www.thecrcconnection.com
Latinx murals celebrate CRC’s cultural diversity See Page 4
Joe Padilla| The Connection
Low Enrollment
Los Rios enrollment decline could affect future funding News, Page 2 ISSUE 3 Fall 2016 Student voice of CRC since 1970
Halloween Savings Scare up savings without breaking the bank Features, Page 4
FACEBOOK /crcconnection
Mental Health Bill Lawmakers must fund services to save lives Opinion, Page 6
TWITTER @crcconnection
Softball Clinic
Hawks host softball clinic for community Sports, Page 8
INSTAGRAM @thecrcconnection
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OCTOBER ₁₃, 2016
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SAVE THE District makes efforts to to
address enrollment issues By Courtney Fong and Matt Johnson cofong.connect@gmail.com & mjohnson.connect@gmail.com
DATE “THE MASK YOU LIVE IN” FILM
The Social Responsibility Committee will be showing ‘‘The Mask You Live In’’ on campus, which is a film that negotiates America’s view of masculinity today from 12 p.m. to 1:20 p.m in the Recital Hall.
HONORS NIGHT FOR LATINX
There will be an honors night celebrating Latinx students who have a 3.5 or higher GPA on Friday night at 6 p.m. in the Recital Hall.
CLUB ACTIVITIES FAIR
There will be a club activities fair on Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the quad. There are about eight clubs scheduled to participate.
HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL
CRC is hosting a Halloween Festival to give back to the community on Oct. 27, from 5-8 p.m. in the cafeteria. The ASCRC is accepting student volunteers at T-108. CORRECTION: Our story on the Student Life and Leadership Center in Issue 1 misidentified a source. Her name is correctly spelled Asia Jelks. Also, the talent show referred to in the story took place in the spring semester.
The Los Rios Community College District is facing low enrollment and has entered stability mode for the first time. Cosumnes River College is working to address low enrollment, but if the district is unable to increase its enrollment, the school could see budget cuts in state funding. “The funding model for community colleges for the state of California is based on enrollment,” said CRC President Edward Bush. “So if you have declining enrollment, it could translate to having a reduction in your budget, and that budget is what colleges use to run, to operate.” LRCCD isn’t the only district to face low enrollment issues. Of the 72 community college districts in the state, 36 are now in stability mode, said CRC Public Information Officer Kristie West. Stability mode is a yearlong grace period for districts to get their enrollment back up to par. If districts are unable to reach their benchmark enrollment, the state could reduce funding for the district. “Eighty to 85 percent of the money we get from the state is determined by enrollment,” West said. “So when our enrollment doesn’t go up, we do not get any more money. Because of that, when you are on a flat or a decline in your enrollment, your expenses continue to go up but the money is not coming in.” Community college enrollment has a strong correlation with the economy. “For the last couple years, you could see our enrollment decline is really matching the economic growth of our region,” Bush said. “You’ll see that there’s a pretty direct relationship between the two.” As the economy and the job market improve, community college students might to take fewer classes so they can work more hours. For students living paycheck to paycheck, community college may be a second priority. “Students who would normally come to college,
when the economy gets better, they would get a job and community college is secondary,” Bush said. Federal funding cuts could affect students in the future. Reduced funding could result in certain sections being cut, lack of new faculty and staff and the inability to update buildings and get new equipment. “It starts to have a trickle down effect,” West said. But the administration seems optimistic about how the district and CRC are addressing the issue.
complete, you’re actually losing money, because it extends the amount of time in which you get access to your career earnings,” Bush said. “So if you could make some temporary sacrifices, working less hours now and take more units, it’s the quicker you’ll begin to access your real income, so to speak.” Campus officials are reaching out to students who are taking nine units about the benefits of becoming a fulltime student, including fulltime financial aid rather than part-time financial aid.
“I believe we’ll be okay. I think we’ll hit funding,
and there are some tools that we could utilize, that will allow us to stabilize at our current funding level.”
