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Vol. 67, Ed. 1
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August 24, 2015
Karen Reay / KarenRaychel@gmail.com
ABOUT IT arc to ban smoking starting jan. 1 in divisive move
By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com American River College is scheduled to become tobacco free on Jan. 1, 2016, the first campus to do so among the Los Rios colleges. President Thomas Greene decided to institute a ban of tobacco on campus after the results of a survey conducted last April showed that breathing in secondhand smoke bothers 86 percent of students and 93 percent of school employees who participated in the questionnaire. “There’s no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Greene.
“Any kind of level of exposure has a negative impact on an individual’s health.” Greene said that he and his leadership team discussed three possible options for the future of tobacco on campus: maintaining the current rule, which prohibits smoking indoors and within 30 feet of a building’s entrance, creating designated smoking areas or banning smoking entirely. Greene’s decision to institute the ban follows a new wave of proposed tobacco restrictions. The California State Senate approved a bill in June that would raise the age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. A similar measure was signed into law in Hawaii.
Dean of athletics retires warzecka leaves after distinguished career in college sports By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com After three years at the helm, American River College Dean of Athletics and Athletics Director Greg Warzecka officially resigned on July 31, leaving ARC and college athletics after a nearly 40-year career in the field, 30 years of which he spent as athletics director of a college. According to Warzecka, the search for his replacement has been difficult, and he anticipates it possibly taking until the beginning of the spring semester to be finished, with fall’s dean of athletics being an in-
terim hire. Warzecka, who turned 64 last April, came to ARC in 2012 after retiring from his position as director of intercollegiate athletics at UC Davis, where for over 16 years he led the athletic program that was in NCAA’s Division-II and did not offer scholarships, to eventually a Division-I program that offered $6 million in scholarships annually. Warzecka said this time, retirement might stick. “I just want to walk down a different path for the rest of my life. I’m not quite sure what that path is,” he said. He plans to take off work com-
pletely this year until Christmas, and at that time re-evaluate his future. “If I like that and feel comfortable, I won’t work anymore,” said Warzecka. “If I feel like I need to add something to my life, I might go back and do some things in a different capacity.” When Warzecka’s wife passed away in January, it caused him to pause and recollect his thoughts on how committed he wanted to be to his job; a job he says that’s big enough for three people to do, but had been only his. “I’ve been on the road during
WARZECKA | PAGE 7
TOBACCO | PAGE 2
INSIDE
FOOTBALL:
after an 11-2 season last year, coaches and players are getting ready for next month’s season opener FOOTBALL| PAGE 7
Page 2
August 24, 2015
News
Subway rapist found guilty Anderson, Former ARC Student, is facing life in prison After Aug. 14 Conviction By Barbara Harvey barbaraapharvey@gmail.com A Subway employee and former American River College student accused of sexually assaulting his co-worker and preventing her from calling police was found guilty by jurors in Sacramento Superior Court on August 14. Kenneth Chandler Anderson, 24, now faces up to 125 years in prison after being convicted on five counts of forcible sexual penetration by a foreign object, and one count of unlawfully attempting to dissuade the victim from reporting the crime to law enforcement, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. According to the District Attorney’s Office, “On March 25, 2014, Anderson entered a Subway restaurant approximately one hour before the victim was scheduled to open the business. He reset the alarm so the victim would not know he was inside when she arrived at approximately 6:30 a.m. Anderson struck the victim in the head, duct taped her mouth, and covered her face with a shirt. He then proceeded to sexually assault the victim.” “Based on the incredible bravery of
the victim, and the excellent investigative work of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Anderson will now be held accountable for his heinous crimes,” Deputy District Attorney Laura West said in a press release. As previously reported by the Current, Anderson blogged about the attack on his Tumblr page before his arrest, and made reference to having to clean up the bloody crime scene. “Theres (sic) blood literally all over the store from it, I even had to clean some up that the cleaning crew missed,” read a post dated the day before his arrest. In another post, he wrote about a conversation he had with a 16-year-old co-worker in which he asked her what sorts of weapons and defense training she had in case anyone tried to attack her. He notes that he inquired if she carried pepper spray or had martial arts training. It is unclear if the co-worker Anderson wrote about is the victim. After graduating from nearby Mira Loma High School, Anderson enrolled at ARC in 2009, where he studied psychology until 2011. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11 2015 at 11 a.m.
american river
current Editor-in-Chief John Ferrannini Managing Editors Cheyenne Drur y Matthew Peirson News Editor Lena DoBynes
File art
Kenneth Chandler Anderson, a former ARC student, was convicted on multiple counts of sexual assault of a coworker at a Subway restaraunt near campus.
