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F.Y.I. Important Dates September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Sept. 25 Kaiser Permanente Healthy Lifestyle Fair at LMC from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sept. 27 College closed in observance of Native American Day

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Ward III position open

District seeks to fill board seat until next term

By NADIRA ERFAN Staff Writer

The Contra Costa Community College District is seeking applicants to fill Governing Board Ward III. The appointed applicant would serve as a member for Ward III until the next routinely scheduled election held in 2014.

This comes after the passing of a long time CCCCD president and board member Sheila A. Grilli on Aug. 31. The Governing Board held a meeting on Sept. 11 where they gave their approval to fill the position by provisional appointment as

an alternative to a more expensive option of an election.

The requirements are that the applicants must be residents of Ward III, which includes most of the communities of Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, and Pacheco.

The candidates must have the ability and time to live up to their responsibilities of being an active member of the board who is committed.

Participating fully in the activities of the board by attending all meetings, and key college and district events. Applicants should review and discuss policy

issues, and be knowledgeable about the communities served by the colleges, and be prepared to act on behalf of the community. They should be operational and supportive of the authority of the board as a whole.

The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Sept. 23.

Interested contenders can apply by submitting a cover letter, application form, resume, supplemental questionnaire, and no more than three letters of reference to the Chancellor’s Office, Contra Costa Community College District, 500 Court See WARD, page 6

Fiveyear vision

Appointments for transfer The Transfer Center is booking appointments for any student interested in transferring to a four-year-university.

There is lots of information regarding transferring, such as college catalogs, campus tours, drop-in advising and one-on-one appointments with representatives. Stop by Room CC2-225 on Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

Community inquiry slated

By SEAN TONGSON Staff Writer

Earth to MESA If you are a MESA student, The Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement Program will have two events in October you might be interested in.

Q A UC Davis Pre-Med conference will be held Saturday Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct.13.

Q The Mesa Student Leadership Conference will be held in San Diego Friday, Oct.18 and Saturday, Oct.19.

For more information about these opportunities, contact Carol Hernandez who coordinates the MESA Program at 439-2181 Ext. 3437, or email her at cahernandez@losmedanos.edu.

Breast cancer awareness There is a free community wide breast cancer awareness conference sponsored by LMCAS. The event takes place Oct. 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in MU3-720. For more information contact Rosanna D. Clark at Fightbreastcancer@ pacbell.net or visit the website www.lmcfightsbreastcancer.org. The registration deadline for the event is Sunday, Oct. 6.

INSIDE

Q Welding program always looking for new people, page 3 Q Art gallery reception a hit with students and staff, page 4 Q Mustangs face Seahawks in season opener, page 5

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Photo by Jesus Chico

Fire blazing on Mt. Diablo from a street view off Harbour Street in Pittsburg.

Feeling the flames

Students affected by Mt. Diablo fire

By RATTANA KIM Staff Writer

The wildfire on Mount Diablo, dubbed the Morgan fire, burned about 3,100 acres on Sept. 8. It has reportedly been the largest fire since 1977, which burned 6,000 acres.

Due to the wildfire, some 75 homes were evacuated. In addition, the street closures included Marsh Creek Road, Morgan Territor y Road, and Deer Valley Road.

LMC Student Alicia Alm and her grandmother experienced the negative effect of the wildfire. Marsh Creek Road was closed off for a couple days. It was the only road that led to the ranch they owned nearby, called Rancho El Pinto, which boards horses.

“Animals and horses were being kept at the barn and they were not accessible

to owners,” said Alm. “Some were sick and with the fire, it was very hard to take care of them.”

Alm now has access to the horses again and no horses were harmed by the fire. It had only slowed down the healing process of the sick horses.

Another student had witnessed the effect of the wildfire. Dennis Trammell and his family helped to evacuate residents and animals, such as horses, that lived nearby.

“My family and I grabbed the trailer to help evacuate the horses because of wildfire,” he said. “It was amazing because there was two or three trailers behind us and suddenly 20 trailers were behind us.”

Local residents and even companies were coming together to help each other and the animals. Companies were

Belman in as interim dean

By CHARLES POWELL Staff Writer

As the Los Medanos College community moves deeper into the reality of the Fall 2013 semester, it does so with a familiar member of the staff taking on a new role. David Belman, former Director of Student Life and Transfer Programs was named the Interim Dean of Student Success in June moving into the role vacated by Doctor Blas Guerrero who took on a position with University of California Davis.

Belman said he views the new position with a lot of excitement and is seen by LMC President Bob Kratochvil as

someone who is extremely focused on student success.

One key to achieving this for Belman is fostering what he calls a transfer culture on campus as modeled by the billboardesque pictures of students graduating, which festoon the third level of the college complex.

“I think more and more people, students, faculty, staff and administrators are buying into this vision of achieving degrees and transferring,” said Belman. “I think students are a big part of that. When you have student’s walking around saying I am here to do this — as opposed to I am just taking See DEAN, page 6

donating vitamins for horses to prevent collicing. Colic occurs when horses move from one area to another and their stomachs twist up, which result in abdominal pain and in some cases death. Residents and companies were also donating food and troughs.

The last load he helped to evacuate was Tuesday night in which he stayed up from midnight to 2 a.m.

“No one was hurt, not that I know of,” he said. “The horses got some bites but that happens when you move them from one place to another.”

As of Saturday, Sept. 14, the fire has been contained.

