The Advocate 5-13-15 by The Advocate

WEDNESDAY l 5.13.15 OUR 65TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

Languages reflect diverse community Multilingual students personify cultural growth of surrounding community

he Advocate delves into the multitude of languages spoken by students on campus that reflect the diversity of cultures in the surrounding communities. As half of Contra Costa College is in Richmond half in San Pablo, its student populous is a multicultural stew that nurtures acceptance and remedies xenophobia. There are more than 20 different languages spoken at CCC by its students, faculty and adminsistrators. Some of these languages include Spanish, Punjabi, Tagalog, Mandarin, Polish, Arabic, Hindu, Portuguese. Boasting one of the most eclectic makeups of cultures, age and gender of students in the district and throughout

INSIDE

Examines various cultures, its languages, ethnicities This specialty section dissects the eclectic make up of cultural heritage, languages spoken on campus, at home and why. PAGES A6, A7, A8, A9 California, The Advocate hopes to dispel the negative perception that CCC is surrounded by an impoverished urban sprawl, but rather show its wealth of cultural diversity through language and countries of origin.

Language breakdown Because English is the first language that many people learn growing up, it is the main language spoken by student at Contra Costa College. But Spanish and various Asian languages are quickly catching up with that number, resulting in a campus that embodies a multitude of world cultures and creates an enriching atmosphere found at no other community college statewide.

STATE LAW, CONTRACTUAL PREROGATIVE USE EXAMINED Benefits, downsides of using banked load inspected

BY Cody McFarland ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

Sitting at his office desk cluttered with paperwork at the north end of the Computer Technology Center, an exasperated man pinches the bridge of his nose, shuts his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. “I can’t remember,” he says half-heartedly. “Or maybe I just don’t want to.” Robert Chan, computer information systems department chairperson, blinks hard and opens his eyes. His gaze suggests he’s looking away some great distance. His eyes glass over. He proceeds. “Three classes were affected. One had to be canceled; the SEE TUITION, PAGE A4

Other

6.5% English

38%

Various Asian

23% Spanish

32.5%

Measure E allocations set priority Comet teams’ year in review

Student-athletes highlight programs SEE SPORTS — B SECTION

Turning a curious eye

People, movies anaylzed, showcased SEE SPOTLIGHT— C-SECTION

District gives additional funds to upgrade campus BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Voters in Contra Costa County barely passed Measure E on June 3 of last year by a vote of 57.8 to 42.2 percent, with 55 percent needed for passage. And as a result, the Contra Costa Community College District was provided with $450 million in general obligation bonds, but is limited to only using it to renovate or demolish aged facilities and for infrastructure projects. Director of Business Services Mariles Magalong said the district allocated $84.4 million to Contra Costa College, $182.1 to Diablo Valley College, $83 million to Los Medanos College, $85.5 million districtwide and $15 million for the District Office. But some coaches, faculty and administrators in the kinesiology and athletic departments are not pleased with the way in which the allocation SEE TUITION, PAGE A4

Quotable “What we have to do — is to find a way to celebrate our diversity and debate our differences without fracturing our communities.” Hillary Rodham Clinton first lady 1993 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 José 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, 2015 Member Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.215.3852 Fax: 510.235.NEWS Email: 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, MAY 13, 2015 — VOL. 102, NO. 20

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

EDITORIAL MEASURE E LACKING District fails to allocate enough funding to college

ith the passage of Measure E by voters last June, the district was provided $450 million in additional funding to be used exclusively to improve facilities on its three campuses. And while The Advocate congratulates the Board of Trustees for securing needed funding with the passing of the bond measure, the allocation process funnels money away from the college in the most need. Contra Costa College has the oldest facilities in the district and runs the risk of being devastated by an earthquake as the Hayward Fault dissects the campus. Its sister campus, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, however, was allocated $184.4 million from the bond measure; more than double than what was given to a campus completely within the AlquistPriolo Zone — CCC. The Alquist-Priolo Zoning act of 1972 created a 2,000-foot area running parallel on either side of the active 72-mile long Hayward Fault in which buildings must be able to withstand sizable temblors. “If the buildings on (CCC’s) campus predate 1975 then that would imply that there is significant retrofitting that needs to be done,” USGS geophysicist Jack Boatwright said. “The shaking from the (temblor) itself won’t damage the structures significantly, but if earth under the building is displaced, it could tear the structure apart.” The board did take the seismic risk of CCC into consideration and gave the college some additional money when the original metric, based on college enrollment and FTES, only provided it with about $60 million. District Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said an additional $20 million was given to CCC after realizing that there is a “critical need” to replace aged buildings and brought it almost on par with Los Medanos College, which opened in 1974, and its $83 million allocation. But the $80 million allocation is insufficient considering the age, and location, of some CCC buildings. Boatwright said there is a 25 percent chance that a significant 7.0 or greater magnitude earthquake will happen on the Hayward Fault within the next 30 years and now “is considered the most dangerous slip-strike fault in the United States.” Pyle said after evaluating all the facilities at each college in the district, $750 million would be needed to bring every facility up to modern standards. The cost of building new facilities at CCC would be worth going for more bond funding considering the Gym Annex, Art, Gym, Physical and Biological Sciences buildings, all built between the years of 1956 and 1970, are the oldest standing structures in the district. These buildings were rated at a seismic risk level of IV or higher in a Thornton Tomassetti Contra Costa College Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit Study in 2010, and considered “questionable” for public schools. Anything higher is considered seismically “unacceptable.” While there were recent retrofits to the science buildings on campus, the athletic department’s buildings remain untouched since 1967.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

N RETROSPECTIVE

Responsibility opens pathway to maturity A

s my time as editor-in-chief of The Advocate slowly nears its end I am able to grasp what the pressure of responsibility has done to my outlook of the world I had taken for granted. While I will still be on staff next semester I have undergone a metamorphosis that without walking into the newsroom four semesters ago would not have happened. My only regret is waiting two years after graduating Pinole Valley High School to come to Contra Costa College and join the student paper. But I am proud that I did. And when I dove into the warm waters of the journalism program it soon washed away all the pent up fears I had concerning my future. Before I joined the paper I was simply going through the motions of working a dead end job as a line cook, hanging out with my girlfriend at the time, partying on the weekends and avoiding all forms of responsibility any chance I got. I used to despise people and all their problems. As a result I was failing all the classes that I had enrolled into to satisfy my parents desire to see me go to college and graduate. I mean, my major was fire sciences. I really had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Selfish and lost, I turned to my friends from high school who were on The

lorenzomorotti

the green bicycle locker that is in front of the R Building. I was nervous at first but as soon as I began talking to other bikers about the bicycle repair station, all that anxiety, fear and nervousness felt like were never there to begin with. Empathy, that was the key. Being able to relate with strangers was the remedy to my sadness. I learned to open myself up to the world around me and became aware that my story isn’t the most important tale that needs to be told. Realizing that my own opinion should not dominate my thoughts, it made it easier to take the plunge into my term as editor-inchief, and it became much more clear to me that without the people who have supported me I would still be that frail, scared 18year-old without direction. Telling the stories of the voiceless at CCC has become my stepping stone to finding myself — a simple revelation, but one that has left a resounding effect on my life. And as the sun rises on my final Tuesday as editor I am not sad, but rather excited that I have found the power to live the rest of my days on this Earth practicing the profession that I fell in love with, with the people that I love.

Advocate staff and they encouraged me to join and I did. Since I was comfortable with my drawing ability I thought it would be a breeze. And during my first semester on staff it was. Selfish I quickly became the and lost, go-to editorial cartoonist I turned but limited myself to to my only improvfriends ing my own art. I was still on The lost in my need to be Advocate comfortable and revel in staff and my self-pity, but I could they ennot admit to myself couraged that I was me to join depressed, let alone tell and I did. that to my family and the people I have come to love. But I soon began to take on more responsibilities as they were piled onto me by the former editors and found out I was strong enough to carry the weight, Lorenzo Morotti is the ediand actually enjoyed how tor-in-chief of The Advocate. it felt. My first story was about Contact him at lmorotti. a bicycle repair station that theadvocate@gmail.com. is still tucked away behind

CAMPUS COMMENT

Which buildings should Measure E fund and why do they need it the most?

“The Liberal Arts Building because the majority of students are there and they should be safe.” Jasmine Reyes

“The Liberal Arts Building because I heard it is not earthquake protected.” Rachel Rodgers nursing

nursing

ROXANA AMPARO AND JORDAN KHOO / THE ADVOCATE

“The Gymnasium because it is rusty. Aren’t the colors supposed to be turquoise and baby blue?”

“The Gym Annex Building. It needs more rooms for dance and to keep the athletics separate.”

Cristian Cruz

Ashley Jones

psychology

ultrasound technician

“The Liberal Arts Building because there are holes in the ceiling.” Brian Ochoa undecided

“The Physical Science Building because a lot of people are science majors and it just looks outdated.” Caleb Turner civil engineering

forum

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

N SOCIAL MEDIA

Dating apps as spurnful as life

hile there are differences between online-dating apps and more traditional methods of finding love, they are subtle. Internet dating has expanded to the point that it is no longer necessary to do “normal” overrated activities like go outside or actually meet people in person. With dating apps like Tinder, Skout, OK Cupid and Plenty of Fish it is possible for you to find that “special someone” with a simple swipe of a finger. But regardless if it is through a phone, computer or done in person, the truth remains the same: Love is not something you should look for, it is something that finds you. How original, I know, but please bear with me. Dating sites bring the pos-

sible matches to you, rather than you going out in search of romance. They are a means to an end. All without leaving the comfort of your couch, or even without putting on pants sometimes, you can surf the Web to find the love of your life. In my personal experience I have found that it is rather difficult to choose the person you love, online or offline. Ever look at someone and know immediately if you would want to date that person or not, just to be surprised in the end by how completely wrong you were? Don’t worry, we all have. This will happen everyday in both real interactions and of course digital ones, such as the interactions that take place on Tinder, for example. Trial and error still exists

jaredamdahl in the future. Finding someone that you click with in that special way will take time through any medium of dating. There is one factor that these apps have not been able to rule out — an extreme chance of failure. Ever walk up to that one cute girl or guy you have been noticing in the bar all night? You stumble through a giant crowd of possible alcoholics, party animals and try to say the right thing to initiate conversation, only to be imme-

N MOVEMENT

diately turned down with the usual look of disgust or disapproval? Don’t worry, we all have. The same thing is possible on a dating site. You look through online profiles that provide you with pictures and background information on your would-be love interest and you send him or her a message. Sometimes your call will not be answered though. And even then, other times the person who answers your call, is not the person you expected. The truth is dating apps have grown in popularity over the last five years. The Pew Research Center found in a study that one in 10 Americans between the ages of 18 and 35 have either used or are currently using an online dating application.

Look around; count 10 people — one of them might just be on Tinder. Apps make it easier for certain people to find that special someone without the chance of facing an immense amount of embarrassment. Being rejected through a social medium partially numbs the negative effects that can come along with being turned down. You may have to go through what will seem like countless no’s and maybe’s while you look for that someone on your quest. But do not fret, the one and only is out there looking for you, too — whether either of you know it or not. Jared Amdahl is the opinion editor of The Advocate. Contact him at jamdahl.theadvocate@gmail.com.

N BOXING

REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF AMERICA BEARS POTENTIAL TO BE REPEATED T

he Oklahoma City bombing that occurred in 1995 were not the first terrorist attacks on American soil. Some revolutionary groups labeled Timothy McVeigh, one of the people that carried out the attack, as a hero. But attacks could be seen throughout American history long before this, after the murder of JFK that opened the door for the most corrupt politicians in U.S. government. This led to the 1960s being the most revolutionary decade in American history. In 1966 two Oakland, California residents, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, founded the Black Panther Party. Their cause With was for social change among all the the black community and violence it spread like wildfire across happening America. Their means today to achieve this change were against by any they deemed necesAfricansary, including violence. Americans Their main reason for revand the olution was to corruption overthrow the U.S. governin law ment. In 1968 Bobby Hutton enforcewas killed and Eldridge ment, Cleaver was wounded could a in a shootout with the revolution Oakland Police Department. be just The FBI, with its covert around the harassment operations, corner? finally put an end to the Panthers. In sympathy for the Panthers, Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers, attending University of Michigan at the time, started the “Weather Underground,” an underground extreme leftist movement, to declare war on the U.S. government. In March of 1971 they bombed the U.S. Capitol and several banks. They then

markwassberg robbed a Brinks armored car in which a black police officer, Waverly Brown, was killed. In 1969 Los Angeles was rocked by one of the most gruesome murders in its history. Sharon Tate, a young, beautiful Hollywood actress, was murdered at her home by Tex Watson, a follower of the lunatic cult that leader Charles Manson had created, known as the Manson Family. As the killers ran through Tate’s home she pleaded for her life and for that of her unborn baby, eight months in the womb. Watson stabbed her 16 times, nearly ripping out her baby from her body. He then wrote on a wall in Tate’s blood the word “Pigs.” Abigail Folger, heiress of the coffee company Folger’s fortune, was stabbed 26 times. On Feb. 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, heiress of the Hearst newspaper fortune, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was held for ransom for a massive food giveaway to the poorest people in Los Angeles. Randolph Hearst, Patty’s father, could no longer afford the giveaway and Patty, after experiencing extreme amounts of fear and brainwashing techniques, joined the SLA. She became a fugitive wanted by the FBI for bank robbery. Six members of the SLA were killed in a military style shootout with hundreds of L.A. police with automatic weapons blazing and tear gas canisters smoking in 1975. She was captured later that year. With all the violence happening today against AfricanAmericans and the corruption in law enforcement, could a revolution be just around the corner? Mark Wassberg is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at mwassberg. theadvocate@gmail.com.

SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

Mayweather makes billions his own way despite image

hese days there needs to be a new voice to inspire today’s youth. Like many from the hood, Floyd Mayweather Jr. grew up in a broken home — his was located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His father abused his mother, spent years in jail, leaving Floyd for prison. Yes, Mayweather Jr. comes from a family of professional fighters: his father Floyd Sr.; his uncle Roger; and his uncle Jeff Mayweather. However, the Mayweathers were not a wealthy family. Floyd struggled with his lack of general education, wellknown family issues and his overall arrogant, cocky and selfish demeanor from growing up with bare essentials. This is telling of just how rough “Money” Mayweather’s upbringing was. Although his home life was plagued with many issues that still haunt him today, he dedicated himself to the sport of boxing. His awesome amateur career ended with his only loss — a defeat in the 1996 Olympics. It was a decision that is now universally known as one of the biggest robberies in boxing history. He began his pro career with a knockout under the management of Bob Arum, who at the time was mostly occupied with the dealings of the 1996 Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya. Arum, mostly concerned with De La Hoya, treated Mayweather as an afterthought. Arum, as society often

able changing who I am. For Mayweather, he is the only one in sports history to be as financially successful as he is, while still being the same Floyd. I remember the days of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather when the attitude and arrogance was brash and insulting to his oppodoes with athletes, attempted nents. I remember the flash, the fur trunks, the extravato change Floyd. After pictures of De La Hoya surfaced gant entrances and I can honestly say, Floyd is still Floyd. of him wearing women’s linHe’s not the best because gerie and lipstick, a very different picture of “The Golden he beat Manny Pacquiao. He’s the best because he believes Boy” was spread around the world raising questions…who in himself, and he defines himself by how hard he is he really? trains. No, I don’t like the fact With Tiger Woods, his persona of the All-American he’s put his hands on women and I can’t stand his attitude good-guy golfer faded away at times. But he has done when we found out that he something in America that I was the next best thing to don’t believe any black man Wilt Chamberlain when it has ever done: he grossed came to womanizing. Often more than half a billion doltimes people pay the price lars over the past three years, for being who they are. Like his way. Allen Iverson, who at the No matter how many end of his career had to play people might hate or despise ball overseas because he was him, he is arguably the not picked up by an NBA world’s greatest black busiteam when clearly still fit to nessman over the last three play. We all know Iverson as years. He’s also the most the “Practice” guy. The only NBA MVP to be railed by the financially successful athlete, period. He is proof that media for missing practice. The point is Iverson, Mike working hard and dedicating one’s self to a craft will pay Tyson, Tiger Woods and off. He is proof that folks in Oscar De La Hoya, among the ghetto do not have to others, were all faced with the same dilemma — change conform or demean themselves to be a success. yourself because that way you’ll be more marketable. Rodney Woodson is It worked for De La Hoya an associate editor of The and Woods, however, for Advocate. Contact him at guys like me, Tyson and rwoodson.theadvocate@gmail. Mayweather, and other com. folks, I cannot be comfort-

rodneywoodson

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Follow The Advocate

BANKED LOAD | State law, UF contract examined

Continued from Page 1

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

NEWSLINE Q ENROLLMENT

SUMMER COURSE REGISTRATION OPENS Summer registration for new students begins Friday. Students can apply online by visiting www.contracosta.edu and going to “apply now” then selecting either as either a “New Student” or “Returning Student.” Returning students can now enroll for summer courses. For more information call studentservices welcome center 510215-4110.

Q COMMENCEMENT

AUDITORIUM TO HOST GRADUATION Contra Costa College, for the

third time in the history of the college, will hold its commencement exercises at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium located at 27th Street and Macdonald Avenue on May 21 at 6 p.m. For more information please contact Marketing and Communications Coordinator Michele Jackson at 510-215-3836.

CRIMEWATCH Monday, April 27: An unknown suspect broke a car’s driver side window and took the victim’s medical marijuana. Wednesday, April 29: An officer conducted a traffic stop. It was determined the driver was never issued a license. The driver was cited and the vehicle was towed. A student reported her cell phone stolen out of her backpack. A male subject said he was Jesus and God. He requested to be voluntarily commtted to a mental health facility. He was transported via American Medical Response to the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. Thursday, April 30: A contractor working on campus reported his cellphone stolen on campus. Monday, May 4: A male subject was arrested for being drunk in public and he was found to be too intoxicated to provide care for his own safety and the safety of others. Tuesday, May 5: A non-student was possibly registered for class by mistake. The case will be handled by Admissions and Records. Thursday, May 7: A student was disruptive during class and he was asked to leave by the instructor. The student refused to leave and Police Services was called. Upon arrival the student was gone. An area check was conducted with negative results. The student’s conduct was referred to the dean of dtudents. — Roxana Amparo and George Morin

— The Contra Costa Community College District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and campus life. The District does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in College programs, activities, and application for employment.

other two were left needing a professor. “We found out late in fall, around December, that he would no longer be with us. We needed to find a suitable replacement to take on the curriculum and teach it the same way. “We were left scrambling one week before winter break to try and find a replacement for the spring semester.” This was the inadvertent consequence of Thomas Murphy, high performance computing, computer information systems and computer sciences professor, electing to use his banked load prior to his retirement. Murphy is no longer on campus, but due to banked load is receiving his full-timer’s salary in absence. Chan said his only issue with the way things played out was the lack of foresight and communication. “I have no qualms with banking load — I’ve got banked load,” he said. “The planning, or lack thereof, when it came to Murphy using it, how it all came about, I believe was faulty. It was not well executed.”

Because Murphy is out on banked load prior to his retirement, he remains on the department’s books as one of its full-time faculty members, retaining his full range of benefits, his salary and regular pension contributions until the day his load bank expires and he retires. Unfortunately for the department, they are unable to replace Murphy’s full-time position until after his retirement, leaving his once oncampus duties in the hands of his peers and the adjunct hired to fill the gaps. “We’re in this gray area right now,” computer information systems professor Randy Watkins said. “The replacement we hired may only be around for a semester.” Since Diablo Valley College computer science professor Faramarz Mortezaie took over Murphy’s two scheduled spring classes for the sake of this year’s computer science student cohort, his split assignment between DVC and CCC has him overloaded. “If we brought him back he would deserve a bonus,” Watkins said. “I can’t see us getting Faramarz for (teaching) three (sections) in fall (like Murphy did). That is what throws us off.” Murphy, in an email written from Paris, France, said, “I’d love to see a new (full-timer) hired — it would be what’s best for students. I want to see them succeed. I’m also on the hook to help them succeed.” Vice President Tammeil Gilkerson said, “A full-time professor using banked load is still responsible to do all of the things full-time faculty have to do. But that piece of the job — the face-to-face teaching — is not required.” While this is the case for full-timers using banked load in general, who still uphold such responsibilities as assisting and participating in departmental meetings and hiring, it is not the case for those out on banked load prior to retirement, Senior Dean of Instruction Donna Floyd said. Dr. Floyd, acting as interim Natural Sciences and Applied Sciences Division dean, a role presiding over the computer science department, said that hiring a replacement was a joint duty of both Murphy and Chan. Gilkerson said, “We do our best to hire adjuncts that are thoughtful and care about the program.” However, adjuncts do not have the same reach as full-time faculty do, being spread across different campuses, not receiving benefits and not having office hours to meet with students one-on-one. Notification of intent to bank must be given at the time the class schedule is submitted, during which time the department wanted desperately to offer the classes Murphy’s name was a placeholder for, but had less than one month to figure things out. Watkins said, “He (Murphy) is still the program lead: He’s still the decision-maker and has to give the OK to our decisions. “We still communicate through email, though he’s not present at meetings. We can only work with him when he responds.” Computer science faculty are not the only ones affected by Murphy’s use of banked load. “The clubs (I advise) are languishing,” he said. “It is hard with me not being there daily.” Murphy said he has four semesters worth of load in the bank at this point and did not specify a set retirement date. Used as expeditiously as possible, he might exhaust his banked load within two years. However, a nuanced approach combining benefits of the full-time faculty contract and California state law presents potential to extend that duration — and the size of one’s pension.

