BORDER CROSSERS RISK HORRORS PG. 5
FOOTBALL STAR PAYS TRIBUTE PG. 8
DREAMER STEPS OUT OF THE SHADOWS PG. 3
SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1922
VOLUME 101 ISSUE 7 NOVEMBER 7, 2017
EDITORIAL
CA should drop Feinstein
The United States is in flux. Between aggressive gerrymandering and a defunct Electoral College, there’s a clear message: Democratic votes are worth less than Republican votes. Hillary Clinton got 3 million more popular votes than Donald Trump, but he got the Oval Office. Clearly, the Republicans are playing with a stacked deck. To combat this challenge, the Democratic Party needs aggressive, progressive leadership. In 2018, California voters have the opportunity to pick a new United States senator — and we believe it’s time for someone other than Dianne Feinstein, who has been a U.S. senator since 1992. Sixty-one percent of Americans support universal healthcare and only 24 percent oppose it, according to an Economist poll from April 2017, yet Feinstein is dragging her feet. When presented with clearcut, popular issues, she misunderstands the questions and muddies the answer. “If single-payer healthcare is going to mean complete takeover by the government, I’m not there,” said Feinstein when asked last April if she would support Bernie Sanders’ medicare-for-all bill. The bill is co-sponsored by California’s other U.S. senator, Kamala Harris. More and more Americans are forced to live without health insurance — hard-working people on all sides of the political spectrum — but Feinstein is essentially championing inaction.
Editor-in-Chief Maxfield Morris News Editor Heather Roegiers Features Editor Casandra Garcia Sports Editor Nick Pecoraro Photo Editor Jason Pierce Managing Editor Ellyssa Rodriguez Staff Photographers Willy Bedolla, Bobby Castagna, Ulysses Ruiz, Jiaxin Lu, Vanessa S. Nelson Staff Writers Margo Alexander, Marilyn Franco, Tom Herzog, Collin Houck, Natasha Radisic, Allahiya Shabazz, Megan Swinney
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Feinstein talks about appealing to the center, but much of the policy she’s against is popular with voters on both sides of the aisle. A report by the public policy organization Demos found that Republican voters supported regulating Wall Street and providing healthcare for children, despite donors’ opposition. Two thirds of the country supports universal healthcare, and less than a quarter opposes it. If Feinstein can ignore numbers like that, something is wrong. Since she’s not appealing to the center, she may be appealing to healthcare lobbyists that donated millions of dollars to her campaign. No matter how you frame it, Feinstein is deeply entrenched in every aspect of a political establishment that has become very unpopular with the majority of Americans. If her connections cause her to take unpopular positions, then her connections are a weakness, not a strength. The best strategy to beat the far right is to run on overwhelmingly popular, non-divisive issues: single-payer healthcare, increased Wall Street regulations and publicly funded elections. If Feinstein won’t even come out in support of one of the most popular bills in the country, then pragmatically, it’s time to consider other options. Already, Feinstein is facing challengers — Alison Hartson is running for Justice Democrats, a progressive faction of the party, and California Senate President
Kevin De Leon have thrown their hats into the ring. Hartson is a former high school English teacher who left teaching with one goal — to get money out of politics. Hartson became a political organizer for WolfPAC, a political action committee devoted to stripping corporations of personhood and making elections publicly funded. They are associated with the liberal news organization The Young Turks. Her platform is as centrist as you can get. No issue is less divisive than the corrosive effect money has had on politics. The majority of Republican voters oppose Citizens United. Only 7 percent of the country opposes major changes to campaign finance laws. As president pro tempore of the California Senate, De Leon introduced the California Environmental, Public Health and Workers Defense Act of 2017 to keep California’s minimum standards for protection of the workers and the environment aligned with the federal standards. The primary is still months away, and we’re not endorsing a candidate yet, but we do believe that voters must hold the Democratic Party to a litmus test. Feinstein shouldn’t be a shoe-in by any means — there are candidates in the race that pose a challenge to Feinstein’s corporatism. At the very least, ask yourself: If Feinstein refuses to step up and fight for the issues her own voter base is crying for, why does she deserve to be re-elected? ♦
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Advisers Randy Allen, Dianne Heimer 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.
