The Advocate 4-8-15 by The Advocate

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CMYK

WEDNESDAY l 4.8.15 OUR 65TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

LENGTH MATTERS Faculty evaluates pros, cons of reducing semester length from 18 to 16 weeks, gain outside perspectives, data

editorial

BY Cody McFarland

Worthwhile endeavor

The Academic Senate of Diablo Valley College voted to endorse the districtwide compression of fall and spring semesters from 18 to 16 weeks. By the date of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Council’s May meeting, which has yet to be scheduled, it will be determined whether Contra Costa College and Los Medanos College follow suit. “The (CCC) Academic Senate’s position is to let this thing run its course,” Academic Senate President Wayne

The Academic Senate is handling the compressed calendar decision with the utmost fairness to faculty. SEE PAGE 2

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

Organ said. “Our senate decided early on to get the vote of the whole faculty. We (approved questions for) a survey at our meeting (Monday) to send out to faculty to get everyone’s opinions. “We need to figure out what our faculty prefer, but also develop a fallback plan in case our preference isn’t the same as the district consensus.” A primary concern of CCC’s senate is that one of three colleges in the district will oppose compressing the semester calendar while the other two endorse the

in brief DVC officially endorses semester shrink. CCC, LMC have yet to take stances. By its May meeting, the FSCC will have reached a consensus.

SEE CALENDAR, PAGE 4 ILLUSTRATION BY CODY MCFARLAND / THE ADVOCATE

“

This year’s STEM Day differed from last year in that we incorporated (CCC’s) very own rising scientist and engineers from CSE and SHPE.” — Valeria Avila, mechanical engineering major

ADDITIONS DELAY SEISMIC RETROFIT

Late design tweaks halt Knox Center’s project until 2016 BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

SEE RETROFITS, PAGE 4

CODY CASARES/ THE ADVOCATE

Program highlights realistic scientific usages STEM Day shows potential career

BOOK TO UNITE COMMUNITY

skills

NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Day gave K-12 students a glimpse into the hands-on lab work that the STEM program at Contra Costa College provides through interactive workshops on March 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. campuswide. “We are trying to show students that we need engineers and physicists to help keep up (scientific) progress. There are a lot of applications with (any of these) majors,” tutor and mechanical engineer major Alejandro Romero said. Metas and Adelante programs assistant Walter Orellana said students from 54 K-12 schools, mostly within the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), participated in the

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PAGE 6

paths,

BY Roxana Amparo

“These (K-12 students) are being

exposed to (different) science fields. They can see people studying and relate by having the opportunity to learn (STEM’s practical) applications.” — Valeria Avila, mechanical engineering major

event. STEM Day workshops took place during what would normally be a tutoring day for the college students in the program. STEM Grant and METAS Program Manager Mayra Padilla said besides being offered the opportunity to educate young minds about any SEE STEM, PAGE 4

CMYK

The Knox Center for the Performing Arts seismic retrofit project that was scheduled to begin during the summer will be postponed until 2016. Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said the project is being postponed due to recent changes to the project’s scope and budget. The seismic retrofit project is being done to protect older buildings from the Hayward Fault, an active fault that geologist consider past due for a slip, which dissects Contra Costa College. USGS geophysicist Jack Boatwright said there is a one in four chance that

ABOVE: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Vice President Christian Talavera educates K-12 students during the STEM Day in the PS-113 on March 21.

CMYK

Quotable “Nearly every human action that the law affects, and virtually all governmental activity, involves speech.” Stephen Breyer U.S. Supreme Court justice, 2001 Lorenzo Morotti editor-in-chief George Morin art director Cody McFarland Rodney Woodson associate editors Roxana Amparo news editor Jared Amdahl opinion editor Robert Clinton sports editor Jason Sykes assistant sports editor Jose Jimenez spotlight editor Qing Huang Christian Urrutia photo editors Janae Harris Cody Casares assistant photo editors Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Benjamin Bassham Nina Cestaro Rodney Dunlap Marlene Rivas Florinda Hershey Manning Peterson Evelyn Vazquez Mark Wassberg Kadijia West-Dickens Staff photographers Jordan Khoo Staff illustrators Marci Suela Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 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 8, 2015 VOL. 102, NO. 17

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

EDITORIAL A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR Research, data show benefits outweigh detractions

he Academic Senate of Contra Costa College chose to address the imminent compressed calendar decision with the utmost consideration for college faculty by electing to democratically survey all faculty positions on the matter before taking a campuswide stance. Such scrupulousness deserves resounding applause. After sister school Diablo Valley College’s Faculty Senate President Laurie Lema announced at the March 25 District Governing Board meeting that DVC is endorsing compressing the semester calendar from 18 to 16 weeks, it was discovered that decision did not weigh faculty opinions across the campus, but was instead determined only by the local senate. CCC’s senate is displaying exemplary levels of fairness and respect by allowing every faculty member the chance to express his or her opinion and then using that data to reach consensus. The online updates, data and discussion provided by the United Faculty, the districtwide faculty union, are a noteworthy complement. Now, the only way to have provided an immaculate approach from the student perspective would have been to include student opinions, but considering CCC has roughly 6,000 students currently enrolled, that boils down to a quaint ideal. Though the third school in the district, Los Medanos College, like CCC, has yet to submit its formal position to the district’s Faculty Senate Coordinating Council, it would be wonderful if LMC follows CCC’s example. The FSCC will come to a districtwide decision sometime in May. As it requires a year or more of planning, the tentative implementation date of the compressed calendar, if approved, is fall 2016. Considering that is the same semester marked for the opening of CCC’s new College Center, it seems opportune and advantageous to introduce two things that will ultimately benefit the majority of students and faculty at the same time. After reviewing what data is available and discussing the matter with individuals districtwide over the course of months, The Advocate has decided to endorse compressing fall and spring semesters by two weeks. Put simply, the pros outweigh the cons. As CCC Academic Senate President Wayne Organ said, “I can’t find any data that supports that 18 weeks is any better for students than 16 weeks.” There is published, verifiable data in existence that supports Organ’s claim — data that also suggests the district stands to increase enrollment, profits and completion and retention rates. Much of this information can be found online at uf4cd. org. Shorter semesters would also allow for longer breaks and the possible addition of a winter intersession, helping students gain units and graduate faster. We cannot be reluctant to change; it is the only certainty on the forecast. But if research is any indication, the district has a bright future if it chooses to compress the calendar.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

N MEDICAL LESSON

Disregarding injuries convenient, painful T

his is a story of ravaged kidneys, torn cartilage and of a habit I need to break. It’s one I learned from my father, and it can be summarized thusly: “Wait two weeks and see if it gets better.” Usually it works pretty well. Some alarming medical complaint emerges, I calm myself and instead of seeking professional help I wait a day or two and if it doesn’t get worse I’ll wait some more and practically without exception the problem goes away on its own. It was nothing serious after all and I’ve saved myself time and money. There are only two really major problems with this strategy. The first is that sometimes waiting is the last thing you want because it can be deadly. When I was younger I had a set of exercises I stuck to irregularly — situps, pushups and curls mostly. I’d do them for a few months, then lose interest and quit, only to start again months later. A day came when I was 14 or so and I’d decided to get started with my exercises again. I did my usual routine and felt pretty good. So I did some more. I still felt good so I kept going. And going. Eventually when I finished it was getting late, so I took a shower and went to bed feeling smug about how fit I was going to be. I was an idiot. The next morning I

There was just one problem really — a single exercise I didn’t like. It involved jumping, rotating 180 degrees and landing in a fighting stance, then jumping and rotating the other way. I didn’t like it because I’m tall and heavy for my knew I’d overdone it. I height and that made it ached, but it wasn’t too really hard on my knees. bad. I went about my day, I didn’t want to be the and even did my exercises only one in the class who that night, but nothing couldn’t keep up, so I gritas drastic as the previous ted my teeth and did it night. It wasn’t until the anyway. day after that I realized that The inevitable happened I dun goofed. one day when that obnoxWhen I awoke my ious exercise was made elbows were badly swolworse. We were expected len. I was disappointed and to do it while leaping irritated but figured it was backward across the room. no big deal. I’d just wait for I was doing really well the swelling to go down. though. It wasn’t hurting It got worse. My elbows as much as usual and I swelled up like big puffy was actually enjoying it. I grapefruits and I lost most might have even picked up of my range of motion in the pace a little. CRUNCH, them. POP! One of my overSo, it’s doctor time right? strained ligaments snaps Nah, it’s probably noth- and my right kneecap dising. I’ll wait and see if it locates laterally. Oddly it gets better. doesn’t hurt much at first. In time it did get better, I first thought, “Oh. and I’m properly grateThat’s not good.” Then I ful it did, because it was reached down and shoved probably Rhabdomyolysis. my kneecap back into That’s where breakdown place. CRUNCH. “Oh. products from your damHmm. Maybe I should sit aged muscles flood your down instead of standing.” bloodstream and wreck So I sat and it started to your kidneys. And yes it hurt. can be fatal. My knee was a swollen, The other problem with bruised, destroyed mess. “wait and see” as a strategy Hospital, right? Of course is that it’s addicting, even not. My patella is now back when you damn well know where it belongs and that’s you need medical aid. the important thing. I started doing Tae Benjamin Bassham is a Kwon Do when I was 22. I wasn’t particularly gifted at staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at bbassham. it, but it was fun, healthy, and emotionally satisfying. theadvocate@gmail.com.

benjaminbassham

CAMPUS COMMENT

Should the district compress the semester from 18 weeks to 16 weeks?

“It should stay the same because some classes have difficult material that needs more time to go through.”

“I’d rather have 18 weeks. I already spend three hours in class.”

“I would say keep it as it is. That way the classes stay shorter rather longer.”

“Keep the 18 weeks because I like the flow of classes and hours spent in them.”

