C URRENT American River College Sacramento, Calif.
Wednesday 12.12.18
Volleyball takes state Beavers place first in Women’s Volleyball State Championship
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Vol. 70 Ed. 4
‘Everything will Disappear’ Unconventional photographer holds show at Kaneko
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CAMPUS TO OFFER PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND PREVENTATIVE CARE Title IX rule will
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
A new fee will add additional physical, mental and preventative care to the limited number of healthcare services currently offered at in the Health Center at American River College.
Fee brings new affordable health services to Los Rios
By Hannah Yates
hannahjycurrent@gmail.com On Oct. 22, the Los Rios Community College District announced the implementation of a new mandatory $20 health services fee due at registration each semester across all four colleges, beginning in spring 2019. This fee will fund new and expanded services that will be available to all
enrolled students. The spring 2019 semester will bring the starting stages of an expansion of health services at Los Rios campuses, though the full range of additions and improvements are not expected until fall 2019, according to an email sent to students from LRCCD through eServices on Oct. 22. The fee will not be applied during the summer term.
This is the first time a health services fee has been applied in the Los Rios district. While the specific plans for health services have yet to be determined, the health fee will fund services for “physical health, mental health, and wellness and preventive care,” according to the LRCCD email. The implementation of these services will be based on each individual col-
lege’s needs, “but the supports for students will generally be similar across the district.” Though it is a mandatory fee, some students will be eligible for a health services fee waiver, including certain Board of Governors fee waiver recipients, incarcerated students and students in apprenticeship programs. According to the Los Rios website, other students eligible for a fee waiver also include those “who depend exclusively upon prayer for healing in accordance with the teachings of a bona fide religious sect, denomination, or organization.” The Health Services Fee committee did not clarify when asked which groups are included for this exemption. Pam Whipple, a nurse in American River College’s Health Center, discussed growth of services and challenges that ARC’s health services fee project team will face with the implementation of the fee. “Generally, I think it’s a good idea, but with the fee and increased expectations there will also be some growing pains. Expanding services involves complex facilities, staffing and licensure issues,” she wrote in an email to the Current. “It’s going to take some time to implement, and ARC has a Project Team in place to begin this work.” Parrish Geary, ARC’s dean of admissions, is leading the Health Services Fee Committee at ARC, and spoke to the Current about plans for the fee. Mental health services are the only expanded service confirmed
itzin.contact@gmail.com American River College reopened Nov. 26 after the Los Rios Community College District issued a week and a half closure due to the hazardous air quality conditions in Sacramento. Los Rios Community College District announced through a district-wide RAVE alert on Nov. 14 that classes across all Los Rios colleges were cancelled through the rest of the week and through the following week, due to poor regional air quality conditions. The district closure came after California State University, Sacramento, University of California, Davis and Yuba College had already cancelled classes earlier in the week because of poor air quality due to the Camp Fire in Butte County. Los Rios campuses remained open since the Camp Fire started
until the closure on Nov. 14. The fire is the largest and most deadly fire in California history, leaving 85 people dead and destroying nearly 14,000 homes, according to CNN. The Spare the Air program monitors unhealthy air conditions all over the United States. The Sacramento region’s Spare the Air website, run by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, explains what those conditions are in real time. Air quality index (AQI) readings are considered unhealthy if they are 150 or higher, meaning there are particles in the air that can cause health issues or exacerbate existing health problems. The air is considered very unhealthy when the AQI is over 200. At 9 a.m. this morning, Nov. 14, the AQI was 241 and at 2 p.m. it was 181, according to Sacramento region’s Spare the Air site. The decision to cancel classes
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state agencies have remained open, others like Sac State and UC Davis have chosen to close. There is no perfect solution, and either decision has potential negative impacts on students,” the district wrote in the email. “The colleges are working to mitigate negative impacts of the smoke in our buildings.”
Healthcare fee | Page 2
Shania Villafan, communications major, wears a mask at American River College to combat the unhealty air from the Camp Fire in Butte County, on Nov. 14, 2018.
followed a few hours after an email was sent to students from LRCCD Chancellor Brian King and co-signed by the four Los Rios colleges’ presidents, including ARC President Thomas Greene, addressing the district’s decision to keep campuses open earlier in the week. “While some regional organizations like K-12 school districts, other community colleges, and
By Imani Smith On Nov. 16, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos proposed a controversial new rule to overhaul how college campuses can address sexual misconduct and assault complaints, changing the definition of what constitutes sexual harassment on campus and enforcing “due process” rights for accused students. The new rule creates three separate categories for sexual harassment, including “[u]nwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the school’s education program or activity,” “quid pro quo harassment,” like a school administrator “conditioning an educational benefit” on a student’s sexual conduct, and sexual assault, according to the official statement released by DeVos. As defined by previous Barack Obama-era guidelines, the official definition of sexual harassment was less specific and defined as, “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.” The rules involve federal guidelines under Title IX, created in 1972, which prohibit gender discrimination and sexual assault on not only college campuses but also primary and secondary schools. According to the Office of the General Counsel, American River College has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of sexual violence or misconduct on campus. However, this new rule states that schools are only legally required to respond if the alleged incident occurred on campus or during campus activities and programs. Sofia Brodskaya, biology major at ARC, said that students should be able to trust that faculty on campus will help students, regardless of where the alleged incident occurred. “We should be able to feel safe on campus; we spend so much time here and we as students should be able to trust that faculty and staff will protect us to the best of their abilities,” Brodskaya said. One of the more controversial aspects to this new proposal would allow for the accused to cross-examine accusers during sexual misconduct hearings, according to the official statement released by the United States Department of Education. According to DeVos, under the new rules, hearings will be conducted by a neutral decision maker and with the presumption of innocence.
Campus closures cause ripple effect By Itzin Alpizar
change how colleges handle sexual assault
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MARIAH CAREY Carey realeases 15th album: REVIEW studio ‘Caution.’
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URRENT An American River College student-run publication. Editor-in-Chief Jennah Booth Co-Managing Editors Alexus Hur tado Hannah Yates
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Nurse Pam Whipple takes notes at student appointments in one of the consultation rooms in the Health Center at American River College on Dec. 10, 2018.
Campus won’t offer sexual health services next year Cont. from page 1. for ARC’s spring semester, according to Geary, and will be provided in part by outside organizations. Other types of services will be added by fall 2019. “American River College is looking to initially work with WellSpace for mental health services,” he wrote in an email to the Current. The full range of mental health services to be offered is not clear yet, but Geary confirmed that students will have access to mental health professionals. “It all depends on what the student presents. However, I can say addressing depression and anxiety will be part of the services,” Geary wrote. “A therapist will be available.” Currently, health and wellness awareness and resources, including those for mental health, are promoted through various events and booths on campus. There is also a peer mentor mental health support group on campus hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI on Campus) club. The regular services for students and staff at the Health Cen-
CORRECTIONS In Volume 70, Edition 3 of The Current, the following corrections are listed: In edition 3 on page 2, American River College President Thomas Greene’s name was incorrectly spelt as “Green.” In edition 3, on the backpage, the center sudent is incorrectly identified as “Mel Sivils.” The student depected is actually Lauren Melavic. In edition 3, on the backpage, the caption for the bottom left photo incorrecly refers to Meghan Spears as “Megan Spears.” The same caption also inccorectly states that Spears and Gail Russel designed the costume depicted. The piece was actually designed, created and loaned to the theater arts department by Christa Quinn.
ter currently include tuberculosis testing, various specialty referrals, and at least four types of vaccinations. Aside from a limited supply of free flu shots, all of these are accompanied by a fee, according to Whipple. “We need sexual health services, episodic care for minor infections, physical exams as required for allied health programs, and mental health services,” Whipple wrote. Condoms, menstruation products and limited first aid are also available for free. There is information about local resources available at the center as well. Despite the resources and aid currently provided by the Health Center, many students do not know of its existence, though this will improve, according to Whipple. “Generally, I don’t think students are aware of our presence and services unless they are referred by an employee, and sometimes by another student,” Whipple said. “The health fee should help to improve that.” While ARC’s webpage related to Health Services is full of information and external websites, it has dense text, and there is no mention of sexual or reproductive health on the front page -- a vital service to young college students. These resources may improve with the fee. In the recent past, ARC offered STD checks, pap smears and pregnancy tests, among other health services through Women’s Health Specialists, a Sacramento-based feminist and LGBTQ+ inclusive clinic that worked with three of the Los Rios district colleges. After being at ARC for less than two years, the services offered on campus were decreased after Women’s Health Specialists closed in 2017. Ryan Nix, the health services assistant, said the Health Center uses its own budget for menstrual hygiene products now, though the quantity is running low. Designated lactation spaces on campus are also provided as a part of health services at ARC. However, many of these spaces are in need of upkeep, which was addressed when the past Joint Budget Committee approved a bill to
allocate $2,000 to the renovation of the lactation rooms, though the rooms have not received supplies yet. Some of the lactation rooms are multipurpose and uninviting, according to Kathleen Fox, the chair of the Human Lactation department. She said that while she appreciates the addition of a space in the Student Center, she hopes that the rooms are maintained and that students are able to find information about them.
