WEDNESDAY 9.25.19 OUR 70TH YEAR CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE SAN PABLO, CALIF.
Dire consequences inspire global movement
AN INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE WILL NOT ONLY HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SEA LEVELS, IT WILL ALSO GREATLY DECREASE THE POPULATION OF PLANTS AND CROPS.
Grand strike organizes youth led protests By Denis Perez creative director
dperez.theadvocate@gmail.com
Young activists’ call for education and legislation promoting climate justice was expressed through international protest united behind a common mission to energize the uninspired. On Friday, thousands of people participated in the Global Climate Strike. A seven-day international climate change protest led by youth began through myriads of marches and rallies around the world. One movement that builds locally on what began last week is the Sept. 27 protest at 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road — the Chevron Refinery headquarters in San Ramon. “Climate change is an issue that affects low income communities,” Contra Costa Community College District Student Trustee Luitel Shreejal said. Contra Costa College serves people of color who struggle financially and it is up to the administration to advance the conversation of climate change, he said. “Instead of following a course lecture, teachers should be more practical and get students to get involved in (climate justice) movements,” he said. Because of fire and drought, Contra Costa College and the district should push harder for climate justice, Shreejal said. More frequently, students have been taking the lead facilitating local climate-related actions. Failing to recognize the urgency of this issue shows the disconnect between the student’s reality and administra-
60 PERCENT OF WILD COFFEE SPECIES AND CROPS ARE BEING THREATENED DUE TO CURRENT CLIMATE CONDITIONS.
ANTARCTICA’S ICE SHEETS ARE MELTING SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE, ENDANGERING PENGUINS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
INFOGRAPHIC BY DENIS PEREZ, ROB CLINTON, JANET LIRA / THE ADVOCATE SOURCH: THE NATIONAL DATA ICE CENTER
In 2099, North and South America will be nearly 10 degrees warmer than current national averages measured from 19852005. According to the National Data Ice Center, roughly 9 degrees separated conditions in the modern world from the last Ice Age. DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Around 30,000 people, mostly youth, marched through Downtown San Francisco to protest for climate justice legislation as part of the Global Climate Strike on Friday.
tive priorities. “In the future, human life will not be as sustainable as it is right now and resources will become scarce,” Shreejal said. “That will mean prices for water and food will go up and the ones that will be able to afford resources will be higher class people. “We have to take action now,” he said. In the Bay Area, around 30,000 peo-
ple marched from the San Francisco Federal Building to Embarcadero Plaza. Along the way, marchers stopped to chant near different buildings like the Bank of America Financial Building and the PG&E building, along the way. Thousands carried signs and the long line of protesters chanted various chants simultaneously throughout the line of SEE CLIMATE, PAGE 3
CO-CAPTAIN RELIGIOUS LOOKS TO SPEECH INSPIRE TEAM PROTESTED
‘NORTH POLE’ AIRS SECOND SEASON
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ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE, OVERALL, THE NUMBER OF DAILY COLD RECORDS SET IN THE U.S. HAS BEEN DWARFED BY THE NUMBER OF WARM OR HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS. IN FACT, HIGH RECORDS OVER THE LAST DECADE ARE OUTPACING LOWS AT A RECORD OF TWO-TOONE.
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Projections for the continent of Africa remain dire nearing the turn of the century. Projections show areas above the equator increasing by 9 degrees and below by 10 degrees. Questionable infrastructure, laxed environmental regulations and government corruption will contribute to the problems the continent faces regarding the scarcity and allocations of resources. According to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, much of Africa already exists at the threshold of temperature and moisture continent for crops.
TWITTER: @accentadvocate
According to the Climate Impact Lab, East Asia and Australia will experience temperature increases. A projected increase of 5 degrees and 6 degrees respectively in 2099 compared with average temperatures measured between 19862005. The National Institute of Health suggests residents of East Asia prepare for increased food insecurities. YOUTUBE: /accentadvocate
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Quotable “Writing is the pie crust; facts, the pie.”
MEASURED RESPONSE
Cindy Pantoja editor-in-chief Robert Clinton associate editor
Administrative statement eases collective tension
Xavier Johnson web editor
Daniel Hernandez social media editor Luis Cortes sports editor Jose Arebalo news editor Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Fatima Carrasco Stacie Guevara Janet Lira Gonzalez Wanda Gonzalez Jojuan Johnson Luis Lopez Jose Rivera De’Jon Sylvain Staff photographers Mary Barnes Denis Perez Janice Spraggins 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 2019 Member
Associated Collegiate Press
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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.
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EDITORIAL
Michael G. Gartner former editor and broadcast news executive 2001
Denis Perez creative director
opinion
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2019 VOL. 109, NO. 3
WWW.CCCADVOCATE.COM
T
he first day of fall not only ushered in a change of season at Contra Costa College, it also brought with it an attempt to challenge the boundaries of free speech in public spaces. Shortly before noon in Campus Center Plaza, a religious fundamentalist equipped with an offensive sign and portable public address system, condemned members of the campus community to hell for being abominations in the eyes of his God. His sentiment was widely rejected. In what seemed to be a further disruption to CCC programs, which offer students platforms for free expression, a cherry bomb was ignited in a trash can outside the speech and journalism department labs prompting the evacuation of the Applied Arts Building with smoke and emergency flashing lights. Following the public disruptions, acting president Mojdeh Mehdizadeh released a statement via email reaffirming the campus’ mission of inclusivity while outlining the Contra Costa Community College District policy of inclusivity as defined by Student Services procedure 3025 — Freedom of Expression. A portion of Mehdizadeh’s email reads, “Earlier today, an individual who is not affiliated with our campus took to the plaza to share views that are not reflective of our community’s values. “Incidents such as these bring into sharp focus the critical, but often challenging importance of balancing a safe, inclusive environment for all students and employees.” The email also listed on-campus resources where affected students can receive support or counseling. Despite being less threatening and less significant than the two racist threats directed at African American students at sister college Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill earlier this year, Mehdizadeh’s response offered outlets for support and praised students and administrators who stood unwavering in the face of outside intolerance. In contrast, the initial response to the racist graffiti at DVC by its President Susan Lamb only condemned the incident and offered a promise to prosecute the offender to the fullest extent of the law. Prosecution never came. In fact, the DVC perpetrator in the first incident escaped prosecution (because he had no criminal record) and because he offered an apology to the school — according to the San Jose Mercury News. No apology was given the students who were targeted. Because of the volatile social and political climate currently defining the U.S., it is important that administrators go beyond simply repudiating hate aimed toward students. It requires empathy, not something voiced through statements — it’s delivered through actions. Silence has been the defining statement from district administrators about the burgeoning race problem, so campus administrators must do what is best for their own students. Effective marching orders don’t come from Martinez regarding racial issues. The difference in the initial statements by Dr. Lamb and Mehdizadeh are undeniable and paint a vivid picture of the different administrative approaches to hate speech at sister colleges fewer than 30 miles apart.
