american river
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ARCurrent.com @ARCurrent Facebook.com/ARCurrentcom Vol. 65, Ed. 3 • October 16, 2013
REDEMPTION
POSSIBILITIES GROW FOR THE UNDEFEATED BEAVERS TEAM By Jessica Maynard jessica.r.maynard87@gmail.com
It’s something every athlete hopes for: a chance to prove that he or she is the best on the biggest stage. The past two seasons have accounted for tremendous change in the American River College football program. The team left the Mid Empire Conference for the Valley Conference, which made it eligible to compete for the state and national championships. The Beavers have propelled themselves onto the nation’s football radar and have proven they have what it takes to compete with the best teams. On Oct. 5, the Beavers faced No. 1 team in the state City College of San Francisco and dominated in a 34-13 victory in San
Photo Courtesy of Bryce Fraser
“
I heard a couple of terms thrown around, ‘redemption,’ and I heard ‘payback.’ I think for the 2013 ARC football Beavers it means ‘success’ and that’s what I told them. So let’s handle success well, celebrate, and come back because we have five more games.” JERRYHAFLICH HEAD COACH
SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 4
Student not held back by Asperger’s ADVOCATE FOR DISABLED STUDENTS ENSURES VOICES ARE HEARD By Melissa Hurtado hurtadom73@gmail.com “Nothing about us, without us,” is a motto that Shayana Mendes, an advocate for disabled students and American River College student with Asperger’s syndrome, strongly believes in. “People need to stop saying, ‘Oh, yeah, we know what you’re about,’ and not make any kind of decision for people with disabilities without Alisha Kirby / alishakirby1@gmail.com
Shayana Mendes lives with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. She often speaks for the needs of fellow students with disabilities during ASB meetings.
A LOOK INSIDE
2
ASB Bylaws
ASB and CAEB approve bylaws, special election to come next
asking for their feelings. Their voice is important, too.” The 29-year-old Glendale native has been a student at ARC for about 10 years, pursuing degrees in Spanish, sign language, theatre arts, nutrition and law, with a focus on disability rights. “It’s my persistence. That’s why I’m still at it here,” said Mendes. “We don’t need to be fixed or cured,” says Mendes about disabled students. “We’re not ashamed of who we are.” She wasn’t always such an advocate. She found out about
SEE ASPERGER’S, PAGE 10
7
Extra classes at steep price By Jessica Maynard jessica.r.maynard87@gmail.com Governor Brown signed into law Thursday a bill that will allow select community colleges to charge non-resident fees for additional highdemand classes to be offered during winter and summer intersessions. Assembly Bill 955 creates a pilot program that will be offered to six California community colleges that suffer from high levels of overcrowding, and to as many as 11 community colleges by July 2014. Participation in the program is optional and it is unknown which of the six colleges offered the program will implement it. The bill, written by Assemblyman Das Williams, will see the price for these courses go from $46 to $200 per unit, with one-third of
SEE FEES, PAGE 3
World Music Festival ARC faculty talk about Sacramento’s multicultural event
Page 2
Annual Clery Report excludes valuable stats
October 16, 2013
News
THE LOS RIOS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED WITH INSUFFICIENT AND MISLEADING INFORMATION By Jorden Hales halespersonal@gmail.com The Annual Clery Report, a public disclosure of data regarding crimes committed on and around college campuses, was released according to schedule Oct. 1 to all students in the Los Rios Community College District. Though the report is meant to improve campus safety by making students and law enforcement aware of trends, legislative requirements force Los Rios Police to exclude many crimes from the report. The Clery Report is mandated by federal law, and must follow federal rather than California standards in terms of what crimes are listed. According to Sergeant Mike Olsen of Los Rios Police Department, data students would likely find important is excluded from the report, due to certain stipulations. “One of the difficulties with this report is limitations that the
federal government puts on us,” said Olsen. “They (the federal government) are very narrow in their focus and very specific in their criteria, and it eliminates a lot of crimes (that would otherwise be included). Among these crimes are theft of property from vehicles and stolen cell phones. While such data is available to students online, it is not presented with the prominence of the Clery Report. Olsen believes this to be misleading. “People look at this and go, ‘oh gee, we (only) had four burglaries,’” said Olsen. “I can’t tell you the number of cars we had broken into off the top of my head, but it’s far more than what’s reported.” Another area where the report is misleading is drug and alcohol. Though the report states “The possession, consumption or transportation of alcoholic beverages on LRCCD campuses or in district owned facilities is generally prohibited as a matter
Editors-in-Chief Jeff Gonzales Alisha Kirby
Managing Editor Cintia Lopez
News Editor Jorden Hales
Sports Editor Ed Gebing
Arts & Culture Editor Jonathan H. Ellyson
Scene Editor
Natasha Honeywood Jeff Gonzales / jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com
Los Rios Police Department Captain Chris Day stands outside of Davies Hall while patrolling the campus on Oct. 15, 2013.
of institutional policy,” incidents must occur under precise circumstances to be included in the report. “The drug liquor and weapons possession laws have some very finite requirements,” said Olsen. “We actually have far more drug possession charges on campus that we couldn’t count in the report because of (this).” Alcohol is sized and regulated on campus, but when reporting alcohol related incidents, callers
must mention specific behavior to police and or dispatchers in order for them to meet federal criteria. Currently, any interested party would have to file through roughly 10,000 dispatched calls and 1,000 police reports to get an accurate summation of crimes committed on campus. Los Rios Police are working to create a more thorough report that would be available to students and faculty.
Opinions Editor
Antionette Gayfield
Photo Editor
Emily K. Rabasto
Design Editor Sarah Scott
Web Editor
Korbl Klimecki
Public Relations Editor Jessica Maynard
Special Projects Editor Steven Condemarin
Copy Chief
Brooke Purves
ASB and its components advocate for ARC students
Assistant Copy Chief
By Melissa Hurtado
Distribution Manager
hurtadom73@gmail.com The Associated Student Body plays an important role on campus: to be an outlet in which students can be represented and make changes to issues around school. As ASB adviser Tanika Byrd simply puts it, “it’s the voice of the students.” ASB is made up of three components: the Student Senate, the Clubs and Events Board (CAEB), and the Joint Budget Committee (JBC). The ASB constitution states that the ASB’s general purpose is to provide the students of the college with a representative entity. The Student Senate comprises a president, a vice
president, a director of finance, the president of CAEB and 15 senators. Their resolutions to matters that have an impact on students, such as academic disciplinary policies, grading policies, and codes of student conduct. “It deals with the political side of college,” said Senator Tim Lipuma, “such as keeping up on legislation and policies that affect college students.” CAEB consists of a president, a vice president, a director of finance and a representative from each active club on campus. It is in charge of developing guidelines for student clubs, planning and coordinating yearly activities and celebrations and is the part of ASB that is dedicated to
campus life. “For most people, the biggest decisions involve the allocation of funds for various student causes and events,” said Senator Sam Elliott, and that is just what the JBC is for. According to the ASB constitution, JBC has the power to establish and/or amend an ongoing formula that dictates where the student association general fund dollars will be spent. The members include the Student Senate president, the directors of finance from both the Senate and CAEB, and three additional members from each board, one being the president of CAEB. All three components of the ASB are supervised by an advis-
er. Byrd, who has been adviser for the last three years, said the adviser is there “to be a resource to the students that are on the board.” The boards can only do so much without the participation of students. “I don’t think our ASB has much power to impact student’s day to day lives without student involvement, since we are supposed to be a representative body,” Senator Lipuma said. Student Senate meetings are Thursdays 10:30 a.m. – noon. CAEB meetings are Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. – noon. The constitution for the ASB can be found on the ARC website.
the sections of which pertain to special elections. From the beginning the public was passionate about the board holding special elections to fill the vacant positions. Since the completion of the bylaws, the board has been trying to tackle other business. That business included appointing a new senator, Daniela Vargas, who was approved by the board and sworn in before taking her spot amongst the board in the Oct. 10 meeting.
about having the special election, but could not agree on what and how many positions would be available for the special election, and how many would be accepted by the appointment method. The board finally settled on 10 positions: president and vice president of Student Senate, and eight senators. ASB has also approved of the timeline for special elections. Elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and Wednesday, Nov. 13, and campaigning will begin Oct. 28.
