will be required to purchase a $5 ticket.

The funds raised from the event will be donated to the Greater Richmond Interfaith program.

Guest speaker Abdul-Aziz Gordon will be joining during the dinner.

For more information, email the Muslim Student Association at ccc. msa17@gmail.com.

WORKSHOP

TALK AIMS TO SET, ACCOMPLISH GOALS A student success workshop, “Goal Setting: Part 2,” will be offered today from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in GE-212.

This workshop will check in with students who previously attended earlier “Goal Setting” workshop this semester.

Students will reflect on steps taken toward their goals and learn strategies to successfully achieve them.

For more details, contact Minority Student Retention Specialist Ashley Patterson at 510215-3807.

CRIMEWATCH Thursday, March 16: Officers responded to a report of vandalism in the Art Building.

Thursday, March 16: Officers received reports of an unknown suspect assaulting a student at the Bus Transfer Center.

Monday, March 20: Officers responded to a verbal disturbance at the Bus Transfer Center.

Thursday, March 23: A Contra Costa College employee reported her wallet being stolen in the Library.

Thursday, March 23: Officers responded to a verbal disturbance between students in the Campus Center Plaza.

— Anthony Kinney 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 process as the majority of prospective students predominantly access websites via mobile devices.

CCC Dean of Enrollment Services Dennis Franco said, “We’re hoping this effort will make CCC more attractive to prospective students and to make accessing the information needed to make the decision to come to CCC easier.”

The website’s new drop down widget allows the college to display yellow alert messages with important information, as well as standard banners with information that can be changed on a daily basis.

Howard said there was a recognized need to redesign the website for prospective students and make

it easier for them to choose CCC and move through the enrollment process.

Franco said, “I think there was a general desire on the part of students, faculty and staff to have a more user friendly experience with the website.”

Howard said initially most of the information will be the same, but they will be working with academic departments and student services in the coming months to re-write much of it so that it is “more inspiring and actionable.”

“Any sort of critical updates or emergency announcements will be displayed on a yellow message at the top of the page showing any issues students or faculty need to be aware of,” she said. “We hope to make it easy for users to find the information they are looking for

“We want to change the perception people have of the college when they look at us online.”

Brandy Howard,

CCC marketing and media design director

and that any instructions for completing a task are written in simple and easy to follow language.”

Howard said they plan to incorporate more videos and infographics, but are currently focused on continuing to establish the foundation of the new website so that they will be able to build upon it.

“Websites are dynamic beings.

They are constantly in motion like humans. As we collect and analyze user data and as the college’s offerings grow and change, we

will continue to make improvem e n t s , ” Upgrade still H o w a r d loading said.

She said The website redethey plan to sign provides a hire a writer user friendly interto revise all face, but importthe text in ant information the assess- was lost. ment and orientation PAGE 2 section.

Technology Systems Manager James Eyestone said the new website will continue to run on WordPress and parts of the old website will still be hosted at CCC. Of the redesign he said, “It’s a lot like updating a phone book but all digital.”

editorial

PADILLA | Researcher, leader appointed as dean Continued from Page 1 date and a professional in her craft, she said.

METAS program instructional assistant Walter Orellana said because of Padilla’s science background she has a better understanding of what the students she serves need in order to be successful.

“She is the kind of leader that I strive to become one day,” Orellana said. “She is always going beyond what is asked of her.”

When he first met Padilla, Orellana was in eighth grade. “That was 13 years ago now,” he said. “But for as long as I can remember she is someone that I looked up to. But everyone who was part of METAS did as well.”

When working in her new role as equity dean, Padilla said she will look for ways to “tweak” the way educators interact with students to better support students.

Using data and research, Padilla can figure out the areas students need support and begin to do work internally on how to better support and motivate them to stay enrolled or to do better in their courses.

She said the equity piece of her role says “Let’s look at groups based on ethnicity, to see how they are doing differently on different measures.”

“Are we, at the college, representing the community?” When broken up by demographics, Padilla said there are more Latinos in the community than are enrolled here at CCC. “(For example) let’s say the West Contra Costa Unified School District has 60 percent Latino students and we only have 42 percent.

There is a gap between the number of outgoing

“It is important for me to do the work because I think that education is an economic leveler.”

Mayra Padilla,

CCC dean of equity and institutional effectiveness

seniors and the number of incoming freshman (for that group),” she said.

“You start to get a better sense of what kinds of support different populations need,” she said.

Mehdizadeh said every decision at the college is examined through a lens of equity.

“It made sense to include that lens in the title so it’s always in the forefront of our conversations, thus (the title) dean of institutional effectiveness and equity,” Mehdizadeh said.

Padilla said the difference between equity and equality can be examined through real world problems.

Imagine equality and equity as two babies and each gets one bottle of water. But one baby is hungry and the other is thirsty, she said.

“If you give each baby a water bottle you’re only going to have one baby that is happy and satisfied,” she said. “And if you give a bottle of water to the baby that is hungry it is more than likely you will not satisfy (the baby’s need).

They will be hungry and eventually will cry, and they will need something more.”

She said equity means looking at what each baby needs to give what will improve both of their conditions.

“You give one water, who is asking for water, and you give the other food,” Padilla said.

Padilla said part of the problem is that there

is a social structure that values equality, but equality has yet to be achieved across all institutions — especially education.

“We are saying that there isn’t equality in our social structure and if there isn’t equality we have to work with an equity framework because different people are coming in with different opportunities.”

HSI STEM Coordinator Kelly Ramos said Padilla is passionate about her students and her community, and she strives to develop ways to support them.

Ramos said she has worked with Padilla since Padilla was working on smaller projects around campus while being HSI STEM manager since 2011.

“I’m inspired by her leadership,” she said.

“It makes you want to work harder — Mayra is really empowering. I think when she is working with our team she really uplifts the group and really helps (you) discover your strengths,” she said. “She helps develop you as a person.”

Padilla’s role as a leader inspires and instills positive energy for her team, she added.

“If you expect your team to work hard and produce you have to lead by example. (Padilla) leads by example,” Ramos said. “She makes me want to work for her. She makes me feel like I am making a difference for students.”

Mehdizadeh said Padilla is connected to students throughout the campus and knows information about them and their families not many other people do.

“That is recognized by students who will carry these memories they have of people at the college who helped them. It may drive them to come back and serve too,” Mehdizadeh said.

PER ANKH | Academy narrows achievement gap Continued from Page 1 Currently, three Per Ankh students are touring historically black colleges on an all-expense paid trip funded by the Student Equity Plan and chaperoned by Transfer Services Director Andrea Phillips.

The program is funded by the Student Equity Plan, administered through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

As success rates increase, academy creators hope to find better ways to promote the program in an attempt to enhance its educa-

Butler said. “I haven’t been able to join yet because I didn’t have the GPA. When I join, I want to be able to maintain the educational requirements.”

Students in Per Ankh are expected to meet a high academic standard as a condition of their Casina Butler, membership and maintain a minsocial and behavioral science major imum GPA above 2.5 and submit regular progress reports to history tional outreach. department chairperson Carolyn “I heard about the program Hodge. from one of my counselors. I “We still need help with recruitthought it would be good, positive ment. We were only getting stureinforcement for me,” social and dents from the English classes behavioral science major Casina on campus through Ampim and

“I heard about the program from one of my counselors. I thought it would be good, positive reinforcement for me.”

Hodge, so recruiting has been difficult,” Sharufa said.

Sharufa said that the most effective form of recruiting is done one-on-one. She wants her Per Ankh students to do recruitment outreach to high schools in the area so they can speak to students in their comfort zone.

“Of course I would definitely be interested — if I had heard of it,” early childhood development major QaMisha Hardy said. “It would be better if they communicated things like this through Facebook or over text.”

BRIX PRICES | Overpriced menu bound to contract Continued from Page 1 Students said they are not looking for a complete overhaul of Brix prices.

Some just want a slight adjustment to make eating there accessible to everyone.

Today, a Comet Classic Burger (without fries) at Brix costs $4.59 while the “Ideal” burger with fries at Pronto costs $3.

“If there was more notice about what was offered there and a clearer way to know what the hours were, it would help because now everything is just word of mouth,” Aguilar said.

College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said during the bidding process to find a vendor for cafeteria services, the committee looked at the pricing structure that the companies were proposing.

In the case of the eventual winner Brix, its contract articulates the price ranges the vendor can not exceed.

“After reviewing the prices at Brix near the end of last semester, I checked with our Director of Business Services Mariles Magalong to ensure that Brix was within its pricing tolerance and they were,” Mehdizadeh said. “One of the challenges of having an external vendor on campus that is operating within its contract guidelines is that there is not much that you can do (about its prices).”

The difference in pricing between a burger and fries at Pronto and the same meal at Brix is big. But the difference comes down to one thing — wages. Pronto and Aqua Terra use a student workforce, effectively eliminating a large part of restaurant overhead.

“The department also has an incredible group of chefs who work well with community vendors to get supplies at low cost or no cost in some cases,” Mehdizadeh said.

The president said CCC used to manage its own food services, but sadly it reached the point where it

could not sustain itself.

“Attempting to maintain low prices while remaining in the green is a real challenge, which is why we see the food prices that we do,” she said.

The parent company of Brix, Pacific Dining Food Service Management, lists on its website the mission statement of providing the highest quality food and service to their growing list of unique clients.

