Fall 2014 - Issue Five

www.thecrcconnection.com

SHAREfair highlights benefits See Page 2 of giving back

Campus Radio

Program offers hands-on experience for students News, Page 3 ISSUE 5 11/20/14 - 12/04/14 Student voice of CRC since 1970

Native Days

Annual event aims to share native culture & history Features, Page 5

FACEBOOK /crcconnection

State Politics

Prop 47 is the solution to prison overcrowding Opinion, Page 9

TWITTER @crcconnection

Season’s End

Volleyball team reflects on rough season and the future Sports, Page 11

INSTAGRAM @thecrcconnection

Page 2

November 20, 2014

>>News

SHAREfair brings the spirit of giving to campus

By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com The holiday season is a time when most people get into the spirit of giving and being thankful for what they have.

At Cosumnes River College, this mindset was alive and well as the seventh annual SHAREfair took over the cafeteria on Nov. 19.

English Professor Heather Hutcheson started the fair seven years ago to honor her father and give back to her community.

“My father passed away seven years ago, and we did the first one right before he passed away,” said Hutcheson.

“I started it as a tribute to him for all he taught me about the importance of giving back to the community and volunteering,” Hutcheson said.

Each year, vendors from all over the Sacramento area set up shop in the cafeteria and accept donations for their causes and scout for volunteers.

The process to get into the fair is pretty simple. Nonprofits like Wellspring Women’s Center, Front Street Animal Shelter, Elk Grove Food Bank Services and Reading Partners

participation give them an opportunity to get out in the community.

There were 29 participants in all this year.

Rachael Valler from Reading Partners, an organization dedicated to helping the literacy of struggling students, said that it was her group’s first year at the event.

“We love working with college students and they provide great reading tutoring for our students,” Valler said.

“We thought we’d come out here and see if we could find anyone who wanted to get involved.”

Hutcheson finds participants through email and starts planning months in advance of the fair.

“We send out tons of emails starting in August welcoming nonprofits to participate either in the panels on the first day or in the fair itself,” Hutcheson said.

SHAREfair collects everything from clothes, food, toys and paper products. A full and more specific list of what they are looking for can be found on CRC’s website.

“We have a really great turnout. Our community is super generous here at CRC,” Hutcheson said.

“Our first year was so suc-

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

From left to right, SHAREfair panelists Rosie Duaz, Milena Marroquin, Jennifer Wood, Cathy Crosthwaite and Ed Lopez talked to students about their groups on Nov. 18 in the college store.

cessful that we had two truck loads [of donations] and only one bin,” Hutcheson said.

Hutcheson said that now they average 10 truck loads of donations that their vendors pick up on the last day of the fair and that all of this could not be possible without campus participation.

“This cannot happen without the participation of students,” Hutcheson said.

“Students lend a hand working from the communications

class, to donating to coming out and talking to the different groups. That’s what keeps the groups wanting to come back every year.”

The communications class that Hutcheson is referring to is Professor Sandra Wheeler-Abeyta’s class that she has had volunteer for class credit the past six years.

“I think the trend in service learning is building every year,” Wheeler-Abeyta said.

“The idea that applying the

course curriculum and Student Learning Outcomes to activism versus just a textbook experience is so much more valuable.”

Wheeler-Abeyta said that the trend of donating during the holidays is a “mixed-bag” because the donations and volunteering are appreciated, but they are also needed yearround.

“That is why this event is so cool that Heather Hutcheson of course has organized and we try and support every year... she brings representatives in who do this 24/7 365 to realize that you might think about it more right now but there are needs throughout the year,” Wheeler-Abeyta said.

Hutcheson attributes volunteering to a lot of her professional success.

“I have my job here at CRC mostly in part to gaining the skills and experience through volunteering in the community and then teaching part time and using those skills to then get a full time job here,” Hutcheson said.

Students can donate on campus and at the Elk Grove Center through Nov. 21.

For more stories by Heather, visit: http://www.thecrcconnection.com/

Nutrition professors hope to inspire students to lead healthier lifestyles through newsletter

By Marcus Ellis mellis.connect@gmail.com

The average college student’s life tends to revolve around lots of reading, studying, preparing for midterms and exams and trying to soak up as much information as possible in order to successfully pass a class.

With trying to manage heavy workloads at school, not even including the students who juggle actual jobs outside of classes, the idea of maintaining a nutritious diet may not be on top of every student’s list of priorities.

At Cosumnes River College, nutrition and foods allied Health Professors Timaree Hagenburger and Dana Wassmer have made it their mission to provide the campus with a nutrition newsletter, offering students and faculty

access to a variety of valuable information like tips, recipes, recommendations, Q&A’s and also features from a student’s perspective.

“We’ve always had it in our minds of doing a community outreach to the campus here, to students, faculty and staff,” Wassmer said.

“Timing wise, it was perfect to expand our outreach and to provide nutrition education,” Wassmer said.

The nutrition newsletter, which can be accessed online through the campus web page, is the first of many. The plan is to release a new issue every fall and spring semester, according to the newsletter.

“This is just another way for us to get students to pause before they make a decision about something that can impact their health,” Hagenburger said. “This is just another

stream of information that we can stand behind because it’s solid, evidence-based research.”

Hagenburger also sees this newsletter as a way to reach past and future nutrition students.

“This is just another

way for us to get students to pause before they make a decision about something that can impact their health.”

-- Timaree Hagenburger

nutrition and foods allied health professor

“To help students who finish our classes stay connected to us, that’s one of the commitments that we really want to try to make,” Hagenburger said. “That’s important for us, to be able to share that with the other departments.

This was an opportunity to get useful information, student stories and also bring interests into the field of nutrition.”

Student perspectives and feedback is highly welcomed and appreciated, as each issue will feature various articles and stories from CRC’s very own student body.

“It’s great that CRC is putting out this newsletter,” said Emily Staab, 21, a nutrition major.

