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Quizzical queries

Mirror, mirror

Practice makes perfect

Story on the academic competition that took place Saturday, April 12 — page 3

Reviews of the newly released drama and horror movie “Oculus” — page 6

Preview and update of the volleyball season set to start next semester — page 7

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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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Graffiti defaces campus Tagging is among recent trail of crimes

By KELLIE McCOWN

kmccown@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College was defaced with graffiti between Friday and Monday outside of College Complex Level Two. The face of the wall on the outside stairway taking students from the mid level up to the main complex level and down to parking lot A read ‘EA$T BAY,’ while a bench facing the Honors Center and Student Life was tagged with ‘420 Blunt end zone.’

John Snelling of grounds and maintenance said that while van-

dalism was a past problem at the LMC Lake, it could be a growing concern for the campus.

“It ruins the college,” said Snelling.

“It ruins the look of the college, especially when we’re having these new buildings being put up and we’ve got graffiti. That’s not a good look.”

Contra Costa Community College District Police Officer David Oleski, a 20-year veteran in the district, contradicts the growing concern, Photo by Kellie McCown claiming that graffiti isn’t a problem Graffiti on the wall near the College Complex Level Two entrance at LMC. See TAG, page 8

reading “East Bay.”

Construction junction

2014 summer schedule out Check out the 2014 schedule of classes for this summer online at losmedanos.edu/schedule

Earth Day events at LMC Q April 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Earth Day Activities in the Main Outdoor Quad such as exhibits and giveaways.

Q April 22/23 — LMC Nature Preserve will be selling Native plants from California.

Q 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

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

Photo by Irvin Trigueros

Construction workers Kevin Eisert, left, and Don Heath walk on an attached cushion to bond with the surface of metal flash pieces Wednesday, Feb. 12, on the roof of the College Complex. The cushion is meant to aid the installation of the new air conditioning units to be used throughout the upcoming Student Services Center. For more information on the construction, see pages 4 and 5.

Ed plan revamp

Human Library informs

Now available to students

By JOSEPH DELANO

jdelano@lmcexperience.com

‘Books’ share their stories

MALIK LAWSON

mlawson@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College has harbored people from all walks of life, and now thanks to the Human Library those people get to tell their stories.

Technical Services Librarian Christine Park and Library Director Christina Goff hosted the April 15 event to promote conversation among students and staff alike.

The Human Library concept was created by a youth organization from Copenhagen, Denmark called “Stop The Violence,” as a method to promote dialogue, reduce

Photo by Cathie Lawrence

Debora Van Eckhardt shares her family genealogy photos with Aisha Hall. prejudices and encourage understanding among peers.

Park heard of the Human Library on the radio on the way to work and announced the idea to her FLEX workshop group at LMC. With enthusiasm and help from Goff, the event to promote conversation among students and staff was born.

Participants had the opportunity to checkout a human book from L109. 16 human books comprised of both staff and students were able to be

checked out for 20 minutes, with an optional renewal for another 20 minutes.

LMC Marketing Director Barbara Cella was one of the many books available for checkout with the title “An Exciting Road Less Traveled,” telling the stor y of the many jobs she has had in her lifetime.

Cella started off as a park ranger in Olympic Park, Washington before branching out as an observer on a KoreSee HUMAN, page 8

A revamped Student Planning tool known as the Student Education Plan is now available to students. The program, which has been in development for over a year, was unveiled to students March 24 and is designed to help students plan their entire college career by sorting the selected courses into an easy to read calendar.

As current/prospective students begin to think about their future at Los Medanos College, this tool may help to allow the student to visualize the road to success.

While the program is beneficial to all students on campus, potential students, or those coming in from high school or enrolling for the first time, will benefit the most. These prospective students will receive a much sooner priority

registration date, May 20, for the Spring 2015 semester, if they complete this plan, as part of the three step enrollment process, than those who do not. The students who do not complete this process will retain a registration date of July 1.

While the program is being focused on incoming students, Armour stated, “Continuing students can use it…and be thrilled.”

Registration for new students includes the three-step process consisting of: orientation classes offered online, assessment tests then the education plan. While the ed plan is heavily recommended, it is technically not a requirement.

Accessible through WebAdvisor, the ed plan offers various tools to aid in the enrollment/registration process for students. In a press release, See PLAN, page 8

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Detour will be problematic

Don’t feel like you’re invisible

Cartoon by Aishling Doherty

EDITORIAL

Stop living life on the ‘net’

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ast Wednesday around 2 p.m. Los Medanos College went dark. Not a power outage but the Internet stopped working until 3 p.m. the following day. This may not have bothered some but it seriously affected others. Face it, today almost all life is online. For example, need to know what the weather’s going to look like? People can go right online and get that information in a matter of seconds.

The world is connected through the Internet and people can interact with one another around the world. Schools are not the only instituions that depend on the Internet. Almost ever y institution is dependent on Internet access in one way or another.

One of the biggest uses of the Internet among college students is social media. If you walk around campus you would see that most people have devices in their hands. They are usually checking updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. Those are just a few social media sites that college students check throughout the day.

When, people wake up, the first thing that is common among social media lovers is to check Facebook. Did someone post a new status or go see the Spiderman movie? People have to be connected and when they aren’t it’s almost as if life stopped.

Too many, part of their lifestyle revolves around Internet and without it, some believe life is over. Yes, having the Internet on your smartphones and at your fingertips is a great thing but it’s not all there is to life. Life is living and seeing the world through human eyes not the eyes of a screen.

Maybe it was a good thing the Internet was down for 24 hours. For one, students can pay attention in classes, take notes, learn new things, and hear about extra credit assignments.

The problem of over-reliance on technology can be fixed. The Internet use doesn’t have to go away forever, it can be good during certain hours of the day, but people need to step away from computers, phones, tablets, and live life not just life on the net.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Keep the students aware of crimes at LMC

DEAR EDITOR: I am a current student of Los Medanos College, and I am writing to express my concern about the recent crime occurring at LMC. I feel it is important that you continue to publish the crime rates and occurrences, if any, in a daily or at least weekly column in our school paper. I believe that continuous publication of reported crimes around campus will raise student and faculty awareness and may also deter criminals.

In the March 28, 2014 edition of the Los Medanos College Experience, Rattana Kim wrote an article called, “Crime and crime again.”

According to this article, just in March alone there were four crimes reported. And of those four crimes, two of them were vehicle thefts.

One of the two vehicles stolen was recovered.

After reading the article, the following Sunday I went out, purchased and had an alarm system installed into my 1995 Honda Civic I use to commute to and from school on a daily basis. Reading the article influenced me into better protecting my assets. If more people were aware of the crimes happening around the college, they too might take the same sort of precautions I did. It was better that I acted now before it was too late and my car was stolen.