JANET LIRA / THE ADVOCATE
■ RACE
Shootings highlight national epidemic W hite supremacy is a huge problem not only in the United States, but all over the world. When taking a look at many of the recent terrorist attacks in the U.S., an alarming trend shows many of them were executed by white supremacists. — Charleston, North Carolina, nine killed and one injured by white male. — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 11 killed and seven injured by white male. — Poway, California, one killed and three injured by white male. — Gilroy, California, three killed and 17 injured by white male. — Dayton, Ohio, 10 killed and 27 injured by white male. — El Paso, Texas, 22 killed and 24 injured by white male. White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to all races and that they should be able to dominate society as a Godgiven right. Either through ideology or affiliation, most of these shooters were connected to white supremacy in one way or another. Dylann Roof, the Charleston shooter, shared racial hatred through a web-posted manifesto before he shot and killed nine African Americans in a church. Roof even continued to advocate for white supremacy and racial hatred through a journal he wrote while in jail.
wandagonzalez
new, and it is most definitely not something that should be ignored. There are those who choose to ignore the obvious and more outrageously, there are those who deny it completely. Tucker Carlson, Fox News’ prime time host, recently said that white supremacy is a hoax and little more than “a conspiracy theory used to divide the country.” He said this only three days after a white supremacist shot and killed 22 people in El Paso and after the shooter admitted to purposely targeting Latinos because of anti-immigration ideology. Not only was Carlson’s statement extremely idiotic, but it was also insensitive to victim’s families and those affected by mass shootings. Just imagine being told white supremacy isn’t even a real thing right after a white supremacist kills one of your family members. It’s a disgrace for anyone to believe that they have to kill innocent people just because they look different, follow a different faith, or speak a language other than English. Of course, there will be times when we won’t agree with someone, but to act on those feelings in a violent and malicious way is unacceptable.
Robert Bowers, the Pittsburgh shooter, posted his antisemitic views on social media and Gab, a website visited by white nationalists. Bowers also wrote about his opposing views on the alleged White “migrant caravan” suprem- that was coming to acy is invade the southa huge U.S. ern border. Patrick problem Crusius, not only in the El Paso shootthe United er, was anti-imStates, migration and even but all admitted targeting over the to Mexican and world. people Santino Legan, the Gilroy shooter, posted a white supremacist manifesto on Instagram right before the shooting. After hearing about all of these horrific acts of violence through news outlets and social media, to say that white supremacy is Wanda Gonzalez is a not a problem is to ignore staff writer at The Advocate. Contact her at wgonzalez. the facts. theadvocate@gmail.com. This is not something
CAMPUS COMMENT
Should the religious fundamentalist preacher have been allowed to demonstrate on campus?
“I don’t feel it’s OK to
tell people that they are sinners and that they are going to hell.” Taelur Featherstone art
“I feel like he should
have done it somewhere else because this is a place where people come to get an education.” Martee Nhothkhamdy
JOSE AREVALO/ THE ADVOCATE
criminal justice
“I don’t think it’s
“At the end of the day
“Personally, I do not
“I just want students
Victoria Zaragoza
Emanuel Argueta
Adrien Ferrales
Lucille Beatty
wrong, but when you do it to incite anger from other people, I think that’s a problem.” undecided
this is the word of God. But to go the way about it the way he is, it is not OK.” undecided
agree with this. I’m trans. I mean, man, I’m kind of shaking because I’m so angry.” music
to know that Contra Costa College and its faculty don’t stand with his message.” automotive department chairperson See “Students confront hate speech,” page 4
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NEWSLINE
LEFT: A young activist chants during a speech by the Earth Guardians of the East Bay organization during a climate justice rally at the Embarcadero Plaza on Friday.
SUCCESS
LEARN HOW TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE Get valuable information on how to have a proactive college experience during the How to e a Successful CCC Student workshop on Thursday in Fireside Hall from 3-4 p.m. Students will be able to learn how to be successful in achieving their dreams and exchange ideas for improving their skills as a student. For more information about the event, visit the financial assistance counter in the Student Services Center or call 510-215-6026
WORKSHOP
LIBRARY TO HOST COMPUTER SEMINAR The Contra Costa College Library will be introducing a Microsoft PowerPoint workshop in the Learning Resource Center on Monday at 2 p.m. The workshop will cover quick tips on how to use bullet or numbered lists, insert images and YouTube videos. For more information about the workshop, call the CCC Library reference desk at 510-215-4897.
RESOURCES
FINANCIAL AID PLANS COMET CASH DAY
PHOTO BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
CLIMATE | Youth driven protests ignite movement Continued from Page marchers. Some signs read, “I am studying for a future that is currently being destroyed” and “You will die of old age, I will die of climate change.” And protesters chanted sayings like ‘Stop denying our planet is dying” and “Climate justice is migrant justice, migrant justice is climate justice.” Elementary- to college-age students ditched classes to attend the rally. Eighteen-year-old Redwood City resident Dulce C. Arias spoke at the Embarcadero Plaza during the rally.
“I am here because there are hurricanes, forest fires and droughts. Things are only going to get worse,” Arias said. Arias is undocumented and can’t vote, but she can vote with her voice, she said. She hopes that her activism can inspire others to promote laws that support clean air and anti-pollution policies. “I am here to let you know there is hope and that we will deny silence.” The mission of the young activist is to educate the public about climate issues, especially calling on the California
State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) to divest $6 billion from fossil fuel investment. Co-founder of the Earth Guardians crew of the Bay Area, Rio M. said, “They are trying to silence us, but they will not.” Rio and the other young activists from his organization extended a banner with the website fossilfreeca.org/petition and urged the crowd at the Embarcadero Plaza to share a photo of it with as many people as possible. “We want to show them we are watching,” Rio said.
Around 30,000 people marched in San Francisco as part of an international protest over climate justice on Friday.
LEFT: San Pablo City Council member Abel Pineda (left) and Richmond City Council member Demnlus Johnson talk about their experience as council members during the Constitution Day event held Sept. 17 in Fireside Hall.
