Vol 66 Edition 5 by ARCurrent

IT’S NOT EASY BEING BLUE

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Vol. 66, Ed. 5 • November 12, 2014

Los Rios Police short on officers By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com One-fifth of the sworn officer positions with the Los Rios Police Department are vacant as American River College President Thomas Greene spearheads an initiative to improve campus safety. Seven of the 34 positions are unoccupied, according to Mitchel Benson, the associate vice chancellor for communications and media relations for the Los Rios district. While Sgt. Mike Olson of the Los Rios Police Department wouldn’t say that the vacancies impact his ability to help keep the campus safe, he commented on the strain it causes the department. “There isn’t even a minimum (number of sworn officers that must be on campus). We have a finite number of police officers and a vast area to cover,” said Olson. “Ultimately, it’s not up to me how many officers we have. I distribute what we do have.” While witnessing a physical fight on the ARC campus on Oct. 27, student Kyle Joyce called the Los Rios police. “I couldn’t get a hold of them,” said Joyce. “There was an automated message. It was such a long voicemail that I hung up to try and break up the fight.” “I would feel more safe knowing we have a full staff,” he added. Benson said that the vacancies do not impact the police department’s ability to maintain safe campuses. “We believe that the current

SEE POLICE, PAGE 2

CAMPUS CLOWNS PAGE 7

READ, WRITE

Courtesy of Blue Man Productions

Jason Sinclair Long, center, was a member of the Blue Man Group for four years before becoming an English professor at American River College.

ENGLISH PROFESSOR RECOUNTS HIS PAST WITH BLUE MAN GROUP By Joseph Daniels joseph64daniels@gmail.com Halfway through a performance in Chicago one night, Blue Man Group member Jason Long hit his drum so hard that his mallet, which was roughly the size of a human head, bounced back up, splitting the top of his nose wide open. Long scooped up more of the group’s trademark blue makeup with his hand, pressed it into the wound to stop the bleeding, and kept going. “It’s gnarly,” Long said of his past with the group, who are known for their drum performances and blue makeup. “It’s not a very glamorous thing to be a part of.” Long, now an author and English professor at ARC, was a part of the Blue Man Group from 2001-2004. He performed with the

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It’s not a very glamorous thing to be a part of.

JASONSINCLAIRLONG BMG, as they’re known, in major cities like New York City, Chicago and Boston. “The first show you ever do is so crazy, you’re in the pitch black before the show starts, you’re in this tiny space up on stage,” Long said. “That first moment of the show of your very first show is terrifying as the audience swells and gets larger.” Long recalls a night when the BMG per-

formed at a venue during a power outage. “It was a super weird, quiet show that was done with emergency lights and no amplification. There was a lot of quiet restraint in the music, but it had such energy in it because we were trying to pull back so hard on it.” Long said the reality of being a performer for the Blue Man Group tends to be different than what people may expect. “We had people s--- themselves because they have to do the show when they’re sick,” Long said. “People running off the stage vomiting in trash cans and coming back to finish.” The Blue Man Group have their own share of groupies, according to Long, but they differ from the typical rock-and-roll variety. “The groupie thing is a weird word to put

SEE BLUE, PAGE 7

ARC football falls to Butte in first loss

BEAVERS ARE NO LONGER UNDEFEATED AFTER A MISTAKE-FILLED GAME SATURDAY By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com Despite outgaining their opponent by nearly 300 yards and a solid defensive performance, the American River College football team lost their first game of the season Saturday, falling to the visiting Butte College 31-28. ARC committed six turnovers in the game, four of which Butte was able to turn into 24 points. In fact, Butte’s only score that didn’t come off of an ARC turnover was a 95-yard kickoff return by Marvel Harris. ARC head coach Jon Osterhout was frank after the game, blaming the loss solely on the team’s mental mistakes.

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For gallery of photos from Saturday’s game, go to arcurrent.com “It was our lack of taking care of the football,” said Osterhout, who also indicated penalties as a reason for the loss. As well as turnovers, ARC committed 12 penalties for 115 yards lost. ARC’s last penalty of the game made sure they didn’t get a shot at a game winning drive. ARC defensive back Robert Sanders was flagged for

SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 4

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Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com

After a tough win over Sierra College Nov. 1, head coach Jon Osterhout and the football team lost their first game to Butte, 31-28 on Saturday.

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@ARCurrent ARC student Alicia Szutowicz is training for the paralympics after losing her left leg to cancer.

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News

November 12, 2014

Police: LRPD face vacancies in their ranks

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 vacancies among the sworn ranks has no impact on our ability to maintain a safe environment throughout our district,” said Benson. “It is not unusual, nor problematic, for the Los Rios Police to have vacancies or openings for six or seven sworn positions. “In fact, it is rare for a police department in our region of the state to be fully staffed.” Benson pointed out that the sworn officers have assistance. “While campus patrol officers do not carry firearms, they are all trained to observe and report any suspicious activities ... and respond to calls for service,” said Benson. As the Current reported on earlier this October, President Greene convened a group of administrators to discuss how to improve campus safety last month. He said the first meeting led to “a conceptual framework to help convey from an overarching perspective what we hope to accomplish.” Greene said that he wants a greater culture of “shared responsibility” for safety on campus. “Historically at a lot of colleges — and I’m not speaking about ARC, I’m speaking in general — there is an assumption that safety is the responsibility of the police. In many ways that’s a short sighted perspective,” said Greene. “Truly, safety is everyone’s responsibility. It is my responsibility, it is the faculty and the staff’s responsibility, and it is the student’s responsibility.” “The ability for our students to access social services is more challenging than it has been in the past,” he said. “One example — one of many examples — there’s a lot of challenges in the community that surrounds American River College. We’re part of this community, so we’re also impacted by that.” Greene also said that he’s asking how students who may face a breaking point can be helped before their situation escalates. “How do we support students who are challenged?” he asked. “How do we help a student recognize when and if a behavior is disruptive?” Benson said that the district is in the process of hiring to fill the vacant positions. “Currently there are 18 applicants and the pool is expected to grow. The screening of these applicants will begin the second week of November,” said Benson. Benson said that it “can take as long as three to four months” for hiring new sworn officers due to “the comprehensive process required to screen candidates for peace officers positions - it includes psychological and medical screenings and polygraph exams.” Los Rios Police Department Chief of Police Cheryl Sears did not return multiple requests for comment.

Editor-in-Chief Barbara Har vey

Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com

A bicycle theft trend has emerged at ARC this semester, according to Sgt. Mike Olson of the LRPD. Officers are implementing “Operation I.D.” in an attempt to help students recover stolen bicycles.

