CURRENT The
Wednesday 03.08.17 American River College Sacramento, Calif. Vol. 68, Ed. 8
STUDENT HIT BY CAR FIRST WEEK AT ARC IN 1978
W.E.A.V.E HELPS DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS SPEAK OUT By Solange Echeverria solangerecheverria@gmail.com
Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez/ Managing editor Tom Roberts holds up a ceramic boat he made at American River College. Roberts survived a traumatic brain injury in 1978. He has been enrolled at ARC since 1989.
Head trauma survivor makes positive impact By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com A red Volkswagen van. That’s the color and model that he will never be able to get out of his head, during his weekly meeting at the Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury Support group every Wednesday at American River College. Tom Roberts enrolled in ARC in the fall of 1978. Fresh out of the Navy and cultured from all of his travels, he planned on getting his Associate of Arts degree in business. This all changed when the driver of a red Volkswagen van was traveling on the same road just as the sun was setting. Roberts was riding his dirt bike home from college when he was hit by the man with the sun in his
Luis Gael Jimenez/ Managing editor
Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury Support (TABIS) membes, left to right, Pearl Calhoun, Tod Winebarger and Tom Roberts laugh together in their weekly TABIS meeting. Roberts attends the group every week.
eyes. Most head trauma victims remember their accident and Roberts is no exception. For 14 days Roberts remained in a coma and for six months, he
said, “I just existed.” When he finally woke up Roberts didn’t know what had happened but he remembers that he was unable to speak.
For more ARC coverage, go to www.arcurrent.com
INDEX
2 News 4 3 Scene 5
Sports Feature
@ARCurrent
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A&C Opinion
The fact that Roberts survived the accident is a miracle in itself, but what it possibly even more impressive is that he has been attending ARC since he re-enrolled in 1989. Roberts, “is a fixture here,” said Barb Westre, counselor for the Disabled Students Programs and Services program. The contrast between his life before and his life now is a stark one. Roberts grew up in Bogota, Columbia and lived there until he was about 10; he then moved to Miami, Florida where he attended a military academy. He followed school by enlisting in the Navy when he was 19 and served from 1974-1978. While he was in the Navy, Roberts worked on two aircraft carriers, the USSD Franklin Roosevelt and the USS Oriskany as a
Head trauma | Page 3
@ARCurrent
SPORTS PAGE 4
The Los Rios Community College District and Women Escaping Assault and Violent Environments have partnered together to bring a WEAVE Confidential Advocate to each of its campuses one day per week. WEAVE is Sacramento’s primary provider of violence and crisis prevention services, offering resources and support to victims of gender-based violence, which encompasses domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking. On campus, American River College’s Student Health Center is the place for students to come and get support, information and referral from the WEAVE Confidential Advocate regarding the spectrum of gender violence. “Health starts with us having our basic needs met and goes on to include; feeling safe and secure, having a sense of belonging, feeling respected by others, and having the ability to respect ourselves,” said Michelle Arnott, ARC’s Health Center Director. Arnott added that access to resources, along with crisis response, education, and expertise is critical in providing support to those who report sexual assault or intimate partner violence.” The initial groundwork in providing this support was laid under Title IX, landmark federal legislation enacted in 1972 that prohibits sexual discrimination in schools. Over the years sexual discrimination has been expanded to include sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence under Title IX and schools are also required to have policies and procedures in place to help students who are victims.According to information from the non-profit organization Know Your Title IX, 19 percent of college women will be sexually assaulted during their time in college and 84 percent of those assaults will occur within a student’s the first four semesters of enrollment. According to the website CampusSafety.com members of the LGBTQ community are also at risk with nearly half of all bisexual men and nearly four in ten gay men have experiences some type of sexual violence other than rape in their lifetimes; 46 percent of bisexual women and one in eight lesbian women experience
/ARCurrentcom
From Africa to American, men’s basketball player Baidi Kamagate established himself at ARC.