What is banked load? Of the many rights outlined in the United Faculty Agreement, the contract for full-time faculty in the district, one is the right to bank overload contract hours for use at a later date. When any full-time faculty member works more than a full load within his or her department, the percentage of load credit above 100 percent can either be paid to that faculty member at an overtime rate or be banked. UF Vice President Jeffrey Michels said this provision is beneficial for full-timers in that it allows flexibility of assignment. Faculty can use banked load to supplement an underloaded schedule and receive full salary, in case a class is canceled, or to augment the 70 percent salary paid during a full year sabbatical leave, among other benefits. “It’s also great if you’re planning to have a baby,” he said. Notification of intent to bank must be given at the time the class schedule is submitted, and such information is reviewed and adjusted by the division dean. As an example, a 3-unit lecture course requiring 54 classroom instruction hours is equivalent to 20 percent of a professor’s overall percentage total for classes being taught. If an instructor teaches five lecture classes worth 20 percent each, he or she meets the 100 percent load goal for that given semester. As of the 2012-13 academic year, the maximum amount of accumulated banked load allowed is three semesters. Faculty may not reduce load by a full semester more than twice in any three-year period, including semesters prior to retirement. Faculty with more than two semesters of banked load as of the end of the 2010-11 academic year are not restricted by the limit on using no more than two full semesters of banked load prior to retirement because, before this time, a cap was not included in the language of the Contra Costa Community College District’s full-timer contract. Executive Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services Eugene Huff said, “We realized it was oversight when we negotiated the first time.” There is a financial incentive at the district level to allow load banking because it defers payment for credit hours worked until a later date; however, doing so also increases the district’s load bank liability, Huff said. The unfunded liability at the end of the 2013-14 year is at a seven-year low, he said. When asked how banked load might be of Opportune and advantageous benefit to students, Dr. Michels said, “Faculty In California there exists a state law known morale is intimately connected to teaching — a as the Willie Brown Act and it pertains to good place to work is a good place to learn.” reduced workload leaves. Under the law it is required that a teacher on Departmental detriment reduced workload work no less than 50 percent The many faculty perspectives on load of a full-time load, with a maximum duration banking across Contra Costa College have of 10 years. highlighted a number of its perks, as well as its During this time, the employee’s and college disadvantages. district’s contributions to the cost of medical The ability to bank load is beneficial to and dental premiums are calculated as if the faculty, but may prove detrimental to depart- employee is working full time. ments, as in the recent case of the computer Though it is not required that community science department. college districts offer this program, the district

does. “Because we offer the program, if a person applies we have to approve them,” Huff said. “It is the way the law is written.” To be eligible for the program, one must be age 55 or older, have at least 10 years of service credit and have been employed to perform creditable service on a full-time basis for five years immediately preceding the program. One’s pension is determined by service credit multiplied by age factor and by final compensation to equal the member-only benefit. “The way retirement benefits are calculated is just a math equation,” Watkins said. “You can play that equation quite well to maximize your time.” For example, if in early years of full-time employment one teaches overload at the lowest scheduled salary rate and elects to bank that load, that load can remain banked while the employee progresses through the tenure track and ranks up on the salary schedule. By the time the employee uses the banked load, its value, reflective of the most recently scheduled salary rate, has increased, despite being earned at a lower rate. In addition, another strategy available to those with load in the bank is to go on reduced workload — down to 50 percent of a full credit load — prior to retiring, in effect enabling faculty to stretch a single semester’s banked load credit into one year’s worth. Though such faculty’s pay would be scaled down to reflect their actual service, in this example 50 percent, their fringe benefits and employer contributions to STRS remain at 100 percent. “It would increase your pension,” Michels said. “The pension calculation is based on years of service. The advantage is that you would continue to earn full-time STRS service credit.” Those grandfathered in with more than three semesters of load by the 2010-11 academic year, before the cap was negotiated, have the most lucrative prospects. Huff said, “Faculty have certain rights and some faculty have maximized their use of those rights and benefits. “Nothing can be done under the current legal and contractual conditions (to preclude such maximizations of rights).” The points of detraction are that financial compensation during this period is reflective of earned service credit rather than full-time credit, and that one pushes back receiving his or her retirement package, Michels said. Computer science outlook These days, Murphy spends his free time playing computer games and traveling with his wife in his pre-retirement. It was, in fact, his wife’s own retirement that prompted him to follow suit. He feels as though he has served students’ needs well, educating them to the best of his ability, and contributed immensely to the growth of computer science at CCC. It is strange for him to be away, he said, but it was a decision he felt was necessary for his and his family’s sake. “I didn’t anticipate that this would be how (banking load) benefitted me, I just had a hunch that, if I didn’t need the money then, I should save it until a time that I do,” he said. Though Murphy remains in communication with his department and highly approves of his replacement, Mortezaie, he expressed concerns about the department’s ability to secure an adjunct for any length of time greater than one year and its ability to perpetually serve students. While Murphy is screening all documents and decisions coming out of the department, his approach is too hands-off for his peers. Chan said, “His choice to use banked load in the manner that he did almost, if not may well have, doomed the computer sciences major.” Chan described the computer science major as “in flux” and said that the department is looking into developing a common curriculum through a higher education consortium. He said the state’s push for degrees in specialized computer fields — fields Murphy knows well — reminds him of what an asset Murphy was to the department while still on campus. “This is where his expertise is missed.”

MEASURE E | Alternative metric increases monies Continued from Page 1 was divided among the colleges. “(The allocation) is a concern,” Comet men’s basketball coach Miguel Johnson said. “We think the students in our area deserve quality facilities as much as any other student at other campuses in the district. “I don’t think the district takes our area into consideration and over the years (CCC) has been treated like the unwanted stepchild of the district when it comes to funding.” District Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said originally the allocation metric would have provided CCC with only $61 million in funding due to its smaller FullTime-Equivalent-Student (FTES) enrollment and campus size. Chancellor Helen Benjamin said FTES is the metric by which the state apportions funding based on resident students. One FTES is equal to one or more students who are enrolled in 15 units. Dr. Benjamin said due to the conditions of the buildings at CCC “it would not make sense” to base

the allocation of funds on that. “(DVC) is a bigger facility. It’s larger (than CCC) and was built around the same time,” she said. “And that in the last bond, Measure A (2002-2006), CCC got a huge amount more and it doesn’t have as many buildings as DVC.” Pyle, however, said DVC’s and LMC’s allocations are both based on FTES and no adjustments were made to their allocation recommendation for Measure E funds. “(In the July 23, 2014) board report, it was initially broken down by FTES,” he said. “But adjustments had to be made for CCC and money was taken from the district FTES allocation and was given to CCC. He said this was done about two months ago after the district hired Fyoog, an architectural consultant contractor based out of Austin, Texas, to visit each of the campuses in the district to evaluate the “critical needs” of the facilities. According to a Bond Project List (2014) compiled by the district, Measure E funds will be used to either construct or modernize a new Science and Allied Health Center, or modernize the Gym

Annex Building, Gymnasium, Men’s and Women’s locker rooms and other physical education/athletic facilities. “One of the biggest challenges is deciding whether we do renovations to existing buildings or demolish and replace them,” Pyle said. “And how do we try to do these projects while also making sure the least amount of disruption on campus is a big thing.” Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said the estimated budget of CCC’s portion of the Measure E funding for these two areas on campus is $60 million for renovation or demolition of the old Biology and Physical Science buildings and only $22 million for the PE complex. Pyle confirmed the allocation, but said it is subject to change during the next couple of weeks as he and representatives from Fyoog will be meeting with campus leaders and architects to further evaluate the needs of buildings. Faculty from the kinesiology and athletic departments met Thursday to discuss the viable options and their vision for the future of the Gym complex.

Kinesiology department Chairperson Beth Goehring said she would like to completely revamp the GA Building, Men’s and Women’s locker rooms and add a third building that would act as a study space for student athletes on campus near the Tennis Courts. Mehdizadeh said that with the current scope of the budget, renovations to the first two buildings are on the list, but adding a third building will likely not happen and the allocation was based off CCC’s Facilities Master Plan under the leadership of former college president McKinley Williams. Athletic Director John Wade said he would like to see more transparency in the decisions made by administration at CCC and the district considering how much funding DVC is getting compared with this campus. “DVC and LMC are our sister schools, but unfortunately they are still our competition when it comes to enrollment,” Wade said. “It’s unacceptable that (the district) tells us to beef up enrollment every year but doesn’t give us the funds so we can.”

campus beat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Pending approval, semester will shrink Faculty Senate support reduced academic calendar

BY Cody McFarland ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

The districtwide Faculty Senate Coordinating Council has taken a position in favor of the compressed calendar. Now, pending approval from the State Chancellor’s Office, spring and fall semesters in the Contra Costa Community College District will be reduced from 18 to 16 weeks districtwide, effective fall 2016. Wayne Organ, Contra Costa College Academic Senate president, said the official position is worded, “(The) FSCC has reached consensus to support the United Faculty entering into negotiation discussions concerning a 16-week semester calendar.” Now it is on the UF, the independent collective bargaining association for faculty districtwide, to form and submit a proposal to the State Chancellor’s Office by fall, with a one-year negotiation period and potential implementation date of fall 2016. Organ said that the stance was taken following a survey conducted by sister school Los Medanos College to gauge faculty’s opinions on reducing fall and spring semesters by two weeks. Faculty Senate LMC voted Wednesday in favor of compressing the calendar. They were the last faculty group in the district to decide,

although CCC, because faculty were so proportionately divided, took the stance to remain on the fence until hearing LMC’s position. Though more than a year away, students and faculty are still mentally preparing for the adjustment, and continue to debate the pros and cons. “I hope it happens. I think it will be a great opportunity for students,” communications major Yesenia Malara said. Since first hearing about the compressed calendar debate in late February when The Advocate was conducting an anonymous student survey, Malara said she immediately took a position in favor of the two-week reduction because it would extend the summer session and allow for a winter intersession. “Enhanced summer session is a plus,” she said. “It would be good for incoming students.” The college freshman said an extended summer session would do well by incoming high school seniors who want to hit the ground running. She considered taking a summer section right after graduating, but was unsure if she could handle the pace of a six-week class. The opening up of a winter intersession and enhancement of summer would enable CCC students to complete educational goals sooner than at other local community colleges not offering a

compressed calendar. Another benefit is that, according to studies on semester reduction from various junior colleges in California already on compressed calendars, found online at uf4cd.org, student success, retention and completion rates increase, at least slightly, on a compressed calendar. Cons to semester reduction include the lengthening of class sessions to account for state mandated instruction hour requirements for course credit, and the reduction of scheduled, necessary labs for science classes. Nursing major Fiona Gao said, “I think it’s a bad idea. Time is really tight already and it takes a lot of time to memorize things and really grasp the material.” Because nursing majors are already subject to rigorous course loads, compressing the calendar would shrink the gaps between deadlines and prove more demanding, she said. By and large, faculty in the Natural Sciences and Applied Sciences Division are the most opposed to making the switch. Now that a position favoring compression has been made, faculty anticipate making adjustments to their schedules and curriculum. “That’s what it is. We’ll have to go with the flow,” chemistry department Chairperson Thuy Dang, who favors

semesters remaining at 18 weeks, said. “It will be an adjustment, but it will be fine.” She added, “Adjusting the lecture will be easy. But adjusting the lab will be a big issue.” Dr. Dang expressed concern over the ability to revert to the current schedule if 16-week semesters do not actually benefit CCC students. “It’s nice to try new things, but if it doesn’t work, can we switch back?” she asked. Considering CCC serves a large demographic of underprepared and first-generation college students, it is important such students develop strong academic foundations, which may require extra time and attention from professors — time and attention that would be curtailed by reducing spring and fall semesters from 18 to 16 weeks. Still, others believe 18 weeks is too long and does not serve students’ or faculty’s needs well. “People are dragging by the end of the semester,” history professor Manu Ampim said. “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.

San Pablo resident Jose Castellanos and daugther Malena are served a breakfast omelet during the Chef and Child event co-hosted by the early childhood education and culinary departments in the Three Seasons Restaurant on Saturday. CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Budgetary problems jeopardize program Three Seasons fundraiser raises money, emotions

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

On the heels of the successful Food and Wine Event, the culinary arts department teamed up with the Early Learning Center for the Chef and Child fundraiser held at the Three Seasons Restaurant Saturday aimed at attaining fiscal independence for the ELC. Unlike most events focused on raising funds to enhance the scope of a department or replace old equipment, this was to help the ELC keep its ability to make payroll. “The Early Learning Center is a selfsufficient program based on collected fees but additional funding is needed to sustain the program,” early education department Chairperson Intisar Shareef said. “My gratitude goes out to Chef Nader Sharkes for helping us generate funds for the next fiscal year.” Contrary to the photo on the flier,

which featured kids sitting in the kitchen with the Chef Sharkes, children were nestled away at the learning center and not assisting culinary students in food preparation. Instead parents and potential donors were greeted with a champagne brunch, live music and an auction. After the artwork was doled out and mimosas were finished, returning children were treated to a puppet show. “The kids are in the classroom because it would be too much of a hazard to have them in the kitchen,” Sharkes said. Visitors arrived well before the 11 a.m. start time. The area outside of the Three Seasons Restaurant was adorned with artwork by students from the ELC. Also, available was jewelry donated by local business owner Khaleedah Muhammed from Grandma’s Hands. On the display tables artwork was

presented along with a paper to place a bid. All bids were public and guests kept a roaming eye, scanning tables to see if their bid had been outdone. Before the auction ended, parents rushed to outbid others for their children’s work. Some families came away with their child’s treasure, others were outbid. “Our daughter is 5 and has been going here since she was 3,” Roezell Carter said while proudly displaying her daughter’s framed artwork. “I love the way they framed everything. Some of this work belongs in a gallery.” The theme of imbibing was fully embraced by the patrons and a festive vibe filled the air along with live music and the aroma of freshly grilled chicken. The buffet style line snaked through the kitchen area where attendees filled their plates with breads, salad and either seafood or chicken.

All of those in attendance seemed to enjoy taking in the whole scene. Event attendee Glenda Roberts said, “It’s a great time and it’s for a good cause. The food is great, the fellowship is excellent and the live music. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Michelle Naido, director of the ELC said, “A lot of people say they didn’t know that we provided this service. “It’s a great way to advertise for the center, but it will take more work,” she said. This is the first time the ELC and the culinary arts department have come together for the Chef and Child event. At the conclusion of the event a tally had not yet been recorded to put a monetary value on the success of the festivities. Tickets were $35 and a rough tally far before the end of the auction was upward of $500.

PARKING WOES TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER CONSTRUCTION BY Benjamin Bassham STAFF WRITER

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

Substantial work will be carried out on Contra Costa College’s parking lots over the summer. CCC’s Building and Grounds Manager Bruce King said, “Lot 16 (at the top of Campus Drive behind the Art Building) is out for bid as we speak.” Work should be

complete before the fall semester begins. “It’s not prime, but it is parking — students (have been) circling campus like vultures.” Parking Lots 1 and 4 just north of the Bus Transfer Center and the Student Services Center, and the roadway between Campus Drive and Castro Street, will be closed for four months. The upshot of this will be 150 new park-

ing places including new Americans With Disabilities Act compliant spaces, a better organized campus entrance area and a straight road from Campus Drive to Castro, that doesn’t wind through the parking areas. “(It should create) nice beautiful entrances to the campus,” King said. Lot 4 will remain closed until the Campus Center construction is complete sometime in 2016.

In years past, it was easier to find parking near the end of the spring semester when students had already dropped classes and most athletic events have ended. With construction congestion and limited availability of convenient stalls, students can be seen walking from the top of Shane Drive or all the way from the top of Canterbury Drive off of Shane to find a parking spot relatively close to the campus.

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

N CAMPUS DIVERSITY

Cultural ‘melting pot’culminates Local area provides CCC with cultural stew

lements that make this campus a culturally diverse and thriving educational experience begins with its students, faculty and administrators. This diversity, however, is not limited to various ethnicities, ages, or genders of people on campus, but resonates into the many facets that make Contra Costa College a unique place nestled half in San Pablo and half in Richmond, California. Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said diversity at CCC goes beyond the make up of its 6,700 students. “CCC is a melting pot of all the different students who represent the Bay Area and the local community as well,” Ferguson said. “It provides us with the ability to love a place that is so diverse and this diversity is represented through the different programs and departments on campus.” The variety of people and their cultures is the crux to why so many different programs are in place at the college, and this student

makeup creates one of the most culturally eclectic campuses in the district, state and national levels. Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said while working at sister school Diablo Valley College there was a constant push to create a culturally diverse student populous, but such is not the case at this campus. It already exists. Administration of justice department Chairperson Richard Ramos said while CCC is the most diverse community college in the state, it also faces a “challenge” that is unique to urban campuses throughout the state. “(CCC) has a greater number of first generation students who are underprepared than most colleges in California,” Dr. Ramos said. “I’m the son of a Mexican immigrant and as a first generation student my only pathway to higher education was through a community college. “Contra Costa College provided me with an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise, like many of the students here today.” The percentage of first-gen-

eration college students — those whose parents and grandparents did not attend college — at CCC is 48.7 percent, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Student Success Scorecard for the 2013-14 year. This is due to the high number of immigrants coming to the Bay Area from places such as South and Central America, Africa, Asia, Polynesia, the Middle East and various other regions of the world. Mehdizadeh said to better prepare first generation college students a districtwide Convocation on Innovation Conference was held early this year to discuss ways to ensure these students’ academic success, be it in transfer to fouryear colleges or earning career technical education certificates. “We want to create a summer bridge program for first generation college students,” she said. “A lot of students (at CCC) are testing into remedial courses. So we want to create a program for those students that will keep them together so they can provide each other with

peer support.” And according to the Chancellor’s Office online DataMart, the percentages of African-American, Asian/Filipino, Hispanic and white students at CCC during the fall 2014 semester were 23.8, 20.5, 34.8 and 11.6 percent, respectively. Compare CCC’s cultural diversity with DVC, or its other sister school Los Medanos College, and the makeup of their student populations are not nearly as diverse. Ramos said the cultural demographics are reflective of the high schools in each college’s service area. CCC has “the most diverse” reserve of students in the K-12 system, which spans from Pinole to El Cerrito, in the district and is what makes it a unique learning center.

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

“ Female leaders shape community There isn’t a different vibe here with women in leadership roles,” Everhart said. “I would like to think that the women in leadership roles carry themselves in a way that they are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all students and faculty.” — Sandra Everhart, personal development coordinator

Research shows female leaders trending in higher education

Lorenzo Morotti is the editor-inchief of The Advocate. Contact him at lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail. com.

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

The antiquated phrase, “It’s a man’s world,” in many ways has run its course in American society as more women collect beneath the shattered, bulging ever-present glass ceiling that hopelessly works to thwart them from earning higher achievement. A report on Gender and Development by the World Bank Development Research group and the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network outlines an interesting fact about gender equality. Societies that under-invest in women pay a price for it in terms of slower growth and lower income for all. Since 1988 the number of women in post baccalaureate studies have steadily outpaced the number of men. According to a Yale University study, women account for 60 percent of the annual university graduates and hold an equal percent of the master’s degrees and 52 percent of doctorate degrees. These numbers are reflected on campus at Contra Costa College,

both through its majority female student body or in administrative numbers that show women outnumbering men in professional positions, tenured or temporary. “It’s important to see women in leadership positions since the trend is leaning toward more women in higher education,” college Personal Development Coordinator Sandra Everhart said. “They provide a good source of role models and also offer young women career, personal and professional goals.” According to public information from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, women professors tenured or on a tenure track at CCC outnumber their male counterparts 45-31. Whether it be CCC Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh or Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson, seeing women in positions of authority on campus more accurately reflects the direction society is moving all together. “It’s absolutely important for me to be a mentor or a role model in any of the different positions of

authority that I’ve held,” Ferguson said. “I try to give back what was given to me — to whom much is given much is expected.” Aside from faculty and the student body, student government also leans female. Student Senate member Diksha Chhetri embraces the opportunity to witness women in leadership positions and uses them as an example to fuel her success. “When I see those people I feel so proud women are doing so much to shape our community. It’s good to have strong women to look to as an example of leadership,” Chhetri said. “What they are giving us means a lot.” Judging by the vast disparities in the professorial numbers, the shift in campus demographics have taken a gradual progression over the course of many years. Although the face of leadership on campus now embodies the female form, the family atmosphere and overall personality of the community has lasted. “There isn’t a different vibe here with women in leadership roles,” Everhart said. “I would like to think

that the women in leadership roles carry themselves in a way that they are inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all students and faculty.” The social science statement in Brown vs. Board of Education says integration would benefit both white and black children. In the same way exposing students to racial differences would enhance the lives of all involved, expressing gender differences through instruction or immersion offers an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of others and in turn offer a more complete picture of actual life. Working side by side or being instructed by women can go a long way to alleviate the spread of sexism and stereotypes that carry on through exclusion and lack of opportunity. Attending a school with a diverse student body will help prepare anyone for life in a multicultural, multi-gendered society. With the gender gap in education on a course to correct itself, the next obstacle to tackle in the fight for equality for women is the discrepancy in pay.