Opinion Editors Ashlynn Johnson Mychael Jones Sports Editors Nicholas Corey Kevin Sheridan
ON THE WEB
Check the online version of this story for links to our original reporting, including screenshots from Anderson’s personal Tumblr page, in the News section at
arcurrent.com
File art
Anderson, 24, faces up to 125 years in prison after being found guilty of six seperate charges.
Arts and Culture Editor Joseph Daniels Scene Editor Matthew Wilke Multimedia Editor Kameron Schmid
Bill would expel students for violence
Web Editor Barbara Har vey
new legislation aims to fight sexual assaults at campuses without housing
Staff Noor Abasi Joy Cox Jose Garcia Johnnie Heard Lauren Luo Ashley Nanfria Matthew Norber t Iris Page Gonzalo Por tas-Hernandez Karen Reay Jordan Schauberger Emily Thompson Paulk Xayphone
By Barbara Harvey barbarapharvey@gmail.com A bill that would allow California Community Colleges to suspend or expel students who have committed or threatened to commit violent acts, regardless of whether it occurred on or off campus, was approved by the California Assembly in May. Assembly Bill (AB) 969 clarifies an existing statute regarding disciplinary action by explicitly stating that colleges may take action against students for violent crimes that occur off campus — a stipulation that would seem to be key for community colleges that don’t have on-campus housing, like American River College. AB 969, along with AB 967 and AB 968, makes up the College Campus Sexual Assault Legislative Package, which was
introduced to the California State Assembly Committee on Higher Education by Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Carpenteria, earlier this year. Another bill in the package, AB 968, would enable California Community Colleges to have prior knowledge if an applying student had an incident involving sexual assault that resulted in their dismissal from any other college or academic institution through the use of a mandatory permanent notation on the student’s transcript. The third bill in the package, AB 967, would require colleges to suspend or expel students found guilty of sexual assault for at least two years. Mitchel Benson, spokesperson for the Los Rios district, said the district has not taken a position on the bill, but that the district is committed to the safety of its
students. “It is important to emphasize that the Los Rios Colleges is committed to a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors, an environment that eliminates, to the extent possible, the crime of sexual assault on the men and women who study and work on our campuses,” said Benson. The legislation is the latest in a push to combat the high numbers of sexual assault on college campuses. The bills were introduced less than a year after the California State Senate unanimously approved the “Yes Means Yes” law, which redefined what sexual consent actually entailed. “Yes Means Yes” defines sexual consent as “affirmative, unambiguous, and conscious” consent from each party, and
aimed to put an end to the difficult nature of prosecuting sexual assault cases among college students. Regarding the legislative effort, Williams cited data that one in five women and one in seven men will be a victim of sexual assault while in college. “Sexual violence is a devastating problem that impacts the lives of women, men, and children,” Williams said in a press release. “These crimes often go unreported on college campuses; in large part due to the victim’s belief that authorities will not take action. We must ensure that our campuses are investigating crimes, prosecuting perpetrators, and providing support and resources to victims.” The package of bills also targets acts of violence or threats, a recurring issue at ARC in recent semesters.
