Issue 4 Fall 2017

C onnection THE

Theatre Department takes on revered musical ‘Chicago’ See Page 6

Kainoa TheConnection Connection AliciaNunez Ilaga || The

Remedial Classes

Remedial classes to be removed under new bill News, Page 2 Issue 4 Fall 2017 Student voice of CRC since 1970

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NOVEMBER 30, 2017

PAGE 2

>>News

New bill removes remedial classes by 2018

By Jared Lee jalee.connect@gmail.com

70

65

56

Percent of students

By fall 2018, California community colleges will no longer offer remedial education classes due to the passing of Assembly Bill 705, often referred to as California Acceleration.

The bill was approved by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 13, acting as an amendment to the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012.

According to the bill text, “a community college district or college shall not require students to enroll in remedial English or mathematics coursework that lengthens their time to complete a degree unless placement research that includes consideration of high school grade point average and coursework shows that those students are highly unlikely to succeed in transferlevel coursework in English and mathematics.”

Cosumnes River College President Edward Bush showed support for the new legislation.

“The term ‘acceleration’ has been used to get students primarily through developmental education in one year,” Bush said. “To me, I don’t call that acceleration; I call that the purpose and initial thought around community colleges, that community colleges were meant to be twoyear colleges, and if you need to have remediation, that’s of course going to add extra time.”

Bush said that he strongly agrees with the bill in that students should be able to complete required English and math courses within one year.

“When we look at the data across the system, and we look at our own data, we know that the longer it takes for students to get to college level, the less likely it is for them to complete,” Bush said.

“They’re less likely to graduate, transfer, or to earn a certificate, and not really all that likely to even get to a college-level English or math course,” he said.

Proportion of developmental education students who transfer or earn associate degree

Transfer to four-year college

42

Earn associate degree

30 27

28

24 18

14

18

17

19 16

11

0

Only Math

Only English

Both Math and English

All developmental education

College-Ready

Source: Preparing Students for Success in California's Community Colleges by the Public Policy Institute

Shannon Rusche | The Connection

The 2016 overall graduation rate at CRC for full-time students who began college in 2013 was 25 percent.

The transfer rate of the same students was 8 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The purpose of the new legislation is to remove opportunities for students to drop out by providing fewer courses below college level, said Lisa Abraham, head of the CRC English Department.

Students will instead begin at college-level courses, like English Writing 300.

“Our department is currently looking at a number of different options to address the bill and to reconfigure the types of composition classes that we offer, so we’re in the middle of that process now,” Abraham said.

Abraham said that a model the department is researching is a version of English Writing 300 that will also include a 2-unit corequisite class to provide support for student skills.

“A course like this, it would be for students who assess into English 101,” Abraham said. “So instead of taking English 101, which

is a complete class, and then the next semester you take English 300, if you take this 300 Plus class, or whatever we decide to call it, at the end of that semester, you’re done.”

Abraham said that this is one of many models that is being considered across the Los Rios Community College District, but the models are in their early stages, so there is very little data beyond the initial stages.

The removal of remedial classes is one of two main changes to community college education procedures being made by the legislation.

The other change is the reevaluation of assessment procedures in order to more accurately place students in English and math courses.

According to the bill text, “A community college district or college shall maximize the probability that a student will

enter and complete transferlevel coursework in English and mathematics within a one-year timeframe, and use, in the placement of students into English and mathematics courses in order to achieve this goal, one or more of the following measures: high school coursework, high school grades, high school grade point average.”

The purpose of the new assessment procedures is to help place students in classes that they are likely to complete without placing them too low.

“Our college has been out in front, when compared to our sister colleges, when it comes to using high school transcripts,” Bush said. “So last year for our English department, all of our first-time freshman were placed using high school transcripts. A portion of our math students, around 447

“When we look at the data across the system, and we look at our own data, we know that the longer it takes for students to get to college level, the less likely it is for them to complete.”

— Edward Bush

Cosumnes River College President

students as a pilot for math classes, was able to use high school transcripts for their math placement. Our hope is to at some point quickly to be able to expand where all of our first-time freshmen are coming in using high school transcripts for placement.”

One project that has been used when determining how high school transcripts can be used to determine college competency is the Multiple Measures Assessment Project, led by the Research and Planning Group for California community colleges.

The MMAP is “a collaborative effort led by the RP Group and Educational Results Partnerships’ Cal-PASS Plus system to develop, pilot, and assess implementation of a statewide placement tool using multiple measures,” according to the RP Group website.

The project aims to provide guidance in the process of reevaluating the way that California community colleges will conduct assessment procedures.

“It’s basically a set of guidelines in terms of what GPA is the cutoff to determine ‘college ready,’ or determine

PAGE 3

THECRCCONNECTION.COM

one level below college level, or two levels,” Bush said. “Basically, it’s a rubric.”

Reviewing high school transcripts is just one of the methods that CRC will be employing to aid in accurate placement of freshman students, one that CRC specifically had been working on prior to the approval of the bill.

Jason Newman, the CRC campus president for the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers, said that the implementation of the legislation at the school will likely have an impact on the faculty, though it is predicted to be a “minor to moderate challenge.”

Newman said that there is some potential for faculty to lose their positions if they do not have guaranteed courses, but that is currently too early in the transition process to say this with certainty.

“It’s something we’re watching closely for the impacts to parttime faculty,” Newman said.

Newman also said that the executive board for the LRCFT is being very skeptical about California Acceleration.

Newman said he will

remain neutral on the issue until he receives more data about potential outcomes.

Bush said that faculty should be secure in their positions since there will be a new demand for more higherlevel courses.

“You’re just having a shifting of the classes, so say there are 2,000 students that need English to meet their English requirement, you’re still going to have 2,000 students in this new system that are still going to need English, they’re just not going to need lower-level courses,” Bush said.

“So instead of having 50 sections of English 101, you might need to double the number of sections of English 300 than you had before, so it’s really just a shifting of enrollment as opposed to an elimination of them,” he said.

Bush said that all instructors in both English and math are qualified to teach all course levels, so faculty will have many opportunities to continue teaching.

