Wednesday 05.08.19
Football Season Coach Osterhout weighs in on the coming season
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C URRENT American River College Sacramento, Calif.
Vol. 70 Ed. 8
The
Call for Artists
Art Department offers $1,000 reward for STEM art
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Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Governor Gavin Newsom assists American River College groundskeeper Brenda Baker with fixing a sprinkler head outside of the Ranch House during International Workers’ Day on May 1, 2019.
Newsom gets his hands dirty shadowing ARC staff By Jennah Booth jennahpage@gmail.com California Governor Gavin Newsom visited American River College May 1 to commemorate International Workers’ Day by job shadowing custodian Maria Arambula and groundskeeper Brenda Baker. Newsom also discussed and signed an executive order at ARC which acknowledges California’s
growing globalization and technological advancements, and how they often lead to the automation of jobs which threatens many workers’ job security. “Few occupations are immune from automations. That’s the challenge,” Newsom said. “It’s an executive order that would feature … issues about making sure we protect workers, making sure they’re valued, making sure they’re included in the conversation.” During the Governor’s visit, Ar-
ambula, who has worked at ARC for 23 years, coached Newsom through changing a light and repairing a paper towel dispenser in Davies Hall. Arambula said she voted for Newsom in November 2018. “I think he’s an honest man and he’s going to do good for California,” she said. Newsom also helped Baker dig up and extend a sprinkler fixture outside of the Ranch House. Baker,
who attended ARC before being hired by the school in 1997, and Arambula discussed their feelings surrounding their job security. Neither worker said they felt confident in the future of their careers and the rising cost of living in California. “I don’t know anyone who’s confident at all,” Baker told Newsom. According to Newsom, the executive order addresses concerns surrounding job security by organizing a work group who would look at areas of the economy that are more vulnerable to automation, and define ways to protect and retrain people to adjust for the changing workforce. The coalition will present its findings in
February 2020. “Every milk carton has a sell-by date. In many ways we do in terms of our education,” Newsom said. “You’ve got to keep upping your skill, you’ve got to keep investing in your own development.” Newsom emphasized the role that community colleges play in the working economy and the dignity in their work. “Two-thirds of people that walk through the door of higher education, come from community colleges,” he said. “And yet we focus so much on CSUs and UCs, but two thirds of that opportunity is taking shape right here.”
ARC elects first Muslim woman Student Senate president
By Hameed Zargry
hameed.zargry@gmail.com
Photo by Hameed Zargry | Staff Writer
Aesha Abduljabbar was elected the first Muslim woman Associated Student Body Student Senate President at ARC in April.
Aesha Abduljabbar was recently elected the first Muslim woman American River College Associated Student Body Student Senate President, with 226 votes in the 2019 student elections. On April 9 and 10, students voted for candidates for both Student Senate and Clubs and Events Board (CAEB) positions online, totaling in 424 votes. “It’s an honor for me being the first Muslim president at ARC,” Ab-
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duljabbar said in an email to the Current. “I wouldn’t have been able to get elected if it weren’t for the incredible students on campus that gave me this opportunity, and the great faculty that taught me how to be a good leader.” Abduljabbar said she faced many challenges reaching this position, but also said she believes anything can be accomplished with hard work and passion. Rebeca Rico-Chavez is the current ASB Senate President; her time in office will end at the end of this semester. In an email interview, Rico-Chavez shared her hap-
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QUEEN OF THE ARC and Stockton dancer fights KINGS Kings for spot on main
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piness knowing that her successor is a woman. “The last three Student Senate presidents, including myself, are women and I believe this is an amazing accomplishment,” RicoChavez said. “Being president, one has to keep in mind at all times that we represent and advocate for all students regardless of age, ethnicity [or] political beliefs.
New President | Page 2
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ASB NOTEBOOK
NEWS
For weekly coverage of ARC student government, go to ARCurrent.com
SENATE ADOPTS NATIVE AMERICAN MISSION STATEMENT By Alexis Warren alexis.warren81@gmail.com As the end of the spring semester approaches, the American River College Associated Student Body held its second-to-last meeting on May 3. Discussions in this meeting included the urge for all Student Senate officers to finish the semester strong, a $2,500 grant request from the Engineering Club and the adoption of the Native American Statement Resolution. Secretary of the ARC Engineering Club, Jesbaam Sanchez, attended the meeting on behalf of the club to inform the senate officers on why the club is asking for a $2,500 grant. Sanchez said the grant would go towards the
clubs participation in a competition scheduled for next year, along with one of the clubs’ projects that they are planning to continue. “My reasoning for having this bill will actually help benefit us overall, most importantly, because we actually have not received funding at all from the school or even allocations from sponsorships,” Sanchez said. “Most of our funding was actually out of pocket.” With three of three in favor, the committee approved the bill for the Engineering Club funding. The board also discussed the Indigenous Land Statement, which acknowledges that the land ARC is located on was once owned by Native Americans. This statement was released by the Native Ameri-
can Resource Center at ARC and recognizes the importance that Native Americans have had in previous and present generations.
The statement recognizes the importance that Native Americans have had in previous and present generations. With the Native American Statement Resolution proposed, the board asked for training that would explain the need for the statement and also has hopes of implementing the Indigenous Land Statement at more campus-
wide events, encouraging professors to add it to their class syllabi and/or read the statement in class, as well as have the student senate board read it at future meetings. The resolution was adopted during this meeting. Student Senate President Rebeca Rico-Chavez reminded the board that there is one meeting left and encouraged the board to end the semester strong. “I know we’re almost reaching the end of the semester, so if you haven’t been doing your office hours, you can still have a strong end to the semester. Just two more office hours and you can end strong,” Rico-Chavez said. The last ASB meeting of the semester is May 10.
New ASB president looks to the future Cont. from page 1
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Campus patrol officer Giovani Spinazze and Los Rios Police Department officer Joe Quirarte patrol the hallways of Davies Hall during Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom’s visit to American River College on May 1, 2019.
LRPD proposes updates By Hannah Yates & Patrick Hyun Wilson hannahjycurrent@gmail.com patrickhyunwilson@gmail.com During a meeting of the Los Rios Community College Board of Trustees in January, Los Rios Police Chief Lawrence Savidge presented a slideshow providing an update on the needs of the LRPD. The police department is implementing changes to the department across the district including raised salaries for detectives, officers and sergeants, and testing a new alert system and non-lethal force equipment. Some changes will take effect in 2019, but others have no foreseeable timeline for implementation. Brian King, chancellor for the LRCCD, approved the items for consideration by the Board of Trustees. With the support of the board, Savidge has been incrementally revising the structure of the LRPD. “We have a good department, we have a lot of good people, but there’s always room for improvement,” Savidge said. During the meeting, the board drafted a revised salary, in regard to the departments issues with retention. The three positions are now the highest range for classified positions and the second highest supervisory position in
the district — second only to various IT positions. The Los Rios Board of Trustees met with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) on Nov. 11 to discuss the increased salary classification for Los Rios officers and detectives. A similar meeting took place on Nov. 26 between the Board of Trustees and Los Rios Supervisors Association, LRSA, regarding the increased salary classification for sergeants As a result of those meetings, the salary classification increase took place effective Jan. 1. According to Savidge, the increased salary is necessary for recruitment and retention within the police department at Los Rios. He said he hopes that within five years the department will be able to hire two more officers at each Los Rios campus through various recruiting techniques so that each college will have eight officers total. “We’ve developed our own recruiting team with some officers from our own department that are very enthusiastic about working with us,” he said. “They have developed some presentations [and] they’re now going around to different job fairs.” As part of the recruitment process, Savidge says the LRPD is also working on the cadet program. Officers at each college will go through training by spending
time as campus patrol officers. Currently two ARC campus patrol officers are sponsored through the program to train at the satellite campus, the Sacramento Regional Public Safety Training Center, according to Savidge. “They’ll be graduating in November and then they’ll be coming to work with us as ... sworn police officers in the fall,” Savidge said. Along with the increased salary range and cadet training, the LRPD seeks to implement new security measures including an upgrade to security cameras, body cameras for police officers and a new mass notification system called “Alertus” which is being tested at American River College. Following a shooting at Sacramento City College in September 2015, Savidge says that the Alertus system is in part a reaction to criticisms regarding the speed at which mass alerts went out to people at the school. The LRPD is working with college operations and the IT department to test the system at American River College, according to Savidge. After testing here, they’ll install the Alertus system at other Los Rios campuses.
