www.thecrcconnection.com
Decrease in unemployment in California (in percents) Counties
Dec. 2013 Dec. 2014 Percent Change
Sacramento
7.6
6.2
-1.4
San Francisco
4.7
3.8
-0.9
Los Angeles
8.8
7.5
-1.3
San Diego
6.5
5.2
-1.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
State unemployment rate drops See Page 2
Breaking Stereotypes How American media influences views on Islam News, Page 3
ISSUE 1 2/12/15-2/25/15 Student voice of CRC since 1970
Sleepless Nights
Lack of rest is hurting students’ ability to learn Features, Page 5
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Free education?
Obama proposes community college at no cost to students Opinion, Page 6
TWITTER @crcconnection
Republic FC
Professional team uses campus fields to train Sports, Page 8
INSTAGRAM @thecrcconnection
Page 2
February 12, 2015
>>News
Job growth in 2014 sees highest numbers in years Job growth across the nation reached highs last year that had not been recorded since 1999, according to the Department of Labor. California added more than 320,000 jobs last year and the state’s unemployment rate finished the year at 7 percent, a 1.3 percent decrease from the previous year. The Sacramento region also showed improvement. The Sacramento region added more than 21,000 jobs last year and finished with an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent, according to the DOL. Cosumnes River College Career Specialist Anna Davtian says she’s “definitely” noticed this change, specifically through the number of job listings on the Los Rios Internship and Career Services website. “Before I would see about 200-something job openings and most of them were internships or volunteer opportunities,” Davtian said. “Now I see close to 400 job openings,” she said. The total number of LINCS job postings also experienced an increase. In 2013 there were 1,665 job postings on the LINCS
website, Davtian said. In 2014 that number increased to 1,839 job postings. But some of these numbers may not be painting the entire picture. “The unemployment rate that you see or hear about the most often is kind of the straight shot. It’s the simplest way of looking at it,” said Economics Professor Edwin Fagin. “Underemployed workers, which are people that aren’t working full-time, they’re working 30 hours instead,” Fagin said. “Or maybe it’s somebody like me who has a PhD that’s working at Starbucks. So we think of both of those categories as underemployed. If we account for that, maybe the unemployment rate looks worse than it does right now.” Genesis Xiong, a 19-yearold undecided major who is studying criminal justice, said he would not want to work more hours. “It depends. For me, I know I can for sure manage more hours but then the thing is I’d rather focus on school,” Xiong said. “Work is just if I need the extra money for gas or to pay bills. School is the main focus,” he said. Xiong also discussed discouraged workers, who are
10
Unemployment Rate (%)
By Johny Garcia jgarcia.connect@gmail.com
8 6 4 2 United States -December 2013
Sacramento El Dorado area county
Placer county
Sacramento county
Yolo county
-December 2014
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Ceejay Willis
not counted in the unemployment rate. “My cousin, he was looking for about a year,” Xiong said. “Most of the places he applied to, they couldn’t work with his schedule. That was a conflict so he just stopped.” Other students have become discouraged in their job search as well. “Some of them would come and completely give up,” Davtian said. “They were very sad. They would be crying here and be very frustrated,” she said. But she said sometimes it’s a matter of being prepared.
“When I do the annual career fair, and I’ve been doing it for many years now since 2011, I distribute evaluation forms to our employers,” Davtian said. “When they come back, the evaluations about students are very low,” she said. “They say students are unprepared and they’re not professional.” Davtian said she’s seen an overall improvement. “When I started in 2011 still the unemployment rate was quite high at that time for California and for Sacramento. There were a lot of students who were applying and they
were unsuccessful,” Davtian said. “I definitely see that shift and I’m very happy for that.” Professors at CRC said they are also pleased with the change they see. “When you look back at the things our government’s done, it looks like they did a lot of the right things,” Fagin said. “Unemployment rates are down, prices seem stable, the housing market is starting to bounce back, GDP is growing – all of those things seem to suggest we made some good moves, right? Only time will tell exactly what plays out, but it certainly feels pretty good.”