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FEATURES
Profile of a Dreamer
DACA student chases education in the face of deportation Marilyn Franco
Staff Writer · mfranco.sccexpress@gmail.com
She had to be silent while sitting in the cold truck. Entire families were squashed into uncomfortable positions. No one spoke a word. The dreamy little girl didn’t know what was going on. After days of tiring travel, the truck finally reached its destination: the United States. As she stepped outside, the girl laid eyes on her new home. She came to this place for the chance to dream big. Fifteen years later, that girl, now a woman, walked onto the campus of City College as a student, chasing her dream of a higher education. Her name is Brenda Bernal. She and her older brother and sister were brought to the U.S. from Mexico by her parents when she was only 3 years old. Bernal, 19, was raised in Winters, California, 30 miles east of Sacramento. She’s spent nearly all of her life there, grew up there, had birthdays there — but since she wasn’t born there, or anywhere else in the United States, she isn’t legally a citizen. Her family never discussed her citizenship status with her, so she made some normal assumptions. “I always had the idea that I was going to go to college, because I didn’t know about my status,” says Bernal. “It wasn’t something that was talked about.” Eventually, the family talked about it. Bernal was never assigned a Social Security number, and she was hit with the realization that she wouldn’t be able to work or achieve her educational goals. “My dreams about college went down when I found out,” says Bernal. She was resigned to a fate that did not include going to college, until the DACA program made her dreams possible.
My mom raised us not to be ashamed of who we are and why we came here. Brenda Bernal
DACA recipient and City College student
Like so many other students, Bernal works and goes to college now because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. Started in 2012 by President Barack Obama, the program provides legal status to immigrants
City College biology major Brenda Bernal and DACA recipient on campus for classes. With the DACA program on the chopping block, Bernal faces an uncertain future. ¦ Photo by Guille Bedolla · gbedolla.express@gmail.com
who were brought to the United States illegally as minors. As soon as she was eligible, Bernal applied to the DACA program. The application process took time, with complicated requirements, deadlines and fees. Eventually, she was accepted, and the program changed her perspective. “DACA doesn’t put you on the same level as everyone else,” says Bernal, “but it makes you feel like everyone else.” Recently, the federal government announced its plans to end the program, leaving Bernal and other DACA students worried about their future. “Being a DACA recipient opened the doors to a hopeful future full of opportunities,” says Brenda’s sister Alma Bernal, who is also a DACA recipient. “The future right now seems very unclear. I can’t help but to feel lost and confused.” Bernal knows that she has what it takes to reach her goal of a bachelor’s degree, but fears her chance is about be stripped away. She isn’t considered a U.S. citizen, but Bernal doesn’t remember living in
Mexico, doesn’t know any relatives there. The U.S. is her home, but she faces being kicked out because her parents brought her here years ago. Bernal says she belongs just as much as other students. She reads, writes and speaks fluent English and Spanish. She embodies American culture. She respects the laws and penalties. She is a student, a worker, a Dreamer. She works hard, chases her passions and wants to build a life here. There have been times where she felt discouraged and left behind, but that has never stopped her from feeling like an American. “My mom raised us not to be ashamed of who we are and why we came here,” says Bernal. “People will make you feel like less because you don’t have all these advantages.” Today, Bernal is studying biology at City College. She’s a vegetarian. She pumps iron whenever she can, chasing the dream of bodybuilding. Weightlifting gives her the chance to escape, a form of stress relief. · · ·
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With the DACA program in limbo, she lives with the possibility of her entire life being uprooted. There’s plenty of reasons to be stressed. According to Bernal’s close friend and fellow DACA recipient Edgar Chavez, she faces the obstacles with a serious smile. “What I admire most about Brenda is her ability to continuously remain calm in any and every situation,” says Chavez. It’s remarkable that she manages to cope with the situation. To Bernal and her siblings, it’s difficult to make sense of it. All they’ve ever known is the U.S. “It took so much courage for us to come out of hiding for DACA,” says Bernal, “and the government is just going to take it back and end it all.” Bernal is grateful for DACA and doesn’t want to see it disappear. She wants to pursue her dreams, without having to worry about being deported or feeling abandoned. This is the only home she’s ever known. For additional information about DACA, visit dreamers.losrios.edu. ♦ November 7, 2017 · Express
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FEATURES
CAREERS TAKING FLIGHT Aeronautics program prepares students for success
Ellyssa Rodriguez
Managing Editor · erodriguez.express@gmail.com
An enormous aircraft hangar stands watch, right next to the McClellan Airfield. Inside, the buzz of power tools and clicks of spinning ratchets echo loudly, bouncing off the walls and the hulls of different colored aircrafts. Students chatter as they repair aircraft parts. We definitely aren’t on the main campus anymore, Toto. This is the home of the City College aeronautics program, located inside McClellan Park. The park was previously used as an air force base, but since its closure in 2003, it has been transformed into a thriving business park.
