CURRENT The
Wednesday 11.30.16 American River College Sacramento, Calif. Vol. 68, Ed. 6
Student juggles classes, mother’s illness By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com
cost ARC its number one ranking and its home field advantage. American River entered the game as the number two seed after dispatching the third ranked Modesto on Nov. 19, 27-21. The first ranked Roadrunners defeated the number four ranked San Mateo to set up the title decider. The game did not start off well for ARC as their first drive ended after only five plays when quarterback Griffin Dahn’s pass was intercepted by James Silva, which set up a nine-play, 65-yard drive which ended in a 35-yard field goal by kicker Israel Farfan that
Imagine having a parent with a debilitating disease; imagine taking care of them on top of school, work, a strong dedication to dance class and running your own non-profit organization. This is an average day for ARC student Bryanna Quinonez. Her mom, Juanita Quinonez is in the most severe stage of Lupus. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease and can be deadly. The signs are hard to detect and don’t warrant anything that would normally be considered fatal. Quinonez said it is her norm to take care of her mom. It would not be unusual to stay all night in the hospital beside her mom then head to school early in the morning - and it’s not unusual, because Quinonez has done this a countless number of times. Not only is she the caretaker to her mom but, Quinonez is the CEO of the non-profit organization, “L is for Lupus.” The organization was an idea at first, and made into a reality by Quinonez herself. Her mom was the catalyst for the creation of “L is For Lupus.” Juanita’s health problems are so severe that, “she could not go to jail if she wanted,” Quinonez said. She would be too expensive to take care of. When one has stage four lupus, like Juanita, the body’s immune system attacks the tissues and organs. It can affect the joints, skin, kidneys blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. Extreme fatigue and excruciating pain are symptoms that Juanita deals with almost daily. Although the symptoms can subside for weeks or years at a time, there has been little relief for Juanita. In an effort to help those, especially youth who have been diagnosed with lupus, Quinonez said her organization is big into community involvement and does things such as social welfare, counseling for newly diagnosed lupus patients, visitations to veteran homes and funeral flower arrangements. Even after a full day of school, work and dance, Quinonez teaches dance to children who have
Football | Page 4
Lupus | Page 6
ARC MAKES HISTORY, HEADS TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP By Mack Ervin III
PLAYER OF THE GAME
me3current@gmail.com
H
undreds of games have been played and thousands of players have come through American River College’s football program, and though they have had various successes over the years, no team has been able to call themselves NorCal Champions. That is, until the last 44 seconds of Saturday’s game against Butte. After 47 minutes of a slugfest in the mud, quarterback Griffin Dahn dropped back and threw a pass between two defenders to find wide receiver Torian Williams in the end zone, and just like that the Beavers completed their improbable comeback to win the game 15-9. “From the start of the play, I knew something great was going to happen,” Williams said. “I felt like something great was going to happen today. I didn’t know if it was going to be me or not, but
#1 Torian Williams Wide receiver 2 catches, 54 yards, 1 game-winning touchdown
Photos by Jordan Schauberger / Design Editor
Above: Wide receiver Torian Williams raises his hands in the air, as the Beavers celebrate their NorCal Championship win 15-9 over Butte. Williams caught the game winning touchdown. Below: Wide receiver Jabarri Johnson points to his ring finger to celebrate ARC’s advancment to the State Championship game.
when I caught the ball, I couldn’t believe it myself.” For the first time in the school’s history, American River College’s football team will have the chance to play for a state championship after overcoming a 9-0 deficit in
the fourth quarter against rivals Butte College to win the NorCal Championship. The Beavers played Butte on week nine of the regular season, throwing five interceptions in a 21-14 double overtime loss that
For more ARC coverage, go to www.arcurrent.com
INDEX
2 News 4 3 Sports 5
A&C Feature
@ARCurrent
6 7
Scene Opinion
@ARCurrent
SHADOW BOX PAGE 4
/ARCurrentcom ARC artist provides a ‘twisted’ touch to the display of distorted figurative paintings across from the Kaneko Gallery.
