The Connection Vol. 57 Issue 2 02/24/2011

FEATURES } Page 7

Film Studies Professor Rick Boeck attempts to predict Oscar winners

The Connection The student voice of Cosumnes River College since 1970

Volume 57, Issue 2

February 24, 2011

www.crcconnection.com

Campus smoking policy set to change Osay Ogbebor Connection staff In response to complaints about smokers and secondhand smoke on Cosumnes River College campus – students and faculty will now be required to smoke in designated areas, effective April, according to members of a campus Smoking Guidelines Implementation Task Group.

The Task Group wanted to reinforce certain areas on which students and staff members are able to smoke on campus with the respect for all other individuals and the environment.

“What we’re trying to accomplish is that if you’re a student or a staff member on this campus you ought not have to breath someone else’s smoke if you do not want to,” said Vice President of Administrative Services and Student Support Don Wallace, also the coordinator of the task group.

Currently, smokers are allowed to smoke anywhere on campus that is 30 feet from a building. Many smokers disregard the 30-foot rule, said 20-year-old Aa’ron Taddesse, a mathematical biologist major.

The new rules will limit areas where smoking is permitted.

These areas should not include a large amount of the site and importantly all smoking areas must be kept clean.

CRC’s task group have discussed and agreed that near the College Center and the open alley by the library would benefit the smokers and the non-smokers to be potential smoking zones.

Stephan Starnes Connection staff

Adam Hally | The Connection

“Me being a 30-year smoker, I chose to join the task group because I wanted to put a smoker’s perspective on the committee,” said Sociology Professor and task group member Paul Zisk.

“The new policy would benefit the campus because students and faculty don’t have to look at smoke butts on the ground and they don’t have to walk through second-hand smoke.”

Reaction to the new smoking rules were mixed.

Twenty-year-old Sterling

O’Neal, a health science major, agrees with the smoking policy change.

“I think it’s a personal choice but personally I don’t approve of students smoking on campus,” he said. “My parents used to smoke and as a result I have severely bad asthma.”

One student who smokes, 30-year-old James Clarkson, a television production major, said he did not like the designated areas for smokers. “I understand the dangers of second-hand

smoke but when you start limiting things to designated areas it won’t be pleasing for a number of students in those areas without any protection from bad weather,” he said Barkley said that she preferred the campus to go smoke free. The smoking rule changes are a good first step to improving students’ health, Barkley said.

“The changes that are going to occur on campus are going to help the students, not hurt them,” said Barkley.

Community meets, discusses light rail expansion Osay Ogbebor Connection staff Homeowners had a chance to attend a community meeting at Susan B. Anthony Elementary on Feb. 10, to talk about the extended light rail project that would be cutting through their backyards.

Sacramento Regional Transit wants to extend the light rail 4.3 miles from the existing station at Meadowview Road, to Cosumnes River College. For this project to be complete, RT officials want to buy slices of the 47 residential backyards that would be affected by it.

While planning, RT decided to buy a 20-foot piece of the homeowner’s backyards so they can build a separation crash wall separating the Regional Transit lightrail trains and the Union Pacific trains.

“We had an approval from the Union Pacific Railroad to See LIGHT RAIL, Page 8

Campus weighs amendment proposal

Cory Fong | The Connection

The Regional Transit light rail will travel from Meadowview Road, through Cosumnes River Blvd. to the Cosumnes River College campus. Houses along the Union Pacific Railroad will be affected.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and David Vitter of Louisiana have sought to amend the United States Constitution so that children born in America would need at least one parent to be citizen in order to be considered citizens themselves.

The 14th Amendment allows anyone who is born in the United States to be granted citizenship.

The problem with the senators’ wishes is that it would be especially hard to change the U.S. Constitution at this point, said Political Science Professor Martin Morales.

There are two ways to propose an amendment, according to the U.S. Constitution.

One way involves a twothirds majority vote by both houses of the legislative branch.

The other, which has never been used before, requires two-thirds of state legislatures to call for a constitutional convention. Ratification of a proposed amendSee AMENDMENT, Page 8

Impact of social media discussed by campus Dorian Love Connection staff With all the buzz on social media, many claim that social networking sites have provided infinite possibilities in the way we communicate. Not only is it fast and convenient, but it also allows us to talk with anyone in the world.

But is this technology having a negative effect on students?

Many instructors have seen a change seen the effects texting has on our youth. No longer are students communicating using proper language when texting, but they are using shorthand.

According to an Arkansas News report, teachers have noticed a negative change in their student’s writing, Billy Ray Warren, secondary curriculum director for Florence schools, said, “texting has definitely contributed to the decline in writing skills.”

Warren also stated that, “keyboarding, in general, whether at the computer or on a cell phone, is a definite culprit in the lack of

See COMMUNICATION, Page 8

Opinion

2 EDITORIAL

CRC students should take a cue from Egypt The recent events in Egypt have cast a strong light on the power of the people in their own governance. The Egyptian Revolution certainly was different for a number of reasons, most specifically the median age of those who revolted. In Egypt, as calls for revolution rang out, the average age in the nation at the time was 24.

