CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
C M Y K
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WEDNESDAY l 11.20.19 OUR 70TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.
WOOD HASTENS RETIREMENT Family medical emergency drives chancellor to leave district a semester early
By Cindy Pantoja editor-in-chief
cpantoja.theadvocate@gmail.com
Months after announcing plans for an end-of-March 2020 retirement, district Chancellor Fred Wood again shocked the Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) community when he announced plans to vacate his post three months sooner than expected.
Dr. Wood initially made shock waves when he announced in a July 17 email to colleagues that his final day in service as chancellor would be March 31, 2020. Ho w e v e r, at the Nov. 13 Governing Wood Board meet-
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ing held at Diablo Valley College, Wood informed board trustees that he will retire earlier than planned due to a major family medical issue. The chancellor said his goal was to be involved with the hiring of the interim chancellor and he hoped to create a path for a smooth transition, but he was in a situation where he had to choose between his family and his job. Understandably, he chose his family.
“The pillars were financial literacy, black author symposium, and college-bound mindset. So we wanted the scholars to have an opportunity to get a vision of all three of those and how it could impact them.” — John Wade, athletic director
“My son had a terribly disfiguring accident. I’ve been pulled away from the district a lot,” Wood said. “I can’t continue helping my family and working as chancellor. I have to be fair to students and to the district.” Wood said he is confident that the district will continue to thrive due to the great leadership and wonderful employees that serve the students of Contra Costa County.
“The Governing Board will make an appointment of an interim/acting chancellor who will start service at the beginning of the new year,” he said. He also said students and employees in the district will be receiving more information regarding the recruitment of the next chancellor. SEE WOOD, PAGE 3
Symposium educates black males Event exposes college, high school students to finances, scholarships
By Jose Arebalo
There was a focus on instilling values that champion pursuing higher education and understanding it as an instrumental benefit. “To reach African American male students, one of the bigger issues they have to understand is the importance of education at this level,” Wade said. “Because K-12 you have to go. After that, you don’t have to, so we want to make sure they engage enough with the college to understand this a place for them.” With hopes of making students desire a college education for themselves, the symposium serves a great purpose. “A big thing for us is to make sure they understand Contra Costa College is here for them, It’s an opportunity. What better way to do than to get them on campus,” Wade said. The event opened with an introduction from Executive Director of the Richmond Police Activities League Larry Lewis. He told students they needed to succeed in overcoming the many difficulties and tasks in life. He also acknowledged that police officers may at times do things such as an attempt to illegally search you, but that the best option is to stay quiet and compli-
news editor
jarebalo.theadvocate@gmail.com
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Inspiration and care filled the campus as professionals from the African American community spoke to students about the importance and possibilities made available through the college experience. The African American Male Symposium featured presentations on three subjects — financial literacy, a mindset for college and a black author’s symposium. The event was attended by Contra Costa College students and high school students from the West Contra Costa Unified School District. The goal of the event was to expose young African American men to the real-life examples of scholarship as they approach adulthood and weigh the importance of academia. Athletic Director John Wade said, “The pillars were financial literacy, black author symposium, and college-bound mindset. So, we wanted the scholars to have an opportunity to get a vision of all three of those and how it could impact them.” The idea for the event came while attending a men of color event in West County last year, he said.
SEE SYMPOSIUM, PAGE 3
BELL MEETS WITH CAMPUS IN FIRESIDE HALL editor-in-chief
cpantoja.theadvocate@gmail.com
After months of unstable leadership, Contra Costa College now has Dr. Damon A. Bell as interim president and, hopefully, the person who will guide the campus to more stable ground. CCC has been functioning without a president and vice president since May. The Governing Board approved Bell’s just over a year and a half contract during the Nov. 13 Contra Costa Community College Governing Board meeting held at Diablo Valley College. His contract is slated to end June 30, 2021. Dr. Bell was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Compton. Bell has over 25 years of administrative experience, most of which has been at the community college level. His services include six years as vice president of student services at San Bernardino Valley College and a year serving as interim president of Ventura College. “I am very honored to be here and I’m looking forward to working with the folks here,” Bell said. “Primarily, I want to work through some of the issues on campus. I know the result will flow to the students as well.” FACEBOOK: /accentadvocate
n “I actually saw my
experience at UC San Diego as a failure. But to the contrary, it helped me to discover what I was passionate about.”
