Vol. 69, Ed. 7 by ARCurrent

Pride Center

ARC becomes one of three community colleges to have LGBTQ+ Center

Page 3

Wednesday 04.11.18

CURRENT The

American River College Sacramento, Calif.

ADRIAN LAMO, HACKER WHO TURNED IN CHELSEA MANNING, DIES AT 37

Photographer

The Kaneko Gallery hosts a photography exhibit on the work of Luther Gerlach.

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Vol. 69

Ed. 7

Drone club prepares for lift-off By Brienna Edwards briennaedwards@gmail.com

by praised Lamo’s abilities as a journalist, but said that Lamo struggled with deadlines. “You could give Adrian an assignment and guarantee it wouldn’t come in on deadline. He would turn it in late and turn in a totally different assignment,” Stangby said. “He found a way to put himself in every story he wrote. You don’t really see that at the community college level — he had a gift.” Terracina-Hartman echoed that sentiment and said that Lamo often overindulged himself with his writing. “Me and Andy came up with a word for it: verbal masturbation, we called it. We’d have to sit him down sometimes and remind him that the rules applied to him too,” Hartman said. “But that’s the way he was. He was always five steps ahead of everyone else.” Matthew Keys, fellow journalist, said Lamo’s genius was undeniable; it was what he did with his talent that bothered Keys. “He was so bright. He was so smart. His biggest obstacle was himself. It was an obstacle he couldn’t overcome,” Keys said. “He had a brilliant mind but rather than try [to] better society,

A typical afternoon on any given Tuesday or Wednesday will find Shane Lipscomb, an Administrative Assistant, trudging across American River College’s soccer field, where he will soon be met by a small collection of students. Inevitably they all assemble, standing together by the team bench, dropping their backpacks down onto its metal surface, it is here that they laugh and joke, and catch up on each others’ week. However, it is not Lipscomb’s great love for ‘the beautiful game’ that sends them to the far reaches of the campus, because in his hand he carries a small black case. The case contains an unmanned aerial vehicle or more specifically, a drone, and this small group has gathered to fly it. The Drone Club, for lack of a better term, originated a couple of years ago, said Lipscomb. “There was a design student, who wanted to, as part of a project he was working on in class, design and print a drone, so he did,” Lipscomb said. From there he and his fellow students began flying it as part of demonstrations on campus. “People started showing an interest, and so more people wanted to fly,” Lipscomb said. Not long after, “the technology met an ease to use and a price point where the school could justify purchasing a couple as design platforms,” he said. Soon the club’s goal came to fruition. “We had the drones, people were interested and Cheryl [Sears] lets us have the fields Monday and Wednesday at noon,” he said. Sears works in Administrative Services at ARC, she is also the operations Department; all flights must be scheduled and approved through her. “Students can fly without a license if they are just flying for fun, or if they are flying in pursuit of some educational purpose,” Lipscomb said. If it is for a class, or simply for enjoyment a student can fly a drone campus. The club also takes extra precautions to remain safe. “We have adopted the rule for specific authorization so while hobbyist could fly up to 400 feet here, we ask people to stay at the light level and below, at around 60 feet,” Lipscomb said. In addition, if an aircraft is flying in the vicinity of the school

Adrian Lamo | Page 2

Drone Club | Page 4

File Photo

Adrian Lamo, poses in front of the Rose Marks Quad at American River College in 2006. Lamo gained infamy after turning in Chelsea Manning to federal authorities for exposing classified government information to WikiLeaks. Lamo died on March 14 from undisclosed causes in his Wichita, Kansas home.

Adrian Lamo, ‘Homeless Hacker’ and former Current staff member, dies By Luis Gael Jimenez

luisgaeljimenez@gmail.com Adrian Lamo, the controversial “grey hat” hacker best known for reporting Chelsea Manning to the FBI and hacking into the websites of the New York Times, Yahoo, Microsoft and other companies, was found dead in his Wichita, Kansas home on March 16 at 37. Lamo attended American River College in the mid-2000s following a court order from a judge after hacking the New York Times website in 2002. Mario Lamo, Adrian Lamo’s father, said that his son simply added his name to the list of contributing writers on the Times’ website. “The New York Times wanted to prosecute Adrian to make an example out of him. They went after him with their lawyers to prove a point,” Mario Lamo said. “But Adrian learned his lesson; he never hacked another company again.” It was while at ARC that Lamo joined the Current during his second semester and applied his skills towards helping the newspaper. Mario Lamo, who still keeps his son’s old newspaper clippings, remembers Adrian Lamo’s days on

the Current as some of the better ones of his life. “He felt at home there. Adrian loved writing so much,” Mario Lamo said. Andy Stangby, who served as editor-in-chief of the paper at the time, said Lamo initially joined the Current because it gave him internet access — something the judge had restricted Lamo from having as part of his probation sentence. “This odd little man we’d never seen before walked in and said: ‘Hi, I’m Adrian Lamo.’ Then he just sort of started hanging out,” Stangby said. “He wasn’t on the paper right away but he was always in there on the computers. I think that’s when he decided he wanted to be a journalist.” Once on the school paper, Lamo used his “grey hat” hacking abilities (or in other words, his willingness to violate laws without malicious intent) to help the Current on multiple occasions. Carol Terracina-Hartman, who served as the faculty adviser to the paper while Lamo attended ARC, said she once saw Lamo hack into the cameras of the Sacramento County Courthouse in order to track down the subject of an article. “Adrian sat there on the com-

“After Manning was pardoned, Adrian told me he was relieved ... He was always very sorry about Manning.” Mario Lamo

Adrian Lamo’s Father puter and somehow tapped into the cameras outside of the courthouse. I don’t know how he did it, but that’s the kind of student he was; he was brilliant,” TerracinaHartman said. “You can’t teach that sort of innate curiosity. Adrian had that long before he was on the paper.” Terracina-Hartman also told a story about the time Lamo hacked into the computers of the California State Capitol to find out where a teleconference between the California Community College Chancellor and dozens of reporters was taking place. Terracina-Hartman said Lamo was able to pinpoint the chancellor’s location within the Capitol, allowing Current reporters to find him for an interview when he finished the conference call. Terracina-Hartman and Stang-

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Shakespearean play starts April 20.