LRPD Updates | Page 3
ARC is a diverse college, home to students from different religions and backgrounds and Abduljabbar says she has a unique perspective and understanding of being from different culture. “I will represent all the students on campus with every inch of my heart, because that is my purpose, and that is my passion,” Abduljabbar said. ASB Advisor Brett Sawyer said it’s great that ARC chose Abduljabbar. “The newly elected board is fairly diverse, and represents many of our outstanding learning communities and programs on campus,” Sawyer said. “I am excited to work with this new board and see what ideas and goals they will work on.” Abduljabbar says she has worked hard to get familiar and prepare for leadership roles before she joined ASB. “I wanted to be a good leader, so I started reading more leadership books and watch(ed) many Ted Talks,” Abduljabbar said. “I talked to the students on campus and asked what concerns them [and] what changes did they want to see on campus. That made me feel more prepared.” Rico-Chavez shared her experience being ASB President with Abduljabbar. “The greatest lesson that I learned and that I would like to pass down to the President-elect is that we have to put aside what we think is the best answer to a problem and allow our peers to contribute their own ideas,” RicoChavez said. According to Rico-Chavez, the most efficient work is done when leaders allow space for others to become leaders in their own way. Both Student Senate and CAEB officers terms start on June 1 and continue until May 31, 2020. The official swearing in ceremony for new members will be May 9.
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URRENT An American River College student-run publication. Editor-in-Chief Jennah Booth Managing & Copy Editor Hannah Yates Photo & Multimedia Editor Ashley Hayes-Stone Arts & Culture Editor Patrick Hyun Wilson Opinion Editor Imani Smith Social Media Editor Alexis Warren Sports Editor Gabe Carlos Staff Anthony Barnes Ariel Caspar Thomas Cathey Katia Esguerra Irene Jacobs Breawna Maynard Emily Mello Makenna Roy Hameed Zargr y Faculty Adviser Rachel Leibrock Photo Adviser Josh Clemens Student Worker Luis Gael Jimenez
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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 Portable Village 613A Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 E-mail: Current@arc.losrios.edu www.ARCurrent.com
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Sac State Hornet declares print dead IS THE CURRENT NEXT TO GO?
By Irene Jacobs henrisquilts@gmail.com On April 29, California State University, Sacramento’s newspaper the State Hornet published its 70th anniversary and final print edition. The Hornet has been preparing this year to transition to a digitalonly publication, after the decision to retire its print edition. The Hornet’s Editor-In-Chief Claire Morgan said that the decision was approved over a year ago and has been put into motion in the time since. “I think it’ll be really exciting,” Morgan said. “We completely redid the budget to be digital-focused, we’ve switched around the editorial roles and the way that the class works. All the systems are in place and we’ve had this past year to sort of tinker with everything.” Morgan points out that online mediums are more easily accessible, cheaper to produce and easier to maintain. “Many of our editors and staff members devote so much time and so many resources to our print,” Morgan said. “We had so many more people coming to our website than picking up our print product. We decided that it was better to allocate our time and our funds towards being a digital-only publication.” Morgan added that the skills learned from developing online
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Sacramento State campus newspaper the State Hornet will transition to an entirely digital platform in fall 2019, raising the question as to if the American River College Current will reflect the same industry standards.
web pages would arguably be more impressive to possible employers. “I’ve spent so many hours designing [our print edition],” Morgan said. “I know that I’ll never get paid for knowing how to design a print newspaper … so to be able to say I learned how to code in that time would have been much more productive.” While Morgan views the decision to go completely digital as bittersweet, Stu VanAirsdale, faculty adviser for the Hornet, said he had no qualms about the move. “[This decision] is two years in the making,” VanAirsdale said. “We didn’t just spring this on everybody … We did our market
research on this. We turned ourselves over as a case study to the business school [at Sac State] … they crunched the numbers and it’s exactly how we thought it would be: people want to read the State Hornet online.” VanAirsdale said that although there had been objections, the Hornet’s decision remains firm. “Once you show people that you have an audience-focused mission then it’s hard to hold it against us,” VanAirsdale said. “You can still say you like print, and that’s fine. [But] you have to understand that what we do here is guided by a very specific mission, and print just does not fit in that mission anymore.”
Even so, VanAirsdale acknowledges that a lot of valiant and valuable effort is put into print journalism. “I don’t diminish the work that print does, however,” he added. “I don’t take what [print journalists] do lightly. But [the Hornet] can do a lot better reaching audiences by adapting to a more digital-first mentality … We need to stay with what they do that also matches the audiences’ demand.” While VanAirsdale says he has no emotional connection to print, American River College journalism professor Alan Miller said that print journalism is a medium that needs to be protected and valued in this digital age.
“There’s something different about print journalism, about holding something in my hand,” Miller said. “I realize change is inevitable … but there’s got to be a place for print. You’ll never completely get rid of it.” Miller also said that many online news resources are able to publish fabricated or inaccurate news that readers can take as fact, whereas investigative teams put time and research into ensuring that print articles are entirely factual. “People want to get a quick fix, but they don’t want to take the time to read a longer story,” Miller said. “Journalism keeps an eye on what’s going on … if you cut out newspapers and investigative staff, then you’re left with people going on blogs online.” However, Miller said he is open to seeking out a possible middle ground between print and digital journalism. “I would hope [a compromise can be reached],” Miller said. “I don’t know what that compromise is, but if we go totally digital we’re going to lose something.” Rachel Leibrock, faculty adviser for ARC’s student-run newspaper the Current, says that the publication itself is likely to follow in the same direction as the Hornet. “I think that within the next year or two we expect to drop the print edition and go fully digital to reflect industry standards,” Leibrock said. “As much as we may have a nostalgia [for print] we have to move forward and serve our students.”
LRPD updates include recruitment and non-lethal force training Cont. from page 2 The Alertus system is an outdoor public address (P.A.) system which will work in tandem with RAVE alerts. There will additionally be an Alertus device installed in the sign language lab, according to public information officer Scott Crow. “The Alertus functionality includes a speaker on the roof of the library,” Crow said. “We also have a device for the sign language lab, some kind of a beacon device that alerts the students in that space.” Testing on the Alertus system is ongoing and, according to Crow, there will be additional trials done over summer. There is no official deadline before it will be brought to other campuses in the Los Rios District. The department is also experiementing with the effectiveness of a variety of equipment for the application of non-lethal force. Bean bag shotguns and pepper spray bombs are being tested at the training facilities, which Savidge says can be used to de-escalate situations. “We’re looking at other tools that are non-lethal or less lethal that we can use to control a situation, to get a person in compliance so we can arrest them,” Savidge said. Officers have also been training with administering the medication Narcan, or Naloxone, which is used to block the effects of opioids in the case of an overdose. Due to the commonality of opioid abuse across the country, training officers with Narcan is an important update to the LRPD’s
Los Rios Police Department officer Joe Quirarte and a fellow officer detain two suspects in an altercation at American River College on Aug. 27, 2018.
toolkit, according to Savidge. He compared its lifesaving capabilities to an automated external defibrillator (AED), which officers are also trained to use. “If you need an AED because someone has a heart attack, we have the AED there to help them,” Savidge said. “So it’s the same thing, if somebody has had an … opioid overdose, then we have the Narcan to try to ... save the person’s life.” The LRPD is integrating body
and car dashboard cameras, which record their interactions with the public and are meant to increase police accountability. This is another update to modernize the LRPD, following the Sacramento Police Department’s announcement in 2017 that it would equip all officers with body cameras. Savidge says when he took his position as captain, the body cameras were already on order and have been distributed since,
but the dash cams are still being installed in the department’s vehicles as it receives them. “That’s just one of the things that I felt was important that we needed to get into the vehicles,” he said. In addition to all of the equipment and additional training Savidge has requested, he encourages officers to step out of their cars and interact with people on campus and build trust “one student at a time.”
(File Photo)
According to Savidge, the LRPD will be continuing to work on hiring quality officers and detectives. “No department is perfect, you know, they all make mistakes cause they’re humans. The police officers are humans. But the trick is to prepare them and train them so that they don’t make those kinds of mistakes,” Savidge said. “We have a lot of really good people that really want to do good things.”
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‘Endgame’ proves a satisfying end to the Avengers By Thomas Cathey tcathey1196@gmail.com After 11 years worth of movies and extensive world-building, Marvel Studios released “Avengers: Endgame” on April 26. Directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, “Endgame” is the culmination of 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, and the finale to the blockbuster Avengers saga. The opening weekend for “Endgame” was a record-breaking one, making an estimated $1.2 billion at the global box office. In contrast, “Avengers: Infinity War” made $641 million in its opening weekend the previous year. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth all reprise their familiar roles as Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk and Thor. The film also features the return of certain characters that were not present in “Infinity War.” Picking up immediately after the tragic events in “Infinity War,” the plot follows Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and the rest of who is left of the Avengers as they try to undo the damage that the chief antagonist of the MCU — Thanos, played by Josh Brolin — inflicted on the universe after the battle in Wakanda. Together, the remaining heroes attempt to do “whatever it takes” to take down Thanos and bring back their fallen comrades.
Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
While it may be difficult to stray away from the endless advertisements and clips promoting this movie, it’s best for fans to watch this movie knowing as little about the plot as possible. Going in blind is the best way to receive the full effect of the film. With a 3 hour and 2 minute runtime, the first act of the film is a bit of a slow burn. While that alone can be a negative for casual viewers, the slow first act is essential for setting up the characters, and
also the new challenges that the protagonists have to face in the remaining two hours of the movie. Despite the slow pace, “Endgame” takes a bold direction in regard to its plot during the first act. Also, changes are made to certain characters that some fans might love or hate. Ultimately, these changes provide some comic relief and seemed to fit well into the story given the circumstances. Since this is the finale of the “Avengers” saga — at least for
the current MCU generation — there was plenty of fan service and nostalgic moments for the people who have been following the story since the beginning. But while there is fan service, funny moments, and enthralling action sequences, the film has its fair share of heartbreaking moments as well. The final act is well done, providing a fitting finale for one of the best, if not the best comic book movie franchise of all time. It also
ScHoolboy Q golfs himself out of depression By Gabe Carlos
legitgmc@gmail.com After a few scrapped versions, “CrasH Talk,” the long awaited and most anticipated album from Los Angeles rapper ScHoolboy Q, finally dropped on April 26. The 14-track album, just two minutes short of 40 minutes long, includes features by Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Kid Cudi and Atlanta rappers 6lack, 21 Savage and Lil Baby. This is also ScHoolboy Q’s first album since the passing of his close friend and rapper, Mac Miller. Q said the album was initially supposed to be released in late 2018 but because of Miller’s death in September, he didn’t feel right dropping any music and allowed himself time to grieve. The murder of fellow Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle on March 31 also made ScHoolboy Q push the album date back again one more week. ScHoolboy Q, was born Quincey Hanley on a military base in Germany, and later moved to South Central Los Angeles with his mother. In a 2014 interview with
radio station Hot 97, ScHoolboy Q said that he joined the 52 Hoover Street Gangster Crips at age 12 and started to sell hardcore drugs. Selling drugs, gangbanging and living his gangster Crip life in his teens are all common themes in ScHoolboy Q’s music and that doesn’t change in his fifth studio album.
“CrasH Talk” reminds us how sometimes, whether big or small, everyone crashes at some point. Photo courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment
In the first single, track four for “CrasH Talk” titled “Numb Numb Juice,” ScHoolboy Q tells the world that he is back in the rap game making music that he loves. In the song, ScHoolboy Q raps about his previous gangbanging lifestyle over a menacing beat made by Chicago producer duo, Nez & Rio. In the song “5200,” ScHoolboy Q raps about his wealth, his previous
CAMPUS PU
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“I honestly have been listening to Bryson Tiller on repeat. I like him because of the way that he speaks in his music and his message to young women and men.”
-ANTAHNIA WATSON Small Business Major
gang activities and how that got him to where he is today. On “Die Wit Em,” ScHoolboy Q discusses the things he did while being a Hoover Crip at such a young age and what he was willing to do with a gun at that time. The dark, violent song is similar to what would come off ScHoolboy Q’s third studio album in 2014 titled “Oxymoron,” that shot him up
to fame. In ScHoolboy Q’s third single and eponymous, “CrasH,” he raps about what his previous gang life means to his 10-year-old daughter, Joy. In an interview with GQ magazine, ScHoolboy Q talked about picking up golf and playing every day to battle his depression during the making of “CrasH Talk.”
contains a climactic final battle at the end, quite similar to the battle in Wakanda from “Infinity War.” Overall, “Avengers: Endgame” makes for an emotionally satisfying conclusion to a legendary cinematic franchise. It’s a film that pays respect to not only its fans, but its characters, taking time to flesh out each one and give some finality to their respective arcs.
ScHoolboy Q also discussed how Kendrick Lamar and one of his other TDE labelmates, Jay Rock, convinced him that his third version of “CrasH Talk” was good enough to be released and how he felt the darkness set in himself after the passing of Mac Miller. By just listening to “CrasH Talk,” some things have really changed for ScHoolboy Q over the years since putting out his last album, “Blank Face LP” in 2016. ScHoolboy Q is well past his former drug addiction and realized how important his daughter is to him during the making of the album. ScHoolboy Q said on social media that the minute the album came out that this is the happiest he has ever been with an album dropping, and that he is “literally smiling ear 2 ear.” In “CrasH Talk,” ScHoolboy Q tells us that his life has changed for the better. Once a dope dealing Hoover Crip which we heard about in his first three albums, he is now a father who spends his time golfing all day, then in the studio at night aiming to free his mind while battling depression. “CrasH Talk” reminds us how sometimes, whether big or small, everyone crashes at some point. It’s what we do to climb ourselves back to where we once were that makes us who we are.
Who is at the top of your playlist? “I listen to a lot of Logic ... I like Logic because he’s really political and I like his messages and everything. It’s [a] fun way to learn.”
-KYLA CRIST English Major
“Mostly [I] listen to music that Youtubers make. It’s more about what I’m interested in.”
-KYLE REED Computer Science Major
“Right now, I’m listening to a lot of Miguel because his songs make me feel like I’m in love.”
-KAYLA GARRISON Civil Engineering Major
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Photo Illustration by Patrick Hyun Wilson | Arts & Culture Editor
Art students will have a chance to submit designs that will be displayed as a part of the new Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics building. The contest deadline is Aug. 2, 2019.
ARC to reward designs for STEM building By Imani Smith imanirose14@gmail.com The Permanent Art Collection Committee at American River College, or PAC, is looking for three designs to be displayed throughout the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) building, which has been under construction since 2018. PAC selects art to be displayed throughout ARC’s campus. For each chosen design there is a $1,000 reward given out to the winning students. According to PAC, the designs
submitted should reflect and honor the main purpose of the building’s programs that include business and computer science, astronomy, mathematics, and physics and engineering. According to Patricia Wood, the Kaneko Art Gallery director, student artwork should also embody the mission of ARC. “Designs that represent and complement the broad mission of the college, student success, inclusion, diversity and environmental sustainability will also be considered,” Wood said. According to Wood, all of the graphic designs must be black
and white and will be printed on clear film and applied to the glass doors as well. PAC is looking for a black and white graphic design that will eventually be printed out and displayed on a large-scale banner. To submit designs, students must upload their design files and resume through the website, https://www.entrythingy.com/ arc.losrios.edu. Artists and designers may apply for all three competitions. The first area that students will be submitting their artwork for display is the STEM facilities stairwell area.
Students have the opportunity to submit their artwork to be displayed on the inside walls of the STEM building. The final area that PAC is looking to enhance with students’ artwork are the faculty office doors throughout the building. A selection committee will be judging all submitted designs and choose one design for each specific location throughout the STEM building. All artwork will be judged from Aug. 12 to Aug. 21 and the winners will officially be announced Aug. 21, 2019. Dru Wilson, architecture major,
says he hopes his artwork will be displayed on the walls of the STEM building. “I just think it’s such a cool opportunity to have my artwork up for everyone to see even when I’m long gone,” Wilson said. “I’ve just been working on my design since it was announced and I hope they consider it.”Construction on the new three-story STEM building has been underway since the fall of 2018 and will replace the Liberal Arts wing that has been on ARC’s campus since the 1960s. Students can contact Patricia Wood via email at WoodP@arc. losrios.edu
Relive ‘Beychella’ in Netflix’s ‘Homecoming’ By Alexis Warren alexis.warren81@gmail.com Just as we thought Beyoncé couldn’t be more of an inspiration, the performer released a Netflix documentary ‘Homecoming’ on April 17, featuring an in-depth look at the behind the scenes of the making of her 2018 Coachella performance. Thehis film showcases the hard work, dedication and sacrifice it took to make Beychella, her two hour performance as the first black woman to headline Coachella happen. I have watched this film numerous times on my phone, laptop and TV, and I can truly say it gets better each time as I’m wowed by certain details. “I personally selected each dancer, every light, the material on the steps, the height of the pyramid, the shape of the pyramid, every patch was hand sewn. Every tiny detail had an intention,” Beyoncé said in the film. I’ve watched the film enough times to notice and appreciate these minor yet striking details, including the colored lights that beam through the bleachers, the detail in each costume and the instruments that coincide with every stomp.
