Issue 3 Spring 2018

C onnection THE

Students react to Stephon Clark’s shooting See Page 4 Alicia Ilaga || The Lisa Wilson The Connection Connection

Sexual Harassment District addresses how it responds to claims News, Page 2

Issue 3 Spring 2018 Student voice of CRC since 1970

Student Film

‘The Dance’ accepted by two film festivals Features, Page 5

FACEBOOK /crcconnection

Oppression is real

Discrimination and racism affects everyone Opinion, Page 9

TWITTER @crcconnection

Breaking Records

Women’s swim team sets high expectations Sports, Page 10

INSTAGRAM @crcconnection

April 5, 2018

Page 2

>>News

District and campus to revise policies and procedures on sexual harassment

By Max Conner and Dario Lizarraga mconnor.connect@gmail.com In the wake of a report that a student was sexually harassed by a Cosumnes River College counselor, officials at the Los Rios Community College District and campus are looking to revise their policies and procedures around dealing with cases of sexual harassment as well as make the resources available more visible.

Prior to CRC student Iris Perez going public at a March 14 LRCCD Board of Trustees meeting about being sexually harassed by counselor Hoyt Fong, LRCCD was already working to strengthen training for students and faculty around the issue of sexual misconduct in light of the current cultural spotlight on such issues.

“There has been a recent decision to have a mandatory faculty training on sexual harassment, which I think is an extremely positive move,” said CRC College President Edward Bush.

That decision dates back to February when Chancellor Brian King released a memo detailing some of the changes Los Rios would be making to protect students and faculty who had been victims of sexual harassment.

Prior to this, sexual harassment training for Los Rios employees had been optional, Bush said.

On March 22, King announced that the district would convene a special cabinet meeting to look into changes that could be made to the current policies and procedures around cases of

sexual harassment.

Those procedures currently read, “The District shall take appropriate steps to halt any sexual harassment and prevent its recurrence and shall take appropriate steps to remedy the effects of any sexual harassment,” according to the sexual harassment policy P-2424.

While the district policies do not specify how to prevent the recurrence of sexual harassment, King’s March 22 memo states that draft of new policies, which will be proposed in April,

education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

The Title IX Officer on a campus will coordinate the efforts behind harassment claims, making sure action is being taking and keeping information flowing to the right people.

CRC College Equity Officer Alexander Casareno’s position has him looking into the cases of unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment, putting together his findings in a report for his

an issue that is particularly pronounced on college campuses.

One in five women on college campuses is sexually assaulted and of those victims only one in five report those incidents, according a report in 2017 by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The district is not only looking to strengthen their policies, but to also improve their outreach regarding the services available to students.

It’s to emphasize that students can feel safe reporting any interactions which make

“My role here is really specific to being just a support person so that you can talk to someone and know that it is legally never going to leave this room unless you ask for it,.”

— Elissa Crandall

WEAVE counselor

will more clearly address the issue of hiring anyone found responsible for sexual harassment.

The memo states that draft changes “would codify the existing practice of prohibiting the rehire of any employee who resigns or retires in the midst of an ongoing investigation into serious misconduct, unless that employee is exonerated as a result of the investigation.”

Commonly referenced in sexual harassment claims is Title IX, which comes from Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972. There it states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any

“There has been a recent decision to have a mandatory faculty training on sexual harassment, which I think is an extremely positive move.”

— Edward Bush

Cosumnes River College President

superiors and the victim.

When it comes to investigating claims, he said that he has a lower burden of proof in his investigations than one would find in court.

“If it just seems like it’s on that edge, I can’t say definitively X, Y and Z happened, but it very well may have happened, then I can say it’s substantiated at the point.

It’s not a legal standard at all,” Casareno said.

The policies do not include any sort of mandatory reporting to the campus community when a faculty member is found responsible for sexual misconduct, due to the college’s obligation to protecting the confidentiality of the parties involved.

But both Casareno and CRC Vice President and Title IX officer Kimberly McDaniel said that the victim of such cases is given a report of the findings by human resources and is free to disclose those findings however they see fit.

Sexual misconduct is

them uncomfortable.

Part of the effort the district has made to create that comfort is by partnering with the organization WEAVE, which offers confidential counseling and support to anyone who has suffered domestic or sexual violence.

Elissa Crandall is the WEAVE counselor who works on campus. She is not employed by Los Rios and emphasized confidentiality as a critical component of her partnership with the campus.

“My role here is really specific to being just a support person so that you can talk to someone and know that it is legally never going to leave this room unless you ask for it,” said Crandall.

Crandall said that she keeps “non-identifying” records of the incidents, which are reported to keep statistics for the Clery report.

The Clery report mandates that reported crime data is kept for all colleges.

Crandall said students

can be assured that their talk with her and their identity is completely safe.

She is mandated by the state to not report any identifying information and she cannot report anything that was said to the school or the police unless the student wants her to do so.

Bush said that the school is looking for ways to get students the information about the resources available on an ongoing basis, but emphasized the importance of students feeling safe in talking to faculty.

“Part of our messaging is going to be continuing to reiterate that this is the process and this is who you talk to but also we want to make sure that you have an environment where you are comfortable in having a conversation with someone who works at this institution,” Bush said.

The WEAVE Advocate is available on campus at the Health Center in the Police Building on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or by e-mail at WeaveConfidentialAdvocate@ losrios. Dario Lizarraga can be reached at dlizarraga. connect@gmail.com.

For the full coverage, go to The Connection online: https://bit. ly/2Ha12op or scan the QR code below:

Page 3

April 5, 2018

Safe program for undocumented students

By Nekita Smith nesmith.connect@gmail.com

The Cosumnes River College Dream Center located in the Student Access Center, opened in February 2018.

The Dream Center aims to empower students and provide a supportive safe haven for new and current undocumented students.

“We want the Dream Center to be a place that students who are either undocumented or even students who are from mixed status families can feel secured, can feel respected, can feel understood, can feel like there’s a sense of belonging,” said Oscar Mendoza Plascencia, the Student Services and Support Program Specialist.

“There’s so much stigma and so much trauma that comes with being undocumented,” Mendoza Plascencia said. “For many it’s a constant fear of being outed or coming out. It is scary because it is

their life that is in jeopardy as well as the life of other families.”

“My goal will also be providing the true story on the perspective of the immigrant and the undocumented because now, immigrants are undocumented but their stories may be similar,” Mendoza Plascencia said.

Malikaa Atebar, a 24-yearold marketing major, said others can let go of their fears with this initiative.

“My parents were both undocumented and so were their parents when they came from Afghanistan,” Atebar said. “To this day there’s still certain things they won’t do, or places they’re afraid to go to out of habit from the many years of having to hide.”