W.E.A.V.E. | Page 2
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Month 8, 2017
News
Get published in the American River Review By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com The American River Review is accepting art submissions for its annual literary magazine, which features different categories like prose, poetry, fashion, culinary and visual arts. The ARR is a literature and arts magazine produced annually by American River College students; the well-respected publication regularly wins national prizes, according to its Facebook event page. The ARR allows students interested in submitting their work to have the opportunity and honor of possibly having their art published. This semester the submissions were held in February on campus; students came to have their art photographed to go in the award winning magazine. Different forms and categories of art, such as paintings, print, drawings, photographs, sculpture, applied art, digital art, jewelry, ceramics and many other types of visual arts were accepted. Although students are encouraged to submit work, it is not guaranteed to be published. According to its website, the ARR is a student-run magazine where they are responsible for accepting or rejecting submissions, writing, editing, deciding the layout and producing the final copy of the magazine. The work that makes it into the final publication is decided by the staff in the class on campus. The process of choosing what goes into the journal is a long process. It is an 18 month long process, according to their website, where “hundreds of pieces of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and alternative genre are submitted for consideration.” Individual works are analyzed, read, observed and discussed by the staff until a “final vote decides which works will be selected, edited, and published,” according to the website. Once the works are selected, the staff meet with the authors to discuss their pieces. Aside from that, the faculty are only involved in providing the financial and legal aspects of the production. The ARR 30th volume will be released on Dec. 9 of this year. Submissions come in twice in a year, and each edition is the next year’s edition. The 2017 edition was put together last year. This year, the staff is working on the 2018 edition for next year. Copies of previous issues can be found in the library on reserve, in the ARC bookstore, or in the English department office. Students can support their local artists by purchasing the ARR journal at the ARC bookstore. For more information, visit their website at: https://americanriverreview.wordpress.com/
Illustration by Lidiya Grib / Arts and Culture Editor
Students need a place where they can open up about traumatic events in their life. W.E.A.V.E. provides that opportunity.
W.E.A.V.E. OFFERS STUDENTS A SAFE PLACE TO TELL THEIR STORIES continued from page 1 rape in their lifetime. Men are also not immune from sexual assault, neither are the disabled who are three times more likely to be assaulted than those that do not identify as disabled. Gender-based violence and the ensuing trauma it causes can have a heavy impact on victims, especially on their education. That is the reason why, according to KnowYourTitleIX.org, a national organization dedicated to eradicating sexual assault and gender violence on college campuses, it has dual status as both a criminal and civil rights offense. In a report published in 2015 by the The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the myths and stereotypes of victims are stubborn and pervasive; there are common misconceptions that abuse or assault only happens to low income women or minorities. The victim is often seen as provoking the violence, asking for it. In the case of sexual assault, girls and women are commonly still questioned about how they were dressed or how much alcohol they had to drink when they report assault or abuse. Men are often ignored or ridiculed as victims because of
the perception that they can’t be raped or beaten by intimate partners. Creating safety can be a very complex journey for the victim, but there are difficulties for those charged with helping as well. according to Erienne Ramos, ARC’s Weave Confidential Advocate . Ramos added that schools can be microcosms of the world at large, and stereotypes about victims and perpetrators abound inside the hallways of institutions of higher learning just as they do everywhere else. Ramos added that it’s not just female victims of sexual assault and violence that fall prey to stereotypes, they persist for male victims as well. “There is a perception that men are always so horny that they can’t be raped. Also, men who report are often seen as weak,” Ramos said. Ramos helps students navigate that complex journey by providing advocacy, information and resources to all that come through her door every Wednesday afternoon. Ramos works on all campuses in the Los Rios Community College District. “It can be very scary to drive to the WEAVE office, to talk to a total stranger. We want to remove bar-
ASB NOTEBOOK
riers. I can meet students literally where they are at,” Ramos said. Although the numbers of gender-based assaults reported to the Los Rios Police Department through the Clery Act were relatively low in 2015 with a total of seven crimes reported that year, Ramos says she expects those numbers to rise as more students come to her requesting help. In addition to the regulations under Title IX, schools and colleges in the United States are required by The Clery Act to keep crime reports that occur on campus. The Clery Act, named after Jeanne Clery, a student who was raped and murdered in her dorm room by a fellow student with a documented history of on-campus assault, also requires schools to develop school safety policies and protocols as well as to give “timely” warning to known risks to public safety -i.e. sex offenders. In addition, it protects victims against retaliation either on behalf of the perpetrators and the institutions themselves; for example, college employees are prohibited from urging a victim not to file charges or a formal complaint. This has been a common factor in the past as colleges and universities seek to protect their
public reputations. This helps students by requiring transparency on behalf of colleges and universities in terms of policies and procedures as well as removing the barriers that prevent victims from getting help. All services provided through the WEAVE Confidential Advocate are confidential and while the services are listed by appointment only, Ramos says she encourages drop-ins for anyone reaching out to her for help. Translation services are available for limited English speaking students. In a written statement Ramos also shared some advice for friends and allies of victims should they come to them for help. She suggests that you believe your friend and tell them it’s not their fault. “Don’t judge or blame them. Empower victims to make decisions on their own-do not tell them to leave or what to do. Give them helpful resources [such as a contact for WEAVE]” The WEAVE Confidential Advocate is available at ARC every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., located in the Student Health Center. For more information, contact Ramos at WEAVEConfidentialAdvocate@losrios.edu.
For weekly coverage of ARC student government, go to ARCurrent.com.