Pacific Dining, founded in 1989 in San Jose, has grown to include 13 brick and mortar locations throughout California.

“When (Brix) opened, I expected prices to be a little bit cheaper,” Middle College High School student Angela Burnardo said. “If they lowered some of the prices $2 or $3, I would eat there more.”

Brix General Manager Mark Vincent said, “Some students complain about prices, but we offer specials like meal deals or a burger, fries and a drink for $5.99.

A lot of the items in here are $1 on Fridays. I don’t

“Attempting to maintain low prices while remaining in the green is a real challenge, which is why we see the food prices that we do.”

Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, college president

think the company will be lowering their prices. I think the specials balance out some of the high costs.”

But some students still disagree.

“The quality isn’t always the best and the prices (at Brix) are too high,” business major Chris Brue said. “If you are going to charge me this much at least switch the menu up sometimes. What bothers me is when they promote healthy eating and then make soda prices cheaper than drinks that are supposed to be healthy.

“Also, why would I pay $5 for a hamburger when I can go across the street to McDonald’s and pay $1.25 — and still be on time to class.”

Brix made inroads with

the campus community this semester by adding meatless Mondays to its menu in an attempt to appeal to the healthy eater in its patrons.

It aims to help animals and the environment, while spreading awareness about dietary health.

In an attempt to deal with the sustenance deficiencies left by Brix and the culinary arts department, the ASU coupled with CCC’s Foundation Services to create a food pantry for students with limited money or food insecurities.

The pantry is available to students who might not have money for the cash-only Pronto or whose limited funds may not be enough for Brix.

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POETRY INSPIRES CREATIVE DRIVE

Poetry Slam brings writers, poets together near Library fireplace

BY Isaac Resendiz ADVOCATE STAFF

“Poetry is a club. The same people who read poetry write poetry.

Unlike essays where we teach you right from wrong, there is no right or wrong in creative writing.”

Jeffrey Michels,

iresendiztheadvocate@gmail.com

Literary writers and supporters banded together to present and appreciate one another’s creative writing in an intimate corner of the Library and Learning Resource Center on April 12 for a Poetry Slam.

The Library was filled by the sound of faculty members reading their poems, student rap performances and special guest readings.

Students came and kept seats filled during the readings. The annual event has gathered talented students to perform on a stage.

Speech professor Randy Carver had been looking forward to the event.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the talent here.” Carver said.

Carver was only able to make it to the last few performances, but said he was able to enjoy the open mic for students.

Carver uses the Poetry Slam as a recruiting tool to bring talent into the speech department.

He said that the students are allowed to perform and show their talent whether they do it for fun or are seriously considering it as a career choice.

Before each performance, Library department Chairperson Andrew Kuo gave the crowd some background information on the reader, giving the audience an idea of where they are coming from and what they are doing now.

The first speaker was English professor Jeffrey Michels, who read a poem he had written for Contra Costa College’s 60th anniversary.

Another staff performer, English professor Ben Jahn, read an excerpt from his soon to be published book.

English professor Rafaella Del Bourgo, regaled the audience with her sensual and descriptive poems about love, lust and her

English professor

days of living with a friend and her dog in Point Reyes.

Another reoccurring guest in most of these events, Michels wished for a better turnout.

“Poetry is a club. The same people who read poetry write poetry,” Michels said.

“Unlike essays where we teach you right from wrong, there is no right or wrong in creative writing.”

The event featured an open mic for students who sign up on the spot.

Many students regularly participate every year. Math major Octavio Herrera is one of them.

He began his rendition of “Blood Sandwich,” by Aesop Rock. As he got to a climatic point, he shouted the words and jerked his head back as part of his performance.

With the seats that were originally set in the corner filled, the readings raised a high amount of inspiration and excitement for the next poetry event.

Medical major Jane Menjivar said, “Events like these should happen more often.”

Herrera said he often comes to literary events held in the Library and Learning Resource Center at CCC. Herrera, who attended last year’s Poetry Slam, said there was a smaller group this year.

He suggested having another Big Read event — a communitywide reading program — to engage reading with others and discussing issues together.

“I remember hearing about veterans coming in and talking about the book ‘The Things They Carried.’ They should have more events like that,” he said.

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

English professor Ben Jahn walks up to the podium to perform an artistic piece by the fireplace in the Library and Learning Resource Center during the annual Poetry Slam on April 12.

Food, wine funds Italy trip Culinary arts raises money through annual event

BY Julian Robinson ADVOCATE STAFF

jrobinson.theadvocate@gmail.com

Local vendors from all over the Bay Area will participate in the Food and Wine event on Sunday in Fireside Hall.

Proceeds from the event will fund 10 students to take a trip to Italy at the Marco Polo Institute for three weeks, over the summer.

Tickets purchases are $35 in advance and $40 at the door and include a souvenir wine glass.

“We will be expecting a little over 1,000 people and this is our 10th annual event, so we do expect this event to be a good one,” culinary arts department Chairperson Nader Sharkes said.

“Our main goal is to send our students to study the origin of Italian food at the Marco Polo Institute. This fundraiser provides that.”

Every participating restaurant will bring its signature dish and they will promote it at the event.

Some of the vendors include employees or owners who are former students in the culinary program at CCC. The Italy alumni are students who have been to Italy to study Italian food in the past with Sharkes. They will have a booth at the Food and Wine event.

The alumni will be serving some of their own original Italian dishes, including Italian meats, pasta dishes, bruschetta and more.

Italy alumna and former culinary arts student Linda Montano said, “The fact that we host these events to sponsor our trips to Italy is amazing because it expands our cooking skills.

“We go to Italy to learn how to cook Mediterranean cuisine and to get to learn a cultural style of cooking.

“Going to Italy was the best experience of my life. If I could go back and do it over I wouldn’t change a thing.”

She said, “Chef Nader sends cer- Sharkes tain people to Italy because he sees potential and dedication while we’re here on campus. He sees that certain people want to be better and he gives that push. I think it’s great.”

Culinary arts student Isaiah Hardin said there is going to be “an older crowd at this event compared to others because there will be wine served at the event.”

“Younger people will be able to participate, but it’s typically an older crowd,” Hardin said.

He said there isn’t any theme or specific food or wine that will be served for the fundraiser, but every participant will be displaying their best dishes and best wines.

Culinary arts student Julianna Payne said, “I help seek and collect donations for the fundraiser.

“I try to get the participants here to bring their restaurant’s best food and samples.”

She said there are a lot of people who turned down the opportunity to participate in the event because they don’t want to give away free food and free drinks.

The event features samples of signature dishes, a cake raffle, and both a silent and live auction.

Attendees will also be gifted a carry bag.

MAGIC, WITCHCRAFT, RELIGION BREAKS TABOO

BY Denis Perez

“The context of the class is that magic is real.”

PHOTO EDITOR

dperez.theadvocate@gmail.com

Magic, witchcraft and religion are often considered taboo and unfit for the educational system, but Anthropology 150 examines the social science behind these cultural practices.

For students, like math major Aldo Hernandez, taking the Magic, Witchcraft and Religion (Anthropology 150) class is interesting because of the subjects the general education course addresses.

Hernandez said he expected to learn about different types of magic, but began to gain a deeper understanding about the cultural impact of magic, witchcraft and religion on the people around it these practices.

Anthropology professor Nefertari Hawthorne said magic, witchcraft and religion, if seen as more than what popular culture depicts them as, explain the culture of those who practice them.

Student Johnny Delgado said misogynistic societies still exist today, as before, when old belief systems allowed religion to oppress women.

He said that the class addresses the time period when women were persecuted and accused of witchcraft when they did not conform to a misogynistic society.

He said traditions like these are still around, and this class gives a better understanding of them.

Social science major Chris Mariero said the class gives students a whole new outlook on the world.

Nefertari Hawthorne, anthropology professor

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Medical assistant major Diana Lapop flips through pages of the Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Witchcraft textbook during an Anthropology 150 class session in GE-311 on Thursday. The class reviewed witchcraft in European villages.

He said society traditionally does not give explanations as to why things are as they are.

This history, learned in the classroom, is interactive with what is going on today.

When he discusses political topics with others personally, or in other classes, he is able to bring it back to something talked about in Anthropology 150, Mariero said.

He said because students have to discuss and write about the material, they must be able to interpret it to be able to speak on it.

Mariero said that anyone thinking about

taking the class should be prepared to research and “to push your boundaries of understanding the world.”

Hawthorne said students should come in with an open mind.

“When I ask my students in Anthropology 150 what magic is, they usually answer with Harry Potter or the Wizard of Oz,” she said.

The course’s goal is to break misconceptions and educate students so they have an understanding of why people in the past practiced the old traditions like the indig-

enous people of North America, and why modern societies still practice these rituals and beliefs at the macro and micro level.

The class offers students an opportunity to engage in discussions, watch films, read relevant material, hear lectures and conduct research projects on cultures like the Navajo tribes of North America, who practiced magic, or the rural European villages, that hunted witches.

Hawthorne said, “The context of the class is that magic is real.”

When students realize this they are able to take what they learn outside of class she said.

Cultural anthropologist Ebinue Barnett said she has been practicing dance since she was eight years old.

Two years ago when her grandmother died she began to dance an Afro Cuban dance, the Babalu-Aye. She said the dance, like magic, lightened her spirit and made her feel good emotions at a level she hadn’t felt in other dance.