Atebar said that the Dream Center will help people become less fearful and provide education-related support.

“The district is doing a lot to educate the students, the staff and faculty about our students we serve,” Mendoza

Plascencia said.

Paulette Frichittavong, a 37-year-old general studies major, said she is excited for the initiative as it may be difficult starting college.

“I can’t imagine how easy it is to get discouraged when it comes to wanting to start college when you’re unfamiliar with the country or the city you live in, let alone the school system,” Frichittavong said.

Mendoza Plascencia said that he sees this initiative as a way to educate and provide support to the campus.

“When they asked me to be a part of this and lead the efforts on this center, I saw it as a way to educate the campus as well as provide support because you cannot provide support without educating the campus,” Mendoza Plascencia said. “It’s going to be an interesting and difficult task because people have these preconceived notions of who is an immigrant and who is undocumented many times, especially with the political

Courtesy Photo

climate we live in.”

For more information regarding CRC Dream Center, contact Oscar Mendoza Plas-

cencia at MendozO@crc.losrios.edu or at 916-691-7357.

Guided Pathways set to streamline college path

By Crick Fulenchek cfulenchek.connect@gmail.com Cosumnes River College faculty is holding open meetings to discuss the implementation of the Meta-Majors and Guided pathways program in the coming semesters.

The new Meta-Majors and Pathways Program is intended to streamline the community college educational experience and greatly reduce the time

“We want to help guide students through the college experience, including the application process, financial aid and orientation.”

--Dana Wassmer

Nutrition Professor

spent in community college.

College officials are excited and are anticipating the roll out of the meta-majors and guided pathways program.

“I’m hyped on it, and I want to see it rolled out,” said Dean of Guided Pathways Alexander Casareno.

The goal of the Guided Pathways Program is to make the college experience more efficient for incoming students, as well as reduce potentially wasted effort in attending classes that do not further the students goals toward their degree or diploma of choice.

“Our college was built by design and circumstances,” said Casareno. “We want to build it by intention.”

Wasted time is a major concern among students.

“I wish I’d have known about it when I first started,” said Jmari Ware, a 24-yearold radio production major.

“I’ve been in college for 4 ½ - 5 years, I’m just about to transfer.”

These are some of the issues the meta-majors plan hopes to address.

“The college is going through a transformation,” said Nutrition Professor Dana Wassmer.

The current student plan differs. Classes are offered in a grab bag-like situation with

little clarity of the total cumulative needed classes and scheduling conflicts that can be daunting to new and returning students alike.

In the new meta-majors system, “Everything you can think of will be intentionally imbedded on the path, as opposed to a whole forest of classes offered,” said Wassmer.

graduation.

“We will be able to tell them the courses they need to get a degree as well as the information on careers within that meta major,” said Wassmer.

Changes will be incremental at first and then sweeping.

“The college is beginning to embark on how to combine all of our departments and sort them,”said Casareno.

“The college is beginning to embark on how to combine all of our departments and sort them.”

— Alexander Casareno

Dean of Guided Pathways

The concept of guidance doesn’t just apply to the course selection process either.

“We want to help guide students through the college experience, including the application process, financial aid and orientation,” said Wassmer.

Some of the changes, however, will require much planning. “Any kind of change will be slow” said Casareno.

Regardless of timing, it is clear that these issues are important to students and faculty alike and long overdue for a restructuring.

Once instituted, the Meta-Majors and Pathways Program will also facilitate the ability to find employers after

Students responded positively to the idea of a more structured plan with help from faculty. “The whole schedule

in one go seems pretty helpful,” said Joshua Eddington, an 18-year-old English major.

Students showing interest are encouraged to become involved.

“Steering committee meetings are Mondays 3 to 4 p.m. in room 106, students are welcome to come to any of the meetings and get involved” said Casareno.

CRC college faculty reminds us that the meta-majors and guided pathways plans are in conversational drafts at this point, asking for any help or feedback the students can provide by either attending one of the steering committee meetings or posting any questions anonymously at www. crc-guidedpathways@crc.losrios.edu.

“Any feedback we can get from our students is encouraged,” said Wassmer. “Please be involved. Ask us questions, we will respond.”

For more information, go to crc-guidedpathways@crc. losrios.edu

Page 4

April 5, 2018

Student organization for male Latinos at CRC

By Blynn Beltran bbeltran.connect@gmail.com

A student organization called C.A.R.N.A.L aims to help Hispanic males achieve their collegiate goals on campus. C.A.R.N.A.L stands for “Creating Academic Readiness Network for Aspiring Latinos” and is rooted from the Spanish slang that refers to a brother, according to Student Success and Support Program Specialist Oscar Mendoza Plascencia.

Plascencia is one of the lead advisersof C.A.R.N.A.L, along with Cosumnes River College Professor Alexander Peshkoff.

Plascencia said that this program aims to target Latino males because they are falling behind their female counterparts.

“Latino males have a higher dropout rate than Latinas,” Plascencia said.

“CRC is a Hispanic-serving institution. We have more than 25 percent Latinos in this campus but if we are

Courtesy Photo

C.A.R.N.A.L logo

not retaining and graduating as they come in, we are not serving them.”

According to Plascencia, this program is not exclusive to CRC. He said that Chabot Col-

lege in Hayward, CA pioneered C.A.R.N.A.L. According to Chabot’s website, the mission of C.A.R.N.A.L is to connect Latinos with each other to “overcome personal and ac-

ademic barriers.”

Plascencia said that C.A.R.N.A.L will be “student-driven” and will be ran by student mentors.

“This program will evolve the way students need it to evolve,” Plascencia said.

C.A.R.N.A.L doesn’t only aim to strengthen the Latino retention and graduation rates at their respective college.

Plascencia also said that C.A.R.N.A.L plans to mentor high school students who are transitioning to college.

“We are very ambitious on what C.A.R.N.A.L is trying to accomplish,” Plascencia said.

Jose Alcantara, a 20-yearold business administration major, is one of C.A.R.N.A.L’s student leaders.

“This is going to be very beneficial to those that were first to go to college because they might not have a support system outside of home and they might not feel like

they belong,” said Alcantara.

“The support here is very different from home because at home they might not know what a college student is going through.”

Alcantara said the organization is all inclusive and offers a Latino perspective.

From the outside looking in, 18-year-old CRC student Leanne Yng shares her opinion about this program.

“This will help [Latinos] get more support,” Yng said.

“It is very important to get help from another student.”

C.A.R.N.A.L will host a “Latino Male Mentoring Night” on April 18 and space is limited. To register, go to: https://www.crc.losrios.edu/services/puente/latino-male-mentoring-night.

Registration will close on April 6th.

