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Lines drawn in vaccination debate
See Page 2 Nick Valenzuela | The Connection
ASCRC Election
New student representatives elected to office News, Page 4 ISSUE 5 4/23/15-5/6/15 Student voice of CRC since 1970
Pet Adoption Day
Vet Tech program tries to give animals a home Features, Page 5
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Blood Drive Bias
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Team headed to the playoffs after defeating Diablo Valley Sports, Page 12
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April 23, 2015
>>News
The needle in the haystack
Separating fact and fiction in the vaccine rumor mill By Nicole Goodie ngoodie.connect@gmail.com
California has become the national epicenter of measles outbreaks in the United States with more than 120 reported cases since December 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is not a coincidence that both anti-vaccination groups and measles cases are on the rise. With more and more parents opting out on getting their children vaccinated, the risk of contracting these preventable diseases is quickly increasing. “Everybody should be vaccinated, starting with the basic flu vaccine,” said Cosumnes River College nurse Fran Koscheski. “Measles is now on the upswing. There’s just so many diseases out there that have vaccinations that can protect you that it would be really foolish to not be vaccinated,” she said. It is not required of community college students to be vaccinated unless they are involved in the Allied Health program. This includes areas of study that involve direct patient contact, such as nursing, emergency medical technician, respiratory care and funeral services. Koscheski said that these students must be vaccinated for their own protection and the protection of others. “They’re at higher risk for these diseases because they’re dealing with patients they don’t know, especially
the EMT students,” Koscheski said. “They’re out in the field, they’re the first line of contact with these patients,” she said. Although CRC does not require students to show proof of vaccinations, it is not a reason to keep students from taking the necessary precautions to stay healthy. Koscheski said that most CRC students already have the Hepatitis B vaccine if they attended high school in California. All teachers and children attending the CRC child development center are also required to have certain vaccinations such as the tuberculosis test, measles, mumps, rubella and Varicella or chickenpox vaccine. Jennifer Patrick, child development center supervisor, said that diseases such as measles and rubella are not common anymore because our society has been vaccinating children for so long, but they still need to be prevented. “I feel it is very important for children to be vaccinated because we have seen such a decline in childhood illnesses,” Patrick said. Diseases that haven’t been a prevalent problem in the US are now making a rise because of a pseudoscientific study’s
Source: Forbes.com
claims that these vaccines cause neurological damage in children. While some people truly believe that vaccinations can be harmful to their children, there is no scientific evidence to back it up. There was a study in 1998 authored by Andrew Wakefield, a former surgeon and medical researcher, and his colleagues that linked the MMR vaccine to a cause of autism. Since then, the study has been retracted due to plagiarism, false claims and the unethical treatment of children, according to an article from British Medical Journal. Wakefield was given a chance to either replicate his findings or admit to his mistake and has done neither. Stripped of his clinical and academic credentials, Wakefield continues to push his anti-vaccination views. Even though these claims have been proven false, parents continue to opt out of vaccinations for their children. “I think they are doing it in good faith,” Koscheski said. “They feel that they are putting their children at risk for autism or other diseases. But the risk of contracting the
actual disease is so much greater than any perceived risk of autism.” However, it is understandable that some people might be skeptical of vaccines because of all of the chemicals that are in them. “It’s kind of like, what are they putting in you, so I think a lot of people are hesitant on getting vaccinated,” said extended opportunity services assistant Aujonique Dismukes. But a little research can help calm the mind about vaccination misconceptions. Patrick has been in the child development center for over 16 years and said that the outbreaks of preventable diseases have considerably decreased. “I have not seen a chickenpox breakout in the center in many years,” Patrick said. Vaccinations can help prevent an array of diseases, but they are not a shield to hide behind. Koscheski said if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, you are more prone to catching something like measles or tuberculosis. “You have a natural immunity to these diseases too if you have plenty of rest, good nutrition and cut out the bad habits,” Koscheski said. Overall, most people said that they think vaccinations are important to sure future generations are healthy. “It’s one thing for just your kid, but you’re endangering thousands of other kids in the area around you by not having your child vaccinated to something that is easily preventable,” said Alicia Evans, a 23-year-old geographic information systems major.
Source: CDC.gov
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Development of Elk Grove outlet mall halted again over legal issues By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com
There has been hopes for a mall to open in Elk Grove since the early 2000s, and yet here we are in 2015 with the site for the mall still a vacant construction zone. Howard Hughes Corp. now owns the land where the mall may eventually open, and they were ready to revamp the project’s concept and start building in late 2014, when the company was sued by a competitor halting construction once again, according to the Sacramento Bee. On Oct. 8 of last year, Elk Grove city councilman James Cooper made a statement about the then potential lawsuit during a meeting about the mall. “We want to see it get done, bottom line,” Cooper said at the meeting. “And this litigation, all it does is cost a lot of money, and lawyers get rich.” M&H Realty, the competitor who sued Howard Hughes Corp., owns the land around where the mall was set to be built and said that Hughes Corp. opening a competing project with what they are trying to do violates an agreement that the company made with city official in 2001, according to the Sacramento Bee. The original project, called the Elk Grove Promenade, was spearheaded by General Growth Properties until the project went bankrupt in 2008 when the recession hit, according to the Sacramento Bee. The mall was going to host anchor stores like Macy’s and JC Penney and be a traditional mall allowing M&H to build big box stores and entertainment around them. Jordan Greer, 21, a computer science major said that he has followed the project from its beginning since it lives close to it. “I remember first hearing about it when I drove past it,” Greer said. “It just looks like
a complete shell of what it is actually supposed to be.” The Outlet Collection at Elk Grove, Hughes Corporation’s vision for the land, includes some of the same things M&H was planning, which is where the lawsuit came from. The Outlet Collection will be a “regional outlet center offering over 100 shops and restaurants along with a 14-screen movie theatre. Designed as an open-air, walkable center with multiple open green spaces, outdoor dining and a children’s play area, The Outlet Collection at Elk Grove will be the ultimate shopping and entertainment destination of choice for Sacramento area residents and state Capitol visitors alike,” according to their website. CRC students and Elk Grove residents said that they think a mall would be great for Elk Grove. “All of us always have to go to Arden [Fair Mall] and Roseville [Galleria] and that’s super far,” said 18-year-old undeclared major Mariana Cardenas. “Honestly Elk Grove is growing more and more every day and they’re trying to make it a bigger city and a lot of people would go so it would be great economically too.” Hughes Corp. Vice President for Development Mark Putney said that he believes the mall will give Elk Grove’s economy a boost as well, according to a press release. “Not only will the development be a desirable dining and shopping destination for the community, we also believe it will be a catalyst for future economic growth in the area,” Putney said. Greer said that he would shop at the mall no matter what activities and stores it ends up including. “It depends on the stores they have there,” Greer said. “If they have like 20 Abercrombie and Fitch of course not, but seriously I’d shop there regardless of whatever they have there.”
