ACCREDITATION:
ARC LIKELY TO RETAIN ITS STATUS AS AN ACCREDITED SCHOOL FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE’S VISIT PAGE 3
CURRENT /ARCurrentcom
Vol. 67, Ed. 4
ARCURRENT.COM
The American River
‘CREDIBLE THREAT’
A former ARC student was arrested Thursday night after a student reported a threat he was alleged to have made.
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DA TABLES CHARGES
The District Attorney declined to press charges on Tuesday, but have requested further investigation.
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‘JUSTICE WAS DONE’
Kristofer Clark’s mother said she’s ‘fearful the claim was hate-driven’ after his release was announced Tuesday.
HYLTON:
ASB PRESIDENT COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF TRUSTEE WEAVER AFTER HOLOCAUST CONTROVERSY PAGE 4 October 14, 2015
Resigned president blasts ARC SAYS ARC ADMIN ‘DO NOT CARE ABOUT US’ By John Ferrannini and Jordan Schauberger jferr1995@gmail.com jschauberger94@gmail.com
Above photo by Barbara Harvey / Below photo courtesy of the Los Rios Police Department
Above, ARC President Thomas Greene and Los Rios Capt. John McPeek address the press Friday about the arrest of Kristofer Clark, pictured below.
CAMPUS BOMB PLOT SUSPECT RELEASED DA DECLINES TO PURSUE CHARGES PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION FRIENDS PROTEST ARREST:
SUSPECT CLAIMS INNOCENCE:
By Barbara Harvey barbaraapharvey@gmail.com
By John Ferrannini and Matthew Peirson
Friends of Clark took to social media to rally support for the former ARC student, who they say is innocent.
Friends of the former American River College student arrested Thursday night for allegedly threatening to attack the campus took to social media to protest his innocence, days before he was released from custody Tuesday. A Facebook group titled “Truth for Kristofer Clark” had nearly 600 members Tuesday, just days after news spread of the arrest of 21-year-old Kristofer Clark. Posts on the public page are an array of pictures and messages in support of Clark, who was released when the District Attorney decided not to file charges pending further investigation. Clark said that he was accused of saying to a woman he was hugging that the school was going to “be blown up.” He was arrested at approximately 6:10 p.m. Thursday at
FRIENDS | PAGE 3
Clark, 21, denied making the alleged threat that the American River College campus would ‘be blown up’
jferr1995@gmail.com matthewpeirson@gmail.com
ON THE WEB Keep up-to-date with stories surrounding the arrest and release of Kristofer Clark at ARCurrent.com
After he was arrested Thursday for making what police said was a “credible threat” against the American River College main campus, former ARC student Kristofer Wayne Clark, 21, professed his innocence. “I’m hoping (the police) got my name wrong … I felt angry because I didn’t understand what was going on,” Clark told with ABC10 News from the Sacramento County Jail. “I wanted answers but nobody was giving them to me. All I’m thinking is ‘what’s going on.’” Clark, who as of press time was expected to be released Tuesday after the District Attorney declined to pursue charges, said that he was accused of saying to a woman
THREAT | PAGE 4
Former Associated Student Body Student Senate President Garrett Kegel sent an email to the Current on Oct. 2 in which he made serious allegations against the American River College administration and ASB adviser Juan Miguel Blanco while stating the reasons for his abrupt Sept. 29 resignation. Kegel said that he resigned due to medical reasons relating to an anxiety disorder and was not allowed to go on medical leave, leading him to feel he had no choice but to resign. “I felt that there was no other option,” said Kegel in the email. “I asked my adviser Juan Blanco to help accommodate for my disability, yet I did not receive much help.” Kegel said that shortly after his resignation, he wanted to retract his decision but was told by the Center for Leadership and Development that he could not do that. “The Center for Leadership and Development refused, due to accreditation being so close,” said Kegel in the email. “I received no amnesty. No forgiveness. I didn’t even get a day to think about resigning, to calm down and attempt to cope with my anxiety.” Kegel went on to say that the administration “do(es) not care about us.” “I am a victim of process and procedure, something that the ARC administration uses to block the view of all the bright, optimistic faces of the student body,” said Kegel in the email. “We are not students to them, we are ‘transients.’ We are just passing through. They do not care about
KEGEL | PAGE 2
Dancing in the dark: ARC glovers share their insight on the EDM dance style.
FEATURE | PAGE 7
Page 2
October 14, 2015
News
Kegel: ‘They do not care about us’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 us. They only care about processing us through. “I do not want to be on campus anymore if we, as students, cannot even trust the paid district officials who are supposed to promote our growth as students.” Kegel is the second person elected ASB Student Senate president in the past year to claim that they were not allowed to serve in that capacity because of roadblocks set by the school’s administration. Jorge Riley, who was elected ASB Student Senate president in the Spring 2014 election over Tamara Dunning by a margin of 62 votes, but whose election was invalidated for reasons the administration and the ASB have not disclosed, said that he agreed with Kegel’s assessment of the administration. “The only people they want in office are the people who are going to agree with everything,” said Riley. “They should shut the whole thing down. There’s no real representation.” Blanco said that he could not confirm or deny whether Kegel asked for accommodations, citing the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Blanco also said he could neither confirm or deny whether he gave any accommodations to Kegel. Blanco said that Kegel did not ask him to go on medical leave. He also contested Kegel’s assertion that the school holds students back from learning to be leaders. “That’s my role as student life supervisor,” said Blanco. “It’s not my responsibility to impose ideas.” Manuel Perez, the dean who oversees ASB, said that neither Kegel or Blanco discussed the possibility of Kegel going on medical leave with him. Perez strongly contested the idea that the administration would not let Kegel back on the board because of the Oct. 5-8 visit from the committee responsible for accreditation. “At no point did accreditation play a role in this nor would it ever be a reason we would encourage or hinder a student,” said Perez. “Accreditation was never a part of the dialogue.” Perez confirmed Kegel’s assertion that Kegel would only be allowed back on to the board if he was appointed by the senate.
american river
current Editor-in-Chief John Ferrannini Managing Editor Matthew Peirson News Editor Lena DoBynes Sports Editors Nicholas Corey Kevin Sheridan Arts and Culture Editor Joseph Daniels
Jordan Schauberger / jschauberger94@gmail.com
From left, then-Vice President Sam Kinsey, Director of Finance David Hylton and President Garrett Kegel discuss a bill during a Student Senate meeting on Sept. 17. Kegel resigned on Sept. 29, sending an email to the Current.
“
I was elected by students to serve students, but the administration has ‘processed’ me out of the role of president. I am a victim of process and procedure, something the ARC administration uses to block the view of all the bright, optimistic faces of the student body. We are not students to them, we are ‘transients.’ We are just passing through. They do not care about us.
–GARRETTKEGEL
after admitting to a drug offense committed while at the state General Assembly for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges in Los Angeles, said that he cannot comment on Kegel’s allegations at this time. “I haven’t read the whole thing so I can’t say anything about that,” said Hylton. “What I can say is that I did see Dean Perez, (CAEB President) Justin (Nicholson) and (Kegel) sitting in his office before our (Student Senate) meeting. I don’t know what transpired. I have no idea. “I just know is that when I was sitting here Garrett came to me and closed the door and told me that him and Sam were both resigning and that I was going to be president … he did seem kind of upset.” Director of Administrative Services Dan McKechnie was accused in the email by Kegel of referring to ARC students as “transients” at Buildings, Grounds and Safety Committee (BGSC) meetings. McKechnie said that those allegations were false.
