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The cafeteria will be closed all day on Friday Nov. 4 for an annual conference with the Contra Costa County Hispanic Chamber and invited local high school students. Vending machines and the LMC bookstore will be open for snacks/beverages.
Graphic by Jesus Chico
The Associated Students of Los Medanos College (LMCAS) held elections for leading student government positions last week. Three candidates were elected to fill vacancies as executive officers for a full term of office beginning Oct. 24 and remaining through the whole academic year. All three candidates ran unopposed. Two additional vacant positions were filled by LMCAS through an internal election at the student senate meeting last Monday. The executive positions that were filled are president, vice-president, treasurer, commissioner of campus events, and commissioner of public relations and outreach. Heriberto Diaz assumed the role of LMCAS president with a 103-11 vote; Kibibi Columbus achieved the title of treasurer with a 94-20 vote; and Elizabeth Brannon will fulfill the duties as commissioner of campus events after a 100-14 vote. At the LMCAS internal election, Senator Sarah Udor and former president Shawn DeMille ran for vice-president, with DeMille winning majority vote from the quorum.
As vice president he will be able to assist President Diaz as Chief Operating Officer and continue to guide LMCAS through the proper student government procedures remaining in accordance with the Brown Act. Debra Van Eckhardt was unanimously elected as commissioner of public relations and outreach after assuming the position on an interim basis. She will continue to educate the LMC community on student involvement and leadership opportunities, also maintaining all LMCAS documents and agendas. “I’ve enjoyed the position so far. I myself will learn more, as well as the rest of the senate. Most of our senate are brand new members and we are still learning the ropes,” she said. “Once we get it down, I know this group will be ready to make positive changes that put the student body first. We value each individual’s rights as students.” Students were encouraged to vote for the candidates on campus at the Student Life office or online using a poll powered by surveymonkey.com. 126 LMC students submitted ballots with 114 votes that See VOTE, page 6
Charity poker for Garcia By BRANDON RIBERGAARD Staff Writer
The name of the game was Texas Hold ’em. The man of the hour was former LMC President Peter Garcia, and the night was titled, “The End of the World Poker Tournament,” held Friday, Oct. 21 in LMC’s cafeteria, all in the name of charity. “Peter was an excellent president, so it was only fitting for the college and community to honor him for his service with this event. I know that there is great appreciation and respect for what he has done for our college,” said Richard Livingston, who was named interim president of LMC when Garcia became permanent president of Diablo Valley College. The event, to honor Garcia and raise money for third grade students in Pittsburg public schools and for Los Medanos College students, was put on by the Pittsburg Rotary Club and the LMC Foundation. See POKER, page 6
Photo by Brandon Ribergaard
Former LMC President Peter Garcia plays poker alongside Pittsburg Unified School District board member Willie Wong at the End of the World Poker Tournament in the LMC cafeteria Oct 21.
Transfer Academy aims to clear path
Join new Ballet Folklorico Club Dance Mexico’s traditional dance with the Ballet Folklorico Club. No experience is necessary. Men and women are needed. For more information e-mail AnaSanchez9@gmail.com.
throughout their first year. This in turn guarantees some The Transfer Academy of the classes students need to program helps create a clear transfer. Classes include math, pathway for students to transfer English, speech, and biology and the deadline for applica- among many others. “Students also meet with tions to join for the Spring 2012 semester is quickly ap- the transfer counselors twice per-semester and go on trips proaching. to tour various universiDirector of Student ties,” said Belman. Life, Dave Belman, Transfer Transfer Students describes the Transfer Academy Academy as “a dynamic application must also take an AVID class in their first seexperience with strong deadline mester, in which they support in and outside Nov. 1 are matched up with a of the classroom.” mentor on campus, and This includes things like academic counseling, meet weekly with said mentor workshops, tutoring, and even a to get support and tutoring. The Transfer Academy is social and cultural experience. A “community of students, supported through the Title V and staff working together to EXITO grant. Which is a fivekeep you on target to transfer year $3.2 million federal grant, in a reasonable time period,” which focuses on increasing transfer rates for Los Medanos said Belman. The students enrolled in the College. The EXITO grant consists Transfer Academy take blocked classes with one another, See PATH, page 6 By CALLIB CARVER Staff Writer
Talk to transfer representative Representatives from fouryear colleges and universities visit the LMC Transfer Center often throughout the semester. To make appointments, call 439-2181 ext. 3124. CSU East Bay n Nov. 3, 3-6 p.m. by appointment. Brentwood Center, 9:30 a.m.-1p.m. by appointment. UC Berkeley n Nov. 1 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Drop-in. UC Davis n Nov. 8, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. by appointment. UC Merced n Nov. 10, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. by appointment. UC application workshop. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. by appointment. 2-4 p.m. by appointment Brandman University n Nov. 3, 11:30-1 p.m. info table near cafeteria. St. Mary’s College n Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. by appointment. San Francisco Art Institute n Nov. 10, 10:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. info table near cafeteria.
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By JARED THOMSON
Cafeteria closed this Friday
Students interested in transferring to UCLA have until Tueday, Nov. 8 to sign up for a transfer conference at the UCLA campus on Friday, Nov. 18. The cost is $45 which covers airfare, admission and ground transportation. Learn about majors, student services, and join in workshops and campus tours. For more information contact Honors Director Jennifer Saito at jsaito@losmedanos.edu or Mesa Director Carol Hernandez at cahernandez@ losmedanos.edu.