April 11, 2018

News

Controversial hacker dead at 37 LAMO CONVICTED OF HACKING THE NY TIMES’ WEBSITE IN 2003

cont. from page 1 he used it to satisfy himself.” Keys was released from federal prison on Feb. 28 after serving 18 months. He was convicted of allowing the online group Anonymous a backdoor into the Los Angeles Times’ website in 2015. Lamo and Keys had a cordial relationship in the mid-2000s. They spent time in the same social circles and shared common interests in journalism and computers. Keys also attended ARC. In May 2010 Chelsea Manning (formerly known as Bradley Manning), a private first class in the United States Army, reached out to Lamo to take credit for a series of leaks of highly classified government material that had been uploaded to the website Wikileaks earlier that year. The leaked material included the video “Collateral Murder,” which depicted an airstrike on a group of Iraqi civilians. Among the group were two Reuters war correspondents. The attack killed between 12-18 Iraqi men and the reporters as well as injuring children. The U.S. government did not take responsibility for the attacks until after the footage was leaked. During the online conversation Lamo assured Manning that they were speaking in confidence. Lamo would later turn their chat logs into the FBI and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command. Manning was arrested, and eventually pled guilty to espionage, theft and aiding the enemy — among other charges. President Barack Obama eventually commuted Manning’s sentence and Manning was released from prison on May 17, 2017. Lamo’s involvement in turning Manning in to the authorities saw him lambasted by hacking communities all over the world. He was seen as a traitor by some, and a patriot by others. For Keys, and many within the anti-Lamo com-

munity, Lamo abused Manning’s trust. “Adrian preyed on her vulnerability and trust. I don’t think he ever understood just how manipulative he was,” Keys said. “Because of Manning, we were able to get a complete picture of what happened. She didn’t want fame or notoriety. She saw something that was wrong and wanted to tell the American people about it.” Keys said that during his time with Lamo, he saw glimpses of a remorseless person. “I think a lot of times he did things for no reason. The reaction was all that mattered to him. He thrived in the limelight, it didn’t matter whether it was good or bad,” Keys said. But for others, Lamo did what he thought was right. “[Manning] sent him files and compromised him — [Adrian] was already a felon. Manning should have known that [she] could get Adrian in a lot of trouble by sending him the files,” Mario Lamo said. “[Manning] shouldn’t have done that. Adrian had to make the decision he thought was best.” Stangby expressed a similar opinion. “I don’t think he was a snitch or a rat. Adrian didn’t betray anything. In his mind, whether it was right or wrong, Adrian did what he thought was right,” Stangby said. “He was self-centered in a selfless way — if that makes any sense. He didn’t have a single negative bone in his body. He was probably the kindest, gentlest person I’ve ever met in my life.” Lamo’s reputation within the hacking community took a nosedive after the Manning debacle. The Lamo family began receiving death threats at their home after their address was publicized online. It eventually got so bad that the entire family fled their Carmichael home and left the country, according to Mario Lamo. He added that Adrian Lamo never had the intention to hurt Manning. Mario Lamo claims that

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his son felt that Manning’s sentence was much too harsh. “After Manning was pardoned, Adrian told me he was relieved. He never thought [she] should have been punished the way [she] was,” Mario Lamo said. “He was always very sorry about Manning.” Lamo spent his last few years living out of the public eye. When this reporter reached out to Lamo in December about the possibility of profiling him for the Current, his response was less than positive.

“The last time we spoke ... he told me didn’t have any hate in his heart for the people that spoke badly of him. That was my son, that was Adrian.” Mario Lamo

Adrian Lamo’s Father “I don’t do interviews anymore except under exigent circumstances … My current work has me staying out of the public eye. It’s not that I can’t talk to the press, it’s just that anything I say is controversial,” Lamo said in a direct message over Twitter. “There’s the avatar of me on Google or Twitter, created by media and mythos, and then the actual guy. Most people don’t make it past the first to get to the words.” At the time of his death, Lamo lived alone. The Wichita Coroner’s Office estimated that Lamo’s death occurred on March 14, but his body was not found until March 16. Upon finding out about Lamo’s death, Wikileaks editor Julian Assange posted a message to his Twitter on March 16 calling Lamo a “snitch.” “Lamo, a fake journalist, petty conman and betrayer of basic human decency, promised alleged

source @xychelsea journalistic protection, friendship and support, then sold him to the FBI,” read Assagne’s tweet. But, for those close to Lamo, they didn’t lose a controversial public figure — they lost a family member and a friend. “Adrian suffered from depression and anxiety his entire life. The constant attacks only made that worse,” Mario Lamo said of his son. “The last time we spoke, which was his birthday, Feb. 20, he told me he didn’t have any hate in his heart for the people that spoke badly of him. That was my son, that was Adrian.” “You know, he was like one of my kids — it feels like I’ve lost a kid. There was a real gentleness in him,” Terracina-Hartman said. Keys had a strained relationship with Lamo towards the end of his life and talked about the realization that Lamo could no longer contribute his gift to the world. “It was so frustrating when he was alive, and now that he’s dead, it’s just disappointing. Now he’ll never get a chance to impact this world the way those close to him knew he could,” Keys said. “It’s sad; it really is a tragedy. My heart hurts for his family. He had so much potential.” Mario Lamo said that he hopes his son and his memory can finally rest now that he is gone. “They were still bad-mouthing him even while we were mourning his death. But somebody did write to me after his death to apologize for the things they had said about Adrian. They told me that they finally saw past the image of him created by the media,” Mario Lamo said. “I just hope that the world sees Adrian past Manning. He had so much to offer. He had the knowledge to do anything he wanted with computers but he didn’t. He wanted the people of the world to be as curious as him.” At the time of this report, the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office in Wichita, Kansas had yet to release an official cause of death.