Kao Saephian

Bryan Adrian

Gaganjot Sidhu

undecided

Alejandro Romero mechanical engineer

ROXANA AMPARO AND JORDAN KHOO / THE ADVOCATE

undecided

biological sciences

“Stick with 18 weeks. Depending on the classes you are taking, some science classes need that extra time.” Josua Jackson liberal arts

“Keep it at 18 because there is a lot of dense information for different courses such as clinical-related ones.” Mark Lucas nursing

forum N WAR

markwassberg FUNDAMENTALISTS DESTROY NATIONS IN THE NAME OF GOD

fter the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the removal of Saddam Hussein unleashed terrorist groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and the most feared ISIS. Before the removal of Hussein the U.S. government sponsored him in the 1980s and gave him poison gas. He killed Kurdish civilians thereby committing war crimes that the United Nations turned a blind eye to. During the second Iraq war hundreds of Iraqis had been bombed, beheaded and executed. ISIS’ plans to create an Islamic world state and kill all the Christians and anyone else who gets in their way, makes them no different from the Nazis that killed nearly six million Jews. Many times ISIS, in the name of Islam, has called all Muslims to kill the free world and this is Christianity what they are doing. And it has would seem to a certain been degree that this is working. used Christianity has been used to enslave to enslave millions throughmillions out thousands years. ISIS is throughout of doing the same using the thousands thing, Islamic religion of years. for their terrorist attacks. America is ISIS is founded on doing Christianity that is why we the same have churches on just about thing, every street corner and using the the freedom to choose reliIslamic gion. Hundreds of Muslims are religion pouring into the America, for their setting up their lifestyle terrorist Islamic and worshipthe same acts. ping deity that ISIS does. Norway deported hundreds of Muslims back to their homeland fearing ties to terrorism and many Americans fear that Islam is taking over the USA. America is one of the strongest military powers in the world. We can wipe out ISIS or any other terrorist group within days, but it never seems to get done. The U.S. Constitution gives people freedom of religion but the law can be amended. ISIS only has one belief. Either you believe in their ways or you are officially “in the way.” A battle of good and evil is going on here and it is not hard to see who should be placed on what side. It seems to me that evil entered when George W. Bush and his administration told the world hundreds of lies about Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction during the 9/11 investigations. A CIA memo confirms that Osama Bin Laden planned to hijack and crash airliners into the twin towers and the FBI knew that these hijackers were trained in the U.S. — conspiracy associated with corruption by the U.S. government. Mark Wassberg is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at mwassberg. theadvocate@gmail.com.

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 4.8.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

N SOCIAL MEDIA

Cyber-trolling hidden in memes I

nternet memes can be absolutely hilarious. But the consequences of the images accompanied by viral posts may result in damaging effects to the people captured in the pictures and are normally overlooked completely. A meme is an idea. A harmless example is a picture I saw on Twitter the other day of a messy-haired squinting baby waking up. The caption in the photo stated “waking up into the new year like…” Now this is an interesting example because personally, I probably did look like this baby waking up in the new year. But other cases, the situation can be more hurtful. For instance one meme I saw involved a normal birthday picture of 2-year-old Mariah Anderson, who has Chromosome 2 Duplication, a genetic disorder that affects her facial features. Her photo was altered and was cropped next to a picture of an orange-eyed blue demon and the caption read “Twins or nah?” This I found less

million followers and posts the meme of Anderson, it is obviously going to be seen by many people. When members participate in retweeting or post content as their own, these images reach through to the peers and the vicious cycle may continue. Although these members than amusing. may be considered innocent Similar to cyberbullying, due to their ignorance, they a random picture of an indi- can still contribute to the act vidual becomes the butt of of dehumanization by engagthe joke. The difference from ing in the spread of the concyberbullying is the anonym- stant bombardment of shamity. ing posts through feeds. Treating the Internet as The case for previous the grounds of a high school, Senior Director for Internet the perpetrator could easActive Corp, an American ily put a sign more witty media and internet company, than “kick me” on anyone AC Justine Sacco proves this and millions of users online apathetic attitude with her can easily laugh their heads 2013 Twitter post joking off because of their apathy about traveling to Africa and toward the victim. possibly getting AIDS. Except, these situations Although she apologized are harsh since a screen for her tweet, her dark divides the two parties and humor left her without a ignorant individuals would job, humiliated by the pubnot have any remorse for lic and now she must carry someone within the same the shame that she once vicinity. dissed Africans. The conIf a Twitter account like tent, whether a dark joke or UberFacts has more than 9.5 meme, will forever stay on

marcisuela

the Internet no matter what. It’s a war that never ends. The result of Sacco’s indecent remark should be seen as a warning not to only make sure one’s content is set on private, but to try to be the bigger person by addressing insulting memes and be more understanding rather than indulgent in the blatantly offensive. People should not always seek hilarity through a misinterpreted picture of each other. It is barbaric to laugh at a shaming joke and participate in an act that lowers sympathy levels. Instead of starting a joke and showcasing a lack of concern, spread some love and stick up for individuals who wrongfully were victimized. As the Bee Gees would say, “Nobody gets too much love anymore / It’s as high as a mountain and harder to climb.” Marci Suela is a staff illustrator for The Advocate. Contact her at msuela.theadvocate@gmail.com.

WEIGHING THE options of finding love

Visual stimulation drives decisions, influences actions

washed my clothes and brushed my teeth. But other than washing it, the only type of styling or grooming I did was a few runs through my scalp with my fingers every morning. In 2011 I got into the best shape of my life, and sported a six-pack for the first time in my life after completing BY Rodney Woodson P90X. Since about a year afterward I ASSOCIATE EDITOR rwoodson.theadvocate@gmail.com stopped working out. Yes, I still got some action from the ladies, but it hen a boy meets a girl and the interaction results in the was only after a recent month of exercise and a haircut that I became a hot exchange of contact information to discuss meeting up at a later commodity. Whether it’s unwanted looks from date, there are many factors to be conteenage girls in riding by in the passidered before initiating the next step. senger side of their mom’s van, or Although there are some people nearly 40-year-old French women who are opposed to the notion of the texting my phone, the curse of a babyimportance of physical attraction, it face still joyfully haunts me. does have some place in our society, Working as a substitute teacher at right? high schools would be fine Through the years, hearing stories if I didn’t get mistakof women being cat called or harassed en for a student by by sexually driven men have become teachers and a normalcy. And no it is not OK to harass anyone, in particularly in a sex- students, while having to ual manner. However, it is not always constantly the cat callers, whistlers and “Aye yo deal with baby” shouters who receive rolled inapeyes, sucked teeth and lip smacks all proproceeding a rude rejection. priate Hey, I know I look good. But ultistudent mately, that is my opinion. Someone else may have a different one and that comis fine. Yet, it is a crime to find some- ments and rude one physically attractive? People have to start somewhere and faculty knowing how interesting a person’s personality is is not something that one just kind of knows. It takes time, maybe even years before two people truly get to know, love and understand one another. However, there must be something that begins the connection. And in most cases the first attraction is physical. Devendra Singh and Robert Young from the psychology department at the University of Texas released a report titled, “Body Weight, Waistto-Hip ratio, Breast and Hips: Role in Judgments of Female Attractiveness and Desirability in Relationships.” Their statistics show that most men would rather have a relationship with a woman with a small waist-to-hip ratio as well as a healthy amount of other curves. It is no secret that guys adore a curvaceous woman. On the flip side my recent personal experiences have me believing that women love curves as much as men. No I do not specifically mean lesbians, I mean the women who love an athletically built man with a clean shave and a haircut. For six months or so I went without a haircut. While some liked the “look” most, women especially, turned their noses to my seemingly lack of hygiene. I took showers,

members. I’ll take the beard and the Afro. After all, I am still the same person inside right? Beauty is only skin deep and fades with time so is it that important? In the bigger picture it is minuscule—if there were one man and one woman remaining on earth, no matter how fat he is, or how “ugly” she is the fate of our race would depend on them and he would bang her. She would reproduce and we would have hope for humanity. But as long as there are billions of us, I guess we will just do what humans tend to do when there is an ample buffet of prime sustenance around — pick the one that tastes the best to us, or in this case, looks the best to us.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

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CALENDAR | District’s decision to compress looming Continued from Page 1

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NEWSLINE Q CAMPAIGN

LIBRARY TO HOLD BILINGUAL DISPLAY The Proud to Be Bilingual Campaign will be shown in a display case in the Library and Learning Resource Center starting on Tuesday. The campaign is created to raise awareness about the different languages on campus and the value of knowing a second language or more. The display will continue through May and anyone is welcome to view it. For more questions contact the ESL department chairperson at aborhan@contracosta.edu.