Multilinguals grasp opportunities, diversity BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

The many languages, and their dialects, spoken by students, faculty and staff at Contra Costa College mirrors both the diversity of its surrounding community, and negates the concept that being multilingual is an act of desperation. It is rather a choice to become connected with people on a global scale. “Language is connected to power,” English as a second language (ESL) department Chairperson Anoosheh Borhan said. “But many people from English-speaking countries tend to limit themselves to only learning one language. “People who speak multiple languages have the power to open their minds to the world. Even learning simple new words in different languages is wonderful because it allows you to communicate in foreign countries and it is a small way to show respect to people of other cultures,” she said. However, you don’t have to go

to another country to hear a foreign language due to the diverse student population at CCC. At CCC, there are more than 25 different languages spoken by predominately first or second generation community college students living in the U.S. When asked what languages they speak at home with their families, student responses ranged from Spanish to Laotian, Mien, Tagalog, Punjabi, Hindu, Vietnamese, Portuguese, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, Cambodian, Korean, Hungarian, Russian, Nepalese, Yemen, Urdu, Polish, Hebrew to name a few. But, according the sample data, the majority of CCC’s students learned English before any other language, and are more comfortable speaking it in public as it is the dominant language spoken in their everyday interactions at school. “Unfortunately, because the British Empire was such a colonial powerhouse many peoples’ perception in the United States is that the English language is superior,” ESL professor Gabriela Segade said,

“As a result those who struggle with grammar or have an accent in this country are often thought of as worthless, and that is a weird thought. “Accents should be the mark of self worth and openness, and not negative social stigma.” Segade said this is perception of English being the one language to rule them all is also reflected in business world, science and ensured its throne during the Internet boom of the early 1990s. “English has become the common language for people who speak different languages to communicate with each other,” she said. “Ninety percent of the websites back then were in English, and set a precedent for (English) to become the dominant language online.” But she said since the rise of social media the Internet has become more encompassing of world cultures, its languages and dialects. Drama department professor Carlos-Manuel Chavarria agrees with Segade and said people in mostly English speaking countries

tend to cling to xenophobic ideals. So it’s no surprise the foreign language, ESL and art departments collaborated to create the Proud to be Bilingual campaign at CCC. This campaign is currently happening campuswide and uses interactive student-made posters, hundreds of specialized buttons that represent the top 10 languages spoken at CCC, and a showcase in the Learning and Library Resource Center. All this was done with a budget of $2,000. And to further break down the campus’ linguistic diversity, The Advocate conducted an anonymous survey of 200 students. On the survey students were asked their ethnicity, cultural heritage, how many languages they speak, the language they learned first as child and which language they feel more comfortable speaking now. The sample data shows only about a quarter of CCC’s student population speaks only English, and the rest are able to communicate in two, three, four or five different languages.

Adjunct English professor Ricardo Tavarez said most of the students in his English courses are either immigrants, or the sons and daughters of immigrants, from Asia or Latin America. This reflects the largest, and fastest growing demographic at CCC, according to The Advocate’s compiled non-scientific sample data. “Some are working on their third or fourth language and pretty much have the syntax down for each one of those,” Tavarez said, “But for multilingual students grasping the mechanics of English is a challenge but has a tremendous payoff.” He recalls when he asked his local barber how learning English has helped his business. “He told me his ability to talk to people decreased the time it took him to cut hair by 50 percent and raised his productivity,” Tavarez said. “And when students are able to communicate across languages you have the same result.” “A richness is gained when you are able to communicate with people from any culture that is not your own,” he said.

Linguistic culture poll: The Advocate polled 200 people on campus to find out which languages are spoken. Language most comfortable speaking?

How many languages do you speak? 60 120

119

50 100

Multiple languages

English

25%

41%

40 80 30 60

Asian languages

40 20

26%

10 20

Spanish

What generation are you living in the U.S? NA

What is your ethnicity? NA

48%

ur Fo

e re

The number of bilingual students at CCC is substantially more than those who speak one language, usually English.

1st

o Tw

While a quarter of the student populous speak more than one language at home, the majority said they prefer speaking English in public.

3rd

African

10%

Asian

31% Latino

46%

2nd

35% White

8% First and second generation students living in the U.S make up more than 75 percent of the student population.

Latinos and Asian students are the largest and fastest growing ethnic groups at CCC and the surrounding communities.

FULL-TIME FACULTY LACKS DIVERSITY OF STUDENT BODY BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

Diversity of ethnicity, age, background and gender are often vital in roles occupied by faculty and classified staff at public institutions like community colleges in order to facilitate successful higher learning and enrich personal experience. The roles of various administrators, classified staff members and faculty both adjunct and full time, supplement the students’ learning, if they themselves are reflective of the student demographic or demographics in which they are serving. A breakdown of numbers from a faculty and staff demographics report list shows that while Contra Costa College and sister colleges Los Medanos and Diablo Valley colleges employ a diversified staff, many of the positions have white, non-Hispanic employees leading the respective ethnic categories. According to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office’s report on faculty and staff demographics throughout the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) from fall 2014, CCC has a near equal ethnic administrative base with AfricanAmericans at four, Asians at three, Hispanics at three and White non-Hispanics at two employees each. Academically, tenured and tenure-track professors are more divided among ethnic groups with the white category at 34, leading the rest with 44 percent out of the 76 full-time professors. The CCCCD report uses DataMart analytics to chart percentages corresponding to faculty and staff numbers and displays the most recent information depending on which semester is selected and the academic year and archives past reports in the database. English department Chairperson Jeffrey Michels said the diversification and

hiring that occurs for different members of faculty and staff involves recruiting from the district’s end since they are in fact, the employer and the correlating departments who are hiring. “We (the college) certainly look for qualifying candidates who have a track record of working well with our student groups, and we as a college want faculty who see the various demographics to work with as a plus,” Michels said. “Our college community is wonderfully diverse and crosses many lines and broad spectrums, so we look through multiple measures for individuals who can feel engaged by these challenges.” At CCC for tenured professors the ethnic divide is as follows: whites have 34, AfricanAmerican and Hispanic rank at 13 each, Asian consists of five and Pacific Islander sits at three and one is unknown. Responding to the notion of employing a diversified college faculty with administrative and classified staff duties also included in the multiethnic mix, Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said the college would accurately represent the area in which it serves. “Students can see people just like them, of similar ethnicity, in these administrative roles or job roles and that could help students strive to achieve that same level of professional success and open up minds to what is (achievable) since so many of these students come from immensely different backgrounds,” Mehdizadeh said. History professor Manu Ampim said the mixed racial makeup of college staff and faculty reflects the students’ composition and for them to be successful, the college should have a diverse staff that they can relate to. “With classified staff, if they are not really reflective of student demographics, certain students are not benefitted as they could be.”

CODY CASARES/ THE ADVOCATE

Sun shines through the Contra Costa College’s Arboretum located between the Biological Sciences and Music buildings. There is a mix of native and non-native plants in the redwood grove.

Environmental ‘oasis’ provides natural diversity BY Benjamin Bassham STAFF WRITER

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

In the bustle of daily college life it’s easy to become dulled to familiar sights and sounds. Becoming engrossed in the rush from class to class to lunch to class to home that what lies around is never really seen. Life surrounds everything in a riotous cacophony of biodiversity. The plants, the animals, the insects, the fungi and assorted microfauna are everywhere, but Contra Costa College is a particular gem. Biotechnology professor Katherine Krolikowski said, “I think this is a real special oasis of life in the city.” Biology professor Pam Muick said, “We have (on campus) a superb elevation gradient, which allows a lot of variety, even micro-climates.” There is so much variety that it is hard to know where to start. There are plantings everywhere, ranging from Jade Plants to Dwarf Pomegranate to Nandina, but those are just the start. Rheem Creek is the centerpiece of the college. It divides the campus into distinct thirds, each section boasting its own blend of life. The section of Rheem Creek that runs alongside the Student Services Center was the subject of the Rheem Creek Restoration Project, which stuffed its banks with native Californian plant life. There’s

Deer Grass, Ocean Spray, Carmel Mountain Lilac, Coast Barberry, Yarrow, California Wild Grape, Manzanita and Hummingbird Sage, just to name a few. It’s an eclectic assortment to say the least. They’re all native to California, but wouldn’t naturally be encountered together. Biological sciences department Chairperson Chris Tarp said, “Its plant diversity is fairly great, but that’s because people planted them, so it’s not a representative example of a natural habitat.” There are naturally plants left from before the Rheem Creek Restoration Project too. There are Horsetails everywhere, growing thick enough to obscure the water, and in spite of the efforts of the restorers there is African Gazania and English Ivy and plenty more. Farther in visitors will see a surfeit of pine and several species of Australian Eucalyptus, some Cork Oak and of course the palms. “The campus has a fair collection of Palm trees that were planted by a one-time faculty member (Warren Dolby) who liked them,” Dr. Tarp said. Northeast of the college, across Campus Drive, is the culinary department’s garden which grows carrots, potatoes, mint, roses and more recently a collection of hybrid fruit trees. It isn’t all trees and shrubbery (though a previous count found 82

distinct tree species), every ecosystem has its attendant animal life. The campus plays host to possums, feral cats, alligator lizards, raccoons, assorted rodents, deer and you can hardly go anywhere without tripping over a squirrel or two. “The eastern fox squirrels are not native. They’ve been here for 40 years. I had never seen a turkey before 1992. (More recently I) saw a flock that had 28 in it,” Tarp said. As for birds there are the turkeys who roam through, the hummingbirds that nest along the creek, the crows, the ravens, the hawks and not countless more, but only because Tarp has been counting. “I’ve been casually keeping track of the birds for the 30 years I’ve been here, and the list is well over 100 birds.” The insectoid community buzzes and crawls its way over the campus too; there are Argentinian Ants, miscellaneous butterflies, French Snails, an array of different species of native bees, as well as European Honey Bees. At the creek over, on, and in the water there are Hoverflies, Water Striders and a few crawfish lurking in the depths. The top contender to be the crown jewel of the college is the Arboretum. It’s a grove of startlingly large Coastal Redwood on the banks of Rheem Creek’s northern tributary, blended with the college’s usual contrasting mix of native and nonnative plants.

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

N CAMPUS DIVERSITY

Cultural ‘melting pot’culminates Local area provides CCC with cultural stew

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Research shows female leaders trending in higher education

Lorenzo Morotti is the editor-inchief of The Advocate. Contact him at lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail. com.

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Multilinguals grasp opportunities, diversity BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Linguistic culture poll: The Advocate polled 200 people on campus to find out which languages are spoken. Language most comfortable speaking?

How many languages do you speak? 60 120

119

50 100

Multiple languages

English

25%

41%

40 80 30 60

Asian languages

40 20

26%

10 20

Spanish

What generation are you living in the U.S? NA

What is your ethnicity? NA

48%

ur Fo

e re

The number of bilingual students at CCC is substantially more than those who speak one language, usually English.

1st

o Tw

While a quarter of the student populous speak more than one language at home, the majority said they prefer speaking English in public.

3rd

African

10%

Asian

31% Latino

46%

2nd

35% White

8% First and second generation students living in the U.S make up more than 75 percent of the student population.

Latinos and Asian students are the largest and fastest growing ethnic groups at CCC and the surrounding communities.

FULL-TIME FACULTY LACKS DIVERSITY OF STUDENT BODY BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

CODY CASARES/ THE ADVOCATE

Sun shines through the Contra Costa College’s Arboretum located between the Biological Sciences and Music buildings. There is a mix of native and non-native plants in the redwood grove.

Environmental ‘oasis’ provides natural diversity BY Benjamin Bassham STAFF WRITER

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

N DIVERSITY AMONG CAMPUS CLUBS

Clubs limit cliques, promote inclusion S

tudent clubs at Contra Costa College are beneficial to students not only because they look good on a transcript to transfer, but also because they provide students with the opportunity to create a diverse network of people from different cultures, ideologies and economic backgrounds. And with 20 active clubs to choose from during the 2015 fall semester, each reflective of the diverse student populations on campus, the melting pot is overflowing. Student Life Coordinator Erika Greene said the interactions between students in different clubs transcend the typical lunchroom or yard cliques that they had grown used to in their various high schools. “With the diverse population at this college campus, reflected through the clubs, students get to collaborate with others and see that they are more alike than they are different,” Greene said.

“You get to interact with people who are white, Latino, black, Middle Eastern, Asian and realize that in the real world the stereotypes that you see on TV are simply not true.” The Inter-Club Council’s weekly meetings in LA-105 on Tuesdays from 3 to 4 p.m. for clubs to exchange ideas and collaborate on student life projects on campus is not the only time that the eclectic group of student clubs meets. ICC President Safi Ward-Davis said being a member of any of the groups teaches you to learn how to understand people from different backgrounds, and how to raise and manage funds, write minutes and agendas while swapping ideas with other clubs. Ward-Davis said a lot of freshman college students do not understand what it means to be part of a college club. “Last semester we had a few clubs who became inactive because their

leaders were transferring and did not make sure that there were others to replace them,” she said. “The success of a club depends on its leaders and most students join them and graduate but don’t make the effort to promote new students to their club or create new clubs.” ASU Senator Nakari Syon agrees with Ward-Davis and said students have the opportunity to create new clubs and change their campus. “There are a variety of diverse clubs on campus, but most are not designed for campus improvements, but are more social,” Syon said. “One club that I can think could change that would be an ecosystem club for students who care about our home (campus) environment and don’t want to see trash everywhere.” Clubs that are currently active at CCC during the fall semester that reflect the various cultures on campus are the Black Student Union,

Filipino Associated Student Union, International Student Club, La Raza Student Union Club, Gay Straight Alliance Club, Muslim Student Association Club and the Vietnamese Student Association Club. Other clubs include the Abilities Club, for students with disabilities, Alpha Gamma Sigma, an academic honors society, Business Club, Correction to College Club, for ex-convicts who are returning to college, Engineering and Math Club, EOPS Club, Gaming Guild Club, Human and Health Services Club, Puente Club, Society of Hispanic Engineers Club, Students in Action (Gateway to College), and the Writer’s Block Club. Lorenzo Morotti is the editor-inchief of The Advocate. Contact him at lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com.

PUENTE CLUB BRINGS FAMILY STYLE SUPPORT TO MEMBERS BY Nina Cestaro STAFF WRITER

ncestaro.theadvocate@gmail.com

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Black Student Union officers (L to R) DeAndre Russell, Shani Miranda, Bridgette Lott and Nakari Syon conduct a meeting in the Library and Learning Resource Center on Jan. 28.

BSU makes return to campus, expects fruitful fall semester Years of

BY Jason Sykes

absence

jsykes.theadvocate@gmail.com

from club scene fuels optimism, excitement

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The Black Student Union made a return under new leadership from President DeAndre Russell and history professor Manu Ampim, who serves as faculty adviser. After being inactive for two years, the BSU is back and ready to make an impact on the campus and community. The club has come back with a new mindset in order to maintain its relevance around campus. The BSU has been extremely active since returning to the scene last semester. Russell said the BSU is “a movement back on the rise that is going to solidify African-Americans.” The month of February was an important month for the club because it was Black History Month. But even through all of the events and how much the club has progressed in a short period of time it is still not completely finished forming and developing. Currently the BSU is working

out the kinks to get more AfricanAmericans to come out and be a part of the BSU. So far, since its return, the club has been involved in a variety of events. The BSU has been involved with transfer workshops along with scholarship events. The club is focusing on building a great foundation for the African-American community. They support that with events like movie nights on campus that show the history of African-American culture. The club had a large buzz surrounding it before it officially became an active club on campus again. The support of various faculty members allowed the BSU to move rapidly and elect student officers as soon as they could. In one of the earliest meetings that the club had last semester Athletic Director John Wade said, “Anything I can do to support you (BSU), you got my support 100 percent.” President Russell wanted to make it clear that the club would

focus on African-American history and not on hosting a multitude of events throughout the semester. As the BSU continues to progress President Russell is planning on starting a mentoring and tutoring program in the near future for anyone who is in need. President Russell said the BSU symbolizes the strength of African Americans on campus and that they have more power than they believe. The BSU was started locally in the Bay Area, which would explain why the club has gained the support from local community members. Different artists, along with the faculty and staff, have voiced their support for the club. Russell said some of the names of those artists are Bri Blue and Phoenix rising. Slowly but surely the BSU continues to make strides in the right direction. Under new leadership the club has new goals and a new focus, which they hope to continue to build off of.

There are a few clubs on the Contra Costa College campus that could take a student places, open their minds and bring clarity about their interests. The Puente Club, a club focused on guiding students and exposing them to different universities while creating a family-bond support system, is focused on building leadership skills while giving back to the community. Welcoming members from all races, genders, ages and backgrounds, Puente Club boasts more than 23 active student members currently. General club meetings are on Thursdays from 2-3 p.m. in the Student Services conference room A and executive club meetings are on Tuesdays from 2-3 p.m. in the same location. Norma Valdez-Jimenez, counselor and Puente Club adviser, said, “This year’s group of Puente students have truly impressed me with their commitment to each other, primarily in the manner that they support and encourage each other academically and personally. They have a strong bond rooted in the Puente principles of ‘familia,’ with a deep understanding of what it means to be part of a community. They are energetic and creative in their leadership and know how to dream big.” Club President Sixto Turcios said, “A few things that changed in my life as a result of being a part of Puente Club is that I went from being a lost soul, to knowing what it is I am here to do, now I am more willing to finish my education. Seeing other students in my same situation made me feel more motivated and just have more discipline.” Through community service, such as raising awareness and donating foods by going door-to-door and asking club members to bring canned goods, the Puente Club contributed those foods to the Early Childhood Mental Health Program in Richmond for families in need, Turcios said. He said that for fun and to expose students to universities they were able to get a two-night three-day trip together to visit UC Santa Barbara earlier this semester as well as visiting Cal Poly during the same trip. For previous semesters they have toured UC Santa Cruz, as well as the boardwalk. Members also had the opportunity to visit UCLA with a paid flight. With fundraising, the club was able to provide some of the funds and the rest from ICC and ASU, Amparo said.

UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP FINALLY RECOGNIZED

BY Marlene Rivas STAFF WRITER

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Muslim Student Association wishes to create unity and supporting of one another among students, work toward improving the community and dispelling any negative stigma involved with Muslims. They meet on Mondays at 2:10 p.m. in AA-137. The club emphasizes diversity, the unity of cultures and tries to inform others about religions and cultures. Members do not necessarily need to be Muslim and everyone is welcome. It helps the community and students to learn things firsthand, not from the media, club President Reem Ali said. The club has made appearances at Club Rush and Fall Festival and have sold incense, oils and food. This participation allowed for the club to spread the word and try to get more members. MSA is taking steps to allow for students who are

not in the club to also learn and be given an answer for anything they are unsure of regarding the Muslim religion. A table was set up near the Library and Learning Resource Center during Club Awareness Day with the members of the club leading an interactive game. Students had to answer questions about Islamic religions and, if answered correctly, there were gift cards given out as prizes. Those who did not answer correctly, but took the time to participate, were given candy. Hopefully they were able to learn even if they did not answer the questions correctly, MSA Secretary Aiman Zakaria said. “We encourage everyone to come learn about religions and culture and learn not to discriminate against one another,” Ali said. According to her, MSA can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Books, such as “Answers to Non Muslims Common Questions About Islam,” by Dr. Zakir Naik,

are brought to every meeting so that anyone’s questions can be correctly and efficiently answered, Zakaria said. The club is also a chance for Muslim students to express their religion. Muslims are required to pray five times a day, and with school that can get hard, Ali said. MSA gives time for this and it reminds members to be comfortable with each other, Ali said. “The media’s propaganda show our religion as violence, holy war or terrorism, but people should not generalize,” Zakaria said. Zakaria shared the bewildering experience of being the subject of a blatant act of Muslim phobia regarding his routine praying. Zakaria, who also takes classes at Diablo Valley College, overheard another student in the background saying to report suspicious activity, in reference to his praying. Although he feels that Contra Costa College is more accepting of diversity, there are still those who

hold many misconceptions about other cultures and religions. Along with the discomfort of others’ comments it is also difficult to find a prayer space that is quiet and will not interrupt any classes or student activities. It would be much easier to have a specific prayer area for any students, preferably something better than trying to find an empty classroom that can be flooded with students mid-prayer. Achieving such an area where they would not bother anyone is a future goal for the MSA, Zakaria said. Apart from being an eyeopening learning experience, joining clubs like MSA can help in other ways, too. Involvement in clubs looks good when applying to schools, especially UCs, Ali said. However, the problem is that some people want to come and go and not be involved, she said. The club was in jeopardy of no longer existing due to having missed two ICC meetings. Groups

have members fade out toward the end of the semester. It happens with everyone, CCC Inter-Club Council President Safi Ward-Davis said. The ASU collects a semester report which requires clubs to list their accomplishments and plans for next year. This allows for the ASU to help groups and to make sure they stay on track. “We will be doing everything to make sure they stay active,” WardDavis said. Current members of the club also wish to keep the club going, whether they are on campus or not. Ali, who will be transferring to UC Berkeley in the fall, wants to come back to help with events and teaching students. The MSA has many plans for what their club will be doing in the fall semester in hopes of making the club grow bigger, Zakaria said. They plan to help the community that resides off campus by doing things like feeding the homeless in Berkeley, Ali said.

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Speakers showcase voice, skills Intramural event fills Liberal Arts with speech, fun BY Roxana Amparo NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Sakeema Payne, a communications major, performs her comedic speech during the Intramural Speech Tournament in LA-112 on Thursday. Payne won first place in the comedic performance category at the awards ceremony which followed the speeches.

La Raza group harnesses local community interest Club eases struggle of first generation college students BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

One of the multiple clubs on campus utilizing cultural advocacy, La Raza Student Union serves as the active arm of the La Raza studies department and centralizes a lot of its efforts based off the content that is covered in the program. La Raza Student Union member Maria Lara said the club serves as a place where students can come and share opinions about what is going on in the local community and abroad, for example the economic and political turmoil taking place in Mexico. “In some ways, it’s similar to a debate club and we’re not afraid to share what is really going on

(within our Latino/a communities) and we encourage each other to voice new opinions because we end up knowing each other so well,” Lara said. The mission statement of La Raza Student Union can be summarized as developing student leaders and using advocacy in a cultural context to create community participation at Contra Costa College. More specifically, it’s a place where Chicano/a and Latino/ a students can come together to express their voices regarding issues affecting this majority group and the belief is that working as a community to create a better society with the tenets of democracy, liberty and justice at the forefront. Lara said the club motivates members to support one another and to challenge preconceived notions they have of important topics such as immigration and cultural differences within Latin America. Alejandro Gonzalez, vice presi-

dent of La Raza Student Union, said that part of the benefit of joining the club is the cultural awareness of where a person comes from and interacting with the community. “We try to do things for Latinos and undocumented students and immigrants in general, for example last year’s labor day, we brought first aid kits for the day laborers standing out in front of Home Depot,” Gonzalez said. “Last semester we took supplies to them, and next semester we’re planning to do more of the same and hopefully different events,” Lara said. La Raza studies professor and the club’s adviser Agustin Palacios said the club consistency on campus has been attributed to events that take place every year. Dr. Palacios said the club seeks to create community at CCC and the philosophy behind the club sees the community as the first step in any form of organizing. LRSU has been active since the 1970s and was “instrumental”

in creating the La Raza studies department on campus instead of the other way around, Palacios said. He said that what the students learn from classes informs their activities and gives them an opportunity to engage with the social issues they learn from La Raza studies. Gonzalez said the club provides the chance to interact with and get to know people who struggle coming to this country and people working hard just to send money back home in the form of remittances. He said that an understanding of struggles for undocumented students is gained, mostly about awareness of these issues on campus. Future plans for the club include re-establishing a mural for indigenous peoples, that was previously erected in the Recreation Room located in the now demolished Student Activities Building and soon-to-be Campus Center.