She said it wasn’t until two years later in this class that she learned that the BabaluAye dance’s history is tied to healing and mourning.

There are stories and meanings behind the world’s traditions, she said.

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Group brings culture, connections La Raza Student Union provides safe space for Latinos

BY Karla Juarez ADVOCATE STAFF

kjuarez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The La Raza Student Union (LRSU) focuses on bringing culture to the Contra Costa College community by providing volunteer opportunities and a support system for its members.

Throughout the semester, the LRSU’s members plan a variety of events to help their community, as well as events to bring the group closer, as if they are family, by learning more about their culture.

CCC also offers La Raza studies to give the students a chance to study in-depth about the Latinos and Chicanos in America.

“Taking La Raza studies opened a new world, more opportunities and a set of knowledge about my culture,” club President Ricardo Sanchez said.

Sanchez said the LRSU helps students to feel comfortable with their culture. Not only do they learn where they come from, but also they practice and celebrate events.

Every Wednesday, La Raza members meet in GE-310 at 3:30 p.m. in order to talk about their events.

LRSU is made up of 16 members who come together at the beginning of their meeting and introduce themselves to those who just joined and share something about their day.

On March 29, during a club meeting, they discussed their next event.

For Cinco de Mayo, (on this date the first victory of the Mexican army against the French is commemorated and it is called the Battle of Puebla) they are planning a student panel, Karaoke night and workshops, Sanchez said.

“We are planning a fundraiser to fund lawyers in order to help undocumented students to get their DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) paperwork done,”

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

La Raza Student Union President Ricardo Sanchez leads a meeting in the GE-310 on March 29. Meetings are held every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

he said.

The club members and their adviser, La Raza studies professor Agustin Palacios, thought about having a marathon to raise funds to pay the group of lawyers to come to campus.

But the marathon was canceled because the city of San Pablo did not give them permission, Sanchez said.

He said, last semester, the LRSU brought a legal team to the campus for free. So they are going to try to contact them again.

The goal is to provide financial help for parents of undocumented students since

they have to pay the lawyer and the application fee as well, Sanchez said.

There will be two workshops on May 12 and 13, so if some people can’t attend one, they can come to the other one, Sanchez said. The LRSU also plans to host a student panel on May 5. La Raza members are contacting six students from local high schools and students who have transferred to a fouryear university.

“They can share their experiences on their campus and how they relate their education to the community,” Sanchez said.

After the student panel, there will be a

Karaoke night and food from different cultures, such as tamales and pupusas.

Club Vice President Cesar Martinez said, “(The LRSU) has helped me to be open minded and to meet new people. We are like a family. La Raza studies also has helped me to know more about my culture and where we came from,” he said.

Martinez said this semester is his first in the club..

He said being part of the group is like being part of a family that supports each other and bonds through different experiences, on and off campus.

Activists share labor strike

BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

In the middle-class workers’ world, International Workers Day means standing against unfair treatment, the exploitation of immigrant communities and supporting labor.

“When you are my age, it is very difficult to find a job,” Oakland’s Allendale Elementary School teacher Martha Hernandez said.

“If you come from Mexico, you know that it is true.”

Hernandez and her husband of 40 years, Raul Hernandez, advocate for the working class as part of The Progressive Labor Party (PLP), a political party in the U.S. Supporters from around the world come together for the cause on May 1 by skipping work to strike against the system, she said.

Hernandez said they expect thousands of the working class and other supporters to participate in the annual strike.

She said the history of the day started when workers decided working 12, 14 or even up to 16 hours a day was enough. The working class did not have benefits and the majority were immigrants from Europe, she said.

Rosario Tejada, a Contra Costa College English as a Second Language student, said it was the first time she heard of International Workers Day and was excited to listen to Martha and Raul Hernandez speak.

Tejada said, with all the changes happening with President Donald Trump in office, it was a good idea to start a dialogue about this topic.

ESL professor Evan DeGennaro invited them to speak to his ESL class on April 12.

“We want to live with dignity. We are poor and don’t have money. I think humans need to be proud of who they are.”

— Martha Hernandez, Allendale Elementary School teacher

DeGennaro said he is currently an adjunct professor at CCC and understands where they are coming from.

He said the strike brings people together for the same purpose.

DeGennaro said there are several ways to segregate people, including being taught to be around people that look similar to each other.

“We have to find out what is real,” he said.

“They don’t teach young, white people about

their history. They teach us about rich, white people,” DeGennaro said.

Raul Hernandez said he enjoys teaching people about International Workers Day because many people do not know about it.

Martha Hernandez said, “I am a teacher. I have an education, but I only work 20 hours (a week). I am only part time.”

Hernandez said she spends her time with elementary students and often times it isn’t enough hours.

She said many immigrants who come to the U.S. were forced out of their country.

“We want to live with dignity. We are poor and don’t have money. I think humans need to be proud of who they are,” she said.

ESL student Maria Contreras said, “Look out this window. There is no wall. Not only is (Trump) being cruel with people, but with nature as well.”

SERVICE PETS OFFER GUIDANCE, SUPPORT

BY Jessica Suico ADVOCATE STAFF

jsuico.theadvocate@gmail.com

California law guarantees people with disabilities the right to bring trained service dogs and psychiatric service dogs, but not emotional support animals, to any public place, and Contra Costa College is no exception to that rule.

CCC Academic Student Services Manager, for Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), Yasuko Abe said, “Each semester is different, but right now we have two students on campus that use a service dog. As long as I’ve been here there haven’t been any conflicts with service dogs on campus.

“Once we have a districtwide policy set then we will start to give more information to the students about service dogs,” she said.

California laws like the Unruh Civil Rights Act, The California Disabled Persons Act, and the Fair Employment and Housing Act, as well as the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), protect citizens rights to service dogs and emotional support animals.

Business major Alexis Bennett said, “I didn’t even know service dogs were allowed on campus because I don’t see them or see information about them here. I feel there should be more information on campus about them for students. They definitely should be

“I didn’t even know service dogs were allowed on campus because I don’t see them or see information about them.”

— Alexis Bennett, business major

allowed on campus.”

The Galvin Group, an organization that gives guidance to the DSPS program regarding ADA requirements, states service animals can be excluded if they are uncontrolled, are not housebroken, are a threat to the health and safety of others or do not meet the college’s standards of conduct.

The Galvin Group also states the care and supervision of the animal is the owner’s responsibility.

All of the three colleges in the Contra Costa County Community College District welcome students with service dogs, despite the occasional incident.

Diablo Valley College Disabled Student Services Manager David Hagerty said, “We have had a complaint about a service dog eating someone’s sandwich off their desk. We also had complaints from students with a disability with service dogs about being asked inappropriate questions about their disability and dog.

“People are only allowed to ask two questions: is this service animal required because of a disabil-

ity and what work or tasks is the animal trained to perform.”

To bring a service dog on campus at any of the schools in the district is a right protected by the state.

Los Medanos College Disabled Students Program Manager and Learning Specialist Ginny Richards said there is no paperwork a student has to fill out with the district, but counselors encourage students to come talk with faculty to get more information about DSPS services.

“Since this isn’t a common topic in our district I don’t see any plans of making it a more known topic.

We need more faculty training to evolve to that,” Richards said.

“The regulations are the same within the district, but we have had some problems in the past on our campus with people lying about their dog being a service dog, only later to find out it was a house pet.”

Richards said that five years ago someone had a standard poodle as a service dog on campus that they brought into the cafeteria. The dog was the same height as the salad bar so there were some complaints from the chefs in the cafeteria about that.

Permitting a service dog on campus is not a trivial issue.

Regulations state accommodations must be made for students with allergies and recommends that colleges identify areas for the animals to relieve themselves.

ANTHONY KINNEY / THE ADVOCATE

Golden retriever Oscar helps psychology major Michelle Yoo as her guide due to Yoo’s partial blindness. Yoo requested a service dog at the Disabled Students’ Programs and Services Office on campus.

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CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Sociology major Minerva Arebalo writes information about the ASU elections on the white board inside the Student Lounge in the Student and Administration Building on Monday.

Alexander Walker-Griffin running for ASU president

poll locations examined:

Current ASU Vice President Alexander Walker-Griffin,a 19-yearold political science major, said as president he plans to represent students’ voice at local, state and national levels.

Walker-Griffin, a Hercules resident, said the president is the ASU’s top student liaison between administrators, faculty, district officials and students.

He said he will continue to bolster the ASU’s on-campus presence by hosting events and attracting more students to join the ASU.

Jaqueline Ortiz

running for ASU parliamentarian

Current ASU Senator Jaqueline Ortiz, a 17-year-old Middle College High School student, said as parliamentarian she will work to make sure the ASU Board meetings do not exceed their allocated time limit, and that members follow policies and procedures.

Ortiz has been with the ASU for two semesters. She said the communication and organizational skills she developed while working with a diverse group of ASU members will be used to help the community they serve.

Esmeralda Topete

running for ASU vice president

Current ASU Secretary Esmeralda Topete, a 17-year-old Middle College High School student, said as vice president she will attend all required shared governance meetings and be a liaison to the ASU Board.

Topete was the vice president of MCHS’s student government. She said she will pull from her ability to work through conflicts that are bound to arise in a complex and diverse student government.

According to the ASU Elections Committee there will only be one polling station on campus for voting students.

As of press time Tuesday, the single polling table will be inside the Student Lounge in the Student and Administration Building.

