WEDNESDAY l 2.27.19 OUR 69TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.
SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH OUR EYES Honoring blackness in the community By Robert Clinton associate editor
rclinton.theadvocate@gmail.com
In this package commemorating African Heritage Month, The Advocate aims to first welcome the BSU back into the campus community as well as highlight the accomplishments of Africans and African-Americans, past, present and future. Initiated by Carter G. Woodson as “Negro History Week” in 1926, the idea of creating a moment to recognize the contributions made by the descendants of enslaved Africans was born out of necessity. Woodson believed contributions by blacks “were overlooked, ignored and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them.” He strongly believed that black history – which others have tried so diligently to erase – is a firm foundation for young black Americans to build on in order to become productive citizens of our society. Ultimately, Woodson surmised, racial prejudice was a result of following grandfathered stereotypes of blacks with the outcome being the belief that blacks have never “contribut-
ed anything to the progress of mankind.” In this issue, The Advocate recognizes students taking an interest and direct action to improve their community, a celebration of African and African-American culture, and speakers welcomed to campus to inform students of issues that directly affect this community. In commemoration of Black History Month, Contra Costa College hosted an African-American inspired Poetry Slam and a seminar explaining the lineage and history of the Gullah and Geechee descendants of the southern U.S. Along with the Historical Black College and University Caravan that made its way through campus earlier this month, the annual Community Celebration brought rich culture infused with entertainment and history to the Knox Center. But the celebration and commemoration of African Heritage Month reaches beyond the walls of the educational establishments and into streets and neighborhoods
SEE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, PAGE 4
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Community educator returns home CCC alum brings fresh teaching approach to the classroom
“
If you’re making this boring, you’re doing this wrong. The material is fun. What’s fun for me about teaching is I can be watching a ‘Breakfast Club’ interview and use that in the classroom.” — Dr. Patrick Johnson, professor
By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
Students entering AA-215 for their Mass Communication class were greeted by an unfamiliar face on Jan. 28 for the first time in 39 years. Dr. Patrick Johnson is a newly hired adjunct professor teaching Journalism 130 after nearly four decades of the course being taught only by journalism department Chairperson Paul DeBolt. Now, five weeks into his first semester teaching at Contra Costa College, Dr. Johnson is bringing a fresh perspective and engaging teaching style to the journalism department. That unique style is resonating with his students. Part of what makes Johnson an engaging teacher is the joy he exhibits while lecturing. His enthusiasm DeBolt is backed up by an expertise in media theory. “If you’re making this boring, you’re doing this wrong. The material is fun. What’s fun for me about teaching is I can be watching a ‘Breakfast Club’ interview and use that in the classroom,” Johnson said. Ralph Boquilon, who has yet to choose a major, said Johnson’s course is one of the best he’s ever taken because of how engaging it is and, more importantly, it’s one of the few classes he is
BASKETBALL SEASON ENDS FOR TEAMS
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
excited to attend every week. “I never thought I’d want to go to class like this before. I want to see how he’s going to put each topic into perspective,” Boquilon said.
When the position opened in November, Johnson was an applicant that stood out to DeBolt as qualified and someone that would be a strong fit for teaching in the journalism depart-
CLASSIC FILM EXPOSES BIAS IN SOCIETY
PAGES 10 & 11
FACEBOOK: /accentadvocate
LEFT: Dr. Patrick Johnson teaches Journalism 130 as an adjunct professor in the journalism department this spring semester. Johnson is an MCHS and CCC alum and former Advocate staffer.
PAGE 12 INSTAGRAM: @cccadvocate
ment. “He brings a fresh perspective to the department, which is much-needSEE JOHNSON, PAGE 4
BLACKNESS AWAKENS PASSION PAGE 6
TWITTER: @accentadvocate
YOUTUBE: /accentadvocate
SNAPCHAT: @cccadv0cate
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Quotable “Journalists are supposed to owe a duty to reality, not to platforms.” Jack Fuller president, Tribune Publishing Co., 1999 Michael Santone editor-in-chief Robert Clinton associate editor Xavier Johnson web editor Denis Perez creative director Cindy Pantoja opinion editor Jessica Suico Gabriel Quiroz news editors Jose Arebalo scene editor Efrain Valdez Joel Umanzor sports editors Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Issac Benavides Fatima Carrasco Luis Cortes Nijzel Dotson Kyle Grant Daniel Hernandez Janet Lira Gonzalez Luis Lopez De’Jon Sylvain Marshique West Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2013 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 Member
Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.215.3852 Fax: 510.235.NEWS Email: accent.advocate@ gmail.com Editorial policy Columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of individual writers and artists and not that of The Advocate. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.
opinion
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27, 2019 VOL. 108, NO. 13
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM
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EDITORIAL
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
Associated Students Union fails to maintain campus relationship
W
ith the collective focus of the campus community firmly placed on administrative changes that have been happening over the past year, many of the other changes on campus have possibly been overlooked. In semesters past, grievances surrounding representation were not only directed at state employees charged with maintaining campus continuity, they were also directed at student senators who chose to represent student interests on campus. The Associated Students Union, like other clubs or sports teams at the community college level, is expected to experience its share of turnover every two years when senators graduate or transfer to four-year colleges. Given this reality, some type of grace period is allocated for new members to adjust into leadership positions and expand on the previous path forward left by the prior administration. Now, roughly a month into this spring semester, that grace period is nearing its end. Simply claiming the title of student senator is not enough. In past semesters, complaints that students were left in the dark about administrative changes on campus were heard but never completely solved. Past presidents and even our current ASU president attends all the requisite meetings, however there still has been no constructive method implemented to disseminate that information to the students meant to receive it. What’s more, there hasn’t been an event on campus to introduce students to new ASU members or to explain the process of receiving meaningful messages if they become available. In theory, ASU representatives should be accessible to the students they represent — whether they are wearing matching uniforms to do it or not. Students aren’t even given an opportunity to know how their $5 Student Activity Fee is spent. On a campus where students complain about inadequate representation, being recognized by our own student government should be a no-brainer. In their weekly public meetings, ASU representatives say they have committed thousands of dollars to revamp their logo, purchase new outfits and a specialized canopied table for events that, so far, have been nonexistent. Thousands of dollars have been spent when students still feel underrepresented, uninformed and generally uncertain of who represents their best interests. This sentiment exists on a macro and a micro level. This past week, both basketball teams celebrated Sophomore Night, which honors athletes who would be playing their final home game in the Contra Costa College Gymnasium. Granted, it’s probably too much to ask for some representative from the ASU to cheer on the largest group of full time equivalent students on campus — athletes — but how hard would it be to have the Comet mascot in attendance, if for nothing else than to show solidarity, or to show up for a photo op. Most people on campus have no idea that the ASU spent hundreds of dollars designing and producing a Comet mascot costume and have only used it a handful of times. Talk about a missed opportunity to show unity. How can we, as students, complain about administrative apathy when our student senators follow in the exact same footsteps?
CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
■ COMMUNITY
Hoax sheds negative light on community T oo often when individuals of the LGBT and black communities find themselves at the center of negative attention, the whole community seems to suffer the consequences. When one individual’s actions become the catalyst for scrutiny and skepticism, the progress made to advance these communities becomes tarnished for the whole with a guilty by association label pinned to the lapel. Although it may be innate to affiliate each person with their entire community when shed in an unsavory light, it does nothing but re-open a wound of vulnerability that staggers its social acceptance. Such is the case for Fox’s “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who made headline news last month after falling victim to an alleged hate crime. According to Smollett, two men shouting racial and homophobic slurs approached him, poured an unknown chemical substance on him and wrapped a noose around his neck as he left his Chicago apartment on the night of Jan. 29. Smollett, who is an openly gay black man, claimed that a week prior to the attack he had been on the receiving end of an anonymous letter. A frenzy followed, as media outlets speculated and the public took to their social media platforms denouncing the hate crime in full support of Smollett.
ing to speak up, may be laughed away by the stigma of an individual’s selfish indulgence. Regaining this footing to continue fighting for progress within these two communities, which disproportionately experience hate crimes on a daily basis, will However, over the course be a struggle, especially of the month-long invesgiven the heightened polittigation, the persons of ical atmosphere. interest shifted from two In fact, according to American-born Nigerian a 2017 FBI report, there brothers, Ola and Abel has been more than a 17 Osundairo, to Smollett percent rise in hate crimes himself, who seemingly across the U.S. and, for the paid the third consecutive year, the For men to number of hate crimes has orchestrate increased. Smollett, the attack. The annual report shows Backlash that of the 8,493 victims the ensued who filed an incident, 58 once the percent were due to race, damage is public while 15 percent were due caught done, that wind of the to sexual orientation. Although it may seem funny that a well-known is his hoax, as sympathy celebrity would stage a hate image is turned to crime against himself, the outrage truth is it’s no laughing tarnished for the boy matter. When you begin who cried to examine the pieces, beyond wolf. Smollett, who was breaking For as one of just a repair. Smollett, barriers few openly gay black men the damage starring on prime-time is done, that is his image television, you begin to see and reputation is tarnished the disparities that come beyond repair. with being just that — a And for what — a falgay black actor. sified hate crime for an Long after Smollett’s increase in salary? 15 minutes of fame have The repercussions, how- passed, the LGBT and ever, for both the black black communities will still and LGBT community will be reeling with trepidation. linger like a bruise, targeting the voiceless as it heals Michael Santone is from the inside. the editor-in-chief of The Advocate. Contact him at The voiceless or ostracized, who may experience msantone.theadvocate@ a hate crime, finally decid- gmail.com.
michaelsantone
CAMPUS COMMENT
What is something new you learned during Black History Month?
“I learned about very inspiring people in the black community.”
“I learned about certain special events and days affiliated with the black community.”
Teresa Gallegos art
Eros Poiniagun science
“I learned that black people have grown as a community and have become an inspiration to others.” LaNiya Valentine liberal arts
“I learned that the NAACP was found by both black and white members.”
“I would like to learn more about the black community and the history of their month.”