“As the chairman of that committee I can’t remember a single instance where any student or student group was disparaged in any form or fashion by anyone,” said McKechnie. Laurie Jones, who sits on the committee, agreed that McKechnie had never used the term but said that she has heard students referred to in that way. “In a BGSC meeting last year, in discussing the tobacco issue, either a faculty or staff person said that the faculty and staff are around longer. I was trying to have the committee wait to make a recommendation until we had more student input,” said Jones. “Our input was not as valuable because we are only here fleetingly. “I was shocked … We are the purpose of this institution.” Former Senate Vice President Sam Kinsey resigned on Sept. 30, the day after Kegel. He has stated he cannot finish his term because he has an internship at city hall. Additional reporting by Barbara Harvey
“Holocaust denial is considered anti-Semitic,” said Spencer. “As a student, I want to call for his removal.” Sen. Tamara Dunning said that several students had expressed concern to her about Weaver, so she submitted a request that a recall of Weaver be voted on by the board. Three of the four Los Rios ASB student senates would have to vote in favor of a recall by a threeto-one margin for a special election to be called. “The comments are inappropri-
ate and not representative of the students,” said Dunning. “He did have an opportunity to apologize and he chose not to.” Legislative Analyst McKaela Broitman said that that the board needs to make a decision as soon as possible. “I think it is time that we move forward with action,” said Broitman. “(We need to) listen to the students who put us in these chairs and remove him from office.” Clubs and Events Board President Justin Nicholson
suggested that the board try to approach this issue from a non-emotional standpoint. “We should remove our personal opinions and proceed as a legislative body,” said Nicholson. The board has yet to take Weaver’s recall to a formal vote as of press time. The Senate board appointed former CAEB President Jeremy Diefenbacher and Brent Steele to the board as senators. CAEB is planning for a “haunted harvest” themed Club Day on Oct. 21.
ASBNOTEBOOK
By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com The Associated Student Body Student Senate began discussions on the potential recall of Los Rios Student Trustee Cameron Weaver during its meeting Thursday. Weaver has come under fire for making remarks casting doubt on whether the Holocaust actually took place. ARC student Brett Spencer, a volunteer at the Community and Diversity Center, urged the board to recall Weaver.
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Perez told a reporter from the Current that he would be forwarding Kegel’s complaints about how his situation was handled to the appropriate channels. Scott Crow, the ARC public information officer, said that there are avenues for students who feel discriminated against. “He uses processes in quotes but whenever there’s a situation like this, you get it to the proper people,” said Crow. “I’d encourage students to start with their professors first. If professors don’t know, go to one of the vice presidents.” Crow said that there are different administrators who handle complaints such as discipline and sexual harassment. Crow also said that he didn’t feel the remarks were aimed at the whole administration. “I think a lot of people use the term ‘administration’ in a global sense,” said Crow. Acting Student Senate President David Hylton, who was censured by the Senate in April
SENATE DEBATES TRUSTEE RECALL
Scene Editors Ashley Nanfria Emily Thompson Opinion Editors Ashlynn Johnson Mychael Jones Multimedia Editor Kameron Schmid Copy Editor Jordan Schauberger Web Editor Barbara Har vey Staff Noor Abasi Jose Garcia Johnnie Heard Matthew Nober t Michael Pacheco Joe Padilla Iris Page Karen Reay Matthew Wilke Adviser Walter Hammer wold Photo Adviser Jill Wagner
PROUD MEMBERS OF THE CNPA & JACC
POLICY The Current is produced by the students of College Media Production, J410-413. All opinions are signed and not necessarily endorsed by the Current staff. All letters and articles appearing in the Opinion section are not necessarily representative of the Current staff or American River College policy. All articles are the property of the Current. Letters must be typed and can be submitted by mail, email or in person at the following addresses: The American River Current 4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120 Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 E-mail: Current@arc.losrios.edu www.ARCurrent.com
October 14, 2015
News
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ARC likely to remain accredited FOLLOWING LAST WEEK’S VISIT, THE FINAL DECISION ON ARC’S ACCREDITATION WILL BE MADE IN JANUARY 2016 By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com It is expected that American River College will remain an accredited institution, according to accreditation liaison Adam Karp after Thursday’s presentation by the 12-member team responsible for an external report on the college. Accreditation determines whether units students earn at the school can be transferred to other colleges and whether students can continue to receive federal financial aid. The six-year process culminates in a self-evaluation report by the college followed by a visit from representatives of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The final decision will be made by WASC’s Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) in January 2016, based on the external report compiled by the visitors. The 12-member team, made of faculty, staff and administration from other California colleges, gave a brief presentation in the large theater Thursday afternoon in which they identified what the school is doing well and what needs improvement. Speaking for the group, Marvin Martinez, the president of East Los Angeles College, listed areas where the college needs to show improvement, including building a “culture of evidence.” “Institutional standards need to be integrated into the college’s ongoing cycle of life,” said Martinez. Martinez also said that the college needed to do more to help students substitute for classes which are no longer available but are required for degrees and certificates. Martinez also gave seven commendations to the school. The first two of these touched on the relationships ARC has with neighboring institutions, such as the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and businesses. “Faculty and staff have established longstanding relationships
CORRECTIONS In Volume 67, Editions 2 and 3 of the Current, the following corrections are listed: In Edition 2 on page 7, Devon Taylor is referred to with a male pronoun. Devon Taylor is female. In Edition 2 on page 7, it is falsely stated that “Music Man” would open on Oct. 2. In fact, the play has always been scheduled to open on Oct. 9. In Edition 3 on page 4, it is falsely stated that Leonard Nelson is a wide receiver. In fact, Nelson is a defensive back. In Edition 3 on page 12, Marcus Bergman of the Medieval Fighting Club is falsely referred to as “Marcus Birdman.”
Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com
American River College Dean of Planning, Research and Technology Adam Karp, the accreditation liason, speaks to a member of the accreditation team in front of the Learning Resource Center during one of the stops of the campus tour on Oct. 6.
with businesses to receive things necessary for student success,” said Martinez, who also said that ARC is good at “leveraging resources to enhance student success.” Martinez said the team found that the administration, faculty and staff had good opportunities for professional development and conflict resolution. “The college itself is responsible for most of the opportunities for professional development,” said Martinez. Martinez praised the district’s interest-based approach of conflict resolution. “Mediators are trained to be available district wide to help with conflicts,” said Martinez, who called the interest-based approach “an immeasurable value to the college and to the (Los Rios) district as a whole.” Finally, Martinez praised the relationship between
student learning outcomes and student success, online classes and the center for leadership and development. He said that the center for leadership and development helped the school to provide “an inclusive environment for diversity.” Martinez also praised the student sages who guided the team around the campus and the students in the culinary department who provided food from the Oak Cafe. “I gained 10 pounds this week,” Martinez joked. “(It was) not a bad 10 pounds to gain.” It was not allowed of attendees to ask questions of the team before they exited the theater. ARC President Thomas Greene thanked the team for their work. “To come here and to invest the time and energy they have in support of us and our improvement – that’s not to be
taken lightly,” said Greene. The accreditation team arrived at ARC on Oct. 5, visiting the Natomas, McClellan and Mather centers before arriving on the main campus on Oct. 6. At an open forum held in the Student Center on Oct. 6, team member David Bugay explained that the team’s mission is to verify what the school said in the self-report sent to the ACCJC over the summer. “We’re finding really interesting things here,” said Bugay. “We’ve spent hours reading all about you and then we find the gossip and the dirt ... I intend to steal as much as I can and take it to my college.” For Amanda Corcoran, the accreditation faculty chair, Thursday’s presentation came at the end of a laborious process. “It reflects the hard work the entire college has put toward the process,” said Corcoran.