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-- Edward Bush
Cosumnes River College President “I believe we’ll be okay,” said Bush. “I think we’ll hit funding, and there are some tools that we could utilize, that will allow us to stabilize at our current funding level.” CRC is encouraging students, specifically part-time students, to take more units. Enrollment takes into account the number of full-time students attending the college, so students who were enrolled full-time last semester and became part-time students this semester contribute the to decline in enrollment. The college is also directing their marketing efforts to specific populations of students using equity funding. Bush said that groups of students who have historically underperformed in an institution, such as African-Americans, Hispanics and foster youth, are target groups. Full-time students also receive more benefits than parttime students. Some incentives are built into the system. Even though taking nine units is cheaper at face value than taking 12 units, full-time students receive a higher financial aid award. CRC is also trying to bring a greater awareness about the benefits of students finishing their degrees on time. Students who take more 15 units per semester will complete their Associate’s degree in two years. “The longer it takes you to
CRC recognizes the issues persisting low enrollment could cause for the future, and are taking steps now to ensure those issues don’t arise. With the additional efforts made to increase full-time enrollment and the growing outreach and resources made available for students, the district and campus administrators are taking measures to make sure no ramifications happen in the future.
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News Brief This year, the opening date for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid was moved to Oct. 1. This was three months earlier than the usual date of Jan. 1. This FAFSA will be for the 201718 school year. The student’s required tax information for the FAFSA will be from 2015 rather than 2016. Future FAFSA applications will continue to require tax information from the prior year, such as next year’s FAFSA will require the student’s tax information from 2016. This means that students are currently able to submit their FAFSA anytime until June 30. The reasoning
for this decision was to be an aid to students. The purpose was to give students more time to review and file their applications. By moving the date three months earlier, the hope is that students will be able to receive financial aid funds earlier and can plan for the new school year accordingly. The official opening date for all future FAFSA applications will be Oct. 1. The application deadline will remain June 30 of the following year. Students now have nine months to apply for federal student aid as opposed to the usual six months.
thecrcconnection.com
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In the Know: Presidential Candidates Information compiled by Matt Johnson, Ashley Navarro, Tyler Santana and Julie Wallinger Layout by Julie Wallinger mjohnson.connect@gmail.com, anavarro.connect@gmail.com, tsantana.connect@gmail.com & jwallinger.connect@gmail.com
Donald Trump
Hillary Clinton
Gary Johnson
Jill Stein
Republican
Democrat
Libertarian
Green
VP: Tim Kaine
VP: Mike Pence
• • • • • • •
• • •
• • • • • •
• •
Economy
Create 25 million new jobs. States plans to reform U.S. tax policy Use a “pro-growth” tax plan. Income tax cuts. Low income citizens exempt from income taxes. The more wealth, the smaller the percentage of tax reduction. Lower business tax rate to 15%
Education
Add a federal investment of $20 billions towards schools choice from existing federal dollars. Grants favoring states with private schools, magnet schools, and charter law. Exchange university costs for federal tax breaks and dollars.
•
•
•
•
•
Social Issues
Defense of Second Amendment Appoint supreme court justices to defend the Amendment and constitution. Strong military with strong weaponry National ‘concealed carry’ rights. Fix background checks system. No Government mandates of gun ownership.
Justice System
Encourage private citizen rights to uphold the justice system, make citizens arrests. Mental Healthcare reform to prevent future mass shooters.
•
•
• •
Economy
Released a 100-day job’s plan focusing on building America’s infrastructure, punishing companies that outsource, plans to reduce taxes on small businesses. Called for gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15.
Education
Plans for children in a family household that makes $125,000 or less to attend public universities tuition-free, Campaigned for expanding preschools, establishing universal pre-K programs
•
•
•
Social Issues
Advocates for thorough background checks, closing loopholes in online and gun show sales Domestic abusers, those on the FBI’s watch list and people suffering from severe mental illness would not be able to buy a gun.
Justice System
Address racial bias across society and in law enforcement, work to eliminate racial profiling and having better training. Plans to spend $1 billion in funding new researching creating better police training. Provide federal funding to make body cameras available to every police department in the U.S.
VP: Ajamu Baraka
VP: William Weld
•
• •
•
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Economy
Against big bank bailouts, farm subsidies and no stimulus packages, based off of the $3 trillion stimulus package which he believes did not work. Plans to cut the military budget by 43% (would not include veterans benefits.)