“Physical (health) is not the same as reproductive (health) ... I think it’s fancy wording that keeps us out of getting our reproductive services.” Elena DeNecochea
Student Senate Vice President “I believe there would be greater utilization and demand if the availability of these rooms were common knowledge,” Fox wrote in an email to the Current. Elena DeNecochea, Vice President of the Student Senate and president of the Feminists United Club, has rallied for sexual health services to be brought back to ARC for over a year. The club was able to get around 200 student signatures at a Club Day booth last semester in support of the services. In the email, LRCCD wrote that the need for an increase of health services was brought to the district’s attention by student groups. “We are incredibly appreciative of the student leaders who championed this effort and advocated for additional resources to meet student needs,” the email read. As a student leader who has been advocating for an increase in health services, DeNecochea says she is still worried about the information Los Rios has released so far in the email. “Physical (health) is not the same as reproductive (health), those are two very different things so I think it’s fancy wording that
keeps us out of getting our reproductive services,” DeNecochea said. “I really do feel that we have to stress that those are the services we want brought back.” Implementation of sexual health services has already begun at two other Los Rios campuses; since the announcement of the new health fee. Starting in November, Sacramento City and Cosumnes River College have offered free STD checks and treatments to students. These services are provided by an outside resource and are available due to the higher headcounts at those campuses, according to DeNecochea. According to an Oct. 28 article published by the Sacramento Bee, the new sexual health services at Cosumnes River and Sacramento City College are funded by the county and are open to all Los Rios students regardless of which campus they attend. DeNecochea says she hopes that bringing a bill to the Los Rios Board of Trustees through Student Senate will help ensure those services are brought to ARC, as well as Folsom Lake College. “I’m going try to get all four schools to basically all vote ‘yes’ on this resolution and say we want the reproductive services specifically for all four (LRCCD) colleges,” she said. “I’m hoping that I can get the president … to pass this (resolution) in to motion.” Despite the community’s interest, the committee did not directly confirm that reproductive health services would be brought back any time soon. “The charges will cover all services offered in the Health Center. We are currently researching various ways to implement reproductive health services at ARC,” Geary wrote. Nix said the center is open to getting reproductive health services back, though it seems likely that the inclusion of those services will be at a much later date. “There is very limited information on a lot of things. I can tell you right now that there’s no plans in the works immediately to get another reproductive health provider in the Health Center. Not that I know of,” Nix said. “Again, maybe the health fee can help out with that, kind of too early to tell.”
Copy Editor Hannah Yates Photo Editors Ashley Hayes-Stone Tracy Holmes Multimedia Editor Ashley Hayes-Stone Opinion Editor Tracy Holmes Social Media Editor Alexis Warren Sports Editor Gabe Carlos Staff Itzin Alpizar Breawna Maynard Felix Oliveros Imani Smith Christian Sutton Patrick Hyun Wilson Hameed Zargr y Faculty Adviser Rachel Leibrock Photo Adviser Josh Clemens Student Worker Luis Gael Jimenez
PROUD MEMBERS OF THE CNPA & JACC
PACESETTER AWARD WINNERS JACC STATE CONVENTION 2016
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 Portable Village 613A Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 E-mail: Current@arc.losrios.edu www.ARCurrent.com
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Photo by Jennah Booth | Editor-In-Chief
The American Rive Current won 13 awards, at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal Conference at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. on Nov. 3, 2018.
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ new Title IX rule will change the deffinition of sexual assault and how college campuses handle cases on campuses.
Current brings home 13 awards from JACC
DeVos’ proposal open for public comment
ARC’S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER WINS GENERAL EXCELLENCE
cont. from page 1
By Jennah Booth
Accusers will be considered innocent until due process proves them otherwise. Accused students would also be presumed innocent during the disciplinary process and given the right to review all of the evidence a campus collects. Gabe Ross, LRCCD’s Associate Vice Chancellor, spoke to the Current through email and said these changes could have an impact on how ARC is able to handle sexual misconduct allegations. “[I]f approved, (the proposed changes) would do a number of things including limit colleges’ jurisdiction under federal law to discipline students for incidents that occur of campus,” Ross wrote. “The proposed rules would also add new requirements for regarding additional hearings, new investigative bodies and more cross examination
of alleged victims by the accused and their legal representatives.” In an official press statement, DeVos said the new overhaul would make Title IX complaints more reliable for all parties.
“Every survivor of sexual violence must be taken seriously, and every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined.” Betsy DeVos
United States Secretary of Education “Every survivor of sexual violence must be taken seriously, and every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined,”
DeVos said. In determining whether or not college campuses took appropriate and proper steps to address allegations, the Department of Education would apply a standard called “deliberately indifferent,” meaning that an institution would be in violation of the law “only if its response to the sexual harassment is clearly unreasonable in light of known circumstances,” DeVos said. The proposed rules are subject to public comment for 60 days before they are officially finalized. “The Los Rios District will be submitting comments on these changes during this period, where (the district) will express our serious concerns about the impact of theses [changes] on the victims of sexual assault, along with the other potential negative impacts of adding additional layers of investigative process,” Ross wrote.
jennahpage@gmail.com This semester, the American River Current walked away with 13 awards after attending the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) NorCal Conference at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California on Nov. 3. The conference includes journalism programs from community colleges across Northern California. Student journalists spent the day attending workshops and competing against each other in on-the-spot journalism competitions. The Current won awards for on-the-spot competitions and submissions from previous semesters, including a General Excellence award. Ashley Hayes-Stone, the Current’s multimedia and photo editor, took first place in both news photo and inside page design and
former co-editor-in-chief Luis Gael Jimenez won first for a news story. Former sports editor Mack Ervin III also took first for a sports game story. Hannah Yates, co-managing editor, won fourth place and former co-editor-in-chief Brienna Edwards won an honorable mention for feature stories. Hayes-Stone also won third place awards for sports feature photo and photo essay. The Current staff also took third place in the editorial section. Staff members also won three on-the-spot competition awards including second in copy editing from Yates, second in opinion writing from co-managing editor Alexus Hurtado and fourth place in editorial cartoon from editorin-chief Jennah Booth.
Campus closures leave students and staff scrambling cont. from page 1 Before ARC cancelled classes, students, faculty and staff tried to work despite the smoke. For example, oscillating fans were put in Davies Hall to keep smoke out of the building. The nursing office was also handing out masks, however, they were not the respirator N95 type masks that the Environmental Health Investigations Branch of the California Department of Public Health recommends, which will filter out small debris in the air. Despite ARC restricting and cancelling outdoor activities, the district’s initial decision to stay open Nov. 13 and 14 was met with criticism from students and staff, as well as over social media. Elizabeth Johnson, a receiving clerk and Vice President of Service Employees International Union, Los Rios Support Services chapter, said she was concerned for her colleagues when the Operations Office did not initially provide workers with masks. “[I] know we have a lot of blue collar workers that have to go outside to work, at [minimum]
traveling from building to building, also doing trash runs,” she said. “I called the Operations Office and asked if they were going to have masks, I was informed that they weren’t going to be providing them.” According to Johnson, workers were eventually provided with adequate masks on Nov. 14, before the closure was announced. “I think that they had just not gotten direction that it was something that they had to do,” she said. Los Rios campuses were reopened and classes resumed on Nov. 26, well after the majority of the smoke from the Camp Fire had dispersed. For the first two weeks since the district reopened, there were changes and cancellations on all Sacramento-area campuses, including Sacramento State University, the University of California in Davis and ARC. For example CSUS extended its deadline to apply for admission on Fall 2019 to Dec. 15 until 11:59 p.m., two weeks after the original deadline, according to CSU news website. At ARC, most professors changed their syllabus deadlines, including those for online classes.
Department deans sent emails to faculty detailing how to address the situation with information, including a ”frequently asked questions” list provided by the LRCCD. The FAQ list stated that to make up for the time lost on the syllabus, instructional offices and deans should work with faculty to find the “best approach for each course.” The list also explained that the academic calendar won’t be extended, which means that some professors and students would have to do extra work to be prepared for finals. “We will not need to extend the academic calendar to account for the lost days,” the LRCCD email said. “However, some sections (most likely only Monday or Wednesday sections) that do not meet minimum levels to properly award credit may need to provide additional assignments to students in order to fulfill state requirements.” Mathew Blevis, ARC’s Campus Operations Supervisor, provided, via an email to the Current, a list of events on campus cancelled between Nov. 15 to Nov. 25 and rescheduled, such as outdoor sport-
ing events including the football game of ARC vs Santa Rosa and the opening weekend of the ARC theater production “Love and Warcraft.”
