A LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN PG. 6
BLUE BLOODS GET NEW BLOOD PG. 7
Say his name
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SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1922
VOLUME 102 ISSUE 4 MAY 2, 2018
HEATHER ON THE RECORD
In CA, the real election is the primary
Heather Roegiers
Editor-in-Chief · kroegiers.express@gmail.com
Nov. 6 will see one of the most critical midterm elections in American history. You will want to have been there. But in California, there’s another day that matters even more. In California, there is only one party that matters, and the winner of the Democratic Primary will be going on to win the election. The day to cast that vote is June 5. Removing Trump’s Republican party from power is critical to the future of our democracy — there’s no debate. But the method of removing Trump cannot be the same one that put him in office in the first place. Our democracy’s corrosion created President Trump, and until we plug the holes in our democracy, it doesn’t matter who captains the ship. If we hope to address the crises threatening our world and society, first we must take our power back. We must put an end to Citizen’s United, corporate personhood and the union of money with speech. If it weren’t for money in politics, we would have already solved global warming, we would have already prevented the next financial crisis, the next mass shooting. If it weren’t for the $420,000 the Intercept reported that Sacramento’s district attorney Anne Marie Schubert received from law enforcement groups following the death of Stephon Clark, perhaps we would have already seen the accountability necessary to prevent the next act of police brutality. Nineteenth century New York Democratic politician William “Boss” Tweed once said, “I don’t care who does the electing, as long as I get to do the nominating.” He was later convicted of embezzling up to $45 million in taxes by using cronyism to transform the New York City government into a kleptocracy. Today, political donations have become their own nomination process. According to Lawrence Lessig of MIT, the number of people who gave the maxi-
People’s Day Thursday, May 3 7 a.m.‒ 6 p.m. In the quad
Food trucks, music, vendors and games.
SCC Jazz Band Thursday, May 3 8:15‒9:15 p.m. PAC 106
An evening of traditional and contemporary jazz. Photo illustration by Josephine Newitt
mum donation of $5,200 to congressional candidates in 2014 made up about 58,000 people, or .02 percent of the population. Lessig refers to “Tweedism” as a political system where an aristocracy made up of “Tweeds” controls the outcome of elections by controlling the entry. When we ignore the nomination process, we grant the very wealthiest people in the country control over our government, which means we are entrusting the task of handling the greatest crises of our era to the people who will be last to feel the consequences. The upcoming midterms are packed with good people making great lip service, but the only way to discern between the people who are saying to right thing and the people who mean it is to reject the ones who take the money. In California’s Senate race, that person is Alison Hartson. A Justice Democrat, Hartson has rejected donations from the .02 percent and yet managed to outraise her competition in multiple quarters anyway. Hartson is a former national director of Wolf-PAC, a political action committee with the goal of getting money out of politics. Before Wolf-PAC, she taught high school for 10 years in Garden Grove. She started volunteering in politics because she felt that
she was failing to serve her students by working through a system that left underprivileged communities with less access to education. Now she’s running for senate to reign in the likes of Betsy Devos. Billionaire mega-donor Tom Steyer, who you may know from his ad campaign calling for Trump’s impeachment, has recently invested in one of Hartson’s main competitors, Kevin de Leon. As Dianne Feinstein fails to receive endorsements from within her own party, and Hartson struggles to find media outlets willing to cover her, de Leon appears to be the Democratic establishment’s designated appointee. With money’s power over the political system so intractable, it may seem better to pick a good billionaire’s puppet over a bad billionaire’s puppet. In the voting booth Nov. 6, by all means choose the lesser evil, but now is the time hold people accountable. We cannot trust a politician to reign in Trump if their money is coming from the same people whose taxes he just abolished. The general election is the day when we get the opportunity to unite under one voice, but the nomination process is how we use our individual voices. ♦
West Side Story in Concert Friday, May 4 7‒9 p.m. PAC 150
City College s vocal and choral music program present the music of Leonard Bernstein s West Side Story.
City College Music Department Open House Tuesday, May 8 6:30‒9:30 p.m. PAC
Food, live music, student performances. All ages welcome.
UndocuLeadership Conference Friday, May 11 8 a.m.‒3:30 p.m. Student Center
Hosted by the Undocumented Student Coalition. The theme will center around leadership, intersectionality and empowerment.
Commencement Ceremony Wednesday, May 16 6:30 p.m. Hughes Stadium
Last day to sign up for commencement ceremony is May 7.
Editor-in-Chief Heather Roegiers Managing Editor Vince Ybarra News Editor Jason Pierce Features Editor Casandra Garcia Sports Editor Nick Pecoraro Photo Editor Bobby Castagna
Design Adviser Josephine Newitt Assistant Design Editor Trevon Norton Cover Photo Jason Pierce Cover Caption A protester cries at a police line March 23 during a march downtown Sacramento in response to the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark as police line up to bar protesters from entering the freeway. Advisers Randy Allen, Jan Haag
Staff Photographers Jackson Durham, Megan Horn, Phoenix Kanada, Destinee Lang, Jiaxin Lu, Vanessa S. Nelson
EDITORIAL POLICIES Views published in the Express do not reflect those of the Los Rios Community College District Board of Trustees, the Associate Student Government, City College, Journalism department, administration, student body, or faculty; unless otherwise stated.
Staff Reporters Margo Alexander, Nita Gardipee, Anastasia Jones, Chelsea Knowlton, Jason Reed, Amari Smith, Julian Tack, Rose Vega, Ashton Byers
MEMBERSHIPS Journalism Association of Community Colleges California Newspaper Publishers Association
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Express · May 2, 2018
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CONTACT US Let the Express know what you think. Letters should be 300 words or less. Please include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. The Express reserves the right to edit or reject any article, advertisement or illustration deemed inappropriate, including letters to the editor. Sacramento City College 3835 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822 Phone (916) 558-2561 ext. 2562 Fax ( 916) 558-2282 E-mail express@scc.losrios.edu Website saccityexpress.com
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Enrollment Cut-off for Summer 2018 Financial Aid Monday, May 21 fasfa.ed.gov
Students must enroll in summer classes in order to get first financial aid payment.
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NEWS
Twenty minutes for 20 bullets
Campus members stage unauthorized walkout one month after Stephon Clark’s shooting Heather Roegiers
Editor-in-Chief · kroegiers.express@gmail.com
Members of the main campus community walked out of class Wednesday to hold a moment of silence for Stephon Clark on the month anniversary of the day he was killed by police. The event was organized by Kandra Coleman, president of the Umoja Success Scholars on campus, a branch of the Umoja Program. Coleman held a sign with a picture of Stephon Clark and the message “20 minutes, 20 bullets,” as she addressed participants from atop the fountain outside the Performing Arts Center. Participants held up their phones as they engaged in a moment of silence. Other participants shared their thoughts and stories, and some attendees lit candles to close the event. “I felt the need to organize something to keep everything going, especially seeing as how it was a month after,” said Coleman. “Last month they gave us 17 minutes to walk out for something that happened in Florida. I don’t want to sound harsh, but that personally doesn’t affect me, whereas I knew (Stephon Clark). He was a student; he was a member of my community. Why wouldn’t I be able to take 20 minutes to walk out for him when he was murdered by the police in his own backyard? So I took my 20 minutes.” Stephon Clark stopped attending City College in 2015, but according to staff-member Luster Taylor of the IT department, he was about to go back.