Q SHUT IT DOWN

RESIDENTS PROTEST POLICE BRUTALITY The Stop Mass Incarceration Network is planning its Shut It Down March on Tuesday in Oakland at 1 p.m., in San Francisco at noon and in Stockton at 12:30 p.m. The purpose of the event is to demand justice for those who have been discriminated against and murdered through police brutality. Participants are encouraged to leave school, not go to work and join the strike. For further information regarding the march, email stopmassincarceration@gmail.com

change. Although the decision to compress the calendar is regarded as districtwide, there are no rules against one college continuing to operate on its current 18-week schedule while its sister school or schools convert to a compressed calendar. District Executive Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Eugene Huff said, “The state office doesn’t require all colleges in the same district to have the same calendar. Administratively speaking, it would be difficult to have the colleges operate on different calendars. It’s not that it’s impossible, it’s just not practical.” Based on that impracticality it is largely regarded as a non-option at this point, though still open for discussion, Organ said. “It will take a year to get approval,” he said. “If approved, the district would apply before fall 2015 with an anticipated implementation of fall 2016.” The impact on campus The intended benefits of switching from 18-week to 16week semesters include more time off for personal and curriculum development, improved student success and retention rates, and the addition of a winter intersession and extension of the already offered summer session, thus allowing students to finish units, graduate or transfer faster. “There would be a competitive advantage for the district,” Huff said. “None of the contiguous colleges offer a compressed calendar, so if CCC and a nearby school offer the same course, a student could complete the course at CCC in less time.” Faculty at CCC have been debating compressing the calendar since January, and though student input is not taken directly into consideration by the FSCC, students have been chiming in as well. The Advocate conducted an anonymous survey to gauge CCC students’ opinions regarding the possible switch to a compressed calendar, the results of which were

published in the March 4 edition. The census showed that of the 200 students sampled, 58.5 percent want semester length to remain the same at 18 weeks. In contrast, only 27 percent favored the reduction to 16 weeks, 12 percent did not claim a strong stance for or against and 2.5 percent favored longer semesters. Once the local senate tallies the results of the faculty survey developed Monday, a definitive answer will surface as to what percentage of faculty actually endorse the switch. Thus far, professors seem evenly divided on the issue. One trend is that professors within lab-based disciplines, such as the sciences and nursing departments, tend to disapprove while professors in liberal arts disciplines approve. “The amount of work physics and engineering students need to learn is already challenging to get through in an 18-week semester,” physics and astronomy department Chairperson Jon Celesia said. “My experience with a 16-week system (teaching at SF State) is that you either leave out material or leave out students — or both.” One consequence of shortening semesters would be longer class sessions, as students are still required to meet state mandated instruction hour minimums for course credit. A more favorable consequence among students is the possibility of lengthened summer sessions and the addition of a winter intersession. An anonymous molecular biology major wrote on his or her survey, “It should happen because it would prepare us for the UC system that runs on a quarter system. It would challenge us to have better time management and a better work ethic. It would also let students graduate way earlier if winter classes were to happen.” Computer science major Shanndra Jones said, “I like how it is now because there is a lot of information to process. I wouldn’t want (the college to compress the calendar) because I like to go into detail with my classes and I think I am better off over a longer period of time.”

Others such as languages major Colleen Garland, a student who has taken classes at both DVC and CCC, think making the change is worthwhile. “It’s a cool idea; specifically if modeled after the university systems that offer winter intersessions,” Garland said. “It is potentially a very useful and interesting way to get extra units.” History professor Manu Ampim supports making the switch as well, believing it will truly benefit students and retention rates. Ampim said, “People are dragging by the end of the semester — students and faculty. The quality of teaching declines when faculty are tired.” For professors who do not teach during intersessions, Ampim said the extended summer and winter breaks would provide a good chunk of time for professors to “review, reflect on and refresh” their lesson plans. Outside input A public meeting was held March 16 in LA-100, which brought math professor and former Academic Senate president from Gavilan College in Gilroy, California, Ken Wagman, in to address the concerns of faculty. Facing issues of severe enrollment decline in the mid-2000s, Gavilan made the switch to a compressed calendar. Gavilan serves a little more than 5,000 full-time equivalent students and operates in the South San Jose area, which serves a similar demographic to CCC in terms of basic skills and first generation college students, and is a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution. “We found there were some challenges,” Wagman said. “There are some classes where it worked fine and teachers had no problem with it, but there were also classes where, you know, maybe biology, instead of doing four labs throughout the semester, they only do three.” He spoke of the adjustments made by faculty to compress their course loads into 16-week windows and said that of all departments, the natural sciences were negatively impacted the most.

However, it is the current state of Gavilan a decade after the switch that warrants consideration. “Now we’re about 200 students over-enrolled,” Wagman said. But are instruction hours and success rates adequate metrics for gauging what students actually learn in any given classroom? An assistant professor of biology Deborah Dixon said, “Not all class time is equal.” Dixon has taught at two community college districts in Texas, where community colleges operate on 16-week systems statewide, and has also taught microbiology in a condensed five-week session. Regarding that short-run microbiology class, Dixon described it as an “intense experience” that was “sink or swim” and resulted in inflated class drop and failure rates. “I believe students are better served by having a longer semester,” she said. Her additional concerns include national holidays conflicting with scheduled lab days Mondays and Fridays and the loss of at least two lab experiments with the twoweek reduction. Despite the nebulous results of compressing the calendar and limited published research, Organ said, “I can’t find any data that supports that 18 weeks is any better for students than 16 weeks.” What data is available can be found online at the United Faculty website, uf4cd.org, under latest news and the link titled compressed calendar data and discussion. It suggests compressing semester length may produce a slight increase in completion and retention rates. If the district decides to switch to a 16-week semester system, a tentative yearlong schedule is published on the UF website for consideration. The extended summer session is proposed as beginning June 6 and ending Aug. 6. Fall would span Aug. 24 to Dec. 12 and the winter intersession is proposed to run Jan. 4 to 28, followed by the shortened spring semester beginning Feb. 1 and ending May 27. Of course, these dates are all subject to change.

RETROFITS | Aged building rests near active fault Continued from Page 1

mezzanine and everything else has pushed the project start date back.” Johnson said these additions to the project will raise the cost from $600,000 to about $1 million. King said these tweaks still have to be approved by the California Division of State Architecture (DSA) and the district’s Board of Trustees before they can put the contract out for bid, which would be in late June. Director of CCC’s Business Services Mariles Magalong said funding for the project is being allocated from the college’s general maintenance fund, which is granted annually by the state. Magalong said prolonging the start of the seismic retrofit of the Knox Center will not affect the project’s funding because the money is already attached and will transfer over into the next fiscal year. Johnson said, “When we resubmit the design to the people at the DSA for them review it, they do it on their own work schedule and it may take them four months. It has happened in the past and makes this summer an unrealistic target.” Magalong said, “We are shooting for a May 4 (Governing Board) approval but that date isn’t set in stone.” She said another reason for delaying the project is that the construction contract for the

project still needs to put up for bid and it has to last long enough for multiple contractors to have enough time to respond. Contra Costa Community College District Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said the initial project scope was to start the Knox Center retrofits at the same time as the Custodial Building and Boiler Room retrofits as part the second phase of a four-part campuswide seismic retrofit effort. Pyle said that the Alquist-Priolo Zoning Act of 1972 created a 2,000 square-foot zone on either side of an active fault line that restricts the construction of buildings until extensive geological studies are done at the site. While the Knox Center rests on the South Western edge of the Alquist-Priolo zone, a CCC Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit Studies report prepared by Thornton Tomasetti in November 2010 places the building at a “questionable” Risk Level of IV out of VII. Pyle said the Custodial and Boiler buildings seismic retrofit will begin during the Fall 2015 semester because the work will not disturb classes. Critical Solutions, a project and construction management firm, was hired in 2013 to help oversee the various projects at the three colleges in the district and ensure that construction schedules do not conflict with the academic calendar.

Friday, March 13: A student’s vehicle hit and damaged a college fence.

there will be a significant earthquake along the Hayward Fault in the next 30 years. “If the buildings on (CCC’s) campus predate 1975,” Boatwright said, “that would imply that there is significant retrofitting that needs to be done.” In a report prepared by Thornton Tomasetti Building Solutions, it states that the Knox Center was constructed from 1978-80. King met with Critical Solutions Project Manager Ron Johnson, Michael Herman and Mike Cardellini, structural engineers from Thornton Tomasetti, drama professor John R. Morocco, Liberal Arts Division Dean Jason Berner and Business Services Supervisor Nick Dimitri at 9 a.m. on March 27 in the Knox Center’s green room to discuss the revisions to the project. These include building a mezzanine, adding six wheelchair seats to bring the total to nine and remodeling the public bathrooms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and adjusting stage prop’s storage areas, while also phasing out a electronic signage that will go on the exterior of the building to begin before the interior seismic work. Johnson said, “The issue now is that (the structural seismic retrofits) will not happen until next summer because we are adding on a

Wednesday, March 18: An officer conducted a stop and it was determined the subject was in possession of marijuana. The subject was cited and released.

STEM | Workshops expose K-12 students to science

CRIMEWATCH Wednesday, March 11: An unknown suspect vandalized a fence at Contra Costa College. An officer responded to a medical emergency in the Liberal Arts Building. Thursday, March 12: An officer responded to a report of students being disruptive in the Applied Arts Building. An outside assist was given to the Richmond Police Department for a felony that occurred off campus.

A student reported her cellphone stolen. Thursday, March 19: Two students were involved in a verbal argument. Both students were asked to leave by an instructor. Saturday, March 28: An outside assist was conducted for the San Pablo Police Department. A suspect was arrested across the street from the college and transported to the SPPD. — Roxana Amparo and George Morin

Continued from Page 1 one of the STEM disciplines, these college students where also given the chance to be able to view their tutors as leaders as they led the various workshops during STEM Day. Orellana helped organized the workshops and locations of the event. He said the effort to put on the event is a reflection of the teamwork that comes out of the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) STEM Office. The STEM student-led workshops allowed for the younger K12 students to see what some of their daily schoolwork entails. CCC alumnus Robin Lopez gave the keynote presentation in LA-100 and shared some of his life choices growing up in Richmond, California that led him toward a negative path. He said taking a chance at an education has been

something that he has considered to be valuable. “You can have the best plans,” he said, “but life can throw you hammers.” Middle College High School student Marisol Contreras said she empathized with Lopez’s personal story and it made her feel she could pursue a science or math career. Dr. Padilla said in previous years more speakers from different STEM professions attended the event and led the workshops, but this year that responsibility was left to current and former CCC students. She said they invite working professionals to show the younger students that “it can be done.” Whatever their goal may be, it can be accomplished because there are others who are living proof. Romero was in charge of the Electricity Magnetism workshop.