SABBATICAL MOTIVATES PROFESSOR
— Damon Bell, interim president
The interim president is no stranger to second chances. He struggled with the fast-moving pace of UC San Diego after he graduated from high school and decided to transfer to Los Angles Harbor College instead. After he thrived there, he realized the importance of helping students in a smaller setting. “I actually saw my experience at UC San Diego as a failure. But to the contrary, it helped me to discover what I was passionate about,” he said. “That is why I believe the students’ voice is equally as important as faculty and administrators.” Bell understands the division that CCC went through during the summer and believes, with his experience, he can offer a solution to the unrest that it is still present on campus. “I’ve experienced that in my own career. I’ve seen someone INSTAGRAM: @cccadvocate
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CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
Interim President Damon Bell (left) speaks with Associated Student President Preston Akubuo-Onwuemeka during a meetand-greet session for the new president at Fireside Hall Monday.
being treated unfairly and I wanted to stand up for them and fight for them to the bitter end,” Bell said. “I think people are passionate about the things that they want to do here. I want to make sure that people truly being treated fairly.” In a futile attempt to unite the campus after the resignation of Dr. Katrina VanderWoude, a collective of CCC administrators joined voicTWITTER: @accentadvocate
es and asked the district to allow them to be more involved in search of a new leader. The process was conducted in a way similar to permanent hiring procedures, which differed from practices to fill interim positions in the past. District Chancellor Fred Wood
LGBTQ+ workshops to be set up
SEE INTERIM, PAGE 3
PAGE 4 SNAPCHAT: @cccadv0cate
YOUTUBE: /accentadvocate
C M Y K
By Cindy Pantoja
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Quotable “Words set things in motion. I’ve seen them doing it. Words set up atmospheres, electrical fields, charges.” Toni Cade Bambara author 1980 Cindy Pantoja editor-in-chief Robert Clinton associate editor Xavier Johnson web editor Denis Perez creative director Stacie Guevara scene editor Luis Cortes sports editor Jose Arebalo news editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Fatima Carrasco Janet Lira Gonzalez Daniel Hernandez Wanda Gonzalez Jojuan Johnson Luis Lopez Jose Rivera De’Jon Sylvain Staff photographers Mary Barnes Denis Perez Janice Spraggins Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 2019, 2019 Member
Associated Collegiate Press
California Newspaper Publishers Association
Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.215.3852 Fax: 510.235.NEWS Email: accent.advocate@ gmail.com Editorial policy Columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of individual writers and artists and not that of The Advocate. Editorials reflect
opinion
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20, 2019 VOL. 109, NO. 8 ●
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM
EDITORIAL
TRANSPARENCY IS LIVE STREAM Events, meetings should be streamed in real time or later
A
t the community college level, especially Contra Costa College, enrollment seems to be at the forefront of every issue. It has become increasingly difficult to keep the students who are here engaged and, more importantly, up-to-date on campus information. Admittedly, a lot of the onus is on students to gather relevant information about their future, immediate or distant. It is what school is for. And it’s true, students don’t make it a priority to come hear an alum give a presentation on finding the best possible way path to success while using CCC as a stepping stone, even if it’s in an interesting field of study. However, in many cases, the ability to gather information is out of reach for the average student and increasingly, recently, that knowledge that students are missing out on has immediate effects on their college experience. To make things more compatible with the lives of modern students, all important events on campus should be streamed. The technology is available. Video shot from my doorbell looks better than the TV shows my mother grew up watching, so it has to be good enough for a funding meeting. Many of the students at community college are older and understand if students don’t show interest in what makes the school tick, administrators will think they don’t care. Last Wednesday, with CCC on the verge of choosing its next interim president, a student wanted to go to the Governing Board meeting to watch it all unfold. She knew the meetings were usually held in at the District Office in Martinez, so she picked her kids up from school, fed them and hopped on the road to the meeting. What she didn’t know was that the meeting was at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill. Despite their being just 6.5 miles between the two locales, the fact that the meeting was held at DVC was enough for her to miss an opportunity to be at the meeting and observe the proceedings. It is something that did not have to happen. The problem begs the question, why aren’t all district and on-campus administrative events live-streamed? The campus already uses selective live streaming for some sporting and entertainment events. It would be more meaningful for College Council or Governing Board meetings. The video doesn’t have to include fancy graphics or a 3D picture to accompany a smart TV’s ambient back lighting. It can be a one camera shot, similar to C-SPAN and would simply be a tool to ensure the college and district communities remain informed on issues of importance. District Chancellor Fred Wood said no one has ever been against the idea but that it has never been seriously discussed. He also noted the problems offering unvetted members of the community a spot in front of a live camera could bring. It is possible that some of the meetings will have zero viewers, but acting in the name of transparency and allowing students and the college community access to these meetings would be a giant step toward having a more informed and engaged student body.
