LMC Experience Vol. 98 No. 8 - April 21, 2023

‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ fails to live up to expectations

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Baseball team scores often and early in victory over Solano

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F.Y.I. Schedule builder is criticized Important Dates April

is Autism Awareness Month

Revamped version too complex to use

By RAY KOPF Staff Writer

April 21

Registration for classes in fall 2023 begins with group 1

April 24-28

Black Student Success Week takes place at all California Community Colleges

Porch Talk with Dr. Tanisha Maxwell A conversation about mental health within the black community will be hosted

by Dr. Tanisha Maxwell on April 25 from noon until 2 p.m. in Room L-109 on the Pittsburg campus. Pizza will be served.

A new schedule builder was released at the end of the fall 2022 semester and has received mixed reviews from Los Medanos College faculty and students. At first, many students encountered technical and software issues with the new program. While these issues have since been fixed, there are still complaints about the accessibility and interface.

Director of Information Technology Satish Warrier, sent an email to all district employees in the Contra Costa Community College District, describing what steps are being taken to improve the program

and what steps have already been taken.

“Upon clicking the ‘Registration’ tile in InSite, students will now be routed to a new web page containing a variety of resources, including the full course schedule search, the schedule builder, short instructional videos, FAQs and registration-related links,” said Warrier.

In terms of visuals, the new schedule builder will be accompanied by the old version, and both will be available to students in the “Search-forClasses” tile in their Insite portal. There, students can either view the old schedule builder with the first option or move to the new one with the

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

The new schedule builder has received comments about being too complicated. second option.

But many may ask: why introduce a new schedule builder in the first place?

The reasoning has to do with both accessibility and saving expenses. Director of Marketing and Media Design, Juliet Casey explains the intention of the new visual schedule

builder.

“This new way is a better way to present the catalog in an online fashion,” said Casey.

Not only is it a better way to present the catalog, but aimed to be a system that was easier to use for both students and faculty. This schedule builder was going to be a software that

Staff Writer

Scholarship Awards Celebration Scholarship recipients and donors from this past school year will be honored May 4 at 2 p.m. in the Student Union Conference Center. The ceremony will go from 2 until 3 p.m with refreshments available following the event. The last day to RSVP is Monday April 24.

Black Student Networking mixer

Financial Tips lunch at LMC LMC’s Sparkpoint Contra Costa will host an event giving students financial tips about managing money.

The event will take place April 26 from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with food being provided by the LMC Basic Needs Department.

See BUILD, page 5

Success teams start this fall and aim to help students

By ALIYAH RAMIREZ

Students will have a chance to mingle with LMC faculty and staff on April 26 from 1 until 2:30 p.m. in front of the Student Union.

Students will have a chance to win $25 gift cards to the LMC bookstore.

would save the district money.

“Don’t want to overprint so they stay on a shelf and don’t get used as a way to waste money,” said Casey.

No matter the intentions behind introducing the new schedule builder, it was not well received. In fact, it has received

Graphic courtesy of LMC Administration

To ensure academic and career support for students as they navigate their educational journey at Los Medanos College, guided pathways have provided resources to students for the past five years. Recent plans to implement Student Success Teams within the program by the fall of 2023, incorporate focused interdisciplinary groups to support a student’s academic careers from registration to completion.

For the past three years, co-chairs of the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee Natalie Hannum and Tanisha Maxwell collaborated with a diverse group of voices on the committee and campus to put the plans

together. The team’s model received positive feedback from the Academic Senate during a meeting on April 10 and was approved by the College’s Shared Governance Committee on April 12. “Student Success Teams will be a great addition because there will be identified teams available to provide their support and expertise to students tailored to the student’s selected pathway and aligned academic and career goals,” said Maxwell.

Following a specific framework of equitable access and success, guided pathways allow students to clarify a pathway, get on a pathway, stay on a pathway and ensure learning in order to transfer to a 4-year institution or prepare for the See PATH, page 5

Events highlighted at teleconference

By JADEN FORTIER Staff Writer

California Community Colleges held their monthly Zoom student teleconference on April 19 from 3 - 4 p.m. The teleconference was spearheaded by Interim California Community Colleges Chancellor Daisy Gonzales, who talked about an array of topics regarding the state’s efforts in aiding its community colleges and their students after the pandemic.

To kick off the meeting, Gonzales recognized the land acknowledgment California Community Colleges has made, which is a statement that acknowledges and respects the land we are on belongs to those from Indigenous tribes and communities.

“It’s important to recognize the work with Indigenous communities,” said Gonzales, as the California

Community Colleges Board of Directors continues to work with agencies that will benefit students from Indigenous backgrounds.

“This land acknowledgement was a long time in the making,” said Gonzales.

Since April is California Community College month, there’s been, and will continue to be, a bunch of events held state-wide to support students in community colleges.

