LMC Experience Vol. 97 No. 1 - Sept. 9, 2022

Welcome Week provided free hot dogs and school supplies

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Mustangs are optimistic for the football season despite loss

‘Saints Row’ reboot misses the mark and disappoints

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Leader to retire at end of fall

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

“The people are what made everything here special.”

— President Bob Kratochvil

President Bob Kratochvil announced Wednesday, Aug. 31 that he will retire at the end of this calendar year.

Kratochvil has ser ved as the president of Los Medanos College for more than a decade and said about retiring at this time, “10 just feels like a good number.”

“I want to be able to enjoy my retirement with my family, I’m looking forward to traveling a lot and being

District lifts mask mandate

able to just relax,” he said.

Kratochvil specifically picked August 31st so he could tell his cabinet staff as well as those close to him. As he told his staff, he said everyone was shocked by his announcement but understood where Kratochvil came from about retiring.

Although Kratochvil said about his retirement that he’s very excited to begin a new phase of his life and spend more time with his family, he will greatly miss the day to day activities that come with being pres-

ident of LMC. “The people are what made everything here special, I’m confident in this staff moving forward when I do officially retire.”

During Kratochvil’s time here at LMC, the college has been named as a top 150 Community College in the nation four times as well as being able to turn this campus into what it is today by adding multiple new buildings and helping build a friendly community.

Kratochvil didn’t anticipate seeing

himself entering the field of education as he wanted to be a pediatric doctor, however this all changed in 1980 when he got his start at California State University and fell in love with the work since.

Recently, college presidents have seen quick turnover with the majority only serving three to five years recently. Kratochvil is proud of his 10 years at LMC, doubling the average time others spend in his line of work “It feels like the right time to retire.”

See RETIRE, page 5

Precautions are left up to individual choice

By KAI ARELLANO Staff Writer

College is back in session and with the beginning of the new semester, students and teachers can now come on campus without needing a mask. As of Aug. 15, all colleges in the Contra Costa College District along with the Contra Costa County Health Services will not force students and employees to wear masks while indoors.

However this does not mean that the CCCHS recommends going without one. In a recent email sent out through Insite

by Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh, they still have four safety measures that they want people to abide by; Voluntary mask-wearing, encouraging students and employees to stay home when sick, offering online classes and support services and providing free masks and self-test kits.

“We cannot guarantee that no one will catch COVID or even a common cold,”

said Mehdizadeh. “We can and do commit to upholding CCCHS-recommended safety measures, including promoting voluntary mask wearing, encouraging vaccination, and having plenty of free masks and self-test kits at every work site for anyone who needs or wants them.”

However, COVID-19 is still a virus that can infect anyone at any time.

“You can go to the county numbers,” said Athletic Trainer Brian Powelson. “There was an equal distribution of people getting infected.”

Not only that, but students will still have to submit their proof of vaccination or receive an approval of exception, per the email that was sent out.

This can be found through Insite as a tile called “Vaccine Upload” and students can click and submit their vaccine documentation through it.

“At this point it’s not any different than the way the flu was or other common colds,”

Michael benedian • Experience

Students and staff gather around with or without masks on during the Pride Alliance mixer event. said Powelson. He elaborated with how he’s been vaccinated and boosted to stay as safe as he can.

Safety is still a number one priority when it comes to accommodating the amount of old and new students though.

Even with the safety guidelines there’s still a lot of buzz about the number of students back on campus this semester.

Staff Writer

Michael Benedian • Experience

starting to go back to normal,” said Payne. His teammate chimed in as well.

“It’s allowed me to take in person classes,” said Seth Gwynn.

Although things may seem like it’s back to normal, Archaga shares a different sentiment.

“There is no going back to ‘normal’,” said Archaga. “The mask mandate was lifted, but

we are still making a conscious effort to keep everyone on campus safe.”

This is a big change for LMC and it’s going to be a big change as a whole for the entire Contra Costa College District. Like the past few years of COVID, everyone will just have to re-adjust again to this new hybrid mask on and mask off lifestyle.

LMC continues to truck along in search for food

By KATRINA ANABO

LMC student Nestor Paniagua buys a snack from the vending machine.

“I love having the students return to campus,” said Director of Student Life Teresea Archaga. “It is fun to see the excitement of the students to return to campus and start their first semester in person.”

Student athlete Marcus Payne shared some of his thoughts about this fall semester.

“I think that life on campus is

As COVID-19 cases have diminished, many students, faculty and staff have been coming back to the Los Medanos College campus with a cheerful heart but empty stomachs. With the new Student Union cafeteria still closed, only “convenience store” like foods are currently sold on campus, making it difficult for members of the college community to find fulfilling meals. As the population on campus rises, the need for more food on campus grows.

Third year student Lynny Cao believes more options than convenience store food should be available for everyone.

“Having limited food and drinks doesn’t make it feel like a college

environment,” she said.