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The Transfer Center will be hosting UC application workshops on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 11 to 12 p.m. at the Brentwood Center, and Tuesday, Nov.15 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the library, Room L-213.
UCLA transfer conference
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A judge signals to LMC debate team member Felero Smith that he has one minute remaining in his speech.
Debate Team argues away at DVC By SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ Staff Writer
LMC’s inaugural debate team joined 17 other community colleges and universities at DVC for a weekend debate tournament on Oct. 21-22. LMC debate team partners Ashley Curry and Felero Smith went 4-2 for the weekend. Curry and Smith argued their way into the first elimination round on Saturday, but lost a close match to a team from San Jose State in a split decision. “I’m upset, but what can you do, you know,” said Smith about the decision. The topic, or resolution, of the debate was whether NATO should intervene in Syria to defend anti-government protesters there. Curry and Smith, in the role of the government, argued in favor of the resolution. Prime Minister Curr y spoke first, as is customary, and proposed an unconventional idea for NATO intervention in Syria. “NATO will smuggle 200,000 Wi-Fi hot spots into Syria from Turkey,” said Curry in her opening speech.
Curry explained that the Wi-Fi hot spots would help Syrian anti-government protesters organize in a safer and more effective manner. which would lead to the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, the same way the internet allegedly helped anti-government protesters in Egypt earlier this year. Curry’s proposal caught her opponents, San Jose State students Ryan Gallagher and Avesta Sabetian, off guard. “We had no way to prepare for such an argument,” said Sabetian in his rebuttal to Curry’s proposal. He argued that NATO would never do such a thing and called the prime minister’s resolution absurd. Curry and Smith were allowed to defend their resolution and they were clearly happy with their performance. They anxiously awaited the judge’s decision in the hallway outside the classroom where the debate took place. The judge who ruled in favor of Curry and Smith said the closing argument swayed him
See TEAM, page 6
New Experience delivery day By IRVIN TRIGUEROS Staff Writer
The LMC community will now have to wait until Monday to see the latest print edition of the student-run Experience newspaper. The paper used to be distributed on Friday mornings. In August, the Bay Area News Group (BANG) announced it would close its Walnut Creek press facility and other offices where the
Experience is printed. The decision to consolidate operations and relocate to other company facilities lead to the elimination of 120 jobs, or 8 percent of the group’s workforce. Joe Boessenecker, vice president of operations for BANG, said that a contributor to the closing was to “try and facilitate our costs.” In an Aug. 23 Contra Costa See NEW, page 6
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make me care
Thinking back to how it could be
Having talent is only a myth today
I have a ton of girlfriends and I try my hardest to hang out with all of them frequently. Every time we get together, we of course end up on the subject of love and relationships. We talk about relationships past and present. Recently, we talked about the “what-if” guy. Each of us had a different description of what a “what-if” guy was. Some said it was a guy that they liked and had maybe started to get to know, but for some reason or another, a relationship just never happened. While others said that it was someone who they had dated and while nothing really went wrong, circumstances separated them. After listening to their stories on their “what-ifs,” I came to the conclusion that the “what-if” guy phenomenon occurs when a certain window of opportunity is missed. Take my friend for example, she told me about a guy who she really liked and he liked her, but he took too long to make a move and someone else swept her off her feet. She started a relationship with the guy who moved first. But when that “sweeper off the feeter” turned out to be a class-A moron, the relationship ended and she rekindled her friendship with her “what-if” guy. However, nothing ever came out of her “what-if’s” friendship: the window had passed. I heard another example of a missed opportunity. This time the girl did actually have a relationship with her “what-if,” but a traumatic event in her life made her give up the relationship to focus on her family. When she was ready to go back to her relationship, it was too late and he was with somebody else. Again, the window had closed. It seems as if connections have “best if used by” expiration dates. The problem with these “missed connections” is that they linger. I’m sure that everyone has a “what-if” guy. If you were a believer in “what’s meant to be will be,” then you would think that you wouldn’t be thinking about this person, because if it were meant to be then it would have happened. However, it is not that easy. Sometimes, especially when things may not be going amazing for yourself in the love department, your mind can’t help but drift to that person. That’s when you start to ask yourself the “what-if” questions. What if he hadn’t come along first? What would it be like if I was with him? What if that hadn’t happened? Would we still be together? Would it work? These questions can be tormenting, if you let them be. I, personally, don’t have a “what-if” guy. My “what-if” story goes like this: What if he wasn’t a douchebag? I don’t judge my friends for having these feelings. I know it can be kind of hard not to think about these things, but there’s a difference between it being a fleeting thought and actually trying to do something about it. Actually doing something like reconnecting with someone when they are no longer available is a mistake. You can be jeopardizing a relationship, yours or theirs. Most times, the reason we think so much about these people is because we can’t have them. There’s no denying that when you can’t have something it makes you want it even more. But really, if you are not with that person, it’s just because you’re not supposed to be. I used to think that the “what-if” person was mostly a girl thing, but after talking to some of my guy friends I found that this phenomenon affects them as well. Although, they probably don’t talk about it amongst themselves as much as us girls do. After it all, what’s the point in dwelling on this person? Stop thinking about it and more importantly don’t do anything about it. You don’t want to be a home-wrecker do you? Better yet, you don’t want that person to think you’re crazy. Most importantly, you don’t want to ruin something good that you already have by going back to your “what-if” guy or girl.
Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book “Outliers” that talent doesn’t exist. And in an age that places the freedoms of the Internet, and consumer grade technologies that cost thousands of dollars in society before the year 2000, I find this to be truth. Of course, we are all told the story when we are born. God, Buddha, a freak toxic chemical spill, or whatever, can make us special. While this may be true on a personality, person-to-person basis, DNA or just because you can, doesn’t make it so. What I mean is that if you pick up a camera, snap a photo of a cat leaping across the field, while the wind blows the tall grass slightly to the right, and everything is so harmonious, and tranquil, doesn’t make you a photographer. Not in any shape, way, or form. It makes you a person who took a photo of a cat in a field, with a very clichéd but possibly artsy feel. I can purchase a digital sound studio, and production software. Write, record, and publish a professional quality CD. But it doesn’t make me a musician, artist, producer, or even successful. But with the digitalization of everything, and products popping up everywhere in every color, shape, size, and price range, it helps to dilute that proverbial talent gene pool. But how does it dilute this talent gene pool? Well, when an art major graduates with a master of fine arts, and focus on something like photography, what’s the first thing they do? Job hunt. This could take months, even years. Not just for this art major, but for the average John or Jane. But when the average John or Jane takes a job for 1/3 of the total pay that this art major would have received, then some studios, companies, etc. would hire them. Just to save money. Diluting the talent gene pool, with half-assed pieces of work. YouTube is a great example of this dilution of the talent, by allowing the posting of anything & everything. Stealing others ideas, works, music, and movies. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. But alas there is hope for talent, if the digital age hasn’t left Pandora’s box open to long. There are those people in the world that even with the lowest grade equipment and materials struggle to create art, or to be known. To have talent, and be the best at what ever it is they do. These are the true artists of this generation. The real painters, directors, photographers, musicians, writers, poets, etc. These are the Walt Whitmans, the Ansel Adams, and Steven Spielbergs of today. These people have worked throughout their lives to create their art. To be known, and gain their place upon the pedestal of life, where they can leave their mark. But now people simply do, they create. But without feeling, without focus, or purpose. To create without purpose, is like emptiness. It is leaving your work on the shelf to collect dust. “What is the message in this painting?” Asks an art teacher. But the students’ will never come close to knowing its meaning. Because you created it without a meaning. You created the YouTube video of a fight at school, just so people can laugh at one person or another. This is not the art of video. So where are the artists, the true artists, the talent of the digital age? Stand up, and let your art be known. Rise above the garbage that plagues the Internet, and has destroyed the art world. And that doesn’t even take into consideration that half the jobs if not more, you will never land unless you know somebody in the industry.
Cartoon by Alissa Garcia
Editorial
Don’t drive blind, participate
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magine a community where everyone needs and drives a car but no one ever bothers to learn how one works, or how to repair one should it break down. That’s how LMC’s student community looks when only 126 of more than 9,000 students vote in the student government elections, or when the LMCAS president, vice president and treasurer all run unopposed. There is so much going on at LMC right now. Everyone sees the catalogues and the graduation requirements, but unseen are the boards and committees that actually create all these things. Nothing at LMC just magically appears on campus. Behind almost everything here at LMC, there are groups of faculty and administrators who make decisions that affect the biggest and most important group on campus: the students. These boards and committees are the small, yet vital working parts of the LMC machine, but most students don’t even know that they exist. Every student is driving, so to speak, doing their best to maneuver through an often confusing path to a higher education, but where are all the mechanics? Participation in student government is a step toward understanding how our school really works, and a step toward having our say in what goes on at this campus. LMCAS is here to motivate you, and lobby for you. If the student government is neglected to the point that it barely exists, then we students may as well be driving at night with the lights off. An education is something that must be carefully planned, and maintained, otherwise it may just break down, or veer off course.
Letter to the Editor
Athletes deserve priority registration
Dear Editor: I am a student athlete, and as a student athlete I am representing the school in a positive way, giving the school some reputation. So why don’t the student athletes get priority registration like some other schools offer? For example, Puente and Umoja get private classes for their group. Why can’t there be a certain time where a teacher just teaches student athletes? It would be such a relief knowing that student athletes could get into classes scheduled around practice time.
Voices
In order to be a student athlete, you have to maintain a high GPA. It’s a privilege to play on a college sport team, so why cant the school just let us get priority registration or private classes? We are the ones going to different schools with our Mustang Pride and showing them what LMC is about. The least the school can do for us is give us some available classes and take the uncertainty of hoping to get into a class with an add slip away, especially if we need that class to transfer. — Jozette Velasquez
Reader Opinion Policy
The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. Bring to room CC3-301. Submissions must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. L os M edanos C ollege
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“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” — Thomas Jefferson
Editor in Chief ........... SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ Perspectives Editor ........... MARK MARTINEZ Campus Editor ..................... NICK CAMPBELL and MARK FRANCIS Features Editor .......... ANGELICA GONZALEZ. and SKYE SALA
“Thunder. I’m not sure why, because thunder can’t do anything like lightning can.” — Vince Gonzales
“Snakes because they are just scary.” — Guadalupe Hernandez
“Vertigo. Because of the helpless feeling of being so high up.” — Rimmington Martin
“Germs scare me because I don’t want to get sick.” — Taylor Gatson
“Not being able to protect my family.” — Miguel Reyes
“Spiders, because they are small and can get into small places.” — Adrienne Davis
Sports Editor .................... LAURA CRABTREE Photo Editor .............................. LISA CASSIDY Assistant Photo Editor.............. JESUS CHICO The LMC Experience is published Fridays by the journalism program. The newspaper serves as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.
