Mar 19, 2020 (51.6)

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The

Volume 51 Issue 6 March 19, 2020 - April 29, 2020

ommunicator Spokane Falls Community College

9 1 D I COV C C F S & 5 3 s e g a p News,

CONTENTS

03.19.2020

Cover photo by Nicholas Jackson

NEWS

Communicator staff visits very bare CMA conference

3 3 4 5

COVID-19 NATIONWIDE MAGNUSON LOCK DOWN SFCC REACTS TO VIRUS CDC'S COVID-19 ADVICE

6 7 9

SPIFF SPIFF MOVIE REVIEWS "FIRE MELT STONE" REVIEW

ARTS

Reporter Kyra Smith, photo editor Allison Manion, reporter Katelynn Cooke, managing editor Ollie Fisher and adviser Lindsey Treffry are seen at the Spring 2020 College Media Association conference in New York City, where conference numbers plummeted amid days of COVID-19 outbreaks in the city, including the shuttering of Broadway shows and prohibition of gatherings of 500 or more.

Despite the panic, The Communicator crew attended dozens of sessions in relation to journalism, and two students became certified through the CMA's trauma reporting program. The staff also toured Rockefeller Center, NBC studios, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Battery Park City and the 9/11 Memorial (despite having to stand 50 feet from the outdoor exhibit, due to coronavirus precautions), among other popular sight-seeing spots.

Upon returning, the crew helped publish the last issue of the quarter in under four hours, when it is usually done in a three-day period. The staff has agreed to meet online for the rest of the quarter, but the paper will be distributed to newsstands March 19 and will stay on stands until the next issue, out April 30, unless COVID-19 restrictions prohibit publication of the first spring quarter paper. -Adviser, Lindsey Treffry Visit us online at: communicatoronline.org

FEATURES

7 DRAMA AWARDS 10 CAMPUS SAFETY

OPINION

11 EDITOR SIGNING OFF

SPORTS

12 BASEBALL UPDATE The first issue of The Communicator is free. Additional copies are 50 cents. Newspaper theft is a form of censorship and removal of copies may result in criminal charges.

Cover photo of SFCC student Raymond Hsu in the Student Union building by Nicholas Jackson.

Follow us on Instagram at: @TheFalls_Communicator

Follow us on Twitter at: @SFCCcomm

Staff can be contacted at: sfcc.firstname.lastname@gmail.com

OUR STAFF Winnie Killingsworth EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kyra Smith REPORTER

Ollie Fisher MANAGING EDITOR

Allison Manion PHOTO EDITOR

Nicholas Jackson WEB EDITOR

Katelynn Cooke REPORTER

Lindsey Treffry ADVISER

Photo courtesy of ASG

This could be you!

WANT TO JOIN THE COMMUNICATOR STAFF? Any SFCC student is welcome to join our staff by enrolling in College Newspaper Production I (JOURN 101).

No previous experience is required.

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News

03.19.2020

3

COVID-19 outbreak spreading in the U.S. SFCC prepares to switch to online classes following emergence of coronavirus cases in Washington Nicholas Jackson

The Communicator The recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States has led to many campuses and companies closing their doors. With this week’s latest updates, it is clear that SFCC will be no different, as classes following Monday, March 16, will be shifted to online with no more physical classes being held on campus. Spring quarter for CCS has been pushed back to April 13, which on a positive note will give all students an extra week of spring break according to the vice president of Student Affairs Chrissy Davis. The policy of the Falls will follow the lead of the state’s advice and safety measures to protect its students.

The first recorded infection of the current strain of COVID-19 was on Nov. 17, 2019, in Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China, according to Chinese government reports.

It was only a month and a half later that the virus had spread not only within China but internationally, causing the WHO (World Health Organization) to begin treating the situation as a pandemic. COVID-19 is a new strain of an existing virus family which are commonly found in human and animal species. The spread of the virus is known to be person to person. Coronavirus has been found in over 100 separate nations internationally. This includes the United States, and on Jan. 31, the Health Services Secretary Alex M. Azarll declared a public health emergency. The sequences of the

Courtesy photo

Many grocery stores have been emptied of their contents, with basic necessities being the hardest hit. The Spokane and Post Falls areas are not immune to this either as this Walmart in Post Falls has had its produce sold out.

virus found in all patients has been a singular strain meaning that this outbreak more than likely came from a singular animal reservoir near the original outbreak site.

