Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The Advocate - Sept. 17, 2008
Citation preview
By Francisco RendonSPOTLIGHT EDITOR
Administration, faculty and staff recently collaborated in a study assessing the college, to see if the units offered will maintain their credit.
Vice President Carol Maga said that the accreditation report is important because it ensures other academic institutions recog-nize the classes taken at CCC.
“Every six years, we are given standards (by the committee), and we move through the standards to see (how) we are doing,” Maga said. “In order for us to award a unit, this is what gives the unit credit.”
An accreditation commit-tee will be coming to CCC from Oct. 13-16 to see how the college meets the standards set.
The study addresses CCC’s history, demographics, curricu-lum and a variety of other sub-jects. This study includes a new assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, an evaluation that has not been in the past studies.
Senior Dean of Research and Planning Tim Clow said that Student Learning Outcomes were key in this accreditation self-study and the goal of them was to deter-mine whether students are actu-ally learning at the college.
Dr. James Duvall, chair-man of the college’s Curriculum Instruction Committee, said that SLO’s have an overall goal of
By Holly PabloSTAFF WRITER
Four Contra Costa College stu-dents will be packing their bags and hopping on a plane after win-ning scholarships to attend a pres-tigious Florence, Italy culinary arts school in October.
At the end of their 14-day program at Apicius International School of Hospitality, they will receive a certificate of completion in the “Classical Italian Cuisine Course,” culinary arts professor Patrick Robertson said.
Out of 10 applicants,
Shundon Anderson, Emily Hansen, Kimberly Hernandez and Somnang Saengsourith were selected.
“We are paying $5,000 per student, including airfare, tuition, residency and food,” culinary arts department Chairman Nader Sharkes said. “Everything is paid for. That is what’s fantastic about it.
“Some of them have never even been out of the area,” he said.
This was made possible by the inaugural Food and Wine event, a successful fundraiser that took place in the Gymnasium in April.
of achievement in dental assisting must com-plete 10 months of training.
Those going for their associate degree must also be certified in CPR and complete approxi-mately 15 units of general education require-ments in various categories before they can receive their AA. These requirements include a course in speech, psychology, biological science and health science.
“We like the program. Of course, it is not an easy thing. You have to work on it. But it’s inter-esting and fun,” dental assisting student Khaliun Gankhuyag said.
The prerequisites to become a dental assis-tant are a high school diploma or the equivalent, as well as proficiency in math, English and
computer literacy. Part of the 10-month or two-year training that
is required includes clinical practice. During the fall semester and beginning each October, stu-dents attend either the UC San Francisco School of Dentistry or the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, or both.
Students are responsible for their transporta-tion to and from the campuses and are expected to be there Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. At the campuses, students get to work hands on with patients.
“Advantages are the students get the oppor-tunity to apply theory to practice, to polish the technical skills they’ve been learning, and
By Regina SarnicolaOPINION EDITOR
The dental assisting program at Contra Costa College is in high demand, with the career among the top 21 jobs in the East Bay, den-tal assisting department Chairwoman Sandra Everhart said.
“We have a very rigorous program. However, those who persist do very well,” Everhart said. “And with the high demand for dental care pro-viders, and mobility of our assistants, they have no problem finding work.”
The goal of the program, which according to Everhart has been around as long as the
By Francisco RendonSPOTLIGHT EDITOR
The number of sections of courses being offered at Contra Costa College has significantly decreased from this time last fall.
There are 752 classes being offered this semes-ter, 70 fewer than the 822 of 2007, Senior Dean of Research and Planning Tim Clow said.
A course, such as English 142B, is the class/sub-ject material being taught, and the section is the date and time the class meets. Frequently, courses have multiple sections offered to accommodate the demand of students.
Although a number of courses could no longer
C M Y K C M Y K
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B
C M Y K C M Y K
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B
THE WEEKLY STUDENT VOICE OF CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE, SAN PABLO, CALIF.SINCE 195012 PAGES, ONE COPY FREE
VOL. 91, NO. 3WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008
ACCENTADVOCATE.COM
Ready to goMen’s fall teams begin seasons
sports pages 6-7◆
Doing it yourselfMannequin in lab adds real-life situation
campus beat page 9◆
HOOP DREAMS Semester’s selections fall by 70Overspending requires administrators to restrict number of classes offered
Beyond the halls of academiaMore programs need to offer students oppor-tunities to learn outside the classroom.
page 2
editorial
focus page 12◆
Drifting formula
Style competition invades Sonoma
■ SEE CULINARY: Page 4
in brief✔ 70 fewer sections are being offered this semester compared to fall ’07.
✔ Only 6 sec-tions have been canceled since the start of the semes-ter.
✔ The reason for the cut-backs is the overspending of CCC’s allo-cated budget .
JUSTIN MORRISON / THE ADVOCATE
Nothing but net — President McKinley Williams works on his wheelchair basketball skills during practice for the “CCC Comet” team on Friday. The team, comprised mostly of faculty and administrators, will play the BORP All Stars, a professional wheelchair basketball team, in an exhibition game Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Gymnasium.
Career
Tech
classes
extend
outside
the
college
Sing like a bird— (L-R) Mireya Ramirez, Griselda Segoviano, Angelica Contreras and Marissa Bautista perform at Saturday’s celebration of Mexican indepen-dence in San Pablo.
ERIK VERDUZCO / THE ADVOCATE
Staff exams self in studyCollege assesses units offered for accreditation
■ SEE DENTAL: Page 4
Chefs pack up for Italian trip
Assisting program brings smiles to community
Locals celebrate history with food, music, dance
By Diana ReyesSTAFF WRITER
SAN PABLO -- People of all ages and races came together at the Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center in San Pablo Saturday to commemo-rate Mexican Independence Day with traditional Son Jarocho and mariachi music.
Delicious Mexican food, from tamales and nachos to Horchata, or rice water, was served at the event.
The entrance fee was $5 for adults and $3 for
children.Eugene Rodriguez, founder and director of
the arts center, said that aside from celebrating Mexican Independence Day, the event was an opportunity for the kids to perform for the com-munity.
Established in 1989 as a youth group, the center evolved into a nonprofit organization in 1994. They moved to San Pablo’s Diaz Plaza in 1998 and have been teaching traditional music, dance and art to the public for a low price. They created Los Cenzontles, Spanish for “The
department has, is to train and certify students to become dental assistants and begins with the summer session. The class typically has 20 to 24 students.
Students aspiring to receive their certificate
■ SEE SECTIONS: Page 4
■ SEE ACCREDITATION: Page 4
■ SEE INDEPENDENCE: Page 4
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 ● VOL. 91, NO. 3
EditorialsBeyond the classroom
‘Old ties’ weakened with passage of time
■ Growing up
n June 12, 2006, I graduated from Hercules High School.
The ceremony was strange; the speakers and procedures were not very memorable to me, but I recall seeing everyone in my graduating class on that foot-ball field.
These were people I had learned with, wasted time with, made mistakes with, and after four years of seeing them every week, I had grown to know a lot of my classmates fairly well.
When the program was over, I remembered everyone linger-ing on the field, and I could not understand why.
I chatted awkwardly with some of these people I had grown accustomed to, and left the field with everyone else, relatively quickly.
I did not understand the sig-nificance of what was going on.
This year, I enter my fifth semester at Contra Costa College and my third year after high school.
I have changed a lot from the person I once was and most of my friends from high school have changed as well.
Many of the people I grew up with went away to universities and private colleges, while oth-ers stayed around to work or go to community college.
Over the past two summers and even during the school year, I would see a lot of these friends, either visiting them at their colleges, calling to hang out when they were here, or just to spend some time catching up over the summer.
I am sure. Keeping in touch with people
who are so removed from daily contact requires a legitimate effort from both sides.
If the effort does not bring anything tangible, and there are not any consequences for not trying, it can almost seem not worth it.
I am grateful for the friends I have maintained since high school and cherish the friends, old and new, who are going through life with me today.
For the most part, however, I do not really see most of my high school alumni, even the ones whose friendship I really valued and promised myself I would maintain.
Sometimes I try to make the effort. Other times people reach out to me. But in the end, it just does not work out.
It makes me sad watching my old friendships die, but so often it feels like my hands are tied and all I can do is watch.
What makes me saddest is that I know most of the people who I miss so dearly will prob-ably never read this, and the inescapable truth is that we are already living our lives separate from each other.
If I had known then, what I know now, I probably would have spent some extra moments lingering, chatting awkwardly with friends, at my graduation.
Francisco Rendon is spotlight editor of The Advocate. Contact him at [email protected].
This process required effort, but it was always a great joy to experience seeing this person who used to be so prominent in my life.
In the past, it was always fairly easy to find a time to hang out, and it was enjoyable.
Time rolls on however, and three years is a long time.
This year, it seems, I’m experiencing more than the two years before, a large schism between myself and people who I used to be
close with. It is not as if anyone is to
blame, but after seeing each other only a handful times in several years, we are all trans-forming into different people.
It seems fewer and fewer of us have the time, energy or desire to keep old ties strong in our new lives.
No one is at fault, this much
WRYAN CASTLEBERRY / THE ADVOCATE
Real world experience vital for students to succeed after college
ulinary arts has been one of, if not the most, aggressive department on campus to raise funds since chef Nader Sharkes took over in 2006
The money has gone toward the kitchen, the Three Seasons Restaurant and as we now know, to send its students overseas.
By raising more than $21,000 at its inaugural Food and Wine event in the spring semester, four culinary arts students will be sent to Florence, Italy for a two-week program to learn outside of Contra Costa College.
As if it were not enough to practice their trade three days a week while at the Three Seasons, these stu-dent-chefs will further their experiences and culinary knowledge with this scholarship.
Although not all programs can afford to send their students to Europe for a couple weeks, it is important to emphasize the necessity of learning outside the classroom.
Many of the career technology education programs — dental assisting, medical assisting and early child-hood education — offer internship and out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities, and it is important for academic programs to do the same.
The Center for Science Excellence, the premier learning environment on campus, also expands its classrooms and labs beyond the Physical Sciences Building.
Dr. Douglas Gordon, a dental surgeon involved in the college’s dental assisting internship program, said, “You can’t learn everything in textbooks.”
He is absolutely right.There is only so much theory one can learn in any
field and the time comes when students need to be thrown into real world situations to apply the theory they have learned in their classes and textbooks.
English majors interested in publishing should be able to experience working at a publisher’s house. Students who want to be sociologists or clinical psy-chologists should have the opportunity to work as professional social workers.
As a functioning newspaper, The Advocate pro-vides journalism students with hands-on experience every week. Because of this, its reporters have gone on to have careers in the field.
Our faculty knows the importance of hands-on experience, as many of them have done fieldwork and training before becoming professors here, and still the number of students exposed to real-life conditions in their field of interest are slim to none.
The professors and administrators need to provide opportunities for students to learn outside the class-room. We will seize them.
C
franciscorendon
OPINIONTHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 20082
O
“EMT, medical techni-cian field.”
Travon Rossdental technology
CampusComment
What programs on campus would you like to see offer internships?
“Physics internships would be interesting. I know they’re hard to find.”
Edgar Ibarraphysics
“Radiology, because it’s not offered now and you have to go through Kaiser hospital in order to get through the program.”
GsaGsa Wardradiology
“Automotives should be in the internship programs.”
Osbaleo Sanchezautomotive technology
“The dental program, because that’s within my field and if I get an internship then maybe I will get hired faster.”
Ashley Keetondental assisting
“Drama, because there are a lot of tal-ented people here and people who like to act. It would be a great opportunity.”
Adam Adamscomputer science
“Video editing, because the new thing to do now is make videos.”
Ruben Viverousculinary arts
Quotable“Each story...must
present a full, fair and accurate account.
...These are our bywords — full, fair, accurate.”
Richard ColeJournalism educator
1998
Justin Morrisoneditor-in-chief
Brett Abel
associate editor
Alec Surmaniassociate editor
Jeff Carillosports editor
Francisco Rendonspotlight editor
Regina SarnicolaLauren Shiraishi
opinion editors
Lamar Jamesnews editor
Isaac Thomasphoto editor
Toni Silvaad manager
Paul DeBoltfaculty adviser
Staff writersSam Attal
Dariush AzmoudehBrent Bainto
Marco BecerraAsia Camagong
Mario DiazAnthony Farr
Ryan JacquesMarika Johnson
Cassandra JunielJazmaine Mitchell
Holly PabloDiana Reyes
Shahruz ShaukatJon Zantua
Staff photographersSam Attal
Erik Verduzco
Staff illustratorsWryan Castleberry
HonorsACP National Newspaper
Pacemaker Award1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2004, 2005, 2006
CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award
1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
JACC Pacesetter Award1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008
Member
Associated Collegiate Press
California Newspaper Publishers Association
Journalism Association of Community Colleges
How to reach usPhone: 510.235.7800
ext. 4315 Fax: 510.235.NEWS
E-mail: [email protected]
Editorial policyColumns 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.
SAM ATTAL AND MARIKA JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE
It seems
fewer and
fewer of us
have time,
energy or
desire to
keep old ties
strong in our
new lives.
Student voiceThe Advocate invites readers to respond in letters to the editor
ontinuing a tradition of publishing letters to the editor, The Advocate is inviting you let your voice be heard.
