March 7, 2018
coastreportonline.com
Volume 72, No. 10
Packing heat on a college campus District resists arming campus officers
Officials say they are focussed on training personnel if there’s a shooter. BY MARGHERITA BEALE MANAGING EDITOR
In light of the nation’s latest school shooting, the Coast Community College District insists that the possibility of arming Campus Safety officers is not being explored. After an all too familiar rampage that left 17 Florida high school students dead, gun control and what that means for campuses nationwide has seemingly returned to the forefront of the conversation. District officials said that currently, there are no talks on the table of arming Campus Safety officers. “The decision was almost exactly split so I just think that the chancellor nor the board has
brought this up as a viable option to explore,” district Director of Public Affairs, Marketing and Government Relations Letitia Clark said. “It’s best to just currently invest in the safety resources we have on our campuses.” According to Clark, the district is continuing to work with the Campus Safety officers on all three colleges it represents. Campus Safety officers are currently undergoing training in the instance that there is an active shooter on campus. “I just did three presentations on Flex Day to faculty and staff about active shooter training responses,” Chief of Campus Safety John Farmer said. Orange Coast College has a unique advantage in terms of safety in that the Costa Mesa Police Department is right across the street on Fair Drive. This proximity means that CMPD police officers could respond to an emergency situation just as quickly
Some teachers recoil at thought of being armed
as Campus Safety, Farmer said. Much like the district, Farmer said his team’s opinion on whether or not they should be armed remains split. “It’s like any other opinion. Some are for it. Some are against it. Some don’t care. I have ex-police officers that work here for me and then I have people that have never been police officers that I’ve brought up through the ranks,” Farmer said. Farmer said the school has an active shooter plan on OCC’s website including a 20-minute video that encompasses strategies for how to deal with an active shooter. “There’s a lot of videos that you can access and we felt that this one was the best one. Some of them were way too graphic. Some too short. Some too long. It goes over the run hide or fight scenario that you can exercise based on what the scenario of the shooting is. Do whatever you can do to survive,” Farmer said.
OCC instructors say they are not interested in carrying guns. BY LISETTE SALDIVAR STAFF WRITER
Many teachers at Orange Coast College, as well as their colleagues across the country, say that arming instructors in an effort to protect students is misguided and dangerous. In an effort to respond to the murder of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month, President Donald Trump suggested arming “highly adept” teachers with firearms to protect their classrooms. In a tweet advocating for bringing guns into classrooms Trump wrote, “Armed Educators (and trusted people who work within a school) love our students and will
protect them. Very smart people. Must be firearms adept & have annual training. Should get yearly bonus. Shootings will not happen again - a big & very inexpensive deterrent. Up to States.” Rendell Drew, a political science instructor at OCC, said arming teachers could be a response to school violence, but not the only one, adding that as a former law enforcement official himself he would be nervous with that responsibility. “I don’t want to carry a gun. I like guns and I support the right, but I don’t want to carry one,” he said. “I don’t want to be made to have that responsibility. And what if we make a mistake?” Drew’s colleague in political science, Vesna Marcina, said she isn’t comfortable with teachers carrying guns to school and she wouldn’t send her child to a school that armed its teachers. “The government is entirely capable of protecting our safety,”
Marcina said. “It should do its job.” Drew said that while he supports the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms, national leaders need to come together to solve the problem of violence in schools. “This is not a Democratic or Republican thing,” he said. “This is a common sense thing that we as a country need to pull together on.” Like other instructors, Marcina said she wouldn’t feel safe working in a school where teachers are armed, adding that security is the job of law enforcement and instructors are there to teach. “I prefer that police officers get the training they need and then practice the skills necessary to do their jobs well. And I’m only speaking of skills here. There is also the question of disposition, which complicates things even further,” Marcina said. When asked about Trump’s See GUNS Page 4
Proposed bill could slash financial aid the country’s student financial aid system. In an effort to revise existing legislation, the Trump administration last month released its 2019 budget proposal to change the federal government’s spending. According to an article in the BY MARGHERITA BEALE Washington Post, the administraMANAGING EDITOR tion is looking to cut more than $3 billion from the Education Students expecting to borrow Department while investing $1.6 money from the government to billion to support private school pay for their college education vouchers and other school choice could be in for a big surprise programs. if a proposed bill known as the The Prosper Act was approved Prosper Act — which aims to by the U.S. House Committee consolidate federal grants — is on Education and the Workapproved. force Committee late last year The bill will, in effect, cut by by a vote of 23 to 17 but is not more than half the maximum yet scheduled for a vote by the amount of money many under- House of Representatives. graduate students Serban said the can borrow. bill could look While students “The idea is to envery different by can currently bor- courage students to the time it hits the row up to $55,500 look to different ways floor. if they are inde- of paying for attendThe district’s pendent or $31,000 board of trusta s d e p e n d e n t s , ing a college and not ees has officialif passed the bill be so dependent on ly opposed the will reduce those borrowing.” proposed bill amounts to $14,500 and sent a letter for independent stuto Rep. Dana dents and $7,500 for Andreea Serban Rohrabacher dependent students. Vice chancellor (R-Costa Mesa) In California, the on Feb. 21 outlinamount borrowed ing their specific cannot surpass the concerns. Actotal cost of attendance. cording to the district’s Director “The idea is to encourage stu- of Public Affairs, Marketing and dents to look to different ways Government Relations Letitia of paying for attending a college Clark, Board Clerk Jim Moreand not be so dependent on bor- no, Trustee Jerry Patterson and rowing. Depending on which Chancellor John Weispfenning side you’re looking at, there is a attended the Association of plus and a minus,” said Andreea Community College Trustees Serban, Coast Community Col- National Legislative Summit lege District’s vice chancellor in Washington, D.C. from Feb. of Educational Services and 11 to 14 to discuss the Prosper Technology. “The aspects that Act and the Deferred Action on are more of a concern are that Childhood Arrivals program. it would reduce the amount that “It’s still in the early stages but students can borrow.” we’re keeping a close eye on it. While students pursuing ac- That’s why it’s important that the ademic degrees could suffer leadership voice their concerns under the new legislation, those now so that legislators can make enrolled in career and technical changes. The earlier we do that education programs could see the better,” Clark said. a windfall. The act will for the Among the district board’s first time make the Pell Grant chief concerns are the end of critavailable to students in these ical programs such as the Federal programs. Supplemental Education OpporProsper, which stands for tunity grants, the shortening of Promoting Real Opportunity, the time period in which students Success and Prosperity through can carry debt in the terms of Education Reform, is meant loans and the elimination of to amend and reauthorize the the Title III-A program, which original 1965 Higher Education Act, a federal law that defines See GRANTS Page 4
Amounts available to students would decrease in new legislation.
Photo courtesy of Orangte Coast College
The Orange Coast College men’s basketball team celebrates its win against Citrus College on Saturday. The Pirates will face Fresno City College on Friday at 5 p.m. at Ventura College in its bid for the state championship.