The

URRENT An American River College student-run publication. Co-Editor-in-Chiefs Brienna Edwards Luis Gael Jimenez Co-Managing Editors Mack Er vin III Ashley Hayes-Stone Copy Editor Hannah Yates Social Media Editor Jennah Booth Staff Alondra Botello Gabe Carlos Cecilia Castillo Juarez Tracy Holmes Alexus Hur tado Michael Pacheco Alexis Warren Faculty Adviser Rachel Leibrock Photo Adviser Jill Wagner Student Worker Mack Er vin III

For weekly coverage of ARC student government, go to ARCurrent.com.

ASB DROPS RESOLUTIONS AND PREPARES FOR NEW TERM By Mack Ervin III me3current@gmail.com A decision to drop two resolutions, along with discussions about ASB elections and the incoming administration, were the main talking points from Friday’s Associated Student Body Student Senate meeting. With three pending resolutions on the table for discussion and only three meetings left in the semester, ASB president Deborah Hernandez recommended the resolutions be dropped. “Seeing as we only have four meetings left — including this one — it is my recommendation that this board just closes everything out,” Hernandez said. “We’ve had from last semester, to this semester to move things forward, but there’s just not enough time.” Senator Mahmoud Abduljabbar argued that one of the resolutions, calling for additional student translators, should kept alive

Photo by Mack Ervin III | Co-Managing Editor

Senators Earl Crouchley III (left) and Deborah Hernandez look-on as somone speaks during an April 6 Associated Student Body meeting.

becuase it is close to being ready. “We’re almost done, we’re just waiting on some numbers,” Abduljabbar said. “Since we don’t have any numbers we’re gonna have to change [the wording of the resolution] up a bit.”

When put to a vote, the board voted 3-2 to keep the resolution alive. Two other bills involving AED accessibility and service animal training on campus were dropped. Other business included discus-

sion on a resolution in progress would give future senate and CAEB members two days of training with parliamentarians, who would go over the process of student senate and the Brown Act. Other district-wide benefits such as a free parking pass for ASB and CAEB officials, transcript notation, and priority registration were also proposed for future senate members. The final talking point came from a new district-wide regulation regarding consensual relationships between a district employee and someone who they may have influence over, whether they are employed now or even in the future. Some senate members found the wording of the regulation to be “iffy” with Vice President Earl Crouchley III calling the future clause “bogus.” A vote to recommend the removal of the expanded definition was defeated by a 3-2 vote.

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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

April 11, 2018

SCENE

Administration opens campus LGBTQ+ Center ARC AIMS TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE FOR STUDENTS

By Tracy Holmes tdholmes80@gmail.com American River College’s LGBTQ+ Pride Center launched on April 5, with an opening ceremony that hosted speeches by many of the individuals who played a major role in its creation. ARC is now one of only three community colleges in California to acquire a Pride Center, the others are Sierra College and Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut Creek. The center was designed with the intent to create a safe space for students in the LGBTQ+ community on campus and is in accordance with ARC’s commitment to equality and inclusion. Joshua Moon Johnson, Dean of Student Services and Equity Programs and Pathways at ARC, played a major role in the Pride Center getting off of the ground. He gives direction to student life and also works on recruitment of new hires and outreach at the Pride Center. “I recognize your value, I dedicate this space to you,” Johnson said in a speech at the ceremony. The Pride Center is located in the HUB in the Student Center. Johnson said the HUB was chosen because it serves as a “center for diversity and equity inclusion.” “This space is a community space for anyone really, with a focus on supporting people who are historically or currently disadvantaged in higher education,” Johnson said.

Photo by Tracy Holmes | Staff Writer

Joshua Moon Johnson and Emilie Mitchell celebrate the official grand opening of American River College’s Pride Center on April 5, 2018. ARC became one of only three other community colleges in Northern California to have a Pride Center.

He explained the Pride Center is still hiring, and more services will be added over time. “We are hiring a full-time Student Personnel Assistant, a full time classified staff assistant and their job is to support the LGBTQ+ community here,” Johnson said. Dr. Emilie Mitchell, a professor of psychology at ARC, co-adviser of FIERCE, the LGBTQ+ student group on campus and Pride Center Coordinator also spoke at the opening ceremony. In Mitchell’s speech she said it was up to the LGBTQ+ community

to help fight for human rights. “We need to acknowledge that we exist in a larger role, and we need to talk directly about the killing of Stephon Clark,” Mitchell said regarding recent events. For Mitchell it is the responsibility of the LGBTQ+ community to fight for diversity, to fight for those who are facing discrimination every day. “We stand and fight, not just for the members of the LGBTQ+ community who face these struggles on a daily basis but for all community members,” Mitchell said.