Karp, who also served as dean of planning, research and technology said that the visit was a success. “I think the college did an outstanding job working together. There was a lot of hard collaboration, hard work and responsiveness,” said Karp. The ACCJC has been mired in controversy since a judge ruled that the organization broke laws in its effort to remove the accreditation of the City College of San Francisco in 2012. After being ordered to re-examine the removal, the ACCJC once again decided not to renew the accreditation of CCSF in August. Assembly member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, introduced Assembly Bill 1397 this session. AB 1397 would make the ACCJC publish their meeting agendas online one month in advance.
Friends: Clark ‘would never really do it’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 his job at the McDonalds on Fair Oaks Boulevard, about three miles from the ARC campus. In a jailhouse interview with ABC10, Clark said that he wasn’t given any information about the accusations, and hopes that his arrest was a misunderstanding. Clark’s mother, Holly Clark, spoke to the Current on Tuesday, following news that her son was going to be released. “I am relieved. Justice was done. I knew the truth would come out, just a matter of time,” said Mrs. Clark. “I’m not convinced it was a credible threat. I’m fearful the claim was hatedriven.” Nevertheless, Mrs. Clark said
she was not upset with the police and is not currently thinking about further legal action. “I’m not upset with the police at all; they were just doing their job,” she said. “My priority is just to get him home.” Mrs. Clark posted an update on the Facebook page Saturday, while her son was in jail, thanking supporters and detailing her misgivings about the case. “We would like to thank everyone for their support. Words can’t possibly explain what we are going through. Anyone who knows Kristofer knows the accusation against him is false. Kris is a lover and doesn’t have violence in him,” the post read. “Kris is extremely scared right now. We all believe he is being used as an
example. … Stories aren’t lining up. The only consistent thing we have heard is there doesn’t seem to be much if any proof of the claim yet they jailed him in general population in Sacramento county jail and he doesn’t even see a judge until Tuesday.” Mrs. Clark went on to express frustration with the limited information she’s been given about the case. ARC student Kyle Joyce said that whoever reported Clark must not have known him well. “He would never really do it, he just doesn’t think before speaking a lot,” said Joyce. “I stand by this man and his good character.” On the other hand, ARC student Kyra Pigford said that when she found out Clark had been
arrested for allegedly making threats, she was “not surprised.” “I was like ‘there’s something very off about this person.’ You can just kind of tell,” said Pigford. “Honestly, just being around him and experiencing him around other people, I’m not surprised.” Pigford said that Clark often joked about sexual assault and “would say random things just to get attention.” “The way you make friends is not by saying stuff like ‘I’m going to rape you,’” said Pigford. “I don’t know if he needs guidance or mental health or if it’s his personality, but that’s no way to act in public.” Additional reporting by John Ferrannini, Kameron Schmid and Jordan Schauberger
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October 14, 2015
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Hylton defends trustee’s remarks ACTING ASB PRESIDENT WON’T REQUEST RECALL, SAYS EMBATTLED STUDENT TRUSTEE WEAVER IS HIS FRIEND By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com During a 38-minute interview with the Current on Oct. 2, acting Student Senate President David Hylton defended Student Trustee Cameron Weaver’s skepticism about the Holocaust and spoke at length about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, saying that Israel is “killing innocents.” Hylton also questioned how, since the “Jewish community went through the Holocaust,” they could “conduct the same type of thing on other people (the Palestinians).” The Current: “Do you understand where people are coming from when they say they want to see (Cameron Weaver) recalled?” Hylton:“Yeah, and until we get a significant number of people coming and asking about that then—And let’s talk about Israel and Palestine if you want to talk about the Jewish community.” The Current: “What about them?” Hylton: “You don’t know anything about Israel and Palestine?” The Current: “I want to know why you want to talk about it.” Hylton: “I’d like to talk about it because there’s human rights violations going on and the Palestinian people don’t have a say in the United Nations. They don’t have statehoodship. And they’re getting murdered. By Israel.” The Current: “How does that relate to—” Hylton: “Well, because, you know, throughout life you’re supposed to learn from history, and since the Jewish community went through the Holocaust you’d assume that they wouldn’t conduct that same type of thing on other people. I’m not saying that they’re using gas chambers or anything like that on the Palestinians but up until last year they were out there blowing up their houses like that and killing innocents on a crusade to take away the Hezbollah’s weapons.” In response to these comments, Bruce Pomer of the Jewish Community Relations Counsel said he “could not be more disturbed.” “It’s almost like he (Hylton) is using what’s going on in Israel to justify the Holocaust,” said Pomer. “It’s very offensive to everyone who was affected by what Hitler did. If I was a Jewish student there, I’d feel
Joseph Daniels / joseph64daniels@gmail.com
Acting ASB President David Hylton discusses the agenda at the Student Senate meeting on Oct. 1. Hylton has defended controversial remarks made by Student Trustee Cameron Weaver.
uncomfortable.” Regarding Cameron Weaver’s expressed skepticism of the historical accounts of the Holocaust, Hylton said that it is Cameron Weaver’s right to express those views. “Yeah, I think it’s okay to question everything because once you stop questioning things—I heard the other day that this is starting to become a ‘holy cow,’ we can’t talk about the Holocaust because now we’re going to get persecuted and thrown up on a cross for talking about the Holocaust,” said Hylton. Hylton also said that he questions the amount of casualties reported. “I would question the amount that we are reporting because we all know that it wasn’t just the Jewish community in those concentration camps so was it 6 million people (who) died or 6 million Jews? Because that’s a big difference when you have the LGBT community, you have people with mental disorders, you have gypsies. Those are a lot of people who are also included in that number,” he said. Hylton, who was censured by the Senate in April after admitting to a drug offense committed while at the state General Assembly for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges in Los Angeles, went on to state that he agrees with Weav-
er’s opinions regarding school shootings and antidepressants. “I actually do agree with him on that,” said Hylton. “I think yes, there should be sensible gun laws, like keeping mentally challenged people from getting weapons but also we need to look at the usage of antidepressants, are they cause for this because we want to blame it on guns and not that we’re not counseling people correctly or we’re not doing other things. We’re just medicating them.” Hylton, who was recently appointed acting president of the Student Senate following former president Garrett Kegel and former vice president Sam Kinsey’s abrupt resignations, said that there doesn’t need to be a special election, saying that according to the ASB Constitution the criteria that call for a special election haven’t been met. “Special elections may be called when necessary, special elections may be held for A. changes in the constitution, which isn’t what’s going on, the creation of a new elective office under the Associated Student Body, which isn’t happening, or C. after an election all elected offices of the student senate or clubs and event board remain vacant, after the election, the only
The faculty member, in turn, told the Los Rios police. “The student had the courage to say something and the faculty member immediately reported it,” said Greene. “The suspect has a hold placed on their record and will not be allowed on this campus until the threat has been properly assessed.” McPeek said that the officers conducted a search of Clark’s family home. “We did conduct a search of the home and found weapons,” said McPeek. “They were not registered to him.” Greene tied the student and faculty response to the threat to his campus safety initiative. “Campus safety is a shared responsibility,” said Greene. “When people take this responsibility seriously, as we have done this week, we create an environment that encourages teaching and learning.” The college and the police did not release the names of the student who made the allegation against Clark or of the faculty member who reported it. Clark’s attorney Mark Reichel said that Clark “doesn’t have a clue” why he was arrested and is thankful that charges won’t be persued.