Bicycles on campus targeted by thieves ALARMING NEW TREND SPURS ACTION FROM POLICE By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com

In what was heralded as a “very, very transformational moment,” the Student Senate met in the Starbucks lobby on Thursday. Dean of Student Development Manuel Perez said that the one-time change in meeting location was a “job well done.” “It’s a very, very transformational moment,” said Perez. “You’re setting a precedent that you want to make that extra step into getting that connection with the students and that’s a really important move for advocacy, for representation, for student voices in general — not just at ARC, not just at community colleges, not just at four-year institutions, just in general for higher education that’s a monu-

Number of petty thefts on campus reported within the first two months of the semester

Bryan Ayule was sitting in his calculus class when his teacher noticed a student staring out the window. “The teacher asked what was wrong and (the student) said ‘Some guy just walked up there with bolt cutters and stole a bicycle,’” said Ayule. There has been a rash of thefts on campus this semester, with 48 cases of petty theft and six cases of grand theft reported to the Los Rios Police Department between Aug. 23 and Oct. 27. Los Rios Police Department Sergeant Mike Olson said that many of these thefts are of bicycles. “There are a lot of students who ride bicycles,” said Olson. “We do recognize there are issues with that.” The LRPD is promoting their Operation I.D. program to help students find bikes that have been stolen. Students give information to the police about their bicycle before a thief strikes. “We encourage (students) to give us photos, engrave their bikes, et cetera. We then put their bike information into our system and then if their bike is ever stolen we have access to that information immediately,” said Olson. The police distributed a flyer informing students of bicycle theft prevention tips. “The majority of stolen bicycles have been left unlocked, locked only to themselves, or secured with a lock that is too weak,” the flyer says. It also advises bicyclists to “use a Ushaped high security lock” and “secure quickrelease wheels and seats with a cable, chain, or other security device — but be aware cables are easily cut.” ARC student Jonathan Green knows that too well.

Earlier this month, Green was walking back to his bicycle parked near the student center after taking a nap on campus when he noticed something peculiar. “As I was walking back to where my bike was, I saw it leaning up unlocked against the wall of the student center,” said Green. “I had a cable lock. That lasted me from high school up until then. I went to where I locked up my bike and my lock wasn’t there so I assume someone cut it.” Green said he had never heard of Operation I.D. but that he supports the concept. “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” said Green. “To my knowledge, most bikes have a serial number on them. If your bike gets stolen they can tie that to your student I.D.” Bicycles aren’t the only items that have been stolen as part of the petty theft spree. He said another major category is “unattended theft.” McPeek said that he hopes the police educate those on the ARC campus to take all necessary precautionary measures to protect their property. “The goal here is education,” McPeek said. “Giving people the tools to take ownership, really protect their own property, and empower them to make good decisions.”

mental moment and you should be proud of yourselves.” “As much as we would love for the students to come see us, they are not doing that,” said Tamara Dunning, who is acting as ASB Student Senate president. “We’ll come see them.” Previous meetings had been held — and future meetings will be held — in the community rooms of the Student Center. The Senate passed Bill F14-04, which allocates an amount not to exceed $6,500 to buy advertisements for themselves in publications such as the Current. “It’s a great achievement,” said Director of Public Relations Cameron Weaver of the bill’s passage. “I’m super stoked about the results and I’m looking forward to what we can do.” Tamara Dunning, who is acting as ASB Student Senate President, was dismayed at the

way she is referred to as “acting as ASB Student Senate President” in print. “They are doing this in protest of the elections that happened last spring, and they are refusing to accept the results of the special elections,” said Dunning. CAEB President Jeremy Diefenbacher said that the Current has “language that could be daunting.” Senate is sending representatives to the Student Senate of California Community Colleges General Assembly on Nov. 14–16. A bill allocating $800 to fund American River College’s account with VoteNet, the electronic voting system used for ASB elections, was approved. Last year, the cost of using VoteNet was $1,000. “Every board of every (Los Rios) college has to pay their own portion of VoteNet,” said Perez.

ASBNOTEBOOK

By Thomas Santos thmssnts.1@gmail.com

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Number of grand thefts on campus reported within the first two months of the semester

DEAN APPLAUDS ASB SENATE FOR A ‘VERY TRANSFORMATIONAL’ MOVE TO STARBUCKS

Managing Editors Ed Gebing Jr. Emily K. Rabasto News Editor John Ferrannini Sports Editor Ashlynn Johnson Arts & Culture Editor Kameron Schmid Scene Editor Kevin Sheridan Design Editor Adnan Ramic Web Editor Brandon Nelson Multimedia Editor Emily K. Rabasto Advertising Manager Ed Gebing Jr. Staff William Cameron Joseph Daniels Jose Garcia Breana Herndon Walter Jones Lindsey Mar tin Thomas Santos Jessica Vang Cameron Weaver Matthew Wilke

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POLICY The Current is produced by the students of College Media Production, J410-413. All opinions are signed and not necessarily endorsed by the Current staff. All letters and articles appearing in the Editorial, Opinion or Forum sections are not necessarily representative of the Current staff or American River College policy. All articles are the property of the Current. Letters must be typed and can be submitted by mail, e-mail or in person at the following addresses: The American River Current 4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120 Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 E-mail: Current@arc.losrios.edu www.ARCurrent.com

News

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November 12, 2014

Remembering LRPD Sgt. Alex Montoya

AFTER LOSING THEIR FELLOW OFFICER TO CANCER, COWORKERS RECALL HIM AS A ‘PRACTICAL JOKER’ By John Ferrannini jferr1995@gmail.com

Barbara Harvey / barbaraapharvey@gmail.com

Four women were involved in a brawl that began in the cafeteria and moved to the area in front of the bookstore on Oct. 27. Police interviewed the suspects, but did not make any arrests.

Four-woman brawl erupts inside campus cafeteria By Barbara Harvey barbaraapharvey@gmail.com A physical altercation involving four women began in the American River College cafeteria and escalated into the area in front of the bookstore on Oct. 27 around 12:30 p.m. One of the women involved in the fight, ARC student I’yannah Pollard, 18, recounted the events leading up to the fight. “We were in there at the table minding our business, and these girls been looking at us, mean mugging us for a while. We just now said something today,” said Pollard. “So I asked if they had a problem, all calm, like ‘Do you got a problem?’ and then she got smart, and the next thing you know, I was like ‘Do you want it to be a problem?’” “They started off first, her and some other girl, and the girl that was with the other girl jumped in, so me, as her friend, I’m not looking to let my friend get jumped, you know? So I handled the other one,” Pollard said. “We was going at it, you know, and the next thing you know we came out here. I don’t know how we got out here. Me and the other girl was going at it, and I wanted some more. I wasn’t done. So the girl that she was fighting with had jumped in with me. So basically it was a one-on-one jump.” Cpt. John McPeek of the Los Rios Police Department confirmed that the incident began in the cafeteria and moved to the front of the bookstore. ARC student Latrelle Swayne was one of many bystanders that attempted to intervene. “We went to go and break it up ... Then after we broke it up, they went outside the cafeteria, continued the fight, and we broke it up again,” said Swayne. Bystanders expressed concern at a lack of police presence. “I’m very disappointed that there’s no campus security or police, and that this happened. I’m really appalled that this happened, especially at a college campus,” said Iris Price, a nursing student that witnessed the fight. Theater major Kyle Joyce was present in the cafeteria when the altercation began. “They mooned one of the other girls.

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I would describe one of the girls as ratchet. She lifted her skirt, had visibly no underwear on, and said ‘Kiss my a--,’ and all I could think was that was the most ratchet comeback I’d ever seen.