At this facility, students get firsthand experience from retired pilots and air traffic controllers. Five programs of study are offered: air traffic control, aircraft dispatcher, combined airframe and powerplant maintenance, flight technology, and railroad operations. Labs with flight and radar simulators are available to students, as well as many small aircrafts to dismantle and reassemble. Airframe and powerplant maintenance student Ken Scarboro works on an aircraft’s wing as he runs down the list of students who have already found jobs in the industry. “One of our group members works on helicopters right next door, and a bunch of our students are very interest-
Students work on City College s Boeing 727, donated to the aeronautics program by FedEx. The plane sits outside the Aerospace Museum of California at McClellan Park.
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ed in going to United, because they’re doing a really big hiring right now,” says Scarboro. “We can work on small planes, helicopters and big airliners.” The location of the program may also be a benefit to students, as many students find employment right inside McClellan Park. “Half of the employees at Dyncorp right next door have graduated from our program,” explains Larry Johnson, department chair of the aeronautics program. Kendra Chao is studying air traffic control and will graduate from the program in December. She’s eager to find a job in the Bay Area, but is willing to take a job anywhere. The aeronautics program stresses the importance of placing students
in entry-level positions after graduation, and they’re able to do that because of the facilities. “If we just had the classroom, I would not understand how to actually control,” says Chao. “I cannot imagine if we didn’t have the labs.” Visit saccityexpress.com for more photos of the aeronautics program. For program information, visit scc.losrios.edu/aero. ♦ Above: A group of aeronautics students work to rebuild part of an aircraft s wing. Photos by Jason Pierce jpierce.express@gmail.com
Aeronautics students watch as a classmate explains how to properly level the airframe of a wing. In the background sits a retired Bell helicopter.
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NEWS
Retracing migrant steps from Central America Journalist studies dangerous paths to U.S., solutions to immigration Jason Pierce
Photo Editor · jpierce.express@gmail.com
For the average person, traveling for months at a time and exploring multiple countries by train might sound like an epic adventure. For tens of thousands of Central Americans, however, traveling north to the United States to escape violence in their home country, is a reality that comes with gut-wrenching horrors. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Sonia Nazario guided an audience on Oct. 4 into the hidden world of immigration through the eyes of children, some as young as 7 years old, traveling alone to the United States. “I think this kind of reporting brings an immediacy and a power to stories you just can’t get any other way,” Nazario said. “Immersive, nonfiction storytelling cannot only engage readers, but it can bring about change.” She recalled her journey tracing the steps of one migrant boy named Enrique, the subject in her best-selling novel “Enrique’s Journey.” Nazario went beyond illuminating problems with immigration; she risked death to bring this story to life. Inspired by Enrique’s story and mirroring the path of the 17 year old in the book, she traveled 1,600 miles for three months from Guatemala to the U.S. She spent half of the trip riding on the tops of seven different freight trains. Along the way, she was nearly swept from the top of a train by a branch, avoided attempted sexual assaults and witnessed gangsters going car to car knifing people. According to Nazario, 18,000 migrants go missing each year. Riding atop freight trains for months at a time, migrants face kidnapping, slavery, prostitution, organ harvesting, deportation and often death as they struggle to reconnect with family and find stability. They risk these horrors because incredibly, the alternative is worse. “The danger of the journey is actually less than the danger of dying if they were to stay at home,” Nazario said. “Violence is pushing people to leave.” Gabriela Lopez is a Sacramento-area resident who attended Nazario’s talk. She thought it was an eye-opening look into the immigrant experience. “It gave me a better understanding of what people actually do when they cross the border, and the things they have to do to travel and get here,” Lopez said. “The journey itself is something that you would never even think about
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the best-selling book Enrique s Journey, Sonia Nazario speaks to students and faculty at the Cultural Awareness Center on Oct. 4. ¦ Photo by Jason Pierce · jpierce.express@gmail.com
or fathom, because you’ve never experienced it. You can’t hide the despair and all that comes with it, all the ugliness that is happening at the borders, and in general, how we treat people here that are immigrants.” Nazario uses her stories to humanize the struggles immigrants face while traveling to the United States. At the same time, she advocates for effective programs and policies in the U.S. and countries of origin, like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Nazario mentioned typical methods of trying to prevent illegal immigration: border enforcement, guest worker programs and legalization. Each has benefits in the short term, she says, but over the long run, they’ve only increased the number of immigrants staying in the U.S. “We have to get beyond the same three-tiered approaches we keep trying on the immigration issue,” Nazario said. “The U.S. spends nearly $20 billion a year on border security. Despite this surge in spending, studies have shown that 97 percent of migrants who try and cross the border eventually make it across.” Nazario went on to explain how 10 years ago, nearly half of all migrants