“Situations will vary from department to department ... The goal was to try and help as many students as possible ...” Scott Crow
Public Information Officer
Students faced other challenges because of the campus closure. For student workers, the loss of working hours on campus will affect their final payment before the holidays and winter break. “Temporary classified employees and student help will not be paid, unless they are determined by their supervisors to be performing an essential function and asked to report for work,” the LRCCD email said. Some student workers are hired due to their financial need
eligibility on Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA gives students opportunities for part-time jobs on campus to earn money to pay for education expenses for federal rules, payments are made one time a month, according to the FAFSA website. The lost of hours would reduce their next payment on the 10th at least 50 percent because it adds up with the nonpaid holidays already in between. Scott Crow, ARC’s Communications & Public Information Officer, said in an email to the Current that the LRCCD encouraged departments to add extra hours for student workers, if it was possible. “Situations will vary from department to department, of course, as some areas might not be able to offer additional hours to all student employees,” Crow wrote. “The goal was to try and help as many students as possible earn some extra hours if possible.”
This article is an updated version of a previously published article by Jennah Booth and Tracy Holmes. It has been updated on Dec. 12 to reflect new information.
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Walking with Grace POET AND ACTIVIST ‘TURNS PAIN INTO PASSION’
By Felix Oliveros felixoj3@gmail.com Be the change you want to see in the world. Some people may have heard this saying before, and for some, it’s taken to heart and applied daily. Some might take it and become an activist, or a vital part of a program that pushes diversity like Universal Engaging Inclusive Transformative Education (UNITE for short). Or, they might become an award-winning poet. For American River College’s, Grace Deyanna, these all apply. Poetry has served as a major vehicle for Deyanna and has opened up the world for her. It has presented opportunities and knowledge that she has used to its fullest potential by applying it to her activism, social influence and academic ambitions. UNITE is located in the HUB in the Student Center. There, students from different cultures and backgrounds can find a number of programs that provide resources in order to help them succeed. For Deyanna, UNITE provides something for everyone, no matter where they’re from. From hosting open mics and brave spaces, to educational equity, UNITE strives to embrace and support all, she says. “Our main position at UNITE is to bring diversity to campus and promote educational equity,” Deyanna says. “I host Tell It Tuesday...to give students a space to express themselves...we consider the education system was not really created with people of color in mind to begin with.” Every other Tuesday, students can sign up to perform at the open mic, Tell it Tuesday, which is held in the Student Center. This opportunity is something that Deyanna says is powerful and she feels privileged to host. “It feels good to kind of bal-
Photo by Felix Oliveros | Staff Writer
Grace Deyanna takes a break from hosting to recite her poem, “Newsworthy,” at Tell it Tuesday in the Student Center on December 4, 2018.
ance that, spit something, host, intertwine my personality with it,” Deyanna says. “I think for students it’s definitely a powerful thing to be able to express themselves in ways that they probably wouldn’t be able to in the classroom setting...To have that in this kind of space is powerful, you get a feel, you get a vibe and then go to class, it’s dope.” Even though Deyanna often takes a backseat as host, she occasionally recites some of her own material—material that has received a lot of praise because of its powerful and expressive content. Deyanna’s work draws from real life, whether it’s social injustices she’s seen and been affected by, or tough personal trials. Deyanna says she found poetry as a way to express and heal herself in a way she couldn’t do otherwise. She also found it as a way to have a positive effect on people after she was bullied in
high school for the same voice she embraces today. “My first [poem] was called ‘Broken Home,’ and I remember reading that poem to my dad, and he was so shocked,” Deyanna says. “One of my biggest mottos, is turning pain into passion... I’m able to take the most tragic experiences of my life and uplift other people.” The passion for poetry has guided Deyanna and in 2015, her poetry took her to New York to compete in and win a national poetry slam that hosted poets from all over the world. While in New York, Deyanna says she realized that higher education was a real possibility after being surrounded by women who were using school to amplify their voices. This influenced Deyanna to try and be the first in her family to graduate college. However in this instance, what she describes as a a rough en-
counter with police that she experienced opened up her eyes and got her discussing societal issues. “[T]hat kind of woke me up, that kind of was like, ‘OK, you’re a black woman in America.’ It took me out of my bubble, so that drove me into my social injustice voice through my poetry,” Deyanna says. There were other experiences that shaped her as well. In 2015, Mario Woods was shot and killed by police in San Francisco. After this, Deyanna says she and some women who call themselves, “The Last Three Percent of SF,” set out to try and heal their communities. These women helped propel Deyanna into activism. “Getting involved with these ladies ... gave me a platform to really start with my poetry,” she says. “When I found my way, I found it through these ladies and our activism throughout San Francisco and trying to heal our own communities.” Police brutality is nothing new, but with cell phones deeply integrated into people’s lives, more instances are being recorded for everybody to see. In times like these, the relationship between police and minority communities is at a tense point, and Deyanna has some ideas of her own on how to bridge the gap. “We have to understand that... to protect and serve is not to protect and serve the black community. They were put in place to protect the white landowners’ communities from slaves who would rebel. So understanding our history [might help],” Deyanna says.
“I just look forward to leaving a stamp on this campus before I go.” Grace Deyanna
Poet and Unite Volunteer People connecting to their history is something Deyanna sees as a powerful tool for the future. While chasing this knowledge, Deyanna also found a passion for education, and making sure everybody gets the opportunity to
Popular counselor retires after 30 years at ARC By Christian Sutton christians1998@gmail.com Manuel Ruedas, Puente Project coordinator and Trio Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program counselor, will retire at the end of December after a 30-year career at American River College. Ruedas started at ARC as a general counselor in 1988. He began his journey teaching social studies, U.S. history and world history in a bilingual program, teaching classes in English and Spanish, for five years at a junior high school. He was also a counselor at Sacramento State for four years and later, because of that work experience, became a coordinator for counselors at UC Davis for four years. After teaching for so many years, Ruedas says he has mixed feelings about retiring. “I feel excited and [I am] dreading leaving [ARC],” Ruedas says. “I have been working with students
for 41 years and it’s hard to cut it off cold turkey.” The first program Ruedas started at ARC was Mathematics, Engineering, Science, and Achievement (MESA). He says he was able to get this job because of his counseling background. He was one of the three faculty members who wrote the initial grant for MESA in 1989. Ruedas served as a MESA counselor for 28 years and served as a counselor and coordinator for Puente. According to ARC’s website, the Puente Project’s mission is to increase the number of educationally underrepresented students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities. Ruedas says in Puente he works with cohorts of students until they transfer or graduate and gets to know those students better. He mentors them and gets to know them in scenarios outside of the classroom. Sergio Robles, a field representative for Congressman Ami Bera,
Photo by Christian Sutton | Staff Writer
is an ARC alumni who majored in political science and social sciences. He was a guest speaker at Ruedas’ retirement party on November 30. Robles, who was one of Ruedas’ mentees, shared his story of when he was working and going to school and his tire popped. He didn’t have enough money to replace it and Ruedas gave him $40 to buy a tire. Robles says if it had not have been for Ruedas, he wouldn’t be working where he is
and pursuing a master’s degree. Robles presented Ruedas with a congressional certificate on behalf of Bera for Ruedas’ demonstration of leadership in his community. “He put students before himself the entire time,” Robles says. “I know Manuel personally ... He helped me stay on track with his help, leadership and guidance. It has gone full circle.” In addition to alumni, current ARC students say they recognize and appreciate the impact Ruedas
Thomas Greene, president of American River College (left), congratulates Manuel Ruedas Puente coordinator and Trio STEM counselor (right), at his retirement ceremony on Nov. 30, 2018 in the Community Rooms.
achieve higher education. “I had this African-American politics class at Laney College in Oakland, and up until that point, I was taught in public school that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves,” Deyanna said. “I couldn’t believe, his reason for freeing the slaves was not because he felt that we were all equal, it was for economic purposes. [They] spoon-feed us this information like he’s some kind of hero to black people.” Topics such as race can be a difficult thing to discuss, but Deyanna holds nothing back. She doesn’t shy away and says this is because of being silenced as a kid. Deyanna used her voice for a poem called “Newsworthy.” In the poem she touches on the education system, police brutality, and the media. “I was like, if I have one you’re going to feel this… my ‘Newsworthy’ poem...I never edited it,” Deyanna said. “I knew that what I said was exactly how I felt and if I tweaked it, it was going to be me watering it down, and I didn’t want to to do that, I wanted you to feel me.” Politics can also be a touchy subject, specifically for younger generations that tend to not vote, which is something that Deyanna has noticed. “We have a generation of people who are so disconnected from politics... but your landlord is into politics, your boss is into politics, everybody who runs you is into politics except you. So everybody except us is dictating our future,” Deyanna says. After coming so far, settling is not an option for Deyanna. After she graduates, she will attend UC Davis where she’ll aim to get a masters degree in divinity and a P.H.D. in education. Days are usually busy for Deyanna, but she knows that she’ll soon reap the benefits of hard work. Her route to where she’s at now has seen its twists and turns, but dedicating her life to poetry, activism and education has brought her to a place she thought unlikely. “[I]t was a way for me to find my voice, so now I’m here and excited to be making an impact in my immediate environment,” Deyanna says. “I just look forward to leaving a stamp on this campus before I go.” has made on them. Rebeca Rico, an English major who has known Ruedas since her first semester at ARC three years ago, says he has provided her with moral support and that she can go to him and talk about difficult situations. “There are no words to describe how much I am going to miss him,” Rico says. “His presence fills the Hub and fills the campus. Whenever you walk into his office it feels like home. [His retirement] is like losing a bit of our home.” His presence felt by students is echoed by Thomas Greene, the president of ARC. Greene says Ruedas represents what it means to be student-centered, a compassionate sense of self in his work and the best in all of us. “What a difference he has had in changing the lives of so many individuals in so many different ways,” Greene says. “He makes our students feel welcomed, included and supported. To be such a genuine, warm human being, whose presence establishes a model for how we should all be as individuals is incredible. That’s his impact. That’s his legacy.”