The effects of the recent outbreak have been evident with toilet paper being purchased in large quantities to the point that many stores no longer have any in stock.

Some stores have had to take the measure of limiting the amount an individual customer can purchase.

People have been stocking up on toilet paper despite many government officials urging them to do the opposite. Face masks have also seen a surge in their purchasing and scarcity. A Tennessee man has been forced to give away the 17,700 bottles of sanitizer he had been hoarding and selling at inflated pric-

es to charity according to the New York Times. The outbreak of panic purchasing is nothing new; Hong Kong has been undergoing it since mid-February, with Tokyo not too far behind.

Feelings among students remain mixed with some believing the response to the coronavirus to be overblown and others saying that enough is not being done.

Regardless of feelings, the effects of the virus are present and not going away anytime soon. So what can be done in the meantime?

Not panicking is the first solid step many governments have been requesting of their own populations.

Washing your hands at every opportunity. However, the CDC says that the best way to avoid the virus is to not be exposed in the first place.

This means only leaving the house when necessary. Hand sanitizers of 60% alcohol or more are effective measures to take. It’s also advised to not touch your eyes, nose and mouth. The CDC also advises to stay away from groups of people.

Despite the dreary state of things, it’s important to note that the virus has a 98% recovery rate. If you believe yourself to be infected, separate yourself from others and alert your doctor to the situation before arriving for a check up.

To stay up to date with CCS’s response to COVID-19, you can visit SFCC’s homepage and click on “Coronavirus updates” at the top of the page.

For a video about COVID-19, visit our Vimeo or our website at communicatoronline.org.

Man arrested near campus after SWAT team called From staff reports

The Communicator A domestic violence suspect was arrested near Spokane Falls Community College on Friday after fleeing from police the day before, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Charles E. Washington is suspected of

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attacking a woman and violating a protection order, according to a Spokane Police Department statement.

Washington fled the scene of the crime before police arrived, the S-R reported.

He was arrested at an apartment complex near the Magnuson Building on the SFCC campus midday Friday. The SWAT team arrived shortly before Washington surrendered.

SFCC locked down the building for about

an hour while the SWAT team was active, the S-R reported. This incident was in connection to the Rave alerts students and faculty received Friday via phone, email and text.

Washington was wanted for first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, second-degree malicious mischief, felony domestic violence protection order violation and third-degree theft, the S-R reported. He has 13 previous convictions.

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News

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The Communicator

COVID-19 forces CCS classes online Coronavirus extends spring break by one week, student finals affected From staff reports The Communicator Large group gatherings at CCS are suspended for the rest of winter quarter and events scheduled for spring will be reviewed later, according to a CCS news release.

Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order mandating all instruction be offered online or Nicholas Jackson | The Communicator remotely effective midnight March 16 until April 24. The last face-toSFCC student Raymond Hsu sits in the Student Union building working in face classes were Monday, March homework. He is one of the few students to show up for the last day of on campus 16. The governor made it clear that only labs and clinicals that must be offered face to face and cannot be For CCS faculty, the break is time for our college, and it will offered virtually would be allowed unchanged, March 27 through April continue to be so for a while,” to operate, the release said.

3. Training will be offered for facSFCC President Kimberlee Messina Spring break was originally ulty on Panapto, Zoom and Canvas wrote in a news release to faculty. scheduled to run March 30-April 3, Basics through eLearning courses.

“I hope that you practice self-care.” but will now extend an extra week, District IT is creating reference At this time, the CCS release with classes resuming (online only) guides for how to access classes said, the expectation is that spring April 13. The first regular on-camand files remotely. quarter will end on time, possibly pus class day will begin April 27.

“This has been a challenging with modifications to finals week.

Today’s events have come in flurries and the question has not been addressed. No official decision has been made.

Grades will be processed as originally scheduled and posted March 28.

Students needing access to advisers or counseling services will continue to be served in person with social distancing practices, or via phone, email or Zoom.

Financial aid will continue operations as normal, the release said. Financial aid disbursement to students is scheduled for April 8, two days later than previously scheduled.