Passions ignite protests in Downtown Sacramento nor.

By Crick Fulenchek and Arnoldo Fernandes cfulenchek.connect@gmail.com Downtown Sacramento has erupted in peaceful protests over the past two weeks in the wake of the shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed African American male in Sacramento on March 18.

Reaction to the seemingly unprovoked death of an unarmed man has brought the issue of police violence and response to the forefront of the community.

“There have been so many problems of police brutality recently,” said Keona Tanon, a 22-year-old nursing major. “People are starting to take notice and are starting to wake up and realize this is an actual problem.”

Many students agree and feel as though the protests were a foregone conclusion to our current issues and the response provided by state and government agencies involved.

Lisa Wilson | The Connection

Protestor holds up signs of Stephon Clark’s family during a protest on March 22 in Downtown Sacramento.

“It’s just been coming to this,” said Nelisha Kamal, a 21-year-old biology major.

“There’s been a lot of police shootings and nothing has been done.”

The issues at hand feel very personal to many.

“It’s really personal. My younger brother is a young black man, he occasionally comes in through the back door, it could have easily been him,” says 22-year-old

sociology major Lakea Huel, adding “I think the protest is a good catalyst to keep people talking.”

However there are many viewpoints as to where the blame of the failures of the police officers lies. A 22-yearold chemistry major Sean Ha said “I feel like they should practice these scenarios more and be able to react appropriately.”

“I believe the reason why

cops are constantly shooting black men are out of fear,” said Onome Akhidenor, a 21-year-old communications major. “The blacker they are, the bigger they are, the more fear cops have for them.”

Whatever the reason, the rise in police shootings has led to a shift in view toward law enforcement in some communities.

“I’ve grown not to like cops anymore,” said Akhide-

The downtown protests, which have been ongoing for the past few days, have gained nationwide coverage, shedding light on issues that the Sacramento community said are important and have gone unaddressed for too long.

Ayotunde Khyree Ikuku, a 21-year-old veterinary technician and member of Black Lives Matter Sacramento Chapter, was involved in many of the protests.

“Our protests have been extremely effective! Since our first protest, we shut down the Sacramento Kings game and that got international news,” said Ikuku.

“Not only did it get international news, it gave space for the Kings to express that they felt the same exact way.”

Many feel that peaceful protest is necessary but doubt there will be much palatable outcome. “We need more accountability,” said Huel.

Page 5

thecrcconnection.com

>>Features

Student movie gets selected by two film festivals

By Dario Lizarraga dlizarragaconnect@gmail.com A student-led film project made for Professor Lauren Wagner’s Intermediate Film class last semester had been accepted by two film festivals: the locally-based Sacramento International Film Festival and the online-focused DIY Film Festival.

The film, “The Dance,” is about a depressed man who meets a girl that is not what she seems. It was written and directed by Jason Rhodes, a former student of Cosumnes River College.

“It took me a while to really grasp the fact that it was selected,” Rhodes said. “It was really a surprise.”

Assistant director Emily Lotz shared her experience when she and the rest of the crew learned about getting picked.

“We were going nuts in our group chat, it was so excit-

ing.” Lotz said.

The idea for “The Dance” was inspired from a poem made by a classmate of Rhodes, Francisco Luna. After receiving Luna’s permission, Rhodes wrote a script, but never finalized it until he had the opportunity to use it for Wagner’s class.

“I remember after he shared the poem, I felt it was well-written and I was still thinking about it afterwards,” Rhodes said. “That’s how good it was to me: it left an impression.”

Some filming of “The Dance” took place at CRC, but most of it took place off-campus. It required a lot of behind-the-scenes work in terms of permits, contracts with actors, notifications of filming, handling emergency situations and much more.

“I was in charge basically of the business side of things,” Lotz said. “So that when were filming, the focus is on the

film, the actors, the director and nothing else.”

There were eight main students working on the film, their roles including cinematography, sound production, editing and costume designing. Each role was necessary in order to make the film.

Aaron Lake, who did sound production, worked alongside cinematographer Matthew Walter by holding the boom microphone and checking sound levels.

“People take that job for granted and not a lot are willing to do it,” Lake said. “I was assigned the job and it turned out being really important.”

But overall, the success of the film appears to come from the dedication and passion of the whole crew.

“All of us in the beginning had the mindset of ‘we’re going to put in as much work as possible to make this really great,’” Lotz said. “Many of us skipped our classes at certain

Courtesy Photo

Jason Rhodes (pictured left) works with actor Marcellus DeLove (middle right) and cast on the production of his film, “The Dance.”

points because the film was a first priority to us.”

Both film festivals that selected “The Dance” will recognize the winners with an award or a prize. But Rhodes was just happy to create the visual representation of the message behind the original poem.

“It’s not about winning

but I mean if we did, great.

But I’m thankful that they accepted it and are showcasing it so more people outside of the school can see it,” Rhodes said.

The Sacramento International Film Festival will premiere “The Dance” on April 28 at the Delta King Theater at 7 p.m.

New theatre professor settles into academic setting

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com Technical Theater Professor Martin Flynn is in his second semester at Cosumnes River College, and had already worked on plays “Chicago” and “1984” for the school.

He came from the Bay Area, where he gained a lot of experience working as a freelance set designer.

He did over 100 different shows for over 20 different companies.

“I think he’s a really great teacher actually,” said 24-year-old theater arts major Alina Hubbard.

Flynn has not only been getting along well with his students, but also seems to be setting a good impression with his colleagues as well.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about him from our students. He treats them and me like actual people rather than tools.

He’s a great guy,” said theatre technician David Fulk. “Working

John Cabales | The Connection

Theatre professor Martin Flynn works on set design for upcoming play “ Winnie the Pooh.”

with Martin has been a joy.

He brings a professionalism to the department and has a calm, quiet demeanor which is very grounding in a profession filled with drama and stress.”

Flynn is originally from upstate New York and attended Syracuse University. After graduating from Syracuse, he moved to Wyoming where he

designed houses in the mountains.

After leaving the mountains, he came down to California, where he first moved to Davis in order to be closer to his son, soon moving to the Bay Area for employment in San Francisco.

“The biggest adjustment from Wyoming to the Bay Area is the traffic, in Wyo-

ming there are so few cars you know everyone that’s driving on the road,” Flynn said.

Flynn said all of his work experiences have been different from each other. In Wyoming, he was able to have more flexibility. He could go skiing and hiking, then show up to work.

In San Francisco, he felt chained to his desk. Now he’s

at CRC, where he said the experience has been great so far.

“Once the semester starts it’s kind of a whirlwind but it’s been great and a different,” Flynn said. “Doing theater design in the academic world is different from doing it in the real world.”

