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HAWKS START BIG 8 PLAY Sports, Page 11
Comic Con Wizard World Comic Con came to Sacramento for the first time | Features, Page 6
Panel on campus breaks the silence on rape | News, Page 4
Six States Should California be split apart? | Opinion, Page 8 Stephan Starnes/The Connection
ISSUE 3 03.13.2014—03.27.2014 Student voice since 1970
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MARCH 13, 2014
>>News
Vehicular theft decreases as bike theft increases
Kayla Gangl/ The Connection
By Kaley Andrews kandrews.connect@gmail.com Thefts on college campuses are nothing new, from backpacks to cars, but there is a new growing target for thieves on the various campuses: bicycles. According to crime statistics gathered by the Los Rios District Police Department, motor vehicle theft is among the top-reported crimes across three-of-the-four main campuses, with eight on-campus motor vehicle thefts occurring at Cosumnes River College in 2012. While this is an increase from the five reported thefts in 2011 and smaller than the reported 10 in 2010, Sgt. Brian Washington of the LRPD said bike thefts in particular are a prevailing issue across Los
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Rios campuses. “From what we’ve seen, they just ride off,” Washington said. Successful bike thieves rarely bother to load bikes into cars or trucks and often carry tools to cut through cables, Washington said. However, he said there are ways to deter thieves, including leashing the seat to the frame and locking the rear tire to both frame and rack, as rear tires are worth more than front tires and are more expensive to replace. U-locks are among the best options for bikes, Washington said, though their versatility is somewhat limited because of their shape. They are stronger than cables and u-locks, with non-circular keys, can’t be picked by conventional means.
Other deterrents include locking bikes close to buildings in well-traveled areas and near building entrances, Washington said. High-traffic areas tend to cut down on theft, as it is typically noticeable if someone is attempting to steal a bicycle. Justine Olinda, 19, a nursing major, said she has never witnessed any crimes or had anything stolen from her. However, she said that some students are cautious about leaving bikes locked on campus. “There was this guy I met yesterday who was concerned about his bike and had me watch it for him,” Olinda said. “I don’t think he would have asked if it wasn’t an issue.” Campus police tend to be very proactive, Washington said. So far this year, in fact,
there have been very few notable incidents. “I would feel safe leaving a bike on campus, considering how small the campus is,” said Rohit Kumar, 21, an anthropology major. “Considering that there are usually campus police around, I wouldn’t be too worried about it.” However, not all deterrents will guarantee complete safety. Washington said that retrieving stolen bicycles is quite difficult because of the nature of the crime itself and the obstacles involved in determining ownership, but bicycle owners can improve their chances of recovering stolen bikes if they follow a couple of guidelines. Perhaps most importantly, bike owners should know their serial numbers, which
are invaluable in determining ownership. These numbers should be included when students make reports to campus police, Washington said. According to the LRPD website, CRC police also offer a free registration program for students, and engrave license or ID numbers on valuable property, including laptops. In general, it is best to take all necessary precautions to protect one’s bicycle. Theft may not be completely stamped out, but deterrents can discourage theft.
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“WALK IN OUR SHOES”
THE ART OF MARRIAGE
ANNUAL MATH COMPETITION RETURNS
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is now hiring for students to have a chance to apply and become a Peace Officer. Benefits include paid training, health, dental and vision. They are holding employment opportunites on Thursday, March 20 at 2 p.m. in room L-313. Call (916) 6917456 or email CRC-CareerCenter@crc.losrios.edu to RSVP.
Jessie Baker School is holding their 3rd Annual “WALK IN OUR SHOES” on May 10, 2014. The 1.5 mile fundraiser provides equipment & programs to encourage an active lifestyle for students. The walk will be held at Jessie Baker School located at 8850 Southside Ave in Elk Grove. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. and the walk at 10:30 a.m.
The Oak Tree Community Church presents “The Art of Marriage” on March 14 at 7 p.m. and March 15 at 4 p.m. The Art of Marriage video event weaves together expert teaching, real-life stories, humorous vignettes and more to portray the challenges and the beauty of God’s design for marriage. To attend, one must register at www.eventbrite. com before the event dates.
Have you ever had a bicycle or anything else stolen while on campus? Do you feel that your belongings are safe? Share your stories or thoughts at facebook. com/crcconnection
Cosumnes River College’s mathematics dept. is hosting their 10th Annual Integration Bee on Friday, April 4 in LRC105 at 2:30 p.m. Students will compete for a chance to win an iPad and hundreds of dollars in prizes. To enter, contact a CRC math professor for a sign-up sheet or contact Professor Min Zeng (LRC 147). Entries must be received by 12 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.
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Two-year schools provide alternative to high debt By Emiliano Martin emartin.connect@gmail.com At four-year colleges across California, in 2012, 52 percent of students had an average of $20,269 in debt, according to the Project on Student Debt. With lower tuition and fees two-year colleges may be the answer to avoiding serious debt. “I believe that, for [Californians], it’s very good,” said the Financial Aid Supervisor for Cosumnes River College Yolanda Garcia. “Some other states charge a couple hundred dollars a unit for their community college, so I think it’s very affordable.” Out of ten CRC students interviewed, only one needed student loans to pay for their tuition. The rest said they used the Board of Governors’ Fee Waiver or other forms of student aid to cover the price of their tuition. “All of my college classes this year are pretty much covered by the BOG,” said 19-year-old Anthony Delise, an undeclared major. “My friends were like, ‘sign-up for the BOG and it’ll take care of most of your classes.’ After that, each class was about two bucks.” So far this school year, Free Application for Federal Student Aid and BOG fee waivers have about matched
what previously took an academic year to achieve, which is about 25,000 and 15,000 applications respectively, according to statistics provided by Garcia. Financial assistance covering the cost of community college allows students to avoid the debt of going straight to a four-year college and needing to take out student loans. “I’ve seen … students who are academically ready, but financially not, so they stay at community college and save up a few bucks to get ready for that next two years after transfer,” said Emiliano Diaz, the director of the admissions office at Sacramento State. “I’ve seen a lot of kids who do have the financial wherewithal to go straight to the four[-year college] but end up choosing a community college for what it offers there,” Diaz said. “In terms of giving yourself time to consider what you’re going to major in; giving yourself time to get yourself acclimated to the rigors of a college experience.” Dan Vasquez, a 40-yearold computer science major, said he is in debt from student loans. “I think you have to evaluate [a loan],” Vasquez said. “Crunch the numbers and you have to see if it’s going to work out for you. If you can’t pay your bills I would probably do it. You have to weigh the pros
and the cons and see if it’s for you.” Those looking to transfer to a four-year college can further reduce the cost to themselves. Many California Universities offer a program called the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan. It covers the tuitions of students whose families make $80,000 or less per year if they plan to go to a university, according to the University of California website, while a state college can be cheaper then transferring to a university. “Most students that qualify for BOG end up qualifying for the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan,” said Karlos Carter, a representative for the University of California, Davis. “I wouldn’t generalize it because there are a lot of transfer students that do not take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them. They could very well have an easier process financially if they were as resourceful as they should be.” The two-year college not only prepares a student financially, but prepares them for a four-year college and can provide skills applicable for a career, according to the College Board. “Eventually, when we get the job we want, that’s going to be our reward,” said Rebeca Orozco, 19, a liberal arts major.