returned home within a year, but increased border security has reduced that number to less than a quarter, essentially trapping migrants north of the border. Knowing this, they tend to bring their friends and family more quickly. The last major guest worker initiative, the Bracero Program, ended in 1964. It resulted in more than half of the participants staying in the U.S., setting the stage for the wave of migration that followed, Nazario says. “Legalization helps migrants live without fear and brings them out of the shadows,” she continued. In 1986 when the U.S. tried this, the number of undocumented immigrants went from 3 million to 1 million. “All those newly legal immigrants then sent for their families,” Nazario explained to the audience. “Now the U.S. stands at 11 million. “These programs haven’t worked to stem the flow or keep more people where they prefer to live, which is in their home countries. We need to focus more on addressing this exodus at its source: Central America.” “Any true solution should deal with what’s pushing people out, such as promoting and implementing violence prevention programs,” Nazario stated, · · ·
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praising the U.S for funding outreach centers in one of the most violent neighborhoods in Honduras. That money goes toward non-profit organizations that offer vocational training and job counseling, along with a program to identify at-risk youth and offer them free counseling. That program resulted in participants being 77 percent less likely to commit crimes or abuse drugs and alcohol. Another program was able to cut homicide rates by 62 percent. It kept key witnesses in gang trials anonymous. They wore black burkas when in public, keeping them safe after testifying and improving conviction rates from nearly zero percent to over 50 percent. That program successfully reduced violence and cut the number of children leaving Honduras in half, and it serves as a powerful example of the type of change Nazario looks to foster. Nazario was invited to City College by Victoria Henderson, faculty coordinator of the Cultural Awareness Center, where Nazario spoke to around 30 students, faculty and guests. “I think this is important. I think our students need to hear and see people like that,” Henderson said, “because they then learn that they can do it too — that they can decide what their journey will be.” ♦ November 7, 2017 · Express
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NEWS
No more fees for juvenile detention
Gov. Brown signs SB 190, ending burdensome costs for incarcerated youth Allahiya Shabazz
Staff Writer · ashabazz.express@gmail.com
Families in California will no longer be forced to pay juvenile detention fees for their incarcerated youth, thanks to Senate Bill 190, which was signed Oct. 11 by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill was introduced by State Sens. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, and Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, as part of the #EquityAndJustice package, which included four other Senate bills that reformed the criminal justice system. Under previous law, juveniles who were detained in state facilities because of crimes were subject to a series of fees that often resulted in a challenging financial burden for their families. The fees affected many Californians, including families at City College. “All of a sudden they sent me a letter saying I owed $6,000 something,” said Irma Gonzalez, an administration of justice and psychology major. “The interest rate took it up to $8,000. It went all the way up to $9,000.” Gonzalez, 55, is a mother of six. She raised two sons who both spent time in juvenile hall. The fees started at $3,000, but interest increased the bills over time. When one of her sons turned 18, she was charged $9,000 in addition to the original charges. She was working
at City College when a debt collector started to garnish her wages, taking up to 50 percent. SB 190 aims to strengthen family and community ties by getting rid of fees that put a strain on families. Many youth offenders felt guilty for the fees, and often ran away or resorted to crime to help offset the high costs and to support their families. Some families had to file bankruptcy, and collection agencies could withhold tax refunds and garnish wages if fees weren’t paid. According to an internal review in Contra Costa County, more than 200 cases over four years showed parents of children who were found innocent were also being billed. Research from the Public Policy Institute of California and the Policy Advocate Clinic at U.C. Berkeley School of Law showed that youth of color were more likely to be arrested. Additionally, fees imposed on the families of juvenile youth undermined the rehabilitative goals of the juvenile system. Yvonne Sandoval, a City College student senator, speculated on how the bill will affect students in particular. “I think it will help a number of students continue with their education,” she said. City College administration of justice professor Dr. Georgeann McKee supports the change, preferring a system that works to get offenders back on track.