Party like it’s 1979 Pirates win 13 straight in one of its most successful seasons in decades. BY SPENCER GOLANKA, SPORTS EDITOR The Orange Coast College men’s basketball team continues its historic run with an 80-77 win over Citrus College, with hopes of earning its second state title in one of its most successful seasons in nearly 40 years. Since its last state title in 1979, OCC has endured its fair share of underwhelming seasons. They barely mustered an 8-19 record in 2017, but boast 22 wins and counting this campaign. Although Citrus, in Saturday’s Southern California Regional Final, posed a colossal three-point shooting threat, the Pirates out-defended and rebounded their opponents, fulfilling head coach Steve Spencer’s game plan. Coast proved its worth on the biggest stage. Winning their first Orange Empire Conference Championship since 1979 in the midst of one of their most defiant seasons aided in its preparation for the California Community College Athletic Association Men’s Basketball State Championship Tournament on Friday. A testament to their talent and athleticism, freshman center Joshua Davis and sophomore forward Kupaa Harrison earned co-OEC MVP honors for the regular season. Davis boasts a team high 61.9 field goal percentage while
Harrison has played the most minutes, averaging 15.6 points per game. Sophomore guard Jumoke Walker was named OEC Defensive Player of the Year and Spencer earned OEC Coach of the Year. “That’s a players award really,” Spencer said. “The players are the one’s playing the game. The assistant coaches and the trainers are the ones helping out. Without the other guys on the team, there’s no coach of the year for any coach.” Spencer’s player-first philosophy has played a huge part in the team’s success, taking into account his players’ issues outside of the gym for the betterment of his team. “It’s really a human development gig,” Spencer said. “Through basketball being the motivating force, we are trying to help them with their life skills.” The Pirates travel to Ventura College to play Fresno City College (27-4) in the quarterfinals of an eight-team tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. Friday’s winners will face-off on Saturday, with the final two teams competing for the state championship trophy on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
On the inside Cycling back
Twisted treasure
Gaming greats
Defying pain
OCC’s Food Riders bring food to local shelters by bike.
Community education class tranforms wire into jewelry.
OCC symphony takes on video game musical scores.
Basketball standout Sydney Driggs drives on.
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2 Campus CRIME BLOTTER Give it back
Campus officers responded to a call from the Costa Mesa Police Department on Feb. 25 about a theft near the Swap Meet. A male victim reported that items were stolen out of his car, according to Chief of Campus Safety John Farmer. The items were then seen being sold by a vendor. The vendor told police he bought the items online. When asked to return the items to the victim, the vendor complied, Farmer said, adding that the victim’s account was credible enough to do so. The vendor didn’t argue, he said.
Keyed up
A Swap Meet patron reported his 2014 Silverado truck had been keyed on Feb. 25 at 11:30 a.m. in the Adams Avenue Parking Lot, said Farmer. The incident was not caught on camera so there is no suspect.
Lunch box theft
Campus Safety officers
MARCH 7, 2018
Cycling for the hungry
responded to a call Thursday about a vehicle burglary in the Gym Parking Lot. The victim, a female non-student, said she arrived on campus at 5 p.m., but when she returned to her vehicle at 8:49 p.m., she noticed that the passenger window of her 2015 Ford Fusion was shattered and that her laptop, carrying case and Rachel Ray lunch bag had been stolen, Farmer said.
Back again
A known habitual female trespasser was reported near the Fitness Center Parking Lot on Sunday at 7 a.m. Campus Safety officers notified police, who told the woman to leave. This was the sixth time she was asked to leave campus. According to Farmer, the woman has a history of being disruptive. She has previously been found naked and screaming in the gym. She has been arrested and released twice. — The Crime Blotter was compiled by Linda Mizrahi from Campus Safety reports.
Photo by Devin Michaels
The Food Riders club bikes to the Library after collecting items from the Student Center that it took to a local shelter on Friday.
Campus club helps the community by bringing leftovers to food shelters. BY MISAKI YOSHIMURA
Speed dating with the student senate Students can get their concerns and opinions heard at ASOCC event. BY OBEYDAH DARWISH STAFF WRITER
To help Orange Coast College students get to know their student government, the events task force is hosting a “Speed Dating with student senate and executive board” event next week. Students will have the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with the president of student government, president of the Interclub council, vice president of fiscal affairs, vice president of communications, vice president of diplomatic affairs and eight elected senators. “Our purpose of this event was to let students know who they voted for and who is representing them on campus,” said Jesse Lopez, a 19-yearold business communications major and vice president of the student senate and chair of the
events task force. Similar to the free taco event created last year by the events task force, the speed dating event is another opportunity to hear the main problems students are facing, Lopez explained. Last year’s event, “Amigo, admit it. You need a taco,” received opinions from over 300 students, in which student government handed out tacos to students sharing insight on campus improvements they’d like to see. “If students are disgruntled maybe we can help them,” said Frances Sanchez, a 19-year-old history major who is also a member of the events task force. She also said it can be eye-opening for students to see that they can make a change on campus. Student feedback from last year’s taco event included annual parking passes, more vegan options, changes to smoking policies and allowing skateboarding. The speed dating event will be held March 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the Lit & Lang Building.
2263 Fairview Rd. Fairview & Wilson 1/4 mile South from OCC (Towards Newport Blvd.)
STAFF WRITER
“Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, here we go!” As the traffic signal changed from yellow to green, Carl Morgan gave a cue to two other bikers carrying pastries, herbs, fruits and chicken as they took off for what would be a three-hour excursion on Friday afternoon. Even as rain threatened to pour down on them last week, they were ready to go. “Of course we watch the weather but at least Carl and I will go even if it rains,” Roy Duvall, club safety rider said
of OCC librarian and club adviser Morgan. “Because when it rains, there is more need and it’s harder for the homeless to be on the street.” The bikers — who on sunny days show up in larger numbers — are part of a club at Orange Coast College called the Food Riders. Every week, they take leftover food from the campus cafeteria and culinary arts program and deliver it to homeless shelters and food pantries in the area. Each year the 25 members of the club transport up to 12,000 pounds of food. They go into the campus cafeteria kitchen, treasure hunting for items that can be saved, then carefully separate the warm food from the cold food. Their focus is to recover nutritious, high-protein foods that can’t be found in food pantries, which usually primarily stock canned goods.
Leon Phung, a 19-year-old business administration major and president of the club, and Morgan even obtained food handlers certificates to make sure the food they give away is safe. In addition to saving food from the landfill, their mission is also to deliver with zero emissions. “We like the fact that by taking bikes, we put no emissions out, we prevent food from going to landfills, save methane and we also get exercise,” Morgan said. “We can see the community in a different way on the bike than going in the car.” “It’s fun to ride and go through different parts you don’t normally go through,” former OCC student and food rider Joseph Vu said. The Food Riders, who meet twice a week on Wednesday
mornings and Friday afternoons, was established in 2010 by Morgan and Vu, who are both passionate cyclists. Morgan was originally conscious of the impact of food waste on the environment so he came up with the idea to donate all leftovers from the cafeteria to Share Our Selves, a local food pantry. “We didn’t even know what the cafeteria was going to say, but we asked them if there was any leftover food that we can donate and they were very supportive,” Morgan said. When they officially formed the club, they thought delivery would be once a month, but the need was more than they initially thought. They started delivering to Share Our Selves every Friday for six months until the cafeteria asked them to pick up food in the middle of the week.