Continuous publications of the crime rates in our school paper will remind students and faculty to be careful and take the necessary precautions to keep their belongings safe.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. Keep up the good work.

— Brian Johnson

READER OPINION POLICY

The Experience welcomes Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns. All members of the Los Medanos College community — students, faculty and staff — are encouraged to write.

If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, bring your submissions to room CC3-301 and put them in the Perspectives Editor’s mailbox or mail them to Experience c/o Los Medanos College, 2700 E Leland Road, Pittsburg, CA 94565. You may also send them electronically through the Experience online newsite lmcexperience.com.

Letters and columns must be typed, signed and include a phone number for verification. They may be edited for clarity, content, taste and length at the editor’s discretion.

Voices

As students, what are some ways we can keep our campus clean?

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“Crowded hallways are the loneliest places, for outcasts and rebels, or anyone who just dares to be different. And you’ve been trying for so long to find out where your place is. But in their narrow minds, there’s no room for anyone who dares to do something different.” When I first heard this lyric in Hunter Hayes’ song Invisible when he performed it at Grammy’s back in February, these words stuck with me.

I still find myself thinking of these lyrics today. The song is about feeling like you’re a misfit in life. Going around as everyone else around you is ignoring you and making you feel insignificant.

We have all felt this way at some point in our lives feeling like we are alone in the world, and that we have no one we can turn to at times. I remember my first day at school from the first grade, middle school, high school and college. On all of those first days I was scared. Scared that I wouldn’t make it or survive. Thoughts ran through my head what if no one likes me?

What if I don’t belong there or what if I never make a single friend? My first day of middle school scared me the most because for me in middle school and throughout high school I felt like I was invisible.

I had this idea that in order to be popular or liked I needed to have the latest in fashion, phones, gaming systems and taste in music.

These ideas came from TV shows and films I watched but they didn’t necessarily present the truth. If a person’s only reason for liking you stem from what material objects you have, then they aren’t your real friends. True friends accept you for who are not what you have in life. I wish I knew back then what I know now and I wish I hadn’t believed so much in the stereotypes about friendship presented to me by the media.

When I reached my senior year in high school I realized that me being invisible wasn’t who I was. For the first time I found friends who accepted me for the person I was. It felt so, nice to sit at table during my lunch period and be with friends and not be in the corner by, myself. It felt nice to not be alone and having friends that cared about me, ones I can go to. These bonds and friendships I still have with me and will forever have them.

After high school my friends and I went off in different directions as I started college my friends moved away, started working and having kids. College was a new world for me it was a lot more scarier than middle school and high school put together. College is for adults and it’s the real world. I spent my first few semesters wondering where I belonged. I knew what I wanted to do with my life but I felt lonely. My friends from high school were far away and I didn’t see them much except during breaks or holidays.

This made me feel invisible again.

Thinking about this made me wonder if anyone else has ever felt his way? Feeling alone in the world unsure what you’re going to do in life? If anyone else can identify with these feelings let me say over the past few years, I’ve made a lot of new friends who I consider to be my second family. For anyone who has ever felt this way of being alone in the world like I have know you’re not alone.

It may seem like that but it’s not true.

We all want to be accepted and liked in the world and we don’t get that it makes us feel alone and invisible. It took me a while to see things more clearly and along the way it’s been a bumpy ride but, to where I am now I’m not invisible anymore.

So, to anyone who ever felt this way just know you’re not alone and in ending of The Perks of Being a Wallflower where the main character Charlie finishes the letter he’s writing to his friend he says, “And in this moment I swear - we are infinite.”

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

Experience L M C e x p e r i e n c e . c o m

Member California Newspaper Publishers Association

“As students, we should remember that our school is our home away from home and we should treat it with respect.”

— Gary Fridland

“I think putting up signs saying there will be a fee if you litter would keep the campus clean.”

— Chelsea Chase

— Marilyn Monroe

Aishling Doherty

GUEST COLUMN

The LMC College Complex has been under construction since December 2012 and is expected to be finished sometime during the spring of 2015. The completion of construction will put all student services into one convenient location, which will be located in the front end of the complex near the Math and Library building. Some of the services will be Admissions, Student Life, and the Scholarship Office.

Although construction always creates detours throughout the campus, the one coming fall 2014 may be the most inconvenient detour that has the potential to affect many classrooms and the flow of students who enter the complex. The main stair set and the entrance that goes through the nursing building would be completely fenced off, meaning there will only be three entrances into the college complex. These three include the entrance by the Planetarium, the entrance by the Art building from Parking Lot B, and the entrance by Music and Drama departments from Parking Lot C. Now that we are limiting the entrances to our campus, the flow of student traffic will be narrowed down mainly toward the Art area and the Planetarium. This is where we encounter a new problem. The Planetarium hallway is not designed for a large flow of students constantly going in and out throughout the day. There are rows of classrooms in use throughout the day and they have little to no sound resistance to what goes on outside the doors.

They also have glass windows and doors with vertical blinds but the blinds are rarely closed by teachers. This will be a major distraction to all the students and instructors who have classes in this area.

Even if blinds are used to limit the visual distractions, there will still be many students constantly making noise that can be heard inside of the classrooms. There have already been many situations where teachers and students will open the doors to tell others outside that they need to quiet down. With this now being the main entrance, it will be nearly impossible for teachers and students to regulate the volume outside of their classroom because it will just be a constant flow of students walking in and out of that area.

The reason it’s worked so well with the hallway by the nursing area is because its design is made for keeping all sounds and distractions out of the classrooms. They barely have any windows and the doors are made with a thicker material that keeps sound out better than the glass doors we have near the Planetarium.

The potential traffic jam will increase near the Planetarium because students wait for their Astronomy class in the small square that has the doors to enter the complex. We can expect problems in this area if we do not find an alternative solution. Due to its convenience, many students will be using this route.

We could decrease the chances of problems if we try to adjust the construction around a front entrance near the Math and Library buildings. Rather than working on both sides at once, spread out the focus of the construction to just one side at a time. Ideally, closing the entrance by the nursing area would mean opening the left end, which is on the Math building side.

Once the construction on the right side is completed we could open it for access and then complete the construction in the center and left while still having an entrance to the complex near the front.

The courses held in classrooms near the planetarium are paid for by students looking to take classes in a workable environment.

Making that area one of the main entrances into the College Complex will decrease the quality of their classroom environment.

“Friends accept you the way you are.”

“I believe the only way to keep our campus clean is to change the mentalities of those who trash it.”

— Jason Quintana

“Cleanliness begins with the people.

We can get students more involved in the campus simply by cleaning up something that looks bad.”