“People need to know how different foods affect the body and how important it is to get all of those essential nutrients,” Stabb said.

Staab said that this is a great platform to reach those who wish to better their overall eating habits.

College students, short on time with their busy schedules, can also look to the nutrition newsletter for some healthy, delicious and quick do-it-yourself recipes.

“I was never really a fan of kale before, but I recently tried the thin crust kale pizza recipe mentioned in the newsletter and it was really good,” said Ramona Padilla, 21, an undeclared major.

Hagenburger and Wassmer have already received an outpour of positive feedback from both students and faculty and anticipate that the optimistic reactions will continue coming.

“Our goal here is outreach and connection,” Wassmer said.

THECRCCONNECTION.COM

PAGE 3

Student-run radio station brings the news

By Marcus Ellis mellis.connect@gmail.com

River Radio, Cosumnes River College’s very own campus radio station, is a student-operated, campus-administered radio workshop that provides a range of content relevant to all college students, as well as those interested in getting into the radio broadcasting and production field.

Robert Snowden, a radio, television and film production professor who took over the program in 2002, has helped transition it from analogue to completely digital.

“We create content to help students gain exposure to what they would have to do in

their entry level jobs at a radio station,” Snowden said. “The station, in a sense, is really a workshop to help build student’s knowledge to prepare them for when they go into the field.”

River Radio offers handson experience for students interested in getting into the field of radio broadcasting by providing essential information to their campus audience.

They also promote and encourage internships.

After completing courses within the radio, television and film department, many students go on to utilize that experience as they take on internships at various radio stations in the Sacramento area.

“The RTVF classes here at

CRC really help to emphasize how much all fields of media interlace,” said Taylor Gomez, 19, a journalism major. “The courses here at CRC offer you information that you can carry over into your careers weither it’s TV, radio, film or print.”

CRC’s radio, television and film department are proud to be considered one of the best in the region.

“We not only give you the time on the equipment, but we are really strong and knowledgeable about helping you make the right decisions about your career,” Snowden said.

A lot of planning and pre-production goes into a day’s work at the radio station.

Students are constantly

writing, discussing, recording and editing, trying to provide a sufficient finished product for the student body.

“Something we do that’s exciting is get into the studios and learn how to work with the studio programs and software,” said Kristen Sanchez, 35, an undeclared major.

“I get warm, fuzzy feelings behind the mic,” Sanchez said. “It’s a different kind of excitement that pumps you up to do more and do better at every chance you get.”

Sanchez said the program challenges her to experiment with the different aspects of radio broadcasting, apart from the apparent listening approach.

“We’re also learning how

to deliver PSA’s, create effective and professional pitches, develop new live shows, podcasts, design complete radio stations and so much more,” Sanchez said.

One of the overall purposes Snowden said he tries to instill in his students is that “hard work and preparation makes for light work and a lot of fun.”

Snowden said CRC’s radio program has plans to transition all of their broadcasting to Access Sacramento, a community media outlet for the county of Sacramento.

To get informed about what’s happening on and around the campus tune in to their next broadcast at www. live365.com.

Number of unprotected hookups on the rise

By Rukayat Yusufu ryusufu.connect@gmail.com College has been described as a time for students to find out who they are and a time to create a lasting impression on their peers, but with the increased rate of unprotected sexual encounters, some students may be creating health problems that will leave them with lasting impression after they graduate.

Most college hookups are increasing from freshman year to senior year, according to a study released from New York University.

Unprotected sex occurs seven percent of the time for women and jumps up to 16 percent of the time by senior year. Unprotected sex for men occurs six percent freshmen year and more than doubles to 15 percent by senior year, according to Jonathan Marc Berak, a researcher at New York University.

Hookup culture is defined as a culture that accepts and encourages casual sex encounters. This includes casual sexual relationships, one-night stands and focuses on physical pleasure without necessarily including emotional bonding or long-term commitment, according to the American Psychological Association.

Save The Date!

“Unless you define the boundaries of your hookup, which most people don’t because by nature it is a hookup,” said sociology Professor Nyenbeku George.

“You are putting yourself at incredible risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection, and there are lots of them out there, and it seems as if every decade there is some kind of new STI,” George said.

According to Stanford University’s Sexual Health Peer Resource Center, one in four college students have a sexually transmitted disease.

Statistics from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention revealed that people from ages 15-24 represent only 25 percent of the sexually active population, however they account for more than half of the new STI diagnoses each year.

George said that the way society approaches their conversations about sex is part of the problem.

“We are having conversations that make sexual interaction very appealing, very attractive and in some instances romanticized, but we are often not exposed to, within the same conversations, topics around protection, contraception,” George said. “Students aren’t asking important ques-

tions regarding sexual partners like “‘Hey, listen, if we are hooking up are you hooking up with someone else, we don’t ask that question we don’t make that appealing part of the conversation.’”

“A lot of alcohol is involved when people are hooking up in college,” said Rebecca Kneppel, Campus Violence and Prevention Coordinator at Women Escaping a Violent Environment.

“When alcohol is involved your inhibitions are lowered, you kind of don’t use protection,” said Kneppel.

“A lot of times, people in

relationships, they trust their partner and maybe both of them have gotten tested so they don’t use protection in that way,” Kneppel said.

Kneppel works as a counselor who deals with victims of sexual assault and rapists at WEAVE, which is a primary provider of crisis intervention center for domestic violence and sexual assaults in the Sacramento region, according to WEAVE Incorporated.

Students like Vanessa Miranda, 20, a business major, think that their peers are being too risky with their health and hearts. Students are not

Nov. 24 Register Starts for Spring Classes

Nov. 25 UC/CSU Application Workshop

Nov. 27 & 28 Thanksgiving Break

Check eServices for your registration date and check CRC’s class schedule to prepare to sign up for spring classes.

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Tinder is a phone application that students often use to find hookups.