“The times are heightened sensitivity for this kind of stuff. There must have been some joke made or mistatement made or somebody overheard something wrong and they just grabbed,” said Reichel. “And now he’s spent five nights in jail. It’s a horrible story.” Greene defended the Los Rios Police and the school’s response in a statement emailed to the Current on Tuesday, saying that they acted “appropriately.” “As recent incidents throughout the country have clearly shown, colleges must respond to any credible threat reported to law enforcement,” said Greene. “Whatever the eventual outcome, this incident is a stark reminder that campus safety is everyone’s responsibility.” Clark’s Facebook profile picture depicts a cartoon character with a bomb on strapped to his torso. Clark said that the picture has nothing to do with the allegation he’s facing. “It (the profile picture) is from Minecraft,” said Clark. “It’s a creature called a creeper which, yes, does explode when it gets near … It’s been on my Facebook page for years. It’s just an adorable character I found.”
office that was vacant was the office that I came into, which was Director of Finance,” said Hylton. However, according to Article 13, Section 3 of the ASB Constitution, a vacant position on either ASB board may be filled via a special election if the position was vacated in one of eight ways, one of which is resignation. Hylton believes that the special election that was held when former acting president Jorge Riley took over the position two years ago should have never happened. “And that’s what I would say, that special election was unconstitutional since it, since it didn’t have all elected office were vacant,” he said. Hylton, who was appointed to the Student Senate as director of finance after losing the spring election for the presidency to Garrett Kegel, said he doesn’t believe that students should have the chance to vote for a new president during a special election. “They voted for me as president but I lost that. But um, yeah, I was appointed director of finance … they picked their president but their president resigned and in the order of succession I became president,” Hylton said. “That’s why there’s also a order of succession in the constitution, which explains if the president vacates, then the vice president takes the presidency. If the vice president vacates, the director of finance takes the presidency. I mean, there’s that in the constitution for a specific reason.” Hylton said that Cameron Weaver is a friend of his and that he didn’t put a recall request on the agenda because students didn’t speak to him about Weaver. “He’s a friend of mine but besides that I don’t have a loyalty to nobody but our students,” said Hylton. “But again if students don’t use their voice … Honestly, we have issues that actually directly affect them, like personally affect them, that I’d rather bring to them. If they want to come to talk to me and set up and ask us to create this forum, then yes. And I’m not going to do it with one person that has a outcry. I’d like to see more than one person out of our 30,000 students, you know, and you put him through the ringer for one student.” When asked if the statements made by Cameron Weaver are a big issue to him, Hylton replied: “Honestly, no.” Additional reporting by Barbara Harvey
Threat: Former student spent five days in jail CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 who he was hugging that the school was going to “be blown up.” “They said that the female was hugged and told not to go to school today (Friday),” said Clark. “I would never make a threat to harm another human being.” Clark was arrested at approximately 6:10 p.m. on Thursday at the McDonalds where he worked on Fair Oaks Boulevard near Manzanita Avenue, about three miles from the campus. “It was very embarrassing,” said Clark. “There’s no way a manager would keep an employee who was arrested on site.” The District Attorney’s office decided not to immediately pursue charges on Tuesday, hours before he was scheduled to be arraigned. “We’ve asked the agency for more investigation,” said District Attorney communications and media officer Shelly Orio. The day after Clark’s arrest, ARC President Thomas Greene held a joint press conference with Los Rios Police Department Capt. John McPeek. According to Greene, a student told a faculty member about a threat from Clark.
“I hate all the shootings going on,” Clark said. “I understand why the police got me but I hope that they find the real person.” Clark was an ARC student as recently as the fall 2014 semester, but said that he is currently on academic probation. Clark still visits friends on campus. Clark was saving money to return next year. He said he has considered becoming a teacher. Sgt. Mike Olson of the Los Rios Police Department said that there are multiple threat levels, and that generally speaking there are several factors that go into determining of a threat is credible. “How specific the threats are massively change the credibility of the threat. We consider the history of the person, who did he tell, what’s their relationship with him, if it’s a person they know versus a stranger,” said Olson. “In this case, based on the factors involved, we believed this was a credible threat.” Olson said he couldn’t comment on the particulars of what made Clark’s alleged threat credible. Additional reporting by Barbara Harvey and Jordan Schauberger
Arts&Culture
October 14, 2015
Page 5
Left photo by Joseph Daniels / joseph64daniels@gmail.com, right by Ashlynn Johnson / ashlynn.johnson1295@gmail.com
Left, Vicky Phrasavath cuts a piece of fabric for a costume for the upcoming theater production of ‘The Music Man,’ while right, Kori Einsel builds the set. “Music Man” opened last Friday.
Creating the wild world of ‘THE MUSIC MAN’ GETTING TO KNOW THE STUDENTS BEHIND THE THEATER CURTAINS THE SETS: Students work for months to set
THE COSTUMES: Months of designing, sewing and fittings went into the creation of the original costumes for ‘The Music Man’
the stage for current ARC theater production By Kevin Sheridan kevinsheridan56@gmail.com While many students at American River College started work at the beginning of the semester, the members of the theater department had been already working for months. Former stagework student and theater tech work major Kathy Smith said that the sets used in a play are beneficial because they relate to the characters. “They can tell you where the characters are, (and) where they’re going,” said Smith. “It helps you become a part of their world.” Smith said she has also gone far over the minimum 72 hours of lab time required for the Theater Arts 420 stagecraft course, completing 132 hours last semester. “Theater students know they’re going to live here for four to eight weeks,” said theater arts professor Kathy Burleson. The course is a six hour a week course, and students must complete 36 hours of lecture and 72 hours of lab work. Students are enrolled in a stagecraft class, which also acts as a lab that is dedicated to the construction and theater props that are used by the theater department’s productions. Theater department employee and scenic painter for the sets of “The Music Man” Amelia Holt said she likes that the jobs are given to students. “It’s an artisan, it’s a trade,” said Holt. “It gives us jobs as opposed to exporting it out.” For modern plays, many set scenes are printed out digitally, which Holt said makes the whole scene end up looking “flat.” Theater arts and technical major Melanie McClurg said that building sets as opposed to printing the scenes or having someone else build it is “ridiculously” more rewarding. “There’s something about having this random box of stuff,” said McClurg. “(It) has more of a human feel, there’s something to be said about making it yourself...It’s nice to be able to write on job applications ‘can turn boxes into tubas.’ “We have one of the best tech departments, so it’s pretty grand.” Smith, who said she is learning lighting this semester, called the class “very informing, (and) very involved.” “I enjoyed it immensely,” said Smith. “You’re able to see every aspect of the show, it’s awesome.”
By Joseph Daniels joseph64daniels@gmail.com
Above photo by Joseph Daniels, below by Ashlynn Johnson
Above, professor Gail Russell uses a sewing machine to alter a costume. Below, student Peter Srichan prepares a piece of fabric with scissors.
Costume design is crucial to building a world from scratch for a theater production, and it’s no different for ARC’s production of “The Music Man.” Costume design professor Gail Russell said that the costumes are just as important as the sets, emphasizing that the sets need to have actors on them to work. The costume designers for American River College’s upcoming play “The Music Man” were able to explain what goes into the process of assembling the outfits. “The Music Man” is a musical that will be directed by Sam Williams and is written by Meredith Willson about a con man who attempts to swindle a town into thinking he is a music organizer. Russell said that the department had to either make outfits from scratch, reassemble costumes and mesh them together, or to buy the costumes outright. Russell said that for the for most part, alterations had to be made to the costume in order for it to fit the actor. Paul Perkins, an actor who is playing the role as Marcellus Washburn, who is essentially the sidekick for the main character “The Music Man,” did not initially fit into his costume. “We had two pieces in this production so far,” said Harker. “When we put them on the actor, the note was, ‘it was perfect,’ and had nothing had to happen to it at all.” Vicky Phrasavath, a student costume designer for “The Music Man,” said that her costume design background comes from fashion. “Just seeing whoever is wearing my stuff I’m like, ‘oh my goodness, I made that, I made that,’ ” said Phrasavath. Perkins said that putting on the costume helps him envelop himself into the character he is portraying. “It really helps a lot with the feeling of believing that you’re the character, and when you’re on stage, you believe it, and the audience believes it and that is important for the whole art of the thing,” Perkins said. “Music Man” began Friday and will continue through Oct. 25.