Ashley Santos
Ebe Alshamy
psychology
business
“I learned about micro-aggressions and how a lot of people do subliminal acts toward black people.” Hajohajai Murray communications
JESSICA SUICO, JANET LIRA GONZALEZ / THE ADVOCATE
forum
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
The Advocate staff works as hard as it can to serve as the voice of Contra Costa College students, but there are opinions and issues we miss. We need to hear from students and faculty to cover the campus fully. Send your ideas, opinions or comments to us as letters to the editor to accent.advocate@gmail.com or deliver them to our Newsroom in AA-215. Letters are subject to editing for libel, space constraints and clarity.
CAN YOU FEEL THE BERN, AGAIN?
■ OPINION
T
he world was a different place in 2015. Presidents still had decorum, the #metoo movement was still unborn and the nation’s public moral conversations of today had yet to begin. In the middle of another normal looking election season, a unique campaign emerged. Candidates spoke about our economy and trade relations, the usual talking points, but headlines announced a new force. My heart lit up watching an old Brooklynite talk about LGBT issues while promising to address concerns from people of color. Bernie Sanders announced his campaign, in contrast to grandiose speech parties, by speaking to a small group of press out on the Capitol lawn. His platform was filled with all sorts of socioeconomic ideas that were far from normal for 2015. Criticisms flooded around him spewing words like socialist and communist. For me, and many others across the country, Bernie represented the possibility for real, unprecedented change. Even more impressively, his campaign lit a fire inspiring many to join the political sphere for the first time. However, times have changed and the original ideas that made his platform so innovative now serve as the baseline for most Democrats. Joining the 2020 presidential race, Sanders is once again bringing some positivity into the campaign. But it feels a little odd. His opponents are all now deeply tied to diverse communities, the same ones he reached out to for support in the past. In some ways, his presence is causing a stagnation of progress instead of helping it as he could have before. None of this is to say that his intentions aren’t noble.
josearebalo It’s just that when I imagine a presidency under Sanders, I can’t help but feel like it’s forcing one of his more diverse opponents to take a seat until the next cycle. Our country would probably benefit from seeing a fresh cultural face leading us as the past few years have led our cultural conversation to some dark places. President Donald Trump has driven our national morale to what feels like an all-time boiling point. Recently, every conversation we have can be politicized in one way or another. What does it mean for Americans to fall out of love with the prodigious type of politics that we’ve come to expect, instead of a rather full, honest discourse? In 2019 there’s such a fierce divide. What did it feel like to fall out of love with politics after the 2016 election? It’s a lot for people to center their lives entirely around a singular identity. For me, that was politics and the idea that my efforts could help create positive change for people in their lives outside of their own ideals. I can tell you that it
wasn’t exactly bittersweet, but instead a crumbling break of reality that I couldn’t even process at the time, when Bernie, and then Hillary, (Clinton) lost the election. Bernie Sanders made waves in 2016 as he represented something beyond himself. His presence in the race signaled a real hunFor me, and ger for change — socially conscious many others values, holding the federal govacross the ernment accountable, support for country, LGBT and people of color. Bernie Now in 2020 he has to show represented America why he would be a the better pick over representatives possibility from those communities. Media for real, response has fierce as unprecedented been national outlets to point out change. run the very same feelings I currently hold. What really helped him garner political prowess was the stark contrast between him and his opposing candidates. With Trump on one side and Hillary on the other, Bernie was the only person speaking to the masses. During the last presidential
race his ideas were symbols of drastic rebellion against the system. It was a rebellion, yet still tasteful enough to please the masses on both sides of the political spectrum. Three years ago he burst open the doors on enacting social reform, which saw the injection of his ideas finally included in our political discussions. Maybe now he just has to be pleased with owning that accomplishment. Sanders will no doubt try to sell his own charisma, but I hope he is content knowing that he’s also holding the door open for his opponents. It felt like his propositions came from a place that let him understand the intricacies of our political climate. Instead of trying to force both sides of the aisle to be amicable, it felt like he understood how to play the middle man. Being an outsider worked well for Sanders, and once again he’s playing the same role. Only this time he is an outsider in both parties. Jose Arebalo is the scene editor for The Advocate. Contact him at jarebalo. theadvocate@gmail.com.
ILLUSTRATION BY JANET LIRA GONZALEZ / THE ADVOCATE
CAMPUS COMMENT
What would energize you to get involved in politics?
“We have to move away from the electoral voting system.”
“I don’t believe in politics. It’s rare when a change happens.”
“Give me an example of how it affects me and I would care.”
Bruno Sablan
Irene Escamilla
Alan Cortez
undecided
early childhood education
digital media
“I would be interested in a conversation. It would be good to have that sometimes.”
“I don’t know what I can do. Maybe if I had more information on politicians.”
“Nothing at all. No way I would ever be interested in politics.
Ryan Belan
Lily Rojas
undecided
nursing
JOSE AREBALO / THE ADVOCATE
early childhood development
Karl Zambo
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campusbeat
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NEWSLINE RESOURCE FAIR
WORKSHOP OFFERS NEW OUTFIT, SKILLS Enhance your professional image and get some new clothes at a skill-building workshop presented by Contra Costa College’s SparkPoint program, the Career/ Transfer Center and Wardrobe For Opportunity on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Fireside Hall. The intimate resource fair will include one-on-one consultations with Bay Area organizations as well as a new professional clothing outfit to help assist you in your job search. Light refreshments will be served and a parking permit will be available prior to the event. For more information contact SparkPoint Director Bill Bankhead at 510-215-6873 or by email at bbankhead@contracosta.edu.
GRADUATION
APPLICATION DEADLINE LOOMS Friday is the deadline to apply for spring 2019 graduation and to participate in the commencement ceremony in May. Students looking to graduate must review their academic record with a counselor, fill out all necessary documentation and be in good financial standing with the Contra Costa Community College District. For more information visit Admissions and Records located in the Student Service Center or contact Catherine Frost at 510-2153928 or by email at cfrost@contracosta.edu.
EVENT
SPARKPOINT HOSTS FINANCE WORKSHOP SparkPoint will host its first workshop of the spring semester on Friday from 11 a.m. to noon in SA-223. The “Cut Costs, Save Money” workshop will provide students with ways to cut costs, avoid impulse buying and find solutions for free or low-cost fun. All workshops sponsored by SparkPoint are free for faculty, staff and students throughout the campus. For more information contact SparkPoint Director Bill Bankhead by phone at 510-215-6873 or by email at bbankhead@contracosta. edu.
CRIMEWATCH
LEFT: UC Hastings in San Francisco will be hosting the 16th Annual Diversity Outreach Day event on March 16.
CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
EXPANDING LEGAL STUDIES UC Hasting highlights careers in law for minority communities
By Luis Lopez staff writer
llopez.theadvocate@gmail.com
For students interested in law school, UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco will be hosting the 16th Annual Diversity Outreach Day event March 16 to empower people of color to enter the legal field. The event is being presented by UC Hastings La Raza Law Students Association and People of Color Inc. The event, held at UC Hasting’s campus, will last from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This student-run event aims to expand the opportunities to obtain an education in law to low-income individuals, minorities and underrepresented communities. The motivation behind Diversity Outreach Day is to recognize that the legal profession is not representative of the diversity in California. Oscar Peralta, lead organizer for the event says Outreach Day will help provide students with meaningful information and mentorship with regards to law school. “The event seeks to introduce undergraduates from underrepresented communities to the legal profession and the law school admissions process,” he said. Students can expect presentations by People
A hit and run accident involving Police Services vehicle 76 was reported at 3 p.m behind the Police Services Building. Monday, Feb. 11 A theft was reported at 2:25 p.m. in the AA Annex. Tuesday, Feb. 12 A theft was reported at 3 p.m. in the Men’s Locker Room. Wednesday, Feb. 20 A rape by force was reported in the Student Services Center at 1:27 p.m. No further details were given. Friday, Feb. 22 An alarm was reported going off in the Student Service Center at 10:32 a.m. Monday, Feb. 25 An auto burglary was reported at 4:10 p.m. near the bus stop roundabout on Mission Bell Drive.
— The Contra Costa Community College District is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment, and campus life. The District does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in College programs, activities, and application for employment.
n “The event seeks to introduce
undergraduates from underrepresented communities to the legal profession and the law school admissions process.” — Oscar Peralta, event organizer
useful and like they will have good resources.” The event has been going on since 2003 and helps student navigate the application and admission process for law schools. During the fall and winter months, UC Hastings offers information sessions and webinars for prospective students. Non-students are also encouraged to visit the campus or visit a classroom to experience a lecture in person. UC Hastings College of the Law is a public institution located in the Civic Center district of San Francisco. Hastings is not directly governed by the regents of the University of California despite its affiliation with UC Berkeley.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | African roots grow at CCC Continued from page 1 of local communities. Black-owned business, art exhibits and outreach programs take center stage, during a month that should span the entire year. In the current political climate,
ideas of only celebrating the experiences of African-Americans during February have been a topic of debate in some circles. Arguments that claim only recognizing the accomplishments of blacks, post-antebellum slavery, minimizes the impact African culture has on modern society.
That during the current political atmosphere, the need to embrace a culture and history that has been shunned for decades, is more important than ever before. The Advocate recognizes the accomplishments of AfricanAmericans past and present. From students who are the
descendants of enslaved Africans, to students who are first-generation children of African immigrants, The Advocate recognizes the African and AfricanAmerican influences that have enhanced this campus community since 1950.