From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in LRC202 get help with the application process for UC’s and CSU’s.

Enjoy a two day break from classes as the campus observes Thanksgiving.

weighing out the risks of having unprotected sex. They are having sex like it’s another social activity to do.

“I think there is not a lot of thought in who they’re hooking up with, it’s more of a social thing,” Miranda said.

“College students feel the need to ‘have somebody’ or that they need to do “reach certain levels by certain ages” so they hook up just to hook up rather than thinking about what the consequences will be.”

Websites and apps primarly aimed towards casual hookups like Tinder and Badoo do nothing to help the dangerous trend of unprotected sex among college students.

Having the possibility of an ecounter at the tip of young people’s fingers and hookup culture in general are affecting the way college students view love and relationships.

George thinks it is hurting love.

“There is the real experience of love and showing somebody ultimately how you feel about them through sexual intercourse or interactions,” George said. “Sex is the ultimate form of expression of how you feel about someone you love and that should not get lost when people are hooking up.”

Dec. 2 How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Come to the Career Center’s workshop to gain knowledge about how to prepare for job interviews.

Page 4

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Mental health issues pose threat to students

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com College can be difficult to adjust to, and people with mental health conditions, whether it’s a diagnosed condition or a situational problem, can have a hard time with it.

According to a survey from the Association for University and Counseling Center Directors, about 95 percent of college counseling directors surveyed a number of students with significant psychological problems and it’s a growing concern on their campus.

The survey said that anxiety is the top concern among colleges at approximately 41.6 percent, with depression and relationship problems close behind.

According to an article from Psychology Today, it is not an exaggeration to claim that there is a mental health crisis among American college students today.

Michelle Barkley, Cosumnes River College’s nurse, said that most of the time if faculty members or staff members see a student going through an emotional crisis, there are steps that the health department has in place. Many times faculty can contact the counseling department and get a crisis counselor for the day.

“Hopefully, if it is a student who is going through a situation related to lack of sleep or studying for finals,

they just need immediate support,” Barkley said. “We can get someone to them, or they can see someone fairly quickly.”

For students who do have a mental health diagnosis, like bipolar disorder or depression for instance, CRC has similar protocol in place, Barkley said.

If it’s a dangerous situation, then the campus police would be contacted, but otherwise, the counseling department would handle it.

Ashley Shields, a 22-yearold undeclared major, said that every college student goes through mental health issues, including depression and thoughts of suicide.

“I think that for students who have problems, they should find more ways to talk about them with someone instead of think that their problems can go away with using medicine,” Shields said.

Jeanne Edman, a psychology professor at CRC, said that situational mental health conditions are a common thing everywhere. She said that there is a percentage of students who have dealt with traumatic issues.

Edman said that 34 percent of males have been threatened with death or physical serious harm, and 31 percent have been physically abused.

For females, 28 percent have been stalked and 36 percent have had their body parts touched sexually.

Both males and females have witnessed family vio-

lence and have shown fatigue related to physical abuse and are affected by them.

High levels of trauma result in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, disordered eating and inability of concentration, Edman said.

According to a 2008 document from the Health Services Association of California Community Colleges, one in five adults in the United States have a mental disorder, and nearly 17 percent of community college students in the sample of the document have been diagnosed with depression.

Females reported twice the rate of depression, compared to males, with 20 percent.

The same document stated that 11 percent of students were reported to have considered attempting suicide one to 10 times in the prior school year.

Barkley said that on every campus, whether they are community college, university or private college, there is always someone there who is going to want to help students through whatever they can.

“In the state of California, I can speak on behalf of community colleges how there is a student health fee that campuses have,” Barkley said. “What that does is help to fund mental health services on campus. Los Rios Colleges doesn’t have that option, so we are creative in how we help students to have mental health needs.”

Diabetes awareness not being spread this year at CRC

By Brittany Harden bharden.connect@gmail.com November is Diabetes Awareness Month and students on campus are looking for new ways to raise awareness and express how this disease can affect everyone.

“Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes,” according to the American Diabetes Association.

When speaking to a few Cosumnes River College students about diabetes and how it affects them were sincere and expressed how it can negatively impart their daily lives.

Willy Saunders, a 25-yearold music major, said that his brother has type one diabetes and that his brother has to take insulin shots at least once a day.

“He has to pay for all of his medicine, sometimes it’s hard because he can’t pay for it,” Saunders said. “He has to pay to stay alive.”

“Everyone is at risk.

Type one is a predetermined genetic link and occurs when your body dosen’t produce insulin, type two is completely preventable.”

-- Michelle Barkley

Campus nurse

CRC’s campus Nurse Michelle Barkley defined diabetes as “sugar in the blood” and that when your body is unable to convert that sugar into energy that is when diabetes occurs.

“Everyone is at risk,” said Barkley. “Type one is a predetermined genetic link and occurs when your body doesn’t produce insulin, type two is completely preventable.”

Type two diabetes, when your body is insulin resistant, is the most common form of

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

diabetes, according to ADA. Carvin Lyons a 23-yearold electrical engineering major, said that his father has diabetes and that he is doing well.

Even though Lyons said that his father is doing well, he still knows that it affects him everyday.

“At certain points of the day I can’t see him because he has to get his shots,” Lyons said.

Students were surprised that there is not anything going on for Diabetes Awareness Month on campus.

“Some awareness would be good,” Saunders said.

“They can have an event in the quad to give food away and promote healthy diets.”

Barkley hopes students will learn to take advantage of the resources on campus.

“We consume daily, learn about how to consume food accurately,” Barkley said.

“Make health your habit.”

Kim Rose, a 23-year-old psychology major, thinks that awareness on campus would be helpful to everyone.

Rose said there should be a “how to” presentation to help students realize if they have diabetes or not.

“My uncle found out he had diabetes later in life,” Rose said. “He had already had it for a while.”