Bush also said that the school administration will be encouraging students to take English and

math courses in earlier semesters, so there is the potential for a surge in demand for these higher-level courses.

Newman also expressed concern regarding students’ ability to keep up with the new system.

Newman said that some students may become overwhelmed, and the new system could potentially leave some students behind in progressing academically.

Newman did express optimism though in the school’s ability to fix any potential issues that may arise due to California Acceleration.

“New models will have to be created to assist,” Newman said.

“If this doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”

Bush said that, while there will be students who are disadvantaged by the new system, there will be opportunities for more students to succeed.

“Do we have students that are coming in that have such deep deficiencies that it’s difficult for them to be successful in higherlevel courses?” Bush said. “My guess is, yes, we are going to have

“Everybody has the best of intentions.

We’re all here to serve students, we’re all trying to adjust to the idea that there’s a different way to serve students better, and we want to do that.”

— Lisa Abraham

Head of Cosumnes River College English Department some students where it is going to be difficult, but we have so many students that are failing right now. My belief is that fewer students will fail in this new system than are failing in the current system,” Bush said.

“Now, that doesn’t mean that we don’t figure out a way to even reduce that number of students who are having difficulties making it through the new system; we still have to figure that out. But the fact that we are going to have some students struggle with the new system doesn’t mean that we don’t move to the new system when we believe that the majority of the students will greatly benefit from it,” Bush said.

Another topic that faculty is discussing is the student assistant programs on campus.

While student

Predicted percentage rates of errors and success by placement method Math

100

Reading

100

89

89 82

76 Percentage of Students

75

73

75

50

82

High School GPA/Units

50

Test and High School GPA/Units

34 27

27

26

25

25

0

20

20

0

Severe Error Rate

College Level Success Rate

COMPASS Test Scores

Severe Error Rate

College Level Success Rate

Source: Improving the Accuracy of Remedial Placement by Columbia University in July 2015.

Shannon Rusche | The Connection

assistants typically aid students in lowerlevel courses, many faculty, like Abraham, are consideiring the possiblity of having student assistants at the new, higher-level courses.

Abraham said that one direction for the student assistant programs may be having assistants work in the new corequisite class for the new version of the college-level courses, if that is the model the department implements.

While there is uncertainty in the direction that the new legislation will be taking, faculty and the school administration have been consistently working and debating the best ways in which to implement the new system.

Abraham said that the top priority for faculty is to be very thoughtful in the changes that are made, so as to benefit as many students as possible.

Abraham also said that faculty from all Los Rios campuses are working collaboratively to make the best possible transition to the new system.

“I think it’s a reasonable gamble as long as we set it up thoughtfully,” Abraham said. “We we want to do well, we want to serve our students.”

“Everybody has the best of intentions.

We’re all here to serve students, we’re all trying to adjust to the idea that there’s a different way to serve students better, and we want to do that,” Abraham said.

Bush said that he is extremely passionate

about the situation and hopes that California Acceleration will be a benefit to students.

“When we look at the number of students who are not completing, and even when we look at our students that are completing and seeing the amount of time it takes for them to finish, they’re losing precious time and expending resources, using precious financial aid dollars and stretching out their time longer than it needs to be,” Bush said.

“That’s why I’m passionate, and knowing that it’s not their fault that happens, that much of the reason why it’s taking them so long to complete is because we’re operating with a structure that doesn’t support them completing on time,” Bush said.

“My passion is really fueled by the idea of wanting more students to have the opportunity to get through CRC and move on to their transfer institutions and careers as soon as possible,” Bush said.

The stipulations of the new legislation will go into effect in January 2018. CRC will have until the fall semester of 2018 to implement the changes in accordance with the legislation.

“These changes have enormous implications for how students navigate their way through the institution, positive implications,” Bush said.

“You talk to your classmates, especially those who didn’t place at college level, and talk to them about the difficulty they’ve had in getting through math or getting through the English sequence, how many of them had to repeat courses, or even that don’t repeat courses, are taking a year or year and a half in getting through that sequence of courses before they even access college level. It is really meant to remove a major barrier,” Bush said.

PAGE 4

SAVE THE

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

College Center extends to new facility

By Artemus Steele asteele.connect@gmail.com

DATE ORCHESTRA - WINTER SOUNDS The Music Department will present “Winter Sounds,” an event that will showcase the Cosumnes River College Orchestra.

The concert will be held on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors.

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GLOBAL STUDIES FILM: “IMAGINING ARGENTINA” Set in Argentina’s 1970s military dictatorship, the film follows Carlos Rueda as he searches for his wife and daughter after they are abducted by the police.

The film will be shown in BS - 119 on Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

GLOBAL ESPRESSO AND STRESS RELIEF The Student Life and Leadership Center will host the Global Espresso and Stress Relief event on campus with the theme “Experience a Cup of Culture.” Students can relax and de-stress with coffee among other services provided.

The event will be held from Dec. 4 - 7 in the lobby of the Library.

STUDENT RECITALS - DEBUT The Music Department will present the work of their Applied Music Students in a recital to the public.

The recital will be held on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. in the Recital Hall. Tickets are free, parking is $2 and can be found in Lot A.

A new college center is scheduled to be constructed

by Oct. 29, 2019 at Cosumnes River College and will bring services scattered across campus into one building to better aid new students and make things easier for returning students.

“So you’re going to have Admissions and Records, the Student Access Center, Counseling and Assessment will all be available on the 1st floor,” said Augustine Chavez, director of administrative services.

“The second floor will be the Transfer Center, Extended Opportunity Program and Services, and the president’s office.”

This new center is going to be a one-stop shop to take care of anything a first year student or returning student may need to start their semester off right.

The expansion won’t just house services, but it will also be home to a new social space.

“There’s going to be stadium-style seating, but more stairwells, so think of a stairwell, but to the right of it are seats,;t the bottom there’s go-

Courtesy Photo

ing to be charging stations for people to connect up laptops.

I think it’ll be the hub of the building,” said Chavez.

“I want to clarify, this project is going to be an expansion of the college center,” said CRC President Edward Bush. “So we are not creating a brand new building, but we’re creating a new extension.”