Jorge Riley, the Student Senate director of finance, has been acting president since Tyrone Robinson’s resignation. He will be running for the presidential seat during special elections, and if he wins the position, he will appoint a new director of finance. This is much to Diefenbacher’s frustration, as he wants to form a JBC as soon as possible in order to do things monetarily with the boards. One thing ASB will not have to worry about monetarily is paying the bill for the voting system, Votenet, which was left unpaid by the previous year’s board. Dean of Student Development Manuel Perez said that the administration would cover the unpaid dues.
ASBNOTEBOOK By Melissa Hurtado hurtadom73@gmail.com
Bylaws Both the American River College Associated Student Body (ASB) and the Clubs and Events Board (CAEB) have completed bylaws, and the special elections have been scheduled. The ARC constitution says bylaws exist to “govern the day to day operation of that component of the Associated Student Body,” and bylaws must be approved before any other business can get accomplished. The bylaws took a month get completed, and were a controversial subject, one that dominated meetings since the beginning of the semester, especially
Special Elections
As soon as the bylaws were completed, CAEB President Jeremy Diefenbacher moved to hold a special election and the motion was approved. The board was in consensus
Zach Tierney Ed Gebing
Staff Writers
Shedric Allen Brittini Burns Kevin Ford J’Neil Gibson Melissa Hurtado Walter Jones Nikita McGee-Davis Brandon Nelson Adnan Ramic Kameron Schmid Sam Urrea
Staff Photographers Michael Pacheco
Adviser
Walter Hammerwold
Photo Adviser Jill Wagner
ASB APPROVES BYLAWS AND TURNS ATTENTION TO SPECIAL ELECTION
Joint Budget Committee
The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) has not been formed, and it will not be formed until there is a separate president and director of finance in Student Senate.
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POLICY
The students of Journalism 402: Newspaper Production produce The Current. All opinions are signed and are not necessarily endorsed by The Current staff. All letters and articles appearing in the Editorial or Opinion sections are not necessarily representative of The Current staff or American River College policy. All articles are the property of The Current. All submissions, including letters to the editor, are welcomed and encouraged. The Current reserves the right to edit submissions. Letters must be typed and can be submitted by mail, e-mail or in person to the following addresses: The American River Current: 4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120 Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 Email: Current@arc.losrios.edu
October 16, 2013
News
ARound
the world
Page 3
ARC vice president of Student Services makes career move By Jeff Gonzales
Shutdown vexes vets By Jorden Hales halespersonal@gmail.com Roughly two weeks old, the federal government shutdown is now threatening the financial well-being of millions of veterans. According to CBS News, the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department will not be able to ensure the delivery of checks scheduled to go out to 5.18 million beneficiaries Nov. 1. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki has informed lawmakers that over 500,000 of these beneficiaries will see pension payments stop. Shinseki spoke before House Committee on Veterans’ processing delays, according to a report by The Associated Press. Shinseki told the committee that an average of nearly 1,400 claims have been delayed each day since the shutdown began Oct. 1. This abundance of delays has stalled the department’s efforts to reduce the backlog of disability claims pending for longer than 125 days. Shinseki also informed the committee that a longer-term shutdown would have “dire” consequences. “In all, more than $6 billion in benefits to about 5 million veterans and their families would be halted with an extended shutdown,” the AP report continued. According to CBS News, the Republican-led House passed a bill shortly after the shutdown began to exempt Veteran Affairs from its implications, but the Democraticled Senate has rejected this approach to restoring federal funding. Additionally, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., noted in a hearing that the House approved a VA funding bill back in June. Veterans are also voicing displeasure with the closure of monuments and memorials. The Military Coalition, a group of veterans, rallied at the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. Andrew Dubil, a veteran studying business at American River College, feels very strongly about the shutdown’s impact on veteran’s ability to demonstrate solidarity. He believes lawmakers should allow for a more practical approach. “It’s kind of ridiculous,” Dubil says of the defunct memorials and parks. “It’s not essential that they shut down (memorials).”
CORRECTIONS
In Volume 65, Edition 2 of The Current, the following corrections are listed: On page one, Adnan Ramic created the art for the story “Discord Strikes ASB.” On page one, the art for “Discord strikes ASB” reads “advisers.” It should read “adviser.” On page two, Emilie Mitchell’s name is spelled incorrectly in the story “Condom talk picks up after HIV breakout in porn industry.” On page two, Los Angeles County is mentioned as “the County of Los Angeles” in the photo caption for the photo in “Condom talk picks up after HIV breakout in porn industry.” On page two, Brooke Purves’ name is misspelled on the masthead. On page four, the story “Going for the kill” states that the women’s volleyball team lost in the first round of playoff. The team lost in the second round of playoffs. On page 10, Professor Dyne Eifertsen’s name is misspelled in the photo caption and quote attribution for “Take this class,” which featured Introduction to music: rock & roll.
jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com College is a time for growth and opportunity. That growth is not limited to the students on campus. Vice President Pam Walker is a believer in growth not only for students and faculty, but for herself as well. On Sept. 27, The Independent, a publication in Livermore, Calif., reported that Walker was a finalist for the position of president at the local community college, Las Positas College. “For me, doing searches is about redefining who I am and can I articulate what I’ve been doing and how I’ve done,” Walker said in an interview with The Current. “Each opportunity just gives you a chance to redefine yourself and I’m always pleased to just get into the mix.” Walker started her time at American River College about 11 years ago as the dean of science and allied health and is currently the vice president of student services. She started her career in physical education and worked at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. as dean of physical education and athletics, as well as dean of admissions and records. “I think every one of us needs to push ourselves,” Walker said of her motivation. The Independent reported that, “Walker’s introduction to the California Community Colleges began as an associate director for the Commission on Athletics, overseeing all collegiate athletics at community colleges throughout the state.” At ARC Walker oversees many of the services that students use during their time at the college. Everything from counseling and student government to the Dusty Baker Student Athlete Resource Center and veterans services report through her department.
Fees: Brown signs AB 955 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the money earned going towards replenishing funds for the Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver. Although the additional courses are an attempt to solve overcrowding in community colleges, not all students see it as beneficial. “Most of these courses are classes needed to graduate,” American River College law major Traci Kelly said. “The state needs to help students finish their degrees faster by providing the courses that we need, not by gating access to classes through increased prices.” California community colleges are a valuable medium for many people seeking higher education, and lower tuition and friendlier admittance policies provide students the opportunity to obtain a college degree that would otherwise be unavailable. “While the bill’s impact is still vague to me in some ways, I do think that the bill tends to undermine equal access to all community colleges by creating a ‘pay-to-play’ system that would create fee levels at the pilot colleges greater than those at CSUs,” American River College interim president Bill Karns said. “Perhaps even more important to me is the fact that the bill, at least as I understand it, runs counter to an element of the PROP 30 campaign of maintaining affordable higher education, because I think that it tends to work against that.” The average income of a California Community College student is $16,233, while one-fourth of the people receiving education from these colleges earn less than $5,544 per year, according to the Foundation for California Community Colleges. “This lack of classes will turn away people who need these classes to develop the professional skills they need to qualify for high-paying jobs,” Williams said in a press release. “I am grateful that the governor has the vision to give this pilot program a chance.”