In this film, we witness Beyoncé wrap the theme of Beychella around historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), black excellence and women empowerment. “When I decided to do Coachella, instead of me pulling out my flower crown, it was more important that I brought our culture to Coachella,” Beyoncé said in the film, and she did just that. With a string of back-to-back empowering songs such as “Freedom,”“Lift Every Voice and Sing” — also known as the Black National Anthem — and the hit single “Formation,” she honored our culture with such passion, I couldn’t help but feel even more proud of the skin I am in. It’s so inspiring to see how much Beyoncé sacrificed to put on this show, such as being away from her family, including newborn twins, limiting herself to a very strict diet and getting her body back in shape after weighing 218 pounds the day she gave birth. A tear jerking moment for me is when Beyoncé described the struggle she experienced during her pregnancy. She informed viewers that her body went through more than she knew it could, adding she had high blood pressure along with developing
toxemia, preeclampsia. To hear her talk about that followed by seeing the hard work she put in to the show was beyond inspiring. My favorite parts in the film include the overall appreciation of black culture, the small glimpses we get of Beyoncé being a mom to her three kids, Blue Ivy Carter, Rumi Carter and Sir Carter, rehearsals with the band and dancers, and last but definitely not least, the high quality performance that was exquisitely edited with smooth transitions to feature both shows from weekend one and two. After watching this film, I feel like I can truly do anything I put my mind to. I feel as though I am powerful instead of powerless, regardless of what societies stereotypes against black women are. Seeing the hard work everyone put into making this performance happen for fans across the world to witness through screens, and Beyoncé making it a priority to uplift black culture, fills me with such gratitude. “I ask that we’re able to touch people and give them hope. To make people feel beautiful, strong and united,” Beyoncé said in a prayer at rehearsals. Queen Bey has done it again.
Photo courtesy of Coachella 2018
Beyoncé’s performance at Coachella 2018, colloquially known as ‘Beychella’ is a rich celebration of African American culture. The Netflix film, ‘Homecoming’ takes a behind the scenes look at the performance.
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May 8, 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Homagony’ brings high fashion to ARC By Irene Jacobs henrisquilts@gmail.com A large grassy “H” stretched down the runway, on either side of which seats quickly filled as the clock ticked closer to showtime. A hush fell over the crowd as an introduction video began to play, illustrating the hard work and dedication placed into creating the American River College fashion show. On May 4, the American River College fashion department held its 18th annual fashion show, celebrating life, culture, heritage and everything in between. This year’s designers were Nicole Lewis, Niarobi Onwukwe, Diana Collins, Tamika Huff, Laila Allathkani, Shannon Malnicof, and guest designer Quynhnhu Nguyen. This year’s theme was “Homogany,” a word dreamed up by the Fashions Promotions class and used to describe the change and passing down of tradition and the formation of something new. “We pay homage to those that inspire us,” the voiceover announced in a tremulous voice. “To define Homogany: Deconstructing Borders.”
The show opened with Nicole Lewis’ collection “Timeless” — a revamping of classic looks from the 1950s and ‘60s into a modern setting. Models draped in ballet pinks and hand-dyed navy blues walked to Queen’s “Killer Queen.” Second came “N’ayna,” Niarobi Onwukwe’s loving tribute to her Nigerian culture and heritage. Each garment featured rich primary colors as solids and geometric patterns, accessorized by gold statement necklaces and hoop earrings. Diana Collins’ “Springtime in Kyoto,” inspired by photos her husband brought back from a trip to Japan. Described as “contemporary sportswear,” the collection featured airy hand-dyed blue hues married with lace pieces and pops of red Japanese-inspired silk. Shannon Malnicof’s wrapped up the student designer segment with “Shattering Glass Ceilings,” a bold remix of the working woman shown through a monochrome color palette with wine-colored accents and pinstripe patterns finished off with a glittery sequined evening gown. Guest designer and winner of last year’s “Most Marketable” award from the ARC fashion show,
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Models walk the runway in the Student Center during the finale of the 18th annual fashion show “Homogany” put on by the American River College fashion department on May 4, 2019.
Quynhnhu Nguyen presented a collection inspired by her fluctuating mental states. Each model sported a bobbed haircut that was as sharply cut as the silhouettes, which featured yards of leather, zipper details, and cagelike fabric inserts. At the end of the event, fashion
instructors Anne Dieu and Dyanne Marte took the stage to announce that the 2019 Elizabeth Carlson Fashion Scholarship would be awarded to Diana Collins. “I was so surprised,” Collins said, beaming. “I had no idea it was coming!” Everyone was in a buzz after the
first show, but none more so than the designers. “I thought it would be nervewracking, but it was actually pretty chill. [Seeing my designs] was like magic. My vision really came to life,” Onwukwe said. “I was overwhelmed with happiness.”
Professer Jessa Ciel is modern day Renaissance woman By Jennah Booth
jennahpage@gmail.com Jessa Ciel is an activist and an enigma. A chameleon of an artist across many mediums. The American River College photography professor’s portfolio ranges from a social justice art installation, to directing her own short films and
working on the Academy Awardnominated film “Lady Bird.” Ciel is a filmmaker, photographer and writer, among many other things, passionate about the issues that permeate her community. Across her wide and varied range of projects, the thing that tethers them all together is her focus on the message her art is portraying.
P hoto by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Photography professor Jessa Ciel doesn’t adhere to one medium of art and lets her passion for social justice guide her projects.
Arts & Culture
Schedule of Events
Choir
5/14
Renaissance performance Concert and Chamber 7:30 p.m. @ ARC Theater
“I like creating something new and I love the challenge of that,” she said. “I don’t even try to make something that is repeatable, or that I can duplicate over and over again to like earn something from, because that’s not that interesting to me.” At ARC, Ciel teaches fashion, wedding, and portrait photography in the spring, and freelance photography in the fall. As a freelancer, Ciel says she has learned to adapt across many fields and she brings that skill set to her curriculum. She believes the key to making the leap from being a student to being a professional is confidence. Before Ciel taught at ARC, she was a student herself. She received her bachelor’s degree in film from California State University, Los Angeles in 2018, before returning to Sacramento where she decided to take photography classes at ARC in 2014. Ciel returned to ARC as a professor in 2018 after receiving her master’s of fine arts degree in photography from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, recommended to her by one of her professors, Jodie Hooker. Ciel says that Hooker was also instrumental in her transition from student to professor. “We needed someone who had run a business and had experience in the current photography market,” Hooker said, recalling Ciel’s work as a student in the program. “She was doing very political and controversial things and her work always had content and it was refreshing.” Ciel says her work often carries the weight of social justice. One of her more impactful projects
5/15
Student Exhibition Closing Reception 12 p.m. @ Kaneko Gallery
Kaneko
was the Beacon video installation, which is currently on display at the Torrance Art Museum in Southern California. During its original exhibition in 2017, Beacon resided in an empty building on 10th and K street in downtown Sacramento. Each week, videos revolving on a different social theme were projected out of the building’s 18-foot windows. Ciel, and a friend, Tre Borden, collaborated with over 50 artists from around the world to compile the art for Beacon, which revolved around themes like “consent,” “Black Week” and “Planned Parenthood.”
“I don’t even try to make something that is repeatable... that’s not that interesting to me.” Jessa Ciel
Photography professor “We were trying to get people to engage and think about art in a different way, like some of it was really provocative,” Ciel said. “We had a whole week called ‘Black Week’ and only had black artists during that week and all of the photography and video and everything were around those issues.” Ciel says that she’s an activist first and that it’s important for her art to convey a message about her community and the social injustice she sees. “I care about what’s happening in the world, I care about what’s happening in my community,” she
Jazz
5/10
Jazz combo showcase dir.
Matt Robinson & Dyne Eifertsen 7:30 p.m. @ Rm 547
said. “One of the things that bothers me the most is seeing inequity and seeing injustice and seeing lack of opportunity for anyone. Everything I can do to address that, I will do and it just happens to be that I’m an artist.” Ciel’s work often revolves around film. While living in LA she directed three short films. Once back in Sacramento, Ciel had the opportunity to work as a locations assistant for her childhood friend Greta Gerwig on her film “Lady Bird.” Ciel said that at the time, she and Gerwig never expected the film to gain the attention it did. “When [Greta] wrote ‘Lady Bird,’ ... she didn’t write it because there’s a guaranteed audience ... and [she’s] going to be nominated for an Academy Award,” Ciel said. “That’s always the hope, but ... you just make things you believe in and hope that it resonated with somebody else.” This is something Ciel carries into all of her work and the projects she decides to take on, no matter the medium. “The one thing that holds all these all together is sort of the way that I work in them, not the things themselves,” she said. “It’s the way that I care about community, … I care about art … I care about social justice … So now I can take those things and apply them to almost any other thing and that leads me forward.” Ciel is never bound to one medium, one idea or shacked to concept of making things “pretty.” “It’s about not being limited to one type of work,” she said. “And I think that at the end of the day, it’s not going to be one type of work that defines me.”