Nick Valenzuela | The Connection
Construction of the original mall project was halted in 2008. Now the building site, located on Promenade Parkway in Elk Grove, is the intended location of an outlet mall pending a legal battle over building rights.
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Student elections see low voter turnout By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com
Just like previous semesters, the Associated Students of Cosumnes River College student government held their annual elections on April 13 and 14 to find the next group of officers to serve on behalf of students. Elections were completely online through eServices, much like they were last year which was the first year that the traditional polling places were not used in favor of going fully digital. Through that system there were 141 votes cast in this election. While that is an increase compared to the 86 votes cast in last years election, and 11 cast in last fall’s special election, it’s still a tiny amount of the almost 15,000 students on campus. While many students said they were aware that an election was happening, it did not interest them. Jonathan Taraya, 34, a dual radio, television and film and journalism major said he did not vote because he had no interest. “If any of the decisions the President made mattered or if there was actual visibility on how they do affect the stuff we do, I think people would care about it,” Taraya said. “Like right now most people are here for two years, ideally or less, and they don’t really see the impact of what our student president does or even the campus president. So if whoever controls the voting committee, if they did a better job showing why it matters to me I’d be more inclined to
vote,” he said. Others like 20-year-old architecture major Shane Rigsby said they did vote for specific reasons. “I voted because the situation of how it’s not cleaned up in spaces around the quad,” Rigsby said. While he was aware of the election, Rigbsy said that the ASCRC and campus could do more to advertise the elections so that more students are aware of them. A lack of interest and knowledge about the ASCRC and elections was a common thing said by many students about why they did not vote. There were four ASCRC candidates running for different positions that students could choose from, and just like with the last election cycle, each candidate was running unopposed for their chosen position. Running unopposed was not a guaranteed win even though there was no one running against them. Each candidate still had to receive more yes votes than no votes from students otherwise they would not have been elected. There was a second ballot for students to fill out, as each of the four colleges had to vote for their new Los Rios Student Trustee to serve upon the district board. There were three candidates to choose from this time. Cameron Weaver, currently the public relations director for American River College’s Associated Student Body, won and was elected that trustee. Weaver said apathy played a ma-
“
jor part in the To give lack of student voting. them a “Frankly, reason to I feel that students are not believe that participating in their student getting elections for the involved is same reason over half of the the polar U.S. population doesn’t particopposite ipate in their of wasting national elections: apathy,” time, it is Weaver said via email. “It makes the stepping complete sense. stone to If I don’t feel an immediate progress.” impact in my daily student – Cameron life from the activities of my Weaver campus senAmerican River ate, what is my College ASB stake in getting public relations involved in the director first place?” Weaver said more of an impact needs to occur to get students interested in voting. “The bottom line is that collectively as a district, our campus senates, including ARC’s of which I am currently a part of, have not been able to make that impact,” Weaver said. “The impact I’m talking about doesn’t just extend to the Los Rios student who is on campus five days a week and actively involved in clubs
and extracurricular activities, but the student attending classes 1-2 times a week, juggling a full-time job, a wife or husband and even children,” he said. Weaver said that students are not feeling positive changes in their daily lives from their campus senates. Issues like financial aid, bringing down the cost of textbooks and supplies and increased classroom availability are issues that students care about but senates have little to no control over Weaver said. “It has become apparent to me that being in a campus senate does not afford one the tools to actively work on issues like these, the issues that do affect all students, regardless of their campus involvement or stake in the community college system,” Weaver said. The inability to tackle these issues is a roadblock Weaver said needs to be addressed in order to stimulate students to vote once again. “My impression from having been a senate member for the last year is that students don’t care because they do not believe in the system or that positive change can come from the system. Regardless if they are wrong or right, it is our job, as public servants to our fellow students, to give them a reason to care,” Weaver said. “To give them a reason to believe that getting involved is the polar opposite of wasting time, it is the stepping stone to progress. That will be the legacy I hope to leave behind before it is all said in done. Participation leads to progress, progress leads to change,” he said.