STUDENT SENATE DISCUSSES NEED FOR A ‘SAFE ZONE’ ON ARC’S CAMPUS By John Ennis alexennis@gmail.com At the Student Senate’s February 16 meeting, the senate’s president Valencia Scott read a draft of a joint resolution to designate ARC as a “safe zone” for students who have been impacted by the recent rhetoric and executive orders from the federal government because of their place of origin, religious or ethnic identity. The draft would reaffirm ARC’s commitment to support the principles of inclusion and sanctuary Photo by Mack Ervin III/ Multimedia Editor for all employees and students ASB Senate president Valencia Scott (left) recites the oath of office to Senaand keep its doors open to stu- tor Serena Hawamdeh during a Senate meeting on Feb. 16, 2017 at ARC. dents “regardless of economic The resolution wasn’t the only standing, race, ethnicity, sex, gen- categories,” according to the document. item on the senate’s agenda. In der identity, sexual orien Student Senate partnered with the meeting, Student Senate Adtation, religious beliefs, immiAcademic Senate and Classified visor Juan Blanco announced to gration status, disability or other Senate to jointly write the draft. the board that an ITC Systems
GoPrint printing station has been ordered for the Student Center. The GoPrint station will be connected to computers in the Center for Leadership and Development and the Hub, Blanco said. “As of now, computers in the CL&D and computers in the Hub will be able to print from that GoPrint Station. It’s going to be connected. That’s going to shift, I think, the dynamics of those environments,” Blanco told members. Blanco added that he hopes the printer will be delivered by the end of March and that he will provide the board with more information as it becomes available. The board also continued its discussion about the parking free increase starting this summer, and delegated responsibility for communicating the details about the increase to students.
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Luis Gael Jimenez / Managing editor
Barbe Westre and Tom Roberts go over a photo album. Westre is a counselor for Disabled Students Programs and Services at American River College and has been working with Roberts since 2001.
new ones. In Robert’s case he is lucky. Not only has he made improvement with his memory but he has tools that help him to get through daily life. “Tom is very good at making lists and remembering dates. It is amazing actually. I don’t know how he does it,” Westre said. Even though Roberts ‘always has a smile on his face, he still has memory of the person he was before his accident. “I think that’s one of the worst things: they remember how they used to be,” Westre said. Some of the hardest things for Roberts have not only been the memory of his past self but also the memories he never got to create, the aspirations he never got to live out--like having a girlfriend.
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Meeting Tom has made a huge difference in my life… there’s nobody in this group that makes as much as difference as Tom.
- Ben Uchytil
“Iwant a girl,” Roberts said. Since his accident Roberts said that has been one of the hardest things for him to live without. But beyond what he has to live without, there is also the discus-
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as a mechanic. After he was discharged Roberts came directly to ARC and since his return, his TABIS peers say he’s been a positive influence. “Meeting Tom has made a huge difference in my life… there’s nobody in this group that makes as much as difference as Tom,” TABIS member Ben Uchytil said. Uchytil, a former high school teacher with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, also suffered a blow to the head;a few years later his colon perforated and caused his body to start shutting down. Because of his injury and illness, Uchytil said began to experience cognitive confusion. He is now back at ARC and on track to transfer to Sacramento State in fall 2017 where he will work toward getting his master’s degree in mathematics. This ability to inspire so many people, including Uchytil, attests to the fact that Roberts has grown to accept his challenges in life with dignity and grace. “I don’t think I could have the nerve to be doing what I’m doing now… to go and get my master’s if it weren’t for Tom,” Uchytil said. Tod Winebarger, another TABIS member who was shot on accident by a friend when he was 12, said he admired Uchytil’s positive attitude. “Yeah Tom is mean… throws clay at the teacher,” Winebarger joked.e quickly followed this joke with an appreciation, “Tom has a great personality… always positive with a smile even if he’s having a bad day. He’s always smiling.” The severity of head trauma varies from person to person and can impair a person so badly that they have thwe attention span that lasts only minutes. “My injuries aren’t nearly as severe as Tom’s, but he never preaches, never complains. I have learned from him not to focus on my disabilities,” Uchytil said. Memories can be completely forgotten and for head trauma victims it can be very difficult and sometimes impossible to retain
sion of what he has to live with. Roberts has a difficult time speaking and he has almost no short term memory. He said he has a hard time “expressing words,’ and he can’t read the newspaper.
Yet even with all of his challenges, he tries to combat every negative with a positive. “It’s a whole new story now… it has to be that way,” Roberts said.“You have to smile period… It’s hard, it’s complex... because of the situation I had to learn how to smile.” His energy and enthusiasm is palpable to those who meet him; at one point in the interview, for example, he began singing “ObLa-Di, Ob-La-Da” by The Beatles. Pearl Calhoun, another TABIS member, said. “He’s always making us laugh...very kind, very loving, very caring. We’re just like family. You just want to be close to him.”