Celebrating legacy and history Students gathered in the Student Center Lounge for a panel discussion. BY AUDREY KEMP STAFF WRITER
Wisdom, humor and compassion united a panel with their attentive audience at a Black History Month event Feb. 26. The event, “Our Legacy: A Panel of Black Excellence,” gathered black faculty and staff from Coastline, Golden West and Orange Coast community colleges to answer questions, offer advice and extend possible mentorship opportunities to a diverse audience in the Student Center Lounge. “There is a lack of diversity amongst the ranks of our staff, faculty,” moderator and Student Equity specialist at OCC Rachel Norman said. “But the panelists before us today have worked tirelessly to challenge that narrative and show how important and impactful it is to be a staff member and administrator of color on our campus.” The conversation also touched on the ways legacy connects to personal endeavors. “When I think about slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement, and when I think about 2016, police brutality, poverty and
Photo by Devin Michaels
Coastline Community College’s Director of Adult Education Michael Scott speaks to the audience during a Black History Month panel in the Student Center Lounge at OCC Feb. 26.
discrimination, I believe I come from a legacy of social change, of fighters, of rebellion, of resistance,” said panelist Jessica Alabi, a sociology instructor at OCC. Tremaine Truitt, an OCC sociology instructor, agreed, saying that he wishes to follow the legacy of his ancestors in resistance and social change through education. “Students come up to me and tell me every semester that the information that they learned in my class made them challenge or critique society and question their
social realities,” he said. In his two decades of working at OCC, Clyde Phillips, an EOPS counselor and Umoja Coordinator said his biggest contribution to students is service. “When I get students in my office saying that they can’t do it, I show them that they can do it. I help them work through it. I understand the struggles that they go through,” Phillips said. Coastline’s Dean of Instruction Dana Emerson added that support is the key to success. “That’s why I am here,” said
Emerson. “I am here, thoroughly, 1,000 percent, to support those who want to succeed.” Other panelists included Letitia Clark, a Tustin city council member and director of public affairs for the Coast Community College District; Monique Henderson, two-time Olympic gold medalist and professor of kinesiology at Golden West; Tanisha Bradfield, OCC’s director of financial aid; and Michael Scott, Coastline’s director of adult education and founder of Sunburst Academy.
ASOCC elections slated for next month BY JAILYNN ARIZMENDI STAFF WRITER
Really— we want
your opinion
Submit a letter to the Coast Report www.coastreportonline.com
Students will have the opportunity to have their voices heard during the Student Government of Orange Coast College Student Senate elections April 16 through 20. Applicants will run to fill the nine available student senate seats for next semester. The elected students will be part of student
government which is responsible for decisions on campus life and allocating students fund. “Senators really are at the highest power besides the executive board,” Alexandra Junell Brown, SGOCC’s vice president of communications said. “They determine what students want.” Student senators are responsible for taking on important causes on campus, informing students regarding events and managing a budget of nearly $1 million.
Students interested in running for the student senate can pick up an application from the ASOCC office in the Student Center. They will need to get 50 student signatures on the application, speak to large and small lectures about their candidacy, have a 2.0 GPA and carry at least five units. The deadline for turning in applications is Monday. According to reports, last spring only 559 students voted in the SGOCC elections. Those votes
amounted to a 2.45 percent of a student population of nearly 25,000 students. Elections will take place on April 16 at Starbucks from noon to 4 p.m., April 17 outside the Literature and Language building from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., April 18 in the MBCC patio from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and April 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Science Hall. Students will only be able to vote once which can be done in person or online at occvotes.com.
Features 3
MARCH 7, 2018
Teaching OCC the wealth of health A childhood of healthy eating led to an instructor’s passionate career. BY AUDREY KEMP STAFF WRITER
As she sat down at the lunch table in her school cafeteria, Elizabeth Blake said she wished her parents had packed her Ding Dongs like the all other kids had instead of wheat bread. “I always had healthy lunches,” she said. “As a kid I thought, ‘this sucks,’ because I wanted the Ding Dongs.” Now, over 30 years later, she couldn’t be more grateful. Blake, the only full-time nutrition and dietetic technology instructor at Orange Coast College, drinks her morning tea in a mug bearing the words “Please don’t confuse your Google search with my Nutritional Sciences Degree.” If you were to ask her how to eat healthy, Blake would tell you, “It’s the same old thing that your mom and your grandma told you.” Although science changes all
the time, the formula remains the same, she said — fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. “I’m really passionate about nutrition because everyone has to eat. This is something that is applicable to everyone,” she said. “There’s a role for people in nutrition worldwide.” Blake now teaches courses in general nutrition, sports nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, nutrition care, as well as a variety of internship classes for nutrition majors. Last month, Blake was recognized as the 2018 Outstanding Educator of the Year in the Dietetic Technician category for the entire Western United States. She also organizes collaborative cooking classes, in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to teach teachers and students with metabolic diseases and very restrictive diets how to properly nourish themselves. “One of (Blake’s) exceptional qualities is her dedication to creating and partnering with different organizations or facilities to provide volunteer opportunities for her students,” Dean of Consumer Health Sciences Jane McLaugh-
lin said. “Since 2010, she has arranged 37 different events for students to participate in.” But for Blake, helping to open Pirates’ Cove, Orange Coast College’s food pantry, is a much bigger payoff than this year’s award. “When I retire, Pirates’ Cove will be one of the things I’ll think about as a big accomplishment in my career,” she said. She worked on the project for four years. In addition to her work at OCC, Blake also serves as an advisory board member at Second Harvest Food Bank, so she worked hard to facilitate the alliance between the two organizations, making food, toiletries and even clothing free to students who need them. “I wanted to start Pirates’ Cove because I had personally noticed, among my students, instances of food insecurity,” she said. Food insecurity is a term that is used for someone who doesn’t have the money or resources to buy food. According to Blake, food insecurity is rampant on college campuses; up to half of all college students experiencing it at some point. “When people think about
college, you think about students that talk about philosophy. You have no idea that there are also students whose basic needs aren’t even being met,” Blake said. “When I heard the UC schools were tackling food insecurity, I thought, ‘Why can’t we do it?’” Allison Cuff, one of four student resource specialists at OCC, agreed that Pirates’ Cove filled a need that had yet to be addressed. “I think it’s amazing that Beth brought up the idea of improving the food pantry on campus. I had no idea that the need was so great,” Cuff said. Blake’s full-time position teaching at OCC is the culmination of 15 years of practicing in the field. A registered dietitian, she has a master’s degree in public health from Cal State Long Beach. Before becoming an instructor and program director, she worked at a Veterans Affairs Hospital in San Diego as a clinical nutritionist, a subset of the profession that uses “medical nutrition therapy” to treat diseases or injuries with food. “My strong feeling is that college instructors should have had some practical real-world experience in the field they are teaching,” Blake said. “I couldn’t
Photo by Devin Michaels
Elizabeth Blake, a registered dietetic nutritionist and full-time instructor at Orange Coast College, launched the food pantry and resource center Pirates’ Cove on campus in January.
be effective at what I do if I hadn’t had those 15 years practicing in the field as a dietician before coming here.” She then started developing programs to help prevent individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, from going to the hospital altogether by eating the right foods at home. For Blake, her career in nutrition also started at home. Both of her parents grew up
on farms, her father in Nebraska and her mother in Gardena. Calif. She remembers going around her neighborhood with a wagon and knocking on neighbors’ doors and asking them if they wanted any of their tomatoes or zucchini. “I didn’t realize until I was older, how much of a blessing it was to have that background, because a lot of people have to make that transition later, from eating unhealthily to properly, and that’s hard,” she said.