This means that the majority of Egypt’s citizens weren’t even around when deposed President Hosni Mubarak took power 29 years ago.

In a world where Facebook and Twitter play ever-expanding roles in the lives of our youth, pictures of a man beaten by AT A GLANCE police quickly spread across the country. In this way, social media that we use so regularly The Issue: Unlike youth in to talk with loved ones, was Egypt, America’s youth are used as a platform to call for not engaged in the prochange on a national level. cesses which govern them.

As community colleges prepare for massive budget cuts, what can we as a Our View: Students must student-body take away from increase awareness and the Revolution? get more involved with Protesting is such a what affects their futures. common element in our daily lives that we hardly take Agree? Disagree? notice when we see one take place around our area. Sure it Send comments to may garner local attention for connect@crc.losrios.edu about ten seconds, but then we move on, and the crowds disperse and go home.

In Egypt that did not happen. The crowd didn’t move until they got their way. While we certainly aren’t talking about overthrowing the government over the proposed budget, these cuts have the potential of making it much more difficult for collegiate goals to be reached.

In times like this, to see the people of Egypt protesting over major grievances with their government, while people here are largely staying silent over issues that will affect them in the coming months, frankly, is sickening.

As interesting as what’s going in Egypt is, unless you have friends and family who live there, what happens there doesn’t affect us much. What happens with the California budget however, will.

The hard reality is, higher education will become more expensive in the near future. That’s a given fact.

The proposed bump from $26 a unit to $36 Governor Jerry Brown is suggesting is the best-case scenario, the Legislative Analyst’s Office is looking at a worst-case scenario bump to $66, but what happens in this area depends on you.

There likely will be a special election coming up, and this will be your chance to express how you feel about what is going on with the situation California is. The people of Egypt voiced their opinion. Be sure to voice yours.

The Connection

Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief News Editors Opinion Editor Features Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Online Editor Production Manager Faculty Adviser Antoine Allen Tashia Brantley Joe Conradsen Adam Hally John Hesselbein

Cory Fong & Branden Wiens Cory Fong & Branden Wiens Raynisha Taltoan Varsha Narayan Johny Garcia Unique Pierre-Cody Carlo Dela Cruz Tracy Gilkerson David Weinshilboum

Jarrad Hicks Dorian Love Theresa Moore Daniel Newport Alyssa Novak

David Obisanya Osay Ogbebor Vinita Singh Stephan Starnes

The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Journalism 400 newspaper production class. Editorials and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or the Los Rios Community College District. The Connection is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC).

Letters to the Editor must be typed, signed and include first and last name and a phone number. They must be 200 words or less and may be edited for length, clarity or taste.

Telephone Fax Website E-mail Address Or drop by

916.691.7471 916.691.7181 www.crcconnection.com connect@crc.losrios.edu The Connection Cosumnes River College 8401 Center Parkway Sacramento, CA 95823 LRC 109 on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center

February 24, 2011

Doppelganger stores may lead to closure of businesses in Elk Grove Johny Garcia Connection Staff “Going out of business sale.”

I you live in Elk Grove then you have probably grown accustomed to seeing this sign in the front of many stores. In the past few years many stores have gone under, including Hollywood Video, Linens & Things, and Circuit City just to name a few.

While the economy has played some minor role in the demise of these businesses, the lack of variety among stores has been their true downfall. Stores in Elk Grove need to be more unique, or else they will fail like the other “twins stores” in the city.

Twin stores, stores that sell the same goods or services to the public, are located all over the city.

There are two Targets within five minutes of one another, grocery stores across the street from each other and a yogurt store and Blockbuster on just about every corner. This may not seem like such a bad thing. However, when the stores that recently

went under are looked at, it becomes very clear why they failed.

Mervyn’s went under while Kohls, TJMaxx and Ross all stayed open. Hollywood Video shut down while the Blockbuster across the street continued on. Bed, Bath & Beyond is still open but Linens & Things closed down. And Circuit City filed bankruptcy but Best Buy, which was just down the street from Circuit City, is still up and running.

These stores that came to a halting crash did so because they were twin stores. Twin stores have to compete for the public’s money because they are selling nearly identical products at nearly identical stores.

What Elk Grove needs is a unique business, something that’s not just a copy of another store.

Business owners need to stop duplicating other stores and slapping on a different title because it simply does not work out in the long run. Until this city starts building unique stores that offer one of a kind products and services, we will continue to see the embarrassing “closing down” signs in store windows.

Financial aid may be the answer for Gov. Brown’s funding proposals Joe Conradsen Connection Staff It’s the end of the world as we know it. Well, it’s not exactly the end of the world, but it may be the end of community college education as we know it.