HAWK’S EYE News in Brief California Community College launch new student success center The California Community College Chancelor’s Office announced the launch of the California Student Success Center on March 10. The Center will serve as a support for statewide projects that aim to boost college completion rates and promote success for students. The center will also be a major part of the Student Success Initiative which is based on a set of 22 reccommendations that now act as a guiding policy for the system. “We are implementing an ambitious plan to improve the way our colleges serve students from initial orientation and assessment, through education planning, to basic skills instruction, and all the way through completion,” said Chancellor Brice W. Harris, according to the press release. “This transformation is being accomplished through numerous program and policy changes—all coordinated under the Student Success Initiative. The launch of a California Student Success Center is a natural next step to continue this momentum.”
New process for priority registration
Scott Redmond / The Connection
Students who attend Cosumnes River College visit the tables set up by various four-year colleges in preparation for transfer at the fall Transfer Day Fair in September 2013. Attending a two-year college similar to CRC gives students a leg up educationally and financially when they transfer to the next level of education.
New students planning on attending any of the communit colleges in the Los Rios Community College District. By following the following steps, students will learn important information not only for registration, but for collegiate success as well. Step 1: Students need to apply online or in person. Step 2: Twenty four hours after applying, students need to go through an online orientation. Log in using your Los Rios student identification and password. Step 3: An assessment for English and mathematics course placement needs to be taken online or in person. Step 4: Meet with a counselor and choose a first
-semester course schedule. Step 5: Register for classes online via e-services or inperson in the Admissions Office. Step 6: After registration pay the enrollment fees either online after you register or in person in the Financial Aid Office.
New program offers accelerated pace to a four-year college. Cosumnes River College students will soon have the ability to join a program that will help them complete their education and transfer in two years at the Elk Grove Center. EXCELerate is a program that students can join where they will commit to enrolling in classes in the afternoons at the Elk Grove Center. Students that commit to the program will be ensured of being transfer-ready for a California State University or University of California campus after just two years and a summer. “For students participating in this new cohort, we are providing them with a schedules which will allow them to transfer in approximately four semesters,” said Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning Whitney Yamamura in CRC’s College Matters newsletter. “This is a great opportunity for those who know they want to transfer and want to get their general education classes done as quickly as possible.” Courses that are offered for the first semester of the EXCELerate Program include college composition, physical geography, introduction to music, statistics, and others, according to the College Matters newsletter. Students must go through an application process and if accepted they will undergo a specialized orientation that gives details on all the classes they will be required to take. The EXCELerate Program begins in Fall 2014 and more information can be obtained by contacting the Elk Grove Center at (916) 5254300.
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Campus panel highlights need for rape prevention By Kayla Gangl kgangl.connect@gmail.com Just weeks before winning the 1998 Miss World Pageant, Israeli teen Linor Abargil was held captive and raped by her travel agent on her way home from a modeling assignment in Italy. Ten years later, she decided to confront her past and reach out to fellow rape survivors and encourage them to speak out in her documentary “Brave Miss World,” directed by Cecilia Peck. In the documentary, Abargil’s story slowly unfolds as different survivors also share their stories with Abargil. “The brutal way he raped me twice, with a knife at my throat, to this day I can’t fathom that I went through all of that and survived,” said Abargil, as she read a letter she wrote to her rapist’s parole board. Her rapist, Uri Shlomo, was due to have a parole hearing to be released from jail before his full sentence had been executed. On average, 237,868 people are sexually assaulted each year, which factors out to be one rape every two minutes, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Of those sexual assaults, 60 percent remain unreported to police and 97 percent of rapists will never spend a day in jail, according to RAINN. In honor of Women’s History Month, on March 5, Chair of the Department of Global Studies Martin Morales reached out to Cosumnes River College students, staff and other schools of the Los Rios Community College District to view a special presentation of Abargil’s documentary and participate in a panel of special community members discussing rape prevention. The forum was packed and the presentation was also streamed to a screen in the library lobby and broadcast live to several other states and even outside the United States. One of the survivors that spoke with Abargil in her travels across the world was Fran Drescher from the television series “The Nanny.” Drescher told her survival story and how not only she but her husband both suffered. “There was a gun to Peter’s head and we just did what we were told,” Drescher said.
Bobby Bishop/ The Connection
Cosumnes River College Counselor Alexander Kagen, Police Capt. John McPeek and Violence and Sexual Support Services Director at Sac State Jessica Heskin headlined the panel discussing the documentary film “Brave Miss World” and an open mic disscussion on the topic of rape in Library 111. The final member of the panel was Brenna Lammerding (not pictured) a prevention and education assistant from WEAVE, Inc.