According to SF Gate news, the fire is assumed to be caused by target shooting but it is still an ongoing investigation.

However, target shooting is common See FIRE, page 6

Plans call for a strategy development meeting on October 2 to discuss the direction of the Contra Costa Community College District. The event will be held at Diablo Valley College and will cover many topics, including the highlights of the District’s recent environmental scan, trends in student enrollment, as well as reflecting on several of the best practices from noteworthy colleges. Using this information will help benefit the District going forward with a strategic direction for the next five years.

The recently conducted environmental study on the District covered in detail areas such as demographics, growth in age, the market and success rates for high school graduates, and workforce and household income. The background information from the District environmental review will provide a foundation for a district-wide vision and mission, and help identify directions the District should pursue over the next five years.

“The purpose of this meeting is to have a thoughtful conversation about the strategic direction of the Contra Costa Community College District, with the objective of moving us toward agreement on a shared vision, mission and set of broad goals for our District,” said Senior Dean of Research and Planning Gregory Stoup, in an email to District Employees.

The three community colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District; Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, and See SCAN, page 6

Blood work

Photo by Cathie Lawrence

Phlebotomist John Lopez takes red blood cells out of the arm of Daniel Ramirez during the LMC blood drive sponsored by the Office of Student Life partnered with Blood Centers of the Pacific last Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the Library Community Room L-109.

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“Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant.”

— Anthony J. D’Angelo

James Scott

James Pond

GUEST COLUMNIST

GUEST COLUMNIST

Social media creates egos

Let’s reactivate Veterans Club

I am not a hardcore social networking fan. I have just accounts — Instagram, Facebook, which I use rarely, and Twitter, which hasn’t had a tweet from me in a year.

The fact is that social networking sites are possibly an ugly reflection of my own egotism and that image alone is difficult for me to accept.

I was on Instagram, a site that allows you to upload pictures and receive likes or comments on them, looking through my friend’s pictures she had taken from a trip to Hawaii.

As I looked through the photos, one caught my attention, not because of the weird faces she was making in the image, but because of a comment. On the bottom of the picture were comments left by people who followed her. One stood out: “Why are you taking hella pictures of yourself and putting them in one frame? We all know what your face looks like but to put a filter on each one is overboard, Instagram is about your surroundings not your face.”

I thought the comment was funny because it was the truth and the follower had the gall to be up front about it.

Social networking sites inspire egotism.

Critics have talked about the thought since researchers studied the quantity of friends share our thoughts with on social networking sites.

Christopher Carpenter, a 31 year-old assistant professor of communication at Western Illinois University, and other researchers studied the Facebook habits of 294 students between the ages of 18 and 65, and measured two elements of narcissism: grandiose exhibitionism (GE) and entitlement/exploitativeness (EE).

According to the study, GE consists of self-interest, pride, arrogance and attention-seeking trends and those who score high on this attribute of egotism need to be constantly at the center of attention. They often say shocking things and wrongfully reveal their ego because they cannot stand to be overlooked or waste a chance of boasting.

The EE quality involves a claim to social influence and a will to take advantage of others.

It’s common to believe creating our thoughts and making those visible to the general public puts us in an exposed situation.

We have a tendency to place high values on certain views and when those views don’t receive the praise we believe that they should, then we become assertive, and seek attention to feed our ego.

The social networking site Instagram takes narcissism to a different level. On this social site you post anything from pictures of yourself to quotes or sayings that define you.

So what edge do we desire?

I’ll admit I am prone to this behavior. After I posted pictures of my weekend in the city on Instagram the pictures didn’t receive an exact range of “likes” I thought were going to receive. Then self-questioning came into play. Did my friends think my weekend wasn’t cool enough? Maybe they couldn’t relate? Were my followers too busy to press the “like” button? If you have an Instagram profile and you can’t relate then you’re either in denial or it hasn’t happened to you yet.

There are a lot of people looking at what you post online.

Some might say they’re creative, others consider them hideous. However they don’t define who you are.

So the next time you take a picture or post a quote about waterfalls, or even one of or about yourself, remember you do not need anyone’s confirmation to define how cool the waterfall is or however attractive you are. It’s not what you look like or where you are that makes you who you are — it’s what within that counts.

We have many clubs to choose from at Los Medanos College if we desire to get involved in campus life, but one that stands out as “inactive” is the LMC Veterans Club.

Today, nearly 1 million veterans are using their G.I. Bill benefits, according to a recent article in USA Today. Many are returning home from their duty stations and want to continue to better themselves as they transition from military life to the civilian world.

But using veteran benefits to their full potential is sometimes hard for veterans to figure out, whether they have been recently discharged or have been out for many years.

Too many have no idea where to even start.

So when I got out of the military and enrolled at LMC, one thing that caught my attention when I searched the college website for helpful resources was that the Veteran’s Club is “inactive.”

Getting out of the military came and went in the blink of an eye and, unfortunately, once you’re out you lose a lot of the support you once had. It would be nice to see a strong, active Veterans Club on campus because I am not the only vet attending who needs help.

Besides assistance with your G.I. Bill and other benefits, an active club would provide the opportunity to be around other veterans who signed on that same dotted line you once did.

One of the biggest downfalls of going to school after your military service is sitting in classrooms in which 90 percent of the students appear to be a bunch of kids just out of high school. Simply being around fellow veterans with similar life experiences can be extremely beneficial and help spark success.

