A 2011 General Excellence Newspaper — Journalism Association of Community Colleges
‘451’ misses the point of a literary classic See A&E, page 6
TheExpress A Weekly First Amendment Student Newspaper
November 22, 2013 (Vol. 25 No. 10)
First copy FREE; additional copies 50 cents each
Black Friday, changing demographics contribute to the evolution of the Thanksgiving holiday Travis Danner
EDITOR IN CHIEF
In the collective minds of many Americans, the fourth Thursday in November will always be associated with scenes of large families gathered around the table, smiling, laughing, Grandma and Grandpa at the end of the table carving the turkey. But as the face of the American family changes, so too does the way the Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated in America. Black Friday craziness has not only ballooned into a fullon orgy of competitive consumerism and barely veiled misanthropy. It has slithered its way into the holiday itself — the family dinner now becoming just a side dish to the feast of purchases. People who are supposed to be taking a breath from the hustle and bustle, honoring tradition and celebrating their bounty of privileges. Instead they’re penny-pinching in the punch-and-kick race to the best deals of the American holiday spending season. Alas, much of what the holiday used to stand for is being lost. Many people watch a few football games, have a meal and then head to the nearest retail store. The sacred gathering of family and fellowship no longer happens over turkey but over sale booklets from Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Thanksgiving, page 4 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTAN PICO/THE EXPRESS
Bookstore sales boost campus activities Bekka Wiedenmeyer MANAGING EDITOR
Speech 48. Dance 6. Mass Communications 32. These are basic listings found on the fall 2013 schedule for Las Positas College. And while they may look like simple classes on paper (or on the website), they are better known around campus by their class extensions: the Talk Hawks, Dance Production and Radio Las Positas. The difference between the simple class and the class extension? Co-curricular funding. Without this funding, the chance of these programs sticking around would be slim, and some would argue that the loss would be a tragedy. “We would have to close as a program,” said Talk Hawks coach and LPC instructor Tim Heisler in an email to The Express, “which would be a tragedy since we’ve been around since the first year this campus began offering instruction.” An agreement with the LPC Bookstore on campus makes this type of funding possible. Through this agreement, money generated from things such as rent fees and book sales support programs around campus such as Intercollegiate Athletics, Honors Transfer and Theater Arts. Each of these programs has an account with the bookstore where they can track their money and expenses. While formal requests can be placed to secure additional funding, the decision on how much money is given to each group is ultimately approved in Resource Allocation Committee meetings, where it is reviewed as an informational item. Funding, page 3
TAMI SHEPHERD/THE EXPRESS
Steven Gonzalez (17) in a game against West Valley College. The team will face Taft College on Nov. 23.
Men’s soccer returns to postseason after extended absence Martin Gallegos STAFF WRITER
The time for celebrating their playoff berth is over. The LPC men’s soccer team is hard at work preparing for their first round postseason match. The No. 12 ranked Hawks learned on Tuesday that they
would have to head to Taft, California, a small city just outside of Bakersfield, for a showdown with the No. 5 ranked Taft College Cougars on Nov. 23. “We’re ready,” Head Coach Larry Aguiar said. “The guys have been working hard in practice. They know what’s at stake.”
Taft had an overall record of 12-5-2, including an undefeated record in conference play. Their squad was led by forward Rogelio Sustaita who was among the conference leaders in points with 22. Soccer, page 7