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“Words are like the spider’s web: a shelter for the clever ones and a trap for the not so clever.”
Graphic by Jesus Chico
Creepy crawlies at LMC
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hosts haunting graveyards, witches flying on broomsticks and spiders weaving their tangled webs. Whenever you think of these things, one specific holiday comes
to mind – Halloween. But spiders have the most lasting impression on so many who suffer from arachnophobia. Almost half of women and 10 percent of men in the U.S. have a fear of spiders. If you have been at LMC’s lake, the softball field or have taken a class in the Public Safety Building you might have noticed an abundance of spiders in these areas. These spiders are called Orb-weaver spiders. The name came from the round shape of their web. An adult orb-weaver spider is up to an inch in body length, has a bulbous abdomen and is often colorful with a dark to light brown pattern. Students, staff and visitors need not worry about these spiders because they are not aggressive, they seldom bite and if you are bitten, don’t stress, their bite is not venomous to humans. The next time you walk around campus and spot one of these orb-weaver spiders, remember that they’re possibly as afraid of you as you might be of them.
Photos by Lisa Cassidy
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Campus Newswatch Raza day at UC Berkeley
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“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” — Patrick Henry
Schedule a session
UC Berkeley’s Annual Raza Day event is being held on their campus on Nov. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can get information about UC Berkeley at this event, which is being sponsored by the Transfer Center. Spots are limited and are open on a first come, first serve basis. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. for more information contact the LMC Transfer Center at 439-2181 ext. 3124
Senate is selling soup
Enjoy a bowl of your favorite chowder or won ton soup for a good cause. Join in on the fun with the Senate at this fundraiser on Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Quad. Bowls of soup will be on sale for $4 and soup shots are $1.
Come to heal and connect
The Healing Circle provides a unique opportunity for both students and staff to share their stories; helping others while they help themselves. Through information, discussion, and support, they provide a comfortable and safe place for sharing feelings related to the stress of balancing college and personal life. Tuesdays 11 a.m. to noon in Room 473 (upstairs from Admission). If you need more information, contact Phil Gottlieb at ext. 3382, or Francis Moy at ext. 3136.
Learn how to write successfully
Gain insight on how to write a successful transfer essay. Workshop #3 will be held on Nov. 2 from noon to 1 p.m. Contact Barbara Austin at the Center for Academic Support (CC0-304) at 439-2181 ext. 3176.
Writing consultant Laura Vernell helps student Sohail Ebadi with an essay he was assigned for Criminal Justice class. Some professors serve as consultants and others hold office hours in the Center for Academic Support.
Latino play brings tragedy
The CORE offers help with all class assignments
If you love theater, plan to enjoy a new performance from LMC’s Drama department — “Blood Wedding,” a romantic tragedy based in 1933 Madrid. Show times are Nov. 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21 at 8 p.m. Special matinée show on Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. for $5. Pricing for normal shows are $7 with student I.D. and $10 without. For further information, contact the Little Theater at CC3-322 or Nick Garcia at 439-2181 ext. 3792 or by email ngarcia@losmedanos.edu
Visit Cuba for New Year’s Eve
Celebrate a joyous New Year’s Eve in Cuba with the sizzling rhythms and passion of music and dance – the soul of the Cuban people. The trip will be led by Professor of Anthropology Lenore Gallin, who has directed five previous trips to Cuba. The trip will last from Dec. 27 to Jan. 11. For further information, contact Professor Gallin at 925685-1230, ext. 2772.
Get information on transferring
Donating blood is a great way to help save another’s life. According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. will a need blood transfusion every two seconds and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed per day to keep up. There is a high demand for blood donors because the shelf life of blood isn’t very long. Student Life and Blood Centers of the Pacific will hold a blood drive at LMC on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Library Community Room (L109). Be sure to eat a light meal and drink plenty of water prior to donating. You can schedule a donation appointment by contacting the Student Life Office at 439-2181 ext 3266 or online at http://www.bloodheroes.com. Click “Donate Blood” and enter sponsor code: losMC
Career Center offers drop-in day
Have any burning questions about what path you should take? What can you do with your certificate or degree? Struggling with how to word your resume or respond to interview questions? This is the day to get those questions answered! Visit the Career Center CC4-486- Drop-in hours 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Check into Pan-Am scholarship
The 2011 application is now available for the Pan-American Round Table of Contra Costa and Alameda Scholarship. Requirements: n One of the applicant’s parents must have been born in a Latin country. n Speaking of the Spanish language is preferred although is not a requirement. n The applicant must be a college or university student. Applications must be received with current official transcripts, essay, resume and recommendations no later than October 21st, 2011 to Pan-American Round Table Contra Costa and Alameda, P.O. Box 351, Livermore, CA 94550.
Career Center is willing to help
Are you undecided about your major or career goals? Overwhelmed by all of your options? The Career Center offers a variety of assessments in the areas of interests, personality, skills and values to help students attain their goals. Career Center staff will work with you to explore potential goals and refer you to campus counselors to develop an education plan. Don’t spend another semester feeling undecided; contact the Career Center at 439-2181, ext. 3252 to schedule an appointment today.