•
• •
Education
No student loans. Loans raise the tuition rates, so that students need loans. Believes if students were not receiving loans, fewer students would be going to college because it would be so expensive. This would result in lower enrollment, which would force colleges to lower tuition.
Social Issues
Supports abortion rights, but does not support federal funding of organizations that provide abortions. Two year grace period for undocumented immigrants to obtain a work visa. Safeguard the fourth Amendment. Eliminate government surveillance of private citizens.
Justice System
Supports private prisons. His idea is that a private prison can hold more prisoners for cheaper. Abolish drug laws. Treat drug abuse as a mental illness.
• • • •
• • • •
• • • •
Economy
Create 20 million new jobs by transitioning the country to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2030. Full unemployment benefits for workers displaced from fossil fuel related jobs. Allocate $400 billion spent on bureaucracy to create a full, universal healthcare budget.
Education
Free public education for all citizens from pre-K to university. Abolish student debt. Increase federal funding to schools. Restore arts, music, and recreation to school curriculum.
Social Issues
Create a global climate treaty that limits global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Label GMO products and put a moratorium GMO pesticides until further research is done. Guaranteed economic human rights to food, water, housing, and utilities. Full access to contraception.
Justice System
Demilitarize the police. End minimum sentencing. End war on drugs. Mandatory body cameras for all police officers.
Sources: donaldjtrump.com, hillaryclinton.com, The Wall Street Journal, ABC, CNN, CBS News, NPR, The Libertarian Republic website, and jill2016.com.
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October 13, 2016
>>Features
Mural celebrates Latinx community
By Alejandra Morales amorales.connect@gmail.com
The Latinx community held an event in the campus quad at 11 a.m., where artist Raul Mejia sketched out a mural that was painted by students on Oct. 5. Students from the Student Life and Leadership Center came up with the idea after taking part at cultural conferences in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Jose. The one particular thing that stuck to them was the art on the walls, said SLLC Student Personnel Assistant Yesenia Castellon. “Before coming out here, I did not know exactly what the Latinx was and what it was celebrating and now this is a great opportunity to see exactly what and who is being celebrated,” said 20-year-old sociology major Ilyssa Sotelo. The mini mural was set into four paintings and they were put under two pavilions in front of the library. One displayed painting was of Rober-
to Clemente, who was the first Latino to enter the baseball hall of fame, and Ellen Ochoa who was the first Latina astronaut. “I feel like there is not enough imagery of the Latinx community anywhere, especially in the media,” said Mejia. “I feel like we are misrepresented in a lot of ways and I feel like it is our duty to fight those stereotypes in our own lives.” The second pavilion had paintings of Joe Serna, who rose from his roots as a farm worker to become Sacramento’s first Latino mayor in modern history. The painting next to him was of Frida Kahlo, who was known not only from her paintings but being an activist for female rights as well. “The thing I liked was the hands on paintings that really brought people together and it showed art in a very symbolic way for the community as a whole because we made this, not just Mejia,” said 21-yearold kinesiology major Daniel
Dapitan. Students from different communities, not just Latinx, came to the showing and took part in painting the murals. Spanish Professor Blanca Gill brought her Spanish 401 class to the quad to participate in the event and it allowed students from all communities to see what Latinx month was all about. “Maybe they have had some type of similar struggle,” said Castellon. “They are learning not just about the Latinx community but about themselves as well.” The event not only had Mejia talk to the students in the beginning about what each mural was but it also played Latino music in the background to add to the celebration of the culture. “I am interested in Latinx and what they are trying to do which is bringing all the cultures together and I feel like that defines America because we are a nation of immigrants,” said Dapitan.
Joe Padilla | The Connection
Students and faculty add a few brush strokes each to the paintings that celebrate Latin accomplishments.