JOHNSON | Bringing perspectives into department Continued from Page 1
Sunday, Feb. 10
of Color Inc. followed by insight on what makes a great law school applicant. Hastings professors will give mock lectures and personal statement reviews to acclimate attendees to what is expected at law school. There will also be student panels to offer a more relatable perspective and lunch will be provided as well. This year’s event is expected to have about 125 students and already has 75 people reserved. Students say the gathering sounds like a good way to get informed about law school requirements. Angel Godinez, who has yet to decide her major, said, “The event sounds like an interesting day and seems helpful because there are not too many events that focus on law school or legal studies. I’m undecided and this seems like something that can help me get an idea for what legal studies are.” Political science major Yada Striparet said the event sounds like something more schools should do. Striparet said, “I think more law schools should do events like these. Because these fields of study aren’t that widely talked about, we never hear about these types of events. I could see myself going to the event. It seems
ed. He’s young, African-American and has a doctorate,” DeBolt said. “Patrick is a true gift to Contra Costa College students because he was one of them and he is so relatable. I knew he would be a perfect fit (to teach) the Mass Communication class. The ability to put the coursework into an interesting perspective that keeps students engaged is a part of Johnson’s broader teaching philosophy. During one lesson about Gordon Parks’ photography and the importance of Life magazine, Johnson showed images of Parks’ work then showed how Kendrick Lamar uses Parks’ imagery and reproduces it in his music video for his song “Element.” “I try to create entry points where folks can get something out of it. It comes from having experience teaching, but also being in classes that I was bored with. I don’t believe in wasting someone’s time,” Johnson said. Music and music culture informs a lot of what Johnson references during his lectures and even how he thinks about teaching. Johnson said his teaching style is similar to a DJ mixing. “There’s a certain relationship you’re having with your class similar to someone who is performing. Music gave me a lot of ways to think about life,” he said. With a high level of education that focuses on race, culture and how it relates to media, Johnson makes it a point to foreground people of color when crafting his coursework. He said he wants students to understand people of color, particularly black men, as sources of knowledge. “DJ Premier has something to tell you about how you watch television. Gordon Parks has something to tell you about photography. Yes, it’s about representations of black people, but it’s also knowledge you can extract to larger parts of the world,” Johnson said. As a black male teacher, Johnson said he sometimes recognizes what it means to not only be a black male teaching but also what it
means to teach as a black male. “I don’t shy away from the things that have been a part of my experience in my teaching. I let my students know that’s how they too should move through the world and hopefully through me as an example,” Johnson said. Johnson graduated from CCC in 1998 and transferred to Howard University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism in 2003. After Howard, Johnson earned a master’s degree in cultural studies of sports and education from UC Berkeley and just recently earned a doctorate in education: social and cultural studies, in 2018 from UC Berkeley. Johnson has taught at UC Berkeley’s summer bridge program for the past eight summers to work with incoming freshmen in critical media literacy courses and African-American studies courses. After graduating from Howard, Johnson worked with Youth Radio in Berkeley running their intro and intermediate training programs teaching about sports and media literacy. It was during this time that Johnson became interested in pursuing the questions he had about black media representation and media theory. Those questions led to him staying in academia to get his Ph.D. During his time teaching at Youth Radio and working as a teacher’s assistant, he said he started asking questions that would later go on to inform his dissertation. Johnson’s dissertation looked at the resonance of 90s black sitcoms in the lives of modern black millennials. “I was working with younger people and they’d tell me ‘So Pat, what you know about Tupac?’ like what do you mean what do I know about Tupac?” Johnson asked. He said the intersections of his interests and his students’ interests and what role that plays in their lives was the driving force behind his dissertation. Johnson served as sports editor of The Advocate while attending Middle College High School and said being a writer on the newspa-
ARCHIVE / THE ADVOCATE
Dr. Patrick Johnson plays a guitar during his high school years at Contra Costa College.
per gave him confidence and the opportunity to get real feedback. DeBolt said Johnson was the kind of student who would hang out in the newsroom all day. He said Johnson was one of the staff members that everybody loved. Growing up in the Bay Area in the 90s, specifically connected with the independent music scene and do-it-yourself culture informs how Johnson makes sense of culture. “Part of growing up in the Bay Area is being OK with, and celebrating, the hodgepodge of people, ideas and cultures and not being afraid to list those things as influences.”
campus beat PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT BACK ON TABLE By Jenna Husic staff writer
jhusic.theadvocate@gmail.com
The decision to remove four educational requirements students are obligated to complete prior to earning an associate degree from Contra Costa College passed in a near-unanimous vote by the Academic Senate in December 2016. A physical education course requirement was on that list. All associate degrees at Contra Costa College used to require 2 units of physical education activity classes as a general education (GE) requirement. According to Academic Senate President Beth Goehring, participating in these classes benefited each student’s health and reduced their stress and anxiety levels. Since the process of re-furbishing the physical education/athletics facilities on campus is underway, the Academic Senate is revisiting the possibility of bringing back the requirement for those PE and health courses. The meetings are ongoing and both Goehring and kinesiology department Chairperson Miguel Johnson continue to advocate for students’ rights to a better and healthier life through their education. They say they are also searching for more funding for the college and their fellow faculty members. Johnson said not only did the PE course requirement benefit students, it helped funnel money Johnson to the college from the state due to the full-time equivalent student (FTES) funding formula. This also helped other CCC departments with funding and resources. Also, he said, now student-athletes don’t have the luxury of being able to take multiple PE classes because of the rules that do not allow for the repetition of PE activity classes that were enacted in the early 2010s. However, those one and two credit courses could be the difference in thousands of dollars for the college. According to Johnson, statistics show how financially lucrative the classes can be for the college. When former football coach Alonzo Carter had a team of 100 players, each student was required to enroll in 12 units to remain eligible according to NCAA rules. At $46 per credit for a 2-credit PE course, that would be nearly $10,000 generated by the football team alone for enrollment in one physical education course, Johnson said. Furthermore, according to their pass rate for each semester, each student generated about $5,000 and all 100 were enrolled in PE classes and passed a majority of their credits, he said. That is $500,000 that gets granted to the college for other services outside of sports or PE, such as lab equipment for science classes or more staff for the disability center, Johnson said. CCC athletic trainer Nicole Oaks said that with certain physical education classes being available to students, many have the option to not only expand their majors and degrees, but also learn the importance of different exercises. “Not only did I learn Pilates and powerlifting at (San Diego State University), but I discovered how much I love yoga, which has helped me throughout my life,” Oaks said. She also believes that students benefit more from those PE classes outside of just exercise.
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Fire alarm disrupts classes, empties building for the day By Cindy Pantoja opinion editor
cpantoja.theadvocate@gmail.com
An overheated transformer caused evacuation havoc on Feb. 13 after fire alarms were triggered in the Applied Arts Building. Around 3:30 p.m. that day Police Services was alerted to an active fire alarm in the AA Building. A transformer located next to an air compressor in an upstairs storage room of the nursing department reached a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which activated the alarm in the building. “The fire alarm panel told us which room it was,” Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said. “So we went in there and it was quite warm. We opened the curtains and (let) the outside air into that room. It cooled the room down and got (the temperature) to a comfortable 70 (degrees).” A couple of months before the incident, the same transformer was covered by a Contra Costa College contractor cutting the air circulation necessary to the proper ventilation of the device. To support the nursing skills lab, there are several pieces of equipment, two of which are the transformer and compressor. Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Susan Kincade said, “The compressor was making a loud noise, so it was decided that a sound barrier should be built around it so students could do what they need to do in the skills lab (without distraction). So, they put the barrier up.” This compressor turns on every day, all day, and when it releases pressure it makes a loud noise that disturbs the people who are working around it. Nursing Program Director Sandra Castillo said, “The compressor turns on every five minutes. We got used to the noise, but it is loud. (The noise) doesn’t really affect the classes because it is in a storage room, but it scares (whoever) is in the room.” Once the overheated transformer got too hot, a fuse cut the electricity supply preventing the transformer from catching on fire, Kincade said. “There was a lot of concern that students may be in danger, but when the fuse went, it shut the machine down,” she said. “It was confirmed that the transformer is viable in temperatures up to 300 degrees. That means (its temperature) could have gone as high as 300 degrees without burning.” King said planning of the storage room where the generator is located wasn’t done correctly because it lacks an opening for proper ventilation — a factor that contributed to the overheating of the transformer. Castillo said, “The (storage) room is always hot regardless of the sound-proofed wall. It was hot and it took months before the room got hotter.” Even though it was later confirmed that students were not in any danger, the entire AA Building was completely evacuated after the alarms were activated. “Everybody responded well,” King said. “Police Services evacuated the building that night and locked the doors down. Right when the alarm sounded, everybody exited the building around 3:30 p.m.,” King said. Since the building was inaccessible after the incident, evening classes were moved to different classrooms around campus. Sign were posted on building doors directing students to their temporary classrooms for the night. Kincade said, “At 5:30, I made the call. I said, ‘We’ve got to re-locate the classes in classrooms in other buildings because we don’t want students in and out of the building.’ By then everybody was out and the building was locked down for the night.” The AA Building was re-opened in time for morning classes and even though all activities were resumed, the building remained under police surveillance for the rest of that day, Feb. 14. On Feb. 14 Police Services officer Sergio Paez said, “I’m here to make sure nothing goes wrong after the alarms went off yesterday.”
3:30 P.M. sadsdsa
A transformer located in an AA Building upstairs storage room reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit setting off a fire alarm.
3:33 PM
5:30 P.M.
Classes are re-located to other buildings on campus for the rest of the evening. The AA Building was re-opened the next morning.
GRANT PROVIDES INCENTIVE FOR ONLINE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES By Janet Lira Gonzalez staff writer
jgonzalez.theadvocate@gmail.com
A modernized system that will allow students and faculty members access to free course material for their classes, using online education resources (OER) is closer to becoming a reality. Beth Goehring, president of the Academic Senate, is charged with ensuring the project’s success. Goehring was given a budget of $100,000 for the website which she said “will be divided between 3 years ($33,333 per year).” She said the money is anticipated to be used by the college to hire a qualified professional to find and research course content for required classes. Students are excited to hear they can have another resource for their classes, especially students who do not receive financial aid. The program is another way for students to save more money. “I don’t get financial aid, so if
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Behavioral science major James Gerasty works on a computer in the Library and Learning Resource Center.
n “OER would have been nice to have for my classes because I could have access to readings my teachers actually thought were important.”