We invite all readers to send us your letters by e-mailing letters to the editor at [email protected] or by dropping off hand-written or typed letters to us in AA-215.
Letters must be signed, should be no more than 300 words and are subject to editing for libel, clarity and length.
C
FORUM WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 l THE ADVOCATE 3
hile venting to a friend about a horrible day at
school, I was interrupted in my rant as he asked, “Are you on your rag or something?”
I normally do not prefer to shout at people, but his negli-gence could not be tolerated. I blew up.
If Mother Nature were accepting suggestions, I pro-pose she bless men with the monthly gift she graciously delivers to every woman: the magical menstrual cycle.
Ladies, please refrain from disagreeing and allow me to voice the injustice. Gentlemen, listen and learn.
I encourage you to take notes.
Having your period can be compared to standing in the rain in front of your house without an umbrella or a set of house keys.
It is you, the rain, and an unreachable sanctuary.
Sweatpants, junk food and Advil become your best friends for the week and anyone’s command to “calm down” ignites suppressed fury.
PMS is like a full moon to a werewolf, transforming a woman into a force not to be reckoned with.
Bloating, headaches, mood swings and cramps are the typical symptoms.
Men need to understand how vexing it is to hear, “Aw, is it that time of month again?” when a woman is feeling upset or distressed.
It is not being insightful or perceptive.
It is taunting, as if they are pointing at our hormones and laughing at some bad Chuck Norris joke.
Men need to learn the level of disgust a woman feels about herself during the first couple of days.
Yes, wearing sweats is necessary.
No, we are not trying to trick you into giving us com-pliments you think we want to hear.
And, I beseech you, show no astonishment toward the sudden cravings for choco-late, ice cream and fried foods.
Above all, there needs to be equality in this suffering.
Men have mood swings, bloating, headaches and occasional cramps.
However, they are free from experiencing the final touches of the menstrual cycle.
It is not fair for men to be exempt from feeling like a heavy and helpless cow.
They can claim to experi-ence a male version of PMS, but all women know it will never be quite like ours.
It is time for them to share the pain, pads and the period.
I am certainly not bitter about being a woman.
In fact, I enjoy every heavenly and miserable min-ute of it.
It is the ease of the male life that I despise.
Besides obvious physi-cal reasons why men can-not have their periods, I am convinced the main reason Mother Nature decided to exclusively grant it to women is this — men are simply not man enough for the men-strual cycle.
Agreed?And, despite common
belief, I was not on my peri-od while writing this.
Asia Camagong is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact her at [email protected].
asiacamagongMen incapable of coping withmisery of PMS
W
■ Life ■ FUTURE
By Alec SurmaniASSOCIATE EDITOR
omewhere between “the answer to life’s greatest mysteries” and “bringer of the apocalypse” lies the truth about the
Large Hadron Collider.With numerous stories about the gran-
deur and possible ramifications of the Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, many have been left to wonder just what it is and how it sud-denly became so important.
According to Howstuffworks.com, the LHC, kept more than 300 feet underneath the France/Switzerland border, is both the world’s largest machine and its most powerful par-ticle accelerator. By sending particles, in this case protons, in opposite directions around a 17-mile track at nearly the speed of light, sci-entists will force the protons to collide.
This collision would smash the already subatomic protons into even smaller particles, possibly leading to the corroboration or refu-tation of numerous theories.
Perhaps the main theory being challenged by the LHC is the Standard Model, which attempts to explain the fundamental particles that make up the universe.
Thus, the machine hopes to use the smallest parts of the universe to help explain how it works on the largest scale.
While the above explana-tion is highly simplified and fails to take into account a host of other factors, it is only a rough overview.
Modern science’slatest experimentmisunderstood
A more complete definition requires much more space and great knowledge of quantum physics, neither of which this reporter has.
The project is helmed by the European Organization for Nuclear Research, a body known by the possibly confusing acronym of CERN, as its initial name was both altered and in French.
Gathering thousands of workers from more than 60 countries, the LHC has become something more than a mere science experi-ment.
It is part of the world’s shared culture.For, just like the human genome project
or the never-ending quest to explore space, the LHC represents what one of humankind’s most basic instincts — curiosity.
Despite this, many have taken to extreme reactions upon hearing news of the LHC and its vast potential.
Prior to the experiment’s activation, which began its first phase on Sept. 10, a number of people began protesting the LHC on grounds of everything from safety to sacrilege.
Some of the outrage took the form of liti-gation, MSNBC reported, with professors, students and nuclear safety officers filing lawsuits against CERN and its machine.
Claims ranged from ill-preparation and lack of preliminary testing to assertions that the LHC would bring about the end of the world.
Even though the latter option was debunked by various sources such as LiveScience and TIME magazine, many believed the predictions of doom and began contacting those involved with the project.
In a Daily Telegraph article, scientists working on the LHC were quoted saying how they were barraged with phone calls and e-mails last week asking that they stop their work. While many of the requests were sim-ply from concerned citizens, a portion of the feedback came in the form of personal insults and death threats.
Not all of the fear and anger born out of the LHC was directed at its creators, how-ever, as a teenager in central India committed suicide in an attempt to avoid the conse-quences of the experiment. The 16-year-old girl drank a lethal amount of pesticide on the day the machine was turned on, hoping to avoid the supposed doomsday occurring from the LHC’s operation, an Australian news agency reported.
Reactions such as this, coupled with the protests, indicate an intriguing assessment of the situation.
Instead of predicting hell on Earth, people should be turning their eyes and minds in the opposite direction. With so many different people and nations working together in the interest of science, the LHC signals not the end of a world, but hopefully the making of a better one.
Above all, the experiment’s goal, like all science, is to obtain information, so that humans can have a better understanding of the world around them.
Admittedly, the LHC could easily fail, leaving scientists with more questions than they started with.
Yet, if humans do not continue to explore their natural curiosity about existence, then
humankind will be doomed to a fate without evolution, or as Charles
Darwin put it: extinction.
Contact Alec Surmani at asurmani.
S
WRYAN CASTLEBERRY / THE ADVOCATE
Movie rekindles passion for writing
ryanjacques
Last year, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree and for the next year I did nothing with it.
I originally planned to go for my teaching credential, but something held me back.
I held myself back not because I had incomplete dreams.
But because I realized my dream is who I am.
Writing is the only thing I know how to do and I have to do some-thing.
Speed’s father asks him if he thinks he can drive a car and change the world.
By the end of the film, I believe he does.
And I think that is what all people passionate enough about their art can do.
“Speed Racer” spoke to me when I watched it alone in an empty movie theater back in June.
I believe it can speak to so many other artists who are willing to give their dreams another chance.
Ryan Jacques is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at [email protected].
something.” This quote is the heart of the film. Speed’s art is his racing. It is
natural to him. It is in him. James Joyce did not write because
he wanted to, he did it because he could not think of doing anything else.
Still, so many artists have aban-doned who they were for various reasons.
My reason was for worry of struggling through life with little or no money.
That is why I decided to enter the nursing program when I first came to Contra Costa College.
There would always be a job for me since nurses have always been in such high demand.
I was convinced I was not good enough to make money off of my art.
And the world is money. After Speed declines the Royalton
character’s offer to race for his cor-poration, the influential busi-nessman vows to destroy the young racer’s dreams of win-ning any further competitions.
Royalton, the personification of money, pits the entire world against him.
I sympathized with the feeling like the world was against me.
Society seemed to impose on my dream and
forced me to settle for a more secure occupation.
I was not a nurse, so I decided to change my major to something closer to my dream.
I transferred from CCC to San Francisco State as an English litera-ture major.
peed Racer,” the biggest box-office disappointment of the
summer, helped to change my world. It reinforced my decision to
change my career path and showed me it is never too late to return to my dream of being a writer.
Critics and prejudiced moviegoers could not get past their preoccupa-tion with how colorful the newest film by Andy and Larry Wachowski was.
They missed the entire theme of the movie.
“Speed Racer” is not just about racing.
It is about writing. It is about painting.
It is about dancing, baseball and science, acting, playing the guitar, cooking, as well as racing and so much more.
It is about people doing what they want to do in life.
“Speed Racer” advocates the growth of the artist no matter the chosen medium.
And art is anything followed by passion.
There is a line where Speed Racer says, “Racing is the only thing I know how to do and I gotta do
‘SSociety
seemed to
impose on
my dream
and forced
me to settle
for a more
secure
occupation.
intoVenturing unknownthe
what students are expected to get out of the course. This is measured in intended outcome, assessment method and assessment criteria. Both courses and departments are evaluated.
The evaluation of these SLOs occurs in every department, sometimes differently depending on the subject material and how it is taught.
Each department is in charge of evaluating its own SLOs, English as a second language department Chairwoman Elisabeth Xiezopolski said.
While some departments did not have many courses to evaluate and had already finished, others were still in the process of evaluating their SLOs and will continue to do so when the committee arrives on campus.
“It’s a worthwhile process that makes us look at our department in depth,” Xiezopolski said. “We have to prove ourselves to the state, that we are of value. I think we are and I think our students do.”
Other professors did not see the study as anything particularly different from their normal patterns of
behavior.English depart-
ment Chairwoman Joy Eichner-Lynch said the entire full-time faculty made the decisions and conducted evaluations in the English depart-ment. The department is used to analyzing the effectiveness of their teaching methods and how they can improve, Eichner-Lynch said.
“Over years, what students need to know changes, so we try to respond to that as a group,” she said. “It was nothing new for us.”
The Institutional Self Study for Reaffirmation
of Accreditation was finished and submitted to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in August.
It is 229 pages long, and different portions, or standards, of the document were written by different employees at CCC.
The entire document was edited by English pro-fessor Walter Masuda, whose responsibility was to make sure the entire study was written in one voice, and flowed as one document.
“It was a lot of work. I’m glad I did it,” Masuda said. “I certainly appreciate the jobs everybody else does, what everybody has to do to make this college run.”
Masuda said he hopes students would read the parts of the study that affect them, particularly the function of student services.
“(The students) should know what types of ser-vices are available to them, and how that division works,” he said.
Contact Francisco Rendon at [email protected].
Newsline■ SCHOLARSHIP
Padilla’s spirit of giving lasts
A new scholarship has been created in honor of the late Martin Padilla.
Friends, family and co-work-ers are encouraged to contribute toward the scholarship.
Checks can be made payable to the CCC Foundation with a notation for the Martin Padilla Scholarship.
They can be sent to P.O. Box 6305, Richmond, CA 94806 or to Senior Foundation Director Linda Cherry’s office.
Tuesday, Sept. 9A victim reported the theft of
his vehicle on campus.
Wednesday, Sept. 10 A staff member reported a sus-
picious circumstance report.
Thursday, Sept. 11An officer responded to a traf-
fic accident on campus.—Sam Attal
be offered this fall, only six sections were actually cut at the beginning of the semes-ter, less than the usual amount, Senior Dean of Instruction Donna Floyd said.
“Due to the overspending of the C-con-tract budget, we had to reduce our course offerings,” Floyd said.
The C-contract budget is money allo-cated to the college for classes taught by part-time professors, classified as C-contract courses, and full-time professors teaching more than their full load of 15 units, Floyd said.
CCC has been spending past its C-contract budget for some time, Liberal, Applied Health, Vocational Training and Athletics Division Dean Susan Lee said.
In the past, the district picked up the slack, Dr. Lee said, but if the college con-tinues to over-spend, it will have to pay.
“We had to make this huge effort to cut back,” she said. “In the past, we over-spent and the district would cover us, but this time they didn’t.”
D i s t r i c t Chancellor Helen Benjamin said the district
did not have the capacity to continue sup-porting CCC’s C-contract spending.
“The district cannot afford to pay this,” Dr. Benjamin said. “We were living above our means when it came to the number of courses we (were) offering.”
The reduction in courses came mostly before the semester began, Lee said.
“It’s always difficult to cut classes.” Lee said. “(But) you’re paying a salary and you don’t have enough students to generate money to balance that.”
Many factors are taken into account when deciding which sections to offer. One contributing factor is a formula designed to calculate productivity, Dr. Clow said.
This formula takes into account the money a class brings in, the number of
students enrolled, the cost of the class, a teacher’s salary and other expenses.
Lee said the necessity of the course for certificates is also taken into account.
The administration and the departments both had roles to play in deciding which courses were to be offered, Floyd said.
The division deans sign off on the sched-ule and work with the department chairper-sons to determine which sections to offer.
The department chairs are one of the decisive forces in deciding which courses are offered and which are not.
“It’s the departments that know what the needs of the students are,” Lee said.
Contact Francisco Rendon at [email protected].
Sections | Contract limitations affect course offerings■ FROM: Page 1
“It’s a worth-while process that makes us look at
our department in depth. We have
to prove ourselves to the state, that we are of value. I think we are and I think our students do.”
Elisabeth Xiezopolski,ESL department chairwoman
CrimeWatch
CAMPUS BEATTHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 20084
Accreditation■ FROM: Page 1
have that first patient experience. They can also learn about new techniques and new equipment,” Everhart said.
Predoctoral Clinic Director at UCSF Denly Herbert said it is a win-win situation for both the students at CCC and the students at UCSF who learn from one another.
“Often their first introduction into clinical dentistry is with our students,” he said. “They take impressions, do charting and assist ground preparations, pass instruments and learn to develop a nonverbal relationship with the dental hygienist, like knowing what step comes next.”