— Mariela Vega

“People could help just by not being a litter bug.It will have to take a individual committment and personal responsibliity.”

— Joe Redd

“We can keep our campus clean by being more considerate and cleaning up after ourselves.”

— Allesandra Gutierrez

“Were it left for me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Editor-in-Chief .................... BRENDAN CROSS Perspectives Editors...... AISHLING DOHERTY and JAZMINE GORDON Campus Editors .................. JOSEPH DELANO and ALEXANDRA TAGLIAMONTE Features Editors .......................RATTANA KIM and STEPHANIE PATTISON Sports Editors .......................LUKE JOHNSON and DAKOTAH ZABROSKI Photo Editor ....................... IRVIN TRIGUEROS Web Editor ..................STEPHANIE PATTISON Associate Editors...............BERTHA AGUILAR and STEVEN LUKE The LMC Experience is published Fridays by students in the Journalism Program. The newspaper serves both as a laboratory for journalism classes and as a First Amendment forum for campus communication. Opinions expressed in the Experience are solely those of the students and do not represent the views of the college.

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

— Nelson Mandela

Academic Competition a success 9th annual contest lures a big crowd

BY CASSIE DICKMAN

cdickman@lmcexperience.com

At 8 a.m., the cool, crisp morning didn’t seem to affect the large turnout at the 9th Annual Academic Competition Saturday, April 12.

Many students lined up and gathered with their teammates, while some competitors, still sleepy eyed, straggled along the green, white and yellow balloon-lined path that led to the LMC Gymnasium.

Spirits were high as competitors chatted, searched for missing team members and engaged in friendly banter to get themselves pumped up for the long day ahead.

In the end, the team Fine Fellows Nathaniel Combs, Daniel Herink, Mohammed Rafae, Tim Combs won the $3,000 scholarship prize to split.

Four other teams placed: Q Second place and $2,000 went to Shmerrherrp: Jason Wu, Nazifa Fazli, Zohai Rahimi, Ayesha Khan Q Third place and $1,000 went to The Nation of Thizzlam: Miguel Mauricio, Jose Alvarez, Dylan Young, Kevin Orozco Q Fourth place and $600 went to Family Affair: Elizabeth Agramont-Justiniano, Gabriela Agramont-Justiniano, Sergio Agramont-Justiniano, Sebastian Agramont-Justiniano Q Fifth place and $400 went to Fighting Mongooses: Robin Ririe III, Eric Cabral, Evan Mullicone, Rachel Dunzmeiler Twenty-two teams of four signed up to compete and 18 participated, compared with just eight last year.

“I don’t know why it’s more this year,” said Astronomy Professor and test creator Scott Cabral, who has been involved with the competition and every planning meeting held since the competition started nine years ago.

“I was worried there would not be enough publicity,” he added. He thinks the brightly colored logos on

Photos by Cathie Lawrence

LMC students Jose Hernandez, Angelica Guzman, Adonai Salgado, Samantha Romero-Bothi take part in a round of tests during the Acadmeic Competition. Announcer Gary Walker gives instructions to students participating in the competition (below). the posters hung all over campus had something to do with the increase in team sign ups.

LeNay Triplett of team Beautiful Minds said she joined the competition for the “mental challenge,” while teammate Vivien Lewis entered because she will be transferring soon and wanted to put on her application that she had competed in an academic competition.

In contrast, Lucas Camacho said he joined the competition for the money.

“It is a great event because we give away $7,000 in scholarships.”

The top five finishing teams place, said Cabral.

But he didn’t want the competitors to focus on winning the money and instead he said he hoped they would enjoy the contest.

“It’s really fun and the students have a really good time participating,” said Demetria Lawrence, student life

coordinator. Sometimes the students dress in costumes and they like being able to create weird names for their teams.

To participate in the contest and be successful, students should have been at LMC for one year, or two full semesters and have at least a B average, said Cabral. He added that students don’t have to be a genius.

The event was organized and kept on a tight schedule. Set-up for the event began at 7:45 a.m., said LMCAS Student Senator Gary Walker, who handled team registration and took on the role of game show host between the four 60-minute rounds.

After registration, the teams headed into the gym to help themselves to juice, coffee, muffins and bagels, before dispersing to tables that donned plaques, which displayed the creative names of each team -- Something See EVENT, page 8

Grants given to LMC students NEWSWATCH Esteemed Kennedy-King awarded to 13

By BERTHA AGUILAR baguilar@lmcexperience.com

A scholarship is not just a grant to pay for your education; it is also an award of achievement. Not only do you get financial support to further your education, but it is money you do not have to pay back.

Of all the Contra Costa Community Colleges, LMC has the highest amount of

recipients of the Kennedy-King scholarship, as 13 students received this award.

This scholarship is a step in the right direction to take their education to the next level and transfer to a University.

The 2014 recipients were: Jose Alvarez, Melisa Bonilla Garcia, Gloria Duarte, Anthony Gaston, Angelica Guzman Paz, Karen Hernandez, Carmen

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Martinez, Miguel Mauricio, Tiffany Patterson, Fiona Pizarro, Clementina Ruiz, Charlene Tidwell and Renee Washington.

To qualify for this scholarship you must be of African-American, Latino, Native America or of Pacific Islander decent.

Interim Scholarship Coordinator Letta Greene said, “The Kennedy-King Scholarship was

lifestyles

HELPING YOU thrive

Walk It Off

By Mary Klemm, DO

B

elieve it or not, walking is one of the easiest ways to get exercise and stay healthy. Experts recommend at least 2½ hours of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, brisk cycling, or yard work. It’s fine to walk in spurts of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week. Before you start, talk with your doctor to make sure it’s okay for you to begin a walking program.

Brisk walking is aerobic exercise, which helps strengthen your heart, lungs and muscles. A strong heart carries more blood, along with oxygen and nutrients, to the rest of your body. Walking can help lower blood pressure, improve your mood and energy; and help you maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise also helps prevent anxiety and depression. Walking is also a weight-bearing activity, meaning it works the muscles and bones against gravity, so it also helps reduce your risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.

Here are a few tips to get you started on a walking program: t t

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Start with a short-term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day. Or increase your number of steps by 300 to 500 each day.

After you’ve made walking a habit, set a longer-term goal. You may want to set a goal of walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day or work up to 10,000 steps a day. You can try to do this 5 days a week or more.

You can wear a pedometer to track your steps each day.

To stay motivated, find a walking partner, such as a family member, friend, or coworker. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine.

For more information on walking for fitness and other exercise ideas, go to Kaiser Permanente’s Web site at www.kp.org/fitness.

Visit us at kp.org/diablo Follow us on Twitter @KPDiablo

This article is proudly sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.