Not only are classes hard to get into but Governor Jerry Brown has made a proposal for the budget that could lead to increased tuition cost and the cut of even more classes.

Gov. Brown has proposed to cut 400 million from community colleges statewide. Essentially, in the near future it may be even harder to get classes and pay tuition.

In my struggles with enrollment I imagine being Indiana Jones and the iconic image of him escaping closing dungeon doors and traps. Then there’s students, trying to squeeze in between the walls closing in and locking students out of a much needed class.

Perhaps these thoughts are just produced out of boredom, but the feeling of anxiety is clearly present. A mad dash to get into classes and obtain a reasonable schedule.

Every semester has been a struggle to get classes.

As students we should all be aware of how much our classes are costing us. However some students are not aware that tuition cost could be going up a significant amount. Gov. Brown estimated that tuition would go

up 10 dollars per unit, but it might increase by 40 dollars. This is worrying on many levels.

The first thing that is troublesome about the issue is the tuition fee is not narrowed down. Thirtysix dollars and 66 dollars are a huge difference.

The future of tuition is hard to prepare for because those in charge are not even sure what it will end up happening.

Budget cuts are more of a problem than a spike in tuition. Needless to say the community colleges would have to make up for this sudden lack of funds.

What this would most likely mean is the cutting of classes and a tuition increase.

Not getting into classes is what worries me the most. Money can be worked around and dealt with.

But when you don’t get into a class there is rarely anything you can do about that.

Financial aid will help students, regardless of what college ends up costing. However, due to the budget cuts, financial aid no longer seems like a secure safety net.

Some would say that the fee increase would even help out the budget. This is true because the fee increase will make more money for the schools. But, what remains unclear is how much this will help.

Furthermore, this seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. Tuition increase is not the core of the problem, but it reflects on some deeper problems.

Controversy over magazine cover: provocative, explicit, not sexual Varsha Narayan Connection Staff Lea Michele, known as Rachel on the hit show Glee, is attracting an abundance of unwanted attention because of her latest project. Michele is shown on the cover posing in a low cut shirt on the March cover of Cosmopolitan magazine and her parents are none to happy with it.

A mother of 12-year-old boy claims her son was confused and offended when he saw Rachel form Glee on the cover of the magazine, according to Fox News.

First off, I highly doubt that would offend a 12-year-old boy.

Second, Cosmo is a magazine for adults and Michele, 24, is definitely an adult. She shouldn’t have to face such harsh criticism just because she portrays a minor on television.

Magazines often feature provocative and hyper sexualized photos on covers. Sex sells, and that’s a concept that many magazines are well aware of.

GQ magazine faced a great deal of criticism late last year when they featured the stars of Glee posing sexually on the cover of their November 2010 issue.

The cover featured Michele and Diana Agron standing beside Cory Monteith in such a sexual

manner.

The Parents Television Council was outraged that Fox would allow the stars of their hit show to participate in such a sexual photo shoot and said it was borderline pedophilia.

Dictionary.com defines pedophilia as the condition of being sexually attracted to children.

These actors and actresses are over 18-years-old.

Therefore, the definition of pedophilia doesn’t fit here.

The PTC is reading a little too much into things and needs to back away and move on to something that’s worth their time.

GQ is a magazine for adults and all the actors are well over the age of 18. Therefore, they are not inappropriate because they are intended for adults.

GQ and Cosmo are both adult magazines and they are definitely not aimed towards children.

Now, if these pictures were featured on the cover of Seventeen magazine, I could see how the term inappropriate would be used.

However, since these magazines are definitely not meant for children, I don’t see how that argument is valid.

Children’s magazines use images to attract their audience and adult magazines use images to attract their audience. It’s simple as that.

Opinion

February 24, 2011

3

Manufactured meat a worthy, considerate treat Adam Hally Connection Staff You’re in a restaurant waiting for your food. Your steak comes from the kitchen, glistening in its juices as it normally would.

The only thing different about this piece of meat is that it didn’t come from an animal.

It’s from a laboratory; where it was grown.

In Vitro meat, or cultured meat, is a relatively new term in the food world.

Initial research stemmed from NASA, in an attempt to find long-term foods in space.

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration approved the technique in 1995.

Cultured meat may seem like a weird thing; and that’s because it is. Initially, perfectly natural “starter” cells are taken from healthy animals, and then saturated in a growth medium; which is basically a gooey liquid filled with nutrients that help the cells, as the name suggests; grow.

What you’re left with are small thin sheets of cells, that on a large enough scale would eventually be sent to meat processing plants and become a sort of ground beef, or

any other meat for that matter.

Scientists expect cultured meat to be on the market within the next 5 years; with the possibility of it becoming pet food coming even sooner.

The only problem is the cost. With today’s current technology, it’d cost over $1 million dollars for mere 250 gram piece of beef.

The news of cultured meat has left vegetarians and animal rights groups on the fence about the issue. Cultured meat doesn’t involve killing an animal, but some

argue it’s taking the place of mother nature.