The base of the college center is going to remain where it is and the services in it will move when construction is complete.

Many of the members of the faculty and staff are looking forward to the new building.

“I think it’ll be awesome,” said Derek Allenby, a career

center specialist. “I think it will be convenient to have all of the student services in one place as opposed to having them go all over.”

“When you think of it through the lens of a brand new student, you come in and you go in to Admissions and Records, then we have to direct you to the library to go for Financial Aid and you come back here and pay your fees and you might have to see a counselor,” said President Bush. “You’re going to different places across the college; it’s difficult for us to hand you off right. Now, in the same building, we walk you down the hall with you to get what you need.”

Some of the students were concerned that the construction of the new center would affect the cost of things on campus like tuition and cost of classes.

“No, the center won’t affect the tuition or anything like it whatsoever,” said Bush.

The staff said they are confident in the new buildings functionality and believe it will be of great assistance to students in the future.

“I hope that lobby area really does become a place where people feel comfortable to sit down to study or just to hangout,” said Chavez.

“Ultimately, we hope it helps students get what they need done.”

Winter drives bring donations to students

By Victoria Blanco vblanco.connect@gmail.com The nonprofit organizations Women Escaping A Violent Environment and the Enriched Scholars Program have set up donation drives at Cosumnes River College for the holiday season to benefit women, men and children affected by violence and foster youth students by providing them with toys and clothing.

WEAVE gives an opportunity for parents to provide a joyful holiday by hosting toy drives at schools, businesses and organizations.

WEAVE clients will receive three items for their children and themselves during the month of December, according to WEAVE’s website.

“It’s good to have that feeling of community, especially for those who are in need,” said Miguel Olvera, 24, a mathematics major.

“A lot of people try to shy away from school because they can’t afford it, so we want them to feel more at home,” said Olvera.

WEAVE accepts new toys and games for all ages, except toys that depict violence such as toy guns.

WEAVE also accepts other items such as gift cards, journals, clothing, stationery supplies and electronics, according to WEAVE’s website.

Students can get involved by hosting a toy drive themselves. WEAVE can provide you with flyers to post in businesses and organizations.

Provide a donation box, place it in central places and check the donation box regularly until you drop off your donations at WEAVE, according to WEAVE’s website.

Students and staff can drop off new and unwrapped gifts for WEAVE’s Holiday Shop in the Career and Trans-

fer Center from Nov. 6 until Dec. 11. If you would like more information on how to volunteer or host a toy drive, contact Megan Laurie at 916319-4909 or through email at mlaurie@weaveinc.org.

ESP is an academic support service committed to providing mentorship, financial assistance, community resources and personal growth to current or former foster youth students. ESP puts foster youth student needs first by guiding them in their educational goals.

ESP is also taking donations of scarves and gloves for the end of the semester Holiday Celebration on Dec. 14.

It is a time where ESP recognizes students for their GPAs, honors and students that are graduating in the fall.

It is also a time for students to reconnect with their peers and celebrate completing the semester, said ESP and

Student Success and Support Program Specialist and Liaison Aselia Valadez Melo.

Gloves and scarves will be distributed to current and former foster youth students as they reconnect with their peers and enjoy a formal dinner, said Melo.

Monetary donations are also welcomed, as they will be used to purchase the items.

Drop-off locations are in the Student Access Center in L-125 or the ESP office in L-125C. Donations are accepted until Dec. 13. For more information, call the ESP office at 916-691-7075.

Jesse Dewhurst, 20, an English major, expressed his views on the initiative CRC has taken.

“It’s a community college, but it feels inclusive as a university,” said Dewhurst.

“It’s nice to see the initiative CRC is taking and helping out during the holidays.”

Page 5

thecrcconnection.com

>>Features

‘Wolfenstein’ sequel boasts striking characters

By Artemus Steele asteele.connect@gmail.com

When “Wolfenstein,” a franchise that has been with us since 1992, blew people away with its graphic content and smooth, streamlined first-person gameplay, the world was taken aback.

The latest game in the series is no slouch either, picking up right where the first game in the reboot left off. “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus” takes you on a wild, adrenaline-filled ride from start to finish as you blaze your way through countless enemies in an effort to take down the Nazi regime.

The game picks up right where the previous one leaves off, so fans of the previous game should have no trouble figuring out what’s happening.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to have played the first game to understand what’s going on in this one.

If you had played the first game, some of the scenes that happen early on in the game have a bit more weight. They

even include a rather crucial choice from early on in the previous game where you essentially choose who you want to be your partner.

As far as gameplay and controls, expect the same smoothness that we found in the first game and in Bethesda’s other Id software adaptation “DOOM.” The weapon wheel, used to swap between a variety of weapons is still in the game and even more streamlined than before.

While the game does play very similarly to its predecessor, the camera can feel a bit too loose at times, thus making the gameplay feel strange at first.

In addition to the lack of hitmarkers, a sound and image played when your bullets hit a target, it may prove a tad strange to gamers more familiar with “Overwatch” and “Call of Duty”.

As far as the story goes, it’s one of the best first person shooter, or FPS, campaigns money can buy. The game starts off with you completely vulnerable, but soon you’ll

Courtesy Photo

end up kicking Nazi butt in no time.

There are even parts where we learn about our protagonist B.J. Blascowicz’s childhood, and learn about why he joined the military as well as what drives him to keep going.

One thing the game does an exceptional job of is truly making you despise the antagonist.

The General is truly a sadistic and sick woman with a

twisted sense of humor that makes her villainy all the more revolting.

Not unlike villains from older games, she’s constantly being seen in posters and her voice is heard over intercoms throughout the course of the game; she truly is a villain worth fighting against.

What also adds to the game is that the main cast of characters are quirky in their own way, with some characters being as brazen as our

main protagonist and others being afraid of what may lie in wait for them.

While “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus” is not safe for kids under the age of 17, it is definitely a game worth experiencing at least once, after all the franchise is sort of responsible for FPS games being where they are today.

Bethesda has done it again with this title; truly a solid, well-crafted single player experience.