Drescher’s home was invaded by two men, one of whom raped her and a visiting friend, while the other held a gun to her husband’s head. After the documentary ended, a four-member panel shared their thoughts on the films message and held an open microphone discussion with the audience. During the open micro-
member, why, despite her beliefs, someone who had been through this kind of experience should even try to report it. “We still have a long way to go,” said McPeek. “Law enforcement today really does strive to focus on the victims. It is really important for us to do what we can to work with the victims on these types of
sity of Sacramento. “We have to hold perpetrators accountable, we have to hold misogynistic behavior accountable, we have to hold our media accountable, we have to do that as a culture.” Brenna Lammerding, a prevention and education assistant for WEAVE, Inc., added to Heskins statement with her thoughts on how society
“You should be able to walk to your car at night and not get attacked. You should be able to wear a mini-dress out on the town with your girls and go home afterwards and not get attacked. You should be able to go anywhere at anytime and not have someone attack you or force themselves on you.” —Brenna Lammerding Prevention and Education Assistant for WEAVE, Inc. phone session, audience members were allowed to ask the panel questions and some even bravely shared their own stories. One student said she felt that going to the police would be pointless because she felt so many rape cases are easily dismissed. She asked Capt. John McPeek of the LRCCD police department and panel
calls and types of crimes.” The panel members discussed how society can help decrease the staggering number of sexual assaults. “What I do believe is that if we are going to stop sexual assault altogether, we, as a society, have to stop it,” said Jessica Heskin a Violence and Sexual Support Services Director at California State Univer-
needs to change when it comes to sexual assault. “You should be able to walk to your car at night and not get attacked,” Lammerding said. “You should be able to wear a mini-dress out on the town with your girls and go home afterwards and not get attacked. You should be able to go anywhere at anytime and not have someone
attack you or force themselves on you.” If we start to hold the perpetrators accountable and stop the victim blaming we can help change the victim blaming response, Lammerding said. Morales said he hoped that after the night’s presentation, other campuses would become more proactive in spreading the word. “It is my hope that our peers at other campuses and my peers on campus will see this when it goes onto our website and say ‘Wow, CRC had this event maybe we can do it too’ and proceed to do that,” he said. Morales said there was one way for everyone to help get out the message about finding ways to end sexual assault. “One of the best ways you can get this out there is word of mouth,” he said. “There is this wonderful little thing that I am really not good with called social media...that can get the word out there and you tell one person and they’ll tell two people and they’ll tell four people and they’ll tell eight, and from that it will spread.”
March 13, 2014
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Free tax support through VITA By Damon Hickman dhickman.connect@gmail.com Lower-income families and individuals are being offered the opportunity to receive free tax assistance, provided by the accounting department at Cosumnes River College. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, being led this semester by accounting professor Allison Hamaker, started providing free tax assistance on Feb. 21. Along with CRC, other VITA sites in the Sacramento area this year include Hiram Johnson High School and the Stanford Settlement neighborhood center, said Hamaker.
On the first day, 77 families showed up to room BS 140A to receive assistance preparing and filing their taxes. Hamaker projects the service will help around 500 families this tax season, with last year’s total being 400, she said. It is available to anybody with an annual gross income of $55,000 or less and those who need to file a basic type of return. “We had students, parents of students, people from Sacramento and Elk Grove and Stockton come, some as early as 7:30 a.m. for the doors that opened at 9:30 [a.m.],” Hamaker said via e-mail. To get your taxes done
for free, simply bring the required materials such as a photo identification, Social Security card and tax information, and the VITA team will handle the rest. Many of the 30 volunteers in attendance were students, and CRC happens to offer Accounting 160, which is a course designed to train those interested in providing tax services. “The questions ranged from ‘who can be my dependent?’ to ‘can I claim head of household filing status?’” Hamaker said. Head to room BS 140A, where the VITA program will be held every Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. until April 11.
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Can exes be friends? By Rachel Norris & Scott Redmond rnorris.connect@gmail.com & sredmond.connect@gmail.com
She Said:
Most of us have experienced at least one, if not multiple, bad breakups. Then that person who you shared the good, the bad and the ugly with, all of a sudden becomes the dreaded ex. Can you continue to befriend that person, even though you no longer share the common ground you both once had? There is no right or wrong answer here, and every relationship works out differently, but my advice is to skip the heartache and move on. Mixed signals always get tossed around after breakups. It’s better to skip the confusion and make it easy on both parties, so that nobody has to deal with false hope. What if they invited you to their wedding? You wouldn’t be a very good friend if you didn’t show up. Save yourself the hassle and awkwardness of that whole situation. Also, how are friends supposed to act around the couple who broke up? It won’t be easy for them to transition from treating them like a couple to just friends. The most important reason people should not stay friends with their ex, is because they will find it extremely hard to find a new partner. If the ex is still a part of their life, then they will always compare potential mates to them. So why set yourself up for failure and heartache in the love realm? It’s fine if you want to stay cordial between you and your ex, but neither one of you should go out of your way to try to see or hang out with each other like a friend would. That just shows that you haven’t really moved on.
He Said:
There is a saying when it comes to exes, that they are one’s ex for a reason, meaning you didn’t want them in your life for any variety of reasons. Yet, there is a reason that people get together in the first place, meaning they had something in common that drew them together. Yes, exes can be friends. Popular belief says that they cannot and that old feelings will emerge or that lust and physical relationships will resume given the time. That’s true in some cases, but not all. Not every relationship ends badly. Sometimes, it’s because of a mutual decision to end it or that two people realize they are better off as pals, or they just aren’t clicking in the way they should be to date. If there isn’t a deep hurt from the breakup, being friends, arguably, will be easier. It’s not going to be some easy fix as breakups are always hard, even when mutual, because they come with the realization that something couldn’t work between two people. Old feelings can, and might, crop up, but feelings about individuals in any type of relationship can crop up. It’s all about willpower and not falling into old habits. While it’s very much possible that a former couple could rekindle the flame one day, it’s best not to dwell upon it. Better to be friends and have that special person in your life in some way then no way at all. Don’t listen to the naysayers. All friendships, and relationships overall, are different. Exes are exes for a reason, but they are friends for a reason as well.