Responsibilities: ASU president:

Is a non-voting executive member.

Required to sit on shared governance groups at local, district and state levels.

Leads the weekly ASU meetings.

Oversees budget, appoints committees.

ASU parliamentarian:

Maintains Robert’s Rule of Order during ASU meetings.

Ensures ASU Board adheres to Brown Act public meeting laws.

Is a voting member.

Must sit on one college committee.

ASU vice president:

Is a voting member of the ASU Board.

Leads ASU meetings in president’s absence.

Must sit on a college committee.

Elections to reshuffle ASU Board

BY Lorenzo Morotti ASSOCIATE EDITOR

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Students at Contra Costa College can vote for the next Associated Student Union (ASU) president, vice president and parliamentarian starting on Monday in the Student Lounge.

The ASU is the legislative body capable of bolstering campus culture by hosting events, funding student-based community projects, and representing the voice of CCC students at the district, state and national level.

“We have a really diverse board,” current ASU Vice President Alexander WalkerGriffin said. “All the California community college ASUs table together, so I know a lot of people on ASU boards from Eureka down to the Mexico border — and ours is very diverse.”

Out of the 13 active ASU members five hold executive positions that are up for election. These include the position of president, vice president of club affairs, secretary and parliamentarian.

And out of six nominations, which also includes bids for the roles of director of public relations and director of training and recruitment, only three members are in the running for a new position on the ASU Board.

The three candidates, who are running unopposed, can campaign on bulletin boards, by word of mouth and on social media until Friday.

Per the ASU Bylaws, a candidate must be an ASU senator in good standing for at

“I see them as mentors. And I want to work my way up to be a mentor for new ASU members in the coming years.”

Jaqueline Ortiz, ASU senator

least one semester, have a GPA of 2.0 and not be on social or academic probation to be eligible to run for an executive position on the board.

ASU Elections Committee member Jose Arebalo said the polling station will be located inside the Student Lounge on the first floor of the Student and Administration building starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Arebalo said the Elections Committee, comprised of three active members, is responsible for ensuring that the candidates campaign within the ASU’s policies and procedures.

He said candidates are required to remove all campaign material before the voting period begins on Monday, and they must not violate any of the bylaws while campaigning.

“Posting any campaign posters on doors or walls is not allowed and they will be taken down,” he said. “Candidates also can’t be endorsed by anyone in the ASU or exceed $50 in campaign materials.”

Also, he said once the polling locations are set up the candidates are not allowed to influence voters or try to sway the election results within 50 feet of an open polling

table.

Per the ASU Election Code, violating any of these policies is grounds for disqualification.

Voters will be required to input their student I.D. number into a laptop at the ASU table in the Student Lounge by 5 p.m. on May 4.

But because no one is running against anyone, Arebalo said the rules are less stringent and the election serves a larger purpose of bolstering the ASU’s diversity and its presence on campus.

“Even though no one is running against anyone we are still promoting the ASU to students,” he said. “We are still going to uphold the Election Code, but for this one we will focus on boosting our presence on campus and go recruiting.”

“We need more diversity on the team in terms of age,” he said. “Mostly high school students are a part of the team, but we need to reach out to older college students and get them to join the ASU.” Walker-Griffin, former Community Organizing Political Action club president who is currently running for ASU president, said being involved with student government on campus connects people to the communities in a way that puts politics into perspective.

“Be the change you want to see,” he said.

“You can have a vision, but no one has a vision identical to your own.”

But the focus of the election is on endorsing the ASU to the larger student body, he said.

in brief

Candidates began campaigning on April 10.

But all campaign material must be removed by Friday.

Students can vote at the polling table in the Student Lounge starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Voting ends at 5 p.m. on May 4.

All candidates are running unopposed.

ASU Secretary Esmeralda Topete said the candidates are encouraged to go to classrooms and inform students about their role.

Topete, running for vice president, said she has developed communication skills that she would not have if she was not involved in student government.

She said she is currently visiting classrooms to connect with students. “(Being active in student government) makes you connect with people at the college,” she said. “And people reach out to the (ASU) president.”

ASU Senator Jaqueline Ortiz, currently running for parliamentarian, said working with other ASU members promoting campus life has sparked her desire to teach.

“I see them as mentors,” Ortiz said, “and I want to work my way up to be a mentor for new ASU members in the coming years.”

The remaining executive board positions, which are treasurer, activities coordinator, secretary and director of public relations will be selected by ASU Board members early next semester, Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks said.

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SCORING LAPSES HALT GROWTH Stale offense, sloppy defense slows progress

BY Dylan Collier ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Comets (10-22 overall and 5-7 in the Bay Valley Conference) struggled to find offensive momentum against second place Laney College (9-3 in the Bay Valley Conference) and lost the 3-game series two games to one, after CCC’s hollow bats failed to back its starting pitching.

The baseball team has been forced to cancel multiple games this season due to inclemate weather.

The Comets get another chance at victory when the team faces Mendocino College Thursday in Ukiah.

The only highlight over the three-game Laney series was an explosive bottom of the ninth in the first game of the series, where Contra Costa College scored eight runs to win 12-9.

The outburst didn’t end COMETS up setting the pace for the next two games where CCC was outscored 13-0 in the second game and 4-1 in the third game.

EAGLES CCC is currently slotted in sixth place in the BVC with four conference games remaining on its schedule.

In the third game of the series, Comet left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Reames demonstrated that CCC has what it takes to compete against the best teams in the BVC by keeping its opponents runs to a minimum.

However, in the fourth inning of the same game, Laney freshman Broderick Reed doubled to center field and eventually crossed the plate to tie the game 1-1.

Even with Eagle runners on second and third with no outs following the score, Reames didn’t allow another runner to advance by keeping all of his pitches low and letting his infield lock down on defense.

“This series was of utmost importance and we battled back, but we came up a little bit short, and we can do a lot better,” Reames said.

4 1

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Comet pitcher Jayson Summers throws during CCC’s 6-0 win against Yuba College at the Baseball Field on March 11. Rain delays have forced the Comets to cancel many of their home games during conference play.

“We just weren’t swinging at the right pitches. We were thrown many strikes, but just weren’t able to execute at the right time.”

—

,

With one out, following Reames’ strikeout of Eagle right fielder Kameron Proctor, Comet shortstop Justin Summers defense on a sharply hit ground ball helped get CCC out of the inning.

After scooping up the grounder, the freshman held the runner at third before firing the ball to first base to record the second out of the inning.

A pop up forced by Reames ended the inning.

The Comets committed 11 errors throughout the series, however, errors are not main issue preventing the Comets from gaining momentum.

A recurring problem with CCC’s offense in conference play seems to be not getting enough runs to maintain a healthy lead.

When this happens, it does not allow the starting pitchers any margin of error throughout the course of a game.

Although the Comets jumped out to the lead in the first inning of the third game by way of a solo home run by infielder Elijah Smith. CCC couldn’t string together rallies, most importantly, when runners were in scoring position.

“They’ll be a lot stronger going into the next series. They don’t take a tough game like today into the next game, they find a way to just let it all go,” pitching coach Joshua

Cephas said.

First baseman Eric Whitfield said that although the Eagles were able to put up with the Comet’s pitching, CCC learned what they need to do defensively at this point in the season to continue to improve.

“We just weren’t swinging at the right pitches. We were thrown many strikes, but just weren’t able to execute at the right time,” Whitfield said.

Their four runs were scattered throughout the fourth, sixth and seventh innings.

As the rain dissipates, CCC will finally return to the field in an attempt to get its season back on track.

With just two consecutive wins during this season, CCC searches to get back on a winning streak, so it can surpass last year’s 12-22 season record.

Season ends for BVC softball

BY Dylan Collier

ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR

Coaches, conference fail to foster athletic dreams

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

Despite early signs that softball for the teams remaining in the Bay Valley Conference would be rescued from the brink of elimination, the reality of how flimsy the four-team league actually was has finally come to fruition.

Over spring break, Athletic Director John Wade and softball coach Karolyn Gubbine made the decision to scrub the already shortened season after lackluster participation, performance and eventually the inability of some of the Comet players to fully commit to the team “It’s devastating,” Wade said. “We thought that we had at least 12 or 13 committed and to get down to eight when we only need nine to participate, it’s just tough,” Wade said.

“It’s not fair to the (committed) girls.

There are multiple reasons this continues to happen — academic (issues), personal decisions, conflicting schedules — they all affect participation.”

BVC play began March 14 in the four-team conference with the league season compressed to a mere 18 games.

When opening play, participation rates for the other three teams playing the 2016-17 season were all below their usual roster size.

Mendocino College had only 11 players, and Los Medanos College had the largest team with 13.

Yuba College was in the middle with 12 players and CCC had the fewest players with 10.

“You think the commitment is there but it’s not. It’s a missed opportunity for the players who really want to be here, but it came down to not having enough numbers,” Gubbine said.

“Some of the girls just got fed up.