The Financial Aid Office is scheduled to host Comet Cash Day in the College Center (between the SA Building and Fireside Hall) on Oct. 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to receive beneficial information about financial aid. The outdoor event and resource event will offer food, music and games. For more information about the event, visit the financial assistance counter in the Student Services Center or call 510-215-6026
STEM
GROWTH, LEARNING SEMINAR SET The STEM Cafe will be hosted by STEM ambassador Cat Bobino, who has a master’s degree in biology. The workshop will be held Oct. 4 from 2-3 p.m. at GE-225. Cat Bobino will be sharing her knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math. Students will be able to learn from her experience on various television stations and special programs, in the community, and throughout many speaking engagements. For more information visit PS-109 or call 510-215-4815
CAREER
SKILLS WORKSHOPS COMING TO CAMPUS University workshops will be held in the Career/Transfer Center in SA-227. A UC Personal Insight Questions Workshop will take place on Thursday from 1-2 p.m., while a UC Application Workshop will be held on Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. A CSU Application Workshop will also take place on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m.
CRIMEWATCH Monday, Sept. 16 A grand theft was reported on the west side of The Bus Transfer Center at 7:38 p.m. No further details were given.
CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
COMMUNITY ICON CELEBRATED
By Cindy Pantoja editor-in-chief
cpantoja.theadvocate@gmail.com
This year’s Constitution Day event was hosted by the Community Organizing and Political Action (COPA) club and the political science department in celebration of the life and legacy of former San Pablo mayor and Contra Costa College political science professor Leonard McNeil. McNeil died on April 14 of this year after battling cancer. Constitution Day is mandated by Title IV funds and is an event that takes place at colleges across the nation. Nearly 100 students gathered at 3 p.m. in Fireside Hall to interact with a panel of four local role models and agents who work to better the lives of communities in West Contra Costa County. Political science
department Chairperson Vanna Gonzales said COPA wanted to pay tribute to professor McNeil by inviting young local City Council members to inspire students to get involved in social issues. “Constitution Day was just an opportunity to raise awareness about politics at all three levels of government — national, state and local,” Gonzales said. Author Jake Sloan, San Pablo City Council member Abel Pineda, Richmond City Council member Demnlus Johnson and Executive Director of the RISE Center Kimberly Aceves-Iñiguez took turns talking about community projects and their connection with McNeil. Sloan led the conversation by saying that McNeil was an activist who served as a mayor and was committed to social justice. “Leonard (McNeil) and I always had the intention to give back to the com-
munity,” he said. Iñiguez said young people organized because adults in the community sat back and allowed a persistent atmosphere of violence in the community to continue. “Youth from the Richmond community are usually considered deficits not assets. That is the reason the RISE Center recognized their creativity and their power and need to be heard,” she said. Pineda was born and raised in San Pablo and said he plans to continue McNeil’s legacy by representing minorities on the City Council. “McNeil encouraged me to go to college, get a higher education and then go back to the city of San Pablo to help the community,” he said. Demnlus encouraged the audience to begin activism by joining small committees in their own neighborhoods.
“I had the pleasure to meet Mr. McNeil in a committee meeting and he was eager to get involved. He was instrumental in my career because he inspired me to join the City Council,” he said. The event was catered by CCC culinary department, ensuring that guests were able to enjoy a variety of appetizers, such as tomato bruschetta, chicken wings and fruit. In the second part of the event, students were able to have a group conversation with the panelists and have their questions answered. Gonzales said, “Activism doesn’t just wait for someone to come and tell you to do certain things. People must chase down the information and the tools they need.” During the event, Dr. Carmen McNeil announced the addition of a new scholarship to the Contra Costa College
Foundation in honor of her father. “The McNeil family is really pleased that we now have the Leonard McNeil Social Activism Scholarship. It is a $1,000 grant for a current CCC student,” she said. COPA Vice President Alfredo Angulo said organizing the event took a month of hard work, which paid off when students filled Fireside Hall to capacity. “At one point, we didn’t even have enough space to pull out more chairs for all the people who had shown up,” Angulo said. “I’m so proud of how the event turned out and the effort that the new members of COPA put into making this a success.” The event concluded with an open invitation by COPA President Elishes Cavness to join the club and to keep participating in future events.
explosion forces evacuation By Denis Perez creative director
dperez.theadvocate@gmail.com
— 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.
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A firecracker exploded in a trash can outside AA-216, setting off a fire alarm and prompting the evacuation of classes in the building at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. A loud bang was heard
in the south area of the Applied Arts Building, and smoke filled the hallway by the second floor balcony of the structure. The building was evacuated and district Police Services searched the area for any other fireworks or explosives. San Pablo Police
Department officers were also dispatched to the scene, but were called off after the building was cleared by Police Services. There were no injuries and Police Services has no possible suspect in the event, according to Lt. Thomas Holt.
CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
A firecracker exploded in a trash can outside AA-216 on Monday.
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STUDENTS CONFRONT HATE SPEECH By Denis Perez
creative director
dperez.theadvocate@gmail.com
DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
A religious demonstrator (left) who refused to give his name argues with students in the Campus Center Plaza Monday. RIGHT: Students surround a lone fundamentalist Christian demonstrator in Campus Center Plaza on Monday.
MARY BARNES / THE ADVOCATE
As students filed into Campus Center Plaza Monday morning after early classes, they were greeted by a lone demonstrator expressing hate toward students from backgrounds he deems unacceptable. Christianity, weaponized by a religious outsider armed with a mobile public address system, incited a war-of-words with students and faculty. A man, who only identified himself as “Preacher of God” from a Baptist church organization, arrived on campus with a sign that read there would be eternal damnation for, among others, loud women, pot smokers, LGBTQ+ people and sport nuts. Nick Nian, who has yet to decide a major, was among the dozens of students who confronted the religious speaker. “Because I said to him that the Bible was re-written, he called me Satan,” Nian said. Nian said the theology the man was spewing is not the word of God, but instead it is sexist, racist and hateful. There is a way to reach people, but the way this speaker did it turns people off to religion. “His purpose might have been to preach love, but all he brought was hate,” Nian said. And like the other students, Nian worries that the rhetoric spread by the Christian demonstrator will fuel hateful acts against the LGBTQ+ community and other minorities. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has categorized some Baptist Christian denominations as hate groups because of their anti-LGBTQ+ speech. One preacher, Steven Anderson of Temple, Arizona, has even gone viral after celebrating the June 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre and calling for the execution of LGBTQ+ people, according to the SPLC. Automotive department Chairperson Lucile Beatty directly protested the speaker’s rhetoric in the plaza. Beatty, who holds a master’s degree in religious leaders in social change from Starr King School for the Ministry, tried to drown out the speaker with a bullhorn and chants. “Contra Costa College is a safe zone,”
Beatty chanted. She said she saw the need to support the students who were there because the speaker’s theology was unsound, and also because students should know that there are faculty who have their backs. “It is important to stand united against hate,” Beatty said. Police Services officers were on scene in case any confrontations got physical, Lt. Thomas Holt said. The speaker is legally allowed to be at CCC Beatty and legally allowed to talk about religion on the campus despite church and state separation, Lt. Holt said. Art major Taelur Featherstone felt frustrated because the campus police were not able to escort the speaker from the campus. “I feel unsafe,” Featherstone said. The religious demonstrator was accompanied by a female videographer who recorded interactions between him and the students. Featherstone and other students felt uneasy about the woman shooting video and stood in front of her camera to block her view. She said the woman pushed her. She told Police Services, but Holt said the woman claimed she was the one being pushed, not the student. Featherstone, feeling unheard, called the San Pablo Police Department to see if they could help get the speaker and the woman recording off the campus. While on the phone, SPPD referred her to Police Services and Lt. Holt — who was standing in front of her. “I feel angry because the campus police were laughing at me for feeling unsafe,” Featherstone said. The art student wished there was something that could have been done to keep the peace. However, with the religious demonstrator allowed to stay as long as he wanted, there would be arguments, she said. CCC is one of the many college campuses the speaker claims to have visited. “CCC is on the list,” he said.