Actress visits film class to discuss the genre of horror

By Kainoa Nunez knunez.connect@gmail.com Film Professor Mark Steensland invited special guest actress Barbara Crampton to his Film Genre class on Nov. 14 to speak to students about horror films and the film industry.

Crampton, who has acted in a significant amount of horror films, was present in the class via Skype to lecture and talk to students about “Re-Animator,” a film they are discussing in the class as they are focusing on the genre of horror this semester.

She also talked to students about her experiences in the industry and offered them wise and helpful advice on what to expect if they are to pursue a career in this category.

“To bring somebody of her level of professionalism and reputation, and so forth into the classroom I think that it just gives them a bigger view of we’re studying,” Steensland said.

Crampton described how the film industry had developed over the last

35 years, especially in horror, and how for her it has not been easy, for she had to learn to be more connected and involved with film festivals.

“Just realize that nobody is going to do it for you if you want to work in movies.

Just know that it takes a long time to keep building and building your name.”

— Barbara Crampton Actress One of the students enrolled in the class, Nick Garcia, 19, an undeclared major, said that he enjoyed listening to her wonderful stories about working with great people in the industry and her travels on visiting to film festivals.

“It definitely gave a deeper understanding to what the behind the scenes of the film were like,” Garcia said.

Crampton talked about her time visiting different film festivals from all over the country and said that one thing to know is that “you never know who you might be working with.”

At one festival, while she was working at her table, she met Gunnar Hansen, the original actor who played the mentally impaired cannibal “Leatherface” in Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”

She recalled how, while also being startling to meet such an iconic figure, this meeting allowed them both to become partners and close friends.

“Just realize that nobody is going to do it for you if you want to work in movies,” said Crampton. “Just know that it takes a long time to keep building and building your name.”

Working in horror for her wasn’t her first choice, but she said it’s the best genre to work for because there’s more to it than just being scary; there’s a lot of other genres involved.

Crampton also discussed what horror meant to her, as someone close-

ly affiliated with it.

“Well, it’s family and the genre itself adopted me and I had the pleasure to work with great people on and off who I hold very dear to my heart, and the meaningful stories is pleasure to me,” Crampton said.

With all the horror films out there, Crampton said her favorite films of all time are Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.”

They both have a few things in common like a psychotic murderer, and moments that reveal the ultimate human terror in realism.

Crampton said that if she could work in any horror film current or past, it would be Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.” “It has so much relevance to today’s events and how there is still racial inequality,” said Crampton.

While still interested in acting, Crampton said she is trying out something new by focusing on producing.

She said that it’s a good way for her to continue being involved in the film industry.

November 30, 2017

Page 6

‘Chicago’ is sexy, scandalous and full of talent

By Kainoa Nunez knunez.connect@gmail.com The theater department presented the first showing of their fall production of John Kander’s Broadway classic, “Chicago” on Nov. 17.

“Chicago” is the second-longest-running show of all time according to Broadway and has over 8,000 performances.

It’s an American musical full of crime, comedy and drama that explores the themes of celebrity, scandal and corruption in the cold-hearted city of Chicago, Illinois during the 1920s Jazz Age. It follows Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, two murderesses and would-be superstars, and their quest for fame, glory and acquittal.

Director and Theater Department Chair Cheri Fortin showcased the Fosse dance style and provided a thrilling reminder to those who’ve seen it before just how smart, sexy and exciting this brand of choreography was and still is today.

The story starts off with a brittle woman, Roxie Hart, played by Charlie Watkins, who does an admirable job of being one of the headliners

Kainoa Nunez | The Connection

The cast of “Chicago” performs “Cell Block Tango” on opening night of the new musical production on Nov. 17.

of this play, Hart is innocent, desperate, and selfish, yet not very bright and never thinks about the consequences of her actions before she says or does anything, a character which Watkins does a good job in portraying.

Alysia Sambuca plays Velma Kelly, Hart’s cellblock mate and fellow murderess, in a miraculous performance showcasing the attention-seeking, envious character with ease and with singing that really

made her stand out. The two femme fatales share a lawyer, Billy Flynn; corrupt, but still operating on the official sanctioned side of the law, played

by Andy Hyun.

Hyun’s suave portrayal of Flynn shows him as a sexy, manipulative and educated lawyer who can get anyone to do anything and will take any case as long as it is sure to put money in his pocket. He’s a strong character that needs a strong actor that sings and

dance well, and Hyun fits the bill.

The musical numbers featured include hits such as: “And All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango,” “A Little Bit of Good,” “We Both Reach for the Gun, Roxie,” “Mister Cellophane,” and “Razzle Dazzle.”

The songs, representing what “Chicago” was all about, were performed superbly well by the production’s ensemble, mesmerizing the

audience with their striking choreography and seasoned vocals.

“We Both Reached for the Gun,” in which Roxie practices her defense for the court, was especially well-choreographed and was one that the audience found humorous.

Another song that got the audience laughing and appreciating the cast’s talent was “A Little Bit of Good,” full of long, hard-to-hit notes sung

by Miss Mary Sunshine and played by L. Fuentes. Fuentes did a great job on performing a sensationalist reporter and the contrast of him dressed as the dainty character, hitting high notes with elegance earned him plenty of laughs and a standing ovation.

The play is an ongoing event that will run until Dec. 9. Tickets are on sale online at http://bit.ly/2BmyCDz.

Score out of five stars For more reviews, visit thecrcconnection.com or follow the Connection on Twitter @CRCconnection

Native American heritage showcased through music

By Jasmine Jernigan jjernigan.connect@gmail.com Four Native American acts performed live on Friday night at the Native Night Concert on Friday as part of Native American Heritage Week.

The performances included hip-hop artists Tall Paul and Mic Jordon, the Sampson Brothers, a hoop dancing group and rock band Scatter Their Own. “This is the seventh year we’ve done the Native American Heritage Week, and for the past few years we’ve also done the Native American Night Concert,” said History Professor Jason Newman, the coordinator of the concert.

The show started off with the Sampson Brothers as they explained how the dances they do tell stories.