But Vice President Carlos Montoya said last semester that the cafeteria will remain closed until the college can find the right vendor to provide fulfilling meals when the population of students on campus grows larger.

According to Dean Ryan Pedersen from the Office of Instruction last semester, in spring 2022 there were just 1,675 students enrolled at the Pittsburg campus for in-person classes. The number of students enrolled this semester has increased by more than 1,000 resulting in 3,165 students enrolled in in-person classes this fall.

Although more students are now comfortable coming back to campus, Montoya said there is currently no estimate for how

many more students on campus it will take for the cafeteria to open and provide meals. He explained that the cafeteria will remain closed until LMC is able to find a vendor that would both benefit LMC and be able to generate a profit.

“The determination is a business decision based on the vendor’s analysis,” said Montoya. “They must determine if the costs associated with providing food services (costs of ingredients, staffing, benefits, other overhead, etc.) on campus would be a profitable business for them.”

Despite the cafeteria remaining closed, the LMC student bookstore continues to provide food and drinks for new and returning students on campus. This semester, the bookstore has noticed a wave

of students purchasing food and drinks to enjoy while they’re on campus.

“We do see a big increase in students purchasing food and drinks from the last couple of weeks,” said bookstore supply buyer Andrew Murphy. “A lot of students purchase a lot of water, sport drinks and we go through the sandwiches and pastas as well.”

The bookstore is one of the only locations on campus that offer students the opportunity to purchase different snacks and beverages on campus that help make them feel relaxed and welcomed.

“The college is trying to encourage more students on campus and providing more amenities such as food is a great way to do so,” said

See FOOD, page 5

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“There are no facts, only interpretations.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche

Michael Benedian

Kai Arellano

MICHAEL’S MEMOIR

MY TWO CENTS

Why sacrifice pride for money?

Toxic masculinity is rising in men

There’s an issue that young males are facing in this day and age, and that is the idea of becoming an “alpha male.”

It’s an issue that has led to an increasing amount of toxic masculinity and young men who grow up to be misogynistic and sexist.

Although steps have been taken to curve this growth, there’s no stopping this movement and it’s terrifying to see it happening.

To start from the beginning, the term alpha male refers to someone who tries to be a dominant force, a person that is seen as the leading man.

It was often used to describe animals that were leaders of a pack. Like a pack of wolves or the social structures of gorillas. There was no negative connotation tied to its meaning and it was used exactly how it was defined.

Until the early 1990s when the term was used to describe humans, who were mostly successful men in business.

The different interpretations of the term alpha male always have something in common, and that is a level of dominance exhibited by males.

While some interpretations are harmless, the idea that a dominant man who takes the lead gets all the ladies is damaging to not only women but young men also.

There are many teens and young men who look up to figures of masculinity for guidance and while it’s not inherently a bad thing, there are most definitely men who should not be looked up to.

To make an example, you have definitely seen videos or at least heard of Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and self-proclaimed alpha.

His topic and view on women is shocking to say the least.

His disturbing statements proclaim that women are properties to their boyfriends, that it’s ok for a man to cheat on a women but not vice versa, and that women should have some fault when it comes to rape. Even Tate’s younger brother, Tristan Tate, has followed through with his brother’s ideals on women.

Recently both the Tate brothers, but Andrew mostly, has been banned off of all social media because of the statements that he’s sprung onto the public. Even though this ban has gone into effect, it’s led to men who look up to Tate as a figure and take his statements to heart, continuing the cycle of toxic masculinity.

It’s not just Tate either, you can often see this happening with members of the National Rifle Association calling men who are against guns “beta males,” a supposedly derogatory term for men who are timid and more passive.

You can see it in memes spread online but more importantly, you can see it happening with Donald Trump and his followers.

The idea that men have to prove their masculinity through their dominance is ridiculous.

Yes, views of masculinity in the past were black and white; You can see it in our history with the narrative that women needed to stay home and listen to the men who put the bread on the table.

Times have changed though and we live in a time where things aren’t like that anymore.

For what it’s worth, trying to prove your masculinity through dominance and fear just has the opposite effect and makes more people avoid you.

People don’t just befriend you because you exert a certain aura, they befriend you based on your character.

Someone who is more accepting of others is more likely to be surrounded by people than those who reject others that don’t fit his standard.

There’s nothing wrong with masculinity mind you, but trying to prove it to others shouldn’t be the main focus. In fact, you shouldn’t have to prove your manliness to others or even yourself for that matter.

Once you start to let go of that belief, you’ll find life a lot more enjoyable.

Kai Arellano • Experience

Letter from the Editor

Taking the new role of leader

B

eing a leader wasn’t something I was always fond of. I was the type of person to follow orders and if I was told to jump, I would say, “how high”? For the longest time I pursued a degree in STEM when I hated math and it wasn’t long ago that I realized that following what was set out for me was not going to make me happy. When I switched to Journalism, it felt like for once I was finally deciding what I wanted to do mattered more than what others expected of me, and it was both terrifying and eye opening.