After all, clubs are for bringing together people with the same interests and passions.

In addition, students in clubs often form study groups to help them get through their courses. A club also looks good on a resume.

No matter what branch you were in — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard — for the most part, every one shares similar experiences that nobody else can understand. Having that camaraderie again would be great.

What happened to the Veterans Club? Did motivation slowly dissipate or did we lose support? According to the LMC website, “students are encouraged to organize and participate in clubs that reflect their interests.”

So why doesn’t the school spend more time promoting the value of joining clubs to future students? To learn well, you need to be in a comfortable environment, and clubs can help provide that.

LMC should make it a priority to promote the Veterans Club to returning service men and women to help ease some of the stresses they may deal with.

One of the missions of LMC, as stated on the colleges website, is “We strive to create a dynamic environment that encourages life-long engagement with academic and societal challenges.” Seems to me like returning veterans meet that exact mission LMC says it strives for.

By focusing attention on this topic, I hope to see something change not only with the faculty and staff trying to engage vets, but with the veteran students as well.

They need to step up, advocate for themselves, and get the benefits they deserve.

The deadline to complete the club charter process through the Student Life Office is Friday, Oct. 11, by 4 p.m.

Hopefully, enough veteran students will read this and step forward to reactivate the club we need so we can get the support we deserve.

Editor’s note: Students who want to start or reactivate a club can find information on the college website at http://www. losmedanos.edu/studentservices/clubs/ default.asp

Cartoon by Janet Azehko

EDITORIAL

Blinded by selfish reasoning

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t is an outrage that a multi-billion-dollar organization represents a racial slur. The NFL team in Washington D.C. has decided to keep its name to maintain the history with its fans, rather than changing it to end its disrespect to Native Americans.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has finally addressed the outcry for a name change, while the team owner Dan Snyder has continued to ignore the situation.

“The Washington Redskins name has thus from its origin represented a positive meaning distinct from any disparagement that could be viewed in some other context,” Goodell wrote June 5. “For the team’s millions of fans and customers, who represent one of America’s most ethnically and geographically diverse fan bases, the name is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.”

The term “redskin” is offensive and insulting to an ethnic group. A team name like the Seminoles is adequate, because it represents an actual Native American tribe, and is approved by the tribal committee.

Another name for just the generalization of Native Americans, such as the Braves, is also acceptable, for it symbolizes a noble warrior. It is similar to naming a team the Vikings, Musketeers, Spartans or Trojans.

With that being said, it was welcoming to hear Goodell having said this, “We have to do everything that’s necessary to make sure that we’re representing the franchise in a positive way . . . and that if we are offending one person, we need to be listening and making sure that we’re doing the right things to try to address that.”

But the thing is there is an untold number of people it is offending.

Hopefully soon, the NFL and Snyder can come to an agreement on letting go of a name’s history, for it is a history of hurting people.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Don’t help others commit suicide DEAR EDITOR: A recent column In the Experience titled “Should Suicide Be Optional?” startled me and gave me a sickening feeling in my stomach.

I do not want to address the issue of whether suicide is okay, but rather I choose to address the issue of what we call Physician-Assisted Suicide.

It is terribly sad when a person commits suicide, but when one is helped with committing suicide it is a problem.

I agree with Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s statement, as quoted in the article, that “death is not a crime.” But I believe assisting one in suicide definitely is. Think about it: You’re helping

someone kill themself. It is said, “sanctioning assisted suicide would violate the rights of others.”

Doctors and nurses might find themselves “pressured” to cooperate in a patient’s suicide, as argued in an article written by students from Santa Clara University. Being that we each, individually, have a choice on whether we want to live or not, let’s not ask people to assist us in killing ourselves.

When you ask to be killed, you are pressuring someone to murder you, thus taking away his or her own freedom of choice. Don’t be one to help in killing and closing the curtains of life.

— Kamilah Tom

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

LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

Experience

What success tips do you have for LMC students?

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“Utilize all the resources.”

— Deartra Goban

“Create an educational plan.”

— Leticia Gomez

“Stay focused on your studies.”

— Leticia Gonzalez

“Come to class. Do the reading.”

— Pam Perfumo

“Be on time, take good notes.”

— Patriz Arzate

“Create a support system.

Exchange phone numbers.”

— Tammy Smith

“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......... VANESSA FLORES and JAZMINE GORDON Campus Editors .................. JOSEPH DELANO and ALEXANDRA TAGLIAMONTE Features Editors .......................RATTANA KIM and STEPHANIE PATTISON Sports Editors .......................LUKE JOHNSON and DAKOTAH ZABROSKI News Editor ....................... HILLARY HETRICK Photo Editor ....................... IRVIN TRIGUEROS Web Editor ................................. JESUS CHICO 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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Campus NEWSWATCH Have a voice in LMCAS

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Program enhances skill set

By KYLEE VALENCIA Staff Writer

UC Davis hosting conference

The 11th National UC Davis Pre-Health Student Alliance Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Conference will take place Oct. 12 and13 at the University of California in Davis, at the UC Davis Pavilion. Anyone interested in a health career is encouraged to attend. The event is open to anyone, regardless of education level.

The conference will provide the information and skills necessary to succeed in the medical and health-professions school admission process. UC Davis will host deans of admission from some of the top schools in the country.