Mary Klemm, DO, is Physician Site Leader for the Antioch Medical Center.

established in 1968 in memory of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” She continued “It was, and still, is an effort to do a small part in addressing the problem of equal opportunity in education for all.”

This scholarship is offered to students of all Contra Costa Community Colleges and since See GRANTS, page 8

Stars returning to LMC Planetarium to be fixed

By ALEXANDRA TAGLIAMONTE atagliamonte@lmcexperience.com

The Los Medanos Community College’s Planetarium will be up and running once again for the upcoming spring semester. The planetarium has not been in function for almost a full year now due to technical difficulties.

The Planetarium uses a CHRONOS model star projector from the GOTO Company, which is an optical equipment-manufacturing outfit in Japan. Two computers power CHRONOS; the PCs were purchased in 2003 and broke down sometime around August 2013 due to leaky capacitors inside the machinery.

Astronomy Professor Scott Cabral explained that Technician Jason Statham, who works with LMC directly and has the two PCs in his workshop in Florida, is working to correct the problem.

Statham has replaced the CPUs, the disk drives and the power sources. The only missing piece of equipment See STARS, page 8

Shenanigans annual show

The Shenanigans second= Annuals Showcase will be held April 3oth at 7:00 p.m. in the Little Theater here at LMC. Tickets to attend are $5.

The showcase will feature dancing, music, acting, singing, comedy, poetr y and much more.

Not only are students are available to attend but they are also able to perform.

The deadline to sign up is April 18th, all LMC students interested in performing must contact artycastle@gmail.com

Drop in counseling available

The Counseling Depar tment will be making hours accessible for counselors to conduct drop-in counseling. The hours change from week to week, for the upcoming Friday, April 18: from 9 to 11 a.m.

This time is subject to change, and a Student ID Number is required for students to be seen.

Contact the Counseling Department at 431-2181 ext. 3334 for additional information and to confirm the above times.

Nursing seminar registry open

The Nursing Success! Seminar for Summer 2014 will be held June 10-12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The free event will be hosted by Samuel Merritt University in Oakland.

The programs highlighted include two tracks: Q Track 1 focuses on members of community colleges who are interested in applying to direct entry transfer BSN program.

Q Track 2 focuses on students who have already received a Bachelor’s Degree in a different field and who are interested in applying for the Advanced Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.

For more information about the programs, visit www.samuelmerritt.edu/nursingsuccess.

If you would like to attend the seminar, register online. The deadline for priority registration is April 30. After the deadline, applications may not be accepted if spots are full.

S.A.C.H.E Club holding social

LMC S.A.C.H.E club is holding a social on Wednesday May 7th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in L-109, the Librar y’s community room.

Any students interested in learning more about the club, meeting members and advisors, and having a study break should R.S.V.P to lmcsacheclub@ gmail.com by 12:00 p.m. on Monday May 5th in order to plan accordingly.

— compiled from press releases and staff reports

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FRAMING THE FUTURE Student Services Center Third Floor Blueprint

nearing Spring 2015 open

By TAMMY SEWARD and BRENDAN CROSS tseward@lmcexperience.com and bcross@lmcexperience.com

The construction of the new Student Services Center set to open by Spring 2015 will create an easy and convenient way for students to reach the programs the campus has to offer, all under one roof.

The new center would house the majority of services offered to students on campus, other than Student Life, which is retaining its current location.

Financial Aid, Admissions and Records, Assessment Center, Outreach, Welcome Center, DSPS, CalWorks and Tutoring are among the departments to be housed in the new center. The college deans, president and vice president will also be located in the center on the fourth floor.

The three groups working on the project are tBP Architecture, SJ Amoroso of Amoroso Construction and Critical Solutions Inc. The architect on the project is tBP Architecture who “took the project from the programming

phase to design and through construction,” said LMC Vice President Kevin Horan. “SJ Amoroso is the contractor that won the bid to construct the building. Critical Solutions is the firm we use for project management and construction services.”

Horan also spoke highly about the positive effect the facilities will have.

“The new facilities will tremendously improve the way we serve students in student services at LMC. Additionally, the new center point of the campus will create a more welcoming facility from the central ‘quad’ of campus into the College Complex,” said Horan.

The biggest thing the center will offer is convenient access to numerous campus programs.

“One of the biggest impacts students should experience once the center is open is the benefit of having most services available under one roof, rather than having to look for our services in multiple areas on campus,” said Senior Dean of Students

Gail Newman. “Since Student Services staff has been housed in fairly confined spaces throughout the years the new center will benefit them as well with more offices and space in general, leading to more efficient and effective day-to-day operations.”

This project was funded by a construction bond for the district passed in 2006 by Contra Costa County voters. It encompasses more than 38,000 sq. ft. (14,418 for the upper level, 16,222 for the lower level and 7,470 for the new addition) and eliminated short cuts throughout the College Complex during construction, but allowances have been made for the detours and classes were not adversely affected.

Construction is slated for completion in December of 2014, but the center will not be fully furnished and ready to open until Spring 2015.

For more information on the construction go to losmedanos.edu/construction. From there a webcam of the construction is available to view as well as a time lapse of the demolition and construction.

CUT AND DRY

FACTS Q Start date — December 2012

Q Projected end date — Spring 2015 Q $16.5 million budget Q Total square footage — 38,110 Q Funded by a 2006 bond as voted on and approved by Contra Costa County voters Q Most student services programs will be located under one roof (aside from Student Life) Q Configuration will offer “One-Stop Center” approach Q Spacious program areas to accommodate students and staff

Fourth Floor Blueprint

Q Computer kiosks for students to use on third floor lobby intended to be available for student transactions such as registration and ordering transcripts Q Fourth floor will offer Student Success/ Resource Center for career and employment services and transfer information Q Students will be able to sit and relax comfortably between classes or while waiting for appointments at the fourth floor Student Lounge Above, sparks fly as Oscar Calvillo saws off a metal piece Feb. 12 inside the fourth floor construction zone that will be used for the proposed workroom in the Student Services building at the front of the College Complex.

Right, the third floor of the construction zone presents a work-in-progress view of the Student Resource Area.

Bottom, panorama of the college roof where air conditioning units were being transported.

In the photo illustration at the center of the page a helicopter lowers an air conditioning unit Feb. 16 onto the roof to handle air for the new Student Services Center.

Q All deans (instructional and student service), the president and vice president offices will be located on the fourth floor

Graphics based on original blueprints provided by tBP Architecture.

Photos, Photo Illustration & Graphics by Irvin Trigueros Page Design by Brendan Cross and Irvin Trigueros

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“ Curiosity. Inquiry.

Expression. These are the building blocks of education.”