EOPS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
By De’Jon Sylvain staff writer
dsylvain.theadvocate@gmail.com
Needing a helping hand is commonplace, however, maintaining consistent support over a period of decades is something few systems exist long enough to recognize. The Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) 50th anniversary recognized and celebrated the program’s role in helping students achieve academic success. Students, faculty and staff assembled in Fireside Hall Sept. 12 and enjoyed ice cream sundaes and music in celebration of the EOPS milestone. Academic-Student Services Manager George Mills highlighted the sense of brotherhood and moving forward, which could be felt by celebration attendees.
“The event was a way for us to break bread with one another and to be supportive of each other,” he said. EOPS counselor Jeanette McClendon said the event signifies how faculty and staff care about the students at CCC and how they embrace student success. “The 50th anniversary was our tribute to the legacy, generosity and joy that EOPS is and brings to every institution and to our students,” she said. The program stemmed from an era of hardship that helped ensure students with economic disadvantages received access to services and programs. “EOPS is a state-funded program that originated in 1969 and stemmed from the Civil Rights Movement,” McClendon said. “It helps students who are academically or
economically disadvantaged obtain a certificate, degree or transfer.” EOPS provides direction and academic support for low-income and first generation students seeking higher education. “We are here to help students reach their academic goals by providing comprehensive support and services,” McClendon said. The services help students acquire access to counseling, supplies and textbooks. It also assists with priority registration, transfer scholarships, useful workshops and helps with paying for things like parking permits, bus passes, school supplies and transfer applications. According to program statistics, over 140 students received associate degrees and certificates of completion/achievement during the last academic year and EOPS plans to
help that number grow. As part of its success strategy, EOPS incorporates different workshops and programs such as the summer academy that allows students to visit local landmarks, museums and other universities. There are requirements students must meet to qualify for EOPS assistance. CCC students who are interested in the EOPS program must be enrolled in at least 12 units and apply for the California Promise Grant fee waiver. They must also complete and submit an EOPS application. Students who need help, or have additional questions regarding EOPS, can find information in the EOPS/CARE + CalWORKs Office located in the Student Services Center.
ONLINE LEARNING EXPANDS OUTREACH
Program offers path to higher education By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
The ongoing efforts to boost the Contra Costa Community College District’s effectiveness in its use of online education continues this semester as online courses grow in number and professors are trained to teach students online. Distance education, according to Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, is instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by time and/or distance and interact through the assistance of technology. Distance education includes full and hybrid online courses offered at Contra Costa College and throughout the district. Online instruction takes place through the learning management system Canvas. To support the growth of the district’s distance education initiatives, the CCC Distance Education Committee and the district’s District Distance Education Council (DDEC) work to improve student and professor experience. Philosophy and humanities department Chairperson Michael Kilivris serves as CCC’s distance learning coordinator. He
ILLUSTRATION BY JANET LIRA / THE ADVOCATE
said this year, the college will be focusing on improving the quality of online classes and reducing the equity gap among online students. “The funding from the CVC-OEI Improving Online CTE Pathways Grant will help us provide more robust support and resources for all DE faculty and students at CCC,” he said. The California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI) Improving Online CTE Pathways grant provides funds to improve online programs with grants from a thousand to tens of thousands of dollars to be implemented in a one-year time frame. The grant will help support the program at CCC, in addition to the already allocated distance education budget. Online education has value for students to get a certificate or degree while maintaining a flexible work or family schedule. While it does have its benefits, Kilivris said these students will still need support because succeeding in an online course takes its own set of skills. Diablo Valley College English professor Anne Kingsley said distance education programs aim to provide support and fight the notion that online classes are “learning in
n “Students might be on
their phone, working a night shift and reading on a Kindle while they are on break.” — Anne Kingsley, English professor
your pajamas.” “(Students) might be on their phone, working a night shift and reading on a Kindle while they are on break,” Kingsley said. “They are checking into their class between their in-person classes because they are attending school both in-person and online.” Adapting to students’ educational needs is a main goal of the DDEC — helping to develop support structures for students. Kilivris said a disadvantage of distance education can be that students may not be fully prepared for online learning and success. Providing support for professors is also crucial to the success of distance education programs. Kingsley said one of the main successes of the DDEC was setting up a training program for instructors teaching online courses.
She said due to the rapidly evolving landscape of online education, it can become difficult for instructors to keep up with best practices and new technology. Sustaining that balance is the goal of the training course. “The biggest success in the past year of DDEC has been building an online training program for online instructors. In a 4-week class (fully online), instructors learn best practices in online teaching and how to use Canvas tools to facilitate strong pedagogy in distance ed,” Kingsley said. Drama department Chairperson CarlosManuel Chavarria said online education has several significant differences that cause him to adjust his teaching style and time management. Due to the lack of regular face-to-face time, student-teacher interactions happen at irregular intervals through email, which changes the typical flow of communication. “In class lectures, students usually talk to me all the time before or after class. Online, students are always trying to communicate with emails 24/7.” “There is a clear distinction and understanding about communication. In the classroom, students seem to limit themselves to class time and office hours, but online students just shoot emails at all times,” Chavarria said.