Jeff Gonzales / jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com
Pam Walker, vice president of Student Services at ARC, is a finalist for the position of president of Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif.
“We stay very busy with things not necessarily in the classroom,” Walker said. One such person who reports to Walker is Dean of Student Services Manuel Perez. “I have only had the pleasure of knowing Pam in her capacity as vice president of Student Services since I started working at American River College in 2009,” Perez wrote in an email to The Current. “I support Pam in her endeavors much the same way she has always been very supportive of all of her team members.” Walker’s candidacy for the Las Positas presidency raises questions about her inter-
est in the same position at ARC. When asked she told The Current, “we’re not supposed to say anything after a first round, but I would feel very good to be in a second round.” No matter where Walker’s plans take her, members of her team are very supportive of her growth. “Pam loves to connect with people and hear their stories,” Perez wrote. “She really does lend great value and importance to empowering people to use their own voice in leadership. I support Pam in her endeavors much the same way she has always been very supportive of all of her team members.”
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Sports
October 16, 2013
A change in tide implements a shift in tactics ADVANCEMENTS IN ABILITY AND SPEED RAISE HOPES FOR A STRONG FINISH FOR THE MEN By Ed Gebing edgebingjr@gmail.com The American River College men’s water polo team has started off the season with a 9-5 record and is currently 4-0 against other members in the Big 8 Conference. Returning six players from last year’s team, the men are led by sophomores, goalie Sam Anderson and utility player Patrick O’Connor. “(We have) high expectations for this year and hopefully we can conquer them,” Anderson said. After finishing last season second in its league and third in Northern California the team looks to improve upon its record. “We’ve been playing well at times. We are a team that should be a little better defensively, but I think that we are learning and improving that way,” Head Coach Eric Black said. “Offensively we are a little challenged because we don’t play with a true center. It’s like in basketball if you don’t have a true center then you’ve got to play the game with a guard’s and forward’s mentality. Now we can be effective that way. It’s just a matter of getting a couple of the freshman that haven’t had to make a lot of changes, to learn how to make some changes in what they do. We are getting there, though.” The team has started off a little slow, but has been coming on strong as the season moves forward. “It’s going good. The team has progressed a bunch since
Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com
Goalie Sam Anderson rejects a shot during a match against Sierra College on Oct. 9. The ARC men’s water polo team beat Sierra 9-4.
the beginning of the season, and we’re starting to play better and better,” O’Connor said. One of O’Connor’s greatest attributes is his ability to play multiple positions. “(With) last year’s team we had a whole set that was incredible, and so this year we are just trying to learn how to play without one, and we’re getting used to it,” O’Connor said. This year’s team is a bit different compared to last season’s. “We are more of a swimming-oriented team. We’re much
Football: Third in the nation
quicker,” Anderson said. “We aren’t as big as we were last year, and we will probably be relying on our shooters and our speed.” At 6’7” Anderson credits his height with being a major advantage to his gameplay. The Beavers, who beat Sierra College earlier in the week, played host this past weekend to the ARC Tourney, which featured teams from California State University Maritime, Mt. San Antonio College, Penn State University, Santa Rosa Junior College and UC Davis’ Club team.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 San Francisco. “They seized opportunities, all day,” head coach Jerry Haflich said. “We talked about carpe diem… and that was kind of our rally cry.” The last time these two teams met was the Northern California Community championship game. The Beavers lost to the Rams 41-36, after an 11yard touchdown completion from quarterback Mike Hicks to wide receiver Diondre Batson was negated on a holding call with no time left on the clock. “I heard a couple of terms thrown around, ‘redemption,’ and I heard ‘payback,’” head coach Jerry Haflich said. “I think for the 2013 ARC football Beavers it means ‘success’ and that’s what I told them. So let’s handle success well, celebrate, and comeback because we have five more games.” ARC football is currently 5-0 for the second time in three seasons under Haflich and is ranked No. 3 in the nation and in the state. “We just look at it game-bygame,” sophomore running back Drake Tofi said. “We don’t try to focus on the rankings or let those things come into our mind. We just play one game at a time and each game is like a championship game for us. We come in with the mindset that every game is an important game because it’s the next game.” Since Haflich has taken over the coaching position at ARC, 8 teams, including the Beavers, have gone undefeated out of 70 community college football programs.
Current File Photo
Will Reyes continues strong run By Jessica Maynard
jessica.r.maynard87@gmail.com
Photo courtesy of Bryce Fraser
Freshman wide receiver Byron Spain catches a 24-yard pass from freshman quarterback Jake Bist during the Chabot game.
In 2011 the Beavers went 11-0 and it seemed that no defense in the nation could stop the offense, which averaged 48.3 points per game. This season it seems like no offense in the nation can challenge the Beavers defense, which is ranked No. 1 in the state allowing 11.2 points, 150.0 passing yards, and 33.2 rushing yard per game. The team also has totaled 23 sacks, 14 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and a touchdown. “We bend, but we will not break, and that’s very cliche but you know with cliches they’re used because something happens all of the time,”
sophomore defensive linemen Sione Umufuke said. “With us we gave up a couple of things, had a couple of missed assignments, but then when we had to absolutely get stops we came through with it and that goes to the testament of our coaches and the way we practice.” The price of victory is high and no one knows that better than a head coach. For Haflich this is the statement win he’s longed for. “It’s one of those deals where you want to hopefully earn respect. Hopefully it earns opportunity,” Haflich said. “San Francisco has been the mark for so long they’ve been the standard
in terms of wins so it’s really tremendous for our football program. For me personally it’s a great win, I’m just so proud of our kids.” The team is ready to start divisional play and hopefully it can claim its first state championship. “It feels like we proved that we’re number one,” sophomore defensive linemen Trevor Jones said. “It feels solid. I knew we were. We knew we were. We just had to go out and prove it, and proving it is the icing on the cake.” The team’s next game is at home against San Joaquin Delta College at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The California Community College Athletic Association has been awarding standout athletes with the Student Athlete of the Month Award since 2006. Of the 103 sports programs American River has only produced one award winner, sprinter Christina Hibbert in May of 2006. Sophomore cross-country runner Will Reyes became the first male athlete at ARC to win the award. Reyes won all three races he competed in during September. At the Fresno Invitational Sept. 7 he beat 183 runners, at the SoCal Preview Sept. 13 he faced 192 runners and finished his month of dominance off at the Lou Vasquez Invitational Sept. 19 by running the best time of his career 19:48 “He’s super strong,” head coach Rick Anderson said. “He’s real quiet, he kind of keeps to himself but in a race he will run away.” Not only did Reyes win each race, he also set the pace for the team to claim first place in every meet.
Sports
October 16, 2013
Page 5
ARC sports now a numbers game ADVANCED STATISTICS LEAD TO CHANGES IN COACHING AND RECRUITING PHILOSOPHIES By Jorden Hales halespersonal@gmail.com To the unknowing eye, a sporting event may seem the most archaic of events taking place on a college campus, one in which primitive behaviors are touted and rewarded. In recent years, however, college sports teams have housed databases and analyses progressive enough to rival that of their campus’ biology labs. While simple, arbitrary statistics such as points per game have been kept for generations, new databases often referred to as “advanced statistics” or “advanced metrics” are becoming very commonplace in college sports. These studies of obscure trends track more situational occurrences in hopes of providing insight that allow coaches and players a chance at optimal efficiency. Rick Anderson, head coach of American River College’s men’s cross-country team cites a case in which further analysis of very straight-forward statistics changed his team’s warm-up regime. “We looked back at the mile times over a four-mile race and kind of came to the conclusion that in most cases the middle of the race was not as fast as the start and the end,” Anderson said. “(From that) we deduced that their warm up was not proper… over the years we’ve changed how they warm up to make sure
their heart rate is up higher.” While this approach applies very straightforward statistics to help individual athletes achieve peak kinesthetic execution, more intricate data has been used to shape new philosophies in team sports. Ashlie Hain, head coach of ARC’s women’s volleyball team, has recently become aware of correlation between wins and service aces, drawing focus away from more emphatic scoring methods, like kills. “Basically it’s a serve-and-pass game,” Hain said. “You always want to look at kills, but really that’s not the piece of the puzzle that equates to success. Every team will get kills, not every team gets service aces. So if you can minimize reception errors and add better serving you’ll be more successful.” ARC Athletic Director Greg Warzecka has followed the recent statistical trend at the college level and believes it to be a valuable tool for community college coaches, who often struggle recruiting elite talent to their programs. “With scholarships, many fouryear institutions recruit toward a certain philosophy because of the resources and facilities available to them. This is not necessarily the case in community college,” Warzecka said. Warzecka has observed these intricate databases that allow coaching staffs to maximize their
Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com
Cross-country coach Rick Anderson writes his team’s current running statistics on a whiteboard located in his office, which provides a visual motivation for the members of his squad. Anderson’s method of recording data is considered more straight-forward compared to other advanced statistics.