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FEATURE
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Activist Ebony Harper stands in front of the mural that she helped fund behind the Lavendar Library in Sacramento, Calif. on Nov. 30, 2018.
Alumna fights for trans rights in Sacramento By Alexus Hurtado alexush09@gmail.com In the wake of President Donald Trump’s threats against the transgender community, a call to action has been made for trans and cisgender people alike, to take a stand in solidarity. Former American River College student Ebony Harper is a black trans woman who says she had a troublesome experience in college and encountered issues that many other transgender people face. “I experienced the same thing [at ARC] that I experience off the campus; laughing, objectification, and ignorance,” Harper says. Harper is a Sacramento-based activist who fights for the rights of trans citizens and other marginalized groups. Harper was arrested in April during protests for Stephon Clark — the black 22-year-old gunned down by Sacramento police officers in March. Harper was arrested for getting between protesters and the police. After her arrest she was placed in the men’s portion of the county jail due to her biological sex. She is still dealing with those charges in court. Harper says she enjoys breaking into spaces where she’s normally not welcomed and challenging the status quo. “When I walk around people that don’t know that I work at the California Endowment, they don’t see me as someone to be revered,” Harper says. Harper is a Program Associate at the California Endowment Health Foundation, an organization that works to expand healthcare access for marginalized and underserved communities. As part of her job, Harper has worked on projects such as the Rise and Vote campaign in Sacramento, the #RiseUpAsOne Unity Ball, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration team, among other projects. One project that Harper also worked on is the Chyna Gibson mural behind the Lavender Library in downtown Sacramento.
Gibson was a black trans woman and performer from Sacramento who was killed while visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras in 2017. Harper says she has known for a long time that she was meant to be an activist and that she wanted to make her passion for people her life’s work. “I want to humanize our experience and communities that (have been) historically rejected, pushing back on the powers that oppress our communities [through] compassionate activism and bringing healing to the hurting community through outreach,” Harper says. Harper has never shied away from who she is and says she took pride in expressing herself at a young age. Femininity is an attribute that Harper believes people shouldn’t be ashamed of and should embrace. “I was aware of my gender identity when I was 5 years old. I consider myself a trans woman, and I’ve always liked feminine things,” Harper says. “It feels illegal to be feminine ... What we call feminine like people showing affection ... is a part of compassion and the human experience.” Harper says her blackness on
“[I] want to humanize our experience and communities that have historically rejected us.” Ebony Harper
Trans rights activist top of her trans identity adds another layer of intersection and thus increased rejection to her existence like many other black trans women. “Me being black, I’m rejected by society in a different way because there’s always a look of suspicion when you’re black,” Harper says. “Then, you add being femininepresenting and that’s another layer of oppression because we live
in a patriarchal society where men and masculinity rules.” Harper was born in Cheverly, Maryland and raised in South Central Los Angeles before making her way to Sacramento. She says she ran away from home at 14 because her parents were not accepting of her trans identity. At 18, Harper began her medical transition with hormones and chemical therapy. She attended ARC in 2016 as a general science major and says she had a unique experience on campus as a trans student; one where she was both accepted and rejected, depending on the environment. There’s still room for improvement on college campuses regarding the treatment of trans students, Harper says, and her experience was no exception. Some of the issues trans students face in school include name changes, misgendering, bathroom usage, increased sexual and physical assault and harassment. Addressing transgender students by their affirmed names is one issue in particular many transgender students have to face on a daily basis. California signed the Gender Recognition Act-SB 179 into law October 2017, which makes it easier for students to change their affirmed name in school documents. Implementation of this law may be affected by the proposed changes to Title IX. Harper dealt with being called the wrong name — otherwise known as being deadnamed — during her college experience. In the classroom, transgender students have to navigate social norms and are vulnerable to demeaning comments. Harper says she once had a professor call her out in class to compare hand sizes, which she felt publicly demeaned her and unnecessarily pointed out a physical characteristic typically seen as masculine. She says she also dealt with sexual harassment from male students on campus. “I can’t lie it’s a rough existence, and [at ARC] it was rough,” Harper
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Ebony Harper sits in her desk at the California Endowment Health Foundation, where she works as a program associate, in downtown Sacramento, Calif. on Nov. 30, 2018.
says. “I was either getting laughed at or getting objectified by guys like, ‘Oh can you meet me in the bathroom’ ... and that’s how most of our community lives.” Harper says that creating policies to defend and protect the rights of trans students will send a ripple effect throughout campuses across the country. “The culture shift starts here [in colleges] systemically, you have to train the professors, the people at the top ... then it will trickle down to the students,” she says. Mandating classes on gender and sexual identity can be another solution to educate students and improve the college experience for trans students also, she says. Harper says she believes in being compassionate in terms of interacting with individuals who aren’t necessarily familiar with trans people. However, Harper’s willingness to educate people doesn’t absolve those individuals from taking responsibility of respecting black and trans people in her eyes. “I do want to learn and grow and find a common place, [and] I don’t mind teaching people but also it’s not my job to teach you on how to treat another human being with respect,” Harper says. Engaging with trans people in the everyday lives of cisgender
people is a way to break down the discrimination and stigmatizing of trans people, according to Harper. “I also know [cisgender people] haven’t been that exposed to people like me, and I’m a teachable moment for you,” Harper says. Harper says she’s happy that ARC has made steps to support and provide resources to LGBTQIA+ students with the creation of the Pride Center and the numerous clubs on campus centered around those identities, though she wishes the changes came sooner. “It’s been a long time coming and it makes me want to be on this campus more. I feel more included, there’s programs that resemble my existence as a human,” Harper says. “That’s beautiful.” Despite the government’s threats against trans people, Harper says she still has hope and will make it her life’s work to fight for the generation after her to make it a better, more accepting and inclusive world. “[T]hat’s what’s different from my generation,” Harper says. “That’s why I appreciate young folks and I’m going to work my entire life to empower young people because they’re my future and they’re going to make it easier for the next ‘Ebony’ and I’m excited.”
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Dec. 12, 2018
ARTS & CULTURE
Photo courtesy of Aftermath Entertainment.
Anderson Paak brings it home with ‘Oxnard’ By Felix Oliveros felixoj3@gmail.com It was just three years ago when Anderson Paak made his unique voice and soulful presence felt in the rap game after being featured four times on Dr. Dre’s album “Compton”. After his status skyrocketed, the world was exposed to more appearances and all the talents .Paak brings to the table, including his ability to play the drums. His last album, “Malibu,” which was released in early 2015, came after Paak spent most of his 20s virtually unknown and was far outside of the mainstream music industry, but his makeshift, and reflective approach to creating the album caught the attention of people everywhere. Now, following his trend of albums named after locations in Southern California; “Venice,” and “Malibu,” Paak finally delivered his newest album executive produced by Dr. Dre, and named after his hometown, “Oxnard.” The album is in true Paak fashion, as it showcases interesting flows throughout each verse, beats that sound inspired by multiple genres from funk, to soul, to R&B, to rap that come from different producers including Paak himself. “Oxnard” also offers a variety of lyrics, from fun punchlines to lyrics dealing with societal issues that have affected his life. The 14-track “Oxnard” excels in its cohesive sound and feel from the first song all the way to the last song. Each song has its place on the album, and the featured artists all play their role well and don’t feel forced. The features include big names like Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Pusha T, Snoop Dogg, J. Cole, and Q-Tip.