So far, there have been two LGBTQ+ Summit events, which Gonzales described as “a space for students and faculty to focus on this years theme, ‘fiercer together.’”

Summit events were held on April 19 and 20 at LMC, where several workshops were held to uplift members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Jaden Fortier • Experience

Interim Chancellor Daisy Gonzales speaks at the April Community College teleconference.

As a part of California Community College month, Gonzales also said that next week will be “Black student success week,” as a series of online webinars will be hosted to discuss topics that are crucial for Black students to excel.

“The goal is to make sure Black and African American students succeed at community colleges,” See TELE, page 5

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Recognizing Black student success

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“Happiness is not something ready made.

It comes from your own actions.”

— Dalai Lama XIV

Ping Pong helps remember

Starting on April 24-27, join Student Life and Equity & Inclusion to recognize and celebrate Black Student Success Week featuring a variety of speakers and performances.

This year’s theme will be “Vision to Action: Building Systems and Structures for Black Student Success,” with activities centered around Black and African American Students succeeding at California community colleges.

Daily webinars will be streamed and hosted during #TheBlackHour on the second floor of the student union for participants to discuss opportunities in the workforce, explore racially equitable state policies, and more. Come and listen to shared experiences from professionals and your peers!

For more information check out @cablackstudents on Twitter and Instagram.

Artists showcase work in gallery

Come and support Los Medanos artists who will be having their work recognized at the student art gallery opening on Thursday, April 27 from 4-6 p.m. in the campus library.

Art features a variety of digital art, drawing, graphic design, mixed media, painting, photography, ceramics, animation and sculpture.

Up to 263 submissions were made for the exhibition and the pieces chosen will be juried by a professional artist to determine which students will be awarded for their special works. This is an opportunity for students to showcase their work to a public audience and gain gallery experience through collaboration with peers and professionals.

The gallery will remain open for the rest of the spring semester from April 27 to May 19. No entry fee is required for admission, and students can visit the gallery both in person and in a virtual exhibition.

Let your special talents shine

The stage is set to perform your hidden talents! The learning communities of Honors, Umoja, Puente, MESA and Transfer Academy will be hosting a talent show on Tuesday, April 25 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the student union to recognize the special acts put together by students.

Performances will feature dancing, singing, poetry, spoken word and more. Each learning community will have a variety of students competing to win a cash prize. The winner of the show will be determined based on a digital voting poll assigned to attendees to determine first place to win $200, second place to win $100 and third place to win $50. Come to show your support!

Photo courtesy of Scott MacDougall

Take a trip somewhere new

It’s not too late to study abroad! The District’s Study Abroad program will be hosting a trip to Barcelona in July of 2023, in addition to the Spring of 2024 trip planned for Florence.

If you are interested in exploring or learning more about these opportunities, please contact Scott MacDougall at SMacDougall@dvc.edu.

It is time to cast your vote

If you are interested in having your voice represented across the District, make your choice during the District Student Trustee annual elections held on May 2 at 9 a.m. and concluded on May 4 at 5 p.m.

Candidates will be chosen from colleges across the district in Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center and San Ramon Center to represent the District colleges and serve as non voting members of the District Governing Board.

Get to know your candidates running in the 2023 election during a hybrid question and answer session on Tuesday, May 2 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. and to learn more, please visit https://www.dvc.edu/student-services/student-life/district-student-trustee.html.

Mohammad Najimi• Experience

After students participated in the ping pong tournament, there are smiles all around as they pose for a quick photo.

Gamers share memory

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

The games club hosted a ping pong tournament that took place on Thursday, April 13, and it brought together eight students who battled it out to earn an incredible prize if they placed in the top three.

The tournament was created in memory of a former LMC student who passed away last year, Kingsley Duru. He was a third-year Business Administration major who had a bright future ahead of him.

LMC student Abdullah Lanval created a tournament bracket online to know who won and who will play next.

He was also the referee for the matches to make sure no one did anything against the rules. Lanval had some help from Jacob Boyle, who was there as an additional helper for Lanval in case it was needed.

There were three rounds of games where players needed to win all games to win first place. The winner of ever y match was the player who reached 21 and the losers of

Mohammad Najimi• Experience

Eyes focus as Peace Adebileje gets ready to serve the ball and begin the first round. the semi-finals went to another match to figure out the thirdplace winner.

The first-place winner of the tournament was Peace Adebileje, winning the final round with a score of 21-15.

His prize for winning first place was a hand-held speaker.

The second-place winner of the tournament was Jason Avila, who unfortunately lost to the winner. His prize for winning second place was a box containing different items

games club. After the moment of silence, a few of the students who observed the tournament said some words surrounding Duru as a person, friend and what he meant to them.

“I don’t really have a lot of words to say, but I miss you and you were an incredible friend,” said Lanval.