5/16-5/17 & 5/19
Big Dance Concert 5/16-17: 7 p.m. 5/19: 2 p.m. @ Dance Studio 235
Dance
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May 8, 2019
FEATURE
Dance major twirls into role of Stockton Kings dancer By Ashley Hayes-Stone ashgstone@gmail.com
After days of auditioning, Ariana Ogans steps on the glossy hardwood floor of the Sleep Train Arena sporting a bright yellow bikini with rhinestones that her mother added for her. The outfit is completed with a pinned, white circular paper that reads “number 126.” There, she approached a row of 60 girls who line up in front of a panel of judges with 35 purple bouquets. Ogans heart begins to pound as she hears the judge begin to call numbers and hand out flowers. With the bouquets dwindling, Ogans looks at the ground to calm her nerves when she hears her number echo throughout the arena. After two days of stressful auditions for the Sacramento Kings Dancers and the Stockton Kings Dancers, Ogans became a part of the first G League basketball team’s dance squad: the Stockton Kings Dancers. “I cried, I was just super excited to be a part of a dance team,” Ogans said. Now, as she attends American River College as a dance major,
Ogans balances her dreams of becoming a professional dancer with her studies. Growing up in the Rocklin area, Ogans started gymnastics at age 5 but at 6 she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She didn’t let her health keep her from participating in gymnastics, however, but her passion for dancing didn’t come until she attended her elementary school’s talent shows. There, she and her younger brother choreographed dances to some of their favorite Christian hip-hop artists, like Trip Lee and Lupe Fiasco. Her passion for dancing followed her to Rocklin High School where she took an entry-level dance class during her freshman year and immediately was bumped up to the third-level dance classes, where she stayed until her senior year. One thing she wanted more than anything was to be a part of her high school dance team, but when she tried out every year she was told the same thing each time. “I was told [by the coach] I didn’t blend in and I didn’t have the identity that they were looking for,” Ogans said. “They never had a colored girl on their team.”
By her junior year, the coach told the dancer not to bother auditioning, but her determination didn’t allow her to quit. During her senior year, she was able to take the dance team class, which was the most advanced class, but she was never allowed to be a part of the team. “It made me upset because it took something away from me, and I didn’t have that experience in being a part of a dance team,” Organs said. After graduating in 2017, she enrolled at ARC as a dance major and tried out for the Golden State Warriors dance team, the Warrior Girls, since she missed the Sacramento Kings Dancers auditions. Coming straight out of high school, Ogans says she wasn’t prepared for being surrounded by women who wore rhinestones on bright outfits, while she wore gym shorts and a sports bra. Then, last June, Ogans heard that the Sacramento Kings Dancers auditions were going to be different. The team was adding a dance team to its minor league team, which meant there were more openings. More than 200 girls tried out during the two-day audition, which included on the
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
American River College dance major Ariana Ogans is a dancer for the Stockton Kings Dancers, the Sacramento Kings minor league dance team.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Dance major Ariana Ogans will audition for a spot on the Sacramento Kings Dancers this coming June.
spot technique, jazz and hip-hop dance routines, interviews, and a solo dance routine. Being a part of the Stockton dance team means Ogans is an ambassador. Dancers make appearances at events and stay current on the world of basketball. According to Ogans, the Stockton Kings value education and their community; therefore, the dancers read to elementary school children and attend community events in the Stockton area. Ogans reflects on how being a part of a dance team gives her a sense of belonging. “They are my sisters … we all have the same dreams and they are always going to be cheering me on,” Ogans said. “I never had a good support system of friends in high school and they are the sweetest people ever.” It was Ogans’ mother, who loves to dance and even auditioned for the dance team when she was young, who inspired Ogans to dance and try out for the Kings dance team. When not performing on the court, Ogans twirls back into her role of an ARC Honors Dance company student dancer, where she
works on strengthening not only her skills as a dancer but others too. “I got to have a leadership role and choreograph dances [in the dance company],” Ogans said. “The company has helped me grow and be more confident as a dancer.” During the regular game season, Ogans says she struggled with scheduling between dancing with the team and her dance classes. ARC Dance Professor Sunny Smith sees Ogans’ potential but worries about her juggling her dream and school. “She going to have to learn not to overbook herself, but I know how hard it is ...” Smith said. “But I love her dancing, choreography and I like her as a person.” Ogans will participate in the Sacramento Kings dance auditions this late June and hopes to make it on the main team, no matter how many times she has to audition. “You have to be dedicated and know your goal for yourself and focus in on it like you can do it,” Ogans said.
Riddle navigates the music industry
By Ariel Caspar
arielcaspar@gmail.com Sitting in the dim lighting of the small performance room in the music theater wing at American River College, one would expect just another ordinary musician to step up to the microphone with a guitar and sing just another ordinary song, but there was something particularly intriguing about Riddle Anne. At a recent ARC Acoustic Cafe performance, her voice cut through the silent crowd with a passion that an artist could have only developed from years of pain and fighting to feel joyful, despite a few breakups and a broken relationship with her parents. There was a gripping story in her song that captivated every listener in the audience. “A worried laugh, a panicked smile / I swear I’m okay even
though it’s a lie / you ball your fists and I fight to cry / don’t worry about me, I do this a lot,” are lyrics from her emotional song, “Let’s Pretend We Work,” one of the two songs she performed at the Acoustic Cafe in March. Music and composition major, Riddle Anne has been at ARC for just one short semester. Anne gave up a possible career in genetics to pursue music wholeheartedly and is taking songwriting classes to refine her music abilities. She has performed in three Acoustic Cafe performances on campus, showcasing her multifaceted songwriting abilities. Anne is the lead singer and guitarist of her band, Us As Fighters. The group released a pop/rock extended play in February, and has another electronic dance music (EDM) EP in the works that she is hoping to release in the next couple months. What sets Anne apart from oth-
er musicians is her raw energy and drive to create a positive message in the music industry. “People always have this feeling of not being good enough, but we are enough,” Anne says. “You have to remember that you are worth it, and no matter how insignificant you feel, you’re important.” According to Anne, her home environment was challenging growing up because she was pressured to throw her dreams of making it in the music industry out the window and follow the status quo. Back in 2014, Riddle acquired a degree in genetics from the University of California, Davis, but did not find that career path fulfilling. Now 26, she’s decided to solely focus on her music career ,and network as often as possible with other music-minded people. ARC has a well-known music program throughout the Sacramento area and attracts many musicians, like Anne, looking for pathways and
Photo by Ariel Caspar | Staff Writer
American River College music student Riddle Anne performs an original song for the ARC Acoustic Cafe on March 1, 2019.
platforms to share their music. “I wanted to be in a place with people who have music on the brain,” Anne said. “People in music business, music management, that I can connect with. It’s not enough to just be a songwriter — you have to network.” Two years ago, Anne formed a band originally named Petracore,
but after losing band members, she and her bandmate, music business major and bass player Heather O’Bitts, decided to give the band a fresh start in August 2018 with a new name: Us As Fighters.
Riddle | Page 8
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May 8, 2019
FEATURE
Kassette’s Think Tank makes recording accessible By Hannah Yates hannahjycurrent@gmail.com A few miles out of downtown Sacramento, Jesse Hanes sits at a desk surrounded by speakers and walls lined with acoustic foam, scrolling through Spotify on a large screen to check for new releases. Though the new music studio, Think Tank Productions, doesn’t have much equipment in it yet, the American River College alumnus is one step closer to his dream of making music full-time. It’s only been open for about six months, after over a year of planning with the help of his collaborators. Hanes, otherwise known as Kassette, has plenty of work to do, between preparing music with his new group Busta, producing albums and teaching guitar lessons. Kassette was living in Lodi when he decided to move with a friend to Sacramento to attend ARC and pursue music in 2014. “A buddy of mine … [wanted to] do acting, and I was like, ‘Supposedly there’s a cool program over at ARC for audio and I know they got theater,’ ... and so we moved out here together,” Kassette says. Kassette grew up in church in Lodi as ‘the pastor’s kid,’ and as a teen, attended four days a week to lead youth groups in music and drum for the church band, which kept him both off the streets and practicing music. He played instruments as a teen, but didn’t see himself pursuing music through college. His dad became a pastor after leaving behind a life of dealing heroin. The crack epidemic in the 1980s caused some complications to his home life, and his uncle, who he refers to as his dad, took Kassette in as his own. “[My uncle] took me, and the rest of the family took my sisters in and my brother and so they kept us all together in Lodi and Stockton,” he says. After attending high school, he felt unfulfilled. After a period of homelessness at 19 and picking up debt from attending an expensive college in Oregon, Kassette was ready for a change. He moved cities with just enough money for an apartment deposit, and was able to land a job as a line cook and started working the day after arriving in Sacramento. Classes were easy to devote himself to, according to Kassette, who says he researched the recording process before moving. He wanted to be certain about what he was getting in to.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Former American River College music student Jesse Hanes, also knows as Kassette, makes beats in his new music production studio Think Tank Music in Sacramento, Calif. on March 22, 2019.