The most common symptoms of diabetes are feeling very thirsty, hungry, extreme fatigue, blurry vision and cuts/ bruises that are slow healing, according to the Association of Diabetes Awareness.

Saunders said that because of his brother he tries to help maintain a healthy diet.

“My brother reads all of the nutrition facts, so now I look at them too,” Saunders said. “It makes me think about what I eat.”

Barkley said that the best advice on diabetes prevention she has heard was by a 72-year-old veteran that had recently been diagnosed with the disease.

The veteran encouraged students to eat less, move more and eat more fruits and vegetables.

CORRECTIONS: In the Oct. 30 issue of The Connection, some numbers in the Clery Report graph on page 2 were incorrect.

In 2013 there were no aggravated assaults, two sexual offenses and two robberies on campus.

The student fee story on page 2 included the wrong starting price for tuition in 2011, it started at $36 and went to $46.

November 20, 2014

Page 5

>>Features

Students gather for Native American celebration

By Ryan Mullins

Guest Writer Feathers flashed and twirled about in the Cosumnes River College cafeteria Thursday as the California Miwok Dancers performed their ceremonial dances.

Outside, the smell of fry bread tacos rose up from the quad and a line formed stretching around the fountain as students waited to try the free Miwok version of this Native American specialty.

In the dances, the men and older boys stood in the rear, keeping the beat with their traditional clapsticks while the boys and girls danced out front, ranging from grade-school age to their late teens.

They were dressed in a mix of traditional and casual clothes stomping the beat, the boys blowing whistles in time to the music, reminiscent of the calls of birds.

“When we dance, we have the drum on the ground.

The Earth is our drum. These are our instruments,” said Miwok Elder Richard Ragudo, indicating the clapsticks he and the other men were holding.

Ragudo, also known as Razzle Dazzle, addressed a group of around 60 students gathered in the cafeteria. The fifth annual Native celebratory performance, usually held out in the quad, had to be moved inside this year on account of the rain. But this did nothing to dampen the Miwok Dancers’ native

“The best way to heal the

pain is to start telling the truth and honoring the peope who were here before the college.”

—­Tanya Reyes President of the Indigenous Native American Club

Ranesh Maharaj | Guest photographer

The dancers perform their ceremonial dances dressed in a mix of traditional and casual clothing inside the cafeteria in this years annual Native American celebration.

spirits.

One element of the festivities, however, was conspicuously absent this year.

Tanya Reyes, president of the Indigenous Native American Club, said that last year a vendor’s money and wares were stolen from their booth so she asked vendors not to risk coming this year over worries about theft.

She did say, however, that there would be some vendors present at the Friday concert featuring John Trudell and Cody Blackbird, both famous artists and activists.

Reyes, who was the student organizer for the event and also helped with the cooking in the quad had much to say about this event and what it means to her.

“This is a celebration and a protest,” Reyes said. She went on to say that Cosumnes River College is built on a Miwok burial site. As the foundations were being laid,

Native bones were found and kept, not being returned until 2008.

“The best way to heal the pain is to start telling the truth and honoring the people who were here before the college,” Reyes said.

History Professor Jason Newman also helped organize the event.

Professor Newman said the main goal for this event was “simply to provide a Native event for the public to see and to make the public more aware of Native needs, concerns, contributions to history and society and give students a chance to get involved.”

He also said there are plans to expand the event in future.

In agreeing to bring the dancers, Elder Razzle said he was motivated by “the opportunity to share our culture and getting the children involved in things that are positive.”

Ranesh Maharaj | Guest photographer

The younger dancers performed in the front blowing whistles to the music, a traditional dance in reminiscent of the calls of birds.

Page 6

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New movie goes beyond its romance and cliches

By Jelina Cortero jcortero.connect@gmail.com Romantic, comical, tear-jerker and dramatic; these are all words I would use to describe the new romance movie “Beyond the Lights.”

“Beyond the Lights” was written and directed by Love & Basketball’s Gina Prince-Bythewood and was released on Nov. 14. It follows the life of Noni Jean, played

by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who struggles to find herself when she becomes a rising superstar singer. Kaz Nico, her opposite, played by Nate Parker, is a young cop obsessed with the idea of heroism. Danny Glover, who plays Kaz’s dad, and Machine Gun Kelly, who plays Kid Culprit, also make appearances in the film as supporting actors.

The song “Black Bird”

by Nina Simone was a major symbol of strength in the film.

The lyrics were about loneliness and pain but Noni used them as a starting point for writing her own songs. Being performed multiple times in the film, the song was transformed from its traditional tune to a soul filled acapella melody by both Noni as a child and again when she’s older.

With the pressures of fame and her overbearing mother Macy Jean, played

by Minnie Driver, Noni is driven to a breaking point and attempts suicide by jumping

off a balcony. Kaz, who was assigned to her duty that night, saves her and pulls her up saying “I see you” in response to Noni saying “You still can’t see me” right before she jumped.

The connection between Noni and Kaz was instant and they end up falling fast in love and falling hard.

And, although this movie drowned in cliches and was seriously oversaturated with cheesy lines, it had a lot of moral integrity. Noni was such a strong character throughout the entire film and Mbatha-Raw did an amazing job in capturing the realness of what fame can do to a person. In the film, Noni cried, “I feel like I’m suffocating in the street and no one can see me.”

The film depicted the idea that good music and real singing are constantly being overshadowed by the media’s attention to scandal and rumors.

“Beyond the Lights” challenged the intentions of the music industry giving insight of how today’s talent is greatly overlooked and how image becomes everything. The film geniusly touched on battling the feelings of depression and showed how intense being in the spotlight can really be.

However, even with all the heavy stuff tugging on your heart strings every couple of seconds, the film also touched on healing and women empowerment.

During Noni’s struggle, she turns to Kaz to be her rescue as he helps her find her courage and helps her to become the star she was truly meant to be. She even trades in her pop look for a no make up all natural look telling the world that that is true beauty.