Students enthusiastic about proposed free college tuition By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Before 1984, the cost of attending community college in California was completely free. With President Barack Obama’s recent proposal, two years of community college could become free once again in California, as well as the rest of the nation. Obama unveiled the plan at Pellissippi State College in Knoxville, Tenn. on Jan. 9, and White House officials are estimating the overall cost will be roughly $60 billion over 10 years and would include around 9 million students if enacted, according to The Washington Post. The president brought
more attention to the plan by posting it on Facebook, where according to the White House approximately 5.7 million people viewed the post. Currently, it is just a proposal and more steps would need to be taken for it to be passed. However, the outlook from students and administrators at Cosumnes River College is optimistic and positive. “President Obama’s proposal to eliminate fees at community colleges would expand opportunities and access to thousands of residents who might not otherwise have considered a college education,” said CRC Interim President Whitney Yamamura. “These values are a priority at Cosumnes River College,
so we’ll wait and see how the proposal proceeds,” Yamamura said. “Obviously, a more educated citizenry provides numerous benefits to the community as a whole.” Many students agreed with Yamamura about the opportunities this proposed elimination of fees would bring. “There are a lot of people that can’t afford it [school], and they’re in a situation where they can’t get financial aid so I think that would help a lot,” said 21-year-old film major Christopher Tran. While Obama’s proposal would eliminate fees so that more students could attend college, there would be requirements for them to remain eligible for the program.
Students would be required to keep a 2.5 or higher gpa while also being at least a part-time student who is actively on a path to a degree or transfer. Anthony Ibarra, 24, a CRC graduate said that he thought that the requirements for the fee elimination were fair. “That’s a great idea,” Ibarra said. “Basically you have to maintain a grade point average and you have to be part time, so for somebody that wants to better themselves I think that is a good criteria.” Jose Rocha, 18, a physical therapy major said he agreed with the requirements. “I think they’re pretty fair,” Rocha said. “I mean a 2.5 is not that hard to get if you’re on top of
your stuff, your homework and everything, and your homework is going to help you do good on your tests, so I mean if you’re doing everything right I think it is [fair].” With all the financial demands that come from being a college student as well as just being an adult in society, Rocha said that he thinks that this plan would be a great help to students that are struggling to make ends meet. “I mean I just paid almost $300 for one book,” Rocha said. “I work and I pretty much don’t have any money saved right now because transportation, I had to put gas [in my car], I had to pay for my books and I had bills to pay. So I think it will be a great idea.”
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Page 3
Islamophobia: perpetuated by media portrayals By Nick Valenzuela nvalenzuela.connect@gmail.com Following the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States banded together to fight a common enemy: Middle Eastern terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda marketed under the brand of radical Islam. The fallout of the war on terror saw a deterioration in how many Americans viewed all Muslims; nearly 14 years later those views remain in decline. Extensive media coverage of recent violence committed in the name of Islam, from the attack on French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo to the Islamic State’s massacre of hundreds of people in the Middle East, is affecting the American public’s growing discrimination of Islamic beliefs. “You’re not supposed to take a life,” said Jose Palacios,
23, a business major and officer of Cosumnes River College’s Muslim Student Association. “In the Quran it says if you kill one human being, it’s like you’ve killed all of humanity, and if you save one person, it’s like you’ve saved all of humanity. You’re supposed to be tolerant as well,” he said. Amerah Edais, president of CRC’s Muslim Student Association, agreed with Palacios. “[The Islamic State] is more about control and power and using religion as an excuse,” the 20-year-old anthropology major said. A poll conducted jointly by ABC News and the Washington Post in October 2001 found that 47 percent of Americans viewed Muslims positively. Further polls conducted by the Arab American Institute found that number had sunk to 35 percent by 2010 and
27 percent by 2014. “I think the American media affects it a huge amount,” said Rosalie Amer, a humanities professor at CRC. “When 9/11 happened, there was really negative reporting on the
the real teachings of Islam from the actions of extremists and denounce their killing of innocents go largely unacknowledged by the media, Edais said. “In the media, there al-
“I’ve had my scarf pulled off ... last semester a
guy told me that my people are going to be put in concentration camps.” -- Amerah Edais