success with “eclectic” rosters. Hain confirmed this observation, but never overlooks an opportunity to bring a superior athlete into her program, regardless of philosophy. “I’m always looking for the best athlete. You can teach them to serve tough and pass well,” Hain
said. “But if you see a recruit out there that’s just passing nails, that’s probably someone you want to have on the team, even if they’re not very good in any other category.” Warzecka and other staff are embracing the increased importance of data, but have concerns
SPORTSUPDATES
about straying too far from the human element that is critical in team sports. “(This is) a more permanent shift in the sports culture.” Warzecka said. “(But) finding a balance is always most desirable, and probably will lead to a high level of success.”
MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
The men’s team remained undefeated in 2013 as they won the ARC Beaver Invitational. Will Reyes, who has won every race against junior college competition, did not contend. Luis Luna finished second and Chris Kigar finished third. Their next meet is the Santa Clara Bronco Invite Saturday at 9 a.m. in Santa Clara.
At the ARC Beaver invitational the women were without freshmen Kandace Compton, Iuliia Lytvynova and sophomore Zoe Worobel. Sophomore Alexa Lua had another strong showing for the women finishing in sixth place. The women finished No. 3 at the meet. Their next meet is the Mt. Sac Invite Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S GOLF
MEN’S SOCCER
The women are currently ranked in eighth place in the Big 8 Conference this season with 48 points as of last Thursday. The women’s next match is Thursday for the Big 8 Conference #10 match hosted by Butte College at the Table Mountain Golf Course in Chico at 11 a.m.
As of Oct. 10 the men are ranked No. 12 in the state and No. 7 in Northern California. The team is currently 7-2-4. Sophomore forward Luis Arce has seven goals and six assists. The men’s next home match is Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. against division rival Cosumnes River College.
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Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com
No. 13 Lauren Kirshke and No. 11 Caiti Berrie block a spike at the net during a game against Santa Rosa Junior College on Oct. 9 2013.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
VOLLEYBALL
WOMEN’S WATER POLO
After finishing non-conference play with a 1-4 record, the team is currently 2-4 in divisional play. The team’s overall record is 3-8 this season. Freshman forward Jazzmin Hancock leads the team with three goals. The women’s next home match is Tuesday against division rival San Joaquin Delta College at 3:30 p.m.
As of Oct. 8 the women are ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 2 in Northern California with an 11-3 record. Sophomore middle blocker Nicole Hareland is third in the state in blocks, averaging 1.43 per set. The women’s next home game is Friday against division rival Sierra College at 6:30 p.m.
According to the coach’s poll the women are ranked No. 7 in the state with a 10-6 record. Sophomore utility player Kristin Boston leads the team offensively with eight goals, three assists and 10 steals. The women’s last home game of the season is the Alumni game Oct. 23 at 5 p.m.
October 16, 2013
Page 6
Feature
g n i p p fli s ’ C R A
m
pheno
By Ed Gebing
edgebingjr@gmail.com
While watching the women’s soccer match, the ball rolls out of bounds and head coach Paul Arellanes gets up and yells “Jazzmin!” It sounds as though he might be yelling for a substitution, until a woman goes running to the ball on the sideline and disappears behind the bleachers. A few seconds later from behind the stands fans see her put the ball on the ground and flip herself over it, launching the soccer ball close to the goal. A handspring throw-in, also known as a flip throw-in, is not something new to the sport of soccer, but it is definitely not something that most people get the opportunity to witness when they attend a match. Most people have only seen a flip throw-in when they look up the play on YouTube. For American River College freshman soccer player Jazzmin Hancock the flip throw-in is something she does during matches with a certain look of ease. When the ball goes out of bounds near their attacking goal Hancock is usually the one to take the throw-in. The main reason behind doing a flip throw-in is to gain an advantage offensively. When the team gets a throwin near the goal the flip throw can get the ball in closer to the opponent’s goal. “When we get an opportunity it’s kind of like a corner kick because it goes so far so we get more scoring opportunities,” Hancock said. There are few other women who do this type of throw. “It is pretty rare in the women’s game,” Arellanes said. He has only seen one other girl do a flip throw-in during his time at ARC. Former Major League Soccer player and Sacramento native Kevin Goldthwaite has seen the move done in matches on a few occasions during his career. “I’ve seen it done maybe a half dozen times,” Goldthwaite said. “It turns a nonthreatening throw-in, in the attacking third, into a free kick situation.” As a player, Goldthwaite wasn’t intimidated by someone on the other team who could do a flip throw-in, but it was something that his teams needed to account for. “You (do) need to change your game plan a little when an opposing team has a weapon like that,” Goldthwaite said. Hancock, who has been playing soccer
since she was 12 years old, has utilized this move since her freshman year of high school. “I used to do gymnastics, so it just came easily,” Hancock said. “I just felt like it was something I wanted to try and I did it and now I know how to do it.” She was inspired to do this type of throw-in simply because, “not that many people do it.” There are benefits to having a player who can make this type of throw. The physics of the throw can be proven to be a benefit as well. “You have gravity giving you this fabulous boost, where it turns your legs and all your energy into rotational energy which then goes to the ball, so you get a much better throw,” ARC physics lab technician Blain Wells said. “It’s actually really simple once you kind of look at it. This ball travels this much longer path.” Another member of the physics department explained the flip throw as a tool in this way. “In addition to the velocity that she can throw at, she has that additional velocity of her body already moving,” physics professor at ARC Victor Zarate said. “So it would be like running and throwing at the same time, but you can generate a lot more torque, so you can get a lot more flex for it to go really far.” From the fan point of view it is an exciting thing to see and leaves people wanting more. “I have never even seen one before, so that was my first time when I was here a couple weeks ago, and it was kind of amazing,” Sierra College student Austin Stewart said. “You kind of look forward to it … you get to see it almost every time you come out.” Her teammates also enjoy watching her do her throw in. “I’ve never had a teammate do that. It’s awesome,” sophomore defender Rose Shoen said. “It gives me goose bumps. You’re just like, ‘That was so awesome.’” The next time that you can see Hancock do her throw-in at ARC will be Oct. 22 at 3:30 p.m. when the Beavers host division rival, San Joaquin Delta College.