Personally, cultured meat sounds pretty cool.

It may take a while for a truly feasible meat product; but it could really change the way we eat. Soon there’ll be laws mandating cultured meat to be labelled; or worse, protected as a resource for big business to get their hands on.

In Vitro meat is something to look forward to; especially if it makes killing animals a thing of the past.

Lack of entertainment leads to a city of “misery” Carlo Dela Cruz Connection Staff Major business magazine Forbes performs an annual look at the United States’ “Most Miserable Cities” each year, with Sacramento ranking number 5 on the list in 2011. Although it ranks high for obvious reasons, there are other nuances.

Forbes’ criteria for ranking cities for this list depends on many things: it can include economic situations, crime rates, commuting travel times, and unemployment. Ranked at number five next to neighbor cities Merced, Modesto, and Stockton, Sacramento is believed to have faced many of the aforementioned categories.

It’s devastating to hear stories of un-

employment and to see neighbors leave and later encounter signs of foreclosure or a house for sale.

Besides the major issues, there are also some minor things lacking that seems to prevent the city of Sacramento from being an interesting place to live.

While we have a major basketball team with the Kings, what else is there to enjoy?

Will we have the Kings any longer with rumors of the team relocating?

For young adults, there aren’t enough social areas to go to. Sure there are clubs and other forms of entertainment in Sacramento but finding them likely comes from a small extent of word of mouth.

Turnout for those places might be less than expected.

Any other places like internet and gaming centers are very limited as well.

What might have been open likely would be closed for the night. These places are likely located in the main city grounds and people who are traveling from the suburban sectors might have to suffer some bad traffic conditions.

While San Francisco might have reliable public transportation for people in most of the Bay Area, the scale of Sacramento causes a majority likely to drive while some can partake in a sort of limited city transits.

It doesn’t mean that Sacramento has nothing to do. There are major retailers, movie theaters, malls, and restaurants to enjoy but the issue is that they are too

spread apart from each other.

It seems to create doldrums effect where everything seems the same and even boring all the time. The plain feeling in Sacramento doesn’t compete with the dense and lively atmosphere of San Francisco.

Currently trying to improve the way of life in Sacramento seems like a challenge, as the country is still facing a bad economic situation. It fell into disillusionment right on time with the downfall from fellow miserable cities.

What can be done now is just wait until the rest of the country can get out of this trouble. If things improve, then there is a chance that the city of Sacramento can get out of being “miserable” and be great as originally intended.

Deliberate school segregation — a horrible idea Raynisha Taltoan Connection Staff McCaskey East High School in Lancaster Pennsylvania intentionally segregates it’s students. The theory is students learn better when they are surrounded with people of the same race.

The experiment is an initial pilot for something that has the potential to affect students dramatically. The experiment is proposed to make connections with other people of their ethnicity, help understand the importance of their ethnicities experience and improve student achievement.

HAWK TALK

This is truly disturbing on many levels, one being the Civil Rights movement.

The Civil Rights movement took place over the course of years to get segregation abolished. Names such as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are just a few who stood their ground so we would have such rights as social equality.

There was once a time that an African American did not have the right to sit at the front of the bus, drink from a water fountain that was not labeled “colored” or even go through the front entrance of an establishment if it was white owned.

Last but certainly not least whose con-

sidering the students involved?

It seems as if school board officials are deciding potentially life-altering choices for students. Putting a power so great that once dictated the lives of others in the hands of impressionable teenagers at the peak of their developmental stages, where they are making life decisions. This has got to be the worst idea ever thought and actually taken serious.

The situation from most angles is being looked at all from a trial and error aspect in which I do not agree. What if this pilot fails miserably, are the negative effects this could have on our youth considered?

“Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” according to a ruling of a case in Topeka, Kansas in 1954.

Research does however show that this form of segregation in schools has shown to increase self-esteem and test scores amongst students. What about some lasting effects that can be left behind?

There is no one out there considering that this may establish real segregation amongst our youth who are the generation of tomorrow.

Segregation should not be apart of any experimental process that should posed as a way to encourage students.

What do you think about social media playing a large role of spreading information?

Compiled by Stephan Starnes. Photos by Carlo Dela Cruz and Vinita Singh

“Its a good thing, people can rally faster and talk without organizing.”

“Its a good way to send information to different people without censorship’.”

“It plays a really big part. People 18-25 pay more attention to that then news.”

Nicholas Fox, 21 Environmental Studies

Stewart Post, 19 Computer Sciences

Aaron Dixion, 19 Physical Education

“The information they spread, the more support they get.”

“With some of the things going on in egypt it has been a driving force force .”

“I think its a good idea because alot of people on those areas need information.”

Steve Hoang, 21 Business

Ryan Waddle, 19 Multimedia

Tamara Cooke, 20 English

“Its information for people who dont watch the news.”

Catherine Khang, 22 Biology

“It’s helpful because i get to know whats going on around the world.”