Abuse of medication for studying carries risks By Tierra Palumbo tpalumbo.connect@gmail.com As the end of the semester approaches, students are beginning to use various methods to study for finals including the infamous study drug, Adderall. Adderall is an amphetamine and dextroamphetamine that affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control. It is used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to Drugs.com. “I think that it is one of the worst things that medicine is possibly doing to children today,” said Psychology Professor James Frazee. “It’s something we will look back upon and be embarrassed about.” Full-time college students ages 1822 are twice as likely to abuse Adderall as those of the same age not in college, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Students become addicted to Ad-
“The challenge is the idea that they can stop
dents have when they use Adderall recreationally just cold turkey. Well you might not be able to is that they tend stop cold turkey.” to use it in the wrong way. “They don’t – Michelle Barkley know that what CRC head nurse they are doing is using it to stay derall because, when taking the drug, up and study all users experience an increased sense of night, but their brain doesn’t function motivation, focus, concentration and that way,” Frazee said. “In order to feelings of euphoria, according to the memorize and learn something so that Saint Jude Retreats website. you have an understanding of it and Leshea Munoz, 43, computer sci- use it on, let’s say, an exam, is that you ence major, is diagnosed with ADHD have to have learned it over a matter and is prescribed Adderall by a certi- of time.” fied physician for her disorder. While The common side effects of Addershe believes that students shouldn’t all abuse are nervousness, restlessness, take it for recreational purposes, she headache, difficulty sleeping and diffidoes agree that it does help her stay culty staying awake, according to drufocused. gabuse.com “It helps me focus on one thing at Michelle Barkley, head nurse at a time, and allows me to finish the task Cosumnes River College, said the that I started with,” Munoz said. problem is that students think the side Frazee said the problem that stu- effects of this drug won’t affect them.
“A college age student between the ages 18-24 is [in] a challenging time developmentally,” Barkley said. “The challenge is the idea that they can stop just cold turkey. Well you might not be able to stop cold turkey.” Mariah Peck, 26, radio production major, knows what addiction can do to someone and doesn’t recommend using Adderall recreationally. “You can end up getting addicted to it,” Peck said. “I’ve seen it happen multiple times and I don’t think it’s a smart move.” Frazee and Barkley both said there are other, healthier ways for students to prepare for finals. “Go to bed earlier than you normally do; when you wake, before you do anything, put on some comfortable clothes and go on a brisk five to 10 minute walk,” Frazee said. “That is going to stimulate you and your central nervous system more and longer and more effectively and in a healthier manner than the use of recreational drugs.”
April 23, 2015
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>>Features
Vet Tech program prepares for annual adoption day By Jasmine Teng jteng.connect@gmail.com Each year the veterinary technology department accepts dogs and cats from shelters to take into their program for students to train with, care for and prepare for a loving family to adopt. On April 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the department will hold their annual pet adoption day in front of the Veterinary Tech building located behind the soccer fields. The department has held adoptions for more than 30 years, said Animal Health Instructor Technician Cheryl Buch. She said that her class of 1981 was the first to hold an adoption day, but they were done differently in the past. “They used to have auctions for the animals. I attended the auction when I was a first year student, and granted prices were cheaper then, but it was really sad because they were selling cats for 50 cents because no one would bid on them,” Buch said. “So we decided we want people to understand the animals have value in and of themselves but also to us. We put a lot of time, energy and expense into them so we decided to make it an adoption with a set fee.” Adoption fees are $125 for dogs and $50 for cats. Those fees cover all the medical expenses that occurred since the animals were rescued. Buch said that students work to care for and train the animals all year and she feels that the animals have given so much to the students and program that the best thing to do for them is to find them a home. For the animals that do get adopted, they do not go home with their new families right away. “Some people get so excited about their new adoption they start planning right away to get supplies to take care of them which is part of the reason we don’t release the animals on the day of the adoption,” Buch said. “We don’t want it to be an impulse buy and we want them to prepare for the animals to come home.” The animals are freshly bathed and sent to their new home in a week with a bag of food from the Vet Tech depart-
ment to help with the transition, Buch said. When it comes to adopting the animals, vet tech students get the first choice before staff and others on campus. “The students are the ones who bond with the animals because they have more contact time,” said Veterinary Technical Program Director Christopher Impinna. “The instructors care for the animals but don’t spend as much time so they don’t get as attached.” Impinna said he thinks a
Pet Adoption Day 2015 When: April 26, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: Vet Tech building, behind the soccer fields Fees: $125 for dogs, $50 for cats All animals: - are neutered - are current on vaccinations - are micro-chipped - are registered
lot of people only think of the basics, such as feeding and walking the animals, but do not consider the long-run expenses. “It’s important they have the ability to give a safe environment. That doesn’t mean a big fancy house in the country. It could be an apartment where they go for walks everyday. It could be a small house with a backyard,” Impinna said. “They should care and be able to financially care for the animals, meaning food and medications.” Students have two weeks after adoption day to find a home for the animals that go unadopted, otherwise they go back to the shelter. “The students go out and hustle to find them a home because we don’t want to send them back to the shelter,” Buch said. “We do close down for the summer and there is no one here to take care of them.” Buch said students don’t want to see the animals go back to the shelter so they find homes by word of mouth or email chains through friends.
“We’ve only had to return animals to the pound once that I can think of, for not being adopted,” Buch said. “There is no guarantee it wont happen again so I don’t let the students get too comfy with the idea it wont happen.” While there is the reality that animals might have to go back, Impinna said they always hope they’ll be successful with adoptions. “We’re never 100 percent successful, but we always hope we have 100 percent [success],” Impinna said. “Sometimes they all go home that day and sometimes they go home one or two weeks after. It’s a good thing for the community and animals. I have no fears about it at all.” Adoption day is open to anyone and the public is invited to come help the animals find homes. “We don’t get so many people here that we can pick and choose who they get. We’re lucky if we get maybe 40 people out here and considering there are 20 animals that’s not enough,” Buch said. There are other issues outside of the amount of attendees that can lead to animals not being adopted. “Frequently we are having a harder time placing cats, we always have cats left over. Sometimes dogs, but always cats,” Buch said. “Even though we have young cats that are right around a year of age, people want little kittens who are eight weeks old and it’s harder to place adult cats.” Alex Cahill, 22, a veterinary technician major, is in her third year. Cahill was assigned to be responsible Cosmo, a dog, and Annie, a cat. “Annie is sweet and loves to cuddle. She loves to play with toys, the laser points or something you can drag on a string. She also loves soft pillows and sitting in the windowsill. She is a sunshine kitty,” Cahill said. Each animal has their own distinct personality, making it easier for the adopters to find a pet that matches them. “We have one really goofy cat, Gandalf, he is so goofy,” Buch said. “He will take and drag his bed around. If you’ve seen videos of lions dragging an antelope off between their legs, that’s how he does it with his bed.”