The return of the Oak Cafe
By Joel Whited
imjoelwhited@gmail.com It’s time to switch up your usual cafeteria schedule and head to the Oak Café, which recently opened for its third year inside the Culinary Arts Building on Feb. 8. Brian Knirk, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Department Chair, said the program is unique among college culinary programs because it consistently produces and serves
high quality foods. “When the restaurant moved into its new building two years ago, the menu increased since the kitchen and the size of the class increased,” Knirk explained. As the program has grown, Knirk says, the Oak Cafe’s concept has changed to mirror traditional restaurants with staggered serving times. “While we are a student ‘laboratory,’ we don’t think of the restaurant in that way. The instructors
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have run successful restaurants in [the] industry and maintain high standards for the students,” Knirk said in an email interview with The Current. The Oak Café has been a student-run business since the 1980s. It currently serves lunch Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 11:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m. A student serving his last semester, Patrick Coggins, loves how unique the Oak Café is and the opportunities the program offers.
“This program is set aside from all other [similar] programs since it takes place at a community college, compared to an actual culinary arts school, and its accessible, economical and affordable.” Coggins said. There are two classes in the program; one class of students works in the restaurant two days a week, while the other class of students works in the dining room. Each class also attends regular lectures. The menu changes weekly and
students rotate through different positions such as grill, saute, chef, pastry, and dishwasher.
ON THE WEB The menu can be found at www.arc. losrios.edu/chef under Oak Café or in person.
Should ARC have a mental health service program on campus?
“I think it will be good to help people.”
“I could see the benefit of using health services.”
-JAMES KEILMAN undeclared
-HENRY RECTENWALD Business major
“I think it will be pretty beneficial and it does affect a lot of people it could be at least a resource for people to talk about what’s going on.”
-JENNY CRUZ Psychology major
“It sounds like that would be a good idea. There [are] people who need help.”
-DYLAN BOOKER Business major
March 8, 2017
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SPORTS
UPDATES Men’s Basketball The men’s basketball team upset fourth seeded Fresno in the second round of the NorCal regional tournament 66-64 on Feb. 25., but were knocked out by Canada College on Saturday, 86-71. The Beavers posted a 8-6 conference record en route to a 16-11 overall record.
Women’s Basketball The women’s basketball team eliminated seventh seeded Fresno from the NorCal regional tournament with a 75-66 win on Feb. 25., but were subsequently knocked out by College of the Sequoias on Saturday, 82-43. The Lady Beavers finish the season with a 19-11 record, going 9-5 in conference play.
Baseball Photo by Cheyenne Drury / Editor-in-Chief
Freshman forward Baidi Kamagate holds a basketball in front of an ARC sign in the small gym. Kamagate said that his mother and father have been a huge influence on his life and supported him in his decision to move from Africa to America on his own.
From Africa to America AFRICAN BASKETBALL PLAYER ESTABLISHES HIMSELF AT ARC
By Mychael Jones
mychael.jones.arc@gmail.com Baidi Kamagate has an exuberant perspective on life by trying to think with a positive ideal, which has gained attention with his peers at the American River College campus, especially in the Dusty Baker Center. Kamagate says he enjoyed playing basketball in high school; since his move from New Guinea to America the difficulty for Kamagate was learning how to adapt to a new language. Kamagate discovered that he enjoyed playing basketball at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Oakland. Now Kamagate, a 6’ 5” freshman, plays forward for the ARC basketball team and enjoys being a student. “It’s a great experience to be at college,” Kamagate said.
According to Mary Svityashchuk, who works at the Dusty Baker Center which help studentathletes achieve their academic goals, Kamagate is highly liked and helps with designing posters. “He’s very outgoing and enjoys to help out here,” Svityashchuk said. Kamagate said that he likes to go the California Family Fitness gym because it gives him a feeling of enthusiasm to be inside an environment where he can channel his emotions after having a rough game. “I feel like when I do a bad game or I’m stressed I go the gym,” Kamagate said. “If you catch me at the gym you’re my best friend.” The transition from playing in high school to college could be overwhelming for anyone, but Kamagate says that because he is not a native born American, it makes the situation more difficult. However, Kamagate is all about
enjoying life and living it to the fullest. Kamagate said that he had been living here in Sacramento for three years since 2014. Kamagate said he plans on staying here in the United States and that although he loves his mom and dad, he likes being able to live on his own and they support him. “They don’t need to worry because it’s a blessing for me to be here,” Kamagate said. “My mom guides me along with my choices to respect each other and listen to other people, don’t be selfish.” When he first arrived in the United States, Kamagate said he found it difficult to speak English since his first language is French. “It was so hard to speak to people,” Kamagate said. “I learned from TV shows on how to speak.” Kamagate jokes that when he first moved here Google Translate was his best friend.