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November 30, 2016
NEWS
Honor society helps refugees By Hannah Darden hannah.k.darden@gmail.com The Phi Theta Kappa honor society has partnered with the Muslim Student Association at ARC to create “Welcoming Arms,” a support project providing care packages and clothing kits for Syrian refugee families in San Diego. The students are working with the Syrian Community Network in San Diego to create and deliver the items, which will be hand-delivered by PTK President Julio Luis Gopez in late January. They’re aiming for 200 care packages and “as much clothing as they can get,” according to Gopez. “We wanted to bring our focus this way. This has been labeled as a serious problem, and we want to help alleviate it,” Gopez said. “We wanted to do something to help out the groups most in need.” PTK is accepting donations of clothes and personal hygiene items. They have a bin inside the Center for Learning and Development, adjacent to Starbucks, for these items. They are also accepting monetary donations - contact PTK to make arrangements, or visit a local business with a donation jar. According to PTK member Mariya Katsman, Old Soul Coffee Co. and Naked Lounge locations have donation jars. PTK’s clothing collection is separate from the ARC Honors Club’s Winter Clothing Drive, which is collecting winter clothing for local families in need. The care packages will include items like toothbrushes, soap, deodorant, diapers and feminine hygiene products, but will also include small comfort items and special books that PTK is creating. The honor society is working with elementary schools and community members to gather letters of support, which will be compiled into a book along with art pieces. The drawings, paintings and sculptures donated to the project will all follow cultural guidelines that the MSA helped PTK set. Gopez anticipates having new flyers up on campus by next week detailing guidelines for writing letters or creating art pieces. Students that want to help can join project committees to help with material collections, art creation, marketing and other aspects of the project. They don’t have to be members of PTK or the MSA to join. Gopez said they chose to do the project in San Diego instead of locally because there’s a higher concentration of refugees in need. For those who wish to help Sacramento refugees, contact Opening Doors Sacramento - it’s the local organization assisting refugees. For more information, to make a monetary donation or to join a project committee, contact PTK at ARCPhiThetaKappa@gmail.com or by calling or texting (916) 8723331.
Photo by Mychael Jones / Staff
An ARC student who would only refer to herself as Alana holds her sign of protest in front of the Beaver bookstore. The Dakota Access Pipeline has gained notoriety as protesters camp near the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota to block the pipeline from being built.
Student protests pipeline ahead of Thanksgiving By Mychael Jones mychael.jones.arc@gmail.com A woman who referred to herself by the first name of Alana, held a sign outside the ARC bookstore today to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protests in North Dakota near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation have drawn international attention in response to the people who are protesting the pipeline construction. Alana, who refused to give out her last name for fear of being threatened or harmed in the future due to her protest, said her motivation was to make students aware of what is going on. A recent CNN video showed law enforcement officers firing rubber bullets, tear gas and high pressure water at the crowds protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline on Sunday. “Police had thrown a concussive grenade into the crowd and
it hit her arm and blew a part of (a protester’s) arm…she had to get it amputated off,” Alana said about the news coverage of the pipeline protests. “They (were) spraying down crowds at night in freezing temperatures,” Alana said.“A lot of people don’t know the extent of what’s happening and it’s the Native Americans on their own land who are being arrested and beaten by the police.” ARC students and spectators Joe Shannahan, James Wilde, Abdul Hamid, and Dalton DouglasHiley had their own responses about Alana’s protest. Alana decided to hold her protest today because she wanted to leave students with something to think about over Thanksgiving break. Joe Shannahan reacted in support of what Alana was accomplishing as she held her sign in protest. “She’s bringing awareness.” Shannahan said. “Keep it in your
mind as you go into the holidays.” James Wild, commenting on the protest said it was strange to see the sign, but he understood the purpose. “Curious would be my first reaction after I read it,” said Wild. He expressed his appreciation of living in a place where we can express our opinions. Many students who were curious about the sign, came up to Alana to talk to her and question the purpose of it. “A few women have come up to me, and pretty much every response has been positive,” Alana said, also commenting that her protest could benefit others. “They’ve heard something about it and then I (told) them a little bit more and they’re like ‘what?’ so I’m happy that just by saying something a few people hopefully (will) l get the bigger picture and pass on the information to someone else.” Shannahan, along with three other men at the scene also com-
Beaver bookstore busted over break By Hannah Darden hannah.k.darden@gmail.com The Beaver bookstore was vandalized Friday, according to bookstore employees and the Los Rios Police Department crime logs. The bookstore’s glass front door appears to have been shattered, and has been replaced by a plank of wood. There was no information available to the Current regarding whether any property was stolen. The vandalism was reported to
the LRPD at 7:44 a.m. on Friday, following a vandalism report in the parking structure at 1:52 a.m. Friday morning. The parking structure did not show any obvious signs of vandalism. The Los Rios Police Department could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. Bookstore manager Koue Vang could not be reached for comment at the time of publication. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
mented to Alana’s protest. Also commenting on the protest was Abdul Hamid, who said that “she can do whatever she wants.” “I think it’s good people are voicing their opinions on that,” Dalton Douglas-Hiley said. “Protestors are definitely in the right.” Although Alana’s protest was brief, by standing up and raising awareness to the event happening in North Dakota, she demonstrated that students have a voice on campus. Alana said that although she is not a native person who is being affected by what is happening, this was not her first time protesting. “This isn’t the only one, it’s just specific because Thanksgiving is coming up,” Alana said. Alana said that she has protested for Gay Pride and the AntiTrump rally’s. She plans to travel to North Dakota in the summer and offer whatever help she can.
CORRECTIONS In Volume 68, Edition 6 of The Current, the following corrections are listed: In edition 5 on page 1, Pearl Calhoun’s name is misspelled in a photo caption. In edition 5 on page 6, under the sports updates, the brief for men’s cross country was labeled Women’s basketball. In edition 5 on page 6, in “ARC survives a close game and reaches the playoffs,” the score for the end of the second quarter should be 28-13.