Tobacco: Ban to include e-cigarettes, vaporizers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Senate also approved a bill that would define electronic cigarettes and vaporizers as tobacco products for the purpose of keeping them from public places where smoking is not allowed. Greene cited these recent votes as an example of where society is headed relative to smoking. “There’s this kind of trend,” said Greene. “This is where our communities and our society is moving into.” Greene also said that it is important the school prepare students for workplaces and colleges that will be tobacco free. “It’s more than just health. It’s also about how does this
create the most conducive environment for learning allied with our stated mission,” said Greene. “If (students) get a career after they come here, that environment where they work and earn a living is increasingly becoming smoke free.” The tobacco ban includes not only cigarettes but also chewing tobacco and “unregulated nicotine products” such as e-cigarettes and vaporizers. The parking structure and lots will similarly be tobacco free. The Jan. 1 implementation date may be delayed if proper preparations are not in place. “What we want to do is make sure we have adequate programming for those who want to smoke,” said Greene. “We want to
make sure everybody is aware … then there’s physical changes too. We’ll be removing the ash trays and other things at the college, or doing something with those so that they no longer serve their original purpose.” ARC Public Relations Officer Scott Crow said there is a lot the school has to do to prepare for the change. “We’re trying to pull together a task force representative of the different people on campus,” said Crow. “There’s a lot of different people involved from this, from the faculty side to the police side.” Smoking cessation counseling used to be available in the Health Center, but according to Health Service Assistant Ryan Nix, requests for the service were “not
in great demand.” “The nurses are not doing counseling,” said Nix. “What we do provide are educational resources.” Nevertheless, Crow said that support groups are speaking with the school regarding smoking cessation resources. Laurie Jones, a member of the Building, Grounds and Safety Committee, said they began discussing smoking and tobacco use during last spring’s semester. “I’m a health oriented person, so to me it’s great because of the health issues associated with smoking,” said Jones. “It’s expensive not just because of buying the cigarettes but because the healthcare cost affects everybody.”
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 Editorial, Opinion or Forum sections 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, e-mail 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
Arts & Culture/Scene
August 24, 2015
Page 3
College home to prodigy siblings
‘California’ novelist visits ARC lit festival lepucki read from her novel and led two workshops
By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com For Tanishq and Tiara Abraham, being an 11-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl includes typical sibling rivalries, such as who gets to play as which character in Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii. “She always claims Mario first, so I always take Luigi,” said Tanishq as Tiara grinned. But the two also rival each other in the academic field, as Tiara recently broke Tanishq’s record as the youngest ever member of Phi Theta Kappa, a national academic institution. They both joined at the age of nine, but Tiara was a few months younger, admits Tanishq. Most people by now have heard about Tanishq, the 11-year-old who graduated from American River College last spring. But not many have heard about Tiara, his 9-year-old sister who also attends ARC. Both Tanishq and Tiara joined Mensa, a society for people with high IQs, when they were just four years old, and began taking college classes when they were seven. Tanishq is now a full-time student taking four classes a semester, but Tiara is still part-time while she finishes her advanced classes to get a high school
John Ferrannini / jferr1995@gmail.com Tanishq Abraham, center, is the youngest recorded graduate in American River College history. Both he and his sister Tiara began attending ARC as 7-year-olds and they both joined Mensa as 4-year-olds.
degree. Taji Abraham, mother to the two, is unsure why Tanishq gets the most attention, other than just the benefit of being first and oldest. But Tanishq has undoubtedly garnered attention, from appearing on multiple TV shows, whether they were with Conan O’Brien, Queen Latifah or a reality show competition on The Learning Channel, aptly named “Child Genius.” If Tiara has it her way, Tanishq won’t be the only well-known Abraham child soon. She loves opera, and wants to be the next famous opera singer. She sings in Italian and German so far, and correspondingly takes mainly language courses at ARC. She has already completed three Spanish classes and moved on to Italian, with French next up after that. And Tanishq is still around finishing other classes he needs before transferring. His goal is Stanford, but he is also looking into several UC’s.
For Taji and Bijou Abraham, their parents, managing their children’s advanced schedules is a full-time job. “Both of the kids said they wanted something different, and wanted to take college courses,” said Taji. “It’s a long, tedious process, and it’s challenging. Most professors don’t want to have kids as young as seven in their classes.” In fact, every semester the family must acquire special permission for each class they intend to take, although the process has gotten easier over time. Tanishq in particular has gotten used to a routine at ARC. Last semester, he was at school almost twelve hours a day, five days a week. In the mornings, he was accompanied by his sister and mother, and in the evenings by his father. But he’s not content to rest on just being a bioengineering major. His loftiest goal is to be president of the United States, and address problems like global warming, education and health care. He only has to wait 24 years to run.
Courtesy of Altessa The members of the band Altessa, from left to right: Kendall Schoenfeld, Richie Gomes, Billy Zindel, Julian Grenz and Leonard Gutay.