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Trump’s presidency, and gun control. The first half of the song pokes fun at the alleged illegitimate child that Donald Trump had with an ex-housekeeper as Paak describes the child he hopes Trump has. “Trump’s got a love child and I hope that b*tch is buckwild, I hope she sip mezcal, I hope she kiss señoritas and black gals, I hope her momma’s El Salv(adorian), I hope her poppa stick around,” Paak says. “6 Summers” then transitions into a smooth and minimal instrumental that occupies the second half of the song, as .Paak touches on the increasing occurrence of shootings in the US. “This sh*t gon’ bang for at least six summers, but ain’t sh*t gon’ change for at least three summers, they tryna kill a n*gga faith, we need a little truth brother, ‘pop-pop-pop’ goes the shooter, reform, reform shoulda came sooner,” Paak says. “Trippy,” is a smooth song featuring North Carolina rapper, J. Cole. The track deals with the topic of love, and is accompanied by a laid-back instrumental and an angelic-sounding vocal melody. The song focuses on the admiration of partners and
the assurance of being there for each other. “Come meet me in the middle, right there where you always be, somewhere in between, you and I will always be,” Paak repeats in the hook. “Oxnard” is another solid album in .Paak’s discography. The balance of melody and rapping is effective at keeping ears intrigued. Paak’s initiative to make an album that only he could make, and not following current trends is also a breath of fresh air and continues to solidify his status in music. Paak’s previous album “Malibu” may have more replay value, but “Oxnard” should satisfy Paak fans
until his next album arrives. It serves as another dynamic album from a voice that can only be heard from one man.
The first single that released prior to the release of “Oxnard”, “Tints,” is a fun song that includes an appearance from Lamar, as the two Southern Californian artists complement each other well with their recognizable voices and flows that fit nicely on the instrumental. Fame has come with attention and a decline in privacy for Paak, so he raps about his desire to keep to himself and how he’d rather keep out of the Here’s a sample of eyes and lenses of pawhat’s playing in parazzi. In “Tints,” Paak our staff members’ repeats that he’d rather headphones hide behind some tinted this month. windows of a car, while also using tints as a metaphor for hiding personal information from the public. “I can’t be ridin’ round and round that open strip, I need tints, I need tints … I got way too much to lose, so roll your window up real quick, I need tints, I need tints,” Paak says. “6 Summers” is another standout, where Paak, comments on a few social issues regarding Donald
Music Review
‘Caution’:
Photo couresy of iHeartRADIO
Carey’s new album fifth on Billboard 200
By Alexis Warren
alexis.warren81@gmail.com After teasing fans for months prior, singer and songwriter Mariah Carey finally released her 15th studio album, “Caution,” on Nov. 15. The 10-track album is a mix of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Talented artists featured on the album include Ty Dolla $ign, Slick Rick, Blood Orange and Gunna. The first listen of the album didn’t leave me impressed, honestly, because all songs sounded the same, but after listening two to three more times, I started to develop an overall liking of the album as a whole.
The first track, “GTFO,” was an automatic skip because it was pre-released on Sept. 13 and I had already heard it. The songs that I fell in love with instantly and have added to my playlist are “With You,” “The Distance,” “A No No” and “Portrait.” “With You” was the first official single released for the album, on Oct. 5. In this song Carey sings about a couple declaring their love for one another, with lyrics such as, “he had eyes that said ‘Girl I’ll save you.’ She had doubts, like they might not make it. So they both held tight to face it.” This song is one of my favorites because Carey ends the last few seconds with her famous, power-
ful whistle notes, fading until the end of the song. If I were ranking the tracks, this one would definitely be number one. My second favorite track, “The Distance,” features singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer, Ty Dolla $ign. Ty Dolla $ign and Carey both sing about being deeply in love despite outside hate from other people, saying their relationship wouldn’t last and go ‘the distance.’ “A No No” is my third favorite because of its catchy chorus and snap-rhythm beat. This song is about being completely done with a past lover, even if they say sorry, “no, no, no, a no no!” The bridge samples Notorious B.I.G.
rapping a verse from Lil’ Kim’s “Crush on You” remix. The closing song of the album, “Portrait,” is very different from the rest of the songs, which is why it’s also one of my favorites. With soft piano notes playing beautifully in the background, Carey sings with emotion, “I won’t let the teardrops spill tonight. Just conceal myself and hide a portrait of my life.” Overall, the success of “Caution” exceeded the public’s expectations and landed a number five spot on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of Dec. 1, according to Billboard.com.
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ARTS & CULTURE
Photo by Gabe Carlos | Sports Editor
Photographer Angela Casagrande holds up a camera obscura with a picture of her on it as part of her exhibition: “Everything will Disappear,” at the James Kaneko Gallery at American River College on Nov. 28. The exhibit will run through Dec. 14.
Photography exhibit showcases impermanence of memory By Gabe Carlos
“I think it is a great benefit for the ARC community to see works that utilize the photographic image in a new way. Even though they are photo-based works, they are really much more than that.”
legitgmc@gmail.com A new show at the James Kaneko Art Gallery at American River College highlights photographs that represent a collection of memory. Angela Casagrande’s show: “Everything will Disappear,” includes photos of families with some, not all, faces blocked out. There is also boxes with items in them that ring close to Casagrande’s childhood. The exhibit opened Nov. 19 and will run through Dec. 14. Casagrande said that her work focuses on faulty memory: where something that she saw often as a kid maybe doesn’t remember as well when she gets older. “There’s a phrase that I found that I really like called the ‘afterlife of memory,’ and what happens to our memory when it degrades or goes away,” Casagrande said. “Because a lot of memories of family members are not as clear as they used to be and that’s a little worrisome as I get older so I don’t maybe remember how somebody sounds or I don’t remember their face as well.” In a statement from Casagrande about the exhibit, she said: “‘Everything will Disappear’ examines memory as an aspect of liminal space, the beings that inhabit this space and the artifacts left behind, both physical and immaterial. En-
Patricia Wood
Kaneko Gallery Curator
Photo by Tracy Holmes | Opinion Editor
Visitors look through camera obscuras at the Kaneko Gallery during the Angela Casagrande exhibition on Nov. 28.
casing photographic images in enthusiastic wax references divination methods and preservation practices.” Casagrande is from Humboldt County in northern California. She received her bachelor’s in fine arts from Humboldt State University and has been living in Sacramento ever since as a full-time artist. The gallery features some amusing artifacts, such as small boxes with photos of relatives with some items inside the box.
CAMPUS PU
L
SE
“I haven’t, because I didn’t really know about them.”
-BRIAN TILLEY
Social science major
There is also a box with a picture of Casagrande’s face on it that contains items like her hair. Along with the photos of some faces being blocked out, Casagrande said she was inspired by photographer, Ruth ThorneThomsen, who did something similar. The way Thorne-Thomsen did it was that she had many dots that blocked the faces in the family photo. “I tied that back to the faces being gone, so, as you forget some-
body’s features — like I don’t remember my grandmother’s face as well as I used to — so what would I put in place of that?” Casagrande said. “And I thought that dots was a good way for something to represent that was not there, kind of like atoms, or a spirit, it’s just like vague figures.” Patricia Wood, assistant art professor at ARC, and curator for the Kaneko, says that gallery is great for the ARC art scene and hopes to
be more than just pictures on a wall. “I think it is a great benefit for the ARC community to see works that utilize the photographic image in a new way. Even though they are photo-based works, they are really much more than that,” Wood said. “In many of the wall pieces, other items are incorporated and brought together with the photo through the use of encaustic. These objects become symbolic and add to the meaning of the images in the photos.” Wood said when art majors walk into the exhibit, she wants the students to see how each piece relates to each other. “Pieces have relationships to one another and can take on new meaning as they are viewed together,” Wood said.
Have you ever been to an art event on campus? “I’ve been to ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Love and Warcraft,’ and I really liked both of them.”
“I’ve been in [two] performing arts shows. I wanted to see ‘West Side Story,’ but I had work.”
-MARIANA THOMPSON
-PATRICK JOHNSON
Theater major
Music major
“No. It’s always around a really bad time, like, around finals when I’m really busy.”
-SHANIAH GUTIERREZ
Business and marketing major
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Dec. 12, 2018
SPORTS
ARC women’s volleyball takes home state title By Gabe Carlos legitgmc@gmail.com For the first time in the team’s history, the American River College’s women’s volleyball team took first place in the California Community College Athletics Association State Championships over Fresno City College, 3-2 on Dec. 2. The team finished with 60 kills out of 166 attempts with a .187 kill percentage and only 29 errors. It is the first time in CCCAA State Championship history that two schools from northern California have faced off in the tournament’s 42-year history. With ARC winning the first set, they dropped the next two to make it, yet again, another come from behind win against Fresno City (25-18, 23-25, 17-25, 26-24, 15-8). ARC began the CCCAA State Championship by defeating El Camino Community College in the quarterfinals of the tournament, three sets to one (11-25, 2522, 25-22, 25-20) at Solano College in Fairfield on Nov. 30. El Camino started off hot as they scored four points straight away to jump to an early lead, before ARC used its first timeout after being down 8-2. El Camino continued its hot streak after a string of errors by ARC, followed by points from El Camino, leading them to win the first set by a blowout of 25-11. El Camino cooled off from there as ARC completed nine straight points to start the second set. After some attacking errors and missed opportunities by ARC, El
Photo by Jennah Booth | Editor-in-Chief
(From left to right) Lily Joghnson, team captain, Madeline Adams and Andreia Keane prepare for a serve from El Camino College during the quarterfinals of the CCCAA State Campionship Tournament on Nov. 30, 2018. ARC won the match, 3-1 and went on to place first in the state.
