The Advocate 5-4

WEDNESDAY l 5.4.16 OUR 66TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.

NONPROFIT RAISES ACCESS Low-income students gain pathway to higher education, minimize digital divide

BY Tobias Cheng STAFF WRITER

tcheng.theadvocate@gmail.com

Laptop computers will be provided to 80-100 low-income students for college work starting this fall.

The nonprofit K to College will be giving out the computers, first to qualifying CalWORKs and EOPS students, then to other students, college President Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said.

However, the start date and number of students who can serve are dependent on receiving enough supplies, George Mills, EOPS/CARE & CalWORKs man-

ager, said.

“It is an opportunity to work with a partner that meets an immediate demand of our students and afford us the opportunity to impact our students in ways that go beyond the classroom,” Mills said.

Mehdizadeh said, “This partnership clearly helps our college in meeting our strategic goal related to student access and success. It will greatly help to level the playing field for students by having access to technology tools used in education and in the workplace.”

Mills said that CCC will be the first

college in the Contra Costa Community College District to enter the arrangement.

“CCC cultivated the partnership, so we expect CCC to start,” he said.

“The memorandum of understanding (of an official partnership) was signed and approved by our Governing Board at the Feb. 24 Governing Board meeting,” Mehdizadeh said.

Benito Delgado-Olson, executive director of K to College, said, “We’re just at the point of a formal partnership SEE K TO COLLEGE, PAGE 3 ILLUSTRATION BY MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

ASU HOLDS ELECTIONS, SEEKS NEW MEMBERS

Government group organizes polling on campus, online

BY Xavier Johnson and Lorenzo Morotti STAFF WRITERS

accent.advocate@gmail.com

Voting polls for electing executive positions in the Associated Students Union will be open Thursday to May 11 Complacency through stuInsite hijacks ASU dents’ Portal emails, Leadership in need and at polling of proper training. stations outside AA-109 PAGE 2 in between the Bookstore and the Applied Arts

editorial

SEE ELECTION, PAGE 3

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

City of Richmond, San Pablo embraces culture Music, food attract community members during Cinco de Mayo

Panel discusses sexual assaults PAGE 4

BY Roxana Amparo ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ramparo.theadvocate@gmail.com

RICHMOND — A diverse mass of people packed the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration as it manifested into a colorful and cheerful community gathering on 23rd Street in Richmond on Saturday and Sunday.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated through local street vendors, parades and dance performances with live music and entertainment.

The festival is in commemoration of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Mexican War in 1862.

Throughout Mexico and in the U.S., “Bailes folklóricos” (folkloric dances) emphasize local folk culture and dramatic movement as women dress in colorful layered dresses.

A group of adults and children danced and strutted on horses through the neighborhood on Market Avenue as community members lined the sidewalks during the parade on Saturday.

During the parade, local elementary and high school students held signs and performed while

““It’s about bringing the community together. It’s about ethnic solidarity.”

Agustin Palacios,

African American and La Raza studies department chairperson

marching down the street.

Monica Serano, a Richmond resident, said this year’s parade lacked organization. The performances were more spaced out, but there were still (a lot) of people.

“It’s fun to see people from different ethnic backgrounds gather to enjoy the parade, and it makes everyone proud to be part of the celebration.”

The people of Richmond, and the Bay Area, embraced Mexican and Latino cultures during the Cinco de Mayo parade on Saturday on 23rd Street to Market Avenue. They did not let the warm weather get in the way of the annual celSEE CINCO DE MAYO, PAGE 3

ABOVE: Dancers with the Danza Azteca Guadalupana dance troupe perform for the crowd during the Cinco de Mayo Festival on 23rd Street on Sunday.

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Quotable “All truths begin as hearsay.”

Matt Drudge online journalist Christian Urrutia editor-in-chief Marci Suela art director Roxana Amparo Lorenzo Morotti associate editors Benjamin Bassham news editor Asma Alkrizy Marlene Rivas opinion editors Mike Thomas scene editor Robert Clinton sports editor Xavier Johnson assistant sports editor Cody Casares photo editor Denis Perez assistant photo editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Joseph Bennett Tobias Cheng Dylan Collier Salvador Godoy Edwin Herrera Mickalea Manuel Yesenia Melara Jshania Owens Warren Samuel Jason Sykes Staff photographers Perla Juarez Jordan Khoo Tashi Wangchuk Staff illustrator Nora Alkrizy 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 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: accent.advocate@ 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 4, 2016 VOL. 103, NO. 21

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM

●

EDITORIAL COMPLACENCY HIJACKS ASU

Lack of training, uncontested elections shatters influence

S

tudent government groups should establish lasting change through strong leadership. But at Contra Costa College, its student leadership has been reduced to a culture of missed chances and complacency.

Do not be mistaken, the Associated Students Union at Contra Costa College has sponsored programs and organized campus events this year including the “Food Drive,” “Dinner with Faculty,” “Coffee with a Cop,” “Club Rush,” “Sexual Assault Public Forum,” “Fall Festival” and “Spring Festival.”

During the 2015-16 fiscal year, the ASU’s Grant for Support program allocated $31,353 in extra funding to 15 departments and clubs through the $5 student activity fee and the $2 student representation fee most students pay at the start of every semester.

Being part of any shared governance group that manages up to $50,000 in student funds annually, organizes campus events and has the responsibility to represent students is a privilege.

But due to uncontested elections, an ineffective training process and a lack of a permanent full-time coordinator and office assistant due to a lack of funding, the ASU does not operate at its potential.

The ASU election code should be tweaked to provide students running for a position on the ASU Board at least a month to campaign on campus. An election reform would provide candidates a chance to directly address their opponents’ platforms in a series of open debates.

The current window of two weeks not only limits the ASU Elections Committee and Student Activity Coordinator Erika Greene in the application screening process, but also the student body from selecting the best candidate for the position.