Gov. Jerry Brown signs nine of Sen. Holly Mitchell s Equity and Justice bills into law on Oct. 16. ¦ Photo courtesy Holly Mitchell.
According to McKee, there should be more focus on rehabilitation, reunification and jobs skills to create a better environment for youth coming back into society, instead of charging families fees they can’t afford. McKee said money saved by not incarcerating youth opens up more funding for counseling, education, job training and internship programs — which should have been the goal from the start,
Free community college for new students
according to Gonzalez. “It was bad because it took from us when we were trying to rebuild something. I felt like they wanted to keep us down,” said Gonzalez. “It would have been nice for them to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to take some money away, but we’re going to get you some counseling.’” For more information visit saccityexpress.com ♦
AB 19 waives first year of tuition fees for full-time students starting spring 2017 Natasha Radisic
Staff Writer · natasharadisic@gmail.com
Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 19 into law Oct. 13, eliminating the first year of community college fees for new full-time students. Beginning Jan. 1, this bill will help an additional 19,000 first-time, full-time students who did not previously receive low-income tuition waivers save $1,104. This new legislation aims to cover all new students who are residents of California, regardless of their or their family’s income. It would cover only the first year of tuition for 12 or more units per semester, not including fees for textbooks. “I don’t think this bill would’ve helped me too much,” said Jason Lee, microbiology major. “The price for classes isn’t that high. At least not as high where it’s too hard to pay. I think textbooks are
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a bigger issue. That would help students more. I do think this bill will attract more students, kinda give them a second chance in education.” At $46 per unit, California already has one of the most affordable community college systems in the country, according to the Sacramento Bee. The bill made California the fourth state to offer some form of free higher education. Earlier this year, Rhode Island and New York passed similar bills that benefit new students. California Assemblymen Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles; David Chiu, D-San Francisco; and Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, are hoping that this bill would also increase the number of individuals who decide to go to school and earn a degree. Santiago told CNN the bill will increase student success. · · ·
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“If you enroll full time, the success rate is much higher than if you’re part time,” said Santiago. “We’ve looked at the data with Pell grants and it shows that students who aren’t under economic stress and have their classes covered full time, their graduation rates are 60 to 70 percent as opposed to 30 to 40 percent.” The lawmakers are hoping that this bill will also increase the number of individuals who decide to go to school and earn a degree. As for future City College students, the bill may translate to more than just financial relief. “This will definitely help a lot of students to get an education, that otherwise couldn’t have gotten one,” said photography major Michelle Lawson. “If this bill was passed when I was starting school, it would have made my life easier.” Kim Goff, supervisor of Admissions and Records, said that she hopes this SCCEXPRESSNEWS
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bill will increase the number of students enrolled each semester. “Most of our students are part time. That’s really the point of the bill, to get more students to be full time, take more units and complete their education faster,” said Goff. “Students who take more units are more successful, statistics show.” According to The Hechinger Report, an independent news service on education operated by Columbia University’s Teachers College, college admissions throughout the U.S. have been on a decline. This year, there were 2.4 million fewer students enrolled in higher education than in 2011. City College enrollment patterns have followed the national average. “Our enrollment has declined over the last few years as it has statewide. Hopefully this bill will help us increase enrollment, meet our goals.” said Goff. “We can handle it.” ♦ · · ·
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SPORTS
On the court, she s just one of the girls City College freshman Maiko Nelson is not your average volleyball mom Nick Pecoraro
Sports Editor · Npecoraro.express@gmail.com
Match point hits the hardwood, and the City College volleyball team lines up for postgame handshakes across the net. It’s a loss for the Panthers inside the North Gym at City College. It’s a deflating, yet familiar feeling for these 2017 Panthers. The team has struggled this season through a 7-19 record as of Nov. 7, with a league standing of four wins and nine losses. For coach Laurie Nash and her players, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Stringing together losses is not something these women want to get used to. The net comes down, and Nash addresses her team briefly before they’re dismissed. One player emerges from the huddle to receive hugs from her two biggest fans. They don’t care about the winloss record, or how the Panthers compare with last year’s team. They just come to support their favorite player: “Good job, Mom.” Suddenly, Maiko Nelson forgets about losing volleyball games as she’s showered with love from her children. Nelson is not your typical freshman. The defensive specialist is 38, competing alongside women half her age on the City College volleyball team — and she is a mother of two. Nelson, an interior design major, took Nash’s off-season volleyball class last spring, which is usually reserved for members of the team to get some off-season conditioning. Eventually, she earned a spot on the City roster in the fall.