The speech and debate team participated in an Intramural Speech Tournament, which gave students the opportunity to vocalize their perspectives in an allotted time frame inside various rooms throughout the Liberal Arts Building on Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Student speakers had five different categories to choose from, and which they had signed up for prior to the tournament. Among the categories were impromptu, persuasive, informative, comedic performance and oral interpretations. “This allows you to share your story, open up and self-appreciate to let others relate to you,” communications major Jarell Butler said. Speech department Chairperson Sherry Diestler said they wanted students who are usually shy and afraid of speaking in large crowds to gain confidence in a “compassionate, warm atmosphere” provided by the judges and students in the same position as them. Student speakers receiving first place took a gold medal, second won a silver, third a bronze and fourth place received a CCC notebook, all handed out by district Police Services Chief Charles Gibson. Diestler said after winning a medal students will be allowed to wear their award as they walk the graduation stage on May 21. Each speaker had the opportunity to sign up for two speeches. Retired fine and media arts professor John Diestler was judging the student speakers and said by the second round the speakers should have already made improvements because practicing a first time gives them ideas of what to say the next time. Sherry Diestler said the judges know what it is like to feel afraid. She said many people fear public speaking and that fact encourages students to take part in any oncampus speech tournament. Psychology major Jaquelynn Renderos said the tournament helps students to be less shy and to open up more. There are two different types of tournaments. One is an intramural tournament like this one, which is “within the walls” of the college, while intercollegiate is “across the wall” or at another location, Diestler said. She said taking part in the intramural speech tournament is like being in a real tournament because the speaker can choose which category he or she wants to be part of and prepare for it.

Filipino club aims to create cross cultural unity FASU starts ‘family’ during Club Rush BY Roxana Amparo NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

Bringing awareness and exposure to an underrepresented group on campus was the Filipino-American Student Union’s (FASU) plan when beginning the club last fall. The club has its meetings every other Wednesday from 2-3 p.m. in AA-103 and welcomes anyone interested in taking part of it. “We want unity,” club President Janelle Knudson said. “Although the club aims to bring unity among other Filipinos, members do not have to be Filipino to join,” Knudson said. All are welcome to join the club if they are searching for a new opportunity to get involved. Club Vice President Jeilo Gauna said that students fresh out of high school looking to get involved with a club should seek out the FASU. There are people in the club who are of mixed races. Having people who come from diverse backgrounds offers members who have never branched outside of their comfort zone an opportunity to view life from a different perspective. Club adviser, mathematics professor Edward Cruz, said, “It helps create a voice to a community that is underrepresented outside of campus. FASU helps develop that voice.”

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Filipino-American Student Union member Gerald Macadangdang (right) and President Janelle Knudson (left) speak to students during the first FASU meeting in LA-104 on Feb. 4.

The idea of creating the club first started among current members during last fall’s Club Rush while standing at the Psychology Club’s table. Knudson, Gauna and psychology major Gerald Macadangdang decided that it was needed. Knudson said FASU has fulfilled the goals that were set during at beginning of this semester.

Not only have they invested in creating a community for an underrepresented group, Knudson said, but FASU has brought fun and Filipino cuisine to campus while selling lumpia during Club Rush. Macadangdang said they want to expose students to the fun they can bring as a club. “We became a little family within Contra Costa College, even with our adviser,” he said.

Cruz said this semester was spent establishing themselves and creating a presence on campus. “We went from not existing to winning second place at Club Rush for best table,” Cruz said. He said through the club they will offer support for transferring students in semesters to come. FASU has connected with Pilipino Academic Student Services (PASS), a student-led organization focused on addressing concerns of Pilipino students in pursuit of higher education, at UC Berkeley while participating in Shadow Day back in March. Gauna said that newly enrolled students at CCC should get involved with clubs on campus and reach out to the FASU. Gauna said they had the right people to help reach out and bring awareness to the club but there would be more outreach to gain more student involvement if they had more “manpower.” Club members have plans on taking a trip to Great America during the summer to get to know each other better. FASU is focused on contributing to society as a whole while opening the eyes of local community members of the contributions Filipino-Americans have made in America and throughout the world, Cruz said. Some of the plans for next semester include participating in Club Rush to promote the club and bring in more members. The club also plans to travel to UC Berkeley to connect with members of PASS. The Berkeley group has personal statement workshops and fundraising events to be able to fund scholarships for members.

A10

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

United States Congressman Mark DeSaulnier discusses educational issues and possible reforms to a group of students, faculty and adminstrators in the Library and Learning Resource Center on May 6. CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Democratic congressman WAR TALES EXPOSE pushes educational reform TRAGEDY BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

United States Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-Walnut Creek) visited Contra Costa College on Wednesday as part of his Education Listening Tour to open up discussions with students and faculty about their concerns with the state of the educational system. A group of about 40 students, faculty, college administrators and Contra Costa Community College District trustees formed a circle of chairs around DeSaulnier inside the Library and Learning Resource Center from 4 to 5 p.m. “This is our opportunity to speak and be heard,” Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said to open up the discussion, “and really force our legislators to open up talks about issues that matter to (students) in education.” DeSaulnier was recently elected as the representative of the 11th District of California. He said to gain a better grasp of the issues that students and faculty are facing he is visiting each of the schools in his district as part of the tour. Educational reforms were on everyone’s mind, be it students, faculty or administrators and DeSaulnier addressed each of their questions. Topics ranged from retirement plans to eliminating college tuition to increas-

ing the pay of part-time professors, creating new bills that will tax the extremely wealthy, the status of undocumented students and how to balance raising a family while going to college. After each person in attendance introduced themselves to DeSaulnier and the audience, Middle College High School teacher Rico Atkins asked him if he is in support of President Obama’s idea to eliminate community college tuition. “President Obama’s idea is great,” DeSaulnier said. “We have to spend money to make money, and the research shows making community college free will give a higher turnaround investment for our society as a whole.” He said student debt in this country goes up $3,000 a second and students are left with “astronomical” bills that they have to pay off after graduation. English professor Jeffrey Michels said, “Don’t be terrified of student loans. Your education is worth more than what you will have to pay back.” Questions later shifted from student debt to how Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) have not fostered students toward success but have actually created deficits for students in low-income areas because of an increased workload on undervalued professors. “SLOs are ineffective, absurd, disgraceful and are just a flash in the pan,” physics and astronomy Chairperson John

Celesia said. “What changes students’ lives are good teachers.” Student Kevin Zaragoza, communications major, agrees with Celesia. Zaragoza said being a product of the K-12 California educational system and while working for an after school program he has noticed that some students are obviously gifted in academics and excel, while others struggle. But he also said that some teachers or professors do not tend to those who struggle because there is no incentive due to the low pay and stigma that comes with being a teacher in elementary, middle or high school levels. “At what point do we hold certain professors accountable for their students to get what they need?” he asked DeSaulnier. “I would love to become a teacher, but with such low pay how could I pay off loans for the schooling needed to become one? “Reforming the K-12 system is a big deal. Take standardized testing, for example,” he said. “I feel like teachers who do a good job preparing all their students to do well on the STAR tests should be rewarded with extra pay.” DeSaulnier responded by discussing how schools in Europe and some states in the Northeast have higher test scores than most states or countries because they pay their teachers more.

Censorship stirs debate, disdain BY Marlene Rivas STAFF WRITER

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

A discussion concerning the censorship around the book “The Things They Carried” allowed for students to consider censorship in itself and share their own stories in connection to the book’s content. This Big Read event titled “The Things They Censored” was led by English professor Haley Kantor in the Library and Learning Resource Center on April 29 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Big Read events, offered in different locations, and the distribution of free copies of “The Things They Carried,” have been provided by the National Endowment Grant. This has all been done in remembrance of the Vietnam War, which has reached the 40th anniversary of its ending. Kantor began by going into detail about how, why and where Tim O’Brien’s book had been challenged. The book’s stories stem from the author’s

actual experiences during his time in the Vietnam War, which then allows the book to be considered non-fiction fiction. O’Brien’s book was not welcomed everywhere. It was challenged for banning twice, in Pennsylvania in 2001 and Illinois in 2007, and was even successfully banned in Mississippi in 2003. The discussion itself eventually caused those present to reflect on the ways that mass media are censored. To highlight this Kantor brought up a slide with a quote from the author himself, “Why do we make things up? Why don’t we just report what happens in the world?” Fiction allows for dismissal of the events in a story, making it more acceptable, but a non-fiction fiction shows reality, Jorge Gonzalez said. The book was banned at the beginning of the Iraq war. The impact of banning the book kept people from knowing about and thinking about what was going on with the war, Contra Costa College alumnus Sandra Falk said.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Adjunct English professor Haley Kantor introduces “The Things They Censored” book discussion as part of the Big Read event series in Library and Learning Resource Center on April 29. This event focused on the controversial content of “The Things They Carried.”

The book can provide the reader with more insight to the events and consequences that arise due to war. “‘The Things They Carried’ offers more than what a database or encyclopedia can. There are first person stories of what it is really like, which is what sometimes falls through the cracks,” English professor Heather Roth said.

However, people did not seem to be as unhappy with graphic scenes regarding the war as they were about the language used within the book. Reading is free expression so should people be sheltered from it if they are made uncomfortable by it? library department Chairperson Judy Flum asked.

OF COMBAT BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

Concluding the informal Contra Costa College faculty facilitated book discussions of “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien as part of the Big Read events, “Vietnam: Childhood’s End” re-told some of the lost innocence many young soldiers went through during the Vietnam War. Adjunct English professor Michael Hassett led the event, as he is also a veteran of the Vietnam War, on May 5 in Library and Learning Resource Center, L-107. “My father said that Vietnam changed me. It did and that has meant everything,” Hassett said in his opening introduction. “So when I came home I felt I like was 40 years old at least,” Hassett said, then quoted an article by Jeph Loeb called “Childhood’s End” where Loeb mentions the premature aging of Vietnam veterans upon their return to the everyday world. “The world is what we called this place. OK, because Vietnam was such another worldly place,” Hassett said. Hassett proceeded to recall anecdotal experiences he had during his tour and listed statistical information about the war. He mentioned O’Brien several times as he quoted what O’Brien said in his book about storytelling and the stories we tell, even when they take place in warlike conditions — or in this case, an actual war. Hassett said there was no explaining turn of events, it just was, trying to emulate what O’Brien said about the dead. “To speak of the dead and to let them live if only in re-telling their stories is what O’Brien alludes to at the end of the book,” Hassett said. Early childhood education major Gabriela Duran said that Hassett is her English professor and that she attended the workshop because the final is on the book. “Since he is a vet, he can describe the experience like no other. I think with his knowledge, he is a perfect person to discuss the book and the presentation in which he gave helped you visualize (the horrors) of war,” Duran said. “The time of youth maturation and playing with different roles was lost forever. The Vietnam veterans, as a whole, lost their youth. “They went from children to men during their year or 13 months in Vietnam,” Hassett said. He said that he never got his youth back because of too many memories of Vietnam and that he went straight to college furthering his career. Karla Davila, nursing major, said, “The emotion (as he is re-telling the story), you can hear it in his voice. The sadness makes me want to cry but you realize what a big impact the war had on these vets, even if it was so many years ago.” Davila said that the treatment of post-Vietnam vets and other veterans of the more recent Middle Eastern conflicts made her understand what people, like her nephew, are going through emotionally, pertaining to post traumatic stress disorder. Hassett said, “Vietnam was one of the most momentous times of my life. Only with marriage, holding my children after they were born, and teaching did I emerge from the shadow Vietnam had cast — and became a real human being.”

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

A11

CHICANOS CELEBRATE HISTORY

Annual Cinco de Mayo event traces cultural origins BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Many people in the United States celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but most do not understand its origin or why Mexican-Americans have maintained the tradition since 1863. “It was not until the 1980s that the beer companies took it over,” Contra Costa College’s La Raza studies professor Agustin Palacios said, “So part of the struggle now is reclaiming Cinco de Mayo and that tradition of resistance, of fighting against imperialism and for democracy.” La Raza Student Union (LRSU) students and faculty organized the annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration and Night of Cultural Resistance on May 5 at the Three Seasons and Knox Center. Students and faculty were greeted by a fundraising piñata and La Raza members in the patio area of the Three Seasons Restaurant, behind the Applied Arts Building starting at 4 p.m. They were encouraged to go to the Knox Center to watch a screening of the independent film “Sin Visa” from 6 to 8 p.m. and a chance to ask the anonymous star of the film (Marco) questions about his journey as an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. Earlier in the day, and true to tradition, tri-color streamers, vibrant paper maché flowers and the Mexican national flag surrounded attendants moving in the dining area. After students had their fill of the trays full of rice, tacos, tortilla chips, churros and chiles relleno poppers, prepared by culinary art students, they listened to political science major Maria Lara explain the celebration’s roots. “Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, commemorates the Mexican victory at the battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican War 18611867,” Lara said. But when Palacios stepped in front of the projector and speakers of the karaoke stand, set up for people who would later sing songs by performers ranging from Selena to Vicente Fernandez, he brought up the question “why?” “That was just one battle though,” Dr. Palacios said. “We won some we lost some. We don’t celebrate the day we finally kicked out the French or cut Maximilian’s head off. So what about this battle?” “It actually began with a sword,” he said. “(General) Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French in this battle and Mexican people living in the U.S. decided to honor him. So they raised funds to make a sword and sent it to him on Cinco de Mayo. But before he got the sword he died.”

LEFT: La Raza studies professor Agustin Palacios elaborates on some of the disinformation about Cinco de Mayo, clarifying its true history for students during the Cinco de Mayo celebration in the Three Seasons Restaurant on May 5. CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Academic Senate shifts leadership as tenure ends After four years president position sees transition BY Cody McFarland ASSOCIATE EDITOR

cmcfarland.theadvocate@gmail.com

While researching for her dissertation on second language learning Gabriela Segade found herself in need of some technical help. The English as a second language professor’s inquiry for audio assistance put her in contact with music department Chairperson Wayne Organ that fall of 2008. Without hesitation the tall, eager and affable professor of music came out to Segade’s classroom — having never met her before, not getting paid to do so — and got down to work. “He spent so much time helping me set up, figuring out what would be the right equipment to use,” she said. “Years later after getting to know him I brought it up and thanked him. He didn’t even remember.” Such moments are not typically memorable for those who regularly go out of their way to help others. Though helping others seems to be second nature to which Academic Senate President Organ

pays no mind, it is likely he has helped numerous faculty without them paying it any mind. At the end of this semester Organ’s second term as Academic Senate president concludes and he must step down. Kinesiology department Chairperson Beth Goehring was elected by faculty to take up the presidency beginning this fall. As any individual who has worked in proximity of Organ resounds, his assistance and contributions to Contra Costa College, noticed or not, are far-reaching and remarkable. “Wayne is all over the court. You can find his thumbprint on everything,” retired fine and media art professor John Diestler said. Organ said, “I am on practically every committee. It is in the role (Academic Senate president) to be the voice of faculty.” In his first term Organ worked tirelessly on forming a program discontinuance policy for the college district, as one had yet to be crafted. He became chairperson of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Council, as well as communicated with hundreds of people districtwide to form a regular process regarding Title V restrictions. In his second term Organ has dealt with much of CCC’s accreditation process, including writing

the Accreditation Report intro, all of Standard I and parts of additional standards and has most recently worked to fine-tune program review, assist strategic planning and survey faculty concerning the compressed calendar decision, among other duties. “There is nothing he can’t do,” Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said. “He takes on really big tasks and doesn’t shy away from opportunity. He’s focused on what’s best for the college and our students.” In her former role as district vice chancellor of education and technology, Mehdizadeh said she worked with Organ on many fronts, handling academic and formal matters. “He’s an extremely collegial person,” she said. “I have not heard one negative comment from anyone about him. “People trust Wayne. He’s open and ready to listen to the viewpoints of everyone at the college.” In any shared governance group there are those who join only to build a resumé in an attempt to further their professional careers. Organ is not one of those individuals. “He’s got a lot of integrity,” Dr. Segade said. “He’s principled; he always tries to do the right thing: His intentions are good.”

Segade said she got to know Organ better after becoming vice president of the Academic Senate one-and-one-half years ago — a time when her Organ “amazing mentor” worked beside Served two her diligently to terms as ensure she under- Academic stood the many Senate topics and pro- president, cesses discussed served on mulitple in meetings. “He has committees, an incredible took on amount of energy many projand enthusiasm. ects. He’s a people person,” she said. Diestler said, “He’s clear and collaborative. He’s also a skilled percussionist.” Organ was trained as a percussionist at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and completed his graduate work at Cal State-East Bay. He also plays some bass. “I had too much work as president, so I couldn’t teach music,” Organ said. “I look at my two terms like a four-year sabbatical: I’m feeling refreshed and looking forward to teaching music again.”

Career Day promotes technical education workforce Agencies organize tables, hand out gifts, surveys in courtyard

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

The courtyard outside of the Student Services Center bustled with activity April 29 when 55 recruiters from staffing agencies gave students an opportunity to sell themselves in hopes of someday landing a career in their chosen field of study. After suffering massive budgetary cuts over four years ago, Contra Costa College lost its career counselor John Christenson to Diablo Valley College, and has not filled the position since. Most campuses have on-campus recruitment programs to attract employers who are looking to hire students. CCC had the manager of EOPS and CalWORKs Teresa Orchaga, and Student Life Coordinator Erika Greene, handle the first Career Day held on campus in years. “With the success of the event we definitely plan on having another Career Day in the future. We would like to hold one every spring semester,” Greene said. Other campus employment counselors not only offer a pathway for students to reach employers, but also a way for “headhunters” to reach out to qualified students. “We wanted to give students

a chance to survey the field or to find employment in their field of study,” Orchaga said. “It’s also a good chance to give space to our community partners who are looking for an opportunity to show support.” Certain businesses use all kinds of gifts, from T-shirts to water bottles, hoping to lure potential applicants to their tables. Some companies already have relationships with CCC, and had tables set up to expand their alliance by marketing themselves to a trained candidate pool. “We have a history of recruiting from the automotive program here on campus,” Dave Wedding, business development manager of Mike’s Auto Body, said. “I serve on the automotive board with Peter Lock. We also make financial contributions. We have jobs for students who completed the program and for those with no experience,” he said. Students attended Career Day in droves to take advantage of the opportunities available. “I already had to drop classes to look for work,” CCC student Hirvin Mendez said. “I’m just curious to see what everyone is offering.” Daunte Tuite, associate of Wells Fargo, was on campus to

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

offer more than just employment opportunities. He said aside from growing his team with new and talented people, he also wants to establish banking relationships. “We want to teach students the importance of credit because some of the people we’ve spoken to aren’t really into it yet,” Tuite said. “Bad credit decisions they make today will have an impact on their future.” The Employment Development Department (EDD) was also in attendance to share information

on the free services they provide. These services include employment workshops and resume preparation sessions. EDD also extended its services to veterans on campus. Adam McClure from the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program said, “We work with vets and help them transfer back into the workforce.” Private staffing agencies were also serviced and recruited students with all levels of experience and education.

ABOVE: Richmond High School senior Zuleyma Garcia is handed a shirt by Adriana Vazquez, a program assistant for the San Pablo EDC during Career Day on April 29.

A12

campusbeat AWARDS HONOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

“

I am looking forward to what he will bring to the paper considering he is the first editor-in-chief who has real multimedia skills.” — Paul DeBolt, journalism department chairperson

Students attend convention, receive scholarship funds BY Roxana Amparo NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Photo editor Christian Urrutia plans to incorporate multimedia projects into the standard workflow of The Advocate and continue to further promote the newspaper by attaining a larger social media presence.

