Volume 101, Issue 8 by Dianne Heimer

HOBO JOHNSON’S GUITARIST PG. 7

WHICH RESTROOM IS THE BEST ROOM? PGS. 8–9

! s l e r r i Squ pg. 13 SACRAMENTO CITY COLLEGE’S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1922

VOLUME 101 ISSUE 8 DECEMBER 5, 2017

EDITORIAL

Subway sends campus backward City College is a constantly shifting community. Many students pass through in just a couple of years, much faster than a typical four-year university. Extinct campus clubs illustrate starkly this turnover. There are about 30 chartered student clubs. A 2015 list names 139 student clubs, only 10 of which are still extant. More than 100 clubs have vanished since 2004. Students and advisers are in a constant struggle to build their own communities on campus. Three years ago the Student Services building didn’t even exist. It’s the nature of the college — it’s difficult to make something that lasts when so many people filter through. That uncertainty amplifies the significance of permanent changes to campus: new buildings, new programs, new services. It’s easy to view the college as a constant entity that simply exists, but it’s largely in the hands of a number of motivated stewards. That’s why it’s important to closely evaluate the changes that are happening on campus. Since the 100-year anniversary of the college, there are a number of them coming down the pipeline. To start with the good: Makerspace is coming to campus starting next semester. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a lab where students will be able to access a multitude of tools designed for creating things. It carves out a space to give students an incredibly relevant resource. As the proverb states: Give people a fish, and you feed them for a day. Teach them to fish, and you’ll feed them for a lifetime. Set them loose in Makerspace, and who knows what they’ll come up with. This is one of those changes that will affect countless people. It will be an incredible improvement to the campus, a definite step toward progress. Another recently introduced change deserves a shout-out. The RISE food distribution, which started in March 2016, is an example of the campus transforming itself to meet student needs. Weekly, stu-

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, Collin Houck, Natasha Radisic, Allahiya Shabazz, Megan Swinney

Express · December 5, 2017

CITY TALK Heather Roegiers

News Editor · kroegiers.express@gmail.com Photos by Vanessa S. Nelson vanessanelson.express@gmail.com

What are your holiday plans?

Jen Duong · Health Science

The new Subway on campus, located next to the City Café. The location was previously the spot of a teachers lounge. ¦ Photo by Vanessa S. Nelson · vanessanelson.express@gmail.com

dents can go through a hassle-free process to get free food. When an enormous percentage of community college students are homeless, when rent is skyrocketing and it’s hard to keep a roof over your head, the RISE food distribution is the kind of help students desperately need. Students shouldn’t have to worry about having enough to eat, or choose between paying rent and buying healthy food. In other news, City College is about to become home to a Subway restaurant on campus. In Sacramento, America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, City College is welcoming the largest fast food chain in the world. It’s hard to beat the convenience and price of a fast food restaurant, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right option for City College. Subway means more competition for local restaurants. It supports an enormous corporation with enormous supply chains, and the carbon emissions that come with trucking in food from far away sources. It’s a little late to criticize the move,

since its opening is imminent, but Subway should not have been welcomed to campus with open arms. Efforts should have been made to ﬁnd a restaurant that sources local food and is a healthy option for students. Instead, we’re stuck with a fast food option for an interminable length. Subway should never have found a home here. Call it a distrust for sprawling corporations, or an overzealous environmental view, but the college deserves better than being branded with the yellow and green corporate logo of a fast food giant. In a community where so much stays the same, any permanent change has a lasting impact. Right now, a number of changes are taking the college in the right direction, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, we’re about to be saddled with a change that takes the campus a step backward. The college deserves better, and in the future, change-makers must ask themselves: Is this moving City College forward? In the case of Subway, the answer is no. ♦

Design Adviser Josephine Newitt Assistant Design Editor Trevon Norton Cover Photo Danny J. Mitchell mitchell.dan.j

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.

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.

Website saccityexpress.com Sacramento City College 3835 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95822

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Eleazar Quiroz · Mech. Engineering “Just staying at home, spending time with the family. My family comes from Fresno, San Diego and Riverdale. We’re Mexican, we make tamales, menudo and pozole, all that stuff.”

Nicole Crawford · Psychology “Just relaxing and taking care of my son. I’m just looking forward to not stressing about school for a few weeks.”

Alexis Echols “Probably visiting my grandma in San Diego. I haven’t seen her for like two years. I’ve been busy with work and school. We don’t really have a chance to sit down and just appreciate what’s going on around us.”

MEMBERSHIPS Journalism Association of Community Colleges California Newspaper Publishers Association

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“My brother’s more on the holiday side, so he does all the holiday things. He put the family together, he made me put the Christmas tree up the other day, and other than that, we’ll probably go to Tahoe and go snowboarding.”

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NEWS

Homeless students at SCC

How City College serves one of its most vulnerable populations

Some City College students are among the rising number of homeless people in the Sacramento region. Though speciﬁc data on student homelessness is not available, 33.9 percent of the student body is living below the poverty line. ¦ Photo by Vanessa S. Nelson · vanessanelsonexpress@gmail.com

Allahiya Shabazz

Staﬀ Writer · ashabazz.express@gmail.com

Students at City College are a part of the rising numbers of Sacramento’s homeless. Though speciﬁc data for unaccommodated youths or other students dealing with homelessness is not available, 33.9 percent of the student body is reported to be living below the poverty line, according to the 2016 Student Household Income Level by the City College Ofﬁce of Planning, Research & Institutional Effectiveness. Sacramento’s homeless population has risen from 2,232 people in 2016 to 3,665 in 2017, according to Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento State’s Institute for Social Research in their July 10 report, “Homelessness in Sacramento County Results from the 2017 Point-In-Time Count.” “We are going to implement the city’s $64 million Whole Person Care grant together with our public housing resources to get 2,000 people off the streets as soon as possible. No excuses, no boundaries,

action and results are all that matter,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg in response to the report.

A tip from me is for students to reach out and let us know how we are able to help. Alisa Foreman Financial aid clerk

Along with this action plan, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1018 into law in October, adding homeless and LGBT students to the list of categories that community colleges are required to create Student Equity Plans for. City College is taking steps toward putting these plans in action to help unaccommodated students and to create a liaison for homeless and foster youth students after a mandate from the state chancellor’s ofﬁce.

Along with attending classes and studying, many students on their road to higher education are without a permanent residence, a proper place to sleep and are unable to study because of hunger pains. College counselors provide crisis counseling, resources and contact information for students in need, according to City College counselor Jon Harvey. “Seeing that allows us to go, ‘Here’s some jobs you can try on campus.’” says Harvey. “You know, work study, financial aid, BOG fee waiver, make sure you get all the financial grants and stuff we can give you here.” Financial aid clerk Temperance Bonner also explained how the plan will help City College students. “They’ll be working to get them things like priority registration, and this is something that will follow them in Los Rios and other community colleges in California, as well once it gets implemented,” says Bonner. “We’re working on identifying those students, but the challenge is finding out who those students · · ·

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are. You have to self-identify, and a lot of times right now the way we’re finding them is through their BOG application.” Faculty and staff are encouraging students to have a conversation with them so they are able to help provide students with the proper resources. “When you talk to us, we will get you the resources you need on campus and other resources off campus,” says Bonner. “It’s important for students to understand that if you are couch surfing, staying a week here or there, if your parent is doing the same, living in your car, that is considered being homeless.” “For the off campus, we recommend that you go to the Wind Youth Services for the Homeless because they have a lot of accommodations,” says financial aid clerk Alisa Foreman. “When we see that they’re homeless and that their financial aid file is still in limbo, we do what we can to try expedite it so they can get their funding as soon as we can.” “A tip from me is for students to reach out and let us know how we are able to help,” says Foreman. ♦ December 5, 2017 · Express