I was absolutely nervous, but I worked on skills that I knew needed work and pushed on. When I saw articles featuring my name, I felt proud of what I accomplished. Despite all that, there was still a part of me that was still unsure of what I wanted to do. I felt like maybe I wasn’t cut out for interviewing people or covering events and it slowly grew over my time with the newspaper.

When it came time to elect a new Editor-In-Chief, our advisor Cindy McGrath wanted me to give it a go. I hesitated to apply and tried to set someone else up for the position. But with some words of encouragement from McGrath, I decided to go against my own judgments and take over for the newspaper.

It’s a little daunting having these new responsibilities. It doesn’t help that my self doubt still holds me back from making quick decisions. However, being given these responsibilities is giving me the chance to come face to face with my own insecurities. Like our previous Editor-In-Chief, I will work hard to meet the expectations that are set. Even if I set them high myself.

My goal is to not only overcome my hesitance, but to ensure that the Los Medanos College newspaper, The Experience, runs smoothly in the hands of the new staff. Just the first few days of the semester has already shown me that they are not only motivated to work hard for the paper, but are very talented in their abilities to write and find stories. Even though they have already proven their skills, I still want to be able to lend them my support in any way possible.

There’s going to be issues that we will run into no doubt about it. Although, I know that we’ll make it no matter what. My previous time as a staff writer during the last year of COVID has shown that no obstacle can stop the press.

I hope that those who are reading this look forward to what we can do as journalists. On behalf of the LMC Experience staff, we wish you all a great semester!

Reader Opinion Policy

Experience Staff

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

Perspectives Editor ................KAI ARELLANO If you are interested in expressing your opinions on campus, national or world issues, Campus Editor .......................JADEN FORTIER drop them off in Room CC3-301 or email them Features Editor .....................TREY HINCKLEY to LosMedanos.Experience@gmail.com.

Letters and columns must be typed, signed Arts & Culture Editor .....MOHAMMAD NAJIMI and include a phone number for verification.

They may be edited for clarity, content taste Sports Editor ......................JUAN CEBREIROS and length at the editor’s discretion.

Editor-in-Chief ...............MICHAEL BENEDIAN

Voices “I feel like it’s a good thing, but I also feel like it’s kind of a bad thing. I think people need that social interaction.”

— Julie Takahashi

“I feel good about it. I like teaching in person, specifically with hands-on things like ceramics and the pottery wheel.”

— Ian Bassett

Chris Rock has declined the offer of being the host for the Oscars in 2023. As everyone remembers, Rock was infamously slapped

by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars. The slap occurred after Rock had made the infamous “G.I. Jane” joke that was targeting Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Everyone saw how Rock had to continue throughout the show as if nothing happened, although after the show this was not the case.

There were a slew of posts on social media telling each side of the story, but nothing was commented on until months later when Smith released his video titled “It’s been a minute…,” where he apologizes to Rock for his actions in it.

Rock has also been offered to do a Super Bowl commercial but turned that down too.

The Arizona Republic had said that Rock thought of it as returning to a scene of a crime.

Rock jokingly referred to the O.J. Simpson murder trial while comparing the two at the Arizona Financial Theatre in downtown Phoenix during his show.

When looking at how we could see it from Rock’s perspective, it would be like being embarrassed in front of millions, only to go out there in front of those millions and talking about what had happened to you and how you felt after being embarrassed.

People don’t just get over being shown up and shown out like that and if it wasn’t for his years of experience being a comedian on stage, most people would’ve fallen apart after being put in that situation.

It also makes you look at these giants like the Oscars and the Super Bowl making someone do something for money and entertainment.

Rock has pride. He has self-respect. So why would he put himself out there again in order to either talk about this personal issue or be the butt of another person’s joke all for money? Some people don’t just sell themselves for stuff like that.

Imagine if you had something you weren’t proud of that was shown off to the world.

You wouldn’t want that to happen to you again right? But then a huge company or organization comes to you and wants you to go back in front of that world and do it again for a bunch of money. What would you do?

A lot of people may say yes because of the payout, but others have respect for themselves and don’t want to go through that again.

Money is the problem as well as respect.

These companies don’t have respect for you and when they see that they can just shove money in your face and put you back on that stage.

It shows the company and the world what lengths you might go through just to get a dollar.

How does it feel to come back on campus?

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o m p i l e d

“It feels good, especially because I’m taking welding classes.”

— Dominic Blevins

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“I really enjoy it, I enjoy all my inperson classes.”

— Christina C.

“It’s great, but it’s busy.

Everyone’s still in a transition.”

— Myles Crain

“Me, personally, I feel like I learn better with oncampus classes.”