Herbert said the patients are used to the teaching environment
and being observed and in many cases even help teach the students what to do.
“We really value the students’ participation. It’s a great opportu-nity for all of us,” he said.
At the schools, the students also have the opportunity to par-ticipate in Brown Bag seminars on various topics. Everhart said they give students the chance to talk to a specialist and ask ques-tions.
“It’s a very good opportunity to establish a partnership with the dental community,” she said.
Dental assisting student Denali Knudson said, “It’s a great expe-rience. I don’t know how many other programs get to go to the schools and work hands on with others.”
After working at the schools, in the spring, students are assigned to work at dental offices within the community.
Douglas Gordon, a doctor of dental surgery who works at his own clinic in Pinole, said he has been involved in the program for about 20 years.
“It’s been a good experience. We try and expose them to the real world. You can’t learn everything from textbooks,” Gordon said.
Dental offices in the area are contacted and asked if they are interested in participating and the students, offices and Everhart sign a facilities agreement.
“Often we have more offices available than students,” Everhart said.
Everhart mentioned another
advantage was while students intern two days a week, the three days they are back on campus professors can help them work out bugs, perfect techniques and get them feeling confident in their skills.
Sometimes during the intern-ships, students are offered employment opportunities, often during or before the internship even ends.
Gordon said all the registered dental assistants, or RDAs, in his office were graduates of the CCC program.
Upon completion of the pro-gram, students receive their Certificate of Achievement. Those who wish to become an RDA are required to pass a state examina-tion and those who plan to be
nationally certified are required to pass another test.
Dental assistants also have the option of continuing on with their education to become a den-tal hygienist. This requires an associate’s degree and additional schooling.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree, dental hygienists can then move forward and become a certi-fied dentist.
Both Gordon and Everhart said the program is valuable for the community as a whole.
“We get a lot of great feedback about our program,” Everhart said.
Contact Regina Sarnicola at [email protected].
Dental | Assisting program ‘a great opportunity for all’■ FROM: Page 1
Students worked with executive chefs from around the Bay Area, sharing the specialty taste of each of the 20 restaurants and win-eries with the crowd.
“We expected to sell 500 tickets, but over 700 were sold,” Robertson said. “At $30 a ticket, we were able to afford the scholarships.”
To qualify for the internship, students were required to serve in the Food and Wine event, be a U.S. citizen eligible to travel, enrolled in a minimum of 10 units
and completed at least a semester in the culinary arts program.
In addition, they wrote an essay explain-ing their goals, brought three letters of recommendation from people in the food industry and were interviewed by the advi-sory board.
The board, comprised of executive chefs such as Martin Yan of “Yan Can Cook,” made the final decision.
“I took all the instructors out of the loop. As department chair, I try not to mingle too much because I want to be impartial,”
Sharkes said. “My goal is to change four lives and hopefully those lives come back and change some others.
“I’m very excited for them,” he said. “They are a good bunch of people. They are really dedicated.”
The students will showcase what they learned at the next Food and Wine event in the spring semester.
Tara Hallisy, an executive chef on the advisory board, graduated from the CCC culinary arts program 15 years ago. She will be traveling with the students.
“Hopefully, our event will get bigger so we can send more students next time,” Hallisy said.
Hansen, a third-semester culinary arts student expressed her thoughts on winning the scholarship.
“It’s an honor to represent the school. I’m excited, but it still hasn’t hit me,” she said. “I wish everyone could go. We all worked hard for it.”
Contact Holly Pablo at [email protected].
Culinary | European scholarship to expand palates■ FROM: Page 1
Mockingbirds,” and began performing and showcasing art and dances ever since.
According to Rodriguez, people from all over the country come to Los Cenzontles for guidance.
“People from around the country look at us as a model,” he said.
Rodriguez also said the purpose of the celebration was to raise funds to support the program and to keep the classes they teach at the center at mini-mum cost.
Juanita Chavez-Gordon takes care of the jewelry making class and is also parent of two of the young group mem-bers, Xally Gordon, singer, and Gavilan Gordon, who is part of the children’s movement class.
“This is a great opportunity to show the parents in the community every-thing the kids have been working on.” Chavez-Gordon said. “The food we are selling is meant to help raise funds for our classes.”
The night started off with dances to traditional music from Jalisco, Mexico.
The women wore traditional clothing such as skirts and patterned scarves.
The first half of the show featured music from Ranchera, or country music, to traditional mariachi, followed by a Polka dance and a dance from the Son Jarocho genre, which Production Manager Hugo Arroyo said is “the most beautiful genre in Mexican music.”
The groups danced and sang to tra-ditional songs such as “El Torero” (The Bull Fighter) and “Perita en Dulce” (Sweet Pear).
Violinist Sofia Fojas joined Los Cenzontles in January. Fojas said this was her first time performing alongside the group without her maestro Julian Gonzalez, who could not be there.
“He is really incredible,” Fojas said of Gonzalez. “He can’t read music, but can play it just by hearing it. (Gonzalez) has got an incredible memory.”
During the second half of the show, they featured south Veracruz Son Jarocho music, performing and dancing to famous songs such as “La Bamba.”
Traditional clothing from Veracruz was worn during the performance. Men
wore white pants and button-up shirts with a red bandana tied across their necks. Women wore long skirts and but-ton-laced shirts.
To conclude the show, an untitled rock group formed at the center, per-formed music in both English and Spanish. Songs titled “Since I Don’t Have You” and “Uncontrollable,” writ-ten and composed by student Joselyne Quiroz, were performed.
“(‘Uncontrollable’) came from the heart, so it took me about a day to write it,” Quiroz said. “At first, I was very ner-vous about the performance, but once I got up there, it just came to me.”
Nick Banuelos, guitarist, has been a part of the untitled rock group for over a year. Though they have no name, yet, they still are coming up with several ideas, Banuelos said.
“Technically, our group is still a class,” he said. “It evolved into a band when our teacher came up with the idea.”
Contact Diana Reyes at [email protected].
Independence | Party for the past■ FROM: Page 1
ERIK VERDUZCO / THE ADVOCATE
Keeping tradition alive — (Foreground L-R) Mireya Ramirez, Marissa Bautista and Alicia Rosales perform a traditional Mexican dance at Saturday’s Mexican Independence Day celebration. Both male and female danc-ers wore traditional clothing from Veracruz, Mexico. The women wore long skirts and button-laced shirts.
‘BAILAMOS’■ LECTURE
Club examines Middle Passage
As part of the W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series, “2008 Commemoration of the Abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade: A Seminar,” will be held in LA-100 on Tuesday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
A lecture will be given by pro-fessor Manu Ampim, followed by a screening of the documen-tary “Africans in America: The Terrible Transformation, 1450-1750.”
The event is sponsored by the Contra Costa College sociology department, the college’s sociol-ogy club and the Jeremiah B. Sanderson Leadership Institute.
■ GRANTS
Emergency help now available
Applications for the Dreamkeepers Emergency Assistance Program grant are now available in the Student Life Center.
Dreamkeepers grant funds are available to assist with an unex-pected financial crisis that threat-ens a student’s ability to stay in school. Funds are not available for tuition or textbooks.
To qualify, first semester stu-dents must be enrolled in at least five academic units that are in line with their declared majors, as indicated on their educational plans.
Continuing students must be enrolled in at least five units, have a GPA of at least 2.0 and be making progress toward their declared educational goals.
■ ASU
Presenter from BAJI to speak
A presentation, titled “Bridging the Gap: Between Latinos and African Americans,” will be held today in the Fireside Room from 1 to 2 p.m.
The discussion is hosted by the ASU and will present speaker Gerald Lenoir from The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).
■ CULINARY ARTS
Three Seasons expands menu
In addition to the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday menu available at the Three Seasons Restaurant, culinary arts stu-dents will also be barbecuing Mondays outside the Applied Arts Building.
Barbecued chicken, corn bread, baked beans and a drink are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“We were living above our means
when it came to the number of courses we
(were) offering.”
Susan Lee,LAVA Division dean
CAMPUS BEAT WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 l THE ADVOCATE 5
By Regina SarnicolaOPINION EDITOR
Phase 1 of Contra Costa College’s Facilities Master Plan is under way and moving forward.
In 2006, Contra Costa County voters approved Measure A Plus, a bond that gave the district $286.5 million to do construction and renovations on the community college campuses.
CCC received $83 million, dis-trict Chief Facilities Planner Ray Pyle said, while Diablo Valley College received $65 million and Los Medanos College was grant-ed $68 million.
Vice President Carol Maga said that the architect firm TBP was hired to work on Phase 1 over the summer. The contract, however, is in the process of being approved by the district Governing Board.
CCC’s Facilities Master Plan is divided into five phases altogether and is expected to take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to complete.
“It will definitely be an exten-sive multiyear project,” Maga said. “It is a major endeavor.”
The few noticeable changes so far have been the new, uniform signs on each of the campus build-ings and the reconstruction of the football field, which is due to be completed by February 2009, Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said.
Additionally, Phase 1 of the Master Plan has plans to demol-ish and replace the Humanities Building and Student Activities Building, construct a new Classroom Building and entrance to the campus from Mission Bell Drive, and relocate the math department to the Applied Arts
Building.Pyle said there were also
plans to renovate the Gym Annex Building, but due to the current state budget impasse in Sacramento, funds for the build-ing were lost. The renovations will be delayed until the campus reapplies for funding.
“We’re not exactly going according to the Master Plan as far as phases go, because some of the projects were to be paid for with different funds,” Pyle said.
Maga also mentioned hav-ing to coordinate any state funds received.
In 2002, a separate Measure A was passed as well, designating $120 million to the district, with an estimated $45 million given to CCC.
The money was used to build the new Student Services Center and renovate the Library and Learning Resource Center.
Using the Measure A 2006 money, the Classroom Building is estimated to cost around $30 million and the Student Activities Building $20 million.
“We knew at the start we didn’t have enough money, but we still wanted to go ahead and plan out as far as we could,” Pyle said. “Once you build something, you are stuck with it so we needed to look at the entire campus and the long range plans, even without the funding.”
The Humanities Building is expected to come down in 2009, with construction on the new Classroom Building starting soon afterward.
King said Buildings and Grounds is currently working with the architects to come up with the design for the building.
Before the building can come down, however, the Applied Arts Building has to be renovated in order to accommodate classes moving from the Humanities Building.
Another big project included in the Master Plan will be the new entrance to the campus.
The new entrance will allow traffic to come through a circle drop-off area and help eliminate traffic in the quad.
“One thing I’ve noticed is the quad is a little confusing in some areas. Depending on where you come from, it’s a little bit of a maze and confusing for folks who are not familiar with the campus,” King said.
Finally, King said there has been talk of fixing up and putting a new façade on the Automotive Technology Center to make it look more similar to the Computer Technology Center.
Due to seismic issues on cam-pus, it is expected that CCC’s demolition and construction plans will be more expensive than that of its sister colleges.
“When doing renovations you have to take seismic issues into account. Therefore, more money will be spent on the renovations,” Pyle said.
Overall, however, there are high hopes and expectations for the Master Plan.
“We have arranged everything so that students won’t have to worry about anything but being relocated,” Maga said. “The out-come will be well worth any inconvenience.”
Contact Regina Sarnicola at [email protected].
SAM ATTAL / THE ADVOCATE
Sign up — Henry Parker hands out information about the Black Student Union during the semiannual Club Rush. Club Rush, which took place on Sept. 5, gave clubs an opportunity to expand membership and encouraged students to check out the various clubs on campus.
BECOMING INVOLVED Campus promotes voter registration
By Asia CamagongSTAFF WRITER
The ASU Senate Board is encour-aging students to join them for the 24th annual California Coastal Cleanup at the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until noon.
Sponsored by the East Bay Regional Park District, the cleanup invites students to help remove litter and debris from community shore-lines.
“It’s a nice way to spend your time,” ASU Vice President Adam
Austin said.Students will be able to show their
concern for the community by con-tributing to its beautification, Austin said.
Volunteers will assist in removing trash such as plastic bags and bottles, six-pack rings, food wrappers, ciga-rette butts and other recyclable wastes from the shoreline.
“We have to clean up after our-selves,” ASU Senator Jim Gardner said.
The cleanup hopes to help prevent the growth of The Great Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris comparing to the size of Texas,
Gardner said.The day will begin with morning
registration, followed by the distribu-tion of materials and cleanup guide-lines, Gardner said.
By the end of the event, the volun-teers will be given time to discuss any interesting discoveries made during the cleanup.
Pre-registration forms are current-ly available in the Student Life Center in the Student Activities Building.
Forms can also be completed online or on the day of the cleanup from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
Volunteers under the age of 18 must complete a permission slip, also
available in the Student Life Center, signed by a parent.
To ensure their safety, children younger than school age are requested to stay at home.
Trash bags and gloves will be provided along with beverages. Volunteers are also welcome to bring their own snacks and drinks.
Students should prepare for cold weather and bring sweaters, sweats and waterproof clothing, ASU President Jeanelle Hope said.
Other shorelines in the Alameda and Contra Costa Counties such as Rodeo, Pinole, Crockett, Martinez, Hayward and Oakland will also be
hosting cleanups on the same day. Plans for the cleanup began on the
first week of school when Gardner informed the board of the event, Hope said. It is the first of several forms of community service the ASU plans to participate in.