“I want to say three weeks before his death he contacted me right here on campus and asked me if I could help him get back into school,” said Taylor. “Right when I got all his paperwork done for him, he was actually killed.” Taylor said Stephon Clark had a counseling appointment scheduled on Wednesday the week after his death. Taylor said part of his job was to help find potential students. “He was special ’cause a lot of times I have to look for students,” said Taylor, “You know, ‘Do you want to come to school?’ And he looked for me, like, ‘I’m ready to come back.’” Coleman said she organized the event herself, but coordinated via email with members of Puente and RISE after the school discouraged the event. “We called it the Underground Walkout because I felt like the school really didn’t want me to do it,” said Coleman. “They were saying some things I found offensive like, ‘We don’t want City Hall part two on our campus,’ or they were saying, ‘Well, who are you going to invite to this walkout?’ Or they asked me, ‘Well, haven’t we done enough?’ and I didn’t feel like we did.” Coleman said she didn’t want to mention anyone by name, but that in particular, the Cultural Awareness Center did not grant them access to the stage in the quad because of a time conflict with Earth Day, which took place on the previous day. City College’s public information officer, Kaitlyn MacGregor, said that she was not aware of the protest.
Kandra Coleman addresses the participants of an unofficial walkout April 18 as they hold their phones up in solidarity with Stephon Clark. | Photo by Heather Roegiers · kroegiers.express@gmail.com
“Following the shooting of Stephon Clark, we encouraged the campus to be courageous in expanding our conversations about violence and inequity, and held a series of events to foster dialogue and community,” said MacGregor. “Yesterday’s event was not one that we were aware was happening on our campus until it was brought to our attention that there were unattended, lit candles by the fountain.” MacGregor said that because the lit candles violated fire department regulations, they were extinguished and brought to Operations. “Someone came forward asking why they had been removed,” said MacGregor. “Once it was explained, a new location was established at the gazebo where the candles could remain unlit for the duration of the day, as was requested.” MacGregor said that though the event
From social media to City College
was never authorized, City College supports the right to assembly. Coleman said being the mother of three young black males gives her a different perspective. She said Stephon Clark’s death was also something far too familiar for her. “It happened to a friend of mine, Lamar Alexander, 12 years ago,” said Coleman. “He was shot 17 times and killed. Nobody really did anything, and so that scarred me a little bit. And just to keep seeing this happen and happen and happen, and people keep getting away with it, and people are losing their lives, it’s not something that you can just keep overlooking.” Coleman said she thought City College had a special responsibility to fight for Stephon Clark since he was a student. “I just wanted to put the connection back to where he went to school, put the connection back to where he was actually a part of,” said Coleman. ♦
Sexual Assault Awareness Month spotlights MeToo movement Chelsea Knowlton
Staff Reporter · cknowlton.express@gmail.com
For Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April the Cultural Awareness Center hosted a series of events to raise awareness and foster discussion on the effects of sexual violence. City College professor Sherri Patton led a discussion about the #MeToo movement April 10, then the Los Rios District’s chapter of Women Escaping A Violent Environment, or WEAVE, hosted a presentation and open discussion about dating, consent, sexual assault and how to cultivate healthy relationships April 17. Patton spoke about the history of the movement as well as the disconnect be-
tween policy enactment and social change. “Legislation is increasingly where activists can’t go,” said Patton at the event. “Laws are one thing but changing people’s minds is something entirely different.” Many participants emphasized the importance of these kinds of discussions. “A lot of women look at their experience and think ‘Is this significant enough? Was some guy telling me how good my butt looked inappropriate enough for me to tell other people about it?’” said City College alumna Haley Young, 22. “I feel like the Me Too movement allowed women with any story to share it so that people could see that probably every single woman you know has had some sort of encounter.” Young’s sentiments are reflected in a
survey released in January of this year by an organization called Stop Street Harassment. According the survey, 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men had endured an unwanted sexual experience, out of over 2,000 men and women surveyed over the age of 18. Another point of discussion was the concern that movements like #MeToo, which start on social media, don’t gain enough traction to remain relevant. “It’s easy to sort of have movements flit in and out of the collective consciousness of students,” said 26-year-old City College student and self-proclaimed activist Robert Merges. “It’s not to say that social media activism is necessarily bad, and it has its place. I feel like it has · · ·
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Professor Sherri Patton leads discussion at CAC. Photo by Megan Horn · mhorn.express@gmail.com
to accompany calls to action, and it has to accompany organization, and that’s where the disconnect is for me.” ♦ May 2, 2018 · Express
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NEWS
Makerspace opens for business
Access passes available to use City College’s new hands-on design lab Amari Smith
Staff Reporter · agrace.express@gmail.com
Once a campus print shop and computer lab, rooms 108 and 110 of the Cosmetology building are now home to the 2,600-square-foot Makerspace. Opened to the public April 10, Makerspace offers software training, digital multimedia, ink printing and much more, according to operations director Matt Vandiver. Students can experiment with video making, printing and coding, making the possibilities endless, Vandiver said. Students can learn new things for class requirements or go over the basics to progress toward being self-taught. “As far as our training programs go, they’re not the traditional six- to eightweek course,” said Vandiver. “It’s a twohour training session, then you come in and actually start using equipment. At that point you can create what you want.” Colorful walls, staff artwork and the hum of equipment welcome students the moment they enter the space. Broken into two spaces, Room 108’s first space focuses on shop fabricating and creating structured art by assembling with tools, while the second space is the digital design lab. The remaining space is occupied with employee-operated equipment. Room 110 is open for workshops where the staff will give training seminars along with class-like lessons, Vandiver said. “I’m looking forward to having a collaborative space where students can come and share skills, organically working as a collaborative space, where you don’t have to try to get skills that you don’t have,” said Michelle Zamora, Makerspace creative director. “People are just here who have those skills you might need.” There are 20 staff members available in and out of the building at various times of the day to help, said Vandiver. The staff often gives tours of the building to give an inside look of the space available. Vandiver was hired by Tom Cappelletti, project director of Makerspace, to help bring the program to life. According to a City College press release there were 40 people, both staff and students, who originally discussed the idea of Makerspace, Jan 27, 2017. “We want to find a way to make (Makerspace) for every department and every aspect of this campus,” said Vandiver. Students can use the technology provided to laser-etch words and graphics onto bags, mosaic tiles and various surfaces like glass, ceramic and leather.
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Makerspace room 108 contains a large printer for printing posters, and a staff member to greet newcomers. Photo by Amari Smith · agrace.express@gmail.com
When it comes to Makerspace, there isn’t much students aren’t allowed to do, according to Vandiver. “We do have some limitations, but not very many. One of our limitations is that if you’re doing it for entrepreneurial, monetary gain or mass production, we do come with a set price, but we’re trying to keep it at low to no cost for students,” said Vandiver. “This is not a place where students have to pay $350 for a membership. We want this to be a safe place for everybody.” Vandiver said that Makerspace is not intended for private, profit-based endeavors. The money made from paid projects helps fund more possibilities for students, according to Vandiver. Makerspace employees are currently working with the Business Education Technology Alliance (BETA) to keep the equipment up to date, Vandiver said. Makerspace is open to all students in the Los Rios Community College District as well as to employees. To gain access, students sign up for a shop pass online. With the shop pass, students can choose between working with a specific piece of technology or work with and learn everything, Vandiver said. To receive a shop pass, students can go to the Makerspace website sccmakerspace. com for more information on shop pass requirements and what programs are available. Students must turn in a signed release · · ·
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form for safety and liability reasons. Staff are available in Room 110 in the Cosmetology building every Tuesday
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and Thursday from noon–2 p.m. and from 2–4 p.m. to help sign students up for shop passes. ♦
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FEATURES
An early start for a future in science
Undergrad research program prepares City College students for their next stage Nita Gardipee
Staff Reporter · ngardipee.express@gmail.com
Students who transfer to the UC system can feel like fish out of water for their first semester, but City College students have a unique opportunity to get their feet wet in a university-level study before they transfer. City College is home to an undergraduate research program, or URP, with over 20 students participating in various studies that will ready them for a four-year university. Adviser and coordinator to the program, Dr. Binh Dao, is overseeing a group of students who are designing, synthesizing and testing drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. This research is a continuation of Dao’s work at his alma mater, UC Davis. “Our goal is to actually create a collaboration with UCs, where by the time the students transfer to UCs the students will be continuing the project that they started here,” Dao said. “I actually have collaborators at UC Davis on projects where a student will do a certain aspect of that project while they’re here, and when they transfer over there, they have a home where they can continue their research.”