I can’t blame them for not wanting to waste their time with non-committed teammates and the added uncertainty

BOX SCORES Baseball (April 14) Contra Costa College 1 AB R H RBI Smith 2b 4 0 0 0 Velasco 3b 3 0 2 0 Whitfield 1b 4 1 0 0 Jackson dh 4 0 2 0 Galloway lf 3 0 0 0 Watson c 3 0 2 0 Melendez cf 2 0 0 0 Wilson rf 2 0 0 0 Scott rf 1 0 0 0 Summers rf 3 0 1 0 Reames P 0 0 0 0 Quesadilla p 2 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 7 0

Yuba College 2 AB R H Mason 2b 52 2 Seibel ss 5 2 2 Doyle cf 4 1 1 Garrett lf 3 2 1 Doll 3b 5 1 1 Schnitzius 1b 5 0 2 Musso rf 6 1 1 3 Cruz c 2 0 0 Stewart dh 6 4 4 Cunningham 3 1 3 O’Callaghan 0 0 0

RBI 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 0 0

27 2 1 4

“I really like playing softball so am I disappointed that we are not playing — yeah. The reason that I still come to practice is for next season. It will be better than starting fresh.”

Breen Romero-Villafranco Comet infielder

within the conference.”

The BVC nearly lost its season this year before play began due to a number of colleges in the conference that were not able to field softball teams with at least nine players.

Last year seven teams competed in conference play. Both 2016 BVC champion Solano Community College and second place Napa Valley College were unable to gather the players needed to field teams this season.

Folsom Lake College, which was also in the BVC in 2016, moved to compete in the Big 8 Conference this year.

One silver lining that the coach sees for her team is the fact that some of the girls are still coming to practice despite losing the prospect of playing in front of family and friends.

“Hopefully we can build off of that,” Gubbine said.

One of the players still practicing with the team, Breen Romero-Villafranco, is still committed to the sport despite only reaching base once in her seven at-bats in the Comets’ four games this season.

“I still come to practice even though there is no season,” Romero-Villafranco said.

“I really like playing softball so am I disappointed that we are not playing — yeah. The reason that I still come to practice is for next season. It will be better than just starting fresh.”

For Comet softball, the previous two Pitching Contra Costa College Reames (L, 0-1) Quesadilla Yuba College O”Callaghan (W, 1-0)

Softball (March 30) Contra Costa College 0 Armstrong lf Palomares dh Bernal 3b Latu c Cuellar 2b Lopez cf Higareda 1b Villafranco lf

R 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

H 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

RBI 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

IP

H R ER BB SO

6.0 2.0

7 6 4 2 2 0 1 1 3 0

9.0

6 2 2 3 6

Yuba College 9 Mitchell cf Driver rf Steele 3b Gonzales c Cisneros c Hicks 1b Benton 2b Benton lf

R 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 1

H RBI 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 3 5 2 2 2 1 0 0

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Comet pitcher Hulita Latu pitches during the Comets’ 16-2 loss against the Los Medanos College Mustangs at the Softball Field in the first game of a doubleheader on March 14.

seasons have been steeped in uncertainty as well due to low participation and an attitude of non-commitment of some players.

This attitude seems to be spreading throughout the BVC. In those previous seasons, even with women placing their participation in the sport second, or even third, on their priority lists, the team was still able to complete a regulation season.

This season, when the BVC released its minimized game schedule, because of because of academic or personal obligations, the Comets were slated to miss as many games as they might have been able to play in 2017.

Many veterans on the team speculated that not playing at all would be better than potentially missing games periodically, like in previous seasons.

Comet pitcher and third baseman from the 2016 team, Stacey Fernandez, knows what it’s like to gear up to play only to learn that not enough of her teammates showed up to actually play

on days games were scheduled.

She said allowing players to sit out the season while retaining their year of eligibility may work to improve the attitude and cohesiveness of the team going into next season.

“Canceling the season is a tragedy for the people that really wanted to play, and for the people that put the league together,” Fernandez said.

“However, canceling might be a good idea if there aren’t enough girls who have the determination to play.

It’s hard to get women to participate in sports at CCC. It’s even more of a rarity to find girls who love the game and want to play for fun rather than to be recruited or to have it on their transcripts.”

Gubbine hopes the prospects that she has already recruited for the following season coupled with the palpable enthusiasm that exists within the players that remain on the team will translate to wins in the future.

STANDINGS

SCHEDULE

Bay Valley Conference (Baseball) W L Marin 12 3 Los Medanos 14 4 Laney 14 5 Solano 10 8 Napa 9 9 Contra Costa 7 12 Yuba 6 13 Mendocino 5 14

Pct. .800 .733 .600 .467 .467 .357 .286 .267

Gp 33 33 34 34 32 32 31 34

Bay Valley Conference (Softball) W L Yuba 13 13 Mendocino 10 12 Los Medanos 6 8 Contra Costa 0 18

Pct. .500 .455 .429 .000

Gp 26 22 14 18

Baseball Tomorrow, April 20: at Mendocino College Saturday, April 22: vs. Mendocino College

Softball

Season has been canceled.

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sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 4.19.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

■ OFF THE RECORD

efrainvaldez

RAIDERS STRIKE AGREEMENT WITH RETIRED PLAYER

O

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Coach Pat Henderson guides the football team through a training course during the first day of off-season football practice at Contra Costa College in Comet Stadium Monday. The first day brings together all coaches to participate in a training day with the team.

Athletic programs face budget challenges, recruitment woes

BY Efrain Valdez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The athletic department is known for having one of the tightest budgets on campus, but it still manages to out-perform other schools in sports like basketball, football and soccer.

“When it comes to recruiting at a twoyear institution our school has service area which includes all the local schools from John Swett High School to El Cerrito High School,” Athletic Director John Wade said.

Wade also said that our school recruits outside of the Contra Costa Community College District.

For example, the college get recruits from Albany, Berkeley, Oakland and Vallejo because they are closer than the students from east Contra Costa County.

“Our men’s teams have good enrollment which has translated into positive results,” Wade said.

“The participation in our women’s sports is what has been really hurting our program.”

“I don’t necessarily believe that just because you have more money that it will bring more athletes, especially on the women’s side,” Wade said. “Hopefully we can improve on our women’s teams’ participation rates as soon as possible.”

Men’s soccer is especially popular in Richmond and San Pablo because of powerhouse soccer programs, like the one at Richmond High School, that provides a good stream of soccer players.

“I can’t say the budget has affected us (the men’s soccer team) in a negative way, but a larger budget would be welcomed,” men’s soccer coach Nikki Ferguson said.

“How successful a team is during recruitment can be determined by the quality of the facilities.”

— Miguel Johnson, Comet men’s basketball coach

Men’s basketball coach Miguel Johnson said the college’s budget affects the athletic department in many ways but the aged buildings on campus is a glaring hurdle.

“How successful a team is during recruitment can be determined by the quality of the facilities,” Johnson said.

“Everyone is different. But when you show a recruit, who may have been at Los Positas College or San Jose City College earlier in the week, our buildings don’t compare.

“What they see shapes their decision whether to come here or not.”

Even with lesser facilities, some would say CCC is among the top choice of school for local community college athletes.

“I don’t believe the budget and the old facilities necessarily deters athletes away from our department but having extra funds would help a lot,” Ferguson said.

“We all have blemishes.”

For most of the coaches at CCC, a large portion of the general costs is taken care of out of their own wallets.

“All the major budget cuts happened before I got here in 2009, so in saying that I really don’t know how it was to have a meal budget and stuff like that,” Ferguson said.

“We just work hard to overcome all the

obstacles that are come our way.”

“When I go out to recruit, I need to know if that recruit wants to be here at Contra Costa College and a part of the brand we have,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said that people that do not want to be a part of the community and family atmosphere on campus are not even considered for recruitment.

Johnson and Ferguson both agree that the buildings and the fields are not the best in the area but both of their teams manage to be very competitive.

Both of their teams have won multiple Bay Valley Conference championships in the recent past.

Ferguson and Johnson said that coaches at CCC are not compensated for gas or food expenses during the recruitment process that could take weeks, months or years.

“In my perspective as a coach and I’ve been here for five years, the budget limitations have made it very difficult to fund a team,” Johnson said.

“Especially when we are told we have to do more with less.”

The teams here must fundraise to pay for practice utilities, food and extra uniforms.

It’s things like this that can be the determining factor in a top recruit choosing a school.

However, the Gym, Gym Annex Building and locker rooms will receive some major renovations through Measure E. The legislation, which is strictly for school buildings, was passed by voters in 2014.

“Hell yeah, I am excited for the funds. It will be great for the athletic department and our school in general to get those much-needed renovations,” Ferguson said.

ASU ORGANIZES FIRST ‘OLYMPICS’

BY Dylan Collier ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

In an attempt to offer new activities to students on campus while continuing to promote ideas of community and unity the Associated Student Union will host its first ever Contra Costa College Olympics.

The event will be held May 13 in Comet Stadium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ASU Secretary Esmeralda Topete said.

As of right now, Topete said, contestants will pick one of three groups that are distinguished by final competitions based on either Math, English or Science fields.

“The plan is to award nine people with scholarships,” she said.

First, second and third place winners in each group will be awarded $500, $250 and $150 scholarships based on a point system.

Individual students will compete against other students within the same group in a series of athletic games and a final game that tests their minds.

ASU Senator Jaqueline Ortiz said, “The one special final game is geared toward people who significantly excel within that one subject area.”

Ortiz said students should sign up for the academic category

“So far, we’re confident we will be able to keep track of everything with a point system.”

— Esmeralda Topete, ASU secretary

they understand the best.

There will be official judges and proctors for each group, and all academic and athletic events will be based on a point system, she said.

“So far, we’re confident we will be able to keep track of everything with a point system,” Topete said, “in which the (contestants) with the most points win scholarships.”