Los Rios Police Department officers shared their experiences of working with Sgt. Alex Montoya, who lost his battle with brain cancer on Thursday, Oct. 23. “He was kind of rare in our profession,” said Sgt. Mike Olson of the Los Rios Police Department. “Always upbeat, always went out of his way to make you laugh.” Olson said that Montoya played practical jokes on his colleagues. “He was also a practical joker. He loved to do little things around the office. If I’d leave my office door open overnight, I’d come in in the morning to find all my furniture upside down,” said Olson. Capt. John McPeek of the Los Rios Police Department shared many of Olson’s sentiments. “He was a jokester, loved to play practical jokes,” said McPeek. “He and some other officers filled my locker with ten-

KyleJoyce

One of the girls was walking around with a skirt and no underwear on, so she just pulled it up and said ‘Kiss my a--,’” Joyce said. “I would describe one of the girls as ratchet. She lifted her skirt, had visibly no underwear on, and said ‘Kiss my a--,’ and all I could think was that was the most ratchet comeback I’d ever seen.” Joyce attempted to contact campus police when the fight escalated. “I called the number that they have posted throughout the cafeteria, and it’s an automated message saying ‘If this is a non-emergency, press zero,’ and then it’s going through all this other stuff, and I just couldn’t’ get a hold of somebody to take my call for the life of me,” Joyce said. “They need a better automated system.” The Los Rios Police Department currently has seven sworn officer positions out of 34. Said McPeek: “I think if we had more officers out in the field, they could respond quicker. They’d be more visible, because we really strongly urge and support community oriented policing. We want officers to walk around, not just drive around. Having more visibility out there obviously helps deter a lot of the problems.” Police restricted the access of all four women to the ARC campus. No administrative disciplinary action was immediately taken, according to public information officer Scott Crow. One of the women involved in the fight, Kar’lon Young, challenged the women she fought with while still in front of police. “We can fight again,” Young said.

CORRECTIONS

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In Volume 65, Edition 4 of The Current, the following corrections are listed: On page 1, the cutline of the photo of Devin Johnson says he is walking “unassisted.” Johnson was using a walker, and was therefore not unassisted. On page 4, in “Cross-country wants a four-peat,” Patrick and Sean Jaegerson are refered to as twins. They are triplets.

nis balls ... so when I opened up the door 10,000 tennis balls flew out of my locker.” McPeek spoke at Montoya’s funeral, which was held on the morning of Nov. 1 at the El Camino Baptist Church. “He was ... the kind of guy who lived and breathed service. He loved working for the district,” said McPeek. “He was the first one there to help out with a case or help a student who needed some assistance. He was the epitome of what it truly is to be a police officer.” Olson worked with Montoya for 10 of his 15 years with the department. Montoya began as one of Olson’s corporals but was promoted. “He started out as a corporal for me when we first worked together. He was one of my corporals. He was later promoted to sergeant, so we worked together as peers,” said Olson. Montoya was 54 when he died. He is survived by his wife and son. “He gave everything he could to helping others,” said McPeek.

On page 4, “Cross-country wants a four-peat,” the men’s cross-country team is hoping to win it’s fourth straight state championship, not Big 8 conference championship. On page 7, in “ARC’s award-winning magazine,” it says the magazine is produced by three classes. It is produced by three per semester, or six yearly.

A Private Nonprofit University Serving the Public Good™

Call Today • (916) 855-4100 Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and be formally accepted to National University. Funds paid in accordance to the scholarship terms. Some restrictions may apply.

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November 12, 2014

Sports

FOOTBALLNOTEBOOK ARC’S OFFENSE TURNS THE BALL OVER PLENTY, BUT CREATES NO TURNOVERS OF THEIR OWN ON DEFENSE By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com Osterhout has gotten used to having a ballhawking defense, and was left longing against Butte. “I wish we could’ve created some takeaways and gotten the ball back on our end,” said Osterhout. One reason ARC didn’t create any takeaways might have been Butte’s reluctance to take chances downfield through the air. Butte typically plays a smash mouth, running type of football, but quarterback Zach Kline still just threw 17 passes compared to Trosin’s 39, and only completed 9 of those passes for 75 yards. ARC came into the game with 19 passes intercepted, good for third in the state. Saturday was only the second game of the season that the team left without an interception. In fact, ARC has only one game with a single interception this season, leaving them with six multi-interception games out of nine games played.

NO PLAYING TIME FOR WILFLEY Saturday marked the first game of the season that backup quarterback Peyton Wilfley didn’t get any playing time throughout the 60 minutes. Wilfley started in place of Trosin last week against Sierra because of Trosin’s injured ankle, but played poorly. He was sacked seven times, often getting himself in trouble in the pocket, and threw one interception that was a particularly bad decision. The throw was a blind heave across his body to the opposite side of the field and was easily picked off, as there was no ARC receiver relatively near the ball. Trosin replaced Wilfley in the second half, and ARC came back to win, despite Trosin’s inability to scramble, a usual strength of his. Wilfley did come in for Trosin in a goal line situation to run a keeper for a touchdown. Also worth noting, Wilfley and Trosin were two of the players quickest off the field after this Saturday’s loss, in that order. Trosin appeared frustrated with his performance.

SPORTSUPDATES

SOCCER

WATER POLO

MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

The men’s team won its first game of the season, 1-0, against San Joaquin Delta College on Friday. This leaves its record at 1-14-4 for the season. The women’s team lost its sixth game in a row, 3-0, against Diablo Valley College Friday. The teams record is now 5-112 for the season.

The team placed first in the Northern California Community College Championships with a time of 1:47:30 and a score of 23. The team had 6 of its runners place in the top ten of the individual results with an average time of 5:08 minutes per mile.

The men won one game and lost one game during the Big 8 conference Thursday. The team won 9-8 against Modesto Junior and lost 25-4 against Diablo Valley college. It’s record is now 7-17 for the season. The women won and lost a game during the Big 8 Championship games Saturday. It won against San Joaquin Delta College 7-6, and lost to DV 11-4. Their record is now 13-14.

The team came in second place in the Northern California Community College Championships with a time of 1:37:37 and a score of 84. Freshman runners Jenica Dodge and Laura Cox both placed in the top ten of the individual results with times of 6:08.2 and 6:34.4 minutes per mile, respectively.

Matthew Wilke / mattwilke675@gmail.com

ARC receiver Tyler Young has a pass ripped from his hands by Butte defensive back Damariay Drew. Drew returned the interception 26 yards for a touchdown on the play.

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR’S CRUSADE AGAINST FOUL LANGUAGE ARC athletics director Greg Warzecka fulfills many roles during an ARC home football game. When he’s not talking to statisticians, assisting and directing PA announcers, or chatting with visiting campus dignitaries like ARC President Thomas Greene or head of public relations Scott Crow, he’s policing bad language in ARC’s press box. Warzecka has given multiple warnings to foul-mouthed visitors throughout the

season, from journalists to the coaching staff of visiting teams, who usually have a number of coaches watching from the high view of the box and relaying play calls on headset. However, on this Saturday, Warzecka declined to confront members of Butte’s coaching staff after they swore on multiple occasions throughout the game, both in times of anguish and jubilation. He definitely sent some looks their way, but no warning.