— Nestor Tuazon, biology major
teachers assign us material online, it be a lot easier on me,” business and administration major Austin Jilles said. Since providing access to OER is still in a work in progress, not all the material that has been accessible has been college level. However, teachers who do find appropriate material can upload it with ease to their web-based Canvas shells. Streamlining the process will give students easy access to instructional material teachers can
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
easily implement that best suits their class at no extra cost. “OER would have been nice to have for my classes because I could have access to readings my teachers actually thought were important,” biology major Nestor Tuazon said.
“So I can get the most out of the class.” Many book publishers give faculty access to instructional attachments from course books, like chapter slides and test bank materials. OER, even though they will be
helpful to students, it does not provide other instructional material. Goehring said, “Faculty will need to find additional resources beyond the OER materials to support student learning.” No release date has been set for use of OER funds as of yet.
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Africanism inspires pa Sports injury brings Black Student Union president closer to ancestral lineage, opportunity for growth By Michael Santone editor-in-chief
msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com
Often times in one’s educational experience students are fed the narrative that black history begins with slavery. They are also taught the defining moments of African-American culture are those perpetuated by the stereotypes that come with living while black in America. For Contra Costa College Black Student Union President Armond Crowshawn, this distilled interpretation of black history and what is true, has not only sparked a deeper passion in self-identity, but in uplifting the black community through cultural awareness. “In grades K through 12, we have this narrative that black people were just enslaved and that our history started in America, which is not true,” Crowshawn said. “I would like to change that narrative and educate people about our history while we were in Africa, through the passage and now here in America — because we’re still making history.” Crowshawn, who is currently majoring in political science, already holds an associate degree from CCC in African studies and liberal arts. He graduated with honors last May. “In the media, just like throughout history, we are told that black is ugly and that having dark skin is not cool. Or that we are not smart. But that’s not the case,” he said. “Our origins encompass a richness from ancient-African civilizations that pretty much birthed science, math, technology and Ampim engineering. It’s a richness, not only in melanin, but in culture and spirituality.” For Crowshawn, this yearning for cultural knowledge and self-discovery came by chance — a yearning that would change the course of his life. In 2015, during his senior year at El Cerrito High School, while playing a spirited game of wrestling, Crowshawn fractured his back. “The doctors said I should have been paralyzed, but it was a good thing I did not need surgery and it all healed up on its own,” he said. “It’s crazy and I do thank God, because things could have turned out a lot different.” At the time, the severity of the fracture and the state of his back was unknown. Crowshawn who was set to attend Long Beach State University, decided to stay at home to recuperate. “Originally, I was planning to major in nursing or be an emergency room physician,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t go to Long Beach because I probably would not have learned what I know now.” It wasn’t long after Crowshawn graduated and recovered that he began taking classes at CCC. Crowshawn said after taking a few general edu-
cation course, one of his friends told him about African studies. He then enrolled in professor Manu Ampim’s History of African Civilization course. “From the moment I took that class I was hooked and my whole perspective on being black changed,” Crowshawn said. “In a way, I felt bamboozled because no one ever taught me that. I was culturally aware, but I didn’t know the history.” Ampim, who is the history, anthropology and geography department chairperson, said he first met Crowshawn during one of the Per Ankh Academy meetings two years ago. “Armond participated in everything, all the classes, meetings and our cultural outings,” Ampim said. “He is very confident and sharp and is comfortable implementing things and getting them done.” At the beginning of last semester, Ampim said, Crowshawn approached him and AfricanAmerican studies professor Carolyn Hodge about re-launching the BSU. “He really is working in the historical traditions of the BSU because he is providing the campus with ideas to help move academics in the right direction,” Ampim said. “It shows that Armond understands that being able to promote the interests of students of African descent doesn’t mean they have to be isolated from other student leaders on campus.” Since the BSU has been active on campus, they have held events including the Poetry Slam, sponsored the Historical Black College and University Caravan and provided black representation through student leadership when the campus was experiencing hardships. Crowshawn said being immersed in an educational journey of cultural history is useless unless it can be used to empower the black community. “I think it’s very important that we build a strong black community on campus, so we can come together to talk and deal with issues that we are facing,” he said. “My voice is strong and I’m able to speak for people who remain voiceless. Being able to share
FILM SERIES SHEDS LIGHT ON ORIGINS OF DESCENDANTS By Nijzel Dotson staff writer
ndotson.theadvocate@gmail.com
“Geechees and other Gullahs” was a film seminar hosted by professor J. Vern Cromartie not only for his sociology students but anyone willing to be educated as part of 2019 African American Heritage Month activities at Contra Costa College. Before playing each film, Dr. Cromartie briefly told the audience about the history of the Gullah and Geechee people by way of PowerPoint slides. The slides included definitions of key terms such as racial, ethnic, and social groups and made a distinction between Gullahs and Geechees. During his breakdown, he defined the term Gullah as referring to “black men, women and children who were born in Africa and brought to the U.S. in bondage and the language they brought with them.” The Geechee, he said, are defined as “a social group of Gullah-speaking Maroons (and their descendants) who joined the Seminole Nation as partisans during their three wars with Cromartie America in the 19th century.” It was also revealed during the PowerPoint presentations that Cromartie himself is Gullah and can trace back his heritage as far back as six generations of his family. The lecture hall in GE-225 was nearly full as Contra Costa College students attentively watched two films: “Black Warriors of the Seminole” and “De Florida a Couhulla,” which translates to “From Florida to Couhuila.” The two films were meant to shed light on the rich history and culture of Geechee and Gullah people and how they have been upheld through the years. “Black Warriors of the Seminole” tells the story of Gullah and Geechee that became part of the Seminole
experiences as black people is crucial, especially because we are often underrepresented.” CCC early childhood development major Roshawntala Cunningham, who has known Crowshawn since they were in third grade said, Crowshawn was the one who knew all the answers. “If you give Armond something to do, he will always do it. He’s very driven. If he has an idea, he’ll shoot for it,” This spring Crowshawn is hoping to transfer to UC Berkeley where he will continue his education in African studies. “I want to teach my family, friends and community what wasn’t taught to me,” he said. “But I’m also trying to be like Mansa Musa, the richest man to ever live.”
GULLAH GEECHEE PEOPLE Gullah Geechee people are descendants of Central and West Africans from various ethnic communities. All of them came to a stretch of the U.S. coastline between Georgia and Florida. Language: Gullah is a unique language built with vocabulary from both European and African languages. It is the only distinctly African creole language in the United States. Diet: Consists of vegetables, fruits, game, seafood, livestock, okra, rice, yams, peas, hot peppers, peanuts, sesame “benne” seeds, sorghum and watermelon and food introduced by Native Americans, such as corn and squash. Arts, crafts and music: The Gullah people weave baskets for farm work, make casts for fishing and sew African textiles in quilts. African songs founded Gullah music. Their genre has inspired sounds in ragtime, blues, hip hop and jazz.
DENIS PEREZ/ THE ADVOCATE
Nation, made up of several American Indian groups such as Creeks, Moskogees, Miccosukkees and Ogeechee. These Gullah and Geechee people aided the Seminoles in their many wars against the United States throughout the 1800s. The film points out that the heritage of the Seminoles is kept alive by grandparents telling stories to Seminole children and cooking cultural foods for them. Contra Costa College Student Dylan Soungpanya said after the seminar that a film like this is important because it provides insight on a select group of people. He said, “Some may not care, but for those who want to
get in touch with their culture the information is there for them.” The second film included in the seminar was about the Mascogo, a group of black Seminoles who fled to Mexico and helped fight robbers on both sides of the border. Much of the 50-minute film was in Spanish and gave a day-in-the-life perspective of Mascogos, including quotes from them on their customs and celebrations. Discoveries by researchers were also included in the film, such as the realization that Gullah is spoken in Mexico, the Carolinas and Georgia.
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Gullah is also by Creoles. Kyle student visiting fo because he felt th wouldn’t be notice Cromartie said Gullahs specifical and Gullahs have other groups of bl Cromartie said tage from the time more research as h The culminatio published book e about the history The book inclu photographs that with a Geechee an The research i information he pr
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Showcasing the art is a way for me to express my views to the world in a sense. To share an idea through an image and or create a conversation based on the visual impact a viewer may have.” — Randy Babb, artist
Black local artists express cultural heritage, history By De’Jon Sylvain staff writer
dsylvain.theadvocate@gmail.com
n “I would like to change that
narrative and educate people about our history while we were in Africa, through the passage and now here in America.” — Armond Crowshawn, Black Student Union president
RICHMOND — As Black History Month continues to inspire hearts and minds, the Richmond Art Center pays tribute to African-Americans in the Bay Area with its annual “Art of Living Black” exhibit which opened Feb. 9 and runs through March 3. The 23rd Annual “Art of Living Black” exhibit presents over 100 works at the center. The event, co-founded by Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward, is the longest running expo of its kind in the Bay Area to support emerging artists and their work. Founded by local artist Hazel Salmi in 1936, the Richmond Art Center plays a role in restoring and explaining the African-American culture and the effect black art has on the community. “It’s bringing a new perspective, a perspective that other people may not have,” customer service coordinator of the Richmond Art Center Jessica Jordao said. True artistic depictions of AfricanAmerican culture have not been visible in the area in recent years, Jordao said. With the increase in crime rates and decrease in economic aid in the Bay Area, black culture, in recent years, has been defined by outside influences. As the East Bay expands and diversifies, the Richmond Art Center continues to address and focus on the importance of preserving African-American culture. “The community which I come from was once the poorest city in the bay,” artist Randy Babb said. “There were no outlets and art was not a part of the community. All creative discipline had been all taken out of schools. So the arts are highly needed.” According to Babb, throughout the years there has been a loss of inspiration and social interaction when it comes to the black community. With creative discipline diminishing from the area, it became hard to preserve the culture and black history seemed to die out as well. The Richmond Art Center and the “Art of Living Black” event re-emphasizes that Black History Month continues to provide for the community, he said. “It’s very hard to find our artwork, black artwork, in the city now,” customer service coordinator of the Richmond Art Center
Living Black Exhibit The annual exhibit showcases African-American art at the Richmond Art Center from Jan. 15 – March 8.