Flynn said that in the real world, there’s a lot more help and collaboration. But in the academic world, professors must wear many different hats and fill the positions themselves.

Flynn wants to improve the program and is trying to build a coherent and consistent technical theater program.

Currently, the students who want to act and the students who want to work backstage are mixed together.

“We are trying to grow our current program into a technical CTE program,” said Flynn. “Eventually students will be able to choose between an acting degree or technical degree.”

Page 6

April 5, 2018

Speakers address women’s reproductive rights

By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe.connect@gmail.com Professors Jennifer Denbow and Rebecca Kluchin talked about their research on reproductive rights in the WINN Community Room on March 12.

Denbow, an assistant political science professor at California Polytechnic State University and Kluchin, a history professor at California State University Sacramento, spoke to approximately 70 people about their research on sterilization and the personhood of fetuses.

“The larger movement for reproductive justice has gotten lost,” Kluchin said.

During her presentation, Kluchin said that women of color have historically been left out of the reproductive justice movement.

“At its core, reproductive justice is about intersectionality,” Kluchin said.

During her presentation, Kluchin said that Loretta Ross coined the term “reproductive justice” in 1994. She later talked about the experience

of Nial Cox Ramirez with non-consensual sterilization.

Kluchin said that because Ramirez was a black woman on welfare, it showed that she was “unfit” to have more children.

“Doctors assume that because of their ethnicity, they have too many children,” Kluchin said. She further added that doctors believed it was their “responsibility” to stop it.

In her research, Kluchin had found more than 20 incidents of forced sterilization.

During her presentation, Denbow discussed the use of ultrasounds in the role of personifying fetuses.

“Ultrasounds formed ideas about pregnancy and what a fetus is,” Denbow said.

Denbow said that ultrasounds look at fetuses as a “separate personhood.” She later said that the belief in the medical community that a fetus can exist on its own ignores that they’re connected to another person.

In her research, Denbow studied whether ultrasounds made bonding between a

The Connection | Victoria Blanco

California State University Sacramento History Professor Rebecca Kluchin and California Polytechnic State University Political Science Professor Jennifer Denbow answer questions .

mother and her child any better, and said that was “inconclusive.”

During a Q&A, 21-yearold international relations major Maria Roman asked the speakers how women can manage their health if men trivialize their pain.

Kluchin acknowledged that there is an unconscious

bias against women of color in the medical community. Denbow additionally said there needs to be training at an academic level so that doctors can be more understanding of women.

Shani Zuberi, a 20-yearold film production major, said that she didn’t think a fetus was considered separate

from their mother.

“In normal circumstances, they’re considered together,” Zuberi said.

Hieu Nguyen, an 18-yearold engineering major, said that it was informative.

“It was nice,” Nguyen said. He further added that he had no prior knowledge about the topics before the event.

Diversity in films show promise through box office

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com Director Ryan Coogler was tasked with directing “Black Panther,” a movie where over 90 percent of the cast is black. This is the first time a black director and a black film were given a 200 million dollar budget to make the Marvel film.

Similarly, Disney entrusted Ava DuVernay with 100 million dollars to make “A Wrinkle in Time,” which features a young black girl as the protagonist and also contains diversity with other races playing important parts in the film.

“I feel very happy that people of color are being represented on the big screen in a positive manner,” said 23-year-old gerontology major Chelsea Harden. “We have been waiting to be represented so that our younger generations can look up to certain figures that look just like them.”

Ryan Coogler, director of “Black Panther,” creates a pathway for people of color in the film industry.

“Black Panther” has been a box office success, making over a billion dollars and is also the highest-rated superhero movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

With movies like “Blade,” which starred Wesley Snipes, some people felt that “Black Panther” being called the first ‘black superhero movie’ was unfair.

“I don’t like how people

are saying that the “Black Panther” is the first black superhero when that just isn’t true,” said Kelly Smith a 26-year-old veterinary technology major.

There are people that felt like this is how it should’ve been to begin with.

“I think that’s how it should have always been, and it’s an amazing opportunity for more diversity within the movie industry,” said

Courtesy Photo

20-year-old administration of justice major Maclean Conner. “I hope it opens doors [to] many new actors of all backgrounds.”

These movies, especially “Black Panther,” have brought a buzz that can’t be ignored.

“It’s really refreshing to see people of color dominating a movie that’s a mainstream movie,” said Technical Theater professor Martin

Flynn. “I can’t imagine how it must feel on the other side going to movies and always being under represented.”

If this success does bring change, we will not only see more diversity on the screen, but also at award shows.

“It’s so tiring when they do the academy awards and it’s this group of elite white people giving awards to other white people as if there are no contributions from other nationalities,” said Flynn. “I hope that this becomes a trend and “Black Panthers” success is undeniable, but this is Hollywood and the only bottomline that matters to them is dollars.”

Even though this a very good start, there is still work to be done.

“Although there is representation in these movies, there is still work that needs to be done for more people of color to be the center in great movies and in other forms of mainstream culture,” said Harden.

Page 7

thecrcconnection.com

‘Ready Player One’ pops onto screens and culture

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com “Ready Player One” is a new movie adapted from the novel written by Ernest Cline and is set in the year 2045.

The movie is about a human population that spends more time in a virtual reality world called the Oasis, than they do in the real world.

The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, features a little bit of everything: it has adventure, love, comedy and 80s pop culture.

There’s a destructive car chases and zombies, including references such as Godzilla, Gundam, Atari, adventures into “The Shining” and just all out war.

The movie stars Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke. Sheridan plays Wade Watts and also voices his avatar Parzival and Cooke plays Samantha and voices her avatar, Artemis.

The creator of the Oasis James Halliday, played by Mark Rylance. Halliday dies

and in a recording lets everyone in the Oasis know there is an easter egg in the game.

An easter egg is a message or a feature in a game that’s not necessary for completing the game, but it adds to it. In the movie, whoever finds this easter egg will own the Oasis.

Halliday sets up three tasks in the game which must be completed in order to win the easter egg. There are people who are completely invested in finding the keys. In five years, nobody has found any of the keys, but all that changed once Parzival found the first key.

Of course Parzival, Artemis and their friends have to fight someone and that someone would be the Corporation IOI, which has evil intentions for the Oasis. The IOI has a whole army of people that they use to try and find the keys while fighting Parzival and his team.

The majority of the movie is spent in the Oasis because that’s what everyone in this future does. This makes the

movie feel as though you’re watching a CGI film or a very long cutscene from a video game.

The CGI and plot are very good, so you don’t care or even notice that you’re watching CGI most of the time. Plus there’s lots of action and death going on inside the Oasis.

From time to time, the characters pop back into reality and you kind of see why Wade would rather be Parzival and why everyone enjoys being their avatars.