While being a stranger to a new land and trying to learn a new language can be a challenge to some, Kamagate says he see’s himself as a positive person. Kamagate said he feels that his outlook on life comes from his dad’s strict personality where he believes in appreciating what life can give you. “My dad always said you can buy everything you want but you can never buy life and experience,” Kamagate said. Kamagate said he wants to help others to feel a positive benefit in life. As part of this effort, Kamagate works at ARC with students who are a part of the Disabled Students Program & Services in working out with physical exercise. Kamagate said he likes to joke around with friends, laugh, and have a good time while he talks a lot about food with his friends.
Men’s basketball lose home finale
After starting the season 9-0, the baseball team lost five of its last seven games, entering the middle of March with an 11-5 record, jumping from unranked to ninth in the coaches poll. The results of yesterday’s home game against San Joaquin Delta were not immediately available.
Softball Despite dealing with three rain cancelled games,the softball team heads into the middle portion of the season with a 10-4 record, its last result being a 5-3 win over Sac City. The results of last night’s game against Sierra were not immediately available.
Photo by Lidiya Grib/ Arts and Culture Editor
ARC softball infield Sierra Cryderman stands in her position on the field during a game against Santa Rosa Junior College on Mar. 2. ARC lost 7-3.
ARC MAKES THE PLAYOFFS DESPITE HOME LOSS TO SAC CITY
By Mack Ervin III me3current@gmail.com The American River College’s men’s basketball team had a rough night defensively as it lost its final regular season game to Sacramento City College, 95-74. The Beavers started strong offensively in the first half racking up 20 points to Sac City’s 15 after 10 minutes, but several defensive miscues allowed Sac City to take the lead into halftime with the score at 43-35. Guard Jerico Avery, who led scoring with 25 points, said the the other team just wanted the win more than they did. “They outworked us, outplayed us, out hustled us, and basically they wanted it more than we did,” Avery said. “Now we gotta work hard and get ready for the play-
guys just said ‘oh that’s over. We’re gonna win the game,’ And just completely lost focus,” Giorgi said. It’s part of the reason why they’re here.” Despite the loss, ARC made it into the playoffs as the 13th seed and managed to knock off fourth seeded Fresno and advanced to the Regional Final against Canada College, with a chance to play in the State Championship on the line. Giorgi said before the start of the tournament that they only Photo by Cheyenne Drury/Editor-In-Chief Sophomore guard Richard Reed is defended by two Sacramento City Players had one outlook for the postseason. during a game on Feb. 16. ARC lost 95-74. “If you don’t win the state then who cares?” Giorgi said. “There’s son. offs.” Coach Mark Giorgi said the one winner, and the rest didn’t The game didn’t get any easier for the Beavers as they were down team got complacent once they win. I wouldn’t call them losers, but they didn’t win. by 14 points with five minutes left took the lead. “We’ve beaten them twice this The Beavers finish the season in the half en-route to a 21 point loss to close out the regular sea- season, we got up 10 and our with a record of 16-11.
Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez/ Managing Editor
The American River College men’s swim and dive team practice on Feb. 27 in preparation for their March 9 Cuesta Tri Meet.
Men’s Swimming Notable results from the Sac City Invite on Feb. 24 included Josiah Deleon in the 100m backstroke (2nd), Tom Higdon in the 100m breastroke (2nd), and ARC in the 200m freestyle relay (3rd). Their next meet is the Cuesta Tri Meet on Thursday in San Luis Obispo.
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FEATURE
Worthy Goat is worth the listen luisgaeljimenez@gmail.com There is lo-fi and then there is Folsom-fi; a sound so unique, there is only one band in the world that can carry the label: Worthy Goat. With Bryce Mondul on vocals and guitar, Justin Carter on lead guitar (and any other instrument he feels like playing on that particular day) and Georgio Klironomos, the group’s full-time dancer, part-time dried bean player, Worthy Goat has a combined stage presence that few other acts can compete with. Music journalist Robert A. Barry described the trio’s unique sound in a recent Submerge Magazine: “Worthy Goat sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before. It’s like aliens intercepted space-audio from Grateful Dead and Daniel Johnston albums that got mixed with some episodes of Spongebob Squarepants and were so enamored by what they heard, they decided to form a tribute band.” When the band isn’t intercepting alien radio signals, its members keep themselves busy by playing a near daily stream of shows from Placerville to Sacramento. The band has become regular staples at local open mics and venues like: Old Ironsides, Oak Park Brewing Company, and what they call their “home” venue according to Mondul: Cozmic Cafe in Placerville. Mondul and company have established themselves in the greater Sacramento music scene in a way that few other bands have. Not only do their fans know the songs up in the alien hills of Pla-
Photos by Luis Gael Jimenez/ Managing Editor
Top: Singer Bryce Mondul (front) and guitarist Justin Carter feed a couple on Georgio Klironomos’ ranch. Middle: Mondul (left) and Carter (right) perform at Klironomos’ Ranch.