Ortiz said the athletic events will consist of track, push-ups, an obstacle course and an eating competition.

In keeping with the theme of actual Olympic competition, scoring will be in stages to recognize athletes with varying levels of skill.

The top five contestants in each competition will be awarded five points, and the top three of each category will be awarded a scholarship, she said.

Topete said each category will have an aggregate event asking students trivia questions..

She said that this is separate from the events that pertain to

math, English or science.

Ortiz said precise trivia questions are still being determined and discussed among ASU members.

She said some ideas for the trivia questions that the ASU members are considering including in the tournament are having a wide range of questions about capitals of different countries.

Also, there is talk that the staff members will include questions about colors of flags for different countries, she said.

For every trivia question a competitor answers correctly the student will be awarded one point each.

She said whether or not the trivia part of the event is included partially depends on how many total competitors sign up.

Ortiz said the ASU members are still working on advertising the event and are hopeful that they will get a catering company to provide breakfast for the event within the ASU budget.

ASU Senator Alfredo Gutierrez said, “We have a budget right now, but the specifics of that budget could all change, depending on our plans.”

Ortiz said even though the event is on a Saturday, she is confident it will attract enough people because they can win a scholarship while having fun on campus over the weekend.

Ortiz said she is hopeful they

will get a head count of at least 50 students from all different backgrounds and ages.

She said Ortiz that scheduling the Olympics the week before finals is important because it gives students a chance to get some exercise, providing them with a little bit of time to take their minds off final exams, and breathe some fresh air.

“It’s a way to have fun and connect with other students before closing the semester out,” she said.

Ortiz said that one main reason they had to move the Olympics from the original on May 6 to May 13 is because many ASU members will be out of town during that week, making it impossible for them to hold the event.

The scheduling conflict was solved at the ASU meeting on April 12, Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks said.

Nickelson-Shanks said because it falls so close to Finals Week, the ASU Board needs to market aggressively.

Topete said if students would like to take a break from studies and go into finals feeling healthy and rejuvenated, go to the ASU and sign up for the CCC Olympics.

n Friday, reports began to surface that Marshawn Lynch is coming out of retirement and has tentatively agreed on a new contract with the Oakland Raiders, his hometown team.

This move means the Raiders now must negotiate a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, Lynch’s former team, as the Seahawks retained his rights when he retired after the 2015 season.

The move is as good as done thanks to the great relationship between Lynch and the Seahawks. Also, the great relationship between general managers Reggie McKenzie (Raiders) and John Schneider (Seahawks) makes this move almost certain.

The move means more than just a roster improvement for the upcoming season.

This means that the East Bay community that had its heart broken back in March when NFL owners voted to relocate the team to Las Vegas will have something to cheer for — Beast Mode.

The Oakland native attended Oakland Technical High School, then UC Berkeley where he became a firstround draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2007.

Lynch is a living definition of the swagger that real East Bay and Oakland residents have. His brutally honest attitude, the contagious joy he brings on the field and going dumb to Bay Area rap songs is what his community loves.

His signing could have not come at a better time for a community that will be left without a football team by 2020.

Not only does Lynch signing with the Raiders mean a lot to East Bay Raider fans, it adds an important piece to what is already one of the most prolific offenses in football.

Regardless of the product on the field, Lynch will bring life to the community that has officially lost it all in regards to its professional football franchise.

This move was a power play by the Raiders front office to make the team better and to make sure the fans in the East Bay don’t leave the Raider Nation — at least not yet.

Having Lynch in a silver and black uniform will unify the fan base here and will have the Coliseum rocking for every home game. This will allow fans to forget the pain and grief of the relocation and come together to cheer for one of their own.

The immediate future regarding where the Raiders are going to play is still up in the air. It could be one, two or three years until they leave Oakland for Las Vegas. That timetable will be the determining factor for how long it will be until Lynch retires once again.

His contagious personality will captivate the East Bay and the country, and will make the Raiders the most popular team in pro football.

Imagine watching Lynch ghost riding his white Lamborghini down Broadway Avenue after winning a Super Bowl for Oakland — town bizness baby.

Efrain Valdez is the social media editor of The Advocate.

Contact him at evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com.

B SECTION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

■ A DAB WILL DO YOU

spotlight

Bay Area celebrates 4/20 genesis

San Rafael High

lorenzomorotti

DABBING’S ORIGINS TRANSCEND DANCE, FIXED IN CANNABIS

W

hen “dabbing” is brought up in conversation many people think of the dance move.

But what seems like a recent craze was sparked by the cannabis culture almost a decade ago.

Before covering your face with your forearm while extending your other arm at a 45-degree angle became a pop culture sensation, people were hitting that move after smoking a dab of marijuana concentrate. I was introduced to it as “wax.”

As I sat and stared at the dark ball of shiny wax, which was a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extract at the end of the dab tool in my friend’s living room in West Oakland, my nerves flared up.

There are solvent and non-solvent versions of marijuana concentrates. Nonsolvents are considered high quality, but I was about to smoke butane hash oil.

It’s worth about $15 a gram, and for good reason.

The low quality didn’t make me nervous. I wasn’t sure if my lungs were ready when he pulled out a propane blowtorch. But being 20 years old, and surrounded by my friends, made me feel like I had something to prove.

Now, at 26, I’m still not quite sure what that was exactly.

As my friend heated up the “nail,” a metal skillet in the center of a glass globe that replaces the bowl of a bong, he said, “it’s smoother than smoking a joint and it hits hella quick.”

The golden sphere of butane hash oil wax bubbled into vapor when it touched the red hot nail.

Residue splattered up and onto the inside of the glass dome as I twirled the dab tool in a clockwise motion.

The milky white vapor that filled the main chamber of the oversized bong quickly disappeared as it filled my lungs with cannabinoids, terpines and more butane than expected.

Then, as I thought my first dab was going smoothly, my throat caught fire.

I remember quickly putting the bong down and burying my face into my left arm while handing the dab tool back to my friend with the other.

In between the violent coughs and my friends’ laughter, I heard, “my bad. There wasn’t any water in it.”

Most people who’ve experienced a harsh dab, or were dumb enough not to check if there was water in the rig, know this isn’t fun.

Since then I’ve taken many more dabs, but none was as harsh as that time on the second floor of a duplex on Peralta Street in Oakland.

After coughing for nearly 10 minutes, tearing through a box of tissue and my entire mucus and tear reserves, I realized he wasn’t kidding about its potency either.

Lorenzo Morotti is an associate editor of The Advocate.

Contact him at lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com.

This high school is the birthplace of the term 4/20.

In the early 70s, students met at 4:20 p.m. to smoke under a statue of French biologist Louis Pasteur.

BY Michael Santone ASSOCIATE EDITOR

msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com

To most people under the age of 30, 4/20 is recognized as the symbol for the date and time of cannabis consumption.

Celebrated around the world on April 20 with festivals, concerts and mass gatherings, this day-long toke-out is devoted to smoking copious amounts of marijuana, while immersing oneself in all things, well, marijuana.

But the legend, which has sparked blunts, bongs and dab rigs for more than 45 years, has evolved from a cult following to a cultural phenomenon.

The term 4/20 originated across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in San Rafael, circa 1971, by five San Rafael High School students dubbed the “Waldos.”

Upon hearing about a lost crop of marijuana in Point Reyes, the free-loving group of pot enthusiasts decided to go out in search of the stash.

Before each adventure, the Waldos agreed to meet up at 4:20 p.m. at the statue of French biologist Louis Pasteur to smoke a few joints.

After weeks of failed attempts to locate the treasured buds, the Waldos gave up the hunt, but continued their 4:20 rendezvous.

For the Waldos, the term became more of a code, a way to discretely reference smoking pot without anyone understanding exactly what they were doing.

The exclusive nature in which the term was used almost sup-

Marin County

pressed its emergence.

But it was Phil Lesh, bassist for the psychedelic rock band The Grateful Dead, who launched 4/20 into national spotlight.

Lesh, who was friends with members of the Waldos, also indulged heavily in pot smoking.

Lesh and the Grateful Dead soon adopted the term, incorporating it into their concerts as they traveled the country.

In 1991, while the Dead played a show in Oakland, fliers swirled through the crowd inviting attendees to smoke pot on April 20 at 4:20 p.m. on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County.

So materialized the first mass 4/20 gathering where people celebrated and smoked marijuana.

It was the Grateful Dead who popularized the connection between 4/20 and marijuana, while advocating the consumption of cannabis at 4:20 and on April 20.

Throughout the years, April 20 has become known as “Marijuana Day,” a holiday with celebrations across the United States.

San Francisco’s Hippie Hill, located in Golden Gate Park, is home to one of the nation’s biggest 4/20 celebrations, with crowds and clouds nearing 10,000 in 2016.

In Tallahassee, Florida, attendees clad in tie-dye shirts, flip-flops and overfilled hash pipes made 2016 the largest 4/20 crowd on record with over 20,000.

Other notable events take place

Various ways to consume cannabis Rolled flowers The traditional method of ingesting cannabis is the joint.

Typically fashioned in a cigarette rolling paper, the joint has become an international symbol of marijuana use. More recently, the blunt has emerged as an equal marijuana ingestion method. Blunts are hollowed out cigars re-packed with cannabis.

Blunts also come as ready made tobacco wraps with varying flavors spanning numerous brands.

