The Advocate 5-3

WEDNESDAY l 5.3.17 OUR 67TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

DRUGS CAUSE TRUSTEE’S DEATH Reports, photos give details of board member’s overdose

BY Lorenzo Morotti ASSOCIATE EDITOR

lmorotti.theadvocate@gmail.com

A mixture of cocaine, opiates and alcohol killed former district trustee John T. Nejedly, who died of “visceral congestion and edema” in his hotel room on Oct. 9, 2016, according to the New Orleans Parish Coroner’s Report, obtained exclusively by The Advocate.

As was reported in The Advocate in January when the report’s conclu-

sions were announced by New Orleans Coroner’s Office Spokesperson Jason Melancon, Nejedly’s death is classified as an “accident” due to “multiple drug intoxication.”

The report containing details of Nejedly’s death is signed by New Orleans Parish Medical Examiner Dr. Jeffrey Rouse.

Nejedly’s urine contained 3.1 micrograms of cocaine and 1.1 micrograms of opiates, and his blood screening showed .104 micrograms of ethanol, according to the St. Louis University Toxicology Laboratory Report contained in the coroner’s report.

East Bay Emergency Medical Consultant Barry Gustin, who is based in Alameda, said Nejedly died from an

“I had no knowledge of him having a history of using (drugs or alcohol at work), or a hint that something as horrific as this would happen to him.”

— Dio Shipp, district health and human resources director

overdose that led to respiratory failure.

“The morphine (opiates) and alcohol are depressants that block the respiratory drive and the cocaine stresses the heart to require more oxygen when, in fact, less oxygen is available to the heart,” Dr. Gustin said. “The result is a cardiopulmonary arrest.”

Details in the coroner’s report state the tissue in both lungs showed “copious” signs of congestion and edema, and the membrane of his brain was thin, delicate and congested with mild signs of edema.

Visceral congestion and edema happens when tissue builds up in a major organ and then fills with fluid, Contra Costa College anatomy and physiology professor Micha Meltzer said.

“If somebody used cocaine, the arteries that supply the heart can clamp down and close off,” Dr. Meltzer said. “So if the heart stops working, blood will back up and spill into the lungs.”

Nejedly, 52, was found lying in bed

Nejedly Former district trustee served for 22 years as a public official in education.

SEE NEJEDLY, PAGE 3

Falcons pick Comet alum in NFL Draft Local

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Pacifica residents Mercedes Meneses (left) and Adan Meneses hold signs at the end point of the May Day march from Justin Herman Plaza to the Civic Center in San Francisco on Monday.

‘May Day’ promotes right to fair wages Bay Area labor unions, residents fill downtown,

demand justice

BY Anthony Kinney NEWS EDITOR

akinney.theadvocate@gmail.com

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of protesters gathered on Monday in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza to rally in support of America’s immigrant workers on International Workers Day, also known as May Day. Protests erupted around the country to highlight the enormous contributions immigrant workers have on the U.S. economy.

One of the organizers of the event, Olga Miranda, said the San Francisco rally’s purpose was to gather support for immigrant workers who now live with the fear of being deported by ICE officials.

Miranda, president Chavarria of San Francisco’s Service Employees International Union (SCIU) Local 87, said the group lost 1,200 members within six months in 2011 due to ICE deportation raids.

The SCIU represents private sector custodians.

The diverse crowd consisted of various immigrant rights groups, union groups, immigrants and concerned citizens from all different walks of life.

Community members and union groups took turns addressing the crowd as protesters chanted anti-Trump slogans and waved banners broadcasting expressions of love and support for the immigrant community.

Contra Costa College’s

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“This nation was built by immigrants and it’s shameful how they’re treated here. Immigrants are a part of the party that’s moving our country forward.”

— Alvin Mackay, International Longshoremen

Warehouse Union Local 6 vice president

drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarria participated in the march.

Chavarria said he was propelled to attend the rally to help give voice to the undocumented immigrant workers whose families are in danger of being captured by ICE and removed from the country.

“I’m here to support all immigrants, like me,” Chavarria said. “As a legal immigrant, I’m the voice of the people who are afraid of losing their livelihood for being here.”

The list of speakers included San Francisco’s Labor Council Executive Director Tim Paulson and San Francisco’s 17th District Assemblyman David Chiu.

Chiu promised the crowd that he would combat Trump’s hateful policies through the power of California’s legislation.

The crowd applauded as Chiu led scores of protesters with the chant, “Are we ready to resist!?”

Chiu left the stage with a strong message for President Donald Trump.

“If you want to come for our workers or our immigrant families, you’ll have to come through us first,” he said.

In hopes of starting a march down Market Street, Paulson demanded the crowd show him “what democracy looks like.”

As protesters marched down one of San Francisco’s busiest streets, blocking vehicle traffic, they chanted, “Whose city? Our

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city.”

Alvin Mackay, vice president of the International Longshoremen Warehouse Union Local 6, said he came out because he is disappointed about how the Trump administration is attacking America’s immigrant workers.

“This nation was built by immigrants and it’s shameful how they’re treated here,” Mackay said. “Immigrants are a part of the party that’s moving our country forward.”

Mackay has spent 26 years in the longshoreman union and said it’s pivotal to ensure workers have the rights and protections necessary to be safe and not discriminated against at the workplace.

“Immigrants work hard on the jobs that American citizens don’t want to do,” Mackay said.

“I want to see those, who say immigrants just come here to take jobs away from American citizens, do the work that immigrant workers settle for in America. I bet they can’t do it.”

May Day is an important internationally observed day accompanied by a rich history of laborers protesting for better working conditions.

May 1 was selected to commemorate International Workers Day after the bloody Chicago Haymarket riots of 1886 that spurred employers around the globe to embrace the eight-hour work day.

TWITTER: @accentadvocate

Contra Costa College has long been a hotbed of talented students who rarely receive the attention or recognition their accomplishments demand they deserve.

That all changed Thursday night when McKinley CCC alumnus and Richmond resident Takkarist McKinley was drafted in the first round of the 2017 National Football League Draft.

After being selected with the 26th pick by the Atlanta Falcons, the 6 foot 3 inch, 250 pound, defensive lineman removed any doubt about his East Bay lineage or the passion that drove McKinley toward achieving his goals.

In 2011, as a student at Kennedy High School in Richmond, McKinley made a deathbed promise to his grandmother, who raised him and served as his biggest supporter.

He vowed to stay in school and play football at the Division I level.

She died shortly after the conversation.

Shortly after being drafted, a tearful McKinley gave a impassioned declaration to his late grandmother on nationwide TV that was emblematic of the passion and spirit he showed during his time at CCC. “I made a promise to her and I stuck to it. I told her before she died that I would live my dream, get out of Richmond, go D-1 and play in the NFL,” McKinley said to NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders. “I made that promise to her and 30 seconds later she passed away — this is what I do it for.”

McKinley’s arrival at CCC in 2013 was purely circumstantial.

After notching 60 tackles and 11 sacks as a senior at Kennedy, McKinley committed to the University of California Berkeley before problems with his transcripts forced the freshman away from Berkeley and into a search for a solution to pursue his dream.

“Takk (McKinley) was a qualifier out of Kennedy. But before getting to play at Cal they said he was a non-qualifier,” for-

athlete chosen in first round

SEE NFL DRAFT, PAGE 3

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2

Quotable “Sometimes speech is no more than a device for saying nothing — and a neater one than silence.”