Sang Nguyen, 27 Math

Sports

4

February 24, 2011

Coach Plasencia takes home a national award Stephan Starnes & Latashia Brantley Connection Staff

Cesar Plasencia, the head coach of the Cosumnes River College women’s soccer team, has been ranked among the top coaches by winning the Community College National Coach of the Year Award. Plasencia, who is entering into his seventh season as the women’s soccer coach at CRC, is no stranger to the game.

“I’ve played soccer since I was a baby,” Plasencia said. “I’ve maintained that relationship as long as I can remember.”

Plasencia graduated from Christian Brothers High School, where he was an All City soccer standout who went on to play at the college level.

In the 1981-1982 season as a player at CRC, Plasencia led the soccer team to the State Championship, earning All Norcal honors.

Having scored 38 goals brought him up to being the second leading point scorer in school history.

He went on to play at Sacramento State University of California, where he was an All Conference performer, and inducted into the Sacramento State Univeristy of California Soccer Hall of Fame.

After college, Plasencia played soccer professionally for six years and gained many memories along the way.

“I have so many great moments.”

Plasencia said. “When I played soccer, the

goals I scored would be most memorable.”

Plasencia continued his success as he began coaching soccer.

He has a United States Soccer Federation “A” License, as well as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Advance National Diploma.

He was the Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach from 1993-1996 at CRC, before moving on to CSUS as the Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach from 1998 to 2004.

When Plasencia started coaching at CRC in 2005, he struggled with low numbers on his team. However, he said that the soccer team’s talent level and numbers are both growing.

He first brought the Hawks women’s soccer team to the playoffs in 2007. He followed this up in 2008 by taking fifth in the state and being a part of the Elite 8.

In 2008 and 2009 he was ranked as the conference Co-Coach of the year, having led his team in 2009 to be ranked third in the national community college poll, and ending as the California state runners-up.

As a coach, Plasencia has a leading team of 16 wins, five losses and four ties.

His overall coaching record at CRC is 6464-25.

Plasencia said that he enjoys coaching soccer and the challenges that come with it, regardless of the gender of the team.

“My perspective in coaching women’s soccer is that to me, it’s just soccer, not women’s soccer.” Plasencia said. “It just so happens to be women athletes playing it.”

Carlo Dela Cruz | The Connection

Cesar Plasencia helps students in the weight room during the women’s soccer offseason. Plasencia coached last semester’s team to the third round of the playoffs.

Lady Hawks leave the Wolverines grounded

Unique Pierre-Cody | The Connection

Andraquay Quinnine (23) attempts a shot for her team and takes it to the free throw line for a shooting foul against Sierra college on Feb. 17.

Vinita Singh Connection Staff The Lady Hawks successfully fought to make it to the playoffs against Sierra College on Feb. 17. Head Coach Coral Sage said she was proud of her team for winning 61-58.

“This is the first in seven years we have made it to the playoffs,” Sage said.

“This has been an exciting season for us and I am very proud of my team.”

Lady Hawks point guard Kelsi Meier made two great 3-pointers to start off the first half.

“We were competing to get the first playoff game to be a home game and it was also sophomore night so I had to come out here and give it my all,” said 19-year-old kinesiology major, Meier.

Right before halftime, CRC Point guard Alyssa Emeterio hit a remarkable 3-pointer, making the score 22-23.

However, Sierra scored off of a foul shot, ending the half in a tie.

When the second half started, Meier scored a 3-pointer that made the crowd go wild.

After Sierra scored off yet another foul shot, CRC’s point guard Andraguay Quinnine hit more 3-pointers, bringing the score to 34-26.

With three back-to-back 3-pointers hit by the Hawks, Sierra called a time out.

As the second half progressed, the Wolverines received fewer opportunities because of the Lady Hawks’ defense.

With 12:50 on the clock, the Lady Wolverine’s point guard Samantha Hodge answers the Lady Hawks with a layup, making the score 46-40.

With 4:33 left on the clock, the Lady Wolverine’s point guard Victoria Turner fouls out of the game, making both teams’ foul counts above 10.

The Wolverines foul point guard

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Christina Alexander and she makes both free throws with 9.7 seconds left on the clock, bringing the score 58-55.

The final points of the game came from CRC’s forward Deaughna Barker’s foul shots, ending the game 61-58 in the Lady

1/26/11 2:20 PM

Hawks’ favor.

Andraquay Quinnine, CRC’s freshman guard, said the Lady Hawks’ team mentality is what helped them win the game.

“Our team played as one,” Quinnine said. “I’m proud and happy for all of us.”

Sports

February 24, 2011

5

Hawks fly high in the last game of the season Unique Pierre-Cody Connection Staff

Cosumnes River College men’s basketball team took control of the court in their last game of the season with the final score of 72-62 against Sierra College on Feb. 17.

The game started off by recognizing the sophomores of the team, Mike Elliot and Gabe Strong.