Football: Win streak ends CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 unsportsmanlike conduct during a timeout before a second down for Butte. At the time, the defense was dominating Butte, and had two timeouts left in the game that could have ensured ARC would get the ball again. Instead, the flag gave Butte a first down, and the team kneeled it’s way to only seven seconds left in the game on fourth down. Butte punted short, and ARC receiver Jjuan Muldrow could not catch the bouncing ball from going out of bounds with no time left on the clock. Osterhout said after the game that Sanders was penalized because he was ”being a little too demonstrative towards the official” while complaining about taking a hit to the head from Butte on a previous play. Osterhout disagreed with both the reasoning behind the penalty and the timing. “In a championship type of game, with a lot on the line, to put (the game) in the hands of the officials, I don’t necessarily agree with (that),” said Osterhout. Defensive back Malcolm Scott said, “Whatever the call was, you can’t come after the ref.” “No matter what happens, as a team or as a player on the field, you have to keep your composure … personally, I was pretty frustrated as well, but we can’t have that when we’re trying to win a game,” said Scott. The medium-sized home crowd was livid with the call, screaming threats and obscenities at the officiating crew. Some seemed to be joking when they threatened the referees with robbery and physical abuse, but an alarming number seemed all too serious. On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Tanner Trosin and a platoon of running backs racked up yards and looked strong, but would like to have a few plays back if they could.

Trosin went 24-39, with 300 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions in the loss, his season high for interceptions thrown in a game. One of those interceptions was tipped and fell into a defender’s arms, but at least two other passes by Trosin could have been picked off, if not for being dropped by defenders. It was also the second straight week that Trosin, usually a frequent and dangerous rusher, looked hesitant to leave the pocket after suffering an ankle sprain during a game against Feather River two weeks ago. Running back Tyree Hanson lead the team in rushing with 57 yards on eight attempts, but fumbled twice, both times recovered by Butte. But perhaps the most avoidable turnover of the day belonged to ARC’s leading receiver Jjuan Muldrow, who also serves as punt returner for the Beavers. Inside the ARC 20-yard line, waiting to return a punt, Muldrow had to back up to the ten-yard line to follow the punt. Typically, a punt that near the end zone would be passed on. But Muldrow went for it, and it sailed over his outstretched arms. But then, the ball bounced back towards Muldrow and hit him from behind, then becoming a live ball and a muffed punt return. Butte recovered at ARC’s one yard line, and scored a touchdown on the next play. All of these turnovers added up to a tough game for ARC’s stout defense, which deserved the compliments it was given by Osterhout. “I think the defense played outstanding,” said Osterhout. “I thought the defense played very well against a very potent offense.” Scott agreed, and indicated serious frustration with the result of the game. “We did everything we could except play offense,” said Scott.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Brandon Nelson / brandon.nelson916@gmail.com

American River College men’s soccer defender Cameron Ford moves the ball in a game against San Juaquin Delta College on Nov. 7.

11/13 THU Women’s soccer vs. SCC 3 p.m. 11/14 FRI Men’s soccer vs. MJC 3 p.m. 11/14 FRI Volleyball vs. SIERRA 6:30 p.m. 11/14-15 FRI-SAT CCCAA Nor Cal Championships

Sports

November 12, 2014

Water polo goalie seeks a higher goal

Page 5

GOAL KEEPER MAINTAINS GOOD GRADES IN HOPES OF BECOMING A LAWYER By Breana Herndon bherndon96@gmail.com

Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com

The American River defense congratulates No. 8 Malcom Scott on his touchdown during the game against Sierra College on Nov. 1. Scott, like many other players, moved from out of state to play football for ARC.

Out-of-state football players flock to ARC

STUDENT-ATHLETES TAKE ATYPICAL PATH TO PLAY FOR ARC; ONE CALLS IT ‘BIGGEST CULTURE SHOCK OF MY LIFE’ By Joseph Daniels joseph64daniels@ gmail.com Usually students travel out of state to attend college at a four year university, but American River College’s football team has its own share of out of state players. Players on the team expressed different reasons why they moved to Sacramento to attend school. Running back Austin Hines, from Jeffersonville, Ind. said, “My (high school) coach found some of the best junior colleges, and we got in contact with coach Osterhout.” Redshirt freshman Joseph Gardner, who recently moved from Henderson,

Nev. to Sacramento, California, said he was originally from Sacramento, but later moved. “I moved out to Vegas with my mom. I moved out here to live with my dad,” he said. Hines said that every aspect of living in Sacramento is different from Jeffersonville from the way people speak to the scenery. “When I first got out here, it was probably the biggest culture shock of my life,” said Hines. Offensive lineman, Zach Howder lived in Huntersville, N.C. before moving to Sacramento. “Southern hospitality would be a good way to put it,” Howder said. “(In

Huntersville) you wave to someone on the road, they wave back.” The players on the team said that they enjoy living in Sacramento. Howder said that he used to live in Sacramento before moving to N.C. “I’m originally from here,” said Howder. “It is kind of like a home away from home. I have a lot of family out here.” “Nevada is very business oriented, it is very laid back here,” said Gardner. Howder said the one aspect that he does not like about Sacramento is the effects from the drought. “(There is) not a lot of green ... but I do like the weather,” Howder said.

Aspiring lawyer, 4.0 student and star player on ARC’s women’s water polo team are just a few of Avery Dotterer’s titles. Dotterer says she began playing water polo in middle school at the insistence of her mother, despite being “unwilling.” “I was so bad at water polo and I just hated it,” Dotterer said. “They put me in goal because I was really bad at swimming, and I just got really good at blocking balls. I was goalie ever since.” Dotterer took a while to get the hang of water polo, a sport which can be difficult for some to follow. “I’ve been playing competitively for seven years now, and it wasn’t until my senior year -- that’s when I was like ‘I get this, I understand where people need to be who needs to drive, who needs to get the ball,’” said Dotterer. “So it took a while before it really clicked in my head.” Rya Minow, a teammate of Dotterer’s says she enjoys working with her because Dotterer consistently motivates her peers. “Its fun to work with her because she pushes you to be your best,” said Minow. Dotterer is now one of the team’s captains, as well as maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Dotterer credits her strict schedule for her success. “The early mornings and doing homework in between games, that whole cycle is pretty routine (for me) and I’ve just gotten used to it,” Dotterer said. “I know a lot of people

Quincy Clavelle / quincyclavelle@gmail.com

American River College women’s water polo goalie Avery Dotterer.

can’t handle playing a sport and getting a 4.0.” In the rare instances when Dotterer has downtime, she says she spends it sleeping and studying for her other classes. Dotterer is also an assistant water polo coach at Oak ridge High School JV and Varsity, and she coaches club water polo for American River Water polo Club. She has already began to look at colleges to transfer to once she finishes her studies at ARC. “I’m looking at a couple different places. I am looking at Santa Clara and UC Davis. They are fairly close, which is good (because) I definitely want to play Division I. If I don’t play (Division I), it’s because I am just going to be pursuing academics because I know that comes first,” said Dotterer. She said that she loves to play water polo but her goal is to become a lawyer. “I see myself being a lawyer. I love water polo, but my passion is law,” Dotterer said. “I am pursuing a political science and English major, so that’s my goal and I am using water polo as a tool to get into the school of my dreams.”