Apply for a scholarship for 2012
Vanguard Minority Scholarship Program gives out meritbased scholarships, up to $10,000, to students who are entering either their junior or senior year of college during the upcoming 2012 Fall and Spring semesters. For an application or more information, please visit the Vanguard website at www.vanguard.scholarshipamerica.org
LMC Alumni Raider ticket sale
The LMC Alumni association has teamed up with the Oakland Raiders once again this season to offer you tickets at a discount rate. When you purchase these specially priced tickets LMC receives $20 of each ticket sold, and proceeds go to support the LMC Bookstore’s textbook rental program. Contact Claudia Acevedo at 439-2181, ext. 3130, by email cacevedo@losmedanos.edu, or by fax at 432-3261 for more information. — Compiled from press releases and staff reports
Photo by Brandon Ribergaard
By JOANNA DELGADO Staff Writer
“I went to the center last month for help with work citations,” said LMC student Kelly Reid, who got to work with her English teacher for 30 minutes. She said she found the session valuable, adding that she will go back soon to get more assistance with future assignments. “I would definitely recommend the center to other students,” she said, “Especially students who are new to LMC.” However, not all new students know much about the Center for Academic Support. “I have heard about the center and I have seen a couple of signs around campus,” said Lucero Nieves. Even though she has heard of it, the first-semester student said she doesn’t know where it is or what its purpose is, other than to help students with their English classes. She is not currently enrolled in an English class so she hasn’t considered stopping by yet. The center is located on the main level of the college
Express yourself with new LMC club By AISHLING DOHERTY Staff Writer
For students at Los Medanos College who love to write short stories, poems and one acts, or love to read sci-fi or mystery books, a new club on campus, The Writer’s Guild, offers them a chance to express themselves in writing. Writers’ Guild members gather for two hours once a month and bring in food to share while they do fun activities and discuss books they enjoy reading. When the Writers’ Guild got together last Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. the meeting started off with each member being given a piece of paper with three topics to choose from. Even though there were three topics the two that members wrote on were: Having a key that could open up anything in the world. Being along in the house on Halloween when you were 5. With the topics being picked group members also took out a word from each topic and wrote either a poem or short story with the words or topic that was given. “This week it’s flash fiction where we write 750 words or less in 10-20 minutes,” said Club President Ali Cameron. Sitting next to Cameron was Vice President Deborah Zlatarev who added the Writer’s Guild is a club that, “will help others keep writing and give feedback to one another with others writing.” The Writer’s Guild is an open club to students on campus who would like to share something they have written. “We are open to any kind of writing,” Cameron said. As the meeting continued LMC professor Barbara Austin went around the circle and asked club members to share books they have read or are currently reading. This topic was to encourage students to read something that others suggested. A few of the book lovers suggested: “The Wee Free Men” by Terry Practchett; See CLUB, page 6
complex, known as the Core, providing help for much more than just English class. It has been designed to meet a variety of academic needs of students as they work to meet their educational goals. “The center is where all Los Medanos College students can come to get support for many of their courses,” said center coordinator Sandra Mills. She explained it’s also where students can get help from peer tutoring, reading and writing consultations, online consultations, and professors who conduct office hours in the center. She said it’s her job, and the job of other consultants, to help with reading comprehension, writing essays, and other course work. They help students from the beginning to the end of writing an essay or paper for any class. However, she clarified, “We do not fix, edit or write student’s papers. We will help students by helping them understand an assignment, what things they must do in an assignment, underSee CORE, page 6
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“Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
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Photo by Lisa Cassidy
Math instructor Scott Johnson, playing for the A’s team, hits the first homerun of the game off Giants’ pitcher Andre White during last Friday’s staff competition.
Big dogs duke it out on the diamond Red pens and brooms away, faculty and staff begin to play By PRISCILLA SANDOVAL Staff Writer
Photo by Lisa Cassidy
Rashaad McAlpin from the IT department falls after attempting to catch a fly ball.
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Friday afternoon under the gleaming sun, LMC faculty and staff gathered on the softball field for their annual softball game. The group consisted of classified staff, instructors, and managers. The teams were fully loaded with designated positions and coaches. The crowd was lively and the staff shared some friendly banter as they warmed up. It was very clear what the theme of the game was as one team wore their Giants gear and the other their A’s gear. Fans of the opposing teams were pitted against each other, which made for an interesting match. The winner getting bragging rights for the rest of the year. “Oh yeah, we’ve got lunch bets, soda bets, and bragging rights riding on the game,” said Andre White. The A’s were up to bat first and started the game strong with a homerun hit by John Bridges in the first inning. The
Giants also came out strong that first part of the game. The bottom of the first surely entertained the crowd, especially when two outfielders ran into each other and fell while trying to catch the ball. Clearly these weren’t professional ball players and that’s what made the game so fun to watch. The game was pretty close until the third inning when the A’s started dominating the game. They sure gave the Giants a run for their money, getting a six-point lead on them. The A’s were killing it with a score of 13-7 at the bottom of the fourth. The Giants picked their game up but it wasn’t enough, ending the fourth inning with 13-9. The next inning was even better for the A’s with them scoring five more runs. This was when the Giants started rallying back and made some runs bringing them back into the game. The game got serious at this point and each team really wanted the win. In the end, the A’s won with the final score of 24-21. As the game ended, Sandra Mills joked “is there a fireworks show after?’ The event made for a fun-filled afternoon in the sun. “It’s great for morale and great for the people that play and watch,” said A’s team coach Elaine Ortiz. Even though the Giants lost the team still enjoyed itself. “It’s a lot of fun, win or lose. It’s great to come out with co-workers and have some fun at work, it’s a team building activity,” said Giants team coach Bob Estrada. The faculty softball game is a great tradition that makes for a great time between co-workers at LMC. The faculty and staff are looking forward to playing again in the Spring, and the Giants are looking for a heart breaking come back against the A’s.