This system runs a greater chance of electing students to a position of public servitude who are unable to fulfill their requirements as senators, representatives and executive positions listed in the ASU Bylaws, Article II. Current ASU President Nakari Syon is an example of this. For the 2015-16 academic year he said he failed to meet various requirements because of a heavy work load and course schedule.

Syon withdrew as the only student representative on the college Presidential Search Advisory Committee, failed to attend district Governing Board meetings, only attended two College Council meetings, and did not attend a District Governance Council meeting or Student Trustee Advisory Committee Meeting last fall.

How accurately can someone relay information to the ASU Board about district policies or topics of discussion about a meeting he did not attend?

The same can be said about the ASU missing the American Student Government Association Los Angeles Student Government Convention during both the fall and spring semesters.

These wasted opportunities to learn what it takes to be a public servant from peers and professionals, and return to campus to share this experience, cannot be replicated.

Failure is OK, but complacency is deadly.

MARCI SUELA / THE ADVOCATE

■ EDUCATIONAL PATH

Career goals should reflect your personality T

here are severe misconceptions that some majors are guaranteed to bring an individual success and stability while others will not.

There are two types of responses that usually came after my answer.

Either, they hesitantly said, “Oh that’s nice!” with feigning interest or they spewed out negative feedback that I already heard hundreds of times.

After a lot of indecisiveness between majors I have decided on sociology.

It took me a long time to work up the courage to commit to a career in social work even though I knew that was a direction I wanted to take.

There are some people who sound like they’re being supportive.

That is until they start talking about how I still have time to figure out my career path.

I realize what the actual implication was having time to change my major.

I have friends who want to study art, history or philosophy and find themselves trying to look for a more secure, “reasonable,” field.

I can definitely relate to that.

For a while, I said I was going to major in psychology.

I even took all the classes needed to transfer to a university with psychology as my intended major as a Middle College High School student.

That answer generated pleasant, accepting smiles

I didn’t just have to prove that I could obtain a degree.

I also needed to fight the stereotype of going into a field that is commonly occupied by women.

There was even the usual amount of stress to and conversations, particu- finish and do well in my larly from those older than college classes.

But simply going to me. school wasn’t enough.

That definitely beat There was that expecthe shocked exchange of tation to be some kind of glances and doctor, an engineer or anyI also gulps that I thing else that is deemed got from my needed “una buena carerra,” a parents. good career.

I sat them to fight For a long time my down at the greatest concern was the end of my the amount I would earn in a senior year of high school stereotype job.

I also allowed other and told individuals’ opinions of my them I want- of going career options weigh too ed to pursue heavily. journalism or into a I come from a family sociology. field that who works the jobs most My dad available to them and works in the is didn’t have an educational deli section of a grocery commonly opportunity.

There are expectastore where tions as to what you are demanding, occupied supposed to do with the irrational incredible opportunity of customers by choosing what you want to bark orders do in life as well as in your women. to him in chosen career. the most But in the end, the point demeaning and uncourteof it all is to be satisfied by ous way.

My mom is a nanny who what we are doing.

We need to take advanswallows her words. tage of the chance to make She maintains a good our occupational choice for face no matter how disreourselves despite the negaspectful or misbehaving the kids are, because at the tive input of others. end of the day they’re like her bosses too.

Marlene Rivas is an opinI have always felt like ion editor for The Advocate. there is an additional Contact her at mrivas.theadpressure because I am a vocate@gmail.com. woman.

marlenerivas

CAMPUS COMMENT

What can the ASU do to help students other than host events?

“Let the campus know what they do. You need to seek things out and it makes getting involved or getting information hard.”

Anthony Gojilde computer science

XAVIER JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE

“Helping students build better connections with staff would be good.”

“I think they should promote a bigger focus on getting students and faculty to have more of a relationship.”

“They need to announce what they already do. I don’t know what’s going on here a lot of the time.”

Courtney Chappell

Jay Lamar

Mikaela Pollard

media

African-American studies

undecided

“They need a better bulletin board for the stuff they have been doing. I’m sure they do a lot but I don’t know about it.”

Octavious Webster business

“Push to announce events better and other school related things they do.”

Ralph Boquilon business

campusbeat Follow The Advocate

NEWSLINE PUENTE PROJECT

PROGRAM TO RECRUIT WITH ORIENTATION The Puente Project is recruiting for fall 2016’s Puente courses on Monday from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and on May 18 from 3:30-4:30 p.m., in the SSC Room A. Students who attend the orientation will learn about the Puente project and its mission.

In order to qualify for the program, students must attend an orientation, be eligible for English 142B, have an interest in transferring and a commitment to participate in all programs including field trips, social events and mentoring.

For more information, contact Puente counselor Norma ValdezJimenez at nvaldez-jimenez@contracosta.edu.

POTTERY

ARTWORK AUCTION TO BOOST FUNDING The art department will have its annual pottery auction in the Art Building Thursday, with a selection of affordable handmade pottery pieces to offset the rising costs of art supplies for students in the art department. The auction ends on May 13.

An assortment of clay vases, trinkets and knick-knacks will be available for purchase throughout the week for interested people to bid on.

Bidding will continue until its deadline. Students can bid Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Art Building. For more information about the pottery, contact the art department at 510-215-3965 ext. 43965.

CRIMEWATCH Monday, April 11: A student reported that two unkown males were staring at her while she was riding the bus to the college. She said the constant stares made her feel uncomfortable.

— Roxana Amparo

CORRECTION In the April 27 issue of The Advocate on the front page in the story titled “Professors given chance to prepare for Canvas,” drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarria’s name is misspelled.

In the same issue on page 5 in the photo cutline for the story titled “Union celebrates 40th anniversary, legacy,” culinary arts major Carlos Garrison is mistakenly listed as Troy Yonkey.