“I think it’s important that we all recognize that.” Mitchell acknowledged that the killing of Stephon Clark has reminded the LGBTQ+ community of their duty to stand and fight against both discrimination and police violence. “We at the Pride Center stand first and foremost as an agent of social change; for social justice. We stand against and fight against systematic racism, discrimination, oppression, harassment, police violence and mass incarceration of people of color,” Mitchell said.

Robin Neal, the Vice President of Student Services at ARC, has been involved in the process of putting together the Pride Center throughout the years. “It’s been a long process, there has been a lot of advocacy for the need to have a space where it’s in a central part of campus; [the Pride Center] is coming to fruition,” Neal said. The LGBTQ+ Pride Center is expected to be fully staffed by the fall semester.

ARC offers student-parents chance to attend class

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER SERVES AS A DAYCARE FOR THOSE ENROLLED IN SCHOOL

By Alondra Botello

“I think [the daycare on campus] is very important because now that is one less stress the parents have to worry about.”

botelloalondra7@gmail.com Community college is home to a diverse student population with different stories and backgrounds. Some come straight out of high school, others are returning from the workforce and many have children of their own. Administration is aware of this diversity and tries to minimize the stressors in the lives of these particular students — those who have children at home and in need of child care. As student-parents at ARC strive to get their education, the Child Development Center offers a child care program for toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children. They must be at least two years old to enroll in the program. The center is located behind the campus cafeteria and bookstore. Inside, the classrooms are filled with art supplies, wooden play structures, stuffed animals and books. A playground is adjacent to the front entrance and a courtyard is home to a garden, bunny and two chickens. Michelle Kiefer the center’s supervisor, says the courtyard is one of the children’s favorite places to explore. “They love to go to the courtyard. We take small groups of children out there ... between four to

Paige Hall

Mother and Student

Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Co-Managing and Multimedia Editor

American River College’s Childhood Development Center employees Jennifer Lewin and Vasyl Ivanov read to each other on April 6, 2018.

eight children so they are getting that special attention,” Kiefer said. “They love running around. We [also] have a student helper who does the garden.” According to the Child Development Center pamphlet, the program has different learning objectives for each age group. Among these, the primary goal at the center is to nurture the children in an environment that develops as well as encourages their

success and learning. According to Kiefer, the building that houses most of the center’s resources has been around for 16 years, and has not only offered child care for student-parents, but for employees on campus as well. Approximately 135 families are enrolled, and approximately 95 percent of the parents are currently students on campus; 5 percent are either employees or former ARC students, according to Kiefer.

The center also offers an opportunity for early childhood education lab students to gain experience by working in the center as teacher aids and volunteers. “We support the [early childhood education] lab students so we typically have between 70 and 90 ... students who come here twice a week and they do their lab hours in conjunction with their academic classes,” Kiefer said. These lab students assist teach-

ers in a variety of activities. Paige Hall has been a student at ARC since 2016. Her 3-year-old son has been enrolled in the childcare program since she started college and her 2-year-old daughter since 2017. She explained the different activities her children are involved in while she goes to class and works during the day. “They do a lot of painting and sensory stuff and they try to teach them more to ask for stuff instead of crying because ... they are still babies so they are trying to communicate,” Hall said. She says she is grateful for the daycare because it has alleviated some of her worrying. “I think [the daycare on campus] is very important because now that is one less stress

Child Development | Page 4

April 11, 2018

Child development center helps parents

SCENE

Drone Club flies high over ARC

cont. from page 3 that parents have to worry about,” Hall said. “If it is right here on campus, all we have to do is wake up and when it is time for us to go to school, it is time for them to go to school.” Application packets are available in the front office. Although the application process is lengthy, Kiefer says that it is worth it. “The application packet is not fun for sure, but once they turn it in then that puts them on the waiting list … We are enrolling all the time,” Kiefer said. “Our goal is to definitely help as many families as we can.” The staff also offers resources for those families who may need the support. Their philosophy is that communication between parents and staff will meet the children’s needs which is their priority. The center is funded by the state of California and, according to Kiefer, it is the reason why there are so many papers to fill out. The Department of Education sets a sliding scale according to the income and the size of each family. The fees are paid in advance and a payment notice is given before the due date. The CDC is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information contact the center’s office at (916) 484-8651 or email kieferm@arc. losrios.edu.

cont. from page 1 and is visible, they will land their drones, and wait until it has flown over. “Even though they are not gonna fly that low that doesn’t mean something might not happen to the drone that causes it to take off,” Lipscomb said. However the location of the school poses some problems for those flying the drones. “Because ARC is within five miles of McClellan [Air Force Base] and five miles within San Juan Medical, everytime we are gonna fly, for fun, we have to call them and let them know,” he said. This does not apply to commercial flights. The school already possesses a license to fly drones commercially, for any reason that could draw a profit, neither the air force base or the hospital needs to be informed, as long a licensed person is in attendance. Both Lipscomb and Jason Wilkes, a mechatronics student and the remote pilot operations assistant, have remote pilot licenses and so all flights on campus would be supervised by one or both. They are the only two employees licensed and working with the operations department. Since its inception, the club has gathered a small following of students from a multitude of majors. Thomas Pfingston, a chemical engineer student, is still learning about drones. Pfingston said he was in the Design Hub on campus one day when he began to speak to another student, Sean Franklin. “He was doing some repairs,

CAMPUS PU

LSE

“Yes, because I believe that the protesters have protested in a way where they have a clear platform; they have a clear plan.”