DE’JON SYLVAIN / THE ADVOCATE
■ OPPRESSION
Black, queer voices lead fight for equality T he perception the world has of me is formed through historical ignorance that has been instilled in the minds of every generation. Although the First Amendment alleges to support freedom of expression, politics has identified my people as immoral. Ignorance and bigotry against black and LGBTQ people in America is still alive and well and despite the incremental progress made by people in entertainment, the real world still has a long way to go. Systematic oppression and concentrated economic insecurity excludes those without privileged status from many of the advantages a social safety net offers. Members of the Catholic patriarchal oligarchy and evangelicals are the rooting advocates against non-traditional sexual relations. From their perspective, the prevailing idea about homosexuality has been that it is “intrinsically immoral and contrary to natural law.” This occurs despite the idea that these notions fade as time goes on because bigots eventually die or because people step outside their comfort zone and interact with someone with different perspectives or a different way of life. Moral blindness, lack of sympathy and recognition excludes minorities from retrieving social or political representation. As queer people of color, the conversation begins
America’s Most Wanted. I am viewed as being self-destructive, uninformed, unethical, oppressive and undesirable. I was once told that I wasn’t right-minded to be successful in life. These standards and ideals have formed what with us. America is today — a place To take a position that uses differences to against social shame, we determine equal chances need to address the issue and opportunity. firsthand. LGBTQ people of color As a community, we continue to face numbness have to present fundamen- inside their own commutal ideas and terms that nities — it’s something that might be is always surprising when useful in it happens, but never feels Black building like a major shock. underAmericans have noted and standing in their position on the stigma, which creates barriers LGBTQ society. Despite against non-conformists. age, sex, However, the tide has history and race, ethbegun to shift and things culare slowly beginning to culture nicity, ture or lan- change through gender our nonconformity ushered in is one that guage laws should in an era of uncertainty for the majority of the hetershould be ensure value for all onormative community. Heteronormativity recognized people. To assumes the optimal couple consists of people from and accomplish creating a the opposite sex and belief comprehen- that heterosexuality, prediaccepted. sive society, cated on the gender binary, there must is the norm or default sexbe a general discussion ual orientation. where assorted perspecWe must also accept tives are expressed. a set of common truths Black and LGBTQ histo- about political issues that ry and culture is one that have brought society to a should be recognized and standstill. accepted. Since I am an African De’Jon Sylvain is a staff American gay male, I am writer and illustrator for The consistently stereotyped by Advocate. Contact her at my pigmentation and ori- dsylvain.theadvocate@gmail. entation. com. I am what you consider
de’jonsylvain
CAMPUS COMMENT
How soon before the end of the semester do you start asking for extra credit?
“I absolutely ask for
extra credit from day one.” Sangodogbon Akinsoga philosophy
“I always ask at the
“I ask for extra credit
“I ask when I have a
beginning of the semester if it’s not in the syllabus.”
three or four weeks before the end of the semester.”
Cynthia Almaraz
Preston AkubuoOnwuemeka
Edward Sartin
political science
FATIMA CARRASCO/ THE ADVOCATE
MCHS
low grade or just to make sure I don’t fail the class.” sociology
“I usually ask at the
beginning of the semester when the professor is going over the syllabus.” Stephanie Villalobos health science
“Usually students ask
for extra credit whenever they are not doing well in class.” Agustin Palacios professor
campusbeat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 11.20.2019 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
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NEWSLINE WOOD | Retirement moved earlier than announced EVENT
COPA CLUB HOSTS DEBATE WATCH PARTY
The COPA club will be hosting a watch party today in Fireside Hall at 5 p.m. for the fourth Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate. Students interested in the debate should attend. There will be discussions, food and prizes. Attendees will watch and discuss the debate and with pizza and drinks provided. During the watch party there will be a drawing for two prizes — a spring semester parking pass and a $75 Pandora bracelet. For any questions, contact vgonzales@contracosta.edu.