PROFILE

YOUA XIONG Chasing planes, Hmong student lands in aeronautics program Jason Pierce

Story and photo · jpierce.express@gmail.com

As the temperature begins to drop outside, a couple of students from the City College aeronautics department hurry to close the large open doors of an aircraft hangar. An airplane flies overhead and a few other helpers are recruited to help move equipment out of the doorway. Standing on top of a stool nearby, a young woman volunteers as she stretches her arms high above her head, trying to connect a space heater to an extension cord dangling above. A typical blue workshirt drapes over black pants, her name stitched in black letters across the right side. She comes across unassuming, but don’t be fooled. She’s pushing boundaries, and as culture meets passion, she’s making her dreams take off. “I’ve always liked flying,” says 25-year-old Youa Xiong. “When I was little, I wanted to be either an astronaut or pilot, and I thought to myself, if I want to be a pilot, then I better know how everything works first.” She’s in her third semester as an airframe powerplant major in City College’s aeronautics program at Sacramento’s McClellan Park. She choose City College because of its long aviation history. Xiong

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has her eye on NASA and is pursuing a dream that almost didn’t happen. Born in a Thailand refugee camp, Xiong and her parents immigrated to the U.S. as Hmong refugees when she was 1. Arriving in Minnesota, her family moved to California when she was 14. A long history of Hmong culture and traditions came along, too. “Our culture is very conservative,” Xiong says, as she explains some of the expectations put upon Hmong women, one being how her family pushed her to pursue a career in the medical ﬁeld before she took off chasing aviation.

I just feel that it s very important for me to pursue what I want to do. Youa Xiong

City College aeronautics major

She spent a year studying pharmaceutical science at University of California, Irvine, followed by two years of medical assisting, leaving both because of lack of interest. After two attempts to follow others’ expectations, Xiong thought it was time to chase her own dreams. · · ·

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Helicopters and jet engines can be heard revving in the background. Xiong, with her soft-spoken demeanor, talks about the process of patching a hole in an airframe, pointing to examples on a dozen planes and helicopters in various stage of assembly. The thumping of power tools echoes heavily in the open space, as Xiong jokes about always being the one who gets volunteered to crawl into the small tail section of the Cessna. “She came in here knowing nothing about airplanes, and a year and a half later, she’s out there working on them,” says Larry Johnson, chair of the aeronautics program, “which is quite an accomplishment right there.” Xiong has already landed a job as an aircraft mechanic working at Ivan Air, based at Sacramento Executive Airport. She works before attending classes in the evening. “Maintaining a personal life and doing this,” says Richard Acevedo, a former airframe mechanic in the Air Force and classmate of Xiong’s. “It’s a night class, but it’s like having an evening job coming here. Working all day and coming here to do this ’til close, to 10 o’clock at night — it takes a toll.” “It’s a lot of dedication,” agrees Kevin Goehring, 50, a professor in the SCCEXPRESSNEWS

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aeronautics department and a pilot himself. “It’s an extreme amount of dedication to do two years of six plus hours a day, plus work, plus everything else. “She came with no mechanical background at all. She is extremely inquisitive and very willing to learn. You can put anything in front of her, and she would just do it to the best of her ability. She has a great attitude, and because of that great attitude, she’s done quite well.” Xiong’s passion for flying started early. A NASA astronaut visited her elementary school and inspired her to pursue aviation. Her ultimate goal is to follow that first spark and work for NASA on the depot level maintenance team, which involves extensive modification or overhaul to major aircraft components. She plans to obtain her pilot’s license while continuing to work as an airframe mechanic. Xiong says her culture plays an important part in her life and has shaped her in many ways. Proudly sharing a music video of her singing traditional Hmong music, she shows the YouTube clip that’s gained around 1.5 million views. “I just feel that it’s very important for me to pursue what I want to do,” Xiong says, “so other kids like me can chase their dreams instead of their parents’ dreams.” ♦ · · ·

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PROFILE

BREECE PHIPPS From addict to model scholar — aerospace student regains footing at City College Chanie McCleary

Guest Writer · chaniemccleary@gmail.com Photo by Vanessa S. Nelson vanessanelsonexpress@gmail.com

He was born perfectly healthy: 10 fingers, 10 toes. His mother cried tears of joy and wondered what he would become. When he was in eighth grade, he became student body president. When he was in high school, he fell into a bad crowd. Shortly after, he says he became addicted to narcotics. As a college student, he was sentenced to prison. His mother cried again, and wondered what he would become. Today, Breece Phipps, 30, is a City College student. He is on his way to a four-year university. Phipps is finally on the right path after serving five years in prison. Born and raised in Sacramento, this resilient student didn’t expect the darkest time of his life to lead him toward a bright future. “I never gave up hope,” Phipps says, “even at my lowest low, because I knew I was meant for more.” Phipps looks like he walked right out of a Calvin Klein ad. Students passing by the 6-foot, 2-inch, 215-pound guy on campus would never suspect he was once an addict. His healthy, golden tan skin

doesn’t tell that story. His electric blue eyes don’t look like they’ve ever seen the inside of a penitentiary. He works out at the gym near his house for about two hours daily to maintain his strong build. He has been encouraged by others to pursue a modeling/ acting career, and lately has been building a modeling portfolio. It took a wake-up call to bring him around to the healthy life he lives now. “In the depths of my addiction, I still thought I was doing ok,” Phipps says. “In retrospect, I was at rock bottom.” Without his mother having a clue, Phipps would consume between 20 to 30 pills a day. He would meet his local dealer to pick up narcotics. One day he was met with a surprise that would change his life forever. After being set up by his longtime dealer, Phipps says he encountered Roseville police ofﬁcers and their ﬂashing red and blue lights. He was arrested because of his less than perfect record, and he was sentenced to prison. “I was so blind back then, it wasn’t until after my withdrawals in prison that my life started to change direction,” Phipps says. He became clean in prison and was able to develop a positive sense of self he has maintained since he was released from

prison three years ago. He has been a fulltime student since. Not one missed assignment, not one missed day, not one tardy. He works hard on several honors courses and joined the Honor’s Club. Phipps makes time for Phi Theta Kappa meetings and participates as a member of the Science Club. For work, he does construction with his father, which doubles as bonding time.