The tournament went as smoothly as the games club could have expected. The games went well with a few See GAMES, page 5

Take a flight toward your travel future

By SOPFIA MORELOS Staff Writer

What’s lost can be found

Los Medanos College lost and found has numerous items on campus. If you have lost an item, check with police services, which is located in the Campus Safety Building at the front of the LMC campus in Parking Lot A. — compiled from press releases and staff reports

from snackBOX. The third-place winner of the tournament was Jesus Castro, who won his third place match with a final score of 21-19. His prize for winning third was a set of ping pong paddles, balls and a net.

Between the third-place and first-place matches, the games club held a 20-second moment of silence in honor of Duru who loved to play ping pong and was crowned as the “best ping pong player” by the

Epicantus • Openverse

The Los Medanos College Travel Marketing Program offers flexible and exciting learning opportunities for students through a completely online course. Travel marketing professor Chris McGill describes the program’s “several strengths,” built upon “stability, respect, and accreditation.”

Online classes are interactive as students actively communicate and share information with instructors, who hold years of experience in the industry. Additionally, students are allowed to learn from industry experts

who visit as guest speakers.

“Travel never loses its allure. It is exciting, and there is always something new to learn,” said McGill. “Our students have diverse backgrounds and are eager to learn and share their experiences. Enthusiasm runs high in travel classes.”

Aiming to help students reach their goals and better prepare for future careers, the Travel Program provides them with the tools to succeed. Students learn about fundamental travel concepts such as technology and research, customer service and information See TRAVEL, page 5

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“If evil does not exist, what then is the role of the Church?”

— Russell Crowe as Gabriele Amorth

Horror film gratifies but feels hollow Crowe only bright light in movie

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

A new horror film titled “The Pope’s Exorcist” was released in theaters and was disappointing to say the least, as the trailer made the movie look much better than it was.

The movie follows Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s leading exorcist, as he investigates the possession of a child and uncovers a conspiracy the Vatican has tried to keep secret.

The movie starts off in the 80s as Amorth is working on a case where a man is supposedly being “possessed” by the Devil. When he meets him, he doesn’t use exorcism but uses psychology to make the man’s mind go into a pig’s mind. It’s successful and one of Amorth’s friends shoots the pig immediately and tells the man to get some rest.

The movie then pans to a single mother with a rebellious daughter and a traumatized son as they move into a new house, looking for a fresh start.

However, the house, within a night of staying there, gets haunted after the son visits the basement and is possessed by an unknown supernatural being called the “Prince of Demons and Hell,” or Asmodeus.

The plot wasn’t any different than other movies; however, it stayed on par with other horror films. It was interesting to see how the movie attempted to differentiate itself to make it memorable, but it didn’t succeed

REVIEW

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Gabriele Amorth (right), portrayed by Russell Crowe, and Father Esquibel, portrayed by Daniel Zovatto, stare in shock at an unidentified being. in the way the director, Julius Avery would have hoped.

The plot might’ve been identical to other cinematic horror movies, but the casting of Russell Crowe as Gabriele Amorth was incredible.

His portrayal of the pope’s exorcist enhanced the movie and had the

‘Up, Up, and Away!’

A brand new Superman film Who wouldn’t want to is set for release 2025, with read about an All-American, MCU alumnus James Gunn cape-wearing, do-gooder lifting writing and directing. I am cars with his bare hands and over the moon ecstatic but battling evil robots and villains? first, let’s rewind the clocks to But lately, people have forgot2013. The Marvel Cinematic ten what makes Superman so Universe (MCU) is roaring special, so beloved. That is, after the success of its long except for James Francis Gunn. awaited film The Avengers.

Gunn had previously worked The rival company, DC Comics, for Mar vel (Gasp!) before wants a slice of that cake of becoming head of the recently success by refurbished starting its DC Studios. own shared For Marvel, cinematic he had writuniverse. ten and diThat unirected the verse be“Guardians came what of the GalNOAH’S NEWS is known axy” films as the DC with a third Extended Universe (DCEU), and final installment set for and it began with a film starring release this May. Upon assumits most famous character, ing his role as Co-CEO of DC Superman, in Zack Snyder’s Studios, Gunn immediately Man of Steel. However, the announced a soft reboot of the film received mixed reviews DC film franchise, retconning from critics and fans. the majority of Zack Snyder’s Not to worry… it’ll be fixed previously established works, with the sequel! Uh, oh. They including Superman. hate the sequel even more.

Previously por trayed by “Batman V. Superman” (2016) actor Henr y Cavill, Gunn and “Justice League”(2017) revealed that this new Superdrove fans insane, and it all man would be much younger goes back to Superman. and that the film would be I love Superman. He was the the official beginning of the most popular superhero back new DC Universe. He also in the day. He was the man. said he was taking inspiration Since the 1930s, children and from iconic comics such as adults alike have clambered “All-Star Superman” by Grant through the concrete jungles Morrison. And, on March 15th, to their nearest comic book he announced on Twitter that store to purchase a smashing he would be directing the adventure featuring the iconic film, in addition to writing See SUPER, page 5 character.