Contra Costa County

Hippie Hill Golden Gate Park hosts the largest 4/20 celebration in the Bay Area. The free event draws thousands of people.

i n states i nclu d San i n g Francisco Colorado, County Oregon, New York and Illinois, as well as in Canada, where some of the biggest gatherings and festivals are held.

And 4/20 has even made its way into mainstream popular culture, presenting itself in movies, music and on television.

It has become so present in society that there’s even a Snapchat filter for the actual day.

And the observance of 4/20 does not seem to be slowing down.

In fact, it’s only getting bigger. As people from all walks of life get involved in 4/20 celebrations with a puff or two, opposition turns into acceptance.

And this acceptance is growing, as more states legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Concentrates

Concentrates are an alternative to smoking marijuana and eliminate ingesting the harsh smoke that comes with burning plants.

Marijuana concentrate is a highly potent THC(Tetrahydrocannabinol) concentrated mass that looks like honey or butter.

Concentrates are cannabis byproduct created through an extraction process.

Solvents like butane, CO2 or ethanol strip compounds from the cannabis plant leaving a gooey or flaky resin. Concentrates can test as high as 80 percent THC content.

Glass

Tincture Cannabis tinctures are alcohol-based cannabis extracts — essentially infused alcohol. Tinctures were the main form of cannabis based medicine until the U.S. enacted cannabis prohibition in the 1920s. The tincture is typically made by soaking the dried flowers of the female cannabis plant then soaked in ethanol. The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids dissolve into the alcohol. The tincture is usually consumed orally, but may also be applied to the skin.

Bongs or water pipes are used for smoking tobacco, herbal supplements and also marijuana. What separates bongs from other methods of smoking is the configuration of the stem.

When the smoker takes a pull, the smoke first passes through the water. This cools the smoke to a manageable temperature which offers the user a more pleasant smoking experience. The use of bongs to smoke cannabis dates back 2,400 years where Scythian tribal chiefs used the devices to smoke it.

Edibles

Eating food infused with cannabis is the most popular alternative to smoking marijuana.

Oral consumption of cannabis, when properly cooked, is a more efficient way to absorb cannabinoids than smoking it. Edibles can bring a much more potent version of the psychoactive high that comes with smoking cannabis because of its slower absorption rate.

PHOTOS BY DENIS PEREZ AND EFRAIN VALDEZ / THE ADVOCATE

Alameda County

4/20 Justice The East Bay hosts this event in Oakland to support pro-cannabis legislation. It also features local artists and designers.

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WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 4.19.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

CLUB AIMS TO GATHER AUDIENCE, ENTERTAIN Drama club performs despite low membership

BY Anthony Kinney NEWS EDITOR

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Godspell cast members (left to right) Elizabeth Martine, Rachel Garza, Umi Grant, Sean Teal and Jasmine Manahan perform a scene from the musical during a rehearsal in the Knox Center on Monday.

SATIRICAL MUSICAL MAKES BIBLICAL JABS ‘Godspell’ play brings together acting community

BY Jose Chavez ADVOCATE STAFF

jchavez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The drama department concludes its 2016-17 theater season with a musical that brings biblical parables to the stage.

“Godspell” will be performed April 27-29 and May 4-6 at the John and Jean Knox Performing Arts Center on campus with shows starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for the general public. “‘Godspell’ is about building a community,” said director Kathryn McCarty, a professor who has been teaching acting for 17 years at Contra Costa College.

She said that working together as a community is the only way to accomplish anything.

The musical, composed by Tony Award-winning Stephen Schwartz, has been performed all around the world from community theaters to Broadway.

The music hits a variety of styles ranging from gospel to vaudeville.

The narrative centers on biblical parables as well as the gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.

Each parable is told through a series of games played in each scene. The musical also touches on The Last Supper and death of Jesus Christ.

The cast of 11 students includes

“I’ve always been drawn to theater, but I’ve never really had the opportunity to jump into it, until now.”

Victor Sanchez, psychology major

a variety of experience levels.

McCarty said one of the biggest challenges for her was casting because not all actors sing or dance, nor do all dancers sing and act.

Traditionally the actors’ characters are named after themselves, except for two characters, Jesus and Judas.

Although the cast is made up of many students who are familiar with performing plays, psychology major Victor Sanchez has no acting experience.

Sanchez plays Herbert, who is the jokester of the play.

“I’ve always been drawn to theater, but I’ve never really had the opportunity to jump into it, until now,” Sanchez said.

Journalism major Xavier Johnson plays Jesus.

He has taken theater classes since his junior year at John Swett High School but said it has been a few years since he last performed.

Johnson said to took a lot for him to “get back into the groove” of performing. He said the play can be

serious but at the same time bring laughter to the audience.

Preparation for the play began in January.

McCarty said she has done a lot of research on the writer and has most of the play memorized, which helps when deciding where each actor belongs at certain times. She said the play appeals to a universal audience.

“I think it is wide open. I think it would appeal to an atheist, as well as children and adults,” McCarty said.

English major Rachel Garza said she plays the “harlot of the group” named Sofia and narrates a few parables in the play that convey a message of the importance of prayer.

She said a challenge was that there were times when all the cast members were not able to get together to rehearse.

She said it took a lot of practicing on her own, going over and over the play, to become familiar with it.

Johnson said he joined the cast not really knowing anyone else in it.

He said because the play has a message of working together and building a community, it was important for the entire cast to become comfortable with one another and come together during rehearsals.

The new drama club The Understudies, is a social group designed to bring performers and those who appreciate the arts under one moniker.

The club will be hosting its “Milk Shakespeare” fundraising event in Contra Costa College’s Fireside Hall on Thursday, where members will perform the play “Doing Thy Will,” directed by drama professor Angelina LaBarre. The 45-minute play is a collection of sonnets and scenes from various Shakespeare productions.

Alongside the show, The Understudies will be selling ice cream milkshakes for $3 each.

Club President Oz Sobol said that the club’s Shakespeare event is the jumping-off point for bigger things hosted by the club. “We’re a brand new club, so we’re still in our building stages,” Sobol “We’re a said. “We have a lot of brand new growing pains, but we’ll get through them.” club, so The club will also have a we’re still in booth set up for the Super Saturday event this weekour building end to provide information stages. We about drama classes and the have a lot of club to aspiring college students. growing pains, Poehnelt said it’s importbut we’ll ant to have a drama club at the college to combat the get through declining presence of the them.” arts in the area.

“I feel like the performOz Sobol, club president ing arts are dying in our community. We don’t even see much of it in high schools anymore,” he said.

Poehnelt said that theater is pivotal, because since the beginning of time acting has been the predominant form of story telling.

“I think that theater is directly tied with telling the story of society,” he said. “Our society is full of stories and the theater is the best place to tell them. Stories from the stage are key to understanding modern and historical society.”

Drama department Chairperson CarlosManuel Chavarria said the club’s main challenge is getting members on the same schedule to meet.

“Most of the people involved in the club are also involved in department productions,” Chavarria said. “It’s hard to get everyone together to conduct our meetings.”

A majority of club members are also involved in the upcoming musical “Godspell,” presented

by CCC’s drama department. The show will run in the John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts from April 27 to April 30, then again May 4 to 6. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Students interested in joining the club can email questions to cccdramaclub1@gmail.com.

Local eatary serves taste of Salvadorian culture

By Dylan Collier ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

R

ICHMOND — If you are looking for unique and authentic El Salvadorian food with a twist, go to Taqueria La Bamba at 12345 San Pablo Ave., one block north of Barrett Avenue.

Their hours are Monday through Wednesday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The chefs churn out pupusa after pupusa and can be heard singing Spanish songs talking among themselves while working in the kitchen. With a kitchen crew of up to 10 employees, they stay busy around the clock with waves of customers swarming in to get everything from a carne asada burrito to a Chile relleno plate. Chile relleno is a dish that comes straight from El Salvador and the employees at La Bamba cook it the same way with bell peppers.

The Chile relleno meal that comes with a choice of pinto or re-fried beans, rice and lettuce with tomato and avocado, is topped off with two pupusas. The inside of the green bell pepper is filled with mouthwatering extravagant and juicy pork with onions and carrots, and melted cheddar cheese and sour cream on top. If it’s a hot day I would suggest adding a horchata beverage. Horchata is a sweet drink, originating from South America, and La Bamba uses a Mexican

recipe consisting of rice milk, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla.

I paid approximately $16 for a lunch and horchata, which was so much food I didn’t need to eat dinner that night.

I enjoyed the relleno because it gave me a chance to eat the way I would if I were visiting El Salvador. There are minor differences in the food and how it’s eaten in the United States and El Salvador.

In El Salvador, the FOOD Chile relleno is usually REVIEW filled with vegetables “Taqueria La and more people eat Bamba” pupusas with their hands than with a fork Cuisine: and knife.

Salvadorian Where: 12345 Be sure to go on San Pablo Ave, a Friday night or Richmond Saturday afternoon Price Range: $$ because you can see many families dining together and catch a soccer game on the one television La Bamba has facing the door out onto San Pablo Avenue.

There are seven tables on the inside portion of the restaurant so space can sometimes feel limited. Pupusas and coleslaw are one of the most traditional dishes in El Salvador, going above and beyond your average tortilla. The pupusa is a thick handmade corn flour or rice flour tortilla filled with cheese, refried beans or lo roco, which is a vine flower bud native to Central America.