WORKSHOP
Continued from Page 1 The district intends to move forward with the hiring of the next chancellor by following regulations laid out in Board Policy 2057. According to the policy, the Screening and Interview committees for the position of chancellor shall be comprised of the following members from Krolikowski the college/ district undergoing the search — one representative proposed by management council, one representative proposed by United Faculty and three representatives proposed by
the Faculty Senate Coordinating Council. There will also be one representative proposed by Local 1, two representatives proposed by the Classified Senate Coordinating Council, one representative from the Confidential Employees Group, one representative proposed by the associated student body presidents and one alternate. To fill out the selection process, there will be eight appointments by the Governing Board. They will include two contract administrators and one Governing Board member, selected by a vote of the board. There will also be up to five community representatives, one appointed by each Governing Board member, one non-voting representative proposed by the District Equal Employment
Opportunity Advisory Committee (DEEOAC). The Governing Board or designee shall give final approval of the Screening and Interview committees composition. The chairpersons of each committee shall be appointed by Governing Board vote. Academic Senate President Katherine Krolikowski said the district faculty senate Coordinating Council is the representative body for the three senate bodies (CCC, Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College) that represents faculty of the three colleges in the district. “In our next meeting on Dec. 3 we will talk about how they will get nominations to that committee,” Krolikowski said. “I’m sure we will talk about our procedure on making the decision on who
will serve.” CCC Interim President Damon Bell said, “This is a districtwide decision and I’m sure the board is doing its best to determine who will continue leading us.” The district Governing Board met at the George R. Gordon Education Center on Nov. 4 for a special meeting where it decided who will conduct the search for the next chancellor. Wood said the Governing Board heard presentations from Collaborative Brain Trust and Academic Search, Inc., and following discussion, chose Collaborative Brain Trust to conduct an executive search for the next chancellor. The contract agreement was created and then approved at the Nov. 13 Governing Board meeting at DVC.
WORKSHOP AIMED AT HELPING STUDENTS
SYMPOSIUM | Importance of mentorship stressed
The Contra Costa College Library will host a workshop to help students get familiar with the online program Noodle Tools in the learning Resource Center on Friday at 10 a.m. The workshop will help students with using Noodle Tools while also showing them how to avoid plagiarism when using it. Noodle Tools is an online tool designed to help students plan, complete and collaborate on projects. The online program also helps students create bibliographies and work cited pages. For more information about the workshop, call the Library reference desk at 510-215-4897.
Continued from Page 1
EVENT
OAKLAND TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Experience the tree lighting ceremony at Jack London Square in Oakland Friday at 5 p.m. The event begins at 5 p.m. and the tree lighting ceremony will be at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony is free and one of Oakland’s longest running traditions. Attendees of the event can expect festive holiday entertainment and a local artisan market. The event is sure to be a hit so be sure to get early to enjoy it all.
MEETING
COMMITTEE CHARTS CAMPUS DIRECTION Get valuable information on transferring, have your transfer application reviewed by a counselor and receive much more help at the Coffee, Bagels+ College Application event being held in SA-227 on Saturday at 9 a.m. Students will also receive help with personal insight questions and short essays. To be prepared, students should bring all unofficial transcripts and a rough draft of short essay applications printed or in Google Docs to receive help on it. For more information, contact the Career/Transfer Center at 510215-3914 or email Andrea Phillips at aphillips@contracosta.edu.
CORRECTION In the Nov. 13 issue of The Advocate on page 5 in the story titled “Political club hosts ‘US’ film viewing” Alfredo Angulo’s last name is misspelled. The Advocate regrets this error.
CRIMEWATCH Tuesday, Oct. 29 - Tuesday, Nov. 19. No new crimes were posted for Contra Costa College on the Contra Costa Community College District Daily Crime Log. — The Contra Costa Community College District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and campus life. The District does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in College programs, activities, and application for employment.
ant to avoid further escalation. He used his son who was once beaten by officers as an example. Despite a serious and tense introduction, there were many reasons to be happy at the event. “It really gives me hope. It’s a positive thing in that we work together as a community to make a difference in the lives of young people. When we all come together, it’s amazing the work that we can do,” Lewis said. Lewis pointed to the lack of “positive adult role models in the lives of these young people.” “I’m pleased to see all these adults directing these young people. I think that young people like this can really benefit from positive adult role models in their lives. Everybody here, even the Ph.D.’s, were them at one time,” Lewis said. The event had many role models to offer, with professors and authors sharing their insights and knowledge. The African American Author Symposium was an opportunity for local youth to see examples of important, maybe even neglected, parts of history be memorialized in writing. There were books covering the history of the Black Panther movement, African American workers fighting for equal pay, African Civilization at the apex of its influence, students in sports and the history of music as a basic form of communication. History, anthropology and geography department Chairperson Manu Ampim was one of the speakers at the event. “One take away is the merging of the campus and local high schools in the community — to have students come to the campus for an event that features positive examples of African American men,” Ampim said. “This particular seminar has men as writers and scholars.” One of the students in attendance felt that the symposium was doing great work. “It’s building African American males to be leaders,” psychology major Rave Gutfeld said. “It’s confronting history, teaching them they have to fight for what they believe is right.” A lecture was given by EOPS/ CARE and CalWORKs Manager George Mills on how to prepare for success in college. His presentation had students laughing and learning.