Their performances had the crowd in awe as they did different dances with a number of traditional Native American hoops, using intricate movements and footwork. The last dance they performed was a story of how the Earth was created.

Hip-hop artist Mic Jordon’s performance was energetic, got the crowd going and came with a positive message for the youth.

His songs were very motivational and emotional as he explained how music saved his life while he was on the reservation.

Besides music, Jordon is also a community activist working with Native American youth.

“I see myself in the children,” said Jordon. “Growing up on the reservation and

dealing with the stuff I’ve dealt with, it’s all relevant to what the kids go through.”

The night continued with Native American hip-hop artist Tall Paul in a performance with a grittier sound, but the same message of positivity for Native American youth.

Some of the songs he performed were very emotional and told stories of life on the reservation and trying to make it off.

“I love performing and bringing positive spiritual energy whenever I can,” said Paul.

After Paul’s performance, attendees were treated to refreshments free of charge and Native American vendors selling various Native American jewelry and other crafts.

Once the show resumed, the band Scatter Their Own

Jasmine Jernigan | The Connection

The band Scatter Their Own performs at the Native Night Concert at the Recital Hall on Nov. 17 as part of Native American Heritage Week.

took the stage.

The band was very soulful and had a bluesy rhythm.

Their sound was very hypnotizing and was a perfect way to end the night.

Friday night’s events were all about recognizing Native American culture and music.

“The importance of to-

night’s event is to really represent that CRC has diverse population and of that group is Native American students; we wanted to bring light to the Native American culture,” said Student Ambassador Marybeth Carranza.

thecrcconnection.com

Page 7

WHAT TO WATCH OVER WINTER BREAK? COMPILED BY JANNAH KHALIL

November 30, 2017

Page 8

>>Opinion EDITORIAL

Improving high school curriculum will produce better prepared college students There has been a drastic change in the mentality of community college operations in recent years. There is less of a push to get people in and much more of a push to get people through. This is the reasoning behind Assembly Bill 705, which will prohibit community colleges in California from requiring students to take remedial classes if those classes will extend their completion time of those classes past one year.

The idea is simple. Take out opportunities for students to quit, then students will be less likely to quit. It’s simple in theory, but it may not be quite so sound in practice.

For the 2014-15 academic year in America, more than 550,000 college students were enrolled in remedial classes, according to a study by the Hechinger Report.

The four-year institutions are not doing much better. In 2014, the California State University system admitted close to 72 percent of all first-time freshman applicants, and more than 40 percent of those freshmen were assessed to be below college level, according to statistics by the CSU system.

If students are in such desperate need of these classes, where is the logic in getting rid of them? The notion is that many students are being placed in classes below their levels due to the assessment process. This is another facet of the bill, which requires community colleges to uses multiple measures, like high school transcripts and coursework, to determine the best classes for students.

When we look at the problem closely though, we see that very little is the college’s fault.

In 2015, a study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only about one-third of high school seniors were college ready. The results of the study showed that about 37 percent of seniors were ready for college-level math and English reading, which was down from the results of the same study done in 2013. Also, the amount of students who tested below basic math and reading levels increased by 3 percent.

Many students in high school are not ready for college.

Maybe the problem is the curriculum. Maybe it’s the student.

Whatever it is though, it is not the college.

The state legislature is trying to fix an undeniably bad situation. For Cosumnes River College, in particular, the graduation rate for students at the school for three years is 25 percent, and the transfer rate is 8 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The numbers get worse the longer the student is at the school.

The legislature is trying to fix a problem based on the numbers it sees, but it’s looking in the wrong spot. High school students are not ready for college, and they are getting progressively worse as time goes on. Trying to fix it for them when they’re in college will not work. Taking a student who is not ready for a college-level English course and placing them in a college-level English course is unlikely to solve the problem.

There are students who are ready for college, and there are students who are misplaced during the assessment process, but the numbers are overwhelming.

We need our high schools to do better if we want our colleges to get better. If the legislature wants to see a change, that is where the change needs to happen, and it needs to start soon.

HAWK TALK How do you reward yourself after finals?

Compiled by Artemus Steele Photos by Tyler Twist

Lorenzo Yutangco 20, respiratory therapy

Antoine Ashley 24, social sciences

“I kind of treat it as any other day.

I just go and relax more and play videogames and stuff like that, and I lie down in bed for a little bit. That’s pretty much it.”

“I love to go out for snacks and whatnot, have drinks with friends. I socialize, and I go to the movies. Really anything to get me out and about.”

Lily Vang 18, nursing

Khristian Thompson 18, business

“I take a long nap, and have a really nice bubble bath.”

“I’m too busy being a free man after finals.”

Page 9

thecrcconnection.com

Narratives are for stories, not for news

By Jannah Khalil jkhalil.connect@gmail.com Our first lesson in my Newswriting and Reporting class was “News Judgement.”

The first notes I took were the definitions of two words: subjective and objective.

Next to subjective, I wrote “considers personal opinion,” next to objective “to be free of bias” and in small parentheses next to that I wrote “news is objective.”

This was the first thing I learned as a journalist and it’s the one thing that I know never to forget. News does not and should not have a narrative. When I write and edit stories, I keep this in mind. When I read stories, I expect this to be kept in mind by the journalists who wrote them. But sometimes, I find myself disappointed.

I find myself disappointed when ABC News and The Wall Street Journal call Dylan Roof, the man who killed nine in a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, a “loner.”

I find myself disappointed when CNN reports on “missed chances to help” Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter, Adam Lanza an “ isolated young man with deteriorating mental health.”

I find myself disappointed when The Washington Post describes Stephen Paddock, who committed the worst mass shooting in modern American history, as someone who “enjoyed gambling, country music, and lived a quiet life.”

I find myself disappointed that when it comes to minorities, the narrative changes.

When Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 in a mass shooting in San Bernardino headlines read “San Bernardino shooting suspects possibly linked to ISIS” from the Chicago Tribune.

When Omar Mateen killed 49 in a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, headlines read “Orlando shooting: 49 killed, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance” from CNN. When Sayfullo Saipov drove down a bike path in Manhattan, killing eight, The New York Times headlines read “Trail of Terror” and “Manhattan terrorist attack.”