Jewelry making is communal crafting for all The Sullivans breathe creativity into do-it-yourself community classes. BY SARA TEAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Patrick Sullivan’s necklace pendant prototype sits quietly atop a velvety gray jewelry tray. Subtle lines of sunflower yellow adorn the deep amber of a solitary oval stone that’s set against a silver wire frame, carefully and intricately twisted into place. At the next table over, Sullivan quietly mulls over the shoulders of his seven students, offering helpful tips with occasional hands-on correction. Tucked away in a metalworks classroom in the Arts Center at Orange Coast College, offering shelter from a particularly cold Southern California spring morning, Sullivan directed his sold-out
“Introduction to Wire Wrapping and Jewelry Basics” community education class Saturday as its students aimed to recreate the pendant with their own personalized touch and the student’s choice of stone, provided by Sullivan. “My favorite part of teaching is the success,” Sullivan said. “They (the students) go, ‘oh wow, I can do this!’ and that’s really the neatest part.” Sullivan, a man with a warm and patient gait, teaches community education classes periodically at OCC along with his wife Christine Sullivan, covering everything from basic soldering to jewelry making and Christine Sullivan’s upcoming silk scarf painting. Married for 52 years, the couple has been teaching for about 10 of those years. The two began offering classes out of their home when they formed Sullivan Collections, taking over Christine Sullivan’s former company Backalley Studios, and they now teach a weekly class at the Laguna Beach Art-A-
Fair in addition to teaching OCC community education classes. For Patrick Sullivan, teaching his students how to find their way with the wiring is half the fun. “The wire is so opposable to what we’re used to,” Patrick Sullivan said. “You have to learn how to manipulate it so it doesn’t manipulate you.” Truly understanding the nature of the wiring and understanding its nuances is not lost on Patrick Sullivan’s students. “It’s like the wire is alive,” Jane Carlyle, a returning student to Patrick Sullivan’s class, said. “The wire wrapping makes its own design. You don’t have to draw out a design first.” While the OCC class tuition is $55, the necklace is valued at $85 so as Patrick Sullivan likes to say, his students are getting a great deal. “He always likes to start the class off with the story of how he saw a $600 Tiffany’s silver
bracelet and decided he could make one of his own,” Christine Sullivan said. In his basic soldering class, his students are granted the opportunity to live out Sullivan’s favorite memory and recreate the very same silver link bracelet. Although the Sullivans have been teaching variations of the same class long enough to have it down to a science, it doesn’t always go as smoothly as they plan. Sometimes the silver on their trademark jewelry ends up smoother than the classes. “It’s great when it works and even when it doesn’t work, it’s great,” Patrick Sullivan said. The class is advertised as being held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. but Patrick Sullivan has stayed well beyond the class hours. He said as long as everyone leaves happy, that’s all that matters. “I can’t let them just leave when they don’t get it right away. I created the problem,” Patrick Sullivan said.
Photo by Henry Bate
Community education student Gail Cassman applies wiring wrap to a gem during an OCC jewelry making class.
While Patrick Sullivan directs his students, Christine Sullivan sits just off to the side, tinkering with silver as she works on a project, nearly undetectable save for the excited glances shot her way by students who have come to think of the Sullivans as both friends and teachers. According to Christine Sullivan, a former student of theirs took the classes because his wife’s arthritis prevented her from taking the class herself. The Sullivans were witness to the moment the man
clasped the bracelet, the finished product from the class, around his wife’s wrist. Carol True, a first-time class attendee at Patrick Sullivan’s Saturday class, is leaving the class both excited and invigorated. “I can’t wait to purchase some wire and practice at home,” True said. With the Sullivans’ classes garnering an increasing class retention rate and a maximum capacity of 10 students per class, practice might just be the best option available.
A poetic call to kindness after a violent killing A tribute for slain OCSA alumnus Blaze Bernstein remembers his life. BY KASSIDY DILLON
ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
Students from Orange County School of the Arts took turns on stage sharing poems Sunday, Feb. 25, inspired by their fellow classmate Blaze Bernstein, who was killed in early January, as well as reading his own writing that he left behind. A slideshow of photos and home-videos panned across the big-screen of the theatre, a documentation of Bernstein’s life from his first wobbly steps, baths in a kitchen sink while his mother cut his hair, family vacations, sporting games and his high school graduation. Bernstein, a graduate form OCSA and student at the University of Pennsylvania, was home in Foothill Ranch for winter break when he disappeared on Jan. 2. Six days later, the 19-year-old’s body was found in Lake Forest, just a mile from his house. A former high-school classmate of Bernstein’s, Samuel Woodward, was charged with murder after finding that Bernstein had been stabbed to death and pleaded not guilty Feb. 2. The details of the case are not what Jeanne Bernstein, Blaze’s mother, said she wanted to focus on when roughly 2,500 guests
filled the seats of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa Feb. 25, the same stage Bernstein stood on during his school’s senior finale event. The Segerstrom hosted a tribute to Bernstein as family and friends made a “communal call for kindness” and encouraged everyone to “Blaze it forward.” “I can’t really accept it still. When somebody like this is taken from you so quickly in such a terrible way, you feel like they’re still a part of you even though you know they’re gone,” Jeanne Bernstein said to the crowded theatre. “I don’t know if I will ever feel differently but I know I have to continue on.” Jeanne Bernstein and Blaze’s father, Gideon Bernstein, said the only thing that will help them move forward and heal is to spread positivity and kindness and prove that there is still good in the world. According the Bernsteins and everyone who knew him well, Bernstein was a “Renaissance man,” a lover of art in every form and intellectually curious. “Blaze had a zest for life like no other person,” Jeanne Bernstein said. “From day one he hardly slept, preferring to wake up early every morning to explore his world, then fighting sleep because he was so busy enjoying it.” Jeanne Bernstein said her son flourished in math, science and writing as a member of OCSA’s Creative Writing Conservatory. “He imagined himself as a premed student at the University of
Pennsylvania. Blaze wanted to pursue a career in medicine and had his heart set on it,” Jeanne Bernstein said. “He knew he had a tremendous gift for math and chemistry and that he needed to use it to help people.” Gideon Bernstein said he and his family simply want people to “do good for Blaze,” whether it be donating to charities, volunteering at food banks or animal shelters, fighting for social justice and human rights, or simply buying a stranger’s groceries or coffee. “Now we are also creating a legacy for our son, who never had the opportunity to create his legacy himself,” Gideon Bernstein said. “Our loss has created an opportunity to fulfill Blaze’s legacy by continuing to make the world a better place in his name.” Gideon Bernstein said they intend to do that through the Blaze Bernstein Memorial and his scholarship endowment fund. According to the Bernstein family, people are encouraged to donate at BlazeBernstein.org or JFOC.org/Blaze. According to Gideon Bernstein, the donated profits from the event will go to toward college scholarships and charities. “Looking out at this audience, I think everyone’s asking the same question, how crazy are the Bernsteins,” Gideon Bernstein said. “People thought we were crazy to put this event together to honor Blaze’s memory here at Segerstrom...This is a movement and you are a part of it.”