20, anthropology
whole situation,” she said. Amer, who teaches a class on global Islam, said that people don’t understand that “the human practice is where individuals like extremists interpret the Quran a certain way,” and that this interpretation is where extremists “are violating the Quranic ideal.” Efforts by Muslim-American communities to distance
ways has to be some sort of target,” Edais said. “We don’t get portrayed for the good things that we do … there are a lot of people who speak up about what’s going on, but we don’t get the views.” The negative perspectives held by many Americans can also lead to intimidating and dangerous situations for Muslim-American citizens, espe-
cially women. “I’ve had my scarf pulled off ... last semester a guy told me that my people are going to be put in concentration camps,” Edais said. While statistics show that this phenomenon, sometimes labeled Islamophobia, is steadily increasing, Edais said she has seen the discrimination “go up and down” and that “the majority of it has been getting better, but there’s always ignorance.” As for changing people’s views and creating a more positive light for Islam, Palacios echoed the consensus view that the job lies on the shoulders of every American, not just American Muslims. “The [Muslim] community can only do so much if no one else is willing to help portray them,” Palacios said. “[The Islamic State] is out there proclaiming Islam, it’s a hard job to do good and say ‘no, this is Islam.’”
Faculty meet to discuss future of CRC presidency By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com The Winn Center Community Room was filled with students and faculty on Feb. 6 as a town hall meeting was held to discuss the process of finding Cosumnes River College’s new campus president. The meeting, lasting just over an hour, provided the campus community a chance to express what qualities they were looking for in their next leader. “There are a lot of important leadership positions in our district and at CRC,” said Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brian King in his opening remarks. “One of the most important leadership positions is the president. This is the first time that we are in the position to be searching for a president here in over five years.” Former President Deborah Travis retired at the end of the fall 2014 semester after a five-year term, and former Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning Whitney Yamamura is serving as interim president this semester. The forum had three main speaking points: interests, issues and constraints. Those in attendance had strong views
of what they were looking for. Communications Professor Georgine Hodgkinson said that she wanted someone “who invites respectful debate and models integrity.” As members of the audience spoke, their contributions were transcribed onto large pieces of paper that were later placed upon the room’s walls. By the end of the meeting, the walls were nearly full. The purpose of this exercise was to record the campus’ values so they can be relayed to whomever the next president is. Comment cards were also passed around for audience members to write things they did not get the chance to say or reinforce what they had. Music Professor Steven Coughran, as well as many other staff members, said that sustainability and being green were important values that the campus should continue to support. Richard Schubert, a philosophy professor, said that supporting academic excellence, honors programs and inter institute partnerships outside of Los Rios were important to him. Other common speaking points were that the next president should be transparent, work to bring the college to-
gether and support all of its students and work to better the variety and quality of student services offered. “I think it went well.” said David Weinshilboum, an English professor. “I always like having forums where the faculty are able to provide their opinions, their concerns, and it doesn’t happen all the time so it’s nice that our chancellor actually held this.” One of the most important things discussed during the meeting was the ability of the next president to stand up to the state and advocate for CRC. “A lot of my concerns were echoed, that the state wants to push us in one direction and we need to try and make sure that we consider our mission and all students as we go forward,” Weinshilboum said. Chancellor King, as well as other members of the Los Rios board, assured the audience that their opinions had been heard and that they would be taken into consideration as much as possible. Presidential candidates must have a doctorate or master’s degree, senior administrative experience, have held a teaching or student services position in higher education as well as having recent lead-
Ceejay Willis | The Connection
Psychology Professor Everett Hannan shares qualities he would like to see in the next president during a town hall meeting on Feb. 6.
ership experience in a related area and an understanding of the diverse population of the campus, according to the posting for the position. The hiring process in-
cludes filing a paper application, being interviewed by the hiring committee and going through impression groups. A new president will likely be chosen by July 1.