Music student shares ‘Warped’ story John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com After playing on The Warped Tour, America’s largest travelling music festival, the rock band Altessa is seeking to grow their audience and to refine their sound. American River College student Julian Grenz plays bass in the Sacramento based rock band. Altessa was voted to be included in on the line up for the 2013 Warped Tour, which Grenz described as a “punk rock summer camp, in a way.” Popular musicians such as Katy Perry credit performing in the festival for helping them to succeed in the industry. Altessa is rounded out by three other guitarists: Kendall Schoenfeld, Leonard Gutay, who also plays the drums, and Richie Gomes, who also does vocals. “Warped Tour has always been a dream for me when I first started play-
ing in bands,” said Gutay. “Just the whole experience of promoting and eventually playing was completely surreal.” “When we first heard we made it, we were practically partying. Then it became this big stressful thing for a while,” said Gomes. “Warped Tour is maybe the only place in the world where you can play in front of over 300 people who’ve never heard of you and have them be genuinely interested in your sound and music … The whole experience gives you a sense of ‘this is what I’m doing this for.’” Altessa got together several years ago when its members were still in high school. Lately the band has been working on its sound. “What we’ve done is we’ve gotten songs recorded with Erik Ron down in L.A. He’s worked with a couple of bands like Panic at the Disco!,” said Grenz. “We brought in the songs we wanted to record and we re-arranged them, defined our sound a bit
more and now we have three songs that we have fully recorded.” Altessa’s first single, “Sara,” was uploaded to YouTube in February, where it has garnered over 40,000 views. Grenz said that the band has had the opportunity to travel since band members have moved away from Sacramento. “I’ve been in Altessa for two, maybe three years now,” said Grenz. “We recently got out of town to Southern California – Santa Ana. We also played in the Bay Area as well.” Grenz said that in the immediate future, the band is working on reaching as many fans as possible. “We’ve had fans from across the state ask if we can come to their town,” said Grenz. “It’s going to take a while with everyone living off a college student’s budget but we’re all working, saving up working on getting ourselves out there more and releasing more music.”
By Joseph Daniels joseph64daniels@gmail.com By all rights her first book should have been a financial failure after Amazon.com refused to sell it on their website, but with the help of Stephen Colbert, her novel soared to the number two spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. “California” author Edan Lepucki, who came to American River College in May for SummerWords, a creative writing festival, said that she found out that her novel was not going to be sold on Amazon eight weeks before the book came out. Amazon was embroiled in a contract dispute with Lepucki’s publisher, Hachette Book Group. “For some people, Amazon is the only bookstore available to them, so it felt like my book was invisible suddenly.” Colbert’s books were also published by an imprint that is owned by Hachette Book Group. Lepucki’s appearance at SummerWords came one year after shaking up the literary world with her Colbert appearance and subsequent success on the New York Times Best Seller list. Lepucki led two SummerWords workshops and read from “California,” an apocalyptic novel that differs from other books of its ilk by not portraying the end of the world as caused by a single event. “I didn’t set out to do it differently, I kind of just took everything that I was freaked out about in our present world and just made it worse and worse,” Lepucki said. “I guess I honestly believe that’s how it would go, anyway. It wouldn’t just be a singular event that happened — it will be kind of gradual, which is scarier to me because it feels more realistic.” Lepucki said one of the major influences on her novel was “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a dystopian novel about a woman living in a theocratic society. Similar that title, “California” delves into gender issues. “If you look at places where the economic climate is really horrible, it doesn’t look too good for women,” Lepucki said. Christian Kiefer, an English professor at ARC and a key organizer of the SummerWords event, met Lepucki at the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley, a Northern California writing festival. “I found her to be a super nice, awesome, rad human being,” said Kiefer. “We want super nice, awesome, rad human beings at SummerWords.”