Photo by Hannah Darden / EIC
The glass front door of the college bookstore was broken during the vandalism on Friday.
In edition 5 on page 9, Jacob Parsley’s name is misspelled in a photo caption.
“
November 30, 2016
SPORTS
FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1 put the Roadrunners on top 3-0. The Beavers had a dismal first half on the offensive side of the ball, only producing 31 yards of total offense and throwing two interceptions, while Butte added on a 35-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter after a defensive breakdown from ARC, to bring the game to 9-0 entering halftime. Coach Jon Osterhout reflected on some of the adjustments the team made at halftime to give themselves a chance of winning the game. “At halftime we had to make a couple of adjustments to the run defense,” Osterhout said. “The coaches did a fantastic job with this team the entire game. Offensively we just said, what do we have to do to win the game?” Dahn also commented on the differences between the two halves, saying it was something the team has been familiar with throughout the season. “Just look at the entirety of the year; it’s been the same way all year,” Dahn said. “We just keep fighting and we keep wearing down teams.” “We always believe in our coaches and our mindset.” The team still took some time to progress on offense in the third quarter, turning the ball over on downs twice and punting once, while the defense stepped up after the half time period, restricting Butte to under 50 yards for the remainder of the game. Entering the fourth quarter and still needing two scores to get back in the game, ARC linebacker Patrick Walker stripped and recovered a fumble by Butte running back Alex Laurel to set up ARC just outside the redzone. With 21 yards to go, Dahn and running back Dante Davis rushed for eight and seven yards respectively, setting up an 11-yard touchdown pass on third and goal from Dahn to wide receiver Damen Wheeler Jr. to close the gap to two points at 9-7. After three straight possessions that ended in punts, ARC started their last drive on their own 20 yard line with 2:23 left in the game, with 80 yards separating them from a first ever NorCal Title. Davis started the drive with a ten-yard rush to get the team to
3 We just believed. We never flinched. We were down 9-0 in the fourth quarter and I just kept believing in my team. Execution is a commodity.
- Anthony Luke
Photos by Jordan Schauberger / Design Editor
Linebacker Preston Dean tackles Butte College running back Alex Laurel during the NorCal championship game on Nov. 26, 2016 at Butte. Dean led the team with 11 tackles as ARC clinched its first ever NorCal title.
Quarterback Griffin Dahn drives through a pile of Butte defenders during ARC’s 15-9 win in the NorCal Championship game. Dahn was the Beavers’ leading rusher with 47 yards on 14 carries.
the 30, before two incompletions and a one-yard rush by Eddie Ortiz set up a fourth down situation. With the season on the line, Dahn found Wheeler over the middle for a 21-yard gain to keep their hopes of the title alive. After another completion to receiver Namani Parker, Dahn launched a 33-yard pass over the middle to receiver Lee Reed which would’ve put the team at the three yard line, but a holding pen-
alty negated the play and backed the Beavers up ten yards. On the very next play, ARC scored the game-winning touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion attempt by Ortiz, the Beavers held a 15-9 lead with 42 seconds remaining after a kickoff return by Butte to their own 32 yard line. As the Roadrunners had all of their timeouts remaining, ARC
would have to stop them four times in order to win the game. Two incomplete passes from Butte quarterback Craig Contreras and a sack by linebacker Anthony Luke left the Roadrunners looking at a potential fourth and 24 situation, but a defensive holding penalty by American River pushed Butte up 10 yards and negated the sack. Unfortunately for Butte, the penalty was not enough as two more incomplete passes gave the ball back to ARC and with it, the NorCal Championship. After the victory, Osterhout spoke on some of the emotions that were running through him. “My heart won’t stop beating. I’m just so happy for this football team. It’s truly incredible, it’s been a long journey,” Osterhout said. “The kids have worked their tails off, the coaches have worked their tails off. “Our offseason plan we identified last year was ‘how do we go from good to great?’ And now we have one more step to become a great team that will go down in history for American River College football.” Luke said that the feeling was great and that the key to winning this game was belief in the team.
“I still feel like I’m in a dream right now. We’re going to a state championship and that’s all I can think about,” Luke said. “We just believed. We never flinched. We were down 9-0 in the fourth quarter and I just kept believing in my team. Execution is a commodity.” Dahn said that while the win feels good, there is still unfinished business. “I feel great. I feel like we’ve almost accomplished everything we wanted, but we’ve got one more game to go,” Dahn said. For the first time, ARC will now have the opportunity to play for the state championship in two weeks against SoCal champions Fullerton College, who defeated Riverside on Saturday 45-29 and are currently 11-1. Dahn spoke of the upcoming championship game, saying that if they continue to improve, they have a chance to win. “We need to keep getting better,” Dahn said. “Nobody can stop us but ourselves. I think we can come out with the state championship.” Osterhout also talked about the team’s philosophy in “Beaver Ball” and how that will not change for this next game. “We’re going to continue to stay process based and play ‘Beaver Ball.’ Guys are wearing the t-shirts here today. It’s about commitment and building your resume,” Osterhout said. “Nobody works harder than us and we have relentless consistency and if we continue to do that, then we’ll have a shot to win a state title which would be historic for American River College.” The Beavers will travel down to Fullerton on Dec. 10 to play for the CCCAA State Championship.