Disability Student Services will continue operations as normal and accommodation letters for students will be delivered to instructors via email prior to the first day of class.

Accommodations needed for online courses can be delivered via email, canvas and other remote delivery processes (e-text/audiobooks, notetaking supports, and other tech solutions). For example, the release said, if a student’s accommodations require closed captioning, the DSS office will work on the request.

WHY STOP NOW? Finish your bachelor’s degree online at the UW.

SOCIALSCIENCESONLINE.UW.EDU

sfcc.nicholas.jackson@gmail.com

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The Communicator

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News

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Arts

The Communicator

03.19.2020

SpIFF features fantastic films this year Spokane International Film Festival kicked off circuit with great films Ollie Fisher The Communicator For avid film lovers, the Spokane International Film Festival (SpIFF) has you covered. This year, it began on Friday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. with an opening party and, an hour later, its showing of “Quiet Explosions” as well as a collection of shorts from the Pacific Northwest.

Led by Alena Schoonmaker, director of the festival, SpIFF completed its showings Saturday, March 7, with an encore showing of “Bias.”

The films of SpIFF were primarily shown at the Magic Lantern Theatre in downtown Spokane, with the opening night party and films held at the Garland Theatre in the Garland District.

The closing party was held at the Osprey in the Ruby River Hotel, and the encore was shown in Washington State University’s Riverpoint SEWC Auditorium. Both jury and audience choice awards were given out on closing night, with the jury consisting of programmers who have seen the most films out of those shown at the festival.

The festival’s tickets ranged in price from $10-12, but students could receive “student rush tickets” at the door, an hour or two before the film starts, for a discounted price, at around $6.

Ticket sales are a huge part of funding the festival, Schoonmaker said, as well as sponsors, such as Eastern Washington University and STCU which played an equal part in helping fund SpIFF. Despite their funding limitations in the past, Schoonmaker said SpIFF hopes to help aid other film festivals in Spokane in the upcoming years.

SpIFF has been running for about 20 years, starting in 1999, with the goal of the festival being to bring U.S.-based, local, and international films to the awareness of the Spokane community who otherwise wouldn’t see these films.

This year, the festival had films from 19 different countries covering five continents. The goal for next year is to expand this to six continents (adding Antarctica), according

sfcc.ollie.fisher@gmail.com

Photos courtesy of SpIFF The Spokane International Film Festival logo and showing dates graphic from their website.

to Schoonmaker.

SpIFF obtains most of their films by utilizing a website called FilmFreeway, where filmmakers are able to independently submit their films to SpIFF directly. This year, SpIFF received over 300 submissions from FilmFreeway alone. This method is the cheapest option for obtaining films, as distributors often charge for usage of their films.

In addition, SpIFF offers chances to meet with filmmakers at certain showings. Primarily those from the Pacific Northwest area and depending on the film, audience members can ask questions during Q-and-A periods after some showings. The director for “Bamboo and Barbed Wire,” as well as the directors of “Stories of Us: Camp Second Chance” and “The Hidden Homeless” were all present after the showings and gave the audience a chance to ask questions about the makings of their films and the subject matter of each film.

SpIFF also offers volunteer or intern-type positions for those interested in participating in the production of next year’s festival.

Schoonmaker encourages those interested in film or film festivals to contact her for more information at the email address info@spokanefilmfestival.org.

Positions working for SpIFF are on a first-come, first-served basis, though, but working for SpIFF would provide an excellent resume

credit for anyone interested in working in the film industry.

Reviews

‘Bamboo and Barbed Wire’ Premiering at the Magic Lantern Theatre, “Bamboo and Barbed Wire,” directed by Karen Day, tells the story of the Minidoka internment camp, located just outside of Twin Falls, Idaho.

“Bamboo and Barbed Wire” was sponsored by SFCC’s Associated Student Government. Activities Vice President Natasha Monroe said, “We picked the movie mainly for the large population of Japanese students here on campus. That was the main reason, along with the movie being based in the PNW.” The film premiered at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 29, and while the film

begins with an inspiring, uplifting score in the beginning, the film’s overall tone and topic is much more grim and serious.

Shortly after the opening, the film reveals how an Idahoan farmer discovered a forgotten cemetery on his farmland, left over from when Minidoka was still in operation.