The Advocate regrets these errors.

— 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.

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K TO COLLEGE | Organization provides supplies Continued from Page 1

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(and) haven’t figured out the stuff behind that yet.” He said K to College actually did a small pilot program already, but the work with CCC this fall will be the first year where K to College “will have a broad base.” Mills said that later in the process, “we will look to (officially) inform the campus.”

Delgado-Olson said K to College has been around for about five and a half years and has partnered with more than 300 education organizations in California.

“It is an opportunity to work with a partner that meets an immediate demand of our students and afford us the opportunity to impact our students in other ways that go beyond the classroom.”

George Mills,

EOPS/CARE & CalWORKs manager

He said they typically provide hygiene and school supply kits to students aged from preschool to 12th grade.

Delgado-Olson said, “A little over a year ago, we started looking to expand to community colleges. “(K to College) started to realize there was a need there too.”

K to College has a sub-program called Green Access Pledge, or GAP. Delgado-Olson said GAP’s goal is to close the technology gap between low and high-income students.

GAP collects older computers,

mostly from “private sector employers.”

He said the computers are refurbished and loaded with the latest operat- Mills ing systems, Microsoft Office and “everything you’d expect a modern college student to have.”

Students will be able to do research, prepare presentations and access their online/hybrid courses, he said.

CINCO DE MAYO | Festival accentuates community Continued from Page 1 ebration.

Contra Costa College’s African-American and La Raza studies department Chairperson Agustin Palacios was at the college’s booth on 23rd Street and Church Lane handing out information about the various programs and courses offered on campus.

“It’s about bringing the community together,” Dr. Palacios said. “It’s about ethnic solidarity.”

CCC’s Outreach Coordinator Dona DeRosso, also at the festival, said, “I love the culture. I don’t have Hispanic heritage in me, but it is important for us to honor (the culture).”

DeRosso said she was helping promote the programs CCC has to offer for not only incoming freshman, but also for adults and kids.

Among the vendors selling goods were members of the community meandering along stands with traditional colorful, patterned dresses and other garments ranging from $30$65.

San Francisco Mission District resident Ricardo Peña said, “Tengo que trabajar para vivir. Cinco de Mayo es una oportunidad para mí, para poder vendor,” (I have to work to be able to live. Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity for me to be able to sell my goods).

Peña said the jewelry he was selling at the event was handmade and brought from Mexico.

Games and raffles targeted the younger attendees, drawing a crowd of parents and children to the lines.

Children were able to spin the wheel to

ELECTION | Polls

“I love the culture. I don’t have Hispanic heritage in me, but it is important for us to honor (the culture.)”

Dona DeRusso, outreach coordinator

receive a prize of their choice, including teddy bears, candy and raffle tickets.

The smells of kettle corn, grilled chicken and grilled corn attracted lines at food vendor stands.

Mangonadas, the popular mango and chamoy-filled drink was made to order as well as coconut water in its shell. The celebration was an alcohol-free event.

Palacios said, “We need to remember it is not ‘Drinko de Mayo’. It’s not a beer corporation event.”

He said the event started as a fundraiser in Puebla and was carried to California and throughout the Southwest as Mexican immigrants crossed the border.

“We have $1 waters, glitter tattoos and free bike rodeo,” Richmond Police Officer Orlando Guzman said.

Children were able to receive one-onone bike lessons at the Richmond Police Department’s stand.

“We are showing them we are out here with them,” Guzman said. “We are giving (the community) a sense of comfort.”

Palo Alto resident Da-Kay Arroya said, “I like that there isn’t a lot of drama. Security is not an issue.”

St. Paul’s Catholic Church festival coordinator Cathy Domon said, “(Cinco de Mayo celebration) is important because we have a church commitment. This is where the Filipino, Vietnamese, Hispanic and American community gather to fundraise.”

A kid-friendly mechanical bull allowed parents to take pictures of their children on a two-minute ride for $5.

Juan Laza, an El Sobrante resident said, “Yo crecí con el ganado. Hay muchos ninos que le tienen miedo a los animales.

“Son nuestras raíces y no es la de allí que les tengan miedo,” (I was born with the herd.

There are a lot of kids that are afraid of animals.

Those are our roots and it isn’t right that they are afraid of them), Laza said.

Laza’s 4-year-old son Juan Laza Jr., dressed in boots and a cowboy hat, rode a mechanical bull during the festival.

Laza Sr. said as Salvadorans they usually like to celebrate Independence Day on Sept. 15, but this is the third year at the event, they have supported their community.

Domon said although there have been problems in the past, the event remained peaceful.

Throughout the festival there were police officers making sure the event was running smoothly.

The live performance from members of Azteca 50, Bay Area TV channel and 93.3 La Raza, radio station kept its audience entertained.

The Cinco De Mayo event was sponsored by the City of Richmond Kaiser Permanente, Republic Services Inc., a waste management company, Chevron and others.

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Continued from Page 1 Building.

“The ASU table will be encouraging students to become senators. You have to be a senator if you want to run for an executive position for the next election (spring 2017). The application period for this semester is over,” ASU Vice President of Club Affairs Safi Ward-Davis said. “But we need to attract students who maybe don’t want to run and get students who are interested in joining. We need to increase the membership of the ASU Board.”

Contra Costa College students will be able to cast their votes for ASU executive positions at the polling stations until May 11, except on Fridays because “there are not a lot of students around,” Student Activity Coordinator Erika Greene said.

“All students can vote online,” she said. “So there is no excuse for not voting. (Greene) will send out a constant contact email so everyone should receive an email to vote.”

Greene said students who are not on campus can access the ballot by signing into their Insite Portal email even after the prescribed deadline.

“We may possibly extend the voting until (May 12),” she said. “There won’t be a physical laptop station, but I will probably leave the online survey monkey (ballot) open until noon.”