INFOGRAPHIC BY DENIS PEREZ, DE’JON SYLVIAN / THE ADVOCATE
Teresa Phillips said. From enslavement of the black body to white supremacy and racism that surfaces and shapes today’s society, the art presented showcases the struggles of the African-American race. “The Richmond Art Center does a good job of explaining artwork to the community,” Phillips said. The art presented at the event enriches the lives of AfricanAmericans and acknowledges not only the hardships and struggles of enslavement and racial inequality, but also the traditions, garments and music that have been passed on through generations. “Art is important to me because it allows me to use the creative part of my brain,” Babb said. “Showcasing the art is a way for me to express my views to the world in a sense. To share an idea through an image and or create conversation based on the visual impact a viewer may have.” Art also has the ability to spark conversation and to address issues, such as African-American history. Jordao said, “It’s a good way to become more aware of different perspectives and different backgrounds and the different power that black people have.”
LEFT: AfricanAmerican studies major Destinee Calhoun snaps during the Black Student Union Poetry Slam on Monday in Fireside Hall.
ay not care, but for those who n touch with their culture, the there for them. — Dylan Soungpanya, CCC student
strongly related to a language spoken Sandvand, a Diablo Valley College or the lecture, appreciated the seminar he films gave attention to a group that ed otherwise. d he chose to focus on Geechees and lly for the seminar because “Geechees e maintained more Africanisms than lack people in the United States.” d that he’s known about his Gullah herie he was a child and was inspired to do he grew up. on of his research can be found in his entitled “Morgan-Frazier Family Clan” of his lineage. udes essays, interviews, documents and “chronicle the history of a Black family nd Gullah heritage.” in the book goes hand-in-hand with rovided at the film seminar.
Poetry Slam infuses words, rhythm into evening of prose By Xavier Johnson wed editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
The Black Student Union’s first event on campus for African-American Heritage Month was an evening of poetry, live music and food in the Fireside Hall on Monday. Three poets won cash prizes at the Poetry Slam contest for centered on the topic of the black diaspora. Local artist Randy Babb won the first place $100 cash prize, local musician Chazz Conley took home $75 for second place and journalism major Meyli Ortiz earned $50 for third place. To warm up the crowd Clark before the event got underway, there were two pieces performed by poet Dante Clark and Veteran Services Program Coordinator TeJae Dunnivant. Dunnivant and Clark were also selected to judge the competition. The competitors performed a diverse array of pieces that touched on topics like mental health, love and growing up. Babb, who was also there selling some of
his prints said poetry was his main source of creativity as a child and when he heard about the event on Facebook, he decided to come and share his poetry without realizing it was even a competition. “The piece tonight was not only cultural, but personal to where you come from. So, what I performed today was a view of my upbringing, my travels along the road to here,” Babb said. Conley was contacted by the BSU and decided to perform two poems that may appear in song form on the album he’s working on. “You’re a Queen” and “Fuck Boy Terms and Conditions” were the two pieces he performed. Conley said his writing process is free-form and gets inspired by life and writes what he feels. For Ortiz, poetry isn’t a daily fixture in her life like it is for Babb and Conley. Ortiz said she writes infrequently when she’s hit with inspiration. The poem she performed for Poetry Slam was about mental health and was written during a show she attended in Oakland. “One of the poets really inspired me to write and I wrote it that night in the club,” Ortiz said. Dunnivant approached the Veterans’ Club to see if anyone was interested and Ortiz was intrigued and took the leap to perform. It was only her second time getting on stage.
Dunnivant said she was happy seeing Ortiz perform a piece that gave the audience insight into what veterans go through. “The more intersectionality we get on campus, the better it is for everybody. We can all borrow and help each other and share resources,” Dunnivant said, “This event as well as me going up there and being able to let the audience know what veterans go through is really important.” Only four individuals performed during the Poetry Slam despite 10 people having signed up ahead of time, according to Black Student Union President Armond Lee. He said that people ended up pulling out due to time conflicts and emergencies. However, Lee said he is just glad the event was able to happen. “African history is spoken word. In the U.S., we tell stories through grandma, auntie or grandpa. We carry our traditions through words and it’s how we communicate. Even going as far back as Egypt words symbolize thing and that’s important,” Lee said. Clark was a special guest that performed a series of pieces named “Know Freedom” which was about the Black experience in America. It also highlighted the pain endured during the ongoing battle for freedom.
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campusbeat Eco-friendly adviser hired
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By Daniel Hernandez staff writer
dhernandez.theadvocate@gmail.com
This past January, Contra Costa College welcomed Dwight Calloway as interim custodial manager to campus on an environmental stewardship. His job, until June 30 is to stay current on waste reduction and work through strategies to improve waste disposal. Calloway has years of experience improving the carbon footprint of California’s community colleges. He worked at Barstow College as the maintenance and operations director, and at Solano Community College from which he retired in 2015. He then went to Laney College where he was the interim director of facilities. “I have 26 buildings on this campus, which consists of approximately 300,000 square feet,” he said. Calloway manages a staff of 13 people throughout the day to service these structures. “During the day, they go around these buildings, go in the rest rooms, dump the trash because there’s so much going on,” he said. “During the evening, they clean the floors and facilities.” Calloway said reducing landfill waste and addressing climate change are some of the things that interest him most because of his children and grandchildren’s future. He wants to focus on waste, landfill and energy reduction as well as sustainability, which is what he has been doing for years. Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said, “Mr. Calloway comes with over 30 years of maintenance and custodial experience. He is an experienced manager who is very conscientious.” Calloway said, “I look around the campus and I see maybe a lack of recyclability, maybe a lack of procedures as far as disposal of the different type of waste that we do have.” For Calloway waste reduction goes further than just to the landfill, it counts for the emissions of gases into the atmosphere like greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Both are byproducts of waste. “The education and knowledge that we need to pass onto our next generation is most important to me,” he said. “There have been places where we’ve had student involvement because if I don’t get student involvement or student buy in, it’s not going to work the way we want it to work.” The custodial manager says students have the ability to drive other students to partake in caring for the environment. “Every day should be Earth Day,” Calloway said. “During Earth Day you will see dozens of students take part in acts like coastal cleanups and recycling.” “That’s where it begins, with helping the environment,” he said. “Students should try to be aware and to challenge each other.” For instance, there’s a competition between many colleges called “RecycleMania” that inspires schools to benchmark and eliminate their waste. Some students feel proper labeling will help everybody recycle more here on campus. “Some trash cans don’t have labels. Like is it recycle or compost?” computer science major Arjay Escalona said. “I think they do a good job recycling in this campus though. I don’t see them every single day.”
DANIEL HERNANDEZ / THE ADVOCATE
Dwight Calloway serves as the interim custodial manager of Contra Costa College beginning January 2019.
n “I look around campus and I see maybe a lack of recyclability, maybe a lack of procedures as far as disposal of different types of waste that we do have.”
— Dwight Calloway, custodial manager
Calloway said that any organization or individual who wants to further reduce waste can go to www.calrecycle. ca.org, which has important resources and information. “Most trash cans have liners also. That’s a cost for each liner that you have. If you look around in offices (on campus), you’ll see every desk has a trash can and every trash can has a liner,” he said. That means every time they go to clean those bins, they have to replace the bag, which he says is a huge waste and also a large expense the college is paying for. “We’ve become comfortable with not getting up from
international day to honor women Panel of judges to discuss struggles, successes of women
By Jessica Suico news editor
jsuico.theadvocate@gmail.com
The political science department and Community Organizing Political Action Club (COPA) are hosting a women’s day event on March 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in GE-225. A keynote speaker, Judge Tamila Ipema, and a five women in law panel will be a part of the event that will have refreshments provided by the culinary arts department. Political science department Chairperson Vanna Gonzales said, “This event is to motivate women and be a morale booster for all women because every woman has a different background.” Gonzales would like people to RSVP for this event at ccciwd. eventbrite.com. “It is open to everyone, but RSVPing helps us know how much food we need to have for people,” she said. Gonzales and COPA have worked hard to get women with appealing immigration stories and unique backgrounds for the panel and the keynote speaker. “There will be a question and answer session during the panel reception for the Associated Students Union, Middle College High School and COPA to ask two questions of any panel member they want,” Gonzales said. “It’s a perfect time to celebrate all women.” COPA and Gonzales put flyers around the campus to inform students when and where the event will take place. COPA member Hector Galvez came up with the graphic design for the flyer. He drew different female students on the campus and made it into a graphic design, Gonzales said. Communication major Jovi Nimedez said, “I feel women’s day emphasizes equality between men and women, and for feminism to be recognized.” Most men have authority when it
comes to a job and women have to go through a lot of challenges to get into higher positions at work. Women are looked at as weaker than men. Depending on the job, there isn’t equality in the workforce between women and men, Nimedez said. “I inspire myself. I feel if you can’t be inspired by yourself how will you be inspired by others,” Nimedez said. After the keynote speech and the panel discussion are over, to show appreciation for the five women who came out to the event, COPA, ASU and Gonzales worked with the culinary arts department to have a nice brunch in the Aqua Terra Grill on campus, Gonzales said. “Dean of Student Services Dennis Franco worked with Sarah Marshall and I to help coordinate this event,” she said. Because Gonzales is the political science department chairperson, she felt having a panel of female lawyers and a keynote speaker like Ipema would be a great opportunity for students to hear intriguing stories about women in politics and law. “Being a woman in politics is very hard and you deal with a lot of complications. You have to be a strong woman to survive in this type of career,” Gonzales said. Student Gabriela Lobabs, who has yet to decide her major, said, “Women’s Day gives everyone a chance to appreciate women and acknowledge our presence and strong will.” Most men get intimidated by strong women and women in the workforce. When they (women) are in a higher position, men get easily intimidated, Lobabs said. Gonzales said, “The keynote speaker has a compelling story. She is an amazing person and she advocates for criminal justice and dynamic history. She is a very kind, sweet person and a joy to speak with. I really hope a lot of students come to this event and listen to her story.”
our desks, taking our food waste containers and throwing them away in the garbage can instead of in the recycle bin,” Calloway said as he gave a look into what’s inside his office trash can. So far, he’s just created a few pieces of trash in there since starting back in January. The reason behind this is he diligently gets up from his seat and walks to the break room to throw out his waste in a central garbage can because it uses fewer resources to discard his waste. In a mass email sent out Jan. 29 to all the staff at CCC, he highlighted some important procedures when it comes to waste disposal. A portion of the email was to encourage all district facilities to purchase paper with the highest percentage of post-consumer waste. Not only does this save money in the long run, but it is a sustainable product, he said. Implementing waste reduction methods can save natural resources, decrease associated purchasing costs and increase efficiency.