The Oasis is a world where you can be anything you want to be. You can be an original avatar or you can be Batman, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Master Sergeant from “Halo” and more.

In a time where the world just doesn’t look like a place where anyone wants to be, I would spend most of my time in the Oasis too.

“Ready Player One” is a very good film that mixes CGI and real world acting together beautifully. For me it gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Professor illustrates comic-style textbook for classes

By Dario Lizarraga dlizarraga.connect@gmail.com

The last event in celebration of Women’s History Month took place on March 22 at Cosumnes River College’s Winn Center, featuring anthropology professor Dr. Anna Goldfield.

The event, titled Anthro Show & Tell with Dr. Anna Goldfield, was an hour long informative talk by Goldfield.

She discussed her time doing archeology in France and how it led to her using her skills to illustrate the comic book-style textbook, “The Neanderthal Child of Roc de Marsal: A Prehistoric Mystery.”

“I had asked the team if I could practice illustrations on some of the artifacts that we had,” Goldfield said. “And they saw me doing it and said, ‘Oh, you’re pretty good at drawing, we’ve had this idea to make a more approachable book that takes you through the basics of archeology, are you interested?’”

The textbook uses illustrations and dialog boxes to tell the story and excavation process of the Neanderthal Child found in the Roc de Marsal cave in southwestern France.

It uses a narrative story of a fictional main character but tied with real people and science.

Goldfield began the event by explaining the discovery of the Neanderthal Child in a pit back in 1961 and how it led many to interpret it as a burial, which would show that Neanderthals were capable of more complex thoughts than previously believed.

But through recent excavations and discoveries, questions have rose about the validity of this claim.

“The evidence stacks up at the Roc de Marsal infant,” Goldfield said. “[It] was in a natural pit, it was in an atypical burial position, and it was covered in multiple sediment layers.”

Despite this evidence, Goldfield does not say it is ab-

solutely conclusive about our understanding of Neanderthals.

“We can rule out that the Roc de Marsal child was a burial in the sense of a modern human deliberate burial with some conception of the afterlife,” Goldfield said. “We can’t completely rule out a Neanderthal, in response to the death of a loved one, doing something different rather than just leaving the body and moving on.”

The hour-long event concluded with a short questions section, where Goldfield answered inquiries from the audience ranged from going further in depth about the Neanderthal child to asking if she would ever do a sequel to the textbook.

“I think if I had a chance to do it over or do another one, I would make the main character female or myself because women in sciences are a bit underrepresented,” Goldfield said. “I’ve also become much more proficient on the

Dario Lizarraga | The Connection Dr. Anna Goldfield explains her PowerPoint slides to the audience in WINN 150.

illustrating program so overall, I think I would do a better job with the drawings.”

The topics of archeology and illustration attracted a lot of students from both fields, allowing both sides to learn something new, making the presentation more dynamic.

“I liked the event. I was expecting more about illustration but I thought it was interesting how she was super passionate about the styles and how she talked about

getting into archeology,” said 19-year-old Alexis Gutierrez, an art new media major student.

Twenty-five year-old criminal justice major T’Keyah Robinson found the event more interesting than expected and encourages CRC to bring more of them.

“I’m part of the campus,” Robinson said. “I always come to events so I think more things like this should be on campus.”

thecrcconnection.com

page

8

>> Opinion EDITORIAL

Peaceful protests will bring change for us

After the death of a 22-year-old black man from South Sacramento Stephon Clark who was killed by police March 18, the protests that have occurred in Sacramento have gotten nationwide attention, and all eyes are on the protestors.

After so many deaths of unarmed black men, it is time for change.

There’s a right way to go about things and there’s a wrong way.

On March 22, protesters shut down I-5 and blocked entrance to a Kings game in peaceful protest.

With the attention that the protests have received, lawmakers have begun to take steps towards real change.

California is now working on a proposal to limit when an officer is allowed to shoot, according to a report

by ABC News.

Utilizing the attention that's being received and working with lawmakers and politicians is the only way to make any change.

Stephon Clark’s brother, Stevante, disrupted a Sacramento City Council meeting on March 28 where he ran down the aisle and leaped onto the council dais.

Stevante Clark danced, yelled and repeatedly told Mayor Darrell Steinberg to shut up. That meeting was

Lisa Wilson|Connection Staff

Protesters out in the streets at the Stephon Clark protest on March 22 in Downtown

stopped due to interest in safety.

Clark’s actions caused more bad than good. All they did was take away a time for voices of the community to be heard by the mayor and the city council.

If we really want progress, we need to begin with changing laws that allow police to shoot when they say they feel like they’re in danger.

There have been over the past

three years 15 high-profile cases in which black people were killed by the police, according to a report by The New York Times on Dec. 7. That same report states that only one officer faces prison time.

As of now, the law states that police can shoot if they feel like they're in danger and have reasonable fear, so a conviction is a rare thing according to report by ABC News.

If California can change that language from reasonable force to necessary force, then maybe real change will happen. If changing the language of the law can lead to convictions, then cops won't be so quick to draw their guns.

There’s a likelihood that law enforcement won't like this change, but a change in the way the laws are written must is a step in the right direction to stopping the deaths of unarmed black men by law enforcement.

People must continue to let their voices be heard and protest correctly.

They don't need to cause any damage to any property or harm anyone.

People need to go to city council meetings-- not with the intention to disrupt -- but to speak and to have everyone's voice be heard.

If California can make this change, it could be the beginning of the change in the nation.

This is a national issue. If this law does pass, people shouldn’t stop there.

They must continue to fight for each other and for the people who can’t speak today.

Lawmakers are taking a step in the right direction but the fight must continue so that no one can abuse the power that was given to them.

What did you do during your spring break?

HAWK

TALK

Compiled by Arnoldo Fernandes, Victoria Blanco, and Blynn Beltran

Krizia Bacayon 25, biology and pre-nursing

Josiah Jones 20, communications

Shaun Stauch 20, psychology

“I worked, I stayed overtime for work, I work at a prison. And I went to Disneyland and Universal Studios.”

“My spring break consisted of family, that's all it's really about. I was in the car a lot, too, driving around the bay.”

“I worked a lot, I traveled a lot, spent some time with friends, talked to my girl and chilled as much as I can.”

Edward Carmichael 25, computer science

“I went to Reno. Me and my roommates hung out, we partied and went to the casinos and did some sightseeing.”

thecrcconnection.com

Page 9

Stephon Clark should be alive right now

By Victoria Blanco vblanco.connect@gmail.com Demonstrators protested the fatal police shooting of unarmed 22-year-old Stephon Clark at the Golden 1 Center on March 22, prompted police to close off admission to a Sacramento Kings game.