lifestyles
HELPING YOU thrive
Put Some Power on Your Plate
By William Lide, MD ot all foods are created equal. While some offer relatively little nutrition, others are packed with beneficial nutrients that research shows can help prevent disease and maintain health. And they taste great, too! Here are a few examples of “wonder foods” that deserve a place on your table:
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Avocados: Rich in fiber and oleic acid, which helps lower overall cholesterol levels while raising “good” HDL cholesterol. Quinoa: A deliciously nutty South American grain that delivers an abundance of complete protein, plus manganese, magnesium, and iron. Low-fat yogurt: A great source of muscle-building protein and bonebuilding calcium, plus beneficial bacteria that help boost the immune system. Onions: Full of quercetin, a powerful flavonoid that protects against cancer; research indicates eating onions may also reduce heart disease risk. Chili peppers: Their heating element, capsaisin, appears to inhibit inflammation, clear congestion, and reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots. Parsley: More than a garnish, packed with Vitamin C, heart-healthy betacarotene, and cancer-fighting folic acid. For more tips on eating well, check out Kaiser Permanente’s Web site at www.kp.org/nutrition. This article is proudly sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. William Lide, MD, is Physician Site Leader for the Pleasanton Medical Offices.
Photo by Lisa Cassidy
Mustang Victoria Riveria (10) takes the ball to goal during last Friday’s game.
Soccer team begins the second half of the season By LISA CASSIDY Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team star ted the second half of their season last Friday, with a 1-1-4 record in the Bay Valley Conference. The Mustangs played the Mendocino Eagles, leaving the field with a 3-3 tie. The Eagles won the first game of the season
against the Stangs 3-2. Jessica Huerta (18) and Victoria Riveria (10) both scored during the Mustangs’ game against the Eagles. Riveria finished the game, scoring two goals for her team. “I was so happy when I scored my second goal because the other team had just scored off a free kick that was my fault,”
said Riveria, “I got to get back at them the best way possible, it was awesome. ” Aside from the two goals Riveria was also yellow-carded for rough play on the field, during the Mendocino game. The women then played Marin last Tuesday where they lost 2-3. The first time the women played See GAME, page 6
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It was a lively event with 60 people in attendance with a cost of $60 per-person to play poker. There was also a BBQ donated and prepared by Allied Waste. Other sponsors for the charity event included Garaventa Enterprises, Pittsburg Disposal and Dow Chemical. Many of LMC’s faculty miss Garcia deeply and appreciate his service and dedication. “I worked with Peter for many years while I was involved with the Academic Senate and have much appreciated his insightful, cooperative, yet firm leadership style, along with his being a good friend and mentor to me,” said math instructor Michael Norris, who served as senate president for four years. Garcia began his career at LMC in 1986 teaching philosophy. He was named president in the spring of 2003 and left to become DVC’s interim president last year. “It is great to be here tonight at LMC and see my colleagues,” said Garcia. Lindy Maynes, executive director of the LMC Foundation, was the organizing force behind the event. “The reason we did this was that Pete never had a farewell party. I knew that he likes playing poker. I thought this event, including a partnership with the Pittsburg Rotary Club, would be a great way to bring the college and community together to recognize Pete and wish him well,” said Maynes. The Pittsburg Rotary Club’s main project is to raise money for third grade students in Pittsburg through their literacy program. With the money, they buy dictionaries for Pittsburg’s students. “Every third grader in Pittsburg gets a dictionary,” said Maynes. The Rotar y Club spends $10,000 every year for this project and they have been doing it
for the past three years. “All funds raised go back into the community,” said Karen Wegenbauer, Pittsburg Rotary Club Member. Pittsburg’s Rotary Club and the LMC Foundation got together and hired Blue Dog Events to help raise money. “We are a poker company and specialize in charity poker events. We want to help you raise money for your organization and make sure you have fun in the process,” said Beau Bautista, owner of Blue Dog Events. Blue Dog, established in 2004, runs charity poker tournaments for non-profit organizations all over California and has raised $1.1 million this year alone and $2.4 million since 2007. The prizes for the tournament consisted of a 42” HDTV donated by Best Buy in Pittsburg, a Golf Foursome at Discover y Bay Country Club valued at $300, a Golf Foursome at Delta View Golf Course valued at $250, and a dinner for 25 people at New Mecca Café in Pittsburg valued at $200. Leticia Schneider of Martinez placed second and Dave Monnens from Pittsburg took the grand prize home. Among all the prizes up for grabs, a special one was thrown into the mix. Before the tournament began, Garcia was given a gift card to P.F. Chang’s for $50. If any player could take him out of the event, the gift card would become theirs. In the end, Willie Wong was awarded the prized gift card. Wong is a Pittsburg Unified School District board member and a member of the Pittsburg Rotary Club. “The Pittsburg Rotary Club meets ever y Tuesday at the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Anyone is welcome to attend,” said Joanne Hodge, Pittsburg Rotary Club President. Being a member of any city’s rotary club is a great way to contribute to your community.