PAGE 4
February 12, 2014
>>Features
ID cards are for more than just identification By Bobby Bishop bbishop.connect@gmail.com Today everything from phones to computers have a multitude of functions that exceed the general purpose of the item in question, and student ID cards are no exception. The Los Rios Student Access Cards, the official name of the district’s ID cards, have many more uses than just as identification. With a valid Universal Transit Pass, a separate sticker that costs $15 or less depending on the number of units a student is enrolled in, students can ride for free on Regional Transit buses and trains along with E-Tran buses. The card also serves as an official library card that allows student’s to check out books from any of the district campus libraries, as well as load money onto the card to make copies and to print out documents. While both of those are major benefits, the use of the cards go beyond the campus limits. Various stores and entertainment venues offer discounts or even free items to students who provide proof of their enrollment. The United Artist theater on Bruceville, right down the street from Cosumnes River
College, offers $1 off general admission to students when they show their cards. Baja Burritos, located on Bruceville Road before the UA Theater, offers a free fountain drink with a burrito purchase to valid students. Subway has the same offer for a free fountain drink with a purchase. Many students said being able to save even a bit of money just by having a student ID card is a good thing. “ I think it’s a cool thing,” said Joseph Deutsch, a 20-year-old theatre arts major. “It helps students save money and we could use all the help we can get.” While these discounts are helpful to students, not all students are aware that they exist. “I didn’t know you can get student discounts just by showing your ID card,” said Shawn Bacerra, a 21-year-old automotive major. Many places do not explicitly share the offers instead they tend to be like secret menu items found at many popular restaurants. That means students have to hear about the discounts from others or possibly find them online. Some students think that isn’t the best practice. “I think stores should have fliers up that show that
The Connection
Students can ride Regional Transit and E-Tran buses, along with the RT Light Rail, for free by purchasing their Student Access Card and the separate Universal Transit Pass sticker, which is just one perk of having the card.
they give discounts to students,” said Otto Klee, 24, a radio communications major. While many places may not advertise what their discounts might be, there are plenty of ways to save money just by holding onto that ID.
The best way to find out what discounts are available is to simply ask. The worst that can happen is to be told that they do not offer any discounts. After finding out about these discounts, many stu-
dents said they would be interested in checking out the potential benefits. “The discounts are really good for students,” said Kien Ly, a 21-year-old business major. “I will definitely use them in the future.”
#TrendingNow Compiled by Ceejay Willis All photos are courtesy photos
“I’m not really excited for the movie, it seems really over hyped and misogynistic,” said Elena Velasquez, a 23-year-old sociology major.
The 57th Grammy Awards show was held on Feb. 8, hosted by LL Cool J. Award winners included Sam Smith, Beck and Pharrell Williams among others. “I love the camaraderie between artists who are genuinely enthusiastic for other’s accomplishments,” said 25-year-old biology major Emily Gayner.
lking Dead’
‘The Wa
Valentine’s Day brings the release of the movie adaptation of the first book of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The film is anticipated by some and panned by others.
mmy Awards
The Gra
‘Fifty Sh
ades of Grey’
AMC’s highly-rated original series “The Walking Dead” returned for the second half of its fifth season on Feb. 8. Creators have said a change in tone is coming for the series. “I’m excited to see how they’re going to vamp it up. It got sort of lackluster,” said Jacqueline Johnson, a 22-year-old art major.
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Page 5
Lack of sleep high among college students
Busier lifestyles with heavy class workloads and sometimes multiple jobs to pay for school are causing students to forego essential sleep.