Halloween on a budget Compiled by Julie Wallinger
DIY
Ready to Buy
Bloody footprints leading up to front door. Grab a bottle of [washable] red tempera paint at the dollar store. Pour it into a tray and thin it out with a little water. Step barefooted in the mixture and leave a trail of dripping, bloody footprints up your path to the front door. For an added touch, pretend to slip in a few places or drip a little bit of ‘blood’ as you go! Go to Halloween pop-up stores for inspiration. Marvel at the glitter skulls, but come to terms with the inevitable heartbreak of having to put them all back down. Then go to the dollar store, buy a plastic skull and 6-pack of glitter glue, and get to work. Use what you have. The great thing about Halloween is that everything is rough around the edges. The older, the better! Have a shirt you don’t see lasting through the year anyway? Cut it up, throw some dye on it, and go as a zombie. Honestly, on Halloween, it’s the effort that counts- not the quality of the costume.
Dollar store decorations. Most dollar store items are the same quality as you can buy in Halloween stores, so as long as you start off with a plan and apply that one-pack of cotton spiderwebs with authority, it will come out looking great! Expand past the seasonal section; the wedding aisle usually has white crepe paper garlands that would make a perfect mummy wrap. Tiny pumpkins: the secret to world peace. Everyone loves them, and most grocery stores and pumpkin patches sell them in bunches, so why buy one big pumpkin when you can buy several adorable ones and put them everywhere! After Halloween, just go to Google for recipes that incorporate them in everything from soup to creme brulee. Pick one or two things to Trick-or-Treat Yo’Self. It’s a holiday, so if you can, find something important to you but unnecessary and get it. Sometimes, you just need a $20 pumpkin-shaped punch bowl; for emotional reasons.
thecrcconnection.com
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Theatre production explores race relationships By Andrew Flores aflores.connect@gmail.com
Courtesy Photo
With the lack of diversity portrayed in mainstream theater, the Cosumnes River College Theatre Department makes an effort to highlight a variety of characters, stories and voices that are representative of the campus in new production. This semester the department will showcase “A Raisin in the Sun,” by Lorraine Hansberry, which they will perform in the Black Box Theatre beginning Oct. 14. “‘Raisin in the Sun’ is one of the most important plays in American Dramatic Literature. The first great play about the African-American experience,” said director Scott Gilbert. “This is kind of an old-fashioned play in a way although it really speaks to people today.” The play is set in Chicago during the 1950s and revolves around an African-American family who receives a substantial amount of money from an insurance claim brought by the passing of the husband and father of the family. The story
displays the conflicts that arise when the family tries to figure out how to use the money, revealing the characters clashing aspirations. The play later explores the struggles that the family faces when they move into the suburbs of an oppressive white community and how they navigate through this new experience. The play received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1959 and was a representation of black life during that time. “When I found out it was ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ I was like, ‘Oh my god this is awesome.’ It is very rare that you get a college that wants to do an all black casted play,” said Tony Shepherd, a 20-year-old psychology major. “I was super excited for that and so I auditioned and I did my absolute best.” Though the play centers on an African-American family, it also explores the human condition, aspirations and relationships that can extend to people of all generations and ethnic backgrounds. “Just like poetry it gives
you something to analyze, something to compare yourself to. Your struggles, your life, everything,” said Marshall Bailey, a 19-year-old engineering major. “It’s something good to look at and it’s a great piece of art. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ was beautifully written and there are not many like it.” The theater department selected the play because of its relevance to current events that have taken place within the United States. As tensions continue to strain, the play gives insight to issues such as the oppression, generational conflicts and racism, while unifying the human experience with the idea that we are connected through the pursuit of our dreams. “It is a historically significant play that holds a lot of weight. It has a lot of heart and it has a lot of meaning and it really does showcase different realms of reality outside of what we usually see in typical theater,” said Shepherd. “I think that’s one reason that people should come see the play because you’ll get a lot out of it.”