Urrutia takes lead with social media experience Photo

BY Lorenzo Morotti

editor

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

plans to focus on social media, online promotion

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Throughout the history of The Advocate there has never been an editor-in-chief with as much experience with multimedia projects than the one who has just been recently elected. “He’s ready,” journalism department Chairperson Paul DeBolt said. “What I like about him is that he has had a hand in almost every online project and written stories. “I am looking forward to what he will bring to the paper considering he is the first editor-in-chief who has real multimedia skills,” he said. Christian Urrutia ran unopposed and was elected as editor-inchief on May 6, by The Advocate staff for the upcoming 2015-16 publication schedule. Urrutia graduated from Vista High School in Richmond, Calif., in 2009, and started his time on The Advocate as a staff photographer, and then promoted to assistant photo editor. He became the photo editor in 2014 and has maintained his position ever since. Since then he has won various multimedia and team project awards at Journalism Association of Community College (JACC)

“I want to promote

more multimedia projects and set a standard that future staffs have to work hard to achieve.” — Christian Urrutia, 2015-16 editor-in-chief of The Advocate

conventions and also been part of three staffs that were awarded the JACC Pacesetter Awards. Pacesetters are awarded to the top four two-year community college publications in the state. “I want to promote more multimedia projects,” Urrutia said, “and set a standard that future staffs have to work to achieve.” As editor-in-chief, he said he wants to move the publication further away from print-only. He also wants to promote the online platform to a wider audience by creating more editorial positions that will oversee this growing channel. “First I would like to promote a social media editor to take the reins and make sure (social media) projects are getting done,” Urrutia said. “If we post on social media on a consistent basis then promoting the publication is not as big of a

challenge.” Staff illustrator Marci Suela said she noticed Urrutia slowly take on more responsibilities during his time on staff from various multimedia projects, then writing stories. Suela said that he must become more demanding of his staff if he wants the result to be a quality publication. “(Urrutia) has some room to grow,” she said. “He is a really nice guy, but I would like to see him put his foot down more in the future.” DeBolt said that is only one of the challenges most editor-inchief ’s are faced with. “It’s always a challenge to learn to lead and organize,” he said. “The editor makes all the final decisions, assigns the work, collaborates with section editors and discusses issues with staff members. “There is always an adjustment to be made and I think he will handle them responsibly.” One adjustment that he will have to cope with is the loss of Art Director George Morin, and Associate Editor Cody McFarland, but will have about 10 returning staff members. DeBolt said with his time on The Advocate, Urrutia has proven himself to be a smart, reliable, patient “team player.”

Members of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society (AGS) attended the AGS State Convention April 17-19 in Ontario, California and three members were awarded scholarships. The AGS State Convention is held during the spring semester and allows members of different honor society chapters throughout community colleges in California to come together knowing they have similar goals and values. “The best thing about student-led organizations is that the more students have a connection, the harder it is to drop out,” club co-adviser Patricia Herrera said. Every year, three AGS members are nominated to receive a scholarship and this year the three members who applied all received a scholarship. There were two categories, the Service Scholarships which are the Ed Walsh Scholarship and the Charles Bell Scholarship, and the Academic Scholarships which are the Kathleen D. Loly Scholarship and Virginia Coffey Scholarship. Two students received academic awards and one received a top service award. Engineering major Valeria Avila received the Virginia Coffey Scholarship for having the highest scores in California. “It was pretty exciting,” she said. Avila said CCC was the last college to be called so she was not expecting to be one of the recipients. “Everyone was really quiet and we were the loud ones when they called us.” Psychology major Gerald Macadangdang received the top service award which was the Charles Bell Scholarship and biology major Duy Masuno was awarded the Kathleen D. Loly Scholarship for academic excellence. Although last year AGS lacked the proper funds to attend the state convention, this year they fundraised and used money from the club’s account to make it possible. “I’ve been fortunate enough to attend two years. That is why I tell others to participate,” AGS President Brenda Vega said. During the convention there were a variety of workshops with educational purposes for students and keynote speakers that inspired and motivated. Vega said they gathered together after listening to the speaker and bonded over the new found motivation from keynote speaker Judge of the Superior Court of California James E. Rogan. Rogan attended UC Berkeley, which gave them a familiar sense of where he came from. “It really humbled everyone,” Avila said. Herrera said no matter how successful someone can become, giving back to the community is important and AGS focuses on giving back. Throughout the year club members participate in community events and stay connected. It is Vega’s last semester at CCC and she said students should be involved in clubs not just because it looks good on a resumé, but because of the experience, skill and leadership development and connection created with those who hold similar interests.

Preparation highlights programs, resources Super Saturday provides awareness of clubs, classes

BY Marlene Rivas STAFF WRITER

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

Super Saturday, held for the third year in a row, was provided with the intent to prepare incoming freshmen for their time at Contra Costa College. Held in the Gymnasium from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, the event was well attended with a large number of people showing up at 8 a.m. sharp, Interim President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said. Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson said all hands were on deck for the Resource Fair. There were many people involved to pull off something of this magnitude and for things to go smoothly. Tables, representing 28 programs in total, were set up around half the perimeter of the Gym, each with representatives of school organizations, resources and departments. This created awareness of what the college has to offer and also allowed for clubs to recruit members. It is a chance to get new board members, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers President Valeria Avila said. Representatives at each of the tables were armed with handouts and pamphlets with information about their programs for inquiring students. Much of the college community volunteered and were doing what they love and are focused on serving the needs of West

Contra Costa County, Mehdizadeh said. Some took a more interactive approach than just speaking to the students. The Library and Learning Resource Center representatives gave out candy and small prizes to those who participated in the Library question game. The automotive services department folks allowed students to get a feel of their classes and what they teach. There was virtual car painting to demonstrate the skills in the repair and collision class. New clubs, such as the Per Ankh Academy, which will be launching in the fall, were able to make their first appearance to students. “It makes a difference to come talk to people. It gives you a better sense what is offered,” Mehdizadeh said. Students crowded the tables and talked with faculty and current students and asked questions. It was great and hands on, and everyone was nice and genuinely interested in what everyone wanted to hear about, incoming freshman Ilianna Andradi said. The event allowed for students to witness and learn firsthand about the campus rather than shying away from it due to things they may have heard. It’s really important and lets students actually see what CCC has to offer rather than hearing negatively of it, student Almas Ami said.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Counselor Sarah Boland explains the steps needed to enroll at Contra Costa College to incoming freshmen from surrounding high schools during the Super Saturday event in the Gymnasium on Saturday.

The viewing was suddenly stopped and everyone’s attention was directed toward a small dance performance done by students. After the performance, the welcoming and staff recognition began. Translation headphones were available so that parents whose first language was Spanish could fully understand the information provided by the speakers. Ferguson led the welcoming speech and Mehdizadeh spoke about her own experiences at a community college.

“You can start here and go anywhere you want. Contra Costa College can help you get wherever you want to go,” Mehdizadeh said. College Vice President Tammeil Gilkerson took it as an opportunity to call up all faculty members present to the front of the audience and acknowledge their hard work and dedication. She said that they were some of the most incredible people she had ever worked with.

B SECTION WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Fiscal battle, gender equity in athletics examined

sports

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Athletic superiority exposes class, savvy

PAGE B3

FIRST SEASON IN PAC 7 FOR COMETS LEADS TO DOMINANCE PAGE B4

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

COLEMAN JONATHAN BANKS & AHJAHNA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FOOTBALL

Quarterback Jonathan Banks and guard Ahjahna Coleman earned 2014-15 Athlete of the Year honors for their leadership and outstanding performance on the field and on the court.

— COMPLETE STORIES AND HONORABLE MENTIONS: PAGES B4 AND B5 —

Soccer team returns to playoffs, sets new standard PAGE B5

FALL SPORTS TEAMS MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR TRIUMPH Autumn athletics takes early action in paving a pathway to success and academic reward. PAGE B11

“

It’s a serious story. I’m just happy to see him out in the world. With all he’s been through to see him still striving for his goal is amazing.” — Marvin Webb, baseball coach

Courageous life reveals resilience, dedication Oaks’

By Robert Clinton

drive,

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

resolve defines character on field

Season highs, lows showcased PAGE B12

SPORTS EDITOR

To persevere against all odds is what we would all hope to do when faced with seemingly insurmountable conditions. But to truly control one’s destiny one must stare adversity in its cold dark eyes and conquer it. Thousands of children are born with sickle cell anemia each year. There are few who would not be deterred from their chosen path. Especially following a condition-related incident on the baseball field and, shortly after, suffering career threatening knee damage after being hit by a car. “Through all of this, all of the times that I thought I was done, it seems like the game kept calling me back,” Comet first baseman Aaron Oaks said. “I’m going to

keep playing until someone flat out says, son, I think it’s time to hang it up.” An Oakland native, Oaks was born with the sickle cell trait and was advised by doctors to remain active but avoid high impact activities. Having never suffered a crisis by age 5, the Oaks’ signed young Aaron up for tee ball. After showing no signs of complications from baseball, the outfielder’s parents informed doctors of his baseball activity and the physicians were supportive. He continued Little League, travel ball and finally attended University Preparatory Charter Academy until the school’s closing in 2007. He then transferred to Skyline High SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE School in Oakland. Oaks lost focus after Aaron Oaks (top center) poses with his Comet teammates SEE OAKS, PAGE 4

during the 2015 baseball season after years of work to get back in competitive form.

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

OAKS | Consequential moments made clear through hardships Continued from Page 1 the transfer and let his grades slip below the eligibility level. For the first time that he could remember, baseball was not the focal point of his life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the academy there was more pressure on you to keep up with your schoolwork,â&#x20AC;? Oaks said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I got to Skyline it was more like anything goes. It was easy to slip through the cracks.â&#x20AC;? Adding to the embarrassment of not making the grades to play high school baseball, Oaks was shocked to receive a call from an old supporter, baseball scout Brian Morrison, who somehow already knew his academic situation. As a freshman at the academy, Oaks would regularly sneak into the batting cage and hit for hours. It was there that he met Morrison who told him he had a good swing and that he would be watching to see how Oaks turned out. The two remained in touch and after graduation Oaks was invited to attend a baseball camp where he showed enough potential to garner the attention of the Tampa Bay Rays. Before leaving for Tampa, Oaks needed to hone his skills. He decided to attend Contra Costa College rather than a school closer

to home. He did not want to be around the same people he felt lured him off track in high school. It was during his initial workout with the Comet baseball team that Oaks had the first sickle cell crisis of his life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I never felt pain like that before. My arms, legs and chest were on fire,â&#x20AC;? Oaks said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since it was my first time I tried to play through it, then I had to go tell Webb that I needed to sit down for a second.â&#x20AC;? Oaks explained what was going on and the coaches asked if he had medication. Shortly after Oaks was rushed home to recover after taking his meds. Shortly after his mother arrived home from work, and noticing her sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condition, she rushed him to the emergency room. The baseball hopeful would spend the next month in a hospital bed. His only relief was morphine to ease the pain as there is no known cure for the condition. Sensing his opportunity to play slipping through his fingers, Oaks decided to leave the hospital and return to the field â&#x20AC;&#x201D; against his doctorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; orders. His discharge would last roughly two weeks, until the hasty decision landed Oaks back in the infirmary for another month.

Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Through all of this, all

of the time that I thought I was done, it seems like the game keeps calling me back.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Aaron Oaks &RPHW Ă&#x;UVW EDVHPDQ

What is sickle cell anemia? Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell have red blood cells that become pointed and hardened instead of soft and round. In America itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated that more than 70,000 people have the disease and more than 1,000 babies are born in the U.S. each year with the disease. Symptoms include lung tissue damage, painful episodes and stroke. The blockage of blood flow caused by the sickle shaped cells can also prove to be a problem to most organs including the spleen, liver and kidney. There is no universal cure for the condition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a serious (condition). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just happy to see him out in the world. With all he has been through to see him still striving for his goal is amazing,â&#x20AC;? Comet baseball coach Marvin Webb said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was there

when he had his first outbreak. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an inspiration to everyone.â&#x20AC;? His rehab was intensive. It would be one year before Oaks could get back on the field. After contacting coach Webb and with his relationship with Morrison still intact, Oaks and his doctors decided he was physically ready to get back on the field. Shortly before the start of fall baseball, and roughly a year after his on-field attack, Oaks was hit by a car after leaving his grandmotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house in Oakland. It was another setback â&#x20AC;&#x153;I looked at it and it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look that bad, even though the force spun me through the air,â&#x20AC;? Oaks said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The paramedics made me go to the hospital. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when they discovered the damage to my knee ligaments.â&#x20AC;? The sickle cell exacerbated the situation and due to the massive swelling it was difficult to see if the abnormally shaped cells were adding to the internal problems. They were. The cells were not allowing proper blood flow to the knee, increasing swelling and dramatically slowing the healing process. Oaks chose to opt out of surgery, fearing he would never walk the same again. After three and a half long years of low impact

rehabilitation and prodding from his physical therapist, Oaks was physically ready to give his injured knee a try. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was watching baseball and just got the urge,â&#x20AC;? Oaks said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I picked up an old bat, got in my stance, took a swing and everything felt fine.â&#x20AC;? He gave Webb a call and made the 2014-15 baseball season his first in over five years. The first baseman saw action in 20 games for the Comets during the season. In 70 at bats, Oaks hit for an average of .357, which led the team. Oaks earned the California Community College Athletic Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community College Counselors/Advisors Academic Association for Athletes Award for Outstanding Achievement on May 1. Having been given the opportunity to play, Oaks values his team despite its disappointing 6-29 season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If that happened to me it would have been hard to swallow,â&#x20AC;? Comet third baseman Lumus Russell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been a tough mental grind with the injuries one after the other. But he has a good heart and still plays the game (with the enthusiasm of a) 6- or 7- year-old.â&#x20AC;?

The Pool has created revenue for the college without having swimming or water polo teams since the early 1980s by renting out its use to local high school teams and the community. There will be swimming classes offered during the summer term.

LIFE SAVING CLASS GIVES LOW-COST INSTRUCTION Summer swim provides vital lessons to live by BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Summer Aquatic Program at Contra Costa College is underway and the Athletic Department has been flooded with parents requesting spots to ensure they and their children learn one of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most valuable lessons â&#x20AC;&#x201D; swimming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 deaths per day occur because of drowning. Also, statistics show participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent in children age 1-4. In progress since March 31, swim instruction is available to all levels of age and experience. The facility employs a 50-meter Olympic size pool alongside a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructional pool both heated to 80 degrees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I work at the El Cerrito Swim Center and my son came here years ago because of the heated pool. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also far less expensive,â&#x20AC;? head instructor at the El Cerrito community gymnastic center Belinda Baker said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He brought his kids here and now I bring the next generation of our family here.â&#x20AC;? The program is directed by swim instructor Jim Ulversoy. In an area as diverse as the East Bay and San Pablo in particular, it is important that local residents have a low cost opportunity to learn something from a skillful instructor that might one day save their life. According to a national survey by the University of Memphis and USA Swim Foundation, 70 percent of blacks and 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim. Also found in the same study, if a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that a child in that household will learn to swim. Lessons are available to anyone 4 years of age or older,, who is at least three feet tall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great for the students and great for the community,â&#x20AC;? Comet Athletic Director John Wade said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To see the smile on kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; faces in the summer after getting to swim all day for $2 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best deal in town.â&#x20AC;? Basic swim lessons for all swim levels, beginners and advanced, will be given every 30 minutes. Early lessons are from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Afternoon and evening classes are from 4 until 6:30 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The program started 10 years ago in the fall then it extended to spring swimming three or four years ago,â&#x20AC;? Ulversoy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no (training) pool in the community and a bond measure made it possible to get the pool built.â&#x20AC;? There is also a parent child/toddler swim session offered. It is designed for children from 6 months to 4 years old and parents must accompany children in the water at all times. Springboard diving is offered for all levels of divers over 8 years old who pass the basic swim test. Adult lap swim is available at specific times through July 23. Lanes may have to be shared at any time as slow, medium and fast lanes are for people with different speeds.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

*O " 3VU

WHY NOT BREAK OUT OF IT IN AN 8IZ OPU CSFBL PVU PG JU JO BO â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ATMOSPHERE OF OPPORTUNITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;? A"UNPTQIFSF PG &YDFMMFODF Staff allall areas of The Advocate, the mostthe decoStaff positions positionsare areopen openinin areas of the The Advocate, most rated two-year collegecollege newspaper staff in the United States. decorated two-year newspaper staff in the United States. Most needed are writers (news, sports, feature and opinion) and phoMost needed are writers (news, sports, feature and opinion) and photographers. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just willingness to learn and tographers.No Noexperience experiencenecessary is necessary â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ajust a willingness to learn excel. and excel. Sign Production (Jrnal 122-0458, 3 units) and Newsand Sign up upfor forNews Newspaper Production (Jrnal 122-0458, 3 units) Practice (Jrnal 110A-4073, units) for the fall Newspaper Practice (Jrnal 1-2 110-0456, 1 unit) forsemester. the fall semester. Questions? Email faculty faculty adviser adviser Paul PaulDeBolt DeBolt(pdebolt@contracosta. (pdebolt@contracosta. Questions? Email edu) edu) or or come comeby byThe TheAdvocate AdvocateNewsroom NewsroomininAA-215. AA-215.

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

THAT’S DEBATABLE Should Contra Costa College add an additional women’s sports program? N PRO

CON N

Fiscal iniquities define gender divide

Participation rate establishes value

Simple mis-information clouds judgment, perception in sports

Diminished interest leaves fans looking for athletic alternatives

n 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendment required all schools receiving federal money to provide the same opportunities for women as they do men by 1978. Since, continued speculation has been raised about the value of women’s athletics. Most questions of value have come from men. Betsy Stephens of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania compiled data to see what adding sports did to girls’ lives and how it changed things for them. Using information gathered from many sources including location, climate, school population and personal differences among athletes, as well as other methods, the benefits began to take form. The improvement in women’s lives after the advent of Title IX measured a 20 percent rise in women’s education and a 40 percent rise in employment for women age 25-34. It is not that women who do well in life play sports, it is that women who play sports tend to do better over the course of their lives, Stephens said in her report. The increase in the overall health of women in the years following the ruling is enough to justify a place in the fabric of society for women’s athletic programs. The benefits are measured both long term and immediate. Since Title IX, women have seen decreases in levels of obesity into their adult years. Studies show that women who participate in athletics saw a 7 percent drop in obesity 20-25 years later into their late 30s and early 40s. A 7 percent swing is slight, but still more than any long run program has produced. Also, female athletes run a reduced risk of chronic illnesses later in life like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, also colon and breast cancers. Young women who play sports are also more likely to graduate from high school, have better grades and score higher on standardized tests. The numbers hold firm across all levels of economic backgrounds. The dissenters argue that by its very existence Title IX takes away from boy’s and men’s sports solely by increasing opportunities for women in athletics. In fact, men’s sports have continued to expand as opportunities for their female counterparts have also expanded, bringing benefits to all students. One of the most common myths about Title IX or women’s sports in general is the idea that in order to make room for female athletes men’s programs have to be cut. The ruling does not promote the cutting of any programs but does give athletic directors an opportunity to restructure programs, as long as the changes are not discriminatory. Between 1988 and 2011, National Collegiate Athletic Association members dropped 2,748 men’s athletic teams. Most of the teams dropped were reflections of the athletic climate in America as interest in men’s gymnastics and wrestling waned. Over the same period, 3,727 soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams were added for an expansion of nearly 1,000 men’s athletic teams in the Title IX era. Women made enormous advances over the same period of time, but only because the depth of the hole they were trying to escape was centuries in the making. The law does not require athletic departments to spend equal amounts of money on men and women’s programs. It only requires that there is not a large discrepancy in overall funding. In Division I colleges, the gap is cavernous as women only receive roughly 28 percent of the money spent on athletics. For example, the average amount spent to sustain a Division I football team is more than $12 million. In contrast, total spending for the entirety of women’s sports at an equal program is just around $8 million. Nationwide, high school girls have 1.3 million fewer chances to play sports than do boys. Aside from lack of opportunity, when the chance does arise, girls often receive inferior treatment regarding facilities, equipment, scheduling and publicity. On the highest levels of collegiate sports, women make up 42 percent of the athletic scholarships, 31 percent of recruiting dollars and a measly 28 percent of the total money spent on athletics. Still, the data all points to girls and women participating in sports on any level being a benefit to all. Whether it is to lessen the burden on our medical infrastructure or for increasing performance in the classroom, sports can bridge gaps and unite communities while equating historic inequities along the way.

robertclinton

lorenzomorotti

he amount of broadcast time that major sport networks dedicate to women’s sports is reflective of how society perceives the importance of female athletes. According to a report titled “Gender in Televised Sports,” researched and written by Mike Messner from USC and Cheryl Cooky from Purdue University, ABC, CBS and NBC combined only devoted 4.7 percent of airtime for women’s sports in 2009. And in our media dominated society coverage denotes importance. So until the low percent of airtime changes, along with the way female athletes are perceived, adding a women’s sports team to Contra Costa College would be like the athletic department throwing the little money it has down a well. Simply adding another sports team won’t solve the imbalance in the number of male students competing in athletic programs at CCC compared to their female counterparts. This perception, however, is slowly changing. The problem is that it is not changing quickly enough for the college to add another athletic team to solve the issue of equity in sports. This is true especially considering the population of women at CCC are largely first generation college students from low economic standing who tend not to play sports because they don’t think it is as important as getting an education. That is very sound reasoning considering that even if they did play for a team, who would go watch? In this country, if it isn’t broadcast, then it doesn’t matter and the current state of airtime for women’s sports is just as saddening as the ratio of male-to-female athletes at CCC and its fan base. During the first half of the 2014-15 Comet basketball Bay Valley Conference season the men’s team played after the women’s games. But to be in compliance with Title IX, passed in 1972 to promote equitable gender access in public institutions, the women played after the men during the second half of BVC games. However, once the men were finished playing, more than half of the audience in the bleachers left. How is that equitable? While there are four men’s teams and four women’s teams at CCC, adding another women’s sports program would not change the fact that the number of players on the football team roster is double that of all women athletes at the college. So to have true equity, the college would have to add three or four more teams to compensate. But even adding one won’t happen considering that the athletic department continues to poorly market its women’s sports interest survey meetings. Until the college figures out an efficient platform to notify more students that these meetings are happening, then only one or two women will continue to show up to a near empty classroom. Lorenzo Morotti is the editor-inchief of The Advocate. Contact him at lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com.

Robert Clinton is the sports editor of The Advocate. Contact him at rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Coach Alonzo Cater (center) points toward the team’s championship banner in the stands after the Comets’ 51-10 win over San Jose City College at Comet Stadium on Nov. 15, 2014. The win clinched the team’s third consecutive conference championship.