When Noni finally speaks up for herself and starts to take control of her own career and life, you see a completely different woman. You see a woman who was strong enough to overcome her obstacles and you see a woman who became her own hero.

“Beyond the Lights” was a beautiful movie. If you want a good love story that also explains self discovery then go see this movie. It was beyond amazing.

author’s score out of five

For more movie reviews, please vist www.thecrcconnection.com and follow The Connection on Twitter @crcconnection

Courtesy Photo

#TrendingNow The third movie in the series, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” hits theaters on Nov. 22.

“I wasn’t the biggest fan of the books but the movies have been a major success and have exceeded my expectations,” said Jennifer Yee, an 18-year-old sociology major.

ontroversy

Kim K. K

‘Mocki

ngjay ’

In a photo shoot for Paper magazine, reality star Kim Kardashian bared it all to show off her post baby body.

“I mean its her body she has to answer to no one except her husband and if he’s fine with it who am I to have an opinion,” said Marcel Dubois, a 24-year-old anthropology major.

‘Vape’ Wo

Compiled by Ceejay Willis All photos are courtesy photos

rd Of The Year Vape, as in Vape Pens or vaping, was chosen as the word of the year by Oxford Dictionary. Last year’s chosen word was selfie.

“Why do we need a word of the year, there are so many words out there,” said Amanda Berg, a 21-year-old early childhood eductaion major.

Page 7

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Taylor Swift pops in new album

By Brittany Harden bharden.connect@gmail.com When you think of Taylor Swift, you picture a country music star icon, but with her new album “1989,” Swift has crossed over into pop with good reason.

Her debut single, “Shake It Off,” was everyone’s first glimpse into the pop world of Taylor Swift. With not so discrete lyrics such as “But I keep cruising/Can’t stop, won’t stop moving/It’s like I got this music/In my mind, saying it’s gonna be alright,” Swift gives the middle finger to her critics, making a statement of bold independence with flair.

The album itself starts out with “Welcome to New York,” which is an introduction to the new Taylor Swift.

The brief intro to this album clearly states that she is looking for different things and is dancing to a new beat.

Which makes sense because this is her first “official”

pop album since she come onto the scene with her first self-titled country album in 2006.

Swift said that the inspiration for this album was 80’s pop music and she described it as “time of limitless potential” in an ABC interview.

The album then picks up speed with catchy pop tunes that will make anyone that has experienced anything she sings about want to sing along with a hairbrush as a microphone in their bedroom.

In the song “Blank Space,” Swift pokes fun at herself and how she has been tabbed as a serial dater. With lyrics such as “Got a long list of ex-lovers/They’ll tell you I’m insane” and the freshly released music video, how can you dislike such a song?

The album expresses the hardships of a relationship and how it can be hard to get back into an old or new relationship or getting over one.

Songs like “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” “Bad Blood” and

“Clean” all express a sense of love lost in almost every aspect of a relationships.

With the captivating lyrics in “1989” Swift seems more self aware of herself and of those around her.

Overall I think that this album is fun and flirty. The lyrical content showcases the mature side of Taylor that I have not heard before in her music. Pop is where she was meant to be. It obviously suites her since she has the first album in 2014 to go platinum and sold 1.287 million copies in one week, according to Washington Post.

author’s score out of five For more music reviews, please vist www.thecrcconnection.com and follow The Connection on Twitter @crcconnection

Courtesy Photo

Taylor Swift went pop in her new album gaining more attention as it became the first album to go platinum in 2014.

Gourmet ice cream sandwiches never tasted so good While clapping and cheering and introducing the new customer to CREAM’s menu where you could choose from all of the different ice creams and your choice of cookies.

The cookie sandwich itself was absolutely delicious.

The cookies are freshly baked in front of you, mix that in with your favorite ice cream and toppings and you’ve got your perfect treat. It’s also fairly inexpensive.

If you love sweets and sugar or are just craving a good cheap dessert, then go to C.R.E.A.M. You’ll never be disappointed. You always get what you want because you get your own customized cookie sandwich with all of your favorites, who wouldn’t want that?

By Jelina Cortero jcortero.connect@gmail.com Cookies are already a delicious snack and ice cream is never a disappointing dessert, but put the two together and you have an irresistible sugar filled combination otherwise known as a cookie sandwich.

C.R.E.A.M. which stands for “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me” is famous for their gourmet cookie sandwiches and variety of simple toppings.

And after a long wait, they finally opened up their first Elk Grove location with a grand opening on Saturday offering free ice cream sandwiches.

Customers lined up anxious to get their treats.

The line went out the door but went fairly quickly due to the numerous employees working.

The establishment was a bit too small for my liking.

You could take two steps into the door and you’d already be at the counter. It felt cramped and there was no place to sit down. It was hard to keep your space because it was literally shoulder to shoulder

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Customers enjoy the vareity of different cookie, ice cream and topping choices offered at C.R.E.A.M. The delicious and unique combinations at a good price will have the customers coming back for more.

people.

However, the environment was friendly and exciting with music filling the air through the speakers. The place itself smelled too sweet yet it was mouthwatering.

The employees welcomed customers with their upbeat personalities and never hesitated to get exactly what they asked for.

The menu was large and had a step by step process

on how to make “the perfect cookie sandwich.” It helped a lot for those who have never been to CREAM before.

For first time customers, the employees yelled out, “We got another first timer!”

author’s score out of five

PAGE 8

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

>>Opinion EDITORIAL

Community college tuition fees should benefit campus with more improvements Students are all too familiar with the ever increasing cost of education, including that of community colleges.

At a current $46 per unit, California community colleges are considerably cheaper than universities, but can still rack up a substantial price tag for a full semester’s education.

Many students at Cosumnes River College have attended the school long enough to at least be affected by the most recent price increase from $36 in 2011, but it is generally accepted that an increase simply means the school is in need of more money.

What these students are not aware of is that this is not necessarily the case; colleges do not determine tuition fees, the state legislature does.