Jasmine Teng | The Connection
Annie is one of seven cats available for adoption from the Vet Tech program during their annual Pet Adoption Day on April 26. Any animal adopted from the event can be picked up and taken home on May 1.
Jasmine Teng | The Connection
Veterinary tech major Alex Cahill was paired with Cosmo the dog and Annie the cat at the start of the fall semester. Cahill was responsible for training and caring for Cosmo and Annie to prepare them for adoption.
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THECRCCONNECTION.COM
Interim president attributes his success to luck By Nick Valenzuela nvalenzuela.connect@gmail.com Following the announcement of Cosumnes River College President Deborah Travis’s decision to retire following the fall 2014 semester, administrators of CRC and the Los Rios District began working to fill the large hole her departure created. However, the process of finding and hiring a person with the right qualifications is not a short process. The campus needed someone to step up and serve as president while the search was underway. Enter Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning Whitney Yamamura. “I didn’t express an interest for the permanent position,
porary promotion to interim president came at the simple request of King, his path to the top was not quite as straightforward. Rewind to 1989, when Yamamura was a master’s degree candidate at Sac State. “Los Rios created a minority and women teaching internship program … so I applied and I became an intern [at American River College],” Yamamura said. “The very next semester, the dean of the department asked me to teach part-time, so I taught parttime for two years.” Following his introduction into teaching, Yamamura said he took advantage of and applied for positions that opened up along the faculty ladder, which eventually led him to apply for vice president of instruction at CRC in 2008.
“Ever since I made that choice to go back to get
my master’s, everything else has sort of been by luck or serendipity. I feel very blessed in life.” —Whitney Yamamura Interim College President
so [Los Rios Chancellor Brian King] asked if I would be interested in interim, and I said I would be willing to serve,” said Yamamura, who took up the title of interim president for the spring 2015 semester. “My term is the start of the semester to the end of the semester.” While Yamamura’s tem-
“If you’re in the same district, and you’re a tenured faculty member and you become a manager, you can ask to go back to the classroom … if you’re hired as a manager into a district, you don’t have rights to go back to the classroom,” Yamamura said. “I’m confident in my skills and abilities, but there’s a nice
little safety valve there … and lo and behold, June of 2008, landed as vice president of instruction.” Yamamura said that because his term as interim president is short, his time will mostly consist of keeping the college afloat and ensuring the accreditation process goes smoothly. In the nearly seven years he has worked at CRC, though, Yamamura has accomplished more than the routine. Most notably, Yamamura was a key figure in getting CRC’s Elk Grove Center established. “Getting the center up and running, that’s an achievement Whitney should be recognized for,” said Jamie Nye, the former associate vice president of instruction at CRC. “When you’re the VPI, you’re the key point person for getting that center up and running in terms of the instruction side.” Dean of the Elk Grove Center Robert Montanez, who worked closely with Yamamura in the establishment of the center, agreed with Nye and said the Elk Grove Center would not have been possible without Yamamura’s guidance. “Much of the success of this building, and all the features that it has, emanates from Whitney Yamamura. It was his vision,” Montanez said. Nye said Yamamura has an impeccable work ethic, but also has a fun side that many of those who don’t work closely with him might not see.
The Connection
Interim President Whitney Yamamura speaks to faculty members and guests at the dedication of the Elk Grove Center in August 2013. As Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning, Yamamura played a key role in the formation of the center.
“Every year a group of us goes down to a Raiders game,” Nye said. “We have a retreat where the management team gets together … and it’s always at his house. We also do our white elephant holiday party at his place.” Despite his successes and the praise of his colleagues, Yamamura remains humble and attributes his success to serendipity.
“I’ve been very fortunate. I started off thinking I was going to be a financial planner, but getting into the industry, it seemed like it was very sales focused, so I had to do a little soul searching,” Yamamura said. “Ever since I made that choice to go back to get my master’s, everything else has sort of been by luck or serendipity. I feel very blessed in life.”
#TrendingNow After two years in unwanted retirement, Tim Tebow will be returning to the NFL. Eagles coach, Chip Kelly, offered to take Tebow as the team’s fourth quarterback. Eagles fans seem to be indifferent about the addition. “I feel he is in no condition to be back in the NFL. He hasn’t played in two to three years, I feel his time is up,” said 21-year-old undeclared major Alisa Michaels.
issouri Parma, Mo. officials didn’t react well to the election of their first black, female mayor. After Tyrus Byrd replaced Randall Ramsey, five of the six Parma police officers resigned because of “safety concerns.” “This goes to show that the world is not ready for the leadership power that a woman, especially a woman of color can bring to the table,” said Monica Hugo, 27, an accounting major.
World’
‘Jurassic
Tebow R
eturns
Racist M
Compiled by Ceejay Willis All photos are courtesy photos
The official trailer for “Jurassic World” was released this week and it has people excited for the summer debut. Eleven years since the last film, “Jurassic Park III”, “Jurassic World” is anticipated to be a summer blockbuster. The release date is set for June 12. “This trailer is amazing. It gives us die-hard fans hope after the massacre that was ‘Jurassic Park III’,” said 19-year-old English major Sergio Jimenez.