There will be over 200 pre-med and pre-health workshops and lots of in-depth information on admission requirements, curriculum, financial aid and research opportunities. Also, over 120 medical schools, 20 nursing schools, 25 pharmacy schools, 35 dental schools and 25 public health schools are scheduled to attend this year.

The admission price varies based on individual or group rates. There is also an option that includes discounted bus, hotel and meals. For details on admission prices, go to www.ucdprehealth.org and click on the link in the register now section. To get the best deal, register as soon as possible since prices will increase after October 2.

Universities to visit soon

Visit the Transfer Center located on the second floor in Room CC2-225 for appointments and other information or call 439-2181 ext. 3124.

Transfer student tours occuring

Are you a student who is having trouble figuring out what school you want to transfer to? If so, Los Medanos College will be providing students with the opportunity to visit some top universities in the state of California.

The university tours that Los Medanos College will be providing extend through November. The universities that will be visited are: Q Saint Mar y’s College: Oct. 12 Q Mills College: Oct. 18 Q UCLA: Nov. 8 Q San Francisco State: Nov. 15 Q UC Santa Cruz: Nov. 22 Lunch and transportation will be provided for everyone who is attending, but space is limited so don’t let this opportunity get away.

For more information, please visit the Transfer Center in Room CC2-225 or call 439-2181 ext. 3124

Hosting Kaiser at LMC

The Student Life center will be partnering with Kaiser Permanente to put on the “Kaiser Permanente Healthy Lifestyle Fair.” The event will feature free health screenings and massages. Other activities include a cooking demo and a sexual health information booth.

The fair will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the outdoor quad. Contact the Student Life office at 439-2181 ext. 3266 for more information.

— compiled by Hillary Hetrick from press releases and staff reports

— Robert Kiyosaki

Welding gets heated

Have you ever wanted to make a difference at school, but didn’t know how? Here is your chance — consider joining student government. From now through Sept.

30 you can pick up an application to become a senator at the Student Life Office.

To be eligible you need: a 2.0 GPA, must be enrolled in five or more units, complete the questions provided in the application packet, get 50 signatures and fill out the time management sheet. Applicants will be interviewed by a current senate member and also must attend one LMC Associated Student meeting, which are held every Monday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Library, Room L-105.

For more information stop by the Student Life office located in the portable near parking lot A just past the Child Study Center, or contact 439-2181 ext. 3266.

In addition to making a difference, it will also look good on your transcript should you make it to the senate.

College representatives will be visiting Los Medanos College from various public and private universities to assist students with general information about transferring and admissions.

Q The Art Institute: There will be an information table Thursday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 26, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Q Brandman University: There will be an information table Thursday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 28, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m-1 p.m.

Q Cal State University San Francisco (by appointment): Wednesday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Q Saint Mary’s College (by appointment): Wednesday, Sept. 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Monday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Q UC Berkeley: Monday, Sept. 30, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Q UC San Diego (drop-ins and appointments): Thursday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. (appointments) and 12 p.m.- 1 p.m. (drop In).

Q UC Santa Barbara (by appointment): Monday, Oct. 28, 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Q University Of The Pacific (by appointment): Tuesday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m-2 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

“Confidence comes from discipline and training.”

Photo by Kylee Valencia

Andrew Stallard uses the stick weld technique during a welding workshop.

IMPACT builds leaders

By STEVEN LUKE Staff Writer

Los Medanos College offers many services to assist students, but one of the biggest opportunities is the IMPACT Retreat that promotes leadership and takes place Oct. 5.

It will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Librar y Community Room L-109.

The retreat is free, but what you get out of it is more valuable than an all expenses paid lunch and a T-shirt.

Student Life Coordinator Jamila Stewart has attended a retreat as a student and is helping coordinate this retreat for the first time.

“Our main goal is to introduce students to leadership development, and to also create a day that focuses on building and developing leadership skills,” she said.

They do this in a number of ways. At the retreat, they often have a speaker about leadership, activities to build skills, and a host of workshops.

For Student Ambassador Erika Hernandez, this will be her second IMPACT retreat.

She greatly enjoyed the workshops she attended and she believes it is important for all leaders to attend.

“You learn a little bit more about your own personal leadership skills and the workshops get you more active,” she said.

Some of the workshops that she attended last semester were about professionalism, and her favorite was about how colors relate to a person’s personality.

The retreat is full of similar workshops that aim to promote different kinds of leadership skills. For example, the Spring ‘13 retreat consisted of a keynote speaker, nine workshops and two group wide activities.

While the activities and workshops help build leadership skills for your time at LMC, what you will learn isn’t just for your academic career.

“I found it helpful based on how I was last year and how people have told me that I have really grown,” Hernandez said.

See IMPACT, page 6

Welding takes a lot of hard work, dedication and a will to commit. In this day and age there is high demand for qualified welders and the Los Medanos College Welding Program has the tools that current and future welding students need.

Students have access to modern shop facilities and the latest instructional and practical experiences.

Welding students can benefit from taking welding courses by learning new skills and with those skills, students can get jobs or add to their resumes for job applications.

“It has taught me the fundamentals of welding and how to weld, before I go out; onto the field and look for welding jobs,” said student Patrick Olwell.

The welding skills listed on job applications and resumes will make students a more valuable candidates and ensure job security for those already employed.