Find out which flick is worth the funds. Check out the Arts & Culture pages in the Coast Report.
4 Arts & Culture
MARCH 7, 2018
Classic symphony levels up
OCC’s symphony took a unique approach to behind the games music. BY BRANDON NOH STAFF WRITER
A packed crowd filled the Robert B. Moore Theatre on Saturday night to listen to the Orange Coast College’s Symphony Orchestra performance of music from an unlikely source: video games. “Computer Games Unplugged,” a collaboration between the OCC symphony and the UCLA’s Game Music Ensemble, combined some of the most technical and well-crafted music scores from famous and lesser known video game franchises, giving background context of the games and even playing compiled game footage for each one featured. While many among the performers and the audience knew little to nothing about the songs performed, by the end, the crowd was applauding in a standing ovation. “I think the great thing about this music is the fact that it is beautifully made but also accessible to a wider audience,” OCC symphony conductor Maxim Kuzin said. “It is designed to make the audience
feel something, but it doesn’t have hidden depth or skill which makes it easier to appreciate.” Arrangements from signature Japanese games like “Mega Man,” “Super Smash Brothers Melee,” the “Metal Gear Solid” series, and the “Final Fantasy” series were among those featured throughout the night. Western games such as “Fallout 4” and the lesser known “Journey” were also performed. While each performance was strong, my favorites being “Kingdom Hearts” and “Mega Man,” there were a few things that could have been better in regards to the accuracy of both the context information and music from some of the Japanese games. The soundtrack from “Super Smash Brothers Melee” could have kept a faster tempo to match the original and the music from one of the “Final Fantasy” pieces was attributed incorrectly both in the introduction given and on the program to the 15th entry of the game when it was really from the sixth entry. “All the sheet music, GME arrangers, myself and a few other collaborators have all come together to produce all the music we did tonight,” said GME founder and director Jose Daniel Ruiz, who is also a student of Kuzin. “Everything you’re hearing tonight, as Max-
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Photo by Brandon Noh
OCC head symphony conductor Maxim Kuzin, 41, leads the orchestra during the performance highlighting various video game compositions at the Robert B. Moore Theatre on Saturday night, March 2nd.
im said, you can’t get anywhere else. We have to sit down and listen to this stuff to try and almost reverse engineer what you’re listening to.” Nonetheless, most of the game soundtracks were strong and well executed, bringing a full feeling of orchestral progression without sacrificing the accuracy of sound in respect to the original scores. Although not as familiar with
video games as some of his students, Kuzin still advocates for this music to be performed on a bigger platform. “When I listen to some of this music I came across few years ago, I was surprised. It is professional, and it’s well done and that is why it is played by big orchestras in concert halls,” Kuzin said. “It’s just not well known right now but it definitely
deserves its right to be on big stages to be performed by big orchestras.” The night finished strong, receiving a generally positive response from the audience including myself. Another video game performance planned for some time next year is in works. The next GME show will be on May 24th at the UCLA Schoenberg Hall. For more details, visit gmeatucla.com.
Award winners were deserving but some missed high expectations.
sign stand out in the film—the green color scheme, from candy to soap, clothing and wallpaper, enhanced the setting—I can’t say the same for the plot. The viewer is given little to no explanation of what facility the characters are in or what its true purpose is. The motivation behind the villain left me confused and the gratuitous underwater, inter-species sex scene totally lost me. “The Shape of Water” had the potential to be a great television series with six, one-hour-long episodes that would have given this storyline justice. Instead, del Toro has made an abstract love story that came across as more of a personal fantasy than a Best Picture winner. ‘Darkest Hour’ Opening with a wide overhead shot of dozens of shouting members of Parliament in England, I knew this was going to be a different type of World War II film. Joe Wright’s “Darkest Hour” follows Winston Churchill as the Prime Minister of England during his five-year tenure during the 1940s. The movie’s cinematography blew me away, in particular the first shot of Churchill in a pitchblack room that lights up only by the flame of his match to light his cigar. Churchill, played by Gary Oldman, who took home the Best Actor Academy Award, was shown in a dark room alone throughout the film. Synchronized with amazing sound design, the movie cut the room into
a small sliver of the screen, leaving pure black negative space in 80 percent of the frame. The Academy Award-winning hair and makeup combined with the cast’s incredible and humanizing character development made for a fascinating portrait of Churchill. ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” had my eyes glued to the screen for the entire 115 minutes. Frances McDormand plays Mildred, a mother whose daughter was abducted, raped and murdered. With no culprit and no new leads found by the town’s police department after several months, she rents three billboards on a road leading to her the town and plastering a blunt and eye catching message to them. McDormand’s performance was powerful and it clearly resounded with the Academy as she walked away with the award for Best Actress. Woody Harrelson, who missed out on the award for Best Supporting Actor to fellow cast member Sam Rockwell, gave a memorable, tear jerking performance as the county sheriff littered with dry, dark humor. Despite being a minimalist indie film without any special effects, the several intense yet often comedic personality clashes are more than enough to keep the audience interested.
Eat, drink and The Oscar goes to... enjoy the week OC restaurants offer week-long deals on their most popular dishes.
BY HENRY BATE
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
BY MAKENNA STONE STAFF WRITER
Sunday marked the first day of OC Restaurant Week, now in its tenth year, where 150 restaurants across the county offer special prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner to showcase their best dishes. I stayed close to campus and tried Social on 19th Street in Costa Mesa. Despite the restaurant’s 3 1/2 star rating on Yelp, it was disappointing. I ordered the ceviche, which might have had three pieces of fish in the entire mix. It consisted of an abundance of cucumbers and onion—lacking a true quality to the dish. The tri-tip was attractive, but not medium rare like requested. It wasn’t warm, but perhaps it wasn’t supposed to be for some reason. I was more interested in the food the table next to me had. I asked them if they knew about the special menu since the majority of the dishes they had ordered were in fact on special. They had no idea and payed full prices. Then came dessert: sugary donuts with the world’s tiniest scoop of vanilla ice cream. The
Photo by Makenna Stone
House made donuts with a horchata glaze and vanilla bean ice cream from Social on 19th Street in Costa Mesa Sunday.
ice cream was the best part of the entire meal, one bite and done. But OC Restaurant Week has plenty of other options. For $10, diners can get Taco Rosa’s six-item lunch menu, featuring a choice of skirt steak tacos, chicken enchiladas, vegetable and cheese tacos, pork shoulder, chicken fajitas or blackened chicken tacos. And for $80, diners can pick from several luxe menu options, such as The Capital Grille’s four-course meal. Restaurants also offer $15 and $20 lunch menus, and $20, $30, $40 and $50 dinner menus. Other participating Costa Mesa restaurants include Pizzeria Ortica, Seasons 52, Hanare Sushi, La Vida Cantina, Marrakesh and Memphis Café. OC Restaurant Week runs until Saturday.