CINDY PANTOJA/ THE ADVOCATE
Professor Elliott Spirit encourages students to get educated and advance their knowledge of people of African descent during the Contra Costa College African American Male Symposium held Friday in GE-225.
INTERIM | Leadership position filled after months Continued from Page 1 said this interim hiring was different from with previous new hires because people wanted to be more engaged in the process. “The campus asked for a different process. They said they would like more input,” Dr. Wood said. “They said they would like to be engaged early on, and I thought that was good in terms of the process.” The district is used to a process that involves a small hiring committee that is very fast and expedient with its final decision. Early on in the hiring process, Wood suggested forming a small group. However, students, staff and administrators raised their voices to demand a bigger hiring committee with an extended
n “The campus asked for
a different process. They said they would like more input. They said they would like to be engaged early on, and I thought that was good in terms of the process.” — Fred Wood, district chancellor
timeline. “I want to give credit where credit is due, Academic Senate President Katherine Krolikowski, Classified Senate President Brandy Gibson and Institutional Effectiveness and Equity Dean Mayra Padilla were very productive,” Wood said. “They did a great job in engaging the community
and bringing people together to form the right committee.” During the summer, Business Director Mariles Magalong stepped in as acting president for two months, but left for a previously planned extended vacation. Then, district Executive Vice Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh took over as acting president. Her addition brought a much-needed boost to the campus’ morale, Wood said. Krolikowski said CCC needs Dr. Bell’s experience to move forward and also sees the campus community as being ready to work with him. “I think he is open to listening to lots of points of view. He seems very interested in getting to know all the different people on campus and he wants lots of input,” Krolikowski said.
“I really feel good about someone who asks for support and help from all of us.” On Monday, Dr. Bell was officially introduced to the campus community in Fireside Hall at an informal gathering where a variety of snacks and beverages were offered to attendees. Bell warmly introduced himself to each person. He patiently listened to their concerns and answered as many questions as he could in three hours. Foundation Development Officer Sara Marcellino said there is a lot of stuff that needs Bell’s attention, but she is hopeful that with time he is going to bring a positive change to campus. “Good leadership matters. In our case, we are in desperate need of someone who helps us to move forward,” Marcellino said.
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campusbeat
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 11.20.2019 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
Students gather around a newly arrived shipment of food for the campus Food Pantry and begin unpacking it and take it to SA-234, where it is stored.
JANICE SPRAGGINS / THE ADVOCATE
Food Pantry assuages campus food insecurity By Jose Rivera advocate staff
jrivera.theadvocate@gmail.com
Unaware students may be flushing money down the drain by not taking advantage of free programs offered by Student Life and other offices on campus that offer support. Students on campus struggle every day to get a meal for different reasons, and when they take advantage of these programs, they are never interrogated about their motives. The Free Breakfast Program is run by Student Life Office and the Associated Student Union (ASU) in collaboration with culinary arts. According to Student Life Coordinator Charles Ramirez, between 150 and 200 people take
n “Currently we are doing as much advertising as we can. We do social media and sometimes emails.”