-KRISTA TITENSOR Business Administration

Photo by Brienna Edwards | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Top: Shane Lipscomb lifts his hand to the sky in an effort to lock in to the drones smart capture, where the drone will follow hand signals, to get it to land without a remote. April 4, 2018. Bottom: A drone, operated by the Drone Club, flies over American River College’s soccer field.

and I got interested in looking at [them],” Pfingston said of Franklin. “And I just really wanted to see it come to life.” Franklin is currently teaching Pfingston how to pilot the drone simply with hand movements, no remote required. “This is smart gesture, smart capture, so it captures hand signals and images,” Franklin said. “It will recognize your hand, so it will do a couple of things, you can make it go farther away, bring it closer in.” If the person were to make a box shape with their fingers, for example, the drone will begin to record video; if he or she holds up two fingers in the form of a peace sign, it will take a picture. “If you have a group of people and they all put-up peace signs, it will take a series of three snapshots, it will like take one, back up

take one, back up take another one. It has this software embedded into it,” Franklin said. The drones have a an array of different features, for example itcan be programmed into ‘sports mode’, where it can speed up to keep up with its subject. The club is currently preparing to use the drones to film upcoming athletic events, however it is illegal to fly over people who are not part of the flight crew, so they are having to get creative. This could be done in multiple different ways, the club can communicate with the athletic department to determine whether the athletes would be comfortable with a drone buzzing around them and following as they competed during sporting events. Or, for example, the track is surrounded by bleachers and wood paneling, meaning that the club

“Students can fly without a license if they are just flying for fun, or if they are flying in pursuit of some educational purpose.” Shane Lipscomb

Administrative Assistant could fly their drones over the wood paneling instead of over human heads. It is Lipscomb’s goal for drones to be utilized across campus, and into other departments. “I want to either have our own drones [on campus] or to operate a pool of drones that people can check out with approval,” Lipscomb said.

Have the recent protests over the death of Stephon Clark been effective? “That is a question that requires a yes and no answer because it is all about perspective.”

-COREY WINFIELD Clerk

“I think so because in the past people have protested [the way the protesters are protesting now] to get other people’s attention.”

-YOSMARA MENDOZA Childhood Development

“I think the only way to get somebody’s attention to keep protesting.”

-ALLEN PETERSON III Mechanical Engineering

April 11, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE

Photo Courtesy of Brian C. Williams

The cast of American River College’s “Julius Caesar” poses for a photo. The William Shakespeare play comes to ARC on April 20, 2018.

‘Julius Caesar’ to open at ARC on April 20 By Ashley Hayes-Stone ashgstone@gmail.com What do musical numbers, a post-apocalyptic world and William Shakespeare have in common? A melding of these elements will soon be on display in American River College’s stage production of “Julius Caesar.” The play involves a new take on the classic tale of war, betrayal and self-realization, and was directed by Theatre Arts professor Samuel Williams,. “We are doing [the play] postapocalyptic and it is a musical with a lot of dancing, so it is pretty

crazy,” Williams said of his take on “Julius Caesar.” Aided by collaborating with his production crew, Williams stumbled on his ominous twist of this story. He told members of his artistic technical team that he didn’t wish for the production or costumes to reflect a specific time period. It was Williams’ hope to exemplify the idea of war; in his opinion war has no specific era — it transcends time. “War is timeless and I wanted that to reflect in this play,” he said. According to Williams, the decision to incorporate both dance and musical numbers into the

Shakespearean world was an easy one. “Shakespeare lends itself to music and he almost forces you to do it,” Williams said. “[Music] also helps tell the story and clarifies some things to the audience.” The play is not reliant on Williams alone — it also includes a cast of 26 members. Williams says he endeavors to work with each member of the cast individually to help develop their character so they can perform at their best. Kimberlee Wilson is one such cast member. She plays multiple roles in Wil-

liams’ upcoming production. “I love working with Sam [Williams] because he’s fun, he pushes you and he’s super-talented. I learn something every time I’m with him and he’s a very good teacher,” Wilson said. Wilson said she enjoys Shakespeare’s work; “Julius Caesar” in particular. She feels it is relevant to today’s political and economic climate. “It’s full of drama and political corruption, lies and manipulation. It’s relatable to today,” Wilson said. Williams feels similarly about his Shakespearean production. “It is exciting and you will learn a

“We are doing [the play] post-apocalyptic and it is a musical with a lot of dancing, so it is pretty crazy.” Samuel Williams Director

lot about yourself. And the world we created gives you a different perspective on looking at our own world,” Williams said. The play opens April 20, and will run through April 29.

Kaneko Gallery hosts renowned photographer LUTHER GERLACH FINDS HOME AT ARC By Jennah Booth jennahpage@gmail.com The James Kaneko Art Gallery at American River College is hosting its newest exhibit, “The Passion of Process,” by photographer Luther Gerlach. The exhibit will run from March 19 to April 14 and features examples of wet plate collodion photography, a process that dates back to the late 1800s. In addition to his installation in the Kaneko, Gerlach will hold a lecture on the historical photographic process in Raef Hall on April 12 at 7 p.m. and a demonstration on April 14 at 2 p.m. The demonstration will be held on a bus that doubles as a mobile dark room. Gerlach will show the entire process of taking and developing wet plate collodion photos. Gerlach is a southern California based photographer who has hosted demonstrations and workshops, as well as had his work displayed in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Gerlach’s exhibit features examples of both ambrotype and tintype photographs made through

“Quite often, I feel as if my soul is in the past and my mind is in the future. The vintage cameras and processes I use have a magical quality.” Luther Gerlach Photographer

the extensive wet plate collodion process. Patricia Wood, the gallery director, offered insight into the complex process. “Basically it’s where you take those huge old cameras, take a picture, expose it into a glass plate with collodion,” Wood said. “It’s a liquid so you pour it on there and you have to balance it. Then you dip in into silver nitrate and the image is actual on the glass.” Collodion is a highly flammable solution of pyroxylin in ether and alcohol and is instrumental in processing wet plate photography. In terms of length, Wood said the process takes much longer than photography does today. “It’s [a long process] in terms of getting the camera out, setting it up,” she said. “The exposure time is several minutes. It’s a lot longer than pushing a button on your phone.”