Life after death, team makes history Following death of coach Daryll Blackmon, Comets dominate

BY Robert Clinton

“It was the hardest thing

SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

For Comet football, 2014 was a season of firsts; finishing in first place in the first year of play in the Pacific 7 Conference — en route to 10-1 season, culminating in a 34-27 Living Breath Foundation Bowl rematch victory over Hartnell College Nov. 29. The season played out like a Greek tragedy, starting innocently enough, with players returning to spring practice dedicated to making up for the loss in the previous bowl game to Hartnell in 2013. Heartbreak struck the team with four games remaining in the season when position coach Daryll Blackmon was killed in a car accident just hours before the team was to take the field in a decisive 44-27 win over Shasta College on Nov. 1. Comet football Coach Alonzo Carter points to that moment as the turning point in the season. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in coaching,” Carter said. “Finding out what happened just hours before. After the game it was a combination of tears of joy and of sadness. Holding in all of those emotions put everything in perspective. It was the biggest game, a battle for first place. I was so proud of

I’ve ever had to do in coaching. Finding out what happened just hours before. After the game it was a combination of tears of joy and of sadness. Holding in all of those emotions put everything in perspective. It was the biggest game, a battle for first place. I was so proud of the way the guys bought in to the plan.” — Alonzo Carter, football coach

the way the guys bought into the plan.” Carter chose not to reveal word of the tragedy to his players until after the game. Upon hearing the news the team promptly dedicated the season to Blackmon and played every remaining game in his honor. The team took out its emotional rage on the field and finished in the top 10 in California in eight statistical categories. CCC finished ninth in scoring notching 447 total points and sixth in points-pergame averaging 40.6. They were seventh in total offense

averaging 436.9 YEAR IN yards per game and eighth in rushing REVIEW touchdowns with Overall 32. record: 10-1 Special teams Conference also cracked the record: 6-0 top 10 finishing Conference eighth in points finish: First after touchdown, making 53 of 60 attempts. “I knew we would be good at the beginning of the season. You could tell there was a lot of talent on the team in practice,” Comet lineman Joe Baltrip said. “Going 10-1 and winning our bowl game and the championship was the highlight of the season for me.” It is difficult to point to one moment on the field that would stand out for a team that put together a string of second half shutouts over a five-game stretch. That is a run that saw the team average more than 50 points per game. The highs and lows of the season were dramatic. Either fans cheered any of the multiple big plays of 80 yards or better or bemoaned the squad for the inopportune penalties it was prone to receive regularly throughout games. In a season built on overcoming obstacles, the Comets rose to the occa-

sion not only capturing the conference championship, but also receiving multiple individual awards. Carter was named Pac 7 Coach of the Year and quarterback Jonathan Banks also accepted Offensive Player of the Year honors. Sophomore running back Harold Halcombe garnered All-Conference recognition along with linemen Alem Amore and Darus Workman. Amore and Workman both will move on to play Division I football at Jackson State University and North Carolina State University, respectively. Comet receiver Frank Stephens and kicker Lorann Fonseca rounded out the All-Conference awards for CCC. “It didn’t take long for everybody to get on the same page and come together as a team,” Comet defensive back Lavon Washington said. “We knew our potential from the start and we just had to take it step-by-step as a team.” Moving forward, Carter said the team will continue to strive for the high standards it set over the last three seasons. “That standard was set to the credit of all of the players and coaches,” he said. “To win the championship in the inaugural season of a new conference (Pac 7) can only be described as historical.”

Three players committed to return, improvement After winning Laney tourney, volleyball team steadily improves

BY José Jimenez SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The volleyball team finished 212 in the Bay Valley Conference (BVC), and 4-15 overall, finishing seventh, and ahead of Laney College in the conference. It was volleyball coach Zach Shrieve’s fifth consecutive losing season, and only Laney College (0-14 in the BVC), finished with a worse record in the league. The Comets lost their last three games and were 1-9 in their final 10 games. CCC went 1-6 at home and began the season with a 2-2 record, beating College of the Redwoods (0-10 in the Golden Valley Conference) and San Jose City College (0-12 in the Coast-North Conference). “We improved every week,” Shrieve said. “Overall, we had a great scholastic year and won the Laney tournament. We have three commitments so far and seven ‘maybes,’ so we will be ready for next season.” The other two victories for CCC came against hapless Laney, and the Comets picked up their only road win in the process by defeating the Eagles in Oakland on Oct. 1. The volleyball team ranked in the bottom 10 in the state in every major statistical category: kills, kills per set, digs, digs per set, hitting percentage, blocks per set, service

Comet outside hitter Rachelle Cuevas (left) spikes the ball past Cougar middle blocker Nadia Bedard (right) during CCC’s loss to College of Alameda in the Gymnasium on Oct. 24, 2014.

aces per set YEAR IN and assists per REVIEW set. “I think the Overall season had a record: 4-15 lot of mate- Conference rial for growth record: 2-12 for players as Conference individuals,” finish: middle blocker Seventh Valeria Avila said. “We were able to fight in each match with the best of them.” In retrospect, the final game of the season proved CCC had the “fight” in them all along, and should solidify what they will attempt to accomplish next season. The game against College of Marin (6-8 in the BVC, 8-13 overall), was the only five-set match the squad played over the entire season. The Comets proved they could hang with at least the sub-.500 teams, and come up with more wins in the BVC. “With every game we really tried,” setter Richelle Ledesma said. “The stats won’t prove it, but we fought every game.” Other than that moral victory against Mariners, however, fans were left asking who should the volleyball team be more proud of defeating — winless SJCC or College of the Redwoods, or BVC last place team Laney twice? QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

NINE-YEAR PLAYOFF DROUGHT ENDS Strong conference finish first step for coach, players BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Even though the men’s soccer team was comprised mostly of freshman players and under new leadership, it managed to secure a playoff berth. The fall 2014 season marked the first time that the soccer team had reached the playoffs in nine years. CCC (11-7-3 overall, and 8-31 in the Bay Valley Conference) managed this feat with only YEAR IN a handful of ophomores REVIEW sunder the Overall leadership of record: 11-7-3 coach Nikki Conference Ferguson, record: 8-3-1 the former Conference women’s socfinish: Second cer coach, and assistant coaches Jon Scoles and Andres Ojuela. The Comets finished in second place in the BVC beneath Mendocino College, but were knocked out in the first round of the Northern California regional playoffs after losing 3-0 to Fresno City College — a considerable improvement since these two teams first encountered each other in a non-conference game on Sept. 7 when the Rams routed the Comets 8-0. The Ram’s coach Eric Solberg has been coaching men’s soccer for 10 years at FCC. After defeating the Comets 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs he said they were worthy opponents the second time around. “This is a first-year guy coaching a young team. It was a crazy game and the score is not indicative of the way these guys played,” Solberg said. “I’ve got to give (CCC) props for creating a good stepping stone for next year. We will be sure to keep the rivalry going.” Freshman Comet striker Bryan Vega said the difference in scores between these two games embodies the development of the team’s mentality during the course of the 2014 fall season. “We had a whole new team at the start of the season. I didn’t know anyone on the team and a lot of other players didn’t either, so there was no chemistry,” Vega said. “It was rough, and (Fresno) is a tough team to beat. So when we lost 8-0 we didn’t think we would make the playoffs.” But after this loss, CCC went on a six-game undefeated streak until losing to Mendocino 1-0 on Oct. 10.

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Ferguson agrees with Vega and said that the biggest challenge he and his staff faced was creating unity among players who come from different cultural backgrounds at the beginning of the season in order to make the playoffs. “Breaking down cultural barriers and building trust was the toughest challenge the players faced,” Ferguson said, “Especially with our program that pulls players from different communities.” Sophomore Bradley Alman said he was skeptical that the team would be able to do better than the season before, considering that it had such a young squad. “I didn’t think we would make the playoffs, but by the end of the year we had great chemistry,” Alman said. “And it all started with the coaching staff (putting) into our heads the idea that we would not win games if we couldn’t trust each other.” Freshman center defensive midfielder Nicolas Bob also said creating trust with so many different players from diverse backgrounds was only “difficult” at first. “We started to play better when everyone on the team devoted themselves to one goal,” Bob said. “At first I only knew about four other people on the team, but once we got into the season my eyes were opened to a whole other culture of soccer players.” Six Comet players from the 2014 fall season were selected to

ABOVE: Comet defender Brad Alman (center) jumps up for a header during the first half of CCC’s 3-1 win against Chabot College at the Soccer Field on Sept. 19, 2014.

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Eagles’ midfielder Arturo Alvarez blocks the ball from going into the net off of a Comet corner kick during the last minutes of CCC’s 1-0 loss to Mendocino College on the Soccer Field on Oct. 10, 2014.

the BVC All-Conference teams. Alman, freshman striker Bryan Santos and Bob were selected on the first team, while midfielders Ivan Marin, Jesus Villagrana and goalkeeper Jose Ayala were chosen for the second team. Santos is the only Comet striker that was selected to be on the AllConference team, as he found the back of the net 11 times in 20 games played.

Offensively, the team struggled to score, finishing the season with 33 goals overall, 20 of which came in conference play. On defense, however, the Comets managed to secure 10 shutouts with the help of Ayala, who had a .901 save percentage, which was the highest in statewide statistics. Next season the Comets will be without center defensive back

Charlie Mendoza, Alman and right defensive full back Enri Refunjol because their eligibility is up. Ferguson said he has two senior high school players from Pinole and Pittsburg who are committed to joining the team next semester to fill these vital defensive voids. He said spring workouts are well underway and a sense of “excitement” for the upcoming season has swept over the team.

Dim season examined in retrospect Players show poise in dealing with losses

BY José Jimenez SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The women’s soccer team finished 1-11 in the Bay Valley Conference (BVC), 1-19 overall and finished in last place in the conference. The Comets finished the season on an eight-game losing streak and the team finished 1-9 in its final 10 games played. In the BVC, CCC accumulated three points in the standings, the lowest in the conference. And in comparison, Folsom Lake College (12-0 in the BVC), had 36 points in the standings. “Rome wasn’t built in one day,” Athletic Director John Wade said. “This is not a four-year college and it’s a tough job recruiting women who actually want to make sports (important).” The Comets were 0-13 at home and began the year on a season high 11-game skid before beating College of Marin, 3-1. The bright spots for CCC in that game on Oct. 7 were sophomore midfielder Deanna Guzman’s score and two goals scored by midfielder Abigail Perez. “This was my first year with CCC, and in my opinion our awareness of how the game should be played lacked on the field,” striker Mayra Garcia said. “It was a large factor (in the team’s losses).” The individuals set the tone against Marin (1-11 in the BVC),

LEFT: Comet midfielder Abigail Perez (left) jumps for a header against a Falcon defender during CCC’s 7-0 loss to Folsom Lake College at the Soccer Field on Oct. 24, 2014.

with three YEAR IN first half goals. However, after REVIEW that win, the Overall Comets failed record: 1-19-0 to score in Conference 11 consecu- record: 1-11 tive halves, at Conference times looking finish: apathetic. Seventh It was not until Garcia scored on an unassisted goal against Marin on Nov. 4 that the scoring slump ended for the Comets. In fact, the score by Garcia was the only goal for CCC after its victory against Marin back in October. The Comets were outscored 57-1 in their final eight games — unprecedented in any stretch of soccer matches this season. Statistically the Comets scored five goals all season, and gave up the second most goals in the state with 88. Defender Gibsy Vilchis said teams always seemed more aggressive on the field when the games started. Only winless Cerro Coso Community College (0-9-1 in the Foothill Conference, and 0-17-1 overall) gave up more at 117. Coach Amanda Beckenhauer said to anticipate a change in culture for the team for the 2015 season. QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR — DETERMINATION — HARD WORK — FOCUS — EXCELLENCE — GRACE UNDER PRESSURE —

“Tenacity shines

“ Athletic explosion, I’m delighted to have him on my side. When you mix in all of that athleticism with his positive attitude — it takes him to another level.” — Alonzo Carter, Comet football coach

points.” —

JONATHAN BANKS

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

The decision to play freshman quarterback Jonathan Banks at the end of a lopsided loss to West Hills College-Coalinga in the second game of the season came on a whim for Comet coach Alonzo Carter. The Pacific 7 Coach of the Year knew what kind of talent the Houston native and Advocate Male Athlete of the Year possessed, but having only been with the team for a week, Carter was not sure Banks was ready to shoulder the offensive responsibility. What came next would change the course of the season entirely. “In the first game he held a clipboard so this game we decided to let him dress,” Carter said. “We were down by four scores and we decided it couldn’t hurt to put him in there. He wasn’t even taped. He led the team down the field for a touchdown, then another one. After that we just knew it.” The Comets’ loss in the WHC game was the only for the team and sparked a ninegame winning streak spearheaded by the play of Banks. CCC was not the first choice for the quarterback. After being recruited to the area by San Jose State, he opted to try his hand at a different school in pursuit of maximum playing time. In his next game for the Comets against Reedley College Banks started at quarterback. Banks scored a rushing touchdown in each of the four quarters and also threw two touchdown

passes of 43 and 78 yards, to Comet wide receiver Frank Stephens. Watching Banks run over would-be tacklers steals anyone’s attention, like seeing an overturned car on the freeway. It becomes amusing watching so many people who practice tackling all grab the same guy, yet none get him down alone. “He just does things people normally don’t do,” Carter said. Banks escapability was on display midway through the season against the College of the Redwoods Oct. 25. In that rain-soaked, mudcovered contest five hours up the California coast, Banks rushed for 183 yards on 17 carries. That day, the freshman only rushed for one touchdown — a 95-yard scramble through the heart of the Corsair defense that put the Comets up two scores shortly after halftime. In the game, Banks’ jersey was ripped to shreds like Earl Campbell’s in his epic run. Like that, but in the rain. The only exception was Banks’ run covered the length of the field for a touchdown. That game was the way people envision football — gritty and dirty, like it was meant to be played. Though his acts seem mighty on the field, the Texan regularly uses sir and ma’am and rarely discusses his contributions to the game without paying proper respect to the teammates he says he couldn’t do any of this without.

By Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

“I’m delighted and blessed to have him on my side,” Carter said. “When you mix in all of that athleticism with his positive attitude, it takes him to another level.” In 10 games this year Banks gained 1,992 rushing and passing yards and scored 17 touchdowns, aided by a top-ranked defense. The Comet ball hawks gave the dual threat ample opportunities to put points on the board and get butts out of their seats. Carter said people who have been in the game for years have come up to him to say they haven’t seen talent like his on this level in a long time. Quarterback coach Jeff Anderson helped guide Banks in his first year behind center. The two have already started working to prepare for the challenge of attempting to repeat a championship season — this time with tougher opponents and the whole league aiming to gain a reputation by knocking off the defending champions. “We are taking feedback that we got from the universities on where we can get better mechanics, footwork,” Anderson said. “This isn’t his last stop and we want to make sure we’re there to help him grow as a person. We want to give him a base foundation of knowledge that he can take anywhere.” The quarterback already has his athletic goals set for this upcoming season. “I plan to come into this season extremely focused,” Banks said. “The plan is to go undefeated and defend our championship in another bowl game.”

Being one of two returning sophomores on any team that is full of freshman forces a person to take on that leadership role, or fade into obscurity. But for sophomore Ahjahna Coleman, leadership comes as naturally as her ability to shoot with her left hand or squeeze into tight spots during important games. Coleman’s consistent play has earned her Advocate Female Athlete of the Year honors. “(Coleman) is an excellent all-around player who does everything well,” women’s basketball coach Paul DeBolt said. “And her crafty left-handed shot is unique for the type of player she is. She won’t be easy to replace.” Freshman guard Daziah Pounds said the Comets could always rely on Coleman to get points on the board regardless of how well the other team was defending her. “(Coleman) is really aggressive,” Pounds said. “She can create her own shots from nothing, which not a lot of players can do, and she plays with a lot of emotion.” Coleman, who stands at 5 feet 6 inches, led the women’s basketball team in points during her final season playing as guard at Contra Costa College, averaging 19 points per game.

“(Coleman) was our number one scorer on the team and was somebody who we could look to when we needed to get points,” DeBolt said. “She is also a good ball handler.” Pounds said, “While us freshman struggled during the start of the season, we always looked for (Coleman) to score. As the season progressed, it wasn’t on her anymore, but because of her we were able to score a lot more.” Assistant head coach Ebony Young said that while Coleman is quiet, she leads more through her actions. Because she doesn’t say much, people listen when she does. “When she did speak it made that much more of an impact,” Young said. “The team felt that and stepped up their game to match hers.” Because of her abilities on the court, Coleman was named to the BVC All-Conference team and Second Team All-State for the 2014-15 season. Fellow sophomore Carol Oldan said she remembers when she and Coleman first joined the team last year. “She was quiet almost all the time,” Oldan said. “It didn’t seem like she believed in herself and was impatient in games and got angry quickly, but she changed. “(Coleman) matured coming into her sophomore year and has become the player that college scouts

AHJAHNA COLEMAN

SPORTS EDITOR

Paul DeBolt, Comet women’s basketball coach

through actions

a champion’s heart By Robert Clinton

(Coleman) was our top scorer on the team. She was somebody who we could look to when we need to get

look for when they are recruiting.” Coleman said she graduated from McClymonds High School in West Oakland in 2013. She said that is where she came into her own “tough” style of play. She said she was raised in West Oakland by her aunt and mother. Her father was in and out of her life, and Coleman saw how difficult it was for her mother to raise her with little to no support. “I know it was hard on my mom. She sometimes had to struggle to find a place to lay her head down,” she said. “When I play basketball I think of my mom, and she is why I play the game — because I know her struggle, and I saw basketball as my opportunity to get a scholarship so she would not have to pay for my school out of pocket.” With a 2.9 GPA, Coleman said she wants to study psychiatry and has been contacted by multiple colleges, some offering partial and full-ride scholarships. And while she said she will play basketball at the school she will transfer to, playing sports is not her priority in her future. “I would transfer and play if they pay for my schooling,” she said. “But at the end of the day it’s about your education first. I can’t play basketball forever. I need to live — I need a job.”

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Comet quarterback Jonathan Banks and guard Ahjahna Coleman have been named Advocate Male and Female Athletes of the Year for their superior play during the 2014-15 year.

BASKETBALL/SOFTBALL

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

BASEBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jacqie Moody

Richelle Ledesma

Jose Ayala

Timmion Hughes

Dawson Johnson

Comet basketball’s bright spot of the future is freshman Jacqie Moody. She was second on the team in scoring averaging 17.9 points per game. Moody also led the team in rebounding and was third in the Bay Valley Conference in the category averaging 12.4 rebounds per game. The freshman forward was voted First Team AllConference by BVC coaches. Throughout the 2014-15 season the forward made scoring baskets in the post seem effortless against some of her conference opponents. She transitioned from playing guard in high school to playing a pivotal role in the post for CCC. Next year she is setting her aims at BVC MVP. She also played center field for the Comet softball team.

Contra Costa College sophomore volleyball striker Richelle Ledesma led the team with 322 assists and the fewest errors in the Bay Valley Conference (minimum 19 games played). In essence, wherever the ball was on offense, Ledesma was involved in creating points for teammates. Ledesma presented veteran leadership after CCC alumnus and All-Conference player, outside hitter Jessica Neville, moved on. On the court, Ledesma had only four errors the entire season — the lowest total among all team players. Ledesma was second on the team in kill percentage at .232, and third on the team in serving aces with 20.

If you have a goalkeeper who by the end of a season has not performed well, it affects not only his reputation on the team, but the field players’ confidence during vital games. Luckily for the Contra Costa College men’s soccer team, it had sophomore goalkeeper Jose Ayala to ease the defensive backline’s worry during one-on-one goal scoring situations. Ayala muffled 100 potential goals throughout the 13 games he played in the 2015 season. He ended the season with an overall save percentage of .901, which earned him first place in that statistical category; and while 11 shots eluded his gloves, only one was during a conference game.

Outfielder Timmion Hughes finished third in the Bay Valley Conference (BVC) in stolen bases (24) for the Comets. The 24 stolen bases was the highest ranking for any Comet baseball player in the eight major BVC statistical categories. Hughes played in 26 games and led the Comets in slugging percentage (.477), doubles (10) and runs scored (23). Hughes was second on the team in batting average (.364), triples (2) and on-base percentage (.426) while batting first in the lineup for nearly the entire season before injuring his hand on March 10.

Guard Dawson Johnson was a key contributor to the Comets’ scoring success this season. Johnson averaged 14 points, three rebounds and just over three assists per game. He shot close to 40 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line. He would help take on the scoring load so guard Tajai Johnson and forward Justin Johnson didn’t have to try to do more than they could. Dawson Johnson was a solid point guard for the Comets. He could run the offense and score when he needed to. He was the second leading scorer on the team this season.

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR — DETERMINATION — HARD WORK — FOCUS — EXCELLENCE — GRACE UNDER PRESSURE —

“Tenacity shines

points.” —

JONATHAN BANKS

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

By Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

AHJAHNA COLEMAN

SPORTS EDITOR

Paul DeBolt, Comet women’s basketball coach

through actions

a champion’s heart By Robert Clinton

(Coleman) was our top scorer on the team. She was somebody who we could look to when we need to get

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Comet quarterback Jonathan Banks and guard Ahjahna Coleman have been named Advocate Male and Female Athletes of the Year for their superior play during the 2014-15 year.