Noah Cannon

audience enthralled with the plot.

Crowe was the shining actor in the film as the others displayed unacceptable portrayals of their characters.

Throughout the film, the possessed child used the same line in every scene and didn’t exhibit someone’s mind getting controlled all that well.

The movie wasn’t terrible nonetheless. The flow was better than expected as it followed each event without leaving any details hidden and the subtle mention of the signs on the surroundings was great for the audience to understand the plot better.

If you are a massive horror fan, this might not be the best movie for you, but if you want to see an enjoyable horror flick then I would recommend this movie.

It’s a delightful ride into exorcism, catholic beliefs and how easy it is to be manipulated by the Devil.

‘A Soldier’s Fugue’ in Little Theater

Play to open April 26

By NYLA RAHIMI Staff Writer

Theater inspires us all every day, whether it be a tale of hardship or an uplifting and heartwarming stor y of family, we always leave these experiences with more than what we came with. In the Los Medanos College Theater, the audience will get both the hardship and the family in their new upcoming play.

“Elliot: A Soldier’s Fugue” is a stor y spanning three different generations in one family. All those generations Mohammad Najimi • Experience share one theme that ties them Above: Aqeel Torres rehearses his lines for the play. together: war. The play follows Below: Drama members decorate Little Theatre for the show. a family but centers its focus on the experiences of a son, father, and grandfather, their shared background fighting in war, and the effects their traumas have on themselves and their family.

Elliot Ortez, the youngest of the three volunteered for the marines at 17 after 9/11 and is now 19 touring Iraq.

This is paralleled with his father George, who is shown fighting in the Vietnam war when he was young, then his grandfather’s history with the Korean War. Throughout the course of the play, we explore Nyla Rahimi • Experience the true reality of trauma

and how that trauma lives in the family and passes down through generations.

“It’s an incredible play about how love can help us heal from trauma,” said play co-director Nick Garcia, the chair of the theater department at LMC. Coming out of his directorial debut from last fall’s play “Grace and Glorie,” co-director Clint Stides, agrees and added, “It’s something everyone can relate to.”

Stides described the differences between these two shows, and how co-directing instead of being the sole director, has impacted him.

“I really enjoy the support and knowledge that Nick has,” he said, adding that “It’s a whole different world.”

The story of Elliot and his family is a non-linear play spanning 70 to 80 minutes, he said, and it has a larger cast — seven actors instead of just two in last fall’s “Grace and Glorie.”

Of those seven cast members, Elliot is played by student Aqeel-Andreas Torres-Sabir.

“It’s actually my first production,” he said, explaining how 9/11 and enlisting in the war is Elliot’s way of relating to his See PLAY, page 5

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“Passion first and everything will fall into place.”

— Holly Holm

Stangs thrash Falcons on home turf LMC offense is dominant

By JUAN CEBREIROS Staff Writer

Juan Cebreiros • Experience

Los Medanos College Mustangs pitcher Ryan Radkey, No. 35, throws to a Solano College Falcon batter in hopes of striking him out.

Pitcher prioritizes winning

The Los Medanos College Mustangs baseball team defeated the Solano Falcons 16-9 on April 13. After a shaky first inning, the Mustangs bats got hot and exploded for 20 hits.

The Falcons lead off batter Miles Meadows started the game off with a double that banged off the left center field wall. Victor Vega singled to put runners on the corners with no outs in the inning when Kris Leffle made an error that allowed Meadows to score and put Vega on second base. Ryan Mitchell doubled to score Vega and send Alex Gaela to third base. Gaela would score on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Parker to put the Falcons ahead 3-0.

However, the Mustangs stormed back when Seth Gwynn was hit by a pitch and then Ryan Pierce doubled him home. Bubba Rocha singled, then stole second to have runners on second and third when Michael Weber singled home Pierce, followed by Rocco Borrelli grounding out to score Rocha. With two outs in the inning, Nico Torrez singled to score Weber to give the Mustangs a 4-3 lead after the first inning of play.

The Mustangs added two in the second, three in the third, three in the fifth and four in the sixth. This barrage of runs was powered by three home runs from Gwynn, Pierce and Rocha. Weber, Torrez, Borrelli and Trudeau each knocked in two runs to help the Mustangs extend their lead. By the end of this scoring barrage, the Mustangs led the Falcons 16-5.

The Falcons added on six runs late in the game when Parker hit a 2-run home run in the sixth and James Larson walked to score Conner Ross. Jaxon Blates hit a sacrifice fly to score Caleb Morant followed by Parker scoring on a wild pitch. Robert Searcy singled home Larson, but the inning soon ended when Benny Burns grounded out to second base.

By then, the game was out of reach as the Mustangs cruised in the ninth inning to defeat the Solano Falcons.