ASU Elections Chairperson Jun Chen said that the polling station in front of the ASU Office will be open all day, and the other location in the plaza will be polling students for at least an hour in the morning and afternoon. Chen said on May 10 and 11 the tables will be open two hours for night students.

As of press time Tuesday, the ballot consists of Ward-Davis for president, ASU Senator Francis Sanson for director of public relations, ASU Senator Addy Brien for the position of activities coordinator and Ryan Villareal is the incumbent for parliamentarian position.

According to the Associated Student Union Election Code candidates must be a current ASU Board member in good standing. The candidates also must be enrolled in five units and intend to enroll next semester. A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is required as well as being a student in good standing with the college and not on academic probation.

All candidates are running unopposed due to the ASU’s small staff of eight members during the application period that closed Thursday, Greene said. Chen and ASU Director of Public Relations Richa Dahal will be transferring to universities in the fall semester.

Chen said students with questions are welcome to attend today’s ASU meeting in AA-103 from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. to ask the candidates questions and let the ASU know what it should do to benefit students.

Ward-Davis said training for senators, representatives and executive positions and meetings will take place over the summer so the fall semester can begin smoothly.

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FILM EXPOSES CULTURE OF HARASSMENT, OPENS DEBATE

“

When people go to school they tend to consider the academics, not the safety of the campus. ” — , ASU Vice President of club affairs

Panel discusses attacks, filing assault charges

BY Marlene Rivas OPINION EDITOR

mrivas.theadvocate@gmail.com

To bring attention to Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a viewing of the documentary “Hunting Ground” and a public question and answer panel were held in LA-100 on Thursday to talk about the societal ills that create a culture of silence among sexual crime victims.

“We tend to keep that stuff under the rug,” Student Activity Coordinator Erika Greene, who hosted the event, said. “If we don’t talk about it (sexual harassment, stalking and assault) keeps perpetuating.”

About 70 students and faculty members were present throughout the film’s showing and the panel discussion. The panel was comprised of District Attorney Andrea Tavenier, Police Services Corporal Tom Holt, Dean of Student Services Vicki Ferguson and members of the Contra Costa County Rape Crisis Center Prevention (CCCRCCP) Team Javier Lopez, Lilliana Gonzalez and Monique Thomas.

Ferguson said while sexual assault, stalking and harassment are difficult to talk about, a discussion is necessary to change a culture that shuns victims.

“Hunting Ground” provided the firsthand experiences of survivors of sexual assaults on their college campuses, and focused on two survivors who exposed the lack of action from university administrators in reprimanding the assailants.

Gasps, sniffling and comments of disbelief echoed in the lecture hall as the film presented the reality of what happens to young students throughout the nation.

There was a counselor present and ready to tend to anyone who might have had an emotional reaction to the film’s content.

The film exposed victim blaming and

CODY CASARES / THE ADVOCATE

Police Services Corporal Tom Holt encourages students to report sexual assaults to police despite the fear of cultural victim blaming during the “The Hunting Grounds” documentary screening in LA-100 on April 26.

how male students, particularly athletes and fraternity members, tend to get a pass on sexual crimes on college campuses.

“Where is the education? Why are (certain universities) not protecting the students,” ASU Vice President of Club Affairs Safi Ward-Davis said. “No one is teaching (how sexual crime affects people). That’s why there is an epidemic.”

After the documentary’s showing the panelists regrouped and students were able to ask questions regarding the documentary or clarification as to how the procedures of filing sexual assault complaints takes place.

CCC student Jose Sanchez, who attended the screening and panel, said, “It’s something that the school should cover in general.

Crime is a good thing to cover in school.”

The members of the CCCRCCP shared resources that are available to anyone in the community, including filing a charge, legal assistance and as much counseling as the

victim needs. “We also respect if victims do not wish to press charges,” Lopez said.

Holt said students could always go through Police Services for any incident that happened on or off campus. He said people should report any kind of sexual abuse as their anonymity would be respected if the victim prefers.

Students were able to express their disbelief at how sexual assault is handled by some of the most prestigious universities nationwide.

It’s important to discuss the topic more frequently, ASU President Nakari Syon said.

Ferguson said there is no tolerance sexual assault, stalking or harassment at CCC. She informed students at the event of the actions that could be taken if they have been victims of a sexual crime.

The college can provide resources for victims and also separate the victim from the assailant and provide counseling to cope

Six applicants earn support from grant Funding boon seeks to benefit student body

BY Xavier Johnson STAFF WRITER

xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Associated Students Union approved six out of the 10 applicants for the Grant for Support program for the spring 2016 semester.

ASU Finance Committee member Safi Ward-Davis said the six applicants to be approved this semester were the financial aid department, speech and debate, HispanicServing Institution, Science Technology Engineering and Math program, Police Services, Jazzology, and culinary arts.

The ASU The Grant for Support approved six out applicants applied for of 10 applicants monetary support up to for the grant for $2,500. $25,000 is allosupport program. cated for the Grant for The applicants Support budget, which is applied for support funded through the manup to $2,500 out datory $5 student activity of the $25,000 fee. This semester only budget. $14,250 were spent. The Recipients must remainder will roll over show how funding into next semester. will benefit stuThe Advocate, La dents on campus.

Raza studies department, The final and Alpha Gamma decision is comSigma had their application denied. municated by The athletics departemail from the ment’s application has ASU Finance been withdrawn until Committee. next semester.

La Raza was denied their $1,200 request because they received Grant for Support funding earlier in the semester and could not apply twice in the same semester.

Alpha Gamma Sigma’s application for $2,475.80 was denied because the Grant for Support request was the same as their general ledger account withdrawal.

On-campus clubs can withdraw from this account to spend during the semester.

The Advocate’s application for $2,250 was denied due to the application being turned in after the deadline.