ON THE WEB
For more SummerWords stories, including writer profiles, check out the Arts and Culture section of
arcurrent.com
August 24, 2015
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SURVIVAL I GUIDE the New student
Feature
By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com
t’s the first day of school. Some of you just graduated high school a few months ago and others haven’t been to school in decades. Because we have a campus that serves over 30,000 students, with goals such as transferring to a university or just attending for personal enrichment, American River College can be a very overwhelming and confusing place during the first days and weeks of school. Hopefully, this campus survival guide will be able to help you have a less confusing ARC experience.
to know d ee n u o r at ing y Everyth first semeste — r for you river college nap n a ke a ic amer re to ta e h w g in includ
Parking:
Los Rios police traditionally don’t write parking tickets during the first week of school. Students can buy semester long decals for $25–$35 on eServices or in the administration building, or a $2 parking pass for the day at the pay stations around the parking lots.
Student center:
The Student Center contains a variety of eating establishments, including a Starbucks and a Subway. Students can be seen in the cafeteria playing cards, studying, sleeping between classes or just hanging out.
Open classes:
Students can find out about open classes on a spreadsheet on the ARC website that is updated for the first week of school. To join the class, show up on time (or early) and after class ask the professor for a permission number.
Health center:
Library:
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed on Sundays and holidays. Phone: 916-484-8455 Students are advised to visit the research help desk in the library if they need help finding books or conducting research on the exhaustive databases of articles. The comfy chairs and quiet atmosphere make it a great place for a nap, especially on the third floor.
Counseling center:
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays. Phone: 916-484-8383 The college nurses are at the health center on Monday and Wednesday mornings. They offer first aid, common immunization, health information and resources. Other services like reproductive and sexual health services or tests can be made by appointment only.
Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays. Phone: 916-484-8572 Students can set appointments with the counselors on Friday mornings for a few weeks out or can schedule a drop-in appointment with the counselors for the same day in person or on the phone.
Campus police: Hours: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on holidays. Phone: 916-484-8019 24-hour line: 916-558-2221 Students can sign up for the ALERT text message notification system on their eServices. ALERT is used by police to let students know about emergencies, such as a bomb threat that occurred in 2011.
Bookstore: Hours: Monday–Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays. Phone: 916-484-8111 On the Beaver Bookstore website, under the tab Textbooks, students can select the classes they are enrolled in to see what books are required.
August 24, 2015
Feature
Page 5
first day Advice to new students from former and returning students and counseling staff “Look around and get to know the place. If you know your surroundings, where things are, you won’t feel pressured.”
–NABEELKHALID Student
“Be willing to be vulnerable and ask for help. If that time someone is not as helpful as you would have liked, do not give up.”
–chaninhardwick Counselor
“Reach out, it’s hard to emphasize how important it is to take advantage of the support services on campus. I’d say that I really didn’t propel in my college experience until I realized I had to reach out.”
–Charlisawashington Student
“I was going to get in that parking lot and never come back. I was already in my 40s and I’d flunked out of college in my 20s. But I picked three counselors and saw one of them every month. That really helped me.”
–sigridmenard Counselor
August 24, 2015
Page 6
Sports
Volleyball coach Hain leaves ARC gold medalist olympian steps in By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com
Courtesy of American River College
An upcoming renovation to American River College’s athletics complex includes a new 1,000-seat soccer stadium and new practice fields.
ARC plans $5 million stadium changes being made in an attempt to match the quality of nearby colleges By Kevin Sheridan kevinsheridan56@gmail.com Construction will begin on a new athletic complex this semester, according to the American River College athletics department. The PE and Athletic Field Renovation Project is currently being prepared to be bid on by general contractors. The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2016 and construction costs are slated to not exceed $5.28 million. “(The money is) part of a LRCCD bond that was passed years ago,” said former Athletics Director Greg Warzecka. “It was the same bond that built the Student Center.”
The largest part of the project scheduled to be built is a 1,000-seat soccer stadium equipped with lights, a scoreboard and concession stands. In addition to the stadium, the project includes new practice fields for the football team and soccer team, as well as a hammer cage for the track and field teams. According to Warzecka, ARC is attempting to match the quality of the facilities at Cosumnes River College and Folsom Lake College, in what he said will be a “significant improvement,” over ARC’s current facilities. Women’s soccer head coach Paul Arellanes agreed with Warzecka’s assessment, and said the fields now need more work than ever before.