Page 6

Feature

November 12, 2014

On the job with campus police

By Adnan Ramic

adiramic@gmail.com Experiences with police vary from warnings or tickets to assistance or protection. In my most recent experience with police, I rode shotgun and witnessed a drug bust. Last month, I participated in the Ride-Along Program with the Los Rios Police Department. At 10:35 a.m. on a crisp Monday morning, I arrived at their headquarters on the American River College campus. Cpl. Noah Winchester explained that the role of the police is to deter people from committing crimes on campus and to provide a presence to keep the everyone safe. Winchester had a lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. He spent time in the Marine Corps before joining the Sacramento Police Department. While Winchester may be a Los Rios police officer, he is not restricted to the various campuses. When discussing the authority and jurisdiction of the Los Rios Police Department, Winchester explained that he and his officers have “all authority, but we don’t need to (enforce it all the time).” If there is something that affects the campus in any way, even if it’s across the street from campus, he and his officers will become involved. The first hour or so involved nothing out of the ordinary. We stopped at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the street from ARC’s Parking Lot C. There, Winchester saw an abandoned bike next to a dumpster and reported it missing. Winchester pulled over a driver for not yielding to a pedestrian in the Myrtle Avenue crosswalk. As we drove off campus onto Orange Grove Drive, he pointed to the right of the street, toward an electrical box in front of an entrance to the duplex complex. He said that sometimes people will go behind the electrical box to smoke marijuana. As he got closer to the scene, Winchester noticed one of the three men “rolling a blunt.” He immediately got out of the car to investigate what the men were up to. None of the potential suspects attempted to flee, but tried to hide the marijuana. Police took about five minutes to clear the area and declare it a crime scene. They patted down the three men, searching for anything out of the ordinary. After the pat down, Winchester handcuffed the three suspects and put two in the back of the squad cars while the third suspect was leaning on the hood of the car. Winchester and another officer went to the crime scene to take photographs before opening backpacks to search for any more evidence. As they were taking photographs, they spotted two unknown pills in the dirt. Winchester proceeded to grab the pills and put them in an evidence bag. He then went to his car and used his mobile data computer to determine what type of pills they were. He eventually identified the pills as oxycodone, which has been defined by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as a schedule II narcotic. Winchester went through the

Photos by Adnan Ramic / adiramic@gmail.com

Cpl. Noah Winchester served with the Sacramento Police Department for two years before joining the Los Rios Police Department.

“

I will do whatever to keep my students safe.”

NOAHWINCHESTER backpack of one of the suspects, who was later identified as ARC student Nick Cardoza. He found two prescription bottles both filled with pills. Cardoza claimed that the backpack was not his and that he merely grabbed it while in a rush earlier that morning. The second man who was put in a squad car, ARC student D.J. Adams, is said by police to have been in “constructive possession” of the pills. LRPD Sgt. Mike Olson said, “constructive possession” means that Adams was able to access and control the oxycodone even though they were not on his person. The third man detained, ARC student Kyle Wofford, had marijuana in his backpack, but had a medical marijuana card from the state. He was cooperative with the officers and released. Adams was nervous in the back seat of the squad car, muttering that he shouldn’t have gotten out of bed that morning. According to Winchester, miranda rights are to be read before taking statements or an interrogation. On the way to the county jail, he read them their miranda rights in the form of questions. “You have the right to remain silent. Do you understand?” Winchester asked. Adams was trying to explain the situation, but Cardoza requested a lawyer. Once parked inside the county jail, Adams threw up on the wall in the lot. Winchester asked Adams if he was okay and if he had consumed any evidence. He then warned Adams that the last person who ate evidence had to be taken to the emergency room. After the procedural question-

Cpl. Winchester, left, uses his book to help accordingly fill out paperwork for the two arrests. Nick Cardoza, middle, and DJ Adams, right, were arrested for possesion and sales of oxycodone, a schedule II narcotic.

Once taken to the police department, the persons arrested will undergo a medical evaluation before having their possessions taken into a plastic bag.

ing, he took the two for a medical evaluation which included blood pressure, vitals, etc. They also checked Adams to see if he was under the influence of marijuana by checking his eye dilation and pupils.

Winchester finished his paperwork, and took Adams and Cardoza to official booking, where they had their mug shots taken and where they were strip searched in a closed room.

ON THE WEB

For the full article and a gallery of photos, go to arcurrent.com

Arts&Culture

November 12, 2014

Page 7

Matthew Wilke / mattwilke675@gmail.com

ARC student and juggalette Brittany Hanson, front row left, who is nicknamed “Lil B,” by her juggalo friends, said, “It’s the greatest feeling to have the family watch your back, and I love it.”

Campus clowns dismiss bad rep ARC FANS OF ‘INSANE CLOWN POSSE’ DEFEND THEIR LIVES AS JUGGALOS DESPITE FBI’S GANG CLASSIFICATION By Matthew Wilke mattwilke675@gmail.com If you listen to or follow any of Psychopathic Records’ releases, a record label featuring multiple hip-hop artists, most notably the Insane Clown Posse, then the FBI thinks you’re a gang member. They’re called “juggalos” and “juggalettes,” and while the FBI classifies them as a gang, they consider themselves to just be a family. The subculture has been on the rise since 1994, and today, the number of followers continues to rise into the thousands. There’s no secret ritual of initiation to be a juggalo. All you need to do is be a dedicated follower who truly appreciates what the artists have to offer, and support your fellow juggalo family. They wear face paint like evil clowns, listen to Psychopathic Records and they have symbols such as the “hatchet man,” a red man running with a hatchet in his hand. They also have the “Gathering of the Juggalos” every year, a live music concert where juggalos gather to be united with the family and celebrate. However, it is the actions and mentality

“

IF IT WASN’T FOR THE BAND ‘TWIZTID,’ I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE HARDSHIPS IN MY LIFE.

of ICP fans that prompted the FBI to classify juggalos as a gang. It’s known that a handful of people who claim to be followers have committed violent acts, but that doesn’t mean everyone else follows in these foot steps. At American River College, this controversial subculture has made itself known on campus. A handful of students all actively working to reach their own goals in life dressed up the day before Halloween and showed campus their other side. ARC student and juggalette Brittany Hanlon, also known as “Lil’ B,” said, “it’s the greatest feeling to have the family watch your back, and I love it.” For many people, music itself is an escape, and juggalos see Psychopathic Records as a life saver. It gives these people

Blue: Long glad to leave BMG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 on it, because it is loaded sexually,” Long said. “There are probably more men, younger men, who are really into the musicality behind it.” Long said that being with the BMG for four years was enough for him. “I felt like I was done with it,” Long said. “I’m super glad I’m not doing it anymore, but super glad that I did it.” Nowadays, Long focuses on his job as an ARC English professor. This year, he also published “Tiny Giants: 101 Stories Under 101 Words,” a collection of flash fiction, published by Ad Lumen Press. “Tiny Giants” initially began as a blog where Long wrote a short story once per day for a year. He came up with the word count by rolling two eight-sided dice. The stories range from 11-88 words. “Probably three or five days in, I rolled a 12. I was just like, ‘Oh man, what did I get myself into? This is dumb.’ But I had it up