—Charles Ramirez,Student Life adviser
advantage of the services, which are provided Monday to Thursday every week from 8-10:30 a.m. Once a student is set to get their free breakfast, sometimes two options will be offered to them. On Friday, one of the options was a plate of scrambled eggs with potatoes. Contra Costa College alum Ellis Miller said he tried it during the spring semester of 2018 and
said the free food was not actually enjoyable, but it will get someone through the day. He said if he had to rate the food, he would give it six out of 10 in comparison with other breakfasts he has had before. “It wasn’t as good, but it wasn’t as bad as other places,” Miller said. Ramirez said the process is simple. All students need is to go to the ASU Office next to the Student Lounge in the Student and Administration Building and show their college ID to receive a free breakfast. The program is in the process of catching more students’ attention and has had an increasing number of students take advantage of everything the program. “Currently we are doing as
much advertising as we can,” Ramirez said. “We do social media and sometimes emails to students and staff so they can also let people know about the free services.” Vincent Garcia, who has not yet decided on a major, said the food is mostly meant to help students who have a long day or people who don’t have the time to prepare breakfast. The program is designed for students who have financial problems or for any other reason that would affect their ability to produce a breakfast before classes. Garcia said he fully supports programs that help students with their personal expenses and that the program makes it easier for students to have a productive day. The ASU at CCC also offers a
Food Pantry program where students experiencing financial hardship or food insecurity can find a relief from food expenses. The food pantry is located in SA-234 and any CCC student is eligible to receive food. The pop-up market is another way students can take advantage of free food. The market is hosted every Wednesday from 10-11 a.m. in front of the SA Building “if the weather allows us to do it, of course,” Ramirez said. This food is brought from the local food banks and is meant to be given to students who need it. They can take it home and share with family and friends too. Ramirez said few people know free food is available on campus.
BANKHEAD RESIGNS, SPARKPOINT SHIFTS LEADER
By Fatima Carrasco advocate staff
fcarrasco.theadvocate@gmail.com
SparkPoint opened an office in Contra Costa College in 2016 and since then, SparkPoint coordinator Bill Bankhead has been there to offer services to students, faculty and staff in the pursuit of economic success. “SparkPoint provides free workshops and one-on-one coaching for students who are unable to financially support themselves,” Bankhead said. However, last month Bankhead resigned his position as SparkPoint
coordinator at CCC. “Bill’s last day was Oct. 12 and he is now working at another community college,” administrative assistant Jill Binker said. SparkPoint is a non-profit organization where low-income people can have access to services that will allow them to achieve “long-term financial stability.” At Contra Costa College, SparkPoint has an office located in the first room in the Welcome Center and on the second floor of the Student and Administration Building. Every student on campus
has access to one-on-one financial coaching and information on how to make wise financial decisions that will benefit them. Currently, Bankhead has taken up a position at Los Medanos College as a program manager for their Workforce and Economic Development Department. There, Bankhead will still be in connection to SparkPoint, as they expand throughout the Contra Costa Community College District and Adult Education Program. As of Oct. 14, Meghan Cadmus, site coordinator for SparkPoint, has officially taken over Bankhead’s
position. “She will be permanently taking over for Bankhead,” Binker said. According to Cadmus, until someone new is hired to take her place in the Richmond office, she will have to split her time between the two sites. “I’m still in transition. Until we hire someone at the Richmond office, I will be working part-time here and part-time there,” Cadmus said. She will be on campus every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. In the meantime, financial coach Ingrid Alfaro, will be there on
Wednesdays and Binker on Thursdays. Even though she is still transitioning, Cadmus says she is ready to take up Bankhead’s position and start helping the community. “Bill set me up well — he left me notes on who to contact for what and instructions on how to do things here on campus.” Meghan says that she is excited to begin helping people, meeting new people and learning about the campus. “It is so much bigger than I thought,” she said.
workshops focused on lgbtq inclusivity By De’Jon Sylvain advocate staff
dsylvain.theadvocate@gmail.com
Sometimes spaces that embrace tolerance and inclusivity don’t actually fund these ideas. However, an LGBTQ-focused program, Rainbow, is set to challenge heteronormativity with resources, courses and services that support queer students at Contra Costa College. Rainbow is the brainchild of ASU Vice President Alfredo Angulo and first year student Aubrey Kelly. The organization does not only bring issues ILLUSTRATION BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE to light about the
troubles queer students face on and off campus, but also celebrates progress and promotes equality within the community. As director of Rainbow, Angulo recommended that the Associated Student Union (ASU) work together with Rainbow on a portion of the programs, workshops and events planned for the upcoming spring semester. Rainbow also intends to have a “Queer Prom” and an event covering the impact of language next semester. The ASU Board felt it was necessary to ensure the LGBTQ students understand they are welcome and a significant piece of the Contra Costa College community. “It is imperative for us to be able to express our opinions and thoughts without the worry that we’ll receive backlash,” Angulo
said. La Raza studies guides students to become more aware of social issues. With the spark of the recent LGBTQ studies course, Dr. Agustín Palacios, Chicano/La Raza studies department chairperson, said it contributes to the rise of inclusiveness right here on campus. It wasn’t until his second semester that Angulo started searching for approaches to get involved and push for representation on campus. “Historically, queer people of color have been excluded from decision-making and that’s got to change,” Angulo said. “This is a diverse nation and as the nation’s demographics shift even more, we have to make sure that those making decisions reflect those that will be affected by said
decisions,” Angulo said. Angulo said it is easy for LGBTQ youth to become mentally isolated when they don’t feel they can express themselves freely and don’t have a sense of security within their communities. “As time passes and our efforts to foster inclusivity show fruit, I think queer folks and queer people of color will be encouraged to demand a part in the decision-making process,” Angulo said. He also said CCC is steering in the correct direction with regards to LGBTQ inclusivity. Drama department Chairperson Carlos-Manuel Chavarria has helped create a supportive environment for the LGBTQ+ community with SafeZone, a faculty program that trains staff to become more aware of the queer community.