I never gave up hope, even at my lowest low, because I knew I was meant for more. Breece Phipps

City College student

The people who know Phipps best now are his school counselors and professors. “Breece has been a rock,” says City College psychology professor Mark Dennis, a mentor to Phipps, as well as the Phi Theta Kappa faculty adviser. “Breece is very intelligent. It’s a gift, but he has that work ethic. What makes him especially different is that people with his focus and · · ·

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drive tend to be self-absorbed. Breece isn’t like that.” Students who know Phipps know that he is the right guy to study with if they want to pass class. He has a strong study ethic and is helpful to his peers. Bryce Sullins is also a student at City College. If you see Phipps, you see Sullins, “He isn’t like my other friends, he is a positive influence on me,” Sullins says, explaining why he considers Phipps his best friend. “He makes me want to be better, do my homework and study. He keeps me out of trouble.” Both students are majoring in aerospace engineering. The two have plans to open their own aerospace engineering firm once they complete their educations. Before that happens, Phipps says his plans are to design satellites radar and rockets for Elon Musk’s company, Space X. “It’s my dream job to work for Space X,” Phipps says. “I don’t care, I’ll clean the bathrooms there if I have to.” For now, Phipps will do what is necessary to fulfill his dreams. “My life didn’t start when I was a baby; it started when I was in prison,” Phipps says. “That’s where everything changed for the better. I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.” ♦ December 5, 2017 · Express

PROFILE

CHRIS SPITZKA Los Rios student triumphs over hardships by delving into philosophy and film Gem Gabbett

Guest Writer · gemma.gabbett@gmail.com Photo by Guille Bedolla · gbedolla.express@gmail.com

His eyes narrow as he stares at his computer screen, fingers hovering over the keys as he thinks over his character’s next move. Beside him lies an open copy of Soren Kierkegaard’s “Fear and Trembling,” to his left a striking charcoal rendition of the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene. Christopher Spitzka, 20, a Los Rios film student has written two screenplays and can explain to you the difference between ontology and epistemology in both Kantian and Heideggerian terms. “I hope to become a screenwriter and perhaps even a director,” he says, shuddering a little at the potential burden and anxiety of directing. He stands about 5 feet, 6 inches, and is fairly robust. His eyes indicate his half-Korean heritage, and he closes them thoughtfully. “I want to learn more about my possibilities and what I can do and how far I can push myself,” he says. Spitzka’s films center around topics of anxiety, depression and social stigma, among other things — issues often ignored or stereotyped by mainstream media and Hollywood. Spitzka himself was diagnosed with OCD, autism, and

Express · December 5, 2017

depression, and has dealt with situations that left him with PTSD. “I have had several relatives and so forth with whom I have had emotionally toxic relationships,” he says, ﬁddling with his glasses as he looks to the side. He instinctively covers his neck to fend off an attempt to comfort him with a small pat. “I was asked to give up my happiness for others a lot of the time.” From ﬁrst impressions onward, it is easy to pick out Spitzka as an awkward, sweet sort of person, but also very vulnerable. He apologizes for the smallest of things, is incredibly polite, and rarely asserts himself in any way. “Chris is a very kindhearted, well-meaning and giving person, almost to a fault,” says Andre Vallar, Spitzka’s roommate and a City College student. “People have taken advantage of this quite a few times in the past. However, I would say that he has, at present, become more assertive than he used to be.” It’s a typical night at the Spitzka-Vallar apartment. Spitzka smiles as he checks how dinner is coming along. It’s a delicious Korean barbecue, and he asks Vellar if there’s anything else they’d like. The bespectacled screenwriter is especially sensitive when it comes to honoring others’ wishes and trying to see things through their eyes. It’s not hard to see why. As a mid· · ·

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dle-schooler in a mental hospital, he was told his experiences and trauma “weren’t how the brain worked.” “We can’t resolve anxiety, depression or social stigma in easy, systemic answers,” he says. “What we can do is help people by example, by happy examples of people who have gone through and overcome these hardships in their own lives.” Spitzka finished screenplays center around the life or teachings of the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, whose philosophy of unconditional commitment and emphasis on a philosophy of personal focus and significance has helped Spitzka to persevere. The world of cinema serves as a method of catharsis for him, as well as an avenue of assistance. “Chris escaped an abusive situation and lives his life in pursuit of art and dedication to others,” says Mackenzie Miller, a former classmate and close friend of Spitzka’s. “He has the ability to bring a fresh perspective into any situation. I have experienced his ideas in a personal way that have changed how I look at the world.” High school is a difficult time for many, but Spitzka’s eccentric, artsy charm drew many an eye. He struggled socially, however, as he was terrified of seeming “annoying” or being harassed as he was SCCEXPRESSNEWS

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in middle school. Particularly in art class, though, Spitzka was able to thrive. His teachers loved the level of discussion they could share with him, and his classmates were transfixed by the sheer amount of knowledge he contributed. “Chris caught my attention with his artwork and his comments, both of which were surprisingly sophisticated for someone in their first year of high school,” says Gayle Martin, an art teacher at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom. Her classroom is filled to the brim with different paintings, drawings, and sculptures from past students. “I can’t help but see echoes of Vincent van Gogh in the expressiveness of his images.” Spitzka begins a new semester of college in the fall, the first since he finished his screenplays and moved into his own apartment. He has experienced some level of success in college, perhaps the most notable, when he received the only “A” grade in an advanced Hitchcock appreciation course, but he knows that he has a lot more to do if he wants to achieve his goals. “There are days when I despair, thinking about the future and the many uncertainties I face,” says Spitzka. “Mostly, I try to focus on tomorrow and the day after, no further than that, except in so far as I can be inspired by dreams of writing and, perhaps one day, directing a film.” ♦ · · ·

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PROFILE

DEREK LYNCH No shoes, no shirt, no problem Andrea Morrow

Guest Writer · amorr9088@gmail.com Photo by Ulysses Ruiz · uruiz.express@gmail.com

Consider these shirtless performers: Blink 182’s Travis Barker; Iggy and the Stooges’ Iggy Pop; and Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers’ Derek Lynch. One of these musicians is having his hottest year thus far, and no, that is not why he performs without a shirt. Derek Lynch, 27 years old and a City College alumnus, has lived an educated life. Music has always been a passion. After a few years in Southern California, Lynch returned home to Sacramento in 2015. He felt unsure about his future and responded to a Craigslist advertisement. The listing called for “musicians who want to build a wedding cover band.” “It was good money, and weddings pay well,” Lynch says, at the time not realizing this would throw him directly into the Sacramento music scene. The cover band built performance conﬁdence and gave Lynch a place to jam nightly with other musicians. He crossed paths with another local band and often attended open mic nights. At a Del Paso Heights open mic he heard Frank Lopes rap. Lopes, a former City College student who is known as Hobo Johnson, rapped

over homemade tracks. Lynch thought to himself, “I want to play guitar over that.” The two began conversations over Facebook, and in the last year, Lynch has become the organizer of the band portion, known as the LoveMakers. “Derek is probably the best guitar player and the nicest man,” Lopes said on a recent appearance on the Capital Public Radio program “Insight” with host Beth Ruyak. Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers create a raw, unique sound that draws you in, and then the honest, poetic lyrics keep you entranced. Songs about millennial dilemmas, non-traditional families, rising rent prices and love lost. At a mid-November record release at Harlow’s Restaurant and Night Club in Midtown, Lynch and Lopes poke their heads through the sheer stage curtains. The curtains pull back and simultaneously the two hype up the crowd. The rest of the band settles on stage while Lynch continues hyping up the crowd and prepping his keyboard. Lopes begins his rap, and the sold-out crowd loses it. Many fans sing each word down to the last syllable. “Can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen them,” says fan Tyler Collier. “They have this symbiotic energy on stage you can’t deny.”

Lynch explains the process. “Sometimes I forget how amazing Frank is until the ﬁnished product,” says Lynch, who describes the time they spend together as friends, not “music partners.”