“They’re antiquated,” said Arellanes. “We’ve been playing on the same field for the last 20 or 30 years.” The new stadium could be used to host night games and other events, something Arellanes said “would be wonderful.” “If this facility gets built the way we want to, there won’t be one like it Northern California and possibly the state,” said Arellanes. Men’s soccer head coach Paul Hansen said he believes the new fields will create a much nicer environment for the fans. “We haven’t had access to a bathroom or anything,” said Hansen. “We’ve been out there by the creek for 20 years with nowhere to go to the bathroom, nowhere for people to sit and watch the game.”
SPORTSPREVIEWS
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
Rick Anderson’s squad took fourth place in the NorCal championships in 2014. Sean Gregg, Sean Jagerson and Abdul Hamid were all named All-American, and ARC had four competitors finish within the top 20 for individuals at state championships, where Gregg placed 10th.
The women’s cross country team finished second in the 2014 Northern California championships, short of first by a total of 2 minutes and 9 seconds. ARC placed 10th overall for team and freshman Jenica Dodge finished in fourth for individuals.
MEN’S WATER POLO
WOMEN’S WATER POLO
ARC men’s water polo looks to improve from a 2014 season where it finished 7-18, but made the playoffs before losing to San Joaquin Delta College. The team struggled on the road, failing to win a game away from home all of last season.
2014 was a successful year for the women’s water polo team. After finishing its season at .500 with a 16-16 record, ARC finished third in the NorCal Championships, which were held at home. ARC went 11-1 at home during season play.
MEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER
ARC’s men’s soccer team won only one game last season, finishing its season 1-15-4. Its offense struggled, as it only scored 0.7 goals per game. Forward Anthony Herrera started in the last five contests in 2014, scoring four times. The team’s only win came against San Joaquin Delta at home.
Finishing the 2014 season with a 6-11-2 record overall, ARC women’s soccer team was .500 at home with a 4-4-1 record, but won only two games on the road. ARC ranked 2nd overall for red cards and also maintained a top 20 in its conference for shooting percentage in 2014.
American River College’s volleyball program has seen arguably its highest peak under head coach Ashlie Hain, but will transition now that Hain has taken the head coaching position at the University of California, Irvine, her alma mater. Hain, who could not be contacted prior to publication, began as head coach in 2009, and transformed a struggling program into one that finished every season but her first with a winning record. The team finished 4th in the state in 2013, an all-time best for ARC, and also won an undefeated conference championship, another first. Hain competed for UC Irvine in 2003 and 2004 in the NCAA tournament, and returns to the college after a professional career in Europe as well as her time as a college and club coach. Said Athletics Director Greg Warzecka: “There will be people who say that the program has been the most successful in campus history in under Ashlie.” According to Warzecka, ARC did not receive permission from the Los Rios district to hire a fulltime, tenure track professor as a replacement for Hain, who also taught Kinesiology courses. But they have found a new head coach in Gabe Gardner, an Olympic gold-medalist volleyball player for the United States and volleyball club coach with “deep local ties with volleyball clubs in this region,” said Warzecka.
File photo
Midfielder Julio Vizcarra slide tackles his opponent for possesion during a 2014 home game. The men’s soccer team went 1-15-4 during the year, winning the last game of the season.
2015 HOME OPENERS 08/27 Volleyball vs. Hartnell at 1 p.m. 08/28 Men’s Soccer vs. Feather River at 4 p.m. 09/01 Women’s Soccer vs. Canada College at 4 p.m. 09/10 Men’s Water Polo vs. Riverside at Noon 09/12 Football vs. De Anza at 6 p.m.