Cross country wins 11th straight title By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com A wet home course, a season of injuries and sickness’ did not stop the men’s cross country team from winning their 11th consecutive Big 8 conference title on Oct 28 at ARC. “The number one goal of the year is to win conference,” said Rick Anderson, coach of the men’s cross country team. “Most people really don’t understand … eleven is the most consecutive wins we’ve ever had,” Freshman Joe Shanahan placed second overall with a finishing time of 21 minutes and 12 seconds. Freshman Devin Scheidt placed fourth at 21 minutes and 24 second. Sophomore Dejon Joseph placed fifth with a time of 21 minutes and 26 seconds. Freshman Logan Taggert placed seventh at 21 minutes and 38 seconds. Freshman Dalton Douglas-Hiley placed
ninth with 21 minutes and 45 seconds and Sophomore Matt Morris placed tenth with 21 minutes and 25 seconds. “(I) raced well that day. (I) worked with my teammates and kept a steady pace,” Shanahan said. The men’s team finishing score was 27 points leaving the second place school, Diablo Valley, well behind with their 65 points. The Beavers sat out their top five runners and still managed to have six of their men in the top ten. “We raced a two mile time trial that day,” said Anderson. “We had them fight it out.” Anderson said having the race at ARC wasn’t a huge game changer but Scheidt said otherwise. “I felt like I raced harder out on the home course … having the confidence that the race was at home, and I felt like our team was going to do very good, gave me
Photo courtesy of Rick Anderson
ARC men’s cross country team won the Big 8 Conference Championships. They placed six of their runners in the top ten.
that extra mental strength for the race,” Scheidt said. Anderson said good recruitment and training based on per-
sonal best(s) (PB). PB’s that are one hundred percent directed toward his runners are the two things that have made his teams so success-
ful. “It is really scientific … there is no guess work at all,” Anderson said. For example, if one of his men runs a four minute mile and another runs a mile in 3 minute and 45 seconds their workouts will be completely different. It is extremely individualized and even though Anderson gives out exact times for his men to run in workouts, when it comes to races he said after the first mile or so he wants his men to “go out and compete.” In the end, the methods continue to pay off and though the Beavers finished their season 9th at State Championships, Anderson said, “If I was told before (the season) our results, I wouldn’t be happy but considering all of our sicknesses and injuries … I think the guys did a good job. (We) could have done better but I’m not disappointed in them at all.”
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November 30, 2016
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Shepherd’s Play’ brings modern music, dance to biblical story By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com “The Shepherd’s Play” proved to be an out-of-this-world experience for audience members that showed up to the first as well as its second run of the play. The play combined three play excerpts together, “Nativity”, “The Second Shepherd’s Play”, and “Everyman” which when combined provide an amusing twist to the traditional story of the birth of Christ. The traditional celebration of the Christ Child’s birth is a well known story: the virgin Mary gives birth to the Jesus Christ in a stable on a cold winter night. Throughout the play though, we come face to face with a plot that tells a story within a story, contrasting between the spiritual and modern theme to appeal to modern-day viewers. Intertwined within the religious events of the story, the play inserted humor, pole dancing and many variations of music to tell the story in a way that modern day viewers can understand and connect with. One might ask, what does pole dancing have to do with the religious aspects of Christ’s birth? The answer is: nothing. However, the absurd acting, humor and pole dancing is what unexpectedly perks the plot and takes the modern adaptation of an ancient story to another level. The play leads to its peak as a humorous trio of shepherds who are searching for their stolen sheep finally come face to face with the culprit. Hands down, one of the most captivating and fascinating characters in the whole production is Death herself. Death, acted out by Kimberlee Wilson, is a bedeviling character that torments and afflicts Everyman, the protagonist of the play. Dressed to look like death itself, Death represents what every person will one day come face to face with and strikes down those she determines must die. The play further portrays every man’s attempt to avoid death, who realistically can’t be escaped.
Photo courtesy of the ARC theater department
The cast of “The Shepherd’s Play” stands together for a song during a performance at the American River College Theater.