They have this symbiotic energy on stage you can t deny. Tyler Collier

Hobo Johnson fan

Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers produce their own music videos. In them, you’ll recognize the faces and places of Sacramento. For Lynch, he had to return to Sacramento to appreciate its charms. Lynch transferred to U.C. San Diego’s chemistry department after attending City College. After graduation, he found himself struggling to ﬁnd a job. Later that year in Los Angeles, Lynch was denied a job at Target. He threw himself into his music. He completed music classes at one of L.A.’s community colleges, and for a whole year he saw some of the best live music acts California has to offer. · · ·

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Lynch recalls that the most thriving music scene wasn’t enough to keep him as a resident in Southern California. Loneliness and unemployment took their toll on this 25 year old, so he returned to Sacramento two years ago, and the rest is history. Arguably the most critical part of this story is when and why did Lynch take his shirt off? It all started with blue corduroys, a blazer with no shirt, one gold chain and a Trilby-style hat, similar to a fedora but with a narrower brim and taller crown, usually worn toward the back of the head. A last-minute, ﬁrst-show outﬁt has now found its permanent place with Lynch’s stage presence. “He’s an introvert, but when he hits the stage, he’s something else,” says Lynch’s older brother, Damien. In 2014, missing an opportunity with Target felt like an important loss. Two years later, Lynch is part of a band that’s been awarded four SAMMIES this year by Sacramento News & Review. The band is in popular demand. What’s not back by popular demand? Lynch’s shirt. To hear Derek Lynch’s band, Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers, and see their videos, go to the Facebook page at facebook.com/pg/hobojohnson94Corolla ♦ December 5, 2017 · Express

FEATURES

Where to rest your tired cheeks

The best (and worst) bathrooms City College has to oﬀer The women s bathroom inside the North Gym has large windows and cardinal red-colored stalls ̶ and a lovely ambience.

The Fischbacher Fine Arts building bathroom beat out other contenders to earn its spot as City College s best bathroom. ¦ Photos by Bobby Castagna · bcastagna.express@gmail.com

Ellyssa Rodriguez

is an insider’s guide to campus bathrooms: which to avoid and which are prime real estate to do the deed.

Managing Editor erodriguez.express@gmail.com

BEST BATHROOMS

For many students, the only thing scarier than ﬁnals week is the thought of having to use the bathrooms on campus. The Express explored and compared bathrooms all over the City College campus. Here

Criteria: cleanliness, occupancy and aesthetic qualities 1. The Fischbacher Fine Arts building has bathrooms as comfortable

A touchless sink in the FFA bathroom. The Express prefers bathrooms with touchless features.

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as they are aesthetically pleasing. Tucked away in the breezeway of lockers, this bathroom seems very private. The bathroom boasts three black stalls, sleek black concrete floors, with walls adorned with black iridescent tiles from ceiling to floor. The toilets and sink are touchless, so there is minimal contact with germs. This bathroom always seems to be clean and fresh. 2. The Lillard Hall bathrooms are also very clean and easy on the eyes. The bathroom on the first floor has an entrance from directly outside, so in the fall this bathroom can get a bit chilly. There are four royal blue stalls and small seafoam green tiles on the floor and the walls. The three touchless sinks and toilets provide minimal contact with germs. There is a similar bathroom on the second floor of Lillard Hall, just a bit smaller.

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3. The bathroom inside the North Gym is especially clean. Its stalls and tile work correspond with the school’s colors, with five cardinal red-colored stalls. The walls are clean and white, and the floors are glossy and gray. There are huge windows near the ceiling that flood the room with light and offer views of flowers on the outside trees. There are four sinks and a baby changer. The toilets and sinks are touchless, but the paper towel dispensers are not.

WORST BATHROOMS

Criteria: smell, cleanliness and occupancy

1. The bathroom inside the Lusk Center has earned its spot as one of the worst bathrooms on our list. It is very small inside with only two stalls and one sink. This bathroom always seems to have some kind of lingering, unpleasant smell, · · ·

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and it always seems to be occupied. The door also has a problem closing and makes for a very public and open feeling. Because of its heavy foot traffic during the day, this bathroom always seems to be dirty. 2. Another unpleasant bathroom at City College is the bathroom located right outside the City Café. It also has high foot traffic and seems to be always occupied. There is graffiti on the walls and mirrors, and the door seems to always be open or cracked, giving anyone outside a view inside the bathroom since the entrance to the bathroom is directly outside. There are only three stalls and three sinks. Despite the partially open door, this bathroom seems to have a slight stuffy stink about it.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

There are a few gender neutral

Graﬃti adorns the soap dispenser inside the men s bathroom in the Lusk Center.

bathrooms located on campus. They are located behind the new Student Services building, along the outside of the Cosmetology building, and attached to the Operations building. Bonus: Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s president, Husam Haroun, prefers the bathroom in the LRC. ♦

The Express favorite bathroom is tucked away in the Fischbacher Fine Arts building.

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FEATURES

Where to rest your tired cheeks

The best (and worst) bathrooms City College has to oﬀer The women s bathroom inside the North Gym has large windows and cardinal red-colored stalls ̶ and a lovely ambience.

The Fischbacher Fine Arts building bathroom beat out other contenders to earn its spot as City College s best bathroom. ¦ Photos by Bobby Castagna · bcastagna.express@gmail.com

Ellyssa Rodriguez

is an insider’s guide to campus bathrooms: which to avoid and which are prime real estate to do the deed.

Managing Editor erodriguez.express@gmail.com

BEST BATHROOMS

For many students, the only thing scarier than ﬁnals week is the thought of having to use the bathrooms on campus. The Express explored and compared bathrooms all over the City College campus. Here

Criteria: cleanliness, occupancy and aesthetic qualities 1. The Fischbacher Fine Arts building has bathrooms as comfortable

A touchless sink in the FFA bathroom. The Express prefers bathrooms with touchless features.

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WORST BATHROOMS

Criteria: smell, cleanliness and occupancy

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OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

There are a few gender neutral

Graﬃti adorns the soap dispenser inside the men s bathroom in the Lusk Center.

The Express favorite bathroom is tucked away in the Fischbacher Fine Arts building.

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December 5, 2017 · Express

PROFILE

TRISTAN ROGERS Student senator moonlights as motivational speaker Phoenix Kanada

Guest Writer · kanadaphoenix@gmail.com

never attended college. “He helped me open my eyes to a brighter future.”

Photo by Ulysses Ruiz · uruiz.express@gmail.com

We are what we think, but what is there to do when our thoughts are constructed by societal pressures? Here at City College, a student Senate member strives to help answer that question. He wants to inspire people to become conscious of truthful living. Tristan Rogers is the helping hand that most of people need, and he is determined to reach out with his words of experience. “The first step to happiness is selflove and self-positivity,” says Rogers, as he describes his plan to incorporate his past struggles into a motivational speech. “That’s my goal. To instill that you need to love yourself in order to love others.” With welcoming energy coupled with gentle words, 21-year-old Rogers seems to have no difficulty influencing people in a positive way, even if it’s just a short-lived conversation with a stranger, like Morgan Skillicorn. “I’ve always despised school, but after the conversation I had with Tristan, I signed up for the spring semester,” says Skillicorn, a Sacramento native who has

Express · December 5, 2017

If I start with the younger generation now, I can inﬂuence them. And if enough people are knowledgeable, that cage is going to go down, and those wolves can t control us anymore. Tristan Rogers

City College student Senate member

Rogers says he was enlightened mentally and spiritually thanks to Rhonda Byrne’s self-help book “The Secret,” at a time when he felt lost and confused with his own life’s purpose. “My whole life I never thought I’d be good at English because I had a speech impediment,” says Rogers, as he talks about past insecurities and how they · · ·