Tuition fees deceive most students in that they do not go directly back into the funding for the college, but rather head to California’s general state budget. While money from the general fund may find its way back to the schools, it’s not guaranteed.

In other words, the hard-earned money you put towards the cost of your education may not at all go back into improving the college you attend.

Why, then, does this money come out of the students’ pockets? To impose an increased fee on college students that is not guaranteed to go back into improving their educational experience is gross ignorance of the struggle of being a college student.

Many students work tirelessly to pay for their education, which is often coupled with other bills such as rent, car payments and insurance, phone bills and textbooks.

Even if a student is truly in financial need, they are not guaranteed need-based aid as their eligibility can be based off of anything from parents’ income to the amount of units already under their educational belt.

The money a student pays for college shouldn’t be going into anything other than the resources available at the college they are paying it to.

Granted, to say this is an easy fix would be completely false.

In the state’s current set up, the amount of funding a community college receives is also determined by the state legislature and is based off of factors like the amount of students at each respective college and the programs offered at said colleges.

The funds going from tuition to the state obviously can’t just be immediately diverted straight to the colleges they’re coming from.

The dynamic needs to continue to change over time so that students’ money goes into their education, and only increases in the event that the current tuition and state and federal funding falls short of the institution’s needs.

This would prevent unneeded pressure on students’ wallets and ensure that their money is being used to benefit them.

California’s Proposition 30, passed in 2012, was introduced to help stabilize the budget of CCC by increasing sales tax by one-fourth of a cent and increasing personal income tax rates for individuals earning over $250,000 a year.

If the arrangement was changed and funding for California’s general budget was found elsewhere, the combination of Prop. 30 and tuition going directly to campuses would almost guarantee cheaper unit costs for students at community colleges.

Students are trying to better their lives and futures by being enrolled in college courses and paying outrageous amounts of money for tuition does not get them off to a very good start.

California may have financial problems and needs of its own, but that burden shouldn’t be placed on the students.

HAWK

TALK

What are you thankful for?

Taylor Pope 19, Paralegal/Photo

“I’m thankful just for living in a city like this ... we have days likes this.

I’m thankful for having a mom that supports me.

I’m thankful for having parents. I’m thankful for having grandparents that just kind of let me live my life and don’t really judge me for anything.”

Heather Fletcher 19, Graphic Design

Rene Silvey 21, Kinesiology

“I don’t want to give a cliche answer like family, but I guess I’m thankful for being alive in this school right now and I’m thankful for all the vegan food. I’m thankful for underwear because with out underwear I wouldn’t be comfortable in these jeans right now.”

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

“I’m thankful that I could come here straight out of high school. I’m brand new so I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to come to a campus that allowed me to have another step in between the UC/ CSU level. I’m thankful for my family and for the new friends that I’ve made here.”

“I’m just thankful for being healthy and seeing another day and just waking up every morning.”

Ryan Stangl 19, Nursing

Compiled by: Heather Kemp, Bobby Bishop & 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

Proposition 47 foreshadows positive redirection of funds used to imprison drug users, petty thieves

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Proposition 47 was one of the best moves Californians made during the 2014 midterm election.

With the passage of Prop 47, it now “requires misdemeanor sentence instead of felony for certain drug and property offenses” and is “inapplicable to persons with prior conviction for serious or violent crime and registered sex offenders,” according to the California Voters Guide.

Basically committing minor drug or property crimes are no longer considered to be felonies that carry with them long prison sentences. No more throwing people into the far beyond overcrowded prison system for ridiculous crimes Out of all the dud propositions that were on the ballot or proposed for it, at least this amazing piece of legislation was there and passed.

Let’s be honest, why are we wasting time and money to incarcerate people for drug possession? For minor property crimes and thefts?

Because prison is a capitalist business now, owned by private corporations, and the more people in there the more they make.

There is no reason to care about someone that has cocaine or heroin on their person.

If they aren’t being violent, let them be.

The other side claims it’s because those drugs are dangerous and harmful to individuals.

So are booze and cigarettes and fatty food, yet all of those are sold to

the general public. There have been many times that people that are drunk have gone on to commit crimes, but possessing booze didn’t come with a felony sentence.

If these people want to possess and use heroin or cocaine or other illegal drugs, let them. It’s their lives that are messed up for the most part, or lost.

We can’t legislate good health and behavior for society, people have to take that into their own hands.

Another reason that it’s good that Prop 47 passed is that it will save money, money that will be put to better uses. Instead of using that money to incarcerate people for these minor crimes the money is going to be put into school truancy and prevention programs, mental health and substance abuse treatment programs and towards victim services, according to the California Voters Guide.

Like with 2008’s Prop 8, there are those that want to have the proposition overturned and repealed. Unlike the rightful overturning of Prop 8, there is no reason this law should be overturned.

Detractors, including California Police Chiefs and the California Public Safety Initiative, claim that by making drug possession a misdemeanor it will mean there is “no incentive for rehabilitation” and that it will “sound the death knell for drug courts, as there is no incentive to do an 18 month to two2 year intensive treatment program when the maximum consequences for a drug conviction is a six month misdemeanor term in county jail,” according to Californians Against 47.

Giving felony charges and man-

Ceejay Willis | The Connection

Prop. 47 will reduce drug possession charges from felonies to misdemeanors. dating someone be in prison because they are using cocaine or heroin is a waste of time and money.

No one is going around rounding up all the alcoholics of society and forcing rehabilitation on them.

If Billy wants to shoot up till he dies, that’s pretty much his choice.

Wasting taxpayer money to force him to stop should not even really be an option.

The detractors also have said that potentially violent criminals will be released under the mandatory release clause of Prop 47.

Meaning they’ll potentially commit violent crimes in the future, even though the crime they were currently in for might not have been a violent one.

Is Prop 47 a perfect law? No, there

is no such thing.

There will be people that get out and go on to commit bigger crimes.