The Hawks danced their way to the first half of the game to get themselves pumped up, performing a widely known dance called the “dougie” as a team.

Strong stole the ball and dribbled up the court the court for a layup and got fouled, putting the Hawks in the lead 11-10.

The first half of the game ended with the Hawks in the lead 24-22. The Hawks had three team fouls and Sierra had six.

During the second half of the game the Hawks seemed to live on the free throw line.

James Tillman, an 18-yearold freshman forward, went to the line four times.

“We were winning, so I just had to play through them,” Tillman said.

Sierra managed to come back and tie the game at 36

with only 14 minutes left in the second half. The Hawks had the lead the rest of the game with two blocks by Strong and with Fred Mobley, a 19-yearold forward putting up four 3-pointers.

With five minutes left in the second half, the score was 60-55. Tillman headed to the line twice with about a minute left in the second half putting the score at 66-55. Shortly after, with about 15 seconds on the clock, Mobley headed to the line with a shooting foul. With the score 72-62 and exactly 44 seconds left on the clock, Sierra called a time out.

After returning from the time out, Sierra had the ball, went for a shot and missed. The hawks got the rebound and let time run out, leaving the final score at 72-62 in the hawks’ favor.

Head Coach James Giacomazzi said the changes made from the previous game were the deciding factor in the win.

“We were complete opposite from Tuesday’s game,“ Giacomazzi said. “We were focused, passionate and we refused to lose.”

“This wasn’t a bad season,” Giacomazzi said. The hawks won 18 games and faced 11 losses this season.

Unique Pierre-Cody | The Connection

Sophomore forward Gabe Strong (34) drives down the court to lay it in the hoop and get fouled by Sierra College on Feb.17.

Unique Pierre-Cody | The Connection

Gabe Strong forward (34) fakes left and gets in the paint to put up a shot agaisnt Sierra on Feb.17.

Unique Pierre-Cody | The Connection

Unique Pierre-Cody | The Connection

Freshman forward Ryan Salmonson (44) puts up an easy shot in the paint putting the score at 33-32, Hawks.

Sophomore guard Mike Elliot (21) flies throuh the paint and attempts the shot but gets fouled by Sierra College on Feb. 17.

Features

6

February 24, 2011

CRC Poetry Fest captivates minds of students, staff John Hesselbein Connection Staff

Well over 100 students and faculty sat riveted for an afternoon of poetry in the Cosumnes River Recital Hall Tuesday Feb. 16, hosted by CRC’s own English Professor, Emmanuel Sigauke.

The event, dubbed “Poetry Fest,” showcased a wide array of voices and levels of experience that included current and former CRC students, bestselling authors, and internationally acclaimed poets.

The reading began with the concrete, celebratory works of 30-year-old child development major and CRC student Takeitha Buford, whose pieces such as “Grandmother Strong,” made for a very participatory audience during a question and answer session that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

Buford credits her love of poetry to influences such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou and her grandmothers who, she credits as making her who she is today.

“We need our grandmothers back, we don’t have that anymore,” said Buford.

When not sharing her work with a grateful audience, Buford shares her time as a student assistant in the Reading and Writing Center in the Learning Resource Center on campus and spends time with her three children.

Without pause the audience was enthusiastically greeting bestselling author and award winning local poet Terry O’Neal whose work such as “My Sister” paid homage to those that came before her and she is, in fact, the coordinator of a program called “The Black History Bee,” which aims to showcase and educate youth on Black History and cultural awareness.

Much of her work as in “Slave Rituals Been Broken” are socially aware and aim to draw attention to “the plight of black on black racism,” said O’Neal.

Spectators continued to file in and some even watched from the hall as former CRC Student Shenae Crain (now of Delta College), made her way to the stage.

Met with heavy applause from former classmates, Crain started in with her hip-hop inspired piece “Dear Hip-Hop,” which used the medium to critique what ails

John Hesselbein | The Connection

Takeitha Buford delivers a poem she authored to an audience in the Recital Hall at Cosumnes River College at The Poetry Fest on Feb. 16. the form, said Crain. metaphor blended history, scripture and hip-hop, much to Her work was fast paced, employed both end-rhyme the delight of an audience that he engaged before, during and alliteration and the audience voiced their audible and after his performance. approval.

Hayes read these socially charged poems such as “I There were many questions for her during the question Am Hiphop,” and “Wake Up,” but ended on a lighter note and answer session, and in a light hearted moment that with a poem dedicated to his wife simply titled “You.” brought laughter from the crowd, her mother (who was in While English major Dyna Siebald, 22, came to support the audience) even took part and asked when her book was her friend Shenae Crain who “inspired her a lot,” others coming out “soon, mom,” replied Crain. such as early childhood education major Billye Lockhart, The show wrapped up with the spoken word 27, came for the poetry and were not disappointed “all of performance of internationally acclaimed poet and them really had a poem I liked”, said Lockhart. actor Noah “Supernova” Hayes who’s socially conscious

The Vagina Monologues examines women’s lives up close at Sac State Raynisha Taltoan Connection Staff There was a array of talent to hit the stage of the University Union at, Sacramento State University on February 17.