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were formed by society. “I had a fixed mindset. I didn’t want to learn, but after I got that book in my hand and read it, it taught me how to apply that growth mindset towards life.” Through both significant events and mediocre happenings in life, Rogers firmly believes that everything happens for a reason. He also believes that what we put out into the world is what we are going to get back, in terms of energy and growth. And those beliefs all boil down to one fundamental philosophy: the law of attraction. As a motivational speaker, Rogers plans to shine light on the vitality of that philosophy by creating a speech for youth. His friendliness and energy should only increase the likelihood of successfully inspiring them. “Everyone wants to make a change, but how you do it is what matters,” says Tanish Jindal, secretary of public relations for City College’s Student Associated Council, “and Tristan has the charm to possibly make a change in one’s life.” Knowledge is power. It’s just up to us how we apply it. “If I start with the younger generation now, I can influence them,” Rogers says. “And if enough people are knowledgeSCCEXPRESSNEWS

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able, that cage is going to go down, and those wolves can’t control us anymore.” In addition to motivational speeches, Rogers wants to make changes within the education system, like turning detentions into meditation rooms. He describes this future transformation as “an effective way, compared to a jail cell.” Rogers knows it’s difficult for most teenagers to find what’s best for them during those overly distracting high school years. “When I was in high school, I needed that guidance,” says Rogers. “That guidance to go toward that correct path, opposed to that negative one.” And that lack of guidance is the reason why Rogers plans to specifically speak at the high schools that he attended. He will start with The Met Sacramento High School, C. K. McClatchy High School, and then Ponderosa High School in Shingle Springs. He hopes to see a generational increase in consciousness, in not just the communities around him, but eventually on a much larger scale. “I think that each day is a learning experience,” says Rogers. “And if you have an open and a growth mindset compared to a fixed mindset, you can achieve anything.” ♦ · · ·

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FEATURES

Sacramento s turn on the silver screen Greta Gerwig s love letter to city breaks down tired genre Bobby Castagna

Staﬀ Writer · bcastagna.express@gmail.com

If you see any movie this holiday season, it should be “Lady Bird.” Heck, if there is any movie you see in the next six months, it should be “Lady Bird,” because the movie takes a fresh spin on the stale genre of teenage drama-comedies. If you need more convincing, the film is being talked about as a potential Oscar contender, it’s chock full of Sacramento landmarks and it was written and directed by Sacramento-born Greta Gerwig. “Lady Bird” is Gerwig’s directorial debut, and the film tells the story of Christine McPherson (played by Saoirse Ronan) a teenager with a fierce sense of independence who insists on being called Lady Bird, a name she gave herself. However, the story is about more than just young adults and their goofy adventures. It instead focuses on the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother, Marion, (played powerfully by Laurie Metcalf). The relationship dynamic between Lady Bird and Marion is instantly familiar from the opening scene, as the two argue about college plans. The film, set in 2002, follows Lady Bird through her senior year at a Catholic school in Sacramento, and her dreams of going to college on the East Coast. There, she believes she will find a sense of culture missing from her life escaping her hometown is the only way to fulfill that dream. Marion, on the other hand, thinks Lady Bird needs to learn some responsibility and to get a grip on reality, because she can’t seem to think about anyone but herself. That much is partially true, as evidenced when Lady Bird ditches her best friend Julianne “Julie” Steffans (played by Beanie Feldstein) for popular girl Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush) to get closer to a new love interest. Marion has her own struggles, not only those that come with raising a rebellious daughter, but also with making ends meet. As she works hard as a nurse, she is also the sole source of income for the family as they hit hard times. Marion feels that she is cast as the role of villain to Lady Bird because her husband Larry (Tracy Letts) always plays the nice-guy parent. It’s clear that Marion loves her family and feels that she has to make tough choices for all of them. One of the strengths of the movie is the development of the minor cast of characters. In the background, their struggles come to life to reveal that Lady Bird’s

life has an impact on them. This is what I liked most about the movie, the interweaving of the main character’s story with everyone else’s. While most of the scenes focus on Lady Bird, there are those parts that peek into the lives of the characters around her; their struggles, their hardships. Danny O’Neill (Lucas Hedges) is one such character who struggles with a secret that he can only really share with Lady Bird. That, to me, is something special about “Lady Bird,” that minor characters have their own struggles that aren’t always apparent to the main characters. It’s a choice that feels true to the teenage experience, a time when it’s easy to be self-centered. Not only did Gerwig direct “Lady Bird,” she also wrote it. While it’s not an autobiography of Gerwig’s life, she has told interviewers that she drew upon her own life. That makes it feel real. From the dialogue between characters to the acne visible on Ronan’s face, it all feels natural. Gerwig has an eye for the fine details that pinpoint how bizarre it is to be a teenager. The movie also captures the feel of life in Sacramento, a town which Lady Bird is trying to escape. Gerwig herself was born and raised in Sacramento, just like the main character. Additionally, most of the scenes were filmed in Sacramento, capturing iconic sights such as the Tower Bridge and the Fab 40s, places familiar to anyone who has spent time here. This gives the film an authentic feel that captures the setting of a real hometown that Lady Bird struggles to fly away from. Gerwig created a unique movie in “Lady Bird.” It presents the characters as real people with realistic dialogue — and unlike every other movie I’ve seen, it captures the feeling of growing up in Sacramento. The novelty of watching it in the Tower Theatre adds greatly to the sense of nostalgia for Sacramento natives when you suddenly see the theater you’re watching the movie in. So when others are home visiting you or your family this holiday, or you’ve just got some free time and want to unwind, I highly suggest you see “Lady Bird.” You won’t be disappointed.

Lady Bird is going strong at Tower Theatre, UA Arden Fair, and the Regal Natomas Marketplace. Check your local newspaper for showing times. ♦

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig s directorial debut, is playing in theaters now, and is a must-see for all Sacramentans. ¦ Photo by Bobby Castagna · bcastagna.express@gmail.com

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FEATURES

SCC s fearless student leader

Miguel Guerrero led family; now he leads the student body

Student Senate President Miguel Guerrero stands in the courtyard outside the Student Center. He started his career at City College in 2014. ¦ Photo by Jiaxin Lu · jlu.express@gmail.com

Marilyn Franco

Staﬀ Writer · Mfranco.sccexpress@gmail.com

When Miguel Guerrero found out that he had to leave his home in Los Angeles, he couldn’t imagine the opportunities that were ahead of him. He could only think about his friends, and the memories he was leaving behind. Guerrero, 24, started a new chapter of his life at City College in 2014. He’s now the president of the Student Senate, and he believes that moving to Sacramento helped shape the person he is today. Looking back, Guerrero realized L.A. wasn’t for him. In Sacramento, he can take walks as the trees sway around him and go to nearby trails to enjoy nature. He says L.A. didn’t offer him that. “I explored the city and I found my sense of self,” says Guerrero. “I decided to do the best that I can here.” Leaving L.A. was hard, but he knew it was the best decision for his family. Growing up in a poor community and facing a tough situation, Guerrero had to prove he could provide for his family. “My dad was going to have to go to prison, so I had to take care of the family myself,” says Guerrero. “After he got out

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of prison, we decided not to stay in L.A. anymore. That’s when we made the transition over here.” At first, Guerrero did not like the idea of moving to Northern California, but he tried to view the situation as an opportunity to better himself. “I told myself that I wanted to be more involved with the community and college life,” says Guerrero. “I am a natural introvert.”