‘Birth of a Nation’ lacks depth and consistency By Stan Smith ssmith.connect@gmail.com A significant amount of both excitement and controversy surrounded the theatrical release of “Birth of a Nation”. Received extremely well at the Sundance Film Festival, the discussion of the film soon turned sour. Nate Parker, who wrote, directed and starred in the film, had been accused of rape while attending college but was later exonerated due to lack of any real evidence. Despite Parker’s exoneration, “Birth of a Nation” remained the subject of heavy criticism on behalf of the director’s ties to the rape case. An objective review must separate the artist from the art, which has unfortunately not been the case for many reviews of the film. Nate Parker’s feature-length directorial debut is a visceral experience. Grotesque violence is depicted both in large-scale battle sequences as well as much more intimate and personal attacks. While the frequent violence dominates the screen and tone of the film, it does not feel out
of place or unnecessary. The production design and costuming are both well done, convincingly transporting the audience to a plantation within the antebellum South. In addition to the production design, the cinematography is excellent. The landscape of the South is captured beautifully, while also artfully and powerfully portraying the atrocities committed frequently during the reign of slavery within the United States. While “Birth of a Nation” is certainly impactful on a physical and visual level, there are several missteps in the narrative aspect of the film. A number of jarring tonal shifts disrupt the flow of the story, and some scenes are not quite structured as coherently as they should, robbing those sequences of the impact they may have had otherwise. Another weakness of the film is the wildly fluctuating and distracting shifts of character. Several characters act seemingly in opposition to their core values and motivations, creating a disconnect between the character and the audience. Nate Parker shows signifi-
Courtesy Photo
cant promise as a director with his debut effort, but there are a number of narrative shortcomings which he will have to improve on in his later films. Narrative flaws from a first time director are not surprising, neither are they unforgivable, considering how obviously passionate Parker is for the subject matter of his first
feature film. Parker must learn to mentally separate himself from the subject matter of his future films. “Birth of a Nation” could have been a film whose story haunted the viewer for weeks, but instead, the viewer walks away with some impressive and affecting imagery, but not the narrative depth to make this a complete experience.
Score out of five stars For more TV reviews, visit thecrcconnection.com or follow the Connection on Twitter @CRCconnection
October 13, 2016
Page 6
>>Opinion EDITORIAL
Mental health bill needs a second chance A student walks into the counseling office, slightly anxious. It’s week three in the academic quarter and because of his tendency to procrastinate, he recognizes that he needs help. He is scheduled for a non-urgent appointment with a counselor in 10 working days, which would be week five. If the counselor finds no urgent risk, the student’s follow-up appointment will be in four weeks, or week 10 of the quarter. Treatment would begin almost two months after the student sought help, right before finals. By then, his anxiety and procrastination could have developed into a full-blown academic crisis. This is the example Elizabeth Gong-Guy, director of the University of California Office of Campus and Student Resilience, used when discussing a lack of mental health resources on college campuses at a 2014 University of California Regents meeting, according to meeting minutes on the UC Regents website. Two years later and though much progress has been made in mental health, college students are still suffering because there aren’t enough resources to support them in a timely manner. The College Mental Health Services Program bill, introduced by California assembly member Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, would have given grants to public colleges and universities for mental health services. But Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed bill AB 2017 on Sept. 24 because “it commits to a particular program structure without specifying the amount or source of funding,” Brown wrote, according to the California Legislature. We understand that detailing the financial aspect of the bill is complicated. But we urge the California Legislature to remember that the bill will have real impact. The sooner the bill is passed, the more lives it will affect, and the more lives it will save. According to information released by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, a little more than 1,000 students in college commit suicide in the United States. Research put out by the website collegedegreeresearch.net, 1 in 12 students make a plan to commit suicide. The rate of students seeking counseling services is five times the rate of institutional enrollment, according to a 2009-2015 study by Penn State University’s Center for Collegiate Mental Health. The lagging amount of resources at California public colleges and universities can’t keep up with the increase in students seeking mental health support. Students have to wait longer for appointments and will have fewer appointments for treatment. Additionally, students with urgent cases are prioritized in receiving mental health services, so students with non-urgent needs will be serviced even later. But mental health is a tricky thing. Each case and the timeline of a person’s mental health is different. It could only take two weeks for someone to go from stressed to overwhelmed and incapacitated. Thirty-four percent of college students report feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function, according to the American College Health Association’s 2015 nationwide assessment. It could be the stranger who lent you a Scranton last week. Or the student who sits in front of you. Or a teammate. Your best friend. You. The College Mental Health Services Program bill addresses an important issue on a wide scope. It would impact students on campuses throughout the state. While this bill is still being debated, many are suffering. And unfortunately some are suffering so much that they will decide to take their own lives. We must speak out for those who suffer in silence and urge our legislators to help provide resources our campuses desperately need. Agree? Disagree? Let us know at connection.crc@gmail.com thecrcconnection.com
HAWK TALK How would you react if you saw a creepy clown on campus? Compiled by Lola Chase Photos by Stan Smith
“I would put the ‘paws’ on him and I would borrow his tricycle if he had one and ride it around campus. You can’t fight illogical things with logical things.” Chris Frazier 19, psychology
“I’d be scared, so I would just walk away, and if they’re chasing me, I’d run. I would go to where there are people around like in the cafeteria.” Manisha Kumer 27, medical assisting
“I would run. Some of them are murderers, like the real clowns at Universal Studios, who are dangerous and terrorizing people. I would just run to the police station.” Samaria Maynard 19, undeclared
Alvin Adamafio 20, business finance
“If they try to approach me, that would be the last time they approach someone.”