With breakthrough wins like Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and stand out performances from Gary Oldman in “Darkest Hour,” this year’s 90th Annual Oscars were a whirlwind of excitement and at times disappointment. Here are three reviews of the night’s biggest winners. ‘The Shape of Water’ While most people loved Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy love story, it won Best Picture and Best Director among other awards at the Oscars on Sunday, I guess I’m not most people. I didn’t hate this movie, plenty of parts were good, but this is the Oscars. The bar is supposed to be high. “The Shape of Water” centers around a mute janitor working inside the underground Cold War-era U.S. government facility, Elisa Esposito, played by Sally Hawkins. Hawkins’ performance was impressive, showcasing a vast array of emotions without speaking. Hawkins’ character falls in love with a mermaid-like creature that has been brought into the facility after it is stolen from the Russians. While the costume and set de-
GUNS: Some Orange Coast College instructors say arming teachers is not a good idea. From Page 1
assertion that teachers be “highly adept,” she said she’d rather see faculty be highly adept at teaching and helping students learn the skills they need to succeed. Another staff member at OCC said she wouldn’t trust teachers to
have guns – and the solution isn’t in arming them. While those within the government either can’t or aren’t willing to make changes to protect students in school, several retailers have moved ahead and banned assault-style weapons from sale in their stores and have increased the age to purchase a weapon
from 18 to 21. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart raised the age for purchase from 18 to 21, and Dick’s also decided that it won’t sell assault-style weapons in their stores. Additionally, other companies are cutting discount offers to National Rifle Association mem-
bers including Delta Airlines and FedEx. Despite these efforts by private business, it is still easy to purchase a weapon. “There are a lot of angry people out there right now. A few of these angry people are troubled and it’s easy for them to buy guns in the United States,” Marcina said.
offers aid to institutions serving a high percentage of minority or low-income students. Another major change the district is observing closely is a change in the return of the Pell Grant funds, Serban said. The proposal aims to create points throughout a semester, with 25 percent increments, when a student’s enrollment is verified. If it’s determined that a student is no longer enrolled, a certain
amount of the Pell Grant will need to be returned to the federal government depending on when in the semester a student stopped attending. When a student cannot pay back that money, the burden falls on the district, Serban said. “From a fiscal perspective, there is a concern for us as an institution. Under the current model, we return hundreds of thousands to the state in financial aid. If the proposal goes through, we as a district would be responsible for even more money,” Serban said.
While the board expressed these main concerns with the act, there are elements of it they supported. The Prosper Act would expand the Pell Grant eligibility for students in short term academic and certificate programs, which often don’t fulfill the grant’s current full-time enrollment requirement. At Orange Coast College, more than 50 CTE programs are offered. According to Clark, the board is thinking about how the elimination of Title III-A could create barriers for certain students by preventing
them from attending community college full time or even pursuing degrees. Under Title III, financial aid is made available to minority serving institutions, for programs, infrastructure and long-range planning. Orange Coast College qualifies under this category as it has a large Hispanic and Asian demographic, Serban said. “It would mean we would have fewer opportunities to apply for federal grants under Title III. If this goes through, then Title III would be terminated,” Serban said.
“Music Producer Series,” Tuesdays through March 27: OCC will offer five classes in music production and provide handson experience with professional recording equipment. The series will be led by composer-engineer-producer, Dennis Anderson, in OCC’s recording studio. Tuition is $275 and classes can be taken as a series or individually. Tuesdays from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. “Mysteries of Ancient Archeology,” March 16: OCC art instructor Irini Rickerson will lead a benefit lecture on several mysterious locations around the world in addition to information from her own project in Greece. Tickets are $10. From 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. In the Robert B. Moore Theatre. “American Red Cross Blood Drive,” March 19 and 20: OCC students are encouraged to donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Mobile. Students can sign up at redcrossblood. org with the sponsor code OCC. From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. In the Main Quad.
Films
“Senior Day/Coast Day,” Tuesday: OCC will welcome high school seniors, their parents and supporters to campus to see first-hand the programs and sevices OCC offers and explore the campus while interacting with faculty, students and staff. Free. From 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. In the Quad.
Choral “OCC Chamber Singers concert,” March 24: OCC’s elite choral ensemble will be joined by the renowned Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra to perform Brahms Requiem, directed by Eliza Rubenstein. Tickets are $15 and $10 with a current student ID. At 7:30 p.m. In the Robert B. Moore Theatre.
Film “Banff Mountain Film Festival,” March 20 and 21: OCC will host the best films from the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival. The films will include footage from climbing adventures, remote cultures and wild locations around the world. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and $5 with a current student ID. At 7 p.m. In the Robert B. Moore Theatre.
Exhibits Rather than looking at gun control or the Second Amendment, Drew said help needs to come for people in need. “The big issue is not gun control. It’s not taking away the Second Amendment. The big issue is dealing with people with mental health issues and the loose cannons in society,” he said.
GRANTS: Pending legislation could greatly reduce the amounts students can borrow for college. From Page 1
Campus Events
In its opposition letter, the board expressed its support for the elimination of state authorization for schools to offer classes not just in states where they are physically located. This is important for students taking online classes. According to Serban, about 60 percent of Coastline Community College’s classes are fully online. “We’re in the same boat as a lot of other community colleges around the state that feel the same way about this particular bill,” Clark said.
“Jim DeFrance: A retrospective,” through April 7: An on-campus, retrospective exhibit will feature nearly 50 years of abstract pieces by Los Angeles artist Jim DeFrance (1940-2014). The exhibit is curated by former OCC art instructor Tom Dowling and former Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion director Trevor Norris.
Drama “Rowing to America: The Immigrant Project,” March 16-18: OCC’s Theatre department will present a collection of one-act plays revolving around the stories of immigrants all across the globe. Directed by Naomi Buckley. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. From 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. In the Drama Lab.
MARCH 7, 2018
EDITORIAL
Guns have no place at OCC In the midst of calling for stronger gun control laws, advocates for reform have been given a morsel of what they are asking for — but frankly it still is not enough. Since the Parkland, Fla., school shooting on Feb. 14 — and the long list of those before — we’ve seen lawmakers propose negligible alternatives to gun reform, such as arming teachers or placing metal detectors on campus. These options are only placeholders for actual solutions to gun violence, and also have the potential to create even larger problems. These bipartisan changes are a distraction to the deeper and obvious issue that guns are killing people. It is like taking an overthe-counter painkiller to relieve the agony caused by a spreading cancer — in this case, the guns are the disease and lawmakers are giving us a placebo. At Orange Coast College, there has been talk about arming Campus Safety officials. While details are still up in the air, as students, it is crucial that we view this proposal seriously. To arm OCC Campus Safety would be to create a microcosm of the thoughtless ideas that have been proposed to the nation to serve as a diversion from fixing the problem at hand, the fact that guns are too easy to obtain and will continue to be a primary cause for the perpetual mass shootings. While the idea of having armed officials on campus may seem comforting to some, the logistics bring to the forefront a list of concerns. To solve gun violence, the last thing we need is more guns. Soon after the idea of arming teachers began circulating, a 53-year-old social studies teacher at Dalton High School in Georgia was arrested after he barricaded himself in a
classroom and fired a shot from his handgun out the window, a testament to the dangerous side effects that more guns could have on a campus. This isn’t to say that OCC Campus Safety can’t be trusted, but the thought of having more guns on campus may create an even higher sense of uneasiness on campus. If an active shooter were actually to come to campus, the likelihood that our few armed officials would even be in the same vicinity to defend students is low. Gun owners, advocates and the NRA often contend that “it takes a good guy with a gun to stop a bad guy with a gun.” The truth is that while there are some who would run towards danger without hesitation, it has been shown time and again that when faced with an active shooter situation, police do not always run straight into the building or area in which shots are being fired. The reason is that police officers are aware that their Beretta, Smith and Wesson, or Glock is still not an equal match to an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the recurring weapon of choice in mass shootings. The size of OCC’s campus presents another issue. If shots are fired or danger is present on the opposite side of campus from where Campus Safety is, the realistic chances of someone getting there in time before any damage is done are slim. The Coast Report Editorial Board believes that students, teachers, or any citizen for that matter, shouldn’t have to settle for trivial changes when it comes to gun reform and protecting ourselves and those around us. And it’s crucial that we pay close attention to the small changes being proposed for our campus in the name of safety.