Not a lot of people understand how much work our senate president has to do. Danny Thirakul

Student Senate president pro-tempore

He says he used to be very shy until he decided to step out of his comfort zone and campaign for Student Senate president. “The thought of publicly speaking, and even talking to people I didn’t know, was terrifying,” says Guerrero. Even though he was afraid to speak in front of crowds, he took a deep breath · · ·

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and faced the challenge. Because of his decision, he became the leader of City College’s student government starting July 1, 2017. According to his newfound co-workers, Guerrero is taking to the job nicely. “Miguel handles the new position well, and with pride,” says Haley Lepper, student personnel assistant to the Student Leadership and Development department. “He understands and provides a voice for the City College students, which requires the president to wear many hats.” Those who work with Guerrero say he really cares about the student body, and that he is helpful to those around him. “I am grateful he is our president,” says Student Senate President Pro-Tempore Danny Thirakul. “He actually helped me understand how to write resolutions.” From taking care of his family to helping City College students any way he can, Guerrero makes the most of his leadership position. Guerrero is working toward wider accessibility to resources for DACA students in the campus community. In addition, Guerrero is working with the college administration to address student safety by SCCEXPRESSNEWS

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increasing security for the parking garage and expanding the night shuttle carts. With so many tangible goals on the docket, Guerrero has to work with the administration to be able to take action. And that means attending meetings. A lot of them. “Not a lot of people understand how much work our senate president has to do,” says Thirakul. “The meetings alone he has to attend are enough to be considered a full-time job.” “The president of the student body is a demanding position with numerous obligations,” says Lepper, “such as participation on numerous standing committees, weekly Student Senate meetings, monthly joint budget committees, district office committees and many more.” According to Kimberlee Beyrer, faculty coordinator for Student Leadership and Development, Guerrero is managing all his duties with aplomb. “He leads his Senate members well, collaborates with faculty, staff, administrators and students across the campus community, and works to assure that students have a representative voice at the college, district and state levels,” says Beyrer. “Miguel is a hard worker with a heart of gold.” ♦ · · ·

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FEATURES

Life as a City College squirrel

The nuanced world and history of SCC s favorite creature Maxﬁeld Morris

Editor-in-Chief · mmorris.express@gmail.com

An inquisitive, bushy-tailed squirrel frolicked on the lawn outside Lillard Hall. Carefree and utterly focused on its task of burying acorns, the creature ambled through the green blades of grass, exploring a miniature forest floor. Unfortunately for the intrepid, rodent adventurer, a red-shouldered hawk noticed him. Swooping in, the bird of prey killed the squirrel and soared across the street to Land Park, set to enjoy its meal. That’s just part of life for a City College squirrel. These creatures are a feature of the campus, and everyone seems to have a story about them. As it turns out, though, the squirrels have their own story to tell. The excitable species we have on campus is known as the eastern fox squirrel. As its name implies, the squirrel is not originally native to the West. Its original habitat covers most of the Eastern United States, and the farthest west it lived was along the prairie from Texas to North Dakota. So how and why did they end up here? City College biology professor David Wyatt has an answer. “There were no park squirrels,” Wyatt says of the early days of Sacramento. “Our squirrels, Douglas squirrels, they don’t like being around people.” But people liked being around squirrels, so they brought some to the West Coast and established populations. Sources say eastern fox squirrels were introduced to Los Angeles in 1904 by veterans at a hospital. In the early 1900s, they were introduced to Seattle. One article even claims they were specially brought to U.C. Berkeley campus in 1926. Wyatt is fairly confident about the origin of Sacramento’s squirrels. “I’m pretty sure it was Luther Burbank. He introduced a lot in the 1890s,” Wyatt says of the famed 19th-century horticulturist who inspired the name of the local high school on Florin Road. “Mostly plants — he was a botanist — but he did bring in some animals as well.” Based on those numbers, Wyatt believes that the squirrels first came to Sacramento at around the time City College first opened its doors in 1916. As they reach reproductive maturity at 1 year old, eastern fox squirrels could easily have lived in Sacramento for 100 generations. There’s another college-dwelling mammal that used to be seen on campus — the western gray squirrel.

A squirrel feasts on a mushroom in the City College Quad Nov. 28. The squirrels at City College are eastern fox squirrels and were introduced to California around the turn of the 20th century. ¦ Photo by Maxﬁeld Morris · mmorris.express@gmail.com

City College reading professor Linda Myers recollects fondly seeing those shiny, gray squirrels around campus 30 years ago. “They were really beautiful, elegant animals,” Myers says. “Not like these little brown ones.” Myers speculates that fox squirrels have something to do with the native, gray squirrels’ rarity. “It seems to me that they were native, and something has pushed them out,” she says. “All kinds of species are introduced that push native species out.” Myers doesn’t hate the brown fox squirrels, though. She generally appreciates their presence, even though one of them walked right over her legs when she was eating lunch on the lawn across from City College in Land Park. This type of squirrel story is very common — it’s difﬁcult to ﬁnd someone on campus who doesn’t have something to say about the rodents, and that’s because they constantly interact with humans. City College biology professor Alexis Ackerman shared some insight into the squirrel-human relationship “These squirrels pretty quickly learn that having people around means food,”

Ackerman says of City College’s population. “The more you’re tolerant of people and going up to people, the more food you’re going to get, and that’s operant conditioning. It’s a form of learning where you’re rewarded for your behavior, and so you tend to repeat that behavior.” Ackerman doesn’t see too much wrong with having the squirrels on campus. Her students enjoy seeing the critters around, and they’re interesting to watch. “I wouldn’t encourage people to go out, catch a squirrel and get bitten by it,” Ackerman says with a laugh. “But I don’t think there’s anything bad about having them around.” Many students agree, including social work major Jesenia Hernandez, even though she had a close encounter with a squirrel on campus. “One time, one of them tried to open my bag,” Hernandez says, though she doesn’t hold a grudge, adding that she once fed a squirrel unsalted peanuts. Geology major Lauren Bennett is also keenly aware of the animals’ presence, constantly seeing them approaching students, accosting them for food. “The ones getting close, it’s like, ‘What’s up, little squirrel?’” says Bennett. · · ·

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“And then they go away.” Graphic design major Garrett Rucker pictures squirrels when he thinks about the college. “It’s something I associate with this place, actually,” Rucker says. “They’re really comfortable around people, because people want to feed them … I wouldn’t feed them Pop-Tarts or anything like that, or Hot Cheetos.” Wyatt has an interest in the squirrels, as well as a sense of fondness. He was the one who happened to be outside to witness the hawk’s squirrel attack, and he sees them perform impressive acrobatic feats to get red fruits on the ends of branches outside his ofﬁce window. “They’re sort of relaxing, and they’re doing their own thing,” Wyatt says. “It’s fun watching their interactions, because this time of year, a little bit earlier this fall, the moms were kicking the young kids out of their areas, so they’ll go chasing them off, and it’s just fun watching the dynamics develop.” By Wyatt’s estimation, there are about three dozen squirrels that call the campus their home, and it’s clear that City College wouldn’t feel like a home without them. ♦ December 5, 2017 · Express

FEATURES

Unearthing the haps on humanity Students get hands-on learning on humanity and its origins Margo Alexander

Staﬀ Writer · malexander.express@gmail.com

Whether you’re wondering why you’re decorating a tree, or arguing with a Bostonian on how to pronounce the word “orange juice,” anthropology is one field of study that always applies. It does mean the study of humans, after all. If you like learning about other cultures and ancient civilizations, and have fun doing it, then the City College Anthropology Club might be the club for you. You don’t even have to be in an anthropology class to attend. Anthropology major and club member Amanda Draper is knowledgeable about her field of study. “Anthropology is a holistic study of humans in our entire history, which means it’s a study of our language, our physical appearance and behaviors. It’s a study of the things we left behind, and how we act even today, so it includes every aspect,” says Draper. Anthropology is often confused with archeology. “Archeology is a past history of what humans have left behind, the physical things that humans in our history have left for us to find and look at,” says linguistic anthropology major Larissa Lawson.