— Angela Li

FRAMING THE FUTURE Student Services Center Third Floor Blueprint

nearing Spring 2015 open

By TAMMY SEWARD and BRENDAN CROSS tseward@lmcexperience.com and bcross@lmcexperience.com

The construction of the new Student Services Center set to open by Spring 2015 will create an easy and convenient way for students to reach the programs the campus has to offer, all under one roof.

The new center would house the majority of services offered to students on campus, other than Student Life, which is retaining its current location.

Financial Aid, Admissions and Records, Assessment Center, Outreach, Welcome Center, DSPS, CalWorks and Tutoring are among the departments to be housed in the new center. The college deans, president and vice president will also be located in the center on the fourth floor.

The three groups working on the project are tBP Architecture, SJ Amoroso of Amoroso Construction and Critical Solutions Inc. The architect on the project is tBP Architecture who “took the project from the programming

phase to design and through construction,” said LMC Vice President Kevin Horan. “SJ Amoroso is the contractor that won the bid to construct the building. Critical Solutions is the firm we use for project management and construction services.”

Horan also spoke highly about the positive effect the facilities will have.

“The new facilities will tremendously improve the way we serve students in student services at LMC. Additionally, the new center point of the campus will create a more welcoming facility from the central ‘quad’ of campus into the College Complex,” said Horan.

The biggest thing the center will offer is convenient access to numerous campus programs.

“One of the biggest impacts students should experience once the center is open is the benefit of having most services available under one roof, rather than having to look for our services in multiple areas on campus,” said Senior Dean of Students

Gail Newman. “Since Student Services staff has been housed in fairly confined spaces throughout the years the new center will benefit them as well with more offices and space in general, leading to more efficient and effective day-to-day operations.”

This project was funded by a construction bond for the district passed in 2006 by Contra Costa County voters. It encompasses more than 38,000 sq. ft. (14,418 for the upper level, 16,222 for the lower level and 7,470 for the new addition) and eliminated short cuts throughout the College Complex during construction, but allowances have been made for the detours and classes were not adversely affected.

Construction is slated for completion in December of 2014, but the center will not be fully furnished and ready to open until Spring 2015.

For more information on the construction go to losmedanos.edu/construction. From there a webcam of the construction is available to view as well as a time lapse of the demolition and construction.

CUT AND DRY

FACTS Q Start date — December 2012

Q Projected end date — Spring 2015 Q $16.5 million budget Q Total square footage — 38,110 Q Funded by a 2006 bond as voted on and approved by Contra Costa County voters Q Most student services programs will be located under one roof (aside from Student Life) Q Configuration will offer “One-Stop Center” approach Q Spacious program areas to accommodate students and staff

Fourth Floor Blueprint

Q Computer kiosks for students to use on third floor lobby intended to be available for student transactions such as registration and ordering transcripts Q Fourth floor will offer Student Success/ Resource Center for career and employment services and transfer information Q Students will be able to sit and relax comfortably between classes or while waiting for appointments at the fourth floor Student Lounge Above, sparks fly as Oscar Calvillo saws off a metal piece Feb. 12 inside the fourth floor construction zone that will be used for the proposed workroom in the Student Services building at the front of the College Complex.

Right, the third floor of the construction zone presents a work-in-progress view of the Student Resource Area.

Bottom, panorama of the college roof where air conditioning units were being transported.

In the photo illustration at the center of the page a helicopter lowers an air conditioning unit Feb. 16 onto the roof to handle air for the new Student Services Center.

Q All deans (instructional and student service), the president and vice president offices will be located on the fourth floor

Graphics based on original blueprints provided by tBP Architecture.

Photos, Photo Illustration & Graphics by Irvin Trigueros Page Design by Brendan Cross and Irvin Trigueros

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“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

— Scott Adams

MARQUEE LMC music events

Los Medanos College is having a series of musical events throughout the semester in the Recital Hall located in the Music building, next to the Lot C parking lot.

Q Concert Band Performance, Friday, May 2, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. with Concord High School. General admission $5 and seniors/students $3.

Photo courtesy of Vaneza Garcia

Aaron Craig, Javier Munoz, Marcus Bettencourt and Isaac Fematt play their horns during their show on Oct. 18, 2013.

‘Day Labor’ jams out

Q Gospel Celebration Concert, Saturday, May 10, 7 to 10 p.m. Admission $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Q Piano Honors Recital, Monday, May 12, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free admission.

Q Concert Band Performance, Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. General admission $5 and seniors/students $3.

A local ska band rocks

Q Jazz Studio Concert, Wednesday, May 14, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Admission: TBA.

‘The Sound of Music’

The California Theater is showing the classic film “The Sound of Music” on Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. This film is brought to life by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s great and enduring music, including “My Favorite Things,” “DoRe-Mi,” and the title song, “The Sound of Music.”

All tickets are $5, available for purchase at www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com.

The California Theater is located at 351 Railroad Ave, Pittsburg.

By TANNER H JOHNSON

tjohnson@lmcexperience.com

Students from Los Medanos College formed a ska band named Day Labor and now have many local fans. The band members tour all over the Bay Area, so fans can be throughout the Contra Costa County.

Ska is essentially a mix between punk rock and reggae, with roots coming from Jamaica in the late 1950s. Typically, a ska band will have an ensemble of instruments, including trumpets, saxophones and trombones.

Day Labor features Fernando Lozano on drums, Tony Fontana on bass, Christian Munoz and Diego Marquez on guitar, Isaac Fematt on tenor saxophone, Javier Munoz on trumpet, Aaron Craig on trombone and Terrance Williams on vocals.

“When the band first started, we had a goal to just have fun and make some music that people enjoy.

Now, we have a loyal fan base and it’s surreal,” said Craig.

Streetlight Manifesto, another band of the same genre, is a big influence for Day Labor.

“They aren’t mainstream enough like all the ‘pop’ music you see, but they have many fans all over. They have kept their own sound and haven’t compromised themselves to get more popular,” Craig mentions about Streetlight Manifesto.

Having a similar background of starting small and working its way up through the genre of ska, Day Labor hopes to follow the same path of simply playing music to have fun and not focus on making money out of it.

Craig elaborates on his band’s

Q Guitar Concert, Monday, May 5, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free admission.

‘Dream’ to play again

The Contra Costa College Drama Department is performing the play, “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare, directed by Linda Jackson-Whitmore.

Events surround the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to his kidnapped bride Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

Four young Athenian lovers and a group of amatuer actors are bewitched and manipulated by the mischevious magic of the fairies that inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set.

The play will be showing April 30-May 3.

Call (510) 235-7800 for more information and location.

‘Mousetrap’ is set Photo courtesy of Vaneza Garcia

Terrance Williams and Christian Munoz rock out with their band, Day Labor, during their show on Oct. 18, 2013 at the Mutiny in Antioch. image, “I don’t think people expect a group like us to do what we do.