The ASU is willing to organize transportation plans with students interested in volunteering as a group.
For more information, students can visit the Student Life Center or the event’s Web site at www.ebparks.org/getinvolved/volunteer.
Contact Asia Camagong at [email protected].
By Brent BaintoSTAFF WRITER
In remembrance of Contra Costa College students lost through acts of violence, the memorial tree will be expanded into a Peace Grove.
In May of this year, the memorial tree, located between the Amphitheatre and Student Services Center, was planted for the death of Contra Costa College student Jason Jackson Jr., who was killed in a drive-by shooting on Feb. 24.
Career Technical Education Outreach Coordinator Maritza Vande Vorde and the students from her Psychology 103A class proposed the idea of hav-ing a tree in honor of Jackson, who was a student of hers.
The ASU voted on the expansion from memo-rial to Peace Grove, Student Life Director Jennifer Ounjian said.
“The purpose of this grove is to bring an aware-ness to all Contra Costa family who have been touched and affected by violence in our community,” Ounjian said.
According to Vande Vorde, a small committee was formed for the decision of the tree and its place-ment on campus.
Among the committee members were Vande Vorde, Ounjian, college Senior Foundation Director Linda Cherry, Vice President Carol Maga and Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King.
Ultimately, they chose to put it between the SSC and Amphitheatre because it is a “well-trafficked area,” King said.
King had the tree special ordered from a nursery in Lafayette.
Along with help from the ASU, funding for the tree was partly collected through donations, Vande Vorde said.
Despite the effort put forth for its creation, ASU President Jeanelle Hope said the tree is underap-preciated.
“There should be a hosted event with speakers on behalf of the victims and family affected by vio-lence,” she said.
Contact Brent Bainto at [email protected].
By Cassandra JunielSTAFF WRITER
With the upcoming election in November, it is important for every eligible citizen to register and make their voice heard.
“People should not take the right to vote for granted as it’s a privilege and an honor,” English as a second language professor Ellen Smith said. “They also have to remember, not only is this election for a new president, but there are other issues as well to consider.
“They tend to say that their votes do not matter, yet they do matter a ton,” she said.
On Nov. 4, millions of Americans will vote for the next president of the United States, 12 statewide propositions, a U.S. representative in Congress and state assemblyperson. Additionally, the ballot may include candidates for local offices, such as city councilpersons, as well as ballot measures.
The deadline for voting registration applications is Oct. 20 and the last day for mail ballot applications to reach the County Elections Office is Oct. 28.
To be eligible, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of California and at least 18 years old by the date of the election. Incarcerated individu-als or people on parole for felony convictions are not eligible to vote. Individuals deemed mentally incom-petent by the courts are also not eligible.
As more individuals are paying close attention to issues that directly affect their families, jobs and the economy, they are making strides in having their voices heard through elected officials.
From the time of the presidential election year in February 2004 to May 2008, voter registration in the state of California increased from 15,091,160 to 16,123,787, according to historical registration sta-tistics from the office of the Secretary of State.
Yet, even with the rise in voter registration, there continues to be a large number of unregistered vot-ers. Various organizations and college campuses, however, are making efforts to register individuals.
One alliance formed to help in this effort is Alameda County and AC Transit. To attract more young people into the voting process, they have unveiled a “Hip Hop” Voter Bus.
“The bus is one of a kind in the nation and is eye
catching, painted in black with red and blue stripes and large letters that say, ‘Your Vote, Your Voice,’” according to a press advisory issued by the organiza-tions on Sept. 8.
The group’s goal is to register as many people as possible, using the bus as an attention getter for everyone, but more so for young people.
The bus is in high demand and will travel to colleges and special events throughout the county through Nov. 2, Reginald James, an AC Transit External Affairs intern, said. It arrives at Contra Costa College on Oct. 16 and will be stationed in the quad area from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and operates in conjunction with “Rock the Vote.”
“Rock the Vote,” one of the many events sched-uled by the ASU under the fall 2008 “Bridging the Gap” theme, provides an additional opportunity for individuals to register to vote.
“We expect to have speakers and performers for this segment of the day along with registration,” ASU President Jeanelle Hope said.
In contrast to the events held during the day, Hope said there will be a campaign forum held that evening.
Tables and chairs replace typical bus seats, allow-ing for individuals to meet with registrars, receive answers to their questions, and register to vote. Additionally, a panel on the bus that is designed for walk up applicants will also be available.
“Those individuals who have the opportunity to vote must vote, as so many have been disenfran-chised,” James said.
Some students say that they will be proactive in the registration process, while others are not sure what to do or where to go.
“Government needs to change now and new laws need to be passed, and I want to believe that my vote counts,” first-year CCC student Nathan Whittington said.
Other sources are available to guide individuals through the voter registration process. For more information, contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-345-VOTE (8683), or log on to www.sos.ca.gov.
Contact Cassandra Juniel at [email protected].
Community to participate in Coastal Cleanup24th
annual
cleanup
invites
students
to help
beautify
shoreline
ISAAC THOMAS / THE ADVOCATE
In tribute — Located in between the Amphitheatre and Student Services Center, the Peace Grove started as a memorial for student Jason Jackson Jr., but has plans to expand.
School makes headway with construction plans
Peace Grove pays homage, spreads violence awareness
By Jeff CarilloSPORTS EDITOR
Fresh faces on the defense and the offensive line highlight this year’s Contra Costa College foot-ball roster, as the team looks to improve upon last season’s 2-8 record.
The team will start four freshmen on the offen-sive line, while the defense has four key returners in linebackers Rio Rogers, Sean Nakamura, Nicholas Weeks and defensive lineman Sione Manu.
Coach John McDermott, who enters his fifth season as head coach, is hopeful for a strong 2008 campaign after an extensive offseason program that has been implemented since January.
“This year’s offseason program is the best we’ve had since I’ve been here,” McDermott said. “The group’s been together since the beginning of the year and it’s a strong group of young players.”
For the Comets, it is simply a matter of putting everything together on the field, he said.
“The coaching staff has given everything the players need to succeed, but it’s ultimately up to them to prove it on the field,” McDermott said.
On the offensive side of the ball, success hinges on the arm of quarterback Royce Hughes, who enters his second season after taking over for Brandon Kohn in the middle of last season.
“This year, I’m hoping to be a leader,” Hughes said. “More of the load is going to be on my shoul-ders and I want to deliver.”
CCC also features two sophomore wide receivers in Alberto Johnson and Deonta’ Allen, both of whom had strong performances in their freshmen seasons.
“Us sophomores need to set an example,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of young guys and we need to show them that we need to go hard every game.”
Johnson will also be relied upon heavily for his punt and kickoff return capabilities.
“(Hughes, Johnson and Allen) need to be leaders this year for the offense,” McDermott said. “It’s their time to step up, especially on a team that has several first-year players.”
On offense, McDermott and the coaching staff want to keep a strong emphasis on the running game intact, but they are also looking to put a heavier load on the arm of Hughes and the passing game.
With the loss of tight end Orlando Arnold, who transferred this year to the University of Wyoming, CCC will implement more offensive sets that include four wide receivers to make up for Arnold’s depar-ture.
“Players like (Arnold) only come around once in a while,” McDermott said. “It’s going to be tough to replace him and our receivers are going to have to pick up the slack.”
Freshmen running backs Rashad Smith, Alonzo Gallon and sophomore James Villaruz will carry the load for CCC’s ground game this year. The success
of the running game will be dictated by the play of the offensive line.
The offensive line features only one returning player, center Eli Tandingan, this season. Freshmen Stephen Sprague, Devin Johnson, Adrian Stephens Lloyd, Pablo Hernandez and Thomas Wilkerson will take on the responsibility of protecting Hughes and producing holes for the running game.
“The offensive line play needs to improve, play together and they need to gel as the season goes on,”
McDermott said, “but it’s a work in progress and it’ll take time.”
“The O-line is young, but their play will dictate how success-ful we are this season,” Hughes said.
The Comets feature a solid mix of sophomores and fresh-men players on defense, whose play will be tied directly to the success of the offense.
When the offense can move the ball and give the defense bet-ter field position, CCC can com-pete with conference opponents, McDermott said.
“Our defense has to feed off of our offense,” sophomore defensive lineman Sakpa Kpaka said. “We also need to be more physical and pick up the intensity from the start of the game until the end.”
On special teams, CCC has its first regular kicker in three seasons.
Freshman Justin Naterman will handle field goals and kick-offs this season for CCC.
In 2008, McDermott’s ulti-mate team goal is to win the Bay Valley Conference.
According to McDermott, however, the coaching staff has placed an emphasis on taking
things one game at a time.“Right now, our team focus is just on the week
ahead. We don’t want to look too far ahead into the schedule,” he said.
Due to the inexperience on the roster, McDermott places a strong emphasis on his players’ abilities to adapt and to learn their roles on the team.
When they can do that, McDermott said, the team should play well.
“Mental mistakes are the ones that hurt us most,” he said. “When players can learn their jobs, the sky’s the limit for our team.”
Contact Jeff Carillo at [email protected].
“This year’s offseason program
is the best we’ve
had since I’ve been here. The group’s
been together since the beginning of the year
and it’s a strong group of young
players.”
John McDermott,head coach
SPORTSTHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 20086
Weeks
Weeks provides the Comets defense with experience and leader-ship. He leads a solid group of sophomore linebackers for CCC.
ScheduleSept. 6 at Los Medanos61-7 L
Sept. 13 vs. Diablo Valley 66-0 L
Saturday at Hartnell 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 vs. De Anza 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Gavilan7 p.m.
Oct. 11 - BYE
Oct. 18 vs. Redwoods1 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Yuba1 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Shasta5 p.m.
Nov. 8 vs. Solano1 p.m.
Nov. 15 vs. Marin1 p.m.*All home games are at Hercules High School due to football field renovations
Key players
Last season by the numbers
Overall record2-8
Conference record1-4
Conference finishfourth
Returning playersDavid Le’GallSakpa KpakaDeonta’ Allen
Royce HughesDaniel Zrihen
Alberto JohnsonJames VillaruzJoshua Sales
Mark HendersonDarryl Miller
Jason VillaruzSione Manu
Sean NakamuraNicholas Weeks
Eli Tandingan
Football Preview | 2008
Comet freshmen bring new level of energy to both offense, defense; sophomores look to be leaders
Tandingan
Tandingan will lead the offensive line this season at center. His run blocking and pass blocking is key for the team’s success.
Hughes
Hughes, a sophomore quarterback, will be asked to shoulder a heavier load. His ability to make plays with his feet are vital.
Johnson
Johnson takes over as CCC’s leading receiver with the departure of Orlando Arnold. His speed is his greatest weapon on the field.
John McDermott enters his fifth sea-
son as coach of Contra Costa College.
McDermott wants to improve on last
season’s 2-8 record, but will have to do so
with a freshmen-laden defense and offen-
sive line. The coach’s goal for the year is
to win the Bay Valley Conference.
McD
ermott
Coach profile
Coaches John McDermott head football coach Rodney Webster assistant football coach David Johnson assistant football coach Trey Ashton assistant football coach Scott Martinez assistant football coach Ken Daniel assistant football coach Mark Stantz assistant football coach
Roster1 Rashad Smith running back freshman2 Arestes Robinson defensive back freshman3 David Le’Gall defensive back sophomore4 Maurice Scott wide receiver freshman5 Alonzo Gallon running back freshman6 Eric Cooper wide receiver freshman7 James Hernandez wide receiver freshman8 Sakpa Kpaka defensive lineman sophomore9 Deonta’ Allen wide receiver sophomore10 Royce Hughes quarterback sophomore11 Daniel Zrihen wide receiver sophomore12 Yusef Shojaee quarterback freshman13 Dwright Blueford defensive back freshman14 Aarone King defensive back freshman16 Frederick Douglas wide receiver freshman17 Brandon Gilmer defensive back freshman18 Alberto Johnson wide receiver sophomore19 Carlos Ortiz quarterback freshman20 Aramis Moore defensive back freshman21 Michael Davis defensive back freshman22 Josiah Williams running back freshman23 Rio Rogers linebacker sophomore24 Travon Ross defensive back freshman25 Jesse Jacobs defensive back freshman26 Julian Perez defensive back freshman27 James Villaruz running back sophomore28 Joshua Sales running back sophomore29 Mark Henderson defensive back sophomore31 Darryl Miller defensive back sophomore32 Cedric Wilson running back freshman33 Justin Naterman kicker freshman34 Noah Coogler linebacker freshman42 Jason Villaruz defensive back sophomore44 D’Aryn Brooks linebacker freshman50 Ronnie Arnold linebacker freshman51 Damon Brown defensive lineman freshman52 Sione Manu defensive lineman sophomore53 Tevin Hoskey linebacker freshman54 Sean Nakamura linebacker sophomore55 Nicholas Weeks linebacker sophomore56 Andre Harris linebacker freshman57 Adewale Kehinde linebacker freshman58 Amer Hawari defensive lineman freshman59 Cardellous Snell linebacker freshman64 Eli Tandingan offensive lineman sophomore69 Stephen Sprague offensive lineman freshman72 Devin Johnson offensive lineman freshman74 Adrian Stephens Lloyd offensive lineman freshman75 Pablo Hernandez offensive lineman freshman77 Tevita Feao defensive lineman freshman79 Thomas Wilkerson offensive lineman freshman85 Reggie Glover defensive lineman freshman91 Justin Morrow defensive lineman freshman
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 l THE ADVOCATE 7
Contra Costa College V S. Yuba College
When: Home: Oct. 10, 4 p.m. Away: Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
Yuba College will be looking for revenge this sea-son after CCC knocked the team out of the playoffs last year. The Comets defeated the 49ers at Yuba 2-0 and the two teams tied 4-4 in San Pablo last season.