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Students gathered in the Student Lounge to share ice cream sandwiches and Mexican paletas during the Bienvenida Ice Cream Social event
PHOTO BY CINDY PANTOJA / THE ADVOCATE
La Raza promotes club with ice cream social By Stacie Guevara staff writer
sguevara.theadvocate@gmail.com
Student Lounge event invites students to join Latinx network
Ice cream sandwiches and Mexican paletas were offered at the La Raza Student Union’s “Bienvenida Ice Cream Social,” inviting CCC students to join the La Raza Student Union (LRSU), where Latinx students can find a safe haven on campus. The event was held Thursday from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in SA-120, the Student Lounge, and was hosted by the LRSU and its adviser, Dr. Agustín Palacios. “The La Raza Student Union tries to bring Latino culture, traditions and issues that affect Latinos to the CCC campus,” LRSU Vice President Alfredo Angulo said. A variety of other La Raza studies and CCC faculty attended the event, such as La Raza studies professor Angela Villafane, English department Chairperson Elvia Ornelas-Garcia, La Raza studies professor Maya Chinchilla, Natural and Applied Sciences Research Analyst Vanessa Mercado and Institutional Effectiveness and Equity Dean Mayra Padilla. LRSU President Ricardo Sanchez said the club is working to create a DREAMer center on campus to inform
n “The La Raza Student
Union tries to bring Latino culture, traditions and issues that affect Latinos to the CCC campus” — Alfredo Angulo, La Raza Student Union vice president
undocumented students about how to apply for college and continue their educations. “When (President) Trump was elected, there was a lot of fear in our community,” he said. Due to the current political climate in the U.S., many Latinx people did not believe that they could go to college or have a chance. Many continue to live in fear of being deported or other experience complications due to their citizenship status. “We tackle issues in the Latino community and try to see what we can do about it,” Angulo said, “Our club is about learning our history and planning for the future.” When the LRSU came together orig-
inally in the 1960s, it helped formed the La Raza studies department at CCC and has been going strong ever since. The LRSU frequently hosts events to help Latinx and DACA students. Sanchez said they held a free immigration workshop on campus recently where they partnered up with immigration lawyers in the Bay Area and had them come in to help Latinx students at CCC. They also had a DACA info night where they collaborated with Puente to relay information to the community about CCC’s Latinx campus resources. The Bienvenida Ice Cream Social was held to introduce the club to students and encourage them to join the club. The event intrigued students and gained their attention. Mechanical engineering major Lysette Zaragoza said, “I want to join the La Raza Student Union and I’m interested in it — but I don’t have a lot of time to be able to join and go to meetings.” Sanchez said that in hosting events for immigration, he wants to make sure that immigration is not only a Latinx issue, but a world issue for anyone coming to the U.S.
Besides the majority of attendees being Latinx, there was also a handful of people of other races. “I wanted to come support the students, to meet people and be a part of all this great energy,” Natural, Social and Applied Sciences Dean Ameer Thompson said. The LRSU also held a week for undocumented students here at CCC where events were scheduled every day, and they continue to work on institutionalizing the LRSU as a large and present force at CCC. Political science major Angulo has been in the LRSU, the Associated Student Union (ASU) and the Community Organization of Political Action (COPA) since the spring 2019 semester and is vice president of all three organizations. Angulo wants to help the community and students of CCC and he said that COPA is planning to create an event where artists and community organizers can come out to campus to sell their art. The LRSU meets Thursdays in SA-106 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and students are welcome to join the club at any time throughout the semester.
TRUSTEE EMBODIES LEADERSHIP, DETERMINATION By Dan Hernandez staff writer
dhernandez.theadvocate@gmail.com
A well-recognized face on campus is Shreejal Luitel. He is a professionally presented student with a firm grip to his handshake and cannot be caught without a pair of headphones around his neck. His voice can be heard from afar and his impacts are distinguishable. At 17 years old, Luitel is currently a Middle College High School senior who is aiming his studies toward computer sciences and business. He is captain of the Contra Costa College speech team and co-chief executive officer of richmondCodes. The latest addition to his profile is becoming student trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District where he represents 52,000 students from all three colleges on the Governing Board. He is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. According to Luitel, the pivotal moment in his life was an introduction to technology. “The first time I held a cellphone was when I was 6 years old,” he said His father bought a phone to make a call to his grandmother that was six hours away from their home in Kathmandu. “I found it extraordinary,” Luitel said. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 2009, right at the peak of the recession. His parents had to work minimum wage jobs for extended hours to support themselves and their family. “I was frightened that I couldn’t
n “I wanted to be able to do well in my academics, but that was a limitation.”
—Shreejal Luitel, District Governing Board student trustee
speak any English. In third grade I was very fortunate to have a teacher like (Philip) Casanares who was able to teach me,” he said. He gives credit to Casanares for being crucial to his growth and development. At Bayview Elementary, Casanares would give Luitel books on astrophysics and astronomy, which fascinated him and sprouted his interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM). Luitel sought a challenge coming to MCHS. Graduating from high school with a diploma and an associate degree would make him the first in his family to attend college. “Another highlight was me coming into Middle College and meeting someone like Mr. (Randy) Carver,” Luitel said. Speech professor Carver is an influential mentor to him and suggested Luitel run for the student trustee position. “I’ve been his coach for the speech team. Outside that, we have been able to develop what I think is a very close teacher-to-student relationship,” Carver said. His sophomore year is when he began making progress in his career. He met Carver in 2017 when Luitel’s curiosity brought him to compete for the CCC speech team. Since then, his leadership has brought the team success and created a close-knit bond between teammates while also giving the team public exposure.
During that time, Luitel and Associated Student Union President Preston AkubuoOnwuemeka became close friends. “My brother and my best friend” is how Akubuo-Onwuemeka describes their relationship. They exposed a lack of representation and education for studies in STEM for low income students and decided to create their non-profit, richmondCodes, which teaches coding. Together they have hosted numerous events such as “Hour of Code” and “Code it,” with the support of Microsoft, Pandora, Autodesk and Hack The Hood. They also visit local elementary schools to provide coding lessons to students. “I wanted to be able to do well in academics, but that was a limitation. If you come out of high school with straight A’s without making an impact — it doesn’t matter,” Luitel said. During “Hour Of Code,” richmondCodes’ first coding event, he had this breakthrough concept of personal success and frames it this way: “Reducing socioeconomic disparity for me is success. Frankly, there is still a lot more to do, but I will make a dent in the universe.” Middle College High School teacher Steven Ross said, “Shreejal seems to have a very clear idea about what success is for him. He’s definitely got a silver tongue — he got that gift of gab and I think there is a lot of confidence that he has in navigating the world.” Luitel’s ambition is driven by a quote from Steve Jobs, who said, “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why even be here?” For Akubuo-Onwuemeka and
INFOGRAPHIC BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ
Luitel, challenging the status quo is what keeps them moving forward. It fuels them toward making an impact by teaching skills that to revolutionize the future for students and breaking socioeconomic barriers. Aman Butt, secretary of ASU and a good friend of Luitel’s, said, “I can definitely say that in the future, a lot of people are going to know his name. A name that is common in a lot of households like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.” So far, what Luitel has learned
from being speech team captain and student trustee is understanding the importance and distinction between being compassionate and empathetic. He describes these traits as fundamental for being a leader. Those skills allow for one to do more and improve relations with the people he interacts with. “I see Shreejal making a conscious effort to suck the marrow out of life, just through and through. I do not see him settling and I don’t see him becoming apathetic,” Carver said.