Aside from the underlying dark themes and turns tunneled throughout the production, the play presents itself in a lively and surprising story all the way to the end. On that note, one of the most awe-provoking realizations that will leave a lasting impression in the audience is the skillful and talented actors that take a complicated subject matter and present it in such an eloquent manner. The actors not only performed well, but they connected with the audience through dancing, singing, humor and through sharing the realities of life as well as the ancient life - they are the epitome of what performers are. Playing the role of Mary was Caramel Suchard, who had previously performed in three other plays at American River College,
“The Tempest”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Cabaret”. “People say this is one of the best shows [that we’ve performed]”. said Suchard. “I’ve had better nights. I gave it what I could.” Rayana Wedge, who played as a sheep and townsperson commended the talented actors, tap dancers and singers that she was surrounded with in the play. “The tap dancing was phenomenal and amazing,” described Wedge. “And that was me!” Wedge also appeared in “Cabaret”, playing the character of Kit Kat Girl, and has many talents that range from tap dancing, singing, and many musical talents. Katya Novskaya played the role of Gill, the wife of a main character in the play; it was one of the first leading role as well as antagonis-
tic character that she ever played. “It was fun working with the group...there was no drama happening behind stage, “ said Novskaya. “I was very nervous about my pronunciation, since I’m Russian”. Novskaya explained that she understood the underlying theme of the play to be good fighting evil. She humorously suggested that the good moral of the story is to not “steal sheep - or steal in general.” Avram Williams is an ARC student who had seen a lot of shows in the ARC theater as a part of the stage crew working the lighting. He described the show to be “very different and interesting” as compared to those he previously had seen. Along with Avram Williams, the other hardworking hands behind
‘THE SHEPHERD’S PLAY’ REVIEW «««« UPCOMING DATES: Thursday: Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Friday: Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. Saturday: Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. Sunday: Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.
For tickets call (916) 484-8234 the scenes who made the flow of the play run smoothly were Zeke Armstrong, Dylan Ballestero, Melynda Blanchard-Williams, Ben Harris, patrick O’Reilly, Lindsey Platt, Nicole Theep and Annelies Veldman.
Shadow box features distorted figures By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com Inspired by Renaissance artists Caravaggio and Michelangelo, artist Jose Tellez brings a twisted touch to his distorted figurative paintings, currently displayed in the Shadow Box at American River College. In the Shadow Box display, Tellez’s paintings scream out to be seen. His oil paintings show body figures that are chopped up, distorted and have a twist to them which makes them distinctive from the great Renaissance artists. Tellez also takes cues from modern painters such as Pablo Picasso. Through visualizing both classical and modern ideas, Tellez created his own style of painting. Tellez explained that he hasn’t
found any artist that incorporates this twisted vision into their paintings. “I don’t really see that from other artists, so I decided to do that on my own; if no one else has done it, I want to do it myself,” said Tellez. Although he is a young and aspiring artist in the art world, Tellez is far from being an immature artist. An artist since he was young, Tellez’s art compositions have changed and progressed dramatically throughout the years. He first began drawing characters and slowly moved to graffiti during middle school which lasted only until his senior year, being discouraged about the legal aspects of this type of art expression. Soon after, he proceeded to embrace linear concepts in his artwork.
“I figured I want to display my work in a fine art type of way after going to the Crocker [Art Museum]; the paintings there just blew me away,” Tellez said. Tellez began painting three years ago, which he learned on his own without being taught painting techniques or concepts until taking a figurative painting class this semester. Gathered over the past year, Tellez worked on his figurative painting collection on his own time outside of school as his personally inspired project. Although his displayed work and the current paintings he is working on are both figurative, Tellez explained his current work is much more exact and complete, whereas the paintings displayed in the Shadow Box “are chopped up.”
“Most of what I’m doing right now are a lot different than these. They have a bigger composition with multiple figures in them,” Tellez said. For the second time in his art life, Tellez’s artwork is being showcased to the public through the art club Shadow Box located across from the Kaneko Gallery. Two of the paintings were shown in a dance studio, in an annual student show that the Los Rios art program holds in Folsom. Theatre drawing, gallery operations and figurative painting are some of the recent classes and interests Tellez has been focused on at ARC. Jose Tellez is focused on making a career with his art and plans to major in art in the future.
Photo by Lidiya Grib / Staff
Jose Tellez’s twisted works are an abstract take on figure paintings, one of the oldest genres of art, which pays homage to the human form.
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November 30, 2016
FEATURE
The Current’s guide to surviving the holidays Offer to help out with cooking or cleaning. You don’t sit at the kid’s table anymore, so don’t act like you do. Your family will appreciate the effort.
Holidays are historically hard, especially for college students - there’s family you haven’t talked to in months, asking questions about school that you don’t always have the answers to and to top it off, it’s cold and rainy outside. But the break is also time off from the rigors of school, and if you do it right, a chance to catch up on your life. Self-care is an essential part of taking a break that can sometimes slip through the cracks. Things like spending casual time with your family, trying out a new hobby, and getting that sleep you’ve been fantasizing about all semester are all a great way to spend some time treating yourself. You also don’t want to spent so much time relaxing that you wake up the day before classes start and realize that you haven’t done anything that you wanted to. Make yourself a timeline, but don’t make it a competition to see how little free-time you can leave yourself. Don’t procrastinate on preparing for your classes, but maybe take some time to learn about something you’re interested in. You can also use the time to set yourself up for success. Get used to using a planner, or making to-do lists, even if the only thing on them is “eating leftovers”. But before the leftovers, there’s the dinner. During the holidays in particular, it can seem like time passes simultaneously faster and slower, especially at the dinner table. So in the interest of helping you out, here is the Current’s guide to surviving the holiday break.