“I was coming in with the idea that like, I wanna mix and I wanna know what I’m doing so I can make things sound good,” Kassette says. Securing a job and apartment gave him a foundation to living in the city, though he continued to face challenges in addition to attending classes and juggling jobs to make ends meet. After moving just after what he described as “the toughest couple years of my life,” Kassette faced multiple losses in his family that year. On the first day of class, his sister called him with some bad news: His mother had stopped breathing and died unexpectedly. “Literally midnight, the night I started school at ARC ... I get a call and they’re at the hospital and my mom passed away,” Kassette says. He attended the first two days of classes to secure his spots and missed the rest of the first week, then threw himself into his studies and work, taking multiple jobs at a time to support himself. After earning a stipend of money after a semester as a drumline instructor, Kassette bought his first set of equipment and began recording audio in his room — where he worked up until last year — while going to classes in the day. Kassette finished all of the units required to complete the program, and although he hasn’t officially graduated, attending classes
in the music department taught him to be dedicated to his art. “So it was endurance, I feel like is what I learned to do at ARC. … Endurance and really being about your art,” he says. “People only take you as seriously as you take yourself.” He says he is grateful for the patience shown to him from the music professors at ARC in particular Professor Merlyn Van Regenmorter inspired him. “He was serious about the stuff, you know, but he was also understanding,” Kassette says. “Hearing his work and how his attitude (is), it made it easy to adjust, and it made it something that I could dive into and really be about.” Some local musicians and former ARC classmates Kassette works with include DJ Czechmate, with whom he recently released a music video. Both were also nominated for Sacramento News and Review’s 2019 Sammies Awards earlier this year; Kassette for both hip-hop/rap and producer/engineer, and Czechmate for deejay. “Czechmate was my first interaction with the scene in Sacramento, and I met her at ARC in music business (class),” Kassette says. Lately, he’s working at Think Tank Productions with musicians and podcasters, and his new group Busta. Kassette is still getting the foundations down for the
label, Think Tank Music, but says they plan to help musicians with anything they need help with; not only recording or producing the music, but branding and merchandise. Busta member, Jesse Szabo, is a music composer and producer who attended ARC and helped bring the studio to reality.
“[Kassette] knows how to bring the best out of an artist through composition of music and performance in the studio.” Jesse Szabo
Business partner “Think Tank Studio has been awesome. We’ve gotten to grow an incredibly wholesome network of people that have the right vision on community and what it means to be an artist,” Szabo wrote in an email to the Current. Though the two met in the music recording program, they didn’t make music together until a few years later. “[Kassette] knows how to bring the best out of an artist through composition of music and performance in the studio,” he says. “He doesn’t tell an artist what to do, he helps them make the
Riddle dropped genetics degree to follow music cont. from page 7 Every song released by the band has been written solely by Anne. She is a musician, lyricist and vocalist all in one, and works with three producers to help with mastering each track. Us As Fighter’s first EP of three songs was in a pop/rock style with sad elements, but since the EP’s release, Anne decided to shift the music to a more upbeat, pop EDM sound. “I want people to feel like they can dance the sadness away,” Anne says. “The best thing you can do when you’re sad is to find some silver lining and get your mind off your sadness.”
Anne says Us As Fighters’ main goal is to reach as large of a fan base as possible to spread their positive message. Riddle is constantly adapting the music to sound mainstream and current,
“You have to remember that you are worth it, and no matter how insignificant you feel, you’re important.” Riddle Anne
Music and composition major
with hopes the band will reach more listeners. O’Bitts says she’s comfortable with giving Anne creative control because she knows they’re always going to be on the same page. “We understand each other,” O’Bitts says. “When she comes to me with a new song, we already know we’re going to be able to convey and see eye to eye on it because we’ve been through it together already.” Anne and O’Bitts have been close friends for six years, and are the only two original band members left in Us As Fighters since its formation two years ago. “I’ve never met somebody who is not afraid to show the good, the
bad and the ugly. She allows herself to be vulnerable,” O’Bitts says. “When people listen to her music, they can feel what she’s feeling. When you hear her voice, you can hear the emotion and pain behind it.” Anne and O’Bitts have a common goal of maintaining the band’s positive message and using their music to uplift and inspire. “It is a fight to go from sad to happy, and people need to know they’re not alone,” Anne says. “You’re a fighter. We are fighters. Us As Fighters.”
great stuff greater.” The two are now are in a band together, self-described ‘neo funkhop’ band Busta, along with their vocalist Brittany Sellers, known as Zahkia. The band released its debut single on Valentine’s Day, titled “It’s Only Love,” featuring local artist Shane Q. “My vision for the music in this group is to make people want to dance. That’s it. As long as it’s drenched in funk and bass then I’m happy,” Szabo says. “Our singer Zahkia owns the stage and has attitude for days..” Kassette also works with musicians who aren’t based in Sacramento, like his other three-member band #Trending that released its album after two-and-a-half years of work. Though he says he is already lucky to work with the artists that he does, Kassette is assured that Sacramento’s music scene is only going to get bigger and better. Seeing the success and the sense of community has inspired Kassette to push himself in his career. “I’m just in the middle of it all, you know I’m more like the eye of the storm, watching everybody around me go through this stuff while I’m just getting in,” Kassette says. “And they’re all having my back and that’s the scariest part, because now I have to deliver.”
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May 8, 2019
SPORTS
Opinion: ARC should consider replacing Jumelet By Gabe Carlos legitgmc@gmail.com The American River College baseball team finished its 2019 season in a 7-1 victory over Cosumnes River College on April 26. The team finished its season with a poor 8-32 overall record and went 5-19 in conference play. The team’s batting average for the season was .229, on base percentage was .318 and they only had seven home runs. With this season, ARC baseball continues their streak of losing records to 14 seasons in a row. The last time the Beavers didn’t experience a losing season was in 2005, when the team went 27-10. Manager Doug Jumelet has been coaching at ARC for 20 seasons and has been managing the team for 16. In his first year as head of the club, ARC went 18-18 but missed out on the playoffs. Jumelet has been less than an average manager for quite some time. A man that hasn’t coached his team into a winning season should have been fired five years ago. People could even argue he should have been fired ten years ago. But people don’t pay attention to the school’s baseball team because they have been less than average for 14 years — which is exactly why Jumelet needs to relieve himself from his role or be let go from the baseball team. It’s not the ball players that could be bad either; Jumelet’s coaching is what’s bad for the school. High school players may think they would like to go to a
(File Photo)
American River College baseball manager Doug Jumelet talks to his team after getting routed 15-7 by Diablo Valley College in 2015. Jumelet is not qualified to manage the baseball team because he hasn’t had a winning record since 2005.
community college to play some baseball. The Sacramento players coming out to look at ARC realize they have a great school but the baseball team has been nowhere to be found in the last 14 years. It has been despicable and it falls on Jumelet. The Beavers’ 2019 campaign was Jumelet’s worst as the manager yet, followed closely only by 2012. In that season, ARC finished 8-28 and last in its division, the Big 8. ARC had a poor batting average of .233, on base percentage of .302 and only two home runs. In 2005, Jumelet second sea-
son, he had his best year managing the team. With a 27-10 record, the team’s batting average was an incredible .331, 11 home runs and their on base percentage was an impeccable .401. ARC was awarded the sixth seed in the 2005 Northern California Playoffs for Community Colleges. ARC got past Marin College in a 2-0 series win in the first round but got eliminated by Cosumnes River in the second round. Since then, whatever spark Jumelet started off with was gone and his teams haven’t even sniffed the playoffs since.
ARC needs someone new at the manager position for their baseball team. The athletic department needs to find someone who can bring a winner’s mentality to the diamond — somebody who can provide new drills, better offseason programs, recruit like hell and who aims to turn the ball club around. Jumelet no longer fits any of these requirements. In 2019, ARC lost an astonishing 15 games in a row in the middle of the season. The team only had two winning streaks on the season — the first two games of the season and the last two games.
Due to the team’s poor record, it’s possible that there are little to no scouts looking for players from ARC. No scouts means that everyone’s baseball career ends at ARC. Players are losing faith in themselves as the team continues to struggle. Jumelet’s time is up as manager of ARC’s baseball team. He has managed the team for too damn long for the club to not get anywhere. Not making the playoffs since 2005 is a sick joke. If ARC wants students to come to their school to play meaningful baseball, they need to turn towards another direction. As someone who loves the game of baseball, it is sad to see my school’s baseball be so terrible for a decade and a half. If ARC is looking to improve its baseball team, Jumelet is not the answer.