Courtesy Photo
By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com
S
itting at a desk with books and perhaps coffee, cramming for an exam or trying to finish up that couple page essay at the last minute while foregoing sleep is a common scene for many college students. According to to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of the Americans surveyed reported getting less than seven hours of sleep on weekdays as well as many saying they sleep extra-long on weekends to make up for it. The reccomended hours of sleep for adults is seven and eight hours, according to the CDC. While the lack of sleep is large for the average population, it’s been found to be far worse for college students. With the added stresses of school and work, most students don’t get in enough hours of sleep. Students were found to be twice as likely to be sleep deprived as the general public, according to a study done by researchers from the University of Alabama and University of Cincinnati. Cosumnes River College Head Nurse Michelle Barkley said that it is not surprising that college students don’t get
enough sleep. “Of course they don’t,” Barkley said. “College kids are multitasking, they’ve got multiple jobs, they’re taking a full load of classes and they’re busy in a different sense. They’re young adults who think that they have the most energy in the world.” Sleep loss hurts the body overall, but one area crucial to students that it can affect is their ability to learn. Adam
their learning potential.” Barkley said that lack of concentration is just one issue when it comes to sleep loss. “It decreases your ability to concentrate, your gross motor skills are slowed and reaction times are slowed down as well,” Barkley said. “It makes you groggy and it makes you unhappy and over time it could potentially lead to depression.” Just asking around cam-
every night,” Villasenor said. “I usually go to sleep at 9 p.m. and get up at 5:30 a.m. I do my homework before I go to bed, and if I don’t get it done I get up earlier like 3 so I can finish it. I always try to plan ahead.” Natasha Supan, an 18-year-old film and digital media major said she tends to get enough sleep as well. “I typically try to get at least seven hours of sleep,” Supan said. “I’m on the swim
“College kids are multitasking, they’ve got multiple jobs, they’re taking a full load of classes
and they’re busy in a different sense. They’re young adults who think they have the most energy in the world.”
—Michelle Barkley CRC Head Nurse Knowlden, the doctoral student who co-authored the dual university study, said in a university press release that during sleep the brain acts like a computer hard drive and cleans up memories, makes connections stronger and gets rid of things it doesn’t need. “So if a student is sleep deprived, it affects the whole process,” Knowlden said. “Students aren’t able to learn, they’re not able to remember, it’s harder to concentrate and it affects mood. They’re working their way through college and they’re not maximizing
pus, it was easy to find many who choose to forego sleep for various reasons. “I have a kid,” said 24-year-old nursing student Fred Garret. “I have to deal with my girl and I have a job.” Adam Allen, 19, an undeclared major said that he gets less than the normal amount of sleep suggested because he is either up late doing homework or watching television. Others like Alfonso Villasenor, a 27-year-old architecture major, said they do get enough sleep. “I get eight hours of sleep
team and our coach tries to make us get enough sleep every night.” While many are losing sleep because of obligations to school or work, it’s not the case for all. Sometimes the cause of losing sleep is out of the hands of the individual. “No, I do not get nearly enough sleep,” said Taylor Matthews, 21, a graphic design major. “I don’t even sleep some nights, I have insomnia.” Outside of medical issues like insomnia, which should be discussed with a doctor, there are various ways to curb
poor sleep habits now before they get worse. Knowlden said that there are easy steps to be taken that could help students sleep habits. Limiting activities that increase mental stimulation near bedtime such as social media use or watching television or even studying will improve the onset of sleep. Knowlden also said that naps should be limited to 15 to 20 minutes as longer naps can not only signal that one is sleep deprived but also interfere with the natural nighttime sleep drive. Lastly, Knowlden said that students should try not to change their bedtime and their wake time by more than two hours, because going to bed and waking up the same time each day is ideal otherwise the body’s internal clock can be thrown off by the variation of time. “Sleep is extremely important to overall health,” Knowlden said. “Poor sleep has short-term consequences on mood, concentration, and higher learning and can lead to the dangers involved in drowsy driving. It also has long-term ramifications on our overall health. Research has found links between poor sleep and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.”