MIKEDEPIERO

who feel like they don’t belong in today’s society a chance to be united with others who have similar tastes. ARC student and juggalo Mike DePiero, also known as “J. Terrible,” is a particular fan of the rap duo Twiztid, formerly signed to Psychopathic Records. “If it wasn’t for the band Twiztid, I wouldn’t have been able to get through the hardships in my life. It’s a beautiful thing,” said DePiero. Statements like these are common refrains among the juggalo community, for kids and adults to reach out for something greater than themselves through music. Followers as young as 12 years old join so they have somewhere to fit in. However, a lot join for the wrong reasons. ARC student and juggalo Rico Johnson

as a blog, and I had a few followers and I thought, ‘I have to do it.’ “I wanted them to have characters, and plots, conflict and resolution, and all the elements of a short story, but be super-micro,” Long said. Fellow ARC English professor Lois Ann Abraham, who wrote the short story collection “Circus Girl and Other Stories,” served as the book’s editor. “We found out that we agreed — which was a great relief to me — about the basic deal of throwing out what don’t work and seeing what is left,” Abraham said. “We spread everything out and made stupid categories of things and siphoned them.” Long has moved on from his time as a blue man, but he still misses the smell of the makeup, which he says took just five minutes to apply. “It sounds weird, but it smells sweet,” said Long.

calls these followers “new kids,” and says they don’t fully appreciate what it means to be a juggalo, and act out in violence and drug abuse. Although violence, sex and drugs can be found in many ICP lyrics, juggalos believe that it’s not the intention to act out and cause an uprising. In fact, they believe that the “new kids” who are committing criminal acts are slandering the juggalo name, and these are the people that have caused the FBI to classify juggalos as a gang. ARC juggalos say that most followers are everyday people who have never committed a crime before, but because of people who claim to be true fans have committed criminal acts, the whole lot gets categorized as gang affiliates. Many juggalos feel they are being discriminated against by authority figures as their reputation has changed by being talked to by police based on their outward expressions of face paint, clothing and accessories that related to ICP and Psychopathic Records. ARC’s group of followers want to set a positive perspective on being an everyday juggalo.

Breana Herndon / bherndon96@gmail.com

ARC English professor Jason Long was glad to leave the Blue Man Group after four years.

Page 8

November 12, 2014

Arts&Culture

Cafe Noir serves up an open mic

ARC’S THEATER ARTS CLUB GIVES STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THEIR TALENTS TO A LIVE AUDIENCE By Kameron Schmid kameronschmid@gmail.com With performances ranging from song, poetry, improvisation and acting, Theater Arts Club’s first Cafe Noir event of the semester was a fun way for the artistically inclined to practice their craft in front of a live audience of about two dozen students and faculty. “Cafe Noir is basically an open mic, where we give anybody who wants to perform a platform, whether it be music, singing, dancing, acting, comedy, or anything,” said Cody Alexander, club president. According to Alexander, Cafe Noir was made to offer students a “safe and creative environment” for ARC performers to show their stuff. “It’s basically about helping people feel great about their talent and be able to show it,” said Juliana Nassr, who handles public relations for the club. The turnout and performances were “amazing,” according to Alexander. There were thirteen acts in total, including readings of both poetry and short fiction writing, singing, instrumental music, and acting, both scripted and unscripted. Art new media student Mary-Ann Myers told a Native American folktale about the origin of the flute, while playing a handcrafted flute. “It was a great insight into their culture,” said Raven B. Jones, a theater arts major. Jones also performed twice through the night, first singing a duet from the broadway musical “Chicago,” with her partner, Wylisha Walton. Jones later read a monologue as well. ARC Native American studies major and improv actor Jonathan Milby had some attendees in tears of laughter with his one-

Kameron Schmid / kameronschmid@gmail.com

Jonathon Milby, left, performs an improv set based in a Japanese tea garden. Reid Bartlett, right, played and sang “High and Dry” by Radiohead.

man improv set, based in a Japanese tea garden that turned out to be an elaborate ruse intended to trap mountaineers. Los Rios Student Trustee Omba Kipuke played two piano pieces, and referred to his playing as “wordless poetry,” in reference to previous poets who preceded him. Kipuke’s first piece was his own, and his second was “Bella’s Lullaby,” from the Twilight film series, originally composed by Carter Burwell, which Kipuke called “the most beautiful piece of music he had ever heard played on a piano.” Nassr was enthusiastic about the creativity shown by the participants. “I liked that so many of the pieces were original and came from the students them-

selves,” said Nassr. Pastries and drinks were free at Cafe Noir, but donations were accepted to help fund the upcoming Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, a yearly gathering of collegiate actors and theater technicians that features competitions, workshops, and social gatherings. ARC’s theater program is a member of district seven of the KCACTF organization, which will be meeting during the spring semester in Ellensburg, Was., and hosted by Central Washington University. Donations to TAC will go to funding ARC’s actors’ trips to Washington and their stay there. Most attendees from ARC will be there to compete for the Irene Ryan

ON THE WEB

To watch videos of the Cafe Noir performances, go to arcurrent.com Scholarship, for which multiple actors from ARC’s theater productions have been nominated. “They have to travel, and these are college students, so they need the money,” said Alexander. TAC’s profits from concessions sales at ARC theater events also go towards KCACTF funding.

Scene

Page 9

November 12, 2014

Joseph Daniels / joseph64daniels@gmail.com

ARC student Alicia Szutowicz lost her leg to cancer in 2007, but has found her calling playing wheelchair basketball for the Sacramento Rollin’ Kings, a team she founded with her boyfriend.

Rebounding from cancer WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL STAR ALICIA SZUTOWICZ USES ARC’S ADAPTIVE P.E. TO TRAIN FOR THE PARALYMPICS By Joseph Daniels joseph64daniels@gmail.com After having lost her left leg to cancer, American River College student Alicia Szutowicz spends hours on campus training to compete in wheelchair basketball, an event in the Paralympic Games. Szutowicz recalled feeling pain in her leg while she was running during boot camp training at ARC in August 2007. After running for three miles, she began to fall over. After a visit to the doctor, Szutowicz was told she had Ewing’s sarcoma, a kind of bone cancer usually found in children, according to the website Genetics Home Reference. She visited the hospital during Super Bowl XLI and had her leg amputated in the same year. “(The game) was Bears versus Colts. I’m a huge Bears fan, so I thought (being there) would be good luck,” Szutowicz said. The Bears lost the game, 29-17. “I knew I had cancer before they even told me.” Szutowicz said she helped organize a wheelchair basketball team with her boyfriend, Christian Rodriguez, called the Sacramento Rollin’ Kings.

“

I have (had) a very fulfilling life in a short amount of time. If I left the earth tomorrow, I would be satisfied.

ALICIASZUTOWICZ

“We started as a team three years ago, since 2011,” said Rodriguez. “We were on the recreation team in (Sacramento). We got the best players on the recreation team, and started our own Division V team.” Szutowicz says she and Rodriguez act differently around each other when playing wheelchair basketball than they do in their daily lives. “We have come to this agreement: We have no relationship,” Szutowicz said. “On the court, it is all business.” Szutowicz said she serves as a recruiter for her wheelchair basketball team. “Everytime I see someone in a wheelchair, anywhere, I chase them down (and ask), ‘Do you play sports? Do you want to?’’ According to Szutowicz, the Rollin’ Kings are close with one another. “We are family,

CAMPUS PU SE

because no one else has disabilities. You probably have friends, but maybe (you’re) the only one who has disabilities out of them. Having someone to relate to is key.” Her adaptive P.E. instructor, Jeanette Allred Powles, a track coach at ARC at the time of Szutowicz’s operation said she did not initially recognize Szutowicz when she returned to ARC from Arizona. Szutowicz was playing wheelchair basketball in Arizona for a year. Powless and a P.E. instructional aide, Brian Sprinkle, both said Szutowicz’s presence is beneficial to the class. “She’s very driven and she is very motivational, so she is a very positive person to be around,” Powles said. “Not only does she do a good job in the class, she motivates other people.”