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October 14, 2015
Arts&Culture
Courtesy of the ARC theater department
Spencer Murrish, the star of ARC’s production of “The Music Man,” leads castmates R.J. Morris, left and Elliott Berryman in a musical march. The production will continue through Oct. 25.
‘The Music Man’ hits high note COMPELLING PERFORMANCES ARE MUSIC TO THE AUDIENCE’S EARS IN THE MOST RECENT ARC PRODUCTION By Joseph Daniels
‘MUSIC MAN’ REVIEW: HHHH (out of 5) UPCOMING DATES:
joseph64daniels@gmail.com Every character from the leads to the supporting cast of the American River College production of “The Music Man” is given a distinct personality that transports the audience from 2015 to 1912, to a world where people break out in song and dance and the opening of a billiard hall is the source of controversy. “The Music Man” is a play written by Meredith Willson that tells the story of a con man, Harold Hill (played by ARC student Spencer Murrish), who attempts to trick the residents of River City, Iowa into buying instruments from him, and that he is capable of teaching children how to play music. Hill begins to spread rumors once he arrives to River City that the local billiards hall is corrupting its youth, and that organizing a local boys band would be a better alternative. It is his goal to leave town once he collects enough money from the citizens. “The Music Man,” directed by ARC theater professor Sam Williams, boasts a racially diverse cast despite the 1912 setting. Murrish’s performance as Harold Hill is both likable and believable. It is clear why it is easy for him to deceive people of River City. The story line of Hill’s attempts to court local librarian Marian Paroo (played by ARC student Kimberly Colisch) is easily the play’s most compelling storyline. This is the only occurrence in the duration of the play that Hill has something to lose. The audi-
Thursday: Oct. 15 & 22 at 6:30 pm Friday: Oct. 9, 16, 23 & 24 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Oct. 10, 17 & 24 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday: Oct. 11, 18 & 25 at 2 p.m.
For tickets call (916) 484-8234
Courtesy of the ARC theater department
“The Music Man” co-stars Kimberly Colisch, right, and Murrish pose with cast members. The show, set in 1912, and runs through Oct. 25.
ence does not know whether or not the two characters will fall in love by the time the curtains fall for the final time. One problem that comes up in Willson’s world building of “The Music Man” takes place during the song “Ice Cream.” When the school board members approach Hill for his credentials, they are distracted by Hill’s successful attempts at teaching them to learn how to sing. Seeing that “The Music Man” takes place in a world where music is used to communicate between people, the discovery that the school board does not know how to sing is the equivalent of finding out the people in charge of education do not know how to read or write. It is easy to be swept in its 1912 setting, and not just because of its use of costume or its sets, but by Williams’ decision of casting chil-
dren for the children roles. Often these characters would be played by adults, which causes the play to lose credibility due to the fact that the audience is forced to suspend its belief that the older actors playing the roles aren’t the age of school children. The only drawback to the use of these characters is due to the script. Amaryllis, played by Miranda McThorn and Angeline de Masi on alternate nights, reveals that she is enamored with Winthrop Paroo, played by Richard Morris and Elliot Berryman on alternate nights, however nothing comes out of the plot point, which leaves the audience hanging. With his production of “The Music Man,” Williams shows he is capable of guiding student actors into delivering believable performances.
Feature
October 14, 2015
Page 7
Shed a little LIGHT BRIGHT COLORS. LOUD MUSIC. DANCING IN THE DARK. INSIDE ‘GLOVING’ By Lena DoBynes
lena.dobynes@gmail.com Tiny, multi-colored lights seemingly hanging in mid-air dance across the night air in a rainbow of colors. A sense of comfort washes over the body as the lights continue to float across the night, relaxing and hypnotizing as the viewer is drawn in deeper and deeper into the dance. Gloving is a type of dance strictly performed by the hands and fingers accompanied by the use of LED lights attached to the fingertips of special gloves. It is associated with the electronic dance music scene. American River College student Anthony Perez said he practices every day on his craft. “It’s almost like I’m on auto-pilot,” Perez said. “It’s almost like second nature to me.” Vanessa Lamb, Perez’s girlfriend and a fellow glover, elaborated on the frequency of her boyfriend’s practices. “He gloves while driving, doing homework, cooking and even in the bathroom,” Lamb said. “He puts more focus and attention to his gloving than anything else.” Perez and Lamb began gloving last Christmas after being introduced to it after someone gave Perez a light show when he first started going to electronic dance music festivals. Light show is the name of the type of performance that the glover conducts. Perez said he was so intrigued by the experience that soon afterward he bought Lamb a pair of gloves for her birthday and then him-
self a pair for Christmas. The two have been practicing together ever since. Inspired by elements of hip-hop dance, moves such as “liquiding,” “finger tutting” and “popping” can be seen in many of the light shows performed by glovers. Despite its mass popularity, gloving has been banned at many music events due to the concern of many companies that the dance movement is associated with drugs. Danny Saeteurn is a promoter for Electric State of Mind said he disagrees with those views of gloving. He said that the art form is highly appreciated in the dance music community and has been positive and beneficial in his lifestyle. “Gloving has helped ease my arthritis pain because I’m constantly exercising my fingers,” Saeteurn said. Saeturn went on to say that gloving has even allowed him to meet “some of the most amazing people” that are in his life today. “(The gloving community) is like a huge family,” said Perez. Many glovers will tell someone just starting that gloving takes time and patience. “Don’t get down about people who are better than you, let it inspire you to keep practicing…you’ll get there, Perez said. Lamb insists that there is no right or wrong way to glove and that commitment is key. “(Glove) because you like it, don’t do it if you’re not into it,” Lamb said. Basic gloves can be found online starting from $6.99 and many tutorials are supplied through YouTube as well as other sites.
ON THE WEB: For a video of glovers in action, go to ARCurrent.com
All photos by Lena DoBynes / lena.dobynes@gmail.com
Light trails are created as Anthony Perez and Vanessa Lamb demonstrate gloving, a type of dance performed with one’s hands while wearing LED gloves.
October 14, 2015
Page 8
Sports
First five weeks up and down FOOTBALL TEAM OPENED SEASON WITH BLOWOUT LOSS, WAS FIRST IN NORCAL FOR A WEEK AND LOST AGAIN By Kevin Sheridan kevinsheridan56@gmail.com Five weeks into the 2015 season, American River College’s football team is 3-2, and it is coming off a 42-10 loss at College of San Mateo College where it gave up 298 yards rushing and fumbled the ball four times. After losing to CSM last week, ARC is now tied with College of the Siskiyous for first place in the NorCal national Conference. ARC had a bye on the week of Oct. 10. COS, which is also 3-2 on the season, will be coming off a bye after defeating Foothill College on the road 40-7. Much like CSM, COS features a strong run game, as it ranks No. 7 in the state with 1,063 yards rushing, No. 5 in the state with 234 rushing attempts and No. 8 in the state with 13 rushing touchdowns. In its last two games, COS has run for a combined 707 yards rushing in victories over Foothill and Diablo Valley College. Siskiyous freshman running back Lashone Garnett is coming off a 171 yard, two touchdown performance against Foothill after running for 274 yards and three touchdowns in a win over DVC. Garnett’s 671 yards rank no. 2 in the state, his 134.2 yards per game rank no. 2 in the state and his seven touchdowns rank third in the state. Garnett has rushed for more than 100 yards in all but one of COS’s wins. In both of ARC’s losses, it has allowed over 200 yards rushing and COS came into this game running for 212.6 yards rushing per game. “Players have to go out and execute and respond,” said ARC head coach Jon Osterhout after the loss to CSM. “We’re going to be just fine. We’ve been down this road before.” ARC to stay in conference the rest of the regular season
Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com
American River College safety Robert Sanders tackles receiver David Rango in mid-air during ARC football’s 42-10 loss to College of San Mateo.