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Protect the future I am a student in the United States, and because of that simple fact, I go to school every day terrified Lauren that there Galvan might be viPhoto Editor olence in my classroom. After the mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., last month, students have been speaking up as a way to get our elected representatives to see the pain and fear we now have. We do not want their pity — what we want is real action and change. I go to school to learn and to be the best I can be in my future profession, not to be in fear every time I step onto campus. I should not be afraid to go to school nor should teachers fear going to work. When my friend does not answer her phone, the first thing I do should not be looking up to see if her school is under fire. This fear that I have should not
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be there. The students should not have to pay for the failures of our country’s leaders. “My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school,” President Donald J. Trump tweeted on Feb. 14. To that I say, are we only a tweet and a photo opportunity? We put our lives on the line
when we go to school every day and our president is sitting in his office tweeting when he should be fighting for our safety. How can students be the future when our rights and lives are not protected? We the students have voices that need to be heard because we know what is best for ourselves. We are not only students, we are the future leaders of this country and we cannot be ignored.
Pole medal games If you’ve turned on a TV or looked at social media lately then you’ve surely noticed athletes figure skating and Jessica snowboarding Engelbart for Olympic Staff Writer gold. We l l , g e t ready to see some new “sports” popping up on the podium in the next few years. Pole-dancing, arm-wrestling, dodgeball, poker, kettlebell lifting and “FootGolf” — a mix of soccer, golf and foosball — are all vying to become a part of
future Olympics. Sports don’t just land a spot in the Olympics, they must be recognized and approved. As the Washington Post explained last year, “along with a recognized body, prospective sports must also gain separate recognition from the International Olympic Committee. If successful, the sport’s governing body still needs to then petition to become an official Olympic sport.” The website of the Global Association of International Sports wrote that pole-dancing requires a higher degree of strength and endurance, along with physical and mental exertion, which would deem it a “performance sport” comparable to figure skating.
backgrounds and while there is reason to rejoice in that, it is not without the occasional side-eye. My own social media scope has included many shares of articles acknowledging the celebrations of black excellence in and outside the film by white friends with captions like “yassss” and other Urban Dictionary colloquialisms. While I know many of us practice intersectionality and are posting and reposting in support of black people, it has begun to come off as loud ally theatrics. Our applause and our voices are not the most important here. And it is imperative to remember that. The sentiment is surely appreciated on some level, but now is the time for non-black people of color and white people to sit back and allow our support to not overshadow those of our black friends. In a Hollywood world where role racial inequality has come to attention through 2015’s #OscarsSoWhite that continued on throughout the 2016 Oscars, it is beyond refreshing to watch the release of “Black Panther” come up as the biggest success story in entertainment thus far in 2018. Throughout the success of
“Black Panther,” the show out across social media has been deafening, with the conversation led rightfully so by black people. However, it is the ebbing tide of the voice of white allyship that falls under scrutiny in the aftermath. With today’s political climate having sent people into their proverbial corners, those on the left side of the marker have experienced a surge of progressive equality, with intersectionality at the forefront of those movements. Intersectionality explores the crossovers and connections of many social identities, like race, gender, age or class. Its focus today has become a bit more radicalized due to the current tumult in our political climate, and it aims to dismantle and unpack the various types of systemic oppression and discrimination laden in our society. The theatrics of loudly proclaiming support automatically causes a second look and it is necessary to unpack that. Are you boasting your backing in hopes to garner recognition for doing so? Or are your supportive efforts as “woke” as you’d like them to be that even if it means not being in the spotlight?
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I’m not sure how I feel about these activities competing for Olympic gold. I believe the Olympics should be a showcase and competition for athletes who are putting in the work to be the best in the world. While there absolutely may be a certain level of fitness and skill to things like pole-dancing and dodgeball, I don’t think that they are at the same level as cross-country skiing or speed skating. I don’t believe that these activities require as much agility and skill as events already making it on the podium. While they may indeed be sports, I don’t believe the Olympics is a place for them. Olympic opportunity doesn’t necessarily have to mean an equal opportunity.
White allies could learn from ‘Black Panther’ White allies need to learn something from Marvel Studios’ groundbreaking “Black Panther.” Buckle up and settle comSara Teal Editor-in-Chief fortably into the backseat. While the cast of “Black Panther” is made up of entirely black actors save for two white sidekicks, the white characters do not serve as Hollywood’s problematic yet expected white saviors. Instead, they themselves are rescued by the heroes of “Black Panther” and take the criticism of their roles as “colonizers,” as they are deemed in the film, in stride, waiting for a chance to be useful without stealing even the slightest ray of spotlight. Those aiming to be true allies have something to learn from their onscreen counterparts. Part of the role of the “white ally” is to take a backseat to people who have suffered at the hand of historic and ongoing oppression and marginalization. Much like the allies in “Black Panther.” The explosion of posts across social media have been shared repeatedly by people from all
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coastreporteditor@gmail.com Articles, comments and editorials in the Coast Report’s print and online editions are those of staff members and editors and do not reflect the views of Orange Coast College, its administration or student government or the Coast Community College District. Articles and photos posted on CoastReportOnline.com are a matter of record and can’t be removed. California law states that college journalists are assured the same First Amendment rights as professional journalists. Their work cannot be subjected to prior restraint and the law prohibits college officials from disciplining a student for activities related to speech or press related endeavors. Coast Report welcomes letters from readers. Guest commentaries are the views of the writer and don’t reflect the views of the Coast Report, OCC or the district. Letters must be signed and are subject to editing for taste, length or libel. Letters are limited to 350 words. Advertising claims are those of the advertisers and do not constitute endorsement by the newspaper. Coast Report reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason. The newspaper is not liable for return of unsolicited materials.
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Perhaps it is time to simply sit back, applaud and let our
QUESTION of the WEEK
friends bask in the loving glow of the limelight.
“What should be done about school shootings?”