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Times article, BANG President Mac Tully said that “these adjustments, some of them very difficult, position us to execute our strategic plan to maintain and grow our position as the leading multimedia company in the Bay Area.” The same plant that printed for the Contra Costa Times also pressed the Experience. As a result, Experience readers will have to wait until Monday morning for new issues of the newspaper to arrive on campus. Experience adviser, Cindy McGrath, explained that the issue is transportation. Now that printing will take place in Hayward, the time it will take to deliver the paper to LMC campus will be affected. “The plant in Walnut Creek was only 10 minutes from my house, so I picked the paper up on my way to LMC, and it was distributed on campus by 10 a.m. Fridays,” said McGrath, who would routinely drive up to the plant to retrieve the paper. “Hayward would be about a two-hour round trip during rush hour traffic for me to pick up the paper, which does not come off the press until 9 a.m. I have a 10 a.m. office hour and an 11 a.m. class.” Experience Editor-in-chief, Samuel Gonzalez recognizes this change as a sort of disadvantage. “It’s weird because [we’ve] been used to Fridays, now it
feels like we have one day less of exposure,” said Gonzalez. “Events that happen on Fridays aren’t so easy to describe. We can’t just say last week anymore, because now there’s always another Friday before it.” McGrath said that while the Bay Area Newspapers agreed to truck the papers from Hayward to the Concord plant for local pick-up, “the truck will not arrive in Concord until the end of the day Friday. They said we can pick up the paper either Saturday or Monday morning in Concord… Either way, it wouldn’t arrive on campus until Monday. I don’t usually work weekends, and it doesn’t make sense to come in when there are so few people on campus Saturdays,” said McGrath. Boessenecker said, however, that LMC was not willing to pick up the newspapers. Students and staff, who want to publicize events on campus, “will have to plan an additional week ahead to make sure the most readers see their news,” said McGrath. In the mean time, Gonzalez advises all students to wait on Mondays for new print editions. Students can still catch the latest editions online at http://www. losmedanos.edu/journalism/ under “Read our latest issue!” or directly at http://issuu.com/ losmedanos/docs/.
Photo by Sam Gonzalez
Students walk in and out of the 211 Social Sciences wing on the second floor of the college complex. A fan was set in the hallway by construction workers to help supress the odor that has lingered in the area for the past few weeks.
Roofing odor lingers By SAMUEL A. GONZALEZ Staff Writer
A waterproofing membrane that was applied to the roof of what will be the EMT/nursing department about four weeks ago has been emitting an odor that has lingered in the social sciences area for the past few weeks. LMC Vice President Bruce Cutler said a third party was brought in to determine if the odor is toxic. Capital Projects Manager Ernesto Garcia, who oversees construction projects at LMC, said an environmental hygienist from a company called RGA Environmental determined that the odor is not harmful. “They deal with everything from asbestos abatement to odors, anything that has to do with the environment,” Ramirez said about RGA. RGA reviewed documents called material safety data sheets that contractors are required to provide which detail everything about materials being used on the job. These data sheets were used to determine if the odor is toxic or not. Cutler sent an email to faculty on Oct 20 that said that the odor has been confirmed as not being a serious health issue, but that it is “a material annoyance to occupants… in the area” Cutler said he has received many calls from concerned faculty about the odor. “This has been an ongoing discussion for the past three weeks. It’s very regretful that this has happened, it has been very uncomfortable for them,” said Cutler.. Political Science instructor Milton Clarke said he moved one of his classes because of the odor.
“A young lady in class complained that the smell was making her dizzy. I subsequently complained to Bruce Cutler who has done a good job about it,” said Clarke. “In all honesty,” Clarke added, “I’ve gotten used to it. I don’t even smell it anymore. But in retrospect, the construction company should have warned us, or prepared us better for this.” Speech Instructor Kasey Gardner moved out of his office in CC2 211A and into an office in the fourth floor of the Core because of the odor. Next door to Gardner’s office in CC2 is Spanish instructor Nancy Whitman’s office. “My room stinks big time,” said Whitman. “It’s better than it was before but it was just horrific.” The odor has been unbearable for some people, but not for all. “At first it bugged me,” said Brittney Battiste, who has three classes in the social sciences wing. “I’m used to it.” Austin Murchison, who has political science with instructor David Zimny three-times a week said that he came to class two weeks ago and there was a big fan in the hallway. “The smell was pretty bad then,” said Murchison. Construction workers had set up fans in the hallway and had the doors open the last couple weeks to try to suppress the odor, but that wasn’t very effective. Ramirez said that construction workers have since turned to running the HVAC system and leaving the doors open at night to push out the odor by bringing in fresh air. Ramirez said the smell is expected to dissipate soon and that the roof is expected to be finished in two to three weeks, if weather conditions permit.