Simone de Beauvoir, French writer 1960 Roxana Amparo editor-in-chief Marci Suela art director Lorenzo Morotti Michael Santone associate editors Benjamin Bassham Anthony Kinney news editors Robert Clinton sports editor opinion editor Xavier Johnson scene editor Dylan Collier assistant scene editor Reggie Santini spotlight editor Denis Perez Cody Casares photo editors Efrain Valdez Yesenia Melara social media editors Tashi Wangchuck multimedia editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Advocate Staff Sean Austin Jose Chavez Dahn Bey Karla Juarez Jaleel Perry Julian Robinson Valeria Garcia Jshania Owens Kyle Pierce-Turley Isaac Resendiz Matthew Robinson Jessica Suico Carlos Suarez Desmond Sylva Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Member

Associated Collegiate Press

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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 3, 2017 VOL. 104, NO. 21

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

●

EDITORIAL FINE DELIVERS GRIM MESSAGE

Severity of punishment lacks compassion for tobacco addicts

T

he statewide push, propelled by the Student Senate of California Community Colleges (SSCCC), to universally ban all smoking of tobacco, marijuana and even e-cigarettes on campuses has trickled down to the district level.

If this motion passes at the May 24 Contra Costa College District Governing Board meeting, anyone caught smoking on its three campuses will face fines of up to $100.

Imposing a fee like this runs counter to the claim of promoting health. Smokers would no longer be permitted to smoke their overpriced cigarettes in campus parking lots.

But this wouldn’t stop them from smoking.

Academic Senate President, and kinesiology professor, Beth Goehring said the fines would scale up for repeat smokers, starting at $25 and topping out at $100.

Cigarettes kill, and people should not smoke cigarettes because it causes all types of horrible cancers. This science is settled. But heaping more financial strain onto students and faculty who are dealing with tobacco addiction is no way to solve the problem.

Tobacco addiction is famously difficult to break. So when official word comes down and backlash eventually arises, the district must be able to explain why they are charging the students suffering from addiction.

Goehring asked, “Will they start a smoking cessation program to help people?”

She said she understands the strain students are under and suggests some leniency for students, perhaps allowing them to perform some service instead of leveling a simple financial burden.

This solution is also supported by the SSCCC’s Legislative Affairs Committee’s Active Resolutions Dispositions Packet for spring 2017. It states, “Implementation and enforcement should be addressed at the local community college level with respect and concern for student financial well-being.”

But Goehring said the issue was discussed last semester at a District Governance Committee (DGC) meeting and could be in effect as early as the end of summer.

At this DGC meeting, managers, faculty, classified employees and student representatives voted and all but the faculty representative agreed that a total ban and fines should be considered.

She said another vote was held this semester without student representation — and again, only the faculty representative voted against the ban, again based on opposition to the fine’s structure. So the proposal was sent off to the Governing Board.

The Governing Board’s vote will be the final decision on the matter. If passed it will be district policy, though it will take some time to write the ban into the bylaws and procedures of the district.

Police Services Lt. Tom Holt said currently there is no financial penalty for people who smoke outside the parking lots.

People who don’t stop smoking on campus after a warning can face referrals and academic penalties instead, Holt said.

“We, at (Police Services) are not the ones who are changing it (policy),” he said. But they would be charged with enforcing it.

The Chancellor’s Office and the SSCCC are applying pressure for smoke-free campuses statewide, but this should not influence this district to institute fines and eliminate smoking areas.

Instead of fines, they should create a policy that is fair.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

■ RELATIONSHIPS

I

Blinding ‘love’ leads to emotional trauma

n any successful relationship, friendship or marriage, three key ingredients are needed to prosper: trust, respect and love.

When I was 15 years old I was blinded by love, totally immersed in the idea of having my first real boyfriend.

We both came from a past of family abuse. In my house the abuse was mental and his was both mental and physical. We both entered the relationship controlled by the anger we had hidden inside of us for so many years. We were too young to even think about it or realize what was wrong with us.

The beginning of the relationship was happy and loving, I had hope we could last. About six months into it we were comfortable with each other and knew a lot about each other’s families’ pasts and problems.

Instead of us coming together and being each other’s support system, we turned into the exact opposite.

It started with mental abuse, first with lying, then, giving each other the silent treatment. It soon led to us barely wanting to be around each other.

It escalated to verbal abuse, calling each other demeaning names with the purpose of making each other feel less than.

Eventually, the abuse evolved into physical abuse and got to the point where we put hands on each other.

I was so blinded by the word love that I was putting myself through abuse and settling for less than what I

jessicasuico deserved. There were many nights that I sat alone, wondering why I was looking for love that wasn’t even there.

I was putting myself through more pain than I was physically enduring.

Once I got out of the relationship when I was 16, I could focus on myself and get over the hurt.

I realized there was a reason I went through It started that experience. with mental It was to abuse, first make me the perwith lying, son I am today. then, giving, I have ambition, each other motivation and dedication the silent for life. I treatment. now have passion and goals in life that I would like to accomplish.

I know my purpose in life and who I want to be and where I want to be in life.

That experience made me a stronger woman. It taught me to set boundaries and better regulate the people that I allow into it.

Three years later I still have work to do on myself, don’t get me wrong. But I’m definitely not the same person I was. I do believe I’ve changed for the better.

In my experience, people who have been abusive were either abused mentally or physically, or both, in their past or in their childhood by someone they love.

Abuse leaves people with a scarred heart and mind and some never seek help because they don’t realize that they need it.

In my relationship, arguments usually stemmed from me complaining about a completely legitimate problem with him saying I was crazy for pointing it out. Abusers will accuse you of doing things you aren’t doing. Sometimes, it’s things that they may be doing themselves.

Some relationships can begin so perfect, like a great job with a promising future and then deliver a complete nightmare. People use guilt, charm, hope, obligation, fear or confusion to get what they want in relationships.

I’ve seen people who have been mentally abused constantly apologize or hide their feelings in fear of upsetting their partner.

Breakdowns in communication during small disagreements lead to the pain of holding in feelings in anticipating an explosion if you speak your mind.

When you don’t get help for abuse, mental or physical, you will go on in life with so much hidden anger, you won’t know about until you project it onto someone else and hurt them too.

Jessica Suico is an Advocate Staff for The Advocate. Contact her at jsuico.theadvocate@gmail. com

CAMPUS COMMENT

Should breaking the smoke-free campus rule mean a $100 fine?

“Yes, because some people have asthma or health issues and the second-hand smoke could harm them.”

“If we’re going to be serious about the overall health of our campus, then a fine should be enforced.”

“Yes. There are people who could be allergic. If they breathe in the second-hand smoke that could be bad.”

Esiela Madriz

Michael Peterson

Willy Enrique

psychology

senior executive assistant

JESSICA SUICO AND REGGIE SANTINI/THE ADVOCATE

psychology

“Yes. People don’t really care here. I see people walking through the (Campus Center Plaza) smoking and it can be disturbing to non-smokers.”

Enrique Duarte nursing

“I don’t think a fine is enforceable. I think public shaming is enough for the people who smoke.”