Bao Bui
Christina Sheradon
Cooper Roberson
Makoto Kissie
Stephanie Vicente
“About what Trump said about giving teachers guns, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“People should be able to go to school without worrying about getting shot. I don’t have that solution.”
“I kind of agree with teachers having guns but that’s not going to prevent something like that from happening.”
“There should be more security systems. For example, this campus is free to enter. Build a gate.”
“We should strengthen gun rules. If we take care of that first, I think that everything will fall into place.”
20, biology
37, undecided
19, undecided
27, business
20, dental assisting
6 Sports
MARCH 7, 2018
NO PAIN NO GAME
Sydney Driggs’ presence on the court is a victory in itself. BY BRANDON NOH STAFF WRITER
Sydney Driggs is perseverance personified. What some think of as a nightmare is a normal day for the 19-year-old. Every day, Orange Coast College’s women’s basketball star experiences sharp pain from her knees to her spine from activities as simple as sitting down and walking. She would get ice after every practice and game, with hours of regular physical therapy dedicated to heat and flexion exercises, taking steroidal and epidural injections to alleviate the pain caused by two herniated disks in her spine. “I’ve had three (injections) over the last two months, but other than that I do a lot of physical therapy in the training room which helped me get through the season.” Driggs said. In 2018, despite her injuries, the shooting guard and forward led her team in scoring, posting 18.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season, connecting on 37.7 percent of her attempts from three-point range. Her stat line ranks in the top two overall and in the top five in the Orange Empire Conference for both three-point percentage and scoring, recently earning a first-team, All-OEC team selection. This was her final season as a basketball player. “Knowing it’s my last year playing, basketball is my passion
and I want to finish off strong, so whether before, during or after games I work with the trainers, whatever keeps me going,” Driggs said before her final game. Her smooth jump shot form and abilities as a spot up shooter caught the eye of her coaches right away. “She has a textbook jump shot,” OCC women’s basketball coach Mike Thornton said. “It’s the best I’ve ever worked with mechanically, and she’s our number one scoring option so we try to get her the ball as much as we can.” Although she possessed more than enough ability on the court, keeping her there was the real challenge. Faced with daily pain, mental fortitude was key throughout her career. To help overcome obstacles throughout the season, Driggs appealed to the mindset of her favorite player, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, to reinforce her approach. “The heart and mentality of Kobe Bryant kept me pushing myself,” Driggs said. “He had a never quit attitude, no excuses and believed in constantly working hard for what you deserve, and I believe in that.” She could have given up after the first herniated disk she suffered at the end of high school, or the second in her sophomore
season. After all the stretching exercises, hours of icing and countless chiropractor visits, the game was taking its toll. But she never quit. Born and raised in Minnesota, she grew up a fan of Minnesota sports teams as they were a regular part of her family. She began to travel playing basketball at the age of six. Her family later moved to Southern California. “My dad was really into sports and the first one to introduce me to basketball,” Driggs said. “I’m close with my family so him knowing my potential and constantly pushing me to be the best I can be. Also, the rest of my family’s love and support kept pushing me.” While being away from her family led to homesickness, basketball made anywhere feel like home to her. Whether bonding with Thornton over their shared Midwestern roots and love for sports or forging lasting friendships with her teammates, she has found a second family. Since joining the OCC women’s basketball team two years ago, she was a solid sixth player in the rotation as a freshman. With only three players returning from last season, in her sophomore season she has relished a new role as leader on and off the court. Her teammates feed off her
Photo by Spencer Golanka
OCC sophomore forward Sydney Driggs drives towards the basket against Santa Ana on Feb. 9.
commitment to being better both as a player and leader, often leading by example. Fellow OCC guard, 21-yearold sophomore and liberal arts major Jenna Miramontez, has a firsthand account of her teammate’s character throughout the years. “She’s just the general out there. She was our rock and support system whether it was a good or bad game,” Miramontez said. “Whenever we needed a basket, or even off the court
she would be willing to help her teammates with any problems.” Driggs plans on finishing her education at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., and getting her masters in sports psychology. Dreams of working with a professional sports team or even returning to basketball in a leadership role as a coach are slowly becoming reality. While the fear of uncertainty sometimes crosses her mind, the excitement in going back to Minnesota and starting her new
journey pushes her forward. Through her struggle, Driggs is more than prepared for life without the game she has called her own for over ten years. “I think her drive, determination and will to keep pushing stick out. Because of that she’ll do great going forward no matter what path she takes,” Miramontez said. “She’s a great person and a great friend. I wouldn’t want to play alongside anyone else for my final season.”
Photos by Devin Michaels
(Top left) The Orange Coast College men’s volleyball team gathers for a huddle during its face off with Grossmont College Friday night in the Basil H. Peterson Gym. (Right) Freshman middle blocker GK Kailiwai hits through a Grossmont block.
Pirate men strike gold The men’s volleyball team sweeps Grossmont. BY SARA TEAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Orange Coast College men’s volleyball team cruised its way to a three-set sweep over the visiting Grossmont College Griffins Friday night in the Basil H. Peterson Gymnasium, settling comfortably into a 4-game win streak that has become a trademark for the Pirate men. The Pirates (9-2) looked poised to continue their tradition of excellence as the defending state champs as they swept the Griffins (2-8) in a non-conference matchup, 25-20, 25-8, 25-18. The first set saw the Pirates struggling to settle into their zones as costly mechanical errors seemed to dictate the momentum of the game. Multiple missed offensive opportunities, serving errors and a lack of vision on the court gave Grossmont a fighting chance throughout the set, leav-
ing Pirate fans in the stands quiet and scratching their heads. A booming unanswered kill by freshman outside hitter Kyle McCauley rejuvenated the Pirates, breaking Orange Coast out of a 6-6 back and forth with Grossmont and effectively carrying the momentum to set one’s 25-20 conclusion. Set two came with an electrified start from the Pirates, kicking off the game with a 4-0 run and a nearly unanswered drive. “OK, we got seven. Let’s get eight,” Grossmont head coach Travis Lee could be heard saying to his team as the Pirates closed in. Eight was all Orange Coast would allow as they maintained full control over set two, steamrolling right over the Griffins 25-8. By set three, it was a family affair as OCC head coach Travis Turner flexed the muscle of his full roster, sending a mixture of starters and non-starters on to the court to complete the sweep, 25-18. “Wyatt Henson was really the difference out there,” Turner said. “It was our first time trying him out as outside hitter and
it took him a little while to get used to it.” Offensive powerhouse sophomore opposite Henson’s 12 kills led the night for the Pirates, with freshman opposite Clark Steele coming off the bench to contribute 8 kills and McCauley adding 6 of his own. According to Henson, he had not played on the outside in three years. “It took me a little bit to shake off the rust but once I got the hang of it, it came naturally,” Henson said. The Pirates next set their sights on the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros tonight for their final non-conference matchup before beginning conference play at Golden West College Friday. “Wednesday is big. Santa Barbara is huge for playoff preparation,” Turner said. Santa Barbara (6-2) is fresh off losing to Long Beach City College, the team that’s served Orange Coast it’s only two losses thus far in the season. The Pirates will look to push their win streak to five as they square off with the Vaqueros at 6 p.m. in the Peterson Gym.
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