HOW TO MAKE FAMILY DINNERS EASIER FOR YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE
Avoid family gossip at the table - catch up quietly with your favorite cousins after dessert, and avoid the drama. It may be irresistable, but it’s never constructive, and only strains relationships.
Talking politics at the dinner table never ends well, but they’re likely to be especially confrontational after this election. Your best bet is stay out of it when the names Trump or Clinton come up.
After dinner’s over and the dishes are done, take time to relax. You’ll be back to school before you know it, so you should set aside some quality time for yourself.
Come up with a quick answer to “How’s school going?” You won’t have to spend an hour talking about your classes, your major, or how far you are from graduation.
Illustration by Lidiya Grib / Staff
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November 30, 2016
SCENE
Presenters tell stories of ‘desolate’ internment By Robert Hansen hansenrobj@gmail.com Lester Ouchida and Reiko Nagumo were young children when they and their families were forced from their homes and relocated to remote locations of Arizona and Wyoming because America was at war with Japan. These two Japanese Americans told their stories of the relocation into “desolate” internment camps during WWII to ARC students during a college hour in Raef Hall on Tuesday. The camps were in remote areas constructed with sentry towers and barbed wire around the perimeter of the camp. It was communal living, set up in military style, bunkers to sleep in and the bathroom and chow hall had its own separate buildings. “My dad had a pretty good business and we had a fairly nice home in Florin and all of a sudden we were placed, mom, dad, and five kids in one room,” Ouchida said. President Roosevelt, influenced by the military, signed executive order 9066 in 1942 which imprisoned over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry and at least 60 percent of them were American citizens. Over half of them were children. Ouchida said that they lost their freedom, financially lost a lot , and it had a deep psychological impact being locked up by their own country. “We saw desolation and loneliness,” Ouchida said, “It makes you think, ‘Am I as good as other Americans?’” Japanese Americans had a loss of self esteem and self worth. “There was nothing like this for German or Italian Americans,” Nagumo said. Nagumo said she hopes that what Japanese Americans experienced will not happen to any other ethnic or racial group coming from abroad and that people need to speak up for others. Ouchida feels that the xenophobia and racism toward the latino community that have spread across the country are eerily similar to the times of relocation. “I thought that, with the recent developments, it’s a little bit scary what’s happening in this country now,” Ouchida said. “It was a different time but still, there is a lot of hatred of the Islamic (religion).” Led by President Carter in 1980, a federal commission on the wartime relocation of Japanese Americans ruled that evacuation occurred because of racism, war hysteria, and poor political leadership and had nothing to do with military necessity. Nagumo said that after war was declared on Japan, her friend Mary Frances told her, “My momma told me to tell you, that we’re at war with Japan, you’re Japanese. I can’t play with you anymore.” Nagumo was mortified at being told she couldn’t play with her friend because she was a different color, a different race. “But you know what, that girl spoke up for me then as a seven year old,” Nagumo said. “You’ve got to learn how to speak up for other people.”
Photo by Cheyenne Drury / News Editor
Indigenous hip hop artist Frank Waln performs in the quad at ARC. Waln sang alongside flute player Sam Sampson and choreographer Micco Sampson.
Performers stop by ARC to inspire indigenous peoples “ By Cheyenne Drury
cheyennemdrury@gmail.com He grew up in one of the most poverty stricken areas in the United States, in the rural plains of South Dakota on the Rosebud Reservation. He is a Lakota man whose mission is to encourage and inspire all of the indigenous peoples who have been oppressed since 1496. His name is Frank Waln and he came to ARC with his band mates, Sam and Micco Sampson, The Sampson Brothers, and they performed in the quad at American River College on Thursday. Waln is an indigenous rapper and producer, Micco is an indigenous choreographer and hoop dancer, and Sam is an indigenous visual artist, hoop dancer and flute player. Together they travel around the world and fuse the modern with the traditional. The music is heavily laden with synthesizers, drum
LUPUS FROM PAGE 1 been diagnosed and she is going found out he has lupus. It is rare that younger adults, especially adolescents, are diagnosed early on because it is difficult to diagnose. The signs and symptoms are very similar to other ailments. Though it is not always the case, a physical sign could be a rash on the face that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding on both sides of the cheeks. On the reverse side, ARC alum Claire Gabler spoke from her own experience about what it is like living with lupus. Gabler’s case isn’t as severe as Juanita’s. Her joints and mobility are affected rather than her organs. Gabler’s first outbreak was in college when her face broke out with the “butterfly” rash. “I deal with symptoms like
machines and samples that echo the cries of their ancestors. Visually the trio has more to showcase than just your standard stage setup with instruments and musicians. Micco and Sam both perform hoop dancing, a tradition passed down from their ancestors. A tradition that can best be described as a mixture between something you’d see in the “Guinness Book of World Records,” and a pow wow on the dusty and rural plains of South Dakota. Anywhere from a few to over twenty hoops can be used for the dance. Micco showcased his physical strength, flexibility, creativity and ingenuity all within the span of about thirty minutes. Spectators gathered around and watched in silence as they were “(shown that) we are all born into a perpetual circle and cycle… we are all a part of this hoop,” Micco said. After the performance, stu-
ligament and tendon pain. Some days it is hard to get out of bed and walk,” Gabler said. One of the most misleading things about having lupus is ignoring the symptoms because they subside. “It subsided for ten years and it came back in my mid 30’s,” Gabler said. “It is important to find a doctor who believes you … one that works for you, you need real communication,” Gabler said. “Emotionally and psychologically I have my aura of wellness … I believe that I’m well and I don’t dwell on the fact that I have it.” It can take months to years to diagnose lupus and there is no single test to do that. The methods that doctors commonly use are blood tests, medical history, complete exam, skin biopsy and kidney biopsy. There are a variety of speciality doctors that can help with the
I can’t believe there are college educated adults who think my people are extinct.