Through his presentation he demonstrated the uses by having students physically experiment with the magnets. “These (K-12 students) are being exposed to (different) science fields. They can see people studying and relate by having the opportunity to learn (STEM’s practical) applications,” mechanical engineering major Valeria Avila said. Avila led one of the workshops, which explained the different states of matter to a group of students by using root beer floats as examples. The transition into different states of matter, which are solids, liquids and gas, were each represented through the melting process that the ice cream goes through once the root beer is poured. A gaseous, but delicious effect resulted. “This year’s STEM Day differed from last year in that we incor-

porated (CCC’s) very own rising scientist and engineers from CSE and SHPE,” she said. In another workshop, biology major Brenda Vega and mechanical engineering major Kevin Hernandez experimented with chemicals such as methane and hydrogen to produce methane bubbles, which once lit on fire instantly vanished. MCHS senior Noemi Corona said she learned new things during her experience at STEM Day that she wouldn’t have been given the chance to learn otherwise. “Ocean in a Bottle” was one of the workshops mechanical engineering majors Christian Talavera and Evelio Perez led. Students learned about density and mass using a plastic bottle filled with water, food coloring, cooking oil and glitter as an example of how different liquids don’t mix.

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LEFT: Civil engineer major Javier Reyes Ochoa heads a city planning meeting in the multi-purpose room at the Richmond Civic Center on March 31.

Involvement solidifies work ethic GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

BY Roxana Amparo NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

At the age of 16 he returned to the Bay Area alone, looking for work to be able to afford U.S. residency for his family living in Mexico and bring them with him in his search for a better quality of life. While Contra Costa College student Javier Reyes Ochoa is now a 23-year-old civil engineer major whose family in part still resides in Michoacán, Mexico, he has helped other people through community involvement. Ochoa was awarded the Local Hero for Youth Engagement award from Bay Nature Institute on March 22, a nonprofit organization that promotes local conservation and nature initiatives in Oakland, because of his aid to at-risk youth and his contributions to improving the environment. “It’s fun helping the community,” he said. “People recognize you and they value your efforts.” This award, however, is not the first time Ochoa has been recognized for altering people’s lives positively. While he attended Richmond

“I want to make a lot

of money. Not to be rich, but to help people. There are a lot of people with great potential in Mexico that although may not have the opportunities present, work hard to get what they need.” — Javier Reyes Ochoa, civil engineer major

High School and worked part time, Ochoa became an involved and enthusiastic math tutor for Straight Talk on Prison (S.T.O.P.). He soon became a lead tutor for S.T.O.P. and encouraged the youth he was mentoring to become involved with another organization, Groundwork Richmond. Groundwork Richmond is a non-profit organization that intends to bring about the sustained regeneration, improvement and management of the physical environment by developing community based partnerships to promote economic and social wellbeing.

Executive Director of Groundwork Richmond Sara Calderon said she selected Ochoa for a leading position in Groundwork Richmond because of his involvement with at-risk youth and leadership within the community. The project coordinator, Ochoa works with the Green Team to replenish and beautify the city of Richmond through tree planting, cleanups and artwork restoration. Ochoa and the Green Team are currently working to extend the Richmond Greenway, a 3.5 milelong bicycle and pedestrian path, which will open up alternative transportation methods for residents. He said he enjoys working with young people because it reminds him of his siblings back in Mexico. He was born in San Pablo, but he relocated to Michoacán with his family when he was 3 years old. Once he was old enough to live and work on his own, he left Mexico with the goal of saving enough money to afford his younger sister Rosa’s quincenera, an important celebratory birthday for a young women turning 15 years old in Mexican culture, that

his family could not afford. “What did I have to lose? Money?” he said. “I really wanted my little sister to have her quincenera so I knew I had to do something.” He said he worked at a grocery store as a stocker in 2007 to save up enough money while still in high school but the language barrier and homesickness attributed to his growing discomfort in the U.S. “It was very sad time for me. I didn’t like anything about the U.S.,” he said. “I wanted to go back to my family in Mexico.” Living far away from his family, who resided in Mexico at the time, kept him focused and motivated because among his goals, establishing something for his family was a priority. Because of his U.S. citizenship, he was able to return to his hometown once he saved up enough money for his sister’s quincenera. Since then, he took it upon himself to care for his family’s wellbeing and helped his father and mother gain legal residency status in March of last year, which will benefit the family as a whole. Ochoa said, “My dad tried crossing over 39 times, and was

caught every time.” The economic situation of his family made it difficult for all of them to be together at once, so he is determined to bring his brother and sister to the U.S. to unite his family. Although the process is long and could take years, Ochoa said he is “focused.” Calderon said Ochoa has been a strong influence and caregiver for his family. “They look to him for his leadership.” While he attends CCC, with plans of graduating and transferring to UC Davis, he is involved with the Center for Science Excellence (CSE). CSE services and instructional support coordinator Sidharta Setiati said he is “highly involved.” In the future, Ochoa plans to invest toward creating greater opportunities for students in Mexico through a scholarship foundation for students seeking education but lacking financial stability. “I want to make a lot of money. Not to be rich, but to help people,” he said. “There are a lot of people with great potential in Mexico that although may not have the opportunities present, work hard to get what they need.”

MILITARY SERGEANT, RAPPER CONNECTS OWN FATE BY Jose Jimenez SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

One year before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, 34-year-old former and future Contra Costa College student Matthew Pruett was enjoying the beautiful shorelines with the 125th Signal Battalion in the Hawaiian Islands, 2,400 miles southwest of his hometown in Sacramento, Calif. After years of being surrounded by gangs, drugs and crime in his neighborhood, Pruett decided to join the U.S. Army. Influenced by the art of music, Pruett said he found a balance in his life after years of struggles associated with fighting the war on terrorism. He said he wants to create important music for every enlisted man, veteran, military official and individual who has made an impact on his academic or military career. “I remember when Matthew and a group of my students were hanging around one afternoon in the computer lab listening to a sound I’d never heard before,” CCC computer information systems (CIS) professor Randy Watkins said. “When I walked over and saw what they were listening to, I asked the group of students, ‘Who is that?’” Unbeknownst to Watkins, he was being introduced to CCC student “P-Funk the Mechanic,” AKA Pruett, a retired military mechanic/recovery specialist simply known as “Funk.” Watkins said he never expected that type of music out of a well-dressed military officer. “Pruett always showed professionalism, was sharp (in clothing style) and always talked about God while attending my computer classes here on campus,” he said. Watkins said he was pleased to learn Pruett was the mastermind of the lyrics he heard — an urban, up-tempo sound. Pruett took CIS 135 — Introduction to Computers — class in the CCC computer and related electronics department. He is majoring in business entrepreneurship at Diablo Valley College, but said he enjoys taking classes at CCC to complete his transfer to Cal State-East Bay. He said he is currently enrolled in Business Management 120 and Business Law 194 at DVC, working on a degree in business entrepreneurship not offered at CCC, but will return to CCC to take some degree required classes because he “loves the atmosphere.” While serving his country after the 9/11 attacks and during the invasion of Iraq as a

mechanic/recovery specialist for his battalion, Pruett began to create his music. P-Funk can be defined as a shorthand term for the repertoire of performers associated with musician George Clinton and his Parliament-Funkadelic musical group of the 1970s. The group was known for its soul, rock and funk music. Pruett, however, said his version of P-Funk music “has two sides to every story” as his 2013 mixtape is titled. He said his alter ego, P-Funk the Mechanic, mixes the nickname his uncle’s gave him while growing up, and his military career. “Growing up I thought the violent gang lifestyle was cool. But in the end, I knew I wanted to do more to help veterans,” Pruett said. “I was hanging around a lot of people doing nothing constructive when high school finished. I remember moving back to Sacramento and not really seeing shit there for me except gang affiliation. I was about 17 years old when I decided I was going to enlist in the army. I began freestyling well before high school to help ease my mind. Not a lot of people know I’m a rapper.” Pruett’s mother, Barbara Jane, moved her family to Auburn, Calif., about 30 miles north of Sacramento, after he said she began to see a negative trend of images associated with “gang-banging” when her son was 10 years old. He graduated from an alternative continuation school — Chana High, and today Pruett thanks his mother for everything she did to keep him, and his only sister, 30year-old Kimberlee Lizarraga, safe from the urban streets in Sacramento during the late 1990s that was associated with underground music during that era. Pruett said he decided to move back to Sacramento and found himself in the middle of what would be a street war fought using gangster music and an independent recording music company labeled, “Black Market Records.” “Death has always followed me,” he said. “If I stayed in that environment when I moved back to Sacramento after high school, I was going to die. Rappers Brotha Lynch Hung, Mr. Doctor from Garden Block, and Homicide were influencing certain individuals in my surroundings. Even one of my cousins knew Homicide personally. Looking back now, I feel that type of music had a huge impact on me and my decision to enlist in the army, and enroll at CCC. “Music just connected everything positively for me during my dark times of our

LEFT: Former and future Contra Costa College student Matthew Pruett plans to transfer to Cal StateEast Bay after completing classes at CCC and DVC. SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

country’s invasion of Iraq and war against Afghanistan in the 2000s. “The music came naturally to him,” close friend and producer, Earnest Russell said. “I remember how quickly he picked up on the editing, producing and the overall concept of how making good music should be done. We ended up featuring him on my label record company titled, ‘Prospect Records.’” Pruett credits Russell for everything he learned in music while the two specialists were in Hawaii with their battalion. Pruett said he embraces the brotherhood they have kept even as Russell currently works in Alabama. After being deployed to Kuwait, Pruett said he often reminisced about the coast of Hawaii, the streets of Sacramento and collaborating with Russell through music. He said in 2003, his battalion convoyed from Kuwait to Iraq for two weeks. He said he will never forget the horrific images he witnessed. “Our mission was to relieve the first wave of soldiers who went in,” he said. “As a mechanic/recovery specialist I was driving this big old 5-ton wrecker that is a part of the M809 series of military trucks. When we arrived in Iraq I was scared. People were getting killed everywhere. I turned to religion and started to believe this is it. This is the end.” Pruett said he has seen the darkest of hell, frozen over earth, and said the greatest disparity American civilians and politicians have is the overall objective after the 9/11 attacks — to restore order for Iraqi civilians.