There were multiple women of all different sizes, races and ethnicities feeling completely liberated to be taking part in The Vagina Monologues.

The Vagina Monologues is a play written by Eve Ensler, and it is performed around the nation all year long.

It finally made its way to CSU, Sacramento.

At the beginning of the play, women poured in through the entrance of the auditorium completely dressed in black with a hint of red, dancing and walking seductively, some even skipping.

In the play, actors appeared one by one or even in pairs to tell a story.

The stories were in skit form and about different individuals, but in those moments a person could feel the amazing transition from one story to the next.

Featured on stage were women with some of the most powerfully comedic, sad and sometimes dull stories about an experience with their vaginas.

Audience members sat amazed as the actresses performed for a sold out crowd.

Seeing The Vagina Monologues performed live is like nothing you’ve ever

seen before.

There is no comparison to the HBO special that comes on every once in a while, because this is something you witness up close and personal.

Women expressing how they feel about something that for the most part is unmentioned, a vagina.

Throughout the show, laughter followed standing ovations. There was an all-around spirit in the auditorium in response to wonderful heart felt performances.

The play accommodates a college campaign called VDAY. The slogan, “vaginas- it’s not how you love them; it’s that you do,” serves as more than just a catchy way to bring awareness to the campaign, it is a response against violence toward women.

It is an overall voice for some who may feel they do not have a voice.

Following the play, you could find audience members down the hall in a room labeled “The Vagina Room” where there was jewelry that could be purchased, pamphlets about safe sex, STDs, free health care for women and an abundant amount of free condoms for the taking.

All proceeds from the event go to families to support the movement of VDAY.

BOOKBYTE.COM/CRC

Features

February 24, 2011

7

The Oscar goes to...

With the Oscars airing this Sunday, many are waiting in anticipation to see who takes home the most prestigious awards of the night. We asked campus movie expert Rick Boeck who he thinks the big winners will be According to Boeck: Best actor: Colin Firth.

Jeff Bridges would have won easily for outdoing the Duke had not Bridges triumphed last year as the sentimental favorite, which Colin Firth is this year. Firth is an actor’s actor par excellence who shows both vulnerability and strength as a wounded man reluctant to rise to the thrown in “The King’s Speech.”

Best actress. Natalie Portman It seems with the best actress it’s not enough the character played must suffer but that the actress playing her must suffer as well. No one, it seems, has suffered more than Portman in her performance this year and rightly deserves the Oscar for it.

Best supporting actor and actress: Christian Bale and Melissa Leo The money is on Bale and Leo. Best animated film: Toy Story 3.

The best-animated film category didn’t exist when the first two “Toy Stories” were released. The Academy will most likely favor “Toy Story 3” as a way of recognizing the Disney-Pixar brilliance in all three.

Best original screenplay: David Seilder, The King’s Speech This category also shines with brilliant writing. Still, it would be wonderful if the lesbian melodrama, “The Kids Are Alright,” (Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Bloomberg) scored an upset with its message about the difficulties of marriage, straight or gay. The Academy might want use the award to slam California’s Proposition 8.

Best director: David Fincher I cringed at the thought of watching a movie about people hunched over computers, but Fincher delivered a taut, suspenseful and exciting tale about the 21st Century without robots (unless your consider the Winklevoss twins) or deathly swans.

Best picture: The Social Network While a lot of the money is on “The King’s Speech,” I see that film as a wonderful actors’ vehicle not in keeping with our times.

“The Social Network” captures our zeitgeist—ruthlessness, greed, paranoia, hubris, and social media.

Best Documentary: Inside Job All the same themes as “The Social Network” (see above) with the nation’s leading economists and financial experts playing the Winklevoss twins.

The Oscars air on Sunday Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.

“Big Momma,” drag queen humor delivers Unique Pierre-Cody Connection Staff “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son,” is a typical romance and action movie combined into one, with a huge spark of music that sets it over the top.

This is the third “Big Mommas House” to come out and the second film to be directed

by John Whitesell.

Martin Lawrence reprises his role as Malcolm (Big Momma) and Brandon T. Jackson plays Malcolm’s stepson Trent, who is an aspiring rapper.

Trent witnessed a murder and, as a form of protection, joins his stepdad, undercover, at an all-girls arts academy in Atlanta where they transform themselves into women and begin to be known as Big Momma and Charmaine.

During their hide out, they come across a plethora of people, people you’d meet in your everyday lives, which made the movie relatable. Trent in the suit of Charmaine

quickly becomes friends with the “divas” of the school, and quickly falls for a girl named Hailey played by Jessica Lucas.

Trent’s relationship with Hailey begins to interfere with his disguise and adds excitement to the movie.

The twists in the movie as well as the music made it really stand out from the previous films in the series.

This was also the first movie in the series that didn’t focus directly on Big Momma.

The directors did a good job putting the spotlight on Trent and making the movie more about him.

The trailers for the film didn’t over sell it at all.

All around great comedy and crime story for all ages. I think this is one of the funniest out of the franchise.

I am very pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed at all with this movie.

Courtesy Photo

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson Rating: PG-13

Directed by: John Whitesell Runtime: 107 min.

Authors Score is out of five stars

News

8

February 24, 2011

Light Rail: attendees voice opinion Amendment: student argues need to change existing immigration policy Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

ment, in both situations, requires a three-fourths majority vote.

Many people are unaware of the large amount of support necessary to alter the Constitution, said Morales.

“Politicians are playing with people’s ignorance,” Morales said.

Furthermore, Morales said children who are born in the U.S. should, in accordance with the Constitution, “be granted full citizenship, period.”

Some students expressed their views.

“There’s a lot of things they’re doing to gain support from certain groups that don’t actually deal with any issues,” said Joseph Henthorn, a 21-year-old film making major.

Others thought that the senators were trying to do more than just sway people with propaganda.

“I believe it’s possible that it’s just propaganda,” said Robert Campbell, 18, a history major. “But immigration has been a problem for a long time, maybe they’re really trying to work on it.”

As for whether or not the 14th Amendment does need to be changed, the opinions were split.

Campbell disagreed with having the amendment.

“Back then everyone was racist and didn’t like minorities,” Campbell said. “Now we have liberal ways that make them more accepted.”

Campbell explained that the amendment needs to change to fit with the times – that the U.S. already has enough to try and work on without worrying new people being born from illegal immigrants being automatically given citizenship.

“We need a way to regulate the population, because immigrants aren’t contributing to society,” Campbell said.

On the other hand, Henthorn believes that the 14th Amendment sets a standard for what being a natural born citizen means.

Henthorn said that they’re specifically targeting minorities because of the fact that they’re a hot topic of debate.

He explained that the idea of immigrants sneaking in to have kids that they use as anchors to stay in America isn’t as rampant as it is said to be, and there’s no need for the amendment to be changed.

N A T I O N A L

align our tracks 20 feet from the Union Pacific name line in the same composition as of north of Meadowview Road,” said Regional Transit Project Manager Diane Nakano. “But they have experienced a number of accidents adjacent to other light rail properties, so they have instituted a policy that instead of the 20 foot separation the nearest that their trains can be near to us is 50 feet.”

Jola Circle, Laurie Way, Reel Circle, Fallis Circle and Ann Arbor Way are the streets that could be affected by the project.

“It’s necessary because there’s

really no other way around it,” said homeowner Brian Domsick.

“But I don’t think that the impact is going to be that great to the residences.”

Mikel Tome, a 42-year-old green energy major, shares his own views about the slicing of the homes.

“I have some compassion for the people that’s going to be losing a portion of their yards but it could be worse,” Tome said. “I just hope that the county and the light-rail system treats them fairly for the imposition that they’re going to put on the homeowner’s

property. It’s just a small portion of the people, but if it was you it would be huge.”

By extending the light rail service south, the Blue Line to Cosumnes River College project is intends to provide an alternative and opportunities for trips.

“It provides people another way of getting around town, which it’s really important to the quality of life,” said Jim Hecht, project manager. “Roads get congested, buses get held up in that congestion as well. We really need to provide alternatives for the community.”

Communication: campus comments on effects of social media on education

Continued from Page 1

cursive writing skills among high school students.”

Although text messaging has had an effect on high school students is it hurting college students?

One student argued that the ability to text has eased communicating, “I find that texting is very useful,” said Sandra Rodriguez, 27, a public relations, communications and Spanish major.

“I am an officer on several clubs on campus, and the best and fastest way to communicate is via texting.”

Many students agree that texting doesn’t interfere with their literacy because they are able to

distinguish between texting and formal writing.

“I don’t think texting affects the way I write,” said Bangkhanh Nyugen, a 19-year-old nutrition major. “I’m not good at writing essays, but it doesn’t change the way I write.”

Rodriguez agreed that social media has not affected the way she writes, “I learned English at school, so I do not know a lot of slangs when I write.”

According to a Fort Smith, Arkansas, news study, Dr. Keith Fudge, a University of Arkansas professor said, “he has yet to see it in the college classroom but believes it’s all about communicat-

ing what’s appropriate.”

“I have not encountered the use of social media’s influence in my students’ formal writing,” says Cosumnes River College, English Professor, Dr. Melanie Lewis.

“The only significant occurrence has been the occasional texting ‘language’ in student emails when the emails were sent via cell phone.”

Dr. Lewis also stated, “text messaging is a language in itself, and it is acceptable and convenient informally, but students need to mindful to ‘code-switch’ to academically acceptable writing for formal, academic, or work-related writing.”

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