The preparation that we get for our next phase is invaluable. Amaris Guerra
City College student
Chemistry Professor Bill Miller is advising his own group of students who are conducting research studies. He said one of the reasons this program started was because students were having a hard time adjusting once they transferred from community college to a university. “They don’t know very many people,” Miller said. “They’re usually counseled, as far as I’ve heard, to take a light load their first quarter to get used to it. And by the time they feel like they’re up and running, they’re already in their last year. This is one of multiple ways we can get our students ready for when they transfer.” Currently, some students are investigating the effects of nanoparticles on the growth of mung beans, some are designing a DNA binding molecule to target specific genes, searching for heavy metals in a water analysis project, building an atomic force microscope, and even designing and
Lab partners Amaris Guerra and Tricia Hedahl test for the success of their experiment. Both students are participating in Sac City s undergraduate research program under Professor Binh Dao, Ph. D. ¦ Photo by Nita Gardipee · ngardipee.express@gmail.com
testing drugs to treat Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s study is a collaboration with the UC Davis Medical Center where students who transfer can continue their research. Students who participate in the program will work under an advising professor in each study and receive guidance throughout the program. Adjunct chemistry professor Sylvia Richman has made herself available daily for hands-on technical support for the research students. “One of the perks of this job is to give a leg up to those that are going to be in the profession,” Richman said. “I think there are plenty of young people that should become chemists.” Amaris Guerra, biochemistry major, said she considers herself a non-traditional student. She is a mother to two teens and made the decision to return to school after her work as a recruiter for an engineering firm inspired her to follow her dream of working in science. She is now in her first semester of the Alzheimer’s treatment study under Dao. Guerra said the opportunity has provided her and her fellow students with a chance to apply skills they’ve learned in a real-world application. “The preparation that we get for our next phase in invaluable,” Guerra said “because we’re entering four-year universities where students have had access to research opportunities from day one. As a community college student you think, ‘How do I compete with that?’ And
programs like this make it possible for us to leave here with some tangible lab skills that we can then take on and use in our next opportunity.” Biochemical engineering major Kristin Shimabukuro is in her final semester at City College with plans to transfer to UC Davis this fall. While there, Shimabukuro will be continuing the next phase of the peptide research she’s been conducting under Dao, searching for new ways to make kidney transplants more viable. Shimabukuro said the program has helped her understand what fields of science she’s interested in, particularly biology and chemistry, and has afforded her research and lab experience. “It’s good to get started as soon as you can,” Shimabukuro said. “This is something I wouldn’t have been able to do until graduate school.” The program officially began about three years ago to aid students in transitioning to university courses. Before to its inception, unofficial research was happening with students and professors in a one-on-one setting. Miller and Dao agree that the program is imperative to a smooth transition for students, adding that the experience is a great resume builder. “They want our students, too,” Miller said. “We have great students and provide a great education here, but we can’t provide · · ·
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them a world-class UC experience because the research is lacking,” said Dao. “It’s a big piece that’s missing from a college experience. If we can fill in that gap, then we can really bring up the value of a community college education.” Students who participate in the program will apply for the specific study they wish to participate in. Although the entry requirements vary, Chemistry 400 is recommended as a prerequisite, as well as interest in a career in science. According to Dao, there are two application windows. The first takes place at the beginning of each semester after a presentation seminar by students from the previous semester. Those who are interested will have about three to five days to submit an application. By the second Friday of the new semester, selections will have been made by respective faculty, and the students must participate in a safety training. Dao said that the students will begin their research by the third week of the semester. At the end of each semester, students who participated in the research program will present their findings. Students who wish to participate in the program for the following semester can also apply at this time, said Dao. Dao said all are welcome to the end-of-semester research seminar. It will take place Friday, May 4, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Lillard Hall Room 203. Pizza will be provided. ♦ May 2, 2018 · Express
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FEATURES
The Merchant of Venice
Behind the scenes of City Theatre s currently running production Margo Alexander
Staff Reporter · malexander.express@gmail.com
The controversial Shakespeare play, “The Merchant of Venice,” opens Friday at the Art Court Theatre in the Performing Arts Center, with a bit of a makeover to lure contemporary audiences. Directing the play is a lifelong Shakespeare scholar, Professor Adrienne Sher, who says the play was selected for its controversy. “We were interested in doing something topical, that reflected what was going on politically in the country right now,” says Sher. They came to choose “The Merchant of Venice” because its racist overtones resonate with tensions today. Sher says she hopes that the production will make the audience conscious about their treatment of others. “I hope they will think about how we treat people that are different from us,” says Sher. Now an adjunct professor at City College, Sher got her first taste of the bard as a preteen. It all started at a movie theatre. “As a preteen I went to see Franco Zefirelli’s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and I immediately got hooked on Shakespeare,” says Sher. Decades of study, acting and a double degree at Stanford in theater and English literature followed. Jes Gonzales, the actor who plays the notorious Shylock, says he’s interpreting the role with nuance. “What Adrienne is doing is giving us a much more sympathetic Shylock than you normally get,” says Gonzales. “We are portraying him in this show as a person with a sense of social justice, and a person who understands the dynamics of racism, and how it’s been endemic in Western society for hundreds or even thousands of years.” Gonzales says he doesn’t see Shylock as a typical villain. “Shakespeare couldn’t do one-dimensional people,” says Gonzales. “He does his best to make him sympathetic, and in this production, there’s a lot less anger, there’s a lot more confidence in the character. That’s been challenging for me. I mean, Shylock’s always been on my bucket list, but he’s also somebody that you really do have to be aware of what you’re doing.” The Director Sher says she came up with some ideas about modifying the play for modern times. “I love Shakespeare, but I want people to be turned on by Shakespeare, and not be
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Scenes from The Merchant of Venice playing until May 13 at Art Court Theatre. ¦ Photos courtesy of Adrienne Sher · shera@scc.losrios.edu
bored,” says Sher. “I have done my own adaptation. I have updated some of the language. We are doing it in modern day Venice Beach and Belmont, California.” Sher says the Venice scenes won’t have any gondolas. Rather, they’ll have skateboarders and roller-skaters, graffiti, street art and purple hair. The Belmont scenes will be more new age with less racial tension, less color and clash. The whole production is designed by students, complete with boombox sounds coming from speakers under the seats. Sound Designer Matt McCracken is one of the dozens of people behind the scenes, in addition to the huge cast. “The sound designer is responsible for picking transition music, intermission, pre-show and post-show music. He helps interpret the script and the setting to take the audience into the play,” says McCracken. McCracken says his favorite part of sound design is overcoming challenges. “There’s a lot of problem solving involved,” says MacCracken. “I have fun with that, it’s like a puzzle. For example, for this play, I need eight speakers, so I have to figure out how to get the signal from the computer to the board and then out to all the speakers. But I pretty much have full freedom on the choice of music.” Down the hall in the wardrobe room, Hunter Farnbach, the production’s costume designer, says he enjoys the process of choosing costumes for each character. · · ·