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The danger of concussions for student-athletes at ARC HEAD INJURIES MAY IMPACT ACADEMICS
By Breawna Maynard maynardbreawna@gmail.com “Everything felt amplified, things are brighter and sounds started sounding like the volume is turned up,” said Marissa Hady, former American River College student, describing her concussion experience during a soccer game in October 2018. Head injuries and concussions are common in student-athletes. Many students here at ARC have experienced a concussion sustained during a sports game. Concussions can cause various personal and academic problems. Students at ARC who have suffered a concussion struggle with the ability to learn and focus in a classroom. Hardy says she felt unmotivated in the classroom after her concussion. “It was hard for me to focus in a classroom because I was focused on everything that would be agitating me in that moment,” Hardy said. “I also began to have aggressive sleep paralysis and forgetfulness from time to time.” Ariel Caspar, staff writer for The Current, says she faced difficulties after getting a concussion during a volleyball game November 2018. “It created a mental fogginess for myself. I had a hard time finding words and remembering something that happened during
the day,” Caspar said. After Caspar’s concussion, she chose to take a break from school to give herself time to recover. She said she felt she couldn’t go back to school because being in a classroom affected her vision and her ability to focus. “It messes with your depth perception on how far or close things really are,” Caspar said. “The aspect of focusing in general was really hard, looking at something and processing what I was looking at and then applying it was a struggle for me.” Shaniece Daniels, small forward for the women’s basketball team at ARC, suffered a concussion during a home basketball game in January. While Daniels was in the hospital for a few days, she was eager to get back to school although she was still dealing with head pain, sensitivity to lights and her focus.
“I also began to have aggresive sleep paralysis and forgetfulness...” Marissa Hardy
Former ARC soccer player “I’ve never had a problem with paying attention in class and doing what I need to do, but right now I feel like I am struggling and it plays with your mental a lot when you know you’re capable of doing more,” Daniels said. According to the Health Line, a health information website, the recovery process for a concussion
Hartnell College midfielder Patricio Nolasco lies on the field while other players talk with the referee during a soccer game against American River College on Sept. 20, 2015.
in most cases takes up to seven to 10 days. However, if an athlete doesn’t follow his or her doctor’s orders or gets the rest he or she needs, the process can go as long as several months to a year, which can be a sign of post-concussion syndrome. Mark Giorgi, coach for the men’s basketball team at ARC, said the process of treating mid-game concussions is very precise. “We have an athletic training staff that goes through a protocol, so if a concussion happens during a game, the trainer will come out run some visual test and if need be they will bring the player to the training room to run more test,” Giorgi said. According to the Brain Line,
health information and support website posted on Jul. 30, 2018, 15 percent of student-athletes reported at least one concussion during a 12 month period, 6 percent reported two or more concussions, 69 percent of athletes with a possible concussion played with concussion symptoms and 40 percent of those athletes said their coach was not aware they had a possible concussion. Reported incidence of concussion is higher in female athletes than in male. Athletes who have had a concussion, at any point of their lives, have a greater chance of getting another concussion, according to Brain Line. Giorgi explained that in order for an athlete to play again it de-
(File Photo)
pends on how severe the concussion is and they will have to pass a concussion test before they can be released to practice. “Our trainers are all up to date when it comes to this kind of stuff and coaches have to also go through a learning process, I think that ARC errs on a side of caution to contain it,” Giorgi said.
ON THE WEB For more ARC sports coverage, go to ARCurrent.com
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May 8, 2019
SPORTS
Tough decision pays off for ARC freshmen TJ Pesefea DEFENSIVE LINEMAN RECRUITED BY ARIZONA STATE AFTER JUST ONE YEAR PLAYING FOR BEAVERS By Imani Smith
would take one year at ARC and I just followed through,” Pesefea imanirose14@gmail.com said. Jon Osterhout, head football For many community college athletes, transferring out of Amer- coach at ARC, coached Pesefea ican River College after only one and says his athletic ability and year is a goal that can be difficult his efforts in class make him an all to reach. It’s reality, however, for around athlete. “TJ is a tremendous football football player, Tautala Pesefea — player that’s got a lot of potential, or ‘TJ’ for short. he has tremendous size and athAs a 6-foot-4 defensive lineletic ability, ” Osterhout said. “He man out of Foothill High School graduating in 2018, Pesefea ini- takes his classwork seriously and tially earned Division I scholar- is everything we look for in a solid ship offers from nearby California football player.” Osterhout told him that UniverState University, Sacramento and sity of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Davis. He University of California, took recruiting trips to By the Southern California both colleges, then were interested Numbers: decided to enroll and he would at ARC instead. have had even “After all me more opportuand my famnities had he ily had been tackles in tackles per played another through, I felt nine games game in con- year at Amerilike I could do for ARC ference play can River. Howbetter than Sac ever, Pesefea says State or Davis. And he had everything he that’s nothing against wanted in the Sun Devils their schools or what they do or who they are as programs, and felt ready for the next step. “I visited ASU and just kind of it’s just, I took a bet on myself, I believed I could make something knew that that was the school for me, I wanted to transfer to a more of myself,” Pesefea said. Pesefea completed one full year school that would help me acaat ARC before being recruited by demically and also challenge me Arizona State University for the on the field.” Pesefea said. According to Pesefea, his jourupcoming fall semester. According to Pesefea, the journey has ney at ARC was short; it changed him as a person and as a player.w been fulfilling. “I didn’t know what to expect As a freshman for ARC, he tallied 17 tackles in nine games, in- when I came here but I’ve enjoyed cluding 1.5 tackles for loss and my time at ARC, I feel like I’ve learned a lot from my teachers one sack. A full academic qualifier out of and coaches and even my teamhigh school, Pesefea is expected mates,” Pesefea said “I consider to be immediately eligible and myself blessed that I was able to will have three seasons of eligibil- transfer after only one year.” ity at ASU. “Out of high school I had other college offers but I took a bet on myself and told my family that it
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Photo courtesy of T.J Pesefea
Freshman defensive lineman T.J Pesefea played just nine games for American River College while completeing his goal to play one year at a community college and transfer to a Division I school.
Football team focuses on getting back on top in 2019 OSTERHOUT AIMS FOR REDEMPTION
By Irene Jacobs henrisquilts@gmail.com As the semester comes to a close at American River College, many student athletes and their teams are looking back on the past season and toward the future. With the summer semester being all that stands in the way before football starting up, head football coach Jon Osterhout says he is hopeful for the future. “I thought this season certainly ended on the right note,” Osterhout said. “It was exciting and I think we have a really good young nucleus of student athletes coming back from that football team. Hopefully they’ve gained a lot of experience and knowledge.” He noted that the team overcame “quite a bit of adversity” in the past season, but for the most part chooses to focus on the positives. Quarterback Marco Baldacchino agreed, adding that the season was marred by “a lot of bumps in
the road.” “We didn’t play to our standard in the first four or five games,” Baldacchino said. “We set the reset button and finished the season strong, but we didn’t have the season ARC is known to have. It was a learning experience for everyone ... I was proud of the grit and heart our team had to finish the season out on a strong note.” Though Osterhout acknowledges that there were a number of notable games and plays throughout the season to reflect on, he affirmed that the focus was really toward the future. “During the offseason we go through scheme analysis and evaluation,” Osterhout said. “Looking at our current roster and who’s coming back, what kind of value they bring into the program and schematically look[ing] at areas of improvement where we can get better as a whole.” At the moment, the team is gearing up for summer training, having spent 14 weeks in strength and conditioning work, while also focusing on growing mentally as a team. “I think they’ve got a really solid understanding what our expectation level is within our football
(File Photo)
Running back Daniel Wright Jr. is tackled by a Fresno player at the American River College v. Fresno game on Saturday Sept. 29, 2018.
program, and I like where we’re headed,” Osterhout said. “It’s a long ways before we get there, but I certainly like this starting point where we’re at.” When it comes to preparing, Baldacchino said he sticks to his basics. “I play like I know how to play,
stay on top of my footwork and watch a lot of film,” Baldacchino said. “Physically, I’m just trying to get stronger and put on weight. Mentally, I just stay even ... and enjoy every moment with this big family we have at ARC.” As for improvements for next season, Osterhout said he hopes
that he can bring the team together from a leadership standpoint. “It comes with just being committed and taking a professional approach,” Osterhout said. “The preparation goes into it, doing it day in and day out and everything else takes care of itself.”