For more No Strings Attached columns, visit our website thecrcconnection. com. Do you think exes can still be friends? Let us know your thoughts. 2/24/14 5:45 PM
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Sacramento holds Wizard World Comic Convention By Scott Redmond
sredmond.connect@gmail.com At first glance, one would probably not place the label of geek or nerd upon 23-yearold Katherine Zeman, as she doesn’t fit the stereotype that society holds about those who would attend a comic convention. Zeman and thousands of others, the line wrapping around the corner of the Sacramento Convention Center on two of the days, filled the halls of the center on March 7 through March 9 as the Wizard World Comic Convention descended upon the capital city for the first time. As part of the Sacramento Horror Film Festival organization, Zeman worked one of the many vendor booths that littered the tightly-packed aisles. “I am a 110-pound, white woman who is 23 and I’m in the military,” Zeman said, as she stood before the horror booth decked out in Sacramento Horror Film Festival merchandise. “So if [people] think a nerd is someone that is weak, scrawny and doesn’t
Stephan Starnes/The Connection
Actor Chris Hemsworth, who played the lead character in “Thor,” attended the Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con and fielded fan questions from the audience on March 9. It was the first convention of its type in town.
have a brain or too much of a brain, then what does that make them think about someone who is defending their country?” Zeman, like many who
Stephan Starnes/The Connection
A woman dressed as the Pink Power Ranger posed for fans at Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con on March 7.
attended the event, defies the stereotypes that many seem to lump upon anyone who attends such conventions or shows love for anything that is considered nerdy by society’s standards. “We do have social lives, and we are allowed to like things that are different,” Zeman said. “So if they [people] are going to judge someone by a term that is from the 80s as an offense, and not just Revenge of the Nerds movies here, then it’s belittling not just the people you are insulting but yourself.” Zeman was not alone in her view on what society calls nerds. “Nerd always reminded me of someone like a poindexter with the big glasses with the tape on the glasses, very much like Milhouse from the ‘Simpsons,’” said Christopher Neary, owner of Metropolis Comix, located on Bruceville Road. “But now, honestly the thing of it is nerd and geek really is okay. It’s accepted now, it’s a good thing, it really is.” Neary said that since a lot of celebrities come to conventions and want to do movies or comic-related series, there is less of a stereotype and stigma associated with conventions and comic-related pursuits. Zeman, who spent much of Saturday wearing various costumes from the horror-rock opera “Repo The Genetic Opera,” was not the only
one defying the stereotype of a nerd at the large convention. Many of the panelists spoke of the power of the fans, and of being what many would consider a nerd themselves. Chris Hemsworth, known for playing the character of Thor in various Marvel Comics movies, headlined a panel at the event and spoke on his own tendencies that are considered nerdy. When asked what his favorite movies were, Hemsworth listed “The Neverending Story,” “Terminator,” and “Labyrinth” among them, to which the moderator quipped that Hemsworth was a nerd, leading to Hemsworth replying “absolutely.”
“I’ve done other films before, and TV and what have you, but never had the kind of fans I had before I was part of this,” Hemsworth said. “Coming to things like this and meeting people who know more about the character than you do and that sort of die-hard support is unlike anything I’ve even been a part of, and that has probably been the most special thing.” There were numerous reasons that Zeman said people should consider coming to the event next year, being held on June 19-21. “If they love cosplay, if they like to buy merch [and] if they want to meet famous people why not come?” Zeman said.
Stephan Starnes/The Connection
Actor William Shatner was a special guest at Wizard World Sacramento Comic Convention from March 7-9 at the Sacramento Convention Center. Shatner signed autographs, took pictures with fans and answered questions as part of a panel discussion.
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Balancing the books and your bank account By Kayla Gangl kgangl.connect@gmail.com College can be an expensive endeavor, which is something that a lot of Cosumnes River College students are familiar with. It is difficult enough balancing a class schedule, but balancing a checkbook can strike fear into the hearts of even the most studious mathematicians. According to a survey done in 2011 by the University of Arizona and the National Endowment for Financial Education, student’s financial behavior is seven percent worse that it was in 2009 and fewer students were tracking their monthly expenses and living within budgets. Everything costs money. So, how can the struggling college student ease the panic of going broke? One way students can save money is buying or renting textbooks. Look for used textbook stores in the area that offer used textbooks at heavily discounted prices. If a used bookstore isn’t an option, there are online resources available to students as well. Some websites like Amazon and eBay often have used textbooks for sale at prices cheaper than those of a new book from the campus bookstore. Other websites such as Textbookrental.com, Chegg.com and Bookrenter. com offer textbooks to rent at reasonable prices and won’t leave you burdened with an old texbook at the end of the semester.
Kayla Gangl/The Connection
Students board a Regional Transit bus at the front of Cosumnes River College on March 11. Riding public transportation helps students save money on rising gas prices.
Students had their own ways in which they save money for textbooks. “Make as many friends as you can in class so you can share books,” said Tehreem Aslam, 19, a biology major. Students can also save money with their means of travel. With gas prices steadily rising, it may not be the wisest choice to drive to and from classes each day. Gas prices aren’t the only expense students face if they choose to drive. Parking on
campus not only means you need to purchase a parking pass, but you also might risk getting parking tickets if you park in undesignated areas. In his article “10 Tips for Saving Money in College,” John Fuller advises students to save money by looking into bus systems and carpooling. CRC students can use their student identification cards as transit passes after paying a transit pass fee of $5 to $15 depending on how many units they are enrolled in.