- Frank Waln
dents were invited to join Waln and the Sampson Brothers in community rooms one and two. Waln started off by giving a little background history about his life. He started writing songs at 13, wrote and recorded his first song at 15, graduated valedictorian of his high school class, received the Gates Millennium scholarship and graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2014. All Waln had been exposed to, up until college, were wide open plains and prairies. After getting off of an elevator in Chicago a girl said he had very
pretty hair. Waln has ebony colored hair usually worn in two long braids. The girl then asked Waln what he was. He replied, “Lakota.” Waln said she looked confused so he said he was Native American. The girl told Waln she thought, “they were all dead.” “I can’t believe there are college educated adults who think my people are extinct,” Waln said. Some audience members gasped and many sat silent, a testimony to the fact that this type of ignorance is widespread. Looking at Waln, Sam and Micco through a larger scope, it is clear to see that storytelling is exactly what they are doing. Through their effort they are spreading the history of their peoples. They are traveling far and wide to dispel the myths and legends about natives. They are trying to reeducate Americans so they know that from 1883 to 1978, ‘it was illegal to be indigenous.’
BY THE NUMBERS 90 percent of the people diagnosed are women
5 million people suffer from lupus worldwide
3
times more women of color are affected than caucasian women
1.5
million Americans suffer from a form of lupus Photo courtesy of Bryana Quinonez
ARC student, Bryanna Quinonez, makes an L with her hand to support lupus awareness and to support her mom, Juanita, who is in the most severe stage of the disease.
symptoms. The list is as follows: a family doctor, rheumatologist, clinical immunologists, nephrologists hematologists dermatologists, neurologists, cardiologists, endo-
*all information from www.lupus.org
crinologists, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Although lupus can be debilitating and in some cases a death sentence, Quinonez stressed the importance of not letting it control your life. “You have lupus, lupus does not have you.”
7
November 30, 2016
OPINION
CURRENT EDITORIAL
Take advantage of a diverse campus while you’re on one The Current Editorial Board American River College is the largest and most diverse Los Rios campus, and offers many programs for students looking to diversify their minds and become immersed in several different cultures. But most students don’t utilize the resources available to them. Because ARC is a commuter school, most students focus on getting to their classes and getting out. But ARC is probably the most diverse school these students will ever attend, so there’s no better time to immerse themselves into campus culture. ARC is incredibly age-diverse. Students ages 18-20 make up 19.6 percent of the student body, ages 21- 24 make up 23.7 percent, ages 25-29 make up 19 percent, and ages 30 and over make up 37.1 percent, according to ARC’s Statistics and Demographics for the spring 2016 semester. That’s an environment that can only be experienced at a community college. Students of all ages should take advantage of the ability to bond with and learn from
people they wouldn’t meet anywhere else. ARC is 47 percent white, 23 percent Latino, 10 percent Asian and only nine percent black. Despite the largest demographic being white, the ARC campus does offer great diversity in several fields. ARC offers several clubs, like UNITE, the Muslim Student Association, Latinos Unidos and a Black Student Union, which bring together students of several backgrounds and unite them in a space with people whom they can collaborate with and relate to. The campus course catalog offers extensive foreign language classes, including German, Russian, Italian and French, among others. ARC is one of the only community colleges in the Los Rios system to offer such a vast array of foreign languages, rivaled only by Sacramento City college. ARC’s Study Abroad program is a great way for students to immerse themselves directly into other cultures - students can travel to Florence, Barcelona and London - and the program is well funded with excellent scholarship opportunities.