Sports
August 24, 2015
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ARC football ‘can’t wait’ After finishing 11-2 in 2014, coach o’s team is ready to start playing By Matthew Peirson matthewpeirson@gmail.com After a 2014 season that started with an eight-game winning streak and ended with a loss in the NorCal championship game, ARC’s football team is back on the field with new faces, new coaches, and the same desire to succeed as it prepares for the 2015 season. Head coach Jon Osterhout’s second training camp began on July 1, and the team met every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until July 30 before the regular season practice schedule kicks in on Aug. 11. The team started camp with returning players from 2014, transferring students, and new recruits that graduated high school this past spring. Two new coaches have also been hired in the past few months, long time former Rio Linda High School head coach Michael Morris, who is now ARC’s running backs coach, and former UC Davis defensive line coach Will Kofe, who will now coach ARC’s defensive backs. “It sounds very cliche, but we just want to do something with a purpose,” said head coach Jon Osterhout, now entering his second season as the team’s head coach. “We can’t wait to get started.” Last year’s starting quarterback Tanner Trosin signed a letter of intent to play for Southern Oregon University, leaving the starting job as well as many others on both sides of the field open and for the taking. Osterhout said the team has about 10 quarterbacks on its roster at this time as they go through camp. The team carried six during the 2014 season. “We’re trying to find the best student athlete to fill the requirements of our football program,” Osterhout said. Christopher Guillen, who graduated from Christian Brothers High School earlier this year, is one of the 10 vying for the starting position. “It’s a lot different than high school for sure,” said Guillen. “It feels good to finally get going.” Guillen said he is excited for the change of pace the college game will have, as well as the chance to compete with the other quarterbacks. “It’s going to be to fun to see, going to be fun with nine quarterbacks,” he said.
Kofe returns to arc staff after three years at davis By Matthew Peirson mattewpeirson@gmail.com
Nicolas Corey / nicholas.c.losrios@gmail.com
ARC slot receiver Will McClure runs after a catch during summer training camp for ARC’s football team. 2015 will be McClure’s second year on the team, after he finished with six receptions in 2014.
“I just can’t wait to get out there and compete.” Osterhout and his staff’s training program starts the team with what would be viewed as largely rudimentary exercises, to the likes of even blowing his whistle at unexpected times during a drill to make sure a player is keeping his focus, or re-starting a drill if any individual’s concentration lapses. Osterhout said that testing the concentration of his players is only the start of mentally preparing a team for the long haul of a season. “We understand that disciplined football teams win games,” he said. “And that’s how I was brought up in the coaching realm of things, and that’s how I was brought up as a player. “We can’t do it any other way.” Lou Baiz, the team’s defensive coordinator, agreed with Osterhout about setting the discipline early so that the mind is right at all times, even during times of physical exertion. “We lost 10 starters on defense,” Baiz said. “The standards have been set here over the last five or six years, so we’re not going to use youth as an excuse.” Baiz also pointed out the chemistry of the coaching staff as a reason he thinks
the learning process won’t be long for the team. “A lot of the guys coached together even before working here.” Baiz was the defensive backs coach in 2014 in addition to his responsibilities as the coordinator, but now has the freedom to roam the defensive sets at every position with the hiring of Kofe. “It frees me up and gives me a lot of flexibility to look over the defense.” Training camp runs through the remainder of July, at which point the team will have a 10 day vacation. The team’s first game will be on the first weekend of September at Modesto Junior College. Osterhout said his key starting players will probably be named a week or two before that game, which would be either the weekend before the semester begins or the weekend after. “Everyone’s going to get a chance to showcase their abilities,” said Osterhout. “At the end of the day, they (have to) prove it every week.” All the returning players and coaches believe they can reach and surpass the progress of last season. “We’re just excited to build upon what we did in 2014,” Osterhout said.
Warzecka: ‘ARC will miss him’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Thanksgiving so many years, be it Texas, Oklahoma, I spent 16 years at UC Davis where the teams were so successful that the (football) team was always on the road during the holidays,” said Warzecka. Mitchel Benson, currently the public information officer for the Los Rios District, also worked with Warzecka at UC Davis, and was involved with him and the school going through “some of the highest highs and lowest lows.” UC Davis reclassified as Division I in 2003 after years of dominating as a Division II school, and has seen continued success since. The university also was recognized for its above and beyond approach to upholding Title IX in academic sports, which mandates
DB coach from Davis has D-I cred
equal opportunity for both men and women’s sports when federally funded. Benson called Warzecka “Incredibly solid, and of the highest character,” while also adding that he was “pretty unflappable” in the face of difficulties while on the job. Mary Tervooren, administrative assistant for the kinesiology department, agreed with Benson’s assessment. “Situations arise and he’s able to meet them very clear-headed,” said Tervooren, who has worked with Warzecka since he came to ARC. “(ARC) will miss him, and I know I will.” Warzecka’s career in athletics began as a collegiate athlete at Citrus College, playing football there before transferring to Berkeley and obtaining a degree in physical education and a master of science
in athletic administration at CSU Hayward. He then served as an assistant coach for Berkeley’s baseball team, before going on to be head coach for San Francisco State University and the University of Chicago, where he became athletic director for the first time. His return to California came when he was named athletic director of the University of Redlands, where he remained until his time at UC Davis. Altogether, a long, storied career that he will now walk away from, maybe temporarily, to focus on other interests. “I want to go travel and see places I’ve never been before. I want to go to spring training in Arizona, I want to go to the College World Series in Omaha,” said Warzecka. “On August 1st, I’ll walk down a different path.”