Photo by Jennah Booth | Social Media Editor

“Casitas Path Cathedral” by Luther Gerlach sits on display at the Kaneko Gallery on April 5. The photograph was created by using ambrotype on cobalt blue glass in 2017.

According to his artist statement, Gerlach finds his artistic expression through the process of historical photography. “Quite often, I feel as if my soul is in the past and my mind is in the future,” he wrote. “The vintage cameras and processes I use have a magical quality, which helps me to bring forth an indefinable depth of feeling and poetic structure in my photographs. My pri-

mary concern is that my art communicates both on a factual level, as well as on one of beauty and emotion.” Wood said Gerlach’s works are being shown in the Kaneko as a part of Sacramento’s first ever Photography Month. “Viewpoint Gallery in Sacramento is spearheading an idea that every April of every even year, will be Photo Month in Sacramen-

to,” Wood said. “They’re trying to get every single gallery in Sacramento, every community college, to have photography exhibitions as a celebration of photography.” Jodie Hooker, an ARC photography professor, initially wrote a grant to bring Gerlach on campus for a lecture and a demonstration. The Kaneko was able to include an installation of his work as well after earranging the gallery.

April 11, 2018

SPORTS

ARC hosts swim invite ARC’S BASEBALL TEAM LOSES 17-8

Beavers lose to FLC By Cecilia Castillo Juarez

standard, and we created a big mountain that was a little bit too ceciliacastillojuarez0@gmail.com high to climb.” The game got harder for the American River College’s base- Beavers as they continued to give ball team lost to Folsom Lake Col- up hits in the top of the third, allege 17-8 during a home game on lowing an Aidan Malm home run March 30. and four more hits as the Falcons’ The Falcons had a strong lead lead grew to 13-2. from the start and never let-up. According to Zabbia, eight runs During the top of the second, can win most games, however the Folsom Lake outfielder Jake Gross team gave up too many runs. singled, allowing first baseman “The team can’t take anything Andrew Williams to get to third for granted, you have to give a base while infielder Anthony Mis- hundred percent every inning of linski scored. every game,” Zabbie said. Gross got to secBy the After the game, ond base when right hand pitcher Numbers: outfielder John Freddy May still Mook reached carried a posifirst on a fieldtive outlook. er’s choice, “No matHomeruns hit Team batting as Williams ter how much this season by average for scored. you’re down ARC. the season. Mook and there’s always Gross both scored room to come back; when infielder Nate you can always come George hit a two RBI douback,” May said. ble. The Beavers then recovered to The Falcons ended up scoring win their next two games against nine runs in the second inning Sacramento Citty College by a while ARC scored two, putting combined score of 11-9. them in a hole early on. A loss to Sacramento City howGeorge then scored when in- ever dropped them to an 11-21 fielder Josh Winkler singled an record, which puts them 8th out RBI, making outfielder Aidan of 9 teams in the BIG 8 conferMalm scored unearned, then both ence. In 32 games his season, the Mislinski and Brewer scored un- Beavers have a batting average of earned. .238 and have 151 runs along with “We unmasked 15 hits and 7 home runs. managed to score eight runs,” Their next game is Thursday at Assistant Coach Lou Zabbia said. home against Diablo Valley Col“Unfortunately, the pitching early lege. in the game wasn’t quite up to

.238

DIABLO VALLEY DOMINATES SWIM MEET By Jennah Booth jennahpage@gmail.com

Eight California community college swim teams met at American River College for the 2018 Big 8 Invite on March 16. Swimmers from Santa Rosa Junior College, San Joaquin Delta College, Diablo Valley College and other local community colleges competed in 30 different swimming and diving events. Diablo Valley College dominated the meet, winning 17 races. Diablo took first in women’s and men’s 200-yard medley relays, women’s and men’s 100-yard backstroke and women’s and men’s 100-yard breaststroke. However, ARC still won a handfull of events during the meet. ARC’s Michelle Akana took first place in the women’s 50-yard free with a time of 24.79 seconds. ARC also took first in the women’s 100-yard and 200-yard fly. Mia Lieston won both races with a time of 1:10.9 seconds in the 100yard fly, and a time of 2:17.73 in the 200-yard fly. Lieston also took second in the women’s 500-yard free with a time of 5:26.05 seconds. Aside from a collection of first place times, ARC swimmers seized other victories throughout the day. Mary Gorodetskiy is a third-year nursing major and has been swim-

Photo by Cecilia Castillo Juarez | Staff Writer

Swimmers and divers from eight commmunity colleges met at American River College on March 15, 2018 for the Big 8 Invite. Diablo Valley College won 17 of the 30 scheduled events.

ming since she was 12 years old. Gorodetskiy swam a seasonal best of 1:48.8 on the women’s 100-yard fly. “I’m excited. I really just wanted to beat 1:10,” she said. Teammates and coaches yelled encouragement to the swimmers from the side of the pool. Among those yelling poolside was Bethani Black, the head women’s coach. Black has been coaching at ARC for 21 years. According to Black, both men and women train together. She says the co-ed practice encourages the whole team to work harder. “[It’s] nice because it pushes the girls and the girls push the guys,

so it works out really well,” she said. With the swimmers at the height of their season, Black says she thinks they’re doing pretty well. Black said her swimmers only have a few more meets to qualify for State Championships in May. “We’re in that point in the season where we’ve been training pretty hard,” Black said. “We’ve been doing very well.” ARC swim will compete in their final meet on April 14, then they will move on to compete in the three-day Big 8 Championships on April 19, 20 and 21. State swim championships will be held on May 3, 4 and 5.