Jackie Joseph 20, business administration
“They’re getting punched. I would go out of my way and probably go to jail because I’m not playing their games. They’re going to schools that my brother and sister go to and I won’t put up with the threats from these stupid clowns.”
Jonathan Martinez 19, business
“I would sit down and talk to him. I would ask him about his life, what’s going on at home, and ask why he is out here ruining people’s days. He knows people are scared of clowns, so why is he doing this? I wouldn’t be scared, he’s a person, so I want to have a discussion with him.”
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THECRCCONNECTION.COM
>>Sports
Calvin’s success and energy recognized in athletic award By Andrew Maestas amaestas.connect@gmail.com After an outstanding week on the field, freshman midfielder, Averen Calvin, earned athlete of the week honors. The honor not only meant a lot for Calvin, but it provided her even more motivation to continue to improve as a player and help build off the recognition. “It definitely makes me want improve myself, like what can I do better next game, what can I do better during practice? Because being athlete of the week gives a reason for people to talk about you,” said Calvin. “You have to show why you’re athlete of the week. I wasn’t just good this week, I’m going to be even better the next two-three weeks,” she said. Calvin’s hard work was on display when the Hawks played against Sacramento City College. She scored three goals, known as a hat trick, in the Hawks 5-0 win against the Panthers on Sept. 30. The award was not only nice for Calvin, but also meant a lot to women’s soccer coach Cesar Plascencia, especially for all the work these athletes put in between academics and athletics. “It is always nice to acknowledge students for their efforts. She has been working really hard and she’s had a couple great performances. Especially, last week where she had a game where she had three goals,” said Plascencia. “It is not easy being a student athlete. Athletics takes a lot of time out of your schedule you got to be committed, priorities, etc. To get acknowledged, sometimes makes you feel that it is worth it,” he said. Calvin’s hat trick was a rarity, something her head coach said he hasn’t seen very often in his coaching career. “If you asked me how many girls over my 13 years who have had a hat trick I could count them on one hand probably,” said Plascencia. Plascencia has enjoyed the opportunity to coach Calvin, especially the way she carries herself on the field and how much fun she has
Editor in Chief: Matt Johnson News Editor: Courtney Fong Features Editor: Ashley Navarro Opinion Editor: Tyler Santana Sports Editor: Matt Johnson Photo Editor: LeShea Munoz Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati Staff: Abigail Babineau, Kaelyn Blizzard, Steven Bryla, Lola Chase, Andrew Flores, Jared Lee, Andrew Maestas, Alejandra Morales, Rachel Norris, Joe Padilla, Stan Smith, Julie Wallinger
Sports can provide support and strength in crucial times By Matt Johnson mjohnson.connect@gmail.com
Steven Bryla | The Connection
Avaren Calvin was named athlete of the week after her hat trick on Sept. 30 against Sacramento City College
playing the game and being on the team. “What I appreciate most about her is she plays the game with joy and passion. She truly truly has fun, she plays with a smile on her face, so it has been a joy coaching her this year,” said Plascencia. Through 13 games this season, Calvin leads the team with eight goals, 20 points and has converted 83 percent of her shots on goal. With the help of Calvin, the Hawks are already just one win away from matching their four conference wins from last year. You can watch Calvin and the women’s soccer team at Cosumnes River College on Oct. 25, when they play Sierra College at 3:30 p.m.