PAGE 6
FEBRUARY 12, 2015
>>Opinion EDITORIAL
Students deserve free community college Future community college students, burdened with the reality of college’s rising costs, are poised to have a far easier time securing an education in the future thanks to a proposal from President Barack Obama. In front of a crowd at Pellissippi State Community College in Tennessee, Obama announced his ambitious proposal to make the first two years of community college free. Having the government pay for community college is without a doubt a good idea, but just the first step in the right direction. “Two years of college will become as free and universal as high school is today,” Obama said in his speech. The plan would take $60 billion and 10 years to implement. The requirements to qualify for free tuition would include having a 2.5 or higher grade point average and being at least a part-time student on the path to completing a degree or transferring, according to an article in The New York TImes. In a piece published in the New York Times, Tom Hanks praised the proposal and credited having free access to community college in the 1970s and reduced tuition at the university level for making him the successful person he is today. Hanks is just one example of how much access to an education can alter someone’s life. Imagine if every single person in the entire country could have the same experience he did. Fittingly enough, in Tennessee, where Obama made his speech, they have a program in place that allows some students to attend community colleges for free, according to an article in The Tennessean. California community colleges cost roughly $5,000 per year in tuition, books and miscellaneous costs, according to the US Department of Education. Until 1984 California community colleges were free, and there is no reason they can’t be again. A full-time student in California who takes 15 units a semester would be able to save $1,380 a year in tuition and put that money towards furthering their education elsewhere, changing countless lives. The plan would pay for a student to study for two years, after that the cost of attendance would fall on their shoulders. Financial aid, grants and scholarships would still be available. The initiative is broken down like this, the federal government would pay for a quarter of the costs while state governments would cover the rest, according to The New York Times. While getting the first two years of one’s education paid for is great and should be implemented as soon as possible, it begs the question why should students have to pay for their higher education at all? Quite a few countries across Europe and South America have entirely free higher education programs. The only thing stopping such a system from happening in the US is politics and the capitalistic machine that makes money off the current college system. America the great is behind the times, but starting off with free community college is a great jumping off point. Even if the plan never gets approved, which is very possible with government gridlock, there is no reason other states can’t follow Tennessee’s promise program as inspiration to fund local college-level education. This is a matter that Congress and the states need to act on so that hopefully one day not only is the start of college free, but the reality of outrageously priced education is nothing but a distant memory.
Agree? Disagree? Let us know at connection.crc@gmail.com or thecrcconnection.com
Super Bowl ad makers call audible Commercials focus on social change By Johny Garcia jgarcia.connect@gmail.com Many avid Super Bowl viewers are asking themselves the following question – what was with this year’s commercials? Unlike nearly every Super Bowl, the majority of the ads did not solely focus on hyper-sexualized images or attempts at humor to sell products. Instead, many of the commercials shone light on various social issues, taking many viewers by complete surprise and even bringing some to tears. Nissan had arguably the most depressing commercial this year. Nissan’s ad featured a professional racecar driver who was never home to see his son grow up because of his career. The commercial shows the driver experiencing a terrible crash as his wife watches it on TV and his young son plays with a toy car. The driver is fine, and eventually he decides to leave his career behind to be able to spend time with his son, who is in high school at that point. The commercial ends with the father and son hugging it out in a brand new Nissan car. After watching this commercial and many others I did feel a sadness that I usually do not experience after watching Super Bowl ads. But what I felt even more than that sadness was a hope and a call for change in society. Nissan’s commercial was sad, but it addressed something that has often been shunned in American society: men feeling emotion. As a boy growing up in America, I can clearly remember being told that boys don’t cry, and was encouraged to bottle my emotions. This gender-specific mantra can lead to what the American Psychological Asso-