Men’s Soccer Preview | 2008
Gonzalez
Gonzalez is one of CCC’s most talented scoring threats this season at striker.
Key players
By Jeff CarilloSPORTS EDITOR
After last season’s strong fin-ish in Bay Valley Conference play, the men’s soccer team has carried its momentum over into 2008.
Last year, Contra Costa College finished with a 9-10-3 overall record and a 7-3-2 mark in the BVC, thanks in part to a 4-1-1 finish in the team’s final six games.
This year the Comets have started strong, winning two of its first three games, defeating San Joaquin Delta College on the road 2-0 on Sept. 5 and edging Chabot College 2-1 at home on Friday.
The Comets also tied American River College on the road by a score of 1-1 on Sept. 9.
CCC’s strong play to begin the season is attributed to the heart and camaraderie of this year’s group, coach Rudy Zeller said.
“This could very well be my favorite team that I’ve coached,” Zeller said. “In terms of chem-istry and doing the little things right on the field, they are a stellar group.”
Several returning players from last year’s roster agree with coach Zeller’s sentiments.
“We’re just way ahead of last year’s team at this point in the season,” sophomore midfielder Francisco Camacho said.
“This team has bonded. We’re more like one group now, one team.”
Freshman goalkeeper Luis Montano also added that the team is playing as a unit, a problem that the Comets had multiple issues with last season.
Last season, CCC had several off-the-field problems that hin-dered the team’s success.
Whether it was poor player attitudes or not showing up to practices, last year’s team only began to gel toward the tail end of the season.
“This year’s team compared with last year’s is like night and day,” Zeller said. “These guys are young, they’re talented, they have great character and it’s just a great environment to be around.”
Last year, the defense struggled for much of the season, as CCC allowed 46 goals for the season and only scored 32 of its own.
This year’s squad features a revamped defense, led by defend-er Matt Wade. The sophomore was one of CCC’s most consistent players last season and he will look to be a force on defense.
“(Wade’s) an absolute terrier on the ball, he will disrupt our opponents and be a strong player once again for us,” Zeller said.
Z e l l e r ’s team is also strengthened by the return of midfielder Vidal Orosco.
The red-shirt player was out last season due to a broken right leg he sustained in 2006.
O r o s c o , along with Camacho, both add experience, leadership and solid play on the field for CCC.
“Right now, we’re playing well and we’re working well together,” Orosco said. “This team is tal-ented and it has great potential.”
Montano has also looked strong through the Comets first three games, saving 15 goals and allowing two.
“(Montano) has been nothing but solid for us so far,” Zeller said. “He’s a big part of our success this season and his play energizes our defense.”
Thus far, Montano has 15 saves in three games this season, including seven against Chabot on Friday.
Although the offense has not scored more than two goals in a game so far, the team’s consis-
tency is its most promising aspect thus far, Camacho said.
“Offensively, I think we’re pretty solid,” he said. “We’re not a team that will put up three or four goals a game, but the way we’ve performed, I think has been consistent enough to win.”
The Comets will rely on the strength of their defense to win games this season rather than hav-ing too many high-scoring con-tests.
CCC’s leading goal scorer from last season, striker Jose Gonzalez, returns this year as well to lead the team on offense.
This year’s roster is stacked with talent primarily at the mid-fielder position, Zeller said, which will allow the Comets to run a 3-5-2 set on the field.
The set will allow CCC to cap-italize on its multitude of talented freshman midfielders this year.
“We have outstanding players at the midfielder position,” he said.
“With our personnel, we can move an extra player in the middle of the field to take advantage of our players’ strengths and disrupt our opponents.”
The consensus team goal among players and coaches is to win the Bay Valley Conference and make the playoffs.
“Winning conference and mak-ing playoffs is definitely within reach for us,” Orosco said. “We just need to keep playing to win and not let up.”
Conference teams that will give CCC trouble this season will be Napa Valley College and Yuba College, who finished third and fourth in the BVC respectively.
The departure of defending conference champion Feather River College to another confer-ence opens things up for CCC this year.
“What stands out most about this team is its maturity,” Zeller said.
“They’ve showed more than any other team I’ve coached and I know they can do big things this season.”
Contact Jeff Carillo at [email protected].
High expectations abound for CCC after last year’s improvement; team aims for BVC title, playoffs
Wade
Wade, a sophomore, provides the Comets with strong defense and leadership in 2008.
Cam
acho
Camacho will bring experience to CCC. He leads the team’s group of young midfielders.
Orosco
Orosco returns from a broken leg injury in 2006. His defense will be valuable for CCC.
ScheduleSept. 5 at San Joaquin Delta2-0 W
Sept. 9 vs. American River1-1 T
Sept. 12 vs. Chabot2-1 W
Sept. 16 at Santa Rosa4 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Skyline4 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Yuba4 p.m.
Sept. 26 vs. Napa Valley4 p.m.
Sept. 30 vs. Fresno4 p.m.
Oct. 3 vs. Marin4 p.m.
Oct. 7 - BYE
Oct. 10 vs. Yuba4 p.m.
Oct. 11 at Merritt4 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Napa Valley4 p.m.
Oct. 17 vs. Merritt4 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Marin4 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Cosumnes River4 p.m.
Oct. 28 at Yuba4 p.m.
Oct. 31 vs. Napa Valley4 p.m.
Nov. 4 at Merritt3 p.m.
Nov. 7 vs. Marin3 p.m.
Nov. 11 at Modesto3 p.m.
Nov. 14 vs. Shasta1 p.m.
Men’s Soccer PreviewMen’s Soccer Preview | | Men’s Soccer Preview | Men’s Soccer PreviewMen’s Soccer Preview | Men’s Soccer Preview 20082008
High expectations abound for CCC after last year’s ScheduleSept. 5 at San Joaquin Delta
Rudy Zeller heads a team highlighted by
solid newcomers and returners, who give CCC much needed
depth on defense, a trait the team did not
have last year. Despite returning only five
players, Zeller hopes to reach the playoffs and clinch a confer-
ence title in 2008.
Zeller
Coach profile
Coaches Rudy Zeller head men’s soccer coach Pedro Vasquez assistant men’s soccer coach
Roster2 Andre Delgado midfielder freshman4 Vidal Orosco midfielder sophomore5 Ricki Salazar striker freshman6 Oliver Canbazoglu striker freshman7 Joe Massaro defender freshman 8 Tao Sabella defender freshman9 Chris Garcia midfielder freshman10 Francisco Camacho midfielder sophomore11 Tommy Glascock striker freshman12 Leonardo Barajas defender freshman13 Matt Wade defender sophomore14 Alfredo Uribe defender sophomore15 Andres Carapia defender freshman17 Jordan Zerbini midfielder freshman19 Anthony Palmer midfielder freshman20 Diego Orellana midfielder freshman21 Salvador Gutierrez defender freshman23 Jose Gonzalez striker sophomore25 Javier Huizar midfielder freshman30 Marcio Rivera midfielder freshman - Luis Montano goalkeeper freshman - Frankie Carrasco goalkeeper freshman
Last season by the numbersOverall record
9-10-3
Conference record7-3-2
Conference finishsecond
Returning playersFrancisco Camacho
Matt WadeJose GonzalezAlfredo Uribe
“This could very
well be my favor-ite team that I’ve coached. In terms of chem-istry and doing the
little things right on the field, they
are a stellar group.”
Rudy Zellerhead coach
Key games
By Justin MorrisonEDITOR-IN-CHIEF
When one of the few redeeming fac-tors of a film is the dumbest character on screen, the movie is going to be in trouble.
The newest film by the Coen Brothers, “Burn After Reading,” takes them back to the comedic side of the gambit after their Academy Award-winning “No Country for Old Men” last year.
A large change of pace from “No Country for Old Men,” it substitutes drama, action and suspense for bright upbeat stupidity.
The story revolves around a couple misfits trying to extort money from CIA operative Osborne Cox, played by John Malkovich, by blackmailing him with what they believe to be sensitive govern-ment information.
On their quest for money, the misfits, Chad Feldheimer, played by Brad Pitt, and Linda Litzke, Frances McDormand, turn to the only reasonable place to sell “sensitive” government information after their failed blackmail attempt, the Russians.
Harry Pfarrer, played by George
Clooney, provides the last key roll to an awkward jumble of convoluted plot. His womanizing ways lead him to start a romance with Cox’s wife, simultaneously cheating on his own and having another affair with Litzke.
Extortion and sexual desire drive the plot along and is intended to be the main comedic aspect to the film, but fails. It crosses back over itself so many times with conspiracy theories and adultery
that it just serves to con-fuse the audience.
Coupled with the fact that the characters and the bit of story the viewer might understand fail to capture any real attention, the plot quickly stops being worth keeping track of.
The characters them-selves are meant to be dry and deadpan in their delivery of dialogue, similar to other Coen Brother comedies, such as “The Big Lebowski.” They seem as if they were
meant to be deep, complex characters.Yet, they just remain shallow and unin-
teresting, leaving the dialogue humorless in most cases. But a few choice gems do shine through.
The only consistently funny character in the movie was Feldheimer, due to his
By Lauren ShiraishiOPINION EDITOR
The creations of local artist and former Contra Costa College art professor Susannah Israel are now on display in the Eddie Rhodes Gallery in a show entitled “terracotta: baked earth.”
The exhibit, which consists of 12 figures, all sculpted from terra cotta, opened on Sept. 5 and will continue through Oct. 15 in the Art Building.
Israel said that the emphasis of this display is the expressive qualities of the materials used.
Part of the inspiration for her “terracotta: baked earth” exhibit, Israel said, stemmed from the human body.
“Working with the browns and reds of the terra cotta,” she said, “I noticed they were a little like flesh.
“There’s a tie-in between clay and the human body that seemed very natural to me,” Israel said.
Israel, who earned her mas-ter’s degree in ceramics at San Francisco State, also finds herself inspired by the diversity of the Bay Area and the many people who call it home.
“Another inspiration for (‘ter-racotta: baked earth’) is my own family, which is very diverse. We have almost one of everything,” she said.
Israel began teaching ceramics at CCC in 2002.
She found herself enthusiastic about teaching at the community college level, where people are able to obtain a “high-quality edu-
cation.”She is currently teaching
ceramics classes at Laney College in Oakland, but plans to resume teaching at CCC next semester.
I s r a e l ’s talent has been praised by her col-leagues.
“Her ideas are very inter-esting and creative. She does beauti-ful work,” art profes-sor Jaijun Lu said.
“(Israel) is just a star,” art depar tment C h a i r m a n John Diestler said. “One of the makings of a success-ful artist is developing your vision that’s consis-tent and rec-ognizable as your work.
“You can look at a
painting by Picasso and recognize it is his work; now people can follow the vision of Susannah Israel,” Diestler said.
“Terracotta: baked earth” is the third exhibit Israel has had on dis-play at CCC in the Eddie Rhodes Gallery.
Her first one, titled “Before, During & After Archie Bray,” appeared in fall 2002.
“A Confluence of Voices,” her second exhibit, was inspired and created in fall 2005 when Israel was teaching at CCC, Laney College and Merritt College.
Newreleases:
“Speed Racer” (PG)
“The Love Guru”
(PG-13)
“Made of Honor” (PG-13)
Books
CDs
DVDs
Movies
This week:“Lakeview
Terrace”(PG-13)
“My Best Friend’s Girl” (R)
“Ghost Town”
(PG-13)
“Igor” (PG)
Newreleases:
Nelly: “Brass Knuckles”
George Clinton: “George Clinton
and Some Gangsters of
Love”
The Cure: “Hypnagogic
States”
Avenged Sevenfold:
“Live in the LBC &
Diamonds in the Rough”
Unleashed
Editor’s note: This column lists popular new (and upcoming) releas-
es for the week.
Newreleases:
Christopher Paolini:
“Brisingr”
Philippa Gregory:
“The Other Queen: A
Novel”
Dennis Lehane:
“The Given Day: A Novel”
Stieg Larsson: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Bruce H. Lipton: “The
Biology of Belief:
Unleashing the Power of
Conscious-ness, Matter,
& Miracles”
SCENETHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 20088
Local play to revive ’70s R&BIsrael juxtaposes
terra cotta, flesh in latest exhibit
“Working with the
browns and reds of the terra cotta, I noticed they were a little like
flesh. There is a tie-in between
clay and the human body that seemed very natural
to me.”
Susannah Israel,former art professor
ERIK VERDUZCO / THE ADVOCATE
Sculpting beauty — Former Contra Costa College art profes-sor Susannah Israel’s terra cotta sculptures are on display at the Eddie Rhodes Gallery in A-5.