Fuller also said that if students live close enough, they should ride a bike or walk instead of driving because not only will it save money, but it will also provide beneficial exercise on a daily basis. With the extra money that is saved from not buying gas, it may be tempting to go splurge on something fun. However, splurging on entertainment can be just as costly. If students feel the need to go out to eat or even go to the movies, look for a restaurant
and theatre that offer student discounts. No discounts? No problem. Early showings are typically priced less than the regular showings. At restaurants that don’t offer discounts, order off the appetizer or kids menus, which often have similar food from the main menu, but at lower prices. Taylore Curtis, a 20-yearold biology major, saves money to spend on entertainment by not eating out. “I don’t go to fast foods or dine at my favorite restaurants,” Curtis said. “I limit my outgoing money for fun time.” If students are looking to make extra spending money, but may not want to juggle a job with the already tedious task of keeping up with classes, there are some options that can help. Online surveys are a great way for students to earn a little extra spending money in their free time. While they aren’t a get-rich-quick option, it could be fairly easy to bring in $10 to $20 a week. It is all done via email and they can be done on a student’s own time. While going to college can be a financial struggle, there are ways to enjoy it on a budget. Exploring different alternatives and managing spending habits are the best ways students can keep cash in their wallet and not be left empty handed. Bobby Bishop and Heather Kemp contributed to this article.
#TrendingNow Compiled by Greg Prouty and Kaley Andrews
“It stands out. I like it better,” said Daevisha Rogers, a 20-year-old undeclared major. ”It’s more animate.”
A Malaysian passenger jet with more than 200 people aboard disappeared around 1:30 a.m. on March 8 in Southeast Asia. The missing plane has still not been found. “The two guys with the passports...I feel like they hijacked the plane,” said Shey Ladeinde, an 18-year-old busines administration major.
of An Empire’
‘300: Rise
Apple updated its iOS 7 mobile operating system to iOS 7.1. In addition to having better compatability with the iPhone 4, it added new features, such as adding CarPlay, updating Siri, and fixing bugs.
aysian Aircraft’
‘Missing Mal
‘iOS
7.1’
The sequel to the movie “300” came out in theatres on March 7 and earned $46 million in the opening weekend. “It looked interesting. ‘300’ was awesome so you can’t argue with how the new one will be,” said Michael Cortese, 19, a chemistry major. “I’ll definitely watch it.”
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MARCH 13, 2014
>>Opinion EDITORIAL
Proposal to split California into six states is waste of time In a time when hell has broken loose in various parts of the world, the United States of America can do little more than strive for unity in fixing economic problems and political issues that remain present. Unfortunately, unity isn’t on everyone’s mind. A proposal currently receiving growing amounts of media coverage is actually looking to split some of America up a bit. No, this isn’t another Civil War in the making. This proposal is looking to separate California into six different states. Tim Draper, a venture capital investor, is looking far and wide for signatures to put this idea up for vote. Now it is worth noting that Draper is not a politician. He is also not an economist. No, Draper is an investor from Silicon Valley. From the aspect of improving California’s and America’s situation, this is nothing but a terrible idea. You may already be aware of this signature drive after being badgered for signatures by supporters of the idea outside of Cosumnes River College’s cafeteria. The suggestion is not a new one, but this time around, the idea could very well be a ballot measure in upcoming election cycles. In other words, he’s someone who puts lots of money into high risk, high reward gambles with potential for great personal gain. Draper has said he believes California is unmanageable and needs to be separated in order to prevent the problem from getting worse. It’s hard to overlook California’s obvious problems, such as its prison system or its large amounts of debt. It’s also hard to overlook California’s status as one of the top 10 economies in the entire world, as well as its stance as the state with the most votes in the electoral college. Should California be split, this centralized economy of the state would cease to exist, each new state would receive two new senators and the U.S. would be adding five more stars to the American flag. These new states would then be in competition with each other and would also have to create a new exchange system of the goods and resources California currently produces. The fate of the California State Water Project, which distributes water across the entire state, would also be up in the air. As if America’s economic problems weren’t complicated enough, this would create five new economies, each with their own laws and minimum wage, which, lest you forget, was just approved for raise in California’s current unified state. Perhaps instead of splitting up economic problems amongst a group of new senators to deal with, the state should actually unite in trying to find a viable and effective solution. It would be much easier to fix one shaky economy than create six new ones. One of the largest problems this would create, however, is names. With the current proposal, much of the Los Angeles to San Diego area would be divided into three or four directional Californias. Silicon Valley would also become its own state, aptly named “The Silicon Valley.” California as it is already has enough issues, we don’t need five more. Agree? Disagree? Let us know at connection.crc@gmail.com or thecrcconnection.com
HAWK
TALK
If you were in charge, how would you split California?
Peter Waegell 19, Art
DeWayne Ewing 20, Music
“if I absolutely had to, if I just wanted to, I’d probably just split it really simply, Just north and south. What they’re trying to do is like six different states.”
“Personally, I would not split anything, because I think it’s fine the way it is right now. I think there is a difference between the richer community and the poorer community, and they should find a way to bring more equality. I don’t think splitting it in different parts will help it.”
Scan this QR Code with your smart phone to view the Hawk Talk video.
“I wouldn’t want to split it, because I think it’s perfect right now. If it ain’t broke, why would you fix it?”
Arron Hoang 22, Health Services
Kiaia Joubert 20, Sociology
“There are so many benefits and negatives too, and I would be nervous because if it doesn’t go well, then we will be even more screwed than it already is. I would leave it as it is, and play it safe.” “I would split it in half. I wouldn’t want to split it in another way, because I feel that would be too many opinions. Just make it North Cal, South Cal.”
Tatyana Thibodeaux 18, RTVF
Compiled by: Bobby Bishop, Kayla Gangl, Shafa Ilyas & Heather Kemp
Editor in Chief: Scott Redmond Features Editor: Rachel Norris News Editor: Scott Redmond Online Editor: Zach Hannigan Opinion Editor: Zach Hannigan Sports Editor: Nick Valenzuela Visuals Editor: Stephan Starnes Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati Staff: Kaley Andrews, Bobby Bishop, Jelina Cortero, Kayla Gangl, Stacey Marie Harris, Damon Hickman, Shafa Ilyas, Heather Kemp, Emiliano Martin, Greg Prouty, Nicole Scott
The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Journalism 410 & 411 media production class. Editorials and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or Los Rios Community College District. The Connection is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and California Newspaper Publisher’s Association. 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.