Sherry Diestler

speech department chairperson

“I feel students shouldn’t be punished for smoking, so no to the fine. Students already have (to pay) enough fees.”

Angelia Madriz psychology

campusbeat

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.3.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

3

NEWSLINE NEJEDLY| Public official dies during business trip WORKSHOP

AFTER DARK EASES STUDENTS’ WOES The Contra Costa College After Dark event will be held on May 16 from 5-8 p.m. in the Student Services Center.

The Student Services Center will remain open later to ease access for students who have night classes or are on campus later.

Students who attend the event will be able to receive information on assessment, orientation and educational planning, all of which are required for priority registration.

The event will also include workshops on career exploration and financial aid, in-person assistance with registration and admissions, pizza, music, prizes and more.

Two workshop sessions will start at 5:15 p.m. and at 6:45 p.m.

Spanish language assistance and childcare will be provided for attendants.

For more information and to RSVP, visit cccafterdark.eventbrite. com.

DANCE JAM

PERFORMANCE AIMS TO IMPRESS, DAZZLE The yearly Dance Jam will be held at the Knox Center on May 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The event will allow Contra Costa College dance students to showcase their dance moves through a variety of dances such as ballet, hip-hop, modern, musical theater, jazz and much more.

Participants will include CCC’s dance students and dance team, Helms Middle School’s dance team and others.

General admission for this event is $10 for students and seniors $5.

For more information email latanyadtinger@yahoo.com

ENROLLMENT

SELECT UCS OFFER OPPORTUNITY Through the University Cross Registration and Enrollment Program, Contra Costa College students will be able to enroll for university classes today at noon in SA-227.

Students will be able to enroll UC Berkeley, CSU East Bay or Mills College while attending CCC. The concurrent enrollment program allows students to complete lower division courses to prepare for their majors, general education requirements and electives.

Students who are part of the University Cross Registration and Enrollment Program are exempt from paying the $46 per unit fee for CSUEB and Mills College classes, but will still be required to pay the fee for UC Berkeley classes.

Students must have a minimum of a 2.4 GPA and completed 20 transferable units.

There will be other program meetings on Thursday at 3:30 p.m., and on Friday at 1 p.m. in SA-227.

For more information, contact lcastruita@contracosta.edu.

CRIMEWATCH Thursday, April 20: An officer received a report of a group of males harassing a female student.

Thursday, April 20: A driver of a vehicle was driving the wrong way on a campus road.

The driver was cited.

Thursday, April 20: A female driver was involved in a traffic accident. She was cited and released without further incident.

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

Continued from Page 1 with blood and bodily fluids running out of his mouth and down his chin by Hilton Hotel-Riverside Security Supervisor Lisa Finley, according to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Incident Report obtained by The Advocate in October 2016.

A bag containing a “white powdery substance,” a size 32B multicolored woman’s bra, an unidentified cell phone and a handwritten note were taken for evidence by Crime Lab Technician Traci Ban, the NOPD Evidence Worksheet states.

While Ban wrote the bra “may contain DNA” on the worksheet, the NOPD Crime Scene Investigation Unit Report states that none of the evidence was examined in the lab for DNA. And while the NOPD Item Report shows three loose $100 bills found in Nejedly’s clothing and luggage were also “held for investigative purposes,” they also were not examined in the lab, according to the crime scene report and the evidence worksheet.

In photos of the hotel room, provided by NOPD Public Information Officer Jazreel Joseph upon request from The Advocate, eight unopened miniature bottles of different alcoholic beverages, two opened wine bottles and a 32 ounce bottle of Heineken are clearly visible.

In the photographs, the other bed in the room is unmade, the television is on and there are two boxes of Trojan condoms, one opened and one unopened, on the TV stand.

These pieces of evidence were not included in the NOPD’s incident or investigation reports.

Visible on the hotel room desk is a handwritten note reading “naughty little slut,” with the top part of the note redacted. Joseph said it contained a phone number that was removed from the image to protect the privacy, or identity, of a person.

When asked why the number was withheld, Joseph said, “We will not un-redact the telephone number. Our redactions are standard and in accordance with local (laws).”

After repeated attempts by The Advocate to speak with the officers and Detective Doug Butler who arrived at the scene of Nejedly’s death, NOPD Senior Public Information Officer Dawne Massey said there is no new information regarding the case and that it is closed. “(The) NOPD is not required to continue to respond to your requests for answers (to questions) or interviews,” Massey said. “The information that is available on this incident has been made available to (The Advocate).”

“Everyone was caught by surprise. It was a tragic situation because it was obviously a trip sanctioned by the district. And it’s unfortunate, but the event happened.”

Dio Shipp,

district health and human resources director

ing the annual Association of Community College Trustees Conference in New Orleans.

Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board President Vicki Gordon said trustees nationwide attend workshops, discussions and establish connections to help bolster student success within their districts at the annual conference.

Nejedly, the son of former California Sen. John A. Nejedly, served 22 years on the Governing Board and helped its three campuses and two centers receive $856.5 million in funding through three different bond measures that were passed by county voters.

These bonds are Measure A in 2002 ($120 million), Measure A in 2006 ($286.5 million) and Measure E in 2014 ($450 million).

Gordon said the Governing Board approved the business trip to the conference for three district employees by consensus two months before the trip.

District Chief Financial Officer Jonah Nicholas said the district paid $2,663.71 to fund Nejedly’s hotel, conference registration and insurance liability fees.

Gordon said former district chancellor Helen Benjamin and district Communications and Community Relations Director Tim Leong also attended the conference.

She said Nejedly flew to New Orleans on Oct. 5, 2016 — one day before Leong and Benjamin arrived.

But according to the Hilton Hotel-Riverside Openings of Lock 636 Log, which details when Nejedly’s electronic key card was used to unlock the door, he checked into his room on Oct. 4.

Leong said he and Benjamin flew back to the Bay Area on Oct. 8.

Finley, the hotel security supervisor, said she came across his body at about 8 p.m. on Oct. 9, according to the initial police report.

But the lock log shows Finley opened Nejedly’s room door at 6:53, 7:02 and 7:05 p.m.

The original time of death stated in the police report, 8:25 p.m., does not coincide with the coroner’s report findings, which state Nejedly’s body already started showing signs of “lysis of rigor, Setting it straight marbling and green discoloration Nejedly, who was the longest of the right lateral torso, clouding serving district trustee at the time of the (eyes), and purge fluid exudof his death, died while attend- ing from the nose and mouth.”

The autopsy was performed about 12 hours after he was discovered in the room, according to the coroner’s Leong report.

Blurred lines Contra Costa College President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, a former district vice chancellor, said Nejedly’s death was shocking because he never showed signs of drug or alcohol use. Mehdizadeh worked with Nejedly at the District Office from 2001 until she was hired at CCC in 2015.

“He was always extremely professional and focused in the workplace,” she said. “Because (his death) was so sudden, and unexpected, there is a deep level of sadness.”

Leong said because Nejedly was an employee of the district, he was required to adhere to Human Resources Procedures 1018.11 and 1018.06.

District policy prohibits the use, possession, manufacture or distribution of drugs or alcohol on “district property, during district-sponsored trips, activities or workshops, and in any district facility or in any vehicle operated by students or employees.”