BASKETBALL/SOFTBALL

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

BASEBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jacqie Moody

Richelle Ledesma

Jose Ayala

Timmion Hughes

Dawson Johnson

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

OFFENSE, YOUTH DEFINE SEASON OF DISCONTENT

“

This was just one of those years. Most teams we played against had more size than us and we struggled to score against them.” — Paul DeBolt, Comet women’s basketball coach

Sophomores lead “To hear that come out of his mouth was supristeam, can’t attain ing, but it was time for a wake-up call for us. We postseason spot BY Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

Coming off the heels of last seasons’ playoff berth, the women’s basketball team was unable to match the success of last year by only a handful of games. With only two returning sophomores from the team that made the first round of the 2013-14 Northern California Regional Playoffs, but lost, the two had to become the leaders of an inexperienced Comet team. Contra Costa College (13-13 overall, and 10-6 in the Bay Valley Conference) women’s basketball coach Paul DeBolt said the team had a rough (1-6) start to the season because of the influx of freshman players, managed YEAR IN but to finish in REVIEW fourth place in Overall its conference. record: 13-13 DeBolt Conference said due to the record: 10-6 early season Conference losses against finish: Por ter vi l le Fourth College, Taft College and Lassen College, the Comets missed an opportunity to seal a second consecutive playoff berth for the program. “This was just one of those years,” he said. “Most teams we played against had more size than us and we struggled to score against them.” After its non-conference loss to Lassen on Dec. 5 the team was able to route Hartnell College in the first game of the Tom Martinez College of San Mateo Tournament, but lost its second game to Santa Monica College. Before the team’s game against Reedley college the next day, DeBolt calmly explained to his players who have been struggling to coexist that they were acting like a “group home team” and, if

needed to get our heads out of our asses.”

— Carol Oldan, Comet guard

they wanted to be more than that, they would have to act like “grown women.” “To hear that come out of his mouth was surprising,” sophomore guard Carol Oldan said, “But it was time for a wake-up call for us — we needed to get our heads out of our asses.” Assistant head coach Ebony Young said the 2014-15 season was a “rollercoaster” experience, but thanks to the leadership of sophomore players Ahjahna Coleman and Oldan, the team was able to level out its win-loss record by the end of the season by motivating the freshman players. “Our freshman players played a big role,” Young said. “They had to identify their roles on the team and that’s tough early in a season when you have eight players.” Freshman Comet guard Daizah Pounds said it was difficult trying to find where she fit into the scheme of things when dealing with a losing slump and the emotions that come with that sense of inadequacy. “We started the season 1-6, which from a spectators’ standpoint is failure, or mediocre, and that was discouraging,” Pounds said. “But later it turned out to be beneficial in the sense that we didn’t want to be a weak team. So, we picked up our game and ended with a 50-50 record and showed progress.” DeBolt said that while the team was not as proficient offensively as it had been in 2013-14, it found a defensive identity, thanks mostly to coach Young’s schemes, and stayed competitive in all its games. By the end of the season they were averaging about 65 points per game and generated two fourgame winning streaks that were separated by three losses to Merritt College, College of Marin and Solano College starting on Jan 24.

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Comet guard Ahjahna Coleman leaps for a lay up during CCC’s 66-56 loss to the Storm at Napa Valley College on Feb. 20.

Early shift in identity alters chemistry, winning percentage BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Comet guard Tajai Johnson (right) jumps up for a shot against Falcon guard Andre Usher (left) during CCC’s 68-54 win over Solano Community College in Fairfield on Jan. 30.

The 2014-15 men’s basketball season seemed to be a rollercoaster ride for the team this year. From the beginning, the Comets were hit with obstacles, which led to the team having a slow start to the season. Through the teams ups and downs, the Comets were able to overcome many of the challenges that were put in front of them and ended the season 14-12 overall, and 11-5 in Bay Valley Conference (BVC) play. This was a most difficult year from a coaching point of view, basketball coach Miguel Johnson said. The Comet basketball team started off the season strong with a record of 2-1 in a tournament hosted by Las Positas College. The 2-1 beginning looked to be the start of good things for the team. But the departure of three outof-state players because of financial aid issues came as abrupt and shocking to the team, and coaching staff. After those three players left the team the Comets went on a fivegame skid. “We had to re-think and change our identity,” Johnson said. As the season progressed, the Comets began to figure things out and started to win games. When BVC play began, CCC started playing much better basketball. Johnson was able to get his players to buy into the system he

would preach YEAR IN to them every day in practice REVIEW and during Overall games. record: 14-12 G u a r d Conference P e k e l o record: 11-5 McKenzie said Conference the team stayed finish: together and Fourth carried their weight the best they could. The Comets finished 3-7 against teams who were not in the BVC. Things began to click once BVC play began. The team gained more confidence after their tournament at Riverside Community College and as a result, they began to build the team chemistry back up and made strides in the right direction. The Comets started off strong, winning four out of five against formidable BVC opponents with wins coming against Merritt College, Solano Community College, Mendocino College and College of Alameda. A playoff appearance was a strong possibility and forward DeAndre Russell said, “It takes a real coaching staff to get athletes to believe.” The Comets continued to compete at a high level behind guards Tajai Johnson, Dawson Johnson and forward Justin Johnson. The team began to play together making it hard for opposing teams to win in the Gymnasium, where the Comets went 6-2 in the BVC. CCC has a 28-4 home record in the last four years, Johnson said.

Two standout moments of the season were the games against Yuba College. The Comets were leading in both games late, but failed to hold on and close the game out. In each game the Comets were battling, but would come up short because of execution at the right time by the 49ers, and costly turnovers by CCC. If the Comets were able to just come away with a split they would have had a better chance of making the playoffs. Along with the two crucial loses to Yuba College the Comets were also unable to defeat College of Marin. In the two games the team played against Marin, CCC lost by a total of 11 points. The Comets lost the first game by six points, and the second game by five. Johnson said the fate of their season would have changed if they were able to come away with at least one victory against Marin. The Comets battled as much as they could, but the lack of depth would come back to hurt them. Even through all of the obstacles the team faced, they still ended the season strong and with expectations of making the playoffs. Russell said the hardest thing for the Comets was finding out they would be “absent” from a chance to play in the playoffs this season. Johnson said he will always remember this season because the players gave it their all on the court.

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

“

At the beginning of the season it was pretty ugly. But everyday was dedicated to the team and finishing what we started.” — Gina Balan, Comet catcher

LEFT: Comet assistant coach Claire Scott hypes up shortstop Angelica Espinal after she was safe at first base during CCC’s 17-4 loss to the Falcons at Solano Community College on March 12. QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

Winless season filled with torment Success, standards shift with younger squad

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

In team sports, where winning is everything, it is nearly an impossible task for a unit to find a glimmer of hope to cling to en route to finishing the season 0-27 overall and 0-17 in the Bay Valley Conference. Only five players on the roster had ever played competitive softball before the season and were forced to do so out of their usual position for the entire season. From day one everyone involved could see that the 2014 campaign was going to be a difficult one. “Despite everything, I hope everyone looks at the bigger picture, especially because we have a lot of newer girls, in general,” Comet softball coach Karolyn Gubbine said. “I hope that they did have fun and can find something to take away from the experience.” For the first half of the season there was no such thing as a routine fly ball. The outfield was littered with missed opportunities to get out of innings, which resulted in all of the games being called by the fifth inning. Some of the players were totally out of sorts when stepping on to the field, but as practices progressed some of the first-time players began to show signs of improvement. “In the beginning everyone was

separated, but as YEAR IN the season progressed we got to REVIEW know each other Overall and we started to record: 0-27 get better,” Comet Conference outfielder Stacy record: 0-17 Fernandes said. Conference Only one player finish: from the previous Sixth season returned to the squad but missed a large swath of conference play due to injury. Despite the rocky season, the team did progress over the course of its 27game losing streak. However, the team’s progression was not reflected in the win column or on the scoreboard. Only one player, catcher Gina Balan hit for an average over .200 and only shortstop Angelica Espinal and pitcher Cicily Ragsdale had hit totals above single digits. “At the beginning of the season it was pretty ugly,” Balan said “But every day was dedicated to the team and finishing what we started.” Ragsdale won second team All-BVC honors for her determination on the mound, pitching in every one of the Comet defeats, sometimes starting both games of afternoon doubleheaders. Before this season Ragsdale was an

outfielder and had not been on the mound since Little League. With a team full of new players and the rest playing in new spots, the mistakes came early and often for the team. Coach Gubbine put the turbulent season in perspective for the handful of experienced players that suffered through losing to this extent. “For players that have been on teams before and had more success, like Cicily and Jelly (Espinal), I think being a player like that coming to a team like this, the biggest thing to take away is learning the game from every perspective on the field. It is something they might not get to learn playing for a more established program,” Gubbine said. “Like Cis (Ragsdale) pitching this year. She may not recognize it now, but down the road it’s something to be appreciated.” The softball team averaged roughly five errors per game and finished the season with a whopping 136 errors. CCC averaged about a run per game, scoring 29 runs in 27 contests. The team started better statistically than it finished, scoring 14 runs in eight games in February, then going on to put up just 13 runs in 12 games in March. The team closed out its season in April scoring an abysmal two runs in the final seven games of the spring.

GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE

Comet outfielder Stacy Fernandez catches a fly ball for an out during CCC’s loss to Napa Valley College at the Softball Field on April 16.

Injuries explain record, sub-standard performance Comets attribute lack of scoring to attrition

BY José Jimenez SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Contra Costa College baseball team finished 4-20 in the Bay Valley Conference (BVC), and 629 overall, finishing in last place in what was a disappointing season. CCC’s ballclub was the only team in the entire BVC failing to win double-digit games overall, losing nine straight games to end the season. The Comets finished 1-9 in their last 10 games played — a negative trend when contrasting and comparing sports on campus this spring semester. “We were like the ‘walking wounded’,” coach Marvin Webb said. “We had a lot of people getting hurt, so we (coaching staff) were doing the best we could with what we had.” CCC finished 3-14 in home games, also beginning the season 1-9, beating San Francisco (4-18 Coast Golden Gate Conference), ironically, 9-2 on Feb. 7. The pitching staff posted a 6.33 ERA, surrendering 383 hits, 270 runs scored and nine home runs over 308.1 innings pitched. Offensively, the ballclub ranked seventh in stolen bases and finished 25th in triples overall, as the speed was always there when they would get on base. However, one home run the entire season by outfielder Kevin Spence, and hitting .254 as a team,

was all the YEAR IN bunch could REVIEW manage this Overall season. “It was a record: 6-29 tough season Conference for us,” out- record: 4-20 fielder Leander Conference Carter said. finish: “Things just Ninth didn’t fall in our favor.” The Comets best stretch of the season came after losing to Cañada College (9-15 in the Coast Pacific Conference) 7-4. From Feb. 19 to March 7., CCC went 4-3, sweeping Laney College (6-18 in the BVC) for their only series sweep of the season. Take that with a big grain of salt because after the series sweep the Comets won one game the rest of the year, beating Los Medanos College (11-13 in the BVC) 6-4, and losing 17 of their final 18 games. “We struggled this season but as a team we were hoping to finish out the season with four straight road wins,” outfielder Randy Rudolph said. “I still can’t believe the last game has already passed. It was a good feeling to finish the season out with my brothers.” The win at LMC came after an embarrassing 21-4 loss to the top team in the BVC, Solano Community College (19-5), proving the ballclub had the fight to bounce back after any loss.

Comet second baseman Rome Watson jumps up for a catch during CCC’s 102 loss to the Mustangs at Los Medanos College on April 24. The Comets ended their season 6-29 overall.

QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE

B10

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

THIS SPRING THE

BOOKSTORE

WILL PAY FOR

YOUR

BOOKS

Contra Costa College Bookstore textbook buyback Thursday and Friday, May 14-15..............9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, May 18-19.............9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, May 20-21......9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PHOTO ID REQUIRED We pay up to 50% no matter where you bought your books. We buy books, even if you purchased them online. Bring all CDs, DVDs, tapes and supplemental materials with your textbooks.

All textbook rentals are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 21

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

B11

Fall sports prepare for seasons By Lorenzo Morotti EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

As the spring semester draws to a close, student-athletes at Contra Costa College are beginning summer training for teams that are slated to start up for fall 2015. The football, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer teams coaches are currently recruiting to build solid teams for the upcoming season and will be doing so well into the summer months. Out of these teams, only the men’s soccer team and football team made their way to the postseason, with the football team playing in a bowl game in 2014. Football coach Alonzo Carter said he not only plans to reach that level again, but to do so without giving up a loss. “Next year we want to go 11-0,” Carter said. “We want to cement our name into (CCC) history. We want to create a legacy of being the first undefeated team (since the 60s).” The men’s soccer coach Nikki Ferguson also plans to bring his team of mostly returning sophomores not only back to the playoffs, but said he thinks his group has the potential to make it to the state championship game. “Our roster is looking in good shape,” Ferguson said. “Seventy percent or more of our sophomores are coming back and, with that, we can build off last season’s playoff exit (in the first round) and create a winning culture.” The women’s soccer team is also looking to grow from last season, which only saw one win, by encouraging its players to be more vocal during practice and translate that communication into wins. Coach Amanda Beckenhauer said she only has three returning sophomores, but has three other freshman players that have committed to joining the team next year. Beckenhauer said, however, coaching a women’s team is more challenging than men because they are more resistant to learning tactics that they have never heard of before. “Young women get offended by new strategies or playing styles that they were not taught while playing on their high school or club teams, and take it more as criticism rather than constructive criticism,” she said. “They tend to focus more on the problem instead of the solution.” Volleyball coach Zachary Shrieve is also in the middle of the recruitment process

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Football players practice drills for the upcoming fall semester at Comet Stadium on May 6. Comet coach Alonzo Carter said his team plans to defend its 2014 Pacific 7 Conference championship come fall.

and said he met with a few students over the weekend, but won’t know if they are committed to joining the team until the summer. “This is the first time that, at this point in the year, we don’t have a team ready,” Shrieve said. “But it will be fine. I’m confident more players will join over the summer.” He said he is looking to add needed height to the roster while recruiting, due to the players on past teams being short, resulting in other teams taking advantage.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

The men’s soccer team practices drills for the upcoming season at the Soccer Field on Thursday. The Comet team is still looking for players who are interested in playing for the team this fall.

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Comet outside hitter Kailey Walker (right) lofts the ball over the net toward Eagles’ players Luisa Delos Reyes (left) and Monique Anderson (center) during CCC’s win against Laney College in Oakland on Oct. 1, 2014.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Comet defender Mary Salazar (right) challenges for the ball against a Panther midfielder during CCC’s 3-0 loss to Hartnell College at the Soccer Field on Sept. 17, 2014. The women’s soccer team is still recruiting athletes for the fall.

B12

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

focus

SEASON HIGHS, LOWS SHOWCASED Photos by: Qing Huang

ABOVE: Comet running back Harold Holcombe stares down Cabrillo College defensive back Ryan Reyes during CCC’s 36-14 victory over the Seahawks in Aptos on Sept. 6, 2014.

LEFT: Comet defender Brad Alman heads the ball toward goal during CCC’s 2-0 win over College of Marin at the Soccer Field on Nov. 14, 2014.

RIGHT: Comet forward Justin Johnson jumps for a lay up during CCC’s 82-69 win against the Storm at Napa Valley College on Feb. 20, 2014.

ABOVE: Comet players Valeria Avila (center) and Kailey Walker attempt to block a ball hit by Storm middleblocker Katie Morris during CCC’s loss to Napa Valley College in the Gymnasium on Oct. 10, 2014.

C SECTION WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

‘Silent Sky’ performance hits Knox Center

spotlight

“

Natasha has so much to offer. We continue to come back again and again until we learn everything that we can from her.” — Oscar Rodriguez, choreographer

PAGE C3

SUMMER MOVIES PREVIEWED, HIGHLIGHTED Don’t be left out. Check out this summer’s hot movies — originals and sequels. PAGES C4-C5 JANAE HARRIS / THE ADVOCATE

Stylistic dance moves stimulate passion, awe Illich to retire, leaves legacy of success

Foxtrot,

BY Nina Cestaro

hip-hop,

ncestaro.theadvocate@gmail.com

highlight night of dancing, fun

PAGE C6

SPEECH DEPARTMENT HIRES FULL-TIMER PAGE C7

LEFT: Performer Bridgette Lott acts out an interpretive dance during the annual Dance Jam in the Knox Center on Saturday.

JANAE HARRIS / THE ADVOCATE

TEARFUL GOODBYE FUELS ACADEMIC PROSPERITY student strives for a future of help, happiness

PAGE C8

ans of hip-hop and belly dance were treated to a wonderful mélange when choreographer LaTanya Tigner and dance instructor Natasha Clarke presented examples of their choreography on Friday and Saturday in the Knox Theater from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The compilation of Tigner’s works titled “Dance Jam,” also featured the premiere of a contemporary work choreographed by Clarke, as well as a belly dance piece choreographed in 1998 by dancer Cera Byer. Tigner has been teaching modern dance and choreography at the Boston Ballet School since 1995, and is currently a faculty member at Contra Costa College. This semester Clarke is teaching urban jazz and hip-hop dance classes, and also acting as organizer of the annual event. She is also in the process of creating a new dance project called “The Town,” with Colette Eloi with Dimensions Dance Theater. She said, “It takes 10 years to be in the mastery of your craft of dance, SEE DANCE, PAGE C2

Passionate

‘Trainspotting’ film highlights pain of living

ABOVE: Performers showcase dance moves during the annual Dance Jam in the Knox Center on Saturday.

STAFF WRITER

By José Jimenez SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

jjimenez.theadvocate@gmail.com

Arguably the most dedicated, polished and actively involved individual walking around Contra Costa College remembers the saddest goodbye she ever had to whimper. CCC Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) president, METAS tutor and Kennedy-King Memorial College Fund Scholarship recipient Brenda Vega, 22, said all the hard work she has done in her life so far is credited to her parents after they were deported when she was 11 years old. Her passion is driven by bringing her parents, Gloria Sarabia and Gabriel Vega, back to America and sharing the American dream with her family. “I go see them every time we break for CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE vacation from school. The last time I saw Brenda Vega, Alpha Gamma Sigma president, METAS tutor and Kennedythem was this past December,” she said. “I SEE VEGA, PAGE C2

King Scholarship recipient is driven by her passion to bring her parents back to the U.S.

spotlight

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Funding hole plugged by clay Pottery sale provides perfect gifts for mom

BY Nina Cestaro STAFF WRITER

ncestaro.theadvocate@gmail.com

Vases and other ceramic items were displayed at the Pottery Sale at Contra Costa College in a fundraiser in the Art Building from May 4 through last Friday. To raise funds for equipment and clay for the fine and media arts department, an assortment of art sculptures were displayed for the campus to see. Ceramics instructor Mary Law explained the need for the fundraiser and said the money goes right back to the department and faculty members will be able to afford the shelves in the Art Building and other supplies students need. Law said the prices of the items ranged from one dollar to $30. The types of pottery that were found at the fundraiser included bowls, mugs and plates, along with other functional items used daily. The specific ceramic items made by CCC students and professors in their ceramic classes were chosen by the maker and contributed to help provide funds for all students next semester. Law, a full-time artist herself, said there is something special about seeing a tangible piece of art come about from 18 hours of working on something. She said this can lead to development CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE in all sorts of other art courses, and even Student-made ceramics sit waiting to be purchased during the annual Pottery Sale in the Art Building on Thursday. in some cases, attending college for some All funds collected from the art sale go toward funding the Fine and Media Arts Department. students. Law said the items contributed at the Law said one of her happiest moments Jones said. ated with art rent studio space or take event were mainly earlier pieces students as a teacher, after 25 years of teaching, is He said, “As soon as you throw clay on their creation to public events so that created and donated. Customers who seeing “a student who is struggling in the wheel and use your body mechanics they can have 24 hours to transform decided to visit the fundraiser saw inex- college — come into art class and do to pull up on the wet earth with one clay. pensive, handmade objects that could be really well and have that be the break- hand and pushing in with the other Ekram Ayyad, an art student who used for gifts. through for other headway in college hand, then all you have to do is make a contributed some of her pottery to the Many students from both Middle and life.” solid cylinder before you intentionally fundraiser said, “This is my third semesCollege High School and CCC, came for Larry Jones, art and music major make a central hole by pushing thumbs ter here. I like making bowls and plates Mother’s Day gifts. said, “Art throwing is a balance of forces, in, all the while adding slip and water to because they can be used to hold salads Alan Perloff, art major and a serious getting it to turn, but not exceeding the allow lubrication. Before you know it, and other foods.” ceramicist, was amazed at how great the clay’s ability to not twist. I always have a you have a bowl or a cup. Then, the real Anne Van Blaricom, an art major pottery looked on sale. few pots in mind.” work of refining the bottom begins.” and event volunteer said, “(The depart“You can find amazing and beautiful In theory, a student begins with a The time it takes to uncover a real ment) coordinates our annual pottery gifts at an extremely affordable rate here. heavy amount of clay in his or her hand, talent for ceramics ranges from the rare event by volunteers and sell everything The success of the pottery event depends weighing about six pounds and allowing student who can sit down and learn the very inexpensively to offset the costs of on what a person is seeking. But either the individual to make a few different craft in one semester, to other students ‘glazes’ which can be too expensive for way, there is a wide array of decorative things. who take sculpture or ceramic courses. the average CCC student.” and functional bowls here.” “Clay is a very yielding medium,” The more interested students associ-

DANCE | Three rhythmic numbers captivate, amaze audience charm. The next piece was a slow waltz set but what the students achieved tonight to the song “Unchained Melody” that was fabulous. That’s due to their amazshowed off the amazing grace and coning dedication and passion. Their hard trol of the six couples who seemed to be work showed.” enjoying themselves. “Dance Jam” exhibited three of The fourth work was also strongly Tigner’s works, each drawing to differballroom and consisted of six couples ent degrees on her strong background dancing as an ensemble in a “Bachata,” in both African and modern dance. an inspiring piece of Latin ballroom The first work was an elegant waltz dance that illustrates Clarke’s talent in called “Hasta Que te Conoci,” pertranslating seemingly static forms into formed by 12 couples and the entire ones with energy and purpose. groups of both ballroom and ballet “Whatever Happens” was danced classes with a significant amount of cre- skillfully by Chrystal Chen and Oscar ative choreography by Clarke. Rodriguez who along with Clark also The second piece, a foxtrot titled “Fly choreographed their original work. Me to the Moon,” was one of the highRodriguez provided insight into his lights of the show and contained a 1940s strategy of repeating the ballroom series Continued from page C1

Zumba instructor Oscar Solano Jr. choreographed and danced in this piece mastery of your craft of dance, but with 17 other dancers. This piece shows what the students achieved tonight off the amazing strength and flexibility dancers. was fabulous. That’s due to their of the In the final vignette called “Fluidity,” amazing dedication and passion. the audience couldn’t restrain their delight as the dancer Byer flexed her Their hard work showed.” — Colette Eloi, choreographer back, abdomen muscles, circled her hips in figure eights and led her belly dance troupe of seven women in an idyllic Arabian dance scene. of classes by saying, “Natasha has so Feathers, black dresses and boas were much to offer. We continue to come used as props to emphasize the athback again and again until we learn letic forms and shapes assumed by the everything that we can from her.” The sixth work was a fluid, energetic women and men as they prepared for their performances. mix of samba, merengue and hip-hop, Attendant Giovanni James said, “It with a significant amount of creative was so good. I want to dance now.” floor-work.