After Ryan Radkey’s shaky start, he pitched for seven innings giving up just two runs outside the first inning while striking out seven batters.

Pierce went 3-5 hitting while knocking in three runs and scoring four times. Weber, Borrelli and Torrez also each had three RBIs on the day as the Mustangs stomped the Falcons at home with a final score of 16-9.

Jack Saylor dedicates career to fallen friend

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI Staff Writer

Admirability is the quality of excelling and possessing good qualities to a high degree.

LMC pitcher Jack Saylor is as admirable as anyone can be on or off the baseball field.

He endured a tragic incident a couple of years ago in which his close friend passed away, but from then, he made it his intention to dedicate all his success to him.

“I most definitely faced struggles to get where I’m at as I came to LMC as a freshman being one of the worst players,” said Saylor. “Everything changed at the beginning of my second year as I made a promise to dedicate the rest of my career to a close friend of mine that passed away the year before.”

During his five starts of the 2022-23 season, Saylor pitched 34.1 innings with a 2.10 earned run average. He also struck out 31 batters and has 8.13 strikeouts per nine innings. However, stats are not everything as he is trying to get his team the win in each game he pitches.

“There are plenty of games left to play,” said Saylor. “Scoreless innings and wins are all I care about.”

Saylor describes his only dream of playing baseball is to be a dominant player in the

future, “it’s that simple.”

Growing up, baseball was the primary sport that he was around, as his father was a college pitcher at Creighton University.

His father, John Saylor, had a 4.03 career ERA at Creighton while also striking out 67 batters.

“I was directed towards baseball by my dad, as he was a ball player himself. He taught me how to pitch when I was very young,” said Saylor.

Motivated by his father, Saylor also looked up to one major league baseball player, and that was the San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum. Lincecum, also known as “The Freak,” is known for his unique throwing motion pitching.

He is a two-time Cy Young Award Winner, a four-time all-star and a three-time World Series Champion.

“I saw myself in him from a young age and haven’t had anyone else come close,” said Saylor.

A current goal he has set for himself is to attempt to touch 90 miles an hour on his fastball. He believes it’ll be great for his career to give him a better edge against opposing batters.

Saylor has made it known that he pitches for those he loves, and is passionate about

the game, displayed in his success this season so far.

Like most athletes, he also has a tradition before each pitching appearance, and it usually starts the night before when he stretches and watches footage from Lincecum in his prime. He would focus on the mechanics of Lincecum and hopes to resemble it in his pitches.

Leading into the game day where Saylor says he takes time to “meditate, stretch, and prepare for the explosive movements that [he] will use on the mound.”

Going into the mechanics of throwing, his favorite part about baseball is the mental aspect of the game. He thrives on failure as the best players take those failures as lessons for themselves to build on.

“You can never get too high or too low as the next pitch is always the most important.

It teaches you how to stay consistent and stick to your routine that works,” said Saylor.

He adores being on the baseball team due to the selflessness of everyone a part of the team and how everyone wants the best from teammates.

“We’re a team that wants to win and we make that known,” said Saylor. “I love this team and I wouldn’t rather play with any other group. Roll Stangs!”

Mohammad Najimi • Experience

Jack Saylor winds up to throw to a Monterey Lobos batter.

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its screenplay. “Superman: Legacy” is set to release July 11, 2025, and here is why I’m excited for this film.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is the best MCU film ever made.

I’ve been critical of the MCU and recent pop-culture films in other articles, but Guardians is special, and it’s all because of character. The Guardians films feel the most personal, character-driven, and emotional out of all thirty something MCU films because of how down-to-Earth and real the characters feel.

These are characters who have lost their families and homes, deemed as irredeemable freaks, but Gunn expertly portrays these former criminals learning to except each other as a family, to let go from the past and to share pain, all while having epic space adventures with terrific production design, score, and makeup and costumes.

Not to mention, the jokes are actually funny, hit with exquisite precision and (most of the time) don’t take away the weight and tension of a scene as many modern superhero movies tend to do. These reasons are why Gunn is the

TRAVEL From page 2

application to the real world.

“There is a great deal of satisfaction when graduates tell us that they were well prepared to work in the industry,” said travel marketing professor Debbie Wilson.

The program has been offering classes online since the fall of 2007, with a variety of classes ranging from 1.5 to 3 units and organized by semester.

The first semester offers four classes: Travel 72: Introduction to Travel, Travel 76: Sales and Marketing, Travel 82: Cruising and a Destination class based on a student’s expressed interest. Classes travel around North America to the Caribbean, which can be taken as an elective or a fulfillment of special requirements.

The second semester offers two classes: Travel 95: Advanced Travel Concepts and Travel 77: Customized Vacation Planning, with electives that must be taken to meet certain requirements.

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workforce based on a student’s educational credentials.