Artist molds earthenware
By Lamar JamesNEWS EDITOR
Loosely based on a West Oakland musical group named Onyx1, the musical “Take Me Back” will bring the sounds of 1970s rhythm and blues to the Knox Center on Friday and Saturday.
“The play really has a good message to it,” Karen Basey, the play’s writer and producer, said. “It’s about a dreamed deferred. Then realizing dreams are never deferred and it is never too late to go out there and continue to do what makes you happy.
“It gives examples, life lessons to never give up, never give in and continuing to believe in yourself,” she said.
According to a press release, the musical will benefit Girls Incorporated of West Contra Costa County. Girls Incorporated is a non-profit agency that serves girls from the ages of 6 to 18 in the Richmond community.
Basey said the story will follow the group Onyx1, originally formed in the 1970s by her father, Wendell Basey, and his friends AJ, Malvin and Corky.
“The play is fictional,” Karen Basey said. “The characters are real people and actual names were used, but the plot of the story is all made up.”
Although the band was able to make some music, Wendell regrets not chasing his dream further, as he believes they would have been a success.
Reminiscing about his past in the present day, Wendell realizes that something went wrong and is transported back in time to get a better understand-ing, Basey said.
Performers from across the Bay Area will be involved in the production, including Faron Griffin, Ana “Sandy” Tili, John Island, Jimmy Esau Brown, Kylah Webster, Monica Foster, William “Ronnie” Randolph III and Roger L. Helm II.
Basey said people at the college will be able to relate to the play.
“In reality, Contra Costa College is just like ‘Take Me Back,’” she said. “It gives people a second chance to realize their dreams and goals and that is the important message in the production.”
Contact Lamar James at [email protected].
By Cassandra JunielSTAFF WRITER
Theatrical fighting techniques and comedy improvisation will set the stage for the fall semester drama pro-ductions at the Knox Center.
“Night at the Fights” and “Night at the Comedy Improv” run together on Oct. 3 and 4, beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors and $15 for general admis-sion.
Under the direction and choreog-raphy of Andrea Weber, who directed last year’s production of “Night at the Fights,” this year’s show promises to be another success.
“Given last year’s warm reception, it’s expected that the show will sell
out,” she said. “I have built upon what we did last year and expect even more excitement about the show this time.
“At only $10 a ticket for students and seniors, the show offers great entertainment value,” she said.
“Night at the Fights” explores how theatrical violence can be used to tell the most crucial part of a story by using heightened action and pushing the characters to their limits, Weber said.
It incorporates nine scenes chosen from plays such as “The Children’s Hour,” by Lillian Hellman, “Fences,” by August Wilson and “FOB,” by David Henry Hwang, Weber said.
Students Jermaine del Rosario, Shawn Oda, Kristen Matea, Amaka Ofoegbu, Sarah Piane, Rebecca Lenk, Anna Welton, Kevin Thibodeaux and
Gerry Patrick have dramatic scenes, Weber said.
“Stage combat teaches students how to tell a story using the physical-ity of a fight routine, how to do that safely and with respect for the work and each other,” she said. “It chal-lenges the body, mind, and spirit and is one of the most exciting forms of theater training available.”
Guest artists will also be featured, she said, including Dave Maier, who is an award-winning Bay Area fight director, Sifu Michelle Dwyer of Silver Cloud Martial Arts, a master kung fu, chi gung and tai chi practitio-ner and teacher and martial artist and his students from the Solis Academy of Martial Arts.
“The ‘Night at the Fights’ pro-duction is like a physical fight con-
cert, as it features different fighting techniques, such as sword fighting and Chinese saber fighting and knife, intermingled on the theater stage,” drama department Chairman Clay David said.
The second portion of the show, “Night at the Comedy Improv,” is directed by Kathryn McCarty, which she categorized as drama, action, adventure and comedy, as the produc-tion calls for the actors to make up scenes on the spot.
“Learning improv helps actors think spontaneously and without inhi-bition,” McCarty said. “Comedy can really help students learn empathy, because you must examine subject matters from multiple perspectives.”
Audiences can participate by offer-ing suggestions for the actors to build
scenes around, she said. Some of the students participating
in “Night at the Comedy Improv” are Mary Kate Rossi, Eddie Horalek, Bobby Jennings, Sarah Piane, Michael Gurule, Alexis Deville, Dasia Blodgett, Nahala Abughosh, Lauren Banayat, Amer Hawari, Akhirah Wapia, Dawn R. Carriero and Derric and Amaka Ofoegbu.
“Both stage combat and impro-visational theater illustrate the qual-ity and diversity of student training,” David said. “It gives the actors the ability to showcase themselves.”
For more information, contact the Box Office at 510-235-7800, ext. 4274.
Contact Cassandra Juniel at [email protected].
Knox Center to host stage fighting, improv
Coen Brothers follow up ‘No Country’ with flop
Aside from being on display at CCC, Israel’s work has also appeared in various galleries around the Bay Area.
Some of the galleries include the Inferno Gallery in Oakland and the Museum of Craft & Folk Art in San Francisco.
She will make an appearance for “terracotta: baked earth” at a free reception to be held at the college in the Eddie Rhodes Gallery on Oct. 4.
Contact Lauren Shiraishi at [email protected].
“Burn After
Reading”
★★★★★Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John MalkovichDirected by: Ethan CoenWhere: Playing everywhereGenre: Comedy
moviereview
SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE
Blackmail — Chad Feldheimer, played by Brad Pitt, comes up with his ingenious plan to blackmail a former CIA agent for money following the discovery of a disk. His stupidity serves as one of the few funny elements of the film.
pure stupidity.He is over-the-top and flat-out dumb,
and his lack of intelligence is what brings about the first major plot development, the decision to blackmail Cox. His mis-conception of a memoir for a high-rank-ing classified document kick-starts the movie.
As the movie goes along, the viewer can become somewhat baffled at the idi-ocy of the character, yet cannot help but laugh at his awkward and out-of-place demeanor.
He seems to dance throughout half of the film, with his iPod permanently imbedded in his ear.
Childlike characteristics also become apparent, as Feldheimer smiles and starts laughing whenever attempting to be seri-ous. It is that childlike quality that makes his character humorous, knowing he is in way over his head and has no idea what he is doing.
Overall, however, the film is not really worth the movie admittance fee, unless one is a diehard Coen Brothers fan. But even then one would be better off to save the money and just wait for it to be released on DVD.
Contact Justin Morrison at [email protected].
‘Burn After Reading’ clouded with stupidity, confusing plot elements
By Ryan JacquesSTAFF WRITER
A nursing simulation lab enabling students to train on high-fidelity mannequins without the presence of faculty has been installed in the Health Sciences Building.
Cheri Etheredge, nursing pro-fessor and simulation coordinator, said the mannequins are referred to as high-fidelity due to being controlled via computer.
It can be programmed by fac-ulty for numerous scenarios and emergency situations normally experienced by hospital patients, nursing Director Maryanne Werner-McCullough said.
Instructors can raise or lower the patient’s vital signs from com-puters located on the other side of a two-way mirror looking in on the lab.
“We want them to suspend their disbelief,” Etheredge said.
Werner-McCullough said the mannequin has a voice, a pulse, vitals and can bleed.
The lab has been constructed to allow nursing students to train in a controlled environment as close to a clinical setting as pos-sible, Werner-McCullough said.
Within the lab, the mannequin lies in a bed hooked up to machin-ery that monitors its vitals just as a patient would be.
Three to four nursing students at a time enter the simulation lab
that resembles a patient’s room, Werner-McCullough said. Two of them dress in proper uniform and act as nurses in order to identify the patient’s health concern.
They have 20 minutes to rec-ognize the problem, call for orders using the phone located within the lab and then implement the orders.
The other students who enter the lab dress as family members of the patient who may get in the way of the students. Or they may be helpful and point out patient abnormalities, Etheredge said.
“If they do the right thing,” she said, the vitals return to normal.
There are two other high-fidel-ity mannequins, including a baby and a pregnant woman, known as Noelle, which gives birth to the baby, Werner-McCullough said.
First-year nursing student Dino Reyes said, “We’re very excited about it.”
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, students will go into the lab to train using these mannequins instead of going to clinical sites, Etheredge said. As the semester goes on, the instructors will pro-gram the mannequin for more complex scenarios.
Additionally, there are three cameras set up in the simulation lab to record the students. After 20 minutes, the exercise will end and nursing faculty will take the students into a debriefing room to discuss their work.
Practice using a nursing simu-lation lab is “relatively new in nursing education,” Etheredge said.
Contact Ryan Jacques at [email protected].
CAMPUS BEAT WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 l THE ADVOCATE 9
By Justin MorrisonEDITOR-IN-CHIEF
California, the golden state, earned its title for the gold and brown colors the hills turn during the summer dry season. Though beautiful, these golden fields hold one of the largest consistent threats to California — fires.
As with most of California, the Contra Costa College campus dried up during the summer months, art depart-ment Chairman John Diestler said, and if there were a major fire, “things could get pretty bad, pretty quickly.”
The art department had a recent brush with such a threat when a small fire was accidentally started at the backside of the Art Building on Aug. 26 at approximately 9:30 a.m., instruc-tional assistant Eric Sanchez said. Sanchez was one of the first ones on the scene after another instructor noti-fied him of the fire.
When he arrived, a couple students were already bringing buckets of water to try and extinguish the fire.
After notifying Police Services, he retrieved a fire extinguisher from the Art Building and put out the fire.
Once it appeared out, they got a rake
and pulled out the charred pine needles and eucalyptus leaves to ensure it was completely out, Sanchez said.
“If the needles and the eucalyptus go up, that’s it for the art department,” he said.
Although it was a small incident, it is a reminder of what could happen.
The last major fire on campus was on Oct. 10, 2001, when a two-alarm fire destroyed two greenhouses next to the Biological Sciences Building.
No one was hurt, and the fire was contained, but the incident did bring up major safety concerns.
When fire fighters were trying to tap into two fire hydrants, one was found to be stripped, rendering it unable to deliver water, and another had metal posts put in around it to prevent people from backing into the hydrant with their cars. The posts, however, had been positioned in a way to block the main 5-inch port.
Now the equipment is regularly checked by Buildings and Grounds, and they also remain aware for other possible dangers, Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce Kings said.
“We are proactive and take care of (problems) before they happen,” he said.
Over the summer, Buildings and Grounds got up on the hill behind the Music Building and cut back the dried weeds, King said. They also ensure that all the alarms in buildings are maintained and functional.
According to Police Services Sgt. Jose Oliveira, the campus has been fortunate when it comes to fire. In the 14 years he has been on campus, there were only four incidents in which the fire department needed to be called for fire.
Being prepared is important though and Police Services is ready in the event of an emergency, Oliveira said, with emphasis on ensuring student and faculty safety foremost.
When asked about the art depart-ment’s actions in taking care of the small fire, Oliveira said, “We do pro-vide staff with fire extinguisher train-ing, and as long as they can manage without a problem it is OK. Better to let them hit it with the extinguisher than to let it grow.”
“(I have) seen it where the original fire was doused, but an hour or so later it came back up,” he said.
The art department takes fire safety seriously, as the nature of certain class-es have students working directly with
a flame, Diestler said.He said the department sponsors
training every year and has students and faculty practice putting out a small fire.
The campus has also stepped up general safety and emergency pre-paredness training behind district Emergency Services Coordinator Teddy Terstegge, Safety Committee Chairwoman Mariles Magalong said.
She said the campus had an exten-sive three-day safety training over the summer certifying more than 20 staff members as responders in the event of an emergency.
Terstegge also streamlined the pro-cess of identifying problems and find-ing solutions, Magalong said, some-thing the Safety Committee struggled with in the past.
Yet, the campus and district faculty can only do so much to prepare for a disaster, she said.
“If we all contribute, we are all mindful,” Magalong said. “If people take personal safety and necessary pre-cautions, it will go a long way in creat-ing a safe environment for all of us.”
Contact Justin Morrison at [email protected].
Over the bridge —
Brad Fisher goes across
the newly renovated
bridge. The bridge, located
between the Humanities
Building and Computer
Technology Center, was
improved and made
more wheel-chair-acces-
sible.
Nurses opentraining spotLab introduces new equipment for simulations
By Shahruz ShaukatSTAFF WRITER
Students looking to access the Computer Technology or Automotive Technology cen-ters were met with a newly renovated bridge to and from the center of campus at the start of the semester.
The aged wooden bridge that was between the Humanities Building and Computer Technology Center has been revamped with brand new base planks and side rails for foot traffic on campus.
According to Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King, the old wood was prone to giving pedestrians splinters after crossing.
The new planks have been sanded down to reduce that risk.
King said the old bridge was not struc-turally unsafe, but that it was a good idea to renovate the worn walkway before it got too old.
The biggest advantage and reason for the recent renovation, he said, was to increase
accessibility to students with physical dis-abilities.
In addition to the restoration of the bridge, the pathways on each side leading up to the structure have been redone as well, and now offer a smoother, more even pavement to help improve wheelchair acces-sibility.
Instructional assistant Richard Stollings, who also works in DSPS, said the accessi-bility could still be improved.
“I always think more can be done,” Stollings said. “As far as (Buildings and Grounds) believe, it’s been done. The area going to the bridge is good, but how do you get there?”