Camino crawled back to take the lead at 18-17. However, that didn’t last long as momentum shifted back to ARC to re-take the lead 19-18 and to win the second set, 25-22, tying up the match, 1-1. Head Coach Carson Lowden talked about what the team could do better going into the upcoming matches of the tournament. “Outside of starting shaky and a little tentative, I think we did a really good job of errors, our attacking errors, is something in that first set that really reared its ugly head,” Lowden said. “Of course
we got much better as the match went along, but that’s something we’ll talk about and how we can stay a little more patient offensively in order to keep those balls in play when we’re not going for the kill.” The third set stayed close throughout as both teams fought for the lead. ARC also started a 6-0 run just in time, down 18-15, to take the lead and finish El Camino off, same as the second set, 25-22. ARC took the lead in the match, 2-1. Sophomore Savannah Smith
had 10 digs and was a major contributor defensively for the team. “Defensively, I think that we read the tips. Our game plan was — since they do a shift on their outside, we shifted for certain numbers, certain players and I think that paid off because we were ready for them,” Smith said. The fourth and final set was another close battle between the two teams as ARC prevailed to take three straight sets over El Camino, to win the match 3-1 and to advance on in the tournament. I Sophomore Lily Johnson led
the team in the match with 15 kills while sophomore Maddie Adams had 25 digs. Johnson said that she wanted to enjoy the moment the team was in, but also wanted to work on making noise early instead of coming back from behind. “I think we can work on coming out stronger, we came out struggling a bit. But if we come out strong and stay strong, we’ll get these sets done in three games,” Johnson said. Overall, ARC destroyed El Camino in the final three sets with more kills, a higher percentage and less errors to send them packing, ending its season. Freshman Andreia Keane also had a successful game with four strikes and 12 kills. After the match Keane said that their coaches told them to give it their all and to not let down going into the next matches of the tournament. “They just said that we made it this far so we got give it 100 percent and just keep fighting and keep working on our skills,” Keane said. ARC ended up beating Irvine Valley Community College in the semifinals on Dec. 1, 3-1. Johnson said the team seems to shine at the perfect moment. “We saw the finish line and we knew that we tend to excel in the fifth set when the game goes to five,” Johnson said. “Our record shows that we are very good, we have the stamina to complete those games so when we won the fourth set we knew we were going to come out swinging pretty hard.”
Cross Country finishes first in regional championships By Patrick Hyun-Wilsom patrickhyunwilson@gmail.com The American River College men’s cross country team placed first in the 2018 NorCal Cross Country Regional Championships at Shasta College, finishing out its season as the first ranked NorCal team and 4th in the state. Cross country coach Rick Anderson returned the NorCal Championship trophy— which had been at Hartnell College for the past two years— to ARC. His reputation as a championship winner has been proven through his years of coaching at ARC, boasting 18 Conference Championships, 11 Nor-Cal Championships and five State Championships since he started at ARC in 1995. “I took a picture of the trophy and put the caption, ‘our baby ran away two years ago but now she’s back where she belongs,’” Anderson said. Their season of victories began at the Fresno Invitational, where ARC ranked third with a score of 96. Each team’s score is calculated by adding the positions of the top seven runners on each team, meaning a lower score is better for the team. Their top runner, Logan Dodge, placed 15th in the Fresno Invitational overall with a time of 21:48.5 for the men’s race followed closely by Benjamin Blankenburg and Brent Hunter, who took 16th and 17th place, respectively. “It was the first race with our new freshman and returning sophomores and we weren’t exactly sure how strong we were going to be,” Dodge said. “We did re-
ally well and were able to see our potential and set the tone for the rest of the season.” Following its third place finish at the Fresno Invitational, the ARC cross country team went south to Don Knabe Park in Cerritos for the SoCal Preview race where the men’s team finished in fifth place, with 194 points. ARC’s first runner to finish was Blankenburg in 15th place followed by Josh King in 30th and then Dodge in 48th. After the SoCal Preview, the team went on to win the NorCal Preview at Shasta College. Led by Blankenburg in fifth, followed by Peterson Vo in 9th, Andrew Ribeiro and Benjamin Kizziar in 11th and 12th respectively, and Jorge Pena in 15th. The final two spots were filled by Brent Hunter and James Wilde in 17th and 25th respectively. Their victory at the NorCal Preview led them to be ranked first in the NorCal region above Hartnell and Sequoias, and fourth in the state below Glendale, El Camino. The Big 8 Conference Championship race, held at the Hidden Valley Park in Martinez, followed the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational. During the Big 8 Conference Championship, Dodge finished second overall with a time of 23:07 for the men’s 4.1 mile race, followed in third by Blankenburg. The team placed all seven of it’s runners in the top 15 places, Kizziar in ninth, Sebastian Leon in 10th, Vo in 12th, Ribeiro in 14th and Kevin Gonzalez in 15th. “Last year we were second at conference championships and it was the first time we lost in 10 years, so it was nice to get confer-
ence championships back,” Anderson said. ARC’s cumulative score for the Big 8 Conference came to 36, followed by Modesto in second place with a score of 77. The victory comes as the teams 11th title in the past 12 years at the Big 8 Conference Championships. For the ARC Cross Country teams penultimate race, they ventured to Shasta College for the Northern California Community College Cross Country Championships. The team had been ranked number one for their entire season above Hartnell and Sequoias and they would face them both in the Norcal Championships. Sequoias managed to get a runner in second place, while ARC’s Vo didn’t cross the finish line until eighth place. However, despite earning spots above the fastest ARC runners, Hartnell and Sequoias were beat out of the championships by ARC by more than 40 points. ARC earned 55 while Hartnell and Sequoias earned 99 and 102, respectively. “That was a really close race the first three miles, we were within seven points the whole race and we blew it open in the last mile,” Anderson said. The Norcal Championship was earned by the team, placing Vo in eighth, followed by Dodge in ninth, Austin Shields in 11th, Blankenburg in 12th, Kizziar in 15th, and Sebastian in 22nd. “Hartnell is sort of our rival, we’re always combatting with them and halfway through the race, Coach Rick was yelling at us, ‘You guys are losing right now!’ Its was that tight,” Dodge said.
Photo courtesy of Rick Anderson
American River College cross country runners, Andrew Ribeiro, followed by Ben Kizziar race toward the finish line at the Nor-Cal Preview race at Shasta College.
The victory was the 10th Norcal Championship win for the team in the last 18 years and the 11th win that Coach Rick Anderson has earned at ARC. The future of the ARC Cross Country team will be filled with strong returning runners who will only get better with time, accord-
ing to Anderson. “The other thing that were trying to do this year is trying to get the Scholar Team Award for the state,” Anderson said. “Which is the team that has the best [Grade Point Average] and the best athletic finish.”
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Dec. 12, 2018
SPORTS
Women’s water polo captain makes a splash FULTON MANAGES SCHOOL AND LEAD ROLE AT ARC By Ashley Hayes-Stone ashgstone@gmail.com Abby Fulton not only balances the responsibility of a college student but also the responsibilities of being the captain of the American River College women’s water polo team. It’s her passion for the sport, however, that keeps her in the game. Fulton says she remembers always being in the water since the age of 5. By age 13, she wanted to try water polo in middle school. Ever since, she has been playing the sport for a club; she played in high school as well as in an Olympic development program. Her love for the sport drove her to improve herself every day to the point where she became a leading role for others in the sport. She says it’s her natural leadership abilities that landed her the job of an assistant coaching position for the Granite Bay High School girls water polo team. “I started coaching because I have over seven years experience playing the game,” Fulton said. “While coaching, I tend to echo what my coaches are saying to me and I think when you say it you learn it too, so it pushes me to become a better player.” Fulton arrived at ARC when the college’s women’s water polo head coach, Bethani Black, recruited her while she was still attending Bella Vista High School.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo Editor and Multimedia Editor
Women’s water polo captain Abby Fulton, pictured at American River College on Dec. 6, 2018, balances school, her last season on the team and coaching for the women’s water polo team at Granite Bay High School.