That is already part of the justice system.

Those behind one of the biggest crimes that hurt an entire nation, those in the stock market that led to the recession and collapse of our system, all pretty much got off with just a slap on the hand and all got bonuses when they left.

Because some might get off and go on to do bad things later is not a reason to scrap a law that will lighten the prison population and will keep many that do not deserve to be serving long prison terms from having to do so.

Passing Prop 47 was the right thing to do, and overturning it would be the stupidest move ever.

Mandatory work on holidays a crime against families

By Brittany Harden bharden.connect@gmail.com It’s that time of the year again where stores are beginning to roll out overtime to their employees and requiring some to work on holidays this year.

When it comes to working on the holidays it should be up to the person if they want to work. Working on a holiday should not be mandatory in any form.

A Letter from the Opinion Editor Hello loyal readers, In issue 4 of The Connection, released October 30, 2014, an error was made on page 9 in the Opinion section.

The headline for Heather Kemp’s

This topic hits close to home because I would hate to be forced to work on a holiday. The holidays are a time for families who have not gotten to see each other that much in the year to come together and share their lives with each other.

If I had a job that required me to work on a holiday, I would honestly consider quitting. There is no amount of money that I could get paid to work when I can sit down and have a good time with my family. Especially if I had to deal with pushy customers all day

complaining about the long lines and lack of inventory.

I understand that companies are trying to cash in on the holiday consumers, but when did the holiday season become solely about the concept of consumerism? Yes, we are a nation of consumers, but I am a person and I should not be treated as if I am just a number. I refuse to look at a customer as number and I should not be treated as one.

Not all who work in retail hold to my opinion about working on the

holidays. Some workers find that it is a great moment during the year when they want to get the most overtime possible. The paycheck at the end of the week sounds much more appetizing than a turkey in the oven. Especially if you are not in the mood to see family and or friends. Not every person in the world celebrates the holiday season.

Different strokes for different folks is a good way to look at this concept, but no matter the stroke you prefer making it mandatory to work on a holiday is unacceptable.

story about beginning college at a community college instead of at a university was inappropriately written.

The headline that went in to print was a placeholder headline meant to only be used to determine the amount of space available for an actual headline, and should have been changed before going in to print.

The incorrect headline went unno-

ticed and found its way into the issue, as many readers have noticed.

As the editor for the Opinion section of The Connection, I would like to personally apologize for the mistake.

The fault of the headline lies on my shoulders, not on Ms. Kemp’s.

I failed to notice I had left my placeholder headline in, and its publication is a disservice to the professionalism of

our newspaper, my fellow editors and to our readers, and for that I am sorry.

It is my hope that my mistake has not damaged the reputation of our award-winning publication or altered our readers’ views on our reporting.

Thank you, Nick Valenzuela nvalenzuela.connect@gmail.com

PAGE 10

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

>>Sports

Women’s soccer team prepares for the playoffs

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Regular season soccer has come to an end for the Hawks, both the men’s and women’s teams, but for the women’s team the post season has begun.

Once again the team has secured a spot in the playoff games.

Last year, the team made it to the third round of the playoffs against the Foothill College Owls, before losing 2-1.

After a rough start to the

season, the women’s team ended the regular season 7-52 in conference play and 8-7-6 overall for the season.

Their first playoff game is an away game against Folsom Lake College at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 22. If they win that game, they will move on to play the winner of a match between Santa Rosa College and Taft College on Nov. 25.

The two teams that make it through the third round will advance to play one another for the state championship at Mt. San Antonio College on Dec. 5.

Last year the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships were held at CRC, to make use of the new fields While the women secured their position in the playoffs, the men’s team did not.

Ending their season with a loss to Santa Rosa, the team was 4-3-1 in conference play and 6-9-4 for the overall season standings.

Check out crchawks.com, cccaasports.org and thecrcconnection.com to follow the women’s soccer team progress in the playoffs.

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Women’s Soccer Big 8 Conference|Overall 2014 Season Standings

Modesto Santa Rosa Sierra Cosumnes River San Joaquin Delta Diablo Valley American River Sacramento

11-1-2 | 18-1-2 9-3-2 | 13-5-2 9-3-2 | 12-6-3 7-5-2 | 8-7-6 5-5-4 | 9-7-4 4-7-3 | 7-10-4 3-10-1 | 6-11-2 0-14 | 3-16-1

Men’s Soccer Big 8 Conference|Overall 2014 Season Standings

Santa Rosa Modesto Cosumnes River San Joaquin Delta American River

5-3 | 10-5-5 5-3 | 8-8-2 4-3-1 | 6-9-4 4-4 | 9-8-4 1-6-1 | 1-15-4

Source: CRChawks.com

Women’s Regional Brackets - North Region

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Source: California Community College Soccer News

THECRCCONNECTION.COM

PAGE 11

After a rough season, Hawks remain positive for the next

By Emanuel Espinoza eespinoza.connect@gmail.com With only two wins under their belt and only one game left to play, the Cosumnes River College Women’s Volleyball team has had a tough season.

Their final home game against San Joaquin Delta College on Nov. 12 ended with a 3-0 loss as did their game against Santa Rosa College on Nov. 14. Currently they’re overall standings for the season are 2-23, and 0-13 for conference standings.

There is one final match, against Sierra College, that will decide what the team’s final standings, on Nov. 17.

Even though the team earned their only two wins all the way back in September, with a 3-1 win over West Hills Coalinga on Sept. 5 and a 3-0 victory against College of the Redwoods on Sept. 19, head coach Cassie Baxter remains optimistic.

“I’m glad to be here, and recruiting is my next focus as the season wraps up in the next couple of weeks,” Baxter said. “I’m looking forward to bringing bigger and better players to CRC.” Despite the Hawks’ many losses, Baxter said that the season went well and that the team put forth the best effort that they could have, and there have been improvements all around from the players and as a team. Baxter said that from a coaching standpoint, especially for her

first year, there were ups and down, and it was a learning process every day.