Stollings said that if the pathways around campus were more level, it would help those with physical disabilities get around with ease.
Students who frequently use the bridge, however, were excited about the renova-tions, and felt it signaled a positive change for the college as a whole.
“It shows that the school is trying to get new stuff on campus,” Middle College High School student Maria Rubio said. “It’s like a new beginning — they are renovating every-thing and not leaving these things behind.”
Contact Shahruz Shaukat at [email protected].
By Lauren ShiraishiOPINION EDITOR
After 34 years together, former Contra Costa College staff member Bruce Carlton and his long-time partner Rich McCall are to be married today in a private ceremony in Sonoma County.
The two met in 1974, a year after Carlton began working at the college.
They were both a part of the chorus in “Pirates of Penzance,” a show put on by the San Francisco theater group they were active in, and have been together ever since.
“It’s fairly impressive to be with someone for 34 years, so this marriage is a very nice thing,” Library department Chairwoman Ellen Geringer said.
Senior Foundation Director Linda Cherry said that she agreed.
“Anyone who can stay together for that long deserves to be married,” she said.
During his tenure at CCC, Carlton could be found in a number of different positions, including division dean for the Library and counseling, and later as Library coordinator.
In the 1980s he taught German, choir and musi-cal theater for several years.
He was well known for his many contribu-tions to various organizations around the campus. Carlton was one of the founders of the Friends of the Library.
Carlton also served as secretary for the United Faculty and the Academic Senate, later assuming the position of president for the senate.
In addition, he was chairman of the College Council for a year.
“(Carlton) always had kind words to say about people, and he was a well-loved and respected fac-ulty member,” Geringer said.
Back when Carlton was teaching, he encouraged McCall, who worked for American Airlines at the time, to take a few computer classes on campus.
McCall ended up taking art classes as well, and is now a painter.
Even after his retirement in December 2004, Carlton continues to have the college in his best interest.
In addition to attending theater art classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and performing in various shows around the North Bay, Carlton finds time to contribute to CCC.
He and McCall received the Sy Zell Award in 2004 for Outstanding Volunteer Service, Cherry said.
The couple has included the Friends of the Library in their estate planning.
In 2004, they notified the Foundation of their decision to donate to the campus.
So far, their total contributions amount to roughly $200,000.
Their generosity earned them the title of 2004 Benefactors of the Year.
“We don’t have any children of our own, so we want to give the money to people who can use it,” Carlton said.
The Foundation later established a collection of art and travel books in the library in their honor.
Although only a few people will witness the mar-riage at the county clerk’s office, the couple plans to celebrate their union with all of their family and friends at their Sebastopol home on Saturday.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Carlton said of his marriage. “It’ll be like dotting I’s and crossing T’s, since we’ve been together for so long.”
Contact Lauren Shiraishi at [email protected].
ISAAC THOMAS / THE ADVOCATE
Practice makes perfect — Cheri Etheredge, nursing professor and simula-tion coordinator, observes the newest addition to the nursing department’s family — a mannequin controlled by a computer.
Long-time benefactorto be wed
Summer fire stirs safety questions
Renovations to bridge beautify old structure
ERIK VERDUZCO / THE ADVOCATE
DOLL HOUSE
After 34 years together, former staffer, partnerto be married in Sonoma
Hazardous pathway updated with new side rails, floorboards
By Dariush AzmoudehSTAFF WRITER
The Comet men’s soccer team experi-enced its second win of the season Friday night at home by the score of 2-1 over Chabot College (2-1-0 overall).
After their 1-1 tie at home against American River College Sept. 9, the Comets (2-0-1 overall) were able to defeat Chabot in their first home win of the season.
“We played a good first half, but our second half was a bit gritty,” coach Rudy Zeller said.
The team’s next game will be a non-conference match-up Friday at Skyline College in San Bruno at 4 p.m.
The game started off well for the Comets, with attacking plays coming from the right side and a close shot
by striker Ricki Salazar that flew right over the visiting team’s goalkeeper, barely missing the goal.
The first goal came at the 14th minute, when Salazar gave a pass to midfielder Chris Garcia that left him one-on-one against the goalkeeper to score.
CCC led 1-0 at halftime.In the second half, Chabot was able to
tie the game at the 66th minute.“I dove at
the ball,” Comet goalkeeper Luis Montano said, “but it slipped through my hands and they were able to score.
“But my t e a m m a t e s (helped) me bounce back up
to finish the game strongly,” Montano said.
Just three minutes later, midfielder Diego Orellano took back the lead and gave the Comets the win with an amazing
CCC edges out Chabot in win
JUSTIN MORRISON / THE ADVOCATE
Finding a seam — Comet striker Ricki Salazar splits two Gladiator defenders after receiving a pass from a team-mate. Contra Costa College beat Chabot College 2-1 to remain undefeated at 2-0-1 overall.
“I’m so frustrated. I lost my team.”
Laura VanWart,women’s soccer
coach
Comets earn first home victory with second half goal
ScoreBoardComets 2 Gladiators 1
Next Game: Fridayat Skyline,at 4 p.m.
SPORTSTHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 200810
t looks like this will be another year of struggling women’s
sports teams at Contra Costa College.
This year, however, it does not have to do with the teams’ win-loss records, mainly because half the teams might not even play.
After the cancellation of the women’s soccer season on Sept. 10 and the continuing search for a soft-ball coach, two of the college’s four women’s programs are at risk of not playing a game this season.
Athletic Director John Wade made the decision to cancel the women’s soccer season last week because the team did not have the minimum 11 players needed to field a team.
This is the second program to be canceled in as many seasons. The softball season was ended after the team lost all 21 games it played in the spring. The team’s struggles on the field led to problems off of it, and the bickering and fighting in
■ WOMEN’S SPORTS
Struggling programs fight to play in 2008-09 season
brettabel
I
the dugout led Wade and then-coach Angie Goularte to end the season prematurely.
Almost as soon as the season was over, Goularte took the available coaching position at Diablo Valley College, and since then the Comet team has had an almost completely empty roster.
Just one player has enrolled in a softball course offered this fall, according to a player from last year’s team.
When only a total of 10 players and one coach, which is a gener-ous estimate as some of the players on the women’s soccer roster are ineligible, have committed to two programs that need twice as many
between them to play, there is a major problem.
The problem, however, lies at all three levels of the athletic depart-ment — players, coaches and the athletic director.
Coaches have a requirement to go out throughout the year, not just during their sport’s season, and recruit the best players they can get to come play here.
That word best, however, does not mean the most points a player can put on a scoreboard, but means those who can do all of what is expected of student-athletes.
When an athlete makes a com-mitment to come to play at the college, it is both the player’s and coach’s responsibility to make sure he or she comes to campus, attends class, and then, finally, performs on the field.
As Lauren Fitzgerald, who came back to CCC from Cal State-Sacramento to play soccer this sea-son, said, “If you didn’t have to go
to school to play, we’d have a team. We’d be so good.”
But because all athletes here are students first, they need to under-stand the importance of getting work done in the classroom so they can play on the field.
This heavy responsibility lies on Wade and all coaches.
It is important for the athletic director to find coaches for the col-lege’s teams who will take the steps to establish successful programs.
If the coaches of the sports offered here cannot field success-ful teams, maybe it is not only time to change the coaches, but also the sports they coach.
Soccer and basketball are women’s programs that have had a history of winning seasons and full rosters. Volleyball and softball, however, are two sports that have not done much in years, although volleyball has doubled its roster size since last fall.
But if Wade cannot find a soft-
ball coach by the beginning of the spring, it may be time to offer a new spring sport.
The college’s track is currently being ripped up and will soon be swapped out with a state-of-the-art surface. Why not put it to good use?
This area is not a hotbed for softball recruits, but it is for track.
El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole and Salesian high schools have excel-lent track teams, especially their girls’ teams. Maybe the college should be recruiting track athletes, not scraping the bottom of the bar-rel for softball players.
Until the problems plagu-ing these struggling teams are addressed, or until they are replaced, they will continue to see long, tough seasons — or no sea-sons at all.
Brett Abel is an associate editor of The Advocate. Contact him at [email protected].
By Jeff CarilloSPORTS EDITOR
The football field and track at Comet Stadium have been demolished and are currently in the initial phases of a major reno-vation project.
As part of the project that began in late June, the college will see a resurfaced track around the field, new field turf to replace the outdated Astroturf, a reno-vated entryway and new gating as spectators enter the field, new rest rooms and possibly a conver-sion of handball courts to storage areas.
The renovations are district-wide, as Los Medanos College’s football field is undergoing con-struction. Diablo Valley College’s football field has already been completed.
“Everything’s being refur-bished, there’s also going to be a new drainage system, new turf and a different color scheme,” Athletic Director John Wade said. “It’s a very extensive project.”
Currently, demolition is being
done and Wade is hopeful for a successful completion of the proj-ect by February of 2009.
In addition to these changes, landscaping is being planned around Comet Stadium and new press boxes are being discussed as well.
“The football field is defi-nitely one of the biggest needs on campus,” equipment manager Benny Barnes said.
“We’re all really looking for-ward to it and by the time it’s completed, it should be a very nice stadium for the school and community.”
During the construction pro-cess, the football team has held its practices at the soccer field with both the men’s and women’s soccer teams.
“(Men’s soccer coach Rudy Zeller) and (women’s soccer coach Laura VanWart) have been great letting us share the field with them,” football coach John McDermott said. “We’re all fam-ily here and the entire process has been great.”
Currently, Hercules High School serves as the venue for
CCC to play its home games, Wade said.
Coach McDermott is also excited and optimistic for the renovation of the football field.
“It’s such a great sight to see things getting torn up there on the field,” McDermott said. “I love it. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”
Although the football team has been forced to become more adaptable, McDermott said, in light of the renovation, he views it more as a positive for his team than a negative.
“Playing at high school fields gives us the ability to showcase our program to high school stu-dents live and in person, rath-er than just telling them about our football program,” he said. “There are definitely a lot of posi-tives that come with this.”
Wade said, “I just hope that the students will be pleased by the end result. I want it to be done right because the commu-nity deserves the best.”
Contact Jeff Carillo at [email protected].
By Brett AbelASSOCIATE EDITOR
The struggling women’s soc-cer and softball teams continue to frustrate those involved with the programs, as both committed players and coaches remain dif-ficult to find.
Without the 11 players nec-essary to field a soccer team, Athletic Director John Wade made the decision Sept. 10 to cancel the 2008 schedule. He had previously canceled the team’s first games in early September due to the short roster before making the decision to end the season without a game being played.
In addition to the end of the women’s soccer team, Contra Costa College’s sole women’s sport in the spring, softball, remains without a coach.
In May, Angie Goularte went across the county to Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill to head its softball team, and Wade has been left trying to find a replacement.
“With women’s sports it’s just difficult,” he said. “With men’s sports you get a million guys who think they can play every year.
“Women’s sports, it seems dif-ficult, harder to get numbers,” Wade said. “Some women can be All-American, but don’t want to play.”
Starting practice in late August at the beginning of the semester, soccer coach Laura VanWart said her high number of recruits quick-ly dwindled down to nine.
She said although she recruited more than 30 players to play for CCC this season, and had five returning sophomores, VanWart said she had an inconsistent nine players coming to practice.
Of the nine who came out, she said some were ineligible.
“I’m so frustrated. I lost my
team,” VanWart said. “(The amount of players)
changed day-to-day. I didn’t have enough players. Numerous things came up,” the coach said. “Now I don’t have a team.”
Lauren Fitzgerald played at CCC in 2006, the year VanWart took over the program after Felicia Perez left for Evergreen Valley College. Fitzgerald returned to West County this year from Cal State-Sacramento to play soccer for the Comets again.
“This was my last year to play before going to (a four-year uni-versity),” Fitzgerald said.
“I’m not going to be able to play at this level ever again,” she said. “I’m really, really upset. All the girls are really upset about not being able to play.”
W h e n the team was losing its players, Fitzgerald said, the ones at prac-tices, out of desperation, would call anyone they knew of who played soccer.
“We were calling people, con-tacting anybody who plays soc-cer,” she said. “We were calling girls on the fly. If they wanted to be there, that’s cool.”
Fitzgerald said although the season was not officially can-celed until last week, many on the team knew by the second week of school the season was over before it would ever begin.
“I was really, really hoping to play,” she said. “When I made the decision (to play at CCC) I went back to the gym four days a week. It’s a big letdown.”
VanWart is now working with the nine who continue to come
and work with her in the Gym Annex Building and the coach is getting them ready for next season.
“We’re training in the fall and spring to have a strong team next year,” she said.
The player search for the 2009 softball team, however, has not begun and, in all likelihood, will not start for a while.
The search for the team’s coach for the upcoming season had come to an end, Wade said, but was reopened when the col-lege year started and the candi-date withdrew her name from the position.
“We need a (softball) coach,” he said. “I thought we had one, then at the last minute, before school started (she quit).
“It’s no one’s fault,” Wade said. “It just puts me under the gun.”
A softball class is offered for the students interested in play-ing in the spring, but according to Alisa Lara, a pitcher from last year’s team, only one player is enrolled in the course.
“(The program) is not doing very well at all,” Lara said. “I know the girls who were on the team (last year) won’t come back.”
In-team bickering during a 21-game winless season last year caused Goularte and Wade to can-cel the rest of the team’s sched-ule.