Black said she saw potential in the young water polo athlete and thought she would make a great addition to the team. “I liked Abby from the minute I met her because she has an internal drive and that’s something you don’t coach, that’s just a God-given talent I think,” Black said. “She’s extremely coachable because she always wants to get better and you don’t always see that.” But Fulton had other plans; after high school, she found herself at San Francisco State for a semester where she became unhappy due to its lack of organized sports. A miserable Fulton called up Black to see if there was any way to get on the team and Black was
happy to have her. When Fulton arrived, she became a part of the swimming and diving team in spring of 2016. Later, in fall 2017, she played water polo. Both the team and coaches say they saw the leadership skills and drive that Fulton possesses, so they voted her team captain for both of the semesters she played. She was no stranger to the leadership role since she was captain of her high school water polo team for three years. “I’ve always been a kind of a natural leader. I like to pump everyone up so I think that’s been my role,” Fulton said. The women’s water polo assistant coach, Tyson Frenn, asked her
if she wanted to help him coach the Granite Bay High School girls water polo team. Fulton accepted the offer and said she feels that the two of them work great together since Frenn is all about the tactics, analytics and she is more the positive enforcer. She says her coaching style is to bring mindfulness to the team and push the girls by using words of encouragement to keep them from being discouraged. “I heard this quote from Michael Jordan, he said that ‘the greatest athletes have the shortest memories,’ so it means when we are in the pool and you make a bad pass or you make bad shots you can come back from that,” Fulton said.
“So, I’ve been telling them that a lot because they have a bigger game.” She says she also applies the same mentality when she is being a captain on the team. Teammate Hannah Torres praises Fulton for her leadership skills and how she sets examples for her team. “She is just able to lead with example and she’s probably the hardest worker on the team,” Torres said. “She will go above and beyond practice on her own time and I think that’s a great example to show the rest of the girls.” Fulton says she feels she needed to study in a field that includes her passion for an active lifestyle and eating healthy. She found a major that fits her passions into one; nutrition. “I truly believe you are what you eat and if you expect your body to do things for you then you need to treat it with care,” Fulton said. The game plan for Fulton is to finish at ARC with an associate degree in nutrition and to become a dietitian, but she’s on the fence about pursuing water polo. She currently has an offer to play at the University of Pacific and says she is hopeful to get an offer from San Jose University. Even though it’s her last season on the water polo team, Fulton says she will take the lessons that the team has taught her and the friendships she has created. “Some of the teammates are my best friends and when you play on a team you create bonds that are unbreakable,” Fulton said. “Everyone has their thing and you just appreciate what they bring the table.”
ARC Sports: Fall review and spring preview Football
Basketball
The American River College football team finished 7-4 on the year beating Santa Rosa, 36-20, in the Gridiron Classic Bowl Game. The team went 4-1 in conference games while riding a three-game winning streak to complete the season.
ARC men’s basketball team began their 20182019 season on Nov. 8 against Redwood College winning 91-75. The team is 6-2, including pre-season, with their next home game being on Dec. 18 against Columbia. The women’s basketball team is 4-3 with their next home game on Dec. 20 against Folsom Lake.
Soccer
Track and Field
ARC men’s soccer completed the season with a 6-12-3 record, missing the playoffs. The women’s soccer team also finished 5-13-2 and an comeback at home against Santa Rosa, 3-2, being on
The men’s track and field team will race at Chico on March 1 to start their new season, while the women’s track and field team will start their’s on March 3 at ARC.
Photo by Gabe Carlos | Sports Editor
American River College defensive linemen Nikko Thomas attempts to sack Sierra quarterback Joseph Curry. ARC beat Sierra 22-7 on Oct. 20.
their first two game win streak of the season.
Men’s Water Polo
Women’s Water Polo
For the first time in team history, the ARC men’s water polo team won the Big 8 Championship. The team lost in the Northern California Regional Championships against Merced, 18-15. They placed fourth after losing to Sierra, 14-9, in the third place game.
The women’s water polo team completed their season with a 16-7 record and undefeated at home. The team placed third in the California Community College Athletic Association Nor-Cal third place game against West Valley, 6-3.
Photo by Jennah Booth| Editor-in-Chief
The American River College volleyball team celebrates a point against El Camino College during the quaterfinals of the CCCAA State Championships on Nov. 30, 2018 at Solano College. ARC won the match 3-1 and moved on to place first in the state.
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Dec. 12, 2018
OPINION
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
A protester carries a transgender pride flag and wears angel wings during the #StillHere Capitol March & Rally for Trans Justice at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. on Nov. 10, 2018. The wings symbolize the many transgender women who have been murdered.
Trans rights are not optional
By Hannah Yates hannahjycurrent@gmail.com In October, a note was released containing details of the Trump administration’s plans regarding LGBTQ+ rights. In particular, the plan affects trans people’s rights in schools, and could put thousands of students in danger. Currently, aspects of a guideline for public schools released during Obama’s presidency, such as the inclusion of gender identity as a part of “sex,” are being reconsidered by the current administration. Some of these rights have already been taken away in the meantime. A new memo from the Department of Health and Human Services stated its intention to redefine “sex” under Title IX as “either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals
that a person is born with,” according to an article by the New York Times. “Any dispute about one’s sex would have to be clarified using genetic testing.” Title IX is a law in United States education that prohibits discrimination based on sex,which specifically includes gender identity as mandated by guidelines released by the Obama administration and signed by the Departments of Justice and Education in 2016. Using time and money to genetically test students to prove biological sex is invasive, invalidating, and unnecessary and seems to contradict the original purpose of Title IX. The proposed new definition could nullify legal changes that some trans people have already made. The length at which the federal government has gone to dehu-
manize LGBTQ+ people is outrageous. These changes in policy normalize transphobia, and will increase hate crimes and violence on campuses. Some LGBTQ+ people are only ‘out,’ or open about their gender identity or sexual orientation in certain settings or aspects of their lives -- some only at school where they can be a part of communities of people who may be more educated or aware of gender nuances. California passed the Gender Recognition Act in September, which goes into effect in 2019. This bill not only made it easier for students to change their affirmed name and pronouns on paperwork at school, but legally recognized non binary people as well. This bill came at a time for progressive change for colleges. There are increasingly more LGBTQ+ resource centers on college
campuses like the Pride Center at American River College that educate and unite members of LGBTQ+ communities and their allies. ARC is also in the process of creating an intersectional Equity Plan, in which the school hopes to address the academic needs of students in different marginalized or underrepresented communities. Unisex bathrooms have been designated at many campuses after the nation debated which bathrooms trans students should use. As a LGBTQ+ college student, I was initially excited to hear about the changes to these policies. It was a step not only towards more recognition and inclusion in schools, but a step towards having the fundamental rights that everybody deserves. However, after the Trump administration scrapped guidelines
that protected trans students using the correct bathrooms at school and began dismissing discrimination cases, I should have known better than to think it would so easily allow LGBTQ+ people more rights. The current administration is actively battling this inclusion and curriculum in education, and I worry about the outcome. All students — LGBTQ+ or not — deserve an education that is relevant and up-to-date. The note cited by the New York Times was a draft, though a revised version of the plan is expected to be released by the administration soon. The two legal issues that will be affected are under the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. These regulations have to do with harassment based on sex at schools and certain health programs. Adding leeway to the government’s definition of “sex” was supposed to aid in the implementation of services and protections for trans people. With the deletion of all mentions of trans people from the government’s website, the United States is entering yet another era of revisionist history. Trans, non binary, and gender nonconforming people exist and erasing words won’t change that. The inclusion of trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming people is not optional. We are not just a new fad, “snowflakes” or any other dismissive phrase that socially-conservative cis people use. Trans and non binary people have always been a part of history. There have been studies on the gender binary and intersex people that have proved time and time again that the limited view of gender and biological sex that is being taught is not accurate in expressing the range of human experience. California colleges need to continue supporting trans students through the creation of LGBTQ+ resource centers, representation in curriculums, flexibility with name changes and inclusive health services.
Reflection on the burial of Matthew Shepard ON BEING GAY AND FAITHFUL By Christian Sutton christians1998@gmail.com I am often confronted by those who believe I live a dichotomy as a gay Christian. But I believe the way I live my life is as a coexistence between the way I was born and the way I was raised. I am an openly gay Christian, who was raised Catholic and influenced by my Episcopal godmother. I am also left captivated, inspired and grieved by the burial of Matthew Shepard, a 21-yearold college student murdered in a hate crime in 1998. His remains were interred at the Washington National Cathedral on Oct. 26, the 20th anniversary of his death. Until this time, his remains were protected by his parents out of concern that they would be tampered with. Shepard was found badly beaten and barely breathing, tied to a split-rail fence on a dirt road near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 — 20 years ago. He spent 18 hours in the near-freezing cold. He died five days later, according to law
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
The burial of Matthew Shepard brings awareness and understanding to the lives of LGBTQ+ people of faith.
enforcement reports, and police said his attackers targeted him because he was gay. The Episcopal Church was always close to Shepard, according to his parents. Other religious organizations, such as the Westboro Baptist Church, tried to cast a cloud of homophobia around
his memorial 20 years ago. In contrast, Shepard’s burial at the Washington National Cathedral was in part led by Right Reverend Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. I am encouraged by the warmth and love extended by Robin-
son’s eulogy. I am elated for and brought to tears by the open and welcoming embrace Robinson gave to LGBTQ+ attendees of the church given in his eulogy, which was broadcast on National Public Radio. “Many of you have been hurt by your own religious communities,
and I want to welcome you back,” Robinson said. This message of compassion and consideration spoke to me on a spiritual level. I have a close, personal relationship with my God, and my Catholic parents are not passive bystanders, but are active allies in the LGBTQ+ community. When I came out to my Episcopal godmother, she openly embraced me. A lot of queeridentified people don’t want their relationships to change when they come out. My relationship with her changed — but for the better. It strengthened our relationship and brought us closer than ever before. I see a lot of myself in Shepard and I see a lot of my family in Shepard’s family. I know I am blessed to be in this situation because many of my close friends and peers are not. If you really believe in what God stands for, you have to be open, accepting and compassionate towards others regardless of who they love or how they worship. I believe the real dichotomy lies in those who profess to be Christian, yet act on and spew messages of cruelty and inhumanity.