Protests continued on March 23 as the crowd walked to the Capitol while holding their cellphones up and chanting, “Black lives matter.”

Clark’s family are now members of a group that no one wants to join: families that have lost their children to police brutality.

It seems that this group appears to be growing gradually each year promiently with black families when using guns start with shooting first and asking later.

A vast majority of hate crimes are targeted towards people of color with 53 percent of these crimes directed

Lisa Wilson | The Connection

Protestors vocalize their thoughts about Stephon Clark on March 22 in downtown Sacramento.

towards black people, according to an article on Everytown.

Clark was mercilessly shot 20 times and was still handcuffed after being shot. The two police officers involved did not mention who they were until after they had shot him down.

Dylann Roof, a 21-yearold white man charged with nine killings at a Charleston

church in 2015, was calmly taken into custody and then taken to Burger King for a meal.

The National Rifle Association was silent when Philando Castile, a lawfully-armed black man, was killed by police in his car with his family inside in 2016. If you are not angry, you are not listening.

If you are upset about

NFL players kneeling, you are not listening.

The murders of black men like Clark is the reason why Colin Kaepernick began to kneel, to protest: to protest the people who have lost their lives in incidents that could have been prevented.

There is this underlying tone where marginalized groups are vulnerable to a

society when they see a black man as a threat instead of a victim of gun violence.

Even if Clark was running from the police, that does not mean he was punishable by death as evading arrest is a misdemeanor in the state of California.

Law enforcement must be willing to be a part of the solution. There needs to be engagement and trust, but in order for that, police should be held accountable for their actions. Young people are demanding change for those affected by gun violence and racism.

People walked on March 24 for Parkland survivors, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Pulse survivors, Trayvon Martin and others affected.

People should understand that when black lives matter, we will all benefit. It is time to end systemic eradication of African American men for a better future.

The end of systemic oppression starts with us

By Lisa Wilson lwilson.connect@gmail.com Systemic racism and oppression: What does that even mean? Are these words just buzzwords that the media throws around? Systemic racism and the oppression that results from it is not a new thing. It has been going on for decades. In fact, it is so common that sometimes we don’t even notice it. It’s time for our society to wake up, and pay attention.

For decades, minority groups (including women) have faced discrimination and prejudice. systemic oppression is when one group is discriminated against by an organization or group, and personal discrimination happens on an individual level.

The result of systemic oppression is that minority groups miss out on community resources, getting hired for a job, buying a house or even making equal pay.

Mass incarceration and a racially biased criminal justice

system are a huge part of this.

In 2014, African Americans constituted 34 percent, of the total correctional population, according to a criminal justice fact sheet published by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Mass incarceration is an epidemic in the USA. The war on drugs and the policing that was part of it was heavily present in communities of poverty, and communities of color. People were often severely and disproportionately prosecuted for minor charges.

“Kalief Browder was sent to Rikers Island when he was 16 years old, accused of stealing a backpack. Though he never stood trial or was found guilty of any crime, he spent three years at the New York City jail complex, nearly two of them in solitary confinement,” according to an article in the New York Times.

These events led to a cycle of poverty in these neighborhoods that involved the incarceration of large groups of mi-

nority men. Once these men have a criminal record, they are often unable to register to vote, obtain employment, get loans or take advantage of other community services.

The effects of mass incarceration can lead to repeat offenders and people taking on crime, or unlawful employment (like drug dealing ) to get by. Poverty repeats itself in an environment where those effected have no fair chance to move up in life. This also leads to absent fathers, gang violence and crime as a lifestyle that often feels required.

Negative attitudes toward law enforcement within communities grow from incidents of police brutality and discriminatory policing.

Negative views of poor neighborhoods and the “hood” effect police interaction with residents.

Some people including the author of “The New Jim Crow,” Michelle Alexander said that: “We have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.”

Another aspect of system-

ic oppression is communities that were segregated long ago due to redlining. Redlining essentially barred blacks and other minorities from buying homes, and moving out of the city to the suburbs like their white counterparts. Redlining has been illegal since the sixties. This practice homogenized communities and gave white neighborhoods access to tax dollars, better schools and employment opportunities. In contrast poor communities became ghetto’s lacking resources and trapping residents in a cycle of deprivation.

Institutional racism also happens at work. There have been many reports of race and gender related discrimination that keeps people from having access to equal pay, hiring and promotional opportunities.

This is the “glass ceiling” in action. You can’t move up in these situations no matter how well qualified you might be.

People facing systemic oppression in the workplace are often passed over for hiring, and promotion. Unequal

pay is a common problem.

Women often earn less money than men in the exact same role, with the same seniority.

“In 2016, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid,” according to an article written by the American Association Of University Women.

It is also challenging to prove that this kind of discrimination is happening. The glass ceiling is a metaphor, but the struggle that it causes is not.

No matter what form it takes, systemic racism and oppression are wrong. Every human being deserves equal access to education, housing, community programs, career advancement and unbiased justice.

It is up to us to talk about this problem and take steps to stop it from continuing. The first step is calling it what it really is, instead of justifying it. Systemic oppression is real. What are you going to do about it?

Page 10

April 5, 2018

>>Sports

Freshmen lead successful swimming season

By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe.connect@gmail.com The Cosumnes River College women’s swimming team has accomplished a lot within the season that’s nearing its end.

Elizabeth Abrams, the head women’s swim and dive coach, said that the team has managed to break seven team records this year.

“This season has been really dynamic,” Abrams said.

In addition to the team records, Autumn Petteway, the co-captain of the team, said that they have been beating their own swimming times.

“All of our girls have set personal records,” Petteway said.

With two sophomore swimmers who will be graduating this year, Abrams said that the rest of the team is mostly comprised of freshman swimmers.

“We’ve had the largest program since we started,” Abrams said.

Despite their different levels of swimming experience, Petteway said that they’re all encouraging of each other.

“We’re a helpful environ-

ment,” said Lorena Rettele, the captain of the team.

Rettele emphasized on how important it is for the team to bond in preparation for upcoming meets.

Rettele said that everyone attends the meets to support each other.

“There are a couple of girls who are injured but they’re still at the meets,” Petteway said.

Abrams also said that going to the meets gives the team more opportunities to spend quality time together.

“Our team gets along pretty well,” Petteway said.

Petteway said the Las Positas Invitational was a turning point for the team, recalling how they performed despite everyone being sick and the weather being both rainy and sunny during the meet.

“We still did everything we were suppose to,” Petteway said.

Abrams listed Kaeryn Cruz as one of the swimmers on the team whose work ethic impresses her.

“In all my years as a coach, I have never seen somebody work harder than Kaeryn,” Abrams said.