In a phone interview on Oct. 10, the day after Nejedly’s death, Leong said Nejedly did not show any behavior associated with drug use when he and Nejedly went to a concert at the D.B.A., a bar and music venue, on Oct. 6, or the next day when Nejedly attended a conference workshop led by Dr. Benjamin.

Leong said he and Benjamin were the last people from the district to see him alive. They did not travel with Nejedly to, or from, the community college leadership conference.

While Nejedly is one of three district Governing Board trustees to die since 2011, Sheila Grilli in 2013 and Jesse Reyes in 2011 being the others, the circumstances surrounding his death has raised some concern.

District Health and Human Resources Director Dio Shipp said the district’s drug and alcohol policies require background checks during the hiring process. Once employees are hired, they are not required to undergo laboratory drug tests.

“We don’t require anyone to undergo a drug test (even during the hiring process),” Shipp said.

“But if there is suspicion of drug abuse reported, and if the person in question wants to voluntarily take the steps toward recovery, they can.

“There was no hint of drug abuse (with Nejedly),” Shipp said.

“Everyone was caught by surprise.

It was a tragic situation because it was obviously a trip sanctioned by the district. And it’s unfortunate, but the event happened.”

timeline of events According to the Hilton HotelRiverside electronic key card log, Nejedly checks into his room on Oct. 4.

Nejedly is pronounced dead in his hotel room on Oct. 9 at about 8:25 p.m.

Hotel security reports that they find Nejedly at about 8 p.m.

Crime lab technicians leave the scene at about 10 p.m., and do not include pieces of evidence in reports.

Leong said there is a drug policy that applies to all district employees, but it is difficult to know if employees are abusing a substance if they do not display erratic behavior.

“There is some (probing) in terms of looking for signs of substance abuse during the hiring and screening process as a condition of employment,” Leong said. “I can’t believe we don’t have a policy (for ongoing drug testing).”

Shipp said it is difficult to tell if someone is intoxicated because the individual could have a pre-existing medical condition that resembles the behaviors of being drunk or on drugs.

He said people who have diabetes could become sluggish and pass out if they do not take their prescribed medicine.

“This could lead someone to believe that a person is intoxicated,” he said, “but they simply were suffering from low blood sugar.”

However, Shipp said, Nejedly never showed a hint of this kind of behavior.

“I had no knowledge of him having a history of using (drugs or alcohol at work), or a hint that something as horrific as this would happen to him,” Shipp said.

History of abuse While no one reported Nejedly for drug use on district property during his tenure on the board, he does have a public history of drug and alcohol abuse, dating back more than 10 years.

Nejedly sued his two siblings after their father John A. Nejedly’s death in 2006, accusing them of manipulating John A. into removing John T. from the family trust because of John T.’s alleged drug use, according to an East Bay Times article published in 2007.

Nejedly, the oldest child, accused his brother Jim Nejedly and sister Mary Nejedly Piepho of manipulating his late father over a period of years with false accusations of his drug use and financial problems.

However, in that article headlined “Siblings dispute senator’s estate,” Nejedly told an East Bay Times reporter that he had struggled with drug addiction since high school.

He dropped the lawsuit against his siblings in 2009 without gaining access to his father’s trust.

NFL DRAFT | Richmond athlete earns national pick Continued from Page 1 mer Comet football coach and current San Jose State University running backs coach Alonzo Carter said.

“I grew up with his uncle in Oakland and he told me that Takk needed help with his eligibility problems. I looked at his transcripts and they looked OK, but we decided to enroll him at CCC to keep him active while we got everything sorted out.”

Carter said McKinley left CCC, after just one year, as a two-time Dean’s List student with a GPA higher than when he was accepted into Cal out of high school.

Also, when he arrived at CCC the only offers he had were from Cal and Washington State University. However, when McKinley left the college, the freshman touted over 40 offers from schools in all the major athletic conferences in the NCAA. Sociology and social sciences department Chairperson Vern Cromartie taught McKinley during his time at CCC and knows the obstacles he had to overcome in life.

“When I think of Takk I think of resilience.

For him to overcome hardships, battle back and make it is huge,” Dr. Cromartie said. “It shows anyone can be successful if they have that one adult step up in their life, and that’s who his grandmother was for him.”

Carter accompanied McKinley to Philadelphia’s Art Museum, the site of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he said he was excited to revel in the success of his former player.

“This is a blessing. It’s euphoric being here at the draft in Philadelphia,” Carter said.

“Everything has come full circle because of

“It is huge that he has achieved this level of success as a one (year) and done player. He is a real Richmond story of perseverance.”

Alonzo Carter,

former Comet football coach

trusting the process. Takk went from part-time player as a sophomore at UCLA to a starter in his junior year. He ended being named to the All PAC-12 team in his senior year.

“It’s big. It’s major, and I’m proud to be a part of his success,” he said. “He dreamed about playing professional football. He’s living his dream and he’s not done.

“There is so much upside for him. The passion you see on TV is not going to stop. The sky’s the limit for him.”

As a junior in 2015, McKinley started 12 of 13 games for the Bruins, recording 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The following season, he nearly tripled his sack total ending his senior season with a total of 10. On its list of draft prospects, in which the attributes and weakness of projected NFL picks are analyzed, sportsillustrated.com lists McKinley’s second and third effort toward securing a tackle as an intangible attribute of the 21-year-old, and one of the keys to his professional success.

For McKinley, drive and determination have been the keys to his consistent success and are signature characteristics that are used to describe the lineman by those who shared time with him at CCC. “His success is not complicated,” CCC Athletic Director John Wade said. “McKinley

had remarkable drive. He wanted to get out and continue to move forward. That kind of drive can propel a person to great things.

“He is a great kid,” Wade said. “People focus on how boisterous he is, but when Carter McKinley was here he was a good student and never had any problems with anyone.”

Current Comet sophomore linebacker Amari Mount played his freshman year with McKinley, and has returned to CCC after rehabbing from injury and fulfilling family obligations.

After playing in the 2013 season with the defensive end, Mount saw firsthand what it takes to achieve at a high level.

“He was a man on a mission. You couldn’t stop him,” Mount said. “Anyone that got in his way he would tear them up. It makes me want to grind harder. It motivates me.

“I shed a tear when I saw him walk across the draft stage because I played and practiced with him,” he said. “It made me realize what is actually possible.”

McKinley’s public success, and the unapologetic way he embraces his roots, has made an immediate impact with athletes attempting to retrace his footsteps.

“It is huge that he has achieved this level of success as a one (year) and done player. He is a real Richmond story of perseverance,” Carter said.

“A local kid from Kennedy High School to CCC then to UCLA and finally drafted (in the first round) into the NFL by the Atlanta Falcons — it’s a blessing. He’s living his dream.”

campusbeat Live forum discusses veterans, politics 4

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KQED highlights immigration, transition

BY Robert Clinton OPINION EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

Community members, students, and employees participated in a live broadcast of KQED’s two-hour radio call-in show “Forum KQED” which aims to keep Bay Area residents politically informed about local and national issues.

People packed GE-225 at Contra Costa College on April 26 for the 9 a.m. broadcast that featured three segments centered on President Donald Trump’s administration, veterans’ transition from the battlefield to the classroom and also the “Richmond Renaissance,” a play produced by the local nonprofit Richmond Ryse Center.

The event was a first for the college and the mixed audience, which was comprised mostly of older public radio listeners who offered a more breadth of knowledge than most events on campus.