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Dec. 12, 2018
OPINION
CURRENT EDITORIAL
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ proposed Title IX amendments could change how colleges handle sexual assault and harassment on campuses.
DeVos wants to protect everyone except victims
TITLE IX AMENDMENT WON’T STOP SEXUAL ASSAULT By Current Editorial Board current@arc.losrios.edu
In the age of #MeToo, a United States president accused of lewd behavior, and the swearing in of a Supreme Court judge accused of sexual assault, it’s clear we live in a society that caters toward denying accusers, protecting the accused at all costs and blaming the victims. Sexual assault is at the forefront of the public’s attention, teetering between progression and regression. The last thing colleges need is a revocation of progressive policies for the implementation of regulations that narrow the definitions of sexual assault, protect colleges’ liability and create an atmosphere that deters victims from reporting their assault. Yet, this is exactly what Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ new campus sexual misconduct policies will do. DeVos’ proposed Title IX amendment is designed to protect everyone except those who need protection the most. As the first proposed amendments made under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act passed in 1972, DeVos’ plan claims to “clarify” the definition, context and severity of the sexual harassment of students, in order to determine whether educational institutions and the accused should be held responsible. While it would apply to schools at all levels of education, it would focus mainly on universities and colleges like American River College. There have been a total of 71 reports of sexual assault and misconduct across all Los Rios Community College District campuses from 2015 to 2017, according to LRCCD’s 2018 Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act Report, which documents all reported crimes across all LRCCD campuses. This total includes 25 incidents of fondling, nine of which occurred at ARC, seven incidents of rape, three of which happened at ARC, and 39 counts of domestic violence, dating violence, statutory rape or stalking,
eight of the 39 were at ARC, all of which are classified in the Clery Report as sexual assault or harassment and considered a form of sexual discrimination as described by federal law through Title IX. Under DeVos’ new policy, the number of reported assaults on Los Rios campuses could potentially go down, not because there are fewer of them, but because they may not be protected by the Department of Education’s narrow definitions of sexual misconduct or may never be reported at all because of fear and the increased likelihood of continual emotional trauma. In September 2017, DeVos rescinded the 2011, Obama-era letter, “Dear Colleague Letter: Sexual Violence,” which outlined how campuses should respond to claims of sexual assault and cast a broad net of protection for sexual assault victims. Although “Dear Colleague Letter: Sexual Violence” served as a guideline for colleges, it was not a formal amendment under Title IX. In DeVos’ proposal, “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,” the Department of Education claims that it found multiple problems with the current sexual misconduct regulations including “overly broad definitions of sexual harassment, … right to cross-examine parties and witnesses, and adjudications reached by school administrators operating under a federal mandate to apply the lowest possible standard of evidence,” prompting the revocation of certain previous guidelines. The new regulations intend on “defining the conduct that rises to the level of Title IX as conduct serious enough to jeopardize a person’s equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity,” according to the amendment proposal. According to the New York Times, the new regulations would adopt the Supreme Court definition of sexual harassment as “unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity,” grossly narrowing what behavior students would be allowed to find uncomfortable, inappropriate or unwanted enough to report to only the most extreme cases. DeVos’ new proposal will essentially determine what is and isn’t harassment for students who are experiencing personal trauma regardless; it will raise the level of evidence required for a case and it will re-
quire allow both parties to cross-examine or they are simply afraid of reporting their each other, a factor that may deter victims assault, for fear of being forced to publicly of assault from coming forward at all. defend their often traumatic experiences. According to the New York Times, “[T]he DeVos’ proposed amendments are harmObama administration … strongly discour- ful to students who have suffered sexual aged parties from personally questioning assault. It will protect campuses from beeach other during hearings, believing it ing held liable for reports of sexual assault would be ‘traumatic or intimidating, there- that are mishandled, ignored or left underby possibly escalating or perpetuating a investigated under the facade of ignorance. hostile environment.’” It will protect the accused, which isn’t unThe Association of American Universities’ necessary or wrong, until it infringes on 2015 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual As- the victim’s already damaged mental and sault and Sexual Misconduct found that the emotional health and, in the case of DeVos’ most common reason for not reporting in- proposed cross-examination amendment, cidents of sexual misconduct or assault was it does. that it was not considered serious enough Nearly two thirds of college students exor because victims were embarrassed or perience sexual harassment and 20 to 25 felt the process would be too emotionally percent of women, as well as 15 percent of difficult. men, are forced into sex during their time in In the case of reporting sexual college, according to the NSVRC. assault, according to the These are not just numLos Rios Clery Report, bers; these are real stu2015-2017 incidents “all other college dents, many at ARC employees (faculty, and across Los Rios of reported sexual staff or adminiswho are forced to assault/harassment: trator) who learn endure uncomabout a sexual fortable and assault must rehorrible acts of port that sexual unwanted physAt American Across all assault to the ical and verbal River Los Rios college’s Title IX assault. College Campuses Officer,” who is A victim of responsible for insexual assault vestigating and supshouldn’t have to According to the 2018 porting reports that worry whether their Los Rios Clery Report may infringe on students’ trauma is severe enough protection under Title IX. to be protected under Title The new amendments will change IX, they shouldn’t have to worry if the how students are expected to report sexual educational system they commit their time, crimes and campuses will only be held li- money and safety to will protect them in able for them as long as they are reported the case that they are assaulted. correctly and to “an official who has the auDeVos’ proposed regulations will not rethority to institute corrective measure” — duce the number of assaults on campuses. instead of campus police or a Title IX officer; It will not encourage the protection of vicnot professors, advisers or counselors who tims. It will create an environment where students would otherwise feel more com- victim-blaming and speculation will be left fortable opening up to. This would further to fester for the sake of defending already deter victims from seeking justice for the heavily protected accused parties and for crimes they suffered. protecting institutions’ reputations. Over 90 percent of incidents of sexual asWe should be creating an environment sault on college campuses go unreported, where students feel protected and comfortaccording to the National Sexual Violence able coming forward because it’s becoming Resource Center (NSVRC). This statistic increasingly likely that we, or someone we could climb even higher under DeVos’ new know, will have to face this environment as regulations, because of students who don’t a victim of sexual assault. feel there is enough evidence against their assailant, their situation isn’t severe enough
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Dec. 12, 2018
BACK PAGE
By Ashley Hayes-Stone ashgstone@gmail.com
Twas the night after finals, there was nothing to do; the students despaired and caused a hullabaloo. The Current was listening and heard them all cry; they said, “Here are some holiday festivities to try!” For any of these options you needn’t even a C, in fact, some of them actually are totally free! OK, but seriously, the Current staff has thrown together a holiday guide as a gift that’s jam-packed with holiday fun while students are recovering from their end-of-semester headaches. We have something for the family of festive lights enthusiasts, for those who want a holly jolly profile pic and for those who like a little extra in their eggnog. So, stock up on some hot cocoa, ask grandma for her ugliest sweater and let’s get the holiday party started.
Graphic Illustration by Patrick Hyun Wilson
Theatre of Lights The Theatre of Lights is a free holiday program that has a live-action retelling of “Twas the Night before Christmas.” along with animated lights. Jack Frost even makes a special appearance. The 20-minute production is located in the center of K Street in Old Sacramento and Thursday through Sunday, 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dovewood Court Order! Order! Dovewood Court is in season. This Sacramento tradition has been a favorite since 1999. Located in Orangevale, this hot spot culde-sac displays an array of Christmas light magic. Residents are encouraged to bring canned food that’s collected at the end of the block. So bring the family because it’s going to be lit...with Christmas lights that is.
Winter Wonderland Cal Expo has transformed into a Christmas light oasis will make any holiday nerd definitely happy to walk into this Global Winter Wonderland. This holiday destination is a great place to bring the family and gaze upon all the illuminated displays, enjoys the rides and even meet Saint Nick himself. Global Winter Wonderland will continue through Jan. 6th and tickets are $19 for adults and $17 for children.
Ice Skating What’re the holidays without a little bit of ice skating tradition? The Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink offers a variety of events throughout the season and with $13 for adults and $6 for kids it’s a great place to show off what you can do on the ice. For details about the ice skating rink, visit www.godowntownsac.com.