Political violence weakens any republic
By Benjamin Bassham, News Editor
May 17, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Communists and fascists feed each other. Both need a populace in fear to grow and they get that by bloodshed. There is literally no way anything good can come out of the recent violence in Berkeley. No matter who wins, we all lose. The communists are usually the ones who start the ugly cycle and it...
Democratic oligarchy
By The Advocate, Editorial Board
May 17, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Using student fees to pay any part of an employee’s salary at any public college without the consent of the majority of its student body is a transgression against democracy. Student Life departments at sister colleges Contra Costa and Diablo Valley are funneling student-generated funds to pay advisers, managers...
Fine delivers grim message
By Editorial Board, The Advocate
May 3, 2017
The statewide push, propelled by the Student Senate of California Community Colleges (SSCCC), to universally ban all smoking of tobacco, marijuana and even e-cigarettes on campuses has trickled down to the district level. If this motion passes at the May 24 Contra Costa College District Governing Boar...
Blinding ‘love’ leads to emotional trauma
By Jessica Suico, Advocate Staff
May 2, 2017
Filed under Opinion
In any successful relationship, friendship or marriage, three key ingredients are needed to prosper: trust, respect and love. When I was 15 years old I was blinded by love, totally immersed in the idea of having my first real boyfriend. We both came from a past of family abuse. In my house the abus...
Falcons’ pick shows nation Richmond spirit
By Efrain Valdez, Social Media Editor
May 2, 2017
Former Comet football player and John F. Kennedy High School alumnus Takkarist McKinley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th pick in the first round of 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday. McKinley claimed the draft’s highlight when NFL legend and NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders interviewed him s...
Draft picks nourish teams, provide hope
By Kyle Pierce, Advocate Staff
April 25, 2017
A fan’s relationship with their team is a complicated one. Fans endure a lot of emotions: the joy of scoring, the dejected feeling of watching your team fall behind, the frustration of terrible officiating, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Through the highs and lows, fans stay by th...
Cursing is mainstream, overuse mars integrity
By Michael Santone, News Editor
April 25, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Nowadays the use of profanity has become as common as hello and goodbye in everyday conversation. We were taught that these taboo “curse words” were never to be spoken, whispered or even thought about or you’d be sent straight to hell — in a handbasket. Well, metaphorically, that is. Growin...
‘Last resort’ picks pockets
By Editorial Board, The Advocate
April 25, 2017
Filed under Opinion
The Associated Student Union Board renewed its agreement to use student fees to pay for part of a full-time employee’s salary because the college administration couldn’t find funds elsewhere to pay it. At the weekly public ASU meeting on April 19, only one ASU member voted against covering 25 perce...
Micro aggressions demean morality, race
By Anthony Kinney, News Editor
April 19, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Most people are discouraged from publicly engaging in hate speech by the distressful possibility of rampant ridicule unabatedly attacking their better judgment. For these hate-filled folks, saying what you mean is usually an ugly deliberate insult targeted at a marginalized group. Questions like “will ...
Upgrade still loading
By Editorial Board, The Advocate
April 18, 2017
Filed under Opinion
The sudden launch of the redesigned website is a needed change to the outdated virtual front door of Contra Costa College, but students lost links to important information during the move. While the redesign was long overdue, the surprise launch of the site leaves much work to be done in terms of bec...
Misuse of term ‘woke’ pushes need to unite
By Robert Clinton, Sports Editor
April 10, 2017
Filed under Opinion
In these turbulent times that we live in, many believe the end result of becoming an agent against systematic oppression requires little more than wearing the label of ally and topping it off with the proclamation of being “woke.” Make no mistake, like many things deemed cool in America, “woke...
NFL owners vote removes Raiders from Oakland
By Efrain Valdez, Opinion Editor
March 29, 2017
Filed under Opinion
Ripping out the heart and torching the soul of Raider fans in the East Bay, the NFL owners voted on Monday to approve the relocation of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas. Mark Davis and the other 31 NFL owners voted 31-1 to take away one of the most historic football teams in professional sports from Oak...