We don’t look the part, and we don’t act like it. I believe we are something of a quiet storm.”

A fan of Ska bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Less than Jake, student Jonathan Paoli added, “Ska isn’t a commonly played genre, and it’s reassuring to see new bands

make their way here in town.”

Paoli then added, “It’s actually really cool that LMC has bands that are active and playing shows in the area.”

In the future, Day Labor hopes to continue to grow, expanding in its talent as well as their fan base.

More shows and more tours would help spread their music to new fans

all around the country Craig adds.

Overall, Day Labor has no plans to slow down, with more shows on the way. Day Labor is currently set to play April 25 at the venue Gilman, located at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley. For more information, including dates for upcoming shows, you can like Day Labor on Facebook.

Art students have a chance to win Cash and prizes are up for grabs

By AISHLING DOHERTY

adoherty@lmcexperience.com

Notifications have been sent out for the 2014 Los Medanos College Student Art Show. By now students are getting the news if their art work as been accepted into the show.

The deadline to turn in entries for the show was last Thursday, April 10 at midnight.

“225 entry works were submitted and 46 were selected by a juror,” said LMC Professor and Art Gallery Director Judi Pettite.

There are a total of nine categories in which

prizes will be given out that include; Drawing, Painting, Graphic Design, Sculpture, Ceramics, Photography, Animation, Digital Art and Advertising Art. Students who enter the show must be, “currently enrolled in an art class,” said Pettite.

“They don’t have to be an art major,” she added.

All entries selected to be in the art show must be delivered to the gallery between, April 22 to 24 during regular gallery hours.

The reception for LMC Student Art show will be held Tuesday, April 29 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The awards ceremony will be at 5 p.m. and the winners will be announced.

There is going to be two different awards.

One will be a prize bag given out from Dick Blick art (http://www.dickblick.com/) store

REVIEW CREW

‘Oculus’ Movie Summary: “Oculus” is an American supernatural, drama, horror film directed by Mike Flanagan. The events of the movie takes place in two different timelines, from 11 years ago and the present day. Karen Gillan stars as a young woman, Kaylie Russell, who is convinced that an antique mirror is responsible for the death and misfortune her family has suffered. Kaylie and her brother Tim, (Brenton Thwaites) obtain the mirror and attempt to destroy it.

located in Berkeley.

The other prize given out will be a cash award of $125. The cash prize award will be given by, the Delta Art Gallery League.

In order to win the cash prize the artwork must fall under these four categories, 2-Dimensional, 3D, Photography and Graphic Design.

For students or staff members who can’t make it to the reception, the art show will run from Tuesday, April 29 to Thursday, May 15.

The Art Gallery is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

If anyone looking for more information on the LMC Student Art Show, it can be found on this website here, http://www.losmedanos. edu/art/gal.aspx.

Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” is the world’s longest running play. It is now celebrating its 60th year and will be performed at the California Theater.

During a snow storm, a group of strangers are stranded in a boarding house, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include a newlywed couple who run the boarding house, a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone.

The performances will take place May 9 at 8 p.m., May 10 at 2 and 8 p.m. and May 11 at 2 p.m. Ticket costs are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, $10 for children under age of 11. There is an additional $1.50 facility fee charge for all tickets. Purchase tickets at www. pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. The California Theater is located at 351 Railroad Ave, Pittsburg.

Movies coming soon

Q “The Other Woman” — April 25 Rated: R, Genre: comedy, romance Q “The Quiet Ones” — April 25 Rated: PG-13, Genre: horror Q “Brick Mansions” — April 25 Rated: PG-13, Genre: crime, drama, action Q “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” — May 2 Rated: PG-13, Genre: action, adventure — compiled from press releases and staff reports

++++

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Joseph says: Eerily exciting

Brendan says: Good, not great

Oculus intrigued me. Normally I would not have seen a movie like this, much less have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Starring Karen Gillan as Kaylie Russel and Brenton Thwaites as brother Tim, the film was made use of the character’s memories and how they affected their life as adults trying to cope with childhood events.

I enjoyed how the film progressed. Director Mike Flanagan did a masterful job of using flashbacks from the sibling’s past to commingle with events of the present.

This treatment ends up leaving the audience in a tailspin of emotion, questioning if what they see is the truth of a figment of the character’s imagination.

Gillan ser ves up a fresh performance that bounces from sane to crazy, while Thwaites leaves a little to be desired as it seemed he was more eye candy than functional character.

Overall, the film was really good and deserving of a possible sequel or prequel. For a lighter horror film with a really great plot and decent execution, Oculus resulted in me being a happy viewer.

— Joseph Delano

It is rare that a horror movie release of any kind is at least decent nowadays, but Oculus provides a story that sinks its teeth into you along with enough jump scares to keep everyone on their toes.

There is a fine line between having horror effects appear entirely silly or somewhat believable.

Oculus pulls off the glowy-eyed “villain” with the tattered clothes and generally dark aura effectively without it being over-the-top fake, a la “Mama,” which is definitely one of the worst horror movie releases of last year for that reason.

While there are definite holes in the story, such as the name of the main ghost-like creature being revealed without any actual background information, it does pave the way to possible prequels or sequels.

The characters are believable in their roles with the exception of the male lead Brenton Thwaites.

He was a bit over the top in the same way that Keanu Reeves is in any role. He could have done a lot more with his character and really brought the movie to another level.

I think this is the best horror movie to be released this year thus far.

— Brendan Cross

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“I’m not concerned with you liking or disliking me... All I ask is you respect me as a human being.”

— Jackie Robison

LMC volleyball gears up for fall Returning core looks to raise the team to new level

By DAKOTAH ZABROSKI

dakotahzabroski@lmcexperience.com

Los Medanos College Volleyball Head Coach Lou Panzella and his squad of players have been practicing during the offseason and are ready for the new campaign.

Last year LMC finished with an 11-14 overall record, 9-7 in conference play, and the team looks to improve on that, especially with several returning players.

Panzella is excited to have setter Kiana Pinkowski and outside hitter Taylor Scriven returning to the team. The two were first team all-conference players in the Bay Valley Conference.

Scriven and Pinkowski were leaders on the court last year and plan to do the same this year.

Not only will they lead with experience, but with raw talent as well. Last year Scriven was fifth in California with 394 kills, but she couldn’t have done that without Pinkowski’s 731 assists, which was 23rd in the state.

“The leadership and tone they set is huge,” said Panzella. “They set an example of the

type of work ethic it takes to be good.”