The Big 8 is the conference that the Hawks play in and seven out of the eight teams are all ranked in the top 25 of California volleyball teams, Baxter said. She said it is the toughest conference in the sport, but that she can’t complain about the way the team played this season, as the Hawks managed to take a win a set against Diablo Valley College, and that was a huge plus for them.

In regards to what went wrong on the court, communication is something that the team needs to work on as a whole, Baxter said.

Assistant coach Molly Hanrahan said that she felt that the team grew and improved individual skills, and some of the players were able to train new positions. She said that what went wrong in this season was a matter of experience.

“The girls definitely had some great spurts of fighting and digging deep,” Hanrahan said. “They played great defense, but in the end, we couldn’t put a ball down, so that was one thing we were lacking. Defensively, we picked up a lot of balls, we had some good blocks, but it was really the determination factor that we can definitely improve on next year.”

Hanrahan said that everyone improved. She said that she is looking forward to next season, and the Hawks have

a big returning group for next year, so they can just keep building on what they started this year.

Freshman middle hitter Mercedes Dangerfield said that overall the Hawks did okay for a new group of players, and they all worked really hard.

Dangerfield said that the problem with the team was that they lacked players positions and had to work with what they had. On a positive note, she said that now that they have become stronger as a team, they have a shot at winning more games next year.

The season didn’t go as expected, but the team had fun playing together and gaining new experiences, especially with a fresh team that only had two returning sophomores, said sophomore setter Nancy Pacheco. She said that it is sad to know that she was leaving the team after the season.

Pacheco said that one of the season’s drawbacks was that there were supposed to be more returning players that had more experience, but some of the players had problems related to schooling.

“The chemistry and bonding we had was actually really good compared to last year,” Pacheco said. “With the new coach, it was a whole different experience. We liked her as a coach and we hope that later on as the years progress, she can bring wins to here at CRC.”

Women’s Volleyball 2014 Big 8 Conference Standings San Joaquin Delta American River Sierra Diablo Valley Santa Rosa Modesto Sacramento Cosumnes River

12-1 12-1 7-6 6-7 6-7 5-8 4-9 0-13

Overall 2014 Season Standings 19-2 19-6 10-12 15-8 13-10 13-11 12-14 2-23

Stop lumping fans in with the fanatics

By Bobby Bishop bbishop.connect@gmail.com The word fan, those that like something and not the device that provides air, came from the world fanatic. While that’s the case, fans and fanatics should be considered completely different from one another.

Fans are people who post on Facebook or other social media that they can’t believe a call against their team or that they just won the SuperBowl. They gripe and complain or cheer about decisions made about the team.

More than likely they have gear to wear to show their pride in the team, even if they currently are losers.

Every sports team has their fans, but some fans are in a category of their own.

They go to the extreme, whether the team wins or loses, and give a bad name to fans all over.

Fanatics are fans, but they are the worst kind of fans and should not be truly considered fans because clearly they are just crazy people.

GQ magazine did a piece in 2011, that resurfaced and gained attention recently, that listed out the worst sports fans in America.

The list of insane things that these people that claim to be fans do is almost unbelievable.

The local Oakland Raiders are known to attract a crowd that would be at home on an episode of “Cops” and get into fights, with both fists and weapons, anywhere they go in following their team. They’re so bad that the NFL called off a game versus their bay area rivals the 49ers in 2012 because of preseason violence.

Fanatics of the West Virginia University Mountaineers shout obscenities during network broadcast games, threw metallic objects at the

face of an opposing coach and led the nation in celebratory arson as they intentionally unleashed 1,120 street fires from 1997 to 2003.

The worst part is that those two teams only took third and fourth on the list of 15 worst sports team fans.

In the first and second spot were two Philadelphia teams. The Eagles and the Phillies being those teams.

Hands down they do hold the title for the worst fanatics there are, with booing anyone and everyone to a drunken fanatic intentionally vomiting on an 11-yearold girl.

This just not a 2001 thing either.

Let’s look at the San Francisco Giants fans for example. After their 2012 World Series win, fans set out to the streets of San Francisco and began to riot, setting off fireworks and lighting bon fires.

The same thing happened in many cases after their third World Series win in October.

Those people are fanatics, not your average fan. Yet in many cases the media and those that are not fans of particular teams lump the two together.

Raider fans are not all thugs and criminals. Not every person that follows the West Virginia team or the Philadelphia teams wants to burn things or vomit on children.

It’s human nature to want to back winners and be able to rub it in the face of others, the desire to be superior.

There is nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is taking that desire to win and gloat and taking it to the level of violence, destruction or sheer insanity.

Go cheer for your favorite team. Enjoy the games.

Leave the anarchy at home and stop giving fans as a whole a bad name.

Page 12

thecrcconnection.com

Hawks start season strong with tournament win

By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Basketball season has kicked into full gear at Cosumnes River College and the women’s team began in a big way with the annual Cosumnes River Invitational game.

Teams from CRC, Butte College, American River College, Feather River College, Shasta College, LA Trade Tech College, Redwood College and Sacramento City participated in the three day tournament.

Four first round games were held on Nov. 13, with the winners of those games taking on the other winners the next day and a consolation championship game, a third place game and the championship game all being held on Nov. 15.

Defeating Butte College 68-45 on the first day of the tournament, CRC took on Redwoods college on the second day, securing a 84-63 victory, before competing against Feather River College for the championship game. The Hawks defeated their opponents 81-57, winning first place for the tournament.

“I am very happy for our players and coaches to see them win the Championship,” said CRC Athletic Director Liz Belyea. “The ability to be able to work as a team and be successful is very rewarding and a great learning experience for our athletes.”

The women’s success during the tournament brings them to 3-1 for the season.

Their next matchup is a home game against West Hills-Lemoore College on Nov. 25.

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