THECRCCONNECTION.COM
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Thinking outside the pot Everyone knows an average priced cup of coffee can be found at Starbucks or Java City, but where else can students go to satisfy their caffeine cravings? We searched and found five places in downtown Sacramento that offer delicious coffees for an average price while also offering a different vibe than that of the big name coffee shop chains. All coffee scores are out of 5
The Mill - 1827 I St.
What we ordered: Almond Latte $6 While The Mill prides themselves on making their own almond milk, the almond is just too overpowering, and takes away from the drink. It left an aftertaste in the mouth for awhile afterwards. The drink was on the pricier side for a simple latte. While it wasn’t as open and unique as other shops, The Mill had a nice warm and welcoming feeling.
Temple Coffee - 1010 9th St.
What we ordered: Mexican Mocha $4.65 With whipped cream that was much different than the typical spray type that Starbucks or Java City might use, the Mexican Mocha was quite an appealing drink. Decor wise, it was very “modern” in style with long almost cafeteria-like tables and stools for seating along with shelves of their merchandise lining the walls.
Naked Lounge - 1111 H St. What we ordered: Mocha Tai $5
Chocolate Fish - 400 P St. #1203 What we ordered: Flat White $3.60
The Flat White doesn’t have a lot of frills, but that is perfectly fine. It tasted good and did its job at getting caffeine into the body, but it’s recommended to those who prefer a less-sweet coffee. The shop felt warm from all the outside light with a quaint and fun atmosphere. One thing that made it stand out, which could be an upside or downside depending on the customer, is that there is no cell phone or Wi-Fi connection allowed in the store.
The Mocha Tai was the best of all the drinks we tried. It gave all the same feelings and perks of drinking coffee without the overpowering taste of coffee found in some drinks. It had a really nice chocolaty taste and a sweetness that makes you want to drink more. It’s definitely for those who prefer sweeter coffees. The atmosphere within was slightly darker and cooler than the other shops.
Old Soul Co. - 1716 L St. Rear Alley What we ordered: Iced Caramel Latte $4.75
The iced caramel latte is nice and cool with just enough caramel to make it tasty and not too overly sweet. The shop is quite different as it’s located off L street in a back alley. Inside it was open and bright with couches, plants and just a more laid back and welcoming atmosphere compared to many of the cookie cutter chains.
Compiled by Bobby Bishop, Taylor Gomez, Stephanie Lopez & Scott Redmond Photos by: Stephanie Lopez
Courtesy Photo
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April 23, 2015
>>Opinion EDITORIAL
BANNED BLOOD Gay and bi-sexual men who admit to having sex within the past year cannot donate blood. Every semester Cosumnes River College welcomes BloodSource onto campus in order to spend two days collecting blood from students who wish to donate. Their most recent visit to the campus was on April 14 and 15. Most students and faculty are able to walk right into the BloodSource buses, roll up a sleeve and go about their day. But for some students and faculty, it’s not that easy. The federal Food and Drug Administration bans any man, gay or bi-sexual, who has had sex with another man within the last calendar year from donating blood, according to The New York Times. Originally, the decades-long ban stated that gays and bi-sexual men could not donate blood at all. The FDA made changes to that ban at the end of 2014, in a move they claimed would help against a national policy allowing discrimination. Except that their so-called solution still allows discrimination: gay men can donate blood, as long as they are abstinent. The original ban was enacted in 1983 during the AIDs epidemic, because little was known about AIDs or HIV and there was no quick test to determine if someone had it or not, according to The New York Times. Focus was on the fact that gay men had contracted the disease, so they were banned from donating blood. Science has advanced, something the FDA acknowledged in their lifting of the original ban, according to The New York Times, and the knowledge and understanding of AIDs and HIV has advanced as well. Supporters of keeping the lighter ban in place point to the fact that there are stipulations on others about blood donation as well. Those rules from the FDA include barring anyone who has travelled to areas where malaria is common from donating for a year and keeping any heterosexuals who have had sex with prostitutes or injected drugs from donating for the same
period of time. The bans for heterosexuals engaging in any of those behaviors is also a year, just like the amount of time gay and bi-sexual males are banned. That is where any similarity between the bans end. Those straight people who are shooting up with drugs and having sex with a prostitute are choosing to engage in dangerous behaviors that could infect them and therefore infect others if their blood was used for a transfusion. While some gay and bi-sexual men choose to engage in risky behaviors, those who do not don’t deserve to be banned from doing something that can help so many others who could use that blood. No one is stopping straight couples who have regular sex from donating blood: yet they are capable of contracting AIDs or HIV. According to the article from The New York Times about the policy change, AIDs and HIV in blood can be detected anywhere from 9 to eleven days after donation with the current tests that are run on blood. In fact, every bit of blood that BloodSource, and other blood donation facilities, gathers is tested before put into general use. No one’s blood is just taken and then shipped right to the hospital to be put into someone’s arm right away. That would be utterly irresponsible. There are more diseases and conditions that can be passed on through blood than AIDs and HIV. With the tests that can be used there is no reason to keep any sort of ban on gay men. It is discrimination, plain and simple. We, the people, have the power to step up and call for an end to such draconian policies that have no logical or factual reason to even still exist. The FDA may think they did a good thing by reducing the ban, but we still have government sponsored discrimination in place. It’s disgusting and it needs to change.
2 percent
HAWK TALK Should someone’s sexual orientation affect whether they can donate blood?
Ashanti Bailey 19, communications “It’s not anyone else’s business what they do with themselves or anyone else.”
of Americans identify as gay or bisexual males, according to the U.S. census, which is nearly
6.4 million Americans
Katelynn Tracy 21, general science “It’s really not a factor. If there are diseases involved, then, yes, I don’t think you should donate blood... your sexual orientation isn’t a contributing factor.”