RESIGNATION PROMPTS SEARCH FOR INTERIM DEAN OF ENROLLMENT By Michael Santone editor-in-chief
msantone.theadvocate@gmail.com
After only eight months on the job as dean of enrollment services at Contra Costa College, Andre Singleton resigned effective Feb. 12. “This was an extremely hard decision for me but the need for family support is now a necessity for us,” Singleton said in a campuswide email sent out Feb. 7. Singleton, who is originally from Michigan, said he had been “independently living the California dream” for the past 13 years with his wife. “Since the birth of our daughter, family has become extremely important and our direction has changed,” he said in the email. “While I do regret any inconvenience my resignation will cause the college, I have done Singleton all that I can do to ensure a smooth transition.” Interim Vice President of Student Services Carsbia Anderson, who will act as temporary liaison, said Singleton announced his resignation on Jan. 29. “Programs and services supervised by the dean of enrollment will be supervised by the vice president of student services — with some assists from other student services managers,” Anderson said. “The permanent selection committee is being formed through the shared governance process and the internal search for an interim has begun with hopes of interviews beginning this week.” Anderson said the hope is to complete the interim search and hiring process by the end of the spring semester, after which the interim will be in place until a permanent hire is completed. “There are measures that will support
the programs on a temporary basis,” he said. “Student services has a committed and exceptional staff who I am confident will continue to provide quality services — even during challenging times.” The enrollment services department has seen a continued shift within upper administration over the last year, with the transfer of its former dean Dennis Franco to dean of student services in January 2018, the hiring of Singleton in August and his subsequent resignation this semester. CCC Financial Aid Specialist Patricia Herrera said she could not believe Singleton resigned when she received the email. “Andre is genuine and fair and in tune to the hardships students face,” Herrera said. “I feel lucky to have met and worked with him. It’s always hard to go back to the drawing board after having hired a great candidate, but I’m optimistic we will find another great fit.” CCC President Katrina VanderWoude said Singleton will be missed within the CCC family, but there are many new endeavors throughout the state’s educational system. “California has 115 (community) colleges, now including a fully-online college under development. The number of opportunities across the state contributes to movement of talented staff to lateral and higher opportunities,” Dr. VanderWoude said. VanderWoude said although the college has had some administrative changes over the last several years, her main goal is building stability. “This is evidenced by the two new interim vice presidents, who will be with us for close to a year rather than a semester, which is often more typical,” she said. “With their experiences that will really help our college to get some systems in place.”
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Album fails to capitalize on heartbreak
By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
Once again, Ariana Grande has turned her much publicized heartbreak into a deeply personal album that, while struggling with authenticity, is a significant benchmark in her young discography in “Thank You, Next.” Grande’s fifth studio album was produced amid public breakups with late boyfriend Mac Miller and the separation with her former fiancé Pete Davidson. Channeling this pain, “Thank You, Next” turns out to be her darkest album sonically and lyrically and, surprisingly, her sexiest album yet. The singles from the album have blown up the charts. “7 Rings,” the haunting hip-hop laced track interpolates the melody from “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music as Grande sings coldly. “Break Up with Your Girlfriend Cause I’m Bored” is another chart-topping single that’s densely packed with 808s to punctuate
Grande’s surprisingly aggressive lyrics. While the two singles are good songs, they don’t necessarily feel like they fit Grande’s style. Each track feels like they were written for — and rejected by —Rihanna. The tracks have her trademark sex appeal, rapping and talks of securing the “bag.” Sometimes the rap passages and use of slang on the album doesn’t feel authentic. There are moments where it all comes off as something she probably doesn’t really say but needs to have in the song to make it as relatable as possible. These similarities to Rihanna’s music is distracting, but if the songs are going to sound like Rihanna, they should at least be good songs. Once the album fleshes out and listeners get into the deep cuts, Grande’s musical evolution shines and her style becomes evident. The album opens with “Imagine,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album by creating a sultry mix of vocals and crystal clean production, which sometimes can be a bad thing.
These similarities to Rihanna’s music is distracting, but if the songs are going to sound like Rihanna, they should at least be good songs. The instrumentals and vocal mixing strip away much of the soul that should be there. Grande nails high notes and is clearly singing about topics that touch her, but the lifeless instrumentals deaden the impact. During an album that’s entrenched in the emotions of hurt and healing, it’s unfortunate that Grande’s performance is held back by the production. In “Fake Smile” her proclamations of “If I’m hurt I ain’t gonna lie about it” is a perfect summation of the emotions found throughout this album. In “Fake Smile,” “Bloodline” and “Needy” Grande searches for answers for why relationships fail. Through the questions comes a point of
Technology intertwines love, death in performance Emotional fantasy highlights opening production of semester By Jose Arebalo scene editor
jarebalo.theadvocate@gmail.com
Society has no doubt changed since the introduction of the cell phone. Our interactions logged, recorded through a screen rather than face-to-face. The Contra Costa College drama department is putting on a show that explores the intricacies of love and death in a world surrounded by technology. The play, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is a story of a woman becoming enthralled in the family life of a recently deceased man. The next production set to hit the stage this semester is a “textbook example of magical realism” according to director Ryan Weible. Weible is an adjunct faculty member of both Diablo Valley and Contra Costa colleges. The production is sure to thrill audiences on a joyride of tumultuous emotion. “I expect audiences to feel like they just went on a crazy adventure with a bunch of real people negotiating some pretty fantastical situations,” Weible said. “This play was written right around the time of the first iPhone release and explores the notion of human connection in the world of the smartphone.” The show is about how virtual connection has replaced our interactions and our longing as a species to return to something real, he said. The show follows Jean, a woman who picks up the phone of the deceased Gordon and finds herself entangled in a family’s dynamic. The show explores themes of love, death and technology through the lens of comedic satire. “A positive aspect of this rehearsal process is how organically we, as actors, were able to find the movement of the story,” Miranda Lenore said. Lenore plays the character of Jean in the show. The cast has been able to build its vision with an easy flow and plenty of support around them. “Our director has allowed us to find ourselves in these characters and incorporate those physical movements into the story, which has been a lot of fun,” Lenore said. The stage can be a stressful endeavor but this cast is pushing towards greatness.
self-discovery that’s a satisfying emotional arc. Grande’s defiance to hide her emotions and put on a facade is an empowering message. She speaks about being needy, emotional and grieving while being totally unapologetic about it all. In the titular track, Grande’s arc concludes where she runs through her past relationships and assesses how she grew from those experiences. She settles on understanding that her relationship with herself is not only the most important one, but has influenced her growth the most. “Thank You, Next” is flawed. The tracks sometimes blend together. With this latest work, Grande doesn’t help the accusations of cultural appropriation that have been levied against her. The production strips away some emotion. However, Grande’s writing and empowering message shine through it all.
Drag queen
“A positive aspect of this rehearsal process is how organically we, as actors, were able to find the movement of the story.” Miranda Lenore, drama student
“For me, a difficult part was trusting those impulses. I haven’t been on stage in almost three years,” Lenore said. Learning to trust her instincts mixed with a short rehearsal process took a toll on the process. “Any play has a message to share, but in this one our reality feels a little too close to home. I think there are a few hidden messages in this show that are really important, but for me the most important one is that technology should be taken with caution,” Lenore said. And what exactly has technology changed about modern society? “It changes the way people connect, and how many people are connected,” Lenore said. “It’s more pertinent than ever to recognize how meaningful each of our connections are.” Lenore finds Jean to be an interesting character to portray. “The closest similarity between us is how I will start myself down a path and think to myself, ‘Well, I wonder where this is going to take me?’” Lenore said. This trait is how she credits choosing history and theater as her majors. She hopes that her performance will inspire audiences. “I really hope that people take from this performance how much one decision can change you and how technology can influence the decisions you make,” Lenore said. Students are excited to watch the production. “ I don’t watch plays often but it sounds interesting I would watch if it seems good,” said Psychology major Tony Suarez.
The show is scheduled to play at the John & Jean Knox Performing Arts Center from March 8- 17, with shows at 7:30 p.m. and matinee at 3 p.m.