“The number one priority we were instructed to do was to help the Iraqi residents re-establish their government because of dictator Saddam Hussein,” he said. “I believe people shouldn’t be judged based on their religion or beliefs. We didn’t go out there and fight a war on the assumption of religion or weapons of mass destruction. We went out there as help and were just doing our job. Soldiers don’t ask questions under superior leadership and superb training. We just get the assignment done.” After Iraq, Pruett remained stationed in Germany until 2007, with the 272nd Military Police Company, and ultimately was promoted to staff sergeant. Pruett retired as staff sgt. E-6 in 2010. The E-6 rank in the army is just above sergeant, and below sergeant first class, respectively. “I saw a lot, bruh,” a humbled Pruett said. “I lost friends, seen killings and learned a lot from all my leaders and peers. You don’t get a lot of that in the regular civilian world.” Pruett said he finds himself now toward the end of his community college “duty.” He plans on continuing to make new music after college, through programs associated with veterans all over the world. He said his music will help vets cope with the struggles they live with trying to adjust to civilian life after serving their country. Pruett said DVC’s veterans program offers more support than CCC’s but he plans to come back to the San Pablo campus in this fall to finish up his degree, and hopefully, create his own version of a veterans club on campus.

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“ ‘THE THINGS One does not need to have read the book to attend the first event. People may be influenced to read the book after watching the theatrical kickoff event.”

— Heather Roth, English assistant professor

THEY CARRIED C’

Award-winning fiction blends veterans’ memoirs, strong story-telling, chosen as focus for federally-funded reading program in West County BY Cody McFarland ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

ne book will be the driving commonality of West County’s diverse residents during the next month, beginning Friday with a dramatic interpretation of the book’s first chapter in the Knox Center at 7 p.m. Contra Costa College has partnered with the West Contra Costa County Library, which received a grant through the National Endowment for the Arts, to host a communitywide reading program focused on Tim O’Brien’s acclaimed book on the Vietnam War, “The Things They Carried.” Known as the Big Read, the program is designed to get the community engaged with reading and each other, to commemorate both veterans and the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, and to highlight the cultures that emigrated as a consequence of that war. “This is a classic, contemporary novel about the Vietnam War, but it’s more than just that. It’s about more than war,” English assistant professor Heather Roth said. “It touches on trauma and how people respond to it, and on recovering from trauma by being able to tell one’s story.” Recognizing the Big Read as both enlightening and cathartic, Roth said she is excited for the many free events scheduled both off and on campus spanning through the end of May. The events include group and panel discussions, guest speakers and theatrical performances, all of which are free of charge. “One does not need to have read the book to attend the first event,” she said.

“This is a classic, contemporary novel about the Vietnam War, but it’s more than just that. It’s about more than war. It touches on trauma and how people respond to it, and on recovering from trauma by being able to tell one’s story.”

— Heather Roth, English assistant professor

“People may be influenced to read the book after watching the theatrical kickoff event.” The Word for Word Performing Arts Company will do a staged reading of the first chapter Friday at 7 p.m. in the Knox Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., tickets are not required and seating is on a first come-first serve basis. Currently, any of West County’s participating libraries have plenty of copies of “The Things They Carried” available for rent, Ian Richards, senior community library manager, said. Copies are also available for purchase at CCC’s Bookstore. The three on-campus panelist discussions, all held on the main floor of the Library, will take place April 15, 22 and 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The last panel, titled “The Vietnam War and Refugee Reflections,” will feature VietnameseAmerican author and journalist Andrew Lam, as well as San Pablo Mayor Cathy Chao Rothberg, the first Mien-American mayor in the United States. The April 22 panel, titled “The War at Home: The Draft, Protests, and Resistance,” gives students the chance to

hear from individuals who were roughly the same age as students now during the war, comparing anti-war movements then and now. Vietnam-era veteran and retired fine and media arts professor John Diestler, Yippie activist Judy Gumbo Albert and former San Pablo mayor and adjunct political science professor Leonard McNeil will be sharing their experiences. The first panel, one week from today, will feature veterans from Vietnam and the Middle East. While off-campus events do not end until May 28, CCC’s on-campus events conclude May 5 with a discussion led by adjunct English professor and Vietnamera veteran Michael Hassett, titled “Vietnam: Childhood’s End,” in LA-107. Hassett said he agreed to participate in discussions for sake of “solidarity with other veterans.” He is interested in interacting with other veterans of recent wars and talking about their shared plight, having experienced the hardships of war. “Hopefully it opens up a dialogue between old and young veterans,” he said. CCC Library co-coordinator Judith Flum said, “The idea behind the Big Read is to try and get a whole community to read one book and open up discourse about it. We’re hoping to get students, faculty, staff and members of the community all together and talking.” For more information or to volunteer to assist the program, contact Flum or Roth at jflum@contracosta.edu or hroth@contracosta.edu, respectively. ILLUSTRATION BY CODY MCFARLAND / THE ADVOCATE

CAMPUS COMMENT

Do you think a book could unite a community?

“No, because not everyone reads. I feel that audio would be good and more effective.” Shala White

“Yeah, because people can come to terms with and agree with the book.”

“It might work because the goal is to gather people to come together.”

Anthony Garcia

Kulpreet Kaur

mechanical engineering

liberal arts

ROXANA AMPARO AND JORDAN KHOO / THE ADVOCATE

biotechnology

“It depends on the book, because if it is new and on the shelf, no one is going to care because they can read it whenever.” Michael Loura astronomy

“Yeah, because it will bring people together in the community.” Diandra Smithers nursing

“Not everyone has the same likes. Some like science, some like fiction. But it might.” Paul Martin nursing

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“

As beginning ESL students this event was a great opportunity for them to learn about community services that some of them might need. It also helps them feel more a part of the campus community.” — Helen Kalkstein, English as a second language professor

DROUGHT PROPELS $70 MILLION INVESTMENT

Campus Center project ‘plowing ahead’ of plan BY Benjamin Bassham STAFF WRITER

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Inter-Club Council President Safi Ward-Davis speaks to a student about different services available locally during the Wellness Day event on the patio in front of the Liberal Arts Building on March 25.

Wellness Day offers holistic health advice

Various local health agencies expose available resources

“Seeing what they

BY Jared Amdahl OPINION EDITOR

jamdahl.theadvocate@gmail.com

In an effort to provide opportunity and information about local health resources to the campus community, Wellness Day was held on March 25 on the patio in front of the Liberal Arts Building. Twenty-three community agency representatives attended the Disabled Students Program and Services and Health and Human Services event that ran from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with over 200 students in attendance throughout the day. “There are a lot of different agencies from around the Bay Area here to provide anyone in need of medical help,” DSPS professor Ruth Gorman said. The agencies included groups like Planned Parenthood, Contra Costa Health Services and STAND, an advocacy group that speaks out against domestic violence. History major Jesse Gonzales was at the event and noticed the multitude of resources being offered throughout the day. “Seeing what they have to offer here (the event) there are some really good booths with good information,” Gonzales said. “It is nice that they are here for students who need it. And I’m sure that there are some students who really need the help.”

have to offer here (the event) there are some really good booths with good information.” — Jesse Gonzales, history major

Planned Parenthood was educating visitors on the different ways to practice safe sex, as well as passing out the tools to carry out those safe practices such as condoms. The STAND representative Gillian Silver had never taken part in an event at CCC but would now like to make it a more regular occurrence. “STAND has never been out here before, but with the amount of people we’ve talked to today it would seem coming by more often, would do some good for the students here,” Silver said. Gorman agrees. “I think it was a great success and most of the agencies are willing to come back to the college and host future workshops for students that may need help gaining information,” she said. Contra Costa County Health Services would like to take part in future events as well. The group’s representative Julia Surges said, “I think (Wellness Day) is very helpful for students. We’d like to get a

mobile health van down here to pass out fliers and other useful information as often as we possibly can.” Some professors brought their classes to the event to help students gain information that may not been available to them otherwise. English as a second language professor Helen Kalkstein brought her beginning ESL class to enjoy the event. “We didn’t know what to expect I thought it was very well organized and a valuable event to benefit students, “ Kalkstein said. “As beginning ESL students this event was a great opportunity for them to learn about community services that some of them might need,” she said. “It also helps them feel more a part of the campus community.” Gorman said, “We had great team work on this event, it really did take a village to get this one going.” While she felt the turnout was satisfactory, the location was less than ideal. “I was going to do it over by the Student Services Center, but construction cut the campus in half and I felt like there just wouldn’t be enough students over there.” Looking forward, Gorman hopes to host more events focusing on health and wellness on campus.

