The Connection Vol 62 Issue 1

COMING FULL CIRCLE:

FORMER STUDENT RETURNS AS PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS

BREAKING THE BANK:

NO END IN SIGHT TO RISING STUDENT DEBT

CRC HOSTS PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

FEATURES | Page 5

NEWS | Page 4

Volume 62, Issue 1

thecrcconnection.com

SPORTS | Page 8

September 19, 2013 Campus Additions

By Stephan Starnes sstarnes.connect@gmail

This semester, students taking classes in photography, pwharmacy technology, construction and architecture, among various other departments, have access to a new, state-of-the-art building that has expanded the accessible learning tools.

The Winn Center for Construction and Architecture has been under construction for the last few semesters, and its doors opened to the first batch of classes at the start of the term.

“Everything’s going pretty smoothly, there’s a few bugs that we’re working out,” said Director of Administrative Services Cory Wathen. “It’s got a lot of new systems and programs for efficiency.”

Wathen said that the building of about 41,000 square feet cost $16.6 million between construction and equipment. The Winn Center was built to attain LEED Platinum certification.

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design is a third-party program that verifies how “green” and efficient a building is, with Platinum as the highest rating, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

Components that gained LEED points include a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system with less mechanical parts that draw energy, along with panels on the roof of the building that bring in solar power.

Also, the many windows which reduces the need to use light fixtures during the day, Wathen said.

Another feature that has students and professors talking is that drinking fountains in the Winn Center have water bottle filling stations, which counts the equivalent number of plastic bottles saved.

Dean of Careers and Technology Robert Johnson See WINN | Page 4

Elk Grove Center open for business

By Rachel Norris rnorris.connect@gmail The bright sun and strong wind that blew foreshadowed new opportunities as Cosumnes River College’s new addition, the Elk Grove Center was welcomed by CRC President Deborah Travis, the board of trustees, and administration on Sept. 12.

Travis spoke of how the new center is going to provide an amazing learning environment for students, and Los Rios District Chancellor Brian King described it as “the third jewel in the triple crown,” referring to the new parking structure, Winn Center and the Elk Grove Center.

“We all share a common bond and goal, which is to continue to be a thriving community,” Travis said . “This really embraces the value we hold for student success.”

King shared his enthusiasm for the future of the facility.

“This place is just a beehive of activity with already 1,500 enrollments,” King said.

The Elk Grove Center was a $15 million project, funded by a bond measure passed by taxpayers in 2002, according to the dedication program.

“This is a great day for CRC, Elk Grove, and our community,” said the City of Elk Grove Vice Mayor Steven Detrick.

“Even though we have this beautiful facility, it’s more about the people who made it happen.”

The Los Rios Board of Trustees President Pamela Haynes pointed out that the location of the center being so close to a high school was no coincidence, providing high school students with an easy choice when it comes to college.

“We are inextriTo read more cably connected to about the soul purposes, and Elk Grove Center its about making visit Page 3 sure our community stays engaged in education,” Haynes said.

>>

All About Town

Elk Grove Farmers Market provides more than produce

By Josh Slowiczek jslowiczek.connect@gmail With the rear hatch popped, they sat quietly together in the back of their jeep.

There was a week’s worth of hard work and patience laid out on the tables in front of them. Hanging beside the quiet couple was a certification and sign, “We grow what we sell.”

There were plums, zucchinis, figs, sunflowers, okra and apples. The eggs had already been sold, but there was a wide variety of squash: one balls, eight balls, sunbursts, straight necks, crook necks and

cream-colored butternuts.

All of it was fresh, having been picked that morning or the night before by Yvonne and Spivia Manning.

They were having some mechanical problems with their jeep that morning, but the Mannings still made the trip and brought more than 100 pounds of fresh produce, grown on their seven-acre family farm in Wilton, to the Elk Grove Farmers Market on Aug. 31.

They have been coming for the past five years and have gradually seen an increase in attendance at the farmers market which operates every Saturday morning in See FARMERS MARKET | Page 6

Josh Slowiczek | The Connection

Spivia, left, and Yvonne Manning sit together in the shade and sell a variety of produce grown on their farm in Wilton, CA. at the Elk Grove Farmers Market on Aug. 31.

Serving Cosumnes River College since 1970

2

OPINION | SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Josh Slowiczek

Young adults threatened by identity theft As if we didn’t already have enough on our plates, identity theft is becoming more and more of an issue for college students.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, costing victims more than $5 billion annually, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Research has shown that college students from the ages of 18 to 24 are faced with the highest risk of identity theft among adults, part of the reason being that they share dorms or apartments with strangers who can have access to personal files on their computers, according to a 2006 U.S. Department of Justice report.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only way college students are getting their identities stolen.

Students often keep their usernames and passwords to personal accounts in their phones, and phones can easily get lost or stolen on campus.

Students also make the mistake of keeping themselves logged into their accounts, or repeating username and password informa-

News Editor Scott Redmond Features Editor Emily Collins Sports Editor Stephan Starnes Opinion Editor Elizabeth Witt Photo Editor Rachel Norris Copy Editor Zach Hannigan Faculty Adviser Rubina Gulati Staff Darren Allen Bobby Bishop Ben Brown Camille Caulk Tia Dehoney Emanuel Espinoza Amari Gaffney Will Grubb Haley Harvick Shaina Hernandez Christopher McKnight LaChandra Marzetta Nick Valenzuela Brusly Voong The Connection is an awardwinning newspaper published biweekly by the Journalism 410 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.

The Connection is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC).

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 length, clarity or taste.

The Connection Cosumnes River College 8401 Center Parkway Sacramento, CA 95823

tion for multiple At a Glance accounts.

According to Credit.

The Issue: com, just this year, Young adults are havhackers cracked ing identities stolen databases containing the pass- more easily because of lost cell phones. words of up to 50 million LivingSoOur Stance: cial users, and anDon’t keep personal other 50 million information on cell users of Evernote. phones and protect In no time at all, this confiden- access to that information. tial information is literally at the Agree? Disagree? touch of somebody else’s finger- Send us your thoughts at tips. connection.crc@gmail.

As soon as the com information is obtained, the thief can open up credit cards, take out loans in your name or write bad checks, according to the NAIC.

“Imagine graduating from college with thousands of dollars of unauthorized debt and a wrecked credit rating because of identity theft,” said the NAIC on their official website.

So what are the steps you should take to ensure that you are not a victim of identity theft?

Many financial advisors suggest buying paper shredders to destroy any credit card offers or statements from banks or credit card companies.

“Dumpster-diving is an epidemic on campuses because thieves know most students throw these offers away unopened,” according to the website Credit.com.

The NAIC also suggests limiting the amount of information you place online, such as social networks or a university directory.

Anybody can read what you’re posting on Facebook or Twitter.

Restoring bad credit and fixing wrong information is a long and tedious process, especially for busy college students.

Do a service to yourself by taking precautionary steps in order to protect your identity from being stolen before it’s too late.

Female NFL fans, leave purses home Rachel Norris rnorris.connect@gmail We all know it’s a hard task for most of us women to pack lightly, especially when it comes to our purses. Any objects we find necessary for our daily regime gets thrown in our bag and remains there until all of the junk piles up.

This is probably the reason why so many women are getting their panties in a knot about the NFL’s new purse policy for 2013.

According to the NFL’s official website, all purses bigger than the size of a clutch, approximately the size of a hand, are banned from entering any NFL football stadium.

If a woman needs a bag bigger than a clutch, she is allowed to bring a one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag into the stadium with her, or they can purchase an official NFL plastic tote bag.

So there is bound to be fuss over this new policy because just like every other female, we feel entitled to having our purses with us. Ladies, I know it can be hard to leave your beloved purse at home or out in the car, but let’s think about this.

The Committee on Stadium Security and Fan Conduct strongly believes that adjusting the policy was necessary in order to enhance public safety and make stadium access more efficient, according to the official NFL web-

site.

The new policy will help reduce the chance of a terrorist attack inside the stadium, or any other accidents that may occur.

Do you want angry fans threatening each other with guns and knives? Neither do I. The committee says the policy will allow fans to move through security checkpoints at a faster rate. It will make the staff ’s job much easier in the sense of efficiency and effectiveness when checking bags.

Less time spent standing in lines at the gate means faster access into the stadium and less of a chance of missing the kickoff.

But even with these perfectly acceptable reasons for changing

the bag policy, there are still fans who are angry about it.

One of the frequently asked questions on the NFL’s website was “If I have special medical equipment that I need to have with me at all times, where do I put it?”

No need to worry. The stadium will have a specific gate designated for medical purposes, where the equipment will go through inspection and then be permitted to enter the stadium.

So, why fuss about this when this new bag policy is positive?

Ladies, I think for the sake of public safety and stadium efficiency, we can all leave our purses in the car for a few hours. We’re not going to die.

U.S. involvement in Syrian conflict goes nowhere

Telephone: (916) 691-7471 Fax: (916) 691-7181 www.thecrcconnection.com connect@crc.losrios.edu

Nick Valenzuela nvalenzuela.connect@gmail The terrifying possibility of another war has felt all too real recently as President Barack Obama has considered a military intervention in the Syrian conflict.

Obama’s sudden consideration on entering the conflict arrived after an attack aimed at Syrian rebels on Aug. 21.

The attack took the lives of more than 1,400 people, including many innocent children. It was first speculated and later confirmed that chemical weapons were used in the assault.

Images and video of the aftermath have gone viral on the Internet. Children covered in white burial sheets line the street and the U.S. public cries for a military mobilization.

Our heartstrings have been sufficiently pulled.

Obama initially chose to seek Congres-

HAWK

TALK

“How do you feel about the U.S. position on the crisis in Syria?”

Queenablessings Ndakor 19, Nursing

Compiled by Amari Gaffney, Ben Brown and LaChandra Marzetta

www.Facebook.com/crcconnection

“I think they should let Syria fight its own war. Our invasion there is only going cause more countries to get involved.”

sional approval for what he called a “limited military strike” against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s military regime.

However, Obama revealed a new plan on Sept. 10 with an entirely different direction in a speech to the U.S., calling for diplomacy over war.

On Sept. 15, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the plan’s guidelines. Syria must provide a list of their chemical weapons and, ultimately, turn them over to an international body to be destroyed.

Should Syria fail to comply, the U.S. would return to talks of a planned military strike.

Let’s take a moment to think about what another war would mean for us.

America feels a need to pretend it is the policing country of the world, and with this mindset, we have gotten ourselves involved in conflicts we had no business in.

Bethanie Fleming 18, Vet Technology

“I think right now we just need to figure out our own problems before we start sticking our nose into other country’s problems.”

If there’s even a chance of some sort of chemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction, the entire nation practically soils themselves with excitement to rush in and get the bad guys.

At some point or another, the U.S. as a whole needs to realize that we can’t solve every problem in the world. Sometimes we need to abstain from war.

Maybe our desire to act on so many conflicts stems from guilt or fear that the past could be repeated?

Still, this doesn’t mean we should be calling for a fight every chance we get. We can aid those who need it by sending supplies and offering diplomatic solutions rather than waging war.

Let’s hope our newly-found diplomatic mindset succeeds and we can avoid pointlessly sending in more of our men and women in uniform. The last thing America needs is another misguided war on terrorism.

Jack Crow 59, Undeclared

“I think we should have fixed it 18 months ago.

It’s going to cost lives but that’s the price of doing the right thing.”

Visit www.youtube.com/ConnectionCRC for Hawk Talk videos and student interviews

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 | NEWS

3

Elk Grove Center offers facilities and course options

By Elizabeth Witt ewitt.connect@gmail

Will Grubb | The Connection

Surrounded by officials from the Los Rios Community College District and the city of Elk Grove, LRCCD Board of Trustees member Pamela Haynes cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the Elk Grove Center.

Art gallery breaks ground

By Brusly Voong bvoong.connect@gmail Soon the new art gallery, that is currently under construction, will take over the reins as the newest building on the Cosumnes River College campus.

Construction for the new $2.5 million building began in early June and is expected to be completed by the end of the spring semester, said Cory Wathen, the director of Administrative Services. The new gallery is being built alongside the Visual and Performing Arts Center, located east of parking lot A and the west entrance of the campus.

“It is something that the art faculty have been wanting to do for at least the last seven or eight years, probably more than that,” said Torence Powell, dean of the Communication, Visual and Performing Arts department. “It’s been something the art faculty has really been pushing for.”

The process for any construction on campus is a lengthy one.

All campus buildings follow the same standard procedure of being publicly funded through bond measures. The new art gallery was no exception to this rule.

“Several years ago, we put out the bond measure and it was voted on by taxpayers and the CRC district and they approved it,” Powell said.

The need for an art gallery stems from the fact that there is insufficient space to display student artwork.

“We have a limited space for window displays along the art rooms,” Wathen said. “The community needs one in the area I

think, in the Elk Grove/South Sacramento area, because I’m not familiar with any [art gallery] in the area. It’s something that will be a benefit to the campus and community as well.”

The art gallery will serve as both a gallery in the traditional sense and learning space for students, faculty and artists.

An art gallery on campus provides a much more convenient way for students to learn, including learning how to set up a gallery or an exhibit.

“Right now, students can get that kind of experience, but they would have to load their stuff and drive out to Davis,” Powell said. “Students will be able to do that here as a learning experience.”

Ensuring students have the opportunities to work in a gallery space has been designed into the gallery’s features.

“It’s going to be a nice place,” said Art Professor Margaret Woodcock. “There’s going to be 2000 square feet of exhibition space, high ceilings, so that artists can do large-scale work and so that we can show large-scale kinds of artwork in there.”

Showing off the different kinds of art through exhibits is only one goal of the gallery.

Woodcock and others are hoping the gallery will leave a longer lasting effect upon visitors.

“It helps people to have an open-mindedness about art and what art can be,” Woodcock said. “It gives us a bigger picture of the world, so that we can be more accepting of each other.”

On Aug. 26, students were welcomed by Cosumnes River College faculty and staff members and directed towards their brand new classrooms at the Elk Grove Center campus.

The Elk Grove Center is the first extension of the CRC campus. The extension offers multiple student aid services including admissions, financial aid and counseling services.

“We try to provide access to virtually all the same types services as on [the CRC] campus,” said Cory Wathen, the CRC administrative services director.

The Elk Grove Center is not only for expanding student services but also to expand community outreach and to provide education in more accessible areas, Wathen explained.

“What we’re trying to do is get the education out to the communities that we serve,” Wathen said.

Classes that fall under 24 different subjects are taught on the Elk Grove campus, including business, dance, history and statistics.

Many students are excited

about the new facility and all that it offers.

“It’s all shiny and brand new,” said Danielle Walsh, a 20-year-old theater arts major. “I like it a lot.”

All of the classrooms are equipped with new technology and the building also houses its own Learning Resource Center with a fully-equipped computer lab.

“The dance room is really nice,” Walsh said. “It’s really spa-

“What we’re trying to do is get the education out to the communities that we serve.”

—Cory Wathen

Administrative Services Director

cious and open.”

With many classes having long wait lists at the beginning of each semester, having a new building

also creates the option to move classes to a larger facility or to add more course options.

“New buildings add capacity for more classrooms which gives us the ability to serve more students,” Wathen said.

Along with an ample amount of room for students inside the facility, the campus also has a large parking lot that includes spaces designated for clean-air vehicles and compact cars.

A parking permit is required on campus. Students may purchase semester permits through the cashier inside or a daily permit at a ticket machine in the back of the parking lot. CRC campus permits are valid at the Elk Grove Center.

If students do not drive, public transportation travels between the CRC campus and the Elk Grove Center. Bus route information can be found on the CRC website or on www.e-tran.org.

For more information about the Elk Grove Center, including hours of operation, student support services and supervisor contact information log on to the CRC website.

HAWK’S EYE The campus in brief Looking to transfer?

Blue Line beginnings

Ready to graduate?

You are what you eat

Money for artists

Free fall tutoring sessions

Schools from all over California and beyond will descend upon the library quad on Sept.

25 for the annual Transfer Day. College represenatives from Sac State, University of California Davis, Arizona State University, National University, University of California Berkley, California State University Chico and other campuses will be on hand to answer questions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Sept. 27 students and faculty will have the ability to attend a workshop where they can learn about how to maximize the benefits of their food intake as well as put those benefits into practice as part of the hands-on workshop.

Extended Opportunities Programs & Services and nutrition professor Timaree Hagenburger will be holding the workshop Orchard Room in the cafeteria at 1 p.m.

On Sept. 11 the next phase of the Regional Transit Blue Line Light Rail expansion plan for the campus station began.

A third of the spaces of parking Lot F, the one closest to Bruceville Road have been removed for the project.

A more significant closure of Lot F and the Bruceville Road entrance will commence next summer. Construction will continue into Fall of 2015 when the station is estimated to be completed.

Students of the artistic persuassion major are eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship through the Visual and Performing Arts department throughout the fall semester.

Five students will be selected this semester to win the scholarships with their names displayed in the VPAC for one calendar year.

For more information, contat the Communication and Visual Arts department.

Students who are eligible to receive a AA/AS degree or certificate must file a petition by Oct. 4.

The process takes about five weeks after the deadline with the commencement ceremony held at the end of the spring semester in May. All requirements of the graduation petition must be met for successful graduation petitioning. More informations is available at crc.losrios.edu.

In the Learning Resource Center free 30-minute tutoring sessions are being offered on a first come first serve basis this semester Tutors are available to help with subjects including math, psychology, philosophy, chemistry, history in LRC 216 on Monday through Thursday at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There are also rooms for group tutoring.

@CRCConnection

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NEWS | SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail Spending four years, or more, to pursue a degree while racking up debt is nothing surprising when it comes to seeking a college education, but the longer lasting consequences of such a simple choice just might be.

As of May 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that the national student loan debt hit the mark of $1.2 trillion in outstanding debt, a 45 percent increase from 2010 when the debt was approximately $826 billion.

A major portion of debt comes from just taking out a loan, as a student must pay it back one day, but going into default on loans is a growing concern for many

“I definitely think the cost of college is not helping at all.

People who aren’t responsible enough to handle paying back a loan, it’s only hurting them more when the cost goes up.”

—Andres Chavez

18, Music major

students. At Cosumnes River College, the reality of defaulting is not seemingly as dire as nationwide.

“Over the course of the last three years, 47 students have defaulted,” said Los Rios Director of Financial Aid Systems Roy Beckhorn. “They don’t give me how much in each individual year but they provided for three years. So in the last three years we’ve had 47 students [default].”

To default on a loan means that a stu-

dent has not begun repaying their loans after nine months after they leave school, Beckhorn said.

Nationwide, there were almost 40 million student loan borrowers with the average balance of their loan totaling $25,000 at the end of 2012, according to the Federal Reserve. The number of students borrowing privately or federally at CRC is a drop in the bucket compared to the nation.

Even on the default level, CRC is not hurting as much as the nation, with an estimated 7 million or more in default according to the CFPB, but it is still a concern as the number of loan users continues to grow.

While 18-year-old music major Andres Chavez hasn’t dipped into the well of financial aid, he still has

thoughts about the whole financial aid industry.

“I don’t think it’s a fantastic idea,” Chavez said. “But for some people who have the security to eventually pay it off I’m sure it’s a good idea for some, but not all.”

Chavez sees a possible cause for the rise in student loan debts. Sharp budget cuts across the board and the rising cost of tuition.

“I definitely think the cost of college is not helping at all,” Chavez said. “People who aren’t responsible enough to handle paying back a loan, it’s only hurting them more when the cost goes up.”

CRC, and the entire Los Rios Com-

munity College District, are no strangers to the rising cost of education. What once seemed like the cheap way to start on a path of higher education is no longer really that cheap alternative.

“I think it’s just going to keep rising, there’s more people seeking higher education,” said Jonah Buenaflor, 26, a health care administration major. “The more people there are the more they can raise tuition. Maybe administrations can take a pay cut, something like that. I mean they’re getting raises, but students are experiencing higher tuition costs and all that stuff, but they get paid more, so I don’t see where the logic is in that.”

With an estimated student population of around 19,000, according to statistics from the Federal Student Aid office, CRC’s amount of students using loans is relatively low but the reality of the situation is the campus currently has a 19 percent default rate.

This is low compared to a campus like American River College that has a default rate of 27.5 percent and a bit higher than Sacramento City College’s 16.1 percent, both according to the NCES. All three campuses are higher than the 7.2 percent default rate of California State University of Sacramento, though their populations do pale in comparison of the large campus.

These figures are all from 2009, leaving it unknown how much higher the rate could be for any of these schools currently.

“The ones that are in school aren’t defaulting. It takes nine months after you’re out of school before you would actually default,” Beckhorn said. “So any students who took out loans last year they couldn’t be in default yet.”

While those students are not in default, they are part of the growing generation that is now part of the second largest form of consumer debt behind home mortgag-

es, according to the CFPB. Over the summer, Congress missed the deadline to pass a law to keep the current interest rate of 3.4 percent on student loans. Instead, they came together and passed a new bill that will alter interest rates to be variable each year, meaning that students taking out loans for 20132014 will be under a new interest rate of 6.8 percent, which will go up for those that take out loans next fall.

The sharp increase in student debts has led to schools having to alter the way they handle financial aid, loans especially, and the services they offer to help students as they take on this financial burden.

“They [campuses] are required to do it [student loan counseling] at least once while the student is at the institution, to do student loan counseling,” Beckhorn said.

“CRC does it annually. So every year that the student takes out a loan they get more counseling.”

Counseling students on the interest rates, financial responsibility, repayment plans and all the other concerns of taking out a loan is just one step that the school takes to help students possibly lessen the future financial burden upon themselves.

“If the student has what is high debt volume then they go through a debt management process as well,” Beckhorn said.

“So they understand the implications of what they’re borrowing.”

Winn: Faculty builds community with center Continued from page 1 oversees many of the departments housed in the Winn Center, including pharmacy tech, architecture, building inspection and construction.

Before the Winn Center, pharmacy was housed in portables, while the other sections were spread throughout the campus.

Johnson hopes that being centralized will bring the departments together.

“I’m seeing more and more conversations happen in the hallway between faculty members, so I think it’s going to build some congeniality,” Johnson said.

“We have a workroom now we never had before ... so I think it is going to build some real collegiality. Not that we didn’t have it before, but ability to actually do more because it’s more centrally located.”

The photography department represents another large portion of the building, with a wing on the second floor comprising of a classroom, a digital photo lab, a www.thecrcconnection.com

studio, a finishing room and a darkroom.

Photography Professor Jim West said the Winn Center is a “fabulous building” and that the photography department is “state of the art.” However, there are still some issues to be resolved.

“There’s a lot of frustrating things that are going on, in terms of technology, in terms of putting equipment together,” West said. “It’s the difference between being 25 years in an older building and you know where everything is, to coming over to a new building and you don’t know where everything is.”

Johnson and West both emphasized how much time went into setting up the new building, both spending time over summer organizing and moving things.

“It would be nice if students recognized more the amount of effort and time that was put into it,” West said. “I think they do, they just probably don’t know how to express it.”

Rachel Norris | The Connection

Architecture Professor John Ellis demonstrates features of the Winn Center, including an interactive touch screen energy display in the lobby, as faculty, administrators and members of the board tour the Winn Center after it’s official dedication on Aug. 22.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 | FEATURES 5

Breakout writer’s debut channels J.K. Rowling

Compiled by LaChandra Marzetta and Rachel Norris Top two photos are courtesy photos Flag photo by Zach Hannigan

king Ball

Wrec

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail

Miley Cyrus released the music video to her second single from her upcoming “Bangerz” album “Wrecking Ball” on Sept. 9.

“It’s ridiculous and inappropriate for all ages,” said 18-yearold Bredon Fiorino, an undeclared major. “What compels somebody to do something like that?”

San Fran

cisco 49ers

worship, fast food consumption and rampant materialism.

It’s at this point that an event changes MaryAnn’s world and the perfect image of society crafted for her comes crumbling down.

Kipling’s work, the first in a planned series, may not be the polished craft that comes from years of writing like King, but the story presented easily engages the reader in the journey of MaryAnn and the social commentary about our society and the ills that come with it.

“Blinded by the Light” easily will be the next “Hunger Games” or “Harry Potter” that will engage young adults in reading before being optioned for the silver screen.

It is fitting that Kipling references the work of “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, with Rowling being from Kipling’s home country

of Great Britain where the series is set as well. Kipling is well on her way to having her own world wide phenomenon just like Rowling.

“Blinded by the Light” is published by Cillian Press Limited and goes on sale Oct. 1.

Book Review Title: “Blinded by the Light” Author: Joe Kipling Publisher: Cillian Press Release Date: October 2013 Length: 265 pages Genre: Young Adult

Week two of the NFL season left the 49ers nearly scoreless after a 29-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

“I think Kaepernick could have done a lot better and passed the ball way more,” said 18-yearold Emilia Solorenzo, a nursing major. “The niners could have done better overall.”

Navy Yard

When it comes to many of the big novels or series that people are familiar with, from the stone halls of Hogwarts in “Harry Potter” or even the vast works of Stephen King, the one thing they have in common is imagery.

A story is nothing but an interconnected set of words when you break it down. Those words can be entertaining and bring the same joy as reading any other work can, but it’s those pieces that really bring the world of the book to life that tend to stand the test of time.

“Blinded by the Light” author Joe Kipling may not have the clout and pop culture standing of many well-established writers, but perhaps one day she just might.

“Blinded by the Light” is Kipling’s debut novel, that follows a young woman named MaryAnn who lives in a post-apocalyptic world unlike those that are popular to feature in movies and books in current times.

While the world described in the first of a series isn’t the first of its kind, it is a refreshing take. Instead of the world being totally wiped out and people living out of wrecks or warlords, the world Kipling created was struck by a virus that supposedly took out a good portion of humanity and in the aftermath something was built.

In this world, those that made it out of those dark times live in cities that are called “Neighborhoods” behind purported electrified fences to keep out those who are still outside the city that are said to be feral, mindless and predatory creatures.

In the “Neighborhoods” those with certain breeding are called the Alphas and they are the elite of society, while the Deltas are the servant class. In charge of it all is a secret organization called the Light.

In just a few chapters Kipling reveals a world that rose out of the ashes of the one before only to embrace many of the perceived flaws of the present day including celebrity

#TrendingNow

Shooting

A former navy reservist shot and killed at least 12 people before being killed by police at Washington’s Navy Yard on Monday.

“I would want to know what the shooter’s background is,” said Jimmy Guam, 34, a fine arts major.

“Does he have a criminal background or record, or does he have any psychological problems?”

Farmers Market: Local families sell fresh produce Continued from page 1

the parking lot of Sprouts, on the corner of Laguna and Big Horn boulevards, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Josh Slowiczek| The Connection

“People are finally starting to figure out that it [the market] is here year around,” said Yvonne Manning, 56, “There’s always

something available.”

Providing that availability is no easy task and the Mannings have had their own struggles with farming. In the past years they’ve grown corn, but this year Spivia Manning got sick and couldn’t plant the seeds in time. He has been farming since he was 8 years old. Now, at 54, he’s facing more and more challenges.

“It’s the only thing I know,” Spivia Manning said. “I didn’t go to college. I’m a low-tech man in a high-tech world.”

Regardless of technology or education, the Mannings provide a service that the Elk Grove community sees as beneficial.

“A lot of the time the fruit you get in the grocery store, it might be nutritionally the same, but it will have additives, chemicals that are bad for you,” said Muz Afzal, a 20-year-old philosophy and public health major from University of California, Irvine.

Over the summer Afzal comes up to Sacramento to help with the family farming business. Six days a week he travels to various farmers markets, from San Francisco to Sacramento to Tahoe, to sell the fresh produce his parents grow.

Thirty-five years ago Afzal’s father was one of the first farmers to produce Asian pears in California. Now it is their bestselling crop.

“Not only are you being green, environmentally friendly and supporting the local economy,” said Afzal. “You’re also getting fresh fruit that is better for you.”

Pam Holdredge, a 50-year-old special education teacher in Elk Grove, agreed with Afzal and tries to buy organic when she can.

“I find the quality is a lot better than most of the stores,” Holdredge said. “The prices are usually better.”

She visits the Elk Grove Farmers Market over the summer and fall, always on the lookout for tomatoes, cucumbers and anything else in season.

What the land provides and when it provides is not only important for the farmers who work the land, but also for the communities in which they live.

“It helps support the economy. From your local farmers it all goes back into the community,” Yvonne Manning said. “It is all natural and fresher.”

Josh Slowiczek| The Connection

Muz Afzal, a 20-year-old philosophy and public health major from UC Irvine, travels to farmers markets throughout Northern California to sell produce grown on his family farm. www.Facebook.com/crcconnection

6 FEATURES | SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

Coming full circle: Former student now a CRC economics professor

By Emily Collins ecollins.connect@gmail Starting a new position can sometimes be intimidating; becoming familiar with your surroundings, co-workers and managers in addition to performing your duties are a must.

Newly hired economics professor Amy Leung has a leg up on others that might be new to Cosumnes River College, she was once a student on this campus.

“It’s a true honor to be back here,” Leung said. “I love CRC.” As a former Leung “I’m thrilled student, knows how difficult to be here.” it can be to juggle all of life’s demands.

“Many times ­—Amy Leung throughout Economics years in schoolmyit professor was a struggle, I was working two jobs while I was going to school full time, in my journey to help my students, because I was a former student, I can try to put myself in their shoes,” Leung said.

The importance of education is something that she wishes to pass on to her students.

“Education has always been a passion for me,” Leung said. “I wanted to teach pretty much since I was in college.”

Leung began her educational journey right here on our campus. After satisfying her general education requirements, Leung transferred to University of California, Berkeley where she earned her bachelor’s

degree. She later earned her master’s degree in economics from University of California, Merced, Leung said.

“Amy brings with her a historical perspective of being a student here that I suspect will be well received by students at CRC,” said economics professor Dr. Edwin Fagin via email.

Leung is teaching the principles of macroeconomics and microeconomics.

Many students in one of her microeconomics class share Fagin’s sentiments.

“She understands what we go through as a student,” said Sharoya Jones, 21, a business administration major. “She made it known that it’s possible to move on from a [junior college] to better things, like UC Berkeley.”

The passion and enthusiasm Leung has for CRC rings through when discussing our campus and those sentiments began to form when she was a student here.

“I don’t think I’ve ever taken a bad class here, those are sincere words,” Leung said. “Every class that I’ve taken at CRC has been positive.”

Leung has continued to provide positive experiences for her students.

“She’s thorough, she’s knowledgeable,” said 28-year-old health care administration major Alexis Brown. “She’s actually really friendly, more than I thought.”

Being able to work in a positive environment while participating in the growth of her students is important to Leung.

“It’s home to me, there’s a familial component to it, that’s what I enjoy about it,” Leung said. “I’m thrilled to be here.”

Rachel Norris| The Connection

Economics professor Amy Leung lectures her microeconomics class on how supply and demand affects the market for goods in LRC 107 on Sept. 13. Leung also teaches principles of macroeconomics.

‘Percy Jackson,’ the one quest wonder

By Amari Gaffney agaffney.connect@gmail Being a demigod and the son of Poseidon isn’t exactly all it’s cracked up to be. “With great power comes great responsibility,” right? Being the offspring of an Olympian god would seem like something to brag to your friends about, but conversing with the ocean in a one-sided conversation isn’t something you’d quickly even tell your BFF. Based on the popular novels

by Rick Riordan, in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” we find out that Percy (Logan Lerman) could have gotten worse when it comes to having any god for a parent.

Accompanied by the daughter of Athena, Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and the satyr Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), we quickly feel right at home with the heroines of the first Percy Jackson film.

The movie begins with a little background information on Camp Half-Blood; the magical barrier that protects the camp has weakened causing there to be attacks on the demigod sanctuary. The introduction of the well thought out mythologically referenced characters along with the story made it easy to get and remain engaged in the beginning.

These events send the clan on a mission to the Bermuda Triangle, Sea of Monsters, where they must find the Golden Fleece before Luke (the villain from the first movie and son of the messenger god Hermes portrayed by Jake Abel) uses it in his second attempt to bring ruin to Olympus. @CRCConnection

Movie Review Title: “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” Director: Thor Freudenthal Release Date: Aug. 7, 2013 Run Time: 106 minutes MPAA Rating : PG

Courtesy Photo

Daughter of Aries, Clarisse, returning to camp with the Golden Fleece along with Percy and Annabeth. The camp surrounds them in awestruck at the proof of their dangerous quest completed.

It doesn’t help that Percy’s self-esteem this time around is a little on the low side. From being picked on by demigoddess’ like Clarisse (Levin Rambin) who have obviously taken the place as top camp Half-Blood, as one would expect from a daughter of Aries. It was quite hard to attach myself to Percy as a hero this time around.

He wasn’t even a primary choice when teams were selected for the quest at hand, referring to

himself at one point as “The onequest wonder.” By this point I’d already stopped feeling sorry for Percy’s daddy issues and wanted the story to have progressed past that.

With creatures like the Gray Sisters, who are really the only comedic relief besides the satyr, it’s not the characters that are lacking, it’s the action, which is pretty basic and almost annoyingly predictable.

Sadly, above average acting

isn’t enough to mask the lack of action in what one would come to expect from any fantasy submerged in Greek mythology.

With the poor animation of creatures like the Charybdis and Poseidon-sent Hippocampi, it was hard for me to see the movie as anything more than a juvenile and inadequate version of one of the ‘Harry Potter’ films. Although I wouldn’t allow Percy the same claim to fame as “the boy who lived.”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 | FEATURES

7

Restaurant offers good atmosphere, average food BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse puts new take on American cuisine and brewhouse Tia Dehoney tdehoney.connect@gmail

T

hough I’ll admit that my expectations of BJ’s Brewhouse were fairly low because, generally speaking, I’m not much for restaurant chains and their uniform mediocrity.

When I decided to go to BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse for lunch in Elk Grove, I hoped I might have a dining experience that wasn’t just worth sharing, but worth my time as well.

I’m glad to report BJ’s makes a worthwhile chicken fettuccine alfredo that shows why it has bloomed to 136 or so outlets around the United States. If you’re looking for a well-founded pasta meal you might want to try it.

BJ’s is designed to be the kind of restaurant you can grab a fast and reasonably affordable

lunch at. It’s a friendly and bustling environment that’s a solid choice for watching a game or mingling while enjoying quality food.

The menu offers a wide range of choices, but I had my sights set on the pasta dish. It has a substantial amount of fettuccine noodles, all boiled to perfection –- the noodles neither being too soft nor too hard.

I also found the creaminess of the topping on the noodles to be extremely enjoyable and delicious. In addition to the well cooked noodles, the meal also comes with sliced chicken breast, garlic bread sticks and either a salad or soup of your choosing.

The garlic breadsticks are worth a closer look. They have the sponginess of commercial breadsticks, but they’re more notable than you’d expect, which matches the texture of the noodles nicely. More than that, the slight toasting adds a pleasing chewiness that makes me wonder why more restaurants of this type aren’t using a similar breadstick for their pasta dishes.

The chicken breast, however, isn’t quite as pleasing. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the meat is weak—rather, it’s without distinction.

It doesn’t have any notable seasoning, juice or mineral

N AT I O N A L

Nick Valenzuela | The Connection

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse lights up the corner of Laguna Boulevard and Laguna Springs Drive on Sept. 18. The restaurant delivers on comfort and price, but falls a little short on the food.

meatiness. In its favor, it has a nice well done look about it and a slim shape, but it doesn’t jump out in the slightest.

The salad is fine, although nothing noteworthy. The veggies are fresh, but they’re not full of the freshness that would warrant additional remarks.Perhaps the best part of the salad was the well seasoned croutons, they helped

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BJ’s offers a solid, if not particularly exhilarating version of a brewhouse with an interesting take on Italian cuisine. Theirs is a restaurant of straightforward aspirations: consistency, comfort and affordability. They deliver on these with their pasta and perhaps, at times, that’s more than enough.

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SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

Hawks rally but fall to second place in tournament

Photo by Ben Brown

In Cosumnes River College’s mini tournament against College of the Siskiyous and De Anza College on Friday, the Hawks came in second place. when Siskiyous called a timeout to try and rally their players.

Hawks’ freshman outside hitter Jennifer Lysaght dominated Cosumnes vs. Siskiyous the net in game three with a block The Hawks beat the Siskiy- to tie the game 25-25. The Hawks ous Eagles in the team’s first game came back to finish the match of the one day tournament in with the score at 27-25. straight sets.

“We played a lot better than De Anza vs. Siskiyous we did on Wednesday, being De Anza defeated Siskiyous, able to really work on our men- taking all three sets, putting Sistal game and execute what we’ve kiyous in last place in the tournabeen working on in practice,” said ment.

CRC’s volleyball co-head coach, Cosumnes vs. De Anza Natalie Wells.

The Hawks lost to De Anza Game one was close, with 3-0, putting the Hawks in second the Hawks narrowly defeating the place in the tournament.

Eagles.

In set one against De Anza, Hawks sophomore setter Lysaght and freshman middle hitCandice Bohlmann served the ter Tierra Collier dominated over ball over the net for an ace that the net.

De Anza took game one started a Hawks rally. The Hawks with a narrow lead of 25-21. took game one with a score of 26In game two De Anza had a 24. healthy lead causing the Hawks to “In the first game in the first call a timeout with the score 3-10. match we were pleased that we Hawks did what they could to were able to fight and finish in catch up but De Anza refused to three sets and come from behind allow the Hawks to take the lead. and win,” Wells said.

De Anza took game two with a In set two, the Hawks had score of 25-14. an early lead against the Eagles.

The Hawks took an early lead Siskiyous called a timeout while in set 3 with De Anza trailing the Hawks lead 21-20. The Hawks 9-5. Hawks and De Anza fought didn’t slow down after the time- for the lead going back and forth out beating Siskiyous 25-21. throughout the game. De Anza In set three, the Hawks took eventually took the lead and held a commanding lead, winning 8-1 it, finishing game three with a

By Bobby Bishop bbishop.connect@gmail

www.Facebook.com/CRCConnection

Nick Valenzuela | The Connection

Freshman opposite Jennifer Lysaght spikes the ball against College of the Siskiyous in the first game of the Cosumnes River College Three-way Mini-tourney on Friday. The Hawks fell to second place in the third match after losing to De Anza College. score of 25-21 and won the match 3-0.

After the match, Wells went on to say “This is just preseason right now so this was a good way to see what we need to work on to get ready for conference.”

For more sports coverage, go to www.thecrcconnection.com

Volleyball Schedule Sept. 20

vs. College of the Redwoods

3 p.m.

Sept. 26

@ College of Marin

6 p.m.

Oct. 2

@ Sierra College

6:30 p.m.

Oct. 4

vs. Delta College

6:30 p.m.

Oct. 9

vs. Diablo Valley College

6:30 p.m.