Very few students take advantage of this opportunity, and the program could be at risk of closure if its enrollment drops too low, taking this opportunity away from future students. What could the end result be of lack of student involvement in clubs and extracurricular activities? ARC is home to countless brave spaces, UNITE meetings, college hours, student panels and dialogue series. These resources allow us to become immersed in a culture that is different from our own, or be able to flourish in a conversation with people of similar interests to our own. When students don’t expose themselves to diversity they risk not being properly informed, ignorance stems from this. When you surround yourself in a diverse setting you become encompassed in several different cultures, this teaches you the importance of realizing people belong different intersections and some people are treated differently than others for reasons they can’t control. Age is also included in diversity. Learn-
ing something from someone in a different age group allows you to see issues from a different perspective, and from someone with different experiences. Because of the current divided state that the country is in, it is important that we come together and learn from one another. We all have common threads - we all complain about finals, the line at Starbucks, or that ten-page paper. We bond over the shows we binge on Netflix, the jobs we go to after school and things we enjoyed learning in our classes. Strengthen your bonds by having important dialogues with each other - discuss intersectionality, oppression, and the struggle to get by. Discuss the problems you see in our community and on our campus, and the changes that should be made to fix them. If students come together, they can enrich and improve the future of the campus community for those who will follow them.
ARC is lacking in mental health services
By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com American River College does not provide enough services to help students manage mental health problems and the campus lacks a solid foundation for those who are diagnosed with mental illnesses and need professional help. There will forever be biases for everything. They exist because people are either ignorant, usually through no fault of their own, or because they haven’t been exposed to certain environments or circumstances. The lack thereof creates other existing issues such as students minimizing their own problems because they don’t have a mental illness but the truth is there needs to be equally as much validation for diagnosed persons and everyday students dealing with stressors. Life Is Worth The Walk (LWW) is a club on campus dedicated to raising this type of awareness but one club can’t provide everything students and faculty should know about these issues. Yet without some cathartic out-
C URRENT The
An American River College student-run publication. 4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120, Sacramento, Calif. phone: 916-484-8304 email: current@arc.losrios.edu
let many more problems arise for college students. It appears that it is permitted to be overwhelmed with school but the biases still remain. Mental health/illnesses are still heavily laced with words such as ‘crazy’, ‘insane’ and ‘unstable’. It can be argued that every college student understands the stressors that come with going to school. There is the mutual understanding of heavy class loads, working to support themselves or even sometimes an entire family. College students can find comfort in relating about the stress that comes with midterms and finals week. There is a certain level of appreciation we find in the company of an entire community that can, for the most part, relate in some way or another. Yet even with this talk of comfort and relatability there still exists the taboo of mental health. It is okay to complain about being stressed out. It’s a catch all phrase that doesn’t imply there is anything severely wrong. This taboo is something that would be an issue, when and if more resources were provided, for mental health and self care, but the benefits would outweigh the costs. Right now it is vital to understand how everyone can relate, on some level, with their fellow classmates. So first and foremost the stigma that would revolve around getting these resources needs to be destigmatized. With just a little bit of time and dedication to demystifying
Photo Lidiya Grib / Staff
Students at ARC are in need of more resources to help with mental health/illness. They need to offer advice and methods on how to deal with the stressors that come with going to school.
the stereotypes and negative outlooks, students can begin to unveil the truth and importance behind having mental health resources on campus. It doesn’t take long to notice how mental health and mental illness overlap because after all self
EDITORIAL BOARD Hannah Darden Robert Hansen Cheyenne Drury Justina Sharp Mack Ervin III Mike Yun
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Co-Sports Editor Co-Sports Editor
care includes taking care of mental health. While illnesses are more specific and individualized that does not separate any group or subgroup from using the same resources for support and help. In essence the entire process of
STAFF Shiavon Chatman Cierra Quintana Luis Gael Jimenez Jordan Schauberger Kyle Elsasser
Co-Scene Editor Co-Scene Editor Arts & Culture Editor Design Editor Photo Editor
Laodicea Broadway Solange Echeverria John Ennis Lidiya Grib
ADVISERS Laurie Jones Mychael Jones James Saling Jared Smith
Jason Peterson Jill Wagner
going to school, could arguably be one of the most high-stress periods in one’s life. It would not only be beneficial to focus on ways to alleviate stress and anxiety but to realize how we all have different issues to work on and deal with.
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.
PACESETTER AWARD WINNERS JACC STATE CONVENTION 2016
8
November 30, 2016
PHOTO ESSAY
Unearthly forms
Shara Poole, pictured above, works in the gallery and said this show was interesting in contrast to the last show because both were abstract, but with completely different styles.
Photo essay by Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com In their last show of the semester, the Kaneko Gallery is featuring the unearthly artwork of Lisa Marasso and Mitra Fabian, displaying their use of traditional and nontraditional materials at ARC until Dec. 15. In their use of traditional and nontraditional materials, the artists utilized glitzy crafts, glitter and other common materials to create “Unearthly Forms”. Fabian’s sculptures are meant to look organic, even alive, though they’re made of construction materials. A reception will be held Thursday at 5 p.m. to give art students and observers a chance to meet the artists, ask questions about their work and enjoy treats from the Oak Cafe. Regular gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mitra Fabian said she chooses her materials based on what creates a “visceral response” in her.
Lisa Marasso’s paintings are meant to illustrate the space between the positive and negative.
Mitra Fabian said she lets her sculptures set in a “liquid form” to make them look alive.
Lisa Marasso explores the relationship of glitzy materials, areas left simple and areas erased.