cerville, but they are just as likely to sing along in the storied walls of Old Ironsides. Juan Mondul, band manager and father of Bryce Mondul attributes this success to their work ethic. “They have over 50 songs ready to go. And I’m not talking about song ideas, I’m saying 50 songs that are already written and rehearsed,” Juan Mondul said. Carter said the band’s catalogue of music might even be in the high 60s. “We’re pretty sure we don’t want to give up on any of them. We don’t always play all of them live because they aren’t right for all audiences. Some of them are honestly creepy, some of them are sad, some of them are happy as hell,” Carter said. “There are tons of reasons we don’t play every song in our repertoire but most of them get the light of day at least a few
times.” According to Carter, most of the band’s music comes directly from Bryce Mondul himself. “Bryce writes almost a complete song by himself to be honest. It’s very rare sometimes that I help him in that process. There’s a couple of songs that we’ve done like that… He [Bryce] has a very unique sense of chords.” Bryce Mondul said of his songwriting process that the ability to disguise a song’s true meaning was one of the most important facets of his music. “I know I put a lot of colors into Worthy Goat’s stuff. I know I make all of the chords pretty. I make my voice high but that’s to mask the subject matter of it,” Mondul said. “If I want people to get anything from the songs, or especially the album, it’s just about getting over depression and pulling yourself through.”
Whatever the reason may be for the band’s sudden success, it seems to be working strongly in the band’s favor as Worthy Goat recently had the chance to have its music appear on local radio station 98 Rock’s “Local Licks” show. Mondul, Carter and Klironomos sent out a group message on Facebook to nearly 200 people before the song hit the airwaves in order to have people tune into 98 Rock and vote for their song “Mobile Bill” to receive more airplay. Klironomos, who attends American River College as a computer science major, said: “It felt righteous to be putting more art into the airwaves.” The self-described “dancer of Worthy Goat” said with a giant smile spread across his face.
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I play music to be caught in the moments of magic that it creates. -BRYCE MONDUL
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By Luis Gael Jimenez
“It felt like [censored] rock and roll. Like getting high on life,” Carter said. Mondul stressed the importance of not celebrating too quickly. “End goal? Do you listen to a song so you can get to the end of it? No, you listen to be in the middle of it. I play music to be caught in the moments of magic that it creates. I have many small goals, like practice, shows, art and building a fanbase but I have no
end goal,” Mondul said. “If that’s not a good enough answer, then my end goal is to play until I die.” Their debut album “Jangle Beats in the Valley of Repeats” was released last November. Carter and Mondul both quit their jobs to record the album and Klironomos took two weeks off of work. Klironomos described the recording of the album as “probably the funnest two weeks I’ve had in awhile. It was so awesome. Being cooped up in that small studio just pounding out an album with my best two friends, how could I ask for more? It was so cool.” Guitarist Carter said that the tracks “A Day in the Heart” and the self-titled “Worthy Goat” stood out to him. “They just remind me of everything we have been through together. We’ve watched each other go through a lot of heartbreak and such. Growing up, you know? Coming of age. That’s what those songs remind me of.” The band will be one of the performers at the “Family Vacation” music festival in Placerville on May 21. “We have never played a festival before. This could likely be the largest audience we’ve ever played to and for the first time we will be playing as a full band with drums, bass, and two guitars,” Carter said. Tickets for “Family Vacation” go on sale this Friday. Tickets can be bought directly from the band themselves or from the promoter of the festival: Bit Crusher. Worthy Goat’s music can be found on Spotify and all other major online music outlets.
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ARTS AND CULTURE
Photo by Lidiya Grib/ Arts and Culture Editor
“Mother and child,” by Dr. Samella Lewis. The “Black Artist on Art: The Legends” exhibition will be on display through March 17.
Black history art at Kaneko By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com The Kaneko Gallery is hosting an exhibition celebrating Black History month, featuring the works of black artists at ARC through March 17. “The Black Artist on Art: The Legends Exhibition” will feature artwork from historic events such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement, according to a press release. These will be some very historically important pieces, according to gallery director Patricia Woods, and it will be the most important exhibition they have put in the
Kaneko Gallery. “It is an incredible honor to be able bring this extraordinary and historically important collection of art to the Kaneko Gallery. Not only is the show visually stunning but it is educationally so important,” Woods said. The majority of the featured work will be art by Samella Lewis, grandmother of art instructor Unity Lewis, who is known for the mural he painted in the Kaneko Gallery last semester. Samella Lewis is a renowned artist and historian, according to the press release. Lewis published the book series “Black Artist on Art” as a way to “preserve and doc-
ument artwork created by artists who were being neglected by the mainstream art world,” according to her bio. With her book series, Lewis intended to make a chronology of African American artists and artists with African descent to document their history. “The historians weren’t doing it,” according to Lewis’ statement. “I thought it was absolutely necessary, not just for the public but for artists to know what is going on.” The new volumes highlight black artists who have “redefined what it means to be a black artist while still preserving the traditions of African cultural expres-
sion,” according to the release. “In my opinion the artists were the people who documented our history better than anybody else. A lot was going on culturally. Blacks were rebelling and revolting and doing things that they hadn’t done before,” Lewis wrote. “The works are a visual documentation of the cultural and artistic explosion that began in the Harlem Renaissance and continued through the civil rights movement and beyond created by some of the most important African American Artist in America’s history,” Woods said. The works featured in the Gallery will include pieces by Samella
Lewis, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Ruth Waddy, Benny Andrews, Bernie Casey, Betye Saar and Charles Wilbert White. There will be four receptions held for this event in the Kaneko Gallery, where refreshments will be provided. Upcoming receptions will include: Artist talk and day reception on March 8 at noon. Artist talk and lecture on March 15 at noon. The location for this reception will be assigned later. Closing reception and catalog release party March 16, 5-7p.m.