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“There is something about taking this two-dimensional medium and then wrapping it in a three-dimensional way that just makes sense to me,” says Farnbach. Farnbach says he loves playing with color and silhouette and gets really excited about what he is going to put on the actors. “The other day, I was in a thrift shop and found this perfect shirt for the character of Lancelot,” says Farnbach. “He quits his job working for Shylock and goes and works for Bassanio. And he is constantly eating. And there is food all over the shirt, and his outer shirt says, ‘I hate my job.’ There is just this really wonderful collaborative aspect with the actors.” The person that makes that intricate collaboration happen at the most basic level is the stage manager, Anapaul Prince. At 21, Prince is already a seasoned stage manager. “My favorite aspect of being a stage manager is when the shows start and you get to ‘call’ it. That is the main duty,” says Prince. “I tell the actors when to go on, and give them all the cues, and something about that is really nice because it comes down to timing. It’s funny how so many of the right cues I just have to feel for the right moment. A lot of cues are based on what’s going on in the scene, the emotions, but when it comes to me, I just really feel like I am part of this magic.” Ceci Walsh, an 18-year-old lighting designer, is responsible for creating the lighting that will showcase the actors in just the proper light. SCCEXPRESSNEWS
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“The lighting designer makes sure that everyone is seen, which is more difficult than it sounds. Especially with thrust staging, where there are people on three sides. It’s important that you have lights coming from all different directions, so that no matter where people sit, they are all seeing close to the same picture. So the goal is to create not only a practical look, but a look that can influence the mood and the tone of the piece,” says Walsh. “For example, the direction of the light coming in very steep, and with a long shadow, can create a very wistful look that can emphasize the pain that a character feels.” Harry Stoner, a seasoned Shakespeare actor who plays Antonio, says his biggest challenge is the hours. “The hardest thing about taking on this role is carving out the time,” says Stoner. Stoner, 60, commutes from Stockton to City College for rehearsal while working as a high school teacher. Playing Lorenzo, Dafydd Wynne says that his character will appeal to younger audiences. “I think most young adults around my age are going to like my character,” says Wynne. “He is promoting progressiveness and tolerance. After all, he does marry a Jew’s daughter.” “The Merchant of Venice” is playing until May 13, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center’s Art Court Theatre. For ticket information visit CityTheatre.net. ♦ · · ·
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FEATURES
Los Rios welcomes new police chief Larry Savidge discusses police diversity, reform and campus security Vince Ybarra
Managing Editor · vybarra.express@gmail.com
After over 30 years of service in the Air Force and eight years as chief of police at Trident Technical College in South Carolina, Larry Savidge decided to take on the position as the head of the Los Rios Police Department. Savidge is aware that changes need to be made on all campuses in the Los Rios District, some of which have already taken place. He notes that the changes to come are in the Los Rios Police Department’s procedures and operations. The biggest change students and faculty will see is in emergency management. “We’ve already made some changes to the alerting system on how you all get notified,” says Savidge. He has made changes to the ways students are notified about emergencies on campus. “In the system you had maybe 15 types of scenarios, and then you had to multiply that by four campuses. You had to figure out what campus was it first, which is the incident, and then alert everybody,” says Savidge. “We’ve gotten away from that now. Where it’s just one message. Everybody gets the same message.” Because students sometimes move from one campus to another in a day, Savidge understands students and faculty concerns about the speed of alerting people to emergencies on campus. “It’s about making ourselves more available,” says Savidge.
We re willing to sit down and meet with any groups that would like to invite us. Larry Savidge
Chief of Los Rios Police Department
He also says he understands the importance of a diverse staff regarding potential biases within the police force. “One of the most important ways to fight bias is to hire people that look like the people they are serving,” says Savidge. Savidge hopes to create additional implicit bias training for his staff to ensure that the Los Rios district has the best officers and staff available. Savidge says he is well aware how difficult it is to find good people for the job.
The Los Rios Police Department s new Chief of Police Larry Savidge. ¦ Photo by Megan Horn · mhorn.express@gmail.com
Coming from military law enforcement, Savidge knows how to manage the difference between the two kinds of policing. “The difference is personnel, recruitment and retaining police officers,” says Savidge. “We have a lot of good people, and we are trying to hire more good people.” Savidge says it’s not just about hiring the right people, but maintaining a dialogue with the community. “We’re willing to sit down and meet with any groups that would like to invite us,” says Savidge. He hopes to reach out to the community and host events on campus as a way to get the community involved with the LRPD. He wants people to be open with the department and share thoughts and concerns they see around all four campuses. Savidge sees this as a way to make positive changes in the community. Savidge says his experience in military police contributes to his current
position. After retiring from the Air Force in 2010, Savidge was unsure of where to go and what type of work he wanted to do. He looked at a number of different jobs in both the government and civilian sector. He applied for multiple positions, then he got a call from a Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. “When I got the job, I really enjoyed it,” says Savidge. He spent eight years in Charleston as chief of police managing four campuses. The Los Rios district represents a difference in size, but it is a difference he says he’s ready to take on. “The scope is much larger; the student population is much larger,” says Savidge. Working in college law enforcement is something that corresponds with Savidge’s educational background. While working his way up the ranks in the Air Force, he decided to pursue an education. It was important for him to continue his education, he says, so he · · ·
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wouldn’t become stagnant outside of the military workforce. “In order for you to succeed and be competitive, you have to have the education,” says Savidge, who worked full-time while going to school. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in organization management, he obtained two master’s degrees — one in business and organizational security management and another in criminal justice. He understands how challenging completing college can be. “You gotta stick with it. It’s hard,” says Savidge. He is proud of his education and believes that it is ultimately what helped land him the job as chief of police for the LRPD. Savidge believes that education is something that no one can take away. He says that hard work is important, but putting in the effort makes all the difference. “When you get to the other side, it will pay off for you,” says Savidge. ♦ May 2, 2018 · Express
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PROFILE
RYAN LASKOWSKI Fresh grounds, both at home and on campus Travis Holman Guest Writer
Photo by Anastasia Jones · anajones.express@gmail.com
The scent of gasoline and motor oil fill the air. So does the essence of freshly cut grass. Dewdrops drip from the leaves of shrubs along the baseball stadium. A blazing roaster spews out thousands of steaming hot coffee beans, filling the air with a bitter, yet comforting scent. These two scenes may not seem to fit together, but for 28-year-old Ryan Laskowski, these two daily takes are part of his daily grind. As a full-time City College groundskeeper, Laskowski keeps busy at work. But when Laskowski punches out for the day, he heads off to his job as a production coffee roaster at Pachamama Coffee in the heart of midtown Sacramento. “My first job was at a coffee shop,” Laskowski says. “But I didn’t want to work at the coffee shop. I didn’t actually like coffee at all.” So instead of simply finding a new job, Laskowski went to American River
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College and received a horticulture degree. He set his sights on City College and landed the job of groundskeeper. “That’s one motivated guy,” says Greg Miller, City College’s lead groundskeeper. “He really gets into the culture of whatever he’s working on. He’s always willing to lend a hand when you need it.” Laskowski’s constant smile as he works is an indicator that he is happy his work. As the sun draws nearer to the horizon and the majority of students have gone home for the day, Laskowski finishes his work day at the college, too. He gets cleaned up from his daily regimen of plant matter and potting soil, then finds himself in his second role as coffee roaster. With the flip of a lever, 50 pounds of freshly roasted beans pour from the roaster into a circular drum called the bean cooler. Three paddled spokes slowly spin at a consistent rate, sifting and turning the beans as steam emits from them. Stacks of bags of unroasted coffee beans from faraway lands, such as Ethio· · ·
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pia, Guatemala, Peru and Nigeria, circle the room as they wait to transform from a simple cherry pit into one of the world’s largest commodities.