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LEFT: Kyle “Bugha” Geirsdorf is awarded $3 million after winning the Fortnite World Cup this past summer.
SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE
‘FORTNITE’ TARGETS ESPORTS SUCCESS
16-year-old champ earns $3 million By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
This past summer a 16-year-old professional gamer earned more prize money in the Fortnite World Cup than Tiger Woods won at The Masters and more than San Francisco 49ers star tight end Greg Kittle’s current NFL contract. Kyle “Bugha” Geirsdorf took home $3 million for his World Cup victory and his noteworthy earnings opened the eyes of the general public to just how large esports has grown from its humble beginnings at LAN parties across the world. The Fortnite World Cup was a culmination of months of trials with 40 million gamers trying to qualify in the top 100 for the World Cup. In late July, gamers from across the globe made the pilgrimage to New York for competition at Arthur Ashe Stadium. At the time, the World Cup had the largest prize pool in esports history at $30 million distributed among the competitors. First place in the solo and duo categories won $3 million, while second-fourth places earned over $1 million. Finishing outside of the top five still paid out well with fifth place taking $900,000 and everyone in the top 20 taking home over $100,000. The prize money was trumped later this
year by DOTA 2’s biggest tournament, The International in Shanghai, China, with a pool of $33 million. The prize pool is funded by Epic Games, the developers of “Fortnite,” which accumulated $2.4 billion in revenue in 2018. All World Cup qualifying players took home no less than $50,000 of the prize money just for showing up. Epic Games invested $100 million into tournament prize pools for competitive “Fortnite.” The gaming giant is putting serious cash behind its game’s esports scene and so far, their investment is paying off. Giersdorf ’s victory made headlines across the world and he found himself on “The Tonight Show” and “The Today Show” making appearances for his victory lap similar to Super Bowl champions. “Fortnite” is already a wildly successful game without taking into account its competitive scene. Its cross-promotion with major EDM artists like Marshmello, and RL Grime and pro-am tournaments with the likes of NBA players Josh Hart and rapper Nav, are major successes tapping into audiences that aren’t normally into gaming. Their esports division is another way to grow “Fortnite” by tapping into the emerging esports scene. However, their reputation in the community and lack of experience are rubbing fans and “Fortnite” stars the wrong way, which makes for an uncertain future. Epic Games is notorious for introducing updates into games before big tournaments that its competitors had no opportunity to
practice with. In addition, early “Fortnite” tournaments, like its Summer Sizzler series, were marred with performance issues. Epic Games as a publisher has learned from some of its early mistakes but the update problem still exists with the recent B.R.U.T.E Mech mechanic, which was universally panned as being unbalanced and completely warped the metagame around it. As Epic Games continues to invest in its esports scene, consistency and timing of updates has become increasingly crucial toward maintaining competitive integrity and keeping players and fans happy. While Epic Games can fix technical issues relatively easily with how it handles competitive “Fortnite,” their largest hurdle is fighting against the stigma toward its signature game in the esports community. Journalist Arran “Halo” Brown said “Fortnite” has to work harder to gain respect in the esports scene because of its rapid rise and the nature of Fortnite battle royale competition. “If you look at every big esport right now, they have scenes that have built up over time and that’s taken years to attain. The Overwatch League is probably the only exception to this but even they took a few years. ‘Fortnite’ blew up in the first instance and for them to then have that huge prize pool, I think there was possibly some jealousy because of how quickly ‘Fortnite’ made it,” Brown said. He said the community also looks at “Fortnite” differently because of the perceived random nature of “Fortnite’s” 100 player free-for-all.
“There is a huge tactical aspect to it that a lot of people outside of ‘Fortnite’ don’t understand. I believe the other esports believe it’s more luck than skill based, which is obviously not true,” he said. “Fortnite’s” meteoric rise has led to the game feeling like “new money” having to fight for respect among established fans who view “Fortnite” esports as a cash grab rather than a natural, symbiotic member of the esports community. Despite the myriad of obstacles in the way of competitive Fortnite’s success, Epic Games has made one move that shows its commitment to investing in the long-term success of its esports scene. In May 2019, Epic Games hired then Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer to head their esports efforts. The hiring of Nanzer, who was previously running one of the more successful esports leagues with big-name sponsors and salaried professional gamers, was a sign that Epic Games was seeking stability after their early experiments and rough patches. Brown is one in a network of esports reporters who see a path for “Fortnite” to become a staple in the esports scene. “The World Cup showed that ‘Fortnite’ fans want the hype of big tournaments, so going with a tournament format with two majors and a World Cup look to be the way forward for the ‘Fortnite’ franchise. “As long as Epic listens to the community and as long as they have a good handle on what the casual fan base wants in the game, they could be the big esport in the next three to four years,” Brown said.
OAKLAND COMEDY EMBRACES CULTURE
LEFT: Marcus, played by Dontae Clark (left), Benny, played by Santiago Rosas (middle), and Nina, played by Reyna Amaya (right) deliver biting satire in the new comedy webseries “The North Pole.”
Absurd humor, biting satire drive webseries By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
A great satire is able to weave many different issues into one narrative. Connecting the intersections of climate change, gentrification, immigration and gun violence in Oakland is what “The North Pole,” accomplishes so well. The web series, available on YouTube, produced by Rosario Dawson, chronicles the lives of young Oakland natives trying to find solutions to Oakland’s changing tides. It accomplishes this through a series of schemes to fight back against the establishment and outsiders. With one season under its belt, “The North Pole” has developed a unique style inspired by other absurdist satirical shows like HBO’s “Silicon Valley” and some classic sketch shows found on the IFC Network a decade ago — but with an Oakland flair. Director and Oakland native Yvan Iturriaga does a wonderful job capturing the spirit of Oakland on camera. Soundtrack, locations, wardrobe and dialogue all feel authentically Oakland with even establishing shots having Easter egg references for the Bay Area natives watching along.
SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE
It certainly helps that two of the main characters, Nina (Reyna Amaya) and Marcus (Dontae Clark), are played by actors raised in Oakland. Their delivery of slang is natural and clearly lent their experiences to the creative process. In the show’s second season, released this month, crew members find themselves following up on the events of season one, which focused heavily on fighting gentrification in Oakland. After taking on tech startup GreenGos and battling rent hikes pushing Oakland natives out, they find themselves fighting another relevant issue. Facing the threat of deportation, Benny (Santiago Rosas) decides to run for Alameda County sheriff against incumbent and seasoned politician Laura Stevens (Laurie Burke). During the season, Benny, Nina and Marcus try a number of schemes to help Benny’s underdog campaign succeed. The show’s humor is absurd, playing off
caricatures of aspects of Silicon Valley tech culture, woke liberals and youth revolutionaries. One hilarious scene finds Marcus being assigned to create a campaign ad. During the focus group, people compliment his graphic design style for being wonderfully “at risk” and bursting with that much desired “urban flavor.” Nina is a social media savvy revolutionary who finds herself growing so concerned with her online life that she fails to stay connected with those around her. Finn (Eli Marienthal) is the white friend of the group whose increasingly left political stance, inspired by his roommates, is at odds with his racist, yet wealthy, family. Each of the characters in the show is exaggerated and has a surreal slant to how they act. However, for anyone who has spent an extended period of time in Oakland, they feel increasingly realistic. Through all this absurdity, the show does a great job with Marcus playing the straight
man in the center of all the madness. This gives the viewer an anchor as they navigate the world of “The North Pole.” Each of the roughly 10-minute episodes is filled with interesting twists and funny jokes to keep the viewer’s attention. Each episode’s short length keeps the editing tight and rarely does a joke overstay its welcome. One particularly fun episode, and what seemingly has become a trope for the show’s influencers, is the patented drug episode where the main characters get way too high. Another notable episode is the finale. A powerful monologue by Benny and a dreamlike closing sequence make a perfect conclusion for a great series. “The North Pole” is a quality series that is perfectly binge-able and made for easy consumption through YouTube. While the episodes are short, they are filled with great humor, good cinematography and an extra something for its viewers from Oakland.
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7
Youthful squad drops second straight
By Xavier Johnson web editor
xjohnson.theadvocate@gmail.com
The first week of the 2019 season for the volleyball team wasn’t too hot as the Comets opened their season 0-2 dropping straight sets to Yuba College on Wednesday and Solano Community College on Friday in the Pinole Middle School gymnasium. CCC (0-2 overall and 0-2 in the Bay Valley Conference) entered league play with no preseason games under its belt marking Wednesday’s opener against Yuba (3-5 overall, 1-1 in the BVC) as their first time playing together in live competition this season. The result was as expected. In a game marred by errors and miscommunication, the Comets fell to Yuba in straight sets (25-5, 25-4, 25-4). The match was punctuated by the Comets’ 25 errors, seven of them being service errors. In addition, the team gave up 14 service aces and were outpaced 24-5 in assists. Part of the poor play was caused by the team’s lack of practice prior to the game. Yuba had six games leading into conference play and was clearly more in sync with each another. “We barely had any practice,” Comet coach Christy Tianero said. “We did only get caught out of rotation once, so that’s good. Once we get more practice time as a team they’ll be OK,” Tianero said the team didn’t compete in any preseason tournaments because, up until the semester began, the Comets had only five players. It wasn’t until the beginning of September that the roster filled out. “I wanted to be sure I had a roster before signing up for preseason tournaments because we didn’t want to have to drop out,” Tianero said. Additionally, the lack of live competition further exaggerated the deficiencies of a team still accli-
LEFT: Right side hitter Nadia Thomas (left) spikes the ball over the net in the Comets’ first game of the season against Yuba College in the Pinole Middle School Gymnasium on Sept. 18
PHOTO BY XAVIER JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE
mating to each other. Only two members of the team, setter and floor captain Kimberly Calip and outside hitter Angel Munar, are returning from last year. The rest of the roster is new, with some having no prior volleyball experience. Middle hitter Janna Galang had her first competitive volleyball game against Yuba, and like the rest of the team was focused on getting adjusted to new teammates and the speed of the game. In particular, Galang said the
transition from practice to a game was striking. “We don’t know how the other school plays. In practice, we know how we all play,” Galang said. Calip said it’s been hard adjusting to all the new players, but as captain and setter, it’s important to help her teammates get comfortable on the court and help the team succeed. “We have a lot to work on. As a setter, it’s important to adjust to your players. They tell me how they play, so I can adjust to them,”
she said. During set two, Yuba began targeting libero Jamie Tianero after a couple errors and wayward passes. Coming out of Pinole Valley High School, the freshman player is being relied on to fill the shoes of their previous libero, Delaine Baca — one of the top liberos in the conference during her time with the Comets. Despite the team’s debut performance, coach Tianero is confident in Jamie Tianero’s ability to bounce back and rise to the level she’s
shown in practice and at PVHS. “We rely on our libero,” the coach said. “Last year we relied a lot on Delaine (Baca). When the libero isn’t here to play, it drags the team down. (Tianero) can play much better. We need to work on the mental game and she has to be here and present in matches.” The 0-2 Comet squad continues their season with an away game at Los Medanos College tonight and home game vs. College of Marin (3-9 overall, 0-1 BVC) Friday at the Pinole Middle School gymnasium.
Soccer assists time of transition, life San Pablo native takes on leadership role, recruits players By Stacie Guevara staff writer
sguevara.theadvocate@gmail.com
Sindy Mendoza is not your average soccer player. Looking tough to win a game, being a good team player and loving the sport contributes to her soccer her persona. She also loves reading, finishing about two books every week, and she values having an openness to everyone. “I love meeting new people and being social. I feel like that’s one of the things that I’m really happy that I’m able to do,” Mendoza said. A Bay Area native, the 20-year-old has lived in San Pablo her whole life. After spending the summer taking a Statistics course here at CCC and practicing soccer with coach Ted Steen, biology major Mendoza is now co-captain of the women’s soccer team along with psychology major Noemi Gomez. Mendoza attended Making Waves Academy, a public charter school in Richmond, from fifth to 12th Mendoza grade. In her freshman and sophomore years of high school, she played softball at Making Waves, but then went into soccer and found a love for it. Mendoza found Making Waves to be a blessing because of their scholarship programs and financial advising coaching. “This past year has been a tough one for me, financially and personally. I feel like they helped a lot with that, and it’s a big relief that I know that I have them in my corner,” Mendoza said. Mendoza is currently on educational leave from UC Merced, where she will return in spring 2020. “Last semester, I had a lot of financial issues, which created a lot of problems at Merced. It was just a really tough semester. I still had a lot of stuff at home going on — it was a really emotionally and physically draining semester.” After a difficult semester at UC Merced, Mendoza got involved with the soccer
team here at CCC, but she was not able to get everything fixed until late summer. “I didn’t want last semester to repeat itself, so I decided to just stay here, get things figured out and head back when I feel like I’m emotionally ready,” Mendoza said. Now a full-time student at CCC, she loves the environment and said it is good to stay home. As a Mexican-American, Mendoza has a lot of respect for her Mexican roots. She refers to her family as a soccer family, and they are excited to go to her games and see her play. She loves soccer and says she is very passionate about it. “It’s something that I’ve always been driven to do. It always motivated me to do better,” Mendoza said. She first heard about CCC’s women’s soccer team and its revival from a member of the men’s soccer team. She had not played in a long time, but one day she finally got the nerve and went to a summer practice where she met Steen. “I loved his coaching style because throughout the years, I’ve had a lot of coaches and I’ve never met a coach who handles practice so well,” Mendoza said. Because she and Gomez were the only players who repeatedly went to summer practices, Steen chose them both to be co-captains. “Sindy is able to communicate with the players off the field and gives encouragement in practices,” coach Steen said. While Mendoza calls Gomez more skilled than she, she refers to herself as the support system for the team. They balance each other out well, teammates say. “Sindy is the glue and the motivation and Noemi brings the energy,” teammate and business major Elisavet Naranjo said. Though soccer is a big part of her life, Mendoza is still a student. She walks home after early morning practices and then back to campus to get to classes. One obstacle that she faced was the struggle of trying to get women to join the soccer team, but she has hope for success with a team of 14 members now. The women’s soccer team’s first game is on Friday at 4 p.m. versus Merritt College on the Soccer Field. “Starting a new sport is not easy. It’s easy to judge, but it’s hard to see the effort that goes on behind the scenes — there’s so much dedication and effort that’s going into this team. I hope that when it comes down to it, people don’t just see a score.”