She gives the most effort. She doesn t know any other way. She just goes for it, and I think the girls look up to her.
Laurie Nash
City College volleyball coach
Upon entering the spring class, Nash knew there was something familiar about Nelson. “Her son went to school with my son at the same elementary school for four years in a row,” says Nash. “I would see her once in awhile, just as a mom.” It was a “small world” moment, but Nelson traveled across the globe to get to where she is now.
Freshman Maiko Nelson anticipates a ball at the Oct. 25 match vs. American River College. ¦ Photo by Vanessa Nelson · vanessanelsonexpress@gmail.com
Her hometown of Fukuoka, Japan, has a population of nearly 1.5 million. Sacramento, by comparison, hosts just about 500,000 residents. Fukuoka is located about 100 miles northeast of Nagasaki, on the northern shore of Japan’s Kyushu island. It’s a city known for its gourmet ramen, elegant cherry blossoms, modern shopping malls and ancient castle ruins. Nelson originally came to America when she was 14, as an exchange student in North Carolina. “I came to America because I wanted to experience a different culture and open up my limitations,” says Nelson. “It was difficult sometimes. It was amazingly interesting to know a different culture. This experience made me grow as a person.” She returned to America at age 18 and has been here since. She studied at both California State University, East Bay, and the California Culinary Academy. She married her husband Sam, a local chef in Midtown Sacramento, 13 years ago. They have two children: Peter, 13, and Hannah, 11. Nelson, whose full-time job is teaching at the Japanese Buddhist Church of
Sacramento, has always been involved in sports. She played volleyball and softball in Japan, and in recent years, she has taken up tennis and golf. During one of her final years in Japan, she suffered a broken leg playing volleyball. She thought she would never play competitively again. “I regretted that experience for a long time,” says Nelson. “I wanted to try to play again before I am too old.” Nearly 20 years later, she’s kept that dream alive at City College. Not only is she a contributing member of the 10-person roster, some of her teammates say she is the team’s hardest worker. “It’s crazy to have someone like that on our team,” said sophomore captain Alexis Tomlinson. “She’s super fit. She beats all of us (in conditioning). She kills us; it’s ridiculous.” Her work ethic comes with battle scars. On the surface is a bruised chin from diving on the floor, trying to keep a play alive. Not visible are bruised ribs, which didn’t stop her from playing a recent game, according to Nash. “She gives the most effort,” said Nash. “She doesn’t know any other way. · · ·
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She just goes for it, and I think the girls look up to her.” Nelson says she stays conditioned to keep up with the younger players by maintaining a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and quality proteins. She also says that regularly stretching helps with her flexibility. But the physical aspects are not the only areas where Nelson excels; it’s also her mental approach to be willing to learn and understand her role on the team. “She’s like a sponge,” says freshman outside hitter Gianna Bell. “She takes everything in and she rolls with it. She’s always pushing and always working hard.” Between being a teammate, a teacher, a student, a mother and a wife, Nelson’s life is a constant juggling act. “It is tough,” she says. “But thanks to the support and understanding of my husband and my kids, I am able to have my life.” Nelson wears many hats, but on the volleyball team, she’s just one of the girls. For more info on SCC volleyball, visit sccpanthers.losrios.edu/sports/wvball ♦ November 7, 2017 · Express
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SPORTS
Gone, but his memory survives on gridiron City College football star pays homage to fallen family member every game Nick Pecoraro
Sports Editor · npecoraro.express@gmail.com
He can usually be found on Saturday nights, wreaking havoc on the football field at Hughes Stadium. He’s not hard to find. At 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, he’s smack-dab in the middle of nearly every play, barking out orders to the defensive linemen in front of him to adjust their position, so he can shoot the gap and pounce on opposing running backs. It would not be surprising to hear those running backs confess a bit of anxiety while staring across the line of scrimmage at No. 33 in the scarlet and gold jersey. It is here that Terrance March is in his element. March, a 19-year-old unrelenting sophomore middle linebacker, is the defensive captain for the Panthers’ football team. As a true freshman, he was tied for the team lead in forced fumbles, third in tackles-for-loss, fourth in sacks and fifth in overall tackling. His play led to an All-NorCal League selection in 2016. “His overall talent is special,” says City’s defensive coordinator John Herlihy. “For me, he was one of the guys that I had to have. He’s physically as good as they get.” March’s example on the field helped City to a 6-0 start through mid-October. The last time City was unbeaten when the calendar flipped to October was in the late ’90s, when March was probably just learning to walk.