“My first job was at a
coffee shop. But I didn’t want to work at the coffee shop. I didn’t actually like coffee at all.” Ryan Laskowski
City College groundskeeper
“With this coffee, you shouldn’t even need cream or sugar,” laughs Laskowski. “It’s that good.” Laskowski even has put his own coffee roasting effort in motion. Simple Roots, he calls it. He has purchased his own small roaster, sources high-quality beans and establishes his own clientele on top of his already busy schedule. SCCEXPRESSNEWS
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Andrea Perez Richards, a former City College student, doesn’t necessarily like to drink coffee. Recently, she tried a cup that Laskowski had roasted. “I wasn’t sure what to expect with all of the new coffee places around town,” Perez Richards says, “but this coffee is delicious.” So far, Sactown Union Brewery has collaborated with Laskowski to brew a golden stout beer, utilizing his light roast, organic El Salvadorian coffee beans. There are currently other breweries in the Sacramento area that are interested in using Simple Roots coffee for other coffee-infused beers. Rather than going the old school route of setting up shop in a brick-and-mortar establishment, Laskowski roasts beans at home and personally distributes his products to his clientele. Breweries are the main channel of distribution for Simple Roots, and so far this strategy seems to be working. He also includes his fellow City College workers in his coffee adventure. “Working with Ryan is just as good as the coffee he brings us to try, and we love that,” Miller says. ♦ · · ·
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PROFILE
GUILLERMINA NAVEJA From City College ESL to a career at the Mexican Consulate Carmen Perez
Guest Writer · carmenp330@gmail.com Photo by Jiaxin Lu · jlu.express@gmail.com
Dirty. Sticky. Cracked. Callous. These are the hands of a female farmworker. The woman sits across from Guillermina Naveja and explains her dilemma. Naveja doesn’t see the farmworker. She sees a woman who is working to make a better life for herself and her family. The woman needs help. She is in a physically abusive relationship, and doesn’t speak English, doesn’t know where to go and doesn’t know whom to turn to. Naveja hears stories like this on a daily basis. Naveja is an official counselor in the legal department at the Mexican Consulate in Sacramento. For seven years, Naveja has been a triple-threat, juggling full-time roles as an employee, wife and mom, and City College student. At the age of 46, Naveja manages to help Mexican immigrants succeed in the U.S. in her day job, cook dinner for her family, and study for college exams herself, sometimes until 2 a.m. She never thought she would return to college, but after coming to the U.S. in her early 20s, she knew that in order to get the so-called American Dream, she would have to learn English first. “I was scared to go to school because I didn’t speak English,” says Naveja. “It was difficult to learn new subjects in a whole different language.”
Naveja, born in Sacramento but raised in Mexico, had obtained her bachelor’s degree in tourism in Mexico, but her degree was not accepted in the United States. A co-worker recommended that she enroll at City College, so she signed up for English as a Second Language courses. She decided to take a full load of classes and became a full-time student. She says returning to college was quite difficult. During her second semester, she explains that she was a victim of bullying. “There was a student in my child development class who was supposed to do a group presentation with me, and two other students told the professor that she didn’t understand my English and couldn’t be in my group,” says a teary-eyed Naveja. Naveja says the student constantly made fun of her accent. Naveja felt insecure about the way she spoke and was at the brink of dropping out. But two students told her to stay in the class. They said they would do the group project with her. Consequently, the group presentation turned out to be the best in the class, according to her professor. At the same time, she met her current City College counselor, Mauricio Gonzalez. Her counselor never sugar-coated anything. He told Naveja what she needed to do to succeed. She says she was taken aback by how honest he was, but it was exactly what she needed at the time. “Guillermina came to Sac City not speaking English,” says Gonzalez. “She
joined the Sac City ESL program, which many immigrants take to become proficient in English and continue with their lives. Ten percent, if that, actually decide to continue their education and get a bachelor’s degree.” Naveja is part of that small percentage, and Gonzalez challenged her to be the role model her daughters needed. If she wanted them to have a better life, he says, then she had to show them how. She was also facing financial aid problems halfway through her City College pilgrimage. Gonzalez stressed that, unfortunately, the way the district handles financial aid is not what he would want, especially for first-generation and immigrant students who are struggling to pay for school. He believes that financial aid is an entitlement to students who already have a handful of obstacles to overcome. With that information, Naveja knew she had to continue working full-time, even overtime, to pay her way through college. “Guillermina is the perfect poster child for ESL students who need the motivation to continue their education, even with life’s obstacles,” Gonzalez says. Naveja’s husband and daughters have been her biggest fans and continue to encourage her. Her oldest daughter, Jennifer Loza, who is a U.C. Davis student, recalls seeing her mom up at one or two in the morning, studying for finals. “I would sometimes stay up with her just so she would have company,” says · · ·
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Loza. “She has always been resilient and hasn’t given up.” Loza credits her mom with giving her motivation when she stresses about her own school work. She says she is in awe of how hard her mom has worked in starting at the bottom of the totem pole to get to where she is now. In her job at the consulate, Naveja helps women, children and families from all walks of life get acquainted with the United States. She says her dream is to help those who feel they can’t succeed in this country because of their age, language or ethnicity. She tells them anything is possible. Though she has two associate degrees, Naveja says she wants to major in psychology because she would love to be a therapist for women and children. She also desires to spend her Saturdays giving free counseling to those who can’t afford therapy. Naveja graduated from City College in 2014 with degrees in social science and liberal arts. At the graduation ceremony, she said it was the best day of her life when Dolores Huerta, the famous civil rights and labor activist, gave the commencement speech. Naveja says Huerta’s famous phrase pushes her to continue her college journey. “When Dolores Huerta said, ‘Si, se puede’ (‘Yes, we can,’ in English), I thought to myself, ‘I can, and I will,’” says Naveja. ♦ May 2, 2018 · Express
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PROFILE
STEPHEN JAMES Learning biology firsthand through travel Stephanie Montano Guest Writer
Photo by Phoenix Kanada · pkanada.express@gmail.com
The office is messy. Biology professor Stephen James shares the small space with his colleague, fellow biology professor Dave Wyatt, in Lillard Hall on the City College campus. Posters of animals and insects are crookedly scattered on the walls. Metal bookshelves, kissed slightly with rust, are filled to the ceiling with books. Titles of every genre and sort rest on the spines of each worn copy. Two fish tanks, lined with green algae, are placed on the office counters, one separating James’ space from his colleague’s. Pens, ungraded exams, sunglasses and an uneaten tangerine grace the top of James’ old beaten-up desk. It’s chaotic good. Stephen James, 61, who likes to just go by Steve, sits in his office before class. This is a typical day for him. Dressed in his usual button-up shirt, tucked into a pair of worn blue jeans, James sits at his desk and jokes with Wyatt. Today the two professors joke about the Giants game that Wyatt is watching at his desk. James has been teaching full time at City College since 2000. If you were to sit down and have a conversation with James, within five minutes you would be fully aware of how passionate he is about his
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profession. As a biology professor, he has a deep root of care for nature and the world. Along with the care that James has for the Earth comes a need to explore its every corner and crevice.