— Ryan Boots

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“Anything is possible when you have the right people to support you.”

— Misty Copeland

Welcome Week kicks off semester

A range of events greet LMC students

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

Welcome back Mustangs! To the new students attending Los Medanos College, know that LMC has your back and strives to make your learning experience a great one.

Los Medanos College Associated Students (LMCAS), a student governed organization whose purpose is to support the students of LMC, showcased what they can do by turning a stressful first week of college into a relaxing one with their Welcome Week event.

Starting on Monday, Welcome Week began with the LMCAS meet and greet, where new students attending LMC for the first time can get a sense of who LMCAS are. The icebreaker event not only provided introductions, but also free healthy snacks and school supplies for all students with no strings attached. Not only that, it gave LMCAS a brief overview of the students they will serve and if any are interested in joining them.

“Monday’s meet and greet was an opportunity for [LMCAS] to meet with students and introduce themselves to the campus,” said Teresea Archaga, director of Student Life.

Michael Benedian • Experience “They also use this day as a recruitment and Jeremy Hill (left) grabs a free hotdog on Wednesday during the first week of school while Connor George hands out flyers. marketing strategy as there are a lot of students on campus the first week of the semester.”

Incoming President for Pride Alliance Chime- time, with other activities in between. Students Tuesday was a virtual meetup on Zoom where and Morgan Lynn were present to welcome students can pop in and meet their student any students who visited their table and even ra Mohammadi wants everyone to know that who have Instagram can follow the Student leaders if they wanted more information. Online provided some goodies, such as buttons with they will be holding weekly meetings every Life account where they post all upcoming Tuesday from 2–3 p.m.. They are excited to events at @lmcstudentlife. games were also hosted and prizes wer given preferred pronouns and stickers.

LMCAS President Jeffrey Bui founded this see the group grow and are looking forward LMCAS’ Welcome Week is a preview of what out. After introductions were made, a resource fair was hosted on Wednesday to show what club with his fellow peers with the intent of to creating a bigger on-campus presence and students can look forward to. It’s a great start services were available for students, along providing LGBTQIA+ students a community holding more events to support the LGBTQIA+ to a new semester and shows what LMC has they can feel more at home in. community. to offer. With a student body that’s dedicated with clubs and community partners.

“As a queer student, I understand the New and returning students can look forward to making sure everyone’s campus experience One of the clubs that attended the resource fair is Pride Alliance, which provides information, difficulty of finding a space where I can feel to not only events held by clubs on campus, is the best and clubs that can provide a sense support and a safe place for the LGBTQIA+ comfortable with being myself and finding but also Student Life held events. Archaga said of community, students can know that college that more events are being planned ahead of life isn’t as bad as it seems. community. Representatives Jordan Ramey others who I can relate with,” said Bui.

Student Life hosts first ice cream social of the year

By KATRINA ANABO

ahead and ask the student a trivia question and if they got the question With more Los Medanos College right, they had a choice of winning students switching off online classes a free prize. to attend on-campus classes this fall Students who came to the social semester, it can be difficult to make event were able to relax with othfriends and find a safe community. er peers, play a game or two and Thus, The Office of Student life enjoy snacks in the student union. hosted their first Ice cream social on Program assistant for Student Life Wednesday August 31 to help students Lyssa Shabusheva wanted students feel more welcome on campus while to feel comfortable at the event and enjoying free ice cream. welcomed on campus.

This social event took place from “We try to mostly not interfere 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and was held on the with students and allow them to second floor of the Student Union. Stu- gravitate around the student union,” dent Life provided a variety of snacks Shabusheva said. “That way, students such as chips, popcorn, candy and can sit, relax and eat.” an assortment of ice cream bars for This event is not just about ice students to choose from. Student life cream and games however. The direcassociates could tor of Student be found wearLife Ter esea ing bright red Archaga wantshirts handing ed this social out ice cream event to happen to any student so students can that wanted one. find a communiWhile stuty on campus. dents were free Archaga and to grab an ice Student Life cream or two, wanted to exKatrina Anabo • Experience the social event tend Welcome a l s o o f f e r e d Student Life handed out ice cream. Week and add plenty of games such as trivia and another week of welcome called “Find a chance to spin a wheel to win a Your Community” to help students selection of prizes such as an LMC find their safe space on campus. t-shirt or a fun keychain.

“It’s been really hard for students In order to participate in a game to find space and community on camand win a prize, students had to fill pus,” Archaga said. “We thought it out a “sign-in” sheet with their first would be nice to extend our week of and last name along with their student welcome into a ‘Find Your Community’ ID number. An associate would go See CREAM, page 5 Staff Writer

Michael Benedian • Experience

Icebreaker introductions for the LGBTQ Mixer event kick off with students making new friends.