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Page 9
Methodist churches allowing gay marriage shows some acceptance By Jelina Cortero jcortero.connect@gmail.com
Kayla Gangl/The Connection
Selena Martinez, a member of the CRC counseling department, works on her computer in the counseling office on March 10. Students at CSU’s will have to pay an additional fee for access to similar services on their campuses.
Additional fees unfair for state college students By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com
The cry to end the seemingly never ending increases in tuition has shifted, as schools in the California State University system have found a new way to take students’ money, in the form of so called student success fees. A student success fee is a fee that offers the promise of more classes, programs and improved graduation rates for thousands of CSU students, according to an article from the LA Times. These success fees will cost students between $200 to $500, to give them access to basic things that used to come with being a student such as counseling and other academic resources. While the stated intent is to help students succeed, the fees are actually a slick way to get around tuition freezes that were instituted by the governor and other lawmakers. The same tuition freeze was coupled with increases in state aid to the CSU and the other school systems. The schools are getting more money, but seeming-
ly it’s not enough. Tuition is frozen, so they are trying to slide around that by making students foot even more of the bill for college. Tuition annually at CSU’s campuses comes out to about $5,472, and was set by the Board of Trustees and has not risen in three years, according to the LA Times. From 2003 to 2010 alone, the cost of tuition at four-year universities grew by nearly 80 percent, according to data from the Labor Department. Tuition has grown more than 80 percent and the amount of student debt is gone past the $1 trillion mark, and the schools don’t have enough money to pay for the necessities? Proponents say that the additional state funding isn’t enough to make up for all the cuts that were taken over the years and they need student help to pay for and provide classes and services. Campuses in the East Bay, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Northridge, Pomona, San Bernardino, San Jose, San Luis Obispo and San Marcos already began charging the fee in 2011 with Fullerton,
Dominguez Hills, Fresno and San Diego all considering instituting the fees. Never when these fees or increases of tuition come around do you hear of the highly-paid administrators taking cuts or making sacrifices for the campuses they claim to love or be in favor of. Not to say that they are monsters or anything of that like, but why must the lowest people on the totem pole, meaning students, be the ones that must constantly sacrifice? Public higher education is quickly becoming a choice between two evils. Either you choose to not go through school and work your way up through jobs that won’t pay as well, or you go through school to get a degree and will likely be paying off college debt from now until retirement. What a choice students are provided. Slapping the word success or any similar word onto a proposal that does nothing but screw over the student body doesn’t turn a sugar pill placebo into anything other than a useless pill that leaves the patient in pain.
For years, members of the gay and lesbian community have been fighting for their right to marry their significant others, but because of the religious views of the church, the right to a same-sex marriage has been a constant battle. But not anymore. Thirty Methodist churches have taken their stand against the rights that have prevented gays from marrying and declared that they support same-sex church weddings – a unified stance that defies international church rules. Wait, does that mean churches are actually going to allow gay marriages to be performed inside the house of the Lord? According to The Sacramento Bee, “The congregations each have adopted a joint ‘declaration of inclusion,’ putting the denomination on notice that they intend to allow same-sex weddings in their facilities and performed by their clergy.” Now, let’s rewind: first, churches forbid same-sex marriage but after a period of time are now willingly going to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies? Well I think it’s safe to say, “Finally.” It’s not that the churches beliefs are wrong, but their values are too traditional. We live in a modern society where the gay and lesbian community have grown to a point where they are now open to be who they are and accepted. It’s time for the church to do the same. With their brave declaration, which also supports the ordination of gay pastors, the group of Methodist churches hope to ignite more than just a stand but a national movement to change not only the views of other churches but also hope to get the United Methodist Book of Discipline to change as well. This just shows how far our world has come and how much power people
have when they speak up. We’ve learned to progress with the world, not regress. However, with all great accomplishments, comes great controversy. Rev. Glen Raley of the First United Methodist Church in Marysville said to The Sacramento Bee the declaration is “just another step in the attempt to disobey the ‘Book of Discipline.’ ” In the article, Raley said he believes that the majority of his 300-member congregation strongly opposes gay marriage. “I believe homosexual individuals can be fully welcomed into our church, but there is a point at which me and many of my colleagues feel it’s a sinful lifestyle,” Raley told the Sacramento Bee. It seems like someone is still stuck on old traditions. If in this world we continue to one step forward and two steps back, we’re never going to move forward. We have to let go of stubborn traditions in order to grab a hold of a better future, or we’ll just be stuck. Well what does the group of Methodists churches who support same-sex marriage say about those who aren’t willing to change? According to The Sacramento Bee, “The document [when talking about the declaration of inclusion] asserts that Methodists ‘must unshackle ourselves from rules reflecting a culture where same-sex marriages are forbidden,’ and goes on to say that ‘no one will be denied the services of our church because of sexual orientation.’ ” They’ve sure got that right. No one should ever be denied of any freedoms or rights because of their sexual orientation. Let’s not be held back by what was said or written years and years ago because that’s the past. The only thing to do now would be to change as much as society has, adapt and learn to live in a nation where freedom is no longer just a word but its true definition.