Not to be left out is back row libero Taylor Morgan who completes the trio of returning players who have played together since their high school days at Liberty High School in Brentwood, CA. “I think that from us playing together before that we have a lot of unity, we understand each other, we know what we’re doing. Plus since we play libero, setter, outside, it works really well, like a triangle type of thing,” said Scriven.

Panzella has been looking all year for talent to replace players that have left the team, however he understands the difficulty of recruiting at the junior college level.

“I think my mindset has to be that, yes in April and May you’re coming here and then between May and mid-August when we actually start classes a lot of things happen and things change. A lot of kids end up changing their mind and going to a four year school...I think the kids that do play and do come and play are kids that have See VOLLEY, page 8

Polansky skunks Eagles

Photos by Cathie Lawrence

Kiana Pinkowski (left) works on her setting skills, while coach Lou Panzella (above) leads practice.

Photo by Cathie Lawrence

Last Saturday, Los Medanos pitcher Ben Polansky followed his solid start against Solano with a complete game shutout of Mendocino. He allowed only four hits and two walks while striking out six batters as LMC won the game, 6-0. The Mustangs currently sit in second place, two games behind Marin, with one week left to play. LMC (10-6 conference, 19-12 overall) will face Laney (7-9 conference, 16-15 overall) Tuesday through Friday in the final series of the season.

Age is nothing but a number in pro sports With the NBA playoffs starting April 19, those teams that didn’t make post-season can only look forward to the NBA Draft Thursday, June 26. With the draft comes the always changing matter of when should athletes be able to enter it.

Ever since Adam Silver became NBA commissioner in February, he has been avid about pushing back the age to two years removed from high school instead of the rule now that permits athletes to declare for the draft after just one year in college. I understand where Silver is coming from when it comes to his new proposal.

He claims this move will improve the play of the NBA and the NCAA. The truth is, he doesn’t care about the NCAA. Silver’s only concern is the level of play at the NBA level, and I don’t blame him for that.

For years now the NBA has lacked a level of physicality it had with players like Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley,

Jared Ambuehl REAL TIME WITH JARED

Karl Malone and Dikembe Mutombo. The commissioner understands it is a new era of basketball, but he has to be thinking this move will help with the lack of physical play we see today.

I’m here to tell him it will not. Take a second to think about the three best players the league has seen in recent years. That is a whole other argument in itself, but you’re probably thinking of Michael Jordan, Kobe Br yant, and Lebron James. Since the 19911992 season, these three have combined to win 13 NBA Finals.

Jordan is the only one who went to college of the three, playing ball for the University of North Carolina a total of three years before declaring for the 1984 NBA Draft. At the time, See AGE, page 8

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F R I D AY,

HUMAN VOLLEY GRANT EVENT From page 1

From page 7

From page 3

From page 3

an fishing vessel for a month, later becoming a vacation specialist and instructor at the Natural History Museum at the California Academy of Sciences for over 11 years.

“It was like working for National Geographic,” said Cella.

Afterwards, Cella did public relations for California State University East Bay in Concord.

“I got a lot of events set up at the college and really felt like I helped build a community on the campus,” she said. “I know what I do really makes an impact on peoples lives and its great to be apart of that process.”

Another title of interest was “Indie Band Leader” by English professor Alex Sterling. He was in a band with his brother and other friends who called themselves Desoto Reds.

A friend in high school first introduced Sterling to the Indie music genre. There were, however, various obstacles the Indie rock patriot had to endure for his music to be heard.

“I had to overcome stage fright and once I got over that I had some trouble getting shows,” said Sterling. “There were literally hundreds of bands competing for spots.”

To this day, he still has a love for Indie music and although he is no longer in Desoto Reds he still balances his love for the music and teaching.

LMC student Ashley Goins titled herself “Champion with Disabilities.” She grew up with dyslexia and was able to push through the difficulties of her disability with the help of an organization called Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS). She was able to graduate high school with a 3.8 GPA and maintain her grades through LMC and is now on her way to Sacramento State University.

“Just because you’re disabled doesn’t mean you can’t pursue a career,” said Goins. “ If you keep fighting, then you can have anything you want.”

Other books that were available for checkout included: Q “I Bought a Rainforest”

by Laurie Huffman, Spanish Faculty Q “California Dreaming”

by Chris Shipe, Head Football Coach Q “Go, Do, Be” by Paula Gunder, ESL Faculty Q “A Female in a Male-Dominated Activity” by Marie Arcidiacono, Speech Faculty Q “It’s Never Too Late!” by Jules Patrice Means, LMC Student Q “Beating Statistics” by Rashaad McAlpin, Media Specialst Q “Inspiration” by Debora van Eckhardt, LMC Student Q “LMC, The Power of Change” by Sharon Wellbrook, Biology Faculty Q “Me and My Dyna” (Mr. Bleu) by Camme Benzel, Senior Administrative Assistant Q “Overcoming Adversity”

by Ahjae Kendrick, LMC Student Q “Breaking the Silence” by Sable Horton, LMC Student Q “Not Your Traditional Student” by Aisha Hall, LMC Student Q “Rape and Murder: A Life Experience” by Laura Bernell, English Faculty “Overall I would say that the books and patrons interacted well with each other,” said Park.

a passion for the game,” said Panzella.

Several players, especially returners are excited for the season and what the team can do.

The team has a high goal to win conference and make a playoff run.

“I think were going to have a bigger team, more diversity on the bench, I think we’ll have a lot better outcome over the season with more players on the team,” said Scriven.

Panzella places emphasis on things that often coaches can overlook such as team bonding and putting the team’s needs ahead of an individual’s needs.

“The goal needs to be that the team comes before the individual,” said Panzella.

Height is a concern for the team especially in the front row, but the Mustangs plan to overcome the lack of height with defense.

“We’re a really small team, so I hope defensively we step up,” said Pinkowski. Morgan added, “We need taller people, but I think if we work on jumping higher and reps then we’ll get better.”

Panzella is always looking for new talent and is willing to work with any player as long as they are willing to work hard and get better.

“We’re always looking for girls that want to come to the gym; with experience or without experience. If they are athletic and want to work and want to learn how to play, we’ll work with them,” said Panzella.

Between the combination of discipline and strategy of Panzella, the returning talent and hard work, the Mustangs plan to be a force on the court this upcoming season.

The season is set to start in August, although a schedule is not yet available.

its formation they have awarded over 600 scholarships valued at more than $3,000,000.

The Kennedy-King scholarship fund consists of volunteers who dedicate their time to keep this organization running as it has been for 46 years and is considered a prestigious award.

Jim Kennedy, the chair of the donor relations committee of the Kennedy-King Memorial scholarship fund said, “The founders of the Kennedy-King were Contra Costa residents.”