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May 8, 2019
OPINION
CURRENT EDITORIAL
Toxic masculinity is a danger to society By Current Editorial Board current@arc.losrios.edu For decades, society has used terms like “macho,” or “red-blooded” to describe the kind of burly masculinity that men are, on some level, expected to adhere to. Today society has started to call this by another name: toxic masculinity, and it affects everyone you know. In order to combat the ongoing problem of toxic masculinity, society needs to be conscious and open about just how problematic this issue truly is. Toxic masculinity is what can come of teaching young boys that they can’t openly express any emotion that isn’t anger, or that “boys don’t cry.” It is the expectation that all men must be strong and protective, sexually active and athletic. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide rates among males are nearly four times higher than the rate among females. Men are also less likely to report that they’ve been sexually assaulted according to the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services. Both of these stats are clear indicators of the harmful impact of the toxic expectations many men suffer from. Many men who experience sexual assault and mental illness tend to never reveal it out of fear of being shamed, ridiculed, and in the case of many heterosexual men, being perceived as gay. Men are also more resistant to expressing their emotions, or asking for help, in fear of being perceived as weak. The term “toxic masculinity” entered our vocabulary after Terry Kupers, a renowned American psychiatrist, published an article titled, “Toxic Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment
Photo illustration by Patrick Hyun-Wilson| Arts & Culture Editor
Toxic masculinity can pressure men into hiding their emotions, to avoid being perceived as weak or unmasculine.
in Prison” in 2005. Kupers wrote that toxic masculinity was a “constellation of socially regressive male traits that serve to foster domination, the devaluation of women, homophobia, and wanton violence.” Toxic masculinity can shape the culture of college campuses. College is a time for young people to discover and learn more about themselves and their identity, and the mindset of toxic masculinity is often forced on to young men during this impressionable time. When men don’t fit society’s standards they may be told to “grow a pair” or be called a “sissy.” Young boys grow up fearing that their existence as a man will be questioned if they challenge those standards. Especially as teenagers, boys will com-
ment on aspects that reflect someone’s perceived masculinity. They learn to enforce these toxic roles on each other, often coming from a place of uncertainty in themselves. Once these ideas of ‘the perfect man’ have been reinforced in their minds, many will base their self value on how well they live up to these expectations. When boys are called more traditionally female specific insults they begin to further equate women on that same degrading level. This only continues the cycle of sexism and violence against women. These societal norms affect the LGBTQ+ community greatly as well. Living in a heteronormative and cisnormative society, there is pressure on many LGBTQ+ people to fit a certain manly ste-
reotype. Some trans people feel that they must overperform gender roles in order to be accepted. They may have to try harder to achieve these ideals otherwise people may choose not to recognize them as their correct gender. Many trans women have faced ostracization or misgendering by the men in their life as a part of many men’s obligation to protect and reinforce toxic masculinity. The American Psychological Association (APA) has deemed the concept of “manliness” harmful. The male image seems to have become wildly distorted and has impacted our entire society. According to the APA, “Masculine ideals, such as the restriction of emotional expression and the pressure to conform to expectations of dominance and aggression, may heighten the potential for boys to engage in general acts of violence including, but not limited to, bullying, assault, and/or physical and verbal aggression.” Men are uncomfortable with challenging and stepping away from a construct that has been enforced against them for what feels like a lifetime, and those who benefit from toxic masculinity, like men in positions of power or authority, will not want to question it. In order for this issue to change, society has to collectively acknowledge that this a problem that needs to be addressed, discussed and dismantled. As long as society ignores the fact that toxic masculinity is a pervasive problem, and allows destructive concepts of ‘manliness’ to shape the male identity, violence and inequality is the inevitable and tragic outcome.
I’m not angry, that’s just my face WHY I STOPPED APOLOGIZING FOR MY RBF By Jennah Booth jennahpage@gmail.com “It’s cool that you can be mean to people and not care.” I’m not an unkind person, so a passing comment like this, despite its genuine intent, would typically send me into a confused panic just nine months ago. I would search through all of my social interactions, trying to find the exact moment when society had deemed me a “bitch,” and I had unknowingly accepted the label. My first semester as an editor for the Current taught me that, after years of battling internalized guilt over societal constructs surrounding my gender and how it’s supposed to dictate my personality, I should stop apologizing for the traits that make me a strong leader. Most people’s first impressions of me could be condensed into comments like, “you scared me at first,” “you’re pretty intimidating,” and “I thought you hated me.” Some combination of my reserved demeanor and unenthusiastic natural expression — or resting bitch face (RBF) as society has formally labeled it — acts as a social repellent that I’m never actively aware of, and did not ask for. My facial expression doesn’t make me a bitch; it makes me serious about what I’m doing. My en-
thusiasm is not bossy, it’s me caring about my work and the newspaper I represent. And if my passion makes me “mean,” then I’m not sorry. Social constructs surrounding gender have long concluded that women are expected to be beaming examples of happiness, openness and comfort. Unfortunately for me and my femininity, my face does not agree. This stigma is not uncommon among women. In 2016, research firm Noldus Information Technology used the company’s facial recognition software FaceReader to try to determine what causes some people’s neutral expressions to be perceived as RBF. NIT behavioral researcher Abbe Macbeth told the Washington Post that after analyzing over 10,000 human faces, RBF was found to be equally common among both men and women. “RBF isn’t necessarily something that occurs more in women, but we’re more attuned to notice it in women because women have more pressure on them to be happy and smiley and to get along with others,” Macbeth said. This sense of my unintentional intimidation towards others was amplified in leadership positions, and came to a paranoid peak when I found myself responsible for 13 other writers and the content we produced for our college’s student-
Photo illustration by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor
Current editors (from left to right) Alexis Warren, Hannah Yates, Jennah Booth and Imani Smith are unapologetic about being assertive in the newsroom.
run paper. I assumed every request I made would be perceived as aggressive, bossy or mean. My relationships with my peers were riddled with paranoid assumptions that they hated me. I was timid in requesting even the simplest things from others, and apologized for asking, even when someone had already failed to meet expectations. Over time I realized that as a leader, there is no fault in demanding what is expected of people. Men in leadership positions are not criticized for being strict, assertive or passionate. Emotional and compassionate qualities are traits that have come to be expected from strictly female leaders, who are often perceived as less competent because of them.
Women who are strong or demanding are immediately stereotyped as “pushy” or “bitchy.” Despite this, male-associated traits like strength, grit and tenacity are some of the most common qualities attributed to powerful female leaders according to Forbes, which asked eight members of the Young Entrepreneur Council to share one trait that modern women leaders should possess in 2017. Many of the traits that make good leaders are also traits that society dislikes in women: They’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t, so unfortunately most just don’t. In August 2018, Business Insider listed the mere 25 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies that year. Women representatives don’t even reach 30 percent in most areas of government in 2019, according to
stats from the Center for American Women and Politics. I used to smother the qualities that make me a good leader in fear of being disliked, and I don’t think I’m alone. Narratives about women are changing, but how many women are still silencing themselves in fear of the “bitch” label? My position is something that I’m passionate about and my personality is catered to. There’s a reason I’m in this position and it has nothing to do with how much I smile. I want to continue to learn and push myself without shackling myself to the fear that I won’t be liked because of it. I’m not going to stunt my growth or abilities due to outdated gender norms. I care about what I do and I won’t continue to apologize for my passion, my competency or my face.
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May 8, 2019
BACK PAGE
American River College
Lavender Graduation by Hannah Yates & Ashley Hayes-Stone hannahjycurrent@gmail.com ashgstone@gmail.com
& Pride Awards
Departments across campus banded together in the music recital hall on May 3 to make the 2019 Lavender Graduation an uplifting and powerful night. Fourteen graduates walked the stage to collect their diploma, rainbow cap tassel and unicorn pin from the ARC Pride Center staff. The second Lavender Graduation held at ARC and the first held since the opening of the center, this year showed a big increase in participation — and in glitter.
Photo by Hannah Yates | Managing and Copy Editor Members of American River College’s Chamber Singers choir dance during their performance on May 3.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor Pride Center student mentor Tori Miller and Equity Programs and Pathways Dean Joshua Moon Johnson pose with a prop frame at the ceremony on May 3, 2019.
Lavender Graduations celebrate the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students with their family and allies. The first Lavender Graduation was held in 1995 at the University of Michigan; they are now held at campuses across the United States.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor Fourteen graduates collected their diplomas on May 3 at American River College’s Lavender Graduation. The number of graduates almost tripled from last year.
Photo by Hannah Yates | Managing and Copy Editor Raven Kauba, a member of UNITE, receives her tassel from the Dean of Equity Programs and Pathways, Joshua Moon Johnson, on May 3, 2019.
Photo by Ashley Hayes-Stone | Photo and Multimedia Editor Graduate Jareth Ryford shows off their unicorn pin, 3-D printed for the event by the Design Hub, on May 3, 2019.