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MARCH 13, 2014
>>Sports
Women’s basketball stays positive despite being eliminated from playoffs in regional round Following loss, coach and players express satisfaction making it to the playoffs, excitement for next season Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com
After a season packed with ups and downs, the Cosumnes River College women’s basketball season has come to an end. Head Coach Coral Sage explained her view of the season. “I think the season was successful. It was a little bit different than how I thought it was going to end when we started, but considering the things that the team went through, we had lost some players and had some key injuries towards the end. I thought we did really well considering those things,” she said. Sophomore point guard Miya Oakes explained how a fluctuating number of players affected their season. “We lost a few players, we had people injured, so most of our games
New Year, Old Faces in playoffs Zach Hannigan zhannigan.connect@gmail.com While the temperature starts to rise and the smell of fresh cut grass begins to fill the air, it can only mean one thing: baseball season. This year’s Major League Baseball season is starting like every other, with hopes of big league grandeur, but of course only one team gets to hoist the Commissioner’s trophy at the end of the season. Here are my predictions for the teams that will enter the tournament at the end of the season and who will
we played with six to eight people,” Oakes said. In a game where you must have at least a five player team to compete, the women did not let having so few people stop them from giving their all. Winning 17 of their 29 games, the Hawk’s basketball ladies reflected on the highlights of the last four months. “I think the highest point of the season was the second round of playoffs,” said freshman point guard Laurene Hearn. “We had kind of went in the first round a little downhill and we came back second round beating teams high in the conference with the small amount of players we had. I think our adrenaline was just up there.” “We made playoffs for the fourth year in a row which I thought was wonderful and we went into playoffs with only six girls which is pretty phenomenal considering our record being 17 wins and 12 losses,” said Sage. “We finished fourth in conference essentially playing with only seven girls thats pretty phenomenal I think. We’re pretty proud of that.” Hearn also commented on what she considered to be their downfalls of the season. win it all: AL East Winner: Boston Red Sox While it is always hard for a World Series winner to come back strong the next season, the Red Sox have the players to do it. With Mike Napoli and Jon Lester providing a veteran presence, the team should keep its blue collar attitude. It also doesn’t hurt to have a proven hitter in your lineup like David Ortiz and two solid hurlers like Jake Peavy and Clay Buchholz in the middle of your rotation. AL Central: Detroit Tigers This one is a little more easy to call. The Tigers are clearly the cream of the crop in this division. They have the best hitter in baseball in their lineup with Miguel Cabrera and the resigning of Max Scherzer and a new year for Justin Verlander should allow the Tigers to win this division. The team also solidified their bullpen with the acquisitions of Joba Chamberlain and Joe Nathan, However, the Kansas City Royals , Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox will make some noise and may not make it as easy as we think for the Tigers. Hey, maybe this one wasn’t that easy to call. AL West: Oakland Athletics
“As a team I think that more team “I’m looking forward to being a bonding, more recruitment,” she said. leader on the team and giving all that “With the players that we added to I can give,” said Jayla Henderson, a the team making sure they were the freshmen forward. right players. We needed more “For next season I’m just commitment.” looking forward to a full With all that they team and pretty much “I have been through, winning most of the women the games,” said think the season seemed optiHearn. was successful. It was a little mistic in what “I’m not they were looking bit diff erent than how I thought looking forward to it was going to end when we started, forward losing next to next season but considering the things that the team season. because “Just we could went through, we had lost some players building have won and had some key injuries towards the on what most of we did this our games end. I thought we really well consideryear,” she this season, said. we just had ing those things.” “We’re little things —Kristy Schroeder going to be keeping it from Women’s basketball coach bringing in us. So I look forbasically an all new ward to a winning team. Obviously with season next year.” having the low numbers and losing three sophomores we’re For more sports stories, visit pretty much looking to rebuild a thecrcconnection.com or follow The whole new team. We’re looking to Connection on Twitt er build on our success. Our goal is to @crcconnection always make conference so we’ll try and do that again.” You just can’t get rid of these guys. Every year, the A’s are written off for some reason, but every year they are right there in the playoff hunt. I won’t make that mistake this year. The A’s will sneak past the Texas Rangers and win this division. With Brandon Moss, who went deep 30 times last season, and near-MVP Josh Donaldson in the middle of the lineup, the A’s have the firepower to compete. But the team’s real strength lies in their pitching with Sonny Gray and Dan Straily anchoring a rotation who will be complemented by one of the best bullpens in baseball. Wild Cards: Yankees, White Sox NL East: Atlanta Braves While everything in me wants to pick Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals, I simply can’t. The Braves won 96 games last year and over the past four years have averaged 92.5 wins. For Atlanta, production and wins supercede everything. The team has the best closer in baseball in Craig Kimbrel and their young power hitters Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman are only getting better.This division will be a tight one, but the Braves squeak by the Nats for the division. NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals
This team is nothing if not balanced. They have solid players at every position and their trade of David Freese brought in Peter Bourjos to fill center field and put some speed in that lineup. Allen Craig and Carlos beltran should continue to drive in runs, while that pitching rotation led by Adam Wainwright will once again be consistently solid. The Cardinals win this division in a tight race with Pittsburgh Pirates. NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers As much as it hurts for this Giants fan to say it, the Dodgers are too talented not to win this division. They have the best pitcher in baseball with Clayton Kershaw and perhaps the deepest lineup led by Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez. It also is incredible to think about the fact that Andre Ethier, a career .288 hitter, is on your bench. A great lineup complemented by a great pitching rotation and a flame-throwing bullpen only means success for Los Angeles. Wild Cards: San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals World Series: Nationals vs. Tigers This is finally the year the Tigers put it all together and win the Series in seven games.
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Page 11
Softball season plagued by rain, canceled games Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com
The roster and skill of the opposing team, the condition of the playing facilities and the build of one’s own team are just some things that college sports teams have to worry about, but one thing most people don’t think about is the weather. While California battles the effects of the current drought, the moderate amount of rain to date has had a profound effect upon the season for the Cosumnes River College Hawks softball team. Softball games have been postponed because of rain. In fact 6 games this season have been postponed. “The biggest thing is that we can’t be on the field so we’re doing other things inside the gym, maybe we’re just limited to just batting, and we’ve gotten a lot of games canceled so that was tough,” said head coach Kristy Schroeder. While baseball has continued on during these rainy days, the softball team has had to put off home game after home game as the season continues forward. “If we’re playing a couple of the first games of the conference because we got our little tournament rained out so we should have had another four games, and instead we had nothing,” Schroeder said. “So to take that much time off, sometimes plays into the players getting a little rusty because you just aren’t playing the innings you want to be playing.” Conditions of the field, muddy and slippery, along with the safety of the players are the reasons for calling off games after it rains, Schroeder said. To combat the rainy conditions Schroeder said that recently they began placing tarps on the field to help keep it from getting as wet. “It’s just when there is so much rain in a row
Stephan Starnes / The Connection
Freshman pitcher Amanda Horbasch and freshman catcher Carly Hintz stand together before their doubleheader on Feb. 1.