Mural Project calls for ARC artists
CREATE ART AND LEARN ABOUT HIP-HOP CULTURE By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com ARC students are invited to take part in a mural project hosted by Universal Engaging Inclusive Transformation Education (UNITE), the Community and Diversity Center at American River College. The project, led by artist and instructor Unity Lewis, will be completed throughout the next couple of weeks. Students across campus, including art and gallery directing students, and UNITE members, were present for the first meeting where the details for the workshop and the mural project were discussed. In this workshop, students will come together once a week to create a group mural for UNITE, which will then be placed on a
the cultural diversity of the student body, according to Lewis. It opens up the opportunity for the students to learn about the allinclusive hip-hop language and artistic expression, Lewis added. “We want to learn from each other’s cultures,” Lewis said during the group’s first meeting. The students will be trained to use methods such as aerosol art to develop their concept for the production. Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez/Managing Editor The creation of the mural projArtist Unity Lewis shared the meaning behind his murals in the Kaneko Gal- ect will take place throughout a series of workshops throughout lery at American River College on Oct 1, 2016. this semester, extending to 10 wall in the HUB located in the StuA “call for artists” was held on weeks. Lewis will take students through dent Center. Feb. 9-10 in the Student Center Although the times of the work- for those interested in contribut- different methods of hip-hop culshop are currently being decided, ing and taking part of the mural ture to come up with the idea for the mural they will create. By week Unity Lewis and UNITE member project. Roderic Agbunag have agreed to The mural’s creation is intended five, the group will work on develhave it take place each Friday. to be a creative representation of oping its concept and putting together the final idea for the mural.
During the first couple of weeks, students will delve into the background of mural work and the history and influence of the craft. They will gain insight into the nature of the hip-hop culture and it’s elements, based on the workshop syllabus, and break down the “funk alphabet” from a tag to a piece to create their own individual mark. This tag will be their own mark, using their name or a word they want to adopt as their writing name, based on the workshop syllabus. They will address hip-hop as a “temporary autonomous zone” in its formative years, “before it became mainstream,” Lewis explained. For more information about the mural project and when their next meeting will take place, visit the HUB located in the student center.
February 08, 2017
7
OPINION
CURRENT EDITORIAL
Mental health services needed By Editorial Staff
Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez / Managing Editor
A student’s mental health is just as important as any other part of their educational success, if not more.
provide a dedicated funding stream for mental health services for students in colleges and universities throughout California. In his veto message, Governor Brown stated that “given the complexities of mental health funding,” he could not consider the bill because the language failed to identify a source of funding; it just mandated it. Funding for mental health services for college students is a hodgepodge patchwork that is currently paid primarily through a percentage of student fees. Some institutions don’t offer them at all.
According to the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, only approximately 45 out of California’s 72 community college districts have any mental health services onsite. Our students and our community at ARC deserve more than a haphazard approach to something that is so integrally associated with wellbeing and success, especially as a student getting ready to face the world. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, nearly one out of four students have diagnosable mental health issues and nearly 40 percent of these
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One student life lost to mental illness is one too many.