Scan this QR code with your smart phone to submit a letter to the editor. Compiled by: Tierra Palumbo, Taylor Gomez & Bobby Bishop
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Running out of water Both the city and the state need to reevaluate their water usage.
By Omar Chen ochan.connect@gmail.com
California is facing one of the most severe droughts on record, which caused Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in January. According to California’s Department of Water Resources, 2014 was the driest year on record. Brown’s state of emergency calls for a 20 percent reduction in water usage by all residents of California. This call for action is a necessary step for proper water use, but is not enough for the Sacramento region. The Sacramento region uses the third most water per day, according to the Department of Water Resources. At 279 gallons per day, Sacramento’s water intake is extreme when compared to the state average of 196 and even more alarming when compared to Los Angeles’s water usage of 155 gallons per day. A city more than six times as populated as Sacramento is able to consume 124 gallons of water a less a day. That is astonishing, illogical and unacceptable. Sacramento needs to implement a paradigm shift in its water economics immediately. For starters, 58 percent of residents do not have a water meter to monitor usage. In addition, landscape watering is responsible for about 70 percent of urban water consumption. These two weaknesses in Sacramento’s water intake are major contributors to improper water budgeting. Sacramento is currently in the process of installing water meters. This is a critical step forward, but the deadline to finish this initiative is 2025. This clearly shows that Sacramento has not made the water crisis a priority. This city has the most unmetered properties in California. A goal of 2025 shows residents that the only purpose for installing these meters is to play catch-up to other regions, not conserve water. Without water meters, there is no way to hold residents accountable for excessive water consumption. The best way to ensure residents cut back water use is to monitor their intake and financially charge accordingly. Regarding landscape watering, Sacramento is working to establish certain days of lawn watering. This is a good policy to have, but without water meters, how is this going to be enforced? Charging for excessive water use will cause residents to stop watering their lawns on their own, allowing for that 70 percent of water consumption to be reduced. That will serve as proper enforcement for this policy. More needs to be done to balance California’s water budget, however. Pipelines need to be repaired to prevent leaking, irrigation for farming must advance to conserve water usage and dams and reservoirs need to be upgraded to provide better water storage. This is a crisis that requires more than one course of action and Sacramento must do its part. This city has taken small steps to reduce its water use, but not nearly enough. Water meters alone will not reduce water consumption to where it needs to be, but it is an action that needs to be taken immediately in order to start budgeting water properly. Procrastination is the theft of time and, in this case, the theft of our most valuable resource. Action must be taken now.
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April 23, 2015
>>Sports
Men’s basketball coach announces plan to leave CRC By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com Men’s basketball head coach James Giacomazzi announced that he is leaving Cosumnes River College for a job that is closer to his home. Giacomazzi made the announcement of his departure on April 12 through Twitter. The coach, who has lead the Hawks to countless wins during his time at CRC, is taking over as head coach for Las Positas College’s basketball team next season. Giacomazzi said that one big reason for his switch-up is because Las Positas is a lot closer to his home and family in Livermore and that he was growing tired of driving 75 miles to work everyday. “It happened really fast and it was a situation where that campus is still growing,” Giacomazzi said. “It’s a newer school and literally it’s three exits from my house.” Men’s basketball assistant coach Nicholas Podesta said that he is happy for his mentor Giacomazzi. “I think it is a great opportunity for Coach Giacomazzi, as Las Positas is close to his home, and he’s raising two young girls,” Podesta said. “He will have an op-
portunity to build a winning program in his own backyard, and I’m sure he is looking forward to the challenge.” Giacomazzi, who started as assistant coach to the Hawks when he was 28, said that he thanks the school for giving him a Emmanuel Chavez | Guest Photographer shot and that he will miss Coach James Giacomazzi will be leaving CRC after 11 years to coach at Las Positas College. the campus greatly. said. “I don’t want the proAs for a new coach, Po“I’m very excited, but as gram to stop and just plateau desta is rumored to be movmy time at CRC is winding from what I’ve done. I want it ing up to head coach going down it also becomes a little to get even bigger and better.” into next season. emotional,” Giacomazzi said. Trenton Anthony, a freshGiacomazzi said that he “I spent 11 years of my life man guard for the team who has no involvement in transigiving my heart into this prois returning next season said tioning the program or input gram and I wanted to do right he is happy for Giacomazzi on who the new head coach by the program.” and that the team will be ok will be, but he thinks that PoGiacomazzi said he hopes after his departure. desta would do a good job. the men’s basketball program “Next season is going to “I’d love it, but at the goes on to do great things be something different, a new same time, there is a process without him. challenge, but I think we’ll and he has to go through it,” “My hope is that it contin- be ok at the end of the day,” Giacomazzi said. “I think he’s ues to flourish,” Giacomazzi Anthony said. done everything he could
while he was here to put himself in a position for the job and I wish him the best.” Anthony said that having Podesta as head coach would seem like a natural transition for the team. “Coach Nick is a player’s coach and we’re able to talk to him and relate to him a lot,” Anthony said. Podesta said he would like the chance to move up to head coach and keep the team’s momentum going. “I would love the opportunity to continue and build upon the success the CRC men’s basketball program has had over the five years I have been involved,” Podesta said. “We have a great group of guys returning and it would be an honor to lead these young men to defend our 2015 Big 8 Conference championship.” Podesta said that he wishes Giacomazzi nothing but the best as he moves on. “I’ll certainly miss working with Coach Giacomazzi, as he has taught me much during my tenure as his assistant coach,” Podesta said. “He’s been a great mentor and friend to me over the years, and I wish him all the best as he moves on to Las Positas.”