Should the campus adopt a zero-tolerance policy on violence?

“Yes. Why have a semi-tolerant policy?”

“Yeah, because people should feel safe when they go to school.”

-CHRISBASCOM Computer science

-KATHYSMITH Theater

“Most definitely. Who would want to be in a place where they could be hurt?”

-MICHAELACLIFTON Nursing

ON THE WEB

For a gallery of photos of Alicia Szutowicz training, go to arcurrent.com Added Sprinkle, “She is willing to help others if they need it. (She) also sets an example on how to work hard in a weight room.” Szutowicz has a 3-year-old daughter who loves to play in her mother’s wheelchair. “She can backup, turn around, and spin in circles. She can do the same in a basketball chair. She’s going to make a really good wheelchair basketball player,” Szutowicz said. Szutowicz said she is pleased where she ended up in her life, and that despite the challeneges she’s faced, she feels that losing her leg was the “best thing that could have happened in the worse way.” “I have (had) a very fulfilling life in a short amount of time,” Szutowicz said. “If I left the earth tomorrow, I would be satisfied.”

Read the Current’s editorial on zero-tolerance policies on page 11.

“Of course. The campus should be a safe learning environment for everyone.”

-JOHNJONES Accounting

Page 10

Scene

November 12, 2014

TAKETHISCLASS

Dance 301: Belly Dancing

By Breana Herndon bherndon96@gmail.com Students who enjoy dancing, learning about cultural movements and gaining the ability to choreograph dance routines should take Dance 301: Belly Dancing. Students in the class have the opportunity to learn about musical instruments, rhythms, costumes and choreography as a part of the course. The course is taught by dance professor Hanadi Alkhayyat, who says belly dancing can be a new experience for students. “With belly dancing, you move areas you never think about like shoulders, wrist and even fingers. It is art in every part,” said Alkhayyat. For their midterm and final, students of the class are asked to create their own choreography as a way to show their progress in mastering the art of belly dancing. “I took this class to get experience with belly dancing,” said Veronica Rodriguez, a dance major and student in the class. “I’ve always wanted to take a class like this because it is not your everyday hip-hop or ballet,” Rodriguez said. According to the class description, the course is intended to introduce students to the basic movements, cultural values, and history of belly dancing. “When I come here, I feel free. I always wanted to take a belly dancing class, but it is so expensive so when I heard that it was offered here, I decided to take it,” said Vanessa Esparza, a nursing major taking the course. Professor Alkhayyat is very patient with students, since dance may not come easily to all of them. Alkhayyat takes her

“

Breana Herndon / bherndon96@gmail.com

Dance 301: Belly Dancing aims to introduce students to “the basic movements, cultural values and history of belly dancing.” Professor Alkhayyat knows some students aren’t natural dancers, and simply wants “students to learn about the many styles of movement and how fun it actually is.”

time teaching the students and allows them to enjoy the movement and get used to the music. “The teacher is the best and this course is very easy for me because danc-

When I come here, I feel free. I always wanted to take a belly dancing class, but it is so expensive. When I heard that it was offered here, I decided to take it.

VANESSAESPARZA

NURSING

ing is a part of me,” said dance student Hossein Assem. Alkhayyat wants the students to have fun in the course. “I want students to learn about the many

“

styles of movement and how fun it actually is,” said Alkhayyat. The course is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. in room P.E. 235.

I’ve always wanted to take a class like this because it is not your everyday hip-hop or ballet.

VERONICARODRIGUEZ

DANCE

Booties shake at Club Day for anti-bullying kevinsheridan56@gmail.com

ON THE WEB

The “Geeks and Goths” themed Club Day held Oct. 30 featured giveaways, games and a booty shaking competition as clubs represented at the event handed out candy to students and advertised their clubs. “I think it’s a good opportunity for clubs to put the themselves out there. I’m able to point people to join different factions they can join,” said Jorge Riley, an attendee for the event and a member of the ARC College Republicans. Sixteen ARC clubs and organizations had booths including the athletic department, Model UN, the Super Smash Bros Club and the Fashion Club. The athletics department was at the event selling old athletics equipment from former ARC athletes from all sports to raise money to buy new gear. ARC’s Model UN Club handed out pumpkins at the event for people to decorate as part of a fundraising event for their club. ARC’s ASB also had a booth for the event with Tami Dunning, who is acting as Student Senate president, handing out candy. For the event, many clubs decorated their booths with a Halloween theme where some clubs handed out sweet treats and even Fierce, ARC’s student LQBTQA organization, handed out condoms. “I think it’s a good way for the clubs to get connected to the community at ARC. If someone sees a club they’re interested in,

they can learn more about it, and maybe learn about Sacramento,” said Zoey Hester, president of the French Club. Club Day also sought to promote an anti-bullying message, and CAEB sold tshirts with anti-bullying messages printed across the front. “(The event) helps because it helps carry messages. It’s about inclusion and acceptance and creating a safe, welcoming environment,” said ARC President Thomas Greene about the message the event was seeking to promote. Matthew Wilke / mattwilke675@gmail.com Club Day also had a booth devoted to A “booty shaking” competition was held in addition to a “Geeks and Goths” costume contest. painting people’s faces as ghosts, and a booth from ARC’s literary magazine, the American River Review. The event also featured games like soda pong, and a game of hot-potato played with a pumpkin and played music over the PA system and from live performers. Many clubs who took part in the event saw the event as a way to reach out to the ARC community at large. “It helps (clubs) get out to more people. Not a lot of people know about clubs in general, so it’s a good platform for (the clubs),” said Ashton Nazeri, treasurer of the Super Smash Bros club at ARC. CAEB’s next Club Day will be Nov. 20.

By Kevin Sheridan

Check out a photo gallery from the most recent Club Day at arcurrent.com

Opinion

CURRENTEDITORIAL current@arc.losrios.edu Witnesses of the four-woman brawl that began in the cafeteria and escalated to the area in front of the bookstore on Oct. 27 expressed shock that an institution of higher learning was the scene of such an occurrence. “I’m really appalled that this happened, especially at a college campus,” said ARC nursing student Iris Price, shortly after witnessing the fight. And we should all be appalled. Such instances are leading to the degradation of the value of a community college education through the tarnishing of the school’s reputation. Students that come to class prepared to brawl are clearly demonstrating that they are not mature enough for a college education, and should be expelled. Incidents like the “punching rampage”