The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Journalism 410 & 411 media production class. Editorials and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or Los Rios Community College District.
Letters to the Editor must be typed, signed and include the first and last name of the author and a phone number. They must be 200 words or less and may be edited for
The Connection Cosumnes River College 8401 Center Parkway Sacramento, CA 95823 Telephone: (916) 691-7471 Fax: (916) 691-7181 www.thecrcconnection.com connection.crc@gmail.com
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Professional sports are one of the most captivating forms of entertainment around for many people today. Its ability to draw out emotion, bring fans together and display some of the most gifted athletes in the world is why it draws in millions of eyes each day. But the greatest aspect of sports is the impact it can have on communities and its ability to create positive change and make this world a better place. When the United States was devastated after the attacks on 9/11, sports were there as an escape for sports fans. No moment captured that more than when baseball returned to New York 10 days after the attacks. The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, rivals, were in the midst of a playoff race in the final month, but there was no rivalry on this night. Then, in the bottom of the eighth inning with New York down 2-1, Mets’ catcher Mike Piazza stepped up to the plate and hit a home run that not only gave the Mets a 3-2 lead, but also brought a rare moment of joy to New York and across the country. Six years later, another example of sports bringing a positive escape for a grieving city. In the days after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, it was the New Orleans Saints stadium, the Superdome, that provided a temporary home for survivors as the city lay ripped to shreds. Following it’s restoration, the Superdome reopened on Sept. 25, 2006 and in front of a united, sold out crowd, the Saints brought energy back to the city in the same stadium that a year prior was a refuge. Sports have provided
a ray of light in the darkest of times for its fans and its cities, but its impact to create change and its power to reach larger audiences, has been used for good. When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed business owners to refuse to serve gay and lesbian customers based on religious beliefs, sat on Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk, the NFL stepped up. The NFL started looking at alternate cities to host Super Bowl XLIX and were prepared to move it out of Arizona if Brewer passed the bill, according to Sports Illustrated. With the threat of a lost Super Bowl and the millions of lost revenue for the city that would have come with it, the bill was vetoed. More recently, sports use of its power was seen in North Carolina following the state passing House Bill 2, which made it so people could only use public bathrooms that corresponded to the sex on their birth certificates, according to The Charlotte Observer. Since the law was passed in March, North Carolina has felt a powerful backlash from sports. In July, the NBA revealed it would move the 2017 All Star Game out of North Carolina as a result of the bill, according to the New York Times. Then on Sept. 12, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced it had moved seven scheduled collegiate championship events out of North Carolina, following the passing of HB2, according to USA Today. These are the moments that make sports great. People atop the sports world are using their influence to create change and defend equal rights. When that happens and more people are brought together, everyone wins.
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OCTOBER 13, 2016
Softball team develops rapport, skill in fall camp By Matt Johnson mjohnson.connect@gmail.com While softball is played in the spring semester, the Hawks are already hard at work each week taking steps to improve their skills for next season. The early practices allow players, both returning and new, and coaches to get familiar with one another and get ready for the spring. “This is the time where we’re trying to get stronger, get to know each other a little bit better,” said head coach Kristy Schroeder. “It’s for the players to kinda get to know our coaching philosophy a little bit so that they can eventually play in the style that we like them to play.” The work has paid off as teammates have worked together both on the field and off, developing team chemistry and a bond with one another for the upcoming season, as freshman middle infielder Veronica Smith attests to. “We’ve all got closer, relatively quickly. We’ve all been friends, there’s a social aspect here because we can all talk about our regular life and take it outside of softball,” Smith said.
LeShea Munoz | The Connection
Head coach Kristy Schroeder steps back as a base runner sprints for home during a practice drill. The softball team practices four times a week and works on improving its strength, team chemistry and all-around skill set.