Rocks that were once gravestones are strewn about and broken apart in a heap, though a larger one is clearly marked with a Japanese kana or kanji (equivalent of an alphabetic letter).

“Bamboo and Barbed Wire” clearly portrays how the disrepair and blatant disregard for the cemetery of the camp reflects the sentiment held by the U.S. government at the time.

REVIEWS

Continued on page 7

“Bamboo and Barbed Wire” poster and graphic from SpIFF’s website.

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Features

03.19.2020

The Communicator

SFCC represented at theater festival

Drama students selected to participate at regional KCACTF, get call backs from four-year university recruiters Kyra Smith The Communicator

In February, SFCC was represented at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival region 7 festival by nine drama students including Jaycelane Fortin, Sarah Plumb, Matthew Gerard, Nikki Green and Megan Barlow-Jones, where scholarships were won, and the spring musical, “Bonnie & Clyde,” was recognized by regional leadership.

Only five schools were chosen to perform sections of their productions, and SFCC was among them to perform a condensed version of “Bonnie & Clyde, ‘’ which was also performed in February’s cabaret fundraiser at SFCC’s Spartan Theater.

According to their website, “The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country.”

Ashley DeMoville, the faculty adviser for Bigfoot Drama tells all about the various recognitions for the drama students.

“Nikki Green was selected to represent all colleges and universities in Washington state on the KCACTF Region 7 Student Advisory Board. In addition, five of our students participated in the Next Step Auditions, which is an opportunity to audition for professional theatres and transfer universities – all five were called back by recruiters at universities including Western Washington University, Central Washington University, University of Wyoming, Eastern Washington University, and Western Colorado University. Finally, one student, Matthew Gerard was a semi-finalist (top 32 of over 300) and two students, Jaycelane Fortin and Sarah Plumb, were finalists (top 16 out of 300) in the region’s Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition.”

Jaycelane Fortin describes being a finalist for the Irene Acting Scholarship as “actually a little emotional.”

Although they were not awarded the scholarship they still found themselves calling family sfcc.kyra.smith@gmail.com

and friends with this exciting news.

The students were able to meet students from other colleges who share similar interests.

“There were so many great performances, and we got to share our work with so many people,” Fortin said. “It’s very humbling.

Students also got the opportunity to sit down and talk with advisers from the colleges they were interested in attending.

The students were joined at the festival by Chris Hansen, who was the emcee for SFCC’s February Cabaret. Molly Robbins also joined as the partner for both Fortin and Jared Martin, an EWU student. She won the Best Partner Award. Before transferring to EWU as a theater major, Robbins was active in the theater scene at SFCC. Many people were involved in the KCACTF and more were proud of those representing SFCC. The festival may have ended but these actors continue on their journey to shine on stage.

Courtesy of Ashley DeMoville Molly Robbins, Matthew Gerard, Danny Healy, Jaycelane Fortin, and Nikki Green pose with their Region Festival International Scene award.

Courtesy of KCACTF Region7 Facebook

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Arts

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... SpIFF film reviews continued REVIEWS

Continued from page 6 After Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans became increasingly persecuted and marginalized, resulting in the internment camps and widespread propaganda made by the government.

As most Japanese Americans resided on the West Coast, paranoia spread to neighboring states, such as Idaho. The governor of Idaho at the time, Chase Clark, stated that he believed all Japanese Americans should be “interned indiscriminately,” as stated in the movie.

The film goes into detail about how the internment affects those still alive today, with multiple “talking head” segments.

One man described how he was angry at his father for not fighting back, but the reality of it was that most of the interned Japanese Americans had families, and thus, had to protect their children first and foremost, since they were held at gunpoint and forced to evacuate their homes and farms, as mentioned in the film.

“Bamboo and Barbed Wire” doesn’t just focus on the plight of Japanese Americans, though.

The film makes clear parallels to how Muslim Americans are being persecuted with the same paranoia in America today. Interspersed throughout the film are segments where the audience is able to look at the life of a young Syrian refugee who came to America, more specifically, Boise, Idaho, with her family.

Though the film could have included more segments featuring her and her family and their struggles coming to America, the story of a local Syrian refugee who openly practices a minority religion, especially in Idaho, brings the film’s core message to the forefront: as quoted from the movie, “The Bill of Rights is only a piece of paper, unless we uphold those rights for all Americans.”