Spitting in the face of government tradition, the construction of the new Campus Center progresses smoothly. Contra Costa College Building and Grounds Manager Bruce King said they are “on schedule and plowing ahead,” in spite of an early delay when the main architect’s original design put a very small area (of the building) in a designated No-Build (earthquake) area, which (legally) necessitated a redesign. The campus has seen substantial disruption since the beginning of the project — mainly forcing pedestrians to walk around it as it is located in the middle of campus. But the new buildings are visibly taking form and those in the know give some credit to the ongoing drought. Ron Johnson, Critical Solutions project manager said, “If it doesn’t rain it helps the schedule.” The Contra Costa College District Facilities and Planning Manager Ray Pyle said, “I love the rain, but it’s a personal conflict. It gets the ground wet, and (makes delays).” The project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2016. King said, “In 3-6 months you’ll start to see what looks like a real building. We’ve been real fortunate; the drought has helped, believe it or not — we haven’t had anything but normal construction issues.” Johnson said that hitting the occasional gas line, and temporarily losing water flow to the fire hydrants are the sort of “issues you always have to deal with on a project this size. Problems (arise), but they get addressed.” Pyle said, “We always find stuff under the ground that we didn’t know was there.” Johnson said the project has also benefited from a good working relationship with the contractor (Lathrop Construction Associates inc.) The last major concrete pour was completed last week and that the work has moved to doing M.A.P. (Mechanical, Electric, Plumbing) work, which according to King is what those hanging metal strips in the building’s skeleton are intended to hold in place. “It’s good that the construction is going well, because around $60-70 million have been invested in the Campus Center Project,” Pyle said, “It’s the biggest single project in the district’s history. I think we’re getting much needed support. It’s the oldest campus in the district, with the oldest buildings. (The Campus Center) will bring a really new look and feel to the campus.” For now the new structures make for a visually interesting eyesore, King said. “(Construction crews) put mesh on the chain link on request of Interim President (Mojdeh Mehdizadeh) to make it more appealing to visitors, and (feel) less like a war zone.”

RAISING AWARENESS, FUNDS ‘ONE GAME AT A TIME’ BORP provides volunteers with different outlook BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Awareness and funds were raised for people with disabilities through a wheelchair basketball match on March 19 in the Gymnasium. Volunteers were strapped into sport specific wheelchairs to play with athletes who use them regularly. The Disabled Student Services Program (DSPS) and the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP) collaborated for the second year to host the exhibition. BORP adult sports coordinator Jonathan Newman said, “This basketball game is to get people to look past appearances and realize that (people with disabilities) are people first, who have hopes and dreams. “We all have things we can and can’t do, but that is only determined by the opportunities open to us. And we can potentially create more opportunities by changing the way most people think.” And for many of the CCC volunteers, the experience would change their perception of people with disabilities. Volunteer and Comet football player Anwar Webster said, “It takes a special gift to be able to go out and compete in a wheelchair.

“When you have a dis-

ability, or are facing death for the first time, it forces you to mature beyond your age.You have to sacrifice.” — Munya Mahiya, BORP All Star, UC Berkeley student

But I won’t take anyone lightly who has not had it lightly.” Twenty-one-year-old Munya Mahiya, a political science major at UC Berkeley, is a member of the BORP All Stars, a wheelchair basketball team that competes in various tournaments nationwide. Mahiya said he moved to the United States nine months ago from Zimbabwe, where he had to make the decision to amputate his left leg or die from cancer. “When you have a disability, or are facing death for the first time, it forces you to mature beyond your age,” he said. “You have to sacrifice. You are bound to have people discriminate against you based on your appearance, but you will also have people who support you.” BORP All Star Beth Jones, a Cal State-Sacramento graduate, has been traveling with the organization and with the support of her father, Randy Jones, to compete in wheelchair basketball tournaments since she was 13 years old. Jones said events like these are vital to altering the global perception that people with disabilities live a limited life. “The more time you have people sit in a wheelchair and try to

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program All Star team member and Vallejo resident Troy Plunkett looks to pass the ball during the wheelchair basketball match in the Gymnasium on March 19.

do what you would normally do in everyday life raises awareness,” Jones said. “And we are passing awareness around one game at a time.” Mahiya said he recently had a prosthetic leg made but said that if he is not sitting down in a wheelchair it is impossible for him to shoot a basket. This is true even when he is just shooting hoops with his friends.

Newman said this also applies to people not used to playing in the $2,500 custom-built wheelchairs. He said last year, they had CCC volunteers on one team play against the BORP All Stars and it was a “blowout” for the home team. “We’ve done it both ways and it’s more fun if you mix up the teams because it increases the chances for success,” Newman said. “But it is funny watching people

normally not in wheelchairs struggle to get the ball up the court. It is a better experience when people are working together.” Volunteers and BORP All Stars were divided up between the white team and blue team. The game was sent into overtime with a tie score of 30-30. The white team ultimately eked out a victory by the score of 37-35.

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Lamar exhibits masterful storytelling Recent album excels in fluency between songs

CD REVIEW â&#x20AC;&#x153;To Pimp a Butterflyâ&#x20AC;?

+++++ Artist: Kendrick Lamar Genre: Hip-hop Release Date: March 16

By Jose Jimenez STAFF WRITER

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

endrick Lamar is back and looks to redefine millennial music with his new album â&#x20AC;&#x153;To Pimp a Butterfly.â&#x20AC;? The album takes stabs at politics, institutions and all African-Americans who dare to question whether he is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;best from the West.â&#x20AC;? His raspy voice and clever lyrics are second to none right now in the world of hip-hop, which allows him to take a step back on this album compared to â&#x20AC;&#x153;good kid, m.A.A.d city.â&#x20AC;? His aggressive style is still in tact, but this time he makes listeners wonder, rather than relate, like in his old songs â&#x20AC;&#x153;Swimming Pools,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poetic Justiceâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bitch, Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Kill My Vibe.â&#x20AC;? Sixteen tracks are on the new album, but about a fourth of them are interludes, and just about every song has dialogue at the beginning or the end of the track that will certainly piss off piracy downloaders. They could have edited the tracks, however music listeners will enjoy the importance of each skit as they illustrate stories of hardships many Americans live with today. This is especially true of the last track titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mortal Man.â&#x20AC;? Lamar engages in a seven-minute conversation, borrowed from 2Pacâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AKA Makaveliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many lost tape interviews, and asks questions while explaining

LEFT: Hiphop artist Kendrick Lamar released his third full length studio album â&#x20AC;&#x153;To Pimp a Butterflyâ&#x20AC;? on March 16. SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

what to pimp a butterfly really means. The editing is five star material, and the ending leaves listeners asking what really happened? The first four songs are the best on the album, including the angry anthem of perseverance titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;King Kunta.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kuntaâ&#x20AC;? boasts motivational appeal and the hook is fresh and new. When Kendrick says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bitch, where was you when I was walking/Now I run the game,

got the whole world talking â&#x20AC;&#x201D; King Kunta,â&#x20AC;? everyone can stand up for what they believe in. On â&#x20AC;&#x153;These Wallsâ&#x20AC;? featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat, Lamar takes listeners inside the walls of a femaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedroom and vagina and talks only about one thing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sex. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Institutionalizedâ&#x20AC;? also featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and the only other West Coast â&#x20AC;&#x153;catâ&#x20AC;? on the entire album, Snoop Dogg, talks everyday life for all minorities living with the strug-

gle of poverty and zero chance of survival on any urban street across America. Snoop D-O-double Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance is strong and shows the listeners through words that the West Coast is still alive and doing well in hip-hop. Dr. Dreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influences throughout Aftermath Records really polished musicians such as Snoop Dogg in the 1990s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Eminem, The Game â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and now Lamar. The rest of the CD is up to the listener. ADVERTISEMENT

First Fridays invite all ages for festival BY Cody McFarland ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

AKLAND â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A sea of smells, smoke, art and people engulf the five blocks between 27th Street and West Grand Avenue on Telegraph Avenue every first Friday of the month from 5-9 p.m. Known as Oakland First Fridays, the monthly admission-free, all-ages street fair has been a staple in East Bay art culture since 2006. However, its name and image have blossomed into something far more family-friendly and community-oriented since its inception. Despite a spotty history of attracting vandalism, violence and intoxication, Oakland First Fridays have truly become a safe, friendly atmosphere wherein there is a little bit of something for everyone. Taking root in Oaklandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Uptown, First Fridays were originally a more exclusive art gallery crawl known as Art Murmur. When I recall attending some of the earliest installments, Art Murmur regularly had slight attendance, significantly fewer galleries in participation, maybe one or two food trucks, overpriced art and open containers galore. It felt much more like an exclusive monthly meeting of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oakland grimy hipster and socialite clubâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an interesting juxtaposition of trashy and classy. Save for maybe two private security guards, police presence was once severely low. As Art Murmur persisted and gained notoriety through the years, people from all over the Bay Area would travel out to Uptown on First Fridays simply to take advantage of the scene, which was more or less an unbridled block party spilled out on the street, which then was not closed to auto traffic and a regular hassle for drivers-by. Diversity swelled and suddenly it seemed one could not attend a First Friday without bumping into a few people he or she knew. Fights were not rare, so it was no surprise when the First Friday event on Feb. 1, 2013, ended in a fatal shooting

that claimed one life and injured multiple bystanders. When consecutive installments appeared to attract more uniformed bodies than not, the scene deflated. Police presence was way up, and it seemed no matter which direction you turned folks were emptying brown-bagged bottles and tall cans, extinguishing skunky cigarettes and griping about the eveningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spoiled fun. EVENT Nowadays, the only REVIEW smoke blowing about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oakland First blocks comes from sevFridaysâ&#x20AC;? eral grills cooking up a +++++ variety of delicious smellWhere: Telegraph ing and tasting domestic Avenue, Oakland, and ethnic eats. Between 27th Street and West Oakland really Grand Avenue stepped up by facilitating When: March 16 these events into comTime: 5 - 9 p.m. Next event: munitywide, all-ages May 1 inclusive social gatherings. First Friday revelers have the opportunity to peruse such a wide range of arts and eats, and to do so safely in an inviting environment. A few bold souls roam Telegraph with bagged open containers and lit blunts during daylight hours, but for the most part such behavior is held off until sunset or later. Now ending at 9 p.m. and with enough officers on duty to clear the street, the city has effectively curtailed the intoxication, violence and vandalism that escalate as the night progresses. Music still floods the air and three stages are regularly set up for live musical performances. Local artists and vendors sit behind booths displaying the wide array of works, which include anything from clothing and jewelry, to drawings, paintings and sculptures, to tattooing and photo booths. People dance freely in the streets. It is a sight to behold and worth attending at least once, if not many times. Though it may take some combing to find exactly what you are looking for, there is truly something for everyone there. Oakland First Fridays get 5 out of 5 stars.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Blacker The Berryâ&#x20AC;? is also about sex but with a reggae sound. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Alriteâ&#x20AC;? is OK, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;uâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;iâ&#x20AC;? feel like they are going to spell something out later on in the album, but never do. There are no real club bangers this time by Lamar, however â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hood Politicsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mortal Manâ&#x20AC;? stick to what Lamar is attempting to do on this album â&#x20AC;&#x201D; tell great stories from the forgotten side of politics â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Westside.