It’s not to say that these attacks weren’t terrorism or that Paddock didn’t enjoy gambling and country music, but the difference in coverage in these cases is obvious.

There were no stories about the music Farook and Malik enjoyed or what their personalities were like. Mateen didn’t have a headline chalking up his violent crimes to mental health or isolation. And nor should they. These people are murderers who committed devastating and despicable acts. But so were Adam Lanza, Dylan Roof and the abundance of other white, male perpetrators of mass murder. They should not have articles reminding us of their humanity and painting their crimes as unfortunate vices.

But it seems to be that the reason this

difference of coverage occurs is because, depending on the situation, the coverage is serving a different narrative.

When the perpetrator is a white male, the narrative being served is “it’s bizarre that this average person that’s seemingly just like us would do something like this” but with minorities it’s “look at these crazy people at it again.”

But there shouldn’t be a narrative at all.

The story should be covered as “here is this event that occurred and here are the facts surrounding it.”

In cases of white men committing heinous crimes, the benefit of the doubt is always given. However, minorities never seem to have that same luxury.

If news outlets really believe that personal details about the perpetrator warrant as facts of the case, then those personal details need to be shown of all perpetrators.

One cannot be treated as a person who committed a crime and the other be treated as a criminal. One’s actions cannot be treated as the result of mental illness while the other’s actions are treated as the result of an inherent evil.

Not only do these narratives not follow journalistic integrity, but they leave a lasting impact on their audience. If minorities committing violent crime is shown as an expected behavior of that race or religion, and white males committing violent crime is shown as an isolated, unusual occurrence, that shapes people’s perspective.

When an Islamic extremist commits a violent crime, Muslims have to worry about the fact that people will see this as a reflection of the entire religion. It’s a horrible feeling to wake up to bad news of such an act committed, and spend the whole day hoping no one will confront you about it and ask “why do you people keep doing this?”

It’s a horrible feeling to have to see talk of immigration bans or stricter immigration laws as if this one act is the fault of an entire 1.8 billion population.

When someone like Stephen Paddock or Adam Lanza commit these crimes, no one is talking about how white men are a threat, how they need to be controlled or have their behavior monitored because who knows what they might do next. I doubt people who fit that description worry thinking “maybe I should stay home today until things blow over a little bit.” This is because no one treats them like what happened is their fault. Based off of what is covered in the news, it’s clear to the public that incidents like these are outliers and have no reflection on people like this as a whole.

If news outlets are really having a hard time being objective, then I would suggest for them to find the nearest community college and enroll in a Newswriting and Reporting class. Maybe it can remind them of a thing or two.

Sexual harassment cases deserve men’s attention

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com Men don’t seem to take sexual harassment as seriously as women do and society lets them get away with that.

It seems like most of the time society gives the bulk of the blame to the woman in sexual harassment situations.

Is it only sexual harassment if the woman says something?

What if she lets certain men touch her or say things to her, but gets offended by other men touching her? Does it mean the same if she says someone sexually harassed her?

A woman who lets anyone, any man touch her or is always out clubbing and drinking will get approached and viewed differently than a woman who is more conservative. To some men, in a sense, their value is different.

The less a man values a specific type of woman, the more he believes he can do whatever he wants with her.

Even in the workplace we see coworkers touching each other in ways that they aren’t supposed to, especially while on the clock, but it has become normal.

There have even been instances when a man has raped a woman and did not receive the punishment he deserved.

This was the case with the Stanford student Brock Turner, who raped an unconscious woman but was only sentenced to six months in jail.

Just because there are instances where society downplays these situations, doesn’t make it ok.

Just because a woman acts or dresses a certain way doesn’t give men permission to do as they please.

Sometimes women don’t do anything to attract that type of attention. Sometimes men just believe they can do as they please.

Actress Ellen Page didn’t ask for her director to say obscured things to her while on set or out her about being gay in front of the whole cast. Even if they weren’t on set, that isn’t something that should be allowed. It’s not okay for men to treat women like that.

Aly Raisman, a medal-winning Olympic gymnast, has accused the team doctor of sexually abusing her. How has something like this been allowed to go on for so long?

Things like this need to be addressed and society needs to change. The next generation of sons need to be taught better and raised better.

There have been instances where sexual harassment was dealt with seriously and swiftly.

According to The New York Times, NBC fired Matt Lauer, co-host of “Today,” after allegations of sexual harassment by a colleague.

This, along with the firing of studio mogul Harvey Weinstein and CBS host Charlie Rose are an example of how sexual harassment should be dealt with in the workplace.

That doesn’t mean people

“Things like this need to be addressed and society needs to change.

The next generation of sons need to be taught better and raised better. “ should be fired just off allegations, but allegations should be taken seriously and properly looked into. If the results after an investigation is that some type of sexual misconduct was committed, then action must be taken to deal with the problem.

Hopefully people will see these examples and realize that sexual harassment is not acceptable in any setting, doesn’t matter if it’s at work, on the street or at the club. Everyone deserves respect and a change must happen.

That change has to start with us and how we are going to raise the next generation. This behavior shouldn’t be something normal or something that is so easily brushed aside. It’s up to us to make sure that it isn’t.

Page 10

November 30, 2017

>>Sports

Sophomore hopes to score academically

By Jannah Khalil jkhalil.connect@gmail.com A business major with a soft spot for lumpia and hot wings, the movie “Love & Basketball” and an admiration for the Boston Celtic’s Kyrie Irving are what make men’s basketball’s Jordan Roberson who he is, but it’s his skills on the court that really make him stand out.

Roberson, 21, a sophomore guard for the men’s basketball team at Cosumnes River College, has been playing basketball since he was 8 years old and is an aspiring NBA player. With impressive achievements, such as being a four-year varsity starter, “All League MVP” for three years and breaking his school’s scoring record, he may well be on his way to just that. But at CRC, Roberson is also able to boast some qualities and achievements that make him a valuable player and teammate.

“I’m understanding the game mentally, physically,” said Roberson.