The welding program strives to teach students the essentials of welding, utilizing 5 different types of welding processes. “We teach oxy-acetylene welding and brazing, Shielded Metal-Arc Welding (Stick), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG), Gas Metal Arc Welding (MIG), Flux-Core Arc Welding,” said Instructor Joe Meyer adding, “we also instruct in Oxy-Acetylene torch cutting, Plasma Arc cutting and air-Carbon arc gouging.”

See WELD, page 6

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Features MARQUEE Rubber duck race

The Great Pittsburg Rubber Duck Race is on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 1:30 p.m.

The Kiwanis Rotary and Soroptimist of Pittsburg is sponsoring this event. Show your support for the local Pittsburg High School Marching Band by purchasing a rubber duck for $5 each. Spend $20 and your fifth duck is free. Tickets are available at Outback Steakhouse, State Farm Insurance at 130 E. Leland Road, and at Railroad Book Depot. Tickets can also be purchased online at pittsburgkiwanis.org.

The Grand Prize is a 1979 Ranchero.

Other prizes include Dr. John A. Quesada Chiropractic Services Massage Therapy and/or Spa Treatment, a round of golf for four players at Diablo Creek Golf Course, three nights in a South Lake Tahoe Shore Cabin or a gift certificate at fine Pittsburg restaurants.

Delta Blues festival

The Delta Blues Festival is again coming back to Antioch for its 15th year.

The festival, being held at Waldie Plaza in downtown Antioch, will occur on Sept. 21.

Come down from noon until 7:30 p.m. to witness such acts as Rick Estrin & the Nightcats and Tia Carroll. Other acts include Gregg Wright, Ricky Earl & Cherise, and Zydeco Flames.

The free event is being presented by the Art and Cultural Foundation of Antioch and being sponsored, in part, by Tri Delta Transit and the Brentwood Press.

Pets are requested to be left at home but all ages are welcome. For more information, visit www.deltabluesfestival. net or call 698-8024.

Postcard art show

The LMC Art Department presents “Terrestrial: A Postcard Show” from Oct. 8 to Nov. 7, and the gallery is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

Postcards are due Oct. 4. and should answer the question: What does it mean to be a terrestrial being? Ideas to consider are geographical maps and self-portraits.

The maps drawn can be real or imagined.

The postcards must be either 4 by 6 or 5 by 7 inches. Entries should have the artist’s name printed on the back.

Students wanting their postcard back after the end of the show can submit a self-addressed stamped envelope with their show entry. Students can also pick up them up at the closing reception. For more information, contact LMC Gallery Director Judi Pettite at Jpettite@losmedanos.edu.

— compiled by Hillary Hetrick from press releases and staff reports

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“The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incaluable..”

— Carl Jung

Play touches on real life Practice makes perfect

By JAZMINE GORDON Staff Writer

Los Medanos College’s Drama department is back again with the Tony award & Pulitzer prize winning play “Fences.” Written by August Wilson in 1983, it goes in depth of race, and family.

The two-act play is going to be directed by the Drama Chairman, Nick Garcia.

“I chose it because it is one of the most powerful plays, I’ve ever read,” said Garcia. “It’s a true piece of American culture.”

The play is about an African-American baseball player & father Troy Maxson, who in the 1950s, had a chance to be “one of the truly great baseball players” but the color barrier was not broken and he never got his chance. Now his son, Cory Maxson, is a gifted athlete who had some scholarships to play football, but due to Troy wasting his life, he doesn’t want him to waste his.

“He’s tr ying to convince his son to go in a new direction,” said Garcia.

Fences is a play that touches real life issues. “It’s a really strong piece about family and parenting,” said Garcia. The audience is to expect “top notch story, good acting, and characters they can relate to.”

Rehearsals have been going strong for 6 weeks.

Photo by Irvin Trigueros

Students rehearsing for the upcoming play, Fences. The play opens on Oct. 10.

“Our first day, I remember sitting down with everyone and because I’m not African-American, I know that’s weird, that I’m directing a play that’s about that,” said Garcia.

“I feel really, really honored to be apart of this experience with my actors because I’m learning a lot about their culture and how it is similar to mine.”

The play is to feature an 8-person cast with 3 actors making their LMC acting debut.

“This play not only has incredible actors and characters but it’s one

of those plays that…it’s real,” said Garcia. “It feels like real life.”

Du’praiseja Smith, who’s making her debut, is playing Raynell Maxson.

“Raynell as a child is actually a lot more easier because you’re fun, you’re carefree and you don’t have too many worries going on,” said Smith. “All the other characters, who are adults, have so much more on their plate, and I’m just like “lah-de-dah, I’m here.’”

The play opens October, and will run 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th and

16th at 11:00 a.m. and the 17th, 18th, 19th and 21st at 8 p.m. The admission is $10 general, $7 for college students, armed forces with I.D. and children. $5 for matinees, high school and middle school students with I.D. For more information contact the box office at (925) 439-2181 ext. 805.

“I feel like the characters are really deep and complex,” Garcia said. “They feel like real people.

They don’t feel like fictitious fake creatures that were created for a play.”

Roll Call Deux est bon

By MALIK LAWSON Staff Writer

“Art pieces are like your children, you just can’t pick a favorite.”

Wise words from instructional assistant Eric Sanchez at the reception Thursday, Sept. 12 in the LMC Art Gallery for the annual Faculty and Staff Art Show “Roll Call Deux.”