“It takes 10 years to be in the

VEGA | Re-uniting family a top priority for neurobiology major Continued from page C1 plan on seeing them very soon again.” The AGS is the California community college honor society and has a revolving door at CCC, and Vega said all the voluntary work she has contributed as a part of AGS has truly paid off in her academics. She said not only did it help in acquiring the KennedyKing Scholarship, but also in her current job as an assistant to Student Services and Instructional Support Coordinator Setiati Sidharta. “She is essentially my right hand and for the last year has disseminated all academic information associated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of business,” Dr. Sidharta said. “She’s always busy, highly intelligent and very good at juggling her work.” Vega is majoring in neurobiology, and currently lives with her three older brothers, Luis, 29, Miguel, 27, and Christian, 24. She tutors seventh graders in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), in association with the METAS program. The purpose of METAS is to engage collaboratively with preschool through 12th grade students, and polish their academic skills for the expectations of a postsecondary education. “Everybody in our family is just so proud of her,” older brother Luis said. “She’s accomplished a lot given what our family has gone through with our parents. But she has always been driven to a better life ever since she started college. It’s amazing how she finds time to cook for the family at times. Her work ethic speaks for everyone in our home. She’s the first to wake up and the last to go to sleep.” Vega said besides loving food, she loves exposing young minds to the bright future they have, and recruiting them to the STEM program at CCC. Her parents coming back to America is her top priority, however, she has aspirations of transferring to UC Berkeley, going to medical school and possibly becoming a neurologist.

“I thought to myself that I had left my

parents for no good reason. I remember how hard it was for me emotionally. I had to adapt again to the language, the culture and not having my parents around all by myself.” — Brenda Vega, AGS president

Vega said she wants to help individuals when it comes to their overall health because she is intrigued by the human body, but remembers when she herself was surrounded with burgers and fries at a Burger King in Richmond on Macdonald Avenue. She remembers working there before she decided to enroll at CCC, and said she will never forget the doubt in her mind associated with going back to college because of the price of tuition, and the fact that her parents weren’t around physically, or emotionally, for a young girl growing up with three brothers. She said CCC was charging her out-of-state tuition and she could not afford the high prices all by herself so she decided to wait an entire year after leaving her parents in Mexico to enroll in college. “I thought to myself that I had left my parents for no good reason,” she said. “I remember how hard it was for me emotionally. I had to adapt again to the language, culture and not having my parents around all by myself.” Vega was born in the U.S., but said once she had left California, and had not been living in the states for one year, the price of tuition was extremely expensive for a minority single college student. Vega said she was 18 years old when she came back to America, working part time serving fries, and waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump back into the education spectrum. Her chance came after her application was accepted for

a job with the construction company that is rebuilding the campus center, Critical Solutions. She checked every day for her eligibility to enroll at CCC with in-state tuition as she handled the paperwork for the company, allowing her to keep close to CCC and continue her dream of going to college. She always knew CCC was the place to be after graduating from high school in Mexico, and said she always felt that college in America would be the ticket home. After time passed slowly with anxiety, Vega said she was granted in-state tuition to attend college after one year. She said her time here on campus has blown by so fast, and the Kennedy-King Scholarship (up to $8,000) is a cherry on top as her time at CCC is ending. “Brenda is a role model for all the younger female students because she is here living with three older brothers, no parents and yet she takes care of herself and our program,” Sidharta said. “She was very shy when I first met her, but now she is strong and a positive influence for all women, especially all independent Latinas.” Vega said she is thankful for the scholarship that will help her study more, work less and help financially when she leaves CCC. “This money from the scholarship allows me to focus on the university level, achieving my bachelor’s degree and excelling in my four years at medical school,” she said. Vega expects medical school to be strenuous and said keeping herself busy really helps with time and her goals. She said she likes hiking in her spare time near Point Richmond, and knows life after CCC is no “walk in the park.” However, she wants every little girl out there who has ever dreamed of breaking from the mold of struggle to know anything can be accomplished. “I believe it’s up to the individual to decide how the struggles in your life will become a positive trait, or a negative factor,” Vega said. “It can defeat you or make you a stronger person. It’s made me stronger. But it’s all up to you.” And that’s a sacrifice she has made for her parents.

spotlight

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

“

PROGRAM BRIDGES GAP IN GENDER, ETHNICITY

It will be successful because it is a way for students to get money.” — Christian Castro, manager

Youth summit inspires future of tech-industry BY Christian Urrutia PHOTO EDITOR

currutia.theadvocate@gmail.com

A notable lack of diversity among young people in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields inspired the Richmond Community Foundation to focus its 6th annual Northern California Summit On Children and Youth on exactly that, closing the racial disparity divide. Bridging the STEM diversity gap — technology and the next generation workforce event held by the Richmond Community Foundation designed a day where educators, community organizations, community leaders, elected officials and local area businesses could gather and share innovative approaches to this problem on April 30. The summit took place at Richmond Auditorium and presented a wide array of events ranging from panels and seminars discussing research-driven models and the best practices and solutions for bridging the diversity gap for young men, and women, who are underrepresented in these emerging fields. Chief development officer for the Richmond Community Foundation Stacy Street said the summits are based on issues or concerns for youth and family in creating opportunities and access for youth to prosper. The Northern California Summit to fruition due to educational budget cuts in funding for services that support children, dating back to 2009. This event is a joint effort in building these educational pathways where prior resources had diminished and left young people typically in high school in need of guidance toward successful opportunities. “We like to have continuity of the previous year’s theme and this year we started to look for further options in these emerging fields of tech,” Street said. Street said the community members involved want to make sure ethnically diverse young people are being positioned for jobs in the STEM-related disciplines. “There is a abysmally low rate for Latino, African-Americans and women working in STEM (fields). Every other field out in the professional world is relying on STEM to progress and all the pathways presented encourage young people to collaborate with businesses,” Street said. Street also said, “Our role is to network and bring people together, and the summit is key for the work we do and we’re hoping that can continue.” “To come together and form creative solutions, that is really the goal of the summit along with exemplary leadership in the local community being displayed,” she said.

JANAE HARRIS / THE ADVOCATE

People congregate around the bar inside of Noya Lounge & Bar in San Pablo on Saturday. The restaurant is now offering up to four $500 scholarships to Contra Costa College students.

Local lounge provides gift of scholarships to students BY Roxana Amparo NEWS EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

For the first time ever, a local restaurant and lounge has opened up four $500 scholarship opportunities for Contra Costa College students starting May 1. Located in 14350 Laurie Lane in San Pablo, Noya Lounge & Bar draws in locals from the San Pablo area with fresh international cuisine and employment opportunities for members of the community. With the addition of scholarship opportunities aimed to give back to the community, owner of Noya Restaurant & Lounge Norman Lozano said he wants to simplify the opportunity for students in need of financial assistance. He said students looking to apply must complete three simple requirements. They must familiarize themselves with the location of the

restaurant by at least visiting or sitting in for lunch, write a review of his or her experience and submit a copy for proof, and write a short essay explaining why they are suitable to receive the scholarship. Grade point average is not taken into consideration, so students do not need to worry about submitting their grades, Lozano said. Once applicants complete all three requirements their materials must be sent to info@noyalounge.com for Lozano and a review committee to make a decision within the next two months. The four scholarship recipients will be able to claim their scholarship money either in money order or check, he said. “People out there who get FAFSA, have financial support from their family and have a job are not likely to be chosen,” he said. There must be financial need.

“People out there

who get FAFSA, have financial support from their family and have a job are not likely to be chosen.” — Norman Lozano, Noya owner

Lozana said applicants can share their background story and any community involvement to convey their individual story. Assistant Manager Chan Lathanasouk said the opportunity Noya is extending to students will be of aid for those who do not receive financial aid and need to buy books or other materials necessary for their classes. She said it will “draw in more students” to Noya, which is what they are aiming to do — to

attract a younger crowd. She said they want to give CCC students assistance because a lot of them don’t receive any other financial assistance. “It will be successful because it is a way for students to get money,” Manager Christian Castro said. He said most of the business that comes in is from the students who go to the college and they want a way to repay they for coming in for “spending” their money. For the short period of time that Noya has been in business it has extended various of opportunities for its local community members. Lozano said if there is a successful outcome worthy of continuing with the scholarships, he wants to do something big like $10,000 in scholarships. For further information regarding scholarships information, email info@noyalounge. com .

INSPIRATIONAL TALE OF COURAGE, DETERMINATION Strength,

By Nina Cestaro

character

ncestaro.theadvocate@gmail.com

displayed through riveting stage portrayal

STAFF WRITER

spirited group of thespians performed the play “Silent Sky” at Knox Theater from April 30 to May 2. Silent Sky is the hagiography of a woman, Henrietta Leavitt, whose intellectual work was virtually lost from the annals of science archives. The fact that she was both deaf and jobless before her experiences at Harvard University do not pose an obstacle. Along the way we are treated to the playwright responsible for writing “Silent Sky,” San Francisco-based author Lauren Gunderson, and her introduction of Henrietta’s sister and female supporters in academia. She handles all of this with an affectionate, yet serious, tone. The director, Kelly Ground, an adjunct drama professor, genuinely worked to have her actors convey the theme of woman staying true to her purpose and triumphing. Gunderson’s two protagonists are cleverly drawn to personify what we have come to assume, rightly or wrongly, are characteristics of the stereotypical determined scientist woman and the bumbling professor’s assistant, would-be ardent lover.

She is quickly hired as a “computer,” or data-entry clerk by a shy and awkward colleague, Peter Shaw. Her co-workers by contrast, are a brash, swaggering, funny Scottish academic named Willamena and pre-suffragette, rising on the corporate ladder, Cannon. The play takes great fun in contrasting the direct, in-your-face American style of the brilliant and abrasive Cannon with the polite, rather oblique New England-style of the timid and self-effacing Shaw. Gunderson also keeps much of the play toward action and does not dwell in pure astronomy talk along the lines of how will she get along with her fellow data-entry operators and will she go away with Shaw or not. Soon after she realizes Shaw’s romantic interest in her, she suddenly needs to travel back to Wisconsin to care for her ill father. Notwithstanding Leavitt’s feelings, Shaw marries another woman in her absence. Her sister Margie steals the show on interludes of piano and turn of the century ballads. Her sister also has the best quote of the play, “...It’s like you asked God a question and he answered. What could give life more meaning?”

SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE

By these few amusing lines, Gunderson suggests to us that whereas spoiled modern American women take their freedoms for granted, the more dated New England woman devoutly fought, wished for — and in the end won respect, even better than equal pay. In contrast to a very repressed and correct, no-nonsense Margie, living through the shedding of American puritanical pressures in the 1920s and 1930s and the absurd jargon which they engendered; yet at the same time she hints rather broadly that careerdriven Henrietta (not to men-

tion gender stereotyping) might have benefited her relationship a little of the same. Using Leavitt’s lighthearted reflections on the subject, Gunderson conveys to the audience her own misgivings on the fusty ways of her fellow sexist Americans and fellow academics. As the story closes the would-be couples talk in her family home, as we see her health taking a nosedive, but not before she learns the deep impact of her contribution of discovering the Magellan Galaxy within a largely male science academia.

ABOVE: Performers act out a scene during the “Silent Sky” performance in the Knox Center. The play ran from April 30 to May 2.

spotlight

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.13.2015 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Flicks splash onto silver screen The Advocate takes a sneak peek at summer films. From romantic comedies to action-packed movies, don’t be left out

May

July

Title: “Mad Max: Fury Road” Genre: Action/Horror Release Date: May 15 Rating: R Director: George Miller Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult

Title: “Poltergeist” Genre: Horror Release Date: May 22 Rating: PG-13 Director: Gil Kenan Starring: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris

Title: “Tomorrowland” Genre: Fantasy/Mystery Release Date: May 22 Rating: PG Director: Brad Bird Starring: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Judy Greer

Synopsis: Hell on earth. Get ready to enter the dark, twisted and innovative mind of George Miller in his recreation of a post-apocalyptic world. Max (Hardy) reprises the role made famous by Mel Gibson in the first three films, and Furiosa (Theron) plays arguably the strongest female character you will see this summer. The entire movie is filmed in one of the hottest deserts in the world — Melbourne, Australia. Miller never disappoints in creative storytelling.

Synopsis: The story of angry spirits haunting a family living on ancient burial grounds is re-imagined and presented in a more terrifying way than before. When Bowden family members start to encounter strange occurrences upon moving into their new home in suburbia, they realize great evil is taking place on land that may be a portal to a different dimension This leads their youngest daughter to venture into its wake and become abducted by ghosts. The Bowden family must team up with a group of parapsychologists if they want to have any chance of rescuing her.

Synopsis: Anytime Disney and fantasy are associated with George Clooney, you know the movie has a decent chance at being epic. Frank Walker (Clooney) is a wizard at distinguishing time and space on planet earth. His protégé Casey Newton (Robertson) is caught in the middle of mind games, literally. This is not director Brad Bird’s first spin at something creative having worked with Pixar and Disney (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille”). Expect the mind games to make sense and Clooney to lay down knowledge.

June Title: “Insidious: Chapter 3” Genre: Horror Release Date: June 5 Rating: R Director: Leigh Whannell Starring: Dermont Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye

Title: “Jurassic World” Genre: Fantasy/Thriller Release Date: June 12 Rating: PG-13 Director: Colin Trevorrow Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio

Synopsis: This prequel is set before the events taking place with the Lambert family in the first two films and centers around a teenage girl, Quinn Brenner, and her father, as they start to encounter supernatural events involving a deceased mother and a malevolent entity. Psychic Elise Rainer from the first two films is contacted for help after Quinn is attacked by an unseen force, but faces problems from her past that could cloud her judgment and plant reluctance in her mind. Introducing her two future parapsychologists, she uses their help to plunge herself into The Further, an otherworldly dimension where powerful demons lay dormant, waiting for human souls to enter.

Synopsis: Twenty-two years later the greatest theme park in the world has reopened. “Jurassic World” finds former, “ex-military dude” Owen (Pratt), operations manager Beth (Howard) and vacationing kid Gray (Ty Simpkins), fighting for their lives against dinosaurs who now possess hyperintelligence. Imagine Universal Studios coming to life and everybody running around in chaos. The story should flow smoothly as Steven Spielberg is the executive producer for the film. But unlike “Jurassic Park 3,” this dinosaur movie looks to reclaim the title of everyone’s favorite reptilian badass — the Tyrannosaurus-Rex.

Title: “Inside Out” Genre: Animated Release Date: June 19 Rating: PG Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen Starring: Diane Lane, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling Synopsis: When 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is uprooted from her Midwestern life and moves with her family to San Francisco, adjusting to her new life in the Bay Area is anything but simple. This unprecedented animated family adventure and comedy from Disney-Pixar takes this simple premise and psychologizes it, putting audiences in the mind of Riley, where her five base emotions — Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust — are personified and in charge of guiding her through a transitional period of life from a place known only as Headquarters. Immediately after the life-altering move, Joy (Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind, leaving the decision-making of Headquarters in the hands of Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader) and Disgust (Kaling).

Title: “San Andreas 3D” Genre: Disaster/Drama Release Date: May 29 Rating: PG-13 Director: Brad Peyton Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Carla Gugino Synopsis: The world is ending and it all starts in the Bay Area, on the San Andreas fault line. Where will you be when the earth’s core is breaking in half? Well, Los Angeles firefighter Ray (The Rock) is centered around all the destruction happening on the West Coast. The Rock already put the smackdown on the box office back in April with “Furious 7,” and it is guaranteed the same will happen again in this sad, yet motivating and spectacular, CGI-filled ride.

Title: “Ted 2” Genre: Comedy Release Date: June 26 Rating: R Director: Seth MacFarlane Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, Seth MacFarlane Synopsis: A couple years after the first movie, Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) has now married his human girlfriend, Tami-Lynn, and the pair decides to try to have a baby together, with Ted’s best friend John Bennett (Wahlberg), providing sperm for artificial insemination. But Ted will have to prove that he is a human being in a court of law. With the help of a young and attractive lawyer (Seyfried), Ted will do everything a teddy bear can in order to adapt to his soon-to-be baby.

Title: “Magic Mike XXL” Genre: Comedy Release Date: July 1 Rating: R Director: Gregory Jacobs Starring: Channing Tatum, Amber Heard, Joe Manganiello

Title: “Terminator Genisys” Genre: Action/Sci-Fi Release Date: July 1 Rating: PG-13 Director: Alan Taylor Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke

Title: “Minions” Genre: Family Release Date: July 10 Rating: PG Director: Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda Starring: Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan

Title: “Ant-Man” Genre: Comic Book/Action Release Date: July 17 Rating: NR Director: Peyton Reed Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglass, Hayley Atwell

Synopsis: Set three years after Mike (Tatum) has retired from the stripping life, “XXL” finds most of the returning cast making their way to a stripping competition located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The remaining Kings of Tampa crew convince Mike to join them for one last hurrah and exuberant performance. Not surprisingly, other factors and players within this circle seek to use this convention to their advantage.

Synopsis: He’s back. The future is never set in the Terminator franchise, and this time around director Alan Taylor attempts to rewrite history and resurrect one of Hollywood’s most famous fictional cyborgs of all-time — The Terminator (Schwarzenegger). There will be a new Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), and John Connor (Jason Clarke) is now the mature, male, wartime leader moviegoer’s got a glimpse of in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” The fifth installment in the franchise looks to bounce back and forth between the first “Terminator” and the second film.

Synopsis: The funniest, lovable and cutest little yellow friends finally get to tell their story for the first time. Families fell in love with Gru’s (Steve Carell) minions in the 2010 film, “Despicable Me,” and now the creators explain the origins of these funny little guys who strive to serve “the meanest boss on earth.” There will be plenty of laughs and kids will certainly fill up the movie theaters, as this comedy is expected to surpass $300 million in the box-office. Sandra Bullock and Michael Keaton voice the lead characters, but this movie will certainly be about the minions and all of their gibberish.

Synopsis: With a suit enabling him to shrink in size but grow in strength, con artist Scott Lang (Rudd) must work alongside his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Douglass), to safeguard the technology used in the Ant-Man suit and plot a heist to swipe a mysterious something that will have worldwide ramifications. The Ant-Man technology is discovered by a former protégé of Pym’s, militarized, up-graded and used to create a similar suit. Thus, a super villain and Ant-Man’s antagonist is born: Yellowjacket.

Title: “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” Genre: Action Release Date: July 31 Rating: PG-13 Director: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg Synopsis: The Impossible Mission Force veterans are targeted by a mysterious and unknown organization called the Syndicate — which turns out to be a group of assassins and rogue spies who kill indiscriminately. Faced with separation among the group, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) must unite his close cohorts to prove the Syndicate’s existence in order to combat their plans for destroying the IMF, thus embarking Hunt and his agents on their most important — and most dangerous — mission yet.

Title: “Fantastic Four” Genre: Action Release Date: Aug. 7 Rating: PG-13 Director: Josh Trank Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Jamie Bell

Title: “Masterminds” Genre: Action/Horror Release Date: Aug. 7 Rating: NR Director: Jared Hess Starring: Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis

Title: “Straight Outta Compton” Genre: Drama Release Date: Aug. 14 Rating: R Director: F. Gary Gray Starring: Paul Giamatti, Alexandra Shipp, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Synopsis: Ten years have past since Jessica Alba starred in the 2005 failed-attempt version of one of the most prolific superhero groups in Marvel — The Fantastic Four. Mr. Fantastic (Teller), Human Torch (Jordan), Susan Storm AKA The Invisible Woman and everyone’s favorite orange rock — The Thing (Bell) — are back for the first time, and are expected to whoop some serious ass as the summer winds down. Dr. Doom is seen in the trailer, and if “X-Men First Class” proved accurate to comic book details, then expect the same from screenplay writer Simon Kinberg, who helped create the story.

Synopsis: When the monotony of life as an armored truck driver weighs on the simple, unenthused David Ghantt (Galifianakis), he falls into a half-baked scheme promising riches and excitement with his flirtatious work crush, Kelly Campbell (Wiig). Accompanied by a hair-brained team of criminals led by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson), the group manages to net $17 million, thanks to Ghantt, who becomes the fall man for the police investigation. While Ghantt avoids an offbeat hitman (Jason Sudekis) and incarceration, he’s taxed with clearing his name and enacting a revenge plot to get back at his comrades, who have been haphazardly spending all of the group’s money and leaving a paper trail miles wide.

Synopsis: A biographical tale of the notorious and highly controversial hip-hop/gangsta rap group NWA and their beginnings with producer Jerry Heller and the trials and tribulations the group experienced during the late 1980s through to the 1990s. The group revolutionized hip-hop culture by documenting what life was like in South Central Los Angeles and what individuals like themselves had to live through on a day-today basis. From the growing success to Eazy-E’s death, milestones of the group’s career are covered in a dynamic light.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARCI SUELA/ THE ADVOCATE