Recipient Miguel Mauricio received the news of his win over the phone, “I guess they called me because my email wasn’t working, so it was cool to be able to actually hear it,” he said. Mauricio will be transferring to either UC Berkley or Stanford University this fall to continue his education in Political Science with a prospect in law school.

Studying human rights in Argentina sparked Mauricio’s interest in human rights.

He also joined the debate team. “This motivated me to become and advocate for human rights,” so he “can make a difference in the lives of individuals facing injustices all over the world,” he said.

He plans to go to law school and get a Juris Doctor (J.D.) in human rights.

Students who are currently enrolled and are looking to transfer with at least 12 transferable units still have a chance to apply for this prestigious scholarship. You must provide three letters of recommendation; submit an application and a counselor verification form.

Mauricio said, “be genuine and yourself, if you have a story to tell, then tell it exactly how you remember it and how it affected you as a person.”

Mauricio advises continuing students to “never give up and dream, believe you are greater than what you really are and if you want something then do all in your capability to achieve your dreams. And if you fail, which you will because we all fail, get right back up because that is what will define you as a person.”

Awesome and The Fighting Mongooses, for example.

After a quick breakfast, Cabral gave instructions and the contest began. Each test consisted of a different single-subject area; English, Math, science and Social Science.

“They are given a test and a scantron and they get to work together for about an hour,” said interim Student Life coordinator Jamila Stewart.

As soon as the clock started, the room went from laughter and fun to silence and all business. These competitors were there to win.

The day was long and grueling, but between tests the students were given twenty minute breaks to snack, compare answers and socialize with the competitors. During one of the breaks Walker got a few competitors to put on a show -- one student beat boxed, one rapped an Eminem song and another sang.

The LMCAS, which provided the contestants with Chipotle for lunch, enjoyed hosting the event, said Lawrence adding, “They also help proctor the test and kind of plan it.”

After the last test was finished the teams enjoyed an ice cream social and a raffle while the results were being calculated. And after much anticipation, the Fine Fellows, who had each dressed for the occasion in suits and ties, were announced as the winners.

Mohammed Rafae, member of MESA team Fine Fellows, said they wanted to win for bragging rights because there were four other MESA teams they were hoping to beat, especially Team Africa.

The students were given evaluation forms so they could give feedback on the competition and make suggestions for next year, but Walker said what he would like to see for next year is a competition between LMC, CCC and DVC.

PLAN From page 1

Director of Admissions and Records Robin Armour wrote “students will be able to track their progress, update the plan as needed, make an appointment with a counselor and register for classes all from the education plan.”

There are some limitations to the program at this point, as students cannot currently register using an add code from the system.

Another feature of the program is the timeline function.

This visual representation of past, current and future courses broken down into sections by semester, allows students to better understand the scope of activity required to fulfill the degree requirements applicable to them.

The online tool gives the user the option to do a program evaluation directly from the ed plan.

The evaluation will allow students to see how their units stack up to the requirements of various degrees, and not just the major that they have declared.

The newly retooled program is designed to ease students into a new way of figuring out how to navigate the stressful world of college.

Armour stated that the improvements to the system are “a win-win for everybody.”

STARS From page 3

is the motherboard, which is currently being located.

“I’m excited for the planetarium to be working again, getting the chance to see the visual aids is what made Astronomy sound so cool to me,” said LMC student Donna Eaves.

Statham has reassured Cabral and is positive that the PCs will be back in place inside the CHRONOS Control Console and will be working again this semester.

When the CHRONOS is functioning again, LMC students will be able to visualize 6,000 stars, the Moon in all its phases, the Sun in its seasonal motion, constellation overlays and various imaginary celestial circles that are used for time keeping and navigation.

“I applaud our wonderful LMC students for understanding that we are doing our best to fix the star projector as soon as possible and we appreciate that they are still giving the ASTRO 10 class a 100% effort to learn astronomy,” said Cabral.

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Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

8

Iron arm

Photo by Cathie Lawrence

Julie Lopez takes the mound during LMC’s doubleheader against Lassen where the Mustangs lost 11-6 and 14-6 respectively.

TAG From page 1

“I’ve worked here for 20 years, and it’s been a while since we’ve seen graffiti like this,” said Oleski.

The graffiti follows a trail of crime on campus. In March there were three reports of theft, one a cell phone and the other two auto.

Lt. Ryan Huddleston reported that while the district police cannot be on campus all the time, they are aware of the growing problem.

“We aren’t a 24/7 operation, there’s no one there in the middle of the night,” said Huddleston. “If we see someone doing it, we will try to take care of it when it’s happening right then and there.”

Huddleston says he hopes the police have a visible presence despite the inability to cover the campus all day.

Huddleston said police services has a two-pronged approach.

“We try to identify places for additional lighting and keeping an eye out as well as being as visual as we possibly can so that people will see us on campus,” he said. “That way it will hopefully deter people from damaging property.”

As far as the dr ug tag, and the fact that the underground 4-20 holiday celebrating marijuana is approaching, Huddleston said his officers are prepared to handle any disturbances that may occur.

“Our officers are fully aware of the dates and if they see someone suspicious on campus, they will address it.”

A DEGREE OF POSSIBILITIES

AGE From page 7

it was the popular thing to do, and Jordan needed those years to fill out his lanky six foot six inch stature.

Jordan is living proof not ever yone is cut out to go straight from high school to the NBA, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.

Take James for example.

This guy was approximately six feet seven inches tall and 240 pounds when he declared for the NBA draft, a man-child. It was the same thing for Bryant, his talent was extremely high, and his potential dwarfed his talent.

Do you really think anyone was telling these guys what to do when it came to their life decision of either declaring for the NBA draft or going to college?

As far as I’m concerned, if they are over 18, it should be

their own decision whether or not they want to go to college.

And if they graduated high school at the age of 17, then it should be up to them and their parents what to do.

If these guys want to risk becoming a total bust and a joke of the league, then that should be their choice. The NBA doesn’t need Adam Silver to be a father who makes the decisions for his boy who he thinks could be a star.

The reality is, if these guys are indeed everything they are talked up to be, they will be just fine in the league. If you’re Silver, why do you even care about some guy being a potential bust if he declares for the association a year too early?

Whether you like it or not, young stars and total busts can sometimes fuel sports.

Besides Chargers fans, I’m sure

everyone got a good kick out of the complete disaster that was quarterback Ryan Leaf, the second overall draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Just the opposite of Leaf was quarterback Tom Brady, who was selected 199 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft.

It just goes to show it doesn’t matter when these guys get drafted. The good ones will make it, the reaches will become busts, and I don’t think that’s bad for sports let alone the NBA. Silver should be more concerned with the weak Eastern Conference that just got torn apart this year by the two juggernauts, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. After all, it is a disgrace to see the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs with a mediocre 38-44 record.

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