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Mental health services on college campuses should be an academic priority. Seung-Hui Cho had three contacts with the Cooks Counseling Center, his college’s student mental health services at Virginia Tech University before killing 32 people and himself on April 17, 2007. According to his last triage report released by the university in 2009, Cho was not assessed for ongoing mental health issues by the university’s counselor, despite just being recently released from a psychiatric hospitalization. He had also been previously referred to counseling by faculty concerned about his behavior in class. The point here is that even in this case, where the warning signs were going off like bells and whistles, it still wasn’t enough to stop this tragedy. Last November, an American River College student Donald Keith Holdener, a young veteran, killed himself. This time, there was no warning, no bells and whistles. This is not the first time suicide has touched ARC. John “Chance” Wheeler also took his life a day before the start of the 2016 spring semester Last year, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed AB 2017 the College Mental Health Services Program Act, which would have required establishing a grant to
students go untreated. This is especially problematic since diseases such as schizophrenia don’t usually present until early adulthood, the very time when most folks enter college. To add insult to injury, com-
munity colleges are more severely impacted by the lack of mental health services for students because they usually serve higher percentages of disenfranchised communities. In a study published in October 2016 by the Community College Review, researchers found that community college students were more likely to be working full time and come from lower socio-economic backgrounds than those at traditional universities. The same study also states that community college students also report higher rates of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse than four year university students. This, coupled with community college students’ general limited involvement with sororities or fraternities and clubs may put them at a higher risk for suicide. ARC’s administration along with the trustees and the Los Rios Community College district should partner together to establish a permanent funding source for mental health services for students as well as offer training to help faculty and staff recognize the warning signs of a student in a mental health crisis. A students’ mental health should be treated as part and parcel to to their success within our college education system, not a perk. One student life lost to mental illness is one too many.
Studnets should drink more water By Mychael Jones
mychael.jones.arc@gmail.com According to a study by Nutrition Journal, college students drink less water because they prefer alternative options such as energy drinks or coffee. In fact, energy drink consumption amongst college students is very common. According to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information in which 496 college students were surveyed, 51 percent of those students consumed energy drinks that increased their energy. In contrast, water does more nutritionally than an energy drink, because energy drinks are filled with chemicals that gives a brief amount of energy for a short period of time. However, water is a natural energy drink without chemicals that performs multiple functions for the body. According to the United States Geological Survey, water contributes at least 73 percent water content to the brain and heart, 83
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
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Students may find water as a better energy solution for energy, compared to energy drinks.
percent to the lungs, 64 percent to the skin, 31 percent to bones and 79 percent to muscles and kidneys, The study also showed college students drink one energy drink approximately one to four times a day. According to a press release from the NPD Group, which analyzes consumer and retail point-
of-sale numbers, drinkers in the United States have found alternatives to drinking bottled water. Water is better for the body because it aids in the processes of digestion, absorption, and excretion inside our bodies, according to the NCBI. With this in mind, what can energy drinks do that water can not? For starters, energy drinks con-
EDITORIAL BOARD Cheyenne Drury Luis Gael Jimenez John Ennis Jared Smith Joel Whited T.J. Martinez
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Scene Editor
Lidiya Grib Mack Ervin III
Arts & Culture Editor Multimedia Editor
tain a significant amount of caffeine, which has been shown to help some with memory and alertness. Some college students struggle with being alert, so it’s easy to see why they would be popular. Energy drinks are also readily available for college students at convenience stores or local campus stores. Coffee also has the same effect as energy drinks, although there are slight difference between the two. Coffee and energy drinks both contain Vitamin B, which is essential for the human body to prevent heart diseases. However, there is concern about excessive consumption of energy drinks which can lead to an increased heart rate or caused by hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when blood pressure is significantly lower or higher than normal, according to WebMD. When that happens our bodies become dehydrated, this can come back to bite us because our
STAFF
ADVISERS
Solange Echeverria Mychael Jones James Saling
Rachel Leibrock Jill Wagner
bodies lack the nutrients from water. Water is a better source for energy than other convenient drinks because it will help the body in the long-run, according to health experts at WebMD. That does not mean that students can not enjoy energy drinks, too. For example, a person could have at least two bottles of water a day, one energy drink and two cups of coffee. According to the Better Health Channel, adult men should drink eight cups of water a day while women should drink about 10 cups. Water helps with the cell production, the flow of bloodstreams, a carrier of nutrients to the body, according to Better Health Channel. According to the Mayo Clinic, drinking up to 400 mg of caffeine a day would be like having four cups of coffee, 10 cans of soda, and two energy drinks. Think about that next time you go for your third or fourth energy drink.
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
March 8, 2017
PHOTO ESSAY
“Standed on Earth,” by artist John Horton, was one of the largest pieces displayed at Art Street. The spray paint-made mural stood over 13 feet tall.
A walk down
art street Photo essay by Luis Gael Jimenez luisgaeljimenez@gmail.com
Sacramento Art Street ran from Feb. 3-25 at an old lumber warehouse in upper Land Park. The art exhibit hosted over a dozen artists from all corners of the globe. Art pieces ranged from aerosol murals to sculptures hanging precariously from the ceiling with interactive exhibits spread throughout the spaces in between. M5, the organization behind the show, said that when the warehouse finally closed its doors over 30,000 people had walked through its halls.
FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM SACRAMENTO ART STREET GO TO ARCURRENT.COM
“After Us,” by mixed media artist Angela Tannehill.
A visitor admires a custom light piece created by Rene Steinke.
The dance floor served as one of the centerpieces of the main room at Art Street.
Hobo Johnson was one of the many performers at Art Street. His show took place Feb. 10.