spotlight Year-long sabbatical broadens perspective
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 11.20.2019 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
By Jose Arebalo news editor
jarebalo.theadvocate@gmail.com
Is there a better way to spend a year than enriching your life professionally and servicing those around you who are in the most need of support? This is exactly how counselor Norma Valdez-Jimenez used her time away from the Contra Costa College campus during the 201819 academic year. “I wanted to do service in a different way than I know,” ValdezJimenez said. On her sabbatical, she took time out as a student earning a 12-unit graduate certificate in ethnic studies at San Francisco State University. She also decided to work as a translator at a non-profit hospital in Central America. Then she researched how equity is being implemented across multiple Puente programs. A sabbatical is approved by a district-level board that decides if the result of the trip will provide some benefit both professionally and back to the students. “You have to promote something that demonstrates value to the students you serve, to the institution — to your colleagues,” she said. Valdez-Jimenez noticed other colleagues would come back from a sabbatical with new information and energy, so she felt it was a good time to take one. The year-long absence inspired multiple projects for the counselor. Currently, she is working on co-editing a book with the Puente project and is now also on their training team. “I feel like our team rallied and came together to make sure the Puente project was still up and running,” counseling instructional assistant Vanessa Johnson said. “Her presence was missed, but I feel like our department supported her.” During her sabbatical, ValdezJimenez wanted to be somewhere near the U.S.-Mexico border or Central America, she said. With that in mind, she went on a trip that she always knew she wanted to take — to get to know the people of Guatemala. “I wanted to know what some of Guatemala is like and I realized that it’s the same people that I’m serving here,” she said. During her travels she served as a medical translator for hospital staff at the Hospital de la Familia Foundation. The foundation is a Bay
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I met in Guatemala could be the exact same families that I serve here at the college.” — Norma Valdez-Jimenez, counselor
Area-centered nonprofit that provides medical care and aid to Guatemalans through a hospital located in Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala. “Some of the families I met in Guatemala could be the exact same families that I serve here at the college,” Valdez-Jimenez said. Some of the people she worked with were families who had been part of large groups of people fleeing oppression or death in their home countries. Even though they were hundreds of miles apart, she could see how the families’ stories and experiences were similar to the ones she hears from some in the CCC community. Valdez-Jimenez wanted to understand the economic factors of what was happening in Guatemala, so she transplanted herself there. She also got a firsthand account of the extreme poverty in the communities she served in Guatemala. The counselor noted the times families could not afford the full price of urgent surgeries. Acting in goodwill, the hospital would then allow people to pay simply what they could afford. “A lot of times the surgeries were urgent — folks coming in severe pain needing surgery right away and the hospital treated them practically for free,” ValdezJimenez said. The third part of her sabbatical was a professional study in which she traveled and watched Puente practices implemented on other campuses. Valdez-Jimenez interviewed Puente practitioners and observed classes that were looking past just a student’s Latino identity. “I looked at Puente practices that I felt were equity-minded, meaning that they have this intention of looking beyond just ‘oh, we have a Latino student in our class.’ They were looking at students from multiple identities,” she said. Spending time looking at how other colleges implement their programs has given Valdez-Jimenez a fresh perspective on what can be done at CCC. “What I hope to bring back to
SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE
Counselor Norma Valdez-Jimenez hugs a child who received medical services at a non-profit hospital in Guatemala during her year-long sabbatical in Central America.
the college is an excitement to do this work in a way that is more equity-minded,” Valdez-Jimenez said. “Having a better understanding and more awareness about the complexities of our students are
things these programs looked at,” she said. Now that she is back on campus, her co-workers are happy to hear her laugh fill the hallways. Counselor Maricela Zambrano said her being away could be felt
just like the Warriors miss Steph Curry. The could feel something missing. “The minute she came back everyone knew. She has this natural ability to make people smile,” Zambrano said.