JOSE AREBALO / THE ADVOCATE
Drag Queen Nitrous Oxide performs a lip syncing routine during the start of the monthly drag show in Richmond at Kaleidoscope Coffee. His performance was electric within the intimate space.
sports WINLESS COMETS FALL TO FOLSOM LAKE 10
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM 2.27.2019 l WEDNESDAY l THE ADVOCATE
By Joel Umanzor sports editor
jumanzor.theadvocate@gmail.com
Better starting pitching proved not to be enough for the Comets (0-10 overall, 0-0 in the Bay Valley Conference) who dropped game two against Folsom Lake College 15-5 at the Baseball Field on Friday. But coach Brian Guinn said, “We’re still improving.” Progression is a day-to-day focus for the Comets heading into their final weekend of preseason games before BVC play begins next week. In the game Friday, the Comets sent starting pitcher Fred Sito to the mound against a Falcon team that had its way offensively in game one of the two-game series on Thursday, winning 19-1. Sito limited the Falcons (10-4 overall, 0-0 Big 8 Conference) to just two runs in the first two innings, while pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the second. However, his success on the mound was short-lived as the Falcons applied pressure to the Comet pitcher resulting in a déjà vu experience for the home team. The Comets pitching and defense traded mistakes in the third inning alternating errors and walks on successive batters. This culminated in a bases loaded walk giving the Falcons their third run of the game. The score sent the Comet defense into a rhythmic funk for the rest of their half of the inning. Contra Costa College will continue its pre-BVC campaign on Thursday against Fresno City College at 2 p.m. on the Baseball field. Left fielder Mychael Jamison said it has been a difficult transition for the Comets from only hitting in controlled environments to facing live pitching within in-game situations. Jamison, who drove in the CCC’s first run of the game, said the games they have played have been tough but they are helping the team to ready their bats heading into conference play. Jamison said, “We start conference play next week so getting our offense going is important with these last few games.” The Folsom Lake game was not without its theatrics with the Comets involved in a questionable call by the third base umpire in the ninth inning. The play, involving freshman third baseman Hadhari Wadley, was officially scored a double with an infield error thus making both runs unearned — but the call on the field was otherwise. After first baseman Ike Brown walked with two outs, Wadley ripped a line drive down the left field line that was lost by the Falcon outfielder along the fence. The Falcon left fielder continued to look for the ball that by rule forfeited the ground rule double thereby allowing both Brown and Wadley to score as he searched for the ball. Jamison said, “He needed to put his hands up and leave it
LEFT: Comet pitcher Karon Casey prepares to throw a pitch during Contra Costa College’s 19-1 loss against Folsom Lake College on Friday.
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for the umpire, but he didn’t hold them up for long enough and continued playing it which made the call easy.” Falcons coach Richard Gregory was irate at the call on the field and let the umpire crew have an earful. This all happened as Wadley scored what appeared to be an inside the park home run. Wadley said he wasn’t focused on the noise while he was
circling the bases and was locked in coming down the last 90 feet from third base to home plate. “I had no idea what else was going on, but as soon as I got the signal for me to go home, I went hard,” he said. The freshman infielder said that he wants the offense to use the runs scored in the second game of this series as a springboard for the beginning of the conference play.
team misses playoffs after push By Efrain Valdez sports editor
evaldez.theadvocate@gmail.com
PITTSBURG — Despite a crushing loss on Sophomore Night against Yuba College on Feb. 20, the men’s basketball team rebounded here on Friday to beat Los Medanos College 89-79. Going into Friday’s game, the Comets (13-15 overall and 9-7 in the Bay Valley Conference) were already eliminated from postseason play after Wednesday’s loss against the 49ers (24-4 overall and 15-1 in the BVC), but they rallied to get a positive result in the COMETS final game of the season. After maintaining a steady lead for the majority of the game, CCC could MUSTANGS not handle the Mustangs (18-10 overall and 11-5 in the BVC), who clawed back into the game and regained a 63-60 lead with 10 minutes left in the second half. “Our guys made shots,” CCC men’s basketball coach Miguel Johnson said. “It all goes back to their focus. It was probably because there was no pressure, unlike the game against Yuba when we were fighting for a playoff spot.”
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Shortly after LMC got the lead, the advantage was short-lived. Comet guard Evan Thompson hit a pair of huge 3-pointers that gave CCC a much-needed morale boost and a 66-63 lead. Following the scoring swing, CCC locked down on defense, punctuated by Comet guard Isiah Attles ridiculous shot rejection after LMC tried to capitalize on a Comet turnover. “Contra Costa played with a lot of energy and is a very well-coached team by Miguel Johnson,” LMC coach Derek Domenichelli said. “Their guards did a great job breaking our guards down and knocked down the shots they needed to,” Attles said as the team went into halftime they talked about how they wanted to send out the sophomores on a good note. “We are a very close team, so we came together and put in a good effort in the second half. We were able to hold it out and when it (the game) got close, we knocked down all of our shots,” he said. About five minutes into the second half it seemed as the Comets were going to give up the halftime lead. Falling into a lull has been a tendency for the Comets late in the season. In games against Yuba, LMC and College
“We’re always going to be the same team, whether we win or lose.” Miguel Johnson,
men’s basketball coach
of Marin earlier in BVC play, CCC could not take advantage of their halftime leads and ended up losing in each of those contests. “We’re always going to be the same team, whether we win or lose. It just depends on if we come with the focus to get the job done,” Johnson said. He said he believes it was hard for his young players at times during conference play, but he thinks the future is bright for his team. “We just need to get some (players) who have size (for next year), but it’s going to be hard to replace the shooting that we had this year and the solid play from Eric (Jones),” Johnson said. Moving forward During Wednesday’s game at home, the Comets struggled to keep up with the size, depth and energy from the state-ranked 49ers.
The game, which ended up being a 94-72 blowout in Yuba’s favor, saw the Comets overwhelmed on the boards and in the open court. Johnson said that his team was forced to play to its strengths, highlighted by excellent guard play. The regular contributions of Thompson, Jones and Attles were not enough to derail the 49er offense. “We had to play their game at times, but I’m happy that the team was able to bounce back (against LMC) after that tough game against Yuba,” Johnson said. CCC saw Jones score 33 points in that game, which was something that Yuba coach Doug Cornelius thought his team could have prevented. “We didn’t do a very good job on number one (Jones),” he said. “He went to the free throw line a lot. We have good post guys. There are not many teams in California that have two or three guys who are really good down in the post.” As the season comes to a close, the Comets will only lose three sophomores, but those three provided CCC with its signature high-flying offense this year. “It’s going to be hard to replace them (Attles, Jones and Thompson), but are happy with the young guys who will be coming back next year,” Johnson said.
SQUAD LOOKS TO RECRUIT, RESUSCITATE PROGRAM
By Luis Cortez advocate staff
lcortez.theadvocate.theadvocate@gmail.com
After two seasons without a softball team, the athletic department has made significant changes, primarily by hiring a new coach who is tasked with increasing team participation rates and campuswide interest in the sport. Newly appointed coach Taylor Harris brings a winning record with her to Contra Costa College having previously won North Coast Section (NCS) championships with Salesian High School and St. Mary’s College High School in Berkeley. Harris has her own ideas as to why participation rates in softball have been low at CCC. “It’s (the Comet softball program) an unknown for people,” Harris said. “I’m willing to teach new players.” She wants people to know that the softball team is a safe zone and a nurturing environment. Harris has already made time
to recruit students to the program. She hopes to build strong character in her players, install core values while teaching any willing parties. Ultimately, she wants to give her players a chance to succeed in life. “I was able to earn a scholarship in softball and I want to give back what I learned,” Harris said. “I would rather have a team full of people who don’t know how to play, but are willing to learn and work together, than a team full of individuals who don’t play together for the benefit of the team,” Harris said. CCC Athletic Director John Wade expects to have a team this semester. Wade credits students choosing academics over playing sports and wanting to get out of college more quickly for the low number of participants on past softball teams at CCC. “Life hinders participation,” Wade said. The balancing act of daily life affects the things we can focus on and may deter many
LEFT: Former Comet pitcher Hulita Latu pitches during the Comets’ 16-2 loss against Los Medanos College at the Softball Field in the first game of a doubleheader on March 14, 2017. ARCHIVE / THE ADVOCATE
people from believing they have the opportunity to play, he said. Former Comet pitcher Nancy Bernal blames the lack of equal number of coaches between male sports and female sports as a contributor to the low participation numbers. In Bernal’s three attempts to play softball for CCC, the team never completed a full season. Bernal said it was difficult to be a part of a program knowing not a lot of people knew about the team. Athletic trainer Nicole Oaks said the benefits of playing a competitive sport include the release of stress. It helps students build a
foundation and teaches team-building skills that are needed later in life. It’s also a good healthy way to spend time, she said. “Go out give it a try. Life is short,” she said. Sports can contribute to becoming a well-rounded person and you never know if you’re good if you don’t try.” Many people on campus believe reasons the softball team has not fielded a team reaches beyond low participation — primarily because the product hasn’t been good. In the 2016 season, which was the last season CCC had a softball team, they went 0-26 overall, 0-22 in the Bay Valley Conference.
sports
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comets fall to yuba late in game
Squad nearly beats 49ers, misses late opportunity to capture conference victory By Kyle Grant staff writer
kgrant.theadvocate@gmail.com
After trading baskets for much of what was a tight game, the women’s basketball team was unable to emerge victorious in a game marred by sloppy ball handling and late-game heroics by Yuba College. The Comets fell 64-57 Feb. 20 in the Gymnasium. Contra Costa College Coach Vince Shaw said, “We played a great game. We just couldn’t finish it in the end. We tried to get something going at the end there, but that last turnover was costly. But they played very well and for that I can’t get frustrated. It’s on to the next one.” CCC’s all-sophomore starting lineup received a standing ovation in their final home game before taking the court with hopes of reversing an early season loss to Yuba. The Comets were able to capitalize on Yuba’s inconsistent first quarter shooting, as the Comet front line dominated the defensive boards. The team was led by sophomore forwards Larissa Carvalho (21 points, 17 rebounds, 4 steals) and Keyauna Harrison. However, the team’s season-long Achilles heel, turnovers, plagued the Comets again. Mistakes allowed the 49ers to keep the game close with CCC, who nursed a one-point 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Inconsistent shooting kept the game close throughout the second quarter, as neither team was able to assert itself. Halfway through the period the game was tied at 16. Following a timeout, Yuba surprised the Comets by employing a full court press leaving CCC struggling to move the ball beyond half court. However, Yuba was unable to capitalize on a strategy that offered ample opportunities for success. A 3-pointer by Janelle Pansoy gave the Comets a shortlived lead, only to see Yuba respond immediately when 49er Nia Williams drained her own 3-point shot. Both teams played to a stalemate until three minutes before halftime when the Comets erupted into a 9-3 run. The streak was led by COMETS sophomore Victoria Lopez (14 points, eight rebounds, five assists) and two freshmen, Sicilly Sorrell and Jenna Husic. Their experience will offer a bit of stability next season. 49ERS “As far as next season goes, I’m exited to take the incoming freshman under my wing and help them adjust to the faster pace at this level,” Sorrell said. Yuba quickly responded, using a bucket from beyond the arc by guard Esme Quintana to cut into the Comets’ lead, and a steal by teammate Alexys Holder, who went the length of the court for a layup, to beat the buzzer. At halftime, the Comets led Yuba 28-26. Comet assistant coach Teri Williams was pleased with her team’s first half play. “We told them to keep that same intensity. They played well in the first half. They just need to finish and take care of the ball.” Yuba was able to wrestle the lead from CCC early in the second half, which saw the Comets down by a single point with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, a costly Comet turnover led to a 7-0 run by Yuba, as Jenna Wilson slipped into the passing lane for a steal
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Comet forward Larissa Carvalho goes up for a shot as she is contested by 49er Gloria Leon-Campos during Contra Costa College’s 64-57 loss to Yuba College on Feb. 20 in the Gymnasium.
and found her teammate, who drained a 3-pointer. In the blink of an eye, the Comets found themselves facing a 43-35 deficit. Shaw could be heard instructing his team to remain active on the boards, a statistic the Comets had dominated all game. Despite facing an eight-point deficit midway through the quarter, the Comets used a late surge in the quarter to close within two points. After trading baskets early in the fourth quarter, the Comets’ Kristyle King stole an errant Yuba pass and went the length of the floor to pull her team within a single point.