The director of “Bamboo and Barbed Wire,” Karen Day, said her main reason for making the film was because of America’s current, divisive political climate, especially with movements like the 51st State Movement, which aims to divide Washington in two and combine Eastern Washington with the conservative parts of Idaho. www.communicatoronline.org

Her inclusion of footage of the Charlottesville white nationalist gatherings speaks to this vision. Day concluded the question-and-answer period with this final thought, “We have a tendency to whitewash American history to make it the story we want.”

“Bamboo and Barbed Wire” will be available for streaming online after they are done with the festival circuit, according to their Facebook page of the same name (@bambooandbarbedwirefilm).

Courtesy of SpIFF Still from “Reviving the Roost,” an LGBTQ+ short from SpIFF.

‘Reviving the Roost’

‘A Normal Girl’

“A Normal Girl” is a documentary-style short featuring Pidgeon Pagonis, a nonbinary, intersex person who uses they/them pronouns, describing their experience discovering that they are intersex and nonbinary, as well as their journey becoming an advocate against nonconsensual surgeries done on intersex children.

“A Normal Girl” includes interviews from both Pagonis and their mother, who documents how the doctors flat out lied to both Pagonis and their mother about the surgery they performed on Pagonis when they were very young.

The short also includes how common being born intersex is, using the statistic that 1 in every 2000 births results in a baby being intersex.

The short is mostly shot in an interview style with occasional clips of Pagonis and their mother going about their day-to-day life as well as an interview with a young intersex advocate who met Pagonis and was inspired by them.

“A Normal Girl” is very light-hearted, despite the intense

subject matter, and includes footage from Pagonis’ YouTube channel, providing a down-to-earth and personable feeling.

For more reviews from SpIFF, visit our newspaper’s website

“Reviving the Roost” was animated in a style resembling neon light fixtures, with the background being entirely black to emphasize the colors.

The short focuses on a gay bar in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, called The Roost, and how it opened up a world for the director and star, Vivek Shraya.

Shraya addresses in-fighting within the LGBTQ+ community, a subject not often talked about, and how the different sub-cultures of the community often clash with one another.

Shraya notes that after he moved to Toronto, a sort of segregation had taken place, with a gay bar for every different subtype of queer person, creating a world where these different subcultures didn’t have to interact with one another if they so desired.

The short’s soundtrack is permeated by bass-thumping club music, which is apt for its main focus.

“Reviving the Roost” is an enjoyable short and is available on YouTube.

Though a seizure warning is in place for anyone who is photosensitive, since the film does feature bright colors on a dark background that have periods of flashing. sfcc.ollie.fisher@gmail.com

Arts

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‘Fire Melt Stone’ was ‘wonderfully written’

Review of SFCC Drama play written by professor Kemuel DeMoville, directed by drama instructor Allison Manion The Communicator The SFCC Drama department put on a play in the Spartan Theater called “Fire Melt Stone.” This play was written by our own SFCC humanities professor Kemuel DeMoville and directed by drama instructor Chris Hansen. The target audience for this play was for children and ran under an hour long.

The performances were on March 6,7,8,13,14,15.

The children sitting in the audience watching the play seemed very entertained and said so themselves when asked afterward.

The drama department brought over “1,100 of Spokane’s school children to campus to watch this play, in addition to having the opportunity to learn about the college while here, they engaged with the history of their city and discovered empathy for a 12-yearold girl who whispers in stones,” said Hansen.

This play was set back in the time of the Spokane fires in 1889 and the 12-year-old girl whispering in stones he’s referring to is the main character Matty played

by Megan Barlow-Jones. Megan did a remarkable job capturing the audience with her passionate acting and reeling us into the life and perspective of a girl struggling in hard times.

Being pulled into a world of childlike wonder and tall tales of magic stones was very nicely done by all the actors portraying children. Matty’s two friends in the play were her younger sister, Dot, played by Nalini Jeffords, and their friend George played by Dani Healy. Jeffords was excellent in showing the audience the innocence of young children, and the love her character had for her sister. Healy played his character well, showing major concern for the well-being of his two friends, but the character was also timid and shy among the scenes where they were bullied by a group of girls.