Athletes must make education a priority, coaches say By Omar Chan ochan.connect@gmail.com There is a common misconception in the college sports world that athletes only continue with their education to get into professional sports, but that is far from the case at most colleges. At Cosumnes River College, athletics do not come before education. “A very high percentage of our athletes will transfer to university,” said Athletic Director Liz Belyea. “The main goal is to get a four-year education for all students whether through sports or not through sports. We provide a support system for our athletes to successfully complete their education.” That support system consists of studying in the tutoring center and reaching out to personal tutors, if necessary.
Athletes who are struggling to meet academic standards will be referred to this support system in order to promote educational growth, Belyea said. “We find out their grades through grade checks, and, if they are doing poorly, we have them go see the people in the study center to make sure they are doing the right thing,” Belyea said. Although this support system is put in place to help struggling student athletes, most CRC athletes academically flourish, Belyea said. “All my athletes transfer,” said baseball head coach Tony Bloomfield. “Our guys come in here with the expectation that they are here to transfer and graduate and that’s what we tell them when they come in here.” In order to play a sport at CRC, students must be
enrolled full-time and pass a GPA requirement of 2.0. “We do grade checks on our athletes two to three times a semester and make sure they get help when they need it,” Bloomfield said. “If a kid is doing bad in the classroom, I don’t play the kid.”
“The main goal is
to get a four-year education for all students whether through sports or not through sports.” — Liz Belyea
Athletic Director The athletes themselves understand that academic goals are a higher priority
than playing. “The first thing I was told when I started was to keep my grades up,” Royletha Hudson, a freshman middle blocker for the volleyball team said. “I always liked to play volleyball, but I know that I can’t always do this and school has to be important,” Hudson said. Hudson said that she hopes to be a psychologist one day. “We are here to develop these kids for the real world,” Bloomfield said. “The only difference between players and everyone else is that they play a sport.” Students who attend CRC have specific goals in mind and the same holds for athletes. Student athletes have certain majors and study towards achieving a degree
in that field. Through CRC athletics, students are able to enjoy their sport while attaining an education. Christian Ochoa, freshman midfielder and forward for the men’s soccer team, said that he sees the importance of an education for life after CRC. “My passion is for soccer since I was a kid and I also loved cars,” Ochoa said. “At this school I can do both and when I’m done, I know I will be prepared.” Participating in sports at the community college level becomes more than just playing a game, but entails learning valuable life lessons. “We are teaching these athletes that they have to work hard,” Bloomfield said. “When the game gets hard, I ask my guys if they are gonna quit because in the real world it’s hard out there.”
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Athlete recruitment is more than just finding players By Nicole Goodie ngoodie.connect@gmail.com Cosumnes River College has an array of determined and skilled athletes. However, they didn’t suddenly appear on the fields. CRC coaches work endlessly to recruit athletes who will make the campus shine. Athletic recruiting is defined as any solicitation of an individual, a member of their family, legal guardian or coach by a college staff member or by a representative of the college’s interests to encourage enrollment in that institution for the purpose of athletic participation, according to the California Community College Athletic Association constitution. The CCCAA sets all of the recruiting rules for the state. “Everything we do is within those guidelines,” said Nicholas Podesta, assistant coach of the men’s basketball team. “We stick to those guidelines religiously.” The actual process of recruiting all starts with identifying a prospective athlete. “We start to gather information,” said women’s basketball coach Coral Sage. “We call coaches, try to get out and see practices if we can, and then from there we go and watch games and then we kind of figure out who we want to continue recruiting.” Similar to women’s basketball, softball recruiting involves identifying high school athletes and following their progress, said softball coach Kristy Schroeder. Sage said one tool coaches use is a website called Max-
Editor in Chief: Heather Kemp Features Editor: Scott Redmond News Editor: Nick Valenzuela Opinion Editor: Johny Garcia Sports Editor: Heather Kemp Visuals Editor: Ceejay Willis Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati
Staff: Bobby Bishop, Omar Chan, Taylor Gomez, Nicole Goodie, Stephanie Lopez, Tierra Palumbo, Francisco Rodriguez, Tim Taylor, Jasmine Teng
preps where coaches are able to see stats and rosters from local high schools. However, the way coaches start their recruiting process is changing, Schroeder said. Schroeder said that student athletes are verbally committing to four-year schools as early as high school. “The recruiting game has changed quite a bit,” Schroeder said. “Before the four-year colleges would sign student athletes their junior year, but now everybody is verbalizing really early.” “That’s actually helped our recruiting because you have a better idea of who’s available,” Schroeder said. Prospective athletes are then contacted and soon begin campus visits. This is when coaches must sell CRC to the athlete. Podesta said the beauty of CRC’s campus and the impressive facilities really helps the campus sell itself. “We do have the best facilities in the entire state,” Podesta said. A good field helps, and so does having a good team. “We’re really lucky because we have a brand new facility and we’re doing real well this year,” Schroeder said. “So that helps with recruiting.” One way coaches convince students to play for CRC is with priority enrollment. This allows student athletes to have first pick for classes. Schroeder said priority enrollment is a big selling point.
When it comes to convincing prospective students to stay at CRC, Podesta said he doesn’t worry too much. “In the five or six years I’ve been recruiting here, I’ve only had two players that have actually taken visits on campus and not come here,” Podesta said. Another advantage for coaches is a new rule passed by the CCCAA allowing them to recruit outside their respective districts.. “We can contact athletes outside of our district via phone,” Sage said. “It generally opens it up a little bit more.” Sage said she prefers recruiting within her district to keep the community in community college. Schroeder said she looks for multi-talented players. “I’m looking for pitching, I’m looking for speed, I’m looking for quality hitters,” Schroeder said. In Sage’s case, she said that she looks beyond what the player can do on the court. Sage said she typically does not recruit based purely on talent alone. She wants players that are hard working with the right attitude. Whatever the case, athlete recruitment is an essential process that helps build CRC’s sports teams into what they are today. “It’s really mainly identifying student athletes, convincing them to come, getting them on campus to watch a practice and a game, me touring them around and trying to show them that our program is better than the other ones out there,” Schroeder said.