for qualification, setting a record in participation. Ballots that didn’t qualify were the result of inconsistencies with student ID numbers and date of birth. A verification system was in place to prevent fraudulent voting, leaving disqualified votes as cast votes. “We are happy to see that the numbers were up from last year’s elections. That’s a great start, but we are not stopping there. We have almost 10 thousand students and we invite our student body to our meetings,” said Van Eckhardt. “We would love and welcome each and every one of them to bring their ideas and issues to us so we can work as a team to make a difference at LMC.” DeMille noted that the record in the past three elections was 99 votes. “I am amazed at the amount of turnout we got, especially given that each position only had one person running. Usually uncontested elections have a lower turnout,” said DeMille. The newly elected executive officers of LMCAS will serve a full term until May 30, 2012. “In Spring, we will be holding elections for the officers for the 2012-13 school year, as well as electing our new student trustee for 2012-13,” said DeMille. LMCAS exists to give students a voice to be heard at LMC, representing the campus by organizing events and making important decisions to make life easier for students. “We want to celebrate our diverse population at LMC. We also want to tackle some of these difficult issues and try to find solutions that will help our student body,” said Van Eckhardt. Students interested in learning more about LMCAS can visit the Student Life office (Room CC3-800A - by the cafeteria) or go online at www.losmedanos. edu/studentlife. LMCAS will welcome its new leaders formally where they will be sworn in with the oath of office at the senate meeting Monday, Oct. 31, 1-3 p.m. in Librar y Conference Room 2 (L106). “We want to leave LMC better than we found it. We also challenge others to do the same. One person does make a difference. It doesn’t have to be big things either, it can be as simple as a smile, or a hello to someone you don’t know. An act of kindness has a ripple effect that can continue on and on,” said Van Eckhardt.
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to vote in their favor. Another judge said that he had seen many debates over the course of the weekend, and that this was the best he’d seen yet. “This is the third time that LMC has broken into the elimination round at debate tournaments,” said team member Denzel King on Saturday. “But we’re getting better. We’re going to stick around and watch other debates and learn.” LMC’s debate team is now practicing for their upcoming fourth debate tournament at University of the Pacific in From page 4 Stockton on Nov. 5-6. standing reading, brainstorming, LMC debate coach Kasey outlining, and making sure that Gardner said the debate team all elements of an essay, reports, is still open to new members. etc., are there.” “There’s a debate course and Help is available not only with there’s the debate team. You writing and reading assignments, don’t have to be enrolled in the but also with other types of as- class to be on the team, but I do signments as well. Peer tutors recommend taking the class,” can help students with a variety said Gardner. of courses and, according to Mills, they are known as the Maroon Squad, “because of the maroon shirts they wear that From page 1 identify them as tutors.” The center also offers workthree main components.The shops on certain days so stu- first being high school readiness, dents can get help writing their with outreach & orientation. scholarship and transfer essays. Second is transfer readiness, Mills said students can make with the transfer center, transfer at least three appointments a programs such as the Transfer week and a student will be able Academy, and transfer services. to meet with a tutor or professor The last component includes face-to-face for 25-30 minutes a institutional readiness, which session. If students can’t meet in encompasses assessment and person they can make appoint- professional development. ments with an online consultant. “Students who join the TransFor students who want to fer Academy will have a great do better in their courses, the experience and gain a lot from center is located in Room CO- the program,” said Belman. 300. Fall hours are 8 a.m. to 7 “But students also need to be p.m. Monday through Thursday committed.” and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays. The deadline is November 1. For more information about the Students can fill out the applicenter, check out the website cation online or in the transfer www.losmedanos.edu/core/. center.
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“Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld; and “Trash” by Andy Mulligain. As, each member shared their favorites they realized they had a lot in common: the Sci-Fi genre. Both Cameron and Zlatarev like fantasy stories that are of modern-day life. “I like books that reflect on real life. I like plays that are lifelike, for instance Shakespeare. I like his plays,” said Zaltarev. Before the club meeting ended Austin asked the members what they wanted to do and get from the group. Ideas included, going to plays and poetry readings, and listening to others read their own writing. Another suggestion included meeting more often to make sure each member is still continuing their writing.
Read our latest issue online. Visit http:// www.losmedanos.edu/ journalism/
Each member received an assignment before the club meeting was over, to write a poem or story using the word “fiesta” members partnered up and exchanged e-mails so they could send one another their writings for feedback. When they email one they will assign a new word to their partner to write something new. The Writer’s Guild is a safe place to share readings with talented writers. Students who would want to share their passion for writing should join the Writer’s Guild. The next meeting of the Writer’s Guild is Nov. 17, in Downtown Pittsburg on Railroad Avenue at The Book Depot from 5-7 p.m.
Photo by Lisa Cassidy
Mustang soccer player number 5, Shawnna Mayer attempts to shoot a goal against the Mendocino Eagles. The Stangs lost in a close 2 to 3 game last Friday.
GAME From page 5
Marin they lost 1-3. Huerta scored once again along with teammate Liz Romero. Riviera again received a yellow card as well as her fellow teammate Loyola for their rough play on the field. “I felt frustrated with my defending,” said Loyola, “and the card just showed my frustration.” With the Mustangs’ season record standing at 1-2-5, many
players believe there is room for improvement, but admit it’s going to take a lot of heart. “I think we have horrible luck during the second half of our games, we do really well in the first half,” said Captain Shawnna Moyer (5), “I am not satisfied, because I know we can win more games than we have.” The Mustangs’ next game is Nov. 1, at Napa College.