Sarah Plumb did a wonderful

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portrayal of a struggling mother trying to do what’s best to take care of her family. Plumb’s acting is always very well done, and she really sinks herself into her characters, bringing them to life!

The play also had flashbacks of Matty and her late father, and throughout the play we can see Matty’s struggle in dealing with the loss of her dad and how its affecting the family and her own life. Matthew Gerard played the father and portrayed his character in a nurturing, sweet, paternal way that tugged at the heart strings of the audience. Conner Gracios character Klein brought comic relief to the sad nature of the play.

Characters Bess played by Kat Snyder, Franny played by Nikki Green, and Winnifred played by Bree Castillo, were perfect examples of the mean girls we all knew in school, and wonderfully played by these ladies.

The lights and effects used in the play brought an eerie, slightly scary mood and feeling to the play, fitting for the plot of chasing monsters, nightmares and fires.

Overall, this children’s play was wonderfully written and put on by members of our SFCC drama department.

To purchase ‘Fire Melt Stone’ tickets ...

To purchase tickets for this event, which runs May 28-31, visit https://red.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=8d865d4cd60fca2a013044e556f80878.

The box office opens a half-hour before the show. Those who arrive early will get the best seats. SFCC students are free at the door.

General admission tickets cost $10, while discount admission for other students, seniors, military and CCS employees are $5. For more information on the play, visit https://sfcc.spokane.edu/For-OurStudents/Around-Campus/Spartan-Theatre.

Courtesy photo

Upcoming Bigfoot Drama performance: ‘The Witch’

By Thomas Middleton The play will take place in an ancient forest with noble families, witchcraft and romance.

COVID-19 might affect Spartan Theatre performances. Check their page before coming to a performance.

May 28 - 31, 2020 Thurs, Fri, Sat - 7:30pm Sat & Sun - 2pm

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Features

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The Communicator

Fast Kart springs students into spring quarter

ASG student event lets students have fun, inadvertantly gives some good advice Katelynn Cooke

The Communicator To help unwind during the weeks before finals, students piled into FastKart Speedway in east Spokane to race around the track.

Tickets were either $10 or five cans of food per student, thereby helping SFCC’s food pantry.

Students could purchase tickets at the ASG office beforehand, but it seemed tickets went fast, due to the amount of students that were present.

The lobby of Fast Kart included some extra entertainment, such as pool, arcade games, and various, for-show go-karts displayed around the room.

The track offered plenty of room to race fellow drivers as it loops around in a circular fashion.

Fast Kart employees instruct you race as such: first lap slow, test out how fast and well you can do, finally, last lap slow and make sure you can finish correctly.

This is a great piece of advice for next quarter and our current finals week predicament. Start a class slow, get a feel for the instructor and their expectations, ramp up in order to do your best, and by finals week, slow down and make sure everything is in order to complete the grading race.

sfcc.katelynn.cooke@gmail.com

Photos by Katelynn Cooke | The Communicator Above: The lobby of Fast Kart provides some extra entertainment with arcade games and pool. Below: Two students get ready to race on the track. Bottom left: Students watch their friends and classmates race from the lobby. Bottom right: A FastKart sign offers information about their services.

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Opinion

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Letter from the editor: Signing off Winnie Killingsworth The Communicator Lois Lane and Clark Kent in 1978’s “Superman” were my introduction to the world of journalism.

Watching a woman champion knowing the truth and making sure everyone else could too intrigued and inspired me.

She also freaked me out. I didn’t think I could ever be like her. While I haven’t had any superheroes fall for me, I have unlocked my passion for sharing stories and information with the world around me. I’ve found a place where I’ll never be bored. I found a place to be me.

In January 2019, I walked internally trembling into The Communicator’s newsroom. Trying the class at the encouragement of my husband, I had no idea what to expect or how it would change my life. Throwing myself in the deep end, I applied for and was given the job of managing editor. My first story was about the Inlander’s Restaurant Week. My EIC and new friend, Maddie, accompanied me to help show me how it was done, as well as photograph for the article. I’ve always loved seeing how things work behind the scenes.

Watching the team work to develop the “menu” for the event was fascinating. Trying samples brought by chefs from the areas wasn’t too shabby either.