ASU Finance Committee Chair Jun Chen said that prior to approval or denial, the ASU Finance Committee reviews the submitted application to check for improvements.

The Finance Committee is made up of Ward-Davis, Chen and ASU Senator Francis

in brief

Sanson.

“We dissect the applications,” WardDavis said.

She said the applicants must consider all available options before coming to the ASU to apply for Grant for Support funding.

Applicants also need to present multiple invoices showing they have searched for options.

Chen said the Finance Committee goes through each of the applications at least twice.

After the applications are reviewed, the ASU sends an email to the departments and clubs to specify when they can present their case for funding to the ASU Board.

“We notify the finalists by inviting them to present at the next ASU meeting. We also notify the non-finalists and strongly encourage them to apply next semester,” Chen said.

All six of the approved applicants presented in front of the ASU during various meetings throughout the semester.

Because the money comes out of the $5 student activity fee, every approval must benefit the majority of students to be approved, Ward Davis said.

Director of the speech and debate team Joseph Carver, speech department Chairperson Sherry Diestler and speech and debate team member Lerecia Evans presented to the ASU for funding to assist with their travel expenses to a national speech tournament.

Carver said, “We have a wealth of talent here at CCC. The diversity and skill in the student body at large is incredible.”

Evans, a speech major who recently won a bronze medal at a statewide speech and debate competition at San Francisco State presented alongside Carver and Diestler at the meeting.

“This is my first semester on the speech and debate team, and it made me more active on campus,” she said. “Before I would just go to my classes and then leave. But now I’m a tutor for speech students — I am in a new world.”

Ward-Davis said, “Something like the (national speech competitions) benefits the college because it makes our speech department look (competitive) with the awards that (they have) won from various trips.”

She said attending off campus and outof-state competitions could also bolster participation, and the information learned at these competitions can be brought back and spread to the campus.

Finalists that present their request during a meeting receive the final decision from a member of the Finance Committee through an email, Chen said.

with the traumatic experience.

Ferguson said any violations to the student code of conduct should reported to her.

She explained that one of their goals is to educate the college campus.

This includes making sure that both students and faculty are aware of the student code of conduct and Title IX, which does not allow for discrimination on the basis of sex, so they can effectively identify and report any incidents.

One of the goals of the event was to be able to inform students, particularly those who are transferring soon.

“When people go to school they tend to consider the academics, not the safety of the campus,” Ward-Davis said.

Ferguson said, “The more we talk about (sexual assault, harassment and stalking) the more students and faculty will feel comfortable talking about what needs to be done.”

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5

Police Services construction delayed Seismic instability requires search for fault traces

LEFT: Workers pack dirt into place by the Tennis Courts after Kleinfelder Inc. geologists checked the area for evidence of seismic activity on Wednesday.

BY Benjamin Bassham NEWS EDITOR

bbassham.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Campus Safety Center will be constructed to house Police Services, but seismic safety requires a lot of exploratory digging.

District Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said, “It’s difficult to plan for construction (on Contra Costa College) because of the Hayward Fault.”

The fault runs directly through the Contra Costa College campus.

Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said the $2 million CSC could be built by the Tennis Courts, where the old Handball Court is, or in Lot 4, where the Critical Solutions office is, or over part of Lot 1.

The Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Zoning Act requires that areas within 2,000 feet of a fault line be presumed dangerous, unless proven safe through seismic trenching.

Pyle said, “We have a red, yellow and green scheme (on the zoning map).”

King said, “Green is OK to build, red is forbidden, yellow needs testing.”

Pyle said, “Almost the whole lower half of the campus is yellow.

We have to jump through hoops to make yellow areas buildable.”

Pyle said, “We’ve got to go dig some trenches,” so men from the Geological Survey were “down in a trench looking at dirt” last week.

“Geologists try to see if there are signs of fault traces from the last 11,000 years. If they don’t see any traces the CGS (California Geological Survey) gives permission (to build).”

King said the district hired Kleinfelder Inc. to do the tests, and they have finished the work for the handball court location.

“One problem they’re having

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

is they’ve hit groundwater, so they have to keep pumps going.”

Pyle said CCC has a high water table. King said “The well (used to water the athletic fields and landscaping) never missed a beat in five years of drought.”

“They’re (using what they pump out to) water the landscaping, which suits us fine,” King said.

He said it takes two weeks to dig, test and then fill the 15-foot deep trench. Work started April 18, and finished Wednesday. King said, “After that it (will take) 10 weeks to make a determination on what they found.”

The seismic trenching by Comet Stadium about eight years ago was inclusively because it hit groundwater, King said. The high

water table is likely to remain troublesome.

Pyle said, “If they do (find traces this time) the land essentially becomes unbuildable forever.”

District Police Chief Ed Carney said, “We have to do the seismic testing and hope we get at least one (suitable location).”

Police Services Corporal Tom Holt said, “We have to take what we can get.”

King said the CSC’s design is “a twin” to the one built at Los Medanos College.

Carney said they will be identical buildings, with modular design and construction.

“We’re doing that for economy of scale. If the design meets our needs, why reinvent the wheel,”

he said. “We’re hoping to do them both at the same time.”

Because they’re modular they can be built offsite, then brought in once the site is ready, reducing build-time in spite of the seismic trenching work.

Pyle said the CSC will be single story, occupying 3,200 square feet.

King said no definitive decision will be made until we know what’s green, yellow, or red.

Carney said, “We’re still waiting on those results.”

King said Kleinfelder, Inc. is contracted for the Lot 1 location already, but the trenching for Lot 4 cannot be done until August, when the office is no longer needed.

Holt said there are pros and cons to each potential location

for reasons of space, parking and proximity.

King said the Handball Court is not used for games anymore, but the athletic department and Buildings and Grounds use the Handball Court for storage.