ARC’s next game against COS will mark the team’s first conference game of the season, as the first five were all played outside of the six-team national division. After playing COS, ARC will play Feather River College, Sierra College, Butte College and Sacramento City College. Until this point in the season, none of the six teams in the conference have played one another. While ARC and COS are tied for first, Butte ranks no. 3 with a record of 2-3, Sierra ranks no. 4 with a record of 2-3, Feather River ranks no. 5 with a record of 1-4 and Sac City ranks last with a record of 1-4. Last season, ARC went 4-1 in its confer-
ence with its only loss being a 31-28 at home against Butte.
ARC hot and cold through five weeks With the exception of its 20-17 win over City College of San Francisco, all of ARC’s games have either been blowout losses or blowout wins. It defeated De Anza College 38-2 and San Joaquin Delta College 44-24, but lost to College of San Mateo 42-10 and Modesto Junior College 41-10. In both of the losses, starting quarterback Jihad Vercher was pulled from the game in favor of freshman Chris Guillen. Vercher has thrown interceptions in
both of these losses, one against Modesto and two against CSM, and has also completed less than 60 percent of his passes. Against Modesto, ARC gave up 212 yards rushing and 298 against San Mateo. In ARC’s wins, Vercher has thrown for a combined 9 touchdowns and 768 yards with no interceptions. ARC has gotten out to hot starts in each of its blowout wins, gaining large leads in the first halves of those games. In the win over De Anza, ARC got out to a 31-0 lead at the half and it got out to a 33-3 lead in the first half in the win over SJDC.
SPORTSUPDATES
WOMEN’S SOCCER
MEN’S SOCCER
Theresa Cooper’s game-tying goal at the 70 minute mark against Diablo Valley College was not enough for ARC to secure a win, as it fell to DVC at home 2-1. DVC midfielder Hannah Mazolewski scored the game winning goal with 30 seconds left to play. The team is now 5-5.
Goals by defenseman Alan Lopez, Francisco Lomeli, and Noe Romero led ARC to a 3-0 win over College of Sequoias on Oct. 9. The win was ARC’s first of the season, and its record now stands at 1-9-3, with a match against West Hills Lemoore on Tuesday after press time.
VOLLEYBALL
WATER POLO
Led by freshman Kaitlin Meyer’s 22 points, ARC defeated San Joaquin Delta College at home in five sets with scores of 25-22, 25-27, 25-23, 21-25 and 15-13. ARC’s overall record improved to 14-4 on the season, 4-0 in conference, and it has won eight games in a row.
The men’s water polo team is 5-9, but have won five of their last six matches, including a 3-1 finish at the American River Tournament that was hosted at ARC. The women’s team is 6-7 but have won three matches in a row, with six conference matches left in the season.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Led by Sean Gragg, Abdul Hamid, Ross Walker, Donald Plazola and Hassen Hassen all finished in the top 10 for the men’s four-mile run during the Toro Park Invitational on Oct. 9. Overall, ARC finished first in the event with an average time of 20 minutes and 59 seconds.
Sophomore Jenica Dodge finished first in the women’s three-mile run with a time of 18 minutes and 38.3 seconds. Freshman Regina Nyareso who finished with a time of 19 minutes and 6.9 seconds, also was in the top five. Overall, the women’s cross country team finished third.
Joe Padilla / jppadilla12@gmail.com
American River College forward Hector Zavala fights for the ball in a soccer match against College of the Sequoias on Friday. ARC won for the first time this season 3-0, and now is 1-9-3.
UPCOMING HOME GAMES Oct. 16 Women’s Soccer vs. Cosumnes River College at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17 Football vs. College of the Siskiyous at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 Men’s Water Polo vs. Sierra College at 3 p.m. Oct. 21 Volleyball vs. Cosumnes River College at 6:30 p.m.
Sports
October 14, 2015
Page 9
Bulldozed in the Bay Area
HOME TEAM SAN MATEO RUSHES FOR 298 YARDS IN 42-10 BLOWOUT BETWEEN HIGHLY RANKED PROGRAMS By Kevin Sheridan kevinsheridan56@gmail.com American River College’s football team was defeated by College of San Mateo on Oct. 3 by a score of 42-10, in a game which ARC’s defense surrendered 298 total yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground. Though no CSM running back ran for 100 yards, three three separate backs finished with more than 50 yards rushing. CSM running backs Ramiah Marshall and David Rango had rushing touchdowns of 65 and 50 yards respectively. Marshal averaged 11.5 yards per carry and Rango averaged 17. “We had some mental mistakes that cost us some big plays,” said ARC defensive coordinator Lou Baiz. “Mistakes with our option responsibilities, (we) weren’t as disciplined as we needed to be.” Although ARC was able to contain many of CSM’s interior runs, they had trouble when CSM ran to the outside, as most of its explosive runs came around the edges. “We missed tackles at the point of attack,” said ARC head coach Jon Osterhout. “When you miss tackles at the point of attack, it could be devastating. “It’s triple option football. Assignment sound football and tackling. That’s all it comes down to.” CSM was able to score a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, as quarterback Dru Brown engineered a 10 play, 57 yard drive that ended when he found a wide open Rango on third and nine for the score.
ARC was unable to move the ball on its first possession following the touchdown, gaining just 15 yards on five plays before having to punt the ball away. For ARC, that drive would mark the beginning of its offensive problems. ARC finished the game with 257 yards of total offense, was 6 of 18 on third down, and fumbled the ball four times, losing one. Three of these fumbles happened on poor snaps from shotgun which accounted for 31 total yards lost. ARC starting quarterback Jihad Vercher, who exited the game in the second quarter with a chest injury, said he “settled” on his bad plays and did not move on. Vercher was replaced by freshman Chris Guillen and finished 4-13 for 43 yards and two interceptions. Guillen finished 4-10 for 32 yards and one interception. While ARC’s quarterbacks struggled, CSM’s Brown finished the game 9-16 for 165 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to wide receiver Johnny Niupalu. Perhaps Brown’s most important play of the day came in the first quarter with the game tied at seven. On fourth down and 10 at ARC’s 27-yard line, Brown scrambled to his right and hit Niupalu in the right corner of the end zone to give CSM the lead that they would not relinquish. CSM finished the game with 463 total yards of offense and 7.5 yards per play compared to ARC’s 3.6 yards per play. “We had an absolute abundance of breakdowns. A lot of missed opportuni-
Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com
Backup quarterback Chris Guillen is sacked by College of San Mateo defensive lineman Fou Polataivao for a loss of three yards during ARC football’s 42-10 loss to CSM.
ties, (It’s) really frustrating,” said ARC offensive coordinator Doug Grush. “If I knew everything I’d write a book, sell it, become a billionaire and solve the world’s coaching problems.” In addition to bad snaps, ARC receivers Zack Suarez, Damen Wheeler, and Marc Ellis each had a drop. Wheeler’s drop, which happened late in the first quarter, was particularly damaging for ARC as he had gotten behind CSM’s secondary and was about to score on the play. “(There were) a lot of dropped balls
because of the wind (it) had a big impact. Just unlucky I guess,” said Guillen. ARC wide receiver Johnathan Lopez, who finished last week against City College of San Francisco with six catches for 143 yards, finished the game against CSM with one catch for one yard. ARC running back Armand Shyne, who was coming off a 72-yard, one touchdown performance against CCSF, was pulled from the game in favor of Ce’von MitchellFord who finished the game against CSM with 158 yards rushing and 10.5 yards per carry.