(Top) ARC freshman soccer player Jazzmin Hancock gains more power for throw-ins during soccer matches by flipping forward over the ball and launching it toward the field. (Middle) Hancock cuts with the ball in a match against Sierra College on Oct. 4. (Bottom) Hancock at the apex of her signature flip, which provides her with enough momentum and rotational energy to throw the ball in farther than her competitors can. Photos by Emily Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com
Arts&Culture
October 16, 2013
Page 7
Michael Pacheco / mfpach@gmail.com
(Above) Silver Garden’s Mongolian barbecue buffet offers a wide variety of ingredients with many different meats, vegetables, and sauces to choose from. The food is cooked to order in front of customers. (Left) Sesame chicken with fried rice is an item from the regular menu Silver Garden also offers in addition to the Mongolian barbeque. Michael Pacheco / mfpach@gmail.com
Gold stars for Silver Garden By Korbl Klimecki korbl.klimecki@gmail.com Silver Garden Mongolian is the platonic ideal of Chinese restaurants—the iconic standard. Decor amounts to a few prints in gilded frames, booths line the wall and tables sit amongst them. The far corner of the restaurant, past the restrooms is piled with disused booths, tables, chairs, boxes and assorted items. But the food is cheap, delicious and plentiful. I ordered the sesame chicken lunch combination plate, which came with soup of the day, chow mein, fried rice, and a spring roll. The others members of my party all
had Mongolian barbecue. The sesame chicken was perfectly wokfried and bathed in a sweet, slightly-honeyed glaze. The chow mein sat on the plate tightly folded in a gorgeous presentation I have never seen at any other restaurant. The fried rice is exactly what you’d want: rice with just a hint of teriyaki flavor and chunks of egg and meat. The spring roll had crisp skin and hot, colorful vegetables inside. The soup of the day was a chicken cabbage soup, with large pieces of chicken and cabbage strips suspended in a clear chicken broth. My fellow diners told me that the Mongolian barbecue was easily as good. In addition to the standard water that grill cooks will add, the cook at Silver Garden
Mongolian adds a house sauce, which prevents the flavor from being diluted. Another thing that sets Silver Garden apart from other Mongolian barbecues is the separation of light and dark meat chicken on the barbecue line. My lunch combination plate was $6.95, and was enough food to feed me twice. I ate half of it, felt plenty full, and saved the other half for breakfast the next day. With iced tea, tax and tip I spent $10. The Mongolian barbecue was $6.50/bowl and came with fried rice, soup and a spring roll. My only complaint is my bowl of soup had only a single piece of chicken, but the piece was large and easily the amount of chicken one might find in a bowl with shreds of chicken from another restaurant.
Silver Garden
4321 MADISON AVE SACRAMENTO, CA
PRICE RANGE: $$
««««« But I wasn’t there for the soup. I was there for a plate filled with rice, chow mein, and glistening, sweet, lightly-smokey chicken. Silver Garden did not disappoint. It was standard, but a good standard, at a great value.
ARC students help Sacramento celebrate its cultural diversity ARC JAZZ BAND PERFORMS AT WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com
Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com
ARC Jazz Ensemble musician Ilya Aksenenko plays percussion during a performance at Sac World Fest in Old Town Sacramento on Oct. 6.
Sunday was the sixth annual Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival (Sac World Fest), and American River College was wellrepresented. A long table in the Global Village was occupied by ARC representatives, one of whom was ESL professor Oranit Limmaneeprasert, who said ARC has been a regular participant for five years now. “I consider this a reaching-out activity, as well as a cultural diversity activity. We have printed materials about ARC, and help people learn more about ARC,” Limmaneeprasert said while a belly-dancing act entertained at the front of the tent. At ARC’s table were books from all over the world from the collection of Associate Vice President of Instruction Lisa Lawrenson, along with cultural items such as African headdresses and clothing. During the day was an Iranian cooking demonstration by Parisa Samadi, another ESL staff member and a former student herself. Also at the festival was the ARC Latin Jazz Band, a program with 27 student musicians coordinated by professor Dyne Eifertsen. They opened the musical and dance perfor-
mances at the main stage with a 40-minute set of songs meant to “make people dance,” Eifertsen said at the outset of the performance. The early morning crowd was reluctant to comply, but applauded loudly and warmly after each song. “We’ve been playing the Sac World Fest for three or four years,” said Eifertsen. “We’ve played events throughout Northern California, community college events, (and) for governors.” The goal of the Sac World Fest, as stated in the program, is “to celebrate our cultural and ethnic fusion.” Sacramento is currently recognized as the 12th-most diverse city in the U.S., and the festival declares it the “most multi-ethnically integrated big city” in America, even though New Jersey, Oakland, and New York all appear ahead of it on the list. There is no denying the wide spread of cultures at an event such as this, where you can see anything from native Bolivian dancing to the headlining HipHop dance-off featuring the drumline from Grant Union High School, all for free. Limmaneeprasert said of the festival, “It’s a great thing to share with the world and the public, and a great way to celebrate diversity together.”
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October 16, 2013
HEADTOHEAD
By Kameron Schmid
kameronschmid@gmail.com Making the argument for the PlayStation 4 over the Xbox One is easy; all that is needed are the cold hard facts, starting with the price. The PlayStation 4 is $399, a full $100 cheaper than the Xbox One. According to Sony’s press release, the difference in price is because the PS4 lets you decide which extras you really want. Don’t care about motion control gaming? PS4 doesn’t come with the PlayStation Move, which saves you that $100. With Xbox One, it’s mandatory. And if you get the package including the PlayStation Move, it bumps the price up to $499, the same price of the Xbox One, but includes a game for the move, which the Xbox does not. This is a recurring theme in many features of the Xbox One: mandatory features that not every consumer will want. The
Arts&Culture
PlayStation 4 V. Xbox One
By Kevin Ford hard drive on the Xbox One is permanent, while the PS4’s is kevinford43@gmail.com removable. All new Xbox Ones When Microsoft’s Xbox 360 will require an Internet connecwas first released back in 2005, tion on the first day for a manit was one of the most-hyped datory update. The Xbox One gaming consoles to date. With will also limit many of its highly the upcoming release of the touted features to those paying Xbox One, it is obvious Microfor an Xbox Gold subscription, soft wants to expand its market which is $60 a year if you buy beyond gamers. in bulk, and twice that if you The Xbox One comes pay monthly. The feawith many features, tures available to Gold some new and some subscribers only include improved, which make Skype, Netflix and a DVR the console more than for gameplay. Sony won’t just a gaming system. require a subscription to With the addition of get those services, and Kinect, voice control offers many more. and motion detection These systems have are now available features. very similar processing power, It is described by Microsoft services, and functions. But in marketing officials as a device consistent manner, the PlayStafor the den, a console designed tion offers them in easier by gamers for gamers. It is a and more affordable gaming console, but ways. Take it it can also stream from an Xbox 360 live TV, support player who will the Internet, and be switching to function as a PS4 when the For extended content go to DVD player, all time comes. in one. arCurrent.com
Skype returns as an available feature with the Xbox One, with up to 1080p High Definition quality. You may do group calls using Skype with up to four people in one call. The Xbox One can be programmed and customized for a personalized home screen for each user profile. You can even use your smart phone or tablet as a remote control for the Xbox One. Microsoft wants to take the online gameplay experience to the next level as well with a new online reputation system. So if you meet someone online who won’t shut up, isn’t playing the objective, or is hacking, report him or her and you will never again be placed in the same matchmaking game. Whether you’re a Microsoft fan or a Sony fan, you can’t deny that Microsoft is raising the bar even higher for entertainment consoles with the nearing release of the Xbox One.
ARC’s Hairspray is loud and proud By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com As Wilbur Turnblad (played by Keith Riedell) says to his daughter Tracy, “You gotta think big to be big.” And big might be an understatement. The American River College Theater program kicked off the fall semester with the Sam Williams-directed “Hairspray,” and the kick was mighty powerful. From the opening number, “Good Morning Baltimore,” to the closer, “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” “Hairspray” is a musical that never forgets what it is about. Using the cheery facade of early 1960s Baltimore, “Hairspray” tackles an issue true to the setting: racism. “The Corny Collins Show,” a local dance show aimed at selling hairspray to teenagers who tune in to learn the newest moves, advances much of the plot.