I ve always been a great believer that there are so many things to be experienced outdoors and outside of the existing classroom. Stephen James Biology professor
Imagine getting the opportunity to travel to a foreign city full of history, culture and vibrant communities. Now, imagine getting this same opportunity while also getting paid. It sounds like a pretty cool life, right? Lucky for James, he has received this opportunity — twice. James has taught in the Los Rios Community College District’s study abroad program, which is available to all students. The program travels to Florence, Barcelona, London, and on occasion, Paris, in semester and summer increments. Around · · ·
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2014, James decided that he wanted to get involved. His first official trip was to Barcelona in the fall of 2015. James started promoting the program to his students about a year before. James says experiential education is a great opportunity that all students should take advantage of. “I’ve always been a great believer that there are so many things to be experienced outdoors and outside of the existing classroom,” says James about why he joined the study abroad program. “To actually walk to something and look at it, to view that church, to taste that olive oil in the place where they’re pressing it, I just find that experiential education is a phenomenal opportunity now and in the past, but especially now that we rely on electronic devices to give us so much of our experience.” Apart from the official district travel program, James has traveled and taught in multiple educational trips to Baja California in Mexico and Belize in South America. Wyatt has accompanied James and the students on those trips. In summer 2019, James will accompany Wyatt and students on a trip to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. As if on cue, Wyatt jokes from behind the fish tank divider: “He’s a hard guy to travel with.” James lets out a chuckle. SCCEXPRESSNEWS
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James has done a lot of traveling around the world for leisure, as well. He says he never feels the want to leave a place he is visiting, that he never gets homesick. Traveling has enlarged James’ understanding of his roles as a person and as a professor. “I like how he shows us examples of what we’re learning, and how he gives us anecdotes on things he has experienced that correlate with what we’re learning in class,” says Erika Jimenez, one of James’ students. “It makes it easier to remember when it’s time for the test. His energy and enjoyment of what he teaches is also helpful, because he wants to help students understand the material.” When James talks about the places he has visited, the conversation transcends listeners to that exact place. It is clear that James is anything but a homebody. When you have traveled to a lot of different places, you have to have a favorite, right? James has a tough time deciding his favorite destination. “French Polynesia,” he says after a long pause. “I’m very lucky to have friends who live in French Polynesia on the island of Mo’orea. The feeling of family and the feeling that we had when we were there, and the new friends that we met while we were there, it was tremendous. We all cried pretty hard when we left.” ♦ · · ·
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PROFILE
ROBERT YOUNG Film professor shares his love for making movies Julian Tack
Staff Reporter · jtack.express@gmail.com Photo by Jiaxin Lu · jlu.express@gmail.com
A Young boy once found a particular film so inspiring it left him with a lifelong interest in the subject of film-making. The movie was Pulp Fiction. The boy was Robert Young, now an associate professor at the Sacramento City College film department. He has been with City College for three semesters but has been teaching the subject for six years. Young’s interest in the film industry began when he was 12 years old. After getting grounded by his parents for breaking his father’s treadmill, he decided to secretly watch “Pulp Fiction” — a movie his dad rented at the time — late at night, and ever since he knew he wanted to learn more about film. “I snuck downstairs to watch it,” says Young. “I got really obsessed with
the movie. It showed me that films were a thing that were made, and they weren’t just a thing that dropped out of the sky — like I could have a hand in making it.” Not only does Young teach film classes at City College, but he also creates his own films. “I’m not just a filmmaker,” says Young. “I’m also a video artist, experimental filmmaker and video installation artist. I’ve made about five films, but I’ve done over 30 video installation performances.” One of Young’s video installations was shown in San Francisco at the Galleria De La Raza. His installation paid respects to the victims who were killed during the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. “I had this looped video of a disco ball that was upside down so it looked like a globe spinning, and I projected it into a window. This window was filled with
a glowing disco ball that was spinning, while this window next to it was pitch black, and it had the names of all the victims that were massacred at Pulse just scrolling up endlessly,” says Young.
Anger,” says Young. “All of his movies are super inspiring to me. Another artist who I’m obsessed with — who is more mainstream but still pretty abstract and terrifying — is John Waters. His movies are some of my favorite films. Robert Rodriguez was really inspiring to me. He had this punk-rock, do-it-yourself, everyonecan-make-it feeling. If he could make it, I could make it.” Young says that he believes the impact of film in modern society has remained as powerful today as decades ago. “I think it means the same thing — well, for me at least,” says Young. “It tells the story of values in history. Whoever is a good guy in a movie is who we see as a good guy in society, and whoever we see as a bad guy in a movie is who we see as a bad guy in society. Art reflects life, and life reflects art, and it creates a cycle.” ♦
I m not just a filmmaker. I m a video artist, experimental filmmaker and video installation artist. Robert Young
Associate film professor
Some directors who inspired him were Kenneth Anger, John Waters and Robert Rodriguez. “There’s an artist named Kenneth
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PROFILE
LINDA MYERS English professor puts the ‘lit’ in literature Quesieyah Ervin
Guest Writer · quesieyahervin@yahoo.com Photo by Amari Smith · agrace.express@gmail.com
Papers are neatly stacked on her desk. The eyes of the students follow her as she walks to and fro across the classroom. Her eyes hold a certain seriousness. The room is almost silent, full of people who are all after the same thing. The only voice heard comes from the person perched front and center, with eagerness to teach written on her face. The woman commanding the classroom is Linda Myers, a City College reading and English professor. She has been teaching community college for 18 years. At a time when most teachers begin thinking about retirement, Myers was hired as a full-time professor. She still wants to inspire students to become better versions of themselves. Myers says she is a strict teacher, but for good reason. She cares about her
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students and only wants the best for them. That is why she doesn’t allow students to get away with anything in her class. When class starts, she makes sure everyone’s phone is turned completely off and students are paying attention. “I try not to let them get away with too much because the rest of the world doesn’t,” says Myers, who chairs the reading department. She began to become the professor her students know when she was a child. Myers recalls that her father was instrumental in her education. “My dad was a reader,” says Myers, who believes that being a good reader leads to being a good writer. “He taught me to read before I started school.” As a child, she listened to her father and uncles tell stories about World War II and the Korean War, which gave her a sense of history. Myers says her father read the funny papers (comics) from the
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evening newspaper to her. As she learned new words, she would start to read other sections of the newspaper. By the time she was in fifth grade, she says she was reading the newspaper from front to back. By 14, she knew she wanted to be an English teacher. At first, Myers says she thought she would like to teach high school English teacher. She quickly changed her mind. “I was in classes with college juniors and seniors the first couple of semesters,” she says. “I said, ‘Oh, my god. If they act this immaturely in college, I’ll never be able to teach high school. I better teach college.’” She wasn’t ready for college either. “I was not a well-prepared college student,” she says. “After three semesters, they asked me to leave.” After leaving college, she went into business, and she met her husband. They were in business together for 25 years.