DB coach has pro football history By Johnnie Heard johnnieheardiii@gmail.com
Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com
Defensive backs coach Damen Wheeler walks onto the field during a time out. Wheeler played professional football as a cornerback in the NFL, XFL and AFL for eight years.
Former NFL cornerback Damen Wheeler has become quite accustomed to the defensive backfield he coaches at American River College. Wheeler was drafted in the sixth round by the San Diego Chargers in 2000, but did not survive the team’s final roster cuts for that season and did not play a down for San Diego. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2001 season. In just one season in Jacksonville, Wheeler appeared in five games and recorded 12 tackles. After graduating from Valley High School in Sacramento, Wheeler went on to star at the University of Colorado where he started as a true freshman and went on to start all four years. At Colorado, he had eight interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown in his time there. In the spring of 2001 Wheeler signed with the New Jersey Hitmen, a team in the shortlived XFL, where he recorded three interceptions. His final stint in football was with the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008. After his career ended, Wheeler decided to try his hand at coaching.
ARC head coach Jon Osterhout gave him the opportunity at the end of the 2014 season to coach its defensive backs. “I love kids and kids respond to me well,” said Wheeler. I think I do what I do well so I just wanted to give back.” Wheeler said he is encouraged by this year’s defensive backs unit. Led by freshman cornerback Josh Huston and sophomore safety Robert Sanders, Wheeler said he has been impressed with their play as well as their attitude so far this season. His players not only respect his football acumen but also appreciate him as a person. “He’s a very funny dude and he knows how to make football interesting,” said Sanders. “He’s a dude with a lot of knowledge and we just have to utilize it.” Houston echoed his teammate’s sentiment. “Wheeler is my dude, he’s a great coach. He’s going to help you get through it, good or bad,” said Houston. Although Wheeler said he is impressed with this year’s squad, he also said he feels that there is always room for improvement. “We’re younger (this year) but I think we’re better. We’ve got more size and the kids this year seem to be a little more coachable,” said Wheeler. “We cover very well, we just need to tackle better. We try to get too physical, try to make big hits instead of sure tackles.”
October 14, 2015
Page 10
Scene
College Hour talks the ‘Girls of Kabul’ By Emily Thompson emilyt296@gmail.com
Jordan Schauberger / jschauberger94@gmail.com
Students Justin Kinney, left, and Christian Villegas play Super Smash Bros. Melee on Gamecube during a club meeting on Sept. 25 at the club meeting.
Smash Club hits ‘continue’ jschauberger94@gmail.com The Smash Bros. Club seemed to have had its last meeting with the original leadership group leaving American River College last semester, however, a new group of students decided to resurrect the club so that the fun could continue. Super Smash Bros., the popular Nintendo video game, had its first installment released in 1999 and just released its fourth installment earlier this year. “There were a bunch of members who still wanted to play Smash,” said Club President Luc Nglankong. “So, I decided to start it up again.” For many, the club is not just a place to play video games but rather somewhere to escape the pressure of school and just have fun. According to the club’s flyer posted in the Liberal Arts breezeway, the Smash Bros. Club meets every Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the main science building room 426. ARC Professor Larry Dumais, who teaches computer network security, said the Smash Bros. Club promotes creativity and provides a judgment-free space. “It’s a good outlet to play video games, have fun and get interested in creating technology or their own games,” said Dumais. “There’s no pressure and they don’t get chastised for not doing the ‘right thing.’”
L
ARC student Austin Cole, who is the club treasurer, sees his role as an opportunity to help others. “I’m just trying to help others have fun,” said Cole. “Luc (Nglankong) asked if I would run it with him and, of course, I said yes.” There is a wide range of skill in the group and any level of playing ability is accepted. “I’ve been a big fan since Brawl (the third installment of the game) and I’m into the competitive scene,” said Nglankong. “Some people, though, have only played here and there.” There are around five to seven consoles going and about 16 to 22 people playing at all times. Laughing, talking and the occasional “wham” or “kabam” from the game can always be heard from the room where the club meets. For Dumais, the club explores more than just playing video games and having fun. “Getting kids interested in the creation aspect is great (because) video games are very marketable,” said Dumais. “They’ve (video games) been around for a long time. I
CAMPUS PU SE
Barbara Har vey / barbar aap
By Jordan Schauberger
har vey@gmail.com
POPULAR CAMPUS GROUP IS REVIVED FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF CARTOON BRAWLING
even played Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein back in the day.” The club prides itself on being “more fun than the average club.” “We’re really a tight-knit group,” said Nglankong. “We have more fun than a lot of other clubs on campus.”
How do you feel about Trustee Weaver using his platform to make comments skeptical of the Holocaust?
“I think it’s absurd. That’s like uniquely toddler dumb.”
“His opinion doesn’t matter. I don’t care what he thinks.”
-BETHELCULLEN Psychology
-MICHAELPARKIN Criminal Justice
“It’s his right to have that opinion. We can’t tell him what to say and what not to say.”
-ASHTONDIXON Culinary
In the developing world there is an extreme inequality between men and women when it comes to education, health care and rates of domestic violence. In an honors reads college hour Thursday, American River College political science professor Alana Jeydel discussed the novel “The Underground Girls of Kabul: The Status of Girls and Women in the Developing World” by Jenny Nordberg, an investigative reporter. Jeydel talked about how girls and women are treated as opposed how boys and men are treated and the ways that these places are improving. Central Africa, the Republic, Chad, Guinea-Bissau and Niger are the nations with the worst gender inequality, according to Jeydel. Girls in the developing world on average only get educated up until primary school. After that it gets too dangerous when they start their menstrual cycle because they are more at risk for rape. AIDS is very common in these places and it is thought by many that the cure for it is to have sex with a virgin, which puts teenage girls at more risk for rape. Fifty-four out of the 144 secondary schools in the developing world have gender parity. “Education is a basic human right and educated girls have more choices about their future and working,” Jaydel said. “Educated women is the best way to improve the economy.” Most women are only seen as objects to have children. The average women spends two-thirds of her time in between the ages of 17 and 35 either being pregnant or lactating. Women do not have good health care in the developing world and it is very common for them to die from easily treatable health problems, especially pregnancy because they have so many kids. Sex selective abortions are also very common in these places. Now, especially in China, men are finding it hard to find wives so they buy wives from other parts of Asia. Women go through a lot of domestic violence in their homes from their husbands and motherin-laws.
“How can we have someone so ignorant representing us?”