Pride mixer forms new bonds

By MICHAEL BENEDIAN Staff Writer

Los Medanos College’s Pride Alliance club came together Aug. 30 and hosted a mixer event full of food, games, and laughs. It was a great turnout with many students coming in with their friends. Although the free food and snacks may have drawn them in, it was ultimately the friendly environment provided by Pride Alliance that enticed students to stay.

Academic Manager Sabrina Kwist worked the food table, handing out tacos to the hungry students. There was even a vegan option for those who don’t eat meat, and one LMC

student got visibly excited when she heard about it. Little options like that go to show how inclusive Pride Alliance is.

“It’s wonderful to see so many new faces this semester,” said Incoming President for Pride Alliance Chimera Mohammadi.

One of the new faces that came was LMC student Teylin Evans MCQ. It was their first time coming to Pride Alliance and they were both excited and nervous to be there, saying that they’re not good at talking with people in general but are happy to find a place where they belong.

It wasn’t just food that was provided also, LGBTQ resource books were

brought up to the Unity Center by the LMC Librar y. LMC librarian Kimberly Wentworth encouraged students who were attending to rent out these books during library hours Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m..

“We used to have more hours but due to the pandemic they were cut,” said Wentworth. “We actually have been a lot busier with more students coming [to campus]. It’s a nice problem to have.”

LMCAS President Jeffrey Bui was present throughout the entire event, running around behind the scenes and making sure things run smoothly.

See PRIDE, page 5

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“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary”

— Vince Lombardi

Mustangs optimistic for football season Team competitive in first loss

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Mustangs kicked off their season on the road against Gavelin College on Sept. 3, taking a brutal six point loss after a high scoring affair that ended with Gavelin taking home a 55-49 win.

But Head Coach Christopher Shipe is optimistic for the team’s future moving forward.

This will be his 20th season on the Mustangs football coaching staff and his 12th as the head coach of this club. Despite the opening loss, Shipe hopes his young team will be competitive each week.

This starts up top with the head coach as Shipe said, “I’m always learning from the past to better myself in the future,” and he hopes to instill this mindset in his players as well.

During the offseason the Mustangs football team saw an influx of lots of young talented players and they’ve been able to gel well with the veterans of the squad so far as 2022 grads having been practicing with the squad immediately following their high school graduation, training with the team since June.

Shipe labels second-year Quarterback Jace Byrne as the leader of the offense as he looks to take a big step forward this season coming off 1,762 passing yards and 15 total touchdowns last season. In addition, he has a young receiving group that consists of second-year receivers Br yan Cruz and Matt Quesada.Quesada posted 972 receiving yards and 1,881 all purpose yards last season.

Shipe calls his of fensive group of sophomores and

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

Mustang receivers queue up waiting for their chance to run routes while coaches discuss practice planning. freshmen as, “A good, young, competitive group that is also very athletic.”

The defensive side of the ball is also a young group as second-year players Niah Moliga at linebacker and Quatama Massaquoi at safety look to be the leaders.

Freshman Bryson Parker was also a standout newcomer at cornerback during the offseason.

However this young group was tested immediately out of the gate by Gavelin and will continue to be as three of their next four games will be on the road. Shipe has kept his eyes forward though, looking to take one game at a time during the long string of road games. If the team is able to play tough competitive football during the many road games to kick off the season, this could give the Mustang squad a huge gain of momentum and confidence as

the latter half of the season is majority at home.

With the team being so young, a lot of the pressure is on Shipe and the rest of the coaching staff as they try to get these players ready each week.

“A number of coaches have experience with this team and this staff is an intelligently football minded staff,” said Shipe.

This could be the biggest key to the Mustangs having success this season as the athleticism is there and it will be a matter of getting this young group to work together day in and day out.

One major concern Shipe has heading into this season is the injury bug. There are already a number of injuries on the roster, however rather than dwelling on it Shipe calls for the next man to step up and fill the spot.

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

Assistant Coach Shawn Tims works with his players during a hot practice on Sept. 6

Maurice brings spirit to LMC Mascot looks to be the spark at events

By JOSEPH GIDDINGS

connection with the campus through participation in organizations such as clubs, learning communities, If you have ever attended one of Los Medanos student government and outreach programs. They College’s many events hosted on campus, you may must also possess the necessary characteristics to have found yourself in the presence of an outgoing portray Maurice. and energetic dancing mascot, suited in his bright “They have to have pride in the college, confidence red LMC shirt, showcasing his pride and love for the … a very outgoing personality and they have to like to college: Maurice the Mustang. celebrate, they’re approachable and they are inclusive, A staple for school spirit at LMC, Maurice has been they have that magnetic personality,” said Archaga. part of the community for years, Many in the college commuand even received a redesign since nity are attached to Maurice and his initial debut in 2013 through “Maurice is life, he is the unified atmosphere that he the support of LMC President, LMC and he has taken creates.

Bob Kratochvil.