Graduates shouldn’t wait to walk

Page 11

November 12, 2014

FIGHTS HAVE NO PLACE AT ARC

at the beginning of the semester beg that, for the safety of students and to ensure the protection of the learning environment, the district adopt a zero-tolerance policy on violence. To be clear, zero-tolerance follows common sense — Obviously, students defending themselves should not be disciplined for doing so. But if a student punches their peers simply for “mean mugging” them, as cafeteria brawler I’yannah Pollard put it, they are sending a message that says, “I am not emotionally mature enough to be here.” Sure, college is a place where young adults figure things out and get a sense for how the world works. But there are also expectations in college. You are expected to be responsible for your actions. You are expected not to show up to classes drunk or stoned. You are expected to have learned by now that hitting

others is inappropriate. You are expected to be able to sit in a cafeteria without causing a police crisis just because you don’t like the way another girl looked at you. Those that cannot abide by these expectations do not deserve to be here. At least not at this stage in their development. According to current district regulations, the “student code of conduct” provides that students may be suspended or expelled for “continued disruptive behavior, continued willful disobedience, habitual profanity or vulgarity, or the open and persistent defiance of the authority of, or persistent abuse of, college personnel.” ARC President Thomas Greene has spoken against adopting a zero-tolerance policy, stating, “I go back to every situation, we need to follow our establish process and procedure for investigating,” Greene said. “And each case is unique, from that standpoint. The findings of the discipline

officers, and the findings in terms of that, will be based on that investigation. If it’s found that a student committed a violent act … that behavior will not be tolerated.” One of Greene’s first acts as president of ARC was to address campus safety, so it’s safe to say he recognizes that it’s a problem here. Greene recently created a task-force to address campus safety. While this is a positive change, as it shows that the district is recognizing a problem and looking for solutions, it is a roundabout way to deal with an issue that has a simple solution — An enforceable policy that will directly address the problem. Students, quite unfortunately, can’t be trusted to be “ambassadors” for change, as public information officer Scott Crow requested of us. A task force can’t adequately deal with or prevent violence. The fear of consequences can.

By Breana Herndon bherndon96@gmail.com Every spring, American River College holds a commencement ceremony for that year’s graduates. Many of these students, however, completed their coursework in the fall semester and had to wait months for the graduation ceremony, which suggests that to truly accommodate these students, ARC should hold a commencement ceremony in the fall. According to the 2013 commencement program, there were 318 students who graduated in August and 500 who graduated in December. These students were eligible to participate in the spring graduation, which is five to nine months later. Collectively, 818 students are more than enough to hold a commencement ceremony in the fall. Furthermore, some graduates may have certain circumstances that keep them from being able to attend the commencement ceremony if it is only held in the spring, months after they have completed their education at ARC. Having a fall ceremony would be ideal for summer and fall graduates. Those students would have a better opportunity to share that special moment of achieving such a huge milestone with their families and friends. Scott Crow, ARC’s public information officer and a member of the graduation committee, said “It’s a tradition. Not that we always have to stick to tradition, but spring graduation is a tradition. American River College alumnus Aundrey Mosley, who graduated in summer 2014, supports the idea of two ceremonies. “Having two graduations will encourage students to graduate. I am so excited that I completed such a huge milestone, but having to wait an entire year to have a ceremony, the excitement, it kind of lingers away,” Mosely said. Many students at ARC stress over finishing courses quickly, perhaps taking on more than they can handle, in order to finish in time for the spring ceremony. While a fall ceremony would entail a considerable amount of extra work, it is achievable, and worth the effort to ensure that all ARC graduates can participate in such an important milestone.

Emily K. Rabasto / rabastoe@gmail.com

Sacramento City College has recently implemented designated smoking areas on its campus, whereas American River College’s current policy allows smoking anywhere that is at least 30 feet away from any door.

HEADTOHEAD:

Should ARC adopt a policy for designated smoking areas?

DON’T FILTER OUT THE SMOKERS

DESIGNATED AREAS ARE THE ANSWER

By Cameron Weaver

By Kameron Schmid

cameron.weaver.arc@ gmail.com I’m a fan of the old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” American River College’s current campus policy caters to both smokers and non-smokers alike. Sacramento City College has recently pushed closer to a smoke-free campus, barring open-smoking in favor of giving smokers six designated smoking areas. This policy has been in effect since the beginning of the fall 2014 semester. Jason Hardeay, 21, a Computer Science major, says the important thing that will make the current college policy on smoking effective lies with the students. “At this point, I think it’s pretty obvious not everyone follows the 30 foot rule,” said Hardeay. “If people made more of an effort to be considerate, I think there would be a better campus vibe about it overall.” Electronic cigarettes have also fallen under these new guidelines.

While calling it “draconian” is jumping out on a limb, the recent legislation by SCC is imposing. People who partake in nicotine consumption on college campuses nationwide are a large part of the student body. This is not to say that the current ARC policy is perfect. Numerous students have been the butt-end of secondhand smoke from those who choose to ignore the 30 foot rule. What should be focused on is student initiative - an improved camaraderie campus-wide that will encourage more willing observance of others’ desires to not be anywhere near cigarette smoke. Smokers are on the ARC campus daily. They are our fellow students, friends, faculty and every other defining label in between. Increased legislation on the issue will only stifle the already stiff lack of campus morale at ARC. The solution lies in a more comprehensive observance of one another, a more visual display of mutual respect.

kameronschmid@ gmail.com Sacramento City College’s designated smoking areas policy is a reasonable and fair treatment of the issue of public smoking on a college campus, and American River College would be better off to adopt it as soon as possible. ARC’s current smoking policy, which states that smoking is not allowed anywhere within 30 feet of a building entrance, is largely ignored and hard to enforce. Unfortunately, ARC doesn’t have hall monitors to patrol campus and stop smokers from breaking the rules. On top of that, the police officers on campus are too busy doing actual work to run around citing people for smoking anywhere they choose to. Designated smoking areas are a simple principle that are used in many public places with little controversy. If ARC had designated smoking areas, then anyone who was

smoking outside of them could be politely told they need to move. Chances are, unless someone was extraordinarily aggressive or inconsiderate, they’d simply move elsewhere. In Sac City’s survey that led to this policy, 67 percent of students indicated they are negatively affected by smoking on campus. A similar number for ARC students is likely. It’s possible to have nothing against people who smoke, and at the same time want them to follow the rules. And right now, they don’t. People smoke as they walk through hallways, by doors, and right by fellow students. If smokers don’t like it, then they have two options. One is to hop in a time machine and go back to an America when people could smoke wherever they wanted. The other is to start being considerate and follow guidelines. Or, people could just quit altogether. But hey, I don’t want to sound unreasonable.

@ARCurrent Photo essay by Barbara Harvey barbaraapharvey@gmail.com

Here’s what you missed this month if you’re not following the Current on Instagram: 1. Former President Bill Clinton headlined a “Get Out the Vote” rally at UC Davis Oct. 29. To see the photo gallery, go to arcurrent.com 2. #ARCFootball ball boy Charles McCarron, known to the coaches, players and refs as Charlie, has been with the team for seven years. McCarron calls himself the team’s good-luck charm. 3. #ARCFootball defeated Feather River College 44-8 on Oct. 25, advancing to 7-0. The team faced defeat for the first time on Saturday, losing to Butte College 31-28. Read the full story on the cover. 4. Criminal justice major Daniel Hernandez, an avid BMX rider, can often be found performing tricks near the Student Center. See a slow-motion video of Hernandez performing BMX tricks at @ARCurrent on Instagram. 5. A sign near the ARC nature trail, which was scene to multiple crimes last semester, warns students of danger. One-fifth of the Los Rios Police Department officer positions are currently vacant. Read the full story on the cover. 6. #ARCFootball defeated Sierra college 31-22 on Nov. 1 to advance to 8-0. The team faced its first loss in game nine on Saturday, losing to Butte College 31-28. Read the full story on the cover.