Police Services is currently in the R Building, at the edge of the east side of campus.

Holt said, “It’s a little run down.

People don’t know we’re here. We say ‘we’re next to Buildings and Grounds,’ and people say, ‘Where’s that?’”

King said the R Building will be torn down and made into parking.

Buildings and Grounds and the custodial department will move into the Applied Arts Building.

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ANNUAL FORUM GAUGING ATHLETIC INTEREST LACKS FLAIR, VISION Campus participation fails to reflect overall increase in women playing sports statewide

BY Robert Clinton SPORTS EDITOR

rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com

Last year Athletic Director John Wade held a forum to gauge interest in possibly adding another women’s sports team to a department that is battling dwindling interest for the women’s sports that already exist on campus.

The inquiry was met with a less than lukewarm response at Contra Costa College as only one student showed up to advocate for adding a track and field team.

Once again, the athletic department is holding a similar forum to discuss adding a new women’s sports program. This time, three specific sports will be examined; badminton, swimming and diving and track and field.

The meeting will take place May 11 at 1 p.m. in GA-40.

“I think it would be good to add a new sport,” softball coach Karolyn Gubbine said.

“If the program is successful it may encourage others to participate in athletics.”

Following the suspension of the 201516 Comet women’s soccer season due to insufficient participation, the softball and volleyball teams scrubbed multiple scheduled games after failing to field the required number of players needed to begin an official contest.

Even the Comet women’s basketball team, which generally boasts the most consistent participation levels, finished its season with only six players after half of its squad was purged following issues with academic eligibility.

“I hope we get more people to show up than we did last year,” Athletic Director John Wade said. “It’s tough. Traditionally athletic age demographics on this level range from 18-21, but on this campus, we have a mix that ranges from high school students to older students which shrinks our selection pool even more.”

Out of the roughly 65 potential spots across the four women’s sports teams on campus— volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball, only 22 student athletes finished the spring sports season on a women’s team.

There are 5,811 women enrolled at CCC

during the spring 2015 semester.

For some of those women, reasons not to play range from time constraints to incompatible class schedules, to some not knowing there was a search for prospective players.

Generally fliers and word of mouth are how the search for players on campus is conducted. There are no mass emails sent to students, nor a departmental recruitment team that actively weeds out potential participants.

Liberal arts major Mary Sanchez joined the short-lived Comet soccer team last year.

After its season folded, she considered taking part in one of the other sports teams on campus.

“They said we could join other teams but nobody was persistent about it and nothing worked out with my class schedule,” she said. “If the classes for the sports teams qualified for the PE prerequisite to transfer it would lessen some of the athlete’s load and maybe more people would join the team.”

Wade said it is true that the classes do not count now but the process is under way to review the classes and they should meet the requirement sometime soon.

Other women around campus are interested in athletic activity for overall health purposes, but feel having only four available sports seems limited and that more options should be made accessible.

“There should be a wide variety of sports teams available on campus,” health and human services major Sasha Graham said.

“But that’s if the sports on campus now are already adequately funded. I hear some of the softball equipment is pretty old. Maybe they should consider adding a competitive dance team.”

The participation problem reaches farther than CCC. Los Medanos, Merritt and Napa Valley colleges failed to complete their 2015-16 women’s basketball seasons.

In California, player participation numbers for high school girls in soccer (44,809), volleyball (41,783) and softball (32,904) are at all time highs, excluding basketball which is down 1,003 players from its 34,991 peak in 2007.

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spotlight

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.4.2016 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

MALL CLOSURE INEVITABLE, PROPERTY TO SEE CHANGE

“

Malls were successful at one time. Now the majority of them are on the decline and end up being demolished.”

— Tom Butt, Richmond mayor

BY Salvador Godoy STAFF WRITER

sgody.theadvocate@gmail.com

Hilltop Mall was once a flourishing collection of businesses supporting an expanding residential community during the 1970s and 80s. This year the outdated property will be sold and re-configured to better meet the standards of local consumers.

The property, placed on the market in March 2016 via real estate brokerage firm C-III Realty Services, is waiting for the next successor to transform the mall into the bustling center of economic viability that it once was.

Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said the bidding period for developers who wish to acquire the property ends in late spring.

“Sometime in the first week of May, we should have a sense, when offers will be cut off,” Butt said.

City of Richmond officials envision the area becoming a mixed-use town center development with outdoor retail, entertainment and incorporated housing.

President of the Hilltop District Homeowners Association Cesar Zepeda said that he has met with several developers and has given weekday tours around the property.

“We have a lot of interested buyers from firms in the Bay Area and out of the state,” Zepeda said.

The mall slipped into foreclosure in June 2013, after the former owner Simon Property Group, Inc. failed to repay a loan that used the mall as collateral.

Contra Costa County Superior Court officials assigned real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle as the management group for the property.

Residents throughout Richmond have mixed feelings of what might take place on the property.

Some local shoppers question what will happen to the department stores that are operating in the mall.

Carol Jennifer, a Richmond resident who has been shopping at Hilltop Mall for 23 years, said, “I shop here often, but mainly at

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

Shoppers travel to and from Wal-Mart on Monday. Hilltop Mall slipped into foreclosure in June 2013 after the former owner, Simon Property Group, Inc. failed to repay a loan that used the mall as collateral.

Macy’s and JCPenney. If these department stores are gone (from the mall), I will be deeply saddened.”

Anchor tenants Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears and 24-Hour Fitness own their own property on the site and will need to be consulted before a major face-lift can occur.

Wal-Mart has a lease that extends until 2020. It will need to make a decision on whether to remain on the property or not.

“The department stores want to stay there, but they would like to have the structures demolished and rebuilt into a different configuration,” Butt said.

Not only are there department stores occupying the mall, but all of the tenants that are located within the property are also in limbo.