“I think he brings a lot of joy on a life of his own Maurice’s newest design is on campus, and not only that but composed of a nearly 20-pound over the years. ” he gives us a real college feel, be— Teresea Archaga cause every college has a mascot, suit, featuring gloves, boots, and a body suit lined with ice packs ‘’ said Student Life Associate and and a built-in fan inside of the mascot’s head to keep LatinX President, Jaime Salinas. “When he is either its wearer cool as they show off their enthusiasm for on campus or in the community he does create a LMC and its campus. Despite the difficulties posed by bigger and more positive atmosphere.” the temperature of the suit, as well as the limitation While some may be desperate to know who it is of sight through the head of the mascot, Maurice’s under the suit, the true answer to the question is biggest strength lends itself to the level of secrecy and not about who he is, but rather what he represents. confidentiality that the suit allows, making it easier Regardless of who is underneath the 20 pounds of for its wearer to flamboyantly show off their school fur and ice packs, Maurice represents more than the spirit, without the fear of judgment from others. individual, and instead embodies the spirit of LMC So, who is Maruice the Mustang? Anyone could be. and everything it has to offer.

Those wishing to take up the mantle of Maurice need “Maurice is life, he is LMC, and he has taken on a to do so through the recommendation of Director life of his own over the years,” says Archaga. “Maurice of Student Life Teresea Archaga, and must show a is an essence, all of us could be Maurice.”

Staff Writer

Joseph Giddings • Experience

Maurice the Mustang embodies the spirit of LMC and its teams.

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“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

— Edgar Degas

LMC staff creativity to be on display Art show makes its return to campus

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Faculty Gallery Show will be making its in-person return after 2 years on Thursday, Sept. 15 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Gallery within the Library.

There were a total of 36 pieces of art that have been allowed to be part of the show with many others unfortunately not making the cut due to limited wall space. According to the Gallery Director Mrs. Carol Ladewig several staff members had submitted 5 to 6 pieces, but only 3 of them were accepted.

“Around 5:15pm or later, there will be an artist talk where the staff will talk about their creation to the attendants and afterwards a guided discussion will happen where students can ask questions about the art,” said Mrs. Ladewig.

The show will contain an artist talk where the artist comes in front of the attendants and talks about why and how they made their art.

Artists then spread their emotions and describe what the art meant to them and why having it in the show created that spread of happiness from them to the attendants.

Even with the show opening on Sept. 15, there still has to be attendants to view the art but unfortunately, it’s difficult for people from the Bay Area to attend the exhibit. Due to this, they have decided to make an online version of the show for people to gaze at the various pieces.

Mrs. Ladewig continues to work hard to accommodate everyone’s problems, but can’t make everyone happy because she has to open the Gallery soon.

To submit their art pieces for the show, faculty members would have to take pictures of their art

Mohammad Najimi • Experience

The gallery is a work in progress as it gets prepped for the upcoming show that opens Sept. 15 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and complete an air table online submission form in order for their art to be shown. At least 3 pictures would have to be submitted and if more art would be submitted, they might be rejected entirely.

“I submitted 4 pieces of art with 3 of them being correlated to spiders,” said Mrs. Lucy Stone, an art teacher at Los Medanos College.

mitted,” said Mrs. Ladewig.

The art submitted by the staff isn’t just one type of art, so whether the attendant goes in to see only one type, they will be surprised to see the different arrays of sculptures as part of the show.

There are future shows that are being planned for the college in the near future. Mrs. Ladewig confirms

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PRIDE

Michael Benedian • Experience

Teylin Evans MCQ checks out LGBT resource book. students can sign in with their phones and play. Some students aimed to be the sole winner, and others were teaming up to take first place together.

Even with a semi-competitive environment, students were having laughs and making new connections.

If you missed the mixer event, Mohammadi wants you to not worry. Pride Alliance plans on creating more events like this one. They also want students to know that there’s a weekly meeting from 2–3 p.m. every Tuesday, and students are welcome to join in. If you ever want to hang out in a chill environment and make new friends, Pride Alliance is the club that can make that happen.

With an interim to be named when Kratochvil does officially retire, he notes that it can take eight to 10 months for a permanent replacement to be named.

Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh must recommend someone and then they must go through a cer tification process through the Contra Costa Community College Governing Board, which can be a long, drawn-out process.

Kratochvil wanted to thank everyone during his time at

From page 1 LMC but really wanted to show some light to the taxpayers of the area. Many of the new buildings on the LMC campus and Brentwood Center were built from taxpayers money and Kratochvil wanted to show his appreciation to them for helping fund the buildings.

Leaving his LMC family will be difficult, but Kratochvil said he is confident the campus community will be able to continue the great success that the college has seen in the past decade.

JID

From page 4 learn something from it?

This track in par ticular, seems to sum up a vast majority of the themes presented on this album. It almost reminds me of Kendrick Lamar’s recent project, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers”. In this album he goes in depth on the idea of having a savior complex and how it dehumanizes the artist and turns him into some sort of messiah.