“It wasn’t organized last year,” Lara said. “It was just a matter of time (before) it happened.”
While the softball team has not won a game in its last two sea-sons, Wade said the open coach-ing position offers a chance for a coach.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “But a hard opportunity.”
Contact Brett Abel at [email protected].
goal from outside the box into the top left corner of the goal.
“I just closed my eyes and shot it and I knew it was going in,” Orellano said.
Montano made a game-deciding save
in the last minutes to preserve the win for CCC.
The freshman goalkeeper had seven saves during the game and has 15 in the season thus far.
“Our defense played good,” Zeller said.
Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at [email protected].
Women’s soccer lost, softball now in limbo
ISAAC THOMAS / THE ADVOCATE
Gridiron facelift — The football field and track are under construction to add new field turf and a resurfaced track to Comet Stadium. A landscaping project is being planned as well.
District updates fields
By Jeff CarilloSPORTS EDITOR
HERCULES — The only thing uglier than the 65 points put up by Diablo Valley College on Saturday was Contra Costa College’s poor tackling and tendency to shy away from any form of contact against the Vikings.
After being torched for 383 yards rushing to Los Medanos College in their first game, the Comets (0-2 overall) allowed another disappointing 380 yards to the Vikings in the 65-0 loss.
DVC’s (1-1 overall) second play from scrimmage was a sign of things to come for CCC, as Viking running back Kilisimasi Pongia scored on a 60-yard run, blowing past two Comet defend-ers in the process.
“Defensively, our guys are in the right spot assignment-wise, but we need to make tackles,” coach John McDermott said. “We’re not
making t ack les r i g h t now.
“ I t was just a crappy way to lose a g a m e ,” he said. “ T h e s e are our
rivals and a lot of our guys know their players personally, so it’s just disappointing all around.”
Wide receiver Deonta’ Allen said, “It’s very disappointing for us and we have to correct a lot of things, like the turnovers, to get better next week.”
The Vikings’ rushing attack proved too great for CCC’s young defense. The combina-tion of Pongia, Justin Walton and Brandon Thompson rushed for
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2008 l THE ADVOCATE 11
Comets give up 65 points in shutout
BRETT ABEL / THE ADVOCATE
A step ahead — Viking wide receiver John Hendershott receives a perfect pass from quarterback Kyle Havens in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Comets. Hendershott outran Jesse Jacobs (25) 18 yards to put DVC up 13-0.
Lack of defense, 6 turnovers key in loss to DVC
ScoreBoardVikings 67Comets 0
Next Game: Saturdayat Hartnell,at 7 p.m.
278 yards total for the game.Quarterback Kyle Havens
finished 6-of-16 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns for the game as well.
DVC did most of its damage in the second quarter, however, scoring five touchdowns, two of them by Viking wide receiver John Hendershott.
CCC did not help its cause, turning the ball over four times in the quarter.
Quarterback Royce Hughes threw an interception in the quar-
ter and he lost the ball on a fum-ble, while running back Rashad Smith and defensive back Aarone King both fumbled in the quarter as well.
“The (fumbles) and intercep-tions really hurt us,” Hughes said. “That gave them the momentum to take control of the game, even though we were still in the game at the time.”
Despite DVC’s fast start, the Comets were able to make a game out of it in the first quarter.
Hughes responded to the
Vikings’ opening touchdown with a 12-play drive that took CCC all the way to DVC’s 8-yard line, thanks, in part, to three DVC pen-alties.
The sophomore quarterback then proceeded to throw an incomplete pass into the endzone, lose two yards on a rush attempt and finally turn the ball over on an interception after two CCC penalties forced the team back to the 28-yard line.
On DVC’s second play after the interception, CCC forced its
one and only turnover on the day, when Pongia was stripped of the ball and the Comets recovered, placing them in good field posi-tion to score once again.
After a false start penalty spoiled a fourth down conversion attempt, CCC opted for a field goal, but a botched hold from wide receiver James Hernandez led to a missed field goal attempt from freshman kicker Justin Naterman.
It was the last time all after-noon that the Comet offense would
come close to putting points on the board.
“I could’ve stayed in the pocket more and made the throws I need to make,” Hughes said. “It was just an ugly loss and everybody needs to pick things up.”
What made things worse for CCC on the afternoon was the loss of a key contributor on an already struggling defense.
In the first quarter, sophomore defensive back Jason Villaruz had to be carted off the field onto an ambulance after sustaining a dis-located knee while tackling wide receiver Josh Bulla.
Villaruz’s knee got caught underneath Bulla while making the tackle and his weight twist-ed the defensive back’s knee the other direction. The injury has forced Villaruz out of action indefinitely.
The score also prompted McDermott to make a change at quarterback, when the coach inserted quarterback Yusef Shojaee midway through the third quarter.
Shojaee completed only one pass on five attempts to wide receiver Alberto Johnson for 18 yards.
It was the quarterback’s play while on the run, however, that brought a spark to CCC late in the game. The freshman rushed for 13 yards and led CCC to three first downs on his first series on the field.
“(Yusef) brought great energy to the team and he does so in practice, too,” McDermott said. “I won’t say that he’ll start, but we’ll find more ways to package him onto the field and get him into the game.”
CCC passed for only 78 yards for the game, while barely averag-ing over three yards per carry for 125 rushing yards total.
“What we need most is for our playmakers to make plays,” McDermott said. “(Hughes), (Johnson) and (Allen) need to make big plays for us.”
Contact Jeff Carillo at [email protected].
By Anthony FarrSTAFF WRITER
A new defensive coordinator aims to bring a higher level of energy to the field this season for Contra Costa College.
The Comets hope to make a strong improve-ment on the defensive side of the ball, with last year’s coordinator still on staff, but moving over to help out with the linebacker position. The new defensive-minded coach looks to have a huge impact on his players this season.
Mark Stantz will be taking over the reins as the defensive play caller for CCC this year. Stantz brings more than 20 years of experi-ence, with seven years as a defensive specialist and 13 years as a head coach, to the staff.
“He brings a lot of leadership and experi-ence to our defense,” coach John McDermott said, “everything you want in a coach.”
With experience both on and off the field, he is up for the challenge, Stantz said.
The Comets will run the same defensive formation, 4-3 basic, as last year, he said.
“I coach for the love of the game,” Stantz said. “It’s the next best thing to playing the game. I can’t play anymore.”
Stantz said he not only looks to bring a lot of intensity to the field, but also to give the young athletes the life experience of playing junior college football.
Stantz, who served in the Marine Corps for four years, also spent time playing football for Diablo Valley College, UC Berkeley and a semi-pro team, all as a defensive lineman.
Despite all the talent on the field, he is still getting to know his players.
“We have good kids, but guys aren’t dedi-cated to practice,” Stantz said.
During his tenure at CCC, Stantz’s vision is to help the athletes learn the game of football and give them a better understanding of what it takes to win, as well as the importance of academics.
“I want to see them be successful in the classroom,” Stantz said. “These kids have to realize you can’t just come out one day, pick up a football and play. It takes hard work and dedication on and off the field.”
Stantz understands the importance of edu-cation, as he earned a master’s degree in physi-cal education.
While coaching the last two years as a line-
Defensive coordinator brings energy, vision
JUSTIN MORRISON / THE ADVOCATE
Listen up — Defensive coordinator Mark Stantz talks to his squad during Saturday’s game against DVC, where he was a lineman before playing at UC Berkeley and on a semi-pro team. Before coming to CCC, Stantz was a head coach for 13 years.
Defense in new Stantz
By Jeff CarilloSPORTS EDITOR
Experience as a student, ath-lete and coach at Contra Costa College, as well as passion for the college and its community, are qualities Marvin Webb brings to his new position as a full-time faculty member in the physical education department.
Webb’s tenure dates back to his time as a student-athlete at CCC in the early 1970s, as well as his time coaching.
He has been the head baseball coach since the 1997 season, after being an assistant for 14 years.
“I’m a person who’s commit-ted to this college and commu-nity,” Webb said. “I played here, and coached here under every head coach before me. I’m not doing this for a job, but rather because I have a connection to the community.”
The 55-year-old has made the transition to full-time status by teaching PE classes, a Health Education class and continuing in his position as head baseball coach for the Comets.
“I’ve wanted to be full time earlier, but it didn’t happen for whatever reason,” Webb said. “But it worked the way it was supposed to and I’m glad I’m part of the full-time staff now.”
The amount of time the coach has invested working with stu-dent-athletes for more than two decades, however, was considered enough by his colleagues to be a full-time employee already.
“He’s been full-time already for a long time, before I even got here,” Athletic Director John Wade said.
“Being full-time is a just reward for him and he’s deserved it for a long time.”
Perhaps the most telling inci-dent that demonstrates Webb’s commitment to CCC is his come-back from quadruple-bypass sur-gery after he suffered a heart attack one year ago.
Despite advice from his doctors to take time off from coaching, Webb returned to the team mid-season and guided the Comets to a five-game winning streak to finish the season.
“You can tell that his heart is in it,” Wade said. “I’ve always appre-ciated his passion to do something positive to make his program bet-ter each year and to produce qual-ity student-athletes.”
Webb is taking the opportunity as his chance to “give back” to the community that has given so much to him.
“If every-body came and left after getting their education, the area would be weak,” he said. “I want to be here even more and make a dif-ference helping my players and my students.”
Webb said that over the years he has had the oppor-tunity to take coaching posi-tions at other schools in the area, including four-year universities, but ulti-mately chose to stay at CCC.
“My heart is here and it’s always been here,” he said. “I hope to make a difference with my experience and I know this community and I believe in its potential.”
Fellow full-time faculty mem-ber and men’s soccer coach Rudy Zeller said Webb brings many positives to the staff.
“I think he’s a great addition,” Zeller said. “He’s always been well-respected and he’s communi-ty-oriented. We need more people like him on staff.”
Webb will resume his coach-ing duties this spring, as he begins his 11th season as the Comets’ baseball coach. CCC finished last season with a 16-24 overall record and a 13-15 record in the Bay Valley Conference.
Contact Jeff Carillo at [email protected].
Coach hired as full-time faculty
the defense,” safety Arestes Robinson said. “Coach is a great addition, he brings a lot of fire to the defense which is really needed.”
Stantz knows his players are young, but hopes they will take advantage of opportuni-ties they are given.
“I did it the hard way. I was married with two kids,” he said, “I hope they do it different from me.”
Contact Anthony Farr at [email protected].
backer coach at Solano Community College, Stantz enjoyed the community college envi-ronment.
Coming to CCC was a simple choice for him, made easier with the support of his wife and children who are proud of him for doing what he loves.
“It’s a beautiful campus, 10 times better than I thought,” Stantz said, “McDermott wel-comed me with open arms.”
Both players and colleagues love the enthu-siasm Stantz brings to the field.
“He’s a good mentor and motivator to
From player to manager, Webb stays committed
WebbHe will enter his 25th season (14 as an assis-tant, 11 as a head coach) at CCC in 2008.
The smell of burnt rubber filled the air at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway on Saturday. The fifth annual Formula Drift competition drew large numbers of car enthu-siasts from all over the Bay Area.
Professional drivers from around the world convened to compete not in a race of horse-power and speed, but in a contest based on style and maneuverabil-ity referred to as drifting.
Rather than slowing down, competitors purposely lose con-
trol at high speeds while accel-erating, causing the tail of their vehicles to swing into corners.
The venue also featured an off-track car show that brought in a wide variety of Japanese and American vehicles.
Exhibitors and sponsors wheeled out their flashiest vehi-cles for both the competition and car show.
Contact Sam Attal at [email protected].
Smoking the competition — Vaughn Gitten Jr. pushes his vehicle from turn-to-turn to qualify for his spot in the Top 16 bracket at last weekend’s tournament. His 2008 Team
Falken Ford Mustang went through many changes before the event. Team Falken made adjustments to the motor and suspension for the comfort of Gitten.
Text and photos by Sam Attal
FOCUSTHE ADVOCATE l WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 200812
Hanging out — (Top) Kenji Yamanaka hangs out of his driver’s side window while performing various stunts to energize the crowd. He is driving a right-hand drive S14 Nissan 240SX imported from Japan. The event predominantly featured Japanese model cars from makers such as Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru and Mitsubishi.
Raise it up — (Right) Rhys Millen receives two checks after a second place finish in the Team Pontiac Solstice GXP during the Top 16 competition. He fell short of first place in a dual against AEM Nissan 350Z driver Tanner Foust. Third place was awarded to Bill Sherman behind the wheel of the Retaks S13.5 Nissan 240SX.
Signature style —
Drifters sign autographs
for fans and follow-
ers of the drift scene.
The event showcased more than 20 profes-
sional drift-ers belong-ing to more
than 10 teams.
Most driv-ers had
experience on a closed track or on the streets for several years prior to enteringany official
drifting events.
Attackingcorners
Annual
Formula
Drift
shows off
cars,
skills
Primed for show — A second generation S14 Nissan 240SX sits on display without a final coat of paint during Saturday’s car show. The show featured numerous high-performance Nissans.
Under the hood — A Blacktop Nissan SR20DET engine resides in a AE86 Toyota Corolla chassis. Many cars displayed wild and pricey per-formance modifica-tions in order to compete in the mo-torsport.