Two of these teenagers are main character Tracy Turnblad (high-school senior Anna Russell), and her best friend, Penny Lou Pingleton (Sarah Richard). Tracy wants to be on the show and become a star, but wouldn’t mind also being able to meet Link Larkin (Brennan Benoit), the “teenage Elvis” character of the program. The whole cast, an impressive 45 people, kept the stage full as they were spot on with their dancing and singing, the result of five months of rehearsal. The choreography was done by Williams and his daughter Sarah. Nicole Royster stood out in what was arguably the show’s knockout performance as Motormouth Maybelle, the host of Negro Day, the only day where black kids are allowed to dance on “The Corny Collins Show.” Royster said after opening
night, “The audition was the most intense audition I’ve ever been on in my life. I’ve never worked so hard to get something like this, and it’s amazing to be a part of.” Valerie Steward-Williams also stood out as Tracy’s mother Edna Turnblad and was a notable casting decision, considering that the role is traditionally played by a man, most recently by John Travolta in the 2007 film remake. But most of the heavy lifting
was done by Russell. She was on stage for almost the entire show, showing natural singing and dancing skill, and nailing every joke. She has a natural charisma and confidence as a performer that shined throughout. Hairspray runs Thursdays through Sundays until Oct. 27. For ticketing information call 916-484-8234 or go to arctheatre.com
Alternative process student art exhibit held in midtown Sacramento By Jonathan Ellyson jonathanellyson@gmail.com Every person with a cellphone seems to think he or she is a photographer. Photographs can be more than just pretty pictures, though. For a painting, an artist takes paint and spreads it on a canvas. What if instead of paint you used a photograph dipped in chemicals? Every second Saturday, galleries and exhibits open up along the streets of midtown Sacramento. Professor Jodie Hooker exhibited her photography students’ work at the Union Hall Gallery on K street Saturday. “This is the second time photography has been in this place. The last was two years ago,” said Hooker. “I proposed the idea for this alternative show and (they) accepted it. This place is sponsored by Los Rios, but is also a commercial gallery.” From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. the gallery hosted a student show called “Alternative Process,” in which photography students use unorthodox methods of developing photographs to get unique artistic properties.
Jonathan H. Ellyson / jonathanellyson@gmail.com
Photography major Tysen Cannady standing next to his artwork titled “Impending Doom” at the exhibit on K street.
“You take a basic image and make a digital negative out of it. It’s neat because you use different chemicals … and have to learn all about chemistry,” explained art photography major Tysen Cannady. “You mix up the chemicals and put it on paper, slap the negative on and put it inside a frame and leave it out in the sun.” Developing photos isn’t an exact science, as Cannady noted. The sun changes position
in the sky and clouds, and processing can take minutes to hours, depending on the medium. “With gum prints it can take a couple days with all the layers. It’s really fun,” Cannady said. Gum printing is a complex process by which chemicals are spread on a print with layers of pigment gum. This process can take several hours to a full day depending on how many layers there are, and was the primary method of producing color photos in the 1800s. Among all the alternative process photographs were various student-made ceramic pieces displayed on tables in the gallery. Outside the building Doug Adams Bradley, who also works as a gallery curator, was performing live woodcutting art, which enthralled many passersby. He was working on three pieces and displayed an iPad scrolling through his digital portfolio. Overall the art show had a great turnout with people coming in and out throughout the night. Many of the student artists were also present to talk about their work.
Headphones off Look ‘ma, I made it! By Alisha Kirby alishakirby1@gmail.com Remember when people would tell you as a kid that you could be anything you wanted to be? That with hard work, determination, blood, sweat and tears and all of that, you could make your dreams come true? When it comes to being in a band, success usually involves a lot of miles in a van that’s guaranteed to be broken down and broken into, years of putting all of your money into recording music while not making a dime and a lot of luck. Some people skip right to the luck though. When “American Idol” burst onto the scene in 2002 we all knew it wasn’t the first show of its kind, but a lot of upcoming musicians got the idea that you don’t need to put in the hours anymore – so long as you’re good at karaoke. “I watch ‘The Voice,’ ‘American Idol,’ ‘The X Factor’ and ‘America’s Got Talent,’” said American River College adjunct Spanish Professor Kim Schroeder-Evans. “I appreciate talent. I love music, so I love to hear people who can sing well, and I love to see people who maybe come from a more humble background make their dreams come true and just blossom into stars.” Do you need to win “American Idol,” or “The X Factor,” to make it big? Musician Dave Grohl says no. He once told Delta Sky Magazine that those types of talent shows were “destroying the next generation of musicians.” I’m inclined to believe him. I mean, the Foo Fighters and Nirvana did just fine without competing for viewer votes every week. But what would the state of radio be if Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson or Carrie Underwood hadn’t taken over the airwaves when they did? In truth, the earth would still be spinning. If we had never known about Underwood taking a Louisville slugger to both headlights, or if Clarkson hadn’t become Miss Independent, life would have gone on -- it just wouldn’t have had as catchy of a chorus. Talent shows may not be perfect – there’s scandal after scandal that proves that – but they have given us some talented performers who’ve released some huge hits. When it comes down to it, if you don’t like those shows, don’t watch them. If you’re in a band and think those shows are awful, then save up for a 15-passenger van and book a tour on your own. You’ll probably be better for the experience anyway.
October 16, 2013
Scene
Page 9
Career Day sparks students’ interest By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com
Michael Pacheco / mfpach@gmail.com A visitor speaks to the Schools Credit Union table during the Career Fair on Thursday. Different businesses filled the student center, informing ARC students about future career options.
The Career Fair at American River College was busy on Thursday, as 31 different businesses packed a room in the student center and offered information about jobs and career options for places like the California Highway Patrol, Devry University, and Farmer’s Insurance. Kolleen Ostgaard, interim president of student services said she saw “anywhere from 500 to 600 students” pass through the room, picking up pamphlets and talking to employers. Stephanie Hall, a child development major, spent an hour and a half inside. She is a first semester student at ARC, and thought the event was very helpful. “I’ve never been to a career fair before, and I liked it. It’s nice to get to talk to these people face to face instead of, ‘Fill out this application and wait for us to call you,’” said Hall. “And I actually got to fill out two applications for things they’re hiring for now. A lot (of) what I heard was that they’ll work with you until you get the degree, and then you can get the higher paying jobs … So it was very useful.” About half of the booths also offered infor-
mation about opportunities for students while they went to school, like Sugar Bowl, the ski/ snowboard resort, and University Enterprises, Inc., an organization with assistant positions for students throughout California. But the main focus was looking towards the future. Ostgaard said of the event, “We want to introduce ARC students to the opportunities that exist out in the working world, and to be familiar with what employers are looking for when they hire people, it’s also a great networking opportunity, giving students a chance to talk to people about what they’re studying, what they want to do when they’re through with school, what the expectations are of our employers, and really get a sense of what career path is right for them.” Dante Loggins, a biomedical engineering major, was disappointed that the FBI could not attend as planned, due to the government shutdown. “I was really looking forward to talking with them and finding out more about what they do, although I doubt they would have told me everything”, said Loggins. He still found the event just as useful as Hall did, adding, “CalTrans has a lot of career options, and they’re all non customer service, which is important to me.” The career center at ARC also holds workshops on resume development and interviews.
ARC restrooms’ dirty little secrets WHICH BATHROOMS ON CAMPUS ARE THE MOST USER-FRIENDLY TO ARC STUDENTS?