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Then, she realized she wanted to return to college and get her degree. Her high school dream of teaching English had endured. Myers’ colleagues now see a dedicated teacher in the classroom. “Linda is a conscientious and generous colleague, who’s happy to share ideas and pitch in to do the hard work of managing a college department,” says Nancy Olsen, a City College reading professor. Other professors see the motivation behind Myers’ teaching. “She is also what I refer to as an oldschool liberal, like the Berkeley students of the 1960s,” says English professor Guy Stimers, who shares an office with Myers. “In other words, she knows what is going on politically, and she wants those things to happen, which she believes will enrich people’s lives.” Her love for teaching has never faded over the years. Today, it burns bright in the classroom. ♦
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PROFILE
TAYLOR THOMAS City College student finds a rhythm balancing school with radio internship Bryan Saicheur
Guest Writer · saicheur18@yahoo.com Photo by Nita Gardipee · ngardipee.express@gmail.com
An array of lights and flashes fills the space, followed by white noise, consisting of screams and clapping. Sweat and excitement are rubbed off from shoulders as strangers huddle. Welcome to a concert. The next day tells a different tale. An alarm clock mocks the white noise and becomes an irritant. Claustrophobia from the crowd vanishes. Empty spaces in the car fill the void. An unforgiving breeze from the car’s A/C unit kicks in. Soon after, the heater teases as it begins to work magic. Welcome to work. Over the past year, one City College student has attended nearly 12 concerts — a busy hobby not many can claim. She balances going to music concerts, attending college classes, and fulfilling work duties, which she performs as an unpaid intern at local radio station Alt 94.7, KKDO-FM. It’s an impressive and hectic feat. But lo and behold, Taylor Thomas, 21, remains joyful and collected and is still able to be a model student. How is Thomas holding up?
“If the job wasn’t so damn awesome, I’d be hating my life right now,” says Thomas, with a laugh. “It’s been busy, but I’m not complaining.” Bundling work and school has become the norm nowadays for students across the globe. However, many of them aren’t as fortunate as Thomas. With the help of her younger sister, Tara Thomas, Taylor’s radio internship is a dream for music enthusiasts. “I got her the internship,” yells Tara, as the sisters begin to argue. “If I didn’t show her the radio station, she wouldn’t have ever found out about the opening. It was all my evil plan.” Alt 94.7, once known as Radio 94.7, sent a message to its VIP members (fans who sign up for texting notifications) about an unpaid internship for the spring 2018 semester. “The process was super easy,” says Taylor Thomas, a communication studies major. “I got a response almost instantly.” As an intern for Alt 94.7, Thomas punches in at least six hours per week. From there, her job consists of notifying contest winners, filing, assisting events
and venues, shadowing DJ Chris K from 106.5 The End, and attending music meetings on Thursdays when the station votes on which songs to play on air.
If the job wasn t so damn awesome, I d be hating my life right now. It s been busy, but I m not complaining. Taylor Thomas
City College student
“It’s really fun and interesting to see how it all works,” Thomas says. “I just realized how much music is a part of my life now. Give me a moment.” Before Thomas obtained her internship, she was attending concerts regularly like many young people. When she turned 18, she says she obtained more personal freedom and used some of the money she saved to jam out and share memories with · · ·
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her friends. Thomas’ go-to pal on the journey is her best friend, Hannah Lomas, 21. “When a new song comes out from one of our favorite bands, we put that on repeat,” admits Lomas. “Then when we see that song performed live, we’re like, ‘Yeah, we know the words.’” The unpaid internship does come with some nifty perks. “When we go to the concerts, we try to get as close as possible and get pictures with the band,” says Thomas. “At work, it’s a totally different mindset. When I do events for concerts, I’m not allowed to fangirl out, so that sucks. I guess I’m lucky I get to jam out and work, too. Wait. Never mind, I don’t get paid, but at least I can see them live for free, so I guess that’s a win.” She doesn’t quite remember when her internship contract is up but looks forward to more opportunities. With the internship on her resume, she is confident that things will go swimmingly. “I don’t even want to think about it,” says a tear-jerked Thomas. “I love this job! I don’t want it to be over, but when it happens, well, shit.” ♦ May 2, 2018 · Express
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PROFILE
JANE YAKOVLEV Clerk finds peace and creates a community in Midtown Travis Latta
Guest Writer · travisneillatta@yahoo.com Photo by Jason Pierce · jpierce.express@gmail.com
At the most urban community college campus in Sacramento, there’s a woman in the parking lot slipping out of the door of her car and hopping on her skateboard. She uses it to weave through the students who are on their phones and walking with their heads down to and from class. Jane Yakovlev, 21, attends City College and majors in environmental science, but a big part of her life resides in the midtown Sacramento area because of her job and her hobbies. One day, Yakovlev and her boyfriend, Clay Wright, were going to the Pacific Market on P and 25th streets in midtown, and they saw a hiring sign. The market is their neighborhood grocery store, and they would go there all the time to get ice cream. “We ate at least one or two IT’s-ITs a day for a month straight,” Wright says of the chocolate-covered ice cream sandwich that stacks two oatmeal cookies on either side of a slab of ice cream. When Wright saw the help wanted sign at the market, he told Yakovlev, “You should get a job here.” The next day Yakovlev was filling out an application, and within a week, she was working behind the counter. Since
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then, she has made many friends with the people who come into the market. Shay Fishman, 25, allowed her friendship with Yakovlev to blossom at the market. She is now her best friend, and they skateboard together. Fishman calls Yakovlev “Midtown Rihanna,” because when they are out dancing, Yakovlev sees many neighborhood friends, mostly people she knows from Pacific Market. Fishman spent too much time giggling by the counter with Yakovlev. Now she is banned from the market while Yakovlev is working because the owners looked at the surveillance cameras and noticed the amount of time the two spent talking. “I don’t go to the market anymore,” Fishman says. “I’m not allowed there. Otherwise, I would kick it there with her all the time.” Like Fishman, there are many customers who enjoy Yakovlev’s company. She is known for letting people tell their stories and listening. This is probably why she makes friends so easily. Whenever Yakovlev goes out in midtown Sacramento, she sees people she knows. Both of her closest friends, Fishman and Wright, notice this when they get together to skateboard. “I get influence and power from people themselves — and feeling their energy,” says Yakovlev. · · ·
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With so many friends, Yakovlev can’t always be doing what she thinks other people would want her to do. She goes to school, has a job and pursues hobbies that require solitude.