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.
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NFL enters 21st century by hiring a woman referee By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com In light of all the various scandals that have rocked the foundations of the organization, at last there has been movement towards bringing more equality between men and women in the NFL. Sadly, it’s not the formation of an actual women’s football league or letting women play football in any way. We’re still not there for some ridiculous reason. The giant move is the hiring of the very first fulltime female NFL official, Sarah Thomas. Thomas has done sideline work for the Browns, Saints and Colts in minicamp practices, according to an article on the NFL’s website. In that same article, Thomas was said to have made her name at the NCAA level. After having first worked as an official at the high school football level, she moved up the ranks into college football and was the first female official to work a major collegiate bowl game, according to the NFL. While this is groundbreaking that she has been hired full-time, it does leave one big question unanswered: what took so long? Granted Thomas was not the first female to referee at the NFL level. According to an article on the 49ers website, Shannon Eastin was the first female referee in a regular-season NFL game when she was chosen as a replacement official. The only difference between the two is that Eastin was just a replacement and not offered a full-time job like Thomas. Asking the question about why it’s taken so long for this moment isn’t meant
to take anything away from the amazing accomplishment on the part of Thomas. It’s meant to highlight the fact that it is 2015 and just now are women being allowed into the all boy’s club of referees at the NFL level. It’s great when we have the first woman something or first African-American or Asian-American or any other group being the first to have a position. It shows change and growth to a nation that is so diverse and vast that it should not be represented by just one gender or race or sexual preference at every major level. Except that it’s 2015 and we shouldn’t be have to be celebrating the first anything at this point in our history. It should just be common that a woman can hold any position as a man. Instead we’re still being held back by the fact that the men in charge are too scared to let women into their boy’s only treehouses, because they might get cooties or something. Hopefully, Thomas will just be the first of many women who begin to be allowed into referee jobs, leading to women holding higher management jobs, coaching jobs and whatever other job they want to hold. Why can’t there be a woman coaching the 49ers? Men are coaches for women’s teams at all levels that there actually are women’s sports, so there is no reason a woman can’t be a head coach of a team full of men. It’s time to come out of the stone age and stop holding women back just because of fear or the desire to dominate things. Thomas and anyone else like her who gains such a position should not be judged by her biology.
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Softball headed to playoffs after Big 8 win By Francisco Rodriguez frodriguez.connect@gmail.com The Cosumnes River College softball team ended conference play at a home match against their fellow Big 8 first place team from Diablo Valley College on April 21. The action began in the bottom of the second inning when freshman utility Christy Satterlee sent a ball over the fence for a home run, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead. The Hawks increased their lead in the third inning as sophomore utility player Hanna Miller hit the ball into center field, bringing home two runners from first and second base. With Miller at third base, freshman shortstop Brenda Velasquez hit one out to center field as well bringing the Hawks another RBI and a
4-0 lead. The Vikings tried to respond in the first five innings, but the Hawks’ defense and the pitching from sophomore pitcher Amanda Horbasch shut them down. The Vikings tried to make a move during the fifth inning and loaded the bases, but were still unable to make any runs before striking out. “The game was amazing,” Velasquez said. “I am very proud of the girls. They were there giving us the support when we are up to bat. Amanda was great.” Velasquez was not the only one to speak on Horbasch’s performance during the big game. “Amanda pitched great and came up with some big hits,” said head coach Kristy Schroeder.
The Hawks continued their scoring streak into the fifth inning when Velasquez hit a sacrifice fly that brought Horbasch home to give the Hawks a 5-0 lead going into the sixth inning. The Hawks shutout came to an end in the top of the sixth when an RBI from Vikings freshman pitcher Nicole Nordahl brought DVC their first run of the game. In a quick reply, Hawks sophomore first baseman Briana Cherry scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to bring the Hawks a 6-1 lead. In the top of the seventh, the Vikings managed to score their final run of the game off an RBI from sophomore catcher Selena Townsend. DVC freshman third baseman Bailey Simmons tried to make it home, but was tagged out
by freshman catcher Raechel Hopper to end the game, 6-2 in the Hawks favor. “I thought it was the best out of all the games we played throughout the semester,” Hopper said. “I like all the hits we made. I think it was a great game.” With their spot in the playoffs and the Big 8 Championship title secured, the team celebrated their victory through the usual tradition of dumping gatorade over their coach’s head. The victory was more meaningful for Horbasch, Miller, Cherry, sophomore outfielder Christin Stein, sophomore pitcher Nicole Madolora and sophomore catcher Carly Hintz as they were honored before the match for the annual Sophomore Day. Because players are only able
to play two years of a sport in community college, Sophomore Day is one where family, friends and the rest of the team pay respects to those players who will be ineligible to play in the next season. Horbasch said the game was amazing. “We came together to the conference to win it. They [the Hawks] are all awesome. I can get outs, they have confidence in me and I have confidence in them. We have chemistry and that is why we made it so far,” Horbasch said. Schroeder said it was a fun game for her and the team. “I am really stoked that we won the championship. Going through the season, I really didn’t think we were gonna stand a chance because the [other] teams weren’t losing their games,” Schroeder said.
Brenda Velasquez, freshman shortstop and second baseman, taking a swing at DVC.
Sophomore pitcher and utility Amanda Horbasch pitching at the team’s Big 8 match.
Sophomore outfielder Christin Stein getting ready to steal third base during their April 21 home game against the Diablo Valley College Vikings.
Raechel Hopper, freshman catcher, hugs sophomore catcher and first baseman Carly Hintz after their 6-2 victory that secured their spot in the playoffs and first place in the Big 8. All Photos By Scott Redmond