Cruz, a freshman swimmer, said that she never swam competitively before she joined the team.

“She has learned so much,” Abrams said. “Her growth arc is greater than anyone on the team.”

Petteway also said that Kaeryn is the most “spirited” on their team. She further added that she’s always early to practice and rarely misses any.

“She continues to inspire us all with her hard work,” Petteway said.

The team is currently practicing for the Big 8 Conference which begins on April 19, according to the Hawks’ website.

“We are in the pool almost everyday,” Rettele said.

Petteway said that they practice six days a week, and later said that the training for this season has been “difficult.”

Moving forward, Rettele said that the team hopes to hit their personal records. Abrams said that the goal for them is to swim their best times, as well.

“If you end this season with personal bests and seven new records, it’s a successful season,” Abrams said.

Summer Lomendehe | The Connection

CRC swim team at practice getting ready for Big 8 Conference Women’s Swimming Championship at American River College on April 19.

Calamar receives award for athletic director of the year

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com Cosumnes River College Assistant Athletic Director Jeanne Calamar received the Athletic Director of the Year Award from the California Community College Athletic Director’s Association on March 29.

Calamar has been the assistant athletic director for 24 years, starting off with just overseeing the women’s sports and now overseeing all sports on campus.

“I feel honored to be nominated and selected for the award by my athletic director colleagues across the state,” said Calamar.

Calamar originally came to CRC to coach women’s basketball. She coached for five years before being asked to become the women’s athletic

director.

When asked to take the position, Calamar said she turned it down even though the dean told her it was her right to assign that position.

“I told her I’m not going to do it unless everyone votes for me and if everyone doesn’t vote for me I’m not going to do,” said Calamar.

Out of 108 athletic departments in California, there are less than 20 women in athletic administration.

Calamar is on multiple committees in both the conference and the state and said she had to be pushed at first to become more involved.

“People around the state kept telling me we need more women,” Calamar said. She further said that they believed she was knowledgeable and ultimately turned her name in.

She is now pushing for

more women to become involved in athletic administration.

Because Calamar is in charge of eligibility for all the teams at CRC, she also updates coaches on rules and compliance. She additionally supervises home games and represents women’s community college basketball in the conference and the state.

Calamar is currently working with CRC Athletic Director Collin Pregliasco to write legislation that will change some of the eligibility rules for student athletes.

Pregliasco said he is proud that Calamar is being recognized by her peers.

“This is a huge honor and so well deserved, and shows the significant impact that she has and continues to be at the CCCAA and in the lives of our student athletes,” said Preg-

Kainoa Nunez | The Connection

California Community College Athletic Director’s Association named Jeanne Calamar athletic director of the year.

liasco. “I am fortunate to be able to work alongside such an incredible person.”

Admiration from her colleagues shows that she has put in the time and effort to make a difference.

“She’s an amazingly awesome athletic director and very good at what she does,” said

Kinesiology Professor Minet Gunther. “She’s been doing it for years and she’s probably the most well-versed on state rules in athletics than anyone else I’ve ever heard of.”

Calamar said she likes working at the community college level and doesn’t plan on leaving CRC anytime soon.

Page 11

thecrcconnection.com

New football league is doomed to fail

By Max Connor

Kainoa Nunez| The Connection

The Hawks get together to discuss strategy ahead of the 2nd inning agianst Delta on Tuesday. Gabrielle Montaine (second to left) pitched all seven innings leading to the Hawks winning 2-1.

Hawks look to keep up hot streak and finish season strong Arnoldo Fernandes afernandez.connect@gmail.com

The Cosumnes River College softball team is bringing in the heat this 2018 spring season as their current win streak is at six games.

The season has fared well for the softball team. The whole team has been unleashing their talent, making it hard for other schools to catch up.

“I feel pretty good about our team,” said Hawks’ pitcher Ashleigh Berg. “We have a lot of talent this year and we are doing pretty well right now.”

The team dominated the month of March. They had a total of nine wins out of 13 games this month. Some of the teams they went against were

Editor in Chief/Features Editor: Elizabeth Rodriguez News/Opinion Editor: Victoria Blanco Sports Editor: John Cabales Photo Editor: Kainoa Nunez Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati Staff: Summer Lomendehe, Crick Fulenchek, Blynn Beltran, Kainoa Nunez, Lisa Wilson, Shannon Rusche, Arnold Fernandes, Max Connor, Dario Lizarraga, Kaylin Flatland, Nekita Smith, Genesis Pecoraro-Frayre

not on their level.

“Sometimes we play with teams with not as much talent and we do not put as much energy in the match as we could,” Hawks’ shortstop Korina Krueg said.

These student athletes have to manage schoolwork, travel, a way to organize their time and ensure they have quality practice every week.

The amount of dedication and effort these women have put into their softball career is inspiring.

Kristy Schroeder, head coach of the Hawk’s softball team, said “Getting into athletics is a great way to show your school spirit. The biggest thing is that athletics help with school pride.”

“I’m looking forward to making improvements on team chemistry,” Schroeder said. “You always want to, hopefully, continue to improve throughout the season and that’s something that I feel like we have been able to do.”

Improvements in multiple facets of the game has lead to the Hawks recent surge.

“Last couple outings our pitchers continued to do better and that’s a key to winning at this level. Our hitters have also been getting better throughout the season,” Schroeder said.

The team has won 18 out of 32 games so far. They have 7 more games left in April.

The team’s next game will be against Folsom Lake, which will be at CRC on April 7.

Check out

The Connection is an award-winning The Connection newspaper published bi-weekly by the Cosumnes River College Journalism 410 & 411 media production 8401 Center Parkway class. Editorials and opinion pieces do Sacramento, CA 95823 not necessarily reflect the opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or Los Telephone: (916) 691-7471 Rios Community College District.

Fax: (916) 691-7181

www.thecrcconnection.com connection.crc@gmail.com

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.

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

The Alliance of American Football is a new professional football league set to start games the week after the Superbowl in 2019. Just like the XFL, the UFL and the USFL this league is doomed to fail, regardless of the altruistic and statistical bloviating by it’s CEO Charlie Ebersol.

Football is the most popular sport and television event in America with NFL and major college games dominating ratings, but getting people to care about another league with inferior players, silly rule changes and minimal television exposure is a tough sell in the modern media market.

The two biggest hurdles for a new football league to are simple. The first is that there a not enough quality player to fill out another league and Ebersol’s hyperbolic statements about the number of unemployed players and their potential shows his naivete.

“There are tens of thousands of players who don’t have a job, which translates into hundreds of Kurt Warner’s,” Ebersol said in an article with the New York Times.