“KQED called and expressed interest in broadcasting from campus. I emphatically said we were more than interested,” Senior Executive Assistant to the President Michael Peterson said. “Any collaboration between the college and local media is welcomed.

“It helps highlight the different programs and services that we offer.”

The forum started on time, and dove into the deep end of the political pool covering immigration, health care and the feasibility of actually building a wall on the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

The show, hosted by author and professor Michael Krasny, was headlined in its first segment by a three-person panel operating at varying depths of the political spectrum.

UC Berkeley professor David Levine, KQED reporter on state politics Marisa Lagos and Contra Costa County District Supervisor John Gioia entertained questions from guests and listeners about the intricacies of immigration and politics.

Business major Angelica Espinal said, “As a member of this community, whose parents are immigrants, it is important to join the conversation and to represent minorities, or as some say, aliens.

“Whether they like it or not immigrants

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Radio host Michael Krasny (right) smiles as he interviews student veterans Steven Talaga (left) and Anthony Kinney (center) during a live broadcast of KQED’s radio call-in show “Forum KQED” in GE-225 on April 26.

“As a member of this community, whose parents are immigrants, it is important to join the conversation and to represent minorities, or as some say, aliens.”

— Angelica Espinal, business major

have a tremendously positive effect on small local businesses,” Espinal said. “Honestly, I didn’t even know this event was taking place.”

The show smoothly transitioned between topics, and used the few moments of commercial time to rotate panel members and for attendees to stretch.

Engineers from KQED visited the campus one week prior to the broadcast to test

Retirees to unite, celebrate ‘familial accomplishments’ Community members to honor long-time faculty, administrators

BY Michael Santone NEWS EDITOR

msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com

“We want to make it easier by formally recognizing the many years of dedicated service with a nice event to mark a new chapter in their lives.”

Michael Peterson,

senior executive assistant

In honor of the nine Contra Costa College faculty and staff retiring after a long and illustrious career, a celebration will be held on May 12 at 3 p.m. in the Fireside Hall.

“It’s humbling to see how folks have dedicated their lives to Contra Costa College,” Senior Executive Assistant to the President Michael Peterson said.

The ceremony, which will run approximately two hours, will commemorate the lengthy careers of math professor Emmanuel Baptiste, health education professor Sandra Everhart, computer and communication technology professor Ricky Figuera, Senior Dean of Instruction Donna Floyd, Library, Allied Peterson Health, Vocational Education, and Athletics Division Dean Susan Lee, custodian Guadalupe Mora, computer sciences professor Thomas Murphy, English professor Heather Roth and fine and media arts department Chairperson Ellen Seidler.

Peterson, who is organizing the event, said many of the retirees have given decades of services at CCC. “We would not be where we are today without their dedication,” he said.

The ceremony is also organized with the help of Library department Chairperson Andrew Kuo and Professional Development Assistant Chanel Barton.

The ceremony itself is informal with an introduction and remarks from those retiring and a gift presentation.

Entertainment by Jazz-ology will accompany the afternoon with some of their vocal arrangements, as well as an undecided menu provided by the culinary department.

Peterson said at previous ceremonies a former faculty member would play the harp, but this year they wanted to showcase the talent of CCC’s current student body. “(Music department Chairperson) Stephanie Austin graciously agreed to ask her students and they enthusiastically

accepted,” he said.

A small introduction will be given about each of those retiring, which will open the event.

President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh will present the retirees with a gift of appreciation.

“It’s a celebration of all that they have given to the college and the community,” she said.

Each retiree picked the person they wished to introduce them with a brief summary that highlight their familial accomplishments and achievements throughout their time at CCC. Peterson said that working at CCC is like being in a huge family and letting go can be hard.

“We want to make it easier by formally recognizing the many years of dedicated service with a nice event to mark a new chapter in their lives,” he said.

“It’s vital to recognize and thank our retirees for all they have done,” Mehdizadeh said.

Mehdizadeh said that it’s the faculty and staff who genuinely care about the success of each and every student, which makes the college excellent.

Attendees will also include past retirees who were invited via invitation.

Peterson said that this event is a great way to learn about the college with old faculty and staff who come to celebrate future retirees.

Figuera said it feels good to finally be retiring. “I have exhausted the subject matter,” he said.

Figuera said he is happy that all of those retiring are being honored. Figuera, who has been with CCC since 1985, has become a staple on campus. His department has worked alongside other faculty and staff when it came to many technical issues on campus.

“It’s like a final. Like the end of the whole journey here at CCC,” Figuera said.

He said he is ready to have a good time.

Peterson said the ceremony is also a sign of rebirth because it opens up spots for new “blood” into the college.

for accessibility, acoustics and web access capabilities.

“Set-up here was pretty easy. Two of us got it done last night at about 6 p.m. It took about two hours,” KQED audio engineer Danny Bringer said. “We did a show in San Rafael recently and the Wi-Fi failed. Today, everything ran smoothly.”

Veterans Affairs and the complications many face while transitioning back to civilian life filled the second segment of the show, paneled by three current students who each served overseas in the military.

CCC’s Student Veterans Club President Steven Tagala, Army veteran and journalism major Anthony Kinney and City College of San Francisco student and Army veteran Cameron Shearer rounded out the panel that informed listeners about the issues veterans face and the solutions that veteran centers offer.

Tagala said although it has been rough at times, since enrolling at CCC over a year ago, his life has improved. However, all on the panel agree that the Veterans Resource Center on campus offers a space to bond and share camaraderie with fellow service men and women.

Members from the Ryse Youth Center, an organization that encourages social development in the lives of underrepresented youth, ended the show promoting their third production of the play “Richmond Renaissance.”

The play opens on Saturday at El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater.

The play features local youth highlighting Richmond’s cultural boom in the 1940s.

The show paid homage to the community’s cultural past as an epicenter for blues, jazz and zydeco music by opening with a live performance by one of the actors in the production, Nya Bingazhani.

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“ Clothesline artwork buoys victims If you stay silent, it is going to stay inside of you and no one will ever know. They won’t know how to support you through it.” — , Clothesline Project organizer

Project educates campus on sexual violence against women

BY Roxana Amparo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

T-shirts of all colors with words and phrases like, “Survivor warrior hero,” “You are not alone,” “I am here with you,” “You are beautiful and intelligent,” decorated the Campus Center Plaza to show support during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, commemorated on campus last week.

As part of the Clothesline Project, six Contra Costa College students who are also survivors of sexual, physical and emotional violence wrote these words of support on T-shirts in the Student and Administration Building April 24.

“I wanted to make people aware of the things that happen around them because sometimes people aren’t aware of things unless it happens to them,” CCC student and Clothesline Project organizer Madison Burfield said.

The Clothesline Project is a cam-

paign that started in 1990 to raise awareness about sexual violence against women at campuses nationwide, Burfield said.

She said, as a victim, she wants to let other people know that staying silent is not the answer.

“If you stay silent it is going to stay inside of you and no one will ever know,” she said.

“They won’t know how to support you through it.”

Students who walked through the Campus Center Plaza anytime last week saw six CCC students’ words of wisdom on T-shirts dangling in the spring sun.

“When we were making the shirts, you would think we were feeling upset, but the feeling was happy,” Burfield said.

