Music and management
Double feature fever
Baseball now in second
Profile on Music Department Chair and Academic Senate President Silvester Henderson — page 3
Review of Descending into Darkness and Daddy’s Little Girl — page 4
The Mustangs have won three of their last four games after going on a four-game losing streak — page 5
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F.Y.I. Important Dates April is Autism Awareness Month April 23
Begin registration for continuing students by appointment
April 28
Priority registration for EOPS, DSPS, qualified veterans, qualified foster youth and CalWorks
April 30
Special registration for DSPS notetakers, early graduation applicants and qualified athletes
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L M C E X P E R I E N C E . C O M
GE classes prove useful Student proficiency charts high
By BRENDAN CROSS
bcross@lmcexperience.com
The Los Medanos College General Education Committee collected over 300 student papers during the fall 2013 semester. Students from GE courses in journalism, biology, philosophy and political science were asked to write an essay about an ethical topic which would then be graded for proficiency. A presentation to all faculty Monday, March 31 led by GE Committee Chair
and English Professor Alex Sterling shed light on the topic. The research was to learn how students do in an assignment that measures three GE student learning objectives (writing/reading, critical thinking, ethics) in relation to the number of GE courses that student has taken. Based on a rubric, each paper was scored as high proficient (HP), proficient (P) or not proficient (NP) in the
three aforementioned topics. Proficient was defined as “meets our expectations for a student at or near completion of the AA/AS degree” according to an email sent out by Sterling. The basic findings were that GE works. The more GE courses a student takes, the higher their proficiency was in ethical thinking, critical thinking and writing. “Based on what we have, it is the See GE, page 6
Martial arts in the quad
Milton Smith goes over the basics of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art consisting of acrobatic dancing, to Tyler Ingram Wednesday, April 2 in the third floor College Complex. Smith and Ingram were practicing the art to kill time before Ingram’s 3 p.m. class started.
2014 summer schedule out Check out the 2014 schedule of classes for this summer online at losmedanos.edu/schedule
Earth Day events at LMC n April 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Earth Day Activities in the Main Outdoor Quad such as exhibits and giveaways. n April 22/23 — LMC Nature Preserve will be selling Native plants from California. n April 24, 3 to 3:30 p.m. — Presentation in Library Room L-109 from the Climate Reality Project about climate change and how to make a difference. Go to losmedanos.edu/ sustainability/UpcomingEvents.asp
Photos by Irvin Trigueros
Tutorials abound
Transfer day nears Over 20 schools to attend event
Lynda.com a learning resource
By TAMMY SEWARD
steward@lmcexperience.com
By BERTHA AGUILAR
Blood drive upcoming Give blood and save lives in Library Room L-109 Tuesday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All donors will receive a custom César Chávez blood drive T-shirt. To schedule your donation appointment contact Student Life at 439-2181 ext. 3266 or register online at bloodheroes.com, click ‘Donate Blood’ and enter sponsor code: LosMC
Graphic by Irvin Trigueros
Writing and thinking improves as students complete more GE.
baguilar@lmcexperience.com
L ynda.com takes the meaning of a library to another level. It provides easy to follow video tutorials that can help anyone learn software, improve business skills or achieve personal goals. The Professional Development Advisory Committee (PDAC) has recently purchased Screenshot of lynda.com’s homepage. a license for all Contra Costa County Community College District employees All faculty are encouraged to take advantage to use the website. of this tool and use it as frequently as possible Mary Oleson from the district wide profes- “We are really committed to increasing the sional development committee said, “we are usage on campus so that we can keep it, it’s really excited about lynda.com.” Oleson, who just a great tool,” said Oleson. is also the LMC site administrator for lynda. The PDAC has only purchased a one-year com, is very thrilled that this new tool is now contract and they hope to extend it to next offered to all district employees. year, but that all depends on the usage by the Expert teachers who are working profession- staff this year after they are able to determine als teach these video tutorials. Lynda.com has if this tool was beneficial. a library of over 110,000 web-based tutorials “We are hoping to be able to down the road on subjects such as; web design, photography, provide some sort of incentive for employees business skills, music, 3D animation and for the amount of usage that they do,” said much more. “The courses are broken up into Oleson. modules so you can look for what you want Other LMC employees have already started and get in and get out,” said Oleson. “I think using the website. Administrative Assistant that it’s just going to assist our faculty in being for Student Services Kathy Cullar has begun better users of technology and gather other taking a course on Microsoft Excel. See LYNDA, page 6 tools along the way,” she added.
“I think that it’s going to assist our faculty in being better users of technology and gather other tools along the way.” — Mary Oleson
Los Medanos College’s Transfer Center will host over 20 universities during Spring Transfer Day April 17. As the spring semester comes to an end, getting the right information about transferring to another college might be furthest from your mind. With so many different colleges in and out of state, it is hard to know which one is the best for you. “We are planning for all of the activity to happen in the outdoor quad,” said Transfer Center Coordinator Adeirawo Origunwa. “So far we expect the weather to cooperate with us.” “Late in the afternoon we will also host a workshop for students to get to know more about private universities,” Origunwa said. “Representatives from John F. Kennedy University, Fisk University and the Experience UC Berkeley Transfer Program will be representing the workshop.” All activities will be at the Pittsburg campus. “We do try to have workshops See DAY, page 6