Greg Warzecka became athletics director in 2012.
In a move that adds to the over 40 years of cumulative Division I experience of American River College football’s head coaching staff, Will Kofe has been hired as ARC’s defensive backs coach. Kofe had been the defensive line coach at UC Davis for the past three years and was recruited to join ARC’s staff by head coach Jon Osterhout. “He’s just an incredible human being and an incredible football coach,” Osterhout said of Kofe. “Why wouldn’t you hire a guy with his knowledge, experience… (Division) I experience.” Kofe and head coach Jon Osterhout worked together previously at Sacramento State University. Kofe was the assistant defensive coordinator under Lou Baiz, who is now ARC’s defensive coordinator. Baiz was in charge of the defensive backs as well his coordinating duties for ARC prior to Kofe’s hire, but will now be able to roam free to oversee the defense. “This will free (Baiz) up to float and coach the entire defense, not just his position,” Osterhout said. Kofe briefly spent some time coaching at ARC during the spring of 2011 under then-head coach Jerry Haflich, but did not join the staff for the 2011 season in the fall. Kofe’s chief reason for joining ARC’s staff ties both of his families together: his blood family and his football family. “(It was) more for my family,” Kofe said. “Given me the time to spend more time for my kids.” Kofe said he doesn’t think twice about leaving Davis for ARC. “I don’t regret it either,” Kofe said of the change. “(Division) I is nice man. Division I is great. But my family is more important.” Kofe also said the atmosphere among the coaches is a big reason he decided to join the staff. “I think the camaraderie between the coaching staff is pretty solid. And that’s important,” he said. “It’s pretty much like coming back to family.” Kofe has football history in his family. His uncle Alfred Pupunu played nine seasons in the NFL from 1992 to 2000 as a tight end, primarily for the San Diego Chargers. Pupunu was a member of San Diego’s 1994 team that reached Super Bowl XXXIX and scored a touchdown in its 17-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. Osterhout has worked with most all of the coaching staff prior to taking the reigns at ARC in 2014, and as he was with his most recent addition to the staff, is thrilled to have Kofe be a part of it. “He’s got an abundance of energy,” Osterhout said. “He’s been through all walks of life. He’s a tremendous example and will be a great mentor to our student athletes here at American River College.” Perhaps uncoincidentally, Kofe is most looking forward to seeing the growth of the players both on and off the field over the course of the season. “Can’t wait. Can’t wait to see these young men grow,” he said. “See them learn new things and get excited about it.” Kofe said he is also excited to be under Baiz’s leadership again and be a part of a successful team. “American River College has built themselves to be a powerhouse in California,” he said. “What I’m excited about it to see the process to get there. What do the coaches do? What do the players do?” Kofe has one goal as the team prepares for the season over the summer: “To create a team, and take them to the championship. That’s what I’m excited about.”
A CLASS ALL THEIR OWN Photo essay by John Ferrannini
Hundreds of American River College students marked the end of their community college education on May 20 when they participated in the annual commencement ceremonies at Beaver Stadium. The Class of 2015 included 1,879 students, of
whom 60 percent are women, according to ARC President Thomas Greene. “Every exam that we’ve taken was worth it. All the loss of sleep and late night studying was worth it. All the Starbucks and energy drinks we consumed were worth it,” said graduate Aundrey Mosley in the student commencement address. Top: A graduate raises his arms after receiving his diploma at the commencement ceremony. Right: Student graduation speaker Aundrey Mosley, pictured, transfered to Sacramento State University. Left: A graduate holds his degree and beams with pride during the ceremony.
Right: A cap at the commencement ceremony shares an inspirational adage. Left: Two graduates celebrate their achievements with a kiss.