If you stay negative, negative things happen. If you stay positive, positive things will happen. Terrance March
City College football player
What drives March, however, is the memory of someone he’d been close to since those early days. Throughout elementary school, March could always be found next to Lamar Tsimba McCants, a relative through his mother’s side of the family. Though McCants was slightly older than March, they did everything together. During his senior year at Natomas High School, March received news that tackled him harder than any hit he could have delivered on the gridiron. On April 20, 2015, McCants — known to March
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Express · November 7, 2017
Terrance March, City College sophomore linebacker, flashes an L as a tribute to his slain family member, Leem, whose memory serves as inspiration for March on the football field. March was a defensive All-NorCal League selection in 2016. ¦ Photo by Dianne Rose · dianne.rose.express@gmail.com
as “Leem” — was relaxing on his front porch when a car pulled up and opened fire on his house. He was 18 and had been shot twice in the chest before the car drove off. “He was like a brother to me,” said March. “He tried to make it inside. By the time he got inside, all he could say was, ‘I love you,’ to his grandma. That was it. He died right there.” After hearing of Leem’s passing during a break between classes, March says he held his emotions in check for the remainder of the school day. But when he got home, it was a different story. “I just tried not to show it during school,” says March. “But after school and practice, I just got home, and all I could do was break down and think about it.” March speculates that it could have been gang-related. Although McCants had no gang affiliation, March says he may have just been too close to the wrong people. “He was a good person,” says March. “He was always around, guiding me and · · ·
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keeping me out of trouble, making sure I’m still in school, handling my business, staying away from bad influences.” McCants’ influence on March hasn’t faded away; it’s been a powerful motivation. He doesn’t dwell on the sorrow of his family’s loss — in his mind, there’s no point. March is a firm believer in karma. “I’m more of an optimistic, cup halffull type of guy,” he says. “If you stay negative, negative things happen. If you stay positive, positive things will happen.” Instead, he channels his emotions and energy on the football field. Herlihy says that despite outside distractions, March’s presence on the team is infectious. “From a locker room standpoint, he’s a guy that you always gravitate toward,” said Herlihy. “Regardless of what’s going on in life, this is kind of his sanctuary, where he can come and do what he loves to do. It’s an opportunity to do things different in life.” March has come into his own in 2017, leading the Panthers with 76 tackles (nearly 8.5 per game) after the team’s first SCCEXPRESSNEWS
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nine games. Walker foresees immediate success for his captain after City College, as personnel from various four-year football programs have begun to take interest. “This is just a stopping point,” says Walker. “The respect that he has from his peers, I think that’s huge in this day and age. If you have respect from your peers, you’re naturally going to be able to lead and have guys buy in. He’s really just touching the surface of what he’s going to be.” It’s been more than two years since McCants’ passing and March still pays homage to his fallen brother. On gamedays, March finds a Sharpie and writes “LEEM” on the athletic tape wrapping around his wrists, as he wraps up opposing ball-carriers. He’ll also write the name on the towel that drapes down the back of his football pants, almost as if Leem is there to have his back each Saturday night. “I try to let him come out through me,” says March. “You could say I just try to put on for him and make sure he’s not forgotten.” ♦ · · ·
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