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“

If we want our voices to be heard there has to be a debate.” — Diamonique Spain, speech and debate team member

Speech and debate team member Diamonique Spain performs an oral presentation during the Speaker Showcase in the Knox Center on March 26.

Showcase raises concerns, defines social injustices Student thoughts expressed through oral expositions

BY Marlene Rivas STAFF WRITER

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

Speech and media students expressed their thoughts, raised awareness on various issues and demonstrated skills built through their classes during the Speaker Showcase held in the Knox Center on March 26 from 7-9 p.m. The oral interpretations of DeAlaundria Gardner and Lerecia Davis covered social issues very much alive in modern day. Gardner’s piece, entitled “Hope and Despair,” began by creating a picture of what it is like to live in a home that is tarnished with an abusive relationship, drug use and drug selling done by the parents of the household. She included poems within her piece which described life in the projects and told the story of a man who turned over a new leaf and still met his downfall due to the streets. Davis’ piece, “Colorism Expressed Through Microaggressions,” explained what it was like “living in the shadow of whiteness” and being victims of severe stereotyping. She explained the “pigmentacracy” that exists causes those who are not white to be seen as less. Due to this system, lighter skinned features are considered the pinnacle of beauty. She went deeper into detail on this situation by discussing how young black children are often told to stay out of the sun to avoid becoming darker.

This system also categorizes blacks as thieves or violent people. An oral interpretation of literature, which fit in with women’s month, was done by Bridgett Lott and was titled “To All My Women: You Are Appreciated.” It discussed the inequality women face in comparison to their male counterparts. Throughout her piece she included passages by powerful women and their contributions to society, such as Harriett Tubman, Susan B. Anthony and Frida Kahlo. She wrapped up her speech with lyrics to Tupac’s song “Keep Ya Head Up,” which emphasized the importance of women and that men have no right to mistreat or see them as inferior. Students in Ellen Seidler’s Digital Media Production class and Anthony Gordon’s Photoshop class also presented their work in the showcase. Different works of photography were included in a brief slideshow. This was followed by a powerful video showing issues with youth, including child neglect, bullying and jealousy,. The second video demonstrated the importance of not texting while walking and living one’s life outside of a cell phone screen. The final video was meant to show the importance of neutering one’s pets to avoid enlarging the already astounding number of strays. “The greater good is the message and the message to people is why we keep doing it,” student Debbie Mendel said.

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Speech and debate team member DeAlaundira Gardner performs an oral interpretation during the Speaker Showcase in the Knox Center on March 26.

Along with talking about topics for which they are passionate, students also showed the audience what they had learned in these classes and put those skills to work. Middle College High School students, from John “JR” Morocco’s Drama 106 class, told the audience all that they had learned about the technology involved with drama productions. They introduced the audience to “theater language,” the use of microphones and the lighting system. The audience was also able to witness an impromptu speech put on by Diamonique Spain. Members of the audience provided her with three topics from which to choose from to create her speech. After a couple of minutes Spain was brought forward to present the speech on the topic she had chosen: the importance of debate. She explained that not speaking up for one’s beliefs was also not speaking up for those who shared the same view, but did not have the courage to express it. “If we want our voices to be heard there has to be a debate,” Spain said. The showcase ended with a parliamen-

tary debate demonstration between four students. Willene Turner and Brianda Rodriguez faced April Rodriguez and Diamonique Spain in three rounds of persuasive argument concerning the movement toward making two years of community college free to students, in which the side opposing the movement won the debate. The audience was especially exhilarated during certain speeches and enjoyed the topics covered. Despite the fact that many people disagreed with free college, it is the presentation that counts, Alejandra Canelo said. “The show was great and I loved that the audience was supportive, because when you’re up there silence is the biggest fear,” Mendel said. Seeing the performances and work of the students was a marvelous experience, audience member Sakeema Payne said. Speech department Chairperson Sherry Diestler said the students’ hard work and dedication showed through in their performances. Students with different experience levels participated, including some that had not debated formally.

Melodies engulf Knox Center in jazz extravaganza “It’s a daily commitment. (The

BY Nina Cestaro STAFF WRITER

gift) could be taken away any day so I don’t take it for granted.”

ncestaro.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Knox Center was transformed into an intimate jazz venue featuring the Vocal Jazz Choir, Jazzology, Jazzanova and Claudia Villela, who performed for a lively crowd of students and music aficionados on March 28. Some of the acts demonstrated great potential, even though they are still at the beginning of their vocal careers. One act that stood out was Villela. The organizers really knew what they were doing by positioning Villela as the headliner. Her charisma and buoyancy carried the audience to a deeper appreciation of jazz. Villela, from Brazil, soared through her five-octave range playfully and positively. Everyone gathered at the 4th Annual Vocal Gala was truly spellbound by her vocal range and charisma. Amazingly, she could project as much power away from the microphone as toward it, singing four bars on one breath. A highlight of the evening, the group Jazzology and Villela teamed up to perform an improvised version of the French song, “Gran de Sons.” “Surprisingly, they had not practiced it together until that night,” tenor singer and Jazzology member Evan Miller said. “That’s what jazz singing really is.” Eddie Jefferson, a celebrated jazz vocalist and lyricist, created the craft of vocal jazz to include improvised words, phrases and

— Claudia Villela, Jazzology member

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Members of Jazzology perform a song during the annual Vocal Gala in the Knox Center on March 28.

utterances to plain songs. Miller said that his band felt influenced by Villela. When queried about her relationship to music, Villela said, “It’s a daily commitment. (The gift) could be taken away any day so I don’t take it for granted.” Miller felt proud of his group’s accomplishments that night. He admitted that music professor Stephanie Austin can be a demanding teach-

er, yet a supportive and nice person in general, from whom to study music. He said he feels ready to continue studying music at the state university of his choice when he transfers in the fall. Stephanie Rios, who sang soprano with Jazzology, said her favorite song performed was “California Dreaming,” written by the Mamas and the Papas. It was done soulfully and in a unique way toward the end of the show.

She said, “Sharing a stage with someone like Villela is humbling.” Dr. Austin directed the student portion of the show. Of the evening she said, “I feel that this show continued the excitement, musicality and integrity for which we strive in all of our concerts. All of the students worked very hard to present an engaging show that as also dedicated to the jazz art form. Each group found a way to shine in its own way.” Adjunct music professor Roger Letson, a former music professor at De Anza College, had been an instructor of Villela’s years ago, when she had first arrived from Brazil. He used his host position to introduce the members of each band and crack jokes. Carol Kessinger said it’s her first semester taking voice classes at Contra Costa College, but not her first time singing. Her group, the Jazz Singers, sang a spirited version of “One Note Samba.” She said, “Dr. Austin is second to none in her professionalism and inspiration.” Kessinger sang with eight others in the newest group performing that night. The house band consisted of Greg German on drums, Kristin Strom on saxophone, Karla Kaufmann on bass and Walter Bankovich was pianist.

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focus

ART, MUSIC FILL OAKLAND STREETS Photos by: George Morin, art director FOR

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

ABOVE: Oakland resident Tamiko Panzella adds a flower to the free art wall during the monthly First Friday street fair on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland on Friday.

LEFT: Hundreds of people fill Telegraph Avenue during the monthly First Friday street fair on Friday. The event draws hundreds of residents and artists from around the Bay Area.

RIGHT: San Francisco resident Chris Navarro turf dances during the monthly First Friday street fair on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland on Friday. The monthly event draws plenty of different art forms.

ABOVE: Members of the drum group Ego perform during the monthly First Friday street fair on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland on Friday. LEFT: Kevin Xie, a Bombzie employee, grills up chicken during the monthly First Friday street fair on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland on Friday.

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Fundraising feast links community BY Marlene Rivas STAFF WRITER

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

The All You Can Eat Crab Feed was held in the Gymnasium on March 28 with the intention of raising funds for Contra Costa Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletic department and it received many participants from 6 to 9 p.m. The crab was cooked behind the Gymnasium by Comet menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball coach Miguel Johnson, while tables and chairs were being set up by volunteers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end. It should be an interesting night,â&#x20AC;? student-athlete Dwight Wilson Jr. said. The crab feed, which has been an annual event for about seven years, continues to grow in participation and success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every year it seems to grow in number,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New staff is involved and their involvement helps the event grow. It helps the athletic department and students overall.â&#x20AC;? Black Student Union Vice President Bridgette Lott said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am expecting good food and good company.â&#x20AC;? That was exactly what people received upon entering the Gym for the crab feed. People began to file in once the doors opened and there were a total of nearly 200 people who bought the $40 ticket. Some came in pairs or alone, while others came with entire families and took up whole tables. The crowd was made up of family of the players, friends, school administrators, coaches and alumni. Jim Ulversoy, kinesiology instructor, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The crab feed) is a great college event that brings a lot of friends and family together to support those on the teams.â&#x20AC;? The tables were completely set, bibs and all included, and people could help themselves to the pasta and salad that was being served along with the crab. Some of the volunteers, mostly studentathletes, took a stab at being waiters for a few hours and replaced the tablesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; crab once it began to run low. Volunteer Caleb Turner said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very impressed. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no chaos and it is nicely done. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure everyone will enjoy the event and their food.â&#x20AC;? Families and friends chatted throughout the event and the Gymnasium echoed with their conversations and laughter. Some appeared to have attended the event in previous years, as they brought along their own

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Richmond resident Jayson Reyes (right) seasons his crab during the annual All You Can Eat Crab Feed fundraiser in the Gymnasium on March 28. All funds collected from the event go toward funding the athletic department on campus.

Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fundraising is great, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the fellowship that makes the (crab feed) so dynamic.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Zachary Shrieve, volleyball coach

side dishes and condiments. Volleyball coach Zachary Shrieve said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This event is made special by the food. Most celebrations include food, but other events may not have the quality of sitting down for a meal together.â&#x20AC;? Players and coaches could talk among themselves and the attendants. Johnson said the crab feed lets them mingle and talk with people outside of just sitting on bleachers or on the court during athletic contests â&#x20AC;&#x153;and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better for community relations.â&#x20AC;? Aside from being a social event for all those involved or interested in the athletic department, the crab feed is also a chance for the department to show gratitude to its

donors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t survive without the community,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a way to give back to them.â&#x20AC;? The attendants and volunteers alike were glad to be supporting the teams who do not receive adequate funding from the state. Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soccer coach Amanda Beckenhauer said along with helping to collect needed funds for the teams the event also allows people to find out about the teams in the first place, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is always good to get the community involved and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exposure for the sports.â&#x20AC;? Athletic department administrative secretary Shawna Belfield said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel privileged to be a part of an event like this and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think of anything I would rather be doing today when it comes to supporting our students.â&#x20AC;? Along with being able to provide a good time for its attendants, the event allows for

BALLCLUB SNAPS SEVEN GAME SKID, SEARCHES FOR STEADY MOMENTUM Solid pitching in first game, but not enough to sweep Mustangs BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

On the heels of a 6-4 win against Los Medanos College in Pittsburg on Thursday, the baseball team returned home to face the Mustangs in the second game of the series, but lost 5-1 on Friday at the Baseball Field. During Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win Comet starting pitcher David Gustafson threw a complete game and did not give MUSTANGS up a hit until the sixth inning. Gustafson said the key to the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success in Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game against the Mustangs (13-15 overCOMETS all and 7-9 in the Bay Valley Conference) was that everyone backed each other up and played as a team. In the win, seven of Contra Costa Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (6-21 overall and 4-12 in the Bay Valley Conference) batters registered hits and only four runners were left stranded on base. The Comets will have an opportunity to regain velocity when the team faces Mendocino College Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Baseball Field. Friday, however, was a different experience for the squad. With emotions high and the team seemingly ready to build on the momentum from its last win, the Mustangs had a different plan in mind. In a classic pitchers duel, Comet starter Christian Saddler matched up against Mustang Brian Womac. Neither player gave up a run until the fifth inning when LMCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jerome Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single knocked in the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first run. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was a well-pitched game,â&#x20AC;? Comet assistant coach Brian Guinn said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hit some balls hard and they did too. All you can do is tip your hat to them.â&#x20AC;? With eight potential baserunners and only one run, it was clear to the squad that they let a lot of opportunities slip by. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our pitcher had a good game but we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t back him up,â&#x20AC;? Comet outfielder Rome Watson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t execute like we needed to. When we needed the runs we just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get them.â&#x20AC;?

5 1

Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was a well-pitched

game. We hit some balls hard and they did too, all you can do is tip your hat to them.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Brian Guinn, Comet assistant coach

Although the Comet bats petered out, defensively, the outfield made a number of sliding and diving catches that saved potential runs that would have otherwise opened the scoring. In the fifth inning after LMC scored its first run, with two outs and runners in scoring position, a fly ball was hit into shallow center field. Speedy outfielder Timmion Hughes (1 for 4 at bat) sprang into action charging toward the hit and diving to make a spectacular catch. Despite Guinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s description of the game as well-pitched, Comet players still think the team energy level was the biggest reason for the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lackluster performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss was all about energy,â&#x20AC;? Comet designated hitter Aaron Oaks (3 for 4 at bat) said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we beat them in the last game we were on a seven-game losing streak, (the longest of the season) they thought they had an easy win coming and we stepped up. Today it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there.â&#x20AC;? After showing signs of fatigue in the top of the eighth inning, and giving up a third hit, Comet coach Marvin Webb decided to make a pitching change. Webb sent Jesse Garcia to the mound to replace Saddler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was missing a lot of my spots today,â&#x20AC;? Saddler said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My change-up was working wellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;usually it is pretty wild.â&#x20AC;? Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Comets finally got their offense in motion. Leander Carterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single brought third baseman Jared Barunda home for the squadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lone run of the day. Carter was caught attempting to steal second soon after. The call was so close that Webb wasted no time finding his way to second base to argue the call, but his argument was not persuasive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put the bat on the ball correctly and when we did we got too much air under it or we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the gaps,â&#x20AC;? Barunda said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the game is close you want to come up clutch.â&#x20AC;? Despite getting on the board in the eighth, the Comets could not capitalize on their good fortune. LMC continued to find the gaps in the CCC infield late into the game and singled its way into two more scores in the top of the ninth.

the community to come together with the college staff and students. Shrieve said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fundraising is great, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the fellowship that makes the (crab feed) so dynamic.â&#x20AC;? During the meal there were auctions for a few different gift baskets. People in attendance could write down their name and bid for a chance to win a basket filled either with snacks, spaghetti and wine, chocolates or champagne. The winners were called out at the end of the event, just as the chocolate cake was served to end the meal. The Gymnasium was filled with chatter throughout the entire event and went on even as the volunteers began to clean up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This fundraiser greatly helps to supply teams with what they need. It is greatly appreciated and we have to be thankful,â&#x20AC;? Comet football player Amari Mount said.

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Dancer kicks up dust on the diamond BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

In a perfect world where both the captain of the baseball team and cheerleading squad fall in love and have a daughter, naturally she would become a talented dancer and also one of the captains on her softball team. That is women’s softball pitcher and shortstop Cicily Ragsdale’s pedigree. Born in 1996 in Redding ,Calif., the radiology major knew it wouldn’t be public perception that defined who she would become. “In Redding, people thought I was stuck up because I held myself to a higher standard, but I wanted more,” Ragsdale said. “It is different here. People are so blunt and in your face that when they see me they just think I’m shy.” Leaving home for San Pablo was not the first option for the freshman. A good student and a captain on a winning softball team, she batted .340 with 14 RBIs in 17 games for Anderson Union High School. As a senior she had the option to go to other schools. When scheduling classes after graduation she missed the window to enroll in some of the classes she wanted at her local community college. Since her grandparents lived in the Bay Area and Contra Costa College offered some of the classes she needed, she decided to make the 200-mile move. “I chose not to go to a four-year (out of high school) for my family mostly,” she said. “People don’t expect me to have struggles like everyone else, but if they knew my household they would. I knew a little about grants and scholarships, but I still knew it wouldn’t cover everything and did not want to create financial burdens.” Before playing her last two years at Anderson, Ragsdale gave up softball to focus on her other passion — dance. “Dance is my passion,” she said.

“Some people express themselves through singing or athletics. When I hear music I have to dance.” The duality of the human mind is the battle of what is inside versus outside influences. Like deciding between dance or athletics or whether to stay or leave home for college. “My mom was the cheer captain and dad was a baseball player. I’m like my mom and my sister is like dad,” she said. Ragsdale learned to play softball at age 3 in the backyard with her dad, Carl, and sister Celina Ragsdale. “Both girls are good athletes. Celina is a year older so Cicily had to always play a year up so they could play on the same team,” Carl Ragsdale said. All three Ragsdales recalled Cicily regularly running into the house calling for mom because they were throwing the ball too hard. Eventually Cicily found her spot in left field, away from the fastballs. “Having her so far away is probably as hard for me as it is for her. I used to make it to all of her games,” Carl Ragsdale said. “I know she will be OK though. She doesn’t get caught up in all of the drama.” In her two years off from softball, Ragsdale’s cheer squad won “most outstanding” in competition against 23 other squads while having only six girls on her team and one stunt group. Like Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, Ragsdale uses her dancing to find tempo on the playing field. “Both are all about rhythm. When you don’t have rhythm your timing is off,” she said. “When you field the ball, make the turn, deliver the throw it’s all in rhythm like one, two, three, one, two and three in dance. If you lose the pace you lose the out.” Celina Ragsdale said, “She was always a good cheerleader. I had no idea she would go out there and be

Radiology major and Comet pitcher Cicly Ragsdale has a passion for dance, but continues to juggle college classes and athletics. GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

so aggressive. When she hit college she just grew up.” Ragsdale did not come to CCC with softball on her mind but tried out nonetheless. “She came with a tremendous spirit and a go-getter attitude,” Comet softball coach Karolyne Gubbine said. “I kind of threw her to the fire. I felt like she would accept the challenge to see what she was made of.” While playing softball in high school, Ragsdale was behind pitchers like Cheridan Hawkins, who ADVERTISEMENT

currently plays for the University of Oregon’s softball team, so throwing was never a priority. “(Cicily) used to pitch to me in the backyard but she couldn’t throw strikes with nothing on the line. But when she got in the game it was a different story,” Carl Ragsdale said. Although the Comets are winless so far this season, Ragsdale said she has found new friends and teammates to bond with through the Comets’ turbulent season. Comet catcher Angelica Espinal

said, “Thank god I met (Cicily) this semester. Without her it would have been really hard going through a season like this. Our attitudes are more similar than the other girls — we get each other.” Overall Ragsdale said her experience playing for the Comets will be good for her because people are more forward in the Bay Area, which makes voicing her opinion easier. “There is a perspective here that you just wouldn’t get in Redding.”