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

An employee sweeps the area around the front door of La Bamba Restaurant at 12345 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond, near Interstate 80 on Monday.

Pork and cheese pupusas are a few of the most popular items on the menu.

However, you can also get pupusas filled with cheese and jalapeno, but lo roco is an ingredient woven into all of the pupusas. La Bamba uses corn for all its pupusas.

La Bamba cooks are conscious about the amount of oil they use, so all chefs only use water on their hands when forming the pupusa patties because they already use a little oil on the grill.

All employees pride themselves on efficiency and authenticity, which is apparent when ordering a burrito over the phone because it takes 20-25

minutes before they are ready for the customer to pick up. The texture of the grilled chicken, specifically, complements the rest of the rice, pinto beans, sour cream and onions to form a burrito full of flavors that will trickle down your arm because they’re never dry.

Another aggregate that sets La Bamba apart from other restaurants with similar food is they don’t pre-cook any of their food. It’s all prepared with fresh ingredients from the moment you order.

La Bamba employees pride themselves on serving all people in an efficient manner.

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WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 4.19.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Unleashed

B3

LEFT: Vin Diesel drives a burning car through the streets of Havana, Cuba during the filming of Universal Studio’s eighth installment in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “The Fate of the Furious.”

MOVIES

This week: “The Lost City of Z” (PG-13) “The Fate of The Furious” (R) “Norman” (R) “Free Fire” (R)

BLU-RAYS

New releases: “Teen Titans: The Judas Contract” (NR) “Split” (PG-13) “Bill Nye Saves The World” (TV-14) “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return” (TV14)

MUSIC

New releases: Rich Homie Quan: “Back to the Basics” Talib Kweli: “The Seven” Little Dragon: “Season High” Kendrick Lamar: “DAMN.”

GAMES

New releases: “Halo Wars: Definitive Edition” (T) “Cities: Skyline” (E) “Full Throttle Remastered” (T) “The Silver Case” (M) Editor’s note: This column lists popular new (and upcoming) releases for the week.

— Reggie Santini and Xavier Johnson

Talent fuels action film SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

Franchise breaks worldwide record for opening week

By Reggie Santini SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

rsantini.theadvocate@gmail.com

D

espite being the eighth film in the 16-year franchise “The Fast and the Furious,” director F. Gary Gray and the strong ensemble cast still create exciting and original action set pieces that set this film apart from the others.

“The Fate of the Furious” uses a reliable formula of fast cars, big explosions, witty banter and emotional weight that made the franchise one of the biggest grossing in Universal Studio’s history.

If you are a fan of the franchise, you won’t be disappointed. If you have never seen any of the films, stop reading this and get started.

The film’s story is interesting enough. There’s a basic plot with reasonably high stakes to drive the narrative forward. However, the plot works more as a way to move

the characters from one exciting action set piece to another.

The action is bigger with a focus on high-end military weaponry not seen in previous movies.

Also, there is a heavy focus on fantastical computer hacking by the antagonist. “The Fate of the Furious” manages to outdo the great action from the previous film, “Furious 7.”

In previous films in the franchise, Brian O’Conner, played by the late Paul Walker, served as the emotional focus of the franchise.

With Walker’s character being retired from the series after his death, the weight of the film is placed on Vin Diesel and his role as Dominic Toretto.

Early into the film it is made clear that Toretto and his wife are the new couple the audience should care about. The writing isn’t very subtle as they talk about wanting to create a family and building a future together. The film opens with this focus on Toretto and his wife Letty Ortiz, played by Michelle Rodriguez, in Havana, Cuba.

It isn’t long into their Cuban honeymoon that things quick-

ly turn south. Charlize Theron plays an infamous hacker named Cipher. Her portrayal of the character is fascinating. She manages to play a believable villain, despite less than compelling motivations.

Cipher sets her sights on Toretto by forcing him to betray his team and family. With the spark from Cipher, the story kicks into overdrive turning into a global adventure through the streets of Russia, MOVIE New York and the REVIEW frozen mountains “The Fate of The of Iceland.

Furious” Diesel does a Starring: Vin superb job at disDiesel, Charlize playing the variTheron ous complex emoDirected by: F. Gary Gray tions Toretto faces Genre: Action throughout the film. Diesel has a remarkable ability to be ruthless and dangerous while still showing the subtle pain felt as he is forced to cause harm to his own team. The moments where Toretto confronts his own team, feature the most powerful acting from Diesel in the franchise.

The supporting cast continues to have undeniable chemistry that

proves to be a high point of the franchise.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s exceptional on-screen chemistry with Jason Statham makes for some hilarious scenes.. Statham reprises his role as Deckard Shaw, the villain from the previous film, now forced to work alongside the team that placed him in jail to begin with. Johnson also reprises his role as Luke Hobbs.

As Hobbs and Shaw are forced to work together, their constant one-upmanship of each other serves as lighthearted moments.

Roman Pearce, played by Tyrese Gibson, steals every scene. His portrayal of Pearce as the wisecracking loudmouth plays off Ludacris’ character Taj Parker and Nathalie Emmanuel’s character Ramsey superbly. Their dialogue flows in a way reminiscent of long-time friends.

This film knows its audience and caters to it time and time again. The franchise still brings the awesome cars, beautiful cinematography, heart-stopping action and emotional drama, proving that this franchise still has a lot of horse power under its hood.

Kendrick cements spot among the best

By Anthony Kinney NEWS EDITOR

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

T

he hottest lyricist in the game, Kendrick Lamar, just released his third exceptional album solidifying why he’s so “damn” good.

Released on April 14, “DAMN.” is a 14-track emotional body of art drenched in philosophical lyrics, clever rhyme schemes and raw storytelling over a variety of beats taking inspiration from jazz, funk, cloud rap and modern trap music.

Kendrick delivers everything fans have come to love and expect from record label Top Dawg ALBUM Entertainment’s REVIEW leading act.

“DAMN.” Fans patiently waited as rap Artist: Kendrick peasants ran Lamar Genre: Hip-Hop amok releasing Label: Top Dawg average songs Entertainment with basic lyrRelease Date: ics during the April 14 Compton King’s hiatus from the rap game. Was the wait for “DAMN.” worth it?

Damn right it was.

The follow-up to Lamar’s platinum-certified “To Pimp a Butterfly” (TPAB) eliminates the need for a skip button. Each track is as bold as its capitalized title by fearlessly exploring concepts that most other artists consider taboo.

Kendrick bravely bares it all and shares his views on contentious topics like religion, politics, police brutality and the complexities of human nature over the wide range of the head-banging production. The Compton-born

SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

Kendrick Lamar’s hair burns on the set of his video, “Humble,” the top single off his album DAMN.

rapper combined the better qualities of his previous two albums, “Good Kid M.A.A.D. City” and “TPAB,” to create undoubtedly his best project thus far.

“DAMN.” opens with the track “BLOOD.,” a cinematic tale carried by lush violin strings and subtle bass drums with narration

by Lamar. This track serves as the opening to the album’s narrative.

As the story reaches its climax, the soothing melody ends abruptly with the clap of a gunshot that launches listeners into the heavy-hitting banger “DNA.” Submerged in a thumping 808 bass line, Kendrick uses “DNA.” to brilliantly address the struggle of being sold a version of yourself by society’s perceptions and fighting

against it to find your self-identify.

Unlike his previous albums, Kendrick keeps the features on this album to a minimum — Rihanna, U2 and the up-and-coming R&B artist Zacari.

Rihanna joins Kendrick on the sexy slow jam “LOYALTY.” where the pair trade verses and explain the necessity of loyalty in both platonic and romantic relationships. Rihanna fits perfectly over the screwed and reversed sultry beat giving the record undeniable chart-topping qualities.

Kendrick collaborates with U2 on the track “XXX.” Using complex, fury-filled lyrics, Kendrick takes listeners on an emotional heart-sinking voyage exploring America’s attraction to violence

and the hypocrisy it creates.

Although every song on the album is a masterpiece in its own right, the seven-minute track “FEAR.” outshines the others.

With unwavering courage and supreme artistic vision, Kendrick paints a powerful lyrical portrait expressing the many fears he faced growing up in urban America.

And he does all of this over a soul-gripping melody reminiscent of an old Curtis Mayfield lament.

Kendrick illustrates the fears that plagued his life at the ages of 7, 17 and 27. The track starts with a broken spirited Kendrick asking God questions. He raps, “Why God, why God do I have to suffer?

Earth is no more, why don’t you burn this m-----f-----?”

B4

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An anti-Trump protester is arrested on Center Street in Berkeley during a proTrump rally on Saturday.

Anti-Trump protester Cole, who refused to give his last name or city of residence, holds his bleeding head as he runs away from the fighting crowd during a pro-Trump rally in Berkeley on Saturday. The rally escalated to a street fight after provocations from both sides erupted into clashes.

ABOVE: Pro-Trump supporter Chris Weaver holds a rag to his bleeding mouth after being punched and knocked down by an anti-Trump protester during a pro-Trump rally in Berkeley on Saturday. The protest began at Civic Center Park on M.L.K. Jr. Way and ended at Shattuck Avenue at Center Street when pro-Trump protesters chased anti-Trump protesters up Center Street.

A pro-Trump supporter (center right) attacks two anti-Trump protesters (left) to block them from helping a protester being beaten (right) as a melee breaks out during the a pro-Trump rally in Berkeley on Saturday.