“We were together with other people who have endured similar things, and also people who supported us.”

The month of April has been dedicated to survivors

of sexual assault in the United States since 2002.

She said with the support of Student Life Coordinator Joel Nickelson-Shanks, her fellow T-shirt art- Nickelsonists, the ASU Board and counselors, her Shanks idea manifested into a day for young women who have experienced trauma to share their strength with the community.

The Clothesline Project is observed throughout many other college campuses as well. “(Burfield) experienced it,” Nickelson-Shanks said. “And I added my element to it and got guidance to create (the Clothesline Project).”

He said, “It’s more about highlighting every student population on campus regardless of what it may be, we should do

it.”

CCC Director of Marketing and Media Design Brandy Howard said ,“I thought it was a really creative way to bring awareness to an important issue.”

Burfield said she promoted the event around campus by posting fliers on bulletin boards a couple days before.

Through fliers and word of mouth, the six CCC students took part in the T-shirt-making.

“Even though people from (other sexual violence awareness) agencies didn’t come, this opportunity made me feel really supported, and people showed up,” she said.

T-shirts were left throughout the week to remind students about the cause.

Nickelson-Shanks said the Clothesline Project could be brought back in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

SMOKING BAN AIMS TO END ON-CAMPUS USE, CHARGE FINES

BY Benjamin Bassham NEWS EDITOR

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

Motions are underway to universally ban all smoking of tobacco, marijuana, including vaporless devices, across all Contra Costa Community College District campuses, under penalty of fines escalating up to $100 per offense.

Currently, tobacco smoking is permitted only in campus parking lots.

Academic Senate President Beth Goehring said the issue was discussed last semester at a District Governance Council meeting. Managers, faculty, classified employees and student representatives voted, and all but the faculty representative agreed that an absolute ban and fines should be considered.

The council’s minutes say faculty speaker Silvester Henderson’s opposition was due to the structure of the fines.

Gregory E v i l s i z e r, Goehring the president of the Classified Senate of the district, said discussion began after Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a statewide campus smoking ban, citing a desire to let campuses decide their own policy. The talks continued over concerns that children at, for instance CCC’s Early Learning Center, would be affected by secondhand smoke.

Goehring said that at a another vote this semester, this time without student representation, again only the faculty opposed the ban.

Evilsizer said it will now go to the district Chancellor’s Office, then the Governing Board.

The Governing Board’s vote will be the final step. If passed, it will be district policy, though it will take time to write into college procedures.

Evilsizer said, “At a guess, it can’t come into effect any

sooner than (the end of the college year),” he said.

Goehring said fines will scale up for repeat smokers.

Evilsizer said the fine is $25 for the first two offenses and $100 for all subsequent offenses.

Police Services will be responsible for ticketing offenders.

Police Services Lt. Tom Holt said currently there is no financial penalty, even for people who smoke outside the parking lots. Violators who don’t stop after a warning can face referrals and academic penalties instead.

Marijuana use is already a misdemeanor offense, without exception.

Holt said in his time at CCC there have been few problems with smokers. He said during the Campus Center and Classroom Project construction there were complaints of people smoking in the plaza between the Library and the Applied Arts Building, but that stopped when construction finished.

He said that, in general, “People are keeping far enough away that it isn’t a problem.” And when someone is smoking close enough that smoke could be pulled into the building’s air, they’ve always been polite and complied when asked to move.

“We, at (Police Services) are not the ones who are changing it (policy),” Holt said.

Tobacco addiction is famously difficult to break, and according to Gallup polls most smokers are poor.

Goehring asked, “Will they start a smoking cessation program to help people?”

Evilsizer said the idea had been discussed, and generally agreed with, but no decisions had been made. “I imagine that nothing is written in stone yet,” Evilsizer said.

Goehring also suggested some leniency for students, perhaps allowing them to perform some service instead of simply laying an additional burden on students who may already be in financial difficulties.

XAVIER JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE

English as a second language professor Shelley Ruby (right) goes over her style of helping English language development learners with drama professor Angelina LaBarre (left) during the Teaching Café in the Fireside Hall on Thursday.

Teaching Café creates network to boost success

BY Valeria Garcia ADVOCATE STAFF

vgarcia.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Teaching Café, a faculty-based event, was held on Wednesday, April 26 in the Fireside Hall, Library Learning and Resource Center, and other classrooms.

Food and beverages, provided by Contra Costa College culinary arts department students, were free to anyone who attended the on-campus event.

Faculty members spoke about different ways to improve student success by sharing in-classroom techniques.

The audience was comprised of mainly faculty members, and the few students who attended were all Associated Student Union members.

Despite the difference in teacher to student ratio, the Teaching Café was a successful and important event, speech department Chairperson Sherry Diestler said.

Diestler, the coordinator of the event, said teachers coming together and sharing their ideas with students was the main goal of the event. “(The Teaching Café) helps (professors) find new teaching techniques, and share tips such as how to implement teaching games into the classroom,” Diestler said.

During a discussion, faculty speakers emphasized the importance

“(The Teaching Café) helps (professors) find new teaching techniques, and share tips such as how to implement teaching games into the classroom.”

—

, speech professor

of applying abstract concepts taught in a classroom to real and relevant situations.

Even though there was one speaker listed per each segment on the itinerary, discussions played out like open forums where a topic question would spur lengthy conversations between educators.

Professors were able to share their input and started conversations with those present.

History, anthropology and geography Chairperson Manu Ampim said having high expectations for students and encouraging active learning will better prepare them for high-level college courses.

Ampim also said teachers should maintain the classroom professional, and “keep all baggage at the door to create an environment for learning.”

Many of the other teachers in the audience, and on the panel agreed with him.

Academic Skill Development faculty member Maricela Ramirez used her segment to discuss the importance of writing clear and understandable essay prompts.

Ramirez said it was her first time attending the Teaching Café.

She said the goal of her presentation was to teach teachers how to help students.

She explained to the audience that it easier for students to succeed in a classroom if they understand the prompt.

She said, “If we can make things clear for students then we help ourselves.”

Ramirez said the Teaching Café is important because “it is a great way for the entire CCC family to get together to enjoy one another and learn from each other.”

Another segment’s discussion was centered in teachers subconsciously discriminating against students.

This is the meeting most students attended. A total of three of them were there.

ASU student ambassador Minerva Arbalo said she stopped by the Teaching Cafe just to see what it was like.

Arbalo said, “I learned about microaggressions and how to change, and prevent them.”

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scene

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LEFT: Jesus, played

by Xavier Johnson (right), tells a story to his followers in “Godspell,” performed in the Knox Center on Saturday.

PHOTOS BY DESMOND SYLVA / THE ADVOCATE

Ensemble shines in ‘colorful’ play ‘Energetic’ musical portrays parables based on the Bible

By Michael Santone ASSOCIATE EDITOR

msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com

A

fun and colorful production by the drama department closes out the 2016-17 season with energetic acting and distinct vocals.

“Godspell,” directed by Kathryn G. McCarty with musical direction by Luis Zuniga and choreography by Latanya Tigner, is the sole musical of the season.

The production shines with an ensemble cast radiating infectious energy. The strongest parts of the show aren’t the individual performances, which range from good to OK. The musical numbers and scenes that incorporate the entire cast and all their spontaneous actions are impressive.