-AIRYNSTREUHS-FORMAN Undeclared
October 14, 2015
Opinion
CURRENTEDITORIAL
Page 11
NO ONE’S VOICE BUT THEIR OWN
WITH ONLY ONE MEMBER OF SENATE ACTUALLY ELECTED, THE ‘STUDENT VOICE’ DOES NOT REPRESENT THE STUDENTS current@arc.losrios.edu When only one member of the Associated Student Body Student Senate was elected by the students, it’s no wonder that student government members don’t feel accountable to anyone but themselves. Clubs and Events Board President Justin Nicholson is the only member of Student Senate who was elected to his position in last spring’s election. All the rest, a total of ten positions, have been appointed by other senators. This should come as no surprise. ASB’s notoriety comes from members making jokes about the deaths of transgender people, being kicked out of conferences for drugged or drunken behavior and spending hundreds of dollars on giving awards to itself. David Hylton, the acting president following the resignation of Garrett Kegel, was appointed Director of Finance after losing the election for the presidency in April. He has stated that there will not be a special election held for the students to elect a permanent president. Hylton said that the ASB Constitution does not allow for a special election, yet according to Article 13, section three, a vacant position may be filled via a special election if the position was
Student government by the numbers 1
2
1
Number of student representatives who were actually elected by the students out of ten total members.
Student Senate presidents within one year who claim they were forced out of office after being elected by the students.
Number of years a student must serve as a senator before running for ASB president at a two-year college.
vacated in one of eight ways, one of which is resignation. A special election was held when ASB Student Senate President Tyrone Robinson resigned in 2013. The rules for running for ASB office are so cumbersome that it restricts the spirit of a free democracy. In order to run for student senate president, according to the bylaws, a student must have been on ASB for one year prior. This makes it next to impossible for students at a two-year college to become president within two years. Candidates are not allowed to campaign in specific places or even discuss their campaign before certain deadlines.
Hylton assumed the presidency after the unexpected resignations of Garrett Kegel and Sam Kinsey. Kegel, who was elected by the students, said that “the administration has ‘processed’ me out of the role of president.” Kegel said that he wasn’t accommodated for his generalized anxiety disorder. He said he resigned because he “felt that there was no other option” and that he was told that to join the board again he had to be appointed. “I asked my adviser Juan Blanco to help accommodate for my disability, yet I did not receive much help,” said Kegel in an email to the Current. “I am a victim of process and procedure, something that the ARC administration uses to block the view of
all the bright, optimistic faces of the student body. We are not students to them … They do not care about us.” Kegel is the second person elected ASB Student Senate president in two years to claim that the student’s voices were stifled when they were not allowed to serve as president. Jorge Riley’s election in April 2014 was invalidated with no reason given by the ASB or the administration. While those groups cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a lawyer with the Student Press Law Center consulted by the Current said that this was not an adequate justification to keep the reason secret. All of this is not to mention the hypocrisy of members of a board
Save the women, not the ‘ta-tas’
By Barbara Harvey
that claims to fight for equality and acceptance but continues to defend comments from Los Rios Student Trustee Cameron Weaver questioning whether the Holocaust actually occurred. “I think as (Weaver’s) home school, our position would be more of support until we hear something that we totally disagree with,” said Director of Legislative Affairs Laurie Jones. Hylton also questioned how many people died during the Holocaust. “This is starting to become a ‘holy cow,’ ” said Hylton. “We can’t talk about the Holocaust because now we’re going to get persecuted and thrown up on a cross for talking about the Holocaust.” Anyone who can support someone who doesn’t know if the largest hate crime in human history actually happened has no right to call themselves a defender of equality. The students have to contact these supposed representatives. They have to vote and follow up at the weekly meetings to make sure that they are heard. Otherwise there is no alternative to ridiculous rules, inane ego games, hypocrisy and a culture that can’t be bothered to take this school seriously.
LETTERTO THEEDITOR
barbaraapharvey@gmail.com In light of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness month, it’s high time we address a slogan which has no place in the discussion of saving women’s lives—“Save the ta-tas.” Not only is this slogan a juvenile phrase that reduces women to their chests, it completely misses the point. Breast cancer awareness isn’t about saving women’s breasts. It’s about saving women’s lives. The phrase originated from a for-profit T-shirt company headed by clothing designer Julia Fikse in 2004. Fikse has never had breast cancer, but was inspired to address the issue because she knew people who faced the disease. Unfortunately, Fikse made the ill-advised decision to use sex to sell awareness. Just five percent of the proceeds from Fikse’s shirts, which also feature exploitative slogans like “I love my big ta-tas,” go to breast cancer research. According to an interview published by KOMO-TV News, when planning a possible slogan, Fikse bounced ideas off her husband. He laughed at the word “ta-tas”—likely because it’s juvenile and tasteless—and Fikse ran with it. According to Breastcancer.org, “about 40,290 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2015 from breast cancer,” while the National Cancer Institute reports that “approximately 12.3 percent of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point dur-
Trustee should not represent students
Photo illustration by Kameron Schmid
Not only is the ‘save the ta-tas’ slogan a juvenile phrase that reduces women to their chests, it completely misses the point. Breast cancer awareness isn’t about saving women’s breasts. It’s about saving women’s lives.
ing their lifetime.” A disease like breast cancer, which affects so many and has taken so many lives, should never be reduced to a light-hearted catchphrase. Proponents of the slogan seem to believe that making light of the issue helps to remove the shame of openly discussing health issues that affect your intimate body parts while also bringing levity to a grim subject. However, we don’t need to make light of an issue or sexualize it to remove the shame. There should never, ever be any shame in discussing your personal health, and slogans like this may in fact re-sexualize the issue by appealing primarily to men’s views of women’s anatomy. Furthermore, breast cancer doesn’t just affect women. While breast cancer is 100 times more
likely in women, 2,350 cases of breast cancer in men will be diagnosed and 440 will die from the disease in 2015 alone, according to the American Cancer Society. Gendering a disease that affects both men and women is a move that will undoubtedly create more stigma for male breast cancer victims and survivors. It’s insulting to men to presume that getting men to support breast cancer awareness and prevention requires spinning the issue into being about the breasts, not the women who own them. Many women with breast cancer lose both of their “ta-tas” to bilateral mastectomies— the surgical removal of both breasts—in an effort to survive. By focusing the issue on their breasts, “save the ta-tas” pro-
ponents show a disrespect for women that borders on misogyny. Women who lose their breasts to this disease are no less woman than they were before, and frankly, these slogans are encouraging misogynistic views of women as nothing more than body parts. How do the slogan’s proponents think focusing the issue on men’s love of breasts feels to women who have lost both of these apparently prized assets? Women are not their anatomy. Forcing women who are battling or recovering from breast cancer to think about how sexually desirable they will be while fighting to survive is wholly inappropriate and sexist. Screw the tatas. Save the women.
Dear Editor, I’m appalled and saddened about the comments of Cameron Weaver about the Holocaust. He is ignorant and misinformed. He should not be representing the students or college as a trustee. It is unfortunate that your fine college has been damaged by what he said while you interviewed him. Now your college is famous for the wrong ideas given by him. He should never be involved with politics. He is also misinformed about people who take antidepressants. I wonder where he got all of these wrong ideas? The schools are not teaching this and I sure hope his parents did not contribute to these beliefs. I hope your student body does something to recall him as your representative. Sincerely, L. Ansell
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¡ VIVA AMERICAN RIVER! Photo essay by Barbara Harvey American River College was in full fiesta mode Thursday with the Latino Heritage Celebration, which included workshops, trivia contests, live music and performances. Organizer Frankie Johnson of the Center for Leadership and Development said the event was meant to celebrate the culture, but also enlighten. “We’re trying to teach students as well as bring them together,” she said. For the full story, go to ARCurrent.com
Clockwise from top, dancers from the Los Altenos Dance Troop perform in the Student Center during the Latino Heritage Celebration. Members of the ARC jazz band provide live music. Automotive major Chris Espinosa of the Puente Club serves horchata, a traditional drink made of rice, milk and cinnamon, to math major Gabby Baker. Student Berenis Leonard performs a dance routine.