I get influence and power from people themselves ̶ and feeling their energy. Jane Yakovlev
City College student
“I love being around people,” Yakovlev says, “but when I find myself hanging out with people too consecutively — day after day — I need to also get my own time to unwind.” Amid all her interests and duties, Yakovlev finds balance through her emotions. She strives to create a harmony in her environment by making choices that moderate the tempo of her life. She practices patience as a technique for good communication, and she doesn’t consider this going above and beyond her duties at work. Reading books has helped Yakovlev better understand the world around her, ever since the beginning of her relationSCCEXPRESSNEWS
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ship with Wright when they began pursuing reading. “All of a sudden I got really into books,” Wright says. A philosophy course at City College this semester is also adding to Yakovlev’s wisdom. She studies logical reasoning in the class, and she discusses her classroom knowledge with her closest friends. Yakovlev also uses logic while she’s working at the market. As a small woman, her job sometimes puts her in scary situations. To remain mellow when certain people use their size and unpredictable behavior to intimidate her, she reasons with them. “I’m not going to get aggressive with you and tell you to leave,” says Yakovlev about problem customers. “Do your thing for a bit, but then you’ve got to go.” Yakovlev’s boyfriend, the market owners and people from the neighborhood also help with her safety at work. Some regular customers have stayed in the store and chatted with Yakovlev while sketchy customers loiter in the market. Yakovlev thought at first that her job at Pacific Market would be temporary. Yet so many lessons learned and so many friendships made still keep her there. “It’s really refreshing,” Yakovlev says. ♦ · · ·
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PROFILE
MICHAEL WIGGINS City basketball assistant knows how to be a player’s coach Jose Villanueva
Guest Writer · jvillanuevaiii916@gmail.com Photo by Dianne Rose · dianne.rose.express@gmail.com
Good coaching is part of every successful sports team. One overlooked attribute may be how relatable a coach can be with the players, as well as being a leader who matches or even exceeds the players’ passion for the game, who is transparent and whose players trust him enough to talk about anything. Some might call this coach a “player’s coach.” The City College basketball team simply calls him Coach Mike. Michael Wiggins, City College’s 29-year-old assistant basketball coach, is a passionate individual. He shares his love for the game with everyone and has used that zeal to establish a great connection with players and coaches. A former City College student, Wiggins tried out for the basketball team in 2009, but didn’t make the cut. That’s when head basketball coach Andrew Jones invited Wiggins to join his staff instead. He did. However, his itch to play found him trying out again after a couple of years of coaching. He made the team and became a player for two years during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Wiggins’ experience, from coaching to playing and back to coaching again, has helped him learn the process of college basketball. In his second stint as a City
College basketball coach, he says he has gained new perspectives and approaches to coaching. “I understand what players deal with now,” says Wiggins. “I understand the grind of a college student. Before when I was coaching, I would ask the players to do things and push themselves. I wasn’t understanding how much they were doing with their day before practice.” As a young coach who has recently played the game, Wiggins is able to guide players as an authority figure similar to an older brother. The other coaches have taken notice. “The biggest change I notice in Coach Mike after he played is in how he carries himself,” says Jones. “I also think that he views the game differently for having played it at this level.” Wiggins sees himself as more than a coach to his players. His energy and passion for the game resonate among the team and enable confidence among them. “The biggest relationship between a coach and player is trust,” says Wiggins. “The more open that you can be with your players, the more genuine, the more real you can be with your players. That just helps with the relationship as a whole.” Wiggins values transparency and openness with his players and has shared his experience of being both a coach and a player with them. He says he leaves himself open to talk about anything,
whether basketball-related or off-thecourt material. “We definitely feel comfortable talking with him,” says sophomore guard Jhalen Lumpkins. “Not only was he our coach, but he was also our friend, and he encouraged us to come and talk to him. He wasn’t afraid to share with us and open up about his experience on and off the court. He always kept it real with us.” Being able to reach the players and connect with them on a personal level has proved to be a vital part of the team’s success. “He is the assistant who is there every day, so the team knows it will always see Coach Mike at practice,” says Jones. “This makes him an integral part to everything we do and a key to our team success.” In return, Wiggins appreciates Jones, who gave Wiggins his first coaching experiences. “Coach Jones saw something in me, and he wanted to give me an opportunity,” Wiggins says. “I’ve run with that opportunity ever since. It’s something I’ll always cherish, and I am very, very thankful for it to this day.” Wiggins also has a life outside basketball. After attending City College, where he studied journalism and did an internship on the sports desk at KCRA Channel 3, Wiggins transferred to Sacramento State. He continues to study journalism at · · ·
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CSUS and plans to get a master’s in the subject at San Francisco State. His experience as a coach and player has helped him balance both worlds. “It’s a challenge for everybody in life,” says Wiggins. “It’s all about prioritizing what’s important to you.” Wiggins is a busy man. But his passion for basketball and desire to finish school have helped push him to continue his journey, something he has also instilled into his players. “He taught me that doing what you love, and to get where you want, it’s going to take a lot of time and sacrifice to reach that goal,” says Lumpkins. “He taught me that whatever I do in life no matter what kind of career, I have to make sure that it’s something you have a passion for.” While he is interested in sports journalism, Wiggins says his dream job is coaching. “My goal has always been to coach professionally,” says Wiggins. “At the end of the day, what will make me happiest is to coach.” Still, sports reporting would be gratifying, too, he says, because he would get a chance to be involved in the game he loves. “I have it tattooed on my chest — ‘Everything happens for a reason,’” Wiggins says. “We live life once. You get one chance at this thing. Why spend it doing something that you don’t wake up happy about?” ♦ May 5, 2018 · Express
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PROFILE
BRETT BELLO City College catcher looks to fill his father’s cleats Valerie Lizarraga Guest Writer
Photo by Dianne Rose · dianne.rose.express@gmail.com
Babe Ruth, Bo Jackson and Barry Bonds all started as just boys with a dream. City College baseball player Brett Bello shares that dream — to one day play the sport he loves in front of thousands of fans. Bello’s 15-year-long baseball journey has continued most of his life. Baseball isn’t just a sport to athletes like Bello. To him, baseball is a part of who he is, baseball is his dream, baseball is his life. It is a gloomy spring afternoon, and the smell of baseball is in the air. The young men on the City College baseball team are there to win. Diverse, determined and destined. Many share the same dream as Bello. Bello remembers his family cheering for him as a child, shaking in his cleats and swinging for the Dixon Little League. He remembers swinging as hard as he could. As a young boy, he reminded himself to never lose focus on the ball.
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“It’s something I knew I always wanted to do,” says Bello, a catcher. “It’s fun for me. Even at 5 years old, I loved it.” A lot has changed since his first game in the little leagues, but one thing has remained the same: staying focused. Now 20 years old and 6 feet tall, Bello is no longer that young boy. He is no longer nervous to play or anxious to swing. He is now a redshirt freshman, ready to suit up and get his turn to play. Bello is no stranger to hard work. Working toward his dream for the last 15 years has not been an easy walk in the ballpark. He has won, and he has lost. More often times than he likes to admit, he has felt the urge to quit. But there’s something that keeps Bello going. “My family helps me through it,” he says. “Without them I don’t know if I would still be playing. I know I wouldn’t be where I am at right now. My dad is my biggest fan and supporter.” Bello’s father, Brian Bello, once played baseball for City College. Brian’s
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dream was cut short after a serious injury ended his career. He is now his son’s biggest inspiration and mentor. Baseball is now the dream he shares with his son.
My family helps me through it. Without them I don t know if I would still be playing. Brett Bello
City College baseball player
“I love watching him play,” Brian says. “He is special, and I know everyone says that about their kid, but he’s different. I know he can make it.” So how far away is Bello from “making it”? According to statistics from the Huffington Post and The National Collegiate Athletic Association, about one in every 200 high school
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baseball players will be drafted to the major leagues. That is 0.5 percent. But as a college athlete, Bello’s chances are even better. Though Bello hopes to make baseball his career one day, he enjoys a sense of unity and family from being on the City College team. He says the coaches don’t only focus on making the players better; they try to make them all-around better people. “We’re here to help shape these young men, on and off the field,” says Deskaheh Bomberry, City College’s baseball pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Bello’s experiences with City College have left him with memories he says he’ll carry with him forever. “I just want to keep playing for as long as I can,” he says. “Of course, my dream would be to play in the MLB. That’s been my dream for a long time. Traveling the country and making money doing what I love doesn’t sound like a bad life to me. It might not come true, but I’m still going to try.” ♦
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