“Godspell” will continue its run with shows Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the John and Jean Knox Center for the Performing Arts.

The musical, created in the 1970s

by Stephen PLAY Schwartz, REVIEW follows the “Godspell” teachings of Jesus Christ Venue: The John through familand Jean Knox Center for the iar parables Performing Arts and catchy Directed by: songs based Kathryn G. on the Gospel McCarty Continues: May of Matthew.

4-6.

The show is brought to life with a modern cast whose chemistry shines bright as they sing, dance and pull at the heartstrings.

Performing a musical with well-known and sensitive material can sometimes be hard to pull off, however this production keeps it powerful and yet light hearted.

The opening number, “Tower of Babble,” features different historical philosophers singing and screaming out their famous ideas, thoughts, and decisions as they congregated on stage.

They conclude the number intertwined with each other on two mini-yellow scaffoldings which make up part of the set.

The shouting match only increases in intensity, until Judas, played by Umi Grant, emerges to baptize the company while singing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

Grant’s portrayal of Judas is slick and cool, yet slightly reserved. Judas is a nice contrast from the rest of the bubbly cast who bounce off stage after being baptized.

The opening of the show struggles to bring a high level

ABOVE: Rachel Garza (middle) tells a story about a Pharisee and tax gatherer in “Godspell” performed in the Knox Center on Saturday.

of energy. Part of the reason for this is that the musical accompaniment is prerecorded and not live instrumentation.

The accompaniment feels dull for the opening numbers and the cast’s singing matched the low energy.

Judas, now all alone, gives a sermon to the audience before Jesus, played by Xavier Johnson, emerges and watches with intrigue. Johnson’s portrayal of Jesus is charming and charismatic.

Jesus sings the third number in the show, “Save the People,” and includes the rest of the company, dressed in brightly colored circus-themed attire, who enthusiastically pour back into the theater to sing with Jesus.

The energy of the show picks up during “Save the People” and carries on for the rest of the show.

Each parable played out by the cast, including “the widow and judge,” “Pharisee and the tax gatherer” and “ungrateful servant” are all injected with a bit of humor and acted out extremely well by the cast.

Some of the language is changed to make it more palatable for today’s audiences, which not only makes the show relatable, but also creates an inclusive atmosphere.

It is this connection and passion that stands out and makes the production all that more enjoyable to watch.

The joyous earworm “Day

by Day,” sung by Elizabeth Martinie, encapsulates the show and is sung with such admiration that can be felt through the entire theater.

Another highlight of the first act is “All for the Best.” Jesus and Judas perform an upbeat vaudevillian duet which culminates with both singing their parts at the same time as the company joins in to dance and sing.

This was by far one of the best

numbers of the show, as lighthearted fun is mixed with over the top interactions and great music.

“Learn Your Lessons Well” is a short number performed by Kamaria McKinney in a jazzy tune that is a silly time.

“O Bless the Lord” and “All Good Gifts” are two solid songs in the second act performed

by Ashley Watts and Sean Teal, respectively.

Watts and Martinie shined throughout the show with their strong acting and vocal performances.

The first act concludes with “Light of the World,” performed

by Victor Sanchez, whose hilarious and over the top acting soaks up much of the spotlight.

Occasionally, Sanchez overacts and upstages other actors who should have had the focus.

The second act’s tone is more somber as the betrayal of Jesus

by Judas becomes more apparent.

“Turn Back, O Man” opens act two with a sultry number performed by Rachel Garza, who romps around with a clear inspiration from Mae West. Garza does a great job at being sensual as she travels around the audience with a feather boa.

During another parable, a woman is accused of adultery and is about to be stoned to death. Jesus’ response is, “He who is faultless shall cast the first stone.”

The company, who are all ready to throw a stone, retreat as Jesus explains to the women that she may go but not to sin again.

As he begins walking away, the woman, played by Irena Miles, asks Jesus to stay, singing “By My Side,” performed alongside Jasmine Manahan.

The gripping and heartwarming ode is performed to perfection. The combination of Miles’ and Manahan’s voices fill the song with meaning and

emotion.

It is also during this song that Judas foretells his betrayal of Jesus in a hair-raising moment that is so raw, to the instrumental backdrop of “By My Side.”

“We Beseech Thee” is the only happy song of the second act, which sends the company into a swirl of dance and celebration.

This song, performed by Johnson Nguyen, is a disappointing moment.

Nguyen doesn’t bring much energy to the song, which should be a high point before the closing scenes bring down an emotional weight.

Nguyen’s singing is quiet and the staging of the number could have been more dynamic and utilized the yellow scaffolding more.

As the second act closes, the heart-wrenching “On the Willows,” performed by Ashley Watts and Martinie, is a tear jerker as everyone says their own special goodbyes to Jesus.

“On the Willows” leads into the “Finale” in which Johnson is crucified on the yellow scaffoldings.

This scene is the most overwhelming part of the musical and Johnson does a terrific job of showing the emotions on his face, as he is being crucified.

“Godspell” is captivating when it needs to be, but also is funny, which contrasts well with the moments things get serious.

Every member of the cast is talented and as an ensemble they are unstoppable.

Anyone looking for an entertaining escape coupled with a message of good faith will not be disappointed with this production of “Godspell.”

ABOVE: Ashley Watts performs a monologue prior to “O Bless the Lord” in “Godspell,” performed in the Knox Center on Saturday.

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7

■ OFF THE RECORD

efrainvaldez

LEFT: Comet outfielder Wesley Galloway (right) reacts as Storm catcher Josh Abraham (left) fields the ball during Contra Costa College’s 2-1 loss against Napa Valley College on the Baseball Field Thursday.

FALCONS’ PICK SHOWS NATION RICHMOND SPIRIT

F

ormer Comet football player and John F. Kennedy High School alumnus Takkarist McKinley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th pick in the first round of 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday.

McKinley claimed the draft’s highlight when NFL legend and NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders interviewed him shortly after being selected by the Falcons.

He captivated the nation with his brutally honest words.

“I made a promise to her (his grandmother) before she died that I was going to go Division I, that I was going to get out of Oakland and Richmond. I completed the promise. This means every fucking thing to me, excuse my language, fine me later,” McKinley said to a national audience.

Even though he did say “fine me later” for the F-bomb he dropped, the NFL and the television networks announced their decision not to fine him in an statement made public a few days later.

McKinley, who was born in Oakland and raised in Richmond, had all the odds against him like anybody else living in these tough neighborhoods.

If it were not for the community college system, who knows if McKinley would have ever been an NFL draft prospect.

Students that play football in local high schools like Kennedy, Richmond and De Anza high schools don’t get the attention from college scouts because of the area’s stigma.

The Contra Costa College campus and football program provided the platform for McKinley to improve his discipline in the classroom, play on the field and, most importantly, to earn an athletic scholarship.

Coming out of Kennedy High in Richmond, he only had two scholarship offers.

But two years later as he was getting ready to transfer from CCC he had 40 colleges nationwide competing for his services and offering him a full-ride scholarship.

The coaching done by former CCC coach Alonzo Carter, now San Jose State University running backs coach, instilled a disciplined and winning culture in this school — hopefully lasting into the future.

Recently, middle and high schools in West Contra Costa County have taken the initiative to improve their reputations. McKinley’s success story opens the doors for many more talented athletes from this area to succeed on and off of the field.