“What I’m hoping to do with the smaller businesses is to be able to place them on the redeveloped outskirts of the mall or relocate them to another area in Richmond, such

as downtown so we can maintain that tax money in the city,” Zepeda said.

Indoor shopping malls across America have been struggling to survive due to economic Butt and safety issues.

“Malls were successful at one time, now the majority of them are on the decline and end up being demolished,” Butt said.

The next phase of Hilltop Mall has been discussed briefly by city officials.

Nearby Bay Street Emeryville is a similar shopping center that is seen favorably by the city and the community based on the structure and concept. It has retail shops on the first floor with residential spaces on the top of the buildings.

“Some of the potential buyers are checking in with the planning commission and

asking questions about what they might do there (Hilltop Mall),” Butt said.

A new plan has begun to replace the existing Hilltop sign that is located near the I-80 corridor.

“We are proposing what type of signage will be placed on the I-80 corridor,” Zepeda said.

“We are looking through several other projects within the Hilltop District, adding additional traffic lights on Hilltop Mall Road is one of them.”

Michael Piazzola, general manager of real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, management surrogate for the mall, declined to name the potential developers who are interested in buying the property.

“The special servicer for the foreclosing Trust, C-III Asset Management, does not want to issue any statements at this time,” Piazzola said.

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SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORTS UNDERREPRESENTED AT FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS Annual endowment assists students financially upon transfer to a four-year institution

BY Yesenia Melara STAFF WRITER

ymelara.theadvocate@gmail.com

Eleven Contra Costa College students each received a $10,000 Kennedy-King Scholarship for their hard work and dedication. The money can be used when they transfer to the four-year college or university of their choice.

These students were selected to receive the scholarship for demonstrating their willingness to continue their education and commitment to come back as contributing members of their community.

“Our overall goal is to assist minority students in completing their four-year undergraduate degrees and for them to come back as leaders and inspire their community to do the same as well,” KennedyKing Board President John McPeak said.

There were 25 undergraduate scholarships awarded to students from the Contra Costa Community College District.

Of the 25 undergraduate scholarships, 11 came from CCC, 11 from Los Medanos College and three from Diablo Valley College, McPeak said.

The recipients from CCC are Gloria Alvarado Cardena, Adriana Amado, Opal Franklin, Jocelyn Garcia, Mikiyas Hailu, Nina Hill, Magali Mercado, Javier OchoaReyes, Jorge Orellana, Karen Ramirez and Dante Romero.

In order to qualify for the Kennedy-King Scholarship, the applicants had to complete their FAFSA, provide three letters of recommendation, a copy of their transcripts and complete their scholarship application to meet the Feb. 5 deadline, he said.

Scholarship Coordinator Mia Henderson-Bonilla said she was notified about the students that the scholarship committee wanted to interview for the scholarship.

“First they had to go through mock interviews around March 15 and 18 to sharpen their professional skills and get them comfortable for the real interview,” she said.

Franklin, a sociology major, said the mock interview helped her prepare for the final interview, held at DVC.

“I remember thinking this was my last opportunity to prove...I was worthy of the scholarship. I was crying and telling them my struggles and how I want to further my education.”

Magali Mercado, English major

English major Mercado said that at the end of the interview the applicants were asked if there was anything else they wanted to add.

“I remember thinking this was my last opportunity to prove myself and show I was worthy of the scholarship,” she said. “I was crying and telling them my struggles and how I want to further my education. I was showing them my true self.”

During the interview, students were asked questions about their backgrounds, majors and what motivates them to continue their college education, Orellana, a computer science major, said.

He said part of the application process was challenging for him to complete.

For these students, finding out that they were recipients of the scholarship was a moment of happiness because of the effort they put toward the scholarship, had eventually paid off.

“There were times I wanted to give up,” Franklin said. “But something always told me to keep going.”

Henderson-Bonilla said that scholarships like the Kennedy-King Scholarship are a good thing to have because college is expensive.

“These 11 (CCC) students who took time to apply for the Kennedy-King Scholarship deserve it. They have one less college expense to worry about,” she said.

Mercado said she encourages transferring students to apply next year for the Kennedy-King Scholarship.

“Don’t be scared of applying because you never know what can happen,” Mercado said. “Also be yourself when going for the real interview.”

sports

WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.4.2016 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

“

I had a good game on offense and wanted to make this game memorable.” — Nancy Bernal, comet second basemen LEFT: Comet center fielder Julian Robinson (far left), left fielder Regina Balan (center) and right fielder Catherine Nieve-Duran try to hastily pick up the ball during CCC’s doubleheader loss to Napa Valley College on April 26.

Winless team holds form despite gains Victory evades squad, campaign reaches end

BY Dylan Collier STAFF WRITER

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

The Comet softball team (0-26 overall and 0-22 in the Bay Valley Conference) played its last two games of the season against Napa Valley College losing both contests 20-1 and 18-2 April 26 at the Softball Field.

The second place Storm made quick work of the Comet squad, putting up 10 runs in the fourth inning of game one and then tacked on a 13-run second inning in game two.

Even though Napa Valley scored four runs in the second inning of the first game, Comet center fielder Mi’Jae’ Wilson kept hope alive when she grabbed a line drive on a short hop and heaved it to catcher Sidney Davis saving the fifth run of the inning from

7

scoring.

“I always have confidence in my throws and I definitely knew it was going to be an out,” Wilson said.

Whether it’s baseball or softball, anytime a team commits 28 errors and walks 23 batters in a two game series it’s going to be hard to re-focus and put the team in a position to win. And that’s what the Comets did on Tuesday.

In the first inning of game one Napa Valley (18-19 overall and 17-7 in the BVC) scored its first run by stealing home after an errant throw got past CCC first baseman Amy Palomares.

The Comets escaped the first inning trailing 1-0.