ciation President Ronald Levant calls the normative male alexithymia, or “men’s greater problems with expressing their emotions, a possible contributor to depression and barrier to treatment.” But the Nissan ad did just the opposite of this male mantra. The father and the son are both shown portraying emotion throughout the entire commercial, specifically sadness. This is important, given that “for many years, the suicide rate has been about four times higher among men than among women,” according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. American males need to be told that they can feel and express their emotions that are not anger. What better time to tell males than during the Super Bowl? Nissan wasn’t the only company to take this emotional call-toaction approach: Nomore.org had a commercial that played the audio of a real 911 call about domestic violence; Nationwide Insurance had a commercial that revolved around preventable accidents that lead to child death; and Microsoft had a commercial about a child who lost his legs and was learning how to walk with prosthetic legs. Each of these commercials, though sad, paves the way for progress to be made in American society. They do not merely point out social problems, but have a call for action. The commercials were definitely a surprise to many viewers, but they’re what America needed to hear to spark a conversation about change. As Albert Einstein said, “we can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
THECRCCONNECTION.COM
PAGE 7
Softball season starts strong By Heather Kemp hkemp.connect@gmail.com Kicking off their 2015 season, the Cosumnes River College softball team took part in a conference in Monterey on Jan. 30. Participating in four games during the weekend event, the team lost two games and won the others. “We won two, lost two, but they were close,” said Hanna Miller, sophomore third baseman. Beginning the season with a 2-2 record is not too shabby, and the women attribute their success to practice and their team bond. “We had practice pretty much every day in the fall,” said sophomore pitcher Amanda Horbasch.
“We got to bond really close through that and we had practice everyday leading up to the season,” Horbasch said. Sophomore pitcher Nicole Madolora said that conditioning was also a big part of their practices. The team’s head coach Kristy Schroeder said technical skill and experience will be important going forward in the season. “We have some really good experienced players from last year that will really help our team to be able to know more of what to expect this season,” Schroeder said. “And I really like the freshman that have come in.” Horbasch said she believes the team will do better than last season, and Madolora agreed.
“I think we’re stronger and have a more well rounded team,” Madolora said. Schroeder echoed that sentiment. “We have a lot more talent overall this season and so I think the combination of both sophomores and talented freshman together will hopefully allow us to have an excellent season,” Schroeder said. While the women performed well last season with an overall 16 wins and 20 losses, they are taking a swing at going farther this year. Miller said she expected to win often and make it to the playoffs, but teamwork is key. “If you don’t work as a team, you won’t play as a team,” Madolora said.
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Forget about deflated balls and focus on real issues By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Deflategate: something you’ve probably heard about recently. In fact, I can guarantee that you’ve heard it at least in passing as it’s the biggest controversy surrounding the NFL at the moment. In case the details of what Deflategate, a stupid name mind you, is about are fuzzy, here is a quick rundown: during the AFC Championship Game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots on Jan. 18 there were accusations that the Patriots deflated some of the balls they provided for the game. Everyone from the team’s respective fans to casual viewers of sports flocked to wherever they could to have their voices heard and express outrage on both sides of the controversy. Cheating is a serious matter, especially during a high stakes game like the AFC Championship. Possible cheating led to the Patriots acquiring their spot in the Super Bowl, and whether they did cheat or not was worth investigating. Even now with the Super Bowl over, the Patriots narrowly winning out over the Seattle Seahawks, the controversy rages on. In fact the outrage seemed to intensify for many because the Patriots pulled off the win. There is only one problem with the level of outrage, where was this giant outpouring when Ray Rice was seen on video beating his wife Janay Rice in an Atlantic City casino? Don’t get me wrong, there was outrage, that was the reason NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and
others moved forward with half-hearted moves that they believed would sate angry fans. Ravens fans supported Rice and thought it was unfair that he be penalized. Rice won an appeal to keep playing and one that ordered the Ravens to pay him back pay that was missed out on while he was fired from the team. Prior to the big event, people were screaming for the heads of the Patriots and even demanding that the NFL ban them from the Super Bowl, with the suggested time period ranging from five years to indefinitely. Just the mere accusation that the New England team might have made some balls lighter, a move that only would have given them a slight advantage and still doesn’t explain how terribly the Colts played in that game, seems to have people foaming at the mouth. Yet a man that knocked his wife out and kicked her while she was down is not even a concern to most anymore. That man gets to potentially play again in the NFL if someone should hire him. Incidents that truly matter, where people are actually putting the lives of others in danger and doing egregious things, get people angry, but only for a short while. Cheating though apparently opens the floodgates of eternal rage. It’s truly disgusting that both the NFL and the public are allowing this behavior from players by only being outraged for a bit and then going back to business as usual. Let the balls go and get your priorities straight sports fans, because we sure as hell can’t trust the NFL.