Teams are tailored to each of the five pathways: Health and Public Safety; Behavioral Science and Social Science; Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Business, Manufacturing, and Transportation; and Arts, Humanities, and Communication, correlated to academic degrees and certificates LMC offers.

At the start of each semester, a wide variety of resources are available to help students while at LMC, but most of those resources can go unnoticed. The implication of the success teams will provide a “more proactive approach to reach students” according to Hannum to help navigate the processes of college.

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best writer and director that the MCU has ever had, and why I am even more excited to have him in charge of the DC universe and its characters, whom I have loved since I can remember.

Superman needs James Gunn but, more importantly, Superman needs his lightness and humanity back. The reason why the majority of the DCEU didn’t work is because Superman didn’t really work.

As charming and likable as Henry Cavill is, the writing seemed way too focused on making the character darker and angstier to fit a modern audience, but by doing that, they nearly destroyed the core elements of Superman.

The dark, moody tone felt forced, holding the character back from what he could truly be for the sake of being mature.

I enjoyed “Man of Steel” and liked quite a bit of it, but it was disappointing seeing Superman and his world desaturated from color, killing the villain and destroying places full of innocent people to defeat said villain. That isn’t Superman to me.

Superman isn’t about being super or cool. Superman is about being kind, loving, and honest. He is true, blue, and pure.

His heart is as big as the

world he saves, and he would never kill someone or let someone die. To say that audiences are tired of cheesy, light-hearted adventures that teach good morals is baloney! And it feels like Gunn realizes that.

Gunn is constantly featuring tweets and posts on social media about the character and expressing his love for Superman and his humanity.

I can’t tell you how excited I am for Gunn’s new film, so I won’t try. All joking aside, Superman needs to be light, colorful, moral, and above all, loving.

If we get a Superman film that’s as fun, deep, and well crafted as the Guardians of the Galaxy films, then DC Studios will be up, up, and away with success! My only hope is that Gunn and his team look back to Richard Donner’s famous 1978 Superman film and Christopher Reeve’s performance when making their own film.

You don’t need to make things dark or modern for the sake of making money.

To repeat, I LOVE Superman. His character doesn’t need to be fixed or changed.

He’s Superman! And because of the great news regarding Gunn and his plans for the iconic character, I am beyond happy to declare “Superman lives!”

Teaching students real skills in their personal lives, professor McGill says “some of them have been regularly researching and arranging travel for themselves, friends, and family.”

Showing how the learning of new skills is reflected by a student’s motivation inside and outside the course.

“The Travel Program has absolutely helped me in my personal life,” said student Ashley Bee. “It has mainly helped with how to rent cars properly and what to expect when traveling to different countries. I feel much more confident in booking my vacations myself now.”

Enrollment for the course has begun to increase since the pandemic as people are excited to start traveling again.

Global tourism in 2023 is predicted to reach approximately 80% to 95% compared to levels in 2019 according to a Bloomberg article published in early January.

“As tourism ramps back up, the opportunities for travel

advisors will continue to increase,” said Wilson. “Now is a great time to prepare for a career in travel.”

The curriculum teaches students to not feel restricted to one type of career. As there are many opportunities within the travel industr y such as airlines, tour companies, travel agencies, car rental companies, the lodging industry and convention and meeting planning.

“I absolutely would recommend the Travel Program to anyone interested. It is a wonderful opportunity to find out if this is the path for you or not,” said Bee. “Even if you do not want to pursue a career, it can help you quite a lot with your own personal travels. The teachers are here to watch you succeed and the course load is really nice most of the time.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Travel Marketing Program, please contact Deborah Wilson at dwilson@losmedanos.edu or Chris McGill at CMcGill@ losmedanos.edu.

Students will receive tailored individualistic support based on their guided pathway as teams would be composed with an Instructional Dean, Counselor, Faculty Mentor, Student Ambassadors and Student Success Coach.

“A collection of roles and responsibilities that are meant to wrap themselves around a student,” said Hannum. “It’s our hope to connect with more students and help them feel a sense of community and support.”

As the project is set to begin in the fall of 2023, Hannum describes guided pathways as “not fully developed” as feedback and modifications from staff and students will make success teams a continuous process of improvement.

Currently, the project is moving toward staffing and

hiring during the summer, incorporating professional development and training for those fulfilling roles set to begin by the fall semester.

“I hope that the implementation of the SST model will increase equitable access, persistence and success in a manner that allows all of our students to thrive, accomplish their academic and career goals, and transform their lives,” said Maxwell.

The support provided by the success teams focuses on building a supportive community as students begin their college journeys. Constantly working toward providing the best resources for students, the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee is looking forward to having the teams be fulfilling and valuable to campus life.