“I feel like I’m getting a lot stronger, and I’m taking better control of the game and using my mind over my skills.”

Being an achieved athlete requires skills and effective qualities. For Roberson, what led to his great achievements is his work ethic.

“I’m always trying to get better.

I do the little things,” Roberson said.

“I’m always trying to learn because it’s never too late to get more knowledge.”

Men’s basketball head coach Jon-

athan James said that Roberson’s best quality is that he studies the game of basketball which allows him to improve his game.

Other things that make Roberson stand out are his ability to shoot and his confidence in himself, James said.

“In basketball in general, there’s not a lot of guys that thrive in the big moment,” James said. “With Jordan, there’s never a game too big. I think the bigger the game for him the better he performs.”

Roberson’s personal goals for this season are to “be a leader, help my teammates, get them involved, show them where to be in offense and defense, take control of the game and just lead them to victory.”

Gor Mikayelyan is a 23-year-old shooting guard for the team, and, as Roberson’s fellow teammate, can personally attest that Roberson has already been able to achieve some of these goals.

Roberson’s most valuable qualities on team include being a good scorer and defense, but also being a good leader.

“He’s always trying to keep guys locked in, keep guys focused so they can always do good so we can succeed as a team,” Mikayelyan said. “He’s good at bringing the team together.”

Besides being a good player, Mikayelyan also said that there are many things that make Roberson a good teammate.

“He helps you out on the court

Jannah Khalil | The Connection

Sophomore guard Jordan Roberson scrimmages in a team practice on Nov. 28.

just as much as he does off the court,” Mikayelyan said. “He always asks me have I done my homework, have I studied. He actually helps other teammates with class so he’s good at keeping guys focused.”

But Roberson’s mind isn’t just focused on being a great athlete and making achievements in basketball. He also has goals to become more academically successful.

“I want to have the most divi-

sion-one scholarships on the team. I want to lead the team in my academics and have the best grades on the team,” Roberson said.

Roberson has already achieved one of his goals, which is to be an honor student and have between a 3.0 and 3.3 GPA. His other goal, receiving the Scholar Athlete Award which he had received his freshman year, is also something he hopes to accomplish.

SPRING SPORTS HOME SCHEDULES Baseball

January 26 27 30

vs Shasta vs Shasta vs Skyline

January

2 p.m.

1 p.m.

2 p.m.

February 1 9 10

20 22 27

vs Skyline vs Lassen vs Lassen

Lassen

vs Chabot vs Merced vs American River

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

10 a.m.

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

2 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

March 3 8 13 17 22 29

vs vs vs vs vs vs

American River Diablo Valley Folsom Lake Folsom Lake Sacramento City Sierra

1 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

1 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

30

Softball

Tennis

vs Ohlone Ohlone

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

vs Feather River Feather River vs San Jose San Jose vs Lassen Lassen vs Sacramento City Sacramento City vs Sierra

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

3 p.m.

February

vs Modesto Modesto vs American River vs Santa Rosa Santa Rosa

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

3 p.m.

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

February

February 2

13

20

24

27

26 20

vs Folsom Lake

1 p.m.

vs Reedley

1 p.m.

vs vs vs vs

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

1 p.m.

March 2 6 13 20

March 10

20 24

Women’s

January

20

Fresno Sequoias Sacramento City Fresno

Men’s vs Reedley

1 p.m.

vs Fresno

1 p.m.

March 2

Page 11

thecrcconnection.com

Women’s soccer head coach adds 14th season to record the hopes that his team plays and utilizes any lessons learned out on the field, “whether it’s to play at the four-year level or to continue to From kicking the soccer ball around the go to school.” house to being a professional player, Cesar Even though the team missed playoffs this Plasencia has finished his 14th year as Head year, Plasencia is confident that his team will Coach for the women’s soccer team since 2004. get back to their level. Assistant coach Erika After earning his bachelor’s and mas- Anguiano said that it’s through honesty that he ter’s degrees, along with his coaching license, communicates with his team.

Plasencia progressed from an assistant coach “He’s always very positive, and when he for the men’s soccer teams of Sacramento State needs to be blunt and serious, he is serious with University and Cosumnes River College. He them. I think he keeps it very honest with them, then earned his place coaching the women’s he doesn’t sugarcoat things,” Anguiano said. soccer team where he said he hopes to train Plasencia’s methods of motivation for his them to be “better than they believe they can women’s soccer team stems from research. be.”

He said that one of the biggest challenges as “He’s very honest and keeps things real. a coach comes from having to understand the He tells us when we’re doing good and he tells new generation. us when we’re doing bad,” said sophomore “I’m constantly reading and trying to stay center midfielder Analissa updated on things that this “You don’t want people to be Lopez. new generation uses as trigAlthough Plasencia overconfident, but at the same gers. Where in my generation, it was different. I also said his six-year professiontime, you want them to believe coach females, so that’s anal experience to be his greatest achievement, it wasn’t that greatness is attainable as other difference,” Plasencia said. until he started coaching His style of coaching also long as we put in the work.” youth soccer that he wantinvolves getting connected ed to get into coaching as a with his players personally. career.

— Cesar Plasencia He said that reaching out to “I realized pretty quickWomen’s soccer head coach his players and getting to ly that this was a calling for know them outside of the me. I figured out what I needed to do to be a sport motivates them to not only do better on college soccer coach and got all the requirethe field, but in whatever they set their minds ments and degrees done,” Plasencia said. to while maintaining humility.

The expectations that he carries for his “It’s a fine line because you don’t want team revolve around the development of not people to be overconfident, but at the same just their identities as players, but as students time, you want them to believe that greatness as well. Plasencia values education along with is attainable as long as we put in the work,” the physical activity, and said that “you can’t Plasencia said. have success without having academic sucDespite the off season his team had this cess.” year due to injuries and other circumstances, “Our philosophy isn’t just about soccer; Plasencia’s trust in his team’s improvement is we’re trying to develop good citizens and ath- firm.