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Championship soccer team Sacramento Republic returns to practice on campus By Scott Redmond sredmond.connect@gmail.com Championship winning Sacramento Republic FC soccer team returned to Cosumnes River College for their training camp on Feb. 2. Last season the Republic used the new soccer fields at CRC for their inaugural season since they had no facility of their own at the time, while also using facilities at Sacramento City College. While their stadium was completed last summer, the team is once again making use of the campus fields. “It’s a great facility, [with] two nice fields,” said the Republic head coach Predrag Radosavljevic. “[There are] people who take care of us. We really enjoy the time we have.” Moving into their own facilities last June, Bonney Field at Cal Expo, the Republic went on to win the USL Pro Championship in their first season by defeating the Harrisburg City Islanders 2-0. Athletic Director Liz Belyea said there are many benefits to having the championship team return to CRC. “[It’s] definitely good for our department and college to have the Republic here,” Belyea said. “It helps [with] recruiting, college visibility in the community and community relations.” Republic forward Thomas Stewart said that the facilities help them get away from everything, since they’re removed from the city center. The location was not the only benefits, as Stewart said their quality was beneficial as well. “There are good facilities here, probably one of the better ones [around],” Stewart said. “It’s [also] handy for all the boys. I think all the boys live within a 15-minute drive, so it’s handy for everyone really.” Emrah Klimenta, a defender for the team, agreed about the quality of the facilities and the convenience. “I think the pitch [the field] is nice, and it’s convenient as the lockers are right there and it has a treatment room,” Klimenta said. “It’s just a nice pitch, that’s all we care about.” While Klimenta said that the pitch is nice, he said that their own facilities offer the fact that they are home and that it’s nice to have their own stadium. While the team’s training days are scheduled
Bobby Bishop | The Connection
Sacramento Republic FC players run to cool down at the end of their practice on Feb. 2.
from Feb. 2 to Feb. 6, before they head to Fresno to take on the Fresno Fuego FC, Stewart said that they’ll be back on CRC’s pitch this season. “I think we’re back and forth, we’re back here
all week and then we’re down to Ventura for another five days of intense training and games,” Stewart said. “And then we’ll be here throughout the season I’m pretty sure.”
Baseball Schedule Feb. 13
v. Lassen
2 p.m.
@CRC
Feb. 17
v. Chabot
2 p.m.
@CRC
Feb. 19
v. Sequoias
2 p.m.
@CRC
Feb. 20
v. Sequoias
1 p.m.
@CRC
Feb. 24
v. Shasta
2 p.m.
@CRC
Feb. 26
v. Canyons
2 p.m.
@Canyons
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, Terreal Gilmer, Taylor Gomez, Nicole Goodie, Tenley Lillegard, Stephanie Lopez, Tierra Palumbo, Francisco Rodriguez, Tim Taylor, Jasmine Teng
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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