Since then, I have been able to work on a variety of stories as well as serve as the EIC. I’ve traveled to

Treffry, Lindsey, Winnie Killingsworth, Madison Peason, and Nicholas Jackson with the second place Best Newspaper (two-year school) award at CMA 2019.

NYC attending the CMA conference and representing The Communicator as it won second place in a national competition for two year college papers. I’ve made friends who gave me space to be me. To be completely me. To pursue interests that I’d suppressed because I felt alone and scared in wanting to try them. These last couple years, anxiety and depression have been major players in my life. I’ve started counseling and have been encouraged by those in the newsroom that it’s a good thing to do and that it’s okay to have bad days.

They’ve played a role in saving my life and giving it a focus. I will love them forever because of that being a

A quick selfie while grabbing a bite in NYC. www.communicatoronline.org

Madison Pearson | The Communicator

part of their friendship.

Reporting is fun, but my heart belongs to editing. I adore building a paper and talking with the team about story ideas and such. To design a page and see it come to life. An active behind-the-scenes role is one in which I’ve always thrived. As well as needing to sometimes work quickly, I work better with a deadline in three hours than one in a week. The adrenaline wakes me up. I’ve always struggled with becoming bored with a job that had little change to it. Through my time at the paper, I discovered my perfect environment. There is a foundation that is similar each time and a system that I can alter and change as needed with the information that flows through changing. It’s new content. I absolutely love it.

I found myself at SFCC. The newsroom and those who lived in it with me gave me a space to be myself and grow. I felt like I could fly. That winter quarter changed my life. I found passion for things and direction for careers I could steer my education toward. The experiences I’ve had have been unlike anything I could have even imagined. The friends I’ve made have helped me in countless ways. I had a community that I belonged in. I’ve learned more about music (now addicted to the Jonas Brothers. Thanks Maddie!) and different foods. I tried the impossible burger in NYC at a vegan restaurant that was the cutest place I’ve eaten with some of the best fries I’ve ever had.

I learned more about my school during my time at The Communica-

tor. When I first started as a college student with little idea of what I wanted to do, I was frustrated to be at a community college. It felt like I wasn’t truly at college. I didn’t make friends. I did my homework and moved on. But then I started to connect with people on campus. I realized the mecca that was to be had in a place designed to help one figure out their path in life both personally and professionally. The teachers and friends who have played a role in where I am today have my eternal gratitude. They nurtured my interests and gave me encouragement and hope. Community college is the perfect place to try things that interest you and to be you. You never know what you’ll find if you don’t try.

The last 15 months have been a wild ride. It’s hard to say goodbye.

But the time is right to take this next step. The Communicator and those who work on her will always have a piece of my heart. I walked in not knowing what career I wanted to pursue or how to be all me but I will walk out having an idea of what I want to and that all me is the best me. What I’ve learned here will stay with me my entire life. You’ve given me a map and a direction to follow as I set off on my next adventure.

Thank you to the teachers who have encouraged my interests in different topics.

Thank you to those who have supported me in hard times and spoken truth into my confusion.

Thank you to SFCC for being a garden for me to grow and bloom in.

Thank you. sfcc.winnie.killingsworth@gmail.com

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Sports

03.19.2020

The Communicator

Spring sports suspended until April 13 Due to COVID-19 restrictions, NWAC delays spring schedule Kyra Smith The Communicator According to a Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) notice that went out March 12, the spring sports season has been suspended until April 13, effective immediately. All CCS sports run through NWAC, therefore stopping any sports that were currently taking place, such as men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, softball, and men’s baseball.

The men’s and women’s basketball campionship tourtnaments have also been cancelled.

It is not yet determined if the NWAC spring championships will continue.

The medical hardship rule has been extended from 20% to 60%. Student athletes will not be charged a year of eligibility.

Courtesy of CCS Baseball’s Twitter McKabe Cottrell “has given up 1 hit in his last 14 innings pitched” says @CCSpokaneBSB on Twitter.

However, in the last streatch of their quick season, Bigfoot’s baseball team brought home three W’s in games against Skagit Valley, and Clackamas CC. On March 8, NWAC sports

recognized an SFCC player on Twitter.

“Congratulations to Spokane pitcher McKabe Cottrell on his 7 inning No-Hitter in Spokane’s 17-0 win over Clackamas.”

More information Go online to nwacsports.com

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