Sanchez captured the moment with pieces he called “Pittsburg Night 1, 2 & 3.” The photos give off a sort of fantasy feel with an absence of life, end-of-the-world emotion. Truly powerful and dark, “The Dow Chemical Plant” made the perfect area for Sanchez to get the perfect

REVIEW

Photo by Irvin Trigueros

Hold That Pose #2 by Martin Guzman in ceramic on display at the LMC Art Gallery for the Roll Call Deux show.

REVIEW CREW

‘Insidious: Chapter 2’

Movie Summary: “Insidious: Chapter 2” starring Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, was released on Sept. 13. This is the sequel to 2011’s Insidious. Josh (Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Byrne) repise their roles as husband and wife. They seek to uncover the secret that left them connected to the spirit world. The movie runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes and is rated PG-13.

shot he envisioned.

Another captivating photo, “Last Light,” was

by Website Administrator Eloine Chapman.

“The atmosphere of it all really took me in and the lighting in this area really spoke to me more than anything,” said Chapman about her favorite photo.

The photo was of a tree gently placed on top of a green grassy hill with the leaves and grass swaying with the direction of the wind.

What really gave value to this shot was that immediately after it was taken, a storm rolled in and lightning struck the tree in the photo, completely removing it from the ground.

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Dennis says: Amazing comeback

Dakotah says: Freakin’ awesome

“Insidious: Chapter 2” blew the doors off the expectations I had for it. After watching the first Insidious, I wasn’t impressed. But this sequel is an amazing comeback that’s far superior.

Chapter 2 approaches a sequel in the way a book approaches a new chapter. It starts exactly where the first one ended, a rarity in cinematic industry.

Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell brilliantly started with the investigation of Elise Rainer’s (Lin Shaye) death. During the investigation, Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson), Renai (Rose Byrne) and their three children attempt to start a new haunt free life at Josh’s mother’s house.

Unfortunately for the Lamberts, the hauntings continue. They realize that when Josh saved his son by returning from the “Nether,” an area between life and death, something came back with him.

This movie has several great plot twists and some elaborations upon the first movie.

There are countless scares from cheap thrills to the fear that settles in the back of your mind and reawakens when you attempt to sleep later that night.

— Dennis Trammell

“Insidious: Chapter 2” starring Patrick Wilson (Josh Lambert), Ty Simpkins (Dalton Lambert), and Rose Byrne (Renai Lambert) is an excellent addition to the sequel.

If you plan on seeing this movie, I recommend you see the first Insidious because it starts where the last one ended.

This movie does an excellent job of connecting a full circle with the first one.

This horror film is full of surprises and will make you jump out of your seat several times.

Often times horror films have lame pop-outs, but this movie has horror that will not only scare you but will disturb you in some scenes.

Just when things get intense, Specs (Lehigh Whannell) and Tucker (Angus Sampson) do one of the best jobs I’ve seen with comic relief. My heart raced after an intense scene and the duo never failed to come in at the right moment to relieve the tension.

This movie tugged on many of my emotions and if you are looking for a good scare and true horror film then I would without a doubt recommend this movie.

— Dakotah Zabroski

www.losmedanos.edu/shortterm

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“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.”

— Lou Holtz

Photo by Irvin Trigueros

Wide receiver Thomas Bossett (17) makes a sideline grab for 29 yards on third-and-16 from a pass by quarterback Adam Nesheim in the fourth quarter.

Stangs trample Seahawks

By LUKE JOHNSON Staff Writer

After a disappointing and lopsided defeat to the Hartnell Vikings in the first game of the season, the Los Medanos Mustangs bulldoze over the Cabrillo Seahawks, 26-3, in their home opener, and improve their record to 1-1.

Before the game LMC safety Jeremy Bittle tweeted, “I’ll put on a show for you,” to the press, and it did not take long for him to live up to his word. On the second play from scrimmage he freed the ball from Cabrillo wide receiver Yoshio Hasegawa on a 29 yard catch-and-run, a fumble that was recovered by the Mustangs.

On the following drive, LMC quarterback Adam Nesheim tucked the ball and took it 50 yards for a touchdown. After going up early in the contest LMC never looked back.

During the mist of the second offensive drive for Cabrillo, quarterback Lucas Romanowski was taken out of the game due to injury for what Head Coach Bill Garrison said looks like a shoulder separation. Before being

sidelined for the remainder of the game, Romanowski completed four of five passes for 61 yards.

His replacement Brandon Lane was unable to successfully move the ball against LMC. Garrison said the team could not form an offensive strategy that worked. Lane went 8-20 for 91 yards and one interception that was caught on the one-yard-line by LMC linebacker Markie Beltram. Lane was also sacked four times.

“That second-string guy probably got a small amount of reps, so we definitely got to take advantage of that,” LMC Head Coach Chris Shipe said.

The Mustangs displayed a strong ground game. Running back Shawn Vasquez led the way with 183 rushing yards for two touchdowns and 10.2 yards per carry “Our O-line did good assignments,” Vasquez said. “I kind of had an idea where the holes were going to be.

Everything just went smooth today.”

Tomorrow LMC will head to Visalia to take on the College of Sequoias Giants at 7 p.m. and try to capture a Photo by Irvin Trigueros winning record for the first time in The Mustangs raise their helmets in celebration after a pounding of the Cabrillo Seahawks. the young season.

Photo by Cathie Lawrence

Pittsburg High School football stadium is currently under renovation while the field and track get redone. The Pirates hope to be playing there again Sept. 27.