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

— Nelson Mandela

Hungry? Visit the food trucks Monday April 24 Groovy Gorditas 11 a.m - 2 p.m

Monday May 1 TBA 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Tuesday May 2 TBA 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Tuesday April 25 Gold Gate Gyro 11 a.m - 2 p.m

Wednesday April 26 Hella Mas 11 a.m - 2 p.m

Wednesday May 3 TBA 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Thursday April 27 Wanna Waffle?

11 a.m - 2 p.m

Thursday May 4 TBA 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Alexis Ramirez • Experience

While LMC waits until fall 2023 to open the new cafeteria in the Student Union, food on campus has been sparce. The college has coordinated with vendors to bring food trucks on campus Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in front of the library.

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said Gonzales.

Aside from events, Gonzales was proud to announce that overall enrollment has seen increases in comparison to fall 2021 semester, and found the growth to be encouraging.

Gonzales said the work is not done yet, as now the focus is on “staying focused on being optimistic,” since

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criticism from students. One such student is Jeffrey Bui, the LMCAS president.

“I think it needs to be more fleshed out. Especially on the interface and how to see it,” said Bui. “It definitely needs some work, especially visually.

But I don’t think that’s the priority necessarily.”

Other students, such as Thomas Mann and Manny Rodriguez have also expressed their criticism about the new schedule builder.

“Too many buttons. It’s too complicated,” said Mann while adding, “The previous schedule builder feels easier because the list of all the classes is available.”

“I still use the old one. The new one is just too complicated,” said Rodriguez.

The Experience reached

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family dynamics in the show.

This isn’t the only cast member who is doing a production for the first time. Mark Bluford is making his debut as “Grandpop” in the show, and said he’s “learning a lot.”

The audience will see how the cycle of trauma starts from his character’s time serving in Korea, and how he manages to persevere and live the terrifying realities of war while making it out on the other side. Grandpop brings his flute with him and indulges in playing the works of Johann Bach — specifically his fugues for which the name of the play holds a dual meaning.

A fugue, while also a musical composition, is also a state of being — typically for soldiers.

A fugue state is a mental state typically experienced after living through high stress or

as more students return, “we need to keep up the work we are doing on colleges.”

She referred to these plans as “high impact strategies” that will seek to improve the experience for Califor nia community college students.

Gonzales also acknowledged the hiring of Dr. Sonya Christian, who will be the

out to numerous counselors for a statement about the new schedule builder, but as of press time none had weighed in on the issue and counseling co-chair Melissa Pon declined to comment citing time constraints.

With all of the work that has been done on the new schedule builder, the district will keep both the new and old programs for the future.

As for the difficulty in using the new visual, Bui speculates as to why it received so much negativity.

“Maybe it’s just once you’re used to a particular system it is hard to adjust to a new one. Whereas, if you are still learning you are still very open to receiving that information,” said Bui. Despite the negativity due to technical issues or unfamiliarity, the new visual schedule builder is here to stay.

permanent chancellor of California Community Colleges starting June 1. Christian is the first woman to have this permanent position, as well as the first person of South Asian heritage to have the role.

There will be one last student teleconference this school year, which will take place sometime in May.

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of the early matches not looking as interesting as the last matches were.

“I think it didn’t go that well.

Not a lot of people showed up, but I think the flow of the games went well,” said Lanval.

“I give it a 7.5 on the flow and a 5 on the turnout.”

The games club also had food and refreshments for people who attended including pizza, water and a tres leches cake. It was an assortment of food that made the attendees happy and chatting.

During the matches, there was some playful banter between the players, but it was all good fun.

Lanval also mentioned that there might be another event they will host at the start of the fall 2023 semester. It’ll be connected to a welcome week theme for the new Los Medanos College students.

The tournament wasn’t an amazing turnout, but it was an exciting experience for everyone.

traumatic events, in which you have temporary memory loss and can end up in unexpected places.

The story isn’t solely about From page 6 the soldiers, however. Another the game since the first inning character who fills a more an- in the top of the sixth when tagonistic role is portrayed by Madalynn Biagie doubled student Nat Fordyce, who plays home two runs. Katelyn Parker a News producer — “Though soon scored after a ball got I’d prefer to call it a media away from the LMC catcher vulture,” they said. as Yuba now led 11-8.

Nat explains how their charThe lead didn’t last long acter asks invasive questions in as in the bottom of the sixth an attempt to get a story from as errors plagued the Yuba Elliot — who is too young to defense which allowed the understand the callous nature Mustangs to tie the game at of the media world.

11 with the bases still loaded Over the course of the play, and two outs in the inning. there will be impactful highs Tamia Roberts tripled to the and lows that you don’t want to left-center gap to score three miss. The show’s opening date runs and give the Mustangs is April 26 at 7 p.m., to learn a 13-11 lead. Vanessa Fritzler more information on the show singled to score Roberts to lead and where to buy tickets, go 14-11 over Yuba and solidify a to https://www.losmedanos. win after three straight flyouts edu/drama/productions.aspx. in the seventh ended the game.

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“The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.”