If this were true that would mean that the NFL routinely cuts dozens of potential hall of fame players each year. Kurt Warner and his circumstance was a one in a million and to suggest that there are “hundreds” of him who are cut by the NFL is not only insulting to Kurt Warner, it is just plain stupid.

The other hurdle for the AAF is getting fans to care about a new product in a market that is already ridiculously oversaturated with football content and entertainment in general. The fact is, no one wants to return to watching bad football a week after the pinnacle of the NFL season.

Ebersol and his partner Bill Polian, a former hall of fame general manager, are also building their new league around the notion that tens of millions of people play fantasy football and after the NFL season they are left with nothing to do.

Their belief that people will play fantasy football for their league is itself a fantasy.

Fantasy football’s success is largely build on brand and name recognition of players, no one wants to research and draft NFL rejects that they have never heard of when there is plenty of offseason NFL content for them to devour.

The only way a new league like this or any new business survives is to have a long term plan to lose money until it can build a strong base market.

Ebersol says they have a seven to 10 year plan for the league and that people will have to be patient. But with only two major investors, Founders Fund and Cherin Group, time will tell if they are going to continue to pour money into an idea that is losing money.

They announced a partnership with CBS sports but it turns out that only the opening game and the championship game will be televised on their main station. The rest of the games will rely on people watching games on their phone or computer via the app they plan to roll out.

I predict a maximum four year lifespan for this new ill fated league before they realize what every other attempted league already learned. Just because people are obsessed with football doesn’t mean they are going to watch a terrible product because “football” is in the name. And terrible is exactly what these games and this league will be.

Page 12

April 5, 2018

Hawks get dramatic win against Wolverines

By Kainoa Nunez knunez.connect@gmail.com The men’s baseball team hosted a Big 8 conference matchup against the Wolverines of Sierra College, which was their second matchup in a three game series.

They won 5-4 in a dramatic walk-off win on March 29.

Sierra is ranked first in the division with their record 21-5, and they are well known for hitting the ball out of the park.

“Every team in the Big is always competitive, it’s a tough conference, every team that we play have to bring our ‘A’ game,” Head Coach Don Mico said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Sierra [or] whoever.”

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the first inning by utility Aaron Pierce, advancing to score the first point of the game by a single from utility Damien Chavez.

The Wolverines answered back with outfielder Haruto Nakano, who hit a double homerun for 320 feet in right field, and took the lead 2-1. “[We] need to continue trying to pitch well, get outs, manufactured runs and from then go to inning to inning trying to win in anyway we can,” said first baseman and left handed specialist Joey

Pankratz.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Hawks had Chavez and first baseman/left-handed specialist Joey Pancratz on base with zero outs, and pitcher Troy Davis hit a single midfield and both Hawks scored.

Hawks took the lead 3-2.

Hawks pitcher Nic Wilson played till the fifth inning, then started Timmy Tarrant as the next pitcher.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Hawks had outfielder Burle Dixon on first with one out, then Dixon stole second.

Pierce was hit by a pitch, then advanced to second by a wild pitch from the Wolverines, and that allowed Dixon to score.

The score was 4-2, which was a big moment for the Hawks. The next two innings were scoreless.

On top of the eighth inning, Wolverines had cather Logan Wurum on third base and infielder Charles Middleton hit a single and Wurm scored, making it 3-4.

The Hawks tried to respond, but the defense from the Wolverines prevented them from scoring.

In top of the ninth inning, Vitoria tried to close the inning and seal the deal, but the Wolverines tied the game 4-4 from an error on first base

Kainoa Nunez | The Connection

Cosumnes River College sophomore pitcher Daniel Vitoria on the mound against Sierra College in a win on March 29 that ended with a walk-off homerun.

that Vitoria threw to get Nakan out.

“We just got to pitch low, and just got to play better baseball,” Vitoria said.

The Hawks were up to bat, outfielder Jared Alameida got on base and stole to third, and Pancratz hit out to right field a sacrificed RBI to

allow Alameida to walk home to score and end the game.

The final score was 5-4.

“There was a runner at third, so I was just trying to get him home,” Pankratz said.

It was a battle to the end, but the Hawks came out with a huge win, which ended their four-game losing streak.

The Hawks and Wolverines would face again on March 30 at Sierra for the final matchup meeting.

“We got to learn how to finish games,” Mico said.

“We’ve been in lots of close games [that] get away from us, and it just shows you how young our team is.”

Hawks sweep the Bear Cubs in double header

By Blynn Beltran bbeltran.connect@gmail.com Hawks’ softball team won March 24 in a double header against Santa Rosa’s Bear Cubs which improved their win streak to six games.

The Bear Cubs couldn’t split the double-header as the Hawks dominated the first game and came back after being down two runs.

The Bear Cubs could not get a base hit. In many cases, their hits led to either a ground out or a fly ball which the Hawks took full advantage of, getting base hits and earning their runs.

The Bear Cubs’ Pitcher Lexie Raasch struck out three players, but allowed 12 hits as opposed to five hits from Hawks’ Pitcher Ashleigh Berg.

“We played great defense,” Hawks’ Head Coach Kristy Schroeder said. “I thought Ashleigh threw very well, he hit her spots and we made

Blynn Beltran| The Connection

Cosumner River College sophomore softball pitcher Ashleigh Berg in a double header win against Santa Rosa Junior College at home on March 24.

some nice plays to help her out too.”

The Hawks even got a grand slam in the fourth inning which Schroeder said “took the wind out of the Bear Cubs’ sails.”

“When I saw it was over, I just started running and I saw everyone at home,” Hawks’ First Base Ashlee Kaiser said. “It was exciting.”

This was Kaiser’s first home run

playing for the Hawks and made the Bear Cubs’ situation into a chasm they cannot climb out of. Bear Cubs lost the first game with a score of 7-0.

In the second game, the Hawks tried to carry their momentum over.

However, the Bear Cubs were prepared and were able to hit some ground balls to get runs. Their offensive efforts resulted in a 2-1 lead in the

first inning.

Bear Cubs’ Pitcher Halli Short was the focal point of their defense. Short pitched seven strikeouts throughout the entire game, which helped hold the Hawks for a while.

However, the Hawks were determined to sweep the Bear Cubs aside and went on a run in the fifth. Hawks’ Second Base Veronica Smith batted in three runs, which was pivotal for their victory.

“The best part about this team is that we pick each other up when we’re down,” Hawks Pitcher Gabby Montaie said.

Montaie pitched for the Hawks in the second game, replacing Berg.

At this point, the Bear Cubs were down two. Despite the player’s efforts in the sixth inning, the Bear Cubs’ position became dire as they couldn’t get any decent base hit.

The game ended 4-3 with the Hawks over the Bear Cubs.