“He makes sure to tell them that as long as letics is a part of that development, but our we learn something from that game: mistakes, philosophies are greater and bigger than just score or the situation—any situation that’s prethe sport that we coach,” Plasencia said. sented in the field—as long as we learn from it, Because sports and academics go hand-in- then we technically win, in some way or anothhand, he said he emphasizes both subjects in er,” Anguiano said.

By Elizabeth Rodriguez erodriguez.connect@gmail.com

Editor in Chief: Jared Lee News Editor: Shannon Rusche Features Editor: Jannah Khalil Sports Editor: Jared Lee Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati

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.

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An athlete is one player, not a whole franchise

By Jared Lee jalee.connect@gmail.com How much is an athlete worth? You could say it depends on their skill, their talent, and love for the sport and maybe the amount of time left for them to play their best. So how much should an athlete be paid?

Well, it’s not $835 million, I can say that much.

Lionel Messi plays soccer for a Futbol Club Barcelona as a forward. Messi is likely one of the best players of all time. He has received four Golden Shoes, was the league top scorer in four separate seasons since 2009 (two seasons consecutively) and was twice named the Union of European Football Associations best player in Europe.

The FC Barcelona website even describes him as “the best player in the world.”

Messi originally had a new contract with Barcelona drawn up in June, a contract which FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu told Forbes magazine was perfect for Messi.

“Although the one [contract] we signed in June was up to par with his greatness as a player, the new one is more in line with the current situation in the ever-changing world of football,” Bartomeu said. Bartomeu went on to say that he was glad to see Messi “renewing his love for the club,” a sentiment with which Messi himself agreed in a tweet on Nov. 25. How much is that love worth?

What is this new contract that was drawn up? According to Forbes, this new contract will keep Messi at Barcelona until 2021, with a salary of $667,000 a week, a signing bonus of $59.6 million and a buyout clause of $835 million.

Now, this isn’t on Messi. He’s a man doing well at his job, and he deserves

to be paid well for it. But if the original contract - which had a buyout clause that was about half of the new one - was good enough for Messi, as Bartomeu said, why would a new one need to be drawn up?

This trend isn’t exclusive to soccer. The NFL is one of the best examples of dropping huge contracts on a single player. For example, in 2016, the Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Andrew Luck to a $140 million contract with $47 million guaranteed. Luck is a good quarterback in his own right, and the mentality was to make him the Colts’ franchise quarterback. He can’t do that though when he’s hurt.

Luck has gone seemingly from one injury to the next. From a shoulder injury, to leaving last season in week nine due to a lacerated kidney, to not even playing this season because of a continued shoulder injury. The Colts had years to build an offensive line to protect Luck, but they never addressed it, leading to Luck’s consistent injuries. Now, Luck has a good contract, but he can’t even play.

Sports franchises need to stop spending massive amounts of money on individual athletes if they cannot afford it. A team is a team, not one person.

Athletes make a team, but one player will not guarantee success. If the Colts really wanted Luck to play well for them, they should have invested the money to keep him protected. If Messi was really worth the original contract, there was no need to make a new one.

Short-term planning is a consistent failure of these franchises across all sports.

No matter how skilled someone may be, no athlete needs $835 million.

Page 12

November 30, 2017

Fresh team learning on the go, coach says

By John Cabales jcabales.connect@gmail.com The women’s basketball team will feature seven freshmen and two sophomores this year, and will be led by interim head coach Jennifer Jacobs while coach Coral Sage is on maternity leave.

With so many young players on the court this year, Jacobs expects sophomore guard Trina Shaner to be a leader and have a breakout season.

“I expect the world out of Trina,” Jacobs said. “I’m the hardest on her by far and she knows my expectations of her, which is to be the incredible player that she is, and she’s an amazing young lady and a great leader.”

Freshman guard Brookelyn Larkin is also looked at as someone who will step up and make an impact on the team this year, Jacobs said.

“Brookelyn Larkin, our starting point guard, isn’t very vocal, but she leads by example by going 100 percent in every drill and showing up even when she’s sick,” Jacobs said.

“She’s our floor leader for sure out there.”

Though the Hawks have an almost completely new team this year, they seem to have very good chemistry and

just have to get used to one another, Jacobs said.

“They all love each other, they all like each other, but they just have to learn how to mesh together,” said Jacobs.

With so many freshmen, the team is learning on the go and trying to adapt to playing at a college level.

“They’re only three games in and so it’s like they’re learning everything on the go and every game they’re trying to learn from what they have already seen,” said assistant coach Jasmine Chapman.

The team will have to use those experiences when playing against older players.

“We, this being our first year, just get nervous a lot of the time,” said freshman guard Brianna Brooks. “You’re also playing against grown women sometimes. In high school, everyone is 16, 17, 18 at most. In here, they can take years off and play at 25 if they wanted to.”

The coaching staff will use their experiences to help the freshmen transition from high school to college.

“I’ve played on this level for two years, so for me, I try to pour a lot of what I’ve experienced into them,” Chapman said. “We have a lot of guards, so I feel like I can personally help them. I’ve expe-

John Cabales | The Connection

Freshman guard Alexiza Liddell (center) runs through drills with her teammates. Liddell is one of the seven freshman players who are making their college debut this season.

rienced every type of player this league can show you, so I just try to let them know what I’ve been through and then let them try and put that in their game.”

What the freshmen lack in maturity and experience, they have in offensive power and hustle.

“We had seven sophomores last year, so it was just so easy,” Jacobs said. “They already knew our expectations and already knew what to do, and for the freshman, it’s been a struggle getting them to gel

together and getting them out of that high school mindset.”

“On the good side, we definitely have more offensive threats and can score from every position, and last year it was a little tougher. It’s just the maturity factor we don’t have yet, unfortunately,” Jacobs said.

With so many guards this year, the team will be looking to use their speed and beat the their opponents up and down the court.

“We’re faster than most teams mainly because we have

a lot of guards and they just shoot very well,” said Chapman.

After going 6-21 last season, the new team is looking to make some noise this year.

“We just want to improve every year and be better than we were last year," Jacobs said.

“That’s always the hope is to go to playoffs and with this team, once we get through some rough patches, I think we will prove everyone wrong, because I know we’re the underdogs and everyone roots for the underdog,” she said.