Pittsburg High and Los Medanos co-existing

By DAKOTAH ZABROSKI Staff Writer

The Pittsburg High School football team has currently been using Los Medanos’s football facility while the team waits for a new field.

The Pirates have been practicing on the football field as well as playing their home games on Friday nights.

The Los Medanos Mus-

tangs have been holding their practice on the grass area just outside the stadium. Mustangs Coach Chris Shipe does not see this as an inconvenience though.

Shipe explains that his team has a lot more games on grass, adding, “It could be a positive.”

The two teams practice separately with no joint practices.

Shipe has his own team to

worry about so he is not looking at the Pittsburg talent that could potentially play at LMC in the future. However, Shipe and his coaching staff have already been keeping an eye on the players and have been recruiting for talent since the beinning of summer.

According to Pirate Head Coach Victor Galli, it has been a minor inconvenience because

his team has to take a bus to home games but is impressed with the field.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” said Galli.

Pittsburg High and LMC are no strangers to sharing playing ground. The Mustangs have been using the Pirate’s weight room for the past couple of years according to Galli.

This field sharing is not only

good for the athletes but the students as well, since they get to come to LMC and view the college.

Pittsburgh High Coordinator of Athletics Mike Adras believes it gives students a beneficial look at the campus.

“So much win-win situation,” said Adras.

Galli looks forward to the new state of the art turf field

that will be hosting match ups under the Friday night lights for many years to come.

“Pirate Stadium is an awesome stadium,” Said Galli.

“We take care of each other, the way it should be.”

Pittsburg High, according to Adras, will hope to have the field done by Sept. 27 when it takes on Granite Bay High School Grizzlies.

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From page 1

FIRE From page 1

in the area. Locals had said there were shots being fired at an abandoned mercury mine.

The privately-owned mine had been closed since shortly after

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Let’s kick it

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Los Medanos College, all represent each territory of the District, divided into three regions (West County, Central County, and East County).

Each section of the county was broken up based on each other college’s service area.

Each of the three regions of the District had its own unique results. According to the findings in the environmental scan, Central County (represented by Diablo Valley College) is the largest region, housing more than half of the county’s residents, albeit with slow, modest growth, and also has the deepest age pool.

West County (represented

by Contra Costa College) is the smallest region with the slowest growth and most diverse in age, while East County (represented by Los Medanos College), is the second-largest region, with the fastest growth in both youths and elderly people, producing a “U-shaped� effect.

Collectively, statistics show that the overall headcount for all three CCCCD schools increases during recessions, and that school attendance decreases during fee increases.

Breaking down the educational demographics, the most educated part of the county is Central County, as over 50% of the population has a Bachelor’s or Graduate Degree. Central County today continues to experience growth with people with Bachelor’s Degrees.

East Contra Costa County is currently the least educated section, as less than 20% of the population have a Bachelor’s Degree, although there is strong growth with people who

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have an Associate’s Degrees or with some college. West County is currently the least educated, 40% of the population has no more than a high school diploma, although three out of every new four residents has a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Los Medanos College also is experiencing booming high school graduation rates from the feeder high schools in the area, whereas CCC and DVC have only experienced weak to moderate growth from feeder high schools, respectively.

Going hand in hand with a high success rate and high concentration of Bachelor’s Degrees or better, Central Contra Costa County has a strong labor market with low levels of poverty, while East County is experiencing growing poverty with a weak job growth. At 13.6 %, West County has the highest poverty rate in the region, with pockets of lingering unemployment.

Stoup mentions that the plan is to break down the statistics, and use it to formulate a new plan going forward. “Our ambition is to create a draft five-year district-wide strategic plan by the end of the November that will serve not only as a planning tool for the District, but a framework to support individual college planning,� added Stoup in his email.

The meeting on Oct. 2 is the first of two scheduled meetings. The date for the second meeting has yet to be announced, but it will be a follow-up to the first meeting and will expand on the discussion from this first meeting.

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Photo by Cathie Lawrence

From page 3

WWII. It is located near the corner of Marsh Creek and Morgan Territory roads.

Mount Diablo has now been reopened to the public.

It helped her at school, she said, but it helped more outside of school by impacting her work ethic and other abilities. “You will get something out of it,� she said. “You might not be the president someday, but you will get something out of it and learn something about yourself.�

Stewart learned something about herself when she attended one of the first retreats of this kind at LMC as a student.

For her, it opened her eyes to a few things, like the fact that she was becoming a leader without really knowing what it meant to be a leader.

Now she is back helping to

WARD

data nerd. He and others are able to see how effective it is and are able to make informed decisions. “If something is working we need to keep doing it,� said Belman. “If something is not working we need to change it or stop doing it.�

In addition to the expansion of the orientation, student’s can take the assessments at the high schools, and can take part in summer bridge program where they are able to bolster their Math and English skills.

Another source of Belman’s excitement are the cohort programs such as ACE, the Academy for College Excellence or more veteran programs like the Honors Transfer Program and Puente.

To Belman, these programs can help students feel like part of something bigger. “The programs are so much more structured so students can feel like they are part of a family instead of going through college on your own as sort of an individual.�

His own experiences of moving from the post of being the full-time faculty director of student life to this new position may help Belman to be uniquely clued into how to support student’s efforts.