For example, anthropologists may study ancient Mayan chocolate cultivation, the music of African Pygmies, or the street urchins of Naples, Italy. This club has some pretty interesting meet-ups and field trips. Every month, the club watches a movie, which revolves around a real culture, a people, or a linguistic study, and then they go out to dinner afterwards at an international restaurant to discuss the film. Fascinating conversations ensue. They also take a field trip once a semester. “Every semester the club plans one big field trip to a place, based on votes. This semester we went to the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco to see the Teotihuacan exhibit,” says forensic anthropology major Olivia Rosales. Lawson, along with other club members, enjoyed the trip to the exhibit. “I went on the field trip to see the Teotihuacan exhibit, and it was fascinating,” says Lawson. “We saw a lot of the artifacts that were brought here, Obsidian figurines, knives and piercing bars, and lots of stone statues of gods. We also got to see the Mayan exhibit.” Previous field trips included a trip to San Jose to see the Rosicrucian Egyp-

Anthropology Club members go from analyzing skulls to studying cultures around the world. Photo by Bobby Castagna · bcastagna.express@gmail.com

tian Museum and Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park outside Jackson, which included petroglyphs and ancient bedrock mortar pits. “If you like humans and anything to do with humans, this is the club for you,” Lawson says.

Students helping hungry students

The club meets once a month on Tuesday or Thursday between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in RHN 327. There will be a notice on the door as to when the next club meeting is. The group can also be contacted via its Facebook group, Sacramento City College Anthropology Club. ♦

Phi Theta Kappa s Giving Tuesday event feeds hundreds Maxﬁeld Morris

Editor-in-Chief · mmorris.express@gmail.com

Tables overflowing with donated nonperishable food Nov. 28 ran the length of the Student Center. Volunteers and student employees were busy organizing food by type — pastas, soups, beans — as holiday music played in the background, setting the tone for Phi Theta Kappa’s Giving Tuesday food drive. The following day, Nov. 29, the food was given to students at the weekly RISE distribution. According to Nyla Vaivai, a student personnel assistant for RISE, all of the Phi Theta Kappa goods were distributed to City College students. It was the first time since the start of the RISE distribution that food from a campus drive was given back to students, and it served a much needed community. “Six hundred and fifteen students are signed up this semester,” Vaivai said of the number registered to receive food through RISE. “That triples, because one person can feed between two and 10

Express · December 5, 2017

people when they take food.” Because it was the end of the month, it was a busy day for food distribution. A diverse City College crowd received the donated goods. “We do staff, faculty, students,” Vaivia said. “Hunger comes in all colors.” The drive generated more than 2,000 pounds of food collected on and off campus in collaboration with the SCC Foundation and RISE. Interim Director of College Advancement Dan McCarty praised Phi Theta Kappa’s efforts, along with the donations given by the City College and Land Park communities. “Land Park donated at the Sandwich Spot,” McCarty said of contributions given by people in the neighborhood that surrounds the college. “I bet you we picked up a dozen bags over there.” Husham Haroun, president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, reached out to McCarty for potential projects, and they landed on a food drive. “I know for a fact there are students who go hungry,” Haroun said. “Some peo· · ·

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Students wait in line for food at the RISE food distribution near the College Store. Phi Theta Kappa organized a non-perishable food drive, and the food was handed out Nov. 28. ¦ Photo by Vanessa S. Nelson · vanessanelsonexpress@gmail.com

ple just don’t have the money for it all.” Former student Maszaba Carter was one of the volunteers sorting the food, and his motivations stemmed from a sense of responsibility. “I don’t mind helping out and making sure people have what they need,” Carter said. “I do believe a lot in altruism and giving back to the community.” Applied apparel student Genoria Lundy was also there to give back. SCCEXPRESSNEWS

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“Whatever needs to be done,” Lundy said, “I’m here to help, via service.” According to Haroun, the ultimate goal of the drive was to raise awareness about students going hungry. He doesn’t believe there’s a simple solution to the dilemma, but he thinks that action has to be taken. “The only thing you can do is bring it to light,” Haroun said. “My goal for this event is that it will be the ﬁrst of many.” ♦ · · ·

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SPORTS

Women s basketball is on the rebound

Panthers get the ball rolling with a young roster, focuses on building skills Megan Swinney

Staﬀ Writer · mswinney.express@gmail.com

It’s not about how you start; it’s how you finish that matters. That old cliché rang true for the City College women’s basketball team during its last handful of games. The Panthers suffered three straight losses to start the 2017-18 season, which began Nov. 3, but responded with back-to-back wins, and claimed a consolation championship after the Sasha Brown Classic Nov. 17–19 at Sierra College. The Panthers lost their Nov. 17 opening round game at Sierra against San Francisco City College 62-43. In the second round on Nov. 18 against Butte College, the Panthers were able to turn it around with a 64-52 win. Despite a scoreless third quarter against Butte, City bounced back to score 29 fourth-quarter points to come out victorious. City followed up Nov. 19 with a 65-55 win over Redwoods College in the consolation game. Playing a major role in helping the team revamp its performance through the team’s first five games is point guard Brandy Huffhines. The freshman’s 21

points per game in the season’s first two games at the Nov. 3–4 Jocelyn Mancebo Tournament in Stockton, and says there’s a strong dynamic on the court. “It’s a brand new team,” said Huffhines. “The chemistry is slowly evolving, but game by game, it’s improving. Everybody gets along with everyone. We all gel very well. It’s all about using that chemistry on and off the court.” Head coach Julia Allender returned for her fourth season. Allender made immediate adjustments between her first year and her second, improving the Panthers’ overall record from 5-21 in 2014-15 to 22-9 in 2015-16. The 17-game improvement earned the team its first postseason berth since 2007. Allender brings a consistent routine to the team. With nine freshmen and only three sophomores on the squad, City College is learning to build confidence and skills as a young team, she said. “I have a certain culture in the programs I create and build,” said Allender. “I took that first year and really laid that culture down in terms of accountability, professionalism, coachability, persistence, perseverance and just high achievers. That

is what I try to build my program around and get these players to demonstrate.” Her strategy seems to be working. Five games into the season, the Panthers have steadily improved their ball movement, as well as tiring out opponents’ defenses. City plans to utilize its new skills when the team plays Modesto Junior College Dec. 21 at home in the ﬁrst Big 8 Conference game of the season. “Conference for us is always the biggest thing,” said Allender. “We play in the toughest conference in the state. Everything we’re doing right now is to prepare to go and win a conference championship.” The Lady Panthers sit at 2-5 after losing their Dec. 1 game against Reedley, and will play at the Caren Franci Invitational starting Dec. 7. Huffhines leads the team in scoring (15 points per game) and assists (4.1 APG). Freshman Maddison Coleman is averaging over 10 points, and Kayla Farr is the team leader with over seven rebounds per contest. Kelsie Graf (21), City College freshman guard, drives to the basket during the Nov. 17 game against San Francisco City College at the Sasha Brown Classic. ¦ Photo by Dianne Rose © 2017

For more information about SCC women’s basketball, visit sccpanthers.losrios.edu/sports/wbkb ♦

Dropping dimes and getting buckets

Men s basketball eyes postseason return with high-scoring, unselﬁsh play Nick Pecoraro

Sports Editor · Npecoraro.express@gmail.com

As fall temperatures steadily drop into the cold of winter, things have only begun to heat up inside the North Gym at City College. That could only mean one thing: Basketball season is here. The North Gym is a second home for head coach Andrew Jones. A City College player from 1987–88, Jones began coaching the men’s basketball team in the same gym in 1991. Jones has coached and won more games than any of his Panther predecessors, but he’s quick to point out the other side of the coin. “I’ve also lost the most games,” Jones says with a smile. Jones’ display of humility and unwillingness to be self-absorbed has rubbed off on his players as they enter the 2017–18 season as a team-ﬁrst bunch. “Nobody on this team is me, me, me,” says guard Jhalen Lumpkins. “It’s about us. That’s the only way you’ll be able to get to your ultimate goal, and that’s getting another banner.”