Yuba responded with a 3-pointer, to go up by four. Lopez drained consecutive jumpers for CCC from downtown, giving her team some momentum and a 2-point lead at 53-51. But with less than three minutes remaining and Shaw imploring his team to play smart, the Comets were unable to keep pace in the face of a full-court press. After missing an opportunity to take a four-point lead, Yuba’s pressure proved too much to overcome and forced the Comets into a costly turnover. It was a play from which they simply could not recover.
Coach guides, motivates players to succeed By Joel Umanzor sports editor
jumanzor.theadvocate@gmail.com
Basketball is a game of rhythm and movement that, with natural turns, takes those who are involved within its cadence to places they never thought imaginable. These movements also consist of off-court experiences which mirror in-game situations and lead toward a basketball centered life. It’s like giving up personal accolades for a collective goal — it all becomes sacrificing for the greater good. This is true of Comet women’s basketball coach Vincent Shaw who has finished his third season with the program and has found himself comfortably in a place where the sport has guided him. Shaw said his journey through the ranks of basketball came as naturally to him as the dance he was involved with as a young adult. “A lot of similarities between music and basketball, the footwork helped me as a player and I saw how the two mixed,” Shaw said. “My dance group and I were the opening act for MC Hammer.” That connection allowed his point guard mentality to translate to an off-the-court coaching style that Shaw has seen develop since he began his life on the sidelines. Shaw said, “They say that the point guard is the coach on the
DENIS PEREZ/ THE ADVOCATE
Contra Costa College women’s head coach Vince Shaw talks to Comet guard Janelle Pansoy during CCC’s 64-57 loss to Yuba College on Feb. 20 in the Gym. Shaw started his CCC career in 2016 and hopes to establish a program that benefits the community that seek it.
floor and I feel as if that gave me some good practice before coaching. “I feel like stepping into coaching was a natural transition for me beginning in 1996 when my coach asked me to contribute as an assistant.” Shaw, who was hired at CCC in 2016 to follow longtime coach Paul DeBolt, comes from a basketball background familiar to Contra Costa College.
The Fairfield native served on the men’s basketball coaching staff at Solano College and progressed through roles there and at Napa Valley College. After assuming head coaching duties of the women’s squad at Napa Valley, he amassed a 30-30 record during his tenure. Athletic Director John Wade said that the decision to bring Shaw aboard had to do with his in-conference understanding of
the program. He also lauded the coach’s basketball success throughout tournaments in which his teams at Napa Valley competed against the Comets. Wade said, “We were looking at hiring someone who had a basketball background and we knew about coach Shaw from his time at Napa Valley. His coaching stood out and his teams always competed and held their own.” Wade added, choosing a
successor for a long time coach such as DeBolt was difficult, and although the transition has been a tough assignment for Shaw, he has maneuvered through the circumstances making an impact on his players in the process. The players use coach Shaw’s influence both on and off the court. Guard Victoria Lopez said, “Coach Shaw has three key words for the game and life. It’s live it, speak it and accept it.” Owning your decisions is something that is a key description of coach Shaw’s time so far at CCC according to Lopez. He sees having a positive influence on his players as something that can define his tenure as Comet head coach. Lopez said, “The program hasn’t been the best, but believe me when I say coach Shaw is someone each and every one (on this team) can ask for help.” Shaw said, “Guiding these players through the little time they have here is something I hope to continue as part of the longstanding legacy of this program.” Shaw has seen that legacy firsthand. “I remember, specifically, DeBolt pulling me into his office after a game and seeing the walls around his office and thinking of what it would be like to be involved with this program. Having the opportunity now at this place it is something I appreciate,” Shaw said.
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spotlight
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CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF RELEVANCY Film continues to ring true, delivers powerful message By Kyle Grant staff writer
kgrant.theadvocate@gmail.com
Issues black Americans faced in 1989:
Police brutality: In 1989 the Miami riots sparked outrage that furthered national discourse about police brutality culminating with the 1992 L.A. riots. Gentrification: Surprisingly, between 1989 and 2002 displacement only accounted for 6 percent of all arrivals to New York city. Hate crimes: The Hate Crimes Statistics Act is reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Environmental inequality: Carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning reach 6 billion tons per year with little warning. Glass ceiling: Upward mobility rates stagnated after sustained increases in prior years.
For those of us who are too young to remember the Rodney King verdict and the L.A. riots that followed afterward in the spring of 1992, those events left an indelible mark on our collective social conscience, reverberating to this day. For some of us, we can think back to just three years prior to that and the release of the film “Do the Right Thing.” This early Spike Lee production celebrates its 30-year anniversary this year and what time is better than the present to re-visit one of his most influential films — especially on the heels of his Oscarnominated film “BlackKKlansman.” “Do the Right Thing” follows the lives of a myriad of characters from various walks of life, all of whom live and work within New York’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, better known as Bed-Stuy. It all takes place during one of the hottest summers on record in 1989. Spik Bed-Stuy is largely inhabited by African Americans, rect e Lee w with a sprinkling of other minorities (Latinos, ed a ro Vietnamese, Puerto Ricans and Italians). “ D o T nd pr te, di“Do the Right Thing” documents in 1 he Ri oduc what, for many of those residents, is ght 989 ed a seemingly “normal” day in l T . a h T t their lives. er in h ogn , the fi irty ye g” Main character a i l Mookie (Lee) ben zed as m is re rs navigates through c race hmark a cinem chis day, interacting de at with his boss, Sal (Danny and soc pictin ic Aiello) and his two sons at ial c g their family-owned pizzeria in onfl the middle of the neighborhood. ict. The contrast in attitudes between blacks and whites is striking, but not surprising for that time, and similar to what we see today. Lee magically intertwines threads still prevalent in the American zeitgeist by tackling race, gentrification and the influence of climate within a community. What we might view in the 21st century as a culturally rich neighborhood, the Bed-Stuy mix of African American and Puerto Rican adolescents in the film reflects an environment where both groups simply “put up” with each other. There are subtle hints of racism at the beginning of the movie and viewers are forced to come face-to-face with it when the characters break the fourth wall and begin to insult the viewer with nonstop racial slurs. However, as these equally offensive outbursts are shown through the lens of each character, each person’s cultural perspective is just a little different. In the film, Radio Raheem, one of the locals who is well-known for carrying around his boom-box, is involved in a violent altercation with Sal late one evening. When the police do arrive, Radio Raheem is Lee placed in a chokehold by officers and is killed as a result. This is an incident that has been played out seemingly year-after-year and it appears that we, as a society, are none the wiser. The all too fragile rift between the black community in Bed-Stuy and the police assigned to protect them only widens following the Police brutality: There have death of Radio Raheem. been police shootings on 28 In the film, Bed-Stuy serves as a microcosm for America, past and present. out of 56 days this year. The fighting and rioting at the end of the “Do the Right Thing” Gentrification: Between is a scene that was played out in this country prior to the making of the movie in the Watts Riots of 1965 and The Long Hot Summer of 2007 and 2012 black-owned 1967 (the Detroit Riots), and afterward in the aforementioned Los business ownership deAngeles Riots following the Rodney King verdict in 1992. Thirty years after “Do the Right Thing,” Americans are creased 31 percent in left with the same unsettling vibe and question that left New York. movie-goers in 1989 to wonder, “Is there a legitimate way of removing racism from America in 2019?” Hate crimes: The NYPD “Do the Right Thing” mirrors real life in many ways, reported a 6 percent just as it did when it premiered in 1989. The movie explains the black experience in a way that most other films of that time either hike in hate-related inciwere afraid to do or, for the most part, were simply unable to. dents in the past year, lifting As an African-American, Spike Lee saw some of that racism first hand, so the film largely allowed him to bring the black experience the total to 352. to the big screen. The film told a true-to-life story from the perEnvironmental spective of the people who lived and grew up in that environment. Anyone who saw Spike Lee’s movie in the late 1980s and early inequality: Climate 1990s, or lived through the Los Angeles riots of 1992, has vivid events, like the polar memories of a city in chaos and burning to the ground. One had to wonder, “How did this happen?” vortex, indiscrimiMoreover, how eerie are the similarities between the death of nately displace people Radio Raheem and Eric Garner, who died at the hands of New York City Police officers from a chokehold in July 2014? with financial inseWatching the movie inspires hope that there is way to stop the curities. Glass ceiling: Black madness, or in this case, the violence, rage, anger and racism. The Bed-Stuy neighborhood back in the late 1980s is also a people statistically have less reflection of the state of many of the nation’s communities today — upward mobility than their somewhat run down and ignored by the rest of the city. Minorities and people of color are faced with living in poverty white counterparts while and receive little to no help from those who are charged with the task contributing to an expanding of protecting them, the police. Where do we go from here? Only time will tell how the history of economy. racism will play out. That was likely a common afterthought following the debut of “Do the Right Thing.”
Issues black Americans face in 2019: