Fall 2014 - Issue Three

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Degree Programs

Los Rios opts out of program for bachelor’s degrees News, Page 2 ISSUE 3 10/16/14 - 10/30/14 Student voice of CRC since 1970

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October 16, 2014

>>News

Reduced hours leave students hungry for options

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com The dining area at any campus tends to be a gathering place as students not only come to study and hang out with friends, but also try to sneak in a few moments to get a bite to eat to keep them going throughout the day.

Over the last year, students have had to face numerous changes to the hours of the establishments that provide food at Cosumnes River College.

The Rio Bistro Cafe’s hours have changed so that it does not open till 11 a.m. and The Raging Burrito, one of the food stations within the cafe, closed last semester. Another change is that now Java City is closing at 1:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. on Fridays.

The majority of students interviewed were unaware that the hours had changed, while others had thoughts about what adjustments their fellow students will end up making.

“It definitely increases activity for restaurants around here, so that would be good for them I guess,” said Ricky Rivera, 21, an undeclared major. “But it’s still pretty incon-

Heather Kemp/ The Connection

Students in the cafeteria with the campus coffee shop, Java City, closed behind them due to reduced hours.

venient and more expensive, so it is pretty bad for students that can’t afford to eat out every day.”

Omar Gutierrez, 18, a business major, agreed and said that off campus might be a choice for students.

“They might bring their food [from home] or choose alternatives [and] go somewhere else to buy food,” Gutierrez said.

While the main cafeteria, where breakfast and lunch are served, might not be open to

the public until 11 a.m., students and faculty still have the option to purchase the same breakfast foods from the cafeteria through Java City. After filling out a small piece of paper, their order is relayed to the kitchen through a window that connects the two establishments.

It’s a change, but students are still able to obtain the same food just in a different manner.

Rivera and Gutierrez both said that the changes were likely made to save money.

Computer science major Max Romero, 20, said that the economy overall was likely a reason.

“They probably were thinking ahead about how the economy’s probably going to take a downturn for the worst,” Romero said. “Maybe it’s downsizing, for monetary reasons.”

They weren’t far off as Vice President of Administrative Services and Student Support Cory Wathen said declining sales played a part in the

changes.

“Changes in service levels are determined based on an evaluation of demand,” Wathen said.

“The reduction in hours was a result of cost saving measures necessitated by declines in sales due to partly from declining enrollment over the last five years,” Wathen said.

“Customer counts were evaluated by the hour in order to reduce hours at times with the least impact on customers,” he said Wathen added that the rise in minimum wage did not play into the change of hours, as the service hours were adjusted prior to the change in minimum wage. He said that as enrollment increases in the future, additional hours may be added.

As for the closure of Raging Burrito, Wathen said that budget and lack of customers both played into the closure.

“Each food station requires extra product costs and staff to prep and serve the food,” Wathen said. “The higher the sales volume, the more stations can be supported. As sales declined, the stations were evaluated and the Raging Burrito concept was eliminated because it had the least amount of sales.”

Bachelor’s degrees are not coming to the Los Rios District

By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 850 into law on Sept. 28, allowing community colleges in the state to offer four-year college degrees.

The bill will allow pilot programs to offer bachelor’s degrees starting in the 2017-18 school year and last until 2024, according to California Legislative Information website.

One campus per community college district is allowed to participate in the pilot program.

The Los Rios Community College District is one district that will not be participating in the program.

“While the Los Rios District supported SB 850, the District and its four colleges currently have no plans to participate in the pilot program to be one of 15 community college districts to offer a

BA program or degree,” said Associate Vice Chancellor of Communications and Media Relations Mitchel Benson in an email interview.

Some students think it would be beneficial for Los Rios to offer bachelor’s degrees.

“I think it would be a great opportunity for students that can’t afford to go to a higher institution,” said 20-year-old electrical engineering major Raul Valdez. “It would be a great opportunity for anybody who can go to community college to get that kind of education.”

While some students are having a hard time understanding why Los Rios would not want to offer bachelor’s degrees to their students, the district has reasons why they are not interested.

“The Los Rios colleges are focusing on expanding our Associate Degree for Transfer program,” Benson said.

“Working to ensure that more majors are available, that more students participate and that more of those students successfully complete the program and transfer to four-year programs at the state universities.”

While getting a bachelor’s degree at either a four-year or two-year will hold the same value in regards to a student’s occupational future, they come at a higher price at University of California and California State Universities.

Tuition for degrees cost roughly $22,000 at CSUs, but obtaining a four-year degree from a community college would only cost around $10,500, according to an article from the California Economic Summit.

“I feel like it’s going to cause other students to go to those community colleges that are offering it,” said Charissa Bessemer, 19, a nursing major.

Both Bessemer and Valdez

said that they would consider transferring to a different district if their majors were offered.

Currently, 21 other states offer four-year degrees at the community college level, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee. California community colleges have historically been solely interested in offering technical education and transferring students out to other schools as well as giving associate’s degrees as laid out in the Master Plan for Higher Education 50 years ago, according to the Sac Bee article.

SB 850 is undoubtedly a game changer for the state, but its guidelines for what degrees community colleges can offer as bachelor’s are tricky.

“It is important to point out that the new law sets strict criteria on what sort of BA program a community college district can and cannot offer,” Benson said. “Specifically, the

law prohibits participating community college districts from offering any baccalaureate degree programs and program curricula currently offered by any of the universities in the CSU or the UC systems.”

California’s reasons for passing the bill include the state’s need for one million more four-year degrees to remain competitive with other states, the workplace’s need for higher education and the state’s public four-year universities not being able to meet their demand, according to the bill.

Any four-year degrees being pursued must be completed by July of 2023.

The entire program will be repealed on Jan. 1, 2024 if there is no action towards keeping it, according to the California Legislative Information website.

Voice your opinion at: www.thecrcconnection.com/

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PAGE 3

Northern California four-year colleges considered affordable in comparison to the rest of the state

By Emiliano Martin emartin.connect@gmail.com In the recent Congressional debate between incumbent Ami Bera and candidate Doug Ose, both candidates agreed that the cost of fouryear colleges need to remain affordable. Bera said the cost of higher education in California needs to be brought down to an affordable level.

California State Universities in Northern California are considered to have relatively affordable tuitions, compared to the rest of the state, according to KCRA’s series “Chasing Paper.”

“If you look at CSU tuition and mandatory fees across the state, Sac State falls just below the average $6,695 with a total at $6,628,” said Assistant Executive Director and Chief Governmental Officer of the California State Student Association Meredith Turner via email.

“Another reason why

school in Sacramento might be less expensive is due to cost of living,” Turner said. “Here, students can rent a room in an apartment [or] house for about $500 a month, whereas college students at San Francisco State University will likely pay at least double.”

Most CSU’s remain close to the state average for tuition and campus fees, with a handful of colleges more than $7,000, including San Jose, Sonoma, Humboldt and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, according to the 2013-14 California State University Tuition and Fee Rates chart on the California State website.

“Affordable, for me, is not having to come out of pocket too much,” said Ricardo Lemus, a 29-year-old kinesiology major. “I don’t expect education to be free, but I also don’t expect to come out in $30,000 debt either.”

Lemus said he’ll support himself financially, after transferring, using financial

aid which he feels puts him in a position where he’s “not going to come out in a huge debt.”

“Affordable, for

me, is not having to come out of pocket too much. I don’t expect education to be free, but I also don’t expect to come out in $30,000 debt either.”

-- Ricardo Lemus

29, Kinesiology Major

Most other students, such as Amanda Rydcynski, 19, an undeclared major, said it was common to see friends supporting themselves with loans.

The annual overall cost at most University of California

colleges remains around the average of $33,000, according to the UC website.

Students aiming to transfer to a UC, including 19-yearold kinesiology major Mariana Hernandez, said they were hoping for financial aid and other benefits.

“For me, because I’m low income, I saw they have the Blue and Gold,” Hernandez said. “Tuition is too expensive considering I don’t work and only my mom works.”

The Blue and Gold Opportunity Program is a type of financial aid program provided to families in California attending a UC whose income is less than $80,000, according to the UC website.

Without these benefits, students said they couldn’t imagine being able to afford four-year education.

University of California Student Association President Jefferson Kuoch-Seng, who defines affordable as the ability of all students who want

to attend a UC to have the ability to without barriers like student debt, said, via email, “UCSA is currently advocating for solutions that would decrease the cost of tuition at the UC.” “However, there is a current lack of effort from the State and the University to solve this current issue of unaffordability,” said Kuoch-Seng.

“In fact, there has been discussion that the University of California will raise the cost of tuition for the 2014-15 school year. This is unacceptable, as it will not only create additional financial burden for students, but it also contradicts the UC’s mission to provide quality, accessible and affordable public higher education.”

During the Congressional debate, Bera posed a question that contained a similar sentiment, “How did it go from $393 a quarter that I was paying going to a public university to what kids today are paying to go to medical school?”

Ceejay Willis/ The Connection

Save The Date!

Oct. 21 The Bro Code Film

The Social Responsibility Committee Film Series is showing the film about how society creates sexist men at 1:30 p.m. in M-306.

Oct. 23 Lecture on Forensic Anthropology

The Anthropology Department presents the lecture at 3 p.m. in the Recital Hall.

Oct. 29 Band and Brass Choir Concert

Come to the Recital Hall and hear CRC’s music students at 7 p.m.

Oct. 31 Community Trick-or-Treat Bring your kids to the community trick-or-treat in the Cafeteria from 6-8 p.m. and enjoy the candy and fun.

Page 4

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Students have many ideas Interning in about how to save money college has varied results for students in securing jobs after graduation

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com

Since 2009 the use of debit cards among students has increased while their use of credit cards has decreased, making young adults the heaviest users of debit cards, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to the same report, users of debit cards are reporting hefty overdraft fees being charged to their accounts.

The median charge is $34, often on transactions of $24 or less, and is especially hitting millennials and college students hard.

Much of the increase is attributed to the fact that 2009 legislation limited the amount of marketing of credit cards companies could do on campus and that many colleges and universities have lucrative deals with outside companies to provide the cards in exchange for payments to the schools, according to an article from the Today Show website.

According to the same article, sometimes the debit cards are the vehicle for financial aid refunds.

Money management is one way students can combat the possibility of overdraft fees, and Amy Leung, an economics professor at Cosumnes River College, said there are ways students can do that.

“Make managing your money fun and light instead of a chore,” Leung said. “Try an experiment. Categorize your

expenses and your income for one month. Make the categories broad. For example, you may include four expenditure categories: school expenses, gas, entertainment and food.”

Leung said that one of the ways for students to manage money is to look on websites that offer free tools to manage their budget, among other ways such as keeping track of your money with a notebook or spreadsheet.

Brian Wade, a 35-year-old sociology major, said that he hasn’t seen students spend money recklessly, but if a student is spending too much, then the person needs a financial counselor to help them on how to spend more wisely.

Wade also said that students should mostly spend money on books and papers rather than on things they don’t need.

“If you’re spending money on something that is not needed, like movies, that’s not pertaining to your college education, you’re going to find yourself being stuck not having the supplies you’ll need to be successful in college,” Wade said.

Karl Perez, a 17-year-old psychology major, said that it is simple to spend money wisely and for one not to spend it, because someone might need it for tuition, buying a car or maybe affording a house.

“Don’t just spend your money a lot,” Perez said. “I would suggest just spend when you need to. Don’t

spend when you don’t need to. I say that with the money you have left over, just keep that in your wallet or put it in your bank account.”

Perez said that he is responsible with his money and he feels he has to be.

“The money that I have right now, I don’t use it,” Perez said. “I just keep it, I don’t even bother touching it. Maybe later on, what if I need to get maybe a textbook for the next semester? I just keep it there, leave it alone and don’t touch it.”

Jaz Thomas, a 19-year-old English major, said that the best way to manage money is to have a bank account, keep track of your money and save receipts.

“If you see a deal somewhere, don’t buy it at the store you are at,” Thomas said. “I feel I’m pretty responsible with my money. It’s just usually gone by the time I get it, just to bills, the like, but the little extra that I have, I’m pretty good about managing it, with groceries and savings.”

Zac Aguila, a 19-year-old automotive technology major, said that there are ways to manage money by putting it into your account.

“If you’re asking people how to manage their money, tell them not to spend it all in one day,” Aguila said. “Just spend a little bit of it and then just save it, or just put it in your bank account, and then when you have enough money, then just buy something big.”

By Brittany Harden bharden.connect@gmail.com Securing their dream job is the reason that many people attend college, but in today’s job market having a degree isn’t always enough.

Internships are more important to students than ever before.

“Internships are valuable to get your foot in the door,” said Carol Bernardo, the Cosumnes River College Co-op Work Experience and Internship Advisor.

classrooms cannot.

No matter the type of internship, whether it’s paid or unpaid, opinions vary from student to student.

“I feel they are beneficial for the experience, but, in most cases, you get taken advantage of because they will work you hard and most likely not have a position open,” said Mi’Shila Vickers, a 22-year-old nursing major.

It seems that some students may have a right to be skeptical when it comes to jobs being offered to them after an

“If you love it when you’re doing it for free, then think about how much you will love it once you get paid.”

-- Sandip Singh

25, undeclared major Generally, students look to internships for not only experience in a given field but for paid experience. But, many internships today are unpaid.

There are pros and cons to both options, but ultimately both provide the desired experience.

Some students are willing to take unpaid internships and pay hundreds, if not thousands, to get that experience in their field of study, according to a USA Today article.

“If it helps you land a career of your dreams, then you’re basically learning to do your future job,” said Sandip Singh, a 25-year-old undeclared major.

“So, if you love it when doing it for free, then think about how much you will love it once you get paid,” Singh said.

According to the CRC Career Center, the internships offered through the school are unpaid, but Bernardo said that it will give students the experience and knowledge that

internship.

A study done by the National Association of College Employers after three years of study found that, “unpaid internships don’t seem to give college kids much of a leg up when it comes time to look for employment,” according to an article from The Atlantic.

Some students do find that paid internships can be better and help with expenses, but in return it may require more work.

“Paid internships usually require interviews and more work, some people may even be underpaid,” Singh said.

“Studies show that the retention rate is higher of employees who had previously interned at the company versus employees who had not interned,” according to an article in Forbes Magazine.

Students looking for internship opportunities, whether paid or unpaid, should visit the CRC career center in Business Science 106 for more information.

October 16, 2014

Page 5

>>Features

Health education professor teaches hands-on EMT program

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com Students at Cosumnes River College have been learning the skills of emergency medical technology for over 25 years.

Matthew McHugh, a health education professor, has been teaching at CRC since 2005 as an EMT instructor. He is considered the unofficial program director of the fire technology program because CRC currently doesn’t have a program.

People who are taking the emergency medical services program, or working as a nurse or a doctor, have to sign up and take the healthcare provider or professional cardiopulmonary resuscitation course.

“As far as the program goes, we generally have two sections every semester,” McHugh said. “The two sections we currently offer are on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon, and an evening section. The students also participate in a clinical component, where they do 72 hours on working ambulances, fire and 911 services, private inter-facility

transports and work at the trauma center for 24 hours.

That’s part of a requirement to become trained as an EMT.” Students interested in the program need to have a strong background in anatomy, physiology and medical terminology before attempting the class.

“Mainly because there is a 1,500-page medical textbook that they have to get through in a matter of 12 weeks, which most students find challenging,” McHugh said. “Generally, we only have one out of three that are successful from the beginning of the program.

So we strongly encourage people to get that before attending the course.”

If you just want to be a fireman or paramedic, I would recommend him.

— Abel Becerril

17-year-old undeclared major

McHugh has been in EMS for more than 20 years.

He started as a firefighter

in 1993, became an EMT in 1994 and a paramedic in 1997. He has worked as a firefighter and EMT in Hawaii, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to his resume.

He currently still works in the EMS field, as he works as a paramedic for American Medical Response on 911 ambulances.

“Besides teaching EMT’s and first-responders for the past 12 years, I’ve also been teaching CPR since 1995,” McHugh said.

Anthony Brodie, a 20-year-old fire technology major, said that McHugh is a good instructor.

“He spends about half the time doing lectures, and the other half of the time actually practicing skills and work, so that we can feel a little hands-on experience,” Brodie said.

Abel Becerril, a 17-yearold undeclared major, said that he likes McHugh’s lectures because they help him out.

“If you want to get into the EMT program, I recommend McHugh at CRC, great teacher,” Becerril said.

“Or, if you just want to be a fireman or paramedic, I would recommend him.”

Emanuel Espinoza/The Connection

Matthew McHugh, professor of the EMS department, instructs his students on learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” New Romance or porn with a fancy cover?

By Jelina Cortero & Scott Redmond jcortero.connect@gmail.com & sredmond.connect@gmail.com

She Said:

E.L. James opened the door to a whole new level of romance with the bondage and dominance sadomasochism (BDSM) lifestyle in the trilogy, Fifty Shades of Grey.

Women dream about a man like Christian Grey, the experienced dominant with a dark past, but I mean hot kinky sex with a billionaire? Who wouldn’t take that opportunity?

Yes, at times Christian Grey was intimidating but isn’t that what drew us in?

His lifestyle is so unexplored that our own sexual curiosity lead us to play with the thin line between what is pain and what is pleasure.

People argue that this trilogy is trying to encourage abuse in relationships, but there is nothing abusive about their relationship at all. Everything Christian and Anastasia did was consensual. If she said no, he wouldn’t touch her. If she argued back, he’d compromise. Sounds like a normal relationship to me.

For a little while, the book let you live in a world where it was possible for a simple college graduate to land a hot billionaire, money was never a problem, fast and exotic cars were just toys and helicopter rides were first date impressions.

The book takes a chance on allowing readers to experience a different type of love and lovemaking. It tells an intense love story with even more intense sex scenes, and allows you to explore the deepest of desires and experience a taste of the wildest fantasies. Now, that’s romance.

He Said:

“Fifty Shades of Grey” is nothing more than pornography with a fancy cover.

Originally conceived as a fan fiction story based on the “Twilight” series, Fifty Shades follows a story about a man who gets off on controlling a woman through bondage and dominance sadomasochism, otherwise known as BDSM. It’s heralded as romance by critics and fans alike, it’s even getting a movie on Valentine’s Day of all days, but is nothing of the sort.

There is nothing romantic about a man controlling a woman inside and outside of the bedroom just for his own kicks.

Dominating control by men is what women fought against in the past, when they were treated like property or second class citizens throughout history.

It’s the treatment of women, and the fact that these books try to convince women that it’s a relationship they should desire that bothers me the most.

There is not a single thing that is romantic about the scenario in Fifty Shades.

In fact a study done at Michigan State University has linked young adult women who read the series to unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders, binge drinking and a higher likelihood of being in an abusive relationship, according to The Huffington Post.

Is that really what we want our young women to equate with romance, ending up in abusive dominating relationships?

If a rose is a rose, then Fifty Shades needs to be called exactly what it is: printed porn, nothing more.

What do you think of Fifty Shades of Grey? Let us know your thoughts at www.thecrcconnection.com.

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CRC celebrates students on National Student Day

By Jelina Cortero jcortero.connect@gmail.com Cosumnes River College kicked off their promotion for student volunteerism and social responsibility by holding a National Student’s Day celebration on Oct. 9.

National Student Day was held by the Social Responsibility Committee in appreciation for all the students and volunteers who give up most of their time, talent and treasure to the campus and community.

“National Student Day is all about getting students to realize their gifts and talents needed for the campus community and emphasize community engagement,” said Heather Hutcheson, English professor and member of the SRC. In the Hawks Nest Bookstore, speakers such as Jeanne Edmond, psychology professor and a member of the Peace Corp, and Judy Sala, case manager of the Elk Grove Food Bank, spoke about their experiences in giving back and how students could get involved with helping the community.

In front of the bookstore, a table was set up to gather student attention, including a large bin where students could drop off items for the Elk Grove Food Bank. Volunteers encouraged passing students to fill out a paper hand, which would be placed onto a backboard with other paper hands, and write about their favorite or most recent

volunteer experience.

In exchange for a paper hand, the volunteers gave students a scratcher card for 20 percent off items in the bookstore and a chance to win in a raffle.

While music was playing in the quad of the campus, both the bookstore and the table were decorated with orange and blue balloons reminding everyone that National Student Day was a celebration.

“I think National Student Day was good because it gives the students encouragement and appreciation for their hard work of the semester,” said Anna Lozano, a 20-yearold sociology major.

Many students saw the celebration as a positive way to gain student recognition.

“People can express what they do in the community and be recognized for it,” said Ashley Shields, a 22-year-old psychology major.

Serena Lee, a 22-year-old business administration major said, “I think it’s [National Student Day] beneficial for students, in a way, for motivation and maybe even financially.”

Hutcheson strongly encourages students to be involved and highlights the importance of how doing just a little something can make a difference.

“Students feel that they have so much to learn that they forget how much [they have] to give,” Hutcheson said.

Hutcheson also said that

Jelina Cortero/The Connection

CRC students (from left to right) Monique Maldonado and Anna Lozano attracting student attention to their table by passing out paper hands and offering scratcher cards for discounts in the bookstore.

National Student Day was just a kick-off day to their promotion and that the SRC is collecting canned foods and used items which can be placed in large bins found around the campus.

For more campus events, visit thecrcconnection.com or follow the Connection on Twitter @ crcconnection Jelina Cortero/The Connection

From left to right: CRC psychology Professor Jeanne Edman and Elk Grove Food Bank case manager Judy Sala speak about giving back.

#TrendingNow With the recent Ebola patient in Texas, many have begun to worry that the virus may spread thoroughout the U.S. “It’s obviously dangerous, but I do feel it is being blown out of proportion like we do with everything,” said Brianna Renner, a 19-year-old English major.

ts in NLCS

SF Gian

Ebol

a Paranoia

The San Francisco Giants are facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB’s 2014 National League Championship Series.

“I’m excited,” said La’ha Umofuke, 19, an art major. “Our pitcher is playing fantastically and the rest of our team is backing him up perfectly.”

Samsung

Compiled by Ceejay Willis All photos are courtesy photos

Galaxy Note 4

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 released on Oct. 14 with its 5.7 inch display and S Pen. “I am so-so about it,” said Mason Coulis, a 28-year-old policital science major. “I like all the new features they added, but I am just fine with my Galaxy S5.”

Page 7

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Jelina Cortero/The Connection

Past faculty member, Ronald Houck showcased his oil canvas painting titled “Fresh Up.”

Jelina Cortero/The Connection

Art Professor Yoshio Taylor had several artworks on display. This sculpture is titled “Transcend.”

CRC’s fine art faculty hosts Art Gallery Grand Opening

By Jelina Cortero & Emiliano Martin jcortero.connect@gmail.com emartin.connect@gmail.com Cosumnes River College held a Grand Opening for the new art gallery on campus on Oct. 10.

The exhibition, curated by CRC’s art professor Yoshio Taylor, is titled Renaissance and presents artwork from several of CRC’s fine current and past art faculty.

“This is our most exciting opening because we never had the gallery before,” Taylor said. “This is 20-plus years in waiting. So, like myself, I’ve been here over 30 years and it’s been sort of a dream come true kind of a deal. I’m hoping to exhibit what we have here at CRC as faculty work, strong, talented faculty work, to our own students as well as the community surrounding and beyond.”

The event opened with live music from music Professor Steven Coughran. As guests arrived, they signed a guest book and enjoyed

refreshments, such as chilled drinks, wine and various finger foods. As guests roamed the event, CRC’s fine art faculty exhibitors proudly showcased their artworks.

Art Professor Marcelle Wiggins showcased two of her paintings and was pleased with how the grand opening of the gallery turned out.

“The grand opening went fantastic. A lot of people came. Past students, who I haven’t seen in almost 15 years visited and commented on how beautiful the gallery is,” Wiggins said.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this and it’s definitely paid off.”

The exhibit showed both 2D and 3D artworks and were strictly paintings, print work and sculptures.

“We have 15 different artists who are represented, and it’s all studio faculty,” said Art Professor Margaret Woodcock. “So, everybody who has taught studio classes for us: drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, design, all of that. So, it’s basically featuring the faculty and the

Jelina Cortero/The Connection

Photography Professor Kathryn Mayo and art Professor Margaret Woodock socialize while walking through the gallery and enjoy the various artworks displayed in the exhibition. program.”

However, the art gallery grand opening is not only to showcase the talent of CRC’s art faculty but also gain campus exposure.

“We expect exposure to the larger CRC community and also to the greater community outside of our campus,” Woodcock said.

“Invites have gone out to local organizations and people we know and all that. It’s really the awareness that this gallery exists.”

“I’m just trying to be aggressive on exposing this gallery as much as I can,” Taylor said. “I hope people notice the gallery, it’s the biggest one of the whole Los

Rios Community College District and they take that opportunity to be exposed to professional artwork.”

The exhibit is split into two events, showcasing different art pieces. The first beginning on Oct. 10 and ending on Nov. 6. The second show will begin on Nov. 7 and end on Dec. 5.

PAGE 8

OCTOBER 16, 2014

>>Opinion EDITORIAL

Los Rios students will miss out on affordable bachelor’s due to poor district office decision The Los Rios Community College District has made the mistake of declining to apply for the opportunity to offer a bachelor’s degree at one of its community colleges, under Senate Bill 850.

Los Rios Associate Vice Chancellor of Communication and Media Relation Mitchel Benson said via email that the district is focused on its campuses expanding the variety of majors and transferring students out.

It appears the school district has decided to stick to an antiquated system by favoring four-year institutions instead of the interest of students.

Money that students could have saved, and avoided the burdens of students loans, is instead going to the four-year colleges that continue to raise their tuitions by ridiculous amounts year after year.

SB 850 would have allowed Los Rios to “charge only $84 more per unit for upper-division baccalaureate coursework than they currently charge for lower-division courses,” according to a press release from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

According to the same press release, the current structure for college in California is based off of the California Master Plan for Higher Education which was created in the 1960’s.

The California Master Plan for Higher Education states that it established a framework for higher education that encourages California State Universities, Universities of California and California Community Colleges to concentrate on creating their own kind of excellence within their own particular sets of responsibilities, according to the University of California Office of the President.

This is a greatly outdated view on California’s education system.

The fields of work that require a bachelor’s degree have multiplied in the last 50 years which is why SB 850 was passed and why Los Rios should have applied for the program.

Los Rios’ decision to forward students to the high costs of four-year colleges instead of offering a bachelor’s degree for a major that four-years don’t have is a decision that can be detrimental to the future of some students.

Students that would have not been able to afford a four-year school could have had the chance to further their education on a Los Rios campus.

The amount of money and popularity that offering fouryear degrees could have brought to the district and the campus with the program would have far outweighed any hardships they would have faced to secure it.

Students would have likely come from all over the Sacramento region to get bachelor’s degrees from any of Los Rios’ four campuses for a fraction of the price of a university, but they will never have the chance now.

The Los Rios community college system could have aided the community by being creative and inventing a specific degree for an area of work that is only tangentially covered by existing degrees.

Creating a single bachelor’s degree wouldn’t take away from the range of associate’s degrees Los Rios currently offers to the extent that the district needs to snub it, and would align with their goal to “ensure that more majors are available.”

It may have been more work, but the long term benefits to students that could have come from Los Rios applying for a bachelor’s degree program would outweigh the inconvenience.

HAWK

TALK

What are your plans for Halloween?

“Probably take my little brothers out around Elk Grove area, get some candy, and probably check out a few haunted houses.”

“Since my birthday is two days before, I am planning on having a little party.”

Ashley Navarro 18, RTVF

“My girlfriend Jade and I plan on going to San Francisco or the bay area for an event.”

Sergio Quinonez 24, Automotive

“Right now I don’t really have any, but most likely eat some candy and go trick-or-treating with some friends.”

DeAngelo Dosti 20, Criminal Justice

“Actually, I’m going to go to some haunted houses in Roseville and in Rancho Cordova.”

Damion Garnett 18, Undeclared

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Hawk Talk video.

Imani Northern 18, Early Childhood

Compiled by: Naqshe Tahirkheli, Brittany Harden & Ceejay Willis

Editor in Chief: Scott Redmond Features Editor: Jelina Cortero News Editor: Heather Kemp Online Editor: Nick Valenzuela Opinion Editor: Nick Valenzuela Sports Editor: Scott Redmond Copy Editor: Emiliano Martin Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati

The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Journalism 410, 411, 412 & 413 media production classes. 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 and California Newspaper Publisher’s Association.

Staff: Bobby Bishop, Emanuel Espinoza, Brittany Harden, Ariona Percelle, Naqshe Tahirkheli, Ceejay Willis

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 Telephone: (916) 691-7471 Fax: (916) 691-7181 www.thecrcconnection.com connection.crc@gmail.com

Facebook.com/crcconnection Twitter: @CRCconnection Instagram: @CRCconnection Storify.com/TheConnection

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Page 9

The party doesn’t have to wait for university life

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Community college is generally seen as a cheaper way to get through general education type classes, while figuring out what major path one will take eventually, and by many as a stop before they hit the big time that is a four-year school.

That is where they’ll truly begin to explore the world of college, with the greater resources and bigger campus.

That is a mistake, a big one.

While community college is smaller in scale to most universities, it is no lesser little sibling in the grand scheme.

College is college and students should be taking advantage of everything that college can offer when they are in it, no matter the size.

While the economy has turned after the recession and is growing in many areas, the way to find work has changed.

There are not as many guaranteed jobs right out of college just because one has a degree.

In fact USA Today reported on a poll from Syracuse University that suggested networking as the best way for recent college graduates to secure a job.

The poll also said that it’s important to maintain a rapport with potential employers even if they currently don’t have any listings posted.

It’s more than possible that if the right rapport is formed, when a position does open that the employer will remember the name and face and hire a student because of that rapport.

Networking though goes beyond just forming rapports with potential employers.

It includes meeting other people that either have interests in the same field as you or that have connections that might pay off one day.

College is the perfect place to be-

gin networking.

It could be as simple as speaking with the right professor, administrator or fellow student. Any potential relationship formed while at college may very well pay off down the line.

If community college is just used as a pit stop on the way to the next level, the potential for networking could very likely be missed.Networking is just one reason to throw oneself into the college life even at the community college level. There are other reasons.

Unless you’re planning to put yourself on the ten-year plan or come back later in life, college is a finite experience.

It’s designed to be a one-off section of life before moving onto the career life.

Basically it’s a time to find oneself and enjoy life before having to move into an even busier time of life, because let’s be honest that most students already have to live a very busy life with

jobs to even afford to be in college.

A school like Cosumnes River College may not have all the huge events and opportunities of extracurricular that a school like Sac State or UC Davis has, but it doesn’t matter.

Why spend all the money that it costs to go to college if you don’t fully immerse yourself into the college going experience? Make it worth the money.

Go to events on campus. Make some new friends.

Take some classes that are different from the usual one’s you take either for fun or to expand yourself.

Put yourself in situations that put you out of your comfort zone.

Don’t let the years of college pass by just as a way to churn out a degree and look back to regret it.College life doesn’t have to start with a four-year university.

It starts right here at the community college level.

Bikes belong in the bike lane, not on the sidewalks

Bobby Bishop / The Connection

A Cosumnes River College student prepares to park his bike at the bike racks near the Learning Resource Center and campus police buildings.

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com Bicycling is an activity that some may consider pedestrian, but it can be a hazard to some people depending on where people are cycling, particularly a sidewalk.

Cycling is used for recreation and also as a form of transportation. It can be dangerous even for bicyclists, but a Sacramento resident has a point in wanting the laws to be rewritten.

In midtown Sacramento, Hilary Abramson, a 69-year-old resident of that area was seriously injured after a cyclist hit her while she was walking.

According to an article on the Dai-

ly News website, Abramson filed a claim for $3.5 million to compensate for her discomfort in walking on sidewalks.

She wants the city to rewrite its guidelines to prohibit cycling on sidewalks.

A lot of cyclists often ride their bikes on the sidewalk, rather than use the bike lane that is next to the sidewalk.

While most of them are careful in riding their bike on the sidewalk, it can be still be hazardous for people.

Riding bikes on the sidewalk is dangerous because many people are on the sidewalk walking, and those who are riding their bikes are going at

a faster speed than a person who is on foot.

Though someone can coast and slow down a bit, how likely is it that the bicyclist might slow down in time to avoid hitting a pedestrian?

There is a reason that there is a bike lane next to the sidewalk.

While some cyclists probably ride on the sidewalk to be safer so they won’t be close to traffic, which is understandable, there is less hazard riding on a bike lane as opposed to riding on the sidewalk.

According to that same article, Jim Brown, head of the Sacramento Location Bicycle Advocates, had been fighting for years to push cities to make

more room on streets to make them safer for cyclists.

He said that he does not condone sidewalk cycling, but he understands why some do that on busy streets.

The fact that cyclists ride on the sidewalk to be safer from traffic may be understandable, but it’s still not safe for pedestrians to be on a sidewalk when someone rides a bike and could possibly hit someone.

On one hand, a law to ban sidewalk cycling may possibly be effective, but what really should be done is for people to know that a bike lane is there for a reason and should be used, rather than cause a hazard to pedestrians on sidewalks.

PAGE 10

OCTOBER 16, 2014

>>Sports VOLLEYBALL Oct. 17 Vs Santa Rosa* 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 22 Vs Sierra* 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 24 Vs ARC* 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 29 @ Diablo Valley* 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 5 Vs Sac City* 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 7 @ Modesto* 6:30 p.m.

Coaches say building effective teamwork is the key to success for any team

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com No matter what ball, scoring system or rules of play that a team sport follows, they all have one thing in common in order to have a successful outcome: teamwork.

Teamwork is the cornerstone of any team, said Cosumnes River College women’s basketball head coach Coral Sage.

“You have to be able to have players on a team that are willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team and work together to accomplish their common goals,” Sage said. “So if you don’t have teamwork, then you’re not going to be very successful, and I actually coached some teams that struggled with that, and I had teams that worked really well together.”

One of the foundations for successful teamwork lies in communication, something that Sage said her team is currently struggling with.

“We’re just constantly reminding them over and over again about communication,” Sage said. “Sometimes we’ll make them run if they’re not talking, but if you don’t have communication, then it’s really hard to play a team sport, because you’re not really sure

“Sometimes we’ll make them run if they’re not

talking, but if you don’t have communication, then it’s really hard to play a team sport, because you’re not really sure who’s doing what or where they are.”

-- Ron Preble

Head Coach, Men’s Soccer Team who’s doing what or where they are. So having everyone talking to each other is really important.”

Ron Preble, head coach of the Hawks’ men’s soccer team, said that teamwork in the realm of soccer comes down to shared work.

“You have a role that you have to play,” Preble said. “[And] you have to be disciplined within that role.”

That sharing of work can be broken down into moments, Preble said.

“We have a moment where we have the ball and we are building our attack. We have a moment where the other team has the ball, so we’re defending and trying to win the ball back,” Preble said. “Then there are the transitional moments where we win the ball.

So we concentrate on those four moments and there’s a lot

of teamwork that is involved there.”

Freshman midfielder for the men’s soccer team Zack Sondrol said that teamwork means that the team is working and playing for one another, not just playing for themselves individually. Sondrol said that they have to look out for their teammates and try to make the game easier for everyone to play.

“There are definitely times when our communication lacks, and there were games where we’re struggling a little bit or we’re all a little frustrated,” Sondrol said.

“Rather than communicating to our team, we’re focused on our individual game.”

Thomas Nolan, freshman forward for the men’s soccer team said that teamwork means working together for the biggest outcome. He said

that the team has been doing well this year, but had problems finishing up top, but together, they had overcome a lot of the problems.

The soccer team is not alone in dealing with issues of building teamwork.

While the season hasn’t started just yet for the men’s basketball team, they have been preparing for the season and have had obstacles to overcome in that time. Sophomore forward David Straughter said that at the moment there are a lot of incoming freshmen and they are getting used to the team system as they are fresh out of high school.

“I think we have great chemistry so far, to be very young and not being able to play with each other,” Straughter said. “So far right now, we’re going to have a great year.”

Preble echoed Sage’s view on teamwork, as he said that communication is essential to teamwork and that it’s a base component for teamwork.

“There’s verbal communication and non-verbal communication that your players have to master and execute,” Preble said. “Certainly, players will fall on their faces in regards to that, and that’s when breakdowns happen in your teamwork.”

Nov. 12 Vs San Joaquin Delta* 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 14 @ Santa Rosa* 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 19 @ Sierra* 6:30 p.m.

* Designates Conference Games Ceejay Willis | The Connection

The Hawks match against the College of the Sequoias Giants, on Oct. 7, ended with a 0-0 tie, which head coach Ron Preble said happened because of the team’s lack of communication and teamwork, which has been an issue mentioned by various coaches.

THECRCCONNECTION.COM

PAGE 11

The Season in a Second CORRECTION: Last issue women’s soccer head coach Cesar Plasencia was incorrectly identified as baseball head coach Tony Bloomfield.

“Well we just started official practice Oct. 1, but in regards to us getting better everyday, we are doing that without question. The guys are working hard. We have strength and conditioning as well as our practice going on right now. So they’re giving me everything they have. They’re really doing a good job with staying together, working hard together and competing and we couldn’t be any further along with as many freshman as we have. Ten of our 14 [players] are freshman, two of those are transfers and two are returners.”

—James Giacomazzi

Men’s basketball head coach

MEN’S SOCCER Oct. 24 Oct. 31

vs Santa Rosa* 4 p.m.

(Double Header Game) vs American River* 4 p.m.

Nov. 4

vs San Joaquin Delta*

3 p.m.

Nov. 7

@ Modesto*

3 p.m.

Nov. 14

@ Santa Rosa*

3 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Oct. 21

vs Diablo Valley*

3:30 p.m.

Oct. 24

@ Santa Rosa*

3:30 p.m.

Oct. 28

@ Sac City*

6 p.m.

Oct. 31

vs American River*

3:30 p.m.

Nov. 3

@ Modesto*

3 p.m.

Nov. 7

vs San Joaquin Delta*

3 p.m.

Nov. 13

vs Sierra*

7 p.m.

* Designates Conference Games

Closer to home options bring back joy of sports

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com It’s that time of year where baseball fans whose team made it to the post-season watch in anticipation for the World Series, football fans scream and yell as the season kicks into high gear and basketball fans wait eagerly for the regular season to begin.

It’s a sports time of year.

Yet, the cloud that hangs over professional sports, mostly the NFL at the moment, can stand in the way of some of the fun of sports.

The NFL has been in damage control mode for months now trying to patch up the issues they have been facing, as well as new dirt being unearthed.

The Redskins are refusing to stop using a racist name. Baseball has had their own issues in recent years with drugs in the game, and the NBA has had issues with players committing crimes as much as the NFL. At times, it almost makes a sports fan want to turn away in disgust, feeling dirty for contributing in any way, watching or paying for a game, to organizations that have allowed these issues to continue to this breaking point.

Let me submit for your consideration another option: community college and local sports.

While the professional level sports and many fouryear college level organizations battle public perception to their numerous problems, there are plenty of entertaining options closer to home.

Right here at Cosumnes, the men’s and women’s soccer teams and the women’s volleyball team are in the middle of their seasons.

Men’s and women’s basketball is right around the corner from starting.

The games are hardly attended, which is a crime in

and of itself. Our teams are really great to watch, and the competitive spirit that arises when watching any of the community college teams compete is just as gripping as pro sports.

Just last year, the women’s soccer team went into the playoffs and was one game away from playing in the championship series. The playoffs were hard fought and had fans on the edge of their seat in agony and joy.

Sacramento’s minor league soccer and baseball teams, the Sac Republic and River Cats respectively, are cheap and amazingly fun options right here in town.

The River Cats bring in packed crowds every season and most seasons make it to the playoffs or beyond. The Sac Republic debuted in the 2014 season for the United Soccer League, and won the USL Pro Championship in September.

Quite a feat for a brand new team.

Sure community college level sports or minor league sports might not have the superstar players, big endorsement deals and all the money being thrown around for flashy media coverage, but what they do have is entertainment without all the drama.

That’s not to say that pro sports don’t have their place.

I quite enjoy them, sitting on the edge of my seat watching the Giants or 49ers do their thing.

Paying for a ticket to the 49ers new stadium or tickets to a Giants game is not in the picture for myself or most, not without checking into selling some kidneys or blood at the least.

Local sports provide a cheaper drama-free alternative.

If you’re just looking to enjoy sports without all the bad press, give local sports a shot.

It’s more than worth it.

Page 12

thecrcconnection.com

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Sharukh Ali, freshman midfielder for the Hawks, dribbles the ball down the field, keeping it away from College of the Seqouias Giants freshman midfielder Ramon Franco. The Hawks and Giants remained scoreless at the end of the game, as the Hawks one successful goal was removed because of a foul committed against the Giants.

Hawks lack communication in match with Giants

By Bobby Bishop bbishop.connect@gmail.com

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Freshman forward Alejandro Renteria leaps to deflect the ball away from a College of the Sequoias player, as Hawks freshman midfielder Christian Ochoa waits for the ball to drop.

With a record of 4-5-2 after a match with College of the Sequoias on Oct. 7, the Cosumnes River College Hawks face issues with communication, as players are doing their own thing instead of coming together as a team, head coach Ron Preble said.

“We just go out and become undisciplined technically and tactically and just become very independent with our play and then all of a sudden the game becomes very very open,” Preble said. “So now it’s anybody who happens to grab [the ball] could grab a goal.”

The Hawks and the College of the Sequoias Giants battled back and forth in a scoreless match. During the second half the Hawks managed to get the ball in for a goal, but it was quickly negated because of a foul.

“I thought we played well overall, just possession wise.

I think we struggled in offensive third, our shots weren’t on target [and] we were rushing it a bit,” said freshman midfielder, Zach Sondrol. ”I think if we slow [down] and play like we usually play we’ll

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Sophomore midfielder Dominic Eslamin sets up for a goal attempt against the Giants, during the teams match on Oct. 7.

be able to get more goals in.”

Sophomore forward Derrick Chu said that communication wasn’t the only area that team was lacking.

“We need to pick up our energy, commit to defending, we were kind of lazy,” Chu said. “It looked like we were really tired out there. [We]

lost the ball really easily and we shouldn’t be. [We] played their type of soccer and didn’t really play our game.”

Check out the rest of our sports coverage by going to our website, www.thecrcconnection.com