CCC players have earned increasingly more football scholarships over the last decade than in the past thanks to the renovation of the football facilities and the leadership of people like Carter, his players and the rest of the coaching staff.

McKinley is the epitome of a Richmond success story because he is one of the few real Richmond natives to be a high-profile draft pick for a Super Bowl-contending team.

Efrain Valdez is an Advocate staffer. Contact him at evaldez.theadvocate@gmail. com.

DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE

Offensive struggles doom pitching, Napa sneaks win

BY Dylan Collier ASSISTANT SCENE EDITOR

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Comets (11-27 overall, and 6-14 in the Bay Valley Conference) lost to Napa Valley College 2-1 in the 11th inning Thursday in the team’s last home game of the season.

In another example of a disappointing end to a solid start, Comet pitchers Tyler Reames and Casey Edmunds kept runs to a minimum, but couldn’t get enough support offensively.

The game was determined by speed and accuracy from the pitchers on the mound and in both dugouts.

Napa’s (14-23 overall, and 12-8 in the BVC) pitchers didn’t give Comet batters many opportunities to get anywhere near home plate early on, but when they did, Comet batters weren’t able to manufacture runs.

A total of two runners were left stranded on base in the second and ninth innings and the Comets left the bases loaded in the 11th inning, ending the day with a strikeout.

“One of our problems today was we didn’t execute with people on base and we left runners on,”

outfielder Rabonnie Carter said.

Throughout the game the Comet defense proved to Napa that they were going to have to work twice as hard if they wanted to score any runs.

In the third inning, with the score tied 0-0, second baseman Elijah Smith prevented a run from scoring by throwing out Napa second baseman Ben Phim at home plate.

Reames pitched seven full innings, only allowing one run off the bat of Napa catcher Josh Abraham.

When Reames left a pitch that stayed in the strike zone for too long, Abraham turned on it and hit a solo home run over the left field fence in the sixth inning.

The Comets had only player get a hit in the early innings, a single from center fielder Jonathan Dunn in the second inning.

First baseman Eric Whitfield said, “When you don’t have that many hits, it’s hard to win. It was just one of those days where we weren’t hitting the ball well. The best thing about baseball is you get to come out tomorrow for another chance to do it all over again.”

With tensions high in this end-

“When you don’t have that many hits, it’s hard to win. It was just one of those days where we weren’t hitting the ball well.”— , of-season competition, the game had its colorful moments.

The umpires ejected two players over the course of the 11 innings.

In the fifth inning, Comet base-runner Jonathan Dunn got caught in a rundown as he rounded second base. Napa pitcher James Tanner-White, was standing in the middle of the base path, obstructing his path to third base.

After Dunn was tagged sliding into second base, Phim hit him on the head with his glove and the umpire ejected Tanner-White for obstructing the base path without having the ball in his glove.

The Comets put together a two-out rally in the eighth inning, which was started by a triple from Kevin Sudduth that rolled to the left-field fence. Then Carter hit a grounder on a 1-2 count that

found the out- STORM field grass, scoring Sudduth from third base.

But that was all the Comets could COMETS score, which made it 1-1 going into the ninth inning.

Napa Valley right-fielder Brooks Green got a leadoff single in the 11th inning and eventually made his way to third base on a wild pitch.

With two outs, Napa first baseman Chris Hard hit a go-ahead single that scored Green from third base.

Although CCC ended its season at the bottom of the BVC, the young team always made the most of in-game situations and the team played with heart until the last out.

Edmunds said, “Today I learned not to let people get into my head, but to contain my composure. The thing I love about this team is we don’t give up and we played hard until the last pitch of the last game.”

The Comets lost the season finale at Napa Valley on Saturday, 16-7.

2 1

COMET COACH HELPS REFINE ACADEMIC DRIVE Henderson readies student athletes for transfer process

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

It is said in football that it’s always better to retool a program than to rebuild one. Since Comet football coach Pat Henderson was tapped to lead the team, its infrastructure is being slowly reworked to better meet the needs of student-athletes.

After former football coach Alonzo Carter was hired by San Jose State University, Athletic Director John Wade hired associate head coach Pat Henderson to coach the team earlier this year.

Henderson, a 2010 graduate of Oregon State University, can relate to problems student-athletes tackle daily.

“It’s really just sitting down and getting an idea of what is important. Last year we had a few kids slip through the cracks because of their workload or because they were enrolled in classes that they were not ready for,” Henderson said.

“At this point there is an emphasis on getting caught up with studies and providing the resources to do it, even if it means missing time on the field.”

Henderson said he wants his players to be prepared to transfer to four-year colleges, if and when the opportunity presents itself.

“When the chance to transfer arises, I want them to be ready,” Henderson said.

“If they aren’t — it won’t be because of a lack of support.”

Changes in the program were immediate yet subtle, beginning with the offseason program.

Dubbed “Develop to Dominate,” the program focuses on maximizing player’s time, academic support and athletic growth.

Campuswide Tutoring Coordinator Brandy Gibson said she had a great

ROBERT CLINTON / THE ADVOCATE

Comet lineman and calculus tutor Barnaby Jime solves a calculus equation with other Comet football players during a tutoring session in the College Skills Center on Monday.

relationship with coach Carter and that Henderson brings players in once or twice a week for study hall.

Under Henderson, Gibson notices an increase in the time athletes spend in the College Skills Center.

“When Pat (Henderson) was hired, he immediately made contact with me and expanded the time that the football team spends in study hall,” Gibson said.

“He made a point to schedule time in the (College) Skills Center that works with the players’ schedules. Right now, players are spending four to 10 hours per week in study hall. Hopefully the increase in time translates to better grades in the end.”

There is more discipline than before, which should aid in their success on the field, Gibson said.

Members of the football team who also played for Carter see the differences

in the two coaches’ actions toward academic progress as well.

“There are consequences if you don’t show up to study hall. Everything has ramifications,” sophomore running back Jerald Daniels said.

“On the field, it’s more of the same.

But it’s more serious academically — that’s the good thing about coach Pat (Henderson).”

With all of the turnover in community college football, a new crop of athletes is taking part in this refocused approach to collegiate football.

“It begins with making sure students are developing academically in the right classes — math, English and science,” offensive line coach Alex Belinger said.

“Athletically, on the field, we’re still speed training and weight training.

Getting bigger, better and faster, that’s our goal.”

8

focus

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.3.2017 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Thousands of people gather from all over the Bay Area for May Day to protest for the rights of the working class during a march from Justin Herman Plaza to Civic Center in San Francisco on Monday.

MAY DAY HONORS WORKING CLASS Photos by: Denis Perez

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RIGHT: San Francisco residents Adela Martinez (left) and Maroorie Delgadillo (right) hold a part of a multinational flag as they chant during a march from Justin Herman Plaza to Civic Center in San Francisco for May Day on Monday.

LEFT: San Francisco resident Maya Ponce performs a traditional Aztec dance during a march from Justin Herman Plaza to Civic Center on May Day in San Francisco on Monday.

ABOVE: San Francisco resident Velinda Wallace raises her fist during a march from Justin Herman Plaza to Civic Center in San Francisco for May Day on Monday. Wallace wears butterfly wings that symbolize the beauty of the migration members of the immigrant working class go through.