By Cinita Lopez and Sam Urrea cintialopez92@gmail.com samurrea93@gmail.com Running late to class, you look to use a campus restroom in an attempt to avoid having to get up during instruction time. Unfortunately, one restroom has a long line, another is dirty, and the others are too far away. These are some of the difficulties American River College students face when looking for a lavatory. Restrooms across campus have their perks and their faults. Some could be relatively clean, but have a long line or be far from a student’s next class, while other restrooms could be too dirty or foul for a student to want to use unless it is a last resort. ARC student John Sockolov, 19, prefers to use the restroom on the third floor of the library. The restroom’s appearance and vacancy are qualities he uses to his advantage. “I always go in there,” Sockolov said. “It is a really nice bathroom, it’s clean and no one ever goes up there.” Women on campus tend to find a lack of clean restrooms throughout the most heavily treaded areas. “I swear girls’ bathrooms are the dirtiest things ever,” said Britta Johnson, a social science major.
L
Then there are lines that women have to deal with, and tend to encounter the most. Johnson said that the restrooms that have fewer lines are those that students usually don’t know about. “The ones that are around the classrooms are the ones that have lines.” Among restrooms all throughout campus, the ones in the science building, downstairs in Davies Hall and Raef Hall tend to be the worst when it comes to smell. Just opening the door can make a person want to turn around and walk away. As for cleanest restrooms, the student center, library and the south health and education building by the new parking structure seem to be the best bets. Maintenance custodian manager Preston Harris condemned students who lacked the maturity to use restrooms correctly or who use them for other purposes. “There are some students out there who do not respect the cleanliness and the work we put into the restrooms,” said Harris. “We often find things like feces all over the ground. It is truly disgusting.” “We spend a lot of time working on sanitary aspects overall,” said Harris. “I’d like for students to report any activities of vandalism or any other to the maintenance office.”
CAMPUS PU SE
What song best describes you, and why?
“Garth Brooks ‘Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)’. At my age… 29…I got military service…I’ve done so much in such a short period of time. Even though I’m still a young person.”
“’Indestructible’ by Disturbed, because I have an attitude that I won’t be beat…No matter how much I get hurt, I am still going.”
-MORGANMEDRANO
-JDWOOLSEY
Geography
Steven Condemarin / steven.condemarin@gmail.com
The restrooms in the buildings marked with an X are ones to avoid, while the circled restrooms are more promising.
Undecided
“’Champion’ by Kanye West, because…I am very determined. When I put my mind up to something, I accomplish it and I give 100%...”
“I would say “Take A Walk” by Passion Pit, because it’s pretty much about walking off all your frustrations… and a lot of situations that he talks about are completely relatable.”
-JACOBWILLIS
-ANNELISEMILLER
Communications & Business
Physical Therapy
October 16, 2013
Page 10
Scene
TAKETHISCLASS FITNS 306 Aerobics: Cardio Kickboxing By Natasha Honeywood nhoneywood71@gmail.com Walking past the gym stage, you’d think that a dance class was going on with the music coming from the speakers, but taking a look inside you’ll see Professor Kathleen Sullivan-Torrez leading Fitness 306 Cardio Kickboxing class. With the motto “You don’t have to be an athlete to be fit,” Sullivan-Torrez will get you pumped up Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 - 10:20 a.m. Rihanna’s hit song “We found love” comes out of the speakers and students warm up for what will be an intense hour and 20 minutes. Sullivan-Torrez has been a full-time teacher for about 20 years and wrote the curriculum for the boot camp class, Fitness 331. She loves teaching the cardio kickboxing class because the students make it fun for her. “A lot of students who took physical education in high school may be apprehensive toward taking a P.E. class,” said Sullivan-Torrez, “but I want to make it upbeat and fun for them”. If you hear sirens halfway through
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class, don’t be too alarmed. It is just a sign Sullivan-Torrez uses to tell her students it’s time to go into turbo speed for at least 3-4 minutes. Jenny Reed, a student in the class, feels the class is very important. “I love the class because it holds me accountable, I would go to the gym for a few minutes and leave,” Reed said, “but here I feel motivated.” Reed describes Sullivan as an “awesome and upbeat” person. The room feels very high energy and has laughter coming from everyone working together and concentrating on getting the best workout possible. As time goes on students start taking off their hoodies and jackets to accommodate their rising body temperatures. While introducing a new step in the routine, Sullivan-Torrez keeps the entire class going by yelling out, “We can do this. Keep moving those feet.” If you need a place that will hold you accountable, give you that extra motivation to be fit, and a professor that truly cares for your fitness, then Cardio Kickboxing is an amazing place to start your day off on Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com a good foot. Fitness instructor Kathleen Sullivan-Torrez leads her cardio kickboxing class through an exercise on Oct. 7.
“I love the class because it holds me accountable. I would go to the gym for a few minutes and leave, but here I feel motivated.”
JENNYREED
Asperger’s: ARC woman shines light on disorder CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 her Autism at the age of 12 and was harassed and bullied throughout grade school. Her mother always stood up for her, until one day Mendes decided she would no longer be the victim. Instead she would fight for the rights of other disabled students. Asperger’s syndrome is a milder form of Autism, a group of developmental differences that can cause significant social communication and behavioral challenges. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 88 children in the U.S. is discovered to be on the Autism spectrum. Mendes struggles understanding social and indirect language cues, such as sarcasm. “I have a hard time understanding the difference between if someone is being sarcastic and joking around, or if they’re truly upset,” Mendes explained. Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) at ARC caters to around 2,780 students, including students with Autism. “With disability services it’s really looking at how individual disabilities affect each person and then identifying accommodations and services that try to mitigate those impacts of the disabilities,” said Jason Ralphs, supervisor of DSPS at ARC. Friend and DSPS student Randall Sly said, “The really nice thing about Shayana is she does have goals and ambitions. She’s had to advocate for herself in order to keep her dreams and her goals.” Mendes works as an independent contractor at Supported Life Institute where she is president, and as secretary of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Sacramento. Mendes has found many ways to deal
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I have a hard time understanding the difference between if someone is being sarcastic and joking around, or if they’re truly upset.” SHAYANAMENDES with her autism, one being acting. “I feel like I’m better able to get my point across when I’m on stage.” She wishes everyone realized that disabled students are just as capable as other students. “Just because it takes us a little longer to do something, or it’s a little more of a challenge for us to get specific things accomplished, doesn’t mean we’re not capable.” Mendes hopes to continue pursuing law and to become a lawyer for people with disabilities. “It angers me how the government takes advantage of people with disabilities and gets away with it.” For now, you may see her at a more local government. She regularly attends Associated Student Body meetings, ensuring the voice of DSPS is being heard.
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“I like teaching this class because it has fast pace music and gives an overall body workout.”
KATHLEENSULLIVAN-TORREZ PROFESSOR
October 16, 2013
Opinion
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AB 955: PROCEED WITH CAUTION CURRENTEDITORIAL GOV. PLANS TO EASE CLASSROOM CROWDING WITH NEW BILL current@arc.losrios.edu At semester’s start, seats are filled in most general education courses. Students who don’t make it in are often waitlisted. This happens too often. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 995 on Thursday in a step toward alleviating the problem of overcrowding in community colleges. AB 955 allows select community colleges to participate in a pilot program that will offer additional high-demand courses at the nonresident rate of about $200 per unit during summer and winter intersessions. Although American River College is currently not a participating school, it would be prudent to pay attention to what happens at the schools where the program will be tested. The schools that will offer the additional classes will only be those schools that are
having trouble meeting the class demands of their students due to funding restrictions; ARC has that exact problem. If schools choose to participate, students may still elect to take all of their classes during the fall and spring semesters. They will not be forced to take the higher-priced intersession courses, and the bill specifically stipulates that community colleges cannot reduce the number of state-subsidized classes normally offered during those semesters. Students who want to fulfill their requirements and graduate early may be excited to take additional intersession classes, even if it means paying more. Because those students would otherwise take a spot in a regular class, classrooms may be significantly less crowded, and fewer students will be waitlisted. On the other hand, there is the possibility students will not sign up for these courses at all. Students may not be willing to pay the ex-
tra cost, even if doing so might allow them to graduate earlier. The bill is a good start, but considering many community college students choose community college because it is the most economically viable option, there is concern that not enough students will choose the added intersession classes to keep the program self-sustaining. Essentially, most of us will be waiting for a few desperate suckers willing to pay for that one last class needed for graduation. We need their money to pay for their intersession spots to free up our fall and spring spots. That is simply dumping the problem of overcrowding onto the students’ heads. While it is an attempt to solve the gargantuan problem of overcrowding, the state still has more work to do to ensure fair and affordable education for its residents.