it’s tough,” Schroeder said. “And plus the kids have to put the tarp on, they have to pull the water off the tarp and that takes time too and cuts into practice time. It’s not something you want to deal with but you do what you gotta do.” Freshman infielder Gail Oliver echoed the coach’s sentiments about the tarp. “We have to put a tarp on our field, it takes like thirty minutes,” Oliver said. “We have to pour the water off the tarp every time it rains.” While the weather itself presents issues the team must take on, with rescheduled games and the issues with tarps, there are other issues facing the players. Making up games while still playing the rest
of the regular season games and being students on top of it all can be a difficult thing at times, said freshman outfielder Christin Stein. “We have to miss more class and we aren’t ready to miss that much class, I hate it,” Oliver said. At the time of publishing, the Schroeder said she was unsure of how many games they still needed to make up to be eligible to participate in post-season games but that they were scheduled to play a makeup game with Mendocino College on March 13 and needed to connect with Gavilan College in order to set up a makeup game. “I’m just happy we were able to come back and play,” Schroeder said.
Hawks Softball upcoming games Hawks baseball upcoming games Date March 15
Opponent vs. Modesto
Time 12:30 PM
Date March 13
Opponent @ Sierra College
Time 2:30 PM
March 18
vs. Sacramento
3:00 PM
March 18
@ Modesto
2:30 PM
March 22
@ Santa Rosa
12:30 PM
March 20
vs. Modesto
2:30 PM
March 22
@ Santa Rosa
2:00 PM
March 22
@ Modesto
1:00 PM
March 15
vs. Moesto
2:30 PM
Women’s Tennis Schedule
March 14
vs. Sierra
2:30 PM
Men’s Tennis Schedule
Date March 14
Opponent vs. Modesto
Time 1:00 PM
Date March 14
Opponent vs. Modesto
Time 1:00 PM
March 21
@ Sequoias
1:00 PM
March 25
@ Fresno
1:00 PM
March 18
vs. Fresno
1:00 PM
March 18
vs. Fresno
1:00 PM
PAGE 12
MARCH 13, 2014
Stephan Starnes / The Connection
Sophomore outfielder Joshua Pigg gets walked by Sierra College freshman pitcher Wyatt D’Alessio to load the bases in the bottom of the eigth on March 11. The Hawks lost the game 7-3.
Baseball team falls in first game of conference play Stephan Starnes sstarnes.connect@gmail.com The Hawks’ baseball team finished non-conference play with a 12-3 record, but in the first game of conference play against Sierra College, the Hawks were down 7-1 after seven innings on Tuesday. After a no-score first inning, the second inning started off with an error for the Hawks. Sierra sophomore infielder Dalton Blaser made it to third base after a throwing error to first that went over the Hawks’ first baseman’s head. “There were no excuses, we should have made the routine plays,” said Cosumnes River College head coach Tony Bloomfield. Blaser was batted in two men later by freshman infielder Kyle Dixon for Sierra’s first run of the game. The Hawks waited until the bottom of the third inning to retaliate, when third baseman Hunter Carolan was walked and eventually batted in by sophomore outfielder Josh Cosio to tie the game at one run apiece. The game remained at a standstill until the seventh inning, with freshman pitcher Tyler Milani on the mound
for Sierra and sophomore Kyle Von Ruden throwing for the Hawks. Sierra ran away with the game, forcing the Hawks to pull Von Ruden, who gave up six runs, for freshman pitcher Elway Santistevan. “It was a good game, a one-nothing game for a while until that inning, and the errors got to him and it just snowballed on us,” Bloomfield said. “Other than that, I don’t think anybody did well except for Von Ruden. He kept us in the game, gave us a chance to still be in the game.” The first of the six runs came from from the first two batters, with two back-to-back singles. Freshman catcher Mike Phelan hit a double to bat in Dixon after another teammate scored the third run of the inning. The fifth and sixth runs of the inning were batted in by sophomore infielder Brandon Flynton to bring the score to 6-1. “[The team didn’t play] to our potential at all. Some rough at bats, and then pitching wise, just got a little tired and left balls up towards the end,” Von Ruden said. Milani pitched into the
bottom of the eighth inning for Sierra College. “I don’t want to talk about myself,” Milani said. “It’s obviously a team win and you can’t win without runs, and that’s what we’ve been lacking lately.” Sierra relieved Milani with freshman Wyatt D’Alessio, who took the mound with the bases loaded. Freshman catcher for the Hawks, Logan Marston, stepped to bat and hit an RBI single, bringing sophomore outfielder Adam Castelan home to bring the score to 7-2. Freshman infielder Drake Atlee would bat in another runner before Santistevan hit into a double play to end the inning, and the game would continue on to end 7-3 with Castelan hitting into a double play to end the game. “It means a lot the way we’ve been playing lately,” said Sierra head coach Rob Willson. “I think it proves we can play in this conference, because last friday around 4:15 I wasn’t sure. Today I think we can. There’s going to be bumps in the road, there’s going to be be challenges, but I think we proved to ourselves that we belong here.” Marston said that CRC
Stephan Starnes / The Connection
Freshman catcher Logan Marston bats in sophomore outfielder Adam Castelan in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring the score to 7-2.
played well, but they need to get past the game against Sierra and the errors they made to play better in the next game. The game was a learning experience that the players can look back to, Bloomfield said. He said the team wouldn’t win very many games in the Big 8
Conference when they give up three or more runs. “We’re 0-1. The preseason doesn’t really matter,” Bloomfield said. “We’ve got to get ready to play Thursday and see if we can get the game Thursday and try to win the series on Friday.”