SPORTS UPDATES Baseball

Softball

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April 12 vs Diablo Valley

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April 14 @ Folsom Lake (x2)

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April 13 @ Diablo Valley

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April 17 vs Modesto

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April 17 @ San Joaquin Delta

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April 21 vs Cosumnes River

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April 19 vs San Joaquin Delta

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April 21 @ San Joaquin Delta

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April 24 vs Gavilan

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April 26 vs Gavilan

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April 24 @ Diablo Valley

Photo by Cecilia Castillo Juaraez | Staff Writer

Swimming & Diving •

April 14 NorCal Diving

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April 19, 20, & 21 Big 8 Championships

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May 3, 4, & 5 State Swim Championships

Women’s swim teams from eight community colleges across northern California, push off the block for their first time trials of the Big 8 swim invite on March 15.

Baseball

Softball

The baseball team lost their last game to Sacramento City, 9-4. They now sit with an 11-21 overall record. The results from yesterday’s game against Diablo Valley were not immediately available.

The softball team lost both games of their double header with Sierra, leaving them with a 14-19 record with six games remaining. The results of their last game against San Joaquin Delta were not immediately available.

Men’s Tennis

Women’s Tennis

The men’s tennis team won six of their eight games in March and clinched their seventh consecutive conference title. Their suffered a 9-0 loss to Cerritos on March 29 in their last game before the NorCal playoffs. The Beavers enter as the No. 1 seed.

The women’s tennis team finished off an undefeated month of March by beating Folsom Lake in the conference championship game 9-0, capturing their second straight conference crown. They enter the NorCal playoffs with the No. 2 seed.

Track & Field •

April 13 & 14 American River Invitational

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April 17 & 18 NorCal Multis

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April 21 Yuba Last Chance

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April 23 Big 8 Conference Trials

April 11, 2018

OPINION

CURRENT EDITORIAL

One man’s death ignites a city By the Current Editorial Board current@arc.losrios.edu

On March 18, Stephon Clark, 22, was shot and killed in his grandmother’s backyard by two Sacramento police officers. Eight bullets struck his body; stealing his life, transforming him into a martyr and igniting a movement in the process. The reaction to his death has not been a quiet one, and the effect that it has had on the residents of the city is becoming impossible to ignore. Seemingly overnight, Sacramento has been transformed into a powder keg. Protests are being held nearly every day. Members of the community and Black Lives Matter Sacramento have taken to the streets, demanding justice for Clark and other members of marginalized communities who have faced brutality or whose lives have been taken at the hands of police officers. Much like the city, American River College is trying to find a way to recover too. The administration at ARC has acknowledged the shooting and the subsequent reaction in emails sent to students and staff. In an email sent by assistant history professor Sara Smith to her fellow ARC faculty members, Smith took a stance alongside the Clark family and protesters. “Because black life is being devalued by our justice system, we affirm that Black Lives Matter. Stephon Clark’s life matters,” Smith said in the email. The email encouraged professors to discuss Clark in class, to facilitate a moment of silence

Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Co-Managing Editor and Multimedia Editor

Keyan Bliss leads demonstrators as they block the intersection of J and 8th in downtown Sacramento during a protest for Stephon Clark’s death on March 29, 2018.

and to take into consideration: “some students in our classes are experiencing anxiety or deep feelings of trauma.” But most importantly, the email reminded everyone that: “We also support our students who have been affected by this incident and others like it.” The email also served as a statement from ARC’s faculty; in addition to supporting their students, it called for justice, for Stephon’s family to be acknowledged and “for the officers involved as well as their superiors to be held accountable.” And so for that reason, members of the community are standing up. These protesters hoist handmade signs as they walk amongst cars and cops. The air rings as they chant: “Say his name, Stephon Clark!” These protests have provided

an opportunity for those most hurt to speak out. At these demonstrations, shouts and the blaring of horns echo off of the walls of the surrounding buildings as a city grinds to a halt, as traffic slows to a stop among major commuting points — a tactic used by protesters since the days of the Civil Rights era. From south Sacramento — where the shooting took place — to North Highlands, the city is attempting to recover from the death of Clark. Clark’s death brought a nationwide problem into the front yard of many local residents. In an attempt to help facilitate this recovery, ARC hosted a Brave Space Dialogue on April 5. The Brave Space was held by U.N.I.T.E. and ARC’s UmojaSakhu learning community, a

group which was created to encourage the success and increase the graduation and transfer rates of students of African ancestry. The meeting was for members to discuss and share traumatic experiences or fears they may have related to the shooting. Its organizers felt it was important to open this event up to other non-members in light of recent events. “[The Brave Space Dialogue is] for our students, staff and faculty to find some sort of healing,” said Brett Sawyer, the U.N.I.T.E. student personnel assistant, and one of the event’s organizers. Because of the nature of the Brave Space, Sawyer said it was best not to repeat what those in attendance shared as it was deeply personal.