Democracy is dead, long live democracy By Korbl Klimecki
hours on Sept. 30, leading korbl.klimecki@gmail.com to the government’s new fiscal year starting withRepublican Senator Ted out funding. The governCruz spoke for 21 con- ment shut down because tinuous hours Sept. 24 to House conservatives held 25 on the supposed evils it hostage, saying the ACA of the Affordable Care would be expensive. Act (ACA), colloquially Conservatives only “Obamacare.” want the government to This was a pseudo-fil- regulate things they’re ibuster; the reason Cruz against, such as gay margave the speech was be- riage. cause he is a part of a voAt the time of this writcal faction that refuses to ing we are a week into the admit that the ACA can fiscal year, and there is no do any good. They would end of the shut down in rather shut down the sight. government than allow a The government has law to go into effect that demonstrably failed. would possibly save the There seems to be no lives of poor people. real interest in fixing the Those may seem unre- situation—the politicians lated, and they are unless who caused the shutyou’re a House conser- down are still being paid vative. Washington was while many other govtrying to pass a budget ernment employees have for the year. Congress been left hanging. approved it, but House Washington, on both conservatives tacked on sides, has told us the govlanguage to remove fund- ernment does not care ing from the ACA, and about us. The politicians sent the new bill back to merely care about their the Senate. The Senate own power, way, and removed the provisions, money. They have decided approved, and returned. they are feudal lords, and This game of political we are the serfs. tantrum-tennis continThat’s not how this ued for more than seven works. Democracy de-
Illustration by Korbl Klimecki
rives from the Greek words demos (people) and kratos (power). We are the people. We have the power. Nobles have failed to act in the best interest of those who pay
taxes to them. This is not a call to arms—not literal arms, at least. We start by speaking out. If the soap box fails, we vote out. If the ballot box fails, we turn
to the jury box. Hopefully, we will not need to turn to the ammo box to resolve the failure of what Tocqueville termed the “great American experiment.”
No mercy for no-shows at ARC
ARC’S ABSENCY POLICY SHOWS NO LENIENCY FOR STUDENTS WHO MISS CLASS By Antionette Gayfield agayfield7@gmail.com Although I have never been one of those students who shows up to classes sporadically or only on exam dates, what has always bothered me is the strict drop policy that professors here at American River College enforce. ARC’s 2013-2014 catalog states that students who fail to show up to class on the first day of the semester may be dropped immediately. I can realize that on the first day of school there are many waitlisted students anxious to be enrolled into the class, so I understand why professors feel the need to drop students who fail to attend on the first day of those classes. However, students can be dropped even if the class has no waitlist. Students who miss six percent of the total hours of class time may also be dropped, at the instructor’s discretion. That means if you miss 3.24 hours of your high-demand three credit English writing course, you can be
dropped, regardless of why you missed that class. If students have a legitimate reason as to why they were absent, along with the necessary proof backing it up, I do not feel that they should be dropped from the course just because they exceeded a certain number of absences. ARC English professor Lynda Case feels differently about the policy, stating that she goes by the total number of absences, regardless of whether or not the absences are excused. “The issue isn’t the worthiness of the student’s reason for being absent; it’s the fact that the student is missing assigned class time,” she said. Though I do feel that school should be treated as a job and students should show up on a daily basis, a countless number of students have other commitments outside of school that they have to tend to. While you have students who are athletes, some work full-time and other students are
also parents. Often emergencies do happen to come up that place students in unforeseen positions that force them to miss a couple of classes. “I’ve had students with several weeks worth of excused absences, but missing that much class means the student hasn’t absorbed the needed information,” said Case. Sure, missing a couple of classes may eventually cause students to fall behind on their work, but I believe that only proves to be true if students allow themselves to fall behind. If students are actually determined to pass a class and they are really making an effort to get caught up the work that they missed, it doesn’t seem fair for them to be dropped from the course. We should adjust the drop policy to better accommodate the needs of the student body. Not every professor strictly abides by the drop policy, but those that do should take into mind why students may have to miss a couple of classes and be more forgiving.
Get Gonzo The elephant in the room By Jeff Gonzales jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com Democrats and Republicans will always bicker. Compromises between the differing ideologies of both parties are supposed to ensure balance in our government. But issues such as the federal shutdown can happen in this system when neither side wants to talk. The latest standoff between the donkeys and the elephants is about health care, specifically the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The victims of this standoff: the American people. One side says governmentregulated health care for all, while the other says government is not the solution. Democrats have offered a flawed solution. Republicans have offered no solution at all. The current pricing for health care is ridiculous, and without insurance many Americans opt to use the local emergency room where costs are even higher. The bill for an uninsured patient who cannot pay at the ER is fronted by taxpayers. This is common knowledge so we know there is a problem. Instead of finding a common ground solution to this, Americans are left with a new, already broken system that Democrats are fighting for and Republicans are trying to break further. The rhetoric on both sides is misleading and confusing, yet one thing is clear: No one wants to cross the aisle and find a solution that works for everyone. Obamacare is a possible solution to a huge problem, but the negative effects of it are already being felt. Employers are cutting workers hours and finding ways to jump through the various loopholes to save money. Small businesses are losing confidence that they can succeed in the new system. Government health care websites have been slow and frustrating. With all these problems, our leaders should be trying to fix them instead of making the situation worse. Pundits and politicians are the only ones profiting from the mess, while millions of Americans are suffering with no solution. Medical needs don’t wait for politics. While Washington is fighting, the taxpayer is still paying the bill at the ER, people are avoiding medical visits because they do not have money, and doctors are still offering oppressive high interest loans to patients so they can at least get some payment. We as Americans pride ourselves on our exceptionalism. We call ourselves a first-world country. But if you’re sick and uninsured our leaders don’t seem to care. So if you don’t have insurance, don’t get sick, but if you do then Obamacare will matter to you.
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Photos by Emily K. Rabasto
The American River College Department of Horticulture contains some of the greenest places on campus. Located in the Northeast corner of ARC, the horticulture area is home to many different plants including rare succulents, beautiful flowers, delicious edibles and a full grapevine. ARC students propagate a majority of the plants found within the department. Twice a semester, the Horticulture Club has a plant sale offering the fruits of students’ labor. The next plant sale will be held on Thursday, Nov. 7 in the horticulture area.
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1. Debbie Flower teaches students about pH balance in soil and proper rooting of a Bok Choy plant during a Winter Garden Workshop for Horticulture Club. 2. Horticulture students volunteer during their first plant sale of the Fall season on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. From left to right (Back Row) Erick Gomez, Julian Seeger, Kenneth Bloom, Luke Geddes, David Aldridge, Cody Askew and instructor Debbie Flower. (Middle Row) Lance Clemens, Jennifer Saber, Felicia Dassonville and David Hylton. (Bottom Row) Jeff Taylor, Jamie DeOudreaux and Salam Phan. 3. Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes growing on a vine fully propagated by ARC students. 4. This great white pumpkin will be carved into a skull jack-o’-lantern for club day on Halloween. 5. The Echeveria Rosea, a succulent sold at the Horticulture department’s fall sale.