LEFT: A Las Positas player runs for a bouncing ball as he passes a Comet player during Contra Costa College’s 2-0 loss on Sept. 17 at the Soccer Field. PHOTO BY DENIS PEREZ / THE ADVOCATE
Despite late effort, Comets lose 2-0
By Luis Cortes sports editor
lcortes.theadvocate@gmail.com
Despite an aggressive defensive mindset and multiple opportunities on goal, the men’s soccer team fell 2-0 to Los Positas College on Sept. 17 at the Soccer Field. Las Positas (2-3-1) coach Andy Cumbo said his team hoped to have a lot of opportunities at goal, but was not expecting Contra Costa College (0-6) to be so defensive-minded. “Because they played so defensively, and due to the crowded midfield, we made adjustments by spreading the field out,” Cumbo said. During the first half of the game CCC allowed Las Positas to dominate control of the ball. Because of this, the Comets adjusted to defending in their half and looked to force mistakes in hopes of earning opportunities to mount counter attacks. The Hawks were shut out by CCC’s team defense for the majority of first half action. With eight minutes remaining in the first half, the Comet defense was finally caught sleeping. Hawk forward Dimitrios Vonich gave a head pass to fellow forward Tyler Cesio who turned and headed it past the Comet goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. Comet players complained the initial lob pass into the box to a Hawks forward was offside. However, their claims fell on deaf ears. During the play, CCC coach Rudy Zeller instinctively screamed toward the referees, “That was offside.” “It was a bad call on the first goal,” Zeller said. “Sometimes players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and even referees make mistakes.” Cumbo said he had no view of the first goal. The Comets did not go into the half quietly, but despite mounting an offensive
attack the team squandered a free kick opportunity three minutes after Las Positas scored. In the first half, Las Positas attempted nine shots, while the Comets only had three shots. Zeller said his team came out and played a counter-attacking style of soccer in the first half. The second half began with a noticeable sense of urgency from the Comet players as the team exploded out of the half with more pressing and effort. However, this did not stop Las Positas from continuing to attack the Comets’ backline with long passes to their forwards. With 40 minutes left in the second half, the Hawks’ aggressive play led to multiple clear passes on goal that were well defended by CCC. “It was our best game this season,” Zeller said. With CCC players overexerting themselves on the press, Las Positas stole possession multiple times. The Comets continued to fight and limited the number of attacks from Las Positas, but the team was still unable to create anything more than small shooting angles. With the Comets focusing on pressing, it opened counterattacks for Las Positas. Freshman forward Sebastian Preciado gave Las Positas a two-goal lead with a beautiful chip over the comet’s goalkeeper. The chance came after a failed save attempt by the Comet goalkeeper who went out of his box to attempt to corral the ball. His position left Preciado with a clear shot. Sophomore defender Ryan Fretwell said that the team is playing a lot better than when the season began — attributing it to hard work. “Our play is a lot better than when we started,” Fretwell said. “We played better together defensively.”
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Movement delivers knowledge, perspective Photos by: Cristian Perez For
more photos, please visit our website: www.cccadvocate.com
Editors Note: The photographs on this page were taken by an Advocate editor’s 10-year-old brother during a youth led climate injustice protest in San Francisco Friday. The editor mentored and guided his brother as he took pictures with The Advocate’s equipment.
An indigenous chief from an Amazonian tribe from Acre, Brazil extends his arms out in front of banners reading the demands of the youth leading the Global Climate Strike rally at Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, California on Friday.
By Denis Perez creative director
dperez.theadvocate@gmail.com
My 9-year-old brother, Cristian Perez, sometimes accompanies me when I go out on assignment as a journalist. I give him a camera, tell him about the event and keep him at my side as I interview people. Friday, I took him to the Global Climate Strike where 30,000 people rallied in downtown San Francisco in a global youth-led movement. We marched alongside Bay Area youth protesters from the Federal Building to the Embarcadero, stopping at predetermined locations including the Immigration Customs Enforcement and PG&E buildings. Cristian is not fully aware of climate change, and his views of the international crisis expanded after walking alongside chanters, sign carriers and activists. “There is so much media content going around that real issues like climate change become unimportant,” he told me. Recognizing signs of a changing climate, he worries about fires in California, hotter weather around the world, the melting ice caps and animals becoming extinct. “Disasters are going to be bigger and the world I live in later will not be the same as now,” he said. That is why Cristian said he is happy that he was able to capture youth like himself as they raised their voices and took action. And Cristian knows that right now, he is not getting on a stage to talk to crowds, but he hopes that his images can inspire someone to join the fight for climate justice. His said his favorite moment of the rally was seeing the reaction of grown-ups inside office buildings amazed to see the thousands of youth take to the street. “It is not OK for companies to be unfriendly to the environment and protesting outside their offices is well-deserved,” he said.
People working in downtown San Francisco buildings pulled out their phones and recored the estimated 30,000 protesters who marched from the San Francisco Federal Building to Embarcadero Plaza on Friday.
RIGHT: Around 30,000 people, mostly youth marched through downtown San Francisco as part of the Global Climate Strike on Friday. Around the world, millions of young people took to the streets.
The Global Climate Strike movement united various activists on Friday, like Youth vs. Apocalypse’s Isha Clarke, to take to the streets of downtown San Francisco to protest unjust climate laws.