ASU reforms bylaws to encourage participation By Jose Arebalo news editor
jarebalo.theadvocate@gmail.com
As the semester strides past its halfway point, the Associated Student Union (ASU) has begun to allow recruitment of new senators past previous application deadlines and has revised bylaws on stipends for some positions. “Since we didn’t want to refuse anyone, it made sense for us to let them stay with the condition of them not getting a stipend this semester,” Vice President of Club Affairs Ricardo Sanchez said. In the past three weeks, there have been new members joining the ASU leadership past the application deadline, he said. When a semester ends, members of the ASU Board receive a stipend corresponding to their position. According to previously drafted bylaws, they are $500 per executive, $350 per director and $250 per senator. Students kept asking about joining the board after the application deadline, which is the eighth week of the semester. In response, procedures had to be solidified to determine which students would be receiving a stipend at the end of the semester. “In previous years there was supposed to be a meeting with the president and the adviser and then they will determine if a person did their job during a semester,” Sanchez said. Moving forward, students will meet with the pres-
CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
Chris Siriyam (left), Associated Student Union President Preston Akubuo-Onwuemeka (middle) and Shreejal Luitel (right) meet in the Associated Student Union Office in SA-109.
ident, adviser and the vice president, if available, to evaluate if they are fulfilling the responsibilities of their positions. A recommendation will then be given to the board after which a vote will take place to determine if a stipend should be awarded, he said. “What happened last semester was the last three meetings were to determine who deserves a stipend and who does not,” Sanchez said. Last semester, the process left room for students to feel personally attacked if others suggested not awarding a stipend.
“Our main focus this semester was to structure everything so that way we don’t have those arguments,” Sanchez said. In the spirit of improvement, the board is updating its written rules to help keep the organization running efficiently, he said. “We want to make sure that some of what is assumed as common knowledge is actually written in the bylaws somewhere,” Student Life Coordinator Charles Ramirez said. The board wants to minimize the time spent on frivolous matters so they can focus during meetings on things they can do for students.
In the same direction, student opportunity is what drove the decision to allow students to join past the application deadline. “We do not want a deadline to discourage or deny students from the opportunity to get engaged and make a change on their campus,” Ramirez said. Director of Public Relations Kimyatta Newby said, “A lot of our bylaw changes were to just restructure, to make clear what ASU is doing and what members’ responsibilities are.” The primary goal was to remove any uncertainty in how
things function. “The bylaws are there for the members to be able to read and know what our jobs are supposed to be,” Newby said. With a new board full of fresh members, there has been a shift in the dynamic at meetings. Last semester was filled with discourse across the table and now things are moving efficiently with a few main executives running the show. The board plans to incorporate ice breakers into its meetings to help foster camaraderie. With a steady focus on daily proceedings, the board is clearing up any confusion around their position term lengths as well. “When you have a position, it’s for a year,” ASU Vice President Alfredo Angulo said. “There’s nowhere that it says interim positions are for a year, but when the board puts you in that position, whether you’re an interim or not, you’re still in that position. They want us to specify that the interim position would last a year.” The clarification will provide guidance to boards in the coming years as leadership constantly shifts, especially at a two-year college. The ASU board is making sure the things that are assumed and historically passed down through advisers are written down. This way, students have proof to point toward in the case of any confusion.
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WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 11.20.2019 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL RALLIES For
Photos by Dan Hernandez
more photos, please visit our website: www.cccadvocate.com
LEFT: The Middle College High School (MCHS) Royal Dance Crew performs a choreographed dance routine during a rally in the Amphitheater on Friday.
ABOVE: Students and staff paid $3 to toss pies at Middle College High School student Jorell Morris in the Amphitheater as part of a junior class fundraiser during an intermission at the MCHS rally on Friday.
LEFT: Middle College Hight Students students Amber Ouyang (middle), Cynthia Chaiyasith (right) and Myvi Tran (left) prepare tostilocos as part of a sophomore class fundraiser during the MCHS rally in the Amphitheater on Friday.
LEFT: Middle College High School junior Mikayla Cortez makes her way to the center of the Amphitheater to perform an original song with her ukulele during the MCHS rally on Friday