Lumpkins is one of three returning sophomores for the Panthers, along with guards Gabe Serna and Marquiest Murphy. The rest of the 12-man roster consists of seven freshmen and two sophomores transfers, including point guard Raphael “Cinco” Durr, formerly of Montana State University Billings, and Troy Owens, a

6-foot-1 guard who led Diablo Valley College in scoring two years ago. With a 6-3 start through December 2, Jones has seen a small sample of the team’s depth and ability to put the ball in the basket. At the time of its last game on Dec. 2, City had made more 3-pointers than any other team in its conference, and its nearly 82 points with 18 assists per game are the highest averages among Big 8 teams. “We can score,” said Jones. “We’re hard to guard. We’ve got some pretty good ball-handlers and we’re very competitive. I don’t call plays that often, but we just execute really well.” Execution was key as City took ﬁrst place in the Ball in the Fall Tournament at Solano Community College Nov. 9–11, with numerous contributors. Ryan Reed had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Kyle Williams drained a game-winning 3 at the buzzer, giving City a 99-97 victory over Los Medanos in the opener. Against Reedley in the semis, Williams came off the bench to score 14 points while Serna scored a career-high 30 points in a 92-79 victory. · · ·

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All five Panther starters scored in double-figures, and the team collectively shot an efficient 63.5 percent from the field in the 79-68 final against Solano. Lumpkins and Durr were chosen for the All-Tournament team. “We really gelled as a team,” said Serna, who was named the tournament MVP. “We didn’t have as much talent last year as we do this year. We’re playing with that chip on our shoulder.” The growth in both the team’s abilities on the court and the chemistry between the players off the court is what has the team confident they’ll be a force on the hardwood this year. City has reached the postseason in each of the past two seasons. “We fear nobody,” Lumpkins said. “It’s starting to click. We haven’t reached that point to where it’s automatic, but we’ll get there. It starts right here in practice.” The Panthers’ first home game is the conference opener Dec. 21 against Modesto in the North Gym. For more info on SCC Men’s Basketball, visit sccpanthers.losrios.edu/sports/mbkb ♦ December 5, 2017 · Express

SPORTS

You can try, but you can t hold him down City College wrestler thrives on the mat despite real-life hardships Nick Pecoraro

Sports Editor · Npecoraro.express@gmail.com

Take your best shot. Go ahead and try to knock Morgan Sauseda down. He’ll just get right back up. It’s all he’s ever done. Sauseda is no stranger to adversity. He’s dealt with devastating injuries and the loss of loved ones, but he still finds a way to thrive as a state title contender for the City College wrestling team. On the Panthers’ team for more than two seasons, Sauseda has compiled 55 wins as of Dec. 1, just four shy of cracking City’s all-time Top 10 list. Earlier this season, he helped City keep a streak of seven consecutive Big 8 Conference championships alive. “Sausey,” as he’s known by his teammates, explains his success by looking inward. “I’ve always been kind of selfish,” he says. “I like that I get to choose how good I am.” He wakes up at 5:45 a.m. every day to make the nearly 50-mile trek from Stockton to be at his first class by 7:30 a.m. A full day of classes is followed by a rigorous two-hour practice. Amid the mind-numbing exhaustion of being a student-athlete — he was a 2016 Academic All-American — and the training that has earned him the No. 2 slot for 125-pounders in California, Sauseda reminds himself each day why it’s not really all that difficult. Sauseda’s father, Mark, was his coach from the time Sauseda began wrestling in the third grade and was in his corner for every match. “He never yelled, never scolded me,” says Sauseda. “Win or lose, he always told me he loved me and shook my hand. That was the best thing. Even when I started winning, same thing. It was always a comforting feeling.”

I just want what s mine. Let s just go out there and wrestle. Morgan Sauseda

City College sophomore wrestler

The youngest of three brothers, Morgan was 11 when Mark was diagnosed with colon cancer. Originally thought to be a 90-day life sentence, Mark stretched it to four years before succumbing to the ﬁght at 49 years old.

Express · December 5, 2017

Morgan was 15 when his father died. Despite weekly chemotherapy sessions, Mark never missed a practice. “I think that’s where I draw a lot of my motivation from,” says Sauseda. “He’d show up and coach practice the same day. He didn’t have to do that. I think of pushing hard through one practice. Two hours is nothing. When something is hard, I just think about that.” After his father’s death, Sauseda made goals of becoming a state-placer in wrestling at Chico High School. Missing the cut during his ﬁrst three years, he felt his senior season was his best shot. Two weeks into the postseason, Sauseda was poised to reach his goals until a fractured knee cap pulled the rug from under him. “It was super depressing because you’ve worked so hard for one moment, and that’s the reason why you didn’t accomplish your goal?” says Sauseda. “It felt like everything I did was for nothing.” But three years later, Sauseda has stayed the course, and he sits poised once again for a state title run with an overall record of 23-7. “He’s the bright light as far as leadership,” says City head wrestling coach Dave Pacheco. “When he says something, · · ·

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people know it’s important and that he knows what he’s talking about.” Before leading his teams on the mat, Morgan and his older brother, Mason, would have wrestling matches in their living room, just like all brothers do. Although Mason was older by nearly three years, he insists that Morgan has always been better. “He’s just a natural,” says Mason. “I’m his biggest fan. I remember watching him wrestle in high school. I was a senior and he was a freshman. Watching his matches would get me pumped for mine.” The two brothers faced each other last season for the ﬁrst ofﬁcial match since the days in the living room. With family bragging rights on the line, Mason won a close overtime bout in what he called one of the hardest things he’s ever done. “I got lucky,” Mason says of his match with Morgan. “Nine out of 10 times, he beats me.” Of Sauseda’s seven losses, four have been to Brandon Bettencourt from Fresno City College, the only wrestler ahead of Sauseda in the 125-pound rankings. Despite those four losses, Sauseda has the guidance of Mason, who defeated Bettencourt while wrestling for Simpson University last year. Morgan hopes that SCCEXPRESSNEWS

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Mason’s advice and experience will help him get over the hump. “I just tell him to relax and do his thing,” says Mason, who still trains with Morgan whenever they have the chance. “He’s better than I am, and he’s better than that kid. It’s all a matter of just believing and knowing how good he is.” Morgan placed second in his weight class at the North Regional Championships Mason plans to be there when Morgan competes in the state championships the on Dec. 8–9 at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton. Sauseda finished fourth in the state in his weight class last year. Despite Sauseda’s success to this point, he knows he must redirect his focus to what lies ahead. “What you did in the past means nothing,” says Pacheco. “It’s how much you’ve improved on yourself. He’s got the right mindset.” Silently intense and selfishly focused, Sauseda won’t be satisfied until he has a grasp of what has eluded him for so long: the opportunity to wrestle in the state finals. “Let’s just go out there and wrestle,” he says. “I just want what’s mine.” Regardless of the outcome, Mark Sauseda would surely be proud. ♦ · · ·

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