— Ernie Banks

Softball team splits double header

Late rally gives Stangs the win

Yuba offense too much for LMC

By JUAN CEBREIROS

By JUAN CEBREIROS

The Los Medanos CollegeMustangs softball team split a double header against the Yuba City College 49ers, winning the first game but dropping the second game at the home field of the Mustangs.

Yuba got off to a quick start when Danika Martin singled to center field to score Harmony Balchus to lead 1-0. Regan Chan shortly followed with a single to load the bases with just one out in the inning.

However, the Mustangs eluded a long inning when a line drive off the bat of Monica Mitchell was snagged out of the air by third baseman Charlize Howay who then beat Flores to the third base bag to tag her out and end the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning Howay doubled to left center to score Vanessa Fritzler and Anastasia Martinez to take a 2-1 lead over Yuba. Two more runs were scored when Isabella Gonzalez singled to extend Juan Cebreiros • Experience the Mustang’s lead to 4-1.

Yuba’s first two batters got out Mustangs baserunner Priscilla Self dives to home plate and scores as the Yuba defender is too late to tag her out. to start the inning, However back to back doubles from Mar tin and Reagan Chan sparked a two-out rally as Yuba cut the Mustang’s lead to 4-3. The inning ended when Mitchell smacked a ball into the right-center gap but was thrown out trying to get to third base to end the inning.

The Mustangs would answer back when a two-out single from Melissa Becerra scored Tatiana Serrano which was followed by a two-RBI triple

by Tamia Roberts to grow the Mustang’s lead to 6-3. Roberts would steal home before the inning ended as the Mustangs led Yuba 7-3.

Three runs came around to score following three straight errors by the Mustangs to open up the fourth inning to cut the lead to 7-6. Yuba once again loaded the bases with just one out in the inning and looked to Juan Cebreiros • Experience tie and possibly take the lead.

A line drive off the bat of LMC pitcher Charlize Howay winds up and hits the ball into Yuba territory in their first game of the double header.

Reagan Chan was reeled in by third baseman Charlize Howay who beat Samantha Flores to third base to end the inning, similar to her play that got the Mustangs out of a jam in the first inning.

Yuba tied the score at eight after four straight hits started the fifth inning from Yuba.

With two outs in the inning and Londyn Gillespie on second, Flores was at the plate and looked to give Yuba the lead. She singled to center field and Gillespie rounded third, headed for home plate.

However, a throw from center fielder Melissa Becerra beat Gillespie to the plate, catcher Anastasia Martinez tagged her out and the game remained tied at eight.

Juan Cebreiros • Experience Yuba took their first lead of

It was a pitchers duel until the sixth inning when the Yuba City College 49ers defeated the Los Medanos Mustangs 11-2 as a seven run rally was too much for LMC to comeback from.

Charlize Howay was on the mound for the Mustangs and got into trouble off the bat in the top of the first. She walked Yuba’s leadoff batter Reagan Chan and after striking out Londyn Gillespie, gave up three straight hits including an RBI single from Danika Martin that scored Chan. A walk to Samantha Flores scored Martin, but Howay was able to get out of the inning allowing just two runs.

The first two Mustangs hitters struck out and flew out to start the inning but a walk to Anastasia Martinez sparked a two out rally. Priscilla Self walked then Charlize Howay singled to score Martinez to make the score 2-1. Self scored after a wild pitch to tie the game at two.

Following rocky first innings both pitchers settled into grooves and gave up zero runs across the next four innings while striking out 12 batters.

The score remained tied at two going into the sixth inning with neither pitcher showing signs of fatigue.

In the top of the sixth Monica Mitchell walked to leadoff the inning and eventually came around to score along with Harmony Balchus on a two RBI single from Katelyn Parker.

Madalynn Biagie struck out and the Mustangs looked to get out of the inning with a ground ball hit to Tamia Roberts, but she couldn’t field it cleanly and the inning continued.

The score was 5-2 with the bases loaded and two outs when Martin hit a sharp ground ball to second, Roberts bent down to try and field it but the ball took a bad hop and it went over her head and rolled all the way to the wall in the right center gap.

All three runners on base plus Mar tin herself came around to score to give Yuba a 9-2 lead and put the game out of reach.

The Mustangs were sat down in order by Yuba pitcher Londyn Gillespie while in the top half of the seventh, Yuba added on two more runs that came from a double by Samantha Flores and a squeeze play

by Madalynn Biagie extended the Yuba lead to 11-2.

LMC went down in order to end the game as a close game slipped away from them in the late innings as Yuba pitcher Londyn Gillespie pitched all seven innings while striking out 11 Mustangs.

The loss drops the Mustangs to 3-11 overall on the season and 2-8 in their Conference games.

Staff Writer

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Staff Writer

From left: Yuba defender tags out Anastasia Martinez and infielder Vanessa Fritzler winds up to throw home.