Coming off a strong season last year that saw the team finish 33-12 and make it to the super regionals in the playoffs, players have used it to remain motivated in practice and know they can get back to the playoffs. “I think because we know our potential, so we know that we can get there, so that just makes us want to work harder this year and this time around,” said sophomore catcher Courtney Beatty, who
played in 45 games last year. Newcomers have also taken up the challenge well, with the opportunity it provides for them to prove themselves on a quality team. “As a freshman, it makes it more fun for us and makes us want to work harder because we have something to prove, that we belong here too,” Smith said. Fall practices this year have been a little different than what the team had last
year, with more focus on keeping players healthy, loose and working with players individually and as a team. “It just gives us a little opportunity to get to know each other, we do a little bit more fun things in the fall, it’s a little bit more low key,” Schroder said. “It’s like with anything, at first you don’t know everybody around you, you don’t know how they’re going to react,” she said.
“So the fall just lets us get to know each other, so when we move into the spring, it’s kinda like ‘Now we know who we are, what we want to be’ and then we can actually produce what it is that we’re trying to be.” While it remains a very competitive environment that carries some pressure on the team, players have enjoyed the fall practice set up and haven’t felt as much added weight on their shoulders. “There’s pressure, but you can relax and have fun. We do a lot of games and stuff, so it’s not just all pressure,” said sophomore outfielder Lindsay Lambert. The new schedule, focused on a system to improve as players and as a team, has also been viewed as a benefit. “I think also because our fall schedule is lighter, so we aren’t playing as many games this fall as we were last year,” Beatty said. “So there’s not pressure of winning or doing good in a game, it’s more just getting better and working on stuff in practice,” she said. The team will hold its annual Halloween practice on Oct. 31, where players will wear their Halloween costumes.
Hawks host three-day softball clinic for community By Andrew Flores aflores.connect@gmail.com The Hawks softball team will host their annual fall Softball Clinic on Oct. 25-27 for the local community to help provide guidance and inspiration for younger softball players and promote their softball program. The clinic, which will be open for ages 10-18, offers a great opportunity for youths within the community and prospective student athletes to work closely with coaches and players. “We decided to do the clinic for two reasons, one to get more prospective student athletes to come here for recruiting purposes and then the second reason is to do some community outreach with the Elk Grove, Sacramento area,” said head softball coach Kristy Schroeder. The clinic will focus on a wide range of skill sets during the three days and will be tai-
lored to softball players at all skill levels. Oct. 25 will focus on defense and position play, Oct. 26 will center on hitting, slapping and bunting and Oct. 27 will target pitching and catching. Each participant will be able to learn different techniques that will further develop their abilities on the softball field. “They’re going to get some extra skill development,” said Schroeder. “They get to intermingle with our players and coaching staff and have fun with the other people that they don’t usually get to practice with.” The clinic is also a way for CRC to promote itself to potential student athletes looking to attend a community college and who are interested in playing softball. Athletes from local high schools within the community are invited to participate in the clinic, allowing them
to experience what it takes to be a softball player at the college level and offering them a glimpse of the beautiful facilities the campus has to offer. “Some of the older girls that are 17, 18, around there, can start looking at our college and seeing if this is the right program for them,” said sophomore pitcher Ashleigh Berg. “It’s just kind of nice just for the girls to get to know coach...because she is a really good coach and she brings a lot to the team,” she said. Players will experience different aspects of the game, with the opportunity to coach, mentor and help them hone in on their own skills. Third baseman Kaylee Mustard said it’s important to offer programs, like the clinic, to kids in the community. Especially those who use sports as an outlet, as it gives them an opportunity to do something outside of school. The camp becomes mutually beneficial for everyone.
Hawks Softball Clinic Oct. 25 Oct. 26
Defense and position play Hitting, slapping and bunting.
Oct. 27
Pitching and catching skills and competiton
Ages
Cost
10-18
Single Camp - $15 Full Camp - $40 LeShea Munoz | The Connection
“It’s nice to do camps and clinics every once in awhile, again,” Schroeder said. “Just so we can reach out to the community, let them know that CRC has great facilities and a great softball program,” she said.
“I think it kind of benefits everybody, us and the community,” she said. For additional information on the clinic or to register, please send an email to assistant coach Sara Pedretti at pedrettiSL@gmail.com