In the Comets’ second inning, Wilson hit a grounder to Napa Valley third baseman Briana Reason who couldn’t complete the throw to first base in time to get the out.

Throughout the season, Wilson has shown a penchant for beating out throws to first base although the Comets were never able to take advantage of her speed on the

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

LEFT: Comet first baseman Amy Palomares (right) puts out Storm infielder Briana Reason during CCC’s doubleheader loss to Napa Valley College on April 26.

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

base path.

Wilson is a talented player who throws right handed, but predominantly bats lefty (although she considers herself a switch-hitter).

“I’ve been playing organized softball since my sophomore year in high school, and it wasn’t until I got to CCC that I tried to hit left, and it transformed me,” Wilson said.

The Storm flooded the fourth inning with 10 runs on four singles and three walks, making the score 17-0 through four complete innings.

Although Comet starting pitcher Anna Palter was able to initiate routine ground balls, one of CCC’s main problems was its infield’s inability to field them, or field them quick enough to get the runners out.

“I was too focused on how much my arm hurt during the first game, and was more comfortable at shortstop,” Palter said. She moved to shortstop for game two.

Scooping up ground balls and consistently throwing runners out has been a problem that has plagued the Comets for the entirety

STORM of the season.

At a crucial point in the game, Comet second baseman Nancy Bernal hesitated to put her glove down, and the ball sped below her glove COMETS into the outfield grass.

“I try my best not to let the ball get past me and I get irritated when it does, but I’m usually able to make the STORM adjustment,” Bernal said.

While being outscored 38-3 in their last two games this year, the Comets showed improvements on offense in the second half of the season. COMETS Polamres had a good day batting three for three with one RBI, ending her season on a positive note.

“I had a good game on offense, and wanted to make this game memorable,” Polamres said.

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18 2

‘Heartbreaking’ losses continue to plague squad LEFT: Mustang sophomore Ethan Utler strikes out during the Comets’ loss to LMC on Friday.

Comets end season with back-to-back defeats at home

BY Dylan Collier STAFF WRITER

dcollier.theadvocate@gmail.com

After suffering a heartbreaking ninth inning collapse to lose 4-3 at home against Solano College Thursday, the baseball team lost its final game of the season 5-2 against Los Medanos College Friday at the Baseball Field.

Despite the fact that the Comets (12-22 MUSTANGS overall and 8-16 in the Bay Valley Conference) played such a good defensive COMETS game and made a lot of contact, they weren’t able to score enough runs to give them a comfortable lead Thursday against the Falcons.

Comet starting pitcher David Gustafson and reliever Antonio Straughter kept Solano’s scoring to a minimum until the ninth inning saw the Falcons swoop into the lead by capitalizing on the Comets’ late game mistakes.

“We did a great job keeping

5 2

CHRISTIAN URRUTIA / THE ADVOCATE

base runners from scoring until the end of the game. They just executed on our mistakes,” CCC catcher James Hodgson said.

Close games have been a problem for the squad this season. The team has played eleven one-run games this season and has a 3-5 record in those contests.

The Comets had opportunities to capitalize against Solano’s pitching, but ended up leaving runners on base.

In the first, third, fifth and sixth innings, CCC left a total of seven runners on base without bringing

them around to home plate.

After Gustafson allowed two runs to score in the third inning, coach Brian Guinn pulled him and brought in Straughter for relief.

The sophomore settled into his groove and retired all three batters in order in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings.

Jamal Rutledge was a major contributor in CCC’s eighth inning rally against Solano, as was Eric Whitfield in Friday’s game against second place Los Medanos (24-12 overall and 18-6 in the BVC).

Rutledge scored the go-ahead

run in the bottom of the eighth on a single, giving the Comets a 3-2 lead.

“Yeah, I hit a nice chopper up the middle and scored a run when we needed it,” Rutledge said.

Against Solano, in the top of the ninth with only one out and runners on first and second, Straughter intentionally walked Falcon catcher Andres Quijada to load the bases in an attempt to get a ground ball for a double play and win the game.

Guinn made the call to the bullpen and brought in Sean Jackson,

who ended up allowing pinch hitter Briar Litz to single, driving in Luke Knoble from third for the tying run.

The following batter, Joseph Quintanilla was hit in the foot by a wild pitch, which brought in Evan Faccenda, giving Solano the go-ahead run and a 4-3 victory.

Against the Mustangs, CCC found itself in another late-game predicament where Whitfield got an RBI, scoring Velasco from third in the sixth inning.

“This shows our resilience, and we’ve always been in close games throughout the season,” Whitfield said. “I was just trying to tickle the ball up the middle. All week we worked on hitting the ball up the middle as a team in RBI situations.”

Unfortunately, against LMC the Comet offense stagnated and once the Mustangs took a three-run lead in the third they never let go of the advantage.

After allowing runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings, the Comets eventually lost to the Mustangs 5-2.

Although the Comets lost their last two games, they finished with twice as many wins as they had during the 2015 season.

“It was a successful season and we made tremendous improvement, because they batted to the end,” Guinn said.

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WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 5.4.2016 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE

Street fair brings out community

focus LEFT: Richmond resident Uvaldo Ariza reaches for a wrestling mask during the Cinco de Mayo Festival on 23rd Street in Richmond on Sunday.

Photos by: Cody Casares FOR

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

LEFT: “Poquita la del Barrio” (top) gets the count from a referee during a wrestling match at the Cinco de Mayo Festival on 23rd Street in Richmond on Sunday.

ABOVE: El Sobrante resident Juan Lopez rides a mechanical bull provided

by Eventos Lopez at the Cinco de Mayo Festival on 23rd Street in Richmond on Sunday.

RIGHT: A dancer with “Danza Azteca Guadalupana” performs for the crowd during the Cinco de Mayo Festival on 23rd Street on Sunday.