The dif ference between

that there will be at least 2 more shows appearing this semester. There will be a drawing show and a student show which will be similar to this faculty show but for the students.

Gallery Director Carol Ladewig hopes that students will come in to be surprised and have their imagination stirred while also enjoying what the staff created.

FOOD

From page 1

From page 3

While students were signing in and grabbing food at the table, Bui was working tirelessly to make sure everyone was comfortable inside the Unity Center. When it came time to officially kick off the mixer, Bui’s heartfelt introduction helped new students become familiar with him and the community that he and his peers founded.

“As a queer student, it’s very difficult to find community and to find a space where you can feel welcome and open,” said Bui. “So that’s one of our objectives, that we’re trying to build a more open, friendly, and chill environment when you come to LMC.” One of the activities students participated in were quick introductions, where they would partner up with someone and introduce themselves in two minutes before switching of f. LMC students Natalie Brooks and Jayden Ervin hit it off with their introductions.

Ervin’s reason for coming to the mixer was wanting to make new friends similar to Brooks.

After the introductions were finished, the mixer finished off with a trivia game, where

Other notable faculty members have submitted their arts such as Ken Alexander, John Schall, Ian Bassett, and more. It’s all about expressing their creativity to the students and showing that they can do things other than teach subjects to them.

“The submissions are mostly ceramics but it’s mixed. There are vases, paintings, etc. that were sub-

them though is that JID wants to be that savior, not distance himself from that title. However, it is unclear whether that is a good or bad thing.

This album is a ride. It is packed with substance from front to back. It has versatility to rival the likes of a Lamar or a J.Cole, flows to rival an Eminem or a Ski Mask the Slump God. He has the whole package and his next project will be highly anticipated.

student Cao. “I think when the college lacks that, it kind of makes students not feel as welcomed, especially those folks who were behind the screen for so long.”

To make LMC feel more welcoming for the new and returning students, LMC’s Business Services Department is still in the process of trying to provide food trucks on campus and re-open the café cart inside of the library for students attending in-person classes. However, this process will take some time.

“We have been adding more food options to our vending machines and bookstores as

CREAM From page 3

week and so when students come into a space, they are able to ask questions and get to know people.”

First year student Autumn Rodriguez felt welcomed at the student union and would come again to another ice cream social.

“I would definitely come up to the student union again to

the first phase,” said Montoya.

“The next phase is to bring food trucks on campus and the third phase will be based on the RFP process for a vendor to provide food through the café.”

Students on campus can expect a more wide range of food options in the 2023 spring semester.

“Ideally, food trucks will be on campus by then for lunch service,” said Montoya.

As for this fall semester regarding food: The student bookstore, the LMC Marketplace and vending machines scattered around campus will continue to provide food and drinks for everyone.

hang out and relax whenever I am on campus. I feel safe,” Rodriguez said.

Students can expect to see more events hosted by Student Life in the future for students on campus to participate in.

“We are going to try to do one or two activities a week for all students. If you follow us on Instagram (@lmcstudentlife), you will be able to see what’s going on,” Archaga said.

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“The world’s thinking is morally confused because it is informed by the morally confused.”

— Dennis Prager

Marvel’s ‘She-Hulk’ starts off strong The newest hero in the MCU makes her debut

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

With another character being introduced into Marvel’s already expansive cinematic universe, Marvel Comics superhero “She-Hulk” dives into a corner of the MCU that hasn’t been seen since Netflix’s “Daredevil” was canceled in 2018.

The show follows the life of Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who tries to balance her job specializing in cases involving superhumans while dealing with her new powers obtained from cousin Bruce Banner, the Hulk. Walters, unlike Banner, is able to retain her personality in “hulk form,” giving her the ability to shift from her human self to a superhero seamlessly.

The series does a great job of adapting an important aspect of She-Hulk’s character which is the ability to break the fourth wall. This concept was originally introduced in “The Sensational She-Hulk” comic

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run by John Byrne in 1989, making her the first comic book character to have such unique abilities.

The use of fourth wall breaking in the show adds for great humor and meta commentary about the show itself and things happening outside the confines of the MCU. Tatiana Maslany’s portrayal of She-Hulk is wonderful as she delivers such a fun and charismatic performance throughout the show.

She-Hulk’s comedy is an integral part of her personality, and Maslany does a fantastic job showing that.

If Maslany’s stellar performance maintains for the rest of the season, this could ver y well be another instance where the actor and the character become one and the same.

Outside of Maslany’s performance as the protagonist of this series, there are also excellent appearances from Mark Ruffalo who reprised his role as the Hulk as well as Tim Roth, who returned to the MCU to reprise his role as Abomination in the 2021

Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios

Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk/Bruce Banner and Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer “Jen” Walters/She-Hulk. film “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring.”