He received one such vote of confidence from Student Life Coordinator Demetria Lawrence. “All of the work Dave has done over the years here at LMC makes him a natural fit for the position,� said Lawrence. “He is very committed to the success and development of our students.�

Deborah Van Eckhardt,

former student trustee for the Contra Costa Community College district, said Belman is an advocate for students, and has promoted there being student representative on committees, which is important to her because they make decisions which have a direct impact on the student body.

Belman too looked at his history with the college and the parts he played. “I want to help keep us going down this path we have been heading this past couple of years,� said Belman.

One result of this path Belman has been part of was the largest commencement ceremony LMC ever had this past Spring.

Belman said he does see students as something more than lifters of graduation caps, just as he is more than the new interim director of student success, but also a drummer in AMAYA, a bilingual folk rock band with Latin Influences. “I think that often we think about people simply based on the context of the environments where we interact with them and forget to view them in the fullness of who they are.

For example, educators often get viewed as only faculty/ staff by students and not ‘real people’ with lives outside of the college, because students don’t see them off-campus,� said Belman. “And the same thing works the other way, where we don’t always acknowledge the full and complete lives that students are living beyond school. I think it’s crucial for all of us to remember the fullness of our identities and lives as we interact with each other in a college community.�

the program instills a sense of discipline by making sure that students show up to class on time and give their best effort while instructors try to give students real life experiences. “When you show up on the job, we want you to be prepared, and show up on time. Employers do not expect their employees to come in late,� said Meyer.

The welding field opens up

opportunity for students who want learn the trade. Welding instructors strive to instill their high standards. “No matter what you do, always strive to be the best and give it your best effort, have great motivation and discipline skills and give it all you got,� said Meyer.

For more information visit the depar tment’s website, www.losmedanos.edu/welding.

From page 1 coordinate the retreat. “It feels good to come back in a different capacity,� she said.

As a coordinator, she encourages all students who are in a leadership role, or even thinking about being in a leadership role, to attend. “If you’re unsure, just go for it and try it out,� she said. “At the very least it’s an experience that you’ll have, but you’ll be smarter and wiser because of it.�

The last day to register is Thursday, Sept. 26. The registration form is available in the Student Life office located in the portable next to the bus stop at the front of the school.

DEUX From page 4

LMC’s Alexia Trezza and Alondra Hernandez attempt to kick the soccer ball out from under Kiara Sanchez of West Hills College during a game Sept. 13. LMC lost the match 4-0.

IMPACT

Follow the LMC Experience online at lmcexperience.com

St. Martinez, CA 94553. For more information reach the Communications and Community Relations department at (925) 229-6823.

Interested candidates can attain their required forms from the District Office or website, www.4cd.edu.

Two special Governing Board meetings will be held, one on Oct. 2 to review all applications and decide on the persons to be interviewed, and the second meeting on Oct. 8 to interview selected individuals and select the provisional Ward III trustee.

According to Gene Huff, Vice Chancellor of Human

Chapman said she felt lucky to be able to get the shot she did because in a way she was the last person to see that tree rooted to the ground, hence the title, “Last Light.�

LMC gardener Gilbert Amaral displayed wood carvings with the most mysterious title for his collection of pieces: “What is it?� “I am inspired by nature itself because there’s nothing in the world more smooth, elegant and beautiful than nature,� he said, adding he was inspired by the opportunity to take something that already was visually stunning and completely transform it into something else while still keeping part of its natural feel.

LMC’s Annual Faculty and Staff Art Show turned out to be a great success not only visually but emotionally.

As I gazed upon each piece, I felt as if I was being taken into world for a split second to relive the moment the artist had experienced.

The show will run until Oct. 3. It will remain open Tuesday-Thursday from 12:30-2:30 and 4-6 p.m.

Resources of CCCCD, the appointed candidate would serve the remainder of the term until the next election. “The district recognizes these would be some big shoes to fill, Sheila Grilli was a long serving member with the strong advocates in the district,� said Huff.

Although the appointee will fill out the position until the end of the term until the next regularly scheduled election for Governing Board members, the new member for Ward III can run for the next term in 2014 with an advantage of having the experience of already being a Ward III member.

From page 1

classes or I don’t know why I am here.�

Belman hopes those students who are looking for direction will be able to find it by visiting places like the Welcome Center located in Room 262 or joining programs like Umoja Scholars, the Transfer Academy and MESA, short for Math Engineering and Science Achievement Program.

Student’s who visit the center might be able to clue into one of Belman’s goals to continue fostering a spirit of intentional service to students.

One example he gave of a shift from what he termed as transactional services to providing transformational developmental experiences for students is the expansion of new student orientation, and the creation of a summer bridge program.

Belman said five-years ago students would take the assessment, learn how to use web advisor, go to a three-hour workshop, and then come to the college three months later.

Now new students who take part come to a nine-hour event, which incorporates a guided tour of the campus and a panel of current student leaders who field questions. Belman said the questions range from where do I buy books to how early do I have to come to find a parking place and beyond.

He said that following this event students come back a week or so later and meet with counselors to select their courses.

Belman shared that with this new process being in place for a couple of years allows him to indulge in one of his favorite things as a self confessed big

YOUR DESTINY AWAITS

WELD From page 3

The different types of welding techniques taught gives students a variety experiences in the welding lab. “My experience in the lab is helping me do better in my work in all my welding classes.

Once you get the ball rolling it gets easier, sometimes confusing, but it is a learning process so ask questions,� said welding student Andrew Stallard.

Other than specific skills,

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