“They alluded to how that could have very easily been them, maybe by how they look or where they live,” he said. “So it was important for them to kind of find some sort of healing and to acknowledge that incident occurred.” It took more than just the Umoja-Sakhu group to make this event happen. “It was a culmination of different departments, faculty members, staff members and students,” Sawyer said. Judy Mays, a counselor at ARC, also helped orchestrate the event, and said it was a combined effort between the Umoja-Sakhu learning community and the U.N.I.T.E. program. “It just gave people an outlet to express their personal experience of grief or trauma,” Mays said of the event. As the city around us waits to explode into violence, ARC’s administration, faculty and staff is doing all they can to provide a safe place for its students. Everyone is affected by the events unfolding in our city, and it is essential during times like these for us to remember that everyone will play a role in whatever events or changes that will transpire. It is imperative for those who are suffering – for those who are still fighting for their human rights – to have a support system and to have a community to turn to. ARC’s administration is spurring students to both acknowledge and speak up, about how they have been impacted. “We encourage you to take action on campus and in the community to demand justice for Stephon Clark.”

Protesting Kings games damaged support THE FIRST PROTEST GOT NATIONAL ATTENTION, THE SECOND ONLY HURT THE FANS By Mack Ervin III me3current@gmail.com While the protest that occurred in front of the Golden 1 Center during the Sacramento Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks game on March 22 may have been inconvenient, it got the point and message across. Another young black man was needlessly gunned down and we need to have a discussion about it — and see change. This protest made most people recognize the issue and understand why it was happening. Stephon Clark should not have lost his life. Should he have been questioned? Yes. Arrested? Probably. Shot 20 times for holding a phone in his hand? Absolutely not. The city’s response to the incident didn’t sit well with some people, so they took the the streets to show their displeasure. The Kings organization took steps to show solidarity with the protesters after the first arena shutdown. Team owner Vivek Ranadivé came onto the court following the Hawks game to say that the issue was “bigger than

basketball.” Kings player Garrett Temple was vocal about the issue. The players stepped up and championed the idea of wearing T-shirts about accountability with Stephon Clark’s name printed on them. They made a video with members of the Boston Celtics, showing they were committed to the cause and willing to promote the issue. The Sacramento Kings organization did everything right. And still lost. While the protestors stayed away from the Boston Celtics game on Sunday, they returned with a vengeance for Tuesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, once again preventing thousands of ticketed fans from entering the arena, and forcing the team to issue refunds for the second time in five days. They chanted as they blocked the arena; “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” and “It’s just a game!” By halftime, the Kings told everybody that the arena would remain closed and wished anybody outside a safe trip home. The protesters left the arena

that night with smiles on their faces having denied thousands of people their right to watch a game they paid for, but what have they accomplished? Because of this, the Kings have restricted access to the downtown plaza to only ticketed fans for future games, and have an increased police presence to ensure fans get into games. While their cause may be just and many people, including myself, sympathize with them and the Clark family, this second show of protest towards an organization that has nothing to do with the problem diminishes their message and, ultimately, their goal. It makes the protesters look hypocritical for not protesting Sunday’s game, but coming to Tuesday’s game. One protester said, “It doesn’t matter when we show up.” If demonstrators were going to protest one game, why not all of them? It lulled people into a false sense of security in travelling to the game thinking there would be no problems getting in or not having to fear for their safety.

These protests are beginning to raise questions, and not necessarily the ones they were intending: Why are you protesting the organization that is standing with the cause? The Kings took several steps to show they were on board with the issue, and this is how the franchise was repaid. If the people who support you aren’t spared from your wrath, then who is? Are the protesters really looking for change, or are they just looking for a chance to get some publicity and seize the moment? Why not protest at a place that can make change, like City Hall or the Sacramento Police Department? Surely they can do more for this issue than a basketball team could. What is this group’s true intentions? If they are trying to get more people on their side and get more people to rally with them, they haven’t done a good job at it. What they have succeeded in is alienating a member of their fellow race. As an African-American man, I was drawn to the initial protest and while I felt like a Kings game wasn’t the proper forum for

this, it was somewhat necessary. However, when I am losing money and wasting my gas and my time to come and watch my beloved Kings, I have a right to feel angry. Not only because I lost out on seeing the game, but because it felt like a protest that was unnecessary. A protest that had already targeted and impacted these type of individuals — especially individuals who may have agreed with your cause. I also have a right to feel angry that some of those protesters told me I’m not “black enough” for hanging out with my friends who happen to be white. This kind of stigma will not lead to change, and will only lead more people to question their support. Investigations and questions absolutely need to be asked about the Stephon Clark shooting. We can all agree on that. But protesting and obstructing the organization that supports you is not the right way to rally support. In fact, all it did was hurt whatever support that had been built up.

April 11, 2018

PHOTO ESSAY

“Say his

Demonstrators raise their fists in the air in protest for Stephon Clark while blocking the intersection of J and 8th in downtown Sacramento on March 29, 2018.

Name”

By Ashley Hayes-Stone | ashgstone@gmail.com Since March 22, Sacramento has been a city in conflict. It started a few days after Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old unarmed African American man, was fatally shot by Sacramento police officers eight times in his grandmother’s backyard on March 18. Officers received a report that someone was breaking car windows and the police helicoper spotted Clark jumping a fence into a backyard near the area, according to police reports. Clark’s autopsy revealed he was struck eight times, the majority of the shots hitting his back, according to private medical examiner Dr. Bennet Omalu. As a result of Clark’s death, Black Lives Matter Sacramento organized protests to demand justice. The protests led to a shut down of interstate 5, blocking intersections in downtown Sacramento as well as preventing people from entering the Golden 1 Center during two Sacramento Kings’ games. The protesters are demanding justice by removal of the officers involved and Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.

Stevante Clark, Stephon Clark’s brother, raises his fist while making a statement to the media after the funeral at Bayside of the South Sacramento Church on March 29, 2018.

Demonstrators protest outside the Sacramento County District Attorney’s office demanding the removal of district attorney Anne Marie Schubert on March 29, 2018.

A demonstrator holds up a sign while blocking a bus during a protest on March 28, 2018.