While there is consistency within the acting performances of the series, the visual effects of She-Hulk leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the excellent CGI models of Hulk and Abomination.

In some scenes She-Hulk looks solid but her movements tend to look clunky and her facial features can lack expression. Because of that it can sometimes be hard to feel fully immersed in the show, but the acting performances and story do a good enough job to overshadow where

the effects can be lacking.

Fans of all of the MCU’s past content should definitely tune into “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” and see the wackiness and fun that it can provide. The first three episodes can all be watched on the DisneyPlus streaming service.

‘The Forever Story’ is JID’s masterpiece

By JOHN NARANJO Staff Writer

JID’s newest album “The Forever Story” is a massive success for the Atlanta rapper.

His use of new flows and creative word play create an almost new sound which builds as the album goes on through its 15 track playlist.

JID is an Atlanta-based artist who got a sizable following on his debut project, “The Never Story,” earning him a spot on the 2018 XXL freshman list. People really got to know JID with his collaboration with J. Cole on “Off Deez”. His flow was fast and baby smooth. The entire “Dicaprio 2” project showcased a lot of what he had to offer in terms of sound palettes and not just bars.

On JID’s album, a lot of the versatility he showcased on “Dicaprio 2” showed up in spades here. From the rapid-fire spitting on “Raydar” to the smooth soul on “Can’t Make U Change” with Ari Lennox.

This album is definitely a mixed bag of goodness.

One of the highlights from the project would have to be “Just In T ime” with Kenny Mason and Lil Wayne. The reversed sample of “Stick” is disgusting. The way Christo & Monte Brooker spun that was crazy. Then you got that retrospective cut on “Lauder Too” with Ravyn Lenae and Eryn Allen Kane where JID seemed fed up with the culture. He came from a culture that his art isn’t being appreciated in the black community as much as he would like.

“I’m sick as **** and I told you mother** no recoverin’ kickin’ up and I’m coughin’ and spittin’ legitimate love,” said JID on the track “Lauder Too.” He seems to be rapping about the fame and success he has achieved up to this point and starts to question the nature of it all.

Did he get what he wanted when he was dreaming big on the prequel to this track, Lauder? Was it enough? Does the black community at large listen to what he is saying and

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Photo courtesy of IGN

The four main characters from left to right: Neenah, Kevin, Eli and The Boss in the fictional city of Santo Ileso, based on Las Vegas.

‘Saints Row’ reboot: a classic mess

By TREY HINCKLEY Staff Writer

When it comes to Saints Row, many remember the first two games of the series, which were notoriously called out for being a fun Grand Theft Auto rip-off. Others remember the third and fourth installments for how crazy the series became.

Video game developer Volition decided to create a complete reboot of the series. With its release, however, the new game leaves a lot to be desired.

Saints Row 2 and Saints Row the Third had both become cult classics, with the latter getting a remaster that released back in 2020. Both games had their moments of absurdity, but also had serious moments when it came to their storyline and gameplay.

What also made the games classics were the great characters

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such as Johnny Gat and Shaundi.

This is the first issue with the new Saints Row. The game has characters that Volition felt would relate primarily to young adults, with the main storyline being that the Saints are now a gang of broke college students. But this did the opposite of what they expected, as the characters in the game were dull and forgettable.

Saints Row also suffered with bugs and crashes that happened frequently throughout the gameplay.

Soon after the game got released, players urged the developers to fix a bug they had all experienced.

The game also had moments where the sound design, such as the playable character, driving a car, and shooting weapons, felt lifeless, like the sound was not complete.

In addition, the dialogue had many questionable moments, which is disappointing, considering

the dialogue in the original series was one of the key highlights.

Lastly, when the game launched, a few big name streamers decided to give the game a try. The game offered an option titled “License free music”, where the player is able to turn off the music in-game.

This was originally thought to be a positive feature, since it allows streamers to play the game without the fear of receiving a copyright strike due to playing licensed music. The game, however, provided no license free music, which further added to the lifeless sound design, because the streamers would have to play with only game effects sound on, since almost all the music in-game was licensed.

There are a couple of highlights in Saints Row, fortunately. The game featured many different customizations to cars and weapons, which was a feature in the original series, but the options

are almost endless in the reboot.

Another highlight is certain aspects of gameplay such as the driving in the game is among the series best, and the setting, which is the fictional city of Santo Ileso, which is based on Las Vegas, is fun to explore, with the city also having many different collectibles for the player to find aside from doing missions and activities.

All in all, Saints Row is a disappointment. Many fans of the series would have preferred if the series were to continue with the original characters, with the storyline being similar to the first two games of the series.

Instead, Volition felt that the game needed a new start, and it was a mistake. Had the game been titled anything else instead of being named Saints Row, maybe the game would have been better received. Instead, we are given an unfun and forgettable reboot.

See JID, page 5